Celebrations : Christmas in Australia

Christmas in Australia

By Jennifer Schillington

It's nearly September and time to start thinking about what you are going to do for Christmas this year. In fact if you were ultra organized you would have decided straight after last Christmas and booked it.

What about Christmas in Australia? Completely different from a northern hemisphere Christmas. Most of the world experiences a very cold Christmas and there is something very magical about sitting in front of a log fire, drinking mulled wine whilst the fairy lights sparkle in the background.

No doubt you have experienced plenty of cold Christmas' so now it is time to do something different. It is a great time of year to come to Australia as it is right in the middle of their summer. That means you can expect temperatures up in the high twenties most days.

Given Britain used to rule over Australia, the English traditions are still strong. Traditional turkey with all the trimmings is still served in some homes on Christmas day. It is however hot work in the kitchen so most opt for a BBQ instead. Sea-food features highly on the menu and a traditional Pavlova is often served for desert. Whatever is served, it's about getting the family round the table and enjoying great food and the odd drink or two.

Are you starting to get the picture? Can you see yourself in the sunshine, perhaps on a beach drinking champagne? Or maybe looking out over a beautiful vista in one of Australia's National Parks. What about an island getaway - perhaps the Whitsundays?

There are a few facts you should know before you run off to pack your bags for Christmas in Australia. It is probably the most expensive time to visit Australia. This is because it is summer and because of the Australian Summer School holidays. From mid December to the end of January, many families choose to take their annual holiday.

You shouldn't be put off by this especially if you have always wanted to experience the amazing Sydney Fireworks on New Years Eve. They are truly spectacular and worth the trip alone.

There are ways of finding cheaper accommodation at this time, particularly as many Australians leave their homes vacant over this time. It really is worth trying to find a home exchange or looking out for short term holiday lets to experience Christmas in Australia.

If you really want to do it properly though, I'd book at least 9 months in advance. That way you will get the best accommodation and there will be good availability. The really good places go first with some Australians booking before March for the following year.

As an example, the really popular National Parks like Freycinet National Park in Tasmania (home to the famous Wine Glass Bay,) have introduced a ballot system for spaces over Christmas week. Camping in general however is a very affordable and fun way to experience Christmas in Australia. There is something for everyone in this amazing country. From km of pristine beaches, amazing island getaways and if you can stand the heat, the red earth of the outback.

It really would be a Christmas like no other. Come to Australia. What are you waiting for?

About the Author:
Jennifer Schellington has nearly 5 years of experience in travelling Australia and has recently had a baby. Her website, http://www.realaustraliatravel.com offers practical information for planning your trip to Australia as well as what to do and where to go. Click here for more information on spending Christmas in Australia

Articles Source: Christmas in Australia

Career : Who Needs RG146 PS146 Training?

Who Needs RG146 PS146 Training?

By Lenny Hayes

If you are planning to work in the Australian Financial Services Industry, you'll definitely require to be compliant with the RG146 / PS146 policy from ASIC. This means anyone who provides personal or general advice about financial products to their clients require this training.

Personal advice is when a financial planner has considered the financial situation, needs, and goals of the person in question, or where the provider can be expected to have considered these matters. That doesn't mean that personal advice is just given to one person, however. If you give this kind of advice to a group of people in a similar situation, you're still giving personal advice.

General advice also deals with financial products, but isn't targeted. It can be given to an individual or a group, and may come in the form of a presentation, flier, circular, newsletter, or a number of others. That means that passing out a leaflet with advice about financial products requires you to have RG146/PS146 training.

RG146 / PS146 stands for Policy Statement 146, part of the Financial Services Reform Act of 2001 which is available at ASIC for the general public to read. The first three subsections of the document relate to the training standards for finance professionals in Australia.

Section one lays out the minimum training standards for those who provide advice on financial products to their retail clients. Section two states who the standards apply to, and section three states how to meet those standards. Satisfactorily completing the appropriate training courses is the general way. These courses are listed on the ASIC Training Register that applies to your advisory activities.

You can take these courses through a number of different organizations, which provide a diploma of financial services. This diploma accredits you in the RG146 / PS146 standard. Look for a Registered Training Organization, or RTO. To provide limited advice in a single area, it may be possible to simply take a few courses. However, for the majority of people who are operating in the realm of financial services, the full Diploma of Financial Planning is appropriate. Modules for this diploma include Investment, Insurance, Superannuation, Financial Advice and others.

There are a number of different ways to take these courses. You can sign up for traditional face to face teaching, distance learning, and even online courses to receive your RG146 / PS146 training. This makes it easy for anyone to get the appropriate training without making major changes to their schedule or lifestyle. Distance courses can also be a lot less expensive, making it affordable to keep up to date.

If you're part of the Financial Services industry and you don't have the correct training for RG146/PS146, investigate your options. Chances are that you can easily find an RTO to give you the training you need, without a lot of hassle.

Lenny Hayes is working as a financial analyst in Australia. She gives advice and tips for those who want to be part of the financial services industry in Australia.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lenny_Hayes


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LCD Enclosures in Australia

Author:Graham Gallagher

LCD Enclosures in Australia
LCD enclosures in Australia are increasing in demand as more and more Australian digital signage integrators use LCD enclosures in Australia for outdoor digital signage protection.

 

Applications for LCD enclosures in Australia.

Not limited just to outdoor digital signage protection, LCD enclosures in Australia are being used in prisons and jails and even mental health units, not only used to protect the hardware from damage irrelevant of it is vandalism or extreme weather. Let us take a look at the OOH (out of home) sector for outdoor digital signage and we see that Australia outdoor advertising has grown for the 7th consecutive quarter, meaning that this is certainly a growing industry and this is why LCD enclosures in Australia are in high demand.

 

LCD enclosures in Australia – sizes used.

Impact is everything in the outdoor digital signage industry, this is why they are deploying larger and larger screens to get the advertising message across to consumers. So screens up to and including 75' are being used, however when they use such a massive size screen they have to have a protective enclosure to safeguard the screen from damage, as the initial investment will be in the thousands. Sizes of LCD enclosures used in Australia have been from 42' up to a huge 75'.

 

LCD enclosures in Australia – cooling solutions.

Outdoor temperatures can vary in Australia up to an extremely high temperature with the highest temperature recorded of 50.7 C(123 Fahrenheit) on the 2nd January 1960. Now imagine if you put an expensive screen inside and LCD enclosure and it was sealed without adequate ventilation, what would happen? The hardware would fail due to excess heat build up, this is why our enclosures have the facility to add an air conditioning unit to the LCD enclosure, ensuring that the internal hardware is kept cool even in the most hostile, scorching temperatures. As standard the LCD enclosures in Australia are fitted with thermostatic cooling systems, these are more than adequate as they have been deployed in areas that the standard working temperature is in the 130\'s Fahrenheit, namely in Qatar and the Middle East.

 

LCD enclosures in Australia – successes.

Successes in Australia for LCD enclosures includes supplying several mental health facilities with their non loop LCD enclosures as well as prisons and correctional facilities, (currently one project for supplying 732 LCD enclosures). The more unusual applications is with energy companies that are deploying wind turbines and they need to monitor them, using small 26' LCD displays in LCD enclosures in Australia outback these record how efficient they are and how much power they have generated, protecting the electronic hardware in temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/multimedia-articles/lcd-enclosures-in-australia-5327603.html


About the Author
LCD Enclosure USA manufacture LCD enclosures used to protect outdoor digital signage in America and Canada, as well as LCD enclosures in Australia.

Australia - Internet, Broadband and Digital Economy Statistics (tables only)

Author:lisamartin

Broadband market
Although there is some conjecture that the actual number of internet service providers ranges from less than 400 through to more than 600, BuddeComm estimates that in early 2011 there were around 450 providers, offering services ranging from dial-up through to digital subscriber line, fibre and wireless solutions. Some internet service providers only service small numbers, less than 100 users.

The fixed Australia broadband market in 2011 is still growing and in that year the percentage increase was higher than in the past couple of years. The increase in numbers appears to be coming from uptake by newer customers, plus the continued drop-off in dial-up customers as they move to a faster and often cheaper service.

Continued strong adoption of services such as Ethernet and private IP in the business data market segment saw revenue growth of around 15in 2011.

The hybrid fibre coax networks operated by the two major operators in Australia, Telstra and Optus, were upgraded to DOCSIS 3 in 2010 as a way of remaining competitive in the current broadband market – that is, before the national broadband network is rolled out.

Broadcasting
According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) there are 28 distinct commercial television licence areas across Australia. Broadcast planning provides for three commercial television licence operators in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

During 2009-2011 the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Special Broadcasting Service, Seven, Nine and Ten all launched free-to-view digital channels on the Freeview platform. In early 2011 total digital TV penetration was at 75across Australia and steady growth is expected to continue until 2013. A number of regions have now switched from analogue to digital, and of these regions most have hit 100household penetration leading up to the changeover, with some users being assisted by the Household Assistance Scheme.

The past net losses of pay TV have decreased and profits are arriving. The average revenue per user of both AUSTAR and Foxtel are increasing as they are driven by higher-tier package uptake. As the analogue switchover to digital broadcasting moves across the Australian continent the subscription TV operators may be able to increase subscribers as the viewers get the feeling of what is possible in the new digital TV environment.

The recent changes in media ownership and broadcasting regulations in Australia are likely to lead to further consolidation of radio operators and increased cross-media ownership. In 2011 takeovers are starting to take place, with the Austereo Group merging into Southern Cross Media and Fairfax offloading its regional radio stations.

The digital economy

• We are getting a clearer view of where this media industry is going. The picture is still slightly blurred but increasingly we see the traditional TV media concentrating on digital TV. Investment-wise that is where their money is going. They have been unable to keep up with the digital media activities of the new players, which are dominating the broadband content and services market.
• Separately we are beginning to see other activities that we classify as belonging to digital economy, such as e-commerce, e-health, e-learning and smart grids. These last activities are covered in separate BuddeComm reports.
• Expenditure on online advertising in Australia continues to expand, targeting businesses and consumers – these groups are increasing their online usage as uptake of smarter technology and faster connections make accessing the internet easier.
• By mid-2011 online advertising increased by around 20year-on-year in 2011. The same amount of growth also occurred YoY by mid-2010. The increase in online advertising may be in anticipation of an improved economic environment coming into 2012, as Australian businesses continue to increase the amount of online sales.
• Online video and web TV have become recognised as a powerful format for both communicating online and providing an enhanced online experience.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/electronics-articles/australia-internet-broadband-and-digital-economy-statistics-tables-only-5392240.html

About the Author
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