Woodford Folk Festival is one of Australia’s oldest and most iconic events. 

The Woodford Folk Festival, an event of international standing, is held annually over six days and six nights from Dec 27th through to January 1st. More than 2000 performers and 580 events are programmed featuring local, national and international guests. This year the 7^th festival of The Dreaming is being featured at the Woodford Folk Festival. The Dreaming, Australia’s International Indigenous Festival, will be showcased in a special precinct within the Woodford festival where Indigenous music, theatre, talks and galleries will be featured.

This year, The Dreaming: Australia’s International Indigenous Festival stands proudly alongside the Woodford Folk Festival, offering a cultural tasting plate of world class Indigenous dance, music, visual arts, theatre and literature over six days.

By day, the Dreaming will be a central hub for speakers, arts and craft workshops, at the Dreaming Gallery, BLAKdramatics theatre and dance performances, accented with the diverse sounds of some of our finest musical talents. By night the village atmosphere transforms into a cultural pleasure-dome. Expect the unexpected.

The festival is held on a 500-acre environmental parkland located on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, on Jinibara Country, which is just over 1 hour north of Brisbane from 27 December 2011 to 01 January 2012.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED

Close friends and family ● Festive mind ● Sparkling dress or elegant suit ● Champagne ● Glitter ● Streamer ● Cotillion ● Resolutions games

INSTRUCTIONS

1st of all, determine what you want to do on New Year’s Eve.
Are you looking for a lively & exciting evening in Sydney?
A sophisticated & gourmet dinner in Auckland?
A luxurious & rejuvenating holiday in Vanuatu?
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Figure out who you want to celebrate New Year’s Eve with.
Check out with friends and family to determine their availability.
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Consult with the persons accompanying you to find out their plans, expectations and desires.
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Read through the options Across Oceania’s team has selected for you.
You have 3 atmospheres to find out your dream location to end 2011 in a blaze of glory & start the New Year in your best shape!
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Reserve as soon as you can! We have the dream night already planned for you!

THREE ATMOSPHERES TO FIND OUT YOUR DREAM LOCATION TO END 2011 !
Click on the cities below

AUSTRALIA

New Year’s Eve in Sydney

New Year’s Eve in Melbourne & Brisbane

NEW ZEALAND

New Year’s Eve in Auckland, Queenstown & Martinborough

VANUATU

New Year’s Eve in Vanuatu

07 – 31 December 2011

Mark Hanham is a talented, successful young artist, who has decided to go against the grain and establish his own gallery in the heart of Crown Street, Surry Hills, Sydney. Mark’s style – large, brash, pop, beautiful – takes drip painting and sensual curves to a new level.

Mark Hanham has positioned himself as a true Sydney artist. Born and bred in Paddington, Sydney, his first passion is to evoke the sensual curves of the geography of this city’s amazing Harbour and architecture.

Coupled with his uncanny sensitivity to the zeitgeist and his innate appreciation of a city and its architecture, Mark’s European paintings – Paris, Vienna, Stockholm and London to date, as well as New York and Hollywood, evoke the mood of these cities in a way few artists can. Sydney siders collect Mark’s Sydney Harbour paintings along with expats who order and ship his paintings to far off shores, in order to relive the sunny Sydney skies and voluptuous sweeps of the harbour and its views.

The much anticipated Parisian Show opened on the 8th of December and runs until the 31th of December

After many creative months overseas, Mark has finally returned to Aussie soil. Painting & gathering inspiration in Europe’s most beautiful cities, there will be some stunning paintings in the wings… Beautiful Parisian works which have travelled around the world get here, painted while Mark resided in Montmartre. Simplicity & Sophistication, with subtle allusions to the fauves, it’s a show you don’t want to miss!

Sponsored by Rolex, the race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and run in co-operation with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. It is considered to be one of the most difficult yacht races in the world as Bass Strait and the waters of the Pacific Ocean are renowned for their difficult seas and high winds. Indeed, it is not rare to see some competitors withdraw from the contest.

The 2011 edition of the Sydney Hobart race counts 89 competitors who will have to cover in a couple of days the 1 167 kilometres that separate Sydney to Hobart in Tasmania. The inaugural race occurred in 1945 and, over the decades, the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has consequently grown. The current record was set in 2005 by Wild Oats XI which arrived in Hobart 1 day, 15 hours, 40 minutes and 10 seconds after the start of the competition.

Some cruising companies will be granted access to the on-water action zone and spectator vessels will be available for the ones who want to observe the start of the race from the water!

Is someone going to beat Wild Oats XI record this year?

Watch out and witness the start of this great race on Sydney Harbour!!

Founded in 1977, Bach Musica is a choir and orchestra specialising in music of the Baroque and Classical periods.

Now widely recognized as one of New Zealand’s premier Baroque ensembles, we present a six concert series in 2011 in our home venue, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Parnell, Auckland.

First performed in the Salle Herz in Paris in 1854, ‘L’enfant du Christ’ (Childhood of Christ) by romantic French composer Berlioz is a dramatic and thrilling experience. Bach Musica NZ’s ‘A French Christmas’ performance of this popular piece, will be the sixth and final concert of their 2011 subscription series.

Set in Candlelight at hte Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell on Saturday 17 December at 7.00 pm, the concert promises to be a wonderful way to welcome in the Christmas season.

Berlioz was influential in the development of Romanticism. His oratorio’s three part composition is scorded for choir, seven vocal soloists and a large symphony orchestra. ‘L’Enfance du Christ’ tells the story of the Holy family’s journey away from Judea, into the desert and on to Bethlehem.

Bach Musica’s 40 voice choir and orchestra will be accompanied by seven highly skilled and internationally renowned vocal soloists: Anne Lamont-Lowe as Virgin Mary (mezzo), Moses Mackay as Joseph (baritone), Benjamin Makisi as Narrator (tenor), Richard Green as Herod (bass), Jared Holt as Father (bass), Anthony Schneider as Polydorus (bass) ans Richard Phillips as Centurion (tenor).

The narrator, Tongan born and Wellington raised Benjamin Makisi, has had standing ovations around the world and has earned critical acclaim for his tenor voice.

Conductor and Bach Musica musical director Rita Paczian says the work is ‘full of beautiful romantic harmonies and many dramatic scenes. We look forward to welcoming guests to our final concert for the year and presenting an unforgettable Christmas performance that will certainly put everyone in the Christmas spirit’.

The scene featuring Shepherds’ farewell has become famous among English audiences and is sure to have a lasting impression on all those attending.

Suscribers will enjoy a complimentary glass of wine from Morton Estate wines at the conclusion of the event.

Nothing beats a hearty bout of carol singing and Auckland has more than a few options as to where to enjoy a good, old fashioned yuletide singing session.

Carols in the Parks 2011

Join the spirit of the festive season with a bumper line-up of Auckland Council and community aupported Christmas events taking place across the region. There is plenty on offer for everyone: Christmas parades, Santa runs, carol singing, street parties, Christmas lights, galas and more.

Here are some of the scheduled Carols:

• Papakura Carols 2011, 02 December 2011 at 8.30 pm in Central Park, free event 
• Carols by Candlelight 2011, 04 December 2011 from 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm in Rewi Alley Reserve, free event
• Carols at Onewa 2011, 04 December 2011 from 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm in Onewa Domain, free event
• Ponsonby Christmas Carols 2011, 04 December 2011 from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm in Western Park, free event
• Carols on the Green 2011, 09 December 2011 from 7.00 pm to 9.30 pm in Browns Bay Village Green, free event
• Three Kings Carols 2011, 09 December 2011 from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm in Three Kings Reserve, free event
• Carols by the Sea 2011, 14 December 2011 from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm in Maraetai Beach, free event
• Waiuku Community Carols 2011, 17 December 2011 from 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm in Waiuku, free event
• Orewa Carols in the Park 2011, 18 December 2011 at 5.00 pm in Orewa, free event 

Christmas carols under the summer sky

For festive Christmas carols, Auckland is home to some beautiful parks where carollers can sing under the stars. Glow - Carols by Glowstick is a chance for Aucklanders to gather together under the roof of Vector Arena for a spectacular Christmas Carol event. You will join 8 000 of your fellow Aucklanders, singing about sleighbells, Santa and the baby Jesus at the top of your lungs. And while we can’t promise snow, we bet if you squint your eyes a bit, once those thousands of glowsticks are snapped, you’ll swear you’re somwhere in the middle of old Europe, next to a gaslight on a quaint cobblestone street! Vector Arena, 11 December, 2011 at 6.00 pm, cost: $5.

4 Nov – 11 Dec 2011

The Outpost Project is all set to transform the gritty industrial spaces of Cockatoo Island into an explosion of urban art. An impossible outcome, without the talent, commitment and energy of more than 150 artists, all willing to come on a journey with curators Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and aMBUSH Gallery, in a first for the Southern Hemisphere.

Renowned international and local artists such as ROA (Belgium), Ethos (Brazil), Kid Zoom (USA/Australia), Anthony Lister (USA/Australia) ans the Everfresh Collective (Australia) will illuminate the island with large-scale installations, live art creations including aerosol art, stencilling, past-ups, sticker art, cup rocking, sculpture, murals and billboards.

Exhibitions and forums will immerse visitors into global street art culture. Must-sees include George Shaw‘s ‘Oi You’! Collection boasting works by Os Gemeos, Swoon, Faile and the world’s best known and most influential Street Artist Banksy.

Alongside the action, an array of pop-up bars, retail and gallery spaces, artist battles, demos, DJ’s, tours and art-making projects will cover the island with activity for all ages. The Outpost Project will also present an innovative education program, engaging students with the artists, voices, styles and issues of Street Art.

Escape the mainland and immerse yourself in street art on Cockatoo Island.

This November a unique cocktail festival
is coming to Cockatoo Island !

With the world’s finest spirits on site and a host of charismatic stars of the Australian and international bar scene on show up close and personal, Cocktail Island is an event no Sydney bar-hopper or drinks connoisseur should miss.

Cocktail Island will run over 3 days from Saturday 19th November to Monday 21st November 2011.

Melbourne Music Week (MMW) was established in 2010 by the City of Melbourne to celebrate and support the city’s thriving independent music scene.

Returning in 2011 with a refined artistic direction and a strengthened approach to supporting the industry, the second annual MMW is partnering with Melbourne’s music industry heavyweights to showcase some of the best emerging and established local and international talent on offer.

With over 65 events throughout the week, the 2011 program features high-quality, cutting-edge and diverse events staged at unique locations across the city. Events include live performances and DJ gigs, multidisciplinary projects, kids’ programs, industry summits, workshops, seminars and much more.

MMW aims to empower the myriad of individuals, businesses and organisations involved in the creation, support and celebration of music and to unite them under one umbrella. Record labels, record shops, cafes, bars, clothing stores and, of course, Melbourne’s iconic live music venues – the heartbeat of our local music scene – come together at this leading event.

Come and explore, discover and immerse yourself in music during MMW, with free and ticketed events.

Made possible by the closure of the Musee National Picasso for renovations, this is likely to be the only opportunity to see Picasso’s work on this scale in Australia.

There are ‘Picasso’s Picassos’ – the works from his own collection that he left to shape his legacy, which were given to the French state after his death.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was an integral part of the birth and development of modern art. The exhibition represents every period of Picasso’s seven-decade career and almost every medium to which he turned his hand. Over 150 paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings will be displayed.

 ’Seven decades of Picasso’s relentless work … including masterpieces from his Blue, Rose, Expressionist, Cubist, Neoclassical and Surrealist periods’ said Mr Capon, director of the Art Gallery.

The exhibition will run for more than four months from November 12, 2011 to March 25, 2012.

This exhibition is co-organised bu the Musee National Picasso, Paris, the Art Gallery of NSW and Art Exhibitions Australia. It is part of the Sydney International Art Series.