The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has created new challenges for Australia’s health system. Whilst symptoms of the Omicron variant appear to be milder, it spreads more easily and rapidly than previous variants.

Testing capacity in NSW is under enormous pressure with a huge spike in people being exposed to the virus. The majority of the people receiving tests do not have the need to receive medical care due to our high vaccination rate combined with the somewhat milder symptoms of Omicron. It is still essential for those with symptoms to get tested but the government has been caught out by the sheer volume of tests required.

NSW Health advises that the only people getting a PCR (nose and throat swab) should be those who have COVID-19 symptoms; live in a household with a confirmed COVID-19 case; or have been advised by NSW Health to get a test. (Source: health.nsw.gov.au)

The government is scrambling to find solutions in this very dynamic environment as Rapid Antigen Tests become more appealing as a way to handle the skyrocketing numbers of tests required. We expect to see more announcements in coming days and weeks to help free up testing clinics and the health system.

Note that this information is current at the time this article was created (3 January, 2022). Due to the dynamic nature of the COVID rollout it is advised to continue checking the NSW Health website for any updates.

As Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout continues more and more Aussies are lining up to get their jabs.

The majority of Australian’s in full time employment work from Monday to Friday, so it makes sense that some of the population would look to get their vaccination jabs on weekends or public holidays.

The official word from NSW Health is that vaccination clinics are only open from Monday to Friday.

As stated on the NSW Health Website – NSW Health’s vaccination clinics generally operate Monday to Friday. Therefore, there may be limited or no vaccines administered on weekend days and public holidays due to planned closures. (Source: health.nsw.gov.au)

As each locally acquired case of COVID-19 occurs and the threat of lockdowns or restrictions increases, it seems that the a higher number of the general public are willing to get their vaccinations sooner rather than later. It would be beneficial to the members of the NSW community if vaccination clinics had more flexibility by opening on weekends and public holidays to allow all members an opportunity to get their vaccinations.

Note that this information is current at the time this article was created (23 June, 2021). Due to the dynamic nature of the COVID rollout it is advised to continue checking the NSW Health website for any updates.

ANZAC Day, Australia’s most sacred day, has been majorly disrupted by the Coronavirus pandemic, with all traditional services now cancelled.

The services to mark the participation in World War 1 will no longer take place due to restrictions on large gatherings caused by the threat of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

At the time of writing this article Australian’s are not permitted to gather in groups of more than two people, making it impossible to show hold the usual parades and presentations.

Instead, Australians are looking at alternatives to show their respects on April 25.

One alternative that has been gaining traction is the idea of a dawn driveway service, loosely named Light Up The Dawn. It has been suggested that Australians walk to the ends of their driveways at dawn with candles to show their respects.

The driveway movement has even gained the endorsement of the RSL. RSL Australia general manager Kim Henshaw said “This gives them a way that they can have their own private commemoration. We see it as very positive indeed.” (source: news.com.au).

Whatever the outcome we believe all Australians will unite, albeit from a distance, to show their respects in what will be the most unique ANZAC Day we have ever seen.

In 2019, Australian workers were blessed with an opportunity to take a 10 day holiday whilst only using 3 days of leave. This was due to ANZAC Day falling mid way through the week and in close proximity to the Easter holidays.

The news is not good for those looking for a holiday rort in 2020. ANZAC Day falls on a Saturday in 2020 and there is no additional holiday during the week when ANZAC Day falls on a weekend.

Easter is the best time of year to get an extended break in 2020 as it is the only 4 day weekend in the 2020 public holiday calendar.

If you get in quicker than your work colleagues you will be able to have a 10 day holiday whilst only using 4 days of leave.

Here are the dates:

Saturday, 4th April 2020 – Weekend
Sunday, 5th April 2020 – Weekend
Monday, 6th April 2020 – Day #1 Annual Leave
Tuesday, 7th April 2020 – Day #2 Annual Leave
Wednesday, 8th April 2020 – Day #3 Annual Leave
Thursday, 9th April 2020 – Day #4 Annual Leave
Friday, 10th April 2020 – Easter Friday Holiday
Saturday, 11th April 2020 – Easter Saturday (weekend)
Sunday, 12th April 2020 – Easter Sunday (weekend)
Monday, 13th April 2020 – Easter Monday Holiday

Note you could also achieve the same result between Friday 10th April and Sunday 19th April.

So what are you waiting for. Get those annual leave forms in now before everyone else in the office does!

It’s an Australian tradition to try to avoid work as much as possible and 2019 presents a great opportunity to combine public holidays with your annual leave to make a super mega annual holiday without using up all of your leave.

In 2019 Easter Monday and Anzac Day are just 3 days apart which presents a unique opportunity to piggy back some annual leave onto the Easter 4 day weekend and bridge the gap.

If you manage to nail this highly sought after holiday period you will be able to have a 10 day holiday whilst only using 3 days of annual leave!

Here are the dates:

Friday, 19 April 2019 – Good Friday (public holiday)
Saturday, 20April 2019 – Easter Saturday (weekend)
Sunday, 21 April 2019 – Easter Sunday (weekend)
Monday, 22 April 2019 – Easter Monday (public holiday)
Tuesday, 23 April 2019 – ANNUAL LEAVE DAY #1
Wednesday, 24 April 2019 – ANNUAL LEAVE DAY #2
Thursday, 25 April 2019 – ANZAC Day (public holiday)
Friday, 26 April 2019 – ANNUAL LEAVE DAY #3
Saturday, 27 April 2019 – (weekend)
Sunday, 28 April 2019 – (weekend)

So what are you waiting for. Get those annual leave forms in now before everyone else in the office does!

It’s that time of year again. The annual Australia Day lamb ad has just dropped but this year there isn’t as much controversy as the past ads have caused.

This year’s lamb ad features some typical Aussie humour with the basis being our recent fall from grace in cricket and the constant turnstyle of new Prime Ministers. Aussies have always been good at poking fun at themselves. The characters decide the only way to fix things is to merge our country with New Zealand.

In 2017 the Australia Day lamb ads caused quite the controversy, seeming to poke fun at the “invasion” of Aboriginal land by overseas settlers.

The closest the 2019 version of the ad gets to anything controversial is a subtle mention of selecting a new Australia Day Date that we can all agree on. Apart from that it’s a pretty timid campaign compared to previous years.

View the Meat and Livestock Australia’s (MLA) advertisement for Australia Day 2017 below:

It’s time to get EGGcited because Easter 2018 is nearly here.

We have all of the information on Easter public holiday dates, Easter school holiday dates and the reasons behind the Easter public holidays.

The 4 Day Easter Long Weekend

In 2018, Easter will be a 4 day long weekend for most residents of Australia, excluding those that have to work of course. The 4 day break kicks off with Easter Friday on 30th of March. The Date after Good Friday holiday (Easter Saturday) is on Saturday, 31st of March. Easter Sunday is on the 1st of April and Easter Monday, is on the 2nd of April.

Easter School Holiday Dates

In New South Wales, most schools (eastern and western division) will begin their Easter school holidays on Saturday, 14th April. The school holiday break lasts for just over 2 weeks with most students returning on Monday, 30th of April.

It’s worth noting that school holidays may vary slightly between certain schools.

New South Wales Weather During Easter Holiday Period

The weather during the Easter holiday period in New South Wales is very comfortable, generally sitting between a low of around 13 degrees celsius and a high of around 23 degrees celsius.

The Reasons Behind Easter. Why Do We Celebrate Easter?

Easter is a religious based holiday, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

How Are Easter Dates Determined?

Easter and the associated holidays are not fixed dates each year. In recent tradition, Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the paschal full moon (the ecclesiastical full moon of the northern spring) falling on or after the Spring Equinox (March 21). The earliest possible date of Easter is March 22, while the latest possible date is April 25.

How Did Bunny Rabbits And Easter Eggs Become Part Of Easter?

With origins in Germany, the Easter “Hare” originally played the role of a judge, deciding whether children were well behaved or poorly behaved at the start of the season of Eastertide. The rabbit would carry coloured eggs and candy in a basket to the homes of children. The hare was very popular among christian culture as it was widely believed that the hare could reproduce without the loss of virginity, which led to an association with the Virgin Mary. Also, Orthodox churches have a custom of abstaining from eggs during the fast of Lent. They would boil or roast eggs to prevent them from going to waste and then it is assumed that the eggs would be decorated as part of the celebrations.

The Easter Bilby

The Easter Bilby has become a tradition within Australia. The bilby is a native Australian animal and was used to raise money and increase awareness of the plight of the bilby and has also been used to raise awareness of a problem with feral rabbits in Australia. Most money that is donated from the sale of chocolate bilby’s goes to organisations that are created to help save the bilby from extinction.

It’s that time of year again. The annual Australia Day lamb ad has just dropped and the media have immediately labelled it as controversial and devisive.

The reason for the controversy? Well the ad could be perceived as making light of the “invasion” of Aboriginal land by overseas settlers. The ad begins with Indigenous Australians on the beach with visitors arriving on boats from other nations. The video has an upbeat, happy vibe throughout with no shortage of tongue in cheek jabs at just about every culture.

Guest appearances in the ad include Cathy Freeman, Wendell Sailor and Adam Gilchrist.

As always, the public opinion seems to be slightly divided. We are guessing the marketing agency responsible for the ad have achieved their goal of creating a media storm to increase exposure.

View the Meat and Livestock Australia’s (MLA) advertisement for Australia Day 2017 below:

The NSW Government has introduced legislation that will allow all retailers throughout NSW to trade on Boxing Day in 2015. [Read more…]