Dream Team

An Australian Christmas is often spent outdoors swatting away the flies and trying to not work up a sweat.

Hale And Hearty

School camps are bigger than ever. But there's more to heading outdoors than sending out permission slips and finding a teacher keen on bushwalking, reports Denise Ryan.

Brand New Horizon

In an effort to escape her hectic city life, Wendy Bithell moved to Byron Bay and stepped into the darkness, writes Samantha Day.

Care For The Land

A love of the outdoors leads to a big change, writes David Wilson.

Newswrap

* Wild side The Great Australian Bushwalk this Sunday is an ideal way to get some exercise and see the wonderful wildflowers of spring. There are walks all around Sydney and up and down the coast, too. The event is an initiative of the National Parks Association of NSW and is designed to encourage folk to get outdoors and see some of the magnificent parks in the state. All walks are led by experienced guides and are suitable for both beginners and experienced walkers. One of the most spectacular ...

It's Great Outdoors It's Great Outdoors

Jamie Durie wants so much more, writes Larry Schwartz.

Big Blow In Hong Kong Puts Athletes Off Course

AUSTRALIAN Olympic preparations were shaken by a typhoon that struck here late on Tuesday bringing rain and high winds and shutting down much of the island.

The Sum Of Us

IF you are a 39-year-old, Australian-born Anglican who is married with children and working full-time as a professional, you are a pretty typical resident of the Hunter Region.

Inside And Out

Couches, side tables and cushions are migrating outdoors as the backyard becomes a decadently appointed lounging zone, writes Lisa Blundell.

Letters

Inspiring feat, in sport and the great outdoors

Hills Hoist Sails Above Its Design Rivals

THE Hills Hoist has been named as the most quintessential Australian designed item in a new survey.

Henry Predicts Wallabies Will Punch Above Their Weight

AUCKLAND: All Blacks coach Graham Henry will never underestimate the Wallabies. Why? It has a lot to do with the almost unbeatable Australian cricket team.

Celebrate The Season As They Do In Ireland

More used to very cold weather and even occasional snow at Christmas time, members, friends and supporters of the Australian Irish Welfare Bureau and Resource Centre (Illawarra) will turn their thoughts next month to Christmases past.

Space Envelopers

An inside-out approach has given these architects the edge. Brian Donovan and Timothy Hill are the architects' architects, deemed by their colleagues to have designed the two best Australian houses of the past 25 years. In a survey of 1000 industry professionals by the magazine Architectural Review their remarkable C House, completed nearly a decade ago, was top and their D House came next. Both are in Brisbane.

Home Among The Gum Trees

The outdoors is big at Tenterfield, writes Katherine Townsend. BURNSIDE HEIGHTS Tenterfield, 2 Tenterfield Drive, via Taylors Road $124,000-$139,000 (land only) Private sale Agent VicUrban, 131 852 Melway 13 B8

Winds Of Change Are Gathering Power

Dominique La Fontaine is chief executive of Auswind, the Australian Wind Energy Association.

Gold Within Grasp And Gasp

The medical support team for Australian athletes at next year's Beijing Olympics is well out of the blocks, writes John Huxley.

A New Adventure In The Emerald City

ONE year ago Darcey Bussell called Sydney her "dream city, especially now that I have children". In a travel feature naming celebrities' favourite cities, Bussell said she loved the opportunity to spend more time outdoors and being able to "go to the beach whenever you like".

For The Outdoors Mum

1. If she likes the outdoors then she probably likes nature. This lovely butterfl y pendant is a way of capturing some natural beauty.

Out For A Romp

The young are always restless. Design a good - and safe - play area for them outdoors, says Jim Fogarty.