Australia starts the week in that rarest of states in February — not on fire that much. The major bushfires in Victoria are mostly out, with only a stubborn blaze in the Otways left smouldering. Elsewhere, a Category 3 cyclone hovers off northern West Australia, storms roll across the country, and Melbourne is enjoying a fleeting run of days in the “low‑to‑mid‑20s” — the local definition of paradise.

The biggest heat this week, however, is political. In Sydney, police clashed with protesters demonstrating against the visit of Israeli president Isaac Herzog — a man whose photo‑ops and war record in the genocide in Gaza come trailing more controversy than diplomacy. The Albanese government’s decision to host him is being sold as a gesture of social cohesion, which is one way to describe widespread outrage. Meanwhile, an explosive ABC report suggests intelligence failures preceded December’s Bondi Beach attacks, adding more sparks to an already volatile national mood.

There’s at least one bright spot: Australia’s first large‑scale solar‑battery hybrid has gone live near Parkes, marking a milestone in the race to make renewable energy both affordable and useful after sundown. Big power companies are, predictably, not thrilled — especially as new rules will soon force them to offer free midday electricity. Somewhere, an accountant just burst into flames.

On the cultural side, the baby boomer generation has discovered a new way to avoid downsizing: installing home elevators. Because why sell when you can simply rise above it? And as gold and silver prices surge, Australians are raiding op shops for antique cutlery, hammering spoons into bullion, and proving that resourcefulness isn’t dead — it’s just being melted down.

A week where the fires cool, the protests flare, and the nation keeps finding new and ingenious ways to turn pressure into power — electrical and otherwise.

So here's a description of how the term bush doof became a thing in Australia - especially for those 90s kids in Melbourne.

Songs played

Touching the Untouchables - Men At Work (1981)

Back of My Hand - Bel  Air Lip Bombs (2025)

Horatio Luna - Bush Doof (2025)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It (was) January 26 in Australia — that complicated national holiday where the nation commemorates a "national tradition" begun in 1994 by an elderly culture warrior Prime Minister with a black-armband view of the future, and arguing fiercely about what being Australian means in its remaining media by mostly Anglo Caucasians. There’s music to start (Christine Anu, the Warumpi Band, King Stingray), followed by a quick history of big events on January 26 (British flag‑planting hijinks from Hong Kong to Botany Bay), and a side serve of protest, because what’s more Australian than a chorus of “We’re all mates!” followed by nobody agreeing on why.

As temperatures climb past 45°C, Melbourne roasts, and the Otways are beginning to burn. This is a big deal for people who know their Australian pre-history as well as modern bushfire history: the Otways are the last of the ancient Gondwana-era cool temperate rainforests on the south end of the Australian mainland, and it only burns one way: catastrophically. Last time it burned was 1939. Now... many more people live there & (mostly) volunteers will try to save it.

The week closes on the loss of Midnight Oil’s Rob Hirst: the drummer who gave Australia its most un‑editable drum solo and a rhythm that still won’t quit. A drummer whose legacy stretches far into the future as much as his prolific output was caught on video and captured in so many great recordings over more than 40 years.

A scorching, sweat‑stained week in which the nation wrestles with its past, its present, and its air conditioning — set, as always, to a truly great soundtrack.

Songs played:

Christine Anu - My Island Home (1994)

King Stingray - Down Under (2022)

Midnight Oil - Power and the Passion (live, 2017)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Australia, January decided subtlety was overrated. Along the Great Ocean Road, tents, caravans, and the nation’s collective sense of normal weather were swept to sea by a “freak storm” — which, given the last few years, seems less “freak” and more “standard operating procedure.” Meanwhile, Sydney offered its own natural spectacle: a chain reaction beginning with torrential rain, followed by sewage overflow, then baitfish, and finally sharks. It’s the food chain — with extra steps and worse PR.

In Parliament, Anthony Albanese has united the nation in disagreement by bundling gun reform and hate speech laws into one bill — a move greeted by the opposition with the enthusiasm usually reserved for a vegetarian sausage sizzle. Having demanded faster action, they are now furious that action has been taken quickly. A magnificent display of political physics: equal parts hypocrisy and conservation of outrage.

And in Melbourne, the Australian Open continues its noble mission to remind Australians that “Eala” is not pronounced “Eel-ah.” Filipina star Alexandra Eala became the first woman from her country to enter the top 50 — and although she lost, she left the court with dignity intact, which, for an Australian politician, would currently qualify as a major upset.

Music played:

Yara - Common Sense

Kylie Auldist - Get In the Game

The Black Cockatoos - Feelin' It

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode swerves from tragedy and solidarity to weddings, wind farms and wickets..

Australia’s response to the Tai Po fires: messages of condolence from the prime minister and 51,000 Victorian volunteer firefighters, plus a special nod to the Hong Kong crews on the front line. Anthony Albanese makes history as the first Aussie PM to get married in office, complete with dog ring‑bearer, obsessively analysed outfits and a soundtrack that’s more Vegas lounge than Canberra Question Time.

Day one of summer delivers 40 degrees in Perth and snow in Tasmania, which feels less like “weather” and more like a cry for help from the planet. While the climate loses the plot, Australia’s grid quietly hits more than 50% renewables in November and South Australia spends weeks running on more wind and sun than fossil fuels, as conservative politicians and Murdoch headlines insist this is all a dangerous fairytale.

There's more to talk about with the Hong Kong–Australia connection: with Hong Kong–owned CLP planning the end of a big Victorian coal plant and a future of gas, solar and giant batteries. Meanwhile, a pro surfer turns an old wind turbine blade into ten shiny new surfboards, proving that if you can’t ride the energy transition, you can at least ride something made out of it.

Hong Kong listeners get a home‑away‑from‑home update as Melbourne opens five cavernous new underground stations built and operated by a consortium that includes the MTR. Think platform doors, vast concourses and underground passages that finally let pedestrians dodge St Kilda Road traffic without needing a prayer and a high‑vis vest, all debuted in a “soft launch” with free public transport as a thank‑you for a decade of construction pain.

Finally, the news cycle limbers up for Australia’s looming social‑media ban for under‑16s and the second Ashes Test at the Gabba. The first Test in Perth was so brutally one‑sided that visiting England fans spent longer on the plane than watching competitive cricket, which may be the only time jet lag has been the best part of an overseas tour.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nevermind the "Trump effect" on the 2025 Australian election: Australia now has more Australians with Chinese ancestry elected to Federal Parliament than ever before, and more women elected to Parliament as independents and for the Australian Labor Party than ever before. 2025 has seen the end of the two party system and the confirmation of the role of independents in the federal Parliament, with near-equal number of independents and Liberals in the House of Representatives. It has also marked the end of the reign of Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan over political influence exerted through print and electronic media.

Meanwhile there is the ongoing vote count in crucial electorates such as Goldstein and Kooyong, and the implications of the Senate results that promise a smoother legislative path for the Albanese government. Hear about the cultural and political narratives that shaped the campaign, including the rejection of divisive culture wars and Murdoch media influence, and how the so-called “Trump effect” narrative misses the mark in explaining Australian voters’ decisions.

The episode also highlights the growing influence of women and Chinese-Australian candidates reshaping the political landscape, with historic wins in seats long held by conservatives. Plus, get insights into the future direction of the Albanese government, including upcoming international diplomacy and domestic policy priorities.

Songs played on RTHK3

INXS - The Swing

The Angels - Am I Ever Going to See Your face Again

Surprise Chef - Consulate Case

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia's annual commemoration of its war dead on ANZAC Day interrupted by modern-day Nazis, and LNP leader Peter Dutton gets on board for a culture war in the last week of a disastrous election campaign; explaining why Welcome to Country ceremonies are a basic part of a living 60,000 year old culture in Australia; how Chinese-Australian voters are responding on WeChat to news Dutton's Liberal National Party coalition are preferencing the white supremacist One Nation party of Pauline Hanson, three years after Dutton used an ANZAC Day speech to call on Australians to prepare for war with mainland China; how Donald Trump's effect on the Canadian election is echoed in Australia's, and how Dutton's idea to label certain news organisations as "hate media" echoes Trump's "enemies of the state" rhetoric in the US. How the big issues - GenY and GenZ becoming the dominant voting demographic, Australia's ongoing military relationship with Trump's White House, and climate change making large swathes of Australia uninsurable - are being lost in the daily minutiae of election coverage... and the campaign continues to get a barbie set up and some democracy sausages served in Australia's second largest overseas electorate in Hong Kong.

Songs played on RTHK3

The Golden Gaytimes - Cozzi Livs

Goanna - Solid Rock (2023 remix)

Cranky - Australia Don't Become America

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With only 14 days left until early voting begins in the Australian Federal election, the reality of suburban and regional Australia going into the Easter break versus voter attention and campaign strategies - it’s all about junior sports tournaments for every ball and bat or otherwise athletic sporting codes, and camping or music festivals for those who don’t play sport, so who has time for listening to Dutton and Albanese? 

A quick look at how implications of Trump’s recent tariff announcements managed a 23% tariff on Norfolk island north east of the Australian mainland but 10% on the actual Australians buying American goods (won't someone think of the PENGUINS?) Exposing the outright lie pushed by Trump of an Australian “ban” on American beef exports, when the reality is rules on sourcing of meat agreed to by South Korea and Japan which the US refuses. The real victims? Trump’s “base” and anyone else in the USA who eats McDonald's burgers, made palatable with quality Aussie beef. 

Analysis of how a dodgy drop-punt from Dutton (and his comments apportioning blame afterwards) are more than symbolic for the Aussie Rules electorate in Australia, and how Dutton’s latest micro-target of hatred and a “crackdown” - international students - will play out for families from Hong Kong wishing their children to study in Australia as well as the other Chinese students who help contribute $10 billion HKD to Australia’s top universities. The bonus? Dutton's few remaining policies include jacking up the visa application fee for Hongkongers, mainlanders and anyone else wanting to study in Australia - which are already the highest in the world - to about 25,000 HKD.

Songs played on RTHK3

Jimmy Barnes - New Day 

The Delvenes - Orange Clowns

Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Waterhole

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talking about the ongoing situation of Cyclone Alfred, which is lingering over Queensland and has now morphed from a cyclone to a slow-moving heavy rain system. While some locals celebrated its fizzling out, others expressed frustration, likening it to a media-driven panic. With significant flooding and over 118,000 properties without power, the cyclone's impact is severe and continuing. Meanwhile there are questions: the strange blocking of search results for "Cyclone Alfred" on Facebook, which Meta later attributed to a technical glitch. But for those who remember Meta blocking Canada's national broadcaster the CBC during historic wildfires not long ago, is this really a "glitch"?

The cyclone has pushed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's election plans off course, and now there's another character complicating the narrative: former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has gone very public, very often in the last days to critique Donald Trump and his looming tariffs, and questioning the future of Australian-US relations. Hear also the remarkable story of heroism involving Barry the shearer, a man from Echuca now hailed as a national hero for thwarting an attempted hijacking on a Jetstar passenger airline flight, singlehandedly recasting the conversation about what is considered "terrorism" in Australia.

Songs played on RTHK3:

The Cruel Sea - Razorback

The Night Parrots - These Are My Co-Ordinates

The Wiggles and Dolly Parton - Friends

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anthony Albanese's government finds itself with a lovely set of economic numbers but a media narrative in lock-step declaring his government on track to lose the coming national election. As Trump and his cronies shatter relationships with Europe and the US sides with Russia in the United Nations against Ukraine, some serious thinking has begun in Australia about the future of its military alliance. A freshly purged US defence and foreign policy leadership with a new cohort of conspiracy theorists, podcasters and Fox presenters pose big questions when the US has been given so much of Australia's allegiance, resources and its reliance for security. 

Meanwhile the influence of US media and politics continues to grow in Australia, with opposition leader Peter Dutton's embracing of the racist “Great Replacement Theory” pushed by Tucker Carlson and now Musk and Trump. This time, Dutton is claiming a secret migration plan to bring in refugees to vote in marginal electorates in Australia, with no evidence but plenty of support from useful idiots on national television. Meanwhile, the shattered landscape of Aussie soap operas has another victim with the axing of "Neighbours," after 40 years, contrary to the story of its salvation by Amazon two years ago.

Songs played on on RTHK3 today:

Geoff Achison - High Wire

Wrong Way Up - Hang On To Your Cool

Fairtrade Narcotics - Pivot 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.