If you’ve ever dreamt of a white Christmas is doesn’t get whiter or more Christmasy than Lapland, the home of Santa Claus.

Of course, there is far more to the frozen north than Santa’s workshop, sleigh bells and reindeer.

Sean Lues from Journeys Worldwide tells Mark that with winter coming in Australia it’s time to begin planning a trip to get a real taste of winter.

After two days of bed shortages and cancelled elective surgeries the Palaszczuk Government has declared the hospital crisis over.

The government allocated three million dollars to bringing private hospital beds into the system to deal with the overflow after two local health services went into yellow alert.

While the government says things are back to normal, Queensland Nurses’ Union secretary Beth Mohle tells Mark there are deep rooted problems in the system that need to be fixed.

Australian country music royalty Kasey Chambers, The McClymonts and James Blundell have been named as the first headliners for this year’s Gympie Music Muster.

The four day festival will also feature aussie rock legends Tex Perkins and former INXS songwriter Andrew Farriss, who is making his country music debut.

Muster ambarssador and eith time Golden Guitar winner Felicity Urquhart tells Mark while she’s exciting to also be performing she can’t wait to see the acts who’ll grace the main stage.

To many people Marty Rhone was a one hit wonder in the 70s with the hit single Demin and Lace, but that is to sell the man very short.

The now 70 year old is not just a singer but a successful working actor and even has had a career as a boxing promoter.

Marty has just released his first US country single from his upcoming new album and is preparing for the Go! Show Gold at QPAC in May.

He joined Mark on the show, not so much an interview as two old mates catching up.

Research done by a team from three Australian universities has found more than half of car drivers think cyclists are not completely human and that contributes to the aggression many riders experience on the road.

The research involved 442 respondents in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales and involved both cyclists and non-cyclists.

Shockingly 30 per cent of cyclists rated other cyclists as not completely human.

CARRS-Q Centre Director Professor Narelle Haworth tells Mark one solution to making the roads safer for cyclists is to stop referring to them as cyclists.

A new report today by Australia’s peak communications consumer organisation has found that telco customer service reps are being encouraged to focus more on selling than servicing customers.

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network commissioned the report after hearing too many stories from consumers who were sold plans or products that were more expensive than they had expected or that were beyond their means.

ACCAN CEO Teresa Corbin tells Mark it’s time upselling was banned and the Australian Communications and Media Authority should investigate telco selling practices.

Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston has spent the past 22 years fighting to protect children but now she wants to take things up a notch.

She’s announced she intends to stand as an independent for the Senate at the upcoming federal election.

Hetty tells Mark she understands the mountain she has to climb to win a seat but she promises voters she’ll be relentless in the corridors of power holding politicians to account and fighting for kids.

A team of under 14 ice hockey players from Brisbane and the Gold Coast have emulated the famous Jamaican ‘Cool Runnings’ bobsled team.

The Queensland Cyclones have just returned home from claiming the crown at the 70th annual Young Canada Week tournament, Canada’s oldest.

Cyclones head coach Mike Harrow tells Mark some of his players had only had one year on the ice.

As the RSPCA continues investigations into the shocking mistreatment of animals at a rescue service north of Brisbane, it has emerged that up to 100 animals may be missing.

The RSPCA has recieved a flood of calls since a raid last week saw inspectors seize 37 disabled or injured animals from the Storybook Farm Sacred Animal Garden at Whiteside.

RSPCA Queensland's Chief Inspector Daniel Young tells Mark he needs to hear from people who left animals with the animal rescue service.

A Queensland parliamentary committee has been warned proposals that would toughen sentences for child killers could have unintended consequences.

The Palaszczuk Government is looking at broadening the definition of murder to include ‘reckless indifference to human life’.

Parents who accidentally kill their children could be locked up for life and Queensland Law Society President Bill Potts explains to Mark that the punishment must always fit the crime.