Imagine if your brother raised your children and your husband visited a few times a week. This is the ancient cultural practice of the Mosuo people – one of the last surviving matriarchal societies in the world. In 2012, Erin O’Dwyer travelled to China’s Yunnan province with photographer Dave Tacon to learn more about the … Read More
High on the Tibetan plateau, on the pristine shores of Lugu Lake, a snaking line of young men and women dance Cossack-like around a flickering bonfire to the jaunty tune of a wooden flute. China’s Mosuo minority is one of the world’s last surviving matriarchies. Their fire dance is mostly for the tourists now. But … Read More
A REMOTE corner of NSW’s Royal National Park, beach huts lie amid the folds and foothills of lush Black Gin Gully, which rises above Little Garie beach. “Some shacks were built by the ocean so they could get the view. Others, like ours, are close to the creek,” says Billy Burn, 73, whose father-in-law, a … Read More
Qiao Wei hesitates for a moment, then opens the cage. The barking, growling pack bursts forth, charging him in a blur of black, tan and sable. They are mongrel dogs – about 200 cross-breeds – and their unkempt coats sprout in bristly patches, gouged with the scars of street fights and mistreatment. The dogs snarl … Read More
An earthquake in Christchurch comes with a roar or a shudder. It rolls in across the plains from the Greendale Fault. Or it thunders up out of the ground, right below the city. It’s much like the rumble in the belly of a giant, fast asleep and snoring, deep below the earth. It’s been six … Read More
The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area rises soft and blurry beyond the Sydney metropolis. On a clear day, you can see the city from its ancient sandstone ramparts and hear aeroplanes banking. How wild can it really be? Very wild indeed. Its southern section (an area of 220,000 hectares that has the Great Western … Read More
THE Australian tourist in the hotel lobby skids across the white marble tiles towards me. He has a boxer’s nose and wears a rumpled suit that pulls across his middle. “Quick,” he urges with a giddy grin. “What was that tip we were given at dinner last night?” A svelte French woman in diamonds and … Read More
To some, Islamic veils are expressions of faith. To others, they are symbols of oppression. Either way, they continue to spark debate. The latest controversy has flared in Europe, where first Belgium and, perhaps soon, France, will pass laws to stop Muslim women wearing the face-covering burqa or niqab in public. The author of Belgium’s … Read More
Risdon Prison just outside Hobart is one of the country’s most notorious jails. It’s known for its infamous inmates, including Port Arthur killer Martin Bryant and criminal-turned-celebrity Mark ‘Chopper’ Read. It’s frequently the scene of riots, sieges and suicides, and prisoners’ groups claim that human rights abuses happen on a daily basis – from food … Read More