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.