As more horses risk life and limb at The Melbourne Cup today, animal lovers are gathering at Flemington Racecourse and across the country to stand up for the victims of what has been described as an outdated and exploitative horseracing spectacle.

From Sunday, 1 November, Three Blue Ducks is launching Golden Hour at The Farm Byron Bay, with freshly shucked oysters, live music and happy hour drinks every Sunday afternoon.

Environmental protections and tighter housing controls are proposed for a disputed Hastings Point development site, following a court decision allowing its subdivision.

As summer approaches, the Imperial Hotel in Murwillumbah has once again let the seasons shape what’s on the plate.

Perched on the edge of the Brunswick River estuary, binoculars poised, Jan and I are searching for beach-nesting birds. It’s a magnificent morning in early spring and these birds are starting to build their nest scrapes in the sand.