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Man in a drum of water with a floating yellow rubber duck

Feel-Good Friday: September 30 – Who Gives a Duck?


They say good things come in threes. Firstly, we have the upcoming long weekend, providing another day of relaxation (or recovery) for every loose unit across the nation. Secondly, we have the Parramatta Eels taking on the Penrith Panthers in a wild Western Sydney showdown for Rugby League supremacy. Finally, we have daylight savings, which means more sunshine will be available for all your favourite afternoon activities. Quite literally, the future is looking bright. To celebrate this trio of triumphs, we’ve put together the ultimate list of vibe-worthy news to sink your teeth into over the break. Strap in; here’s the latest edition of Feel-Good Friday.

You’ll also love:
Feel-Good Friday: September 23 – Winging It
Feel-Good Friday: September 16 – Buy & Fly
Feel-Good Friday: September 9 – Piano Keys and Brain Freeze

Close up of yellow rubber duck floating on a lake
Ducktober | Image: Waves of Wellness

Giving a Duck About Mental Health

It’s about time we gave a duck about mental health. So to spread awareness and raise funds for the 20% of Australians who experience mental illness,  Waves of Wellness (WOW) is challenging you to immerse yourself in cold water for the first 20 days of October (or Ducktober).

As you raise funds to help others, this cold water therapy challenge strengthens your own mental and physical health. Talk about a Win-Win! So whether you surf, swim, take a cold shower or jump in an ice bath – dunk yourself under some water like a little ducky for a great cause.

Once signed up, all the money raised from Ducktober 2022 will go directly to the WOW charity, which runs clinical-based surf therapy programs so people who struggle receive the help they need. To give you an idea, AU$5,000 can pay for a full 8-week surf therapy program for up to 10 people who are experiencing mental health challenges. You can register for the challenge now on the Ducktober website.

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Electric Volvo truck on the road
Electric Volvo truck makes its way through Sydney | Image: Volvo Group

Volvo Talks Sustainable Shop in New Podcast

We know Volvo for its enviable fleet of ultra-safe and surprisingly stylish cars, but behind the scenes, the iconic Swedish brand is making enormous strides on the sustainability front. Perhaps most interestingly, it’s doing them Down Under. Somewhat surprisingly, Volvo Group has quietly managed to slip into the top spot in the Australian big rig sector, becoming the largest local manufacturer of trucks, buses and heavy machinery. Now, the automaker is revealing the monumental effort it is undertaking to change lanes, in a new podcast entitled The Emerging Possibilities.

The new podcast is hosted by a panel of industry experts, and features guests from Australia’s leading businesses and governing bodies. Here, we learn a little more about the future of transport and the technological revolution already underway. Volvo Group, in particular, has put serious effort into driving a more sustainable industry, producing a number of zero-emission transport solutions, offering a fleet of electric trucks and buses, alongside partnering with some of Australia’s biggest logistics providers.

“There’s no doubt the future of transport is already upon us, but how that impacts us has yet to be fully understood and, ultimately, appreciated,” podcast host Matt Wood explained. “The Emerging Possibilities podcast is all about giving listeners a broad church of opinions and discussion topics in an approachable, digestible way. While Volvo Group Australia has expertise as a leading e-mobility provider and sustainable business, the transition currently happening in the transport and innovation sector impacts all of us.”

You can check out The Emerging Possibilities – Powered by Volvo Group Australia podcast on all major podcast platforms, with the first two episodes currently airing.

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George Clooney holding an empty cup
George Clooney’s Empty Cup | Image: Supplied

George Clooney’s Cup is Empty this International Coffee Day

This International Coffee day, Saturday 1 October, Nespresso is urging its customers to consider a life without coffee through the launch of The Empty Cup, raising awareness around the threat of climate change on the future of coffee. As part of the campaign, George Clooney is swapping his trademark Nespresso coffee for an empty cup, encouraging Aussies to “think outside the cup” when it comes to tackling Climate Change.

When speaking of the campaign, George Clooney said “The threat of climate change is real and coffee farmers are on the front line. It’s vital that we empower these communities to build financial and environmental resilience so that they not only survive but thrive and prosper. This concept is at the heart of the Nespresso approach.”

Blue cap with 'Custom Pizzeria' logo set on top of 'Custom Pizzeria' pizza boxes
Custom Pizzeria | Image: InStitchu

InStitchu Launches a ‘Custom Pizzeria’

Fine suits and saucy pizza have traditionally had a bit of a late-hate relationship (see hard-to-get-out stains), but that’s all coming to an end. Custom tailoring business InStitchu has collaborated with Italian deli, Salts Meats Cheese, for a special one-day ‘Custom Pizzeria’. As part of the unique new offering, 20 lucky customers will be able to craft their own pizza and bring the concept of custom to the famous Italian fare.

Sydney-based followers and email subscribers are being asked to customise their own pizza via an online form on Tuesday the 4th of October at 11am. The first 20 customers to complete the order will get notified through a text message that their (lunch) design is coming to life, to be collected from Salt Meats Cheese in Circular Quay, at midday on Thursday the 6th of October.

“The ‘one size fits all’ model goes against everything we stand for at InStitchu–we believe in custom garments, made to the precise body measurements, taste and needs of specific customers. We figured, that should apply to pizza, too,” InStitchu head of marketing Rob O’Reilly said. “For our pop-up pizzeria at Salt Meats Cheese, at their Gateway location in Circular Quay, we want to invite customers to have some fun, get a little creative and build something to their own taste and imagination, just like we tell our customers to.”

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StickyBeak Festival yellow banner illustration of pink beards drinking cocktail and eating barbecue
StickyBeak Festival | Image: Supplied

A Festival Fit for a StickyBeak

Australia’s most highly awarded distillery Archie Rose Distilling Co. has partnered with leading wine experts, P&V Merchants and Carriageworks, to bring back food and booze festival StickyBeak after the roaring success of the inaugural event earlier this year.

Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November, Sydney’s Carriageworks will be transformed into a showcase of the city’s best food and booze with bespoke masterclasses alongside free cooking demonstrations and talks also on offer.

With early bird tickets starting at $20 + BF this is the perfect Saturday night or Sunday day session to add to your end-of-year calendar. Tickets are on sale from 29 September on the Archie Rose website.

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ALC-LESS beer can beside glass of beer and a plate of fries set on wooden table
ALC-LESS | Image: Supplied

Complimentary Brews from the Nation’s Capital

To celebrate National Non-Alcoholic Beer Day on Sunday 2 October, Canberra-based independent craft brewery, Capital Brewing Co. are giving away complimentary brews of its first full flavoured, non-alcoholic beer, ALC-LESS with any meal purchased during lunch at a host of iconic Sydney pubs including The Lord Dudley, Robin Hood Hotel, The Glenmore,
The Australian, Keg & Brew and Commodore Hotel, as well as The Bennett and Wil
& Sons in Newcastle.In addition, Pace Athletic will also be handing out a can of ALC-LESS with every purchase of shoes on Sunday 2nd October, in both its Rozelle and Manly stores. For more information, head to the Capital Brewing website. 

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Woman wearing a sparkly red dress
A Red Carpet Night | Image: Supplied

Brisbane Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Dreamers

There’s no question Queenslanders have faced a turbulent two years due to destructive floods and the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result, many business owners and talented individuals have had to put their dreams on hold. To inject inspiration into the community, the visually-spectacular event, ‘A Red Carpet Night’, will light up the Brisbane City Hall in red, with red carpets as long as 90-metres rolled out to welcome speakers, dreamers and audiences inside.

The red-carpet event, supported by the Brisbane City Council, aims to celebrate the community while providing ambitious multicultural Australians, who may not normally reap recognition, with a platform to share their talent. One of the talented dreamers taking part in the event is Lithuanian tailoress and fashion designer Rita Grigutiene, whose Redcliffe boutique Modarita (formerly J&R Formal Boutique) was damaged by floodwaters earlier this year in February. Her fashion dreams had to be put on hold, but the red-carpet event will allow her to premiere her designs in her own runway show.

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Docked plastic odyssey ship
Plastic Odyssey | Image: Supplied

Watchmaker Ulysse Nardin Sets Sail with Plastic Odyssey to Reduce Plastic Pollution

Watchmaker Ulysse Nardin is stepping up its support of ocean conservation by teaming up with Plastic Odyssey, a project aiming to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans. The Plastic Odyssey ship, which will leave the port of Marseille on October 1, 2022 on a three-year journey, will travel 40,000 nautical miles and make 30 stopovers in the countries most affected by plastic pollution. Plastic Odyssey will begin its mission in the coastal cities of the Mediterranean before setting sail for West Africa, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and, finally, East Africa. Learn more about the expedition on the Plastic Odyssey website.

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You’ll also love:
Feel-Good Friday: September 23 – Winging It
Feel-Good Friday: September 16 – Buy & Fly
Feel-Good Friday: September 9 – Piano Keys and Brain Freeze