Good Weekend

Features

The rise and fall of Sam Dastyari

Sam Dastyari.

Good Weekend writer Jane Cadzow was profiling the high-flying Labor senator just as the revelations of who paid his bills blew up in his face.

You’ve got mail

The Mail Plane story

There’s no postie on a pushbike out here. For far-flung communities in Western Australia’s huge Kimberley region, letters, supplies and even exam papers arrive only one way – by air.

The wood wide web

Illustration by Enzo Pérès-Labourdette

Like humans, trees warn each other of danger, look after sick family members and thrive in communities.

Emerging artist

Portrait of Australian Artist John Olsen photographed at his studio in Bowral, August 2016.

Over lunch at his home, John Olsen shares a lifetime of insights into landscape, poetry and painting.

Kid power

Sisters, Melati and Isabel Wijsen.

Two schoolgirls in Bali rallied against the blight of plastic refuse. Now the rest of Indonesia is following suit.

Rise of the plyscrapers

An artist’s impression of London’s skyline with the proposed “Toothpick”: “Timber has a very important place in the ...

Timber buildings are reaching towards the skies, thanks to breakthroughs in super-strong wood.

Real to reel

Australian artist Lynette Wallworth.

Australian artist Lynette Wallworth uses emerging technologies to deal with topics including global warming and refugees in unexpected ways.

Showcase: Mirka Mora

Mirka Mora in her studio wearing a Gorman dress featuring her work Naked Angel.

Why translating the Melbourne icon's artwork onto cloth made designer Lisa Gorman nervous.

Tight squeeze

Sydney architect Brad Swartz renovated his 27-square-metre apartment with space-defying results.

Take a tour of the tiny, as rising prices and shrinking space force a rethink of the great Australian home-owning dream.

Flight for life

Drone with first aid kit.

Specially adapted drones are offering new hope to organ transplant recipients.

Ricky Gervais: back to the office

Ricky Gervais aims to put a bit of hope and humanity into all his characters, whatever their flaws.

Ricky Gervais is reviving his most cringe-inducing character, David Brent, to expose the ugliness of modern-day bullying and the foibles of older men.

Doin' time

Patrick and Mel Jacob at their Blue Mountains home this month: “I’d fallen head over heels in love with his gentleness,” ...

A suburban dad’s poor decisions lead him to jail. How does his incredulous wife – and mother to his two children – adjust to the stiff sentence?

Showcase: the stair climber

Mark Bourne climbing the stairs of Sydney Tower: his aerobic capacity has been likened to that of a Tour de France cyclist.

Considering racing up the 1500-plus steps of Sydney Tower, or Eureka Tower? Canberra's Mark Bourne has some advice.

East to west

Mourners at the funeral of a man killed in the Istanbul airport attack in June.

Terrorism, an influx of refugees and a leader more sympathetic to Islam are combining to create new tensions in Turkey – and an ancient neighbourhood in Istanbul.

The scientist at sea

Church on the CSIRO research voyage in May. The instruments behind him collect water samples and other information.

Described as the “Don Bradman of sea-level science”, John Church’s sacking from the CSIRO left many observers gobsmacked. Can we – Australia and the rest of the planet – really afford to let him go?

Trumptown, USA

Donald Trump

Breakfast with birthers, an afternoon flag-burning, and lots of hateful Hillary masks. Welcome to the circus.

Two Of Us

Ric Montgomery and his son Ryo.

Ric and Ryo Montgomery

Inspired by his guitar-hero dad, Ryo Montgomery has been described as the world’s best ukulele player.

Modern Guru

Adult Education

Benjamin Law.

Surf's up

Asians and surfing didn't mix, I'd decided in year 12. But now I'm based in Sydney...

Minutes With...

Endorsed

Wooden spoon.

My wooden spoon

It’s a humble implement with, potentially, a dark and slightly unsavoury past, but that won’t stop Fenella Souter serving up a hearty dose of praise to an old favourite.

Living

An upholstered sofa by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia fills much of this floor.

Concrete ideas

Contemporary architects are warming to the once-unfashionable material.

Acre at Camperdown Commons.

EAT

Good Weekend heads to Melbourne's Magic Mountain Saloon and Sydney's Acre.