Good Weekend

Tim Elliott

Tim Elliott is a features and investigations journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald.

Al Donnell with his daughter Isla, now aged 7.

The audacity of hope

Meg and Al Donnell's two children have a devastating metabolic disorder that's so rare, doctors told them not to bother chasing a cure. But they're on a mission.

Australian artist Lynette Wallworth.

Real to reel

Australian artist Lynette Wallworth gleefully uses emerging technologies to bring audiences into her artworks, which deal with topics including global warming and refugees in unexpected ways.

Cody Heffernan clings on to Long Prong, a bull bred by his brother, Brad.

Hell Rider

Cody Heffernan has been stomped on, headbutted and thrown like a rag doll by one-tonne bulls. Yet, Heffernan insists, he finds serious beauty in riding these beasts.

Tim Elliott with his father at the family home in Mosman, Sydney, in the mid-'70s.

Letters from the edge

Tim Elliott reflects on his father's compulsive letter-writing to his mother in the midst of mental illness.

Stephanie Gilmore.

Tough breaks

Stephanie Gilmore may be the world's most dominant female surfer, with a star quality few can match, but she has suffered her share of challenges.

Kath Read, a size 26, has found pride and purpose via her website and blog, Fat Heffalump: Living With Fattitude.

Fat, frocked up and fighting back

They call themselves "fat priders" and they have become so tired of being abused - in person and online - by complete strangers, that they are fighting back.

Many countries are phasing out the keeping of dolphins in captivity.

Fin blue line

With countries phasing out the captivity of "man's best friend in the ocean", the Gold Coast's Sea World dolphinarium looks like an endangered species. Or is it? Tim Elliott meets those working on both sides of a highly emotional divide.

When people talk about Israel Folau, the word they use most is "humility".

The game plan

Israel Folau made his name in rugby league, switched to AFL on big money and is set to be a star attraction in this month's rugby union World Cup - but the biggest test he's faced was becoming his own man.

The <i>NT News</i> staff include (from left) former editor Julian Ricci, present editor Rachel Wood, online editor David ...

Northern exposure

Forget serious investigative stories and "middle-class think-pieces" ... at Darwin's NT News there are crocodiles and clackers to splash on page one.