The Premier’s Reading Challenge is a statewide initiative for all Queensland school students from Preschool to Year 3.

Earlier in the year the Premier challenged students to from the book list during the challenge period. The list was a guide with no mandatory reading specified.

The challenge is designed to take students to places they have never been. Reading has the power to shock, amaze and educate children of all ages.

All students who participated will receive a signed certificate. In addition to individual student certificates, schools with the highest levels of participation will also be presented with certificates this month.

Located in Toowong the Queensland Government technology incubator has been named the 2006 Australian Incubator of the Year.

The Queensland entrant beat over 80 competitors across Australia to take the top award at a ceremony in South Australia.

i.lab has been specifically designed to nurture young high-tech companies looking to turn ideas into marketable products.

Graduates of the program include Liquid Animation, Grabba International, Omnix, Microwave and Materials Design, Fusion Sport and Implicit Bio-Science.

Motorcylists sick of being ignored by drivers are hitting back with a publicity campaign featuring nude riders and the slogan: “Come on, what do we have to do to get you to look twice?”

With the number of motorcycles and scooters on streets increasing motorcyclists are trying to raise awareness. Increases in riders appears to be coming as motorists look for ways to avoid high fuel prices and congestion.

See the Please Look Twice website for videos.

Motorcycle awareness week runs until Sunday November 5.

After 20 years in the role Queensland Art Gallery director Greg Hall is to step down.

By the time he leaves the post the new $291 million Gallery of Modern Art at South Bank will be open and the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art he founded will have been on for the fifth time.

Hall was recently knighted by the French government with an award Chevalier dans L’Ordre des Arts et Letters. In 2001 he was also made a member of the Order of Australia.

Drive in director, as Hall came from Bendigo to Brisbane in 1987.

Its official and the poms are the ones that have done it.

The worlds biggest pub crawl figures are in and the city of London have beaten south east Queensland city of Maryborough previously held Guinness World Record.

Maryborough has 17 pubs versus London approximately 1500 and only 25000 residents against the millions that inhabit the old country city.

The record in London was apparently set when about 2,700 drinkers visited 18 pubs in London over eight hours last Saturday. The record is only recorded once the crawlers prove they have drunk at least half a pint of drink, alcoholic or not, in at least 10 pubs during the allocated period.

Although the record has been stolen, Maryborough residents are confident it will be won back when the record attempt is again held on the Queen’s birthday weekend next year.

At least the attempt is held only once per year, allowing time to forget the hangover. Some participants though are sure to be right in practice in preparation.

Bufo Marinus or the Cane Toad.

These pests were originally released into Australia to control two pests of sugar cane. These pests were the grey backed cane beetle and the frenchie beetle.

Back in June 1935 these natives of South America arrived at Edmonton in North Queensland, all 101 of them. They bread in ideal conditions and and within 6 months over 60,000 young toads were in the north Queensland environment.

Amazingly the rate of spread was accelerated by toads deliberately moved ahead of the advancing front line.

The natural rate of spread is now 30-50 km/year and the cane toad habitat disastrous and irreversible damage now includes coastal Queensland, and associated inland areas, coastal northern New South Wales to just north of Lismore, coastal Northern Territory from the Queensland border to the south bank of the Roper River.

Cane toads produce a powerful poison which can kill the predators that eat them including domestic pets. The toads eggs are also poisonous.

Amazingly as a control agent for which they were introduced there was negligible impact. Within a few years after the introduction an effective insecticidal spray became available.

Still, they make a good (unofficial) state mascot.