Good Vibe #1: Harry Potter read by Harry Potter himself
International treasure J.K. Rowling and her wonderful Wizarding World just never stop delivering magical treats. Her latest gift to the world is Harry Potter At Home – a hub on the Wizarding World website to keep us Muggles occupied at home while self-isolating. In addition to magical craft videos, quizzes and puzzles that promise to cast “a Banishing Charm on boredom”, a host of celebrity friends of the Wizarding World are taking turns reading book one in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The video series will see a new chapter read each week by a different contributor, with chapter one, The Boy Who Lived, fittingly read by Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe. Chapter two, The Vanishing Glass, has been read by Noma Dumezweni, who starred as Hermione Granger in the original West End and Broadway runs of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. You can watch each chapter via the website, or listen to an audio-only version through Spotify.

Good Vibe #2: Eleven year old shatters Tony Hawk’s skateboarding record
More than two decades ago, in 1999, Tony Hawk made skateboarding history by completing the first-ever 900-degree turn on a vertical ramp. It’s been a record long held by the skateboarding legend – arguably the biggest moment in his competitive career – and it’s just been shattered by 11-year-old Gui Khury. The young Brazilian skateboarder has exceeded Tony Hawk’s incredible feat by becoming the first person to land a 1080-degree turn on a vertical ramp – that’s three full spins in the air off the top of the ramp, then landing cleanly and skating off. Gui credits his achievement to having more time to perfect his skateboarding skills since schools have closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. He’s been training most days during lockdown at his grandmother’s house, where his family has built a vertical ramp, bowl and street course in her back garden. This is where he completed the record-breaking turn. You can watch the awesome manoeuvre and Gui’s pure elation via ABC News.

Good Vibe #3: Local heroes making a difference
We’ve seen a whole lot of good come out of these crazy corona times, with some seriously generous local heroes in our little corner of the world. This week will see Morningside’s The Fish Factory host a mass Hospitality Help Out on Thursday May 14, handing out free meals to hospo workers in need. The fresh seafood market and bistro is teaming up with Stokehouse Q head chef Ollie Hansford, chef consultant Richard Ousby, GOMA head chef Matt Blackwell and Blackbird and Donna Chang executive chef Jake Nicolson, plus a host of local suppliers, to create a gourmet menu of seafood dishes to feed 300 local hospo workers who have suffered loss of income due to COVID-19. Pre-packaged entree, main and side meal kits will be handed out between 6:00–7:00 pm on a first-in basis at The Fish Factory – you can get the full details here. Over in Capalaba, Capalaba Central is doing its bit to help the community during the crisis. The centre has teamed up with a number of its retailers to supply coffee to local essential workers in hospitals, medical centres, daycare centres, schools, police and ambulance stations. The team has also started creating and distributing community care packs filled with food and essential items, which will be delivered twice a week for four weeks to local senior citizens and other disadvantaged community members. On the Gold Coast, OzHarvest is stepping up to the increasing number of people in need throughout the region. Last month, OzHarvest Gold Coast delivered an additional 30,000 meals, despite the fact that its usual fundraising streams and food supply have experienced dramatic fluctuation during the pandemic. You can assist OzHarvest in continuing to provide quality food to local charities and those in need by donating here.

Good Vibe #4: The secret doorway to fairyland (right here in Brisbane)
There’s something magical happening in Brisbane, via a little secret doorway to fairyland. Just off the bush track leading up to Mount Gravatt lookout sits a large old gum tree, at the base of which you’ll find a tiny wooden door that leads to ‘fairyland’. Local resident Scott Waterhouse and his wife discovered the tree one day on a bushwalk, and noticed a hole in the trunk perfect for a fairy door. Since adding it, the magical secret door has been visited by young children from all over the city, who leave little notes, gifts and letters behind the door in the hope of receiving a reply from the local fairies – and the fairies do answer all of the letters. The exact location of the door remains a secret – Scott says finding it is all part of the magical adventure, but he does say it’s not far off the main track leading to the lookout. Read the full story via ABC Radio Brisbane.

Good Vibe #5: Invite a goat to your next Zoom meeting
After two months of Zoom meetings, they are starting to get a bit monotonous. Seeing the same faces blankly staring back at you each week isn’t exactly inspiring. What we all need, is a goat. Californian sustainable animal sanctuary Sweet Farm has launched Goat-2-Meeting, which allows you to invite a goat or other animal ambassador to join your next video call and take it to the level of excitement you’re all craving. There are a variety of options to choose from, including farm tours and animal cameos, with Sweet Farm offering to join your online happy hour, staff meeting, family catch up – whatever you like! Donations start from $65US, with all proceeds going to support the farm. You can schedule your Goat-2-Meeting via the Sweet Farm website.

BONUS GOOD VIBE: ‘Kiss from a Rose’ by Seal, performed by actual seals
Need we say more? Watch this marine mammal musical masterpiece here. You’re welcome.

Images: Sweet Farm Facebook, Wizarding World, ABC News, ABC Radio Brisbane.