Australian Times weekly newspaper | 8 October 2013

8 - 14 October 2013 Issue: 484

SAN FRAN SHEBU WALKIE WITH MY MAN PARTY PICS One woman's holiday romance

All the blood, sweat and tears

TRavel P9

UK life P5

STATE OF ORIGINS

A festival of the world's First Nations entertainment P6

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shebu walkie's happy ending n

It was the end of an era for Australians in London as the iconic Shepherd's Bush Walkabout, after almost 20 years, closed its doors for the last time on Sunday.

By Thomas Jones The Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout closed its doors on Sunday after almost 20 years of serving the Australian expat community in London.

The official closing party was held on Saturday night, and included everything you would expect of the iconic Australian themed pub; live sport, snakebites, sweat patches, and that distinct Aussie spirit.

The party followed a live screening of the Rugby Championship final, which saw the All Blacks defend their title in an epic match against the Springboks.

The huge HD screen, which over the years had broadcast many of the biggest sporting events from the southern hemisphere, was raised to reveal the Bondi Beach Bums.

London’s premier Australian and New Zealand cover band started playing to the packed crowd; a mix of Aussie, Kiwis, Saffas and Brits.

Snakebite in hand, everyone danced and sang along to the Bums repertoire of classic and good-time Aussie rock – covers of John Butler Trio, Crowded House, ACDC and Spiderbait.

“It was quite reminiscent of the glory days,” said Marty Fraser, a Kiwi, who had been working at the Walkabout as an Assistant Manager for two and a half years.

“All the people who used to come

sheppard's second coming The one's to watch

Be our

“ Fraser told Australian Times.

“It’s obviously going to be quite sad to see this place close down. I can’t even count the literal amount of blood, sweat and tears I have put into these walls. It’s the end of an era. I almost feel worse for everyone else

than I do for me personally. Where are you going to go to watch your AFL or NRL nowadays?”

In September, Walkabout’s parent ...continued on p3

SUNDAY 20th OCTOBER

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A beer-swilling feral pig that made headlines for stealing six packs of beer from tourists in Western Australia has met a tragic end.

Main Roads in the region confirmed on Monday the wild pig had been found dead after being hit by a truck near Port Hedland.

The pig, dubbed Swino by locals, had been hunted for weeks after raiding campsites at the De Grey River rest area in the South Hedland region last month.

“We had hoped he could become our mascot, so it is a sad end for him,” Fiona Findley of Main Roads said.

“It is a very common occurrence for feral animals to get hit and killed by vehicles, but we are all a bit upset.”

The pig was said to have drunk as many as 18 cans of beer in one session, before sticking his snout in bin bags to find latenight snacks left by tourists.

Witnesses even reported seeing the porcine predator picking a fight with a cow.

Officers had been trying to locate the animal, who had kept his snout clean since his boozeup a month ago. - AAP

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in indie pop | P8 to the church sessions were going oh yeah, it’s back.

“Everyone I met had an absolute ball. I can count on one hand the amount of issues we had that night.

Everyone was there to have a great time. It was great for the staff as well,

Drunk pig dies

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2 | News

8 -14 October 2013

Boring tag-along tourists; a growing epidemic

n

A new poll has found one in five holiday makers has been tormented by boring ‘tag-along tourists’ who they can’t get rid of, despite dropping hints.

By Thomas Jones Davis, Will Denton, Chloe Westley, Bonnie Gardiner, Michaela Gray, Cohen Brown, Marian Borges, Haylee Slater, Emma O'Neill, Ally Juchnevicius, Courtney Greatrex, Poppy Damon, Kris Griffiths, Lara Brunt, Nicole Hayes, Alex Blackie, Mark Muggeridge, Sharon Spence-Lieb

Publisher: Bryce Lowry Editor: Thomas Jones Production/Design: Jackie Lampard Contributors: Georgia Dawes, Alex Ivett, Phillip Browne, Michael McCormick, Erin Somerville, George Katralis, Jacqui Moroney, Will Fitzgibbon, Kiel Egging, Daniel Shillito, Mat Lyons, Sandra Tahmasby, Tyson Yates, Jennifer Perkin, Charlie Inglefield, Thomas Jones, Alistair

Directors: P Atherton, J Durrant N Durrant, R Phillips and A Laird

Additional content: Who are we?

Australian Times is written and compiled by young Australian journalists living in the UK. Contributing on a volunteer basis, they are uniquely placed to reflect the interests, opinions and attitudes of our community.

If you would like to join us, contact info@australiantimes.co.uk Address: Unit 7C, Commodore House Battersea Reach, London SW18 1TW Tel: 0845 456 4910 Email: info@australiantimes.co.uk

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It is a growing epidemic, threatening the lives of holiday makers around the world. With no known cure, once you have been infected, it is very hard to shake the virus off. People travelling on their own are most at risk.

‘Tag-along tourists’ are tourists who attach themselves to other holiday makers, and don’t let go.

In a new poll, more than 20% of holiday makers have reported being befriended on a holiday by people they had not met before, and then found they were not given their own space for the rest of their holiday.

Tag-along tourists often use friendly conversation as a way of trapping their innocent victims. Once trapped, they share the same meals, go on the same excursions, and include them when booking tickets to shows and events.

Some stuck with the tag-along bores admitted they had made the mistake of striking up a conversation first.

Nearly all of those afflicted dropped hints they would prefer to be alone.

But tag-along tourists do not take hints.

Your Say On: Confessions of a fussy, flying foodie in Berlin I really like what you guys tend to be up to. This sort of clever work and coverage. Keep up the awesome works guys I’ve included you in blogroll.

Carlisle

On: Australian men’s fashion label Industrie to open London shop

Great News!

Just scan this QR code or go to

AustralianTimes.co.uk/newspapers

You can now get your Australian Times newspaper every week as a FREE digital edition for your iPad, iPhone or Android.

This is exciting as the UK market is open to new international products.

The city is truly international.

However, as I work on the business side of Fashion, I often feel there is a lack of business insight especially today when it comes to stock management and optimisation.

Many Brands, including some really high end ones, could have no understanding of key concept or retail KPIs like open to buy or gmroi. Looking forward to visiting the shop in this vibrant Covent Garden London location.

Thierry

On: London’s distinctive ‘black cabs’ to be trialled on Australian roads Fantastic news for wheelchair users like me. The Maxi Taxis currently in use in Perth are ancient and lack dignity and comfort for people with disabilities. Toyota is found particularly wanting in this regard. Is there the slightest chance that some vehicles could be allocated for private self-drive purposes by wheel chair users? It

?

What’s your view AustralianTimes

The poll was conducted by travel agency, Sunshine.co.uk. They surveyed 1,792 UK adults who had all travelled in the last 12 months.

Of those afflicted, many said the tag-alongs seemed bored and wanted other company or got on well with their own children or were “just overfriendly”.

Interestingly 11% of respondents said they, too, had been guilty of tagging along on previous trips.

Sunshine.co.uk managing director Chris Clarkson said: “If you really

don’t want to make friends on holiday, it’s best to not start up conversations with people you don’t know, otherwise you might find yourself going for meals with them, travelling out on the same excursions or even babysitting their kids.”

would appear to only require removal of the driver’s security screen and to convert the driver’s seat to rotate 180 degrees to facilitate transfer from the wheelchair. This would revolutionise self-driving for disabled persons around the globe. How about it?

Walkie was such a comfort and our slice of home in my beloved new UK home. I worked at the Walkie in 2006 and earned every bit of my 5.25 per hour for all the snakies I made. A real loss!

Brian

On: Walkabout closing down: send us your Shebu memories

When the predictive text on my phone completed the sentence “Just having one more beer” with “at the Walkabout”... I knew I had a problem.

Cam

So many epic nights at the Walkabout.

My highlight was when Hamish and Andy paid a visit during their gap year.

Hilarious!

Marcus

As a Kiwi, also many good memories there. It was the place to be after the famed Waitangi Day pub crawl!

When we lived in Cambridge (before moving to London) we would head down to Shebu. Best pub in the world, hands down. Now it’s closing, the UK is dead to us.

Richard

I remember watching Just Jinger play after I had just moved to London. It was a great night and I met a whole new London family that are still great friends today. Even starting there on the circle line Waitangi Pub Crawl and still being able to finish there 11 hours later, absolute epic, great memories.

Liss

Get More Opinion

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Larissa

As a former employee I have to say no other bar in the world is like it and I know no other bar could ever replace the infamous SheBu Walkie.

From the Australia Days, Waitangi Days, AFL grand finals, Kangaroos Q&A night, the ridiculous hours over the Rugby World Cup and the unforgettable night of Katchafire, raise a glass of snakebite (dirty or clean) and here’s cheers to the Walkabout and all of the amazing memories, or lack there of.

BJ

On: Meeting Marrakesh | The many faces of Morocco Thank you for sharing the article.

Making your way down South of Morocco, beyond the Marrakech destination is a real treat for any traveller. Chegaga sand dunes are spectacular, much larger spreading over bigger area then Erg Chebbi and also much more adventurous as you can not get there by regular car. It is not only the desert that should attract travellers to the Southern part of the country. It is the stunning and ever changing scenery, the culture where one can still see Nomads on the fields with their herds. It is the ruined Kasbah that dot the roads and small towns where life seem to stop in place.

I am so saddened by this news! The

Jana

Share your comments on these and more stories online: AustralianTimes.co.uk @AustralianTimes

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Now where do we go? ...continued from p1 company Intertain announced the closure of the venue. They had received a high level of interest in the site of the pub, and after putting it on the market in July they recently sold the property for an undisclosed sum.

Intertain now intends to use the proceeds of the sale to fund a program of refurbishments, and future acquisitions of pubs under the Walkabout brand.

Since the news of the closure became public, the response from the Australian expat community has been overwhelming.

“There’s not a great deal of information being released, so a few people are accusing us of closing the pub on purpose… But all in all it’s been a really positive response.

Everyone wants to get their last bit of Walkie memorabilia,” Fraser says.

The closure of the Walkabout in Shepherd’s Bush leaves a gap in West London, not only in terms of the sports coverage it offered, but the popular venue was also a second home for Australians and Kiwis living in the area.

“It’s sad to think people are going to lose that. Come Australia Day next year, come Christmas time where the

Aussie/Kiwi communities really pull together. It’s sad to miss that,” Fraser explains.

This sentiment was re-iterated by many of the partygoers.

“It’s an Australian icon in London.

It’s the place you come after the church on a Sunday. It’s the place where you view many sporting events, and it’s the place where you down many a snakebite…It’s the end of an era. So you’ve got to say farewell to the old girl.”

Reminiscing on his experiences at the Walkie, an Australian said: “One year all the blokes came down and they all wore white shirts. The competition was the person who had the most white still showing at the end of the night was actually the loser.”

The last day of trading at the Walkabout was on Sunday, and coincided with the NRL Grand Final, which saw the Sydney Roosters beat the Manly Sea Eagles 26-18.

See page 5 for photos from the official closing party.

Get More News

AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

Abbott says boat buy-backs still on PRIME Minister Tony Abbott will persevere with controversial measures aimed at stopping the flow of asylum-seeker boats to Australia, despite ongoing and strident objections to the policies coming out of Jakarta.

Mr Abbott said on Monday that he was confident a new bilateral partnership against people smuggling, which he described as “Bali Plus”, would see cooperation between Indonesia and Australia on the asylum-seeker issue strengthened in the months ahead.

The bilateral partnership would build on regional efforts aimed at combating people smuggling, established under the dialogue known as the Bali Process.

But Mr Abbott also insisted that he would not be backing away from plans to turn back boats, to buy vessels from fishermen and to pay bounty money for information on people smugglers.

The comments, made on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Bali, came after Mr Abbott earlier in the day met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for the second time in a week.

Mr Abbott said he would not abandon his boat buy-back plan and that money to make bounty payments to Indonesian villagers for information about people smuggling operations would remain on the table.

“We obviously stand by the policies we took to the election,” Mr Abbott said on Monday.

However the prime minister now says there has been some misunderstanding about the two preelection pledges.

“We were simply making available a modest sum of money that would be sent in cooperation with our Indonesian partners to try and combat this evil trade. That’s all that was

ever committed to pre-election and obviously we stand by it,” he said.

The plan to turn asylum-seeker boats back to Indonesia was also still in play, Mr Abbott said.

All three policies have been widely criticised in Indonesia with senior politicians, the Indonesian navy as well as respected international relations experts describing them as an attack on Indonesian’s sovereignty.

Despite objections out of Jakarta, which continued on Monday, Mr Abbott again attempted to downplay suggestions of a rift.

“I’m not sure that language in quite those terms has been used by anyone at senior levels in the Indonesian government,” he said.

However a senior member of the Indonesian government on Monday again reiterated his view that all three measures were “offensive” and could damage relations between Canberra and Jakarta.

Mahfudz Siddiq, the head of Indonesia’s parliamentary commission for foreign affairs and a member of Dr Yudhoyono’s ruling coalition, said the policies were disrespectful and that the buy-back plan was “weird”.

“I believe that the president has opened his arms widely in terms of Indonesian and Australian cooperation in handling people smuggling,” Mr Siddiq said.

“But they are examples of Australia’s disrespectful foreign policies toward Indonesia and not respecting its neighbouring country,” he said.

Less than two weeks ago, just prior to Mr Abbott’s meeting in Jakarta with Dr Yudhoyono, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry warned the plan to turn back asylum seeker boats would risk cooperation and trust in combating people smuggling. – AAP

Rolf Harris likely to face trial in April on child sex offences n

Australian entertainer Rolf Harris is likely to face trial in late April 2014 on 13 child sex offences a London court has heard.

AUSTRALIAN entertainer Rolf Harris is likely to face trial in late April 2014 on 13 child sex offences, a London court has heard.

Harris, 83, was excused from attending a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on Monday morning.

The court heard there would be a case-management and plea hearing in mid-January before a trial,

likely to start on 30 April.

The artist and singer is facing six counts of indecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 1980 and 1981 and three charges of indecent assault on a girl aged 14 in 1986.

He is also charged with four counts of making indecent images of a child in the first half of 2012.

The court heard on Monday that

the prosecution would present expert evidence in relation to computers and that the defence would also rely on expert witnesses.

A fortnight ago at his first court appearance Harris indicated through his lawyer that he would be pleading not guilty to all the charges. - AAP

4 | UK Life

8 -14 October 2013

our London

n Each

week an Aussie Times writer will bring you a top five list from their favourite neighbourhood. This week Cohen Brown plays tour guide, and tells us why he loves Camden Town.

Artists, buskers and sidewalk spruikers jockey for attention, Jamaican rhythms pulse on the breeze, and shopaholics shuffle amongst the festival-like crowds - a normal day in my neighbourhood: Camden Town.

Like many, I was drawn here by the vibrant culture of the place, and after living here for a year I’ve learnt despite being a bustling urban hub - it also has a great village-like sense of community. It may be better known for its world-famous markets and musical heritage, but I’ve discovered Camden has many hidden gems.

Here are five of my favourites:

1

Parkway

A buzzing cosmopolitan strip, Parkway is my favourite street in Camden. A barbershop, a delicatessen and traditional Italian restaurants, together, give the street its old world charm.

While trendy tea houses and cafes cater to the modern palette. Drinkers soak up the sun alfresco-style at corner

‘RAZOR SHARP BRILLIANCE’ THE AUSTRALIAN

pubs. Diners line the sidewalk waiting outside eateries offering a melting pot of cuisines including Japanese, Lebanese, Vietnamese, Spanish and French. It’s also where you’ll find Camden’s best coffee, the syrupy-sweet Monmouth blend from the Coffee Jar.

2

Rock ‘n Roll at Underworld

Located beneath the iconic World’s End pub in the heart of Camden, this venue has been compared to New York’s (now defunct) rock‘n’roll institution, CBGB’s. Complete with Toting graffitiscrawled bathrooms - usually crammed with a swarm of dripping bodies - and poster-plastered walls, Underworld hosts an array of international acts. It’s a great mid-sized space able to accommodate the world’s best bands whilst retaining an intimacy usually lost on larger venues. Dark, dingy and bursting with energy, this place is everything a rock‘n’roll dive bar should be.

3

Banana Karma Shake from InSpiral For a post-weekend detox, or if I’m craving a health kick, InSpiral eco cafe is my first port of call.

8

CULAR SPECTAKS IN WEE ST END THE WE UMS! POSS

Perched on the east side of Camden lock, they specialise in raw organic superfoods and offer an innovative selection of vegetarian and vegan treats. Downstairs by the canal is the perfect place to sample their range of organic beers and ciders - or if you’re feeling adventurous - the zesty kombucha mojito.

4

Melissa’s decadent desserts If the aroma of freshly baked pastry doesn’t lure you inside, the sight of giant sugar-smothered walnut pretzels in the window definitely will. Melissa Patisserie and Confectionary is a Romanianrun bakery providing ridiculously cheap, top-quality sweet and savoury delights which will make you drool.

With luscious chocolate éclairs, crispy macaroons and fluffy cheese twists - plus pizzas for under £2 - it’s no

What happens at the Walkie, stays at the Walkie

n Cultures collide in a new column from wife and mother Alex Blackie, who shares with us the ups and downs of her Anglo-Australian family life in London.

This week she talks about the Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout; the good, the bad and the men dressed as babies.

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> ALEX BLACKIE

Two weeks after I’d escaped London to become a scuba diving instructor, I met a bloke from the West (Sydney that is, not West London yet!) One year later we’re married, another year Bella’s in toe and a couple more years later, we’re all in London. Where else to settle but Shepherd’s Bush, where my family seems to inhabit one half, Australians the other. And of course, we discover the Walkabout.

Today, Sunday 6 October, it took quite some explaining to find a babysitter. “No, Lawza is not a raving alcoholic - just because he’s going to the pub at 9am on Sunday. I just happen to be running a half-marathon (my last ever) whilst he goes to the Walkie - in his case really for the last time.”

Finally, I step in, medal around my neck, race number on my vest.

Fellow English women, it seems to be the perfect pulling outfit for Aussie blokes. Later Lawza agrees: “we like our women active!”

Still high on endorphins, desperate to join in on Gangnam Style, I discover I have literally entered the

surprise the queue often spills out the door and onto the high street.

5

Regent’s Park retreat One of the reasons I love this neighbourhood is because it has all the action of the city with natural serenity just a stone’s throw away. My weekly recharge involves taking the five minute stroll to Regent’s Park for a bit of rejuvenation and respite from the big-smoke. One of London’s largest parks, it boasts a horde of attractions.

You can work up a sweat on the sports fields, linger on the grass by the pond or amble in one of the many stunning gardens. For the scenic route, take the canal walk west from Camden lock, which usually provides a novel sight: houseboat (garage) sales, singing African herbsmen, a ‘pirate castle’ and Feng Shang Princess - an incongruous floating Chinese restaurant.

Pub With No Beer. I find Lawza and rapidly figure out he must be the one who›s drunk them dry.

Everyone’s dancing, sure most are pretty drunk but even the bloke with the girl's beanie on his bits makes me smile. Going in there, I’ve probably broken the 'no parents' unwritten rule but it's always given us our good honest Aussie fun, seeing end-of-thenight drunk hugs rather than fights.

And anyway, we’ve always loved our ‘whose going home with who’ guessing game. Just beware people!

Two years on, you might also find yourself married with a baby.

The Walkie was also somewhere for Lawza when he felt the shock of his first London winter combined with Christmas without his family.

It’s on one of those drizzly nights that he met a guy from Melbourne, VB in hand, supporting the team competing against his, Tooheys New in hand. Sadly, he made the cardinal sin of letting Mr Melbourne become his best mate who of course left us with the kettle and Lonely Planet he couldn’t fit into his suitcase.

And Bella and I already miss watching all the Aussies and Kiwis swaying by on Sundays in fairy outfits or neon skirts. Some translation was required when she overheard Lawza tell me the men in massive nappies were also coming back from church.

As our Walkabout closes, the Bush swaps its loud sharing flats for loft conversions; drunken Antipodeans for parents with FTs. My question is whether some of the young guys in over-sized nappies have now become the new parents at our school gates.

UK Life | 5

AustralianTimes.co.uk

It was an event not-to-be missed, and Australian Times were definitely there. Check out the full gallery of photos from the Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout Closing Party at Australiantimes.co.uk/ photo-galleries

Browse or post your notice now. It's FREE!

Aussie Noticeboard Room/Flat/House for Rent For Sale Jobs General Aussie Notices Aussie Events Aussie Lost & Found Visit: AustralianTimes.co.uk/aussie-noticeboard

6 | Entertainment

What’s On Tim Minchin in Jesus Christ Superstar 13 October @02 Arena Ruthless Jabiru: Maralinga Lament 14 October @Union Chapel Jimeoin 17 October @Fairfield Hall

8 -14 October 2013

Origins 2013; not your average history lesson n

Ancient history and artistic expression combine in Origins 2013, a cultural festival of artists and performers with deep cultural roots, coming together to share ideas about the past, present and future.

By Thomas Jones

Cloud Control 17 October @O2 Academy Brixton The Cat Empire 20 October @O2 Academy Ball Park Music 23 October @The Water Rats Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds 26 - 28 October 2013 @Hammersmith Apollo Sarah Blasko 1 December @Islington Assembly Hall

For full details... ...and more Aussie gigs go to: AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

See what we are following this week on

@karenwalkerfan2 So hungover after a crazy farewell party at @shebuwalkie @TheOnlyLongy A very sad day today with the Shebu Walkie closing its doors for the last time. RIP big fella, you’ll be missed by all Aussies in London!

In life, you can’t know where you’re going, until you know where you’ve been.

Tracing one’s roots can be an eye-opening experience. Equally exploring the origins of others can be just as enlightening…and entertaining.

Origins 2013 is a cultural festival bringing together artists and performance makers from First Nations; ancient cultures including Aboriginal Australian, Inuit, Māori, Maya, Native American, Pacific Islanders, Papuan, Sámi, Saharawi, and Gaelic.

For twelve days (21 October to 3 November) indigenous musicians, dancers and choreographers, theatremakers, visual artists, film-directors and cooks from around the world, will gather together to perform and inform, exhibit and explain, and debate and celebrate the creativity and histories of different cultures.

Through its 25 events, the festival examines how we can learn important values from indigenous First Nations in relation to the environment, human rights and community.

Michael Walling, Artistic Director says, “Origins is more than an international arts festival: it is a space for dialogue between First Nations artists and London audiences.

“We can all benefit from an understanding of other cultures and we invite you to participate in our festival and experience something

@BecksInLondon Breakfast of champions!

Farewell Shebu Walkie snakebites @paulalexgray Oh noes! Shebu Walkie to close its doors in October @Thomas_Burke87 A moment’s silence for Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout, which closed its doors for the last time today having served me beer since I was 16 @eleanorrwatts Last night the Walkabout in Shepherd’s Bush actually ran out of alcohol. The Australians literally drank the place dry

Follow us on Twitter @AustralianTimes

Gudirr Gudirr (UK Premiere)

This intimate solo dance and video work considers the legacy of Australia’s history for Aboriginal people today and asks: what does it take to de-colonise Aboriginal people’s minds, unlock doors and face cultural change? It is performed

by Dalisa Pilgram, who uses her Asian-Indigenous identity to build a unique dance language to capture this moment in time for her people.

30 - 31 October at The Place

Bran Nue Dae

This charming, music-driven road movie stars Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush alongside leading indigenous actors Deborah Mailman, Ernie Dingo and Stephen ‘Baamba’ Albert. Full of energy and fun, the film is based on one of Australia’s most beloved and popular musicals. Bran Nue Dae is a foot stomping tour-deforce centering on the romantic adventures of a young aboriginal couple set against the spectacularly beautiful Australian bush.

29 October at Rich Mix

GAFA: A family called Samoa

@kiwi_wonder 3rd jug before 3pm. Back at the walkie for 1 final session.

It’s getting messy @jonmasterson Wish I was at Shebu Walkie for the last Sunday session.

genuinely new that is rooted in profound and beautiful ancient traditions.”

Origins 2013 is produced by Border Crossings, an arts company creating intercultural, multi-media theatre works in response to the contemporary globalized world. The festival program is full of works which originate far from any beater track, and many of the works will be seen in London for the first time.

Highlights include:

Conceived to celebrate 50 years of Samoa’s independence in 2012, this layered art experience follows

Samoan chief I’iga Pisa as he makes a daring escape from a distant island, after being incarcerated by the German administration. A leader of the Mau a Pule independence movement, his epic odyssey home to Samoa navigates through the post-colonial experience of identity, connection and emancipation.

29, 30 October & 1 November at Testbed1

EcoCentrix: Indigenous Arts, Sustainable Acts

This free and interactive exhibition offers an insight into contemporary indigenous art and performance from around the globe. Highlights include Tahltan artist Peter Morin’s wry and provocative cultural graffiti in London; a 3D digital diorama introducing Canadian First Nations

theatre by Marie Clements and Monique Mojica; the finely crafted story-boards of Peruvian filmmaker Irma Poma Canchumani; and a stunning montage from Australia’s premier Aboriginal dance company, Bangarra.

25 October - 10 November at Bargehouse Origins 2013 runs from 23 October to 3 November. For full event listings or to book tickets visit Originsfestival.bordercrossings.org.uk

Australian artist Charles Billich hosts London show n

From postage stamps in China to the Vatican museum, Charles Billich's artwork can be seen all over the world. Now the renowned Australian artist is set to present his first UK exhibition.

AUSTRALIAN artist Charles Billich has announced his first show in the UK, an exhibition of paintings and prints at La Galleria in Pall Mall, London during October.

Sydney-based artist Charles Billich has, in a career spanning some forty years, exhibited at some of the world’s most important venues and

been an honoured guest and resident artist on many occasions, including the 1996 Summer Olympics.

From the Vatican Museum to the White House, the Olympic Museum in Lausanne to His Majesty King George V. Tupou’s Palace in Tonga, the Red Cross Museum in Geneva, to numerous university, government, corporate and private collections, Charles Billich has an eclectic and ubiquitous following. His work can even be seen on a collection of 16 postage stamps currently in circulation in China based on the Bing Ma Yong Terracotta Warriors.

His subject matter ranges from sport, ballet and the stage, to architecture, eroticism and portraiture and selections from this work will be

on show at this UK show including the painting, Bolshoi White Knights and the drawing High Density.

The journey that Billich himself has taken to reach this point is almost as remarkable as the striking work itself.

Born in what is now Croatia, but was then Italy, he was imprisoned for his anti-Yugoslav writings. Upon release from prison in Maribor, he emigrated to Australia and there he studied at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, before continuing his studies at the National Gallery Art School.

The exhibition runs Monday 14 to Saturday 19 October at La Galleria, 30 Royal Opera Arcade, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 4UY.

Entertainment | 7

AustralianTimes.co.uk

“Fear in a handful of dust”

the legacy of Maralinga n

On 14 October, Ruthless Jabiru will be joined by violinist Lara St. John for the European premiere of Matthew Hindson’s Maralinga. The work will lay at the centre of a musical programme paying tribute to Maralinga’s dark history, framed by a collection of laments both old and new.

By Liz Tynan I will show you fear in a handful of dust. T.S. Eliot The dusty plains of the Maralinga lands in outback South Australia held a secret for a long time before most Australians found out. Australian land had been contaminated by one of the most toxic materials known – a particular form of plutonium that takes tens of thousands of years to die away.

Even now, few people know the story of Maralinga. The absence of media coverage and public debate created a gap in most people’s understanding of what happened there, making it a uniquely tangled national issue.

Democracy depends upon journalists who are capable of finding out the truth behind the governmental smokescreen, and whistle-blowers to reveal the secrets. In Australia, we had no contemporary investigative journalist or whistle-blower to tell the population about the aftermath of the tests in the South Australian desert, and the government of the day, unwatched, got away with it. Over time, the story finally emerged and a clean-up was carried out, but in doing so, raising many issues about democracy, Australian sovereignty, nuclear colonialism and the role of media in keeping governments accountable.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the nuclear arms race began. The US turned away from its erstwhile ally and refused to co-operate with Britain on nuclear weapons development. The British had to devise their own bomb development program, and they

Image by Elly Mac

settled on Australia as a testing site. The Australian Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, was only too happy to agree.

The British nuclear test program was spread over 11 years, from 1952 to 1963, and took place at three locations: the Monte Bello Islands off the coast of Western Australia, and Emu Field and Maralinga in the South Australian desert. A total of 12 “mushroom cloud” bombs were exploded: three at Monte Bello, two at Emu Field and seven at Maralinga. The tests that had more far reaching significance than the major trials, however, were the radiological experiments known as Vixen B that were only held at Maralinga.

Vixen B involved blowing up a long lasting form of plutonium using conventional explosives and leaving most of the residue on the open range.

In total, Vixen B scattered 22.2 kg of plutonium-239 around the test site. The extreme persistence of radiation and the threat of cancer by inhaling dust at the site made it especially dangerous. The Vixen B tests took place amid total secrecy in 1960, 1961 and 1963 and received no media coverage at all until the late-1970s. They were only fully uncovered in a landmark piece of scientific investigative journalism in 1993.

Australia was not a nuclear power. The country was in a highly ambiguous position – the staging ground for nuclear weapons testing carried out with great secrecy and control by another nation, the “mother country” herself.

This made Australia, at least initially, curiously powerless and inept in dealing with the tests, particularly Vixen B. The mysteries of Maralinga continue to haunt Australia as the dust of Maralinga continues to swirl.

Ruthless Jabiru and Lara St. John perform Maralinga Lament at the Union Chapel, London at 19:30 on Monday 14 October. Tickets are £16 advance from the Union Chapel online store or £18 at the door.

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8 | Entertainment

8 -14 October 2013

& the Indigeneity Project at Royal Holloway, University of London

A Sheppard Affair n INTERVIEW | There’s been a lot of travel on the schedule of late for

Explore the worldʼs indigenous cultures Aboriginal Australian, Māori & Pacific Islands Music * Theatre * Dance * Film * Exhibition Food * Ceremony * Talks October 23 – November 3 & November 27-29 www.originsfestival.com

one of Australia’s biggest new indie pop-rock acts. Australian Times catches up with Brisbane’s Sheppard as they head off to New York and London where last year they discovered an audience for their infections party sound track music even before they had one down-under.

By Mark Muggeridge It’s been a massive 12 months for the members of Sheppard. This little indie band have scored the biggest selling single of the year to date in Australia with Let Me Down Easy and they’ve just released new single Hold My Tongue.

As Australian Times catches up with lead singer George Sheppard, he and the other members of the band are recovering from a big weekend in Sydney playing shows as part of the Rugby League Finals series. However, there is no time to rest. Along with his sisters Amy and Emma, and friends Jay Bovino, Michael Butler and Dean Gordon, George is soon heading overseas to give live audiences a serotonin injection with their harmony driven pop-rock.

Their itinerary will take them to New York for massive US multi-day festival CMJ where along with other shows they will play within the hallowed walls of Webster Hall, one of New York’s most famous venues for rock music. Then they head to London for a must-see show with fellow Brisbanites, Ball Park Music at another legendary venue; Kings Cross’s Water Rats, a brilliant down-at-heel indie venue, which has played host to artists like Bob Dylan, The Pogues and many others.

All this travel comes at the end of a very busy twelve months for the band.

Having released their debut self-titled EP in 2012, Sheppard were finding it difficult to break through downunder with their harmony driven, party atmosphere pop-rock. However following an acoustic audition for legendary promoter and manager Michael Chugg and his entire staff at their offices in Sydney, an experience that George describes as terrifying, the band got a break. Chuggy, as he’s known in the music business – took the young six-piece act on the road

internationally knowing they would find an audience.

“Coming to the UK the first time was so exciting for all of us in the band.

We’d heard from friends and other acts that had been to the UK about how they had such a great time there so we were really keen to check it out for ourselves, especially as it was our first time heading into Europe,” George says.

As part of that tour they played the huge Wilderness Festival. “We were playing the night after The Temper Trap and their bass player, Jonathon Aherne came along to check us out, so that was a real buzz. The audience was great too, I think there were more locals than Aussies in the crowd but they really seemed to like what we were doing.”

Sheppard played shows in New York, South Africa and in Asia all on the same trip.

Returning to Brisbane, Sheppard now had to convince people back home to become as enthusiastic about their music as music fans were around the rest of the world.

Perseverance paid off when radio networks, Nova and Austereo caught onto Let Me Down Easy and began giving the track heaps of airtime.

“That was surreal,” says George, “we had just done our first Australian TV appearance that morning when we were given the news Nova were going to start playing Let Me Down Easy in high rotation.

“Suddenly we were hearing the tune coming out of shops as we walked along the street or out of car windows.”

Fast-forward a few months and Let Me Down Easy had gone platinum in Australia with UK and US audiences helping the track to a further 180,000 downloads and streams.

The single was 17 weeks at No 1 on the Oz indie charts and spent 15 weeks in the national top 5. Let Me Down Easy has also become a sing-

along hit at Sheppard’s live shows down-under propelled by 20 weeks of Top 40 airplay. A huge achievement considering that Sheppard were the only indie act on the Aussie radio airplay charts at the time. “We’re all really proud of what we’ve achieved as an indie act, but it’s been tremendously hard work.”

For those of you who haven’t caught the back story, Sheppard are a bit of a family affair.

George’s sister Amy was studying music and needed help with harmonies on a music project. Their father Greg knew that George would be ideal to help his sister and according to George the band as a whole was “kind of his vision.” Younger sister Emma got roped in and before long the trio were sounding good enough to convince friends Jay Bovino to join along with Michael Butler and Dean Gordon.

So what can we expect from Sheppard during their visit?

George described the shows here as a thank-you to all the UK fans for all their support. He told us they are looking forward to meeting their London based fans face-to-face and giving them a great time at their shows which have a reputation for being as much like a party as anything else. “We’ve just released a new track called Hold My Tongue. This is the track that’s the most fun to play live,” said George.

“It’s the one our fans love dancing to most at our shows. We asked fans to sing along with us on Let Me Down Easy, and now it’s time to invite everyone up to shake it a little.”

Sheppard play The Water Rats pub in Kings Cross (early) will Ball Park Music on Wednesday 23 October.

Mark Muggeridge is a freelance music journalist in the UK. He has written for Record of the Day, Music Week and The Music Network in Australia.

Travel | 9

AustralianTimes.co.uk

San Francisco n Unlike

everyone who left their hearts in San Francisco Sharon Spence Lieb found hers, when she travelled to America’s west coast with her boyfriend.

My boyfriend Kenny Baker loved visiting San Francisco.

“Now I want to show you what I love about this great city,” he told me. “The

museums, restaurants, and shopping are amazing. We can walk, take trolleys, ferries, and the views everywhere are unbelievable. You’ll see…..”

Our adventure began at the swanky Hyatt Regency Embarcadero. The 17-story atrium lobby impressed us, as did the fantastic views of San Francisco Bay and the city skyline from our balcony. The staff were warmly welcoming; especially the concierge who gave us maps and discount coupons.

Prior to arriving we’d bought two San Francisco City-passes, which offer substantial discounts for many attractions, including the California Academy of Science. We wasted no time getting there. This innovative museum located in Golden Gate Park features an authentic rain forest (think snakes, birds, butterflies and red frogs), a coral reef aquarium (sea horses, mantas and sharks), dinosaurs, and a rooftop garden of indigenous flowers and plants.

There’s even live penguins and an albino alligator. We explored like happy children until the museum closed.

A short cab ride dropped us off at beautiful Union Square. Back in 1850, Civil War rallies were held in the grassy public space. By 1903, the dramatic 90-foot tall Goddess of Victory statue graced the Square.

And after the Great Earthquake of 1906, Union Square became retail central.

“Let’s shop til we drop,” suggested Kenny. Turning in circles, I wondered where to begin: Macy’s, Sak’s, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Kate Spade, Vera Wang, Crate and Barrel, Tiffany’s. Add another 500 upscale boutiques and you get the idea. Many hours later, Kenny and I had made a significant contribution to boosting America’s economy.

Into the Redwoods

Of course, we needed another week to enjoy San Francisco’s charms: the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, jazz clubs in The Fillmore

10 | Travel

8 -14 October 2013

*

District, the Peace Pagoda in Japantown, dim sum in Chinatown, the symphony, opera and ballet at the Civic Center, and fresh Dungeness crab at Fisherman’s Wharf.

Ken wanted to show me Muir Woods, “home to the largest and oldest redwoods in the world,” he remembered. “Wait until you’re hugging one of those 600 year old trees, you’ll find out what majestic means.”

these beautiful giants. Alongside clear creeks we listened to bubbling water and the call of Pacific wrens.

Thriving under the canopy were bright green sword ferns and soft fuzzy mosses. Wildflowers added splashes of pink, white and violet.

After the craziness of San Francisco, our frazzled nerves relaxed. We became ardent tree huggers, craning our necks to see the tops vaulting skyward.

“Well, you just can’t top this experience,” I whispered, taking Ken’s hand. “So let’s go home now.”

“Oh yes I can,” he grinned.

I had no choice except to follow my man to the next surprise.

Picture Perfect Pacific Muir Woods National Monument is a remnant of the ancient coast redwood forest. William Kent and his wife Elizabeth bought land here in 1905 to protect one of the last uncut stands of redwoods, donating them to the federal government for permanent protection. In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt used the 1906 Antiquities Act to proclaim the area a national monument, and the area was named in honor of conservationist John Muir.

As Ken and I walked quietly along sun-dappled trails, we could feel the serenity and sacredness of

*Trips for 18yo and over

We hopped into our spiffy black Chrysler convertible and drove to Carmel. From there, we careened along the coast, on 17 Mile Drive.

We stopped to photograph tiny half moon beaches, giant waves crashing over boulders, and the world famous Lone Cyprus, standing solo out over the ocean. We passed magnificent estates of the mega rich, watched deer grazing peacefully on famous golf courses like Cypress and Spyglass, and played with hermit crabs and baby starfish in mysterious tidal pools.

“Ok Ken, I give in. San Francisco was amazing, Muir Woods was inspiring, but this Pacific Ocean landscape is over-the-top fantastic.

Travel | 11

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The maître ’d lifted the silver dome with a practiced flourish. Glittering in the sun was a stunning diamond ring.

I went kind of insane. I’m not completely sure what happened next. But there was hugging, kissing, champagne sipping, applause from everyone at the terrace restaurant and a cluster of over excited Italian ladies hugging me with Ciao Bella!!

Bellissima!!!

Did I dream this proposal? It was so unexpected and incredibly romantic.

I guess not, as I’m looking at a gorgeous ring on my finger, and I see Ken’s gorgeous blue eyes smiling at me every day.

I’d toured beautiful San Francisco, Muir Woods and the Pacific Coast as Ken’s girlfriend.

Now I’m his beloved fiancée.

Am I the luckiest girl in the world or what?

Some things in life you just can’t top.

Don’t even try. But visit San Francisco and see what magic awaits you.

AUSTM13_39 7 Oct

You can’t top this…. so let’s go home now,” I kidded around with him.

Ken seemed nervous, driving as though there was some agenda more than sightseeing. Suddenly, he veered into a parking spot at Pebble Beach Golf Resort and commanded, “Get out, let’s have lunch.” What’s up with him, I wondered?

On the terrace, we enjoyed a delicious lobster and crab salad, along with other happy tourists.

Ken seemed hyper, but I figured he just needed a second glass of wine to relax after so much touring and driving.

“Let’s walk down to the 18th green,” he suggested. “Maybe we’ll have some dessert.” Dessert? On a golf course?

I followed him like a lovesick puppy, getting out my camera to photograph one of the world’s most famous golf courses. Turning back to face the restaurant, I saw the maître ’d carrying a silver dome topped platter, and a waitress carrying two glasses of champagne.

To my complete surprise, Ken dropped to one knee.

“I love you Sharon. I want us to be together, forever and a day. Will you marry me?”

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12 | Travel

Postcards from Australia

8 -14 October 2013

n

Haylee and her husband are currently driving around Down Under. Follow along with their highlights from the road in this series of Postcards From Australia.

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When driving through Victoria with the plan to avoid Melbourne, the easiest way to keep going is to cross Port Phillip Bay rather than drive the perimeter of it.

Today’s entry comes from the Queenscliff to Sorrento Ferry. With a forty-minute journey across to the Mornington Peninsula, I have some time to reflect on the day’s travels.

The drive to Queenscliff passes through many smaller coastal towns. The area seems oddly familiar but I cannot place it. Ocean Grove on the Bellarine Peninsula reminds me of Eastbourne in New Zealand.

I still feel as though I have seen this particular region before. I Google “Barwon Heads” and am excited to learn that the area was the filming location for Seachange, a widely

popular Australian television series that also happened to be one of my own favourite shows when it aired.

I can immediately understand why this area was chosen as the setting for ‘Pearl Bay.’ We have been blessed with the weather. The afternoon feels lazy and one could be forgiven for stretching out on a picnic blanket for a snooze under a cloudless sky.

Autumn is overdue but no one is more grateful than me that summer still clings.

There is something to be said for the sea air in Australia. It has a smell I have not come across as yet in my travels elsewhere. The salty air combined with the afternoon heat guarantees hunger regardless of the last time you ate. So it is today.

A gentle boat ride is the ultimate companion for such a day as this.

The sun is almost setting as we arrive in Sorrento and small coloured boats appear impossibly balanced on glass. The pier juts out from the peninsula and the breeze is still warm. I feel as though I could travel forever and I don’t know how we are going to go back to our old lives when this is over.

Professional Life | 13

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Dollar Review

Aussie dollar waits for unemployment figures market. This is set to happen early in the Australian trading day and will filter into the opening prices in the European market.

Late morning on Thursday will see the Bank of England interest rate decision announced. Coupled with the announcement is the Monetary Policy statement which generally reveals the future direction of the rate which affects the decision making of investors.

By Elizabeth Britz

The Australian dollar saw late week strengthening from Thursday morning, to end the week at 1.6984 against the British Pound and 1.0591 against the US Dollar. The start of the week however was far gloomier for the Aussie, trading at 1.7354 against the Pound and 1.0746 against the Greenback. With prevailing uncertainty in the US economy, the Aussie opened the new trading week at 1.7071 against the pound and 1.0644 against the Greenback.

With the US government entering GBP/AUD: 1.7095 its second week of partial shutdown, and the US congress debating the US EUR/AUD: 1.4455 government debt ceiling limit, the USD/AUD: 0.9395 market will continue to experience high volatility due to uncertainty about future NZD/AUD: 0.8811 economic outlooks for the world’s 09:28 GMT, 7 October 2013 largest economy. The market uncertainty includes failure to meet financial commitments, future economic outlook and availability of accurate economic data used by investors.

Thursday will see the release of Australian unemployment figures which is likely to have a huge impact in the Note: The above exchange rates are based on “interbank” rates. If you want to transfer money to or from Australia then please register/login on our website, or call us on 0808 141 2335 for a live dealing rate. Make use of a Rate Notifier to send you alert when the Australian exchange rate reaches levels you are looking for.

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the Expat factor

Extraordinary Aussies in the UK

Chris Charnas is owner and manager of Espresso Bar Mozzino, a café with a retro vibe just off Carnaby Street.

I arrived in the UK on 20 September 2010. My best friend, who lives in London, was celebrating his fortieth birthday and I had promised I would be here to celebrate with him. I had just come out of a nine year relationship, and had worked for the same company for seven years, so when a friend offered me a job in London and another somewhere to live, I knew it was time for a big change in my life. I packed my bags and arrived with no concrete plans, but excited about my future. I’ve now been here over two years and I still feel like a kid in a candy store.

I have recently opened a cafe, Mozzino, just off Carnaby Street. I spend most of my time working, living and breathing the cafe life. I find that the cafe culture in London has become much stronger, with the influence of many Australian and NZ cafe people working here. Being the owner and manager of a cafe in a busy area like Carnaby Street is fierce. The competition is tough, and aggressive, but I get a buzz from it and it makes me more determined to work hard and succeed. I am excited about my work and enjoy the mix of customers that come to the cafe.

Setting up Mozzino has been the greatest highlight of moving to London, and the biggest challenge. I managed a busy cafe in London Bridge for the first year I was here, but I knew that wanted to open my own. A friend of mine shared a similar desire, and had a great concept. After a lot of planning over several good cups of coffee, and a few nervous laughs, Mozzino was born and we set to work. Nine months later we opened our doors.

Starting a business in London is tough, and it isn’t for those who want an easy ride. We financed it ourselves, and the budget was very tight and took a lot of planning. There are all sorts of barriers that need to be overcome - interviews with landlords and mountains of paper work. Trying to understand the difference between running a cafe in London and one in Sydney has been a big challenge, but it’s all worth it.

I think Australians come to the UK initially to be able to travel

Chris Charnas

Owner of Espresso Bar Mozzino and see Europe. Once they are here they fall in love with the vibe and craziness of London. It challenges their survival instinct and increases the curiosity for life in the fast lane.

Ten years ago Australians would spend a year or two here then go back home. I now find that many Australians come here and stay.

Once they experience life here and are successful they find it hard to go back.

I like that here there are so many different people from all over the world in London. It gives me a rush knowing that I am surrounded by so many different nationalities, and seeing how they interact with each other. At Mozzino, we get French customers one minute, Italians the next, then Americans, Japanese, and so it goes on every week. Every day is different from the next. The weather of course is not the best but if you need some sun, you can jump on a plane and be sitting on a beach within about two hours, I love that. I also love the English - they are eccentric but always up for a chat.

When I’m asked what I miss about Australia, the first thing that comes to mind is my family and friends, then the weather. I also miss the laid back lifestyle, the smell of gum trees and the beaches.

The light is different as well, the

colours in Australia seem brighter and more vivid. I will always think of Australia as home.

My typical weekend involves work of course – we are open seven days a week. Apart from that, catching up with friends and seeing the city. After two years of living in London, I am always surprised when I walk down a street that I haven’t been down before and I come across something new. A small pub hidden away in a lane, old buildings that have survived the modern age, statues or street art, new and old, the mix of new and old London coming together forming the London of today.

There are so many surprises in this city. I find myself standing in the street thinking how lucky I am to be here, and wondering how it all happened. My advice to Australians considering the move – don’t come with any expectations. Immerse yourself in all that London has to offer and enjoy the ride. Rocky and smooth, it’s all good.

Espresso Bar Mozzino can be found on 74 Broadwick Street, W1F 9QZ or see Espressobarmozzino.com.

Interview by Alex Ivett

14 | Sport

8 -14 October 2013

Fanning on the verge of 2013 surfing title

TITLE #3? Mick Fanning (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) ...continued from p16 If the Australian is victorious at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal, he will need Slater to finish fourth or worse to grab his first title since 2009.

But a fifth-place or worse to Fanning will mean the championship won’t be decided until December at

the tour’s final stop in Hawaii.

Fanning is one of three Australians still in contention for this year’s crown, with Taj Burrow and Joel Parkinson to battle it out with South African Jordy Smith inside the top five.

Organisers are predicting a 1.5-2 metre swell for the opening day of competition, scheduled to start on Wednesday. - AAP

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Mat Ryan credits Mariners coach for Socceroos selections ...continued from p16 Friday and the Canadians in London four days later.

And with current Mariners striker Mitchell Duke also a recent national team inclusion, Ryan says it speaks volumes for coach Arnold’s Central Coast set up and his ability to develop talent for the international stage.

“Arnie has a lot of experience, obviously being under Guus (Hiddink) at the (2006) World Cup back in Germany and he’s coached the Socceroos himself,” said 21-year-old Ryan who has continued to flourish since joining Brugge this season.

“The Central Coast, they’ve been a club that’s been known to give young guys a go and the biggest thing about developing your game is being given an opportunity to play.

“Arnie has no hesitation to throw a young boy in there, which gives them great confidence and he’s very good at man-managing people within the team as well to get the best out of them.

“After I made a mistake, he was always the first one to come to me and pick me up and to coach me and let me know what is the most important thing, which is to bounce back strongly.”

Ryan is expected to share game time with Borussia Dortmund’s Mitch Langerak as they get the chance to show their wares in goal for the Socceroos after veteran Mark Schwarzer was omitted for the two friendly matches in Europe.

Despite headlining a list of departures from Bluetongue Stadium that also includes Bozanic, Bernie Ibini and Patrick Zwaanswijk,

Ryan believes Arnold will have the Mariners well prepared for their A-League title defence, which kicks off with a grand final rematch with Western Sydney in Gosford on Saturday.

“One thing I’ve learned is to never write Arnie off,” said Ryan.

“This year he’s probably lost a bit more personnel than in recent years.

“But Arnie, with the man management skills that he has and the knowledge he has in football, I know he’s going to create a defensive structure that’s difficult to break down again.”

By Ben Coonan in Brugge The Socceroos face France in Paris on 11 October followed by Canada at Craven Cottage in London on 15 October.

Finch ready for heat of India ODIs ...continued from p16

playing against India on their home turf.

However, due to the involvement of many players in the Indian Premier League and the recent Twenty20 Champions League, Bailey and Finch’s maiden tour of the cricketmad nation in the green and gold is nowhere near as foreign as it would have been 10 years ago.

“This is about my ninth time to India,” Finch said.

“It never gets any easier adjusting to the heat, it’s obviously stinking hot at the moment.

“But it’s a great place to play cricket, the crowd is so enthusiastic.”

With David Warner overlooked for both the T20 and one-day squads, Finch has a great opportunity to cement himself at the top of Australia’s order.

“I feel really comfortable around the boys and I’d love to be here a bit longer,” Finch said.

All eyes will be on Finch when the series starts on Thursday with a T20 clash in Rajkot.

The 26-year-old opener scored a world-record 156, off 63 balls, in a T20 match against England on August 29.

“I thought I played pretty well in England. I didn’t score as many runs as I would have liked in the ODIs,” he said.

“But it was a really good series. To win an ODI series against England in their own conditions is always tough.

“We played some really good cricket and we have a lot of momentum going into this series.

“Hopefully we get some momentum early in the series and really grab it and run with it.”

By Roger Vaughan in Mumbai

TOP SHOT: Aaron Finch needs to cement his place in the top order.

(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

SBW keeps sporting world guessing SONNY BILL WILLIAMS is torn, his teammates and coaches are in the dark, and the NRL is in the wilderness wondering if the code has lost its most marketable commodity.

Williams’ playing future became the hottest of topics almost the moment fulltime was blown in Sunday’s NRL grand final win to the Sydney Roosters - the dual international completing the ultimate hit and run mission if, in fact, he does head back to rugby union.

What would be rugby’s gain would be the NRL’s biggest of losses, a year after the code turned their back on Israel Folau by virtue of its archaic and inflexible salary cap system.

It would leave not only a hole in the NRL, but also the eastern suburbs of Sydney - now a hotbed of talent for rugby league’s rivals.

The A-League’s Sydney FC have Alesandro del Piero, rugby’s NSW Waratahs have Folau and one of the biggest names in the AFL is set to arrive at Sydney with Lance Franklin’s impending $10 million move.

Without Williams, the Roosters who achieved a significant boost in attendances in 2013 - have no one to compete with that level of talent.

Mobbed by Roosters fans at Monday’s fan day following their grand final triumph, Williams was giving little away.

“I’m not too sure yet,” he told

HOT PROPERTY: SBW after winning the NRL grand final with the Roosters. (AAP Image/Paul Miller) reporters when asked what his future held.

“I’ve got some tough decisions coming up.

“I’m torn in a few directions - only time will tell. I’m just savouring the moment.”

Basking in the glory of their premiership win, Williams’ Roosters teammates claimed to know little about his next move.

NRL chief executive David Smith has said the league would do all it could to retain Williams’s services in the code, but even Smith’s hands are tied beyond a certain point.

Provide too much financial help and the NRL will have 15 other clubs

crying foul.

Such was the guessing game over Williams’ future that the NZRL spent much of Monday attempting to find out whether he would available to play in the rugby league World Cup starting later this month.

Williams’ presence would be a boost not only to the Kiwis’ chances of retaining the trophy but also the tournament as a whole.

By Steve Jancetic in Sydney

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Teams look for Finsbury Park glory

By Phillip Browne

Try Tag Rugby’s last one day tournament for teams will be taking place on Saturday 12 October at Finsbury Park, the spiritual home of Tag Rugby in London.

Finsbury Park was where Tag Rugby was first played in London. It has continued to be a popular venue amongst the London Tag Rugby community, and in summer it hosts the largest Tag Rugby competition in

London.

The 2013 Finsbury Park Tag Rugby festival is the last one day tournament for teams (the International Cup tournament on Saturday 2 November is a representative tournament where players register as individuals) of the year. The Chargers are the current reigning champions after defeating the Tagquila Shots in the final of the 2012 event.

This year’s Finsbury Park Tag Rugby festival is on track to be the biggest in the event’s short history with teams from all across

London taking part. The Finsbury Park teams who hold home ground advantage will be doing their best to make sure the trophy continues to stay on home soil.

It’s still not too late to register a team, or as an individual if you want to take part at this year’s event. The tournament will have an A grade and a social grade to cater to your team’s playing standard.

In other news, Try Tag Rugby’s Late Autumn competitions commence from Tuesday 22 October onwards at the following venues: Barnes, Battersea Park,

Borough, Clapham Common, Holloway (North London), Rotherhithe, Shoreditch Park, Tooting Bec and White City.

Registration is now open for teams and individuals looking to be placed in a team. If you would like to play in a Late Autumn Tag Rugby competition, please register ASAP to avoid missing out on your preferred venue as some venues will run at full capacity. The leagues cater for all standards of players, from the complete beginner to the advanced.

If you would like to get involved in a Try Tag Rugby competition or event before the big cold comes back to London, go to www. trytagrugby.com or email info@ trytagrugby.com for more details.

O2 Touch Regents Park Late Summer League action

rating 40 years! b e l e C 1973-2013

What a fantastic season we have just had in the O2 Touch Regents Park Late Summer League - one of the most exciting competitions this year. With teams of all strengths playing in the beautiful landscape of Regents Park.

To ensure we had enough light each evening, we played 30 minute games instead of the usual 40 minutes and started the games from 6pm. Teams responded well, with lots of very tight games and some extravagant touchdowns. Finals week isn’t just about the play off though, as all teams really enjoyed playing in the great late summer weather.

Regents Park Tuesday Late Summer League

Regents Park Wednesday Late Summer League

In the men’s final, GT-RPM and Green and Gold were battling for the

If you’re interested in playing touch or Active Touch, either with a team or as an individual, go to www.in2touch.com/uk or contact tracy@in2touch.com for more information. We have leagues running throughout Autumn and winter and it's a great way to keep your fitness and agility levels up in between warm fires and roast dinners.

TOPDECK 1973

2013

EBR

CEL

In Mixed Division 1 there were a few teams in the running for the two top spots in the final, with some amazing touchdowns and skills on display.

Flow and EY made it into the final.

The game was fantastic however the final score did not reflect how well both teams played. Flow pulled away and finally won the game, giving them the title and the main prizes of course.

The Mixed Division 2 was even closer than the first division in terms of teams vying for the place in their final. With top points, Touch For London and Dynamic Touch made it into the final. With wonderful plays, touchdowns and team spirit Dynamic Touch took the lead and defended like crazy to keep Touch For London out. Dynamic Touch were so happy to be taking their trophy, prizes and medals home.

trophy and the prizes. Although it was an intense game, GT-RPM just edged their way to victory. Green and Gold fought hard, but it wasn’t quite enough to secure the win. GTRPM were crowned the champions of the late summer Regents Park Wednesday Men’s league.

The Mixed Division 1 final was played by GT Apogee and Green and Gold. Despite Green and Gold’s men having just played the men’s final they overcame their tiredness and played with heart. This was a great game with GT Apogee winning the final.

Then the Mixed Division 2 final was played by Clear Eyes Full Hearts and Smooth Operators. These teams have done so well in their division and everyone was happy to see them play in the final. This was a close game and in the end Clear Eyes Full Hearts were victorious and came away with the prizes and trophy.

It has been fantastic seeing the calibre of play improve this year and Go Easy On Us and FFW RFC definitely showed us what they were made of, running some great lines and executing some tricky plays (although it may have just been some lucky passes!).

We would like to say a huge thank you to the teams, players, referees and the venue manager, Marc Desmeules for all the effort they put into this Late Summer League and we look forward to seeing you all in the next season.

A

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By Tracey Andrew of In2Touch

AT I N G 4 0 Y E

CHASING FINSBURY PARK GLORY Try Tag Rugby P15

SPORT

Just two Roosters in Roos’ World Cup squad n

Test coach Tim Sheens says the Sydney Roosters’ multi-cultural make-up is why only two members of the NRL title-winning side are in the Kangaroos squad bound for Britain and Ireland.

By Steve Jancetic in Sydney NRL premierships normally translated into Australian Test jumpers, but not in the new-age world of the multicultural code.

Just three players who turned out in Sunday’s NRL grand final between Sydney Roosters and Manly were named in Australia’s 24-man to contest the World Cup - premiers the Roosters supplying two in uncapped Boyd Cordner and Michael Jennings with Clive Churchill medallist Daly CherryEvans Manly’s sole representative.

Quizzed as to the apparent snub, Australian Test coach Tim Sheens pointed a shortage of candidates, with the Roosters resembling a league of nations.

Should Shaun Kenny-Dowall (suspected broken jaw) and Sonny Bill Williams be available, the Roosters could have as many as six players in the New Zealand squad, while another five players could be pulling on a variety of jumpers at the seasonending tournament.

“You look at how many New Zealanders are in their (Roosters) squad and other guys that will be playing across the World Cup, most of the Roosters squad will feature in some jersey in the World Cup,” Sheens said.

Of the Roosters who were up for selection, only halves Mitchell Pearce and James Maloney would have entered discussions, but selectors opted to stick with Queensland trio Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Cherry-Evans.

The lack of Sea Eagles in the squad is mainly due to injury and lack of interest, with Jamie Lyon - who would have been an automatic selection having quit representative footy and Anthony Watmough and the Stewart brothers all ruled out with injury.

Manly should still have Kieran Foran (NZ), Steve Matai (Samoa), Jorge Taufua (Tonga or Samoa), Brent Kite (Tonga) and James Hasson (Ireland) at the World Cup.

The Kangaroos had a familiar look to them, with Cordner, Cronulla’s Andrew Fifita and Canberra wrecking ball Josh Papalii the only uncapped players in the squad.

Cordner’s selection caps a dream 2013 season, during which he collected his first NSW Origin jumper and an NRL premiership.

The 21-year-old returned from seven weeks on the sidelines following ankle surgery to play in Sunday night’s 2618 grand final win to the Roosters - a performance which merely rubberstamped his selection.

“For some weeks we’ve been watching where he was up to with his injury,” Sheens said.

“But the fact that he played last night proved his fitness.

“He’d been on our radar most of the year, last night just confirmed his ability.”

Sheens admitted many players picked themselves in his first-choice line-up, with the centre spot left vacant by the season-ending achilles injury to Justin Hodges and makeup of the bench the biggest question marks going into the tournament opener against England in Cardiff on October 26.

“The centres with Tate, Josh Moris and Jenno I think we’ve got that pretty well covered,” Sheens said.

“Jenno’s certainly had a really good year, although he plays left centre and the main position open at the moment is right centre.

“I think these guys left or right, I don’t think that’s going to be an issue for them.

“That will be another challenge, who’s going to get that vacant right centre spot for Justin.”

The squad will gather in Sydney for medicals on Thursday and a training session on Sunday before flying out next Monday.

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Socceroo callups are thanks to Arnold: Ryan

GRAHAM ARNOLD can take enormous credit for the Central Coast Mariners thread running through the Socceroos squad preparing to face France and Canada, according to Belgiumbased Mat Ryan.

Goalkeeper Ryan will be joined in Socceroos camp this week by former Mariners teammates in Oliver Bozanic (FC Luzern, Switzerland) and Tom Rogic (Celtic, Scotland) ahead of the clash with Les Blues in Paris on ...continued on p14

Fanning could take third world crown this week

AUSTRALIA’S Mick Fanning could clinch his third world surfing crown with victory at the penultimate event of the season in Portugal this week.

But the 32-year-old will be banking on a less-than-perfect round from 11-time champion Kelly Slater, who is hot on his heels for the 2013 title.

Fanning holds a 6,000-point championship lead on his American rival going into event No.9 of 10 at Supertubos, thanks to his last-start win in France on Friday. ...continued on p14

WHERE TO NOW, SONNY? SBW keeps the world guessing | P14

CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS: Sonny Bill Williams celebrates the Roosters’ win in the NRL Grand Final against the Sea Eagles in Sydney on Sunday. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

Finch looking to cement his spot

AUSTRALIA’S limited-overs series in India is only Aaron Finch’s second tour with the national cricket team, but the hardhitting batsman boasts a wealth of subcontinent experience.

Australia, minus injured captain Michael Clarke, landed in India on Saturday night and completed their first training run in Mumbai on Sunday.

Taking over as tour skipper, George Bailey headlines a list of seven players in the squad who are yet to experience the rigours of ...continued on p14