Australian Times weekly newspaper | 7 February 2012

7 February - 13 February 2012– Issue: 398

A guide to Aussie slang

Fresh-faced Talent

Brushing up on our Australian lingo

Move over X Factor, YTT is back

ENTERTAINMENT P7

VOICES P4

Exploring Zion

Behind the headlines in Israel TRAVEL P9

AUSTRALIANS: EARN £31K OR LEAVE UK n

A new immigration plan could force thousands of Australians out of the UK if they don’t meet specific financial standards outlined by Britain’s Immigration Minister UK Immigration Minister Damian Green has unveiled a new plan that may see Australians and other migrants in the UK kicked out of Britain after five years if they earn less than £31,000 a year.

Speaking to influential think tank, the Policy Exchange group, Mr Green told them that “we will end the assumption settlement is an option for all. Instead, we will accord it to the brightest and best”.

He argued that foreigners must “add to the quality of life in Britain”, that Britain has no need for more “middle managers” or “unskilled labour” and only the “brightest and best” will be welcome to settle.

Under current rules, skilled workers such as nurses and chefs who have been allowed in on work visas may apply for permanent residency after five years. However on the recommendation of Home Office advisers, Green plans to set a minimum salary of between £31,000 and £49,000 for those wishing to continue living in Britain.

This would be the first time an income hurdle has been set for migrants who wish to remain in the UK, which includes thousands of expat Australians. Each year about 60,000 skilled workers win the right to permanent settlement in Britain, but the Migration Advisory Committee ...continued on p3

GONE WALKABOUT Aussies let loose in London | P8

Windsor doubts Julia Gillard will be dumped

INDEPENDENT MP Tony Windsor says his agreement to support Labor was signed by Julia Gillard and Wayne Swan and he would have to re-assess his position in the event of a change of leadership.

Mr Windsor, one of three independent MPs plus Greens MP Adam Bandt who backed Labor to form government after the last election, said he doubted there would be any change.

He said he and other independents MPs decided to go with Labor based on who they thought was most interested in governing for three years, not 18 months.

Mr Windsor said Ms Gillard and Mr Swan were signatories to their arrangement so in a sense it was a contract with her.

“If there was a change in leadership I would have to look at those circumstances at the time. I don’t think there will be,” he told ABC television.

Mr Windsor said changing leadership in a hung parliament would be an absurd thing to do because it opened a whole range of risks.

He said any leadership change would likely be followed by an election. ...continued on p3

Australia remains on flood alert as 7000 isolated in northern NSW MAJOR flood warnings have been issued for rivers across northern NSW as thousands remain isolated and Moree residents begin the “soul destroying” task of cleaning up.

About 90 per cent of Moree’s residents returned home on Monday morning, after mass evacuations when

flood waters inundated the town, cutting it in half.

Moree Mayor Katrina Humphries said the clean-up was vile, as temperatures hit 36 degrees.

“It’s vile, it’s soul-destroying,” Ms Humphries told AAP, adding some people had lost everything.

“They were prepared but the water came higher in some parts of town.

Over 300 homes were deeply flooded and a similar number were less affected, she said.

The town’s sewage system had fortunately held up, but some properties on the periphery of town

which had independent septic systems hadn’t been so lucky.

“You either have ... stuff gurgling up through your toilet and shower recess or (the tanks) split and everything goes everywhere,” Ms Humphries said.

Evacuation orders have been lifted for Moree and its surrounds, with

flood waters receding in Pallamallawa and Biniguy areas, the SES said on Monday afternoon.

“The long, hard recovery process has started,” NSW SES Commissioner Murray Kear told AAP. ...continued on p3

2 | News

7 February - 13 February 2012

PM takes aim at China, Russia over Syria

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PRIME Minister Julia Gillard says China and Russia have failed in their international responsibilities by vetoing a United Nations resolution against Syria’s regime.

Both countries used their UN Security Council veto powers at the weekend to quash an Arab and Western-backed peace plan that called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

The draft resolution was aimed at stopping Assad’s deadly and worsening crackdown on antigovernment protesters, who first took to the streets 11 months ago.

Ms Gillard says her government is firmly behind the peace plan first drafted by the Arab League.

on Assad to give up power.

The UN veto sparked angry attacks on Syrian diplomatic missions around the world, including in Canberra.

Dozens of people forced their way inside the Syrian embassy in the Canberra suburb of O’Malley on Saturday night, ransacking the ground floor and stealing money and equipment.

Police are investigating the incident but are yet to make any arrests.

Embassy charge d’affaires Jawdat Ali says the raid was an attack on both Syria and Australia.

“This incident is not only against our embassy, this incident happened on Australian land, so I think this is also a breach of Australia law,” he said. - AAP

TripAdvisor - full of valuable advice and pettiness n

The recent Advertising Standards Authority ruling has taught travellers nothing they didn’t know already, but TripAdvisor is still an invaluable tool for those holiday bound. the hard word > NATHAN MOTTON

WE’VE all read them. Those wonderfully humorous travel comments from the TripAdvisor website. Ones about hotels where “the noise from the nightclub kept us awake”. Or the traveller who had “room 209 - the smoking room. Not through choice. I woke up feeling as though I’d smoked 20 fags overnight”. And what about the tourist who couldn’t sleep because the “springs kept sticking through their mattress” or the elderly couple who listened “all night to the people above them having sex”.

We’ve cringed and laughed at the horror travel stories. We’ve never been able to forgive ourselves for reading a multitude of bad reviews yet still booking that cheap hotel. And we’ve been forever thankful for that tip that saw us spend a beautiful weekend in the country at a secluded bed and breakfast.

The Hard Word finds it somewhat therapeutic spending endless hours on travel review website TripAdvisor trawling hundreds of pages and thousands of comments to ensure (hopefully) we get the destination and the accommodation perfect. The site is a brilliant example of freedom of speech and consumer power.

However the Advertising Standards Authority ruled last week that the travel review website must rewrite misleading

Your Say On: Surviving Invasion Day

So true. This needs to be debated by all Australians, everywhere. Ingidenous protestors, and their supporters, burning the (current) Australian flag on the steps on Parliment House should be enough to wake us up. Well done Kate.

It’s so refreshing to hear your views in “Australian Times” every week.

Julia Via AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

On: Posh English men and their Aussie counterparts

I completely agree. I find Aussie men are so boring and inarticulate, and the outdated form of masculinity many acquire makes them come across as

Every day on …

“Which is why we are very disappointed to see exercise of these vetoes at the UN Security Council,” she told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

“We certainly think that was the wrong decision, the wrong path and an abdication of responsibility in the face of the violence that we are seeing in Syria.”

Ms Gillard said Australia would continue to push for the world to get behind the plan.

More than 5500 people are believed to have been killed in the Syrian bloodshed.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd says China and Russia must now bear particular responsibility for stopping the violence. He has repeatedly called

?

What’s your view

claims that all their consumer reviews were made by “real travelers”. It upheld a complaint brought against the site in July 2011, stating it is possible “nongenuine” content could appear and that consumers may be fooled by fraudulent posts. The independent authority told TripAdvisor “not to claim or imply that all the reviews that appeared on the website were from real travellers, or were honest, real or trusted”.

Frankly there is something quite sinister at work here. Claims of lies and fraud, of bribery in return for favourable reviews, and of businesses slagging off competitors, all reveal the worst in us. The Dragons’ Den panellist Duncan Bannatyne, threatened legal action last year claiming the site is “despicable and cowardly” after a “dishonest” guest compared one of his hotels to Fawlty Towers. Customers too are just as much to blame. Reports of threats of bad reviews if a bill isn’t discounted have become frequent. And then the pettiness!

Guests of the Burj Al Arab, one of the world’s few six-star hotels complained of “fake rooms”, of “walking past smokers [heaven forbid] at the entrance to the hotel” while another noted “staying here for a long time would be indecent because you are out of touch with the real world”.

Whatever happened to the idea that ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’? No matter what their star rating is, hotels are never going to

fully satisfy people from all walks of life all year round. That same principle applies to almost everything in life. Hotels, like consumers of the site, should keep that in mind.

It is a reflection of the world that we live in. A world of the ‘information age’ where reviews rule and the power has well and truly been placed in the hands of the consumer. This is undoubtedly a good thing. Of course it also opens up feedback websites to all kinds of corruption and this needs to be further investigated, but more information and more choice mean travellers are now more empowered than ever. Hotels too must see the benefits of finally being placed on the ‘map’ for potentially thousands of new visitors every year and a bit of constructive criticism is good for us all.

Gone are the days of relying on your local travel agent to find the world’s best kept secrets, or the best hotel for the most bang for your buck. Needless to say they remain an important part of planning your next trip.

The Hard Word is completely confident us travellers know all this already. We know that TripAdvisor, like everything in life should be taken with a reasonably large pinch of salt.

The website itself implores customers to ignore overwhelming praise or severe criticism and follow the middle ground. Sound advice.

thick. Give me an English man any day over an Aussie!

Hannah Via AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

between them.They are nothing but loud, foul mouthed yobbos and I have only now come to realise that after travelling the world a fair bit.I am ashamed to say that I have never REALLY seen drunken violence anywhere else in the world other than Oz and I personally noticed that it comes from overly muscled,steroid headed,small d*** Aussie blokes.

Grow up boys!!!

Melanie Via AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

From the article I would assume that English men are more secure in who they are and are willing to be themselves, whereas Australian men are insecure about their masculinity and feel they have to adhere to some outdated standard rather than be authentic and express themselves. I’d take the English half of that equation any day; I’m not interested in trying to pretend to be someone I’m not just to impress a bunch of other folks I don’t even know.

Robert Via AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices I totally agree with Robert above.Most Aussie “boys” are insecure little twits who have brawn but not a single brain

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

And why must it be that the difference is due to an inferiority complex? I think you assume far, far too much kind sir, and you should know what that makes out of you and me. (And for the record, I’m neither English nor Australian.)

Walter Via AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

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

News | 3

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Income hurdle could force Aussies out of UK Continued from p1...

says a £31,000 pay threshold would cut the figure to 20,000. This comes on the back of the UK government’s pledge to cut net migration from 242,000 to “tens of thousands”.

The Coalition government has also announced a cap on non-EU citizens and is cracking down on sham marriages and bogus students and the Immigration Minister hopes to redefine the current “points-based system” to a “contribution-based system”.

“We need to know not just that the right numbers of people are coming here, but that the right people are coming here,” Green said last week.

“People who will benefit Britain, not just those who will benefit by Britain.

“Bringing people to the UK who can play no role in the life of this country is unacceptable.

“I want us to be much more intelligently selective about who we let come here. We need to know that you’re not going to be living off benefits from day one of arriving here.”

Green also announced new specialist routes to improve the visa system for short-term business visitors and top entertainers, as well as a “young talent”

scheme to encourage entrepreneurs and scientists to immigrate.

The Guardian reported that ministers are also proposing to ban British residents from bringing an overseasborn spouse into the country unless they have a minimum household income of £25,700 a year.

However there are already rumblings in Britain about the hard-line immigration plans. Social commentator and founder of UK Immigrant Magazine, Austin Aneke, told the Huffington Post that Mr Green’s comments show “a complete display of contempt for vulnerable immigrants”.

“The UK and other EU countries have dual responsibilities to both the EU and their former colonies (Commonwealth),” writes Aneke.

“The UK should attempt to live to her responsibilities to both the EU and the Commonwealth, and should treat immigrants from Commonwealth countries with greater respect.”

As an Australian living in the UK, do you think a minimum £31K salary is unreasonable? Have your say online.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

Thousands of Aussies stranded by floods Continued from p1...

Meanwhile, in a wide area across the state, rural properties are isolated, with 7000 people cut off by floodwaters.

The worst affected area was south of Moree in Wee Waa where 2,300 people remained stranded, Mr Kear said.

“There have been some homes and businesses that have been inundated.

“Isolation is expected to continue for a further four or five days.”

A major flood warning has been issued for the Namoi River at Wee Waa, with a moderate flood warning issued downstream for Boggabri and Narrabri.

At Narrabri the Namoi peaked near 6.6 metres around 4am (AEDT) on Monday, with moderate flooding, and it’s expected to peak at Wee Waa this evening.

In a bid to help those impacted by the floods, the federal government has announced additional disaster assistance for communities in northern NSW. Residents in Moree, Narrabri and Gwydir could be entitled to the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP), which will be made available through Centrelink.

The AGDRP is a one-off payment of $1000 per adult and $400 per child.

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has also called for support from the

federal government to make Category C disaster declarations for northwest NSW, to allow eligible farmers and small business owners access to cash grants.

“The devastation I saw on Friday across parts of North Western NSW is so severe it’s vital all governments provide local communities with the means to recover,” Mr O’Farrell said in a statement.

“I have decided that Category C assistance is needed for Moree, Gwydir and Narrabri.”

Governor-General Quentin Bryce and Michael Bryce are expected to visit the Emergency Recovery Centre in Moree on Tuesday, the council’s spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, major flood warnings are also in place for the Birrie, Bokhara, Culgoa and Narran Rivers, with levels at St George in Queensland hitting 13.48 metres on Monday morning and rising throughout the day.

The Barwon Darling River system is also forecast to get hit with major flooding, with peaks expected at the border town of Mungindi around Wednesday.

Mr Kear said the SES and the weather bureau were now preparing for flood waters expected to move across the state over the coming month.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

Windsor: Time for Australia to decide Continued from p1...

“I couldn’t see myself throwing my support behind Tony Abbott. But maybe if this thing becomes a real loose cannon and meltdown, maybe that’s time the Australian people were asked to make a decision rather than trying to renegotiate another package and arrangement,” he said.

Mr Windsor said much of the leadership speculation was a product of the media - plus some disgruntled Labor faces.

He said he had not been contacted recently by anyone in the Rudd camp, but

he had been contacted a year ago during another bout of leadership speculation.

“I had a contact from someone, not in the parliament, probably about 12 months ago ... touting that there was going to be a change. That died within days and I think this one has as well,” he said.

Mr Windsor said that was not to say parties didn’t have a right to change their leadership.

“But they can’t expect the status quo to remain in terms of the crossbench,” he said. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

4 | Voices

7 February - 13 February 2012

slang ie s s u A o t e id A Gu PART 1 n

So you’ve been living in London so long that you’re starting to forget some of the wonderful words and phrases that make Australians so iconic. (Or you’re a Brit and need a lesson on some good old Aussie lingo). Here’s part one of our Guide to Aussie Slang! For more of the list, check out next week’s edition or head online to AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

A

Chook: a chicken

Ace!: Excellent! Awesome!

Arvo: afternoon

B

Banana bender: a person from Queensland Barbie: barbecue (noun) Barrack: to support (eg. AFL team) Battler: someone working hard and only just making a living Beaut, beauty: great, fantastic Big Smoke: a big city, like Sydney or Melbourne Billabong: an smallish lake in the bush often used by swagmen to camp by Bingle: motor vehicle accident (or Michael Clarke’s ex-fiancée) Bird, chuck the: give someone the middle finger Bloody oath!: that’s certainly true Blue: fight (“he had a blue with this Kiwi bloke”) Bluey: redhead Bogan: person who takes little pride in his appearance, spends his days slacking and drinking beer. Usually has a mullet, wears a blue singlet and drives a Holden Bonzer: great, ripper Booze bus: police vehicle used for catching drunk drivers Bottle-o: liquor shop Brekkie: breakfast Brickie: bricklayer Brisvegas (or Brissie): Brisbane, state capital of Queensland Buckley’s chance: no chance Budgie smugglers: men’s swimming costume

Bundy: short for Bundaberg, Queensland, and the brand of rum that’s made there BYO: saying for a party or a restaurant where you have to ‘Bring Your Own’ booze

C

Cactus: dead, not functioning (“My television is cactus”) Cane toad: a person from Queensland Cark it: to die, cease functioning Chewie: chewing gum Choccie: chocolate Chockas: full, packed (“The car park was chockas”)

A French stew with a difference n

One of the joys of being an Aussie chef in London is the ability to travel easily to Europe and pick up some fabulous culinary tips.

Chris Ark from Claridge’s Restaurant gets us in the mood for some French flair with his bouillabaisse.

chris’s

kitchen > CHRIS ARK

THE recent cold snap saw us reaching for a hearty French bouillabaisse recipe to marry with a red mullet dish we were creating in the kitchen. The aroma of this stew is unforgettable, especially if you are lover of seafood.

Marseille is considered the mecca of the bouillabaisse and I am happy to share with you my recipe that has travelled with me for years.

This soup is so important to the folk of Marseille, so much so there are festivals and celebrations around this soup. I am yet to experience such an

event but I do remember watching Keith Floyd and Rick stein on TV tucking into bowls of soup with envy.

Up to seven varieties of fish are used in the traditional recipe, coming straight off the boat and into the pot.

Spices such as saffron are added to give depth and the colour, and then some orange peel is used to balance the flavour. Thanks to early traders and explorers, French cuisine is influenced by these spices and combinations of flavours, especially those of north Africa. Last year I experienced these combinations in Morocco when making fish tagines.

Traditionally bouillabaisse is served with lashings of rouille (breadcrumbs, garlic, saffron, chillies, mustard and olive oil), a thick mayonnaise like

sauce which adds depth and contrast to this hearty soup.

Most of the seafood in my recipe can be found in major supermarkets unless you have a local fish monger who can order the seven varieties for you if you dare. The best thing about this stew is the fish we use is high up on the sustainability ladder and the tastiest.

To cook this soup we need a heavy based pot with a lid, a blender for blitzing the soup and a large strainer to pass the soup.

This recipe may seem to be a long process but with the snow on the ground and maybe more on its way, this is another great winter warmer to be enjoyed with mates.

Happy cooking – bon appetit!

Chris’s French Provencal bouillabaisse Chrissie: Christmas Chuck a sickie: take the day off sick from work when you’re perfectly healthy Chunder: vomit Clacker: anus (from Latin cloaca = sewer) Click: kilometre – “60 clicks away” Clucky: feeling broody or maternal Coathanger: Sydney Harbour Bridge, or a straight stiff arm tackle in footy Cobber: friend Coldie: a beer Come a gutser: make a bad mistake, have an accident Corker: something excellent. In cricket, a bowler might deliver a ‘corker yorker’ Cozzie: swimming costume Crack onto (someone): to hit on someone Crack the sh*ts: get angry, to lose it Crock (of sh*t): lies Crook: feeling sick, or badly made Cut lunch: to interrupt someone cracking onto another person Cut snake, mad as a: very angry

WHAT YOU NEED

• 1 onion chopped to 3 cm dice • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped • 1 bulb of fennel chopped to 3cm dice • 2 large plum tomatoes • 1 tsp tomato purée • 6 small new potatoes, sliced thinly • pinch of saffron threads – found at good supermarket • 3 strips of orange zest • good splash of olive oil • 2 fillets of gurnard or red mullet • 2 small fillets of seabass • couple of handfuls of black mussels • 4-5 large tiger prawns • maldon sea salt to season • pinch of cayenne pepper

D

Dag: a funny person, nerd, goof Daks: trousers Dart: cigarette (“Just popping outside for a quick dart”) Deadset: the truth Derro: tramp, hobo, homeless person (from “derelict”) Digger: a soldier (originally used to describe World War I veterans Divvy van: Police vehicle used for transporting criminals. Named after the protective ‘division’ between the driver and the villains.

Dob (somebody) in: whistle-blower, a tattle-tale Docco: documentary Dole bludger: somebody on social welfare when unjustified Dropkick: idiot (“Claire’s new boyfriend is a total dropkick”) Dunny: toilet (although originally used to describe an outside toilet) Durry: tobacco, cigarette (“Just having a durry”)

ude Compiled by Rob Fl

RECIPE

For the rouille:

• 1 large egg yolk • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard • 100ml vegetable oil or light olive oil • ½ tbsp tomato purée • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper • Maldon sea salt

WHAT TO DO

THE

• Put the onion, garlic, fennel, tomatoes, tomato paste, potatoes, saffron, orange zest and olive oil into your large heavy based pot • Sweat over a low heat for about five minutes til the vegetables become soft • Add in enough water to just cover the vegetables, bring to the boil and cook briskly for around five minutes or until the potatoes are almost cooked through.

• Throw in the mussels and cook for one or two minutes • Put the fillets of red mullet and sea bream on top, cover, turn the heat right down and cook very gently for 10 minutes • Make the rouille - whisk together the egg yolk and mustard with a little salt in a bowl • Continue to whisk slowly drizzling in first the vegetable oil until you have a thick mayonnaise. Stir in the tomato paste and cayenne pepper.

Add salt to taste and set aside • Once the red mullet and sea bream is cooked, lift it onto a warmed serving plate. Stir the rouille into the remaining shellfish mixture, season well with salt and cayenne and serve with the fish

Voices | 5

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Learning to speak grown-up Returning to Australia – what a culture shock!

life after

london

By Nina McGrath

> SHANNON CRANE

I WAS only in London for two years, but that was long enough for most of my friends to learn some or all of the following grown-up words: mortgage, children and marriage.

While I was hopping between London’s watering holes on any given weeknight and getting up at ridiculous o’clock to catch cheap flights most weekends, they were in Australia becoming proper adults.

If I’m completely honest, this language barrier has made it harder to connect with old friends since returning home.

I was kept up to date on things like engagements, house hunting and morning sickness via emails, Skype, Facebook and everything else.

But from my little London bubble, as I like to call it, I wasn’t obliged to contribute much discussion on these topics.

Now that I’m back, being 26 years old and totally uneducated on the world of bottle sterilisers, marriage celebrants and house prices distances me from many of my friends. I just sit there with a huge ‘I have no idea what to say’ look on my face.

The unfortunate fact of the matter is that the language of an Aussie in London doesn’t count for much now

AFTER three and a half years living the expat life in London, my husband and I made the difficult decision to head back to Oz. Friends who had headed back before us had mentioned that they found Australia changed, and that it had taken them a good six months to adjust to living back in Oz. I am only a month into that adjustment period and find myself experiencing a very real culture shock in my own homeland. that I’ve left.

It’s a bit like an 18th Century painter talking to a graphic designer. They’re both artists, just on different pages.

Words that I consider to be adultonly, things like Tutankhamun (he was way ahead of his peers), Oktoberfest (only adults are allowed in the beer halls) and HRMC (complex tax system), don’t get the same mileage at baby showers as they did at pubs in London.

But it’s not as bad as it sounds.

Unlike so many recently returned Aussie expats, I’m lucky enough to be living in Melbourne with friends who also spent time in London, so I have a good handful of people who I can reminisce about my not-so-grown-up life with.

Because being forced to learn about breast-feeding bras before I’m ready is just plain unfair.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

Both electronic and verbal communication has presented challenges. Sending an email requires using ‘@’ so I had to relearn that ‘shift 2’ is required to get @, the English keyboard position just gives you ” and email addresses don’t work with “ in the middle of them.

It took a few days to tune back in to the Australian accent; I blamed jetlag for dissolving into giggles when a friend mentioned the ‘car park’ and it sounded so incredibly Australian. I also rediscovered the following words: drongo, duffer, dunny, jaffle, mongrel, mole and bunyip and the phrases ‘no wuccas’ and ‘drop your guts’.

The Great Outdoors

n

Whether you are a fan of tea and cucumber sandwiches or not, there is one quintessentially British thing that you must do in London and that is - #20 High Tea. Our resident adventurer ticks another one off her London Top 100 list. bron in

the don BRONWYN SPENCER

After the drinks were served it was down to the food and we were given three tiered cake stands with sandwiches, scones and cakes. With ‘Tea’, it is customary to eat from the bottom up so we got stuck into the sandwiches. Once we had finished that stack and refused a second helping we were given hot fresh scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream. By the end of the second tier we were getting rather full but on top are all the sweet things like macaroons, slices, tarts and cakes in mini sizes. If that isn’t enough food you can even chose a cake off the trolley. By the end of the evening I had more than enough delicious food and endless amounts of tea in a gorgeous setting while spending

Food, Glorious Food!

Communication

High Tea in London, how ritzy!

OVER my time in London I have been lucky enough to go to a few high teas at venues all across the city but my most recent (and let’s face it probably the best) was at The Ritz - in its stunning Palm Court.

We had booked the tea for two of my friends’ birthdays so a couple of others and I decided to tag along to partake in the on-going birthday celebrations.

I say ‘on-going’ because we naively booked the tickets in October intending to use them in November not knowing that for a weekend booking there is a six month waiting list and for an evening booking (from 7.30pm) there can be up to six weeks.

We ended up celebrating in January!

But then again no one minds an excuse to celebrate their birthday twice.

High Tea at the Ritz is quite a formal affair with no denim or sneakers allowed and men are required to wear suits. Us girls used this as an excuse to get our dresses and heels out and pretend to be super posh. When we arrived we were shown to our table and were given our pots of tea in gorgeous silver teapots and a glass of champagne. Once we were settled in we couldn’t stop taking photos because everything was so pretty and kept giggling because we knew we just seemed very out of place in such a posh, gorgeous place.

referring to the pink, white and grey birds, not using it as a derogatory term for our neighbours). The low rumble of a territorial koala is a surprisingly scary sound to hear on a dark night.

time with some really good friends.

High Teas are a great way to celebrate birthdays or a special occasion but with the waiting list at the Ritz and a ‘champagne tea’ at £54 a pop, it may be better to have tea at one of the many other places in town. There are often deals on coupon websites and I’ve had some lovely afternoons at other hotels such as the Rubens or the Hilton. If you are after something a bit more manly a few places even offer a ‘whisky high tea’ with some stiffer drinks and sturdier food. Whichever one you choose make sure you check out this English tradition - one of my favourite of the Top 100 so far!

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

Just driving around in the sunshine taking in our surrounds has been a pleasure. I’ve spotted Australian and Queensland flags flapping outside wooden Queenslander houses. I’m enjoying Australian road signs showing kangaroos, koalas and even a dugong (a local scenic route marker) and was delighted to see that a nearby fruit market has a large sign featuring a prawn wearing a corked hat. I had also forgotten how the heat affects vehicles and was painfully reminded when I scalded my back and bum on a hot car seat. Since then I have been vigilant about putting the reflector behind the windscreen before leaving the parked car.

The scattered showers and temps in the 20s which we have been enjoying have been described by our Aussie friends as ‘not much of a summer’. We disagree and this fabulous weather has enabled me to partake in a more active and outdoorsy lifestyle than I enjoyed in London. Activities have included swimming in the backyard pool (after skimming the leaves off the surface), talking a walk in a park (keeping a wary eye out for swooping magpies) and chasing blowflies out of the kitchen.

I’ve been enjoying the melodious calls of the magpie and butcher bird and the distinctive laugh of the kookaburra but I had also forgotten what awful noises some of our native animals make. A pair of galahs wake me each morning with their raspy, squeaky call (I’m

Returning for Christmas meant an absolute abundance of food and it was divine. I devoured mangoes, gnawing at the seed until my teeth were filled with mango string. I delighted in peeling prawns and eating them dipped in my motherin-law’s seafood sauce and no seafood platter would be complete without the local delicacy - Moreton Bay Bug. It was so wonderful to peruse a burger menu and see options containing beetroot and pineapple. I had to be convinced to try Vegemite’s new cheese and vegemite hybrid called cheesybite but one taste and it has become my toast spread of choice.

Even humble snack foods were greeted like long lost friends, hello Musk Lifesavers, Twisties, Burger Rings, Cheezels and Thins chips.

Yes, I flirted with Wotsits but you always had my heart.

Cider is gaining bottle-o shelf space, all my old favourites are there, Kopperberg, Bulmers and Magners, but I’m currently working my way through the Rekorderling range with their winter cider standing in for mulled wine this Christmas.

In food related news Woolworths has a new logo, out with the vertical lines and text and in with a lower case w that looks like a coil of granny smith apple peel. Perhaps it was ‘inspired’ by the Ocado logo.

Finances

Rents seem very reasonable, for what we paid in London, we could afford a central Brisbane unit with aircon and a gym! However it is the small things that really show that prices have increased in our absence - postage stamps are now 60c (remember when they were 45c?) and 30c cones now cost 50c! What hasn’t changed is that McDonalds staff get quite annoyed if you ask for a 30c cone. I know the price has changed and I’m not trying to make a point, that’s just what their original advertising taught me to call it!

Should you pull the plug on London and head back to Oz, don’t expect a smooth, seamless transition. You will be jarred by culture shock, but you will also find yourself reacquainted with the people, experiences and products that you loved and left behind – it’s good to be home.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

6 | Entertainment

7 February - 13 February 2012

A night with Paul Kelly n

REVIEW Paul Kelly @ Union Chapel, 3 February

#UK Weather

@MayorOfLondon We’re setting up emergency shelter for rough sleepers to cope with the current cold weather. Boris @HeathrowAirport Weather warnings are issued across the UK. If you’re flying, check the status of your flight with your airline.

By Lauren Taylor And Fiona Battey THE name Paul Kelly is synonymous with Australian pub rock anthems, his music usually heard playing in bars from St Kilda to Kings Cross. For this reason it felt strange to be sitting on a civilised church pew in Union Chapel, London, amongst the many others here to worship this Australian rock icon. Paul delivered all the classics, along with a few of his new songs, including ‘From the Ages’, which were all well received by the predominately Aussie audience.

Joined on stage by his nephew, Dan Kelly, who as well as being a bit of alright delivered amazing backing vocals and had the crowd singing along to his somewhat cheesy song, ‘Bindi Irwin Apocalypse Jam’.

The intimate concert venue allowed for interaction and audience members spoke to Paul as though we were all sitting around his lounge room, having a sing-a-long to songs which most of us grew up listening to.

There were a few disappointed faces when Paul didn’t perform ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’ but he redeemed himself by singing old favourites such as ‘How To Make Gravy’, ‘To Her Door’ and ‘Dumb Things’ , which not only had the whole chapel singing but also some of the more eager audience members’ dancing up a storm. For many, the music brought back memories of all things Australian, back yard barbeques, coldies down at the local RSL club and long summer days spent in the blistering sun down at the beach.

The support act also bears a mention, singer/songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke, another Aussie talent, currently working in the London opera, warmed the crowd up with her

What we’re following

@sussex_police Very pretty but -5 in Lewes this morning, stay warm and travel safe. Be sure to check out cold weather advice. @WeHoranArmy Why can’t we have winter weather like LA in the Uk, like seriously. @joanne_adair I’m bored today. The weather here in the UK is freezing, and I haven’t been to the gym as a consequnce. @CloseHouseHotel So apparently we’re due Siberian weather - has winter FINALLY arrived?

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT HIGGS amazing vocals. Not to mention the fact that Kate was a good sport and stuck around for a drink after her set and was more than happy to have a chat and her photo taken with fans.

Just when we thought the evening was coming to an end, Paul returned to the stage and had the crowd singing once again to his ironic song ‘Every F***ing City’, a song about backpacking around Europe and the frustrations that can come with it, a song of which many Aussie travelers can identify with.

Although recent Australia Day celebrations left many expats feeling homesick, a night with Paul Kelly managed to lift the spirits of everyone in attendance. Paul’s acoustic sounds and use of the harmonica warmed our hearts on this particularly cold London night.

Do you know an outstanding Australian woman in the UK?

@tokyoeater The relentless onset of global warming....

Check out what we’re following today on AustralianTimes.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @AustralianTimes

What’s On Holly Throsby 14 Feb @ The Lexington, Islington Cloud Control 17 Feb @ Electric Ballroom The Jezabels 22 Feb @ Koko Bleeding Knees Club 23 Feb @ Old Blue Last Gotye 29 Feb @ SheBu Empire Qantas Australian Woman of the Year in the UK Award 2012 8 Mar @ The Langham London Australian Pink Floyd 24 Mar @ Hammersmith Apollo Parkway Drive 7 April @ Indig02 Tracer 24 April @ Islington O2 Academy Bogan Bingo Every Thursday @ The Underdog, Clapham Common

For full details...

AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

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

Entertainment | 7

AustralianTimes.co.uk

The Time is right for Young Australian Talent to shine once more music from the

motherland > PAUL JUDGE

MUSIC from the Motherland has spent the past few months swanning around London enjoying the mild winter and boasting to Aussie UKwinter-virgins of Januarys gone by that were filled with icy footpaths and frozen toes. But who’s laughing now?

As we hurriedly dig out the gloves and scarves we curse Mother Nature and ourselves for doubting her.

Then like a warm glow the heat of Australian music beckons over the horizon and we feel the inner warmth as we shuffle London streets.

The announcement this week six Australian bands are set to light up a UK beachside festival in May almost gave us sunburn.

Okay, Brighton in England’s south is not exactly a sandy beach heaven and even in May the weather can be temperamental but this is exciting news. These bands will be performing at the UK’s premier showcase festival in the hope they can crack another international market.

DZ Deathrays, Young Magic, Emma Louise, Jinga Safari, Inland Sea and Wim are all part of the initial lineup for the three day festival (10-12 May) throughout Brighton’s many venues, clubs and pubs. We’re guessing most of these will be part of the Aussie BBQ line-up on the Saturday which is a full day of Australian music in the

British seaside town. They even have a barbie for the hungry punters. Chin up everyone, we’ll be through this winter in no time!

Celebrating the album

We’ve just got over the Hottest 100 for the year so it seems like a decent time to reflect on the art form that is a musical ‘album’. With the download and instant age, the time of putting on an album and listening to it in its entirety is slowly fading away.

Clicking online and buying single songs or checking out a bands hit on Youtube, we miss the journey a fantastic album can take you.

Don’t believe us? What’s your second favourite song on the new Gotye album? Or where even does the name of the hit track ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ come from?

(Making Mirrors - for all those scratching their heads). Before we get on our high horse though, we have to admit we’re just as guilty. We spun Boy & Bear’s ‘Feeding Line’ many times before we discovered Moonfire and all its cracking tracks.

So it was exciting to see the bands shortlisted this week for the Australian Music Prize. A stand-alone award it honours the most outstanding album of the previous year as voted by a group of musical producers, journalists and musicians.

As well as the aforementioned two, The Jezabels, Adalita, Gurrumul, Kimbra, The Middle East, Abbe May, and Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders

are all in contention. The winning artists will pocket $30 000, which hopefully will fund their next trip to the UK. Let this be a timely reminder for us to get out there and enjoy the full fruits of a musicians labour and discovering some hidden gems in the process. Long live the ‘B Side’.

It’s time for Young Talent Time

Let’s finish off with some nostalgia.

Before X-Factor and all that nonsense, Young Talent Time ruled the roost for up and coming performers in Australia belting out songs and dance moves on TV to a captivated audience.

The original show (1971-1988) launched the careers of several child

stars including Danni Minogue and Tina Arena who are still plying their trade today.

Channel Ten has dusted off the cutesy dance routines and sing-alongs with the new show to be hosted by former Australian Idol Rob Mills and joining the judging panel will be former YTT graduate Tina Arena.

Here’s hoping the judges will be a bit kinder to all the hopefuls than the cut-throat styles of all the other musical talent shows and along the way we might discover the next generation pop-star.

AUSSIE BBQ: Brighton will play host to some of the hottest Aussie bands (and snags) in May for The Great Escape’s annual Aussie BBQ.

YOUNG TALENT: Rob Mills is the new Johnny Young, but will the new YTT be as successful as the old one?

AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

8 | Entertainment

7 February - 13 February 2012

Our Country’s Good and so is this play Review by Will Fitzgibbon THERE is a certain irony for an audience watching Our Country’s Good in 2012.

“I’m not spending the rest of my life in this flat, brittle, burnt out country,” complains one Royal Marine in the current production of Timerberlake Wertenbaker’s 1988 play at the Rose Theatre, Kingston. It is a play replete with British damnations of Australia, its climate and its harshness. In 1788, being sent to Australia was a fate worse than death.

Yet it is today’s Britain that has an unemployment rate of 8.4 per cent and is savaged by austerity cuts while Australia’s unemployment rate sits at 5.2

per cent and remains economically strong compared with the Mother Country.

Australia is, it seems by some important measures, indeed good.

Before a small house on Wednesday 1 February, the Original Theatre Company and Anvil Arts’ cast of ten working under the directorship of Alastair Whatley successfully brought to life the injustice and the lewd rambunctiousness of 18th Century penal colony Australia.

The troupe dramatises the largely true account of Governor Arthur Phillip’s project to put on a play in the nascent colony. With opposition from fellow officers and with illiterate and brow-beaten convicts, staging George Farquhar’s The Recruting

Not just a One Night Stand n

With a facelift and some awesome festivities, the new look Walkabout Temple is something London can be proud of

By Heather Walker MISSING that Southern Hemisphere warmth? The new-look Walkabout Temple, which has just reopened with a bang after a £800,00 renovation, is guaranteed to add a sizzling ray of sunshine into your dreary UK winter.

We attended the big launch of Happy Thursdays last week, complete with happy hour prices until 9pm, and a special edition Standeoke – karaoke with live band One Night Stand.

Our evening started in the chilled Temple Beach Club, which with its rustic surfer décor was a cosy reminder of home despite the somewhat Arctic weather outside.

Then come 9pm we moved into the main room, which has been converted into Walkabout’s flagship venue with a new stage for live acts, a room length bar, and a seating deck overlooking the dance floor. Stilt walkers handed out inflatable cartoon microphones to add a touch of silliness to the fun party vibe.

For every singer who dreamed of being in a rock band, this was their big moment as they grabbed the mike to perform alongside the note-perfect One Night Stand.

Dull ballads were banished from the playlist, with performers rocking out instead to classics like AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’ and Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’. The audience seemed to be having an even better time on the dancefloor, while even the staff were seen busting out a few moves.

One thing’s for sure, the new Walkabout Temple ain’t no one night stand. We’ll be back for sure!

AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

Officer seems destined to fail. Instead, the convicts seize upon the artistic process, camaraderie and escapism afforded by theatre and touch again their common human dignity.

At its core, Our Country’s Good is an assertion of the ‘Art as Redeemer’ thesis. It lays it on thickly and explicitly.

In Whately’s current production, the female roles were uniformly well played. Emily Bowker, Rachel Donovan and Emma Gregory vividly embody the dramatic potency of Australia’s female convicts; the halfwhore half-saint that Robert Hughes captured in The Fatal Shore. The male roles are less engaging. The self-pleased munificence of Captain Arthur Phillip as he rhapsodises on

the transformative power of theatre is wearying as is the blushing milksop Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark who directs the convict actors.

Having recently celebrated Australia Day and the very period the play recalls, Our Country’s Good is an enjoyable and sometimes

moving portrayal of a landscape, a people and a period that have defined a nation over centuries. And a good nation at that.

Our Country’s Good plays at the Greenwich Theatre 26 -31 March and Finchley Arts Depot 25 – 26 April.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

Israel

Travel | 9

AustralianTimes.co.uk

– behind the headlines

tting This week we’re pu

Israel

ON THE MAP

n

What boxes do you generally like to tick on a short break…Culture? Weather?

History? Nightlife? Beach? Sun? Nature?

If you have answered yes to any of the above options, RAQUEL MESSI wants to draw your attention to a country more famous for its politics than its appeal as a holiday destination.

SITTING on the other side of the Med, a mere five hour EasyJet flight from Luton, is a tiny country that has some of the most important religious sites in the world. A place where Jewish, Christian, Islamist and Baha’i faiths ‘meet’.

A land that has more cultural influences than any other Middle Eastern state. Rooted in a deep and bloody yet relatively young political history (this nation still shares disputed borders and is yet to be recognised as a state by many of its neighbours), it’s often easy to forget that Israel is also a cosmopolitan party country and a destination hotspot for travellers the world over. Welcome to ‘Zion’.

Tel (Aviv) us more Tel Aviv can probably (definitely) take the title ‘most liberal city in the Middle East’ and it is a great place to base yourself during your trip. The ease of wandering around this 24 hour city, at any hour, came as a great surprise.

As with any city, it obviously helps when locals show you around and I was lucky enough to have some readymade friends who were more than happy to show off what Tel Aviv has to o ff e r.

B u t I can assure you, this is not a prerequisite, and friends in Israel can be made in any bar or on any street at any time and they are more than eager to

show you their favourite places.

Israelis have an endearing arrogance. If you have the patience to take it with a pinch of salt, you will be told that Tel Aviv is the ‘best city in the world’ and that you will be taken to eat ‘the best Shawarma/ hummus in the world’. It is this national pride which draws you in.

You begin to fall in love a little bit with the place. It may also help that the city is bordered to the west by awesome Mediterranean beaches and with a warm and hospitable general climate – what is there not to like about Tel Aviv?

One lesson you will learn, almost directly upon arrival, is that most things in Israel can be reached within an hour from Tel Aviv. This includes the capital of the country, a city which represents so much more – Jerusalem.

The Holy City What can be said about Jerusalem other than – wow! Taking in this city will affect everyone in some way. It’s not a claim many cities in the world can make (Google ‘Jerusalem syndrome’) but you will be sure to take something away from a visit to Jerusalem. I took away with me a line which was my friend’s response to my musings regarding the architecture: “it may look pretty on the surface, but underneath, it is filled with racism and hate.” I am not going to delve into the subject further as it opens a whole can of worms not to be discussed in a travel article, but if you are ever to visit – keep those words in mind.

Everything about the old city of Jerusalem affects you - the sounds, the smells, the people. You may believe you feel the tensions between the Palestinians, Armenians, Christians and the Orthodox Jews who reside there during the day selling their wares. You can experience the history even if you are a non-believer (like me) and it will amaze and baffle you. There is seemingly so much common ground yet so many divisions. ...continued on p10

10 | Travel

7 February - 13 February 2012

Continued from p9...

Walking through history Walk through Jerusalem’s ‘old city’ into the Palestinian quarter and eat there. I can safely say that it was indeed some of the best hummus I have ever had. Walk through to the Western Wall (the Israelis looked baffled when I referred to it as the ‘Wailing Wall’) and from here you can climb up to the Jewish Quarter and take in the most iconic view of the city, the Dome of the Rock. And all without climbing the Mount of Olives.

Jerusalem does not pride itself on being a party town like Tel Aviv and be aware – the city shuts down between sundown on Fridays and Saturdays for the Sabbath and many of the younger, probably more secular, residents will leave for the weekend. During the evening I was privileged to be taken to some of the characteristic bars which are hidden all over the city. One particular bar had a night dedicated to art, in a separate room artists worked on simple creations and they were sold to people who stopped by. Eerily though and in stark contrast to Tel Aviv, signs of life are few and far between out in Jerusalem’s streets.

Jerusalem has recently completed a tram service which has made getting around the city a lot easier – it had only just opened when I visited and the novelty meant that the carriages resembled London’s Central Line during rush hour. However don’t abandon walking the ‘new part’ of the city in favour of the tram as there is so much to take in - the art work and architecture alone tell stories of this embattled city. Before you do leave, ensure you pay a visit to the market to get a feel of everyday life.

Dead-ly Sea-rious The Dead Sea is another ‘must-do’ on any trip to Israel and it can be reached easily from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. You can do a tour or drive there yourself, or as in my case, be driven. I was taken the ‘back road’ which was built so people could get between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem quicker – however unfortunately due to obvious tensions, there are a number of military check points which defeat the objective. If you venture by yourself to the Dead Sea, one of the saltiest bodies of water on earth, you won’t be taken down the ‘back road’ – the satnav was adamant we should not be going this way.

The drive between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea has elevation markers reminding you just how far below sea level you are driving. The country out here is biblical, you can almost imagine Jesus wandering here in his sandals and robes! By the time you reach the famous shores you are 1300ft below sea level, where you have to drive along the coast for a while until you reach the Ein Gedi settlement. Here’s where you can bathe in the water…but be warned - take sandals as the crystallised salt cuts and the salty water stings like you wouldn’t believe! I was unlucky that on the day I visited - the water was quite rough so we didn’t get the standard floating pictures however we did scout around the shore and found some of the reason this is so famous – minerals! There is something extremely satisfying about covering yourself head to toe in earthy Dead Sea mud.

Travel | 11

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Forcing yourself to leave There are many more things to visit in Israel – Haifa, Eilat and the Kibbutz were things I wish I had more time to do, but I am confident that a return visit will be a definite eventuality Leaving a country you have enjoyed is always emotional – luckily the Israeli border force are there to provide a physical barrier as well.

The interrogation and search process is the most efficient and thorough of anywhere I have ever been…and completely over the top. But I guess it is necessary, because if something should happen to a plane which leaves Israel, the blame lies with Israel and let’s face it, it is the last thing they need.

Head to Israel and enjoy for yourself a country that puts a lot of the stereotypes to shame. L’chaim!

AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel

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12 | Travel

7 February - 13 February 2012

Berlin

GERM ANY

Breaking down

tting This week we’re pu

berlin

ON THE MAP

n

What first attracted BRENTON SHAUGHNESSY to Berlin was the history behind the legendary German city. But what he unravelled beneath the famous city’s facade was an almost unrivalled alternative sub-culture not to be missed.

SOME of the most important events in modern European history have taken place in this great city. As we all know, Berlin played host to Hitler during World War II and more recently the Soviets and the famous Berlin Wall throughout the Cold War. I love my history; this is what originally attracted me to Berlin, but what really fascinated me was the interesting alternative subculture that is thriving there.

It would have to be the coolest city in Europe and has been a hub for the world’s creatively minded for many decades now. Whether it is artists, fashionistas, students or musicians, you will not have to look far to experience them and their cutting edge work.

Kunst - (Art)

Where Florence (Italy) is home to the Uffizi Gallery and Paris (France) is home to the Louvre, Berlin (Germany) is home to street art. Put aside a day to wander through the neighbourhoods of Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg. The relaxed graffiti laws in Berlin allow artists, such as Banksy, Invader and VHILS to use the entire city as their canvas. It is forever evolving and in my opinion, this form of art is a lot more exciting and relevant than anything that you will see in a museum. Berlin is a world leader in this field and you need to make sure that you check it out.

Kunsthaus Tacheles (Oranienburger Straße) is a huge artists squat in Mitte.

Interestingly the building was the home of the Nazi SS during WWII. Facing constant threats of eviction, there are currently 80 artists residing in this near derelict building. You are able to wander freely throughout the building to view or purchase their artwork, listen to their music (a lot of the time live) or admire the huge murals adorning both the interior and exterior walls. A must see!

Humana (Frankfurter Tor 3, Friedrichshain, Berlin) would be one of the largest vintage clothing stores that I have ever stepped foot in. A shopper’s heaven, the prices are not exorbitant like what you will find in much of East London. There are jackets for less than €10 and many branded shirts for under €5. With five different levels and over 30,000 pieces of clothing, you are sure to find a bargain.

Essen – (Eat)

The Kebab and Falafel have recently taken over from the bratwurst and schnitzel as the Germans national dish.

The neighbourhoods of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain are home to more than 400,000 Turkish immigrants and the locals have embraced their cuisine with open arms. I would recommend any of the Falafel houses that you

can find down Skalitzer Straße in Kreuzberg. Especially tasty after a night out at one of the many bars along the strip, you should pay no more than €2.50 for a Falafel wrap which is the size of your head.

Schlaf – (Sleep)

Baxpax Kreuzberg was our choice.

Complete with pool and foosball tables, the hostel also had a reasonably priced bar. If you have a question about nightlife or day tripping, the staff are more than happy to assist.

Situated on Skalitzer Straße, it is also in close proximity to many of the best bars, nightclubs, attractions, restaurants and cafes that Berlin has to offer.

If Baxpax is full, there’s bound to be some space in the friendly Generator Hostel – they have over 900 beds.

Located on Storkower Strasse, they’re the sort of place where parties never end!

So, if you have had enough of museums and are sick of the sight of the same chain stores and coffee shops in every western European city, Berlin is the place to go. Steer clear of the high streets and explore the back blocks for a truly different weekend city break experience.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel

Australia on the Western Front, 1916-1918

Trinken – (Drink)

Mein Haus am See (Brunnenstraße 197, 10119 Berlin) in Mitte is a relaxed bar and perfect for if you are exhausted from a day of walking.

There is art on display and a modern, stylish interior topped off with some of the more comfy couches that you are ever

£80 per person including lunch on the Somme

likely to lounge on.

The crowd consists largely of students and is open 24 hours so can be the perfect start or finish to a night out.

We visited the now famous Dr Pong (Eberswalder Strasse 21, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin). Drink cheap beers with locals and fellow tourists while listening to great music. All while playing the biggest game of around the world table tennis as you are ever likely to experience.

Geschäft – (Shop)

Guided day coach tours of Australia's Western Front Battlefields: Fromelles, Pozières and Villers-Bretonneux.

Departing Central London, travelling in executive comfort, join Battlefront Exploration for a guided tour of Australia's Battlefields on the Western Front. We visit: Fromelles: ‘the site of Australia's bloodiest twenty-four hours’ Pozières: ‘more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth’ (Australia's Official Historian) Villers-Bretonneux: ‘the final defeat of the 1918 German Spring Offensive’

Further details, tour dates and payment information can be found on our website www.battlefrontexploration.co.uk.

Jobs & Money | 13

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Aussies loosen the purse strings for love AUSTRALIANS are beginning to loosen the purse strings and it’s all in the name of love.

As consumers pay down debt and squirrel away record amounts of money, it seems they are also prepared to splash out for someone special.

New research shows Valentine’s Day spending is predicted to increase by almost five per cent as couples outlay the best part of $1 billion in the lead up to 14 February.

Business information analyst IBISWorld expects Australian lovebirds will spend $908.7 million, up 4.8 per cent on 2011.

IBISWorld general manager Karen Dobie said despite weak retail activity, Australians were now willing to make luxury purchases after scrimping and saving last Valentine’s Day. “This year we are expecting a more lavish display of affection through a splurge on something sparkly, a romantic meal out or the sharing of a boutique box of chocolates,” Ms Dobie said.

She said Australia’s domestic tourism operators would be the biggest winners as couples forked out $422.2 million on romantic minibreaks.

It also comes at a tough time for the industry as the high Australian dollar prompts people to holiday overseas.

Dining out and weekend breaks would increase by almost six per cent on 2011, with jewellery sales set to

soar nine per cent, IBISWorld says.

Ms Dobie said the popularity of cooking shows was raising the awareness of fine dining and driving demand for high-class restaurant bookings.

“This is especially true on special occasions such as Valentine’s Day,” she said.

While classic romantic gifts like chocolates and flowers were expected to remain popular, the appeal of lingerie was beginning to wane.

Spending on intimate apparel gifts is tipped to dip 0.6 per cent, while chocolate sales accelerate almost five per cent. - AAP

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Dollar Review

Aussie Dollar establishing “safe haven” status THE Australian Dollar would have got you between 1.058 and 1.077 to the US Dollar during the period of the 30th of January and the 6th of February 2012. During the same period, one Aussie Dollar would have fetched you between 0.67 and 0.68 British Pounds.

Last week Australian Prime minister, Julia Gillard, said she expected the Australian Dollar to remain strong for the foreseeable future because of its perception by investors as a “safe Haven” currency.

“Add the relative woes of European economies - touching even traditional currency strongholds like Switzerland and for the first time in history Australia is being referred to as something of a global ‘safe haven’,” she said.

Towards the end of last week the Aussie Dollar cooled off a bit, as investors were waiting on jobs data to come out of the USA. “It’s traded within a 30-point range it’s biding time until the release of (US) non-farm payrolls tonight, so there’s not been an awful lot of movement,”

said RBC Capital Markets senior economist Su-Lin Ong. The Aussie Dollar started off the week strongly, responding well to the jobs data coming out of the US. This good start was off-set though, with news coming out of Europe that Greece’s prime minister may resign.

GBP/AUD: 1.46 EUR/AUD: 1.22 USD/AUD: 0.92

Composed by Matthew Cridge:: 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, www.1stcontactforex.com, or call us 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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Q:

I am very concerned as I heard rumours going around that the probationary period for spouses will increase on the spouse visa. Our planning was to apply for this type of visa later this year. Do you know whether there is any truth in this?

A:

FX

Castlewood House 77/91 New Oxford Street London WC1A 1DG t: +44 (0) 845 094 3990 info@sable-group.com www.sable-group.com

Spouse Probation

26/05/2011 09:33

The UK Home Office has announced some new immigration rules that will take effect in April 2012.

It is true that one of the rumours going around is that the probationary period for spouses will increase from the current two years to five years, together with these UK immigration changes taking effect in April 2012.

However, please note that this has not been confirmed.

It may therefore be advisable to apply for the spouse visa before April 2012, in order to prevent a possible extended probationary period.

For more information, please contact our offices at info@bicimmigration.com

Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants JP Breytenbach

Director of Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants www.bic-immigration.com info@bic-immigration.com

14 | Sport

7 February - 13 February 2012

Spitz tips Phelps for London haul Aussie boys on form Continued from p16...

Olympic trials in Adelaide starting on 15 March.

On current form, his best chance of making the team appears to be for the 4x200m relay with Australia normally selecting the top six swimmers in the event.

Fraser said Thorpe could be an inspiration for his compatriots at the Olympics, starting on 27 July.

“Maturity, he is a very mature young man we have got a couple of 15-yearold kids that could make the team and they need someone to guide them,” she said in London, where she was attending the Laureus Sports Awards.

“It inspires the team. Inspiration is

something you thrive on.”

Spitz, who himself made a comeback nearly two decades after winning seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Games, said Thorpe’s status in the sport could be invaluable for Australia on the pool deck.

“Absolutely, he is an inspiration for those who looked up to him when he was in his formidable years,” Spitz said.

“He can add a lot of calm if that is necessary, bring together a team to be really competitive in any environment.

“For him to make the relay really is going to be a monumental task because he has to be in the top four in his country.

“That is not going to be easy.”

Spitz predicted 14-time Olympic

champion Michael Phelps to win at least five more gold medals in the pool in the 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 4x100m medley relay and 4x200m relay.

He was not so certain about the men’s 4x100m relay with world champions Australia and France expected to provide serious competition.

Fellow American Ryan Lochte clipped Phelps’ wings at last year’s world titles in Shanghai by beating him in the 200m freestyle and 200m medley.

But Spitz thought that Phelps was deliberately holding a bit in reserve for this year.

“I think part of that was an illusion to distract his competitors,” he said. - AAP

City trouble Schwarzer in the snow Continued from p16...

had a trying day in goals as the table-topping side from the blue half of Manchester rebounded from a midweek loss at Everton.

Fulham’s troubles started when City’s Adam Johnson earned a penalty from referee Mike Dean in the 10th minute despite the elusive left-footer appearing to initiate contact with Fulham defender Chris Baird.

South American star Sergio Aguero struck the ball past Schwarzer from the penalty spot for his 19th goal of the season despite the Australian guessing the right way.

The day worsened for Schwarzer and Baird 20 minutes later when

a deflection off the latter gave the 39-year-old goalkeeper no chance of keeping the ball out of his net.

Four minutes later, the Australian was back in action, this time using lightning reflexes to stop his teammate Philippe Senderos from poking home a second own goal.

The snow became heavier in the second half and play had to be halted twice for the lines to be cleared.

With a two-goal cushion, the cashedup ladder leaders were always going to be difficult to contain on their home patch.

Aguero set up a simple finish in the 72nd minute for strike partner Edin Dzeko to round out the scoring.

Meanwhile, Tim Cahill was replaced

at halftime during Everton’s 1-1 draw at Wigan after suffering what appeared to be a knock to his ankle. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Aussie boxing can puck a punch at Olympics Continued from p16...

Hooper, who turned 20 on Sunday, did not fight at the national titles as he qualified for the Olympics at last year’s world championships, where he was beaten by one point by eventual winner Julio la Cruz of Cuba.

The world No.2 light heavyweight (81kg) from Queensland is considered a genuine chance of capturing Australia’s first Olympic medal since 1988 but Abnett said others could not be discounted.

“The Olympic Games is a tough competition,” Abnett told AAP. “Often the No.20 comes through and wins a medal.”

Abnett will take a young team to the Games but said the sport’s

development programs in Australia were starting to pay dividends.

“We lost a lot of our very experienced athletes from Beijing,” he said.

“In the last four years we’ve been rebuilding so it’s a relatively young team.

“We’ve had some not bad results internationally in the last year.

“The nursery part of it is very good.”

The national championship finals brought surprises in the 69kg division, with a victory to the talented but underdone Hammond, and in the 52kg where Tasmanian Jackson Woods thrilled his home crowd by outpointing Victoria’s Andrew Maloney.

The national title winners progress to the Oceania championships in Canberra in March, where Australia is expected to qualify for London in eight

of the nine divisions still up for grabs.

Likely Olympic team captain Jackson said it was always tough for Australia at the Games because of its distance from Europe and the Americas.

But he is backing his ability after controversially missing out on Beijing.

“On my day against a quality opponent I seem to lift,” he said.

“On the day if I draw a good opponent I can beat them, I know I can.”

With women’s boxing making its first appearance at an Olympic Games, 75kg champion Naomi FischerRasmussen (WA) and 51kg winner Bianca Elmir (ACT) are considered Australia’s best hopes. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Waugh says Aussie cricket in good shape Continued from p16... against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates had Waugh believing the national team could close the gap.

“There’s chinks in their armour, that’s for sure,” Waugh said of Andrew Strauss’s men.

“It’s hard to sustain winning at that level for a long time.

“By the time the Ashes come around I think we will really be in good shape.

“Bowlers are looking fantastic and we have plenty of good batsmen as well.

“It’s just a matter of will they have enough time to gel before the Ashes.

“I think they will. I think we can

win the next Ashes.”

Waugh was a long-time tormentor of the English, playing in eight straight Ashes triumphs following defeat in his maiden series in 1986/87.

He said veterans like Ponting and Mike Hussey must keep performing to earn a spot on next year’s Ashes tour.

“If those guys are still around scoring runs, great, but by that stage they will be 39-40,” he said.

“It’s pushing it a bit and you don’t want to push the envelope too far in an Ashes series.

“I think it’s a long way off to say these guys are going to be around then.”

However he cautioned the national team still had to work on its consistency following fluctuating

performances against South Africa and New Zealand late last year.

“We can’t get too carried away just yet, there are still a few question marks with consistency,” he said.

“Even the West Indies coming up will be a challenging series, it will be a lot harder than we think.”- AAP

for Broncos first test

LONDON Broncos were back with a bang, if not a win, as they went down 24-34 against last season’s Grand Finalists St Helens at The Stoop on Saturday. A much improved Broncos fought back from an early St Helens try to lead 18-16 at half time but despite a second half try from Broncos debutant, Australian Michael Witt, it was St Helens who secured their first two points of the season.

As fate would have it London Broncos first match in the 2012 Stobart Super League would be against the team they played in their last fixture as Harlequins RL. Head coach Rob Powell showed his intent as he gave debuts to six of his nine close season signings including new captain, Australia’s Craig Gower.

The London Broncos support, braving the freezing conditions, were silenced early as Jonny Lomax scored for St Helens after just four minutes.

While some fans may have been fearing the worst, this was a new look Broncos side and it was two of their new signings, Australian pair Michael Witt and Michael Robertson who combined to get Broncos a foothold in the game. After some good pressure Witt arrowed a kick over to the right flank which was taken nicely by Robertson who stepped inside his man to open up his Broncos account. Witt converted to tie the scores.

St Helens regained the lead after 19 minutes when Andrew Dixon found another gap in the Broncos defence and jinked past another Australian player in Luke Dorn to score. Foster converted and then hit a penalty to give the Saints a 6-14 lead.

Olsi Kransniqi was introduced midway into the half and took little time to make his mark on the game.

After three sets of tackles near the St Helens line the Albanian born prop smashed his way over the line.

Conditions were affecting both teams and a penalty to Saints was converted by Foster to put a further two points on the board.

Former Crusaders man Witt was on top form with his kicking game and it was his chip and charge that was fumbled by St Helens which allowed Australian compatriot Chris Bailey to go over with two minutes left of the half. Witt duly converted to leave London Broncos 18-16 up at half time.

St Helens came flying out after the break and thought they had made the perfect start when new signing Lance Hohaia (from New Zealand) slid over

only for the referee to disallow the try for obstruction.

But that only delayed the inevitable as three minutes Foster crashed over the line before converting to restore the Saints lead.

Going into the final quarter it was anyone’s game but a try from the visitors turned the contest their way.

Lee Gaskell’s grubber kick was intended for himself but was deflected into the path of Francis Meli who had been inconsistent up to that point but managed to touch down. Foster’s conversion put St Helens 10 points ahead but the Broncos hit back.

Craig Gower was giving a quality performance in his first match as London Broncos captain and when his cross field kick was fumbled by Foster, Witt seized on the loose ball to score a try which he also converted to make the scores 24-28.

However St Helens piled the pressure on in the final 10 minutes and a strong Broncos defence was eventually breached. Foster made it five out of five with the conversions which was enough to give his side a 34-24 victory.

“There were clearly a lot of positives out there, as a coach you’re meant to look at things objectively and not talk about winning or losing games but I do think it was a bit of a shame really because I thought the game was there for the winning,” said London Broncos Head Coach Rob Powell.

St Helens’Australian born coach Royce Simmons was impressed by the new look Broncos and thought that the conditions suited their play. “They’ve recruited very well; they’ve got two good hookers and a good pack of forwards. The conditions suited them. Their ball completion in the first half was sensational and they played really well, they’re kicking was also sensational. They will be very hard to beat.”

London Broncos next face the Warrington Wolves away on Sunday 12 February AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Sport | 15

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Olyroos facing long NRL All Stars win Gold Coast thriller road to London GOAL-SHY Australia face a pair of potential must-win matches to stay alive in the Olympic football tournament after crashing 2-0 to Uzbekistan in a freezing Tashkent.

The loss leaves Australia bottom of the four-team Asian qualifying group with just two of the six rounds remaining.

Only the group winner qualifies directly, with the second-placed teams from each of the three groups advancing to playoffs in Vietnam in late March.

The winner of that will play African nation Senegal in Coventry, England on 23 April, with the victor claiming the final Olympic qualification spot.

The defeat in Tashkent leaves Australia on three points, five behind group leader Uzbekistan.

United Arab Emirates are second on five, one point ahead of Iraq, who they beat 1-0 in Sunday’s other group B fixture.

Australia’s chances of getting second spot may hinge on them winning both of their last two matches.

They are away to the UAE on 22 February and at home to Iraq in Gosford on 14 March in their last round-robin game.

Coach Aurelio Vidmar will be hoping he can regain the services of key overseas-based players including Tommy Orr and Matthew Leckie, whose clubs refused to release them

for the game in Tashkent.

Conditions in Tashkent made fluent football difficult on a pitch more white than green due to snow and frost.

While the kickoff was brought forward five hours to 3pm local time, the temperature was still an uncomfortable -12 Celsius.

The Olyroos’ scoring drought continued, with Australia still to register their first goal in four games after each of their first three games finished 0-0.

Australia made a promising start, with Mate Dugandzic and captain Oliver Bozanic each getting a shot on target inside the first ten minutes.

The visitors had two goals disallowed, one in each half.

Australia are returning to Dubai to prepare for the game against the UAE. They will play an international friendly in Dubai on 16 February against the Philippines.

Australia has qualified for the football tournament at every Olympics since 1988. - AAP

Manly at full strength for UK clash NRL premiers Manly will have a serious crack at winning this month’s World Club Challenge title, the club naming a full-strength squad for the clash with Leeds.

All 14-members of the grand final winning side still at the Sea Eagles will be part of the 20-man squad which flies out to the UK on Friday.

Co-captain Jason King and winger David Williams, who both missed last year’s decider because of injury, have been named, along with winger Michael Oldfield, Darcy Lussick and Dean Whare.

New buy Ben Farrar amongst the other recent signings.

The match will be coach Geoff Toovey’s first genuine contest in charge of the Sea Eagles, having

assumed control following the club’s acrimonious split with twotime premiership-winning mentor Des Hasler.

The match will be played at Headingley’s Carnegie Stadium in Leeds on 17 February, with Manly having beaten the Rhinos 28-20 to win the 2009 World Club Challenge at Elland Road. - AAP Squad: Brett Stewart, David Williams, Jamie Lyon, Steve Matai, Michael Oldfield, Kieran Foran, Daly Cherry-Evans, Brent Kite, Matt Ballin, Jason King, Tony Williams, Glenn Stewart, Anthony Watmough, Jamie Buhrer, Vic Mauro, Darcy Lussick, George Rose, Joe Galuvao, Ben Farrar, Dean Whare.

THE NRL All Stars have claimed the Arthur Beetson Trophy with a 36-28 win over the Indigenous All Stars in a scintillating clash at Skilled Park on Saturday.

Wayne Bennett’s side outscored Laurie Daley’s men by six tries to five, in a match played at breakneck speed throughout.

Despite the new season being a month away, both sets of players showed some flashes of brilliance to light up the third annual clash between the two sides on the Gold Coast.

However, an ankle injury to Greg Inglis cast a shadow over the match, with the Queensland and Australia centre limping out of the game 10 minutes from time.

Stirring Aboriginal and English versions of Advance Australia Fair were sung before the game with the Indigenous side then marching up to their opponents as a part of a traditional war dance with spears.

The pre-match ceremony certainly fired up the Indigenous side, with Jharal Yow-Yeh opening the scoring with just six minutes on the clock.

Despite the theme of the week leading up to the match being reconciliation, there was very little being shown on the field as both sides ripped into each

other in the opening exchanges.

New Zealand enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was at the thick of the action, trading blows with Sam Thaiday and then fronting up to Nathan Merritt and Ben Barba in another stand-off on the touchline.

The Indigenous outfit doubled their lead on the stroke of quarter-time when Merritt scampered over from close range after Chris Sandow’s grubber-kick deflected into the path of his former South Sydney team-mate off Paul Gallen’s shin, but shortly after the restart Frank Pritchard reduced the deficit when he bulldozed his way to the line.

Bennett immediately used his first power play to reduce the Indigenous side to 11 men.

However, it proved to be a missed opportunity as the Indigenous side extended their lead, despite their numerical disadvantage when Matt Bowen pounced onto a brilliant Thurston chip-kick to score.

Laurie Daley then invoked his side’s powerplay and the NRL side emulated the success of their rivals’ success when Luke Lewis darted over for a try.

However, with 10 seconds of the powerplay remaining, Merritt raced over again in the left corner for his

second try of the game on the stroke of halftime.

The NRL outfit started the third quarter superbly when Gold Coast skipper Luke Bailey fended off three tackles to score.

Canberra star Josh Dugan then demonstrated superb handling skills to pluck the ball millimetres from the turf after a hand-off from the impressive Cooper Cronk with Benji Marshall’s conversion giving his side the lead for the first time.

The final quarter then saw England international Jack Reed stretch the lead with a try in the left corner following smart work from Cronk.

Indigenous skipper Thurston then called for his side’s second powerplay and Inglis took advantage of the shortened defence with a try, only to sink back to the ground in visible pain clutching his left ankle.

Chris Sandow’s kick closed the gap to 30-28, but Vatuvei sealed the win with a late four-pointer and Marshall added the extras to add some gloss to the scoreline.

Merritt was awarded the Preston Campbell Medal after being named man of the match. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Aussie females wanted to take on the rest of the world!

By Phillip Browne

THE London Tag Rugby community last week braved temperatures as cold as minus three degrees in round three of the Try Tag Rugby Late Winter competitions which take place at five venues across the capital.

Once the referee had blown the whistle for time on, the arctic conditions went straight out the window as the Tag Rugby action on the pitch was as fast and skilful as ever!

After three rounds of competition there are still a number of teams who remain undefeated which include Moves Like Tagger (Barnes), Double

Scrum & Coke, Tag Me If You Can, Speights (Bermondsey A grade), TTR Cobras (Bermondsey social grade), Scrum & Coke, Yahoo!(Borough Mixed), The Hardy Boyz (Borough Men’s), Finished Roving Your Mum (Rotherhithe A grade), The Spy Who Tagged Me, Galliford Taggers (Rotherhithe social grade) and Tagaholics Anonymous (Wood Green).

In other news, there will be a special all ladies representative match to be held at Try Tag Rugby’s St Patrick’s Day Challenge event on 17 March at Richmond College, involving the Aussies. The St Patrick’s Day Challenge will include London Ireland taking on Great Britain in the men’s, mixed

& mixed social divisions with London Australia taking on the rest of the world in the all ladies exhibition match. All details found at Trytagrugby.com Meanwhile, the registrations for the Spring Tag Rugby competitions (4 March) are now open. If you would like to get involved in one of the fastest growing sports in London, new team and individual registrations are welcome.

To register for a Try Tag Rugby competition, go to www. trytagrugby.com or email info@ trytagrugby.com for more details.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

CALLING ALL AUSSIE SHEILAS

Women wanted for St Patrick’s Day Try Tag challenge P15

RICKY’S TRICKY BUT WE CAN WIN ASHES: WAUGH n

Former Test captain Steve Waugh reckons Ashes redemption is close but says Ricky Ponting’s avalanche of runs this summer has left selectors in a “tricky situation” PONTING feasted on India during Australia’s 4-0 series sweep, scoring 544 runs at 108.8, to revive his career and buy himself more time in the baggy green.

However Waugh, who retired at 38 years and six months, suggested

that plans for 37-year-old Ponting’s eventual departure had to be put in place.

“It’s up to Ricky and the selectors (when he goes) but at some stage players have to move on,” said Waugh in London before the Laureus

World Sports Awards.

“It’s a tricky situation but (chief selector) John Inverarity and the selectors probably have to make some tough decisions fairly shortly.”

Waugh believes the revitalised Australian team will be capable of

beating world No.1 England by the time next year’s Ashes series rolls around.

Australia’s form against India and England’s horrible start to the year ...continued on p14

Thorpe can be a Games inspiration: Fraser SWIMMING greats Mark Spitz and Dawn Fraser believe what Ian Thorpe brings to the Australian Olympic team out of the pool could be as important as how he performs in it.

Spitz and Fraser said the fivetime Olympic champion could be a reassuring presence at the London Games for his younger team-mates.

But first Thorpe, who spent five years out of competition, has to qualify for London at next month’s ...continued on p14

Schwarzer has cold, miserable EPL return

MARK Schwarzer received an icy reception on his return to the English Premier League as his club Fulham copped a 3-0 belting in the snow at Manchester City.

Schwarzer turned out for the first time in almost two months, following a back injury, in the sub-zero temperatures that have been causing havoc across Britain and Europe.

Australia’s most-capped player ...continued on p14

Aussie boxers Olympic surprise packets OLYMPIC boxing coach Don Abnett says Australia will head to the London Olympics with more than just young gun Damien Hooper as a medal chance.

After watching the national amateur championship finals in Hobart on Sunday, Abnett said title winners Luke Jackson (60kg, Tas), Jeff Horne (64kg, Qld) and Cameron Hammond (69kg, NSW) were all capable of springing upsets.

NRL ALL STARS

SHINE BRIGHT Gold Coast thriller for Aussie rugby league | P15

AAP Image by Dave Hunt

...continued on p14