DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2013

TOWNSVILLE’S COMPLIMENTARY LUXURY LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 ISSUE 79

BEEN ANYWHERE INTERESTING LATELY? DISCOVERY 4 worldsmostawarded4WD.com.au

Tony Ireland Land Rover 54 Duckworth Street Townsville 4726 7777 tonyirelandlandrover.com.au

shimmer and shine

Shimmering metallic hues take centre stage in the luxe theme. A rich palette of champagne, gold, silver, bronze and berry red evoke a luxurious and indulgent atmosphere.

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SALT & PEPPER ‘Merry’ A. jug $24.95 B. glass Christmas tree $39.95 C. ‘Luxe’ glitter leaf cone table decoration $24.99 D. gold reindeer $49.99 E. ‘Romance’ candle holder set of 3 $79.95 ‘Merry’ F. mug set of 4 $29.95 G. wine or flute glass set of 4 $34.95ea H. footed candy bowl $19.95 I. 20cm star plate & spreader $9.95 J. 15cm footed cake dome $29.95 K. ‘Merry’ noodle bowl $9.95 L. ‘Edge’ 16 piece dinner set $129.95 M. ‘Merry’ placemat set of 4 $29.95 Items may vary from store to store.

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contents

December FEATURE STORY

57

24 WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR CHRISTMAS? 26 JOY TO THE WORLD 46 SINGLE (AND LOVING IT!)

REGULARS

18 INBOX 20 DUO COVER GIRL 22 HOROSCOPES

62

SOCIETY

38 DUO MAGAZINE’S FASHIONS ON THE FIELD 40 JUPITERS TOWNSVILLE MELBOURNE CUP LUNCHEON 42 TOWNSVILLE RSL MELBOURNE CUP LUNCHEON 44 JAM CORNER MELBOURNE CUP GALA LUNCHEON

FASHION

59

50 74

10 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

50 BAKU 54 MY STYLE 56 MY BAG 59 DELUXE WOMAN 60 DELUXE MAN 62 BENSON

WELLBEING

FAMILY

76 EWEN JONES MP 76 NICOLE PIEROTTI

INDULGE

80 BRAD HOUGH 82 PAT SENENT 84 ADAM GOWER 86 KENNY BURTON

CORPORATE

90 CORPORATE UPDATE 90 DAVID KIPPIN TEL 91 MAIDMENT DEVELOPMENTS 92 GEOFF KEIR 95 TELSTRA BUSINESS CENTRE

TRAVEL

96 VIENNA’S TOP 10

INTERVIEWS

48 TRELISE COOPER 57 JENNIFER HAWKINS 72 EMILY VAGULANS 74 TOWNSVILLE FIRE IMPORTS 88 JODIE HAHN 89 MARK ALLEN, PETYA O’KEEFE PAUL MASON 98 LINDA SHIELDS

68 FIRST THINGS FIRST 69 CLARITY HEARING SOLUTIONS 71 CASEY DENTISTS

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welcome

THE DUO MAGAZINE TEAM IS PUBLISHER SCOTT MORRISON PRODUCTION JOAN FANNING EDITORIAL STACEY MORRISON ADVERTISING ALLIRA DE JAGER ADVERTISING RAE WHITE

OH, WHAT A YEAR IT WAS!

I’ve just settled in to it being 2012 and it’s nearly over. So this is the perfect time to look back on the year and the things we did, the things we didn’t do and all the people who’ve come into our life. On the DUO Magazine front, we welcomed some fantastic new writers and photographers to the team as well as forming an affiliation with the very talented Tammy and Hannah at 121 Creative (a godsend to me with each new issue). We’ve met some amazing local people along the way who honoured us by sharing their stories. We thank them sincerely. Not to forget our Smile Dental 12 Faces of DUO Cover Girls. We hope you had an experience you’ll always remember fondly. If one thing stands out for us, I think it’s the quality and creativity of our cover shoots. We’d especially like to thank Andrew Rankin who’s probably shot 50 of our covers by now and dozens of portraits as well. Thanks Shannon Lawrence and Pilin Goodsell for your creative input in also making some of our most memorable covers. To our hardworking Social Photographers, Benjamin Hung and Dani Hansen. Well done guys. Love your work. Of course the second last word (get it?) of thanks goes to our writers. We love you’se all – Carly, Carla, Kylie, Rachel and Aimee. Try saying that fast! Finally to the five women who make our little magazine every month of the year. That would be my wife Stacey, Joan Fanning (yes that Joan Fanning), Allira De Jager, Rae White (no not that Ray White) and Judith Blake. You’re right. Yes, you are. Always.

I’ve just got a few lines left to thank you for picking up your DUO Magazine. Can you believe we’re coming up to our 80th issue in January? It’s been a fantastic ride so far and 2013 will be even better. On behalf of all of us at DUO, have a wonderful Christmas and we’ll catch you in the New Year!

SCOTT MORRISON PUBLISHER

FOR EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES EDITOR@DUOMAGAZINE.COM.AU FOR ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS SALES@DUOMAGAZINE.COM.AU THANK YOU FOR YOUR BRILLIANCE CARLY LUBICZ, ANDREW RANKIN, CARLA CARUSO, BENJAMIN HUNG, KYLIE DAVIS, AIMEE CADAN, SHANNON LAWRENCE, RACHEL LICCIARDELLO, INSIGHT CREATIVE, DANI HANSEN, 121 CREATIVE BEST NUMBER TO CALL 07 4771 2933 WWW.DUOMAGAZINE.COM.AU DUO Magazine is published monthly by Intrepid (NQ) Pty Ltd ACN 107 308 538 60 Ingham Road West End PO Box 1928 Townsville Qld 4810 Telephone 07 4771 2933 Facsimile 07 4771 2699 Email duo@duomagazine.com.au COPYRIGHT Contents of DUO Magazine are subject to copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information in this publication, the publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences including any loss or damage arising from reliance on information in this publication. Expressed or implied authors’ and advertisers’ opinions are not necessarily those of the editor and/or publisher.

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FOR YOUR TOUCH OF CHRISTMAS

Choose from our fantastic range of gift ideas including ◆ Gift Vouchers for Hair and Makeup Services ◆ Schwarzkopf Xmas Packs ◆ Smiink Lashes ◆ Cloud 9 - The Wand, The Straightener and The ‘O’ ◆ Youngblood Mineral Makeup Packs

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events

CATCH KATIE NOONAN AT THE TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL’S CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT AT REID PARK ON 2 DECEMBER

BASKETBALL

INBOX:

WNBL: MCCAFE TOWNSVILLE FIRE 7 December 7pm Logan 14 December 7pm Bendigo Townsville RSL Stadium Annandale Tickets available at the door NBL: TOWNSVILLE MCDONALDS CROCODILES 8 December 7.30pm Melbourne Tigers 31 December 7.30pm New Zealand Breakers Townsville Entertainment & Convention Centre Tickets from www.tecc.net.au

MARKETS Cotters Rotary Markets Flinders Street, Sundays 8.30-1pm. Willows Rotary Markets Willows Shopping centre car park, Sundays 7am-11am Townsville City Markets Flinders Square, Townsville CBD Wednesdays 6am-6pm. Magnetic Island Night Markets Arcadia RSL, Fridays 5pm-9pm. Horseshoe Bay Markets Second and fourth Sundays, 9am-2pm. NQ Farmers Markets North Shore Town Centre, Burdell, Saturdays

EXHIBITIONS James Cook University School of Creative Arts Graduate Exhibition Until 10 December Perc Tucker Regional Gallery The School of Creative Arts, James Cook University presents the work of its third year Bachelor of New Media Arts students who have produced and managed an innovative display of screen, print and web based media.

The exhibition combines the best of the degree’s new media disciplines.

Black & White Umbrella Members’ Show 2012 Until 14 December Umbrella Studio Contemporary Art 482 Flinders Street Townsville This year’s theme for our members’

show limits the palette to Black and White, challenging our member base to be creative using only these colours. The gallery will travel back to a time where photography, film, TV and computing was only available in black and white, but still illustrate beauty and creativity.

Wildlife of Gondwana 15 December – 14 April Museum of Tropical Queensland This internationally-touring exhibition of fearsome fossil creatures from the prehistoric supercontinent of Gondwana describes the unique flora and fauna of the ancient landmass over the course of 3.8 billion years to the present. Wildlife of Gondwana is among the largest and most comprehensive travelling exhibitions ever shown at the museum.

CHRISTMAS EVENTS Carols by Candlelight 2 December, 530pm-9pm Reid Park Join Townsville City Council and celebrate the Christmas spirit rain, hail or shine at the 2012 Carols by Candlelight under the big top! Held at Reid Park, the evening will feature special guests Katie Noonan, Santa Claus and some of the finest musical talent in the region.

Stable on the Strand 18-22 December Strand Park 5.30pm-9.30pm each day For five days before Christmas, Townsville’s major ocean-front area, Strand Park, will be transformed into the historic town of Bethlehem, complete with Roman soldiers, traditional craftspeople, livestock, shepherds and of course Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. This interactive re-creation of the traditional Christmas story, Stable on the Strand, is an event for the whole family. There will be lots of kid’s activities as well as a special area for youth to hang out. www.stableonthestrand.com.au

16 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

THEATRE The Princess and the Enchanter – Townsville Little Theatre 5-9 December Pimlico Performing Arts Centre A short play written by Enid Blyton designed as a ten minute play for the classroom has been adapted into a full length play to give adults and children a chance to tread the boards with lots of interaction with the audience. Ticketshop 4727 9797

NEW YEARS EVE EVENTS New Years Eve at the Civic North Queensland Opera & Music Theatre Group Inc. 31 December Townsville Civic Theatre Celebrate NYE in style with a variety extravaganza. From timeless classics to musical theatre favourites, join us or an evening of song, dance and laughter. Ticketshop 4727 9797

Jupiters Townsville New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball 31 December Jupiters Townsville Sir Leslie Thiess Dr Townsville See in 2013 in style at Jupiters.

Your evening will include a sumptuous 3-course plated dinner, 5-hour beverage package, live entertainment

by Abbey Road and a $5 Match ‘n’ Play casino voucher for each guest.

18 years and over event.

Tickets 4722 2333 Townsville City Council’s New Years Eve Celebrations 31 December 7pm-1am Reid Park, Boundary Street, South Townsville The New Year’s Eve Celebrations is a free community event for the whole family. There is local, live music presented on the entertainment stage along with food stalls, licensed bar, amusement rides and two fireworks displays. Come along and join in the family friendly fun!

OUR EXCITING NEW DISPLAY HOME IS NOW OPEN

Our brand new display home is now open at 13 Westbrook Drive, Fairfield Waters. You’re going to LOVE it!

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KŌBE INTRODUCES CORPORATE LUNCH MENU IMPRESSIVE views, a new corporate menu and premium facilities provide the perfect platform for a great business lunch at Jupiters’ Kōbe restaurant.

For only $45 per person, patrons can enjoy a mouth-watering two-course lunch including a glass of sparkling, beer or wine on arrival.

Your extended lunch includes a starter and your choice of three mains: pork cutlet, eye fillet or T-bone – all accompanied with tasty vegetables and sauce.

If it’s a more private business meeting that you’re after, Kōbe also features a private dining room that seats up to 20 guests and overlooks the gorgeous built-in wine cellar.

Be sure to book your next business meeting at Kōbe – it won’t disappoint – call 4722 2222 or email kobe@echoent.com.au for bookings or enquiries.

Pronounced Ko-bay, the restaurant is open for lunch on Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s from 11.30am-3.00pm and seven nights for dinner from 5.30pm-10.00pm.

Located in the hotel lobby directly above Aqua, Kōbe represents a new destination in Townsville’s culinary scene and the perfect location for your next client luncheon.

With mains starting at $28, the dinner menu showcases an extensive selection of meals from lamb to fish, salad to pasta and of course, a huge selection from the grill such as the mouth-watering Darling Downs Australian Kōbe and the massive 1.6kg Rangers Valley Black Angus Tomahawk that everyone is talking about.

The delicious new corporate menu has been designed specifically to offer business diners a delicious, low-cost option for you and your guests.

On the beverage side, the restaurant features amazing domestic and international products to match perfectly with meals, and there is also cold beer available on tap.

LUNCH

DINNER

FRIDAY - SUNDAY

7 DAYS

11.30AM - 3.00PM

5.30PM – LATE

Phone 4722 2222 for bookings & enquiries Full menu available at www.jupiterstownsville.com.au

18 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

As well as its usual trading hours, Kōbe will play host to some upcoming special events including Christmas lunch and Valentine’s Day dinner.

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covergirl PHOTOGRAPHY SHANNON LAWRENCE

THE SMILE DENTAL 12 FACES OF DUO Every year DUO Magazine holds a competition where 12 local women are chosen to grace a DUO Magazine cover for a month of the year. This month we are delighted to introduce you to Ellie Cox.

ellie COVERGIRL Ellie Cox Age 22 years Occupation Account Manager at Southern Cross Austereo Where were you born: In an ambulance vehicle outside the old National Hotel – I’ve always been impatient.

Tell us something about yourself: I’m secretly a graphic design artist, sometimes I overdo the whole ‘crafty’ thing. What have you got going on at the moment? I always have something going on. Either I’m keeping active or planning my next adventure. Phuket is next. What would surprise people to know about you? I’ve always wanted to be a pilot. I love aircraft and I also love forensic science. Who knows; maybe I’ll be the next ‘Jane’ Bond. Anything else you’d like to add? I feel blessed to be one of the 12 faces of DUO.

20 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

HAIR LISA FRALEY – TECHNIQUES HAIR | BEAUTY Ellie’s hair was smoothed into a pony tail with Redken Quickdry Spray & Rough Paste then using padding I smoothed the ends under in a bun, then teased and quiffed the fringe up, to create a classy feel.

MAKE UP DANA ZOLLI – BELLANOVA To enhance Ellie’s bronzed skin, I used a combination of liquid foundation in Tahitian Sun and loose powder in Toffee. To enhance her green eyes, I used purple Majesty eyeshadow quad with Smiink black liner. On her cheeks I used Sunshine bronzer for definition and Blushing Nude lipstick on her lips.

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DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 21

horoscope December finds you fuelled with an irrepressible optimism. As a result, windfalls and wild excursions are likely. Major planetary influences tempt you towards frenzied spending sprees or speculation (well, it is the silly season!). But your real wealth lies in the goodwill of others.

You love, and are loved. It’s group hugs all ‘round.

Aquarius

20 JANUARY – 18 FEBRUARY There are times when you can count on the support of others, and times when you have to go it alone. Until the 20th, concentrate on your own interests – preferably solo. This ability to work independently will turn a few heads. In romance, expect a surprise in the proverbial Christmas stocking. A fascinating or mysterious newcomer, perhaps?

Virgo

23 AUGUST - 22 SEPTEMBER Wave goodbye to the mundane and welcome a risk-taking month.

Best news? Romantic fantasies just might override reality. One warning: if you’re happily coupled and want to stay that way, latch the windows and bolt the doors until this month’s temptations blow over. Festivehormones are all fired up, and running wild.

22 NOVEMBER – 21 DECEMBER

22 DECEMBER – 19 JANUARY

What does DECEMBER have in store for you?

Astrologer Tanya Obreza has these predictions...

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Libra

23 SEPTEMBER – 22 OCTOBER

Many planets have given you cause for anxiety lately, but there’s a mood change during this festive season. It’s definitely a month to shine and be noticed. Professionally, you have a definite idea of what you want and you’re close to getting it. Ditto for your personal life. So act confidently, secure in the knowledge that the world will treat you well.

For you, it’s either accelerator down or engines off. This month, your foot’s to the floor. As work takes priority until the 15th, you’ll need to draw on deep reserves of energy to keep up the gruelling pace.

Increased responsibilities are soon matched by equal rewards. The only pitfall lies in trying to be all things to all people.

Pisces

Taurus

Cancer

Scorpio

Think back on your life and remember a time when you felt young and carefree. A time when life’s stresses didn’t always weigh down on you.

Remember the joy of just “being”.

Somewhere, at some time, in your life you have felt this. It’s never too late to rediscover happiness.

Over the next year, make this your mission.

Some of that old magic’s back, and not before time. Friendship assumes a richer role during this glorious season, and love strengthens. This is what happens when the cosmos leaves you unsupervised – pleasure takes priority. For those more professionally inclined, you’re also given the advantage. Even then, you’re granted financial promiscuity.

Life gets a pleasant nudge in the right direction but, as always, it’s up to you to see the signs and go with your chances. Cash flow improves, possibly to a timely Christmas bonus. The festive season also creates more time for play. And that’s what you truly need. For now, leave work out of sight and out of mind.

The festive season fires up your imagination. Ditto for energy. Just make sure that the left hand knows what the right one is doing. Be careful of conflicts, but also use this chance to express unresolved anger.

After the 19th, you’re tempted by new love. Daily concerns continue to be demanding, but a carnally charged Scorpio is an unstoppable force.

Aries

Gemini

Leo

This month brings the kind of positive change that can’t be ignored.

Even so, expect the odd altercation.

Know your goals, and don’t be coerced into others’ dreams. Luck is recognising opportunities, and then acting on them. And with some extra cash rolling in, to deny you a few luxuries would be a waste. It is the festive season, after all!

This is a powerhouse month. But to keep up, you’ll need to stay available, so arm yourself with all the phones and cybertech toys you can afford.

One warning: keep patience in check.

Let events unfold in their own good time. Same goes for love – don’t bulldoze anything that doesn’t want to move.

With another year drawing to a close, Leos are granted time for personal review. Consider this a chance to put old demons to rest, and you can resolve grievances rather than increase them. The value of friendship, the shelf life of dusty pipe dreams and the repercussions of repressed feelings are issues that may need to be addressed.

Want your own personal profile?

19 FEBRUARY – 20 MARCH

21 MARCH – 20 APRIL

21 APRIL – 20 MAY

21 MAY – 21 JUNE

22 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

22 JUNE – 22 JULY

23 JULY – 22 AUGUST

23 OCTOBER – 21 NOVEMBER

If you’re interested in an in-depth astrology profile prepared by our favourite astrologer Tanya Obreza, visit www.tanyaobreza.com

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COWBOYS LEAGUES CLUB THE BEST IN AUSTRALIA

ACCORDING to Savour Australia, the Cowboys Leagues Club is the best restaurant in a pub, club or tavern in Australia. The Club was presented this esteemed accolade last month at the 2012 Savour Australia restaurant and catering HOSTPLUS awards for excellence in Brisbane.

“The Club was very proud to be named the best restaurant in a pub, club or tavern in North Queensland, but to be considered by the judges to be the best in the country is something very special,” General Manager Clint Williams said.

The restaurant and catering awards have just celebrated their 15th year with a total 1400 businesses participating in this year’s program. CEO of restaurant and catering John Hart said “the awards for excellence represent an important moment as the industry pauses to honour the outstanding winning venues for their great talent, innovation, and commitment and to celebrate such well deserved accolades.”

The Cowboys Leagues Club was assessed by trained judges who dined anonymously to review the experience according to predetermined, research based and standardised set of criteria, making it the only truly systematic restaurant industry awards program in Australia. Executive chef Thomas Martyn had to not only impress the judges once, but several times, to ensure that his mouth watering cooking was not just a one off occurrence. Mr Martyn has been with the Club for just over a year and his focus for the upcoming 12 months is to provide members and guests with a restaurant quality experience without the expensive price tag. “It is something we have begun to do quite well and our members really appreciate it,” he said.

Mr Williams believes he has an exceptional team of staff members who go above and beyond the call of duty for members and guests every day. “We are obviously very proud to win such a sought after award, but we won’t stop trying to improve. Our goal will always be to make every visit a memorable one for our members.

Executive chef Thomas Martyn (second left), head chef Anna Spivey (middle) and general manager Clint Williams (second right) are presented their award by representatives from the 2012 Savour Australia Restaurant and Catering HOSTPLUS Awards for Excellence.

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 23

GRANT COLLINS Audiologist + Owner of Clarity Hearing When I think about Christmas traditions I think of Cricket. Cricket is a major Christmas tradition in my family – whether it is an all-in family affair in the backyard on Christmas day where we are waging cattle stations, or all the men down at the Cattleman’s Bar in Charleville for the Boxing Day Test. With the birth of our first child, Charlie, earlier this year I have a feeling that tradition – well at least the Boxing Day one, will be on hold for a few years! This year we will be celebrating with my wife’s family in Brisbane and I look forward to our first visit with Santa and starting our own family traditions… Santa still gets beer and fruit cake though doesn’t he?”

24 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

Photo courtesy of The Marketing Factory

DR JOHN MASSON Gastroenterologist at Townsville and Mater Hospitals “I love Christmas in the tropics – so different from the cold, grey Christmases back in the UK. This year I’m not working and no need to go into the hospital. However, my thoughts will be with those who spend time in hospital over Christmas and my thanks to the nurses, doctors and other staff that will care for them. I will be lucky enough to spend my day with the 3 ladies in my life. After an early walk and a late breakfast, we have signed up for the Meals on Wheels Christmas Lunch run!”

MATTHEW CASEY Dentist + Owner of Casey Dental “Christmas for us is more about relaxing and having stress-free time with the family. We don’t actually go crazy ‘celebrating’ but just enjoy the quiet time watching our children and our nieces excitedly opening their presents. And as Christmas day also includes searing heat, we prefer not to have to cook huge hot meals, so this year we’ve all decided to go to a restaurant for lunch and be spoilt. For the first time this year, the adults in our families have decided not to buy presents for each other, but rather just spoil the littlies even more. We think it’s a much more fun way to go.”

JENNIFER HAWKINS Myer Ambassador “For me Christmas is a time to relax and unwind with family.

We usually head to Newcastle or Byron Bay and the Summer weather means we can hang out at the beach every day and take time out to recharge after a busy year. On Christmas Day we normally have a huge breakfast, lunch and dinner celebration– food food food! It’s a real Hawkins family tradition that I look forward to every year.”

Photo courtesy of Insight Creative

it’s christmas!

HONEY ATKINSON Photographer + Owner of Insight Creative “Christmas is a fairly relaxed affair, with a focus on food rather than presents. We celebrate with a big seafood lunch, accompanied by great wine or cocktails, plus something deliciously summery for desert.

Of course being a photographer every element is photographed.

After all the cooking, eating and shooting an afternoon nap is always on the cards!”

JAYNE ARLETT Chair of the Townsville Fire and Sports Podiatrist at Townsville Podiatry Centre “As a mum to my three gorgeous children, Christmas is very much about family and creating a great experience for them each year. We always take great care in laying out snacks for Santa and his Reindeers, and the kids are so excited to see remnants of milk and carrots in the morning (neither Santa nor the Reindeers are tidy eaters!). After opening our stocking fillers, we visit my brother’s family for a sumptuous breakfast and more present opening, and to cap off a great day, our whole family enjoys a traditional English Christmas Dinner of roast turkey, with all the trimmings!”

it’s christmas!

PROFESSOR SANDRA HARDING Vice-Chancellor and President of James Cook University “Alongside the spirituality of the time, my favorite moments revolve around family. My own childhood in Melbourne when Christmas could be boiling hot or freezing cold, with a big extended family gathering that night. Wintery Christmases in Raleigh, North Carolina when our children were small – we’d host an orphan Christmas lunch at our place involving others who were far from home. Back in Australia, Christmases in Brisbane with my sister, her family and our parents are treasured memories. Now, with grown up children, we take turns with partners’ families. Every Christmas is special – but I especially love the times spent with family.”

WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR CHRISTMAS? SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE PEOPLE REVEAL THEIR SEASONAL SENTIMENTS FROM ANNUAL TRADITIONS TO MEMORABLE CHRISTMASES PAST.

KARL STEFANOVIC Co-host of Nine’s Today breakfast show “On Christmas Eve I host the carols in Melbourne and this year I’m taking the whole family – wife Cassandra, Jackson 13, Ava 7 and River 6 – down to watch. We generally divide the Christmases up between my family and my wife’s family and this year we’re going to her family in Mildura. So Christmas day we’ll have a lunch that will run into dinner, play cricket, have a lot to drink and be very, very merry in the gear-up for the Boxing Day Test. Last year I was doing the Sydney to Hobart so I didn’t have much to eat or drink so I’ve got to make up for it this year.”

MAYOR CR. JENNY HILL Mayor of Townsville “Christmas is a special family time for my husband Shane and I. My son and daughter will be home from Canberra and Brisbane which will be great. We’ll be having a traditional North Queensland Christmas dinner with lots of cold meats and seafood and of course the exchange of presents. Some of my son’s Army mates will be calling in as well and we’re looking forward to a really nice time.”

MEGAN FLUX Owner of First Things First Wellness Centre “Christmas this year is going to be super exciting! We are breaking the traditional close family lunch at Mum and Dad’s to have a huge Christmas family reunion on Magnetic Island. There will be 20 families from all over Australia and overseas celebrating for a week. We have organised a Kids Talent Show and an Over 50’s Olympics – I think the laughs and bubbles will be flowing equally. This has been in planning for 12 months and rehearsals have started, can’t wait. Watch out Maggie…”

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 25

cover story

It’s easy to imagine the jovial Mayar Magyar in the full swing of Sudanese festivities.

Arriving in Australia in 2001 with his wife and three children, Mayar is very much about replicating the joy of Christmas that he experienced at home. “It’d start on December 1 and we’d spend the whole month socialising and it would get better and better,” he enthuses in his sing-song tones.

“It was a big celebration and everything was done with the family – we’d stay together, eat together, talk together and at night time we’d go to church. There was more trouble with war at that time, but we’d always still do Christmas and make it special.” Now well settled in Australia, Mayar and his family will be doing a mini version of the Sudanese tradition and gathering in a big hall with friends and “sharing together, staying together and eating together,” while they teach the young ones how to look after each other and enjoy the special time. “My son will come from Darwin [he’s in the army], so we’ll do everything together and it will be a big celebration for the whole Sudanese community.”

joy to the world We all have our Christmas traditions and things that are dear to us on the day. These families – away from their homeland and extended communities – have managed to preserve the heart of their festivities and adapt them to their new lives.

INTERVIEWS CARLY LUBICZ PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW RANKIN

26 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

cover story

“THERE WAS MORE TROUBLE WITH WAR AT THAT TIME, BUT WE’D ALWAYS STILL DO CHRISTMAS AND MAKE IT SPECIAL.” MAYAR MAGYAR

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 27

cover story

“THERE WILL BE LOTS OF DANCING – MY SISTER KNOWS HOW TO MOVE!” JUNIOR KAZADI TSHAMALA

For Central African refugees Junior Kazadi Tshamala and his sister Mireille, Christmas at home was the one time of year for indulgence.

“Life was tough and we survived off one meal a day, but Christmas was the time of year when Mum would make us a new shirt to wear, we had nice drinks and we got a small piece of meat to eat,” 17-year-old Junior tells, who spent five years at a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo before he and his family of five were selected to migrate to Australia. He remembers his grandmother telling him stories of sacrificing goats, traditional dance, and being surrounded by family; and this is something they will try to replicate for their second Christmas in Australia (minus the goat). “We’ll invite other Africans and our Australian friends and have a big celebration,” Junior tells, who didn’t realise it was Christmas the year before as the family had just arrived. “There will be lots of dancing – my sister knows how to move!”

28 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

cover story

“IF YOU DO A GOOD THING,YOU GET IT BACK.” MAY CHALEE

Sarinee and May Chalee came straight from Bangkok to Townsville six years ago. While they miss the buzz of activity and vibrancy of Christmas at home with extended family, they plan to celebrate it with close friends this year and use preparing food as the social centrepiece. “There will still be lots of food and we’ll all cook together,” Sarinee says.

“Back home we’d always do that, making curries and salads, and we’d talk and enjoy each other’s company.” Another Christmas tradition would entail giving offerings at existing temples and donating money for new structures, which was seen to bring good luck. “The idea is that if you do a good thing, you get it back,” May says.

Being a Muslim in Somalia meant that Christmas was never a big deal for Khadan Mohamed Ibrahim, but New Year’s was always a time of social get-togethers and she plans to continue that tradition in Australia.

“We’d always have parties with games and dancing, there’d be lots of chatting and sweet foods like biscuits and cakes,” she recalls. “It is a big change here because I don’t have as many family and friends, but we’ll definitely get together to celebrate and do something.

For me, it’s more about doing something at home than going out.”

“IT IS A BIG CHANGE HERE BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE AS MANY FAMILY AND FRIENDS.” KHADAN MOHAMED IBRAHIM

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 29

cover story The Flores family of six have celebrated Christmas in the extreme heat; bone-chilling cold and humid rain. Originally from Manilla in the Philippines, Eric and his family migrated to Scotland and lived in Edinburgh for eight years (two of the kids were born there, and two in the Philippines), when the opportunity arose to move to Australia. Back home, Eric says Christmas was a big deal and started as early as September/October when the decorations were unveiled in the malls, Christmas carols aired,

and lights lined the roadsides. From December 16 the tradition of Simbang Gabi began – mass at 4am every day. “You make a wish every day and at the end of the nine days it’s said to come true,” Eric explains. It’s also tradition to go to church from 10pm to 11pm on Christmas Eve (Misa de Gallo), and then reconvene at midnight for the festivities to commence.

“You celebrate more on Christmas Eve than Christmas day,” Eric tells. The family has been in Townsville for four years and – despite their

lifestyle being a lot different from Manilla, and even Scotland – they still manage to keep the night mass tradition alive. “It’s celebrated here by a priest and the kids and other members of the Filipino community will all come together for it,” says Eric. This year the Flores’ will catch up with friends and enjoy their traditional roast pork, noodles, fried chicken and bibingka (flour and egg cakes cooked on top and under), but they’ll still make room for seafood. “We’ve adopted that from Australia,” Eric laughs.

“YOU MAKE A WISH EVERY DAY AND AT THE END OF THE NINE DAYS IT’S SAID TO COME TRUE.” ERIC FLORES

30 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

cover story

“ON CHRISTMAS EVE WE WOULD ALL START TO COOK AND HAVE IT READY SO THAT TOMORROW WE EAT!”

The final month of the year is known as ‘Sweet December’ in Burma and Htoo Sei and his wife Peh Gay remember the 24 days of festivities and the infectious happiness. “We’d decorate the house and church, and everybody would help and be happy singing songs about Jesus saving the world,” Htoo explains. “On Christmas Eve we would all start to cook and have it ready so that – tomorrow – we eat!”

Everyone in the village would donate what they could afford – from the wealthy to the poor – and the village would buy a cow or pig and cook it in a big pot to feed the entire village. Those who were really poor didn’t need to give any money: the gesture would be their fellow villagers’ gift to them. “It was about all sharing together,” Htoo says. The family has been in Townsville three years and this month they will host a big Christmas extravaganza of their own where 50 guests will flock to their home with a dish each and the feast will begin.

No doubt singing will swiftly follow.

HTOO SEI

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 31

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promotion

ANOTHER GEM FOR LOLOMA LOLOMA Jewellers are revolutionising the way diamond jewellery is bought and sold here in Townsville by opening their first Diamond Centre at Stockland this month.

The sleek modern store has innovative features and an expert team, who will be on hand to show buyers what to look for, and ensure they select the diamond that is right for them.

“Around the world consumers are demanding more from their shopping experiences, our new store uses technology, space and comfort to provide a unique way of interacting with our team,” said Graham Jackson, owner of Loloma Jewellers.

Customers will be able to use the latest design software to create their own ring and a qualified and experienced Loloma jewellery designer will be on hand to help.

The use of technology does not end there with iPads and screens throughout the store highlighting key differences between diamonds, more specifically the colour, clarity, cut, carat (weight) and value and providing technical and scientific explanations for why one diamond sparkles more than another.

Equipped with this knowledge, customers will be invited to view the extensive range and to select their perfect diamond.

“When someone buys a diamond it is an investment, and when investing we all need information. Nothing quite beats the confidence that comes with truly understanding what you are buying, our diamond centre experience will give you that.”

To expand the range of diamonds and new jewellery designs on offer at the new store Loloma Diamond Graders and Gemmologists have been travelling the world, and are proud of the quality and affordability of the diamonds they have brought back to Townsville.

34 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

The new store will also be home to an extended range of the prestigious Hearts on Fire diamonds, recently named as the brand chosen to create the Miss Universe Australia crown and known as The World’s Most Perfectly Cut Diamond. The name comes from the “hearts” and “fire” that can be seen in each Hearts on Fire diamond.

“The Hearts on Fire diamond is renowned for having the ten table sparkle, as you can see it sparkle from 10 tables away,” enthused Mr. Jackson.

Loloma Jewellers was the first Jeweller in Townsville to have qualified Gemologists and Diamond Graders, and for over 50 years they have travelled the world selecting quality gemstones. This new store confirms their place as an industry pioneer, leading the way in Townsville and at the cutting edge of diamond sales in Australia.

“The new store is cutting edge, approachable, educational, interactive and fun and will change how people relate to and buy fine diamond jewellery,” Jackson continued.

Imagine The world’s most perfectly cut diamond on display in North Queensland’s most elegant diamond showroom.

Loloma Diamonds is now open at Stockland featuring beautiful diamond jewellery from around the world including the world’s most perfectly cut diamond. You will adore the fabulous new designs and concepts or for something very different Loloma designers can create something especially for you or someone you love.

STOCKLAND CENTRO WILLOWS SHOPPING CENTRE CASTLETOWN Freecall 1800 646 508 loloma@loloma.com.au www.loloma.com.au

DIAMONDS

THE 12 FACES OF DUO 2013 CALL FOR ENTRIES IF YOU ARE BETWEEN 18 AND 55, AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOURSELF ON THE COVER OF DUO MAGAZINE, IT’S TIME TO SEARCH THROUGH YOUR PHOTO ALBUMS. ALL WE NEED IS A RECENT FULL-LENGTH SHOT AND A CLOSE-UP OF YOU LOOKING AT THE CAMERA. WE WANT TO INVITE WOMEN OF ALL AGES SO YOU MAY WANT TO CONVINCE YOUR MUM, SISTER OR DAUGHTER THAT THIS IS HER TIME TO SHINE. TO ENTER JUST CLICK THIS LINK: WWW.DUOMAGAZINE.COM.AU/12-FACES/ AND WE’LL TAKE YOU TO THE ENTRY PAGE. COMPLETE YOUR DETAILS AND ATTACH YOUR TWO CURRENT PHOTOGRAPHS. ENTRIES CLOSE 11 JANUARY 2013 FOR CONDITIONS OF ENTRY VISIT WWW.DUOMAGAZINE.COM.AU

WE WANT TO SEE YOU ON THE COVER

society

DUO MAGAZINE FASHIONS ON THE FIELD AT JUPITERS MELBOURNE CUP GALA LUNCHEON

DUO MAGAZINE

BEST DRESSED LADY Tricia Sharkey

FINALISTS

Melissa Thomson Sofia Santagada DUO MAGAZINE

BEST HAT

FINALISTS

DUO MAGAZINE

BEST DRESSED MAN FINALISTS

Phillip Beard Mark Ryan Sarah Hastie

38 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

society E AZIN MAG DUO

BESSSTED E N DRM A

W

er n in

Frank Santagada

E AZIN MAG DUO

BESSSTED DRLEADY

NE AGAZI DUO M

T BEAST H

W

er n in

W

er n in

Aileen Smith

Colleen Boyle

Event-goers were invited to enter the DUO Magazine Fashions on the Field competition, with winners sharing in more than $2700 worth of prizes. The competition for Best Dressed Lady, Best Dressed Man and Best Hat was fierce, and the rewards grand with Jupiters accommodation; Loloma Jewellers, Kobe Restaurant and Capelli Hair Gallery gift vouchers; Moet and more going to these stylish attendees‌

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 39

society

DUO MAGAZINE PRESENTED THE JUPITERS MELBOURNE CUP GALA LUNCHEON

Danielle Humphries, Katrina Mersky and Melissa Thomson

Anne Musumeci and Deborah Prescott

Jenny Blackshaw and Karen Fortier

Sandrine Bawden

Olivia Francis

Liz Reid and Brenda Millard

Trina Fracchia

Emily Whitman and Rachel Smith

Lani Maier and Haruko Suzuki

Hannah Redshaw

Renee Catalano and Maria Catalano

Lyn Whitman, Tracey Sands and Kirsten Singleton

The DUO Magazine-presented 2012 Melbourne Cup Gala Luncheon at Jupiters’ Grand Ballroom was a sell-out.

40 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

society Paula Hays and Georgia Conroy

Zelda Spies

Melanie Kassulke and Donna Greenwood

Karen Sharp

Phillip Beard and Jessie Maher Olive Lestone and Adrienne Wilson

Cora Segal and Lisa Smallwood

Sarah Thornton

Sue McClelland and Angelina Kanowski

Santina Urzaa and Liz Rossata

Kristie Marrtensz and Megan Luxford

Rose Dubsky, Tiffany Fogarty and Tamara Medill

Guests were wowed with a runway show by local designer Hester Jarvis and a jewellery parade by Loloma Jewellers, who gave away a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings and matching pendant to a lucky attendee.

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 41

society

TOWNSVILLE RSL TOWNSVILLE'S BIGGEST MELBOURNE CUP LUNCHEON

Kayleen O'Keefe, Krista Land and Cara Bowrey

Tanya Geyser and Kerrie Billson Lucy Boulter, Marisa Jack and Barbara Mitchell

Georgia Kopittke and Talida Voinea

Teena Vanakkeren, Chantel Bell and Tegan Baker

Sherly Garrow, Annaleise Honnef and Leanne Honnef Anahera Pairama and Laura Marsland

Kylie Vandeburgt, Tennille Crisp, Anne Mammino and Andrea Sullivan

Kaye Jury and Cassandra Lewis

Sonya Parisi and Nola Hill

Emma Busby and Emma Anderson

Executive Chef Pat Senent prepared a gourmet-lovers delight for Melbourne Cup guests who enjoyed a full seafood, roast and dessert buffet. Baked Atlantic salmon, slow-roasted rib fillet, braised pork belly and many more mouth-watering morsels kept event-goers well entertained between horse races, as did the live music.

42 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

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society

JAM CORNER

MELBOURNE CUP GALA LUNCHEON Adele Scott and Wayne Gilray

Courtney Cronim and Jessica Kan Paul Abercrombie and Matt Merrin

Natalie Maxwell, Pamela Dalseno, and Maria Selwood

Alicia Carroll and Danielle Bolter

Dawn Cribbin, Leanne Kennedy and Kristina Ingegneri

Paul Abercrombie and Andrea Boles

Sally Vujica, Cassandra Webb and Madelina Park

Maria Joyce, Linda Gomeric, Tara Parish and Melissa Hauraki

Mary Baptista and Lisa Matterson

Colette Ryan, Jenny Messer and Krys Chellingworth

Belinda Buchanan and Sally Robbins

Alex Hindle, Rhonda Brown and Alanna Brown

Natalie Marr, Lisa Brennan and Christine O'Flynn Samantha Matterson and Lucy McCreadie

Chandeliers, astro turf on the terrace and top-quality food and beverages made a memorable Melbourne Cup day for punters at Jam Corner’s affair with flair. Prizes for the best-dressed man and woman gave guests a good excuse to dress up and, with part proceeds from the function going to ACT for Kids, it was a win-win scenario for all.

44 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

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relationships

SINGLE

Flying solo and sane in this crazy, coupled world can be a challenge. But there is a new wave of singles emerging who celebrate their social lives, aren’t focused on finding ‘The One’ and are happily unattached.

(AND LOVING IT!)

WORDS KYLIE DAVIS PHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK

“I DON’T NEED SAVING. I CAN BE A PRINCESS, SAVE MYSELF AND BE THE HERO OF MY OWN STORY!" SHERI ALAYNA

46 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

relationships Singles are becoming louder and prouder – and a bigger part of the population. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there are now more than 5.8 million singles in Australia, which accounts for about 35 per cent of the adult population.

In Townsville alone, there are 25,437 single women and 23,682 single men.* Women’s financial freedom due to success in the workforce, technological advances in how we conceive and a generational attitude shift all seem to be contributing to the increasing ratio of singles.

“I’d rather be single than caught in a relationship where I feel undervalued that’s for sure,” says Anne, 37, of Cranbrook. “Being single gives me the time to work on loving myself. Going to the gym, cooking healthy meals, spending quality time with my friends and family and working out what my goals are – goals that don’t depend on anyone else to make them happen. If you can’t be happy by yourself then I don’t think you can be happy in a relationship either.”

Ann is not alone in celebrating her singledom. There’s a whole pro-single movement happening with Facebook sites like Being Single And LOVING It declaring: “If you’re fixated on being part of a couple, then we hope this page can help you to see the positives of being single, and even start LOVING the single life and all the freedom that comes with it!”

With the site getting more than 7000 Likes it’s a message that’s being heard and embraced, and many of the posts prove food for thought.

Jessica Michelle: “You do not need to be loved, not at the cost of yourself. The single relationship that is truly central and crucial in a life is the relationship to the self.” – Jo Courdert Cat MacRae: “It has been four years since I was with anyone. I mean single AND celibate! I do miss the intimacy but I am happier than I have ever been in my life, and I am 42. And I’m not looking to change. I’ve had enough of drama. I feel so free!”

Sheri Alayna: “I don’t need saving. I can be a princess, save myself and be the hero of my own story! :)” Websites with titles like Onely, Singletude, Sexless In The City and Singlutionary (with the slogan “no more desperate dating, pitiful pining and waaah-waaah-waiting” are further backlashes against the common assumption that singles aren’t singles by choice.

Owners of the singles advocate blog, Onely, came up with some amusing statements couples would be forced to endure if the status quo tables were turned. “Oh, you’re married? I’m so sorry!” is worth a chuckle as is “It’s OK to be married for a while but eventually you need to grow up and become single” and “It’s so sad having to come home to a house with someone in it all the time”.

But what if you’re single, living in Townsville, tired of the nightclub scene and looking? Lisa, 39, from Kirwan says “it’s just hard to meet single people in my age bracket, even if it’s just for the sake of widening my friendship circle.”

Lisa’s comments are exactly why Helen Avaient started Singles Mingles. “I started Singles Mingles when working as a life and business coach,” she said. A lot of single people told me they found it hard to meet others in a social situation, without all the pressure of dating. They wanted to have fun."

Helen ran one dinner and was overwhelmed by the response.

“People had such a great time that they asked if I could do more events, so I organised theme nights, bowls nights, weekends away, Murder Mystery weekends and cruises. It was a ball. I had so much fun myself as well.”

Helen says that lately, however, numbers have dropped but she is willing to keep the ball rolling if enough people express their interest.

“I would be happy to run events once every three months,” Helen says. “If you’re keen, email me at idhagn@hotmail.com.”

Another Townsville option is Table for Six, run by Margaret Newitt. “It came out of wanting a business where I could feel I was contributing to the lives of others,” she says. “It’s a win/win. Singles enjoy meeting in a fun, relaxed atmosphere over dinner, make new friends and find life partners, and even get married. And I get to feel wonderful at the end of every week!”

Weekly dinners are listed on the Townsville events web page at www.atableforsix.com.au.

NOTE: *In the Census data, ‘single’ refers to a person who has stated they are not married, or are not in a de facto marriage with anyone else in a dwelling.

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 47

interview

“I COME TO WORK AND AM HAPPY. I BELIEVE MY CLOTHES REFLECT MY HAPPINESS.” TRELISE COOPER

DUO SPEAKS EXCLUSIVELY WITH

TRELISE COOPER

INTERVIEW - CARLA CARUSO

HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN THE INDUSTRY? I was around the fashion industry periphery through my husband, Jack… I had a burning desire to be a part of what I considered – and still do – the most exciting industry in the world. I first established my label, Trelise Cooper, in the ‘80s before taking some time out to be a fulltime mother. I re-established the brand in 1997 and have continued developing it into its current incarnation today. My big break came at the first New Zealand fashion week when I was picked up by a US agent who I am still with.

WHY DO YOU THINK YOUR LABEL IS STILL GOING STRONG SINCE 1985? I come to work and am happy. I believe my clothes reflect my happiness and I hope my clothes give women permission to be truly who they are. I strive to design pieces that are distinctive, have a point of difference and are timeless, yet still have a sense of avant-garde.

YOU APPROACH EACH COLLECTION WITH A SENSE OF THEATRE AND ARTISTRY. WHERE DO YOU THINK THIS STEMS FROM? I have always loved the theatre of fashion. In my childhood, I had a big dress-up box filled with my mother’s bejewelled ‘50s frocks.

I spent hours dressing up and, as a teenager, I sang in operas. The wardrobe department was my most favourite place – princess gowns everywhere! My inspiration comes from many conscious and unconscious influences [like] places or people who touch me in some emotional way. I am especially inspired by vintage fabrics with handwork not seen in contemporary [materials].

HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR NEW ZEALAND BASE IS REFLECTED IN YOUR DESIGNS? Being on the edge of the world and isolated from the usual fashion markets the New Zealand industry has been able to explore and express its very own unique and individual take on fashion. It has been difficult to source many things, from fabrics to buttons, due to our small population and isolation. So it has pushed me to become inventive and creative. I have remained in New Zealand as it is home and where my heart is.

ANY CELEBS YOU’VE BEEN MOST EXCITED TO SEE WEAR YOUR THREADS? I’ve been lucky enough to have many amazing celebrities wear my designs but probably I was most excited about Julia Roberts. She was the first celebrity who bought a lot from my first delivery into the US. We’ve also got quite a few garments in Leonardo DiCaprio’s upcoming film, The Great Gatsby, which will be exciting to see on the big screen.

YOU’VE ALSO EXTENDED INTO CHILDREN’S WEAR, JEWELLERY, FRAGRANCE AND INTERIORS ALONG WITH DESIGNING AIR NEW ZEALAND UNIFORMS. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN’T DO? HOW DO YOU RELAX? The ultimate relaxation for me is turning my phone off, getting a DVD box-set of a TV series and a bottle of wine and watching back-to-back episodes with my feet up on the couch!

AS WELL, YOU’RE INVOLVED IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS – SUCH AS HAVING STAFF PLANT 1000 TREES – AND CHARITY WORK. WHY? Giving back to society and contributing on a social level is a core value in my life and company.

We have been involved in many fundraising charity events. In 2010 we led an all-women build for Habitat for Humanity at fashion week and then went with 50 fashion volunteers to Thailand and built eight houses in five days for the organisation. I am the patron of the Breast Cancer Research Trust in New Zealand and we are constantly raising money and profile for breast cancer in New Zealand.

FAVE TRAVEL SPOT? My favourite destination is France as it is so diverse… I love Paris – the fashion, hotels, restaurants, architecture, history, beautiful monuments, incredible gardens [and] wrought ironwork… Just as much I love the south of France – the Côte d’Azur – the coastal Corniche road drive to St Tropez, the hotels, restaurants, shopping, markets, and especially the beach clubs… We own a house in a very small medieval village in south-west France in the Dordogne…

[Think] fairy-tale castles, leafy green foliage, wildlife, incredible village antique markets, amazing farmers’ markets for local seasonal produce, the river, people, history, tranquillity, church bells [and] gorgeous old stone buildings.

YOUR BLONDE CURLS ARE A TRADEMARK. WHAT’S YOUR SECRET TO KEEPING YOUR ‘DO LOOKING SO GOOD? I found myself a ‘curly hair expert’ hairdresser who is a master at wrangling my curls into shape. He is amazing and has taught me to how to define curls and keep the frizz under control!

ANY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS? I want to start doing Pilates and yoga, eating smaller portions, and drinking less!

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 49

interview

THIS NEW ZEALAND DESIGNER’S THREADS HAVE BEEN WORN BY CELEBS FROM CATHERINE ZETA-JONES TO STEVIE NICKS AND EVEN SURI CRUISE! CHECK OUT TRELISECOOPER.COM

fashion

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fashion

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DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 57

my style

ACCESSORISED

FROM ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE SHOPS, AMBER NAUMANN IS THE STORE MANAGER OF LOVISA IN CASTLETOWN. ORIGINALLY FROM ROCKHAMPTON AMBER HAS LIVED ALL AROUND QUEENSLAND OPENING AND DEVELOPING LOVISA STORES.

DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? Classic, with an edge. I like to team simple pieces, such as pencil skirts, with more intricate and eclectic statement accessories. MOST TREASURED ITEM? My cropped silver sequined Zara cardi I bought during a shopping trip in Melbourne. I saw it in a window display and couldn’t walk past it. LABELS YOU LIKE? Cameo, Witchery, Maurie and Eve, Zara, I like mixing different labels together to make a unique look, and of course accessorising with Lovisa! BEST SHOPPING TRIP? I had a weeklong shopping trip in Melbourne last year. I’ve never seen such an amazing mix of stores and styles. YOUR STYLE GURU? I don’t really have one, but I have a few style influences such as Doe Deere and Audrey Kitching. YOU’D NEVER BE CAUGHT WEARING…? Leopard print! I don’t know what it is, I hate it! That, and the citrine flouro colour that is everywhere at the moment. WARDROBE ITEM YOU SHOULD PART WITH BUT CAN’T BRING YOURSELF TO / WHY? A really old pair of black festival boots - they talk at the front and the back. I’ve worn them to so many memorable events; I just cant bare to part with them just yet! SHOES OR DRESS FIRST? Lipstick! I’m forever buying new lipsticks and then finding new outfits to compliment them!

58 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

sources PANDORA TOWNSVILLE

SHOP 217 STOCKLAND TOWNSVILLE • 310 ROSS RIVER ROAD AITKENVALE • QUEENSLAND • T: 07 4725 4755

The best Christmas gifts in the country.

Receive a Free gift with selected R.M.Williams boots* * Selected styles. While stocks last.

230 Charters Towers Road 4775 5144 www.donohues.com.au

the next level in building The next level in building and construction is here. AJR are proud to bring their expertise and craftmanship to Townsville after establishing themselves as one of Brisbane’s premier prestige build specialists.

For the next level in quality construction contact AJR now to discuss your project.

See our website for a full list of awards won by projects constructed by AJR.

Visit www.ajrbuilders.com.au or call 0408 004 915 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 59

my bag

MEDICINE BAG

ENERGETIC, HARD WORKING AND CARING DESCRIBES RACHAEL BONIFACE, A PHYSIOTHERAPIST AT SPORTSMED KIRWAN. BORN IN CAIRNS, RACHAEL LIVED REMOTELY IN CENTRAL QUEENSLAND AS A CHILD.

THE BAG I love this soft leather look bag from Sportsgirl that I recently bought on holidays with my sister in Brisbane.

PHOTOS I carry photos of my two nephews and nieces everywhere I go.

There is nothing more rewarding than being an Aunty!

SUNGLASSES My favourite pair! Love the big lenses, they’re great for summer.

MY KINDLE I love reading books and recently decided to go to paperless when my partner bought me this for my birthday. I am currently reading Match Me and 5 Minutes a Day by Michelle Bridges.

IPOD & HEAD phones I love to listen to music on my iPod when I go for a run.

GLASS NAIL FILE I always have one of these floating around my handbag

COLOUR SAMPLES My partner and I recently built our first home. I keep these in my handbag for when I am shopping for homewares and furniture.

THE PERFUME Ralph Lauren ROMANCE. My best friend gave me this as her Maid of Honour for her wedding day. The mini bottle is great to carry with me everywhere I go.

CAR KEYS I recently bought a brand new Hyundai iX35 and I’m loving it!

ST CHRISTOPHER CHARM He is the patron saint of travellers and was given to me by my mum to keep me safe. I take it everywhere with me.

60 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

SNACK Natural Cashews.

These are great to snack on during my working day.

A ROLL OF STRAPPING TAPE I work as a Physiotherapist at SportsMed Kirwan and always carry bits and pieces of the job with me in my handbag.

LIP GLOSS I have about 5 different lip glosses in my handbag at any one time, but this is my favourite at the moment.

HAND CREAM I love my Mary Kay satin hands.

From washing my hands all day it’s nice to treat them from time to time.

DIAMOND NECKLACE My partner bought me this gorgeous necklace for our 8 year anniversary.

PELVIC FLOOR BROCHURE I offer specialist Physiotherapy care in Women’s Health and I am always educating friends and family on pelvic floor exercises.

TRAVEL BROCHURE TO FIJI We’re planning to holiday there next year.

interview

Jennifer Hawkins has come a long way since her triumphant win on the world stage. Recently announced as the new host of Australia’s Next Top Model, she also heads up her own successful swimwear and footwear labels, showing us that Jennifer Hawkins has staying power by paving herself a future creating fashion; not just wearing it.

The Myer Ambassador was in Townsville recently as part of the Myer opening celebrations, and she sat down with DUO to talk candidly about managing her new ventures behind the camera.

Our Jen INTERVIEW AIMEE CADAN PHOTOGRAPHY INSIGHT CREATIVE

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 61

interview She could have portrayed her rise from smalltown cheerleader to stylish celebrity completely differently, describing how hard work and fruitful determination helped her get where she is today. Instead, being a true down-to-earth Aussie, Jennifer Hawkins spoke honestly about the good fortune that has helped her to achieve status as an Australian fashion icon.

Put frankly: “I fell into it. Obviously it’s important to strive to achieve your dreams, but some things are just meant to be.”

That’s definitely not to say that she hasn’t, or doesn’t work hard to achieve what she has today.

As the face of Myer, Jen is flown around the country for appearances on behalf of the retail giant, while also managing to grow her designer empire. Her swimsuit label Cozi is in its fourth season and she now exclusively owns her ‘JLH by Jennifer Hawkins’ shoe range.

“I make sure I have time to give 100 per cent of an effort to everything I’m taking on board, every company that I work for, or any new project,” she says. “I think ‘yeah I’m busy’ but then I have down time too, and when I’m away from work, I’m just away. I literally switch off, from that side of things. That’s how I keep sane.”

Sitting in a cosy back room of the new Townsville Myer store with the buzz of opening day crowds behind us, Jennifer Hawkins is every bit the stunning supermodel – somehow pulling off girlnext-door glamour (is that even a thing?). While the crowd that she’s drawn for the opening of Townsville’s first – and highly anticipated – Myer store reflects her celebrity status, her genuinely friendly personality is owed to her regional Aussie roots.

“My morals have always been the same, but I don’t categorise myself,” she explains. “Because I travel around so much I just try to be myself and treat people equally; that’s my main value I’ve tried to maintain.”

Jen has been the face of Myer since 2007, which at the time set the record as the biggest modelling deal ever done for an Australian-based model.

This business relationship took an exciting turn in 2008 by providing her with a platform to launch her own swimwear range, ‘Cozi by Jennifer Hawkins’.

When conversation moves to her fashion labels, her enthusiasm for her work is obvious as she explains how the designer in her rarely rests. “My inspiration (for Cozi) comes from everywhere – whether its clothing, the colour of the season, or a certain picture that I see. Designing for shoes is constant. I could be travelling and I see a bit of colour or a bit of fabric, and think to myself: ‘that would be amazing in an ankle boot’.”

Jen’s first range of footwear was created for Siren Shoes in 2010, but this year she branched out on her own creating ‘JLH by Jennifer Hawkins’, applying caution as she learns the ins and outs of the business of fashion design. “I’ve taken baby steps (with JLH), just so that I know that it’s working, rather than have it blow out and have too many numbers,” she explains.

Jen’s knack for designing has led to another successful venture in property investment, a collaboration she’s invested in with her fiancé Jake Wall. While Jen has the design smarts, Jake brings the building smarts. Their first project together has been their own home in North Curl Curl, which is nearing completion. Contrary to the belief that working together is relationship suicide, she said that it’s only strengthened her relationship with her tradie fiancé.

62 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

“We’re starting to do more together and that’s just made us like a rock,” she says. “It’s something that we have in common and we’re passionate about it.”

The pair met just two months before Jen’s big Miss Universe win which launched her career; so it’s a credit to them both to have stayed together during her rise to fame. Hinting that there might have been some turbulence along the way, Jen claims that it’s the fact that they’ve journeyed together that they’ve stayed so strong.

“He’s changed and I’ve changed, to a certain degree. We’ve grown. We had breaks here and there at the start, but the main thing that kept us always going back was just the passion. It’s amazing now; I just couldn’t imagine being without him. I think if you can keep that spark alive then you’ll be fine.”

Despite dropping the ‘model’ tag with her new ventures, stepping in front of a lens or a crowd is still a regular part of her work so maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important. And it’s somewhat comforting to k now that this can prove challenging with a hectic schedule, even for one of Australia’s most beautiful women.

“It’s torture to actually motivate myself and get on the treadmill,” she says. “I make sure that there’s a gym where I’m staying, so I can go to the gym and do some type of activity every day. I enjoy it for my sanity, and it’s amazing for jetlag.”

Approaching her thirtieth year, it’s obvious the former Miss Universe has her life happily in tune.

Having come a long way since her crowning glory eight years ago, her life isn’t looking to slow down with her return to television for Australia’s Next Top Model, new seasons of JLH and Cozi in the pipeline, appearances for Myer and her own preparations for her 2013 wedding.

“I’m very ambitious, sometimes a little bit too much,” she says. “I read an article the other day and it said ‘Entrepreneur’ under my name. That’s the biggest achievement I could possibly get; that’s what I’ve always wanted.”

deluxe woman

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CHANEL ULTRA RING IN 18K WHITE GOLD, WHITE CERAMIC 20 DIAMONDS $4,700

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KSUBI SIGMA OPTICAL FRAMES $289

MARC BY MARC JACOBS SNAKE STAMPED LEATHER WERDIE TOP HANDLE SATCHEL $550

LOMOGRAPHY LA SARDINA AND FLASH DIY EDITION CAMERA $150

JIMMY CHOO PRIM PATENT WEDGE IN WHITE $625

LOUIS VUITTON ‘CLOUS’ BRACELET (WHITE GOLD & DIAMOND) $7,500

STOCKISTS: MANNING CARTELL WWW.MANNINGCARTELL.COM IPPOLITA IPPOLITA.COM JIMMY CHOO 02 8666 0666 LOUIS VUITTON 1300 883 880 WWW.LOUISVUITTON.COM LOMOGRAPHY WWW.LOMOGRAPHY.COM.AU CHANEL 1300 CHANEL 242 635 THOMAS SABO 02 9417 0177 WWW.THOMASSABO.COM MARC BY MARC JACOBS WWW.MY-WARDROBE.COM KSUBI WWW.KSUBI.COM OMEGA BOUTIQUES 02 8080 9696 WWW.OMEGAWATCHES.COM DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 63

deluxe man

DEUS EX MACHINA MOTO GRIGIO POA MOTO GRIGIO IS MICHAEL WOOLAWAY’S LATEST ADDITION TO THE DEUS EX MACHINA ARSENAL. THE BIKE’S NAMESAKE IS A VINTAGE FERRARI PAINT CALLED GRIGIO SCURO. A SIMPLIFIED TRANSLATION OF THE TERM FROM ITALIAN INTO ENGLISH—DARK GREY— DOES THE NAME LITTLE JUSTICE. IT’S A COMPLEX HUE THAT SHIFTS FROM DARK GREY TO NEAR BLACK IN DIFFERENT LIGHTS. PAIRING THIS COLOUR WITH THE AGGRESSIVE SILHOUETTE OF MOTO GRIGIO, THE BIKE CUTS AN IMPOSING FIGURE.

RACHAEL RUDDICK 48 HOUR TRAVELLER CALFSKIN $550

MATT BLACK

NOTHING BEATS CLASSIC BLACK. DARK DREAMS ARE MADE OF THESE THOMAS SABO REBEL AT HEART STERLING SILVER BRACELET $134

CONVERSE MISSONI KNITTED SNEAKERS APPROX $359

CLINIQUE FOR MEN 3-STEP SKIN CARE SYSTEM

MOËT & CHANDON GOLDEN DIAMOND SUIT CHAMPAGNE $89.99

TOM FORD NOIR 100ML EDP $195

STOCKISTS: DEUS EX MACHINA WWW.DEUSCUSTOMS.COM CONVERSE WWW.MRPORTER.COM THOMAS SABO 02 9417 0177 WWW.THOMASSABO.COM MOËT & CHANDON DAVID JONES AND INDEPENDENT RETAILERS TOM FORD 1800 061 326 CLINIQUE WWW.CLINIQUE.COM.AU RACHAEL RUDDICK WWW.RACHAELRUDDICK.COM

64 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

Guarantee the future value + of your vehicle .

Choose your Agility Programme: • New Mercedes-Benz

Choose your end of Agreement options: • Trade

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To find out more about the Mercedes-Benz Agility Finance Programme visit Carmichael Motors www.mbtownsville.com.au today. +Guaranteed Future Value (GFV) is subject to vehicle return conditions and kilometre restrictions. Agility Finance is restricted to approved customers of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Australia Pty Ltd ABN 73 074 134 517, Australian credit licence 247271 and is subject to standard credit assessment and lending criteria. Please contact an authorised Mercedes-Benz dealer for further details (including vehicle eligibility).

Agility Carmichael Motors 49 Charters Towers Road Townsville 4750 0460

www.mbtownsville.com.au

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fashion

Benson Slim swim short in red - $119

Benson Classic swim short in black - $99

Benson Slim swim 8 short in blue - $119

Benson Swimmer short in yellow - $119 Benson Swimmer short in blue - $119

EVERY DAY IS A TROPICAL ESCAPE IN BENSON’S RESORT WEAR Available from www.bensonshorts.com

Benson Fade short in white - $99

Benson Shore short in white - $129

66 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

fashion

Benson Slim swim short in white - $99 Benson Slim swimmer short in light blue - $99

Benson Shore shorts in orange - $129 Benson Tropic denim shirt - $159

Benson Slim swim 8 short in white - $119 Benson Slim swim short in blue - $99

Benson slim swim short in navy - $99

Benson Swimmer short in blue - $119

Benson Shore short in yellow - $129

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 67

beauty

KIEHL’S AROMATIC BLENDS SCENTED BODY COLLECTION – FRAGRANCE, SKIN-SOFTENING BODY CLEANSER AND SKIN-SOFTENING BODY LOTION IN ORANGE FLOWER & LYCHEE. DIOR LIMITED EDITION PALETTE GRAND BAL THIS OBJECT OF DESIRE REVEALS A PEARL EYE-SHADOW DUO IN PLATINUM AND GOLD, THAT SHINES LIKE SILK AND IS AS PRECIOUSLY ADORNED AS AN EVENING GOWN. TWO SHADES OF GLOSS COMPLETE THIS SUMPTUOUS ACCESSORY, SEALED BY A DEEP BLACK EYE LINER. $135

CLARINS ODYSSEY LIMITED EDITION COLLECTOR FACE PALETTE $55

SUMMER GOLD ADD THESE LATEST BEAUTY ESSENTIALS TO YOUR COLOUR PALETTE CLINIQUE MINI CHUBBY STICK LIP COLOUR BALM $60

BALENCIAGA FLORABOTANICA EDP 50ML $125 NEW MICHAEL KORS FOR ESTÉE LAUDER GUNMETAL GREY MAKEUP COLLECTION FEATURING A GUNMETAL GREY MICHAEL KORS COSMETIC BAG $125 (WITH A VALUE OVER $275)

CLARINS ODYSSEY LIMITED EDITION INSTANT DEFINITION MASCARA $42

DR. LEWINN’S® REVERSADERM GLYCOLIC CLARIFYING CLEANSER $34.95, MICRO-CELLULAR AGE CORRECTING PEEL $49.95, TRICOLLAGEN ACCELERATING SERUM $69.95, ANTIOXIDANT REGENERATIVE CREAM $69.95, ENZYMATIC DETOXIFYING MASK $49.95

STOCKISTS: KIEHL 1300 651 991 DR. LEWINN’S® 1800 630 056 WWW.DRLEWINNS.COM.AU DIOR 02 9695 4800 CLINIQUE 1800 556 948 CLINIQUE.COM.AU MICHAEL KORS FOR ESTÉE LAUDER 1800 061 326 WWW.ESTEELAUDER.COM.AU BALENCIAGA FLORABOTANICA MYER 1800 812 663 CLARINS 02 9663 4277 WWW.ADOREBEAUTY.COM.AU

68 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

beauty

Q2uinte2sse2ntial THE BELLANOVA

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Christmas is a time to show the special people in your life how much you appreciate them. Here are some pampering gift ideas we know they will enjoy, plus they will receive a MOR gift with each package.

Christmas Cheer Shellac Mini Mani + Petite Pedicure $119

Christmas Delight Luxe Spa Pedithrone Pedicure $99

Christmas Bliss Aromatherapy Back + Shoulder Massage $75

Christmas Luxury Petite Facial, Scalp Tingling Head Massage, Mini Mani + Petite Pedicure $189

Plus a Emporium Body Wash and Lotion Package.

Plus your choice of Fragrant Soy MOR Candle.

Plus a Triple-Milled Soap and Hand Cream Duet.

Plus a 'Beauty Case' with Triple-Milled Soap, Hand Cream and Lip Macaron.

For more pamper package ideas please visit us in salon or online at www.bellanova.com.au | Tel. 4771 6659 | 222 Flinders St East Townsville

perfect wedding MerryYour Christmas day starts here...

from our new look team . . .

Specialising in the latest With over 40 years of combined skills and knowledge we bridal andsalon style.experience. guarantee you thedesign ultimate Enquire about our unique

We welcome new senior stylists Sharaya and Shannon, Bridal Package. and to celebrate we are offering you a complimentary Kerastase hair NOW maskOFFERING treatment with every cut or colour PROFESSIONAL MAKE-UP SERVICES & PRODUCTS BY service booked with either stylist during December. © DUO 2009

Great Christmas gift ideas are now available . . .

GHD Irons $279  LÓreal Packs $54.95

Mention this advertisement to redeem offer.

Capelli Hair Gallery 4724 5554 Shop 16, North Ward Shopping Village (Eyre Street) info@capellihairgallery.com.au www.capellihairgallery.com.au www.capellihairgallery.com.au

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 69

beauty

Feel good and look good now

Pamper yourself or a loved one in the new year with Christmas Gift Vouchers

WITH QUEENSLAND COUNTRY HEALTH FUND

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^Offer valid for new memberships between 1 December 2012 – 31 December 2012. Not available in conjunction with any other offer including corporate packages. Offer not available to Queensland Country staff or their family members. Terms and conditions apply and available online at qldcountryhealth. com.au. Queensland Country Health Fund Ltd ABN 18 085 048 237.

better health cover shouldn’t hurt

1800 813 415 qldcountryhealth.com.au

Massage • Deep Tissue Massage • Naturopathy • Nutrition 

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Shop 2/91 Bundock Street Belgian Gardens Phone 4724 5585 OPEN 7 DAYS AND AFTERHOURS

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WITH 22 CONVENIENTLY LOCATED CENTRES Call 4779 3277 to find the best centre for you 70 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

Comprehensive eye examinations Digital Retinal Imaging Cataract & glaucoma testing Designer eyewear Consultations Bulk-Billed to Medicare

Homewood & Hanks Optometrists

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137 Queen St, Ayr... 4783 1361

promotion

ENHANCE THE WAY YOU LOOK AND FEEL THIS HOLIDAY SEASON NEED A FRESHEN-UP AS THE FESTIVE PARTY INVITES ROLL IN? THERE ARE PLENTY OF NON-SURGICAL WAYS TO TREAT YOUR SKIN AND TURN BACK THE CLOCK.

THESE days, most of us – whether through magazines, family, friends or colleagues – are aware of cosmetic procedures.

When looking in the mirror, though, trying to work out exactly what’s needed can be difficult. Quite rightly, the best place to start is with the professionals.

At Chrysalis Skin Technology – a division of Queensland Plastic Surgery – attention to detail, care and realistic outcomes are priorities. The staff are passionate about skin health and ageing – at all stages of life. While the signs of ageing can take a while to appear, genetics, lifestyle and environment mean these processes are in action from the day we are born.

Consultations at the clinic start with an assessment of your skin health including your skin’s medical and treatment history, significant skin conditions and possible contraindications to ensure you’re a suitable candidate for any procedures.

Your facial features will also be analysed using facial mapping to enable a full assessment of your facial ageing process. Normal changes in the skin, fat, muscle and bones are considered. The staff will listen to your specific concerns, providing you with all the information required before any treatment is carried out.

Senior cosmetic injector and aesthetic nurse specialist Shona McIntosh says: “Townsville women and men really want to look after themselves and look good for their age. Whether they are in their thirties wanting facial maintenance treatments, their forties endeavouring to delay the signs of ageing, or in their fifties and sixties requiring facial volume restoration and reshaping, it’s an amazing privilege to help people take care of themselves. I consider these ‘investments’ of time and the treatments like contributions to our ‘face portfolio’. Patients will see the benefits both immediately and in the future.”

Always keen to provide clients with the latest products and trends, the clinic often has promotions for treatments using long-lasting, safe products – at great savings. Its latest promotion is the “30min Refresh”, which is perfect for helping diminish facial lines, restore volume and shape contours to ‘refresh’ features. The procedure offers minimal down-time for the skin, with the area of treatment looking soft, relaxed and natural afterwards.

Queensland Plastic Surgery considers skin health a high priority, therefore, its non-surgical consultations, valued at over $75, are complementary and, of course, come with no obligation. Call today to book your consultation and start your skin on a journey to better health. All cosmetic injections carried out by its registered nurses are prescribed by plastic surgeon Dr Mark Vucak and administered by fully trained clinical injectors.

improve and enhance the

of your skin for this holiday season As the party season approaches men and women are opting for cosmetic injectables to assist in reducing fine lines and rejuvenating their appearance. | Shona McIntosh

Cosmetic Injector and Aesthetic Nurse Specialist

| Melissa Fernance

Cosmetic Injector and General Practitioner

Complimentary Injectable Consultations Appointments available Wednesday, Friday and after hours by appointment.

| Suite 6, 281-285 Ross River Road, Aitkenvale | 4725 8400 | www.qldplasticsurgery.com.au

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 71

wellbeing

MEGAN FLUX I OWNER I FIRST THINGS FIRST WELLNESS CENTRE

CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE, CHANGE YOUR LIFE Don’t wait to make lifestyle changes – improve your health and fitness now.

“REMEMBER YOU GET FIT IN THE GYM AND LOSE WEIGHT IN THE KITCHEN.”

Is your bottom following you up the street, your thighs sitting next to you and your tummy shading your shoes?

Are you tired, lethargic and not happy with the way you look and feel at the moment? We are approaching 2013 and if you made a New Year’s resolution early this year, what happened to it? Are you just going to reinvent it again in a few months?

why you put on weight. This is how you will learn to fuel your body, nourish your cells and, more importantly, eat fat-burning foods. If you don’t know how to do any of this, then you can get advice from our wellness team.

They can also help you with intolerances to different foods that slow down your digestive system and cause you to be irritable, overweight and lethargic.

Well, the first mistake you made is making a New Year’s resolution. If you want to be happy, healthy and feel good about yourself on an ongoing basis you need to find some balance in your life. You need to have a plan that does not have a beginning and an end.

Some of you may feel a wave of panic come over you when exercise is mentioned. Another mistake a lot of people make is to decide they are going to get fit and healthy and absolutely annihilate themselves in the first week. They are so stiff and exhausted that just doing normal everyday tasks is hard work. Of course you are not going to keep up an exercise program if the aftermath is this. Remember you get fit in the gym and lose weight in the kitchen.

Dieting is a word I hate to hear. You should never choose your food because you want to be slim. You should choose your food because you want to be healthy. If you are always picking healthy alternatives you will find you will be able to eat more than you have before. For example, if you went out to dinner and had the option of veal parmigiana or grilled Atlantic salmon, which would you choose? You know which the better choice is!

Exercise should also be something you enjoy and something you can maintain. It should be varied throughout the week so you don’t get bored. Be resultsorientated with your exercise and take the time to see how you feel afterwards. You will usually have more energy and a much more positive outlook on life. This is why you should continue to exercise – not because you want to lose weight.

You are not supposed to go on a diet and shut down on life for the period of your weight loss program. I hear people who don’t want to start a diet this week as they have something on, or have a stressful week, or are busy.

But this is when your body needs you MOST. Plus, have a think about the way you think. Is your attitude holding you back from being a happier, healthier You need to maintain your weight loss and understand you? Change your attitude, change your life!

a small price to pay for your health

BODY

BLITZ 12 month package

Consistency

is the key to wellbeing and longevity in your health

Bonus

Every month you will receive

1 x 55 minute remedial massage of your choice 1 x 45 minute detox box session 1 x professional weigh and measure 1 x 30 minute endermologie body shaping and cellulite reduction treatment • 1 x 20 minute vibro train toning session • • • •

As a bonus the first 20 people on this wellbeing program will received a FREE HEALTH CHECK and report of findings, VALUED AT $50 Every month your investment is $177 per month. Based on a 12 month commitment on the body blitz program. Conditions apply.

PHONE 4728 7165 www.firstthingsfirst.com.au SHOP 11, RISING SUN SHOPPING CENTRE, CNR BOWEN ROAD AND ROSS RIVER ROADS, MUNDINGBURRA 72 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

FIRST THINGS FIRST

WELLNESS CENTRE

wellbeing GRANT COLLINS I AUDIOLOGIST I CLARITY HEARING SOLUTIONS

TROPICAL EAR CAN BE AVOIDED

Our steamy summer climate can mean a breeding ground for ear infections.

“THE HOT, HUMID CONDITIONS CAUSE PERSPIRATION AND MOISTURE TO DEVELOP IN THE EAR CANAL.”

Coming into the business end of summer, I feel it’s a creeks, rivers, dams, pools or showering. If any bacteria good time to discuss infections of the ear canal, which or fungus is present in the water and the canal doesn’t usually become increasingly common this time of year. drain and dry out, then again it can provide the perfect environment for infection. Try and dry the ear out with Otitis externa – or what’s more commonly known up the end of your towel or, if you know you are susceptible here as “tropical ear” or “swimmer’s ear” – refers to to infection, then use Aqua Ear from a chemist. Aqua bacterial or fungal infections of the ear canal. They’re Ear is an alcohol-based substance which evaporates any particularly prevalent in the tropical areas and in water in the ear canal. Again, prevention is better than the summer months. This is because the hot, humid cure and the use of swim plugs to prevent water from conditions cause perspiration and moisture to develop in entering is best if you have a history of chronic otitis the ear canal, making it an ideal environment for fungus externa. and bacteria to grow. For those wearing hearing aids that occlude the ear and prevent air from circulating, For those wearing hearing aids, summer can be a real otitis externa can be even more prolific. Like most ear issue as certain aids which occlude the ear do not pathologies, prevention is better than cure and there are allow air to circulate in the canal; hence, sweating and procedures that can minimise the risk of infection. consequent infection can occur. If possible, try and see if your hearing aid can be installed as an open fitting.

Probably the biggest mistake most people make is This means instead of blocking up the ear with a mould, the constant removal of wax or cleaning of the ears a small dome leaves it open so the canal can receive with cotton buds. Earwax – or cerumen – has several aeration. purposes, but, most importantly, the oils in it have natural antifungal and antibacterial properties which can prevent If your device is unable to be fitted with an open fit, then the onset as well as sustainability of infections within the sterilisation and venting is very important. Before and ear canal. Further contributing to this is the role the wax after you put your hearing aid in, wipe the mould or plays in keeping the ear canal at a certain pH level so its shell over once with an alcohol wipe or a tissue with acidity is unfavourable for many microorganisms. The methylated spirits to kill any bacteria or fungus that may repeated removal of these oils, plus the further smearing be present. If you have any creams or drops for treating of bacteria or fungus, makes the canal more susceptible chronic otitis externa, these can be applied to the shell to developing or spreading infections. or mould as well. Also, if possible, see if your mould or shell can have a vent either put in or enlarged to allow Also contributing to the susceptibility of otitis externa is more air to circulate. getting any water in the ears – either from swimming in

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DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 73

promotion

SUZANNE JARSCHKE I OWNER I WELLSPRING CHIROPRACTIC

BE WELL-RESTED THIS FESTIVE SEASON Don’t let holiday cheer interrupt your sleep patterns or risk turning into the Christmas Grinch.

“CHRONIC SLEEP DEPRIVATION MAY LEAD TO A HOST OF HEALTH PROBLEMS.”

Stress of any kind is a proven cause of sleep disorders and interrupted sleep patterns. Unfortunately, too many Australians don’t get enough sleep and when they do, it’s often interrupted or punctuated by constant tossing and turning. That’s bad news from a health perspective – both in the short and long-term. And it’s especially no good when we’re coming into the holiday season which is meant to be about R&R. A lack of adequate sleep can affect your judgement, mood and ability to learn and retain information, and may increase your risk of serious accidents and injury. In the long-term, chronic sleep deprivation may lead to a host of health problems including obesity, diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease, and even early mortality. Health requires a good balance of physical exercise and activity, combined with periods of rest, relaxation and adequate sleep. Chiropractic care has been shown to significantly reduce the effects of stress on the body and improve your capacity to cope with it. Here are five tips to get better sleep while enjoying this festive season: Keep your schedule. Even during the festive season, sleeping habits should be as regular as possible. Try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time each morning. Wind down at

least an hour before bed to ensure calmness and relaxation.

Exercise early. To maximise restorative sleep, exercise first thing in the morning. Exercising right before bed can leave you amped up, sore and/or unable to settle in for a long, relaxing night’s rest. Don’t over-indulge. When you eat heavy, greasy food, your body won’t be able to digest it quickly, leaving you at the mercy of that food while you’re trying to sleep. Limit alcohol. Take it easy with “holiday cheer”. Even though alcohol is a depressant and will help the body fall asleep, it will create problems during the second half of your sleep cycle when the effect wears off and a backlash occurs. Stay well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress and pillow. We recommend the Sleepmaker range of mattresses, endorsed by the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia, and a contour pillow. If you are away from home, put the mattress on the floor if the bed is too uncomfortable.

For specialist advice on how to reduce stress and improve spinal health please call 4779 1604 or visit us online at wellspringchiropractic.com.au.

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74 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

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wellbeing RACHEALE GRAY | CLINICAL COORDINATOR | CASEY DENTISTS

MUM’S THE WORD

Maintaining prenatal oral health is vital for expectant mothers – and the health of their offspring.

© DUO 2012

“OF GREATER IMPORTANCE ARE THE CHANGES WE MAKE TO OUR PERSONAL HEALTH, ENSURING THE LIFE WE HAVE INSIDE OF US GETS THE BEST START POSSIBLE.”

There is something surreal about the news you are inflamed and red or even slightly swollen. Why does going to become a mother. I’m sure at least five this happen? The change in hormones in a pregnant emotions hit you at once: happiness, excitement, woman’s body can cause the gums to become more surprise, apprehension, and a tinge of nerves. The next sensitive to the bacteria in plaque, thus, causing 40 weeks of you and your partner’s lives can become a infection and inflammation quicker than usual if not roller coaster of emotional and physical changes. removed, also known as pregnancy gingivitis.

Some of our first thoughts are of the changes we may The easiest way to reduce the bleeding or need to make to our lifestyles or homes. But of greater inflammation of gums is to remove the cause. Here are importance are the changes we make to our personal some helpful hints to combat irritated, bleeding gums health, ensuring the life we have inside of us gets the during pregnancy: best start possible.

• Brush your teeth at least twice daily – both morning We often alter our diets to try and incorporate more and evening – to help remove plaque and food debris. nutritious foods and may abstain from some of the We encourage using a small soft-bristle or electric poor habits we used to indulge in. toothbrush, brushing slowly over each tooth and the Some females often experience cravings throughout gum individually for at least two minutes. This can also their pregnancy which can affect their health. What help with dry-reaching which is very common in can often be overlooked, but is of equal importance, pregnancy. though, is your oral health.

• Floss your teeth daily to help remove any plaque or One of the most common cravings is for sugary food debris. snacks, which may increase your risk of tooth decay.

• If you suffer from morning sickness and are vomiting, Try to have low-sugar food or healthier options, such ensure you rinse your mouth out with water as soon as fruit, if you need to have the sweetness to satisfy as you can. Do not brush straightaway as the acid from your craving. Rinse your mouth with water or chew your stomach can erode the enamel. A product called gum afterwards to stimulate your saliva. If you are ‘Tooth Mousse’ is available exclusively from the dental going to brush your teeth, wait at least 20 minutes surgery. This product is fantastic as it helps strengthen after having a sugary snack. and re-mineralise your teeth and reduce any sensitivity Along with an altering body shape, increased appetite you may be experiencing. and swelling of your feet, ankles and fingers, you may • Seeing a dental professional throughout your notice some other unwelcome changes. Almost half of pregnancy will help set your mind at ease, knowing all pregnant women notice bleeding gums when your oral health is being looked after. So make an brushing or flossing. Their gums may even seem appointment today to see your dental hygienist!

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DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 75

interview

Undergoing a double mastectomy was an easy decision for 28-year-old Emily Vagulans, whose family had been cursed with cancer for generations. Now in recovery, Emily’s battle with breast cancer is over before it even really began. All that’s left are her battle scars, which if you ask Emily’s two-year-old son are from wrestling a dinosaur.

INTERVIEW RACHEL LICCIARDELLO PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW RANKIN

“Mummy wrestled a dinosaur.”

At just 28 years old, Emily Vagulans has spent one-quarter that caused a lot of anxiety.” of her life wrestling with cancer. The insidious disease has In 2003 Emily’s mum, Geneine, was diagnosed with breast claimed the lives of both her parents, threatened two aunties cancer. “Mum had a mammogram and all seemed fine, but she and her grandmother, taunted her eldest sister and, this year, found a lump soon after and it took her six months before she got it checked by the doctor. Sure enough, it was a very aggrescame knocking for Emily.

As a nurse, Emily is well aware of just how cruel cancer can be. sive form of cancer that had already spread to her lymph nodes.

But it is her experiences nursing each of her parents through So, she had a partial mastectomy, removing the lymph nodes the disease that has left this young woman – wife to Aymon as well, followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatment.” and mother to little Lachlan (who will turn three on New Emily was 21, had just finished her nursing degree and reloYear’s Eve) – adamant she will not fall victim to breast cancer. cated to Townsville, only to return to the Riverina area in After finding a lump in her breast in May and undergoing New South Wales to nurse Geneine. “For a while everything a double mastectomy in October, Emily’s chance of getting seemed to be going well, but after about a year mum started breast cancer has dropped from 60 per cent to less than 1 per feeling unwell,” remembers Emily. “She had a CT scan, and cent. “I feel as though I can breathe now,” tells Emily. “It her liver looked like a Christmas pudding, covered in little wasn’t a matter of if I would get breast cancer, but when, and tumours. The cancer had also spread to her bone and lungs,

76 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

interview and she’d developed a tumour on her ovary. We had to go through chemo again and just as it would start working, her body would get used to it and she’d get worse. It was a roller coaster.”

In 2005, after an 18-month battle, Geniene passed away.

Then, in 2007, Emily’s father, Reg, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.

“Dad chose not to have chemo because he’d seen how it affected mum,” recalls Emily, who left Townsville once more to return to the family home and nurse her father. “We didn’t have a long time together, but we had quality time. Those were the best days I ever spent with my dad.”

That same year, Reg died, leaving Emily an orphan at 23.

Following such a confronting history with cancer, deciding to undergo a double mastectomy was an obvious choice for Emily. “I was in the shower when I found the lump and it was the size of a grape. I freaked out, had an ultrasound and samples taken and discovered there was also a second lump in my other breast, too deep for me to feel. The results showed atypical cells, but with my history I wasn’t going to take chances,” explains Emily.

“I got in contact with a geneticist who calculated my risk of developing breast cancer at 60 per cent and said having a double mastectomy was a very smart and plausible action to take. ‘Go forth,’ he told me. I asked if I should be formally tested to determine changes in my BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes [which can identify high risk candidates for cancer], he said there’s no point because there is absolutely no doubt I will get breast cancer. He said to take action. So I did.”

Emily was in surgery for eight hours, with breast specialist and surgeon Dr Sally Meade removing the breast tissue and nipples, then plastic surgeon Dr Ian Tassan leading the reconstruction. “Dr Tassan cut the lats [latissimus dorsi muscles] from my back, which are attached at the armpit, and swung the muscle around to my front and over the implants. So it’s layered as implant, muscles, then skin,” explains Emily whose cup size dropped from DD to A immediately after surgery and one month on is settling into a D cup. “At the moment I look like Barbie with two mounds,” she jokes.

“But in six months Dr Tassan will reconstruct nipples for me, by cutting a cross in my skin and lifting, folding and shaping it into a bud. Then I’ll see a cosmetic tattooist, also in Townsville, for nipple tattooing,” she pauses, before laughing. “I’ll get to pick out my own nipples!”

For a woman, recovering post-mastectomy can be just as much about the

mental recovery as the physical. “Physically, I feel strong,” tells Emily, just one month after her surgery. “I was told I may need two to three months to recover, but I feel amazing already, possibly because I’m quite young to have this procedure,” she explains, adding that she’s heading back to work this month, in a new role at Townsville Hospital as a cardiac nurse.

“I’ve had a few brief moments when I’ve felt down, but my husband still makes me feel like his beautiful woman; this is my body now and not for a second has he made me feel uneasy,” smiles Emily. “While Lachy has been quite concerned for me, he’s also been very proud. After my surgery, he asked me, ‘Mummy, why do you have ouchies?’ so I told him, ‘Mummy was bitten by a dinosaur’,” laughs Emily. “He thinks I’m the coolest mummy ever because I’ve wrestled a dinosaur!”

Having seen the ugliest side of cancer, Emily is convinced she has made the right decision. “I would prefer Lachlan to see me now, recovering from this surgery, than see me in a wheelchair, with no hair, unable to talk or eat because I have ulcers in my mouth, suffering mood changes and vomiting endlessly, as I saw my mother,” recalls Emily. “I think living with cancer has made me more eager to escape our family’s curse. It was as though I had two ticking time bombs on my chest, so I removed the bombs before they could remove me from my family. It feels good to know that I’ve changed the course of my fate.”

Emily hopes that by speaking openly and honestly about her experience, she will encourage other women – young and old – to check their own breasts for lumps and know their risk. “It feels weird talking to strangers about personal things like your boobs and your nipples,” hesitates Emily.

“But this is something women need to talk about. Breast cancer doesn’t only happen to women over 40, it doesn’t discriminate.”

With Emily’s grandmother and mother both diagnosed with ovarian cancer (doctors were uncertain whether Geneine’s ovarian cancer was a primary cancer, or the result of the breast cancer spreading), Emily will face the likelihood of ovarian cancer later in life. “When I’m nearing 40 I will have my ovaries taken out, as a precaution,” explains Emily. “But that’s a battle for another day. Right now, I’ve won against breast cancer.

“Actually,” pauses Emily, “I do feel like I’ve fought a dinosaur,” she laughs.

“But I won the fight, and now I can live my life. I feel empowered; I feel fearless.”

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 77

profiles HERE’S A LOOK at the city’s only national women’s sporting team, Townsville Fire, away from the basketball court and their intense training sessions.

We profile four of the five players from abroad – Casey Lockwood, Micaela Cocks, Kayla Standish and Yinka Olorunnife – either from the US, New Zealand or Canada.

While Vegemite’s not on top of the favourite foods list for these elite athletes, most confessed to loving Tim Tams and having some knowledge of rugby league and Australian Rules. All of them have a flair for fashion, love to dress up for occasions and are confident in their own style away from their sweaty uniforms and basketball shoes.

Even though Casey Lockwood was born in the US, she calls New Zealand her adopted home. It’s the 27-year-old’s second year in North Queensland and she’s enjoyed living here “because it’s chill, warm and beautiful.”

She loves listening to a wide range of music and, if given a chance to

YINKA OLORUNNIFE

KAYLA STANDISH

be a superhero, it would be as Storm, a leading female character from X-Men. As for who she’d pick if she had the chance to invite famous people to dinner, Casey chooses basketballer Michael Jordan naturally, Florence Welch from Florence + the Machine, and spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle. Food-wise, she loves too many dishes to pick a sole favourite, but says Mexican would be at the top of the list.

Casey says her family and friends would describe her personality as “crazy but in a good way”. And when she gets homesick, she logs onto Skype, meditates or reads. If that doesn’t work, she likes to play the guitar.

Yinka Olorunnife’s passport has been stamped countless times since being born in Nigeria and then growing up in Australia and Canada.

Her family and close friends describe the 22-year-old as “energetic and driven” – someone who puts a lot of effort into making her goals a reality.

When picking famous dinner guests, she opts for singer Kanye West, TV host Ellen DeGeneres and Prince Harry. If they were eating Yinka’s favourite food, it would either be an Italian or Chinese dish. For Yinka, it’s her first time living in Townsville and what she likes about the place is that it’s not too big or small, plus the people are kind and friendly.

78 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

Hit-Girl from the Kick-Ass movie is a superhero Yinka would most like to be and she’s not embarrassed to admit she’s a huge fan of the band, One Direction, as well as Kid Cudi and reggae music.

Kayla Standish feels lucky to play a professional sport while having a family member living four hours’ drive south of Townsville. It’s great for her to have a familiar face in the crowd for the Fire’s home games.

Her housemates, teammates and Townsville Fire coaching staff have also been good in keeping her mind off home. “I’m so happy here that I hardly recognise how far away from home I really am.”

The 23-year-old American was a gymnast for eight years and, if she was a super-hero, Superman, is her chosen crusader. Family and friends describe Kayla as being laid back and easy-going, and that’s exactly what she likes about Townsville – the relaxed lifestyle suits her.

She loves country music and her favourite dish is chicken with mashed potato, gravy and corn. As for inviting three guests to dinner, she picks Earvin “Magic” Johnson, her grandpa, and actor Ryan Gosling.

CASEY LOCKWOOD

MICAELA COCKS

Micaela Cocks was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and loves to wear any Chuck Taylor gear. Her favourite band is Sublime, and if she was to be a superhero, the webbed crusader, Spiderman, would be her pick.

Guests she would invite to dinner include singer Pink, Ellen DeGeneres and young, adorable entertainers Sophia Grace and Rosie. Plus, Micaela’s favourite food, lamb shanks, would definitely be on the menu.

The 26-year-old loves a challenge and has competed in a rodeo. When growing up, she also wanted to be a professional skateboarder. So it’s no surprise her family and friends describe her as a fun person to be around. It’s Micaela’s second year living here and the weather and people of Townsville are what she likes best.

For the team, when it came to picking an Aussie slang term they liked, the women had some beauties such as “pull your head in, mate” or “yeah but” and even “this arvo”.

Despite the long distance from home, support networks, today’s technology and social media make it easier for them to stay connected with family and friends. During the Christmas break, the Townsville Fire players and coaching staff will either return to their hometowns, visit friends or stay in the north – no doubt firing up the festivities wherever they go!

profiles

FIRE IT UP THE INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS FROM WNBL TEAM TOWNSVILLE FIRE ARE BLAZING A TRAIL THROUGH THE CITY.

INTERVIEW VELMA GARA PHOTOGRAPHY INSIGHT CREATIVE DRESSED BY MYER TOWNSVILLE HAIR BY HAIRHOUSE WAREHOUSE CASTLETOWN, WILLOWS AND STOCKLAND MAKEUP BY MICHELLE’S SKIN AND BODY SOLUTIONS CASTLETOWN DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 79

family

EWEN JONES MP I FEDERAL MEMBER FOR HERBERT

YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT

The power of the shower rose to dampen the day

“THERE IS NOT ENOUGH COFFEE IN THE WORLD TO MAKE UP FOR THIS START TO MY DAY…”

You know me, I don’t like to whinge or moan. But sometimes I feel that enough is enough. If I don’t speak out, who will? This kind of injustice must be shouted down. It must be attacked and defeated. I am speaking, of course, of the shower rose height in hotels.

Which committee came up with the shower rose sticking out of the wall at the 1.37m mark? How many engineers came up with the reason why this was the optimal height for a shower rose? Was it a jockey or the airline executive who came up with the seat sizes in economy?

I am not an overly tall man. In fact, all I ever wanted to be in life was 6 foot tall. I am 5ft 11 and a half in my socks.

Sure that is close enough, but you simply cannot lie to yourself. Not when you are as handsome as me anyway….

I have home stay accommodation in Canberra and do not travel much outside of Parliament. However, occasionally I have to do the trips to fight for projects or view things elsewhere to better gain perspective. Invariably, the morning starts as the day finished: standing in a shower recess waiting for something like infinity until the water becomes, at best, tepid.

Then I have to stand under the dribble of water to get my hair wet enough to wash. That normally involves kneeling for a considerable period because the shower rose is

pointing at my belly button. If that is not bad enough, the water comes out at about 0.5psi pressure. Now, I know I run the risk of planting an image here which may scar you for life, but I have a fair amount of body to wash.

Getting wet in the first place in these hotels requires patience and persistence. Then to wash off the soap requires even more painstaking work, parts of my body have actually air dried before I have finished the shower.

Then I have the problem of getting back up off the floor (remember, I was kneeling to get wet) and trying not to slip as I alight from the combination bath/shower.

By the time I get to leave the hotel, I am worn out from the exercise and frustrated beyond belief. There is not enough coffee in the world to make up for this start to my day. That is why I always have my first meeting with an insurance company or a bank. They are used to getting belted and no one gives you a hard time for being cruel to them (sorry guys. It just does not upset anyone else.)

When I espoused my theories of the worst parts of business travel, my daughters shrugged their shoulders, gave an eye roll in my direction and said, in unison “Hash Tag, first world problems dad”. I haven’t the faintest what this means but it obviously resonated with them. I connect with my kids like that.

NICOLE PIEROTTI I CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST I BABYSMILES

TRAVEL WITH CHILDREN

How having a packing process can help teach your child to be independent

“IT’S NOT WHAT YOU DO FOR THEM THAT COUNTS, IT’S WHAT YOU TEACH THEM TO DO THEMSELVES THAT IS THE KEY TO THEIR FUTURE SUCCESS.”

I watched my daughter the other day pack her bag for a school camp – I was so impressed with her thoroughness, and ability to collect items, tick off, and pack her bag. With Christmas around the corner, most of us will be travelling with kids or teenagers – kids just don’t learn to pack their bag one day, in fact it takes a number of years to master the process and starts in the early years.

Regardless of how young or old your children are – teaching them how to pack a bag and organize their belongings is a skill you need to impart. It’s not what you do for them that counts, it’s what you teach them to do themselves that is the key to their future success.

You may have noticed schools start early with teaching children to be responsible for their own bag, they carry (not mum), they unpack – the same goes for travelling.

Even from the age of 2 years, get your child a little backpack (my personal preference is for a see through one) and they can carry their own collection of toys and water bottle onto the plane, or in the car. As they get older you extend the steps, from you collecting and packing to giving them a list of what they need in pictures or words, eg.

5 pairs of socks, 1 pair of jeans etc. Get them to lay it out on their bed. You then need to check and add or exchange

80 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

the stained pair of shorts for the clean pair and then get them to help you pack into the suitcase.

Move on from there, to you calling out a list and your child writing it down. Once again, they gather and collect, there are always the missing bits to find. Lay it out, Mum or Dad check and pack it in. Basically you follow this process. They help to carry bags where they can as well, think responsibility. And over the years you add more and more for them to do. Eventually they should be able to gather and check the toiletries bag, their clothes, shoes, hats, toys, books and anything else that’s needed.

I’m sure you know all the lessons that are learned in this process – for instance how many days are you going = how many sets of clothes. Another big bonus to your children when away, whether it’s school camp or family Christmas holiday is that when there, they know exactly what is in their bag. If they are cold, they know the blue jumper was packed or the bed socks. They have packed it so they can find it or have some idea where it is. If mum packs it – they won’t even know what’s in the bag. As a parent one of your main roles is to teach your children to be independent and to be able to organize themselves and their belongings. I’m sure your school will agree!

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DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 81

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FEATURING A FOODIE’S GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS...

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 83

indulge INTERVIEWS RACHEL LICCIARDELLO PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW RANKIN

A FOODIES GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS

ON DECEMBER 25, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS WILL GATHER AROUND DINING TABLES ACROSS THE WORLD TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS. FOR MANY FAMILIES, THE DISHES SERVED ON THAT TABLE ARE AS MUCH ABOUT TRADITION AS THEY ARE ABOUT TASTE. WE ASKED FOUR LOCAL CHEFS TO SHARE WITH US ONE SPECIAL DISH THAT REMINDS THEM OF CHRISTMAS.

THE CHEF:

Brad Hough | Sous Chef | Kōbe Jupiters

THE DISH:

Aunty Jackie’s Famous Trifle Serves: 6 to 8 people ( or 2 if my dad is around)

THE MEMORY:

I grew up in Perth where, like most of Australia, it’s nearly always hot at Christmas. We would start Christmas with a breakfast barbeque cooked by dad, then, no matter how hot the day got, we would enjoy a traditional hot roast lunch, which was a non-negotiable for my English-born mother. After lunch, we would trip around Perth visiting the extended family – grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins.

One of my strongest Christmas lunch memories is enjoying the trifles my aunty would make for the family. (She was arguably the best cook out of my mum and her four sisters – but don’t tell my mum I said that!) Recreating this trifle reminds me of those extended family gatherings and how much fun it was having everyone together.

Christmas is a busy time for a restaurant, so I don’t make the trip back to Perth too often for Christmas lunch. However, the traditional roast lunch is also a non-negotiable for my wife’s family so I won’t miss out. I don’t make this trifle at Christmas time, it’s more a fond memory than a tradition I’ve continued. My small contribution to our Christmas feast is usually a threecheese white sauce for cauliflower and broccoli; my office is a kitchen so I look forward to Christmas when I can have lunch prepared for me!

THE RECIPE:

Ingredients 1 sponge cake 250ml sherry 400ml whipped cream For the jelly 300ml water 300g sugar 500g strawberries (2 punnets) 5 gelatine leaves For the custard 6 egg yolks 80g sugar 250ml milk 250ml cream 1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped Method 1. Break sponge into chunks and soak with sherry.

2. Prepare sugar syrup by combining sugar and water and bring to the boil.

3. When it reaches the boil add halved strawberries and remove from the heat. Allow the berries to steep in the liquid for at least 1 hour.

4. Strain the berries from the liquid and reheat the syrup and add the gelatine leaves, which have been softened in cool water. Chill the jelly but do not set, return the strawberries to the jelly and set aside.

5. Prepare custard by combining sugar and yolks in a bowl.

6. Heat milk and vanilla in a saucepan until just boils and add gradually to the yolks while stirring continuously.

Continue to cook on a gentle heat while stirring, until sauce coats the back of a spoon. Chill.

7. Assemble the trifle in layers of sponge, jelly, custard and cream.

84 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

raymond-weil.com

Freelancer Urban Black

Enquiries T: (02) 9363-1088 E: info@avstev.com.au

indulge

A FOODIES GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS THE CHEF:

Pat Senent | Executive Chef Lavaracks Restaurant Townsville RSL

THE DISH:

Stuffed Corynnia Station Lamb Shoulder Serves: 6 to 8

THE MEMORY:

While I was born in Casablanca, Morocco, I spent many years in Montpellier in the South of France and Castillion near the Pyrénées. Most of my family still resides in the South of France, and I have taken the flavours from this area to create a dish that’s best served at a table surrounded by family and close friends. I often cook this dish at Christmas, sometimes at Easter too, and it always tastes great the next day for leftovers, even when served cold.

While some may turn their heads with the inclusion of liver and kidney, I urge you to try it. These ingredients might not sound like a traditional Christmas dish, but the finished dish is indulgent, satisfying and definitely worthy of the Christmas table.

Working in hospitality, Christmas is usually a very busy time at work.

With my children and grandchildren holidaying at Christmas, it will be just my wife Michelle and I enjoying Christmas at home. I will prepare this dish, but in the slow cooker, so that once we’ve finished work we can relax with dinner already made and a bottle of red.

THE RECIPE:

Ingredients 2.3kg Corynnia Station lamb shoulder, with bone 260g lamb kidney fresh 310g lamb liver fresh 350g lamb diced fresh 350g shallots gold 70g butter, unsalted 80ml olive oil 110ml wine, white Peel of ¼ lemon Peel of ¼ orange 3 fresh bay leaves Sea salt, to taste White peppercorn, freshly cracked, to taste 9 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only 4 sprigs fresh rosemary 3L lamb stock (good quality) 200g mirepoix (diced celery, onions and carrots) Method 1. Bone lamb shoulder. Season lightly.

2. Dice liver and kidney. Peel and finely dice garlic and shallots.

3. Sweat shallots in butter, add wine and reduce, Add garlic and thyme leaves. Season to taste.

4. Mix in diced lamb and offal (kidney, liver and lamb meat). Stuff shoulder and tie with twine.

5. Seal shoulder nicely in oil. Remove, add mirepoix and caramelise. Return shoulder to pan.

6. Add rosemary, orange and lemon peel and bay leaves. Add lamb stock, cover and cook in oven at 140°C for 4 hours.

7. Remove lamb, and reduce sauce to coating consistency. Check seasoning.

Slice lamb and coat with sauce.

8. Serve with a selection of stuffed vegetables, du Puy lentils, creamy truffle mashed potato and plenty of crusty bread.

86 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

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Lavaracks Restaurant at Townsville RSL has been refurbished SLOW COOKED ANCHOVY STUDDED LAMB

$24.50 MEMBERS PRICE

139 Charters Towers Road, Hermit Park Phone 4759 9500 www.townsvillersl.com.au tsvrslenquiries@tsvrsl.com.au DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 87

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A FOODIES GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS THE CHEF:

Adam Gower | Head Chef | Jam Corner

THE DISH:

Nan Readings’ Whole-Roasted Wild Shot Duck with Honey, Thyme and Root Vegetables Serves: 4 people

THE MEMORY:

My family and I have always been keen hunters and wild shot duck was always pride of the table at our Christmas lunches. I grew up in Tasmania, and some of my fondest family memories are of hunting with my grandfather, who sadly passed away this year.

I was around five years old when I started going along for the shoot.

My grandfather and I would feed the ducks up at a dam on Landfall farm in Northern Tasmania, and once a week we would stalk the shore of the dam perching up in the duck hide (a kind of camouflaged hut), waiting patiently for the ducks to fly in, ready with our loaded twelve-gauge. I didn’t realise back then while plucking the ducks just how lucky I was to see the process from paddock to plate.

My grandmother, Nan Reading, is my biggest cooking influence. I still use her method of cooking duck when roasting whole birds. The method of roasting whole duck at a high temperature is similar to the Chinese method, with the essential element being that you need to achieve really crisp, crunchy skin while keeping the meat moist.

This recipe reminds me of my family; Pop, my cousins and me doing the dirty work and Nan preparing a beautifully cooked bird, served on her antique carving platter.

88 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

THE RECIPE:

Ingredients 1 wild shot duck (approx 2kg), giblets removed (or 1 free-range bird from butcher) 6 large organic kennebec potatoes, washed, peeled and halved 3 large organic parsnips washed, peeled and halved 3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 1 bulb garlic, halved 2 tbsp honey Salt flakes Black pepper Method 1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. 2. Place the prepared vegetables in a baking tin. To cook the duck, use a small skewer to prick the fatty bits of the duck’s skin and then place it on a roasting rack over the tin that contains the vegetables.

3. Season the skin with crushed salt flakes, freshly milled black pepper and thyme then, pop it onto the centre shelf of the oven and roast it for 1 hour then reduce temperature to 180°C for a further 1 hour.

4. During the cooking time, the vegetables will soak up all the juices and excess fat from the duck.

5. When the cooking time is up, the duck skin should sound crisp when tapped with a knife – if not pop it back in the oven for a bit longer.

6. Allow the duck to rest for 20 minutes or so before carving.

7. All you need to do is use a sharp knife to cut the bird in half lengthways – along the length of the breast and either side of the backbone.

8. Then cut the halves into quarters (you may need some help with kitchen scissors here).

9. Serve with drizzled honey on a large platter.

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ADD SOME EXTRA CHEER WITH OUR

TRADITIONAL EGGNOG RECIPE

Always make both alcoholic and non-alcoholic pitchers of it, unless you’re absolutely sure all your guests go one way or the other. One final tip about serving eggnog: have another drink entirely on hand. Some people don’t like the taste and others need to avoid the amount of cholesterol this drink gets from the eggs. It is possible to make low-fat and vegan versions of this drink by using low-fat dairy, egg substitute and/or a vegetable milk such as almond. This recipe makes a little over two quarts.

Ingredients

Method

6 eggs

Refrigerate all the liquids and get them very

1 cup of sugar

cold before you make the drink. Beat the eggs

3/4 cup brandy

at medium speed until they’re very frothy.

1/3 cup dark rum(or bourbon)

Gradually add the sugar, vanilla and nutmeg as

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

you continue beating. Now turn the mixer off

1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

and stir in the whipping cream, milk, brandy and

2 cups of whipping cream

rum. Chill it until you’re ready to serve. It’s best to

2 cups milk

keep it chilled at all times. Garnish each individual serving with the nutmeg sprinkled on top and a cinnamon stick. The non-alcoholic version is exactly the same, except you leave out the alcohols. You can add rum flavoring if you want

It’s an ideal drink for premixing pitchers to keep guests happy all night long.

that taste.

w i t h p r i d e and p a s s i o n - m o d e r n s u m m e r d i n i n g B R E A K FAST . LU N C H . D I N N E R . F U N CT I O N S . P R I VAT E D I N I N G R O O M

1 PA L M E R ST R E ET , S O U T H TOW N SV I L L E

4 72 1 4 9 0 0

J A M CO R N E R . CO M . AU

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 89

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A FOODIES GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS THE CHEF:

Kenny Burton | Executive Chef Southbank Grill

THE DISH:

Baked Chocolate Cherry Custard with Plum Pudding Ice Cream and Strawberry Salsa Serves: 8

THE MEMORY:

Back in my home town of Glasgow, my grandmother Netty used to make three plum puddings each year; one for Christmas, one for my birthday which was a few days later and one for my grandfather’s birthday the following day. My grandmother would make the puddings the old-fashioned way; she would make the mix by hand weeks earlier, wrap it in muslin cloth, then steam the puddings for hours in her kitchen. This was the family tradition for years and I was always fascinated by the process, the smells, the care my grandmother would take and, of course, the end product My grandmother was a great baker and during my years as a chef I’ve used many of her ideas in various dishes. Those flavours she created have remained with me for decades.

I created a plum pudding ice cream to capture the traditional Christmas pudding flavours of warm, alcoholsoaked cake with cream that Granny used to serve over the Christmas holidays. In the ice cream I’ve added the Drambuie (a beautiful heather honey infused liquor from Scotland) for warmth and a touch of mixed spice in the mix makes every mouthful feel like the traditional dish.

As a kid I loved warm chocolate custard my mother would serve as a treat and I wanted to recreate this, but served cold. The baked chocolate custard is indulgent but not heavy, mixed with glace cherries for a textural effect, and again that Christmas feel.

This dish was created for Christmas, and a reminder for me of home and family, which I miss most at this time of year.

THE RECIPE:

Ingredients For the custard 200g milk chocolate buttons 250ml cream 60g caster sugar 4 egg yolks 200g glace cherries For the ice cream 1L cream 1 tin Top-n-Fill caramel ½ cup honey ½ cup Drambuie 1 tbsp mixed spice 400g plum pudding For the salsa 1 punnet strawberries 8 leaves Thai basil ½ cup marmalade Method Chocolate custard 1. Combine cream and sugar and bring to the boil in a heavy pot. 2. Place chocolate buttons in a large bowl, pour hot cream mix over and stir with a rubber spatula until smooth, allow cooling to room temperature. 3. When cool, add beaten egg yolks to mix and combine well. 4. Line a square cake tin approx 15cm by 15cm, add chopped cherries to base and pour chocolate custard over. Bake at 120°C, uncovered, for 30—40 minutes (or until set and gently wobbling in the centre).

Refrigerate overnight.

Ice cream 1. Combine all ingredients except the pudding in a bowl, then whisk until soft peaks form. 2. Crumble pudding and gently fold through cream. 3. Place in container and freeze for at least 24 hours.

Salsa – best made around 1 hour before salsa is required 1. Slice strawberries, rip basil and place in bowl. 2. Microwave marmalade until warm and slightly bubbling around the edge. 3. Pour over strawberries and gently mix.

Assemble 1. Remove custard from tin and cut edges to form straight sides, then with a hot knife cut into rectangles, dust with cocoa powder. 2. Arrange on plate with ice cream and salsa then garnish with fresh cherries.

90 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

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ODYSSEY ON THE STRAND NORTH WARD

TOWNSVILLE’S FAVOURITE GREEK

45 Party Delicious 3 Course

per person

Banquet Starter

Come for breakfast then come back for dinner.

Edamame (Boiled and Salted Green Soy Beans) Miso Soup

Freshly prepared meals, great coffee and cocktails by the sea is Odyssey on The Strand’s signature. Odyssey opens daily from 7am for breakfast, coffee and refreshing drinks. It is a convenient location for takeaway coffees, muffins, egg

Seafood Platter

and bacon rolls, and other breakfast treats.

Lunch is available daily and diners are impressed with the large range of meals,

Deep fried Soft Shell Crab with Chilli Mayonnaise Seared Salmon, Prawn and Scallop Sashimi Two-Piece Sushi Roll

including vegetarian options.

Odyssey now also sources gluten-free breads from Three Loaves Bakehouse and can substitute meals with this alternative.

Friday and Saturday nights offer a wide range of Greek and seafood meals.

Those in a hurry can pre-order and will be pleased the delicious options from the menu are available takeaway. Tea lovers will be impressed with the new Tease range of loose tea – the perfect excuse to unwind with a friend.

Consider this fully licensed venue for your next event or ask to see Odyssey’s new catering menu for corporate lunches or functions.

simply stunning

$

Meat Platter

GYO Special Japanese-style Roast Beef, Karaage Chicken and Stewed Pork Belly

GYO wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Please order by 3 days before your party date.

A 20% deposit is payable at the time of order.

Christmas & New Year Trading Days Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri 23 24 25 26 27 28 30 31 1 2 3 4

X X X X

Sat 29 5

OPEN FOR LUNCH

• CAFE • BAR • BISTRO • EXPRESS • 120 The Strand (Opposite the Rock Pool) • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday 7am-4pm • Friday & Saturday 7am till late

Phone 4724 1400

Tue-Sun 11.30am-2.00pm AND DINNER Tue-Sun 5.30pm-9.00pm

48 GREGORY STREET NORTH WARD

4771 5151 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 91

interview

5 MINUTES WITH...

TOWNSVILLE IS BLESSED WITH SO MANY TALENTED AND INTERESTING PEOPLE THAT WE’VE DECIDED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO FOUR LOCAL CHARACTERS EACH MONTH. IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE YOU THINK SHOULD BE FEATURED JUST SEND AN EMAIL TO EDITOR@DUOMAGAZINE.COM.AU

“MILLIONAIRE PLAYBOY ASTRONAUT. BUT 9 YEAR OLDS DON’T REALLY HAVE A GOOD GRASP ON REALITY.” MARK ALLEN

92 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

JODIE HAHN TELSTRA BUSINESS CENTRE AREA MANAGER Most treasured item: My Partner and best friend, Tim. Followed a very close second by my Tim’s 3 children and our 3 Labradors. You in three words: Loyal, hardworking, committed. Why you get out of bed: I am blessed to have a great life and cannot wait to enjoy a day with those I love and the committed team of people who work with me. I cannot sit still.

I wake with a mental list of tasks to complete and I don’t rest until all are completed. Most memorable moment: Winning an all expenses paid 5 star trip to Hawaii. What you love about where you live: Our home is happy with all the luxuries of life. Great food, stocked bar fridge, pool and we live 5 minutes to the beach, work and restaurants. Why live anywhere else?

You always meant to: I don’t have any items I have “meant” to do. I do everything I say I will do and plan and save for those I wish to do.

You drive a: Ford XR5 Turbo Where are you from: Mackay Best dish: Sunday roast with all the trimmings. You wish… That planes were quicker and ran to schedule. A large portion of my life is in the Virgin Lounge. Your mentor: David Llewellyn, a previous manger. He was extremely tough but fair. I model my management style on his. He had a motto – don’t be a victim, only come to him with a problem and a solution to fix it and how you need him to assist you to achieve the outcome. You’d change this about yourself: Walk Castle Hill one more day of every week. Ideal dinner guests: Our close friends. Your must-have gadget: iPhone for 24hr work calls and email. The last book you read: Once in a House on Fire A true story by Andrea Ashworth. Your mantra: Your past gave you the experiences to mould your future. As a child, what did you think you’d be? Journalist. Through my schooling I wrote stories for the Sunday Mail Children’s Section for $5 per story. Parting words: Spend your time with those you love. Life is too short to waste it with those you don’t enjoy.

interview

MARK ALLEN

PETYA O’KEEFE

PAUL MASON

BARISTA, CAFÉ/BAR OWNER

SUPPORT OFFICER BUSINESS BANKING

OWNER OF COMMERCIAL CATERING SUPPLIES

AKA: The Jaffle Man. Most treasured item: My daughter Winnie. You in three words: Funny bearded nerd. Why you get out of bed: The possibility of the day. No two are the same and they are always filled with fun, trouble, opportunities and challenges. And the baby is usually screaming. Most memorable moment: The chance meeting of a nice blonde girl over $2 tacos years ago. What you love about where you live: We’ve been here for a few years now and it’s always amazing that we have a beautiful island so close, amazing weather and great people here. You always meant to: Write a book. You drive a: Brown Jersey fixie bike. Where are you from: Grew up in Brisbane but definitely call myself a Townsvillian now.

Best dish: The handmade burgers we’ve just released are all I eat these days. They’re addictive. You wish… Upon a star. You’d change this about yourself: I’d really like a clone so I could fit more into the day, but apart from that I’m pretty good. Ideal dinner guests: Doctor Karl would make some interesting dinner chat.

Your must-have gadget: Desktop 3D printer called a MakrBot. This truly amazing machine allows you to print everyday items. Need a new iPhone case, print one. Broke a strap tie, print one. The last book you read: Death Troopers

by Joe Schreiber. It’s a book about zombie storm troopers taking over a star destroyer in the Star Wars universe. Pretty much the opposite of 50 Shades of Grey. Your mantra: Pick one thing, focus on doing it really well.

Don’t try to be everything to everyone or you will fail. As a child, what did you think you’d be? Millionaire playboy astronaut. But 9 year olds don’t really have a good grasp on reality. I wanted to be a cop after I saw Beverly Hills Cop and then a vigilante after watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I’ve always had a short attention span so I focus on doing the best at what I’m interested in at present.

AKA: Petra or Peta or anything but Petya, darl; Most treasured item: The hair straightener seems to have become my most treasured item since I moved to Townsville. My hair doesn’t like humidity – a warm hello to my hairdresser seems appropriate :) You in three words: According to my husband ‘Unique, breath taking, inspirational’. Why you get out of bed: To see my darling husband; go to work so I can go back home and see the family.

Most memorable moment: My husband doing a snow angel Christmas Day in Bulgaria…in his undies (only)…in the snow at -10 degrees.

He had a shot of a homemade concentrated alcohol and off he went. What you love about where you live: The lifestyle, being able to go to the beach and read the paper or go up Castle Hill for a workout and always have an amazing view. You always meant to: Learn to play the violin or the piano. You drive a: Mercedes-Benz Where are you from: Bulgaria Best dish: All of Mum’s dishes but maybe the best one is the equivalent of the Greek dolmades – ours are obviously better. You wish…

Someone would invent a teletransportation machine so I don’t have to go through the 30 hour trip home. Your biggest inspiration: By far my mum – an exceptional woman. You’d change this about yourself: I wish I could relax a bit more and enjoy the moment. Ideal dinner guests: I am an admirer of the big Ukrainian, Russian literature so would be interested to hear what Tolstoy and Gogol have to say to the author of 50 Shades of Grey. I am not sure they would come to my dinner party.

Your must-have gadget: Electric toothbrush.

The last book you read: Anna Karenina. Your mantra: Go after your dreams. As a child, what did you think you’d be? I thought I would be a painter somewhere in the French province.

Parting words: Be happy, stay safe and wear sunscreen.

AKA: Shooter – It’s an 8 Ball thing, I’m not a violent person. Most treasured item: Speaking materialistically, my 1985 Glenelg Football Club signed Premiers T-shirt, which is way too small for me to wear now, but looks great on my wife.

You in three words: Carry On Rewardless. Most memorable moment: I have been blessed with loads of moments that I treasure. A couple of my favourite would be delivering my beautiful girl Summer one early morning in the hallway of the maternity ward at the Mater. I can’t forget watching the dawn of the new millennium from an infinity swimming pool at Mission Beach in 2000. What you love about where you live: I love that my job allows me to meet so many of the wonderful people that live here in North Queensland – We live centrally in Townsville and have everything we need within cooee of home so what more could you ask for? I guess if you were picky you could want more stunning rainforest walks, more Great Barrier Reef, fishing, boating, premiership football team..? Go Cowboys! You always meant to: Finish a uni degree, so I can say I’m a writer and fulfil my dream of writing something that either millions of people read (Like DUO Magazine) or something that could change the world’s perception of what’s happening (Not in a Wikileaks sort of way, more like a Chasers War on Everything sort of way). Where are you from: I was born in Adelaide, lived there for most of my life with a stint in the UK as a youngster and moved to NQ in 1999 where I have certainly found home. Your biggest inspiration: I know it sounds cliché, but my wife is genuinely my inspiration. She does amaze me, sometimes confuses me, but mostly shows me the other side to my thoughts, actions and reactions. As a child, what did you think you’d be? Honestly, I thought I would end up at sea like my old man. Parting words: Google doesn’t know everything….

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 93

corporate

CORPORATE UPFRONT NEWS & EVENTS APPOINTMENTS

Cavalier Homes NQ Doug Cowan has been appointed as new Sales & Business Development Manager for Cavalier Homes NQ. Touch Football Australia Managing Director of Achieve Group, Anita Hegarty’s recent appointment to the Board of Touch Football Australia is testimony to her strong leadership skills, not withstanding her credibility within the sport. As one of only 6 Directors from various locations around Australia, Anita brings to the Board over 25 years experience.

Passenger growth continues at Queensland Airports Limited (QAL) The four airports operated by Queensland Airports Limited (QAL) at Gold Coast, Townsville, Mount Isa and Longreach continued to record strong passenger movement growth during the month of October. Movements for

Townsville 2012 were 153,165 passengers compared to 2011’s 144,390 passengers - a 6.1% increase.

“The strong increase in passenger movements at Gold Coast, Townsville and Mount Isa can be attributed to significant increases in airline capacity at each port and increased destination marketing,” said Dennis Chant, QAL Managing Director.

“Mount Isa experienced its best month ever, Gold Coast its second best and Townsville its third best.

ON THE MOVE

CTA has more room to move Community Training Australia has shifted to a more spacious office at 261 Ross River Road, Aitkenvale. CTA is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that offers nationally-accredited courses in community services, including a Diploma of Counselling, Diploma of Community Services (case management), Diploma of Youth Work, Graduate Diploma of

Relationship Counselling and Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution. Visit cta.com.au.

AWARD ACCOLADES

Vast Interior Expertise Vast Interior’s store at Domain Central has claimed Vast Interior Store of the Year, selected from the 45 stores Australia and New Zealand-wide.

Townsville’s sister store in Mackay has won the award for the past four years, but is happy to pass the glory on to its northern neighbour. Owner Kerrie Keech said: “A great effort is taken by the staff in Townsville, led by Jasmine Park, to get the store looking so good!”

FINALISTS REVEALED

Top real estate professionals named About 60 finalists have been selected for the 2013 REIQ Awards for Excellence, which will be announced at a gala event at the Hilton Brisbane in February next year. Congratulations

to the following Townsville finalists: Small Residential Agency of the Year • Coral Sea Property, Townsville Commercial Salesperson of the Year • Neville Smith, Colliers International Townsville Corporate Support Person of the Year • Coral Davey, Colliers International Townsville

COFFEE AND NETWORKING

Want to network, but within an informal environment? An initiative of the Young Chamber Committee, the fortnightly Chamber Coffees are a great way for time-poor participants to catch-up with colleagues, meet newcomers and build business relationships. Bring your business cards, grab a coffee from your favourite venue and meet in Flinders Square Thursday December 6 and 20 from 8am -9am.

DAVID KIPPIN I CEO I TOWNSVILLE ENTERPRISE LIMITED

LIVING THE DREAM IN TOWNSVILLE

THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS WHY IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO COME HOME TO OUR CITY. There is a certain feeling when you return home to Townsville.

Whether you have been on a short weekend break, away for business or on an extended holiday, that warm feeling of being ‘home’ is always the same.

“THIS IS A TIME TO REFLECT AND RECOGNISE OUR VALUED FRIENDS IN THE ARMED FORCES IN TOWNSVILLE.”

December 2012. This will be a significant event and the people of Townsville will be out in force to provide them with a typically warm Townsville welcome and I am sure the city will put on a party to celebrate their safe return. It will also be a time to remember those who did not return and who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country.

Townsville’s lifestyle is second to none. With over 300 days of sunshine each year, our relaxed tropical lifestyle is complemented by all the city comforts. The people are the heart of the The men and women of the Armed Forces who make Townsville Townsville Region. We’re friendly and genuinely welcoming, we their temporary home and in many instances fall in love with don’t like to make a fuss – unless of course you’re the North the community and the city and remain as permanent resiQueensland Cowboys, Townsville Crocodiles or the Townsville dents, make a significant contribution, not only in an economic sense but more importantly in a personal sense because Fire and you’ve made the final. they become active members of our community. ParticipatTownsville Enterprise will soon launch a new suite of marketing ing in sport, community service, volunteering and with partcollateral aimed at attracting people from outside of the Region ners investing their skills and effort into the workplace, we to relocate to the place we call home. The collateral will consist very much value their contributions away from their military of a Lifestyle Prospectus and a website called ‘Make the Move commitment. to Townsville’. Both are of the highest quality and highlight the reasons why Townsville is the perfect place to live.

This is a time to reflect and recognise our valued friends in the Armed Forces in Townsville. Please make the effort to welcome The troops from the 3 RAR Task Group have recently returned them home. Simply offer a smile and your hand in friendship from their tour of duty in Afghanistan, following their deploy- and appreciation and say “Welcome home and thank you.” That ment in early 2012. They will be officially acknowledged at the simple gesture will mean a lot.

Welcome Home Parade from The Strand to Anzac Park on 8

94 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

promotion

SANCTUM LAUNCHES NEW STYLISH AND INNOVATIVE DISPLAY HOMES

FOR FIRST HOMEBUYERS, FAMILIES, INVESTORS… SANCTUM IS THE CHOICE FOR LIFESTYLE LEADERS.

SANCTUM Estate has recently unveiled two sparkling new display homes – the first in the series of pristine dwellings that will form part of the master planned community’s dedicated Display Village.

The $200 million 1300-lot Northern Beachesbased estate is just 15 minutes from the CBD. It’s renowned for its big blocks (up to 1200sqm) and family friendly-focus, with 98 per cent of residential lots no more than 200m away from a green oasis, which will form 28 hectares of pristine parkland when complete.

Maidment Development Group Director Glen Maidment said the new display homes – by local builders New Home Solutions (NHS) and Austart – reflected the values of the burgeoning community.

“Sanctum has big blocks and big backyards, so these two builders have used their new display homes to superbly illustrate how residents can utilise this space to their advantage, whether it’s including a massive shed, having seamless side access for the boat, or building almost a mini soccer field in the backyard,” Mr Maidment said.

Leah Haar of Austart Homes said the new fourby-two display home emphasised North Queensland living at its best and echoed Sanctum’s focus on lifestyle. “In the backyard, we have created a beautiful tropical outdoors, an ideal place to park and manoeuvre the boat, a landscaped pool to plunge into, a convenient double garage and a dedicated area for the kids to play; while the person indoors can

watch everything that’s happening while creating a feast in the large open plan kitchen,” Ms Haar said.

The males of the family will be excited to see New Home Solutions’ new display home which features a dedicated ‘man cave’; while entertainers will love the innovative hideaway butler’s kitchen.

The NHS and Austart display homes are open now from 10am to 5pm seven days a week on Bell Gum Avenue off Bonnett Road, Mount Low. New display homes from Finlay Homes, Cougar and GJ Gardner will be complete by late January to round-off the Sanctum Display Village.

For more information see sanctumliving.com.au

2 exciting new display homes

NOW OPEN!

• Modern & stylish, designed with the family in mind.

• Dedicated mans retreat • Set on big blocks each with side access • Stunning in-ground pool

MDHPDUO113

PROUD SPONSORS OF THE TOWNSVILLE CROCS

for more info contact Jeff Wright 0414 588 447 or Sass Mathieson 0458 932 850 visit the Sanctum Information Centre Bonnett Road , first left off Mt Low Parkway, Mt Low Open 7 days 10am - 5pm

DISPLAY VILLAGE Bell Gum Place, Sanctum

sanctumliving.com.au

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 95

profile WORDS KYLIE DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW RANKIN

FLIGHT PLAN

EIGHT MONTHS OFF WORK, CLOSE TO $60,000 OUTLAY, AND NO GUARANTEE THE GAMBLE WOULD PAY OFF. WHEN TOWNSVILLE’S GEOFF KEIR GAVE AWAY CARPENTRY TO PURSUE HIS HELICOPTER LICENCE IT WAS A RISKY BUSINESS… BUT THE RETURNS WERE HIGH. “I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO FLY. Even from a young age I was fanatical about helicopters,” Geoff says.

It took him three months of full-time theory, training and exams, then another six of practical application followed by a nervous wait for that first job as a pilot.

“It was a massive switch from carpentry and a lot of money to spend with absolutely no guarantee at the end of it,” Geoff says. But that first job did come in the form of three months piloting tour flights in Brisbane and then, hot on its tail, the chance to work with a Sunshine Coast company, McDermott Aviation, contracted for the Sydney fire season.

“I went there as ground support initially and then the co-pilot left after two weeks and I slotted straight in,” Geoff says.

It was literally a baptism by fire for Geoff as it was the year of the Blue Mountain bushfires.

Part of a team of helicopter water bombers, Geoff’s job was to get in amongst the smoke to the ‘drop zone’ while another helicopter coordinated the team from a bird’s-eye view above. “There was so much radio chatter and it was all new to me so it was daunting at first but, once you got into the groove, it was massively exciting and very rewarding work,” Geoff says. And the chance to learn from one of the most respected pilots in the industry, Hamish Robertson, was priceless.

The duo would take off at daylight and return at dark. A good night’s sleep and they were back into the smoke again. Geoff credits Hamish with instilling the right attitude to flying in him. “He taught me the respect you have to have for flying a helicopter, because it can turn a good day into a bad day very quickly,” Geoff says. “I was lucky to get to fly

alongside someone like Hamish because he let me do a lot and taught me so much. Even as my career has progressed I often look to him for advice at times. I have been fortunate enough to be trained even further by John Caldwell, another very highly regarded pilot and my current Chief Pilot.”

More jobs, and adventures, followed – flying in drill rigs and crew for mining exploration in New Caledonia; transporting salvage equipment and workers when the Pasha Bulker ran aground at Newcastle; peacekeeping work in Papua New Guinea. “We went to New Guinea for the elections but at times there was a lot of unrest between villages,” Geoff says. “It was a big eye-opener. We were in the Highlands, in Mt Hagen, and most of the time having to carry Special Forces officers.

Whole villages were being burnt down. It was just a different society. Even brutal at times.”

While Geoff insists it wasn’t dangerous he admits “It wasn’t flying along a nice beach that’s for sure.”

Nor was Geoff’s relief work for the Queensland floods and the aftermath of Cyclone Yasi.

Leaving Townsville the day after Christmas, Geoff spent a month helping to evacuate Theodore, Mundubbera, Chinchilla, Condamine and the Sunshine Coast area.

“I recall being tasked to Condamine to evacuate the residents. We were lifting out from the town sports oval and, as the day went on, the area to land was getting smaller and smaller. The Condomine River swallowed the whole town,” Geoff says. “All you could see was roofs. Everything around it was just brown water.”

Loading elderly men and women into the back of his noisy helicopter, Geoff couldn’t help but

96 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

feel for their plight. “A lot of the times we were just dropping them off to higher ground with a bag,” he says. “You’re picking up families with small children, elderly residents and you wonder ‘what must they be feeling?’, ‘how do they recover?’. Their whole house was underwater — floor to ceiling.”

Only three days after Geoff finished relief work for the Queensland floods Yasi struck.

“Myself and crews from Ergon Energy were doing what we could to get some power back to residents,” Geoff says. “We just flew there from our base in Townsville of a morning, fixed what we could, re-fuelled and did it all again. It was busy times.”

These days, Geoff does a lot of work for the energy industry. Inspecting, constructing and maintaining powerlines keeps him flat out and it’s a buzz.

“Some of the most rewarding work I have done is Live Line Washing. People think 275,000 volts and water is a no-no but you can actually wash the lines live,” Geoff says.

“You can hear the ‘bzzzt’ and then you get this big arc coming out — what they call tracking. You have to be on your game but it’s good work.”

Currently Geoff is working on constructing a transmission line between Ingham and Tully.

It keeps me busy and it’s very rewarding work.

“Stringing powerlines is some of the most challenging work I have done in my career.

It’s intense work, but also the most rewarding. In my whole career there’s only been a handful of times when I haven’t wanted to go to work. It’s still not a job — I’m still enjoying it that much.”

profile

“YOU’RE PICKING UP FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN, ELDERLY RESIDENTS AND YOU WONDER ‘WHAT MUST THEY BE FEELING?’, ‘HOW DO THEY RECOVER?’.”

GEOFF KEIR

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promotion

Invitation Facing Christmas after you have experienced the loss of a loved one can be difficult.

To help you cope this Christmas, the Morley Family extends an invitation to come to our annual

Candle Lighting Ceremony of Remembrance Monday, 17th December, 2012 at 7.30pm Presenter: Toni Mehigan, Psychologist & Grief Educator Registration is free, candles and refreshments provided.

Please RSVP for catering purposes.

2 Martinez Avenue, The Lakes, Townsville Telephone: 4779 4744

www.morleys.net.au

98 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

REMEMBER LOVED ONES AT A SPECIAL EVENT LIGHT A CANDLE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED AT AN ANNUAL CHRISTMAS MEMORIAL SERVICE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

AS the pre-Christmas pace quickens and the shop queues lengthen, it is important to pause and remember… Remember family, remember friends, remember colleagues – those who have made a positive and significant contribution to your life. Honouring the memory of someone special is truly rewarding and worthwhile for people of any age.

For several years Morleys Funerals has hosted an annual Christmas Memorial Service to help people face the festive season following loss. Whether you have lost someone this year, last year or many years ago, the memorial service can help to pay tribute to a loved one before December 25.

Among the presenters at the 2012 memorial service will be grief counsellor Toni Mehigan. Toni will offer practical tips and helpful advice on facing Christmas in hard times. She will draw on her many years of professional care to give a thought-provoking message of hope. Also presenting a message of hope and inspiration will be well-known Catholic priest Fr. Dave Lancini. Fr. Dave is renowned for his down-to-earth messages and relatable anecdotes.

Some people have found the memorial service so helpful in the past that they have made it their must-do event each December. What is it about the service they most look forward to? Many would answer it is the opportunity to light a memorial candle.

This part of the service is a very quiet, solemn and meaningful way to honour a loved one. While many people attend the service, the reactions and emotions in the Lakes Chapel are both personal and heart-felt. This year, participants will light their own water-floating candle, provided free of charge. Many participants choose to take the candle home at the end of the service for re-lighting on Christmas Day. Professional carers may also wish to honour the memory of their clients or family at this significant ceremony.

Free refreshments will be provided at the close of the memorial service at the high standard expected from Townsville’s premier funeral service provider of more than 50 years.

Morleys warmly welcome all those in the community to attend, who feel that its Christmas Memorial Service will benefit them.

Please RSVP for catering purposes during business hours on 4779 4744 or email funerals@morleys.net.au.

promotion

LIVING IN THE CLOUD

THE CLOUD PRESENTS A NEW HORIZON FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM BUSINESSES. FROM SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE TO TELEPHONY AND DATA NETWORKS — TELSTRA BUSINESS CENTRE TOWNSVILLE CAN HELP YOU TO GET SIMILAR BENEFITS TO BIG BUSINESS WITHOUT THE BIG BILLS.

Software as a service Software as a service (SaaS) takes away the main hassles of a business applications purchase.

Out goes the need to customise the software and hardware to run it on. In comes software that you run in a browser, and which never needs patches or manual back-ups.

SaaS is also flexible: If, for example, your business has seasonal surges where you put on temporary staff, SaaS allows you to add users on very short notice. You pay a monthly fee for each user. Once your peak season ends, you can reduce the number of users without excess charges.

Industry benefits: SaaS gives any business access to powerful business applications that can improve business processes. And it does so with far greater flexibility and lower cost than most traditional installations of business software.

How Telstra Business Centre Townsville makes SaaS work for your business SaaS can take away the burden of IT administration and costs associated with the engineering, design, build and 24/7 operations of applications. Telstra delivers this benefit through T-Suite; it is aimed at the small to medium business sector. The software applications available include Microsoft® Office 365, accounting, customer relationship management, HR compliance, website services, virus, spam and data protection services.

Telephony as a service Telephony as a service” is a way of getting all the functions of a phone system without having that equipment in your office, thanks to the cloud. The user-friendly, web-based control panels that are part of this service make it easy to set up and move phone numbers and voicemail.

Benefits: A cloud-based phone service can give businesses access to applications they may not otherwise be able to afford with disaster recovery

benefits. Reliability is a huge benefit of the cloud.

With an on site phone system, if you lose a site you can lose everything. This is not the case with telephony as a service, where all your other sites and remote users continue to function normally.

Simplicity is also important. With telephony as a service you don’t have to look after as many things yourself. You just have a phone and it works.

How Telstra makes telephony as a service work for your business Telephony as a service means you can grow your business with less worry and works very well when you expand or change your business. Telstra can also create bundles that bring together voice services with advanced services like video-conferencing, complete with all necessary hardware.

To find out more about living in the cloud contact Telstra Business Centre Townsville on 4771 4160 or visit them on 149 Charters Towers road, next to the RSL in Hyde Park.

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 99

travel WORDS KYLIE DAVIS

Austria’s capital offers a unique blend of imperial traditions and stunning modern architecture. It’s famous for its cultural events, coffee houses, cozy wine taverns and the very special Viennese charm.

Vienna’sTop10

1. Experience Christmas Markets Step into the joy of Christmas with the beautiful streets of Vienna as your backdrop. Punch and chestnut stands draw customers with seasonal treats and stallholders get shoppers in the Christmas spirit with handcrafted goods.

In Vienna, the Christmas market is held in the large square in front of City Hall. This market can be traced back to the year 1298.

Innsbruck opens its Christmas market in the narrow medieval square at the foot of the Golden Roof. In Salzburg, the Christmas market takes over the square in front of the Cathedral with its picturesque stalls, while the tree vendors occupy Residenzplatz on the side of the huge Cathedral.

Under sparkling Christmas lights, heartwarming scents of evergreen and gingerbread, Punsch and pastries swirl around distinctive handmade toys, crèche displays, and more.

2. Explore The Mak Museum Imagine a museum where fine craft, contemporary art, architecture and design are perpetually engaged in stimulating conversation. That’s the MAK arena.

Bentwood chairs by Thonet, a hammeredsilver tea service and ebony writing cabinet from the Wiener Werkstätte, a mosaic design by Gustav Klimt for the Stoclet Palais frieze: These are only a sampling of the treasures housed in the Renaissancestyle palais the MAK calls home.

What began in 1863 as an impressive collection of arts-and-crafts pieces, from the

Middle Ages to the present, has expanded to include rotating exhibitions of contemporary art. You’ll find early 19th-century sofas in green, yellow or red that make a colourful argument for the Biedermeier style as the cradle of modern design. Spend days coveting the world’s largest museum collection of Wiener Werkstätte objects—exquisite pieces in glass, porcelain, silver, and textiles meant for everyday use. At night, James Turrell’s illuminating installation puts the museum’s historic holdings in a modern light.

crystal with a sparkling glass of champagne.

3. See the Flagship Swarovski Store

5. Infuse Coffee House Culture

Swarovski has come to be the universal symbol for the unique beauty and brilliance of crystals. Get surprised by the new Swarovski Wien store, an extraordinary concept of amazement and shopping, and immerse yourself into a glittering world far beyond from everyday life … directly in the heart of Vienna.

Already from outside, the revolutionary exterior facade with its millions of crystals illuminated by LED light modules fascinates with a unique sparkling effect. Irregularly positioned cubes reaching out into the street and permeating the exterior facade host marvellous art works. As one of the largest Swarovski stores worldwide, Swarovski Wien offers the entire product range in addition to changing installations created by internationally renowned artists and designers. In the stylish ambience of the Moët & Chandon first floor bar finish off your voyage of discovery through the world of

You immediately feel at home in a ‘Kaffeehaus’: the setting is spacious yet intimate, there is plush seating around marble tables and mirrors reflecting mildly steamy light. Some Kaffeehäuser are furnished with genuine showpieces – time-worn and darkened, they exude an indefinable atmosphere.

Once you have ordered, be it a kleiner schwarzer, kapuziner, einspänner or melange – and these are just some of the specialities – you can sit back, relax and do whatever you like: read from a selection of complimentary newspapers, surf the internet with free wi-fi, play cards or pool, discuss religion and world affairs, or talk business.

Around 1900, a visit to a Viennese café was a spectacular experience, newspapers were displayed on custom-made stands, waiters wore tailcoats and ceilings were decorated with elaborate chandeliers.

Nowadays, cafes are an everyday part of city

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4. Wonder at Schönbrunn Palace The former imperial summer residence, is one of Vienna’s most popular sights. The sumptuous palace with the beautifully tended formal gardens, the Gloriette monument, the Palm House, and the Schönbrunn Zoo attract hordes of visitors each year. The huge Hofburg (Imperial Palace) was the base of the Habsburgs for over six centuries, and is an impressive repository of culture and heritage.

travel Christmas Markets

Coffee House Culture

Encounter Klimt

vvoe / Shutterstock.com

living and in Vienna in particular they are at the heart of city life. No trip to Vienna is complete without a visit to a coffee house to sample one of the dozens of different specialty coffees and enjoy Viennese pastries and cakes.

6. Marvel at Master Craftsmanship ‘White gold’ has been produced in Vienna for nearly 300 years. This fine porcelain is still made entirely by hand, and you can observe the production from up close on a tour of the Porcelain Manufactory Augarten.

The manufactory, where all Augarten porcelain is produced, is situated in Vienna’s oldest Baroque gardens, between outbuildings of Augarten Palace. On weekdays the production facility opens its doors to visitors at 10am: between firing ovens and towers of half-finished tableware, you can observe the craftsmen as they meticulously assemble Lipizzaner figurines, glaze cups, turn plates, and paint vases with chinoiserie and Biedermeier motifs. But they always find time to chat with the visitors about their work and answer questions. And the best part is: under professional guidance visitors can try their hand at designing their own Augarten porcelain piece – and then take the fired object home with them.

7. Roam Vineyards Did you know, that to this day Vienna is the only world capital with a significant wine production within it’s city limits? Fine wine from Vienna is now counted among the classic wines of the world. There are 630 producers (that’s one wine producer per 2500

persons – what a town!) working 1680 acres of vineyards – many reachable by foot or tram.

Tram D will take you to Nussdorf and the city’s not-to-be-missed vineyards. Roam the vineyards that have been supplying Vienna with its wine for centuries. For a look at vines growing even closer to the city centre, pay a visit later to the splendid Schönbrunn Palace, versions of which have been here since the Middle Ages.

In celebration of the city’s wine-making tradition, this UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site recently planted vines in its own backyard. Top off the day with an evening at the world-famous Vienna State Opera.

8. Encounter Klimt Equally controversial and successful in his day, Gustav Klimt was one of the central figures of fin-de-siècle Vienna, the epoch that marked the beginning of Modernism. Today Vienna’s museums accommodate the majority of popular paintings as well as huge numbers of little-known drawings by Gustav Klimt.

The monumental ‘Beethoven Frieze’, Klimt’s contribution to the 1902 Secession Exhibition, today has been restored to its original location in the Secession.

The painting marked the beginning of his ‘Golden Phase’, which found its peak with the world-famous ‘The Kiss’ painted in 1907 and 1908, and exhibited in Vienna’s Upper Belvedere Palace.

Those who want to soak up the atmosphere that surrounded Klimt while painting his famous tableaus should consider a visit to

the Klimt Villa. His last and only surviving studio, located in Vienna’s Hietzing neighbourhood. It offers insights into the artist’s working and living environment.

9. Discover the Fashion Scene The creative fashion scene comes together in Vienna’s 7th district, offering a wonderful alternative to large shopping boulevards and malls. Thirty-four selected Austrian designer studios and fashion shops can be reached easily by foot, offering an absolutely unique shopping experience.

In this way, shoppers are able to find and purchase clothes ranging from the elegant to the freaky to the imaginative, as well as unique jewellery, handbags, and accessories, directly from the local designers.

10. Cruise the Danube Have you ever thought about exploring Vienna’s beautiful surroundings by boat?

Embark the excursion boat in Vienna and spend the day in vineyards, nature parks or exploring ancient ruins and castles. One of the highlights is the Wachau valley cruise.

Along the way you pass the historic town of Krems and visit Dürnstein with its famous Ruin and the Abbey Church. Have a glass of wine while observing the picturesque landscape and learn more about Austria’s biggest Benedictine Abbey ‘Stift Melk.’

For those after a speedy adventure, there are also hydrofoil cruises from Vienna to Budapest and vice-versa.

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au 101

last word

WORDS CARLY LUBICZ

NURSING WITH A DIFFERENCE A SHINING EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO’S MADE A DIFFERENCE ON THE GROUND AND FROM BEHIND HER KEYBOARD, NURSING PROFESSOR LINDA SHIELDS IS ENLISTING HER YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL NURSING EXPERIENCE TO CONDUCT RESEARCH THAT WILL IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THOSE LIVING IN THE TROPICS (AND IS ACHIEVING A FEW NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACCOLADES ALONG THE WAY, MIND YOU).

THERE’S LITTLE DOUBT that you need to be a certain type of person to be a good nurse – caring, considerate and hard-working are obvious traits; but what about the courage to constantly question the accepted?

“As health professionals, or as anyone in life, we really need to think and question all the time,” tells Linda – a warm and bubbly character dressed in pink, who always aspired to follow her mother and aunt into nursing.

“We should ask: ‘Is this the right thing to do?’, ‘Do we have the evidence?’, ‘Should we be doing it differently?’… We need the confidence to ask those questions. That’s what drives me because, by thinking like that, we can truly make a difference.”

Originally from Brisbane, but having worked all over the world (from Limerick to Central Java), the zealous Linda is now a top researcher at the Tropical Health Research Unit for Nursing and Midwifery Practice (THRU).

Based at Townsville Hospital, it’s a rare facility that allows experienced nurses to conduct research to improve the lives of people living in the tropics. Linda’s work recently earned her entry into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame and she is also the first nurse in Australia to attain a Higher Doctorate-Doctor of Medicine. “That’s been one of my greatest achievements to-date because very few people have them and it gives my work more credibility,” she says.

One of Linda’s current research projects includes examining the differences between nursing in tropical areas and cooler climates; while colleague Wendy Smyth is studying the best creams for breast cancer radiation patients. The unit is also working towards securing funding for the North Queensland version of 7-Up – a British project that has followed the lives of children into adulthood since they were seven years old. “We would like to have a cohort up here and another in a non-tropical area

to find out if there’s a difference in the health needs of tropical people, which would allow funding to be directed and programs to be properly tailored,” Linda explains. “We are trying to find the best ways to do things in the tropics so we can make a real difference to the people living here.”

Outside the unit, Linda is on the cusp of publishing her first historical book (following her many child-health books as a paediatric nurse) about the role of nurses in Nazi Germany. “A friend and I did a paper about the affects of war on children in Europe after WWII, and during the research I read about the children who were killed by the Nazis if they had a disability – the so-called ‘euthanasia’,” Linda explains. “There were hundreds of these killings and bucket loads of research about what the doctors did.

A small handful of us around the world started [further] research and found there were a lot more nurses who did the killings than doctors, yet history has ignored that…. [we wrote the book because] it’s very important that nursing and midwifery recognise this dark side of our history, acknowledge it, and learn from it.”

While colleagues describe her as a ‘whirlwind of energy’, Linda says it’s very important to keep her feet on the ground. She achieves this through gardening at her Alligator Creek home with husband Allan (who she reveals is a “wonderful support”, along with her two adult Brisbane-based children), and maintaining clinical involvement. “Throughout my whole career I’ve tried to maintain a clinical load,” says Linda, whose passion is helping parents of hospitalised children to get through the difficult time.

“I think it’s very important to continue with the hands-on work to keep in touch with the people whose lives we are trying to improve through our research.”

“WE ARE TRYING TO FIND THE BEST WAYS TO DO THINGS IN THE TROPICS SO WE CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE TO THE PEOPLE LIVING HERE.” LINDA SHIELDS

102 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2012 duomagazine.com.au

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