Airnorth February/March 2016

Issue 136 • Feb/Mar 2016

+RegionalBusinessReview

THE JEWELS OF THE

KIMBERLEY We discover the treasures of Australia’s north-western wonderland

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Welcome to Katherine!

See our land.....share our story!

Often called the ‘Crossroads of the North’ because of its location, Katherine is the fourth largest town in the Northern Territory and is located 312 km south-east of Darwin on the Katherine River.

The Katherine Visitor Information Centre is fully accredited and operated by the Katherine Town Council. Visit our online booking site to make all of your tour and accommodation bookings online: www. visitkatherine.com.au before you arrive, or come on into our centre and see one of our friendly staff and we’ll keep you busy on your holiday.

Katherine Visitor Information Centre Cnr of Katherine Ter & Lindsay St, Katherine NT Phone: 08 8972 2650 Email: visitor@ktc.nt.gov.au Web: www.visitkatherine.com.au

Come and explore the Borroloola region situated on the McArthur River.

Throw your line in or do a hard day’s work and stay at the Savannah Way Motel, which is often referred to as the oasis along the Savannah Way. We offer clean, fully self-contained deluxe rooms amongst our well maintained gardens. The Carpentaria Grill, our fully licensed restaurant, offers affordable meals with nightly specials for those travelling on a budget.

Hop in our pool to cool off and finish your long days drive.

We are also the Tourist Information Centre for this region, and offer car hire with airport pickup and drop offs. Vehicles range from sedans to 4WD’s. So what are you waiting for, jump online or give our friendly Receptionist Trish Elmy a call and book a room and come enjoy your holidays, or even your business trip in magical Borroloola!

Savannah Way Motel Phone 0889758883 Mobile 0427189756 Robinson Rd, Borroloola NT Email: reception@savannahwaymotel.com.au Web: www.savannahwaymotel.com.au

to Manila

Kupang

Katherine McArthur River

Welcome aboard!

There’s plenty to see and do

Cairns

Tennant Creek The Granites Christmas Creek

Alice Springs

A u s t r a l i a

across the Airnorth network over the next few months.

Firstly, the world-renowned Ord Valley Muster and Kimberley Moon Experience will be taking place again in a couple of months’ time in Kununurra. In this edition, we take you through an overview of the event and what to expect.

On a musical note, Airnorth ambassador Chelsea Basham gives us some insight into the inspiration for her new album, Youngest. Her first album won her a Golden Guitar and we hope she continues her success with her latest album.

You’ll also find overviews of some of the newer destinations in the Airnorth network. We visit Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, and show you how to get around and see the most memorable attractions.

Now sit back, relax with our inflight service and enjoy your journey with Airnorth.

Daniel Bowden Chief Executive Officer

Airnorth reservations: 1800 627 474 or airnorth.com.au

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safetyinfo

EMBRAER E170 Engines Two jet Wingspan 26m Length 29.9m Height 9.95m Maximum take-off weight 37,200kg Maximum cruise altitude 41,000ft/12,535m Maximum cruise speed 450kns/820km/h Passenger seats 76 Crew 2 pilots, 2 cabin attendants Passenger facilities 2 galleys, 2 lavatories, pressurised and air conditioned

EMBRAER E120 BRASILIA Engines Two turboprop Wingspan 19.78m Length 20.0m Height 6.35m Maximum take-off weight 11,990kg Maximum cruise altitude 32,000ft/9,754m Maximum cruise speed 300kns/555km/h Passenger seats 30 Crew 2 pilots, 1 cabin attendant Passenger facilities Lavatory, cabin ground heating/cooling system

METROLINER 23 Engines Two turboprop Wingspan 17.70m Length 18.10m Height 5.10m Maximum take-off weight 7,485kg Maximum cruise altitude 25,000ft/7,620m Maximum cruise speed 265kns/490km/h Passenger seats 19 Crew 2 pilots

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safetyinfo

Your safety and comfort are our priority BELOW ARE SOME GUIDELINES TO ENSURE YOUR FLIGHT WITH US IS MORE ENJOYABLE

SAFETY BRIEFING ON TIME EVERY TIME To assist in maintaining on-time departures, check-in time is 45 minutes prior to departure for domestic flights and 90 minutes prior to departure for international flights. Airnorth check-in counters close 30 minutes prior to domestic scheduled departures and 45 minutes prior to international scheduled departures.

FREQUENT FLYERS Airnorth is a member of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program. Members can earn and redeem their Frequent Flyer points on selected Airnorth scheduled services.

FLYING WITH CHILDREN Infant safety belts are available on Airnorth aircraft and are distributed prior to take-off.

CHILDREN FLYING ALONE If you have children between the ages of five and 11 (inclusive) travelling alone, we ensure they enjoy the attention of our staff on the ground and in flight.

AIRNORTH SERVICES On our services, you can expect a snack accompanied by a selection of tea and coffee or cold refreshments. On selected afternoon services, alcoholic beverages are also available.

Refer to airnorth.com.au for more details.

SPECIAL NEEDS

Please listen carefully to the Safety Briefing and take the time to read through the Safety on Board card prior to take-off. This will help you familiarise yourself with the emergency exits, brace position and the location of your life jacket.

SEATBELTS Seatbelts must be fastened firmly for take-off, landing and while the seatbelt sign is illuminated. We recommend that your seatbelt be fastened at all times while you are seated in case of unexpected turbulence.

CARRY-ON LUGGAGE If you have carry-on luggage, please stow it in the overhead locker or under the seat in front of you. Hand luggage that is not correctly stowed may cause injury in the event of unexpected turbulence.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES Portable electronic devices can cause electromagnetic interference to the aircraft systems. The interference can cause aircraft systems to malfunction.

To provide adequate protection for the aircraft, please note that mobile phones must not be used at any time on board the aircraft. Other devices, such as MP3 players, iPods, CD players, portable palmtop and laptop computers, cassette players, personal electronic organisers and personal DVD and video games may be used during cruise only, NOT when the aircraft is taking off or landing.

TRAY TABLES/ SEAT BACKS Please ensure that your tray table and your seat back are in their upright positions for take-off and landing.

DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS (DVT) It has been reported that some airline passengers have developed clots in deep blood vessels, often in the lower legs, as a result of sitting for extended periods without exercise or movement.

This condition is known medically as deep vein thrombosis or DVT. If bloodclot fragments break off and lodge in other areas of the body, such as the lungs, they may cause a potentially fatal pulmonary thrombosis when the person starts walking after being immobile for a lengthy period of time.

Risk factors for DVT include varicose veins, recent surgery or injury to the lower legs, malignant diseases, past history of DVT, obesity, pregnancy and recent childbirth. Anyone with any of these risk factors is advised to consult a medical practitioner prior to flying to find out how to minimise the risk of DVT. During the flight, we recommend that you take the following precautions: • Drink plenty of fluids, especially water, and minimise your intake of alcohol. • Exercise on board the aircraft by moving and stretching your toes, rotating your ankles, raising and lowering each leg and massaging your calves gently. In addition, we suggest that you avoid crossing your legs during the flight.

SMOKING Government regulations strictly prohibit smoking on all domestic flights. Special smoke detectors have been fitted to the toilets on board all of our aircraft. Smoking is also prohibited on the tarmac and throughout airport terminal buildings.

Passengers with special needs and/or disabilities, please contact our Reservations Department.

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airnorthnews

Chelsea Basham – Youngest n 2013, Chelsea Basham’s debut album I Make My Own Sunshine took this gifted singer-songwriter from the West Australian wheatbelt to the national stage and established her as the hottest new talent in Australian country music.

The album spawned three hit singles, won a Golden Guitar Award and an APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) award nomination. Critics loved it, with the Sydney Morning Herald referring

to her sound as “genuinely soulful country” and the Courier-Mail writing, “Basham has talent and a mellow soulful voice that is somewhere between Trisha Yearwood and the Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines.”

Chelsea toured extensively in support of the album and appeared at major festivals. A highlight was singing a duet with Keith Urban to a sold-out Perth Arena in 2014.

Chelsea has now released her highly anticipated second album Youngest. “The theme of Youngest

is living life to the full, enjoying the moment and appreciating what you have – most importantly, family and friends,” Chelsea says.

“I’m the youngest of three children and lucky to have always felt loved and secure. But, like most of us, I spend time thinking about the past and the future, sometimes at the expense of what is happening right now.

“That’s the challenge… grasping the right here and the right now. And right now is the youngest we’ll ever be so we don’t want to waste a minute!”

“Right now is the youngest we’ll ever be so we don’t want to waste a minute!”

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airnorthnews

Ord Valley Muster/ Kimberley Moon Experience 2016 ow entering its 16th year, the Argyle Diamonds Ord Valley Muster is set to be bigger and better than ever. If your passion is art, culture, landscape, food, sport or entertainment, the Argyle Diamonds Ord Valley Muster will not disappoint.

The event highlights all there is to love about the East Kimberley region, including its beautiful landscape and friendly locals.

Starting on May 13, the Argyle Diamonds Ord Valley Muster will include numerous events over 10 days.

The highlight of the event will take place on May 21 when the Kimberley Moon Experience hosts a range of talented artists performing on the banks of the Ord River.

Airnorth flies to Kununurra daily via Darwin and Broome.

Don’t miss out on seats as they will sell fast. Book now at airnorth.com.au

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Conquer Cystic Fibrosis through research

I

n 2002 a small group of

parents of children with CF decided to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis WA (CFWA) which, at the time, was in need of financial support.

The 65 Roses Grand Ball for Cystic Fibrosis was born and $42,986.25 was raised.

Realising the potential they had to raise significant funds, and driven by the need to do all they could to make a real difference for people with CF, in 2003 this same group, in addition to raising money for CFWA, raised funds to donate to research.

Since then, the group has grown to encompass people with CF and family friends. This very dedicated and extremely hard working group have continued to organise the 65 Roses Grand Ball for Cystic Fibrosis, making it an annual event. Their major focus being research. Why? The answer is best told in the numbers. Life expectancy in Australia for people with CF in

the 1960’s was 5 years. It is now 35 years. Deaths in Australia of younger people have, thankfully declined dramatically since 1998. The six years from 1998 to 2004 saw a fall of 70% in the number of deaths of people with CF aged under 20 years.

The greatest contributing factor to this is undoubtedly research.

Research leads to improvements in treatments,which in turn leads to longer, healthier lives.

To date the 65 Roses Balls have raised $910,976.13 for CFWA and CF research.

In 2012, Conquer Cystic Fibrosis was incorporated, thus allowing for expansion and increased fundraising for CF research.

The Ball, the major fundraising event has been renamed “The Conquer Cystic Fibrosis Grand Ball”.

Unfortunately there is still no cure for Cystic Fibrosis. But that is something Conquer Cystic Fibrosis Inc, intends to change.

There is still no cure for Cystic Fibrosis

Conquer www.conquercysticfibrosis.com

C stic Fibrosis Inc.

airnorthnews

Centre Run Some of the most scenic and historic places in Australia are located in the Northern Territory. We explore some of the main attractions in Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs for visitors to the regions.

Things to see and do around Katherine: Katherine Hot Springs A series of clear pools warmed by natural thermal springs located on the banks of the Katherine River.

Nitmiluk National Park Features 13 gorges that can be explored on foot, by canoe, boat or helicopter.

Cutta Cutta Caves 27 kilometres south of Katherine, these underground limestone caves teem with wildlife.

Things to see and do around Tennant Creek:

Katherine

The Northern Territory’s fourth-largest town is located 300 kilometres south of Darwin. It’s the perfect base for exploring Nitmiluk National Park and the region’s natural springs and caves.

Cars can be hired from the town centre for easy travel around Katherine and the surrounding area.

Some tours to Nitmiluk National Park include pick-up and drop-off at accommodation in Katherine itself.

Alice Springs

Make the most of your stay and hire a vehicle.

Some tours provide transfers to and from accommodation, but many are self-drive.

Hire cars are available for collection from the Alice Springs Airport terminal building. Or take a taxi to alternative collection points in the centre of town.

Tennant Creek

When arriving, make sure you have prebooked transport from the airport.

Transport can be arranged with Tennant Creek Transport, which provides transfers from the airport into the centre of town, or you can book a hire car for the length of your stay. Hire cars can be collected from the centre of town.

Devil’s Marbles Approximately one hour’s drive from Tennant Creek, this large formation of spherical boulders covers several hundred metres and holds special significance to Indigenous people.

Battery Hill Mining Centre Explore the history of the gold mines that helped to establish Tennant Creek as a town back in the 1930s.

Tennant Creek Telegraph Station A short drive north of Tennant Creek, the original telegraph station provided vital communications and refuge for travellers in the early days of the Territory.

Things to see and do around Alice Springs: Alice Springs Desert Park Showcasing the diversity and hardiness of desert plants and wildlife, the park encapsulates unique Australian flora and fauna.

Todd Mall An outdoor market open every second Sunday from February to December, Todd Mall specialises in local produce and art.

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The Tiwi Islands’ Bathurst and Melville islands are only 80 kilometres north of Darwin, but the art, culture and language here are vastly different to that on the mainland, finds Janeece Keller.

design TIWI BY

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oomerangs, probably the most famous tool of our Indigenous population, are not used here on Australia’s Tiwi Islands and the artworks produced by the islanders are distinctly different.

Of the 11 Tiwi Islands, only two are inhabited. The Tiwi people are known for their traditional lifestyle, their love of AFL and their art – but they are perhaps best known for the latter. Tiwi Islander artworks hang in galleries around the world. Here on their island home, they are everywhere you look: decorating schools, churches and burial poles as well as the islands’ own art centres.

Cruise company SeaLink Northern Territory recently introduced daytrips between Darwin and Bathurst Island, making it easier for visitors to explore the so-called ‘Islands of Smiles’,

meet some of the local artists in their traditional villages, listen to the islanders’ stories, and learn about its long history and fascinating culture.

After a two-and-a-half-hour scenic cruise, our boat docks directly onto the beach (with a bit of a bump), where we are met by local guides Kev and Viv, who take us to the Tiwi by Design studio for a welcome smoking ceremony.

Here, we settle in for some tea and damper, chat with local artists and learn about their painting techniques.

The designs used

by Tiwi Islanders are more geometric in style than those of the Indigenous artists of Arnhem Land, just across the Van Diemen Gulf; and are often inspired by the local mortuary ceremony, ‘Pukumani’, and by the traditional island style of body painting known as ‘pwoja’.

The designs used by Tiwi Islanders are more geometric in style than those of the Indigenous artists of Arnhem Land.

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Tiwi Islands

Darwin

If you’re visiting tribal lands and see a totem pole, you should ask the spirit permission to enter and request that it keeps you safe.

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Image courtesy of NASA/JPL Caltech

We watch enthralled as Art Centre manager Steve and the artists screen-print fabrics in the workshop. The designs are printed onto rolls of fabric; sold, either as artworks or as fabric; and exported all over the world.

Moving on from the morning’s art lesson, our walking tour proceeds through town past a neighbouring totem-pole carver and painter. Traditionally, Tiwi totem poles are made by the siblings of the deceased and are supposed to keep visitors to the area safe.

If you’re visiting tribal lands and see a totem pole, you should ask the spirit permission to enter and request that it keeps you safe while you’re there. The locals do this if they’re going fishing or hunting – which they still do, using traditional methods.

Every Tiwi Islander male has a totem (or ‘dreaming’), inherited from his father.

Totems include crocodile, buffalo, horse, turtle, shark and jungle fowl. A Tiwi cannot eat his totem animal, as it is thought that he has a significant relationship with it that must be respected.

The islands are divided into eight ‘countries’ and, like the totems they receive, Tiwis inherit their ‘home’ countries from their fathers. A Tiwi’s ‘Yiminga’, however, is matrilineal and determines the marriage line. The word ‘Yiminga’ means several things: skin-group, totem, life, spirit, breath and pulse. The skin group determines who a Tiwi may or may not marry, and this seems to be determined largely by each person’s geographical position on one of the two islands.

It is fascinating and there’s so much to learn. Our walking tour takes us past the local school, its walls and fence painted with colourful murals, and on to the museum, where we pore over exhibits 13

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explaining the history of the island, including its intriguing missionary past.

A French priest brought Christianity to the Tiwi Islands in the early 1900s and Catholic missions were established on both islands. This is one of the few places in the world where traditional beliefs have been blended with Catholicism. When someone dies on the Tiwi Islands, an Indigenous elder and a Catholic priest typically preside jointly over the funeral.

Another interesting local tradition is that from puberty onwards, siblings of opposite genders are not allowed to spend time alone together; they must be chaperoned – which seems like it would be a Catholic tradition but is in fact an inherent Tiwi custom.

We visit the old Catholic church, its walls lined with photographs of the priests and nuns who have lived here over the years. One of the missionary nuns lives here still – she’s more than 90 years old.

In the grounds of the church sits the propeller of a Japanese Zero plane that was shot down over the Apsley Strait in 1942, as well as the radio shack from which the first call announcing the Japanese approach to Darwin during World War II was made.

We stroll back to the design workshop for a packed lunch – and to decide what to paint ourselves: t-shirt, tea towel or plain fabric.

We’re asked to select a design from those on the existing screens, with a choice of traditional images and more modern designs.

Our chosen designs are screenprinted and we then decide what colour combination we want and paint it on ourselves. While our masterpieces are drying, we get to chat to the real artists and learn about their style and their symbolism over another cup of tea.

As our island tour comes to an end, we’re presented with our own hand-made pieces of Tiwi artwork, ironed and packed ready for the trip home.

After lots of farewelling of our new friends, we take a five-minute walk down to the beach and board our boat for the trip back to Darwin, just in time to watch the sun set over the water from the beach at Cullen Bay and see the colours that feature in our paintings light up the sky.

More info SeaLink NT’s Tiwi By Design daytrips operate Thursdays and Fridays between April 1 and December 11, departing Darwin’s Cullen Bay at 8am and returning at 5.45pm.

For more information, visit sealinknt.com.au

About the author Janeece is the CEO of kids’ travel website Bound Round, which she started after leaving corporate life to follow twin passions for travel and storytelling.

Through Bound Round, Janeece helps kids share what they love to do in their home towns so that visiting kids can get their peers’ perspectives. She herself was an expat kid who has lived on three continents and believes there’s no better teacher than travel.

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windowseat Kata Tjuta, Northern Territory Kata Tjuta (also known as The Olgas), are large domed rock formations located about 365 kilometres southwest of Alice Springs.

The highest point, Mount Olga, is 1,066 metres above sea level and about 546 metres above the surrounding plain, which makes it 198 metres higher than Uluru.

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getaway

THE

BIG RED Airnorth takes you to Alice Springs for a trip around ‘Big Red’.

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“PUT YOUR BALLS in the tank,” isn’t a phrase you think you’d hear much.

But buzzing around the Outback on a quad bike, dodging lethal spinifex, lowlying branches, buffalo, wild horses and the odd stray camel at Kings Creek Station – an 1,800-square-metre working cattle and camel ranch outside the Northern Territory’s Watarrka National Park – is not for the faint-hearted.

Whether you’re a petrol-head or not, the stunning 360-degree panoramic scenery of the George Gill Range, rolling sand dunes, desert oaks and wildlife is breathtaking.

Guide Steve is knowledgeable about all the flora and fauna in the region and reveals that curious dingoes and kangaroos often pitch up for the overnight tours.

Steve insists the best way to remain stable on the quads is by sitting up high towards the front near the handlebars, literally with your “balls” – for the men – “in the tank”. Who knew?

Some people are cut out for camping.

But glamping in a motorhome with air-con, shower and toilet? Now you’re talking!

If you have always wanted to travel the Red Centre Way – from Alice Springs to Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), Kings Canyon and the rest of the Outback – it’s the only way to do it.

DAY 1

Daily flights to Alice Springs land you deep in the heart of the Outback, an area rich with Aboriginal culture. The Arrernte people are the traditional owners of the region incorporating Alice Springs and East MacDonnell Ranges and have lived here for thousands of years.

On landing we get a shuttle bus to motorhome company Apollo to collect our ride for the next few days. Forget your clapped-out utes, this six-berth Mercedes Euro Deluxe model has been accessorised to the max. With three large double-bed sleeping areas, it’s the perfect tourer for large families.

Supplies are hard to find on the 4.5-hour drive to Uluru so a visit to the well-stocked Woolworths and Coles in Alice Springs’ Yeperenye Shopping Centre is imperative.

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Daily flights to Alice Springs land you deep in the heart of the Outback, an area rich with Aboriginal culture.

getaway

Travelling to Uluru through Rainbow Valley and along the Stuart and Lasseter highways at dusk is stunning, and not just for the silhouettes of kangaroos, camels, wild horses and buffalos that can be seen on the horizon.

Ayers Rock Campground boasts a range of facilities, including art galleries, a swimming pool, playground, restaurants and a supermarket. It’s located a handy 15 kilometres from Uluru.

DAY 2

At 5.15am we meet the SEIT Uluru Highlights bus for our three-hour sunrise tour. It’s still dark as we present our passes at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park entrance and our well-informed guides teach us about the Anangu people who are the traditional owners. Anangu means ‘We, the people’

Wow. No wonder Uluru can lay a significant claim to being one of the seven wonders of the natural world. and the culture of the Anangu, which dates back more than 40,000 years, is considered to be one of the oldest in the world. In 1985, Anangu agreed to lease the national park to Parks Australia for 99 years as long as it, and all visitors, abide by the Anangu’s Tjukurpa laws (relating to the Creation period), which encompass their way of life, religion, beliefs and moral systems.

Our guides regale us with some of the Anangu laws and Creation stories involving the poisonous snake Liru and the python Kuniya. We also learn how Anangu live off the land and control bushfires.

The magnificent monolith looms in front of us and we fall silent as the sun rises.

Wow. No wonder Uluru can lay a significant claim to being one of the seven wonders of the natural world. At 860 metres above sea level and with a 9-kilometre circumference, it’s not just beautiful, it’s huge.

Surprisingly, it houses a fertile oasis of watering holes, caves, wildlife and vegetation, but is so dry that only one per

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cent of visitors have ever seen rain fall on it.

When it does, water cascades down its sides and into watering holes.

We explore caves where ancient Aboriginal art illustrating the Tjukurpa adorns the walls.

Further around Uluru, our guides point out a walking trail with a small chain leading up to the top. The person who made it was only five feet tall and it’s so low that many climbers have lost their balance – and their lives. The boulders half way up are dubbed ‘chicken rock’ because many people get as far as them and decide they don’t want to continue!

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The same afternoon I embark upon the famous sunset camel tour and am surprised to learn Australia has the largest population of wild camels in the world. Introduced to the Outback in the 1880s, they’re regarded as pests but are docile and easy to catch.

Amusingly, they’re not bred in captivity because the hand-reared ones apparently have delusions of grandeur and are especially hard to train.

My friends for the evening are Randy, a record-holding ex-racer, and his mate, lead camel Ned Kelly, who made his acting debut

in the film Australia. The one-hour trip is extremely informative and I’m in awe as the scenic backdrop of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, 30 kilometres away to the west, becomes a rainbow of bronze and gold. Uluru is sandstone whereas Kata Tjuta has a chemical composition similar to granite. Both are coated with iron oxide, giving them their rusty appearance. Incidentally, from a certain angle Kata Tjuta looks like a side profile of Homer Simpson’s head! We return at twilight to enjoy locally produced wine, beer and freshly baked beer damper.

e f a S l e v a r T s m o d n o C e s U

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UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY Pascoe Partners is a leading rural based CPA accounting firm strategically located across four offices in Western Australia. We are seeking a suitably qualified accountant to join our Kojonup Office which services clients within the region.

Kojonup is located in a close knit farming community in the Great Southern Region and is centrally located between Perth and Albany with easy access to the coastal and wine growing hot spots.

Successful applicants will be responsible to assist in providing our SME client base with taxation services and planning, financial reporting, business and farm management support, succession and estate planning and, providing assistance with accessing government and other services.

Applicants are expected to hold appropriate tertiary qualifications and have completed or be working towards completion of CPA/ CA qualifications, have effective written and oral communication skills and be driven to become a proactive member of a professional firm.

An attractive remuneration package inclusive of country loadings and relocation assistance is on offer.

For a confidential discussion about this role please contact Human Resources on 08 9322 3400 or email hr@pascoepartners.com.au

Experience one of the most exciting fishing grounds in the world with our legendary Chief Guide Andrew Darby.

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getaway

DAY 3

We embark upon AAT Kings’ Kata Tjuta and Uluru Sunset tour, followed by the Aussie Barbecue Under the Stars dinner.

A 2.6-kilometre walk bursting with greenery takes you to Walpa (meaning windy) Gorge, the first lookout point at Kata Tjuta, from which you can see both Western and South Australia. Geologists believe this area was under sea level between 600 and 900 million years ago. It may even have once been the start of the Himalayas. It’s now 1,066 metres above sea level.

At the Uluru sunset viewing area, we enjoy refreshments and have the chance to buy original Anangu art from local sellers.

The Aussie Barbecue Under the Stars is a treat both for the tastebuds and the geek in you – while tucking into fine cuts of kangaroo, beef, lamb and fish in the shadow of Uluru, our guide pinpoints all the planets and constellations in the night sky with a laser.

DAY 4

There’s plenty to keep visitors occupied at Kings Creek Station. There are helicopter rides and camel tours to take part in, as well as the aforementioned quad biking.

Our journey on four wheels was six kilometres as the crow flies, but more like 10 kilometres when one considers the bends and bumpy terrain. Note to the ladies: wear a bra!

If you like steak, the nearby Kings Canyon Holiday Park is the place to devour one. With live music on every night, the atmosphere is buzzing and there’s also a very high chance of spotting a dingo on the way back to your accommodation. There is plenty to show the kids and the holiday park is the perfect place to base yourself for the famous Rim and Kings Creek walks.

Our journey on four wheels was six kilometres as the crow flies.

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DAY 5

The Kings Creek Walk is the easier of the two walks available and is suitable for all ages. Although the six-kilometre Rim Walk kicks off with 500 steps, the views offered of Watarrka National Park and the ‘Garden of Eden’ are worth every step.

DAY 6

Turns out the dinners at Kings Canyon Holiday Park aren’t the only good thing going – the breakfasts at its Desert Oaks Bistro are delicious, too. We have a large feast to prepare ourselves for the 4.5hour drive to Alice Springs where we check into the Big4 MacDonnell Range Holiday Park happier, browner (although that could be the red dust!) and more informed about this wonderful country we call home.

Round-up GO • There are daily flights to Alice Springs and Uluru.

• Rental of a six-berth Euro Deluxe motorhome from Apollo starts from $150 per day.

• National park entry tickets are required for entry into Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and are $25 per person for visitors 16 years and over. They’re valid for three consecutive days.

EAT In Alice Springs, visit The Overlanders Steakhouse, Barra on Todd Restaurant and Bar, Red Ochre Grill Restaurant, Red Sands Café, Red Dog Café and The Juicy Rump.

DO Recommended tours are Quad Safaris at Kings Creek Station, SEIT Uluru Sunset tour, Uluru Camel Tours, and AAT Kings’ Kata Tjuta & Uluru Sunset + Aussie Barbeque Under The Stars.

MORE INFO For more information, visit tourismnt.com

getaway

Although the six-kilometre Rim Walk kicks off with 500 steps, the views offered of Watarrka National Park and the ‘Garden of Eden’ are worth every step.

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I S O L ATI O N

Life in rural, regional and remote Australia is complex: natural wealth creates opportunity but distance and isolation present challenges.

Sometimes even the most vibrant communities need a helping hand.

FRRR’s unique tax status combined with our extensive networks means we can direct support where it is most needed.

Last year, the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal provided more than 750 grants to help local groups implement local solutions to local issues.

From education to the environment, health to the arts, our collaboratively-funded small grant programs help unlock potential. But we can only meet about a third of the requests for support.

Learn more about how you could help connect more rural communities with resources and networks to help them build a strong vibrant future. www.frrr.org.au @FRRR_Oz 03 5430 2399

From the editor...

Howdy travellers!

GROUP EDITOR Faye James faye.james@edgecustom.com.au ASSISTANT EDITOR Riley Palmer SUB-EDITORS Alarna Haigh, Paul Rodger ART DIRECTOR Guy Pendlebury PRODUCTION MANAGER Brian Ventour CONTRIBUTORS Darren Baguley, Michael Benn, Michael Biddle, Claire Bond, Danielle Chenery, Deborah Dickson-Smith PRINTER SOS Print & Media ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Scott Hunt scott.hunt@edgecustom.com.au NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Peter Anderson peter.anderson@edgecustom.com.au NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Robert Desgouttes robert.desgouttes@edgecustom.com.au WA, SA and NT SALES REP Helen Glasson, Hogan Media Phone: 08 9381 3991 helen@hoganmedia.com.au

How has your 2016 been so far?

Now we’re heading into the second quarter, no doubt you’ll be planning the Easter break.

Feel inspired with our trips to Albury and surrounds, Melbourne and the dramatic Kimberley and beyond. And if you’ve found you’ve overdone it a little over the silly season, have a read of our top health retreats to find rest and respite.

Happy adventures! facebook.com/OUTthereMagazineAustralia @OUTthereMagAus

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Geoff Campbell MANAGING PARTNERS Fergus Stoddart, Richard Parker

Faye James and the OUTthere team

OUTthere is published by Edge Level 4, 10–14 Waterloo Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Phone: +61 2 8962 2600 edgecustom.com.au OUTthere is published by Business Essentials (Australasia) Pty Limited (ABN 22 062 493 869), trading as Edge, under license to MGI Publishing Pty Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the Publisher. Information provided was believed to be correct at the time of publication. All reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders. OUTthere cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If such items are sent to the magazine, they will not be returned. Some images used in OUTthere are from Thinkstock and Getty Images.

1

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Be rewarded with a life-changing experience.

The 12-unit modular UWA Business School MBA degree allows you to build your business acumen, advance your career and study while you work.

Our MBA is renowned for its flexibility. Features include fully online study options, intensive mode teaching and international partnerships with leading Business Schools.

We also offer a 4-unit, fully online Graduate Certificate in Business which may be taken either as a standalone qualification, or as an entry pathway to our MBA for those without an undergraduate degree.

In addition to the generalist degree, specialisations are also available for those wishing to focus in particular areas such as Leadership, Resources, Finance, Entrepreneurship or Social Impact.

What’s more, an MBA from UWA comes with the weight of a World Top 100 University and a business school with double international accreditation.

To find out more, speak to a specialist from our MBA team on (08) 6488 4999 or visit mba.uwa.edu.au

contents

16

Issue 136 • February/March 2016

24

37

10 cultureclub

30 weekender

What’s happening around the country, from art and music to theatre and cinema.

OUTthere heads to Albury for a country holiday filled with rolling hills, quaint towns and fine wine.

14 kitchenconfidential

37 healthretreats

New Zealand chef Logan Campbell is brilliant in top Sydney restaurants, but thanks his father for inspiring him to cook with all his senses.

Australia offers some fantastic health retreats for those needing to recharge from the stresses of everyday life.

16 getaway

45 healthnews

Deborah Dickson-Smith heads north to the Kimberley and explores its rugged landscape in search of the best sights, sounds and tastes.

Top tips for eating mindfully from James Duigan, author of Clean and Lean for Life: The Cookbook.

24 food&wine

The country capital is the perfect destination for a weekend away. We fill in 48 action-packed hours in Canberra.

Take a food tour with Walk Melbourne Tours to find the city’s in-the-know foodie hide-outs.

+

46 weekender

RegionalBusinessReview Mini-mag inside featuring all the latest news & views from around Australia, including: • Inside Mining • Investment

• Agribusiness • News & Reviews 3

MOBILE FALL PROTECTION for Heavy Machinery & Mobile Plant Equipment

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 Maximum working overhead anchor point height of 6.7m and with a 2.1m offset mast rated for two (2) workers.  When not in use, the LFAT mast folds down effortlessly into the trailer and is securely held in place.  Completely counterweighted with predetermined weight plates for two (2) workers.  LFAT takes around 5 minutes to set-up for use and a similar amount of time to lower the unit after use.  Equipped with electric brakes and a battery operated break-away system  The LFAT main mast is raised and lowered using a hydraulic pump and valve assembly with builtin hose burst protection reducing any manual handling issues on-site.  Certified lifting points and forklift tyne pockets for ease of lifting and storing when shipping LFAT system around the country side.  Torsion axle assembly eliminating potential ‘trailer hopping’ when travelling at speeds on and off roads.  Also available in a heavy duty off road version for use in really rugged and harsh work environments.  Tested, certified and meets Australian Standard requirements AS/NZS1891.4 & AS/NZS 5532.

BTS RESTRICTED SPACE CUBE (RSC) & BTS MINI RESTRICTED SPACE CUBE (MRSC)  Powder coated and galvanised steel finish complete with internal concrete and steel counterweights.  Overhead anchorage point for personnel fall arrest.  Ergonomically designed brake hand winch for raising and lowering vertical mast.  Compact and counterweighted base that can be moved by forklift or hand pallet jack.  Counterweighted base has a footprint of 1.1m.  Height adjustment of mast from 4.5m to 7.2m.  Offset mast of 3.0m from central vertical mast.  Product weight of 3.6T.  Mast rotates 360° and can be locked every 22°  In-built visual overload and fall arrest indicators that identify if the RSC has been exposed to fall arrest forces or accidental misuse.  Tested, certified and meets Australian Standard requirements AS/NZS1891.4 & AS/NZS 5532.

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planner

Planner

MARCH

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Our top pick of events coming up around the country...

Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park, Victoria

OF NT NTH E EVE MO TH

MARCH 17–20

© Red Bull

The Australian Grand Prix has become the traditional season opener and is a favourite for both drivers and fans alike. Always an exciting race, this is the first chance we get to see new drivers and cars entered for the season ahead.

Millions of dollars and thousands of hours are spent by the teams in a bid to be that little bit faster and claim the number one spot in the pinnacle of motorsport. Come along and watch Lewis Hamilton defend his World Champion title against the likes of teammate Nico Rosberg, Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, wonderkid Max Verstappen and our Aussie favourite, Daniel Ricciardo (pictured left). grandprix.com.au

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY

06

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FEBRUARY 6

FEBRUARY 25–28

FEBRUARY

MARCH

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FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 6

Great Australian Beer Festival, VIC

Perth International, WA

Australian Open of Surfing, NSW

Join like-minded brewers and beer aficionados for the opportunity to sample more than 200 Australian and international craft brews. Enjoy a day of live music, visual arts and gourmet food with friends. Held at the Geelong Racecourse, this event typifies what it is to experience summer in the land down under. gabfgeelong.com.au

The only golf tournament in Australia to receive tri-sanctioning from the PGA Tour of Australasia, European Tour and Asian Tour, the Perth International is returning to Lake Karrinyup Country Club this February. With a prize money of $1.75 million, don’t miss some of the world’s best golfers compete in Australia’s richest tournament. perthinternational.com

See some of the world’s best surfers carve up the epic waves at Sydney’s iconic Manly Beach. Come along for fierce competition both in and out of the water, where skateboarding pros will be competing for the title of best trick and highest air. And when all’s said and done, enjoy live music and evening concerts on the beach. australianopenofsurfing.com

look

ahead

APRIL 3 The Cooly Classic, QLD Take the plunge and conquer the Gold Coast’s premier ocean swim. register.canbook.me/ coolyclassic-2015

APRIL 18–MAY 15 Sydney Comedy Festival, NSW An uproarious, rollicking and utterly entertaining month of comedy.

Prepare for your sides to split! sydneycomedyfest.com.au

else

where

FEBRUARY 7 Super Bowl 50, America Get your hot dogs and settle in to watch the 50th edition of the American football Super Bowl. sfbaysuperbowl.com

MARCH 26

Australian Tractor Pull Championships, VIC

BYO picnic rug and settle in to experience the pulling power of Australia’s highest-octane machines.

Held at Quambatook on Easter Saturday, this annual event is all about power, fun and ingenuity. Enjoy food, market stalls, carnival rides and the friendly country vibe. members.iinet.net.au/~jobbo/

MARCH 17–20 St Patrick’s Festival, Ireland Vibrant pageantry, a sea of green, leprechauns & shamrocks. How better to celebrate Ireland’s national holiday? stpatricksfestival.ie

5

What to pack Our fave holiday essentials...

Azurite Wellness Retreats, from POA, azurite.com.au

6

whattopack Seiko Premier, $1,200, seiko.com.au

Mariana Margarita earrings, $98, mariana.com.au Seiko Sportura, $995, seiko.com.au

staff pick

Sonos Play, wi-fi streaming speaker, $299, sonos.com

Sending Love “Traveller� $26.95, sendinglove.com.au

Monthly subscription packages available

7

entertainment

Entertainment The latest and greatest things to hear, see and read...

download

listen

Realifex

Foxes: All I Need English singer-songwriter Louisa Rose Allen – who goes by the persona Foxes – has just released her second album called All I Need. The Grammy Award-winner explores new territory on the album, which has a stripped-back sound and is a less-produced version of her usual electro-pop. Foxes herself has said the album is inspired by relationships and the sound reflects that – it’s gospel-like and emotional, incorporating piano and strings.

Jeff Buckley: You and I

st picaff k

Almost 20 years after his death, Jeff Buckley is still releasing ‘new’ music. Due out on March 11, You and I is a compilation of 10 previously unreleased originals and covers of artists including Bob Dylan, The Smiths and Led Zeppelin. Songs from the album are comprised of his first recordings for Columbia Records, cut in producer Steve Addabbo’s New York studio in 1993. The artist only released one album during his life but has achieved great success posthumously.

watch

Boomerang

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

PG 13+ Action, Adventure, Fantasy In the first live-action film to feature both Superman and Batman, our traditional crusaders and protectors are pitted against one another. With our superheroes otherwise engaged, a new threat emerges and humanity finds itself in imminent danger. Starring Oscar winner Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel, this action-packed film will have you on the edge of your seat.

In cinemas March 24. batmanvsupermandawnofjustice.com

read

App Store, free Google Play, free Released by Instagram, Boomerang is a new video app that takes 10 short-burst photos, stitches them together and replays them in a loop. Best of all, you can easily share these mini-videos with your friends on Instagram and other social networks, or save it to your phone to look back on.

Foursquare

Spirits of the Ghan

Stiletto

The Way Mum Made It

Judy Nunn, Random House, $32.99 Judy Nunn seamlessly integrates the reality of Australia’s Indigenous lore with a fictional account about the completion of the mighty Ghan railway between Adelaide and Darwin. Her latest novel is a journey right into the heart of Australia’s red centre, where cultures collide and mysteries are revealed.

Daniel O’Malley, HarperCollins, $29.99 In the sequel to his award-winning novel The Rook, Daniel O’Malley brings us Stiletto, a story of supernatural diplomacy that spans genres from fantasy to spoof. Join Myfanwy Thomas in her attempt to negotiate a deal between two deadly factions that are on the brink of war.

Edited by Alexandra O’Brien, ABC Books, $24.99 There’s nothing as comforting as mum’s cooking. With dishes to suit cookingfor-one as well as big families, this cookbook is filled with family favourites.

It also has handy hints that could only come from a mother, like how to adjust the quantities of a recipe, or what to cook when camping.

8

App Store, free trial Standing for Real Life Experience, Realifex allows you to journal your own life experiences as they occur, noting locations, moods and date so you can look back on and analyse them. In today’s fast-paced world, this app encourages us to slow down and recognise the impact of our day-to-day experiences and how they make us feel.

App Store, free Google Play, free A little bit of local knowledge goes a long way in a new town. Taking into account the places you frequent and other users whose advice you trust, Foursquare gives you recommendations about what places you might like to eat or drink at, or visit, depending on your current location.

on your order by entering promo code OUTTHERE10 when you order online Valid until April 10th, 2016

cultureclub

CULTURE CLUB GOT A THING FOR THEATRE? LOVE LIVE MUSIC? ENJOY GREAT GALLERIES? READ ON FOR WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS MONTH...

HITCHCOCK & HERRMANN, HAMER HALL, MELBOURNE

FEBRUARY 5–6

We all know the dramatic music that accompanies the shower scene in Hitchcock’s Psycho. The famous score is the handiwork of master composer Bernard Herrmann, the man behind much of the musical suspense that complements Hitchcock’s thrilling cinematography. Enjoy his gripping music performed live by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra while scenes from Hitchcock’s classic films play out on the big screen. mso.com.au/whatson/2016-season/hitchcock

PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

FEB 11–MAR 6

Showcasing everything from dance to largescale public displays, Australia’s longestrunning cultural festival returns to Perth this summer. Under the creative guidance of new artistic director Wendy Martin, the 2016 festival welcomes about 800 artists and creative minds who transform the city into something truly magical. Find out more at perthfestival.com.au

stacffk pi

MOONLIGHT CINEMA, QLD Dec 16, 2015–Mar 6, 2016 New Farm Park at Brisbane Powerhouse There’s nothing so quintessentially Australian as spending a balmy summer’s night in the great outdoors enjoying a quality film. Moonlight Cinema is returning to Brisbane’s New Farm Park to celebrate its 20th season this summer. Enjoy the latest releases or your favourite cult classic in an alfresco setting, all while enjoying the delectable food provided by US-style food trucks. Check out the program at moonlight.com.au/brisbane

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cultureclub

February 12–March 14 ADELAIDE FRINGE FESTIVAL, SOUTH AUSTRALIA Described as Carnivale meets Mardi Gras, the Adelaide Fringe Festival is renowned as one of the world’s best open-access arts festivals. For four weeks, the city of Adelaide transforms into a transcendent hub of talent showcasing more than 4,000 artists from around the world in everything from comedy to circus. Check out the Garden of Unearthly Delights for an utterly beguiling experience and submerse yourself in an arts festival like no other. adelaidefringe.com.au

SNOWY MOUNTAINS COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL, THREDBO, NSW

March 4–6 Where better to celebrate country music than in Australia’s iconic Snowys? Headlining this country music extravaganza alongside Aussie icon Daryl Braithwaite are two of country music’s most celebrated talents, Kip Moore and Kelsea Ballerini, both of whom have made the trip down under from the United States. Joining these luminaries is an impressive line-up of homegrown talent, including Morgan Evans and Deep Creek Road. snowymountainscountry.com.au

BLUESFEST 2016, TYAGARAH TEA TREE FARM, TYAGARAH NSW

March 24–28 Head just north of Byron Bay this Easter long weekend for five days of blissed-out vibes, sultry sounds, camping and delicious food. A family-friendly event, Bluesfest is a stand-out on Australia’s annual music calendar. This year’s expansive line-up boasts the likes of The Selecter, The Cat Empire and UB40. For the complete lineup, go to bluesfest.com.au

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Exhibitions  Blue: Alchemy of a Colour Discover the difference between cobalt blue and indigo while viewing detailed textiles, ceramics and artworks from China, Japan, Vietnam and beyond. On display in the Rio Tinto Gallery of Asian Art, Blue is both an education in the nuanced meanings and histories of the colour, and a visual showcase of more than 70 works selected from the holdings of private lenders and the NGV Collection. Don’t miss this free exhibition, which is open until March 16. ngv.vic.gov.au  Marilyn Monroe From Norma Jeane Baker to glamour personified, Marilyn Monroe is one of history’s most beguiling film stars.

Curated by the Bendigo Art Gallery, this exhibition displays artefacts and clothing that belonged to Marilyn, in addition to more than 20 of her original film costumes and accessories. The exhibition runs from March 5 to July 10 and is a chance to view artefacts never before seen in Australia. bendigoartgallery.com.au/Home  Sideshow Alley: Infamy, the macabre & the portrait Australia’s most notorious criminals are at once beloved and reviled; their exploits firmly woven into the fabric of our collective history. Until February 28, a selection of death masks, post-mortem drawings and

Above: Marilyn Monroe, photoshoot for Twentieth Century Fox c.1953; gown designed by Oleg Cassini.

haunting portraits of 19th century Australian convicts and criminals will be on display at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. portrait.gov.au/exhibitions/sideshowalley-2015

Andrew George Scott, alias Captain Moonlite c.1879, attributed to Charles Nettleton (1826–1902).

DIESEL – PIECES OF AMERICANA FEBRUARY 5–MARCH 5

Tickets and tour dates available online now.

TOUR 12

 Gilbert & George: The Art Exhibition In their own words, iconic duo Gilbert and George are “two people, but one artist”.

Together they have been creating art inspired by life for fifty years. The artists’ first Australian retrospective is on show at Tasmania’s MONA until March 28 and displays 97 of the pair’s images from 1970 to 2014. mona.net.au/gilbert-and-george

BRYAN ADAMS MARCH 12– MARCH 21

DAWN FRENCH JANUARY 28–MARCH 5

kitchenconfidential

Like father, like son

Logan Campbell, executive chef at Jonah’s Restaurant and Boutique Hotel, says his father is his greatest inspiration when it comes to food.

As a young boy growing up in New Zealand, Logan watched as his chef father tended to the fruit trees and family livestock to prepare his family’s meals. His earliest observations of his dad prepared him well for the life of cooking that was to follow.

Logan’s experiences with his father laid the foundations for the cooking philosophy he now lives by.

“Cooking is a life skill,” his father would say.

“It’s a tactile thing you feel through your hands, through smells and tastes and [through] a close observation of ingredients.”

Logan’s impressive career in his adopted home of Sydney has taken him from Catalina in Rose Bay, to Mezzaluna in Potts Point, Cicada with renowned chef Peter Doyle and, most recently, to Lucio’s in Paddington, where he was executive chef for 12 years. Before he left the restaurant in 2013, the restaurant secured two hats in the 2014 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.

Logan spent a year assisting with the opening of a restaurant in Singapore and then returned to Australia to head up the kitchen at Jonah’s. His contemporary Australian menu has a strong focus on seafood and a subtle Italian influence. It also includes some of his signature pasta dishes.

Logan is responsible for the à la carte and degustation menus in the restaurant, as well as the more casual terrace menu and room service at the luxury boutique hotel.

“Jonah’s is an institution, with so many loyal diners and people who have incredible memories of dining and staying here, so I feel honoured to be part of that,” Logan says.

His contemporary Australian menu has a strong focus on seafood and a subtle Italian influence. It also includes some of his signature pasta dishes.

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kitchenconfidential

SALT-CRUSTED BARRAMUNDI WITH SMOKED GARLIC AIOLI AND HERB SALAD

Serves 2.

For best results, a charcoal BBQ is recommended.

Ingredients • 2 x 600g baby barramundi • 150g coarse salt • 150g plain flour • 4 rosemary sprigs • Vegetable oil for cooking • 2 heads of organic garlic, peeled • 200g good-quality aioli • 300g wood chips for smoking on the BBQ • 20g diced preserved lemon • 200g mixed baby herbs of your choice • 40ml cold-pressed lemon oil • Sea salt • Ground white pepper Method 1. Cook the peeled garlic cloves in boiled water until very soft, but not mushy.

2. Soak your wood chips in water (preferably the night before).

3. Heat your BBQ and place your cooked garlic cloves on a rack. Spread your woodchips around the coal and begin the

smoking process. Once sufficient smoke is produced place your rack of garlic above the chips and close the BBQ lid.

4. Smoke garlic for 20–30 minutes or until garlic is dark brown and smoky. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Blend garlic and aioli until smooth, then set aside.

6. Pick your herbs and mix together, then set aside and refrigerate. (Herbs can include: dill, chives, red-veined sorrel, parsley, fennel tops, etc.)

7. Mix salt and flour together in a large bowl.

8. Fill barramundi with rosemary and dredge fish through the flour/salt mix until completely covered. Allow the excess to fall off.

9. Apply a thin layer of cooking oil to the flat grill section of your BBQ and place fish on to cook. Continue for 3 minutes on the first side or until crusted and brown, then flip and cook for a further 3 minutes. Close the BBQ lid and allow the fish to cook for a further 10 minutes on medium heat.

10. Remove the fish from grill and place onto your serving plate. For presentation, carefully cut the skin from around the top of the head toward the belly and around the belly toward the tail. Gently lift the skin from the belly to expose the flesh on your service side. (skin can be eaten) 11. Drizzle some of your smoky garlic dressing on the flesh and sprinkle some preserved lemon on and around the fish.

12. Finally, place your mixed baby herb salad on top of your fish and drizzle lemon oil over that.

13. Serve.

15

© Penney Hayley / Triple J Tours

getaway

THE JEWELS OF THE KIMBERLEY The Kimberley, in Australia’s far North West, is a vast wilderness covering an area of 423,000 square kilometres and with a population of only 50,000. Deborah Dickson-Smith discovers its treasures. ewer people live in Western Australia’s Kimberley region per square kilometre than anywhere else in the world. The landscape is vast and varied, from white sandy beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see, to the rugged red cliffs of Cape Leveque, the surreal rockscape of the Bungle Bungles, hidden waterfalls and the oases of Echidna Chasm and Cathedral Gorge.

This is the place to go for a real outback adventure, perhaps on a 4WD tour of the 660-kilometre-long 16

Gibb River Road, or a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles and Mitchell and Horizontal falls. Go diving in the coral gardens of Rowley Shoals or fish for barramundi in the Ord River – while keeping an eye out for crocodiles!

The Kimberley Coast One of the best ways to enjoy the Kimberley’s coastline is on a cruise. There are several companies in the area operating vessels of varying sizes, including True North

getaway © Ben Broadwidth / Triple J Tours

and Kimberley Quest. They offer the best vantage point from which to view the spectacular King George Falls and many of the gorges and inlets along the coast.

At King George Falls, the King George River plunges 100 metres over a sandstone cliff into tidal waters.

The falls are in full force from late December through to early May each year and gradually recede to a small flow in September.

As well as 13,000 kilometres of coastline and more than 2,500 islands and reefs, the Kimberley coast also

has Australia’s largest inshore reef, wild rivers and the world’s largest population of humpback whales.

Kununurra Kununurra is a great place to base yourself for an exploration of Purnululu National Park, the Bungle Bungles and the Ord River, and offers a wide range of accommodation options and places to eat.

While you’re in town, be sure to visit Celebrity Tree Park, opened in the late 1980s, which displays 17

getaway

“tiger-striped, beehive-shaped sandstone domes rise 300 metres out of the arid landscape and hidden within are gorges, tropical pools, caves and Aboriginal rock art” a range of trees planted by famous visitors including Baz Luhrmann, John Farnham and Kate Ceberano.

Kelly’s Knob is a great place to watch an East Kimberley sunset and, in the dry season, make sure you have at least one night at the outdoor movie cinema, Picture Gardens.

The Bungle Bungles Created about 350 million years ago, the Bungle Bungles are located in the Purnululu National Park.

Roughly 250 kilometres south of Kununurra off the Great Northern Highway, these tiger-striped, beehive-shaped sandstone domes rise 300 metres out of the arid landscape and hidden within are gorges, tropical pools, caves and Aboriginal rock art.

A good way to explore the area is with a 4WD self-drive holiday package, which is available from Kununurra or Broome and usually includes a couple of nights’ stopover in the national park, with accommodation and meals – and an optional helicopter flight available from the remote camp inside the national park.

The amazing Bungle Bungles, 350 million years in the making.

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What to do The Kimberley has a wide range of culturally inspired adventure activities available, from kayaking tours, Aboriginal-owned fishing charters, overland safari tours and river cruises, to community stays, eco-camps and bush tucker tasting events.

Take a scenic cruise down the Ord River and Lake Argyle with Triple J Tours. The banks of the Ord River and Lake Argyle are home to an incredibly diverse ecosystem, which includes freshwater crocodiles, rock wallabies and hundreds of species of birds.

The best way to see the Bungle Bungles and the spectacular Mitchell Falls is by air on a scenic flight with Heli Spirit. They also offer heli-fishing tours and 7-day helicopter safaris that take you farther afield.

The legendary Gibb River Road takes explorers through the wild heart of the Kimberley. Guided 4WD tours are available, as are coach tours run by a number of operators, including APT. The Kimberley has a number of excellent Aboriginalrun overland tour companies that can take you to see sights that are well and truly off the beaten track.

Tennis Star Alicia Molik

93 Konkerberry Drive PO Box 20 Kununurra, Western Australia, 6743 Phone: +61 (08) 9169 1133 Fax: +61 (08) 9168 1188 Freecall: 1800 852 144 (within Australia) Email: info@kimberleyfinediamonds.com.au www. kimberleyfinediamonds.com.au

getaway

© EKT Media

Among these are Kimberley Dreamtime Adventure Tours, Uptuyu Aboriginal Adventures and Wundargoodie Aboriginal Safaris.

The region is home to some of Australia’s most extraordinary Indigenous rock art, including the evocative and elegant Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) figures that are thought to depict the first Aboriginal occupation of the Australian continent.

21

Above: The epic Cathedral Gorge, a natural amphitheatre located within the Bungle Bungle Ranges (Purnululu National Park).

Don’t miss The Argyle Diamonds Ord Valley Muster.

Now in its 15th year, the annual Ord Valley Muster takes place every May. The muster includes a line-up of more than 30 events and activities, including the Gibb Challenge, a socially competitive 700-kilometre team relay event that raises funds for charity, and the Airnorth Kimberley Moon Experience, a five-star concert and dining experience. ordvalleymuster.com.au

Broome

Where to stay

Broome is the jump-off point for myriad tours and cruises of the Kimberley region, and is a beautiful holiday destination in its own right. Sitting at the western tip of the Dampier Peninsula overlooking the aquamarine waters of the Indian Ocean, it’s here you’ll find Cable Beach and its world-famous sunsets, surf, luxury resorts and camel trains.

At Broome’s centre is Chinatown, on the shores of Roebuck Bay. It’s a good place to start a tour of the city and to find out about its pearling heritage, which both changed and claimed the lives of many Chinese, Japanese, Malay and Aboriginal divers.

Not to be missed is Matso’s Broome Brewery, an institution as much for its curries as for its contribution to the craft beer industry.

Sunset camel rides on Cable Beach can be booked with a number of operators, including Red Sun Camels, Sundowner Camel Tours and Broome Camel Safaris.

There are also a number of wildlife experiences for animal lovers, including Kimberley birdwatching, turtle kayak adventures, whale watching tours and the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park.

Accommodation in the Kimberley ranges from 5-star camping to 5-star luxury resorts, such as the Pinctada Hotels and Resorts in Broome and Kununurra, Cable Beach Resort in Broome and El Questro Homestead in Kununurra.

Kununurra’s 4-star accommodation options include the Lakeside Resort, Freshwater Apartments, Kununurra Country Club and the Kimberley Grande.

Where to Eat Kelly’s Bar and Grill at the Kununurra Country Club Resort has a range of surf and turf options, including locally caught barramundi, and range of pizzas.

The Zebra Rock Bar and Restaurant at the Hotel Kununurra has a good selection of Aussie pub food, best enjoyed with an ice-cold Matso’s beer.

More information Stop by the Kununurra Visitor Centre for information on accommodation and tours, or visit visitkununurra.com

21

THE

EXTRAORDINARY KIMBERLEY Explore the extraordinary East Kimberley with WAยนs award winning tours on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Stay in Kununurra, in 4.5 star deluxe apartments, explore the Bungle Bungle Range by land, with a thrilling helicopter flight & spend a night there. Cruise the mighty Ord River, enjoy aerial views of Lake Argyle & the Argyle Diamond mine.

Triple J Tours

East Kimberley Tours

Aviair

East Kimberley Tours

Contributing operators:

Freshwater East Kimberley Apartments

Freshwater East Kimberley Apartments

Triple J Tours

Helispirit

Freshwater East Kimberley Apartments

East Kimberley Tours

Aviair

Helispirit

Package includes: • 3 nights accommodation at Freshwater East Kimberley Apartments in Kununurra • Return air safari over Lake Argyle and Argyle Diamond Mine to the Bungles with Aviair.

• Land tour of the Bungle Bungle & 1 night accommodation at Bungle Bungle Bushcamp with East Kimberley Tours • Bungle Bungle scenic helicopter flight with HeliSpirit.

• Half day Ord River cruise with Triple J Tours.

• Transfers throughout.

FROM $2,280

PER PERSON*

Ask your Travel Agent for details or call us on:

1300 245 565 or email reservations@broomekimberley.com or visit www.broomekimberley.com.au *Prices are per person twin share and based on a “from level”. Subject to availability at the time of booking & subject to change. Valid for travel from 01 June to 30 September 2016. Block out dates may apply. Seasonal and credit card surcharges may apply. See full conditions on website. Licence no 9TA118 ABN 53095145.

food&wine

DEVOU Many of Melbourne’s gourmet gems are hidden from view, so the challenge for visitors is how to track them down.

WORDS: Deborah Dickson-Smith

24

food&wine

URING MELBOURNE

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food&wine

The perfect brew

Melbourne

Monique’s tour takes you to places that really care about the origin, roast and brewing of the bean. It’s a fun way to explore while drinking good coffee along the way.

elbourne has a reputation for hiding its treasures down alleyways and up stairwells behind unassuming doors.

So if you’re new to the city, how on earth do you find them?

A few enterprising Melbourne locals have struck upon this opportunity and now a number of tour companies offer a range of creative food tours.

Walk Melbourne Tours, founded by local foodie and passionate Melburnian Monique Bayer (pictured above), offers one of the best. “I’ve drawn upon 15 years of obsessive local research for the best food and coffee in central Melbourne,” says Bayer. “But my fascination has always been about more than just the food.

“My focus is not just on taste, but on the stories of the people behind the food: their skills, their families, their stories of immigration, their smiles and their damn hard work in providing us with more than just food and drink.”

Monique’s food tours include samples of Melbourne’s best dumpling houses, rooftop bars, markets, coffee, chocolates and other sweet spots. Weave into this Melbourne’s rich Italian and Chinese immigrant history and you have an entertaining few hours full of sightseeing, storytelling and eating.

Like most Melburnians, Monique is obsessed with coffee, so one of the first itineraries she developed was a coffee tour.

Monique’s tour takes you to places that really care about the origin, roast and brewing of the bean. It’s a fun way for the home coffee enthusiast to explore espresso and a range of other brewing methods while drinking good coffee along the way.

The tour starts with specialty coffee at Krimper Café, situated in an old wool store in a lane down a lane. It’s barely a hop, skip and a jump to the next stop – ShortStop Coffee & Donuts. While it might be the darling of the Melbourne donut scene, it also partners with Market Lane roasters to brew a mean drop of coffee.

The third stop is decided depending on the size of the group and the kinds of tastes they have expressed so far. “There’s so much choice, I usually decide on the way,” says Bayer.

The last stop on the two-hour walking tour is Patricia Coffee Brewers on the corner of Little Bourke Street and Little William Street. It’s standing room only at Patricia, like a proper Italian espresso bar. Staff wearing leather aprons will serve you a glass of sparkling water with your espresso if you order it short and black, which “cleanses the palate both before and after”.

Then it’s time for lunch, for which Monique is always happy to provide nearby recommendations.

27

food&wine

Dumplings for dinner?

Melbourne’s Chinatown is the longest continuously inhabited Chinese settlement in the western world. Immigrant miners left the goldfields of Ballarat in the post-gold rush 1860s to settle in Little Bourke Street, and while it may not be the world’s largest, it offers some of the most diverse cuisine.

Bayer’s hugely popular Dumpling Discovery Walk aims to showcase the true diversity of Chinese food.

The tour starts at North East China Family in Flinders Lane where you get to sample tasty steamed Special Vegetarian dumplings, which go down very nicely with a Tsingtao beer. Your guide will show you how to mix your sauces (soy, vinegar and chilli oil) to get the right mix of sweet, salty, sour/acid and heat.

It’ll take you a few minutes to cross town to Chinatown itself. There you’ll have the chance to try spicy wonton at China Red. Never tried a Szechuan peppercorn? Here’s your chance.

Next stop is Shanghai Street, a restaurant that’s so good there’s almost always a queue to get in. But on the tour, you walk straight in. Here you can sample pork xiaolongbao (Shanghai pork dumpling) before moving onto dainty Japanese gyoza in a Japanese bar with a drinks menu that reads more like a novel.

Next stop is Shanghai Street, a restaurant that’s so good there’s almost always a queue to get in.

But on the tour, you walk straight in.

Hang with your buds The recently introduced ‘Dude Food’ Walking Tour is a progressive dinner that capitalises on the love affair with American-inspired food.

Donuts, hot dogs and hamburgers are on the menu over three courses at three North American-inspired venues. Starting at Trunk Diner on Exhibition St, starters include spicy buffalo wings, and mac and cheese.

Dinner continues at the Grand Trailer Park Taverna on Bourke St, an indoor trailer park that serves a range of burgers to your trailerstyle booth.

For dessert, there is a choice of pumpkin donuts or apple pie at Nieuw Amsterdam, a classy New York-style bar and eatery on Hardware Street.

Other tours include a Rooftop Bars Walk, Walk Talk & Tea and The Melbourne Experience, a walk that combines elements of each of the specialty tours, during which you can drink coffee, eat dumplings, sneak in a chocolate treat and finish it off with a drink on a rooftop.

Visit walkmelbourne.com.au

28

HOW A PILL CAN BOOST YOUR HAIR AND SELF-CONFIDENCE

ven though over 100 million people worldwide are affected by different forms of hair loss, thinning hair is a significant source of insecurity for many people. Observing this stark sign of ageing in the mirror, cleaning dozens of hairs from the bathtub, failing to style your hair well for the day ahead… These daily reminders of ageing lead to loss of self-esteem and confidence.

Scientists from Oxford, UK promise that they can help keep your hair thick and healthy. Their pill TRX2® is currently one of Europe’s best-selling hair supplements and is sold in over 100 countries.

TRX2® is a food supplement based on natural compounds and, compared to medicinal products, has no side effects.

Also it does what it says.

“Your hair will look much bigger; it becomes heavier and thicker. You maintain your healthy hair,” says Dr. Thomas Whitfield, biochemist and founder of Oxford Biolabs.

Hair treatments often promise a lot without delivering, but TRX2® is backed by cutting-edge science and has been thoroughly tested. Three of the key ingredients in TRX2® — zinc, selenium and biotin — are officially recognized by the European Commission as contributing to the maintenance of normal healthy hair.

www.trx2.com

contact@trx2.com

The effects can be impressive. According to a pre-clinical study* conducted by scientists, TRX2® works for 87% of men and women.

Start TRX2® as early as possible in order to see your results sooner.

TRX2® is suitable for men and women of all ages. The crystalline white capsules come in a brown glass bottle, which holds a one-month supply and costs from AUD$75 (USD$69) if ordered online.

The manufacturer offers a money-back guarantee when ordered via TRX2’s official website, and ships worldwide.

For 2016, Oxford Biolabs introduces a new, advanced TRX2 topical solution, for a double impact on hair issues - from the inside and from the outside. There’s a special offer for our magazine readers when ordering via the TRX2 website: www.trx2.com. * visit www.trx2.com to check the 18-month study results

Oxford Biolabs Ltd., The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, UK

+44 800 808 5251

weekender

30

weekender

f there’s one thing that Albury is not, it’s one-dimensional. Yes, there are the stunning snowfields and plenty of skiing to be had, but take a drive along the Great Alpine Road and stop off at the cutesy towns dotted along the way and you’re in for a culinary treat.

We discovered the perfect little treasure in Porepunkah, nestled in the ideal spot, close to the quaint town of Bright and the sublime snowfields.

To the north of the grandiose Mount Feathertop, we descended upon Boynton’s Feathertop winery, which has been making handcrafted wines for more than 25 years and boasts 21 varieties of grape. Not only that, it has recently opened up luxury accommodation, Feathertop Château, which comes complete with itineraries offering fine wine and cuisine.

The Château, formerly the home of owners Janelle and Kel Boynton, is

the perfect residence to take a large family or a bunch of friends. Complete with a spa, pool, gigantic kitchen and dining area, and four double bedrooms, it’s a stylish and contemporary home offering panoramic views of rolling vineyards. The property also has a BMW X5 on hand, so after a quick dip in the heated spa overlooking the vineyards we jumped behind the wheel and headed for the ‘unlock the cellar’ experience at the cellar door.

Discovering

FEATHERTOP OUTthere heads to Albury and discovers fine wine, rolling scenery, quaint towns and glorious snowy mountains.

31

weekender Skiing from the summit at Falls Creek.

The experience includes a tasting of traditional and alternative wine varieties including Savagnin, Vermentino, Tempranillo, Prosecco and Friulano. All are extremely palatable wines with plenty of personality to set your taste buds alight.

We journeyed over to The Red Stag in nearby Eurobin for lunch. It forms part of a commercial deer farm situated on a 375-acre property bordering Mt Buffalo National Park. Deer roam the property, as do emus and a rather boisterous turkey that literally pecks its visitors for attention. We tucked into a hearty roast pork dish and venison sausages, which pretty much set the standard for the gourmet delights on offer in this region.

For dinner, we went back to the Château where the vineyard restaurant’s chef Simon Buckley and his team created a degustation experience

Feathertop offers amazing sunrise and sunset vistas.

for our guests and us. Buckley has masterminded a seasonal contemporary menu, with ingredients sourced mainly from the vineyard’s veggie garden or local producers in the Alpine Valleys.

Paired with some of the cellar door’s finest wines, it’s a culinary extravaganza not to be missed.

After a blissful night’s sleep, we woke to a breathtaking sunrise over the vineyard, which we watched in awe before packing our ski gear and heading to Falls Creek for a day of skiing. Falls Creek has a variety of splendid runs for all skill levels. If you’ve forgotten your ski gear, there are plenty of places that can you can hire gear from. The tobogganing and tubing is excellent fun if you’re armed with tots too small to ski. And if you’ve missed the ski season, fear not – a trip up to ‘The Creek’ still offers plenty of activities during the spring and summer seasons.

Hungry for lunch we headed to Elk Restaurant in the heart of Falls Creek village. It offers succulent lamb kebabs, crunchy fish and chips and gluten-free gnocchi, all of it ideal to sate your postski hunger.

After a blissful night’s sleep, we woke to a breathtaking sunrise over the vineyard, which we watched in awe For dinner, we went back to the Château to fire up the property’s very own pizza oven. The restaurant at the vineyard provides house guests with an array of freshly made pizza dough and a million toppings so you can tuck into piping-hot, homemade wood-fired pizzas and perhaps a bottle of two of the 50 wines on offer at the Château’s cellar.

The next day, we decided to take a heli-scenic flight from Porepunkah with Brian from HiLife Helicopters. If time and budget permits, this is well worth it as the true beauty of this region is 32

weekender

Pondering on the true pleasures of this paradise we about talked dates that we could visit the region again.

Round-up GO Fly to Albury and the alpine towns of the Snowy Mountains are all within an hour’s drive.

STAY Feathertop Château can be booked through Luxe Houses. luxehouses.com.au

DO

best experienced from above. Whizzing over stunning mountainous countryside lets you experience the raw untouched essence of the region like nothing else.

After another fine lunch with Simon Buckley’s team back at the vineyard’s restaurant, we took the hire bikes available to us and drove into Bright.

This charming town is situated close to the snow-fed waters that flow through Ovens Valley on the way to the Murray River.

We cycled through the town, stopping in at all the cute shops along the river and found ourselves at the 34

delightful Bright Chocolate shop, which boasts Australian craft chocolate made using ethically sourced single origin cacao. Sample many of their fabulous varieties or simply settle down for a comforting cup of hot chocolate – or even cacao tea.

In the afternoon back at the Château we treated ourselves to an in-room spa service and enjoyed sumptuous massages by the pool before having an evening dip. Pondering on the true pleasures of this paradise, we talked about dates that we could visit the region again.

All activities mentioned in the article can be arranged by Feathertop Château.

From February until May, the Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA) will have a blockbuster exhibition celebrating the enduring cultural phenomenon of Marilyn Monroe. mamalbury.com.au In March, the region host the Chryslers on the Murray meet, a must for classic car enthusiasts.

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TOP

getaway

health retreats We review Australia’s top health retreats for those seeking refuge from the stresses of modern-day life.

37

BALI PROPERTY FOR SALE

Open to opportunities in rural Australia?

$95,000Au $68,000US Two furnished apartments in the heart of Kuta Owners very keen to get a deal done on a choice of two one bedroom, fully furnished and serviced studio apartments. Both enjoy a 20 year lease, that works out to just over $65US a week. The choice is yours, invest or make it your Bali retreat and leave home with nothing but your wallet and passport.

Make an offer, the owners want one.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. Government grants are available for registered general dentists who want to work in private practice in a location more regional, rural or remote than their current location.

Look what’s on offer: • Relocation grants of $15,000 to $120,000 • Infrastructure grants up to $250,000

The 2016 funding round is open from 22 February–24 March 2016 To see if you’re eligible: Visit: www.rhwa.org.au/dental Email: DRISS@rhwa.org.au Freecall: 1800 475 433 Dental Relocation and Infrastructure Support Scheme is funded by the Australian Government and administered by Rural Health Workforce Australia.

If you are thinking of Buying or Selling property in Bali talk to the people that will give you the same quality of advice and service as you would expect at home.

Real Estate www.eldersbali.com info@eldersbali.com 0857 373 40002 0428 486 806

getaway

Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat In a nutshell: A stunning health retreat in Gold Coast’s Tallebudgera Valley.

Ideal for: Anyone looking to live a more healthy and fruitful existence.

What to expect: No coffee, no alcohol, no mobile phones, no television. Lots of healthy food, plenty of exercise and lots of spa treatments.

Typical itinerary: You’ll start the day with a 5.30am wake-up call to attend a revitalising Tai Chi class, followed by an activity of your choice to take you through to breakfast.

The first meal of the day is a generous affair with gourmet seasonal produce that is organic and grown locally. More activities follow throughout the morning, after which you’ll be invited to attend a ‘dreamtime’ session, which includes a treatment from your tailor-made spa menu,

devised by a wellness expert at the start of your stay. More activities follow it, none of which are compulsory, so if you just want to hang by the pool and soak up some sunshine, you’re welcome to.

Just don’t use your mobile or you’ll be promptly told off.

Dinner is another delicious affair, after which you’ll be tucked up in your plush bed and off with the fairies by 8.30pm at the latest. It may seem extreme to be shut off from such luxuries and placed into a world where healthy cuisine, fresh air and plentiful exercise and relaxation are the staples of your day, but you’ll feel like a new person entirely within 48 hours.

Who needs television, wi-fi, booze and coffee, anyway?

Cost: Weekend stays start from $980 per person. If you want to go the whole hog there are 7-night packages available from $2,980 per person. gwinganna.com 39

getaway

Byron at Byron Resort and Spa In a nutshell: Byron Bay’s original and best luxury retreat resort.

Ideal for: Relaxation, realignment and rejuvenation in contemporary style.

What to expect: Modern design, delicious food, friendly staff and a huge range of spa treatments, all set within 45 acres of subtropical rainforest.

Typical itinerary: Complimentary yoga starts at 8am on the terrace, which is conveniently situated just a stone’s throw from the stylish indoor/outdoor breakfast area.

40

The all-you-can-eat spread includes options for every taste and diet. Choose a creatively crafted chia pudding, opt for fruit or indulge in a delicious plate of bacon, eggs and wilted spinach.

After breakfast, relax by the pool with a book (grab one from the library), take a stroll along the rainforest boardwalk and admire the unique local flora and fauna, or check out Tallow Beach, accessible via a private pathway through the forest.

Your afternoon spa treatment comprises a facial, foot massage or one of the longer signature treatments, which aims to leave you feeling fully restored and nurtured. Be sure to leave a little time to kick back in your private apartment and get ready for dinner at one of a number of excellent restaurants in the Byron area.

Cost: Two-day packages for two adults start from $1,235. thebyronatbyron.com.au

I CHOOSE TO DO THINGS MY WAY I’ve never been a follower. I lead a fast life and I choose to be strong, fit and ready for anything. Looking after myself isn’t an obligation, it’s a choice.

So when I’m away for work, I need to stay on top of my game. That’s why I choose to cook for myself.

CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY.

Visit questapartments.com.au or call 1800 334 033

getaway

The Sanctuary Recovery House In a nutshell: For those who have suffered any previous addictions to alcohol or drugs and are looking for a place to recover.

Ideal for: Bridging the transition from a treatment centre to independent living.

What to expect: Your own room in a shared house with daily group meetings, offering the chance to recover in a safe and supportive environment, while dealing with the underlying issues.

Typical itinerary: The day starts with a group meeting in a dedicated room in the communal area of the house.

The meetings are a chance to discuss and plan your daily activities in advance in order to establish sustainable habits that you can take forward into the future.

You look after yourself in terms of organising meals, laundry and the like, but there is plenty of time to enjoy the many attractions Byron has to offer in support of your physical and emotional recovery. Local activities are varied and include sea kayaking, cycling, whale watching, salsa dancing, scuba diving and, of course, surfing.

It’s recommended that you have undergone some treatment prior to arriving at the Sanctuary Recovery House and you must be suitably detoxed before moving in, so it may not be perfect for everyone. Owner Michael Goldberg is happy to discuss options and advise anyone with addiction issues. For enquiries and admissions, call 02 6639 8890.

Cost: Upon enquiry. sanctuaryrecoveryhouse.com

42

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*YES IT REALLY IS A LIFETIME WARRANTY. REGISTER ONLINE. RETAIN YOUR PROOF OF PURCHASE. FOR MORE DETAILS SEE BLACKWOLF.COM.AU/WARRANTY

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healthnews

HEALTH NEWS

On-the-go immunity

Whether you’re taking a short trip to visit family or a long-haul flight for business, staying well while on-the-go can be made easier with supplements to support your immunity and general feeling of wellbeing. Here are our top picks for staying on top of your game:

1. Lifestream Vitamin C An important antioxidant that boosts immunity, particularly when needed in the colder months and while under stress. Vitamin C is also renowned for promoting healthy gums and supporting strong, healthy collagen and connective tissues. Lifestream Certified Organic Natural Vitamin C Powder is formulated from Vitamin C-rich certified organic acerola berries and is gentle on the stomach. $34.95 RRP for 90 capsules.

2. Australian Bush Flower Travel Essence Formulated to foster a feeling of balance and wellbeing, Travel Essence contains Australian native bush flower essences such as Banksia Robur, Bottlebrush and Mulla Mulla that may restore energy levels, particularly in those who feel depleted and drained when travelling. $17.95 RRP (30ml) © copeactive.com

This month, James Duigan gives his top tips on eating mindfully.

1

Chew your food Chew every mouthful of food around 10 to 20 times until it’s a watery, mushy paste (please don’t spit it out to check!).

2

Set aside time to eat Do it away from your desk, TV, phone etc, and ideally at a table.

If you really do have to eat at your desk, at the very least take a big deep breath and tune in to your body. Then look for a new job.

3

Don’t eat when stressed Stress is a major cause of mindless eating, so if you’re anxious or bothered about something take a few deep breaths, go for a walk or tackle the situation before you eat.

Don’t confuse stress with hunger.

Are you looking for food because you’re hungry or because you need a break from your surroundings?

4

Buy & prepare mindfully Don’t just buy the same things week in week out. Try different things, visit local food markets,

3. Watson & Son Manuka honey lozenges All-natural lozenges made with 91 per cent pure, genuine New Zealand Manuka honey, which boasts a natural antibacterial action to calm, soothe and heal irritated and sore throats. Ideal for those who are susceptible to winter-induced sore throats and need effective relief on the go.

$11.95 RRP for eight lozenges

independent butchers and greengrocers. Ask them what they recommend and find out what’s seasonal, and what looks and smells the best. Think about how you’re going to cook it and connect with what you’re putting into your body.

5

Listen to your body and stop when you’re full Forget the ‘clean your plate’ message your mum or teacher may have imposed and don’t be afraid to leave food on your plate. Don’t mindlessly eat it just because it’s there.

Products not shown to scale

Travellers and HIV

James Duigan describes his philosophy as clean and lean. He has just launched a new cookbook called Clean and Lean for Life: The Cookbook.

Over the past few years, a rising number of Australian travellers (heterosexual and homosexual) have acquired HIV while travelling overseas. People may not plan to have sex but it does happen, so it’s important to be prepared, and pack and use condoms.

The virus is detected by having a blood test and in Australia HIV treatment is available to keep people healthy. If you suspect you’re at risk, it’s vital to get a check-up so as not to pass on the infection to others. Visit your GP or sexual health clinic for a confidential HIV/STI test.

45

weekender arkets epot M Old D

ry High Tea Burbu

48 HOURS

in Canberra

With truffle season approaching and plenty of fine food, wine and culture to enjoy, Canberra is the perfect spot to visit this month.

10am

Nat ion

1pm

Explore the ever-changing Braddon precinct. Once full of car yards and warehouses, this newly hip neighbourhood is now home to award-winning restaurants, upmarket boutiques, pop-up stores, bars and cafés. Try the fare from the amazing pie-and-mash street food van or Brazilianstyle pulled-pork rolls next door at Braddon’s evolving street-food enclave, The Hamlet, at 16 Lonsdale Street.

If time permits, browse the strip’s boutiques: Hive, itrip iskip, Rebel Muse, Handsomepretty, Assemblage Project, Timber &

Tailor, Pink Ink Boutique, Eye Candy Optical, Designer Op Shop and many more. When you’re all shopped out, taste artisanal ice-cream, gelato, sorbet or chocolates at Frugii.

Lonsdale Street, Braddon

2.30pm

Just 10 minutes from the city centre you’ll find boutique Mount Majura Vineyard, its vines planted in red volcanic soil containing limestone, the perfect terroir for producing flavoursome wines. Mount Majura also has a stunning view that can be taken in on the winery’s ‘Gumboot Tour’ before you return to the cellar door to do some wine-tasting.

314 Majura Road (off Lime Kiln Road), Majura mountmajura.com.au

3.30pm

Indulge in a little pampering at the newly opened

aj tM Moun

Head to the National Gallery of Australia and check out the highlights of more than 100,000 works of art, including ‘Blue Poles’ by Jackson Pollock and Sidney Nolan’s iconic ‘Ned Kelly’ series. Drop in on the gallery’s collections of Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, tralia of Aus llery Pacific, Asian, and la Ga international art. Save some time for the lovely Sculpture Garden (which most visitors skip) and stop to contemplate Fujiko Nakaya’s meditative fog sculpture, which operates from 12.30pm until 2.00pm daily, and American artist James Turrell’s Skyspace, ‘Within Without’.

And don’t forget to pop in to

the gallery shop for some retail therapy; here, you’ll find jewellery, arts and craft, Indigenous works, books, prints and posters, and much more.

Parkes Place, Canberra nga.gov.au

ura Vine yard

46

dients ngre nt i me

Day 1

Jindii® Eco Spa trea t

Jindii® EcoSpa nestled in the tranquil Australian National Botanic Gardens.

Book the 80-minute ‘Mirri Kodo’ Spa Journey, which encapsulates the Indigenous healing focus of Jindii® and is a ‘sampler’ of the spa’s treatments: it consists of a relaxing foot soak and cleanse, a Miji Kodo back and neck massage, a hand massage and a refreshing Mirri facial, making this a top-to-toe experience.

Clunies Ross Street, Acton jindii.com.au

6.30pm

Check in at über-luxe Hotel Realm, located within walking distance of several national attractions including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery and Parliament House.

Within the Realm Precinct, you’ll find fine-dining restaurants and casual eateries,

weekender

Housing 55 bells, the National Carillon on Aspen Island was gifted from the British government to the people of Australia to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the National Capital, Canberra.

including Malamay, Maple & Clove, Ostani Lounge Bar and the newly opened LiloTang.

The Realm’s fittings and fixtures are funky, contemporary and super-comfy.

18 National Circuit, Barton hotelrealm.com.au

7.30pm

9pm onwards

No weekend away can go by without a fancy cocktail or two, and Canberra has plenty of fabulous bars in which you can wet your whistle. The bar life is pretty eclectic here – and nothing short of electric. We love Polit Bar, Hippo Co, Parlour Wine Room and Monster Kitchen and Bar.

7.30am

Active locals rise early on weekends to make the most of Canberra’s crisp mornings. For a hearty treat, enjoy breakfast at Maple & Clove café, also in the Realm Precinct.

Then head to the shores of Lake Burley Griffin and do as the locals do: walk or ra G lass works jog the five-kilometre ‘bridge to bridge’ route – Kings Avenue Bridge to Commonwealth Avenue Bridge – taking in some of the national attractions along the way. ber Can

Have dinner at LiloTang, tucked away in the Burbury Hotel & Apartments complex. It offers a style of Japanese cuisine not yet seen in Australia, along with sophistication and elegant urban design, and is a worthy addition to the exclusive Realm Precinct.

1 Burbury Close, Barton lilotang.com.au

clothing, as well as regional food and wine.

Kingston Foreshore, 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston obdm.com.au

Day 2

9.30am

Browse the wares at the Old Bus Depot Markets. Explore the city’s award-winning Old Bus Depot Markets in Kingston, a weekend institution for Canberrans and visitors alike. Held every Sunday, the markets are renowned for handcrafted jewellery, art and

11am

Head to Canberra Glassworks, a centre dedicated to contemporary glass art housed in the historic Kingston Powerhouse. Take part in a 20-minute handson glass-making session, working one on one with an expert glass-blower, and be guided through the process of making a stylish paperweight.

11 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston canberraglassworks.com

2.00pm

Enjoy high tea on the terrace at Burbury Hotel & Apartments. The rooftop terrace of the Burbury Hotel offers sweeping views across the city’s heritage areas, iconic Canberra

buildings and leafy Barton, making it the perfect venue in which to enjoy a genteel high tea. Enjoy a selection of finely made Frenchstyle cakes and tarts, scrumptious savouries and traditional scones, accompanied by fine teas and freshly brewed coffee.

1 Burbury Close, Barton burburyhotel.com.au

3.30pm

Check out one of the many events the Canberra region hosts during its annual Truffle Festival in August Participating venues across the region offer visitors the opportunity to taste and learn more about the prized local truffles, with events ranging from degustation dinners to truffle dishes and pastries on café menus, truffle cooking classes and demonstrations, wine-tastings and matchings, farmers’ markets, truffle hunts and more. There were more than 350 individual events at last year’s festival, held across a region spanning more than 200 kilometres. trufflefestival.com.au

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Joey Lamattina has spent more than twenty years trailblazing the coast’s nightclub scene and with his clubs continuing to soar to success, is putting his effort into Cocoon Ultralounge Bar Dining.

The unrivalled luxuriousness of Cocoon is anticipated to explode among hot-spot enthusiasts, thanks to its comparability to elite venues

in Europe. If lazing on a lounge or daybed in Ibiza is an aristocrat’s idea of lavish, Cocoon is the next best thing on this side of the hemisphere.

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“We’re excited to open a venue that genuinely has a really cool vibe at all times of the day,” Joey said. “Cocoon is going to be the place to be.”

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AGRIBUSINESS

MINING

EDUCATION

PLUS...

The latest news, information and innovations from the agriculture industry

Helpful insights and fascinating facts about the Australian mining and resource sector

Insights into some of the best education institutions in the country.

Motoring review Height safety report Agribusiness events And more...

RegionalBusinessReview Issue 8 – Feb/Mar 2016

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP WE LOOK INTO INVESTMENT IN WATER AND SEE THAT ENTITLEMENTS ARE SWELLING.

autoreview

BUY ME A

PONY WORDS: MICHAEL BENN

Local V8 lovers looked to be facing a grim future, but Mustang is here to save the day.

IT’S A STRETCH to suggest that Australian V8 engines even once crossed the mind of Beat Generation icon William S. Burroughs. But if Burroughs knew anything, he knew addiction. To heroin, admittedly – but still, addiction.

“A dope fiend is a man in total need of dope,” he wrote in Naked Lunch.

“Beyond a certain frequency need knows absolutely no limit or control.

In the words of total need: ‘Wouldn’t you?’ Yes, you would. You would lie, cheat, inform on your friends, steal, do anything to satisfy total need.”

For generations, the heartbeat of a certain sort of Australian manhood has thumped to the tune of a homegrown eight-cylinder engine note. And while a much healthier, and likely more mum-pleasing option than heroin, our passion for the virile, locally produced V8 has been an addiction nonetheless.

Except that the death sentence for domestic manufacturing is still echoing through the hallways of super-parochial rivals Ford and Holden. Their time is marked: the last Aussie-built Commodore will roll off the red lion’s Adelaide production line when that facility closes in 2017; Ford’s final Falcon 2

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will do the same in Broadmeadows, Victoria, in October.

Local V8 fans will have had a long time to decide what to do. Holden’s hoping its acolytes will satisfy a continuing “total need”… with an imported, front-wheel-drive V8 (largely based on the, ahem, Chevy Malibu.)

Ford, contrastingly, is retiring the ‘Falcon’ name – but has already softened the blow, at least, by giving Australian muscle car fans a bona fide icon in its place: the legendary Ford Mustang.

It’ll be a rear-wheel drive, with a choice of engines: one a 2.3-litre, twinturbo Ecoboost model; the other a monstrous 5.0-litre, naturally aspirated V8. Both will be relatively affordable at $45,000 and $55,000 respectively.

The original pony car Anticipation has been intense. Last September, three full months before punters could even hope to test drive the car before its projected December launch, Ford had taken more than 3,000 Australian preorders – more, per capita, than any other country. A stacked majority were for the V8.

Luckily for them, it’s a brilliant car.

The V8 sounds incredible – a sort of

autoreview

For generations, the heartbeat of a certain sort of Australian manhood has thumped to the tune of a homegrown eight-cylinder engine note.

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testosterone-surging, full-throated roar like an angry God gargling mountains – and it goes like the clappers, even if its numbers (306kW/530Nm) don’t look great compared to its outgoing, late-model Aussie forebears.

This is largely because it’s lighter. That 306kW maximum power figure doesn’t arrive until 6500rpm, but peak torque is at 4250rpm, and the more you boot the accelerator, the harder and more willing it becomes. Unlike many bent eights, there’s no wheeziness at any stage and nary a flat spot. Its brakes are colossal – and they need to be.

The chassis is tighter than a new pair of boots thanks to independent rear suspension. Previous ponies were obstinate, self-defeating hold-outs – and despite some tinny interior switchgear and a smattering of curious design choices (such as a postagestamp-sized wing mirror) it looks every bit the business. Like a Mustang. Like a thrumming testament to all the American muscle that’s come before it. The 12-yearold who is alive inside all those V8 preorders will be thrilled.

That is, apart from one thing: the 2.3-litre Ecoboost model may be even better.

Make no mistake: despite the Mustang’s brilliance, these are the final days of the affordable, everyman V8. And turbos are

significantly responsible, allowing more power for less capacity – and with better fuel economy.

The brilliance of the four cylinder lies in its driving dynamics. The less potent engine is also a marvel, only much lighter, allowing it supremely better balance. This is a fact appreciated by drivers who like popping and punching through corners without a giant anvil over the front axles, rather than just dragging off the line. And yet the 2.3-litre – aural softness aside – never feels like it lacks grunt.

What it means is that while trying to ease local V8 aficionados’ withdrawal symptoms with the V8 Mustang, Ford has offered an unlikely sort of rehab: a pony car that looks identical – but for a few small badges – but drives better.

“If you have never been addicted,” Burroughs wrote, this time in Junky, “you can have no clear idea what it means to need junk with the addict’s special need. You don’t decide to be an addict. One morning you wake up sick and you’re an addict.”

Aussie V8 fans have spent half a century with a never-ending supply of Bathurst battles, Mad Max deification and cheap, potent, unapologetic bent-eight metal. Ford’s hoping that instead of waking up sick in the clammy bedsheets of a post-Falcon/‘proper’

Commodore world, they’ll slip comfortably into a relationship with America’s long-term, cheap muscle car of choice. Even if they’re long-term Holden men.

Falcon will be missed. A bastardised ‘Commodore’ will stumble on. The V8 is dead. Long live the V8.

And thank heavens for the Mustang.

F O R D M U S TA N G S P E C I F I C AT I O N S 2.3-litre Ecoboost Price from: $44,990 plus on-roads Engine: 2.3-litre 4-cylinder twin-scroll turbo, 233kW/432Nm Transmission: 6-speed auto, 6-speed manual 5.0-litre V8 Price from: $54,990 plus on-roads Engine: 5.0-litre V8, 306kW/530Nm Transmission: 6-speed auto, 6-speed manual

Aussie V8 fans have spent half a century with a never-ending supply of Bathurst battles.

4

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agribusiness

We bring you the latest news, innovations and opinions as Aussie agribusiness transitions from the mining boom to the dining boom.

specialreport

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP CLAIRE BOND LOOKS INTO INVESTMENT IN WATER AND SEES THAT ENTITLEMENTS ARE SWELLING.

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WATER ENTITLEMENTS are proving to be an increasingly popular investment opportunity for both public and private investors.

Mechanisms for water trade have existed since the early 1990s; however, the amount of water traded has only became significant within the last decade. The Murray-Darling Basin entitlement scheme hinges on the annual release of temporary water allocations that reflect the actual availability of water within a dam and within a specific water source. Scarcity of permanent water entitlements and available temporary water allocations within the basin creates competition among farmers for their use.

Ruralco Water market analyst Luke Englefield has observed burgeoning interest in Australian water entitlements. “The ability for anyone to own water within

the Murray-Darling Basin is globally unique,” he says. “It was just a matter of time before superannuation funds and other investment firms realised the potential for investment in water.”

The system of regulation that exists in Australia’s MurrayDarling Basin involves the limited issue of defined permanent water entitlements from a set volume allocation within a shared storage dam. In layman’s terms, while a farmer may have a permanent water entitlement of three megalitres of water from a particular catchment, if the reserves in that dam are low he may be issued with a temporary allocation of only one megalitre that year. In such a case, the farmer can access the marketplace for additional supply.

Today, there is a competitive marketplace for both permanent

The Murray River on the New South Wales and Victoria border.

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RegionalBusinessReview

water entitlements and temporary water allocations across the entire basin. Temporary allocations are made periodically available in accordance with physical water availability. The most recent NSW Murray general security water allocation was recently increased to 15 per cent. As seasonal conditions have been dry, the allocation is small and, consequently, prices in the water trading market have been driven higher.

Markets exist for: • Temporary allocation sales • Permanent entitlement sales • Permanent lease • Forward temporary sales • Carryover strategies and avenues The Murray-Darling Basin is one the most important agricultural regions in Australia, producing

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specialreport

Lake Maroon in SouthEast Queensland

one-third of the national food supply and exporting produce to many other countries. In total, the basin contains about 40 per cent of Australia’s farms and 70 per cent of Australia’s irrigated land area.

Water flows within the MurrayDarling Basin are regulated by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority in conjunction with the Queensland, New South Wales, Victorian and South Australian governments through Commonwealth legislation (the Water Act and the MurrayDarling Basin Agreement). Over the years since 1914, the regulation of each water source has vastly improved to address the growing demand for water in ways that minimise impacts on the natural riverine environment. This approach is essential to the health of the water systems in the basin and the communities it supports.

Current marketplace dynamics reveal water in the basin is now

being valued and used for both economic and social benefit – whether it be a farmer supplementing additional temporary water allocation to his farmland due to a lack of rainfall, or an investor who uses ownership of permanent water entitlements as an opportunity for capital growth. Ruralco Water has found investors are now becoming more regular traders in this market.

The value of permanent and temporary water markets change throughout time as the intensity of supply and demand alters; and, of course, seasonal conditions are a determining factor. For example, the current dry weather being experienced in the basin

is contributing towards reduced water availability and thus more competition in the markets.

Prices for the major permanent water entitlements within the southern market have risen over the past 18 months, most having a potential annual gross income of approximately 8 per cent based on current temporary allocation market returns.

Ruralco Water is one of Australia’s most experienced and trusted water broking firms with a network of experienced brokers who are actively involved in the water markets. Their staff have been helping clients with water trading decisions since the basin water markets were developed in

Current dry weather in the Basin is contributing towards reduced water availability and thus more competition.

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the early 1990s and many live with their families in the basin’s local communities.

Englefield believes the integrity of the Ruralco Water business has been key to its longstanding relationships with local irrigators.

“We pride ourselves on honest relationships – trust is everything,” he says. “We work closely with our clients to understand their businesses and then apply our knowledge and insight to help them make informed decisions that maximise opportunities.

“In Australia there will always be demand for water. Our MurrayDarling Basin covers a huge area – more than one million square kilometres. While usage is predominately within agriculture, a significant and growing proportion is delivered to the environment.

Increasing the allocation of water assigned to support biodiversity is a strategic pillar of the Australian government’s Murray-Darling Basin Plan – and water trading is a mechanism which will assist in the future success of the region.”

If you’re interested in water trading opportunities, visit ruralcowater.com.au

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AGRICULTURAL EVENTS ROUND-UP ABARES OUTLOOK 2016 CONFERENCE

Australia’s leading forum for public and private decision-makers in agriculture, now in its 46th year, will turn its focus to agricultural investment in 2016.

Hosted by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES), the annual Outlook conference is one of the best opportunities to exchange ideas and contacts with agribusiness movers and shakers from across the nation.

This year’s conference theme, ‘Investing in agriculture – growing our future’, recognises the importance of investment to the future success of Australia’s agriculture sector.

This investment can come in many forms, says ABARES, “in land to increase scale; in technology to enhance productivity; in people to ensure the skills needed to capture the opportunities of a modern industry and to create succession opportunities”.

On the supply side, Outlook 2016 will highlight “new and increasingly diverse

FARM WORLD 2016

It’s Victoria’s largest regional agricultural event and one of the nation’s largest field days.

Farm World, now in its 54th year, typically draws around 700 exhibitors and 50,000 visitors over four days. It’s the ideal forum for launching new products, generating leads, making sales, keeping abreast of industry changes and developing valuable contacts.

2016’s ‘Farm Productivity’ theme puts the spotlight on initiatives farmers can take to improve their productivity, with the accompanying Farm World Expo showcasing related products and services. Here, machinery manufacturers, suppliers and distributors will showcase ranges and launch

sources of capital available to agriculture, and alternative financing models that are providing opportunities for farmers”.

An impressive slate of keynote speakers – primary producers, academics, banking and finance representatives, and policymakers – will lead discussion on factors impacting investment across Australia’s agriculture sector and ways in which injections of capital can invigorate it.

The Outlook 2016 dinner at the end of day one is an opportunity to relax, network and congratulate the winners of the 2016 Science and Innovation Awards and the Australian Biosecurity Awards, both presented on the night.

“ABARES Outlook conferences provide an opportunity for delegates from all levels of industry, all sectors of the economy and all parts of the globe to directly address the issues faced by Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry,” said ABARES executive director Karen Schneider.

For registration, program and conference information, visit agriculture.gov.au/abares/outlook

new products and technology.

Health and wellbeing stands now occupy a permanent area in the Exhibition Centre, promoting health checks, wealth creation, off-farm investments and leisure activities.

Jackson’s View Animal Nursery, with its array of farm animals (pigs, calves, ducks, dogs, ponies) and ‘Animals of Oz’ exhibit, should help keep the kids happy.

Plan your days with the Farm World 2016 Cata-log app, which helps you find products, converse with exhibitors and save key contacts to a personal ‘show bag’.

To register, get further information, or access this year’s Cata-log app, visit lardnerpark.com.au/farmworldmain.html

ABARES OUTLOOK 2016 CONFERENCE INFO DATES Tuesday, March 1 to Wednesday, March 2, 2016 VENUE National Convention Centre, Canberra PRICES Full registration (incl. dinner) $1,400 Group registration $1,000 per person (min. 4) One-day registration (not incl. dinner) $750 Conference Dinner $125 All prices include GST

FARM WORLD 2016 INFO DATES Thursday, April 7 to Sunday, April 10, 2016 LOCATION Lardner Park, 155 Burnt Store Road, Lardner (Warragul), Victoria PRICES Adult $18; concession $13 Family (2 adults and up to 4 children) $38 2-day pass (1 adult for any 2 days) $28 Gold Pass (2 adults for all 4 days) $52

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news+views

news+views IDC SURVEY FINDS TECHNOLOGY KEY TO MINING EFFICIENCY IDC Energy Insight’s recent survey of 190 miners globally has found – unsurprisingly – that in a time of falling commodity prices, the top priority is saving costs. Mining companies are under more pressure than ever to get more material from the ground at the lowest possible cost and the highest possible grade.

A theme IDC found running through the survey is that mining companies are looking towards a future in which technology is changing the way mines are operated.

Improving safety remains a top priority; however, IDC found that the automation of assets and mine operations management and control are the top strategic objectives of mining operations.

Breaking the figures down, the IDC survey found that 69 per cent of mining companies globally are looking at remote operation and monitoring centres; 56 per cent at new mine methods, 29 per cent at robotics and 27 per cent at unmanned drones. Of the mining companies representatives surveyed, 83 per cent stated that their technology budgets would increase or stay the same in 2015.

Head of Asia-Pacific energy insights and vertical markets at IDC Australia Emilie Ditton said, “The ability of data intelligence, data integration and technologies like robotics to change the physical nature of mining is real and, across the sector, leading mining companies are taking steps to take advantage of these capabilities.”

BHP BILLITON IRON ORE PIT EXTENSION APPROVED

BY EPA Despite plummeting iron ore prices, BHP Billiton is continuing with plans to extend its Newman operation and recently received Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) approval for the Orebody 32 Above Water Table project.

Orebody 32 is located 10 kilometres north-east of Newman township and is due west from, and immediately adjacent to, the Orebody 24 and 25 mines. Both are part of

what is known as the BHP Billiton Iron Ore Eastern Ridge Hub in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The new pit will require new storage and haul roads but will use existing processing infrastructure at the Orebody 24 and 25 Mines.

About 350 hectares will be cleared of native vegetation to develop the new pit.

In giving its approval, the EPA noted the effort BHP had made to reduce environmental impacts of the new pit by leveraging existing stockpiles and other infrastructure at its adjacent mines. The EPA is recommending that West Australian government conditions with regard to the mine extension should include rehabilitation and closure of the mine and infrastructure, and an offset for the clearing of 350 hectares of bushland. BHP Billiton has undertaken to provide a buffer zone of 50 metres of vegetation along Homestead Creek.

OPERATION REDWATER FINDS SINGLE STASH OF MARIJUANA WA Police’s Operation Redwater continues to roll on, with fewer than 1,200 workers from Roy Hill and Mount Whaleback mines being screened by sniffer dogs. The search of the 695 Roy Hill employees yielded just one seizure of marijuana, while no illicit drugs were detected among the 495 Mount Whaleback workers.

The commander of Operation Redwater, acting assistant commissioner for Regional WA Murray Smalpage, believes that the fact that BHP Billiton participated in Operation Redwater for a second time and that Roy Hill joined the operation show how important such initiatives are.

At Roy Hill, workers were kept on the mine-site buses before being told to line up for the sniffer-dog drugs search. Some people were kept waiting for three hours. While Smalpage said the feedback from mine workers was overwhelmingly positive, social media told a different story.

Some workers questioned the heavyhandedness of Operation Redwater’s approach, especially given how few seizures had been made, saying they had been

humiliated and made to ‘feel like criminals’.

That said, many other mine workers reported that they didn’t mind the drug searches if they helped to flush out those who might otherwise come to work under the influence of illicit drugs that could impair their judgement and compromise workplace health and safety.

KOALAS COULD SCUPPER WATERMARK COAL MINE The Upper Mooki Landcare Group, represented by the Environmental Defenders Office NSW (EDO NSW), has launched an action in the NSW Land and Environment Court. The group is arguing that on approving the Shenhua Watermark coal mine near Gunnedah, NSW, the NSW Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) failed to consider the impact of such a mine upon koalas – a threatened species.

The group contends that the PAC failed to assess whether the mine would place a viable local population of koalas at risk of extinction. Such an assessment is legally required by the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and the Threatened Species Assessment Guidelines.

“Koalas are currently listed as ‘vulnerable to extinction’ in NSW under state and federal law after numbers dropped a third over the past 20 years. This means they are facing a high risk of extinction in NSW in the medium-term future,” stated the EDO NSW. The plan for managing the impact of clearing 847 hectares of local koala habitat noted in the PAC’s report, in a nutshell, is that “the animals will be encouraged to naturally move away from the habitat that is being cleared. If the animals do not naturally move, then a translocation plan will be implemented”.

There is considerable difference of opinion about the number of koalas inhabiting in the Gunnedah Local Government Area (LGA). Shenhua’s research indicated that there were about 12,000 koalas in the LGA, while the Australian Koala Foundation contends that there are far fewer, estimating that somewhere between 800 and1,300 koalas currently inhabit the area.

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A HOME

AWAY FROM HOME EMPLOYERS UNDERSTAND THAT PROVIDING A QUALITY BASE FOR THEIR WORKERS CREATES HAPPIER AND MORE EFFICIENT STAFF. WORDS: DANIELLE CHENERY

IT DOESN’T take much to figure out that when you’re well fed and well rested, and in the routine of exercising often, you feel good.

Resource and construction workers living away from home can find this harder than most. When you’re not in control of your living space and diet, and it’s difficult to partake in regular physical exercise, your work/life balance can start to suffer, not to mention your health and wellbeing.

So it’s reassuring to know that workforce accommodation is now being designed and built that has considerations of wellbeing in mind.

Civeo’s Coppabella Village.

Civeo, a global provider of workforce accommodation solutions, prides itself on helping people maintain healthy and productive lives while living and working away from home.

Peter McCann, Civeo’s Managing Director & Senior Vice President, Australia, says, “Our goal is to provide the next best thing to home: comfortable, efficient and engaging living environments where guests can rest and recharge. ‘‘We regularly undertake guest surveys, using the insight gathered to tailor design and service innovations. Meeting with clients enables us to ensure standards and

expectations are being met.”

Not surprisingly, feedback shows that food rates high as a priority.

“With health and fitness becoming a priority for many, menus with nutritious and flavoursome dishes are a must,” McCann says. “Our menus change regularly and are packed with healthy, wholesome meal options catering to a multitude of dietary requirements. Dining facilities include a range of buffetstyle choices alongside a salad bar and our modern cook-to-order [service] enables guests to create their own custom plates – chicken, fish or steak.”

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Of course, the general quality of accommodation can make a huge difference to staff happiness levels. “In our experience as an accommodation provider, the quality of guest accommodation plays an important role in maintaining morale, retention and wellbeing,” McCann says. “While living and working away from home, it’s vital to ensure guests are contented and in accommodation that is both comfortable and conducive to wellness.”

This means accommodation designed with thermal and acoustic insulation properties to facilitate sound sleep. Quality finishes and homely furnishings also provide guests with the kinds of comforts they are familiar with at home.

“Our standard guest rooms are fitted with a king single bed, desk, ensuite bathroom, air-conditioning, refrigerator and flat-screen television, along with linen and towels.

Where necessary, blackout blinds are installed in rooms to provide maximum comfort during alternate work schedules,” McCann says.

Facilities that encourage socialising and exercise are an important part of the equation.

“Communal outdoor barbecue and seating areas are nestled throughout our resort-style grounds, encouraging socialising among guests,” McCann says. “Selected locations are also equipped with multi-purpose outdoor courts and pools that help guests stay fit and keep in shape.

“Civeo’s on-site gymnasium is fully equipped with modern equipment allowing guests to work out and keep fit while living away from home.

Flexible opening hours enables use of the facility at leisure and to suit varying schedules,” he adds.

Civeo’s Boggabri Village.

Civeo’s Coppabella Village.

“The convenience shop situated within the villages is stocked with essential-need items including newspapers, magazines, snacks, toiletries and more, making it easy for guests to pop in and purchase any items they may need.”

Many workforce accommodation providers, including Civeo, have also become a part of the local communities in which they operate by creating employment opportunities and helping to generate much-needed funds.

Our partnerships with local communities aim to foster a community spirit, sustainable development and promote economic growth.

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“We are strong believers in being part of the communities in which we operate, working with them to create a great place to live and work,” McCann says. “Our partnerships with local communities aim to foster a community spirit, sustainable development and promote economic growth. Wherever possible, we do this by employing local people, providing training opportunities and using local suppliers.

“From sponsoring local teams and schools, to charities and communityled initiatives, we work with our local partners to identify the unique needs of each community and the best ways we can provide support that will have a positive and lasting impact,” he says.

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NSW/ACT WesTrac 1300 881 064 VIC/TAS William Adams 1300 WADAMS

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snapshot Super Pit Gold Mine, Kalgoorlie

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THE

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DROPS WORKING AT HEIGHT CONTINUES TO REPRESENT A MAJOR SAFETY MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE FOR MOST WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY PROFESSIONALS. HOWEVER, IT IS INCREASINGLY NOT JUST ‘PEOPLE FALLS’ THAT ARE AN ISSUE. WORDS: MICHAEL BIDDLE

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total of 275 people died as a direct consequence of a fall from a height between 2003 and 2012 in Australia – 11 per cent of total fatalities. Surprisingly, however, an additional 227 people died in the same period as a consequence of being hit by a falling object – about 9 per cent of total fatalities.

Aside from fatalities, drops and falls also represent a significant volume of general injuries. Falls from a height represented more than 7,400 workers compensation claims in 2012, with a median lost time of 7.2 weeks. Additionally, more than 4,200 claims were recorded from injuries created by falling objects, with a median lost time of 4.2 weeks.

Given that these two mechanisms of injury are the third- and fourthranked cause of death and significant causes of injury, the question is: Are these inevitable? Or indeed, with the right approach, are they preventable?

I believe that most would answer ‘yes’, provided there is sufficient education, awareness and safety management systems in operation.

The prospect of reducing these incidents is therefore very high.

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The cost of drops

The cost of lost time in both health outcomes for workers and lost productivity time is concerning.

Importantly, it is also the worker’s families that bear the brunt of the impact of these injuries, through loss of income and medical expenses that may follow from the incident.

In addition, the loss of the items themselves can be costly. If objects are dropped over water, into mud, machinery, down holes and other difficult-to-reach places, they are effectively a sunk cost needing replacement. While anyone can drop a tool, the chances are vastly increased when other environmental factors come into play. For example, high wind, rain, greasy environments and even working with ill-fitting gloves can make the challenge of tool security an issue. For a comparatively low cost and a different attitude to containment, these costs can be avoided.

Using gravity as a work aid

Certain job tasks and industries use gravity to work for them. For example, the demolition of a building might allow for materials to be dropped to a lower level by means of gravity, rather than a controlled

safetyspecial

High wind, rain, greasy environments and even working with ill-fitting gloves can make the challenge of tool security an issue.

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Weight of Dropped Object (kilograms)

Drop Height (metres)

91

0.9

0.5

1.4

Hierarchy of control

Risk management, utilising the principle of the Hierarchy of Control, is considered to be the best approach for preventing injury. It’s best practice to engineer a hazard out altogether or utilise alternative means of access to minimise fall risks. Wherever

2.3

2.7

3.2

3.6

4.1

4.5

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61

91

122

152

183

213

244

274

305

61 46 30 15 6

25

50

75

100

125

149

174

199

224

249

22

43

65

86

108

129

151

172

194

216

18

35

53

70

88

106

123

141

158

176

12

25

37

50

62

75

87

100

112

125

8

16

24

31

39

47

55

63

71

79

3 2

6

11

17

22

28

33

39

44

50

56

4

9

13

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22

26

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SERIOUS

mechanical descent process such as a crane and debris bucket. Many buildings are also clad in protective mesh or netting to contain debris and prevent it from causing injury or escaping from the building envelope.

In most cases, these work methods are less safe than alternatives. They rely on the principle of containment, rather than prevention of falls in the first place. On most major metropolitan work sites, the incidence of this is, thankfully, infrequent. In locations where there is less supervision or a regulator isn’t present, the same cannot be said.

1.8

possible, preventing the fall of a person or tools through the use of guarding or barriers is the most appropriate means of protection.

Only when there are no alternative means of prevention should fall protection equipment, including fall protection for tools and equipment, be considered for use.

Primary vs secondary consequence

When people consider the use of fall protection equipment, they are primarily concerned about protecting themselves or their workers and contractors. Items such as anchoring devices, full-body safety harnesses, a fall arrest lanyard

SEVERE

FATAL

or self-retracting lifeline to connect between the two and some defined rescue means to allow for safe descent are the core components of a fall protection safety system. In this sense, they are concerned about the ‘primary consequence’ of a fall.

When it comes to items such as tools and equipment used for their job, these are often, however, afterthoughts. These items are as equally as important to consider if they fall, because dropping them can have secondary consequences on the people working below them, or the innocent bystanders who are in the near vicinity. Although nuts and bolts, spanners and other lightweight equipment are small in physical size, once the combination of gravity

It’s best practice to engineer a hazard out altogether or utilise alternative means of access to minimise fall risks.

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is added, the consequences can be grave.

The physics of drops

People don’t realise the impact forces that are generated by a dropped object. A 3-kilogram item dropped 15 metres could create an impact force of over 500k kilograms. A 1-kilogram item dropped 50 metres will hit the ground at about 112 kilometres/hour (excluding any air resistance). Even with protection, the result of being struck by an item of relatively low weight can be significant.

Hard hats

The use of general personal protective equipment (eg, hard hats) can be a good front-line barrier to reduce the impact of a dropped object if it is relatively

light and not dropped from a very high location. The effectiveness of protective equipment is limited, however, when exposed to heavy items – particularly those that fall from a great height. A hard hat does not provide any protection for other parts of the body such as shoulders and arms.

The economic loss of equipment, coupled with the injury cost to the person injured, can be high. Even if there are no people in direct danger of injury caused by a dropped object, that object still has the capacity to damage surrounding equipment and machinery. Subsequent repairs can be both costly and timeconsuming. But this risk can be easily managed if a comprehensive management program for dropped objects is implemented.

About the author: Michael Biddle has more than 12 years’ experience in the fall protection industry. He is currently the managing director, Australia & New Zealand, for Capital Safety, a fall protection equipment manufacturer, and the current chair of the Working at Height Association of Australia.

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Capital Safety FlexiGuard™ Access Systems Capital Safety has developed a range of FlexiGuard™ Access Systems for effective fall protection when working at height on mining, construction and plant equipment.

The frames provide the user with a mobile overhead anchorage point that can be moved around from one application to another, which is ideal for circumstances where an overhead structure is unreachable or not present at all.

The company is able to modify existing products or implement entirely new designs in order to meet any requirements. Capital Safety’s experts offer a free consultation or site visit. Once needs have been established, they will qualify the application with regard to issues of safety, code compliance, ergonomics and productivity, all in consultation with the customer.

Concepts are developed and 3D rendered for customers to assess the designs and revise as needed prior to production. This way, there is clarity around the design process and full confidence in the safety outcome.

All installations include detailed operation manuals and instructions for use tailored specifically to each piece of equipment, site and intended purpose.

As well as system design, engineering and fabrication, Capital Safety’s trained and certified technicians offer industry-leading installation, training services and yearly inspections for the duration of the equipment’s life to ensure safety and ease of use.

Capital Safety’s fall prevention systems ensure the best-possible safety and security, without compromising the freedom necessary to perform a job well. All products are compliant to local standards and rated for Australian and New Zealand markets.

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This unit provides candidates with the knowledge and techniques to inspect and oversee the care and maintenance of their organisations fall protection equipment.

DRILL RIG RESCUE

Designed to provide candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform rope rescue techniques off Drill rigs using pre-engineered rescue kits to gain access to and recover a suspended or injured casualty.

UNDERGROUND MINING ESCAPE WAY RESCUE

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EWP & WORK PLATFORM EMERGENCY ESCAPE

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ENTER & WORK IN CONFINED SPACES

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CONTACT CAPITAL SAFETY TO MAKE A BOOKING OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR TRAINING COURSES * Depending on site location, normal travel & accommodation costs may apply.

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Methods of containment

Below is an example list of some methods for containing dropped objects:

INSIDE MINING LOOKS AT THE INS AND OUTS OF ONSITE MOBILE FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT.

RISK MANAGEMENT is a regulatory requirement. For employers, it is not only encouraged but mandatory to identify any potential hazards and take action to eliminate or control them.

Working at height is an area of ongoing risk management in a number of industries.

Those deemed high risk, such as mining and construction, require extra vigilance in this area.

Due to the scope of operations and frequency with which people are working in precarious settings with heavy equipment, there is no room for complacency.

Safety procedures can be further complicated, however, when it comes to working with mobile plant machinery and equipment where there are no fixed parameters or structures from which to fix harnesses.

Facing the facts Due to time pressures and operating costs, the need to simplify work practices is always a high priority for mining and construction projects.

The sheer scale of operations and the nature of equipment involved present a number of hazards that must be managed as carefully as possible. However, current safety processes can be time-consuming and still fail to provide adequate protection.

Between 2007–08 and 2011–12, falls from height accounted for 51 fatalities in the construction industry.

During the same period, a quarter of serious workers’ compensation claims (22 per cent for mining; 26 per cent for construction) were as a result of falls, trips and slips of a person.

As well as the tragic impact of workplace death or injury, it is immensely costly (both in terms of time, as well as money) for companies to be dealing with compensation claims due to

workplace injuries. In cases where negligence is proven, a jail term for those in charge is also a possibility.

If nothing else, such claims can have a significant impact on a company’s reputation, putting any future investment in jeopardy.

Despite the evident consequences, there can be a temptation to eschew normal precautions for working at height when using mobile plant machinery. But height is height, regardless of setting. Simply because there are no fixed anchorage points or overhead structures is no excuse to ignore proper safety protocol.

Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) regulations do not specify a minimum height at which control measures must be implemented because there are risks present at any height.

Site managers and supervisors on duty must assess these risks.

Lofty aims Protective needs change along with the nature of work and the equipment used. Mining vehicles and heavy duty machinery kept on-site require regular servicing. Performing maintenance on mining trucks or loaders, for example, will likely need prolonged access above ground level.

During this process, workers are not impervious to falling through gaps or stumbling over unseen equipment, even when the working height is considered relatively low.

Therefore, standard harnesses or railings that feature in fixed structures may not suffice when operating on mobile plant machinery – if, indeed, they are present at all.

The ideal mobile solutions must fulfil a number of criteria – namely, that they are sturdy and versatile, as well as user- and productivity-friendly.

• Lower the working platform to the ground and perform all work on a structure at ground level and then lift it into position once complete rather than taking the tools and equipment to height; • Kickboards and handrails should be fixed on scaffolding, platforms and walkways.

By using additional closed mesh solutions, plywoods or other solid surface materials, coverage can be provided for all the gaps through which items can potentially fall; • Utilise safety mesh or rated barrier netting (with debris lining) in areas outside walkways and underneath conveyors, walkways, platforms and along building/ structure perimeters to prevent materials dropping to a lower level; • Utilise tool lanyards, tool cinches, tool pouches, tethering devices, holsters, tool buckets and other drop-containment devices to secure tools and other items during work-at-height activities; • Provide worker education on the risks and outcomes of dropped objects and provide them with the means by which they can minimise that risk.

• Preventing dropped object falls is not just the responsibility of the safety supervisor or the site owner.

It is everyone’s responsibility to manage these risks because the impact might not be personal, but it might affect your co-workers and unseen bystanders.

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NEW PRODUCT MAKES MINING SAFER PRODUCTS THAT CREATE A SAFER WORKING ENVIRONMENT ARE WANTED BY THE MINING INDUSTRY. A NEW “SAFE BRAKE” PRODUCT (DESIGNED BY CUSTOM FLUIDPOWER) WINS SAFETY INNOVATION AWARD AT THE 2015 QUEENSLAND MINING INDUSTRY HEALTH & SAFETY CONFERENCE. ustom Fluidpower embraced the challenge to fix a cable problem being experienced on a coal mine shuttle car. With safety in mind, Custom Fluidpower engineered the Shuttle Car Cable Reeler with a Brake Apply Interlock Valve for a Mackay-based coal mine.

“We are delighted that one of our engineered system designs has achieved such a rewarding result, for both our client and at the 2015 Product Innovation Awards,” says Matt Doolan, Custom Fluidpower’s Mackay Branch Manager.

The custom-designed device comprised a full upgrade to the hydraulic control circuit. Custom Fluidpower designed, manufactured and installed a new hydraulic manifold to the park brake control circuits on all mine site shuttle cars.

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OIL PRICES have been falling dramatically since the end of November 2014 as a response (mainly) to Saudi Arabia and other major oil producers continuing to pump despite the price falling precipitously.

Other factors include the reduction in demand due to efficiency measures, substitution, the possible return of Iran to the world oil market and China seeking to move its economy away from energy-intensive development towards internal consumption. Gas prices are holding up for the moment, but whether that continues depends very much on how the Chinese, Indian and other South-East Asian and Middle Eastern economies fare in the face of anaemic economic growth in the developed world.

The reasons for the major producers continuing to pump oil rather than scale back production are varied.

Some pundits argue that Saudi Arabia especially is seeking to drive the price down to put American shale oil firms out of business. Others suggest that many of the major producers have seen the writing on the wall when it comes to fossil fuels and reason that it’s better to sell it now at US$50 than not be able to sell it at all in the future.

With existing Australian fields running out, there is an imperative to discover and exploit new fields that few seem to recognise – former Rudd-Gillard government Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson was a notable exception.

However, the main effect of the rock-bottom oil price is to make exploration and investment in Australia unattractive. Untapped reserves are going to be more difficult to exploit so there is unlikely to be much activity if the price stays at US$50 per barrel.

What Australia lacks in oil reserves it makes up for in gas and demand is predicted to continue to grow over the next few decades. According to the McKinsey Energy Insights Global Gas October 2015 report, “Despite the short-term effect of the temporary nuclear shutdown in Japan and South Korea looking set to have subsided by the end of 2015, a dampening of LNG demand in China as a result of the slower economy and a reticence to switch fuels as a result of lower oil prices, LNG demand growth is expected to remain strong short-term at around 5 per cent per year.”

Australia has been involved in a massive buildout of LNG infrastructure and this will lead to a large boost in supply through to 2020.

According to McKinsey’s Energy Insights, “Supply, however, will surge to 2020, with LNG volumes looking

With existing Australian fields running out, there is an imperative to discover and exploit new fields that few seem to recognise.

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specialreport

set to show their fastest-ever increase as the result of new liquefaction facilities coming online in the USA and Australia. The new facilities will see a shift in the global supply map, with Australia set to match Qatar as the world’s leading LNG exporter by 2019 in terms of capacity, and the US following closely behind as the third largest in 2020.”

While there is an abundance of supply coming down the track, demand is far more uncertain both because of economic uncertainty in China, India and South-East Asia and the nexus between economic growth and CO2 emissions being broken due to advances in renewable energy, according to the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2015. Despite the beginnings of a fundamental shift to a decarbonised world economy, the IEA outlook predicts a 50 per cent growth in natural gas consumption. “Where it replaces more carbon-intensive fuels or backs up the integration of renewables, natural gas is a good fit

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for a gradually decarbonising energy system: a consumptive increase of 50 per cent makes it the fastest growing of the fossil fuels.”

Nevertheless, McKinsey warns against taking too cautious a view.

“Demand will be governed in large part by Asia’s increasing appetite for gas. China, India, Pakistan and ASEAN countries look set to account for more than 90 per cent of total volume demand over the next 15 years.

“With a decline in the capacity of older LNG terminals, around 240 billion cubic metres of new supply capacity will be required by 2030 – above and beyond that already satisfied by approved Final

Investment Decisions (FIDs). [This] will be fundamental to securing long-term supply – projects under construction look likely to fulfil, and exceed, demand over the next few years, but the market looks set to tighten by 2022 if further FIDs go unapproved. Much of their likelihood to progress hinges on the price of oil and the ability to deflate expenditure for large capital projects.”

According to PwC’s 2015 Oil and Gas Trends, “Oversupply and lower prices represent a real challenge to the industry, but that doesn’t mean the future is all gloom. It just means that producers and refiners need to be prepared and adopt strategies that take advantage of the new reality.”

Despite the beginnings of a fundamental shift to a decarbonised world economy, the IEA outlook predicts a 50 per cent growth in natural gas consumption.

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MCA Engineering Group are an Australian owned and operated company, specialising in the design, engineering, manufacture and installation of equipment for the Mining and Construction Industries.

Founded more than 10 years ago by Andrew Pascoe and Paul Barwick, MCA was built on their decades of experience working together at other mining equipment companies, and has since gained a dedicated team of industry experts. While working in the industry, Andrew and Paul identified a gap in the market for the development of innovative engineering solutions to solve critical challenges faced by the mining industry.

This came from their experience of seeing other companies applying uniform conventional approaches over and over without consideration for the optimality of solutions. They set out to change this.

From this vision, MCA Engineering Group has grown into one of Australia’s most desired and trusted mining contractors, with more than 120 full time personnel and contractors, and five plants well placed

in Mt Isa, Parkes, Adelaide, Broken Hill and their new head office facility now in Thornton, near Newcastle in NSW. Focusing on delivering innovative, faster, lower-risk and cost effective outcomes, MCA has today grown into a business that services some of Australia’s major design and engineering firms and leading global miners, producing specialised equipment and solutions.

MCA centres on Engineering as the heart of their business, providing complex solutions to the mining industry, specialising in mine shaft development, air winches, mine winders, chain jack systems and rock bolting equipment, from design and development right through to installation and on-going maintenance as required.

Reliability, safety and continual improvement are of paramount focus for MCA. MCA’s coalface experience in aboveground, shaft and below-ground mining solutions has seen them develop innovative and now industry accepted changes to the traditional way of delivering mining services.

Notable projects include Queensland’s Crude Ore Bin project whereby MCA were successful in their bid for the Design and Construction Contract for the Refurbishment of the Copper Concentrator Crude Ore Bin. The client’s scope was to bring the Bin back to original design capacity being 60,000T of live ore, while including full replacement and refurbishment of all Bin 36 Rock Boxes and Syntechton Feeders. The project took nine months to complete with no long-term

injuries (LTI’s) recorded. The Crude Ore Bin project was a major success for MCA Engineering Group, who celebrated being nominated for and later winning, the 2014 Queensland Steel Institute’s Excellence Award for Engineering Projects.

The Cadia Ore Pass was another notable project of MCA. As a two-stage project, MCA developed a proposal to lower cans in an Ore Pass using an MCA-designed Chain Jack System. The MCA Chain Jack System and experienced installation crew enabled the Cadia Ore Pass project’s installation schedule to be completed two months earlier than previous Ore Pass installation projects. This saved the client time and money, resulting in an efficient, high quality installation.

MCA was recently awarded the Shaft 1 Rehabilitation at Glencore’s CSA Mine in Cobar NSW and will commence manufacturing shortly to supply two 1,200 Class Winders, a 24-metre Construction Head Frame along with a range of equipment, labour and engineering services throughout the duration of the project works.

This project further expands MCA’s mine shaft engineering footprint in the Australian Mine Industry, an area that will be of high focus for MCA over the next few years.

For more information on MCA’s products, processes and services, visit mcagroup.com. au or call 1300 528 535 to speak with a mining solutions specialist about how they can assist with your mine requirements.

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47

At Joeys, we’re family.

Sure, as a family of more than 1,000 boys we may go through more toast and breakfast cereal than the average family.

But the care, support and encouragement that exists within our College community is as strong and as genuine as within any other family.

Students from regional and rural Australia have always been an integral part of St Joseph’s College. The mix of students from the country and the city helps create a diverse and vibrant community that is highly valued by the students, their families and staff.

St Joseph’s is dedicated to helping each student achieve his potential. As our boys learn about the world, they also learn important lessons about themselves and the sort of men they want to be. They find that with guidance, hard work and determination they are capable of much more than they imagined. A range of enrolment options, including full boarding, weekly boarding and day student with extended hours, offer families the important choice of what enrolment best suits their individual needs.

We invite you to meet the Joeys family and discover why St Joseph’s College has been one of Australia’s leading boys’ boarding schools for more than 130 years.

For more information, or to arrange a tour of the college, telephone the Registrar on (02) 9816 0806 or visit the website www.joeys.org.

ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE

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49

ing riv th is ughter ur dachild “O“Our is thriving y” pp ha ly se en m im d an and immensely happy” Kristine Lawless, Downlands Parent, Toowoomba UNSOLICITED PARENT COMMENT

With 43 subjects, 17 sports, 8 ensembles, and a vibrant community, Downlands is the school of choice.

Our 38 hectare campus, including an onsite Rural Centre, is located just minutes from Toowoomba City centre and Australia’s newest airport.

With a total student population of 750, including 220 boarding students from across Australia and the Pacific, your child is appreciated, guided and cared for.

Call our Enrolments Officer, Merilyn Rohde on 07 4690 9500 to find out more and book your personal tour.

A Missionaries of the Sacred Heart College Downlands College, 72 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba, Queensland INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC YEARS 7-12 COEDUCATIONAL DAY & BOARDING EST 1931

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TEENAGE STAR MAKES HIS MUSICAL MARK ON DOWNLANDS t’s been a huge year for talented singer, Jeremy Beamish. Relocating from the Gold Coast just a year ago, Jeremy is now in his senior year at Downlands College, a newly elected Cultural Captain and is also about to play the lead role in Les Misérables.

Downlands was top of the school options list as Jeremy’s mother, Liza Beamish, is a Downlands Past Student with fond memories of her time at the College.

However it was the strong Arts program and inclusive, welcoming attitude of everyone they met that made the decision a lot easier.

Jeremy is particularly excited about being awarded the role of Jean Valjean in the upcoming College musical Les Misérables.

“To be cast as the lead in Les Misérables is a huge compliment. There are so many really talented singers and performers at Downlands, so it’s quite an honour to be given such an integral role like Jean Valjean,” said Jeremy.

Downlands Head of the Arts and Musical Director, Mr Shane Tooley, is

also a Past Student of the College, and said he chose this particular musical for a few reasons.

“I selected Les Misérables because of its powerful storyline and music, and it was a natural choice for the vast array of talent we currently have on offer. It is the world’s most beloved musical, and I believe it will be the musical students talk about well after our final performance,” Mr Tooley explains.

Choosing a challenging musical is only one part of Mr Tooley’s upcoming plans for progressing Performing Arts at the College.

“We have already made a few changes in Performing Arts, including new ensembles and a Middle School Drama Club.”

“Combined with the Dance Troupe which was introduced in 2015, and our existing ensembles, I believe we have one of the strongest and most diverse co-curricular Performing Arts offerings available,” Mr Tooley said.

The diverse Performing Arts program at Downlands is only one of the many choices available to students. The College boasts one of the broadest academic curriculum on

offer within the Darling Downs, along with an extensive range of co-curricular activities and sport to cater for many interests.

While making the most of the opportunities presented at school, Jeremy and his brother, Ben, also write and perform their own songs as ‘The Beamish Boys’. They have already enjoyed success, having written a song for the 2018 Commonwealth Games sizzler reel; featuring on the television program Sunrise; and founding their own company, Next Generation Music.

As for Jeremy, he already has his future planned out, “I would love to be a professional singer. I love performing and writing songs, so I hope one day to tour the world doing what I love”.

BREAKING NEWS: Former Wallaby and Downlands Past Student, Garrick Morgan, has been appointed as Director of Rugby for 2016. Garrick will oversee coaching and plans to build one of the best Australian school rugby programs at Downlands College.

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IFM0116

CRICOS No: 00489C

A day and boarding school for boys years 5 to 12

His Future

+61 7 3834 5200 | enrolments@brisbanegrammar.com | www.brisbanegrammar.com

advertorial

ENRICHING COMMUNITY SERVICE AND GLOBAL CITIZENRY AT BGS cross the globe, students and teachers are leaving the classroom and engaging with their communities to make learning come alive and experience real life connections between their education and everyday issues. Brisbane Grammar School has been encouraging community service and global citizenry for many years, with students volunteering everywhere from Cambodia and TimorLeste, to local projects in Brisbane.

BGS Coordinator of Service Philippa Douglas said the expectation that students participate in service based projects within schools and universities, both at a national and international level, was becoming more prominent.

“Learning through service based

projects focuses on reciprocal benefit, providing students with opportunities to think critically and creatively as they work with community partners,” Ms Douglas said. “Service-learning is regarded as a pathway to creating responsible and accountable global citizens, because it affords the opportunity for authentic transformational learning by shaping the values and attitudes of those involved.”

Annually BGS Year 10 students have the opportunity to attend a service trip to Cambodia, following months of fundraising. In 2015 the students made the journey to Kampong Cham province to spend five days working on projects in local schools and orphanages.

Closer to home students engage in

community service through the BGS founded Homework Club initiative. It involves students mentoring young boys and girls from refugee communities, and children struggling to engage in school.

The success of the project is painted on the faces of the youngsters, with learning made fun for the first time in their lives.

Among a long list of other volunteer projects, BGS students give up their time helping the homeless and those at risk of homelessness, as well as engaging with residents at a nursing home.

Ms Douglas said reflection activities helped to measure students’ understanding of their service efforts, allowing them a forum to share their feelings, shape their actions and evaluate the impact of the activities.

“Learning through service based projects focuses on reciprocal benefit, providing students with opportunities to think critically and creatively as they work with community partners,”

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CRANBROOK IS A WORLD CLASS SCHOOL WHICH ENCOURAGES AND ENABLES ALL OF ITS STUDENTS TO EXPLORE, ENJOY AND FULFIL THEIR POTENTIAL

To learn about boarding and how we prepare our boys to fulfil their talents, flourish and exercise influence in a rapidly evolving and challenging world, please contact Nancy Incoll, Director of Admissions on 9327 9420 or nincoll@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au Cranbrook is an Anglican independent day and boarding school for boys, Pre-school to Year 12 in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Music and academic scholarships for Year 7 2017 are now open. For further information and to apply please visit www.cranbrook.nsw.edu.au

advertorial

BOARDING AT CRANBROOK:

IDENTIFYING, BELONGING AND ACHIEVING ranbrook School is an Anglican independent day and boarding school for boys, Pre-school to Year 12 located in Bellevue Hill in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Our two Boarding Houses promote a close, family-like environment so boys feel confident and secure.

Leadership, cross-age interaction, camaraderie and a strong sense of belonging to their ‘home away from home’ are cultivated as the boys experience boarding together. The recent renovations of the Boarding Houses has not only ensured our boys experience exceptional facilities but has enhanced this strong sense of identity and pride in their House.

The sense of belonging and being part of the boarding family develops quickly for the boys as they are immersed into the many weekend boarding activities.

Archie Hyles, a Year 7 boarder from Bookham, joined Cranbrook at the beginning of this year and has quickly

settled into boarding life. He attributes this to the ‘the boys in the House making you feel at home and part of the family.

The older boys look out for you in and around the school.’

With access to exceptional facilities and learning opportunities, boarding offers a whole education that empowers boys to recognise their own unique potential.

Supported by an outstanding boarding academic team, the opportunities for learning beyond the classroom are extensive. Talking about his own experiences as a Cranbrook Year 11 boarder and Second Head Prefect is Ben Clarke from Port Macquarie who stated: ‘Boarding really opens up every opportunity to get involved in all aspects of school life and helps you find your niche; not only what you enjoy but what

you are really good at. Boarding is about learning new things, getting out of your comfort zone, and finding out what kind of person you can, and want to be.’

Boarders can easily access the early morning extension classes and academic clinics available at school. With no travel time to factor in to their timetable the boys can put extra effort into their study, sport, music or any of the other cocurricular activities they are interested in.

Cranbrook’s Director of Boarding, James Boyd, said: ‘Boarding at Cranbrook provides not only a level of academic advantage but also empowers the boys to recognise their own unique potential and learn valuable life skills such as independence, confidence, resilience, compassion and companionship. All of which are essential for life beyond school.’

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EUDCTAION CAHNGES EEVRYTIHNG If you’re not educated reading a simple sentence is almost impossible! Imagine trying to get a job, keep yourself healthy or support your family if you never got to finish school? That’s the story for more than 60 million girls around the world.

But it doesn’t have to be... We believe that every girl on the planet has the right to an education. And we’re doing something about it.

We work with girls in Sierra Leone, West Africa – one of the worst places on earth to be born a girl. We provide scholarships, build new classrooms, offer business training and remove the barriers to them completing their education.

And we want you to join us.

BECAUSE AN EDUCATED GIRl CAN CHANGE HER wORlD.

Changing the world one girl at a time.

www.onegirl.org.au

PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GENERATIONS.

Ichthys LNG Project We’re around for the long haul. Our Project has a 40 year lifespan, which means multi-generation employment opportunities.

It also means we are investing in Darwin infrastructure, supporting local businesses and contributing to community groups.

More than 1000 local Northern Territory businesses have been awarded Project work, including 52 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses securing over A$ 100 million of contracts to date.

For us it’s more than a 40 year capital investment. It’s an investment in people.

INPEX.com.au INPEX | Will Power