OUTthere Cobham December 2014 by Edge In-flight Magazines

+ insidemining

Dec/Jan 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Issue 07

The Next

Generation

We add the faster, larger and more efficient E-Jet to our fleet

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For further information, please visit our website www.andrewsairportpark.com.au or contact our Head Office on (03) 9339 9400

Where we fly

BARROW ISLAND

BRISBANE BALLERA DARLOT MURRIN MURRIN GRANNY SMITH PERTH

MOOMBA

KAMBALDA SYDNEY PASSENGER FREIGHT

ADELAIDE MELBOURNE

HOBART

Our fleet 6 x BAe 146 (passenger) 4 x BAe 146 (freight) 5 x Avro RJ100 1 x Avro RJ85

British Aerospace 146 (w) Length: 26.16m–30.99m Wingspan: 26.21m Height: 8.59 m Cruise speed: 770km/h at 8534m Empty weight: 23,779–26,434kg Passenger capacity: 71–99 seats Freight capacity: 10,300 kg

Avro RJ85 Length: 29 m Wingspan: 26 m Height: 8.61 m Cruise speed: 801 km/h Empty weight: 23,900 kg

Avro RJ100 Length: 30.99m Wingspan: 26.34m Height: 8.59 m Cruise speed: 780 km/h Empty weight: 26,393kg

Hello and welcome aboard 2015 will be an exciting year for Cobham as we begin to roll out some new initiatives to enhance our customer experience and improve the standard of FIFO services. The most notable additions to our business are the introduction of two new aircraft types, the Embraer E190 and the Avro RJ85. These aircraft will bring an entirely new level of comfort and experience which we hope will be the future of FIFO in Australia. In addition to aircraft fleet enhancements, we are currently working on a number of projects aimed at improving our customer experience from check-in to disembarking. In 2015, we will be implementing an enhanced check-in and reservation system which will provide significant improvements to your travelling experience, especially on those early morning flights where time before a flight is precious. We are also working with our partners to improve our in-flight catering by introducing a broader range of hot and cold meals. We are excited about the future and look forward to making your journey and experience with us much better. Thank you for flying with Cobham, we love having you on board.

Ryan Both General Manager, Regional Services, Cobham

INNOVATIVELY DESIGNED TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS DomeShelter™ is a proven designed and engineered, shelter system that is tough, relocatable and easy to install.

photo courtesy of Alcoa Australia

Photo courtesy of ALCOA AUSTRALIA

As a market leader in fabric covered structures around the world, DomeShelter Australia, with its famous Domeshelter® branded structures,

regularly deals with world class companies including Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Bechtel, FMGL, Citic Pacific Mining, Leighton, Thiess & BAE among many others. As the awareness for these convenient shelter solutions are becoming increasingly popular, like any successful product there are now several ‘Look-a-like’ shelters that are entering the market. To help the discerning buyer make the right choice, COBHAM asked DomeShelter Australia “What are the 4 key areas you should look at when purchasing a fabric covered structure?”

Engineer Certification: Is the shelter “Engineer Certified” by an engineer registered with the Australian Institute of Engineering, and if so can they provide evidence?

Wind Region Category: Are you provided with the correct shelter for the specific ‘Wind Region, Importance Level & Terrain Location’ in view of safeguarding your company and assets including your staff?

DomeShelter Australia has invested many hundreds of thousands of dollars designing, improving and engineering the Domeshelter® brand of fabric covered structures to give peace of mind to our clients. If the item is not engineered correctly the result could be catastrophic.

And finally, Mounting Rails: Are the mounting rails included within the package as a standard item or is this an additional charge? Another common mistake companies make when purchasing a fabric structure is the kit contains no mounting rails.

Made in Australia: Is the shelter manufactured including all steelwork and fabric covers in-house. This not only enables us excellent control of quality, but also provides critical synergy through all design and production phases resulting in all components complementing each other too Australian conditions.

With a DomeShelter® branded solution, extra design and manufacturing time has been put into each shelter to ensure installation is easy …and the kit contains all the necessary componentry to ensure setup time is minimal... therefore saving significant costs at time of installation.

Since you are reading this COBHAM inflight magazine you have complete permission to tear this page out and claim your free full 14 item ‘Compare before you buy’ fabric shelter checklist, as this is an absolute must have for any company that has a shelter requirement within the next 12 months.

Your Free

www.DomeShelter.com.au

Information Pack 100% Genuine DomeShelter

PPhysical DomeShelter Australia Corporate Brochure PFabric Shelter Case studies PChecklist when purchasing any type of Fabric Shelter Call stto your PActual Fabric Samples reque ion pack PDomeShelter Australia Pen

informat

www.DomeShelter.com.au | 1800 653 351

6 PM

contents getaway

food&wine

Issue 07• Dec/Jan 01 welcomeaboard Flying with Cobham.

06 cobhamnews

Cobham retains its Chevron contract and adds new aircraft to the fleet; Cobham engineers invent a cooling system for infrared cameras; Cobham scores four- year FIFO contract; Cobham staff do their bit for charity.

11 don’tmiss

Our top pick of festivals and events around the country.

12 getaway

Christine Salins revels in the rest, relaxation and Riesling on offer in South Australia’s Clare Valley.

Issue 126 • December

Issue 127 • January

closeup

Aussie actress Eliza Taylor explains how ditching the ditzy blonde act is helping her to conquer Hollywood.

Aussie hunk Chris Hemsworth may just be the happiest man in tinseltown.

kitchenconfidential We chat to chef Pete Evans about paleo.

Seachangers have invigorated the New South Wales Sapphire Coast.

outtahere

food&wine

The South Coast of New South Wales offers the perfect blend of recreation and relaxation.

Simone Henderson-Smart wines and dines her way around the towns of Wagga Wagga, Leeton and Griffith.

food&wine

getaway

Fleur Bainger heads to the Swan Valley – Australia’s first Humane Food Region.

Faye James spends 72 action-packed hours in Brisbane and discovers a town that’s ditched the glitz in favour of cool.

getaway Faye James navigates the tricky world of travelling with kids and finds Australia is packed with family-friendly destinations.

outtahere

agribusiness We head to Griffith, home of Australia’s cotton industry.

insidemining • news and views • resources sector issues • finance and technology • the state of mining 3

OPEN LEARNING Year 11 and 12 Classes Online

• Attend classes online from your own home or any convenient location. • Ideal for people with work, family and school commitments. • Classes are taught live online by experienced Year 11 and 12 teachers. • Online Classes run from 6:00PM or 7:00PM, Monday to Thursday. • 24/7 access to resource-rich online course material and the Tuart College eLibrary. • Go online now at www.tuartcollege.wa.edu.au to ﬁnd courses available for you! A Senior College of the Department of Education.

HOW TO ENROL OR FIND OUT FURTHER INFORMATION. Call Tuart College on (08) 9242 6222 or visit our Open Learning web page http://www.tuartcollege.wa.edu.au/openlearning Tuart College: Banksia Street, Tuart Hill, Western Australia 6060 EMAIL: tuart@tuartcollege.wa.edu.au

editor’sletter

GROUP EDITOR Faye James faye.james@edgecustom.com.au DEPUTY EDITOR Simone Henderson-Smart ASSISTANT EDITOR Riley Palmer INTERNS Toby Little, Kiaya Heise SUB-EDITOR Danielle Chenery PRINTER SOS Print & Media SENIOR DESIGNER Guy Pendlebury PRODUCTION MANAGER Brian Ventour CONTRIBUTORS Christine Salins, Christine Retschlag, Kris Madden, Darren Baguley, Michael Yardney, Zoran Solarno, Andrew Crossley, Kevin Lee ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Jason Popkowski jason.popkowski@edgecustom.com.au NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Chris Wykes chris.wykes@edgecustom.com.au SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERS Robert Desgouttes robert.desgouttes@edgecustom.com.au Peter Anderson peter.anderson@edgecustom.com.au WA, SA and NT SALES REP Helen Glasson, Hogan Media Phone: 08 9381 3991 helen@hoganmedia.com.au PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Geoff Campbell MANAGING PARTNERS Fergus Stoddart, Richard Parker

OUTthere is published by Edge 51 Whistler Street, Manly NSW 2095 Phone: 02 8962 2600, www.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.

From the editor... Not sure if you’ve ever had the pleasure of travelling with little ones alone, but recently I travelled on my lonesome, with two kiddies under six in tow on a one-hour flight interstate to meet my husband at the other end. Sounds pretty doable right? Just an hour flight, no biggie I thought. No husband, no problem. Plonk on the iPad, a bit of Dora and I might even get some shut-eye. Wrong. So very, wrong. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so stressed travelling before. My morning began with Miss Mia Grumpy Pants, five years old and going on 15, not being able to find the right outfit to travel in. Ten dresses down I was starting to lose my patience. “Can you just eat your breakfast and we can get going?” I barked. The day was not starting well. Finally, we got in the taxi but the two-yearold boy, Pablo the Terrible, refused to sit in the car seat and attempted to plank his way out, while screaming at full volume. What is usually a pleasant 30-minute drive turned into 45 minutes of hell, with traffic thrown into the bargain. The more Pablo the Terrible planked, the more irate the taxi driver became. “Can you control your kid back there please? It’s really dangerous.” He said this repeatedly in between screams. I was trying my best, trust me. Pablo the Terrible just wasn’t backing down and Miss Mia Grumpy Pants was moaning intermittently about the status of her packing. She wanted to go back and get some more toys. I was beginning to get a bit frayed and desperate and we hadn’t even got on the plane. Taxi ride over, I managed to negotiate my way to the check-in counter, planking toddler in one arm, trolley in another and five-year-old sullying behind. Things got marginally worse when Pablo the Terrible began to run up and down the luggage conveyer belt. “Can you stop your child doing that please? It’s very dangerous,” said the check-in lady. I felt like this would be the phrase of the day. Check-in done, we ambled our way through security. Pablo the Terrible running rampant, more angry airport staff and Miss Mia Grumpy Pants becoming increasingly more sullen. Close

to the boarding gate, life became momentarily easier once we found ourselves a café and the kids got ordering. Banana bread and babycinos underway, I was looking forward to five minutes of peace. Nope. The cafeteria was situated right near the runway with planes in clear view. Pablo the Terrible was off again, attempting to board the plane in the sky before the gates had opened. And when I did get on the plane, for the next hour all the kids did was cause more havoc, running up and down the aisles, stealing passengers’ food and kicking seats with me running apologetically behind. So much so, when I got off the plane to greet my husband, I literally collapsed on the floor in exhaustion. Thankfully, when you read my story Getaway with the Kids, you’ll see the flight was well worth it. Kids running amok and all, when you get to the other side and begin exploring, the stress and exhaustion just melt away. Got some funny kid’s travel stories to share? Send them here inflight@edgecustom.com.au

Faye James and the OUTthere team facebook.com/OUTthereMagazineAustralia @OUTthereMagAus

cobhamnews

Cobham secures contract extension and introduces next generation charter aircraft COBHAM AVIATION Services has secured a contract extension with Chevron Australia Pty Ltd to continue providing flights between Perth and Barrow Island in support of Chevron’s operations and latest projects in Western Australia. Under the contract, which includes an initial order of approximately $60 million, with an estimated full value in excess of $160 million through to 2020, Cobham will introduce an Embraer

190, the first of its type of aircraft to be engaged in the Australian closed charter aviation sector. This modern 104-seat aircraft, includes benefits such as increasing fuel efficiency, reducing time spent in the air and providing a new level of passenger comfort with two-bytwo passenger seat configuration. “The introduction of the Embraer 190 aircraft sets a new benchmark for dedicated charter services in Australia and will see

Cobham continue to support Chevron’s activities, including the Gorgon Project, as it moves from construction to steady state operations,” said Peter Nottage, sector president of Cobham Aviation Services. Since 2010, Cobham has provided charter services to Barrow Island, complying with all regulatory measures in place to protect Barrow Island and its immediate surrounds.

“The introduction of the Embraer 190 aircraft sets a new benchmark for dedicated charter services in Australia and will see Cobham continue to support Chevron’s activities.” 6

cobhamnews

Innovation at its coolest A TEAM of Cobham engineers has developed the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smallest, lightest, and most efficient cryogenic cooling system for infrared cameras, putting the company in a great position to capitalise on growing global demand. The Davenport team created the all-new MicroCooler and MicroController within a speedy development timeline of under 18 months â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from concept identification to customer delivery. The cooler enables the cameras that then allow soldiers to see people and objects in total darkness as well as through smoke, dust, fog or clouds, by cooling infrared heat sensors to very low temperatures. Designed to take advantage of opportunities in both defence and commercial markets, the tiny cooler is ideal for the miniature thermal detection systems used by ever-smaller unmanned autonomous vehicles in targeting, surveillance and reconnaissance applications. Cobham is already talking with some of its core customers about using the MicroCooler on their next generation airborne or man-portable thermal imaging systems. Cobham is equally determined to explore openings in the commercial market, where the cooler opens up an entirely new set of customers and is uniquely placed because of its size to capitalise on burgeoning commercial gas detection and scientific applications.

cobhamnews

Australia Pacific Aviation Summit REGIONAL SERVICES general manager Ryan Both recently represented CAvS at the 2014 Centre for Aviation (CAPA) Australia Pacific Aviation Summit in Sydney. Ryan joined airline and airport executives on a panel to discuss the theme of Airport Markets Outlook: Fly in, Fly out (FIFO) and Charter. Members on the panel were consistently optimistic about the outlook for the resource sector in Australia and discussed themes of infrastructure, innovation and where the next boom was coming from. When discussing the aviation services to support mining, oil and gas projects, Ryan spoke about Cobham’s focus on providing customised FIFO services and having a deep understanding of customer needs. “In the current market, it’s about being able to demonstrate tangible outcomes, consolidation and an effective value proposition,” Ryan said. The summit ran for three days with a variety of delegates including international airlines, travel management companies, media, airport management and aviation industry suppliers.

Cobham raises $3021 for charities COBHAM EMPLOYEES have raised a total of $3021 by taking part in the Cobham All Employee Survey conducted in June. Of the total amount raised, $1700 has been donated to CanTeen in Australia and $1320 has been donated to Help for Heroes in the United Kingdom. “We appreciate that so many people were able to take part and hope we can improve the participation rate even further for the next survey,” said corporate communications manager, Meilin Loi. About CanTeen CanTeen supports young people when cancer turns their world upside down and helps them cope with the physical, emotional and practical impact of living with cancer. CanTeen helps 12 to 24-year-olds at every stage of their cancer journey, whether they’re dealing with having cancer themselves, an immediate family member being diagnosed with cancer or the death of a parent, brother or sister. CanTeen provides funding for specialist hospital care, counselling and individual assistance as well as information and peer support programs. More information can be found at canteen.org.au

Gravel kit set for Gold Fields COBHAM WAS recently awarded a four-year contract by one of Australia’s largest gold producers, Gold Fields Australia, to provide FIFO services to its Granny Smith and Darlot mining sites in Western Australia. The contract, which runs until late 2018, involves operating six return flights per week using jet aircraft capable of operating to gravel runways. The introduction of the 82-seat RJ85 jet, equipped with gravel-kit capability, allows for more passengers to be transported to site in one flight, and also reduces the flight time and the number of services required per week. General manager Ryan Both said the contract win was a result of the hard work of many people across the sector and was truly a team effort. “I would like to thank not only the current negotiation and project management teams involved, but everyone involved in the work that has enabled us to operate to gravel runways,” Ryan said. “We are the only aviation service provider in Australia capable of operating jet aircraft to gravel runways.” Cobham introduced gravel kit capability for BAe146 and RJ series aircraft in Australia to enable resource companies to upgrade to jet aircraft services for transporting workers to sites operating with gravel runways.

ANY TOM, DICK AND HARRY OR JANE, MARY AND SUSAN CAN INVEST IN DEFENCE HOUSING At Defence Housing Australia, we’ve got thousands of happy investors. They’re not just Defence members, they’re everyday Australians that know when you buy a DHA investment property you get a long-term lease, guaranteed rent1, first class property management and a comprehensive repair and maintenance service. That means, more time to relax with family and friends. Find out more today by calling DHA.

Attention: Investment is subject to DHA’s lease terms and conditions of sale. Investors retain some responsibilities and risks. Prospective investors should seek independent advice. 1. Rent may be subject to abatement in limited circumstances.

don’tmiss

December/January

Our top pick of events around the country ... NOV E TH VENT E M OF ON TH

NOVEMBER 1–FEBRUARY 28

Sydney Seafood School’s summer classes, Sydney

Liven up your summer seafood with some fresh ideas and cooking instructions from renowned guest chefs at the Sydney Fish Market. Classes last three to four hours and will leave you ready to try your hand at gourmet at home. Full schedule of classes available online. sydneyfishmarket.com.au

DEC

JAN

DECEMBER 18–31

JANUARY 9–31

Waterlandia, Perth

AFC Asian Cup Australia

Looking for an educational yet entertaining day out for the kids? Scitech brings science to life with hands-on interactive exhibits. Waterlandia uses multimedia to explain the water cycle. Kids can play with water by drawing and erasing and directing flow, all while keeping totally dry! scitech.org.au

Easily one of the largest football tournaments that Australia has ever hosted: 16 countries will compete in 32 matches over the course of 23 days. With Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Newcastle all playing host, you can be sure to be close to a game wherever you are. afcasiancup.com

look

ahead

JANUARY 24–FEBRUARY 7 Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular Tour, Australia Hosted by Peter Davison. Tickets and tour dates available at ticketek.com.au

FEBRUARY 18–MARCH 15 History of the Eagles Live in Concert Tour, Australia Get in quick before they sell out! For tickets and tour dates visit eaglesband.com

SEPT

OCT

SEPTEMBER 20–FEBRUARY 22

Lindy Lee: The Dark of Absolute Freedom, Brisbane

For the first time, an extensive survey of artist Lindy Lee’s work over three decades will be displayed at the University of Queensland Art Museum. Prepare to be enriched by the beauty of her technique and influence on Australian art. artmuseum.uq.edu.au

else

where

DECEMBER 3–8 ChocolART festival in Tübingen, Germany A six-day tribute to sweets. Chocoholics rejoice! chocolart.de

OCTOBER 25–FEBRUARY 15

Fashion Icons, Adelaide

All the way from the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris to the Art Gallery of South Australia comes an extensive exhibition of 20th and 21st Century fashion masterpieces. Any fashionista is sure to fall in love with this celebration of history and the development of fashion over time. fashionicons.com.au

DECEMBER 31 New Year’s Eve, Times Square, New York City, New York With live performances and celebrity appearances. timessquarenyc.org

food&wine

A host of exciting new attractions invites a rekindling of the romance with South Australia’s Clare Valley, writes Christine Salins.

he sculpture of a drover and his sheep appears out of nowhere alongside the Clare Valley Riesling Trail, bringing a smile to the face of everyone walking or cycling the 35-kilometre trail. Lined with vineyards, old stone villages and historic wineries, the trail follows the path of an old railway line that used to run between Auburn and Clare. Ty Manning’s quirky sculptures of a drover and his flock tell a story not just of the valley’s pastoral history but of a thriving community spirit that makes the Clare Valley one of Australia’s most exciting food and wine regions. The cost of these jolly jumbucks was met by local landowners, their contribution acknowledged in ear tags on the sheep. Angela Ruddenklau, food and wine development officer for Regional Development Australia (Yorke & Mid-North), says the Riesling Trail is a key attraction for visitors to the Clare Valley. “The great thing about it is you can do anything from a two

kilometre walk to a 40 kilometre ride.” Bikes are available for hire in various locations. Angela recommends a novel way to explore the Riesling Trail is with Fun Wheels’ three- and fourwheeler pedal bikes that seat two or more people (one even fits up to six adults). Most have room for a hamper or small esky so you can enjoy a picnic or stock up on wine at some of the valley’s 40-plus cellar doors. The Riesling Trail connects the picturesque and historic townships of Auburn, Leasingham, Watervale, Penwortham, Sevenhill, Clare and White Hut. Whether you follow the trail or drive from one to the next, the landscape unfolds with ever-changing views of vineyards, farms, bushland and even some wooded sections that feel like winding English laneways. “If you had to name the biggest drawcard, obviously food and wine is the number one attraction,” says Angela, who cites

“Lined with vineyards, old stone villages and historic wineries, the trail follows the path of an old railway.” 12

food&wine

Sevenhill Cellars, Martindale Hall and Bungaree as the most popular spots for visitors. “Sevenhill Cellars is still the most iconic place to visit in the valley.” The Jesuit-run cellars have a history dating back to 1851 when the vineyard was established to produce sacramental wines. Now there’s a broader range on offer, with tastings and sales still conducted in the old monastery cellars. These days, the Clare Valley is renowned for its reds and Riesling, with long-standing, highly regarded labels such as Taylors and Jim Barry joined by a new generation of passionate producers such as Kirrihill. Greg Cooley Wines opened in the former Neagles Rock cellar door in 2011 and is fast gaining a reputation for food, live music and other events. Originally from Queensland, Greg and his partner Kelli fell in love with the valley and follow a mantra of “good wine, good friends and grand times”. Down the road at Watervale, it’s easy to while away the afternoon with a glass of vino in hand at Shut The Gate Wines. It’s a great place to compare different Rieslings because it produces four distinct styles. The signage and the labels are beautiful, and there’s a quaint little garden where you can rest and 14

“If you had to name the biggest drawcard, food and wine is the number one attraction.”

relax. There’s also a small provedore room where you can buy some treats to savour in the garden or at your accommodation. Another characteristic new cellar door is Hop & Vine, which opened late last year in a lovely 1840s bluestone building in Auburn. It’s an outlet for Jeanneret Wines, Good Catholic Girl Wines and the Clare Valley Brewing Company. Craig Harnett and Ben Jeanneret established the brewery to indulge their passion for handcrafted beer.“It’s going great guns,” says Ben. “We started with very modest expectations and it’s absolutely taken us by surprise.” They produce four beers with quirky names such as Bulls Eye Australian Pale Ale and Monkey’s Uncle Red Ale, as well as a seasonal beer and a cider made from grapes. “It’s grape juice treated as you would apple juice, so it is very fruity, very fresh, semi-sweet and lightly carbonated.” The water for the beer comes from a spring behind the brewery, and they have planted a small hop garden and some barley, with a view to producing a truly local beer. Auburn is becoming a food and wine hub within the region, punching well above its weight in the gourmet stakes. Across the road from Hop

food&wine

Round-up GET THERE

Clare Valley is about 140 kilometres north of Adelaide. Yorke Peninsula Coaches offers regular coach services from Adelaide. ypcoaches.com.au

STAY

& Vine, the ever-popular Rising Sun Hotel is doing above-average pub fare while Sugar Rush is luring customers with handmade chocolates and truffles. Terroir restaurant has given the food scene in Auburn a boost with chef Dan Moss enthusiastically embracing the local food movement. He has a wonderful range of produce to draw on, with olive oil, free-range chickens, eggs, lamb, organic flour and pasta produced locally. It’s easy to fall in love with the Clare Valley’s laidback charm, and tired couples might even find themselves falling in love with each other all over again as the romance of the Valley takes over. “If you want the full romantic getaway, there’s a gorgeous little cottage called Hughes Park Cottage,” says Angela. “It’s all self-contained. You can buy some local food and wine and sit back by the fire. If you’re a city person wanting the cute little cottage in the country, it’s a nice place to be.” Another option is Thorn Park by the Vines, where guests are pampered with fine food and wine, and warm hospitality. It is, perhaps, the ultimate expression of the three R’s - relaxation, romance and Riesling – that sum up the quintessential Clare Valley experience.

Clare Country Club is a 4-star resort in nicely landscaped grounds, free wi-fi, ideal for couples as well as families. White Hut Road, Clare. 08 8842 1060; clarecountryclub.com.au Bungaree Station has a range of accommodation from individual bedrooms in converted stables to self-contained heritage cottages. It has a fascinating pastoral history and is run by descendants of the original owners. 431 Bungaree Road (off Highway B82; 12 kilometres north of Clare). 08 8842 2677; bungareestation.com.au

EAT & DRINK:

Wild Saffron is a gourmet food store and a popular spot for breakfast, coffee and cakes. 288 Main North Rd, Clare. 08 8842 4255; wildsaffron.com.au Vine Art Studio and Gallery in Leasingham, sells local produce and you can enjoy a drink overlooking the vines. 289 Blocks Road, Leasingham. 08 8843 0226; vineartstudio.com

MORE INFO

clarevalley.com.au rieslingtrail.com.au

Conquer Cystic Fibrosis through research

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.

checkin

Five

minutes with …

Fiona Palmer

Rural novelist Fiona Palmer writes candid, evocative tales inspired by her love of the Australian country. She talks with Riley Palmer about her latest novel, The Sunnyvale Girls. What inspired your latest novel, The Sunnyvale Girls?

How much of The Sunnyvale Girls is historically accurate?

Growing up in Pingaring it was always known that there were Italian POWs in the area. Then my friend told me about Giulio, who was on their farm. Listening to the stories and being able to see the house he built set my mind off with ideas, and it just grew from there. To be able to see the old photos, and then go to Italy to research Giulio and meet his daughters ... what more inspiration could I possibly need?

As much as I could make it. I had all of Giulio’s prisoner records, so I had actual dates I could work with. I did stretch a few little details – like when Maggie’s brothers went to war – to make the timeline fit with my story, but other than that I’ve tried to keep it as close to accurate as possible.

What’s your favourite place in Italy? What are you reading right now? Would you recommend it? I am reading The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty. I’m only a few pages in but it was recommended to me, so I’m sure it’s going to be good.

How has growing up in Pingaring influenced your writing? I think it was my childhood in Pingaring, the lifestyle and the love for it that inspired me to write in the first place. I don’t write for the love of words, I write for the love of a good story. I wanted to share with everyone just how special it is living in the country, the wonderful characters you meet and the beauty of our surroundings. If I wasn’t born and raised in Pingaring, I often wonder if I would even be a writer.

I loved Venice! The mixture of old buildings, narrow and rusting walkways, big and small bridges and the gondolas on the canals against amazing sunsets were to die for. I loved that there were no cars and we walked everywhere yet you didn’t realise you’d been walking for six hours! Also spending a week in Montone was wonderful as we got to experience local life, walk among the farmlands and compare the differences from home, while living in a medieval village. Bliss!

What travel tip would you give to anyone bound for Italy? Take lots of change for the toilets ... I think I spent more money on going to the toilets than I did on pizza! And if you hire a car try to remember which side of the road you should be on.

When you’re not writing, what might we find you doing? Oh gosh, what every mother is doing; feeding kids, taking kids to sport, cleaning the house, helping at the school canteen, working on community committees, sport committees and then trying to find time to read, do the gardening, and the biggest time suck of all ... social media!

“I don’t write for the love of words, I write for the love of a good story ... If I wasn’t raised in Pingaring, I often wonder if I would even be a writer. ”

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THE WATSON

Adelaide

Art lovers rejoice! Devoted to legendary indigenous artist, Tommy Watson, this new luxury boutique hotel is based close to Adelaide’s CBD and just moments away from the Barossa Valley, McClaren Vale and Adelaide’s rolling beaches. Each open-planned, self-contained suite features bright, vivacious interiors, paired with a warm soothing palette and comfy fittings and fixtures. They also offer private tours with an in-house art advocate, dedicated art channel and art library in every suite. There’s a health and fitness club featuring a lap pool plus a gourmet in-house restaurant. Smart cars, scooters and bicycles are also available to explore further afield. Rates start from $120 a night or $420 a week. thewatson.com.au

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BOWERY LANE

Sydney

Inspired by the rustic, authentic elements of industrial-era New York, CBD-based Bowery Lane’s focus is on sustainability and locally sourced ingredients, with dishes updated seasonally. The wholesome menu draws influences from classic New York culture, with quality Australian produce. Recommended dishes include the slow cooked lamb shoulder, which just melts off the bone or the pork collar with scratchings – super tender and crunchy, served with apple, parsley and pear chutney. Bowery Lane also offers an extensive range of quality beverages, including old and new wines from different regions in the United States and Australia. Boutique craft beers are available on tap and by the bottle, also sourced both locally and from the United States. The industrial era-style cocktail list takes inspiration from iconic American mixology given a modern twist. bowerylane.com.au

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getsorted listen

read THE SILVER MOON

Bryce Courtenay Penguin Books, $24.99

JUKEBOX: HUMAN NATURE Australian award-winning quartet Human Nature is out with its 11th album Jukebox, a throwback to the classic scene of the ‘50s and ‘60s. The all-male vocal band has had five number one albums in Australia and numerous hits in the Top 40 and Top 10 list worldwide. In 2009, the group hopped the pond to the United States and is currently performing in Las Vegas, having just played its 1000th show in April this year. Human Nature’s new album is its tribute to mid-century popular music and the fun of the jukebox. Aside from being classic, this particular era of music has a special significance to the band. As band member Toby says, “They’re actually songs that had a really big

influence on us when we were first starting out.” Jukebox features a range of covers including ‘Run Around Sue’, ‘Under The Boardwalk’, and ‘Wonderful World’ as well as an original song, ‘End of Days’. “It goes back to those soul ballads,” says band member Andrew of the tune. “Except it’s got a contemporary edge to it because it’s a new song.” In addition to the vocal styling of Human Nature, the album features instrumental collaborations with American jazz musician Chuck Berghofer and Michael Buble’s horn section. For more information about Human Nature, go to humannaturelive.com

watch staff pick

THE LUNCHBOX Is it a mistake or is it fate? When a lunchbox in Mumbai is accidentally delivered to the wrong person, a relationship forms between an unhappy married woman and a widowed older man as they exchange daily notes and build their fantasty through their lunchboxes. Written and directed by Ritesh Batra, The Lunchbox is a story of unlikely love and friendship that will leave you feeling satisfied. Available on DVD now. sonyclassics.com/thelunchbox

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staff pick

This book was mostly written in Bryce Courtenay’s (1933-2012) last few months. The bestselling author of 21 books reflects on his life and ponders death through stories in The Silver Moon. His final work is a celebration of his life and career that tells of his own personal inspiration, which is sure to inspire in turn.

PUSHING THE LIMITS

Kurt Fearnley, Warwick Green Penguin Books, $39.99

Three-time Paralympic gold medalist Kurt Fearnley tells his story of overcoming physical obstacles and his refusal to acknowledge the word “can’t”. An inspiring autobiography of one man’s perseverance and drive, as he lives life to the fullest, Pushing Limits is an uplifting and thought provoking tale of strength and endurance of the human spirit.

THE SUNNYVALE GIRLS

Fiona Palmer Penguin Books, $29.99

From the bestselling author of The Outback Heart, Fiona Palmer, comes a heartwarming tale that unites three generations of rural women. When a letter of wartime romance is discovered, it takes the women across the globe on a hunt for the truth about love, family and themselves. Palmer excels in her latest read. The perfect book to take to the beach.

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AMBITION Melbournite actress Eliza Taylor talks to Faye James about moving on from her typecast ditzy blonde and conquering Hollywood.

“I’D BEEN LIVING in LA for about a month and my credit card was stolen and all my money was taken. I was ready to pack my bags and go back to Australia because I didn’t know how I was going to survive in LA any longer,” admits petite Melbournite Eliza. She has a deep mellow voice, which belies her minuscule stature. Now starring in major TV series The 100, Eliza cannot quite believe the 360-degree turn her life has taken. She tosses her sandy blonde curls, widens her huge blue eyes and sneaks in a wry smile. She has a small mole above her lip, which gives her face a certain quirkiness. “Out of the blue, I got a call from my manager to say that an audition I’d done months ago for a film had been looked at by the producers of this TV show called The 100 and they wanted me to go in for a reading the next day. So I read the script that night and loved it and went in for the meeting the next day and got the role. Before I knew it I was on a plane to Vancouver to shoot the pilot and my whole life changed.” Eliza smiles. Born in Melbourne, Eliza has the creative streak deeply embedded in her DNA. Her mother is a graphic designer and her father a stand-up comedian. She started her career in the arts as an acting teacher at The Actors Nest on Fitzroy Street in St Kilda, then made her name as the character Janae Timmins in Neighbours, a role she admits was the downfall of her career.

“I was ready to pack my bags and go back because I didn’t know if I could survive LA.” 6

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“Unlike the rest of the world, in Australia there is a stigma; no-one watches it here. I’m not bagging it because it was a terrific learning curve for me. I was in it from the ages of 14 to 18, which was a big chunk of my teen years, and I did a lot of growing up in that time. But Neighbours was a very different kettle of fish and I found that, when I finished and I was auditioning for other stuff, people couldn’t separate me from my character. I was typecast, which is an actor’s worst nightmare,” Eliza says. “I was Janae and they wouldn’t cast me in anything else because they didn’t want people to see Janae. That’s why I decided to leave Australia because it was too hard. But when you’re in the States they see Neighbours on your CV and, while they don’t know what it is, they see that you did four years on a TV series and they think ‘Great, she’s got experience’, so it works in your favour. It’s not what you’ve done but the fact you’ve done it.” Eliza also admits that her new role as Clarke in The 100 is a far cry from the flakey bimbos she’s played so often. “I’m really pleased to be playing Clarke. I’ve played the blonde ditzy girl one too many times. I think it’s a very good time for young women in TV at the moment, there are a lot more strong female characters coming out of the woodwork and that makes me really happy and I’m really proud to be playing one of them, setting an example and perhaps even being a role model. “Throughout the series Clarke is a great character. When the characters arrive on Earth she becomes a fearless leader, kind of an unexpected one, but she becomes someone that people can rely on and she always puts other people before herself, which gets her into trouble sometimes but I think that makes for a very strong female lead.” Eliza says.

“I’ve played the blonde ditzy girl one too many times.” In real life, Eliza seems to exude an inner strength, where fearlessness plays a role. She spent her time filming on location in a Vancouver forest and she bore the elements well. “It was gruelling but beautiful and it definitely keeps you on the ball because it’s cold out there. It keeps you awake and we’re shooting 15 or 16-hour days so you almost enjoy the cold because you’re not falling asleep in a nice warm studio. Working in those conditions and running around – we did a lot of running – was tough but I was in the best shape of my life! It was fantastic in that regard. Going into the second season I’m going to need to get back into shape!” This month sees Eliza escaping the cold and heading for Thailand at Christmas. “I’ve just booked my flights. It’s going to be a very merry Christmas for me,” Eliza laughs. And, on that note, she heads off with a bold stride in her step. You can tell she’s no Janae… 9

kitchenconfidential

PETE ‘PALEO’ EVANS Riley Palmer speaks to eminent Australian chef and modern-day hunter-gatherer Pete Evans about living the paleo way.

His familiar face has probably been telecast around your lounge room on more than one occasion. Starting his media career as a co-presenter on the Lifestyle Channel’s Home show in 2001, chef, restaurateur, author and TV personality Pete Evans has since become a household name – giving him the perfect platform to promote his true passion: paleo eating. “I choose to enjoy a simple, down-toearth diet that’s good for my body and the planet,” says Pete. Appreciating a diet of grass-fed meat and organ meats, wildcaught seafood and game, nuts, seeds, seasonal fruits and leafy greens, Pete says he’s never felt better: “Since embracing this lifestyle I’ve dropped weight, gained energy and come to the happy realisation that, at 40 years old, I’m in the best physical and mental shape of my life.” Adopting Hippocrates’ maxim, ‘food can be medicine, or food can be poison’, Pete now approaches his cooking from a unique vantage point. Where taste determines most chefs’ menus, Pete is also focused on food as nutrition and fuel.

“I’m increasingly focused on encouraging and inspiring people to create yummy, nutrient-rich dishes that fuel optimum physical and emotional health,” he explains. Having recently signed on as consultant chef at Heirloom, the restaurant at the five-star luxury Fraser Suites Perth, Pete has had the exciting opportunity to create a menu after his ethos. “I approached them [Fraser Suites Perth] with the opportunity for change and to lead the wellness space in a luxury hotel setting,” says Pete. “And they could see the future and wanted to establish themselves as the leader in this space.” Pete’s paleo influence over Heirloom’s menu has given the hotel a niche as an “urban wellness hub”. Most importantly, however, the food is delicious – even the paleo cynics couldn’t say no to the menu’s steamed wild barramundi with sweet potato, lime and coconut sauce and chia seeds. “Everyone seems very happy with the menu and we are busier than ever,” says Pete.

If you can’t make it over to Heirloom to check out Pete’s latest fare anytime soon, his eight-part television and online series The Paleo Way will surely prompt your own Pete-inspired cuisine. Produced with his fiancée Nicola Robinson, The Paleo Way is all about providing information to us laymen, divested of bias from government, corporations or agribusiness. “I decided to produce The Paleo Way to help get the correct information out to the public without it being distorted,” he explains. Increasingly finding satisfaction engaging with community, ecology and health, the future holds some exciting things for Pete Evans. Already affiliated with the charity organisation Regenesis Youth, and an ambassador of the Australian Organic Schools garden project, he says: “We have lots in store, but the underlying nature of my work is education and empowerment so people can reclaim their health one step (or meal) at a time.” heirloomperth.com.au; optimumhealthpaleo.com

WILD SALMON WITH ROASTED BEETROOT AND POMEGRANATE SALAD Ingredients SALMON • 4 x 180 wild salmon fillets, skin on, pin boned • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted • Himalayan salt and pepper, to taste • 3 tablespoons pistachio nuts, roasted and roughly chopped • Pomegranate molasses (to serve) • Fennel fronds, picked (to serve) BEETROOT AND POMEGRANATE SALAD • 320g beetroot, peeled and diced into 5mm cubes • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted • 80g black quinoa • Seeds of 1 pomegranate • 3 tablespoons mint, chopped • 3 tablespoons coriander, chopped

DRESSING • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar • ¼ teaspoon cumin • ½ teaspoon sumac • 1 clove garlic, minced • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil QUICK BRAISED FENNEL • 2 medium fennel, shaved • 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil • 80 mls lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil • Juice of 1 lemon TAHINI SAUCE • 2 tablespoons tahini paste • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil • 1 clove of garlic • 1 tablespoon water • Juice of 1 lemon

1. To make the salad, grease an oven dish or oven tray with coconut oil, and then scatter the beetroot forming a single layer. Season the beetroot lightly with salt and freshly cracked pepper and cover with foil tightly or a lid and cook in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. 2. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa under cold water and place in a small saucepan. Add 600mls water, place over a medium-high heat, bring to the boil and allow to keep boiling for 10 minutes, or until cooked. Drain out water and allow the quinoa to cool. 3. To make the tahini sauce, whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. 4. Lightly coat the fish with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium-high heatand cook the fish, skin side down, for 1-2 minutes, or until the skin is golden, then flip the fish over and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until the fish is medium-rare. 5. Meanwhile, combine the beetroot, pomegranate, quinoa, mint, and coriander in a bowl. To make the braised fennel, heat a large frying pan with coconut oil over medium-low heat. Add the fennel and ¼ cup of water and cook the fennel for 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly tender, stirring occasionally. Strain any excess liquid and cool the fennel completely before mixing through the lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper and set aside. 6 To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and then mix through the salad, season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and toss well. 7. Spread 2 tablespoons of the tahini sauce on to 4 serving plates. Top with some braised fennel, then place the fish on top. Add the beetroot salad and sprinkle over some pistachio, then finish with some fennel fronds and a light drizzle of pomegranate molasses over the beetroot.

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Bushwalking, kayaking, Indigenous culture and delectable culinary treats. Faye James uncovers the magic of the NSW South Coast.

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JUST A FEW hours’ drive from Sydney, the South Coast offers a range of experiences to ignite the senses. Take a stroll along pristine, unspoilt beaches, hike though rambling bushwalks into the wilderness and beyond, or kayak through eerily quiet riverbanks. If that’s off your radar then dicover Aboriginal culture aplenty or check out the vibrant food and wine scene currently burgeoning effervescently on the coast. Beach it One of the South Coast’s most frequented beaches, Mollymook offers a vast two-kilometre stretch of honeycomb-hued sand, with the more experienced surfers heading to The Reef for serious body bashing. The Bogey Hole located on Mollymook Headland offers a protective ring of rocks, which creates a shallow pool perfect for kids and families to relax in the cool inlets and safely swim without too much hounding from the elements.

To the north, you’ll find Narrawallee Beach flanked by natural bushland and scenic reserves. Close by is the Beachside Golf Course, a nine-hole par 33 course, punctuated with glorious views.

Bushwalking Close to Mollymook, you’ll find Milton neatly embedded in lush farmland. To the west, there’s Morton National Park – a great place to capture the Southern Highlands escarpment – and the famous Pigeon House Mountain, where climbers will be rewarded with awe-inspiring views of the South Coast. Between Ulladulla and Batemans Bay you’ll uncover Murramarang National Park, which protects more than 11,970 hectares of coastal land boasting rugged headlands and fossil-bearing rocks. Eastern Grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies and colourful flora and fauna inhabit the parklands, so you can enjoy bushwalking with plenty of wilderness thrown in.

Climbers will be rewarded with aweinspiring views of the South Coast.

Pigeon House Mountain is well worth the effort.

outtahere

Food and wine Previously, most tourists flooded to the South Coast for its bushwalks and beaches, however, with the region’s flourishing food and wine scene, culinary experiences are quickly taking over. Of course there is Rick Stein’s famed Bannisters at Bannister Head but there’s also a spate of up and coming restaurants sprouting up in the region making for a real foodie destination. Cupitt’s Winery in Ulladulla, positioned beautifully on the rolling hills of the vineyard serves up hearty dishes such as chargrilled Black Angus beef skirt, roasted Jerusalem artichoke and parsnip soup and rhubarb and ginger crumble with elderflower ice cream. Paired with its fragrant wines and breathtaking views, it’s easy to while away the whole day here. Other standout eateries include St Isidore in Milton, which features an established garden, where the hearty produce forms a stable part of the contemporary menu. Chef Alex Dally’s extensive experience in hatted restaurants is clearly expressed in his dishes. Tuck into fare such as crispy smoked pork hock with porcini or warm chocolate tart with salted peanut caramel ice cream. As expected, the ingredients are extremely fresh and flavoursome. Renting a villa? Why not get a chef-cooked meal in the comfort of your own private location. Tallwood in Mollymook offers award-winning cuisine from executive chef Matt Upson, who has worked with the likes of Maggie Beer. His menu is robust, confident and bold. Try his sumptuous melt-in-the-mouth slow roasted lamb or his unique twist on paella. Delish and extremely wholesome, plus you get the restaurant experience without having to leave your surroundings. Above and clockwise: fresh produce from St Isidore; Cupitt’s Winery in Ulladulla; Matt Upson cooks a la carte in the comfort of your own home.

outtahere

Adventure One thing you can’t miss when heading to the South Coast is a kayak tour through Durras Lake, the Clyde River and the stunning Murramarang coastline and Batemans Bay. Take a relaxing paddle through pristine scenery and if you’re up for it, try a moonlight kayak after dusk. Peppered with the evening’s creature-song from the birds and lakeside amphibians, there’s nothing more relaxing than to witness nightfall in a kayak. Bay and Beyond’s owners Phil and Carolyn will guide you through the rivers with a bit of history, a cup of tea and homemade muffins thrown in.

“Peppered with the evening’s creaturesong from the birds and lakeside amphibians, there’s nothing more relaxing than to witness nightfall in a kayak.” Culture The South Coast is well known for its guided Aboriginal tours. Take the Munyunga Waraga Dhugan loop walk located in beautiful Booderee National Park. Owned by the Aboriginal people, this is a significant place. Highly recommended is a tour with Indigenous elder Noel Butler, who will take you on a walk through littoral forests and open woodlands, passing the beaches, lakes and heathland, while talking you through the local bush tucker and traditional uses for plants in medicine, weapons and fire.

Round-up GET THERE

The South Coast in New South Wales is about 2.5 hours’ drive from Sydney airport.

STAY

Number 10 Bannister A five minute walk from Mollymook Beach, this six-bedroom guest house can sleep up to 14 people. number10bannister.com

EAT & DRINK

St Isidore 89 Croobyar Road, Milton, NSW stisidore.com.au Tallwood 2/85 Tallwood Avenue, Mollymook Beach, NSW. tallwoodeat.com.au Cuppit’s winery 58 Washburton Road, Ulladulla, NSW cupitt.com.au

EXPLORE

Bay and Beyond – Sea Kayak Tours bayandbeyond.com.au Senses of the South – Artisan, Surfing, Food & Wine and Aboriginal Culture Tours sensesofthesouth.com

Kayak along the beautiful Murramarang coastline. 18

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food&wine

For thought When it comes to tip top food and wine, Western Australia’s Swan Valley is taking things one step further, declaring itself Australia’s first Humane Food Region, says Fleur Bainger. ike your lunch served with a side of ethics? Prefer free-range pork, grass-fed beef and cage-free eggs? Salivate over seasonal fruit and local, harvested-this-morning veg? The many cafés and restaurants within Western Australia’s Swan Valley now promise just that. In an unprecedented move, the state’s oldest wine region has become Australia’s first Humane Food Region, delivering dishes packed with welfare credentials, green goodness and home-grown flavour to your table. So as you cruise to Perth’s outer boundaries, where the suburbs meet rows of vines and strips of native scrub, and where spindly arms of the Swan River meander between wineries, you can choose to consume with a conscience. “The chefs and producers in the region are a compassionate group who have committed to producing and serving humane food,” says City of Swan mayor, Charlie Zannino. “Today’s diner notices the difference in taste and finds it more enjoyable to feast in the knowledge that the animals have lived a happy, healthy life.” The initiative has been driven and will be

monitored by the City of Swan and RSPCA WA. Thirty restaurants and cafes have opted to be part of it; Taylor’s Art and Coffee House is one of them. Chef Caroline Taylor says the region’s new status is a great way to spread the word on wholesome food. “We’ve always done free-range eggs, pork and chicken and now it’s become one of those things that people want,” she says. “We felt that getting more people to think about what they’re putting in their mouths, activating thought before they eat, was a worthwhile cause to support.” Taylor’s eggs benedict are hot property, with queues out the door on weekends. People vie for the mismatched chairs and tables placed in the shade of gum trees in the café’s sprawling courtyard. Along with free-range poached eggs, Caroline uses Linley Valley free-range leg ham produced at nearby Wooroloo, wilted greens from her kitchen garden and woodfired sourdough sourced from a baker in Maylands, a 20 minute drive away. “We also use the yolks from the free-range eggs in our hollandaise sauce, and I use the whites in our cakes so they’re not wasted,” she says. Plenty of Caroline’s ethics are informed

“The chefs and producers of the region are a compassionate group who have committed to producing and serving humane food.”

food&wine

Swan Valley

“There’s a richness to the flavour of freerange produce; it energises you and tastes authentic”

by her mother, Jude, who can often be found clearing crockery from the heavy wood tables or chatting to customers. A celebrated artist, her lino-cut designs of Western Australian wildflowers have been printed onto bags, sarongs, dresses and shirts, which hang throughout the eclectic café. Caroline says Jude ensured the family grew up eating foods that had had “minimal handling”. She applies the same philosophy in her kitchen today. “There’s a richness, a fullness to the flavour of free-range produce,” says Caroline. “In my cakes, we use brown and raw sugar as well as free-range eggs and there’s so much more flavour. It energises you and tastes authentic. You feel good after eating it. We like people to leave our café feeling that way. We don’t want them to feel bloated or sick.” Northwards along the Swan Valley Food and Wine Trail sits multi-generational family winery, Lamont’s. Fiona Lamont runs the cellar door kitchen, pumping out a changing menu of share plates that includes dishes like duck parfait, tempura prawns and Asian shredded chicken salad. She too is deeply passionate about serving humanely treated food. “It’s not just meat, it’s vegetables too,” she points out. “It’s making sure you’re using the right sort of dirt, the right sort of product

to keep the bugs away, and adopting more environmentally friendly ways of treating produce. It’s the same in our vineyard. We certainly like to say we’re conscious of the sprays we use. You need to be.” Fiona raids her kitchen garden for herbs and says she’s always chosen to use free-range produce in her cooking. Crowd favourites include the pork rillettes with roast apples and reduced balsamic or the oven-baked, parmesan crumbed chicken, best gobbled up in the leafy garden with a chilled glass of Lamont’s wine. Driving out of Lamont’s, it is impossible to miss the lairy hog’s head logo and somewhat misleading moniker of the Feral Brewing Company. They may suggest a white-knuckle experience, but in fact the family-owned microbrewery is a gentle giant that’s won a slew of national awards for its fantastic hand-crafted beers. The grass-rimmed venue’s mantra is “drink local” and the same ethos is applied to its restaurant, where local, humanely produced food is celebrated. As such, the menu is always changing, with modern Australian fare such as peri peri squid, goats cheese and red onion filo and chili chicken wings the sorts of dishes you should expect. Feast beneath a shower of cooling mist while nursing a Hop Hog, Feral’s fruity pale ale, which is one of the

FAST FACT Wine has been produced in the Swan Valley for 180 years. The first commercial vintage was released by Thomas Waters of Olive Farm, a winery that still exists today.

Previous page, bottom right: Scott and Digby from Lamont’s. 22

Jack Estate is located amongst the finest vineyards in Coonawarra, South Australia. The secret to our award winning wines is the harmony of rich red terra rossa soil, limestone, pure underground water and a long cool fruit ripening season. Combine this with the exceptional skills of our winemakers who use traditional winemaking techniques and Jack Estate is crafting world class wines of distinction.

www.jackestate.com

food&wine

FAST FACT There are more than 40 wineries in the Swan Valley, many opened by immigrants from Croatia and southern Italy. There are also five microbreweries and two distilleries.

most highly decorated and appreciated beers made in the country. At the other end of the Swan Valley Food and Wine Trail, off West Swan Road as you head back towards Perth, Manu Fillaudeau is doing his bit for the humane treatment of animals and the good of the earth. The French-trained chef, who sharpened his skills at London Michelin star restaurant Le Gavroche, recycles the cardboard and glass and composts the waste generated from his restaurant, Fillaudeau’s. It’s a similar approach in the kitchen: his passion is made-fromscratch, authentic French cuisine using freerange meats, local veg and sustainably caught or reared seafood. For Manu, who grew up on a farm in France, choosing humane produce is the only way. “If everyone was eating like this we’d create more jobs, and have more diversity when it comes to food and farming, and less sickness,” he argues. Fillaudeau’s took out the Australian Good Food Guide’s regional restaurant gong in the Readers’ Choice Awards for 2014, and online reviews are gushing. While the classics such as duck confit are on the menu, the chef’s tip is the flanc de pork; crackling-topped free-range pork belly served with local asparagus. In a year where the Swan Valley is celebrating 180 years of winemaking, it seems fitting that it is also embracing the restaurant trade’s new paradigm: humane food. 24

Above: A taste of France in the Swan Valley at Filladeau’s.

Round-up GET THERE

The Swan Valley is a half-hour drive from Perth CBD, less from the airport.

STAY

Keller’s B&B Farmstay 104 Victoria Rd, West Swan 0448 972 477, kellers.bedandbreakfast.com.au Upper Reach cottage 77 Memorial Avenue, Baskerville 08 9296 0078, upperreach.com.au

EAT & DRINK

Taylor’s Art and Coffee House 510 Great Northern Hwy, Middle Swan 0447 441 223, taylorscafe.com.au Fillaudeau’s 114 Benara road, Caversham 08 93 777 733, fillaudeaus.com.au

EXPLORE

Feral Brewing Company 152 Haddrill Road, Baskerville 08 9296 4657, feralbrewing.com.au Lamont’s Winery Swan Valley 85 Bisdee Road, Millendon 08 9296 4485, lamonts.com.au

MORE INFO

swanvalley.com.au

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getaway

FAMILY GETAWAYS

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got rugrats in tow, organising trips away can be a challenge to say the least. Faye James goes in search of the perfect kiddie-friendly getaways. 26

getaway

Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise With theme parks galore and plenty of pristine beaches, you can send the kids off to run rampant in the parks while you get some shuteye on one of Australia’s finest stretches of golden sand. WHAT TO DO: From the tallest and fastest thrill rides to live interactive shows and wild animal attractions, Dreamworld is a theme park on steroids – when Angelina Jolie brought her brood to the coast, this was the first place she headed. Your kids can peruse Tiger Island, the Australian Wildlife Experience, Wiggles World, V8 Supercars RedLine, FlowRider and the Big 8 Thrill Rides, including the BuzzSaw, Tower of Terror II, the Giant Drop (the world’s tallest and fastest thrill ride) and aptly named attraction The Claw. There’s really no stone unturned when it comes to keeping kids wide-eyed and pumped

up on adrenaline here. Afterwards try cooling down at White Water World – you and the kids will most definitely need it. dreamworld.com.au Looking for something a little more serene? Head to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, where your kiddies can uncover native wildlife and coastal rainforest, feed kangaroos, cuddle koalas and ride the mini steam train. The Sanctuary is an Advanced Eco-Tourism-certified National Trust of Queensland property which offers a world of discovery through fascinating wildlife shows and displays, with Aboriginal dancers performing daily. cws.org.au WHERE TO STAY: Literally as it sounds, Paradise Kids Resort is everything a kid could possibly desire, under one roof. If they ever dreamt of a paradise, this would

Below and opposite: Take your kids to Dreamworld, a theme park on steroids.

most likely be it. The Surfers Paradisebased property sprawls across a hefty five acres and features everything from vast pools, bubbling waterfalls and lagoons to climbing walls, treehouses, playgrounds and a multimillion-dollar theme park. The bunkhouse rooms feature brightly coloured bunkbeds and tropical fish murals to give the kids their own themed space. Parents be warned: they won’t want to leave. paradiseresort.com.au WHERE TO CHOW: Specialising in quality Australian beef steaks, tasty beef, pork and lamb ribs and BBQ chicken, Hurricane’s Grill & Bar offers a range of hearty, fingerlicking grub, including signature dishes marinated in a secret recipe basting sauce. There’s an ample kiddies menu with a free ice cream included in each meal. Pending tantrum? Sorted. surfers.hurricanesgrill.com.au For a meal with entertainment, try the Australian Outback, where your kids can watch stampeding cattle, camels and horses while tucking into some good old traditional Queensland fare. outbackspectacular.com.au 27

BE FREE

EARTHLINGS MEET THE CRUISELINGS

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getaway

Thredbo, Jindabyne Head to the powdery snow-capped hills of Thredbo for an action-packed getaway where kids and parents can burn off some serious steam. WHAT TO DO: Depending on when you go, Thredbo offers everything from ski-ing, canoeing, trekking, biking, bushwalking, abseiling, bobsledding, fishing and then some. It’s a great place to go for an active outdoorsy family seeking adventure at every turn. If you have children over the age of nine, bobsledding down the hills is a fantastic way to burn off pent-up energy. Don’t miss out on a chairlift ride on the Kosciuszko Express, which runs for 1.8 kilometres and rises 560 metres. The views are awe-inspiring and there’s really no better way to take in Thredbo in all its scenic grandeur. There’s a kids play free deal throughout the summer. Bargain. thredbo.com.au WHERE TO STAY: Nestled on the border of Kosciuszko National Park, Lake Crakenback Resort & Spa is a great location for families heading to the Thredbo region. Just 15 minutes from Thredbo resort, the hotel is the perfect

place to settle for your stay. Rent out one of its comfy two-bed lakeside apartments and, while the kids are burning off some steam with one of the many activities on site (kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, tennis, archery, canoeing and more), you can enjoy some downtime fishing, golfing or indulge in some much needed spa time. And in the evenings, if you fancy a

night without the kids, you can book the babysitter. Genius! Don’t forget there’s a resident wombat called Wally who lives nearby. The children can write him a letter and deliver it to his mailbox and sometimes he’ll respond. Wally has plenty of friends who hang round the resort including kangas, emus, possums and deer. In summer there’s a two-night family package from a decently priced $229 per person. lakecrackenback.com.au WHERE TO CHOW: Headed by awardwinning executive chef Greg Pieper, Cuisine offers some of the region’s finest platters. With six-course degustation menus, you can tuck into dishes such as butter poached Moreton bay bugs or wagyu sirloin while the kids order room service and have the babysitter take the load for the evening. lakecrackenback.com.au/cuisine-lakecrackenback Perfect for kids, the Alpine Larder features a Wally Wombat kids menu with pizzas, pasta and fish and chips while you enjoy hearty fare such as slow-roasted suckling pig, char-grilled kangaroo or market fish of the day. lakecrackenback.com.au/alpine-larder 29

getaway

Sydney CBD For a city break packed with entertainment, your kids will have plenty to do while you can soak up the culture in the surrounding CBD with art galleries and museums aplenty. WHAT TO DO: For an underwater adventure with lots of educational activities included, Sydney Sealife Aquarium boasts a dugong enclosure, where you can explore the mysterious underwater world of these amazing creatures in the new Dugong Island. The all-new interactive experience means you walk through an underwater shipwreck while admiring the only pair of Dugongs on display in the world. Kids aged five and over can also snorkel with sharks in a safe, see-through enclosure. sydneyaquarium.com.au Close by you can also visit the Sydney Tower Eye for some of the city’s best views stretching all the way to the Blue Mountains. Depending on when you visit there are also pop-up themes, such as gardens with gnomes and fairies.

Admire the world’s only captive pair of Dugongs at Sydney Sealife Aquarium.

“To give your kids a real safari experience stay overnight at Taronga’s Roar and Snore.” WHERE TO STAY: To give your kids a real safari experience, why not try Roar and Snore at Taronga Zoo? Stay overnight in one of their luxe tents and enjoy buffet dinners, tours of the grounds and get up close and personal with the animals. Your kids will absolutely love it. In the morning you get an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour and can spend the rest of the day exploring the zoo. taronga.org.au/taronga-zoo WHERE TO CHOW: For glorious parkland views and a nearby playground, head to Centennial Parklands Dining. There’s a kids menu plus delectable dishes such as seafood linguini, herb crusted lamb and steamed black mussels. cpdining.com.au Seafood lovers, don’t miss out on the Sydney Fish Market. For an eye-popping display of freshly caught fish and seafood, cooked right before your eyes, this is the place to head. Plus, which kid doesn’t love fish and chips? sydneyfishmarket.com.au

Camp out in luxe tents at Taronga Zoo’s Roar and Snore to experience the wild. 30

getaway

Dandedong Ranges & the Yarra Valley Just an hour’s drive from Melbourne, you’ll discover Victoria’s verdant Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley. The fresh country air and delectable produce make this region a winner for the kids and the grown-ups alike. WHAT TO DO: Montrose Community Playground at the base of Mt Dandenong is a massive kids’ playground with swings, slides and climbing walls galore, and your main challenge will be convincing the kids to leave. They will be motivated to move on, however, when you mention Mt Dandenong’s Sky High Maze and Gardens. Get there in the early afternoon so the kids can navigate the maze and explore the picturesque gardens – the Giant’s Chair is bound to be a hit. skyhighmtdandenong.com.au Fans of Thomas the Tank Engine will love century-old steam train Puffing Billy Railway. It’s a fabulous way to explore the scenic Dandenongs, with old trestle bridges and the pretty Emerald Lake Park at the end of the line, where you can hire a paddle boat for a ride around the lake. puffingbilly.com.au The Yarra region is famous for its fresh produce, and the kids will jump at the opportunity to get on board a tractor tour and pick their own fruit. Rayners Orchard offers this experience, and its on-site café sells its farm fresh fruit whipped into jams, relishes and dried fruit strips. raynerstonefruit.com.au For the perfect introduction to native Australian fauna, try Healesville Sanctuary. Tours of the Animal Hospital and bird and platypus shows are highlights. zoo.org.au/healesville Yarra Valley is bursting with wineries and cellar doors to keep the grown ups happy, but one place that will please the kids as much as the adults is Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery in Yarra Glen. A generous selection of truffles and hand-crafted chocolate bars fill this huge shop and a window into the factory gives an excellent view of the European chocolatiers

at work handcrafting its creations. There’s a café on site and the chocolate fondue is not to be missed. yvci.com.au WHERE TO STAY: For a pretty little cottage in the country, you can’t go past Lakeside Cottage Luxury Bed & Breakfast. Located at the base of Mt Dandenong, Lakeside Cottage comes complete with massive spa, kitchen and lounge room. The grounds of the cottage are incredibly serene, featuring a lake with its own resident ducks and gardens bursting with flowers. You’ll be contemplating a tree change within five minutes of arrival. lakesidecottage.com.au Yarra Gables Motel, Healesville, is conveniently located for exploring the local wineries and the Healesville Sanctuary. Its rooms are spacious and set in peaceful surrounds. Foxtel and free wi-fi make downtime easier while travelling with kids. yarragables.com.au

WHERE TO CHOW: You really are spoilt for choice in this region. For lovers of fine food and fabulous pizza, Meletos, Coldstream is just a 12-minute drive from Yarra Gables Motel. stonesoftheyarravalley.com/meletos If you’re after something closer to town, the Terminus Hotel, Healesville is just a two-minute drive. terminus.com.au Enjoy dinner at the SkyHigh bistro and restaurant. There’s a children’s menu and little activity pack to keep the smalls happy as you dine and watch Melbourne’s city lights emerge in the distance. skyhighmtdandenong.com.au Healesville Harvest Cafe is a great spot for brekkie. The menu is bursting with locally sourced produce and there’s a composter on site to deal with any leftovers in the most environmentally responsible way – something you appreciate after whiling away time in pristine countryside. yarravalleyharvest.com.au 31

stopover

SYDNEY IN SUMMER Summer really lets Sydney flaunt her best assets: the harbour, the beaches and the multitude of beer gardens and al fresco eateries.

TOP TABLES

Otto Ristorante

Sydney dining is all about getting as close to the water as possible, and the lovely old timber finger wharf in Woolloomooloo, just east of the CBD, provides the perfect spot. The food at Otto takes simple Italian flavours and the freshest seasonal produce and then turns them into works of art. (02) 9368 7488, ottoristorante.com.au

Aqua Dining On the other side of the Harbour Bridge, just by Luna Park, this restaurant is actually part of the North Sydney public swimming pool complex. Sitting high above the pool, the in-your-face views of the bridge and Opera House will captivate as much as the smart, modern Italian menu. (02) 9964 9998, aquadining.com.au

CHEERS! O Bar

47 floors above the city streets, in the oddly named circular building Australia Square, sits Sydney’s loftiest establishment. The bar itself is a great place to perch and watch the mixmasters shake and stir their stuff, however it’s the tapas lounge – with its views out across the twinkling city lights – that will have you

lingering long into the night as you share boards of charcuterie and cheeses and sink deeper into the comfy armchairs. (02) 9247 9777, obardining.com.au

STOP’n’SHOP Kinokuniya

Bucking the trend of the long, slow death of the bookstore, Kinokuniya is a gem of a find in the CBD. Specialising in glossy art, design and photography books, as well as a great selection of graphic novels and manga, the vast store is also packed with paperbacks and will definitely steal at least an hour from you – but you won’t mind one bit. kinokuniya.com.au

REST YOUR HEAD

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theproducers

THE NEW

VINTAGE

Mat Lees, manager at Coonawarra’s Jack Estate winery, relishes the challenges that each year brings, writes Simone Henderson-Smart.

THE WEATHER is at its warmest, the festival season in Adelaide is in full swing and the Australia Day celebrations have just been packed up. Vintage is here. For most people, this time of year is more about planning trips to the beach and enjoying the summer sunshine. But for Jack Estate, it marks the beginning of one of the most chaotic, yet exciting and rewarding times of the year. Vintage is when it all comes together at this busy winery in South Australia’s Coonawarra wine region. The winemakers spend many hours over many months planning, forecasting and predicting all aspects and scenarios when it comes to vintage. At the end of the day, like all agriculture, they are at the mercy of the weather. Right back at the beginning of spring when the buds burst on the vines, through to flowering in mid-November, fruit set during December and ripening from January, they are completely dictated to by the weather. If it’s too windy, too overcast, too cold, too hot, too wet or too anything in-between, the quality and quantity of the fruit will be altered for the better or the worse. “It may sound strange,” says winery manager Mat Lees, “but that’s why we love what we do, because every year is different from the last, which means every year we must learn, react and adapt. “The excitement around the winery is palpable during vintage. Everything we have

done throughout the year leads us to this point. Our winemaking team visit each vineyard, sometimes twice in a day, constantly checking, observing, tasting and testing to find that optimal point between flavour and ripeness. Too ripe, and the fruit is overdone, not enough flavour and the wine tastes poorly. Every hesitation, every decision and every indecision can be agonised over for days. There are no second chances at this time of the year. That’s what drives our winemaking team, their passion and willingness to see each and every vintage through from start to finish, through the highs and lows, all culminating in the creation of the next generation of Jack Estate’s award-winning wines.” Jack Estate’s winery block is fortunate to be situated in the heart of the Coonawarra, making the most of that famous terra rossa soil to produce premium Cabernet Sauvignon. “With less than a hectare planted over 50 years ago, this block represents some of the most unique fruit we bring into our winery,” says Lees. “The block is tended to by only our vineyard and

winery staff, allowing us to keep control over all aspects of the viticultural practices. To ensure the true regional and varietal expression is able to shine, we go through and bunch-thin after the fruit has set. This means we can dictate how many bunches are growing on each vine, essentially sacrificing quantity for quality. “Another important aspect of our Winery Block Cabernet is our decision to hand pick it. Handpicking allows us to only select the best bunches; anything that is blemished, under-developed or just not up to scratch can be dropped. It also means the fruit isn’t damaged or bruised by the machine harvester. This allows our winemakers to extract only the purest of flavours from our Winery Block, an important factor when you consider we only make approximately seven barrels of this ultrapremium Cabernet Sauvignon per year.” Mat and his team works tirelessly allyear-round to ensure that every bottle of Jack Estate wine is of a quality that reflects their passion – not just for winemaking, but also the Coonawarra.

“That’s why we love what we do. Every year is different from the last, which means every year we must learn, react and adapt.” 35

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24/09/2014 9:22 am

For more than a century, boys have been boarding at The Scots College. They become part of a ‘family’ where individual attention and resident Housemasters provide high-quality education and care in a nurturing environment. . Moving from a small cattle farm in Dubbo to Scots was a big change for Year 12 boarder, Barney White. Initially reluctant, Barney now believes that “it has been one of the most significant and enjoyable changes in [his] life … Scots’ boarding community has provided me with a strong sense of friendship and brotherhood.” The College’s Brave Hearts Bold Minds education philosophy seeks to make every day in a Scots boy’s life part of an exciting adventure. “By providing experiences of excellence, team spirit and adventure, the boys are challenged to fully realise their inner strengths and individual resources, providing a platform for them to flourish in life,” said Dr Ian PM Lambert, Principal of The Scots College.

www.tsc.nsw.edu.au

To find out how your boy can become part of this journey, visit www.tsc.nsw.edu.au/boarding.

agribusiness

Rich farming Agribusiness finance covers everything from the purchase of a new tractor all the way up to investing tens of millions of dollars, reports Darren Baguley. BETWEEN the eight major and one specialist agribusiness lenders – National Australia Bank, Rabobank, Ruralbank, ANZ, CBA, Bank of Queensland, Suncorp, Westpac and Landmark – there are so many finance products available to farmers that it’s hard keep track. But most agribusiness operations tend to be structured similarly. Core debt finances the farm, whether to buy out a parent or sibling or just to get into farming, and that debt will usually be structured as a term loan over 15 years. On top of this, an overdraft or revolving line of credit provides working capital day to day, says

Robinson Sewell and Partners director, Brad Sewell. “There’s any number of specialist finance products,” explains Sewell. “Whether it’s finance to sow or harvest a crop, approved debtor finance, invoice finance, header finance or livestock finance, where you can borrow a portion of the cost of new livestock. For decades, woolgrowers have been able to get an advance on their clip to cover the cost of shearing, and now chemical and fertiliser companies provide lowinterest loans for crop farmers to spread the payments rather than having to come up with hundreds of thousands

of dollars in one hit.” Indeed, Sewell reckons Australia’s agribusiness finance market is so sophisticated that no matter what sort of product a farmer or grazier needs, one of the banks that specialise in agribusiness finance will be able to come up with a product to suit. With such a plethora of options available, how does a borrower decide what product to go for and which bank to partner with? Agriculture represents an extremely reliable long term investment for banks, but when large amounts of money are at play there is an element of the bank choosing its clients as much as the other way around.

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agribusiness

Many agribusiness banks offer extra information such as market and crop reports, agronomists’ advice and economic forecasting. Rabobank’s group executive for Country Sewell is a little less enthusiastic Banking Australia, Peter Knoblanche, says about such add-on services. “The reality for Rabobank: “Underscoring everything is, for most farmers, those services can is cashflow, which impacts on the longbe found elsewhere. It comes down term viability of an agricultural property.” to what product the bank is offering, Basically, the bank has to be comfortable the cost of the money, the quality of the property is going to be viable. relationship with the bank manager, the “A big driver for us is that long-term bank’s resources and also that bank’s agriculture has a very bright future. The history in agriculture. Does it have a real world’s population is predicted to grow commitment to agriculture?” to nine billion, hundreds of millions of While it is happening slowly, there people are entering the middle is a trend towards farmers acting class in Asia, Latin more like companies in other America and to a industries and treating lesser extent Africa, debt as just another FAST FACT and we need tool they use to run The nation’s total rural to feed them. their business. debt as at June 2013 was Nevertheless, This has been $64.3 billion across banks, just as driven by the pastoral houses and other mining sector cost of interest, finance institutions partnering commodities go which is generally with a total of 132,371 up and down, the number one agricultural businesses. so do agricultural expense for famers Source: ABS, RBA seasonal and always in the and APRA. conditions and top three. As a result, commodity prices. the rate and structure We also look at what the are critical, says Sewell. “Two finance is for, what the overall examples: one client was paying seven strategy of the business is and what the per cent interest on a $10 million loan, managers or owners are like.” we put that business out to tender and Many of the agribusiness banks got [the rate] down to five per cent, offer extra information such as market which saved him hundreds of thousands and crop reports, agronomists’ advice per year. Another client had an overdraft and economists’ reports, services that never got below $500,000. We that Wimmera farmer, businessman helped restructure that as a term loan and Rural Bank/Bendigo Bank board and saved him tens of thousands of member, David Matthews, values. “I dollars per year.” want more than just a product from When it comes to government my bank, I want a bank that that is assistance, all three spokespeople cited effectively a trusted adviser, a resource the usefulness of the Farm Management that assists with decisions [and Deposit Scheme, which provides provides] support from professionals farmers with the ability to put aside such as agronomists and accountants money in the good seasons to help them as well as assistance with structures get through the bad ones. Matthews around debt levels.” Still, Matthews also says, “We know Australia has a volatile believes it’s important to have relevant climate and, ideally, we try to build this well-priced agribusiness products that into our business plans [by using these “we can take out to the community”. sorts of facilities].”

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Marcus graduates are professionally prepared and ready for business.

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insidemining Issue 18 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; December 2014

HEALTHY

MINDED Ways to combat the strain of a FIFO lifestyle

INDUSTRY FOCUS A look at catering and accommodation services

MINING REVIEW Should you rent or buy mining machinery?

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during the period when the site may be cut off due to high winds or flooding. • During the Red Alert Cyclone Warning phase, when all power has to be isolated, or in the eventuality of damage or interruption occurring to the power supply or telephone and internet connections, an adequate means of reliable emergency backup communication should be available

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With cyclone season in full swing, Western Australia’s Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources safety executive director Simon Ridge is urging mining and onshore petroleum operations in the northwest of the state to prepare for the worst. “Employers must have adequate plans and provide adequate training to protect workers from hazards at the workplace, including natural hazards such as cyclones,” he says. “The tragic events that have unfolded in the Philippines are a reminder of the destructive power of cyclones. “It is crucial everyone knows what to do in the event of a cyclone hitting their operations at some point.” To assist, the department has issued the following advice for workplaces it regulates in cyclone-sensitive regions: • Emergency plans should include details for making the site safe and ensuring the safety of personnel as far as is practicable. This should include the removal or restraint of loose objects and structures and evacuation of personnel. • The plans must be communicated to all personnel likely to be on site during the cyclone season. • During the Blue and Yellow Alert Cyclone Warning phase, a safe and orderly evacuation of non-essential personnel from the work site or camp should be considered before high-intensity cyclones pass by. • To prevent injuries during transfer, any personnel remaining on site during the cyclone should be moved to a designated appropriate shelter, well in advance of the arrival of the cyclone. • Where personnel are required to stay on site, adequate stocks of food and other essential items should be available

on site to make contact with external emergency services should help or assistance be required.

GOVERNMENT PAYS TO REHABILITATE Western Australia’s Black Diamond coalmine in Collie has been the latest site recommended for gazetting as an abandoned mine. It is the first step 5

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in earmarking abandoned sites for government-funded clean-ups, and other sites set to benefit include Elverdton near Ravensthorpe, the ProForce site near Coolgardie, and an abandoned tailings storage facility at Bulong, east of Kalgoorlie. Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) director general Richard Sellers explained that the executive visited Black Diamond to review the proposed rehabilitation for the site, under the provisions of the Mining Rehabilitation Fund. “Under the legislation, interest generated on the fund can be used to rehabilitate legacy abandoned mine sites throughout the State,” Sellers said. “DMP will consult and work with

stakeholders to develop a rehabilitation strategy for the Black Diamond site. “Neighbouring landholders and the Shire of Collie will be consulted to ensure the rehabilitation strategy and end land use meets the needs of landholders and the broader community.” Coal mining at Black Diamond took place between the 1940s and 1950s, when the current stricter planning laws for exploration and closure of mines didn’t apply. Since the 1980s, mine operators have had to produce detailed proposals and closure plans for any new licences, ensuring it will be the mining companies – not the government – which will foot the bill for rehabilitation in the future.

SURFACE MINING: THE WAY OF THE FUTURE

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EXPLORATION LICENCES REVOKED Controversial protests around coal seam gas projects have highlighted the importance of effective community consultation before getting the green light from government. Local celebrities Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban and broadcaster Alan Jones, who all have properties in the NSW Southern Highlands region, have protested against mining exploration in the area. The protests sent a strong message to not just the mining company involved, but the state government. In 2012, the government released its Guideline for Community Consultation Requirements for the Exploration of Coal and Petroleum, including coal seam gas. Designed to help companies navigate the process, it states that effective consultation involves: • A detailed identification of all stakeholders, ensuring all stakeholders are informed of the proposed program of work for the licence and are notified prior to the commencement of any authorised activities; • Making sure all stakeholders are aware of any real or potential impacts; • The purpose of the consultation being made clear – this includes what is being consulted on and what is nonnegotiable in circumstances; • Expected levels of participation and commitment clearly expressed to the community concerned; • Setting up channels of communications that allow good community feedback and identification of potential issues; • Providing feedback to the community on how their input has influenced decisions; • Maintaining a register of complaints and feedback, with details of actions taken in such response. The Resources and Energy Minister has since deemed that the mining company in question, Queensland-based Leichhardt Resources, failed to “engage with the community in relation to the planning and conduct of its prospecting operations”, and, therefore, the government made the bold move to cancel three of its petroleum exploration licences.

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forefront

Newman’s

LAW CAMPBELL NEWMAN’S GOVERNMENT HAS AMENDED QUEENSLAND MINING LAWS, RESTRICTING POTENTIAL CHALLENGES TO NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR. WORDS: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG

forefront

Image by Gregory Baldwin at The Illustration Room

CASUAL OBSERVERS could be forgiven for thinking that Queensland’s reigning conservatives, the Liberal National Party (LNP), had adopted a sort of Cinderella urgency when, at just three minutes to midnight on September 9, they passed an amendment to the Mineral and Energy Resources (Common Provisions) Bill 2014 (Qld). Under the new law, now the Mineral and Energy Resources (Common Provisions) Act 2014, only affected landholders, their neighbours, or council can object in Queensland’s Land Court to mining lease applications. What the new law effectively does is limit certain groups to being able to lodge their concerns regarding new mines only through the state’s environmental authority. While some stakeholders are hailing it as a fairytale triumph, others believe it is the stuff of nightmares, painting the LNP as environmental villain. In a report by the ABC, Queensland Mines Minister Andrew Cripps maintains the wider community will still be able to object through the environmental authority, and that the changes reduce duplication and will stop environmental and community groups objecting on “irrelevant grounds”. “The balance the Bill seeks to achieve does not extend to enabling green and anti-economic development groups based interstate or overseas, whose motive is to stop resource projects and the thousands of jobs the sector supports, or cause significant delays to the progress of mining projects by lodging ideologically based objections,” Cripps says. “The amendments in this Bill are about balancing legitimate community concerns about large resource activities, while removing unnecessary regulatory burdens and duplication from small-scale mines that can operate within the standard environmental conditions framework.” Cripps rejects criticism of the late-night amendment, telling Inside Mining that his second reading speech occurred at 3.53pm that afternoon and explanatory notes to the amendments were tabled at 4.47pm. While the Bill was passed through the Parliament at 11.57pm, he says “long debates and late sittings of the house are not unusual”. “Queensland’s previous notification and objection process for proposed mining projects

was duplicated under the Mineral Resources Act 1989, and the Environmental Protection Act 1994, and did not take into account the size or impact of proposed projects,” he says. “These amendments make clear what had previously been the law – that an objection to conditions applied by the co-coordinator general, after a rigorous EIS process, including public submissions, cannot be grounds for appeal in the Land Court. “There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about the reforms by groups who are ideologically opposed to the resources sector. I urge Queenslanders to be wary of their claims, which are deliberate attempts to stir up alarm in communities.” Unsurprisingly, the Queensland Resources Council is also in favour of the amendments, with CEO Michael Roche telling the ABC that the new laws streamline the objections process for the granting of mining tenure. “But it does not remove the right to object to the running project, rather, objections will be considered as part of the project’s environmental authority,” he says.

Gregory Baldwin / The Illustration Room

forefront

“There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about the reforms by groups who are ideologically opposed to the resources sector.”

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Gregory Baldwin / The Illustration Room

• Lock the Gate Alliance president Drew Hutton says the Bill, in its early stages, removes people’s right to object in 90 per cent of cases involving large mines. Hutton claims the amendments have removed the right to object for most of the other 10 per cent of cases involving large mines.

“Landholders remain very connected to this process and retain a genuine opportunity to raise any concerns they have.” But others feel they have been left holding the proverbial glass slipper, saying the new Bill is as ugly as Cinderella’s three stepsisters themselves. Queensland Senator and Australian Greens environment spokesperson Larissa Waters describes the laws as “the biggest backward step in Queenslanders’ rights to protect their land, water and communities” that the state has ever seen. “The Newman Government deceitfully slipped the amendment to mining laws through the State Parliament at five minutes to midnight on Tuesday night without any Parliamentary discussion,” she says. “Because of this new, last-minute amendment, not even landholders, neighbours or local councils, or anybody else, will be able to challenge ‘coordinated projects’ – the

biggest mining projects in the state – through the Land Court. “Instead, the only recourse against these mega-mines will be to submit to the coordinator general, an unelected bureaucrat, who can choose to ignore those concerns and approve massive mines no matter how many people are impacted.” Two weeks later, Waters and the Australian Greens in the Senate called on the Queensland Government to “undo its removal of community rights against massive coal and uranium mines”. “The Newman Government is trying to silence Queenslanders so its big mining company buddies can do whatever they like, regardless of how it impacts our land, water, Great Barrier Reef and climate,” she says. “Before being introduced, the last-minute amendment had never been publicly announced.” Katter’s Australian Party MP Ray Hopper has also opposed the amendment, which includes the removal of many of the public notification requirements for lowrisk mines. Hopper’s office has told Inside Mining that several concerned constituents in his Condamine electorate in one of Queensland’s south-western mining regions, have contacted the MP in relation to the Bill. “All of them are deeply worried about the implications of the Bill on the future of agriculture in resource areas,” Hopper’s office says. “Most of those constituents also felt that the late night introduction of amendments to the Bill was ‘reprehensible’. Indeed, the comments from constituents very strongly condemned the government and the process by which this Bill was introduced.” Lock the Gate Alliance president Drew Hutton has told Inside Mining that the Bill is “one of the most underhand and undemocratic moves the Queensland Parliament has ever witnessed.” “It is the sort of thing you might expect from a despotic regime in a banana republic, not a developed nation with a wellestablished democratic tradition,” he says. “Mining barons everywhere will be sipping champagne but it’s a huge blow to democracy in Queensland.”

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Name: Lead Element category: post-transition metal Electron configuration: [Xe] 4f145d106s26p2 Atomic number; mass: 82/207.2(1) Melting point: 327.46°C Boiling point: 1750°C Discovered: 7000 BC, Middle Easterns Etymology: The English word “lead” is derived from the Celtic word “luaide”, which means reddish.

Lead facts • In ancient times, the Roman Empire produced an estimated 80,000 tonnes of lead per year, making it the largest producer of lead prior to industrialisation. • The annual worldwide production of lead is approximately 8 million tonnes, nearly half of which comes from the recycling of scrap.

• China, Australia and the United States are the top three world producers of lead.

• A primary use of lead today is to shield from radiation in X-ray machines and nuclear reactors.

• The belief that pencils at one point contained real lead is a myth. Rather, the kind of graphite used when pencils were first created was called “plumbago”, meaning “lead mock-up”. • Lead has been used to make paint, bullets, preservatives and Japanese white face make-up. • Lead is poisonous to humans and animals and ingestion can cause damage to the nervous system and organs such as kidneys. • Lead is still used in the making of batteries, pesticides, plastics and imitation pearls. • The symbol for lead, Pb, comes from the word plumbum, Latin for lead. • Lead ore is usually mined with zinc, silver and copper.

industryfocus

HOME

AWAY

GIVEN THE REMOTENESS OF MOST MINING SITES, FINDING SUITABLE ACCOMMODATION AND CATERING FOR THE NUMBER OF WORKERS CAN BE CHALLENGING. WORDS: KRIS MADDEN

In today’s critical age of employee retention,

employees are looking for more than just a weekly pay cheque. More and more employees are sacrificing earnings for a healthier work-life balance, greater personal benefits and long-term security. The quality of accommodation, amenities and food available at mining sites and villages can be a contributing factor in whether a worker chooses to stay or look for another job. Today when an employee boards a flight heading to a remote mining location, there is an expectation that the village in which they will be accommodated will be of a high quality, complete with all the comforts of home. However, it wasn’t always like this. Not so long ago, remote-site camp accommodation consisted of single-person living quarters with shared bathroom and laundry facilities and a rattly old windowmounted air-conditioner. Mining workers would be lucky to get two channels on free-to-air TV, and if you were at a good site, there may be a swimming pool. Meals were mostly meat and three veg, and there was little focus on diet and nutrition. These days, it’s expected that a contractor will, at minimum, provide facilities such as studio apartments with ensuites and personal laundry, 17

industryfocus

WiFi access and cable TV, and a deck on which to enjoy your cold beer. With the push towards healthier workers, in an effort to give workers a social outlet other than drinking at the bar, most modern mine camps have fully-equipped gyms, healthy lifestyle coordinators, dieticians and nutritionists. A variety of world cuisines from Thai to Indian is replacing the good old meat pie. With more than 30 years’ experience in remote-facilities management, mine-site catering and support services, Cater Care provides a comprehensive, multi-sector service for mining villages and remote locations, offering a full suite of support services tailored to address the unique needs of each site ranging from housekeeping, cleaning and laundry to managing coffee shops, restaurants and internet cafes. “Work-life balance is a major focus,” says Phil Mears, national business development manager at Cater Care Services. “The changing expectations of a fly-in fly-out or drive-in drive-out worker force service providers to continually seek fresh and innovative ways in which to satisfy the residents of the remote locations. Our mission is to promote the best possible environment in which to live, work, play and relax – a home away from home,” he says.

In one year a Queensland mine site made

784,300 meals and

74,698

beds, emptied

127,000

bins, managed

21,000

check-in arrivals and

2000

gym inductions, maintained four kilometres of garden hedge and spread

400

cubic metres of mulch. Source: Cater Care Group

Mining slowdown drives innovation in accommodation The slowdown being experienced across Australia’s mining industry is driving development of more cost-effective worker accommodation according to Australia’s leading modular builders, Ausco Modular. There are still a number of active projects in the pipeline particularly in regions such as the Surat Basin and Western Australia where projects’ teams need to be housed and companies are looking for new, lowcost accommodation options. Ausco Modular strategy and business development manager Ben Knight said the company was seeing increasing interest in its Ausco Mobile offering, which can be installed and removed quickly, from the sector. “As investment decreases across the industry, companies are becoming more and more conscious of costs and how they can be reduced,” he said. “Environmental considerations have always been topical for the mining industry, with increased pressure from stakeholders and government around minimising environmental impacts. “Mobile camps are attractive now because they literally offer a plug and play solution for worker accommodation and can be mobilised quickly and removed with very little effect on the existing environment, and costs can be controlled.”

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CYCLIC SHIFTS IN THE MINING AND RESOURCES SECTOR DICTATE IMPORTANT MANAGEMENT DECISIONS. WORDS: RILEY PALMER

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IT’S A QUESTION we’ve all asked ourselves at one time or other: to rent or to buy? Irrespective of what we’re directing this perennial question toward, the answer is (and always will be) influenced by the state of the market – at its very core, the law of supply and demand. At the height of the mining boom, rental equipment was in such great demand that there was the equivalent of a waiting list. This pushed back many companies’ project schedules to the extent that they missed out on the high yields from commodities altogether. Despite machinery costs being at an all-time high during the boom, it was financially viable for many companies to purchase equipment and make the most of the high commodity prices. Fast-forward to today, however, and the market has been turned on its head. We all know the discourse – coal prices are down, the resource boom is effectively in slowdown and the Australian dollar remains high amid a backdrop of everchanging legislation. This has resulted in

an oversupply of previously backlogged equipment, making hiring a very competitive and cost-effective option. To ensure their cash-flow isn’t tied up in large capital purchases, many mining companies are opting to hire. Daniel Wilson, general manager of Australia’s largest plant and equipment hire marketplace, plantminer.com.au, says: “Especially while the market is so fragile, we’re seeing a lot of our searching clients moving away from owning their own equipment. No one really likes to finance gear; they prefer to own it outright. But in terms of cash, people would prefer to spend a nominal amount per month than purchase a piece of equipment and put themselves in a little bit of a delicate position cash-wise.” Aside from enabling better utilisation of working capital, hiring equipment avoids the hidden costs associated with purchasing equipment – such as insurance, spare parts and ancillary items. Another impact of the downturn has been the competitive pricing of equipment. “It’s because people want to

get their machines out there and just get some work happening,” says Wilson of what is now certainly a hirer’s market. “Our supply clients talk to us all the time about the prices they’re putting forward and still not winning work because their competitors are undercutting them.” If the concept of oversupply and high levels of competition are setting off alarm bells that sound oddly like the death rattle of the mining industry, stick with me for a little bit longer, because it’s precisely these pitfalls that have forced the mining rental industry to diversify and evolve. Historically, mining equipment has been solely geared towards mining markets, where today, having been forced to re-evaluate their target market, many suppliers are pursuing other industries. “A lot of our larger supply clients are really looking to get some of their heavily-minespec vehicles and equipment out into the construction and civil market,” says Wilson. “There’s not enough mining work going on to sustain the payments of a machine that they’ve bought to hire out. So people are getting quite flexible about

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how they do business – which is exciting for a lot of them who are branching out to a market that they’ve never had much exposure to before.” Wilson has also been broached by many companies about the possibility of his site putting suppliers in contact with the clients in the event sector. “They’re asking if things like portable toilets or generators, that are usually only hired out to mine or construction sites on longterm hire, can be rented out to event hire companies or people having these events,” he says. Of course, not all rental companies provide equipment that is so easily transferrable to other industries. “You can’t really put a 250 tonne mine-spec excavator onto a residential building site or in the middle of the CBD,” laughs Wilson. Other highly specialised companies – for instance those that supply underground mining equipment – are similarly struggling to diversify their market as their products are too niche. The larger hiring companies that specialise in mining equipment are feeling the effects of the downturn disproportionately too. The industrial company Seven Group, whose after-tax profit for the financial year just gone fell to almost half that of the previous year, is one such example. The decrease in demand from its supply companies WestTrac and Coates Hire Group have been cited by Seven Group as a large contributing factor to their declining

profits, despite increased activity in the construction industry. However, this doesn’t necessarily spell the end for these more specialist companies. Wilson says that a lot of his supply clients are contemplating expanding into overseas markets. “I know Hastings Deering and a few other clients of their ilk provide equipment to the likes of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia – places that are close,” he says. “Obviously the issue is with transport and the costs associated with shifting a piece of equipment. But it could be conceivable to launch a depot into Papua New Guinea – and Australia would be a good place to start because we have a surplus of equipment at the moment.” Every man and his dog has an opinion on the Australian mining market, but truth be told no one really knows what the future holds – whether China will lift its import ban on coal, when the mining industry can expect to boom again and whether the Australian dollar will go up or down. If the mining equipment hire and rental trends are anything to go by however, this sector of the mining industry is a long way off taking its last breath. With necessity proving the mother of invention, the hire sector will likely continue to evolve and diversify.

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spotlight

FLY-IN FLY-OUT AND DRIVE-IN DRIVE-OUT WORKERS HAVE SOME OF THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN AUSTRALIA BUT THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO COMBAT THE STRAIN. WORDS: DARREN BAGULEY

EC E

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ental health is the most significant issue facing fly-in fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in drive-out (DIDO) workers in the mining industry, according to Dr Jennifer Bowers, CEO of the Australasian Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health (ACRRMH). “The national average of anyone having a mental health problem in a year is one in five. Across all [the] sites [where we are working with companies, doing research] between one in three and one in four are suffering high levels of psychological distress.” The reasons for this are many, says Bowers. “At times, senior management places enormous pressure on workers to meet deadlines. The length of their swing, which can vary enormously, and the length of their shift, which is usually 12 hours, all has an impact. There is also the stigma associated with mental health issues, which tends to discourage anyone with a problem from seeking help.”

There are also lifestyle issues relating to the remoteness of living conditions for most FIFO/DIDO workers, such as social isolation and lack of social participation. “Some of the camps have amazing facilities with really comfortable dongas, but it doesn’t mean everyone wants to go to the gym, watch a movie or go for a bush walk,” says Bowers. “A lot of people at the end of their shift are exhausted and just want to get something to eat and go to sleep.”

spotlight

“Once people have got some basic information and know where to get more, they’re a lot less stressed.”

When you add to this the stress of being away from immediate and extended family – parents missing special events such as kids’ birthdays and spouses missing special anniversaries – relationships can undergo strain. “The financial situation is, without exception, an issue with people who are suffering mental health problems,” says Bowers. “It’s so easy to get loans, banks virtually throw money at FIFO workers, which means people can have huge salaries but have overcommitted themselves and don’t have an exit strategy.” Former FIFO mining engineer Lacey Filipich agrees it’s vital to try and avoid financial commitments that make it difficult to walk away from the FIFO lifestyle. “If you’ve committed yourself to a huge mortgage, you will feel less able to make the choice to walk away. Avoid creating that situation for yourself so that while you work FIFO, it’s clearly by your own choice and not because you feel forced to.” Another approach is to have a goal when working FIFO, according to FIFO Families founder and director, Nicole Ashby. “It’s important as a couple, a family, to have goals around FIFO, whether it’s five years to pay off the mortgage or a long-term lifestyle.” Ashby also stresses the importance of communication. Many mining companies put a lot of effort into making sure there are good telecommunications in

place, and taking advantage of those facilities can make a huge difference. “The partner who is away can do things like get the email addresses of their kids’ teachers, and use email and Twitter to stay engaged with the kids. Apps like Words with Friends can be fun and Facebook is great.” While mining companies, until recently, haven’t taken mental health seriously, a spate of suicides among FIFO workers has sparked a change of attitude. Companies are acknowledging management is part of the problem and are providing management with more tools to manage better and recognise an acute stress response. Organisations like ACRRMH are also going on site. “We’re holding a whole range of toolbox talks where we’ll talk about symptoms and signs and what to look out for in yourself, your mates and your family, says Bowers. “Once people have got some basic information and know where to get more, they’re a lot less stressed. Then the important part is that people know what to do when they do see something. There’s no point in having initiatives like RUOK days unless you do something about it.” Some simple things fifo workers can do to reduce stress include: increasing levels of physical activity, whether it’s going to the gym or playing in one of the sport rosters that are often run in the camps; eating properly and not overdoing sugary, fatty food; managing their alcohol and nicotine intake; making sure they take the correct dose of prescription medication; relaxing with a massage at the end of their swing; or considering doing

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something like yoga or meditation. Filipich says it’s also important to make your break as much about rest and relaxation as possible. “Giving yourself downtime away from site is critical. A lot of people fall into the trap of trying to cram all the social stuff they missed out on into their break, so they arrive back at work exhausted. Aim for quality, not quantity, of social activities on your breaks. For me, this meant having at least one completely free day on my breaks.” For couples, managing the FIFO partner’s return is one of the trickiest parts of the lifestyle, says Perth-based Cottesloe Counselling psychotherapist/counsellor, Jane Irvine. “Most FIFO workers are men, and a husband comes back from three weeks away and is exhausted while his wife has had three kids under five for three weeks. Both want me time and it’s really crucial to have really good communication around what people really need and how to negotiate this. Some couples can spend the first three or four days fighting, and then they get one or two normal days before starting to build up to the FIFO partner going again. If that sort of thing isn’t dealt with, either the job or the marriage goes.”

Irvine adds that good telecommunications can ease the pressures of the FIFO lifestyle considerably. “If good quality connection is available on site, it reduces the amount of catchup time needed. If not, the whole week becomes about problemsolving, problems with the kids at school etc.”

Fast facts • The mining industry employs approximately 200,000 people directly. Conservatively, therefore, 70,000 of these will suffer a mental illness this year and in a company with 3000 employees 1000 will suffer a mental illness in a year. Source: ACRRMH brochure This Place is Doing My Head In. • On any 12 hour shift, a person with a mental illness will be unproductive for an average of 2 hours and 42 minutes. Every day, that equates to 2700 hours of unproductive time – the equivalent of 225 people not turning up to work at all. Source: ACRRMH brochure This Place is Doing My Head In.

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Hook up with FIFO housemates Brothers Chris and Daniel Del Borrello saw a business opportunity in helping fly-in fly-out workers find affordable accommodation. SOME PEOPLE dream of having that light-bulb moment when the perfect business idea is born. Others know they need to work hard at it, attending motivational seminars, brainstorming and soul-searching in the attempt to find exactly what they were born to do. For Chris and Daniel Del Borrello it was one of those much-envied light-bulb moments that led to the birth of their real estate website and business, FIFO Housemate, at fifohousemate.com.au. It all began when Chris, who is a FIFO worker in the oil and gas industry, was after a flatmate but didn’t want someone living with him full-time because his apartment was quite small. He wanted to be able to share costs without the burden of living

WORDS: DANIELLE CHENERY

with someone who would be around constantly. Cue FIFO workers. But when Chris started looking for a FIFO housemate, he quickly discovered that there was no resource on the internet that catered to this niche. He came across entries on gumtree.com.au but found nothing that drew all potential FIFO flatmates together. So the idea for the FIFO housemate website was born. Chris paired up with his brother Daniel, a schoolteacher who had

experience in running his own online business. The brothers then contacted a friend who had the technical knowledge to set up the site. The friend’s enthusiasm for the idea helped motivate the brothers to make the website a reality. “He was a big factor in why we decided to do it,” explains Daniel. “It was quite an expensive undertaking – but not when you consider that it was a cost for building up a business. Also, I’d rather

When Chris looked for a FIFO housemate, he realised there was no internet site catering for this niche. 33

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Above: Chris and Daniel with their first major advertising space; Chris performs aerial surveys of gas pipelines, flying in and out of Karratha, Carnarvon, Onslow and Perth.

If you have one of those light bulb moments, act: the key is turning your idea into a reality before someone else gets a similar brainwave and beats you to it. not die wondering about opportunities in life.” The website, which was launched in July this year, was designed to be easy to navigate and use. FIFO workers can look over each entry and contact the person who’s put up a particular listing without needing to sign in or go through any other process. And people can post listings on the site free of charge. “It’s perfect if you don’t want someone in your house the whole time. It’s available to anyone with a spare room and it opens up a whole new area of real estate to people who might never have thought of renting before,” Daniel says. “You can even swap between FIFO workers on opposite swings.” The next stage of the business’s development is to attract commercial advertisers. This would allow people

such as real estate agents to list vacant homes or apartments – not just spare rooms as the site currently allows. “But primarily, the site is there for the FIFO worker so we can help them find cheaper accommodation,” explains Daniel. “FIFO accommodation can be so expensive, so we want to look after each other.” People can also post if they have spaces available for storage that FIFO workers can use or rent. Perth is the website’s biggest market at the moment, but the brothers have their eyes on Queensland and Darwin as areas of potential growth. “The website has no geographical boundaries – it is Australia-wide and also includes Indonesia, to help Australian FIFO workers [who] choose to live in Indonesia between jobs,” says Daniel. The brothers also hope to build

a sense of community with FIFO workers who use the website by sending out regular e-news bulletins that include useful information, such as updates regarding new houses, rental information and competitions. So far, so good for the Perth-based brothers. In its first 28 days, more than 460 rentals were posted and almost 10,600 individual users accessed the FIFO flatmates site. It just goes to show that if you have one of those light bulb moments, act: the key is turning your idea into a reality before someone else gets a similar brainwave and beats you to it. For more information, visit fifohousemate.com.au or check out the Facebook page facebook.com/ fifohousemate.

Photos by Michael Lawrence & Duncan Macfarlane

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We bring you the latest in property and investment analysis, penned by the professionals

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IS THE AVERAGE AUSSIE HOME BECOMING A LUXURY ITEM? When median house prices hit $1 million, it’s a real cause for concern. KEVIN LEE

Founder and director of Smart Property Adviser

To attend one of Kevin’s FREE “No Secrets” Seminars and learn how to leave the rat race by making smart property investments, visit smartpropertyadviser.com.au

RP DATA released an article in August which stated that the number of suburbs across Australia with a median price of at least $1 million had increased by more than 33 per cent in 12 months – and it looked as though they were suggesting that this is a good thing. Make no mistake – this revelation of 417 suburbs should sound warning bells for the average Australian. Our state and federal governments rabbit on about the need for affordable housing – since when did house prices of $1 million fit that bill? As you might expect, many of the suburbs that made the list were in the major capitals – Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The combined population of

these three cities is approximately 11 million, or 46 per cent of Australia’s total. So let’s do the maths for a 35-year-old working Sydney couple with one child. They’re buying a home in a Sydney suburb for that median price of $1 million and they don’t want to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). Suppose they met and fell in love eight years ago, and started saving for their average home pretty soon after. They married, had a baby and have been super diligent too – saving $250,000 in that time. That’s an average of $31,000 a year for eight years. Nice one! Who do you know that can do that? Not many? Thought so. Let’s stop here for a minute:

here’s what it means in basic maths. Out of that $250,000 deposit, they need to allow: • A little over $40,800 for stamp duty plus associated fees in Sydney area • Around $3200 for their legal and conveyancing fees • Plus $500 or so for bank fees. By the time they add moving costs and a few other incidentals, they’ve just burned $50,000. Leaving this lovely couple $200,000 to put towards the purchase: their deposit. Which means, of course, they need an $800,000 mortgage. No problem, book that appointment. Oh dear ... do they qualify for an $800,000 loan? A quick calculation suggests, with the current super low interest

Our state and federal governments rabbit on about the need for affordable housing – since when did house prices of $1 million fit that bill? 39

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People who need to keep up appearances aren’t thinking about their financial future at all. They’re all about ‘I want it and I want it now’. rates on offer, our couple with one child, two cars and a car loan only need to earn a combined $130,000 a year to be approved for this loan. For this exercise I’ll assume a split of $85,000 for the breadwinner and $45,000 for the person who carries most household and child responsibilities. These two incomes deliver $64,000 and $38,250 after tax. A quick monthly calculation tells the real story: they have $5324 and $3189 net monthly income after tax. It’s time to celebrate - your loan is approved! But now it’s crunch time people! At just 4.69 per cent (the super low rate currently on offer) the $800,000 loan to purchase that average home will cost our average family $4145 per month. That’s monthly until they 40

reach 65 years of age. $4145 a month for the rest of their working lives. Almost 49 per cent of their combined net income goes towards making their minimum loan repayments. And if our friends can’t pay it off faster, they will have paid more than $1,000,000 in bank interest during that time. What will happen though when their interest rate increases to just 6.69 per cent? That monthly repayment jumps by a grand to $5157 – ouch. I think you can work the rest of this maths exercise out… So, our average couple bought an average home in one of 417 average suburbs with an aboveaverage deposit and above-average sized mortgage. And pretty much gave up their opportunity to become an average family of two adults and two kids. Listen up

people. Unless he’s Walter White, they can’t ever afford to have baby number two. The mysterious world of finance can be honed down to just three questions: 1. Can you pay back the loan? 2. Will you pay back the loan? 3. If it goes pear shaped, what can we sell? If you fail to meet any one of the three criteria questions you will not be approved for finance. Here’s what hurts the feelings of so many people: the primary reason a couple wants to purchase one of these million-dollar homes is to keep up appearances. I see it all the time. Shelling out almost half your net income each month for a roof over your head is not the smartest move. Lose your job, become ill or have an accident that stops you from working and you’re in

trouble. This kind of financial stress can kill even the strongest of relationships. People who need to keep up appearances aren’t thinking about their financial future at all. They’re all about “I want it and I want it now”. Dangerous ground indeed – especially when interest rates increase in 2015 and beyond. Many a credit rating has been severely damaged over the years by this scenario and the resultant relationship breakdown. It’s articles like that RP Data report that feed ego-driven decisions; encouraging people to believe that it’s a fantastic idea to purchase these types of properties. Because we all know the mantra, don’t we: “Property values always double every seven to ten years.” Pigs might fly too. It kills me to know that so many people fall into the trap of buying the wrong type of property, when the investors I’m working with are buying their first, second and third investments just weeks after getting started. It’s time for a reality check.

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Have you heard that the Brisbane median housing price is set to grow up to 17% over the next three years? Whether for yourself, or as an investment, a Brisbane property will reap rewards if you jump in now. Even if you’ve purchased before, it may be wise to consider using a buyer’s agent Most people buy 3–5 properties in their life but buyer’s agencies like Hot Property Specialists Buyers Agency buy properties everyday of the year for their clients. Buyer’s agents purchase property either as an investment or a home to live for their clients (the buyer). This is one of the biggest financial outlays undertaken in life and people borrow considerable amounts of money, therefore buying the wrong property or paying too much can jeopardise the financial future of the buyer for a very long time and in some cases for life. Selling agents, most commonly known as real estate

agents, must work in the best interest of the seller at all times by law. Developers who list property for sale are all working for the seller not the buyer and we all know that the seller wants the highest price for their property. Buyer’s agencies/agents, also known as Buyer Advocates, only work for buyers. When buying property, they do not list the property for sale. Hot Property Specialists Buyers Agency, based in Brisbane QLD, ensure their clients (buyers); buy the right property, in the right location, at the right price with the contract conditions in the buyer’s best interests not the sellers. Consider this: if your child needed braces, you would not try to save money by doing it yourself. Therefore when buying property why would you do it alone without having an expert on your side? The most important things to note about buyer’s agents are:

• They save you time • They save you money • They give you back your weekends • They guarantee privacy • They have special contract conditions – written in the buyer’s best interests • They can bid at auction for you • They should be Members of REBAA • They should also be members of REIQ Buyer’s Agents give buyers the competitive edge in any market and ensure you buy the right property to suit your investment strategy. Zoran Solano is the office manager and senior buyer’s agent at Hot Property Specialists Buyers Agency. He has been a buyer’s agent for more than five years now and is recognised as one of Brisbane’s leading agents in buyer representation. hotpropertyspecialists.com.au (07) 3170 3760.

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Is it time to fix your home loan rate, or should you wait? Andrew Crossley explores the pros and cons of fixed versus variable rates.

THE GREAT RATE DEBATE ANDREW

CROSSLEY

From Australian Property Advisory Group

Andrew Crossley is a property investment adviser and property advocate and the founder of Australian Property Advisory Group, which specialises in representing the buyer, not the seller.

RATES ARE AT an all-time low, but they’re not expected to remain there beyond mid-next year. The next likely move is up, and many economists are suggesting investors and owner-occupiers need to consider their options very carefully. Currently, borrowers can obtain a fixed rate at 4.99 per cent, or below, for five years. Variable rates can be down to 4.63 per cent, or lower, if negotiated on a larger loan. Given the commonly held belief that rates will go up with the next change, many believe fixing is the way to go. Likewise, many people like the flexibility of knowing they can inexpensively move to a different lender should they want to do so. It is not cheap to do so when on a fixed rate. Often, it may be considered handy

to have part of the loan fixed and part variable, hedging the bet, as it were. Whether it is wise to fix for five years or one is difficult to say – but with variable rates so low, one really has to question the wisdom of only fixing for one or two years.

Fixed rates Loan repayments do not change during a fixed-rate period, and they are a good choice when variable rates are increasing, but obviously not so good if variable rates are coming down. The downside here is that you are stuck with the contract for a fixed term. Break costs were abolished in July 2011, so lenders cannot charge deferred establishment fees/ mortgage discharge fees on loans entered into after that date. Administration fees still apply, however, when discharging. Those who attempt to exit fixed-rate loans will usually pay heavily – and this is quite fair. Borrowers cannot fix their rates and then wake up one morning and walk away without it costing them.

Variable rates Variable rates are affected by movements in the RBA cash rate. However lenders have often moved their rates by margins which differ from the cash rate movement. Lenders often have a front-end rate and a back-end rate – this means if the borrower is already a client, the rate on their loan may not be as low as the rate the lenders

offer to new clients. The additional benefit of a variable rate is being able to have an offset account with redraw. This is not commonly available on fixed-rates so it begs the question: which is more useful? The ability to offset the interest on the loan, if variable, thus reducing the interest repayment, or having a fixed-rate loan and trying to reduce repayments that way? It can depend on the borrower’s ability to save money, which can ultimately vary.

So which is best? It may be considered a reasonable idea to have part of the loan fixed and part variable, but it is important to discuss this with a loan provider so the differences, good and bad, can be considered. When borrowers review their loans, which could be every year depending on the market, it is important to determine whether they are working the way they should to achieve their financial objectives. Ultimately, it is a personal decision and a decision purely based on your risk appetite. The decision is not about making or saving money. I would be interested in hearing from you to learn from your experiences and whether they were positive or negative. Email me your thoughts at andrew@ australianpropertyadvisorygroup.com.au For more information, visit australianpropertyadvisorygroup.com.au 45

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9 PEARLS OF ANCIENT WISDOM Confucius say: Property investor looking to create wealth from real estate can learn much from ancient Chinese proverbs.

MICHAEL YARDNEY

From Metropole Property Strategists

Michael Yardney is a director of Metropole Property Strategists, which creates wealth for its clients through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy metropole.com.au propertyupdate.com.au

OK, so I’m not quoting Confucius verbatim – however, the teachings of the ancient Chinese philosopher still ring true in today’s very different world and have clear application when it comes to the business of real estate investment. Those property investors who understand the importance that mindset plays in their wealth creation journey should gain some insights from the following Chinese proverbs – a handful of my favourites… “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” I have found that your level of wealth will seldom exceed your own personal development. That’s because your way of thinking regarding money, wealth and prosperity will determine the financial heights you reach. You see… your thoughts lead to your feelings; your feelings

lead to your actions and your actions lead to your results. Your inner world (your thoughts and feelings) will determine your outer world (your results and destiny). So first, work on yourself, because your wealth won’t grow unless you do. And if, perchance, you do happen to stumble upon a financial windfall and your wealth takes a lucky jump, unless you then grow to where it is, it will slide back to where you are because it is likely you’ll lose the money you’ve gained through mistakes or mismanagement. “He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.” One of the big mistakes novice investors make is to think they can do everything themselves. They do a bit of research, crunch some numbers and suddenly they’re industry experts. And of course you can’t tell

them anything because they know it all. As I frequently say: if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. So recognise the areas where you need help and don’t be afraid to seek out expert advice. There are no foolish questions, just foolish people who were reluctant to ask. One more thing: don’t be put off because a learning opportunity costs money. We all pay learning fees – either to someone who helps us or to the market because of our mistakes (and the latter are usually very expensive). “A single conversation with a wise man is better than 10 years of study.” Finding a mentor is the fast track to acquiring the type of insights into property investment that can never be found in a book. Seek out mentors

“Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” 47

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who’ve already achieved the goals you aspire to by investing successfully through a number of property cycles – and, just as importantly, mentors who’ve managed to retain their wealth. “One mouse dropping ruins the whole pot of porridge.” One bad asset can be the proverbial fly in the ointment that holds back your portfolio’s overall growth. So review your property portfolio regularly. If you find a property that, knowing what you now know, you would not buy again today, consider selling the, err, “mouse dropping” to make room for a better addition to your pot of (property) porridge. “A single spark can start a fire that burns your entire house down.” Every year, X factors come out of the blue to test us, so look forward to the best of times but prepare yourself for the worst. Protect yourself and your portfolio against unforeseen crises, be they personal ones 48

There are always opportunities in the property market. The sooner you start, the sooner you are on track to reaping long-term riches.

such as losing income due to ill health or something on a larger scale. Insure yourself and your assets and maintain a buffer fund, just in case. “Don’t be afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” Sustainable wealth creation through property investment is not a process you can rush. It takes time for compounding and leverage to work its magic. Warren Buffet put it a different way: “Wealth is the transfer of money from the impatient to the patient.” “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The secondbest time is now.” It’s never too late to get into the

property game. Sure it would have been nice to do it when the median price of a house was $100,000, but interestingly, that seemed expensive to most investors 20 years ago. There are always opportunities in the property market. The sooner you start, the sooner you are on track to reaping long-term riches. “Man who stand on hill with mouth open will wait long time for roast duck to drop in.” Some people think that announcing their plans to become a rich real estate tycoon to friends and family over the dinner table will somehow make the magic just happen. In property, however, opportunities rarely come knocking or fall into

your lap; you have to seek them out and be prepared to create your own. The big difference between successful investors and the average Australian is that those who succeed have typically set themselves goals and then taken decisive action to achieve them. “A fall into a ditch makes you wiser.” Fact: you’re going to make mistakes when you invest. We all do. It’s not how often you fall in the ditch that matters, however; it’s how often you get up, dust yourself off and try again that matters. I hope you will minimise your mistakes by learning a thing or two from these wise Chinese sayings.

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