Rex December/January 2017/18

TA K M E HO E ME

Dec/Jan 2017/18

TREASURE

ISLAND

Kangaroo Island is bristling with unique wildlife, gastronomic delights and ruggedly beautiful natural wonders

CITY OF DISCOVERY

5 fantastic reasons to visit Melbourne this summer

OUTBACK WRANGLER

A hair-raising ride with croc-wrestling conservationist Matt Wright

CYCLE OF YOUR LIFE The best biking events around the country

AUTO REVIEW • ENTERTAINMENT • ART & CULTURE • MINING & INDUSTRY • EDUCATION

MAKE TIME and memories.

Port Lincoln, Eyre Peninsula

To the west of South Australia stretches a coastline that few have had the privilege to see. The Eyre Peninsula offers some of the world’s most stunning scenery and enticingly fresh seafood.

Taste the region’s famous local oysters, tuna, crayfish and other seafood delights. Swim with playful sea lions or cage dive with great white sharks.

You can even take a seafood cooking class if you prefer to cook your own!

In fact, whether you fish, surf, hike or simply like to indulge, you’ll find a journey that’s awash with surprise and seaside adventure.

Find out more at southaustralia.com

Get in ! touch EDITOR Zoe Meunier zoe.meunier@edge.agency ART DIRECTOR Guy Pendlebury ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS EDITOR Jiyan Dessens SUB-EDITOR Merran White CONTRIBUTORS Darren Baguley, Tom Davies, Deborah Dickson-Smith, Jiyan Dessens, Roderick Eime, David Gilchrist, Jane Hodges, Huw Kingston, Berwyn Lewis PRINTER SOS Print & Media ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Scott Hunt Phone: 02 8962 2600 scott.hunt@edge.agency NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Peter Anderson Phone: 02 8962 2600 peter.anderson@edge.agency WA & NT ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Kylee Dixon Phone: 0421 022 004 kylee.dixon@edge.agency Nicole Prioste Phone: 0410 618 331 nicole.prioste@edge.agency MANAGING PARTNERS Fergus Stoddart, Richard Parker

Read and share Outthere online at issuu.com/edgeinflight

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

Editor's letter

T

here's something so appealing about the sound of Kangaroo Island – and happily, the reality of this ruggedly beautiful landscape and wildlife haven more than lives up to its magical moniker, with gourmet delicacies, luxurious accommodation and an abundance of activities just the icing on the cake.

This issue, I also had the pleasure of taking a trip to Melbourne – while it's not my first visit to the Victorian capital, what I love the most is that there is always something new, quirky and quintessentially Melbourne to enjoy there. Think glamping in a tent on a rooftop in the CBD; taking a sensory, sightless experience through a virtual Melbourne with only a cane to guide me; or exploring an art gallery in which I can get inside the artworks and you get a sense of the diversity on offer in this amazing city.

Also in this issue, I'm excited to present our Indigenous special. We look back in history to explore the fascinating Gwion Gwion rock art; we examine how the Elcho Island weavers are making their mark in the world of high-end homewares; and delight in one man's dream to create Australia's first 500-strong didgeridoo orchestra.

It's been a pleasure being able to showcase the diversity and beauty of every corner of our marvellous country.

Enjoy getting Outthere!

Zoe Meunier, Editor

1

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contents

19

06 Rex News 1 5 Port Profile 1 6 Work/life balance Achieve it at Cavpower.

1 9 Treasure Island

Discover the hidden gems of Kangaroo Island.

25 Resilient wineries

How wine makers are combatting climate change.

37 Wonderful Whyalla

The ideal summer getaway.

40 Puzzles

LIFESTYLE 01 ENTERTAINMENT 03 WHAT'S ON 05 CULTURE CLUB 10 TRAVEL NEWS 13 A TASTE OF ORANGE This country town is producing world-class cuisine.

DESTINATION 18 DANGEROUS TERRITORY Brave the crocodile-infested world of Outback Wrangler, Matt Wright.

23 CYCLE OF YOUR LIFE The best biking events around Australia.

30 INDIGENOUS SPECIAL The first 500-piece didgeridoo orchestra; the history of the Gwion Gwion paintings; the Elcho Island weavers making their mark in high-end design.

INDUSTRY 45 AUTO REVIEW The history of Triumph motorbikes.

51 ENERGISING THE FUTURE Is lithium mining's saviour?

59 RURAL INSURANCE Are you adequately covered?

18

67 WOMEN IN MINING Making their mark.

73 EDUCATION SPECIAL Schools and universities.

89 REX DIRECTORY Place to see & things to do around the country.

3

be with family Whatever stage of your career you’re in, we’ve got a roster and lifestyle to match. Cavpower, the Caterpillar® dealer for South Australia, are a family-owned and operated business that prides itself on looking after its employees and understands the importance of work/life balance.

We offer family-friendly, flexible work options with above-award wages and have plenty of roster opportunities at one of our many locations around the state. So, if you’re tired of the FIFO lifestyle, are missing out on special occasions like birthdays, children’s sporting events, school graduations and Christmases, or are looking for real worklife balance, join our team and be back with your family.

To view our current opportunities or to register your interest visit our Careers page on our website or contact our Human Resources team on (08) 8343 1600 or email careers@cavpower.com.

www.cavpower.com

Bamaga NPA

Mornington Island (Gununa)

Doomadgee

Burketown

Karumba Normanton

Cairns

Townsville Mount Isa

Richmond

Julia Creek

Hughenden

Winton Longreach

Boulia Bedourie

Birdsville

Windorah

Quilpie

Charleville

Brisbane Thargomindah

Coober Pedy

Wellcamp/ Toowoomba

St George

Cunnamulla

Lismore Grafton Armidale Broken Hill

Perth

Cobar Dubbo

Port Augusta

Ceduna

Taree

Whyalla

Albany

Parkes

Mildura

Esperance

Griffith

Adelaide

Port Lincoln

Wagga Narrandera/ Wagga Leeton Albury

Kingscote

(Kangaroo Island)

Melbourne

Mount Gambier

Dear friends of

King Island Burnie

Welcome to the December/January issue of Outthere.

If you’re a regular traveller with Rex, you will be keenly aware of the variety, vibrancy and uniqueness that regional Australia has to offer. Perhaps you were born and bred in regional Australia and love the sense of community that is embodied in your neck of the woods, or perhaps you spend your working weeks travelling to regional communities to contribute your services in areas such as government, medicine or education.

Member for Dubbo and NSW Minister for Police and Minister for Emergency Services, Troy Grant has a foot in both positions. From regional NSW, he has spent his working life travelling around the state through his time as a country cop and now in his current political career.

In this edition of Outthere he reflects on the progress and improvements to regional NSW, and the people who have made that happen, many of whom he

meets on his travels with Rex. It would be a familiar story for many of you who also do a regular commute.

Regional Australia is also full of iconic destinations and experiences for tourists, both domestic and from abroad. From Bamaga to Burnie, to the beaches in the east and those in the west, regional Australia showcases just how vast and diverse this country is. With Rex’s 60 destinations throughout regional Australia, where will 2018 take you?

We wish you all a happy and safe festive season, and we look forward to seeing you onboard again in the new year.

Until next time, from all 1,000 of us at Rex, Air Link, Pel-Air and AAPA, we invite you to sit back, relax and let us do the flying.

The Rex Team

Newcastle

Orange Bathurst

Sydney

Moruya Cooma (Snowy Mtns) Merimbula

Ballina

(Byron Bay)

© David Morrell

rexnews

Ground staff at Port Augusta airport alongside Rex SA Sales Manager Kylie Good (second from left) and Port Augusta Mayor Sam Johnson (middle).

Rex Launches Port Augusta Services ON MONDAY 11 September Rex launched its new air service between Port Augusta and Adelaide.

Rex was awarded the route licence to operate passenger air services following an expression of interest by the South Australian government after the previous operator exited the route in May 2017.

Rex now operates three return services per week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, providing up to 10,000 seats a year.

The service also extends through to Coober Pedy, which is the first time that there are air services linking Port Augusta to Coober Pedy, significantly enhancing the connectivity of these two cities for business, government, mining, and tourism-related travel.

Sala ‘Island Home’

Exhibition At Adelaide Airport CURATED BY Carollyn Kavanagh, the Island Home exhibition was held at Adelaide Airport as part of the 2017 South Australian Living Artists Festival (SALA) from 28 July–19 September. Artists included: Michael Chorney, Christina Gollan, Dana Kinter, Harry Koch, Peter MacDonald, Stephen Trebilcock, Laura Wills, and Alice Blanch.

Rex supported the exhibition with two return flights that were presented to a lucky exhibition visitor.

6

rexnews

Going from strength to strength in regional NSW Troy Grant is Member for Dubbo and NSW Minister for Police and Minister for Emergency Services.

REX HAS flown me the length and breadth of NSW. I have covered a lot of ground since being elected as the State Member for Dubbo in 2011.

I love my job and the places it takes me. As a son of regional NSW, nothing has given me greater satisfaction than seeing the progress and improvements to so many destinations on the flight map.

It would be easy to lament the amount of travel my job involves but the living-out-of-asuitcase lifestyle is easily offset by the people you meet along the way.

It is always an eclectic crowd on board with Rex. I appreciate the friendly advice from locals, but mainly I’m heartened to hear their stories.

Whether it is doctors, nurses, engineers or other professionals, I know they’re on their way out to a small town to make a difference. Often I’ll meet businesspeople who are choosing to invest in country NSW. It has been especially encouraging to see more tourists on board Rex planes, making their way to the wineries for a weekend of fine food and beautiful scenery, to Taronga Western Plains Zoo for a luxury safari, or up to Ballina or down to Bega for a beach break.

Our regions have so much to offer, and Rex is playing an important role, not just in connecting our country communities, but

when she was born. Taylor arrived six weeks allowing so many Australians to see their very early and had to be airlifted to Dubbo Hospital, own backyard. where the wonderful staff looked after her and In the various portfolios I have held, I’ve my wife Toni. I am eternally grateful for the work been lucky enough to visit many NSW towns they did then, and the work they do to this day to deliver good news. Whether it’s funding for our community. I can’t wait to see the new for bricks and mortar, or the expansion and improved hospital up and running in full in of key government services, the genuine the coming years. appreciation and sense of civic duty in My 15-year-old son Hamish is a rising soccer regional NSW never wanes. star and his talent has truly been nurtured by Because after all, towns like Broken Hill, our local sporting clubs in Dubbo.

Taree, Griffith, Lismore and Dubbo thrive not That’s the beauty of living in regional NSW just on the support of government, but on – if you stick around for long what each and every member enough and build your life there, of their community invests and “Our towns you get to see the services and contributes. The people are truly represent a facilities you come to rely on go what makes regional NSW hum.

Our towns represent a rich rich tapestry from strength to strength.

While there are lots of tapestry of enterprise, initiative of enterprise, fantastic Rex routes, my favourite and hard work.

Before I made the leap initiative and one is always the journey home to Dubbo. There is nothing quite of faith into politics, I was a hard work” as inspiring as flying over the country cop. I moved around region you’re privileged enough the state a lot and have fond to represent. When I see cranes in the sky and memories and friends scattered across the roadworks underway, I know the future is bright state from my time in the NSW Police. for regional NSW. My own family has truly thrived in the And it’d be hard not to love the carrier that regions too. My 18-year-old daughter Taylor, gets you home safely to loved ones after a long who will go to university in Canberra next week (or three) away at work. year, still loves visiting Walgett where we lived

7

jack estate c o o N aWa R R a

Respect the past, cReate the FutuRe jackestate.com

rexnews A Chop p His job er, a saviour from a is to h elp bo And he did tha those peop ve.

A Chop le in n t quite e per is one of well if you a ed sk me my sup er her From C oes. h ~ Jaco opper b, Yea r 8, Or ange C hristia n Scho ol

Poetry Takes

Flight

CURIOSITY CONNECTS students from Alice Springs to Hobart as budding poets create works inspired by the inner worlds of treasured objects.

Over 190 school communities across Australia and New Zealand joined Red Room Poetry Object 2017 to publish 3400 original poems, making it the largest writing competition for students and teachers.

To celebrate regional students Red Room Poetry partnered with Rex to offer special prize packs, including flights to their destination of choice, for Primary and Secondary students living in Rex destinations. Orange Christian School student Jacob and Eloise from Grafton Public School were surprised to find out they had won.

“I immediately thought of something I could write about. My grandparents had given me a soft toy of a helicopter after my experience in Sydney. It was a symbolic gift,” Jacob shares.

Red Room Poetry partnered with Rex to offer special prize packs

wrie shells ful rough co arfish. ti u a e b e I hold th n a dry st a wish upo And make air y of the salt The scent r ja e und th Lingers aro e ocean ift from th g g n A parti So far. ea in a Jar ool From The S n Public Sch r 5, Grafto a Ye , e is lo ~E

Eloise with her jar of seashells.

FIND OUT MORE

Jacob and his chopper.

He had been born premature and was airlifted from Orange to Sydney to seek medical help.

Winning Rex Primary poet Eloise explores a constellation of memories in her jar of seashells. From Ballina to Noosa, she had collected souvenirs from family trips to the beach. Eloise says she didn’t have to search far for inspiration as her jar contained vivid memories of the places and the people she loves. “The words just rolled off my pen,” she admits.

Grafton Public School teacher Kate Robertson encouraged her students to write poems for themselves instead of for their teachers. “The kids really embraced Poetry Object writing prompts. The objects they chose to write about were so diverse!”

In collaboration with the Australian Association for the Teaching of English (AATE), Red Room Poetry will release the second edition of their popular Poems to Share publication in July 2018. Teachers and students can explore new poetic pathways with 40 poetry writing prompts inspired by works commissioned for the Poetry Object program.

Register now for Poetry Object 2018 redroomcompany.org

Red Room Poetry’s vision is to make poetry a meaningful part of everyday life. Our mission is to make poetry accessible to all. redroomcompany.org

What ACTIVITY is memoyour earlie st r y wit trea Creat sured objeh a e you d a poem w ct? memoescribe thehere objec ries from se t’s po int of the view.

9

NOW FLYING TO PORT AUGUSTA MONDAY, TUESDAY & THURSDAY Origin

Dest.

Dep.

Arr.

Flt #

Adelaide

Port Augusta

9:10 am

10:05 am

ZL4412

Port Augusta

Coober Pedy

10:25 am

11:45 am

ZL4412

Coober Pedy

Port Augusta

12:05 pm

1:25 pm

ZL4413

Port Augusta

Adelaide

1:45 pm

2:40 pm

ZL4413

Schedule is effective 11 September 2017 and is subject to change

Photo credit: Cathy Finch Photography

CONNECTING REGIONAL QUEENSLAND With 24 Rex destinations in Queensland, holiday options with Rex Airlines are almost as endless as the vast blue Outback Queensland skyline.

Discover dinosaur digs in Richmond, uncover opals in Quilpie, catch a giant barramundi in Normanton, visit the most northern tip of Australia in Bamaga and swim the world heritage coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns or Townsville.

Direct flights are available from Cairns to Townsville or Mount Isa, making a quick business trip or short holiday easy for all. Convenient connections from Mount Isa and Townsville are also available to our Northern and Western routes. With numerous Rex ports offering car hire, see this magnificent region from both the air and on the ground in the same trip.

Discover Queensland the quickest way with Rex Airlines.

rexnews

Frequently Asked Questions As you sit back in comfort en route to your destination, the Rex crew hope you enjoy this interesting and informative light reading.

Q. Why do the flight attendants insist that all window blinds be up for take-off?

A. The most critical phases of a flight are the take-off and the landing. In the most unlikely event of a situation that requires an emergency evacuation, it is important that crew and passengers are able to have a clear view of the outside conditions in case of obstructions. For example, before exits are opened, staff must check for fire or other obstacles that may present potential hazards during the evacuation.

Q. Why do you have to stow your hand luggage in the overhead lockers, under the seats or in the seat pockets for take-off and landing?

A. Flight crews are required by Civil Aviation Regulations to secure the cabin as well as possible for take-off and landing. As mentioned, these are the most critical phases of the flight and securing as much hand luggage as possible ensures that in the unlikely event of an emergency, the exits and aisles stay as clear as possible, in case evacuation is necessary. It is also important to keep hand luggage secure whenever possible to ensure that heavier items do not become airborne within the cabin. This is especially important when the aircraft is experiencing turbulence.

Q. Why do you feel so tired from flying?

A. As the aircraft altitude increases, air pressure decreases. As the pressure of the air decreases, the body absorbs less oxygen than it would at sea level – therefore, it must work harder to supply oxygen to the body’s cells. As the body is working harder, it becomes more tired.

Q. Why do you sometimes feel pain in your ears or sinuses during ascent or descent?

A. The sinuses and middle ear are air-containing cavities that connect with the nose via narrow channels. As aircraft ascend and cabin pressure drops, air passes out of these cavities (without any effort from the passenger) to balance the cabin pressure. It is a different matter during descent, as the cabin pressure increases. The channels close down and must be actively opened by holding the nose and blowing to inflate the cavities. Facial and ear pain can occur

during descent if re-inflation does not occur, and this is much more likely if the passenger has nasal congestion. If you must fly with a cold or hayfever, use a decongestant nasal spray before descent and buy some ‘ear planes’ to plug your ears. (Information contributed by Dr Daniel Hains, ENT Surgeon.)

Q. When can electronic equipment such as laptops, iPods and mobile phones be used?

A. All Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) must be placed in flight mode inside the departure terminal and must remain in flight mode until inside the arrival terminal. Small handheld PEDs weighing less than 1kg, such as mobile phones, can be used in flight mode during all stages of flight on Rex’s Saab 340 aircraft. PEDs over 1kg, such as laptop computers, must be stowed appropriately for taxi, take-off and landing, and are permitted to be used only during cruise when the ‘Fasten Seatbelt’ sign is switched off. PEDs cannot be used while crossing the tarmac.

Q. What is the average speed of the aircraft when cruising in-flight?

A. Approximately 500 kilometres per hour.

Q. Why do you have to get permission from the Captain to move to a vacant seat?

A. The aircraft’s take-off speed is calculated by the weight and balance of the aircraft, and many factors need to be considered for a successful take-off. Factors include the weight of passengers and where they are seated, the weight of cargo, freight and fuel, the distance available on the runway et cetera. For example, if there are 100 or more kilograms of freight in the cargo, the balance of the aircraft will be better maintained if passengers are seated in the forward rows.

AIR TURBULENCE Q. Aircraft often experience air turbulence, but what causes it?

A. Imagine the air around the aircraft is water in a stream. We can see how water is disturbed around rocks or when two streams converge.

Turbulence in the air is similar: as the aircraft passes through cold air or in the vicinity of terrain that has disturbed the airflow – often incorrectly

referred to as ‘air pockets’ – the aircraft climbs and descends in the same way that a boat moves on water. Though turbulence can be uncomfortable, it poses no threat to the aircraft and is akin to driving on a rough or unsealed road. More severe turbulence can be associated with developing thunderstorms. The Saab 340 has a sophisticated weather radar that pilots use to avoid these areas. Occasionally, a flight attendant will discontinue serving passengers in turbulent conditions; this is a precaution to ensure everyone’s safety.

Q. Why should you keep your seatbelt fastened even when the ‘Fasten Seatbelt’ sign is switched off?

A. On occasions, the flight crew cannot foresee turbulence or it is not picked up on the flight-deck radar. Because of this, we could unexpectedly experience turbulence at any time. The company recommends that you always keep your seatbelt fastened while you are seated – for your safety, just in case unexpected turbulence is encountered.

ENGINE NOISES Q. Why do the aircraft’s engine noises change during flight?

A. Aircraft need more power to climb than to descend, in the same way that a car needs more power to go up a hill than down one. The Saab 340 turboprop has more than enough power to climb, so shortly after take-off you will notice a change in noises as the power is reduced.

The pilots also control the pitch angle of the propellers for various stages of the flight and as they ‘change gears’, this can also be heard in the cabin.

Q. What should you do if you see or hear something that does not look or sound right or normal?

A. Please advise your flight attendant. He or she may be able to answer your query and allay any fears. If not, the flight attendant will contact the flight deck and advise the pilots of anything unusual. Rex encourages open communication and will always treat a passenger’s concerns with the utmost seriousness.

11

Exercise and stretch regularly while seated SEATED EXERCISES

Inflight comfort

ANKLE CIRCLES Lift feet off floor; draw a circle with the toes, simultaneously moving one foot clockwise and the other foot counterclockwise. Reverse circles.

Do each direction for 15 seconds. Repeat if desired.

FOOT PUMPS Start with both heels on the floor and point feet upward as high as you can. Then put both feet flat on the floor. Then lift heels high, keeping the balls of your feet on the floor. Continue cycle in 30-second intervals.

Flying can be demanding and altitude may make your body more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and caffeine.

Sitting in one place for a long time can be uncomfortable and can slow down your blood circulation. To help your body adjust to flying and to maintain your personal comfort and wellbeing, we recommend you take the following steps: Keep hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids – water, juice, non-caffeinated soft drinks – to prevent dehydration, fatigue and headaches. Minimise intake of alcohol and coffee. Moisten the face to help reduce the drying effects of cabin air.

Eat lightly. Eat lightly on longer flights to avoid indigestion – our inflight menu is designed to provide lighter meal options.

KNEE LIFTS Lift leg with knee bent while contracting your thigh muscle. Alternate legs. Repeat 20 to 30 times for each leg.

SHOULDER ROLLS Hunch shoulders forward, then upward, then backward, then downward, using a gentle circular motion.

ARM CURLS Arms held at 90° angles, elbows down, hands in front. Raise hands up to chest and back down. Alternate hands. Repeat in 30-second intervals.

SEATED STRETCHES

Exercise. We encourage you to do the gentle onboard exercises on this page to enhance your wellbeing during the flight.

We recommend you do these exercises for about five minutes every one to two hours. You should also occasionally walk down the aisles, as space permits. In addition, we recommend that you avoid crossing your legs.

Please note: you should not do any of these exercises if they cause you pain or cannot be done with ease.

KNEE TO CHEST Bend forward slightly.

Clasp hands around left knee and hug it to your chest. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds.

Keeping hands around knee, slowly let it down. Alternate legs. Repeat 10 times.

SHOULDER STRETCH Reach your right hand over your left shoulder. Place your left hand behind your right elbow and gently press your elbow toward your shoulder. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

12

FORWARD FLEX With both feet on the floor and stomach held in, slowly bend forward and walk your hands down the front of your legs toward your ankles. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds, then slowly sit back up.

NECK ROLLS With shoulders relaxed, drop your ear to one shoulder and gently roll your neck forward and to the other side, holding each position for five seconds. Repeat five times.

OVERHEAD STRETCH Raise both hands straight up over your head. With one hand, grasp the wrist of the opposite hand and gently pull to one side. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Please note: You should not do any of these exercises if they cause you pain or cannot be done with ease.

Moving about the aircraft. You may move about the aircraft as space permits and when the seatbelt sign is off.

However, when the seatbelt sign is on you are required to remain seated with the seatbelt fastened.

If you feel unwell, tell the cabin crew.

They can assist with the more common inflight complaints and, if necessary, can seek further advice and assistance for you.

On descent. Ears and sinuses can cause discomfort, due to the change in air pressure on descent. To minimise discomfort: • yawn or swallow frequently; and • pinch your nostrils together and blow firmly into your cheeks with your mouth closed.

If you have ongoing discomfort, seek the advice of the cabin crew.

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High Flyer?

The Rex Cadet Pilot Programme From zero to FO (First Officer) within 14 months*

Find out more at www.aapa.net.au

Programmes Offered

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Graduate with a AVI50215 DIPLOMA OF AVIATION (COMMERCIAL PILOT LICENCE - AEROPLANE) AVI50415 DIPLOMA OF AVIATION (INSTRUMENT RATING)

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North Atlantic Ocean 1991 With 10,000 watts of light and a pair of new submersibles, the Titanic comes to life two and a half miles down Photo by Emory Kristof

Kabul, Afghanistan 1967 Covered by a traditional chadri, an Afghan woman balances caged goldfinches at a market in Kabul. Thomas J. Abercrombie

Experience the most captivating imagery from the magazine’s near 130 year history.

BURNIE REGIONAL ART GALLERY 20 January – 15 April 2018 www.burniearts.net

Exhibition Partner

portprofile

BEAUTY AND BOUNTY

IN BURNIE

N

estled on the island state’s north-west coast among the shoals of Bass Strait, the thriving metropolis of Burnie is home to natural wonders, fine local food and brews, and a vibrant creative community.

Off the beaten track

Tasmania is known for its worldclass gourmet offerings and Burnie upholds the tradition. From creamy Camembert and fresh cherries to boutique whisky brewed from local barley and scrumptious seafood and coffee, there’s something to please every palate.

Start with a pit stop at Burnie Farmers’ Market – the oldest of its kind in Tasmania – where premium locally grown produce goes straight from farm gate to fork. Next, eat your heart out at The Cheese Shop – everything is made footsteps from the tasting room using fresh fullcream milk sourced from over 100 dairy farms, all within a 120-kilometre radius of Burnie.

Finish by drinking your fill at Hellyers Road, Australia’s largest – and most awarded – boutique whisky distillery.

Meet the makers

With the closure of Burnie’s celebrated pulp paper mill, its industrial history is in the past, but a burgeoning creative community has well and truly unfolded.

Watch paper being hand-made by skilled craftspeople at Creative Paper, where artisans use local fibres as varied as roo poo, apple pulp, lavender and leaves found in nearby rainforests to create beautiful folios, journals, cards and other stunning paper products.

Be sure to visit Burnie Regional

Art Gallery, well known for supporting and showcasing the works of local artisans. From 20 January to 15 April 2018, the gallery will also display the unmissable Washington DC exhibition 50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic, showcasing the most compelling imagery of the magazine’s near 130-year history.

The Makers’ Workshop, a vibrant creative hub, also provides studios for craftspeople and artists where they can exhibit their work and demonstrate their specialised skills and techniques, from working with glass, timber and ceramics to hand-making paper, textiles, prints and paintings.

Chasing waterfalls

Tasmania’s scenic natural beauty is unparalleled, and visitors to Burnie and surrounds can enjoy some of the best bushwalks, views and vistas in Australia.

The staff at the city’s Visitor Information Centre will be only too happy to direct keen hikers to the best spots, but be sure to visit one of many nearby waterfalls.

Oldaker Falls is just a stone’s throw from the city centre at the southern end of Burnie Park, but head out into the hills beyond and you won’t be disappointed. Start with Guide Falls, a two-tiered cascade just 19 kilometres from Burnie, and enjoy Sanderson and St George Falls, which are also nearby.

In the afternoon, relax and enjoy the spectacular scenery by the falls or along Burnie’s beautiful coastline of pristine beaches. Lovers of wildlife should stop by Fern Glade Reserve and take a long walk along the banks of the Emu River – you might even spot a platypus if you’re lucky!

Burnie, Tasmania

From stunning vistas to gourmet delights and a creative community, vibrant Burnie has a great deal to offer.

15

specialfeature

WORK/LIFE BALANCE AT

CAVPOWER

by Zoe Meunier

C

hristmas and New Year can be a tough time for FIFO (fly in/ fly out) workers. Precious time spent with family and loved ones can throw into focus the challenges of separation and raise questions of how sustainable the lifestyle is, so it’s not surprising it’s a time of year that also sees the greatest attrition in the work force.

For workers tiring of the FIFO lifestyle – or even for those who aren’t but who are looking for more flexibility, stability and growth in their career – there’s a family-friendly, flexible option to be found at Cavpower.

Based in Adelaide and with 12 locations and around 500 employees, Cavpower is the Caterpillar dealership in South Australia offering products and services to support industries including construction, agriculture, government, mining, landscaping, power generation, marine, oil and gas and on-highway trucks. But beyond the appeal of big bulldozers and dump trucks, the company prides itself on being a family organisation that looks after its own and understands the importance of work/life balance.

“We understand time with families is really important in different stages of your life,” explains Cavpower’s COO, Mark 16

Garrard. “While you’re young and fit and healthy, it’s great to do the FIFO thing and enjoy the spoils of disposable income, but if you want to look long term and build a career, Cavpower offers the opportunity to diversify your career, retrain, reskill and re-educate, without breaking your tenure.”

Mark explains that Cavpower has plenty of roster opportunities within the organisation and will happily move staff around to suit their lifestyles or personal needs.

“So if you’re doing a 14 and seven FIFO roster and your wife’s about to give birth, we can pull you out of that roster and put you in a nine to five role based in Adelaide… whatever stage of your career you’re in, we’ve got a roster and a lifestyle to match.”

With options to work in metro Adelaide, branches around the state, mine sites, oil and gas fields, FIFO, residential and more, the diversity at Cavpower is vast and the chance for career enhancement is strong – being the dealer for Caterpillar, the number one mining and earthmoving business in

the world, all training is done to a global standard, with skills learnt that can see you working anywhere around the world.

“The key ethos of Cavpower is that we like to promote within and give young men and women the opportunity to grow their careers within one organisation,” Mark explains.

He should know, having spent 27 years with the company since finishing his boilermaker apprenticeship.

Working hard on the workshop floor, in mine sites and in power systems in his younger years, Mark reached a career crossroads in his thirties. He moved into sales and marketing and continued to expand his portfolio over the last 17 years to his current role as COO. “It’s been an amazing journey for me and I’m not the only one who’s come up through the ranks – several senior managers have come up from a trade background through this organisation,” Mark says.

So if you’re at that same crossroads in life, contact Cavpower today to discuss your future.

Cavpower has plenty of roster opportunities within the organisation and will happily move staff around to suit their lifestyles or personal needs.

PREMIERE LANE ∙ HIGH LIFE BY THE RIVER A unique collection of 20 Boutique Apartments in the heart of Dubbo, one of Australia’s fastest growing regional cities.

Premiere Lane provides an outstanding selection of architecturally designed one, two and three bedroom apartments all with generously sized balconies and some with terrace gardens and roof top terraces.

Apartments that offer security and position without compromising space and comfort.

Arrange an appointment today on 0419 433 765 or visit premierelane.com.au for more information.

t. 0419 433 765 e. info@premierelane.com.au w. premierelane.com.au

FEATURES • • • • • • • • • • • •

Electronic access control to the building and car park Abundant storage space North facing living areas Expansive views over the river corridor Superior fixtures and fittings High ceilings throughout Fully ducted air conditioning Timber floors to living areas Wool carpet to bedrooms European appliances Stone bench tops Old English style tap ware

BLAYNEY & VILLAGES

• Barry • Carcoar • Hobbys Yards • Kings Plains • Lyndhurst • Mandurama • Millthorpe • Neville • Newbridge

Indulge in the region’s vibrant local festivals, beautiful gardens, sporting pursuits, fresh produce, rich culture, arts community and heritage.

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Spring Flower Show Lyndhurst Market Day Carcoar Show Carcoar Cup Running Festival Millthorpe Garden Ramble Neville Show

Millthorpe Markets Blayney Carols by Candlelight Millfest Carcoar Australia Day Parade and Street Fair Newbridge Swap Meet & Market Day

B2B Cycling Festival Blayney Hay Bale Art Challenge Blayney Show Textures of One Art Exhibition & Arts Festival Blayney Book Fair Millthorpe Markets Millamolong Polo Carnival Lyndhurst Team Penning

Newbridge Winter Solstice Festival Winter Wonderland activities Community Movie Night Carcoar Bright Lights and Whimsical Nights

Monthly Pym Street Markets, Millthorpe Acoustic Sundays, Millthorpe Blayney Farmers’ Markets

Orange Forest Reefs

BLAYNEY

Lyndhurst Neville

Cowra

Blayney Shire Visitor Information Centre 97 Adelaide Street, Blayney • Ph 02 6368 3534 • Fx 02 6368 4360

Millthorpe

Carcoar Mandurama

See the ‘What’s On’ events listing at www.blayney.nsw.gov.au 18

Bathurst

Newbridge Barry Hobbys Yards Trunkey Creek

#warmwelcome #historicvillages

WORDS: Jo McKay

TREASURE ISLAND

It’s Australia’s answer to the Galapagos: a 4,400-squarekilometre, ruggedly beautiful land mass off the coast of South Australia, bristling with unique wildlife and jaw-dropping scenery.

But alongside Kangaroo Island’s abundant animal life and remote landscapes, there’s a burgeoning food scene and a host of activities to entertain and enthral.

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destination

Aerial view of Kangaroo Island, showing Snellings Beach.

It’s probably no surprise to find that an island named for its kangaroos harbours a hefty population of them: there are at least 250,000, outnumbering locals more than 50 to 1 Nature & wildlife It’s probably no surprise to find that an island named for its kangaroos harbours a hefty population of them: there are at least 250,000, outnumbering locals more than 50 to one. And they aren’t the only species in profusion: more than a million tammar wallabies and around 50,000 koalas call the island home. Yep, if you want to hang with the animals, you’ve come to the right place.

Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (hansonbay.com.au) is the perfect starting point: the 5,000-acre (2,023-hectare) 20

wilderness offers daily tours to spot sleepy koalas in the trees – it’s likely you’ll spot anywhere from five to 30 in one session – while on the 90-minute nocturnal tour, you might see koalas, tammar wallabies, roos, echidnas, bats and possums.

Further east, Raptor Domain (kangarooislandbirdsofprey.com.au) will thrill youngsters with the chance to get up close with kookaburras, hobby falcons, kestrels and owls as well as pythons, goannas, lizards and more.

For more animal action, head to nearby Seal Bay Conservation Park

(environment.sa.gov.au/sealbay/home) to marvel at sea lions basking in the sun – there can be up to 150 on this stretch of beach at any given time.

Back in the west, near Admirals Arch, is a colony of long-nosed fur-seals (also known as New Zealand fur seals).

Here, you can watch baby seals frolic in the waves while the parents loll among the rockery. These creatures might be a bit on the nose – they spend their days chomping raw fish, after all – but they are heart-meltingly adorable.

Admirals Arch is within Flinders Chase National Park (environment. sa.gov.au/parks), which boasts some of the island’s most iconic scenery: Cape du Couedic Lighthouse, the Arch itself and the Remarkable Rocks – a beguiling geological formation for which every visitor to KI should make time.

Other sights to put on your must-visit list include the pristine beach at Vivonne Bay (a regular on Australia’s best beaches lists); Lathami Conservation Park, a habitat of the endangered glossy black cockatoo; and the aquamarine waters of Snellings Beach and Stokes Bay.

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Food & wine KI has a rich agricultural heritage – farming and fishing have been the island’s mainstay industries for more than century – so it’s no surprise that it’s become a hotspot for foodies. Exploring the island’s food scene under your own steam is easy: Kangaroo Island Farmers Markets at Penneshaw, held on the first Sunday of every month, are a brilliant entree to the island’s producers.

Food, wine and sunsets at Sunset Food & Wine.

You can also visit many farm gates: our picks are Island Pure Sheep Dairy (islandpure.com.au), The Oyster Farm Shop, Island Beehive (island-beehive. com.au) and Clifford’s Honey Farm (cliffordshoney.com.au) – the island is home to the purest strain of Ligurian honey bees in the world – as well as Andermel Marron (andermel.com), which doubles as a cellar door for Two Wheeler Creek Wines.

Kangaroo Island Spirits.

In fact, there’s a strong drinks industry here: oenophiles should hit Dudley Wines (dudleywines.com.au), Bay of Shoals Wines (bayofshoalswines.com.au), and the newly opened Tasting Room at The Islander Estate Vineyards (iev.com.au); for hopslovers, there are tasting paddles and six rotating on-tap beers at Kangaroo Island Brewery (kangarooislandbrewery.com.au); and you can sample five gins, two vodkas and seven liqueurs at small-batch distillery KIS (kispirits.com.au).

While producers have long had a foothold on KI, decent restaurants have been scarce on the ground. Thankfully, a raft of newcomers are changing that – now, you can dine under a sprawling ‘enchanted’ fig tree or in a rustic shearing shed with Hannaford & Sachs (hannafordandsachs.com.au),who also offer delicious in-house catering and private chef experiences; enjoy six-course tasting menus and knockout views at Sunset Food & Wine (sunsetfoodandwine. com); or take the hands-on approach, with a seasonal cooking class and lunch with Kate Sumner of Kangaroo Island Source (kangarooislandsource.com.au), who champions local produce and ingredients in her memorable cuisine.

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destination

Spend a day angling in the beautiful waters with Emu Bay Fishing Charters.

INFO GUIDE

LUXURY LODGINGS One of the country’s most stunning retreats, Southern Ocean Lodge, is perched on a cliff-top near the southwestern tip of KI. The 21-suite boutique stay has a warm, convivial atmosphere, plus a suite of signature tours, so while it’s a no-brainer for couples, it’s also a smart option for solo travellers looking for a luxe retreat. southernoceanlodge.com.au

Action and activities Want to get the adrenaline pumping?

Look no further than Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action (kioutdooraction.com. au): try sandboarding or tobogganing at Little Sahara (a sand-dune system on the south of the island), quad-biking or fatbiking through more than 30 kilometres of bush and coastal tracks, or kayaking the Harriet River and Vivonne Bay. For a less frenetically-paced endeavour, sign up with Emu Bay Fishing Charters (emubayfishingcharters.com.au), which includes all ice, bait and tackle – plus you’ll get to keep your fish at the end of the day.

Another standout on-water experience is Kangaroo Island Marine Adventures’ Island Explorer Tour, which includes swimming with dolphins (kimarineadventures.com.au).

Back on land, occasional amblers can explore the island’s 30-plus trails, while serious hikers should book in advance

Get the adrenaline pumping with Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action sandboarding.

22

for the excellent 61-kilometre, five-day Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail in Flinders Chase National Park.

And if itinerary-planning sounds like a drag, seek out Kangaroo Island Odysseys (kangarooislandodysseys.com. au), who offer single- and multi-day expeditions focusing on food and wine, wildlife or nature; Kangaroo Island Wilderness Tours (wildernesstours.com. au), who run luxury 4WD tours perfect for couples; and Exceptional Kangaroo Island, for small-group and bespoke private tours (exceptionalkangarooisland. com) – young travellers will especially appreciate the fully customisable KI for Kids option, which can include anything from sand-boarding to farm visits, ocean exploration and wildlife experiences.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME A furnished house is a practical option for families who want to self-cater – good mid-range options include Blue Wren Beach House at Penneshaw (bluewrenbeachhouse.com.au), which sleeps up to nine, and comfy Carpe Diem at Island Beach, which sleeps six. carpediemislandbeach.com EASY COMFORTS Don’t need a whole house to yourself?

The facilities and location at the wellequipped Aurora Ozone Hotel in Kingscote (ozonehotelki.com.au) is a savvy choice, as is the 38-room Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge at American River (kilodge.com.au), where they also offer wildlife walks around the hotel grounds.

FREE GUIDE

Start your journey on Kangaroo Island here Scan for immediate access

D I S C O V E R A N D P L A N AT

kimap.com.au

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wine industry

RESILIENT WINERIES

In an era of climate change, winemaking and viticulture are giving us examples of tolerance, adaptation and resilience. We look at how some contemporary wineries are tackling the challenge.

WORDS: Tom E A Davies

Orange case studies by Zoe Meunier

iticulture and winemaking have weathered the ages; the oldest ‘wineries’ discovered to date, at sites in Armenia and Sicily, were both estimated to be around 6,000 years old.

The history of humans and wine stretches back even further, to 7,000 BC in China – with some contending humans drank it as long ago as 10,000 BC. In all that time, there have never been changes in atmospheric carbon concentrations or average temperature deviations more dramatic than those

Ross Hill Wines in Orange, NSW. © Pip Farquharson / Ross Hill Wines

we’ve experienced in recent decades.

There is a clear link between carbon emissions and climate change.

If you’re under 32 years old, you’ve never experienced a ‘below-averagetemperature’ year – a changing climate is your normal. However, ask your grandmother about her normal, back when there were predictable seasons, when people knew about how much rain was likely to fall in a particular month and could almost tell the day of the year by the bud burst.

25

fly in to orange and taste our

Now

Open

delicious sm¨orga˚ s bord

SERVING THE FINEST LOCAL PRODUCE FROM AROUND THE CENTRAL WEST – OPEN DAILY, 8AM TO 11PM • R E STAU R A N T, BA R & G R E E N H O U S E • 231-243 Anson Street, Orange NSW 2800 | p: (02) 6362 2666 | e: enquiries@oesc.com.au

wine industry

How times have changed! Currently New South Wales is experiencing the ‘big dry; crop yield forecasts are down 40 per cent and it’s difficult to predict what the next few months’ weather will bring.

This new normal, where there is no normal, presents particular challenges for farmers and winemakers as they strive to produce our favourite tipples – but the emerging practices they’re adopting offer insights into broader farming practices we’ll likely be adopting in the future.

Big business Winemaking is big business in Australia.

Collectively, Australia’s 65 officially designated wine regions contribute more than $40 billion to the national economy and support approximately 170,00 jobs.

Australian wine is sent around the world, with its largest markets being the US, UK and China – the latter still an expanding market.

So how will we continue to meet the expectations of the market in the face of climate change?

There’s a movement developing in the small wineries of Australia, with several in Orange, NSW, leading the charge.

James Sweetapple (owner) at Cargo Road Wines.

© Destination NSW

Cargo Road Wines “In the past 12 months in Orange, we had the wettest winter in history. We then went through the hottest summer in history and have now gone through the hottest, driest winter. Three incredibly significant climate results that should be ringing alarm bells,” says James Sweetapple from Cargo Road Wines.

“All farmers need to take responsibility.

We need other long-term family farmers to stop doing what they’ve always been doing.

It’s going to be a paradigm shift in the way we think.”

Global Temperature and Carbon Dioxide 400

14.7°

14.4°

360 340

14.1°

320 300

13.8°

280 13.6° 1880

1900

1920

1940

1960

1980

2000

Year Figure 1: The relationship between global temperature levels and atmospheric levels of CO2 over time.US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

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CO2 Concentration (ppm)

Global Temperature (°C )

380

Sweetapple has been applying Allan Savory’s Holistic Management™ (HM) techniques, such as focused grazing on small portions of land for limited periods of time, which Savory claims helps to manage and improve soil health.

James also minimises slashing to reduce fuel and has reduced weed-spraying to minimise chemical use.

“I’ve changed the soil from a pH of 4.8 to a pH of 7, and increased the carbon from 0.89 per cent up to 4 per cent,” he says.

HM provides a sound framework for decision-making, James says. “Having a holistic context or goal to test decisions against just struck home, while focusing on the triple bottom line – community, environment and financial – provides such a big picture.”

Educating others and spreading the message is crucial, contends James, who regularly engages in conversations with customers at his cellar door to explain his farming principles – and why his grass is so long!

Ross Hill Wines In 1994, Peter and Terri Robson purchased land in Orange and planted a vineyard that became Ross Hill Wines. Twelve years later, son James Robson and his wife Chrissy took over the business and, in 2008, started what has become Australia’s first and so far, only carbonneutral winery. By 2016, the product joined the business in being certified carbon-neutral.

“Our driving philosophy is that as a family, we will not produce any carbon through our business activities,” says James.

“We’re big believers in climate change and don’t want to be a part of that.”

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wine industry

The Robson family has worked carefully through its processes to cut carbon emissions, including cutting back on tractor hours, reducing the power used in cold stabilisation by 90 per cent and, wherever feasible, making use of solar-generated power, recycling and other green practices, with all residual carbon emissions offset.

“Becoming carbon-neutral was a difficult process,” James recalls. “The Department of Environment is very strict, and that’s fine.

So we had to be systematic and very patient – but now we’re there, it’s really easy to stay carbon-neutral.”

The Robsons have managed to deliver a product to market that is not only a great wine but one that encourages those who drink it to share their philosophy – and James is astounded by how well the market has responded to their carbon-neutrality. This includes large companies with similar carbonreduction goals such as Qantas, he says.

See Saw Wines Justin Jarrett from See Saw Wines began his journey into sustainability in the early ‘80s, influenced by Richard Morton, an environmentalist teaching systems agriculture and holistic thinking at St Joseph’s College.

“To me, it’s just simple good sense,” Justin says. “Instead of looking at a problem and thinking, ‘What’s the solution?’, we look at a problem and think, ‘Why is that problem occurring?’

His philosophy is that wine is a luxury item grown on productive land. As arable land is in limited supply, wine production needs to earn its place in a world straining to produce sufficient essential food.

To justify See Saw Wines’ existence, Justin works hard to improve the land, develop and implement sustainable practices and provide an example of how productive even small tracts of land can be if you apply holistic thinking.

“We’ve planted trees; we’ve taken 20 per cent of our farms to be revegetated; and all our creeks are fenced out,” he explains.

“We’re trying to ensure that if any water leaves the property, it’s crystal clear, so all the waterways on the farm are grassed.”

In the vineyard, as well as composting and mulching continually, Justin and his wife Pip have been monitoring soil-carbon levels since 2009.

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Mountain Ridge Wines (owned by Pip and Tom Davies) on the NSW Shoalhaven Coast.

“We’ve identified carbon as the numberone indicator of soil health,” he says. “If your carbon levels are going up, your soil health is going up – your plants will be happy; your water retention is high; the amount of irrigation you need is less.”

Mountain Ridge Wines Down on the NSW Shoalhaven Coast, Pip and Tom Davies from Mountain Ridge Wines are also setting a new way. When the couple took over Mountain Ridge – a vineyard, working farm, restaurant and cellar door – in early 2017, the property was dilapidated and the business on its last legs. The vineyard and equipment had been left to languish for several years.

“I saw great potential in Mountain Ridge Wines as a means to ‘walk my talk’, and [to] engage the public in environment and sustainability through wine,” says Tom, a founding director of Edge Environment, a Sydney-based business established to catalyse change towards a more ecologically sustainable economy.

“Depending on the season, we typically see between 200 and 500 people per week at Mountain Ridge through our restaurant and cellar door,” he says. “If we can inspire people with what we’re doing here, hopefully they’ll take a piece of it home to their own

lives and build the change we need to adapt as a society.”

New to winemaking, the Davies were sensible enough to employ expert help in reinvigorating the land and vineyards.

“We have set some principles based on holistic thinking and will build on those as we go,” Tom says. One of the first was banishing the use of a chemical called Venom®, typically used to kill pests post-pruning.

“I looked at the active compounds and was horrified – as a trained chemist and custodian of land, I couldn’t put that on it,” he recalls. “Our answer to pests at Mountain Ridge is chickens and guinea fowl. They keep the vineyards free of bugs by cleaning around the vines, then return the bugs as fertiliser – a win-win situation.”

Mountain Ridge’s recent restaurant renovation is another excellent example of using ‘reclaimed’ building materials, with a wall made out of 1,000 wine bottles, the contents of which were consumed on site. Tin from dilapidated farm buildings was used to clad the tasting room and reclaimed Oregon timber was used to construct bars, shelves and tables.

“Our first principle at Mountain Ridge Wines is to leave the world a little better than we found it each day – and inspire others to do the same,” Tom says.

87 BAYLIS STREET, WAGGA WAGGA NSW 2650 | T: 026931 7277

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@wagga.marketplace

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destination

5

REASONS

TO VISIT MELBOURNE

THIS SUMMER

Melbourne is a city that never stays the same – but one constant is that there’s always a unique, quirky and fascinating experience to be had around every corner.

WORDS: ZOE MEUNIER

ith an ever-changing feast of cultural activities, exhibitions and shows; fresh offerings cropping up constantly on its food and bar scenes; and the irresistible lure of world-class sporting spectacles, the one thing you can safely say about Melbourne is that no two visits will be the same. Here are just some of the new and exciting experiences on offer in Victoria’s capital city this summer.

1

Sensational sport Melbourne is a sports-lovers’ mecca – and summer, of course, is all about the tennis. Nothing compares to the thrill of being courtside watching the world’s best duel it out in the Australian Open (15-28 January), although simply soaking up all the atmosphere around Melbourne Park and enjoying the acts on the AO Live Stage comes pretty close. ausopen.com Obsessed with sport of every kind? Get an insider’s view by taking a Melbourne Sports Tour, a fun interactive tour of the

‘sporting capital of the world’ on which your hosts will take you on a behind-thescenes journey around the city’s worldclass sporting venues, from the hallowed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to Rod Laver Arena to the National Sports Museum. melbournesportstours.com.au

2

Quirky culture Fans of the late, great Amy Winehouse will adore getting an intimate view into the real person behind the headlines through the touching and revealing exhibition Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait, hosted by the Jewish Museum of Australia in St Kilda.

Curated by the singer’s brother Alex and sisterin-law Riva in conjunction with the Jewish Museum London, this very personal glimpse into the singer’s life lets you take a peek at family snaps of a young Amy, watch footage of her performing while still in school, read about her hopes, dreams and loves pre-fame and admire some of the ’50s and ’60s-style outfits she made famous. Until March 25, jewishmuseum.com.au

Melbourne is a sports-lovers’ mecca – and summer, of course, is all about the tennis. Nothing compares to the thrill of being courtside watching the world’s best duel it out in the Australian Open 31

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Dialogue In The Dark.

Iconic Bristol studio Aardman, the production machine behind claymation creations Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Chicken Run and more, is the subject of a mesmerising exhibition at Melbourne’s Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). Explore never-before-seen early sketches and concept drawings, intricate handcrafted plasticine models, and more than 50 elaborate film-set pieces to truly appreciate the impressive feat involved in bringing these amazing animations to life.

On until 29 Jan, acmi.net.au The first of its kind in Australia, ArtVo is an amazing new immersive ‘trick art’ gallery – perfect for those who think the Leaning Tower of Pisa exists purely so you can take a picture of yourself pretending to hold it up.

In this gallery, which features more than 100 hand-painted artworks over 11 themed zones in an impressively large space, not only are you able to touch the art; you can actually get into it, snapping pics of yourself and your friends inside the 3D optical illusions. Kids, in particular, will delight in pretending to be trapped in the jaws of a wild animal, scaling a rocky crevasse, walking a perilous plank or surfing a monster wave. ArtVo staff are on hand to take pics for you to make sure everyone gets in the frame. Harbour Town, Docklands, artvo.com.au

What a view!

There’s no better way to take in the incredible, ever-changing world of Melbourne than via a ride on the Melbourne Star, the Southern Hemisphere’s only observation wheel.

On the half-hour trip, you’ll take in captivating views that extend 40 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD and Port Phillip Bay through to Mount Macedon and the distant Dandenong Ranges. For a real treat, go at night when Melbourne comes alive with hundreds of thousands of sparkling lights. melbournestar.com.en

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Above: Nocturnal exhibition; This image: The Pop-Up Globe.

Amy Winehouse.

It was with some trepidation that the members of our group took the white canes we were handed and let ourselves be guided down a dark corridor – a corridor that got increasingly darker until not a thing could be seen – as a voice, belonging to our visionimpaired guide Maribel, instructed us to walk towards her. Welcome to Dialogue In The Dark, a confronting, unique and immersive experience that recreates the sensory experience of Melbourne a blind person might have. Created in Hamburg, Germany, with Melbourne joining the movement this past June, the experience is one that will stay with you forever. The initial fear and vulnerability gradually gives way to a heightened appreciation of your other senses – and a greater understanding for what life might be like for a visionimpaired person. Harbour Town, Docklands, dialogueinthedark.com.au

3

Theatre, performance, music Extended until January 12 due to its phenomenal success, Pop-Up Globe is the world’s first full-scale temporary working replica of Shakespeare’s second Globe theatre, built and opened in 1614. Bringing the world of Shakespeare to a whole new audience, who get to see it in the environment for which it was written, this immersive and highly entertaining experience brings to life some

of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays, including Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V and As You Like It. popupglobe.com.au Heading home to Australia for its 10th anniversary tour – complete with a glittering array of 500-plus flamboyant, award-winning costumes, 200 dazzling headdresses and a swag of ‘shake your groove thing’-worthy hits – is the sensational Priscilla: The Musical, based on the iconic film of the ’90s. Head to the Regent Theatre for a fun, nostalgic ride as you join the riotous adventure of three friends on board a battered (but sparkling) bus to Alice Springs to put on the show of a lifetime. From January 21; tickets on sale now. priscillathemusical.com.au It’s not every day that you can explore dinosaur exhibitions or learn about bugs and the inner workings of the human brain one minute, then cut loose on the dance floor the next – but such is the case at Nocturnal, an adults-only night held on the first Friday of each month at Melbourne Museum. Stroll through the exhibits with a glass of wine in hand before enjoying fantastic DJs and live music… just watch out for the gigantic bee running around! It’s yet another example of an ‘only-in-Melbourne’ cultural experience. museumsvictoria. com.au/melbournemuseum

Artvo.

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4

Wining and dining There are always exciting new restaurants and bars opening their doors across Melbourne: here’s our pick for you to sample this summer.

Lello Pasta Bar Lello is the new incarnation of Yak Italian Kitchen & Bar on Flinders Lane, reinvented to offer a taste of Italy. The focus is on the special house-made pasta, which uses stoneground sprouted wheat (recommended for those with intolerances to gluten or wheat) and ingredients hand-foraged from local parks and gardens by chef and part-owner Leo Gelsomino. Pasta dishes on offer include lesser-known varieties such as culurgiones (a Sardinian dumpling-like ravioli) and an unforgettable tagliolini with braised Gippsland rabbit.

Artvo is a new immersive gallery that allows you to not just touch the artworks, but get inside them

lellopastabar.com.au

Lello Pasta Bar.

BKK Taking over the space that once housed Saigon Sally, BKK opened in October and serves tastebud-tingling Thai dishes crafted by head chef Sean Judd of Longrain and Chin Chin fame. bkkrestaurant.com.au Impala Perched above the newly opened Neptune Food + Wine, Impala is a lively cocktail bar funked up with ’70s disco tunes, where regulars can keep their own whisky bottles in a gold, glowing cabinet on the wall. impala.melbourne

Nothing compares to the thrill of being courtside watching the world’s best duel it out in the Australian Open.

Yagiz Recently opened in Toorak Rd, South Yarra, Yagiz offers contemporary Turkish cuisine with an emphasis on simple ingredients bursting with flavour. Examples of the everchanging menu include smoked roasted chicken, Turkish egg noodles and, with 24 hours’ notice, a whole roasted Bultarra saltbush lamb. yagiz.com.au 33

destination

If you don’t want the adventure to stop when you reach your accommodation, then St Jerome’s The Hotel is the destination for you

INFO GUIDE

WHERE TO STAY

5

Movies, summer style On those balmy summer nights, why head to a conventional cinema when you can enjoy a movie in the great outdoors? Melbourne has some wonderfully different offerings, including:

Coburg Drive-In Opened in 1965, the venue now screens a variety of movies on its 33-metrewide screens, with a retro diner on site and food trucks popping up regularly.

Rooftop Cinema Rooftop Bar, a Melbourne institution, transforms into a seventh-storey open-air cinema over summer, with films screening from nightfall (9.30pm Dec/Jan; 9pm Feb) and patrons able to enjoy pre-, post- and midmovie beverages!

Moonlight Cinema Sited in the middle of Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens, with the city skyline as its backdrop, this is an awesome openair cinema experience. Bring your own picnic and pillows, or enjoy the comfort of the ‘Gold Grass’ section and enjoy fare delivered from the local food trucks to your beanbag-lounge.

2017.rooftopcinema.com.au

The original 1961 screen is still in use today, while the attached Shel’s Diner is inspired by Mel’s Diner at California’s Universal Studios.

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villagecinemas.com.au/drive-in

moonlight.com.au/Melbourne

Dromana Drive-in The original 1961 screen is still in use today, while the attached Shel’s Diner is inspired by Mel’s Diner at California’s Universal Studios. Screen 4 is Dromana’s own Deckchair Cinema, complete with comfy chairs and beanbags. dromanadrivein.com.au

St Jerome’s The Hotel If you don’t want the adventure to stop when you reach your accommodation, then St Jerome’s The Hotel is the destination for you, offering luxury glamping on the rooftop of Melbourne Central. Stay cool (or toasty) thanks to split airconditioning; sip cocktails at the camp’s cool General Store, enjoy a game of table tennis or chess; or head next door to Strike for a free game of tenpin bowling.

After a romantic night under the city lights, enjoying a delicious breakfast hamper delivered to your tent. An unforgettable experience. stjeromesthehotel.com.au Pullman On The Park For classy comfort opposite Fitzroy Gardens, the iconic Pullman Melbourne On The Park offers the excellence and luxury you expect from the chain, with the MCG, Rod Laver Arena and HiSense Arena all at your fingertips. Be sure to visit the hotel’s revitalised restaurant, The Cliveden Bar and Dining, which offers upscale buffet dining like you’ve never had before, including seafood on Friday and Saturday nights. pullmanonthepark.com.au

Pack your towel...

Bring your cossie... we’ve got the beach to go with the outback.

1800 088 589 www.whyalla.com

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destination

While away summer in

Whyalla WORDS: DEBORAH DICKSON-SMITH

With stunning landscapes, abundant sunshine and a wealth of coastal and aquatic wonders, South Australia’s Whyalla is the perfect playground for your next holiday. he Spencer Gulf, part of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, boasts one of Australia’s most beautiful stretches of coastline, where the rich red colours of the Outback meet a turquoise sea. Whyalla, at its heart, is an important industrial hub on this remote patch of South Australian coastline, but it’s the region’s natural wonders that have people flocking here.

The town of Whyalla grew up around BHP’s iron-ore jetty, and was declared a city in 1961, as BHP’s industrial activities grew with the building of shipyards and steelworks. The city still has a substantial industrial base, providing mining, engineering and steel manufacturing services, with the two largest operations here being Santos, which produces crude oil and LPG, and Arrium, which took over the steelworks in 2000 and was taken over

by GFG Alliance in September 2017.

Sun, sand and sea In the winter months, scuba divers and underwater photographers from all over the world come here in droves to see Spencer Bay’s famous aggregation of Australian giant cuttlefish, but in

the summer months, it’s the perfect destination for a seaside holiday.

The region’s semi-arid conditions and Whyalla’s position on the coast of the Spencer Gulf combine to provide spectacular sunsets and around 300 sunny days per year, so you’d have to be pretty unlucky to get caught in the rain while traipsing along one of the area’s many walking trails.

The shallow foreshore at Whyalla Beach is perfect for young families with little swimmers; the calm waters in the bay are ideal for kayaks and stand-up paddleboards and, when the wind picks up, the sheltered bay provides perfect conditions for kite-surfers.

At the nearby marina, there is an enclosed swimming area where 37

destination

If you’re keen on natural wonders, beautiful sunny conditions and a family-friendly holiday with something for everyone, it’s hard to go past Whyalla

WHERE TO WATCH THOSE SUNSETS 1. Flinders & Freycinet Lookout

Located at the intersection of Farrell and Elliott Streets, the Flinders Lookout was, until 2002, a memorial to Matthew Flinders (1774-1814), who surveyed and named Spencer Gulf.

2. Hummock Hill Lookout

Hummock Hill affords you panoramic views of Whyalla – from the vast GFG operations, your eyes sweep around the Whyalla foreshore, past the marina and across Spencer Gulf as far as the Southern Flinders Rangers and Point Lowly Lighthouse; and westward over the city towards the iron-ore-rich Middleback Ranges.

3. Point Lowly Lighthouse

you’re likely to encounter a large pod of dolphins, which visits frequently, following the fishermen in hope of a snack. A short distance along the coast, on the Santos jetty, a colony of seals has taken up residence.

The city’s foreshore area, which is lined with parks, playgrounds, barbeque areas – even exercise equipment and chess tables – is a popular spot for families year-round, and really comes to life on Australia Day, with spectacular fireworks in the early evening.

National treasures If you don’t want to get your feet wet, the Whyalla Maritime Museum is well worth a visit. It’s home to the former HMAS Whyalla, the first ship built in the Whyalla Shipyards, in 1941. Now, the building 38

houses a great collection of maritime memorabilia from Whyalla’s shipbuilding era, as well as an excellent Natural History gallery showcasing the Gulf’s diverse marine environment.

Twenty kilometres from the city in Fitzgerald Bay, you’re greeted with a slightly wilder coastal attraction. This patch of coastline, with its striking red-shingle beach ridges, is being considered for Heritage listing. It’s one of only three places on the planet with similar ‘stranded shingle ridges’, the other two being in Scotland and Egypt.

A truly extraordinary geological phenomenon, these stranded shinglebeach deposits cover a distance of some 50 kilometres, from the head of Spencer Gulf south along its western shore to Stony Point, and are believed to date back to the Pleistocene period.

The heritage-listed lighthouse and two lighthouse-keepers’ cottages are the oldest buildings in the Whyalla area, dating back to 1883, and are now available for holiday accommodation.

destination

The turquoise water of the bay forms an almost perfectly shaped semicircle, dotted with sparse mangroves, and the red-pebbled beach that curves around it is a popular spot for bush camping.

Two minutes’ drive inland from the town’s foreshore, Whyalla Wetlands is another popular spot for nature lovers.

The wetlands, created on the city’s old aerodrome, covers an area of 24.8 hectares, with almost seven hectares of

WALK IT

Whyalla has a great selection of self-guided walking trails that take in the city’s historic landmarks, most impressive architecture and natural wonders.

City Walk This walk, at the north-eastern end of the city, takes you past many of the city’s historical sites and includes a 10-minute climb to the top of Hummock Hill for panoramic views of the city, Spencer Gulf and Flinders Ranges. Interpretive signs along the trail explain the development of the settlement: Whyalla’s rich industrial history and its natural and maritime heritage. Length: 1.9km.

Education and Cultural Walk Covering the geographical centre of Whyalla, this trail begins and ends at Whyalla’s Leisure Centre and takes in the main education and cultural precinct of the city, including the campuses of the University of SA and TAFE SA, the headquarters of Regional Development Australia and Middleback Art Centre.

Length: 2.1km.

artificial lakes, which attract more than 80 species of birds.

At nearby Wild Dog Hill, in Whyalla Conservation Park, you’ll likely spot red and grey kangaroos, and may also see a few lizards or snakes, with 20-plus species of reptiles inhabiting the park.

If you’re keen on natural wonders, beautiful sunny conditions and a familyfriendly holiday with something for everyone, it’s hard to go past Whyalla.

Wetlands Walk Interpretive signage along this trail through Whyalla Wetlands provides a wealth of information about the history of the area and the city’s first airport as well as the conservation area’s flora and fauna. Length: 2.5km.

Freycinet Trail This 12-kilometre-long heritage and nature trail hugs the coastline from Fitzgerald Bay to Point Lowly. The trail is divided into two sections: the Fitzgerald Bay Hiking Trail (4km) and the Fitzgerald Bay-Point Lowly hiking, cycling and driving trail (8km).

The trail is named after early-19thcentury French navigator Louis Claude de Freycinet, who led an exploration into the upper Spencer Gulf in January 1803, 10 months after Captain Matthew Flinders sailed along the Point Lowly coastline.

The first section of the trail runs through dunes and bushland and along pebble beaches before joining up with the joint-use trail, which follows the coastal emergency track, providing spectacular views of Spencer Gulf and the distant Southern Flinders Ranges. Interpretive signs en route explain the area’s Aboriginal history, early European exploration, flora and fauna, and marine life.

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SUDOKU Rating 

(Easy)

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.

PUZZLES 2. In Shakespeare’s Richard III, King Richard’s horse (killed prior to Richard’s plea ‘My kingdom for a horse’) is called: Surrey; Kent; Dorset; or Northamptonshire?

3. What famous ancient city is on the river Tiber: Cairo; Rome; Athens; or Babylon?

4. A prebiotic induces growth in humans (and other living hosts) of beneficial: hormones; fungi/ bacteria; antibodies; or hair?

5. What eponymous brand, founded in 1946, re-established Paris as the world centre of women’s fashion: Chanel; Dior; Gucci; or FCUK? 6. Linoleum (e.g., ‘Lino’ flooring) originally comprises which three of these: polypropylene; canvas, bamboo; linseed oil; or powdered cork?

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

THE ANSWERS

7. A cezve is typically used for heating/processing: acid rain; Turkish coffee; surgical instruments; or bubblegum?

8. The CAC40 is a main stock market index of: Brazil; France; Japan; or USA? 9. ‘Semiotics’ refers to: weather systems; evolution; signs and symbols; or cutting things in half?

10. Spell the word meaning a plan/scheme: strategem; stratogem; stratagem; or stratigem?

12. In 2015, (what headwear?) was permitted on a USA driver’s licence photo justified by (what religion?): Devil’s horns/Satanism; Spock ears/ Klingon; Darth Vader helmet/ Jedi; or colander/Pastafarian?

13. In chemistry, what element is always present in an amalgam: gold; silver; mercury; or lead?

14. What word can mean a kick, a cut, a horse, and an uninspiring journalist?

Quiz © Businessballs 2016 / Sudoku & Crossword © Lovatts Puzzles

40

CROSSWORD

11. Named after the Yorkshire town where it was conceived in the 16th century, Penistone is a rough: football game; woollen cloth; tea drink; or guide to medieval marriage?

QUIZ ANSWERS 1. East-to-West (along China’s old Northern borders) 2. Surrey 3. Rome 4. Fungi/bacteria 5. Dior (fully Christian Dior) 6. Canvas, Linseed oil, Powdered cork 7. Turkish coffee 8. France 9. Signs and symbols 10. Stratagem 11. Woollen cloth (used for making clothes) 12. Colander/ Pastafarian 13. Mercury 14. Hack

1. The Great Wall of China generally runs: East-to-West; North-to-South; in a circle; or every which way?

ACROSS 1. In similar fashion 5. Bee nest 7. India/China continent 8. Sprang (from) 9. Barons & dukes 12. Blind alley (4,3) 15. Non-intellectual 19. Legendary 21. Sang alpine-style 22. Canada’s ... Scotia 23. Social misfit 24. Monday to Friday

DOWN 1. Ascertains 2. Electronic message 3. Objects 4. Pass (of time) 5. Stacked 6. Curled (of smoke) 10. Make (beer) 11. On any occasion 12. Droplets on lawn 13. Zone 14. Tea, ... Grey 15. Tripoli native 16. Slay by guillotine 17. Criminal 18. High standards 19. Soft confection 20. Filleted

lifestyle

Entertainment

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

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Nuzzel

Neil Young: Hitchhiker

st picaff k

We’re stepping back in time this month, courtesy of Neil Young opening his archive for Hitchhiker, a previously unreleased studio album. Available on vinyl, CD and digitally, the 10-track acoustic solo album was recorded in Malibu, California at Indigo Studio in 1976. Young’s long-time studio collaborator, David Briggs, produced the original session and the resultant performances are truly breathtaking and passionate. Out now.

Kim Churchill: Weight_Falls Looking for something more contemporary? Australian songsmith Kim Churchill is back this year with Weight_Falls. Characterised by chopped-up drum samples, unusual harmonies and moments of disarming lyrical honesty, Churchill worked with ARIA-winning producer Ian Pritchett in a garage in Western Sydney to produce this kaleidoscopic collection that’s bound to take both fans and critics by surprise. Out now.

Sweet Country

Crime/Thriller/Western M Cannes Film Festival Caméra d’Or-winning writer and director Warwick Thornton’s new film has already won accolades all over the world. Set and shot in the magnificent MacDonnell Ranges around Alice Springs in the heart of the Australian Outback, it tells the 1920s tale of an Aboriginal stockman tried for murder, but it’s justice itself that’s really being put on trial. With convincing performances from Sam Neill, Bryan Brown, Hamilton Morris and Natassia GoreyFurber, you’ll be drawn into this rich, vital masterpiece. Opens 25 January.

read A fascinating insight into life in Australia’s first decades. With the knack of a true storyteller, Seal conveys the story of our country’s ignominious beginnings by bringing to life the brutal Australian convict transportation system with stories of notorious criminals, colourful characters, harsh punishments and unexpected triumphs. Out now.

Facing the Flame Jackie French, Harper Collins $29.99

Perfectly encapsulating exactly what it means to live in country Australia, the latest instalment in the sweeping Matilda Saga is a heartbreaking and powerful story of courage, community and a deep love for the land. As a bushfire unlike any other thunders towards Gibber’s Creek, a series of Aussie characters battle it while facing their own demons. Out now.

Weather Underground

App Store, free Google Play, free Tuning into the TV or radio just to get a weather update is now a thing of the past, but when it comes to an online weather report, Weather Underground is among the best of the best, powered by a network of 180,000-plus government and privately owned weather stations from all over the globe.

Download the app and you’ll receive hyper-local reports, wherever you are in the world.

watch

Great Convict Stories Graham Seal, Allen & Unwin $29.99

App Store, free Play, free Like to stay up-to-date with the current news cycles? Then this app is tailor-made for you.

Voted one of the best new apps of 2016, Nuzzel is a free-for-all of downloadable news content for your chosen device, offering an endless library of news items from top-tier sources for busy professionals. Users can personalise their feeds and curate daily newsletters to stay informed 24-7.

Wednesdays with Bob Derek Reilly, Pan Macmillan $29.99

Over the past year, Australia’s longestserving Labor prime minister, Bob Hawke, welcomed writer Derek Rielly into his home for animated conversation and indecently fine cigars.

On a sun-soaked balcony, the irreverent young writer and the charismatic old master talk life, death, love, religion, politics, sport, fatherhood, marriage and everything in between. Out now.

Binaural Beats Generator

App Store, free Google Play, free If there’s a negative side to travelling, it’s undoubtedly jet lag. Luckily there’s an app for that! Binaural beats are repetitive sounds that the developers claim help to induce a relaxed state of mind, enabling you to generate your own binaural beats and isochronic tones to help you with sleep, relaxation, creativity and focus.

Worth a whirl next time you’re pacing the halls at three am!

1

Sensations of Kangaroo Island New luxury food & wine tours

Tours commence September 2017

Packages include return flights, transfers, accommodation, activities & all dining experiences.

See it. Feel it. Taste it. Hear it. Embrace it.

Spend three days indulging your every sense.

Embrace the luxury coastal accommodation staying at LifeTime Private Retreats and combine gourmet delights with award-winning local wines and spirits, all in some of Kangaroo Island’s most inspiring locations.

3 Day Sensations of Spring and Summer Tours from $2,644pp* from Adelaide. Includes: • Indulgent dining experiences include dinner in a rustic shearing shed, breakfast in a beachside taverna and brunch in the fairytale setting of the 150 year-old Enchanted Fig Tree (summer only), hosted by catering specialists Hannaford & Sachs • Exclusive vineyard and winery tour with private barrel room tastings at The Islander Estate Vineyard • Join local chef Tony Nolan, of Latitude 36, for lunch in his farm kitchen for a home-cooked feast, local island produce cooking tips and some ‘island-life’ stories • Visit KI Spirits Distillery, Island Pure Sheep Dairy, Island Beehive, Emu Bay, Stokes Bay and much more *Conditions apply. Return flights from Adelaide only. Price valid to 31 March 2018. Selected departures throughout spring and summer.

Autumn and Winter itineraries will differ. Minimum numbers apply. See website for details. ABN 69 007 122 367.

Call +61 8 8553 0386 Email kireservations@kiodysseys.com.au Visit kangarooislandodysseys.com.au

lifestyle

What’s On

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

DECEMBER

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O T T ED NO ISS M BE

28 DECEMBER–3 JANUARY

The Taste of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS

Enjoy the sweet taste of summer at Tasmania’s most popular and enduring foodie festival. Taking place on Hobart’s spectacular waterfront by the banks of the beautiful Derwent River, over seven days and nights you can thrill all your senses, as over 70 stallholders tempt with locally produced seafood, cheeses, berries, cool-climate wines, boutique beers and ciders, and plenty more. It may be this festival’s 29th year, but a fresh look means even return visitors will feel they’re experiencing it for the first time. thetasteoftasmania.com.au

DECEMBER

DECEMBER

9 December

27 December–1 January

10–14 January

27–29 January

Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival, Manjimup, WA

Woodford Folk Festival, Woodford, QLD

Parkes Elvis Festival, Parkes, NSW

Crush Festival, Adelaide Hills, SA

Held in the heart of one of WA’s most diverse growing regions, this festival pays homage to one of Australia’s favourite stone fruits: the cherry. Along with cooking demonstrations, tastings, masterclasses and farmers’ markets, the pinnacle is the Cherry Soiree, a longtable dinner set among the area’s many cherry trees. cherryfestival.com.au

This year’s Woodford Folk Festival is billed to be even bigger and better than ever. Showcasing more than 400 acts across 35 venues over six sensational days, this year’s program is an explosion of genre-crossing performances in everything from music and dance to circus, comedy and cultural expression.

Each year fans travel from near and far for five days of non-stop Elvis Presley entertainment and Elvis-themed events – and 2018, celebrating 50 years since the ’68 Comeback Special, is going to be king-sized! Fans will be treated to performances by international award-winning Elvis tribute artist Ben Thompson, and loads more fun.

woodfordfolkfestival.com

parkeselvisfestival.com.au

It’s an exuberant celebration of life in the idyllic Adelaide Hills – add this worldclass wine-and-food weekend to your bucket list. Treat yourself to a culinary odyssey through more than 40 of the region’s best wineries and cellar doors; play it cool at Rosé & Croquet on the Lawns; or indulge your inner gourmand at Petaluma’s three-course sit-down dinner. crushfestival.com.au

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other events

JANUARY

27

13 January Port Arlington Mussel Festival, Port Arlington, VIC Indulge in Port Arlington’s famous mussels in all forms, all day. portmusselfestival.com

JANUARY

10

2 December L’Étape Australia by le Tour de France, Snowy Mountains, NSW Ride for your life under professional Tour de France conditions on 160km of sealed roads. letapeaustralia.com

look

ahead

27

3–4 February Noosa Summer Swim, Noosa Heads, QLD Join swimmers of all abilities and ages at Noosa Heads. worldseriesswims. com.au/noosa-summer-swim

16–18 February Riverboats Music Festival, Echuca–Moama, VIC–NSW Enjoy a rockin’ weekend of Oz musical talent in the twin towns of Echuca– Moama. riverboatsmusic.com.au

3

Orange, Bathurst, Dubbo, Mudgee, Wagga Wagga

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Redeem this Coupon online or present a photo of the coupon in-store by 31/01/2018

Dynamic Flex Comfort Craftsman RRP$545 Our price $475.00*

*Receive a total $95 off RRP plus free Australian shipping by using the Inflight25 Coupon above.

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lifestyle

CULTURE

club

Got a thing for theatre? Love live music? Enjoy great galleries?

Read on for what’s happening this month...

17 DECEMBER

CAROLS IN THE DOMAIN, NSW Nothing says Christmas like Sydney’s annual Carols in the Domain event. It’s the biggest Christmas concert in Australia, after all, and this year promises to be another star-studded affair. Whether you watch it live on a picnic blanket or at home on the comfort of your own couch, the festive atmosphere will get you into the Christmas spirit quicker than you can say, “Ho, ho, ho!”. carolsinthedomain.com

9 DECEMBER

DARWIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: MASTER SERIES 3 ‘JOHN WILLIAMS’, NT

It’s John Williams’ beloved cinematic compositions like you’ve never heard them before: scores from cult classics like Jaws and the Harry Potter and Star Wars films performed live by the Darwin Symphony Orchestra to scenes from the films, simultaneously projected onto the big screen. It’s an homage to Williams – one of the most successful film composers of all time – in celebration of his 85th birthday. dso.org.au/event/master-series-iii

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lifestyle

19–28 JANUARY TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL, NSW Australia’s largest music festival and one of the world’s top 10: with more than 2,800 shows across 120 venues, this is one giant hoedown. Don’t miss the Golden Guitar Awards, where fans get to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in country music and see all of their favourite artists perform in one huge show. tcmf.com.au

12–22 JANUARY

MOFO 2018, TAS “MOFO asks you to surrender to music, sound, sight and space,” says the spiel from curator Brian Ritchie of Violent Femmes fame. And as the festival is jam-packed with sweet tunes and spectacular art, losing yourself in the crowd is much easier than you’d think. For the first time this year, The Museum of Old and New Art’s MOFO will kick off in Launceston before heading back to Hobart, its spiritual home. mofo.net.au

26 JANUARY–25 FEBRUARY

Fringe World Festival, WA Get set for 31 days of ‘Perthect’ entertainment with the upcoming Fringe World Festival! Slated to be bigger, bolder and brassier than ever, this year’s event is a summer smorgasbord of entertainment curated to keep the good vibes going well into autumn, with musicals, theatre, cabaret, dance, circus, live music and tasty treats for people of all ages, plus loads more.

fringeworld.com.au

21 JANUARY–18 MARCH PRISCILLA – QUEEN OF THE DESERT, THE MUSICAL Get set for sequins, feathers and fabulousness this January, as everyone’s favourite big pink bus hits Melbourne for the Priscilla – Queen of the Desert 10th anniversary celebration tour! Based on the iconic film, this hit musical has more glitter than ever, and features a dazzling array of more than 500 award-winning costumes and a non-stop parade of dance-floor classics. priscillathemusical.com.au

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lifestyle

Tony Albert, Kieran Lawson and David Collins, Warakurna Superhero #1, 2017, C-type print, 100 x 150 cm. Image courtesy of the artists, Sullivan+Strumpf and Warakurna Artists.

Artwork from Tarnathi – By Betty Kuntiwa Pumani, Pitjantjatjara/ Yankunytjatjara people, South Australia, born 1963, Perentie Bore, South Australia, Antara, 2017, Mimili, South Australia, synthetic polymer paint on linen, 300 x 200cm; courtesy the artist and Mimili Maku Arts. Photo: Saul Steed.

 TARNANTHI, Art Gallery of South

Australia, South Australia Until 28 January A celebration of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, TARNANTHI showcases the work of individuals from across the country, providing a platform from which they can share important stories and shed new light on their practice. Displaying the work of more than 1,000 artists at the Art Gallery of South Australia and 20-plus partner venues, TARNANTHI is an homage to the ongoing sharing of cultural knowledge. tarnanthi.com.au  50 Greatest Photographs of

National Geographic, Burnie Regional Art Gallery, Tasmania 20 January–15 April 2018 On international tour, this extraordinary exhibition of photos from National Geographic reveals hidden worlds, secret stories and some of the most amazing places on the planet through the most compelling imagery published in the magazine’s near-130-year history – from Steve McCurry’s unforgettable Afghan girl to Michael ‘Nick’ Nichols’ iconic photograph of Jane Goodall and a chimpanzee and Thomas Abercrombie’s neverbefore-seen view of Mecca. burniearts.net

 In Cahoots: Artists collaborate across

From 50 Great Photographs exhibition: With 10,000 watts of light and a pair of new submersibles, the Titanic comes to life two and a half miles down. Photo by Emory Kristof.

Country, Fremantle Arts Centre, WA Until 28 January A major new creative project, this exhibit sees artists from six Aboriginal art centres partner with leading independent artists from around the country to produce significant new collaborative works through a series of artist residencies. Led by Aboriginal art centres at every stage, the exhibition explores the exciting and challenging nature of collaboration between art centres and both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists. fac.org.au/in-cahoots

FLINT EASTWOOD

Tickets and tour dates available online now.

The Curtin, Melbourne, VIC 5 January

ALT-J

TOUR

Nationwide 5–10 December

THE XX Riverstage, Brisbane, QLD 17 January

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s w e TRAVEL n

lifestyle

World’s 50 best bars 2017

Bars in Melbourne and Sydney have been named in the World’s 50 Best Bars for 2017. Melbourne bar Black Pearl, voted 22, was also recognised as this year’s Legend of the List and Best Bar in Australasia, while Sydney bar The Baxter Inn came in at 45 on the prestigious list. The top spot was awarded to the American Bar at The Savoy in London, also voted Best Bar in Europe. For the full list, head to worlds50bestbars.com The Black Pearl crew.

Koala tour World’s Most Innovative Melbourne wildlife-tour operator Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours recently won the Seatrade Cruise Award for World’s Most Innovative Shore Excursion for its ‘Koala Clancy Foundation Tour & Book’ experience. While the book helps educate the public, proceeds from the tour fees go towards koala research in Victoria’s You Yangs region. Each tour fee also includes a donation towards planting trees to establish future koala habitat. Already, the project is making a difference: after 10 years of decline, 2016 was the first year in which koala numbers in the You Yangs increased.

For more, go to echidnawalkabout.com.au/about/conservation

Glamping, Tassie style If you like the idea of glamping in a luxury African safari tent in a truffle orchard on the banks of the Derwent River and watching wild platypus swimming at your feet, then newly-opened Truffle Lodge is the stuff of your dreams. Each tent ‘suite’ has riverfront and mountain views, and features king beds, lounges, minibar and coffee machine and private bathroom, complete with hand-carved wooden bath; guests can also enjoy the main lounge and dining pod. The eco-friendly Lodge is also being developed as a habitat for the endangered Swift parrot – for more, visit trufflelodge.com

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59%

The proportion of parents with kids under four who’d take their grandparents on holiday to babysit, according to new research by HotelsCombined, which found that 39% of parents wouldn’t trust a hired babysitter while travelling.

NEW HOTEL FOR

CANBERRA

Mantra Group’s new offering the Mantra MacArthur Hotel opened in Turner, Canberra in October to support the growth of international and domestic tourism in the nation’s capital. The former office tower has been transformed into a 176-room hotel following a $19 million retrofit, and now boasts a modern industrial design, a fully equipped gym, conference and meeting spaces and the new Podilato restaurant and bar serving Mediterraneanstyle cuisine. Enjoy an opening special until 31 January, 2018 at MantraHotels.com.

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO THIS WEEKEND? At Anaconda, we believe everyone should put a little more play back in their lives. Whether it’s camping under the stars or throwing a line in, we have everything you need to Play More in the great outdoors this weekend.

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WHERE SUCCESS STAYS Stay connected on the road with in-room workspaces, WiFi and administration services right at your fingertips - everything you need, we offer on your quest for success.

Visit questapartmenthotels.com.au to start your quest.

lifestyle

RE WHE T TO EIANK & DR

A taste of

Orange

Orange might be making waves worldwide for the high quality of its coolclimate wines, but its cuisine is making people sit up and take notice, too. Here are five of the best places in town to eat…

Words: Zoe Meunier

Racine Restaurant

Having launched the successful Mr Sushi King in Orange and Mudgee, Sammy Jeon decided he wanted to create something closer to his heart – and so Mr Lim was born. A delectable fusion of Korean and Australian cuisines, its dishes feature fresh Orange produce such as pork, honey and apples. Handily located in the town centre, Mr Lim is swiftly gaining popularity, not least for its inviting and exotic atmosphere, which features a long table in the middle, complete with Korean barbeque-style hotplates, an open-plan kitchen and Asian accents… not to mention karaoke on Saturday nights! But it’s impossible to go past the food. Start with sensational pork buns and fragrant wontons and dumplings before lingering over perfectly executed dishes such as duckbreast pancake, ‘drunken’ duck and mud crab. mrlimorange.com

Diners are enticed by the stunning location, overlooking a vineyard at the foothills of the legendary Mount Conobolas, then return for the exquisite food and world-class wines, which include local wine-making legends Angullong, Roaring Fork and Ross Hill, to name but a few.

Determined to prove that ‘rural needn’t mean rustic’, owners Willa and Shaun Arantz aim to be a ‘dining destination’ rather than merely a restaurant.

Their mouth-watering offerings of predominantly locally-sourced produce include pork neck with a date puree, spring onions, eschallots and macadamias; kangaroo served with baked beetroot, quinoa and crème fraiche; and lamb with a pistachio crumb. Desserts are also a feast for the senses and include an unforgettable sakepoached pear with sesame panna cotta, fennel and white chocolate. racinerestaurant.com.au

Mr Lim

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lifestyle

Lolli Redini

Located in Orange’s restaurant precinct, Lolli is something of an institution, with regulars from both near and far, who appreciate just how this fine dinery has earned a total of 15 Chef’s Hats in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide since it started in 2001.

Turning seasonal, sustainable, organic and ethically farmed produce into contemporary dishes with French and Italian twists, chef Simonn Hawke creates magic with local products such as Moonlight Flat oysters, Milthorpe truffles, Palmers Island mulloway, Mandadgery Creek farmed red venison and Hereford Red beef, Crack Willow Farm free-range pork and farm-fresh apples, pears, cherries and plums. Must-eats include their signature entree of twice-baked Gruyere cheese soufflé; or heavenly Borrowdale farm free-range pork belly main, served with a potato and celeriac gratin, apple-andclove butter and spiced braised red cabbage. They even provide the perfect wine-match recommendation for every meal. lolliredini.com.au

Charred Kitchen & Bar It may purport to be a “relaxed dining venue” but Charred’s approach to food – and wine – is anything but! The restaurant has an extensive selection of beers, and a wine list that showcases the best of local producers, from Phillip Shaw and Printhie to up-and-coming stars Rowlee Wines, Swinging Bridge and Colmar Estate. The Charred beverage selection is the perfect accompaniment to cuisine that pushes the boundaries and soars well above expectations. With small, medium or large share plates that highlight local produce, the menu changes regularly, but includes such delicacies as melt-in-the-mouth salmon with yoghurt, cauliflower, almonds and verjus; and the wickedly divine fire-roasted bone marrow. The extra-hungry can devour a whole Asian-style market fish, or enjoy the fruits of ‘Lucifer’, the wood-and-coal-fired oven, producing world-class lamb, beef or chicken from the coals. charred.com.au © Peter O’Brien

The Greenhouse of Orange

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As Orange’s reputation as a regional food and wine destination grows, so does the level of investment in new venues. The Greenhouse of Orange, a $6.5 million dollar investment situated on just under an acre of rooftop space, is the latest venue to open its doors in town. The culinary team at The Greenhouse have committed to sourcing 90% of its produce used in the menu directly from farmers in Orange and across the Central West of NSW. This true food and wine precinct consists of varying dining options, from an à la carte restaurant, pizza bar and street food kitchen to a wine bar serving up local antipasto plates. If you’re interested in taking a journey of regional food and wine discovery, The Greenhouse of Orange should certainly be on your consideration list. And if you’re making a weekend of it, you can stay at the adjoining Mercure Hotel. thegreenhouseoforange.com.au

RECENT AWARDS

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Gold Medal, Young Chardonnay Class NSW Wine Awards

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Gold Medal, Class 9 Orange Wine Show 2017

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Trophy for Best Wine of Show Orange Wine Show

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Our focus is on growing the best possible grapes, intervening as little as possible to deliver fruit of exceptional quality to the winery. Pruned and harvested by hand, our wines are crafted in small batches and are limited in release.

Experience our wines by visiting our Cellar Door, set amongst the vines on the northern aspect of Mount Canobolas. We also offer complimentary Australia wide shipping on any case purchase. Access to pre-release wines, museum wines and privileged pricing is available by joining our Wine Club.

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Discover your own van wisdom with The Road Owl. newagecaravans.com.au

experience

Heritage drives

OF ORANGE

Take a stunning scenic tour through the regional city of Orange and surrounds, exploring gold-mining towns, cute historic villages and an area rich in food and wine, agriculture and heritage, with the help of the experts from New Age Caravans.

Where To Stay Colour City Caravan Park

MARCH AND LAKE BURRENDONG Be sure to visit the Orange Visitor Information Centre in Byng Street, Orange; it’s the perfect starting point for any of these heritage drives. Here, you can receive detailed maps and information on the Heritage drives and walks available. Head along Burrendong Way to the small village of March, said to have been named by Sir Thomas Mitchell as a compliment to British beauty the Countess of March. Continue north on Burrendong Way to Mullion Creek, then head on to Lake Burrendong via the quaint villages of Euchareena and Stuart Town. A man-made reservoir, the lake is popular with families, nature lovers and anglers.

LAKE CANOBOLAS AND BORENORE CAVES RESERVE Take a drive to beautiful Lake Canobolas on the headwaters of Molong Creek, where you can enjoy the picnic and barbeque facilities, a walking trail, fishing, playground and water sports before heading to Lake Canobolas Pump House for a fascinating history lesson.

Then it’s time to visit the mighty Mount Canobolas itself, which offers spectacular views, several picnic areas and walking tracks through woodlands, heath and forests filled with native fauna and birdlife. Continue on to Borenore Caves Reserve, where you can explore natural wonders including the Tunnel Cave and the Arch Cave.

BANJO PATTERSON PARK AND THE GOLD MINING VILLAGES

GNOO BLAS MOTOR RACING CIRCUIT AND GOSLING CREEK

Visit the historic Orange General Cemetery and Banjo Patterson Memorial Park, the birthplace of Australia’s most famous poet.

Then travel north-east to Ophir*, where the first payable gold in New South Wales was discovered in April 1851. It’s now a recreation reserve where you can picnic beneath the willows, fossick for gold along Summer Hill Creek or fish for trout (licence required).

Then take in the historic miners’ villages of Shadforth and Lucknow, part of the property of William Charles Wentworth. Here, evidence of the area’s gold-rush history remains in the form of original miners’ cottages.

Soak up the atmosphere at Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit, the starting ground for many of Australia’s top riders and drivers including Sir Jack Brabham and Kelvin Curruthers, before heading to Sir Jack Brabham Park, once the site of Orange’s airport, which still bares its insignia. Travel on to Gosling Creek Reserve, an environmentally-based recreational facility for the whole family surrounded by native vegetation. Then wind your way through the beautiful historic villages of Millthorpe and Spring Hill, which has its own Heritage Walk brochure. *Drive includes gravel roads.

Forming part of the showground recreational area, this petfriendly park is set among well established trees and has lovely grounds and amenities. visitorange.com.au/colour-citycaravan-park

Canobolas Caravan Park

This 3-star park just 2.5 kilometres from Orange’s CBD has 51 powered sites for vans and campervans and features clean renovated amenities, disabled and laundry facilities, town and bore water. It’s also pet-friendly. canobolascaravanpark.com.au

Big 4 Bathurst Panorama Holiday Park

While it’s a little further afield – around 45 minutes’ drive from Orange – this is a large, petfriendly park featuring all the facilities you’ve come to expect from Big 4 including solar-heated swimming pools, a waterslide, a kids’ playground, a games room and a huge movie screen, as well as a camp kitchen and a family/ disabled-friendly bathroom. big4.com.au/Bathurst

Check out the amazing caravan ranges at newagecaravans.com.au

Visit the mighty Mount Canobolas, which offers spectacular views, several picnic areas and walking tracks through woodlands, heath and forests filled with native fauna and birdlife.

17

profile

TERRITORY WORDS: ZOE MEUNIER

He gravitates towards animals most of us run screaming from, but beyond the heroics, ‘Outback Wrangler’ Matt Wright is doing essential conservation work in the Northern Territory. att Wright can’t really explain why he’s always been drawn to the kind of wildlife – snakes, spiders, scorpions, sharks, crocs – that would happily kill you. Perhaps it was because they were all in plentiful supply throughout his childhood, growing up in wild outback settings everywhere from South Australia to Papua New Guinea to Cairns.

“I started dealing with wildlife before I can even remember, and as I got older, I was catching brown snakes, tiger snakes – all the deadly ones!” he laughs. “The night before last, there was a big brown snake in my room and

Ironically, the bigger these crocs become, the greater the need to protect them. When a monster croc starts threatening livestock or human lives, it can be all too tempting for landowners to simply shoot them dead.

Enter Matt and his intrepid buddies, Jono and Willow, who, over eight nail-biting episodes, risk life – and limb – relocating these monster eating machines to ensure that wildlife and locals are safe.

“Crocs are such unique creatures; you never get bored of them,” says Matt. “I never trust them – they’re gonna eat you at the drop of a hat – but there’s just something there. And

“I’ve never had a fear. I’ve just always loved and understood animals. I don’t know how or where it came about” everyone was sh***ing themselves. I thought it was the best thing ever! I picked it up, brought it out, showed everyone…

“I’ve never had a fear. I’ve just always loved and understood animals. I don’t know how or where it came about.”

For the obsessed viewers of Matt’s TV show Outback Wrangler, launching its third series on the National Geographic Channel on 5 December, it’s his talent capturing, restraining and relocating monster crocs that has them enthralled.

In Australia’s rugged Top End, the saltwater crocodile population has been protected for 46 years, with some old crocs reaching lengths of five-plus metres.

18

it’s not just me who’s fascinated with crocs; the whole general public is. They come up north and they want to see a crocodile up close.”

Matt says it’s the tricky logistics of the job that he enjoys the most.

“It’s working out how and where you’re going to set the trap and get the gear in there, and how to make sure you’re trapping the right croc,” he says. “There might be lots of crocs in an area but you’re targeting one big one, so being able to set the trap in his area and catch him within the time period and get him moved out as quick as possible – it’s all those challenges that I love.”

There’s certainly no shortage of danger.

In the third series’ first episode alone, Matt’s

The importance of crocs in the ecosystem

Matt explains why the preservation of crocs is so important: “In the Territory, crocs are just predators. They start the hierarchy of the wetlands and flood plains, and anything that’s rotting in the waterways, like cattle or buffalo or pig, they’ll devour quite quickly, and it stops it from rotting up. The crocs keep that balance. I found a big buffalo yesterday floating around in the river and there were three big crocs hanging off it – it would be nearly gone by now. They tear it to pieces; they make a lot of food for other little animals in the water. They play such an important role, and people don’t understand that.”

mate Jono gets rolled by a bull, while Willow comes close to getting a croc’s jaws around his ankle. Matt may not experience fear, but that’s not to say he doesn’t have a very healthy appreciation of the risks involved.

“You’ve got to go in with a clear head,” he says. “If you go in there too cocky, too gungho, you end up second best. The main thing is to try and keep your team safe.”

Nerves of steel Not a fan of school, Matt “packed the car and took off” as soon as it was over, and headed in search of adventure, “working on various cattle stations and different resorts; scrubbing sh**houses, you name it.”

Time spent oil drilling and three years in the army followed, until Matt followed his long-held dream to fly helicopters.

“A chopper’s licence was $60,000 and, after saving for a while, I had the option to do that or buy a house with an ex-girlfriend.”

Needless to say, the chopper dream won out, and Matt never looked back… in fact, it was helicopter flying that led him to his first croc relocation.

19

profile

“With the country and landscape we cover, you come across the most incredible sights” “I was sent to a cattle station and there were a few big crocs eating cattle and the station manager said, ‘Can you catch ‘em?’

And I was like, ‘yeah’, even though I didn’t know how the hell I was going to get it done.”

After designing a few traps and moving a few crocs, Matt was assigned an even more dangerous task – collecting crocodile eggs.

“No other chopper pilot was game to do that, but I thought it was the best job on Earth,” says Matt, who still spends several months a year working with a team harvesting croc eggs for four farms, collecting about 40,000 eggs annually – the most sustainable way to manage the population.

Matt says his closest calls with crocodiles have come about while collecting eggs.

“The female comes out and you get caught off guard,” he says. “I ended up in 20

the water fighting one off one day. We’ve had a few boys bitten; we’ve had a croc come in the back of the chopper and pull the seats out; floats torn off the chopper… it can get pretty hectic.”

Bird’s-eye view Matt’s unique lifestyle – much of which is spent in the air – has also allowed him the opportunity to indulge another of his passions: aerial photography.

“I carry my camera with me pretty much 24/7; I’ve always had it, ever since I’ve been flying,” he says. “With the country and landscape we cover, you come across some of the most incredible sights.”

Some of Matt’s amazing bird’s-eye-view photos are featured in Canon’s Down Under From Above series, including one of Matt’s own property, which features a moat in the shape of Australia – devised by Matt and a mate “after a couple of beers”.

His remarkable property near Sweets Lagoon is also now the base for Matt’s tourism venture Outback Floatplane Adventures.

“We’ve got 10 luxury tents and there’s a deck that overlooks the wetlands, and just down from that is where we run airboats,

cruiseboats and pontoons. And you’ve got all these crocodiles that go through the wetlands there,” says Matt, who also offers helicopter and offshore boat-fishing charters and helicopter tours.

Sharing many of Matt’s adventures is the love of his life, Kaia Hammond, with the pair getting married in a romantic ceremony just last month. While any adventure was off the menu on their wedding day – “We’ve got enough adventure in our daily lives without having it at our wedding!” laughs Matt, it’s safe to say that Matt’s still a long way off ‘settling down’ to a sedate life – something that occasionally causes concern for his new wife, no matter how adventurous she is.

“Kaia does sometimes get a bit worried about some of the crocodiles I play with, but she has respect that I know what I’m doing,” says Matt.

And when a deadly brown snake finds its way into your bedroom, there’s surely nobody better to have around...

Outback Wrangler Season 3 premieres Wednesday’s 8.30pm from December 6 on National Geographic. National Geographic is available on Foxtel, Foxtel Now, Fetch and the National Geographic App.

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experience

ON YOUR BIKE! Saddle up to discover where to find the biggest, best (and most beer-fuelled) cycling events around Australia

Best Oz cycling events WORDS: HUW KINGSTON

alk into any bike shop now and you’ll find road bikes, mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes, gravel grinders, e-bikes and more. I’d include unicycles, too, but that group gets a bit upset when you call them ‘bicycles’ when they’re not.

It’s not surprising, therefore, that across Australia you can find hundreds of events for all bike and rider types – from club events attracting a couple of dozen cyclists to mass-participation challenges attracting many thousands. Here are six events to consider boxing your bike and flying off to ride in.

L’Etape Australia Snowy Mountains NSW, 2 December 2017

You might well not want to go all the way to France for a piece of Le Tour action – and, in any case, you might have some difficulty gaining entry. Fortunately, in 2016, Australia’s Snowy Mountains became an official destination for a Tour de France-approved L’Etape event. The French word l’étape means ‘stage’, and that’s exactly what you get.

You can ‘Race’ 157 kilometres, or ‘Ride’ 126km on courses that wend their way from the Thredbo Valley through Jindabyne and out through the Monaro via Berridale and Dalgety. While grand chateaux and imposing

churches are in short supply, you will see plenty of merino sheep, expansive views of Australia’s highest mountains, a crossing of the iconic Snowy River and a glorious palette of yellow, green and polka-dots. All this is on roads closed especially for an event that last year attracted more than 3,000 riders.

Ride alongside four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome, who will also be holding clinics and sharing his extensive knowledge. With Phil Liggett and Matt Keenan as official commentators, spectators will think they’re on the couch watching SBS at 2am in July. letapeaustralia.com

L’Etape Australia in the Snowy mountains. © Sportograf.

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experience

Peta Mullens in the Otway Odyssey.

Cycle networks such as those found around Forrest have revitalised many rural centres across Australia.

Great Otway Gravel Grind.

Otway Odyssey and Great Otway Gravel Grind The Otways VIC, 24–25 February 2018

For a dozen years now, 1,000 or more dirtseekers have converged on the little village of Forrest, which is surrounded by the towering eucalypt and rainforest of the Otway Ranges. The Otway Odyssey was always a journey for mountain bikers keen to take on 10km, 30km, 50km or 100km races along forest tracks, dirt roads and single tracks.

Single tracks are the holy grail of mountain biking: purpose-built, narrow trails that twist, drop and climb through the terrain. Cycle networks such as those found around Forrest have revitalised many rural centres across Australia. Elite riders will smash the 100km course in a little over four hours, while those at the back of the pack will take up to 10 hours to grind through the full distance.

Speaking of grinding: two years ago, a new event – the Great Otway Gravel Grind – was introduced to the weekend, with two course options: 49km and 97km. Riders compete on bikes that look like road bikes – and indeed, some are – but they’re designed to be robust enough to handle dirt roads, not asphalt ones. The keenest cyclists can do the Gravel Grind on the Saturday and the Odyssey on the Sunday. rapidascent.com.au 24

Great Otway Gravel Grind.

Fat Tyre Festival Melrose SA, 8–11 June 2018

How does a tiny village on the edge of the Flinders Ranges, some 275 kilometres north of Adelaide, become a renowned mountain-biking centre? All that was needed was a bike-shop owner from the United States of America, a young couple from New Zealand, some broad-minded farmers and a bunch of enthusiastic villagers. Melrose, population 406, embraced all of this more than 15 years ago and now, Over the Edge, a bike/coffee/merino-wool shop, sits proudly

in a town with some 100 kilometres of trails at its doorstep.

For more than 15 years, mountain bikers from across Australia have been descending on Melrose over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in June for an event that encompasses rides, skills clinics, food, music and endless discussions about tyre widths, gear ratios and the mythical ‘flow’.

The Fat Tyre Festival is very much about the ride, not the race – indeed, competitiveness may have you thrown out of town. melrosemountainbike.com

experience

Single Speed Nationals Alice Springs NT, 13–15 July 2018

Any national championship where hosting rights are decided by a joust between candidate towns on kids’ bikes gives some indication as to the seriousness (or otherwise) of this event. Alice Springs put their best jouster forward to claim rights to the 2018 Single Speed Nationals. If Wagga Wagga offers you Gears & Beers, this one is all about just one gear, plenty of beer and more than a smattering of beards.

‘Singlespeeding’ is perhaps the purest and simplest form of mountain biking. Bikes are equipped with one gear only, and any serious approach to the racing is frowned upon.

Most championship courses have a ‘beer shortcut’ (drink a beer or do a penalty lap) and each rider carries the number plate ‘1’.

Surprisingly to many people, Alice Springs has the most incredible mountain biking, with a very active club and a couple of major national events held there each year. The 2018 Single Speed Nationals will base itself out at the historic Old Telegraph Station. facebook.com/groups/87297156996/ Gears & Beers Wagga Wagga NSW, 30 September 2018

Pedal powered Smoothies at The Fat Tyre Festival. © Sam Bruce.

Some wise soul once said that every good ride should start with a coffee and finish with a beer. While I’m not sure about the latter after a sunrise ride, it’s generally a reasonable proposition. Down in the NSW Riverina, they’ve formalised the link with Gears & Beers – an event with a name I’m certain would have included a third noun, had the organisers been able to think of a coffee-related term that ended in ‘ears’.

The baristas are pumping it out from before dawn as riders in the Dirty 130 ready themselves to start on a course that winds on blacktop and dirt, suitable for road and gravel bikes, through the northern hills of the Wagga region. Later, the Filthy 50 set off (they like their rhymes in the Riverina) – and so on, with races over various shorter distances down to an easy nine kilometres.

Once the biking’s done, it would be rude not to hobble straight to the Craft Beer & Cider Festival, where the wares of around 15 craft brewers are on tap for those seeking post-ride hydration in the company of 1,500odd bike-minded souls. gearsandbeers.org.au 25

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experience

The beauty of the stage race format is that you get to settle into a rhythm for a few days and enjoy and endure the ups and downs with your fellow riders.

All images this page of Cape to Cape. © Flow Mountain Bike.

Cape to Cape Margaret River WA, 18–21 October 2018

Sometimes, a day on the bike is just not long enough. Which is why each year, some 1,200 mountain bikers gather down Margaret River way in late October for the four-day Cape to Cape. In the 10 years the event has been running, it has been the catalyst for the development of trails around the region that can be used for year-round riding.

Traditionally, the Cape to Cape has showcased the south-west region of Western Australia in a point-to-point race format, journeying from Cape Leeuwin, the most south-westerly point in Australia, north to Cape Naturaliste. In 2017, however, all four race stages started and finished close to Margaret River – two at wineries and a third at a brewery – making logistics easier for riders.

The beauty of the stage race format is that you get to settle into a rhythm for a few days and enjoy and endure the ups and

downs with your fellow riders. With each of the four stages of the Cape to Cape covering either 50 or 60km, this is a very manageable event for any keen mountain biker. capetocapemtb.com None of the above events offer enough challenge for you? Well, there’s always the Indian Pacific Wheel Race in March (indianpacificwheelrace.com). Fully self-supported, this race of a mere 5,500 kilometres will take you from Fremantle to Sydney.

See you at the start!

27

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indigenous special

WINDS OF

CHANGE How one man’s dream could lead to the world’s first 500-piece didgeridoo orchestra.

he smell of fresh paint and new carpet hangs in the air as Rory O’Connor, a spokesman for the local Yugambeh community, stands inside a recently refurbished Yugambeh Museum explaining his bold plans for his community: to draw together a 500-piece didgeridoo orchestra to play at the Commonwealth Games celebrations on the Gold Coast in 2018.

Rory’s mission stems from his memory of how the 1982 Commonwealth Games transformed Brisbane culturally.

Following the news in 2014 that the Commonwealth Games was returning to South East Queensland, he gathered his local Indigenous community together to ask them, ‘What are we going to have left by the campfire after it comes and goes in our own country?’

Rory O’Connor.

WORDS: DAVID GILCHRIST

He wanted to know if the Yugambeh community could create a worthwhile legacy from the 2018 Commonwealth Games and “exploit the energy that the Commonwealth Games would bring to make something for our kids”.

A man of the community Spend just a little time with Rory and you soon discover a man with an infectious zest for life and a lot of love for community and family – or junnebei neubani, in the Yugambeh language.

The fact that junnebei neubani is integral to Rory’s character is unremarkable considering he draws his heritage from two cultures – Irish and Aboriginal – that share strong traditions of community and family.

Visit Yugambeh Museum in Beenleigh for the first time and Rory – who grew up on a goat farm on Brisbane’s outskirts – will tell you about his ancestors, whose portraits and stories hang on the museum’s walls.

His is the story of a family of eight children, an Irish father and Aboriginal mother. It comes from a family heritage that includes stories of craftspeople, frontier-war survivors and ANZACs – Indigenous stories of proud Indigenous folk.

A powerful collaboration Having previously helped establish an Indigenous choir to encourage the use of Yugambeh language, O’Connor started thinking about how to establish another creative community activity and approached successful didgeridoo

30

musician William Barton.

William is no slouch when it comes to playing the didgeridoo. With 20 years’ experience, the Mount Isa artist has played with traditional dance groups, fusion, rockjazz bands, orchestras, string quartets and mixed ensembles, work that has seen him touring internationally since he was 15 years old. Better yet, he loved the idea.

The trouble was that the didgeridoo is a Northern Australian instrument, and Rory needed to know that his idea wouldn’t offend the Northern elders. So, with some trepidation, he travelled to the Northern Territory to ask permission. He gathered a meeting with elders from seven different communities and pitched his dream – by the end of his pitch, the elders were beaming with enthusiasm.

They thought Rory’s idea had the potential to help change the usual negative stereotypes of Indigenous men, with one elder saying it would help make Aboriginal men “come together as men and be seen as leaders, not just by non-Aboriginal people but by Aboriginal people. In our own community, we’ll be seen as leaders by our women and especially the children. This is making something positive we can all work towards.”

Later, Rory met with Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, who wanted to know how big the orchestra would be. It wasn’t something the Yugambeh team had thought about and on the spur of the moment, Rory blurted out the first number that came to his mind – 500 – leaving both the Mayor and his own team agog.

indigenous special

William has played the didgeridoo with traditional dance groups, fusion, rock-jazz bands, and mixed ensembles, touring internationally since he was 15 years old

William Barton.

He’d committed himself to something no-one had ever done. And in line with Aboriginal custom, only men play the didgeridoo. That meant Rory had to find 500 men willing and able to play the most iconic Aboriginal instrument in front of an international audience.

Four strong winds Word soon spread. Men started turning up at the museum and Rory’s Beenleigh home. “They’d just turn up, older men,

younger men, black fellas. Then we had nonIndigenous men turning up as well.”

He adds, “They’re all learning and the young kids become teachers. The dynamics that are created in that space is magic.”

The Yugambeh team decided to make satellite orchestras that will eventually unite.

They are well on their way, with men and boys on board from the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia. Rory and didgeridoo collaborator William call each state group a ‘wind’ and

boast that they now have four winds: north, south, east and west.

“This is blokes performing; guys and kids learning the didgeridoo. It’s a real feel-good thing,” says Rory.

Although he’s tight-lipped about whether or not the 500-piece orchestra will be an official part of the Commonwealth Games or will perform in associated festivals and community celebrations, Rory reckons that the orchestra’s positive, sustainable impact means it’s already found success.

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indigenous special

WINDOWS into the Berwyn Lewis discovers how the Kimberley’s ancient Gwion Gwion rock art treasures could shed light on climate change impact.

n Kununurra, Western Australia, there’s no shortage of galleries displaying arts, crafts, jewellery and creative products made by Indigenous and non-Indigenous locals – but head out of town and the world’s largest and most ancient outdoor art galleries are waiting.

Cathedral-like caves and overhangs are packed with mysterious rock-art paintings, some estimated to be more than 40,000 years old. Hidden in a rugged landscape of thundering waterfalls, waterlily-covered waterholes, stands of Livistona palms and ancient boab trees, most of these rockart sites are inaccessible except by 4WD, helicopter, light aircraft and guided ‘specialist tours’, and on foot.

Many of these paintings depict what are known as Bradshaw or Gwion Gwion figures, in sophisticated artworks that experts believe predate ancient Egypt and other ‘cradles of civilisation’ by thousands of years.

Nobody knows how many of these ancient paintings there are, but it is estimated that thousands of them are scattered across the 424,000-plus-squarekilometre area of the Kimberley, where

Wandjina Rock Art.

dusty red roads stretch seemingly to infinity, and massive escarpments and ranges dominate the horizon.

Numerous rock-art sites remain undiscovered, and many of the priceless, millennia-old works are at risk – or have already been damaged or destroyed – by smoke and flames from aerial fire-bombing; neglect; and mining and fracking activities.

Berwyn and her partner at Mitchell Plateau airport.

32

PAST

Astral travellers?

Galleries of panels, measuring up to five metres by three metres in area, are windows into the past, containing messages from an almost-forgotten civilisation.

Graceful figures painted with red ochre and fine brushes – possibly, feather quills – demonstrate that the artists possessed a sophisticated knowledge of perspective and anatomy. Some figures are in static postures; others appear to be dancing or flying in horizontal and floating positions that some art historians believe reflects an ability to ‘astral travel’.

Who were the artists? Why did these unusual depictions appear, seemingly suddenly, many millennia ago, and then vanish abruptly thousands of years later?

One theory is that the people depicted in these Bradshaw paintings, or Gwion Gwion,

indigenous special

the distinctive cone-shaped headdresses and dreadlock hairstyles of some of the Gwion Gwion figures.

The genders of the figures are another area of controversy, with some experts contending that they can identify males, females and children by looking at leg positions, posture, the outlines of muscles and body shapes – some figures having broad shoulders, others suggesting feminine-looking curves.

Bradshaw (aka Gwion Gwion) rock art with tasselled skirts, headdresses.

William Barton. were the casualties of climate change. It’s thought they may have been driven from their idyllic coastal lands by the impact of glacial melts and rising seas, 18,000 to 20,000 years ago.

Did they have to fight for new territory?

Did they eventually interbreed with the occupants inland where they made their new homes?

In the works believed to date from the later stages of this period, experts say there is “a progressive decline in artistic technique”, which could be an indication that the artists’ communities of the time were forced to place less emphasis on

painting and more on the challenges of survival in hostile environs.

Some say these artists could have been specialist graduates of an ancient ‘art school’, because their technically advanced paintings display a uniformity that has been divided roughly into four major styles.

All the figures appear to be turned in towards the ‘canvas’ of the rock wall, heads are consistently tilted back and arms are decorated with tasselled amulets. Some figures wear sashes and tasselled skirts; others carry items that look like spears, boomerangs or dilly bags. Small animals – quolls, bilby or bandicoots – are perched on

Cross-cultural connections There are also some rare scenes depicting boats that have similarities to the ‘Boat of the Dead’, part of an Egyptian tomb painting at Thebes, raising more questions about cross-cultural connections and early migration.

There are indications that the earliest inhabitants of Australia were capable of undertaking great maritime voyages, plying the waters between Papua New Guinea and northern Australia. It was far from terra nullius (nobody’s land); indeed, it was quite the opposite, and suggests that a rewrite of Australian history is well overdue.

There is no doubt that the rock art of the Kimberleys is the work of a sophisticated community of artists, who lived in harmony with nature and celebrated their culture through their paintings.

Some panels show serpents coiling across the rooftops of caves, flying foxes, crocodiles, a thylacine, enormous yams and specimens of extinct fish.

At some sites, there are lines of deep grooves in the rock walls, where axes and spears might have been sharpened. Other sites show signs of domesticity, with smooth and hollowed-out stones, possibly used for grinding seeds and roots.

Who were the artists?

Why did these unusual depictions appear, seemingly suddenly, many millennia ago, and then vanish abruptly thousands of years later?

33

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indigenous special

The best way to see this country and its art is by hopping onto a guided tour These sites continue to hold strong spiritual and symbolic significance, especially for the local Indigenous people, who have up to 26 different names for the rock art, including Gwion Gwion, a longbeaked bird that, according to Aboriginal lore, pecks at the rock-art surfaces, and is a powerful spirit man and messenger.

The Gwion Gwion rock art, also known as Bradshaw paintings, were named after cattle station owner Joseph Bradshaw, the first European to sight and sketch them in 1891-2.

In the late 1970s, bushman and rock art scholar, the late Grahame Walsh, became a leading expert in Bradshaw figure research.

Walsh died in 2007, but his legacy of more than 30 documentations of Gwion Gwion rock art lives on in his books, Bradshaws: Ancient Rock Paintings of North-west Australia and Bradshaw art of the Kimberley.

Endless options for exploration On the way to the rock-art sites, there are numerous cattle stations where the hospitality is legendary, including Ellenbrae, or ‘scone central’, where up to 300 are baked every day; Drysdale River, with its hamburger heaven and home cooking and El Questro, with all creature comforts laid on. There’s also the Munurru campground, overlooking King Edward River; and the Mitchell River National Park area, where hundreds of tracks lead to countless rock-art sites. All offer camping facilities and various levels of accommodation.

The best way to see this country and its art is by hopping onto a guided tour such as those run by Kununurra-based Kimberley Spirit.

Owned and operated by experienced guide Scotty Connell, Kimberley Spirit Tours offers

luxury private safaris, camping adventures and small-group, tailor-made special-interest tours, with Scotty providing in-depth archaeological interpretations of the sites.

He’ll also show you around Kununurra’s attractions, including galleries, Saturday markets in Whitegum Park and the town’s famous sandalwood factory and distillery, The Mount Romance Sandalwood Factory Kununurra. Think bush foods, ‘men’s and women’s business’ products – and the sweet scent of Australian sandalwood in the air.

At Waringarri Aboriginal Arts, a notfor-profit organisation, Indigenous artists work on site, some with a palette of just a handful of ochre colours. Some are inspired by the Gwion Gwion; others by Dreamtime stories: local artist Betty Bundamurra, from Kalumburu, is busy illustrating a children’s book, Urial and Bogat Bogat, the story of the crocodile and the mud skipper, commissioned

by Magabala Books in Broome.

In August 2017, the North Kimberley’s Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation launched the Uunguu Visitor Pass (UVP). Currently being implemented for coastal and land-based tourism in the region, the UVP will help establish Uunguu Ranger stations, deliver ranger training and provide support for tourism activities. Sixty per cent of revenue will be invested in Wunambal Gaamera Country, smoothing the way for future visitors and rock-art aficionados.

Berwyn Lewis travelled with the assistance of Tourism WA. Permission to publish these images of Aboriginal rock art has been granted by the Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation.

Top Left: Wandjina rock art; Above from top: O’Malleys Crossing (Pentecost River); Waringarri Aboriginal Arts Centre; Five ochre colours used by artists at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts Kununurra.

INFO GUIDE

Kimberley Spirit Tours (Scott Connell) 08 9169 1804 or 0401 844 711 kimberleyspirit.com The Mount Romance Sandalwood Factory Kununurra 08 9169 1987 kununurra@mtromance.com.au mtromance.com.au Waringarri Aboriginal Arts 08 9168 2212 gallery@waringarriarts.com.au waringarriarts.com.au

35

A CANADIAN ROCKIES JOURNEY LIKE NO OTHER.

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Visit infinityholidays.com.au/rail-holidays for more information.

indigenous special

WEAVING a new FUTURE A sensitive collaboration between the Yolngu weavers of Elcho Island and influential Sydney retailer and design company Koskela is forging a distinctive contemporary Australian style.

hen Koskela co-founder Sasha Titchkosky stumbled across an internet article on the Yolngu weavers of Elcho Island in north-eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, it set the cogs in motion for what would become an inspired and important fusion of ancient Indigenous culture and modern design.

Founded in 2000, Koskela sells a broad range of Australian-made and ethically produced homewares, furniture, lighting and art. The company’s fresh approach to furniture and design is balanced with a strong social conscience.

On discovering the woven handiwork of Yolngu women, who’ve been using natural

fibres such as pandanus leaves and ‘bush string’ for many hundreds of years to weave objects, Sasha and her partner and cofounder Russel Koskela were immediately fascinated. They were keen to collaborate with the Yolngu weavers on a series of lampshades for pendant lighting, using frames designed by Koskela.

After extensive research, which included learning about the cultural sensitivities they’d need to consider, Sasha attended Darwin Art Fair, where she was introduced to senior Yolngu weaver Mavis Ganambarr, who agreed to take part in the project – but not before wondering “why this crazy white woman wants me to weave her a wastepaper basket”, laughs Sasha.

WORDS: ZOE MEUNIER

Before long, the project – dubbed Yuta Badayala, meaning ‘a new light’ – was born, along with the basis for a strong and lasting bond between Sasha and Mavis.

“We’re now really good friends; our children have had amazing experiences up in Elcho and we’ve formed very firm friendships that are very important to me and the family,” reveals Sasha. “So it’s been pretty incredible.”

Visiting the region also gave Sasha and her family firsthand experience of how labour-intensive the Yolngu weavers’ work is.

“All their weaving is made from plants that grow on the island or up in Arnhem Land, so there’s a great deal involved, from going out, harvesting and gathering the materials [to] preparing them for weaving – collecting all 37

indigenous special

A large lampshade can take up to a month for one of the women to complete, and each woven shade is unique

Above: One of the lampshades created by the Elcho Island weavers. Left: Sasha and her son help the weavers gather pandanus leaves. Below: Senior weaver Mavis Ganambarr creates a basket.

the dyes, mixing the dyes, dyeing them – and then weaving it,” she explains.

“Two fibres are used – the pandanus plant and the kurrajong fibre, which the women twine into ‘bush strings’ on their leg.”

“With the pandanus, they create a long hook from a tree branch to hook around the younger, very straight leaves in the centre of the plant. Then they take out the central spine of the leaf and they split it horizontally, and it’s ready for weaving – once they dye it, using natural dyes.

“A large lampshade can take up to a month for one of the women to complete, and each woven shade is unique,” Sasha says. “We wanted to give the women artistic license to create whatever they wanted onto the frame, and that’s allowed a huge diversity in the lampshades we get sent to us.”

These beautiful works of art have found their way into many ‘designer’ homes and corporate offices, around Australia and overseas, and have featured in exhibitions and magazines. But even more significant than their commercial success is the positive impact this collaboration has brought to the Yolngu women of Elcho Island.

38

Not only are the women able to make a good income from the project, Sasha says – the work has also “had an impact in reinforcing telling their stories, and their pride in their culture and traditions – and really showcasing that to a whole new audience.”

Building on the company’s success pushing the boundaries with regard to product ideas, Koskela is now starting to work with other remote Indigenous communities.

“We have a similar project with the Tjanpi weavers, who are in the Central Desert,” says Sasha, “and we’re also working with weavers in Millingimbi, also up in Arnhem Land.

“We have a beautiful fabric collection with an artist called Regina Wilson from Peppimenarti in the Northern Territory.

And we’re now starting to work with more and more [Indigenous] art centres, such as Yarrenyty Arltere from Alice Springs.

“So we’re really pushing out, to try to create more and more product ideas and collaborations in this space.

“There’s definitely a growing tide within Australia to start [to] really reflect our Indigenous heritage and celebrate it, and work out ways we can do that.”

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Santa’s Workshop

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3 NOV 2017 - 27 JAN 2018

Our 25m Ferris Wheel is fun for both the young and young at heart. With stunning views of the surrounding gardens and vineyards the whole family can enjoy this ride*

Celebrate the magic of Christmas at the beautiful Hunter Valley Gardens.

Christmas Lights Spectacular are celebrating an impressive 10 years of spreading the Christmas spirit and joy to children of all ages. To mark this momentous occasion, Hunter Valley Gardens invites you to explore the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest and most breathtaking display of over 2 million lights.

This year we have added three beautiful new rides, the Ferris Wheel, Carousel and Swing Chair. With a single use option for the Ferris Wheel and an unlimited play pass for all rides*, these attractions are open to visitors throughout the event.

DON’T MISS OUT!

Fairy Garden

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The entire family will be able to enjoy the festive season with a delicious selection of food and beverage stalls, roaming entertainment including carollers (until Boxing Day), and nightly performances by much loved children’s music group Little Scallywagz.

Visit hvg.com.au for details and online tickets.

02 4998 4000 - Broke Rd Pokolbin - hvg.com.au Gates will open at a new time of 5.30pm and will close at 10.00pm. Admission charges apply. Program subject to change. Some activities may not open in adverse weather conditions and for unscheduled maintenance. Terms and conditions of entry apply. *Swing Chair and HVG Super Slide - 110cm-120cm must ride with an adult, 120cm and above may ride alone. Rides are user pay.

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auto

Take me back to

Bonneville The term ‘iconic’ has been bandied about so much, it has little meaning left. But when it did mean something, it referred to brands like Triumph. And to achieve ‘iconic’ status, you need to earn it.

t may have been a rough road, but Triumph Motorcycles weathered two World Wars, a Great Depression and the biggest threat of all: Asian competition.

It built personality, prestige and an irresistible desirability through associations with such masculine style icons as Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando, Bob Dylan, James Dean and even Elvis Presley. Now, if that pedigree team of superstar riders doesn’t make a boy want to get on a bike, I don’t know poo from clay.

Like James Bond and Aston Martin, Ayrton Senna and TAG Heuer, the male brand-bonding between Steve McQueen and Triumph Motorcycles, in particular, was a

match made in heaven. In fact, so enamoured with the brand was McQueen that he even had Germans riding them in his 1963 WWII classic, The Great Escape. You didn’t know that? Look closely. Triumph didn’t seem to mind this historical faux pas either. The marque even celebrated it with a limitededition Triumph Bonneville, released in 2011.

Triumph revival One of the oldest brands in motorcycle history, the first Triumph motorcycle went on sale in 1902 and continued until 1983 when, like so many established yet complacent European brands, it was overtaken by the rush of

WORDS: RODERICK EIME

Japanese machines including Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki.

Reborn in 1985 through the acquisition of the brand by John Bloor (now an OBE), and despite numerous global subsidiary operations, the company remains 100 per cent UK-owned. By all accounts, Triumph is riding high with its superbly crafted, retro-styled machines that channel both the extensive history of the marque and the trademark styling of its ’60s classics, particularly the big twin Bonneville. The full range of Triumph machines, however, includes everything from touring to adventure, naked, sports and cruiser models.

45

auto

Aussie riders embrace new Bonnies The big new Bonneville T120 sold almost 300 units in 2016 from an April start – about the same as the Ducati Scrambler and Honda CB500 did for the full 12 months.

2017 has seen it take off, leaving both those rivals for dead and selling close to 100 units by the end of March, helping Triumph secure the #5 spot on the list of Australian road sales by brand.

Like a tenacious prize fighter’s old ‘one, two’, Triumph is following up this success with the T100, a new entry point for riders wanting to be as one with their own ‘Bonnies’. Powered by the soothing and percussive 900cc parallel twin, the T100 and its evil twin, the T100 Black, bear an immediate heartwarming resemblance to the original 1959 model that began this stalwart heritage.

The Street Cup is Triumph’s other 2016 release that employs the same 900cc Bonneville engine in an immaculate ‘café racer’ chassis, complete with stylish accoutrements like the bullet seat, tiny ‘flyscreen’ windshield and bold paintwork to match its ‘racer’ silhouette. The bike pays homage to the incredible feat of Welshman Malcolm Uphill, who rode a Bonneville to win the Isle of Man Production TT race in 1969, while recording the first 100mph lap for that class.

The modern Bonnevilles deliver plenty of satisfying, silky-smooth acceleration in an easy-to-manage, neutral-handling package that is a breeze around town and just as

Model spotlight: Street Cup With a name inspired by the club racing scene, the Street Cup is designed to deliver all the attitude, personality, presence and style of a contemporary custom café racer for today’s riders.

Sharing the same styling principles as the Street Twin, the new Street Cup has the unmissable Bonneville silhouette combined with clean lines, minimal bodywork and modern finishes. Cast wheels, an elegant fuel tank with a locking fuel cap, black sculpted engine covers with the Triumph makers’ mark

46

triangle and Bonneville engine badge, this exciting bike is rounded off with an elegant single-throttle body with aluminium finisher and distinctive finned head and header clamps.

To match its ‘street racer’ attitude, the Street Cup packs more sports-focused ergonomics without compromising rider comfort.

Compared to the Street Twin, the rider is seated slightly higher and further back, and the ‘Ace’-style handlebars are positioned lower and slightly forward to improve physical turn-in.

Key specs Engine type Liquid-cooled, 8-valve, SOHC, 270° crank angle parallel twin Capacity 900cc Maximum power 55 PS/54 BHP (40.5kW) @ 5,900 rpm Maximum torque 80Nm @ 3,230 rpm

Model spotlight:

Bonneville T100 and T100 Black Inspired by the legendary ’59 Bonneville and styled to incorporate more of the signature design, silhouette and character of the original, the T100 and T100 Black each have their own distinctive character, enhanced by the premium finishes and familiar touches of that classic, original motorcycle.

Sharing the instantly recognisable Bonneville lines and many of the key features of the T120, the new T100 and T100 Black both reflect the same timeless beauty. From the sculpted form of the 14.5-litre fuel tank to the intricately detailed Bonneville engine plate and feature-rich twin clocks, the new T100 incorporates new standards for quality and finish.

The Bonneville T100 features the classically inspired detailing and stunning chrome finishes you’d expect on such a bike. Gleaming brushedaluminium covers and classic bolt-on Triumph badges unique to these two models are teamed with deep chrome mirrors, mudguard stays, handlebars and headlight bezel.

Contributing to the classic Bonneville profile on the T100 are the detailed comfort and pillion seats, finished in contrast piping with deeper foam for extra comfort.

exciting on the open road. The mildermannered T100 is a little easier to manage than the T120 which, by comparison, is the big, bare-chested 1200cc brute of a brother. Similarly, the 900cc Street Cup just feels fast, in an ‘old-school’, understated manner, without the grotesque modern and luminous fairings that seem to typify today’s struggling sport bikes.

‘Brutal beauty’ Bobber Bonnie a surprise hit To take the retrospective to a whole new level, the single-seat ‘bobber’ version of the Bonneville has proven another massive hit, with riders seeking both street cred and a thoroughly enjoyable ride on a machine not stapled together with rusty chicken wire, proving a modern ‘café racer’ doesn’t have to be some stunt bike from a Mad Max sequel.

Maybe it was the ‘hot-rod’ exhaust

tuning or low-down power from the re-tuned high-torque 1200cc engine it shares with the T120 but, released in late 2016, it became the fastest-selling motorcycle in Triumph’s 115-year history and kept the marque swimming in the early months of 2017 as many big names floundered in a sudden sales slump.

And, wait for it – 2018 sees the ‘darker, meaner, stronger’ Bonneville Bobber Black in showrooms with an even more aggressive, lightweight package.

Style never goes out of fashion If ever there was a demonstration of “what was old is new again”, it’s the enduring affection motorcycle-lovers – old and new – have for a brand that respects classic heritage and current technology, combining both in a package that delights riding purists and design geeks in equal measure.

Apart from the key components of the new T100, the T100 Black goes dark and sophisticated with fully black components including wheel rims, a twin-skin, matt peashooter exhaust and blacked-out engine cover for an unmistakable look.

Key specs (both models) Engine type Liquid-cooled, 8-valve, SOHC, 270° crank angle parallel twin Capacity 900cc Bore/stroke 84.6mm x 80mm Compression ratio 10.55:1 Maximum power 55 PS/54 HP (40.5kW) @ 5,900 rpm Maximum torque 80Nm @ 3,230 rpm

47

industry

SPECIAL FEATURE

MITIGATE CHAIN OF RESPONSIBILITY RISK

WITH EXCAVATOR SCALES

DO YOU EVER use an excavator to load a road truck? If so and you don’t weigh the load, now’s the time to consider adding machine scales to your excavator. Not only will it minimise the risk if something goes wrong, but it will also help to reduce machine wear, save time and reduce wasted material.

Incorrectly loaded or overloaded road trucks carry significant risk for your business and strict road weight laws that help to keep everyone on the road safe could come crashing down on you if your trucks are not legal.

In Australia and New Zealand, chain of responsibility law holds that all parties involved in the transport of goods on our roads are accountable, including drivers, machine operators, weighbridge managers, quarry managers and everyone up the chain right up to company directors.

If an offense is committed by your employee, agent or contractor, it could be treated as having been committed by you both, even if you didn’t know about it, let alone approve it.

In addition to ensuring drivers and operators do not exceed permitted work/ rest hours, do not operate machinery while fatigued, that goods are secured appropriately and that drivers keep within speed limits, managers, operators, schedulers, consigners and receivers are responsible for making sure vehicles do not exceed mass or dimension limits.

Those involved with loading road trucks have additional responsibility to document that load does not exceed vehicle mass limits

and that load is distributed in the truck to make sure it doesn’t become unsafe or unstable during transport.

By fitting scales to loading machinery including loaders and excavators, operators and managers are able to keep a running total of the weight of the load for each trip as evidence that correct loading procedures have been followed and that the truck is loaded consistently across all axles.

With accurate record keeping, traceability and stock management, excavator scales are a simple and highly effective way to minimise risk to your business and keep track of material movement. And by eliminating paper-based records, a system such as the Loadex 100 by RDS Technology ensures your data is reliably stored and easy to access at any time.

An optional printer can be installed within the machine to give clients a hard copy of load summaries and totals and to keep an accurate paper record if required.

Operators will benefit from knowing accurate weight information and with the ability to input a target load, ensure the correct loading of road trucks with mimimal risk of human error. If loaded past the threshold, an audible alarm will sound to alert the operator. Plus, an optional reversing camera can be fitted to help increase safety on site – it uses the same display in the cab so there’s no extra components to fit into what’s already a crowded space!

As the most flexible and adaptable system available on the market today, the Loadex 100

has the option of static or dynamic weighing positions to suit all applications. Unlike other solutions, it also uses inclinometers and a mechanical sensor to provide dynamic weighing capabilities in even the most challenging conditions and terrains to ensure it keeps up with the machine and the job.

With SQL database functionality, data can be exported via serial, Ethernet, USB memory stick or our Tokara 4G & WiFi modem to easily import into other software platforms and suit your existing workflow.

You also have the option of one or two way communication between machines and the office to save time and keep track of your project with iSOSYNC software.

Unique to the customers in Australia and New Zealand is the option to receive remote service and support through Tokara Link, a telematics platform developed by RDS distributor for the region, Position Partners. Tokara enables support technicians to remotely login to your system to diagnose technical problems, update software or train the operator, without the need to visit the machine in person!

Knowing what your excavators and loaders are picking up and loading to road trucks is vital in today’s construction industry, both to meet your legal requirements and for on-site safety, insurance and the warranty on your machines. With the added perks of increased efficiency, reduced fuel use and machine wear and a safer, more productive team, there is a lot of upside to embracing this simple and effective technology!

For more information contact Position Partners on 1300 867 266 or visit www.positionpartners.com.au

48

Do you need a high performance 3D laser scanner that will really go the distance?

Introducing the Polaris Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) range from Teledyne Optech, now available from Position Partners.

This versatile, precision instrument comes packed with benefits: • • • •

Easily upgradeable to suit every job High speed data acquisition to increase productivity Industry-grade quality you can rely on to outperform your expectations Long distance capability up to 1.6 kilometres

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WE WERE BORN IN THE FIELD 175 YEARS AGO

AND HAVE RAISED THE BAR EVER SINCE. Since 1842, we’ve been in an endless cycle of innovation. Fuelled by a desire to help you squeeze every ounce of productivity out of every acre you farm.

After every breakthrough — from the first threshing machine to our Axial-Flow® combines today — we’ve gotten up every day since with a mission to make them better. More efficient. And more productive for you. Which is why, for the next 175 years, we intend to continue doing the same thing every day.

industry

MINING

ENERGISING

THE FUTURE Lithium is a key element in the cleanenergy revolution, and Australian lithium producers are a bright spot in an otherwise rather dismal mining landscape.

WORDS: DARREN BAGULEY

ricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) Mine 2016 report has shown that overall, the Australian mining industry is not in good shape. Investment is down and reduced commodity prices are having major impacts upon the cash flows of companies that, during the boom, loaded up on debt to increase production volumes, no matter what the consequences.

The only two commodities PwC identified as providing good news were gold and lithium.

Lithium (Li) is a soft, silverywhite metal that, under standard conditions, is both the lightest solid element and the lightest metal. It never occurs in a pure form in nature, but is found in pegmatitic (hard rock) ores, sea water and brines.

Western Australia has large reserves of hard rock lithium and was responsible for a little under

half (14,300 tonnes) the world’s production of 32,500 tonnes in 2016, according to the United States Geological Survey. While brine deposits in Andean Chile and Argentina and Himalayan China are much larger, they’re lower quality and remote, in areas with poor infrastructure. By contrast, Australian hard rockderived lithium is of higher quality and all the deposits being exploited or likely to be exploited are close to existing mining operations, with good infrastructure already in place.

It’s a bright spot that has flared very quickly. In January of 2017, Western Australia had only one mine producing lithium, by July 2017, there were four and the volume of product exported had jumped sixfold.

Talison Lithium, part owned

by China’s Tianqi Lithium and

America’s Albemarle, owns and operates the Greenbushes mine in the state’s south-west. Greenbushes is one of the world’s largest lithium producers and the company’s WA site is set to double production, with Talison building what is claimed to be the biggest lithium processing plant in the world, at Kwinana, south of Perth. Whatever the eventual size of the plant, the project is bringing $400 million of investment into a Western

It’s a bright spot that has flared very quickly.

By July 2017 the volume of product exported had jumped sixfold.

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industry

Mechanical processing used to refine lithium spodumene concentrate at Galaxy Lithium Mine in Ravensthorpe, Western Australia.

Because of lithium’s lightness and high ‘energy density’, lithiumion batteries have become the default choice

Lepidolite mineral, in which Lithium is commonly found.

Australian economy in recession and creating 500 construction jobs.

In addition, Chilean mining major Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM) has inked a deal with Kidman Resources (ASX: KDR) to finance a new deposit in the Goldfields which includes plans to build a $100 million refinery at either Bunbury, Perth or Kalgoorlie.

Other players that are already producing or are close to production, with large proven reserves, include Galaxy Resources (ASX: GXY), Altura Mining (ASX: AJM), Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS) and Neometals (ASX: NMT).

In an interview with the ABC, long-time mining industry observer Tim Treadgold said that by next year, there could be eight Western Australian lithium mines in production.

Not surprisingly, there have been concerns about another ‘boom-and-bust’ cycle, but that is

likely to happen only in the short term. Almost all of us carry around and use products derived from lithium every day and it’s a key component in the global shift to renewable energy.

Because of lithium’s lightness and high ‘energy density’, lithiumion batteries have become the default choice for the smartphone, tablet and laptop computer batteries that most of us use. And with wearables, such as the Apple Watch and Fitbit, and the Internet of Things (IoT) becoming ever more a part of everyday life, demand for light, powerful batteries is only going to grow. But portable gadgets are just the thin edge of the wedge when it comes to battery storage.

While it’s clear to pretty much everyone (except Tony Abbott and Donald Trump) that coal is yesterday’s energy source, intermittency of supply must be addressed before renewables can 53

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Means less downtime here

Atomic number 3 Element category alkali metal Electron configuration [He] 2s1 Electrons per shell 2, 1 Phase (at STP) solid 453.65K​ Melting point

(180.54 °C) Boiling point 1603K

​(1347 °C) Drilling machine makes bore holes for explosives in Galaxy Lithium Mine in Ravensthorpe, Western Australia.

power the world. The wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine, but it’s clear that the answer to issues of intermittent supply is storage. Pumped hydro, molten salt or silicon, and compressed air are all promising means of storing renewable energy; but battery storage is set to be the real game-changer.

As the demand for batteries of all kinds has ramped up, their price has dropped 75 per cent in the past six years. As a result, industrial-scale batteries such as those produced by Redflow, Tesla and others are becoming more and more compelling as a way to provide baseload from renewables.

The step-change underway in the world’s power grids is a big enough disruption to the status quo – but it’s not just the grid that’s being transformed. The internal combustion engine is on the way out as well.

Britain and France have announced plans to ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040,

while Norway is planning to make the switch even earlier, in 2025.

Similarly, India has announced that new petrol or diesel cars won’t be sold after 2030 and China is currently working out a timetable that will see the production and sale of fossil-fuel-powered vehicles end somewhere between 2030 and 2040.

The proliferation of portable and wearable devices and the step changes in the electricity grid and transport are driving demand for lithium higher and higher, with no end in sight.

While it’s possible that the rapid increase in production in Western Australia and elsewhere may lead to some short-term price fluctuations, in the medium to long term, lithium is here to stay.

Britain and France have announced plans to ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040

QUICK LITHIUM FACTS • Lithium is the lightest metal.

• It has the lowest density of any metal and can float on water.

• Lithium is a shiny, soft metal which reacts violently with water forming a strong corrosive base – that’s why it’s often stored in oil.

• Lithium burns with a bright red colour and is added to fireworks to make red sparks.

• Lithium is used extensively in rechargeable batteries and many types of ceramics.

• Lithium is used as an alloy additive to aluminum and magnesium to lower weight and improve strength.

• Lithium is not found in its elemental form, but is produced by electrolysis of ores that contain it.

• Lithium carbonate is used in small doses to treat manic depression and bipolar disorders.

• Lithium deuteride was an early consideration for thermonuclear bomb fuel. The lithium produces tritium which in turn fuses with the deuterium to release energy.

• Lithium can be used to create soap, with lithium soap used in many commercial lubricants.

P: +61 8 9259 4955

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industry

RURAL INSURANCE

RISKING

THE FARM From the increasing popularity of self-sufficient small farms to multi-peril crop cover, the rural insurance landscape has changed a lot in recent years.

WORDS: DARREN BAGULEY

all it the ‘River Cottage’ or ‘Gourmet Farmer’ effect – these days, more and more people are throwing in city careers for life in the country on small farms, where they can grow their own food and truly know where what they eat has come from.

While there’s no doubt this lifestyle is an attractive one, rural life has its challenges, and many risks cannot be insured for. Nevertheless, Australian crop farmers finally have access to a product that European and North American farmers have been able to take out for years: multiperil crop insurance (MPCI).

Insurance experts say that one of the big mistakes many tree-

changers and hobby farmers make is assuming that insurance will be the same in rural areas as it is the city or suburbs.

According to IAG’s executive manager agribusiness, Andrew Beer, this is not the case.

“Farms are unique in that they combine a family home with a business, which presents additional risks,” says Beer. “The farm may contain several dams, have fertiliser and pesticides stored in farm buildings, use large machinery and associated attachments – as well as risk presented by large farm animals.

“Hobby farmers [and treechangers, who have many of the

same risks, albeit on a smaller scale] often make the mistake of taking out a standard home insurance policy, rather than a hobby-farm policy which would cover them for both business and personal use.”

“Farms are unique in that they combine a family home with a business, which presents additional risks” 59

*Source: DHF Intralogistik Magazine 2016

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industry

Ruralco’s general manager insurance, Michael Cullinan, puts it a different way.

“Farmers have a more complex risk exposure,” he explains.

“Farming is a commercial-type risk, and their losses need to be considered as such. For example, future earnings may be affected, unlike a house-and-contents risk, where only the initial loss needs to be considered.

“They may need to consider employees; they definitely need to insure adequately to ensure that their income is not affected by any loss. As a result, whether large or small, farmers need to have adequate insurance for all items that they’re unable to replace themselves in a short period of time – houses, vehicles, farm buildings, livestock, hay, fencing, et cetera.”

Both Beer and Cullinan agree that when taking out insurance, it’s vital to deal with a company

that understands the farming risk exposure properly. It’s also crucial to not under-insure, says Beer. “[It’s important to] make sure that the sum insured is high enough to cover the cost of replacing an item. This may also include transport and labour costs,” he says. “[Good rural insurers] offer [good] risk management advice, and can work with customers to ensure that they have adequate cover to suit their needs.”

One area in which that coverage has changed in recent years is cropping, thanks to the advent of multi-peril crop insurance.

For decades, European and North American farmers have had the advantage of subsidised multi-peril crop insurance while Australian farmers haven’t – a distinct disadvantage in a global marketplace.

Recently, however, IAG (under its CGU and WFI brands) created

“Whether large or small, farmers need to have adequate insurance for all items they’re unable to replace themselves in a short period of time”

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industry

Recently, IAG created a multi-peril crop insurance product for wheat, barley and canola growers

a multi-peril crop insurance product for wheat, barley and canola growers in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. The aim is to protect farmers against yield shortfalls caused by natural perils such as flood, frost, drought and vermin.

Known as Crop Income Protection, the product gives farmers choices around the yield amount they want to cover, as well as allowing them to select the price per tonne they wish to be paid for any shortfall.

Ruralco has partnered with SureSeason multi-peril crop insurance but Cullinan is concerned about the long-term outlook for this vital product.

“The big issue is that even with 62

five underwriters offering MPCI, the pricing is going to stop significant uptake,” he says.

“For example, if MPCI costs 12.5 per cent – $125,000 on a $1 million crop – in a one-in-five-year drought zone, there is benefit, but in a onein-10-year drought zone farmers will self-insure. So there is a risk that underwriters won’t be able to offer it unless we can significantly increase the uptake.”

Cullinan argues that the best way to avoid this situation would be for government to offer something like a 150 per cent rebate for the cover and eliminate all the other subsidies to which crop farmers have access.

Whatever steps are taken to drive take-up, MPCI should be available to Australian farmers.

Never Assume My wife and I moved west of the sandstone curtain nearly 10 years ago and, like most tree-changers, we learned a lot of hard lessons – including how important it is to know what you’re actually insured for.

Seven years ago, I was at our home property when my wife rang me from our hazelnut orchard.

“The tractor’s not in the shed.

Someone has taken the mulcher off and driven off with it.”

Long story short, our absentee neighbour’s so-called caretaker had a few too many one night and thought hot-wiring our tractor, driving off into the Wollemi National Park and bogging it past the axles was a good idea.

It took days of digging and jacking to pull it out and once it was out, it wouldn’t go, and we couldn’t tow it because the steering and brakes weren’t working. Turns out all four axles were broken, as was the line in to the hydraulics.

The damage was enough for the insurer to write our tractor off – and it was then that we got a nasty shock. We had thought we’d insured the tractor for $26,000 but we’d actually insured it for $26,000 or market value, whatever was the lesser.

Even if we’d got $26,000, we still would have been heavily out of pocket – we’d bought our tractor during the Millennium Drought and had got good value for money. But even worse: there were very few of our model tractor for sale, and they were very old and tired examples compared to ours.

After a lot of research and haggling we convinced the assessor to increase the payout but even so, by the time we bought the wreck and then had the tractor repaired, we were considerably out of pocket.

The moral of this story is: know what you are actually covered for. It may not have changed the final result but we would have been prepared, or it may have encouraged us to shop around for our cover.

They know me.

They know my farm.

That’s why I’m insured with WFI. At WFI, we take the time to thoroughly understand your business and how it operates.

Because when we get to know a business, we can protect everything that matters.

Call 1300 934 934 or visit wfi.com.au To see if our products are right for you, always read the PDS from the product issuer, Insurance Australia Limited ABN 11 000 016 722 AFSL 227681 trading as WFI.

A HOME

AWAY FROM HOME AT CIVEO, IT’S THE LITTLE DETAILS THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, AND WE MAKE SURE WE GET THEM RIGHT FROM THE MINUTE YOU WAKE UP AND START YOUR DAY.

Inviting living spaces are nestled in our village gardens, looked after by expert groundskeepers like it’s their own back yard.

Look forward to wholesome meals cooked daily by our in-house chefs. Alongside our seasonal menu, you can use the cook to order touch screens to request grilled steak, chicken or fish - all freshly prepared just for you.

Explore our fully-serviced en-suite rooms, 24-hour gyms, on-site shop, BBQ areas, recreation facilities and much more.

Here at Civeo – we’re a family. So whether you’re doing your laundry or checking yourself in for the night, our friendly staff are here to help… all you need to do is ask.

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Whatever the application we have the solution Atlas Copco can provide a single source solution for all bolting applications in the Offroad and Mining markets.

Our complete product protfolio is at the forefront of technology and can provide tooling and technical solutions including, Mechanical Torque Wrenches, Impact Wrenches, Nutrunners, Hydraulic Wrenches and Software.

From the most basic to demanding application Atlas Copco has you covered.

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industry

MINING

WOMEN IN MINING

Throughout history, mining has been a man’s world, but women are increasingly finding a place in it.

ew industries have a perfect gender mix but the mining industry has greater inequality than most, especially at CEO level. According to 2016 data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), women make up only 15.8 per cent of the overall mining workforce, while female management positions in the mining industry range from a high of 15.6 per cent in senior management roles to just 2.5 per cent at the level of CEO. While it’s tempting to respond with a “So what? Mining is dirty, dull and dangerous work!”, this would be to overlook the broader problem. Social equity issues aside, there is a strong business case for promoting gender diversity, in the mining industry and elsewhere.

According to the Minerals Council of Australia’s landmark Workforce Gender Diversity Review white paper, It’s Not Just a Program, “[while] current industry uncertainty is making predictions difficult, on current medium term trends, Australia will not be able to supply sufficient technicians, geologists, mining engineers or other related skills to meet immediate industry needs.”

One solution suggested in the white paper is to increase the size of its labour pool. This would ease one of the mining industry’s major bugbears – skills shortages that push up wages and raise business costs. Gender diversity also boosts productivity, however.

Increased gender diversity leads to less ‘wear and tear’ on equipment and fewer workplace accidents. According to a Chamber of Minerals and Energy Western Australia report, “...when women are part of the

WORDS: DARREN BAGULEY

workforce at mine sites, better care is taken of the equipment; there are improved workplace relations through the moderating impact of soft skills such as negotiation… the overall safety record has… (improved).”

The MCA white paper also noted that “teams with gender diversity have been shown to lead to improved, more creative decisionmaking and higher levels of innovation, according to findings by The Chamber of Minerals & Energy Western Australia and Anita Borg Institute for Women & Technology.

ASX500 companies with women directors delivered significantly higher return on equity, operating result (EBIT) and stock price growth (McKinsey & Co, The Reibey Institute).”

While there are some historical reasons for mining’s lack of gender diversity – primarily, that legislation prevented women working underground until the 1980s – in the 21st century the reasons are more cultural, says Sabina Shugg, KPMG’s national lead, mining performance and the founder and chair of Women in Mining Western Australia (WiMWA).

“A lot of it is the image of the industry; some of it is the business environment; and a lot is cultural and societal,” she says. “The industry has changed a lot but the image hasn’t changed as quickly. It’s not as hard, dirty and dangerous as it once was, but the image remains.”

EMR Golden Grove alternate manager,

Sabina Shugg (second from left) supporting future women in mining at the WIMWA Summit.

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industry

Anita Percy, has a slightly different take. “[It] role models and examples to show the public that depends on your definition of ‘underrepresented’,” this is a place where women thrive,” Percy says. she notes. “Mining has historically been a male“These are things I know and see every day, but it’s dominated industry and I can’t see that status not necessarily obvious to the outsider.”

One barrier both Shugg and Percy identify changing in the near future. regarding women’s participation in the mining “There are a number of factors that appeal to industry is the lack of flexibility in working the ‘masculine’ – dirt, large machinery, explosives, conditions. According to the WGEA, mining as examples. This is, however, a factor of interest work is overwhelmingly full-time – 95.6 per cent and not ability. Women can succeed in any role of jobs in the industry are full-time roles. It’s not and, to be honest, the above list is what drew me surprising, therefore, that Percy believes “the into the industry, too.” next major hurdle for female While Percy may not see the participation in mining is return gender imbalance correcting to work following parental leave at in the near future, she says “If I was to FIFO & DIDO operations”. the mining industry as a list all of “There has been some great whole is helping to address the headway made at the professional issue. “If I was to list all of the the awards, level, with some really good awards, seminars, scholarships, seminars, examples of companies and networking groups, mentoring families working together to create programs, newsletters and the scholarships, a flexible option that works for like which support women in networking both parties,” she says. “But this mining, encourage them and still seems to be the exception celebrate their successes, you groups, rather than the rule. would have no more room for mentoring “There may be room here the rest of your article!” for the Minerals Council, CME Shugg agrees that much programs, or similar to compile a list of is being done to address newsletters and examples from the industry of the industry gender gap. what is working and how, in order Organisations such as the the like which to provide inspiration to both Australasian Institute of support women employees and employers. Of Mining and Metallurgy course, this would need to include (AusIMM), the various in mining, cases of men working flexibly chapters of Women in Mining encourage them as well, so as to encourage and Network (WiMnet), and help normalise flexible working related bodies such as Women and celebrate arrangements.” in Mining and Resources And while progress is WA (WiMWA) and Women their successes, certainly being made when it in Mining and Resources you would have comes to gender diversity in the Queensland (WiMARQ) mining industry, both male and are doing a huge amount to no more room female workers have suffered improve the image of the for the rest of from the recent downturn in industry, whether it’s by commodity prices. highlighting role models; your article!”

“There have been some big working to raise the profile structural changes in the industry of science, technology, due to commodity prices,” says Shugg. “There engineering and mathematics (STEM) to make have been equal reductions in more traditional these disciplines more attractive to both boys and roles – so where women might have gained a bit girls; or providing opportunities for networking of ground over time by getting more operator and and mentoring. management type roles, industry has taken out According to the WGEA, most mining a lot of admin roles which were the traditional companies are engaging actively in improving the baseline of women. representation of women in the industry. In the “It’s disappointing that with all the effort, past year, BHP Billiton stated that it aims to have a increases haven’t been what they could be. But the 50 per cent female workforce by 2025. new lower-cost environments should, hopefully, “To achieve this, BHP will need to refocus the see more women in the sector.” image of the industry as a whole and put forward 68

industry

Sabina Shugg at the WIMWA Summit 2017.

Anita Percy at a WIMWA mentoring event and on the job (below).

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industry

SPECIAL FEATURE

SOLAR-DIESEL HYBRID PACKAGE OFFERS

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And now we’ve harnessed renewable technology to combine the advantages

of clean renewable energy to those of our reliable diesel generators.

Solar power is now more affordable than ever and it’s clean, which is good news for the environment. But it can be intermittent and unreliable. Night falls or clouds come in and power is lost. Seasons change and power capacity drops, which means that your business cannot rely on it as a sole energy source.

Diesel power is reliable, so you can have electricity round the clock. But for off-grid customers diesel fuel is often a high proportion of operating costs.

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Aggreko has more than 50 years of experience successfully operating microgrids across the globe to offer a reliable solution at the cheapest cost.

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Looking to the future With the world facing an estimated power gap of 100 GW by the end of this decade, quick, scalable power is set to be even more crucial to industries, communities and entire economies. That’s why we’re continually innovating to meet the future with confidence – supplying power on demand, anywhere in the world, while respecting the environment.

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World leader in power, cooling and heating rental We provide innovative power, cooling and heating solutions that enable our customers to reduce risk, eliminate redundancy, streamline operations and create new growth opportunities.

Our success means we’re now widely regarded as the global leader in our field. But we don’t rest on our laurels: day-to-day we go above and beyond our customers’ expectations to deliver the highest possible levels of service.

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

School delivered differently Thanks to digital technology, school is no longer constrained by four walls. The school of tomorrow is here today. And it’s online.

Your child is taught by our teachers who are specialists in delivering education online. So relax, you don’t have to ‘know everything’.

Increasingly, forward-thinking parents are moving their children to online school. Because ACC’s Online School is government-accredited, employs university-qualified teachers and opens university pathways.

Online school was developed to help all students flourish. It’s flexible, portable and affordable.

Online students are diverse. They’re gifted, disabled, bullied, anxious, autistic, aspiring athletes, talented dancers or live in the outback.

And while many students are driven to online school as a result of various challenges, it’s also common for a family to simply choose online school as their preferred option.

As Australia’s largest non-government online school, our students use technology solutions from companies like Google, Apple and Schoology.

Online School with Australian Christian College is currently available to students in Qld, NSW and WA. New enrolments are accepted at any time during the year.

Learn how the convenience and flexibility of online school could benefit your son or daughter at accde.edu.au.

This is school delivered differently.

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Helping the ‘frustrated student’ rediscover a love of learning with online school f your child is frustrated with school due to distractions, commuting times, peer group pressure or wasted time during the school day, they can slowly lose their love of learning.

Your child’s love of learning can be rebuilt with online school.

While many students are driven to online school as a result of various frustrations, it’s also common for a family to simply choose online school as their preferred option.

With online school, your child learns at home or anywhere with a reliable internet connection. The learning is self-paced yet aligned with the National Curriculum.

Online school has become an increasingly popular option for parents looking for schooling choices, a change in lifestyle, or in response to physical or social pressures such as bullying or disability.

Parents with gifted children also report positive outcomes with online school. Gifted students can move ahead as they wish.

ACC’s Online School employs state-ofthe-art digital technologies, the teachers are qualified and experienced in teaching online.

As a government-accredited online

school, the aim is to give parents a proven alternative to traditional face-to-face teaching and make sure all students have the opportunity to experience the best possible education.

The school provides the learning program and online teachers, and the student is

supervised at home by a parent or another responsible adult.

Online school students are diverse. For many it is a proactive choice, often driven by frustrations with regular school. Others live in remote areas and don’t have many local schooling options. Students who’ve been bullied flourish in a safe environment. Those students with special needs such as ADHD, auditory processing problems, autism and dyslexia, typically find the self-paced nature of online learning a blessing. Academically gifted students also discover that online school is beneficial because they can move forward quickly. Some have chosen this mode of schooling while pursuing a sporting or performing arts career. For them, the ability to practice during the day and learn in the evening is appealing. Also, students suffering anxiety often find the respite they need with online school.

For all students, online school does not mean a compromise in the quality of education being received.

To register for an upcoming virtual open day, visit accde.edu.au and click through to the ACC School in your state.

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Explore the BGS Journey Brisbane Grammar School has been educating boys for almost 150 years. Located in the heart of the CBD your son will be surrounded by the excitement of city living and nurtured in a boarding family where everyone is recognised for who they are.

Every boy’s BGS journey is unique. Whatever his passion, your son will be challenged and supported to achieve his own personal best. enrolments@brisbanegrammar.com | +61 7 3834 5200 | www.brisbanegrammar.com

specialfeature

Brisbane Grammar School Unlocking new potential risbane Grammar School has a long and proud tradition of offering scholarships and needs-based bursaries to boys who have demonstrated they have the potential to derive great benefit from a BGS education.

The impact of attending BGS is best captured by those chosen to receive financial assistance, such as 2016 graduate Archie Attwooll. From a rural Queensland town of just 100 people, Archie said his schooling at BGS changed his life.

“There were three people in my year group and 32 kids in the whole school when I left home to become a boarder at BGS,” he said. “I made really close mates and loved it. The bursary gave me the

opportunity to attend BGS and opened new doors.”

His father, a former BGS student, said Archie had developed into a mature young man while at the School. “An education is so important and there is no comparison to BGS,” he said. “Without a bursary it wouldn’t have been possible, so we’re very thankful.”

Along with bursaries, a number of scholarships are offered annually to day or boarding students who have demonstrated distinction in one or more disciplines and can make a significant contribution in the academic, musical, artistic, cultural or sporting arenas of the School.

Those who are accepted to attend BGS embark on a journey where each student

is challenged to rise to their best, where individual talents are nurtured in a caring and supportive environment, allowing students to grow into thoughtful and confident young men of character who contribute to their communities.

Headmaster Anthony Micallef said BGS aimed to nurture an inclusive community, where students from varied backgrounds combined to live the core values of endeavour, learning, respect, leadership, and community.

“The transformative potential of a BGS education, through incredible academic, extracurricular and cultural opportunities, is immeasurable,” he said. “We need people from different backgrounds to get a broad view of the world.”

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Frensham inspires girls to be 'fit for the future' physically, emotionally and intellectually...

Our boarding tradition sets us apart See: www.frensham.nsw.edu.au

All enquiries to The Registrar +61 2 4860 2000 registrar@frensham.nsw.edu.au

FRENSHAM OPEN DAY 2018 SATURDAY 3 MARCH 12.30pm to 4.00pm • Tours of the campus in operation – all afternoon • Information Forum – 2.15pm, Clubbe Hall

ACER Scholarship Applications for 2019 Entry are now available – visit our website for details Closing date: 21 February 2018 FRENSHAM* Range Road Mittagong NSW 2575 AUSTRALIA

* A member of the UK Boarding Schools’ Association

specialfeature

Breaking new ground for Australian Schools n a highly connected world of unlimited educational possibilities, Frensham is moving beyond traditional structures and breaking new ground. For Years 9 and 10 in particular, we are focusing on expansion of course options through development of Individualised Personalised Electives for girls in the middle years. This approach is complemented by our unique Jamieson Programme, which focuses on health and fitness, critical and ethical thinking, service and leadership, and includes study of Cambridge International courses: Global Perspectives (IGCSE) and the AS Level (Advanced Level) General Paper. Both Cambridge courses are designed to encourage students to explore the great complexities of the world, and of human thought, with student academic achievement benchmarked against international standards.

Mr Geoff Marsh, Deputy Head of Frensham, is a key driver of our efforts to leverage new technologies to encourage collaboration and create self-directed and self-paced learning opportunities for students.

With our Director of Research and Innovation and a team of highly skilled teachers, we are challenging ourselves to explore possibilities well beyond the traditional ‘core’. Frensham’s Drone Academy for all of Year 10 is a recent example of our redefined curriculum, and our Year 8 F1 in Schools teams have won successive state championships, owing to their expertise in the engineering, design and research elements of the model racing-car project.

Sturt Design and Fabrication Studios – accessible to all girls – are specialised yet flexible facilities where digital design and production by students continue to be cutting edge and diverse.

Breaking new ground for Australian Schools ‘In considering what should be ‘Core Curriculum’ we also recognise that what the world needs most is high-functioning young people, mature in their selfmanagement, with the understanding of what it takes to be a global citizen, with the empathy to think beyond their own culture.’

At Frensham, physical challenge and personal fitness are embedded in students’ daily lives, and all of Year 9 are involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. They lead expeditions, learn the value of community service and embrace a set of challenges which encourage ingenuity, confidence and teamwork.

Below left: HSC 2017 Design & Technology Major Project ‘LAND Hub’ – Language, Assimilation and Nutritional Developement Hub; This image: Recent rescue, a wombat.

Locally, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, we value our long-standing partnership with the Wingecarribee Shire Council and our membership of the Community Environment Network.

Frensham’s grounds are a designated Land for Wildlife area. Oncampus experience for girls includes professionallyguided care of native flora and fauna, including rehabilitation of rescued wildlife and ongoing bush regeneration.

Above all, Frensham’s teachers draw on evidence-based research and value external critique, leading by example in their efforts to nurture student creativity and value of the learning process.

Julie Gillick Head of Frensham

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A UNI THAT KNOWS YOU WANT AN EDGE When it comes to career advancement, CQUniversity knows what you need to succeed. Advance in your career, make a profession change, gain the qualifications to match your experience, or specialise further in your current area with a postgraduate course from Australia’s largest regional university.

Whether you’re interested in a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, masters or research higher degree, our wide range of flexible courses have you covered. Choose from postgraduate options in accident forensics, asset and maintenance management, business, emergency and disaster management, engineering, fatigue risk management, human resources management, information technology, management, occupational health and safety, project management, safety science and much more. Study on campus at one of our many locations across the country or online via our highly flexible and renowned distance education mode.

“CQUniversity has helped me to get where I want to be and put me on the path to where I want to be going.”

Find out more about our graduate Julie and her CQUni story online.

Get a world class education from a university ranked in the top 2% of unis worldwide*, and get the edge you’re looking for.

*Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018.

See cqu.edu.au/reputation.

CRICOS Code: 00219C | RTO Code: 40939 | P_AD_170044_OT_DecJan

cqu.edu.au/startpostgrad

specialfeature

A one-stop-shop for project management qualifications hen Daniel Hooper decided to specialise in project management while working in the construction industry, he turned to his trusted alma mater for a fresh set of skills.

Dan had originally completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Co-op) and Diploma of Professional Practice (Engineering) with CQUniversity on campus in Rockhampton, Central Queensland, and quickly gained work in the industry working for Aurizon in Rockhampton.

While working there, Dan developed a keen interest in project management and decided that upskilling with a postgraduate qualification from CQUniversity would not only benefit him, but also his employer.

“I knew studying again was the right choice because as soon as I started I was able to use my new knowledge in my workplace,” explained Dan. “It enabled me to be a lot more efficient at my job straight away, enough that people definitely noticed the new ideas I was applying to my work.”

Upon completion of his Graduate Diploma in Project Management, Dan secured a Project Engineer position with Melbourne-based railway company V/Line.

Dan believes the main difference between learning project management on the job and via university study is that you avoid picking up your workplace’s bad habits.

“Every company has their way of doing things and their own bad patterns. By learning through CQUni I was able to see where these patterns were and break them rather than fall into them. I was able to go back to my workplace with fresh ideas rather than stale ones.”

When scouting for the right education provider, Dan couldn’t go past his former university who he trusted and says provided appealing flexible study options.

“I chose CQUni because I’d studied there before and I’d had a great experience the first time around. It’s so flexible and I

needed to be able to continue working full time and study without jeopardising either of those things,” Dan explained.

“The attractiveness of the project management postgraduate courses at CQUni is that you’re able to take it one year at a time. At the end of my first year I received my graduate certificate, and from there I was able to decide whether I wanted to go on and get my graduate diploma and eventually my masters.

“A lot of other universities around Australia don’t do that, you have to commit to the full masters degree and that’s it. The incremental nature of the course was the biggest drawcard for me.”

Dan says the fact that the CQUni course was accredited with the Project Management

Institute was also a huge drawcard.

“Having that accreditation is basically a guarantee that the course hits certain standards and is of the highest quality.”

CQUni’s suite of postgraduate Project Management courses start Term 1, 2018 and are currently open for applications.

The courses are available full time or part time on campus in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Mackay and Perth, as well as online via the University’s renowned distance education offering.

For more information about Project Management at CQUniversity, or the University’s wide range of other postgraduate course options starting in 2018, search ‘CQUni’ online.

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Nudgee College Boarding The right move for young men

St Joseph’s Nudgee College 2199 Sandgate Road Boondall QLD 4034 P: 07 3865 0555 E: enrolments@nudgee.com CRICOS Provider No. 00572G

Boys’ day and boarding Years 5 - 12 www.nudgee.com

specialfeature

The tale of two boarders ike any family, no two siblings are the same. Each have their strengths, differences, passions, and aspirations. Likewise, boarding at St Joseph’s Nudgee College is no different.

The boys who call the Bathersby Boarding Village home, are connected by a shared sense of spirit and binding brotherhood, yet each are given the opportunity to grow and learn as an individual.

Two senior boarders, Dylan Gracie and Ethan Bullemor, are coming to the end of the journey at Nudgee College.

Dylan is from St George, Queensland, and has been boarding at Nudgee College since Year 8. With a passion for flying, in 2016 Dylan was titled as the youngest Australian to fly a helicopter solo.

“It was an amazing feeling and certainly made my year – I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face,” Dylan said.

Dylan is working towards obtaining his full private helicopter licence in this year, to help fulfil his future career aspiration of aerial mustering.

In the classroom, Dylan has been the first student to manufacture a boat during the Certificate I in Engineering

(RTO30498); a practical, trade-based subject which provides a qualification for graduating students.

Nudgee College is one of Queensland’s leading schools for students who wish to take a VET (Vocational Education Training) pathway. Students learn in a real world setting – the College’s Trade Training Centre – a state of the art facility for construction and engineering.

Parallel to Dylan’s Nudgee College experience, is Ethan’s academic and rugby pathway.

Ethan is a boarder from Rockhampton, Queensland, and started at Nudgee College in Year 11. Like many boarders,

The boys who call the Bathersby Boarding Village home, are connected by a shared sense of spirit and binding brotherhood

Dylan Gracie.

Ethan Bullemor.

Ethan takes advantage of the Reach for the Stars academic tutoring program; a program well supported by academic staff and tutors who help boarders with their homework, assignments and study four evenings a week.

Outside the classroom, Ethan is also a talented rugby player and this year has been rewarded with vice-captaincy of the 1st XV College rugby team. His talents have also meant he has been identified by the Brisbane Broncos and has been invited into their junior development squads.

“My ultimate goal is to have a career in the NRL or be a professional sportsman, but it’s also really important to get through to university and come out with a degree. I am interested in the Law pathway,” Ethan said.

“I don’t like to set just one goal, I would like to be the best I can I all things, school, sport and as a person.”

Whatever path Dylan and Ethan may eventually choose once their journey at Nudgee College comes to a close at the end of this year, one thing is certain. They will be Nudgee brothers for life.

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at the uni with Australia’s highest graduate employment rate*

csu.edu.au/startnow *Australian University Ratings and Rankings 2017/2018, The Good Universities Guide.

Charles Sturt University CRICOS 00005F. Š Charles Sturt University, 2017. F5519

specialfeature

Dreaming about a new career next year?

We can help you with that. t Charles Sturt University (CSU), we pack our courses full of hands-on learning in our world-class facilities. So when you start studying with us your career starts from day one. It’s amazing how doing something you love can change your life.

Just ask Crystal.

CSU graduate Crystal Cooke works as a paramedic with NSW Ambulance in Sydney. She is also a medical advisor for Channel Seven, contributing to scripts for shows like Home and Away.

When Crystal started her journey with CSU, she knew what she wanted to do but didn’t know how to get there.

We helped Crystal work out a tailored learning pathway that was just right for her.

“I had no experience in biology or chemistry. I didn’t know maths. I could not have even told you what blood pressure was. I just knew I really wanted to be a paramedic. Yet by halfway through my first semester I’d been accepted into an accelerated pathway with NSW Ambulance and I had a contract waiting for me when I finished my degree.”

By her second year with CSU Crystal was travelling the world through a global placement in Canada, where she experienced ride-alongs with the British

Columbia Ambulance Service and Alberta Health Services.

After returning to Australia, Crystal completed her internship with NSW Ambulance and became a qualified paramedic.

And because CSU has the highest graduate employment rate of any university in Australia, Crystal was never worried about getting a job when she finished her degree.* Ready to begin your new career?

Start Now with CSU. Visit csu.edu.au or Call 1800 334 733 today.

By her second year with CSU Crystal was travelling the world through a global placement in Canada, where she experienced ride-alongs with the British Columbia Ambulance Servic

*Australian University Ratings and Rankings 2017/2018, The Good Universities Guide.

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St Ann’s College Inspiration Through Learning

Accepting applications for 2018 and 2019 www.stannscollege.edu.au St Ann’s University Residential College Affiliated with The University of Adelaide University of South Australia Flinders University 187 Brougham Place, North Adelaide SA 5006 Phone: (08) 8267 1478 Email: info@stannscollege.edu.au

specialfeature

Transforming school leavers into young professionals t Ann’s University Residential College provides accommodation in a safe, inspiring environment where opportunities for education are promoted. Students from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to contribute to a happy social atmosphere in which academic excellence, development of judgement, personal responsibility and consideration for others are high priorities.

• An international community inspired to excellence through learning • Student safety and security are our top priorities • Academic success is next – 95% of subjects are passed with the help of 56 academic tutors • Academic and social leadership, and pastoral care, from 10 Residential Tutors • All rooms are single, air conditioned, two-thirds with ensuite bathroom • Brand-new Enterprise Deck for collaborative study, learning and innovation • We are culturally diverse, tolerant, welcoming and non-denominational • Wifi internet access is free and unlimited

• Minimum stay for the academic year is 30 weeks so fees are 25% less than elsewhere • All students are subsidised – applications on a ‘first-come, firstserved’ basis • As we are not-for-profit, all revenue is for the benefit of students, not for commercial gain • Practical academic help – tutoring, mentoring, academic monitoring, project materials, a library and FREE internet – to help your student succeed • Friends for support and inspiration • Fresh, healthy, delicious meals tailored to students’ requirements • It is easy to find help – we are a big family and everyone is willing to help • Garden setting of lawns, trees and flowers designed with student wellbeing in mind • Many social and sporting activities, and leadership opportunities at many levels • Over $80K given as Scholarships, Bursaries and Prizes After completing his third year of civil and structural engineering at the University of Adelaide, Samuel Arthurson from the Barossa Valley says:

“In early 2015, I was both nervous and excited for the transition from high school to university. Reflecting upon my tertiary education thus far, I can wholeheartedly say that residing at St Ann’s College was the greatest decision I have made to support me in this change.

“I still remember my first days living at college, where I was quite sick. The amount of care and support that so many new faces provided truly was wonderful, and since then living at St Ann’s has been eye-opening, exciting and naturally comfortable. It has provided ample opportunities that have enabled me to further develop my leadership and interpersonal skills. As someone who takes my education quite seriously, St Ann’s sustains my motivation and aspirations to strive for high academic success.

“More importantly, however, the greatest thing about college is that after the first week, you can sit back, reflect and realise that in the short space of just 7 days, you feel more than welcome into the “Ann’s Family” and have made over 100 friends who all come from different walks of life.

Personally, I know that I have made some of my lifelong best friends here, and for that I am eternally grateful.”

Sam Arthurson 87

directory Your directory of things to see, eat and do in destinations across Australia

NAME

ADDRESS

WEBSITE

PHONE

NEW SOUTH WALES Absalom Gallery

638 Chapple St, Broken Hill, NSW 2880

jackabsalom.com.au

08 8087 5881

Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum

224 Howick St, Bathurst, NSW 2795

somervillecollection.com.au

02 6331 5511

Bella Vita Tours

Griffith, NSW 2680

bellavita.tours

0437 927 651

Canvas Eatery

546 Dean St, Albury, NSW 2640

canvas-eatery.com.au

02 6023 4923

Commercial Club Albury

618 Dean St Albury NSW 2640

commercialclubalbury.com.au

02 6057 2000

Cooks Hill Gallery

67 Bull St Cooks Hill, Newcastle, NSW 2300

cookshillgalleries.com.au

02 4926 3899

Dubbo Palms Motel

39 Cobra street dubbo NSW 2830

dubbopalmsmotel.com

1800 185 322

Eurobodalla South Coast

Batemans Bay | Moruya | Narooma

eurobodalla.com.au

1800 802 528

Go Whale Watching

Sydney, NSW

gowhalewatchingsydney.com.au

02 6495 1686

Pacific Heights Apartments & Munns Tower House

1-7 Ocean View Ave Merimbula NSW 2548

pacificheights.com.au

02 6495 2366

Parkes Visitor Information Centre

Newell Hwy, Parkes, NSW 2870

visitparkes.com.au

02 6862 6000

Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre

Yulin Ave, Cooma, NSW 2630

snowyhydro.com.au

1800 632 776

VIP Private Tours

25 Coila Avenue Tuross Head, NSW, 2537

viptours.net.au

0437 143 477

Wild Goat Events - Toast the Sun Experience

1 Lighthouse Road, Byron Bay, NSW, 2481

wildgoatevents.co

0422 301 417

QUEENSLAND Bungie Helicopters

Mossman, Cooktown, Coen and Punsand Bay, QLD

bungiehelicopters.com.au

07 4214 5713

Charleville Cosmos Centre & Observatory

1 Milky Way Charleville, QLD 4470

cosmoscentre.com

07 4654 7771

Loyalty Beach Campground & Fishing Lodge

1 Loyalty Beach Rd, New Mapoon, QLD 4876

loyaltybeach.com

07 4069 3808

SOUTH AUSTRALIA Commonwealth Bank RoofClimb

War Memorial Drv, North Adelaide, SA 5006

roofclimb.com.au

08 8331 5222

The Lookout Cave Underground Motel

1141 McKenzie Close, Coober Pedy, SA 5723

thelookoutcave.com

08 8672 5118

Port Lincoln Visitor Information Centre

3 Adelaide Place, Port Lincoln, SA 5606

visitportlincoln.net

1300 788 378

Sundowner Cabin And Tourist Park Whyalla

226 Broadbent Terrace, Whyalla Norrie, SA 5608

sundownercabinpark.com.au

08 8645 1535

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Busy Blue Bus

13 Chevalier St Albany, WA 6330

busybluebus.com.au

08 9842 2133

Esperance Cafe

Shop 9 Museum Village Dempster St, Esperance, WA 6450

esperancecafe@bigpond.com.au

08 9072 1091

Quest Albany

176 Adelaide Ter, East Perth, WA 6004

questeastperth.com.au

08 6210 6000

TASMANIA King Island Escapes - Porky Beach Retreat

135 Barnes Rd, Loorana, King Island, TAS 7256

kingislandescapes.com.au

0417 580 550

King Island Green Ponds Guesthouse and Cottage B&B

538 Edward St, Currie, King Island, TAS 7256

kingislandstay.com

03 6462 1171

King Island Pleasure Tours

15 Main St, Currie, King Island, TAS 7256

kingislandtravel.com

0421 062 246

THE RE X DESTINATIONS DIRECTORY

Promote your business nationally and reach over 300,000 readers each issue.

To advertise, contact Kylee Dixon: E kylee.dixon@edge.agency T 0421 022 004

89

DIRECTORY

ABSALOM GALLERY

AUSTRALIAN FOSSIL AND MINERAL MUSEUM

BELLA VITA TOURS

224 HOWICK ST, BATHURST, NSW 2795 T 02 6331 5511 somervillecollection.com.au

T 0437 927 651 E info@bellavita.tours bellavita.tours

On your next visit to Broken Hill, a visit to Absalom's Art Gallery is a must. Home to the finest collection of outback paintings by Jack Absalom, it also features the largest opal display in the Southern Hemisphere, courtesy of the region's opal mines.

Come and say hello. Gallery hours 10am-5pm, closed January & February.

This is the home of the internationally renowned Somerville Collection. Highlights of Warren Somerville’s remarkable collection include a T.rex skeleton, dinosaur eggs and fossils from most stages of life on Earth as well as some of the most spectacular and rarest examples of minerals from around the world. Open 10am - 4pm Mon-Sat 10am -2pm Sunday

Griffith's early Italian migrants brought with them traditions like salami making, preserving olives and sauce (suggo) day. Since then, Griffith has become a cosmopolitan city with a thriving wine industry, abundant agriculture and top-notch hospitality. Join Bella Vita Tours to experience, taste, and explore the fascinating and beautiful Griffith lifestyle.

CANVAS EATERY

COMMERCIAL CLUB ALBURY – KICKIN COUNTRY 2018

COOKS HILL GALLERY

618 DEAN ST ALBURY NSW 2640 T 02 6057 2000 E info@commercialclubalbury.com.au commercialclubalbury.com.au

T 02 4926 3899 E mail@cookshillgalleries.com.au cookshillgalleries.com.au

638 CHAPPLE ST, BROKEN HILL, NSW 2800 T 08 8087 5881 E jackab5@bigpond.com.au jackabsalom.com.au

546 DEAN ST, ALBURY, NSW 2640 (REAR OF MAMA)

T 02 6023 4923 E info@canvas-eatery.com.au canvas-eatery.com.au

Canvas is a modern, casual dining space with offerings of quality, seasonal food and a sophisticated wine list. Canvas a beautiful contemporary setting and is flooded with natural light and has ceiling to floor concertina windows that open out to a beautiful garden terrace and gardens. Open 7 days.

DUBBO PALMS MOTEL 39 COBRA STREET DUBBO NSW 2830 T 1800 185 322 F +61 (0)2 8088 6186 dubbopalmsmotel.com Rooms here are spacious, clean comfortable and modern. They includes smart TV with Foxtel Digital and Streaming Netflix, Free WI-FI, Air-conditioning, Microwave, Hairdryer, Toaster, Iron and Tea & Coffee Making Facilities. Dubbo Palms Motel has a restaurant and there are a range of cafés and restaurants nearly also. Dubbo City Airport is within a 10-minute drive

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8th February to 11th February 2018 Featuring Troy Cassar-Daley, Jetty Road, Chad Morgan, Don Costa, Luke Austen, Haley Jensen, Kaitlyn Thomas, Benn Gunn and many more Schedules, pricing and bookings available at reception or on our website.

YOUR BETTER NATURE! EUROBODALLA, STH COAST NSW BATEMANS BAY | MORUYA | NAROOMA, NSW T 1800 802 528 E info@eurobodalla.com.au eurobodalla.com.au Spring is all about nature and Eurobodalla has it all!

Swim with puppy-faced seals, nightly penguin parade, see thousands of rare nesting birds, lazing beach kangaroos and wallabies, sea eagles, black swans, whale watching, emu spying, fishing, kayaking, cycling and lots more. Grab your FREE brochure today.

GRIFFITH, NSW 2680

67 BULL ST, COOKS HILL, NEWCASTLE, NSW 2300

Since 1975, Cooks Hill Gallery has been presenting regular exhibitions from a quality stable of Australian artists, such as Brett Whiteley and Conrad Martens.

The art on offer includes Abstract, Modern, Impressionism, Surrealism, and Traditional. CHG also deals in painting and sculpture from emerging artists and offers valuations, appraisals and assessments.

GO WHALE WATCHING DEPARTING FROM DARLING HARBOUR, SYDNEY DAILY JUNE TO NOVEMBER.

T 02 6495 1686 E info@gowhalewatchingsydney.com.au gowhalewatchingsydney.com.au A smaller company with a commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of all whales, our passionate crew enjoy sharing their experience and knowledge of these magnificent animals. Our cruises are relaxed, friendly and informative. Mention this ad and receive 50% off your booking!

DIRECTORY

PACIFIC HEIGHTS APARTMENTS & MUNNS TOWER HOUSE

PARKES VISITOR INFO CENTRE

1-7 OCEAN VIEW AVE MERIMBULA NSW 2548 T 02 6495 2366 E info@pacificheights.com.au pacificheights.com.au

T 02 6862 6000 E elvis@parkes.nsw.gov.au parkeselvisfestival.com.au

Soak up the sensational views of Merimbula Lake, Village and Pacific Ocean from your balcony at the Apartments or verandas’ of Historic Munns Tower House. Stroll through andscaped gardens; relax around our heated swimming pool & BBQ area. 300m from coffee shops & boardwalk, 1km main beach.

VIP PRIVATE TOURS TUROSS HEAD, NSW FAR SOUTH COAST, 2537

T 0437 143 477 E hello@viptours.net.au viptours.net.au

Provided by a qualified Aboriginal guide, the Walbunga Cultural Tour will immerse you in Australian Aboriginal life while you learn about this pristine estuary environment. Sample bush tucker foods, try traditional fibre weaving and explore sites for wildlife, ochre and artifacts. Groups limited to five enjoy luxury transport and refreshments.

PARKES, NSW

Pop on your blue suede shoes and shake rattle'n'roll your way to the 2018 Parkes Elvis Festival, 10-14 January.

Twenty-five thousand Elvis fans will be celebrating 50 years since the '68 Comeback Special, with a jam-packed five-day program of more than 150 events. We'll see you for your comeback in Parkes!

WILD GOAT EVENTS TOAST THE SUN EXPERIENCE CAPE BYRON LIGHTHOUSE, 1 LIGHTHOUSE ROAD, BYRON BAY, NSW, 2481 T 0422 301 417 E info@wildgoatevents.co wildgoatevents.co

SNOWY HYDRO DISCOVERY CENTRE YULIN AVE, COOMA, NSW 2630

T 1800 632 776 E info@snowyhydro.com.au snowyhydro.com.au This state-of-the-art visitor facility showcases the amazing history of the Snowy Mountains Scheme; from the early days of construction through to current operations by Snowy Hydro. This is a must for any visitor the Snowy Mountains region! Entry is free all year round.

BUNGIE HELICOPTERS WE ARE LOCATED IN MOSSMAN, COOKTOWN, COEN AND PUNSAND BAY, QUEENSLAND

T 07 4214 5713 E info@bungiehelicopters.com.au bungiehelicopters.com.au

It all begins at sunrise. Soak up the early morning rays with Australia’s most luxurious sunrise experience, Toast the Sun. The humble picnic receives a gourmet makeover, set against Byron’s breathtaking sunrises and annual whale migration. Book now.

Operating in Cape York for over 25 years, we offer helifishing and scenic flights ex Mossman, Cooktown and Punsand Bay. Bungie Helicopters also operates a unique and private campground, Melanie Camp, near Coen and offers a 3-day all-inclusive Helifish Experience. Call now for the adventure of a lifetime!

CHARLEVILLE COSMOS CENTRE & OBSERVATORY

LOYALTY BEACH CAMPGROUND & FISHING LODGE

COMMONWEALTH BANK ROOFCLIMB

1 MILKY WAY, CHARLEVILLE, QLD 4470

1 LOYALTY BEACH RD, NEW MAPOON, QLD, 4876

ADELAIDE OVAL, WAR MEMORIAL DR, NORTH ADELAIDE, SA 5006

BE AMAZED – visit our observatory and experience the wonder of our outback sky. View the sheer beauty of the Milky Way Galaxy, by stargazing through powerful Meade telescopes. During daylight hours join us in sun viewing and astronomy by day.

Bookings are essential.

Located 45 minutes from Australia's northernmost tip, we sit on 13 acres of spectacular beachfront, including 11 acres of open bush camping. The campground is lush with wildlife and uses town water and power supplies. Our restaurant and bar operates seven days a week with perfect sunset views.

T 07 4654 7771 E enquiries@cosmoscentre.com cosmoscentre.com

T 07 4069 3808 E fishcapeyork@bigpond.com loyaltybeach.com

T 08 8331 5222 E enquiries@roofclimb.com.au roofclimb.com.au RoofClimb will literally take you to new heights at the world-class Adelaide Oval – in the heart of the city!

This exhilarating adventure will have you travelling along the impressive curved roofline of the oval as you soak up 360 degree views of the city and beyond.

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DIRECTORY

THE LOOKOUT CAVE UNDERGROUND MOTEL

PORT LINCOLN VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE

SUNDOWNER CABIN AND TOURIST PARK WHYALLA

1141 MCKENZIE CLOSE, COOBER PEDY, SA 5723 T 08 8672 5118 E info@thelookoutcave.com thelookoutcave.com

3 ADELAIDE PLACE, PORT LINCOLN, SA 5606

T 1300 788 378 E visitportlincoln@plcc.sa.gov.au visitportlincoln.net

226 BROADBENT TERRACE, WHYALLA NORRIE, SA T 08 8645 1535 E sales@sundownercabinpark.com.au sundownercabinpark.com.au

Sleeping underground is a one of a kind experience, unique in its entirety and an opportunity not to be missed. Excavated into Sandstone Rock up to 50m deep, you will experience a nights sleep like no other with an outback adventure sure to please.

Mention this ad for 10% discount

The Visitor Centre is the perfect place to start planning your Eyre Peninsula adventure. Visit us to obtain permits, book land based tours, ferry tickets and charters for sharks, tuna, seals and fishing. Drop in for travel brochures, souvenirs and postcards and internet access. Open seven days a week.

Offering accommodation for all budgets. Choose from 72 Modern Cabins - 3 Disability Access, 52 Two Bedroom, 7 One Bedroom with full kitchens and 10 Studio Cabins - designed to meet all short or long term accommodation needs. Daily or Weekly Rates. We also offer a range of fully furnished Units or Houses in Whyalla.

BUSY BLUE BUS TOURS + CHARTERS

ESPERANCE CAFE

QUEST EAST PERTH

ALBANY + ESPERANCE T 08 9842 2133 E info@busybluebus.com.au busybluebus.com.au

SHOP 9 MUSEUM VILLAGE DEMPSTER ST ESPERANCE, WA 6450 T 08 9072 1091 E esperancecafe@bigpond.com esperancecafe@bigpond.com.au

176 ADELAIDE TER, EAST PERTH, WA 6004 T 08 6210 6000 E questeastperth@questapartments.com.au questeastperth.com.au

Sit on the verandah of our cafe enjoying fresh food made daily for you on premises by our talented team combined with Esperance’s best coffee in a heritage listed building overlooking the beautiful Museum Village boutique shops. Open 7am - 3pm every day of the week (except Christmas Day)

Quest East Perth is conveniently located on Adelaide Terrace, catering for your overnight, short and long term accommodation requirements.

Comprising 130 fully self-contained studio, one and two bedroom apartments, Quest East Perth is the perfect choice for both the corporate and leisure traveller.

KING ISLAND ESCAPES PORKY BEACH RETREAT

KING ISLAND GREEN PONDS GUESTHOUSE AND COTTAGE B&B

KING ISLAND PLEASURE TOURS

135 BARNES RD, LOORANA, KING ISLAND, TAS 7256

538 EDWARD ST, CURRIE, KING ISLAND, TAS

T 0421 062 246 E kingislandpleasuretours@gmail.com kingislandtravel.com

This ultimate beach retreat will take your King Island experience to another level, with views to take your breath away. Our 4-bedroom architecturally designed beachfront accommodation, with bespoke cedar hot tub and sauna, are set in a unique hidden coastal setting with direct access to your private beach.

Country comfort at its best. Come as visitors, leave as friends. Vintage country styling, cosy woodfires, old world hospitality. Nestled in the heart of Currie, the roomy Guesthouse or private Cottage King Island B&B are perfect for your relaxing escape or King Island business. Perfect for singles, couples or groups.

Busy Blue Bus Tours + Charters is the premier tour operator along the Amazing South Coast of Western Australia, showcasing the extraordinary natural landscape, delightful cool climate wines, delicious local produce and iconic Australian, historic connections. We have the ‘must do’ touring for any visitor to the South Coast region! Book a half or full day tour online.

T 0417 580 550 E stay@kingislandescapes.com.au kingislandescapes.com.au

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T 03 6462 1171 E kigreenponds@bigpond.com kingislandstay.com

15 MAIN ST, CURRIE KING ISLAND, TAS, 7256

Want a quick escape? Your interests in a package. On your own? Join a ‘Small Group’ or ‘Women’s Only’ tour.

Relax, explore, and discover new friendships. Want longer for King Island unique experiences? Take a 4 to 6 day trip. Book, pack your bag – we'll do the rest.

Multi Award Winning Underground Complex Guided tours through the Aboriginal Interpretive Centre, underground home and our real opal mine.

20 minute award winning documentary "The story of Opal".

Underground bunkhouse accommodation Package tours for groups Special display of fossils from SA Museum.

Large display of exclusive opal jewellery.

Crystal, Black & Boulder opal.

Rough & cut opal. Specimens.

TOWN

18 MAP

TAX FREE TO OVERSEAS VISITORS 100% INTERNATIONAL WRITTEN GUARANTEE Lot 14 Hutchison Street, Coober Pedy SA 5723.

Phone: (08) 8672 5288 Email: admin@umoonaopalmine.com.au www.umoonaopalmine.com.au - OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

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