TRAVEL

A week in South Australia

Last time I was in Adelaide I was around 20yo so I was keen to revisit and also see how Kangaroo Island (KI) was recovering after the horrendous December 2019 fires.

Adelaide's CBD was a delight with a well-planned grid layout, few cars and gardens encircling the city. A highlight is the central market which opened in 1870 and is a gastronomic Aladdin’s cave! There are beautifully displayed deli items, international cuisine sweets, glorious fruit and veggies and specialist coffee stalls.

Evidence of the bushfire on KI was widespread with stark white trunks of trees sticking out of metre-high regrowth. Totally destroyed were extensive blue gum plantations and investors have experimented to see if dead trees could be re-used as charcoal. We visited recovering tourist sites such Raptor Domain, fur and sea lion colonies and a traditional-method eucalyptus oil distillery. KI kangaroos are a rich red colour and furrier than our locals.

A day trip to Hahndorf which was settled by Lutherans in 1839 fleeing religious persecution gave a great insight into German heritage. The Barossa Valley wine tasting was on the ‘must do’ list as was a visit to the family-owned Beerenberg company which makes those cute mini-jars of jam as well as dozens of salad dressings and marinades.

We spent three days on the Murray Princess paddlewheeler – not the original but a 1986 Goolwa reconstruction. It was rather luxurious sitting in the wood-lined aft lounge watching the wheel thrashing along and relaxing with the passing parade of bird life and river scenery. We only caught a tiddler in the Catch a Carp invasive species competition as the winner was a whopping 43cm!

Less than a three-hour flight from Brisbane it’s a great Aussie holiday with plenty of diversity.

Ruth Hickey

Youth

Mobile phones ‘away for the day’ at state schools

In July 2023 the Qld Government announced mobile phones and certain wearable electronic devices like smartwatches will be banned at all Qld state schools during school hours and including break times from Term 1 2024.

According to The Educator Australia this ruling follows the full implementation of recommendations from the Anti-Cyberbullying 2018 Taskforce to combat cyberbullying and classroom distractions.

Although some Qld schools such as Coolum State High have imposed restrictions on phone use during school hours utilising the Yondr lockable pouches, some of Qld is a little late to the party. NSW, Vic, WA, Tas and SA already have blanket phone bans in all state schools.

students are talking and interacting. Parents are telling us that their kids are spending less time in their room at home because they've learnt to balance their time and have freedom away from their phones.”

The Government policy is applicable to state schools only. If your child attends a private school ask the school for their mobile device policy to get a good understanding of how mobile phones and smart devices are used during school hours.

Robyn Simpson

The Qld Government stated it is committed to reducing the distraction of mobile phones and other devices to provide optimal learning environments for all students. It is working with schools to implement the new policy.

Schools such as Kotara High in the Hunter Valley introduced their no phone policy earlier this year. Principal Mr Sneddon said the school's phone-free policy has so far proved successful in the classroom, the playground and at home.

“That lesson-by-lesson battle with phones in class is gone so we're getting 5, 10, maybe 15 minutes of teaching and learning time back," he said. "The playground is a lot louder because

Shingle bells

Christmas is just around the corner and many of us are looking forward to spending time with our friends and family during the festive season. A case of shingles can certainly put a stop to those holiday plans. Shingles can be an extremely painful condition caused by the reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox. It is part of a virus called varicella-zoster – varicella is the fancy name for chickenpox and zoster is the scientific name for shingles. The virus remains dormant in your body from the time you have had chickenpox or received a chickenpox vaccination as a child until something sets it off and it reappears as a case of shingles.

At least one in three people will develop shingles in their lifetime. The exact trigger is unknown however it is usually due to some kind of stress. This can be physical stress such as an injury or illness like cancer, a bad infection, a broken bone or head trauma. The risk of shingles increases with age and is most common in those aged over 60. Seasonal variations also occur with high temperatures and relative humidity causing an increase in cases.

The initial symptom is a blistered rash with a tingling or burning nerve sensation before the rash crusts over after 48-96 hours. People often present for care explaining they have been bitten by something however upon further questioning they may also have a headache or sore throat in the absence of a fever. The rash occurs on one part of the body and on one side. It will have a sunray pattern as it travels along certain types of nerves infected by the virus, with the rash lasting for 7-10 days.

A complication caused by the virus can be intense nerve pain making it difficult to do simple things such as dressing, bathing and caring for yourself, let alone hitting the road and visiting friends and family. There is also the added complication of who you can visit. The virus that causes chickenpox and shingles are the same so a person who has never had and is unprotected against chickenpox may be at risk if they come into direct contact with the open sores of someone with shingles. If this is the case the person will usually develop chickenpox as opposed to shingles.

Shingles is of particular concern if you are visiting a loved one who is pregnant or are in close contact with premature or low birth weight babies, children who have not had or are unprotected against chickenpox and anyone with a weakened immune system.

Tania Watson

Shingles vaccine for vulnerable patients

From 1 November 2023 around five million Australians at risk of severe complications from shingles will have access to the Shingrix vaccine under the National Immunisation Program (NIP). Due to superior efficacy, Shingrix (an adjuvanted recombinant virus subunit vaccine) will replace

Zostavax (a live attenuated vaccine) on the NIP following advice from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. Patients eligible to receive Shingrix under the NIP include:

• Those aged 65 and older.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 and older.

• Immunocompromised people aged 18 and older. Shingrix has been shown to provide longer lasting protection than Zostavax. A recent study showed immunity remained high for at least seven years after vaccination with Shingrix. It is administered as two doses given two to six months apart.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Shingrix is more than 90% effective at preventing shingles and longterm nerve pain although you may experience some short-term side effects. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for further information on vaccination options.

Tania Watson

What a 'fire ban' means

The extremely dry weather across SE Qld has sent a very strong message that the fire season is upon us. For those on tank water it is important that tanks are topped-up so you can protect your home. Make sure you have done everything you can to ready your property against fire threats.

What does it mean when a 'fire ban' is declared?

It is important to understand the regulations around fire bans.

In Qld either a local fire ban or a State of Fire Emergency may be declared depending on the severity of the impending danger. When predicted conditions and weather forecasts indicate a fire may be difficult to control and pose a danger to communities, the commissioner of Qld Emergency and Fire Services (QEFS) or a delegate has the authority to impose a local fire ban. When weather conditions become extremely dangerous the commissioner can impose a State of Fire Emergency right across Qld.

When a fire ban is in place, be it a local fire ban or a State of Fire Emergency:

• Lighting of fires in the declared area is prohibited unless there is a special exemption.

• All open fires are prohibited – including even small garden burn-offs folks!

• All current permits to light fires issued in the area are deemed cancelled.

• All fire bans are advertised widely and remain in place until officially cancelled.

You can find excellent advice on the QEFS website under Prepare for Bushfire Season. It is well worth a few minutes to check your preparation against their checklist. Get to know who your local fire wardens are and if in doubt about anything regarding fire safety and protection get in touch with them.

Visit: qfes.qld.gov.au to view a map showing all current fire bans. For an interactive map showing the responsible fire warden for your address visit: t.ly/MpazS.

REMEMBER! Fire bans are put in place for a reason. Fire is dangerous, it is frightening and it is unpredictable. Be prepared!

Greg Ison

Be disaster ready

“We need to be disaster ready," is the message from Noosa Council Mayor Clare Stewart.

Noosa Council has revamped and updated its Emergency Action Guide which can be collected from the customer service desk in Tewantin, council libraries, the Noosa Leisure Centre and The J Noosa or downloaded from council’s website.

“The new 74-page guide is a must-have and provides important information on every type of disaster, tips on what to do and a list of important contacts,” said Clare. Visit: noosa.qld. gov.au/community/disasters-emergencies.

“We can’t control mother nature but we can all prepare as best we can. It starts at home with people preparing their properties to lower risks.” Visit council’s online disaster dashboard at: disaster.noosa.qld.gov.au for information on road closures, power outages and weather updates. Residents can also sign-up to Noosa Alert to receive disaster notifications.