Newcastle & Lake Macquarie | December 2016 to January 2017 by INTOUCH MAGAZINE

Newcastle and Lake Macquarie

ISSUE #18 // DEC-JAN 2017 WWW.INTOUCHMAGAZINE.COM.AU

Summer Holiday

ISSUE

The Dynamic Dawes Duo

Lifestyle // Entertainment // Dining // Fashion // Community // Travel // Family // Home // Education // Property // Motoring

Amazing movies this holiday period only at

Glendale and Kotara

Book tickets now at eventcinemas.com.au

Visit Santa to WIN a year of fun! WIN WIN A A $10,000 $10,000 ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT PACKAGE, PACKAGE, ONLY ONLY AT AT CHARLESTOWN CHARLESTOWN SQUARE SQUARE Spend $50 on Santa photos for your chance to win a year’s free fun for 2, Spendat $50 on Santa photos for your chance win a year’s fun for 2, valued $10,000 at Reading Cinemas, Strike,toTimezone andfree Megamania. valued at $10,000 at Reading Cinemas, Strike, Timezone and Megamania. Or buy a $50 Charlestown Square Gift Card and enter again! Or buy a $50 Charlestown Square Gift Card and enter again! Get your entry details at the Santa set or Customer Service Desk, until 24 December 2016. Get your entry details at the Santa set or Customer Service Desk, until 24 December 2016. Terms & conditions apply. LTPS/16/08433 Terms & conditions apply. LTPS/16/08433

We’re OPEN LONGER for you... including Boxing Day Charlestown Square is the only place you’ll find H&M, Myer, Charlestown Square is the only place you’ll find H&M, Myer, Apple, Cotton On flagship store, Mecca Maxima, and M.A.C. Apple, Cotton On flagship store, Mecca Maxima, and M.A.C. Cosmetics. Plus over 240 specialty stores and City Beach, Cosmetics. Plus over 240 specialty stores and City Beach, Rebel Sport, Big W, Target, JB Hi Fi, Best & Less. Rebel Sport, Big W, Target, JB Hi Fi, Best & Less.

DECEMBER DECEMBER

9:00 am 9:00 am 10.00 pm 10.00 pm

9:00 am 9:00 am 7.00 pm 7.00 pm

DECEMBER DECEMBER

9:00 am 9:00 pm am 9:00 9:00 pm

DECEMBER DECEMBER

WED 21 WED 21

WED 28 WED 28 9:00 am 9:00 am 5:30 pm 5:30 pm

THU 15 THU 15

9:00 am 9:00 am 6.00 pm 6.00 pm

MON 19 MON 19 9:00 am 9:00 am 7.00 pm 7.00 pm

9:00 am 9:00 am 7.00 pm 7.00 pm

DECEMBER DECEMBER

9:00 am MIDNIGHT MIDNIGHT

9:00 am

9:00 am 9:00 am 7:00 pm 7:00 pm

8:00 am 8:00 am 5:00 pm 5:00 pm

DECEMBER DECEMBER

THU 29 THU 29 9:00 am 9:00 pm am 9:00 9:00 pm

FRI 23 FRI 23

FRI 30 FRI 30

9:00 am 9:00 am 5:30 pm 5:30 pm

SAT 17 SAT 17

DECEMBER DECEMBER

SUN18 SUN18

THU 22 THU 22

FRI 16 FRI 16

DECEMBER DECEMBER

SAT 24 SAT 24

SAT 31 SAT 31

9:00 am 9:00 am 5:00 pm 5:00 pm

* Cinemas, entertainment, cafes, restaurants and major stores may trade. * Cinemas, entertainment, cafes, restaurants and major stores may trade.

MORE CHOICE, MORE STORES, MORE PARKING. MORE CHOICE, MORE STORES, MORE PARKING.

Details at charlestownsquare.com.au Details at charlestownsquare.com.au

TUE 20 TUE 20

SUN 25 SUN 25 CHRISTMAS DAY CHRISTMAS DAY

MON 26 MON 26 BOXING DAY

CENTRE * CENTRE CLOSED * CLOSED

8:00 am 8:00pm* am 6:00 6:00 pm*

JANUARY JANUARY

10:00 am 10:00 am 4:00 pm* 4:00 pm*

9:00 am 9:00 am 5:30 pm 5:30 pm

SUN 1 SUN 1

NEW YEAR’S DAY NEW YEAR’S DAY

CENTRE* CENTRE CLOSED * CLOSED

BOXING DAY

MON 2 MON 2

TUE 27 TUE 27

9:00 am 9:00 am 5:00 pm 5:00 pm

TUE 3 TUE 3

A E D

I ! T F LE

I B G S LA

A AI V M

A T S IS T E

R CK H C TI

T ILY A E M

A GR F

CIVIC THEATRE NEWCASTLE

FRI 6 JANUARY 2017 (02) 4929 1977 TICKETEK.COM.AU DEADLY60LIVEONSTAGE.COM

TIME TOATE! CELEBR FUN AND THE GAMES IN 2017!

offered emerging young athletes a valuable opportunity to gain experience competing at international level. “The standard of competition is high, and the scale of the event inspires athletes to put in their best performances,” Mr. O’Farrell said. “They love the experience of representing their city and country and mixing with competitors from all over the world in the It was a small idea by a physical education athletes’ village.” teacher in Slovenia nearly 50 years ago A number of Lake Macquarie competitors that gave impetus to the first International from past Games have used the experience as Children’s Games, an event now recognised a springboard into higher levels of competition. as the biggest multi-sport youth event in the Among them are golfer Jake Higginbottom, world. now a professional tour player, sprinter Dakota Professor Metod Klemenc, inspired to Thomas, a national junior athletics title-holder create a better world by his own experience of and Australian netball representative, and a war-torn childhood, had a notion that sport sailor Harry Morton, who went on to win a could be a medium to promote friendship, world 29er title and is now training with the peace and tolerance among young people, national 49er squad, with his sights set on the while also providing them with an opportunity Tokyo Olympics. to compete at international level. Morton has fond memories of attending The first International Children’s Games the Games in Bahrain in 2010 and (ICG) in 1968 was a humble affair, held in Lanarkshire, Scotland, the following year. Celje, Slovenia, involving children between 12 “As a competitor, it was really good for and 15 from nine European cities who met for me to experience what it is like sailing in a a track and field competition. different country against people who have Nearly half a century later, the ICG has different techniques and styles, as well as grown into an international sporting showcase, dealing with the language barrier and the complete with opening and closing ceremonies unfamiliar conditions. But the best thing about and an athletes’ village. More than 36,000 it was staying in the athletes’ village, and young athletes have since competed in the mixing with other kids from all over the world.” Games, which have been hosted by more than he said. 50 cities across five continents. Track and field coach Colin Muir, who has Lake Macquarie, a regular participant accompanied Lake Macquarie teams to three in the Games since 2008, became the first Games, echoed Morton’s comments about the Australian city to host the event in 2014, camaraderie of the village. staging a fantastic Games that attracted 1300 “The kids love being there. They make so athletes from around the world. many friends and now, with Facebook and The 2017 Games are in Kaunas, Lithuania social media, it’s easy for them to stay in touch in July, and Lake Macquarie is calling for and carry on the friendship,” he said. expressions of interest from young athletes Lake Macquarie Mayor, Cr Kay Fraser, who would like to represent their country and will accompany the team to Kaunas as the city at the event. council’s representative, and the new civic Lake Macquarie is seeking nominations leader is looking forward to her first ICG from children in five sports: swimming, experience. athletics (track and field), sailing (Optimist “The International Children’s Games is a and Laser 4.7 classes), basketball (three-onwonderful event that emphasises participation three), and football (six-a-side). Entry is open to and cultural exchange,” she said. athletes who live or attend school in the Lake Nominations are open until December Macquarie local government area and will be 19th, and Cr Fraser encourages eligible young aged between 12 and 15 on 31 December athletes to take the opportunity to put their 2017. names forward. The Hunter Academy of Sport will manage the Lake Macquarie team, with athletes to To lodge an expression of interest, or for more be supervised by experienced coaches and information on the ICG and athlete eligibility, managers. Academy Chief Executive Officer, visit the Hunter Academy of Sport website at Brett O’Farrell, said the Children’s Games www.hunteracademy.org.au

N WHAT’S O MER THIS SUM

Join us for a range of events and activities this summer.

Christmas operating hours Council offices closed from 12noon Friday 23 December until Tuesday 3 January 2016 More details: www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au

MERRY CHRIST MAS

New Year’s Eve 2016 Saturday 31 December Honeysuckle precinct New Year’s Eve celebrations feature live music and roving entertainment for all ages. The night will wrap up with fireworks lighting up the sky at the family friendly time of 9pm.

Australia Day 2017 Thursday 26 January Head to Honeysuckle and enjoy a full day of great activities, there is something to suit all ages and interests! Award nominations open until 7 December.

2571NOV16

For more information visit: www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au /newcastlecouncil www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 5

INSIDE INTOUCH

From the Editors... Twenty years, six Paralympics, three Games medals and countless race wins all around the world. It’s a pretty impressive resume for any athlete and their coach, but for Merewether couple Christie and Andrew Dawes, theirs is not just a sporting success story but also a tale of love. We spoke to this dynamic duo about the rigours of training, their lives and who the future champions might be. It may have been his first year of retirement, but former Newcastle Knights player Clint Newton has been far from just sitting idly on the sidelines in 2016. We speak to Clint about his ever growing list of off-the-field roles and responsibilities, fatherhood and of course his upcoming wedding to long-term partner Carly early in the New Year. There’s nothing like the festive season for bringing families and friends together and there’s no doubt that every family celebrates this special time in different ways with quirky family traditions and of course the great turkey versus ham debate. We caught up with a few of our local identities in this issue to find out what’s on their tables and around their tree’s this Christmas – you might be surprised! 2016 has been a massive year for the intouch magazine family – but also a fun one! We’ve enjoyed sourcing interesting local stories and identities, uncovering hidden gems and covering some amazing events each month across our print magazine, interactive digital magazine, fabulous website (have you checked it out?) and social media pages. Thank you for embracing intouch magazine as your own because without you – our fabulous readers – we would not have had such an amazing year. From our families to yours – we wish you a very merry and restful Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2017. See you in February!

Stay intouch at getintouch@intouchmagazine.com.au Quentin and Di von Essen | Publishers

If they can get some intervention early in their lives, so they know what to do about it and have the tools and confidence to be able to use them, then they develop pathways to support them being able to manage it.

PAGE 24

- PAGE 40

Contents//

Features

PAGE 31

ISSUE #18 DEC 16/JAN 17

Fun and The Games in 2017

Clint Newton Life, Love and Giving Back

Christmas My Way

Josh Pyke and Bob Evans Together Again

Epic Road Trip for the Drone Guy

What’s On this Summer in Newcastle

Holiday Gift Guide

Big School’s a Breeze for Brave Kids

A Warm Welcome In Sofia’s Kitchen

Sustainable Sophistication for Iconic Harbourside Restaurant

The Dynamic Dawes Duo

PAGE 11

Regulars 8

What’s on Guide

At Home

27 Travel

Got a great story to tell? Know someone who does? Budding writer or sensational photographer? We love contributions, so drop us a line at getintouch@intouchmagazine.com.au

Contacts Publisher & Editors Two Tribes Media Quentin von Essen: quentin@intouchmagazine.com.au Di von Essen: di@intouchmagazine.com.au Phone (02) 4943 0888 Address Suite 4, 2 Smith Street, Charlestown NSW 2290 Web www.intouchmagazine.com.au Email getintouch@intouchmagazine.com.au Advertising Sales Quentin von Essen Distribution Express Letterbox Distribution

Fashion + Beauty

Health + Wellbeing

Education + Training

Family + Community

41 Eat//Sip//Savour 47

On Your Doorstep

Motoring

Lifestyle

GET MOBILE! View this month’s Issue of intouch magazine on your iPhone, iPad, android tablet or android phone. Simply download the QR code and get mobile!

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT WWW.INTOUCHMAGAZINE.COM.AU FACEBOOK.COM/INTOUCHMAGAZINES INSTAGRAM @INTOUCHMAGAZINES

Marketing & Account Management Di von Essen & Carla Elkin Graphic Design Jess Codrington Features Writer Michelle Meehan © Copyright 2016 Two Tribes Media. Published monthly by Two Tribes Media. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint or quote excerpt granted by written request only. While every attempt has been made, Two Tribes Media cannot guarantee the legality, completeness or accuracy of the information presented and accepts no warranty or responsibility for such.

6 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

Contributors The holiday season is all about celebrating for all kids (big and small) and what better way to enjoy the holiday season than with a dip at one of our area’s pristine beaches. Thanks to young James for getting into the Christmas Spirit (and getting his toes wet) for us. All in the name of a joyous cover shot! Happy Holidays!

Alyce Cowell Carla Elkin Dana Fischetti Jess Codrington Mel Murray Sarah Saffo

Anne Ward Chloe Sullivan Deborah Bartlett Linda Barnier Michelle Meehan Sonya Todd-Jones

Ben Larner Chris Hyde Di von Essen Megan O'Sullivan Quentin von Essen Therese Ferry

WHAT'S ON //

B I D R A

BUY ONE GET ONE

FREE!

Newcastle Jockey Club is set for a Sizzling Summer of Racing Kick off your Christmas celebrations at Newcastle Jockey Club on Saturday 3 December at the Master Builders Association Race Day. Enjoy casual eats from street food trucks or bring along a picnic to enjoy trackside. Embrace the Christmas spirit and have your photo taken with Santa or enjoy live music in The Ascot after the last race until 6:30 pm. Don't miss the biggest party of the year at the Boxing Day Races on Monday 26 December. You’ll find fun for all ages at this fabulous post-Christmas Day celebration, whether you want to dance away the afternoon with a DJ on the lawn, relax in the Members Lounge, book a seat in the Mark Murphy Lounge or dine in Chevals Restaurant. New this year is the Pavilion VIP Cocktail Lounge – make a date to catch up with friends in the luxe lounge and enjoy an afternoon indulging in French champagne, cocktails, and good conversation. Tickets are on sale now. Be part of Newcastle’s Boxing Day tradition! Tickets are just $20 per person pre-purchased ($30 on the day) plus booking fee and include racecourse entry and live entertainment.

BOXING DAY GENERAL ENTRY BUY ONE GET ONE FREE LIMITED OFFER! Buy your general entry ticket online for $30*, and receive one for FREE! That works out to be just $15* per ticket! But hurry, as they will sell out!! Offer available from 1st December to 19th December inclusive unless sold out prior. Visit www.njc.com.au/events/boxing-day-races *Booking fees apply.

X G Y E S

NEWCASTLE JOCKEY CLUB MONDAY 26 DECEMBER 2016 BUY ONE GA TICKET FOR $30 BEFORE 19 DEC AND WE WILL GIVE YOU ONE FREE* *VALID UNTIL 19 DECEMBER

HURRY TICKETS LIMITED - BOOK ONLINE NOW SO YOU DON’T MISS OUT ON THE BIGGEST PARTY OF THE YEAR! VISIT NJC.COM.AU FOR MORE DETAILS, HOSPITALITY PACKAGES AND TO BOOK ONLINE

BOOK ONLINE@NJC.COM.AU

PH: 4961 1573

#BOXINGDAYRACES

The first race day for 2017 will be held on Saturday 7 January. Enjoy a three-course a la carte lunch in Chevals Restaurant from $79pp (Members) and $89pp (Non-Members). Stay back after the last race to enjoy the Summer Series of live music in The Ascot from 4:306:30 pm. The Beach Party is back by popular demand on Saturday 21 January. Pop on your coolest beachside glam for a day on our very own man-made beach. Newcastle Jockey Club will bring in 20 tonnes of sand for the day which will also include drink specials, live music and giveaways galore. Available each race day - meet at The Newmarket, enjoy a drink in The Ascot or reserve a seat in the Mark Murphy Lounge with great views of the track for $22 per person and pre-order a platter to complement an afternoon of fun. Or why not become a Member and experience the races in the Members Lounge? Standard Race Day General Entry is $12 or $3 concession. For more information and ticketing for the Summer Racing program at Newcastle Jockey Club visit www.njc.com.au

Thanks to Newcastle Jockey Club we have a double pass (worth $160!) to enjoy the Boxing Day races from the superclassy Pavilion Luxe Cocktail Lounge! Prize includes entry to the racecourse and VIP venue, glass of Moet or a James Squire beer on arrival, two-hour grazing menu, and live music. To enter visit www.intouchmagazine.com.au/giveaways. Be quick – entries close 15th December 2016.

WIN

O N A C

eventcinemas.com.au

www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 7

What’s on? THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

►COMING

DECEMBER

FRIDAY 2ND Julia Jacklin The Small Ballroom The Gaudrey's Trio - Music in the Podium The Esplanade, Warners Bay SATURDAY 3RD Souled Out Wests, New Lambton Leo Sayer Greatest Hits Tour Wests City Garbage + The Temper Trap Bimbadgen Estate, Hunter Valley SUNDAY 4TH Kylie Jane Merewether Surfhouse TUESDAY 6TH Julio Iglesias Newcastle Entertainment Centre THURSDAY 8TH Josh Pike + Bob Evans 48 Watt Street Tash Sultana The Cambridge Hotel FRIDAY 9TH Salmonela Dub The Cambridge Hotel The Levymen - Music in the Podium The Esplanade, Warners Bay SATURDAY 10TH Boy & Bear Limit of Love Wests City Ted Mulry Gang Belmont 16s Culture Club + Support Acts Hope Estate SUNDAY 11TH Mark Wells Mary Ellen Hotel WEDNESDAY 14TH Kylie Jane 5 Sawyers FRIDAY 16TH Thundamentals The Cambridge Hotel Phil Jamieson Central 2 Good Reasons - Music in the Podium The Esplanade, Warners Bay Perry Carter Queens Wharf Hotel SATURDAY 17TH TroyBoi The Cambridge Hotel Dos Eager Pippis at the Point THURSDAY 22ND Jerome Honeysuckle Hotel FRIDAY 30TH Phonic Trio - Music in the Podium The Esplanade, Warners Bay SATURDAY 31ST NYE Street Party The Cambridge Hotel

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition This world-renowned exhibition features 100 awe-inspiring images, from fascinating animal behaviour to breathtaking wild landscapes! On show at Lovett Gallery, Newcastle Region Library, until February 25. Abicus's Birthday Back to the Future Exhibition Raising much needed funds for the National Youth Mental Health Foundation (Newc), Headspace, featuring 16 artists from Byron Bay and Newcastle, who have been commissioned to create a one-ofa-kind artwork that is sewn into the back panel of a classic Thrills denim jacket. The exhibition and a silent auction will run in-store at Abicus and online at www.abicus.com.au until 9pm, Dec 11. Abicus, 103 Darby St, Cooks Hill Christmas Lights Spectacular at Hunter Valley Gardens This event is returning to bring the magic of Christmas for the 10th year in a row! With millions of decorative lights on display, exciting unseen features and live entertainment, the Spectacular is open every night. Until January 26. www.hvg.com.au

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

Serenade Under the Stars Bring the family and a picnic rug! Featuring Newcastle Youth Orchestra and NYO Kids, Australian Army Band Newcastle, guest artists and Conservatorium's combined choir. There will be free kids activities as well as a visit by the man in red! Civic Park, 5pm - 9.30pm. International Day of People with Disability Join Lake Mac for a fun day for all with info stalls, displays, activities, entertainment and a free barbecue lunch. 10am - 2pm, Speers Point Park.

8 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

Newcastle University Choir's Christmas At the Movies Featuring songs appealing to the whole family from movies old and new with a Christmas theme, such as Home Alone, Home Alone 2 and Polar Express. UoN Great Hall, 2pm. Tickets from $15, www.newcastleuniversitychoir.com

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5

WOW Fest 2016 A mini performance festival featuring the cream of the Hunters most talented youth. 5—10 Dec, Playhouse Theatre. Bill Bailey Two decades of life as a travelling comedian filtered through what the Daily Telegraph calls ‘the brainest comic of his generation’. Newcastle Entertainment Centre.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6

Exploring Watery Worlds - Community Access Workshops Free art making workshops for young and old with specific needs, including physical, intellectual emotional or behavioural disability. www.nag.org.au LET's Talk about: Activating Newcastle's Public Spaces Do you have ideas about how to activate Newcastle's public spaces or enhance Newcastle's vibrancy? Join a constructive, non-political discussion at The Edwards, Newcastle at 7pm with LET's Newcastle.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14

Creating Pathways Presents Embrace An interesting insight into female body image. Event Cinemas, Kotara. www.eventcinemas.com.au

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16

Newcastle Jets v Adelaide United McDonald Jones Stadium. Em Rusciano The Try Hard Tour Australia’s favourite all-singing, all-dancing, all-emoting, leopard-print clad warrior will be at Wests City, along with copious amounts of glitter and side-splittingly hilarious true stories in tow. Mrs Monacelli's Christmas time Spectacular! Presented by the Grainery Church. City Hall, Newcastle, 16 + 17 December.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17

Olive Tree Markets Civic Park, 9am - 3pm. Hunt & Gather Markets Pacific Park, 9am - 2pm.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26

Boxing Day Sales Westfield Kotara will be open 8am to 6pm, with The Rooftop open 11am to 10pm. Charlestown Square will also be open 8am to 6pm. For cinemas, entertainment cafes and restaurants, check individual websites. Boxing Day Races Don't miss the biggest party of the year at the Boxing Day Races! Book your general entry ticket ($30) before December 19 and get one FREE! Broadmeadow Racecourse, www.njc.com.au

Music in the Podium The music season has already begun on The Esplanade at Warners Bay! Family friendly evenings are from 6pm - 9pm. Don't forget the picnic blanket! Music lineup in gig guide (left).

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

Olive Tree Markets The Olive Tree Christmas Market Festival - Get ready for the biggest market of the year! 175 stalls featuring the best of local and Australian design. Shop for beautifully designed handmade Christmas gifts. Gourmet food, workshops, free kids activities, photo booth and more. 3 + 17 December. www.theolivetreemarket.com.au

3 + 17 DEC

JANUARY

FRIDAY 6TH Voodoo Punch - Music in the Podium The Esplanade, Warners Bay FRIDAY 13TH Misbehave Band - Music in the Podium The Esplanade, Warners Bay FRIDAY 20TH The Shedmasters - Music in the Podium The Esplanade, Warners Bay SUNDAY 22ND Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Newcastle Entertainment Centre FRIDAY 27TH Hey Poncho - Music in the Podium The Esplanade, Warners Bay SATURDAY 28TH Rufus Full Bloom Tour Wests City

Newcastle Jets V Sydney FC McDonald Jones Stadium.

9 DEC Market St Lawn Opening Event Enjoy twilight in the city with family and friends! Featuring free live music, entertainment, kids activities, food trucks and even a visit from Santa! 4:30pm - 9:30pm, Market + Scott Streets, Newcastle East.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10

WWE NXT Live Newcastle Entertainment Centre. The Impossible Christmas Market at The Rooftop, Westfield Kotara, 11am - 3pm. National College of Dance A wonderful double bill program will be presented at Civic Theatre - The Modern Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and As Time Goes By!

Master Builders Race Day Broadmeadow Racecourse. Hunt & Gather Markets - Sunset Gather Pacific Park, 3pm - 9pm.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

Newcastle Toy Run 2016 A Bikers for Kids Charity fundraising event, held annually in Newcastle. Departing Ballast Park in Stockton at 10am sharp, 8,000 bikers (or Santas) will finish at the Newcastle Foreshore Parklands with live entertainment and food!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11

Lake Macquarie Carols by Candlelight Watch Arthur Christmas on the big screen from noon, followed by kids entertainment, a visit from Santa, carols and a fireworks display from 9pm at Speers Point Park!

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13

26 DEC

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31

New Years Eve at Honeysuckle Celebrations at Honeysuckle are an all ages event, with live music and roving entertainment, plus fireworks lighting up the sky at 9pm. Book a seat at The Squires Maiden for front row seats! NYE Mad Hatters Party Central and Mane Events are hosting an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party with djs, beer/champagne on arrival, drink specials and more! Purchase tickets ($20) over the bar at Central or call 4925 2044.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

Deadly 60 Pole to Pole Live! Come on a theatrical journey with Steve Backshall as he shares his experiences travelling from the South Pole to the North Pole at Civic Theatre, Newcastle.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 7

Lake Mac Christmas Night Markets Get your last minute Christmas shopping done, plus enjoy music entertainment, kids' activities and a special visit from our Aussie Santa. Speers Point Park, 4pm - 8pm.

Newcastle Permanent's Cinema Under the Stars The free event kicks off at 5:30pm in King Edward Park with a fantastic line-up of family friendly entertainment and activities before the blockbuster animation Zootopia screens at sundown!

The Wiggles Newcastle Entertainment Centre.

NJC Raceday Broadmeadow Racecourse.

Do you have a local event or gig coming up? Email us today at getintouch@intouchmagazine.com.au

What’s on? FRIDAY, JANUARY 13

Artburst/Budburst A wine tasting with a difference! The world of visual art and the art of wine-making come together in the Art Gallery. More information at www.nag.org.au

WIN //

Live & Cookin’

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14 MONDAY, JANUARY 16

School Holiday Workshops at NAG Kids can drop drip and discover new ways to make colourful works of art with painting through a straw! Jan 16—20, for more info visit www.nag.org.au

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20

Mister Maker and the Shapes Join the ultimate arts and craft hero for some arty adventures! Civic Theatre.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21

NJC's Beach Party Dress in your best beachside glam for NJC's popular beach party! 20 tonnes of sand, drink specials, live music and giveaways! Broadmeadow Racecourse.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26

Australia Day Head to Honeysuckle with the family, there will be activities for all ages and all interests! Slideapalooza The world's longest inflatable waterslide is coming to Calais Estate, Hunter Valley! Fun, fitness, music and food come together for a fun day out! www.slideapalooza.com

26 - 29 JAN

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27

Swim with the Stars Experience a day in the life of an Olympic swimmer when the NSW institute of Sport comes to Charlestown Swim Centre for a one-day workshop! The day involves Olympic medallist Alicia Coutts, Jacob Hansford plus more. For more information visit www.lakemac.com.au.

The songs of legendary artist Carole King will be performed by two of Australia's most loved vocalists, Vika Bull and Debra Byrne, along with jazz chanteuse Monique diMattina and The Brill Band at Lizottes over two nights – Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th February 2017. Both performers have been inspired by the work of Carole King and the Tapestry album, which forms the centrepiece of the Tapestry concert created by the producer/ director of the smash hit At Last: The Etta James Story. Released in 1971, Tapestry was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for 15 weeks with over 25 million copies sold worldwide. It is considered was one of the greatest pop albums of the 20th century producing the mega hits I Feel the Earth Move, You’ve Got A Friend, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, It’s Too Late and Will You Love Me Tomorrow. “A true singer-songwriter Carole King doesn’t write to get on the radio she writes because it is all coming from her heart. That is why I love her,” says Debra Byrne. For 25 years, the glorious voice of Vika Bull has comprised one of the most distinctive, versatile and emotionally charged sounds on the Australian music landscape. Since a multi-platinum conquest of pop radio with the Black Sorrows in the late 1980s, Vika Bull has forged a diverse pathway into soul, gospel, blues, country and the island music of her Tongan ancestry. Like Vika, Debra Byrne is an Australian music icon. Debra has a solid background in musical theatre with roles in Cats, Jerry’s Girls, Les Miserables, Hot Shoe Shuffle and Sunset Boulevard, has recorded three solo albums and starred in many Australian television series. Don’t miss out on seeing Tapestry live on stage, brought to life by these two wonderful singers. For more information & tickets visit www.lizottes.com.au Thanks to Lizotte’s Newcastle we have 2 x double show-only tickets to give away. Visit www.intouchmagazine.com.au to enter. Entries close January 31st, 2017.

31 Morehead Street, Lambton FULLY LICENSED

Doors open from 6pm

DECEMBER BOWIE UNZIPPED Friday 2 ABBASBACK Saturday 3 CHRISTMAS LUNCH WITH BELLA VOCE Sunday 4

MATT ANDERSEN (CAN) Sunday 4 KEVIN BENNETT & THE FLOOD Thursday 8 THE BLACK SORROWS Saturday 10 STEVE POLTZ (USA) Tuesday 13 RUMOURS - A TRIBUTE TO FLEETWOOD MAC Thursday 15 THE INCREDIBLE DIESEL

Friday 16 + Saturday 17 + Sunday 18

THE LEGENDARY GLENN SHORROCK Wednesday 21

MI-SEX Thursday 22 ANDY FIRTH & JOHN MORRISON + THE ANDY FIRTH BIG BAND Friday 23 TH!NK P!NK Friday 30 NYE - A MAGICALLY MUSICAL NIGHT TO REMEMBER Saturday 31

JANUARY SOUL SACRIFICE - CELEBRATING CARLOS SANTANA Friday 6 OH BOY THE BUDDY HOLLY SHOW Saturday 7

DEXTER MOORE Sunday 8

Christmas Markets

DEC 3 DEC 17

WIN!

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28

Lake Macquarie Festival of Surfing Lake Mac teams up with Surfest for a third year at Redhead Beach for surfing (shortboards, longboards) and stand-up paddleboarding talent! 28 + 29 January, www.surfest.com.

FEEL THE EARTH MOVE with “Tapestry”

WIN

Mountain Bike Australia Downhill National Series One of the toughest downhill tracks in the country! Awaba State Forest, 14 + 15 January.

Biggest market of the year CIVIC PARK 9AM - 3PM

For $6 f lat rate parking on the day visit theolivetreemarket.com.au

SAHARA BECK Thursday 12

MORE SHOWS added daily.

LIVE SHOWS starting from

$65 (including dinner)

BOOK ONLINE NOW + See who else is coming to dinner...

lizottes.com.au or PH 4956 2066 www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 9

What's happening at

WHAT'S ON //

It’s Christmas time at Charlestown Square, the largest shopping destination in The Hunter!

Great news - international fashion favourites TopShop and TopMan are now open at Myer! Be sure to check out several other new retailers that have just opened their doors including Seafolly, on Level 2 near Myer, Hype DC on Level 2 opposite Rebel Sport and Wallace Bishop has returned to Charlestown Square on Level 1 near Myer. And did you know there’s more parking spaces here than any other shopping centre in Newcastle and the Hunter?

Visit Santa daily in Centre Court until Saturday 24 December and simply spend $50 on Santa photos for your chance to win a year’s free fun at Reading Cinemas, Strike, Timezone and Megamania, valued at $10,000! Terms and conditions apply, details at www.charlestownsquare.com.au Again this year we are offering children with special needs the opportunity to meet and have their photo taken with Santa, with Sensitive Santa sessions available before/after the centre is open on selected dates. The sensory friendly environment provides a low stress setting for children to meet Santa, and the centre provides each participating family with a complimentary photo. Bookings for Sensitive Santa are essential at the Customer Service Desk on 4944 4333.

Celebrating 40 years of BBC’s Antiques Roadshow Andrew Kay, RED Live and BBC Worldwide ANZ are proud to announce one of television’s most beloved and enduring programmes, Antiques Roadshow is bringing its stories to Australia in a live show specially created to celebrate its 40th anniversary on British television. Tales From The Antiques Roadshow will be touring 26 cities including all capital cities and a number of the main regional centres including – you guessed it, Newcastle – when the show hits the stage at the Civic Theatre on Saturday February 4th, 2017. On stage will be three of Antiques Roadshow’s most familiar faces - Hilary Kay, Paul Atterbury and Ronnie ArcherMorgan - telling tales from the show’s beginnings in 1977 at Hereford Town Hall to the stately homes and Royal palaces they have visited across Great Britain.

For more information and tickets visit www.civictheatrenewcastle.com.au

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Following their #1 ARIA chart debut for new album ‘Skeleton Tree’, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds have announced that they will be touring their biggest and boldest production ever to Australia and New Zealand in January 2017 and here in Newcastle on Sunday 22 January. The latest Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album received phenomenal reviews worldwide, topped the charts in eight countries, and gained the band their second #1 album in Australia following 2013’s Push The Sky Away (#1 Feb 2013). Companion film ‘One More Time with Feeling’ – directed by New Zealand-born Andrew Dominik - premiered at The Venice Film Festival followed by screenings in 950 cinemas across 30 countries, in what was intended to be a one-day screening. The touring band lineup features Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey, Thomas Wydler, Jim Sclavunos, Conway Savage, George Vjestica and Larry Mullins.

And this Christmas we’re open longer for you... including until MIDNIGHT on Thursday 22 December and Boxing Day from 8am until 5pm. Visit www.charlestownsquare.com.au for full trading hours details. If you’re stuck with too much choice from over 250 stores, a GPT Gift Card is the perfect option this Christmas. Enjoy the festive season and New Year celebrations! Cheers,

Therese,

Marketing Team

Photo from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Facebook.

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“Paul, Ronnie and I are so excited to be bringing the live show to Australia. We know Antiques Roadshow is much loved in Australia and it will be a treat to share some of our favourite Antiques Roadshow moments and experiences with fans. We look forward to meeting you all as we travel across Australia in early 2017,” said Hilary Kay about the Australian tour. In May 1977 a pilot recording for a new programme about antiques was filmed in Hereford. Antiques Roadshow went on to become one of the most loved and popular shows on British television. In Australia, the programme has an equally loyal audience – broadcast on Foxtel’s Lifestyle channel, the ABC and Nine. A firm favourite on our TV screens, the series, through its wonderfully unusual objects, knowledgeable experts, interesting owners and occasional heart-stopping valuations turns the spotlight on human stories; the voice of history and humanity, sometimes touched with humour and pathos. Hilary, Paul and Ronnie will tell their own personal stories from behind-the-scenes, previously unseen footage will be screened, and theatre audiences will share some of the excitement of the fabulous filming locations. Tales From The Antiques Roadshow will take us on a unique journey behind the cameras to discover how the award-winning television series is created. See the most valuable and bizarre objects on the big screen as the experts remember the tears and laughter of the show’s unique history. The experts will also answer questions and invite the audience to test their own expertise by playing the ‘Basic, Better, Best’ game so popular with Antiques Roadshow audiences attending the filming days. The stories will enthrall – from the First World War battlefields of the Somme to the era of Rock ‘n’ Roll, from the everyday to the priceless, each possessing a unique narrative earning them a place in history. What are we collecting now? How will future Roadshows value the folly or wisdom of our choices today? Find out the answers when the Antiques Roadshow tells its story live on stage! Please note that objects from the audience will not be valued at this event.

Don’t miss their only Newcastle show at Newcastle Entertainment Centre. For tickets visit www.nec.net.au

CIRCUS AVALON Circus Avalon was established in Tasmania by John Campbell about 25 years ago. Since then it has changed from a performing adult community group to a training circus for both adults and youth. Currently based in Newcastle (for over 12 years now), Circus Avalon has brought the unique art and skills of the circus to the lives of thousands of students, both young and old. Avalon Trainers have taught in over 100 different schools, attended events including the Woodford Festival, the National Folk Festival, the National Circus Festival and many smaller events. You can catch the Circus live on stage at Lizottes on Friday, January, 13th, 2017. Better still – we have a Special Offer - TWO tickets for the price of ONE for kids under 12! Visit www.lizottes.com.au for more information and tickets.

ROOFTOP MARKET WITH A FESTIVE FLAVOUR The Impossible Market will be bringing some of best local creators and artisans in the Hunter Region to The Rooftop at Westfield Kotara for a special open-aired Christmas shopping event on Saturday 10 December. Featuring live music, children’s entertainment, outdoor dining, fourteen pop up shops, interactive experiences and a selection of workshops to create your very own personalised Christmas gifts, ticking off items from your festive to-do list will be just as much functional as it is fun. Nestled between the grassy knolls, performance stage and restaurants you’ll find gifts for adventurers, jewellery-lovers,

style-seekers, green thumbs, wellness warriors and proud Novocastrians. Look out for repurposed skateboards in the form of sunglasses; silver studs concealed within candles; handpainted bicycle bells; and retro inspired beach umbrellas for a truly unique and home-grown gift. Learn the tricks of the trade with select vendors sharing their skills so you can weave a little bit of your own magic into an extra special gift for someone you love. Pre-book to make your very own macramé wall hanger art under the guidance of Mim Concepts or be transported to a miniature garden world with a terrarium class from White Space Crafts. The Impossible is well known for its ever-changing line-up of handpicked pop up shops. Vendors are selected for their ability to create tangible outputs from their passions, culminating in a mix of beautifully designed, original, well made, locally produced and love filled products. Showcasing them in the entertainment precinct of The Rooftop is a perfect pairing, with the venue providing the ideal ambiance to enjoy the festive spirit with family and friends. Find authentic, individual and locally created gifts with the convenience of Westfield parking, dining and retail options when The Impossible Markets “popup” on The Rooftop for a unique Christmas shopping experience on Saturday 10 December from 11am to 3pm. For the full list of vendors, workshop bookings, and more information visit www.theimpossiblemarket.com or www.westfield.com.au/kotara

WIN! www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 11

UNLEASH YOUR INNER WARRIOR!

At the Ultimate Destination for Paintball in the Hunter Valley! Whether you’re a paintball pro, looking for party ideas in the Hunter Valley, or just want something fun to do on the weekend, this is your no.1 destination. At Hunter Valley Paintball you'll discover the most awesome battlefields – all based around natural creek gullies, and covered in thick bush with a natural waterfall. There's plenty of forts and obstacles allowing for maximum strategic assaults and skills training. It’s the perfect terrain for that real adventure feel that you just can’t get with indoor facilities.

Get your platoon together and book your action packed day out today on 4934 2212!

LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF THE PACIFIC HIGHWAY AND ITALIA ROAD, EAGLETON PH 4934 2212 E Tim@huntervalleypaintball.com.au www.huntervalleypaintball.com.au

Clint with partner Carly and daughter Hope.

CLINT NEWTON

Life, love and giving back post the Knights WORDS MICHELLE MEEHAN

It may have been his first year of retirement, but former Newcastle Knights player Clint Newton has been far from just sitting idly on the sidelines in 2016. As the General Manager of the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA), ambassador for both White Ribbon Australia and the Australian Childhood Foundation and an increasingly involved member of the team behind his father’s charity golf pro-am (The Jack), Newton has found more than enough to fill his time now that daily training sessions and weekly rugby league matches are no longer part of his schedule. Throw in his responsibilities as the father of three-year-old daughter Hope and preparations for his upcoming wedding to long-term partner Carly early in the New Year and you can see why Newton wonders where all the extra time you’re meant to have when you retire from footy has gone. Not that the 35-year-old is complaining. “It’s been great, I’ve only found myself really missing playing on a few occasions,” Newton said. “I’ve loved stepping away from the game from a playing perspective, my body certainly feels better for it and I’ve enjoyed getting my weekends back to spend time with my family.” Newton has also enjoyed transitioning into life after the siren sounds. But while he is keen to ensure he is known for being more than just a professional rugby league player, it

hasn’t necessarily been easy to step away from a 15-year career that included playing for three different NRL clubs, winning an NRL premiership with the Melbourne Storm, four years in the English Super League, representing the United States (his country of birth) in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and captaining the Newcastle Knight’s NSW Cup team to victory in their 2015 grand final. Newton said he does miss the physical nature and challenge of the game but admits the biggest challenge so far has been overcoming that sense of loss many professional sportspeople get when the element that has filled the majority of their waking moments for such a long time is suddenly no longer there. “I miss the collision in the sport, I miss the contact, I miss the camaraderie you get with your teammates, the mateship and the togetherness,” he said. “But I think the biggest thing that a lot of sportspeople face … is just your identity. I recognised a fair bit before my retirement that I needed an identity outside of rugby league … because that’s when your identity takes a real hit, when you retire. “Everyone’s known you, in my case for 15 years for playing professional rugby league and you go ‘Ok, who am I now, what do I represent now?’ “That’s why I really worked hard to try and set up the charity work I do with White Ribbon and the Australian Childhood Foundation and obviously now with my Dad’s tournament as well as the RLPA, it was really important to me that people understood that I stood for a lot more than just playing rugby league.” And while mindfulness seems to be a buzz word in health and wellbeing circles these days, it is a technique that has also been promoted throughout rugby league circles and proved vital for Newton as he wound down to retirement. “I think one of the things that really helped me in that process was a guy called Hugh who runs the resilience project,” he said.

“He runs these seminars, which came out to all rugby league clubs and he’s now doing a lot of work around the world, and it just develops your sense of having a greater understanding around mindfulness, gratefulness and empathy. “I thought I had a lot of those traits anyway but as you’re about to retire you can find yourself being a little bit negative, saying ‘my life’s over’ from that sporting perspective and ‘why is this happening to me, I wish my body would keep going’, all those types of things. “But really increasing my sense of gratitude for the career that I had, really positioned me well post career where I was like ‘no, I’ve had a ripping career really, having 15 years in the game and doing all sorts of things and meeting really great people and going all around the world, all because I was involved in rugby league’. “So what have I got to be sad about? I’m sad that I’m leaving my friends and that structure, but I’ve been able to be a part of something that not many have, so I should be grateful for what I’ve been given, not be bitter or sad about what’s been taken away.” Instead, Newton focused on the future as he stepped up from his previous role as the Chairman of the RLPA to his current position as General Manager, advocating on behalf of players past, present and future, to the NRL. “The main role and our vision is to ensure the wellbeing and empowerment of all our players and their families. Our mandate is to protect and advance the interest of future, current and past rugby league players and proactively contribute to the development of the game,” he said. “That’s been really rewarding to have an ability to try and influence the game I love and try and make the day-to-day lives of our players and everyone associated with the game better, which has been great.” Outside of football, Newton has also been advocating to try to make life better for another group of people – the victims of domestic violence and abuse. He has been an ambassador for White Ribbon Australia since 2012.

“I immediately thought when I came back to Australia from England that I wanted to do something within the community and try and use the profile I had with rugby league as a vehicle to try and create change with a particular type of charity or foundation.” “White Ribbon really resonated with me for a number of different reasons, and I just thought it’s an incredibly big issue, we’re forever seeing just how big of an issue it is with more awareness and more reports and research. “I got involved, immediately became an ambassador and since then that’s been really great to be involved. “It’s troubling and disturbing that you’ve got to be involved with foundations such as White Ribbon and the Australian Childhood Foundation. “But unfortunately that’s society and that’s what we have to deal with within communities. It’s given me a great opportunity to go and position myself within these communities and try and help further educate and prevent some of the things that are actually happening out there at the moment. “That’s the great opportunity that sport provides - it’s said that sport will engage more than anything in the world, more Continued on next page ► www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 13

than religion, more than any other political movement or anything, sport does engage more people throughout the world, and we certainly recognise our role within that space.” Newton said his role took on even greater meaning following the birth of his daughter Hope in 2013. “I think everyone in this world has got someone in their life, a girl or woman in their life that they love and want to thrive in the world that we live in,” he said. “I’ve got a number of them in my life but particularly my daughter - she’s only a child, but I want to be able to try and make it a safer place. By engaging boys and men in that gender equality conversation, hopefully, we’re going to have some advocates out there for equality and respectful relationships. “I’m not afraid to say that in a lot of ways I am a feminist. I think a lot of people use the word in the wrong way now as opposed to what it was meant for. “Feminism’s about being an advocate for equality and making sure women are considered just as equal as men, it’s not anything to be afraid or ashamed of - everyone would have a girl or a woman in their life that they want to thrive in this world and that’s what I want.” This has also been a driving force behind Newton’s involvement with the Australian Childhood Foundation, a charity that works to support and protect vulnerable children and families, with the belief that all children have the right to a happy and safe childhood. But Newton’s not the only one in his family who is passionate about charitable work. His famous golfing father Jack has spent the past 38 years putting on what has become the longest running celebrity proam golf tournament in Australia – the Jack Newton Celebrity Classic. Rebranded simply as The Jack this year, the event has played host to some of the biggest names in Australian sport, politics, stage and screen. It’s been contested by some of the country’s best professional and brightest up-and-coming golfers and more importantly, raised more than $6 million for diabetes research and awareness, as well as the development of junior golf through the Jack Newton Junior Golf program. Newton said he is so proud of the work his father has been involved with off the golf course, as well as the promising career he had on it before his professional playing future was cut short following an accident in 1983 which claimed his right arm and right eye. Both sides of his golfing career were cited as reasons behind his inclusion in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in October this year. “I’m more proud of my father in how he is recognised for not only what he’s done as a golfer but also what he’s contributed to golf and Australian sport and so many lives,” Newton said. “I think to me it’s more special than just someone who was a good athlete.

Clint (right) with father Jack Newton (left), Mother Jackie (second left), and partner Carly.

“There’s a difference between being good sportsmen and your contribution to sport because you have a choice to make and not everyone makes a choice to be a good contributor.” Newton hopes his own contributions to The Jack now and in the future will help the pro-am continue the charitable legacy his father has so successfully built up during the past three decades. Now in its 38th year, the event will be held at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley and the adjoining Hunter Valley Golf Club on December 19-21. Here 54 professional golfers, 54 celebrities, 54 amateurs and 54 sponsors’ representatives gather together for three days of golf, good times and charitable goodwill. Newton said the event had endured the test of time based on its spirit of “family, togetherness, and charity.” “That’s what the tournament’s been able to provide to many people,” he said. “It’s provided so many with some lifelong memories, but it’s also been able to give so many an opportunity to build some of the most trusted and loved relationships and friendships through the tournament and that’s why it’s been able to be so sustainable. “It’s much more than a tournament, it’s a feeling you get when you walk in there, and you see people, whether it be for

the first time or people that you’ve seen since the tournament’s inception, you just get a good feeling inside, and that’s the important part of the event. “I think that’s why so many people like to participate in it and we’re definitely committed to trying to ensure that continues.” Helping Newton with this vision will be a committee of longterm supporters of both the event and his father, as well as Newton’s long-term partner and soon to be bride, Carly. “It’s great that Carly’s also involved in the event,” he said. “It’s something that she’s passionate about because she’s so close to my family and it’s something that we want to continue to drive together.” Of course, this year’s pro-am isn’t the only big event they’re involved in organising at the moment, with the pair preparing to marry at a special ceremony in Newcastle during January next year, with a reception to follow at Newcastle Town Hall. “That’s going to be amazing at the start of January to actually say that I’m married and that someone sees enough in me to commit to spending the rest of their life with me,” Newton said. “I suppose one of the things that Carly, myself and our daughter are probably looking forward to the most is just the opportunity that weddings provide in bringing everyone together. “In today’s world everyone’s so busy, you need these big events to get people to commit to being able to get together. I’m only planning on doing it once, so I’m making sure there are enough people there to enjoy it! “It’ll be great, and I’m incredibly lucky to have had Carly come into my life the way she did, and I know how fantastic she is as a mother and a partner and a best friend.” ■ For more information on The Jack, sponsorship opportunities or the chance to jump in and swing a club with the best of them, visit www.jacknewtongroup.com

We’re looking for talented Lake Mac athletes aged 12-15 years, plus coaches, in the fields of athletics, sailing, swimming, basketball and soccer to participate in the 2017 International Children’s Games in Kaunas, Lithuania. Applications close 19 December 2016. Visit hunteracademy.org.au for more information.

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Battlesticks at Scratchleys

Everything you've loved about Scratchleys... and so much more.

Battlesticks at Scratchleys is Newcastle’s newest, most iconically situated and beautifully sophisticated bar. Offering cocktails, tapas, premium wine and live music in a stunning location that is casual, yet classy. Join us 7 days per week from midday through until late for scrumptious tapas and good times. Live music 7 nights and Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

200 Wharf Road, Newcastle | Phone 4929 1111 | www.scratchleys.com.au

CHRISTMAS There’s nothing like the festive season for bringing families and friends together. Whether it’s a barbecue by the beach or gathering round a dinner table laden with all the treats and trimmings, everyone celebrates Christmas in their own special way. intouch Magazine has taken a sneak peek behind the Santa stockings of a few of the region’s most well-known residents to find out just how they plan on making merry this Christmas.

Lake Macquarie City Council Lord Mayor Councillor KAY FRASER This will be Cr Fraser’s first festive season wearing the Lord Mayor’s robes after she was voted into the top job at Lake Macquarie City Council during the September Local Government elections. Where do you celebrate Christmas and who do you celebrate with? What is a traditional “normal” Christmas Day for you? We rotate

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JOEL GRIFFITHS The former Newcastle Jets striker and Golden Boot winner made the dream of every Hunter football fan come true when he helped his teammates clinch the 200708 A-League title. Now he spends his time making Hunter homeowners happy after swapping the football field for life as a mortgage broker with Aussie Home Loans, The Junction. Where do you celebrate Christmas and who do you celebrate with? What is a traditional “normal” Christmas Day for you? This year we will spend Christmas in Brisbane, most of my family live up there and we normally take turns, this year it is their turn. Normal Chrissy would be around family, opening presents and eating way too much. Love it. Turkey and ham are the mainstay Christmas meats - which do you favour and why? Wow, that’s a tough one, I can’t neglect either of them, it’s a dead set dead heat. Christmas celebrations around the homes of family members – this year is my turn to host. It is a very traditional sort of Christmas. This year we will have four generations represented, with my grandchildren and two of their great grandparents. Turkey and ham are the mainstay Christmas meats - which do you favour and why? We have all the traditional meats and trimmings and they are all lovely – but I don’t think you can go past ham as a Christmas treat. What else is usually on your Christmas menu and what is your favourite festive food to indulge in? We all contribute to lunch and my Chinese sister-in-law, Ying, always brings something a bit different and non-traditional to the table, like spring rolls or Asian fritters. Her dishes are always fresh and delicious. And my Italian mother-in-law, Dea, is a fantastic cook. Her tiramisu and rice salad are to die for. Do you have any particular Christmas family traditions? We like to play darts and cards after lunch or have a round of Balderdash.

What else is usually on your Christmas menu and what is your favourite festive food to indulge in? Prawns are a must, must leave some room for dessert, though, not fussy when that comes around. Do you have any particular Christmas family traditions? Santa makes a surprise entry, I’ve been in that suit before but will think twice pending the Brisbane weather. What’s either your 1) most special OR 2) craziest (you choose) Christmas memory? Most special would be spending Christmas with your kids for the first time, nothing beats Christmas morning when they run into your bedroom at first light yelling “Santa has come.” If you could make any changes to Christmas traditions what would they be? Compulsory that you leave Santa a present. If you could invite one extra guest to Christmas this year - who would it be (dead or alive)? It would have to be the birthday boy (Jesus), I would throw him one hell of a birthday bash. What’s either your 1) most special OR 2) craziest (you choose) Christmas memory? About 10 years ago we had a Christmas lunch at my house where all of my siblings were present. I am the youngest of five, and we are all scattered now – two are in living in Queensland and one in Sydney – so it is difficult for us all to get together at Christmas. That was a very special year. If you could make any changes to Christmas traditions what would they be? I wish there was less pressure to buy presents and spend money and more emphasis on families and loved ones being together and reconnecting. Exchanging gifts is lovely, but it shouldn’t be the focus of Christmas and buying presents certainly shouldn’t cause hardship and stress. If you could invite one extra guest to Christmas this year - who would it be (dead or alive)? I think it would be nice to have the opportunity to welcome someone into your home who didn’t have family or friends to share their Christmas Day.

CATHERINE BRITT & JAMES BEVERLEY

TANYA WILKS

It’s been a hell of a year for Newcastle singer songwriter Catherine Britt, who celebrated her fight against and triumph over breast cancer with a series of concerts, picked up her third Female Artist of the Year award at the Golden Guitars and launched into the world of publishing with husband James Beverley after taking over respected music publication Rhythms Magazine.

Tanya Wilks has been one of the most recognisable voices on the Hunter’s airwaves for more than two decades and these days spends her mornings serving up news, views and plenty of laughs as one half of KOFM’S popular breakfast team alongside Steve G.

Where do you celebrate Christmas and who do you celebrate with? What is a traditional “normal” Christmas Day for you? We celebrate with our families, the morning is spent at home with just us and our pup, then off to the Britt’s for Christmas lunch and then to the Beverley’s for Christmas dinner. Turkey and ham are the mainstay Christmas meats which do you favour and why? Christmas ham all the way!!!! You can’t beat a soft, fresh bakery roll with ham off the bone, perfect summer lunch. What else is usually on your Christmas menu and what is your favourite festive food to indulge in? We always have prawns and my sister-in-law’s famous egg nog. Do you have any particular Christmas family traditions? I always get the guitar out at the end of the night as we have a big family sing-along. What’s either your 1) most special OR 2) craziest (you choose) Christmas memory? The first year I spent Christmas with my husband’s family, it was so special to be brought into their family Christmas and be a part of a beautiful new family. If you could make any changes to Christmas traditions what would they be? Put the Christmas tree up earlier!!! Haha. If you could invite one extra guest to Christmas this year - who would it be (dead or alive)? Hank Williams, I just wanna hear him sing to me :)

Where do you celebrate Christmas and who do you celebrate with? What is a traditional “normal” Christmas Day for you? When we are in Australia I always have the family to

LYN BOWTELL She started the year with a new collaboration and the release of their first album Bennett, Bowtell & Urquhart (recorded with Kevin Bennett and Felicity Urquhart), but the end of 2016 has been a far cruisier affair for Hunterbased country music singer songwriter Lyn Bowtell. The three-time Golden Guitar winner spent a week on board a luxurious Royal Caribbean cruise liner sailing around the South

RICHARD JONES It was a milestone year for Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service CEO Richard Jones in 2016 as he celebrated 21 years at the helm of the Hunter’s most loved and trusted home grown emergency service. Where do you celebrate Christmas and who do you celebrate with? What is a traditional “normal” Christmas Day for you? Christmas at home. It’s a crazy time to travel. It’s much nicer and a lot easier at home with only a few family members in town - so it’s also a great time to relax.

me, but every couple of years we have an Irish Christmas with my husband’s family in Dublin, with mulled wine, turkey and all the crazy, cold trimmings a European Christmas demands. In Oz every Christmas morning we join a bunch of our friends at Newcastle Beach for an early morning BBQ breakfast. Gav (who is a life saver at Newie amongst other things) cooks the BBQ while the kids swim and we wrap up mid-morning to drift off to our various family celebrations. Turkey and ham are the mainstay Christmas meats - which do you favour and why? On the menu, EVERY year for lunch, is a baked ham complete with the diamond-studded patterned cloves and roast turkey. What else is usually on your Christmas menu and what is your favourite festive food to indulge in? Another tradition is to serve my spinach and feta pie, which is made whilst my dad and my son peel the prawns together - a job they have done together for over a decade. I love the traditions of our Christmas. Do you have any particular Christmas family traditions? Once lunch is done everyone plays the new Christmas board game (Santa always leaves a new board game for us).

What’s either your 1) most special OR 2) craziest (you choose) Christmas memory? My favourite Christmas memory is absolutely every one of them, but one of the craziest memories is the year we took my son’s new surfboard to Nobbys, but Santa forgot to leave a leg rope, so we improvised with the dog’s lead. Unfortunately, Dr Chris Brown (our fav pet vet) saw it and being the keen surfer he is didn’t appear too impressed. If you could make any changes to Christmas traditions what would they be? If I could change just one thing about Christmas, it would be that Christmas carollers visit everyone’s house on Christmas Eve and sing us to sleep - just like in those snow-filled sappy Hollywood Christmas movies!!! If you could invite one extra guest to Christmas this year - who would it be (dead or alive)? If I could ask one person to Christmas lunch it would be definitely Jesus - yes he’s the reason for the season, but it’s also the perfect excuse to add a birthday cake to the menu!!

Pacific for what’s billed as Australia’s biggest country music festival at sea – Cruisin Country.

games of cards… the children can sometimes be difficult too. What’s either your 1) most special OR 2) craziest (you choose) Christmas memory? My most special memories are of waking early and spending an hour or so of quiet time with my Dad at the kitchen table before the rest of the household got up. Now that he’s gone I cherish them more than ever. If you could make any changes to Christmas traditions what would they be? I’d like to see Christmas remain true to its original traditions and values, of family and friendship… and discard the consumerist nonsense that surrounds it these days. If you could invite one extra guest to Christmas this year - who would it be (dead or alive)? I’d invite Anne Murray around to sing my favourite Christmas album Christmas Wishes ... I torture my family with it on repeat every year so it would be even more special for them to hear it performed in person.

Where do you celebrate Christmas and who do you celebrate with? What is a traditional “normal” Christmas Day for you? This Christmas I’ll be heading home to red dirt Queensland to spend time in the bush with my beautiful family... Christmas Day will be spent fighting a losing battle against my mother’s over-catering. Turkey and ham are the mainstay Christmas meats - which do you favour and why? My eldest brother makes fantastic home-smoked ham, so that’s the winner for me. What else is usually on your Christmas menu and what is your favourite festive food to indulge in? Mum always makes Christmas pudding, it’s rich and decadent and hides a scattering of silver coins, which are apparently for luck... unless you bite down on one! Do you have any particular Christmas family traditions? Arguments, tantrums, hugs and

Turkey and ham are the mainstay Christmas meats - which do you favour and why? That’s a no-brainer - ham always (we give the staff one for Christmas each year!!). Always good, but love it cold and happy if there is seafood added. What else is usually on your Christmas menu and what is your favourite festive food to indulge in? Seafood, and lots of chocolate-coated macadamias (if my brother from up north comes good!), otherwise chocolate-coated peanuts. Do you have any particular Christmas family traditions? No traditions - just good food, wine and people.

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What’s either your 1) most special OR 2) craziest (you choose) Christmas memory? Memories are of family and games in the pool. Craziest moments – no, after a busy year we are too tired to be crazy. If you could make any changes to Christmas traditions what would they be? I’d change the weather! Not too hot, a bit of rain, early 20s temperature. If you could invite one extra guest to Christmas this year - who would it be (dead or alive)? I will need two extras. Mum and Dad (Dad knows where the good wine is hidden!). www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 17

BRIAN AND JO LIZOTTE They spend their lives surrounded by good food and great music as the founders and owners of the Lizotte’s restaurants, so there’s little doubt there’ll be something tasty cooking in the kitchen and a few tunes to keep the mood festive and bright throughout the silly season. Where do you celebrate Christmas and who do you celebrate with? What is a traditional “normal” Christmas Day for you? We start our Christmas celebrations with all our customers and the artists helping them to celebrate. Then “our” Christmas day is spent with our two daughters Sammy and Emelie and family, usually either in Sydney, New Zealand or Tasmania. We spread ourselves around from year to year. Turkey and ham are the mainstay Christmas meats - which do you favour and why? Each Christmas is so different as our family is so diverse in their cultures and traditions. We often say “Oh this year we’re just going to have prawns and rolls down on the beach!!!” I think this has happened twice in the 27 years we have

been together!!!! We get caught up in the vibrancy and excitement of the Christmas buzz and all that comes with it. There are no real favourites. And it really is the only time of the year where you eat and drink whatever without too much questioning… until about 2pm in the afternoon! What else is usually on your Christmas menu and what is your favourite festive food to indulge in? Last year we were in New Zealand and apart from all the usual turkey, ham, pavlova, etc. we had an ocean of lobster all caught from Raglan by Jo’s nephew. I have never turned lobster down before but it seriously got to the stage where I couldn’t even look at it. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lemon and coconut milk marinated fresh fish, carpaccio. A gazillion different salads, veggies, tiramisu, Christmas pudd… oh and just a little bit of wine! One year in New Zealand we had a hungi. That was interesting. The men got up about 6am to a compulsory beer and shovel to go and dig the hole. Believe me, it is a lot more involved than I realised. The stones had to be the right ones, baskets for the food, the food had to be wrapped in proper cotton cloth and then it had to cook for hours. Do you have any particular Christmas family traditions? To prioritise it as family time to be with each other, eat, drink and be merry and share the day. What’s either your 1) most special OR 2) craziest (you choose) Christmas memory? Most beautiful memories are when our girls were little and driving to see Christmas lights and decorating the tree and house. Seeing their faces after Santa had been. But there are two most special Christmas occasions that I feel blessed to have had. One was with Jo’s dad Bob when he was very unwell with cancer, and we all knew this was his last one. We were in New Zealand with all of his children and grandchildren around him. He knew it, and we knew it. Then just two years ago we were in Tasmania at my brother Michael’s with his family and my dear Dad Hank, who we did not realise would be his last Christmas. He was in fine form and he was just so much at peace and loving the day. He passed two months later. I shall be forever grateful that we were there with him for his last Christmas.

If you could make any changes to Christmas traditions what would they be? I could be really cliché here and say to be not so much about the gifts, but my experience is that this is a natural progression when your children grow up. I don’t care for the gifts. I just want to be with our girls and family and friends. If you could invite one extra guest to Christmas this year - who would it be (dead or alive)? Not one but three: Therese my mum, Hank my Dad and Bob my father-in-law, all of whom are no longer with us. Then every single family member from both sides of our families and there would be more food and wine than any of us could consume. ■

CELEBRATE NEW YEARS EVE AT LIZOTTES! Start off the New year with a bang and enter A World Of Pure Imagination as Jay Scott Berry, modern-day Merlin works his magic with an elegant, whimsical style that appeals to all ages. From empty hands, objects appear, disappear and transform. This is the art of wonder at its finest. Enjoy a sumptuous awardwinning three-course meal and share some beautiful local wine with family and friends, then let Van the Man’s Morrison tribute help you sail into the new year as 2016 fades away and a fresh new year begins at Lizotte's. With its roots in the highly successful Sydney wine bar circuit of the 1970’s, Van the Man is a must see for all Van Morrison fans, both young and old. For more information and tickets visit www.lizottes.com.au

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WHAT'S ON //

Josh Pyke, Bob Evans and the ‘no-brainer’ 10 year tour! WORDS MICHELLE MEEHAN They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. But in the case of the clean-out that prompted Josh Pyke and Bob Evans to hit the road together once more, it is clear music fans are the ones reaping the rewards. The respected Aussie troubadours will set out on a massive 12-date run of shows across Australia this month to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their first tour together. But Another Evening with Josh Pyke and Bob Evans might not have happened if it wasn’t for Pyke’s parents’ efforts to rid themselves of excess clutter. “It was mid last year my parents were moving house and they had a framed poster of the first time we did it (the tour together) that they didn’t want anymore, so they said ‘Do you want this?” Pyke said. “They gave it to me and I was like wow, this was 2006, that’s (10 years) next year and I sort of kept it in the back of my mind and I mentioned it to Kev (Jebediah front man Kevin Mitchell, who goes by the name Bob Evans for his solo work) a couple of times. “At the beginning of this year I called him and I was like ‘I think we should really do this, 10 years… it’s a great chance to celebrate it and it will be fun’. “It was a bit of a no-brainer after that point, it was just a timing thing as always.” 20 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

Josh Pyke (left) and Bob Evans (right).

With Pyke releasing his fifth studio album last year and Evans dropping his fifth solo record in June both men had plenty on their musical plates already. But thankfully for fans, the singer-songwriters were able to find a three-week window in November and December to hit the road for their co-headline tour. Kicking off at The Gov in Adelaide on November 24 they will embark on a series of shows across the country, scheduling a stop in Newcastle on Thursday, December 8 to showcase their sounds within the truly unique and intimate surrounds of 48 Watt St. It will be a return to familiar ground for Pyke and Evans, who have both already played shows in Newcastle this year, and the pair are looking forward to heading back to the Hunter. “I love it (playing in Newcastle), I’ve always loved playing there,” Pyke said. “I’ve played at a bunch of places there as I’m sure Kev has as well, but I think the last five or six shows I’ve played there have all sold out and I think this one is about 10 tickets off selling out as well. “Newcastle is obviously a really vibrant, supportive artistic community so I always love going there. “Also when you go to a place a lot you get into the town itself Darby Street’s really cool, I love Chris’ (Joannou) café there, The Edwards, and the beach itself, last time I went there I went for a long walk on the beach and it’s just completely stunning. “It’s obvious Newcastle is also really coming into its own at the moment, I noticed there’s heaps more venues and cafes… it’s obviously still developing in a really organic way, which is nice.” Evans said he loves the atmosphere in Newcastle and especially the way local crowds react to one song of his in particular.

“Many times when I’ve talked about Newcastle I’ve waxed lyrical about how much I love it and it’s very genuine because it’s always been reliably great, going all the way back to my earliest memories of playing there with Jebediah at the Bar on the Hill at Newcastle Uni and at the Cambridge and all the awesome venues,” he said. “Obviously there just seems to be a really deep music culture in Newcastle, I’ve got lots of admiration for the place. “Also one of my great pleasures of playing Newcastle when I do Bob Evans shows is playing a song of mine called Pasha Bulker, which is named after the ship that ran aground on Nobby’s Beach. “Playing that song in Newcastle gets a different reaction to anywhere else in Australia, so that’s one of my favourite moments.” Fans of the song will have to wait and see whether it is on the set list this time around, with the pair keeping details of the show close to their chests when talking to intouch Magazine. They did reveal however that unlike their last tour together, which saw them play individual sets one after the other, this show will see both men on stage together the whole time, playing their own songs as well as each other’s. “It is something that we’re both kind of excited about and also kind of daunted by,” Evans said. “Last time when we toured it was a pretty traditional kind of show, I got up and played for an hour or so then Josh got up and he played for an hour, we played a few songs together in between and at the end. “But this time round we thought look, we’ve got all the tools that we need to put on a show where we’re basically on stage together the whole time, backing each other up, so we’re going to do it across two sets with an intermission in between. “There’s a lot of work for us to do to get the show up and running but I think it’s going to be super rewarding, hopefully for the audience as much as for us.” The format has also provided a few challenges for the musicians, who have been madly learning and practising each other’s songs. “It’s been a big workload, I think it’s 10 of each other’s songs that we have to learn, but it’s another good thing, it’s a good challenge,” Pyke said. “When you’re a solo artist you kind of get to a certain point where you have a set you play – life gets boring unless you inject some new challenges in there, so it’s been a good thing. “I’ve personally enjoyed it, playing a bit of keyboard and stuff in some songs, which I don’t often get to do and also just the opportunity to be a backing artist for somebody else whose songs you really love. “It’s a real pleasure to kind of take a bit more of a back seat, sing back-up and do some different instrumentation … in order to let the other person shine. It’s good fun.” With five solo albums apiece to their names, there are certainly plenty of songs in their musical vaults from which to choose for the tour. The audience is sure to hear a few takes from Pyke’s last album But For All These Shrinking Hearts, which debuted at #2 on the ARIA album charts in August last year, as well as Evan’s new release Car Boot Sale, which was nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Album at this year's ARIA Awards. Once this run of shows is over, Evans will head back out on the road to continue playing and promoting Car Boot Sale, while Pyke said he was likely to begin the daunting, yet exciting task, of trawling through his back catalogue to put together his first ‘Best Of’ album next year. Tickets for the much-anticipated reunion are on sale now via www.joshpyke.com or www.bobevans.com.au and come with a bonus free download of two tracks performed and recorded by Pyke and Evans.

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High Alert Paintball Action… You Might Get Hooked! Beach, Ruins, Two Forks, Pig Pen and Wetlands - with participants taking part in a The last thing Tim Miller wanted to do after he different “mission” at each one. left the Army Reserve in 1987 was run around Tim said providing scenarios for people playing soldier in the bush, shooting people to role play rather than just an open area to with pellets of paint. But one game with his engage in a paintball free-for-all is one of the brother was all it took for the Hunter man to features that sets Hunter Valley Paintball apart become hooked and set off down a path that from its competitors. would see him turn his newfound passion for “My initial set-up was using the creeks, paintball into a lifelong career. gullies and bush fields naturally available Three years after his first taste of the as I was only renting the land but after I had action-packed activity, Tim opened Hunter bought the land from the owners I was able to Valley Paintball on a 30-acre property at set up a number of urban playing fields at the Eagleton, just outside of Raymond Terrace. back as well,” Tim said. And 27 years later Tim is still providing “It’s something different that other fields opportunities for adrenaline-junkies to don’t have. A lot of places use pallets and experience the thrill of simulated military barricades, but it doesn’t give you the same combat missions. feeling of being in a street. “I got out of the Army Reserve and my “Each playing field is set for a scenario, brother asked me to come and play this and I think these themes add to the paintball game with him but I was not experience. You feel as if you are in a role, interested at all,” Tim said. playing a game, because there’s an objective, “I eventually played one game with him – so for example at Omaha Beach, you have to and I have been hooked ever since. This is a make your way into the trenches and eliminate real adrenaline rush. everyone in the trenches to take the bunker.” “You really get into it thinking ‘I’ve got Each paintball session takes four hours, to get them before they get me,' it becomes with participants playing two 15-minute games a challenge and gets all your senses going, on each battlefield before they move on to you’re on alert all the time. another area, with rest breaks in between. “The game gives you the sense of not Participants can choose from a range being in control of the situation and it’s a little of packages that all include the hire of the buzz. You’ve also got to have that feeling of specialised paintball gun, JF xfire thermal being a big kid to enjoy it. I’m 51 now, and I goggle system and camouflage-coloured still haven’t grown up!” overalls, with prices varying depending on how Over the years Tim has developed and many paintballs you want to take into battle expanded Hunter Valley Paintball as he with you. took advantage of the variety of the natural Morning sessions are followed by a free terrain on offer to create a range of different barbecue lunch on site for all participants, experiences for participants to enjoy. which Tim said is a great place for people He has also created a series of “urban” to share their “war stories,” compare their settings, featuring everything from the crashed bruises and decide who will walk away from carcass of a Huey helicopter and a couple of the day with bragging rights. wrecked cars to corrugated iron and concrete Players also love to finish their day block-lined streetscapes that provide the with a photo in front of the venue’s other, perfect cover for a sniper ambush. more famous helicopter located near the There are eight “battlefields” in total – The administration building, which was originally Street, Black Hawk Down, Ant’s Nest, Omaha built to be used in the Matrix movie. WORDS MICHELLE MEEHAN

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SETTING THE COLOUR TRENDS FOR 2017 WORDS DEBORAH BARTLETT - INSIDEOUT NEWCASTLE Pantone colours are a great insight into the trends of the new year to follow. Amazingly, colours are decided at least two years before they are released. This year a range of colours are already beginning to be seen on the runway of fashion houses and also in our interiors. Kale is my favourite. This beautiful green has taken over from the navy and midnight blues we have seen over the last few years. My favourite neutral is hazelnut. So what other delights appear on the colour palette? Find your own favourites from the range. GREENERY Bringing forth a refreshing take, Greenery is a tangy yellowgreen that speaks to our need to explore, experiment and reinvent. Illustrative of flourishing foliage, the fertile attributes of Greenery signals one to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate. PINK YARROW Tropical and festive, Pink Yarrow is a whimsical, unignorable hue that tempts and tantalizes. Bold, attention getting and tempestuous, the lively Pink Yarrow is a captivating and stimulating colour that lifts spirits and gets the adrenaline going.

LAPIS BLUE Conveying even more energy is Lapis Blue. Powerful and confident, this intense blue shade is imbued with an inner radiance. NIAGRA Comfortable and dependable, Niagara leads the PANTONE Fashion Colour Report as the most prevalent colour for summer 2017. Niagara is a classic denim-like blue that speaks to our desire for ease and relaxation. PRIMROSE YELLOW By contrast, Primrose Yellow sparkles with heat and vitality. Inviting us into its instant warmth, this joyful yellow shade takes us to a destination marked by enthusiasm, good cheer and sunny days. PALE DOGWOOD Continuing the tranquil mood, Pale Dogwood is a quiet and peaceful pink shade that engenders an aura of innocence and purity. The unobtrusive Pale Dogwood is a subtle pink whose soft touch infuses a healthy glow. ISLAND PARADISE A refreshing aqua that calls to mind a change of scenery. A cool blue-green shade that speaks to our dream of the great escape, Island Paradise is emblematic of tropical settings and our desire to unwind. FLAME A red-based orange, Flame, is gregarious and fun loving. Flamboyant and vivacious, this wonderfully theatrical shade adds fiery heat to the 2017 palette.

KALE Evocative of the great outdoors and a healthy lifestyle, Kale is another foliage-based green that conjures up our desire to connect to nature, similar to the more vivacious Greenery. And, just as we see in nature, this lush and fertile natural green shade provides the perfect complementary background to the most vibrant tones in the palette. HAZELNUT Rounding out the 2017 colours is Hazelnut, an essential neutral. This shade brings to mind a natural earthiness. Unpretentious and with an inherent warmth, Hazelnut is a transitional colour that effortlessly connects the seasons.

Trends add excitement to the new year, a new lease of life for a tired interior. I would suggest purchasing timeless pieces of furniture and then adding colours and textures using the Pantone palette to change your look. Have fun creating a style unique to you whether it is Scandinavian, Tribal, Hamptons or Minimalist. Accessories, coloured cushions, textured throws, rugs, wallpaper and paint colour can make dramatic changes. Whatever you choose - love it. We believe your style is unique to you and we love helping you find it. Drop by the store or check out our website at www.insideoutstyle.com.au

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EPIC ROAD TRIP FOR THE DRONE GUY WORDS MICHELLE MEEHAN

Stephen Wark is a man with a van – and a plan. The Newcastle-based photographer is preparing to set off on an epic road trip in his distinctive white “Drone Guy” emblazoned Winnebago, with the aim of highlighting the rich diversity and beauty of Australia from a different viewpoint – the air. Utilising drone technology, Stephen will capture a perspective most people would never get the chance to see as he visits towns and cities across the country. Aside from producing photographic stills, which he will use to create a spectacular stock library of aerial images from around Australia that will be available for purchase, Stephen will also share his adventures and the sights he sees via a series of videos. These will be uploaded to his website, www.droneguy.com.au, as well as on YouTube, with plans to release a Drone Guy Aussie Road Trip DVD further down the track. “I’ve travelled all over the world, I’ve lived in New Guinea, England, Malaysia and New Zealand but I love Australia, and I don’t want to travel anywhere else anymore,” Stephen said. “Our country is so big, there’s a lot of hidden gems in and around places and I want to build up the largest private image bank of aerial photos of this country. “There’s also still people who have never seen drones in places like the outback, so I think it’s time to take drone technology

on the road, to the people, cities and towns throughout Australia.” But it’s not going to be all fun and games – the trip will also be a “business adventure” in which Stephen will look to tie in a number of commercial jobs in each region he visits. These will be vital in providing the funding that will allow him to keep travelling and taking photos. He’s also on the look-out for other like-minded people who want to share the journey. “I know what I want to do, but it has to have a commercial basis,” Stephen said. “Every town I go to I will hopefully have two or three commercial shoots, but it will be an entirely different lifestyle (to what I live now), in the Winnebago, following the work around. “Once I get going I’ll take on other people who want to come along for the ride and we can fund it together.” Stephen’s love of photography began in the late 1980s when he bought his first camera. Years later, after undertaking a number of photography courses, his passion became his profession when he scored a job with Fairfax Media at the Port Stephens Examiner newspaper. Stephen worked there for more than a decade while also running his own successful photography business, capturing everything from weddings and portraits to community news, commercial shoots and event coverage.

But it was the decision to add a new piece of equipment to his already extensive photography kit about five years ago that would send Stephen’s photography into a whole new direction. “I was doing a lot of real estate photography, and I was actually looking for a mechanism to control a camera on the end of a long pole when I came across a drone,” he said.

“I bought my first drone about five years ago, it cost me about $8500 and it took me three months to put it together… I eventually worked out that you don’t need to have a big drone, you just need a small one because, to me, a drone is just like a big tripod that goes in the air – it’s the photography skills that are important.” Having become involved in the drone industry in Australia when it was just starting to take off, Stephen said he has seen a lot of changes over the years, although one thing has remained the same – the truly amazing results you can get shooting from a new perspective.

“I’ve had 15 drones in the last five years, the technology jumps forward so quickly and I think always having the latest technology has kept me ahead of the game,” he said. “Drone photography is about 90 percent of my business at the moment, and it really puts a lot of the creativity into the hands of the end user because often they are there with me and can see what I’m doing and what they’ll get. “It’s a whole new ball game really, it gives you that extra perspective in an area that you weren’t able to go unless you had a really big pole or had a lot of money to get a helicopter to fly down low. “It changes everything regarding what something looks like from the ground, even the most boring spot because you can go up and get the most spectacular shot you’ve ever seen. “I could go up now and take a shot from a drone and come down punching the air thinking ‘You beauty’ – it’s so rewarding, and each place has something unique to offer.” Stephen has already embarked on some mini road trips to towns throughout the Central West of NSW, as well as a more recent excursion to the Gold Coast. Footage from some of these, as well as videos capturing whales and dolphins at play closer to home in the Hunter, can be found on his website, with Stephen promising plenty more to come in the new year as planning for his Drone Guy Aussie Road Trip gathers steam.

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WHATS ON //

Events in Honeysuckle always draw a large crowd.

JOHN OLSEN: The City's Son at Newcastle Art Gallery.

Explore the body's systems and organs with fun, interactive exhibits! THE GREAT OUTDOORS Spend some time in the fresh air and sunshine at Blackbutt Reserve or one of Newcastle's many other parks and playgrounds. At Blackbutt Reserve, bring a picnic and enjoy a nature walk, get up close and personal at a Reptile Show, or join us for feeding time with our koalas or wombats. Explore one of the city's new playgrounds at Nesca Park, Cooks Hill or Cowie Street Reserve, Mayfield. The playground at Willow Close Reserve, Elermore Vale is scheduled to be completed in December.

WHAT’S ON? Celebrate Summer in Newcastle The weather is warming up… time to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine! With so much to do and see in Newcastle, how will you choose to spend your summer? Here are some ideas from Newcastle City Council: HOLIDAY REVELRY NEW YEAR'S EVE 2016 Saturday 31 December, Honeysuckle Precinct Enjoy the last day of the year admiring Newcastle's working port with live music, family-friendly entertainment and 9 pm fireworks in the Honeysuckle precinct. Book in for dinner, grab some take away or bring a picnic and join the fun. AUSTRALIA DAY 2017 Thursday 26 January, City Hall and Honeysuckle Precinct We will welcome new citizens and award our high achieving Novocastrians at the annual Australia Day citizenship and awards ceremony. The festivities will continue harbour side with plenty of family friendly fun. SCHOOL'S OUT! The 2016/17 summer school holidays run from Monday 19 December 2016 to Friday 27 January 2017. Our venues offer a range of hands-on activities throughout the school holidays that create a magic mixture of fun and learning. There will be art workshops at Newcastle Art Gallery, science shows at Newcastle Museum, story time and craft at Newcastle Region Libraries, Blackbutt Reserve's Junior Ranger Fun Day and more! For all the details, 26 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

go to Council's website where you can find more information and, in early January, you can download a copy of our brochure.

features 100 awe-inspiring images of the last year, from fascinating animal behaviour to breathtaking wild landscapes.

FANCY A DIP? Beach season is here! Our professional lifeguards are on patrol at Nobbys, Newcastle, Stockton, Dixon Park and Merewether beaches as well as Merewether and Newcastle Ocean Baths all summer long. Beresfield, Lambton, Mayfield, Stockton and Wallsend swimming centres are now open. For your safety, please swim only at patrolled beaches. For patrol times and baths cleaning schedules, please visit www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au.

HUMANOID DISCOVERY Newcastle Museum until 30 January 2017 Appreciate your body this Summer with this blockbuster exhibition that's all about the miracle of the human body and how it works.

GET ON YOUR BIKES Take off on an outdoor adventure using pedal power! There is so much to enjoy by bike in Newcastle. It's great for your health and your hip pocket, plus its just plain fun and great family time. For maps of some of the area's most enjoyable paths as well as cycling news, tips for riding safely and some inspiring videos. Visit Council's new cycling website, find your path and get on your bike today. www.onyourbike.com.au. INDOOR SUMMER FUN Need to beat the heat? Make your way to Newcastle Art Gallery, Newcastle Museum or Newcastle Region Libraries for their wonderful summer exhibitions. Better yet, visit all three! JOHN OLSEN: THE CITY'S SON Newcastle Art Gallery until 19 February 2017 A 'Newcastle boy' celebrates his birthplace with an exhibition showcasing more than 35 works of art from the Gallery's collection including ceramics, prints and paintings spanning 1954-1992, plus a brand new Olsen painting created just for Newcastle and this exhibition. WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR City Library until 25 February 2017 This world-renowned exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London,

GO TO THE DOG PARK Bring the family pooch out to one of the city's designated off-leash areas - just remember these great tips for being a responsible dog owner. Always: •Pick up dog poo •Keep your dog on a leash, unless you are in a leash free area •Microchip and register your dog •Have your contact details on your dog's collar.

Experience the Thrill of Flying A Boeing 737 For most of us, the idea of flying an airplane is a distant dream. Not so anymore! Companies such as Jet Flight Simulator Newcastle have now made it possible for everyone to experience just what it is like to take to the skies in command of a virtual airliner. The simulator is based on the Boeing 737-800NG with scenery add-ons for improved visual detail. Although it is mounted on a fixed platform, it is very realistic and has fully functional Instruments and systems including overhead panel, autopilot and Flight Management System. In fact, the simulator is regularly used by in-pilot training programs to further the experience of trainee pilots. Upon arrival at the Tudor Street premises, you are met by your co-pilot and provided with a short brief before you familiarise yourself with the cockpit, discuss your flight destination, go through the preflight check and navigation systems and

carry out power and pressure checks. Now you are ready to roll! Once clearance is given, you soon find yourself accelerating down the runway with your co-pilot calling out the speed as you raise the pitch altitude and slowly pull back on the control to lift the nose. You are airborne! Incredibly, you can choose from over 22,000 airports from which to take-off and land, as well as the weather conditions you wish to fly in. You can also choose a short flight such as a flight to Sydney or select from the longer 60,90 or 120 minutes sessions and land at the very challenging Hong Kong airport or fly over New York at night. Regardless of your age, experience, or which flight package you choose, you can be sure your flight adventure will be unforgettable and makes for a fantastic gift. See special offer on page 18!

now living at home longer, so parents are taking some well-earned extended time out from the home/kids!

Grown Ups Gap Years By Megan O'Sullivan Do you feel a pang of envy seeing the joy of young school leavers on their adventure filled Gap Year…. exploring the world, care and responsibility free? Are you waiting for your ‘20 something’ year olds to move out of home before you begin ticking off your bucket list of travel adventures? Or are you simply stuck in a rut and need to rejuvenate your sense of adventure?

We have the answer - Gap years for Grown Ups! Taking some extended time to travel is nurturing for your soul. It provides new experiences, wonderful memories, and is a break in routine you have likely had for many years. Gap Years for Grown Ups are also becoming increasingly popular as children are

TRAVEL //

You have worked hard your whole life, so as you approach or enter retirement why not take that journey you didn’t get a chance to when you were younger? Or relive a journey from your younger years with the wisdom of age, and the funds to now do it in style! To fully enrich your heart there are many organisations around the world in need of mature volunteers who are able to contribute their skills to projects and have a fantastic adventure and rewarding experience at the same time- eg: teaching children English, animal rehabilitation or simply sharing some time and love at an children’s orphanage. There is absolutely no age limit to enjoying the benefits of a gap year so take a leap of faith and go on that adventure and you may just find your ‘20 something’ children will appreciate you so much more when you return!

itravel The Junction PH 4962 1116 194 Union Street sales@itravelthejunction.com.au

itravel Warners Bay PH 4947 1116 Shop 8a, 478 The Esplanade sales@itravelwarnersbay.com.au

FAMILY FRIENDLY SPOTS WITH GREAT VIEWS FOR NYE Sydney is one of the most spectacular places in the world to celebrate New Year’s Eve, thanks to its world-famous fireworks that light up locations across the city. Destination NSW reveals some of the best vantage points for visitors to welcome in the New Year from family-friendly viewing at Darling Harbour, to ticketed events at Taronga Zoo, and grassy spots along the Harbour Foreshore. NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said, “As the first major city in the world to ring in the New Year, Sydney’s famous midnight fireworks attracts eyes from across the globe, but nothing beats witnessing our harbour city’s New Year’s Eve first-hand. “With Sydney such a popular destination for visitors for New Year’s Eve, we know that local hotels, restaurants and cafes will book out fast, so I encourage those planning to come to Sydney to welcome in 2017 to pre-plan and book their travel in advance to make the most of all the great events and activities on offer,” said Mr. Ayres. For more information about New Years Eve in Sydney visit www.sydneynewyearseve.com

Discover the new 7 night

Upper Murraylands Cruise • PS MURRAY PRINCESS •

EARLY BOOKING SAVER FARES* AVAILABLE NOW

This delightful new cruise takes you from Mannum to the Upper Murraylands historical township of Morgan. Highlights include cellar door tastings, vineyard and garden tours, a visit to well-known Banrock Station Winery and Wetlands Centre, guided walks around historic towns, an Aussie barbecue beside the river; a visit to a wildlife shelter, sheep shearing demonstration and a guided walk through the Aboriginal archaeological sites at Ngaut Ngaut Conservation Park. From $1902 per person, twin share* *Early Bird Saver Fare. Terms and conditions apply. Contact your agent.

Contact your local travel agent: 02 4962 1116 - itravel The Junction 02 4947 1116 - itravel Warners Bay www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 27

HOLIDAY

15. Thomas Sabo Love Coin Bracelets & Charms from $49 16. Classique Watches, $195 17. Alex & Ani Expandable Charm Bracelets from $55 18. Ice Watches from $119.90. All available from Kadia Jewellery, Shop 10 Lake Village Arcade, Warners Bay and Shop 21a, 63 The Boulevarde, Toronto. 19. Kids Entertainment passes $38 and Super Passes $37. Visit the Concierge Desk at Charlestown Square for more information and to purchase. www.charlestownsquare.com.au 20. Mistletoe Wines Christmas Cheer Mozcato, $23. Available at the Cellar Door, 771 Hermitage Road, Pokolbin or online at www.mistletoewines.com.au 21. Give the gift of looking and feeling great at Renew Medispa, Hunter Plastic Surgery, while knowing your loved one is in the hands of experts, including Plastic Surgeon Dr Nick Moncrieff. Great for treatments such as Botox, laser, medical skin care and CoolSculpting. From $50.

2016 1. Give a Movie Gift Card from Event Cinemas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from $25. Available online www.eventcinemas.com.au or Event Cinemas Kotara and Glendale.

2. S/Silver Fresh Water Pearl 19cm Bracelet, $129 & S/Silver Fresh Water Pearl 45cm Strand, $195. 3. 18CT White Gold Engagement Ring, $6999 4. Marianna S/Silver Rose Gold Plated Bracelet, $239 All available from Williams the Jewellers, 195 Union Street, The Junction. www.williamsthejewellers.com.au

5. David Jones Strata Timepeace, $159 6. Oroton Utility 12cc Wallet, $156 7. Oroton Castaway Bat & Ball Pouch, $396. All available from Westfield Kotara. www.westfield.com.au/Kotara

17 4

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11. Ecotan Body Pack Containing: Coconut body milk, Pink Himalayan Salt Scrub and Free Foaming Body Wash, $69.90. 12. Ecotan Luxe Tanning Pack Containing: Cacao Firming Mousse, Face Tan Water and Exfoliating Glove, $64.90 Available instore at Mojo Health, Charlestown Square or online www.mojohealth.com.au/shop

14 9

8. Outdoor Beanbags from $253 9. Outdoor 3 piece Fermob Bistro setting. Available in many colours, $795. 10. Pet Bean Bag Beds from $243 Available from insideout Newcastle, 192 Parry Street, Newcastle West. www.insideoutstyle.com.au

13. Zeta Marisol Shoe in kiwi or black multi, $129. 14. Sassy Duck Alana Handbags in navy or grey, $89 Available from Easy Living Footwear, Junction Fair, 200 Union Street, The Junction. www.easylivingfootwear.com.au

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28 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

MATTHEWS

Out of Office

Slide into Summer

Fashion + Beauty... WHAT TO PACK FOR

The New Sandal of the Season

A HOLIDAY!

BY SARAH SAFFO FOR #WestfieldKotara

BY ALYCE COWELL FOR #WestfieldKotara All that money saving and bikini body prep is about to pay off, because it's holiday season! Are you lucky enough to be heading off somewhere soon? Maybe you're getting ready to drink cocktails by

Pictured below: Sportsgirl Floral Button Front Midi Dress, Sportsgirl Fitted Rib Tee, Windsor Smith Kacia Slides, Sportsgirl Monique Vintage Sling Bag (in photo), Veronika Maine Ring Detail Waist Belt, Sportsgirl Lasata Sunglasses, Witchery Circle Bracelet, Witchery Brushed Disc Bracelet, Witchery Circle Detail Ring, Veronika Maine Triple Band Ring, Sporstgirl Yasmin Foldover Pocket Bag (bottom left).

the pool in Port Douglas, or visiting family in Perth, or gearing up for a big girls' weekend in Sydney! Wherever you're going, you'll need to pack your bags with easy, breezy holiday clothes that require absolutely no effort at all. Here are a few of our favourite summer finds, from denim jackets to midi dresses layered over basic tees to twin sets that will take you seamlessly from beach to bar. Now, where's that cocktail?

Pictured above: Review Pura Vida Dress, Sportsgirl Oversized Trucker Denim Jacket, Windsor Smith Taber Boots, Veronika Maine Cross Body Satchel, Sportsgirl Uptown Sunglasses, Sportsgirl Walk the Line Short Bar Necklace, Sportsgirl Mix It Up Ring Pack.

Move over gladiator sandals, it's all about the slide this season. Slides have gone from 90's Adidas house slippers to stylish leather designs, some with a low heel for a dressier touch. Wear them with a floral dress (like this one from Sportsgirl) for Sunday drinks or throw them on with a basic tee and denim skirt combo. You'll see beautiful metallic finishes, pastel tones and buckle options making their way onto the scene. The best thing about slides is they're quick and easy to put on, no fiddling with laces and straps for 20 minutes to get your shoes on! We're not saying we don’t love the look of a beautiful strappy sandal, but slides are perfect as they're practical and you'll find yourself wearing them all Summer long!

Pictured top to bottom: Metallic Slide - Country Road Iris Soft Slide, Wanted Shoes Munn Slide. Everyday Slide - Tony Bianco Erwin Slide. Low Heel Slide - Mimco Airbound Slide, Wittner Alix Slide.

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STOCKING A WIDE RANGE OF FASHION, COMFORT & LEISURE SHOES & BAGS Visit our BRAND NEW JUNCTION FAIR SHOPPING CENTRE STORE - 200 Union Street!

Call in store for a copy of our Summer catalogue, and see the full range. Bathurst ● Dubbo ● Junction Fair ● Tamworth ● Wagga Wagga ● www.easylivingfootwear.com.au

30 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

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Audrey Avenue REECE lime/beige, tan combo $169

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SUMMER SUNGLASS TRENDS BY ALYCE COWELL FOR #WestfieldKotara

Are sunglasses one of those things you grab as you're walking out the door, or toss in your bag when you get home? We're all guilty of seeing our sunnies as a bit of an afterthought, but they can be a part of your outfit just as much as your shoes, bag or even clothes! This is because sunglasses are becoming more and more of a statement â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we no longer have just a black or tortoiseshell pair to choose from! This summer, you can expect everything from coloured lenses to unique shapes to extreme cat-eyes and the biggest trend of all â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a flashback to the aviator. What pair will you choose as your everyday go-to?

Pictured: Aviators Seafolly Ballet Sunglasses from Carla Swimwear, Extreme cat-eye General Pants Co Flashy Black, Top bar Christian Dior Sunglasses from Sunglass Hut, All clear everything Sportsgirl Fancy Sunglasses.

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www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 31

HEALTH + WELLBEING //

receive the gift of

GOOD HEALTH 1 month FREE this December

HEALTH FACTS How do we stack up against the rest of the world? WORDS BEN LARNER – EPNET

The festive season is upon us and we want to offer the most precious gifts of all - health and fitness. That’s why we’re giving new members one month free with our Fast Track & Platinum 12 month Memberships. That’s 13 months for the price of 12 until December 28! Put your health and fitness first and feel great in our Judgement Free environment.

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What does it mean when we say a person is 'healthy' or 'unhealthy'? At a simple level, one can view the concept of health by focusing on the individual and on the presence, or absence, of disease and medically measured risk factors. A broader and more widely accepted view sees health as multidimensional: defining health 'as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity' (WHO 1946). According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2014–15 National Health Survey (NHS), 85% of Australians aged 15 and over report their health as 'good' or better, which is similar to the previous survey in 2011–12 (ABS 2015e). Internationally, Australia is one of the leading countries on this measure. But there are concerns. While there are positive signs and progress on many fronts, it is clear that Australia is not healthy in every way, and some patterns and trends give cause for concern. CHRONIC DISEASE Chronic diseases such as cancer, coronary heart disease and diabetes are becoming increasingly common in Australia due to a population that is increasing and ageing, as well as to social and lifestyle changes. Improvements in medical care have also enabled us to live longer with illnesses and diseases, and have provided access to treatments not available in the past (AIHW 2012). In the early 20th century, people ate fewer processed and energy-dense foods, walked more, performed more manual labour and lived with few labour-saving appliances and gadgets. Today, we may be less likely than our parents and grandparents to smoke, but we are more likely to be sedentary and spend

more time in front of televisions or other electronic screens. In 2014–15, based on self-reported data from the NHS, more than 11 million Australians (50%) had at least one of eight selected chronic conditions (arthritis, asthma, back problems, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, or a mental or behavioural condition) (ABS 2015e). Of these people, 5.3 million had two or more of the eight conditions. It’s not all doom and gloom, however, there is some good news in the chronic diseases story. For example, the death rates from coronary heart disease and stroke fell by 75% and 67% respectively between 1983 and 2013. OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY According to the 2014–15 NHS, an estimated 11 million people aged 18 and over (63% of Australian adults) were overweight or obese—4.9 million of whom were obese. Only about one-third (35%) of Australian adults were in the normal weight range (ABS 2015e). NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY A healthy diet and regular physical activity are important factors in maintaining a healthy weight. According to the 2014–15 NHS, the vast majority of adults (95%) (ABS 2015e) and children aged 5–14 (98%) do not eat the recommended daily serves of fruit and vegetables (ABS 2015d). In 2014–15, just over half (56%) of Australians aged 18–64 undertook sufficient physical activity per week. This proportion was little changed from 2011–12 (55%) (ABS 2015e). There is a lot of good news on the health front in Australia—we have one of the highest life expectancies in the developed world; our overall burden of disease has fallen, and most of us rate our health as 'good' or better. When ranked against other OECD countries, we rank better than average for mortality from coronary heart disease, cancers, and suicide, and we have one of the lowest rates of tobacco smoking. But as a nation, and individuals there is still much work to do! If you need assistance with lifestyle modification, exercise or chronic disease management, contact Ben at EPnet. Ben is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Sports Scientist with Exercise and Sports Science Australia and has over 15 years experience in health, fitness and allied health fields. Clinics located at Planet Fitness Lambton, Charlestown and Belmont.

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BREAST SURGERY, TUMMY TUCKS & NON-SURGICAL RENEWAL OPTIONS

NOW AT MAITLAND & CHARLESTOWN www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 33

HEALTH + WELLBEING //

Finding Connection in our Personal Lives WORDS ANNE WARD – MINDINSIGHT The Christmas and New Year season is a time when our focus shifts away from work to our personal lives. Many of us look forward to spending time with family and friends. However, it can also be a stressful time, as we try to live up to the expectation that it should be a happy time. For many, it can be a lonely time, as the busyness of life winds down. Being connected is one of our most basic human needs. The quality of our relationships affects our happiness and success more than anything else. However, relationships don’t just happen, and many people struggle to find meaningful connections. Relationships take work to build and maintain, and there are inevitable setbacks and disappointments. How we respond to these defines the quality of our connections. A healthy relationship does not mean

EST. 1988

agreeing on everything. However when there is more conflict than peace in a relationship, the energy turns from positive to negative, and the negative atmosphere can begin to define the relationship. People deal with this in different ways. Some people try to take control; others try to avoid disagreement or conflict by keeping the peace. However, this often means giving up part of ourselves for the sake of peace. Having relationships means taking risks, putting in the effort, listening and thinking about the other person and trying to understand their perspective. A relationship is about an “US,” not a “ME” or a “YOU.” Being an “US” involves looking to the interest of the other person, being respectfully honest, exercising patience and forbearance - an old word which basically means “putting up with one another.” Of course, this does not extend to mistreatment. Online communications like texting and social media have created new ways to have relationships. At one level instant access can make us feel more connected, yet at another level it maintains distance. So while people might be communicating more and have a wider circle of friends on Facebook, people are generally no better connected relationally speaking. It’s easy to make comparisons between our lives and what we see on Facebook, Instagram, etc. – images of others having a great time. But how real are these images? ►

Charlestown Remedial Sports Injuries Clinic

THE Clinic... Providing professional care with the highest ethical standards and integrity for the whole family.

We will be closed over Christmas on the public holidays only, however, we will be on call these days for urgent appointments. We wish all of our patients a happy and safe Christmas and prosperous New Year! • Treatments for all injuries – general to sporting – acute to chronic pain • Neuromuscular massage • Orthopaedic massage • Magnesium massage • No manipulation of the spine or joints • Pregnancy and post-natal • Muscular and joint complaints • Neck, back, rotator cuff and shoulder pain • Knee, calf, shin splints, ankle, quad and groin strains • Achilles, tendonitis, peroneal tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, AC joints • Headaches/migraines, ITBS, carpel tunnel, tennis/golf elbow, tennis shoulder • Nutritional advice – general to chronic problems, detoxification, stress/tension, weight loss, anxiety/depression, fatigue

Call Jaclyn for an appointment with Sara or Phil.

PH 4943 3082 34 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

TREATMENT THAT WORKS Proven over 28 years at THE Clinic No time limit on treatment!

54 Smith St, Charlestown (opposite Fire Station) • info@kttape.com.au

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So when you have some quiet time this season, perhaps the following may provide a pause for quiet reflection: 1. How important are relationships to me? 2. Do I put time into making connections or do I wait for others to approach me? 3. Do I avoid approaching others for fear of not measuring up? 4. When I am with others, am I present or preoccupied? 5. Do I jump to conclusions or check with others if I’m not sure what they meant to say? 6. Are my expectations of others realistic or do I get disappointed easily? 7. Do I think before I react? 8. Are there winners and losers in my relationships or do we influence each other? 9. Is the climate control in my closest relationships more positive than negative? 10. Are my relationships a “ME” or an “US”? 11. How much of my connecting with others is done online versus spending time with them? Wishing you a safe, peaceful Christmas. ■ Anne Ward is an executive coach and principal psychologist of Mindinsight, providing evidence-based coaching and psychology services to individuals and organisations. Mindinsight is located in the T&G Building at 45 Hunter Street Newcastle. For more information visit www.mindinsight.com.au or email info@mindinsight.com.au.

Ancient Remedy = FLAVOURSOME, HEALTHY MEALS! WORDS SONYA TODD-JONES Dip Health Sciences (Pathology), Dip Practice Management, Dip RM. Owner & Manager of Mojo Health Charlestown.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has a long history in culinary use giving curries their yellow appearance and distinct taste. The main active ingredient in turmeric is called curcumin, which is from a curcuminoid compound. Curcumin has a distinct mustard-like smell with a slightly bitter, peppery and earthy flavour. Whilst the health benefits of consuming turmeric have gained popularity recently, turmeric has actually been used in traditional herbal medicine for over 4,000 years for a variety of conditions such as toothaches, bruises, jaundice, colic and many more. Research studies have shown that curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory effects on our bodies and is highly recommended for treating arthritis with its pain relieving properties. In fact, it has been shown that the antiinflammatory effects of curcumin are comparable to over-thecounter pharmaceutical medications but without any toxic side effects that some medications cause. Turmeric is also an amazing antioxidant so will fight free radicals in our bodies which can cause disease, such as cancer.

Turmeric is great for detoxing the liver, treating inflammatory bowel diseases such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) as well as relieving indigestion and supporting cardiovascular health. Research on turmeric and its active curcumin component are numerous. Studies show that to gain any anti-inflammatory benefits from turmeric you need to consume per day either 1.5 - 3g of fresh root; approx. 3g of dried root (powder) or supplements containing 300-500mg of curcumin. The most efficient way to experience the anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric is via a supplement. Supplement manufacturers extract the curcumin from the turmeric root to provide a concentrated standardised dose which delivers a significant therapeutic quantity of curcumin. The other benefits of turmeric are easily achieved by incorporating turmeric powder in your diet. You don’t have to eat curries 24-7! Try these ideas: 1. Add it to your cooking – fortify soups, mix with scrambled eggs, toss it amongst your roast veggies before cooking. 2. Blend it into a smoothie or cold pressed juice – add a pinch of ground turmeric to your greens smoothie for an antioxidant kick. 3. Jazz up a salad – sprinkle onto your greens or add it to your salad dressing. Turmeric is also great to add to a mashed avocado and seasoned with salt and pepper for a yummy sandwich. 4. Brew a tea – Stir ¼ tsp into a cup of boiled water. Simmer for approx. 8-10mins and strain. Add some raw honey and/or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a delicious beverage. 5. Add to your mustard – combine 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp fine celtic salt, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp water to ½ cup of ground mustard. Store in the fridge. 6. Make your own Golden Honey – mix 1 tbsp turmeric powder with 7 tbsps of raw honey. Take when you need an immune booster by dissolving ½ tsp of the mixture in your mouth every few hours. Remember when buying turmeric powder avoid cheap brands which are usually irradiated and treated with pesticides. Always look for organic ground turmeric or buy it fresh from your local markets. Before choosing a turmeric supplement chat with the friendly team at Mojo Health but always consult with your healthcare practitioner to make sure turmeric is the right supplement for you.

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EDUCATION + TRAINING //

• GET YOUR CHILD SCHOOL-READY AT •

Top Young Apprentice Makes Elite Squad

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• Daily Kindergarten Writing Program • Promote Confidence, Friendships & Creativity • Great Transition To Kindergarten • School Readiness All Year Around

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Hunter TAFE student Dylan Bolch has been selected to join an elite international team, known as the Skills Squad, after his successful performance at the recent WorldSkills National Competition in Melbourne, where he picked up a silver medal in the welding competition. Dylan was part of Hunter TAFE’s WorldSkills Team, which returned as champions after winning the best overall region at the prestigious competition, which sees over 500 top apprentices, trainees and students compete across sixty skills, ranging from fashion design and programming to plastering and sheet metal work. Of the 14 Hunter TAFE students who competed, eight placed in the top three in the country and brought home two gold, three silver, and three bronze medals. Hunter TAFE was also awarded the prestigious Evatt Shield having gained the best overall score for all regions across

Pictured: Dylan Bolch

Australia. This was the second Evatt Shield win for Hunter TAFE, after also securing the Shield at the 2014 WorldSkills Australia competition. Dylan, an apprentice welder from Woodrising who works for Macquarie Manufacturing, will now spend the next year training with a dedicated skills mentor, vying for the opportunity to join over 1,000 young men and women from 75 countries at WorldSkills International Competition, to be held in Abu Dhabi next October. Having just completed Certificate IV in Engineering (Metal Fabrication), Dylan said Hunter TAFE was the perfect fit for him to develop his skills. “I was always a hands-on student, which led me to take part in a metals and engineering TVET course during high school. I loved it so ►

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Scooters & Mobility Newcastle Scooters & Mobility Newcastle offers an extensive range of quality mobility products from leading suppliers. Visit the store to see a comprehensive variety of scooters, powerchairs and electric wheelchairs, electric lift and recline chairs, stairlifts, manual wheelchairs and walkers and mobility aids and accessories. Scooters & Mobility Newcastle endeavour to meet customers’ needs by providing the very best brands (including Merits, Elite Scooters, Shoprider, Drive Medical and Bruno Stairlifts) and exceptional service either in-store or in your home. Get Instore and Get Moving Today!

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Pictured: The WorldSkills Team

much that it gave me the drive to take on an apprenticeship,” he said. Hunter TAFE Institute Director Christine Warrington said she was immensely proud of the WorldSkills team’s achievements. “These students are fine examples of the incredible talent that is developed here in the Hunter and Central Coast regions, and we applaud them on their accomplishments at this national level,” said Ms. Warrington. “For students in vocational education and training there is no greater achievement, and we are so thrilled that their hard work and months of training resulted in such success.” ■

The Hunter TAFE 2016 WorldSkills medallists were: •Blake Ayerst - Gold in Plastering •Alexander Brown - Gold in Programming •Cejay Alsop - Silver in Sheetmetal Work •Matthew Hurley - Silver in Carpentry •Dylan Bolch - Silver in Welding •Brooke Osland - Bronze in Fashion Technology •Joshua Nott - Bronze in Construction Steel Work •Matthew Brandt – Bronze medal in Autobody Repair For information on enrolling at Hunter TAFE in 2017 go to www.hunter.tafensw.edu.au

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who actually enjoy Christmas, so if they want to hang something from the ceiling that you think looks ridiculous but they love, let them do it. They aren’t little for very long. My toddler, like most kids her age, is Frozen obsessed. I asked her what she wanted: to build a snowman. The temperature was over 40 that day so with real snow not being an option, we got four old tyres, some white paint and a few other bits and pieces and, much to the dismay of the neighbours, made a snowman on the front lawn and covered him in Christmas lights. The Kid helped with all the painting and she was so proud of herself.

ON TOUR WITH THE KID //

I’M DREAMING OF A… REDNECK CHRISTMAS! WORDS CHLOE SULLIVAN Christmas is a perfect time of year. Quality family time, perfectly wrapped presents, stunningly set tables filled with a Gordon Ramsay style feast... or at least that’s how it is in the Myer catalogue. Let's be honest, in reality, Xmas with the family is more like a cross between Survivor and a UFC cage fight. For several years now, we decided to skip any pretence that it’s all going to look like a Norman Rockwell painting and just have a Red-necked themed holiday. Carved watermelon baskets, things wrapped in bacon, fruit filled with alcohol, a Santa dressed like Elvis and Christmas music provided by Garth Brooks. With that in mind this is our Redneck Christmas Survival Guide: 1. Decorations - Don’t be so obsessed with everything looking so perfect that the kids are not able to help. They are the ones

3. The Relatives - No matter what you do over the holidays, long held resentments people have kept a lid on all year are going to boil over. Your great-aunt is going to end up in tears after her fourth gin because no one is eating her pasta salad, something you spent hours preparing is going to get burnt. There will be bumps, scratches and bruises, either from cousins pushing each other over or some drunken fool falling off their chair or 2. Presents - We spend so much time running around before tripping over their own feet. Your sister’s idiot boyfriend will the holidays buying things we aren’t even sure the other person start the wood burning BBQ with petrol because fire-lighters wants or needs just so there’s something wrapped under the just won’t do the trick. Relationships will be breaking up and tree. Our wallet’s getting thinner or credit card debt getting reforming around you like you’re an extra in a Shakespearean bigger. Of course, you should buy for the kids but let’s be play. Just grab a stack hat and a big glass of wine and be honest, there is nothing I really want that I wouldn’t buy for grateful. myself during the year. The year of the Boxing Day Tsunami, our We lost my uncle, very unexpectedly in 2014 and we have family were watching the coverage on the news and as every been through cancer treatment with my gorgeous mum, so hour ticked over and the number of lives lost rose, we sat in air- with them both in mind, this is my holiday advice. Yes, you will conditioned comfort surrounded by wrapping paper and leftover inevitably end up swearing under your breath at something or food. All the trinkets seemed infinitely less important. That day someone (or a combination of both), but these are the times without a word, each of my relatives picked up the phone and you will remember. Make the most of them. The less perfect it donated to the relief effort. Every year since then adults in is, the more likely it is to turn into a story you’ll tell around the the family have purchased Oxfam cards that send a goat or a dinner table for years to come. These are the people you will chicken to a family that needs it. miss the most when they are gone. This year as I watched the election unfold in the US, It I was looking for gems of Redneck Wisdom to help you reminded me that I am responsible for the example I set for through the holidays and the best I could come up with was The Kid and the kind of person I hope she becomes. So after a this: “If everything’s coming your way... you’re in the wrong quick trip to Bunnings and Officeworks (my two happy places), I lane.” Be nice to each other. Happy Holidays, Y'all! set about making her a very special advent calendar. Each day from Dec 1 she will get her chocolate along with a book chosen For a full list of the things that ended up in our advent calendar, specifically to make her feel empowered or about being kind to please check out the On Tour with the Kid Facebook page others and standing up to bullies and a note about a nice thing (www.facebook.com/ontourwiththekid).

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38 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

we will do that day for someone else. Little things like donating old toys and clothes, taking chocolates to the local fire house, etc.

Experience a Day in the Life of an Olympic Swimmer Lake Macquarie City Council and the NSW Institute of Sport are inviting young Lake Macquarie swimmers to experience a day in the life of an Olympic swimmer at Charlestown Swim Centre on Friday 27 January. Council’s Manager Leisure Services, Brad Sutton, said the Swim with the Stars workshop provides local swimmers with the opportunity to meet and learn from some of their swimming idols. “The workshop will allow up-and-coming swimmers to learn techniques and hear advice from some of the best people in the industry, including Olympic swimmers, coaches, physiotherapists and dieticians,” Mr. Sutton said. “Last year, we hosted Swim with the Stars for the first time and it was a very popular day for those involved. We are pleased to host this excellent program at a Lake Mac Swim Centre for a second year, with special guest Olympic Medallist, Alicia Coutts. “It is a testament to the quality of our swim programs and the professionalism and

Alicia Coutts

initiative of our staff that we have been given the opportunity to host this event for another year.” Olympic medallist, Alicia Coutts, said she is excited to be involved in the Swim with the Stars program for the first time. “Swim with the Stars is a fantastic program that allows young swimmers to be inspired by their idols and learn new skills,” Ms. Coutts said. “I’m looking forward to spending the day coaching the young swimmers and sharing some tips from my time in the pool.” Swim with the Stars is open to swimmers aged between 9 and 15, who are members of a Lake Macquarie Swimming Club. To register for Swim with the Stars, visit lakemac.com.au/ recreation/swim-centres/swim-with-the-stars. Swim with the Stars is a NSW Institute of Sport program.

www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 39

GREAT

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA

FAMILY + COMMUNITY //

“Big school” is a Breeze for BRAVE Kids! WORDS MICHELLE MEEHAN

Starting “big school” can be an anxious time in the life of a young child – and their parents! But a new book created by clinical psychologist Lynn Jenkins and illustrator Kirrili Lonergan is helping to provide the tools young children need to feel “brave” enough to overcome their worries and tackle new adventures head on. Brave tells the story of Loppy the LAC (Little Anxiety Creature), who is beset by fears about going to school – “What 40 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

if he got lost? What if he didn’t know what to do? What if he didn’t make any friends?” Thankfully, Loppy has a friend named Curly, a “Calmster” who helps Loppy see that by using his imagination he can tap into his inner confidence and “find his brave.” The book is the second in a series of five “resource tool” picture books being produced by the Newcastle pair, who are passionate about early intervention. The first, Lessons of a LAC, gave children a very simple way to understand and manage their anxious thoughts and feelings by introducing them to Loppy and Curly. Brave provides children with a strategy to do things they are worried about doing, while Perfect Petunias (due to be released in January 2018) deals with perfectionism, Grey Glasses-itis (2019) examines how different perspectives affect a child’s moods and Tree (2020) looks at how to cope with feelings of loss. Lynn said the books deal with the most common issues she encounters while working with children as a clinical psychologist. She said increasing numbers of parents were seeking professional support for their children, especially those struggling to deal with anxiety. “Anxiety’s a thing where patterns develop; kids start off, and they’re supposed to head in a particular direction in life, so their brain is ready and waiting to develop those pathways, but if they’re quite prone to anxiety, they develop pathways to support them still being anxious,” she said. “If they can get some intervention early in their lives, so they know what to do about it and have the tools and confidence to be able to use them, then they develop pathways to support them being able to manage it.” Lynn and Kirrili have also developed a Lessons of a LAC program for school classroom visits and teacher professional development sessions, with a range of complementary

resources including Loppy and Curly finger puppets and plush toys, stickers, teaching plans and “Courage Cards” printed with some of Curly’s most insightful quotes. The Newcastle-based mothers – Lynn has three children while Kirrili has four - still find it hard to believe just how well the concept has taken off, after partnership publishing the first two titles with Little Steps Publishing and more recently signing a deal with EK Books for the final three in the series. The books and products are also sold through educational book distributor, Lion Crest Education. “The intention was just to sell in my rooms in the little anxiety groups that I sometimes do with kids and then the schools got hold of it and it went from there,” Lynn said. “We were actually just going to print about 100 books and now we’ve printed about 4000 Lessons of a LAC. “From there we developed a school package and from parents’ feedback they said the kids would like something little they could take to school with them in their bags or their pockets and so we developed the other products.” Kirrili said the simplicity of the books – from the techniques Lynn wove into the words to the way she visually brought the characters to life through her illustrations – were the key to their success. “I think the feeling, the looking, the seeing of the characters and relating to what they’re about is what’s drawn kids into being able to actually use the techniques,” she said. “There are only two characters, and they’re the same in every book, but I love the simplicity of it because there’s not a lot for a child to take in, it’s just a simple message that they can tap into easily.” To find out more about Lessons of a LAC and Brave, visit www.lessonsofalac.com

www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 41

ESS

A Warm Welcome

IN SOFIA’S KITCHEN! WORDS MICHELLE MEEHAN

Food has always had a way of bringing people together. Whether it is many hands making light work to prepare a festive feast or the sheer enjoyment of sharing a bite to eat and a conversation with loved ones as you gather round the dinner table, cooking and consuming food has a way of creating connections that very few other activities can replicate. For Fern Bay food blogger and author Sophie Stokes, family, friends and food have always been the essential ingredients of her life – no doubt the result of growing up within a Greek family passionate about making mealtimes a warm and welcoming affair. “I come from a Greek background, and our culture is very much about welcoming everyone in, whether you know them or not. It’s a very inclusive culture with lots of food, lots of conversation," she said. “I’ve always loved cooking, it started from when I was about seven years’ old, baking cakes and especially Greek sweets for special occasions and I’ve been cooking ever since for my family and friends.” Not content to just share her love of food with those close to her, Sophie has spent the past year putting together her first cookbook, In Sofia’s Kitchen: Mediterranean Flavours Down

Under, which she officially launched at her Fern Bay home late last month. Filled with 60 mouth-watering recipes across five sections mezze; salads & soups; meats; pasta, rice & bread; and, of course, desserts - the book is a catalogue of the traditional Greek and Mediterranean-inspired fare Sophie grew up on, with a twist. “I’ve been making this type of food for friends and family since I left home 35 years ago and finally I thought I’m going to put it down on paper,” the degree-qualified writer and publisher said. “These are the recipes I grew up on in my own culture, as well as ones I have developed since I left home, all centred around Mediterranean cuisine. “I’ve given my touch to them, my little twist on the traditional recipes and while I’m happy to spend hours in the kitchen I know not everyone can or wants to, so I’ve made them all easy to follow with ingredients that are easy to purchase. “I think it will appeal to many people because of that.” Aside from celebrating what is known as one of the best diets in the world when it comes to health and wellbeing, Sophie hopes this cookbook, and others she has planned in the future, will also encourage more people back into the kitchen to create fresh, flavoursome and nutritious meals for every member of the family. “People have become aware over the years that this (Mediterranean eating) is one of the healthiest diets in the world – my parents are in their nineties now, and they look like they could live for another 20 years!” she said. “But I also want to get the message across of the benefits of being able to cook from scratch as much as possible… even making little changes like using your fresh herbs and veggies instead of jarred and canned options.

“It’s been a bit of a process to get this together, it’s taken close to 12 months, and it really intensified towards the end; when I had the photos taken I was cooking 12 recipes a day my neighbours and my family did well out of that! “But hopefully this will be the first of many cookbooks, which really promote food, family, friends and real connections.” While this cookbook it still hot off the printing presses, Sophie is already promoting the next two titles in the series, In Sofia’s Kitchen: A Tasty Childhood Down Under and In Sofia’s Kitchen: Cultural Feasts Down Under.

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Hughzies’ menu caters for all occasions, whether you’re interested in an informal lunch or an à la carte evening indulgence with gluten-free and vegetarian options to suit all diners. Once you’ve completed the main course, be sure to sample the delicious cakes and desserts, which are made fresh in-house. Open for Breakfast Mon – Sat (Until 2pm), Lunch Mon – Thurs (From Noon until Late Afternoon) and Fri/Sat (Noon until 2pm), Dinner Fri/Sat (6pm until late)

42 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

ESS PAPRIKA CHICKEN WINGS This is a great school holiday, easy summer dish from IN SOFIA’S KITCHEN. For more like it you’ll have to buy the book (which we highly recommend!) Makes 12. Ingredients 1 large lemon, juiced 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ cup honey Salt and pepper, to taste ¼ cup pomegranate molasses 12 pieces of chicken wings, tips removed

add some recipes they might cook for that celebration. “We live in such a great country to celebrate diversity, to be welcoming and inclusive and to do that with food is just the cherry on the cake!”

SOPHIE’S SELECTIONS “A Tasty Childhood Down Under is aimed at a family-orientated cooking experience,” she said. “I want to give kids the opportunity to appreciate good food; I want to compile a book that’s healthy and exposes them to tastes beyond fast food or the meals we set aside for children. “The other one is Cultural Feasts, which I just love. I want to showcase different cultures in this book and the way they celebrate different occasions, with information on what the feast represents in their culture and why they do it - give the background to it and then

When intouch Magazine asked Sophie to choose her favourite recipes from In Sofia’s Kitchen: Mediterranean Flavours Down Under, the passionate foodie just laughed, “to pick one would be just too hard!” So instead, Sophie has given us her tastiest picks from each section – why not check them out by ordering a copy of the cookbook at www.insofiaskitchen.com.au ■ •Mezze: Spinach and Fetta Triangles •Salads & Soups: Avgolemono (Greek egg and lemon soup) •Meats: Lamb Souvlaki •Pasta, Rice & Bread: Chicken Pasta Salad •Desserts: Kourabiedes

Method 1. Mix together juice, oil, garlic and spices, honey, salt and pepper to taste and pomegranate molasses in a large bowl. Add chicken pieces and coat. Cover and place in fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. 2. Preheat oven to 180*C. Prepare a shallow baking tray with baking paper. Place chicken on tray and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook a further 10 – 15 minutes or until cooked through and crispy skin has formed.

SERVING UP AN UNFORGETABLE PUDDING! What’s more delicious than a warm sauce melting through a Christmas Pudding! This month we spoke to Linda Barnier of the Adamstown Pudding Kitchen to get some ideas about how to serve up our Christmas Pudding. Here’s some yummy serving suggestions alongside a very special sauce recipe. If you don’t have time to make your own sauce pick up a jar (or 10) when you pick up your puddings at ADAMSTOWN PUDDING KITCHENS BRANDY Adamstown Uniting Church - 228 Brunker Road (Cnr BUTTER RECIPE Glebe Rd) Adamstown. •250g unsalted butter •100g icing mixture TO SERVE YOUR CHRISTMAS PUDDING •2 x teaspoons of Brandy (adjust to taste) •Leave pudding in vacuum seal bag. Bring pot of water to boil. Put in pudding. Bring back to boil, and 1. Mix all ingredients together in mix master until then turn down to simmer. Allow up to 1 hour for white and fluffy (up to 15 minutes) each kg of pudding. 2. Pour into sterilised jar and refrigerate. •Heating in Microwave: Cut pudding into slices. 3. To serve, warm brandy butter and pour over Microwave each slice for approximately 10 seconds. pudding and watch the deliciousness melt through •Serve heated puddings with a delectable sauce, the pudding, serve with ice-cream or cream, custard, cream or ice cream. yummo!

Tastes great... Does good!

Established in 1971 the not for proﬁt Adamstown

Pudding Kitchen provides a culinary delight, while returning value to the community through volunteer programs and funding important projects in Australia and around the world. You can both eat well and create good, through suppor�ng the Adamstown Pudding Kitchen. Try the delicious new Gourmet range - Double Choc Cherry, Date, Apricot & Ginger and Lemon & Sultana Puddings.

Luxurious flavour, full of real fruit, real eggs, real brandy - topped off by APK sauces, they have no equal! One piece is never enough! – Jenny Buy these decadent Puddings from 228 Brunker Road Adamstown, the Newcastle Farmers Markets, Bibina’s, Hunter/Central Coast Lifeline stores or online at www.adamstownpuddingkitchen.org.au • For bulk orders or successful fundraising please email adamstownpuddings@bigpond.com or Phone (02) 4952 2724 Fax (02) 4952 2961 www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 43

ESS Benchmark Award for Inner City Winemakers 2015 Hilltops Cabernet Sauvignon Newcastle’s Inner City Winemakers have been awarded a 5-star rating by Winestate Magazine and are now in the running for the Wine of the Year Award. The award winning 2015 Inner City Winemakers Hilltops Cabernet Sauvignon is also featured in the current edition of Winestate. It’s a wine that winemaker Rob Wilce created using some outstanding grape sourced from Hilltops at Young, NSW. The fruit was cold soaked for 48 hours before fermentation and hand plunged every 4 hours during ferment. Matured for 12 months in a combination of French and American oak, Rob applied a highly traditional, hands-on approach to producing this very special drop! “We’ve consistently produced bronze medal winning wines from our unique, bespoke winery, right in the industrial heart of Newcastle, but being a relatively small and new producer an accolade like this is very exciting to us. It acknowledges that we’re more than capable coming up with exceptional wines,” Rob said.

INNER CITY WINEMAKERS Cellar Door Ambience… City Convenience... Unique Wine Tasting Experience.

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The label design was created by artist Amanda Sheldon, in keeping with the winery’s unique affinity with local artists and creative. Rob’s partner Janine curates a gallery within the Cellar Door. The Inner City Winemakers Winery and Cellar Door at Wickham in Newcastle NSW is immensely popular with the local community for its vibrant wines, specialising in small-batch wines made with fruit sourced from passionate, small growers in premium producing regions.

New vintage releases from the Cellar Door are celebrated in association with local oyster farmers, cheese makers and other artisans. Visit Inner City Winemakers at 8 Church Street, Wickham. The Cellar Door is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am - 5pm.

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Christmas comes but once a year...

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Festive Seafood Feasts… Place Your Orders! We all know that the Aussie Christmas is synonymous with seafood – prawns, lobster, oysters – and everything in between. Make sure you don’t miss out this festive season by ordering now (orders are now being taken) at the Fisherman's Cooperative in Newcastle. Don’t worry if you haven’t pre-ordered – you can still drop by and pick up the freshest local seafood just in time for your festivities.

SWANSEA OPENING HOURS

Monday 19 to Thursday 22 8.30am to 4pm Friday 23 8.30am to 4pm Saturday 24 (Xmas Eve) 6am to 1pm

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Monday 19 to Thursday 22 8.30am to 5pm Friday 23 6am to 5pm Saturday 24 (Xmas Eve) 5am to 2pm Sunday 25 to Tuesday 27 CLOSED Wednesday 28 to Friday 30 8.30am to 5pm Saturday 31 (NYE) 8.30am to 3pm Sunday 1 and Monday 2 Jan 2017 CLOSED Re-open Tuesday 3 Jan 8.30am to 5pm

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www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 45

A DASH OF SUSTAINABLE SOPHISTICATION

“You can’t have a city without it having all of those things. It is part of the gentrification of Newcastle and aside from increasing residential density in Newcastle we’ve got some significant hotels now and a major visitor market. “We’ve all travelled overseas and when you travel, you don’t meet your friends and go to the local hamburger joint, they take you somewhere nice and say have a look at my city and we should be doing the same. “On Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon, there’s plenty of venues having live music, but I believe that part of Newcastle being a city is having those opportunities earlier in the week for people to entertain friends.” Live with music is certainly one of the features of Battlesticks, which was built with a state-of-the-art sound system that allows musicians to truly showcase their talents across 10 weekly live music sessions – every weeknight from WORDS MICHELLE MEEHAN 7pm and both afternoon and evening sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sydney is no longer the only NSW city to sport a striking – albeit But it is far from the only stand-out feature at Battlesticks, smaller – set of white sails on its harbour. But while the Sydney which operates as a stand-alone but complementary venue sails belong to one of that city’s most famous buildings, the alongside Scratchleys. Opera House, the stunning addition to Newcastle’s harbour The bar offers eight beers on tap, a choice of 280 wines side architecture forms part of the latest transformation and a tempting cocktail menu. The bar is also well stocked with wrought on one of our city’s most iconic restaurants... spirits, with up to 100 different varieties sure to cater for every Scratchleys. taste and also introduce people to flavours they have never Construction work has kept passers-by guessing during experienced before. the past seven months as owners Neil and Donna Slater To ensure a visit to the bar remains a “civilised drinking” created “Scratchleys Mark III”, completing a cosmetic makeover experience, Battlesticks also offers a mouth-watering tapas on their renowned seafood restaurant while also creating a menu, featuring cold, hot and larger-sized share plates as well whole new venue at the western end of the site, now known as as dessert. Battlesticks Bar. “The idea is that you come in here, you have a drink, and A casual but sophisticated venue offering classy cocktails, while you’re having a drink you might think ‘why don’t we have tasty tapas share plates and live music every day of the a bite to eat together?’ and you graze on a share plate or two,” week, its construction represents the wider coming of age of Neil said. Newcastle according to the restaurateur behind it. “It’s a kind of civility if you like of dining and drinking and “It’s all part of us becoming a city,” Neil said. some nice live music in the corner, with the background of the “You only have to look at the courthouse building, that’s beautiful harbour doing its thing. a really cool looking building; the University’s NewSpace is “Or it could be somewhere you come for a drink before you a really evocative looking building, some people are going to go to Scratchleys, or somewhere you come for a drink after dislike it, but it’s evocative – you can either build a box, or you you’ve had a meal and you want to just kick back.” can make it evocative, and people can talk about it. But even before you get tempted by the food and drinks on “I think this is where we’re all going now and we’re part of it. offer at both Battlesticks and Scratchleys, the architecture and “It’s all part of the bigger picture. We’re just trying to do all of styling alone are enough to entice you through the front doors those sorts of things to say Newcastle has grown up.” of the two venues. According to Neil, this includes ensuring Newcastle Both have been finished using a modern palette of offers the cosmopolitan lifestyle you’d expect to find in a city, predominantly white and grey tones, from the gleaming complete with a wide variety of dining, drinking and weeknight pearlescent surface of the Battlesticks exterior through to the entertainment options. smooth white finish of the bar.

Added to our City’s Most Iconic Building

46 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

New walls, floors and furniture at Scratchleys have injected new life into what was already one of Newcastle’s most-loved waterfront restaurants, while a multi-layered design featuring three tiers of seating at Battlesticks ensures everyone has the best view in the house of the site’s biggest asset – the harbour. But the colours and finishes weren’t just chosen to look good – they also have an environmental part to play, reflecting and enhancing the natural light that streams through the trademark large glass windows overlooking the water. Sustainability has always played a role in the design of the venues Neil has built at the former ferry terminal site, which despite undergoing two expansions over the years still maintains a similar energy usage to when it first opened as an 80-seat BYO restaurant in 1989. Even the striking white sails, or wings as Neil calls them, have a green theme, providing protection from the heat of the western sun. “The whole Scratchleys environmental philosophy isn’t that we grow our own herbs and veggies in the backyard because we haven’t got a backyard, it’s about trying to lower the impact of the business on the environment,” he said. “We try to use as many features and assets of the place to lower the environmental impact of what we do. The way it is set up you don’t need any lights on in the daytime, there’s a lot of natural light, and we actually use the white colours and the lighter colours so that we don’t have to use anything other than natural light. “We’ve got cross-flow ventilation and we’ve got these wings to protect us from the western sun - it’s the world’s most expensive blind but it’s keeping the western sun out of the building so we can keep the heat on the outside and use the sea breeze and the environment that we’re in on the inside. “Because we’ve redone almost the entirety of the kitchen, we’ve redone all of the appliances, when they’re done properly they’re much more energy efficient. All our refrigeration motors are up on the roof, all the venting is up there, all the lights are LED and state-of-the-art. “Our energy level in the daytime here is running a computer and turning on a stove, apart from that, our energy during the day is almost zero. “To me it just makes business sense not to use unnecessary energy on air conditioning, not to use unnecessary energy on refrigeration or if you can recycle you do recycle and just try to keep your waste stream down to a minimum, your energy usage down to a minimum, your guest comfort to a maximum. “We’ve tried to just make sure the luxury is still there, but the environment is still looked after.”

Battlesticks Bar opened in November and operates from 12pm to midnight Monday to Saturday and from 12pm to 10pm on Sunday, with live music sessions every day. Scratchleys is open for bookings for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Hunter Valley

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Located in the heart of Pokolbin, Hunter Valley Chocolate Company has been a family owned and operated Hunter Valley gem for the last 17 years. Indulge in the ultimate chocolate experience, with a tantalising range of premium hand-made chocolate and chocolate products plus more than 30 flavours of freshly made fudge!

Open 7 Days 9am – 5pm. Ph 4998 6999 Three Great Locations in Pokolbin: Twenty-3-Twenty – 2320 Broke Road Peterson House – Broke Road Hunter Valley Gardens – Shop 5, Broke Road

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We are very pleased to announce that our newly renovated dining space is now open! Zaih’s offers a unique dining experience. The concept is simple. Diners can enjoy the best quality produce used to create food which is memorable, delicious, and presented with care. For reservations call 0427 666 526. Zaih's Opening times: Friday – Lunch and dinner Saturday – Lunch, and dinner | Sunday – Breakfast and lunch

438 WILDERNESS ROAD, LOVEDALE • PH 4998 7734 www.emmascottage.com.au •

James Halliday - TOP 100 WINERY

Oishii Japanese Thai Restaurant Australia’s only Asian restaurant in a winery! Located at Roche Estate, in the heart of the Hunter Valley, Oishii has become a favourite for locals and visitors alike. Whether dining inside the minimalist Asian themed dining hall or on the outside undercover terrace overlooking the vines encircling the architecturally designed amphitheatre, Oishii has become a “must dining experience.” Oishii’s Asian chefs have composed an extensive menu of lightly prepared fragrant dishes showcasing regional produce. In true Asian style dishes are perfect for sharing and ideal for families and friends. The fast take away options are also delicious.

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J A PA N E S E T H A I C U I S I N E

ADDRESS Roche Estate Complex, Corner of Broke and Mcdonald Rd’s, Pokolbin RESTAURANT 7 Days, Lunch and Dinner PH (02) 4998 7051 W www.oishii.com.au

Meerea Park is considered to be in the top echelon of boutique wineries, not only in the Hunter Valley, but Australia as well, carrying the rare and prestigious 5 Red Star and Red Name rating from James Halliday. Established in 1991, Meerea Park has built a reputation on producing high quality Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz. Many of these wines are from ‘Individual Vineyard’ origin. Visit the cellar door located within the Roche Estate complex to sample and purchase from the highly awarded range of wines. ADDRESS Roche Estate Complex, Pavilion B, 2144 Broke Road, Pokolbin NSW 2320 OPEN 7 days 10am - 5pm PH (02) 4998 7474 W www.meereapark.com.au www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 47

5 star rated winery

James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2007 to 2017

“Quality without compromise”

WE ARE FAMILY Christmas is coming! Make sure you get your Mistletoe Wines in plenty of time for the Festive Season. Only available direct from the winery! Christmas is fast approaching and what better time is there for having Mistletoe Wines on hand to help you, your family and friends, celebrate the Christmas Season and Summer. Why not reward your loyal staff, customers or suppliers with some great Mistletoe Wines for Christmas? Friends and family are certain to appreciate them as well. Mistletoe can assist with quality gift packaging, include personal messages from you and offers direct to recipient deliveries as a time saving and hassle free option. We also offer special pricing for volume purchases. Mistletoe’s comprehensive range of more than 20 different wines guarantees something to suit everybody’s taste. Quality wine is a gift that is always appreciated! To ensure timely delivery please place your order as soon as possible. We also invite you to visit the Mistletoe Cellar Door to taste the wines. Open every day between 10am and 6pm. Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

“Christmas just isn’t Christmas without Mistletoe”

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Open 10am until 6pm daily | 771 Hermitage Road, Pokolbin 2320 PH 1800 055 080 FAX 02 4998 7792 E office@mistletoewines.com.au | www.mistletoewines.com.au

Drinking Stars

Wines for Celebrations “Come quickly! I am drinking the stars” were the supposed words exclaimed by Dom Pérignon upon his accidental invention of Champagne in the late 17th century. Since then, Champagne or sparkling wine has been the drink of choice for celebrations. Whatever the occasion, we have adopted the habit of celebrating with sparkling wine and are reaching for this ''bubbly wine'' like never before. So brace yourself for the sound of enthusiastic cork popping as we get down to the business end of the bubbles this festive season. Sparkling wine is usually white or rosé but there are many examples of sparkling red wines as well. In Australia, most sparkling wine is produced from Chardonnay and Pinot

Noir, but an Australian specialty is Sparkling Shiraz - a red sparkling wine produced from Shiraz grapes. The sweetness of sparkling wine can range from very dry "brut" styles to sweeter "doux" varieties. Although wonderful on its own, when it comes to food sparkling white wine can be enjoyed with just about any meal, although pairing it with seafood, tapas or other hors d'oeuvres is the perfect way to get any party started. Here are some of the Hunter Valley’s top sparkling wines to enjoy this festive season…

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Premium Hunter Valley wines Cellar Door Open 10am - 5pm Daily Beautiful farm fresh olive and providore products for tasting and sales Fabulous accommodation overlooking the vines Emersons Café & Restaurant and Hunter Valley Reflections Day Spa on-site Centrally located 3 minutes from M15 Hunter Expressway (Lovedale exit)

Mistletoe Winery Pétillant (Bubbly) Rosé 2016 ADDRESS 492 Lovedale Road, Lovedale OPEN Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am - 5pm PH (02) 4930 7473 W www.adinavineyard.com.au

With a belief that Rosé is a wine style that suits the Australian climate perfectly, Mistletoe commenced producing Rosés in 1998. When the days are too hot for a red wine, a Rosé fills the void perfectly. It is Christmas in a bottle! TASTING This Rosé style Pétillant (French word used to describe bubbly wines) sits in the same mould as the past 10 vintages, with sweet strawberry characters on the front of the palate balanced by a long and drying finish. Perfect wine for Christmas Day celebrations, easy drinking aperitif style that also goes well with Asian food. DRINKABILITY Drink now. Absolutely smashing drink for the Festive Season and the warmer months!

Deliciously seductive...

POKOLBIN ESTATE POKO

Sandalyn Wilderness Estate Fuchs Sparkling Cuvee

VIN EYARD

Sandalyn Wilderness Estate is a family owned and operated boutique winery situated in Lovedale, Hunter Valley. All Sandalyn Estate and Fuchs wines are made from estate grown and locally produced grapes of the highest quality. TASTING The Fuchs Sparkling Cuvee is made from an award-winning blend of Chardonnay and Semillon, with the wine honouring the family’s 200-year history in viticulture and horticulture. Natural fermentation using traditional methods has resulted in a wine that is rich in flavour with a delicious crisp finish. This wine is ideal as a refreshing festive celebratory wine. The glitter bottle make it the perfect Christmas gift on its own or with a gourmet pudding in one of Sandalyn Estates great Christmas hamper packs!

Gartelmann Wines 2015 Blanc de Blancs Gartelmann Wines has built a reputation for producing quality, hand-crafted wines that have gone on to achieve a range of impressive accolades. TASTING This is a contemporary style of Australian sparkling wine with a clean mineral fresh nose with hints of lemon, grapefruit and light toastiness. The palate shows sherbet and lime characters with a creamy, almost nutty complexity and mouth feel. The finish is dry, long, persistent and generous. Clean and fresh flavours make this wine the perfect pre-dinner aperitif style to be served with fresh shucked oysters, smoked salmon and trout pate. DRINKABILITY Drink now or cellar until 2020 for a guaranteed smooth “honey” or until 2024 for maximum aging.

The Pokolbin Estate | 298 McDonalds Road, Pokolbin Open 7 Days 9am-5pm | PH 4998 7524 | www.pokolbinestate.com.au www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 49

THE DYNAMIC DAWES DUO

On and off the track Twenty years, six Paralympics, three Games medals. Countless personal bests and race wins around the world. It’s a pretty impressive resume for any athlete and their coach. But for Merewether couple Christie and Andrew Dawes, theirs is not just a sporting success story but a tale of a husband and wife, 14 years of marriage and one beautiful five-year-old boy also among their milestones. The friendly and unassuming couple have been at the centre of the world wheelchair track and road racing circuit for the past two decades – but if you’d asked them about the future in the mid-1990s, neither of them would have ever dreamed of being where they are today. Christie, who grew up on the western shores of Lake Macquarie at Marmong Point, was just nine years old when her father died unexpectedly. Eleven months later her family’s world was shattered once again when she was involved in a car accident with her mother and older sister. The crash broke her spine, leaving her a paraplegic. As part of her rehabilitation, Christie was encouraged to get fit and stay active. She later became involved with the NSW Wheelchair Sports Association, where she tried her hand at a series of different disciplines before taking up track and road racing. At the time there was no such thing as professional coaching for wheelchair athletes – a situation that would be changed just a few years later by the man who would go on to become her mentor, friend and, further down the track, her husband. 50 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

WORDS MICHELLE MEEHAN

“Sport was introduced to me as part of my rehab in the hospital,” Christie said. “Off the back of that, I got involved with NSW Wheelchair Sports Association and tried a bunch of different sports that were just made available, which was an excellent program. I chose track and road racing. “You used to just get coached by other athletes because there were no coaches, NSWIS, NSW Institute of Sport didn’t exist, so you just were mentored by older athletes, more experienced athletes.” Around the same time, Christie was pursuing her interest in wheelchair racing, Andrew was returning to Australia from a stint travelling around the world. The former PE teacher was looking for a job when a role at NSW Wheelchair Sports as a Development Officer popped up - a position that would unexpectedly alter the course of his career. “As the development officer you’re organising activities like State Championships and Come and Try Days and I saw all these kids that were interested, but they weren’t actually training, they were just competing,” he said. “I saw there was a link missing and … I didn’t really like organising stuff, I’d rather coach, so I started coaching (wheelchair athletes) voluntarily after work.” While he had no specific training to rely on, Andrew used his physical education background to create programs for the athletes who came to his sessions, which he kicked off at Homebush in 1995 and continued for several years.

Regularly asked how he coaches wheelchair athletes, never having been in a chair himself, Andrew said the early days, in particular, were as much about him learning from his young charges as they were about them receiving his guidance on how to put together a proper training program. “I often get asked that question, and it was difficult, but it wasn’t that difficult because there were no coaching resources… I didn’t feel the pressure that I didn’t know what I was doing because nobody knew what they were doing,” he said. “And I spent the first four or five years of my coaching career learning from the athletes really. I’d give them my input in regards to how you put together a training program and how you periodise it and stuff, but as far as the technique and the position of the athletes, I basically learned just as much from them, and I still do, they know what they’re doing.” Christie was among the first group of athletes he coached. Still at high school at the time, she would be driven to Sydney twice a week by her mother to train with Andrew and was under his wing for around a year before she competed at her first Paralympic Games in Atlanta in 1996. “I was still in school, travelling to and from Sydney of a Wednesday afternoon and Saturday and I think any parent can empathise shuffling their kids from sport to sport so despite having a disability, our family was no different,” she said. “(Before Atlanta) Drew had been my coach for a year or so and I’d go down there to train, and he’d travel up once a week to coach, we worked at it as best we could, and then I’d do sessions by myself obviously.” After finishing school in 1998, she moved to Sydney to train full-time under Andrew in the lead-up to the 2000 Paralympics. By this time he was working as a professional coach with the Sydney Academy of Sport, with the specific aim of preparing wheelchair road and track athletes for the Sydney Games. Among his charges was another up-and-coming athlete who he also began coaching from a distance a few years earlier – Kurt Fearnley. Now one of Australia’s most well-known and decorated wheelchair competitors, Andrew met Kurt when he was a 15-year-old from a small country town struggling to take his love of athletics to the next level. “I started coaching Kurt not long after Chris (Christie), I think Kurt was my second athlete,” he said. “I was working at Wheelchair Sports still, and I fielded a phone call from this school teacher, she was the PE teacher at Blayney High School, and she said I’ve got this kid in a wheelchair and he loves sport, he wants to do athletics but – ‘he keeps getting bogged’ - was her quote. “I’d just started coaching, and I grew up in Orange, Mum and Dad lived in Orange, and it wasn’t that far (from Blayney), so I said next time I come home I’ll leave early on a Friday morning and come to the school and say hello. “I did that and met the teacher, met Kurt, had a few words, we organised a chair, and it went from there. In those days I’d fax him a program to the post office because he lived on a farm and he’d get his program and, similar to Chris, once he finished school he moved to Sydney for 2000.” The Sydney Paralympics provided the first glimpse of Kurt’s future potential as an athlete, with the 19-year-old picking up two silver medals in the men’s 800m T54 race and the men’s 4×100m T53/T54 relay. And while Christie missed out on a podium finish at her home-town Games, she said the experience provided her with a valuable insight into the need for athletes to remain balanced. “For the two years before Sydney I really just ate, slept and trained, that was it, I had no balance,” she said. “You were just consumed by it, and you had no balance, nothing else, I really just threw myself into it and gave it everything I had, but sometimes, for me, that’s not the best way to do things. Now I’ve got more on my plate than ever before

and I’m still doing PBs and medalling after six Games, with a “We’re also really lucky in Newcastle in that any session I child and handling everything. want to do, track, hills, flat or fast stuff, we can get in on our “I think balance is something everybody needs to re-evaluate driveway and just push out the front door, and within 10 or 15 and make sure that they have … and I think you just really learn minutes you’re on your training course. to enjoy it more.” “When we lived in Sydney we’d get up 4 o’clock in the Despite missing out on a medal, the period leading up to morning, drive an hour to Penrith from where we lived in North the Games and the years that followed did deliver gold of a Sydney, have to train, drive an hour or an hour-and-a-half back different sort for Christie, and Andrew, in the form of a pair of in traffic – it was hard. wedding rings. “And by the time you got home you’d eat, shower, sleep and The couple began dating in 1999 and moved in together you’d have to get up and go to your next session and that would in the lead-up to the Games. In 2001 they shifted base to take 45 minutes to get to Homebush, maybe an hour to get Newcastle and a year later they were married. Christie gave home. It was hard and exhausting; this location just makes life birth to the couple’s son, Charlie, in 2011. so easy.” “After Chris moved to Sydney we saw each other more In more recent times it has been the promising young frequently and it just grew from there. We moved in together in Paralympian Rheed McCracken who has also made the trek 2000 and then did the Olympics," Andrew said. from his home in Bundaberg, Queensland to Newcastle – on a But after 2000 we came up here (Newcastle) for a while on more temporarily basis – to be trained by Andrew, who is also weekends to visit Chris’ mum and agreed it would be good to the head coach for the NSWIS and Australian wheelchair track get out of Sydney, so we just decided to do it. and road squads. “I had to travel to Sydney probably three times a week for the “I coached him prior to London (Paralympics in 2012), but first few years because I was still coaching athletes in Sydney he was still at school. Again when he finished school he moved and then gradually I got the athletes to realise that this was a down here,” Andrew said. better training venue and they moved up here as well, which “He didn’t have a lot of money either, so before the World was good.” Champs he came down for three or four months, then after the Kurt was among those who made the move from World Champs he probably spent six months here before Rio, Sydney to the Hunter and Christie said it was a testament and now he’s succeeded pretty well in Rio, he’s got a bit more to both Andrew’s skills as a coach and the fantastic training funding, so he’s going to come back down. opportunities available in Newcastle. “He’s only 19, so he’s got a big future ahead of him. Again, “I think Drew has a really lovely coaching style. He’s coached he’s a great kid, and that’s what keeps me motivated to keep a lot of athletes over the years with very different personalities going because I want to see how sport can develop him too.” and he always seems to know how to just hit the right spot with Rheed picked up one silver and one bronze medal in Rio each athlete and I think that’s something that’s very hard to do. in what was just his second Paralympics, adding to the pair he “I’ve seen a lot of coaches over the years who have very secured in London four years earlier. distinct styles, and they won’t change them for anyone, and Kurt also won two medals in Rio during his Paralympic they’re very hard. You don’t want to spend one session under swan song, capping off an incredible career that has seen him their guidance let alone 20 years so I think that speaks collect three gold medals, seven silver and three bronze from volumes. five Games. “And the fact that athletes stay with Drew for so long, Kurt Christie rounded things out for the Newcastle-based Fearnley and other athletes that come on board just stick with athletes by bringing home a silver medal in the women’s him because he’s very good at what he does. 4×400m relay (T53/54).

This was the third Paralympics in a row where she had medalled, after securing her first silver at the 2008 Beijing Games in the 4×100m T53/T54 relay before following it up with her first individual medal at the 2012 London Games (bronze in the women’s 5000m T54). And while Rio represented her sixth time at the Paralympics, the mother-of-one said she has no plans to retire just yet. She said, as with anything in her life, her sporting future will come down to that need for balance. “I think that’s what’ll be the main thing. If you don’t enjoy it and you’re not motivated to get out of bed and train every day and it’s not just sport, it’s anything – if you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it,” Christie said. “Our income doesn’t depend on it, we don’t get a lot of funding or anything like that, I do it purely because I love it, it keeps me fit and healthy, it’s just good fun.

“Four years seem like a long time but really by the time you fill it in with World Champs, Commonwealth Games, the marathon majors, it really comes around again pretty quickly.” “I’m 36, and I have competitors who are 45, so you know, I could have another two or three left in me realistically. But I’ve also got to remember my body’s got to carry me through my entire life, not just your athletic career, so you need to be mindful of that.”

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MOTORING //

The World’s First Luxury Compact SUV Convertible WORDS CHRIS HYDE - HUNTER JAGUAR LAND ROVER 52 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

The Range Rover Evoque – with its striking lines, muscular shoulder and tapered roof – has become synonymous with style and contemporary city life. Now the New Range Rover Evoque Convertible, the world’s first premium compact convertible SUV, is going even further by setting new standards in design, capability and driving comfort. With such a stunning roofline, it seems a shame to take the Evoque into convertible territory, but at least you’ll still be able to admire the original lines when the lightweight fabric roof - which drops in just 18 seconds at speeds of up to 50km/h - is up. That’s an impressive bit of Z-folding, particularly on the move, it is the longest and widest fabric roof fitted to any production vehicle currently on sale. Perhaps that’s why it takes three seconds longer to raise than it does to lower. Billed as the world’s first luxury compact SUV convertible, the drop-top inevitably involves some packaging compromises, including two rear seats instead of three. Front seats incorporate the latest technologies such as Climate Control options to ensure a truly relaxed and comfortable ride. The interior’s clean, architectural lines are complemented by the premium materials featured throughout, with the upgrade option of Oxford leather also available.

Filling up the centre dashboard, a 10.3-inch touchscreen shows off Land Rover's latest version of its InControl infotainment system. The home screen shows the familiar colourful quadrant menu as on previous Land Rovers, with audio, phone, climate control and navigation buttons. Swipe to the side, and there’s more apps, including an off-road info screen and even a full web browser. State-of-the-art technologies including Terrain Response and optional All-Terrain Progress Control ensure the Evoque Convertible feels sure-footed no matter what the terrain or weather conditions. These are complemented by the optional Wade Sensing feature, which uses sensors to provide real-time information on water depth. A Roll-Over Protection Device will protect the Evoque’s four occupants should it tip over and slide backwards down a sand dune. Optional adaptive full LED headlamps complement the vehicle's design cues by combining a distinctive look with enhanced light output. The entry-level SE Dynamic also comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels and powered leather front seats, while additional features for the high-spec HSE Dynamic include head-up display, solar windscreen, fog lights, auto high-beam, 18-inch alloy wheels, configurable ambient interior lighting, illuminated tread plates and heated and cooled front seats with 12-way power adjustment. Both SE Dynamic and HSE Dynamic model grades are available with the option of turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol or diesel engines matched exclusively to a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Arrange your test drive today at Hunter Land Rover, Arnhem Close, Bennetts Green or view more information at www.hunterlandrover.com.au

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www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 53

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