Flourish Spring 2016 by Kate Dunstone

flourish TIM FERGUSON Laughing at his MS KATHLEEN JORDAN

A woman with no time for trauma Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re with you every step of the way on the NDIS

plus

native gardens fishing hydrotherapy recipes & puzzles

S P R I N G 2016

flourish

IN THIS ISSUE

SPRING 2016

Community news 03 News and events Ferguson 06 Tim Sit-down comedy

National Disability 10 Insurance Scheme

We’re with you every step of the way

Kathleen Jordan 14 Stroke survivor with

a positive outlook

NAIDOC Week 19 How we celebrated Paralympics 20 Inspiring equestrians Graham Whittaker 23 A volunteer enjoying life Floriade 26 See Canberra in

full colour

All about Rosie 28 Independent at 104 eSports 30 Cyber gamers are

1300 160 170

Flourish magazine is published by Hardie Grant Media for Australian Unity. Australian Unity enquiries 1300 160 170 flourish@australianunity.com.au australianunity.com.au/flourish

our newest athletes

f l o u r i s h @ a u s tra l i a n u n i t y. co m . au The information contained in this magazine about Australian Unity’s services is correct as at the time of printing. Please visit the Australian Unity website (australianunity. com.au/assisted-living) or call us on 1300 160 170 to obtain further information about which of our services may be available to you. Such information is of a general nature only. Australian Unity strongly recommends that anyone thinking about obtaining services from us first seek independent professional advice that takes your particular circumstances into consideration. You may also wish to contact the Department of Health on 1800 200 422 or visit myagedcare.gov.au.

Hardie Grant Media Private Bag 1600, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia 3141 Tel: (03) 8520 6444 hardiegrant.com.au

trails 34 Walking Natural wonders Toys versus tech 37 Are old-fashioned

games better?

Fishing 40 Tips for the big catch Remembrance Day 42 Our veterans share

their stories

Hydrotherapy 44 Water wonders Equine therapy 46 Horse whisperers Gardening 48 Native know-how

50 Puzzles 54 Recipes 56 Seasonal food aus trali an un i t y. com. au/f louri s h

Managing director Fiona Hardie Publisher Courtney Nicholls Editor Leanne Tolra Art Director/Design Dallas Budde Editorial assistant Lachean Humphreys Pre-press Splitting Image Print IPMG Pty Ltd Advertising Hardie Grant Media Tel: (03) 8520 6444 Contributors (editorial) Nick Adams; Kirstie Bedford; Jane Canaway; Jamie Farnell; Annie Hall; Narrelle Harris;

Lachean Humphreys; Jennifer Morton; Stephen A Russell; Gary Tippet; Maria Triaca; Bonnie Ziegeler. Contributors (images) Dean Golja; Mark Munro; Headshot Factory (George Fetting); Helena Kristiansson; Illustration Room (Clementine). No responsibility is accepted by Hardie Grant Media for the accuracy of any statement or advice contained in the text or advertisements. All material appearing in Flourish magazine is copyright. ©2016

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WELCOME

We are here to

SUPPORT YOU

t’s hard to believe it has been three months since we launched the first issue of Flourish magazine, Australian Unity’s quarterly lifestyle publication. Our thanks to those of you who have provided suggestions for recipes, leisure activities and puzzles.

Over recent months, Australian Unity has been preparing for the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which began its Australia-wide rollout on 1 July 2016. We have also opened a Customer Care Hub in Sydney to provide our clients and residents with telephone advice and support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Derek McMillan (left) and Margaret Turley celebrate the Willandra Village retirement community’s 30th birthday.

flourish

We are pleased to share with you the touching story of comedian Tim Ferguson, another Australian Unity client who faces his Multiple Sclerosis with a defiant sense of humour. Tim has co-written and co-directed his first comedy movie, Spin Out, which will be released this month (page 6). And continuing the artistic theme, Kathleen Jordan, a future resident of our Rathdowne Place retirement community in Carlton, has written a book outlining her inspiring tale of hope, advocacy and survival after stroke (page 14).

TIM FERGUSON Laughing at his MS

The heart-warming tale of Graham Whittaker, a resident at our Willandra Village retirement community in Cromer, features in this issue too (page 23). Graham stars in our Tea & Bickies series (teaandbickies.com.au)hosted by veteran journalist Steve Liebmann.

KATHLEEN JORDAN

A woman with no time for trauma We’re with you every step of the way on the NDIS

plus

native gardens fishing hydrotherapy recipes & puzzles

In this issue of Flourish, we bring you an update on the NDIS and share the stories of some of the clients we support, including Cassie Brown (page 10). We also profile our new NDIS television commercial, which stars a cast of people with disability including Dean Leggett, an Australian Unity client.

S P R I N G 2016

Tim Ferguson photographed by George Fetting.

We’re pleased to provide an update on the results of our recent Home Care Service survey, completed by more than 17,000 clients (page 3) and we have enclosed another complimentary colouring bookmark in this issue, along with a selection of puzzles. Take your time to enjoy the Spring issue of Flourish and keep sharing your feedback so we can continue to make each issue one you look forward to reading.

Derek McMillan CEO, Independent & Assisted Living Australian Unity

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Community NEWS

We welcome your feedback In April, more than 17,000 Australian Unity clients responded to an anonymous survey, providing valuable feedback on the home services we offer. We have carefully reviewed the responses, so we can understand what we are doing well and where there are opportunities to improve. Overall, our clients tell us they are satisfied with the services they receive:

61% 61% say they would recommend our services to others

81%

86%

81% are 86% are either either satisfied or satisfied or very very satisfied with satisfied with how the services they their services are receive managed

Many clients commented on how our services were helping them achieve greater independence. “By having the help of ladies who come to do my usual work I can’t manage anymore, I can still stay in my own home and keep my independence as my family are too far away to help me. I would recommend it to anyone,” one client said. Many clients also commented on the professionalism of our staff and the reliability of their support. “Home Care is a wonderful, professional service that assists our family to care for our disabled daughter. Home Care staff are all well trained and caring, and respectful of our daughter’s needs. I would recommend the service to anyone who requires assistance.” More than 600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients completed the survey. Seventy-five per cent of these respondents said they felt our approach was culturally sensitive and responsive. The survey highlighted a few opportunities for improvement, including more regular communication with clients and a greater emphasis on consistency of service delivery. This feedback is being shared with our team members so we can continue to improve our services in the coming year.

CUSTOMER CARE HUB

Australian Unity clients now have access to a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service Our Customer Care Hub, launched in midJuly, provides friendly telephone support and advice for new and existing clients. Assistance is available for navigating systems such as the NDIS and Consumer Directed Care, changing or adding home services, learning more about retirement community options and services, and residential aged care. Craig Mendel, the Hub Manager, says the team will be the first in the Home and

Disability Services industry to offer 24/7 access for clients. “We will now be accessible to our clients at any time that suits them. Client choice is at the core of everything we do and this is another way we are demonstrating that commitment,” Craig says. To contact our Customer Care Hub call:

1300 160 170

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COM M U N I T Y N E WS

AFTER-HOURS SENIORS TRIAGE PILOT PROGRAM Australian Unity’s Victoria Grange Aged Care residence is trialling an Australian-first program, aimed at reducing the number of seniors unnecessarily admitted to hospital out of hours

OSTEOPOROSIS facts

LOVE YOUR BONES Osteoporosis is a health condition that weakens bones, causing them to break easily. One in three women and one in five men aged 50 years and over will suffer an osteoporotic fracture. A minor fall, bump, sneeze or sudden movement can cause bones affected by osteoporosis to fracture, resulting in long-term pain and disability.

The program involves an after-hours nurse working out of Victoria Grange for at least two days a week. The nurse is qualified to perform higher-level medical duties and will offer services that might previously have required a hospital visit. This includes prescribing and authorising changes to medication, administering IV fluids and antibiotics, and writing referrals for X-rays and ultrasounds. Services will be bulk-billed and available to anyone in the community, not just Victoria Grange residents. Erica Henderson, Australian Unity’s Head of Strategy and Products for Residential Communities, says the purpose of the program is to provide a support service to the broader community that meets seniors’ short-term health needs. “This way they can remain healthy and independent over the longer term.

The service will complement patients’ current health care arrangements with their local GP,” Erica says. “Our intent is to limit the number of seniors that unnecessarily end up in the hospital system, or are repeatedly admitted due to needing support in managing their long-term chronic health needs.” The program is one of 17 local innovation projects funded by Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network. If it is successful, Australian Unity will consider rolling out a similar model to its other residential communities.

World Osteoporosis Day on October 20 encourages people to take early action to protect bone and muscle health and encourages health professionals and authorities to prioritise prevention.

1 in 5 men

WILL SUFFER AN OSTEOPOROTIC FRACTURE*

bearing, muscle-strengthening and balancing exercises.

2 Ensure your diet is rich in calcium and vitamin D. 3 Address negative habits – excess weight, smoking and excessive drinking.

4 Assess risk factors – discuss previous fractures and medications with your doctor.

worldosteoporosisday.org

if necessary.

Calming chamomile Feeling restless? Or a little sniffly? Try brewing yourself a cup of chamomile tea

1 Exercise regularly – focus on weight-

5 Get tested and treated

emphn.org.au

and

The five steps to healthy bones are:

To learn more about Victoria Grange or the Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network visit:

australianunity.com.au/ aged-care/victoria-grange

1 in 3 women

Osteoporosis

Normal bone

THERE ARE OVER

8.9 MILLION FRACTURES ANNUALLY that’s 1 fracture every 3 seconds

Brewed chamomile flowers are widely used to relieve modern ailments including hay fever and inflammation, and are acknowledged for their calming properties. Chamomile tea is more accurately described as a tisane – an infusion of dried herbs, spices and plants that generally don’t contain caffeine. True teas – black, green, white, yellow and oolong – are prepared from the cured leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis.

Today it is used to aid digestion, ease stomach pains and promote sleep. Chamomile’s antibacterial qualities also are said to help to ward off colds. Adding honey and ginger to your brew will give a sweeter and slightly spicy taste, with extra digestive benefits. For warmer days, pour a cooled chamomile infusion over ice. Add orange rind and a sprig of rosemary, or fresh mint leaves, to taste.

Chamomile, a daisy-like plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, is one of the oldest and most widely used medicinal plants in the world. In ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian times it was used as a salve to accelerate wound healing.

*International Osteoporosis Foundation

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TOGETHER

SIT-DOWN

comedy

Tim Ferguson thinks Bachelor and Spinsters Balls are so hilarious he wrote a movie about one words GARY TIPPET photos GEORGE FET TING

hen Tim Ferguson was a teenager in Blayney, in central-west New South Wales, he’d watch over the fence with green-lipped envy as his older brother drove away to another Bachelor and Spinsters (B&S) Ball a couple of hundred kilometres up the track. B&S Balls, once serious social events bringing together unmarried men and women separated by the tyranny of distance in remote Australia, have evolved – some might say, devolved – in recent decades. They are now a regular, raucous fixture on the rural calendar, marked by formal dress, alcohol-fuelled dancing, country music and circle work in utes. In the years since, Tim has been to his share of B&S Balls and remains both amused and intrigued by the phenomenon. “It’s an Australian tradition and nobody does it the way we do,” he says. “No one else turns up in tuxedoes and ball gowns to a shearing shed in the middle of nowhere to woo lovers out to their utility vehicles. They don’t know what they’re missing out on.”

Tim Ferguson lives with, and laughs at, his Multiple Sclerosis. (Opposite) Tim with the cast of Spin Out.

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I’ve got MS and I think it’s hilarious. That’s a better way of coping than just sitting around moping.” TIM FERGUSON COMEDIAN

Tim, best known as one-third of the comedy act the Doug Anthony All Stars (DAAS), has co-written and co-directed Spin Out, a romantic comedy filmed in Shepparton in Victoria that he hopes will take B&S Balls to a wider audience in Australia – and around the world. g S p r i n g 2 0 1 6 F LOU R I SH

TOGETHER

The main thing is I get by with a lot of help from my friends.”

SPIN OUT

TIM FERGUSON COMEDIAN

PLOT / Billy and Lucy have grown up together in a small, close-knit country town, where they form one of the town’s most formidable ute-driving teams.

When Billy takes one risky car stunt too far, Lucy declares she is moving to the city – sending Billy into a spin. Amid the mayhem of the town’s annual B&S Ball, Billy has only one night to wake up to his true feelings for his best friend – or lose her forever. Spin Out is a fresh, feel-good comedy romance for the young and the young at heart. CAST / Xavier Samuel, Morgan Griffin, Travis

Jeffery, Christie Whelan Browne, Brooke McClymont, Melissa Bergland and Lincoln Lewis DIRECTORS / Tim Ferguson and Marc Gracie

“It’s a celebration of Australia and young people in the country causing trouble. I just figured somebody had to play in this crazy world of B&Ss; it’s such an unlikely place for so many romances. “I’ve met so many people in the past few years who’ve said they met the person they married at a B&S. It’s quite an ignominious start to things that really end up being quite auspicious,” he says, laughing. So many things tickle 52-year-old Tim’s funny bone. In general, the absurdity of life, politics and society, which provided much of the subversive, wicked schtick for him, Paul McDermott and Richard Fidler in DAAS.

But Tim insists: “I’ve got MS and I think it’s hilarious. That’s a better way of coping than just sitting around moping.” Humour, he has said, is the only salve for the ridiculous antics of his brain. “I could weep but who would listen? Besides, I was never much of a dancer.” Now, more reflectively, he says he sincerely believes MS changed his life for the better. “For starters, I eat more healthily. I’m more aware of time and getting things done … more organised, more focused. I used to ping around like a pinball, going like a magpie from one thing to the next.”

He is also amused by Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the gradually debilitating disease of the central nervous system that has been his ever more burdensome companion since he was 19.

He has not only come to terms with the illness but grown “comfortable” with it. “It’s a condition they’re finding more and more about, but in the meantime I drive MS nuts by telling it to get out of my way.

Tim’s MS now means he performs with the latest incarnation of DAAS from a wheelchair, writes with the help of voice recognition software and requires some home support, provided by Australian Unity.

“The main thing is I get by with a lot of help from my friends.” Those friends include not only his “shamelessly good-looking” wife Stephanie, their three adult children and a lot of mates but, three times a week, his home care workers from Australian Unity.

F LOU R I SH S p r i n g 2 0 1 6

“They’ll shower me, clean me up and make me look fancy, help with stuff in the kitchen, getting dishes done, hanging up the washing. All simple things I could do if I wanted to, say, spend three hours just hanging washing. It’d be good comedy watching me do it.”

After a decade of provocation, the original DAAS disbanded in 1994, when Tim’s MS meant touring and performing the group’s very physical comedy was too exhausting. He didn’t reveal the reason, even to Richard Fidler and Paul McDermott, until years later.

Tim says he has formed great friendships with the regular carers who have supported him at his Sydney home for the past few years. “It’s fun, you catch up, I show them my movie trailer. One is a mad DAAS fan and he gets to catch up on the All Stars news.

“It broke my heart to have to do it and I’m sure the guys were very annoyed,” he says. “It was nobody’s business ... and it was invisible. So I thought why worry everybody. Everybody’s got something to worry about but we don’t wear it on T-shirts.”

“Most people with a disability are familiar with their own speed humps and plan ahead. But the care and patience of other people is essential to get anything done … It’s very comforting and life affirming to get great help from people who know a bit.”

Now, with McDermott and Paul “Flaco” Livingstone taking Fidler’s role, Tim is touring with the new show, performing from his wheelchair and using his disability to provoke his audiences that little bit more.

Tim says the assistance means he can get his head into all the other tasks he has each day, which include not only the B&S movie but a script for a second; an orchestral piece for children, called Billie and the Dinosaurs; teaching comedy scriptwriting at New York University; and the latest incarnation of DAAS, which toured the United Kingdom in August.

“Why not?” he says. “You can do stand-up comedy, or you can do sit-down comedy.” ^

SPIN OUT SCREENINGS In cinemas 15 September, 2016 SpinOutMovie.com.au

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For a complimentary introduction to our NDIS service call 1300 160 170 or visit australianunity.com.au/ndis

INSIGHT

THE NDIS

PARTNERSHIP Australian Unity’s trained NDIS coordinators are working with clients to make sure they get the best value from the new scheme words Nick Adams

he National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)began its phased Australia-wide rollout on July 1 this year. For people with disability, the NDIS will bring life-changing benefits, providing them with greater choice and control over their lives. We’re supporting Cassandra to get the best value from the NDIS. How can we help you?

Australian Unity’s Kevin Reilly says despite the enormity of the change, people should feel excited about the opportunities brought about by the NDIS. Kevin, the Head of Strategy for Home and Disability Services, says Australian Unity has trained staff who can support people with disability throughout each stage of their NDIS journey. “Our NDIS coordinators have been supporting people in many different ways, including by providing general information about the NDIS, supporting clients with pre-planning meetings and sharing information about the services we can offer as part of an NDIS plan,” Kevin says. Many clients have found pre-planning meetings valuable, Kevin says. In these meetings, NDIS coordinators support clients to express their goals and aspirations to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), so that a suitable support plan can be determined.

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FROM THE POOL TO THE BOCCIA COURT Cassandra Brown lives at Lake Macquarie in New South Wales and loves to swim. She’s good at it too. Winner of numerous double-handed backstroke titles, the 28-year-old has four Australian records in her class of disability.

“Our NDIS coordinators are in place to make sure people are aware of the opportunities they have for more support through the NDIS and to assist them with any questions or other support,” Kevin says. “We’re very keen to act as a partner to our clients, so they can achieve their goals and lead the life they want to lead.”

Cassandra, who prefers to be called Cassie, is now turning her attention to boccia, which she hopes to play for Australia in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

make her own decisions and take part in more activities. “They help me do things that I want to do like go to lunch, go shopping or go to the movies,” Cassie says.

The NDIS opens up a world of possibilities. Let us support you. Cassandra has cerebral palsy. With four national swimming records in her class, she has already achieved a great deal of success. Now she’s turning her hand to Boccia, with the goal of representing Australia in the 2020 Paralympics. With funding from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Australian Unity is providing Cassandra and her family with the support they need to enable her to pursue her dreams. As one of Australia’s most experienced disability service providers, we are committed to enabling Cassandra and others to get the best value from the NDIS so they can lead the life they want to lead. To arrange a complimentary introduction to our service, visit australianunity.com.au/ndis or phone us 24/7 on 1300 160 170

Time to thrive

“It’s fun. I meet friends and other interesting people there,” says Cassie, who gets down to the boccia field a couple of times a week.

With further support, Cassie plans to try her hand at more cooking and is excited about gaining more independence. She’s also just scored tickets to see Delta Goodrem in concert in October.

Cassie, an Australian Unity client in the Hunter district, has cerebral palsy. She’s been part of NDIS trial rollouts for two years. They have helped her to

Cassandra featured in Australian Unity’s NDIS newspaper advertisement in August (above right).

INSIGHT

(Top) The film crew arrives on set; and (below) production is underway.

Featuring real clients and people with disability was considered essential to achieving authenticity in the commercial.”

Australian Unity client Dean Leggett (left) with Group Managing Director & CEO Rohan Mead and Victorian actor Chris Van Ingen (right) filming the television campaign.

An interview like no other

Australian Unity client Dean Leggett features in our current NDIS television campaign If you tuned in to the Paralympics earlier in September, you might have seen Australian Unity’s new NDIS television commercial. Filmed in the historic Manchester Unity building in Melbourne, and featuring a cast of people with disability, the commercial, titled

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The Interview, highlights how the NDIS puts people with disability in control of their own destinies. The commercial depicts an Australian Unity representative applying for the role of an NDIS service provider. She arrives at a boardroom to be interviewed by a board of executives, all of whom have disability. Cameron Holland, the Executive General Manager for Home and Disability Services at Australian Unity, says the idea behind the ad is bold, but also powerful and important. “We want to support and enable our clients, not lead and direct them.

So, we needed an idea that would enable the power balance to sit squarely with our clients. In this commercial, it is clear that our clients are in charge of the critical decision of who will support them on their NDIS journey,” Cameron says. “With more than 175 years of experience in supporting the wellbeing of Australians, we believe we are best placed to help people navigate this new scheme. “We are there for our clients 24/7, supporting them to understand their options and choices, so they can get the best value from the NDIS and lead the life they want to lead.”

CAMERON HOLLAND EXECUTIVE GENERAL MANAGER, HOME AND DISABILIT Y SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN UNIT Y

The actor who plays the Chairperson in the commercial, Chris Van Ingen, of Geelong in Victoria, told Flourish it was a privilege to be involved in the production. Chris, who lives with cerebal palsy, says people with disabilities should portray disabled characters. “The Australian Unity shoot was an amazing experience for two reasons. First, because the ad shows the vision that people with disabilities have for our role in the NDIS,” Chris says. “Second, because it allowed me to show my acting range and that people with disabilities can play CEOs, not just people to be cared for.”

One of the “board members” featured in the commercial is Dean Leggett, an Australian Unity client from New South Wales. “I never thought that I would be in a television ad, so when the opportunity came up I was really excited. I like how the ad portrays people with a disability – we are the ones in charge,” Dean says. Cameron says featuring real clients and people with disability was considered essential to achieving authenticity in the commercial. “You will hear our clients on our radio commercials and see them

in our television commercials, our brochures, our press advertisements and on our website. “We are particularly proud of how excited and positive all of our cast and crew, including Dean, have been about being involved. They have reinforced to us how empowering it is for our clients to speak for themselves,” Cameron says. Australian Unity’s NDIS campaign will be shown on television during September and October. australianunity.com.au/ndis

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TOGETHER

NO TIME

for

TRAUMA

Stroke survivor Kathleen Jordan had no intention of putting her life on hold, so she got on with living words Narrelle Harris photos Dean Golja

athleen Jordan’s memoir Standing Up! begins with a sense of urgency. She recounts dashing with terrified haste towards the Royal Melbourne Hospital in an ambulance, from the meeting in which she had just collapsed. In the midst of this unexpected, radical change to her future, Kathleen thinks: “Really, I don’t have time for this.”

It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you react to it. It’s about being proactive and choosing life.”

That was in 2011. Kathleen had just suffered a catastrophic haemorrhagic stroke – the most debilitating kind. Her best prognosis, should she survive, was a lifetime in residential aged care. Her condition was so severe doctors suggested a Do Not Resuscitate order.

K AT H L E E N J O R DA N, STROKE SURVIVOR

But Kathleen, who ran her own leadership coaching business, Intuitive Insights and was on the board of the Bionics Institute, was known for her energy and determination.

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Kathleen Jordan is moving to Australian Unity’s Rathdowne Place retirement community in Carlton, Victoria.

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TOGETHER

To explore an inner-city retirement lifestyle visit rathdowneplace.com.au

(Right) returning to work required resilience and grit; (opposite, top to bottom) Kathleen counts the positives in her life; Kathleen’s book Standing Up!

STROKE

SYMPTOMS & RISK FACTORS

•• • •

The FAST acronym is a guide to stroke symptoms.

FACE: has the person’s mouth drooped?

ARMS: can the person lift both arms?

SPEECH: is their speech slurred? Can they understand you?

TIME: Time is critical. If you see any of these signs, call 000 immediately.

Medical risk factors for stroke include diabetes, along with others such as age, gender and family history. The best way to reduce stroke risk is through lifestyle changes: be more active, stop smoking, reduce alcohol consumption, eat more healthily, lose weight and reduce high blood pressure. Source: Stroke Foundation

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“I was running countless workshops and strategic planning sessions, coaching sessions, travelling all around the world. I went from doing all that to lying in a hospital bed for two years,” Kathleen says. The 2016 publication of Standing Up! is intended to be the turning point. Written with author and historian Vicki Steggall, it tells Kathleen’s story of hope, advocacy and survival after stroke. Kathleen’s story includes having to fight for the rehabilitation treatment she needed, rather than simply accepting the support offered by the Australian health system. Her family and friends were vital in that process, especially after the registrar’s initial grim prognosis. Their response? “You don’t know Kathleen. She’ll fight.” Vicki, speaking at the book’s launch in July, said: “That’s the power of words: this thought came out and went into everyone’s brains. It’s the heart of advocacy, the difference that families can make.” Kathleen’s family continued to advocate for her health and treatment until she was well enough to take over. Despite expectations she would need full-time care, Kathleen was able to move into her sister’s granny flat in Northcote, in Victoria. Still partially paralysed down her left side, Kathleen requires assistance with showering, dressing and transport. She has physiotherapy and occupational therapy up to three times a week. She has resumed activities such as dining out, seeing friends and going to the ballet, opera and films. She’s soon to move into Australian Unity’s new retirement apartments at Rathdowne Place in nearby Carlton, a “wellbeing precinct” with personal and home services, a library, hydrotherapy pool and private town car, close to Melbourne’s CBD and parks, shops and amenities.

If I have a day where I’m thinking ‘this is all too hard’, I just change and I think, ‘yes, but be proud of how far you have come’.” K AT H L E E N J O R DA N, STROKE SURVIVOR

Standing Up! is more than the remarkable story of Kathleen’s resilience, grit and determination, or the power of others’ support in her recovery. It also contains practical advice on facing adversity with strength and hope. “People raised their eyebrows when I talked about my intention of getting back to work – but I used the coaching tools that I once used with my clients,” Kathleen says. Those tools include monitoring her inner dialogue, counting the positives in her life and celebrating her successes. “If I have a day where I’m thinking ‘this is all too hard’, I just change and I think, ‘yes, but be proud of how far you have come’.” On the night of the book launch, Kathleen demonstrated just how far that was. When it was time for her to say a few words in response to the speeches and anecdotes, Kathleen stood up and walked slowly to the lectern – a two-metre journey thought impossible for her in 2011. Elegant and confident, the woman once identified for a Do Not Resuscitate order spoke in a clear voice filled with warmth and wit about a trauma that changed her life but didn’t defeat her. “Standing Up! is for anybody who’s gone through major trauma,” Kathleen says. “It might be the death of a loved one, it might be divorce, it might be losing your job. It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you react to it. It’s about being proactive and choosing life. It’s a book about hope.” ^

Standing Up! is available in bookshops, online or at intuitiveinsights.com.au For more information about stroke visit strokefoundation.com.au

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INSIGHT

Celebrating songlines — W ITH —

STEVE LIEBMANN As one of Australia’s most respected journalists and broadcasters, Steve Liebmann knows how to find a good story. Join him as he shares tea and bickies with some of the great characters within the Australian Unity community.

Follow the series at teaandbickies.com.au

We take a look at how Australian Unity celebrated NAIDOC Week this year words Stephen A Russell

elebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities’ cultural and historical connection to land as well as their friends and family, was the focus of Australian Unity’s NAIDOC Week events. NAIDOC Week festivities are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Indigenous communities and Australians from all walks of life.

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“Australian Unity is very genuine in its commitment to celebrating NAIDOC Week with us. We’re all one.”

This year’s theme was Songlines: The living narrative of our nation. Songlines are intricate maps of land, sea and country. They describe travel and trade routes, the location of waterholes and the presence of food.

Sharon predicts next year’s event will be bigger and better. “I’m looking forward to promoting the celebrations to the wider Australian Unity staff,” she says.

Sharon Bloxsome, Senior Project Officer at Australian Unity Aboriginal Home Care, says the NAIDOC Week events, held from 3-10 July, were an important step in helping forge stronger bonds between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

“I believe it’s about trying to bring as many nonAboriginal people into our cultural celebrations as possible. The more that come along, the more that understand.” ^

“NAIDOC Week is an important time to not only acknowledge and respect our Aboriginal communities but also to bring in the wider community to say, ‘hey have a look at what we’ve got and this is how we embrace our culture’,” she says.

“NAIDOC Week is important to not only acknowledge and respect our Aboriginal communities but also to bring in the wider community.

Events included a huge gathering of more than 10,000 people in Penrith in Sydney. Sponsored by Australian Unity’s Wangary Aboriginal Home Care branch, the event included activities for children, mixed touch football and netball games, a free barbecue, live entertainment and free health checks for seniors. Australian Unity offered a free shuttle service to the event and volunteers were on hand to serve food and assist elders.

Sharon says the NAIDOC Week celebrations also allow Australian Unity staff to learn more about our First Nation people. “It’s for everybody. For our nonAboriginal employees at Australian Unity who haven’t had an opportunity to really understand NAIDOC Week, it’s all about embracing the community you’re living in; acknowledgement and respect.

S H A R O N B LOX S O M E SENIOR PROJEC T OFFICER, AUSTRALIAN UNIT Y ABORIGINAL HOME CARE

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TOGETHER

Emma Booth and Zidane trained together six days a week in the lead up to the Rio Paralympics.

PARA-EQUESTRIAN

champions

A love of horses and an admiration for skilled horsemanship is part of our country’s DNA words Annie Hall

t’s a heart-stopping sport. The smallest error by horse or rider and medal hopes are dashed after years of hard work and preparation. But when rider and horse work together in harmony, equestrian events are an exhilarating spectacle.

Four Paralympic riders were preparing to represent Australia on Deodoro Stadium’s equestrian arena at the Rio Paralympic Games when this article was written: Emma Booth, from Langwarrin South in Victoria; Katie Umback from Bega, New South Wales; Lisa Martin from Scone, New South Wales; and Beijing Paralympic veteran Sharon Jarvis from Donnybrook in Western Australia. Prior to Rio, Australia had won nine medals in equestrian events at the Paralympic Games – three gold, one silver and five bronze — since the sport was introduced in Atlanta in 1996. Even before competition begins, the Rio Para-Equestrian team has won gold, for the team with the most logistical challenges, Julia Battams, the team’s Head Coach, says. “The sailing team tried to claim it, but they just have to store boats in a warehouse. It doesn’t compare. “We’ve packed brooms, rakes, sand, power boards and tool kits. In Rio the stables are basic concrete tilt slabs and we had to set them up when we got there,” Julia says. The South American location added to the complications. The team had to go to Rio via Europe, so the horses could be considered European residents, because there are no transport protocols between South America and Australia.

I no longer take excuses from able-bodied athletes about blisters, etc. You would never hear Paralympians talk like that. They never, ever complain, they just get on with it.” J U L I A B AT TA M S, HEAD COACH PARALYMPIC EQUESTRIAN TEAM

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TOGETHER

Riders were accompanied by personal trainers and some took family and carers. As part of the official team, there were four grooms and four staff — a sports science manager, team leader, head coach and vet. Team spirit is always strong among Paralympians, says Julia, who has been the National Performance Director for Para-Equestrian events since 2011. “I’ve coached able equestrian teams and Paralympic equestrian teams,” she says. “They are completely different. Para-riders — their whole mindset is around, ‘How can I do that?’ Able-bodied athletes say, ‘It’s not working’. “I no longer take excuses from able-bodied athletes about blisters, etc,” she says. “You would never hear Paralympians talk like that. They never, ever complain, they just get on with it.” ^ [ SEE OUR STORY ON THE BENEFITS OF EQUINE THERAPY, PAGE 46.

TOGETHER

DREAM WITHOUT LIMITS Emma Booth first thought about going to the Rio Paralympics in 2013, when she was in hospital recovering from the accident that changed her life. “I looked up Para-Equestrian dressage when I was in hospital, but it was really when I had my first ride after the accident that I thought it was something I would be able to do,” she says. Emma, now 25, has ridden since winning a horse when she was 11. She had been a successful equestrian competitor before her accident and was determined to get back in the saddle. Emma was in the final weeks of her preparation for the 2016 Rio Paralympics, when she spoke to Flourish. “At the moment I’m still training six days a week and I do Pilates and physio three times a week on top of that,” Emma says. “I think it’s important to do something other than just riding to keep fit. I started Pilates a couple of years ago and have found it really transferrable to my riding, as it helps build core strength and fitness. Physio is about keeping the body fit and healthy and preventing injuries.” Para-dressage is the only equestrian discipline in the Paralympic Games. Emma, who lives in Langwarrin South in Victoria, is ranked Australia’s number one Grade II rider. She will compete in the three tests of her event – walk, trot and canter – each scored out of 10, with her 13-year-old Danish Warmblood horse, Zidane. Emma has her highest hopes pinned on the “free walking” section of the event. “I’m really confident with Zidane’s walk movements. He is just incredible,” she says. “He’s pretty good at trot too.” Strong family support has been the motivation behind Emma’s re-invented equestrian career. She’s had a bit of help from her friends too. Buddy Glenn Carter is “an absolute gem” (and a former ironman and triathlete) who established Emma’s Ride with No Limits foundation and cycled around Australia for 68 days to support her to raise $114,000 for her Paralympic dream.

Emma says the support of family and friends has helped her achieve her Paralympic dream.

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ridewithnolimits.com equestrian.org.au/news/para-equestrian

Not FOR

APPLAUSE

Through a lifetime of helping others, Graham Whittaker has learnt the most valuable asset he can give is his time words BONNIE ZIEGELER photos DEAN GOL JA

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TOGETHER

raham Whittaker had been living at Australian Unity’s Willandra Village retirement community in Sydney’s Northern Beaches for just a week when a police van came to collect him.

Some of these kids don’t have parents, they’ve had difficult upbringings. Sometimes all they need is someone to listen. I want them to know they can turn their lives around.” G R A H A M W H I T TA K E R VOLUNTEER

Two policemen called into the office and asked for the new resident, much to the surprise of the staff. “I was taken away for the day and, of course, the word got around,” Graham says. “The staff were starting to question what sort of resident they’d let in.” At that point, they didn’t know Graham was a longstanding Justice of the Peace (JP) who was often whisked away by the police to assist young people in trouble. Now the story is a source of great amusement for the community. “When is the paddy wagon coming for you again, Graham?” the residents joke. All humour aside, Graham’s volunteer work is a serious commitment that takes up much of the 74-year-old’s time.

Graham grew up on Sydney’s lower North Shore, before moving to Frenchs Forest and then Cromer. After more than 42 years in the insurance industry, Graham retired and found himself with time on his hands. He had been involved in the Open Brethren church as a lay pastor, marriage celebrant and conference centre board director for many years. Graham Whittaker, (top) a mild-mannered Justice of the Peace and (below) part-time superhero as revealed in our Tea & Bickies series.

He was also a board director for Everyman’s Welfare Services, assisting the Australian Defence Force. It was only natural for him to extend his contribution.

As a JP, some of Graham’s tamer tasks include authorising documents and witnessing signatures, but he’s recently started lending a hand in the Juvenile Justice division of the police force. “I’ve always taken an interest in young people and their wellbeing,” he says. “Some of these kids don’t have parents, they’ve had difficult upbringings. Sometimes all they need is someone to listen. I want them to know they can turn their lives around.” It’s nothing out of the ordinary for the police to call Graham out at 3am to offer support during an

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Hear Graham in our Tea & Bickies series teaandbickies.com.au

interview with a youth in trouble. He has also participated in several “drug burns”. “I go as a JP to witness and sign off that the drugs were burnt,” he says. “I’ve learnt a lot about the police system … they offer great support to our community.” Graham has just retired from the Salvation Army after 15 years as a qualified suicideprevention counsellor. He worked regular four-hour shifts for the crisis helpline. “People rang in the most desperate times of their lives,” he says. “Often they were attempting suicide and we were their last resort. “All I could do was keep talking to them, to try to give them some inspiration to live. On many occasions, we were able to rescue them.” Such an intense role could have taken an emotional toll, but Graham says he was able to shut off after the shifts. “I did what I could at the time and that gave me satisfaction, knowing they had hope and an option to move forward,” he says. The altruism doesn’t stop there, though Graham also sings in a choir at the Royal North Shore Hospital and he and his wife, Jane, are active members of their retirement community’s residents’ committees. When Graham isn’t volunteering, he’s spending quality time with his family – two daughters, two sons-in-law, six grandchildren and a great-grandson. He and Jane celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in April. Graham also enjoys a hit of tennis twice a week and a swim in the retirement community’s pools, or a surf at his local beach, depending on the season. “The community is a great group of people,” he says. “I’m not short of friends, that’s for sure.” Graham says being involved in so many activities improves his lifestyle. “I take great pleasure out of seeing what I can do,” he says. “It’s about giving back; I feel very blessed with what I have.”

I’m certainly not bored in retirement, I love every minute.” G R A H A M W H I T TA K E R VOLUNTEER & WILLANDRA VILLAGE RESIDENT

In light of this, he encourages his contemporaries to put their hands up as well. “You don’t get paid,” is a common response. “Is that really what life’s all about?” Graham says. “There’s always something to do or someone to help. “Look in your local community papers, get your Working With Children Check and Police Check – just get out there and be involved.” For this unsung hero, volunteering isn’t a burden or a chore, it’s a way of life. “I’m certainly not bored in retirement, I love every minute.” Graham says. ^ S p r i n g 2 0 1 6 F LOU R I SH

DISCOVER

More than 100 species of tulips, complemented by other bulbs and annuals, will bloom at Canberra’s Floriade festival this Spring.

Bloomin’ marvellous

Canberra is filled with the glorious colours of Spring words Maria Triaca

Floriade, the annual festival that celebrates Spring, runs from September 17 to October 16 in Canberra’s Commonwealth Park. This year’s event is expected to attract nearly 500,000 visitors from interstate and overseas, especially New Zealand.

What began as a one-off floral tribute for Australia’s bicentenary, and Canberra’s 75th anniversary, is now Canberra’s best-known annual tourist event. Last year, Floriade claimed silver in the major festivals and events category of the Australian Tourism Awards.

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Past Floriade themes have included Carnivale, Innovation, Reflection and Rock ’n’ Roll. This year there is no theme; instead, organisers are taking a back-to-basics approach that focuses on showing the best in horticulture, gardening, landscaping, innovation and design. More than 100 species of tulips, complemented by bulbs and annuals, from hyacinths and jonquils to pansies, form the basis of the festival. Floriade will also host the Gardening Australia Gardener of the Year Awards. A giant planter box has been especially designed and built for this year’s event.

Images courtesy visitcanberra.com

ach September the national capital blooms with more than one million flowers.

Floriade is a free event, managed and delivered by Events ACT for the Australian Capital Territory Government. An expert team of landscape gardeners, contractors, 250 dedicated volunteers and local and national sponsors work for up to a year to help make it a success.

“The bulbs and annuals are ordered in November. We get the plants in late February and start marking out the design.

Floriade’s Head Gardener, Andrew Forster, has been part of every Floriade since it began in 1988, when he was a horticulture apprentice. He has been Head Gardener since 1997.

Andrew says quality potting mix is the key to getting the most out of your bulbs. “Get the $10 bag, not the $5 one and have a mix of bulbs and annuals in your garden for continual flowering over a longer period,” he says. ^

“The design is completed by the Floriade design team 18 months before the event starts,” Andrew says.

“We start building the paths and garden beds in March and then plant from early April until the end of May or early June.”

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We can support you to maintain your independence australianunity.com.au/home-services

TOGETHER

Rosie shares her secrets A sense of humour, no whinging and being active are key to a fulfilling and long life words Maria Triaca pictures Rosie Bonwick

osie Bonwick still lives in her own home on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, cooks her own meals, walks every day and exercises to keep supple. She’s 104. Rosie used to “do a bit of dancing”, but stopped last century. “I still do exercises with my legs and I make myself walk every day,” she says. “I always did the garden, but now I’ve got a walking stick it’s a bit difficult. A sense of humour helps in old age, my word it does. Don’t whinge, just put up with it. “Of course I’ve got aches and pains but nothing I can’t handle,” Rosie says. Helping Rosie handle those aches and pains and her domestic chores are dedicated carers from Australian Unity’s Home Care Service, who visit her every morning. Rosie was older than 100 before she sought support through home services. “I can still do a lot of the things they do for me – make the bed and do the washing up and put the washing on and sweep my floor – but they are here to see that I am still alive,” she says.

Pictures taken by Rosie Bonwick during her long career. (Clockwise from above) Narrabeen Lakes, coastal and rural New South Wales in the 1950s.

She loves that knock on the door every morning and the familiar call of: “How are you today Rosie?” Rosie started work, aged 15, as a retoucher and colourer in a photographic studio. She worked as a professional photographer until she was 80. “There were portraits in the studio but I’d go out and do stuff on my own. I liked taking scenery. I’ve got shots of Narrabeen Lakes, around there, ducks and lakes,” she says.

A sense of humour helps in old age, my word it does.” ROSIE BONWICK

Rosie has a daughter, Lindy, three grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. She has lived alone since her husband left her, which she reckons was about 50 years ago.

“I’m not lonely. I get visitors. I potter about. I’ve got four or five friends and one brings me fruit and vegetables from the market, which keep me healthy.” ^

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DISCOVER

What makes eSPORTS, sport?

Rio hosted an eGames Showcase during the Olympics, now gamers are one step closer to calling themselves athletes words JAMIE FARNELL photos HELENA KRISTIANSSON (ESL)

ho would have thought all those days spent indoors playing video games would pay off? Welcome to the world of eSports, a growing phenomenon leading home-based gamers into packed stadiums where they can compete for prize pools of up to $US20 million. eSports is an evolution of video gaming and offers international competition on a professional level. Although not quite mainstream, it’s definitely on the verge, with high-end sport networks such as ESPN competing for the broadcast rights. The Rio de Janeiro eGames Showcase 2016, held during the Olympic Games, offered more prize money than many Olympians could ever hope to earn.

WHAT ARE eSPORTS?

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eSports, often known as electronic sports or pro-gaming, are international, multiplayer video competitions based around real-time battle strategy. Video gaming, a hobby that began in arcades and on home computers, is now played worldwide for millions of dollars in prize money.

In Australia alone, there has been rapid growth in the number of eSports competitions. Chris “Mayo” Smith, an Australian ex-competitive gamer, competed in the first cyber gamer national finals, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, in Victoria in 2012. He says there are a variety of competitions available for Australian gamers of any level of expertise. “The most important company right now is the Electronic Sports League (ESL) bringing in international talent and qualifiers to Australian shores,” Chris says. “Although, if you’re looking to just start out or grow your skills, look out for the

lower leagues, such as ESEA (eSports Entertainment Association League)for practising with team mates, or RFLAN (Redflag Lanfest in Western Australia), Respawn (Victoria)and ELEAGUE (New South Wales) for some live event action.” Gamers hold these competitions in high regard as they allow highly skilled competitors a chance to showcase their ability on a world stage. Popular competitions include: League of Legends, Call of Duty, StarCraft, Dota 2, Super Smash Bros and Hearthstone. “Without constant competitions and live exposure, players are unable to build an income, grow sponsorship exposure and more importantly take their experience and perform on a global scale,” Chris says. But it isn’t just the money and sponsorship. StarCraft player and pro-gamer Jared “PiG” Krensel says the competitions allow gamers to build friendships and exercise their minds. Jared, who is involved in eSports commentary and coaching, represented Australia at the Winter Circuit Championship in Poland this year. “Competitive gaming allows people to come together and share the growing pastime of gaming and also elevate those who are the very best,” Jared says. A welcoming community of enthusiasts, who all share a similar love for gaming, is just one reason the competitions are gaining fans.

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DISCOVER “Passion, commitment, excitement and community are all words that come to mind when I think about why I love the sport. I’m able to take something relatively new, like gaming, and make a living out of it, while connecting with people who live and breathe this passion as much as I do,” Chris says. It hasn’t always been fun and games for the eSports community. In past years, critics have sometimes questioned whether gaming should be considered a sport. In 2014, ESPN president John Skipper claimed gaming wasn’t a sport and that the channel was focused only on broadcasting real sports. A year later, ESPN commentator Colin Cowherd criticised professional video gaming, calling players “nerds” and saying he would retire if ESPN broadcast eSports tournaments. Despite this negative perception of professional video gaming, in 2013 the United States Government began granting visas to eSports players under the category of professional athlete, thereby classifying professional gaming as a sport.

Competitive gaming allows people to come together and share the growing pastime of gaming.” J A R E D “PiG” K R E N S E L GAMER

If you’re wondering how playing video games could compare to the likes of Gary Ablett on a football field, researchers have found that eSports players possess comparable skills and attitudes to traditional athletes.

(Above) Champions have hero status; (below) a packed eSports stadium; (right) Jared Krensel during the World Championship Series in 2015.

Academics from Winthrop University in South Carolina say one of the fundamental elements that

justifies classifying professional gaming as a sport, is its competition. Just like any other sport, it requires competitiveness, which ultimately comes down to a thirst for victory. Dr Steven Conway, Senior Lecturer in Games and Interactivity at Swinburne University of Technology, agrees. He says players are actively competitive. “eSports players exhibit similar attitudes to traditional sports players because in both contexts one is playing a competitive game. The successful playing of a competitive game demands certain skills and attitudes come to the fore,” Steven says. Researchers also suggest that the skill level in professional gaming could be compared to that of traditional sports. Some some scientists believe certain games require a higher level of strategy than traditional games such as chess. “Traditional sports demand the exercise of gross motor skills (running, jumping, swimming, etc), with lesser emphasis on fine motor skills (wrist work, hand-eye/foot-eye coordination, etc). eSports inverts this relationship: fine motor skills are dominant (aiming, clicking, etc),” Steven says. It’s possible another competition will be held during the next Olympic Games in 2020. Meanwhile, pro-gamers such as Jared are hoping for more regular sport-style broadcasts, so more people can bask in the glory of gaming. “People love watching eSports for the same reason they love watching sports. You can appreciate someone doing amazing things in a game, which you never thought possible,” Jared says. “You get to know personalities and that connection makes you root for them even harder. Sport is the best drama the world has to offer and eSports is no different.” ^

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ESPORTS: play.esea.net play.elsgaming.com rflan.org respawn.com.au eleague.gg

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Walking trails for people of all abilities words Lachean Humphreys

DISCOVERY FOR ALL

rom its rugged mountains to its spectacular coastline, New South Wales is home to nearly five million hectares of scenic parkland. Walking tracks are a great way to take in bushland and rainforest, marsupials and native birds, plus vibrant native flora. Tracks can be enjoyed by beginners, families and experienced hikers, though with so many to choose from, choices are best made around accessibility, timeframe and nature interests. Many tracks are graded for their level of difficulty, ranging from grade one (gentle, accessible and less than five kilometres)to grade five (requiring a high level of experience and navigational and emergency skills).

Images courtesy Destination NSW and WQuilliam/NSW & Australian Governments

WHEEL GOOD WALKS

TRAILRIDER Christina Bullivant, Senior Project Officer at New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), says grade one means a walk is classified as wheelchair and stroller-friendly. “Having said that, there may be tracks that are more than five kilometres and that’s the reason for them being grade two,” Christina says. “These walks may still be suitable, depending on the level of support needed or individual mobility.”

HISTORY AND BEAUTY The Banks-Solander track is a 750-metre loop, with a nearby picnic area, accessible toilets and accessible parking. The track is named after Captain James Cook’s pioneering botanists Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, and many of Australia’s native plants were first discovered and recorded in this area in 1770. g

NPWS provides equipment to support people in tackling more challenging tracks – including up and down stairs. The TrailRider, an all-terrain wheelchair, is available in Kamay Botany Bay National Park and in Dorrigo National Park. One is being trialled at Kosciuszko National Park. The TrailRider is free to hire. Users will need two walking partners to assist them. Kamay Botany Bay National Park, about a 20-minute drive out of Sydney, is a good starting place for those who live near, or are visiting, the city. [ SEE OUR STORY ON THE TRAILRIDER IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF FLOURISH

The Skywalk at Dorrigo National Park. (Opposite, clockwise from top left) The TrailRider in action at Dorrigo; wheelchair access at Minnamurra Rainforest.

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DISCOVER STR AP

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For a longer and more challenging walk in Dorrigo, the Wonga Walk starts 400 metres into the Lyrebird Link track and follows a 6.6-kilometre loop past the Crystal Shower Falls. The track features gentle hills, occasional steps and can take two to three hours. Spring is a great time to wander through the 600-year-old trees and enjoy the colourful fungi displays and birdlife. The Welcome Walk in the Hunter Wetlands National Park is another favourite for birdwatchers. Winding through the saltwater wetlands of the Hunter River estuary, the raised boardwalk path is one kilometre long and takes about 40 minutes. Also in the Hunter Wetlands, the Scotts Point Way to Riverside Park trail follows the Hunter River. This gentle 1.4-kilometre walk, or leisurely bike ride, begins and ends at a picnic spot. The Riverside Park end also has a jetty popular for fishing.

VIEWS TO REMEMBER The Blue Mountains National Park boasts spectacular views and plenty of trails.

FURTHER INFORMATION For more on accessible national parks nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

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Lookouts include views across the Grose Valley. Wildflowers, peppermint and scribbly gums are dotted along the track, which leads to a picnic area at Govett’s Leap lookout. This walk is ideal for a family outing and is a quieter option than the Echo Point lookout on the Three Sisters walking trail.

PARK ENTRY Before heading out, it’s a good idea to research park entry fees. Companion Card holders can enter national parks for free, while pensioner Concession Card holders are entitled to free motor vehicle entry, but will need to apply online for an exemption card with NPWS. Australian Seniors Card holders are eligible for 20 per cent off the full price of NPWS annual passes. WALKING IN VICTORIA In Victoria all-terrain wheelchairs are available in many parks, including in the Dandenong Ranges and the Grampians. The Walk in the Park Program runs group walks for visitors who are blind or visionimpaired. Park volunteers assist with orientation and sign reading, and also to provide information and describe the surrounding native flora. ^

Game on: TOY VS TECH

parkweb.vic.gov.au Images courtesy Have Wheelchair Will Travel; R Cleary Seen Australia/OEH

Blue Mountains National Park has many accessible walks. Hunter Valley Wetlands (right) and Crystal Shower Falls are now fully accessible (below right).

The grade one Fairfax Heritage walk has a 1.7-kilometre track accessible by wheelchairs and strollers, with seats along the way.

Are traditional toys being left on the shelf? Big kids must ensure old-fashioned toys survive in a tech-smart world words Kirstie Bedford

Images Alamy and iStockphoto

Dorrigo National Park, on the north coast, offers some gentle tracks and the popular Skywalk lookout. The Lyrebird Link track is an 800-metre return through World Heritage-listed rainforest.

emember hopscotch, marbles, hula hoops, skipping ropes and building blocks? They are games many of us played, as did our parents and grandparents.

Skip forward to today’s children, who would prefer to play games on their mobile device than board games such as Snakes and Ladders. Traditional toys are fighting for survival in a tech-obsessed world, market research company IBISWorld says. Dolls and building blocks face intense competition from alternative forms of entertainment, particularly video and computer games.

…there’s a trend to get people off devices and connecting with each other … we’ve seen a bit of resurgence of the traditional board game because of that.” ROZ FISHER HASBRO PACIFIC MARKETING DIREC TOR S p r i n g 2 0 1 6 F LOU R I SH

DISCOVER STR AP

LICENSING Fiona Cameron, Editor Toy & Hobby Retailer, says no one saw Frozen coming, certainly not Barbie. “Barbie has been on the decline … but we can’t write her off – she went to the moon after all,” Fiona says.

Jem Anning, IBISWorld Senior Industry Analyst, says developments in video game technology and the continual release of games have diverted children’s attention and intensified competition.

She believes the idea of licensing toys (toys branded from movies)is growing. “Years ago Disney began to put brands on consumer products. There was the Mickey Mouse watch, for instance, but that was about it.

Research shows children are demanding more sophisticated toys at a younger age. It’s easy to see why toys such as Sphero (a spherical robot toy controlled by a smartphone or tablet)have been so successful.

“Now it’s big business and a lot of the smaller retailers have had to move away from it to differentiate.”

Claire Tindall, Sphero’s Director of Marketing and Communications, questions why children whose lives are immersed in technology should settle for less with their toys.

Barbie has been on the decline … but we can’t write her off – she went to the moon after all.” FIONA CAMERON EDITOR TOY & HOBBY RETAILER

Specialty toy retailer Chris Leggatt, who owns Trombie Toys in Melbourne’s Sandringham, doesn’t sell licensed toys.

“Unlike traditional toys, where right out of the box, they are as good as they’ll ever be, we have the ability to enhance the experience over time through app updates. Our BB-8 App-Enabled Droid has a new feature that enables you to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens with your Sphero BB-8. It visibly reacts to events in the movie with animations and sounds,” Claire says.

“Five times a day I hear people say, ‘I need something for the child that has everything’. I find things they don’t have.”

THE SPIN ON TRADITION Hasbro, the world’s second largest toy maker, believes there is still demand for traditional toys, but says they have evolved. Roz Fisher, Hasbro Pacific Marketing Director, says toys such as Mr Potato Head, released in 1952, are still popular, but have changed.

Sally-Anne McCormack, a Melbourne-based clinical psychologist, former teacher and mother of four, is worried by the tech trend.

“He was a free-form play character and the essence of what he is, is still the same … we’ve just done things like creating a pop culture version of him ... so we had Darth Vader … and Ironman.”

“Entrepreneurs can make something out of nothing, but kids these days don’t have those basic skills ... we will find we get a generation that’s not as creative.

Her customers are parents and grandparents, who like the customer service and advice they get from a small retailer. “They come in here and they don’t go for things that are tech-driven, they want practical and traditional toys and things that encourage children to think and use their hands,” Chris says.

“We are going to find in the future that things are lacking in this current generation. We won’t really know the impact for a number of years,” she says.

“We’re just not giving these kids the opportunity to express themselves.”

Roz says parents and grandparents are looking for toys such as Mr Potato Head, board games and Lego to reduce children’s screen time.

Fiona Cameron says tech toys aren’t the enemy. “But kids need to learn about colour, shades, interaction and cause and effect ... when things fall off – that’s gravity.”

Barbie is another toy that has had to evolve to survive. In March, manufacturer Mattel made the most dramatic change to Barbie’s much-criticised figure in 57 years, launching three new body types – tall, curvy and petite – and adding varying skin tones, 15 eye colours and 22 hairstyles.

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Images Alamy and iStockphoto

“We feel there’s a trend to get people off devices and connecting with each other and in the past 12 months we’ve seen a bit of resurgence of the traditional board game because of that.”

She says it’s up to parents and grandparents to ensure traditional toys survive. “It’s our job to ensure we interact with kids today, play board games and marbles and keep traditions alive.” ^

(Opposite, top to bottom) Barbie all boxed-up; Mr Potato Head; (Right, top to bottom) Remember these? Barrel of Monkeys, Snakes and Ladders, Etch A Sketch and Rubik’s Cube.

DISCOVER You don’t have to spend a lot of money either. “Fifty dollars will buy you a rod, line, hooks, sinkers and bait,” David says. “Once you have your first set-up and a fishing license, it costs nothing to fish along your local jetty, beach or riverbank. And the meals you make using your catch are good returns on your investment. Fishing is one of the easiest ways of gathering your own food today.”

Fishing’s about sitting in a serene environment, watching the birds, the view, getting outside.” J E A N E T T E S E I G N I O R, FISHING ENTHUSIAST

Carol McDonald joined the Gippsland Lakes Fishing Club in Victoria six years ago, following retirement. She had fished a little when she was growing up on the Murray River but has now found more time for the hobby. Carol’s husband Alby is also a member of the club and loves going prawning, a pastime they enjoy together. Carol says she likes the hunter/gatherer lifestyle. “I like opportunities to find my own food.” Carol’s top tip is to bring extra hooks and sinkers. “Have lots of spare hooks and sinkers in case you get a snag,” Carol says. “Don’t get stressed if you lose a hook, they’re not expensive.

The big catch

“We live at Lakes Entrance so we fish at Lake Tyers and sometimes at Marlo, where the Snowy River goes out to the sea.” Fellow Victorian fishing enthusiast Jeanette Seignior comes from a family of recreational fishers and has also fished since she was a child.

Fishing is a wonderful way to reconnect with nature after a long, cold Winter. Here are a few tips to help you get hooked

“My father fishes, so does my brother and my husband. I have a son who is fanatical about fishing. We all fish,” the East Gippsland resident says.

words Jennifer Morton

he says. To catch a fish, you need the right gear. “The longer the rod, the further you’ll cast. And the further you cast, the better your chances.” If you are fishing from a jetty, a variety of chrome metal lures will help you catch salmon or tailor. Be careful to match the lure size to the size of the fish you are hoping to catch.

Victorian fishing enthusiast David Kramer has been fishing since he was four. “I have black and white photos of me fishing. I used to go with my grandfather,” he says.

Want to snag a squid? You don’t need to use a specially designed squid jig. David says using whole bait fish is a technique often overlooked.

David, the Manager at Tackleworld in Cranbourne and Mornington, says the best thing about fishing is that it’s an activity for all ages and abilities. “But if you don’t catch a fish, you may not want to do it again,”

“I’ve caught some of the biggest squid on suspended bait,” he says. “But if you like using jigs, look for the Australian-designed brands Ika and Odori. They have great ranges of colourful jigs.”

F LOU R I SH S p r i n g 2 0 1 6

“Fishing is about sitting in a serene environment, watching the birds, the view, getting outside, getting the sun on your body and contemplating,” Jeanette says. Fishing is so popular, that some councils in country Victoria have installed wheelchair-accessible fishing platforms. Look for platforms in Mallacoota, Lilydale, Bendigo, Bairnsdale (the Mitchell River, a great place to fish) and Lake Hyland at Churchill. ^ Images iStockphoto

ishing is one of Australia’s favourite pastimes. It’s a sport that can be enjoyed from childhood through to retirement. Seventy-five per cent of fishing enthusiasts aged over 50 have been fishing for more than 30 years, according to a 2014 survey by Curtin University.

“My favourite time to go fishing is at sunset and then stay for the moon rising. It’s a beautiful time to catch pinkies (small snapper).

Discover some top Australian fishing spots exploreaustralia.net.au/ Activities/Fishing-spots

FISHING

QUICK TIPS AND BEST PRACTICES

• Have the right gear and bait for the fish you’re hoping to catch. • Learn to tie simple knots to attach hooks and sinkers. Fishing clubs or YouTube videos can teach you. • Take a fold-up chair. • When river fishing, tie a bell to the end of your rod. This way, you can enjoy a book while waiting for a bite. • Bring your camera or mobile phone to take photos of your fish and the scenery. • Treat the fish humanely. • Dispose of your rubbish and fish waste appropriately. • Use sea water to clean saltwater fish.

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TOGETHER

LEST WE FORGET A gunner, a radio officer and a mechanic recall the value of wartime friendships words Johanna Leggatt

TOGETHER

emembering the past is not always easy for World War II veteran John Kilgour. The 93-year-old resident of Australian Unity’s Victoria Grange in Victoria’s Vermont South, was a gunner in the British Army and lost a few mates in battles.

two-minute silence at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month — the time and date the World War I armistice came into effect in the United Kingdom.

Philip, 94, recently moved to Australian Unity’s Victoria Grange and hopes to commemorate Remembrance Day this year at a local service with his son.

John was a builder in Scotland before enlisting in the British Army when war broke out. He was young, single and saw war as a bit of an adventure.

“I have told him that when I pass on, he needs to take my medals, pin them on the other side of his chest and keep marching each year,” Philip says.

“War is a terrible thing,” he says. “You spend a lot of time trying not to remember certain things.”

“Most of my pals had enlisted, so I thought that was a great idea,” he says. “There was a certain excitement to putting my life on the line.”

World War II veteran Jack Stone, 93, was an Air Force mechanic in Darwin during the Japanese raids.

There is one day each year, however, when John lets his mind wander. Each and every November 11, for as long as he can remember, John has shared his wartime experiences with fellow veterans.

Of course, the reality of war was extremely tough at times. John coped by forming strong friendships on his ship, which fought fascist forces in the Mediterranean and North Africa.

John, who grew up in a small town in Scotland, can usually be found at one of a handful of services across Melbourne. He uses the occasion to catch up with his veteran mates and remember those he lost.

Remembrance Day has been observed by Commonwealth nations since the end of World War I. It was initially designated as a day to honour those who were killed in the Great War. In recent times it has grown to include those who served in any war or conflict and involves a one or

(Left to right) World War II veteran Jack Stone today and during his days as an Air Force mechanic. (Right) John Kilgour and Philip Orchard at Victoria Grange.

F LOU R I SH S p r i n g 2 0 1 6

Fellow seaman Philip Orchard knows all about the value of wartime friendship. Images Dean Golja and courtesy Jack Stone

“We hardly ever see each other because we are so spread out across Melbourne,” John says. “My son will often come too. It is great to see younger people getting involved in commemorations.”

“You had to make good friends because it helped with all the bombs and bullets,” he says.

Philip made some great friends during his time as a radio officer with the Australian Merchant Navy during World War II, which allowed him to travel to every part of the world. “I treated it just the same as any other job, even though it was obviously war time,” Philip says. After the war, Philip settled in Sydney and each and every Remembrance Day he has marched in the parade through Sydney’s CBD.

Until he lost his mobility, Jack, who lives at Australian Unity’s Peninsula Grange in Mornington, was a regular at Remembrance Day marches. A few months ago, he passed his medals to his 17-year-old great-grandson to mind for him and help keep the memories alive. “I have tried as best as I can to explain to him what each medal means,” Jack says. Remembrance Day remains a time of great reflection for Jack, who says if war taught him anything it is the importance of fostering understanding. “You have to give as well as take,” he says. “It is important to see the other person’s point of view in life.” ^

You had to make good friends because it helped with all the bombs and bullets.” J O H N K I LG O U R, WORLD WAR II VETERAN & VIC TORIA GRANGE RESIDENT

S p r i n g 2 0 1 6 F LOU R I SH

To book a hydrotherapy session in Melbourne visit remedyhealthcare.com.au/rathdowne-place-wellness-centre

BALANCE

does aqua aerobics twice a week because she is hooked on the supportive benefits of water. The supportive properties of the 34˚C water are critical, says Marion Adeney-Steel, a physiotherapist for Remedy Healthcare at Australian Unity’s Rathdowne Place wellbeing precinct in Carlton in Victoria. Marion has used hydrotherapy with her clients for many years and is a well-versed advocate for its benefits. She says the water temperature relaxes muscles, provides pain relief and aids relaxation. The buoyancy removes the fear of falling and increases confidence to move. The resistance of the water allows weakened or post-surgical muscles to regain strength, she says. Marion has assisted people confined to wheelchairs with muscle-wasting conditions to walk again when in the pool and seen stroke survivors, people with MS, Parkinson’s disease and many other conditions regain the confidence to move freely.

The power of water The ancient Romans were onto something when they discovered the health benefits of warm water

“There’s a reason you always see footballers in the pool or the sea after a match. Hydrotherapy is a great way to get muscle recovery after an event.

words Emma Castle photos Mark Munro

“Part of what we do here is try to extend the life of a joint in order to delay joint replacement surgery or maximise your recovery. We have a class called Hips and Shoulders, Knees and Toes that is designed for this purpose,” Marion says.

ix months after starting a hydrotherapy program, belly-dancing teacher Rita Fisher no longer relies on a wheelchair for mobility and proudly walks with a single crutch.

with one-and-a-half to two hours of hydrotherapy, followed by gym work, twice a week. In 12 weeks, she graduated from the wheelchair to a walker. Now, six months later, she is supported only by that single crutch.

Rita, who lives in Tamworth, New South Wales, was hospitalised for a month following a knee replacement. Rita says many people who have single or double-knee replacements are up and walking within a week, but she remained immobile after returning home.

Rita, 45, says she loves being able to walk normally and is even able to rehearse choreography for her dance troupe in the pool. “People must have thought I was mad, but it was such a relief to be able to move freely,” she says.

Rita began her hydrotherapy rehabilitation program

“I have people of all ages and abilities benefiting and enjoying regular group or individual sessions. There are very few people who wouldn’t benefit from hydrotherapy following a careful assessment and tailored program,” Marion says.

F LOU R I SH S p r i n g 2 0 1 6

Rita says hydrotherapy was the highlight of her rehabilitation. She still walks with a limp, but

There are very few people who wouldn’t benefit from hydrotherapy.”

Physiotherapist Marion Adeney-Steel (above) says hydroptherapy can aid in the treatment of many conditions.

M A R I O N A D E N E Y - S T E E L, PHYSIOTHERAPIST

It’s safe to start hydrotherapy three to four weeks after surgery, once the wound is fully healed. So, what actually happens when you’re in the water? Marion says there is a range of exercises for flexibility, strength, endurance and balance using specially designed exercise equipment. Water resistance is not only great for cardiovascular health, but also core and leg strength, which are essential for good balance. ^ Australian Unity’s Rathdowne Place wellbeing precinct is at 497 Rathdowne Street in Carlton, Victoria.

S p r i n g 2 0 1 6 F LOU R I SH

BALANCE

STR AP

A horse will respond uniquely to the client they’re with.” M E G K I R BY EQUINE PSYCHOTHERAPY INSTITUTE

assisted therapies that can happen on horseback, and on the ground. Visitors come to Peakgrove from across Australia – families and couples, children and seniors and corporate groups. They work on building a relationship with the horse, rather than taking on a traditional role as its master.

Horse whisperers Humans and horses have a special relationship that’s physical as well as mental words Lachean Humphreys

Images courtesy Equine Psychotherapy Institute

“This involves leadership skills, but also compassion, kindness and seeing the horse’s perspective,” Saan says. “You really have to dig in to find those sorts of skills.”

orses sometimes know more about people than they know about themselves, equine therapist Saan Ecker says.

Saan and her partner Joanne Byrnes keep 10 horses – seven Arabs, two ponies and one miniature – on their 44-hectare farm, Peakgrove, in the Yass River region of New South Wales. The property is in wild country, 45 minutes from Canberra. Saan and Joanne are certified psychotherapists who come to equine therapy from mental health backgrounds. The equine-assisted experiences they offer cater for people seeking emotional, intellectual and, sometimes, physical therapies. The connection between horse and human can be profound and there are proven benefits to equine-

F LOU R I SH S p r i n g 2 0 1 6

“The psychosocial benefits of working with horses also can be particularly useful for people who are non-verbal or who have limited speech,” Saan says. Meg Kirby, Founder and Director of the Equine Psychotherapy Institute, says horses have an intuitive awareness and can often sense things clients don’t know or don’t intend to project. “A horse will respond uniquely to the client they’re with,” Meg says. “If a client comes across as frustrated, irritated, pushy or moves straight into the horse’s boundaries then the horse will respond aptly. This provides feedback to the client – the practitioner will ask, ‘what did you notice? What happened?’.” Meg, an experienced psychotherapist and Gestalt therapist, trains practitioners in equine-assisted psychotherapy (practised by mental health professionals) and in equine-assisted learning. Meg works with 12 horses on the rolling plains of the institute’s Daylesford farm in Victoria, which offers a range of equine-assisted experiences for personal development. “For a lot of people, especially people who live in the city or people who feel confined to their homes, it’s really a beautiful experience to be in the elements, in a natural environment, to be meeting another species and to be offered an opportunity to learn about themselves,” Meg says. ^

RDA

RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION

The Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) is a national organisation that provides equine facilities and activities for a range of disabilities and ages, including physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs. The association uses methods including hippotherapy, a therapeutic or rehabilitative treatment that could be described as physiotherapy on horseback. Jan Pike, a member of Australian Unity for 33 years, is Executive Officer at RDA New South Wales. “Hippotherapy works with improving balance, hand-eye coordination, muscle strength and overall fitness,” Jan says. “A rider who is usually in a wheelchair all of a sudden has the mobility and the freedom to walk where they want to go – even to jump.” Jan, who has cerebral palsy and started riding when she was 24, represented Australia at two Paralympic Games – in Athens in 2004, winning a silver medal, and in Beijing in 2008, winning bronze. “Because of my very restricted mobility, to be on a horse is like giving up my two bad legs for four really, really good legs,” she says. “I was so proud to be there for Australia and to show the world what my horse and I could do.” rda.org.au* peakgrovesolutions.com.au* equinepsychotherapy.net.au *registered NDIS providers

S p r i n g 2 0 1 6 F LOU R I SH

BALANCE

Need a hand with your gardening? australianunity.com.au/home-services

For gradual change, replace underperforming plants with native ones. Remember plants with grey leaves often prefer drier climates and may suffer from fungal problems in higher humidity.

Images: iStockphoto; courtesy Tatters

There are lots of options for replacing lawns, whether you want a grass and flower meadow or a neat line of low-growing plants, such as myoporum parvifolium.

Know your natives Our Australian plants love growing here, so let them shine words Jane Canaway

pring in Australia is a magical time to explore our native flora and a good time to consider adding some local colour to your garden.

Native plants are naturally suited to Australian conditions and if you choose varieties from your immediate area you’ll be providing food and habitat for native bees, butterflies, lizards, mammals and birds. Unit-dwellers need not miss out – many stunning plants are fusspots best grown in pots: brown or pink scented boronias or vivid orange, red or turquoise lechenaultias, bright yellow and exquisitely detailed verticordias, lapis

F LOU R I SH S p r i n g 2 0 1 6

lazuli derwentias and neon orange-yellow-andpink chorizemas. There is no end to the colours or combinations.

SLOWLY DOES IT For gradual change, replace underperforming plants with native ones. Consider the position to be filled then ask at your local nursery for plants to suit, rather than falling in love with something impractical. For a hedge, try correas or westringias, which can be cut to shape and will still flower. Trimming a little and often is best.

HIGH DRAMA Some native plants are surprise stunners, providing a green backdrop for most of the year, then exploding with colour in Spring: acacias, mint bushes (prostantheras), hibiscus (alyogyne), eriostemon, orchids and daisy bushes (olearia and ozothamnus). Quiet performers such as grevilleas, banksias, eremophilas and small daisies (chrysocephalums, xerochrysums and brachyscomes) bring colour - and wildlife - for much of the year. Then there are the superstar plants whose simple role is to be gorgeous. You only need a few of these in a garden and they need room to shine. The red gymea lily that soars four metres (or more) is a perfect example. Waratahs are almost as spectacular and enjoy the same conditions as azaleas. Grass trees (Xanthorrhoeas) also fit into this category, as do kangaroo paws, which need good air flow.

HEIGHT MATTERS Tall plants lift a garden and provide structure: consider lomandras, dianellas, tree ferns, grass trees and trees. While researching the nine-volume Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants and other books, authors Rodger and Gwen Elliot spent years exploring our native flora. Rodger singles out Eucalyptus petiolaris and E. leucoxylon subspecies megalocarpa as favourite small trees. “You cannot guarantee the flower colour – sometimes young plants with reddish stems may have pink

to reddish flowers – but they are some of the best,” he says.

(Left to right) Rose Mallee eucalypt (Eucalyptus rhodantha); Warratah (Telopea); Kangaroo Paw (Haemodoraceae)

Both are best suited to medium-size gardens but many of the Mallee-type eucalypts only grow up to four metres, offering an Outback look in miniature. There’s the Rose Mallee with enormous pinky red flowers, or Eucalyptus synandra, whose pink-white flowers look like beaded skirts. For a more humid climate, the Blueberry Ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus)with its smooth trunk, dark, shiny leaves and fringed, scented flowers is another of Rodger’s star trees.

PLANTING TV gardener Angus Stewart, from the ABC’s Gardening Australia, recommends checking roots are not pot bound, gently teasing roots out and soaking the root ball in water before planting. He also suggests adding organic matter to improve soil condition. To stop shrubs becoming leggy, Angus says, “tip pruning is a must”. And he says, “staking is best avoided, if at all possible,” because movement in the wind helps strengthen plants and their roots. ^ For more advice and plant lists gardeningwithangus.com.au See also: Royal Botanic Gardens anbg.gov.au/gardens The Australian Native Plants Society anpsa.org.au

S p r i n g 2 0 1 6 F LOU R I SH

PUZZLES 1

Difficulty:

Each square in the puzzle may contain either 0 or 1, and: • No more than two adjacent squares may contain the same digit: you cannot have three adjacent squares, in a row or column, of the same digit.

Across 21

11. Sydney’s state, ... Wales (3,5)

13. Tasmania is known as the Apple ... (4)

O R

O A

O H

D D

W A

R O

T A

L N A

A Y M E

A G H C

L A

A A

R W O N U

E N

D R O N G O R

H O P M A

R U D D

O L

R N

W A

E W S O U O E

I D

I W

17. She loved a sunburnt country, ... Mackellar (8)

14. Canberra mansion, recently refurbished at a cost of close to $9 million, where our Prime Minister and his wife live, The ... (5)

• Each of the nine vertical columns. • Each of the nine horizontal rows. • Each of the nine 3x3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

Crossword:

7. Cloudstreet author, Tim ... (6)

26. New Zealand’s largest stadium, where the Aussies take on the All Blacks in the third Bledisloe Cup match in October, Auckland’s ... Park (4)

Answers

6. Lightning Ridge’s fossilised Lightning Claw or The Wiggles’ Dorothy ... (8)

24. Position claimed three times by Dawn Fraser in the Olympics 100-metre freestyle (5)

29. On Our Selection author (6,4)

5. Crime comedy Two Hands starred Heath Ledger and Bryan ... (5)

23. 20ac’s father-in-law, ... Murdoch (6)

28. The entertainment industry’s Mo Awards are named after the famous clown and comic, Roy ... (4)

4. David Wenham and Susie Porter featured in the 2000 movie, Better ... Sex (4)

21. Surname of singer-songwriter Ella ... (whose band Killing Heidi will reform for this year’s Queenscliff Music Festival) and Super Rugby flanker Michael ... (6)

27. January international tennis competition, held in Perth, for teams consisting of one male and one female player, the ... Cup (6)

3. Humanitarian whose portrait featured on the five-dollar note for more than 20 years, ... Chisholm (8)

25. Perth Zoo has a colony of the shortnecked endangered wetlands dweller, the Western Swamp ... (8)

19. Heritage-listed historic Tasmanian town about halfway between Hobart and Launceston (8)

23. Charles Chauvel film, The Fighting ... Of Tobruk (4)

2. TV and radio personality and comedienne, ... Keller (6)

2 6 8 4

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1-9 must appear in:

22. John Paul Young song, Yesterday’s ... (4)

18. Broken Hill-born coloratura soprano, June ... (8)

20. Maiden name of model and TV presenter Sarah, married to Lachlan Murdoch since 1999 (1’4)

1. Pilbara city adjoining the port of Dampier (8)

18. River that forms part of Queensland’s border with its southern neighbour (6)

Down

16. Walk like a penguin or echidna (6)

15. Australian bowler and media personality, Shane ... (5)

Difficulty:

4 2 8 9 6 3 2 7 5 6 8 9 4 5 9 7 4 5 7 8 2 3 5 4 9 7 5 2 3

12. AC/DC hit, ... Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) (2’1,1)

Sudoku Puzzle

Binary #1 solution:

Sudoku #1 solution:

9 8 3 6 7 4 1 2 5

10. Stupid person – some say the name derives from a 20s racehorse that never managed a win (6)

7 2 1 5 9 3 6 8 4

9. America’s Cup yachting great, ... Murray (4)

• No row may be the same as another row and no column may be the same as another column. However, a row may be the same as a column.

5 4 6 2 1 8 9 3 7

• Each row and each column must contain the same number of 0s and 1s: for a 10 x 10 grid, each row and column will contain five 0s and five 1s.

6 5 9 8 3 7 4 1 2

2 3 4 1 5 9 7 6 8

8 1 7 4 6 2 5 9 3

4 7 2 9 8 1 3 5 6

1 6 8 3 4 5 2 7 9

8. Home & Away’s Alf (3,7)

Binary Puzzle

3 9 5 7 2 6 8 4 1

Aussie Crossword

F LOU R I SH S p r i n g 2 0 1 6

S p r i n g 2 0 1 6 F LOU R I SH

mystery keyword.

Wheel Words

PUZZLES

8 9

A N A B C D C L K O E E

Do Your Block solution:

U R

C H O S

I S T

A G E

M A B

T W O D

O R

N D E V

N G E K

S E

D R

T P

A N G U P G O O E

S G A M P S R

A P

T F

O N A

T C G

A O R E

O L

A L

A N S W R

B N

A O P

S O U G R

S L

1. Pace, 2. Ever, 3. Naan, 4. Iffy, 5. Numb, 6. Sack, 7. Undo, 8. Lace, 9. Able. A

B L

E R

C I V

G G E

N O D U S

Y M S F E

O N

A R G

Mystery keyword: PENINSULA

M A

A D

A S

S B M

T G E D I

A S R E M M

J G M A H E R B

T N

E R O F I I

W S U H V O R E

Answer: AUSTRALIA’S COAT OF ARMS

Answers:

Mystery keyword: BEACH

H E

9-letter word answer:

Mystery keyword: BEACH

Banjo, Elite, Axiom, Cache, Hiker.

Anagram Square solution:

Wheel Words solution: Aver, Eave, Even, Ever, Nave, Rave, Vane, Veer, Vend, Vent, Vert, Avert, Duvet, Evade, Event, Evert, Nerve, Never, Raved, Raven, Revue, Vaned, Vaunt, Venue, Advent, Advert, Avenue, Evader, Nerved, Tavern, Vented, Venter, Averted, Vaunted, Venture, Verdant, Veteran, Ventured. Nine-letter word: ADVENTURE

Al e r t s Backed Bigger D e gre e Eve n e d Fu ro re Impish Le e re d Messes No d ul e Novi ce Pa g e r s Pure s t R e ve a l S c a re s S c re e n S i e ve d St re s s To s s e d Vul g a r

T O D D O R

F LOU R I SH S p r i n g 2 0 1 6

Adag e Am u s e Au dio Ceas e D eeds E l ves G iver Heave Ho ned Ideas K nows M ac ho M ang e N avel Ol ive Po r ts R eads S ewed Trend Val ve

O re Rob S ow Two

S M A L

Answer

6 letters

Mystery keyword: BEACH

1 2 3 4 5 P A V A F U C E A F M Solution: BANJO, E ELITE, R AXIOM, N CACHE, Y HIKER B

C R C

LAR GE LEAPI NG LONG TAI L MARSU PI AL MOB MU SCU LAR POU CH RED SMALL HEAD SPEED SWI MMERS WATER

5 letters

E E

B OXIN G D I S TAN C E S FA S T F I GH TS F O OD F O RELIMBS GR A Z E GR E Y GR OOM ING H E RBIVORE H I ND LEG S H OPPIN G J O E YS

3 letters

30+ = Excellent

A E

Place all the words listed into the grid. Each word can be used once only. The first word has been filled in.

Find all the words listed hidden in the grid of letters. They can be found in straight lines up, down, forwards, backwards or even diagonally. The leftover letters will spell out one place you’ll find a kangaroo.

Difficulty:

G L

Do Your Block

Difficulty:

Word Search

U R O R

N G

H C U O P R F

M S B O X

A M R

A D

H E

Create words of 4 letters 5 5 or more using the given © Lovatts Puzzles Wheel Wordsonce 59 letters only, but always 1 including the middle letter. Solution: Lost ItsHEAD Head LOST ITS Aver, Nave, names Rave, Vane, Veer, Vend, 2 Vent, Vert, Avert, Duvet, Evade, Event, DoEave, notEven, useEver, proper Each of the words reading down has lost its head. Fill in the correct Difficulty: Evert, Nerve, Never, Raved, Raven, Revue, Vaned, Vaunt, Venue, Advent, Advert, Avenue, or plurals ending with S. Averted, Vaunted,first lettersVerdant, to spell Veteran, a nine-letter word reading across, starting with the Evader, Nerved, Tavern, Vented, Venter, Venture, Ventured. 3 given letter. This is the mystery keyword. See if you can find the 9-letter Each of the words reading down has lost its head. Fill in the Nine-letter word: ADVENTURE Solution: word using up all letters. correct first letters to spell a nine-letter word reading across, 4 BANJO, ELITE, AXIOM, CACHE,keyword. HIKER starting with the given letter. This is the mystery 13 = Good 20 = Very Good

Lost It’s Head: 1 Pace, 2 Ever, 3 Naan, 4 Iffy, 5 Numb, 6 Sack, 7 Undo, 8 Lace, 9 Able. Mystery keyword: PENINSULA

S M A L

Y U D

T O D D O R

E E

E W E

C R C

Difficulty:

A N G U P G O O E

Wheel Words

G L

T C G

A E

O N

B T O A K

A O R E

O L X C E

T P

A P

R A

N E A C I

S G A M P

T F

J I I E H

A L

A E M H R

N G

O L

S R

H C U O P R F

A N S W R

B N

________________________________ ________________________________ 1 ________________________________ ________________________________ 2 ________________________________ ________________________________ 3

Y U D

A O P

A R G

T N

E U

S O U G R

E T

T G E D

M S B O X

E R O F

A S

A M R

Y M S F

S B M

N D

W S U H

A S R E M M

M E

O N

P A G E R S O R T S

V O R E

H O N

J G M A H E R B

A J N O B 2 E I E L T Anagram Square ANAGRAM SQUARE 13 Good Difficulty: 20 Very Good 30+ Excellent 3 M I A X O Rearrange the letters in each row to form a word. Write your answers into ________________________________ the blank grid. Thethe first letter from in each Rearrange letters to form a word. Write your 4 row ________________________________ Hfirst E letter C from C each A word, each word, reading down, will spell the answers into the blank grid. The ________________________________ mystery keyword. reading down, will spell the5mystery ________________________________ R Hkeyword. I E K

Create words of 4 letters or more using the given letters once only, but always including the middle letter. Do not use proper names or plurals ending with S. See if you can find the 9-letter word using up all letters.

BALANCE

The roasted strawberries in this pie soften to a gorgeous jammy summer berry syrup, that, when paired with a thick vanilla cream, is the ultimate flavour combination. I recently discovered a little patch of strawberries in my community garden and can’t resist plucking the sweet little berries straight from the plant (yes, I’m the community garden thief). Strawberries and cream are so classically beautiful together and the thyme gives this recipe a beautiful earthy flavour that I love. { Phoebe }

Roasted strawberries and cream pie Serves 10

Ingredients 435g frozen Careme vanilla bean pastry, thawed, or other bought sweet shortcrust rolled to a thickness of 3mm 750g strawberries, hulled (halve any very large ones) 1 vanilla bean, split lengthways and seeds scraped

BAKING BRILLIANCE

Pie lovers Phoebe Wood and Kirsten Jenkins celebrate strawberries

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2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 thyme sprig, plus extra to decorate

Method Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Line the base and side of a 22cm × 5cm deep pie dish with the pastry and trim away the excess. Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with baking beads (or uncooked rice or dried beans). Place on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes or until golden, then remove the baking beads and paper and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the base is dry to the touch. Set aside and leave to cool completely. Keep the oven on. Toss together the strawberries, vanilla bean pod and seeds, maple syrup and thyme on a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for 16 minutes or until softened and slightly syrupy. Cool to room temperature. Whisk the mascarpone, cream, icing sugar and vanilla bean paste together in a bowl until thick. Spread into the cooled pie crust and top with the roasted strawberries and their syrup.

500g mascarpone cheese 375ml (1 1⁄2 cups) thickened (whipping) cream 4 tablespoons pure icing sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

This is an edited extract from The Pie Project by Phoebe Wood & Kirsten Jenkins, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $29.99

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Shooting stars

OF SPRING Asparagus is the stuff of folklore and mystery words Ja ne C a naway

he ancient Greeks discovered the delights of asparagus and it’s no surprise they associated the firm, thick shoots – emerging each spring from winter-dormant soil – with virility.

There is no proof asparagus is an aphrodisiac – nor that it can cure cancer – but it is certainly a delicious, nutritious plant worth enjoying during its brief season.

Asparagus is low in calories and high in antioxidants. It is high in B vitamins, folate, vitamin C, potassium, sodium, iron and fibre.

parmesan spears

Experts disagree on whether it is a natural diuretic and can lower blood pressure – and thus whether it should be avoided by those with uric acid kidney stones or diabetes.

1 bunch asparagus 2 tbsp olive oil salt & pepper 1 /4 cup parmesan cheese, grated balsamic vinegar

Purple asparagus contains anthocyanins – potent antioxidants that aid in the growth of healthy cells.

cooking tip Toss asparagus on the barbie until lightly charred. Serve drizzled with lemon-infused olive oil and cracked black pepper.

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Try it in soup, in a quiche or omelette, tempura style or with smoked salmon and pasta. Blanched asparagus can be frozen or preserved in brine, vinegar or oil. Asparagus can be costly to buy as the roots must be three years old before harvesting. White asparagus, which is grown in the dark, is even more labour-intensive. On the upside, plants last 15-20 years. However, it is easy to grow from seed: six crowns, planted 20-40 centimetres apart during winter, will feed a family. Asparagus grows across Australia but performs best in areas cold enough to induce dormancy. ^

Illustrations by Clementine/ The Illustration Room

When cooking asparagus, light steaming or stir-frying will preserve more nutrients than boiling, but stems can also be eaten raw (add to a salad or blend in a smoothie).

Heat oven to 230oC and drizzle olive oil over a single layer of asparagus on a baking tray. Spread with parmesan and season to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Serve with balsamic vinegar. For recipes and tips asparagus.com.au S p r i n g 2 0 1 6 F LOU R I SH

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The NDIS opens up a world of possibilities. Let us support you. Paul has cerebral palsy and Katharina has Down syndrome. Their goal is to enjoy life together, supporting each other as a couple. With funding from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Australian Unity supports them individually while working with them both to deliver a plan that enables them to be as independent as possible. As one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most experienced disability service providers, we are committed to enabling Paul, Katharina and others to get the best value from the NDIS so they can lead the life they want to lead. To arrange a complimentary introduction to our service, visit australianunity.com.au/ndis or phone us 24/7 on 1300 160 170

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