flourish ELVA RUSH
A pioneer of aviation flies high in retirement
MATILDA HOUSE
An inspiring leader Dealing with dementia creates #BiggerHearts Home Care Packages given a makeover
plus
accessible beaches mindfulness growing orchids
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flourish
IN THIS ISSUE news 03 Community News and events Elva Rush 06 A pioneer of
media 10 Social Older people embrace new communication
Death over dinner 14 Sharing end-of-life plans with your loved ones
16 Art from the heart
Two inspiring Indigenous artists
19 Cultural inclusion
A fresh visual identity
Leader of the house 20 Aunty Matilda unites Australians
Rain, hail or shine 24 The unstoppable Doreen Clift
Minds on the matter 26 Clever solutions for people with disability
terms 30 AOnnewyour approach to
Home Care Packages
1300 160 1 7 0
One small step 34 Empowering people to make decisions
Australian aviation
SUMMER 2017
Good grief 36 Dementia support
in the community
The butterfly effect 39 Get close to nature By the seaside 42 Great Aussie beaches Into the wilderness 44 The TrailRider makes an impact in the bush
Nomad adventures 47 A lifestyle, not a holiday Nourish your mind 50 Take time out Gardening 52 Orchids to love
54 Property 58 Recipes 60 Puzzles 64 Seasonal food
flouris h@a us t ra l ia nunit y.co m .a u
a us t ra l i a n u n i t y. co m. a u / f l o u r i s h
† The information contained in this magazine
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
about Australian Unity’s products or services is correct as at the time of printing. Please visit the Australian Unity website (australianunity.com.au/assisted-living) or phone us on 1300 160 170 to obtain further information about which of our products or 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
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 Hardie Grant Media Private Bag 1600, South Yarra Victoria, Australia 3141 Ph: (03) 8520 6444 hardiegrant.com.au
Contributors (editorial) Nick Adams; Kirstie Bedford; Jane Canaway; Emma Castle; Narrelle Harris; Lachean Humphreys; Graeme Kemlo; Johanna
Leggatt; Jennifer Morton; Hari Raj; Stephen A Russell; Maria Triaca. 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. ©2017
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WELCOME
Stories to
INSPIRE YOU
I
am thrilled to welcome you to the Summer issue of Flourish magazine, Australian Unity’s quarterly lifestyle publication. Wherever you live, we hope you are making the most of the warmer weather — perhaps even enjoying the magazine in the shade of a tree or backyard pergola.
In November last year, Derek McMillan was awarded lifetime membership of the Retirement Living Council, a division of the Property Council of Australia.
flourish ELVA RUSH
A pioneer of aviation flies high in retirement
MATILDA HOUSE
An inspiring leader Dealing with dementia creates #BiggerHearts Home Care Packages given a makeover
plus
accessible beaches mindfulness growing orchids
S U M M E R 2017
Elva Rush is still flying high in retirement. Photograph by Dean Golja.
At this time of year, many people take the opportunity to escape on holiday. Caravanning has long been a popular holiday choice for families and retirees in Australia, so in this issue we explore what makes it so appealing and look at how caravan parks are upgrading their facilities to cater for people with disability. Summer is also the perfect time to go to the beach and in Australia we’re spoilt for choice. On pages 42-43 we offer plenty of ideas for beautiful spots to visit and we share the story of Gary Blaschke, founder of the Disabled Surfers Association of Australia. In each issue of Flourish, we like to share stories about some of the people we’re proud to have as clients and residents. Elva Rush, a resident of Geelong Grove Retirement Community in Victoria, shares her story on page 6, providing fascinating insight into what it was like to be one of Australia’s first female pilots. Also profiled in this issue is Matilda House, a Ngambri-Ngunnawal elder from Queanbeyan in the Australian Capital Territory. Known as Aunty Matilda, she led the inaugural Welcome to Country ceremony in Federal Parliament in 2008 and continues to lead the ceremony every four years. Read her story on page 20. From February this year, people with a Commonwealth Home Care Package will have access to more choice and control over the services they receive and who provides them. To help simplify what it may mean for you, we’ve included a feature outlining the key changes on page 30. To assist our clients and provide a greater level of service and support, Australian Unity is opening a number of new retail Home & Disability Services Hubs over the next year. The first Hubs opened in November last year and the locations are listed on page 4. If you live close to one of the Hubs, we encourage you to drop in and share a cup of tea with one of our friendly staff. Please enjoy the Summer issue of Flourish magazine.
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Derek McMillan CEO, Independent & Assisted Living, Australian Unity
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DISCOVER
Community NEWS
RECONCILIATION
ACTION PLAN
AUSTRALIAN UNITY was proud to launch its first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to all staff in December last year. The company joins a growing community of organisations taking meaningful action to build stronger relationships through respect with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families, communities and businesses.
The RAP was developed with a working group of more than 20 Australian Unity employees, including a number of staff from Aboriginal Home Care. The process of developing the RAP provided the working group with a chance to reflect on Australian Unity’s past, says Benson Saulo, Reconciliation Action Plan Manager at Australian Unity. “The RAP acknowledges that one of Australian Unity’s founding organisations, the Australian Natives Association (ANA), played a significant role in the establishment of a national day, on 26 January and was involved in promoting the Federation of Australia. Members of the organisation were the primary drafters of Australia’s constitution,” Benson says.
“With these two examples of our history in mind, Australian Unity’s RAP seeks to support and encourage a national conversation about the date of Australia Day and whether changing the date might more appropriately acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ timeless connection with the land and waters of Australia.” The RAP also commits Australian Unity to support plans for a referendum to remove race discrimination provisions in the Australian Constitution and to explicitly recognise Australia’s First Peoples in that document. Other actions outlined in the plan include working to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees are supported to develop their careers; ensuring that Australian Unity’s products and services are created and delivered in culturally appropriate ways; and supporting the development of Indigenous-owned businesses through the company’s procurement processes. [ Find out more about Australian Unity’s Reconciliation Action Plan by visiting australianunity.com.au/reconciliation
A little ray of sunshine Many of us know we need to soak up a little sun each day to get our daily dose of Vitamin D. What’s less well known are the various health benefits. Vitamin D contributes to skin cell growth and repair and boosts metabolism. It is important for regulating the absorption of other minerals such as calcium for bone strength. This means not only stronger bones and a reduced likelihood of osteoporosis but also improved muscle function and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Strong teeth and healthy hair are added bonuses. Make sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D by being exposed to direct sunlight (10 minutes a day)and boost your intake of foods such as salmon, prawns, sardines, egg yolks, fortified dairy products, orange juice and cereals. [ osteoporosis.org.au/vitamin-d S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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COMMUNIT Y NEWS
Rathdowne Place
marks time OPEN DOORS The first of Australian Unity’s new Home & Disability Services Hubs opened late last year. Located in shopping centres and on main streets, the retail Hubs will provide Australian Unity clients and the community with greater access to advice and support. The Hubs complement the Customer Care Hub, which provides 24/7 telephone support. The retail Hubs will offer information about Australian Unity services such as personal care and domestic support or advice on important topics such as the NDIS and Consumer Directed Care (CDC). They feature spaces for informal discussions over tea and coffee and private meeting rooms. The Hubs will host client information sessions and events, offer appointments for respite and allied health services and provide advice and support with mobility aids. Cameron Holland, Executive General Manager of Home & Disability Services at Australian Unity, says the Hubs will make Australian Unity staff and services more accessible than ever. “We really encourage everyone to come and check out these new spaces as they roll out over the next year.”
Hubs now open Armidale, NSW Shop 29, Armidale Plaza
Coffs Harbour, NSW Shop 8, Park Beach Plaza 253 Pacific Highway Ballarat, Vic Dee Why, NSW 7 Sturt Street 651 Pittwater Road Ballina, NSW Coolangatta, QLD Ballina Fair Shopping Centre 18/19, The Strand 84 Kerr Street 72-80 Marine Parade Bourke, NSW Griffith, NSW 13 Mitchell Street 220B Banna Avenue Tumut, NSW Campbelltown, NSW 1/65 Wynyard Street Shop 4, 5-7 Lithgow Street
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ARTIST PAM FAREY is busily studying old photographs for the series of historical installations she is creating at Australian Unity’s Rathdowne Place in Carlton, Victoria. Her attention to detail and concern for authenticity are inspiring and residents gather in the courtyard for a chat and to watch her work. Pam, an Australian Unity client who lives in Linton in central Victoria, became ill in her twenties and suffered nerve damage in her arms and legs. She taught herself to paint with a brush in her mouth. Gavin Young, General Manager at Rathdowne Place, says engaging Pam has provided support for a client with
recognised talent. “Pam has not only brought her fantastic artistic skills to Rathdowne Place but also her big personality, which brightens the day of staff and residents every Tuesday and Wednesday,” Gavin says. Indigenous artist Ray Thomas painted the first mural in the series, which reflects Aboriginal identity before settlement. Pam’s work follows with a historic timeline showing European settlement, the gold rush, World War I, World War II, migration and modern Australia. The mural project will be completed in early 2017. The mural panels are in the ground-floor courtyard of the retirement apartments at 497 Rathdowne Street, Carlton.
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LIVING LARGE
Campbell Place Tony and Bev McMahon and Virginia and Richard Kleine will be among the first residents to move into Australian Unity’s new Campbell Place Retirement Community in Glen Waverley in Victoria, in April. Campbell Place offers a new lifestyle for both couples. Tony and Bev have lived in Glen Waverley for 50 years and didn’t want to change suburbs when it was time to downsize. Fifty-four luxury apartments are located in three premium, low-maintenance buildings, co-located with a modern, secure aged-care residence comprising 102 beds. Location was vital to Virginia and Richard too. “We need access to public transport, but didn’t want to rely on it to get to the chemist or the library,” Richard says. *Artist’s impression only
The exclusive facilities at Campbell Place include a library, a meals and entertainment lounge, barbecue areas, hairdressing salon, consulting rooms, a gymnasium and a games room. Campbell Place has been built on the former site of Wahroonga Aged Care, which had been home to Australian Unity clients since 1962. It is named in honour of Australian Unity’s former managing director Murray Campbell, who spent 22 years in the role.
[ australianunity.com.au/ campbellplace
For garden lovers
TIME FOR A YARN Yarn Ups are traditional get-togethers where Indigenous people share stories, solve problems and create harmony in their communities. When Australian Unity recently invited its Aboriginal Home Care clients to a series of Yarn Ups to talk about health care changes, word spread quickly. Over several months late last year, Australian Unity’s Aboriginal Home Care Branch Managers held 35 Yarn Ups across eight of its Home Services regions, connecting clients with carers. Sharon Bloxsome, Senior Project Officer with Australian Unity’s Aboriginal Business Development Unit, says clients were invited to attend a Yarn Up in their region to talk about aged care and disability reforms, new services and the journey ahead. “We wanted to make it a positive experience for everyone and show them that we are committed to a partnership relationship in regards to their service delivery,” Sharon says. “For us, it was an opportunity to gain feedback from our clients and to better understand how we can support them, now and in the future. “Everyone loved the Yarn Ups. We will be holding plenty more in 2017.” [ For a yarn with Australian Unity’s Aboriginal Home Care team, phone 1300 797 606.
Seven hundred exhibitors will bring retail, landscape and floral design inspiration to the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens. Entertainment will include fire performances, street buskers, live music and a one-off Gardens by Twilight event on Friday 31 March. Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show Melbourne, Victoria 29 March – 2 April 2017 [ melbflowershow.com.au
Music on the water Paul Kelly and Charlie Owen, the Hoodoo Gurus, and James Reyne are some of the acts performing at the Murray River’s premier contemporary music event. Riverboats Music Festival Echuca Moama 17 – 19 February 2017 [ riverboatsmusic.com.au
Something for seniors This year’s New South Wales Seniors Festival promises hundreds of events, experiences and special offers. Discover more about art, music, entertainment and technology, or learn about sport, recreation, health and good nutrition. NSW Seniors Festival Various locations across Sydney, NSW 3 – 12 March 2017 [ nswseniorsweek.com.au S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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TOGETHER
You’re the pilot and everything depends on you. You’re master of your own destiny.” E LVA RU S H PILOT Elva Rush (above) was one of Australia’s earliest female pilots and took to the skies with the first women’s formation flying team (opposite).
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TOGETHER
ELVA RUSH high-flyer
One of Australia’s pioneering female pilots is still spreading her wings in retirement words Narrelle Harris photography Dean Golja
I
n April 1965, 33-year-old Elva Rush was running a successful kennel and vet hospital, while raising four children. One day a small aircraft flew overhead, on its way to nearby Moorabbin airport in outer Melbourne. “I thought, I’ll learn to fly aeroplanes,” Elva says. “Quick as that.” That snap decision made Elva one of Australia’s early female pilots. She went on to become one of the country’s first female formation pilots and the first recreational pilot to gain a night-flying licence. She also broke a Brisbane-to-Moorabbin speed record, which she still holds and spent five years writing Up Above – Down Under about the history of Australian women in aviation. The book was released in 2000. Now enjoying herself at Australian Unity’s Geelong Grove Retirement Community in Victoria, Elva remains involved in the Australian Women Pilots Association (AWPA). “I never faced any obstacles, really. I learned to fly at Schutt Flying Academy and the owner, Arthur Schutt, absolutely championed women pilots,” Elva says. “My family and friends thought it was fantastic. My kids loved it because I would take them out for picnics. We thought nothing of flying down to Lake Pedder in Tasmania for a picnic lunch.” g S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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TOGETHER
Other picnic destinations included Flinders Island, King Island, Shepparton and Wangaratta. When Elva became the first non-professional pilot to gain her night-flying licence, they would fly home after dark. “Looking back now, I wonder what would have happened if I’d had engine failure, with my four kids and myself? But I never thought about it then. I was so confident in the machine and in what I was doing. When I think of it now, I shudder.” Only once did Elva have to make an emergency landing. The engine stopped dead, without a warning sputter, while it was 800 feet (244 metres) off the ground. Elva’s flight training immediately kicked in. “I made it over the fence. I didn’t quite make it to the start of the asphalt,” she says. Far from instilling a fear of flying, the incident gave Elva a huge confidence boost. “You always wonder if you’ll perform but you can’t know before the situation comes up. But I made it back. I thought if I did all that safely, I can handle anything.” The same forthright confidence brought her to formation flying, along with fellow female pilots Ruth Hodges and Moira Robinson. “Ruth, Moira and I were watching the Royal Victorian Aero Club do their formation circuits. I said, ‘we could do that’. So we toddled up the road to ask Arthur Schutt if we could have a formation flying team in our little Cessna 150s.” Schutt agreed immediately.
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Elva and her peers, including Ruth Hodges (top right), were encouraged to spread their wings. Elva says she was always confident in the machine and her own ability.
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Explore retirement on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula. Visit australianunity.com.au/geelonggrove
“Walking to the aeroplane I thought, what have I done this time?” Elva says. She says her instructor urged her to fly closer and closer to the wing of the number one craft, flown by Ruth, until Elva could actually see Ruth chewing gum. “I thought, how much closer does he want me to go?
Go and do it. That’s my only advice. It’s very few words but it’s the most wonderful thing to do.”
“I got cranky. I said: ‘This is my first go at all this.’ And he said: ‘Yes, well, it’s mine too, you know.’ In retrospect it’s very funny. At the time it was quite scary.”
E LVA RU S H PILOT
Elva’s favourite thing about flying was the autonomy it gave her. “You’re the pilot and everything depends on you. You’re master of your own destiny,” she says. Elva also loved the beauty she saw from the sky. “It’s so different and so beautiful. I once flew low across the Great Australian Bight. I looked up at those cliffs: the pinks, browns and creams looked just like a marble cake.” Elva speaks warmly of her mentors Arthur Schutt and Nancy Bird Walton, who founded the AWPA. Pioneer aviator Freda Thompson, the first Australian woman to fly solo from the United Kingdom to Australia, is another of Elva’s heroes. Elva is also full of praise for Debbie Wardley, the first woman to become a commercial pilot with a major Australian airline. “She fought tooth and nail to get women accepted into airlines. We owe so much to her. “AWPA’s national president, Carol Dehn, is a captain with Virgin Airlines. One of our members was the first-ever female air-traffic controller. These are the pioneers that really need the plaudits.” Elva has many happy memories of her years in the air. “I flew for 40 years to the day. I won trophies in air racing and club events. I still hold that world record. I loved formation flying. I went on four safaris through the Australian Outback as pilot in command. I made enduring friendships.” What advice does Elva have for women who want to learn to fly today? “Go and do it. That’s my only advice. It’s very few words but it’s the most wonderful thing to do.” ^
[ AUSTRALIAN WOMEN PILOTS ASSOCIATION AWPA.ORG.AU
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INSIGHT
SAVVY SENIORS EMB R
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B RACE SOCIAL MEDIA Older people are adopting Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay in touch with family and friends and build new networks
S
words Nick Adams
ocial media is often thought of as a young person’s playground. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram were started by smart young things and quickly taken up by the world’s youth. But the social media landscape is changing. People of all ages are discovering the benefits of staying in touch with friends, family and extended networks on social media. A 2016 study released by the Swinburne Institute for Social Research and the Centre for Social Impact, in partnership with Telstra and Roy Morgan Research, provided a detailed snapshot of online participation throughout Australia. It identified that people aged over 65 are Australia’s least digitally included group. The study found that while seniors have increased their online use, they’re doing so at about half the speed of younger people. They also own fewer mobile devices and are less active online. According to the study, this slower uptake of technology by seniors, along with their limited online presence, could limit their ability to play an active role in Australia’s increasingly digital society.
A lot of clients have a negative perception of social media before starting my classes.” G R AC I E L A P O R T U G A L WELLBEING LOUNGE MANAGER, AUSTRALIAN UNIT Y, VIC TORIA
TAKING CONTROL OF THE SITUATION Graciela Portugal, Wellbeing Lounge Manager at Australian Unity in Victoria, teaches seniors how to use and understand social media. “A lot of clients have a negative perception of social media before starting my classes,” Graciela says. “They think it’s potentially dangerous, a waste of time, addictive and they are worried about their privacy online.” g S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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INSIGHT
REAL-WORLD SUCCESS
Ruth Macleod, 87, is an artist, tennis player and Facebook fanatic. “I’m interested in new things,” Ruth says when asked why she joined Graciela’s social media classes. “I wanted to learn as much as I could.” While on a 35-day cruise in Canada, Ruth was able to share her experiences with friends and family. Taking photos of the incredible views, she was able to upload them to her Facebook account so everyone could share her amazing trip. She plans to continue classes, including an upcoming photography class, at the Wellbeing Lounge. Ruth also just completed an online course in family history from the University of Tasmania, furthering her web-savvy credentials. John White is involved heavily with his local community at Australian Unity’s Walmsley Retirement Community in Kilsyth, Victoria. John, 84, considers himself a perpetual student and has taken advantage of the University of the Third Age (U3A) in Melbourne and Graciela’s social media classes “to keep my mind agile”. With a better understanding of Facebook thanks to Graciela’s classes, John has been able to keep up to date with his daughter’s family who live in the United States. “I can keep tabs on what’s going on,” John says. “I’m able to see photos of my granddaughter and keep in contact, despite living on the other side of the world.”
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I’m interested in new things. I wanted to learn as much as I could.” RU T H M AC L E O D, 87
Graciela’s classes focus mainly on Facebook and she introduces clients to basic privacy settings and gives participants the confidence to share the information they want others to see. By setting up a private online Facebook group called IT Wizards, exclusively for Wellbeing Lounge members, Graciela has created a space where clients can safely interact with one another and learn the basics of Facebook, before communicating more broadly online. The group shares experiences and information about IT matters, including the latest scams and technology trends.
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For information about social media sessions in Victoria, INSIGHT contact Graciela Portugal on 03 9896 6519 or gportugal@australianunity.com.au
Ruth Macleod (far left) likes to learn new things. John White (left) keeps his mind agile.
Graciela says clients react positively once they gain the confidence to share their information. “They want to be in control,” Graciela says. “They know that knowledge is power.”
KEEPING IN TOUCH Having an understanding of Facebook and other social media channels is becoming crucial for staying connected to social circles and there is no need for fear. “Some of my clients are very active in their community so this is another tool for them to get in contact with people around them,” Graciela says. “Within the security of our retirement community setting, they establish connections in their own circles. “For the ones who have family and friends overseas or interstate, social media can be the only way to connect,” Graciela says. “Many of the people in my classes use social media to keep up with what’s happening with family overseas or with the grandkids so when someone does call, they have seen the photos and know what the family is talking about.” Graciela is now expanding her classes beyond Facebook, introducing clients to the world of Twitter. So far the reactions have been mixed but she believes it’s a great way to keep users informed of events happening outside their social circles. ^ [ IF YOU ENJOY FLOURISH, YOU MIGHT LIKE TO FOLLOW AUSTRALIAN UNITY ON FACEBOOK. SEARCH FOR AUSTRALIAN UNITY INDEPENDENT & ASSISTED LIVING.
TOP TIPS
FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media doesn’t have to be intimidating. Begin by familiarising yourself with one channel, such as Facebook, which has the most users. Read these tips to get a head start.
Privacy settings You can lock your Facebook account so no one but your friends can see your profile or you can have it more publicly open. When starting out it’s best to review your privacy settings and make sure you’re not accidentally posting content everyone can see. Accepting requests Even if your Facebook profile security is high, you may still receive friend requests from people you don’t know. It’s best to ignore these requests, as they are potentially scams. Different post types Facebook has three main types of communication: 1 STATUS UPDATES are visible by all your Facebook friends or those you choose to see them 2 WALL POSTS are visible to the person you send them to and their friends 3 PRIVATE MESSAGES are only visible to you and whoever you choose to communicate with
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INSIGHT
DEATH OVER DINNER
prefer to die at home surrounded by loved ones, a 2015 Auditor General’s report on palliative care found only 14 per cent had their wishes fulfilled. Most people agree that talking about end-of-life care with family is important but only 27 per cent of Australians have done so.
An innovative concept hopes to help Australians share their end-of-life plans with their loved ones words Stephen A Russell
Australian Unity is supporting an innovative concept from the United States that could change things. Death Over Dinner, founded by New York-based entrepreneur and activist Michael Hebb, is an interactive website and conversation-starting tool that encourages people to have the important discussions in advance of the frantic decisions made in intensive care.
TACKLE THE TOPIC The concept was introduced to Australia by the Australian Centre for Health Research. Rebecca Bartell, the centre’s Executive Director, says it’s a brilliant idea and hopes it will be embraced by Australian Unity’s clients and residents.
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ave you had the conversation with your loved ones? Discussing where you would like to die and who you want by your side might not sound like dinner party conversation but this once taboo subject is becoming a social norm. Dying with dignity is something we all hope for but as our population ages and medical treatment prolongs lives, many people fear they will have no say in how their final moments will be managed. Despite 70 per cent of Australians saying they would
The website helps people plan a dinner party with their nearest and dearest, giving them the tools to tackle the topic in ways that aren’t off-putting. Rebecca says the benefits are clear. “When we went out and talked to the community, they wanted to have these conversations but really didn’t know where to start and were kind of frightened by it. “With some of the official documentation it’s hard to know what you want in certain circumstances but
DEATH OVER DINNER: planning and the process
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Who’s coming to dinner?
2 Establish your intention
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INSIGHT
the Death Over Dinner website creates a dialogue in a safe space with the people you love; and you can change it whenever you like,” Rebecca says. Australian Unity hosted its first Death Over Dinner event at its Victoria Grange Retirement Community in Vermont South last year. Derek McMillan, Chief Executive Officer of Independent & Assisted Living at Australian Unity, says the event encouraged people to have important discussions.
LOVE AND RESPECT “Thoughts about death are often a difficult conversation for individuals to have and for families and friends to hear. But we often hear how comforting it is when these conversations have been had and a person’s wishes are known and fulfilled at the end of their life,” Derek says. Professor Sanchia Aranda, Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Council Australia, has a background in palliative care and recognises the importance of endof-life planning. In May 2016, Sanchia co-hosted a large Cancer Council Death Over Dinner event, which brought together health care professionals, patients and public speakers, including social commentator and author Jane Caro.
value and is planning to host more events with older friends who want to broach the subject with family but don’t know how. “We’re hopeless at it as a society, as clinicians and families,” Sanchia says. “We should be normalising death in the same way we’ve normalised birth. It’s part of life. We waste enormous amounts of money in our health system undertaking care that is futile and harmful to patients because we’re too frightened to have these conversations.” Death Over Dinner gave Sanchia a mechanism to frame how the conversation might look. “The resources available are fantastic. It’s made me feel that I have an obligation to society to not let death be a silent part of our lives, to give some normalcy to what is in fact a very normal event.” Sanchia’s niece is preparing for her own end of life after being diagnosed with terminal cancer; and open communication is helping her through it. She has set up a Facebook group to keep close friends informed of all her highs and lows.
We should be normalising death in the same way as we’ve normalised birth. It’s part of life.” S A N C H I A A R A N DA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CANCER COUNCIL AUSTRALIA
Sanchia is convinced of the concept’s
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Research
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Discuss
“She’s incredible and it’s enabled a support network to grow around her versus just pretending that everything’s going to be all right,” Sanchia says. “She also knows that I have the plans for her funeral tucked away and she doesn’t have to worry about that any more. She just gets on with completing her bucket list.” ^
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Want to host your own Death Over Dinner party? Visit deathoverdinner.org.au
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SPEAKING from the ART Cultural identity, the land and relationships frame the work of two inspiring Indigenous artists words Johanna Leggatt
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TOGETHER
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or as long as she can remember, Saretta Fielding has loved losing herself in her art.
In a previous role, as the chief executive officer of Indigenous employment and training body Yarnteen, Saretta would doodle obsessively at meetings, while at home at night she would relax by indulging her love of painting. “Everyone I worked with knew I painted,” she says. In 2008, in the lead-up to the launch of an Indigenous bush tucker café in Newcastle, a Yarnteen board member called on Saretta’s creative talents. “It was right before the launch and he phoned and said he knew I painted and could I supply some artwork for the launch,” Saretta says. “I told him ‘no problem’ and then I went out and bought some canvases. I only had two days but I displayed eight paintings and more than half of them sold.
greeting cards, homewares, cushion covers and sandstone engravings. She has completed commissions for Royal Newcastle Hospital, Charlton Christian College, Grain Corporation Australia, Newcastle City Council and the Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathways Project (IYMP)of Newcastle. But it was winning the Ray-Ban Indigenous Special Edition Wayfarers Design Competition in 2014 that enabled Saretta to become a fulltime artist. “Winning that sunglasses competition brought me exposure and also quite a bit of confidence. Until then I was never game enough to call myself an artist. I thought it would imply that I had tickets on myself,” she says. “But I’m quite comfortable with it now.” Saretta ran with her newfound success and has never looked back. She paints full-time now and finds endless inspiration in other people’s stories. “People and how they relate to their various clan groups is what fascinates me,” she says. g
“It was the moment I realised other people liked my art and maybe I could share what I do.”
Artwork by Saretta Fielding (main photo from left) Songlines, Puruma and Saltwater.
Saretta, a Wonaruah woman from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, has spent the past eight years building a successful career from her paintings,
My art has to be respectful and it has to be representative of where I come from.” S A R E T TA F I E L D I N G S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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Saretta gets as much attention from non-Indigenous art admirers as she does from Indigenous buyers.
New South Wales with a painting commission for a chain of hotels based in Homebush.
“I like to draw people in with my art,” Saretta says. “I see it as an invitation to identify with Aboriginal people and learn more about who we are and where we come from.”
“I completed it with another Indigenous artist and it is huge, about six feet tall,” she says.
“I want to avoid misrepresenting my culture,” she says. “My art has to be respectful and it has to be representative of where I come from.”
KARLIE STEWART Sensitivity to cultural representation is equally important to fellow Indigenous artist Karlie Stewart. The 21-year-old was thrust into the limelight in 2014 when she was asked by Fairfax Media to create a piece of work to celebrate the Rabbitohs making the National Rugby League grand final for the first time since 1971. The painting, Glory Through The Nations, featured a white rabbit against the background of a traditional Indigenous painting.
“There is no name for the painting because I prefer not to name my works. I want people to have their own idea of what my art is about.” Karlie’s artwork is inextricably bound with her Indigenous culture. “I don’t think I am overly political, but when I am painting I am aware of my heritage and what it means to be an Indigenous woman, and I think about Indigenous history when I paint,” she says. When Karlie is stressed at university, her art provides an escape. “When I know I need time to myself I will often head to certain parts of Maroubra and Bondi, which I know are very significant places for Aboriginal culture,” Karlie says. ^ Artwork by Karlie Stewart (far left) Circular Healing and (left) Our Country.
“There was a lot of interest in my work after that,” says Karlie, who lives in Maroubra and grew up on the South Coast of New South Wales.
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In the past 12 months, the Yuin Nation woman has juggled studies in social work at the University of
I am aware of my heritage and what it means to be an Indigenous woman.”
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Saretta’s cultural identity is a big part of her success. She often meets with her elders to talk about her work and is always careful to represent her community with great sensitivity.
“The colours of the dots reflect what the landscape would have looked like pre-settlement. There were lots of saltwater and freshwater swamps in the area, so lots of blue, green and brown.
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The art of DESIGN The new visual identity for Australian Unity’s Aboriginal Home Care tells a story of cultural inclusion words Johanna Leggatt
ohn Saulo often moves between two different worlds. As the co-founder of Aboriginal design agency Ngakkan Nyaagu (which means “see” in Wergaia and Gumbaynggirr languages), he is used to meeting the requirements of the corporate world and respecting the sensitivities of Indigenous communities.
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“It’s a balancing act,” John says. “You need to make sure the Indigenous community is represented and involved while at the same time delivering a solution that meets the needs of the business.” This was especially true when Australian Unity approached John’s agency, to design a visual identity for Aboriginal Home Care that reflected and celebrated Australian Unity’s commitment to providing culturally safe and inclusive services for Aboriginal communities. John knew the first step was to yarn with the Aboriginal Home Care Branch Managers. “We held a workshop and we asked them how they felt about what they do, who their clients were, what they wanted the look and feel of the
The new visual identity illustrates the ... knowledge and lore that links the past, present and future.” J O H N S AU LO NGAKKAN NYAAGU DESIGN AGENCY
visual identity to be and what story they wanted it to tell,” John says. After ongoing consultation with the Aboriginal Home Care Branch Managers, Ngakkan Nyaagu, which John co-founded with fellow Indigenous designer Liam Ridgeway, developed a colourful and modern visual identity for Aboriginal Home Care. “The curved lines in the design are traditional symbols that show people coming together, while the waves signify the sharing of knowledge. The non-uniform circles represent diversity, while the more angular shapes reference technology and future thinking,” John says. “The new visual identity illustrates the relationship between communities, the flow of stories, knowledge and lore that links the past, present and future.” ^ S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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Matilda House, known widely as Aunty Matilda, helps others as a way of combating the racism faced by Aboriginal Australians.
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Leader
of the house
Aunty Matilda has spent her life working to unite all Australians words Maria Triaca photography Steve Keough
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atilda House’s mobile phone rings early most days: a relative needs advice; a community member wants information about land matters; someone needs help. The respected Aboriginal Elder also attends weekly meetings to help others who share her goal to improve relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community.
The seed of her activism was sown early. As a rebellious young girl, Matilda refused to bow to authority. Aged 12, she was deemed “uncontrollable” and sent to the infamous Parramatta Girls’ Home. “There was a lot of racism then. I got even by doing what I’m doing now – trying to improve life for Aboriginal Australians,” she says. Matilda left school at 13 and to help her family survive, she picked cherries and fruit around Young in New South Wales.
Matilda, 71, a Ngambri-Ngunnawal Elder from Queanbeyan in the Australian Capital Territory, is widely known as Aunty Matilda, even to prime ministers.
Aged 19, she married Englishman Mick House who had come to Australia under the Big Brother movement, founded in 1925 to bring young Englishmen Down Under. Matilda and Mick met while picking fruit.
She was the first person to lead the inaugural Welcome to Country ceremony at the opening of the 42nd Federal Parliament in 2008 and continues to lead the ceremony every four years.
Their four children, 12 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren are the highlight of her life, she says.
Wearing a possum-skin cloak and emu-feather head dress, Matilda addressed the Parliament in both English and her ancestral language. “That was such an honour to be asked to do that first Welcome to Country,” Matilda says. “It’s still an honour, every year.” Matilda, the eldest of 10 children, was born near Cowra on Erambie Aboriginal Reserve. She often stayed on the Hollywood Aboriginal Reserve near Yass with her grandparents and returned to her parents at Erambie during school holidays and later when the Yass reserve closed.
Helping others is Matilda’s answer to combating racism. “Retaliation is not the way to go. To help someone is the best way,” she says. Matilda is staunchly independent in many ways and has recently become an Australian Unity Aboriginal Home Care client.
Retaliation is not the way to go. To help someone is the best way.” M AT I L DA H O U S E
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She says the support she receives around her home allows her to continue her busy life. Sharon Bloxsome, Senior Project Officer with Australian Unity’s Aboriginal Home Care, says Aunty Matilda is resilient, strong and has always been passionate about advocating for her people. “To me, and many others in our community, she is a wonderful mentor, role model and inspiration to the younger Aboriginal people.
cross swords with government. Being negative all the time makes your people negative.”
Aunty Matilda in a possum-skin cloak with then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd during the 2008 National Apology ceremony.
“She has a strong voice and uses it well when it is needed to gain attention,” Sharon says. “She loves to swim, likes to yarn and have a laugh – and she has a wicked sense of humour.” Matilda was there at the start of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in 1971 and spoke at its 40th anniversary. In the 1980s she helped establish the Aboriginal Legal Services in New South Wales. She was involved in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission from 1990 to 2005 and contributed to the 1997 Bringing them Home report into the Stolen Generation.
Like all effective leaders, she has a generosity gene. She shares her knowledge freely and leads by example. Like a boss with a watering can in one hand and fertiliser in the other, she empowers those around her to flourish and never claims credit for their success.
“It can be very challenging. There could be a death in the family or community and they get in touch with you,” she says. “I tell them not to ignore their culture. As an Aboriginal, knowledge is very powerful; people have to learn what the culture of their tribe is. A lot of kids have grown up with no knowledge of their culture.” Matilda believes in the power of storytelling to connect and unite families and communities, and improve the nation for everyone.
Matilda has been an Australian Capital Territory honorary ambassador and, in 2006, was named Canberra Citizen of the Year.
“I believe it is possible to work together to respect this land of ours and to achieve justice, equity and unity for all Australians.
As an Aboriginal Elder, Matilda performs welcoming ceremonies and community rituals and belongs to many Canberra community organisations, including the Ngambri-Ngunnawal Local Aboriginal Land Council in Queanbeyan.
“That’s part of the story I’d like to tell my greatgrandchildren in the years to come, to help them understand who they are and what has come before them,” Matilda says.
Matilda says she prefers education and unity to retaliation and alienation. “You can care for your country, respect what’s gone before, but don’t
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Along the way to gaining legendary status in her community, Matilda has rubbed shoulders with Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama.
Through her activism, work for reconciliation and subsequent national recognition, Matilda is living proof of a cultural acceptance that would have been unthinkable during her childhood. ^
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Rain, hail or shine Home Care Worker Doreen Clift is older than some of her clients, but her passion for helping shows no sign of slowing words Maria Triaca
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s Doreen Clift Australia’s longest-serving Home Care Worker?
At 89, when most people are well into retirement, Doreen has celebrated a career milestone – 43 years as a Home Care Worker. She has no plans to hand in the vacuum cleaner, mop or broom any time soon.
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“I love the people, I love the work. I love being busy. I’m not a person who can just sit around.” “I do the vacuuming, clean the shower and mop the kitchen floor. A lot of people think I just go to people’s houses to talk, but there’s a lot more to it than that.”
“That’s the funny part about it. I’ve just turned 89 and I still love it,” Doreen says.
Inner Sydney – Rockdale, Mortdale, Penshurst and Hurstville – is Doreen’s cleaning territory. Basically, anywhere she can get to by bus.
Doreen works for Australian Unity’s St George branch in Sydney, but began her home care career more than four decades ago with St George Home Care.
Rain, hail or shine, nothing stops this hard worker. These days it’s part-time, usually three days a week, and two jobs a day.
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Need some extra support at home? See australianunity.com.au/hds
TOGETHER
Doreen never learned to drive. She didn’t need to when she moved to the southern suburb of Blakehurst 53 years ago. Shopkeepers know her, bus drivers know her – she calls them all by name. Doreen’s clients are like friends to her.
Images Chris Elfes (Elfes Images)
“Mostly they are very grateful (for the help). Often they feel more comfortable telling me something than they do telling their own family. Some clients I have had for over 10 years,” she says. “I had one lady for 15 years – she lived to 103. You get attached to them. “Another lady was blind. When I finished at her house one day, she said: ‘Thank you Doreen, you’ve done a lovely job’. “And I said: ‘How do you know, you can’t see’. She replied: ‘No but I can feel’.”
Doreen Clift (above left) shares a cup of tea with client and friend Evelyn Hammond, 93, when the morning’s work is done.
Linda Tarrant, Doreen’s Australian Unity Branch Manager, says Doreen “knows how to strike a balance between friendliness and professionalism”. Donna Harrison, another Australian Unity Branch Manager, says Doreen is “an absolute superstar”. “She’s an inspiration to office staff, other care workers, to everyone she meets. She is out and about in all weather. If she’s got a secret it’s that she enjoys making other people happy. “A lot of her clients are younger than she is and some feel embarrassed, but Doreen puts them right at ease.” When she left school Doreen worked for the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages for 15 years, typing up the birth notices.
She’s an absolute superstar. She’s an inspiration.” DONNA HARRISON AUSTRALIAN UNIT Y BRANCH MANAGER
She married and took up home care when her daughter was 14. “I liked it from the start,” she says. Doreen thinks she got her gregarious nature from her close-knit family, who always had people dropping in for a cup of tea and a chat. “The kettle was always on. Someone would leave and the next person would arrive. “I can talk to most people,” Doreen says. “I’ll keep going because I like it and I think I am doing a pretty good job.” ^ S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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Minds on the MATTER
A special event in Melbourne brought together Australia’s brightest designers and engineers to solve challenges for people with disability words Hari Raj photography Mark Munro
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(Main photo from far left) Mandy McCracken, Stacey Christie and Jack Leighton. Design teams work together to solve challenges (above).
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tacey Christie needs to do a bit of detective work before she leaves home. If she’s heading to a restaurant, a shop or any other building, she needs to know whether her destination is wheelchair accessible. If she can’t get in – which occurs more often than not – her frustration is palpable. “Electric wheelchairs like mine weigh about 150 kilograms. They are really heavy. It’s not as though someone can just lift the wheelchair, which makes it impossible to enter or exit a store that has even one step,” Stacey says. “It feels a lot like segregation, really. You just can’t get to places.” Stacey, 23, has muscular dystrophy. She’s been left behind at stations because train drivers haven’t provided a ramp for her to board. She’s had to abandon social catch-ups, courses, even potential jobs, because they were in buildings that weren’t accessible.
But Stacey has a plan – she wants to create a selfoperated portable device that will enable her and her wheelchair to get up a kerb or a step when there’s no ramp. She got the chance to make that plan a step closer to reality during the inaugural TOM Melbourne event late last year. TOM, or Tikkun Olam Makers, is a global non-profit movement that began in Israel. The idea, says Michal Kabatznik, TOM’s Creator of Global Opportunities, was to learn how to use modern technology to improve people’s lives. “We wanted to bring tech experts together with people in need and together they would create specific solutions to practical challenges,” she says. “We decided to focus on the area of disabilities because it’s a global issue, one that a lot of traditional markets aren’t really paying attention to,” Michal says. The first TOM event was held in Israel in 2014. Since then, an overwhelming international response has seen events take place in 12 countries. g S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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We wanted to bring tech experts together with people in need and together they would create specific solutions to practical challenges.” M I C H A L K A B AT Z N I K TOM ( TIKKUN OLAM MAKERS)
Melbourne hosted the 15th TOM make-a-thon, an event that saw “need knowers”, people with disabilities or challenges such as Stacey’s, connect with “makers”, or people with engineering, tech and design skills. In the lead-up to TOM Melbourne, makers and need knowers met up to six times throughout November. During the event, they caught up for a three-day make-a-thon at Swinburne University in Hawthorn, where they began using cutting-edge technology to build working prototypes. “Every part of the TOM make-a-thon can continue to be developed so it can reach as many people as possible,” says Michal. “If we solve someone’s challenge in Melbourne, it would mean that anywhere around the world, people with that same challenge would have access to the solution.” This commitment to open-source development is one of the things that impressed Richard Prideaux, General Manager of Home & Disability Services in Victoria and South Australia at Australian Unity. Australian Unity is a sponsor of TOM Melbourne, and Richard says the decision to support the event was an easy one. “One of the best things about TOM is that it helps people with disability to achieve their goals. That’s what we
also aspire to do through our services, so for that reason we were very keen to support the event.” Dr Oren Tirosh lectures in biomechanics and clinical gait analysis at Swinburne University and was one of the team involved in making Stacey’s project a reality. He’s interested in how people integrate with wheelchairs and what wheelchair users’ difficulties and needs are. “Wheelchairs are very heavy; they’re not agile, they don’t go on and off ramps easily, sometimes turning isn’t easy, and they’re quite big,” he says. “Current wheelchairs aren’t a perfect solution; there’s a need to improve wheelchairs and accessibility.” Stacey’s team was made up of makers from different disciplines, including engineering students and occupational therapists. “TOM brings a lot of people from different cultures and communities together, all working to try and find a simple solution,” Oren says. Another need knower is Jack Leighton, 22, who has cerebral palsy and walks with crutches. His challenge is to be able to use his crutches as a seat – so that trips to places such as bookshops and museums don’t become exhausting.
Designers work on a set of crutches that people with disability could also use as a seat.
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PEDAL POWER FOR AN ACTIVE MOTHER
Mandy McCracken would love to be able to ride a bicycle. An attack of the streptococcal A bacteria three years ago left her with restricted use of her arms and legs. She’s been back driving for a few months, which she says “opens up a whole new world of possibilities”, but a bicycle would mean so much more. Teams collaborate on a bicycle design that would allow Mandy McCracken (left) to enjoy outings with her family.
“We came up with that because when I walk around too much my feet really hurt and seats can be hard to find,” Jack says. “Being able to turn the crutches into something I can sit down on would be great – it’d mean no more sore feet, and more exercise without getting tired.” Meanwhile, Stacey is working in social media and customer service at the EW Tipping Foundation. She studied fashion design at university, and dreams of one day releasing an accessible clothing line for people with disabilities. She’s travelling to Europe this year, and hopes the portable ramp – or something similar – comes to fruition. “We all worked together to come up with ideas, and there were so many floating around in the lead up to the conference. The team initially thought of something that could be added on to the wheelchair, or some kind of a lightweight portable ramp,” she says. “It was amazing that TOM came to Melbourne. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s the first time anything like this had been in Australia, and that’s great.” ^ To find out more about the solutions TOM created for people living with disability see tomglobal.org
“Since I got sick, being out and about with my family has taken on a whole different perspective. I’ve got three little girls and to be able to go and have an afternoon with them has become a lot more difficult,” Mandy says. “If we’re going to do any sort of exercise or activity, it often leaves me on the sidelines. Having a bike would mean that I could be included in what they are up to. It sounds so simple, but for me it’s a really complicated thing to do.” To ride a bicycle, even a recumbent one, you have to be able to bend your knees past 90 degrees. Mandy, who lives in Kilmore in Victoria, can’t do that; she shattered both kneecaps in the process of learning to walk again, and her prosthetics make riding “near impossible”. Her husband, Rod, used to be a high school teacher and heard about the TOM program from a former student. Mandy was encouraged by her initial meetings with the design team. “I want to be able to ride a bike along a regular bike track on a Sunday afternoon and look like I’m part of the furniture. I don’t want to stand out. I don’t want a bike that looks custom-made to match my disability,” Mandy says. S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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Home Care Services
on your terms Home Care Packages have been given a makeover
The next stage of the Commonwealth Government’s home care reforms come into effect from February 27 this year, providing older Australians with greater choice and control over the support they receive in the home.
Why it was time for a change
For many years, funding for Home Care Packages was assigned to service providers. People who were eligible for support had few options in the way services were delivered and who could provide them. The Home Care Package reforms turn all of this around. Consumer Directed Care (CDC)gives clients more choice over their care plan and greater visibility over their funding and how it is spent. Cameron Holland, Executive General Manager of Home & Disability Services at Australian Unity, says the reforms have given providers the flexibility to take a more meaningful, person-centred approach to the planning and management of individual support arrangements. “Everyone is different, so the opportunity to collaboratively design individual support plans is something we think is really important,” Cameron says.
You’re in charge From February 27, Home Care Package clients will have even more control over their services, including the service provider they choose. For people who wish to maintain their current arrangements, nothing will change – services will continue to be delivered as normal. For others, it could provide an opportunity to access providers or services that better suit their needs. “We know that many of our retirement community residents have Home Care Packages with other providers. Now they will have the opportunity to choose Australian Unity as their service provider, giving them convenience and peace of mind,” Cameron says.
We will do our best to make things easy.” CAMERON HOLLAND EXECUTIVE GENERAL MANAGER OF HOME & DISABILIT Y SERVICES AT AUSTRALIAN UNIT Y
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Striking the right community balance Kiri-leigh Baker – an Australian Unity community engagement specialist and a Ngunnawal woman from Queanbeyan – has worked as a case manager with her people in remote communities throughout New South Wales for more than a decade. She says Aboriginal services are traditionally not straightforward. “You need to acommmodate cultural needs, so an element of flexibility is important,” Kirileigh says. She is now based in Wagga Wagga and manages Home Care Package funding directly with clients. Kiri-leigh says issues such as a death in the community can disrupt service provision for Indigenous clients. “The community will shut down
for two to three weeks and no services will be accepted. But you have people whose basic health needs must still be met. “So the approach in how we deliver those services and finding the right people can be a challenge. “In most cases, an Aboriginal staff member will be involved, as these communities engage better with their own people.” Kiri-leigh says the Home Care Package reforms support family care. “It’s often difficult when our elders have to go into permanent care, as in many remote communities there aren’t any options for them. “The reforms provide more flexibility and a greater opportunity to meet their individual needs.”
We can support
you to navigate the changes
Australian Unity staff have been meeting with Home Services clients who receive support under a variety of funding streams over the past few months. The face-to-face meetings are helping clients understand the key changes and their options. “We know that the detail of the Home Care reforms can seem complicated. We have staff that are experts in navigating available funding options and they can help people to understand what the changes mean for them,” Cameron says. From February, in addition to a one-on-one conversation, Australian Unity clients and their families will have the opportunity to attend information sessions or Yarn-Ups in Aboriginal communities. “We’re looking forward to working closely with clients to make what they want possible. Whether that’s understanding the recent Government changes, tailoring our services to meet specific needs or choosing a support team, we will do our best to make things easy,” Cameron says. g
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Creating awareness of care options Cultural minorities from the Horn of Africa, many of whom are humanitarian refugees, are often unaware of the services available to them. Elleni Bereded-Samuel, Diversity Capability Development Manager at Australian Unity, says many people in these communities are eligible for funded Home Services, but are unsure how to access them. “Being part of a minority is a barrier for them, plus some have been isolated, even from their own community, because of lack of transport or social connection,” Elleni says. “With cultural training, we have been able to educate our staff to better respond to the needs of this client group.”
Australian Unity recently worked with the Horn of Africa Community Network, (representing Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan) and established an advisory committee with Filipino, Afghan and Vietnamese representatives to raise awareness about aged care services and access to funded Home Services. Elleni says this unique project has enabled members of these communities to have respite at Australian Unity’s Rathdowne Place Aged Care residence in Carlton, Victoria. Many of them live nearby. A weekly gathering also provided a social connection,
You’re with the best team Nothing is more important than the comfort, safety and security of our clients. Australian Unity staff are trained professionals who take pride in delivering quality of service second to none. We employ people from a range of backgrounds and with a variety of skills. You can rest assured that our staff have:
English conversation, art and crafts and exercise activities. Conscious of the cultural sensitivities of working with groups of diverse culture and language, Elleni, an Ethiopian educator, completed postgraduate training in counselling and a Masters of Education in Australia before taking on the role with Australian Unity almost three years ago. “I feel really proud to be putting my knowledge to good use in helping minority communities access our services,” she says. GRAEME KEMLO
A current First Aid certificate and CPR certification A current Police check A relevant qualification such as Certificate III or above in Individual Support, Aged/Community Care or Disability Services
If you’d like a one-on-one conversation about how we can support you, phone 1300 160 170 or email customercare@australianunity.com.au 32
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ost people take decisionmaking for granted. We start young, choosing our bedtime stories or insisting on a superhero outfit we’ve worn for five consecutive days. Supported by our families, we make incrementally more important decisions, until as adults we become wholly responsible for our choices.
One small Australian Unity is supporting people with disability and their families to make life-changing decisions words Narrelle Harris
For some people with intellectual disabilities, acquired brain injuries or who are on the autism spectrum, this ability and opportunity to make decisions may previously have been restricted. Now, informed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, “supported decision-making” is a key element of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Supported decision-making is the process of assisting someone with a disability to make their own decisions, wherever possible, so that they can more fully live what the UN Convention calls “an ordinary life”. The New South Wales Public Guardian is currently rolling out rights-based, person-centred training on supported decision making to service providers. Australian Unity’s NDIS coordinators are undertaking this training so they can offer appropriate support to their clients.
A SUPPORT FRAMEWORK Carolyn Smith, from the Public Guardian’s office, understands that families may be anxious about this new approach. “We’re not reinventing the wheel,” she says. “The sector has an enormous amount of knowledge around this already. We’re just giving people a framework to use that knowledge. “Families are integral to this whole process. They know and love the person. They need to be involved to highlight the rights of the person, to help determine what they want, and act as a natural support throughout the whole process,” Carolyn says. It may seem complex, but Carolyn says the message is simple. “The person with the disability is the decision-maker. It’s looking at what they want to do, removing any obstacles, providing support to make it happen, and building their ability along the way.”
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To find out more about the services Australian Unity offers under the NDIS, visit australianunity.com.au/ndis
step Supported decision-making
The ultimate aim is to empower clients in all aspects of their lives, says Melissa Simcoe from Australian Unity’s Home & Disability Services team.
The core principles :
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Every person can express their will and preferences
2
A person living with disability has the right to make decisions
“It’s part of a generational change of how we support the rights of people living with disability,” Melissa says. She says service providers should not assume they know clients’ choices.
“The training by the Public Guardian’s office will develop the 3 skills required in our staff to identify A person with disability should have where we can build confidence and access to appropriate support capacity in our clients to exercise more to make decisions involvement in their decision-making. It will also support their families and carers to understand the benefits both for now and in the future,” Melissa says. “This can be especially important for those who are ageing and concerned for their loved one’s future. For some it may provide more opportunities to be a family again.” Carolyn says families should not have to provide services. “They should just be able to be there to comfort, to love, to be present, to listen.”
STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS Learning how to take positive risks is part of the process. “Our best lessons in life usually come from learned experience, but people with disabilities are not always afforded this privilege,” Carolyn says.
Illustration iStockphoto
“Good support includes mitigating risks and allowing people to make mistakes. It’s a step-by-step process, but that’s the reality of decision-making. The more you support it with someone, the better they get at it.” Melissa says: “This is a shared process about helping people explore their interests and plan and set goals. We’re a facilitator. We want everybody to be comfortable with it.” While it’s a big change for everyone, Australian Unity is meeting the challenges head-on and preparing to provide the best service possible in supporting people to meet their potential, one step at a time. ^ S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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INSIGHT
GOOD GRIEF
Inspired by their own support networks, one caring couple plans to get the whole community on board words Jane Canaway
L
osing a loved one is hard enough. But when that loss is a slow, distressing erosion of memory, interests, ability and eventually their recognition of you, the pain and loneliness can be overwhelming. This is the situation faced by many of those dealing with dementia.
“There is ongoing grief as each progression occurs but you deal with it, make an adjustment, and move on,” says Anne Tudor, 66, the primary carer for her partner, Edie Mayer. Edie was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s six years ago, aged 59. “It’s the hardest thing I’ll ever have to do, but I have an unwavering commitment so I just have to get up and keep going,” Anne says. “Edie’s attitude makes it easier – she’s just so positive and stable; so together. She has no short-term memory at all but she’s so kind and thoughtful and if she sees somebody in need she’s immediately there to help.” It was Alzheimer’s that brought the couple to Ballarat in Victoria; Anne’s mother had it, so she and Edie moved there from Melbourne, where they had met 32 years ago, to support her mother. They stayed in Ballarat and two decades later, despite their own battles, they are the directors of a project aimed at driving greater awareness of dementia in the community. In September last year, the pair launched #BiggerHearts, a campaign to encourage the people of Ballarat to create a dementia-friendly community.
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Edie’s attitude makes it easier. She has no short-term memory at all but she’s so kind and thoughtful.” ANNE TUDOR PARTNER AND CARER
The project has attracted wide support. Australian Unity is a major sponsor alongside Alzheimer’s Australia. Through informal meetings at a local café, the group invited people living with dementia to get out and meet others, but also asked the public for ideas and feedback. “There’s a lot of stigma around dementia, so there are a lot of people with dementia who don’t access services or admit it,” the project’s coordinator, Dr Catherine Barrett, says. “Many people are coming out for the first time and saying, ‘I have dementia and don’t know what to do’.”
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INSIGHT
(Clockwise from above) Anne Tudor (left) with her partner Edie Mayer, who was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s six years ago. The pair founded #BiggerHearts, a dementia-awareness campaign in Ballarat in Victoria.
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INSIGHT
DEMENTIA
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
READ THIS:
Small Acts of Love: A National Symposium on Dementia and Love will be held from 14-15 February 2017 in Ballarat, Victoria. Through speakers, discussions, music and dance, it will explore the ways in which love enriches the lives of people living with dementia.
christinebryden.com
An Alzheimer’s Australia report, released in September last year, found people with dementia and their carers were twice as likely as the general public to experience loneliness and three times more likely to not have a friend to confide in or to call on for help.
staff involved in supporting them to reach their goals is very important and has a positive impact on their health and wellbeing,” Richard says.
Central to the #BiggerHearts campaign is a film that aims to encourage social connections.
Eventually, the Ballarat program – which echoes pilot projects in Port Macquarie, Kiama, Darwin, Holdfast Bay, Bribie Island and Beechworth – plans to form the Ballarat Dementia Alliance and develop practical solutions such as signage, support services and infrastructure for those with dementia.
“Australian Unity funded us to produce a film to bring in community members and have conversations with people with dementia,” Catherine says. “The message is, it’s not only possible and important, it’s actually lovely to converse with someone with dementia. “The film can be downloaded from the #BiggerHearts website, so we hope families will watch it,” Catherine says. “Or it could be good for groups to sit and watch, so they understand a bit more about talking to people with dementia.” Richard Prideaux, Australian Unity’s General Manager for Home & Disability Services in Victoria and South Australia, says sitting down with clients and working out what their specific needs and goals are is critical. “Australian Unity’s Better Together service promise means we go out of our way to make what our clients want possible. We start by developing goals that are meaningful and important to the client and their family or carer. “We then work together with each client to establish services, referrals or connections required to meet their goals and set a timeline with a start and end point, including regular reviews along the way. “The relationship built between the client and the
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Christine Bryden was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at 46 and re-diagnosed with frontal lobe dementia when she was 49. This is the first book written by an Australian with this condition and offers a unique insight into her battle with dementia.
Supporting Anne and Edie to make the film realised their goal.
Through the group, Anne receives carer’s respite, an activities program for Edie and four hours’ help a week from a local non-profit group. The pair also has a chef come in for five hours a week, organised by Australian Unity, to work with Edie in cooking meals. “That’s a big help for me,” Anne says. “And Alzheimer’s Australia came on board and offered a three-day living-with-memory-loss program, plus legal advice on getting your house in order and making decisions while you’re in a position to make them. “We now know what’s going to happen in terms of where we’re going to end up and Edie has made an advance care plan. We’re flourishing in adverse circumstances.” ^ Learn more about Anne and Edie’s campaign at celebrateageing.com/ bigger-hearts Learn more about dementia at fightdementia.org.au
Images Mark Munro
opalinstitute.org/dementia-and-love
Who will I be when I die? By Christine Bryden
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DISCOVER
The butterfly effect Man-made enclosures provide a close encounter with nature that can be enjoyed by people of all ages
Images Alamy; courtesy Coffs Harbour Butterfly House, Melbourne Zoo, Rohan Cleave
words Lachean Humphreys
Gardening expert Jane Edmanson with zookeeper Kate (left); and scenes from the Melbourne Zoo Butterfly House.
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T
he steamy humidity, the soothing green of warm-climate plants, the soft whirr of hundreds of tiny wings – there’s something about being in a butterfly enclosure that’s both magical and mood-lifting. Ian Bryant, who owns Coffs Harbour Butterfly House in New South Wales with his wife Ros, says that regardless of how people feel when they enter the space, no one leaves a butterfly house unhappy. “I think it just has that effect on you – whether you like it or not, you’re going to smile,” Ian says. Coffs Harbour Butterfly House was built in 1995, and Ian and Ros took it over in 2012. Species are all Australian, with a mix of tropical and subtropical varieties. Spend time with these colourful critters and you’ll see it all – courting, mating, drinking, basking and egg laying. Butterfly enclosures often feature seats, inviting you to pause for a moment and watch.
“It’s amazing because there’s no screen between you and the animal. You are immersed in their habitat, in their space.
CHASING BUTTERFLIES
JESS SINCLAIR ZOOKEEPER
ZOOS AROUND THE WORLD
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In Singapore, the Changi Airport Butterfly Garden is home to about 1000 tropical butterflies. Closer to home, the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary (half an hour from Cairns) is the largest in the country, breeding more than 30,000 caterpillars every year.
Zookeeper Jess Sinclair says people lose awareness of others as they gaze upward and around. “There’s so much butterfly movement and it’s amazing because there’s no screen between you and the animal. You are immersed in their habitat, in their space,” Jess says. Pioneering zookeeper Alfred Dunbavin Butcher came up with the idea for the Butterfly House 31 years ago. He wanted to extend the zoo’s range of creatures on display and encourage people to understand the importance of the world’s diverse eco systems. Melbourne Zoo has continued to be innovative: its most recent development is an enclosure for Lord Howe Island stick insects. These insects were believed
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Images iStockphoto
Live butterfly exhibitions are relatively new to the global zoo scene. The idea became popular in England in the late 1970s. The Butterfly House at the Melbourne Zoo opened in 1985. Penang Butterfly Farm, the first in Southeast Asia, opened in Malaysia in 1986. Butterfly World in Florida, the first and largest butterfly house in the United States, opened its doors in 1988.
Melbourne Zoo’s Butterfly House is a favourite for many visitors.
DISCOVER
BUTTERFLY LIFE CYCLE FROM EGG TO ADULT
EGG Female butterflies lay eggs on the leaves of a host plant; each species has a different host plant.
CATERPILLAR After the caterpillar hatches, it eats and grows for a few weeks, then it spins a silk cocoon on the underside of a leaf.
to be extinct for more than 80 years and the new enclosure has attracted noted scientists including Jane Goodall and David Attenborough. To remain at the forefront of environmentally conscious technology, the Butterfly House has faced many challenges. Gas heaters and evaporative coolers are used to regulate the temperature inside the house, but automatic shades help to minimise their use. A new double-glazed roof also helps to minimise heat loss, while energy-efficient LED lighting has been installed to replace halogen globes. Breeding presents another challenge, as each butterfly needs to lay its eggs on a specific species of host plant. A huge effort is put into the plant nursery at the Melbourne Zoo, which supplies host plants for the different species of butterflies. There are some plants in the Butterfly House that supply nectar, but the keepers also prepare nectar and put it on special feeders.
Images iStockphoto
Jess and the other keepers split their time between working in the front-of-house butterfly enclosure and back-of-house, where caterpillars are reared. “We’re completely sustainable with plant growth and with maintaining our own stocks of butterflies. We don’t have to bring any in, we can actually breed them all here,” Jess says.
PUPA The pupa begins its metamorphosis about an hour after being exposed to air.
BUTTERFLY The butterfly emerges but must hang from the pupa case for about an hour until its wings straighten and dry. Then it flies off to start the life cycle again.
Information within the Butterfly House will help you identify different species and friendly keepers are on hand to make sure you get the most out of your visit. “It’s a profound experience and such a pleasure to work to help conserve and to educate the public about butterflies and invertebrates in general,” Jess says. The Butterfly House at Melbourne Zoo is included in your zoo entry fee and is completely accessible. At Coffs Harbour Butterfly House there is also a maze (wheelchair and pram-accessible)and a café. ^
Coffs Harbour Butterfly House 5 Strouds Road, Bonville, NSW (02) 6653 4766 Open 9am – 4pm daily, except Monday butterflyhouse.com.au Melbourne Zoo Butterfly House Elliot Avenue, Parkville, VIC (03) 9285 9300 Open 9am – 5pm daily zoo.org.au/melbourne/ highlights/butterfly-house
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Would you like your beach trip served with a side of sand, surf, whales or cafés? words Lachean Humphreys
Australia is lucky to have some of the best beaches in the world. Whether your preferred activity is swimming, surfing, whale watching, dining in beachside cafes or taking in rugged cliff views, we’re spoiled for choice. Family-friendly beaches provide entertainment for children happy to swish in shallow waters or toil for hours on grand sandcastles. Rock pools give families the opportunity to while away afternoons. New South Wales boasts more than 2000 kilometres of coastline – that’s a lot of beaches. Sydney’s famous Bondi to Coogee walk is a great way to see the glamorous inner-city beachfront suburbs. Some sections feature steep steps, but the stretch between Tamarama and Bronte has a level, sealed path and there are great vantage points for views. On the south coast of New South Wales, some of the whitest sands in the world are to be found at Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay. Whale-and-dolphin-watching cruises depart from neighbouring Huskisson and from May to November you’ll see humpbacks and southern right whales.
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Images Fairfax Syndication; courtesy Destination NSW and WQuilliam/NSW & Australian Governments; courtesy Julie Jones (HaveWheelchairWillTravel.net)
BY THE SEASIDE
T
he quintessential Australian Summer means a lot of things: sausages sizzling on the barbecue, ice-creams, hot concrete, dry lawns and, of course, the beach.
DISCOVER
SURFING
Images Fairfax Syndication; courtesy Destination NSW and WQuilliam/NSW & Australian Governments; courtesy Julie Jones (HaveWheelchairWillTravel.net)
FOR EVERYONE
Gary Blaschke founded the Disabled Surfers Association of Australia (DSAA) in 1986 after being involved in a motorcycle accident and told he would never surf again. He wanted to start a program that would encourage people to be out in the water regardless of their physical limitations. There are now 16 branches around Australia and New Zealand. “We cater for all abilities and age levels, including ventilated quadriplegics,” Gary says.
BEACH ACCESSIBILITY Before heading to any beach, it’s worth doing a bit of accessibility research
“We’ve never had an accident, because we have a strict training program. Everything is totally voluntary. We’re not there to win gold medals, we’re there to put smiles on dials.”
NSW BONDI: Broad promenade and
Programs are run at accessible beaches and in suitable water. To get involved, see
disabledsurfers.org
Bondi Beach
The World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island is 600 kilometres off Australia’s coast, east of Port Macquarie in New South Wales. In the sparkling waters surrounding the island, swimming, snorkelling, diving and kayaking are popular. Hiking, fishing and birdwatching are also drawcards. Lord Howe hosts 130 permanent and migratory bird species every year. In Victoria, there’s also plenty of choice. St Kilda Beach is home to Melbourne’s historic amusement park, Luna Park, as well as popular beachside cafés, pubs and shops. Around the bay, Brighton’s iconic bathing boxes are worth a visit for the photo opportunity alone. The Surf Coast of Victoria is famous for its surfing spots and is home to Bells Beach, where the Rip Curl Pro surfing competition is held every Easter. Bells Beach is a short drive from Anglesea, the town marking the beginning of the famous Great Ocean Road. Popular tourist attractions include the Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet, popular holiday towns Lorne and Apollo Bay and the Twelve Apostles. On the other side of Port Phillip Bay, the Mornington Peninsula has safe-swimming bay beaches, boardwalks and lookouts. Wilsons Promontory, at the mainland’s southernmost point, is known for its scenic coastline. Camping is popular and there are many great bushwalks catering to all skill levels and abilities. ^
ramp to access the beach. MANLY: Good accessibility from here to nearby Shelly Beach. --JERVIS BAY: White Sands Walk connects Hyams Beach to Greenfield Beach. A family-friendly picnic area with access to the beach via a short boardwalk. VICTORIA
Jervis Bay
Great Ocean Road
APOLLO BAY: All-terrain wheelchairs available for hire from the Great Ocean Road Visitor Information Centre. --PHILLIP ISLAND: Disabled parking, ramp access to boardwalks, buggy rides and wheelchair hire provided at the Phillip Island Penguin Parade. Viewing areas at wheelchair height. --WILSONS PROMONTORY NATIONAL PARK and CAPE CONRAN COASTAL PARK: Motorised all-terrain
wheelchairs, suitable for sandy and semi-rough tracks, are available for free hire.
Wilsons Promontory
For more information head to visitnsw.com and parkweb.vic.gov.au S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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WHEELING into the WILDERNESS The TrailRider is blazing a new path for wheelchair-bound bush lovers words Kirstie Bedford
D
avid Stratton is a wilderness addict who is determined that being in a wheelchair doesn’t have to mean missing out on exploring Australia’s rugged terrain.
David and his wife Ros Hart, who are based in Newstead in central Victoria, have always been avid walkers but David feared his days in the wilderness were coming to an end when, at 45, he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. David knew there were bushwalking tracks that could be accessed by wheelchair, but they weren’t the ones he wanted to use. “They have very heavy traffic and are quite tame,” he says. “There’s 500 metres here and 700 metres there and, while there are great views, it’s not wilderness.”
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Images Fairfax Syndication (Craig Stilltoe); courtesy Julie Jones (HaveWheelchairWillTravel.net); Trailrider
DISCOVER
Key advocate for the TrailRider, David Stratton, is led by Parks Victoria sherpas (opposite page). The TrailRider has allowed Julie Jones’ family to get off the beaten track (left).
Years later when David was on a holiday in Canada, a friend told him she was going to take him into the bush on a TrailRider. “I looked at this contraption and was horrified,” David says. “All I could see was helplessness and I couldn’t imagine surrendering that much. But Ros said to give it a try and that was all I needed.” David was so impressed with the all-terrain wheelchair, which allowed him to get into previously inaccessible parts of the bush, that he was determined that others share his experience. On his return to Australia, David laminated photos of the TrailRider, which he affectionately describes as a cross between a wheelbarrow and a rickshaw, and showed them to David Roberts, the Chief Ranger of Parks Victoria’s Grampians National Park. “He really got it almost immediately and said he’d take it further for us. He contacted John Kenwright (Parks Victoria’s Acting Manager of Visitor Engagement and Conservation) who bought the first two chairs in Australia.” David says the conceptually brilliant aspect of the TrailRider is that it has just one wheel.
Images Fairfax Syndication (Craig Stilltoe); courtesy Julie Jones (HaveWheelchairWillTravel.net); Trailrider
“Any other contraption that has two wheels or more just doesn’t work because of the possibility of getting stuck. So this chair gives you what nothing else can – access to wilderness.” John says the chair was a perfect fit with the Parks Victoria “Healthy Parks, Healthy People” philosophy. “We want to improve access to nature for people with mobility limitations, and this enables people to do that,” he says. “We were really driven by David’s experiences and the design because it allowed people to go on rugged trails and so it ticks a lot of boxes for us. It has adjustments to suit all abilities, because some wheelchairs only suit some people, but these suit adults and children.
TRAILRIDER FACTS WAS DEVELOPED IN
VANCOUVER, CANADA IN 1995
WEIGHS 23 KILOGRAMS has disc brakes and folds for transport
Has twice made the
5895-METRE
20%
ASCENT OF MT. KILIMANJARO
the highest peak in Africa
OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION OF
TRAILRIDERS are in Australia
(approx 18 in total)
“We’re looking at getting more, but they need to be used on appropriate trails. We’d eventually like to make them available across all parks in Victoria,” John says. David demonstrated the TrailRider to a group of park rangers in Tasmania. “It was pouring with rain and not one face was lighting up. I said ‘look let’s just give it a try’ and I was put in it. You could see their faces change. They could see how these could be used for mountain rescue too,” he says. g S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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DISCOVER
SHERPA VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Parks Victoria has launched a Sherpa Volunteer Program for those who want to use the TrailRider, but need a few extra hands. Volunteers include retirees who love getting outdoors and young people who want to help.
Requirements are a good level of fitness, a love of walking and the ability to engage with others. To find out about becoming a sherpa volunteer visit: parkweb.vic.gov.au
do bushwalks because we had to stick to wheelchair-accessible paths. Because we couldn’t take BJ off the beaten track, she missed out too.” Two years ago they tried the TrailRider. “BJ was so unsure to start with because it’s like someone putting you off balance. So for the first time there was a sense of it not being quite right,” Julie says. “But as soon as he got used to it he loved it. He was beaming and we knew we’d get to access bush and see things we hadn’t seen. “We didn’t anticipate the social aspect to that too; people pass and say hello because they are so excited for you,” Julie says. “You need those good things that come from being out in nature and not to feel limited. That’s the most important thing; the TrailRider makes you feel as though you can still do things. It makes a big difference mentally and physically.”
He was beaming and we knew we’d get to access bush and see things we hadn’t seen.” There are 10 TrailRiders in Victoria, four in New South Wales and one each in the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and Western Australia. David says soon there will be one in the Northern Territory too. Julie Jones, whose son BJ was born with cerebral palsy, says David’s work in promoting the TrailRider has been inspirational. “He’s a prime example of one person being able to make change and he has my admiration.” Julie has a blog (havewheelchairwilltravel.net) that promotes increased accessibility for people with disability. BJ, now 20, has become reliant on his wheelchair, but enjoys getting outdoors. “We’d done hiking and gone places you couldn’t go with a wheelchair, but at the age of seven BJ became too heavy for my husband to carry,” Julie says. “Then our daughter, AJ, was born and we couldn’t
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JULIE JONES
It’s not surprising that when David isn’t working on getting more TrailRiders around Australia, he’s using them. “I get out once every three or four months,” David says. “My 65th birthday is coming up and my children will be taking me out in the Grampians on a TrailRider.” In typical style, David will be using the milestone to push the boundaries. “We’ll be doing a greater distance and doing something more exciting,” he says. ^
FURTHER INFORMATION For more on accessible national parks see nationalparks.nsw.gov.au
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DISCOVER
NOMAD ADVENTURES Caravanning around Australia is more than a holiday, it’s a lifestyle words Jennifer Morton
A
ustralians love holidaying in the great outdoors. A whopping 85 per cent of the population has gone camping or caravanning at least once, according to the Caravan Industry Association of Australia.
Travelling by caravan is not only a popular holiday option; for some people it’s a new way of life. Terry and Mary-Anne Oliver from Carrum Downs in Victoria had always dreamed of caravanning around the country. The couple had been on countless short trips over the past 10 years, and since retiring have begun taking longer trips. g
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DISCOVER
“The whole lifestyle is amazing. We don’t want it to stop. Many vehicles and caravans today allow the traveller easier access to remote areas.
M A RY - A N N E O L I V E R CARAVANNING ENTHUSIAST, VIC TORIA
“It started as camping and grew from there,” Mary-Anne says. “The whole lifestyle is amazing. We don’t want it to stop.”
Many vehicles and caravans today allow the traveller easier access to remote areas.
The adventurous couple has been on the road since June 2015 with minimal time spent at their unit. They travel in their self-sufficient, 6.5-metre caravan with their Staffordshire bull terrier, Zeba. The trio loves life on the road.
Top tips
FOR NEW NOMADS
“We love the relaxation, the lack of stress and meeting people. You meet the most amazing people,” Mary-Anne says.
Have business cards made to easily share contact details
• Install a UHF radio for emergencies outside mobile zones
•
Do a full vehicle and van safety check
• • Take extra water • Arrive at your new destination Learn how to change a tyre
during daylight hours
• Stay within weight restrictions or risk fines
• Recycle clothing at op shops • Take it slow and enjoy yourself
Images courtesy Tourism WA; Visions of Victoria; Alamy
“We’ve made friends with about 40 or 50 other couples,” Terry says. Terry says the nomad lifestyle is never dull. “Everything’s new. We’re having new experiences every day. It never gets boring. And if it does, I go fishing, or golfing, or pack up and go somewhere else,” he says. Seventy-three per cent of new caravan and motorhome owners say they want to see more of Australia. A 2015 survey by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia found there were 528,210 caravans registered across the country, a five per cent increase from the previous year. Debbie Ebsary, the Manager at Kookaburra Caravan Park in Busselton, Western Australia, says she sees between five and 15 caravan arrivals every week during Winter. “Some people have sold their house, so caravanning is their lifestyle. Many of them are grey nomads and they go around and around. The caravan is their home,” Debbie says. Debbie meets the passing travellers and says most of them are lots of fun. “They’ve got no worries, they’re laid-back, they enjoy fishing, sometimes they’re just happy to sit in the sunshine and read a book,” she says. The Kookaburra Caravan Park is a block from the Busselton Jetty and has 150 powered van sites. The park is on level ground and has a disabled public toilet and a wheelchair-accessible cabin. Mary-Anne says she and Terry have met people travelling with motorised scooters and have noticed that many parks have all-abilities access.
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DISCOVER
Images courtesy Tourism WA; Visions of Victoria; Alamy
(Clockwise from left) Caravan parks and camp grounds are often in some of our most pristine locations; well-equipped parks are now commonplace; group travel is popular with grey nomads.
“Most places these days have wheelchair ramps and disabled toilets and showers, even at the roadside stops in some places. Western Australia is fantastic for that, especially north of Geraldton,” Mary-Anne says. Main Roads Western Australia has built rest areas that offer amenities including waste stations, shelters, picnic areas and toilets. When Marcus and Kay Kitchen, owners of Kurrimine Beach Holiday Park on Queensland’s Cassowary Coast, recognised the need for better facilities, the holiday park went through major renovations. The park has won tourism awards for its well-maintained disability access facilities and quality customer service. “We met guests who had disabilities and they told us about the things they actually needed and wanted, which were different from the basic requirements,” Kay says. When a guest broke his leg during his holiday recently, he was able to use the park’s waterproof wheelchair and beach buggy and still join in with his family. “We’ve tried to include things that will enable everyone to be included in normal activities, whether they are able-bodied or have restricted mobility.” ^
HOLIDAY PARKS ALL-ACCESS SPECIFIC
QUEENSLAND Kurrimine Beach Holiday Park, Kurrimine Beach
VICTORIA Grampians Paradise Camping and Caravan Parkland, Pomonal
Beach house and shacks with wheelchair access. Dogs welcome.
Lakeside location. Accessible facilities.
1300 725 525 kurrimine.com.au
(03) 5356 6309 grampiansparadise.com.au
NEW SOUTH WALES WESTERN AUSTRALIA Taunton Farm Holiday Park, Cowaramup Farm-themed. Accessible facilities. No dogs. 1800 248 777 tauntonfarm.com.au SOUTH AUSTRALIA Kookaburra Caravan Park, Brighton Caravan Park, Busselton Adelaide Camper’s kitchen, undercover State-of-the-art accessible BBQ areas and disabled cabins and facilities, plus a facilities. Dogs welcome. walk-in swimming pool. (08) 9752 1516 1800 444 567 adelaideshores.com.au busselton.wa.gov.au Tathra Beachside Holiday Park, Tathra, South Coast Water park. Great for families. Pet friendly. (02) 6494 1302 tathrabeachside.com.au
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BALANCE
Nourish your spirit Mindfulness is about paying attention to everything, starting with your own breath words Emma Castle
As electronic mediums encourage us to tune into the virtual world and ignore the real one, being able to learn mindfulness is becoming increasingly important for our wellbeing. Ideally, mindfulness should be easy and enjoyable, requiring little or no effort. But many of us find our minds clouded by worry over money, family, health and social issues. So how can we learn to practise mindfulness? Yoga teacher and nutritionist Monica Moore from Moore Nourishing, a wellness consulting business based in Bowral, New South Wales, says everyday there are multiple opportunities to do “spot” meditations. “Like anything, mindfulness practices need to be accessible and doable. Tiny, incremental actions that build over time, subsequently making an impact and cultivating patience and kindness in our lives,” Monica says.
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IN THE MOMENT
• • • •
START THE DAY on your own terms – have a screen-free bedroom so you don’t look at email or social media until you have spent five minutes sitting, breathing, noticing what is going on in your internal life. TAKE FIVE conscious inhales and exhales and notice how your body responds. TURN YOUR mobile phone, often an enemy of awareness, into something useful. Set a vibration alert to go off a few times a day. It becomes an awareness trigger to pause and practise a few moments of mindfulness. PUT MINDFUL NOTES in places that you visit during the day – the bathroom, your office, or car – as a reminder to take a moment to check in with yourself.
Image Getty Images
Y
es, it’s the latest buzzword in mental health, but mindfulness – a mental state achieved by focusing on the present moment and accepting and acknowledging your feelings and thoughts – isn’t a fad.
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BALANCE
QUICK FACTS Melbourne Meditation Centre offers basic introductory courses in mindfulness in Melbourne and Geelong. Sydney Meditation Centre offers introductory and advanced courses and Moore Nourishing in New South Wales offers wellness programs. WHO: People of all ages
When we practise mindfulness we have less expectations or desire to try and change the external, past or future; it’s all about the present.” S A B I N A V I TACC A DIREC TOR OF MEDITATE NOW
“Find pockets during the day to put yourself in front of something beautiful – in the garden, or in nature – to literally stop and smell the roses. “Alternatively, ask yourself, ‘What do I see, feel, smell, hear?’ This is the essence of mindfulness practice; simply checking in with yourself whenever and wherever you are.” Monica says that by integrating this practice into your day, you will help keep your body relaxed and be able to process your thoughts and emotions more efficiently. This is all that it takes to meditate, or be mindful. So, who does it? Is it only for people who drink kale juice and go to yoga?
Image Getty Images
Sabina Vitacca, the Director of Melbourne-based business Meditate Now, says absolutely not. Mindfulness is for people of all ages, states of health, religions and races. Sabina’s journey into mindfulness began when she was a child. “When I was 12, my mother left our family and my world turned upside down,” Sabina says.
HOW: Focus on your breathing, what you’re eating, the sounds around you, or the way you’re feeling in a particular moment WHY: In 2013, researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the United States sifted through nearly 19,000 meditation studies and found that mindfulness meditation helps ease psychological stresses such as anxiety, depression and pain WHERE: Anywhere you can find a quiet space to connect with your inner self. Try it in noisy spaces too
“I went from being in a strict Italian family to one that was held together by a father who had fallen apart, had no idea what to do with teenage kids and was supported by an older sister. “At the time, my aunt provided me with a guided meditation tape. I am so thankful as this supported me with my stress levels and helped me to make sense of everything.” Sabina says that mindfulness offers greater clarity, helps us focus, makes us less distracted and encourages us to be compassionate towards ourselves and others. “When we practise mindfulness we have less expectations or desire to try and change the external, past or future; it’s all about the present – what’s happening in the moment. It’s about igniting passion in simplicity,” she says. “Most importantly it makes us happy – even with the simple things and grateful for what we call life.” ^
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DISCOVER
Our land of orchid excellence These exotic flowers may look fragile and fussy, but they are tough and easy to grow words Jane Canaway photography Kerrie Smiles
O
rchids love the Australian climate so much that more than 800 orchid species, most of them unique to our shores, grow in all kinds of locations all over Australia. Queensland’s floral emblem, the delightfully named Dendrobium bigibbum, or Cooktown orchid, is well known for its striking shades of purple. The supertough Sydney rock orchid, Dendrobium speciosum, produces creamy yellow flower spikes in Spring and is loved by gardeners. More familiar to gardeners in the southern states of Australia are the showy, intricately patterned Cymbidiums, the moth orchid (Phalaenopsis)with its broad-winged petals that vary from white to deep purple and the wildly coloured Singapore orchid, once a buttonhole favourite. Despite our climate and our huge variety of native plants, the bulk of commercially grown plants sold in Australia originate from southern China, South-East Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Most cultivated orchids are epiphytes, which grow on trees in the tropics or sub-tropics. They prefer dappled light, high humidity, good airflow and limited nutrients. Rock orchids like similar conditions. Terrestrial orchids (those growing in the ground) outnumber their tree-loving cousins by three to one but are difficult to cultivate. The exceptions are varieties of greenhood (Pterostylis)and onion (Microtis unifolia)orchids, which grow readily in pots or under a tree. Look for them in specialist nurseries. ^
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KERRIE’S BLOOMS BRING SMILES AT WILLANDRA Australian Unity’s Kerrie Smiles is leading her own orchid revolution. Kerrie, the Assistant Manager at Willandra Retirement Community in Cromer in New South Wales, is getting many of the residents involved in her hobby. “I remember being a kid and having a lady’s slipper orchid (Paphiopedilum) and I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen,” Kerrie says. “They are such good value – better than cut flowers. And I love the people I have met through collecting and growing them.” Kerrie has encouraged so many residents to grow the plants she has been able to host orchid shows at Willandra. She has also created a special garden where former residents’ orchids continue to bloom in their memory. After a busy Spring, repotting bigger Cymbidiums and removing old rhizomes, Kerrie says Summer is about maintenance. “I make up a diluted molasses mix and spray every two weeks. It keeps the bugs off and gives the leaves a sheen. I mix two tablespoons of molasses in one litre of water, using warm water to make sure it dissolves.” Checking Summer light is also important; the sun is higher and shade will fall differently.
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DISCOVER
Top tips for healthy plants:
• •
• •
Good drainage is essential; use orchid mix, which comprises large chunks of bark Orchids like warm and humid environments, not hot and dry, or cold and wet Direct Summer sun can cause sunburn Know your orchid: Moth orchids prefer hot weather and low light; Cymbidiums don’t like temperatures over 25°C but need more light; Dendrobiums like warm days and cool nights
Looking for an orchid society near you? orchidsaustralia.com S u m m e r 2 0 1 7 F LOU R I SH
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FEAT URED RETIREMENT COMMUNIT Y PUZZLES
*Indicative
RATHDOWNE PLACE Carlton, Victoria
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australianunity.com.au/rathdowneplace
1300 160 170
*Indicative image only
Location, luxury and lifestyle are the new must-haves in retirement living.
S
ome of the biggest myths about the baby boomer generation, born 1946-1961, are: they are only interested in SKI holidays (Spending the Kids’ Inheritance); they want to move to the coast for a sea change; or they want to swap the family home for a Recreational Vehicle (RV) so they can live out their days as grey nomads. In truth, today’s 60-somethings are more interested in pursuing an active retirement, they don’t want to live too far from family and friends and they do want to leave something for their children and grandchildren. However they also want to enjoy a rewarding lifestyle. Having been part of a generation of cultural and social change, many boomers see retirement as a chance to enter a new life phase, almost like a new career.
Cosmopolitan lifestyle The Residences at Rathdowne Place – a sophisticated apartment-style retirement community, part of the Australian Unity Wellness Precinct – offer this generation the chance to enjoy an active life in a contemporary, cosmopolitan environment, a short walk from the centre of one of the world’s most liveable cities. *Indicative image only
+ Communal and private spaces available
Alternative thinking about 21st-century ageing has resulted in a new paradigm in retirement living envisioned by internationally renowned architects Fender Katsalidis and brought to life by Australian Unity. Friends and social connections are close and all necessary services and facilities are on the doorstep, including the café and dining culture that defines Melbourne’s inner city. The arts precinct, sports stadiums, glamorous shopping plus world-class medical options are all nearby too and residents will enjoy continuity of support if their personal needs change. Due to open early this year, Rathdowne Place will comprise 91 two-and-three-bedroom apartments with premium fittings and finishes designed for independent living. They include balconies, local and district views, modern kitchens, master bedrooms with ensuites plus secure underground storage and car parks. All apartments benefit from an open-plan design, ample built-in storage and colour palettes that allow residents to add décor to taste.
Safe and secure Particularly appealing to prospective residents is the ability to simply lock the *Indicative image only
+ Features premium fittings and finishes
front door and take off for however long they wish – with no lawns to mow, no tell-tale junk mail and their home and belongings safe in a secure environment. Other bonuses include a concierge, reception area and private library, quiet spaces for study or a meeting, a private function space with catering options, a fully equipped gym, cinema and a rooftop terrace with barbecue facilities and views from the city to the mountains. Rathdowne Place will offer access to the adjacent Wellness Centre with a rehabilitation gym and hydrotherapy pool along with a range of natural therapies and allied health services. Australian Unity offers all its retirement community residents and the community at large access to dedicated home services, from personal care and meal preparation to housekeeping, shopping or laundry. Home services can be funded through government packages or on a private fee-paying basis, giving recipients the opportunity to spend more time doing the things they enjoy. Among the joys of living in Carlton are its location, just minutes from the CBD by public transport, its parks and its people – they’ll happily handcraft a pizza, gelato, espresso or even teach you to play bocce. ■ Graeme Kemlo *Royal Exhibition Building
+ Less than 3km from Melbourne’s CBD
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FEAT URED RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES *Indicative image only
$660,000 †
$285,000 †
$280,000 †
CAMPBELL PLACE
ELDERSLEE
GEELONG GROVE
13/2 Carramar Avenue Glen Waverley Vic. 3150
14/15 Bias Avenue Bateau Bay NSW 2261
11/50 Barwarre Road Grovedale Vic. 3216
2
1.5
1
2
1
1
Comprising versatile, spacious interiors, this apartment will feature a wellappointed kitchen, open-plan living and dining, European laundry and fully ducted reverse-cycle air-conditioning. The spacious bedrooms include built-in wardrobes and the master bedroom connects to an ensuite. Construction is due to be completed in March 2017.
Surrounded by lush gardens, this smartly presented unit has undergone a partial refurbishment and features a spacious open-plan living and dining area. Generous-sized bedrooms have built-in wardrobes. A lock-up garage provides convenient parking nearby.
*Community centre
*Indicative image only
Register your interest
2
1
Refurbished and within close proximity to community facilities, this unit offers open-plan living and plenty of natural light throughout. Garden views can be enjoyed from the living areas and a secure lock-up garage provides additional convenience.
*Indicative image only
SOLD
$385,000 †
PENINSULA GRANGE
RATHDOWNE PLACE
SIENNA GRANGE
431 Racecourse Road Mornington Vic. 3931
601/500 Drummond Street Carlton Vic. 3053
61/28 John Oxley Drive Port Macquarie NSW 2444
3 Brand new two-and-three-bedroom apartments with two bathrooms and a car parking space. Set to be released in early 2017. Register your interest today!
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1
2
1
Located less than 3km from the CBD, this modern apartment will feature northeasterly views from a large private balcony and offer the finest in retirement living. Highlights include a spacious master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe and large ensuite. Construction is due to be completed in March 2017.
2
1
1
Due for completion in early 2017, this modern villa will feature open-plan living areas flowing into a private courtyard. The master bedroom will feature a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite, with a separate powder room for guests. There is internal access to a lock-up garage.
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1300 1300160 160170 170
australianunity.com.au/retirement-communities/properties-for-sale
$299,500 †
$210,000 †
$410,000 †
GREGLEA
MT EYMARD
MORVEN MANOR
SA 1.24/192 Penshurst Street Penshurst NSW 2222
SA200/502 Moss Vale Road Bowral NSW 2576
Unit 10/77 Tanti Avenue Mornington Vic. 3931
1
1
1
Located on the upper level of the community centre building with streetlevel access, this spacious serviced apartment features a new kitchen with stone benchtops. The large bedroom has built-in wardrobes and the ensuite bathroom features a vanity with stone benchtop and full tiling.
$439,000 †
1
2
Enjoy the very best of supported living in this serviced apartment. The bright, open living area leads into the modern kitchenette with ample shelving. Storage is available in the floor-to-ceiling built-in wardrobe in the bedroom. Air-conditioning is an added bonus.
$850,000 †
1
Designed to offer privacy and quality without compromise, this unit features plenty of space for treasured possessions and guests alike. Recently refurbished, it has a new contemporary kitchen and a stylish bathroom.
$945,000 †
THE GOVERNOR’S
WILLANDRA VILLAGE
WILLANDRA BUNGALOWS
84/166 River Park Road Port Macquarie NSW 2444
24/81 Willandra Road Cromer NSW 2099
39/51 Little Willandra Road Cromer NSW 2099
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1.5
1
Offering a coveted position within this boutique community, this unit features open-plan living and dining areas, kitchen with stone benchtops and stainless-steel appliances, spacious bedrooms with walk-in robes and main bedroom with ensuite. Construction is due to be completed in early 2017.
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2
1
Fully refurbished with bushland views from the balcony, this villa features double bedrooms with access to the main bathroom, a separate toilet and an additional toilet in the laundry. The kitchen features stone benchtops, stainless-steel appliances and there is internal access to a lock-up garage.
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2
1
This recently refurbished property features a new kitchen, bathroom and living area with bushland views from the balcony. The master bedroom leads to the main bathroom and the property has a separate powder room. There is internal access to a single lock-up garage.
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BALANCE
Classic flavours
Crisp lettuce, tender chicken, crunchy walnuts and sweet fruit create the perfect Summer salad
Waldorf salad with chicken Serves 2-4
Ingredients
Method
100g Greek-style yoghurt
Whisk together the yoghurt, tarragon and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped 1 tablespoon lemon juice salt and pepper 3 medium chicken breasts, cooked and thinly sliced 2 sticks of celery, thinly sliced 1 red apple, cut into matchsticks 150g black seedless grapes, halved 50g toasted walnut kernels, halved
Place all the other ingredients, except the salad leaves, in a bowl. Pour enough of the yoghurt dressing over the chicken mixture to generously coat the ingredients. Put the salad leaves into a salad bowl and top with the chicken mixture. Serve immediately.
2 handfuls of crisp salad leaves, torn if large
This is an edited extract from Salads by Sue Quinn, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $19.99
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Aussie crossword Difficulty:
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Across 8. The Story Bridge links the two sides of the river in this Queensland city (8) 9. Icebreaker used to support Australian bases in Antarctica, the ... Australis (6)
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10. Theatrical production such as Jack Davis’ No Sugar or David Williamson’s Emerald City (4) 11. Popular black and tan dog breed known affectionately as the Rottie (10)
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12. The first Prime Minister of Australia, Edmund ... (6) 14. Bruce Beresford’s 1997 film of the Japanese occupation of Sumatra in WWII, ... Road (8) 15. Blankety Blanks host, Officer of the Order of Australia and a six-time recipient of the Gold Logie, Graham ... (7) 18. Protective item used to protect the leg of a hockey player (4,3) 20. She took over from Dame Joan as reigning Antipodean soprano, Dame Kiri ... (2,6) 21. South African-born entrepreneur who became Australia’s first billionaire, Robert Holmes ... (1,5) 23. Club that contributes greatly to the northern State of Origin Rugby League team (3,7) 24. Eucalypts (4) 25. Famous beer-maker, Carlton & ... Breweries (6) 26. Once the Country, now the ... Party (8)
60
© Lovatts Puzzles
Down 1. Dancing Australian crane (6)
22. Neighbours cul-de-sac, ... Street (6)
2. Portable icebox (4)
24. 2015 album from Aussie band 5 Seconds Of Summer, Sounds Good Feels ... (4)
3. Delicious freshwater crayfish native to Western Australia (6) 4. What excessive bureaucracy may tie you up in (3,4) 5. NSW’s country music capital (8) 6. Comedian who played Uncle Tadpole in musical Bran Nue Dae (5,5) 7. Indie rock band fronted by Tex Perkins who had mainstream success with The Honeymoon Is Over, The ... (5,3) 13. Kevin Rudd’s successor (4,6) 16. Melbourne Zoo’s longtime denizen, Queenie the ... (8) 17. Argyle products (8) 19. Bossley Park’s famous football club (7) 21. Domestic airline founded in 1936 which ceased operations in 2002 (6)
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PUZZLES
Binary puzzle
0
Difficulty:
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• 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.
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Sudoku puzzle
7
Difficulty:
5
To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1-9 must appear in:
4 3
• Each of the nine vertical columns. • Each of the nine horizontal rows. • Each of the nine 3x3 boxes.
7 4 5 1
Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.
Crossword: Sudoku #1 solution:
3 6 8 5 1 7 9 4 2
5 2 7 9 4 8 3 6 1
1 7 9 4 6 3 2 8 5
6 4 2 8 5 9 7 1 3
8 3 5 7 2 1 4 9 6
2 8 3 1 9 6 5 7 4
9 5 6 2 7 4 1 3 8
7 1 4 3 8 5 6 2 9
Binary #1 solution:
4 9 1 6 3 2 8 5 7
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1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0
0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1
1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
K E L T E P T H A UN T
B E B R I S O K P L A Y G B A R T O NN Y K A B E B O I T T
Answers
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8 6 5 1 2 8 4 7
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1
1
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Each square in the puzzle may contain either 0 or 1, and:
3 8 5 3 9 8 7 5 9 4 3 9 3 2 4 6 8
1
1
© Lovatts Puzzles
M R B A N E R D RO T O A ON P E E D Y I M N AWA M R RONC N O E D N S I
© Lovatts Puzzles
T E C A UROR A M N U TWE I L E R O E L A R A D I S E T I E S H I N P A D G A COUR T N A OS GUMS E O S A T I ON A L T D Y
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PUZZLES
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© Lovatts Puzzles
© Lovatts Puzzles
Word search
Do your block
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 reveal the mystery answer.
Fit the words listed into the grid. Start with the three-letter words.
Difficulty:
Difficulty:
Theme: Kakadu. Take a tour of this iconic NT National Park and cross off the listed words along the way. The leftover letters will spell out a title held by the Bininj in the north of the park and the Mungguy in the south.
rd
BARR AMU NDI C H ASM S C R OCO DI LES C ULT UR A L SI TES FAUN A FR OG S GORGES H IL L S H ONE YEATERS J ABIR U
JI M JI M FA LLS MELALEU C A MI NI NG NANGU LUW UR R OCK WALLAB IE S U B I RR WATERLI LIE S WI LDLI FE WI LDMAN RIV E R
Answer
62
3 letters
5 letters
6 letters
Arc Pat S pa Tar
Ado pt Antic Aro m a Aster Co nes Drak e E l ec t E m its E nded G ees e Larg e N am es O u tdo R aces S o nar S pear State Tres s Unpin Vo tes
Ad a p t s At te n d C l e ve r Demise Depict Doomed Ero t i c H e ro e s Linked Menial Messes N i ce s t Pat te r R e ce s s Sys te m To t te d To ure d To us l e U nt r ue Wi d e l y
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040 – Anagram Square
Wheel Words
H A W C T 2 R O D H A Anagram square 3 L U W F A 16 Good Difficulty: 24 Very Good 32+ Excellent ________________________________ Rearrange the letters in each toLform word. Write your 4 row Afirst Ea from L each G ________________________________ answers into the blank grid. The letter word, ________________________________ reading down, will spell the5mystery M Ykeyword. E P T ________________________________ 1
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only, abut always including the middle Rearrange the letters in eachletters row once to form word. letter. Do not use Write your answers into the blank grid. Theproper first names or plurals ending with S. See if you can find the 9-letter word using letter from each word, reading will spell the up down, all letters. mystery keyword.
I N
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Wheel words
© Lovatts Puzzles
________________________________ ________________________________ 1 ________________________________ ________________________________ 2 ________________________________ ________________________________ 3
Difficulty:
4
H R L A M
A O U L Y
W D W E E
C H F L P
T A A G T
1 2 3 4
5 Create words of 4 letters 5 or more using the given © Lovatts Puzzles Wheel Wordsonce 0453 only, but always letters 1 including the middle letter. Solution: Lost itsHEAD head LOST ITS Aced, Data, Date, Dead, Dean, Dent, 2 Dice, Died, Diet, Dine, Dint, Edit, DoAcid, notAide, useDace, proper names Each of the words reading Difficulty: Iced, Idea, Tend, Tide, Tied. Acted, Aided, Cadet, Caned, Cited, Dance, Dated, Diced, down has lost its head. Fill in the correct or plurals ending withCandid, S. Canted, Danced, first letters toDetain, spell a Didact, nine-letter word reading across, starting with the Dined, Edict, Naiad, Addict, Caddie, Decant, 3Each given letter. This words is the mystery keyword. Dinted, SeeAntacid, if youCandied. can find the 9-letter of the reading down has lost its head. Fill in the word using up all letters. correct first letters to spell a nine-letter word reading across, 9-letter word: CANDIDATE. 4 starting with the given letter. This is the mystery keyword. 16 = Good 24 = Very Good © Lovatts Puzzles
32+ = Excellent
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1 C L A P
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© Lovatts Puzzles
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T I T R D E C R O L C A G N O I M E H P Y T N D
Solution: Watch, Hoard, Awful, Legal, Empty Mystery keyword: WHALE
© Lovatts Puzzles
9-letter word answer:
© Lovatts Puzzles
© Lovatts Puzzles
P
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Mystery keyword: CAFETERIA
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1. Clap, 2. Atom, 3. File, 4. Etch, 5. Trap, 6. Edgy, 7. Rent, 8. Icon, 9. Arid.
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LOST ITS HEAD 004 © Lovatts Puzzles
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Answer: Traditional owners
L
S H
Lost It’s Head: 1. Clap, 2. Atom, 3. File, 4. Etch, 5. Trap, 6. Edgy, 7. Rent, 8. Icon, 9. Arid. Mystery keyword: CAFETERIA Mystery keyword: WHALE
Do Your Block solution: N D
Solution: Watch, Hoard, Awful, Legal, Empty
Word Search solution:
E
Answers:
© Lovatts Puzzles To purchase more puzzles visit our website www.lovattspuzzles.com
Watch, Hoard, Awful, Legal, Empty. Mystery keyword: WHALE
Anagram Square solution:
Nine-letter word: CANDIDATE
Wheel Words solution: Aced, Acid, Aide, Dace, Data, Date, Dead, Dean, Dent, Dice, Died, Diet, Dine, Dint, Edit, Iced, Idea, Tend, Tide, Tied. Acted, Aided, Cadet, Caned, Cited, Dance, Dated, Diced, Dined, Edict, Naiad, Addict, Caddie, Candid, Canted, Danced, Decant, Detain, Didact, Dinted, Antacid, Candied.
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60-63_Flourish_Puzzles.indd 63
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5/01/2017 11:01 AM
BALANCE
THE TIME IS RIPE Get to know your fruits and reap the rewards words Jane C anaway
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ummer’s harvest begins to add fragrance to our shops and gardens in late Spring and just as Summer fruits start to taste their best, the price drops. So, now is the time to enjoy peaches, cherries, grapes, plums, apricots, nectarines, mangoes, raspberries, pineapples and strawberries.
Wild strawberries, whose Latin name Fragraria means “fragrance”, have been used medicinally since Roman times. They were grown from runners until new species from North and South America arrived in Australia in the 1750s. These species had larger fruit, so growers experimented with cross breeding. Initial plantings produced no fruit, until growers learned that some plants were male and others female. The modern strawberry is a cultivar, first produced in France around 1766. Choose strawberries by their sweet fragrance and glossy exterior and check carefully for bruising or marking.
cooking tip The enzymes in fresh kiwi fruit, papaya and pineapple can be used as meat tenderisers in marinades.
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India’s national fruit, the mango, adds flavour to many different dishes. Add mango to a superspicy chutney or curry, a smoothie, or simply enjoy it on its own. Grapes and chunks of sweet pineapple add interest to a summer salad. The stone fruits chosen for easy transportation by supermarkets are probably the least flavoursome, so if you can grow heritage types at home you can enjoy their old-fashioned scent and taste. Look for dwarf trees of many heritage fruits, some of which are small enough to grow in pots. Most fruit offers a broad range of vitamins and antioxidants; strawberries are particularly high in Vitamin C. Many fruits are treated with chemical sprays to retain freshness. Strawberries top the list, but grapes, apples, peaches and nectarines are often sprayed too. Pineapples, mangoes, papayas, kiwi fruit and cantaloupes are hardier and less likely to be treated. Don’t let that stop you eating fruit though – just make sure you wash it thoroughly, or buy or grow organic. Hunt down a pick-your-own farm and discover where and how your fruit is grown. ^
F LOU R I SH S u m m e r 2 0 1 7
64-IBC_Seasonal_Food_2.indd 64
5/01/2017 10:52 AM
BALANCE
Eton mess Ingredients per person
1 small meringue, crumbled 100ml whipped cream, or yoghurt 75-100g strawberries 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar (optional) Splash of Kirsch/Cointreau (optional)
Illustrations by Clementine/ The Illustration Room
Wash, hull and quarter strawberries and sprinkle with sugar, if using. Whip the cream or yoghurt and fold in liqueur, if using. Layer the meringue, cream or yoghurt and fruit, ending with a layer of strawberries. Serve immediately. HINT Try this with fresh or frozen raspberries.
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5/01/2017 10:52 AM
4342.AU_ServicedAppt_Flourish_FullPG_Dec16Æ’.indd 1 _FC-BC_Flourish_Summer_Cover_4.indd 2
5/01/2017 3:20 pm 6/01/2017 9:34 AM