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w PE OPL E w EA SY EATI NG w BOOKS w DIY w GAR DE NS w TR AVEL w ENTE RTAI NMENT w FA SH ION w H OM E
Weekend
TRAVEL: Why Germans put potatoes on one of their great leader’s graves.
Inside
Founding fathers Shane Jacobson is one of Australia's favourite actors, a comedian and a dad, but could he be part-Viking too?
read
easy eating
screen life
Peter Stefanovic opens up about returning to normal life after his time as a war correspondent
Give dad a break from the tongs with Robert Louis Murphy’s authentic Texan barbecue recipes
Kevin Hart reveals his new-found love for animation film and why his kids are his biggest critics
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qt.com.au Saturday, September 3, 2016
Dad’s the word on this special day WE EKE ND E D IT O R K i ri t en D o l l e
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OMORROW fathers around the country will get showered in socks, undies, ties and power tools. Father’s Day might be a bit of an afterthought compared to Mother’s Day, but beneath the commercialisation it’s the one day in the year we show appreciation for the dads and father-figures who have shaped our lives. Inside today, Shane Jacobson talks about the close bond he has with his own father, being a dad to four himself and uncovering the truths behind his family’s possible Viking past. The actor made famous by the film Kenny describes his dad as one of his best mates. “We’re mates and that’s a helluva thing to have,” Jacobson tells Jim Alouat. “I didn’t realise not everybody has that. And of his hopes for his children? “I’d love them to say he was great fun when we were young, he’s still great fun and he’s become as much a mate to me as a parent.” For me, I have a lot to be grateful for. Dad taught us patience and sometimes not – in his defence he lived in a house full of hormones until my brother came along. It couldn’t have been easy. Thanks to dad we know the words of every Jimmy Barnes song. We learned to be resourceful and to do your best – all those school projects we crafted together from empty beer boxes and toilet rolls. Dad taught us to ride a bike (and kissed our skinned knees better), then taught us to drive a car. He collected us when we ran out of fuel and fixed the car when it broke down. We learned to change a flat tyre and check the oil. He taught us the value of money and to work hard, even if it was 20 cents for a half hour back massage when we were five. And that sometimes you just have to shut-up (“don’t tell your mother”). Dads always have a way of saving the day with practical solutions. And then there are the bad jokes... Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there.
SCREEN LIFE
EASY EATING
GARDEN
inside today read // Shane Jacobson chats about uncovering the
truth of his family’s forefathers and being a dad to four, himself.
read // Meet the volunteers behind Birdsville’s iconic
races. Plus, the high tea designed for especially for blokes.
read // Peter Stefanovic opens up about life as a war
home // How to style masculine interiors. Plus, make
easy eating // My Kitchen Rules star Robert Louis
closet // The man’s guide to style, colour and fit.
your own homemade deodorant.
correspondent.
How to navigate your weekend: We’ve colour-coded your magazine for easy reference. Each section listed on the index page is coloured accordingly throughout. If you’d like to skip to Easy Eating look for the yellow at the top of the page, or magenta to skip to Home.
Murphy’s authentic Texan barbecue recipes.
travel // Why the Germans decorate the grave of
Frederick the Great with potatoes.
screen life //
Actor and star of The Secret Life of Pets Kevin Hart reveals his new-found love for animation film and why his kids are his biggest critics.
w COVER: Shane Jacobson. PHOTO: Petri Jarske. CREATIVE: Megan Sheehan and Kiri ten Dolle. CONTRIBUTORS: Seanna Cronin, Alexia Purcell, Chris Calcino, Tracey Hordern, Maggie Cooper, Simon Irwin, Steph Mulheron, Dominique Rizzo, Angie Thomas, Maree Curran, Ann Rickard, Jim Alouat, Greg Bray, Gail Forrer, Jody Allen, Roy O’Reilly and Nick Bennett. CONTACT US: weekend@apn.com.au CONTRIBUTE: contributors@apn.com.au ADVERTISING: Visit apnarm.com.au or contact your local sales consultant.
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FUN TIMES: Parliament resumes with snoozing members, snide remarks, corruption allegations and taunts.
Insider
w i th S e an n a C r on i n
Lush backdrop for The Code
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AR North Queensland provides a lush new landscape in the return of The Code. It has been nearly two years since the award-winning political thriller debuted on the ABC. While the red of the outback contrasted with the coldness of Canberra in season one, season two is full of vibrant greens, running water and dense growth. “There are boards in the production office where there are photos of the incredibly angular Canberra environment and that very architectural world and then there’s this incredible board of photographs from Far North Queensland,” creator Shelley Birse told Weekend. “The response to the show and the Australian location and content was such a strong selling point for DCD Media, who had the international distribution rights, we knew it was an important part of the equation. When you dream of where you could possibly set something, it didn’t take too much thinking to go ‘could we go to Far North Queensland?’” Birse received a Scribe grant from production house Playmaker for season one. Thanks to its success – the show was sold internationally in the UK, US, Canada and parts of Europe and South America – it’s no surprise Screen Queensland got on board. Thursday’s premiere of season two introduced the tropical setting thanks to new protagonist Jan Roth, played by Anthony LaPaglia. The Cairns native is running an illegal online marketplace on the dark web from Papua New Guinea, and presents an interesting new challenge for brothers Ned and Jesse Banks – who are being threatened with extradition to the US for their actions in season one. Living out in the jungle, seemingly off the grid, Roth isn’t your typical hacker. So is Roth the cyber criminal the government makes him out to be, or are the authorities manipulating Jesse to take advantage of his hacking skills? That issue will play out throughout the course of the new season, which was inspired partly by the story of US whistle blower Edward Snowden. “As we were developing this story, the revelations about the NSA and Edward Snowden’s activities came out,” Birse said. “All of a sudden it felt like we had a new push to go ‘what does it mean to have privacy on the internet?’” It’s not too late to start watching this series, which is one of the best Aussie dramas of the year. The Code airs Thursdays at 8.30pm on ABC1.
w Anthony LaPaglia in a scene from the TV series The Code. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
App of the week
Get job done with Airtasker IT CAN be a busy time between now and Christmas with to-do lists growing and not enough time in the day to complete them. That’s where Airtasker comes in. The app allows you to post a task you need doing. Then communicate with runners and await offers. Assign your job to your chosen suitor and arrange payment on completion of the task. Jobs can include cleaning, handyman work, gardening, pick-up and delivery, freelancing or office admin services. Airtasker is also great if you have some free time and you’re looking to make some extra cash. Download Airtasker for free from the App Store and Google Play.
PHOTO: DIGITALLY ALTERED
w
Strange Politics w i th C h ri s Ca l c in o
Question Time is still a seething snake pit
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N AWKWARD encounter went down this week while Derryn Hinch squeezed in a siesta and a rather one-eyed conservative senator poked sticks at Sam Dastyari for copping free travel expenses. Federal Parliament is back in venomous action and by jingo, it is just as bitter and mean as last time around. Fringe-dwelling Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi had a blast when news broke of Labor’s Dastyari getting a Chinese donor to foot a $1670.82 bill after blowing out his travel allowance. “It has the stench of corruption,” Bernardi thundered. He was asked to withdraw after inquiring who fronted the bill for Labor Senate Leader Penny Wong’s home loan.
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Pauline, there are half a million people who voted for you, and you’ll be a strong voice for their concerns. “I pay my mortgage and don’t be grubby,” she seethed with daggers in her eyes. The Dastyari jab was a fair call, especially considering the latest revelation he had defied Labor policy and told a press conference for Chinese media that Australia should respect the superpower’s hostile position in the South China Sea. But Bernardi was eerily quiet about the Independent Commission Against Corruption a day earlier finding up to 20 former Liberal MPs tried to evade political donation laws in the lead-up to the 2011 New South Wales election. Plenty of crotchety taunts were thrown around Parliament House this week, not least from Treasurer Scott Morrison who reminded those opposite: “You lost the election, buddy.” Morrison somehow stifled the urge to click his heels in glee after that hot take, although a swaggering smirk betrayed his
At the water cooler
w i t h A l ex ia P u rc e l l
What’s trending on social media this week w The footage was both distressing and heartbreaking to watch. PHOTO: SANDRA TEE | FACEBOOK
satisfaction. But it could not all be fireworks and sniping. Politicians occasionally have to eat, perform their ablutions and catch up for social interaction. This mostly happens behind closed doors, but the cameras were rolling when Tony Abbott and Pauline Hanson shared a (call me a cynic) teensy-bit contrived peace offering on Wednesday. The duo, more accustomed to burying the hatchet between each other’s shoulder blades, sat down on a nondescript couch to exchange olive branches. “Pauline, there are half a million people who voted for you, and you’ll be a strong voice for their concerns,” our former prime minister declared, hands wagging aflutter as Public Speaking 101 suggests. “Yeah I know, I’ve got a big job ahead of me for the next six years,” Hanson replied. The pair agreed they both hoped for a “constructive parliament”. This must be that mythical bipartisanship everyone talks about. Poor old Derryn Hinch had one of history’s more cringe-worthy entries to parliament, caught snoozing on the taxpayers’ dime just a day after calling for photographers to be allowed take pictures of dozing, nose-picking parliamentarians in the Senate. He took his shame like a champ and used it to bolster his push for mid-senate happy snaps. And as proof you really can bet on anything, Sportsbet is offering odds on when Hinch will next be filmed having a kip. Senate Question Time is the favourite at 3–1, but the longest shot is “during a Leigh Sales interview” paying $101 to the dollar. Strange Politics is a satirical column. Follow Chris Calcino on Twitter: @ChrisCalcino
LAST week, the mother of a five-week-old baby with whooping cough shared a video of her daughter during an episode. In the footage, her infant daughter chokes and stops breathing. As the mother of a young baby, the video was both distressing and heartbreaking. But it was a must watch. The mother said she posted the video on Facebook in a bid to "educate more people on the importance of vaccinations". "I'm sharing [this video] to show just how scary and dangerous whooping cough is to babies who are too young to be vaccinated.” She said babies rely on herd immunity to keep them safe. “And unfortunately we cannot achieve that without high vaccination rates," she wrote in the post. She also said whooping cough was not always a loud obvious cough and it was the “silent episodes” that were most dangerous. "The scary symptom for babies is when they don't cough but silently choke and turn blue/purple from lack of oxygen," she wrote. The video quickly went viral, garnering nearly 500,000 views and 7500 shares. Alexia Purcell is APN Australian Regional Media’s social media editor.
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Shane Jacobson
The heart of the matter Behind endearing Kenny the plumber is a doting dad ... and possibly a Viking
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HERE’S been a question gnawing at Shane Jacobson for most of his life. A myth talked about at family gatherings, mentioned in conversation among friends, yet never fully explored. Could the Jacobson clan be descendants of Vikings? “That’s the big topic in our family,” Jacobson says, laughing. “Someone might say ‘golly, he doesn’t mind eating a fair meal’ and I’d lean on it and say ‘well we’re Vikings, you’re lucky I’m using a fork’.” It’s the reason the 46-year-old Aussie star of TV, film and stage leapt at the chance to be part of the eighth season of SBS’s Who Do You Think You Are, a show which delves deep into the ancestry of prominent Australians. Was Jacobson apprehensive about what he might find? Royal blood? Lost family treasure? A shameful family secret? “I had no fear because it was all before me so I wasn’t responsible,” he said. “You’re a detective exploring your own life. What did surprise me was how quickly it became very personal. It defines who you are.” Spurred on by his dad Ron, who was eager for answers, Jacobson began a quest which took him across the world to Finland. Jacobson describes his dad as one of his best mates and there’s an easygoing rapport between the pair in the episode’s opening exchanges. “We’re mates and that’s a helluva thing to have,” Jacobson says. “I didn’t realise not everybody has that. “When I was younger I wasn’t quite aware how lucky I was to have that relationship with dad.” Jacobson’s parents split when he was young, but his recollection of his childhood isn’t of a broken home, it’s one filled with warm memories. Jacobson was raised in Avondale Heights in the western suburbs of Melbourne with his brother Clayton and sisters Natalie and Kim. As Jacobson tells it, from his mother Jill, a calisthenics teacher, he learnt to dance and cook; from his father he learnt how to box and deliver a punchline. Both mum and dad encouraged their children to work hard and have fun. His dad was born into a carnival family and raised in a tent until he was 21. Those working class roots are ingrained in Jacobson and his recent journey into his ancestry only cemented that. “Working class is my family and I now know I come from a long line of working class people,” he says. “It should be working classy, I reckon.” It’s this down-to-earth attitude which has endeared him to fans and made Jacobson one of the most durable actors
in the country. Whether he’s starring in ABC’s Jack Irish alongside Guy Pearce, or in supporting roles on films such as The Dressmaker, Jacobson loves it all. Asked which he prefers, stage, TV or film, Jacobson offers up a simple analogy. “It’s like beer, wine and champagne, they’re all manufactured differently but aren’t they all great.” Away from the spotlight, Jacobson prides himself on being multi-talented and good with his hands. This is a man as at home building a chook shed or fixing his tractor as he is adept at crafting characters for the screen. He’s acquired almost every licence you can get your hands on, from bus to boating. Jacobson’s philosophy is simple: there is no such thing as wasted knowledge. “I know at school we sat there thinking what are we going to do with fractions? But when the pie turns up you cut it into quarters.” That thirst for knowledge is something he hopes to pass to his own children. A father of four, Jacobson’s children
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When you walk down the street and people recognise you it doesn’t make you better than them are all under 10 years old, and at the age where their curiosity is insatiable. Jacobson hopes to nurture that, as his parents did for him. “All the things I have learnt in my life have benefited me at some point and shaped me as a person. As a father, I can pass that on to my kids because who knows what they want to do yet?” Jacobson is relishing fatherhood. “I want to do such a good job of being a parent in the early part of their life, to make sure I have built them into decent young adults and humans,” Jacobson says. But as his children grow up faster than he can imagine he knows he’ll have to ease on the parenting brakes at some point. “I will always care for them, will always worry about them and love them. But there comes a point where you have to stop advising them, the training wheels have to come off, because that’s how they get their balance.” What does he hope his children will say about him when they’re his age? “I’d love them to say he was great fun when we were young, he’s still great fun and he’s become as much a mate to me as a parent,” Jacobson says. While Jacobson can pick and choose his roles now, that was not always the case. In the early part of his career, he would juggle gigs as a stand-up comedian and acting in
Gatton, Meet Your Digital Marketing Expert
commercials with work as a credit card fraud investigator or other odd jobs. In 2006 that all changed with a sweet, earnest portaloo plumber with a heart of gold and a lisp named Kenny Smyth. Kenny, starring Jacobson in the main role and directed by his brother Clayton, was a critical success and took home almost $10 million at the local box office. Jacobson became a household name. The funny, heart-warming mockumentary celebrated its 10th anniversary last month. “I can’t believe it’s been 10 years,” Jacobson says. “Still to this day people will yell out Kenny on the street and some people say ‘you must be sick of that’ and I think ‘are you kidding?’. Kenny gave us our careers.” The inspiration for the character was Jacobson’s dad and his eclectic uncles. “Our dad and uncles were our superheroes,” he says. “They were gentlemen who would lay their coat on a puddle for a woman, but if someone was to cross them, they were strong men and could sort themselves out.” Probably an apt description of Jacobson himself. He’s often described as the quintessential Aussie bloke. A man who can have a beer with a tradie at the local pub at noon and charm business leaders as an MC at a conference in the evening. He chuckles at the narrative. “I’ve been told by people that I give some blokes hope. Don’t get me wrong. I tried to be flash and impressive but I couldn’t get it to stick.” Perhaps it’s a combination of his self-deprecating humour and hard-working ethos that have won audiences over. He’s relatable. One of us. And importantly success hasn’t gone to his head. “When you walk down the street and people recognise you it doesn’t make you better than them,” Jacobson says. “I do wish single mothers, when they were walking down the street, people would say ‘wow, that woman raised three kids on her own, good on you mate, love your parenting’, wouldn’t that be great.” Since returning from his Finnish adventure the phone has been ringing off the hook from family members with one question on their lips: are we Vikings? “I’ve shared a bit of it but I want them to watch and be surprised,” Jacobson says. With a slate of films, TV and stage roles and another book coming out, the ever-busy Jacobson says he’s not sure when audiences will see him next. “I could turn up anywhere,” he said. Who Do You Think You Are airs on Tuesday, September 13 at 7.30pm on SBS
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Saturday, September 3, 2016 qt.com.au
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IN THE BLOOD: Shane Jacobson was no overnight success. He began his career on the stage at the age of 10 with amateur theatre. He began his comedy career at 18.
w Shane Jacobson and his family.
PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
Amazing Family Holiday up for Grabs Get Ready for a Wild Holiday! We’re giving one lucky family of four the chance to enjoy a three-night Gold Coast getaway to explore the all-new Tiger Island only at Dreamworld! Prize also includes unlimited entry to Dreamworld, WhiteWater World and SkyPoint Observation Deck for the duration of your stay. We’ve also got Dreamworld season passes* up for grabs so don’t miss out!
Visit www.qt.com.au or The QT front counter for full terms and conditions. Promoter is APN Newspapers Pty Ltd of 100 Brookes St, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006. Promotional period 27/08/2016–16/09/16. Competition drawn 10am 19/09/16 at 100 Brookes St, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006. Winners announced in The QT 21/09/16. Total maximum prize value $9,515 (including GST). NSW Permit # LTPS/16/06722 *Dreamworld Season Pass is valid until 24 June 2017.
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Hack in a flak jacket
Mentally scarred from covering the world’s most tragic stories Peter Stefanovic opens up about returning to normal life after his time as a war correspondent B Y P e t er S t ef a no vi c
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COULDN’T escape a single thought. Bodies pulled from debris, lifeless children zipped up in bags, bloated faces and missing limbs. A mother’s cry, a child’s scream. A charred corpse lying on the ground, alone, away from the family he or she may have had. Dark and disturbing images flashed across my mind like a short traumatic film on repeat. All the death and chaos that I had seen on the road rushed back over me like a tidal wave. I was on holiday in Spain towards the end of 2011, a year that had ranked as one of the most brutal in recent history. Wars, conflicts, massacres, bloody revolutions, riots and upheaval, and I had been at the centre of many of them. It was a clear sunny day. A real five-star sparkler where the sky is the bluest of blues and the trees are the greenest of greens. I walked around Madrid, photographing the beautiful royal palaces and the centuries-old sandstone monuments. Then out of nowhere, panic set in. I have a small spot on my leg that’s been there for 20 years, but all of a sudden I thought it was skin cancer and I was going to die. Rather dramatic, I know, but it was the trigger that led to more drastic thoughts. I started worrying about my own mortality and that film in my head began to play again. Any rational thought fled my brain as if it had no place there any more. With quick steps and quick breaths, I walked several kilometres back to my hotel room, locked myself in and didn’t leave for 24 hours. The film in my head played on and on. I tried reading – didn’t work. I played music, loudly – no change. I stood in the shower for about an hour but still the thoughts consumed me. There was no one to talk to, no one to ask what the hell was happening to me. I ended up phoning my mum, who is a trained counsellor, and she told me that the brain is like a filing cabinet and, without me even knowing it, my brain was constantly storing pages and pages of information – sights, sounds, and smells. But there can come a point where the cabinet can’t store any more information and the pages burst out. My mental pages were filled with images of horror and misery. The garbage trucks filled with Haiti’s dead, the warplanes and missiles from Libya and Egypt, the mayhem of a burning London, the insanity of a lone gunman terrorising Oslo – it was all there. Was it post-traumatic stress? Or a panic attack? Or was I just burnt out? I couldn’t understand it. I was only 29 and I was enjoying my work. I felt physically and mentally ripe, but I was consumed with thoughts of my own mortality. I managed to feel a little better the next day and so finished
w Peter Stefanovic on set at Channel Nine’s Weekend Today. RIGHT: With an Iraqi trooper as IS militants closed in on Baghdad in June 2014. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/@PETERSTEFANOVIC9
my holiday in Spain, but flying in a plane became a major mental hurdle. It had never been a problem before. I thought that the more I flew the greater my chances were of getting on a plane that was going to crash into a mountain or an ocean. I flew a lot – more than 100 times every year. My air mile programs were in great shape. Pity my head wasn’t. But I kept my new fears secret. I couldn’t let them control me because my job was too important and I loved it more than I hated flying. So I just had to cop it. I was a nervous wreck for most of every flight for the rest of that year, which provided ample entertainment to my cameraman James Gillings. He would often chuckle at my expense, but there were no hard feelings; I probably would have done the same to him. The slightest hint of turbulence and I would grip the armrests tightly. I would constantly scan the cabin to see if any other passengers looked bothered. They never did. I felt every bump and every sway of the plane. Sweat would pour from my forehead and palms. It was a tremendous relief whenever the plane I was on landed. But in 2011 the fear wouldn’t subside. Dark thoughts still
lingered from my Spanish sojourn. When I returned to London, my friend and fellow Channel Nine correspondent Rob Penfold advised me to see a psychologist. I wasn’t sure. It’s not something anyone in the industry really talks about. It’s sometimes incorrectly assumed that struggling with a story’s aftermath makes you a weaker journalist. Not tough enough to deal with the hard stuff. At least that’s what I thought. The doctor I saw told me that the two most common stories discussed in her room by the journalists she saw at that time were the Libyan war and the Haitian earthquake. Most of her journalist patients had been to one or the other. I had been to both. What did you see? How did you feel? It was strange for me not to be the one asking questions. I spoke of the things I saw and the people I spoke to, including all the violent sounds and the sickly smells. She kept probing until I couldn’t remember any more. She told me she regularly saw war reporters and it was nothing to be ashamed of, that it was perfectly natural to have constant flashbacks, which I did. If I heard a loud sound like a car backfiring, I would jump and my mind would race back to North Africa.
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Saturday, September 3, 2016 qt.com.au
NEW BOOK: Peter Stefanovic has written a novel revealing the truth about his time as an international and war correstpondent.
GREAT PICK FOR DAD
w Peter Stefanovic is now the host of Channel Nine’s Weekend Today.
That still happens, even today. She told me I needed rest, and probably to talk to someone at home if I could. But there was the rub. As a correspondent, I lived mostly on my own, so I never had anyone to discuss the life-threatening situations I had been in or the long arduous stories I had reported on once I returned home. It stayed on my chest and in my head. Sights. Sounds. Smells. Images stewed in my mind until that filing cabinet had burst open in Spain. There is a scene in the brilliant film The Hurt Locker where the lead character, played by Jeremy Renner, returns home to America from the war in Iraq and finds himself at a supermarket trying to select what cereal to buy. It was a scene that I could relate to. I’m not suggesting my experiences were even close to those of serving soldiers on the frontline, but after being in conflicts where decisions are made that could potentially mean life or death, returning home to choose what to eat seems utterly insignificant. Returning to ‘normal society’ after a violent news story can be a tricky adjustment. Not many people understand what you might have just seen.
PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
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I was only 29 and I was enjoying my work.... but I was consumed with thoughts of my own mortality. As proud as I was of my job and the stories I aired, it was easier to stay hidden for a few days when I returned home. I preferred to lie on the couch and watch films until I was called to my next assignment, which usually wasn’t that long. Maybe that was the issue in 2011, because the big ugly stories happened back to back to back. There was no rest. No time to decompress. It all built up. Decompression is a term many journalists use when they return home after covering a story that involves deep mental and emotional pressure. Perhaps it’s similar to a diver plunging to new depths. Often we come home as a different person to the one who left because of what we’ve seen or heard or felt. I only had one session with the psychologist. I was comforted by the fact that I wasn’t the only journalist who needed to talk to someone. Mental cabinet restored. I actually felt that the session made me a better reporter
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because afterwards I knew how to mentally compartmentalise and to decompress when the cameras stopped rolling. Sometimes I would burst into spontaneous fits of laughter at the absurdity of some of the situations my cameramen and I found ourselves in. One week James Gillings and I were in the Middle East being threatened with machetes or grenades, the next we were at a royal wedding discussing the intricacies of royal protocol and tradition. Humour often pulled us through. Being a foreign correspondent is truly the greatest profession and I always regarded my time travelling the world as a great privilege. I was lucky to be covering the biggest world events in recent history. I put my heart into every single story I told and worked hard to air as much as I could. That, to me, was important. The stories needed to be told and I believe Australians are intelligent people who want to know what is going on in the rest of the world because we live so far away. My time as a correspondent was not just a privilege, but also a real-life thrill ride. This is an edited extract from Hack in a Flak Jacket by Peter Stefanovic, published by Hachette Australia RRP $29.99.
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qt.com.au Saturday, September 3, 2016
w Dominique Rizzo’s mixed spinach and cheese filo pie.
EAT
with Dan and Steph Mulheron
w Steak and kidney pie.
PHOTO: GLEN DAVID WILSON
Fill the men up with meat T H E B E ST F I LO PA ST RY
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T’S Dan’s second Father’s Day this year and we, too, have our own traditions. We enjoy a family breakfast of pancakes, go out for lunch and then create a yummy dinner together. If you need some inspiration to treat your dad, why not make our delicious steak and kidney pie?
FOR DOMINIQUE IS THE ANTONIA BRAND
Steak and kidney pie
A classic
INGREDIENTS: Filling – w 175g plain flour w 1 tbs mustard powder w 1 tsp cayenne pepper w 1kg beef cheeks, cut into large chunks w 400g ox kidneys, cut into chunks w 3 tbs vegetable oil w 12 rashers bacon, chopped w 4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped w 2 onions, chopped w 2 bay leaves w 1 x 300ml bottle of beer w 400ml salt-reduced beef stock w 1 tbs tomato paste w 6 thyme sprigs. Pastry – w 400g plain flour w 1 tbs mustard powder w 200g unsalted butter, chilled and chopped into cubes w 2 eggs, beaten w Pinch salt. METHOD: Pastry – in a food processor add the flour, mustard powder, some flaky sea salt and the butter and blitz until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add half the egg and blitz again. Add a few tablespoons of cold water, if needed, until it forms a short pastry. Knead quickly into a ball, wrap with cling wrap and chill in the fridge. Heat oven to 160 degrees. Filling – Mix the flour with the mustard powder and cayenne pepper, then coat the beef chunks and kidneys in the flour, keeping them separate. Heat a good amount of oil in a large casserole dish over medium to high heat, brown the beef chunks in batches. Set aside. Brown the kidneys and tip into a colander to drain. In the same pan, sizzle the bacon and add the carrots, onions and bay, and cook until browned. Pour over the ale, stock and tomato purée, then reduce quickly, scraping the base of the dish. Return the beef chunks to the dish, nestle the thyme into the mix, then season. Cover and braise in the oven for 2 hrs, stirring the kidneys into the stew halfway through. Heat oven to 220C. To make the pie, tip the stew into a baking dish or shallow casserole. Roll out the pastry to fit the dish with enough to overhang, then drape over the stew, seal the edges and cut off the excess. Brush with the remaining egg, sprinkle with salt. Bake for 40 mins until golden. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then serve. Serves 4.
Love triangles The Greek spanakopita is popular the world over METHOD: Steam or boil the greens until just cooked, drain PURE FOOD
with Dominique Rizzo
S
PANAKOPITA or spinach pie is a very traditional Greek dish made from layers of paper-like pastry called phyllo or filo pastry. It is mostly eaten as a snack as individual triangles or can be made as pie. Traditionally spanakopita is filled with silverbeet, feta cheese, dill and parsley using eggs to bind it together. In this recipe I have used several different greens, vegetables and herbs to give it a unique flavour.
Mixed spinach and cheese filo pie Serves 8
INGREDIENTS: w 1 bunch silverbeet, stalks and leaves w 1 bunch kale or cavolo nero w 1 bunch Chinese choy sum, English spinach or other greens w 1 tsp olive oil w 1 cup sliced spring onion, w 1 medium zucchini, grated and squeezed of most of its liquid w 1 medium potato, peeled and grated w Zest of 1 lemon w 90g feta w 100g grated parmesan w 90g ricotta (firm ricotta from the deli) w 6 eggs w Handful of basil, mint and parsley leaves, chopped w ½ tsp salt w ¼ tsp pepper w 1 tbs butter melted w 2 tbs olive oil w Filo pastry w ½ tbs sesame seeds.
well and allow to cool. Roughly chop the greens and place them in a large bowl. Heat the olive oil in a small frypan over a moderate high heat and cook the spring onions, potato and zucchini for 5 minutes or until softened, add to the chopped spinach. Combine the lemon zest, crumbled feta, grated parmesan and the crumbled ricotta with the eggs and mix well. Pour this into the spinach with the chopped mixed herbs and the seasoning. Stir to combine and set aside. Pre-heat your oven to 180C. Lightly grease the base and sides of a 22 x 31cm baking dish or similar with the combined melted butter and the olive oil, lay down a sheet of filo pastry and brush again with the oil and butter, lay down one more and then pour in the filling. Smooth the filling over to ensure that it’s even, then lay down a sheet of filo on top. Brush another piece with the oil and butter and place it buttered side down, repeat one more time and gently brush the top sheet with the remaining butter and olive oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 50 minutes. NOTE: Cavolo nero is a type of kale although it has a black leaf, which Italians generally associate with northern Italian cooking and Tuscany. More at dominiquerizzo.com
More at www.danandsteph.com.au
THE WEEKEND COOK with Maggie Cooper
When the soul needs a little propping up... WHEN things aren’t going right, I tend to reach for comfort food. So it was that last week when I was nursing a sick pooch (who has thankfully recovered), I grabbed mum’s old cookbook with her handwritten recipes. The first thing I came upon was her recipe for cherry coconut slice, a yummy treat that is easy to make and needs no baking. Now, mum used to use milk chocolate – which is what I’ve used today – but next time I need a little comfort I’ll try dark chocolate; I found this to be quite sweet (although it didn’t seem so when I was a child). I always use shredded dried coconut rather than the desiccated variety; it has better texture and
flavour. This is an easy recipe for kids in the upcoming school holidays; littlies might need supervision when using the stove. As always when melting chocolate over a double boiler, care must be taken not to get any water in the chocolate as it will spoil the whole batch. You can also use a microwave, checking and stirring the chocolate every 30 seconds.
THIS RECIPE REQUIRES NO BAKING AND IS A GREAT ONE FOR KIDS
Cherry coconut slice
INGREDIENTS: w 1 tbs unsalted butter w 500g cooking chocolate (milk or dark), broken into pieces w 120g plain malt milk biscuits, roughly chopped w 120g marshmallows w 100g glace cherries w 30g dried shredded coconut. METHOD: Grease a 16x26cm pan with unsalted butter and line with baking paper, leaving an overhang on the long ends to aid removal of the slice. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water, making sure no water touches the chocolate. Chop the marshmallows and glace cherries; using greased kitchen scissors makes it easier. Combine melted chocolate, biscuits, marshmallows and cherries; press into prepared tin. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two. Remove from tin and cut into small squares. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Makes 56.
Contact Maggie at maggies.column@bigpond.com
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Saturday, September 3, 2016 qt.com.au
THE FACTS: Twisted Thistle IPA, 5.6% ABV; 330ml bottles $20 a six pack; $60 a carton of 24.
Smoking hot
Tongs for the memory
MY SHOUT
Let dad put his feet up and give him a treat from the barbecue
with Simon Irwin
Whisky, haggis, kilts ... and a cracking beer
I
w Slow smoked pork ribs.
T EX AN B AR B E CU E w i th R ob e rt L o ui s Mur phy
G
IVE dad a break away from the tongs this weekend and cook him some Texan-style slow smoked pork ribs on the barbecue.
Slow smoked pork ribs Serves 6
INGREDIENTS: w 2 pork rib racks, St Louis style w 125ml extra virgin olive oil.
1 batch Basic Pork Rib Rub: w 2 tbs paprika w 2 tbs chilli powder w 2 tbs brown sugar w 1 tbs freshly ground black pepper w 1 tbs salt. 1 batch Quick Barbecue Sauce: w 250ml honey or maple syrup w 25ml ketchup w 60ml lemon juice w 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce w 1 tbs soy sauce w 1 clove garlic, minced w 1 tsp tabasco sauce w 1⁄2 tsp salt w 1⁄2 tsp pepper. Barbecue Sauce Glaze: w 1 tbs honey w 1 tbs brown sugar w 125ml water w 60ml commercial barbecue sauce. METHOD: Allow the ribs to come to room temperature. Trim the ribs and remove the silverskin. Rub oil over the rib racks then rub in the Basic Pork Rib Rub. Set aside for at least 1–2 hours. Preheat your barbecue to medium high, 200 degrees with a good bed of coals. Get the smoke going from some fruitwood before you put the ribs in the smoker. When the ribs are at room temperature, place inside the smoker, bone side down. Keep the temperature steady in the firebox area at below 77 degrees to cool smoke the ribs for up to three hours.
PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED
When they are sufficiently coloured and smoked, coat with the barbecue sauce and wrap them tightly in foil. Cook at 105–130 degrees for about 2 hours, checking after the first 1 1⁄4 hours how things are going as cooking times can vary. Test the meat with a visual bend test – check if the meat cracks after being picked up and bent at one end. Meat thermometers are not much good on ribs as they are too thin. Unwrap the ribs. Mix the barbecue sauce glaze ingredients together and brush over the ribs. Keep the wrap slightly open and cook for a further 30 minutes to 1 hour. The internal temperature should be around 90 degrees. When the glaze looks a bit shiny, the ribs are done. Serve with your favourite salad or slaw. NOTE: This goes well with dill pickles and any bean dish of choice. Make sure you don’t overcook – total cooking time should be 5–6 hours for custom-cut St Louis style ribs or 3–4 hours for baby backs.
Texan BBQ by Robert Louis Murphy (New Holland), RRP $45, is available at book stores or newhollandpublishers.com
F YOU close your eyes and think of Scotland, what do you see? Sunny skies, cheerful people singing in the streets and going out of their way to assist you…hang on, that’s Disneyland, not Scotland. Grey skies, grey buildings and a population devoted to passionately following Rangers or Celtic is probably where many people’s thoughts would drift. There is the rugged scenery, Rabbie Burns, thousands of years of history and of course the whisky. Ah, the whisky! Surely one of life’s simple pleasures is sipping away at a glass of something made in the Highlands, Lowlands or Islands that is wonderful to drink and difficult to pronounce (yes, Auchentoshan, Caol Ila and Bruichladdich single malts – I mean you!). What you don’t tend to think of during a flight of Caledonian fancy is beer. In what came as a surprise to Hugh the Neighbour and to me, you can actually buy Scottish beer in our local Chapel of St Daniels. And cracking beer it is too. The Belhaven Brewery is about 32 kilometres east of Edinburgh at Dunbar on the coast of Scotland and has been making beer since 1719, although the region traces its brewing heritage back to some monks in the 1100s. HTN and I tried the Twisted Thistle IPA and it is very drinkable. With a full strength 5.6% alcohol content, it pours cloudy in the glass, is full of hops in the American style of IPA, and you get a noseful of citrusy grapefruit when you take a sniff. The hops is there in spades. However, as Hugh pointed out, you get real bitterness in the mouth but it doesn’t linger as an after taste, unlike some of the American IPA that for mine can be almost over-hopped. This gives the beer real sessionability, and you could enjoy more than a couple on a hot day. And more importantly, in keeping with the Scots’ reputation for, shall we say, looking for value when they spend, surprisingly good value. Again, a note of caution… As with the last brew reviewed in this column, this one too was older than the “best by’’ date on the neck of the bottle, which I would hate to think was becoming a common occurrence on liquor mega-mart shelves. That said, it was a great drink and I shall certainly be going back for more, albeit after peering at the date on the neck of the bottles. More at myshout@apn.com.au
Stand back – everyone’s a fan of potatoes T E XA N BA R BE C UE w i th R o b e rt L o ui s M u r ph y KIDS love these. Correction – everyone loves these. Make extra and serve with bandages as everyone will be fighting over them.
Potato fans
Serves 4 INGREDIENTS: w 2 slices streaky bacon w 150g extra virgin olive oil w 4 medium potatoes, skin on w 125g butter, melted w 2 tsp salt w ½ tsp pepper w ¼ tsp cumin w ¼ tsp parsley or thyme w 160g parmesan cheese, grated w 160g cheddar cheese, grated w 250g sour cream (optional), to serve. METHOD: Cook bacon in a frypan lightly greased with 30g of T H I S D I S H I S O P E N T O I M P R O V I S A T I O N : olive oil until crispy. Cool, crumble and set aside. Wash potatoes thoroughly. Slice a thin strip off the ADD WHATEVER COMES TO MIND bottom of each potato so they sit flat. Slice through each potato 15–20 times, but don’t
slice all the way through. The potato is supposed to fan out from the bottom, so you need the bottom part of the potato to hold the fan. Whisk together the butter with the remaining oil in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle or brush the potato surface with half the butter and oil mix. Place potatoes on a greased baking tray and cook on the barbecue or oven for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Remove and brush potatoes with the rest of butter and oil. Add the bacon and herbs with the cheese on top. Cook until potatoes are crispy and fan out a bit and the cheese has melted on top. Serve hot with sour cream if you wish or your favourite accompaniment. NOTE: There are all kinds of things you can add to this recipe – diced sausage, chilli, chopped fresh tomatoes, onion, or anything else you can think of.
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Germany
Home to ‘Old Fritz’
qt.com.au Saturday, September 3, 2016
FREDERICK THE GREAT: He is credited with modernising the military and introducing the potato to Germany.
Sanssouci houses the grave of Germany’s greatest ever ruler
Potsdam fast facts: Potsdam is the capital and largest city of the German federal state of Brandenburg. It directly borders the German capital Berlin and is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg metropolitan region and is situated on the River Havel, 24km (15 miles) south-west of Berlin’s city center. Potsdam was a residence of the Prussian kings and the German Kaiser until 1918. w A view of the new palace in the western part of Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany. BELOW RIGHT: Frederick the Great’s grave. TOP RIGHT: An East German border guard, left, talks with a West German police officer on November 18, 1989, on the Glienicke Bridge, which is the border to Potsdam, East Germany. PHOTO: AAP/RALF HIRSCHBERGER
TRAVEL
with John Bishop
T
HE grave of Germany’s greatest ever ruler is often decorated with fresh potatoes. It’s a bizarre tribute to Frederick the Great, or Old Fritz as he is known, and his grave is a very modest slab of stone with just a few words of German on it. Frederick II was King of Prussia from 1740–86 and is buried in a small grove at his favourite palace of Sanssouci, in the town of Potsdam, next to the graves of his beloved greyhounds and surrounded by busts of famous Roman Emperors. Frederick is credited with introducing the potato to Germany, and he did so in a very cunning way. He planted the potato in his own fields amid great secrecy and had the fields protected by guards. The guards were told to let the locals steal the plants, which they duly did, and grew them as their own. Potatoes are a staple in the German diet, and dropping potatoes on his grave is a tribute to the man who gave this vegetable to the nation. In the Seven Years War (1756–63), Frederick led his armies to victory after initial defeats and in the peace that followed
VICTORIA
Prussia was recognised as one of the great powers in Europe. He also did much to modernise the military and the bureaucracy and championed the new wave of ideas called the Enlightenment, hosting the French philosopher Voltaire at his palace in Potsdam for many years. His summer palace at Sanssouci (‘without a care’ in French) was built in 1745–47 in a rococo style and is a model of modesty; only 12 rooms which makes it tiny by comparison to the lavish Baroque style Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna or the opulent Palace of Versailles in France. A later king had the rooms remodelled after Frederick’s death in the neo classical style. The palace overlooks elegant gardens and down to the town of Potsdam, a 30 minute train ride from central Berlin. Across town is the Schlöss Cecilienof, another curiosity, and well known as the site of the last meeting of the leaders of the Allies at the end of the Second World War. Josef Stalin, the ruler of the Soviet Union, US President Harry Truman and British Prime Minister Clement Atlee (with Winston Churchill at his side) were all there in this mock Tudor house built in 1913–16 as a copy of Hampton Court Palace in London. The leaders went to Potsdam in April 1945, because Berlin was too bombed out. The Tudor features of the building were important. It was four sided, which meant one side for each
Scenic takes you to Victoria
SCENIC has launched its 2017/18 Australia program, which includes a new itinerary to Victoria, plus new Freechoice activities, Enrich experiences and hotels. The new 11-day Victorian Discovery marks Scenic’s 30th anniversary, which is being celebrated this year, and pays homage to the first coach tour Scenic offered when it began operating in 1986. A round trip from Melbourne, the journey heads south along the iconic surf coastline via Geelong, Lorne and onto the Great Ocean Road – home to The 12 Apostles – and Warrnambool. w COSTS: Priced at $4795 per person twin share. Book by March 31, 2017, to save up to $500 per couple. The Endless Wonders of Australia 2017 brochure is out now. w MORE DETAILS: Phone Scenic on 138 128 or visit scenic.com.au.
delegation and one as the meeting area. Stalin arrived first, and had a Communist red star picked out in flowers planted in the central courtyard so that it was very visible from Churchill’s bedroom. These days it is a boutique hotel and conference centre. Overlooking the river Spree, visitors can tour the building and see the famous round conference table where the post war divisions of Europe was confirmed. A few kilometres away is the famous Glienicke Bridge on the Havel River, the bridge of spies, where East and West would exchange operatives secretly. There were many exchanges made there in the Cold War, including the swap of Russian spy Colonel Abel and US airman Gary Powers, as depicted in the film Bridge of Spies. John Bishop is a travel writer at www.eatdrinktravel.co.nz. He visited Potsdam at his own expense.
KANGAROO ISLAND
Photographer’s dream holiday
IN A budding photographers dream, Kangaroo Island Odysseys has partnered with professional photographer Andy Rasheed, from EyeFood Photography, to offer an amazing three day, all inclusive, Kangaroo Island Photographic Tour. Tours are limited to seven places and depart Saturday, September 17, and October 22, 2016. w COSTS: From $1959pp. Prices include return travel to Kangaroo Island with SeaLink and accommodation. w MORE DETAILS: Visit www.kiodysseys.com.au.
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Saturday, September 3, 2016 qt.com.au
2017 LUXURY RIVER CRUISING Last chance to get best offers Must book by 30 September
FLY FREE
*
return to Europe or Asia
JEWELS OF EUROPE
GEMS OF THE SEINE
15 Day Cruise Amsterdam > Budapest From $6,995*pp
11 Day Cruise Paris > Paris From $6,645*pp
BONUS HOTEL NIGHT*
Netherlands
Amsterdam Rhine
BONUS HOTEL NIGHT* in Europe
BONUS CABIN UPGRADE* in Asia
IT’S ALL INCLUDED ON BOARD Extensive dining options from casual to fine dining Complimentary top-shelf beverages all day, every day and mini bar stocked daily
Germany Cologne Marksburg RETURN Rüdesheim Bamberg FLIGHTS * Nuremberg INCLUDED Würzburg Regensburg 14 Dürnstein Passau Melk Vienna Austria Budapest Hungary
Complimentary Wi-Fi internet ONSHORE Scenic Enrich – unforgettable and exclusive once-in-a-lifetime experiences Scenic Freechoice - choose from a variety of wonderful shore excursions Expert, handpicked local Tour Directors and knowledgeable local guides Airport arrival and departure transfers And of course all tipping and gratuities
Caudebec-en-Caux
Seine
10
Honfleur
Somme battlefields
Rouen Les Andelys
BONUS HOTEL NIGHT* RETURN FLIGHTS
Normandy’s INCLUDED* Calvados Route Giverny Château-Gaillard Normandy Conflans Beaches Vernon France
Vicomte Palace
Paris SEI
STC
TREASURES OF THE MEKONG
MYSTICAL IRRAWADDY
13 Day Cruise & Tour Ho Chi Minh > Siem Reap From $7,730*pp
14 Day Cruise & Tour Mandalay > Yangon From $9,860*pp
BONUS CABIN UPGRADE
Your own butler and laundry service Luxury 5-Star Scenic ships
English Channel
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Siem Reap 3
Cambodia
Kampong Cham Kampong 7 Tralach Phnom Penh Mekong 2 Ho Chi Tan Chau Minh City My Tho Sa Dec Cai Be
RETURN FLIGHTS INCLUDED*
1 Mandalay Inwa (Ava)
Amarapura Sagaing Bagan Salay 10 Magwe Minhla Thayetmyo
BONUS CABIN UPGRADE
*
RETURN FLIGHTS INCLUDED*
Pyay (Prome) Myanmar
Vietnam
VIMS
2 Yangon
MYMI
Quote SNPR3190 for offers
1300 888 769 SCENIC.COM.AU/BONUS Visit scenic.com.au/agents for your nearest Scenic Agent
*Conditions apply. Prices per person, twin share, strictly limited, subject to availability until sold out. For new bookings only, not available in conjunction with any other offer. Non-refundable deposit of $1,000pp due within 7 days of booking. Europe prices includes early payment discount of $300pp where full cruise payment must be received by 31 October 2016. Flights economy class with an airline of Scenic’s choosing and booked by Scenic ex BNE/SYD, subject to availability. Save up to value based on return economy airfares including taxes. Prices based on 2017 departures EUROPE STC 8 November SEI 7 October category E cabin (no balcony) SOUTH EAST ASIA category BA cabin (balcony) VIMS 9 December MYMI 16 December. Prices correct as at 23 August 2016. For full terms and conditions refer to brochure or visit scenic.com.au/terms. SNPR3300
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qt.com.au Saturday, September 3, 2016
w The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is North America's smallest and most common species of bear.
PHOTO: THINKSTOCK
Alaska
Too adorable to bear Mama and her naughty cubs will live in the memory forever TRAVEL
with Ann Rickard
I
T WAS a treat beyond all expectation. There in front of us – at a safe but excellent viewing distance – loped a big black bear. Out of the shelter of the thick woods and on to a flat grassy area, she made her bulky way towards a salmon-filled stream where we stood watching from a small viewing platform. All of us – a dozen passengers on a shore excursion in Alaska from our cruise ship Nieuw Amsterdam – were transfixed. A moment later, out of the woods poked two small cubs, their little black bodies bobbing like yo-yos on the grass as they gambolled after their mother. Mama bear turned and quickly shooed them back to the safety of the thick trees, a protective mother dishing out discipline, before she made her way back to the stream and the salmon. But out again the cheeky cubs bobbed and bounced after mama bear. She chased them back into the woods again. We watched this a half a dozen times until the cubs finally got their mother’s message. We had already been treated to an exhilarating 20-minute
ABU DHABI
flight on a seaplane from the port of Ketchikan to here at Neets Bay, flying high over the mountain peaks of Revillagigedo Island and looking down to deep fjords and dense forests. We had landed as gracefully as a gliding pelican on the calm and pristine water in this remote and unspoilt place where just eight people live and operate a salmon hatchery, ever mindful that they share this space with wild bears. Millions of salmon are bred and farmed here and then shipped abroad. Neets Bay is a bear’s all-you-can-eat smorgasbord where little effort is made to eat grandly every day. The salmon leap up into their mouths as they stand on rocks or in the shallow water. On the short walk from the jetty to the stream we had passed many bear lairs, big makeshift dens they had built from branches and leaves at the bottom of trees. Our guide had what looked like a gun on her belt but turned out to be bear spray in case we stumbled on a napping bear who did not take kindly to being disturbed by a bunch of cruise tourists. This was wild, untamed land. The bears’ space. Not ours. Fortunately, the spray was not necessary but the frisson of danger added another element of excitement to the whole overwhelming experience. Being close to bears in their natural habitat, watching them catching and eating salmon, was a privilege that will stay forever in the memory.
Cruise the modern and the ancient
CELEBRITY Cruises is offering sailings out of Abu Dhabi for the first time, blending modern luxury with timeless tradition on a range of cruises on board Celebrity Constellation. The premium cruise ship that boasts sophisticated cuisine, elegant accommodation and a luxury spa club will make the Emirates’ newest cruise terminal her home from November to January, the ideal season to visit with cruises calling at the ports of the United Arab Emirates and India, around the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. The opulence of the modern cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai is contrasted with the ancient traditions of Muscat, Mumbai, Goa, Cochin and New Mangalore, cities that pulse with age-old culture and fascinating history. The cruises feature a range of shore excursions including camel-riding in Abu Dhabi’s sprawling desert sands, a visit to Dubai’s spice and gold souks and a day of indulgence on one of Goa’s famed golden-sand beaches. Every journey is enhanced even further by the impeccable service that Celebrity Cruises is famous for. w MORE DETAILS: celebritycruises.com.au or call 1800 754 500.
IF YOU GO: Seven-day Alaska round trip from Vancouver from $1499 pp (April 29, 2017 departure) MORE DETAILS: Holland America Line on 1300 987 322, or visit hollandamerica.com.au As for the bonus of the two cubs…well, we were the envy of all other passengers back on board Nieuw Amsterdam on return from the excursion. After such an enthralling day, a voluptuous dinner in Nieuw Amsterdam’s Tamarind Restaurant seemed right. Tamarind, one of three speciality restaurants on board (a small fee applies), delivers a rich culinary experience of South-East Asian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Before dinner, a mixology class (cocktail lesson in the old-fashioned language) whetted the appetite. After dinner we passed on the line-dancing and were too tired for the illusionist show in the theatre. It had been a big day.
See next week’s travel pages for the third in Ann Rickard’s four-part series on Alaska.
CAMBODIA
The gateway to Angkor Wat
EXPERIENCE seven nights in Cambodia for only $1598 for two adults (valued up to $7102 for two). Spend five nights at the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Gold and Spa Resort in Siem Reap, located just minutes from Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument. Your package also includes two nights at the Sofitel Phnom Penh. The limited offer is available for purchase for one week (unless sold out) and valid for travel until December next year. w MORE DETAILS: LuxuryEscapes.com or 1300 889 900.
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Saturday, September 3, 2016 qt.com.au
Bucket list
Tiny town comes to life Birdsville, population 115, is bursting at the seams as 7000 flock for a unique event
B Y C h ri s C a l ci n o
R
ETIRED policeman Ken Murphy has finally arrived at the race “where the dust never settles” after a week negotiating mud and rain on the road to Birdsville. The Maroochydore resident and his wife Diane have joined thousands of visitors to the remote western Queensland town for the annual Birdsville Races. Heavy rain caused road closures that blew out their planned 1642km journey and forced them to double-back in their mobile home and find new routes to make it in time. The notoriously arid town threw a spanner in the works on their arrival, with rain forcing organisers to delay the first day’s races until Sunday. But that is the beauty of being a grey nomad – travel plans are more flexible when there is no work on Monday. “We were going to take a shortcut via Cunnamulla but the road was closed,” Ken said. “We got there but couldn’t get to Quilpie so we had to go back to Charleville and try from the other way. “That put an extra 400km on the trip, but that’s nothing out here.” Ken and Diane are volunteering at the event, which raises money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. At 71, Ken is the second oldest volunteer at this year’s races. They have already helped out in the fun run, keeping record of the 104 runners (and dawdlers) as they sputtered over the finishing line. The promise of a hard-earned beer after a day’s graft made standing in the sun far more palatable. “It’s a bit dusty out here,” Ken chuckled before the showers set in. “You’ve got to get the dust down somehow.”
w LEFT: At 71, Ken Murphy is the second oldest volunteer at this year's Birdsville Races. RIGHT: Birdsville races volunteer Gary Lapham. PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED
The Birdsville Races are now in their 134th year, having started back when the town was still known as Diamantina Crossing. The once bustling town, which was used to collect tolls from cattle drives crossing the Queensland-South Australia border, now only has 115 residents. This weekend its population will blow out to more than 7000. The two-day event consists of a 13-race program with a $200,000 prize pool. “People are in good spirits – they’re all sitting behind me at the pub, and the spirits are particularly good there,” Ken said. “We’re just happy to be here and amongst the atmosphere and aura of the place.”
The former police officer is no stranger to the outback. During his 38-year career he spent a long time stationed at Emerald, back when “you were lucky to see another car go past”. “We had plenty of happy times in Emerald and it’s good to get back out in the bush,” he said. Gary Lapham, 62, also made the trek to the isolated town to volunteer. It was his first time at the races, and the first time he had visited Birdsville in about 25 years. “There are caravans and campers everywhere,” he said. “It’s got a great feel to it. The camp next to me has little kids – there are all sorts of people here. “We’d already made the decision to come, then I saw the ad for volunteering and thought it would be a nice way to get another angle to it. “Otherwise, it’s just good to be here. It’s like a big carnival – they have boxing tents, concerts and entertainment.” Birdsville Race Club vice president Gary Brook said the celebration was shaping up to be a success despite the rain. “There is no other race meet like the Birdsville Cup anywhere in the world. It really is a bucket list experience. “We are remote, but that’s part of the appeal of the races. “People start arriving in town from the beginning of August, and make a real trip out of it camping in the region and enjoying the yabby races, street parties and other events in surrounding towns that lead into the big attraction – the Friday and Saturday race days in Birdsville. “The winter rain has meant the desert wildflowers are in bloom, and the countryside is beautiful.”
Blokes, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it B Y J a vi e r E n ca l a d a
DELICIOUS SNACKS JUST KEEP ON COMING
THE Man’s High Tea is a male-friendly concept of meeting your friends for a special occasion to enjoy snacks and drinks but not for a meal. So it’s not a barbecue, it’s not drinks at the pub and it’s not lunch at the local bowlo. It offers families (and men in particular) the chance to spoil or be spoiled while staying within the confinements of the man cave. Take this tip from me: there is no actual tea involved. The savoury treats After we get our drinks, a long serve of savoury treats arrive. It looks familiar enough to feel comfortable yet sophisticated enough to keep the special occasion vibe alive. We start with the slider, which has a Wagyu patty as its main juicy attraction. It is perfectly accompanied by house-smoked bacon, double cheese and pickled zucchini on a soft brioche bun. All this framed on truffle fries. There is also a meat pie with house-made pepper sauce. We are, after all, on the Gold Coast, so a prawn cocktail is in order. The star of the savoury plate for me was, by far, the savoury donut. This small but effective snack is made of a mini black pepper and parmesan donut, crowned by whipped horseradish cream and rare roasted dry aged beef. At this stage we are keeping within the
Finer details w WHAT: A high tea for gents. w COST: $39 a person or $54 with selected alcohol w WHERE: Stingray at QT Gold Coast, 7 Staghorn Ave, Surfers Paradise. APN Regional Dailies 2015 nvk of the high tea.
*The writer funded his stay and part
confinement of the man cave by keeping some cold beers on the table. The sweet surprise Minutes after the savouries plate has gone, a crystal dome is brought to the table. The dome is lifted and smoke comes out of it, revealing The Cigar. This sweet dish is made of a coverture chocolate cylinder filled with a bourbon semifreddo, with candied bacon looking like amber and lemon ash. The verdict The Man’s High Tea is the perfect place for the whole family to enjoy Father’s Day or just for an afternoon out with the boys. The treats are well designed and interesting without being too strange, and cater for both food conservatives and more audacious palates. The Man’s High Tea does not exclude ladies, but it has been designed to make men feel more at home.
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qt.com.au Saturday, September 3, 2016
CLEAN IT OUT: Does your bathroom cupboard hold an array of partially used deodorants, all of them now abandoned?
Style w i t h T r a c ey H o rd e r n
Setting up a bloke’s retreat
Hygiene
Smell nice without chemicals
WHETHER you’re looking to create the ultimate bachelor’s pad, or simply want a man cave space that is more macho in its aesthetic, there’s plenty to draw inspiration from. You could opt for the sleek industrial warehouse look: think monochrome, weathered timber, concrete, brick and wrought iron accents. Or take a leaf from the hugely popular Game of Thrones-inspired rustic interiors: more timber, rich, dark colour palettes and perhaps a cow hide rug. Furniture that reflects the masculine style is essential to achieve a manly space. Strong colours, wood accents, or metal details can go a long way in creating the quintessential bachelor pad look. Start with the basics. Nothing says masculine like a leather chesterfield sofa. Practical, long-wearing and timelessly fashionable, this hardy piece of furniture comes under the heading of “buy well, buy once’’. Still in the living room, a good flat-screen television with the relevant subscription services is non-negotiable. While technology is constantly changing, old school turntables are decidedly cool again. Finally, a man needs a cabinet to store his drinks and there are some stunning cabinets and bar trolleys available from upmarket interior stores. A stylish bedhead studded and upholstered in leather or a luxurious fabric in a dark shade (practical as well) will go a long way to creating a masculine look in the bedroom, as would a recycled timber one. Finally, if art is not your thing, consider memorabilia. Classic movie posters are hugely popular and easy to find. Vintage sport shirts, trophies, old album covers and photographs can also add real character to your space.
w Make your armpits happy the natural way. PHOTO: THINKSTOCK
How to make homemade deodorant WHAT YOU DO: In a microwave-proof container that you won’t
F I T YOU R PA S S I O N S W I T H I N STAY AT HOME MUM
T H E A R E A’ S L I M I TA T I O N S
with Jody Allen
N
OW, I know you’re going to ask why. Why would I make homemade deodorant? Well, the answer is: if you run out and need to make some, for the sheer fun of it or simply to opt for more natural products. We are all about frugal living here. Whatever the reason, here is a recipe for you.
Homemade natural deodorant WHAT YOU NEED: w When creating a masculine space start with colour. Try Dulux Rainmaker offset with a rich neutral, like Dulux Gnu Tan. PHOTO: DULUX
w 3 tbs cocoa butter w 3 tbs bicarb w 2 tbs cornflour w 2 tbs coconut oil w 1⁄4 tsp vitamin E oil w 5 drops each of clove, lime, tea tree and eucalyptus. Use whatever essential oils you like – I liked the smell of these.
use for food, melt together all the ingredients except for the essential oils. Once melted and heated through gently, add the essential oils and whisk well. Pour mixture into a sterilised glass jar. Store in a cool dry place – if it’s really hot where you live store the mixture in the fridge or it will go rancid. If the mixture is too “liquid’’ when you go to use it, add a bit more bicarb to firm it up. To use, use your fingers to rub a small amount under your arms. Another version you could try: simply pop the roller off the top of an empty deodorant bottle. Half-fill with aloe vera juice (fresh is best, but shop-bought sunburn relief works just as well). Add a teaspoon of bicarb soda and a few drops of your favourite essential oils and pop the roller back on. Give it all a shake and you are ready to go.
Jody Allen is the founder of Stay At Home Mum: www.stayathomemum.com.au
Home products
Straight to the man cave
w Crosley Bermuda Turntable Red, $399, Myer, www.myer.com.au
w Myla 2 Seater Sofa, $619, Fantastic Furniture, www.fantasticfurniture.com.au
w Set of two Kinetic wine glasses, $160, Contemporary Connoisseur www.contemporaryco.com.au
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Saturday, September 3, 2016 qt.com.au
LEAF MINER: New growth needs to be protected by spraying the leaves with a certified organic citrus and ornamental spray.
In my garden w i t h A n gi e T h om a s
CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLANTS w Don’t neglect citrus trees if you want them to stay healthy and productive. PHOTO: JANAPH
AND YOUR GARDEN WILL BE ALIVE WITH BIRDS AND BEES w A monarch butterfly (danaus plexippus) feeds on butterfly bush (buddleia) flowers.
PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
Spring
Colour and fragrance The great outdoors beckons as gardens burst into life GREEN THUMB with Maree Curran
S
PRING is officially here and it’s impossible to resist the lure of the garden. Springtime is all about colour and fragrance. Jasmine, citrus blossom, lavender, daisies, azaleas, pansies and violas, geraniums – it’s pretty hard to find something that is not flowering in a garden centre at the moment. My picks for this spring include some new arrivals and some old favourites. Geranium Big Red and Rocky White have been around for a couple of years and have proven themselves to be disease resistant, free-flowering and easy to care for. If lavender is your thing, then take a look at the Sensation series which has lovely green foliage and strong, upright flower stalks. The fragrance is fresh and clean, and you can get it in four colours – white, rose, blue and purple. The Ruffles series has slightly greyer foliage and is a bit shorter and more compact. It, too, comes in a few different colours. Avonview is a good performer, as is old-fashioned french lavender (lavender dentata). They all enjoy the same growing conditions, essentially a well-drained, airy, sunny position.
Tibouchina Peace Baby is hard to beat for a small, free-flowering shrub to about 60-80cm tall with large white blooms. “Buzz’’ buddleias are just gorgeous, and butterflies find their masses of tiny flowers irresistible. They will grow about one metre tall. And then there’s all the gorgeous native plants, which also celebrate spring in a riot of colour. The leptospermums are putting on an absolutely spectacular show this year. And there are some gorgeous kangaroo paw, grevilleas and native daisies about too. Don’t be afraid to mix natives with exotics. So long as they enjoy similar growing conditions, they can live quite happily together. Both natives and exotics can be useful food sources for birds, bees and other native fauna. We have lots of bacopa (a flowering groundcover) in the garden centre at the moment and the little native bees just love it. Honey eaters are visiting the flowering abutilons (chinese lanterns) on a daily basis and the lavender is full of bees too. Try to provide some clean drinking water for birds and other fauna to encourage them to pay regular visits to your place. You could even consider installing nesting boxes for birds and insect hotels for beneficial insects.
Act now to ensure a fruitful citrus season
S
EPTEMBER marks a change in seasons and is one of the most exciting times to be a gardener. Lovely fresh new foliage, a celebration of flowers and new plants to sow and grow.
Preventing citrus leaf miner damage
Citrus trees will start their spring foliage flush this month, growing lots of lush leaves. Tender young foliage is susceptible to attack from citrus leaf miner, which causes silvery trails in the leaves and results in leaf curling and distortion. It ruins the look of a tree and in severe cases affects plant health by reducing the potential for photosynthesis (capturing energy from the sun). New growth needs to be protected by spraying the leaves with a certified organic citrus and ornamental spray. It deters the citrus leaf miner moth from laying her eggs on the foliage (which hatch into the larvae that tunnel into the leaves). Spray leaves every 5–14 days from when the new foliage is around 4cm long.
Hungry, hungry citrus
Citrus trees such as oranges, mandarins, lemons and grapefruit are heavy feeders. Citrus require lots of nutrients to support the spring leaf flush and the gorgeous flowers that will turn into delicious fruit. September is the time to ramp up feeding and ensure they are fed each week. This is particularly important for potted citrus, which can run out of nutrients (and water) rapidly. Feed weekly with a citrus liquid plant food throughout spring to help set citrus trees up for a productive fruiting season. A soil wetter around the root zone (including on potted citrus) will also help water penetrate more effectively down through the soil and into the roots.
Got a gardening question? Email maree@edenatbyron.com.au.
Angie Thomas is a horticulturist from Yates
Garden products
Blooming spring colour All products available from Bunnings. w Tibouchina Illusion reaches a height of 2.5m and is a stand-out performer in gardens across the country. Large flowers open white with a blush-pink margin, then mature to deep pink tones. RRP $31.98/250mm.
w Create an eye-catching display with Australia’s first true deep red geranium. Big Red is a unique variety with large, semi-double, true deep red flowers that are highlighted by the thick, rich dark green foliage. RRP $14.85/175mm.
w With an upright compact habit, lavender Sensation will produce an abundance of heavily scented flowers through autumn, winter and spring. Plant where the delightful scent can be enjoyed. RRP $10.98/140mm.
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qt.com.au Saturday, September 3, 2016
Fa s h i o n Style w i th J ef f L a ck
Why some are well put together HOW do you assess what colours suit you best? How do you understand what is flattering for your body shape? What is your personal style? When you see someone who looks “well put together’’ you can’t necessarily put your finger on what it is. That person simply looks good even when they are having a bad day. Such people have the three elements all working: fit, colour, style.
The man’s guide to colour, style and fit
Fit
Fit is the most important part of the equation. We can all make an Armani suit look bad if it doesn’t fit properly. The fit lines are the key focal points that our eye is drawn to when we look at or meet a person. These are important for aesthetics as well as comfort. A guide to well-fitted apparel: w Collars (can fit one finger inside when fastened) w Cuffs (to fit a watch comfortably) w Waist (can fit at least one finger in when fastened) w Seat (just enough room to sit comfortably and not pull) w Hems (no more than one break onto the shoes – too much break means too many folds in the pant leg where it meets the shoe) w Shoulders (no overhang off the shoulder) w Chest (no pulling or gaping) w Jacket length (finish at your knuckles) w Sleeve length (hits the wrist bone) w Girth (no pulling or straining around the widest part of your belly)
L E AT H E R , D E N I M , TA N
BLACK, WHITE, DENIM
JEFF’S STYLE TIPS:
Colour
Your colouring is the combination of your hair colour, eye colour and skin tone that creates a base for half a dozen really great colours that you can wear well. This is more about the colours you wear around your face, as it doesn’t matter so much what you wear below. Beware of colours that are similar to your skin tone as they wash you out. The same applies for strong contrasts. Look for colours that are soft on your skin; colours that give you a healthy glow. Drape block colours around your neck to see which work best.
w Assess yourself, no one knows you better than you. w Fit is paramount so get it right. Tailoring is key to a perfect fit. w Know your colouring and what colours suit you best. w Your style is not governed by the latest trends.
Style
Style expresses your personality. It’s about your authenticity, your honesty, a visual connection to your personality. How do you wear your personality on your sleeve? The latest fashion won’t always suit you. Some fashions are just the wrong cut or colour and it’s best to sit these out. This is fine as there will be more choice next season. And if you choose some classic pieces, they’ll last across many seasons. When you create the style that is uniquely you, occasional fashion top ups are all you really need.
BLACK, WHITE, GREY
WHITE ON WHITE W I T H TA N A C C E N T S
N A V Y, W H I T E , C R E A M
Jeff Lack is the author of IndulGENT: The complete style guide for the modern man, published by New Holland, RRP $29.99. Available in book stores and online.
We love w i t h K i r i t e n D o l le
Beauty buys for him
w Blokes, stop pinching your lady’s face wash. Bro-To Properly Clean is a mousse cleanser designed especially for guys by Zoe Foster-Blake of Go-To Skincare. RRP $31. Stockists: www.gotoskincare.com.
w Moroccan Neroli Post Shave Lotion is packed with botanical oils to pacify, smooth and refresh skin and assuage post-shave irritation and aggravation. RRP 60ml/$53. Stockists: David Jones.
w Armani Code PROFUMO creates an irresistibly magnetic attraction with a classic base of tonka bean amplified by notes of burnt styrax wood, green mandarin essence, crisp green apple and cardamom. RRP 60ml/$140. Stockists: 1300 651 991.
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Saturday, September 3, 2016 qt.com.au
Ground down
Gadgets
How to get yourself sneered at in an instant
w i t h G e of f E g a n
In the Bray household it’s better never than latte
‘‘
ON A LIGHTER NOTE with Greg Bray
F
OLKS, thanks to our nation’s recently acquired OCD (Obsessive Coffee Disorder), handing a hot cup of instant coffee to guests at home nowadays makes me about as socially popular as a chronic farter in a crowded lift. So far we’ve resisted joining the percolating, filtering, plunging, grinding, frothing, foaming, home barista herd. But maybe it’s time we purchased some rumbling, chrome-covered, pipe, dial and whistle-laden, steam-producing, bean-crushing boiler in order to produce thimble sized cups of coffee that won’t cause future visitors caffeine-related distress. Now, I’d like to point out that here at Bray Manor, we’re not doling out powdered sludge. No, we buy the good stuff; the ethically grown, environmentally sustainable, hand-foraged, crushed and blended, granular instant coffee. And, I’d like to add, cream-filled biscuits from a known brand. We may use instant coffee, but we are not savages! Then, I was recently chided for adding the milk to the hot water, instead of hot water to the milk and thus burning the poor, unsuspecting beans. Mortified, I apologised and made another cup straight away. I did note that his delicate tastebuds didn’t detect the extra spit I’d added to his mug when he wasn’t
I generally play it safe and order the coffee that’s like my forehead – flat and white. It’s safe to say I don’t have a preferred barista on speed dial, or my favourite blend tattooed onto my forearm looking, to make his brew extra foamy. And it’s become a nightmare trying to buy coffee from a shop. I generally play it safe and order the coffee that’s like my forehead –flat and white. It’s safe to say I don’t have a preferred barista on speed dial, or my favourite blend tattooed onto my forearm just in case I’m knocked unconscious and need a life-saving latte infusion. Folks, we’re turning into a nation of coffee snobs and I’m starting to think it’s time we went back to drinking plain old tea. Mm, teapot, teabag, lemon infusion?
Greg Bray blogs at www.gregbraywriter.wordpress.com. Find him on Facebook: Greg Bray – Writer.
Gadget review
w ADD context to your smartphone. That’s the promise of Dot. By placing the small devices at certain locations the Dot can tell your phone to activate area specific apps or notifications, whether it’s a news app when you wake up, or an ebook when you sit down on the couch. Preorder from $27.
FEATURES: Waterproof casing included, fish-eye lens, wi-fi mode and video at 2.7K resolution.
w i t h G e of f E g a n
New action camera value for money ACTION cams can capture footage at times a normal camera couldn’t. But brands like GoPro don’t come cheap. Luckily Kaiser Baas’s X150 provides an affordable solution. Although the X150 is not as fast and user-friendly as the top of the line GoPros, it is about half the price. The X150 can be a bit clunky to use in the field – but luckily with its wi-fi mode you can connect it to your smartphone. That adds remote live view as well as video and picture capture modes. Price $199.
w WITH Apple expected to announce this week that their new iPhone models won’t come with a headphone jack get ready for lots of Bluetooth adaptors to appear. The Griffin iTrip Clip lets you plug your old headphones in and then wirelessly connect to your phone over Bluetooth. Price $27.
w The Kaiser Baas X150.
PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED
OUT NOW!
w FITBIT’S two most popular fitness trackers are getting revamps. The Flex and Charge 2s come with updated software and promise to be more accurate than ever. The Charge 2 has a much bigger screen than the original model. Flex 2 from $149.95, Charge 2 $249.95.
Live A
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screen life
qt.com.au Saturday, September 3, 2016
LUCK TURNS: Hart’s stand-up career didn’t start well. He was booed off stage several times and once had a piece of chicken thrown at him.
The Secret Life of Pets w Stars: Louis CK, Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Albert Brooks, Ellie Kemper. w Directors: Yarrow Cheney, Chris Renaud. w Rating: G w Reviewer’s last word: This fast-paced and funny animated family film is simple yet entertaining for movie-goers of all ages thanks to a talented voice cast.
Star Profile: Kevin Hart w The characters Snowball and Max in a scene from The Secret Life of Pets.
PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
Film
Hart in the right place Funnyman loves animation experience and wants more SCREEN LIFE
with Seanna Cronin
K
EVIN Hart is often the butt of the joke in his films. Whether it’s a quip about the comedian’s height or his high-pitched voice, he’s a very physical actor who’s not afraid to poke fun at himself. But in his latest movie role, the American funnyman lets rip from the safety of a recording studio. Hart plays a white rabbit named Snowball in The Secret Life of Pets, the new family film from the creators of Despicable Me. “It (the role) came out of nowhere but I’m glad that it did,” Hart tells Weekend. “It’s a great character, Snowball is a very, very funny character.” The film follows a terrier named Max (Louis CK) whose quiet life with his owner is upended when she takes in Duke (Eric Stonestreet), a stray whom Max instantly dislikes. Hart immediately related to the film’s central concept of
YOUR WEEK’S TV NEWS Your guide to what’s on the box every Thursday in The QT ...one local to another
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taking a look at what pets do when their owners aren’t home. “I’m a dog guy. I’ve got a doberman pinscher and the little version (miniature pinscher),” he says. “I wonder all the time what are my dogs doing when I leave. “It wouldn’t shock me (if they get up to trouble). My little one is bad. I don’t know what that little one is up to.” When a series of events leads Max and Duke out on to the city streets, they are mistaken for strays and locked in a van bound for the pound. Luckily, the rebellious bunny Snowball swoops in to save the doggy duo from captivity. In exchange, Snowball demands that Max and Duke join his gang of abandoned pets on a mission against the humans who have done them wrong. “He’s a guy who, in his mind, is starting a revolution and he’s doing it by grabbing an abundance of pets who have been through what he’s been through and they should have no problem following him,” Hart says. “What makes Snowball so amazing is he’s complex; he’s insecure within his security. The vision is always there but the actions don’t always come out the way he thinks they should.” Laying down his voice tracks in the recording studio was a
w Quirky fact: Once worked as a shoe salesman, but quit the job to work full-time in comedy clubs. w Best known for: Ride Along, Get Hard, The Wedding Ringer. w If you like this movie you’ll like these: Despicable Me, Minions, Finding Dory. w Quote: “A reputation as a hard worker is a good reputation to have. It’s also about being professional and very loyal to the people who put me here, which would be my fans.” learning experience for Hart, who is most comfortable doing stand-up comedy. But the film’s directors, Yarrow Cheney and Chris Renaud, known for the Despicable Me franchise, were on hand to guide him through the lengthy process. “Their track record is amazing, so coming in and jumping on their success train is always a good thing,” Hart says. “It’s a long process doing an animated film. After my eighth session I started to see Snowball come to life and I was blown away. “I think it’s any actor’s dream to get lucky and get one of the franchises that develop into parts one, two and three. Everybody wants to be the donkey in Shrek; that was an astronomical success story. If this bunny can get me in any way, shape or form (success like that) then I’ll be happy.” Most importantly for Hart, though, was getting the thumbs up from his two children, Heaven and Hendrix. “When I first took on the role I had a picture with Snowball looking happy and angry. They thought it was so funny to see him go from the cute and cuddly to the crazy bunny,” he says. “When my kids laughed I knew I was doing the right thing. They’re my biggest critics, It’s almost adult-like the way kids talk about these animated films.” Hart enjoyed the experience so much he’s signed on to another animated film, Dreamworks’ Captain Underpants, due for release next year. The Secret Life of Pets opens on Thursday.
IPSWICH - VALID SAT 3 SEP - WED 7 SEP
DAD A PRIVATE SCREENING OF THE FOOTY GRAND FINAL! BUY TICKETS ONLINE FOR FATHER'S DAY TO ENTER *Terms and conditions apply. Check online eventcinemas.com.au
SAT & SUN ONLY
SUNDAY ONLY
DON’T BREATHE (MA15+)
NERVE (M)
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (G)
SULLY (M)
BEN-HUR (M)
THE SHALLOWS (M)
SUICIDE SQUAD (M)
BAD MOMS (MA15+)
FIND TIMES & BUY TICKETS AT eventcinemas.com.au NO FREE TICKETS
CINE BUZZ MOVIE
ADVANCE SCREENINGS Copyright © 2016 - EVENT Cinemas.
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Saturday, September 3, 2016 qt.com.au
EDITOR’S PICK: Fifteen Young Men is a story of tragedy, mateship, love and resilience. Great gift for Father’s Day.
Books
Sitting with Marina
Five-second reviews
A performance artist’s marathon was life-changing for many
Great Australian Outback Teaching Stories
REV IEW by G a il F or r e r
By Bill “Swampy’’ Marsh:
T
Page turners
Fifteen Young Men by Paul Kennedy
Swampy has travelled the width and breadth of Australia and met with many of our extraordinary outback teachers and their students to bring together a memorable collection of stories. (ABC Books, RRP $29.99)
Beast
By Paul Kingsnorth: Edward Buckmaster is a man alone on a west country moor. What he has left behind we don’t yet know, but will discover; what he faces is a battle with himself, the elements, and with something he begins to see on the margins of his vision: a creature that is tracking him. (Faber, RRP $29.99).
Smooth Operator
By Stuart Woods and Parnell Hall: When President Kate Lee calls Stone Barrington to Washington it’s soon clear that a potentially disastrous situation requires the kind of help more delicate than even he can provide ... and he knows just the man for the job: Teddy Fay, ex-CIA, master of disguise. (Penguin, RRP $28).
PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED
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various definitions – a couple of times it is called an “energy dialogue”. And it gives us plenty to ponder about “how art can be transformative ... A kind of access to a universal wisdom”. The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose is published by Allen & Unwin, RRP $27.99.
Streaming online
PAUL Kennedy reveals the story behind the maritime tragedy that unfolded one cold, blustery night in 1892 – with agonising slowness – when 15 young men from the Mornington Football Club would never make it home. As dawn broke and families began to mourn, a nation was to learn the full extent of one of the world’s worst sporting disasters. Somehow, for more than a century this terrible event slipped from Australian consciousness. In his compelling evocation of a spirited Australian town on the cusp of a new century, Kennedy captures the trauma of families and friends suffering almost unbearable loss, but also the irrepressible optimism of the times.
IN CELEBRATION of the 20th anniversary of Oscar-winning Australian film Shine, Presto is now streaming the classic film, as well as related specials including Drawing the
Audience In: Making the Music for Shine with David Hirschfelder, and Sculpting The Movie: The Experience of Directing Shine with Scott Hicks.
Fifteen Young Men by Paul Kennedy (Penguin, RRP $34.99)
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HIS is a story of the transforming power of art. The narrative wraps around the real life story of Yugoslav performance artist Marina Abramovic, whose work examines the rapport between performer and audience, the limits of the body and the possibilities of the mind. Her first performance pieces began in 1973 and these days she is known as the Grandmother of Performance Art. The story focuses on her 2010 performance The Artist is Present, staged at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. For 736 hours and 30 minutes, Abramovic sat at a table without words, food or water. She was the blank slate that was open to having people sit opposite her. Thousands of people lined up to see her, even sleeping outside the museum to ensure their entry. “Is this a staring competition?” the sceptics asked. People travelled across states to sit with her, while some were reduced to tears in front of her. Australian author Heather Rose leads us through the lives of three very different people – a New York film composer, an Australian art teacher recently widowed and a Japanese-Dutch PhD student. Each was mesmerised by Abramovic’s performance piece. They are interesting and personable, detailing how the performance affected their lives. The thread that links the characters’ simple and courageous stories is the experience and discussion of Abramovic’s performance art. The book’s musician and television interviewer, Healayas, comments: “Abramovic has been exploring the physical and mental limits of her being. She has withstood pain, exhaustion and danger in a quest for emotional and spiritual transformation for forty years. She has taken psychiatric drugs to show us their effects, she has whipped herself, sliced a star into her belly innumerable times. “She simply asks us to participate. It may be therapeutic and spiritual, but it is also social and political. It is multi-layered. It reminds us why we love art, why we study art, why we invest ourselves in art.” Throughout the story the performance piece brings out
ONE LOCAL TO ANOTHER
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mind TEST YOUR GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Quiz compiled by Roy O’Reilly.
qt.com.au Saturday, September 3, 2016
Mind you w i t h N i c k B e nn et t
Tradies show the way Quiz
Let things take their natural flow and enjoy the experience
1. Is the black widow a species of snake or spider? 2. Which breed of dog is nicknamed a “sausage dog”? 3. Australia’s Mina Guli, 45, recently ran seven marathons across seven deserts over seven weeks on how many continents (a) three (b) five (c) seven? 4. The Cannes Film Festival was founded in (a) 1946 (b) 1976 (c) 2006? 5. Are there more islands in the Atlantic or Pacific ocean? 6. Name the 15th century French heroine canonised in 1920. 7. “Goodbye from the world’s biggest polluter” said who when farewelling his fellow world leaders at the G8 meeting in Japan in 2008? 8. During the 2016 French Open tennis titles, which Australian was given a code violation for yelling “towel” at a ballboy? 9. “It’s only love and that is all. Why should I feel the way I do?” are lyrics from which song? 10. Which fast food giant was founded as a barbecue restaurant in 1940? 11. On The Footy Show recently, Paul Vautin, “on behalf of the network”, issued an apology to which Melbourne Storm star over a 60 Minutes story? 12. Was notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar Colombian or Mexican? 13. Who played James Bond in the 2008 movie Quantum of Solace? 14. Golf star Tiger Woods was a student at which university for two years (a) Harvard (b) Stanford (c) Yale? 15. A US presidential term lasts for how many years? 16. Which US presidential candidate did Bill Shorten recently describe as “barking mad”? 17. In which recent movie did Alice follow a butterfly and travel through a mirror to Wonderland? 18. Which former coach of the Australian cricket team was recently appointed Pakistan coach? 19. From 1908 to 1960 what was the colonial name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo? 20. Kynuna is in which Australian state/territory? 21. In 1776, Captain James Cook, prior to his fatal voyage to the Pacific Ocean, handpicked which future New South Wales governor as sailing master of the Resolution? 22. What is the name of the Twitter bird mascot? 23. In which 2008 movie did Marisa Tomei play a stripper who is too old for her job? 24. Dying recently at the age of 82 was which Australian athlete, noted for breaking the mile world record by over a second in 1958 and still coming second to Herb Elliott? 25. Beginning with “d”, what is the term for the instrument used for measuring dew?
w Many hands make light work ... if you’re all working in harmony.
W
E’RE currently going through a small renovation in our house and I am incredibly thankful that there are skilled tradesmen who can come in and make the job easy. They get in, work around each other, and organise their tools, equipment and materials in a way that has helped us to continue living in the house and with little distraction and impact on our daily life. What it highlighted for me was that everything has a natural flow to it once it is set in motion. We all have differing skills that add value when we are working to achieve a clear goal over a set time, and forcing that, or adding unnecessary pressure to the situation, actually works against that natural flow. When you think about it, we put enormous pressure on ourselves (and others) to complete things. We monitor the plan and steps, have people report in on progress and in other ways interfere with how they go about it naturally because we are driven by our difference, not our similarity. In other words we want the world and people to work to our way of doing things. We want control. What’s the outcome of that? There’s little harmony. The synchronised interaction between elements that make progress smooth and the desired outcome inevitable. What do people, i.e. you, want in your work or life generally – clarity, fun, genuine relationships, clear leadership, meaningful work, connection to a purpose, the opportunity for mastery, love? From my experience and observation it’s components of all of that. So if we approach each project or task – either work group,
PHOTO: THINKSTOCK
community group or family – with an open view to what could be learned through shared experience we are more inclined to allow things to flow and actually enjoy the process, discovering strengths and insights through and from each other. What this also means is that you need to have shared the plan, key objective and purpose – ideally through inception, creation, development or as a complete project. Communicating very clearly and openly what the outcomes are expected to be and the roles that people will have – that is, their
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We want the world and people to work to our way of doing things. We want control. decision-making role and what they are accountable for. “No surprises” is the key, which means putting effort into everyone involved being included and as much as is possible kept informed and updated often. We’ve been open to it and inspired by the way these “tradies” work. Mind you, surprising them with a couple of cartons at the end of the job adds a nice touch, too. Try it, it works. Nick Bennett is a facilitator, performance coach and partner of Minds Aligned: www.mindsaligned.com.au.
Next week Answers
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you Adam MacDougall’s guide to getting fit, being healthy and living happy in just 10 minutes a day
1. Spider. 2. Dachshund. 3. (c) seven. 4. (a) 1946. 5. Pacific Ocean. 6. Saint Joan of Arc. 7. George W. Bush. 8. Nick Kyrgios. 9. It’s Only Love. 10. McDonald’s. 11. Cameron Smith. 12. Colombian. 13. Daniel Craig. 14. (b) Stanford. 15. Four years. 16. Donald Trump. 17. Alice: Through the Looking Glass. 18. Mickey Arthur. 19. Belgian Congo. 20. Queensland. 21. William Bligh. 22. Larry. 23. The Wrestler. 24. Merv Lincoln. 25. Drosometer.