pakmag - Edition 18 - Dec 2008 by Grand Publishing

Issue 18 December 2008

Kid’s mini mag inside! ! t NLYou S Ome KuIDll

H! DRAWN THIS MONTe iv away G s a tm s ri h C t a re G e h T pRIzES TO bE WON! NEARLY $2000 IN

Great books for kids of all ages

Madagascar Escape 2

Animation LLC. All Rights

Reserved.

• Did you know ? • Loads of Comp s • Heaps of Prize s • PAK review

Cairns’ best What’s On Guide

WIN

a Gra y a nd a D aT CaIRNS CENTRaL saturday

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Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re giving away Cairns Central cash vouchers worth $1000 a day at Cairns Central! Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $24,000 of Cairns Central cash vouchers to be won from the 1st to 24th December! Simply shop at Cairns Central, spend $50 or more and you could win $1000 worth of Cairns Central cash vouchers! Conditions apply - visit our Customer Service Desk for more information.

Corner Spence & McLeod Streets, Cairns Phone (07) 4041 4111 www.cairnscentral.com.au

what’s stacked in pak this month! Parents 2

What’s New

Sea FM’s Doting Dads

6-8

Raising a reader

Family Daycare

11-12 The Spirit of Christmas

editor’s note Hello and welcome to the 18th edition of Pakmag, our Christmas special. Christmas has always been a special time of year to me. Even as I have grown older I still get excited about the festive season. As a child, I would alternate Christmas day between my parents, so even though one parent missed out on seeing us on the day, we would often have another postChristmas day to make up for it. The best memories of Christmas were never the presents; it was the things we did on the day. Lunching and playing big family involved games of some kind, in my opinion, was and still is the most important thing during the festive season. Having that quality time is something every person loves. This year will be very different and I intend to enjoy it as much as I can even though as the days pass I feel more and more like Santa with this big belly! So enjoy this edition of Pakmag, and don’t forget to nominate a family you think deserves to win nearly $2000 worth of presents thanks to Cairns Central. We also have 5 more family passes to see the exclusive preview screening of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, all you have to do is email us the page number that the Madagascar symbol is on inside the magazine and you could win. So whatever you’re up to this Christmas, enjoy the time with your family and on behalf of all of our team here at Pakmag thanks very much for your support and we look forward to bringing you an even better magazine in the New Year with everything you want to know for the school holidays. Merry Christmas and Cheers for New Years!

www.pakmag.com.au

To Wii or not to Wii?

Pak health - Mould

Pak health - Fish

Party Proof your body

Growing Pains

Kids in the Kitchen Christmas Pudding Treats

Birch Carroll & Coyle Movie Review

Time for a Break

Kids 21

Kids Mini-Mag

Colour it in & Win

23-29 Pak Activities 30

Bopstars Bulletin

Battle of the brains

Pak animal facts

BaBy & toddler

20,33 Out & About Photos

Child Care or Child Abuse

25-28 What’s On October

Colic Cures

Travel with Kidz - South Pacific Cruising

Pak Parent - Pass the tissues

A Great Weekender visiting gorgeous Granite Gorge

things to Win

A Trip to… Reef Magic

10-11 Win our Great Christmas Giveaway!

Pak Vouchers

Colour it in & Win

Prize Winners/Favourite Pet Shots

Battle of the brains

Pet Tips & Hints with Darlene from Poochie Parlour

What’s in Store with Michael Aw – Futura Snack Maker

Business Directory

Win baby products

DIY Pak Projects, lets make a Christmas Snowman

Favourite Pet Shot Competition

White lies

Win a Pak Party!

Eating Out - Bayleaf

The PaK mag crew:

Editor: Bree James Sub Editor: Elaine Seager Graphic Design & Layout: Cameron LeBherz www.lebherz.com.au Articles: Elaine Seager, William Anthony, Victoria Williams, Melanie Mirotsis, Amanda Mathiot and submitted writers.

Phone: 4031 9915 Fax: 4031 9916 Email: info@pakmag.com.au Postal: PO Box 7433, Cairns QLD 4870 Level 2, 68 Abbott Street, Virginia House, Cairns Q 4870

enqUiries:

Sales & Advertising enquiries: sales@pakmag.com.au Stories, events, distrubution, subscriptions to: info@pakmag.com.au Accounts to: accounts@pakmag.com.au Photos to: photos@pakmag.com.au

Disclaimer: No part of this magazine, including the advertisements within it may br reproduced, in part or in whole without the expressed permission of the editor. Whilst the greatest of care is taken to ensure that the information in the magazine is correct at the time of going to press, readers are advsied to check details before visiting. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. The expressions expressed within PaK Magazine are not neccessarily the views of the publishers, but those of individual writers.

what’s new! Cairns Central Opening Hours New rainforest walkway Polish your bowls Wet & Slippery Get Cyclone Ready Great Christmas Giveaway Make it a charitable Christmas A must see show!

We all love to shop over Christmas and there never seems to be enough hours, so Cairns Central have extended theirs to lend a helping hand!

Sun 7th and 14th: 10am-5pm Mon 15th, Tues 16th & Wed 17th: 9am-7pm Fri 19th: 9am-8pm Sat 20th & Sun 21st: 9am-6pm

Mon 22nd: 9am-7pm Fri 26th & Sat 27th: 8.30am-6pm Tues 23rd: 9am-midnight Sun 28th: 9am-5pm Wed 24th: 9am-6pm Mon 29th: 9am-6pm Thurs 25th: Closed

Merry Christmas from all the staff and retailers at Cairns Central and don’t forget to claim your FREE colouring-in calendar and pack of crayons with your PakMag voucher on pg43 If you feel like escaping the heat and fancy a daytrip with the kids to see something new, why not try the newly opened Mamu Rainforest Canopy Boardwalk which is halfway between Innisfail and Millaa Milla. You will be able to walk through the tree tops of World Heritage listed tropical rainforest with views of rivers, mountains, gorges and rapids. And, it’s only an easy 90 minute drive away. For more information, phone 4064 5294 or email mamu. rainforestcanopywalkway@epa.qld.gov.au You can also check out their webpage at www.epa.qld.gov.au/mamu Looking for indoor air-conditioned family fun? Go Bowling have got a great programme of events going on throughout December. Sundays are family nights and Monday’s and Tuesday’s there’s fun for the littlies. Check out our What’s On Guide for more information including details on the Countdown to New Year’s Eve where you can play as your favourite Disney or cartoon character. There will also be a special school holiday programme during January. Thinking of hiring a bouncy castle for the Christmas party? They are great for keeping the kids amused but a bit hot at this time of year. Why not try Jumping Castles and Slides – they now have ‘wet slides’ available. See our business directory for more information. It’s cyclone time again folks so time to have a think about preparing and educating the kids, especially if you’re new to the tropics. The key things to do right now are to prepare your emergency kit (stock up on canned food now) and place it in a sturdy container. You should also work out an emergency plan and explain it to the kids. The Cairns Regional Council have supplied us with some information which is specifically aimed at parents so go to our website at www. pakmag.com.au to find out more. There’s still time to nominate a local deserving family to win our Great Christmas Giveaway Competition thanks to Cairns Central (prizes valued at almost $2000) in the November issue. Entries should be sent to info@pakmag.com.au (please include your name and phone number and up to 50 words on why you think they should win). The winner will be drawn on 21st December Christmas is a great time to think of giving to others and there’s lots of local charity events and fundraising going on in December. You can volunteer to do Christmas wrapping at Stockland and Smithfield Shopping centres for the Leukaemia Foundation, donate to the Salvation Army Toy Bank for under-privileged kids or, for something a bit different, the Cairns Frog Hospital is in desperate need of funds to continue their volunteer work for sick and injured frogs. They have organised an adopt-a-frog card campaign and for $5 you can buy cards and help towards rasing money for the frogs. The frog hospital website is: fdrproject.org.au and don’t forget Yaps and the RSPCAthey always need extra pet food, cat litter and volunteers for the holidays. Experience the art of illusion to the Xtreme with Magician of the year Sam Powers. The show runs for 60 minutes and is suitable for families. He appears live at the Reef Hotel Casino Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm. With local discounts and dinner and show packages its something the whole family will enjoy.

Have you got something new that Cairns families should know about? Email us at: info@pakmag.com.au

NOVEMBER

DVD RELEASES thanks to Civic Video Dark Knight M Action starring Heath Ledger & Christian Bale

Wanted MA Action starring James McAvoy & Angelina Jolie

Kung Fu Panda PG Family starring Jack Black & Dustin Hoffman Tropic Thunder MA Comedy starring Ben Stiller & Jack Black

Bank Job MA Thriller starring Jason Statham & Saffron Burrows

Forbidden Kingdom PG

Action starring Jet Li & Jackie Chan

Open Season 2 G Comedy with Crispin Glover & Joel McHale

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army M Action starring Ron Pearlman & Selma Blair

Baby Mama M Comedy with Amy Paehler & Tina Fey

Speed Racer PG Adventure starring Emile Hirsch & Christina Ricci

See pg43 for your free kids DVD hire voucher thanks to Civic Video

www.pakmag.com.au

Santa Is Coming to mt sheridan Plaza

Come on in and have your photo taken with Santa at Mt Sheridan Plaza. thurs 18 Dec

10.00am – 4.00pm

mon 22 Dec

10.00am – 2.00pm

Fri 19 Dec

10.00am – 2.00pm

tues 23 Dec

sat 20 Dec

10.00am – 2.00pm

10.00am – 2.00pm 3.30pm – 7.30pm

sun 21 Dec

10.00am – 2.00pm

Wed 24 Dec

10.00am – 2.00pm

Santa photo packages: 2 x 4x6 photo’s only $10.00. 2 x 4x6 photo’s plus a 2009 photo calendar only $16.00. Photo’s printed while you wait. to find out more come on in to mt sheridan Plaza or go to our website.

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w w w. m t s h e r i d a n . c o m . a u

Dk J_\i`[Xe GcXqX www.pakmag.com.au

Doting Dads Which meal do you cook for the kids that they just love? My daughter, Bella, absolutely loves chops and vegies. And in summer, chops and salad. But definitely chops, chops and more chops. Do you prefer mornings or evenings at your place? Evenings are great with bath time, dinner and then lying in Bella’s bed reading stories to her, but having said that, when we are all having a laugh and a cuddle in mummy and daddy’s bed in the morning, that’s pretty special as well. How much pocket money should kids get? I never really got any pocket money when we were growing up, and seeing as though my littlies are 4 and 7 months, I haven’t really given it much thought, so I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it… What’s the best thing about being a dad? The best thing about being a dad is just the total love I see in my kids eyes, it really makes my heart sing. What’s your favourite family activity? My favourite family activity is going to the swimming pool near our house, the kids both love the water, the other fave thing is holidaying in Forster on the mid north coast of N.S.W. What have you learnt from being a father? Suddenly it wasn’t all about me anymore…….bugger.

with

Dave Gleeson

(The Screaming Jets)

Who runs the household – mum, dad or the kids? Because I am on the road a lot, I feel that it’s only fair that my wife Katie be in charge, that and the fact that I am domestically challenged, make my decision to relinquish control of the household advantageous for the whole family. best piece of advice you’ve given to your kids? You can’t eat gravy with a fork; words for us all to live by… How have your kids embarrassed you? I think embarrassment is my domain, even though Bella is only 4, I have already noticed her rolling her eyes at me when I tell corny jokes ( which is fairly often) What’s your favourite memory of your childhood? Holidays at Forster with my family and friends, absolute heaven.

www.screamingjets.com.au

Potts & Pacey t he SeaF M Morn i ng C r e w

weekday MorningS FroM 5.30aM on the loCal you know, 99.5 SeaFM CairnS. 4

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The Good Guys Cairns are working wonders for sick kids this Christmas. Help improve local facilities and fund research into serious illness. Drop into the Good Guys Cairns and make your donation which benefits Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation & the Royal Childrens Hospital Foundation.

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Raising a reader By Amanda Mathiot

Some of my fondest memories from childhood are of snuggling up every night with my little brother and listening to Mum reading us our bedtime story. This was a special time of the day when we got to spend a lovely 20 minutes with Mum all to ourselves and she got to unwind and enjoy some ‘quality’ time with us at the end of a hectic day. For those precious 20 minutes we were the centre of her world. Mum didn’t realise it at the time but she was laying strong foundations and giving us a very special gift: the love of reading. She was ‘Raising a Reader’. It was simple; we loved being read to because it made us feel loved, warm and safe and over time books themselves began to

Reading with my Mum was such a joyous memory that after my own children were born I was determined to instil the same childhood memory in them. These days it can often be a ‘fight’ to compete with the TV, computer games and truck loads of toys in our house, so I have to make a concerted effort to read to them every night, especially as my boys have grown older. For me, the practicalities of having six children also means I can’t

represent love, safety and all those other warm feelings. Reading was fun and our imaginations soared with adventures inspired by the stories. From this nightly ritual we slipped into the environment of school easily and the task of learning how to read wasn’t a difficult journey. Why? Because we understood books and we knew how stories worked. Predicting words and the endings of stories became second nature to

Reading was fun and our imaginations soared with adventures inspired by the stories.

us even though Mum never specifically taught us these skills. Several books written by experts confirm that involving your children in reading like this from an early age will help them at school. Two books in particular, ‘The Reading Bug...and how you can help your child catch it’ by Paul Jennings and ‘Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever’ by Mem Fox agree with my Mum’s theory and reassure me that by following this nightly ritual I’m doing my best at raising a reader.

read to every one of them every single bedtime so I’ve tackled the situation with a bit of mother’s creativity. I have a book of fairy poems by my daughter’s change table that I read to her when I change her nappy; my toddler and ‘preppy’ get their choice of 3 short books every night before bed and my three elder children and whoever else wants to join in (insert husband here) will listen to a chapter from our favourite family books. If I know there’s a movie coming out soon that’s based on

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Great Books for Babies and Toddlers

Great Books for Middle Primary (10-12yrs)

• • • • •

• Stormbreaker (Anthony Horowitz) • The Princess Diaries (Meg Cabot) • Deltora Quest Series 1: The Forests of Silence (Emily Rodda) • Lily Quench (Natalie Jane Prior) • Storm Boy (Colin Thiele)

Big Red Barn (Margaret Wise Brown) Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings (Matthew Van Fleet) Spot Goes to the Park (Eric Hill) The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle) That’s Not My Train (Fiona Watt)

Great Books for Pre Schoolers • • • • •

Possum Magic or Koala Lou (Mem Fox) Green Eggs and Ham (Dr Seuss) Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak) We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (Michael Rosen) Are We There Yet? (By Alison Lester)

Great Books for Early Primary (6-8yrs) • • • • •

Tashi series (Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg) Rainbow Magic & Ruby Red Fairy (Daisy Meadows) The Adventures of Captain Underpants (Dav Pilkey) Go Girl! Sister Spirit (Thalia Kalkipsakis) Aussie Nibbles (Various authors)

Great Books for Lower Primary (8-10 yrs) • • • • •

Rascal the Dragon (Paul Jennings) Just Disgusting (Andy Griffiths) The Witches (Roald Dahl) BFG (Roald Dahl) Charlotte’s Web (E. B. White)

Great Books for Over 12’s • • • • •

Looking for Alibrandi (Melina Marchetta) Sisterhood of Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares) Onion Tears (Diana Kidd) Bridge to Terabithia (Katherine Paterson) Hover Car Racer (Matthew Reilly)

Top Family Classics – “Great to Read Together as a Family” Books • • • • • • • • •

The Chronicles of Narnia (C S Lewis) Harry Potter Series (JK Rowling) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Roald Dahl) Lord of the Rings Trilogy (JRR Tolkien) Truckdogs (Graeme Base) The Magic Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton) Eragon (Christopher Paolini) Dragon Keeper Series (Carole Wilkinson) The Power of One - Young Reader’s Edition (Bryce Courtenay)

a book then I’ll read that story to them before we see the movie. They love this because they know that a trip to the movies is inevitable. Sibling bonding and encouraging family involvement is another benefit of raising a reader. If I’m extra busy I’ll persuade my big kids to read to my littlies and vice versa. My ‘preppy’ son loves to read his stories using pictures as a guide. This is fantastic for his comprehension and predicting of words and it doesn’t matter if he ‘reads’ puppy instead of dog, what matters is he knows that the story is about a dog.

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continued overleaf...

Raising a reader - continued... I love reading to my children but I learnt a valuable lesson from the wise mind of my eldest son when he was the ripe old age of 5. While reading to Mr Five and Mr 2 one night, their Dad stuck his head in the door to see what we were reading and after he left Mr Five looked at me most concerned and whispered in my ear: “Mummy, can Daddy read?”. It hit me like a tonne of bricks. He had never heard his father read out loud before and whilst it was humorous I

My sons discovered real men do read too! realised that I had been denying my children and their Dad an important bonding opportunity. Not to mention what we were teaching them about male/female ‘roles’ with regards to reading. We have 5 boys so I’m pleased to say this scenario ended with my sons(s) discovering that real men do read too!

e h t n o k l a w e

d e i s wild

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Birthday or function coming up? Order a d+G cake today!

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Family Daycare By Elaine Seager

The Family Day Care service in the Cairns Central area (which covers all the suburbs between Edmonton and Redlynch) has been providing valuable support to local families for 30 years. Their longest serving carer, Merle Skarott who has been with the scheme since it’s inception, recently helped to celebrate this landmark event by officially opening their new play facilities (inc. a new playground, indoor play room, fencing and shade sails) at their coordination office in Edge Hill. The term ‘Family Daycare’ is slightly misleading and gives the impression that it is simply another alternative to child care centres. Actually, Family Day Care is a flexible 24 hour service providing care for children of all ages up to school leaving age and covers before and after school care, vacations, evening and overnight care or emergency care. It is also available on a casual basis so you don’t have to be in permanent daycare to take advantage of the out of hours services. Family Day Care is distinguished by the fact that care is provided for children in family environments which act as an extension to the child’s own home. All of the Care Providers are carefully selected and then trained, supported and monitored by Early Childhood professionals who are qualified in the provision of high quality care and education for children from 0 to leaving school age. Many of their Care Providers also choose to obtain additional qualifications in Early Childhood. There are currently 7 care providers under the scheme

who are undertaking certificate 3 in Children’s Services. All Care Providers must meet strict regulations on safety and cleanliness regulations as well as being required to provide child-focused activities and experiences to meet the developmental needs of each child. At the recent celebrations in Edge Hill, Family Day Care Cairns Central had a Grand Opening of their new Play Session Room and Outdoors Play Area and also celebrated becoming a Sun Smart Scheme. In 2008 they are also the recipients of a Gambling Community Benefit Fund Grant totalling $24,931 which is being utilised to purchase toys, equipment and resources to add to the Scheme’s loan service for Care Provider’s. One of the many roles of their Coordination Unit in Edge Hill is to place children with Care Providers and to manage the transfer of care when Care Provider’s go away on holiday. It is a not-for-profit scheme whose primary goal is to provide care for children of local families by local families. They are currently recruiting Care Provider’s.

*child care benefits available

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The Spirit of Christmas By Emma Owens

The shops have been decked out with Christmas decorations for weeks already and it’s getting impossible to find a park in Cairns Central. With weeks still to go, I’m already finding Christmas a tiring exercise – is it the same for everybody or am I just the Grinch? Every year over the last couple of decades the festive season has been plunging Australians in to increasing amounts of consumer debt but this year could be very different with the so-called economic meltdown. The kids might not get so many presents this year but does more ‘stuff’ wrapped up in pretty boxes with bows on them actually make Christmas any better or more enjoyable? Apart from that year you got your first bike can you remember any of the gifts you got as a child? If you’re like me the answer is probably not, so it begs the question, have we lost the plot when it comes to Christmas and what is it really all about?

Giving and Receiving The thing that really makes the effort of Christmas worthwhile is seeing the wide-eyed excitement of children. They make it fun for us too. But as we’re loading them up with presents are we forgetting to involve them in the joy of giving too? Santa is meant to remind us about the joys of giving as much as receiving so this is a great opportunity to help them choose or make presents for others and to get all excited about wrapping them up. Now, you may not want or even like what they give you

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but is that the point?! As parents we get such a kick out of seeing the excitement as they open their presents so let them enjoy seeing your face grimace and then twist in to a smile when you unwrap that ghastly scarf or cheap ring!

Lasting memories are more likely to be created through fun traditions and family events than they are with pretty little boxes with bows on them. Family traditions The real magic of Christmas for kids is all the family traditions and memories that are created as a result of extended family coming together. For me, the best thing about Christmas was having the house full of guests and doing nothing but hang out together and eat nice food for days on end. It’s a time when everyone’s (generally) in a good mood and available to play with (let’s face it, kids just love you being around to play with). But there are also all those other traditions that come with Christmas which make it magical: - Opening the advent calendar every day - Going to meet Santa at the shopping centre continued overleaf...

The spirit of Christmas - continued... - Decorating the tree - Making/sending Christmas cards - Singing Christmas carols - Writing a wish list for Santa (Send letters to: Santa, North Pole, 9999. If the envelope has a stamp and their name and address on the back Santa will write back. Remember to send them early because it’s a long way from FNQ!)

Lasting memories are more likely to be created through fun traditions and family events than they are with pretty little boxes with bows on them. So before you get too caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping why not think about what traditions you would like to create for your children first. Many of our traditions are derived from Europe where people tend to have snow and chimneys rather than verandahs and palm trees. Thank goodness most Australians have adapted these to suit our hot summers so we can eat cold meats and salads on the beach whilst playing cricket rather than sitting inside all day trying to digest enormous amounts of turkey in front of the Queen’s speech. But still, there’s a lot about Christmas that seems a bit out of place in the tropics so maybe we should be thinking about some new traditions?

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To Wii or not to Wii? By Melanie Mirotsos

That moment when you suddenly realise that you are not just an adult but getting “old” is quite horrible. It happened to me just over a year ago when an employee left their ipod at work playing through the speakers. Too scared that I may wipe it if I turned it off at the wall, I walked out into the waiting room and asked if anyone knew how to turn it off. Someone did. She was 76 and explained that she taught herself all about the new technology because she had the same problem with her grandkids. So I then had to justify my ignorance on the fact that I was far too busy to learn. However I’m beginning to realise that I might have to make the effort to learn. The other day, when I asked one of my under 10 physiotherapy patients what sort of sports or games he played; he stated that he did “lots” including FEA soccer, tennis and mostly old type sonic. I looked directly at his Dad with one eyebrow cocked who confirmed his son’s words by saying “video games”. (Although I’m pretty sure the word ‘video’ was foreign to his son!). For the last 15 years I have seen a significant increase in back and neck pain in the under-18 year olds and this is largely caused by the way we now over-protect them in play activities. We prevent kids from climbing trees or making homemade cubby houses because of advice through the media on safety and litigation but these activities are important for their development. They involve creative ideas, reasoning, logic, planning and physical activity and are an integral part of our kids’ physical, emotional, intellectual and social lessons. Indeed, protecting the neural system from stretch, reflex use and, believe it or not, pain experience, can have significantly negative affects on adults in later life. There is however some hope. Like many parents, I am happy that TV and games do exist for that brief period of time it takes to prepare, cook and clean-up dinner. The difficulty is more to do with the choice of games and TV and what’s appropriate and it is our responsibility as

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parents to be actively involved in “time out choices”. The good news is that there are now some healthier choices available. Scientific evidence is now beginning to show that developmental video games associating thought processes and body movements, such as Nintendo wii sports, can be beneficial in mind/body co-ordination and muscle development. Indeed some games are being used in rehabilitation units to help speed muscle and neural recovery following accidents. The key to choosing effective games is to choose those that involve a general body focus, involving choice, problem solving and physical movement by the player. Ideally this should then be reinforced by playing the game in reality eg. playing wii tennis and also playing tennis in real life. The need for spatial awareness is limited in video games and so are personal interaction, full stretch and dynamic control when playing in the lounge room. Computers do NOT mimic reality: you don’t get to take account of other people’s emotions in the game and there’s certainly not the same level of aerobic fitness. No matter how good the programme is it does not reflect the emotions and interactions from a human opponent, indeed, does anyone argue if the computer calls it ”out”. Too much computer typing, gaming or phone texting does also have it’s drawbacks with several syndromes of repetitive strain injuries now being attributed by excessive use. Evidence suggests play, appropriate type of play, specific time for play and balancing play time appropriately with education time and family time is considered significantly important in child development. Actually much evidence suggests similar life balances are important for dealing with stress issues in adults too. Maybe I should take a leaf out of my own book and spend less time at work; the only problem is that keeping up with the latest games, ipods, phones etc can be another job in itself! Melanie Mirotsos is Principal Physiotherapist at Diagnosys Physiotherapy.

al hO FOR S l a lI O IGN Ge day UR U S, P S P bO RO ch yS GR OO aN am l d G S! IRl S!

Week Long DANCE Workshop!! Mon 15th - Fri 19th December 8.30am-4.00pm

$240 per student / 5-14 yrs It’s almost holiday time and what better way to spend your holidays then to have a great time meeting new friends and doing heaps of fun activities!!! (Suitable for both boys and girls)

Includes: • Morning tea, Lunch and Afternoon Tea • Full Supervision • Games, craft, movies, dancing • Guaranteed to be a ton of fun!!!!

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Studio: 44 Moorehead St, Bungalow

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pak health

Mould

The Scourge of the ‘Sweat’ Season by Bree James

There’s no doubt that we are blessed to live in the beautiful tropics but one of it’s little irritations is mould. Mould is not only a practical irritation in terms of housework but it can also be the cause of major health risks. Those with asthma or allergies are especially at risk but mould in the house in concentrated amounts can cause health issues for anybody. Mould is a fungi that needs organic materials and moisture to grow. It releases tiny, lightweight spores which fly through the air, particularly when they’ve been disturbed. If you don’t remove it or clean it can begin to pose a serious health risk for those who are sensitive to it which can include allergy sufferers and those with less strong immune functions eg. babies, pregnant women and the elderly. The physical reactions to mould are similar to other allergic responses and exposure may cause symptoms such as a stuffy nose, irritated eyes, wheezing and skin irritations. In worse cases it can cause breathing difficulties and other lung conditions. Surveys have revealed that on the east coast of Australia as many as 70% of all homes eventually suffer from mould/mildew problems and of course its likely to be even more prevalent in FNQ. Two of the prime causes of mould and mildew growth are lack of ventilation and insufficient sunlight. Our climate is already humid but ordinary daily activities such as cooking, showering, washing and even just breathing creates even more moisture in the home. What to do about it The Queensland Health Dept recommend taking these steps: • Keep your home well-ventilated and allow as much light in to your rooms as possible. If you come back from a trip away, open all the doors and windows and put the fans on. • Fix leaky plumbing, roofs and other fixtures as soon as possible.

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• When decorating, add anti-mould solutions to paint to help retard mould growth (especially on bathroom walls). • Clear vegetation and soil away from outside walls (they help to hold moisture in promote mould growth). Cleaning mould The Health Dept also suggest that the most effective way of cleaning mould on walls, floors and other hard surfaces is with a chlorine bleach solution (approximately 1 cup of bleach in 4 litres of water)*. Use good quality rubber gloves when dealing with mould to prevent it coming in to contact with your skin. Remember that air conditioning units are excellent environments for the growth of moulds and other bacteria so clean it properly before starting to use again to prevent mould spores becoming airborne.

Surveys have revealed that as many as 70% of all homes suffer from mould/mildew problems... Prevention better than cure Getting rid of mould is often easier said than done and ultimately the best way to deal with it is to take measures to prevent it occurring in the first place. One option which is surprisingly under-utilised in FNQ is to use dehumidifiers, probably the most effective way of sucking the moisture out of your home. Australia’s only specialist in selling dehumidifiers is a company called Moisturecure and whilst they do sell units up here in FNQ, they suggest that the reason they may not be too widespread is because most air-conditioners now have a dehumidifying function. However air conditioners rarely prevent mould and damp air also takes much longer to cool so it is much more costly to cool our homes with air-conditioners here than in other parts of the country.

pak health

Fish

Most experts agree that the basis of a healthy diet is moderation and variety and that fish is a vital ingredient to include for optimal health. Various research studies have shown that it reduces the risk of asthma in children, heart disease, dementia, depression and diabetes. It’s also shown to result in better eyesight in babies who were breastfed by mum’s who ate a lot of fish.

FISH IS GREAT bECAuSE: • It contains ‘good’ fats that lower cholesterol levels • It contains omega-3 fatty acids which are important for heart health and which are often lacking in western diets (unless you also eat a lot of nuts, tofu, flax or canola and soybean oils!) • It’s an excellent source of protein but low in fat compared to meat • It’s an excellent of vitamins and minerals (especially B Vitamins and calcium) • It is recommended to eat fish once or twice a week although not too much of the bigger fish because of mercury content (eg. Swordfish, shark, marlin, ray, gemfish, ling, orange roughy and southern blue fin tuna). Pregnant or breastfeeding women and children up to six years old should avoid these fish altogether. Besides these, any kind of fish is good to include in your diet but fresh fish is always your best option (canned fish has a higher salt content). Frying fish also significantly adds to the fat content so try some of these other methods: Baking – Cover with foil in a greased dish and flavour with herbs, lemon juice and olive oil or sweet chili sauce. Grilling – cut slashes into fish to help the heat penetrate the flesh. Season with spices Poaching – no good for flaky varieties. Poach in water or stock. Steaming – put fish in a steamer or on a plate over a saucepan containing gently boiling water.

Party proof your body It’s that silly time of year for parties and over-indulgence. It might be fun at the time but we always end up paying for it with hangovers, expanding waistlines, colds, pasty skin and aching livers. So, what can we do to minimise the after-party season crash?!

1. Drink, Drink, Drink! Hangovers are apparently caused by chronic dehydration because alcohol interferes with your anti-diuretic hormones and causes you to urinate all your water away. So, drink plenty of water before you go out drinking, alternate the drinks with water and drink lots more before you go to bed with a Panadol.

2. prevent Free Radical Damage We hear a lot about them and apparently they’re bad but what are they? According to Calanna Pharmacy free radicals are high energy, very unstable chemical substances that are caused by exposure to UV light, cigarette smoke, stress and eating poor food. They are bad for us because they cause aging and disease. How do we prevent this happening? Clean up your diet and build up your antioxidants by eating a ‘rainbow’ diet that consists of a variety of bright colours. Make sure you include citrus fruits, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, ruby grape fruit, red cabbage & blue berries

3. Limit Your Carb Intake Calanna Pharmacy also recommend limiting carbs because eating too much promotes weight gain & can lead to type 2 Diabetes. It also results in its storage as body fat. The liver is the main fat metabolizing organ in the body & excess carbs are converted into fat in the liver. Most people don’t develop a fatty liver because they eat too much fat, they get it from eating too much sugar, bread, pasta, rice, cereals, potatoes, corn, grains, soft drinks & other foods high in sugar.

So, make an effort to eat well and drink lots of water and you might not feel so bad come the New Year!

www.pakmag.com.au

pak health

with

Growing Pains By Dr. Allen Bonilla DC (USA)

Now we all know growing up isn’t easy but does that mean it should hurt? Not just an 80’s sitcom, growing pains is a very common yet poorly understood malady. Although estimates vary, growing pains are generally estimated to affect about one out of five kids. The onset of symptoms usually occurs at about the ages of three to five though they can persist well into adolescence. The most common symptoms of growing pains is an ache in the legs or behind the knees that wakes the child at night and although the name has been around a long time we now know the pain isn’t really due to growing. What exactly is causing the pain though is somewhat of a medical mystery. It is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that if you’ve ruled out everything else you call it growing pains. Perhaps one way to demystify this unique condition is to look at it in a slightly different light. Chiropractic is a unique form of health care focused on maintaining optimum function of the spine and nervous system. While we as chiropractors do not ‘fix’ pain, we can look at the presence of pain as an indicator that something is not working correctly. By conducting a thorough examination, we can ensure that there are no spinal misalignments interfering with the nerves.

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As it turns out, the presence of growing pains is usually a good indicator that there is a dysfunction of the low back or hip (sacro-iliac) joints. Joints have a natural tendency to uptake fluid at night which accounts for why some complaints only arise at night or early in the morning. The good news is that by correcting these misalignments very good results can be had with the alleviation of ‘growing’ pains. A qualified chiropractor can also help determine if there is a more serious underlying condition. It doesn’t seem likely that growing up will ever be easy but hopefully with a little more understanding of what our bodies are trying to tell us we can ensure that growing pains – like the TV show – remain a thing of the past.

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kids in the kitchen with Teah

Christmas Pudding Treats WHAT TO DO: Ingredients: • 100g bag of normal cooking chocolate chips

1. Mix up the crumbled fruit cake and the orange juice. 2. Melt the normal chocolate as per instructions and then mix it in the the cake and juice mixture.

• 50g bag of white cooking chocolate chips

3. Place in the fridge and allow to cool.

• 350g of fruit cake, crumbled

5. Melt the white chocolate and spoon a little on top of each one to resemble brandy sauce.

• 2 tablespoons of orange juice

4. Form chilled mixture into balls and place in the petit four cases.

• Petit four cases

6. Chill for 30 minutes and then decorate with icing in the shapes of holly leaves and berries.

• Icing to decorate

Note: for an adult version you can replace the orange juice with rum.

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and see you all with more recipes in the New Year. From Teah

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out & about

ivau

Alicia, Sh

irns

owling Ca

y @ Go B

Courtne n, Emma,

Alana, Michelle, Stephanie & Tiana @ Go Bowling Cairns

Sophie, Alex, Jemarla & Rebecca Alanah, Mikaela

& Johanna @ Go

@ Go Bowling Cairns

Bowling Cairns

Nicholas, Josh, Ab by, Georgia, @ Smithfield McH Jessica & Maegan appy Day

, Jada & Georgiana Grant, Taylah, Jack, Dante, Liam @ Go Bowling Cairns

Hannah, Lauren & Becky @ Smithfie

ld McHappy Day

Kiana, Katarina &

wling Cairns

Hyunseo @ Go Bo

Natasha, Nicky &

Melissa @ Go Bo

wling Cairns

www.pakmag.com.au

! t NLYou S Ome KID l

l u P

• Did you know? • Loads of Comps • Heaps of Prizes • PAK review

To enter this fantastic competition just colour-it-in and mail to: PAKMAG, Colour-it-in December, PO Box 7433 Cairns Q 4870 and you go into the draw to WIN Cairns Central Vouchers! Closing Date: 22nd December 2008

Get ready for Christmas

Name:_________________________________________________________________Age:________________________________________ Parent/Guardian:____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone:_________________________________________________________________Email:_______________________________________ Post entry form to PAKMAG, Colour-it-in December, PO Box 7433 Cairns Q 4870 or you can drop it off at reception - Level 2, 68 Abbott Street.

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dot to dot

MAZE

Without this, the presents would be in the middle of the room by themselves???

www.pakmag.com.au

Show the jet fighter the way to the ocean.

sudoku

For November’s answers - see pg 52

JOKES Where do cool mice live? In mousepads. Knock, knock Who’s there? Ammonia Ammonia who? Ammonia bird in a gilded cage Knock, knock Who’s there? Mary lee Mary lee who? Mary lee we roll along

did you know? The tallest iceberg measured 550 feet and was located in 1958 off the coast of Greenland. This iceberg was onl y 5 feet 6 inches shorter than the Washi ngton Monument in Washington, DC.

word scramble Christmas

The most venomous animal is the box jellyfish, which is found in the wa ters around Asia and Australia.

1. rensetps _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The mako shark is the fastest shark in the ocean, able to swim at up to 22m ph.

3. rete _ _ _ _

All the pet hamsters in the world are descended from the same mothe r. This was a female wild hamster found wit h a litter of 12 babies in 1930 in Syria. The smallest bird in the world is the bee hummingbird of Cuba. It is 5.7 cm (2.25 in) long, of which nearly half com prises its beak. It is smaller than many of the butterflies in the rain forest wh ere it lives.

2. smahcirts _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4. andcles _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5. olhiyasd _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6. tsnaa leusac _ _ _ _ _

______

7. othrn olep _ _ _ _ _

____

8. ieglsh _ _ _ _ _ _ 9. eereinrsd _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10. himeyncs _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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pak’s what’s on guide december RED = FAMILY

daTe

VenUe

GREEn = kIDs

bLuE = ADuLts

enTerTainmenT/eVenT name

sTarT Time

For more inFo:

cosT

Mon 1st

Cairns Libraries

Summer Reading Club

(07) 4044 3785

tues 2nd

Gordonvale Library

Storytime! - Booking Essential

10.30

(07) 4056 1365

Reef Hotel Casino

"Tunes with Trent" - Live Music

19.00

Manunda Library

Storytime! - Booking Essential

10.30

(07) 4044 3779

Free

Cazalys

"Out of the Blue" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

Vertigo Bar

"Jon Steven Rocks Vertigo" - Live Music

21.30

(07) 4030 8702

Free

Edmonton Library

Storytime! - Booking Essential

10.30

(07) 4055 4121

Free

Mossman Library

Storytime! - Booking Essential

10.30

(07) 4099 9496

Free

City Place

"Mark & Dave Duo" - Live Music

12.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Reef Hotel Casino

"Progial Sista" - Live Music

19.00

Cazalys

"Big Noise" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

Vertigo Bar

"Jon Steven Rocks Vertigo"

21.30

(07) 4030 8702

Free

City Place

"Shelly" - Live Music

12.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

"Drum Up Big" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Cairns Convention Centre

Taipans Vs Spirit

19.00

1300 855 835

City Place

"Relay Rockers" - Live Music

19.30

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Vertigo Bar

"Hip 2 Soul" - Live Music

22.00

(07) 4030 8702

Free

Cazalys

"Deana Peher" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

Cazalys

Members Christmas Parties

18.00

(07) 4054 1464

$16/$18

Tanks Arts Centre

"That 1 Guy" Musical Talent

19.30

(07) 4032 6601

Esplanade Lagoon

The Lagoons - Special Christmas Show

11.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

Paris Texas

15.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Vertigo Bar

"Swingin Alley Catz" - Live Music

22.00

(07) 4030 8702

Free

Cazalys

Childrens Christmas Party

9.00

(07) 4054 1464

Cazalys

"Deana Peher" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

Tanks Arts Centre

Living Books

All Day

(07) 4032 6601

RSPCA Qld Cairns Shelter

Pet Portraits With Santa

10.00

0438 191 798

Donation

Esplanade Lagoon

Youth Singer Songwriter Showcase

15.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Fogarty Park

Carols By Candlelight

18.30

(07) 4044 3019

Free

Cazalys

"Deana Peher" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

Cazalys

Members Christmas Parties

18.00

(07) 4054 1464

$16/$18

AJ Hackett

Sunday Sesh - Live Music

13.00

(07) 4057 7188

Free

Mon 8th

Go Bowling Cairns

Tenpin for the "littlies"

All Day

(07) 4053 3497

U3 Free

tues 9th

Reef Hotel Casino

"Tunes with Trent" - Live Music

19.00

Wed 10th

Cairns City Library

Storytime! - Booking Essential

10.30

(07) 4044 3720

Free

Ravizza Park Edmonton

Carols By Candlelight

18.30

(07) 4044 3044

Free

Cazalys

"Out of the Blue" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

Wed 3rd

thur 4th

Fri 5th

sat 6th

sun 7th

Free

Time to relax?

$1 day Tuesday EdgE Hill SmitHfiEld WEStCOURt BRiNSmEAd

Cnr Woodward & Pease Streets Ph 4053 2317 Cnr Faculty Close & McGregor Road Ph 4057 8755 Showground Centre, 171 Mulgrave Road Ph 4051 8379 Shop 4, 101 Brinsmead Road Ph 4034 2024

Free

$2 games ThuRsday

OPEN 9am-10pm Sun-Thurs, 9am-12midnight Fri-Sat OPEN 9am-Midnight 7 days OPEN 9am-Midnight 7 days OPEN 9am-Midnight 7 days

pak’s what’s on guide december RED = FAMILY daTe

VenUe

GREEn = kIDs

bLuE = ADuLts

enTerTainmenT/eVenT name

sTarT Time

For more inFo:

cosT

Wed 10th

Vertigo Bar

"3's A Crowd Duo" - Live Music

thur 11th

City Place

"3's A Crowd Duo" - Live Music

Mossman Library

Storytime! - Booking Essential

10.30

(07) 4099 9496

Free

Innisfail PCYC

Workshop: Mothers Helping Others

10.00

(07) 4061 2701

Free

Cazalys

"Barbary Coasters" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

City Place

Claire & de Loons

12.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

Marks Aussie Animal Show

19.30

(07) 4044 3714

Free

City Place

"Barrier Reef Rockers" - Live Music

19.30

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Mondos Hilton

"3's A Crowd Duo" - Music

18.00

Vertigo Bar

"Hip 2 Soul" - Live Music

22.00

(07) 4030 8702

Free

Cazalys

"Kick Start" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

The Lagoons - Special Christmas Show

11.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

"I & I Tuala" - Live Music

15.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Fogarty Park

Cairns Music Festival

13.00

1300 762 545

From

Vertigo Bar

"Swingin Alley Catz" - Live Music

22.00

(07) 4030 8702

Free

Cazalys

"Kim Mullins Band" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

AJ Hackett

Sunday Sesh - Live Music

13.00

(07) 4057 7188

Free

Fri 12th

sat 13th

sun 14th

21.00

Free Free

Free

Esplande Lagoon

"Koahilition" - Live Music

15.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Mon 15th

Moondust Studios

Week Long DANCE Workshop

All Day

0407 995 182

Cairns Regional Gallery

Workshops - Screenprint Stockings

10.00

(07) 4046 4800

$18

tues 16th

Smithfield Library

Storytime! - Booking Essential

10.30

(07) 4055 5577

Free

Cairns Regional Gallery

Workshops - A Christmas Junk-it

10.00

(07) 4046 4800

$18

Babinda Library

Storytime! - Booking Essential

10.30

(07) 4067 1112

Free

Cairns Regional Gallery

Workshops - Crazy Cartoons

10.00

(07) 4046 4800

$18

Cairns Convention Centre

Taipans Vs Tigers Basketball

19.00

1300 855 835

Cazalys

"Out of the Blue" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Mt Sheridan Plaza

Portraits with Santa

10.00

City Place

"Vikarious" - Live Music

12.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Cairns City

Roving Carol Singers

Midday

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Mossman Library

Storytime! - Booking Essential

10.30

(07) 4099 9496

Free

Cairns Regional Gallery

Workshops - Kooky Collage

10.00

(07) 4046 4800

$18

Cazalys

"Big Noise" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

(07) 4055 7711

Free

Wed 17th

thur 18th

Fri 19th

Free $10/$16

Yorkeys Knob Boating Club

Kids Christmas Party

13.00

Mt Sheridan Plaza

Portraits with Santa

10.00

City Place

"Prodigal Sista" - Live Music

12.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Cairns City

Roving Carol Singers

Midday

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Cairns Recreation Centre

Christmas Party - Skate with Santa

18.00

(07) 4053 5353

$3/$7

Cairns

$10/$16

Christmas in the city

“Cairns CHrisTMas Carollers”

THe lagoons speCial CHrisTMas kids sHow

Spreading Christmas cheer in the city heart

Saturday’s in December leading up to Christmas.

11.30am - 2.00pm

@ the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon

Thurs 18th, Fri 19th, Mon 22nd, Tues 23rd, Wed 24th look ouT for THe roving CHrisTMas Carols CarT

11.00am - 1.00pm

speCial appearanCe froM sanTa 20th December 12.00pm - 1.00pm

Check outwww.cairnsesplanade.com.au our website for more info: www.cairnsesplanade.com.au

pak’s what’s on guide december RED = FAMILY DATE Fri 19th

Sat 20th

Sun 21st

Mon 22nd

VENUE

Green = kids ENTERTAINMENT/EVENT NAME

blue = adults START TIME

FOR MORE INFO:

COST

Esplanade Lagoon

"Foreshore Fire" - Live Show

19.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

City Place

"Relay Rockers" - Live Music

19.30

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Cairns Regional Gallery

Workshops - Sculpey Santas

10.00

(07) 4046 4800

$18

Vertigo Bar

"Big Noise" - Live Music

22.00

(07) 4030 8702

Free

Mondos Hilton

"3's A Crowd Duo" - Music

18.00

Cazalys

"Kick Start" - Live Music

19.00

Mt Sheridan Plaza

Portraits with Santa

10.00

Esplanade Lagoon

Special Appearance From Santa

12.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Cairns City

Roving Carol Singers

Midday

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Vertigo Bar

"Swingin Alley Catz" - Live Music

22.00

(07) 4030 8702

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

"Eagle" - Live Music

15.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Cazalys

"Barbary Coasters" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

RSPCA Qld Cairns Shelter

Presentation of Gift from PetStock

9.00

0438 191 798

Mt Sheridan Plaza

Portraits with Santa

10.00

Esplanade Lagoon

"Sorry Miss Jane" - Live Music

15.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

AJ Hackett

Sunday Sesh - Live Music

13.00

(07) 4057 7188

Free

Mt Sheridan Plaza

Portraits with Santa

10.00

Free (07) 4054 1464

Free $10/$16

$10/$16

Cairns Civic Theatre

TRIPOD Christmas Show: For the love of god

19.00

1300 855 835

From $35

Cairns City

Roving Carol Singers

Midday

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Manunda Library

Baby Rhyme Time - Booking Essential

10.30

(07) 4044 3779

Free

Mt Sheridan Plaza

Portraits with Santa

10.00

Cairns City

Roving Carol Singers

Midday

Mt Sheridan Plaza

Portraits with Santa

10.00

Cairns City

Roving Carol Singers

Midday

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Cazalys

"Out of the Blue" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

Mossman Library

Storytime! - Booking Essential

10.30

(07) 4099 9496

Free

Hilton Cairns

Christmas Day Luncheon

11.00

(07) 4052 6702

Fri 26th

Esplanade Lagoon

Bopstars Roving Stars Karaoke

15.00

Sat 27th

Esplanade Lagoon

"Meridian" - Live Music

11.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

"The Hillbilly Goats" - Live Music

15.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Vertigo Bar

"Swingin Alley Catz" - Live Music

22.00

(07) 4030 8702

Free

Cazalys

"Spies Like Us" - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

AJ Hackett

Sunday Sesh - Live Music

13.00

(07) 4057 7188

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

"Junior See Poy Jazz Trio" - Live Music

15.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Mon 29th

Go Bowling Cairns

Tenpin for the "littlies"

All Day

(07) 4053 3497

U3 Free

Tue 30th

Go Bowling Cairns

Tenpin for the "littlies"

All Day

(07) 4053 3497

U3 Free

Wed 31st

City Place

"James Braithwaite" - Live Music

17.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Tues 23rd

Wed 24th

Thur 25th

Sun 28th

$10/$16 (07) 4044 3714

Free $10/$16

Free

pak’s what’s on guide december RED = FAMILY DATE Wed 31st

VENUE

Green = kids

blue = adults

ENTERTAINMENT/EVENT NAME

START TIME

FOR MORE INFO:

COST

City Place

"Raconteurs" - Live Music

20.00

(07) 4044 3714

Cairns Convention Centre

Taipans Vs Hawks Basketball

19.00

1300 855 835

Go Bowling Cairns

Nee Years Eve Countdown

18.00

(07) 4053 3497

Esplanade Lagoon

NEW YEARS EVE CELEBRATIONS!!!

18.30

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

Bopstar and the Boppers - Live Kids Show

18.30

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

Swingin Alley Catz - Live Music

19.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR

21.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

Hip2Soul - Live Music

21.15

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Esplanade Lagoon

FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR

24.00

(07) 4044 3714

Free

Cazalys

"Prodical Sista" - Live Music

24.00

(07) 4054 1464

Free

Velvet Underground

Free

regular weekly events

- SAM POWERS EXTREME ILLUSIONS - Every Mon through to Sat @ 19.30

EsplanAde Lagoon

- Wed - Sarge’s Army Boot Camp @ 17.30

GO Bowling Cairns

EsplanAde Lagoon

Stockland Cairns

EsplanAde Lagoon

- Specials On All Month!!!

- Thurs - Pilates @ 6.00 & Petanque @ 10.00

- Santa will be at the Centre Stage @ 10.00

- Fri - Aqua Aerobics @ 6.30 & Boot Camp @ 6.30

- Mon - Aqua Aerobics @ 6.30 & Walk / Run Circuit @ 17.15

EsplanAde Lagoon - Tues - YOGA @ 6.30

- Sat - Sahaja YOGA @ 7.30, Aqua Aerobics @ 8.30 & Boxercise @ 8.00

regular markets

Atherton Markets

- the first Saturday of each month from 7am at Platypus Park, Herberton Rd

Malanda Markets

- the 3rd Saturday of each month from 6am - noon at Jack May Park

Babinda Markets

Mareeba Markets

Rusty's Markets

Mission Beach Markets

- the first Saturday of each month, except January, from 8am, Munro Street - All day Friday, until 2pm Saturday and Sunday, Grafton Street, Cairns

Esplanade Markets

- the 2nd Saturday of each month at Centenary Park, Byrnes Street - 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month from 6.30am - noon, Opposite Hideaway

Monster Markets

- Every Saturday from 8am - 4am at Fogerty Park, Cairns

- the last Sunday of each month from 8am - 2pm, April til Nov at Marcs Park

Mt Sheridan Markets

Mossman Markets

- 2nd Saturday of every month

- every Saturday from 7am - noon under the raintrees in Mossman

Night Markets

- Everyday from 4.30pm-11pm, Entry from Espanade or Abbott Street, Cairns

Northern Beaches Markets

- the 3rd Sunday of each month from 9am - 3pm, Smithfield Shopping Centre

Tanks Art Centre Markets

Port Douglas Markets

- every Sunday from 8.30am - 2pm at Anzac Park

Sweewah Markets - Every Sunday 8am-2pm Carpark of the Speewah Tavern, Speewah Road. 6ks past Kuranda

- the last Sunday of each month from 9am-1pm, Cairns

Tolga Markets

- every Saturday from 8am - noon at Lions Park

Tully Markets

- on the first Saturday of each month from 8am - noon at Norman Park

Yungaburra Markets

- the first Sunday of each month at Morrow Park Race Course

Cooktown Markets

- every 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month at the Tully Showgrounds.

Gordonvale Cottage Markets Innisfail Red Cross Markets

- Held the 4th Saturday of each month from 7.30am - 12.30pm in the Main St

Kuranda Markets

- open every Sunday from april til september, Highway 3 (Near Bremerton Airport)

Swap Meet @ Rodeo Drive-in Mareeba

- held the 3rd Sunday of each month at Anzac Memorial Park - every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday at 9am - 3pm in Therwine St

Looking for a unique Christmas gift? CAIRNS ESPLANADE MARKETS by ThE LAgooN Pottery, Handcrafted Wall Hangings, Jewellery, Candles, Soap, Artworks, Hand-made Clothing, Shoes, Airbrush Hats, Aboriginal Art, Glassworks, Cards, Tea, Woodwork, Leadlight, Skin Care, Opals, Bone Carvings, Frog on a Log, Landscape and Underwater Photography, Gemstones, Dog Collars, Ceramics, Craftwork, Cairns on CD, Hair Braiding, Tarot & Psychic Readings... and much more...

every saturday 8am - 5pm by the lagoon

www.cairnsesplanade.com.au

spot

the

difference

See if you can spot the difference!

There are 8 to find. Alex may be playing tricks on the others. Make sure he doesn’t succeed and be sure to find them all!

HSM3 Crossword 1. 2.

4. 5.

HSM3 Crossword 1. 2.

HSM3 Crossword 5.

1. 2.

4. 5.

8. 7.

7. 8.

Across 5. Dance 6. Ceremony 7. Championship Game Across 8. Last Year

5. Dance www.pakmag.com.au Unscramble the lyrics to “Get ‘cha head in the game” 6. Ceremony

Across 5. Dance Down 8. 6. Ceremony 1. School 2. School Play 7. Championship Game 3. Mascot Down 4. Basketball Star 8. Last Year 1. School 2. School Play

Down 1. School 2. School Play 3. Mascot 4. Basketball Star

BULLETIN #11 The totally amazing, incredible, fantastic adventures of Bopstar, Bree and the Boppers! Where there’s a SHOW that needs a GLOW, a SMARTY that needs a PARTY, Bree and the boppers are ready to entertain the people of Cairns! But when Trouble arises and there’s no one else to call, The Bopstars use their Super Special Powers and embark on Exciting Expeditions to protect and preserve.

FOREVER! TOGETHER! BOPSTARS!

several locals living in Edmonton have heard strange sounds, seen random flying objects and noticed frequent whirly winds over near Crazy Farmer Jim’s house. We need you to you go see him and check out what he has been up to! Take care and report back when you know what is going on. Bopstar, out.” The Boppers quickly finished packing up their belongings and jumped in the Bop Mobile ready for the next quest.

Bulletin: Part Xi

Last Edition: With Bree’s quick thinking and the help of the Cairns Crusader, the Boppers saved the Great Barrier Reef and rescued all the marine life from the clutches of the Rozinators. Journeying back to Cairns, all three boppers had a well earned rest and were ready for another day of adventures!

10 minutes later, the Boppers arrived at the entrance to Crazy Jim’s Farm and Bree could sense that something wasn’t quite right. “It is very quiet!” stated Trent, fiddling with his seat belt buckle. “Yes, a little too quiet.” agreed Bree. The farm was over 100 acres and was nestled quietly within the surrounding mountains of Edmonton.

It was another beautiful day in Cairns, the sun was shining bright and the heat was starting to become very obvious. Luckily, the Boppers had all received the day off from BOPSTARS HEADQUARTERS and had decided to go down to their favourite swimming hole, Crystal Cascades! With an esky full of cold drinks, a hot chook and a dozen fresh bread rolls, the boppers swam, ate and enjoyed the cool waters that the beautiful area had to offer. “Isn’t this lovely?” stated Eleese, as she floated in the swimming hole. “It certainly is!” replied Bree, peacefully lying in a shady spot on the sandy bank. Meanwhile, Trent had been sliding down the rock slides over and over again, eventually becoming quite exhausted, deciding to rest on the sandy bank as well. The Boppers had just started to pack up when their Bopstars Beepers began lighting up! “Hi Team. It is Bopstar here. Sorry to bother you on your day off but we have been receiving some interesting reports from the residents of Cairns.” stated Bopstar. “Apparently,

All of sudden, a bolt of lightning appeared over behind the big farm shed and a large whirl wind began to form. “I don’t like the look of this Bree.” announced Eleese. “Neither do I, Eleese, neither do I.” replied Bree. “We’d better get a move on and get to the bottom of this before something really bad happens. Let’s go!” With that, all three Boppers jumped the front gate and ventured along the long driveway leading directly to the big old farm shed. Were the Boppers walking into a trap or was their something even more sinister at work here. Only time would tell! To Be Continued…

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pak review kunG Fu PAnDA DVD Rating: pG Category: Family Released on DVD: 4/12/2008 Po the Panda is the laziest animal in all the Valley of Peace, but unwittingly becomes the chosen one when enemies threaten their way of life. This Dreamworks animated feature is a great family comedy and is a must see with voices from Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman. Make sure to grab the VOUCHER in the vouchers section and go see the team at Civic Video for their special offer! Make sure to grab the VOuCHER in the vouchers section and go see the team at Civic Video for their special offer! Want to win your very own copy! Email one of the characters names to competitions@pakmag.com.au for your chance to win one of 4 copies!

Question 1: What was the name of the evil villains in the bopstars bulletin? Question 2: Finish the title of this movie: “Madagascar: _ _ _ _ _ _ 2 _ _ _ _ _ _.”

Answer All the questions And you could win A mystery prize!!!

Question 3: In pakmag, issue 17, What’s In Store with Michael Aw? Question 4: What are the names of the SEA FM Morning Crew? Question 5: How many days in December?

Email your answers by Dec 21 to: competitions@pakmag.com.au Or post your answers to:

www.pakmag.com.au

battle of the brains Nov 08, pAK MAG pO box 7433, Cairns Qld 4870

MAORI WRASSE No reef experience would be complete without coming face to face with a large Maori Wrasse. Marine World, situated on the Great Barrier Reef off Cairns, has such a fish called Wally (120 cm and 50 Kg). They are one of the larger coral reef fish attaining sizes greater than 200 cm and weighing 200 Kg. Maori Wrasse seem inquisitive and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind approaching people and almost seem affectionate. In the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park they have become tourism icons and definitely a highlight of most reef visitors. The name Maori Wrasse comes from the irregular yellowish lines on their head, which look similar to the tribal markings of the New Zealand Maori warriors. Like other fish in the Wrasse family, the Maori Wrasse is known for its striking colours, in particular the male fish that have dark blue-green hues. Maori Wrasse start their adult lives as females and at the age of 8-9 years, they change to males. The female fish are a lighter shade of green and have 2-4 dominant lines around the eye, known as their eyeliner, which can fade or disappear in the larger males. A distinguishing feature of the male fish is the large hump on their forehead, not present in the female fish. This hump is why they are also known as Hump Headed Maori Wrasse. Maori Wrasse live in lagoons, channels and cruise the steep slopes of coral reefs. The larger male fish are very territorial and become aggressive towards other males, when protecting their territory or competing for females. They will

Wally, Sally and Bree

Wally the Maori Wrasse light up in colour, ram their big heads together, chase and bite each other in an attempt to be dominant. Evidence of these attacks can be seen by wounds or scars on the head and body of these fish, in particular around spawning time (September to March). Maori Wrasse are carnivorous and have a varied diet including fish, sea urchins, molluscs and crustaceans. For a large fish they are well adapted for feeding on small, well concealed prey. They have long protruding jaws capable of creating suction to extract such prey. In comparison to other large predatory coral reef fish, Maori Wrasse are relatively short lived with a life span of 25-30 years. They have a IndoPacific distribution stretching from the Red Sea (known as Napolean Fish) to French Polynesia. Maori Wrasse are a well sought after food fish in all regions, however are now a protected species in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

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out & about

PaK Halloween Pa

rty 2008 @ Cairn

PaK Hallowee n Party 2008 @ Cairns Roller Sports

s Roller Sports

rty 2008 @ Cairn

PaK Halloween Pa

PaK Halloween Party 2008 @ Cairns Roller Sports

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2008 @ PaK Halloween Party s ort Sp ller Ro irns Ca

2008 @ PaK Halloween Party Cairns Roller Sports

• Cairns’ only over-water restaurant • Open 7 days for Lunch & Dinner • Live music Saturdays & Sundays • Courtesy bus available

FREE

rty

Kids Christmas Pa

ec 1pm

Thursday 18th D

inment with Bopstars enterta singing and , ing nc game’s da s a special heaps of prizes plu a. nt Sa m fro visit ial Bookings essent

25-29 BuCkLey Street, yOrkeyS knOB Ph 4055 7711

What’s in store with Michael Aw

Futura Snack Maker Designed for super-sized bread by Homedics.

If you're looking for a chrissy prezzie for mum or dad and can't think of anything they would like. Here is the snack maker of snack makers! The "Futura Snack Maker" is a beauty. It has been specially designed for using bigger slices of bread, focaccia or even buns, all in less then 3 minutes! If this all sounds too good to be true, go down The Good Guys and ask the friendly staff about this awesome snack maker. Features: • Unique jumbo-sized cooking plates designed for super-sized and regular bread • Scissor action automatically cuts and seals fillings • Easy-clean design • Cooks 4 big snacks in 3 minutes • Cord wrap and stand up for convenient storage

TO WIN THIS SNACK MAKER FROM THE GOOD GUYS Simply Fill in the blanks: “Michael _ _ and The _ _ _ _ Guys!” Email yoru answer to competitions@pakmag.com.au or enter online at www.pakmag.com.au Good Luck!

285 Mulgrave Road, Cairns 4046 7900 www.thegoodguys.com.au 34

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pak babies

Child Care or Child Abuse? By Elaine Seager

Children’s author Mem Fox caused a major stir recently when she was quoted as likening child care to child abuse. She has since been at pains to clarify that she was actually quoting someone else who works in child care in Queensland and that it related to babies less than 12 months being left in full time care for up to 60 hours a week. Whatever her intentions it clearly hit a raw nerve and the news headlines had a field day. The spotlight has already been on the childcare industry since Maxine McKew became the federal minister responsible for Child Care. One of the biggest issues in the debate has been the staff to child ratios. Here in Queensland we’re relatively lucky because our staff to child ratios is 1:4 whereas most other states are 1:5 (How many mums out there would want to look after 5 babies?). In NSW there is now a campaign underway to lobby the state government to change their ratios under the slogan “1:4 Make it Law” This debate has been given added impetus by new research in to brain development which has shown that how a baby’s brain is wired in their first three years is crucial for later development and that it can’t be rewired later. Healthy brain growth depends upon a volley of expressions and reactions between a carer and a baby. When you smile at your baby and they smile back and you continue to interact you are developing neural connections. Practicing these interactions with a responsive caregiver optimises their brain growth. In addition to this it has been clearly shown that baby’s who receive lots of holding and touching in the first 4 months of life will thrive later on.

Most people who work within the child care sector will obviously do their very best to care for your baby but they will also admit that looking after 5 babies per person is too high. Off the record, even highly qualified and experienced child care staff who run a tight ‘baby room’ operation will admit that with these ratios your baby will be looked after in terms of being fed and changed but they will receive relatively little individual attention and nurturing. It’s not only bad for the babies, it also causes enormous stress to carers (particularly younger staff) and leads to burn out and high staff turnover. The ideal scenario seems to be 1:3 and some centres in Queensland are now adopting this ratio although some are saying that the extra cost will be passed on to parents and make it even more expensive. In the meantime the benefits of having a 1:4 ratio in child care centres as we have here in Queensland compared to 1:5 have been shown to be immense but if you’re still wondering whether all this means we should be avoiding child care until our babies are turning in to toddler then the research also shows that this is not necessarily the case. ‘Quality’ child care with good ratios has been proven to not be detrimental to children and in fact can have enormous benefits for them, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Ultimately as with any service there are good and bad child care providers and as parents we need to continue to be very selective about who we entrust with our precious bundles.

LEARN HOW TO SOOTHE YOUR BABY WITH MASSAGE

• • • •

Qualified baby massage instructor Available to all parents & carers Classes available in Cairns & Yungaburra Gift vouchers available

Call (07) 4041 1240 for more information or to register. (You donÊt need a baby to come along!) www.pakmag.com.au

pak babies

Colic Cures Colic is a bit of a mystery to the medical profession and there seems to be no general agreement on either a cause or a treatment for it. But if you’re the parent of a newborn baby that screams inconsolably every night it’s very stressful and made all the more frustrating by the lack of concrete help or advice. Most babies spend a lot of time crying but colic is different. The baby not only cries and screams inconsolably for hours each night but they also tend to grimace and keep pulling their legs up as though in great discomfort. Colic mostly appears within the first few weeks of life and then seems to just run its course. As many as 25% of babies are affected by extreme colic but there’s no evidence that any conventional medications work to relieve it. So what do you do when your GP has confirmed there’s nothing wrong with your baby but yet it continues to scream night after night? We often head for ‘alternative’ therapies when the medical profession can’t

help us but you might not necessarily think of them when it comes to a newborn baby but there are a couple of options you can try: Naturopathy/Homeopathy – there is some evidence to suggest that herbal remedies can improve colic. You’ll need to consult a qualified practitioner since the herbal remedies vary according to the individual baby. Jude Friesen at Calanna Pharmacy is highly qualified in this area (Tel: 4054 2440) Chiropractic - A number of studies have shown that Chiropractic is very effective for colic (over 90% success rate) and Allen Bonilla at Chiropractic Works says he has “witnessed this firsthand on a regular basis” in his practice here in Cairns. Their approach is to work on correcting misalignments in the spine – often caused by birth trauma – which could be causing nerve interference to affect the gastrointestinal system.

Christmas Shopping for Baby Looking for something a little bit different to buy a newborn baby? There are numerous online businesses catering to the baby market including these two that are based in Cairns.

EarthMotherChild (www.earthmotherchild.com) Owned by Karen Roberts, this e-store stocks a range of quality gift ideas for the home and family including chemical and preservativefree products for babies and toddlers. Karen personally chooses the products and sources them from Australian producers with a commitment to all things ethical and natural.

Apple of My Eye Carol Arcus is the only supplier of these baby clothes which are uniquely handmade by boutique designers in America. The full range can be viewed at her ebay store: http://stores.ebay.com.au/appleofmyeye2008.

250ml Baby Wash - 125ml Baby Massage Oil - Embroidered face washer + cute baby Photo frame (RRP $60)

WIN: To win these two products please send us your baby tip (on any topic) to share with other readers to competitions@pakmag.com.au. please include your name and phone number.

www.pakmag.com.au

Massive Christmas Giveaway!

Do you know a family who deserves to win nearly $2000 worth of Christmas gifts thanks to Cairns Central?

Simply send us 50 words or less on why you think they deserve to win and they will get the lot! See www.pakmag.com.au for more info Send yours to PO BOX 7433 Cairns 4870 Or email info@pakmag.com.au See last month’s magazine for a list of all the fantastic prizes!

‘Specialising in Fair Trade Products from around the World’ • Handmade Dolls & Cot Covers • Hanging Mobiles • Doll Houses • Children's CDs & Musical Instruments • Puppets & Puppet Theatres • Fancy Dress Up Costumes T E L 4053 7088 Shop 2 • 132 Collins Avenue • Edge Hill

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pak parent

Pass the Tissues. End of year Nativity plays are full of bad costumes and wonky renditions of Christmas carols, but for parents watching their angels on stage it’s a time of laughter and tears. By Victoria Williams

Christmas is coming. I know this not because every shop has sprouted fairy lights, nor because my son just asked for a Lego Millennium Falcon for the third time today. I know because I just got a dreaded note in a school bag asking me to provide a Nativity costume for my child. In previous years, I have got away with various angels (white smock, tinsel), shepherds (white smock, striped fabric thrown over shoulders), stars (white smock, cardboard star wrapped in tinfoil) and snowflakes (replace tinfoil star with snowflake), but today I realised that, this year, the smock plus accessories approach will not be enough. This year, my youngest is going to be a mince pie. At first, I thought they were asking me to bring mince pies for after the show, but no, I have to create a recognisable mince pie costume and then attach it to a three year old. What do I do? Make a circular costume festooned with fake holly that he will inevitably trip over? Cut out a hundred mince pie pictures and cover him in them from head to toe? Call the parents of the other mince pies and see if we can strap the children together and send them as a box of six? This is my fifth year of Nativity plays, and I still have several to go before my perfect angels are sullen teens who wouldn’t be seen dead eating a mince pie, let alone wearing one. We have covered most of the Nativity cast list, and I can’t help but admire the individual spirit my children have brought to these traditional roles, especially my eldest who expertly plays them for unintentional laughs. In his first Nativity, he was the Wise Man who opened the gift and took off his robe (revealing Spiderman underwear) before he even got to the stable. The following year he dropped Baby Jesus on his head

and ended up handing Mary the infant Christ hung upside down by the ankle. The year he was Narrator, he stood stage front throughout, giving every parent an excellent view as he hitched up his smock, thrust a small hand down his undies and had a good fiddle with his Christmas baubles. There is one role, however, that we have not yet snagged. My daughter would make a beautiful Mary. She was terrific as a shepherd last year (even the sheep said so) but the ultimate crown is to play Mary and all the undignified ‘Marymanoeuvring’ that goes on each year proves I am not alone in thinking so. Mothers sidle up to the teacher, asking casually how they’re getting on with casting, before extolling their little girl’s poise on stage (Mary can’t be a crier) and her uncanny knowledge of the Christmas story. I reject such underhand tactics, but perhaps draping her in a blue headscarf every day will be enough of a hint. Sending her to school on a donkey might be a bit much though. Whoever snags the role of Mary the end result is always lovely. Seeing those little faces, wreathed in smiles, tinsel and tea-towels is oddly moving. Then they start to sing a wonky version of Away in a Manger and every parent blubs. Even Dad has to lower his camcorder to quickly grab a tissue. So while you’re weeping happily as your precious baby falters through Jingle Bells, think of my little mince pie struggling onstage under a hundredweight of card and poster paint, and wish him a return to the white smock for next year.

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Super Singapore by Travel with Kids

Images courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Board

You might not necessarily think about Singapore as a family holiday and many people just think of it as a stopover point. However, Singapore is not only an incredibly safe overseas city for families to visit but there are also lots of things to see and do. Here are just some of the activities for you and the kids to enjoy: • Visit the world acclaimed Singapore Zoo where you can have a Jungle Breakfast with up to 3200 different species of birds and animals. There is also the newly opened ‘Rainforest Kidzworld’ which is a playground within the park with lots of water fun.

• Get up close and personal with some interesting bird life at the 3000 sq. metre Jurong Bird Park where the kids can feed the birds on the central feeding tower • Take the cable car across to Sentosa Island – enjoy beaches, Underwater World, Dolphin Lagoon and dragon trails • Walk around Little India and the Arab Quarter to see bright colourful architecture and tasty local restaurants • Sample the city’s signature ‘Singapore Sling’ cocktail at the famous Raffles Hotel (Mum & Dad only!) • And, if cruising appeals, embark on a cruise from Singapore for an unforgettable experience with Star Cruises. Inclusive package including return airfares and taxes ex Cairns, 7 nights accommodation with breakfast, return airport transfers, a Jungle breakfast at Singapore zoo and a morning at Jurong bird park. Adults $2316.00 pp

Children $1995.00 pp

There’s plenty for the whole family in Singapore. Book now!

e’

us th

Ring Jill on 4033 8333 or Debby on 4080 4000 or one of our Travel With Kidz Holiday Experts.

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weekender

Gorgeous Granite Gorge By Brendan John

Granite Gorge is one of those hidden treasures that only the locals should know about and yet it may well be better known in Japan and Europe than Cairns. Privately owned by Keith and Colleen Bryde it has been drawing tourists for it’s amazing scenery and native wildlife since 1977 but surprisingly, many of our locals don’t seem to know about it. It may be a favourite on the international tourist circuit but Granite Gorge also has much to offer local families. Take a picnic and go for a daytrip or take the tent for a weekend camping trip; either way the kids will love it. Granite Gorge is only just over an hour’s drive away from Cairns but it’s right on the edge of the outback with striking scenery that you won’t find anywhere else. Tucked away down a dirt road 12 kms west from Mareeba, it is featured in international magazines as the surefire place to come if you want to come and hand feed rock wallabies. There’s no doubt that the wallabies are the drawcard, especially for kids, but there is so much more to explore. We went there specifically because we had heard about the rock wallabies coming down to be fed in the late afternoons and thought it would be fun for our daughter. I have to admit that when we arrived we were totally focused on wallabies and would’ve left very happy if that was all we’d seen. However, lucky for us, Colleen insisted we went to a couple of look-out’s too to get a sense of how much more there was to see. Granite Gorge is truly a unique gem which can become totally submerged in the wet season but with it’s giant boulders exposed in the dry season it becomes a natural adventure playground. The boulders were caused by volcanic activity forcing them up and the result is kids heaven – it’s got rock hopping and scrambling, trails to walk, caves to explore, swim holes and waterfalls. The gorge is fed by several springs and overflow from Lake Tinaroo so there’s enough deep water for a good refreshing swim. And, amongst all the fabulous scenery

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there’s the rock wallabies, abundant birdlife, the occasional turtle in the weir and possums. If you’re coming to camp here there is ample shady space with powered sites for tents, caravans and motor homes. There’s also safari tent accommodation available. Importantly for campers there are bathroom facilities (hot showers and toilets) and cooking facilities. There are also BBQ’s and wood for open fires plus a kiosk serving lunches and refreshments. The owners are very friendly and take great pleasure in showing visitors their fantastic property. There are 3 different walking trails, all approx. one kilometre in length, that take you around the park so you will need to bring walking shoes as well as swimming gear and a camera. Granite Gorge is also in the general vicinity of the Tablelands coffee trail if you want to mix up your weekend with a little more sophistication. Skybury Coffee is an excellent lunch venue with plenty of space for the kids to spread out, good food and great views with gentle breezes. They also have an enclosure in their grounds with kangaroos so it’s an opportunity to double up on your marsupial-spotting! Granite Gorge is located on Chewko Road (there are signs directing you just before you enter Mareeba). Entry to the nature park costs $5 per person. For more information go to www.granitegorge.com.au or call 07 4093 2259.

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a trip to...

Marine World

with Reef Magic Cruises By Elaine Seager A trip to Reef Magic Cruises Marine World activity platform is the perfect way for the whole family to experience the reef. I have been on Reef Magic several times during the last 2 years, mostly at times when we have had family visiting from interstate. It’s a great family day out and each group we’ve been with has varied from grandparents who don’t like swimming to babies and teenagers. The journey out to Marine World takes less than 90 minutes in the comfort of a new catarmaran. Once you get there you’ll soon discover that Reef Magic Cruises has several major advantages for families wanting to venture out to the reef: 1) they have a pontoon (ie. no bored children getting claustrophobic on a boat for the day) 2) the pontoon is large (ie. plenty of space for milling around and even pushing prams to enable babies to go to sleep) 3) the pontoon has 2 levels and the bottom one is covered (ie. lots of shade with great views) and 4) they’ve got entertainment covered for everybody - diving for all levels, snorkelling, a kiddies swimming enclosure, a semi-submersible and an underwater observatory. And, even better, after you’ve built up an appetite there’s an excellent hot and cold buffet lunch to tuck in to! In our group we had a mixture of interests and experience levels. The divers were taken off in a smaller boat to dive on the outer edge of the reef and came back boasting of all kinds of marine

life including shy reef sharks and turtles. The snorkellers in the group who were new to the Barrier Reef were taken on a guided tour and were so enthralled we didn’t see them until it was virtually time to head for shore. My 12 year old niece had her first escorted introductory dive which was apparently ‘wicked’ and the grandparents got underwater without getting wet on the semi-sub. Meanwhile, I sat in the baby pool flicking water at my daughter until I was relieved of my motherly duties! By that time everyone was busy swapping stories and I was left alone to snorkel on a portion of this magnificent reef all to myself. What a perfectly peaceful way to end a great family daytrip!

Reef Magic Cruises offer unbeatable discounts for local club members – a massive 40% off retail rates. Family Price $264 (normally $440 – huge saving of $176). And, don’t forget, Reef Magic is locally owned and operated so your precious bucks will be kept in our local economy!

Tel: 40311 588 reeF Fleet terminal Spence Street, Cairns

Cairns Family Owned Business

Locals supporting locals! www.reefmagiccruises.com 42

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pak vouchers 10% off

any cake purchase Call: 4031 1500

9-13 ShieldS St (City PlaCe) CairnS

1 FREE HIRE Kung Fu Panda

4 copies of this movie to be won! See page 31 on how to win a copy!

95c HIRE 1 FREE of any KIDS DVD GAME HIRE *PG or G Rated or DVD

PRESENT THIS VOUCHER FOR FREE LOCALâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MEMBERSHIP valued at $11

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Locals supporting locals! Tel: 40311 588

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Cairns Central Christmas Colouring Countdown Calendar

To receive a Free Cairns Central Christmas Colouring Countdown Calendar simply cut out this coupon, take it to the Cairns Central Customer Service Desk in exchange for a Christmas Colouring Countdown Calendar and Crayon Pack. This fun and exciting Countdown Calendar gives kids room to colour as well as mark off the sleeps until Santa's arrival. *While stocks last, please collect from the Customer Service Desk (located behind centre stage).

prize winners for november Congratulations!

to claim your prize call 4031 9915 or drop into our office on level 2 68 abbott st between 9-5pm Monday to Friday to collect your prize from reception.

What’s in store Pet oF the Month Chays and Brendan with With their pet Guinea pigs. MiChael aW you’ve won a $30 Jen Kennedy has one the Twinkle Toes shoes

mystery prize!

This monTh’s coloUring-in comPeTiTion winners are: Anthony Solomon aged 11

Claran brown aged 6

Emily Sands aged 9

Jasmine Azzopardi aged 5

Joshua Cats aged 4

Have won a family pass to see the advanced preview screening of Madagascar!

PrinCe CasPian dVd’s thanKs to CiViC Video Caddy piwari Edmonton Angus Ang Edge Hill bella Willliams Smithfield Jessica Anthony City View

BaBy tiPs

Michele Annison wins a sun shirt thanks to Miky B

For the hot summer - put out a small tarp with bath toys and put bub on the tarp with the sprinkler going nearby. Enough water reaches bub for them to enjoy (and more importantly, keep cool) but not overly too much where you need to be concerned. The kids just loved it!

Battle oF the Brains 10 year old Shelley Thackeray You’ve won the mystery prize

fav pet shots Photo of the month wins a mystery prize to the value of $30!

Abbey loved by Kate

Molly loved by Grace

Jazzie loved by La

Email your photo, name/s and address to: photos@pakmag.com.au Deadline for photos is 21st December for our January edition. 44

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pet tips & hints

with Darlene Stewart

Poochie Tips for Christmas We all love Christmas and it’s even a special time for our pets. So, given that they are a part of the family why not include them in the festivities and do something special for them so that they’re involved in the fun? Here’s a few ideas: Pampering Whilst you’re busy with the rellies and friends and parties and preparing food and doing the shopping and collecting people from the airport and everything else you’ve got going on, it’s really easy to completely forget about washing the dog. Don’t stress, just drop them in for a pamper with us. It’s a treat for them and one less thing to think about. And, the guests will be fighting to pat your pooch. Christmas Tree Get your poochie involved in the excitement by wrapping up some baked bones and hanging them on the tree. Important note: remember to do this after they’ve gone to bed on Christmas Eve. You don’t want them sniffing about and pulling down the tree and ripping up your pressies! Christmas Lunch Include them in the Christmas feast by giving them a little turkey and lots of vege’s with a touch of gravy. It will make their day. A little of bit of everything is ok for them

but just watch the fat content because too much fat can harm their tummies. Christmas Pudding Why not try a ‘pupcake’ or a doggy doughnut as a treat. You can buy them from any of our Poochies Parlour salons throughout Cairns and they are specially formulated for dogs. Cuddles The most important thing to give your pooch on Christmas Day is some TLC and just a little bit of your time during the day to make them feel special will go along way. Why not get the kids to choose them a gift and make it their job to hide it and help them find it in the morning? This is a great way to make both the kids and furry friends feel super important. Cooling Off Remember to protect your pets from the heat and find ways to help them cool of. A bowl of iced water is good and we also have some doggy ice cream to keep them happy.

Have a very Merry Christmas and give your pooch a big kiss and a cuddle from all of us at Poochies Parlour. And remember, a dog is for life, not just for Christmas!

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DIY pak projects

Make a Christmas Snowman By Amanda Mathiot

We may not have any snow at Christmas in Cairns but that shouldn’t stop your kids being able to make a snowman. Here’s a great fun idea for your kids to start getting in to the Christmas spirit and to express their creativity. What you’ll need: Two different sizes of polystyrene balls Pipe cleaners Eyes Paint Paint brushes Craft glue Egg carton (cut down for a stand) Wooden skewers (for threading body to join together) Pom poms: variety of sizes. Any other decorating items: glitter, paper (We purchased the balls and a couple of packets of DIY Craft Kits from Crazy Clarke’s. The DIY craft kit contained a nice variety of pipe cleaners, eyes and pom poms). Step 1: Make your stand. Cut the bottom of an egg carton down to make a suitable stand for your snowman to stand in (e.g I kept four little compartments in one piece). You can work on him whilst he’s in his holder and then place him on a shelf when he’s finished. Put a hole with the skewer in the middle of the stand or on one of the compartments. This is also a great time to decorate the stand. The painted stand can dry whilst you’re building the snowman. Step 2: Take the bigger ball (the body) and thread onto the skewer. Then thread the second smaller ball on top (the head). Then trim the skewer after the snowman is placed in the stand. Step 3: Optional. This is the time to paint the snowman if you want to. You can use the skewer to spin the snowman so the paint remains untouched. Then put the snowman into the stand and allow to dry. Step 4: Add some eyes using the craft glue. Step 5: Time for some arms. Use a skewer to poke some small holes in either side of the body and put colourful pipe cleaners in as arms. Step 6: Now that the basic body is finished, sit back and allow your child to go crazy and add the finishing touches to their new little friend. Some ideas include: pipe cleaners for a scarf, a big Pom Pom and a smaller Pom Pom glued together to make a beanie. Maybe help make a black top hat out of cardboard or paper for a smart snowman. Add a nose and mouth and you have an amazing and fun little figure. The ideas are limitless. Have fun

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“Yes of course Santa, the Easter Bunny and Fairies are all real”

The white lies we tell our children. By Anne Edwards

The popular TV campaign for Bigpond, where the father explains to his son that the Great Wall of China was built during the reign of Emperor Nasi Goreng to keep the rabbits out, won heaps of awards and was voted best ad of the year. It’s funny because it’s a situation we’re all familiar with since most parents confess to telling the occasional white lies to our kids. Although what makes it even funnier is the fact that there are now apparently teenagers walking around who do believe that there was a Chinese Emperor called Nasi Goreng (just to clarify, nasi goreng is an Indonesian dish!). However, the full scale of our white lies was recently revealed when a UK website undertook a survey amongst thousands of parents. It discovered that parents tell their kids at least one lie a day to keep them from misbehaving. Interestingly the biggest whoppers of all, the ones about Santa, Easter Bunnies and Fairies all being real, barely rated a mention because most parents didn’t consider them to be lies. Apparently, most white lies are told for practical reasons ie. to make our lives easier when kids are refusing to do something we want them to do. Others are told because we were told them as children ourselves or just for our general amusement. The majority of parents in the survey agreed that their kids stopped believing all the white lies they were told by the time they were 8 but up until that point they blindly believed everything they were told by mummy and daddy and even told all their friends and teachers. I, for one, will never get over a school friend laughing as I told her about my grandad floating up to heaven and then her telling me he was actually buried in a box. Is it any wonder that kids get confused about the rules around telling lies as they get older? It’s a tricky business understanding that it’s always important to tell the truth except for that time when they said: “Mum said she hopes you won’t stay long because you’re boring”.

White lies told by parents Father Christmas only comes to good children (84%) Father Christmas only visits children who go to sleep (81%) Sitting too close to the TV makes your eyes go square (60%) Spinach makes you strong (48%) If you cross your eyes the wind will change and they’ll stay there (39%) An apple tree will grow in your tummy if you eat the pips (27%) If you play with your private parts they’ll drop off (25%) The ice cream van plays music to let you know they’ve run out of ice cream (22%) Eating crusts will put hair on your chest (22%) The police arrest children who swear (20%) Babies come from a stork (9%)

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eating out

Bayleaf Balinese Restaurant By Elaine Seager

The Bayleaf Balinese Restaurant is one of my favourite restaurants and I love any excuse to go and dine there but it may not be the first place that pops in to your head when you’re trying to decide on a restaurant to go to with kids. Whilst we usually go there to get away from kids, on this occasion all of our babysitters were coming with us so we had little option but to take our daughter along. However I wasn’t sure how they’d feel about a 2-year old disturbing their calm ambience so I rang ahead and checked. “Sure, no problem” said the owner Klaus Ullrich “…bring her along and we’ll pop her straight on the grill”. So, we booked ourselves a table in the usual family slot of 6pm and when we got there we were relieved to see other small people already seated at other tables. As it turns out the Bayleaf may not be specifically family-focused but they are certainly family-friendly and promptly brought us a high chair and a kids menu. The kids menu had all the usual suspects on it including fish & chips, sausages and chicken nuggets etc for those who refuse to eat anything out of the ordinary, but since our 2 year old can’t read yet we didn’t give her the option and ordered off the main menu! She had a mixture of everything we were eating: lots of delicious chicken sate to start followed by

pork in sweet soy sauce (delicious), prawns with chillis and lime in coconut sauce (always a crowd pleaser) and fish wrapped in banana leaf (sublime). In fact there aren’t enough superlatives in the English language to adequately describe the food! In all honesty there’s very little to fault about the Bayleaf. The food is exquisite and consistently excellent, the service is fantastic, the atmosphere is calm and relaxing and to top it all the prices really are very reasonable given the quality of the food. The Bayleaf is great value for money with prices for mains mostly in the $20-$25 range. The Bayleaf doesn’t need to be on the Esplanade to do good business – people will go out of their way to eat there and for good reason. They are located on the corner of Lake & Gatton Sts (opposite the hospital). Make an appointment to avoid disappointment!

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ouR top cool summer places to eat Mondos

big shady trees, great views, breezes off the inlet

Coolum’s on the Beach Ocean views, breezes and room for the kids to play

La Pizza

Good people watching and breezes from two angles

Botanic Gardens Cafe Lots of cool shade under the trees

Donini’s at the Pier

Great views and breezes from two angles

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movie of the month Yes Man Jim Carrey stars as Carl Allen, a guy whose life is going nowhere—the operative word being “no”— until he signs up for a self-help program based on one simple covenant: say yes to everything...and anything. Unleashing the power of “YES” begins to transform Carl’s life in amazing and unexpected ways, getting him promoted at work and opening the door to a new romance. But his willingness to embrace every opportunity might just become too much of a good thing. Genre:Comedy Director:P eyton Reed Cast: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, Rhys Darby, John Michael

released 01.01.09 CoMedy rating tBC

Movie Session Times: 4057 0000

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Christmas is all about sharing! So why not share a movie with a friend and see one of the great new releases this festive season. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* Opens 26 Dec

Seven Pounds* Opens 8 Jan

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Enquire about special movie group prices and discounted group candybar treats. Call Diane on (07) 4052 1166.

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time for a break In a small fishing village, a Newfoundlander was walking Up the wharf carrying two live lobsters.

A man goes to see the Rabbi. “Rabbi, something terrible is happening and I have to talk to you about it.”

It was three weeks after the season closed and he bumps into the Federal Fisheries Officer who upon viewing the live and wiggling lobsters says: “Well me Laddie I got you this time with two live lobsters three weeks after the season closed”

The Rabbi asked, “What’s wrong?” The man replied, “My wife is poisoning me.” The Rabbi, very surprised by this, asks, “How can that be?”

The guy says, “No, these are trained lobsters that I caught two weeks before the season ended.”

The man then pleads, “I’m telling you I’m certain she’s poisoning me, what should I do?”

The Fisheries Officer says, “Trained like how?” “Well each day I takes these two down to the wharf and puts them in the water for a swim.”

The Rabbi then offers, “Tell you what. Let me talk to her, I’ll see what I can find out and Ill let you know.”

“While they swim I sits and has me a smoke, after about 15 minutes I whistles and up comes me two lobsters, and I takes them home”

A week later the Rabbi calls the man and says, “Well, I spoke to your wife. I spoke to her on the phone for three hours.”

“Likely story” the Fisheries Officer says “Lets take them on down the wharf and see if its true”

“Do you want my advice?” “Of course” the man said “yes”...

So the guy goes ahead of the Fisheries Officer to the end of the wharf where he gently lowers both lobsters into the water.

and the Rabbi replied: “Take the poison.”

He then lights up a smoke, After about 15 minutes the Fisheries Officer says to the guy, “How about whistling?” The guy says “What For?”

sudoku 1

2 6

9 3

The guy says, “What Lobsters?”

Sudoku answers - November issue

7 7

The Fisheries Officer says, “To call in the Lobsters”

3 9

5 2

1 2

8 4

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KIDS Sudoku answers - November issue

Winner oF last Month’s PAK PARTY: damian Blincoe On a plane bound for New York, the flight attendant approached a blonde sitting in the first class section and requested that she move to economy since she did not have a first class ticket. The blonde replied,” I’m blonde, I’m beautiful, I’m going to New York and I’m not moving”. Not wanting to argue with the customer, the flight attendant asked the co-pilot to speak to her. He went to talk with the woman asking to please move out of the first class section. Again the blonde replied, ‘ I’m blonde, I’m beautiful, I’m going to New York and I’m not moving.’ The co-pilot returned to the cockpit and asked the captain what he should do. The captain said, ‘I’m married to a blonde. ‘I know how to handle this’. He went to the first class section and whispered in the blonde’s ear. She immediately jumped up and ran to the economy section mumbling to herself,’ Why didn’t anyone just say so?’ Surprised, the flight attendant and the co-pilot asked what he said to her that finally convinced her to move from her seat. He said,’ I told her the first class section wasn’t going to New York....’

Want to win your family a pak pizza party? 5 yummy large pizzas pLuS 5 Free DVD hires from Civic Video - what a great night in for your kids and their friends! To win, send us a clean adult joke, the one that makes us laugh the most wins. Email your joke to: competitions@pakmag.com.au

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New Years Eve

Tropical Firestorm at the Cairns Esplanade

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Join us for a great family fun night out with kids entertainment and rides from 6.30pm. Come early and enJoy a deliCious meal at rattle and hum www.cairnsesplanade.com.au

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