PakMag Cairns - July 2020 Issue 157

ISSUE: JUL 2020

157

CAIRNS

you th wi

• Pleas e

be

Take me home; I'm all YOURS!

m cially indful o pe fh es

fresh copy h om his e et

FREE

e at this time. ien Ta k yg

Hooked on Dopamine • Outdoor Adventures in North Queensland Huge Prizes • Childcare and Kindy Guide • Get Out and About

Welcome 4

Family STEAM-Powered Fun!

Hello and welcome to the next edition of PakMag.

7

Talking to Children about Race, Racism, Discrimination and Equality

It feels like Christmas nearly every day at the moment. It’s so exciting to have some of the things we have taken for granted being made available again.

11

Catholic School’s Remote Learning Success Embedded for the Future

13 The Dangers of Challenges

and Bribes 17 The PakMag Experts 19 All Things Health 20 Hooked on Dapamine 23 Outdoor Adventures in NQ 29 The Thing Is with Bree James 31 Reader Recipes 33 MiniMag: Kids Activities 39 All Things Tweens & Teens 40 The First Job Interview

From going to have lunch with a loved one, finding foods we love back on the shelves, to enjoying our extracurricular activities (my flabs are very glad); it’s so wonderful to have the simple joys back in our lives.

It’s heart-warming to see so many businesses we love re-opening, or getting closer to being able to. It’s also incredibly sad seeing empty places that have not been able to survive this time. We are so sorry for your loss and the loss to our community.

I have certainly realised how much I took for granted. I think we all have had many realisations about what is really important to us during this time, and I hope our appreciation for our lives is never forgotten again.

I cannot wait to be seeing live music, being part of a large audience at an event, or travelling to see my family again-but until then, we have so much to see in our own backyard and I hope this edition inspires you to do lots more with those you love.

Enjoy this edition, and don’t forget to tell everyone, you read it in PakMag.

42 Craft for Kids 44 Family History More than a Family Tree 46 1300 Smiles Dentists Snapped 51 Childcare and Kindy Guide 57 Dispositions Necessary for

Children to Learn 60 Terrific Teachers 63 Get Out and About

PakMag Founder and Editor-in-Chief Bree James

Bree Bree James PakMag Founder and Editor-in-Chief Contact Us: p 4053 3331 e admin@m2f.com.au a PO Box 7433 Cairns Qld 4870 www.pakmag.com.au www.marketingtofamilies.com.au

Creative Team Leader Clare Winter Graphic Designer Sara Williams

Digital Team Leader Lawrence Fox Content & Marketing Team Leader Bec Dent Marketing and Events Coordinator Alyssa Marino

Videographer & Podcast Producer Monique Saggers

Client Support Blair King

Content Creators Annamarie Booysen Jenna Galley

Marketing Assistant Emily Bremner

Accounts Trent Stievano

Our North Queensland Channels PakMag Cairns Parents of North Queensland pakmag_nq Parents and Kids of

North Queensland Our Global Parenting Channels PakMag Online pakmag_online PakMag The Give It A Go Group

For Parents The PakMag Parents Podcast PakMag TV

Disclaimer: No part of this magazine, including the advertisements within it may be 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 advised to check details before visiting. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions.

The ideas expressed within PakMag are not necessarily the views of the publishers, but those of individual writers.

We have done our best to ensure all events and information was correct at the time of going to print. Please check with individual businesses and authorities during these uncertain times.

Net Distribution Per Issue 10,000. Most recent CAB Publisher Statement Conducted September 2019.

We encourage recycling. Please keep this issue for future reference, pass onto your friends and family, use for craft projects or place into the recycling bin.

families www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 3

STEAM

Family STEAM-Powered Fun! Get the whole family involved and help your children develop a love of STEAM with some family STEAM challenge nights. The family can be split into teams to compete, or go head to head as individuals in a series of fun challenges. They won’t even know they are learning!

Children often need to learn through doing, to see with their own eyes how things work as they discover the world. Activities encouraging playing, building and designing are not only fun, but educational tools that can go far beyond the classroom. Plus, they give the family a way to bond and spend some extra time together.

All challenges are really just lessons in disguise.

For example, if you have a challenge to see which person’s paper plane can fly the furthest, you’re actually discovering the wonderful world of physics and aerodynamics. By building the GraviTrax STEM Activity set, you’re not only having to work out how to build the tracks, you’re also learning about the power of gravity. For a really fun race, try and build the Engino STEM Hero Automotives and see which ones can go the fastest. You could even get into teams and time who can build their model the fastest.

It’s a great idea to take a few minutes after the fun challenges to explore the important questions: what, how and why. What is gravity and why does it exist? How does it make the GraviTrax set work?

How does gravity affect our everyday lives?

The Lessons in Mistakes Allowing for failure is also an important part of STEAM challenges. When things go wrong, children learn from the mistakes made. From there, they build up better skills to problem solve and think critically as to how they can complete a challenge more effectively. We all know that there’s no better way to motivate someone than get them involved in a competition that they want to win. It’s important to redirect children to figuring out why something didn’t work and then how they can

improve it. It’s very beneficial for them to experience failure so that they can adjust to disappointment. That might sound like a negative thing, but it helps children to learn that there are challenges and roadblocks in life. More importantly, it helps them learn that these challenges can be overcome with brain power.

The Lessons in Teamwork Activities and challenges that require teamwork are an amazing way to familiarise children with sharing ideas, knowledge and the concept of workload.

It’s important that children learn how to adapt to working alongside others, but even more important that they learn just how amazing teamwork can be it can often solve problems faster and/or more efficiently because each person brings different expertise and personal strengths. The world’s teams of engineers, builders, astrophysicists, doctors and so much more, have made some of the most amazing discoveries and structures ever... together.

The Variety of Methods STEAM challenges are the best way to combine a variety of learning methods with having fun. They give children the opportunity to solve problems in unique ways, using all subject areas of STEAM. Through trial and error, taking risks and thinking outside of the box, children go beyond applying a memorised method or known solution to a specific problem, and create their own.

By avoiding the ‘step by step’ approach to problem solving, they can get creative and take control of their own learning, all while it just feels like a fun game.

For great educational resources you can buy the ‘100 Easy STEAM Activities’ book and the Kitchen Science set featured below. Both are perfect for kids and the Kitchen Science set contains over 30 science experiments that can be done with everyday materials.

We hope you and your family have some great FamilySTEAM-Powered Fun together.

1

2

1. STEAM Powered Kids Kitchen Science Kit - Perform over 30 amazing experiments with everyday materials with this fun filled Deluxe Kitchen science kit! - $39.95 - www.entropy.com.au 2. 100 Easy STEAM Activities Book by Andrea Scalzo Yi - Awesome Hands-On Projects for Aspiring Artists and Engineers - $34.63 - www.amazon.com.au 3. Gravitrax XXL Interactive Track System - Experience the power of gravity - $238.99 - www.amazon.com.au 4. Engino STEM Hero Automotives - Build 3 models with the one kit! I wonder which model will go the fastest... - $19.95 - www.engino.com.au

4 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Get 15% OFF! Use code: PakMag15

4

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 5

Feature

Talking to Children about Race, Racism, Discrimination and Equality STORY Dr Rosina McAlpine The recent Black Lives Matter protests in the USA, the public support in Australia and from around the globe, has brought the issues of racism and inequality to the fore. After the loss of another human life with the tragic death of George Floyd, an African American man – individuals have taken to the streets to protest police violence against people who are black.

Here, in Australia, our First Peoples also experience discrimination and inequality with disproportionate statistics for Indigenous incarceration and deaths in custody, so this isn't an issue that's far from home.

Inevitably, our children will witness these events in the media. As parents, teachers and carers we can take the opportunity to teach our children about race, racism and equality to help our children be part of the movement for positive change in the world as they come to understand what’s behind the Black Lives Matter movement.

Now as a parent you might think “yes, I want my children to understand that Black Lives Matter and I want them to understand that ALL lives matter, so I’ll have a conversation about that instead.”

Here’s why it’s important to consider having a conversation about BOTH as fundamentally, they’re not the same issue and Black Lives Matter is relevant in Australia.

The movement highlights the differential treatment of People of Colour when compared with White people in terms of police discrimination, brutality and death.

I spoke with Aboriginal Elder, Munya Andrews about the topic so I could gain a better understanding of the issue and how it relates to Indigenous Australians. Here’s what Aunty Munya had to say: "Some people have taken the Black Lives Matter slogan to include the phrase All Lives Matter and while that is true, we must not lose sight of the fact that we are talking about the systemic brutalisation and discrimination of black people. When this systemic brutalisation impacts all people in society equally, then we can talk about 'All Lives Matter'.

There are some people who claim that the Black Lives Matter movement is not relevant to Australia but that’s not the case at all. Aboriginal people face the same sort of treatment that African Americans do and our social indicators such as the high disproportionate figures of Indigenous incarceration are virtually the same. So, the Black Lives Matter movement is totally relevant and applicable to the situation here in Australia.

Black Lives Matter History

We all need to stand together as allies to end this appalling, intolerable treatment of people based purely on the colour of their skin. Black Lives Matter."

The Black Lives Matter movement is dedicated to raising awareness and stopping police brutality against African American people. It began back in 2013, following the death of African American teen Trayvon Martin.

As parents, carers and teachers, once we’ve opened up the conversation on Black Lives Matter with our children, we can then talk about the importance of respect and equality for all people.

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 7

Feature

Respect and Equality for all of Humanity To create a world where all people are treated equally, we need to help our children develop: • knowledge and understanding about what privilege, discrimination and racism are; • beliefs that all people deserve to be treated equally; • skills that enable children to interact and communicate with others in a caring and respectful way; and • an understanding of the importance of standing up for equality and inclusivity and not supporting discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, disability, class, or sexual identity - with thoughts, words or actions.

Children learn how to be in the world by watching those around them, so how adults behave when it comes to equality and inclusivity, matters. Children also learn by what parents, teachers, family and friends teach them.

We can start our children’s education on race, inclusivity and equality at a very early age – in the same way we teach our children numbers, reading and writing skills; we start very simply and add the complexity when it’s developmentally appropriate.

You can find out more about the Life skills e-book series here: www.drrosina.com/life-skills-e-books

Ongoing Conversations One conversation isn’t enough. In the same way that we continue to support our children to learn to read and write over many years of schooling - developing life skills that support children to be inclusive and promote respect and equality takes time and effort.

As children mature, parents and teachers can have ongoing conversations; providing consistent positive messages about kindness, respect and equality for all people.

It’s important to continue to reinforce positive behaviour and consistently remind our children how to be respectful when we see negative behaviour.

By the same token, it’s important that adults model good behaviour consistently. How diverse is your friendship base? If you encounter racism – what do you do?

Being a proactive and vigilant parent will take a little more time in the short-term, however, there are many benefits for your family and for society that make it worthwhile in the long-term. Teaching your child to be respectful means they’ll be less likely to engage in aggressive or disrespectful behaviour that you’ll need to address with friends, or at school.

No-one wants to get called up to the school or have a difficult conversation with another child’s parent! Right?

Are Your Children Experiencing Racism?

Making Time to Talk I understand that talking about race and racism isn’t an easy topic. Parents and teachers need to have conversations about many difficult topics like drugs, pornography, domestic violence and death. Just because they are challenging topics doesn’t mean we can avoid having them.

To give you ideas on how to start a conversation, I’ve prepared a simple 15-minute activity you can complete with children on privilege, racial discrimination and equality. There are tips for talking to young children as well teens. You can find this at www.pakmag.com/drrosina under ‘Blogs’.

The activity is from one of my Life Skills e-books to help children develop their Social and Environmental Understanding – just one of the many topics we explore in my series of seven life skills e-books. These resources were developed to give parents and teachers short activities they can complete with children to help them develop key life skills to navigate life successfully.

If your children are experiencing racial discrimination, you can seek assistance at school and from government organisations in your area. If your children are inflicting racial discrimination, you can provide them with the understanding of how to behave in a more respectful way with people from diverse backgrounds.

Learning social skills that help children to nurture relationships will support them to make friends and be loving members of their family and caring members of their community.

Changing the World Starts at Home Every adult can play a key role in stopping violence, discrimination and inequality by raising our children to expect respect and to be respectful to others, regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, disability, class, or sexual identity. Parents and carers can teach their children these skills by being good role models and guiding them to change their behaviour whenever they behave in a way that harms others or themselves. This way, we not only improve and enrich our own family life, but also the lives of others in our community, our nation and overtime across the world.

Dr Rosina McAlpine is the CEO and creator of the Win Win Parenting program. Win Win Parenting practical and fun programs are delivered across a variety of organisations including early learning, school, corporate and government organisations in Australia, New Zealand and The United States. Dr Rosina is an internationally recognised awardwinning researcher and educator. www.winwinparenting.com

8 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Advertorial

Catholic Schools’ Remote Learning Success Embedded for the Future Everywhere that Cairns Catholic Education’s Executive Director Bill Dixon goes lately, he receives favourable comments about how well Catholic schools adjusted to the COVID-19 crisis to deliver remote learning.

Testament, he says, to the agility of leadership and staff in schools who stepped up with dedication, and validation of the huge investment in quality systems and technology that Cairns Catholic Education has made in recent years.

“Staff responded with professionalism to keep the welfare and learning of students at the centre of their actions.”

The technology in place made the transition that bit easier, despite posing a steep learning curve for many, under less than ideal conditions.

Staff, students and families made huge leaps forward in their ability to use digital platforms for learning and communication during remote learning. The learning curve has been exponential and digital learning environments have enabled the continuity of learning, communication and engagement.

Schools that were already incorporating digital technologies into their lessons found the transition to home-based learning much easier.

“By the time the coronavirus shutdown occurred, the Science Department already had Microsoft Teams in place as the system to interact digitally with students,” tells St Augustine’s College, Parramatta Park Head of Science, Jesse Zell, who said students adapted very quickly to the online learning environment.

“You would never in your wildest dreams imagine a school thriving amidst such a challenge.”

But that’s exactly what the secondary college and other Catholic schools around the Cairns Diocese did, including St Andrew’s Catholic College, Redlynch, which used their Digital Learning Environment as a digital hub for students to access all the learning tools they need,” explains the college’s IT Manager, Damon Thompson.

“Our teachers have been excited by the improved video conferencing and multimedia options now offered and plan to keep using their new skills with students going forward.”

Partnership with Parents A strong relationship between the school and family has never been more important. Catholic schools recognise and value parents as the first educators of their child and work in close partnership with them. The learning from home experience reinforced the importance of this relationship and ensured families felt supported by their school communities.

“All my children are supported, and materials adjusted for their capabilities. They are busting to start their schoolwork every day and the quality of work shows just how dedicated the teaching and learning support staff are,” tells one parent at Holy Cross School, Trinity Park after the first week of learning from home.

Compassionate in Times of Need All Far North families have been impacted by COVID-19 to some degree and financial stress will linger long after restrictions have been lifted and we resume ‘the new normal’. Catholic schools are compassionate and accommodating to the needs of their existing and prospective families to ensure no one is denied a Catholic education due to financial constraints.

Tuition fee concessions of 100% are currently in place for those who are financially distressed and will continue for all current and prospective families wanting a quality Catholic education.

"We are so grateful to Saints for how they fairly and proactively managed all aspects of the COVID-19 shutdown for our son and our family. The learning from home experience was well delivered and organised, and we welcomed the removal of boarding fees during this difficult time," tells one parent at St Augustine’s College, Parramatta Park.

In 2021, there will be no increase in tuition fees as our regional economy continues its recovery.

Setting Up for the Future Catholic schools have a commitment to equip this next generation with the skills they’ll need as 21st century learners.

“One of the benefits of learning from home was that students had to develop digital literacy skills which will assist them immeasurably in the future,” tells Amanda Speziali, Year 6 teacher at Good Counsel Primary School, Innisfail.

Catholic schools are incorporating their learnings from this crisis to better position themselves for any future disruptions, and ensure the successes experienced during the period of online learning are embedded into regular classroom practice so that the educational opportunities for all students are enhanced.

As Bill Dixon said in a special online coronavirus edition of Catholic Education’s Raise magazine, “No doubt there is still much more we can learn from our recent experiences and that has the capacity to greatly enhance how we think about schools of the future.”

When this generation graduates, the employment landscape will have evolved. Parents have a choice to find the right school for their child and can be responsive to their needs for the future. Catholic schools have proven they are up to the task.

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 11

Parenting

The Dangers of Challenges and Dares STORY Dr Rosina McAlpine If I had a dollar for every parent who has said in frustration to their teen “just because your friend dared you to do it- doesn’t mean you should have done it. I didn’t raise you to be a sheep!” then I'd be a VERY rich woman.

The outlet challenge is where the plug of the phone charger is inserted into an electric socket and a coin is inserted between the plug and the socket – not only can it result in a fire but it can also electrocute the person completing the challenge.

And with teens now having connections, not just with friends in their immediate circle, but access to the millions of teenagers on social media around the globe, the “dare culture” and the “world social media challenges” are even more worrisome for parents.

The cinnamon challenge is a seemingly harmless challenge where teens film themselves eating a spoonful of ground cinnamon in 60 seconds without water. However, an article in the American Academy of Paediatrics noted that short-term harms included choking, breathing cinnamon into the lungs and lung damage. Longer term there can be lasting lesions, scarring and inflammation of the airway.

Challenges and Dares It may not make any sense to an adult, but teens have been engaging in a variety of modern-day dares and challenges – some much more dangerous than others.

Worrying challenges include the laundry pod challenge, the outlet challenge and the cinnamon challenge. Here’s a brief overview: As parents, we need to be particularly careful to keep poisonous substances out of young children’s reach. A study in Paediatrics noted that 92% of children ingesting laundry detergent packets between 2012-2017 were under six years of age. More recently, it’s not just young children ingesting laundry liquid that parents need to be worried about as an increased number of older children are swallowing laundry pods in response to the Tide pod challenge – making teens very unwell!

Given the potential for harm, why do teenagers take on these challenges?

Surviving the Teenage Years Parents often talk about “surviving the teen years” when their sweet young child becomes unrecognisable as an unruly, disrespectful and unmanageable teenager. I’ve heard parents say their children went to the “dark side” during the teens years and thankfully most also said that their teenagers eventually came back. However, parents need to take measures to help their children stay safe and survive the teen years unharmed.

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 13

Parenting

The Dangerous Teen Years

What Can Parents do to Keep Teens Safe?

Did you know that the teenage years are the most dangerous period of life for human beings? Risk taking is at its most extreme in the adolescent years, and teenagers not only respond to dares and challenges but also engage in other dangerous behaviours including:

There’s no “one” easy solution for parents and children to safety navigate the teen years. However, while there is no magic solution, we know from experience and the research of Steinberg and others that parents can make a significant positive difference in the lives of their teenagers by:

• Experimentation with drugs • Binge drinking • Attempted suicide • Self-harm • Reckless driving • Unsafe sex And that’s just to name a few.

Focusing on maintaining a strong and open relationship with their teen. Making time to ask about their day and how life is going. Listening to understand, rather than judge, criticise and reprimand.

Understanding teenage brain development and that they aren’t fully able to manage their emotions, make responsible adult decisions and foresee negative consequences.

Why are Teens so Reckless?

While teens might look like young adults, and even be able to reason like young adults – they are far from being responsible adults. In fact, teen brains are “wired for risk taking” during the adolescent years.

Now, instead of confusing you with a whole lot of brain science, below are the simplified key parts so that you can get a general sense of what is going on inside your teenager’s head.

Teenage Brain - Really Simplified In teenagers, the part of the brain that experiences emotions, motivation and pleasure is heightened everything feels so good. This drives teens to seek pleasure and want to experience the euphoric “high” of risk-taking.

However, the “thinking” part of the brain (the prefrontal cortex), the part that manages impulse control, reasoning, planning and considering consequences, is not fully developed until the early- to mid-twenties for girls and the mid- to late- twenties for boys.

The adolescent brain drives teens to follow their impulses without the ability to curb those impulses and think things through – especially when they are with their friends. Teens feel an intense need to be accepted by their peers, which is often why they engage in risky behaviours like dares and challenges.

Laurence Steinberg PhD, an expert on adolescents, likens teenagers to a “super-charged car with no breaks!” Steinberg has authored numerous articles and books about teenagers including 'Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence', a great resource for parents wanting to navigate the teens years successfully.

Being empathic, trying to feel what teens are feeling and experiencing – not from an adult perspective but a teenager’s view of the world. Repeat back what they say, to show you were listening and understand.

Making it safe to talk to you about anything without being shamed or punished means they are less likely to hide things from you.

Being a good sounding board for teens to test their ideas. Offering options rather than telling them what to do and offering your solutions, as we all know that teens don’t take being told what to do well and will probably do the opposite!

Being involved in your teen’s life but NOT micromanaging. Knowing where your teen is and who they’re with. While children are in your care, they will always need some guidance on expectations, limits and boundaries.

Finally, when it comes to dares and challenges, be clear that it’s about keeping your teen safe. Focus on HOW challenges are dangerous and WHY you have limits and expectations. Teens are more likely to comply when they don’t feel like you’re exerting control and want to stop their fun.

Most of all, give your teen lots of LOVE and endless amounts of PATIENCE (a sense of humour helps too).

Rest assured, one day, your teen’s brain will mature and they will return from the “dark side”!

Dr Rosina McAlpine is the CEO and creator of the Win Win Parenting program. Win Win Parenting practical and fun programs are delivered across a variety of organisations including early learning, school, corporate and government organisations in Australia, New Zealand and The United States. Dr Rosina is an internationally recognised awardwinning researcher and educator. www.winwinparenting.com

14 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Expert Advice

The PakMag Experts Dr Bobby Griffin

Dr Richard Thomas

Sunbird Orthodontics

Cairns Vet Clinic

Dear Dr Bobby,

Dear Dr Richard Thomas,

Are Braces Hard to Keep Clean?

Every time I take my dog off a lead, he runs away. How can I get him to stay close?

Your orthodontist will teach you how to keep your teeth clean while the braces are on. Most people who get braces already have good oral hygiene and they usually have no problem adapting. That said, some kids can get a bit lazy. Your orthodontist monitors oral hygiene at every visit and gives extra teaching and encouragement when necessary to help kids keep their teeth clean.

The upside to this oral hygiene education is that kids form good habits and become life-long experts on keeping their teeth clean.

Try starting in your backyard and use the command ‘come’.

Immediately give them a reward when they return. Run them in the backyard before trying this in public, if they’re too excited then they don’t respond to commands. When trying it in public, make sure it’s in a very quiet, off leash area the first few times. Once this is working, you can try this in busier off-lead areas.

Always try and recall them before they get too excited.

4038 1036 www.sunbirdorthodontics.com.au

4032 9999 www.cairnsvet.com.au

Matthew Calanna

Jana Gorski

Calanna Whole Health Pharmacy

Naturopath - Calanna Whole Health Pharmacy

Dear Matthew,

Dear Jana,

What is a chronic condition?

I suffer from bloating and occasional diarrhoea and I think it’s caused by what I’m eating but I’m not sure. Is it possible I have food intolerance?

A condition that lasts six months or longer is classified as a chronic condition. The most common ones include asthma, crohns, diabetes, chronic pain, arthritis, cancer, dementia, COPD, depression and more. According to Australia’s Department of Health, fifty per cent of Australians live with one or more chronic conditions. Coping with a chronic condition can be really stressful, so if you or someone you love has a chronic condition, we’d love to offer our extended support. We have a number of services and products (and always a friendly face) to help you manage your chronic conditions. Drop in to see how we can help you today.

While it is possible you have a food intolerance, there are many causes of bloating and diarrhoea that you may first want to investigate.

To better understand what the underlying cause may be, you may be asked what medications you are taking, if you’ve recently travelled, taken courses of antibiotics or had a recent stressful life experience. Your practitioner may require you undergo some testing to identify pathogens or imbalances in the gut. Keeping a diet and symptom diary for 1 week prior to a consultation would be very helpful.

Calanna Whole Health Pharmacy www.calannapharmacy.com.au

Calanna Whole Health Pharmacy www.calannapharmacy.com.au

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 17

Health

All Things Health Perfect Posture How many times have you reminded yourself to sit up straight, put your shoulders back and put your feet flat on the ground?

You don’t need to be an athlete for good posture to be important to your health. Our posture impacts more than we think. Good posture can reduce lower back pain, reduce headaches, increase energy levels, lessen tension in our shoulders, improve circulation and even increase our self-confidence.

Interesting Facts about Dreaming You become physically paralysed during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. This happens so we don’t act out our dreams, as this is when our dreams are most vivid.

Poor posture can lead to excessive strain on important muscles, and even put them at an increased risk of pain and injury. Several factors may contribute to poor posture, such as stress, pregnancy and obesity.

However, there are several ways you can improve your posture.

When sitting, keep your feet flat on the floor, relax your shoulders and adjust the backrest of your chair to support your lower and mid-back.

When standing, bear your weight primarily on the balls of your feet.

Keep your knees slightly bent to keep them from locking, put your shoulders back, stand tall and keep your head level. Avoid slouching as this adds stress to your spine, which in turn puts a strain on your bones, muscles and joints.

Marios Range Kids Immune Tonic Many supplements formulated for kids replace the good stuff with sugar and flavourings so kids will take them without fuss. Marios Range Kids Immune Tonic has been carefully formulated to taste great without compromising effectiveness.

Containing the highest quality Echinacea, Olive Leaf, Elderberry and Elderflower, this formula will support a swift immune response at the first sign of symptoms, reducing the severity and duration of colds & flu… without the battle to take it!

Not convinced? Bring your child in store to sample the tonic first so you can feel confident with your purchase.

Always read the label. Use only as directed.

If symptoms persist consult your healthcare professional. Vitamins and minerals are supplementary to and not a replacement for a balanced diet.

Consult your local health practitioner, doctor or pharmacist for advice on these topics first to ensure the best health outcomes.

You can’t read while dreaming.

Chances are the words in the book will make no sense, or if you look at a clock, the time will change whenever you look.

Pets dream too. Keep an eye on your four-legged friend next time they’re snoozing, as they dream about waking activities much like humans do – they might twitch or move their paws.

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 19

Feature

Hooked on Dopamine…

What you Need to Know about this ‘Feel-Good’ Neurotransmitter STORY Bree James.

The worlds brands and tech creators spend literally billions of dollars trying to get your attention.

We are the “Attention Generation”. Dopamine plays a role in how they get our attention. But what is Dopamine and how does this chemical work in our bodies?

Nearly all pleasurable experiences involve the release of dopamine. Having a good meal, exercising, shopping and even drugs, gambling, gaming and getting a notification that someone has liked your post on Facebook.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter made in the brain.

Basically, it acts as a chemical messenger between neurons, and this ‘feel good’ chemical is released when your brain is expecting a reward. It determines whether we want to do something again. Dopamine isn’t acting alone. It works with other neurotransmitters and hormones, such as serotonin and adrenaline.

focus more of its attention on the experience and it works out pathways to ensure it receives this feel good chemical again. Dopamine activates your brain’s reward centre. When the brain picks up that it may soon receive a reward, whether that reward be food, or likes on social media- a flash of dopamine zaps that reward pathway. Then you get another hit when you get the perceived reward.

For example, suppose your “go-to” comfort food is a bar of chocolate. Your brain may increase dopamine when you see chocolate in advertising, spot it in the pantry, you see someone eating it, or even if you think about it or get a waft of it. When you eat it, another flood of dopamine acts to reinforce this craving and focuses on satisfying it in the future.

It’s a cycle of motivation, reward, and reinforcement that causes us to seek, desire, and expect certain outcomes.

The right amount of dopamine usually goes along with a pretty good mood. It’s ideal for learning, planning, and productivity giving you feelings of focus, motivation, happiness, and alertness. Low dopamine however is one reason why you can have trouble concentrating, poor coordination, and low motivation.

Now imagine that you’ve been longing for that hidden chocolate bar all day, but you discover when you get home that someone in your family ate it. Your disappointment might lower your dopamine level and dampen your mood. It might also intensify your desire for chocolate, making you want it even more (and send someone to the store!).

When our body is experiencing pleasure, it responds by releasing dopamine. This release causes your brain to

This can also happen when we post something on social media. We expect some likes and comments and we

20 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Feature

constantly check and get a dopamine hit if it’s going well. If it’s not, then that can cause internal conflict and lower mood feelings.

chemicals and hugs? The negative though is that the opposite also occurs if we don’t get the attention we desire:

While dopamine isn’t the sole cause of addiction, its motivational properties are thought to play a role in addiction.

• Decreased self-esteem/eating disorders and body dysmorphia

Experts evaluate something’s potential to cause addiction by looking at the speed, intensity, and reliability of the dopamine release it causes in your brain. It doesn’t take long for your brain to associate certain behaviours or substances with a rush of dopamine. That’s why people can get addicted to drugs, overeating, gambling, gaming, alcohol, caffeine and even exercise.

• Depression/depressive symptoms

Addictive substances and behaviours can cause dopamine levels to spike, and over a long period of time, sometimes the brain weakens or eliminates receptors built to respond to dopamine which leads to us needing more of the drug, substance or activity to elicit the same amount of dopamine. This can steadily lead to us losing interest and needing something more exciting to take its place (for and extreme example; those that start out on marijuana can end up on ice).

That is why our phones are becoming an issue for many of us, and why we can easily get addicted to watching a show or playing a video game. Digital technologies, such as social networks, online shopping, and games, use a set of persuasive and motivational techniques to keep users returning. This is why we need to be acutely aware that technology in particular, is built to keep us hooked.

Notifications, responses and rewards are ruling our lives because this attention is addictive. Gaming creators call this the "compulsion loop".

The Science Behind it?

Every time someone reacts to something you have done online, or you react positively to something someone else has done online, you get a dopamine hit.

Dopamine is an addictive pleasure chemical, it’s like a hug for the brain. Who doesn’t want more pleasure

• Anxiety • Feeling a lack of connection • Feelings of inferiority • Deterioration in concentration and other symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Researchers have found that addicted players of video games, regardless of gender, were more anxious and depressed, and showed poorer impulse control and cognitive functioning than gamers who were not addicted. Poor impulse control and poor cognitive functioning are risk factors for various kinds of addiction, so those with pre-existing depression, anxiety or under high levels of stress need to be mindful of this.

The brain, according to Dr Win Wenger, can consciously process 126 bits of information per second. However, the brain receives 10 million bits of information per second.

That means we can only focus on 1/80,000 of the data our brain is getting.

Our brain loves to build patterns, and even though the brain makes up 2 percent of our bodies mass, it uses 20% of our body’s energy. So, if your brain has been in overdrive, it’s no wonder we can feel exhausted. This is where techniques like meditation, mindfulness, and learning ways to give our brains a rest and reset is really important.

Dopamine is the reward centre in our brains, and the challenging thing for 21st century parents in our high-tech society is our potential addiction to constant rewards, and gratification. Understanding how dopamine works is a great start to teaching our children that not everything in their lives can be gamified and rewarded, and we need to find lots of ways to get these lovely dopamine hits naturally.

Did you know dopamine is involved in many body functions. These include: • blood flow

• memory and focus

• pancreatic function and insulin regulation

• digestion

• mood and emotions

• pleasure and reward seeking behaviour

• executive functioning

• motor control

• sleep

• heart and kidney function

• pain processing

• stress response

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 21

Explore

Outdoor Adventures in North Queensland The Wet Tropics is 80 million years older than the Amazon and covers a massive 9,000 square kilometres, including 30 national parks, and stretches from Cooktown to Townsville.

It is a massive living natural wonder, and it is also a spectacular ecosystem serving home to many plants and animals, some of which aren’t found anywhere else in the world. Also boasting Australia’s longest stretch of sub-tropical rainforest, the Mackay Region is a naturelovers dream location to explore.

There are plenty of ways to take in the beauty of North and Far North Queensland, whether it be swimming, hiking, taking in a picnic, a gorgeous view or a short stay.

With too many adventures to list here, we’ve compiled a few ‘must-do’s’ to inspire you to check out our magnificent backyard.

Walks and Hikes Cairns and Douglas Shire Region Kulki Walk, Cape Tribulation (easy, 10 minutes) – This walk takes you from the Kulki car park through the rainforest, onto a boardwalk to the beautiful Myall Beach.

The Arrow Tracks, Cairns (moderate, 1-5 hours) – The yellow, red, blue and green arrow tracks wind through Mount Whitfield, behind Cairns’ botanic gardens. There are stunning views along the way, some of the Cairns Airport where you can spot planes taking off and landing.

Mount Hypipamee National Park Crater Track, Tablelands (easy, 30 minutes) – This track leads to a viewing platform with incredible views looking into a volcanic pipe.

Walsh’s Pyramid (Difficult, 5-6 hours) - Hike the highest free-standing natural pyramid in the world! Standing at 922m tall, you can take on this challenging 6 km return track. Worth it for the 360-degree views at the top.

Allow 5-6 hours to complete (allow for longer if you are taking kids with you.) Located 30 km south of Cairns.

Townsville Region Djyinda Walk, Wallaman Falls (moderate, 2 hours) – Starting from the spectacular lookout of Australia’s highest sheer drop waterfall, Wallaman Falls, make your way down the mountain to the base of the falls. It’s a stunning sight to behold.

Forts Walk, Magnetic Island (moderate, 2 hours) – Take a hike up to a historic WWII fort with stunning views of the ocean and mainland at the end. It’s also an amazing location to spot koalas in the wild.

Many Peaks Track, Townsville - a long trail over challenging terrain to get a look at some spectacular scenery in Pallarenda, Townsville.

Mackay Region Dugong-Sawmill track, Whitsunday Island (easy, 1 hour) – Stroll through the rainforest and a fairyland of mosses, lichens and fungi on this walk from Dugong Beach to Sawmill Beach.

Coral Beach track, Conway National Park (moderate, 1.5 hours) – Take a walk to the fantastic Coral Beach, enjoying glorious views across the Whitsunday Passage.

Bluewater Trail, Mackay (easy, walking time varies) – This trail will show you some of the best parts of Mackay, including the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens, Bluewater Lagoon and Iluka Park playground. Stop off wherever you wish and enjoy all the city has to offer.

Look out for stinging trees. The heart-shaped leaves are covered in needle-like hairs causing intense and longlasting pain.

Be wary of wildlife. Forests are often frequented by snakes, cassowaries, dingoes and more. If you do happen to run into one, keep your distance, don’t aggravate them and quietly move the opposite way.

Talk to children on how to treat wildlife respectfully.

Don’t go bushwalking alone. Many trails lead into areas with no mobile reception. It is a smart idea to take somebody with you, and take extra care not to let children out of your sight when hiking as a family.

Wear appropriate clothing, especially if you are going on a longer walk or hike. Wear comfortable, protective footwear, dress in cool but sun-safe clothes, wear a hat and always carry plenty of drinking water

Remember…

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 23

Explore

Swimming Holes and Waterfalls Cairns and Douglas Shire Region Babinda Boulders - Surrounded by lush rainforest; the Babinda Boulders are a popular swimming hole for people of the Cairns region.

Josephine Falls a beautiful swimming hole and falls in the Wooroonooran National Park.

Crystal Cascades, located close to Cairns- is a local favourite secluded swimming spot. A series of small waterfalls, flowing into large pools nestled amongst large granite boulders.

Behana Gorge a 3.2km walk through the rainforest to view one of Cairns’ best waterfalls.

Mossman Gorge beautiful walking tracks and crystal clear swimming in the World Heritage Listed, Daintree National Park. Experience an insight into the lives, culture and beliefs of Australia’s Indigenous population and their connection to the natural environment.

Located just 5km from Mossman. N.B there is no parking at the Gorge. Please park at the Mossman Gorge Centre, and purchase a ticket on the shuttle bus.

Tablelands and Surrounds Millaa Millaa Falls - a heritage-listed plunge waterfall on the Atherton Tablelands. Take a dip in the cool waters and bring a camera… Millaa Millaa Falls are one of the most photographed in all of Australia.

Windin Falls is a spectacular waterfall in Wooroonooran National Park. The hike to the falls takes around 1 ½ hours walking at a steady space, so be sure to allow plenty of time to enjoy this natural wonder.

Lake Eacham is a lake of volcanic origin located on the Atherton Tablelands. Enjoy a dip in its clear, blue waters and take in an abundance of wildlife.

Lake Tinaroo is a large lake on the Atherton Tablelands famous for water sports and barramundi fishing. If you don’t own a boat or kayak, don’t worry Lake Tinaroo Holiday Park have items for hire.

Nandroya Falls is a multi-drop 50 m waterfall accessible by a 6.6 km loop track.

Cassowary Coast and Surrounds Alligator’s Nest, got its name from a Scout group…so don’t worry- it is a giant reptile-free swimming hole in Tully, about two hours’ drive from Cairns.

Cardwell Spa Pools, between Cairns and Townsville.

Enjoy soaking in the geological wonders of their blue waters. Depending on the time of day and sunlight, the chemistry of the rocks and water can vary the colour from a bright, baby blue to a more milky-blue colour.

Best visited May-September.

24 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Wallaman Falls view Australia's tallest single-drop waterfall located in Girringun National Park.

Townsville Region Big Crystal Creek and Paradise Waterhole is given that name for a reason. Located about halfway between Townsville and Ingham in the Paluma Range National Park.

Little Crystal Creek, picturesque falls and swimming hole neighbouring Big Crystal Creek. Mountain water cascades under a heritage-listed 1930’s stone arch bridge.

Lake Paluma is a popular camping destination with a lake ideal for swimming just north of the town of Paluma. Has both camping and picnic facilities for a day trip or longer stay.

Mackay & The Whitsundays Finch Hatton Gorge – experience its wonderful landscape of waterfalls, lush flora and volcanic boulder formations.

Cedar Creek Falls waterfall and swimming hole in Proserpine, north of Mackay.

Landmarks Paronella Park, Mena Creek- one man’s dream to create a castle was opened to the public in 1935. The site of the first privately -owned hydroelectric plant. Paronella Park has received multiple Queensland tourism awards, is State and National Heritage listed and is a National Trust listed property.

Curtain Fig Tree, Yungaburra – visit one of the largest trees in North Queensland, located on the Atherton Tablelands. Around 500 years ago, a small mammal or bird dropped the seed of a fig tree in the crown of a tree – and thanks to them, we now have the spectacular Curtain Fig Tree, measuring a gigantic 39m in circumference. You’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a fantasy movie (and if you really love it, you can visit its buddy the Cathedral Fig Tree nearby in Danbulla).

The Golden Gumboot – was a prize given to the Wettest Town of Australia. Tully, claimed the prize hotly contested by Innisfail and Babinda. The 8m tall gumboot is located in the centre of Tully.

The Big Cassowary - if you want to add to your photographic collection of ‘Australia’s Big Things’ you can’t miss The Big Cassowary, located in Wongaling Beach.

Crystal Caves - one man’s dream of collecting precious rocks and minerals has been established as a shop and museum on the Atherton Tablelands.

Jezzine Barracks a significant site for the Australian Military and Aboriginal people of the area and includes coastal boardwalks, artworks, traditional paintings and parklands.

Explore

Castle Hill landmark is a heritage-listed pink granite monolith located in the centre of Townsville. More than 2,500 locals frequent the site daily on a number of walking tracks. You can also just drive to the top for spectacular 360-degree views. Once used as a vantage point during World War II, an observation bunker sits on one corner of the Hill, reminding you of its military history.

SS Yongala is a famous shipwreck off the coast of Townsville, a favourite among divers.

The Big Mango, another ‘Big Thing’ to check off the list.

You can find the 10-meter high Bowen Mango, located in its home town of Bowen at the Information Centre and why not try some delicious mango sorbet while you’re there.

Lookouts There are numerous lookouts around the region that’ll give you stunning views over the rainforest. Check out the • Mount Alexandra Lookout in Cape Tribulation, • Henry Ross Lookout on the way to Kuranda, • Hinchinbrook Island Lookout near Ingham, • Castle Hill Lookout in Townsville, • Lion’s Lookout in Airlie Beach • Lamberts Lookout in Mackay.

Places to Picnic Cairns Botanic Gardens, Edge Hill. If you want to experience the beautiful tropical foliage of Cairns then the Botanic Gardens are the best place to go. It’s a peaceful place that creates a wonderful atmosphere to sit and relax while enjoying your favourite picnic foods.

If the kids are getting restless, there are many different gardens to explore and learn including the Gondwanan Heritage Garden and Aboriginal Plant Use Garden. There is also kilometres of paths and boardwalks to explore, the Nature Playground, the Tanks Arts Centre, the Watkins Munro Martin Conservatory for valuable and tender plants and butterflies. Plus the ground has plenty of toilets, an information centre and café.

Cairns Esplanade - You can take a walk along the foreshore and find your picnic spot, which is sure to be close to a playground or the Lagoon, a popular, free swimming pool. Muddy’s Playground is a must visit for families, there’s also Skate Plaza to check out, a bouldering park, the beach volleyball courts and multiuse court which is FREE to use. Don’t forget to BYO basketball or Volleyball. Whether taking shade under a tree or basking in the sun, the Esplanade is a great place to have a picnic with your kids and play outside.

Crystal Cascades - In the rainforest, less than a 30-minute drive from Cairns, lies the peaceful Crystal Cascades. Here, there are several small waterfalls and an abundance of swimming spots. All of these are along a track that winds slightly uphill for over a kilometre next to the creek. You can experience a relaxing picnic

26 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

while listening to the birds and admiring the greenery.

When you're done you can go for a swim to cool down.

Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas - With crystal clear waters and golden sand, this beach is the ultimate tropical picnic spot. It’s perfect for a lazy day of relaxing in the sun by the beach or under the shade on the grass.

You can cool down by going for a swim in the patrolled section of the water.

Pioneer Park, Thuringowa, Townsville - A popular fishing spot, Pioneer Park is located on the banks of Ross River Dam and Ross River. With both picnic and barbeque areas as well as sporting fields, the park has everything you need for a family day out. Playgrounds are available to keep the kids active and happy. Additionally, the park is not difficult to get to.

Dan Gleeson Memorial Gardens, Townsville - These gardens are home to a range of wildlife and native and exotic trees. These are situated amongst large lawn areas and paved pathways (which are perfect for a stroll, walking the dog and for the kids to ride their bikes on). Set up a picnic on the grass by one of the water features. Or, use the undercover picnic tables for a relaxing family outing.

The Strand, Townsville - The strand is a thriving beach foreshore where you can choose sand or grass for your picnic spot. Both will give you a great view. There are a number of fantastic playgrounds and the popular Strand Water Park to keep the kids entertained for hours. Bring the swimmers to take a swim in the ocean or the rock pool, or just enjoy a stroll along the beach foreshore. If you want to, you can even try catching a fish from the jetty.

Eungella National Park, Mackay - With all the essentials right there, including toilets, barbeques, tables and walking tracks, you can have a bush picnic in the mountains of West Mackay. Sky Window and Broken River are two great places to picnic and enjoy the nature of the beautiful Eungella National Park. If you want to take it a step further and camp overnight at Broken River, keep an eye out on the river platform. You might see some platypuses and turtles! The circuit and viewing platform and at Sky Window offer a spectacular view of the park.

Cedar Creek Falls, Whitsundays - If you’re keen to have a picnic with a fantastic waterfall backdrop, Cedar Creek Falls is the way to go. Lush greenery and local residents including lizards, butterflies and more will accompany you in this gorgeous spot. It's only a short walk from the car park and a 20-minute drive from Airlie Beach. You can cool down by having a swim in the crystal watering hole. Make sure to pack a snorkel if you want to spot the turtles!

Cape Hillsborough, Mackay - Cape Hillsborough has a great picnic area with tables, but you can also enjoy a lovely beach picnic and swim if you wish. Kangaroos are often spotted at the beach during late afternoon. Pack a picnic for this time, watch the wildlife and stick around for the sunset.

The Thing Is

The Thing Is with Bree James I’ve never really been one to fit in or have many friends, so Covid-life for me didn’t change my social (well antisocial) life much. I enjoyed having a simpler life for those few weeks, and I finally had a rock-solid excuse for not having to get out of my pajamas and leave the house.

The thing is, it’s been quite interesting living this ‘new norm’ as they call it. And I am finding myself having a laugh at what life was and is like thanks to this pandemic.

I have noticed a few things like my children’s banter about germs. Everything is “I don’t want to catch Covid, so I can’t... (insert task they don’t want to do)”. My child forgot his toothbrush for an overnight trip and he told me he couldn’t brush his teeth with his finger in case he caught Covid-19. Literally everything they can link with Covid-19... they do. They come up with more theories than any conspiracist on social media that I have seen.

Our children are not only little greenies these days; reminding us which bin to put things in, they’ve started a war or germs and we finally don’t have to argue with them to wash their hands. Covid-19 has become the “dog ate my homework” excuse for the 21st century.

The next thing I found hilarious, or sad, whichever way you look at it, is; twenty years ago I was lining up for nightclubs. Now I am lining up to go into Bunnings, Bra’s and Things, and the pharmacy with the same sort of anticipation. Instead of getting excited it’s ‘happy hour,’ I got excited if I found seeds to grow my own food, or some hand santiser or toilet paper.

What the heck has happened to my life?

Then, I realised that I used to do anything to avoid taking the bin out. In ISO I was volunteering, just so I could get out of the house for an excursion and smell something better than my own family. Being in a house of boys is smelly business at the best of times, especially when they’re eating our camping kit of baked beans because you’ve been avoiding going to the store.

Many of us thought we’d turn into farmers. I started gardening just in case food shortages got worse. All I can say about this phase is that if my family relied on my food growing ability, we’d be eating weeds as these are the only things I can’t seem to kill.

One thing I was great at though - was cooking. ISO was a time where ingredients were low, and we had to become the MacGyver’s of our kitchen. Finding recipes to create without the key ingredients of rice, eggs, pasta, and flour saw me create some pretty cool dishes. I don’t know about you, but some of us have eaten waaayyyy too much and have become a little ‘cuddlier’ -as I like to call it. It didn’t really matter then as we didn’t see anyone, but now it’s like ‘ok…someone pull me out of these jeans.’

Due to this, many of us thought it was a good time to take up an old hobby, and of course it involved exertion to try and burn some of those extra kilo’s from all of that cooking, eating and drinking. But we forgot that we are older, heavier and way less fit than we used to be. Medical professionals coined a new term “Covid Casualties” to deal with people who took up new sports like Mountain Bike riding and left with two broken arms not being able to wipe their own butts after their first attempt. I thankfully didn’t injure myself doing some of my old hobbies, but I do think something like knitting is on the horizon for the future as I have said to myself many times these past few months; “I am too old for this stuff” with very sore muscles and bones.

My favorite thing is watching two people interact; trying to work out if they should shake hands, hug, fist bump or just awkwardly flap around each other like startled chickens, realising mid movement that they were about to touch and they shouldn’t.

Who would have thought life would ever be like this?

In the end, this pandemic has taught us a lot more than we could ever have realized, including a lot about ourselves and our resilience. Most importantly we have learned what we value most and what is really important. Something, I hope we remember as life starts resembling pre-covid normality.

Bree www.breejames.com www.myvisionbook.com.au

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 29

Advertiser Feature

Reader Recipes

Taneth's Pumpkin Soup Ingredients Olive oil 2 onions (red will make it taste sweeter) 1kg pumpkin (can use butternut and kent combined) 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cumin 4 garlic cloves 1L vegetable stock (Massel brand has proved best) Salt and pepper To Serve Pouring cream or thickened Sunflower seeds Crispy bacon Crusty sourdough Method Turn oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Cut pumpkin into bite size chunks and onions into quarters. Place garlic cloves whole on the tray. Drizzle the tray with olive oil and add spices. Mix the vegetables and garlic with your hands until they are well coated.

Bake until cooked, roughly 30 minutes. (Sometimes I let the vegetables char for added smoky flavour).

Place the vegetable stock in a saucepan on medium heat. Remove from heat and add vegetables and garlic (you will have to push it out of its skin) to the stock and blitz with a hand held mixer. Add salt and pepper.

Place sunflower seeds and cooked bacon bits on top as well as cream. Serve with sourdough. Enjoy!

Maria's Sweet Potato CousCous Ingredients 1 cup couscous 1 cup (250ml) hot chicken or Vegetable stock 1 (400g) sweet potato, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes 2 tbsp (300g) pine nuts 2 tbsp (40ml) orange juice 2 tbsp (40ml) olive oil Salt & freshly ground pepper 2 shallots, sliced 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 2 tbsp cranberries 2 tbsp raisins Method Place couscous into a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot stock over couscous, cover and allow stock to absorb for about 5 minutes. Gently fluff with a fork.

Cook sweet potato in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. To toast pine nuts heat a frypan over a medium heat. Add pine nuts and stir until slightly golden. Transfer to a bowl immediately as nuts will continue to cook.

In a jug, whisk together orange juice and olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add cooked sweet potato, shallots, toasted pine nuts, cranberries, raisins and parsley to the couscous.

Pour dressing over and gently combine. Serve warm.

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 31

Use the grid to draw your own yoga cats!

WIN Access to the Karma Collection by The Karma Class! $29.00 - www.thekarmaclass.com - The Karma Collection is a suite of 40+ online kids yoga classes and mindful activities. It has been lovingly created by Educator and Kids Yoga expert Beth Borowsky to share the gifts of yoga, breath and mindfulness with families. Perfect for children aged 2-10 years old. - Visit www.pakmag.com.au/win for your chance to win!

SPOT THE

DIFFERENCE! Can you spot the 5 differences below?

Get 10% OFF! Use code: PakMag10

WIN a Cordless Marvel Habanero 2 Air Purifier $349 - www.andatechdistribution.com.au - These superhero air cleaners (available in Captain America and Iron Man designs) provide strong and efficient air purification performance with dual front and back large e-Nano air filters that can clean the air of 99.9% of harmful pollutants including super fine dust, pet dander, carbon monoxide, cigarette smoke, food odour, vehicle exhaust fumes, pollen, mould, viruses, allergens and bacteria for a healthier indoor air environment. - Visit www.pakmag.com.au/win for your chance to win!

LET'S PLAY KINDNESS BINGO!

Colour in a square once you complete the kindness activity - For each row you colour (vertically, horizontally or diagonally), you get a BINGO! See if you can colour every square!

Make a handmade gift

Help someone having a tough day

Invite someone new to play with you

Make a card for someone

Help make dinner

Write and send a letter

Give a compliment

Call a loved one you haven't spoken to in a while

Tell someone all the things you like about them

Wash the dishes

Set the table for dinner

Donate some of your toys to charity

Help someone before they ask

Draw a picture for someone

Do an extra chore

Bake something and give as a gift

Spread Joy with Random Acts of Kindness!

You can head to www.pakmag.com.au/downloadables to print free ‘Kindness Cards’ to go alongside a random good deed you do for someone else - brightening their day. Whether it be baking some biscuits for a neighbour, paying for the next person's coffee in the drive-thru or buying groceries for the person behind you in line, leave this card behind, so the kindness can continue as they pass the card along and ‘pay the kindness forward.’ There is also a range of other free handy resources on the PakMag website including a daily task tracker, a lunchbox planner and more! Get them at www.pakmag.com.au/downloadables

All Things Tweens and Teens

All Things Tweens & Teens Getting Behind the Wheel Before you know it, your teen is 16 and keen to get on the road. Teaching your teen to drive is a lengthy process, but it’s a skill that will stay with them for life, and they can later pass it on to their own kids.

The Importance of Self-Expression Teenagers use their appearance as a way to explore who they are, whether it be the way they dress, the colour of their hair or their dream to get their nose pierced. While their desire to do these things can be met with confusion and disapproval from their parents, it’s important to realise that these modifications are temporary and can improve self-confidence and self-discovery.

In Queensland, your teen must record 100 hours of supervised driving in their learner logbook (including 10 hours of night driving) with a supervisor in the passenger seat.

They must always display their L plates and carry their learner license. First, help your teen familiarise themselves with the vehicle.

Find a good place to learn (such as a big empty parking lot), create a checklist for each lesson, and take it slow. Good luck!

Self-expression is a vital part of adolescence, and if an impressionable teen isn’t allowed to fully express themselves, it can affect them negatively. If they want to express themselves in a way that’ll make them comfortable in their own skin but are told they're not allowed to, it can lead to them feeling unaccepted and insecure.

As long as they are not hurting themselves or anyone around them, there is nothing wrong with experimenting. Hair dye fades, hair grows out and piercings can be removed, but selfexpression is the key to figuring out who you are.

WIN a realme Band Live fit and smart with the realme band! The realme band supports nine sport modes, a built-in high precision heart rate sensor, and an IP68 water resistance rating for protection against dirt, dust, sand and occasional dips in the water.

Featuring a touch-button and 2.4cm display, it is also easy and intuitive to operate. With so many impressive features, the realme band is the perfect fitness partner. For more details and to get your own realme band, check out www.realme.com/au Use the code PAKMAG for 5% off storewide! (*Discount available until 31/07/2020).

WIN a black realme band worth $99.00! Visit www.pakmag.com.au/win for your chance to win!

5% OFF storewide!

Use code: PAKMAG*

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 39

All Things Tweens and Teens

The First Job Interview STORY Kalisha Fitsch During adolescence, teenagers want to gain more and more independence. Staying out later, sleeping over at their boyfriend or girlfriend’s house and learning to drive – it’s all part of the teenage experience and the preparation for adulthood. For many, this includes the desire to earn money.

Suitable First Jobs The first job may not be the job of your teenager's dreams. Not everyone is keen on spending a few hours after school mopping floors or frying food, but hey, everyone gets started somewhere – and it’ll benefit your child greatly in the future (and maybe they’ll appreciate everything you do at home more!)

The first job, however unglamorous it may be, will give your teenager on the job experience, teach them life skills and also earn them some bucks. Additionally, many of these jobs offer the chance for them to get their first aid certificate, hospitality qualifications or even an opportunity to move into supervisor or managing roles.

Setting Up a Resume The first step to getting hired is having an awesome resume. However, what should they put on their resume if they have little (or no) working experience? Go beyond work history and write down any volunteer work, extracurricular activities and awards. If they have any other skills that may be useful in the workplace, write them down too (such as speaking a second language or babysitting younger siblings). Employers want to see that your teenager is hardworking, accountable and determined.

Applying for Jobs There are a few ways they can go about applying for work, and it often depends on the workplace. Large retail or fast food chains will often get them to apply online via their website, while smaller or local businesses may prefer to accept applications via email or in person.

40 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Encourage your child to keep their eye on shop windows, Facebook and websites such as Seek and Indeed for businesses that are hiring. You can let your child know about opportunities, but their job hunt really should be something they are self-motivated to do.

It doesn’t hurt for them to print off a number of resumes and pop into businesses around the place; even if they’re not currently hiring, it’ll show how keen your teen is to get into the workforce, and they may choose to keep your resume on file. It’s quite character building to put yourself out there like that.

Hurray, You’ve Got an Interview!

Congratulations, you’re teen has landed their first interview. As exciting as it is, it can also be nerve-wracking for both of you. This is your teen’s moment to prove to their potential employer just how awesome they are.

During the interview, the interviewer will ask them a number of questions, such as “tell me a little bit about yourself”, “why do you want to work for us?” or “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”.

Practicing some common questions with a parent will help them be prepared. So offer to help them.

Also hot tip, when preparing to drop off your teen for their interview, be sure they have dressed their best and they are presentable with clean teeth, brushed hair and ironed clothes (you’d be surprised that this is rare…).

A button up shirt, blouse, pencil skirt or slacks are all ideal interview attire, they should always over dress than underdress. When going in for their interview, remind them to listen carefully, speak clearly, maintain eye contact and be professional and as confident as they can be.

At the end of the day, nerves show they care, and future employers understand that you’re new to the workforce, and being a little nervous is completely normal.

Craft

Woven Llama What You Need Wool (colours of your choice) Tape

What You Need Popsicle sticks Green paint Paintbrush Two or more different coloured strings or wool Black sharpie pen Glue

Use the scissors to slightly cut slits into the top and bottom of the llama – these will hold the wool threads in place. Make sure they’re evenly spaced.

Tape one end of a piece of wool to the llama’s back, then wrap the wool around it’s body (one rotation per slit)until the slits are filled with wool. Now tape the other end of the yarn to the llama’s back as well.

Take another piece of wool and tie one end onto one of the pieces that are on the front of the llama. Wrap a small piece of masking tape on the other end (to help with weaving) and proceed to weave over and under the vertical lines all the way down, continuing until the piece of wool you are using runs out.

www.pinkstripeysocks.com

Paint the popsicle sticks green. Once dry, draw a small smiley face on one end of a popsicle stick with a sharpie. Then draw two small lines on each end of the other two popsicle sticks – these will be the feet.

Cut the shape of the llama out of the cardboard and draw the rest of it on with sharpies, using the picture above as a guide.

42 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

3D Woven Turtle

Method

www.pinkstripeysocks.com

Scissors Cardboard Coloured markers

www.pinkstripeysocks.com

www.pinkstripeysocks.com

Craft for Kids

The tail will be the other (blank) end of the popsicle stick that has the turtles face on it.

Place the head/tail popsicle stick down, then begin gluing the two other popsicle sticks on top of it in an ‘X’ shape.

Tie one end of the wool around the centre of the turtle.

Start weaving by wrapping wool around the centre of the turtle (across the ‘x’), move to the next gap and wrap across the turtle again, and then repeat for the last space. You then use the ‘God’s eye’ patten of weaving to complete the ‘turtle shell’, weaving the wool over and around each popsicle stick. Change colours when you want to and stop weaving once you’ve got the size ‘turtle shell’ you want.

Popsicle Stick Wall Hanging What You Need 20 – 40 popsicle sticks Strong, wide tape Different coloured strings or wool Coloured markers

Toilet Roll Puppets What You Need A cardboard straw Scissors String or wool 2 cardboard toilet rolls 2 googly eyes Yellow, orange and/or red paper Glue 6 small green pom poms or corks (when cutting the corks to size, please get a parent or guardian’s help)

www.ladylemonade.nl

www.muminthemadhouse.com

www.ladylemonade.nl

Craft

Method Decorate between 20 – 40 popsicle sticks with the pens. You can draw whatever designs you want to!

Lay the popsicle sticks face down on a flat surface in whatever pattern and order you choose. Use pieces of tape to stick them all together and hold everything in place. You do this by placing the tape upside down on a flat surface with the sticky side facing you.

Take several pieces of wool or string and fold them in half. Then place both ends of the folded pieces near the bottom of the decoration, and use tape to stick them there. The pieces should now be hanging down in loops, as you see in the picture. You then trim the loops at the end to create a fun fringe.

Tape both ends of a piece of string or wool onto the top of the decoration (at the back). This can then be used to hang the decoration up wherever you choose.

Method Paint two toilet rolls green. Once dry, cut 1/3 of one of the rolls off. Cut the wings, flames and tail from paper according to the picture.

Poke four holes into the body of the dragon and pull string through to create the legs. Glue a pom pom or cork piece you have painted to the bottom of each leg.

Pull two pieces of string through two more holes on the head and body of the dragon, tying a knot at the ends so the string cannot exit through the holes.

Before you attach the head and body with the string, make sure you have threaded the cardboard straw on to act as the neck. You will need to cut the straw down to size.

Glue two pom poms onto the top of the head, then glue the googly eyes onto them.

www.muminthemadhouse.com

For more in-depth instructions please visit our July kids crafts blog on www.pakmag.com.au

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 43

Feature

Family History More than a Family Tree.

STORY Bec Dent.

Often our interest in our family history doesn’t happen until later in life, when you want to learn more about where your ancestors came from and what their stories were. But, sometimes it’s too late to get the answers as older family members may have passed on, and with them, the information you seek.

Family History provides a sense of belonging, a knowledge of who you are and where you came from. Record-keeping is vital to family members being more than just a name on a family tree. Think about how you would like to be remembered and then consider that your family members would probably want the same- their story told.

That’s why it’s so important to get our kids interested in family history, so they can get that information, before it’s too late. Don’t get me wrong… the concept doesn’t exactly scream ‘fun’ to a child, so getting them to ‘buy in’ may be difficult. That’s why we’ve put together this list of great, interactive activities, that will not only get them invested in their family history, but also develop and strengthen family bonds and preserve vital information, that one day they will be so grateful to possess and pass on to their own children.

Unfortunately, we don’t live forever, but the memory of loved ones lives on, by those who care about them.

1. Interview a Loved One Everyone has a story, this is an opportunity for it to be told and to learn about your loved ones. It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day, and many of us don’t stop and think about how we got to where we are today, let alone how our parents, or grandparents lives took the paths they did. Remember, before you were born, they had a whole life you didn’t experience with them.

By helping your parents or grandparent share their story, you can pass on what kind of a person they were and what kind of life they lived to your kids and so onkeeping their legacy alive. Simply prepare a series of questions and write them down or record them.

44 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

I would highly recommend recording the interview.

Smart phones have voice recorders on them, making this an easily achievable option. There is no better person to tell their story than the person themselves.

And one day you won’t have them here and you’ll miss that voice so much. Think about how nice it’ll be to have it preserved! Make sure you save the file and back it up, or load it as a private file on YouTube or Vimeo.

Wondering what to ask? Here are some sample questions to get you started: (A full list of interview questions can be found at www.pakmag.com.au/blog) • What is your full name and was it given to you for a significant reason? (was it a family name - like the name of your grandmother for example) • When/ where were you born? Did anything unusual happen at the birth/ surrounding the birth? (my Grandpa cross-country skied 20 miles to the hospital when one of my Aunts was born) • What are your parents’ names and your happiest memories of them?

• What are the important lessons your parents taught you and the qualities they had/have?

Tips for interviews: Use photographs to trigger memories and get the stories following. You can also research items and events that have happened during your grandparents’ lifetime, and ask them about their experience or memories.

If you don’t want to transcribe the story yourself, you could try websites like www.rev.com that convert the audio to text for you.

2. Start Your Own Journal.

It doesn’t have to be daily if it ‘isn’t your thing’. You could just record important events (dates and details) down.

Think; ‘what information would I want my grandkids/ great-grandkids to know about me/ my life’ and write

Feature

them down. Kids are never too young to start this process, recording big milestones. You could do this activity together as a family. For examples of things to record, see pakmag.com.au/blog There’s a great workbook called ‘Story of My Life’ By Sunny Jane Morton available www.amazon.com.au – that helps guide this process/ store this information.

You could get one for each member of the family.

3. Create a Family Tree Start with yourself and record the names of your parents, their parents and so forth.

See how many generations you can go back.

We have a Family Tree downloadable available at www.pakmag.com.au/downloadables

4. Create a Family Recipe Book Collate the recipes from your family and make a cookbook.

You can make one yourself (see our My First Cookbook template on our website) or print it professionally via a website like www.momento.com.au. You may also just like to create a recipe card box. Either way, how nice is it to make Grandma’s or Great Grandma’s secret cake recipe? It’s a little taste of history and brings back all those memories of baking with Grandma in her kitchen.

You could also get handwritten recipes printed onto canvas and hang them in your kitchen as artwork.

Functional, special and tasty!

5. Create a Family Photo Book Like the recipe book, there are websites that help you create a great photo book, preserving family photos.

You can put all the old photos you have in here, so they don’t get lost and also include all the information you have about the people in the photo, the year and where it was taken etc. Often there is only one copy of these cherished shots, so this is a great way, for every member of the family to receive a copy.

Creating and compiling this with your children, including their grandparents in the process as well, is a great conversation starter and a lot of fun.

6. Family History Displays A subtle way to start the ‘family history conversation’.

Start with your own family’s to get them interested in preserving ‘stories.’ You could put up a map of the world in your house, marking all the places you and your family has travelled, to inspire conversation and memories. You may also want to place photos of the adventures beside the map to remind your children

of your travels. Your children could pick the photos to be displayed. You can then place photos of your ancestors on the wall and inspire conversations about their adventures. The same applies to family heirlooms, trophies, medals etc. Place them in a prominent place and the questions will flow.

6. Create a Family Time Capsule A fun way to preserve your family history for future generations. You could choose to set the opening date to a future family reunion or celebration- like a milestone birthday or anniversary. You will need; family keepsakes, photos, a strong airtight container, acid-free paper (to write down the significance of the items included, information on the person who wrote the note), silica gel packets or oxygen-absorbing packets, paraffin or candle wax to seal (optional). It’s important to note- you aren’t burying this capsule, as you may move. This is to be stored in your home somewhere with a ‘do not open until ____ ‘ date sign on the front’. Store away from light and heat.

7. Future Letters Ask all the important people in your life to write a letter to your children for when they turn 21 (especially if they may not be alive on that special occasion. You can do the same for weddings) store safely and give it to them on that special occasion.

8. Do DNA Tests Find out genetically and geographically where you come from.

9. Give Old-Fashioned Chores and Handicrafts a Whirl Experiencing chores and craft activities your parents and grandparents would do growing up, gives your children an appreciation for how different their lives were. Activities could include; sewing, knitting, soap/ candle-making, gardening, fruit preserving/making jams, washing clothes by hand and hanging on the clothesline. It would be even better if the grandparents could lead these activities, creating bonding experiences and memories that will be treasured.

Extension activity: visit a historical village and discuss the items you see and how they were used like washboards, flat irons and push lawn mowers etc.

Have fun preserving and making memories with your family. Always remember, your own family story is being created right now, make each moment count.

PakMag Resources Help your children gain an understanding of their family ties and where they come from by creating your own family tree with our free printable downloadable at www.pakmag.com.au/downloadable Kids can start compiling their favourite (and family recipes) with our ‘My First Cookbook’ downloadable available on our website www.pakmag.com.au/downloadable For interview questions and ‘Story of My Life’ Journal Ideas check out our blog at www.pakmag.com.au/blog to help you record all those important details.

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 45

1

2

3

4 7

5

6

8

1. Seth and Shantel Nasir - Uplolu Cay 2. Isabella Wood - Billabong Sanctuary, Townsville 3. Milla Henry, Ziggy Henry, Hamish Henry and Caz Ramsay Great Barrier Reef 4. Christian McKenzie, Chryslein McKenzie, Rowena Barro and Michelle Nella - TrinityBeach 5. Zeah Moore - Bramston Beach 6. Milla and Ziggy Henry - Great Barrier Reef 7. Eadie Scott - Eungella Dam 8. Indi Nasir - Green Island

46 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Snapped

9

12

10

11

13

15

14

16

9. Riley Haack and Luke Stevens - Alligators Nest 10. Jackie, Andrew and Holly Nakovics - Chillagoe Caves 11. Eadie and Maggie Scott Lambert's Beach 12. Rowena Barro and Lorena Howarth - Golden Hole 13. Jess, Simon, Maggie and Eadie Hartree - Brampton Island 14. Kaylan and Linkin Colyer - Skyrail Rainforest Cableway 15. Seth, Shantel and Indi Nasir - Trinity Beach 16. Zeah and Lilly Moore - Cardwell Jetty

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 47

Childcare and Kindy Guide

Your Guide to Childcare and Kindy Cairns Hinterland Steiner School, Early Childhood

Peace Lutheran Kindergarten

The Cairns Hinterland Steiner School offers a Playgroup for toddlers, kindergarten for four and five year old children as well as a Prep program. They seek to foster a homely environment that is warm, secure and calm where a child’s imagination can come to life within their work and play. Children are encouraged to just be children rather than introduced to an academic program – to learn through self-directed play where a teacher can provide a watchful and loving presence.

Peace Lutheran Kindergarten is situated on the foothills of picturesque Kamerunga. It offers an Approved Kindergarten program catering for 3.5 – 5 year old children, building upon their interests and explorations, developing a curious love of learning for years to come.

A 46 Boyles Rd, Kuranda P 1300 275 810 Cairns Hinterland Steiner School www.chss.qld.edu.au

Cairns South Early Learning Cairns South Early Learning is a long day care service in Edmonton. They have amazing long-term staff and their size affords them the flexibility to cater to even the most unusual care needs. They also have barn animals and wonderful extracurricular activities, like swimming lessons, gymnastics and dance classes, that they believe enhance your child's learning and growth. Their facilities are fresh and inviting and even include a sun safe water park! Family oriented, inclusive and most of all, they love their kids.

Come in for a visit, they would love to help you with your child care needs. Open Monday to Friday 6.30am to 6.30pm.

A 31-33 Bruce Highway, Edmonton P 4055 5534 E director@cairnssouthelc.com.au Cairns South Early Learning Centre www.cairnssouthelc.com.au

Catholic Early Learning and Care Catholic Early Learning and Care services in the Diocese of Cairns, cater for children aged from 6 weeks to 13 years.

It includes Early Learning, Kindergarten and Outside School Hours Care (Before School, After School and Vacation Care).

Each classroom has an Early Childhood Teacher and Educator who is guided by the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines and the Early Years Learning Framework. Peace Kindy is centrally managed by Queensland Lutheran Early Childhood Services (QLECS) and is situated on the grounds of Peace Lutheran College.

A 50-60 Cowley St, Kamerunga P 4039 9039 E peace.kgt@qlecs.org.au www.qlecs.org.au

Trinity Anglican School Early Learning Centre, Kewarra Beach TAS Kewarra Beach Early Learning Centre is located in the beautiful Northern Beaches of Cairns. Dedicated and experienced staff are committed to fostering a welcoming, home-away-from-home environment, rich in nature-based and enquiry-based learning. Children learn in a modern, open-plan environment, benefitting from the resources of the integrated primary school.

A Poolwood Rd, Kewarra Beach P 4036 8263 E tas@tas.qld.edu.au www.tas.qld.edu.au

Trinity Anglican School Early Learning Centre, White Rock

They pride themselves on being authentic, developmentally sensitive, community-centered, relevant and responsive.

Their services are founded upon the love of Jesus Christ, the values of the Gospels, the significance of relationships, developmental excellence and quality learning.

TAS White Rock Early Learning Centre fosters independence, social learning, health, wellbeing, and language development. Children benefit from resources of the integrated primary and high school that allows them access to modern technology, library resources, buddies, specialist lessons, and a complete perceptual motor program. Dedicated staff are committed to fostering a welcoming enquiry-based learning environment

A 130 Lake St, Cairns City P 04 3979 7367 E admin@ccelc.catholic.org.au www.ccelc.catholic.org.au

A 200 Progress Rd, White Rock P 4036 8189 E tas@tas.qld.edu.au www.tas.qld.edu.au

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 51

Childcare and Kindy Guide

Benevolent Society - Cairns Early Years Centre & Kindergarten This kindy offers extra support to ensure your child has the best start to their education. Supported by a qualified teacher and early childhood educators, as well as allied health and Child and Family Practitioners from the attached Early Years Centre. FREE for HCC holders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, Australian South Sea Islanders and multiple birth children.

A McLaughlin Rd, in grounds of Bentley Park College, Borrowdale Close P 4034 6800 E cassy.bishop@benevolent.org.au Cairns Early Years Centre & Kindergarten www.benevolent.org.au

Cubby Care Early Learning Westcourt Cubby Care see themselves as a big family were every member is valued. They can care for children from under two years of age to five years old. The experienced educators will help your child’s learning progress far, broadening their curiosity, strengthening their self-esteem and encouraging them to be leaders. The centre and team know how important the early years are and provides a relaxed, fun environment that promotes growth.

A 40-42 Tills St, Westcourt P 4033 5170 Cubby Care Early Learning Westcourt www.cubbycare.com.au

Sheridan Gardens Childcare Centre Sheridan Gardens is located in a quiet street in White Rock. Catering from ages as little as 6 weeks to 12 years old and operating before / after school and vacation care!

They offer flexible session hours and also have an hourly rate for families that just need a few hours to attend an appointment. Additionally, they offer FIFO families alternating weeks! A cook is onsite so all meals are provided and catered for. Nappies and sheets are also always available in the nursery.

A hidden gem with long standing staff. Go and check them out!

A 9 Brose St, White Rock P 4036 1055 E info@sheridangardens.com.au Sheridan Gardens Child Care Centre www.sheridangardens.com.au

Boopa Werem Kindergarten Boopa Werem Kindergarten is committed to providing quality early childhood education that meets the developmental needs of all children, but especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and the needs of their families. They are a service that provides

52 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

an educational program delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher for a minimum of 15 hours per week, 40 weeks per year.

A Queensland Government subsidy is available, paid directly to the service to reduce Kindy Support out-of-pocket expenses for eligible children and families who have a current approved concession card / have three or more children of the same age. Children must be enrolled in the same year or identify as Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or South Sea Islander.

A 12 – 16 Barrett St, Bungalow P 4051 4367 E boopawerem@bigpond.com www.candk.asn.au

Miss Lolly's Pre-Preparatory Kindergarten Miss Lolly’s is a family owned and operated service located on the south side of Cairns. They cater from birth to Kindergarten and provide all meals as well as many specialty programs such as swimming, sport, dance and language programs. Their wonderful environment feels just like home! Their passionate Educators are leading the way in early childhood education. Visit them today!

A 24 Ravizza Dr, Edmonton P 4055 5219 E admin@misslollys.com.au Miss Lolly’s Pre-Preparatory Kindergarten

Smithfield Village Early Learning Their learning programs are dedicated to providing a supportive, consistent, safe and challenging environment for children. Children are encouraged to learn through handson exploration and challenges provide the development of problem solving and self-reflection. There are a variety of outdoor learning environments, including a garden world, waterpark, a bird aviary, barnyard station and much more.

A Cnr O’Briend Rd and Smithfield Village Dr, Smithfield P 4057 8479 www.smithfieldvillageelc.com.au

The Learning Cove Early Education The Learning Cove is a family owned and run child care centre. The aim is to provide a home-like and secure environment where children develop through play-based learning and become confident learners. Parents and guardians can feel safe knowing that their children are receiving the best care. There are large outdoor areas with plenty of shade, spacious indoor areas for children to explore and the qualified staff are always enthusiastic to teach and help. Hats, bedding, nappies and nutritious meals are all provided!

A Coral Coast Dr, Palm Cove P 4055 3977 www.thelearningcove.com.au

Childcare and Kindy Guide

Freshwater Christian College - Kindergarten Centrally located on the grounds of Freshwater Christian College in Brinsmead, this Kindergarten is full of fun and laughter as the children learn about the world through play and discovery. Their newly built 'Nature Playground' creates a world of creative and imaginative play where toys are replaced with nature. The famous 'Bush Kindy' Program gives children the opportunity to explore the wonderful onsite bushland including a beautiful creek and rainforest ecosystem. This program is loosely structured enabling children to develop many important skills such as collaboration and creativity.

Kindergarten children are prepared for school by joining in with the ‘big kids’ for College events. Open Monday to Friday during the school term as well as an optional holiday program during term break.

A 369-401 Brinsmead Rd, Brinsmead P 4243 3640 E kindergarten@freshwatercc.qld.edu.au www.freshwatercc.qld.edu.au

C&K Edmonton Community Kindergarten C&K Edmonton Community Kindergarten welcomes children and families to join their innovative and inclusive pre-Prep program, with qualified and highly experienced educators in 2020 and beyond!

In 2021, the kindy will offer shorter days 8.30-2.45pm (Monday, Tuesday and alternate Wednesdays), OR longer days 8.002.45pm (Thursday and Fridays). Prepare your child with an exceptional program where they will be happy, make friends, and learn through interesting and positive experiences.

A 19 Hartill St, Edmonton P 4055 4402 E edmontonkindy@ozemail.com.au www.candk.asn.au

Childs World Early Learning Centre Childs World Early Learning Centre is Cairns' most dynamic Child Care that operates four child care centres on site.

Centres accommodate from the age of 6 weeks old (Nursery) to Kindergarten/Pre-School, along with Before and After School Care and Vacation Care programs.

Childs World also has its own Gold Accredited AUSTSWIM

Learn to Swim School. All rooms are well-equipped and age-specific, offering children a stimulating learning environment. Learning is encouraged through playing and the spacious outdoor play areas have state-of-the-art playground equipment.

6:30am - 6:30pm, Monday to Friday A 2 Borrowdale Close, Bentley Park P 4045 4045 E info@childsworld.com.au www.childsworld.com.au

Goodstart Early Learning Centre Goodstart lays the foundation for a lifelong love of learning through exciting early learning experiences. They focus on the importance of early language and communication, and encourage children to take risks in a safe environment to build confidence and self-belief. Goodstart will help your child to make friends wherever they go — a great skill for life. Goodstart knows how important it is to build secure relationships, which is why your child has a Key Educator, someone who is their primary person and attuned to their individual needs. Goodstart will help your child develop coordination, creative expression, communication skills and social awareness through dance, creative play and intentional and inspiring learning experiences.

A various locations P 1800 222 543 E enrolments@goodstart.org.au www.goodstart.org.au

Lady Gowrie Waratah Drive Child Centre High quality and affordable childhood services are provided

by Lady Gowrie which promote a sense of emotional wellbeing. The vision of Lady Gowrie is for children to thrive in enriched and nurturing learning environments. Children learn through play and their knowledge and skills are expanded in the safe, stimulating environment. Resilience and self-worth are promoted here along with problem solving skills and cultural learning and awareness.

7.00am - 5.45pm, Monday to Friday A 8 Waratah Dr, Manunda P 4053 6803 E waratahdrive@ladygowrie.com.au www.gowrieqld.com.au

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 55

Education

Dispositions Necessary for Children to Learn STORY Andrew Oberthur Recent events saw most children learning at home, under the guidance of their parents, and the direction of their teachers. Now, having returned to school, there are three conditions which are necessary for a child to LEARN. I am going to suggest that these conditions, or personal dispositions, are universally applicable to children everywhere.

food, so the child has enough sustenance so they can concentrate in class. Clothing is occasionally also provided by the school. Second hand or even brandnew uniforms may be provided for children who cannot be provided with adequate uniforms by their families.

Uniforms help the child feel like they belong as they ‘look’ the same as their classmates.

The First of these Dispositions is Safety

The family home is the shelter in which most children live. Occasionally children may be living with other caring adults. So long as they “have a roof over their heads” then the third essential basic requirement is provided. Other caring adults may include grandparents, other relatives, foster carers and family friends. Sleeping in a warm bed is important for children. The other element about being safe is that children know and understand their routines in life.

They know who will be dropping them at school, and who will be picking them up. They have the confidence to walk out of the school gate at the end of the day knowing that someone who knows and loves them will be there waiting for them.

First and foremost, for a child to be in a position to learn they must feel safe. Their safety would mean they have enough food, clothing and shelter, the basics for living a healthy life, so they can then concentrate on the task of learning.

In some circumstances, it is necessary for the school to take on that responsibility of providing food for a child. Breakfast clubs are quite common across schools in Australia, whereby children, who come from family environments that don't have the capacity to provide breakfast for children, rely on the school to provide

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 57

Education

The Second Disposition is that of Connectedness A child needs to be connected with their family and their social networks beyond their family. These networks can include their school or any cultural activities such as sport or artistic pursuits of the child. Initially the child must be connected with their family, their parents and their grandparents who know and love them. Then when a child moves to school, they will ideally find children with similar interests, potentially like-minded children with whom they make a connection and they form part of a group. The connections between a child and their parents and their school groups are critical so that they are part of a group which knows and cares about them. Being part of a group is key to a child's well-being because human beings are social beings. We know, live, love, learn and work together.

The Third Disposition is that of Contentment Originally, I thought the third disposition may have been happiness. But a wise colleague Jill Sweatman, the Brain Whisperer™, reminded me that happiness is an elevated state of joy that not everyone will reach. Everyone can reach contentment. My definition of contentment is that there is a degree of acceptance of someone's current circumstances or lifestyle.

A child needs to accept their place in life; they need to accept the family in which they live; they need to accept the school which they attend; they need to accept the social group of which they are a part; they need to accept the limitations of their personal circumstances; they need to accept (and embrace) the opportunities that life presents them. If a child is accepting, they have a degree of contentment, tolerance and understanding of their disposition in life. This then allows them to focus on the task at hand at school which is learning.

Children who are content and have an acceptance and an understanding of their circumstances may even find opportunities to embrace beyond their family and beyond school life. They already have a degree of solitude and comfort in themselves and their social network. Knowing that they are safe, knowing that they are connected, allows them to explore other opportunities beyond those to dispositions. (Please note acceptance of limitations of current circumstances does not mean that people should not strive to go beyond current situations for improvement. Striving to improve and excel should be a goal for all life-long learners).

All three dispositions that have just been described are inextricably linked. It is not possible to be connected without being safe. It is not possible to be content without being connected. It is not possible to be safe without being connected. All three dispositions are essential for a child to be able to attend to learning at school and beyond school.

Now that the majority of children across the country have returned to school, it only reinforces that those three dispositions are vital so a child has the framework and the capacity to attend to learning. If a child is safe, connected and content then they have the opportunity to switch on and to attend to the task at hand at school.

Having returned to school recently it has been evident that the children who weren't safe, who may not have been connected, and who were struggling with the changing circumstances over the last few months, may have struggled to attend to learning. Now that we have returned to our new circumstances, with the degree of some physical isolation still present, children are back in classrooms, back working with the teachers who know and love their job in providing high quality education for all children in front of them.

We can reinforce these dispositions of safety, connection and contentment so that children will learn.

Once a child has these dispositions, they have the capacity to be receptive to learning. If any of these three dispositions are missing, threatened or jeopardised then the child’s capacity to learn is significantly impeded.

Let’s work together to ensure our children, our students, are safe, connected and content. Then they can learn and thrive.

Andrew Oberthur is the father of two teenagers and a primary school principal with over 30 years experience teaching and leading primary schools in Brisbane.

In 2018 he published his first book “Are You Ready for Primary School This Year? which is about building a culture of trust, collaboration and enquiry between parents and teachers. His book is available from his website www.creativecollaborativesolutions.net

58 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Advertiser Feature

Terrific Teachers Breck Nielson

Siouxie Fitzpatrick

St Mary's Catholic College, Woree

St Gerard Majella School, Woree

“I enjoy having students stop and thank me years down the line, it’s so genuine.

Teaching has changed so much since I went to school, though teenagers are fundamentally still the same. They want to learn and as teachers we just want the opportunity to teach them well. We want exactly the same thing for a student that their parents do too.

My advice to parents would be to let their child build resilience and to instil a work ethic in them. Find out what gets them up in the morning and nurture it.”

“I especially love seeing my past students at high school or starting a career and seeing them be successful. It’s always nice when they stop and say a quick hello. You spend so much time with them over a year (sometimes longer) and it’s nice that they remember you.

The best thing about teaching at St Gerard Majella is the amazing community spirit. I have never been at a school that has such a strong sense of support and compassion.

Every child is different and possesses their own unique attributes. Progress can be small, but they will get there.”

office@smcc.qld.edu.au www.smcc.qld.edu.au

secretary.woree@cns.catholic.edu.au www.sgmcairns.qld.edu.au

Michael James

Verdi Reid

St Andrew’s Catholic College, Redlynch

St Andrew’s Catholic College, Redlynch

“My proudest moment as a teacher was when a group of my senior students received highest marks in senior maths and then were all accepted to study Mathematics at Oxford University.

“The absolute highlight of my long teaching career is being a Teacher Librarian. A common myth is that Teacher Librarians spend their time reading books all day; nothing could be further from the truth. We are first and foremost teachers, and are privileged to work with every student and teacher in the school.

I love teaching the subject, it can make so much sense to students as soon as they can apply their knowledge.

You get so many ‘light bulb’ moments from students, it’s great to witness.

My advice to parents is to teach students the importance of resilience. It is okay to fail if they tried their best. You cannot learn anything from a correct answer.”

I think most parents do not know that teachers feel they hold such a privileged position in their child’s life. I hope parents know that we love their children and always want the best for them.”

sar.secretary@cns.catholic.edu.au www.standrewscc.qld.edu.au

sar.secretary@cns.catholic.edu.au www.standrewscc.qld.edu.au

60 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Kelly D’Andrea St Therese’s School, Bentley Park “The highlight of my teaching career is seeing a child realise for the first time that they can read. Parents also play a huge role in reading, starting from birth. Reading a book a day is the best thing a parent can do for their child's education.

The best thing about teaching at St Therese’s is the community. The students, the families and the staff make it a fantastic place to be every day. I count myself very lucky to be a part of something that is more than just a school, it is one big loving family.” secretary.bentleypk@cns.catholic.edu.au www.stthereses.qld.edu.au

Sarah Galletly Our Lady Help of Christians School, Earlville The best thing about being a teacher at OLHOC is teaching and having fun with the wonderful students. Interacting with families and being a part of a fantastic, friendly community.

A highlight of teaching for me is when students have a light bulb moment and understand their learning. It’s great to see their confidence in their learning grow to automaticity.

My advice to parents is to talk to your kids about everything, from current events to travel, animals, space. Discuss, debate and challenge your children in a safe environment to have an opinion and back it up. secretary.earlville@cns.catholic.edu.au www.olhoc.qld.edu.au

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 61

Get Out and About Inflatable Kingdom Inflatable Kingdom Cairns is now fully airconditioned! Spend your school holidays (and beyond) jumping on 10 massive jumping castles in air-conditioned comfort. Each session lasts a massive 2.5 hours and mum and dad can sit back, relax and enjoy a coffee.

Open 9.00am until 4.00pm daily. Book online to save 10% on entries.

Cost: $10 for children aged five and under and $17 for children six and over.

A 164 Mayers St Manunda P 4032 2844 Inflatable Kingdom www.inflatablekingdom.com.au

KUR-Cow Farm Taste the tropics at KUR-Cow Farm with locally grown beef and delicacies at the Taste of Tropical North Queensland on July 12. Breakfast, lunch, and sunset BBQ packages are available. Want more? ATV tours, a hayride and horse riding are also available at the Kuranda property.

Great Barrier Reef, from different producers and members. Celebrating the diverse produce and farm gates on the Great Barrier Reef Drive between Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation, the tour can be done on your own with the downloadable map or with a chef as a guide.

Snorkel Tours will all be on offer along with the super tasty buffet lunch option.

Locals Discount 30%.

E follow@daintreefoodtrail.com Daintree Food Trail www.daintreefoodtrail.com

Whale Watching Tours - daily from 6th July through to the 31st August - Explore the ocean in search of our winter visitors - the mighty Humpback Whales, and also add on up to four hours to enjoy Fitzroy Island.

Top Tower View Too scared to bungy jump? Why not experience the thrill of a high climb instead!

The Top Tower View is a 196-step climb is rewarded with a top view of the Great Barrier Reef. The Tower Climb and Lookout has a lunch and dinner special including a burger, soft drink and chips for $19, or $9 for a child.

A End of McGregor Rd, Smithfield P 4057 7188 www.ajhackett.com

Cairns Aquarium

A 112 Barnwell Rd, Kuranda P 4230 0580 E reservations@kurcowfarm.com.au KUR-Cow Barnwell Farm www.kurcowfarm.com.au

The Cairns Aquarium has reopened!

Opening hours from 10am - 3pm with last admission at 2pm. Locals Special - 25% discount on General Admission tickets available at the door!

Divers Den’s PADI-endorsed program for kids.

The aquatic adventure begins at Cairns Aquarium. The only aquarium in the world exclusively dedicated to the habitats and species of Tropical North Queensland, it’s a great way to keep kids learning.

Children aged from 8 to 11 who can’t wait until they turn 12 to learn to dive can try scuba diving for the first time with Divers Den’s PADI-endorsed program for kids.

Have an underwater adventure, all without previous diving experience needed! The dive is done safely in a pool with a dedicated instructor after practicing breathing and having a training session. You can also snorkel and scoot about with an underwater scooter. Bring a swimsuit and your towel – everything else will be provided.

Daily: Morning sessions from 9am – 12pm, afternoon sessions from 1pm – 4pm.

Cost: $89.00. Save 40% with a QLD Locals Discount – enter promo code LOCAL40.

A Divers Den, 319 Draper St P 4046 7333 E info@diversden.com.au Divers Den www.diversden.com.au

Daintree Food Trail Enjoy this delicious journey, set in a landscape where the rainforest meets the

With Triple M’s Elliott

A 5 Florence St, Cairns P 04 9911 1836 www.cairnsaquarium.com.au

Experience Co. reef tours Experience Co. reef tours have reopened with locals discounts available from postcode range 4810 to 4888.

Fitzroy Island - Will be operating Daily from the 26th June and over the school holiday period. All departures (9am, 11am, 2pm, 4pm). Additional dates to be decided on after school holidays. The pre-packed picnic lunch option will be on offer from the 1st of July. Locals Discount 40% P 4030 7990 E res@fitzroyislandadventures.com www.fitzroyislandadventures.com Big Cat Green Island Full Day (9am to 5pm) - Every Friday & Saturday in July. Glass Bottom boat, Semi Submersible and Guided

P 4051 0444 E info@greenisland.com.au www.greenisland.com.au

P 4030 7910 E res@fitzroyislandadventures.com

Laserfun Come and play 90 minutes of laser tag games for $25.00/player. Sessions are strictly limited to allow for safe social distancing rules. Sessions start at 10.00am, 12.00pm, 2.00pm or 4.00pm every day during school holidays. Minimum contact, Maximum fun!

Bookings ESSENTIAL. Anyone over the age of 6 is welcome to play!

A T1, DFO Shopping Centre, 274 Mulgrave Rd, Westcourt P 4031 9865 E janine@laserfun.com.au LaserfunCairns www.laserfun.com.au

Tanks Art Centre The centre is reopening under COVID restrictions. The all-local line up includes Zennith Soundsystems on Saturday 18th July, Jeremiah Johnson on Friday 24 July, Leanne Tennant on Friday 31 July and Greta Stanley on Friday 7 August.

Tickets are limited to 100 per event.

For information and to book, visit the ticketlink website.

A 46 Collins Ave, Edge Hill P 4032 6600 Tanks Art Centre www.ticketlink.com.au

Lake Tinaroo Holiday Park Come visit Lake Tinaroo and get back to nature with the whole family, including your pets. Spend your days exploring Lake Tinaroo with their hire boats, kayaks, canoes, pedal karts or stand-up paddle boards and then venture further afield to discover the many wonders of the Atherton Tablelands. At the park you can enjoy nature walks, a jumping pillow, swimming pool and convenient access to the picturesque

Please check with individual businesses before visiting during these uncertain times.

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 63

Get Out and About Tinaroo Foreshore and its choice of playgrounds, barbecues and picnic areas.

Cost: From $29.00 (unpowered camping).

A 4-28 Tinaroo Falls Dam Road, Tinaroo P 4095 8232 E bookings@lthp.com.au www.lthp.com.au

Cairns Wake Park

interactive guided tours! The Mammal Magic tour is perfect for young children and lets you feed, pat, and hold some of the cutest little Australian marsupials.

Cost: Costs vary - check the Hartley’s website. Discounts and concessions are available ONLY at admission for locals, families, students and seniors. Terms and conditions apply.

With Triple M’s Mark

will provide you with the development of your creative capacity and deepen your understanding of acting as a professional practice. You will need a sense of play, imagination, intelligence, and a passion for theatre. A level of discipline and commitment to the training is expected from all students.

New to JUTE Actors Studio? You can choose to attend our FREE TRIAL CLASS on Wednesday 29 July 2020. Please select the 'Trial Class' ticket.

Kids club is a series of sessions run in school holidays specifically designed to be an easy learning environment for younger kids. With a target age group of 7 to 12 year olds, their professional coaches can easily ensure that all kids have a fun time while being introduced to the Wake Park in the most friendly way. Bookings are necessary.

A Hartleys Crocodile Adventures – Captain Cook Hwy, Wangetti P 4055 3576 E reservations@crocodileadventures.com Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures www.crocodileadventures.com

Ellis Beach Bar and Grill

Jamie Gosling Football Clinics

Cost: $29.00. Bookings essential. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9am - 10am. Will run during school holidays from June 29th to July 10th.

Ok listen up mums & dads, this one is for you! Looking for somewhere to let the kids have a good run around on a Saturday morning? Head to Ellis Beach and then make your way across the road to the Bar & Grill & they’ll shout you a FREE KIDS PANCAKE MEAL for every adult breakfast ordered!

You’ve worked hard all week so go on, treat yourself to some good coffee and delicious food... and let them shout the kids breaky!

Start the school holidays on the right foot by learning and improving your soccer skills with the JGFA clinics. Clinics are every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the school holidays. Learn skills, techniques, enjoy competitions, all while having fun and making new friends! Whether at a beginner, intermediate or advanced level, all boys and girls aged 5 – 16 years old are welcome to join.

A Skyrail Drive, Lot 5, Captain Cook Highway P 4038 1304 E info@cairnswakepark.com.au Cairns Wake Park www.cairnswakepark.com

CaPTA Group Want unlimited fun and unforgettable experiences? CaPTA Group offers great tours and attractions in both Cairns and Port Douglas. Enjoy the beautiful Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome, Rainforestation Nature Park and the Wildlife Habitat in Port Douglas.

And, to sweeten the deal… if you’re a local, you can get some awesome discounts too!

The Group Annual Pass allows you to have unlimited admission to all four of the parks mentioned above, so you can enjoy an abundance of adorable Aussie animals, indigenous culture and much more. Locals’ get 20% off, and as a family this means 12 months of free entry to any or all of the parks (yes – you can go as many times as you like!) for a great price.

Visit website for terms and conditions.

CaPTA Head Office: P 4035 3555 E res@capta.com.au www.capta.com.au

Available 8am - 11:30am every Saturday at Ellis Beach Bar & Grill.

A LOT 13 Captain Cook Hwy, Ellis Beach P 4055 3534 E info@coast2coastsolutions.net Ellis Beach Bar and Grill www.ellisbeachbarandgrill.com.au

Cairns Art Gallery The Sidney Nolan, Ned Kelly series is still open and has been extended to the 8th August.

Bookings essential - see their website for full details. Current restrictions allow for only 20 people at a time, so you're guaranteed an intimate event with Ned. Level 1,2 and 3 art classes will be taking place for different age groups of kids in August (5 – 14 years). Visit the gallery’s website for more information.

A 40 Abbott St, Cairns City P 0421 106 462 E info@cairnsartgallery.com.au www.cairnsartgallery.com.au

Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures

JUTE Actors Studio - Term 3 Free Trial Class

Visit Hartley’s for a variety of amazing wildlife experiences. Explore the park at your leisure or take part in one of the

If you are excited about the idea of developing your acting, stagecraft and ensemble work, then JUTE Actors Studio

A Bulmba-ja Arts Centre P 4281 6832 E info@jute.com.au www.eventbrite.com.au

Little Goslings Program is for ages 2 – 5 years and takes place weekly from 9am to 10am at different locations. It’s a perfect, fun introduction to football where toddlers can develop their social, co-ordination and motor skills.

Places are limited so register online now!

P 0450 181 626 Jamie www.jgfa.com.au

Cairns Boat Hire Hire a self-drive pontoon boat for some serious family fun on the stunning Cairns Trinity Inlet! Perfect for fishing, sightseeing or even having a BBQ. No licence required, bookings essential. Awesome special rates on their website these school holidays.

Cost: From $120.00 A The Trinity Inlet P 4051 4139 E cairnsboathire@gmail.com www.cairnsboathire.net.au

Race 2 and 3 Dynamic in a Dress The Dynamic in a Dress Running Festival is a fun local event put together to celebrate women. Competitors should wear a dress, tutu, or something similar! All fitness levels are welcome. Race 2 and 3 each have two races that take place within them, starting with the

Please check with individual businesses before visiting during these uncertain times.

www.pakmag.com.au | July 2020 65

Get Out and About shorter distances at 3km, 5km, and 10km, then a half marathon the next day at 21.1km. So get the costumes ready for a day of competitive fun (you might want to ditch the high heels though!).

Visit their website for more information including cost, times, and dates.

A Redlynch State College, Jungara Road, Redlynch, Cairns P 0417 798 444 E info@dynamicrunning.com.u Cairns Dynamic Running www.dynamicrunning.com.au

FNQ Dance Academy Classes are available for ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, acrobatics, and singing! Suitable from two years of age to adults. They have great classes for beginners, including Playdance for 2 – 3 year olds, Babies Ballets for 3 – 4 year olds, and a junior class for budding male dancers.

Cost: Prices range from $11.00 -$15.50 per class. Family discounts are available: 50% off third child, 4th child free.

A The City – 168 Draper St, Cairns P 4051 4888 FNQ Dance Academy www.fnqdanceacademy.com.au

With Hit 103.5's Carly and Seamus

UMA Australia

Free with entry. No bookings required.

Learn how to maximise your body’s forceproducing capabilities through easy to learn martial arts movements. It is not designed for sport competition, but rather for individuals to learn practical self-defence skills. Classes cater for children as young as four.

Families and kids of all ages can put their thinking hats on to solve riddles and find 8 code pieces hidden within the museum. Will you be able to unlock their secret message?

A 21 Donaldson St, Manunda P Master Barry Hampton 0414 782 189 www.umacairns.com

Free with entry. No bookings required.

Cairns Indoor Sports Head on down to Cairns Indoor Sports for a game of cricket, netball, soccer or beach volleyball. The perfect way to revisit an old sport you loved or get into a new one. Bring your friends along and form a team, or make new friends along the way.

P 4032 2844 Cairns Indoor Sports www.cairnsindoorsports.com.au

Cairns Museum The museum has a range of awesome activities for children as part of their winter school holiday program.

Museum Super Sleuth Challenge – All day, Monday to Saturday, June 29 to July 11.

Regular Markets Herberton Markets Date: 3rd Sunday of the month Time: From 7.30am - 12 noon Location: Wondecla Showgrounds

Night Markets Date: Partially Opening on 10th July Time: 4.30pm - 11.00pm Location: 71 - 75 The Esplanade

Port Douglas Markets Date: Every Sunday Time: From 8.00am - 2.00pm Location: Market Park

Palm Cove Markets Date: 1st Sunday of the month April to December (not September) Time: 8.00am – 2.00pm Location: Williams Esplanade

Malanda Markets Date: 3rd Saturday of the month Time: From 7.30am - 12.30pm Location: Malanda Showgrounds

Mossman Community Markets Date: Every Saturday Time: 7.00am - 1.00pm Location: 3 - 5 Foxton Ave, Mossman

Holloways Beach Markets Date: 2nd Sunday of the month Time: From 8.00am - 1.00pm Location: Holloways Beachfront

Mount Sheridan Plaza Markets Date: 2nd Sunday of the month, excluding Aug and Nov. Time: From 9.00am - 3.00pm Location: Mount Sheridan Plaza

Ravenshoe Markets Date: 2nd Sunday of the month Time: 7.00am - 12 noon Location: Archers Creek Rest Area, Kennedy Highway

Please check with individual businesses before visiting during these uncertain times.

66 July 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Museum Photography Scavenger Hunt – All day, Monday to Saturday, June 29 to July 11.

Capture images from around the museum while following the scavenger hunt clues. Upload the photos to your (or an adults) Facebook or Instagram account. Tag the museum, use hashtag #cairnsmuseumphotochallenge and keep an eye out to see if your images are featured on the museum’s social media pages!

Toad-ally awesome clay sculptures Monday July 6, 10am – 11:30am and Friday July 10, 10am – 11:30am Free with entry. Bookings required.

Kids aged 5 – 12 years get a tour of the temporary Cane Toad exhibit. Afterwards you can design and sculpt your own awesome characters to take home!

Admission Prices - $15 adults, $6 U-14’s, $30 family (2 parents or grandparents and two kids), $12 concession, FREE for members.

P 4051 5582 Cairns Museum www.cairnsmuseum.org.au

Rusty's Markets

Yungaburra Markets

Date: Every Friday and Saturday Time: 5.00am - 6.00pm Date: Every Sunday Time: 5.00am - 3.00pm Location: 57 - 89 Grafton St, City

Date: 4th Saturday of the month (3rd Sunday in Dec) Time: From 7.30am - 12.30pm Location: Bruce Jones Park

Atherton Lions Club Indoor Markets

Date: 1st Saturday of the month Time: 7.00am - 12 noon Location: Norman Park, Gordonvale

Date: Every 2nd Sunday of the Month Time: From 7.00am - 12 noon Location: Merriland Hall (Robert St)

Tanks Art Centre Markets Date: Last Sunday of the month (Apr to Nov excluding Aug) Time: From 9.00am - 2.00pm Location: Tanks Art Centre, Collins Avenue, Edge Hill

Tolga Markets Date: 1st Sunday of the month Time: 7.00am - 12 noon Location: Morrow Park Racecourse

Gordonvale Cottage Markets

Kuranda Original Rainforest Markets Date: Open daily Time: 9.30am - 3.00pm Location: 13 Therwine St

Kuranda Heritage Markets Date: (During School Holidays) Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays Time: 10.00am - 3.00pm Location: 2 Rob Veivers Dr