december 2018/january 2019
AusBiz.
The real Aussie business mag
ADVENTURE Downtime in the Daintree Relax, rejuvenate and get back to nature in Qld
Top 10 Tennis Moments Laugh, cry, shout... simply enjoy these tennis moments
Victorian High Country
Take the high road with Isuzu
beyond anxiety
Welcome. ALLIANCE AIRLINES – A YEAR OF FORWARD THINKING AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES As the year comes to a close it’s a great time to reflect on the past twelve months and envisage the year ahead. 2018 saw Alliance strengthen its place in the tourism market, signing a three-year charter services contract with Tokyo-based JTB Corporation. The partnership will see Alliance Airlines and JTB increase marketing, promotional activities and product development to significantly grow the Japanese tourism market travelling to Australia as part of their “Global Destination” campaign. Alliance also signed a three-year extension with US luxury tour provider Tauck. The tours have grown significantly since their launch in 2014 with a minimum of 70 charter flights expected to operate Australian itineraries including Melbourne, Uluru, Cairns and Sydney within the next year. Alliance also successfully renewed six contracts over the past 12 months including contract extensions for St Barbara Limited, Incitec Pivot, BHP Iron Ore, Ernest Henry Mining, Newmont and Glencore. We look back with great pride and hope that the year has brought some fond memories for you too. As 2019 draws closer, we look forward to new opportunities following our success in 2018. On behalf of the entire Alliance Airlines team, I’d like to wish all of our valued passengers and their families a very merry Christmas, a happy new year and a safe and enjoyable holiday period. If you are interested in aircraft charters or have any feedback, visit our website at www.allianceairlines.com.au or email us at media@allianceairlines.com.au
Lee Schofield Chief Executive Officer
EDITORIAL
Publisher: Michelle Hespe
publisher@publishingbychelle.com Art Director: Jon Wolfgang Miller Lifestyle & Travel Sales Manager: Sonja Halstead sonja.halstead@publishingbychelle.com AusBiz. Sales Manager: Effe Sandas advertising@publishingbychelle.com Sub Editor: Claire Hey Editorial Assistants: Sarah Hinder, Robin Kopf editorial@publishingbychelle.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Darren Baguley Kirsten Craze Iain Curry Ian Lloyd Neubauer Karl Peskett Ben Smithurst Jac Taylor Ryan Wason
PRINTING
SOS Print + Media 65 Burrows Road, Alexandria, NSW, 2015
december 2018/january 2019
AusBiz.
The real Aussie business mag
ADVENTURE Downtime in the Daintree Relax, rejuvenate and get back to nature in Qld
Top 10 Tennis Moments Laugh, cry, shout... simply enjoy these tennis moments
Victorian High Country
Take the high road with Isuzu
Alliance is published by Publishing ByChelle (ABN: 78 621 375 853 ACN: 621 375 853) Suite 8, Level 8, 100 Walker Street North Sydney, NSW, 2060 (02) 9954 0349 publishingbychelle.com The reproduction of any content, in whole or part without prior written permission by the publisher, Michelle Hespe, is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed in the content are those of the contributors, and not necessarily those of the publisher. All information in this magazine was believed to be correct at the time of publication, and all reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders. Publishing ByChelle cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If such items are sent to the magazine, they will not be returned. We apologise if we don’t get back to your email, as we do receive a large volume of communication via various online channels. Some images used in Alliance are from istock and Getty images, and we make every effort to credit all contributors.
DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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GO YOUR
OWN WAY
OVER A CENTURY OF ISUZU RELIABILITY DRIVES A DECADE OF SUCCESS Over 100 years of product development and reliability have underpinned Isuzu UTE Australia’s decade of success, meaning that Aussie drivers have been able to count on Isuzu UTE vehicles to get them wherever they want to go for over 10 years. Since launching locally in 2008, our products have continuously evolved on the back of customer feedback, resulting in vehicles which are specifically designed for the tough Australian environment. Our ability to deliver honest, reliable products that are not only fit for purpose, but exceed our customers’ expectations, has resulted in more Aussies than ever preparing to go their own way. Discover what makes Isuzu UTE so successful at your Isuzu UTE Dealer or isuzuute.com.au
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Wild West
The buffalo round-up in South Dakota is just one of many adventures to be had in the Wild West.
SUmmer Loving
A wrap-up of our favourite summer products to enjoy while the good times keep rolling in.
In this issue. upfront
Features
09 Alliance News
20 Tennis Moments
Alliance extends a contract with Tauck, a US luxury tour provider; Alliance promoted Aviation safety week in October, which encouraged aviation staff to consider how they keep airport patrons safe.
A ‘slamming’ top 10 of the best moments in Australian Open history, including famed players such as Rod Laver, Pete Sampras and Serena Williams.
11 Meet the Team
The latest books, apps and podcasts to inspire you.
Check out AusBiz. at the back of the magazine. In this edition you’ll find: WORK IN MINING Water usage and conflicts with locals.
BUSINESS Highland beef cattle farming in Tasmania.
16 Events Calendar
19 Entertainment
Relax, rejuvenate and get back to nature in one of Queensland’s most ancient landscapes – with great food and wine to boot.
AusBiz.
AGRIBUSINESS Tough times in the dairy industry means change.
Interview with senior base pilot Dave Kirkpatrick, who has worked as a flying instructor and Chief Pilot for several notable organisations. What’s on in culture and sports around the country in December and January.
24 Romantic Daintree Getaway
INFRASTRUCTURE Hotels and resorts take a walk on the wild side.
24
PROPERTY Sydneysiders buy homes outside the city.
DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Since 1983, Hollick Estates has been producing some of the Coonawarra’s finest handcrafted wine. Come and enjoy an exceptional cellar door experience and indulge in our region’s fantastic culinary offerings at our award-winning restaurant, Upstairs at Hollick, with sweeping views over the vineyards.
+61 8 8737 2318 | www.hollick.com | 11 Racecourse Road, Penola, SA 5277
Crazy Horse Memorial, Black HIlls, South Dakota
PUBLISHER’S
For this issue, you’ll see that I travelled to South Dakota for the annual buffalo round-up. Not only is the round-up an incredible sight to see – cowgirls and cowboys rounding up 1,300 bison in the 71,000-acre Custer National Park before the jaw-droppingly awesome backdrop of the Black Hills – it’s also a critical management tool in maintaining a strong and healthy herd. It’s the world’s largest publicly owned bison herd and I was lucky enough to be in one of the ‘chaser utes’, so we were right in there amongst the herd as they thundered past the thousands of people gathered for a big day out. While I was in South Dakota, I cruised down the Needle Highway and through the Badlands, and I also spent a day in the historic city of Deadwood – a lawless gold mining town famous for characters such as Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok. I also visited Mount Rushmore and marvelled at the sculpting of Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson. However, it was the site of the Crazy Horse monument that stole my heart and had my imagination exploding. Chief Henry Standing Bear asked Boston-born, Polish sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to carve out a monument in the Black Hills, to protect and preserve the culture, tradition and living heritage of all North American Indians. That monument is Crazy Horse himself atop a horse, finger pointing to where Christopher Columbus landed in the US. The colossal project was started by Korczak and his wife in 1948, but he barely even saw Crazy Horse’s face emerge before he passed away in 1982. Now the project will be continued by his family and it will take hundreds of years to finish. It’s a dream that will live on and on. I met Korczak’s grandson at the site, who is working on Crazy Horse’s fingers and arm. The arm alone is 80 metres, and his head – staring out across the valleys and plains, is 27 metres high. To give you some kind of a decent comparison, the Mount Rushmore presidents are only 18 metres high. I could go on and on about the many natural and manmade
wonders in the US, but this is one in particular I will keep an eye on, watching it emerge in both its artistic grandeur and sentiment. It truly is a phenomenal human achievement that means so much to so many, and it’s wonderful to see people pursuing a dream that continues on after they have gone. Korczak was actually fond of saying: “Never forget your dreams!” It’s great advice. I hope you enjoy the read and drop us a line any time.
Michelle Hespe
@ALLIANCE _ MAG /ALLIANCEAIRLINESMAG DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Dream the days away at Frenchman’s River. Beauty, luxury, serenity. Come and stay. book@frenchmansriver.com.au | 0466 790 142 @frenchmansrivercygnet | www.frenchmansriver.com.au
Route Map
Where we fly. Alliance Airlines is Australia’s leading air charter services operator. CHRISTMAS ISLAND G R O OT E EYLANDT
Private charter
Alliance Airline CAIRNS
TOWNSVILLE PORT HEDLAND K A R R AT H A
CANNINGTON
CAPE PRESTON ONSLOW ROCKHAMPTON GLADSTONE
KEY
CHRISTMAS ISLAND
BUNDABERG G R O OT E EYLANDT
Private charter flights
SUNSHINE COAST
MOOMBA
Alliance Airlines & Virgin Australia commercia BRISBANE
CAIRNS
TOWNSVILLE
PORT MACQUARIE
PORT HEDLAND K A R R AT H A
CANNINGTON
PERTH ONSLOW
SYDNEY ROCKHAMPTON GLADSTONE
ADELAIDE
BUNDABERG
SUNSHINE COAST
MOOMBA
BRISBANE
NOTE: MAPS ARE NOT TO SCALE
CAPE PRESTON
PORT MACQUARIE AUCKLAND
PERTH
SYDNEY
ADELAIDE
key
WELLINGTON
Private charter flights Alliance Airlines & Virgin Australia commercial flights
DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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CONTINUING TO SUPPORT REGIONAL QUEENSLAND Our passion for aviation and our commitment to local communities is making a difference with new aviation apprenticeship opportunities available throughout the state.
VI VA
AVI ATI O N
Visit HAWKERPACIFIC.COM to find out more.
Helping airlines get them to their destination With 50 locations around the country and supplying fuel for approximately 1,200 ights a day, we’re providing the aviation industry with the infrastructure needed to keep Australia ying.
Alliance News. Stay in the know with what’s happening with our airline and in our industry.
Australian Tourism Charters Contract Extension Alliance Airlines has signed a three-year contract extension with Tauck, a luxury tour provider based in the US. Alliance operates contracted flights in support of Tauck’s Australian itineraries including Melbourne, Uluru, Cairns and Sydney. Since the initial four flights in 2014, the tours have grown significantly in popularity with an excess of 50 charters operated during 2018 throughout Australia and New Zealand. The first year of this contract extension will see a minimum of 70 charter flights operate in Australia. Lee Schofield, Alliance Airlines Chief Executive Officer, said, “Alliance is very proud that we continue to grow the number of charters we operate for Tauck… Tauck is one of the world’s leading tour operators providing enriched travel experiences to every corner of the globe. Both organisations are in discussions to provide new charters to new Australian destinations over the next three years.”
Airport and Aviation Safety Week: 15–19 October 2018 Last October, Alliance Airlines promoted Aviation Safety Week in all our bases throughout the country. Safety Week endorses the safety conversation by encouraging all staff and contractors working in an aviation environment to consider their obligations to provide a safe environment for all airport users. This year’s concept was “Walk in my shoes” with a daily focus on Safety Culture, Reporting Procedures, Foreign Object Debris (FOD), Safety Management Systems (SMS) and Ramp Safety and Ground Operations. DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Alliance News
Photo of the month Our Fokker 100 VH-UQW at sunset. Image captured by Wayne Parmiter, Alliance Airlines First Officer.
Passenger Feedback Hi, I’ve been meaning to write in to say that it was a pleasure to travel on Alliance from Perth to Melbourne for the Grand Final with TASA. We were on the F100 Blue QQ561 7am Friday morning flight, returning Sunday at midday on QQ562. We have to compliment you on the staff looking after us on the flights – they were professional, very efficient and super friendly, the best cabin staff we’ve seen for a while. Over the last 18 months we’ve travelled with Singapore Airlines, Garuda, Vietnam Airlines, Silkair and Jetstar – Alliance crew came out on top! The seats were comfortable with good leg room and we could hear the Captain’s announcements clearly, and he also had a good sense of humour. A great experience topped by our win in the Grand Final – go Eagles!
Dave Kirkpatrick
Location: Townsville FNQ Role: Senior Base Pilot F70/100 in Northern Queensland.
Can you tell us about your professional background? Originally I trained as an aircraft airframe engineer, but after five years moved over to professional flying in 1980 as an instructor. I’ve been involved in corporate, RPT and FIFO flight operations since 1984, having held positions of Chief Flying Instructor, Head of Training and Standards and Chief Pilot for several notable organisations. I joined the Alliance team in 2008. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Cycling, tennis, occasional golf and socialising with friends.
q&a What do you feel has been your greatest achievement? Raising two children to be independent, kind, caring and responsible adults. If you had a choice of aircraft and destination, what would you fly and where would you go? STOL kitted Piper Supercub or Taylorcraft into the remote Hinterland of the South Island of New Zealand, trout fishing (fly).
DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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From here, we’re really taking off. Extraordinary adventures begin at Perth Airport. From the Pinnacles to the Bungle Bungles, from Margaret River to Cable Beach, Western Australia’s natural wonders and unique cultural experiences are all within reach. In fact, most of the world is. We connect to all Australia’s major airports and can reach Europe, Africa and many destinations in Asia much quicker than you can from the eastern seaboard. Whether we’re satisfying wanderlust or business needs, or supporting the Western Australian economy, Perth Airport is a connection hub like no other. And the transformation is not over yet. Our adventure is just beginning…
Alliance News
Land of the bilby Look out the window. Look down, over the vast and aweinspiring outback landscape. Chances are, you are in bilby country. Almost all of the Australian sites serviced by Alliance Airways are in the land of the bilby (west of Emerald, Qld). Up until European settlement, bilbies lived over most of Australia, except for the wet north and East Coast. Now, thanks to feral cats and foxes, as well as rabbits and land clearing, they’re only surviving in 20% of that, holding on in WA’s Pilbara, the western Northern Territory and southwest Queensland. Still, this is a better fate than many of Australia’s other native species, which were completely wiped off the continent. Bilbies are miners of the desert, using powerful limbs to dig deep, spiral-shaped burrows, which can be three metres long and two metres deep. They often dig new burrows and can visit up to 10 every night. Not bad for an animal the size of a rabbit! They have a huge nose and ears, which are perfect for finding food underground. They love a trail-mix of seeds, fruit, fungi, bulbs and bugs, and use a long, sticky tongue to slurp all this food up (along with a lot of sand). Their scats can be 90 per cent sand! Also, they don’t need to drink.
Bilbies are probably the most famous of Australia’s endangered animals and are loved by kids for being the Easter Bunny’s Aussie sidekick. Each Easter you can buy chocolate bilbies, with proceeds going towards bilby conservation programs. A lot of work has gone into saving bilbies in the past few decades, and this has seen great results. Bilbies have now been reintroduced to some parts of their old home range, including the Arid Recovery Reserve, north of Olympic Dam, SA. This is a 123 square kilometre reserve, fenced to keep out feral animals and protect rare Australian wildlife. But it’s not just about fencing the bilbies in. Arid Recovery is at the forefront of Australian conservation, and for the past 21 years has been testing all sorts of new ways to control ferals and get our native animals surviving in the outback again. Visiting Olympic Dam? Arid Recovery runs sunset tours of the reserve, where hopefully you can spotlight for rare wildlife after dark. They have plenty of stories to tell as well. Contact the Roxby Downs Visitors Centre to arrange a sunset tour at (08) 8671 5941. To all of you visting Australia’s great outback, welcome. Welcome to the land of the bilby. DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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KARIJINI
eco RETREAT
World class Karijini National Park is a must-see for any visitor to the Pilbara and located in the depths of the park is the magnificent Karijini Eco Retreat. Designed with the environment in mind • Deluxe and dorm style eco tents and cabins • Outback restaurant & bar • 15 min. walk trail to Joffre Gorge • Campground with BBQ facilities, showers/WC • Easy access - only 3km unsealed
Bookings T: (08) 9425 5591 E: reservations@karijiniecoretreat.com.au W: www.karijiniecoretreat.com.au Off Weano Road, Karijini National Park, Western Australia Owned by the Gumala Aboriginal Corporation
ecoretreat karijini
Regional News. Keep up with what’s happening across our communities. WORDS: Sarah Hinder
The recently launched art installation ‘Field of Light: Avenue of Honour’ by internationally acclaimed UK artist Bruce Munro has attracted more than 32,000 visitors since it opening to the public on October 4. Commissioned by cultural organisation FORM, the installation consists of 16,000 glass spheres on fine stems powered by fibre optics. This is Munro’s second installation in Australia. His first light installation, Field of Light Uluru, has been luring visitors since 2016, and was so successful that it will be on
show until December 2020. Field of Light formed part of significant Remembrance Day commemorations in Albany, the site where 41,000 troops left for Northern Africa and Gallipoli or the Western Front. The project will continue to be a lasting legacy for Albany beyond April. People have been so moved by the experience that FORM has been capturing the project via reflection postcards. FORM’s front of house service manager Sue McMahon said, “Numbers have overwhelmingly exceeded our expectations and we’ve averaged between 800 to 900 visitors a night.”
PHOTOGRAPH: LEE GRIFFITH PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY CITY OF ALBANY
Let there be light
VISITORS TO THE PUBLIC OPENING OF FIELD OF LIGHT AVENUE OF HONOUR
Rescued 80-year-old breeding sea turtle has been released off Fitzroy Island An 80-year-old green sea turtle named Margaret has been released into the ocean following a remarkable three-year recovery at Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. Severely malnourished and suffering pneumonia and impaction from marine debris, Margaret was found floating, presumably for months, off the coast of Fitzroy Island by Cairns Dive Centre crew. More than 80 years old and 1.1 metres in length, she is one of oldest female breeding turtles ever to be rescued and released. The rehabilitation was particularly exciting because only one in 1,000 turtles reach the age of 30, when
they begin to reproduce. Margaret was affectionately named after one of Australia’s oldest and most determined conservationists, Margaret Deas, who on her 102nd birthday raised $5,000 for the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre by performing as many squats as her age. Sponsored by Fitzroy Island Resort, the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre is a notfor-profit organisation run by volunteers dedicated to the rehabilitation of sick and injured marine turtles. For more information visit fitzroyisland.com. DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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What's on.
Our pick of the very best gigs, festivals, and cultural and sporting events from around the country. WORDS: Sarah hinder
December 1 L’Etape Australia by le Tour de France
Image: © Beardy McBeard
Jindabyne NSW Participants choose to race or ride this challenging course through the Snowy Mountains in an astounding experience for amateur riders as close to the Tour de France as possible. letapeaustralia.com
November 29–December 2
December 26–30
Kalgoorlie-Boulder WA Acknowledging the ongoing partnership between the mining industry and the local KalgoorlieBoulder community, St Barb’s celebrates with a carnival parade and miners’ memorial. stbarbs.com.au
Melbourne Vic Australia vs India at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground this Domain Boxing Day Test, in India’s first appearance in Australia since 2016. cricket.com.au
Saint Barbara’s Festival
December 1 Great Australian Beer Festival
Albury NSW This showcase of local breweries, restaurants and food trucks will appeal to all lovers of craft beer and cider. gabfalbury.com.au
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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE
December 2
IRONMAN Western Australia
Busselton WA Competitors swim, bike and run through the beautiful town of Busselton in this 15th anniversary IRONMAN event. ap.ironman.com/westernaustralia
Boxing Day Test
December 26–January 1
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
Sydney NSW & Hobart Tas The race villages come to life with wine bars, live race coverage and the pulsing atmosphere of one of the world’s most anticipated yacht races. rolexsydneyhobart.com
Events Calender
January 3–6 Summernats
Canberra ACT Australia’s biggest horsepower party since 1988, this four-day automotive lifestyle festival features epic modified car races, the world’s biggest burnout battle and motor retail trade shows to the soundtrack of rock ‘n’ roll. summernats.com.au Lancelin Ocean Classic
December 28–January 6 Falls Festival
Lorne Vic, Marion Bay SA, Byron Bay NSW & Fremantle WA One of the biggest events on the Aussie music festival calendar, this year’s Falls lineup includes Toto, Vance Joy, Flight Facilities, Golden Features and Touch Sensitive. fallsfestival.com
January 5–13
Lancelin Ocean Classic
Lancelin WA From windsurfing and beach runs to jet skiing and dragon boating, Lancelin hosts one of Australia’s most well known watersports competitions. lancelinoceanclassic.com.au
January 9–13 Parkes Elvis Festival Parkes NSW Dedicated to everything vintage Elvis, rural Parkes hosts the second biggest Elvis-themed festival in the world. Take part in ultimate tribute concerts and vintage street parties alongside throngs of Elvis impersonators. parkeselvisfestival. com.au
January 10–20
Santos Tour Down Under
South Australia The biggest cycling race in the southern hemisphere, Santos follows 11 days of racing around South Australia, while Adelaide hosts an entire Tour Village of entertainment dedicated to cycling, including Australia’s biggest bike expo. tourdownunder.com.au
January 14–27
Australian Open
Melbourne Vic Join tennis champions and
enthusiasts from across the globe at this tennis Grand Slam event like no other. ausopen.com
January 18–27
Tamworth Country Music Festival
Tamworth NSW Australia’s largest music festival, the iconic Tamworth plays host to the best country artists from across Australia alongside remarkable country entertainment. tcmf.com.au
January 25–27
Crush Festival
Adelaide SA Explore the beautiful Adelaide Hills region during the summer as local vineyards and wineries put their best foot forward and showcase their finest drops. crushfestival.com.au
January 26–28
Festival of Sails
Geelong Vic With a history dating back to 1844, Victoria’s oldest sporting event sees more than 3,000 competitors take part in the sailing regatta, while 110,000 visitors come to explore the accompanying Shoreside Festival. festivalofsails.com.au DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Entertainment.
Comedy WORDS: Robin Kopf
books
Jim Jefferies Tour 6-17 Dec.
Out of Range
By John Rooth, Paperback Along seven of the most rugged four-wheel drive trips around the country, John “Roothy” Rooth takes readers around rural and remote Australia, featuring 30 years of incredible photography of ‘out of range’ adventures, from desert to croc swamps.
apps
Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff
By Chip Gaines, Available for Kindle From Texan TV star Chip Gaines comes a memoir and pseudo self-help book for all of those who want to find new ways to hack business and life through positivity when the going gets rough.
The Chalk Man
By CJ Tudor, Available for Kindle This is the book for lovers of Stephen King and chills down the spine. CJ Tudor’s debut novel has already received remarkable critical reception for its addictive, page turning twists and eyepopping ending. You won’t be able to put it down.
look for fishing, camping, food & bars
UntappdDiscover Beer
AllTrails: Hike, Run and Cycle
Untappd can help you find, rate and share your favourite beers. With updated menus for nearby pubs based on your location, this app can keep you informed on all things beer.
AllTrails helps any kind of hiker explore new and familiar trails. Users can look for trails that suit their needs, check on trail activity, see photos and save their favourites.
Campermate Campermate helps campers find whatever they need while on the go. The app works without internet, so there is no worry about losing reception while looking for a petrol station.
Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne All-star stand-up comedian, actor and writer Jim Jefferies is touring Australia with his arena show, ‘The Night Talker,’ to dig into political issues, celebrity news, and anything else worth roasting these days.
PODCASTS
2 Guys 1 Cup AFL
FishbrainFishing App Fishbrain is the social media network for those that love fishing for sport. Users can share their catches, find ideal places and times to fish, and record the best fishing spots.
Footy and comedy lovers alike can get behind 2 Guys 1 Cup for all the unconventional footy comedy they can stomach in one podcast.
Hamish and Andy
Hamish Blake and Andy Lee’s podcast uses games and interviews to make people laugh on their morning commute.
DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Sports
10
GREATEST MOMENTS
the
When it comes to tennising, the Southern Hemisphere’s only ’Slam tennises harder than most. From Laver to lava-like temperatures, here are its most amazing moments. WORDS: Ben smithurst
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Navratilova: out from the Iron Curtain, out of the closet, and out of this world, 1981
SPOT FACT
In 1995 heavy storms, a power failure and a busted pump saw centre court flooded midmatch with ankle-deep water, delaying an Andre Agassi victory. “I just hope we have a dry court for Sunday,” said Agassi.
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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE
Few sportspeople can hold a match to the magnificent Czech-born Martina Navratilova, and in 1981 she showed her courage wasn’t just displayed on-court. It was a big year for the legendary player, who’d both revealed her sexual orientation and become a US citizen, but rival Chris Evert remained world number one ahead of the final in Oz. Of the pair’s 14 Grand Slam final meet-ups, this was the best: a nail-biting, seesawing, 6-7, 6-4, 7-5 win over a stacked women’s field. It was Navratilova’s first as an American and as an openly gay athlete.
Sports
2
Cometh the hour, cometh the janitor, 1976
“[The media] ended up getting out of me that I’d been a cleaner, so, therefore, I was a janitor,” said Mark Edmondson, still Australia’s last men’s winner of our domestic Open. “After I won, one writer gave me a mop and bucket and had me throw it away for a photo op. So I’ve been a janitor all my life.” In the 1976 Open the four semi-finalists were all Aussies – something we daren’t dream of now. The least fancied of them all, Edmondson, beat the legendary Ken Rosewall, and then none other than John Newcombe – and John Newcombe’s moustache – to win. He never made the finals of another Grand Slam.
3
The Serena Slam, 2003
If hard competition makes good sportspeople great, then it’s no wonder Serena and Venus Williams made it to the top of world tennis. Even so, in 2003, younger sibling Serena was already showing the dominance that would edge her legend slightly ahead in any eventual reckoning. In a hard-fought 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4 victory, the 21-year-old junior Williams prevailed in an epic encounter – becoming the fifth woman to hold all four majors at once. “I’m really, really, really happy,” she said, having vanquished her sister, “and I’d like to thank my mum and dad for always supporting me.”
4
The Battle of Australia: Rod Laver defeats Tony Roche, 1969 semi-finals
In the days before tiebreakers, Rod Laver – whose name adorns the current arena – and rising star Tony Roche played a scarcely believable 42-game second set. So sweltering was their four-hour marathon, in then outrageous 39-degree heat, that Laver put cabbage in his hat to cool down (the 1960s were weird). Roche, hungry and aggressive at just 23, lost the first two sets, then came roaring back to square the ledger before the fifth. But Rocket Rod was then a wily 30-year-old; a long-time pro whose non-amateur status, accommodated by rule changes, had him eligible for his first Australian Open in seven years. He won the match, the Open, and – in the same year – his second single-year Grand Slam. Half a century later, Laver remains the last player to manage the feat. DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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The five-hour, 53-minute epic: Novak Djokovic defeats Rafael Nadal, 2012 “This was definitely one of the greatest matches of all time – easily one of the 10 best since the Open era of tennis started in 1968,” said Steve Flink, author of The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time, speaking to World Tennis. “Djokovic and Nadal both showed boundless energy and determination. They moved beyond themselves time and again, finding reserves of willpower they never knew existed. It was a match that will stand the test of time. It was riveting theatre...” Then the world’s top two male players, the stage was set for an epic showdown in 2012 – but even so, nobody could have expected the third consecutive final between the Serbian prince and the Majorcan great to run
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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE
almost an hour longer than any Grand Slam decider ever held. The match finished at 1.37am on Monday, Melbourne time. What’s more, with an eventual 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5 scoreline, it seemed that almost every point was a seesawing nail-biter. The ninth game included a 32-shot rally. Breaking with convention, the knackered pair were given chairs to sit in at the presentation. “This one was very special,” said Rafa – the loser on the night. “But I really understand that was a really special match, and probably a match that’s going to be in my mind not because I lost, no, because [of] the way that we played.” “Both of us, physically, we took the last drop of energy that we had from our bodies,” Djokovic said.
Baghdatis busts four, 2012
Marcos Baghdatis had four years earlier played one of the tournament’s truly epic matches, a five-set defeat to Lleyton “C’moon!” Hewitt that started at 11.47pm and finished at 4.33am. But it was the Cypriot’s 2012 meltdown that broke records of a different sort: for racquet demolition. The hirsute slugger was slugged with an $800 fine for destroying four expensive pieces of his own carbonfibre hardware – effectively less than cost price – in a courtside tantrum while going down to Stan Wawrinka. Two of them never even made it out of their bubble wrap. “I think that’s one of the best [racquet tantrums] I’ve seen,” said Todd Woodbridge from the commentary booth.
2014: Open meltdown
On the fifth day of play in 2014, Melbourne nudged 44°C – with 6 per cent humidity. Daily temps had topped 41.5°C for the three previous days. A record nine players withdrew before Round 1; on day three, 970 fans were treated for heat exhaustion. Canadian player Frank Dancevic began to hallucinate mid-match, a ball-boy collapsed, and several players ruminated that someone might, y’know… die. Having previously resisted all pressure, organisers changed their Extreme Heat Policy for 2015. The fireproof pair of Stan Wawrinka and Li Na won the respective singles titles.
8
Sports
Roger Federer cracks, 2009
The genius of R-Fed is unquestioned – especially now, nine years later. But in 2009 he was rolled in the final by his greatest rival, Rafael Nadal. Just a year after their all-time epic Wimbledon final – also won by the Spaniard – the Swiss went down in a gruelling five-set tennis war. He was uncommonly devastated. “God, it’s killing me,” he said, breaking down in his runners-up speech. Rafa, with characteristic class, rushed to embrace him, and sport, briefly, felt like it had nothing to do with money.
John McEnroe does his ’nana, 1990
John McEnroe was the public temper tantrum OG, a sort of combined Picasso, Socrates and Charlemagne of shit-losing. The American tennis genius was so great at flying off the handle that he’d regularly end up in a parallel dimension, light years away, in a place where handles hadn’t even been invented. But the 1990 Australian Open was a ripper. First he copped a violation for staring down a lineswoman. Then he smashed a racket (second violation). Then he began swearing at the chair umpire (strike three). Then he realised that the old fourstrike disqualification rule was newly a three-strike rule… and defaulted the match. It made the Mac the first player disqualified from a Grand Slam match since 1963.
SPOT FACT
Jim Courier celebrated his 1992 Open win by jumping into the Yarra with his coach… and pollution levels 18 times higher than acceptable for humans, according to advice by VicHealth. They did it again in 1993.
Sampras weeps, wins, 1995
Hairy tennis robot Pete Sampras was known for displays of emotion like Kyle Sandilands is known for Pilates, but the 1995 men’s quarterfinal was an exception. In the first game of a tight five-set epic versus Jim Courier, Sampras – inexplicably and gut-wrenchingly – began sobbing. Unknown to anyone, Sampras’s close friend and coach Tim Gullikson, who would die from the disease a year later, had been diagnosed with brain cancer. He’d jetted out for the US that day. Remarkably, Courier picked up on what was happening. His, “Are you all right, Pete? We can do this tomorrow, you know,” was audible over the court mics. Sampras won, including with two successive aces, delivered while bawling. DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Romance, relaxation, fine food and birdsong make this perfect pocket of Australia a true piece of tropical paradise. WORDS BY: Michelle Hespe
fast fact
The Daintree Rainforest is estimated to be over 125 million years old, making it the oldest tropical lowland rainforest in the world.
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Getaway
This part of the world is made for adventure
T
he route up the Captain Cook Highway from Cairns to Cape Tribulation has to be one of the most exhilarating roads to cruise along in Australia, if not the world. The highway hugs the gently undulating coastline, and is beautifully sandwiched between two world-heritagelisted natural phenomenons that people travel across the world to experience: the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. On one side of us, the massive expanse of ocean is glittering like a field of sapphires and diamonds under the sun, and on the other, the rainforest cloaks the towering mountains that seem to shape-shift as the shadows of heavy cumulus clouds roll by above them. Way off in the distance, Cape Trib, as she's known, juts out into the water like a gigantic half-submerged green sea turtle, the fine line of white sand looking like its soft underbelly. We’ve promised one another that we’ll ditch the gadgets for a romantic weekend away, and so we snap away on our trusty old SLR, capturing this magical part of Australia that lures in 4WD drivers like bees to honey. There’s a steady line of them ahead. Roof racks piled with tents, kayaks and surfboards, and mountain bikes strapped to boots are sure signs that this part of the world is made for adventure and getting back to nature. DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Aborestium illecte est
Downtime at the Lodge Who doesn't love the sound of a wild bird chirruping away to its heart’s content? Not only is it a sign of a thriving environment, it usually means that that you've managed to escape the city and are in a place where nature reigns supreme. Driving into the magical grounds of the Daintree Ecolodge in Far North Queensland, one thing is very clear: there are thousands of ecstatic birds enjoying the thick jungle canopies where architecturally designed cabins peek out of their verdant hidey-holes. Their song is almost deafening. Wooden staircases, storybook bridges and quaint seating nooks made for two boost the romance factor, and the tropical gardens with towering fern trees transform the scene into a postcard brought to life by the flurry of bird wings and the croaking of green tree frogs. The lodge was the first of its kind when it opened in Australia in the 1980s, and it has always championed 'indulgence with a conscience', with
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the managers past and present aiming to make a positive contribution to the local environment and community. All produce in the lodge's Julaymba Restaurant is locally sourced, with chef Simone Watts being a passionate supporter of the region’s abundance of exotic edible offerings. She has access to blueberry farms and avocados bursting with flavour, and a dazzling array of fruits such as Davidson plums and the endemic Boonjie tamarind. "In the dryer, warmer areas up north, you'll find some of the sweetest pineapples and bananas in the country," says Simone. "On the coast you’re greeted with produce that requires humid, warm climates, such as cocoa, vanilla and green peppercorns.” Simone is always changing the menu, and the food is some of the best you’ll find in all of Queensland. The kangaroo dish is one of the restaurant's signatures, crusted in native pepper, marinated in soy and crushed ginger and served with a tea-soaked egg using local Daintree Estates tea,
confit fennel, ruby grapefruit, mungalli labneh, dried olive, boonjie tamarind vinaigrette at Julaymba restaurant miso cream and a wasabi granola. It's garnished with pickled ginger, marigolds from the Lodge's expansive garden and bamboo charcoal salt. You won't want to leave your suite. Spacious, light-filled and modern, each is graced with an enclosed balcony extending into the forest. However down in the restaurant, bar and loungeroom where guests gather after a day of exploring, you’ll feel just as relaxed. The staff are as welcoming as friends, and the views, wherever you sit, are nothing short of spectacular.
Getaway
dreamtime at Mossman Gorge There's nothing like escaping the cooler weather down south and being ensconsed in the balmy days and nights that Queensland offers, however no matter what time of year it is, you have to be wary of saltwater crocodiles. The further north you go, the more rivers, beaches and waterholes are out of bounds. So for travellers enjoying this region, Mossman Gorge, located in the southern part of the Daintree National Park, is a slice of swimming heaven. The rock pools are deep and cool all year and the sun streams through the forest canopies, warming up smooth rocks where you can sunbathe while listening to the sound of the cascading rapids and waterfalls. Within minutes of arriving, we've spotted a couple of stately looking water dragons, a shy green tree frog, and constant little bursts of vivid colour throughout the forest let us know that kingfishers, honeyeaters and Ulysses butterflies call this haven home. There are gentle walking paths winding throughout the rainforest, and a suspension bridge from which you can get a great view of the rapids far below. We fit in a Dreamtime Walk tour to gain some insight into the ancient flora and fauna of Mossman Gorge, as taught by local Indigenous guides from the Kuku Yalanji (also known as the rainforest people). Our guide's grandfather and his family for 50,000 years before him lived in harmony with the environment here. Their borders extend from Port Douglas in the south, to Cooktown in the north and Chillagoe in the west, but from WWII onwards, the Kuku Yalanji mainly lived around the Mossman River. Since 1986, these guides have been sharing the knowledge and stories of their ancestors with visitors, however it was Kuku Yalanji elder Roy Gibson who had a dream of something even more impactful. He wanted to create an educational facility that would bring more opportunities to his people, while preserving their culture and the land they call home. Gibson's dream became a reality in 2012 when the $20 million Mossman Gorge Centre opened. The centre provides Indigenous employment and includes a residential training facility. There's also a cafe selling simple meals and beverages using locally sourced produce and Indigenous bush ingredients, with a deck so that guests can sit outdoors by the forest. There's also an art gallery and retail store to showcase and sell Kuku Yalanji art, crafts and products, with everything from paintings and prints to fabrics, diaries, beach towels and so many other pieces that capture the magic and spirit of this special place.
From top to bottom: sunbathing after a swim at mossman gorge; a green tree frog; the stunning ulysses butterfly is a popular sight in Far north queensland.
FACT FILE
Daintree Ecolodge & Spa daintree-ecolodge.com.au Mossman Gorge Centre mossmangorge.com.au
DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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THE
IN EIGHT CHAPTERS Needles Highway and the Badlands. Bison and cowboys. Wild Bill Hickok & Deadwood. Sound like a Wild West adventure? That's exactly what South Dakota is. Words: MICHELLE HESPE
CHAPTER 1
We all have those bucket list travel experiences we want to tick off, and being a fan of the great Wild West, one of mine was seeing the Buffalo Roundup in South Dakota. My week in this stunningly scenic part of the US was filled with things I’d only ever seen in old Western flicks, cartoons like Road Runner and shows like Little House on the Prairie. And by the time I was surrounded by a thousand bison and hundreds of cowboys, I was feeling as though I’d inadvertently become an extra on an
THE ROAD HAS MORE TWISTS THAN A STEPHEN KING NOVEL
action-packed movie set. Needles Highway through Custer State Park in The Black Hills is enough to make anyone pinch themselves. The road was finished in 1922 (after it being deemed an impossible task), and it slices through monumental tons of towering needlelike granite sculptures. It includes more twists than a Stephen King thriller and culminates at the Needle’s Eye, where, at first, it looks as though a car can’t fit through the cavernous, one-way rock tunnel that’s
2.5 metres wide and 3.5 metres high. But they do, one at a time, below endless rock spires that look like otherworldly churches, sprouting from thick fir tree forests. The mountains seem to move if you stare too closely, as they are alive with deer and tiny bouncing dots that I soon come to recognise as chipmunks. Yep, they are as cute and as hyperactive as Alvin. I cruise and trek through Badlands National Park, where bighorn sheep amble and prairie dogs stick their heads up into the world,
hilariously yipping at one another like one big game of Whack-a-Mole. The ancient layered rock formations in hues of orange, grey, yellow and purple are flecked with lime green scrubs and desert grasses that are as hard as nails, iridescent under the hot Dakota sun. Startling steep mesas and rugged gorges fan out every which way across the land. Forget a movie set – by then it wouldn’t have surprised me at all if someone in the next town told me that I had somehow landed on another planet. DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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CHAPTER 2
The day of my meeting with bison finally arrived. These great, lolloping, strangely sweet-looking bovines are loosely called buffalo despite only distantly being related to the true buffalo (which have bigger horns and rhino-type skin). In the 16th century about 25-30 million bison roamed North America, yet by the late 1880s fewer than 100 buffalo remained in the wild. Even more shocking is the fact that they were hunted for their skins and tongues and the rest of the animal was left behind to decay. Today, all parts of bison are used after they are slaughtered, much like cows, and they're flourishing to the point where a typical South Dakotan café or pub has bison burger on the menu. Around 20,000 buffalo are slaughtered each year, compared to approximately 125,000 cattle per day, and they roam freely most of their lives. Bison skulls and horns are commonly used for wall hangings and they're big-ticket souvenir items that support many local artists. It’s worth noting, especially if you’re a vegetarian, that South Dakotans love animal heads and hides in their homes and businesses. You’d be hard-pressed to find a pub in these parts without a collection of every animal that ever roamed the region. The buffalo roundup occurs every September in the 71,000-acre Custer State Park, which is home to one of the world's largest publicly owned bison herds – being nearly 1,300 strong. The aim is to monitor the population’s health, and it’s an incredible spectacle – cowboys and cowgirls in their best western gear rounding them up on horseback as car ‘chasers’ get in on the action. And that’s where I found myself – standing in the back of a ute clinging to a roof rack, bouncing through Custer Park surrounded by a thousand buffalo that gradually merged into one gigantic thundering herd that made the world shudder. With the white mountain peaks behind us and endless golden fields spread before us, alongside 15,000 other spectactors I was spellbound by that awesome western show that captures the lively spirit of South Dakota.
CHAPTER 3
HOW WERE THE FOUR PRESIDENTS CHOSEN FOR MOUNT RUSHMORE?
The 18-metre high faces of former US presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln loom far above me. “Who chose them?” a kid asks his mother as they walk past me, mouths agape. It’s a very common question at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. What made these presidents stand out from the others that came before or after them? So much so that they were sculpted into a 60-foot-high section of the granite in the Black Hills? The lead sculptor behind the monumental work of art, Gutzon Borglum, selected these presidents because from his perspective they represented the most important events in the history of the United States. Ultimately, they stood for freedom, democracy and independence. Washington was the first president of the US and he was considered the father of the new country – he laid the foundation of American democracy. Jefferson was the country’s third president and he was the main author of the Declaration of Independence. Roosevelt was the 26th president of the US – he was renowned for championing the rights of the common working man. Lincoln was America's 16th leader and he was a staunch believer that all slavery should be abolished. Looking up at the men, who were human like us all, it’s not the patriotism that grips me, nor the grandeur of the thing, or the
fact that it took more than 400 people 14 years to complete, with the project beginning in 1927 and wrapping up in 1941. No, it’s the fact that someone had a dream that big and they pulled it off. It’s not complete, mind you. There’s actually a partly finished hall carved out at the top of the mountain behind their heads that was supposed to be the 'Hall of Records', and due to lack of funding this capsule of storytelling was never completed. I’m also impressed by Mount Rushmore because of how lifelike the presidents are. It looks as though, while they were contemplating their next move in life, they were frozen in time. They look as though they could simply step out of the monument and walk off through the Black Hills. I have to shake myself out of a trance. It's not a movie set, and those once-powerful men are definitely staying put. DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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CHAPTER 4
Being in the heart of the Wild West, in the former Gold Rush city of Deadwood, I'm longing for some saloon-style double doors to throw open so that I can mosey on up to the bar like Calamity Jane once did, and ask for a whiskey. Straight up. I'd place my bowler hat on the counter, take a drag of my cigar and thrust my gun back into its holster. I'm not the bruiser that Calamity Jane was, raising hell wherever she went. I also don't drink whiskey and I don't like guns or cigars, but that doesn't stop me from pushing in the doors of Wild Bill Bar in downtown Deadwood with a bit of attitude, pulling up a bar stool and ordering a glass of Pinot Gris. I'm wearing my Akubra, and the cowboy bartender says he likes my hat, so I'm off to a pretty good start. I'm also just in time for the Wild Bill Hickok tour so I descend into the belly of the bar and am delighted to find the real thing – an old stone and wooden panelled Westernstyle bar with low-slung saloon style doors and a set-up replicating the poker table where Hickok was famously murdered. The 'Dead Man's Hand' is splayed out next to a half-drunk bottle of whiskey and a scattering of poker chips sit in the spilt drink covering most of Wild Bill's photo. There's a jail cell in one corner of the room, where Bill's killer, Jack McCall, was holed up in dismal conditions after they tracked him down. With a group of other fascinated people, I listen to our storyteller 'Bill' recount details about Wild Bill's life and death with "absolute historical accuracy" and marvel at the room. It's as good as it gets if you want to step back into the Wild West, and it doesn't feel touristtacky. There are other places in town that claim to be the spot where Bill was killed, but I'm putting my chips on this one.
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I'M NOT THE BRUISER THAT CALAMITY JANE WAS, SO I ORDER A PINOT GRIS
CHAPTER 5
And you thought Rushmore was enormous? Well, get yourself over to the world's largest mountain carving – Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills. In 1939, Lakota (Sioux) Chief Henry Standing Bear wrote a letter to sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski (who briefly worked on Mount Rushmore) inviting him to the Black Hills to carve a mountain memorial honouring 19th-century Native Indian war leader, Crazy Horse. Interestingly, a photograph or accurate depiction of Crazy Horse has never been found. "My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes too," Chief Henry Standing Bear wrote. Ziolkowski was becoming globally recognised for his art and he wasn't sure if he wanted the job. Seven years later in 1947 however, he accepted the offer and arrived in the Black Hills with barely $200 in his pocket. He then lived in
a tent in the harsh wilderness for seven months while he built a home and a road to reach it. When Ziolkowski was 39 years old he commemorated the sculpture's beginning with the first blast on the mountain, and he was 40 when he began work on it in 1949. It could have 'just' been a sculpture of incredible proportions, but it quickly became much more than that, as Ziolkowski was determined that it would also be an education facility for Native Americans. His dream came true and today the Indian University of North America is thriving. Crazy Horse's face is almost 27 metres high and his extended arm will be 80 metres long. The work will eventually be 195 metres long and 172 metres high, and it could take hundreds of years to complete. The project will also be kept within the family, relying on hard work and donations, rather than government funding. DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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CHAPTER 6 THE EMPIRE THAT BEGAN WITH THE OFFERING OF FREE ICED WATER
It’s one of the most legendary stories of a family’s success in South Dakota, and perhaps even in all of America. In 1931, Dorothy and Ted Hustead bought a small drugstore in a tiny town called Wall, situated in rugged country on the edge of The Badlands National Park. The couple agreed they’d give their new venture five years to succeed, but in 1936 business was slow, the Depression was in full force, and they knew that they had to take action. Dorothy would often watch the streams of cars passing by Wall on the way down Route 16A across the wide and dusty prairie, without stopping. Don’t forget, it was damn hot in those parts, and back then, there was no air-conditioning. The people in those cars must have been ready to die of heat and thirst. Then one day, a lightbulb moment came that led to the Wall Drug legend: Dorothy proposed that she and Ted stick signs along the highway offering people free iced water if they stopped at Wall Drug. That’s when the couple’s fortune took a turn that they could never have predicted. Within hours of the ‘FREE Ice Water’ signs being placed along the highway, people began turning off and making a stop to cool down at Wall Drug. And when the Husteads added friendly service and some other products that
people needed to the mix, they had a winning formula. Today Wall Drug is no longer one small drugstore– it’s a bona fide tourist destination attracting around 20,000 customers a day during summer. The original pharmacy is now a mammoth general store, and what has morphed up around it is an entire town with everything from a Traveller’s Chapel and Pharmacy Museum, to a waterpark and video arcade for the kids (including a life-size T-Rex that roars every 20 minutes), and a dining room with a bar that sits over 500 people. That's huge for a town with a population of around 800. For those after an authentic souvenir from South Dakota, there’s Sioux pottery, Black Hills gold, Western wear and gear, thousands of cowboy and cowgirl boots, modern and Western books, Western art, camping supplies, and the list goes on and on. And on. The wares are presented in halls, alleys and roads replicating a Wild West town, so these days it’s as much about a fun day out as it is about getting those things you need. Or perhaps just really, really want. DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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CHAPTER 7
Putting gigantic monuments, bison, gangsters, adventure and nature aside, there's something else that South Dakota does exceptionally well: beer. The state is experiencing a craft beer boom and there are cool brewery venues popping up all over the place. In downtown Rapid City, the state's second most populous city, you'll find the state’s oldest operating brewery: Firehouse Brewing Company. The venue is housed within the city's orginal fire station, and it has a cool outdoor beer garden, a huge two-storey restaurant serving delicious, hearty meals (try the awesome tuna tacos and gumbo) and a winery next
LUCKILY FOR YOU, SOUTH DAKOTA IS EXPERIENCING A CRAFT BEER BOOM
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door with a tasting room. Another place for great food is Murphy's Pub and Grill. They do a mean pizza, and here's your place to try out buffalo meatloaf. It's been voted the best pub in the Black Hills, and it's really lively. If you want to hit the town at night, South Dakota also has some really cool bars. And just quietly, if you make friends with the staff at Murphy's, they might slip you a mobile number to text, which will get you into the Blind Lion – a kickass speakeasy hiding downstairs. If you manage to make the cut, the mixologist whips up some of the best cocktails in the land. But you didn't hear it here.
CHAPTER 8
FACT FILE Mount Rushmore National Memorial mtrushmorenationalmemorial.com
Sylvan Lake is considered the crown jewel of Custer State Park – it's one of the most stunning waterholes you could possibly find. Canoe or kayak, go fishing for trout, swim, rent paddleboats or simply head off on one of the many walks around its perimetre that weave in and out of beautiful natural rock sculptures. You'll be joined by many a chipmunk and squirrel. In the forest next to the lake is Sylvan Lake Lodge, in a prime position that was suggested by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Built of stone and wood in typical Rocky Mountain ski lodge style in 1937, it has a main lodge with lovely rooms and a great restaurant, bar and area for relaxing in couches around an open fire. There are also 31 wooden cabins (Daniel Boone style) scattered about the property. They're tucked into the pine and spruce forest and have awe-inspiring views of the surrounding mountains. The lodge is 1,870 metres above sea level, so you really do feel on top of the world up there.
The cabins are large yet cosy, and all have their own bathrooms and open fireplaces with a little wooden table and chairs if you feel like a night in. The main lodge sells bundles of firewood, so make sure you prepare. On my last night in a cabin at Slyvan Lodge (just before Autumn arrived) I made sure the fire was cranking, cracked open a bottle of Firehouse Cabernet Reserve, and settled in with some local beef jerky called Sturgis. The Gapp family have been making this super tasty jerky since 1964, so it's no surprise that they seriously have the art down pat. I sat by my cabin window, gazing out over the Needles Highway, feeling just like a homesteading pioneer woman in the South Dakotan wilderness. Some white-tailed deer gathered to nibble on the trees below my cabin, looking every bit like reindeer. Then the snow began to fall, turning the land into a place as magical as Narnia. And with that, my buffalo-seeking adventure seemed utterly complete.
Deadwood deadwood.com Crazy Horse Memorial crazyhorsememorial.org Wall Drug walldrug.com Rapid City visitrapidcity.com Firehouse Brewing Co. firehousebrewing.com Murphy’s Pub and Grill murphyspubandgrill.com Sylvan Lake blackhillsbadlands.com/places/ sylvan-lake Sylvan Lake Lodge custerresorts.com For more information on Needles Highway, Black Hills, The Badlands National Park, Custer State Park, the Buffalo Roundup and all other things South Dakota, please visit: travelsouthdakota.com and greatamericanwest.com.au Photos courtesy of South Dakota Department of Tourism
DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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FAST TORQUE
Panoramic WORDS: iain curry
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F
irst-time visitors to Australia seem well versed in the ways our country can kill you. If it’s not crocs snatching you from a billabong, the great whites will get you on a snorkelling trip. You could perish via snake or spider bite, or an outback breakdown may result in the furnace-like heat doing you in. One thing tourists neglect to fear about Australia is the cold weather. Mountains, snow and exposure simply don’t fit the Aussie stereotype. However Victoria’s High Country is not a region to take lightly. Elevation nears 2000 metres in some places; lows can be colder than -10 C, and heavy snowfall and biting winds can quickly cause trouble for the hardiest of adventurers. The window of opportunity to explore 4WD tracks in the Victorian Alps is small, but the rewards are bountiful. Tackling some of the routes isn’t for first-timers, so an organised expedition like Isuzu’s I-Venture Club brings safety in numbers, plus a happy dose of camaraderie. Isuzu Ute Australia is the only off-road brand with such a club, offering single-day tasters or multi-day odysseys so owners can test the true abilities of their Isuzu D-MAX utes and MU-X SUVs. With two people to each car, in convoy behind expert guides, it’s an ideal way to absorb off-road driving techniques. We start in Melbourne and in a few hours we’re drinking in fresh air in the Alpine National Park town of Bright. Isuzu owners — some retirees, some young things — have ventured from many pockets of Australia to partake, and a wave of happy escapism washes over us from the outset. The sky is a richer blue, the air still and clear, and the trees are hardier in these parts to withstand the winters. We see hints of mountains above us from the town – free of snow in these latter stages of summer – and make our way up the sealed and smooth Great Alpine Road. The first ‘Oh wow’ moment comes as we suck in the thin air at Mt Hotham’s Danny’s Lookout. At 1705m we’re afforded an endless Alpine panorama; Mt Buller and Mt Feathertop are two lofty highlights as the muted blues and greens of the mountains ripple to the horizon. The final destination today is Trig Point, reached along the steep and rocky Blue Rag Range Trail. Arguably the High Country’s most spectacular track, this was our champagne starter to the upcoming banquet. Tyres down to 20psi, low range engaged, and the land opens up ahead of us. Less air in the tyres means more contact with the loose rock-coated surface, and I’m astonished by both the Isuzu D-MAX and MU-X’s climbing skills. In low range the reams DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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FAST TORQUE
of torque means we can slowly pick our way up the trail, a gentle dab on the throttle giving instant shove to all four wheels. With steep drop-offs either side, the final ascent demands concentration, but playing follow-my-leader behind the experts is great for the confidence. The sun is setting as we return, and the the sky becomes a sea of pastel colours through illuminated ghost gum trees, rising like spindly fingers along the roadside. Breath firmly taken on day one, we’re already converts to the beautifully stark nature on display up here. Day two is our off-road transit stage to Mansfield in the Alps’ foothills. We make rapid progress along the stony red dirt, before the Isuzus enjoy a cleansing wade across the King River. We spot numerous bush huts, relics from as long ago as the mid-1800s, when cattle musterers, loggers, miners and fishermen hand-built these wooden survival huts. The third highest in Australia, Bluff Hut, is our target on day three, via the lush Bindaree Falls waterfall. The original hut, built in the 1950s, was lost in the region’s devastating 2007 bushfires, but the rebuild already has a postcard-worthy rusty patina of age to its tin skin. A massive open fire inside has us almost wishing to get stranded up here in a blizzard, as long as there was plenty of firewood, good company and a few bottles of the local red to be had. Bluff Hut is at 1,650 metres and we throw our Isuzu into its hardest challenge yet. Incredibly steep in places, all we can see at times are sky and treetops as we find dramatic angles. Our Mansfield base serves up a fine mix of old town charm and modern restaurants, with the locals surprising us with their range and quality. By morning of our final day we’re
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again greeted by a deep blue sky. Yes, this region can bare its teeth and get nasty, but we’ve barely seen a rain cloud, let alone been troubled by any of the powdery white stuff. The trails have been dry, well-maintained and forgiving as a result. Only one puncture to report from a train of 12 Isuzus over four days, and this was swiftly fixed by the on-hand rescue crew. Testament, the guides will no doubt agree, to their expert route plan as well as the vehicles’ toughness. Our final fling involves a dose of movie magic. On top of Mt Stirling is Craig’s Hut, built specifically for The Man From Snowy River. We low-range the Isuzus up another steep climb along Monument Trail, and the panorama and openness somehow eclipses all the views we’ve marvelled at so far. The scenic backdrop of Mt Cobbler is finer than anything Hollywood could produce, and the picture perfect hut overlooking it captures the essence of the High Country’s magic in one magnificent scene. We’ve only scratched the surface of what’s on offer in Victoria’s High Country, but we’ve literally climbed mountains. The climate may have been benign, but to have not a single vehicle even look like getting stuck, or even backing up to re-attempt an obstacle, has us confident and hungry to explore even deeper into this gem of a region.
Thinking about embarking on an I-Venture of your own? Visit iventureclub.com.au for off-roading tips and future event locations and dates.
Summer Products
Fabulous & Fresh
We’ve put together some cool new products to jazz up your life over summer. compiled by: robin kopf
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1. JOCO 8oz Cup 100% plastic-free with artisan blown glass and a thermal silicone exterior strip for easy gripping, the JOCO Reusable Cup is an ideal way to enjoy your coffee sustainably. $27.95, jococups.com
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2. Southern Wild Co. Scented Candles These thoughtfully made scented candles are inspired by the Australian bush. They are produced with paraben- and phthalate-free fragrances and single-origin essential oils and are encased in recycled glass. They burn for more than 70 hours. $65, southernwildco. com.au
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3. Walter Wallet Walter Bamboo Wireless Charging Dock This funky wireless charging dock wirelessly charges Qi enabled devices and is the perfect space to store keys, coins and wallets. $79.95, isgift.com
4. Finlayson Alma Vase An exotic, modern vase that will seamlessly blend into any type of decor. RRP: $49.95, albi.com.au/
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5. Eva Solo My Flavour Carafe This water carafe includes a skewer for attaching your favourite fruits, vegetables or herbs to flavour your water in a healthy way. The skewer is detachable and both the skewer and the carafe are dishwasher safe. $89.90, top3.com.au
DEC 2018/JAN 2019
Summer Products
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9. Pool Float Drink Holder Keep your drink close at hand when you’re lounging in or out of the water with this inflatable and Instagram-able addition to your pool. $24.95, sunnylife. com.au
6. AmphibiGlass Floating Glass
7. Avanti hydration bottles
8. Ice pop moulds
Perfect for the pool, beach or picnic, these glasses float in the pool or stick into sand or grass to avoid spilling your drink no matter where you are. Available in blue and clear. 12.95, isgift.com
Fabricated from high quality stainless steel, Avanti Hydration bottles feature double wall Aircore technology that keep drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12 hours. $26.95ea, avantihomewares.com
Help the kids cool off this summer with homemade icy pops created in these fun mermaid shaped moulds. They’re BPA free and dishwasher safe for super easy cleaning. $19.95, sunnylife.com.au
Summer Products
10. Luckies Scratch Map Scratch off the gold foil layer to reveal beautifully vibrant colours and detail. Scratch Map make a truly thoughtful and personal gift for the globe trotter in your life. $39.95, isgift.com
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11. BioLite CampStove 2 This light, efficient camp stove can boil a litre of water in less than five minutes, it’s rechargeable, can store a full phone charge, and it uses twigs, sticks or pellets as fuel to create a smoke-free cooking experience. $269.95 seatosummitdistribution. com.au
12. Norm Salt & Pepper Bottle Grinders For the movers and shakers out there, the powerful ceramic mechanism in these grinders makes them easy to operate and perfect for salt, pepper or even your favourite spices and grains, nuts, seeds or dried fruits. $139.95, huntingforgeorge.com
13. Honeycomb wine rack With one piece of designer ‘honeycomb’ holding up to three bottles of wine, the Honeycomb wine rack makes storing your favourite wines easy and stylish. And the more wine you collect, the more pieces you can add to the ensemble. $29.95, saltandpepper.com.au DEC 2018/JAN 2019
Voted the
BEST WHISKY
in the Southern Hemisphere
Limeburners
Margaret River | Albany | Porongurup
www.distillery.com.au
Summer Products 15
14. ALBI CUSHIONS The Amalfi Native Botanica Cushions are 100% cotton covered. Celebrating Australian wild flowers in subtle tones, they will complement an array of living spaces. $59.95, albi.com.au
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15. JOCO 20oz Flask With artisan blown glass, antibacterial olive wood lid and no-slip grip, say no to plastic this summer with the sleek JOCO eco-friendly bottle. $59.95, jococups.com
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18. Oliver Bed
16. Roamer Roll Up Picnic Rug This compact and easy to carry picnic rug is perfect for picnics, outdoor cinemas, concerts or just relaxing in the sun. The back is waterproof, and the front is made of comfortable fleece. $29.99, kathmandu. com.au
17. black devil cider Black Devil cider is made from 100% fresh apples sourced from hand-tended Tasmanian orchards. The fruit is hand-picked, handsorted and milled before undergoing a long, cool fermentation. It’s benchblended with fresh apple juice. $109.99 per case of 24, blackdevilcider.com.au
This Scandi-style bed frame is the perfect base upon which to relax. Made in Melbourne from Tasmanian Oak veneer and powder-coated tube steel frame. From $1,899.00, huntingforgeorge.com
DEC 2018/JAN 2019
Summer Products
19. Bond Collection This uber-cool bar collection includes glasses and decanters ideal for that evening scotch. $9.95-$99.95, saltandpepper. com.au
20. Basil Bangs Love Rug Wildflower
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This padded and waterproof picnic mat ensures a comfortable and spill-proof seat anywhere outdoors for everyone. The vibrant mat includes a pocket for your phone and keys and folds into its own carry bag. $155, top3.com.au
21. Cloud Weather Station 22 21
The formation of the crystals within the Cloud Weather Station predicts the weather forecast. $34.95, isgift.com
22. The Australian collection eCup Keep the environment clean and healthy one coffee at a time with IS GIFT’s collection of reusable eCups in gorgeous Australian botanical prints. These porcelain and silicone cups hold 415ml and are dishwasher safe. They are available in three designs. RRP: $15.95 isgift.com DEC 2018/JAN 2019
What’s on for the weekend? T h i s i s w h a t e v e r y w e e ke n d l o o k s l i ke i n a P a t r i o t C a m p e r
TO F I N D O U T M O R E YO U T U B E “ PAT R I OT C A M P E R S F R A S E R I S L A N D ” O R V I S I T PAT R I OTC A M P E R S . C O M . AU
AusBiz.
NEWS+VIEWS | MINING | AGRIBUSINESS | INFRASTRUCTURE
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28 P.4 Agribusiness: Dairy Industry Innovations P.10 Mining and water management P.16 New Hotels P.22 Business: Highland beef P.26 Season's Savings P.28 Property: Escape the City
K9 Sport Sack Australia The original dog carrier backpack that is safe, comfortable, easy and fun. Allows you to take your dog anywhere, to do anything. Never leave your dog behind again.
Friends. Together.
Always! www.k9sportsackaustralia.com k9sportsackaustralia
Business News+Views
Business News+Views Bringing you the latest insights and analysis. WORDS: Sarah Hinder Season’s first tray of South Australian strawberries sold for $17,500 in charity auction For the first time, South Australia has held a charity auction to launch the start of its spring and summer strawberry season. In similar fashion to the annual mango auction in Queensland, the South Australian strawberry industry decided to hold the auction in response to the struggle strawberry farmers have faced following more than 100 incidents of needles found in Australian strawberries earlier this year. The strawberry auction was held on I Choose SA Day, October 27, which promotes South Australian produce and suppliers and encourages locals to support South Australian producers and businesses. All proceeds from the auction were donated to Variety SA, which support children who are sick, disadvantaged or living with special needs. For more information visit variety.org.au/sa.
New technology will improve Australian producers’ defence against top biosecurity risk Technology start-up RapidAIM, founded by researchers from the CSIRO, is at the forefront of curbing one of the world’s biggest biosecurity barriers to trade: the fruit fly. The company recently received a $1.25 million boost from the Federal government toward their effort in providing Australian producers with an improved early detection system against fruit flies — which cost Australia’s fruit and vegetable industry more than $300 million each year. The first reliable form of pest ‘radar’ to support growers against pests such as the fruit fly, RapidAIM delivers real-
time detection and monitoring in an effort to assist against the devastating affects the pests can cause. The technology uses low-powered sensors, which can be distributed in thousands, to detect the insects by their characteristic movements and provide real-time data back to growers through an app. RapidAIM’s technology can provide early warnings of future pest hotspots and reduce the time spent checking for the pests by 35 per cent, allowing for a more rapid response to contaminated areas.
Fast facts
304,200
As of 2016-17, there are 304,200 people employed in Australian agriculture. The agricultural supply chain, including the affiliated food and fibre industries, provide over 1.6 million jobs.
Every month Variety Australia delivers more than $1 million to children and families in need Who can’t afford specialist care and equipment.
$200 million Variety Australia has raised more than $200 million for children in need over the last 30 years. DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Agribusiness, Dairy
Darren Baguley Darren specialises in the fields of technology, mining, agriculture, energy and business.
When the going gets tough, the tough get innovative TIMES ARE TOUGH IN THE DAIRY INDUSTRY BUT PRODUCERS ARE RESPONDING WITH INNOVATION. 4
AusBiz.
Agribusiness, Dairy
LITTLE BIG DAIRY IS A FA M I LY F R I E N D LY FA R M
Even the most infrequent follower of current affairs knows that dairy farmers are doing it tough. It started off with Coles and Woolworths offering $1-a-litre milk at the same time as processors predicted burgeoning demand from Asia and urged suppliers to increase. Many dairy farmers responded to the urging to “make sure they didn’t miss out on the China rush” by scaling up their business – buying more land in some cases, buying in feed in others – to increase herd sizes. Mostly, the expansions were paid for with borrowed money. The world economy, however, didn’t follow the dairy industry’s vision. Demand from China plateaued and then came a true ‘black swan’ event, the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 by Russian-backed Ukrainian separatist rebels. Russia responded to the ensuing sanctions by imposing import bans, which resulted in Europe being awash with milk, cheese and other dairy products that were dumped on traditionally Australian markets at cost or below. In April 2016, Australia’s largest milk processor, Murray
Goulburn, slashed the farmgate price for milk to below the cost of production for most farmers, and announced it would seek to claw back past payments made at the previous higher rate. The Australian dairy industry was a house of cards built with debt and it all came crashing down when Murray Goulburn’s largest rival, Fonterra, followed suit. The cuts drove the price below the cost of production for most producers and the clawbacks left many dairy farmers in debt to the processor – as much as $100,000 in some cases – plunging the industry into crisis. Already debt-laden due to expansion, many farmers didn’t have cash reserves to pay the processors’ bills. Then came the drought. Some parts of Queensland had been in drought for more than six years, of course, and for the rest of the country, one dry winter and spring was just part of life. But by the second dry winter in NSW, an already weakened dairy industry was in trouble. With little or no rain there was no grass for their cows and the price of feed skyrocketed – hay up by 59 DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Agribusiness, Dairy
per cent and grain up by 40 per cent – as did transport costs. NSW had run out of fodder, which then had to come from Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. Some producers responded by selling up completely or moving to different enterprises such as beef cattle, but Aussie farmers are an innovative bunch and many were determined to survive no matter what the market conditions. In Jamberoo, NSW, dairy farmer Jason Maloney launched a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign which raised $269,283 for his farm and others in the area. The historic sixth-generation Country Valley at Picton took to social media asking people to ‘adopt a cow’. While both these campaigns were highly successful, Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation vice-president Matthew Trace pointed out that there were more than 100 pleas for crowdfunding on GoFundMe alone. “While crowdfunding can provide a quick injection of cash to a farm, it is not a long-term solution,” he told the North Queensland Register. “The only way we can have a sustainable dairy industry is by getting a fair farmgate price.”
Although prices from the major processors are edging back up due to record-low production levels, some producers say the way to achieve a fair farmgate price is to cut out the middleman completely. Companies such as The Little Big Dairy Co (Dubbo), Peel Valley Milk (Tamworth) and Gippsland Dairy (Eastern Victoria) are going to market in local areas with premium quality milk that carries their own brand. The Little Big Dairy Co was set up because Steve and Erika Chesworth’s daughter Emma (and her husband Jim) wanted to come back to the family farm and they all felt it would be best for them to have their own enterprise to run. Most of the family-run-andowned business’s milk from its 800 Holstein cows goes to major processor Parmalat, but a proportion is sold as the Little Big Dairy Co’s prize-winning single source premium milk. Steve manages the cows and knows every single one of the 800 by name. Erika raises the calves and, unlike on some dairy farms, male calves are raised to maturity. The Chesworths’ Holstein stud is one of the most highly regarded in the country, so many bull calves end up in other dairy herds while those that don’t make the cut
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AusBiz.
Agribusiness, Dairy
go to feedlots. The emphasis is on animal welfare, not only because it is the right thing to do but also because, as Erika says, “Happy cows produce the best milk.” For the Chesworths, the Little Big Dairy Co brand has been a resounding success. “It’s been absolutely wonderful,” says Erika. “Not only has it brought our daughter and her husband back to the family farm, but we have met so many passionate people through the creation of the brand. It’s been well worth doing.” Despite the positive experience the Chesworths have had, Erika is cautious about the future. “When we started I did a lot of research and found that about 20 per cent of Australians care enough to buy a premium-branded milk. So there is no doubt that it can work and work well but I think that in NSW the boutique market may be getting close to saturation. The last thing any small processor wants is to be competing with other small processors in the same market.” Erika is even more concerned for the industry as a whole: “Between deregulation and $1-a-litre milk, there is no fat left in the dairy supply chain to give producers a buffer when there’s a market downturn or a drought. We need profitable farms and processors so there can be investment in R&D and infrastructure. The way consumers can help with that is by buying branded milk.”
P H O T O G R A P H S : H I S Y LV I A
F E AT U R E D D A I R Y P R O D U C T S AT D A I R Y A W A R D S N I G H T 2 017
DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Goodbye Dust Hello Revegetation A huge undertaking by Adelaide-based company Spray Grass Australia sees the implementation of a new dust suppressant on the Port Augusta Ash Dam with a focus on long term vegetation.
150 ha of high risk dust area was applied with dust suppressant HydroBond
100%
safe for vegetation
Advertorial
Port Augusta Ash Dam
“We knew that research and development was going to be a vital part in making this project a success.” Glenn Sullivan - Environmental Consultant
F
linders Power awarded Adelaide-based Spray Grass Australia to provide the decommissioned Port Augusta Ash Dam with a new dust suppressant that is specifically designed for revegetation.
The former power station site has undertaken multiple initiatives to control the risk of dust pollution and to revegetate the area since the announcement of its closure back in 2015. Tonnes of top soil has been applied to the 270-hectare site and seeded with the aim for rehabilitating the bare land. A lack of average rainfall and harsh environmental conditions has made this extremely difficult, resulting in high-level dust risk. Spray Grass Australia is confident that HydroBond will address the short-term dust control requirements while simultaneously achieving a positive impact on existing plant life and improving the environment for germination of seedlings. HydroBond is particularly suited to projects that require revegetation due to its permeable crust forming features that allow water and air to infiltrate the surface.
Specialised HydroTruck spraying over 870 litres per minute
HydroBond was rated against the following criteria: • Health, safety & environment •
Dust control including crust thickness, durability, soil strength and functional longevity
•
Revegetation outcomes including germination, soil moisture, water-holding capacity and water penetration
The germination trials and live plant studies concluded that the application of HydroBond did not impede on existing vegetation. In fact, the suppressant proved to be beneficial for plant growth. Spray Grass Australia will continue to partner with Flinders Power throughout 2019 to achieve success in the environment.
Independent ecology firm Succession Ecology performed a detailed analysis including ecotoxicity studies to confirm suitability for application on the ash dam. A series of tests were conducted to cover a range of criteria including impact on seed germination, plant survival, water movement and soil-surface binding. All tests were conducted on site specific soil and on landscape soil (sandy loam) and ranks were generated based on performance relative to control samples with no product added.
spraygrassaustralia.com.au
HydroBond produces a protective crust to lock in dust while allowing air and water to permeate the surface, vital for revegetation.
Mining
Darren Baguley Darren specialises in the fields of technology, mining, agriculture, energy and business.
Whisky’s for drinkin’ – water’s for fightin’ MINES USE A LOT OF WATER, AND ON A DRY CONTINENT THAT CAN LEAD TO CONFLICT WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
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AusBiz.
Mining
As miners chase lower-grade ores, they have a greater impact upon the water table and use more water for processing. This is increasing the possibility and intensity of conflict with local communities, agricultural producers and other stakeholders. Indeed, this potential for conflict has become so severe that Deloitte’s Tracking the Trends 2018 report includes water management as a critical issue for the mining industry. According to the report, “water demand is rising globally, driven by population growth, industrial development, expansion of irrigated agriculture, and increases in per capita water consumption. “Critically, this growing demand is not offset by available supply. According to the United Nations (UN), water scarcity now affects more than 40 per cent of the global population and is expected to worsen. Currently, over 1.7 billion people live in river basins where water use exceeds recharge, and by 2050 at least one in four people are likely to live in a country affected by chronic or recurring freshwater shortages.” As BHP recently noted, “[E]thical water stewardship is expected increasingly to emerge as a competitive advantage for those operators that get it right. For those that do not, their ability to maintain their social licence to operate may come into question.” At different stages of the production process, mines produce and use a lot of water. As excavations delve into the water table, dewatering is often required for open-cut and underground operations. Even if dewatering is not required, groundwater remains a critical water supply source for processing operations. In addition, managing seepage from waste rock landforms and tailing facilities on aquifers is a key component in meeting mining regulations. According to the CSIRO, processing “water use is quite high – for example, around 1600 litres of water are used to obtain the 19 kilograms of copper found in a medium-sized family car.” Put another way, Monash University research found that, on average, it takes around 1690 litres of water to process a tonne of gold ore, and about 773,000 litres to produce a kilogram of gold. Nevertheless, leading mining companies that retain a strong social licence are often those that follow the best practices when it comes to water management. Writing in the AusIMM Bulletin, Golder Associates managing director Ralph Heath says, “Often the water balance for a mining operation results in an initial excess of water (during pit dewatering), but a long-term deficit where a sustainable water resource is required for processing. [Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR)] provides a tool to help balance the water budget over the life of mine operations. “The regulatory environment concerning water management in mining operations is also becoming an impetus for the inclusion of MAR as a possible method of DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Mining
Mining companies can make a significant contribution to the provision of safe water supplies to communities. excess water management. In Western Australia, there is now a requirement to have least investigated the potential for MAR as a method of excess water management where the water balance, hydrogeology and environmental constraints allow it. “Generally, the adoption (or at least the trialling) of aquifer replenishment as a method of excess water management will gain the support and approval of regulators and provide a licence to practice in challenging groundwater environments. “Similarly, the adoption of MAR techniques in mining will gain the support of the community and traditional owners who are focused on the long-term sustainability of the catchment and groundwater environment.” One of the largest MAR projects in the world is Fortescue Metals’ award-winning Cloudbreak scheme. Situated in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, the deployment of MAR both “conserves valuable groundwater for future redraw and mitigates the environmental impact of mine dewatering.” Other measures mining companies are taking to improve water management include building dams for water storage and operating dedicated water treatment plants to process water into usable quality. Leaching from waste rock can contaminate surface and groundwater so miners have been using techniques such as building upstream dams to reduce risk of water contamination from waste rock and exposed ore, and covering and lining waste rock and ore piles. Similarly, ore processing also contaminates water, so mining companies are looking at various ways to recycle the water used to process ore and reduce the amount used overall. These measures include building evaporation ponds, capturing drainage water through liners and pipes and directing it into tailings dams, and treating the water. Desalination plants have become extremely popular, with more than 50 small plants operating in South Australia alone. Research institutions and companies are also working on ways to purify contaminated water. The CSIRO, for example, has developed a technology called Virtual Curtain, which uses hydrotalcites to trap metal contaminants in waste water. Adelaide-based company Micromet is taking a different approach, using electrolysis to remove pollutant materials. In some instances, mining companies can take water management a step further and use it to build social capital in the mines’ operations. According to International Council
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AusBiz.
Mining
on Mining and Metals (ICMM) Report, Water management in mining: a selection of case studies, “…mining companies can actually make a significant positive contribution to the provision of safe, clean and adequate supplies of water to neighbouring communities. For example, eMalahleni Water Reclamation Plant in South Africa (operated by Anglo American in partnership with BHP Billiton) treats the contaminated water from its own and other mining operations and delivers treated water directly into the local municipality’s water system.” Water use conflicts have the most impact on miners’ social licence to operate, but there are also economic impacts from poor water management. According to SRK Australia’s Perthbased principal consultant (hydrogeology), Brian Luinstra, “The impacts of failing to adequately understand the groundwater system can result in reduced mill throughputs, increasing drilling and blasting costs and regulatory issues related to water disposal from excess dewatering. “All these factors can have profound impacts on project economics, and in rare cases have resulted in some operations coming perilously close to failure.” DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Precision Solar Farm Technology
Drive more piles, more accurately
Semi-autonomous pile driving technology combines the Vermeer PD10 pile driver with Carlson PDGrade machine guidance to: • • • •
Increase productivity Improve safety Eliminate stringlines Reduce survey costs
Get in touch today:
1300 867 266 info@positionpartners.com.au www.positionpartners.com.au Australia • New Zealand • SE Asia
AusBiz. Promotion
Does your mine need a technology health check? There is a misconception about data that the more you have, the more productive your mine operations will be. More information theoretically leads to more informed decisions, however if there is such an abundance of information that you don’t know how to pick out the meaningful parts, it can lead to frustration and inefficiency as you try to wade through data that is invisibly piling up around you. A report is only useful if it contains information that is wanted, delivered in a timely manner to the individuals and teams that can make informed decisions after reading it. So many software programs and Fleet Management Systems (FMS) promise all manner of reports, but how many do your mine site supervisors, mine surveyors, mine operations managers and operations team actually need, let alone read? Essential to a meaningful report, of course, is also a factually accurate one. How do you know that the data your mining software is churning out faster than you can file it away is giving you correct information? Position Partners has recently introduced a Technology Health Check service for Fleet Management Systems and machine guidance on mine sites. “We’ve seen an increase in the demand for our health checks to assist mines with change management and customising technology to suit customer needs,” explained Andrew Granger, Business Development Manager for Mining. “The service includes an in-depth look into the current systems used by different stakeholders in the mine site, what’s working for them, what’s causing frustration or lacking in the technology, where there are gaps in the workflow and so on,” he added. Position Partners technicians can validate data to ensure that the reports being generated are accurate, as well as consolidate the number of reports into something more meaningful. “Thousands of reports are useless if none of them are getting read,” Andrew adds. “We worked with a mine site recently where different supervisors were reading different reports, so we
consolidated them into a single, central report with a traffic-light colour code that gave them an immediate visual representation of where they needed to focus attention. “It’s a simple way of making a cumbersome and difficult to understand report something that all mine supervisors could easily read, and more importantly act on,” he said. In another example, a customer had already invested in an FMS solution, however the machine guidance technology was proving ineffective and difficult for operators to use. “Operator confidence in the system was extremely important, so we initially set up one dozer and one excavator with a new machine guidance option,” Andrew said. “Within a month, the customer had ordered another seven machine guidance systems because the operators were really embracing the technology. It solved that particular pain point for the mine without them having to reinvest in an entirely new FMS.” Mr Granger explains that change management is key when onboarding any new technology, or even to make use of technology that has been on site for some time but that isn’t quite working to your site’s needs. “Every site operates in a slightly different way, requiring different information delivered at certain points in the team’s workflow,” he says, adding “our Technology Health Checks are a way for mine site supervisors and operations managers to step back and ask for everything that would add true value to their day-to-day tasks. “Ultimately, data is supposed to make your life easier, not harder, so it’s important to get it working just the way it needs to, so that it enables productivity not hinders it,” he said. To book a Technology Health Check for your mine, speak to your local Position Partners mining technology expert today by calling 1300 867 266 or visit positionpartners.com.au DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Infrastructure
HOTEL 2.0 STYLISH, OFFBEAT AND SUSTAINABLE HOTELS REPLACE THE COOKIE-CUTTER ACCOMODATIONS OF THE PAST.
IAN LLOYD NEUBAUER
With nearly 20 years’ journalism experience, Ian is abreast of global news as it happens.
C L O U D R U N N E R R O O M AT THE COLLECTIONIST
Right now, the Australian accommodation sector is undergoing its largest growth phase in history, with 200 new or upgraded hotels and resorts scheduled to launch across the country over the next seven years. New-generation properties are pushing the envelope in every conceivable direction – with innovative new features and services such as keyless room entry, properties where no two rooms look alike, and hotel restaurants so bloody good they’ve become dining destinations in their own right. “The new wave of hotel development is covering all price
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points – from economy to luxury,” says Carol Giuseppi, CEO of Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA), which last month released the country’s first Hotel Innovation Report. “The changes are being driven by changes in travellers’ demands, particularly the Millennial generation, and influencing new hotel design with an emphasis on localism, individualism, art and sustainability.” Here, Ausbiz visits properties leading the charge to see how innovation is driving growth in Australia’s multibilliondollar tourism industry.
Infrastructure
SHOCK OF THE NEW During previous phases of growth in the Australian accommodation sector in the late 1980s and just prior to the Sydney Olympics, the focus was on “brand fidelity” – ensuring internationally branded hotels looked and felt like their counterparts in Europe and the US. The first kink in the armour appeared a decade ago with the launch of Art Series Hotels in Melbourne, with properties inspired by and festooned with the works of notable Australian artists such as Adam Cullen and John Olson. But the hotel group credited with breaking the mould is QT, which designed and manages a magazine of luxury hotels across Australia that are not only individually styled but reflect the heart and soul of their particular destination. The group’s first property, QT Gold Coast, which opened in 2011, is a five-star take on a 1950s beach-style art deco hotel that embraces
the city’s highly sexualised past. A year later they launched QT Sydney, a 200-room property set in two neo-Gothic sandstone buildings in the CBD, and which offers a thespian service model that replaces traditional concierges with 'directors of chaos', who dress like characters from A Clockwork Orange and satisfy, analyse and predict guests’ needs. As for QT's food, the West Australian recently rated Santini, an Italianstyle restaurant in the new QT Perth, as a “rock star ... larger-than-life … [and] one of the finest, most welcoming temples to dining” in the city. “We have a pillar in our strategy called ‘Loved by Locals’ that’s about creating awesome F&B experiences,” says director of brand strategy Victoria Doidge. “If you look at QT Melbourne, it has one of the city’s most popular rooftop bars, while Yamagen in QT Gold Coast is regarded as the strip’s best Japanese restaurant.”
C L O C K W I S E F R O M L E F T: QT PERTH'S SANTINI BAR & GRILL; T H E P E N T H O U S E AT T H E C U L L E N ; QT MELBOURNE'S ROOFTOP; THE OLSEN'S EXTERIOR
Fast Facts
1975
Australia’s first major internationally branded hotel, the Hilton Sydney, opened in 1975.
10%
Tourism in Australia is projected to grow 10 per cent per annum over the next decade.
DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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DOMETIC CFX SERIES
The ultimate cooling performance The CFX series is the next generation of powerful compressor portable fridge/freezers that keeps food and drinks cold or frozen for longer. With generous gross capacity, these portable fridge/freezers can store fresh food and drinks effortlessly, perfect when you need extra refrigeration for your summer get-togethers or holidays. The series includes a variety of sizes ranging from an ultra-compact model to a large model with two separate temperature zones for simultaneous cooling and freezing. For more information visit dometic.com or freecall 1800 21 21 21. *Suitable on Android or iOS phone or tablet. Excludes CFX 28.
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Infrastructure
TOP TO BOTTOM: JETSET ROCKET ROOM AT T H E C O L L E C T I O N I S T; A L I A S R O O M AT T H E C O L L E C T I O N I S T; Y O U R P H O N E A S A K E Y AT T H E CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL
NEW DISRUPTORS While it’s still considered one of the city’s most innovative hotels, QT Sydney is now facing a tough new competitor: The Collectionist, a “custom-design” hotel set in a repurposed warehouse in inner-city Camperdown. Highlighting the move away from uniformity, The Collectionist features 39 individually themed rooms designed by seven architects, four design firms and nine artists. Guests select their rooms based on their preferred style, much the same way they choose their cars. “I realised people are very particular about the car they drive, the colour they choose, the style they want,” says CEO Daniel Symonds. “It’s a very personal choice with cars, so why didn’t we make hotel rooms that catered to these different tastes rather than offering standardised rooms and no choice in the room type a guest prefers? By providing guests with a more tactile way of choosing their room, they are directly involved in their stay experience.” Innovative technology is another cornerstone of The Collectionist, with a digital booking process that sees check-in access codes sent directly to guests via email and SMS. But hotel baron Dr Jerry Schwartz has taken the idea one step further at the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley with “mobile key technology”. The system allows guests to bypass the reception desk by downloading the hotel’s branded app. On the day of check-in, the hotel team digitally generate a keyless function and send it to guests’ smartphones along with the allocated room number, which allows them to access their room simply by waving the phone in front of the corresponding door. “I’ve always been passionate about the use of technology that enhances guest experiences,” says Schwartz. “We’ve received excellent feedback from the innovation and are now working to extend keyless entry to our other hotels.” DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Infrastructure
GREEN REVOLUTION A keen environmentalist, Schwartz is also adding solar panels and electric car battery charging stations in his hotels in Sydney, the Hunter Valley and the Blue Mountains. And that’s just the beginning. In the future, the use of smart materials will see the introduction of window blinds that open and close automatically according to the position of the sun, walls that ensure optimal room temperature, and furniture that acts as a power source, according to TAA’s Hotel Innovation Report. To see a property that’s taken environmental sustainability as far as it can go, one must travel to Picnic Island in Tasmania’s pristine Coles Bay. Last year the island’s owner Clem NewtonBrown opened Picnic Island Resort, a luxury five-cabin property that’s 100 per cent off-thegrid. On check-in, guests are allocated a certain
quantity of water and solar-generated electricity for the duration of their stay, and taught how to use the compost toilet in accordance with sustainable lifestyle principles. “Many people will go to a place of great natural beauty, go on a hike, but then stay at a big hotel and disconnect from nature again,” Newton-Brown says. “But here Mother Nature never gets switched off because we’re right on the high-water line and you become hypersensitive to the wind and tides. “We don’t ask guests to empty the compost toilet tanks but we prove that you can stay at a very flash place while being off-the-grid. There are not many places in Australia or the world that can charge nearly $1000 a night for rooms with funny-looking toilets, but we do here and it’s really taken off.”
C L O C K W I S E F R O M L E F T: P I C N I C I S L A N D R E S O R T; T H E B E A C H AT C O L E S B AY; PICNIC ISLAND RESORT R O O M O N T H E WAT E R
Fast Facts
96%
per cent of Australian hotels now offer some level of free WiFi to their guests.
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Business
Land of Plenty
DOWN IN TASMANIA’S DERWENT VALLEY, JUST 40KM OUT OF HOBART, IS A LITTLE HAMLET CALLED PLENTY. ON THE FACE OF IT, THE NAME ALONE INVITES WOULD-BE “TREECHANGERS” TO COME AND FIND THEIR FORTUNE – AND THAT’S EXACTLY HOW THE STORY OF BIG RIVER HIGHLAND BEEF BEGINS. PHOTOS: ANT ONG Bec Lynd, born and bred in Tasmania, was living in Darwin in 2010, but dreamed of returning to her home state, finding both enough room to keep her horse and a way to live off-the-grid. “Initially I wanted at least 100 acres,” she says, “but I saw this place and just fell in love.” The property she fell for and ultimately purchased had more than enough room at 220 acres, with a north-facing slope and a pleasing ratio of 60 per cent bush, 40 per cent cleared land. “I was trying to design the lifestyle I wanted,” Lynd says. “The actual progression was pretty pragmatic.” The property had no infrastructure when she bought it, missing both fencing and driveway, so there was a significant time investment needed. The area and its slope, while stunningly beautiful,
Jac Taylor Jac Taylor is a Sydneybased lifestyle and travel storyteller who loves covering the best of Australian leisure and food businesses.
Business
“Sustainability means environmental, but it also means emotional, economic and financial sustainability." DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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experiences some of the highest highs and lowest lows of Tasmanian weather patterns. It’s a bushfire-prone zone, with rocky slopes, so this made the choice of livestock quite specific. “She investigated different options,” says her partner, Bec Tudor, “and ended up with Highland cattle. They keep the grass down, and they’re very hardy. They’re not daunted by slopes, hills or dales, and they can handle weather extremes because their coats act as insulation, so they’re very robust.” An added and very important bonus is how little extra farming interference is required by Highland cattle; they tend to breed and feed quite independently, which was essential given that Lynd started her farming concern entirely solo. However in 2013 she met Tudor, who was living in a small apartment in Hobart at the time. Cue treechange no.2. “When I moved out to the farm in 2014 it was a huge lifestyle change,” says Tudor. “I’d lived on hobby properties in rural areas and I loved visiting farms when I was a kid, but going 100 per cent off-grid was all a bit different.”
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By this time Lynd was running a significant fold of Highland cattle – as their herds are named – including calves born in 2011. Her pragmatism governed what happened next. “I only want animals with purpose, not just as fluffy pets,” she says. “When I did more research and found out how good the meat is, I grew it.” So Big River Highland Beef was launched in 2015, just as those 2011 calves came of slaughter age. The fact that Lynd and Tudor let the animals mature for four years before slaughter is markedly different from bigger, supermarketgrade beef concerns that may send to the abattoir at one or two years of age – and that’s the first of many differences that identify them as an ethical, sustainable and very much boutique business. “That was part of our ethic from the beginning: market demand wouldn’t change our philosophy about how we manage the cattle,” says Tudor. “We have a strong sense of sustainability, and we care about the best welfare for the cattle and what works for us. “We only supply to southern Tasmania – that’s how boutique we are. The gourmet food market around this region is so strong that that’s enough for us, and the chefs seem to appreciate it. We deliver our own beef to our customers, who are not paying for marketing or branding, just for the quality of meat itself. As for the animals, they’ve had the benefit of free ranging for those years, eating a variety of foods. It’s not practical with our landscape to be sowing different grasses – the cows eat weeds and native
Business
and introduced grasses of their own accord, and are 100 per cent grass fed, all of which flows through into the flavour of the meat.” Highland cows are famously visually striking, and come in a huge variety of colours, from red through to brindle, fawn, black and mahogany. Lynd and Tudor are passionate about minimal waste, and get the hide of each slaughtered animal tanned by a northern Tasmanian grandfather-granddaughter team. Even the horns and skull sets are sun bleached and marketed as art. “The horns can be really quite spectacular objects in their own right,” says Tudor. Their “hands off” way of raising the cattle is born of the surprising fact that both women still work full-time jobs – Lynd in the state ambulance service and Tudor at a museum. But they purposely keep the fold limited in number to suit the amount of feed available on the land. Although they can go up to 100 head of cattle, they are currently running just 60 head, which suits the current state of the property with the prospect of a long, dry summer ahead. Having a higher slaughter age additionally means it’s essential to look years ahead. However, the intentionally limited scope of the business also brings something vitally important to the mix. “Sustainability means environmental,” says Tudor, “but it also means emotional, economic and financial sustainability. We don’t want the strain of debt on our relationship, and we want to be on this land for many decades to come, so we won’t design systems that aren’t sustainable on a personal level. We want to have work-life balance, to enjoy our farm as well. People talk about farmers burning out so often, and we think holistically as it’s much more productive for yourself.” With the business running at capacity and a new baby now, Lynd and Tudor are very comfortable, though juggling as much as any new family. So has Lynd found the fairytale of Plenty she was looking for? She barely pauses. “Yeah, absolutely yes,” she says. And pauses, and says a happy “yes” one more time. DEC 2018/JAN 2019
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Season’s Savings As we all know, Christmas is a time of excess (both in terms of food and financial spending). But it doesn’t have to be this way – at least not when it comes to your spending! Here are my top 8 tips for surviving the Christmas holiday season 'unscathed'.
1. Decide on your budget... and stick to it! It’s extremely important that you take the time to understand what you can afford to spend. What you can afford is basically the money you have saved throughout the year to buy Christmas presents, plus what you might be able to spend out of your pay packet. Just as importantly, you must stick within the budget you’ve set.
2. Set up automatic savings transfers
If you don’t trust that you’ll be able to stick to a budget, automatic savings transfers might become your new best friend. Set up an automatic transfer to move funds into a separate “holiday spending” account each time you’re paid. The best time to do this is in January – this way, a year’s worth of holiday savings will be waiting for you in time for next Christmas!
3. Avoid spending on your credit card
Spending on your credit card during the Christmas season is a common trap, but this will come to hurt your household finances in January when the money needs to be paid. And as we all know, if you can’t pay the money back you will incur anything up to 20% interest on top of the money you already owe the bank.
Ryan Watson Tribeca Financial's CEO knows all about money management.
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4. Quality over quantity
Instead of overspending, employ the philosophy "it’s the thought that counts". Often a well-thought-out and inexpensive present (such as an experience) is even better received than a traditional present.
5. Kris Kringle
For big families, try to organise a Kris Kringle. This means you will have to buy only one Christmas present for that part of your family.
6. Buy vouchers to spend strategically
Vouchers can be a great way to “stretch” the value of a present – that is, if they are spent during a sales period, the recipient will generally get a lot more for their money. Giving your friends or family a voucher and then taking them out to spend it over the Boxing Day sales is a great way for them to get the most value out of your gift.
7. Plan in advance for additional spending on food and alcohol
We all know the festive season means people and parties. Hence, planning to buy the additional food and alcohol you’ll need when it’s on sale in the preceding months can be a great way to keep a few extra dollars in your pocket.
8. Start forming good habits this January
On the off-chance that you do financially “overindulge” during the holiday season, it’s important you begin the next year with good habits. This all starts with getting back into conscious spending habits and ensuring that you have a savings plan in place. Set a goal for yourself and have a reward in mind as your goal – this will help maintain your motivation during times of temptation. These steps will help you to avoid a long-lasting Christmas hangover without having to be a Grinch or cutting the fun out of the festive season!
Learn about the history of the Huon Valley apple industry
Enjoy a Willie Smith’s cider paddle
Take a tour of the Charles Oates Distillery
Visit the Saturday Artisan & Produce market
Visit the home of Willie Smith’s cider where you can enjoy a great meal and a cider paddle, visit the Huon Valley apple museum, get up close and personal with a working distillery, peruse the Saturday Artisan & Produce Market.
Hobart Hobart Huonville
Contact
25mins
Huonville
www.williesmiths.com.au appleshed@williesmiths.com.au (03) 6266 4345 2064 Huon Hwy, Grove, TAS, 7109 25 minutes from Hobart
Property Biz
Escape the City THE REGIONAL CENTRES OF NEW SOUTH WALES OFFER ALL THE BENEFITS OF A RELAXED, AFFORDABLE LIFESTYLE WITHOUT THE TRAFFIC, EXPENSE AND CHAOS OF SYDNEY’S BIG SMOKE. Tell Sydneysiders that they can cut their daily commute by a quarter and slash their mortgage by a third while still having access to great coffee, and they’ll probably ask: “What’s the catch?” But an increasing number of former city slickers are discovering the only obstacle to a cheaper lifestyle is actually deciding to take the plunge. According to Evocities, a NSW regional resident attraction campaign, more than 3600 new households have migrated to their seven partner cities and surrounds since 2010. One of the main drivers attracting people to those destinations – Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga – is affordable real estate. In a report being prepared for Evocities by .ID Consulting, figures show the median house price to income ratio in the last Census was 4.7 per cent, compared with a huge 8.4 per cent in Sydney.
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Making the move
Jason and Karen Triggs moved to the Bathurst region with their two young children in January 2018, after spending years tackling traffic and dealing with skyrocketing property prices. “Everything was just becoming harder than it needed to be,” Jason explains. “We lived in Sydney’s Northern suburbs and I was working on the other side in Alexandria. The kids spent their time in car seats, and sometimes we were too busy to even have breakfast at home, so they’d be eating toast in the back of the car. “Plus, for our new place we ended up paying about a third of the total cost of our home in Sydney, so it’s been completely transformational,” he adds.
Kirsten Craze Kirsten Craze is a freelance journalist who has been writing about property in Australia and overseas for more than 15 years.
PHOTOGRAPH: EVOCITIES
Property Biz
Today the Triggses are not only closer to work and the dream of living mortgage-free, they are connecting with the community. “You actually get to know your neighbours,” Jason says. “In Sydney we’d been living in the last place for about five years and I couldn’t tell you the first names of the people on one side, and we’d only see the ones on the other side at Christmas. It’s completely different here.” He admits that before heading west he, like many other Sydneysiders, had preconceived ideas about regional life. “I thought I’d have to re-train and I was uncertain about what work I could do, but there’s actually no shortage of jobs here.” Now working with a local start-up, Jason has seen firsthand that a regional area can provide better work opportunities than the overcrowded Sydney market. “Being a smaller community, it’s actually easier to get stuff done. You can get involved
with key regional stakeholders in your field, or even get a meeting with the mayor,” he says. Albury Mayor and Evocities chairman Kevin Mack is living proof of that regional reality. “Anyone who wants to move to Albury will get a personal tour with the mayor,” he says enthusiastically. The scheme is successfully educating people about life in regional NSW: “People in Sydney can be guilty of living in their own bubble. They’re too busy doing what they’re doing and don’t see the forest for the trees. “These are vibrant regional cities that have evolved to offer a lifestyle as good as, or better than, Sydney’s. I think regional living now far outstrips city living,” Mr Mack says, adding that other misconceptions about regional life are low earning potential and volatile property prices. “If you do the numbers – add up the time and money you save in terms of transport, and the money you save on a mortgage – I’m sure that
UR, QUISTIAE QUI AUT V I D U C I A Q U AT Q U I S S E D M O L U P TA S V O L U T U T U T A S D O L U P TA TEMPERCIANI IPSUNT ENT ET MAGNIS MAXIMI, SINULLA TENESTURIBUSDANDUNT
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PHOTOGRAPH: EVOCITIES
Property Biz
A BEAUTIFUL AND AFFORDABLE HOME IN DUBBO
in 10 years in a regional city you’ll have saved a lot more money, and get more return on your investment, than you would in Sydney,” he says.
Crunching the numbers
Cameron Kusher, senior analyst at CoreLogic, says that despite significant residential house price growth in regional NSW over the past five years (some Evocities locations have seen values rise by as much as 20 to 30 per cent), a cooling Sydney property market will spread elsewhere. “A lot of what happens in regional NSW is dictated by what happens in Sydney,” he explains. “However, you haven’t had the deterioration in housing affordability in regional cities like you’ve had in Sydney – but now with tighter credit and fewer investors out there in the marketplace it will affect other parts of the state as well. “I don’t think these markets will experience the same conditions Sydney is going through, the sort of falls that we’re seeing in Sydney. But certainly I think there will be an impact on demand, and that’s going to, at the very least, slow down the rate of growth in those areas.”
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When new Tamworth resident Neil McLennan thinks about how long it would have taken him to buy his first property in Sydney he laughs awkwardly. “I would have been well into my late 40s before I could have even entertained the idea,” he says. Last year the single 28-year-old bought a onebedroom apartment in Tamworth outright for $132,000. As a community aged care worker, Neil’s salary did not permit him to buy anywhere near family or friends in Sydney. “Where I used to live in Roseville, a unit would have cost me about $800,000. Here a really good two-bedroom unit would be about $180,000,” he says. “I was sick of fighting with traffic in Sydney, but for me the big motivator was being able to afford a place of my own. The job and the social life I knew would just come naturally after that.” He adds that while it is often young families or retiring couples who tend to make a treechange, singles can have just as much success starting over. “I think it’s easier to fit in here because everyone is so laidback and approachable, and there’s so much going on,” he says.
Property Biz
Looking to the future
Growing regional cities are a natural way forward as Sydney’s population hits breaking point according to Geoff Brailey, a social demographer with McCrindle. “Wages just aren’t keeping up with property prices, particularly in Sydney, so that challenge is impacting those trying to enter the housing market. People who are younger, with young families, or maybe in those pretty secure jobs around teaching and nursing, are looking towards rural, regional options,” he says. In its 2015 Future of Sydney Report, McCrindle asked people what their five greatest challenges living in Sydney were. First it was the high cost of living, then the cost of housing, followed by traffic and commute times, then employment prospects and, finally, the overall stress of life.
“I think the misconception of life in regional areas being limiting is now worth challenging. These towns offer a real quality of life. The time savings, the cost savings, the enhanced social capital: they’re the advantages regional areas have over urban areas, and yet they’re not disadvantaged in terms of a lot of the lifestyle and cultural aspects,” Geoff says. “And they’ve also got some of the most beautiful terrain in their backyards, so we really need to celebrate their stories.” He adds that as the population of NSW continues to grow, urban areas and regional areas need to come closer together. “For NSW there’s an opportunity to really think through that connection, which would involve accessible flights, train and road connections, as well as that digital infrastructure to make sure we’re able to live and work and play well together,” he says. “We need to ask ourselves: How do we help that synergy across a state where we have five million people living in Sydney, which is just a tiny geographical footprint of this beautiful and large state?”
Change in median house prices SYDNEY • Median house price $980,000 • Three years - 18.8% • Five years - 56.8% ALBURY • Median house price $330,000 • Three years - 8.2% • Five years - 17.9% ARMIDALE • Median house price (council - Armidale Dumaresq) $350,000 • Three years - 1.6% • Five years - 7.7% BATHURST • Median house price (council - Bathurst regional) $434,500 • Three years - 20.4% • Five years - 27.4% DUBBO • Median house price $362,000 • Three years - 9.7% • Five years - 30% ORANGE • Median house price $400,000 • Three years - 17.6% • Five years - 21.2% TAMWORTH • Median house price (council - regional) $350,000 • Three years - 12.1% • Five years - 25%
PHOTOGRAPH: EVOCITIES
“If you’re thinking about moving, get out there and visit the Evocities over a weekend and see what’s on offer – then hop online and see how much properties cost compared with what you’d have to settle for in Sydney.”
WAGGA WAGGA • Median house price $359,000 • Three years - 12.2% • Five years - 18.8%
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Puzzles
CROSSWORD
D O M D K N E I R O Q U N
H F R O T C I R T S N O C
E N O A F H I A O N P M T
A I R J T T D S D U A A I
D A P G O E K J K W S C V
S R N R R E P T I L E S E
S E Y P W O O D L A N D S
L X G R A S S L A N D S I
SOLUTIONS:
A R J O R G V T M E R F I
O E S B N E R M J W T L T D O M D K N E I R O Q U N
H F R O T C I R T S N O C
R S D A N E O A K A O A S E N O A F H I A O N P M T
A I R J T T D S D U A A I
D A P G O E K J K W S C V
S R N R R E P T I L E S E
S E Y P W O O D L A N D S
B T D O E C V L S K Q G I
A R J O R G V T M E R F I
L X G R A S S L A N D S I
N S M S G N I K R A M E D
O E S B N E R M J W T L T
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REPTILES TERRITORY TREES VENOM WOODLAND
Find all the words listed hidden in the grid of letters. They can be found in straight lines up, down, forwards, backwards or even diagonally. Theme: SNAKES
R S D A N E O A K A O A S
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DISTINCTIVE GRASSLANDS LENGTH MARKINGS PREDATOR RAINFORESTS
WORD SEARCH
B T D O E C V L S K Q G I
ANTIVENOM BROAD HEAD CAMOUFLAGE COMMON CONSTRICTOR DANGEROUS
DOWN 1. Unload (suitcase) 2. Italian sparkling wine 3. Rock-pool crustacean 4. Military student 5. Communicative 6. Heaven’s ... Gates 9. Movie performer 11. Segregates 13. Large antlered animal 15. Comedian, ... Murphy 16. Shouted 18. Actor, ... Pattinson 19. Rot 21. Nauseous 22. Settles (debt)
N S M S G N I K R A M E D
ACROSS 1. Normal 7. Fracture 8. Trattoria staple 10. Polar vessel 12. Collapse (4,4) 14. Command to dog 16. Period of time 17. Sport parachutist 20. Ability to govern 23. Golfer’s two under par 24. Grace 25. Resource
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