TrueBlue April/May 2020
OUR HEART IS IN THE COUNTRY
GRASS ROOTS TRAVEL Get back out there to the places and people who need you now
A real Australian business magazine
THE SAPPHIRE COAST
A jewel of Australia ready to welcome travellers with open arms
BATHURST BECKONS
It’s not all about the cars
Behind the scenes with
IF YOU READ ME, TAKE ME HOME!
ADA
NICODEMOU
With 180 Hotels across Australia & New Zealand, Choice Hotels has you covered.
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Book direct on ChoiceHotels.com and get the lowest price guaranteed* If you find a better price online, we’ll match it. *Terms and conditions apply, visit https://www.choicehotels.com/en-au/legal/best-rate-rules
Letter from the COO
EDITORIAL
Publisher & Editor: Michelle Hespe publisher@publishingbychelle.com Art Director: Jon Wolfgang Miller Assistant Editor: Sarah Hinder editorial@publishingbychelle.com Sub-Editor: Shane Cubis Proofreader: Claire Hey Editorial Assistants: Olivia Bornstein, Maya Franks, Jillian Ramirez & Kaitlyn Stork
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Welcome to the April/May issue of True Blue. It has been a devastating start to 2020 with some of the worst bushfires in Australia’s history. One area that was ravaged by these bushfires was the majestic NSW South Coast and its surrounding communities, who now start the arduous process of rebuilding. Thanks to the Herculean efforts and unwavering commitment of our amazing NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) and volunteer firefighters, further damage was averted. Regional Express (Rex) operations into Merimbula and Moruya airports were challenged on a number of days during January because of thick bushfire smoke. However, the Rex team worked tirelessly to maintain critical air service linkages, including operating additional flights on the days following the smoke-related disruptions. The NSW South Coast is a wealth of natural beauty and memorable experiences, from pristine wilderness and beautiful beaches to delicious food and wine and outdoor adventures. Rex operates frequent services to Moruya and Merimbula. Merimbula offers stunning views of rugged ocean beaches and tranquil
coastal lakes from its seaside position on the Sapphire Coast. Short Point has consistent surf and Bar Beach is perfect for snorkelling, while you can discover plenty of sea creatures at the Merimbula Aquarium. The Goodenia Rainforest Walking Track is a popular tourist spot, and the Boardwalk is filled with information on local marine life. Visit Moruya where you can also escape to the Moruya Markets every Tuesday and Saturday, with a sprawling selection of fresh food, music, produce, and arts and crafts. Plan a visit to the Basil Sellers Exhibition Centre, which hosts a new exhibition every month. Now is the time for everyone to support these communities and think about holidaying at home instead of travelling abroad, to provide a much-needed boost to the local economy. With so much to do on the NSW South Coast, there is truly something for everyone – and Rex can take you there with regular flights to this beautiful region. Until next time, safe travels. Neville Howell Chief Operating Officer
True Blue Brand & Communications Manager: Linda Wortel linda@publishingbychelle.com AusBiz Brand & Communications Manager: Effe Sandas advertising@publishingbychelle.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Ian Lloyd Neubauer Jacqui Lang Jo Stewart Carolyn Beasley Darren Baguley Kirsten Craze
PRINTING
Blue Star PRINT 81 Derby Street, Silverwater NSW 2128
Cover image: Carmelina Photography
True Blue is published by Publishing ByChelle, (ABN: 78 621 375 853 ACN: 621 375 853) Level 1, 3 Westleigh Street, Neutral Bay NSW 2089 publishingbychelle.com The reproduction of any content, in whole or part without prior written permission by the publisher 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 True Blue are from iStock and Getty Images, and we make every effort to credit all contributors.
APRIL/MAY 2020
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A HOME AT SCHOOL COME AND SEE US ACROSS RURAL NSW THROUGHOUT 2020 • Boarding Schools Expo: Dubbo - 15-16 May • Boarding Schools Expo: Griffith - 11 June • Boarding Schools Expo: Wagga - 12-13 June
• Mudgee Field Days - 10-11 July • Boarding Schools Expo: Narrabri - 24-25 July • AgQuip Field Days - 18-20 August
For more information, contact Martin Gooding, Head of Enrolments, call 02 9473 9768 or email goodingm@knox.nsw.edu.au. A Uniting Church school for boys, K-12 – Wahroonga, Sydney www.knox.nsw.edu.au
Welcome Australia really has had a thorough beating by the weather over the past few months. The ramifications of fires and now coronavirus have left many of us feeling upset and rather helpless. We thought we should keep the momentum going, and so in this issue we bring you stories from all over the country, but have also shone the spotlight on a few places that we know need you to visit in order for the locals to get back on their feet. Basically, we all need to get out there and continue our travels across this beautiful country. I am loving the Empty Esky movement (emptyesky. com.au) and Holiday Here this Year campaign. All of your efforts in supporting these types of initiatives will go towards giving our fellow Aussies a helping hand when they truly need it most. I also had the joy of chatting to the humble and funny Ada Nicodemou from Home and Away. She has a lot to say about her love for Australia and the impact social media is having upon our youth. She’s a ray of sunshine.
If you haven’t yet signed up for our Truly Aus newsletter, visit trulyaus.com and we will send you some of this issue’s stories and many more, so that you can continue to be inspired to travel around Australia over the coming year. I’ve been travelling the country for close to 30 years and people often ask me if there is anywhere that I haven’t been. I have to laugh, as I feel I have only seen a pinch of what this country has to offer. So that we can learn more about who our readers are and what they want to read in the future, make sure you enter our survey and you may well find yourself on a luxurious getaway at the health-focussed Billabong Retreat!
Me and two of our children enjoying the Southern Highlands – one of the many beautiful places bouncing back from the devastating fires.
MICHELLE HESPE & THE TEAM AT TRUE BLUE
If you would like to read the digital version of True Blue, please be our guest! Simply go to trulyaus.com – which is dedicated to exploring and celebrating all things Aussie, giving travellers the lowdown on the best places in regional, rural and outback Australia.
TRULYAUS.COM Cover image by Carmelina Photography
APRIL/MAY 2020
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Cover Story
We chat with Home and Away celebrity, Ada Nicodemou.
Win!
Win a getaway to Billabong Retreat
p47
Inside TrueBlue AusBiz. Check out AusBiz. at the back of the magazine. AGRIBUSINESS Times have changed and now many farmers buy livestock online. MINING Proximity detection is a crucial part of mining. PROPERTY The pros and cons of buying a holiday home. BUSINESS The metamorphosis of the humble gym.
upfront
Features
07 Rex News
30 Bathurst
Celebrating three great Captains who have been flying with Rex for 20 years; shining a spotlight on the nominees for the 2020 Women of the Year Awards; get ready for this year’s Coober Pedy Opal Festival; the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal assists communities affected by the drought and bushfires.
Don’t be fooled: it’s not all about fast cars out west.
32 Opal Hunting Towns across Australia that attract people who have their sights set firmly on a gem like no other.
36 Cahills Crossing Braving the croc-filled
waterway between Kakadu and Arnhem Land.
42 Sapphire Coast NSW’s South Coast is ready to bounce back, so pack your esky now!
47 Win a Luxe Getaway in NSW Billabong Retreat is where you want to be right now.
12 Out & About Two cool new hotels near Sydney’s Darling Harbour.
15 Entertainment The latest in theatre, books, podcasts, art exhibitions and music tours.
16 What’s On & Hot A line-up of events and festivals across the country.
32 APRIL/MAY 2020
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UPFRONT
Peter Martin, Barry Anderson and Tony Budgen at Albury Airport.
Flying high in Albury for 20 years Tony Budgen, Peter Martin and Barry Anderson have known each other for quite a while. All three are Rex Captains and have been flying with us for more than 20 years. They are based in Albury, NSW, from where Rex flies to Melbourne and Sydney daily. “We’ve all been at the one base for more than 20 years, flying the same aircraft type, and that’s unique in the industry,” says Budgen. “The view outside our window is changing constantly,” Anderson says. “We might fly a lot of the same routes, but you’ll see something different every day. We’ve had a bird’s-eye view of the fires, floods, drought, and it’s a very interesting position to be in, in the same place and watching these things go on throughout time.” The three Captains have always enjoyed being able to go home to their families every night – something
which isn’t guaranteed when working for larger airlines. “My wife came up to me one time and said, ‘Your kids don’t care that you’re not flying a jet, they just want to see their dad.’ And I was very comfortable with that,” Martin says. The three Captains have seen plenty in their time with Rex, as well as before the Rex name was flying through the skies, as predecessors Kendell and Hazelton Airlines were put into administration after the collapse of Ansett in September 2001. Budgen says they knew the service was vital, and after the shock wore off they went about making sure the flights would be reinstated. “We knew there was a need for an essential service to regional communities and we were all very passionate about it,” he says. “You don’t let go of something you love, and
we all fought because we felt there was a need for it. It was a real bonding time, where we all worked together.” “There was a definite pulse of possibility,” Martin adds. Today, 19 years later, Rex flies to almost 60 destinations right across the country. Budgen, Martin and Anderson fly to many destinations, but their unanimous favourite spot to land is Tasmania’s King Island. “The people there are always happy to see us,” says Martin. “Plus, when you head down to King Island, you can get the best steak you will ever eat!” adds Anderson. If you catch one of Rex’s daily flights from Albury, you may be lucky enough to be flying with one of these established Captains. To see where Rex flights from Albury can get you, visit rex.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020
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news
(L-R) Donna Griffith, National Flight Attendant Manager, Rex Airlines; Holly Conroy; Krystaal Hinds; NSW Minister for Women, The Hon. Bronwyn Taylor (MLC); Dianna Somerville and Shanna Whan.
Spotlight on regional women at 2020 Women of the Year Awards The 2020 NSW Women of the Year Awards were held in March, including phenomenal nominees across all categories. The Rex Airlines Regional Woman of the Year Award went to Krystaal Hinds, who accepted her award at the International Convention Centre Grand Ballroom ceremony. All four finalists in the Rex Airlines Regional Woman of the Year category have worked extremely hard in their individual areas of expertise, and the field this year was one of the most diverse we have seen. Hinds has been a volunteer member of Gunning Fish River Rural Fire Brigade since 1998, and Captain for the last six years. She is also a Deputy Group Captain in the Southern Tablelands zone and has been deployed with the RFS across Australia multiple times. Hinds is born and raised in Gunning, where she lives with her husband and three children. Dianna Somerville is a former Australian Defence Force Naval Officer, who helped establish and facilitate the Charles Sturt
University AgriTech Incubator program. Somerville also founded Regional Grants, Tenders and Corporate Services, Working Spaces HQ and three national events accelerating innovation in regional Australia, and lives with her family near Wagga Wagga. Holly Conroy is a transgender soccer and AFL athlete from Wagga Wagga, who organised the inaugural Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras in 2019, which was attended by more than 15,000 people. The 2020 Mardi Gras parade, which occurred recently, was another resounding success for Conroy, and dubbed the ‘party of the year’. Shanna Whan is the CEO and Founder of Sober in the Country, which is breaking stigmas and raising awareness around the gaps in relatable services and support for those slipping through the cracks. Whan is leading a cultural shift around drinking culture in regional NSW, which has gained widespread media coverage of alcohol abuse and misuse issues through a feature on Australian Story in 2019.
AN OUTBACK FESTIVAL LIKE NO OTHER The annual Coober Pedy Opal Festival is back, this year on June 19–21. The festival is Coober Pedy’s premier event, when the community comes together to celebrate and strengthen its cultural and social bonds. Over a fun-filled three days, the Rex-sponsored event features fireworks, live music, entertainment for kids, games, great food, a variety of craft and market stalls, workshops, demonstrations, and so much more. While in Coober Pedy, dig a little deeper and you’ll find opals, an underground world and the amazing multicultural community. You can take a stroll through the varied attractions or join a tour to the magnificent Breakaways to enjoy this ancient beautiful outback region. One of the best ways to get to Coober Pedy is to fly with Rex. Rex flights depart five days a week from Adelaide. APRIL/MAY 2020
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ALBANY
news
Donations are helping rural communities tackle tough times As an organisation, the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) has earned its reputation as Australia’s ‘philanthropic toothbrush’ – it really does get funding into all the hard-to-reach places. In just a few months, the FRRR awarded grants from Broken Hill in NSW and Hughenden in Qld, to Alice Springs in NT and Tambellup in WA. With the ongoing drought and more recently the devastating bushfires, small country towns across Australia are finding it more difficult to raise money for the things that help their communities to continue to be wonderful places to live and work. Since 2000, the FRRR has helped local leaders to turn visions for their community into reality. In that time, more than $100 million in grants has been distributed throughout Australia, supporting more than 10,000 projects. Around 20 per cent of that funding has gone specifically to communities affected by disasters. This level of support has only been possible thanks to the generosity of FRRR’s partners, including organisations such as Rex and individuals like the passengers that fly on the Rex network. Over the last year, more than $40,000 has been raised through this partnership, with some funding already in the hands of communities including Charleville, Qld. FRRR’s CEO, Natalie Egleton, says that the organisation greatly appreciates the support. “Disasters, like the drought and bushfires that have impacted every state and territory across Australia in recent months, disproportionately affect rural, regional and remote areas, where the capacity to invest in preparedness or fund recovery is already limited,” says Egleton. “From our experience over the last two decades working with local communities recovering from disasters, we know that it’s critical that, when the time is right, local leaders can access funds for whatever is most important to their community. “This is particularly important because, whether it’s upgrading a local air-conditioning unit in a community hall, paying the costs of bringing entertainers to town, or running mental health workshops, these are essential things that will help communities be stronger and more sustainable. It also means that we can invest more in preparedness initiatives. There’s strong evidence that being better connected and better prepared as a community aids recovery when there is a disaster. So, having this kind of support is fantastic.” To learn more, visit frrr.org.au
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out & about Down by the Harbour Metro Apartments Darling Harbour is the ideal base from which to explore this buzzing part of Sydney. There are entertainment options galore, with WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, SEA LIFE Aquarium, Madame Tussauds waxworks museum and the Maritime Museum all on its doorstep. Enjoy a cool beverage in one of the many boutique waterfront bars in Darling Harbour, indulge in a leisurely lunch or dinner cruise on Sydney Harbour, or watch the Dolly Parton smash hit 9 to 5: The Musical (from April 2020) at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre, right across the footbridge. With 24 loft-style one-bedroom apartments, each with a queen-sized bed and double fold-out sofa bed, Metro Apartments Darling Harbour offers all the comforts of home with the convenience of a perfect city location. The Explore Sydney Package is a great deal that includes family accommodation (two adults and two children) in a standard loft-style apartment from $215 per night. The package includes two adult Opal cards valued at $20 each. metrohotels.com.au | 1800 11 4321
EXPERIENTIAL OFFERINGS
West Hotel Sydney, Curio Collection by Hilton, has launched a curated program of tailored experiences to personalise the level of individual service for guests. The experiences include guided fitness mentoring, a pictorial journey through the city’s most photogenic locations, a crystal ritual, a virtual book club, and bar-side cocktail infusions. In order to tailor the experiences, upon check-in guests are encouraged to complete The Curiosity Quiz, which identifies what type of traveller they are: Culturalist, Challenger, Pathfinder, Spiritualist or Epicurean. They are then offered a carefully curated series of experiences to complement their travel type. For example, for the Challenger, guests can head off on a five-kilometre running track that showcases local landmarks surrounding the hotel, including Barangaroo. They’re also offered a personalised fitness mentoring program. The 182room hotel is Australia’s first Curio Collection by Hilton property – a portfolio of upscale hotels and resorts handpicked for their unique character and personality, embodying the culture and spirit of the communities in which they reside. westhotel.com.au
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Indigenous communities benefit from latest BEL sponsorships Bamaga Enterprises Ltd (BEL), an Indigenous community company, recently announced more than $50,000 worth of sponsorships and scholarships for the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA). The funds will support special education students, medical assistance, university and TAFE studies, and fitness training courses.
The Challenge Games BEL is funding more than $5000 to send five students and three staff members to this year’s Challenge Games in late July. Ralphine Sauer, Head of Special Education at NPA College, said last year was the first time the school participated in the initiative and that the students loved every moment. “The sponsorship will assist with travel and accommodation costs for the Games in Townsville,” said Ralphine. “The students get to participate at their own level and make friends with like-minded and like-ability students.” (Raymond Mooka and Zippora Phineasa with the Challenge Games Trophy, pictured right).
Building community skills through scholarships Congratulations to Yanetta Nadredre and Sylvia Satrick, who will receive $5000 per year for their university studies. Yanetta is undertaking a Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Technology Sydney. She has an impressive track record in volunteering in the community and has mentored more than 100 women and children in Aboriginal communities. Yanetta wishes to continue her work of empowering Indigenous people. 31-year-old Sylvia is studying a Bachelor of Public Health at Charles Darwin University, and currently works at NPA Family and Community Services. Sylvia will be studying online
while working and raising her three children. “I want to be able to educate our people regarding health issues so everyone can take care of themselves and we can lower mortality rates,” Sylvia says. “This scholarship means I can concentrate more on studying rather than financial support. And when I finish my studies, I can give back to the community.” Additionally, Danielle Atu (pictured right) will receive $1000 to complete her Certificate III in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care this year. She is studying at the TAFE Queensland Cairns Campus. Like Sylvia, Danielle works at NPA Family and Community Services and wants to support her community. “Here in the NPA, everyone is family and many people get sick. Sometimes access to doctors and nurses isn’t consistent, and we need more of those types of people,” Danielle says.
Keeping the community fit and healthy BEL is sponsoring Celestina Poi Poi and Leandra Newman from Steel Fitness Bamaga to complete a Les Mills Instructor three-day training course. Celestina says the gym wants to offer the community a different approach to fitness. “Our feedback, especially from women, is that they’re interested in Les Mills group exercise classes, so we want to make training as enjoyable as possible.”
BEL will also install air conditioners in the houses of Bamaga community members Rex Adidi and Monica Amey to assist with their medical conditions. The air conditioners will enable the proper operation of Rex’s dialysis machine, while Monica will benefit from a healthier breathing environment. As part of its Socio Support Policy, BEL provides financial support across several categories. The organisation has re-invested more than $2.5 million of its profits in sponsorships, donations and community infrastructure since its establishment in 2002. For more information, visit www.bament.com.au or phone 07 4069 3533. APRIL/MAY 2020
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Experience the marine adventure of a lifetime with Oceanic Victor! Journey out to the unique Oceanic Victor platform in the sparkling waters of Victor Harbor (South Australia) for the Aquarium Tour. Arrive by luxury catamaran and spend two hours exploring life beneath the waves with the team of marine biologists and passionate ocean lovers. Hand feed and swim with the magnificent ‘Ferraris of the Ocean’ – the Southern Bluefin Tuna, as well as a diverse range of marine species. You can even cuddle a Port Jackson shark (see photo above). Wetsuits, gloves, snorkels and booties are provided if you choose to jump in the water, or stay dry and interact with marine life from the designated platform. Explore the
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Touch Tanks, take a stroll through the underwater observatory tunnel or enjoy a beverage from the licensed bar. Located in a marine park, the Oceanic Victor platform is the perfect opportunity for hands-on learning and the team endeavor to ensure guests of all ages participate, interact and have a great time while learning so much about our precious oceans. Wind down after the tour at The Island Café with the Island Discovery Package, and enjoy the signature Seafood Tasting Platter and a glass of premium South Australian beer, wine or cider. For a long-lunch style meal, The Ultimate Oceanic Experience ensures no one leaves the island hungry. This package includes the Aquarium Tour
and the Seafood Tasting Platter with a beer, wine or cider. Guests have a choice of three items from the menu, a sweet treat from the dessert cabinet and a hot beverage to wrap things up. Oceanic Victor and The Island Cafe is located on Victor Harbor’s iconic tourist destination, Granite Island. It is accessible by foot or on the heritage horse-drawn tram. Oceanic Victor operates all year and works with minimum numbers. Booking ahead is recommend to avoid missing out on this incredible experience. oceanicvictor.com.au
entertainment
Watch, read & listen
by: maya franks & sarah hinder
podcasts
books
TED Radio Hour
Everything you love about Ted Talks, minus the visuals. Listen to compilations of fascinating talks. Host Guy Raz interviews individuals who give talks to contextualise and explain the complex topics discussed on the show.
Good Boy, Jennifer Finney Boylan
April 2020, Celadon Books, memoir This memoir tells the story of Boylan’s life through the eyes of the dogs she’s owned. As a transgender woman, the dogs on her journey have helped her to better understand herself and the world around her.
The Octopus and I, Erin Hortle
April 2020, Allen & Unwin, fiction Set in small-town Tasmania, Hortle’s debut novel follows protagonist Lucy as she recovers from major surgery and comes to terms with her new body through a surprising connection with the local octopuses.
tour
Anzac Girl, Kate Simpson & Jess Racklyeft
March 2020, Allen & Unwin, children’s This true story of Sister Alice Ross-King, who sailed to war as a nurse in 1914 and became the most decorated woman in Australia, includes extracts from Alice’s actual diaries kept during the war.
theatre
A Plate to Call Home
Seasons 1-4 available Gary Mehigan knows it’s not just about the food – it’s about where it comes from. Just as food producers deliver farm to plate, he delivers the scoop on how they do it.
Ladies, We Need to Talk
Joel Creasey
March 9–June 5 around the country Following a sold-out successful season in New York, this young talent on the Australian comedy scene returns for an Aussie iteration of his Messy Bitch tour in big-city and regional locations around the country. joelcreasey.com.au
Single Asian Female
April 23–March 9 in Adelaide SA Michelle Law’s hilarious comedy follows the story of a Chinese-Australian family running a restaurant, The Golden Phoenix, on the Sunshine Coast, when the two generations of Wong women meet at a crossroads. statetheatrecompany.com.au
Seasons 1-3 available Host Yumi Stynes talks everything to do with female health and sexuality – without holding back. Look out for new episodes each week on Tuesdays. APRIL/MAY 2020
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events
What’s On & What’s Hot
BY: Sarah hinder & maya franks
April – September
Waringarri Art and Culture Tours
Kununurra WA Walk amongst the unique beauty of ancient Kimberley escarpments with Indigenous elders and tour guides. If you can’t make it this year, visit our SHOP and support our award winning artists! www.waringarriarts.com.au/shop
May 22–31
Taste of Kakadu
Until June 13
Claris high tea at Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour
Sydney NSW Calling all mini-fashionistas and stylish young (and young at heart) francophiles, Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour will be bringing back its decadent high tea on Saturday afternoons, inspired by Australian fashion illustrator Megan Hess’ children’s book character: Claris, the Chicest Mouse in Paris. sofitelsydneydarlingharbour.com.au Events were scheduled to proceed at the time of printing.
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Kakadu National Park NT Taste of Kakadu is back with a sensational program set to immerse Kakadu National Park visitors in a stimulating journey of the senses. The 2020 program holds an impressive line-up of new experiences, plus festival favourites to celebrate the region’s incredible Indigenous food and culture. For details and bookings, head to kakadu.com.au/taste
regional news
San Diego Zoo vet assists at Taronga Zoo Kristin McCaffree, a San Diego Zoo Safari Park wildlife health technician, has been assisting at Taronga Zoo following the bushfires and drought conditions in Australia. Along with another member of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park staff, she is assisting in Taronga’s endeavor to care for injured Australian wildlife.
According to Frances Hulst, a veterinarian with Taronga Zoo: “It’s been really great to have Kristin here. She is a highly experienced registered veterinary technician, and we are so pleased that San Diego Zoo Global could provide us with the on-the-ground assistance.”
Kristin has cared for a platypus and other animals. This platypus was one of seven brought into the zoo for safety as their habitat became threatened by bushfires. If you would like to donate to Taronga Zoo to assist with wildlife rescue costs, please visit taronga. org.au/savewildlife
Captain Cook’s ship discovery According to maritime archaeologists, the remains of Captain Cook’s ship are closer to being uncovered than some may have thought. Originally designed to haul coal, the HMS Endeavour landed in Australia in 1770. While it is well established that this ship made it to Australia and then back to England, the picture had previously been a bit blurry regarding the final resting place of the vessel. After much research and countless hours, researchers discovered that, based on some renaming and jumbled records the HMS Endeavor was actually renamed the Lord Sandwich – a boat that was intentionally sunk during the American Revolution. As fascinating as the wreck is to study, the professionals onsite don’t think raising the ruins is wise. While it’s not 100 per cent confirmed that the wreck is the HMS Endeavor, maritime archaeologists are definitely closing in on the site. APRIL/MAY 2020
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KIMBERLEY GRANDE HOTEL EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY OF THE KIMBERLEY
Nestled amongst the wilderness of the Kimberley’s you will find Kimberley Grande, the perfect place with spacious room to come home to after adventurous days. Spend your day relaxing by our picturesque pool and indulging at our restaurant and bar facilities. Numerous conference and function packages are available all year round
www.kimberleygrande.com.au 20 Victoria Highway, Kununurra WA 6743 Phone: 1300 9555 49 | 08 7918 7885 | Email: reservations@kimberleygrande.com.au
directory
TrueBlue Experiences
Great places to stay and awesome things to do across Australia.
King Island Escapes
Kalbarri Edge Resort
2020 Mackay Festival of Arts
135 BARNES RD, LOORANA, KING ISLAND TAS T 0417 580 550 E stay@kingislandescapes.com.au kingislandescapes.com.au
22 PORTER STREET, KALBARRI, WA 6536 T 08 9937 0000 E reservations@kalbarriedge.com.au kalbarriedge.com.au
MACKAY QLD 4740 T 07 4961 9777 E festival@mackay.qld.gov.au themecc.com.au/mackayfestivals
Immerse yourself among the raw beauty of King Island from the comfort of our uxury four-bedroom retreat. Enjoy the breathtaking views from the red cedar hot tub and glass sauna, with access to your own private beach. Relax and reconnect at Porky Beach Retreat.
Positioned on the Murchison River where it meets the Indian Ocean, Kalbarri Edge Resort offers well-appointed rooms, a fantastic restaurant experience and outdoor activities. Experience rugged cliffs, gorges, sensational beaches, the world-famous Pink Lake, and the stunning spectacle that is Nature’s Window.
Plan your visit to the Mackay region in July for 10 warm North Queensland winter days and nights of visual arts, music, theatre, idea forums, films and creative workshops all showcasing the beautiful Mackay region. Heading into its 34th year, the 2020 program is packed with vibrant, fun and intriguing events for all ages. APRIL/MAY 2020
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I N F L I G H T I N F O R M AT I O N
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
As you sit back in comfort en route to your destination, the Rex crew hope you enjoy this entertaining and informative light reading. Q. Why do the flight attendants insist that all window blinds be up for take-off? A. The most critical phases of a flight are the take-off and landing. In the most unlikely event of a situation that requires an emergency evacuation, it is important that crew and passengers are able to have a clear view of the outside conditions in case of obstructions. For example, before exits are opened, staff must check for fire or other obstacles that may present potential hazards during the evacuation. Q. Why do I have to stow my hand luggage in the overhead lockers, under the seats or in the seat pockets for take-off and landing? A. Flight crews are required by Civil Aviation Regulations to secure the cabin as well as possible for take-off and landing. As mentioned, these are the most critical phases of the flight, and securing as much hand luggage as possible ensures that, in the unlikely event of an emergency, the exits and aisles stay as clear as possible, in case evacuation is necessary. It is also important to keep hand luggage secure whenever possible to ensure heavier items do not become airborne within the cabin. This is especially important when the aircraft is experiencing turbulence. Q. Why do I feel so tired from flying? A. As the aircraft altitude increases, air pressure decreases. As the pressure of the air decreases, the body absorbs less oxygen than it would at sea level — therefore, it must work harder to supply oxygen to the body’s cells. As the body is working harder, it becomes more tired. Q. Why do I sometimes feel pain in my ears or sinuses during ascent or descent? A. The sinuses and middle ear are air-containing cavities that connect with the nose via narrow channels. As aircrafts ascend and cabin pressure drops, air passes out of these cavities (without any effort from the passenger) to balance the cabin pressure. It is a different matter during descent, as the cabin pressure increases. The channels close down and must be actively opened by holding the nose and blowing to
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inflate the cavities. Facial and ear pain can occur during descent if re-inflation does not occur, and this is much more likely if the passenger has nasal congestion. If you must fly with a cold or hayfever, use a decongestant nasal spray before descent and buy some ‘ear planes’ to plug your ears. (Information contributed by Dr Daniel Hains, ENT surgeon.) Q. When can electronic equipment such as laptops, iPods and mobile phones be used? A. All Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) must be placed in flight mode inside the departure terminal and must remain in flight mode until inside the arrival terminal. Small handheld PEDs weighing less than 1kg, such as mobile phones, can be used in flight mode during all stages of flight on Rex’s Saab 340 aircraft. PEDs over 1kg, such as laptop computers, must be stowed appropriately for taxi, take-off and landing, and are permitted to be used only during cruise when the ‘Fasten Seatbelt’ sign is switched off. PEDs cannot be used while crossing the tarmac. Q. What is the average speed of the aircraft when cruising in flight? A. Approximately 500 kilometres per hour. Q. Why do I have to get permission from the Captain to move to a vacant seat? A. The aircraft’s take-off speed is calculated by the weight and balance of the aircraft, and many factors need to be considered for a successful take-off. Factors include the weight of passengers and where they are seated, the weight of cargo, freight and fuel, the distance available on the runway, etc. For example, if there are 100 or more kilograms of freight in the cargo, the balance of the aircraft will be better maintained if passengers are seated in the forward rows.
AIR TURBULENCE
Q. Aircraft often experience air turbulence, but what causes it? A. Imagine the air around the aircraft is water in a stream. We can see how water is disturbed around rocks or when two streams converge. Turbulence in the air is
similar: as the aircraft passes through cold air or in the vicinity of terrain that has disturbed the airflow – often incorrectly referred to as ‘air pockets’ – the aircraft climbs and descends in the same way that a boat moves on water. Though turbulence can be uncomfortable, it poses no threat to the aircraft and is akin to driving on a rough or unsealed road. More severe turbulence can be associated with developing thunderstorms. The Saab 340 has a sophisticated weather radar that pilots use to avoid these areas. Occasionally, a flight attendant will discontinue serving passengers in turbulent conditions; this is a precaution to ensure everyone’s safety. Q. Why should I keep my seatbelt fastened even when the ‘Fasten Seatbelt’ sign is switched off? A. On occasions, the flight crew cannot foresee turbulence or it is not picked up on the flight-deck radar. Because of this, we could unexpectedly experience turbulence at any time. The company recommends that you always keep your seatbelt fastened while you are seated – for your safety, just in case unexpected turbulence is encountered.
ENGINE NOISES
Q. Why do the aircraft’s engine noises change during the flight? A. Aircraft need more power to climb than to descend, in the same way that a car needs more power to go up a hill than down one. The Saab 340 turboprop has more than enough power to climb, so shortly after take-off you will notice a change in noises as the power is reduced. The pilots also control the pitch angle of the propellers for various stages of the flight, and as they ‘change gears’ this can also be heard in the cabin. Q. What should I do if I see or hear something that does not look or sound right? A. Please advise your flight attendant. The flight attendant may be able to answer your query and allay any fears. If not, the flight attendant will contact the flight deck and advise the pilots of anything unusual. Rex encourages open communication and will always treat a passengers’ concerns with the utmost seriousness.
T R U LYAU S .CO M
THE PLACE TO FIND REAL AUSTRALIAN STORIES
UP, UP AND AWAY!
Regional Express: Our heart is in the country
Bamaga NPA
Mornington Island (Gununa) Karumba Normanton
Cairns
Burketown Doomadgee
Townsville Mount Isa
Julia Creek
Hughenden
Richmond
Winton
Boulia
Longreach Bedourie
Windorah Charleville
Birdsville Carnarvon
Brisbane West Wellcamp (Toowoomba)
Quilpie Cunnamulla
Monkey Mia Coober Pedy
Brisbane
St George
Thargomindah
Lismore Ceduna
Grafton (Yamba) Armidale
Broken Hill
Perth
Port Augusta Whyalla
Dubbo
Parkes
Orange Esperance Albany
Mildura
Port Lincoln
Adelaide
Kangaroo Island (Kingscote)
Griffith
Newcastle Bathurst
Narrandera-Leeton Wagga Wagga Albury
Mount Gambier
Melbourne
Sydney
Moruya Snowy Mountains (Cooma) Merimbula
King Island
Burnie
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I N F L I G H T I N F O R M AT I O N
CHECK- IN
BAGGAGE
Online check-in You can check-in online through the Rex website, rex.com.au, on your desktop or mobile devices between 48 hours and 60 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time of your flight.
Checked baggage Passengers on all fares (except Rex Flex) are permitted a 15 kilogram free baggage allowance. Passengers in possession of a Rex Flex Fare are permitted a 23 kilogram free baggage allowance.
Airport check-in If you have checked baggage, we recommend that you arrive at the airport for check-in at least 60 minutes before the scheduled departure of your flight at all airports except Burketown, Queensland (90 minutes before).
Passengers with international connections (within 24 hours) are permitted a 23 kilogram free baggage allowance upon presenting a valid itinerary or ticket.
Rex check-in closes: • 60 minutes prior to scheduled departure time at Burketown airport. • 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure time at Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Queensland airports (with the exception of Burketown above). • 20 minutes prior to scheduled departure time at regional airports in NSW, SA, Tas, Vic and WA.
Cabin baggage A maximum of two pieces per passenger up to a total of 7 kilograms of cabin baggage is permitted onboard. Excess baggage Excess baggage is permitted subject to restrictions of the day and a surcharge of $7.70 per kilogram. Virgin Australia Baggage Agreement Rex accepts the checking of baggage to/from Virgin Australia flights. Ask at check-in for more information.
Passengers with special requirements Passengers with special requirements must check-in at the airport (online check-in is not available) no later than: • 60 minutes prior to scheduled departure in major cities and all Queensland regional airports except Burketown (please see below). • 45 minutes prior to scheduled departure in NSW, SA, Tas, Vic and WA regional airports. • 90 minutes prior to scheduled departure in Burketown.
REX AIRCRAFT FACTS AIRCRAFT
MAX. TAKE-OFF WEIGHT (KG)
SPEED (KM/H)
AVAILABLE SEATS
GALLEY
REST ROOM
FLEET SIZE
CRUISE ALTITUDE (METRES)
CREW
SAAB 340
13,155
520
34
Y
Y
60
8,000
3
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Exercise and stretch regularly while seated SEATED EXERCISES
Inflight comfort
ANKLE CIRCLES Lift feet off floor, draw a circle with the toes, simultaneously moving one foot clockwise and the other foot counterclockwise. Reverse circles. Do each direction for 15 seconds. Repeat if desired.
FOOT PUMPS Start with both heels on the floor and point feet upward as high as you can. Then put both feet flat on the floor. Then lift heels high, keeping the balls of your feet on the floor. Continue cycle in 30-second intervals.
Flying can be demanding and altitude may make your body more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and caffeine. Sitting in one place for a long time can be uncomfortable and slow down your blood circulation. To help your body adjust to flying and to maintain your personal comfort and wellbeing, we recommend you take the following steps: Keep hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids – water, juice, non-caffeinated soft drinks – to prevent dehydration, fatigue and headaches. Minimise intake of alcohol and coffee. Moisten the face to help reduce the drying effects of cabin air. Eat lightly. Eat lightly on longer flights to avoid indigestion – our inflight menu is designed to provide lighter meal options.
KNEE LIFTS Lift leg with knee bent while contracting your thigh muscle. Alternate legs. Repeat 20 to 30 times for each leg.
SHOULDER ROLLS Hunch shoulders forward, then upward, then backward, then downward, using a gentle, circular motion.
ARM CURLS Arms held at 90° angles, elbows down, hands in front. Raise hands up to chest and back down. Alternate hands. Repeat in 30-second intervals.
SEATED STRETCHES
Exercise. We encourage you to do the gentle onboard exercises on this page to enhance your wellbeing during the flight. We recommend you do these exercises for about five minutes every one to two hours. You should also occasionally walk down the aisles, as space permits. In addition, we recommend that you avoid crossing your legs. Please note: you should not do any of these exercises if they cause you pain or cannot be done with ease.
KNEE TO CHEST Bend forward slightly. Clasp hands around left knee and hug it to your chest. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Keeping hands around knee, slowly let it down. Alternate legs. Repeat 10 times.
SHOULDER STRETCH Reach your right hand over your left shoulder. Place your left hand behind your right elbow and gently press your elbow toward your shoulder. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
FORWARD FLEX With both feet on the floor and stomach held in, slowly bend forward and walk your hands down the front of your legs toward your ankles. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds and slowly sit back up.
NECK ROLLS With your shoulders relaxed, drop your ear to shoulder and gently roll your neck forward and to the other side, holding each position for five seconds. Repeat five times.
OVERHEAD STRETCH Raise both hands straight up over your head. With one hand, grasp the wrist of the opposite hand and gently pull to one side. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Please note: you should not do any of these exercises if they cause you pain or cannot be done with ease.
Moving about the aircraft. You may move about the aircraft as space permits and when the seatbelt sign is off. However, when the seatbelt sign is on you are required to remain seated with the seatbelt fastened. If you feel unwell, tell the cabin crew. They can assist with the more common inflight complaints and, if necessary, can seek further advice and assistance for you. On descent. Ears and sinuses can cause discomfort, due to the change in air pressure on descent. To minimise discomfort: • Yawn or swallow frequently. • Pinch your nostrils together and blow firmly into your cheeks with your mouth closed. If you have ongoing discomfort, seek the advice of the cabin crew.
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& HOME
AWAY
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Cover Story
Ada Nicodemou is a face most of us would be very familiar with, especially if you’re a Home and Away fan – but this humble star flies under the celebrity radar. WORDs: MICHELLE HESPE | Hair & make-up: Rose Saffioti photography: Carmelina photography Ada Nicodemou lives a double life. But rather than worrying about the two colliding and causing any dramas, she’d love to keep both seamlessly streaming along. She has two families she adores – one with her partner, businessman Adam Rigby, and her seven-year-old son Johnas, and another with the cast and crew of Home and Away. This year marks the 20th that Ada has been a lead actor in the world-renowned soapie, and she’d be happy to keep working on the show for the rest of her life. “I’m so blessed to work with such lovely people,” she says. “It’s what makes me get up every day, knowing that I’m going to see my second family. That’s the truth – we work crazy hours, but we are always laughing on set, having a great old time. I have no burning desire to go off and become a movie star or to move to America like some actors dream of because I have an amazing life here, and I love Australia. I’ve worked 46 to 48 weeks of the year for the past 20 years, and as an actor that’s remarkable. I don’t take that for granted – I still feel challenged by the new storylines. When it comes down to it I want to raise my son here in Australia, and my main focus is my family.” Ada grew up with hard-working migrant parents (both Greek Cypriots who met in Australia), and their values and approach to work were instilled in Ada and her younger brother. “We were always up early and there was not a lot of time to play growing up,” she recalls. “Even as young kids
“I’m so blessed to work with such lovely people. It’s what makes me get up every day, knowing that I’m going to see my second family.”
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Cover Story
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Leah weds Vinnie (Ryan Kwanten) in Home and Away; On set with Alf (Ray Meagher); Ada off the set; Ada’s official cast portrait.
we’d cook, clean, get ourselves off to school. We were taught how to take care of ourselves. Now I have more balance in my life and my job gives me time to travel – which is my big passion. I always say to friends, ‘Everything is okay if I have a holiday booked!’”
Gourmet traveller Ada’s love of Australia spans far and wide. “We are so lucky to live in a country like this, where there is such a diversity of amazing destinations,” she says. “I love Queensland, and some of my favourite parts of the state are up around Cairns and Cape Tribulation. Western Australia is amazing – its beaches are incredible – and I just love
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Melbourne for the food and short weekends away. We recently went to Mudgee for the weekend and our focus was on great company and wine. We glamped outside, immersed in nature. Lots of people save up to go overseas but we have so much right here.” Being Greek, food and family are in Ada’s DNA. “Oh my goodness, I am such a foodie!” she laughs. “I love eating and it’s usually the focus of my travel. I just follow my palate. We have the best seafood in the world in Australia – I swear – and I can eat shellfish and crab all day, every day.” Ada and her family have been emotionally affected by the fires and now floods that have impacted so many communities in Australia. They intend to hit the road as much as possible to help out. “We love the Blue Mountains and visit there often,” she says. “What has happened in so many areas is devastating. On our next weekend away, we plan to spend a whole lot of money in an affected town, buying the produce and spending locally. We’ll be heading to the Sapphire Coast soon, and back the Blue Mountains too.”
Social calls When you work in entertainment – especially as an actor – social media is now a crucial part of what many define
Cover Story
as success. These days it all seems to be about how many followers an actor has on Instagram, despite them being followed by viewers watching their shows every week on television. “It’s really terrible!” Ada cries out. “So many people use social media to validate themselves and the lives they live, and it’s becoming more and more common for young people to depend upon it. It wasn’t that way when we were kids, and being a mother too, it’s just awful to see how affected young people are by social media. My son is seven and we try not to talk about it when he’s around. We only allow him 20 minutes a day on games and things that we watch closely. In fact, the other day I posted a photo of myself from a photo shoot and he asked, ‘How many likes did you get?’ I was like, ‘Woah! You’re only seven – why are you even talking about it?’” Ada has a lot to say on the subject, and thinks we need to champion change to help our youth. She believes we need to get back to being more honest. “All that posing and retouching,” she says. “I’m crap with technology so I couldn’t do it properly even if I tried, but I try to be as natural as possible online, to set an example. Sure, I put make-up on, but I try to be honest with my photos – I think that’s important because our lives are not always perfect. I don’t wake up looking like I’ve been in hair and makeup for hours, that’s for sure!”
What matters Ada also supports the Save Our Sons organisation (saveoursons.org.au), which raises money and awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). “I went to a charity night 11 years ago to help raise money for DMD and I met a man – he was a train driver and the father of a child with this condition. I knew nothing about it, and learnt that night that it’s a muscle-wasting disease with a 100 per cent fatality rate. Children
rarely make it past 18. He said to me, ‘Look, I just have to try and save my child.’ It was heartbreaking and his story really touched me so I decided to help. In the past decade they have come a long way and I encourage people to read up and donate if they can.” The feeling you walk away with after meeting Ada Nicodemou is that she is humble and true to herself. She gives endless love, inspiration and a tonne of enthusiasm to those around her, and she’s been a face and voice in many people’s lives for decades. But she is happy to fly under the radar and enjoy life (and all the delicious food that she can get her hands on). Even when it comes to acting awards, she’s really not that interested. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s lovely to
The older I get, the more comfortable I am in my own skin. be recognised for the work you do,” she says. “But I don’t need an award to show me if I am doing a great job or not. Maybe that’s come with age – the older I get, the more comfortable I am in my own skin, and I don’t worry like I once did about what other people think. I just get on with the life I love.” TB APRIL/MAY 2020
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Special Feature
Beautifully
BAT H U R S T
Bathurst and its surrounding villages make the perfect autumn escape. As the leaves turn to rich golden hues and the weather cools down, the region celebrates its cultural heritage, and it’s also harvest season – an ideal time to indulge in local wine and produce. Out & about • The Autumn Colours Program offers visitors a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes and discover the moments, events and characters that make up the story of Bathurst. • The new Bathurst Rail Museum brings the rich social history of the region and its story as a railway town to life, including the largest publicly displayed HO scale model railway in Australia, the largest permanent wooden Brio rail setup in the Southern Hemisphere, and a historic 110-year old CBA 547 train carriage out the front which doubles as a quaint café. • The Bathurst Arts Trail takes place on the first full weekend of each month and offers free entry to all the wonderful studios and galleries in the region. Don’t miss the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery. • Stock up on local produce at the Bathurst Farmer’s Market on the fourth Saturday of each month including Fish River Roasters locally roasted coffee, Renzaglia Wine, gin from Bathurst’s own micro-distillery – Stone Pine, as well as seasonal fruit and vegetables, local honey, jams, fresh flowers and more.
Wine & dine • Forget the crowds and visit one of Bathurst’s quaint wineries. Its diverse landscape, which ranges in elevation from 700 to more than 1000 metres, makes it perfect for producing cool climate wines. Sit on the terrace at
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Vale Creek while you sip on Italian varietals from sangiovese, dolcetto, barbera, and vermentino. Or Renzaglia Wines will be hosting its third annual Harvest Long Lunch on the April 12 and have teamed up with Field to Forest to celebrate all things foraged and fossicked. • Tremain’s Mill has been transformed into a contemporary dining, retail and art precinct. Enjoy craft cocktails and music at The Victoria, espresso at Doppio, or head to Osteria Roma for a traditional taste of Italy.
Lay your head • Alfred on Keppel is a beautifully restored and furnished heritage three-bedroom terrace in the heart of Bathurst. With light-filled high ceilings, a modern interior, exposed brick and floorboard throughout, as well as a gorgeous courtyard, this sophisticated terrace makes the perfect base to explore Keppel Street’s bars, cafés and vintage shopping. • With an unparalleled position on the iconic Wahluu-Mount Panorama race circuit, Rydges Mount Panorama Bathurst is the perfect place for families to unwind and explore the region. All deluxe guestrooms and apartments offer a full kitchen and ensuite with a spa bath. TB For more information, visit bathurstregion.com.au
Image: Nicola Bailey
Special Feature
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Kids having fun at the BRC Rail Museum; the Benny Bagel (with poached eggs, cardamon mapled speck, asparagus, wilted spinach and hollandaise sauce) and a sweet toast special at The Hub Cafe; Machattie Park; Painted Horse Cafe; Taking a wander through Renzaglia vineyard.
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Explore
Gem O F A
T OW N
Australian opals are some of the most breathtakingly gorgeous in the world. Here are four of the towns they built. WORDs: Ian LLOYD Neubauer
Old abandoned mining truck by the opal mines in White Cliffs.
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The year was 1889, and Tullie Wollaston could not believe his eyes. The Adelaide geologist was no stranger to the quixotic beauty of Australian opals, which had first been discovered in the South Australian town of Angaston 35 years earlier. But the interplay and brightness of colours in the samples sent to his office by roo shooters in north-western NSW far surpassed all the opals he’d seen before. A few days later, Wollaston set off in a small caravan of camels through the
outback to visit the scattered opal fields of Australia. The journey was gruelling but highly rewarding, for he returned to Adelaide with a cache of the most valuable specimens in the world. Wollaston sailed to London to sell and promote Australian opals. At first buyers denounced them as fake, due to their astonishing array of colours compared to more humble Hungarian opals. But Wollaston persevered, opening up new markets in Europe and North America. Within a few years
the price had skyrocketed, while the towns from whence the opals came experienced booms of their own. Today, only a handful of Australia’s old opal towns remain. With bleakly beautiful landscapes, fascinating backstories and novel underground hotels, these remote outposts of civilisation thrive as much on tourism as they do on mining. And like the opal fossickers who crossed continents and oceans to unearth them, each has a unique colour and character.
White Cliffs Sign welcoming visitors to White Cliffs in the outback.
“There were two tents and a bough shed,” Wollaston wrote of his visit to White Cliffs, a settlement 1000 kilometres north-west of Sydney, where the opals sent to his office were discovered. In the years that followed, fossickers dug small underground bunkers to escape the blistering heat of summer and freezing winter winds. Today, about half of the town’s 200-odd residents still live below the surface, while the White Cliffs Underground Motel, a vast subterranean lair with 30 rooms and a rooftop pool, offers the same refuge to tourists. With few standing buildings or outdoor lights, White Cliffs is a paradise for stargazers. Sunsets here are epic, with the only break in the vast saltbush plains being a crater-like ridge encircling Lake Peery in the neighbouring Paroo-Darling National Park. The White Cliffs Heritage Trail takes in a dozen interesting little sites around town, including Wellington’s Underground Art Gallery, The Stubbie House (built from 54,000 beer bottles) and Jock’s Place, a subterranean museum with an opal seam in one of the walls.
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Images: Destination NSW
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Andamooka At the end of a dirt road 620 kilometres north of Adelaide in a moonlike landscape, Andamooka is most authentic of Australia’s opal towns. The population shrank to around 300 following mass redundancies at the nearby Olympic Dam copper-uranium mine in 2015, but the town is experiencing a modest revival on the back of new tourism ventures. The Tuckabox Hotel has undergone extensive renovations while the Andamooka Yacht Club café has opened in the Community Hall. The new Underground Opal Museum, built beneath the post office, houses a wondrous display where visitors can watch traditional gem-cutting demonstrations. Yet the biggest drawcards at Andamooka are the hearty handshakes and bizarre stories shared by locals in this outback town. “These old miners, even when they did strike it rich, they didn’t know what to do with it,” says Andamooka man Toby Kelly. “There was this one guy who walked around in the same pair of pants for five years, ate baked beans for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of his life. When he died, we found out he had $700,000 in his bank account!”
Images: Destination NSW
Lightning Ridge Some 700 kilometres north-east of White Cliffs, Lightning Ridge is Australia’s most sophisticated and suburban opal town. Named after an 1870 lightning storm that killed a farmer, his dog and 200 sheep, Lightning Ridge is the world’s numberone source of rare black opal. The scorched red earth here also conceals the remains of a herd of 100 million-yearold dinosaurs. Last year palaeontologists discovered the world’s most complete ‘opalised dinosaur’ at Lightning Ridge, now on display alongside other opalised fossils at the Australian Opal Centre. In August, the centre will host two weeklong opalised fossil digs, where members of the public can help scientists unlock more of the region’s prehistoric secrets. If you happen to be in the area in late July, don’t miss the Lightning Ridge Opal Festival. A four-day event with workshops, talks and stalls selling everything from smallbatch wine to steampunk-inspired opal jewellery, it culminates with the Opal Queen Ball, the social event of the year.
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The Goddess of 1967 Church, Lightning Ridge.
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Coober Pedy
In 1915 a teenage boy found a large opal nugget near a gold prospector’s campsite 850 kilometres north of Adelaide – the site of the future town of Coober Pedy. But it wasn’t until the post-war years that opal mining started in earnest here, following the arrival of European immigrants looking to strike it rich. Over the years those hardy men and women dug more than 250,000 mine shafts around the place, turning it into the most productive opal town in the world. Research by the Smithsonian Institution shows 70 per cent of the world’s opal production is linked to Coober Pedy. Strategically located about halfway between Adelaide and Alice Springs on the Stuart Highway, Coober Pedy is a popular port-ofcall for backpackers and grey nomads. There are four subterranean hotels and a host of quirky attractions: a drive-in cinema with a sign that warns “explosives are not to be brought into this theatre,” a golf course made of dirt that provides players with squares of grass carpet for their tees, an underground church, and ‘noodling’ pits where visitors can churn through rubble for opals.
HOW ARE OPALS FORMED?
The science is still out on this one, but the leading theory suggests that as water runs down into the ground, it picks up tiny amounts of silica, a mineral formed by volcanic activity. This silica-rich water settles in voids caused by tectonic activity or decomposing fossils. As the water evaporates, it leaves a silica deposit. If the cycle repeats itself in the same spot enough times, layers of silica spheres form and mesh into lattices to create opals. The CSIRO estimates it takes between five and six million years to make one centimetre of opal. From this comes the proverb: “The earth writes its memoir in each opal.” Synthetic opals can, however, be made in a laboratory in less than a year by combining electrolyte solution, baking soda, aluminium shavings, salt, sugar and kitty litter. But recreating the colour spectrum of genuine opals is more of an art than a science.
Image: South Australian Tourism Commission
WHY DO OPALS COST SO MUCH?
Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park, Coober Pedy.
Opals are made of microscopic silica balls arranged in patterns. In between these balls are holes or interstices through which light enters and leaves in a flash of spectral colours. Opals bearing this characteristic are called ‘precious opals’, and more than 95 per cent of the world’s supply comes from Australia. But the silica balls in most opals are not set in regular patterns and only have one colour. Fossickers call these common opals ‘potch’. As red is not often found in nature, precious opals that show red colours are generally more valuable than green opals, which are more valuable than opals showing only blue colours. The world’s most valuable precious opal – the Virgin Rainbow – shows such an astonishing spectrum of colours that it glows in the dark. Valued at more than $1 million, it’s on display at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide. TB APRIL/MAY 2020
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Explore
CROCS
CROSSING Often flooded and always dicey, Cahills Crossing is the best way to get from Kakadu to Arnhem Land… as long as salties don’t bother you. WORDs: Jacqui Lang
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Standing on a sandy riverbank, gazing out at the muddy stretch of the East Alligator River called Cahills Crossing, I spot a floating shape. Did it just move? “Nah, it’s just a log,” says my companion, Peter, craning forward. The log does a U-turn. A large scaly head emerges. It’s a four-metre saltwater crocodile, and we’re so close we could almost reach out and pat it. “This is nothing. Wait another hour; you’ll see dozens of the mongrels,” an elderly chap, fishing rod in hand, startles me by emerging from behind a bush. I hadn’t realised how jumpy I was gazing into croc-infested waters! “To see them in full force you need to get closer to the Crossing. A viewing platform is around the bend,” he points. APRIL/MAY 2020
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Credit: Destination NSW
Discover Griffith - one of Australia’s most liveable country towns, according to the Weekend Australian Magazine. Located in the heart of the NSW Riverina, Griffith is a vibrant regional centre servicing a population of 52,000. Griffith is bursting with life and energy. The main street is dominated by Italian cafÊs serving great coffee, pizza, local wine and house-made gelato. The people are friendly, the boutique shopping is impressive and the wine is divine. Make time to Visit Griffith - a great place to explore, a great place to live.
visitGriffith.com.au
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Kakadu National Park is 151km south-east of Darwin. Cahills Crossing, 286km east of Darwin and 2.7km south of Ubirr Art Site, is where the Arnhem Highway crosses the East Alligator River into Arnhem Land.
Image: Tourism NT/James Fisher
Fast Facts
Image: Tourism NT/Lisa Smith
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A float (group) of young saltwater crocs; Breakfast at Cooinda Lodge; The crossing.
We’d driven to these murky waters after hearing from fellow tourists that Cahills Crossing, a small road connecting Kakadu National Park to Arnhem Land, was a must-see for those who enjoy a spot of croc-watching on their travels. Which is how, after two days of exploring Kakadu, enjoying nature walks through ancient landscapes in the winter sunshine, we’ve ended up here. At certain times of the day, when the tides change, dozens of crocs converge on each side of the narrow road, crawling up to pounce on schools of mullet and barramundi swept over the crossing. We head round the bend and quickly spot the small fenced viewing platform. Five other tourists are there with cameras, even though high tide isn’t for another 45 minutes or so. “DO NOT RISK YOUR LIFE – A FATAL
CROCODILE ATTACK OCCURRED HERE,” reads a red and yellow sign in large letters. “BE CROCWISE.” Disconcertingly, just below the platform there’s a wall coated with plastic flowers, Eagles flags and a metal cross dedicated to a man called Gregory. But neither the signs nor the memorial seem to have put anyone off getting close to the croc action. “Look at those fools,” a woman beside us gasps, pointing to the crossing below. Three blokes and two women, all of whom would fall in the Grey Nomad category, are standing on the road, ankle-deep in water, hurling their fishing lines into the river. Though an increasing number of ‘logs’ are moving closer to the crossing, the fisherfolk seem unperturbed. “I’ve caught another one!” one fellow in stubbies yells to his pals, holding up a large, fat barramundi. Little wonder the crocs are assembling. As the minutes fly past, we stand, mesmerised, watching more creatures surface from the muddy depths and stream towards the crossing. APRIL/MAY 2020
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Image: Tourism NT/Johan Lolos
The large ones are at the front, in prime positions, the smaller ones further back. By about 2pm the road is completely immersed in water, and even the fishing ensemble have retreated a couple of metres. By now I can count about 42 crocs. It’s fascinating to watch them stay motionless… then leap half out of the water to pounce on fleshy fish. Snap! We hear jaws crunch together on a barramundi. Snap! Another croc does the same. After a little while, a van emerges from the Arnhem Land side and slowly trundles across the submerged road. It looks as though it could easily spill into the river but it makes it over; as do several other vehicles crossing from the Kakadu side minutes later. One halts as a crocodile lies directly in its way. Frantic beeping from the driver makes no difference. Crocs are not like dogs, clearly! Finally, though, the reptile moves half a metre, allowing the car to pass. Apparently many drivers have ended up failing to cross; instead their vehicles have been washed away in the crocfilled waters. It doesn’t bear thinking about. (Online you can find striking photos of cars and caravans that have ended up in the river. You’ll also read how, in 2017, a 47-year-old man disappeared after wading over the Crossing; his body was recovered downstream beside a 3.3 metre croc. In 1987, a fisherman was killed here by a crocodile in front of his son.) Three hours fly past, and we remain transfixed, as do the 30-odd other tourists surrounding us. The experience of watching these crocodiles in action – and the behaviour of the humans around them – would have to be the most mesmerising wildlife display I’ve seen; worthy of inclusion in an Attenborough documentary. So enthralled are we with this spectacle, we return to Cahills Crossing the next day. (As many of Kakadu’s
WE THEN CLAMBER UP THE LOOKOUT TO CATCH SWEEPING VIEWS OF THE EMERALD FLOODPLAINS AND ESCARPMENTS.
scenic spots can’t be reached without a four-wheel drive, it’s doubly rewarding to be able to see something so unique you can get to on a sealed road.) The scene repeats itself; there are 30 or 40 tourists, and the previous day’s anglers have returned below. Many photos and gasps later, it’s time to tear ourselves away to see a little more of Kakadu’s fascinating 20,000 square kilometres! Five minutes’ drive away, we reach the acclaimed Ubirr rock formations, festooned with Indigenous art mostly painted more than 2000 years ago. We set off on a one-kilometre circular track, taking us past ancient paintings of turtles, fish, goannas and other important traditional symbols. We then clamber up the lookout to catch sweeping views of the emerald floodplains and escarpments. Later we head for Mamukala Wetlands, an hour’s drive south-west. It’s an
easy walk to the observation platform where we gawk out at magpie geese, kites, cormorants, kingfishers and an abundance of other water birds. We then take the main highway 93 kilometres south and check into Cooinda Lodge and Camping, beside the famous Yellow Water Billabong, where our home for the night is one of the hotel’s new glamping tents. Simple and modern, with a queen-sized bed and a wooden deck looking out to scrub, it’s the most elegant cubbyhouse I’ve ever occupied. The shower and lavatory block is about 50 metres away, and facilities are impressively clean and tidy. We sleep soundly in the very comfortable bed, so next morning we’re energised for the long drive back to Darwin to fly home. Much as I loved all my Kakadu experiences on this trip, it’s the crocs I find myself dreaming about in weeks to come. TB
Taste of Kakadu A cultural food festival
22-31 May 2020
65,000 years in the making 10 days of events celebrating Kakadu’s cuisine, culture and country. Featuring: Bush tucker tours Canape cruises Pop-up dinners
Ground oven feasts Art and food markets
kakadu.com.au/taste-20
Tesalate’s sand-free, lightweight, super absorbent, fast-drying beach towels are this season’s top travel essential. Retailing for between $79 and $139 AUD. Check out the collection exclusively available at www.tesalate.com
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SAPPHIRE COAST CALLING
The bushfires came to the Sapphire Coast in peak tourist season, decimating the year’s income. But with the fires out, roads open and forests regenerating, this holiday paradise is already bouncing back. Words: Carolyn Beasley | Photography: David Rogers
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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Merimbula Wharf; Paddleboarding at Mitches Jetty, Merimbula; View from the writer’s family jetty during the bushfires.
On January 2, caravans were hitched, tents dismantled and units vacated. Kids were bundled into cars for the bumper-to-bumper journey, as all Merimbula’s tourists went home early. As they left, a sinister, uninvited visitor roared up from the south. Two days later, those of us who stayed understood the radical advice for tourists to leave. In the late afternoon, the smoky air turned a terrifying red, and 10 minutes later Merimbula was enveloped in blackness. Bowling and RSL clubs, normally filled with clinking glasses, now housed thousands of evacuees from Eden and neighbouring villages, many bracing to lose everything. When the fires were finally extinguished, the Bega Valley Shire had lost more than 400 homes and, tragically, lives. Somehow the main Sapphire Coast tourist towns of Merimbula, Eden, Pambula, Tathra and Bermagui remained physically unscathed. But economically, the towns are in trouble. Anthony Osborne, Managing Director of Sapphire Coast Destination Marketing, explains that the Christmas holidays are vital for tourism businesses in the region. On average, these five weeks provide 30 per cent of yearly income, with some businesses down 90 per cent on their normal revenue for this period. The Tathra Hotel is feeling the bushfire pain again, with the town still recovering from a 2018 blaze. Perched atop a headland, the renovated hotel should be heaving with sandy tourists enjoying a chicken parmigiana and house-brewed beer. But today, just a handful of guests enjoy the spectacular deck. Duty Manager Mark Whitbread is
concerned about the local economy. “There’s a flow-on effect,” he says. “Our casual staff don’t have jobs this year, our distributors and truck drivers are losing jobs. Everyone is hurting.” Despite the fires, the things tourists love about the region are still here, and Osborne says autumn is a great time to visit: “The water is still relatively warm, and we still get those nice sunny days.” If you’re booking a trip to assist this ravaged region, there is so much to look forward to.
BACK TO NATURE The Sapphire Coast is all about world-class beaches with surf breaks and estuaries to choose from. Young kids splash around at Merimbula’s Spencer Park or Mitchies Jetty, while teenagers take the daredevil leap from Merimbula Wharf. For spectacular lap-swimming, try Bermagui’s Blue Pool, a semi-natural ocean pool. APRIL/MAY 2020
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FROM LEFT: Dolphin in Merimbula Marina; Guide with echidna at Potoroo Palace.
If you prefer to stay dry, rent a boat for fishing in Merimbula Lake. At Top Lake Boat Hire, small runabout tinnies chug around the lake while cappuccinos are sipped on the jetty. If you like your fish big and your adrenaline pumping, deep-sea fishing could see you catch (and release) a marlin. Beyond the beaches, most of the region’s land-based tourist sites remain untouched by fires. On the Merimbula Boardwalk, amble through mangroves and coastal forests ringing with tinkling bellbirds. Watch oyster farmers zip around in their punts as swans sashay by. In Eden, the Bundian Way is an ancient songline path, followed by local Aboriginal tribes for generations. The Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council has formalised 1.8 kilometres of the track called the Story Trail, with interpretive signage and vistas over Twofold Bay. For fast-paced nature action, 23 kilometres of mountain bike trails starting from the Tathra Country Club should suffice. At Merimbula’s Magic Mountain, the Tree Climb Challenge
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has visitors yahooing through ziplines and rope bridges suspended in towering eucalypts above waterslides, toboggan rides and rollercoasters. With estimates of a billion native animals killed nationwide during the bushfires, local organisations are helping. Not-for-profit Potoroo Palace Native Animal Educational Sanctuary near Merimbula assists injured wildlife and educates visitors. The rare potoroos themselves are reclusive, but koalas, dingoes, kangaroos and echidnas are more sociable. For animals of the underwater kind, Merimbula Wharf Aquarium showcases the local seascape. In the deep, Merimbula Marina Ocean Adventure Tours and Cat Balou Cruises of Eden can introduce you to dolphins, seals, and sea birds. During the winter to spring migration, join a whale-watching tour to experience the might of a 30,000-kilogram humpback breaching.
LOCAL FEEDS Pristine nature creates delicious produce, none more famous than Sydney rock oysters. Jump aboard Captain Sponge’s Magical OysterTour
BEYOND THE BEACHES, MOST OF THE REGION’S LAND-BASED TOURIST SITES REMAIN UNTOUCHED BY FIRES.
Empty Esky Getaway
on Pambula Lake with local legend Brett Weingarth (aka Sponge). On his camouflage-painted boat, Sponge explains all things shellfish. “Oysters take on the taste of their estuary, like wines take on characteristics from their place of origin,” he says. As he shucks some oysters for tasting, he goes on: “Clean and ancient Pambula Lake has given these oysters a sweet, well-rounded flavour, not overpowering the palate with salt.” Restaurants around the district specialise in local seafood – Merimbula Wharf Aquarium and Restaurant and Wheelers Seafood Restaurant are excellent choices. For a fine-dining experience, visit Banksia Restaurant in the historic old bank in Pambula, where the seasonal three-course menu is matched with fine wines. For more hydration, Dulcie’s Cottage is a cheery 1920s weatherboard serving specialty cocktails. Drop into the cosy courtyard, twinkling with fairy lights, where bar snacks are served from a vintage caravan. For rural atmosphere, check out Longstocking Brewery and Oyster Bar in Pambula, where tasting paddles of beers and ciders are consumed overlooking paddocks of eclectic animals (isn’t that an ostrich?). The woodfired pizza oven is cranking on Fridays and Saturdays, and there’s often live music.
are a popular option, and Pambula Beach Holiday and Caravan Park has direct beach access. For more luxury, try Coast Apartments in Merimbula, or private rentals such as the lakefront rooms at Reflections on Merimbula Lake. Like everyone, the Dixons hope for autumn bookings. “We have a lot of repeat business,” Kristen says. “People will come back for the beaches, the national parks and the untouched nature they experienced here as kids.” The Sapphire Coast is waiting, with all its unpretentious, natural charms firmly intact. Michael tells me the locals have never been more welcoming. He laughs as he throws open his arms: “If you want a great Aussie holiday – come to Merimbula!” TB
FROM TOP: Oysters at Wharf Aquarium Restaurant in Merimbula; Banksia Restaurant in Pambula.
DIVERSE ACCOMMODATION Accommodation owners have suffered the worst summer imaginable. Kristen and Michael Dixon of Seashells selfcontained units in Merimbula say one positive is that the community has pulled together. “With no guests in town, we smashed our tariffs to house local evacuees,” Michael says. Kristen adds, “We were taking phone calls from people who needed somewhere to stay because their house might burn down in the next hour.” Aside from units, caravan parks APRIL/MAY 2020
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Walking, talking and dancing with Kimberley artists Immersed in creative liveliness
‘This place is where community comes together to feel good. It is where our young people can learn about our culture, and where our families share stories and celebrate!’ Indigenous artist Jan Griffiths speaks with a group of visitors on a Sunset Tour at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts. Her backdrop is a gallery displaying soft ochre-coloured paintings, sophisticated hand-printed textiles, unique hand-thrown ceramics and intricately engraved boab nuts from the iconic Kimberley boab tree. In the heart of Miriwoong country at Kununurra, among the stunning scenery of the East Kimberley, local Indigenous guides enlighten visitors about one of the oldest communityowned Aboriginal arts centres in Australia. Originally established to represent the diaspora of Kimberley Indigenous language groups, the centre was integral to the development of revolutionary artists Rover Thomas
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and Queenie McKenzie. Limited edition etchings and lithographs by these iconic artists are still available for sale for the savvy collector! Today, the centre represents both established, award-winning artists and emerging talents who consider the centre much more than a place to create and sell art. It is a hub for the local community to come together, whether to have a cup of tea while watching family members paint or to discuss local cultural issues. Corroboree nights are held regularly, bringing families together to watch dancers flaunt their moves at events such as Corroboree Under the Stars, held annually during the Ord Valley Muster in May. For Jan, Waringarri Arts is a place where she can spend time with family, learn from her elders, develop her arts practice and teach her own children. Jan learnt ochre painting from her parents, both highly respected and
sought-after artists, Mr A. Griffiths and Peggy Griffiths, whose works are included in many prestigious collections. Following in their footsteps, Jan is a successful multi-disciplinary artist, working in painting, ceramics and couture fashion, always eager to show her latest works. Visitors to the centre are immersed in the creative liveliness of this place, which pulses with the energy of art, community and culture. Booking a tour adds more time for a deeper connection with local Indigenous artists while also offering the unforgettable experience of visiting Country with elders, participating in traditional activities such as artefact making or damper cooking, and viewing an incredible Kimberley sunset while listening to the moving sounds of a didgeridoo. It’s an opportunity not to be missed, which affords a rich learning experience shared by all.
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NEWS+VIEWS | MINING | AGRIBUSINESS | INFRASTRUCTURE
p.8 agribusiness: buying livestock online P.16 mining: proximity detection p.22 propertybiz: buying a holiday home P.27 agribuisness: aussie nut producers P.32 business: the modern gym
Image: Andrew Barnes
FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Kitson Manufacturing Solutions are leading the way in regional manufacturing and construction. p5
AUSBIZ NEWS
Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour Book your next event at Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour – Australia’s Best Luxury Hotel – and receive VIP treatment. Book before July 31, 2020, and we’ll upgrade your lunch and take 20 per cent of your room, with stunning Darling Harbour views and VIP amenities. Centrally located in Darling Harbour, next door to the International Convention Centre, Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour features nine luxurious function rooms, world-class facilities and 590 rooms spread over 35 floors. Contact us at sofitelsydneydarlingharbour.com.au 02 8388 8888 | H9729@sofitel.com
wowflowers.com.au
WOW Flowers, created by the Worn Out Wares family is a boutique floral studio that specialises in weddings and events. Located in the heart of Singleton we’re open seven days a week, and by appointment
WOW Flowers. 41-43 George Street Singleton, NSW Ph: (02) 65 721 866 enquiries@wowflowers.com.au Image: Raquelle Loraine Photography
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NOW LEASING NT
Now Leasing NT has been raising the bar in property management in Darwin since opening in November 2015. Joely Sullivan and Jo Griffiths have gone from starting up and running the entire business to now employing a small team, and consider themselves the first choice in property management in Darwin and its surrounding areas. Recently expanding its office space within Darwin Corporate Park and with an ever-growing team, the company’s success shows that even in a challenging market these ladies are improving their business by thinking outside the box and doing things differently. Joely and Jo are regarded as the most well-informed property managers in the Territory, regularly investing in training and technology. If you are looking for reliable property management, visit nowleasingnt.com.au or call today on 08 8984 4404.
Explore everything mining in Mackay The Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition (QME) will return to Mackay this July 21–23. QME will feature more than 230 suppliers showcasing leading products and solutions for the mining industry, as well as a free-to-attend seminar series, which will feature industry experts speaking across a number of key themes, including operations and maintenance, health and safety, and workforce and industry outlook. QME is free to attend for those that work in and for the mining industry. Register now at qmeexpo.com.au
Developing Boys into
‘Men for Others’ Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview is a Catholic boys’ school in the Jesuit tradition, located in Lane Cove, Sydney. In Jesuit parlance, “men for others” are those who are committed to justice and understand the value of serving others to help create a better world. Developing such men is a prime objective at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview. While the learning facilities, sporting opportunities and pursuit of the arts at Riverview are world class, it is our pastoral care that truly sets us apart. Providing care and connection for each individual is at the heart of the College. It is here that our young men develop conscience, compassion and a “faith that does justice”.
Find out more and see if we’re coming to your town as part of our 2020 Boarding Roadshow: www.riverview.nsw.edu.au/boardingroadshow APRIL/MAY 2020
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AUSBIZ NEWS
GUILT-FREE G&T
The new low calorie, lower ABV craft G&Ts from Manly Spirits are all about natural ingredients, sophisticated flavours and Instagram-friendly design. Packaged in bespoke glass with signature Fibonacci patterning on the bottles, these miniature versions of their sibling 700ml bottles stand out from the crowd, thus catering for the more sophisticated drinker who doesn’t compromise on flavour when purchasing RTD beverages. The Pink G&T also has the added benefit of having zero sugar, and low calories – ideal for the health-conscious consumer. “We were finding that people who enjoyed our premium gins at home were having to compromise when it came to bringing drinks to a barbeque, dinner party or picnics,” says Vanessa Wilton, co-founder of Manly Spirits. “If you appreciate high quality, craft gin, why should you have to compromise when you are choosing a nofuss, ready-to-drink option?” Available at all good retailers or online at manlyspirits.com.au
RAISING THE LUXURY BAR
Marsden Hotel Burwood’s has introduced a collection of unique dining experiences, inspired by Europe’s food and drink precincts. The indulgent offerings, which include an artisan patisserie, upmarket restaurant and an awesome rooftop bar has this hotel raising the bar on accommodation for the business or leisure traveller. The hotel’s restaurant, Onyx Grill, boasts a curated menu where meat is the star attraction. The focus is squarely on quality steaks, including grass-fed angus and grain-fed wagyu, as well as in-house dry-aged meats. The kitchen was created to be predominantly powered by wood fire, and has been fitted with a mibrasa grill and charcoal oven, which helps to enhance the natural flavours of the ingredients. The super stylish rooftop Skye Bar boasts a champagne bar, and a delicious bites including oysters, antipasto and charcuterie boards. The sleek rooms and suites (some with generous modern baths) embrace simplistic luxury with a colour palette of cream, black and grey, with striking black marble and gold accents. Don’t head off without enjoying a fresh and flavourful breakfast at the Artisaint café, where a pink onyx communal table makes for a beautiful centrepiece. marsdenhotels.com.au
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SPECIAL PROMOTION
Parkes major projects continue to grow with the expansion of North Parkes Mines, Inland Rail and the Clean TeQ Sunrise Project. With these additional regional projects, Kitson Manufacturing Solutions (KMS) has continued its long list of wins over the past 12 months, going from strength to strength. In terms of growth, KMS recently moved to a larger workshop located on Matthew Street in Parkes to ensure the company is keeping up with the business demands of the marketplace. Managing Director Glenn Kitson says: “In 2005, I walked into this shed on three separate occasions to ask PYBAR for a job. On my first two attempts I was turned away, but persistence does pay off, and after my third attempt I was offered a Fixed Plant Fitter position. “As a teenage boy, I always wanted to work in the mining industry, and 14 years ago I was given that opportunity. With a vision, dedication
and a lot of hard work over the last six years, I have been working towards scaling and growing KMS.” KMS currently employs 12 full-time local employees and upwards of 20 sub-contractors for maintenance works. As a regional-based company, KMS are fortunate to have skilled workers onhand, with many of employees based in Parkes, Forbes and Trundle. In addition, KMS recently employed a local first year Apprentice, allowing the company to educate and guide the future workers of these major projects, as well as employing local farmers that have been impacted by the recent drought with work during this time. KMS’s focus for 2020 has been setting up a dedicated workshop facility to meet the requirements of major projects across NSW, and the company now has the capabilities for steel fabrication of all project sizes. In addition, there’s an onsite workshop mechanical engineer that supports
Image: Kerry Fragar
Kitson Manufacturing Solutions – going from strength to strength
its engineering requirements along with drafting and certification. “With a highly qualified team, who will go above and beyond for our clients, KMS is vison is to become a leading supplier,” says Kitson. For further information on KMS, please get in touch. Email: admin@kitsonsolutions .com.au | Website: kitsonsolutions. com.au | Facebook: @ kitsonmanufacturingsolutions APRIL/MAY 2020
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Making the Right Choice
Interview with the CEO of Choice Hotels Asia-Pac, Trent Fraser Choice Hotels Asia-Pac began in Australia in 2002 with the acquisition of the Flag Motels group, and it is now are a wholly owned subsidiary of the parent company Choice Hotels International. The brands under the Choice Hotels umbrella in Australasia are Ascend Hotel Collection – an upscale, boutique hotel offering, Clarion Hotels – upscale, full service hotels, Quality Hotels – midscale hotels across metro and regional locations with high quality amenities. Comfort Hotels – a mid-scale brand offering a clean, comfortable night’s sleep in predominantly regional locations with additional amenities such as breakfast restaurants. Econo Lodge is the economy option for a great night’s sleep while on the road for work or travel.
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With a network of more than 300 hotels in the Asia-Pac region, and more than 7,000 hotels internationally, Choice Hotels is wherever you need to be. What advantages does Choice Hotels offer for travelling professionals? In addition to our significant regional and global footprint, Choice Hotels also offers a global loyalty program, Choice Privileges. The program has over 43 million members globally and offers guests the ability to earn points on every stay, and use those points to redeem free nights in Choice hotels across the world. Alternatively, Choice Privileges members in Australia and New Zealand have the option to convert their points to either Qantas Frequent Flyer points, Velocity
SPECIAL PROMOTION
Points, or Air Points with Air New Zealand. Choice Privileges members also enjoy perks such as free parking, free, WiFi, free late checkout, access to exclusive promotions and discounts – including 5% off the best available rate on choicehotels.com. Membership is free, and points do not expire. Tell us about the growth of the Ascend Hotel Collection? We're particularly proud of the growth of our upscale Ascend Hotel Collection brand, which guests can now find in every mainland capital city in Australia, and it is continuing to expand across New Zealand. In the last twelve months we have welcomed number of new hotels to this collection across the region, including the CH Boutique Hotel, located in central Tamworth, which offers premium hotel accommodation just minutes away from the major, iconic attractions and popular restaurants of this regional hub. The latest hotels to join the Ascend Hotel Collection in Melbourne include The Alto Hotel on Bourke, Ascend Hotel Collection, a boutique property, housed in the heritage listed former Australian Railway Union building which was built in 1914. Alto Hotel on Bourke is the first carbon neutral hotel in Australia and hotel staff have a strong focus on providing friendly guest service in a warm, welcoming environment and implementing environmental initiatives throughout the hotel in an effort to reduce environmental impact. Two recent additions in New Zealand include The Classic Villa in Christchurch, and The Honest Lawyer in Nelson. The breathtaking Italianstyle historic hotel, The Classic Villa is conveniently located in central Christchurch, boasts multiple awards including winning TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence consecutively from 2011 – 2018. The Honest Lawyer, located on the Monaco Peninsula
in Nelson, is an impressive ‘Olde Worlde’ English-style country pub on the waterfront. The hotel features picturesque grounds and views overlooking the stunning Waimea Estuary and mountains. The Domi Serviced Apartments, Ascend Hotel Collection, is a brand new, upscale apartment complex, next door to the recently redeveloped "The Glen" shopping centre. The property is ideally located near shopping precincts, business hubs, as well as Monash & Deakin universities What new initiatives and projects are on the horizon for Choice Hotels? Choice Hotels Asia-Pac continues to remain focused on expanding our local and global footprint. Recent
and upcoming openings across the region include Quality Apartments Dandenong; Quality Suites Willow on Square, Palmerston North, New Zealand; Quality Inn Ashby House, Tamworth; Quality Hotel Sunshine Haberfield, Sydney; Quality Inn O’Connell, North Adelaide; Quality Hotel Carlton and the Comfort Inn City Centre, Armidale. We’ve also opened Econo Lodge in Lilydale. And the Econo Lodge Border Gateway in Wodonga Choice Hotels International has been offering great accommodation experiences across the globe since the 1930s, and is one of the largest, most successful accommodation franchisors in the world, with more than 7,000 hotels in more than 40 countries. APRIL/MAY 2020
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AGRIBUSINESS: LIVESTOCK
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The stock auctioneer at the local saleyards is synonymous with the bush. But with smaller stockyards consolidating into larger centres, plus a growing trend towards internet auctions, are their days numbered? Words: Darren Baguley
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Image: blue cinema
IS THE FUTURE OF LIVESTOCK MARKETS ONLINE?
AGRIBUSINESS: LIVESTOCK
Few scenes are more evocative of the Australian bush than a saleyard full of livestock and a crowd of willing buyers – just ask any politician seeking to improve their image in the eyes of country voters. But just as rural Australia has been changing, so has the way we trade rural produce. Blockchain is quietly revolutionising grain sales, internet shopping is changing the face of retail, and online developments are changing the way we sell livestock. There are several sites available for this, but the most successful is AuctionsPlus. It is certainly the business with the longest heritage, having started in 1986 as a project of the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation (AMLC), now Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA). According to AuctionsPlus CEO Angus Street, both organisations had the vision of seeing livestock traded electronically and were far ahead of their time. “A lot of people see us as a startup, but even though we’ve seen exponential growth recently, we’ve been around 32 years. The first sale took place in 1987 and it took two kilometres of telecoms and a generator for the fax machines. When we did get into the Internet era, we had to deal with slow speeds from dial-up, data black spots and creating technology that simply didn’t exist at the time.” In its modern form, Street says AuctionsPlus is “like eBay for cattle and sheep with a twist”. Livestock are assessed on-farm by accredited, rigorously trained assessors who undergo regular and random audits to ensure assessment is uniform, consistent and meeting the expectations of both buyer and seller. Sellers pay $7 a head for cattle and 90c a head for sheep. And, just like eBay, stock can be relisted for free if they don’t sell. A buyer has 48 hours from delivery to raise any issues regarding assessment, animal condition
and so on. Street explains, “We have a dedicated integrity unit that monitors the platform, user management and dispute resolution.” As well as one-off stud sales, AuctionsPlus has two auctions weekly – Tuesday and Thursday Sheep and Friday Cattle – which attract 467 attendees, on average. The company has created a national marketplace that stretches from outback Queensland through New South Wales to Victoria and South Australia. According to Street, the company is “probably the number-one provider of interface stud sales, and facilitates the sale of $870 million livestock annually.” Alongside the growing success of online livestock sales, the other major trend is consolidation of country town
and city saleyards into larger regional groupings; for example, the NSW Central Tableland Livestock Exchange (CTLX) amalgamated Bathurst, Blayney and Orange saleyards. According to Garry Edwards, Managing Director of AAM Investment Group, the manager and operator of the Regional Livestock Exchange (RLX) portfolio, there are several drivers behind the move to consolidation. “It’s a combination of factors around cost, freight and efficiency,” he says. “If there’s a greater number of buyers, there’s more competition, which results in higher prices for sellers in general. It’s also easier for large buyers such as processors to fill a truck in one transaction at a large centre, and for buyers the cost of labour and
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Just as rural Australia has been changing, so has the way that we trade rural produce.
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AGRIBUSINESS: LIVESTOCK
FAST FACTS • The Australian cattle herd was 26.2 million head as at 30 June 2017, and the Australian sheep flock was 72.1 million head (ABS Agricultural Commodities 2016-17). • In 2017, adult cattle slaughter totalled 7.2 million head, down 2 per cent year-on-year. Australia exported 69 per cent of total beef and veal production (DAWR, ABS). • In 2017, lamb slaughter totalled 22.4 million head, down 2 per cent year-on-year. Sheep slaughter totalled 7.5 million head, an increase of 8 per cent (ABS).
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transport is the same to attend a sale no matter how many animals acquired. “For sellers, their stock is under a roof and on a soft floor, which leads to improved environmental and animal health outcomes. For example, weight loss at the new facilities has been reduced by 2 per cent. If you’ve got a 500 kilogram animal, less 2 per cent is 10 kilograms, and it very quickly adds up if you’re selling 20, 50, 100 or more animals.” Edwards also argues that, unlike local government which can struggle to justify spending ratepayers’ money on a facility that is used sometimes only once a month, companies such as RLX can afford to be more expansive.
“Our investors are super funds, and they take a long-term view. So with CTLX, it was designed to be a 20- to 30-year project, and we were able to build something quite modern and depreciate it over a long time.” Perhaps not surprisingly, Edwards is sanguine regarding the impact of online auctions: “The online platforms have been around for nearly 30 years. In recent years they have got more publicity, but they still only handle 4-5 per cent of transactions. Australiawide, 62 per cent of livestock goes through physical facilities. “The advantage physical facilities have is high clearance rate – 99 per cent of animals sell because the physical
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AGRIBUSINESS: LIVESTOCK
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Advances in technology and the increased emphasis on animal welfare and ethics will see the business grow exponentially.
environment drives excitement. We use online systems to stream out to people who may not want or need to attend in person, so people can increasingly get the best of both worlds.” One thing both Street and Edwards agree on is that traditional saleyards will still be around in 50 years. Street argues that online has definite advantages, such as “no freight charges, no expensive yard fees, no slippage in terms of weight and just generally better outcomes in terms of animal welfare because the animal stays in the paddock until it’s sold. In addition, as a seller you’re in control, you shift from price-taker to price-maker. “[Nevertheless, there is] always going to be a need for physical saleyards. However, generational changes, advances in technology and the increased emphasis on animal welfare and ethics will see the business grow exponentially.” Edwards says that volume will be key: “We’ll see more amalgamations, whether that’s driven by councils or private investment. The number of animals being sold hasn’t changed much in 25 years, so it all comes down to the dispersion. There’s a definite link between cost efficiency and volume, and the other thing about a large facility is that it’s a very transparent marketplace with everything from feed lot buyers to restockers.” APRIL/MAY 2020
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are the three main benefits of using Tiny Surveyor on a project like this,” explained Karl O’Toole, Geospatial Applications Specialist at Position Partners. Tiny Surveyor is ideal for other line marking applications such as roads, sporting grounds, fencing and car parks. It can be used with either GNSS or total station positioning to give accurate results. For more information on renting, purchasing or getting a demo, contact Position Partners on 1300 867 266 or visit positionpartners.com.au APRIL/MAY 2020
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MINING: PROXIMITY DETECTION
DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME
Proximity detection is the new technological frontier when it comes to preventing death and injury on mine sites. Words: Darren Baguley
The majority of operators are eager to improve their safety as long as the technology is intuitive, simple to use and non-obstructive.
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MINING: PROXIMITY DETECTION
For many years, a mine was the most dangerous workplace in Australia. But a relentless focus on safety has seen mining drop two places to Australia’s third-most dangerous industry. According to Safe Work Australia’s Key WHS statistics Australia 2019, mining is now behind Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing and Transport, Postal and Warehousing (with a rate of 3.7 fatalities per 100,000 workers). While mining accidents such as the fatality at the Henty Gold Mine in Tasmania earlier this year grab headlines, miners are more likely to be injured or killed in accidents such as vehicle collisions, being hit by moving objects, being trapped between stationary and moving objects, and being trapped by moving machinery.
In reaction to the prevalence of such injuries, the Australian Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) has responded with a range of innovative proximity detection (PD) and collision avoidance (CA) technologies in an effort to reduce – and potentially eliminate – these hazards. While some commentators have lumped both technologies in together, Hexagon’s MineProtect global director Sean Perry stresses that PD and CA are two very different technologies. “Object detection or PD is using radar and other sensor technology to detect the presence of physical objects and people around the vehicle, and to detect equipment and people. “CA is predicting paths or vectors of where objects will be in the future
– we’re using technology that has come from the aerospace industry – and it’s often visualised as a red carpet rolling out in front of equipment. The faster you go the longer the carpet has to be.” Currently PD and CA technologies are divided into three different levels, which were determined by the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table (EMESRT), a global initiative involving major mining companies which was established in 2006. Since its formation, EMESRT has established nine levels of Incident Preventative Controls, but it is levels 7 (Operator Awareness), 8 (Advisory Controls) and 9 (Intervention Controls) that are the most relevant. Level 7 provides a form of APRIL/MAY 2020
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situational awareness that helps machine operators see their entire surroundings while operating; Level 8 provides operators with audible and visual alarms to alert them to potential dangers; and Level 9 is a system that is able to detect potential hazards, provides warning, and as a last resort can take action to prevent a collision. There are a number of Level 7 systems on the market, fewer Level 8 and no true Level 9 systems currently available. According to Newtrax’s regional vice-president of APAC, Simon Waghorn, systems vary considerably between vendors, and the application and type of mining. “A PD system deployed on the surface in an opencut mine will typically use GPS, but in an underground environment GPS is not available and different technology is used,” he explains.
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“Newtrax specialises in underground applications, and we use a system of multiple radio frequency tags attached to people, vehicles and fixed assets to accurately determine where risks are apparent between 10 metres and 100 metres, and talk to each other to effectively form a peer-to-peer network independent of Wi-Fi, 4G or any other form of network.” By contrast, Hexagon’s Perry says his company “also uses tags for individuals, while vehicles use radars – long range 50-plus metres, short range 3-5 metres, and cameras for less than three metres. The Hexagon system is also network-independent, communicating using vehicle-tovehicle ultrawide band. There are also cameras, and if the system detects an object it will automatically prioritise that camera view. The system
doesn’t use Wi-Fi or 4G, it uses radio and GPS, but if customers want the system to report back to base there needs to be some sort of public or private network available.” While PD and CA systems promise much, particularly in the future as Level 8 and Level 9 systems become more available, there are still several challenges when it comes to deployment and implementation. According to Waghorn, “There are several challenges from both a technological and a human perspective. Mines are an extremely harsh environment. For example machines smash into the sides of tunnels and systems need to be robust enough to cope with that. Geologically there are huge variations from mine to mine and areas within a mine, so the technology needs to be able to cope with considerable variation. “The performance of the system needs to be consistently accurate, as false positives can lead to the operator ignoring the technology. Nevertheless, the majority of operators are eager to improve their safety, and as long as the technology is intuitive, simple to use and non-obstructive, they’ll use it.” Perry agrees that acceptance onsite is a challenge, adding that a lot of sites aren’t making use of the data the systems are producing. “These systems are creating gigabytes and gigabytes of data, and it’s important for companies to try to get some value out of that data,” he says. “A mine might record x-number of incidents avoided, but it’s critical that management receives feedback from that data in a way that it can be used to resolve issues. For example, data may show there is a haul road intersection that has a lot of traffic with heavy and light vehicles. That’s a risk. Is there a way to minimise that risk?”
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MINING: PROXIMITY DETECTION
FAST FACTS • There were nine fatalities in the mining industry in 2019. • There is a wide range of PD technologies available, including radar, RFID, GPS, ultrawideband and electromagnetic.
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While there is an argument that PD and CA systems may become redundant in the not-so-distant future, Waghorn argues, “The reality of a human-free mine in the next 20 years is almost inconceivable. There will probably always be a mix of autonomous equipment and humans within the underground workings because humans are needed to lay the infrastructure. Running fibre for networks, building underground 4G networks and installing ventilation for diesel vehicles – these will need to be done by humans, so as autonomous equipment becomes more prevalent the need for humans in some parts of the mine will actually increase.” Given the nature of the mining environment, with factors such as poor visibility, physical barriers and the heavy presence of mobile machinery of all types, the use of PD and CA systems is only going to increase as the technology becomes more capable and cost-effective.
PROPERTYBIZ
HOLIDAY HOMES: CASH COWS OR MONEY PITS? The pros and cons of owning a holiday home are far-reaching, but with solid homework and the right approach, Australians are reaping the rewards of short-term rentals. Words: Kirsten Craze
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HOME TO OVER 75 STORES
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PROPERTYBIZ
Thanks to the sharing economy and property portals such as Airbnb, Stayz and Booking.com, an increasing number of short-term rentals are earning more than the average office worker does in a year as Aussies seek out holiday ’homes’ over hotel rooms. While the exact number of so-called holiday homes is hard to determine (some otherwise primary properties only play the part seasonally), the last census noted that the Central Coast and Shoalhaven areas, both within close proximity to Sydney, were home to the largest concentration. Matt Knight, buyer’s agent and director of Precium Property, operates across the Shoalhaven area. He says that while a popular rental can rake in thousands of dollars a night in high season, as well as brownie points with friends and family, they can also cost owners a pretty penny. “If you don’t build the rental income, it will end up costing you money each year. Bad management, or a home being overused by family, can result in $10,000 to $30,000 a year in negative cashflow,” he explains. Other common pitfalls of owning a holiday home include owners not taking into account extended vacancies between peak seasons and the ongoing costs of maintaining the asset. “Management fees, cleaning, council rates, maintenance and insurance are significant ongoing costs to factor in. Then there’s providing linen and keeping the gardens well kept, which are also important and cost money. The best properties are expensive for a reason,” Knight says, adding that buyers should also check in with their accountant to determine the ultimate cost of income and capital gains taxes. Today’s holiday homes are well-oiled machines, and while the motivation behind buying one is often about sun and fun, Christian Sergiacomi of Pacifico Property in Byron Bay says the dollar is still a major driver. “I’ve had clients who never needed to rent their homes out. It’s amazing though, even if they don’t need to, even if they have all the capacity in the world, there’s a reason they’ve made it to that point – because they like the dollar. Some have asked, ‘How much did you say that house next to me was?’ When I tell them they can get $35,000 a week, they suddenly change their tune!”
However, Gold Coast buyer’s agent Tony Coughran of Simply GC says it’s not just about money. “I had a client living on the land who bought because they wanted a beach holiday home for their family to use in the holiday periods, and rent out in the downtime,” he says. “So they’re not banking on an absolute return, but they’re picking up a lifestyle return. It’s about weighing up the lifestyle benefits. Like any investment, if you want to spend $60,000 on a pool it might only add $45,000 in value to your home, but you make up the balance in laughs, good time and memories.”
IMAGES: PACIFICO PROPERTY IN BYRON BAY, NSW. APRIL/MAY 2020
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PROPERTYBIZ
TREAT IT LIKE A BUSINESS
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
While fun, holiday homes offer a taxable income stream, so handle them like a pro. “Short-term rentals are like long-term investments, but they do require a little more focus, similar to owning a small side business. If you want a purely passive investment, this probably isn’t it,” Knight explains. “Treat it like a business and profit from the peak season. Don’t give in to your cousin who suddenly becomes best buddies and wants to stay the week of Christmas – and don’t take up all the peak periods yourself. The more you treat it like an investment in the early years, the better the financial rewards and the more freedom you will have later on.” Sergiacomi says another good move for holiday rentals is a stylish backyard studio: “Using them for Airbnb is a brilliant business model because they’re rentable all year, as it’s mostly couples staying in them and they’re not confined to school holidays. Where it’s a big wedding venue, like Byron Bay, every guest needs somewhere to stay, and they’re not usually having big parties at your place.”
If it looks too good to be true, Coughran says, it just might be. “Interstate buyers need to establish what holidaymakers really want in a location. Consider the level of the unit, the aspect and its size. It can make a big difference if you know what you’re doing,” he explains. “A lot of interstaters are paying an unnecessary premium and the selling agents love it. Some of them are buying properties that are B- and C-grade, not A-grade. Get your money going further, otherwise you’ll be eating into your capital growth.” Other things to research, particularly when buying an apartment with amenities, include body corporate acceptance of short-term rentals, whether the sinking fund covers beachside hiccups such as concrete cancer, and just how pricey the strata fees are.
IMAGES: HOTELESQUE HOLIDAY HOMES.
CONSIDER A NICHE People want a holiday experience to remember, and it can start with the accommodation. "Australian tourists are happy with ‘quirky’
“Treat it like a business and profit from the peak season.”
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and will tolerate older homes as long as they are clean, well decorated and fun,” Knight says. Then there are the successful listings with owners who think outside the square by offering things such as pet-friendly accomodation, themed decor, backyard glamping or eco-living. But, in a mainstream destination, Coughran says it’s even more important to stand out. “Buyers should be looking at the fundamentals of the property (is it going to increase in value?), but also make sure it has a significant point of difference,” he explains. “Draw people to rent your property as opposed to the dime-a-dozen homes on offer.”
PRESENTATION IS KEY A picture tells a thousand words when it comes to booking a holiday, so how you look online and what you can offer is vital, according to Monique Eyles and Steve Keir of Hotelesque, a luxury concierge service for high-end short-term rentals. “Presentation is key, with many owners setting up their holiday homes more like a hotel, so it’s best to pay attention to styling,” Eyles says. “Remove unnecessary items, as the modern traveller is far more discerning; they don’t like a massive amount of owner belongings. Use storage options in the home, or lock off a room for your personal items. “Also make sure everything is working perfectly and create a guide of how to operate things in the home.”
HIRE THE HELP
Images: A. Wogas
“Many owners start out looking after their holiday homes but realise it can be a lot of work, and sometimes they’re not located close enough to easily support it when things go wrong,” Eyles says. “Being on call for broken appliances is not what owners dream of.” Keir adds that being on call for a last-minute booking request or late-night call for help just doesn’t suit time-poor people. “We’ve found one person’s ‘clean and perfect’ is not always up to someone else’s standards. At Hotelesque we have been honing our cleaning skills for more than 5000 guest stays – that gives us certainty that the guest will not be disappointed. We call that Hotelessence,” he says.
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AGRIBUISNESS: NUTS
NUT JOBS
Meet the farmers who work for peanuts… well, pistachios, walnuts and hazelnuts anyway. Words: Ian Lloyd Neubauer
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AGRIBUISNESS: NUTS
Rising input costs. Price gouging by supermarkets. Vegan protestors and the worst drought in living memory. Farmers in Australia have never had it so tough, with more than one in four saying they are likely to exit the sector, according to the University of Canberra’s latest Regional Wellbeing Survey. Vignerons topped the list, followed by fruit, vegetable and rice growers. But in any market, there are winners and losers. And in this case, the winners are totally nuts. Since 2011, the annual farm gate value of our nut industry has nearly quadrupled to $1.3 billion, according to the Australian Nut Industry Council, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. By 2030, it’s projected to hit $3 billion. “The whole industry is booming and the reason is pretty straightforward – the plant-based food trend,” says Jolyon Burnett, CEO of the Australian Macadamia Society. “Whether it’s paleo, gluten-free or vegan, nuts pretty much tick every box, and the health benefits of eating nuts are getting better documented all the time. Ten years ago, 70 per cent of Australian GPs said they didn’t consider nuts to be part of a healthy diet because they made you fat. Today, that figure has flipped on its head and 70 per cent of GPs recommend nuts as part of a healthy diet.” So is growing nuts commercially a walk in the park? To find out, AusBiz speaks with three farmers growing three different nuts in three different states.
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PISTACHIOS “I have a great deal of sympathy for any farmer doing it tough, because us nut farmers are growing something the whole world wants to eat. We can’t keep up with supply,” says Chris Joyce, Director of Nut Producers Australia in South Australia’s Riverland region,
DID YOU KNOW? • People who eat nuts every day reduce their mortality by 20 per cent, according to the Harvard Medical School. • Peanuts are actually legumes, not nuts. They can be eaten safely by expectant mothers.
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AGRIBUISNESS: NUTS
“If you look at the prices of other nutritious health foods, walnuts are more affordable.”
the country’s biggest pistachio grower. But the cost of establishing a nut farm is a major disincentive, Joyce explains. “Pistachio trees need six years to mature, which means you need deep pockets and to find a way to feed your family for at least five years. In the sixth year, you just cover your costs.” Birds – and figuring out how to scare them away – pose another challenge for nut farmers. “There are a variety of scaring techniques: guns, cannons, sound recordings; the big orchards use light aircraft,” Joyce says. “At a minimum, you need one person working four hours a day to protect 20 to 30 hectares of nut trees. That means you can’t grow nuts commercially on a hobby farm because the cost of scaring birds makes the whole thing unfeasible.” There are currently about 1000 hectares of pistachio trees planted in Australia and another 1200 hectares of immature trees in the ground – with all additional output slated for China. “Right now about 45 per cent of
all Australian pistachios go to China, and that’s a result of two things,” Joyce says. “The hard work done by our industry to have all tariffs for our nuts abolished, and Trump’s trade war. China has slapped tariffs of 40 to 50 per cent on nuts from the US, which is our main competitor. So, you can guess who’s become China’s favourite origin for nuts.”
VICTORIAN WALNUTS Philip Farnell didn’t do much research before he bought Wellwood Wallace, a 60-hectare walnut farm near the Victorian city of Ballarat, in 2014. “I just fell in love with the place,” he says. Fortunately for Farnell, the gambit paid off. As one of only two Australian Certified Organic walnut growers in the country, his produce sells for four or five
times the price of regular walnuts – and will continue to track north. “If you look at the prices of other nutritious health foods, walnuts are more affordable given their high concentrations of the vitamins omega-3 and omega-6,” he says. “Comparatively speaking, walnuts are still too cheap.” In this robust market, one would think Farnell is laughing all the way to the bank. But that’s not the case, he explains: “Walnut trees are very thirsty. The cost of water today is about $850 per megalitre and climbing. It’s a major drawback, as are equipment costs. “You need very dedicated machinery for shaking and harvesting trees that can’t be used for any other crop. We’re also about to invest $375,000 in a computerised irrigation system that reads moisture levels in the soil. It’s a APRIL/MAY 2020
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AGRIBUISNESS: NUTS
huge amount of money but it’ll save me a huge amount of time.” Farnell’s advice for anyone thinking about investing in a walnut farm? “You need to do your research and not jump into it like I did,” he says. “I wish I’d known more about what a big investment it would be and that the returns, even on an existing farm, would be spread over 20 years. I don’t regret buying – it’s a beautiful lifestyle – but I’ve had to forget about early retirement.”
TASMANIAN HAZELNUTS Australian hazelnuts are so much fresher and tastier than the imported varietals sold in supermarkets that most growers have never seriously contemplated exporting. “The market is booming now that hazelnuts are seen as an alternative protein source that’s both cheaper and healthier than meat,” says Carol Bracken of Tamar Valley Hazelnuts, a farm in north-east Tasmania with 5000 trees. “So we don’t have to accept global prices.” But will the bottom drop out of the domestic market when the million hazelnut trees planted by confectionery company Ferrero Australia in the Riverina region of NSW begin bearing fruit this year?
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Bracken thinks not: “Ferrero won’t be selling their hazelnuts in Australia. They will crack them open here and ship them overseas to their processing plants, then ship some of the hazelnut meal back to their Nutella factory in Lithgow. It’s complicated, you see.” Tamar Valley Hazelnuts sell through their virtual and online farm gate store, and to retailers in Tasmania and Victoria. Business has been good – but they have grown tired of the work and are looking for an exit. “We’ve invested quite a lot to build it up to a successful business,” Bracken says, “but the property needs more investment in processing, more irrigation and more trees. We’ve been at it for 10 years and are ready for a change. So if you’re interested, let me know – we’re putting it up for sale.”
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BUSINESS: GYMS
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST A fresh look at the front line of the gym industry, to see how it’s working out. Words: Ian Lloyd Neubauer
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In 1847, circus strongman Hippolyte Triat opened the world’s first commercial gym in Paris – a vast dome of cast iron and glass filled with dumbbells and barbells, where the wealthy exercised for exercise’s sake. As bizarre as it was, the concept caught on. Today there are an estimated 200,000 gyms around the world, including almost 3500 in Australia. And with so much focus on healthy living, 200 new gyms are slated to open in Australia every year, according to an IBISWorld industry report. But growth in the number of new memberships in Australia isn’t keeping up with the number of new gyms. “At the moment we have around 20 per cent of Australians with gym memberships, 6 per cent actually go to a gym regularly, and that leaves 80 per cent of the population doing whatever,” says Barrie Elvish, CEO of peak industry body Fitness Australia. “So we are not targeting those people.” Justin Tamsett of Active Management, a consultant in the fitness industry, puts it like this: “As an industry, we’ve helped the fit get fitter and helped the fat
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BUSINESS: GYMS
Named after the length of its classes, F45 has taken the fitness industry by storm. There are more than 500 franchises in Australia and 1300 more around the world. get more embarrassed to get fit. So how do we decrease the intimidation factor of gyms to welcome people in?” The answer, market research dictates, is a new breed of gym that incorporates technology, sports science and innovative customer service models to attract new members and future-proof profit. Here are three gyms setting the pace.
THE 45-MINUTE GYM With 2700 different exercises used to create challenging workouts that change every day, F45 was ahead of its time when former equities trader Rob Deutsch opened the first outlet in Sydney in 2011. It ticks off more than half of the Top 12 Fitness Trends for 2020 identified by Fitness Australia, including ‘functional’ training that mimics everyday movement, bodyweight training, high-intensity interval training and small group classes led by registered professionals. Named after the length of its classes, the brand has taken the fitness industry by storm. There are now more than 500 F45 franchises in Australia, another 1300 more around the world, and plans to open as many as 10,000 new venues in the US alone. “The reason they grew so fast was probably the low barrier to entry compared with other franchises,” says Tamsett, referring to F45’s simple equipment – free weights, pull-up bars, kettlebells and the like – and annual turnover of $400,000 per studio. “Their timing was also perfect because they came in at the front end
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of the influencer marketing trend.” Last year, actor and fitness icon Mark Wahlberg bought an undisclosed stake in the company. At the time, he said, “I’m a fitness fanatic and I fell in love with F45 after I walked into a gym and saw people from all walks of life, all levels of fitness, working out together.” And in January, Bloomberg reported F45 had taken steps to list on the New York Stock Exchange. F45 declined to comment, but if Deutsch’s previous statements are anything to go by, it’s a done deal. “We’re the fastest-ever franchise rollout in Australia and we believe in the world,” he said.
THE NO-THRILLS GYM Fitness and Lifestyle Group, the company behind Fitness First, Goodlife Health Clubs and Jetts Fitness, is the largest player in the sector, with almost 30 per cent of industry revenue – a billion dollars per year.
The second biggest player, with 15 per cent of industry revenue and 520 outlets, is Anytime Fitness. Established in the US in 2002, the company revolutionised the fitness industry with self-service gyms that have no full-time staff – only casual cleaners and personal trainers who are available on demand. Bored receptionists have also been taken out of the equation. Instead, members let themselves in – any time of the day or night – with keycards. The no-thrills model has made it possible for Anytime Fitness to open gyms in country towns like Mount Isa and Narrabri on the North West Slopes of NSW, where people are 16 per cent more likely to be sedentary than city-dwellers, according to the National Rural Health Alliance. “Our mission is to ‘Improve the self-esteem of the world,’” says Anytime Fitness CEO and Co-founder
BUSINESS: GYMS
Chuck Runyon. “It may sound like an audacious goal but we’re very serious about it. We’ll soon have 4000 gyms open in more than 30 countries. Each of those gyms supports a small community of like-minded individuals who are determined to enjoy healthier, happier lifestyles.” Anytime Fitness has mastered the art of acquiring new members. Now it’s working on mastering the art of retaining them. “We built the franchise by focusing on convenience, affordability and a friendly, supportive atmosphere. That’ll never change,” Runyon says. “But we’ve sustained our growth by expanding our benefits for members, specifically our new group training sessions and our mobile app. It’s like having a personal trainer in your pocket.”
THE SPA GYM “Feels like a spa, works like a gym.” That’s the mantra at Shelter, a luxurious high-tech health club that opened in the Sydney suburb of Double Bay last year. The focus is on spin classes – gym-talk for stationary bicycle workouts – though Shelter also offers hybrid spin-boxing classes, private infrared saunas and a smoothie bar with wacky ingredients like hydrolysed collagen and hemp protein. It also has the only freshwater ice bath in
Australia – a form of therapy used by professional athletes to accelerate recovery after exercise and injury. “When I lived in New York I’d train at SoulCycle, sauna at HigherDOSE, practise cold baths at AIRE in Tribeca, box at Gotham in the West Village, and loved my juices from Juice Press,” says Co-founder Ben Mills. “I questioned why someone hadn’t integrated these models that fall into the health and wellness space, and why no one had done so in Australia. Why couldn’t you leave a gym with the same feeling as you do leaving a day spa?” A recent poll by Finder.com showed that more than 44 per cent of gym members rarely go to their gym, with wasted fees adding up to $1.8 billion per year. Shelter is among the gyms that have dumped this old pricing model. Instead, it sells single passes for $40 or discounted packs of 5-50 passes you can buy on-site or using your phone. “We’ve developed our own app,” explains Mills. “It’s a pretty seamless booking process.” APRIL/MAY 2020
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PUZZLES
CROSSWORD
13. Large antlered animal
23. Golfer’s two under par
15. Comedian, ... Murphy
24. Grace
16. Shouted
25. Resource
18. Actor, ... Pattinson 19. Rot 21. Nauseous 22. Settles (debt)
APPLE JUICE CARAMEL CHOCOLATE COFFEE CORDIAL FIZZY DRINK
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GLASS ICED TEA LATTE LEMON SQUASH LEMONADE MILKSHAKE
ORANGE JUICE RICE MILK SMOOTHIE SOFT DRINK SOYA MILK TUMBLER
W O R A N G E J U I C E C
Y S S L R A H S R A P N K
H S A U Q S N O M E L A K
E U P E T A L O C O H C K
M I L K S H A K E M B K O
E M O A W I E W T P I J N
D O Y I L K C T L R T H I
A O A D D G E E D U E D R
N T M R E J J Y M E E R D
O H I O L U Z B F I C B T
M I L C I Z L F T D L I F
E E K C I E O E H A R K O
L U E F R C A R A M E L S
SOLUTIONS:
20. Ability to govern
L U E F R C A R A M E L S
11. Segregates
E E K C I E O E H A R K O
9. Movie performer
17. Sport parachutist
M I L C I Z L F T D L I F
6. Heaven’s ... Gates
16. Period of time
O H I O L U Z B F I C B T
14. Command to dog
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: DRINK UP.
N T M R E J J Y M E E R D
5. Communicative
A O A D D G E E D U E D R
12. Collapse (4,4)
WORD SEARCH
D O Y I L K C T L R T H I
4. Military student
E M O A W I E W T P I J N
10. Polar vessel
Y S S L R A H S R A P N K
3. Rock-pool crustacean
H S A U Q S N O M E L A K
2. Italian sparkling wine
8. Trattoria staple
E U P E T A L O C O H C K
1. Unload (suitcase)
7. Fracture
M I L K S H A K E M B K O
DOWN
1. Normal
W O R A N G E J U I C E C
ACROSS
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