Central Coast, May-June 2019 by seniors

May-June 2019 FREE

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Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Oreal awards 70-year-old Wendy Gunn with top honours

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Make your feet happy Research increases new cancer treatments Support for the walk

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MAY, 2019// SENIORS

Positive living choices

INDEX 3 16 17 21 30 33 39

News – Artist without a brush Community group guide Central Coast Volunteer Expo feature Wanderlust Wellbeing Living Puzzles

Ideas for present and future living

Gail Forrer Seniors Group Editor WELCOME to our May edition. This month, we celebrate hairdresser Wendy Gunn and the passion for her work which has led to being recognised with a prestigious award. I thought her story, so full enthusiasm and positive attitude, was a great way to kick off the month. But Wendy has much in common with the numerous locals who are featured carrying out work that both honours themselves and others. This month our feature “Central Coast Volunteer Expo’(pages 17, 18 & 19) highlights volunteering opportunities. The free event will see more than 30 local organisations showcase how extensive and varied volunteering can be. Volunteer opportunities can range from a one-off or on a continuing basis - you could be working with animals to driving a community bus, being a tourist guide or a companion for a mature aged person. And don’t forget, volunteering is well documented for increasing your personal happiness rating. In this edition our big read

focuses on the subject of accommodation style. Seniors News reporter Tracey Johnstone has investigated a interesting range of new and upcoming living styles. It seeems designers and community leaders are paying close attention to cost, sustainability and associated issues of longevity to create homes that take into account a modern lifestyle and care for the planet. Our Wellbeing pages include practical stories on caring for our health – with great info on new cancer research and what it means for breast cancer patients along with tips for happy feet so that you can do lots of very beneficial walking. I believe that our community notes pages are also part of the wider wellbeing section, so thanks goes to groups who send us community news each month.

CONTACT US General Manager Geoff Crockett – 0413 988 333 geoff.crockett@news.com.au Editor Gail Forrer – 1800 880 265 gail.forrer@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Executive Sue Germany – 0408 286 539 sue.germany@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Online Get your news online at www.seniorsnews.com.au Advertising, editorial and distribution enquiries Phone: 1300 880 265 or (07) 5435 3200 Email: advertising@seniorsnewspaper.com.au or editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Location: 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore 4558 Website: www.seniorsnews.com.au Subscriptions Only $39.90 for one year (12 editions) including GST and postage anywhere in Australia. Please call our circulations services on 1300 361 604 and quote “Coffs Harbour and Clarence Seniors Newspaper”. The Seniors Newspaper is published monthly and distributed free in northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland. The Seniors newspaper stable includes Toowoomba, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Northern NSW, Coffs and Clarence and Central Coast publications. Published by News Corp Australia. Printed by News Corp Australia, Yandina. Opinions expressed by contributors to Seniors Newspapers are not necessarily those of the editor or the owner/publisher and publication of advertisements implies no endorsement by the owner/publisher.

Responsibility for election material in this paper is taken by Gail Forrer, cnr Mayne Road & Campbell Street, Bowen Hills, QLD 4006.

Feature: Central Coast volunteers

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An artist minus a brush

‘‘

An inquisitive mind led to new art style

Patrick describes himself as ‘just an old tradie’

Alison Houston

ARTISTIC VISION: Artist Patrick Smith’s first exhibition is at The Art House, Wyong, from June 12–28.

Patrick Smith’s piece called Floral.

Patrick’s painting styles and subjects are unique.

“displaying a few pieces”, but when he jokingly said he could fill the gallery if they wanted him to, it was agreed that’s exactly what he would do. His first exhibition runs from June 12–28. At almost 69, Patrick describes himself as “just

although it took a time to work out just how to do it, he did, and the piece hangs in his house to this day. Most of his art, Patrick said, was “a reflection of some part of my life”, including as a builder using big bright designs

an old tradie and a mad fisherman who has been doing art for about 15 years”. It all started when he saw a painting with a $6000 price tag in a gallery and told his wife, “I can do that”. He went home and,

and, as a fisherman, detail and inspiration from underwater life and nature. “I’m very shy about this, but people’s jaws drop when they see what I do,” he said. “I’ve been told not to say it’s weird, to say it’s

abstract or different.” With a building and electrical background, Patrick began by experimenting with acrylic on plaster, playing with shadows and textures, before he discovered “fluid art”. Also known as “liquid art” it creates abstract designs from the pouring and movement of paint around the canvas. In Patrick’s case, many of the designs take on a delicacy and intricacy the viewer can’t imagine being achieved without fine brushstrokes. He admits that not all his ideas work, and he has “hosed a few off on the front garden”. But even some that didn’t come out quite how he imagined, he said, often turned into something “even better”. “I don’t class myself as a real artist, just someone who plays with coloured paints,” he said. “What I do isn’t that hard, but it does take imagination.” He doesn’t have any firm plans for his art, preferring to wait and gauge people’s reactions at his first exhibition. “‘OMG!’ seems to come out quite regularly,” Patrick said of the feedback he had received to date. “It gives me hope and heart to keep going …” Art House: 19–21 Margaret St, Wyong, NSW 2259 Phone: (02) 4335 1485 6888536af

HIS painting styles and subjects are unique and diverse, including spawning coral, winter to summer, red bream and floral. Patrick Smith calls himself “the reluctant artist” but a more accurate label could be “the left-field artist”. Patrick has had no art training, paints without a paint brush, and is always searching for new ways to achieve the effects he is looking for. “You know why I don’t use brushes … because I’m no bloody good at it!” he quipped. He keeps a notebook beside his bed to write down the “weird ideas I dream up at night”. That includes using a hairdryer, balloons, string dipped in paint, a toothbrush, spatula and straws. No one is perhaps more surprised by the effect his art has than Patrick himself. “I haven’t a clue where this art comes from, but it’s a challenge to my mind to work out how to do what I want to do,” the Killarney Vale resident said. “My techniques grow as I look around and think how I can use different things.” At last year’s Tuggerah Lakes Art Society AGM, he was told he had them “on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what I would produce next”. That encouraged him to show his pieces to The Art House, Wyong, co-ordinators. He was hopeful of

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MAY, 2019// SENIORS

Defying age with panache

Forget the number, it’s about doing what you love at any age up; I am not about to buy my last car or my last TV.” The road to the international L’Oreal trophy win was arduous. It started with a photograph of her work being sent to judges in Australia who then determined the top 20 in each state. Next it was “doing” the model’s hair, dress and make-up in real-time for the top three in the state. After that it was on to the Australian titles in Melbourne where Ms Gunn took out the national award in early 2018. She created her look using strategically placed apricot and peach colours which resulted in a rose gold tone in her model’s

Tracey Johnstone CHAMPAGNE corks popped in Paris when Australian hair colourist Wendy Gunn was recently announced winner of the 2019 L’Oreal Professionnel Style & Colour Trophy with her Rising Sun look. The pro-age industry leader has been on her feet since age 15. Now at 70 she is still putting in 60 hours a week at her Brisbane city business, Ink for Hair. “I am living my life passionately,” Ms Gunn said. “Also, I am passionate about what I do and I am good at it. “I am not about to curl

FIRST CLASS STYLE: Wendy Gunn, accompanied by her hair model, receiving the prestigious 2019 L’Oreal Professionnel Style & Colour Trophy. Photo: Christian Fournier hair. In France, she had to do it all again in real-time and then be judged against 32 other countries. “What the competition made me do is realise that I don’t have to be limited by how old I am,” Ms Gunn said. Back on the floor of her business and with a full week of bookings ahead, she said she had one of

her three daughters back by her side after 10 years out on her own. She also has two 20-something juniors who are in on her journey of exploring the latest trends and techniques. “If you want to be good at anything, you have got to be prepared to constantly learn,” she said. Doing a make-over is

one of Ms Gunn’s greatest challenges and joys. “Someone who is a bit older and set in a time-warp; just changing how they look changes how they feel,” she said. “My philosophy is what you wear starts with your hair.” This very direct woman doesn’t look at the age, she looks at the person. Recently she turned

around an old friend’s attitude to living with some life-changing advice. The friend said she had been looking at over-50s hairstyles for herself. “I told her I was the wrong hairdresser for her because that’s not how I look at my clients,” Ms Gunn said. “I look at body shape, face shape and lifestyle. I don’t look at the age of someone.”

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Love and peace on stage The Art House lets its Hair down for third birthday Alison Houston

WILL Hugh Sheridan and Paulini get naked in Hair? It’s certainly a less controversial question than the musical prompted 50 years ago, when it changed the face of theatre with its full-frontal nudity and anti-war messaging. At that time the celebration of hippy culture was greeted with protests, bomb threats and talk of censorship. But today, as it celebrates its third birthday, The Art House Wyong could probably not have asked for a more appropriate production to mark its own coming of age. The production, tickets for which are now on sale, is at The Art House from September 19 as part of an exclusive six-venue national tour. Central Coast audiences will see the show before it opens at the Sydney Opera House the following month. “There will be a lot of people googling Wyong today to find out where it is and how we have such a big production,” executive director Anne-Marie Heath said on launch day. “It’s very exciting to see where the theatre has come in three years. “With world-class performers and some of Australia’s finest creatives, it’s going to be an amazing show worthy of any capital city in the country.” Bringing the best talent to the Coast venue has been Anne-Marie’s aim from the outset, and she has worked hard to

Art House executive director Anne-Marie Heath.

develop the strong industry relationships needed to make it happen. “We started with a clean slate, with a brand new building and had to look at how we would build an audience,” she said. “I strongly believe audiences on the Central Coast should have the opportunity to see the best of the arts, to see what people in capital cities see, not see a different cast or have to wait a year or more until a show is on its way out. “Being part of this original tour puts us way up in a different conversation, and puts us in a really strong position nationally.” It’s not the first time The Art House has fought above its weight, having also scored the premiere of The Heights in January before its Sydney Opera House opening. But because of its history, its energy and Grammy-Award-winning score, including Aquarius, Good Morning Starshine, Hair and Let the Sun Shine, Hair is in a different league. It’s also famously the musical which brought a teenage Marcia Hines to

HAIR, 2019 STYLE: Hugh Sheridan and Paulini have been confirmed as the leads in the new production of the musical Hair which will be performed at The Art House Wyong in September.

Australia to play the female lead of Dionne, now taken up by one-time Australian Idol favourite Paulini. Four-time Logie winner Hugh Sheridan, best known for his role as Ben in Packed to the Rafters, plays Berger in his first leading role in a major musical. Although set in the hippy counter-culture of the 1960s and targeting

the Vietnam War, Anne-Marie said Hair’s messages of peace, love, human rights, the environment and political activism for change were still relevant today. “It’s about people uniting and standing up for what they believe, and young people today are feeling empowered to have their say,” Anne-Marie said. She has been extremely

pleased by the way in which the Coast has embraced its new arts venue. Its diversity of its offerings, including comedy, music, theatre, and community productions, as well as workshops, she believes, allows everyone to look at the program and “find something there that they can say, that’s for me”. She has also listened

to feedback from Seniors and opened up more options when it comes to daytime programming. Tickets for the Central Coast run of Hair from Thursday, September 19 to Saturday, September 21 (including a matinee) went on sale on May 10. For bookings, go to thearthousewyong. com.au or phone (02) 4335 1485.

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MAY, 2019// SENIORS

Historic road is recorded Alison Houston TRACKING Mr Sharpe – it’s a great title for a murder-mystery novel, but in fact it’s the historical account of the Reverend Thomas Sharpe. His is not one of the big names of Australian early settlement, but as author and historian Barbara Appleton discovered through her interest in the Convict Trail Project, he made his mark. The Convict Trail Project, which Barbara has been involved with since 2006, aims to protect the 240km Great North Road from Sydney to the Hunter. Built by convict labour between 1826 and 1836, it is labelled “one of the 19th century’s greatest engineering feats in Australia” and was meant to show England just how strong and successful the colony was. Such was the reverend’s status that a track named in his honour – Mr Sharpe’s Track – still survives at Wisemans Ferry, near Tobruk Station. Just the second government chaplain

appointed to Wisemans Ferry, Mr Sharpe lived in a small cottage on the banks of the Hawkesbury from 1830-37, being rowed between chapels by convicts. He was then transferred to Norfolk Island for four years before moving to Bathurst in 1841, where he founded the Anglican parish and was responsible for building the original All Saints Anglican Church, which became the cathedral. “He lived until almost 80 in 1877 and I started looking at convict conditions and how chaplains coped in those days,” Barbara said. With a background in research and publishing with her husband Richard – a poet and editor of the Australian Encyclopaedia – the Buff Point resident said she had thoroughly enjoyed her year of researching Mr Sharpe. She and Richard co-authored 1992’s Cambridge Dictionary of Australian Places. Barbara also supervised the posthumous publication of Richard’s memoirs by Sydney University Press in

2009, detailing his life after being orphaned at 10, naval college, and the bohemian days of The Sydney Push, mixing with the likes of Les Murray, Clive James and Germaine Greer. Despite all this, she said she still found it “a little hard to believe” when she held the first copy of Tracking Mr Sharpe, published by Dharug and Lower Hawkesbury Historical Society, thanks to a grant by Create NSW. Royal Australian Historical Society president Christine Yeats launched the book at the Wisemans Ferry Community Centre. The venue was chosen to reflect the local society’s support. Barbara also thanked Yvonne Sorensen for her illustrations, and the support of the National Trust and the heritage-listed Miss Traill’s House museum in Bathurst, where the Reverend lived. Info/order a copy ($25 plus p&h), email inquiries@dlhhs.org.au or phone 0404 272 969.

AUSTRALIAN STORY: Author and historian Barbara Appleton with a copy of her book Tracking Mr Sharpe.

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The fearless job-changer WHEN Trish Popp moved to the Central Coast 16 years ago “to start a new life at 60”, she discovered the business world had decided she was past her use-by date. That’s despite an impressive and varied office management and bookkeeping resume, most recently having worked as an accredited consultant with the Australian Trade Commission in Western Australia on a program helping exporters to gain development grants. Her work history had started in the Navy at 17 and, among her more unusual positions, saw her working in the 1970s at an employment agency in Hong Kong and for a government minister in Kenya … running a trout farm! Like many modern jobseekers, however, she discovered “most

companies don’t even reply, which is terribly rude and very disheartening”. But, not one to be down for long, Trish kept looking. “Age is just a number,” she said. “I’ve known 35-year-olds and 50-year-olds who think they’re old and start to act old, and people in their 70s, 80s and 90s who are still doing amazing things. “You must never think of yourself as old. If you want to do something, if you’re passionate about it, just get out there and do it.” As evidence, she pointed to 86-year-old American Betty Goedhart, who still looks about 40 and is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest flying trapeze artist, having started at 78. “So, I had a radical change of careers,” Trish laughed, of “popping in one day” to a nearby

business and discovering they had a vacancy for a support worker/carer. After training, she worked with the company for 13 years, and now at 75 and working part-time with Relative Care Home Support, the Kincumber resident believes fate had stepped in to uncover her real forte. “I love it!” she said. “I really enjoy meeting people … everyone out there has the most amazing life story to tell. “And Relative Care is a smaller company, so Denise and David as owners know all the clients on a personal basis and are very careful to match them up with support workers they will relate to.” Trish has six regular clients, as well as helping out when needed. “You get to really know your client, and my goal is to make someone laugh and smile every day,” she said. “I’m blessed with good

AGE JUST A NUMBER: Relative Care Home Support worker Trish Popp is 75 and loves her job, but the business world was ready to write her off at 60. health and I’ve had a pretty full life, so I like to think I’m giving back a bit to the community.” When not working, Trish

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… and bubbles. “I do love my glass of bubbly, and it hasn’t done me any harm,” she laughed.

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OPTIONS: The former Benevolent Society general manager of ageing Barbara Squires was an early change-maker in housing for older Australians.

BARBARA Squires has seen important changes during the years she has been working to look for contemporary housing options for older Australians. In the past 10 years since this change-maker fought a hard battle to introduce into Australia the Apartments for Life (AFL) housing model, an evolution in thinking around housing options has been happening. While working as general manager for the Benevolent Society, Ms Squires threw herself into making the AFL model a reality. Driving her passion for the project was her deep insight into the issues of housing after nearly 40 years working with older Australians. “It’s a disgrace,” she said.

“Affordable housing for the whole of Australia is in such a dreadful state, but particularly for older people. “Older renters are an incredibly disadvantaged group. “It’s a cause that is dear to my heart.” The AFL model, based on the work of the Dutch Humanitas Foundation, which has 15 sites in Rotterdam, proposed making it possible for older people to remain in their self-contained accommodation, which was designed to accommodate changing needs, even when their health declined and they required increased health and home support. Underpinning the AFL approach was encouraging older people to remain in control of their lives, be in proximity to critical services and be able to continue to participate in their

community. A site in Sydney’s Bondi was identified for the mixed social and private housing, but then urban planning issues ultimately made the project economically infeasible. “Things have changed, mercifully, and moved on,” Ms Squires said. “One of the best outcomes of the project was that it actually got people in the aged care and retirement housing sector thinking. “It challenged them a lot.” Up until then it was considered the norm that when an older person needed more care they were moved into low care and then high care. “It’s much more an accepted concept now that you shouldn’t have to move; it shouldn’t be an automatic assumption that you have to move when you become frailer,” she said.

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3 Day yulEFEsT in ThE bluE MounTains Departing saturday 3rd august 2019

Day Tours

Spend 2 nights in Katoomba, Visit the village of Leura, The Three Sisters and Scenic World. Enjoy a festive formal gala dinner evening with amazing h entertainment. Returning to the coast via Mount Tomah botanical gardens. A great getaway for Yulefest!

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5 Day ChErry FEsTival—young nsW Departing Thursday 5th December 2019 Enjoy a 4 night stay in the beautiful town of Harden, visit Young, enjoying cherry pie and the chance to pick your own cherries, watch the Parade down through the town and enjoy the 68th National Cherry festival atmosphere. Visit Cootamundra, see the birthplace of Sir Donald Bradman. Travel to Junee and visit the Green Grove Liquorice Factory.

Tour price: $1315.00 per person twin share

4 Day Dubbo ExplorEr Departing Monday 8th July 2019 Exploring the town of Dubbo for 4 days. Enjoying the amazing agriculture area to Parkes & Forbes. Including the CSIRO Radio Telescope and visitors centre. Stepping back in time as we visit the Dubbo Gaol and the history of the heritage listed site before heading to the amazing Western Plains Zoo.

Thursday 6th June Queen Victoria Building Tour & High Tea

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Tuesday 11th June The Glen Campbell Songbook

Monday 17th June Ducks In The Field

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3 Day CanbErra FloriaDE Departing Friday 20th september 2019 See the magnificent tapestry display of tulips as well as many other varieties of colour at the Floriade and visit the forever solemn and moving War Memorial, we can also take in the views from Mount Anslie. We also take in the sights and sounds of Floriade with a Lake Burley Griffin Cruise and stop at the Canberra Tulip Gardens.

Tour price: $695.00 per person twin share

8 Day WEnTWorTh nsW anD ThE souTh ausTralian rEnMark rosEs FEsTival Departing saturday 19th october 2019 Join us and discover the town of Wentworth, Mungo National Park with the incredible Walk The Walls Of China Tour. The Renmark Rose Festival will celebrate its 25th year as one of the region’s largest and most supported festivals. Since its humble beginnings in 1994, the rose festival has evolved into a major event and spans towns across the Riverland and provides a range of events and attractions.

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Wednesday 26th June Maitland Gaol 150 years under lock & key tour

Tuesday 2nd July Port Stephens Whale Watch Cruise

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Tuesday 16th July National Maritime Museum & Buffet Lunch

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9 Day FrasEr CoasT WhalE WaTCh anD FrasEr islanD aDvEnTurE Departing Thursday 22nd august 2019 6 Day rivErina in spring lEETon & griFFiTh Departing Thursday 10th october 2019 6 Day ChrisTMas in ThE souTh WEsT roCks Departing Monday 23rd December 2019

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MAY, 2019// SENIORS

Music man Peter Noble

2019 marks Bluesfest number 26 Tania Phillips OVER the past 30 years, Byron Bay’s Bluesfest has become more than a music event, it has become a cultural experience and integral part of both the Australian music calendar and North Coast music culture. And the man who has been at the helm for a big part of those 30 years, Peter Noble, who splits his time working and living between Byron and Bali, is still as passionate as ever about the festival and about music. “Life truly is an amazing adventure which I take on with wild enthusiasm on a daily basis,” the Grammy winner and festival director said. “I have a great team around me which means basically my workload isn’t what it once was and I don’t want it to be. “I want to enjoy this festival too.” That doesn’t mean he isn’t working hard. While Noble said he

hasn’t been in the office for the past month, he has been in the US scouting out talent for the 2020 festival. But that is what it takes to create Australia’s most awarded festival – an event that has taken out both music and tourism awards in large numbers and brought some of the biggest names in music to the country. The event started 30 years ago at the old Arts Factory (known colloquially as the Piggery) at Byron Bay as the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival. Back then, Noble’s main interest was as a promoter, bringing bands to town. It wasn’t until 1994 that he officially became a director of the event. “This is only my 26th festival,” he joked, though that is more than enough festivals to have Noble awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to live and recorded music, tourism and the community.

Growing up in Sydney, Noble was drawn to the music industry at an early age, playing in rock, soul and blues bands during the ’60s and ’70s. His bass playing and business sense helped secure jobs with a number of artists including Clapham Junction, and as band leader for Marcia Hines, before moving to the US to work as a professional musician. Eventually, after touring nationally and internationally, he settled in the US and set up Portland, Oregon’s first International Jazz Festival as well as being house booker for legendary venue The Earth. Returning to Australia in the early ’80s, he became a pioneer, touring blues groups in Australia, including bringing them to Byron which started his love affair with the town and later the event that he now mentors. From a modest crowd of 6000 people in 1990, it now attracts 100,000 each Easter.

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Brand new ideas to shape Tracey Johnstone THE world of ageing is evolving in many different ways compared to the experience of previous generations, particularly with living choices. For so long we had the choice of either ageing at home or selling up and moving into a retirement village. But that is changing, driven by the baby boomers who have an appetite for living choices that are contemporary and apply across the generations. Sustainability, affordability, fighting homelessness, social connection, shared economy, ageing in place, control of the living space and communal are the buzzwords of the new housing options. Some of these options are deliberative, small-scale, collaborative and co-operative models, and build-to-rent. And these are only the current models, several of which are already in place in northern Europe and in the US. Expect more choices as social innovators, financial institutions, public organisations and government agencies all come together over changes to financing and legislation to allow these evolving models to become part of the mainstream offerings. Another barrier is getting older Australians to accept this evolution to co-housing living choices. University of Technology Sydney’s Research Director and former architect Caitlin McGee said that when seniors heard the term co-housing, they tended to think of it as the “extreme end of spectrum”. “It’s not a commune,” she explained. Co-housing

INNOVATIVE DESIGN: The recently completed intergenerational co-housing Nightingale Housing project # 1, which is located in Brunswick, Melbourne. Photo: Peter Clarke has been a fringe movement in Australia up to now, but the examples are getting more mainstream.” Collaborative housing Ms McGee said collaborative housing could be alternative communities and it could be mainstream. It could incorporate several generations or be seniors only, and could be owner-occupied, rental or a combination. “Typically, you have a slightly more compact home in lieu of the greater shared facilities,” she said. “There is a whole spectrum of these developments that essentially have two principles – they integrate more sharing and they are about resident participation rather than

Aubrey Downer

Residential Aged Care

speculative housing where a developer builds and then sells.” Affordability in construction and in the cost of living are key drivers in these models. Sharing of garden tools, social areas, the laundry, grandkids’ play equipment through to car sharing and achieving water and energy efficiencies, and even a shared visitor overnight accommodation rather than having a guest bedroom within the home, can all be options. “It means apartments are delivered at a lower cost, typically between 15 or 30 per cent less than equivalent properties in that area,” Ms McGee said. Building close to shops and a transport hub are also an important part of

these models. It’s also about residents having control over the residential design and ultimately its management, and about having a sense of community and integrating with the wider neighbourhood. The following models are underpinned by the fundamental principles of co-housing and layered with a range of unique characteristics. Nightingale Housing Nightingale #1 is the only known completed co-housing build so far in Australia. It’s an intergenerational, resident-run, owner-occupied, 20-unit block in Brunswick, Melbourne. “The model is founded on three basic principles –

environmental, social and financial sustainability,” Nightingale Community Engagement Leader Dominica Watt said. Savings are achieved from the use of clean-energy services and low-cost utility and building costs which help with long-term affordability. The units are sold at a cost which includes a capped 15 per cent return to the initial project investors. “Construction savings are shared with homeowners, who meet each other and the designers, well prior to the building being built and after they have been successful in the ballot.” Following the deliberative design approach, owners are

intimately involved in the common area design process. “It gives residents the chance to work together and we know that is a really important key in creating community,” Ms Watt said. “By the time they move in, everyone knows each other and it feels like a safe, connected environment.” Nightingale #1 includes value-aligned commercial tenants on the bottom floor while the top floor has a shared garden and laundry facilities. There are resale rules and the prices are tethered to the local market. Deliberative design AGEncy is a resident-led model where a group of Sydney friends and acquaintances, aged from 54 to 71, are working together to address their future living needs. Co-founder Keryn Curtis, 54, said it would be like living in a normal owner-occupied apartment building. “But also having a relationship with the people living in the building and shared amenities,” Ms Curtis said. The group plans to be the developer of an inner-city site. Eight people have agreed to be the project funders, which they hope will deliver 12-14 apartments. “Everyone is part of the co-housing group,” Ms Curtis said. “It’s an intentional community; you have to take part. “From the ground up, you decide what you do and don’t want to share.” The end result is a development based on the individuals’ needs and affordability, not on what a developer decides is the market need. Village approach IRT plans to have in

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NEWS

present and future living unavailable. “People were finding they were being priced out of town and having to move away to find somewhere cheaper to live,” Ms McKenzie said. “The community were strongly in favour of co-housing as long as the model provides a combination of private and shared space. “It’s not a commune. It’s more a collective of people who share a vision of how to live together.” The CHASM team is encouraging its community members to understand they can create a secondary dwelling. “If we can get people in the town to agree to and can afford to do that, and then rent it out, then you are providing affordable

‘‘

It’s more a collective of people who share a vision of how to live together. rental housing for these people who are in housing crisis,” Ms McKenzie added. Co-operative community The residents of this affordable housing model, who are often long-term tenants, have control of the decision-making on the management of their environment. In Cabramatta, Common Equity NSW is developing affordable, ageing in place housing specifically for older Vietnamese and their extended families. The model will also create opportunities to maximise savings in transport, energy and

ALTERNATIVE LIVING: CHASM’s Marg McKenzie and Julia Peddie, with Zonta’s Margie Richter (centre) receive a donation from Zonta towards its Age Friendly Project. Photo: CHASM food costs through various sharing and pooling processes. Another of its projects is Newcastle Cohousing (NewCoh). It’s focused on achieving a self-managed, intergenerational housing group which combines private living and community sharing. It’s in its early design stage, but the plan is to allow for both rental and owner-occupied apartments and town houses. Both projects are aimed at small self-contained residences, but with several communal areas set up to encourage sharing and social interaction. Build-to-rent The Property Council of Australia CEO Ken

This is the house style the CHASM group is looking to purchase for its small-scale co-housing pilot project. Morrison said build-to-rent developments would be owned by institutional investors looking for income, such as super funds, and focused on tenancies of much longer than 12 months. These complexes will provide affordable intergenerational housing

in an area that is well serviced, and where not all amenities are built into the apartment. “There is a much bigger focus on common facilities,” Mr Morrison said. “It’s more than just a place to live; they feel part of the community.

The economics of this makes it possible because of the single ownership and the motivation of the owner-manager to keep the tenants happy which makes them highly motivated to continue with their leases.” Sydney’s Mirvac and Melbourne’s Salter and Grocon groups are all interested in the concept. On the Gold Coast, the 2500 Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village units are being transformed into this model. When? Anyone interested in these housing options should “watch this space” and start doing their research now. It’s a rapidly changing space.

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place within about two years a new retirement village at Kanahooka, NSW. It will include in one area of the village nine one-bedroom, self-contained, owner-occupied units of about 50sq m each. “We were looking at other options for downsizers with the idea of giving them a slightly different mix of private and public spaces,” IRT Head of Strategy & Innovation Rob Bruce said. “The residents can set their own agenda within that space and collaborate on whatever they like to whether it’s art projects to car spaces, cooking together in an oversized kitchen, watching movies together, all of which will help solve some of the problems of social isolation and loneliness.” Small-scale co-housing This model is based on renovation or rebuilding of an existing home or block of units to achieve an increased number of residents on the site, Ms McGee explained. “They could informally look after each other which might reduce the need for formal care,” she said. “If care is required, at least they will be co-located and it might be cheaper or easier.” CHASM in Maleny in Queensland is developing a version of small-scale co-housing to give its older residents the choice to remain living within their existing community. “Ageing in place is a crucial thing,” CHASM co-founder Marg McKenzie, 65, said. Whether they do retrofit or new build, each of CHASM’s designs considers ageing needs. Growing property prices and Airbnb has made several of Maleny’s former rental properties

MAY, 2019// SENIORS

COMMUNITY & BUSINESS WOMEN’S NETWORK

Community notes

Community group guide WE welcome your community notes. If you would like to submit a photo ensure it is at least 180dpi or 500kb to 1mb in size and of faces, in a nice bright setting. Email editor@seniors newspaper.com.au.

VIEW CLUBS

Brisbane Water Evening WORKING for the Smith Family, we hold our monthly dinner meeting in the Function Room at the Grange Hotel, Renwick Street, Wyoming on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6.30pm for 7pm. New members and visitors are most welcome. Phone Valda on (02) 4325 1688 or Helen (02) 4367 5670. Toukley WE MEET on the second Friday of the month at Club Toukley RSL at 10.30am. We have lucky door prizes, raffles and a two course lunch for $25, followed by guest speakers or members anticipation and interesting discussions. We also have outings, Friendship Morning Teas along with raffles. Joining our VIEW Club is a perfect opportunity to meet with other like minded women and establish new friendships. VIEW stands for for Voice, Interests, Education of Women and is a valued part of the Smith Family raising money for The Learning For Life sponsorship and education of disadvantaged Australian children and young adults.

Phone Kathie on (02) 4393 0647 or 0413 424 949.

WYONG FAMILY HISTORY GROUP INC

ADVANCED family history course will be held at The Cottage, Building 9, 6 Rankens Court, Wyong (enter via the old school yard). Cost: Members $10 per day or $45 for the full course payable in advance: Non-Members $15 per day or $65 for the full course payable in advance. Session times 10.30am and 12.30pm. Remember to bring your lunch. Commencing Friday, June 7, then every Friday until July 5. Book and pay online, go to wyongfamily history.com.au or contact the ‘Cottage’ on (02) 4351 2211, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10am-3pm. Email wfhg06@westnet.com.au for more information.

COMMUNITY EVENT

LOCAL author and counsellor Elizabeth Geyson is holding a free book signing for her book titled Good Mourning at BookFace Erina Fair, KM 006 Terrigal Dr, Erina on

SING WITH SHIRL: Come along every second Tuesday of the month from 10.30am at the Greens Bowling Club, The Entrance. Photo: Highwaystarz-Photography June 1 from 11am-noon. How all types of losses can be turned into joy and abundance.

SHIRL’S SING-A-LONG

COME along every second Tuesday of the month from 10.30am-12.30pm at the Greens Bowling Club, cnr Park & Warrigal Streets, The Entrance. Morning tea and lunch can be purchased at the club. For more information, phone Shirl on (02) 4332 8813.

WYONG WRITERS

LOCAL writers meet monthly to encourage and develop their writing skills. Meeting on the fourth Saturday of each month, arrive at 1.15pm for a 1.30pm start. Next meeting will be held on May 25 at Woodbury Park Community Centre, 1 Woolmers Crescent, Mardi. Inquiries Mei-Ling Venning (President) on (02) 4333 7489. Email meilingvenning @hotmail.com or go to wyongwriters.org for more information.

TOUKLEY & DISTRICTS ART SOCIETY

WE ARE holding an Art Exhibition from Saturday, May 25 to June 30. You are warmly invited to the official opening of our Inaugural Central Coast Art Competition on Saturday, May 25 from 6pm at Toukley Art Gallery, Wallarah Peace Park, Wallarah Rd, Gorokan 2263 (near Toukley Bridge). The competition has five categories, with first prize of $300, prizes for second place and Encouragement awards. The Local Art Societies of the Central Coast have been invited to join this competition: Landscape or Seascape; Flora & Fauna; Still Life; Abstract and Sculpture. Earl Hingston, a renowned local artist will be both judging and formally opening the exhibition. Earl began his successful career in advertising and corporate communication in New Zealand. His work in graphic design and creative advertising gave him a

Ladies Night is the ultimate night out THE ultimate night out – Ladies Night – written by Anthony McCarten and Stephen Sinclair, tells the story of four unemployed guys who, motivated by The Chippendales, decide to form a male stripping act, in order to make some fast cash. They pitch the notion to a local club owner and take lessons from a slightly shop-worn, exotic dancer with a heart of gold in all manner of things, including what women want from a male stripper (and how to deliver it). Ladies Night stars American actor Christopher Atkins, who became famous in his debut role opposite

'Ladies Night' stars American actor Christopher Atkins on May 28 at The Art House. Brooke Shields in The Blue Lagoon, Australian actor Steven Tandy, who is best known for playing Tom Sullivan in the classic Australian television series The Sullivans, and Australian actress Alli

Pope, who is best remembered for stage productions such as Steaming and Menopause The Musical – Women On Fire. Written in 1987, Ladies Night has been translated into 12 languages and remains New Zealand’s most commercially successful play of all time. Ladies Night is cheeky, fun, a little bit naughty... and a damn good giggle. Ladies Night is touring Australia in May and June 2019, proudly presented by Abstract Entertainment. Christopher Atkins came on to the movie scene in the worldwide blockbuster film, The Blue

Lagoon, starring opposite Brooke Shields. A Golden Globe nominee for his performance in that film, Chris signed a four-year exclusive contract with Columbia Pictures but was shortly bought out by 20th Century Fox to do The Pirate Movie (shot exclusively in Australia). ■ Tuesday, May 28, at The Art House, Wyong, bookings: (02) 4335 1485 ■ Tuesday, June 4, at the Wests Leagues Club, New Lambton, bookings: (02) 4935 1200 ■ Sunday, June 9, at the Ettalong Diggers Club, bookings: (02) 4343 0111.

great background for his retirement career as an artist. He works in his favoured, challenging medium of watercolours as well as other media. Earl’s approach is not to copy a subject but to paint a recognisable impression of it with confident, lively calligraphic brush marks... to him vitality is more important than total accuracy. Peter Tassell, a valued member of our society has kindly donated the raffle prize. His oil paintings of our local countryside from his trips and tours, particularly our outback, are sought after and valued by many. Peter donates his time each week to tutor for our Society between his travels. Nicole McCartney, a local aboriginal artist from the Walbunja Tribe will be our featured Artist with a beautiful display of her dot painting work. To RSVP, phone (02) 4392 4666, email toukleyartgallery @gmail.com or go to toukleyartgallery.com.au.

THE month of June takes us to the cute little seaside town of Budgewoi. Guest speaker is Emma from Southern Cross Austereo. 2GO Breakfast co-host Mandy will also join us promoting her Give Me Five For Kids campaign which will be our raffle chosen charity. Raffle tickets available online or cash on the day. Our recent Mother’s Day Raffle raised close to $1500 for the Iris Foundation thank you to everyone who purchased tickets. The lucky winner was Sharon Newton from Galaxy Finance Tuggerah. On that note I would like to take the opportunity to wish all our members a very happy Mother’s Day for tomorrow. CBWN Membership only $25. Join today, go to irisfoundation.org.au/ donation/communitybusiness-womensnetwork-membership. Local women with local stories connect monthly at our Community and Business Women’s Network Events, we feature inspirational speakers, great food, networking and much more. Make sure you jump online and book your ticket today. Any CBWN questions please do not hesitate to phone Sharyn Burgess on 0414 341 010 or email info@cbwn.org.au.

DYING WITH DIGNITY NSW, CENTRAL COAST

VOLUNTARY assisted dying is legal in Victoria, let’s make New South Wales next. Non-members are welcome. For more info about meetings, go to centralcoast@dwd nsw.org.au or phone (02) 4369 8053.

Seniors to satisfy their appetite for technology BY POPULAR demand, Adssi In-home Support and YourLink are presenting three additional Tea & Technology for Seniors seminars. “Having hosted and presented almost a dozen seminars since 2017, we know the appetite is there for seniors to learn how to use their smartphones, iPads, stream content, use social media and ultimately stay in touch with friends and family,” Chief Executive Officer Jenni Allan said. Spread across the Coast to ensure more people can take advantage of the free

seminars, in the following locations: Friday, May 31: Wyoming Community Centre, 147 Maidens Brush Rd, Wyoming from 9.30am-12.30pm. Wednesday, June 19: The Erina Room, Erina Centre, Erina Fair from 10am-1pm. Guests are encouraged to bring their iPad or smartphone along for a hands-on session – free, secure Wi-Fi will be available. Learn about apps, downloads, data usage, the internet, sharing photos and more. Seminars are free and registration is essential, phone 1300 578 478.

SENIORS \\MAY, 2019

FEATURE

CENTRAL COAST VOLUNTEER EXPO

Central Coast volunteers make a difference in the community

VOLUNTEERING Central Coast is conducting its annual expos for people interested in volunteering in May. We held our first expo on Wednesday, May 15 at the Erina Centre at Erina Fair, and will be holding another on Friday, May 31 at The Art House in Wyong. With the aim of providing information on volunteering opportunities available on the Central Coast, the free event will see more than 30 local organisations showcase how extensive and varied volunteering can be. Opportunities can be one-off or on a continuing basis and can range from working with animals to driving a community bus, being a tourist guide or companion for a mature aged person. “Volunteering brings

people together for many reasons,” Fiona Morrison, from Volunteering Central Coast, said. “Not only is it a great way to meet people, learn new skills, and give back to the community, it is also a way to improve your own health and wellbeing. “In addition, volunteering helps to get on-the-job experience and follow a pathway to employment.” An important part of the day at the Wyong expo will be the recognition of Central Coast volunteers as part of the 30th National Volunteer Week Awards celebrating the value that volunteers bring to our quality of life every day. Categories include Volunteer of the Year, Young Volunteer of the Year and Living Legend Volunteer, Volunteer

‘‘

They have a huge impact in our community... Managers and Corporate Volunteers. If you have a great volunteer that you know and would like to nominate, click the Volunteer Week Awards link on our website, go to the website volunteering centralcoast.org.au. “The theme for this year’s National Volunteering week was ‘Making a World of Difference’, and we are reminded every day with the volunteers we meet that they have a huge impact in our Central Coast community,’’ Ms Morrison said. Indeed, the people of the Central Coast are very

generous with their time, skills and hearts with a higher percentage of people volunteering here than in Greater Sydney – more than 46,000 people volunteer. The judges will be looking for how volunteers personified VCC’s message about volunteering – Helping people, changing lives. VCC are showcasing each winner with a once in a lifetime opportunity to be recognised for their endeavours in their own community, thanks to our award supporters Bendigo Bank, Matra @ Ettalong, 2GO and SeaFM.

YOU know we’re talking about volunteering, right? The people who volunteer at local charity Fairhaven know all about it. On any given day you’ll find them in a variety of ways giving their time to: the op shop, taking care of the edible garden and grounds, admin support, and working with

woodwork/textile teams. On top of being a good way to expend energy socially and productively, you can expect to both gain and impart your own learning and knowledge. If you want to make a difference and enjoy a laugh, go to fairhaven.org. au/volunteer or phone (02) 4349 5500.

Volunteer with us! Working together to make a real difference in our community. Collecting beautiful baby things and giving them to families who really need them

www.wecareuniting.org.au/volunteer/ www.facebook.com/wecareuniting

For more information on the Volunteering Expo, contact Fiona Morrison from Volunteering Central Coast on (02) 4329 7122 or by email at admin@ volcc.org.au.

volunteering @ events...

Are YOU a JP? The NSW Justices Association Inc. Tuggerah Lakes Branch is actively seeking Volunteers for their 9 Community JP Desks Five in the Central Coast Council Libraries and four in Shopping Centres.

Support a cause you believe in or are passionate about Learn new skills and try something diﬀerent Stay active, meet new people and have fun Give back to your local Central Coast community

ENQUIRIES: 0418 493 388 benefits@nswja.org.au

The NSW Justices association, Est 1911, is the peak body for Justices in NSW, and an advocate with the Dept of Justice. We welcome you as a member, and/or join our team of volunteers on one of our 9 community JP Desks, at your convenient time, close to home. Always in high demand, “Serving the Community” on these JP Desks is a rewarding and educational experience. NSWJA JP volunteers are covered by free voluntary works and public liability insurance, with a supplied NSWJA jacket/shirt/blouse/badge. Also access to our free online training, and an available training manual based on the JP Handbook. These educational materials for NSWJA member JPs will assist in successfully passing the official ‘Competency Test’ planned and required by the Dept of Justice for all NSW JPs upon reapplying for appointment after April 2019.

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Interested in volunteering for local events but don’t know where to begin? Volunteering Central Coast can help link you to local events and community organisations that hold events. Our ‘Bridge to Event Volunteering’ information sessions will be held in Gosford and Wyong. Register your interest today...

4329 7122

recruit@volcc.org.au

over 30 years supporting volunteers. un ee e

helping people, changing lives

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Annual awards to honour volunteers

Retired, looking for a good time, available?

FEATURE

MAY, 2019// SENIORS

CENTRAL COAST VOLUNTEER EXPO

Volunteering mutually rewarding VOLUNTEERS are a large part of our community and they truly embody Australia’s compassion and caring for others. There are many organisations, including health and aged care provider integratedliving that could not provide the services they do without the support of loyal and committed volunteers. Volunteering with

integratedliving is a rewarding experience. By volunteering you can have a positive impact on others and give back to the local community in a meaningful way. Volunteering also provides an opportunity for people to connect with other community members and make some friends with similar interests. Integratedliving’s

dementia services manager Kerry Garth said volunteering is often thought of as something you do after retirement. “We welcome all ages to volunteer. It is a great way to gain experience in your desired career and we find the skills and personality brought to us by volunteers of all different ages and backgrounds makes for a

great experience for our customers,” Ms Garth said. Integratedliving offers a wide range of volunteering opportunities across Australia. On the Central Coast, volunteering positions are available in dementiaspecific day centres. Volunteers help by providing support and fostering a warm, friendly

and fun environment for customers to enjoy their time with us. Integratedliving volunteers also participate in the Community Visitor Scheme where they spend quality time interacting with and developing a one-on-one connection with residents living in care facilities. This mutually rewarding

experience helps maintain that person’s connection with the community in often isolating circumstances. Integratedliving thanks all its volunteers for their continued support and dedication to its customers. To volunteer with integratedliving phone 1300 782 896.

Volunteer! NSWJA to offer JPs online training Be part of a great local charity

Phone

4349 5500 Help make a diﬀerence to someone’s life.

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Choose from op shop sales, sor ng, gardens, maintenance, upcycling or deliveries. Make friends, have fun. Be part of a great local charity that supports people who live with disability.

Fairhaven 209 Brisbane Water Drv, Point Clare. E hello@fairhaven.org.au W fairhaven.org.au

DID you know that there are over 95,000 JPs in NSW, but the majority of complaints to the NSW Department of Justice are that the community cannot find a JP? The NSW Justices Association Inc an association of JPs established back in 1911, was recently praised by the NSW Attorney General for the fact that it’s small number of volunteer members serving on over 140 Community JP Desks across NSW, are doing over 25 per cent of the

witnessing requirements in NSW. Over 30 years ago the association began establishing Community JP Desks all across NSW to fill an urgent need in the community. Of the now over 140 JP desks all across NSW, 12 of these JP desks are now operating in libraries, shopping centres, courts and CWA across the Central Coast. The association is seeking for community minded JPs to volunteer at these JP desks in their

own time. The benefits of volunteering on a JP desk boosts self confidence, has a positive impact on mental health and satisfaction in meeting and helping others. The NSWJA can offer JPs free online training and a Training Manual to help pass the knowledge test required for all JP applications and reapplication. Phone Bruce on 0418 493 388 or email benefits@nswja.org.au.

Thinking of Volunteering? Giving your time to help care for others is a very rewarding experience. integratedliving provides health and aged care services to people across the Central Coast and do so with the help of dedicated volunteers. Volunteering for integratedliving means:

• • • •

Helping people stay living a full and independent life. Giving back to the community in a meaningful way. Learning new skills. Being part of a great team.

Our Central Coast volunteers: • • •

Provide support for people living with dementia and chronic illness. Help in our customers’ homes and in our activity and Wellness Centres. Visit people in residential facilities to provide social connectedness.

For further information:

1300 782 896 | integratedliving.org.au Copyright © integratedliving Australia 2018 All Rights Reserved. integratedliving Australia gratefully acknowledges the support given by the Australian Government Department of Health.

SENIORS \\MAY, 2019

FEATURE

CENTRAL COAST VOLUNTEER EXPO

More than just a meal

WHEN it comes to helping hands, Meals on Wheels Central Coast has over 200 pairs of them. Boasting one of the largest volunteer forces in the region, Meals on Wheels Central Coast has a proud tradition of volunteering that exceeds 50 years. Volunteers are the life force of the Meals on Wheels Central Coast organisation. Performing numerous roles, the volunteers form an important social support network for many of our community members. Volunteers can be seen hand delivering meals to clients four days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday), and can be recognised by their fluorescent vests and distinctive silver Eskies. Each month more than 530 clients receive personal meal deliveries from volunteers, who are always ready with a smile and a chat. Unfortunately, a number of Meals on Wheels Central Coast clients are

HAPPY TO HELP: Volunteers like Lyn are the life force of the Meals on Wheels Central Coast organisation. socially isolated, and a visit from a volunteer can not only provide much needed social interaction, but also provide a welfare check of sorts. Volunteers will happily take the meals into a client’s home and put them in the freezer for them, checking at the same time that meals are being eaten and there is enough storage room. Another avenue where volunteers assist Meals on Wheel Central Coast is in the Community

Restaurants where clients can enjoy a hot meal along with bingo and entertainment. Held at Bateau Bay, Woy Woy and West Gosford, the Community Restaurants are an ideal opportunity for clients to gather and enjoy a social outing. Transport can be arranged to and from the venues. As part of Meals on Wheels Flexible Foods Program, volunteers provide one-on-one

shopping assistance to clients. This invaluable program is in high demand and as such volunteers are currently being sought to assist across the Central Coast. A program tailored specifically for men, Plates for Mates is an important social aspect in some Meals on Wheels Central Coast clients’ lives. Led by a volunteer, male clients meet monthly on the last Friday of the month at Ettalong Bowling Club to enjoy lunch and a blokey chat. The volunteer team is why Meals on Wheels Central Coast can offer the services that they do. The saying “many hands make light work” certainly applies to this organisation, with many volunteers having served loyally for a number of years. If you are interested in volunteering for Meals on Wheels Central Coast, phone (02) 4357 8444 or go to ccmow.com.au.

Uniting the Central Coast community DID you know that more than 10,000 children living in poverty on the Central Coast alone? We Care Uniting brings the community together to care for kids by collecting community donations of baby and children’s clothes and other necessities to give to families in need. The charity won the 2018 Central Coast Volunteer Team of the Year award. A 100 per cent volunteer-based charity, We Care Uniting collects and distributes donations that include everything from double prams and car seats to essentials like nappies, wipes and formula, clothing, bedding, books and toys. Case workers from the Coast’s professional network of community centres and family support agencies make requests on behalf of families in need, and local We Care volunteers prepare the gifts for individual families. The Central Coast and

Hunter areas of New South Wales are areas of great need. “Since we started in 2016, the number of children we support has increased tenfold to around 150 children a month, and demand continues to increase,” program co-ordinator for We Care Uniting Derryck Klarkowski said. “We believe that every baby and child has the right to equipment and clothing that will keep them safe and comfortable. “In a world where we are increasingly buying too much and throwing away too much, some families are struggling to pay for the essentials for their children. “Our donors love to know that their pre-loved baby things and children’s clothes will be given free to a child who needs them.” Phone Derryck on 0432 079 213 or email info@wecareuniting. org.au.

Celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2019 Thank you to all of our volunteers. The work you do is invaluable to our community. If you’d like to connect and help others, apply to volunteer today! Call 4357 8444, email admin@ccmow.com.au or visit www.ccmow.com.au/volunteering

Central Coast

MEN TALK

MAY, 2019// SENIORS

If the shoe fits

Let’s help you

Stay well this Season

Words with GeeDub NICKNAMES are a real Australian thing. It seems you don’t really belong in the Great Southern Land unless you’ve been bestowed with a catchy moniker rendering your given name redundant. Some come easily as they’re bleeding obvious. If your name’s Hodgson you’ll get Hodgo, if it’s Campese you’ll get Campo. If you have red hair, you’ll get Bluey…oh, wait. My children chose to nickname me “Chevy” and, from their viewpoint at least, it makes perfect sense. It’s derived from the Chevy Chase character Clark W Griswold from the National Lampoon movies – apparently because my actions regularly remind them of the poor old accident-prone patriarch of the Griswold clan.

FLU VACCINATIONS

The kids refer to my “Chevy moments”, similar to Clark spending hours on a roundabout in London, unable to get left to exit, or backing the family sedan into one of the pillars at Stonehenge, creating a domino effect that sees the 5000-yearold monument tumbling to the ground. Personally, I struggle to see the connection, but I guess there have been occasions when I have shown a certain brotherhood with Clark. Like when I glued my sunglasses to my face. Long story (mine generally are) but the short version is I super-glued my broken sunnies and proudly positioned them on my nose before the glue had dried. Then there was the time I drove into the underground carpark of coastal holiday apartments late one night and had to call the caretaker to let me out. Suffice to say, he was unimpressed with my explanation that I’d followed another driver through the automatic

Henri Rennie

No script necessary

SOME blokes think it’s unnecessary, or sissy even, to look after their skin. “Cosmetics are for women.” But skin care is about a lot more than good looks. Your skin does more than just stop all the wobbly bits from falling out as you walk down the street. It’s your biggest organ, about 16 per cent of your weight. And it does important stuff: ■ It’s a barrier to keep germs and toxins from having easy access to your innards.

Administered by a qualified health professional Chat with us about the best time to pop in for your Flu vaccination

■ It helps maintain your body temperature. ■ It’s the key component of your sense of touch. Your skin is the last organ to get nourishment from the body, and it’s the first to show signs of nutritional problems, illness and in particular ageing. The natural ageing process of the skin is continuous. It normally begins in our mid-20s, although the signs may not be visible for decades. It’s one place where fat levels decline with age, so the skin sags and hangs looser than it used to. That’s where your wrinkles come from.

Sun exposure also ages the skin. Ultraviolet radiation makes that wrinkled leathery look happen sooner rather than later. Add in freckles, age spots, and worst of all, skin cancer, and you get the picture: too much sun is a Bad Thing. It doesn’t have to be blazing hot. Those are just the days when it’s obvious – sunburn is the warning flag that goes up too late. Even on a cool cloudy day you’re getting hit by a dose of solar radiation and it all adds up. Good sunscreen and moisturiser aren’t about vanity or being ‘pretty’. They’re about your health.

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gate without realising it was the wrong property. He didn’t agree it was an easy mistake to make. Unfortunately, other examples abound, but I’ll close with the “squeaky shoe incident” during the European winter of 2018. I walked literally hundreds of kilometres in a new pair of shoes where every step involving my left foot (quick calculation… roughly half) was marked with a loud and extremely annoying “squeak”. Particularly galling to my fellow gallery visitors in Paris. It took far too long to work out that moisture was the culprit (#slowontheuptake). In fact, embarrassingly so, as the penny didn’t drop until I was back in balmy Brisbane where I returned them to the store of purchase, only to discover the problem had “inexplicably” disappeared. On reflection, like the offending shoe, I guess I’ll just have to accept that if the name fits, I’ll have to wear it. Cheers, Chevy

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Soak up the fun of Vietnam Explore Asia with a little difference PAGES 24–25

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MAY, 2019// SENIORS TRAVEL IDEAS

ROAR AND SNORE WITH THE LOUDEST

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IT’S an unforgettable overnight experience at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo. During Roar and Snore you will get to take in the spectacular sight of the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as the sun dips down and you drink in the views from the harbourside campsite, get up close to some of Taronga Zoo’s friendliest residents, dine in style at our delicious buffet dinner and breakfast, experience an exclusive night safari led by passionate keepers and guides, unwind in the comfortable safari-style tents while listening to the night sounds of the zoo and join in feeding time and close encounter sessions where you will form a special bond with the animals of Taronga Zoo. Grandchildren over five are welcome. Accommodation is in two- or four-person tents. The all-weather, overnight program usually is run as: meeting time 6.15pm, meet a creature at 7.15pm, dinner at 8pm, night safari at 9pm, unwind at camp site with dessert at 10pm before

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Australia’s hottest Country Music Cruise, with Lee Kernaghan and over 50 artists! October 2019 - 7 nights from $2,962* pp twin - valid until 31 May 2019

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Lake Macquarie’s Caves Beach Coastal Walk.

Photos: Contributed

sleeping to the sounds of the zoo. Next morning, rise and shine at 6.45am, behind the scenes tour number 1 at 7.30am, behind the scenes tour number 2 at 8.15am, continental breakfast at 9am and check-out at 9.30am. For details and bookings, go to taronga.org.au or phone (02) 9969 2777.

ROCK THE BOAT

SUZI Quatro, Jon Stevens, Russell Morris and Ross Wilson, accompanied by other legends, will be on the Radiance of the Seas from November 24, 2020. Sailing from its new home port of Brisbane, the 2500-passenger ship will host the seven-night Rock the Boat cruise to New Caledonia. It will take “rockers” to Noumea and the Isle of Pines. The cruise offer includes artist signings, music workshops and dance lessons with concerts day and night. The cruise cost is from $2799 per person, twin-share. For more details, phone Cruise Express on 1300 766 537 or go to cruiseexpress.com.au.

STRETCH OUT AT LAKE MACQUARIE

CHOOSE serene or strenuous when you go on a walking weekend at Lake Macquarie. From the pristine coastline to rugged cliff tops, significant indigenous sites and the towering trees at the Watagans Mountains, you’ll feel a million miles away while walking in Lake Macquarie. Three of the best walks are: Stroll along If you are looking to combine a Sunday stroll with a good gossip with the girls, then Warners Bay is the place. The 6.2km walk is mostly flat, so suitable for all fitness levels. When you’ve returned to Warners Bay Esplanade and have coffee on your mind, you’ll

Sail with music stars in 2020. have plenty of choices. Bring the binoculars A whale-watching hot spot, the picturesque 8.3km Caves Beach Coastal Walk, which crosses the clifftops south from Caves Beach to secluded Pinny Beach in Wallarah National Park, is a beautiful walking moderate trail ideal for observing the northern migration between May and July. Have your hiking boots handy The Watagans Mountains is a hiking haven for seasoned walkers and is one of the region’s best-loved escapes. The 8km Watagan Trail is for experienced walkers as it is steep and challenging, boasts rainforest views with dramatic moss-covered walls, stops at historic heritage sites, brilliant birdwatching and spectacular vista across the Hunter Valley from the Hunter Lookout.

WILDLIFE CAMPING

IN 2020, Australia Zoo will open a 108-site camping ground with tent accommodation, caravan, RV powered sites, glamping-style tents and eco cabins. It will include a café, reception, entertainment and pool area, caretaker quarters and workshop, amenities blocks, covered cooking areas, and a mountain bike pump

track. Camp Crocodile Hunter will open as part of the Australia Zoo 50th anniversary celebrations. Info: australiazoo.com.au.

SOLO GROUP TRAVEL

WHEN trying to find a travel companion becomes too hard, Two’s A Crowd is an option. The company organises small group, fully escorted tours for between 10 and 15 solo travellers. They aim to create a safe travel experience and at a fair price. Single supplements are low and room sharing is out.

CRUISING COOKING

SEVEN Seas Splendor is offering appealing culinary experiences when it sets sail in February 2020. The ship will focus on destination dishes that bring aboard local ingredients and culinary traditions from where Seven Seas Splendor is sailing, and feature new curated Culinary Arts Kitchen classes. Designed as a specialised facility with 18 individual cooking stations, the kitchen will offer a range of 20 new culinary classes teaching professional techniques and recipes by master chef instructors.

SENIORS \\MAY, 2019

Riverina entices foodies BRAND INSIGHTS THANKS to foodies travelling from afar to the unsuspecting food mecca of Griffith, the Riverina region of New South Wales has seen significant growth in tourism over recent years. Many young chefs have even headed to or returned home to take Griffith’s food and wine culture to the next level. The region, commonly referred to as the food bowl of Australia, has always been proudly abundant with Italian heritage and culture, showcasing good food and wine. A focus on outstanding quality of local produce and high-end restaurants dedicated to getting back to the roots of Italian

cuisine are behind this boom. Renowned for extraordinary quality is Zecca Handmade Italian, located in Griffith’s old Rural Bank. Owner and chef Daniel D’Aquina believes the increase of foodie tourism can be attributed to “people now being interested in getting back to more authentic experiences’’. “There’s more awareness of where food comes from and the story behind how it’s grown and prepared. People are no longer willing to accept just anything – they want a fresh product and love finding out more about it,” Daniel said. “Griffith’s multiculturalism and agricultural diversity have offered people from all over the world, especially

SPRINGTIME SENSATION: Taste Riverina is a collaboration of the region's finest food producers, showcasing much of the local agricultural produce and food, wine and beer. The month-long series of events runs annually throughout October. Italians post-World War II, an opportunity to thrive. “At the time when many immigrants arrived the area was prosperous, and we are always welcoming new people to our town. You can see the cultural diversity right throughout.” The main street of Griffith is lined with thriving Italian cafes, restaurants and delis, bakeries and bars. There are outstanding wineries and cellar doors in Griffith, many of them

family-run including De Bortoli Wines and McWilliams Hanwood Estate. There really is something to do for everyone, every palate is sure to be satisfied. Taste Riverina This month-long series of events runs annually throughout October – beautiful springtime! Taste Riverina is a collaboration of the region’s finest food producers, showcasing

much of the local agricultural produce and food, wine and beer. Some of the produce the Riverina is most renowned for includes citrus, lamb, beef, wheat, canola oil, olive oil, grapes, potatoes and pistachios. Ultimately, the aim is to inspire visitors to eat healthy fresher food, effectively becoming ambassadors to experience, understand and celebrate locally produced food.

2019 events throughout the region will include agricultural tours, cooking classes, food treks, dinners, cafe specials, recipe competitions, local festivals, degustation menus, picnics and live music. For information on how you can immerse yourself in Taste Riverina food and wine extravaganza in October, phone Cruise Express on 1300 766 537.

MAY, 2019// SENIORS

‘‘

We drank in the clean air and quietness after the traffic madness of Hanoi.

NATURAL BEAUTY: A flower farm in the mountainous region of Sapa, northern Vietnam.

Photos: Yvonne Gardiner

Wonders of Vietnam Yvonne and John Gardiner take a 17-day ‘eco’ tour on their first trip to Vietnam

Children enjoy national day celebrations in Hanoi.

STANDING in a queue for three humid hours alongside hundreds of Vietnamese families was an unexpected but ideal way to “meet the locals”. Vietnam, including its crowded capital Hanoi, was celebrating its national day and we were caught up in the excitement of the city on the second day of our visit. Families had surged into Hanoi to pay homage at Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, which shelters his embalmed body. Their reverence for this former leader was obvious. Despite the long wait in hot, steamy conditions, the Vietnamese people we encountered were polite, cheerful and

friendly. Children impressed us with their good behaviour. Youngsters learning English took the opportunity to converse with us – Aussies who looked somewhat out of place in a sea of Vietnamese faces. This heartwarming introduction to Vietnam was the beginning of a 17-day “eco” tour extending from north to south. From the mountainous region of Sapa to the central districts around Hue and Hoi An and the Mekong Delta down south below Saigon, the trip covered a kaleidoscope of rare and wonderful experiences. An overnight train ride north from Hanoi took us to the beautiful Sapa Valley. Like a Garden of Eden, green hills are topped by mist, while roaring rivers and waterfalls tumble downwards. We drank in the clean air and quietness after the traffic madness of Hanoi. We passed villagers working in the rice and corn fields, aided by water

buffalo. We were welcomed into a primary school and invited to take photos of giggling children. After hours of walking in the mud and rain, we hesitantly accepted a lift from motorbike taxi riders to avoid a further two-hour trek to our homestay. Fully aware of the warnings put out by travel experts about the risks of riding motorbikes in Asia, we climbed aboard, and, after a fast, bumpy journey, were thankful to get to our destination in one piece. The main town, Sapa, is obviously much-loved by tourists, with its swanky restaurants and numerous souvenir shops. Cat Cat village, within walking distance of Sapa, is home to the hospitable Hmong tribe. The ladies weave hemp from the marijuana plant, and dye it with henna. Traditional Hmong houses are very basic, made from blackened timber planks. Corn hangs from the roof inside. There’s an open fire with no chimney, and the top

SENIORS \\MAY, 2019

ANCIENT ROYALTY: The Imperial City in Hue and (inset) a Vietnamese fisherman shows off his skills.

from north to south

floor is used for storing food. From primitive living we progressed to high-tech exhilaration with a thrilling ride on the cable car to Fansipan peak, Vietnam’s highest mountain. We soared into the clouds and a rainbow appeared over the valley. At the top is an ultra-modern complex with gardens, shops, restaurants and temples. In central Vietnam, we were overawed by the magnificent Paradise Cave, a true natural wonder. The 570m steep climb to a small entrance in the mountain tested the body. Inside for a kilometre, cathedral-sized spaces hung with vibrantly coloured stalactites and stalagmites sculpted over millions of years. This wondrous cave was discovered in 2005 by a hunter in the national park. Man-made rather than natural wonders were on display at the tombs of two kings in Hue. Minh Mang tomb was quite a large complex with a man-made lake and

Photos: Yvonne Gardiner

A natural wonder – the Paradise Cave in central Vietnam. tomb on a hill. Khai Dinh, Vietnam’s gay king, had an exquisitely beautiful mausoleum with a statue of himself amid fabulous mosaics. He’d been to the

Palace of Versailles in France and wanted a similar standard in his burial chamber. Enchanting pagodas, 1000-year-old temples, harrowing wartime tales,

myriad bonsai trees, orange-robed monks, diminutive dancers, hardworking people, delicious food, a singing boatman, net-making lessons from a

fifth-generation fisherman … the variety of life and depth of experiences in Vietnam is amazing. As for politics in the country, communism and capitalism seem to exist

comfortably together, although a statue of working-class Uncle Ho seemed strangely out of place alongside the Cartier diamonds showroom.

MAY, 2019// SENIORS

Top Qld station holidays

QUEENSLAND’S Outback is the birthplace of legends (Waltzing Matilda was first performed in Winton), it’s shaped a ‘fair go’ attitude (the first worker’s strike was in Barcaldine), and launched some of the nation’s most impressive events (Birdsville Races and Winton Vision Splendid). It’s also home to the best station stays in the land. Here are 10 of the top on offer.

NOONBAH STATION, VIA LONGREACH

“Fiery sunsets, dazzling stars, and breathtaking peace” is how owners Angus and Karen Emmott describe the 52,000ha beef cattle station that’s been in their family for four generations. Guests can camp at a secluded waterhole, or, sleep peacefully at the Old Schoolhouse, a renovated corrugated iron cottage where Angus and his siblings were schooled by Air. Visit noonbahstation. com.au. Tip: Stop here on the way to Winton’s Way out West Fest (April, just ask Angus and Karen about the secret back road to get to there faster).

BONUS DOWNS FARMSTAY, MARANOA

Get a true taste of station life and hear about farming practices straight from owners Lyle and Madonna Connolly. A tour of the quintessential grand homestead is a must-do before hitting a swag, the shearer’s shed or the jackaroos cottage for the night. Visit bonusdownsfarm stay.com.au. Tip: Just ‘down the road’ (120km) is Roma’s Easter in the Country in April and the Cobb & Co Festival in Surat in August (150km).

SHANDONVALE STATION, VIA BARCALDINE

Dust off your stereotypes (and your city clothes). This century-old station gets the gong as the fun capital of the farm scene thanks to the chance to go helimustering, catch a fresh water yabbie, and do a little bit of old-fashioned butchering. The four bedrooms in the 100-year-old shearers quarters offer queen beds, 1000-thread count sheets, a fully-functioning kitchen and a classic

OUTBACK STAYS: An artesian bore in outback Queensland.

Shandonvale Station heli-mustering sheep.

Charlotte Plains Farm Stay.

claw-foot bath. Visit shandonvale station.com.au. Tip: Close to Barcaldine and the Tree of Knowledge Festival, held in May.

The retreat is the brainchild of farmers Pauline and Justin MacDonnell, a couple who grew up in the region and fell in love with cattle country dotted with cycad-filled gorges and Aboriginal rock art. Tents start from $120 per night. Visit wallaroooutback retreat.com.au/about.

MOBLE HOMESTEAD, QUILPIE

Join proud wool producers, the Rutledge family, at their home in Quilpie on a property that has been passed down through five generations. Choose from two huts, a homestead garden room, and a governesses quarters-come-cottage that literally floats above the waterhole, staring from $150 per person including dinner and breakfast. Tip: Spend a day at the Quilpie Diggers Races (May and September).

GILBERTON OUTBACK RETREAT

A tin shed on a property that’s almost the size of Laos is what you’ll find at Gilberton Outback Retreat, an 88,000sq km station that is home to

1200 head of cattle and one incredible guest cabin. This station was started in 1869 and has been passed down through seven generations. Guests can relax, get involved in station life, fossick for gold (hello good fortune!) or explore indigenous rock art located around the property. Gilberton Outback Retreat is four hours’ drive southwest of Cairns. Visit gilbertonoutback retreat.com.

WALLAROO OUTBACK RETREAT, NEAR CARNARVON

It’s a huge 71,000-acre cattle farm but that’s where the farm experience stops. At Wallaroo Outback Retreat guests trade shearers sheds for eight tepee tents (with real crisp linen and posturepedic beds), six bathrooms, two rustic firepits and an incredible timber lodge built from wood milled straight from the land.

HERBERTVALE STATION

Follow station owner Shelley Hawkins as she leads a five-day, 66km trek across the northwestern pocket of Outback Queensland – on foot – and mostly on her Herbertvale Station. Small group tours depart from Mt Isa and continue to the limestone gorges of the Boodjamulla National Park. Hikers enjoy guided trekking, sunset refreshments, chef-prepared meals and an already-pitched tent and sleeping mat for $3150 per person. Visit trekwesthiking. com.au. Tip: Herbertvale Station

Photo: Sean Scott

cattle station with a pretty shearers quarters campground with barbecues, fireplaces stocked with wood, picnic tables and a basic camp kitchen. Take the 60km selfdrive tour around the station past lagoons, creeks and waterholes, then stay in the comfortable shearers quarters or one of three separate campgrounds. Visit kilcowera.com.au. is just a few ‘klicks’ driving distance from Mt Isa Mines Rodeo (August 8–11, 2019) and the Drover’s Camp Festival, Camouweal (August 23–28, 2019).

CHARLOTTE PLAINS FARM STAY

This sheep station that once pushed 60,000 animals through its huge shearing shed every year is 54km from Cunnamulla. Take the three-hour tour and find out more about the history and jump in the artesian bore and mineral rich baths. Stay in self-catering shearers quarters, the shearing shed (open air). Visit charlotteplains. com.au. Tip: On August 30, 2019, cowboys, bull riders, shearers and stockmen will descend on Cunnamulla for the Cunnamulla Fella Festival.

KILCOWERA STATION

Halfway between Thargomindah and Hungerford is Kilcowera, a 49,000ha working

10. MYELLA STATION

The first owners of Myella Station hit the jackpot, literally, when they purchased their farm as part of a 1935 land lottery. Today their descendants’ main job is to fatten cattle into prime beef exports, by buying males at two years old and feeding them quality grass. Their other job is sharing their home with guests from all around the world, setting up informal 4WD farm tours and teaching visitors about wildlife, bush tucker, conservation, and farming practices. A two-day package at $270 per person includes bus transfers from Rockhampton (125km northeast of Myella), all meals, two horse rides and farm tours. Visit myella.weebly. com. Tip: Continue the horse theme and check out Paradise Lagoons Campdraft in May or the Rockhampton River Festival from July 12–14, 2019.

SENIORS \\MAY, 2019

Korea’s floral footpaths Flower fest colours country

borrow for an afternoon and relax along the lake. Additionally, there will be many street stalls around the festival where you can try local street food and seasonal delicacies.

SPRING is one of the best times to visit Korea as the cheery blossoms and flowers bloom, and festivals pop up across the country. Here are some of the top spring festival events to experience when just two or three weeks each year the magnificent pink blossoms float in the warm breeze.

JINHAE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

YEOUIDO CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

Location – Yeongdeungpo-gu, Yeouido in April. YEOUIDO Cherry Blossom Festival is the best place to enjoy cherry blossoms in Seoul. Located right next to the Han River the streets are lined with over 1400 cherry blossom trees that create a picturesque tunnel for you to stroll down. From 6.30pm onwards, the cherry blossoms are lit up with various

DELICATE BEAUTY: In 2018 the Taean Tulip Festival was chosen as one of the top five tulip festivals in the world. illuminations making the scenery that much more spectacular. Here you can also enjoy cultural street performances, a flower decoration exhibit, and a photo exhibit taking place throughout the festival

period.

GYEONGJU CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

Location – Gyeongju City, Gyeongsang-do in April. GYEONGJU is a coastal city located in the

south-eastern parts of Korea, often called the ‘Museum without walls’, the area has a plethora of UNESCO World Heritage sights. These historic sights are beautiful all year round but particularly

mesmerising during spring. Bomun Lake takes on a pink hue from all the fallen cherry blossom petals, making it the perfect place to take a leisurely stroll. There are also duck paddle boats you can

Location – Tongsin-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, April JINHAE Cherry Blossom Festival is Korea’s biggest spring festivals and attracts over 2 million visitors every year. The festival boasts a long history and first began as a memorial service to commemorate one of Korea most well-known naval admiral, Yi-Sun-sin. Jinhae is also headquarters to Korea’s naval academy and during the festival, tours inside the Korea Naval Academy Museum and naval vessels available for visitors. There are plenty of things to enjoy during the festival period, such as the Yeojwacheon Starlight Festival which is a night-time illumination event.

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Spinners - Monday Steak and Schooner Night $15.00

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Sunday Lunch Rafﬂes 12pm

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MAY, 2019// SENIORS

Come and say ‘hello koala’ Alison Houston IF YOU are considering hooking up the van and having a June Aussie tour then you may well want to include The Slim Dusty Centre in Kempsey. The famous centre has welcomed Hello Koalas’ Nulla to its impressive display of memorabilia celebrating the man known as Australia’s king of country music. As fans will know, Nulla Nulla Creek is where Slim (then David Gordon Kirkpatrick) grew up dreaming of one day becoming a country music singer. Nulla, by Kempsey Aboriginal artist Elwyn Toby, is one of the 67 1m-high individually designed and painted koalas that make up Port Macquarie’s Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail – with another to be revealed at June’s Hello Koalas Festival. They raise awareness of the crisis threatening our iconic koalas and the need for conservation, and highlight the spectacular destinations, scenery and towns

KING OF COUNTRY: Slim Dusty grew up as David Gordon Kirkpatrick at Nulla Nulla Creek. throughout the Port Macquarie-Hastings region. Hello Koalas project director Margret Meagher and Slim Dusty Centre tours co-ordinator Vicki Williams believe Slim would be very happy to do his bit for the koala. “Slim’s contribution to Australia and Australian music is outstanding,” Vicki said. “Ten months of every year for nearly 60 years Slim and his wife Joy travelled the country taking music to the outback and places where people might never otherwise have had entertainment like that. “He was always ‘of the

people’, never really wanted to rise to be famous, he just loved music, the people, and the country.” Slim once said, “I have to be fair dinkum with my audience; I can’t see any other way of doing it... You have to believe in what you are singing about.” Visitors to the centre come from throughout Australia each day, Vicki said, often with personal stories to tell. “Some become very emotional in describing their thoughts and memories of Slim and the encounters they had with him during his travels,” she said. “Sometimes the tears are just running down their face.” While many, she said, recalled a quiet beer with Slim, one woman brought her husband’s ashes to the museum because he had “always wanted to go and never made it”. Vicki said often, just being welcomed at the door by the sound of Slim singing G’Day G’Day “puts a smile on faces and starts the SDC experience in a really positive way”. Meanwhile, Hello

Koalas project director Margret Meagher said that while Port Macquarie-Hastings has one of the largest koala populations on the east coast, like everywhere else “it is in decline and raising awareness is a very important step in halting this”. The World Wildlife Fund recently called for koalas to be listed as endangered, estimating numbers in NSW at a maximum of 28,000. From June 6-9, the Hello Koalas Festival celebrates all things koala, starting with the Caring for Our Koalas and Our Environment Symposium on the Thursday, before the long weekend of fun. Highlights on the festival program are a Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party on Friday, Cars for Koalas Show and Shine at Westport Park on Saturday, along with the Foreshore Markets and art making workshops, and Family Day at Douglas Vale Historic Homestead and Vineyard on the Sunday. Then, on June 13, it’s Slim Dusty’s birthday, and

Visit Kempsey’s Slim Dusty Centre. SDC has a program of music and celebration planned for “Slim Day”. The Slim Dusty museum features objects and images from the Kirkpatrick family’s own extensive archive, as well as contributions from fans and friends. The centre is open 9.30am-4pm daily except

around Christmas, New Year and Australia Day. Check public holiday times. Phone (02) 6562 6533 or go to slimdustycentre.com.au. The Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail is free to explore all year round. Phone 0416 641 482 or go to hellokoalas.com.

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SENIORS \\MAY, 2019

THINK HISTORY

UNTIL May 30, you can have a say on the Draft Gosford CBD Heritage Interpretation Strategy. It’s part of Central Coast Council’s revitalisation plan, aiming to change people’s perceptions of the CBD by “repositioning it as an attractive destination for tourists and visitors”. It includes a series of innovative, inclusive and interactive ways of engaging and connecting residents with the city’s past. Residents can make a submission online. Go to yourvoiceourcoast.com/ GosfordCBDHeritage.

FAMILY HISTORY COURSE

THE Wyong Family History Group is running an advanced family history course over five weeks from Friday, June 7. It will include an introduction to family

29 search, convict connections, Trove, military matters, research in the UK, plus how to search in parts of Europe. With most of us having at least some ancestors from overseas, this course will help you better trace your family origins. Sessions are 10.30am and 12.30pm Fridays at Wyong Family History Group, Building 9, 6 Rankens Court. Go to wyongfamily history.com.au or phone the cottage Tues, Wed and Thurs 10am–3pm on (02) 4351 2211. Bookings essential. Cost is $15 per day, $65 for the course for non-members ($10 and $45 for members).

HARVEST FESTIVAL

IN ITS third year, the Harvest Festival on June 8 and 9 of the long weekend is just going to get bigger and better. Last year’s event showcasing the

hinterland attracted more than 16,000 people and boosted the Central Coast economy by $3.7 million. Enjoy views, live music, free entertainment and celebrate produce from around the region. For the full program, google Harvest Festival Central Coast. In the event of wet weather, check the Facebook page @harvestfestcc.

BAY TO BAY

GET your running shoes on folks, because it’s time for the annual Terrigal Trotters’ Bay to Bay Running Festival on Sunday, June 16. Both the half marathon and the 12km fun run take you around some of the most beautiful scenery on the Central Coast, and you will receive a hero’s welcome as you cross the line at Central Coast Stadium. There is also a 5km event, and a 2km

What's on

REMEMBERING: Mann St 1948. Whether your memory goes back this far or not, you are invited to have your say on the Draft Gosford CBH Heritage Interpretation Strategy to help reinvigorate the city‘s CBD. Photo: GOSTALGIA just for the kids. Last year $90,764 was raised for local charities. Go to baytobay.org.au.

FIVE LANDS WALK

ON SATURDAY June 22, enjoy walking 10km of our spectacular coastline from MacMasters Beach to Terrigal Beach, via Copacabana, Avoca

Beach and North Avoca. It won’t be a lonely walk, with about 24,000 people expected to join the fun. The idea was inspired by Italy’s Cinque Terre, but aims to connect people and place – “a place where no one is excluded; a place where family, friends and the wider community are

encouraged to celebrate life and have fun. In doing so, take a step to create a more harmonious and inclusive society on the Central Coast and beyond”. It takes 4–6 hours to cover the entire route, and allow time to enjoy the free cultural events and exhibits. Go to 5landswalk.com.au.

Three theatre shows to warm you up this winter WHEN the mercury drops, it can be tempting to hibernate through the winter months. While outdoor activities can become more difficult, there’s one activity that can be continued all year – going

to the theatre. We’ve handpicked three of the best live performances to keep your cultural cockles warm this winter. The Dinner Party – Expressions Dance Company on June 12

Greed, ambition and jealousy. Queensland’s award-winning Expressions Dance Company invites you to a gripping dance performance choreographed by Natalie Weir.

Bobby Fox – The Irish Boy on June 22 Bobby was also four-time world champion Irish dancer and traditional musician, touring the world with the global phenomenon Riverdance. The Irish Boy

is a stunning combination of traditional and modern Irish music, dancing, storytelling and song. Diplomacy on August 6–7 An unmissable production starring theatre legends John Bell and John Gaden.

The many twists and turns of their negotiations play out in this edge-of-your-seat thriller. To book tickets, go to thearthousewyong.com. au or phone 02 4335 1485.

An unmissable WWII thriller starring theatre legends John Bell & John Gaden

A stunning combination of Irish music, dancing, storytelling & song

DIPLOMACY | AUGUST 6-7

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MAY, 2019// SENIORS

Tips for happy feet, toes

Wellbeing

Tracey Johnstone IF YOU keep your feet healthy, you will be able to do so much more to stay active and have better overall health. But when you can’t easily see what is happening down there with your feet, chances are you will ignore the problems with them until the road back to good foot health is painful and expensive. Australian Podiatry Association ambassador and podiatrist Charlotte Bodell has some top tips for seniors for better foot health, with the help of your local podiatrist. General foot health ■ Be very careful when cutting your nails that you don’t cut your skin and expose your feet to infection. ■ Recognise that as we get older our nails thicken, which makes them harder to cut. Your shoes will press on the thickened nail, which can cause the nail bed to become sore and a corn

HAPPIER TOES: Taking better care of your feet will ensure you have pain-free movement. to occur under the nail bed. ■ The fat pad on the ball of your foot and heel wears out over time which can lead to hard calluses on the metatarsal joints on the balls of your feet. The podiatrist can remove the hard skin for you. Bunions In the ’50s and ’60s men and women squeezed their toes into fashionable pointy shoes. Even footballers and boxers were squeezing their feet into tight shoes. This has led to seniors having problems with their nails, and with bunions

and retracted curly toes. “If they have a bunion, the big toe comes over (the second toe), but also sometimes the second toe overrides,” Ms Bodell said. “When this happens, a corn happens on top, so you need to make sure your shoes are deep enough.” Other causes of bunions can be hereditary or your foot’s biomechanics. The bunion can be fixed by a podiatrist if it is painful. This can be done by surgery, orthotics, wearing night splints and

doing daily feet exercises, and wearing suitable orthopaedic footwear. Type 2 Diabetes University of South Australia researcher Dr Helen Banwell said there has been a 30 per cent increase in the number of lower limb amputations in the past 20 years. “About 85 per cent of these are preceded by a foot ulcer and could be prevented with appropriate care,” she said. “When the blood level goes above seven, the extra sugars sit at the end of the nerves.” The nerves

Photo: Bill Oxford

at the top of your fingers and the top of your toes get killed off, which results in neuropathy disease and no feeling. The extra sugars also stick to the inner walls of the arteries, which affects your circulation and leads to vascular disease. “Also, if you have a cut it will take longer to heal,” Ms Bodell added. A serious side-effect of all of this is if you have a blister on the bottom of your foot and you have nerve damage, you won’t know if the blister is there. It can become infected

and form into an ulcer, which can then go deeper and become an infection in the bone. Hospital IV antibiotics will be needed, and amputation is a possible outcome. An amputation can increase your risk of a stroke or heart attack. If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, make sure your GP refers you at least once or twice a year to a podiatrist where you will get neurological and circulation testing. Pedicures Relying on a pedicure isn’t the best choice for managing long toe nails. ■ You need to ensure the equipment is sterile and the soaking sink is free of flaky skin that might have tinea or wart skin on it, which your feet can pick up. ■ When your big toenails are cut, they may be not shaped to avoid you getting an in-grown nail, especially if a spike of nail is left behind. ■ When your nails are painted, don’t forget the brush has been on other people’s nails, which means you can pick up fungal infections.

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WELLBEING

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MAY, 2019// SENIORS

Get fit and be happy Special seniors gymnastics class supports balanced life Alison Houston IF THE last place you expected to find yourself in your senior years was a gymnastics club, think again. Gosford Gymnastics owner Lesley Gilbey is keen to get over-55s ‘fitter for life’, with a fun Gymnastics Australia program of exercises aimed at keeping your body and mind in shape. Lesley said she has “a bit of a passion for senior health”, having cared for her grandmother and mother, and now having reached over-60 herself. “I’m no spring chicken anymore, but I truly

believe in the health benefits of exercise,” Lesley said. “We’re not talking about having you swinging off bars or doing cartwheels. “It’s a movement program, aimed at getting you up and active and your heart pumping.” However, she added, the exercises are specially designed to reflect the expectations of ageing bodies, as well as to allow those with mobility issues or who are wheelchair-bound to take part while seated. Hence Fitter for Life’s catchphrase of “gymnastics for all”. “We have music going in the background – the

MIND-BODY BALANCE: Gosford Gymnastics owner Lesley Gilbey is keen to get over 55s Fitter for Life. songs that were out in our day – so it’s a lot of fun, and it’s a great way to get out and socialise, which is important as well,” she said. As we age, we tend to be more sedentary, to lose fine motor skills and to not do a lot of exercise that “crosses the midline” to work both sides of our brains. Fitter for Life is specifically designed to do just that.

“I really believe, and of course all the research shows, that exercise is a great way of staying healthier for longer, keeping your mind active, and making a real difference to quality of life and staying independent,” Lesley said. That could mean general life tasks as simple as getting out of your chair more easily, hanging out the washing or improving flexibility so

you can easily tie your shoes. Lesley became involved in gymnastics when her children were young, and has now run Gosford Gymnastics at Holgate for about 30 years. However, she said she had received numerous calls over the years from people inquiring about a senior program, and was excited to now have a purpose-made class to offer targeting improved

mobility, strength, balance and co-ordination. Lesley said she had yet to timetable the class, looking instead for seniors to tell her what times would best suit them and gauging demand before working it into the club’s existing schedule. More info: Phone Lesley on 02 4365 5545, go to gosfordgymnastics.com/ or fitterforlife.org.au.

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LIVING

A word from the spirits

Living

International psychic Sally Morgan has gained recognition from the stars

‘‘

DUE to public demand, Britain’s best-loved psychic, Sally Morgan, is bringing her successful interactive show back to Australia. Abstract Entertainment is proud to announce Sally will be appearing at the following venues in June/July 2019. Psychic Sally Morgan returns to Australia for select shows on Thursday, June 27, at the Sydney State Theatre; Friday, June 28, at Tweed Heads Twin Towns; Saturday, June 29, at Newcastle Wests, New Lambton; Wednesday, July 3, at Canberra Southern Cross Club; Thursday, July 4, at Melbourne The Palms at Crown; and Saturday, July 6, at Perth Astor Theatre. Since she was a young girl, Sally has had paranormal experiences, sighting her first ghost at the age of just four. Her phenomenal ability developed organically over the years and she quickly became referred to as ‘psychic to the stars’ due to her close and trusted relationships with top showbiz celebrities and royalty alike, including George Michael, Natalie Imbruglia and, most notably, the late Princess Diana. Sally’s down-to-earth nature and infectious personality has attracted a whole new audience to the spiritual world and her astounding accuracy keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. She is one of the most loved and respected mediums in Britain.

There are no guaranteed or certain results and the show is for the purposes for entertainment.

Sally Morgan is experimental/ investigational.

For ticketing and venue information, go to abstractentertainment.net/

She quickly became referred to as ‘psychic to the stars’

MEDIUM: Psychic Sally Morgan.

FROM STRENGTH

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Orchids, bromeliads and bonsai on display

CENTRal CoaST SElECT PRoPERTiES lEadERS iN RETiREmENT!

Ton y G welcome’s n ilmour from Central Coa ew team mem st bers debora Select Properties h Baker and maureen Ba ker

Central Coast Select now have properties for sale in:

Forresters Beach Retirement Village, Tarragal Glen Retirement Village, Henry Kendall Gardens Teraglen Lake Shore Village, Broadlands Estate and Pine Needles Village

The Mingara Orchid Club will host its 17th Orchid Fair and Show at the Mingara Recreation Club, Tumbi Umbi. vendors, spectacular orchid clubs’ displays and lectures in a very accessible area. It is airconditioned with lots of seating and a large variety of food and refreshment options available. There is plenty of car and bus parking. It is just 1.5 hours from Sydney... and 10 minutes

off the M1 Freeway. Take a break and also enjoy the NSW Central Coast. There is so much to see and do. Free entry! Show on Saturday, June 29, 9am–4pm and Sunday, June 30, 9am–3pm. Email: secretarymoc08@ gmail.com or phone Marie on 0404 041 803.

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THE Mingara Orchid Club will host its 17th Orchid Fair and Show at the Mingara Recreation Club, Tumbi Umbi, on the NSW Central Coast, over the weekend of Saturday, June 29, and Sunday, June 30 this year. There will be 21 vendors in attendance, lots of floor and tabletop displays, and floral art displays by nine orchid clubs and their members, as well as bromeliad, bonsai and art displays. Our jam-packed lecture program will include talks from well-respected speakers from the orchid world, along with bromeliad and bonsai information sessions. There will also be potting and culture demonstrations. The Mingara Orchid Club is fortunate to have the Mingara Recreation Club support us in providing an outstanding venue with areas for

LIVING

MAY, 2019// SENIORS

More treatment options Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer is evolving Tracey Johnstone BREAST cancer management options are changing, giving more women potentially less invasive choices and better outcomes. Breast physician and Breastscreen Queensland relieving senior medical officer, Dr Deborah Pfeiffer, 64, reveals some of the most recent changes around the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Standard vs personalised screening The standard screening is 2D mammography. However, for women who are at a higher risk of breast cancer, their screening may need to be tailored and involve 3D mammography, ultrasound and even MRI. Their GP can advise what level of screening is suitable.

ALTERNATIVES: Research has resulted in more refined choices being offered to breast cancer patients. There are now beforesurgery treatment options During the past 30 years, about 75 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have had it screen-detected early and it was often less than 2cm in size. Prior to widespread screening most women had larger, clinically detected breast cancer requiring a mastectomy and removal of the axillary lymph nodes. The difference now is that specialists are able to know a lot more about the nature of the cancer before the woman goes to surgery.

They usually have at hand information on the tumour size, type and grade, and in many cases the hormone receptors, before surgery. In some cases, they may also know whether the lymph glands are positive or not. As a result, in appropriate cases, such as when a woman has a large tumour or where two or more lymph nodes are affected, neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be offered before surgery to assist in reducing the size of the tumour. In some cases where the tumour is significantly reduced by the neoadjuvant treatment,

the subsequent surgery may be only be a local excision (lumpectomy) and axillary node sample. Another recent change is that some older women who have an oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer tumour may be offered an anti-oestrogen tablet before surgery. And in some cases, for example, those aged over 80, they may not even end up having the surgery. In the past women have often said, ‘it’s cancer, cut it out’. Specialists are rethinking how much treatment they give to women aged 75 and over because for many they

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may not live long enough for the cancer to reoccur. For older women there are some cancers, particularly if they are less than 1cm in size, low-grade and oestrogen receptor positive, that may not need any surgery. Reconstruction is taking a different shape With greater access and techniques in breast implant technology for reconstruction, more women are choosing a mastectomy after an early breast cancer diagnosis. For the majority of women, lumpectomy with no reconstruction is chosen. However, for those with very small breasts they may want a reconstruction of the tissue that has been lost. With large breasted women the incision may result in their breasts being unbalanced. This can affect the woman’s bra size and clothing fit, posture and even self-esteem. So, it’s become increasingly common for a woman to be offered a shaping procedure, such as a cosmetic reduction

on the unaffected breast which can return both breasts to being symmetrical. This can be done using implants or fat and muscle, or a combination of both, or lipofilling, which is transferring fat only from one area of the body to another area. Is genotyping worthwhile? If an oncologist is uncertain as to whether chemotherapy will be beneficial to a woman due to the size, grade and hormone receptor of the tumour, they may recommend the patient have genotyping. This is done by a blood test or swab of the mouth. The test can cost about $2000. Its purpose is to help the specialist refine the decision on what is appropriate treatment for that patient. Remember to get screened From the age of 40 all Australian women should be involved in annual breast screening. If you still aren’t doing this, then it’s time to talk to your GP.

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LIVING

Bowls program for over 65s BOWLS Australia is receiving $1.2 million to spend on its new initiative, Roll Back the Clock, which aims to boost physical activity rates among Australians aged 65 and over through bowls, light exercise and education. This funding from the Sport Australia Better Ageing program will enable 180 programs to be run across 40 locations around Australia. The Roll Back the Clock sessions will be adapted for individuals. The program benefits include flexibility, muscular endurance and strength and in some instances aerobic/ cardiovascular exercise. Each session will cost $5 for the accessible activities. This program will provide opportunities for those who are socially isolated to engage with people, have supportive conversations while getting active and learning about better health. Lawn bowls has all the attributes that can help you feel part of your community.

JOIN UP: Sport Australia Better Ageing program is funding Bowls Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Roll Back the Clock program for over 65s. Photo: HamidEbrahimi

MONEY

MAY, 2019// SENIORS

RetiRement is no time to go on automatic pilot

Money

There is a tendency, once people retire, and have their lump sum invested or an annuity in place, to think that they won’t really need professional ﬁnancial advice. What we can tell you from experience, is that the exact opposite is true. We ﬁnd that we actually spend much more time looking after the needs of our retired clients than we do those who are yet to retire. There are many reasons for this. Here are the big ones: • Centrelink, be careful not to compromising your entitlements or losing them altogether. • Market Volatility, when markets get the wobbles • Family finance issues, adult children who need help • Inheritance issues, receiving an inheritance • The premature death of your partner • Getting sorted financially for long trips away • Estate Planning, helps to have an expert adviser, an objective third party, • Aged Care, a highly complex area that can seem daunting to most people

Conclusion – retirement is definitely no time to be going it alone. The information contained within,including taxation,does not consider your personal circumstances and is of a general nature only. You should not act on it without first obtaining professional financial advice specific to your circumstances and reading any product disclosure statements. RI Advice Group Pty Ltd ABN 23 001 774 125, AFSL 238429.

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I WAS recently asked by a couple who have just updated their wills if they need to nominate each other using binding death benefit nominations in their superannuation. Why, they asked, does it need to be a binding nomination? Your will is a legal document that sets out your wishes for the distribution of your estate assets on your death. Assets owned jointly as “joint tenants” are not covered by your will as ownership will revert to the surviving owner on your death. Similarly, assets held in trust on your behalf are generally not dealt with under your will, but are governed by the terms of the applicable trust deed. Superannuation is an example of an asset held in trust on your behalf. As the trustee owns the assets on your behalf, the legal mechanism to instruct the trustee on how to distribute the proceeds of your

superannuation on your death is contained within the fund’s trust deed. As such, superannuation death benefits are generally not able to be dealt with under your will. A superannuation lump sum death benefit can only be paid to an eligible beneficiary or be specified to be paid to your estate as the death benefit nomination. An eligible beneficiary must be a spouse, your child, an individual financially dependent upon you, or an individual you have an interdependency relationship with. An interdependency relationship is defined as a close personal relationship, where you live together, one or each of you provide financial support and domestic support and personal care. Broadly, there are two types of superannuation death benefit nominations – binding and non-binding. A non-binding death benefit nomination is not binding on the trustee of

the superannuation fund to pay out the funds to your specified beneficiary. In some circumstances, a superannuation trustee may allocate a portion of your superannuation benefit to an individual regardless of your nomination, provided they meet the definition of a beneficiary, that is the fund trustee retains discretion as to how your death benefit will be dealt with. On the other hand, a valid binding death benefit nomination compels the trustee to pay your death benefit to the nominated beneficiary provided they are an eligible beneficiary at the time of your death. That is, the surviving trustee will not have any discretion with regards to who it allocates your superannuation death benefit to. Presumably, your solicitor has recommended binding death benefit nominations for your superannuation funds. Making a death benefit nomination is as critical as ensuring you have a valid will.

SENIORS \\MAY, 2019

MONEY

Can you contest a will? By estate litigation solicitor Melissa Tucker PEOPLE contest a will for many reasons not related to challenging the validity or contesting like family provision. It is an unfortunate reality that disputes arise after the death of a loved one. Disputes are often an argument as to what the will means, how the will is being administered or distributed, whether there are errors in the will, whether a beneficiary named in the will is not entitled because of a crime committed, removal of an executor or administrator, or other disputes about the use of a power of attorney during the deceased’s lifetime. There are four different types of will challenges: 1. On the grounds someone didn’t have mental capacity to make a will 2. The will-maker didn’t have knowledge or approve a will 3. The will was written under the influence of others 4. The will was fraudulent or forged When can you contest a will because the will maker did not have mental capacity to make a will? This is a difficult area and in many instances family members simply obtain a medical certificate from a treating general practitioner. This cannot always be relied upon as being conclusive in relation to whether someone has testamentary capacity. It is quite a complicated process to understand the relevant issues and ensure that the person making the will has the required testamentary capacity. All adults are presumed to have capacity, unless the contrary is established in court and is for a judge to determine. No one can stop any person from writing his or own will, with or without cognitive impairment, and it is only after the death of the will maker that a judge will be asked to determine whether or not the will is valid. Solicitors have a duty to ensure the client has the requisite legal capacity before either taking instructions or assisting them to make a will. The legal test for establishing testamentary capacity is

well-established, with little change since its 1870 inception in Banks v Goodfellow. The test established by Banks v Goodfellow must be brought to bear on “existing circumstances” in modern life. The adaptation of the test to modern life requires that: 1. The testator/testatrix must be aware and appreciate the significance of the act in the law upon which he/ she is about to embark 2. The testator/testatrix must be aware, at least in general terms, of the nature, extent and value of the estate over which he/she has a disposing power 3. The testator/testatrix must be aware of those who may reasonably be thought to have a claim upon his/her testamentary bounty and the basis for, and nature of, the claims of such persons 4. The testator/testatrix must have the ability to evaluate and discriminate between the respective strengths of the claims of such persons The assessment of testamentary capacity is growing in complexity and increasingly demands an interdisciplinary approach which utilises the skills of legal and medical professionals. Can a person with dementia make a will? There are many thousands of people in society who would be attempting to write a will either with or without a solicitor’s assistance and many of these will-makers may have dementia. Another term used for lack of mental capacity is “cognitive impairment”, which greatly increases from the age of 65. Dementia is described as a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes and impaired reasoning, a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes and impaired reasoning. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, one in 15 people over 65 – increasing to one in four people over 85 – suffer from dementia. It is also estimated that each week in Australia 1600 new cases of dementia are diagnosed, a figure

SOUND ADVICE: Estate litigation solicitor Melissa Tucker. Photo: Murray Waite expected to grow to 7400 a week by 2050. Give an example of where a will was challenged because a will-maker had dementia or no capacity Let’s take, for example, a will-maker in their late 90s with dementia, where a carer, friend or other family member has organised for a will to be signed (in their favour), when it appears the will-maker is not in a position to understand and approve that will. The will-maker may be paranoid or delusional and making a will that’s influenced by their delusions to the effect he or she did not possess the required mental condition at law to be able to make a will. In this instance courts would need factual evidence to prove the will-maker lacked mental capacity at the time the will was signed. However sometimes there is no factual evidence that exists to prove this. Family members may be absolutely convinced, for example, their mother or father did not have mental capacity at the time the will was signed. But if there is insufficient factual evidence you will not be able to convince a judge. It is for this reason doctors often give evidence of what they observed many months or even years before the signing of the will but if the patient (will-maker) was “in and out” of mental capacity from time to time the doctor’s evidence may be uncertain and insufficient to prove the will-maker’s lack of knowledge and approval.

Can you contest a will because a will-maker did not have full knowledge of his/her approval? This is similar to lack of mental capacity and sometimes they are both conducted in the course of a hearing before a judge at the same time if a will-maker did not have the required mental capacity to make a will (also known as lacking testamentary capacity, mental capacity) then clearly that will-maker would not have the knowledge nor given his or her approval to the will because they were incapable of doing so at law. However lack of knowledge and approval can apply when a will-maker does have testamentary capacity and, for example, could occur when a will-maker of sound mind has signed a will not fully understanding its contents and thereby not giving his or her approval to the will. Take, for example, when a judge has decided that the will-maker did indeed have testamentary capacity but then goes on to look at the evidence as to whether the will-maker did not have knowledge of the contents of the will and therefore did not give approval to it. In such a case the judge might decide the will-maker was mentally capable of making a will but at the time of signing the document he or she did not understand the contents. The rules regarding the preparation and signing of a will are very important in society to ensure the correct transfer of the assets to the person or

persons intended by the deceased. Can you contest a will because of elder abuse? As I mentioned earlier, it is possible to contest a will on the grounds that the will was written at a time when the will-maker was being unlawfully influenced by others. HOWEVER: Challenging the validity of a will on the grounds of undue influence (alone) is extremely difficult to win and very few cases have ever been successful. Sometimes this challenge is alleged together with and at the same time as lack of mental capacity and lack of knowledge and approval because all three allegations are often very closely related and the same evidence is used in relation to each challenge. Over the past 100 years only three cases have been successful – one each in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. The onus of proving undue influence rests upon the person making the allegation and he/she must prove beyond doubt that the deceased will-maker at the time of signing the will was actually unlawfully influenced. The two biggest hurdles to overcome is firstly the fact the will-maker is no longer available to give evidence and secondly the alleged influence would have to be around the time of the signing of the will. In these cases, common sense does not prevail. You and I may be fully aware that family member/s or a friend or carer has influenced the will-maker by continually asking to be left in the will or even making threats about not looking after the will-maker in his/her old age unless included in the will. However at law this type of influence is not sufficient to win the case. The influence required is actual duress (force), almost like holding a gun to the head of the will-maker. Very surprisingly, badgering the will-maker is not regarded as undue influence. Continually harassing the will-maker to include you in his/her will, even to the extent of taking the will-maker to your solicitor, is certainly wearing him/her down, however is not (in wills law) “undue influence”.

There is some good news. When all of the evidence is before the court regarding lack of mental capacity, lack of knowledge and approval and undue influence, sometimes there is sufficient evidence for a judge to determine the will is invalid for one or more reasons. Can you contest a will because of forgery? Challenging the validity of contesting a will on these grounds usually does not involve the will-maker. The allegation, of course, is that the will being challenged is not that of the deceased at all. The onus of proving the fraud or forgery rests upon the person/persons making the allegation. The evidence required is usually from one or more experts in the field of handwriting, pencil, ink, paper, photocopy machines and any other evidence proving a fraud or forgery. Can anyone challenge or contest a will? The only person/s entitled who can contest a will on the basis of its validity is either someone named in a previous will or someone who would be entitled to an inheritance under the rules of intestacy. Although the laws of intestacy differ slightly from state to state, the order of entitlement on intestacy is usually as follows: your spouse or de facto spouse, your children (and grandchildren if a child has predeceased you), your parents, your siblings (including any half siblings), your grandparents; your aunts and uncles. How long does it take to contest a will? Depending upon the complexity of the case, it could possibly take nine to 12 months for settlements to be approved by the court and possibly 12 months to two years or more for a court hearing. About the author Melissa Tucker is a senior wills and estates solicitor at Attwood Marshall Lawyers and is a member of Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Established in 1946, Attwood Marshall Lawyers has offices at Robina Town Centre, Kingscliff, NSW, and The Strand Coolangatta. For a free estate planning review phone 1800 621 071 today.

REVIEWS

MAY, 2019// SENIORS

Share the tales of Aunt Sally

WELCOME to friends and relatives of young children. Here are two books to read and enjoy with the little people in your life. How Aunt Sally Got Her Name and How Aunt Sally Went to the Zoo, were written by Brisbane author Jean Peel. They follow Aunt Sally, a loveable, intrepid, adventurous, pussy cat from the time she runs away from home as a 10-week-old kitten, through the trials and tribulations she encounters during her lifetime. They say cats have nine lives. Well, Aunt Sally has surely proved that and there are nine stories waiting to be told. Now she’s old and very fat, she has time to lie on her favourite mat, remembering how she got her name, how she ended up at the city zoo, how she almost drowned and how she survived a cubby house fire. There are also the stories of how she went to sea, how she beat the bullies at the paintball park, how she went on holiday, how she became a mother and how she beat the burglars. You’ll laugh at her antics as she travels from one adventure to another. These rhyming stories for young children are very loosely based on the author’s own White Puss, another loveable pet, who spent 14 years with the family, seeking adventure and finding it. These are Jean Peel’s debut children’s books, with more to come. Books available at jeanpeel.com.

Sail Away across the Atlantic

Who is the murdering number 55? WILBROOK in Western Australia is a sleepy, remote town that sits on the edge of miles and miles of unexplored wilderness. It’s home to Police Sergeant Chandler Jenkins, who is proud to run the town’s small police station, a place used to dealing with domestic disputes and noise complaints. All that changes on a scorching day when an injured man stumbles into Chandler’s station. He’s covered in dried blood. His name is Gabriel. He tells Chandler what he remembers. He was drugged and driven to a cabin in the mountains and tied up in iron chains. The man who took him was called Heath. Heath told Gabriel he was going to be his 55th victim. Heath is a serial killer. As a manhunt is launched, a man who says he is Heath walks into the same station. He tells Chandler he was taken by a man named Gabriel. Gabriel told Heath he was going to be victim 55. James Delargy’s debut novel is a thriller with a killer hook and an ending that will make you gasp. Published by Simon & Schuster UK, Who is 55? is available in paperback, RRP$35.

BOOK EXCERPT How Aunt Sally Got Her Name This story you’re about to hear Will hopefully please, so do not fear. It’s how Aunt Sally was given her name By a little girl called Matilda-Jane. The story begins a long time ago, On the opening day of the annual show. When a mother cat left her two kittens to play So she could go hunting to find some prey. The kittens soon grew tired of their games And ended up calling each other names. When her brother curled up to have a nap Aunt Sally ran off without thought of mishap. Her nose to the ground, her tail in the air Irresistible smells led her straight to the fair Where nimbly she skipped, and hopped, and leaped, Keeping out of the way of hundreds of feet.

IF YOU ever thought nothing really exciting happens on cruise ships, then you should take a cruise across the Atlantic on the Blue Mermaid with author Celia Imrie. At the centre of her new novel Sail Away are two over-60s women; both lost souls trying to find their foothold on life. Neither expected to be tangled in a complex web of lies, murder, love and strange cruise shipmates when they found themselves on board the Blue Mermaid. Actress and ’80s TV star Suzy Marshall is coming to terms with being over 60 in a young person’s profession. Amanda Herbert is a guest after finding herself homeless when she sold the family home and was forced to wait for a very delayed settlement on the purchase of an apartment. She thought she could stay with her children in the interim, but found out quickly they only wanted her when it suited them. The trip across the Atlantic for both women is a chance to put money back in their pockets and hide from the crises they have left back home. Published by Bloomsbury, Sail Away is in bookshops. RRP $17.99.

A triumph against all odds IT WAS one of the most extraordinary and inspirational prison breaks in Australian history, The Catalpa Rescue. Australian author Peter FitzSimons tells the engaging true story of the members of the Clan-na-Gael. It’s New York in 1874. The agitators for Irish freedom from the English yoke hatch a daring plan to free six Irish political prisoners from the most remote prison in the British Empire, Fremantle

Prison in Western Australia. Under the guise of a whale hunt, Captain Anthony sets sail on the Catalpa. His mission is to rescue the men from the stone walls of this hell on earth known to the inmates as a ‘living tomb’. What follows is one of history’s most stirring sagas. It splices Irish, American, British and Australian history together in its climactic moment.

For Ireland, which had suffered English occupation for 700 years, a successful escape was an inspirational call to arms. For America it was a chance to slap back at Britain for its support of the south in the Civil War. For England, a humiliation. And for a young Australia, still not sure if it was Great Britain in the South Seas or worthy of being an independent country in its own right, it

was proof that Great Britain was not unbeatable. FitzSimons’s uses his trademark combination of arresting history and storytelling verve to share the tale of rescue. It’s courage and cunning, the fight for independence and the triumph of good men, against all odds. Published by Hachette Australia, The Catalpa Rescue is available in paperback RRP$34.99 and ebook RRP$16.99.

SENIORS \\MAY, 2019

PUZZLES

QUICK CROSSWORD

13/5

The challenge is to rearrange a crossword which has been broken into 25 sections. One letter has been given to get you started. Work out which 3x3 square fits in with that letter and write in the letters. You can also shade the black squares if you find it helpful. After completing the first 3x3 area, work out which square joins on to it, and continue until you have made a complete crossword.

H A P E B

C L W S E

O R E F L

O O R M Y B L E

H O B L I N

O B W A E S T

A E R R S

E A R

B R A L M I E

E N L L

V M E N L

T E

A A G

O V V E D

F O W U I M A R

L S W T I N

I G H

M M E

M A C T C E I

I E G A R A

T N E A S N E

R U D N G U

V A D R V E R

T O S E P D R O

U A L A C

S T E

SUDOKU

13 14

Fill the grid so every column, every row and 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

N D E

B R A V A D L M R E V E R N I S N A D A G N T E E C R U D E M L N N G U L L I E A U I M R A L G M S A C H I E T T N E E A S N E O B W A E S T H A P E B O M B

O R Y L E O V E D E A R

SUDOKU

JIGGERED

TRIO: bRO

Across: 1. Recluse 5. Riﬂe 8. Conscientious 9. Pat 10. Aggressor 12. Aerate 13. Appals 15. Abandoned 16. Air 18. Hairsplitting 20. Dined 21. Suspend. Down: 1. Recap 2. Consternation 3. Uncharted 4. Emerge 5. Rut 6. Fool’s paradise 7. Ensures 11. Expedites 12. Abashed 14. Knells 17. Rigid 19. Sad.

SMOCK DENIAL SPOON IT GIANT PIN QUIET RISK

How many words of four letters or more can you make? Each letter must be used only once and all words must contain the centre letter. There is at least one nine-letter word. No words starting with a capital are allowed, no plurals ending in s unless the word is also a verb, e.g. he burns with anger.

QUICK CROSSWORD T Y R E

S E E N

R E I N D E E R

C U R L

S G O P R A O G A T O A F R I F T T I R S T I A T I O V Y E P I C I D L N E A G A M

B Y E

QUIZ

I A R C O N A B D I N D G O E S F O R M E M I R A A V N S E D A N A R A B N I V O R A L O G L E E O OM R I E G

N O N E I B I S

8 LETTERS ABROGATE ACADEMIA AVIATION FANDANGO GRAFFITI INFORMER OMNIVORE REINDEER

1. Ita buttrose was the founding editor of which Australian magazine? 2. Alf Roberts, a grocery shop owner in England, was the father of which famous woman? 3. Which TV detective is based at Denton police station? 4. If you nictitate, what do you do? 5. Which actress was Dr Quin? 6. Which actor has Scotland Forever tattooed on his arm? 7. How many times did Joe Frazier ﬁght Muhammad Ali? 8. Where was Joan of Arc burned at the stake?

T E E M

6 LETTERS DEPICT INDIGO REMIND TYPING

QUIZ

E D G E

5 LETTERS MIRES

NAVAL RIFTS SEDAN SERVE SPOOR

Y E A R

4 LETTERS AGED ALOE ARAB ARCS BOLE CLAM COUP CURL EDEN EDGE

ENVY GAIT GAME GOES IBIS IDEA IDLY INNS LEER LOAF NEAR NONE NORM SARI SAVE SEEN TEEM TIRE TRIO TYRE YEAR YETI

WORDFIT

S E E N

3 LETTERS BOA BYE EGO GOB MIG OAT ORE RAY RIG ROB ROE TIE

1. Cleo, 2. Margaret Thatcher, 3. Jack Frost, 4. Wink or blink, 5. Jane Seymour, 6. Sean Connery, 7. Three, 8. Rouen.

WORDFIT

Solution opposite

Good 17 Very Good 24 Excellent 31+

Fit the words into the grid to create a ﬁnished crossword

N G

F O W L S I W U M A R T I E V I G A R M E L A T O S S P E D R O W S O R E F E R L M A C H O T B C E I L I

648

WORD GO ROUND

TODAY

TRIO

Can you complete these four words, using the same three-letter sequence in each?

ALPHAGRAMS

N P

donor door dorp down droop drop drown ﬁord fond food ford frond frown indoor info iron noir orpin pion pond poof poor prion prod prof proof prow rondo rood roof WINDPROOF wino wood woof word worn

R D

Solve the anagrams. Each solution is a one-word anagram of the letters beside it, and the ﬁve solutions are sequential. For example, if the ﬁve-letter solution starts with J, the six-letter solution starts with K, and so on.

I F

WORD GO ROUND

ALPHAGRAMS

Down 1. Review (5) 2. Dismay (13) 3. Unmapped (9) 4. Appear (6) 5. Furrow (3) 6. State of unjustiﬁed happiness (5,8) 7. Makes certain (7) 11. Speeds up, facilitates (9) 12. Embarrassed (7) 14. Tolls (6) 17. Stiff (5) 19. Downcast (3)

Across 1. Hermit (7) 5. Firearm (5) 8. Diligent (13) 9. Tap (3) 10. Assailant (9) 12. Supply with oxygen (6) 13. Horriﬁes (6) 15. Left behind (9) 16. Tune (3) 18. Quibbling over details (13) 20. Ate (5) 21. Dangle (7)

MOCKS, NAILED, OPTIONS, PAINTING, QUIRKIEST.

JIGGERED

CENTRAL COAST

MAY, 2019// SENIORS