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2 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

In this edition

Feature Story: Kaz Cooke ...............................Pages 4&5 Wellbeing ..................................................................Page 8 Travel .................................................................Page 19-22 What’s On ...............................................................Page 23 Puzzles ....................................................................Page 27

Contact us Editor Gail Forrer gail.forrer@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Executive Heidi Birdsall heidi.birdsall@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Now 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 and Clarence Seniors Newspaper”.

The Seniors Newspaper is published monthly and distributed free in northern New South Wales and south-east 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.

Welcome

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

Welcome summer, goodbye to 2017 MERRY Christmas friends, In our last edition for 2017, I have endeavoured, through various profiles and feature stories, to include a snapshot of various demographics in our brilliant community.

To welcome in summer and portray what is perhaps the quintessential Australian story, we feature 87-year-old Bruce Robertson, the man believed to be Australia’s oldest, active lifesaver.

In a spirit of renewal, he praises the younger generation: “In my generation, the thumb was down on you.

Today, people are out to make the best of everything and that applies to young people. I admire them enormously.”

Go Bruce – love your attitude.

The gorgeous Anna Abbott in her 70s speaks honestly about retirement.

Retirement has many connotations, I haven’t been there yet, but retirement seems to run

❝

I hope the last 12 months of Seniors News has provided you with supportive stories.

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER

Group editor Seniors Newspapers network

in cycles ranging from initial euphoria to some sadness in saying goodbye to the working habits of old.

Nevertheless, whatever stage, it’s about coming to terms with, and in turn comfortably establishing your identity at a stage of life.

Part of that comes with realising you are not alone in your feelings and if you can have a “yes, that’s me-too moment” – then, thank you Anna for sharing.

In this edition, we speak with Kaz Cooke about her latest book, based on an Australian stage actor, who certainly lived beyond the norms of the time.

I think that most post-55-year-old people have something in

common with this character, which is, navigating a new stage of life without a generation of role models.

Our older age is so much different to that of our parents, with a new set of challenges and advantages, we too must navigate a fresh path forward. In saying that, I think the words of Kaz Cooke’s bring it all back to earth: “I’d be more worried about not laughing than laughter lines”.

The diversity of our community is further expressed with the wonderful story of Stuart and Robin Cumming, a long-term married, professional couple who, ready to hit their 60s, decided they had had enough of big city stress and would leave for the country.

However, it was the stress not the work, they

were avoiding.

So, not content to sit back in their rocking chairs, they have happily set up a life of fulfilment with the type of business interests conducive to a joyful rather than stressful lifestyle.

I have had a good start to Christmas family get-togethers with my aunty and cousins and it’s set me up for all the ones to come with my much-loved family and friends.

I hope the last 12 months of Seniors News has provided you with supportive stories, helpful information and a good deal of entertainment.

I also hope that our stories on grandparent’s rights, age discrimination in the workplace and housing issues has also provided you with deeper insights into our society.

Enjoy, Gail

A second career sees Myra out of the bank and into fitness She plans to continue and expand her studies into fitness in 2018, keeping up with new developments.

She teaches people who are extremely fit and want to maintain their fitness, golfers and bowlers who want to improve their game, people with skiing injuries and people who don’t like or can’t do other forms of exercise.

“All the equipment we use is provided,” Myra said.

“We use dumbbells, flotation belts, noodles,

we even use kickboards but we don’t use them in a traditional sense, but for resistance with the arms.”

This former office worker would also like to see other office workers fit a half-hour aquafitness class into their lunch hours to counteract the hours they spend sitting at their computer.

Myra currently runs Vibe Aquafitness morning and lunchtime classes at Coffs Harbour’s Olympic Pool and morning classes at Sawtell pool, with a special 10% discount for seniors.

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MYRA King has found a fulfilling second career by returning to her first love, the water.

Looking for a radical change after many years in the banking industry, the former competitive sprint swimmer took to the water once again, but this time at a different pace.

Myra retrained as a swimming teacher, personal trainer and fitness instructor and established Vibe Aquafitness classes at a number of Coffs Coast swimming pools.

Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Cover Story

Coffs and Clarence

Seniors 3

75 years of lifesaving Tracey Johnstone

ACTIVE AGEING: Bruce Robertson (second from left) with members of his Bilgola Surf Life Saving Club patrol group.

boat crew. Mona Vale had won the national championship in 1939 and they were looking to return to that glory.

So, at 12, Bruce was co-opted as a member of an enormous surf boat.

He remembers rowing in the 1954 surf carnival at Bondi Beach which the Queen attended.

“It was an enormous surf, but it was a fantastic day,” Bruce recounts.

He also has found memories of his rowing mates, some 15 or 16 of them, sleeping on gym mats in the clubhouse.

“We would go down to the club for the weekend,” he said.

It wasn’t until 1950 that Bruce moved to Bilgola to join some of his friends.

After school finished Bruce attended Duntroon where he graduated as a lieutenant. He spent two years in the army before the ambitious young man left to join the corporate world in building materials.

Throughout this time and in the ensuing years his volunteer lifesaving commitment never waived.

While he may have retired from paid work at 60, that was the only retiring he did.

He next took on chairman of Taronga Zoo,

then the deputy chair of the Botanic Gardens and then onto Keep Australia Beautiful while continuing to play golden oldies rugby union for the Gordon club where he was vice-president and keeping up his active lifesaving volunteering role at Bilgola Beach.

“I’m not keen to get into anything competitive these days,” Bruce admits.

“I will still walk the beach.”

His patrol group are on duty once a month for four hours. If there is a crisis, Bruce said he now lets his younger patrol members deal with it.

PHOTO: BILGOLA SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB

“I find there is a lot of respect by younger people today,” Bruce said of his fellow patrol members.

“I think the younger generation are to be admired. They have not had the thumb put on them. In my generation, the thumb was down on you. Today, people are out to make the best of everything and that applies to young people. I admire them enormously.

“Now I am quite happy to sit and watch, to see what people do.

“So much has happened and so many changes have been made, really I should be

one trying to get as much as I can from them.”

As he gazes fondly over what has been his second home for all of his adult life, his greatest joy is watching how his home club has progressed.

“I can remember digging into the stone to build it,” Bruce said of Bilgola Surf Life Saving Club.

“I am not going to give it up. I love the club.

“I feel that I have to give something back to society as society has been very good to me.

“Surf Lifes Saving is one of those ways I can give something back.

“I don’t want to stop.”

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A LIFETIME of public service rests well on the broad shoulders of Australia’s oldest active patrolling lifesaver, 87-year-old Bruce Robertson.

The summer patrols have started and Bruce is again on the beach with his patrol members. He no longer has his driver’s licence, so he catches the bus from his inner-city home to Bilgola, faithfully turning up once a month ready to do his duty alongside his younger lifesaver mates.

Bruce started his extraordinary volunteer lifesaving journey when he was just 12.

His father was away at war and Bruce had a Saturday morning job at Swain’s in Sydney city, the same place as actor Rod Taylor.

“He and I became good mates. He was very keen to join the surf lifesaving movement so we both went down to Mona Vale,” Bruce said.

In 1942, Bruce and Rod joined Mona Vale club where they both gained their Bronze.

“There was only one person over 18 at the club then, and that was the president, George Wray,” Bruce said.

“They didn’t ask our age because there was nobody else.”

The war had taken all the older members away.

Bruce and Rod remained firm friends until Rod drifted off into the pursuit of his art at East Sydney Tech College and films, while Bruce remained in school.

“Rod was almost two years older than me,” Bruce said.

“He was also very successful with the ladies.”

Bruce started as a rower for the club’s surf

4 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

Feature Story: Kaz Cooke

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

Ada’s life of drama on

Author Kaz Cooke entertains us with the story of a fiesty, creative, independent woman Alison Houston

KAZ Cooke reckons she’d like to be “a fully vaccinated time-traveller”.

The 54-year-old author, best known for her advice books for modern girls and women, such as Up the Duff and Girl Stuff, has just released her new book Ada and, although it still mixes fact and humour, it’s a complete switch from what we have come to expect.

In it, Kaz travels back to the 1890s through the true-life character of Ada Delroy, who escaped the humblest of beginnings in a mill town in Lancashire to become an acclaimed dancer, comic and singer, with her own vaudeville-style troupe which toured Australia and the world.

That would be quite an accomplishment even now, but how much more so for a woman over 120 years ago?

Kaz first “met” Ada in an old theatre scrapbook while doing a fellowship on a completely different subject at the State Library of Victoria.

“I came across a photo of this woman that completely arrested me.

There was something really feisty and modern about her,” Kaz said.

Unlike most photos of women in the day, Ada’s hair was not scraped back into a severe bun, as she stood or sat, straight-backed, looking morosely directly into the camera.

Instead, Ada’s hair was out and curled, escaping from a huge feathered and bowed hat, and she was bejewelled in a thick necklace, two butterfly brooches, and another spelling out her name in diamantes, as she looked into the distance with a secret smile playing around her mouth.

Kaz soon discovered

KEEPING IT REAL: Kaz Cooke’s humour is never far away in her books or her conversation. “I’d rather worry about not laughing, more than laugh lines,” she says of getting older.

PHOTO: DAVID JOHNS PHOTOGRAPHY

there was a huge body of information about this woman and the exploits of herself and her troupe, and became “transfixed by her story”.

Thus began two years of research and another of writing to give this incredible woman a voice.

“She wasn’t an angel.

There was definitely a naughtiness to her – her whole act was stolen,” Kaz said. “But there was

FEISTY: Ada Delroy, c1895, had something feisty and modern “naughtiness” about her that appealed to author Kaz Cooke.

PHOTO: COURTESY STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA

so much life in her and I wanted her to be able to tell her own story.”

The book begins in 1911, with Ada in reduced circumstances, suffering tuberculosis, dependent on morphine, and being assessed to live out her last days in a charity cottage for those in the theatre profession.

“Dying is a bit like being poor,” Ada says.

“You don’t get much in the way of choices.”

It’s a hard end for

THOSE WERE THE DAYS: The Ada Delroy Company.

PHOTO: PHOTO COURTESY THE ADVERTISER, 2

someone who once danced for the Maharajah, was friends with Houdini, brought the first films to many Australian country towns and was the first female to ride a bike through those same towns, causing men to literally fall off their horses.

There are gaps in Ada’s story, including a baby mysteriously left in Adelaide, but Kaz said didn’t have to add any drama herself to this funny, poignant and dramatic tale which includes carriages hurtling off cliffs and a train catching fire.

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Keeping Safe and Well over the Holiday Season This may seem a strange topic for this time of year however there are many risks that may happen when we get to holiday time.

First of all it could be that you may be travelling on the roads more. Well so are a lot of people. We live in a beautiful part of NSW and many visitors come to stay. So the roads get busy with caravans, trucks and overseas travellers as well. We need to take care and even avoid going out when it is really busy.

Could you do your shopping in the morning early to avoid the rush. Do you really have to go out and travel the highway or could you wait to later.

Another risk is not eating properly – remember that saying about too much of a good thing.

Even if a thing is good, without indulging in it in moderation, i.e. if you overindulge in something, it will get to the point that it is no longer good for you. Even chocolate, or Christmas pudding or any of those other yummy favourites can make us unwell if there is too much.

Remember to get all your prescriptions and medications organised in case doctors are closed. They need a holiday too.

Do you have a list of emergency contact numbers handy – say on the fridge or under the phone.

The summer storm season has already started so just check this is all up to date.

Everyone should have the SES listed as they are the people who will come out if needed for any house or yard damage. SES 132 500 – put this in your mobile to make it even easier.

Summer heat is a danger as well. This season so far has been good however a few days of high temperature can hit at any time. The best tip is to drink plenty of water and stay indoors on really hot days.

If you receive support services at all and are going away please let them know. If they turn up and you are not at home they will put into action their response plan to determine if you are all right.

If you find that you may need some assistance in the home for the first time give My Aged Care a call on 1800 200 422 to have a chat.

If you want to chat to our Customer Service team about our range of services contact us on 6645 0400.

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Feature Story: Kaz Cooke

Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Coffs and Clarence

the stage

“I sometimes wonder if Ada would be a bit cross with me that I’ve taken liberties, but I think she’d be proud that she’s put on a good show,” Kaz said.

And you could say the same for Kaz, whose advice books – constantly updated with the latest medical information – have been best sellers now for some 20

years.

(An updated version of Kid Wrangling – about caring for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers – is about to be re-issued under a new name.)

Asked her secret, Kaz said she reckoned no one else could be bothered doing all the work and research involved!

While her books have,

to an extent, traced Kaz’s own development, from 1994’s Real Gorgeous, looking at body image, to pregnancy, with Up the Duff, and then her child-rearing and teen books, Kaz said she’s not quite ready to write an advice book for the over-50s.

“I’m a bit worried my next book after that would be ‘How to Cark It’, so I really don’t want to rush that!” she laughed.

She also admits she knows she’d probably have to take a bit of her own advice and do more exercise “which is my personal goal and my personal terror really”.

Not that she’s worried about getting old, saying: “I’d rather worry about not laughing, more than laugh lines”.

Besides, Kaz has a few other ideas in the pipeline, including losing herself in history again for another project, and the possibility of another children’s book, for those who remember reading The Terrible Underpants and Wanda Linda Goes Berserk to their kids and grandkids.

BOOKS: Kaz Cooke's book Ada.

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6 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

Profile Story: Anna Abbott

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

Certain things we miss

A candid interview about the other side of retirement Ann Rickard

YOU can’t miss Anna Abbott.

With a smile almost as wide as the enormous hats she favours, and with faultless make-up and a sense of extravagant style that turns heads, she makes a grand entrance.

Now retired after and long and fulfilling career, Anna spends her days and nights with mixed and myriad activities that would leave most retirees exhausted.

She studies language (she is already fluent in French, is learning Italian) and attends Shakespeare reading classes.

She is at every theatre and museum opening, loves a party, delights in a festival and relishes a book launch.

She enjoys a classical music soiree, and hosts dinner parties and functions at her Noosa home.

She founded Les Belles, a group of like-minded local women who get together once a

week to speak only in French throughout a fun and learning afternoon (and over a glass of French bubbles).

She coaches students in English at the local language school, never misses a social event, lunches at lot, and is constantly making plans for her next overseas trip.

All this, and yet Anna says she does not quite feel complete.

It is the dreaded Relevance Deprivation Syndrome to blame.

This condition strikes men and women who have had long and rewarding careers with all the trappings that go with it: power, money, perks, influence.

In Anna’s case it is decades of working first as a lawyer and then as head-principal of a prestigious girls college in NSW. “I used to love being able to solve problems for people and make a difference to their lives,” she said of her role as principal.

“Every day someone

MY STORY: The talented and determined Anna Abbott.

would come to me weeping over something. I was Mrs Fixit. I had 100 staff. I miss that.”

Relevance Deprivation Syndrome is not a derogatory expression and it is a very real

Helping the Elderly

condition.

It strikes ex-politicians in particular – look no further than Tony Abbott for proof – but it also affects people who have worked hard for years to achieve promotions and

goals, and who have invested all their working lives in their professional roles.

In her position as school principal, Anna also helped young women in countless ways, from

Calling for project carers DEMENTIA carers are invited to contribute thoughts and ideas towards a new project aimed to create a chat group program to provide information and support for carers from rural and remote areas.

The Caring for Carers of People with Dementia Project will use group videoconference technology such as Skype, to connect with caregivers in their homes.

“Initially we would like

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a small number of carers of people with dementia to take part in a co-design group,” Central Queensland University PhD researcher Annie Banbury said.

“This will help us develop the resources and information needed for the planned weekly chat group.”

Ms Banbury is working on the project with CQUniversity Adjunct Professor Lynne Parkinson, with funding

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teaching them table etiquette to giving them career advice, but mostly by just being herself and presenting as a powerful role model.

“I miss being multi-faceted, giving academic and moral guidance, attending conferences,” Anna said.

“Despite all the things I do now I still miss it. I miss the large salary, the car, the benefits.”

Anna is being honest in expressing feelings many like her have experienced upon retiring, yet have kept them to themselves.

Generally, work makes us feel relevant and when we stop it is difficult to wake each morning and wonder what we are going to do to make the day rewarding.

“It is hard to be an older woman in Australia,” Anna said.

“Age is not revered like it is in other countries.”

There is probably no cure for Relevance Deprivation Syndrome, other than to let time take care of it, and Anna with her quick intelligence and deep insight knows this.

She just has to wait it out, and have a rollicking good time until it passes.

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provided by a Dementia and Aged Care Services Research and Innovation Grant.

She said that co-design is a creative process increasingly used within the health and social care services, as it enables a range of people to help express and solve a problem.

If you would like to be involved, please phone Annie Banbury on 0438 168 121 or Prof Lynne Parkinson on 0410 574 005.

Local Story

Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

A ‘Mrs Santy’ display Belinda Scott

‘MRS SANTY’ is the spirit of the Christmas season in the village of Glenreagh.

Nola York turns three front rooms of her house in Glenreagh’s main street into a magical Christmas wonderland every December.

The town’s long-closed bakery shop becomes a series of enchanted caves sparkling with moving toys, multicoloured lights, Santa Claus figures, angels, Christmas trees, reindeer, festive tables and Christmas decorations.

This is not just a static or even purely mechanical display – Mrs Santy inhabits her Christmas rooms, dressed in

seasonal red and white, from the time she opens her display in early December, until after Christmas.

As soon as it gets dark, she switches on the lights and sets the toys in motion, braving heat, soreness and fatigue and sacrificing outings so that others can enjoy her display every night.

“You don’t know where people have come from – how far they’ve come,” Nola said.

As she speaks, cars draw up and children tumble out to press their noses against the glass and exclaim about their favourite toys on display – a reindeer in a rocking chair, another doing the Twist, a Santa with a spinning rainbow nose,

Coffs and Clarence

Seniors 7

MRS SANTY: Nola York in one of the three rooms she spends months decorating with thousands of Christmas toys, decorations, Santas and trees.

PHOTO: BELINDA SCOTT

the dancing Christmas tree, the tiny racing cars or the climbing elves.

Nola said she has always loved everything about Christmas.

She created her window display almost 20 years ago to help raise money for Coffs Harbour’s oncology ward, where her late husband Ron York was treated for cancer.

“They were absolutely marvellous and I’ll never

forget it,” Nola said.

Since then she has raised many thousands of dollars for the service.

She never counts the money raised, but simply hands over the donation tin for counting and banking.

Last year’s tin yielded more than $1100.

Her friend Bessie Webb said Glenreagh residents and groups supported Nola, who in turn works

for others through the year.

The Christmas display has grown as she has collected and been gifted toys, some even from overseas.

Nola begins unpacking and setting up the display in October and after New Year the carefully-packed away display items decorations go back to their own storage shed.

This year Nola, who is

almost 81, plans a shorter season for the display and says she will probably switch off the lights on December 27 or 28.

Nola will spend Christmas Day at a large family party hosted by her youngest daughter.

Her Christmas gift wish?

“I love plants – I If I get a plant or a Bunnings Warehouse gift voucher I’ll be happy.”

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8 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

Wellbeing

Get creative at the camp Belinda Scott

LEARNING something new is always fun at Bellingen’s Camp Creative. This unique, family-oriented summer school takes over the town for a week in early January each year and this summer the doors open on January 8 and close on January 12.

With 73 different courses organised and 820 students already booked in by early December 2017, Camp Creative co-ordinators Rob and Michelle Stockton have their hands more than full but thrive on the year-round challenge.

“We recruit tutors all the time,” Rob said.

He has been involved

since before his retirement as the principal of Bellingen High School, where many of the courses are based.

He said he has always loved the summer school.

Camp Creative is now well into its third decade, so organisers are seeing a second generation of ‘campers’.

They have participants as young as six and as old as 92 and the classes and workshops are particularly popular among retirees, who have fewer financial and time pressures.

Rob attributes the enduring popularity of Camp Creative, which has survived and thrived where other summer schools have faded or

folded, to the attractiveness of Bellingen, its unique country town ambience and the safety, security and personal, family ethos of the camp itself.

It is also gloriously quirky.

Not content with providing a range of mainstream offerings in the art, craft, music and literature fields, Camp Creative 2018 has workshops like Irish drumming, clogging, canoe building, fly fishing and chainsaw carving using recycled camphor laurel rescued from roadsides.

The proximity of the Bellinger River will allow the canoe builders to launch their new canoes

CAMP CO-ORDINATORS: Michelle and Rob Stockton keep Camp Creative humming along.

and the fly fishers to practise their new-found skills on the water.

Two years ago, Irish drumming tutor Kevin Kelly brought 1000 bodhran (Irish drum) players together to set a Guinness World Record for the largest number ever to perform, a record

which still stands.

Camp Creative always hosts a free public outdoor concert in Welcome Park, and this year it’s on January 11 from 5.30pm.

Rob said the camp, which has been calculated to bring about $3.5 million of extra revenue to the

town, was financially self-supporting, had never needed a grant and contributed $20,000 annually to Bellingen through its donations program, including air-conditioning local classrooms.

For more details, go to campcreative.com.au.

Coffs and Clarence

Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Talk ‘n’ thoughts Hurdles, highjumps and solutions

Seniors 9

Share your thoughts

Email editor@seniors newspapers.com.au or go online to www.seniorsnews .com.au

Speaking up for the truth THE talk is all about our generation.

Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Bill Cosby, Rolf Harris, Don Burke – they are all seniors.

If anyone ever questioned why women’s liberation had to happen – then right here, right now, on the media’s front pages, you will find the answers.

To vindicate his actions, movie producer Harvey Weinstein flashed on a singular truth when he said: “I came of age in the ’60s and ’70s, when all the rules about behaviour and workplace were different. That was the culture then. I have since learned it’s not excuse, in the office – or out of it. To anyone.”

Yes, the 1960s and

❝

Some men saw women’s liberation as another green flag to express their power.

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER

Group editor Seniors Newspapers network

’70s, the age many of us grew up in, was transition time, the first wave of women’s liberation saw changes such as women able to keep working in banks after they were married and, in various areas, wage equalisation.

In terms of government legislation, women were starting to gain liberation from a stultifying culture of gender inequity.

But socially, well that’s another story and I think it’s here that Weinstein, sadly, tells the truth. The

Hopefully the next step will be an honest reconciliation.

rules of the ’60s and ’70s about behaviour and workplace were different.

While women saw the loosening of societal moors as liberating for their own spirit, some men saw women’s

liberation as another green flag to express their power. In those times, women were indeed taking on more public roles, but men were still the boss. In some ways, nearly 50 years on, things haven’t

changed, men still dominate the highest realms of government, business and religious institutions.

What has occurred in the last months of 2017, is a clash of cultures. The truth that many men in power believed that the society of 1960s and ’70s allowed them to abuse women and their belief was so strong, they were unable to move into a new world of respect wedged

up against the essence of the women’s liberation movement that started in the 1960s.

At its heart, women’s liberation was always about having the female voice heard, considered and owning an appropriately influential place in society.

In 2017, we have a watershed moment when this is spectacularly happening. In some ways, I see it rather like the process of Truth and Reconciliation commissions undertaken by various nations, as a process of healing after undergoing dreadful atrocities. Right now, we are at the face of truth, I trust that after this, the next step will be an honest reconciliation.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Email editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au or go online to www.seniorsnews.com.au.

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I believe this fee is totally out of proportion to the actual services provided, and yet we are held to ransom if we want to continue driving.

We have worked all our life, and paid our taxes, so surely we are entitled to some respect and support now that we are ageing.

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2017 was a busy and wonderful year with some important milestones at SCCA, such as the 25 year Anniversary of Marian Grove, our independent living village, in September.

In November, SCCA was awarded “Employer of the Year” by Novaskill. This was a real affirmation that our onsite training program for “Certificate III in Individual Support” students, to continue this year, is resulting in capable, job ready care staff to fill the growing need for excellent aged care workers.

2018 will see us building on our Arts in Health Initiative “Holding the Story” a project designed to create positive social impact for older people and people living with Dementia. We also have a wishlist including new buildings and sensory gardens, designed so that people living with Dementia can gain maximum quality of life from their surroundings.

“We Care.” It’s not just a logo, it’s our lifestyle.

See you next Month!

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Welcome to 2018. It doesn’t seem as if much time has passed since we were welcoming 2017!

These are the big things and they’re exciting.

But in the end it’s the little things, daily smiles and heartfelt connections that continue to make us a thriving and flourishing community.

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I AM sure many of your readers who have medical problems, and may have applied for a disability sticker for their car, may now find themselves in a similar predicament as myself.

It seems inconceivable to me, that not only do we have to maintain our independence under difficult circumstances, we are now also being penalised by an annual ‘Ability to Drive Assessment’ which can cost us from $600-900

10 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

Living

Finding the good life Tracey Johnstone

“UNRETIREES” Stuart and Robin Cumming have left behind much of their old inner-city life to move to another state where the living is easier, the outlook healthy and enjoying work into older age a reality.

The couple moved in February to Silver Creek on the green rolling plains below the Victorian Alps, settling into a 10ha bushland property only 4km from the historic gold rush town of Beechworth.

Frenetic Sydney, with its push-me, pull-me attitude, made them start to feel claustrophobic which they decided simply wasn’t an attractive scene for the two soon-to-be 60-year-old business couple.

They had lived in the same eastern suburbs home for 29 years with their daughter Catherine, but over time Stuart said the people around them were getting too aggressive.

“Everything was money.

It was unpleasant,” Stuart said.

“We had been stressed at work for a long time and I think it was getting too hard,” Robin said.

“Trying to keep up a standard of living in the city just didn’t appeal anymore.”

By late last year Stuart’s family boutique catalogue agency was winding down as the advertising market changed which meant both he, and Robin who was the finance manager,

UNRETIREES: Revived and relaxed and with a whole exciting new world in front of them, “unretirees” Stuart and Robin Cumming.

were forced to look at their working futures and retirement.

A previous financial interest in the Indigo Vineyard at Beechworth and a close friendship with its general manager helped Robin and Stuart to make the relocation choice to a very different climate and home.

“It’s free range retirement down here; we’re not requiring the mobility scooters yet,” Stuart chuckled.

“The neighbours are mainly escapees from Melbourne because it is only three hours away.

“Beechworth is also a growing town with good health facilities.”

To kick-start their new semi-retirement future they formed Silver Creek Marketing.

Utilising Stuart’s consumer marketing and strategic planning skills with Robin’s accounting and administration experience, the couple are using this platform to move forward, with a variation on their past work life, and with tweaking courtesy of their new home.

“There are even more options on the menu in

that direction, albeit requiring trips to Sydney and maybe even Melbourne as that fertile retail marketing market opens up,” Stuart said.

The couple have also “inherited” three goats, some hens and about 300 protea and lucedrendron trees.

And now three alpacas which was the idea of daughter Catherine, 29, who is very supportive of her parents’ new home which she visits from Sydney whenever she can.

It’s been a quick learning process for Robin

and Stuart about living on a property habituated by waratahs and proteas and what to do with the trees which the previous owner planted.

Selling the flowers into the local florist shop is the first move.

“We are learning,” the happy couple both said.

Stuart’s other work interests include keeping his hand in at the old firm, Cumming Agency & Studios, working as a consultant and working with a private school in Sydney and another in northern New South Wales on developing

understandable and deliverable strategic plans.

And last month he was appointed to the Beechworth Community Bank/Bendigo Bank board to assist with strategic marketing.

“I see this as a good entree to developing a network down here,” Stuart said.

Robin is enjoying the break from full-time work.

Instead she is supporting Stuart in his projects and looking into how to improve the flower growing business which she sees as becoming a lucrative side business.

“What is retirement? I am working harder than I ever had as I have all these projects on,” Stuart said.

“We are keen to keep the connection of work,” Robin said.

“Stuart particularly enjoys the intellectual stimulation of his various projects.

“We are keen to keep it going, just not at the same intensity as we had previously.

“The fact that the responsibility is just us and not a number of other people that we are employing, it’s a very big relief.

“We are very much in control of our destiny and nobody else’s.

“Stuart and I can go any direction we like which is exciting and a little bit scary.

“We see it as a new direction; a new lease on life.”

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Coffs and Clarence

Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

NOW IS THE TIME TO DISCOVER A LIFE BEYOND DREAMS...

Seniors 11

LIMITED EDITION LUXURY BEACHSIDE APARTMENTS

WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LIFE. IT BEGINS HERE...

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A limited number of 3 bedroom apartments will be available. Be the first to secure yours, register your interest today at bathersbeachside.com/register or call our sales team on 0477 432 432 or visit our new sales and display centre located at 113 Landsborough Avenue, Scarborough.

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12 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

Pete’s Place ready for Christmas ❝

Living

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

Good weather means homeless centre finished BUILDING work on Coffs Harbour’s new homeless services centre, Pete’s Place, is almost complete, despite wet weather which the project manager said had put most local building projects about a fortnight behind schedule.

Planned for completion on December 22, the centre’s manager Dave Tilson hopes the drop-in centre will be able to open shortly after Christmas, if not before, as homelessness does not take holidays.

His previous job in Geelong included managing homelessness outreach staff and a support service for independent living units, mostly focused on homeless people over 50 and linking homelessness

Pete’s Place will be managed through the St Vincent de Paul Society, with a heavy reliance on local volunteers. It is named after the late Peter Grealy... services with aged care.

A purpose-built extension to the Coffs Harbour Neighbourhood Centre has been supported by Coffs Harbour City Council, local tradespeople and service clubs.

Pete’s Place will be managed through the St Vincent de Paul Society, with a heavy reliance on local volunteers.

It is named after the late Peter Grealy, a benefactor of the St Vincent de Paul Society.

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A spokesman for the society said Mr Tilson had been very heartened by the good response to last month’s call for volunteers through the Coffs Coast Advocate newspaper, but any other interested people were welcome to add their names to the list.

Mr Tilson can be contacted on 0438 931 201 from Monday-Thursday from 9am-noon.

Peter’s Place drop-in centre will offer homeless people laundry and bathroom facilities, computer access and access and referral to government and non-government services, but will not offer accommodation.

An official opening is planned for mid-January.

STEADY HANDS: Dave Tilson, the manager of Coffs Harbour’s almost-completed homeless drop-in centre, has worked in homeless services and housing in the UK and Australia for more than 20 years.

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GRANNY flats are a cost effective alternative housing solution for retirees, our aging and disabled community, investors or simply a way to extend your existing living space.

And the process is much easier that you might think!

First things first; by council regulation you must have a minimum block size of 450sq m that already has an existing primary dwelling.

Once you know your block size, then you are ready to find a granny flat provider.

It is best to find a reputable company with start-to-finish service that is able to take care of all the intricate details to keep the process stress free for you.

Design – Establish what your main purpose is for the granny flat, your budget and the most suitable design for you.

PERSONAL DESIGN: Discuss with your provider the internal layout of your granny flat and see if it can be customised to suit your individual needs.

Your provider may have set designs to choose from, or why not bring your own? Discuss with your provider the internal layout of your granny flat and see if it can be customised to suit your individual needs. It is particularly important for our ageing and disabled sector to be able to customise accordingly.

Approve – This is where most of us think things get tricky but a good provider will be able to take care of your council application and ensure the position of your granny flat complies with council regulations including zoning and site location in accordance with the existing electrical, water, sewer or

septic services.

Construct – Time to get started!

No matter your purpose, using the right provider will make building a granny flat a stress free experience you will not regret. For more, go to: eastcoastgrannyflats. com.au.

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Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Local Story

Coffs and Clarence

Seniors 13

Sculpture by the sea

Inspiring knitters pitch in to create a lifesaving sculpture THE women of Sydney’s Bougainvillea Retirement Village are honoured to have been part of the scores of knitters who contributed to the sculpture Look Out For Me. The 4.5m high tribute sculpture stood proudly on Tamarama Beach as part of this year’s Sculpture by the Sea. The tall red watch tower was encased in 500 individually knitted surf lifesaving red and yellow flags, many of which carried the name of the knitter and a beach that has a meaning to them.

Group co-ordinator Gill Stemp, 81, and her craft room friends, Cathy Andrews, 85, Gladys Benjamin, 95 and Shirley Cowell, 89, put their knitting skills to work to produce about 20 flags each which adorned the structure conceived by sculptor Linton Meagher.

“Quite an honour”, “pleasing”, “something different”, “tell all my

friends” was this group’s reaction to Linton’s request for help.

It’s not something any of them had done before, nor did they expect to ever have the chance to contribute to anything like the internationally acclaimed Sculpture by the Sea. Another village resident, the sprightly Nance Kimber at 102 years old, introduced Linton to the craft group.

“I have known Linton since he was young,” Nance said as Linton looked on in mutual admiration.

Linton, who is a neuropsychiatrist with a particular interest in Parkinson’s, was inspired by his deep respect for his elderly grandfather Harry Mills, who died recently at 102, and from working with elderly people.

“I realised there was a very strong need for connection and the elderly are very keen to be engaged, to be part of the community,” Linton said.

INSPIRATIONAL: Bouganvillea Retirement Village resident Nancy Kimber with family friend and Sculpture by the Sea artist, Linton Meagher.

PHOTO: TRACEY JOHNSTONE

Linton engaged the support of three different groups to knit the iconic red and yellow flags.

There was the group from Bougainvillea, another from his

grandfather’s Crowley Retirement Village in Ballina and the third from east Sydney’s Beehive Industries which is a social enterprise supporting seniors and

persons with disability.

“What impressed me was the hard-working nature of the people who were keen to pitch in and deliver without too much fuss or draw attention to

themselves; very different to working with the younger generation,” he added.

To view Look Out For Me, go to www.sculpture bythesea.com/bondi.

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14 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

STAY AT HOME

Tips for home care choices Learn about choosing your package provider Home Care Today

THINK about what is important to you.

Your priority may be having a care worker who understands your language and culture, flexibility to access support when needed and being able to start services immediately. ❚ Talk to family, friends and people you know and ask for their recommendations. ❚ If you have access to the internet and feel comfortable to do searches, use the new, improved Service Finder on the My Aged Care website to compare providers.

If you are less comfortable using the internet, maybe a family member can sit down with

you to do the online search. ❚ Ensure you have your unique package referral code which is in the letter confirming that you have been assigned a package when contacting a provider. ❚ You have 56 days from the date your package has been assigned to choose a provider.

This can be extended by a further 28 days if required.

You need to call My Aged Care to arrange this.

QUESTIONS YOU MAY LIKE TO ASK SELECTED PROVIDERS

❚ What variety of services can they provide or source for you?

❚ How flexible are they? If they can’t provide something themselves, will they help you to find it somewhere else? ❚ Where are they located? ❚ How often will you see or speak with your case manager or adviser? ❚ What is included in the case management fee? ❚ Can you choose how much or how little you are involved in self-managing your care plan and budget? ❚ What’s their reputation?

You may ask to speak to one of their consumers already receiving care. ❚ What are the costs and charges for services, including case management, administration, hourly rates, exit fees etc? ❚ Will they negotiate how much you pay for the

HELPING HAND: Choosing a home care package provider can be overwhelming at first, but there are some strategies you can use.

Basic Daily Fee? ❚ If you have specific cultural or language needs, do they have staff who speak your language?

HELP IS AT HAND

Choosing a home care package provider can be overwhelming at first, but there are some strategies you can use.

By thinking about what is important to you, talking to family and friends, checking out the service finder on the My Aged Care website and contacting different providers to find out what they can offer, you stand the best chance of finding a provider who will meet your needs.

TO FIND OUT MORE

❚ Compare providers using the My Aged Care Service Finder on the Home Care Today website. ❚ Go to www.homecare today.org.au to read Choosing Your Home Care Provider Checklist and Changing Providers Considerations and checklist.

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ENABLE YOUR LIFESTYLE

Coffs and Clarence

Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 15

STAY AT HOME

Steps you can take at home to prevent falls A few precautions make world of difference AS WE age, unfortunately, the chance of falling increases.

For many older people and their families, worrying about falls can be very stressful and unsettling.

Not only can falls bring physical injury and the need for rehabilitation, they can result in loss of confidence for older people, holding them back from doing the things they love.

The good news is there are a number of proactive falls prevention steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of falls, including things you can do at home, so that you and your loved ones can get on with doing the things that matter most.

Say goodbye to trip

hazards Eliminate trip hazards around the home such as uneven surfaces, rugs that are loose, curled at the edges or frayed, cords running along the floor, poor lighting, clutter and slippery floors.

Keep it in reach Encourage your older relatives or friends to keep things within reach – small changes such as using a cordless phone placed by their side and placing commonly used items within reach can make a difference.

Stay healthy and active with fall prevention exercises Provide support and encourage your loved one to keep moving and engage in exercise to improve muscle strength

and balance. Remember that good hydration and nutrition are also important.

Make sure clothing and shoes fit Ensuring that your family member or friend has shoes and clothing that fits well is a foundation to reducing the risk of falls. Shoes should be non-slip, fit firmly and be the correct size, and not cause any pain.

Clothing should be comfortable, the right length and fit well.

Check it out Visit your GP regularly and discuss any illnesses or health concerns such as pain, dizziness, poor balance, vision problems or discomfort in walking.

Chat about what treatment and support is

EMBRACE THE HELP: Mobility aids such as a walker can help reduce the risk of falls around the home. Talk to a GP or physiotherapist about what’s available and right for you.

PHOTO: KERRY WILSON

available.

Don’t be shy when it comes to mobility aids Mobility aids such as a walker, walking stick and handrails can help reduce the risk of falls around the

home. Talk to a GP or physiotherapist about what’s available and right for you.

This article is published on YourLife, an website run by The Whiddon Group

providing information, practical suggestions and inspiring stories about healthy ageing and aged care. Visit the website: whiddon.com.au/yourlife.

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16 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

News for you

Barnesy and his demons some of those demons in their place at last,” he said.

“The sooner I open up and let this poison out, the better things will be.

“It’s taken 60 years and I’m still afraid, but I have to put some things back on track before it’s too late.”

Jimmy felt the need to “get over” his painful childhood experiences to benefit his family, especially his grandchildren.

“If I didn’t, they would have to struggle with demons that I had brought from my childhood into theirs,” he said.

“If you want to change the way you feel about yourself, especially when you feel as bad as I did about myself, then you have to do things that you are proud of.

“Singing gave me a sense of being worth something. I used to go to church so I could sing in the choir.”

His first best-selling book, Working Class Boy, is a harrowing story of a Scottish migrant boy from Glasgow, growing up with his parents, Jim and

IF YOU would like to submit a community notice and a photo, please ensure the photo is at least 180dpi or 500kb to 1mb in size and of faces, in a nice bright setting. The deadline for the next issue is January 12. Email Nicky or Chris: communitynotes@seniors newspaper.com.au.

GRAFTON SENIOR CITIZENS

OUR recent events have been a bus trip to Evans Head for an annual picnic, and annual Christmas party luncheon with 140 members attending.

Several members attended recent Seniors Christmas concert, put on

WORKING CLASS HERO: Jimmy travels the country promoting his second book, his long-lasting “road to ruin” has fortunately taken a turn for the better.

Dorothy Swan, and five siblings in an impoverished and violent household.

It was a tough tale to tell. Drunkenness, child abuse, fighting and the shame of his deprived circumstances come into play. His alcoholic,

abusive father was not a good role model.

“He’d send me to neighbours to borrow money,” Jimmy said.

“I swore I would never be like my parents.”

Jimmy’s affection for his mother, Dot – who gave birth to five children

before the age of 21 – is all too obvious from his writings.

“My mum was a tough woman,” he said.

“I can only guess what her life was like. Her life was atrocious. “(My father’s) problems got worse and she was

by State Government, at local theatre. Activities will be in recess from mid December to mid January.

There is no meeting in January and the AGM will be held with general meeting, 10am, Tuesday, February 13. Inquiries: phone publicity officer Sandra on 6642 7720.

YAMBA TWILIGHT STREET MARKETS

of Yamba’s Chocolate Wheel, jewellery, clothing, arts and craft, food, fresh produce, gourmet products, drinks and much more. It’s a great holiday atmosphere and the best way to spend New Year’s Day during the twilight evening in the beautiful coastal town of Yamba.

THE Yamba Twilight Street Markets is an annual market event held on New Year’s Day from 4-8pm.

Coldstream Street, is closed to traffic for this community event. There will be lots of stalls featuring the Rotary Club

2000 miles from support.

“The safest I’ve ever felt was when she held me in her arms.”

Dot died in September 2016, before Jimmy’s first book was published.

“I’m glad she didn’t have to read (the autobiography), because she lived it,” Jimmy said.

“She wouldn’t have liked to think that she’s damaged us.”

The damage, the demons Jimmy speaks of, has taken its toll.

The love and support from his “darling” wife Jane, children and grandchildren have helped. In his battle against alcoholism and drug addiction, Jimmy has had times of clarity.

The Barnes family spent some time in France after a financial collapse. Even there, Jimmy was still “troubled”.

His adult life has been a rollercoaster ride of career successes and disappointments, of riotous behaviour and selfdestructive tendencies.

Many of his records have topped the charts and his fans adore him no matter what.

BELLINGEN MARKETS

JANUARY 20 is the time to head to Market Park in Bellingen for the town’s monthly market under the trees with crafts, produce, live entertainment, food, drink and rides.

Merry Christmas from all at Seniors.

Presented by Loving LIFE FM 103.1 AUSTRALIA DAY 26TH JANUARY 2018 The Barn, Grafton Showground, BBQ 6pm, Concert 7pm, Free Admission Includes the Grafton premiere Of ‘Outback Rider’ a short film

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THE pain of a povertystricken childhood marred by violence is hard for anyone to shake off.

Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes tried for many years, numbing his anguish with an abundance of alcohol, drugs and wild behaviour.

In recent times, he has beaten his “demons” by writing about his life in a two-volume autobiography, laying bare the disappointments, drug-taking, violence, shame and desperation of a man frequently “out of control”.

Working Class Man is the second volume, released last month. At the start of this book, 17-year-old Jimmy leaves his childhood home in Elizabeth, Adelaide, with his new band, Cold Chisel.

Despite all the charttopping records in the years that followed, both with the band and solo, the fame, adulation and good fortune, Jimmy’s “demons” stuck relentlessly by his side.

For him, writing his autobiography was part of the healing process.

“It allowed me to put

Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Local Story

Coffs and Clarence

Seniors 17

Enjoying a timeless career Life of a creative man NEITHER the march of the years nor a series of strokes has daunted Dr Ralph Lillford.

Now 85, the prolific British-born artist and academic who moved to Coffs Harbour in 1997 has been drawing and painting all his life and has work in British and international collections.

He occupies two pages of the recently published British catalogue Oil Paintings in Public Ownership for London West. He says he will never stop working, although the strokes have slowed him down.

In the aftermath of each one he has worked tirelessly to reclaim his skills with pen and paintbrush through hours of exercises over many months A keen interest in current affairs, combined with a stubborn streak and an ability to get his foot in the door, has seen Ralph carry his sketchbook and paint brushes into situations ranging from the humorous to the hair-raising and to countries from Russia to India.

He first won recognition for his work at the age of nine in 1941, winning an all-schools ‘Dig for Victory’ poster competition with Sergeant Potato, a work which is now included in the National Army Museum, After National Service in Egypt and the Suez Canal in the 1950s, he found his work in demand by institutions discovering a dearth of records of the National Services environment overseas.

This last phase of British colonial history has

recently been brought to local TV screens by the ABC in The Last Post.

In the 1970s he was chased and stoned on the Creggan Estate and detained by armed men in balaclavas after his insistence on making an independent record of the troubles in Northern Ireland put him at odds with both Irish and English forces.

In 2006 this work was the subject of Painting the Troubles, an exhibition at the National Army Museum and a book by the museum’s head of fine and decorative arts Jenny Spencer-Smith.

In the late 1980s he began trying to get permission to enter the underground worksite of the Channel Tunnel.

He wanted to record what was at the time the world’s largest and most expensive and daring construction project, finally completed in 1994.

He finally gained access and his images of this shadowy, dangerous world are striking ones, especially the giant boring machine which chewed its way through the undersea rock.

A stained-glass interpretation of his 1991 painting of the French tunnel-boring machine at rest holds a prominent place in the artist’s Coffs Harbour home. The original was bought by the Queen. He is down to earth about portrait painting.

“You have to give people what they want – they might want you to leave out marks, change colours or make a bosom bigger.”

One of Ralph’s subjects, who is no longer around to object to the depiction of the shape of

RICH IMAGINATION: Ralph with his 1991 drawing in the service tunnel of the Channel Tunnel, underneath the main tunnel.

PHOTO: BELINDA SCOTT

his nose or any other features is the English composer Edward Elgar, composer of Land of Hope and Glory, among many other works.

A larger version of Ralph’s portrait of Elgar will be included in a new music centre being built in Los Angeles by entrepreneur Sir Richard Wintershaw.

The Elgar portrait is being sponsored by Kazakhstan and Ralph has already travelled to Paris to meet Kazakhstan’s ambassador and present him with the portrait.

Ralph has recently completed a portrait of 88-year-old American Professor Ronald Paulson, a specialist in English

18th century art and culture, especially artist, printmaker and satirist William Hogarth.

Ralph Lillford’s doctorate was on William Hogarth’s engravings illustrating Samuel Butler’s satirical poem Hudibras. He also determined a method for dating undocumented Hogarth prints and helped

to catalogue the collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

He has painted Paulson in front of Hogarth’s house, with the names of Hogarth’s friends incorporated in the path on one side of the figure and the names of his inventions incorporated in the grass on the other side.

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Belinda Scott

18 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

Money

Budget downsizing advice AUSTRALIA’S property market could get an unexpected volume boost from mid next year when the Federal Government’s new home downsizing program, announced in the last budget, is due to come into effect.

That’s assuming the legislation passes and that a sizeable number of eligible Australians take up the option of selling their principal place of residence to buy a smaller home, with a view to injecting more money into their superannuation.

Some may already be planning out their house sale. But doing so, without proper advice, could be a really bad financial move.

Firstly, here’s what the government announced in the May budget as part of a series of initiatives aimed at freeing up housing stock across the country for upsizers and younger families.

From July 1, 2018, individuals aged 65 or over will be able to sell their principal place of residence if it has been held for a minimum of 10 years, and deposit up to $300,000 of the proceeds into their superannuation account.

Couples will be able to deposit up to $600,000.

The existing restrictions on voluntary contributions for people aged 65 and older, including the work test for those aged between 65 and 74 years old, and the ban on super contributions for those aged 75 and over, will not

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Neither will the restrictions on making further non-concessional contributions for people with account balances above $1.6 million.

On the surface, the policy could be regarded as a win-win for retirees and those seeking out a home.

However, before heading down the pathway to downsizing your home, it’s very important to tally up both the raw costs and the potential risks.

Depending on your circumstances, including where you live and where you intend to buy, and your total assets position, selling up and buying another property could become a decision you’ll later regret.

As well as the substantial costs associated with selling and buying a property, home downsizing will likely result in many individuals or couples losing part or all of their existing or future Age Pension entitlements.

THE RAW COSTS OF MOVING

Moving homes is never cheap, but there’s a stark difference in selling and buying costs based on location, and what you sell and buy.

I’ve calculated the median costs of moving home in each of Australia’s eight capital cities, taking into account the general costs incurred when selling and buying.

FINANCE TONY KAYE Canberra is Australia’s cheapest downsizing capital for pensioners, with a median changeover cost of $23,497.

That’s because all pensioners pay virtually no stamp duty on property purchases in the Australian Capital Territory.

Victoria has a full or partial stamp duty concession scheme for eligible pensioners, provided the value of a property does not exceed certain levels.

Under those price thresholds, no stamp duty is payable.

Darwin is the only other capital city to apply a pensioner stamp duty discount, taking $10,000 off the governing rate.

No surprises that Sydney is the most expensive downsizing capital, with a median changeover cost of $59,416, followed by Melbourne with a median changeover cost of $45,961 (based on a partial stamp duty concession).

The median prices for houses and units in all the major cities are based on recent CoreLogic data, and calculations assume most individuals or couples who take up the downsizing option will sell a larger house to buy a

smaller unit.

That’s what downsizing is meant to be about.

However, depending on which suburbs you are buying and selling in, the costs of downsizing may be much higher.

Total costs take into account the general costs of selling and buying, including fees, commissions and stamp duty.

I’ve applied a standard real estate agents’ commission of 2.5 per cent and $5000 for marketing. These costs can vary considerably.

I’ve also applied a standard conveyancing cost of $1000 for both selling and buying. Again, this cost will vary.

Typically, there are additional costs – mainly with selling a house – such as for pre-sale repairs and maintenance, and sometimes for staging furniture. These can easily add thousands more to the cost.

THE HIDDEN PENSION TRAP

For individuals and couples with low superannuation balances, especially those receiving a part or full Age Pension, it’s important to tread very carefully when considering the Federal Government’s home downsizing scheme.

While it may seem a sensible strategy to inject more funds into superannuation to capture the benefits of tax-free income in pension phase, the end result could be

financially disastrous.

Consider that the family home is exempt from the assets test used for calculating pension entitlements, while all other assets outside of the home including superannuation are taken into account.

Average superannuation balances at retirement already put many Australians close to or over the pension assets test thresholds.

The thresholds were changed on January 1 this year.

The recent asset test changes have already led to some people moving around their financial assets so they can receive the pension, including directing more money into their tax-exempt family home.

Downsizing their home would therefore be an illogical move for them.

It will be critical that people receive personal financial advice, especially with respect to social security means testing, as selling the primary residence (exempt asset) and contributing proceeds into superannuation (counted against the assets test) may reduce, or even remove, their entitlement to the Age Pension.

To read the full report, go to: www.seniors news.com.au.

Tony Kaye is the editor of Eureka Report, which is owned by financial services company InvestSMART: www.investsmart.com.au.

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Coffs and Clarence

Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 19

Travel

10 top travel wardrobe items Ann Rickard

WE’VE all done it – over-packed. A heavy suitcase loaded with clothes, most of which will not be worn, is a curse to all travellers, especially the senior.

Travel author Ann Rickard spoke to Lee Watt, of Brisbane’s Soubret Pink boutique, who can help women construct 20 different looks from just 10 pieces. The secret lies in being disciplined and the benefits are stress-free travel.

1. Stick to the numbers: two pairs of pants, six tops, one of them doubling as a lightweight cardigan/jacket. That’s it. Oh, shoes... of

course, they don’t come into the 10 items, but you’ll need three pairs.

And scarves, three of them.

2. The pants or jeans should be black or navy to create a basic background.

Comfort is essential.

Mac Jay make a good pull-on jean without any hardware at the front that will accentuate the tummy. They are stretchy, don’t cut you in half and come in sizes 8 through 20. They are even comfortable to wear on a long-haul flight. A straight-leg jean is best. It can be worn as casual during the day and dressed-up for evening wear. Basic black pants will go with

everything.

3. Six tops are all you need. Some can be plain, others must have black or navy in them.

Mela Purdie and Verge make beautiful and flattering tops suitable for the mature woman.

Every top must co-ordinate with the jeans or pants.

4. Three scarves will help bring the outfits together or make them look different. Perhaps a plain white or black scarf and one with some navy or black in it.

The scarves will double as wraps to keep you warm or work as an accessory when tied different ways.

5. Three pairs of shoes.

A walking shoe, a good

casual shoe for day wear and a pair for evening.

That’s it. No more.

6. Two bags. A small evening bag, one travelling bag. Baggallini do a good travel bag designed by two American flight attendants. It has zips and pockets for passports and documents, and it also has room for your laptop.

7. Four items of costume jewellery (plus earrings). Never take good jewellery when travelling. Lee suggests two short and two long necklaces, and if you have one in gold and one with pearls you can put them together for a double look.

8. One of the tops that doubles as a cardigan.

If you are going to a very cold country in winter, you can still work with just these basic pieces, but you will need a good warm coat, a hat, gloves and boots.

You wear your outers and just peel off when inside to the basic pieces. You don’t need heavy jumpers and cardigans.

9. Choose items in fabrics that don’t wrinkle or need ironing and can be rolled for packing. The ten items chosen will all fit into a small 7kg carry-on case and leave room for toiletries. If you stick to the ten items rule you can make the different

outfits show variety and style and they will do you for a three-week holiday.

10. We all make mistakes and throw in something extra. It takes discipline to stick to the ten items, so when packing, no drinking wine.

Feedback on this approach has been excellent. One woman who disciplined herself to stick to the 10, wrote: “It was so liberating, so easy to pack and go every morning. I didn’t need to think of what to put together each day. I went to top class restaurants, hiked in the jungle, slept in hammocks and stayed at Raffles, all with just those pieces...”.

20 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

Travel

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

Paris turns it on with a hot summer evening SNAPSHOTS OF LIFE ANN RICKARD ann.rickard@apn.com.au

WE’D already been spoilt beyond our expectations.

On board luxury hotel barge, Panache, operated

by European Waterways, we had sailed from Paris out from the Seine along the Canal du Nord to the River Oise, and had a week of outstanding experiences both on board and on shore.

We had been fed multi-course gourmet meals featuring exquisite local produce, we had indulged in French Martinis from the open bar at 11am, sipped exquisite wines from some of the most renowned regions in France at both lunch and dinner, and been introduced to a variety of delicious cheeses and given a little bit of their fascinating history.

We had visited Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, walked in Van Gogh’s steps in Auvers-sur-Oise where the great artist spent 70 days before his death, and where he painted prolifically. Still there was more. We had trawled the opulent Chateau del Malmaison near Paris where Josephine spent much of Napoleon’s money while he was away fighting the Egyptian campaign.

On our last night after a week of gentle, slow barging through the fertile and forested region north of Paris, we were ready to say a sad goodbye to the

captain and crew of Panache and go on our way. We glided slowly into Paris past the futuristic La Défense business district with its glass architecture, and then right into the heart of Paris and all its glorious buildings, its famous landmarks and monuments and its handsome bridges. We had all rushed with cameras as we past Notre Dame peeking at us above the trees, and again as we came close to the Pont de Grenelle where a replica Statue of Liberty stood, quite imposing despite its smaller scale.

Our itinerary included a final dinner in Paris on board on this last night.

But first, a slow shuffle up and down the Seine.

It was a hot summer’s Friday night. It seemed as though all of Paris had come out into the streets to celebrate the beginning of the weekend. As we

❝

We had visited Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, walked in Van Gogh’s steps... cruised ever so slowly along the Seine (feeling pretty smug I can tell you) we were delighted to see hundreds of people lining the river banks. They were sitting on walls and hanging over bridges, some were in nearby in parks, others in river-side restaurants. Almost everyone had a bottle of wine within hand-reach.

Then there was the dancing - proper dancing in the old-fashioned way – at intervals all along the

riverside. All that was required was an accordion or a music player and off they took to tango, waltz, foxtrot right on the riverside in the open air.

We tied up at dusk beneath the Eiffel Tower and sat at one with Paris as night came in and the lights on the tower began to twinkle. Could it get any better? Actually, yes. Our chef Olie had prepared a five-course banquet, and the crew brought out course after course with yet more sublime wines and then champagne, and we let the hot Paris night have its way with us.

A private boat in front of us was the stage for a swish party. We watched elegant women in short skirts climbed on board with attractive young men, and then we watched them dance on the upper deck, and then we ate more food and drank more champagne and looked up to the twinkling Eiffel Tower and felt all our travel dreams had been packaged into this one special night. European Waterways has 17 vessels in nine countries with a wide variety of themed luxury barge cruises from walking, biking, food, wine, family tours.

Accommodation is spacious enough with private bathrooms, the service is exceptional (usually five crew to eight passengers), the food is local and spectacular, wines are carefully matched, the bar is always open, and shore excursions are emmersive. Prices are all-inclusive.

More at: europeanwaterways. com.au.

THE PROFESSIONALS: The crew of our luxury barge, Panache.

PHOTOS: ANN RICKARD

The stunningly beautiful Paris at night.

Learn what vaccines you need before travelling TRAVEL health specialist Dr Danforn Lim talked exclusively to Seniors News about what vaccines seniors should remember getting before they head off on their next travel adventure.

WHAT VACCINES ARE NEEDED AND FOR WHERE?

Hepatitis A ■ Outbreaks occur throughout the world and sometimes in countries

with a low risk for hepatitis A. ■ You can get it through contaminated food or water.

■ This vaccine is recommended for most travellers, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.

■ Talk to your doctor to see if the hepatitis A vaccine is right for you.

Malaria

■ Certain countries may have a higher risk of catching malaria.

■ Avoid mosquito bites.

■ Prescription medicine may be needed before, during, and after a trip to prevent malaria, depending on travel plans, such as where you are going, when you are travelling, and if you are spending a lot of time outdoors or sleeping outside.

■ Talk to your doctor about other ways you can

prevent malaria.

Yellow fever ■ It’s a risk in certain parts of the world.

■ You need to get this vaccine at a yellow fever vaccine accredited medical centre.

You can reduce the risk of getting an infectious disease by taking some simple preventative measures. Good advice on the main health risks of travelling to particular countries can be found online at VaccineHub,

Smartraveller and by consulting a doctor.

WHERE TO GET VACCINES DONE, AND WHERE NOT TO?

Most travel vaccines can be done at the local medical centre or at your family GP practice.

OLDER DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN WISER

■ About 41 per cent of seniors travelling to an ‘at-risk’ destination didn’t see a doctor for a pre-travel health check before their last trip.

■ More than half of seniors ‘at-risk’ travellers are more worried about terrorism or plane crashes than catching diseases when travelling overseas.

For more on travel vaccines go to: vaccinehub.com.au.

Travel

Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Coffs and Clarence

Straddie’s wow factor Shirley Sinclair

JUST like that Golden Breed t-shirt from the 1970s that was so cool and comfortable to wear, Stradbroke Island is a classic.

It’s the family beach holiday idea that can be pulled out of the cupboard at a moment’s notice and everyone will be happy with the choice.

That’s because Straddie, as it is affectionately known, never wears out its appeal for the surfer, the foodie, the nature lover, the beachcomber and even the “lazy bones” who simply enjoys relaxing and taking in the spectacular scenery.

And what you see is what you get, year after year.

Sitting on Brisbane’s doorstep, just a 45 minute vehicular ferry ride across Moreton Bay from Cleveland, the great majority of Straddie’s

27,530ha has barely changed over the decades and has always remained true to itself.

Locals and visitors have vehemently resisted the idea of a costly bridge link to Brisbane, so the world’s second-largest sand island hasn’t been loved to death.

To the casual observer, Straddie remains largely undiscovered.

The wide variety of accommodation isn’t dominated by hotels and resorts, but rather by house and apartment rentals (even original beach shacks) and camping and cabin facilities (including glamping tents at Adder Rock Campground).

Long beach walks on sandy stretches of pristine beach and over weathered rock pools barely encounter a soul on weekdays.

The bush, ocean and suburban townships (Dunwich, Amity Point and

Point Lookout) still teem with birds and wildlife all-year round.

The clear, pristine waters are naturally refreshing for humans and a favourite haunt for frolicking humpbacks during the annual whale migration from late May to early November.

Classic Straddie is the 20 minute drive from Dunwich to Point Lookout and pulling up at the surf club carpark for that first panorama of 32km Main Beach.

It’s pinpointing the perfect patch of sand to park the 4WD, setting up the gazebo for shade under a cloudless sky and settling in for a day of unadulterated bliss with no one else within cooee of you.

It’s battling ferocious shore dumps to get out the back amid the turtles, colourful fish and dolphins while waiting for a 6-8ft beauty to catch back into shore.

Seniors 21

SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL: Straddie is blessed with over half a dozen stunning beaches.

Classic Straddie is hotfooting it across golden sand to bodysurf Cylinder Beach, followed by fish and chips or a cold seafood lunch straight off the trawler.

It’s the 7km drive inland from Dunwich to Brown Lake for a lazy, wet loll before a picnic at Amity Point.

Classic Straddie is a cold ale under a huge outdoor umbrella in the Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel beer garden,

overlooking the water.

It’s the cheeky male kookaburra perching himself on a patio railing, hoping for a free dinner, and playing fetch with your dog on Home Beach.

Classic Straddie is taking the North Gorge Walk and encountering a family of kangaroos on dusk, or waiting for turtles in the washing machine-like gorge to come up for air, or the camera-shy echidna concentrating on an ant

dinner under a fallen log.

It’s taking a seat on the vehicular ferry deck outside the cafe, drinking in the Moreton Bay views and reflecting on another great weekend away that you should do a lot more often.

So what if you wear Old Guys Rule t-shirt these days?

Just like Straddie, you’re still a classic.

For more information about Stradbroke, visit stradbrokeisland.com.

COMES TO WOOLGOOLGA NEW YEAR SURPRISE: On February 26, Coastal Travel have a Mystery Tour with Grand Pacific Tours.

PHOTO: MAXPIXEL’S CONTRIBUTORS

Create special memories have a Mystery Tour with Grand Pacific Tours somewhere in our local area – it’s a fun outing and a great way to learn about touring New Zealand.

We celebrate the 10th birthday of Coastal Travel in March, a feat made possible only by the support of our very knowledgeable staff, our local community and customers from all over Australia.

On March 15, we host a Youth Travel information night, with five speciality operators presenting.

It’s a great evening for young people to learn about travel.

We have gift vouchers too, if you would like to

get your grandchildren started on a travel adventure.

In May, a guest speaker from APT/ Travemarvel will present their latest offers.

In October, Rhonda Singh also a director will escort a small group to India. This unique tour will focus on the fabulous textiles, art and food of India, visit some of the iconic cities in Rajasthan and celebrate the Diwali Festival at a small community in the foothills of the Himalaya.

Let Coastal Travel help you make your next holiday the most memorable yet. Website: coastaltravel.com.au.

ADVERTORIAL

A UNIQUE KIWI PRESENTATION

• 2 hr experience including a short journey on the KiwiConnectioNZ coach • Try out the 2 BUSINESS CLASS seats, a key feature of Ultimate Small Group Touring • Captivating presentation • Talk to the experts • EXCLUSIVE offers* • FREE info bag • Light refreshments*

LIMITED SEATS RSVP ONLINE AT

NZcomestotown.com/Woolgoolga or call Coastal Travel on 6654 8114 LIMITED mail@coastaltravel.com.au 1/5 Market St, Woolgoolga *Conditions apply. Offers available on new bookings only. Light refreshments weather permitting.

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BUSY, fun and serendipitous. Three words that sum up 2017 at Coastal Travel.

Our local community travels to such a variety of destinations, we never know where in Australia or the world our next booking will be... and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

Our first small group tour this year visited Peru in September/ October on an itinerary designed and escorted

by Coastal Travel director Sandra Whittington.

The tour was a great success and has generated interest for another tour to Peru.

Our 2018 is already shaping up to be a big year. On February 26, we

Grand Pacific Tours in conjunction with Coastal Travel invite you to enjoy a taste of New Zealand coach touring.

Date Monday 26 February 2018 Time 1.30 - 3.30pm Pick up point Bus stop, Beach Road, Woolgoolga

22 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

Travel

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

Best of Latin America 15 jaw-dropping attractions in this extraordinary country THE world’s tallest waterfall, driest desert, longest mountain range and biggest carnival are all found in Latin America, with the spectacular natural and cultural marvels drawing increasing numbers of tourists to the continent each year.

As Australia’s first and longest-running tour operator for Latin America, Contours Travel has released a list of the top 15 record-breaking attractions across South and Central America: 1. Tallest waterfall in the world – Angel Falls, Venezuela At 979m tall, the majestic Angel Falls tumbles from a cleft on the edge of the Auyan-tepui mountain. It is considered one of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders.

2. Widest street in the world – July 9 Ave, Buenos Aires Buenos Aires’ grand boulevard, July 9 Ave, is the world’s widest street.

Named after Argentina’s Independence Day, the avenue is 140m wide and includes seven lanes of traffic in each direction and another two parallel side streets as well as medians containing monuments and gardens.

3. Driest desert in the world – Atacama Desert, Chile The huge Atacama Desert receives on average 15mm of rain a year, while many of its weather stations have never recorded a single drop.

4. Highest volcano in the world – Nevado Ojos del Salado, Argentina/ Chile Towering 6893m above sea level, the world’s highest active volcano is located on the border of Argentina and Chile.

5. Biggest rainforest in the world – Amazon Rainforest Spreading across the territory of nine different countries, the Amazon Rainforest covers 5.5 million square kilometres.

TRAVEL: Tallest waterfall in the world – Angel Falls, Venezuela.

The Amazon River is also the world’s largest river in volume, containing 20 per cent of the Earth’s fresh water.

6. Deepest Canyon in the Americas – Cotahuasi Canyon, Peru With a depth of 335m – twice the depth of the Grand Canyon – Cotahuasi Canyon is also among the deepest in the world.

7. Highest capital city in the world – La Paz, Bolivia Located 3640m above sea level and 1400m higher than Australia’s Mt Kosciusko, La Paz is also an important cultural and

historical attraction.

8. Longest mountain range in the world – the Andes At 7000km long and stretching across seven countries, the Andes is the longest mountain range on the planet.

9. Oldest ruins in the Americas – Caral, Peru Dating back to 2000 BC, Caral is exceptionally well-preserved, features pyramids, monuments and temples and is sometimes known as the “cradle of civilisation”.

10. Closest point on Earth to the Sun – Mt Chimborazo, Ecuador

Because of the Earth’s bulge at the equator, the 6268m Mt Chimborazo is the farthest point from the centre of the planet and the closest to the sun.

11. World’s First World Heritage Site – Galapagos Islands, Ecuador In 1978, the Galapagos Islands was designed as one of UNESCO’s first World Heritage sites because of its abundant, rare and diverse wildlife.

12. Southernmost town in the world – Puerto Williams, Chile Located 54 degrees south of the equator, the far-south Patagonian town of Puerto Williams (population 3000) sits just south across the channel from the world’s southernmost city, Ushuaia (population 57,000).

13. Longest and narrowest countries in the world Many assume Chile, which stretches 4270km and contains seven distinct climates, is the world’s longest country from north to south but Brazil beats it by just 125km. Nevertheless,

Chile takes the record for the world’s narrowest country, averaging a width of just 175km.

14. Biggest carnival in the world – Carnaval, Rio de Janeiro Rio’s vibrant and colourful annual festival is held before Lent in February each year and attracts about two million people a day. Its origins date back to 1723.

15. Highest navigable lake in the world – Lake Titicaca, Peru/Bolivia Fabled as hiding the lost city of Atlantis beneath its surface, Lake Titicaca sits 3810m above sea level and is a popular tourist destination.

Contours Travel offers an extensive range of hosted trips and purpose-built itineraries designed for independent travellers, taking Australians to many of Latin America’s record-breaking attractions and other natural, cultural and historic sites.

For details phone Contours Travel on 1300 135 391 or go to www.contourstravel .com.au.

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Submit your photos, stories, events and notices online.

Look for the ‘share your event or story’ box on our home page. Visit us at seniorsnews.com.au

Coffs and Clarence

Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

What’s on

moving image artworks lighting up public building and spaces at Coffs Harbour Jetty from just after sundown until late from January 19-25. See them on Coffs Harbour’s Jetty Memorial Theatre; the old Forestry building on the nearby Jetty Strip; at Element Bar on Harbour Drive and on the quarry face at South Coffs Island.

Your region has a variety of events, so enjoy and celebrate

JOURNALIST BELINDA SCOTT

SAWTELL FAMILY MARKET

HAND MADE, pre-loved, crafts, clothes, books, treasures, candles and trinkets at Sawtell CWA Rooms, 8am-1pm, December 23 (fourth Saturday). Barbecue breakfast, lunch, Devonshire teas all at Sawtell Family Market.

WITHOUT CONSENT

GRAFTON Regional Gallery is hosting Without Consent, an exhibition shedding light on Australia’s past adoption practices from the 1950s to the 1970s, when many women were forced to give up their babies. The exhibition, open until January 27, was curated by the National Archives, which has also developed a companion www. forcedadoptions.naa. gov.au.

THE BRIDGES

ALSO on show at Grafton Gallery is The Bridges: The Second Year; The History of the Grafton (Bridge) and HSC art work from a selection of Clarence Valley high schools.

COFFS JETTY FAMILY CARNIVAL FAMILY-friendly carnival with all the usual carnie rides, games and good, March’s Amusements takes over a slice of Coffs

Harbour’s Jetty Foreshores from Friday, December 22 to Saturday, January 20 and is open every night from 6.30pm, weather permitting, with New Year’s Eve a big favourite.

VIOLET VIBES MUSIC FESTIVAL

COFFS HARBOUR ROCK GODS FESTIVAL (TBC)

ALL ages music festival over two stages at Grafton Racecourse on December 23. Kilter, Luke Million, Benson, Jordan Burns, Audio sonic VS Satori, Surge VS Dreamstate, GET DOWN, Nyxen, Kinder, Nocturnal Tapes, The Nights, Kealy Day, Salt & Steel, Ben Jackson B2B Daniel Webber, Sam Blanch B2B Wilso, TWO O, Cordilera, Chef De Party.

LOCAL food stalls and music focusing on the great bands and musicians that are no longer with us, on Saturday, January 20. See gothsandgamers.wixsite. com.

CINEMA UNDER THE STARS

NEWPORT TO COFFS COAST YACHT RACE

YACHTS will leave Pittwater for Coffs Harbour in the 2017 Pantaenius Newport to Coffs Coast Yacht Race will start in Pittwater on Wednesday, December 27 and the first boats could arrive on Thursday, December 28 through to Friday, December 29. Post-race celebrations Coffs Harbour Yacht Club. See royalmotor.com.au/ coffs-race.

INSANITY STREAK

INSANITY Streak with a Hint of Landscapes at the Bunker Cartoon Gallery features the work of cartoonist Tony Lopes, also a landscape photographer. The exhibition includes a selection of his photos taken locally and up and down the coast, as well as

Seniors 23

GET FESTIVE: Make sure you don’t miss the Woolgoolga Food and Wine Festival in the New Year on February 7 at 51 River Street, Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga.

his cartoons.

It’s open 10am-4pm daily until January 28, 2018, except for Christmas Day.

YAMBA FUN

YAMBA gets its party hat on over summer, with Yamba Twilight Street markets on January 1; the Yamba Ocean Swims on Sunday, January 7 and the Rotary Club’s Yamba Family Fun Day on January 14 with resident sandologist Steve Machel.

Watch the creation of a masterpiece of get competitive and put a team of four together or visit Yamba River Markets on Sunday, January 28.

SAWTELL SUPER FUN DAY

SAWTELL lets its hair down every New Year’s Day for its annual Sawtell Super Fun Day on January 1, now in its 98th year.

Enjoy and take part in the fun runs, procession, wood chopping, sprints, carnival rides, market day and the announcement of the Sawtellian of the Year for 2018.

SWIFF SCREENWAVE

THE International Film Festival will show 72 feature films over more than 90 screenings in Coffs Harbour and Bellingen from January

10-25, as well as hosting actors, directors and cinematographers. See: www.swiff.com.au.

DEADLY 60 ON STAGE

STEVE Backshall, star of the hit series Deadly 60, is bringing his new stage show to C.ex Coffs from 1-2.30pm on January 17.

He will appear with some of Australia’s deadliest animals and will share some of his wildest footage – lots of audience participation and on-stage fun.

SWIFF LIGHT BOX

SWIFF Light Box will see

MEMORIAL Park Grafton will host Newcastle Permanent’s free Cinema Under the Stars on Friday, February 2 from 5.30pm with The Secret Life of Pets, entertainment and Circus in Education and Coffs Harbour Showground will host Cinema Under the Stars on Saturday, February 3 from 5.30pm with Sing, live entertainment, small-sided football and Circus in Education.

QUEEN’S BATON RELAY

COFFS Harbour’s section of the Queen’s Baton relay for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April will begin with an opening ceremony at 4pm on February 2 at Jordan Esplanade and pass through 13 baton bearers until it reaches the closing ceremony in City Square.

Coffs writer plants a romantic seed with comedy THERE’S a new community theatre company in town and their first show promises to be a bit of a side-splitter.

Formed earlier this year, The Coast Comedy Players is the brainchild of Coffs Harbour writer Penny Dennis, a familiar face on the Jetty Theatre stage in past years.

It is a theatre company whose focus is to bring first-class comedy shows to regional centres, both to keep costs low, so that everyone can enjoy a

theatre experience, and to take the theatre to local communities who may not be able to get into the larger towns to see shows.

“In talking to patrons at shows and other local actors, it was a common theme that, one, we needed to make going to the theatre more affordable and, two, that having to come into Coffs was both time-consuming and, on winter nights, a worry for the drive home,” Penny said.

It got her and a few others thinking – why not fix the problem?

So, the company’s first production, Companion Planting!, a romantic farce, is being performed in Nambucca Heads, Bellingen, Coramba and Woolgoolga, as well as three shows at the Jetty Memorial Theatre in February.

“We hope that by coming to see well-produced, mainly funny local plays, we will also engender a love of

live performance, too,” Penny commented.

The group’s other core value is to bring some cheer and happiness to audiences.

“It’s a sad and sorry world at the moment and, so, we all felt we needed to just get people laughing,” vice-president Kerry Pritchard said.

Companion Planting! certainly promises to do that.

The story follows the antics of a group of retirement village

residents who have won the chance for a television company to come and do a garden makeover for the weekend.

But when the technical crew go on strike, it is left to the residents to save the day.

What they don’t know though is that the show’s main presenter, Perennial (Perry) Potts, is more than just a gardening guru.

He’s a magical matchmaker, too, and the companions he plants together will surprise and

delight.

Companion Planting! is a great show to get a group of friends together so why not get along to Companion Planting! and have some fun.

As it says in the script: “you’ll never look at manure the same way again!”

Phone Penny and the team on 0407 396 038 for more information or email pendennis@ iinet.net.au.

ADVERTORIAL

24 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

To advertise, call 1300 136 181 or visit finda.com.au to view more ads online.

Trades & Services

Cars

Kitchens

BEWARE OF SCAMS

BANANACOAST FURNITURE REMOVALS

Buyers should be cautious when dealing with car sellers that are overseas and should always arrange to view the vehicle prior to the transfer of any money.

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Be wary if the number in the ad is disconnected.

If the buyer/seller says the number is disconnected because they are overseas, ask for a landline phone number at their current location as well as a mobile phone number.

All contact details of the person buying or selling the car should be verified to ensure they are genuine.

• Fit new doors and handles • Relaminate old benchtops or replace with rolled edge tops • Add an extra cupboard or two

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Give your kitchen a facelift!

Buyers and sellers should be cautious of possible scams when buying or selling a vehicle.

More information is available at scamwatch.gov.au

Removalists

LOCAL & INTERSTATE MOVES

Pre-packing service available Free quotes

lic. No. R96832

Marc Bailey 0417 256 934

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Motoring

Ph: 6651 1004

email: welmove@hotkey.net.au

finda Local Buyer. Visit www.finda.com.au

Can’t finda Bare Patch of Floor?

It might be time to sell some of that unwanted stuff! You’ll get money in your pocket and have a less cluttered home. That’s a win-win!

To place your FREE* ad visit www.finda.com.au *Excludes business advertisers. Conditions apply.

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Not only is the 2018 diary a practical way to organise our busy lives, it’s packed with health issues important to women – like breast, heart, bone, family and mental health, along with diet, exercise, skincare and lots more.

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Coffs and Clarence

Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 25

Reviews It could be The Place

GO BACK: Gerontologist, Dr Drew Dwyer’s book is about ageing well and happily.

Age well as you enter new age GERONTOLOGIST Dr Drew Dwyer is known internationally as one of the most inspiring, knowledgeable and engaging gerontologists in the aged care industry.

Ageing in the New Age – A Survival Guide for Baby Boomers is his newly released book which focuses on the Baby Boomer generation, breaking many of the stigmas and myths around ageing and encouraging them to wind back the clock and own the later

years of their lives.

The book provides a wealth of information for Boomers wanting to develop a pathway to a happy and healthy retirement.

It’s also a great resource for family or friends who may be struggling to have the tough conversations necessary with older parents or loved ones.

Dr Dwyer wants to empower Boomers to own every stage of their later years, encouraging them

to spend the kid’s inheritance and to "plan early for the end".

It pulls back the curtain on all the taboo topics such as sex, dementia, incontinence and death.

In conjunction with the launch of this book, Dr Drew is embarking on a series of laugh-out-loud, adults only shows, talking about things that only the over 50’s would understand and appreciate.

For more information, go to www.dr-drew.com.

John Clarke’s Tinkerings THIS is the story of the actor and humorist’s life including the fan letter he sent to All Black Terry Lineen when he was ten, a golf instruction manual unlike any other, Anna Karenina in forty-three words, and the moving essays he wrote after the deaths of his parents.

Tinkering is full of

surprises, and includes all kinds of puzzles and propositions. Each one has different rules but together they reveal the different facets of John Clarke’s comic genius.

Tinkering also includes previously unpublished material including .

Text Publishing, RRP $34.99.

Aussie Christmas romance

CLAIRE Thorne has until Christmas Eve to turn around what may be a complete disaster for her friend. She never expected to be heading home for Christmas in Bindallarah, the small country town she left behind 13 years ago and spends every day trying to forget. But then again she never expected fate to bring Scotty, her oldest friend and first love back into her life. Or for Scotty to tell her that he’s about to get married – to a girl he barely knows. With only two weeks until Scotty’s big day on Christmas Eve, Claire’s determined to make up for lost time and help plan his wedding. And while she’s at it, she can make sure he’s not making a life-changing mistake. After all, it’s what any good friend would do. But is two weeks enough time for Claire to find the answers she needs? And will she be brave enough to question her own heart and the choices she’s made along the way?

Penguin Random House, RRP $32.99.

Matt Moran whips up true blue coast and country food delights

❝

The recipes span the country food traditions of regional Australia to the rugged coastline, which offers amazing fresh seafood.”

MATT Moran’s new book is a perfect Christmas present for the food-obsessed family member or friend who will enjoy recipes from the coast to country.

The recipes span the country food traditions of regional Australia to the rugged coastline, which offers amazing fresh seafood.

From the best slow-roasted lamb shoulder to an iconic

passionfruit cheesecake, anyone who has spent time in Australia will find something in this collection to which they can nod their head and smile, recognising a recipe that is a favourite in their household.

At the heart of every one of Matt’s endeavours lies a passion for fresh, seasonal produce and simplicity in ingredients.

He is a frequent contributor to food

publications globally and he has been a presenter, judge and host on many much-loved Australian and international TV shows, most recently on the top-rating Great Australian Bake-off. This is his fifth cookbook.

“This is the Australian food I love, and I hope you find lots to love here too,” Matt said.

Murdoch Books, RRP $45.00.

WHETHER it’s euphoria or serenity, awe or enlightenment, Lonely Planet’s The Place To Be hardback presents hundreds of places around the world to experience a particular emotion.

Each of the 12 chapters explores a single feeling, with destinations ranging from wild and natural spaces, to modern and ancient cities.

Plus, the travel writers explain when to go and how to get there. With 20 places and experiences for each emotion and state of mind, The Place to Be features 240 travel destinations around the world.

Stand in awe and marvel at enormous natural phenomena, give yourself a joyful boost with cat cafes and chocolate indulgences, seek serenity on beautiful remote islands, find calm oases in the heart of bustling cities, and join the path to enlightenment with Renaissance paintings and religious pilgrimages.

Lonely Planet, RRP $39.99.

Murder mysteries Collection SETTLE in for a great Christmas with this book of murder mysteries to enthral and entertain you during the coming summer month.

Christmas Eve. While the world sleeps, snow falls gently from the sky, presents await under the tree ... and murder is afoot.

In this collection of ten classic murder mysteries from the best crime writers in history, death and mayhem takes many festive forms, from the inventive to the unexpected.

Join authors Ian Rankin, Ellie Peters, John Dickson Carr, Val McDermid, Margery Allingham and more, as they take us from a Santa Claus with a grudge to missing diamonds spirited away by a mysterious visitor. The are stories to enjoy - and be mystified by - in front of a roaring fire, mince pie to hand - or at the beach!

Allen & Unwin, RRP$19.99.

26 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017

Let’s save

Go on treat yourself You can give today and be a Life Saver THE Be a Life Saver appeal raises critical funds to support Surf Life Saving.

■ Surf Life Saving Australia is a community cause in need of public support.

■ SLSA needs your donations to help keep our beaches safe.

■ You don’t have to be a life saver to save a life – donations play a critical role in keeping patrols operating across the country.

■ It costs an average of $86,000 to put a patrol on the beach each season.

■ 1.35 million hours are volunteered by surf lifesavers each year on patrols across our beaches nationwide.

■ Surf Life Saving services* performed over 10,000 rescues and nearly four million preventative actions last season, that’s 30 rescues a day and over 900 preventative actions every hour.

■ Australia has more than 11,500 beaches dispersed along

❝

You don’t have to be a life saver to save a life 36,000 kilometres of coastline.

■ Donate today and Be a Life Saver. Go to bealifesaver.com.au. *Total figures pertain to all Surf Life Saving services and includes front line surf lifesavers, support services and lifeguards.

Get your grandkids into lifesaving Targeted at young children between the ages of five to 14 years, nippers is a fun and safe way to introduce the lifesavers of tomorrow to the ocean environment.

Nippers is: ■ A great way to meet new friends.

■ Learn skills for life.

■ Stay fit and healthy.

■ Fun for the whole family with parents encouraged to get involved.

HOME COOKING CHRISTINE PERKIN IT’S that time of year again, it sure does come around fast. You may be home alone this Christmas or your family may have gone on holidays and it can be very lonely for those left home.

So I thought it might be nice to have a Christmas lunch menu for 1 or 2 people. This way you can be a bit more extravagant if you don’t have feed a whole table of people.

You can start off with smoked salmon blinis then a lovely seafood platter.

Why not buy a ½ a

dozen oysters, ½ kilo of prawns, a Moreton Bay bug (cut it in half) a piece of hot smoked salmon or smoked salmon, scallops, crab and have a seafood feast. Don’t forget a nice tossed salad, some beautiful cheese, mango and strawberries and fresh bread.

Take your time and enjoy. You will also need a nice bottle of bubbly or chilled sauvignon blanc or a few beers, which go beautifully with seafood.

If you’re not a fan of seafood make a platter with cold chicken and sliced roast beef or pork with salad, mango and bread. This is also a nice meal.

A far as dessert goes, buy a small plum pudding from the supermarket or local market and have all

DELISH: A lovely start to lunch are these salmon blinis.

the trimmings or make a special Eton mess with meringue, ice-cream with mango.

Go on, treat yourself it’s Christmas.

SMOKED SALMON BLINI’S

You will need ■ A few slices of smoked salmon ■ Blinis (these are mini

pikelets, don’t make them too sweet if you make your own) ■ Creme fraiche ■ A little bit of dill or finely sliced chives Spread creme fraiche on pikelets, place smoked salmon on top, sprinkle a bit of dill or chives and the’re done. Serve with a nice glass of bubbly.

For more recipes go to www.seniorsnews.com.au

It’s time to shop with app-titude BE THRIFTY AND THRIVE NICKY NORMAN DOWNLOAD a free shopping app to your iPhone or android so you can sit back and shop while enjoying a coffee or early Christmas cocktail.

Here are just some of the popular apps to help with your gift shopping and avoid the long checkout queues.

■ Amazon Mobile THE app syncs with the website, so your shopping and wish lists are

transferred automatically.

The best part? Take a picture of a product with your phone’s camera and the nifty Amazon remembers feature will identify that product and find it online.

■ Groupon THIS shopping app is lots of fun to use and can save you a bunch of money.

Groupon uses group purchasing to help users get a price break on everything from teeth whitening to helicopter tours. Daily local deals consist of restaurants, beauty, travel, ticket vouchers, shopping vouchers, hotels, and a whole lot more, in cities

SHOP EASY: Most apps now are a mobile version of your desired store and it's just as easy to use as the website itself.

across the world.

■ Gilt SAVE up to 70% off designer brands. Shop easily by brand or category. The app also offers top deals to exclusive experiences in your city.

■ Ozsale

OZSALE is a leading members-only online shopping club offering savings of up to 80% off. A virtual doorway to designer fashion, every day hosting sales for the World’s top fashion brands and accessories, beauty and homewares.

Event Cinemas Movie Gift Card Giveaway THE BEST GIFT IS LOVE, ACTUALLY (But a gift card’s a close second)

Thanks to Event Cinemas, we are giving away $50 Event Cinemas Movie Gift Cards - the perfect Christmas Gift!

To be in the running, simply email communitynotes@seniorsnewspaper.com.au.

Make sure you tell us your name (first and last), contact number, email, postal address and Seniors Newspapers region, then answer this question What movie are you most excited for in 2018? Or visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitions to enter online. Good luck!

Buy yours today at the box office or at eventcinemas.com.au

Wellbeing + Travel + living + Money

Visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitionterms for full competition terms and conditions. Promoter is ARM Specialist Media Pty Ltd of 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore Qld 4558.

Promotional period 18/12/17 - 10/01/17. Competition drawn 9am 11/01/17 at Cnr Mayne Rd and Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Winners announced in Seniors February Editions 2017. Total prize value $150.00 (including GST). Entry is open to all permanent residents of New South Wales, residing in the Gold Coast, Northern NSW, Coffs and Clarence and Central Coast Seniors distribution areas. NSW permit number NSW/LTPS/17/20665

6724964ae

Visit www.seniorsnews.com.au for more information.

Puzzles

Friday, December 22, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au 1

2

3

4

5

6

15

16

Across 7 The Australian wattle tree is of which genus? (6) 8 What decorative alloy of copper, zinc and tin gets its name from French for “powdered gold”? (6) 10 What is the art of Japanese flower arrangement?

(7) 11 The Spanish liqueur Licor de Melocotón is flavoured with what fruit? (5) 12 Malay for “rushing in a frenzy” gave us what word? (4) 13 What bird is the emblem of Garuda Indonesia airline? (6) 17 Which stringed instrument is tuned an octave above the cello? (5) 18 Enjoyed for over 4000 years, what is the oldest type of puzzle? (4) 22 What is the administrative capital of Bolivia? (2,3) 23 As cats are feline, what are foxes? (7) 24 What is a sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation? (6) 25 Who (James ____) upset Princess Diana by revealing details of their relationship? (6)

8

7 9 10

11

12

13 14 17

18

20

19

21

22

23

24

25

SUDOKU

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

QUICK CROSSWORD 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8 9

10

Down 1 Who was Muhammad’s favourite daughter? (7) 2 What seasoned red pork sausage is sold ready to eat? (7) 3 According to the Bible, Moses received the Ten Command- ments on which mount? (5) 4 What is the capital of Libya? (7) 5 What type of tooth is used mainly for grinding? (5) 6 Who (Sir Vivian ___) led the Antarctic expedition that included Sir Edmund Hillary? (5) 9 The 1854 charge of the Light Brigade was part of which battle in the Crimea? (9) 14 What part of a bird’s stomach contains small stones for grinding food? (7) 15 Which ocean is the world’s largest? (7) 16 What, in mph, is the speed limit on most motorways in Britain? (7) 19 Which colonel was created by cartoonist Sir David Low? (5) 20 To what part of a book are the pages attached?

(5) 21 What is a young eel? (5)

ALPHAGRAMS

Insert the missing letters to make ten words — five reading across the grid and five reading down.

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 fiveletter solution starts with J, the six-letter solution starts with K, and so on.

12

21

GK CROSSWORD

F E N D S

Across: 1. Grew 3. Censured 9. Abscond 10. Owner 11. Deliberately 13. Unties 15. Bitter 17. Easy on the eye 20. Bingo 21. Yielded 22. Sidekick 23. Edgy.

Down: 1. Grandeur 2. Easel 4. Endure 5. Short-sighted 6. Ringlet 7. Dare 8. Gobbledygook 12. Friendly 14. Trained 16. In sync 18. Ended 19. Ebbs.

ALPHAGRAMS: GLOBE, HUSTLE, IMPARTS, JAUNDICE, KEYBOARDS.

BLACKOUT

QUICK CROSSWORD

Solution opposite

F R E A K

Find a finished crossword by deleting one of the two letters in each divided square.

A T T I C

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.

TODAY: Good 14 Very Good 20 Excellent 24+

DOUBLE CROSS

SUDOKU

5x5

T I A R A

M S

Down 1. Splendour (8) 2. Artist’s frame (5) 4. Suffer patiently (6) 5. Lacking imagination (5-7) 6. Curl (7) 7. Challenge (4) 8. Unintelligible language (12) 12. Well-disposed (8) 14. Taught (7) 16. Occurring in harmony (2,4) 18. Finished (5) 19. Recedes (4)

Across: 7 Acacia, 8 Ormolu, 10 Ikebana, 11 Peach, 12 Amok, 13 Eagle, 17 Viola, 18 Maze, 22 La Paz, 23 Vulpine, 24 Mantra, 25 Hewitt.

Down: 1 Fatimah, 2 Saveloy, 3 Sinai, 4 Tripoli, 5 Molar, 6 Fuchs, 9 Balaklava, 14 Gizzard, 15 Pacific, 16 Seventy, 19 Blimp, 20 Spine, 21 Elver.

503

23

WORD GO ROUND

D

S

SOLUTIONS

WORD GO ROUND

I A

C

adit admit admits aids amid amidst arid dais dams dart darts data dims dirt disarm dram drama DRAMATIST madras maid midst raid raids rids said sard staid triad

R T

BOGLE SLEUTH ARMPITS DNA JUICE BORED YAKS

Note: more than one solution may be possible.

22

Across 1. Matured (4) 3. Formally reprimanded (8) 9. Escape (7) 10. Proprietor (5) 11. Intentionally (12) 13. Loosens (6) 15. Acerbic (6) 17. Pleasant to see (4,2,3,3) 20. Number game (5) 21. Gave up (7) 22. Henchman (4-4) 23. Tense, nervous (4)

N A

S

18

19 20

T R

17

F R

O

15 16

A T

A I

11

14

23/12

5x5

S

13

Seniors 27

S L O T S

G E N E R A L K N O W L E D G E

Coffs and Clarence

D P N O H P L A N H W S H I T

S H I P S H A P E W A C O R N

C I W I A E A P E B J E H R J

D A T A B A S E T L I N E A R

S L X T T S G A I A X A Z D H

P I S E R A A S P H E R O I D

G D G F U N E E E Y R I D A X

M E M E N T O Q Y F R O N T S

O S E Q A U E O M U Y A M E L

B I C U S P I D F L A T H U O

A C H A X E I D U L O O F S D

O C U L A R I B A B U S H K A

T A U I U K M A A A F S C A M

G N A S H D F L U C T U A T E

X T A E Z T O L W K Q P Q E N

BLACKOUT

Work out which squares need to be deleted to reveal a completed crossword.

Solution opposite

DOUBLE CROSS

S D P H I A L I T S O P I A T E S B R P H E A S A A S A P P E A S E P B L A H A I E S C E N A R O E O I R R A D I N R D

M D E M E N N T O E Y F R I O N A T S

B O S I C C A C U Q U A L I S A P E R K I O D D B A A U L L B A A U T O S S H H S K A A E

F L U C T U A T E

E P K L

G N T A S E H

28 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Friday, December 22, 2017