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2 Seniors Central Coast

Welcome

In this edition

Cover Story: Warren Mundine ..........................Pages 3-4 Feature Story: Dame Quentin Bryce.....................Page 5 Money....................................................Pages 31-32 Travel ..............................................................Pages 33-38 Puzzles ...................................................................Page 43

Contact us General Manager Geoff Crockett – 0413 988 333 geoff.crockett@news.com.au Editor Gail Forrer – 1300 880 265 gail.forrer@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Executive Sue Germany – 0408 286 539 sue.germany@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 “Central Coast Seniors”.

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.

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

What are we doing for next generation

HELLO READERS, This month three high-profile, straight-talking elders (Warren Mundine, Dame Quentin Bryce and author Hugh Mackay) issue some thoughtful insights and challenges to our demographic.

While each of these leaders has chosen different life paths, their common ground covers working towards a more fair, just and equitable society.

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine talks about his early life as a political activist and his current view that change occurs over a series of battles, not a war.

At 61 years old, he has gathered the experience of his past and, despite serious health issues, is using it to fashion fresh initiatives to push for an improved future.

Former GovernorGeneral Dame Quentin Bryce pulled no punches when she spoke at a forum at the recent WOW (Women of the World),

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER

Group editor Seniors Newspapers network

Festival in Brisbane.

She said it was the duty of our generation to support younger women as they live and engage within the community. She also offers her considered thoughts on care for the grandchildren.

In his latest book, 80-year-old Hugh Mackay is calling for nothing less than a social revolution.

He believes it’s the only way to reshape our contemporary society which is plagued by social isolation, disillusionment and distrust.

Human beings, he said, are herd animals and as such, need to live as social beings.

And it’s up to us, the over 55s, the ‘tribal elders’ to once again take the lead in social change by saying “let’s get

❝

...it’s up to us, the over-55s, the ‘tribal elders’ to once again take lead in social change by saying “let’s get engaged, be visible and make connections with each other”

engaged, be visible and take connections with each other” in order to shore up our communities.

He quotes a survey that that notes just 35 per cent of Australians say they trust their neighbours – which, to him, means we haven’t taken the time to get to know them.

“We need to start smiling, say hello or be a listening ear, acknowledge each other and show respect and kindness towards each other,” Hugh said.

I believe the voice of

each of these people is supported by all of the people who feature in this publication, including those who contribute community notices promoting speciality social groups, through to the experts offering tips in health, wealth and happiness.

The old saying that ‘charity begins at home’ moves onto sharing and caring in the neighbourhood and in my case, ensuring this publication spreads the news from grassroots stories (community notes and local profiles) to publishing the stories from people speaking out at a national level.

You see, I view our readership as a community that joins with others through the sharing of stories.

I trust you enjoy the read and don’t forget to check our websites: www.seniorsnews.com.au and www.facebook.com/ seniorsnews.com.

— Cheers, Gail

Budget most welcome: COTA

FUTURE FUNDING: COTA comments on 2018 Federal Budget.

AUSTRALIA’S leading seniors advocacy organisation, COTA Australia has welcomed the Federal Budget.

COTA Australia Chief Executive Ian Yates said the government’s More Choices for a Longer Life Package will ensure better co-ordination of services across government and more support for Australians at every stage of their life.

Aged care (home and residential) ■ The aged care package

is a substantial implementation of the recommendations of the Tune Legislated Review and will change the face of aged care towards greater consumer control.

■ The injection of 20,000 high needs home packages, in addition to the growth already built into the forward estimates, will ensure more older Australians waiting for home care will receive a package over the next year and the

merging of Home Care and Residential funding pools will make more Home Care Packages possible in future.

■ COTA welcomes the government’s commitment of $82 million to a new mental health program for residential care, as well as a $20 million trial of new mental health initiatives in the community.

■ COTA also welcomes increased funds for palliative care in

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Supporting mature age workers ■ COTA welcomes the proactive approach to an ageing Australia that takes a whole of life-cycle approach, which includes some very good measures to support employment opportunities for mature aged workers, particularly the employment and health checkpoint at age 45 backed up by a range of support services.

Cover Story: Warren Mundine

Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Central Coast

Seniors 3

Mundine the tireless and fearless disruptor Economic empowerment not political jousting is his answer Tracey Johnstone

DISRUPTIVE. A changemaker. From his early adulthood Nyunggai Warren Mundine AO has been intensively involved in championing changes to the quality of life of his mob, his fellow Aboriginals.

Through his recently released candid memoir Warren Mundine: In Black + White I met a man who as a teen knew he wanted to be in public life.

He watched Lionel Rose win the 1968 boxing world championship and that win shaped his life pathway.

In the 80s he believed activism was the best way to achieve change. Soon after he became an insider, using his astute learning of big business, politics and the media to be heard across all of Australia and all its generations.

Many have not agreed with Warren’s ideas for changing the younger generation’s choices. He firmly believes in moving away from welfare centricity to economic centricity, in creating real economies within Aboriginal communities, in creating jobs and facilitating education, and in better access to health services.

The road ahead to achieve these changes he admits remains uphill. The Federal Government’s target of halving the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and

non-Indigenous Australians by 2018 isn’t on track.

The Closing the Gap targets, 2017 analysis of progress and key drivers of change report states, “the lack of opportunities is an issue on the demand side of the labour market, the lack of skills is an issue on the supply side, and logistical reasons a market barrier to potentially matching workers with jobs”.

How can this be changed?

“The only way to change the status quo is to disrupt it,” Warren, 61, said.

“Everything that has happened in history that has made a change has been through someone who has been a disruptor.”

The proud Australian comes from a working background - first as a Sydney factory worker, then a public servant before pursuing higher education.

Warren became the first Aboriginal to be elected to a NSW local government role and was national president of the Australian Labor Party in 2006/7.

He chose not to renew his party membership in 2012 and went on to vote Liberal - and that’s only part of his extraordinary story.

Warren has earned the ear of the politicians and of the mainstream media.

This allows him to keep pushing out his message of economic participation

Need a

INDIGENOUS LEADER: Businessman Warren Mundine in Sydney.

where outcomes rather than activities are the measure of the success of change within the Aboriginal communities.

“Giving a person a job, it deals with a lot of issues like mental health, substance abuse and people’s living style with better housing, and access to better finance to have a better lifestyle,” Warren said.

Warren has survived many political upheavals and five prime ministers.

In February last year he stepped away from the chair of the Indigenous Advisory Council.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

A group of Aboriginal Australians at a rally lead by Warren Mundine, chairman of the Justice Before Games support group, demonstrating in front of the Queensland Tourist Bureau office in Grenfell St, Adelaide in September 1982.

PHOTO: JOHN GUSTER

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FROM PAGE 3

“Malcolm Turnbull asked me stay on the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council, but I said I was more interested in economic development and doing something at the coal face rather than advising on policy and hoping governments take it up,” he said.

Instead, there’s another hill that he is climbing.

“I’d been around the political process for long enough to understand that achieving change is not a war but a series of battles,” Warren said.

“You have to go out to battle for what you want every single day.”

So, he’s back at the coal face, working 24/7 on two new businesses, continuing his advisory roles for public groups, serving on boards for private businesses and charities, and delivering in a variety of written and broadcast media roles including his own business show on Sky News.

The two companies he has bought into have 16 offices across Northern Territory, NSW and West Australia.

Their focus is on getting Aborigines into work and creating employment opportunities within community.

He also spends about 14 days each month visiting Aboriginal communities – talking to people, and listening to them.

Tapping into the power of social media is another of his battles.

“I am very vocal on social media which I want to expand, plus looking at more blogs and more media approaches,” Warren said.

His lengthy memoir is an easy read.

Designed to engage a broad audience, it includes a deeply researched history of his family and of the cultural connections that have help to develop his passion.

“I wanted to tell a story of Australia and use my family and myself as a vehicle for that,” Warren said.

The book smoothly crosses between family history, personal experiences and Australian political history.

“The vast majority that have read it liked it, even though some of the political comments in it they may not agree with them.

“I had one bloke who said he totally disagrees with my politics, but he enjoyed it because of the story it told.

“He actually said it should be high school and

Cover Story: Warren Mundine

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

university reading as it shows a history of Australia which most people wouldn’t know about or don’t remember it,” Warren said.

Facing up to reaching his 60s has been tough for Warren.

He already has three stents, courtesy of his mother’s genes.

“I wish they told me this when I was 18 that what you are doing at 18 does affect you when you are in your 60s and 70s,” he said.

While he now has to watch what he eats and drinks, Warren isn’t physically slowing down nor looking at retiring.

“In fact, I probably couldn’t think of anything worse than retiring,” Warren said.

“No offence to anyone who is.

“I am very focused on doing things which is something I got from my father who worked until he was 72.”

Look. There’s another hill. Warren hasn’t climbed that one, yet.

WORKING HARD: Warren Mundine in the Sky Studio at News Corp offices in Sydney before the launch of his Sky News Sunday television program Mundine Means Business.

PHOTO: BRITTA CAMPION THE AUSTRALIAN

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Profile Story: Dame Quentin Bryce

Central Coast

Seniors 5

Ex-GG becomes DD Role model Dame lovingly leads future generation Gail Forrer

THE grandchildren call her Dee Dee, a name that evolved from Gee Gee, a reference to her former position as Governor-General.

In 2008, Dame Quentin Bryce, became Australia’s first female to hold this position and right from the first official photoshoot she signalled a fresh approach to the illustrious office.

Instead of a ceremony featuring the ubiquitous suit and tie we were given a picture of a sophisticated woman decked out in a fiery red dress amidst a gaggle of grandchildren in a suitably matching style of red spots.

At 75 years old, Dame Quentin has a completed a life-time of community work together with senior national and international positions which have allowed her to campaign and shape a generation of gender and family politics.

While she has officially retired from her public roles, she sees her position as a role model to future generations as of the utmost importance.

“There is responsibility in being an elder,” she said, “and it is a serious responsibility.”

As patron of the recent WOW (Women of the World) Festival held in Brisbane, Dame Quentin spoke on a panel which included Indigenous leader Lisa Mumbin who was born and raised in Katherine and now leads her community on cultural maintenance, support for women and youth; Agnes Titus a mother of the Bougainville Women’s Movement. She has held many roles in local level

government and with organisations promoting women leadership and peace building, including as UNWomen coordinator for Bougainville.

The panel was complemented with the inclusion of philanthropist and pastoralist Gina Fairfax who, along with her husband Tim, has made an enormous contribution to the Arts and regional communities.

As Dame Quentin affirmed her own role as a mentor, she recalled the people who made a difference in her life including Connie Bush from Groote Eylandt.

❝

Now it is up to us to support and pass on the torch of the wonderful Australian Women’s Movement.

She said she held treasured memories of “my darling pal” and the invaluable contribution she made sharing with her the story of the “stolen generations” and sharing teachings about language, country and culture.

“Now it is up to us to support and pass on the torch of the wonderful Australian Women’s Movement,” she said.

“We must support our young women to be engaged and involved in the community.”

Lovingly, she also recognises her part in the lives of her 11 grandchildren.

“Our knowledge of brain development shows how

DEE DEE: Quentin Bryce with her grandchildren Georgette Bryce-Parkin, Alexandra Bryce-Browning, Claudia Bryce-Browning, Lucinda Bryce-Browning and Rupert Bryce-Parkin in 2008.

PHOTO: ENGLAND DARREN

incredibly important the early years are for learning,” she said.

She admits she had no idea of what challenges lie in the future, but knows that qualities of resilience and strength will always be of assistance and that those qualities can be built through a rich cultural life and accompanying reflection.

For the Bryce family grandchildren, quality time with the grandparents can include art gallery and museum trips, listening to music and reading poetry.

One thing that was not mentioned in this conversation was retirement.

Each of these women, leaders in their communities, are totally committed to providing ongoing intellectual and emotional encouragement to women besides supporting their place within family, workplace and community.

It seems the role of teacher, mentor, mother and grandmother is simply part of their DNA.

Quentin Bryce and friends pictured at Lockhart River in 2013.

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Profile Story: Hugh Mackay

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Taking steps for change Call for over-55s to reconnect with Australia in crisis Alison Houston

AUSTRALIA has become a more socially fragmented, anxious, depressed, stressed, overweight, medicated, debt-ridden and addicted society than ever before.

It’s not a pretty picture the country’s most respected social researcher, Hugh Mackay. paints. And it’s up to each of us to take steps to change it.

Twenty-five years on from his groundbreaking book, Reinventing Australia, Hugh has penned Australia Reimagined: Towards a More Compassionate, Less Anxious Society.

At 80 he says it is the last book he will write which paints the big picture of the state of the nation. But the man who wrote his first book at 55 and has been involved in social research for more than 50 years, sounds every bit as engaged and eloquent as ever.

He believes there are two major facts about

contemporary Australia which we all understand exist but which we have failed to make a valuable connection between.

Firstly, we are more socially fragmented than ever. More people are feeling isolated and loneliness is a major problem. This is the result of a number of factors including divorce, shrinking households, how busy we are, mobility (moving house on average every six years) and our reliance on information technology, all of which have cut us off from our neighbourhoods and communities.

Secondly, we have a mental health crisis with an epidemic of anxiety (two million Australians diagnosed last year) and depression. While job losses, relationships, budgeting or even the state of the planet can affect our outlook, Hugh said when anxiety is affecting so many people, there is an undeniable underlying social factor.

He believes our poor

REIMAGINING: Hugh Mackay paints a picture of an anxious and unhappy Australian society, but says the remedy is not difficult.

PHOTO: ALAN BENSON

mental health has been brought about by social fragmentation and the accompanying lack of a sense of belonging.

“We are herd animals; we need to live as social beings,” he said.

“When we shut ourselves off, we’re

denying our humanity.”

While 68% of Australians still believe in God or some higher power, a paltry 8% are regular churchgoers, shutting the door on another traditional sense of connection, meaning and belonging.

“When we become more individualistic and live more within our own bubble, we become less trustful of people in general, as well as of our institutions like the church, our politicians, business and banks,” Hugh said.

“We have become a more disillusioned, less trusting society.”

Hugh described over-55s as today’s “tribal elders”. He said it was up to these social pioneering Baby Boomers, once so impatient to shake off the values and attitudes of their parents, to once again take the lead in social change by saying “let’s get engaged, be visible and make connections with each other” in order to shore up our communities.

Presently, he said, just 35% of Australians said they trusted their neighbours – which, to him, means we haven’t taken the time to get to know them.

“We need to start smiling, say hello or be a listening ear, acknowledge each other and show respect and kindness towards each other,” Hugh

said. “It doesn’t sound revolutionary, but it goes against the current trend … it’s the revolution we need.”

Hugh said reconnecting did not need government or community group leadership, it’s something every individual can do by simply reaching out across the generations, being engaged in clubs or other groups, holding a street party or just saying hello to neighbours or people down the street.

And if we don’t?

“The future is quite bleak,” Hugh said. The problems of loneliness and social isolation will get worse, levels of trust will fall and levels of anxiety will rise still further. He hopes his book acts as a wake-up call that our mental health and social crisis is no accident, but something we have brought on ourselves by our failure to connect. However, he also sees the book as optimistic. “I think we are going to do this. There is so much disenchantment now that it’s beginning to dawn on us that we have to do something … this is my contribution,” he said.

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seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Talk’n’thoughts Hurdles, highjumps and solutions

Assoc calls for a ‘rightsizing’ JULY 1 is the start date for the Federal Government’s new downsizing policy that was introduced in last year’s budget.

However, a survey undertaken by National Seniors Association reported that 82 per cent of older retirees preferred an alternative policy proposed by National Seniors organisation.

The government’s policy allows Australians aged 65 and over to sell their home and divert up to $300,000 a person into superannuation. This means a couple’s contribution can amount

to $600,000.

However, National Seniors Chief Advocate Ian Henschke said the policy has not been well received by most older Australians. He said the organisation’s Rightsizing proposal would exempt up to $250,000 of home sale proceeds from the Age Pension means test.

“The government’s initiative is too narrow,” Mr Henschke said.

“We’re not saying it should be abandoned.

But our Rightsizing proposal would benefit more seniors and for this reason, we’ve included it

again in this year’s budget submission.

“It would enable up to $250,000 of the proceeds from a home sale to be quarantined from the Age Pension means test,” he said.

“Older Australians could move to more age-appropriate and suitable housing without losing their pension, and have funds to cover health and other costs in their old age.

“Many live in housing that is inappropriate for their needs, for example with stairs and unsuitable bathrooms. This

increases the risk of injury and hospitalisation. It can also bring on early entry into residential aged care.”

Many older people cited maintenance issues as a key motivation for downsizing, while others were keen to stay in the home where they raised their families or an area that was familiar.

“But if they could sell without losing their pension, there’s no doubt many would,” Mr Henschke said that at the same time the governments’s initative should be maintained.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

I WAS non compos when they took me to hospital the first time. I was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour in 2000, and refused chemo and radiation, believing what my body has created it can uncreate. The senior doctor informed my two daughters he did not expect me to be alive by the end of the week.

Well, I didn’t die. They had me in palliative care for a month, then moved me to the local nursing home into the palliative care. From there I was moved into a locked ward, where they had 24-hour nursing care.

Being a determined and stubborn witch, I was soon walking with a walker and I was moved into a free ward Twelve months later I WAS HOME!!!

I am curious about death, as long as it is painless and peaceful, to this end I have registered my support with the local MP for the euthanasia pill. I encourage everyone to do the same.

Name withheld

MR RIDDLE an entrepreneur is obviously a healthy senior. A good deal of us mere mortals unfortunately don’t have that good fortune.

I congratulate those capable and willing to work on. But to encourage bureaucrats, politicians to understand we need change is a dangerous thing. These people (B&Ps) are hardly likely to have experienced chronic pain due to broken bodies through a lifetime of hard manual labour. So they, the lawmakers, do not understand there are a great many people unable to continue working in latter life.

We are not all capable of embarking on a new business venture. It is hardly fair to expect people to risk their meagre nest eggs on a business set-up, which according to statistics is possibly doomed to fail.

W. Plummer The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the views of this paper.

– Editor

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seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Community The best medicine?

If you think because you have a chronic health problem exercise isn’t for you -- think again!

Exercise is most likely exactly what you need to improve your quality of life.

There is so much evidence that exercise is better than medicine for prevention and a vital component in treatment of problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke, you are really doing yourself a disservice if you don’t exercise.

And just a few weeks ago, a large Australian study revealed that if you have cancer, regular exercise very important. Exercise actually decreases the side effects of treatment, helps with fatigue and improves your mental outlook and quality of life.

If you don’t like exercise, don’t know where to start, or want

to try something new, go to exerciseright.com.au to help you find an exercise you will benefit from and enjoy. Then visit your GP for advice. They can direct you to a reputable physiotherapist or exercise physiologist near you.

If you find exercise a pain, literally, talk your pharmacist too. Your Amcal pharmacist is always available to advise you on the best medicine to keep you moving. They can help you decide if paracetamol or an anti-inflammatory is better for you and which natural remedies and vitamins are really safe and effective.

Your Amcal pharmacy also stocks a variety of supports and tapes that don’t irritate skin. You may not even need a tablet or cream if you support a joint with tape or a warming neoprene support.

Your Amcal pharmacist is always available happy to help.

IF YOU have a community notice that you would like included in our monthly publication, please email it to: editor@seniors newspaper.com.au The deadline for our Coffs & Clarence June-July issue is June 13.

WYONG WRITERS

LOCAL writers meet monthly to encourage and develop their writing skills.

Meeting on the fourth Saturday of each month – arrive 1.15pm for a 1.30pm start. Next meeting is June 23 at Woodbury Park Community Centre, 1 Woolmers Crescent, Mardi. Inquiries with Mei-Ling Venning (Pres.)

(02) 4333 7489. Email: meilingvenning@hotmail. com or go to wyongwriters.org.

TOUKLEY VIEW CLUB

WE MEET on the second Friday of the month at Club Toukley RSL at 10.30am. We have lucky door prizes, raffles and lunch followed by guest speakers or members anticipation. We also have outings, Friendship Morning Teas, Soup and Damper days raffles and interesting discussions.

Come along and make new friends. VIEW stands for voice, interests, education of women. VIEW is a valued part of the Smith Family and raises money for Learning For Life sponsorship and education of disadvantaged Australian children and young adults.

Phone Sandra on 4396 6206.

Recover the right way

TOUKLEY 50+ LEISURE & LEARNING CENTRE

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Tickets available from Club reception or may be purchased on the day. The NSW Police Band was established in 1895 and is the longest standing concert band in Australia.

Don't miss out on this wonderful concert at 1 Hargraves St, Toukley.

Phone 4396 5075. ● THE Monster 2018 Fete is on Saturday, August 4 at 9am–2pm in the club auditorium. Why not hire a stall for only $20. Lots of raffles – homemade cakes for sale - huge white elephant stall – various stalls – lamingtons on sale. Sandwiches, tea, coffee and soft drinks on sale from our canteen Come along, grab a bargain and have a fun day. Please phone our president Carmen on 4396 5075.

BRISBANE WATER EVENING VIEW CLUB

WE HOLD our monthly dinner meeting in the Function Room at the Grange Hotel, Renwick St, Wyoming on the fourth

Tuesday of the month from 6.30pm for 7pm. New members and visitors are most welcome. Phone Valda on 4325 1688 or Helen 4367 5670.

50+ SINGLES SOCIAL GROUP

FORMED in 1998 to provide a safe, pleasant atmosphere for meeting others without partners.

Generally, on weekends we meet at a club or restaurant, suitable to our age range, in the Central Coast area. Usually dinner and conversation, followed by dancing and/or entertainment.

Sundays may be lunches, trips, picnics.

Occasionally there are weekday events and overnight trips away.

Membership: A $3 payment weekly when you attend one of our functions. A once off membership fee of $10 to be paid on the third visit.

All volunteers. This is a social group, not a dating agency. Email 50pssg@ gmail.com or phone 0412 200 571 or 0449 999 340.

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Central Coast

Seniors 11

12 Seniors Central Coast

Local Story

Book written amidst battle Alison Houston

MILITARY historian, author and businessman Andrew Church has lost “a bit of weight” but none of his positivity in his battle with stage four lung cancer.

Instead, earlier this month he launched his latest book – a coffeetable offering aimed to inspire readers with Quotes, Antidotes and Meanderings, and original artwork by Jen Watkins.

The launch came at a community trivia night, organised by JC Entertainment and Events, with support of Central Coast Leagues Club, which raised $7000 towards Andrew’s treatment.

Despite being told the cancer – six tumours across both lungs – was “inoperable and untreatable” and intense palliative chemo (with no hope of cure) was his only option under conventional medicine, Andrew has

taken up a strong strategic position in his war against the disease.

“I’m trying everything I possibly can to build up my body and its immune system to give myself a fighting chance,” he said.

After much research since his diagnosis in November, his program now includes receiving a series of Vitamin C infusions (for its antioxidant properties), lymphatic drain massage, salt therapy to cleanse the respiratory system, special cancer physiotherapy, Chinese herbal medicine and starting on a ketogenic diet.

This is a low-carbohydrate diet, high in good fats, with little fruit and no sugar (which cancer feeds off), with the glucose usually used to provide the body’s energy replaced by the breakdown of fats.

While Andrew knows some people may dismiss alternative regimes as

“quackery”, he said there was anecdotal evidence, dating back in some case centuries, as well as research which backed their therapeutic and healing powers. And they simply made sense.

“Exercise, physiotherapy, salt for the lungs and a healthy diet – none of this can be bad for you,” Andrew said.

But neither does it come cheaply, costing Andrew on average $7000 a month, and leading to a Gofundme campaign as well as his own garage sales, including sale of a motorbike and car.

“I’ve had to sell a lot of things but that doesn’t matter, they’re just things,” Andrew said.

He will have scans next month to confirm what difference, if any, his program has made, but already has “inklings” that at least his immune system is fighting back.

And the community had

been “a massive help and support”.

Happily, Andrew has also seen a slight increase in numbers through his Central Coast Interactive War Exhibit, which he feared last year was in danger of closing due to lack of custom.

The displays, worth up to $1 million, have been collected from all conflicts in which Australia has been involved since the Boer War, including a fatal bullet from aircraft flown

by Australian pilots and shot down in the Battle of Britain.

Andrew’s book ($40 plus P&H) will be available on his website: andrewchurch.com.au, but if you are interested in the meantime, email andrew@ andrewchurch.com.au.

The Interactive War Exhibit opens 10am– 4.30pm Wednesdays and the first Sunday of the month, or by appointment.

More at cciwe.com.au.

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

INSPIRING: Andrew Church is staying positive in his battle against stage four lung cancer and launched his book, Quotes, Antidotes and Meanderings.

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Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 13

Have you been exposed to asbestos from James Hardie Building products?

Sean Ryan

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14 Seniors Central Coast

Local Story

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Giving life a good chance

It’s not bloody hard to help others by being a donor SPRINGFIELD man Robert Towner has helped save more than 1600 people’s lives.

While he’s not a caped crusader, just an ordinary bloke who has donated blood 569 times, to each of the recipients, their families and friends, he’s a hero.

Robert has been donating blood for about 30 years, having responded to an advert on the radio, and now donates every second Monday.

“I do think about the

people it helps,” he said.

“That’s the incentive that keeps me coming back – to know that each time I’m saving three people’s lives.

“I hate if I can’t donate for whatever reason.”

World Blood Donor Day is on June 14 and is a reminder to us all that one in three Australians will need blood in their lifetime, while just one in 30 people donate.

In general, anyone in good health between 16 and 70 years of age can donate, and all blood types are required.

Blood donated is tested

LIFE-SAVER: Robert Hadley with blood service staff in Gosford when he notched his 500th donation, each of which may have helped save up to three lives.

Photo: Contributed

to ensure it is safe for use and broken down into three components; red cells, plasma and platelets.

Red cells go to accident victims or people undergoing surgery, platelets generally to cancer patients, while plasma may be used to help a haemophilic or a child with an immune disorder, and is used to make as many as 17 life-saving medical products.

Robert, 63, a fitter and

turner by trade who moved to the Central Coast about 23 years ago and currently works as a storeman, said he loves the Coast lifestyle and the fact he can “come home from work and actually relax, not like in the city”.

He enjoys kayaking in the warmer months and bike-riding and bushwalking during winter, as well as being a member of a 10-pin bowling league.

He’s been lucky enough to never need a

transfusion himself and said it was generally only sickness that stopped him from giving blood, which takes a bit over an hour out of his day.

“But I don’t think about it in terms of time, just that it’s helping people out who are in a less fortunate situation,” he said.

As an added bonus, donors find out their own blood type, blood pressure, weight and get cholesterol updates.

“I’d say to anyone who

thinks about giving blood, go ahead, because it’s a worthwhile cause and you’re helping untold people, because they always need blood somewhere.”

Call 13 14 95 or visit www.donateblood.com.au to make an appointment.

DID YOU KNOW? ■ Whole blood donors can give blood every 12 weeks.

■ Plasma and platelet donors can donate every 2–3 weeks.

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Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Central Coast

Seniors 15

Seniors, have your say Pop into pop-ups and have your say to local council senior staff IT’S easy sometimes to feel like it’s impossible to get your views or concerns to the people who matter.

Which is exactly what Central Coast Council’s Staff Pop-ups aim to address, and why seniors are being encouraged to go along and have their say.

Pop-ups, at which people can speak one-to-one with members of council’s leadership and management team, are being held monthly at shopping centres across the Coast until December.

Council said this year’s pop-ups had started at Tuggerah in early May and, as in previous years, had proved effective and popular.

The pop-ups program began in 2016 and last year 3000 residents took advantage of the chance to speak directly with council leaders and decision-makers on topics including local roads, flooding, the environment, parks and playgrounds, parking and planning

proposals.

For those who can’t make it, council points out there are other engagement platforms available, including information sessions, workshops and public meetings, as well as online avenues including via the council website, Facebook or Twitter, or by phoning 4325 8222 or 4350 5555 Monday to Friday from 8.30am-5pm.

Look out for staff pop-ups from 5-7pm on June 7 at Lake Haven Shopping Centre, from 10am-noon on July 6 at Bateau Bay Square and from 10am-noon on August 3 at Aldi at Blue Haven. For information on further dates and locations, visit yourvoiceourcoast.com/ meet-our-central-coastcouncil-leaders.

In other council news this month: New CEO: Gary Murphy has been appointed as council’s new permanent chief executive officer and will start his five-year

READY TO TALK: Executive manager People and Culture Kellie Reeves and acting chief executive officer Brian Glendenning are among the senior staff you may get to speak directly with at Central Coast Council’s Staff Pop-ups.

contract on July 2. He has held council CEO positions since 2003, most recently working for seven years with Lismore City Council.

HMAS Adelaide: A restored mast from the HMAS Adelaide II will be installed at The Haven at Terrigal. The long-range escort frigate was controversially scuttled in

2011 to create an artificial reef between Avoca Beach and Terrigal and has become home to a range of tropical and subtropical fish, and popular with divers.

It had previously been involved in the 1990/91 Gulf War, peacekeeping in East Timor in 1999 and was deployed to the Arabian Gulf as part of the

International Coalition against Terrorism in 2001 and 2004.

Capital works: Hundreds of projects are planned right across the Coast in the $199.8 million capital works program to be undertaken in the 2018-19 financial year, including $1.3m for the Norah Head Masterplan and key amenity

upgrades, $2m to construct the Mardi to Warnervale trunk water pipe, $2m to upgrade the sewer pump station at Woy Woy, $1.8m towards a shared pathway and footpath program, $5.6m to upgrade Adcock Park at West Gosford and $2.5m to finish construction of the Central Coast Regional Sporting Complex at Tuggerah.

Committees call: Council is calling for expressions of interests from community members wanting to sit on the Pedestrian Access and Mobility Advisory Committee (six vacancies), Protection of the Environment Trust Management Committee (one vacancy) and Gosford Foundation Trust (one vacancy). “We are a large council area, representing over 330,000 residents and we want to provide as many avenues as possible for community voice and representation, and these key committees are one part of that commitment,�

Mayor Jane Smith said.

Applications close 5pm on May 31.

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Home Care Feature

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Expanding care to new office High-quality care and support to Newcastle senior residents AWARD-winning business owners Jasmine Hopcraft and Chris Dawson have launched a new office in Newcastle, bringing high-quality care and support to its senior residents.

They are co-owners of Home Instead Senior Care Central Coast, a trusted, specialist provider of in-home care for older Australians.

Home Instead caregivers help with a range of personal and lifestyle needs while providing welcome companionship.

The Newcastle office is an expansion of their current award-winning Central Coast office, which has operated since October 2012. Prior to working in the in-home care industry, both Jasmine and Chris worked in blue-chip companies.

They saw an opportunity to use the customer service knowledge they gained from the corporate world into delivering standout, high-quality service for people in the

community.

During a trip to the UK to look after their ageing parents, Jasmine and Chris came across the Home Instead Senior Care franchise model and realised how life-changing it was. On their return to Australia, the couple also saw an increasing need to help seniors in the Central Coast where a lot of friends and friends’ parents live.

From there, their Central Coast office and caregivers have made a significant impact on the community.

This has been reflected in the numerous awards they have won in the past few years, including the Central Coast Business Excellence Awards in 2016 for Excellence in Business (which was across all of Central Coast and business industry categories) and Peninsula Chamber of Commerce winners for Employer of Choice in 2015, Excellence in Small Business and Business Leader Director in 2014.

QUALITY AND CARE: Award-winning owner-directors Jasmine Hopcraft and Chris Dawson have launched a new Home Instead office in Newcastle.

To date Home Instead Senior Care Central Coast has had more than 5000 clients and 95 caregivers.

It provides tailored private services and is an approved provider of government home care packages.

As the Newcastle office is part of the same model, this means there is no waiting time for it to be approved and clients can already benefit by asking Home Instead Senior Care Newcastle to deliver their private care or home care packages.

“From feedback we know that our team provide one of the best

quality services in the Central Coast,” Ms Hopcraft said.

“As such, we are thrilled to open a new office in Newcastle.

“Speers Point also happens to be one of the first places I lived and attended primary school when we came to Australia. My father was one of the brewers at the brewery in Newcastle. It has now come full circle knowing that we can give back to families in the local community.

“We know one of the most important things to a family seeking care for their loved one is to work

with a company that has a local presence, knowledge and staff.

“Our clients only ever have to call a local number, which is manned 24/7 by our local team who know exactly what services that client receives and what their individual needs are.

“They are treated with respect and dignity and always know who is taking care of them,” she said.

“The knowledge we have gained in the past six years have been invaluable to seniors.

“We advocate to help seniors navigate resources available to them and provide a working solution for them.

“We are passionate and committed with what we do. We have invested a lot in terms of resources, including technology, quality assurance systems, training employees and so much more.

“Now we can utilise these resources into a new marketplace. The Newcastle office also means we can provide more work opportunities for the older aged workforce.

“About 85 of our

caregivers live on the Central Coast and we will hire similar numbers of compassionate people in the Newcastle region.

“Chris and I look forward to what the future holds for Home Instead Senior Care Newcastle,” Ms Hopcraft said.

Home Instead Senior Care is a global network of locally owned and independently operated franchises. It was founded in Nebraska in 1994 by Paul and Lori Hogan and is now a global home care franchise with offices throughout Europe, Asia and the Pacific.

There are more than 1000 offices around the globe. Martin and Sarah Warner founded Home Instead Senior Care in Australia in 2004. It now has a national network of 30 independent offices in Australia with more than 1600 employees and this number is growing.

Home Instead Senior Care services include assistance with personal care, light household duties, meal preparation, medication reminders, and transport to appointments, shopping and social outings.

Central Coast

Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 17

Coast Community Connections Home Care Packages Coast Community Connections offers a range of services under our Home Care Packages, including: Social Outings & Support

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18 Seniors Central Coast

Local Story

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Seniors snap up tech class Mastering smartphones, iPads

Alison Houston

IT’S virtually impossible to break or to lose things from, can connect you with family, friends and the world and do far more than you thought possible.

It’s handheld technology … and it doesn’t have to be frightening. Getting Seniors hands-on and confident with their own smart phone, iPad or other tablet is what Adssi Home Living Australia’s free Tea and Technology sessions are all about.

Marketing and communications manager Kristin Whitney has been involved in the program since it began last year, funded by the Elderslee Foundation as a result of its sale in 2015 of the Elderslee Retirement Village, in Bateau Bay. “It’s very much about demystifying technology and taking away the element of fear,” Ms

Whitney said.

“You are in a room with others just like yourself, so it’s relaxed and friendly and no-one’s judging.

“The emphasis is on doing it yourself – just keeping on tapping until you get where you want to go, rather than having a family member take the device from you and do it for you.”

The sessions cater for a maximum of 50 people, ensuring sufficient staff to roam the tables and guarantee everyone receives personal attention and have their questions answered and that they leave satisfied.

In a ringing endorsement, a survey after the most recent session showed 90 per cent of participants found it useful and 95 per cent would return and/or recommend it to others.

Differences between this

and other courses, Ms Whitney said, included that it was very hands-on and use the participant’s device, with which they were familiar and exactly what they would be using when they got home.

“I think one of the traps we all fall into, regardless of age,” she said, “is that we use such a small percentage of what these devices can actually do.”

Some people come with reasonably basic requests such as “my kids send me text messages, but I don’t know how to reply”, wanting to know how to send an email or attach a photo, or use Google or FaceTime.

“It’s really so easy and it opens people’s lives up tremendously and lets them make those social connections to their family and friends,” Ms Whitney said.

FaceTime, she pointed

out, could be really important to people who were isolated and may report to family that they are well, but seeing them might tell another story.

Similarly, being able to use Siri can be as useful as helping with a timer while cooking, finding a location or calling 000 in an emergency.

Sessions also show seniors how to download apps, whether they be emergency and fire apps or games such as Words with Friends (online Scrabble). There’s also a special Seniors App called YourLink, a pared-down and more secure version of Facebook.

Other information includes data usage, with many fearing bill shock from overuse, and how to safely use Wi-Fi when out and about, and what not to do. Participants are generally in their 60s to mid-90s, and if you don’t have a device, but are

KEEPING IN TOUCH: Seniors at last year's Tea and Technology session at Club Mingara get hands-on with learning.

wondering if it would be useful, you are also welcome to go along and see what is possible.

Five more sessions are planned throughout the Coast this year, with the next ones on Monday, June 18, from 9am to midday at Ettalong 50+ Leisure & Learning

Centre, Cnr Broken Bay Rd and Karingi St, Ettalong Beach and Thursday, July 26, from 9.30am to 12.30pm at Club Mingara, Tumbi Umbi .

Registration is essential. Phone 1300 578 478 or email info@adssihome living.com.au

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Entertainment News

Central Coast

Seniors 19

Motown is back in Oz The magic of Motown still has a message for fans today Alison Houston

CUSHNEY Roberts has been singing the music of Motown professionally for over 20 years, but believes his first original release, Together We Stand, has a sound and a message for today.

Cushney is founder and lead singer of male quartet Spectrum which, together with female quartet Radiance, which Cushney also founded, performs Songs in the Key of Motown at The Arthouse, Wyong on Tuesday, June 12.

It’s the sixth time the two bands, whose home is Las Vegas, where Spectrum is one of the few bands to have played every Casino on the strip, have shared the stage in Australian tours.

The bands have performed sell-out concerts around the world, both individually and together, but deliver a “custom-made” show for Australian audiences, including hits that made it

big here but not in the US, such as Walk Away Renee.

And it’s the first time Aussie crowds will hear the song written for Cushney by The Ink Spots’ Lou Ragland, Together We Stand, the underlying theme of which, Cushney told Seniors News from Las Vegas, goes far beyond a simple love song.

“It’s powerful from a lot of different perspectives, and the theme of connection and togetherness is definitely a good one and very relevant in today’s world,” he said.

“It’s something people can sink their teeth into; it’s got a good beat and you can dance to it like crazy as well.”

Cushney said while it was a modern song, it fitted well with the classics the bands performed, and reflected Motown’s history of music uniting people through a sound to which everyone can relate.

The classics, as far as

KEY TO FUN: Songs in the Key of Motown promises high-energy, top-quality entertainment and costuming at The Arthouse, Wyong on Tuesday, June 12.

Cushney is concerned, are the music he grew up with, including The Four Tops, The Platters, The Temptations and the Jackson Five, while the girls take on the likes of Diana Ross, and pay tribute to the music of The Supremes and Martha and The Vandellas.

Cushney said, just as the music was “conceived with the idea of reaching as many people as possible”, the bands got a great reception around the world, particularly in Australia.

He hailed Berry Gordy,

the creator of Motown Records and the Motown sound, as “a visionary” who was able to bring together “talented burgeoning artists, youth, energy, great writers and great ideas in perfect harmony – pardon the pun”.

He said even if Motown wasn’t someone’s favourite music, few actively disliked it as they might dislike other genres, whether hip hop, heavy metal or opera.

“People come back after the show and say ‘I didn’t realise how many Motown songs I knew’ –

it’s snuck into their psyche even if it’s not the music they would normally listen to, and it hits a mark,” Cushney said.

And while the tunes may be 40 to almost 60 years old now, the bands never tired of the songs, often switching between lead singers to keep the presentation fresh.

Their biggest headache, he said, was choosing what songs not to include.

“I think people really enjoy the high energy that goes into the show,” Cushney said.

“It’s not an

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impersonation, but we stay true to what made the music great in the first place, and we pride ourselves on the presentation and costuming, which is really something, with several wardrobe changes.”

And the bands loved to talk to fans after the show, with meet and greets after each gig.

Tickets are $54.50-$59.50. For bookings, phone (02) 4335 1485 and look for the Together We Stand featuring Cushney Roberts video on YouTube.

20 Seniors Central Coast

Local Story

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Workshops demystify dementia

Central Coast alliance raises awareness Alison Houston

NEARLY 6000 people on the Central Coast are living with dementia.

The disease affects one in 10 people aged over 65, and three in 10 people aged over 85.

A staggering one in five people on the Coast is aged over 65. Little wonder that with figures like this and the incidence of the disease increasing at such a pace that numbers are projected to rise to 14,000 by 2050, the Central Coast is working to make the community more dementia-friendly.

The newly formed Central Coast Dementia Alliance, made up of health workers, service providers, business and

community leaders is organising, as one of its first activities, free workshops aimed at helping individuals, businesses and community groups understand dementia, how it impacts on people and their families, and what can be done to make their lives easier.

“With such a prevalence of dementia on the Coast, it is important that we raise awareness and reduce stigma; promote the ability of people living with dementia to retain their independence; and achieve excellence in healthcare and support,” Alliance chairperson Therese Greenlees said.

Alliance spokesperson Jodi Livesley said she hoped many local groups

would take advantage of the free workshops.

“There are some really simple things we can all do to increase the quality of life for people living with dementia,” Ms LIvesley said.

For starters, the Alliance plans to map all the dementia services on the Coast so that they are as easy as possible to access when someone receives what can be an overwhelming diagnosis of dementia. Information sessions will also be held for staff of Westfield Tuggerah shopping centre, a member of the Central Coast Dementia Alliance.

“It is wonderful to see a big organisation such as Westfield Tuggerah on board, and I hope it sets an example for others,”

QUALITY OF LIFE: The newly formed Central Coast Dementia Alliance is holding workshops in June to raise awareness about different aspects of dementia and how we can become a more dementia-friendly community.

PHOTO: DIMABERKUT

Ms Livesley said.

Community sessions will be held at the Mercure Kooindah Waters on Thursday, June 7, 9am-noon and 1pm-4pm.

A second round, at the same venue, will be held on Thursday, June 21, to help organisations implement action plans.

“At the end of these second round of sessions, participants will have a practical plan of action and tools to use to help support people living with dementia to live life with meaning, purpose and value,” Ms Livesley said.

To book, go to eventbrite.com.au.

The Central Coast Dementia Alliance formed

in April to improve the well-being of people living with memory loss and dementia on the Coast, their carers and families, with Federal Member for Dobell Emma McBride, whose father suffered from dementia, as the patron.

DEMENTIA VISITING TIPS Visiting family and friends with dementia is important for their emotional well-being.

Establish a visiting ritual in which you say and do the same things on arrival and departure at each visit to make them comfortable, and always introduce yourself to alleviate anxiety and remind them of your name

and connection to them.

Take something with you – a magazine, newspapers, flowers, photos or postcards to engage the person you’re visiting.

If you are at all musical, consider playing an instrument or singing with the person. Music is both calming and triggers memories.

You don’t have to talk, just being there and holding hands can be enough.

Visiting can sometimes be sad and difficult, so take a support person with you or plan a treat for yourself on the way home. ★Source Dementia Australia

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Special Interest

Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Central Coast

Seniors 21

Say hello to the koalas Annual festival centres around Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail Alison Houston

THE second annual Hello Koalas Festival offers something special for Seniors of all interests, from fun activities to expert, up-to-date Koala conservation information from June 7–11.

The festival, encompassing the June long weekend, is held in beautiful Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid-North Coast, boasting 17 uncrowded beaches, rainforest hinterland, the largest koala population on Australia’s east coast, remarkable bird life, and a host of activities and attractions in an unspoilt setting.

The festival will include everything from the inaugural Caring for our Koalas and our Environment Conference (June 7–8) at Sails Hotel, Port Macquarie, to an Abba tribute concert, ballet and classic cars to high teas, markets, artist-guided tours and more.

It is built around the success of the gold medal-winning Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail, open year-round and combining art and environmental awareness in the form of 62 individually hand-painted one-metre high fibreglass koala sculptures.

Each has its own theme and character and takes you to places and towns across the region which you may never have otherwise discovered.

The trail scores top-billing on TripAdvisor, where grandparents are full of its praises, including, “The koala sculpture trail is entertaining, educating and fun! My grandchildren are enthralled and all I know have the same feeling!”

“My grandchildren love searching for the Hello Koalas sculptures too and each time it seems like a brand new adventure.

“Lovely way too for families to be out and about together having fun

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: The second annual Hello Koalas Festival and inaugural Caring for our Koalas and our Environment Conference mix expert information with fun in the spectacular Port Macquarie region during June.

PHOTO: HELLO KOALAS

and enjoying the talent of our local artists.”

And, of course, the Hello Koalas Festival and Trail are a reminder of just how important the iconic koala is, and how much both koalas and the environment need our care and protection – the serious focus of the conference.

It will feature expert speakers from the Koala

Hospital, Taronga Zoo, Planet Ark, Forestry NSW, the Koala Health Hub at Sydney University and NSW and National Parks.

But you don’t have to attend the conference to be part of the festival fun, which is led this year by Lady Lola the Dancing Koala – the newest addition to the Hello Koalas sculpture population. And what

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would a dancing queen be without an Abba tribute band?

Australia’s premier tribute band MamaMia will perform all your favourites at Panthers on Friday, June 8, from 6.30pm.

Then on Saturday, June 9, from 8am–1pm, join the fun, Hello Koalas sculptures and artists and Port Macquarie’s Conservatorium Big Band

at Port Macquarie’s popular Foreshore Markets at Westport Park on the banks of the Hastings River.

Why not spoil yourself with a Hello Koalas High Tea at Rydges Port Macquarie any time from 9am–4pm on June 9–11, or take the kids and grandkids to enjoy the Hello Koalas Festival Family Picnic on Sunday, June 10, from 8.3am–2.30pm at Douglas Vale Historic Homestead and Vineyard, with Devonshire teas, barbecue, all-day musical program and NSW National Parks games and activities, koala face-painting and arts and crafts exhibits.

To discover the full program, go to www.hellokoalas.com and to find out more about Port Macquarie, go to: portmacquarie info.com.au.

For special Hello Koalas Festival accommodation rates at Sails Hotel, phone (02) 6589 5100 or Rydges Port Macquarie on (02) 6589 2888.

22 Seniors Central Coast

Profile Story: Simone Lienert

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Trusting in the universe ❝ Simone’s adventure of a lifetime is a never-ending story Ann Rickard

Authorised by Emma McBride, Australian Labor Party, 204/1 Bryant Dr, Tuggerah NSW 2259

IMAGINE this. You are a single 67-year-old female with two little dogs. You take off on a year-long journey around Australia in a small van, camping most nights in the bush surrounded only by nature and wildlife and all the accompanying nocturnal noises.

Very few women (or men) would have the courage to embark on such a trip with just the two cross-bred chihuahuas for company.

But Simone Lienert is no ordinary woman. She has spiritual beliefs so strong they eradicate any notions of fear or potential danger.

“I understand the big universe and what takes place for us as souls on this earth,” she said. “I never had a moment’s fear. I am very much attuned with our planet, with life and with (what happens) beyond life.”

The Cairns-based adventurer was on the Sunshine Coast recently after a year on the road, on a trip that began in Geraldton in WA and will finish when she returns to Cairns later this month.

She has already covered 27,679 kilometres.

Originally from Germany but raised in South Africa, Simone has been in Australia for a number of years, including a stint working in and near Alice Springs with indigenous communities.

“I had done a few smaller trips when I lived in Alice Springs, into the Kimberley around the desert area,” she said.

“I looked after my (ailing) mother for 11 years and when she passed I flew to Western Australian, bought a

campervan (Mitsubishi Delica) and went on my journey.”

Some minor adjustments to the campervan, meant Simone had a bed, minimal cooking facilities and two solar panels, but not much else.

“I never stayed on the road after dark and I never stayed in any one place for more than two nights,” she said.

“At about three every afternoon I started looking for a place to stop. I preferred to stay in the bush. I cooked every night, vegetables and rice or noodles and fish. The dogs were fed dried food and fresh meat and bones when we went through towns. I had three buckets of water, one for the kitchen, one for rinsing and one for my ‘shower’.

Toilets were never a problem. I had doggie bags for the dogs and myself. I never left a trace anywhere.”

Simone’s adventure took her north in WA to Kununurra, inland over Marble Bar in the Pilbara to Karijini and then back to Geraldton before tackling the Nullarbor.

“The Nullarbor really is an adventure,” she said.

“You have miles of nothing, then these amazing cliffs. It’s very beautiful.”

Into South Australia and then up to Alice Springs and back down by Uluru and the Olgas and on to Coober Pedy Simone continued, always inspired and awed by the beauty of the country, never frightened.

“It was amazing,” she said. “When it gets dark and the sun sets you hear the cooing of the owls and birds, it is so exciting. And the sunrises are beautiful.”

It is so exciting to meet and listen to other travellers on the road. I have made many friends, young and old.

— Simone Lienert

ON THE ROAD: Simone Lienert at the WA/SA border.

Travelling through The Pinnacles, WA.

Cooling off at Emma Gorge, El Questro Station, WA.

The only small brush with danger came from emus near the Oodnadatta Track.

“The emus run next to the van, and then turn and attack the van,” she said “I saw a lot of them dead on the road. But nothing else bothered me. You

see wildlife and you slow down, you don’t get out to take photos.”

Although the last thing on Simone’s mind was looking for love let alone companionship on her epic journey, it came to her in one of the lonely camp spots she had

chosen for the night.

“We were in a free camp,” she said. “My dog wandered over to a man to say hello, I went and stood in front of the man and a voice inside my head said ‘that is your man’.”

Her ‘man’ (Barry) met her later in the Adelaide Hills and again in Tasmania after Simone had travelled Victoria by herself and taken the van on the Spirit of Tasmania to spend a month on the island. Then he returned to his home.

“He was travelling alone,” Simone said. “I was too. I did not set out to find a man like me, as crazy and courageous as I am, and I did not expect to find him in the desert.”

After Tasmania, Simone continued her journey up to NSW through Eden and Byron Bay and then to the

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“I had actually planned to be away two years but it has been brought forward (by meeting Barry.) When I get back to Cairns I will travel with Barry for two years,” she said.

Advice from Simone to all seniors who may let nerves or fear hold them back from experiencing the wonders of our country: “Travelling, as we do, broadens the horizon and it is so exciting to meet and listen to other travellers on the road. I have made many friends, young and old, and all were open to sharing their stories. I can recommend true adventure for seniors using their savings to travel around our beautiful country.”

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Central Coast

Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 23

Wellbeing Men’s Health: Is the chassis getting rusty?

Now is a good time for a wear and tear check-up Tracey Johnstone

WHETHER you are in your 60s, 70s or older, it’s a good time to check out the chassis for wear and tear, and maybe be some rust.

You can use the following check list from Foundation 49 for some of the items you should consider talking to your GP about and to find out more information.

■ Arthritis (ball joint lubrication)

– www.arthritisaustralia.com.au ■ Falls Prevention (stability control) – www.myagedcare. gov.au/getting-started/healthyand-active-ageing/preventingfalls-in-elderly ■ Osteoporosis (chassis rust) – www.osteoporosis.org.au/men The good advice from men’s health group Foundation 49 is: ■ Find a GP you are happy with.

■ Have an annual check up with your GP. ■ Know your body and what is

normal for you.

■ Promptly check out any concerns or health issues with your GP. ■ Know the health risks for your age group and what to do to reduce them.

For more men’s health information, go to www.malehealth.org.au.

CHECK-UP: That chassis of yours might need an overhaul.

Aged care staff get flu shot come into place, nor who will pay for it.

The only guide as to who looks like being made responsible for its implementation is the Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt’s comment that “it will now be mandatory for every aged care provider to offer the flu vaccine to every single worker”.

“Vaccination is imperative for staff and residents in aged care, where the flu can spread

quickly and have devastating consequences,” Federal Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt said.

“I urge all Australians to have their flu shot, especially those who regularly visit loved ones living in aged care homes. Every one of us has a responsibility to reduce the chance of spreading the virus among some of our most vulnerable citizens.”

Additionally, under the

National Immunisation Program, those eligible for a free flu shot include people aged 65 years and over, pregnant women, most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and those who suffer from chronic conditions.

Last year more than 4.5 million doses of the influenza vaccine were provided at no cost to Australians who were most at risk from the flu.

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THE Federal Government has announced that all residential aged care staff must have a flu injection.

The government hopes this will help to see a significant reduction in the worrying number of reported cases among residents during this flu season.

No details were provided in the announcement about how and when the vaccine program will

24 Seniors Central Coast

Wellbeing

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

SPOTLIGHT ON THE SENSES: ARTHRITIS

Take an active role in managing your arthritis Osetoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common Tracey Johnstone

COMING to terms with what arthritis is and how it can be managed will greatly help sufferers to live a well life.

Out of the 100 forms of arthritis, which affects the body’s joints causing pain and stiffness, the two most prevalent for ageing Australians are osetoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis It’s the most common form of arthritis, with two million Australians living every day with the incurable condition.

Once considered a ‘wear and tear’ condition, Arthritis Australia policy manager Franca Marine said there has been a significant shift in knowledge and approach to osteoarthritis.

It is now considered a breakdown in the normal repair processes of a joint.

“There are lots of micro-tumors in the joint and it’s constantly repairing itself,” Ms Marine said.

“It’s when that repair process either gets overwhelmed, such as when you have had a traumatic injury to the joint or the constant onslaught of minor things, that’s when you start to get osteoarthritis.”

Osteoarthritis is usually diagnosed clinically by your GP. Treatments:

■ Reduce your weight to take pressure off your joints.

“Every extra kilo of weight you carry puts an extra four kilos of load on your knees,” Ms Marine said. “Even minor weight loss has been shown to reduce the symptoms and pain.”

■ Keep physically active.

“It encourages blood flow to the joints which nourishes the joints and strengthens the muscles around the joint to give them extra support,” Ms Marine said.

“Research shows physical activity has the same benefits as taking anti-inflammatory medicines or other pain killers, but without any of the side effects.”

To find out what exercise you should be doing, Ms Marine recommends you talk to a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist.

Rheumatoid arthritis The auto-immune, inflammatory and incurable condition is commonly diagnosed before the age of 50.

While reducing weight and keeping physically active are part of the treatment program, so too are medications.

“The sooner you treat this condition, the better your outcomes are going to be in terms of reducing the severity of the condition in the longer term,” Ms Marine said.

“If someone over 60 is

ARTHRITIS UPDATE: Don’t assume it’s just old age.

experiencing stiffness in their fingers, especially if it’s in both hands equally, or both feet equally, and they are particularly stiff for a long time in the morning for more than 30 minutes and their hot and swollen, they should go and see a doctor as soon as possible to eliminate the possibility of rheumatoid arthritis.

“Don’t assume it’s just old age.”

The risk factors for this condition are smoking, which can also impede its treatment, and possibly genetics.

Diagnosis usually starts with a visit to a GP who

will then refer you to a rheumatologist.

Ms Marine said there is no evidence to support a particular food being an arthritis trigger, but once you have the condition, turning to a healthy diet can help you manage both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Knowledge advancements There is newly started research looking at the microbiomes, which are the communities of bacteria in the gut, and their possible impact on inflammatory arthritis.

Ms Marine expects it take up to five years

PHOTO: DAISY-DAISY

before the researchers can determine if there is a link.

Researchers are also looking at how the treatment of arthritis can be personalised. The first step is the establishment of a biobank to collect specimens from people with arthritis so that researchers can search across the specimens for markers that may impact on the development or progression of the condition.

“The data will then be matched with clinical data for that person so that you know how severe the condition is when they

developed it, what the risk factors were, how they were treated, what their response to the treatment was, so that you can then try to find what is the best treatment pathway based on a person’s own physical make-up,” Ms Marine said.

“At the moment we don’t really know which of the medicines available are going to best for a particular person. It’s a bit of trial and error.”

Arthritis Australia’s updated website has extensive resources on arthritis diagnosis and treatments. Visit arthritis australia.com.au.

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Wellbeing

Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Central Coast

Healthy teeth top tips

Seniors 25

Taking a look at why dental hygiene is so important WHETHER you think you have healthy teeth or not, reviewing your oral health between visits to the dentist by following these expert tips from Australian Dental Association Oral Health Committee chair, Professor David Manton, can help keep you smiling.

WHICH TYPE OF TOOTHBRUSH MANUAL VS ELECTRIC?

A soft brush is best, with the head not too large. For those people with dexterity difficulties, the handle should be as thick as possible.

The evidence suggests powered brushes will do as well or better than manual brushes. The powered brushes also tend to have a larger and thicker handle, that may be of some advantage.

The downside to most powered brushes is the cost of them.

WHEN TO BRUSH

Teeth should be brushed twice per day with a fluoridated toothpaste.

HOW SHOULD WE BRUSH?

Brushing should cover all tooth surfaces in a gentle rotating motion, with the brush at 45 degrees to the gum line – avoid a scrubbing action.

WHAT SHOULD WE

BRUSH WITH?

Adult toothpaste should be used in individuals who are not at high risk of decay.

For those who are at high risk, your dentist may recommend a highstrength toothpaste such as a 5000 parts per million fluoride paste (Neutrafluor 5000®), and a crème that helps strengthen teeth such as Tooth Mousse®.

SHOULD WE BE USING MOUTHRINSE?

A mouthrinse containing fluoride can decrease decay rates, but if it is being used in conjunction with other fluoridated products, its efficacy may not be great. Your dentist can advise you about this.

Other mouthrinses, such as those with an alcohol base, may have some benefits in the short term, however, be cautious about long-term use.

Specific mouthrinses, such as chlorhexidinebased rinses, have targeted uses, such as if you have a gum infection.

Once again, these mouthrinses should only be used short term as they can eventually stain the teeth and often change taste perception with long-term use.

Mouthrinses have specific uses, so they should be used according to need. Your dentist can

ORAL HEALTH: The evidence suggests that powered brushes do as well or better than manual brushes.

advise on their use.

SHOULD WE USE FLOSS?

Interdental cleaning is important and can be done using floss, interdental brushes and interdental sticks.

Often the easiest way to floss is to buy flossettes – these have a small length of floss attached to a plastic handle, often with an interdental stick at the other end.

The floss should be moved between the teeth gently, so as not to

damage the gum tissues – once between the teeth, the floss should be moved up and down against the tooth surfaces.

Flossing once a day is fantastic, but less frequently can also have a positive effect on gum health and decay rates – just don’t do it only when something gets stuck between your teeth.

WHAT SHOULD WE ASK OUR DENTIST TO DO?

Your dentist should give you a thorough check

each recall examination.

This should include teeth, gums and the soft tissues (tongue, cheeks, etc), as well as checking your saliva, especially if you feel as though you have a dry mouth.

GENERAL DENTAL HEALTH TIPS

Two main issues arise with oral health – dental caries (decay) and periodontal disease (gum disease).

Regular brushing and flossing, eating a diet low in sugars, limiting

PHOTO: ALLIANCE

snacking and regular dental check-ups can limit the effects of these two diseases, however, there are other potential problems that should be looked out for – ■ Oral cancer (especially among smokers and drinkers), ■ Tooth erosion caused by drinking or eating acidic foods and drinks, and ■ Dry mouth (often caused by medications) is important as it increases decay risk greatly, and can also mean foods stick around in the mouth for a lot longer.

26 Seniors Central Coast

Wellbeing

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

PALLIATIVE CARE WEEK

What matters most when the horizon is getting closer?

Talking about your end-of-life care is important Tracey Johnstone

HAVE you thought about what are the most important things in your life that you want protected if you are faced with a life-limiting illness or something untoward happened to you?

These are tough questions for many of us to answer.

It’s a confronting concept to be planning for the end of our life but by having the conversations now, we can trust in our wishes being implemented at a critical time when it may not possible for us to voice what we want and how we want it done.

What matters most to you?

Writing down or recording your thoughts will help you to start the process. Consider travel, food, laughter, pets and music, mementos, family trinkets, experiences, your funeral, medical support, Power of Attorney, finances, substitute decision makers, friends,

family and anything else you want to add to your list.

Getting your thoughts recorded and then verbally sharing them with others could turn into an interesting journey as you reveal to yourself new elements of your character, perhaps challenge yourself to re-prioritise your choices and goals, and even revive long-repressed wishes.

Palliative Care Australia’s chief executive officer Liz Callaghan said where a person talks openly to their family and doctors they are more likely to get the care they want.

“If you don’t have these conversations, we believe you can end up receiving care you don’t necessarily want because you haven’t been asked or you haven’t volunteered that information for yourself, or not receiving the care you do want,” Ms Callaghan said.

Don’t wait until it’s too late It’s not about waiting

until the end of your life that Ms Callaghan is advocating; she wants you to start planning the details now so you can use those plans to start a conversation with your significant others and then get on with living life to the full.

You can then return to those conversations over time as circumstances change.

“There is a very strong consensus among Australians that talking about their end of life care is important, should something happen, but most haven’t had the conversation,” Ms Callaghan said.

Anything can happen to anyone at end time, she reminds us.

“You might see something on the television and say ‘I would love to experience that one day’ or ‘I would never want to live like that if that happened to me’,” Ms Callaghan said.

“Continually exploring those ideas with your family is the first step.

“It’s really about understanding and thinking about what you want.”

To find ideas on how to start the conversation, go to www.dyingtotalk.org.au where there is a range of tools to help you put together your ‘what matters most’ list.

What is palliative care?

“It is about helping people live their life as

fully and as comfortably as possible when living with a life-limiting or terminal illness,” Ms Callaghan said.

“Part of that is caring for them at the very end when they do die.

“The majority of care is provided for those who can still achieve many things.”

The care, which is available to anyone of any

age, is often also provided to family members and carers.

“The aim of palliative care is to help people live as long as they can in a quality way,” Ms Callaghan said.

Palliative Care Australia’s website has fact sheets and videos on www.palliativecare.org.au to help you start the conversations.

Wellbeing

Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Central Coast

Seniors 27

Slow down ageing skin

Dermatologist offers tips on delaying the ageing process Tracey Johnstone

TAKE the advice of an expert and use these tips for women and men for slowing down your skin’s ageing process.

Melbourne dermatologist Dr Michelle Rodrigues reminds us to have on hand sunscreen, cleanser and moisturiser, but we don’t need to spend a lot on them to get a result.

She recommends talking to your healthcare professional for help on navigating your way through the mire of cosmetic treatment choices for your face, because everyone’s skin is different.

“Creating a regime is not a one size fits all,” Dr Rodrigues added.

The best approach is always individualised.”

Sunscreen ●There’s no surprises when you hear the sage advice; “it’s never too late to start with a good sunscreen”. ●Aim for sunscreen with

a SPF factor of 50 or more, and a label saying high UVA protection. ●The key here is UVA which does a lot more damage to the second layer of the skin.

“With regular sunscreen, we can to a degree, decrease the amount of sun spots and decrease the amount of pigmentation on the face,” Dr Rodrigues said.

“It is over time going to actively improve the skin.”

Add an active ingredient ●For your morning skin moisturising regime, and under your sunscreen, add niacinamide which comes in pharmacy over-the-counter products such as serum, gel and in creams. ●It should be in a concentration of five per cent or more.

“It can actively provide antioxidants to the skin and actively try to prevent further UV damage, and help with pigmentation and small blemishes,” Dr Rodrigues said.

Include Vitamin A It’s only available by prescription from your GP or dermatologist, but a Vitamin A derived tretinoin-based cream is another item to add to your skin repair shopping list.

“There are a lot of over-the-counter products that claim they contain retinol and vitamin A for anti-ageing, but the only one that has been proven scientifically to reverse the signs of ageing over about a six-month period is the tretinoin,” Dr Rodrigues said.

“It decreases fine lines and wrinkles, helps with pigmentation and increases luminosity of the skin. It is a proven anti-ageing method that’s simple and effective, and inexpensive.”

Skin care advances The newest laser technology can help rejuvenate men and women’s skin, decrease redness, decrease subtle pigmentation and fine lines.

“There is some breakthrough, powerful technology that can help

and in addition the creams, can yield quite nice results,” Dr Rodrigues said.

But, a word of warning – because operating and licensing rules are different across Australia, be careful who you use for laser treatments.

So, it’s best to start with your GP for a referral to a dermatologist who can determine if these laser treatments are suitable to your skin condition.

BETTER FACES: Looking at how you can slow down the effects on ageing skin.

PHOTO: CECILIE_ARCURS

You are not alone – incontinence CONTINENCE FAST FACTS: ■ About five million Australians, that’s one in four people aged 15 years or over, are incontinent. The majority of people affected by incontinence can be better treated, managed or cured.

■ 70 per cent of incontinent people do not seek help.

■ 80 per cent of people who report they are living with incontinence are women. Half of those women are aged under

50 years.

■ One in three women who have ever had a baby wet themselves.

One in five leak when they laugh.

■ 25 per cent of men say they are, or were, incontinent.

■ Incontinence impacts self-esteem, motivation, dignity and independence.

The National Continence Helpline is a free telephone advisory service staffed by a team of continence nurse advisors who

provide information, education and advice to callers with incontinence or who are caring for someone with incontinence.

The Helpline also provides information and advice to health professionals and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and available to anyone living in Australia.

It operates 8am–8pm, Monday to Friday. Phone the Continence Helpline on 1800 330 066.

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28 Seniors Central Coast

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Living

A ticket to retire in style Many Baby Boomers anticipate having to work beyond age 65 Alison Houston

A PLANE ticket could be the answer to Australia’s spiralling cost of living which makes you think you can never afford to retire in comfort.

According to News Corp’s 2017 Ready to Retire Study, more than 50% of Baby Boomers anticipate having to work beyond 65, and one in 10 don’t think they’ll be able to afford to retire at all.

Global wealth and retirement consultant Mercer similarly found more than 60% of retirees face running out of money before they die, with most people’s savings only enough to last 14 years beyond retirement.

Charities say that many pensioners are already struggling to meet their everyday bills and put

food on the table.

But the solution might not be so unpalatable with International Living suggesting overseas retirement can significantly cut costs and it’s possible to have “a laidback retirement in the sun on a budget of as little as $1325 a month”.

“Look in the right places and you’ll discover Baby Boomers can retire – and retire well – in idyllic beach towns, for less than the cost of daily life back home,” International Living’s executive editor Eoin Bassett said.

They have put forward three Asian locations in which expat retirees report they are enjoying healthy, fulfilling lifes on a modest budget – Da Nang in Vietnam, Sanur in Bali and Hua Hin, Thailand.

Da Nang is central

SUNNY DAYS: Hua Hin, the Royal Resort town on the Gulf of Thailand, three hours from Bangkok, is laidback enough to feel like a beach town but has all the modern conveniences of a Western city.

Vietnam’s biggest city and is located on the coast of the Eastern Sea. Despite a population of about one million people, it is clean, modern and progressive, boasts a 28km-long beach with promenade and numerous parks and is generally considered the most liveable city in Vietnam.

Gary Stapleton, 64, has been living in Da Nang since 2013 on a budget of about $1300 a month. He

rents a three-bedroom furnished house in An Thuong District, less than 1km from the beach, for which he pays $470 a month rent.

“Honestly, after living here, going back to Australia full-time would be disappointing,” he said.

International Living states a couple could live comfortably in Da Nang on a budget of about $1325 per month, including rent,

utilities, food, frequent meals out and incidentals.

Sanur, on the south-east tip of the Indonesian holiday isle of Bali, is described as “just the right balance of familiar Western comforts and Balinese culture”.

According to International Living, a couple can live on as little as $1500 a month in this small beachside town with its good restaurants, quiet cafés and white sand beaches; $2500 if you want to live the high life.

Gold Coaster Josephine Brierley and her husband Rob fell in love with Bali in 2004, holidayed there repeatedly, and moved there 18 months ago.

“Days pass easily, beginning with a long walk on the beach,” Josephine said.

Sanur also has a big expat community and Josephine said Bali gave them a simpler, less

cluttered life to enjoy the little things like reading, talking and relaxing.

Hua Hin, the Royal Resort town on the Gulf of Thailand, three hours from Bangkok, has a beach lined with hotels and restaurants and boasts year-round temperatures in the mid-20s.

With its population of about 85,000 people, it’s laidback enough to feel like a beach town but has all the modern conveniences of a western city, including health care. Michael Cullen and his wife Vivien moved there from Brisbane in late 2015.

“We bought our own home here for $140,000 and live very well on a budget of about $2500 a month which allows us to continue to pursue our passion for travel,” Michael said.

For more ideas, go to internationalliving. com/au.

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Central Coast

Seniors 29

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30 Seniors Central Coast

Wellbeing

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Cues for good hydration Put facts before fiction when it comes to drinking amounts

THE old adage of drinking at least eight glasses of water a day is out the door. Instead, an expert advises we should consume as much as our body needs.

Professor Karen Dwyer, a nephrologist and transplant physician at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital and Deakin University School of Medicine deputy head, says there are were many variables to consider when determining just how much water we need each day to quell our thirst and keep us healthy.

“Your body is finely tuned to regulate your fluid and you need to respond to the cues that your body initiates,” Prof Dwyer said.

Some of those variables are age, weight, gender, amount of activity, the climate you live in and the presence of one or more diseases or disorders.

People with health problems such as chronic liver disease, cardiac disease or diarrheal

issues need to have their fluid intake considered on an individual basis.

The cues for needing to drink more can be feeling thirsty or a bit dizzy, having a headache, hardly going to the toilet during the day and dark yellow urine.

The cues for drinking less may be going to the toilet many times during the day and clear or light coloured urine.

“It’s responding to your cues and looking at what your body is trying to tell you,” Prof Dwyer said.

Water only?

When working out how much water your body needs, don’t forget to consider all the different forms water comes in – tea, coffee and through rice and pasta, fruit and vegetables, for example.

While the base amount of water you need each day is probably about two litres, consuming the drinks and foods listed takes in a lot of that recommended fluid amount.

Water will always be the first and prime recommen-

MORE OR LESS: The body gives cues on whether we should change the amount of water we are drinking each day.

PHOTO: KHUNI

dation. However, Prof Dwyer says: “A cup of coffee or tea is still a significant amount of fluid that is being replaced.

“And yes, you will wee some of that out due to the mild diuretic effect.

You are unlikely to become dehydrated just by drinking coffee, for example.”

Why drink water?

Since 60 per cent of our lean body mass is made up of water, it’s a very important to our body’s

functions.

When you become dehydrated you will lose fluid initially from outside the cells, but eventually the cells will also lose fluid and that’s when your body stops working properly.

Our kidneys keep busy The kidneys regulate the salt content in our blood.

“If you reduce your fluid intake, the kidneys will concentrate and not wee out so much fluid so that you maintain this concen-

tration in the blood,” Prof Dwyers said.

“If you take a heap of fluid in, it’s going to wee it out.”

Can you drink too much?

For the average person it’s reasonably safe to drink as much water as you like during the day. “The kidney is quite a sophisticated organ and has a high regulatory capacity so that it varies your output according to your intake,” Prof Dwyer said.

“We lose fluid through sweat, our lungs and bowel, but that is probably a minimal amount unless we are in a really hot climate and we are doing a lot of exercise. On a day-to-day basis, our fluid balance is regulated by our kidneys. If you drink a heap, you are going to wee a heap out.”

Knowing when to drink It’s particularly important to remain aware of the hydration needs of people with dementia whose perception of what they need is affected by their cognitive decline.

“For people with comorbidities (the presence of one or more additional diseases or disorders co-occurring with a primary disease or disorder) there may need to be some encouragement to ensure that they are drinking, and thinking about things like constipation, which may be a symptom that they are not drinking enough fluids,” Prof Dwyer said.

“The body’s cues will change with time and they become subtler as someone ages, which is consistent with the ageing of the body.”

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Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 31

Money

Financial advice in the spotlight FINANCE TONY KAYE THE harrowing tales of gross financial misconduct emanating from the Royal Commission into the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry have once again raised huge concerns about Australia’s financial advice industry.

They’ve included sensational revelations of big banks and financial institutions such as AMP providing questionable if not fraudulent advice, charging for advice not given, and even charging fees to the accounts of deceased customers.

Then there’s the case of a high-profile financial planning firm that provided misleading advice to a member of the Fair Work Commission (after impersonating her to gain personal details from her superannuation fund) that, if acted upon, would have resulted in a $500,000 loss.

The motive was pure and simple – the ability to earn large fees and commissions.

Don’t be unduly surprised. It’s clear that the efforts aimed at cleaning up the advice industry, including the government ban on product commissions and volume-based payments introduced in 2015, have only scraped off the tip of the iceberg.

There are still major flaws in the advice

system, especially in the quality of advice being delivered.

But, let’s face it, it would be wrong to tar all financial advisers with the same brush.

There are many very good advisers out there that do act responsibly and in the best interests of their clients.

What can you do?

If you use the services of a financial adviser, or are planning to, the cornerstones of your relationship should always be based around transparency and trust.

Transparency is all about the adviser explaining how they operate, and exactly why they are recommending a specific investment strategy or financial products. There has to be very clear reasons, and there should

never be unanswered questions around fees and commissions.

■ If your adviser will not charge a flat fee for their service, walk away. And don’t be afraid to ask them about their own financial plan, including the level and types of insurance held.

■ A good strategy should be very detailed and take all your financial goals and needs into account.

■ If the adviser is recommending you buy direct shares, you need to be sure you are comfortable with the degree of risk involved, and how this might impact you over the long term. If they are recommending a more passive investing approach through exchange-traded funds, ask for an explanation of the risks and benefits

over the medium to long term.

■ Don’t establish a self-managed super fund just because your adviser recommends you do. The fact is that not everyone needs their own fund, and most people can get the investment control they need without having one.

Financial adviser Theo Marinis said one strategy is to appoint an adviser who is around five years younger than you, which makes sense if you are close to retirement.

“Remember, super is tax-free from 60; so if your potential adviser is aged 59, they may harbour a plan to retire very soon,” Mr Marinis said.

“You may wish to know who will be left behind to help you if you intend to stay on until age 67. Are there competent younger

people working with your adviser?”

Your first step should be to call and book an initial appointment, and tell the financial adviser you have prepared a list of questions you would like to send them via email.

Do this at least a couple of weeks before your meeting. You should be able to get a sense of how appropriate your potential, or existing, adviser is for you, based on their response.

If they don’t respond at all, that’s obviously a bad sign.

If they don’t answer all your questions, ask for more clarification. And if you’re still not satisfied, it’s probably time to seek another adviser.

Tony Kaye is the Editor of InvestSMART. www. investsmart.com.au

Comprehensive credit reporting kicks in July THINK MONEY PAUL CLITHEROE PAYING bills on time always makes good financial sense but, with comprehensive credit reporting due to kick off from July 1, it just became a lot more important.

Whenever you apply for credit – and this can include opening a mobile phone or gas/electricity account – the service provider is likely to take a look at your credit history.

At present, this shows any applications you’ve made for credit, as well as negative information like unpaid bills, overdue accounts and loan defaults.

These details can stay on your credit history for years, potentially making it difficult to secure a competitively priced loan.

Yet people often don’t know they have a tarnished credit record until they’re knocked back for a loan.

This system is set to change from July 1 when “comprehensive” credit

reporting (CCR) is due to kick in. The proposed legislation calls for our big financial institutions to provide details of positive as well as negative events, and up to 24 months of debt repayment history can be recorded on your personal credit file.

It may all sound a bit “big brother” however the new credit reporting changes will give lenders a more rounded picture of your credit history.

Paying bills and loan repayments on time will reflect favourably on your credit report and hopefully make it easier to secure credit.

On the flipside, consistently dragging the chain with bills can make it harder to get a loan.

Positive credit reporting has been in place overseas for some time, and anecdotally, borrowers often use a strong credit rating to negotiate a lower interest rate.

While July 1 is still a few months away, the big banks have already begun compiling details of your repayment history in readiness for the new system to come into effect on July 1.

That makes it more important than ever to pay bills on time.

In our busy lives it can be easy to overlook bill payment dates.

Setting up an automatic direct debit can help, or if you have a credit card debt, it can be worth asking your bank whether an automatic payment system is available.

These autopay systems usually let you choose between paying the closing balance of your card, the minimum payment or a set sum each month.

If you regularly struggle to meet bills for utilities like power and gas, ask your energy provider about “bill smoothing”.

This is where you work out your total power bill for the last year, divide it by 12 and then pay a monthly sum into your energy account. A lot of people say it is far more manageable than paying a large quarterly bill.

Paul Clitheroe is a founding director of financial planning firm ipac, chairman of the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board and chief commentator for Money Magazine.

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32 Seniors Central Coast

Money

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Can will kits be safe?

It can be safer to have a lawyer draft your will than to DIY A “WILL KIT” can be purchased at a newsagent by people who are unable to afford to engage a solicitor or simply do not want to do so.

The document must be capable of clear interpretation.

Requirements for a valid will In New South Wales a will under the Succession Act is not valid unless: (1) it is in writing and signed by the testator (person making the will) or by some other person in the presence of and at the direction of the testator, and (2) the signature is made or acknowledged by the testator in the presence of two or more witnesses present at the same time, and (3) at least two of those witnesses attest and sign the document in the presence of the testator (but not necessarily in the presence of each other).

Obviously it must also be capable of clear

interpretation.

Do you have to follow all the directions of a will kit to the letter ?

These documents have been drafted by lawyers and so following their directions is highly recommended.

The cost of an invalid will can be the need for an application for letters of administration and also a potentially greater chance of a costly dispute over the estate.

Even if the document is valid, failure to follow common procedures can cause complications and inconvenience.

Example A testator had purchased a will kit about 12 years ago and typed out some provisions which were capable of easy interpretation however this single sheet of paper was simply glued to the will kit.

Although the document was signed by the testator and two witnesses there

EXPERT ADVICE: Central Coast Lawyers, experienced in assisting Seniors with legal matters, say the bottom line is that it’s safer to have a lawyer draft your will.

PHOTO: CREATAS IMAGES

was no statement (“attestation clause”) to the effect: “Signed by the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us both being present at the same time and we at his request in his sight and presence and in the presence of

each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses.”

While the Succession Act does not require the inclusion of an attestation clause for validity, there was on this document no clear evidence that the two witnesses had even

sighted the testator signing the will.

In reality, the court reviewing that document would call for an affidavit of at least one of the witnesses to provide that evidence.

This will was over 12 years old and contained

no contact particulars for those witnesses.

What if the witnesses could not be located or were perhaps dead ?

The bottom line is, that it is safer to have a lawyer draft your will.

Central Coast Solicitors.

WILLS

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Robert Stephen 0422 902920 robert.ccsols@optusnet.com.au

Renchia Ambrose 0431 226427 renchia.ccsols@optusnet.com.au

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Central Coast

Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 33

T ravel

WINTER is nigh, and while temperatures in Queensland and Northern NSW are friendlier than those down south, it still gets cold enough to chill the bones of seniors and retirees who can indulge in a long escape to climates more agreeable. Ann Rickard tells of some of her favourite escapes and gives tips on how to enjoy winter sunshine on a budget.

1. COOK ISLANDS COASTAL lagoons and reefs, lush hinterland and volcanic mountains mean paradise around every corner. That’s not counting the warm welcome from locals. Street food and

public buses will keep you on-budget for a long stay. A must-do; attend church. The melodic and harmonious singing of the parishioners will give you goose bumps.

2. ELLIS BEACH, QUEENSLAND JUST north of Cairns, this beach is home to a friendly caravan park/camping ground right on the water. You could stay here for the entire winter in a caravan or rent one of the self-contained beach-front bungalows. It’s a laid-back, dreamy place, and there is the iconic pub across the road serving hearty food at cheap prices.

3. PORT DOUGLAS GUARANTEED warmth without the humidity, this luxury escape can be done on a budget if you do your research. A self-contained apartment for a

long-term stay is good for those who like space and home cooking, but there are a number of camp-sites that will welcome you and your tent/campervan at senior-friendly prices.

4. DARWIN NO-ONE wants to be in Darwin in the summer, but the winter months? A different story all together. A self-contained apartment is best. You have space and comfort and can shop at the Mindil Beach Night Markets for produce to cook or better still eat at the food stalls.

5. GREEK ISLANDS A LONG way to go but if you want day after day of sunshine, blue skies and warm sea-water, this is your stuff. Some of the lesser known islands (Karpathos, Samos, Skiathos) are budget-friendly, especially if you seek modest family run

establishments willing to give discounts for long-term stays.

6. TOWNSVILLE DRIER than its northern counterpart Cairns, it still has a magical tropical ambience. It’s a perfect town/city place to base yourself throughout the winter.

There’s the Esplanade to browse and wander and all the sandy beaches of Magnetic Island just a ferry-ride away.

7. VIETNAM YOU get so much bang for your buck in Vietnam it’s almost embarrassing. Luxury hotels are a fraction of the cost in other Asian countries and the choices are many.

Food, if you eat at the myriad street stalls, costs next to nothing. With three different weather systems you are best to plan carefully. There is plenty to enjoy in this vibrant country.

8. BROOME CONFESSION…we haven’t been. But it’s on our bucket list because everyone should experience Cable Beach before they die, even if they don’t get on a camel. It’s way north over there in WA which means warm winter temperatures and sunshine are assured.

9. PHILIPPINES UNLESS there is a typhoon lurking, this is a glorious sunny escape with more than 700 islands to choose from.

Filipinos are warm and friendly, and we haven’t met one yet who can’t sing like an angel.

10. WHITSUNDAYS AIRLIE Beach is a good base for the winter months to set sail to some of the glorious islands of the Whitsundays. With average temps of 22–23 during winter, it’s the perfect escape.

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34 Seniors Central Coast

Travel

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

SPECIAL FEATURE: SPOTLIGHT ON ASIA

Asia in relaxed luxury Enjoy a personal adventure with small group tours

suite of tailored tours lead by experienced drivers and tour leaders. One of the new feature itineraries is the 12-day Vietnam and Cambodia Discovery.

Limited to a maximum of just 14 guests a departure, this spectacular journey begins in French-influenced Hanoi where dinner on the first evening is at KOTO (Know One, Teach One) – a social enterprise restaurant founded by Vietnamese-Australian Jimmy Pham.

After a day spent touring this amazing city with entrance included to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, it’s time to prepare for the majesty of Halong Bay where’ll you’ll enjoy an unforgettable overnight cruise (included). The journey continues to Da Nang and Hoi An and onward to Ho

MAJESTIC: Halong Bay, where’ll you’ll enjoy an unforgettable overnight cruise.

We’ve Gone

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Join the conversation on Facebook.

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SMALL group touring is exploding in popularity.

The ideal compromise between having everything organised for you and still remaining an intimate, personal adventure, it makes perfect sense particularly if you are going to a place for the first time and expect to make the most of it.

One of the world’s leading small group tour specialists, Back-Roads Touring takes it a step further by deliberately venturing off the main roads and freeways and taking you into the heart of the destinations it visits. You really do get to experience a place like a local when you get away from the massive tour coaches that generally can’t access where Back-Roads will take you.

And now, you can add the highlights of Asia to the company’s adventure list with a recently announced

Chi Minh City. Internal flights are included in the fare. In vibrant Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll visit stunning pagodas and markets, enjoy skyline cocktails and even take in a performance at the Opera House.

Heading toward Siem Reap in Cambodia and the jaw-dropping Angkor Wat, you’ll first enjoy a discovery tour of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta canals. Enjoy more sightseeing cruises at Siem Reap including a trip through the mangroves to an isolated Khmer community where the houses are all built on stilts. This amazing trip also takes in the fascinating Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. With so many inclusions and unique experiences, it would take you months to organise a trip like this on your own. Why not join a small group tour and have it all done for you?

For more information: https://backroadstouring. com/asia-destination.

Travel

Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Central Coast

Seniors 35

Rarotonga tells its story

Passionate, colourful and energetic Shirley Sinclair

shirley.sinclair@scnews.com.au

HE ARRIVES looking menacing in traditional tribal cloak and headdress fashioned from jungle materials.

A proud warrior. Larger than life. But we soon discover he is simply a fierce protector of history, family and the community he holds dear. He puts us all at ease with his funny anecdotes and friendly demeanour, telling us that despite his long-winded tribal name “you can call me Danny”.

Animated in his storytelling, he takes the United Nations-like audience on an enlightening cultural journey.

His family. His heritage.

His story.

Rarotonga’s Highland Paradise Cultural Centre Sunset Cultural Night is much more than a glimpse into a 600-year-old Cook Islands village. The dancers, musicians, chefs, barmen and guides are all

CULTURAL EXPERIENCE: The Drums of Our Forefathers show.

descendants of Ariki (High Chief) Tinomana – the last highland king – and his four wives. Together, they ensure his spirit, his descendants and this special mountain paradise remain at the forefront of island storytelling through Drums of Our Forefathers.

The great warrior and cannibal was much-feared until one of the first Tahitian missionaries to the country converted the king to Christianity.

Tinomana’s epiphany and complete

transformation saw him put down his weapons and seal them in a cave, choose only one true wife and command his tribe to come down from the mountain and live in harmony by the majestic turquoise lagoon. The passionate, colourful and energetic production tells the story of the ancient hill-top tribal settlement, sometimes known as “the lost village”, abandoned in the early 1800s. The sanctuary lay forgotten for 150 years until one man

decided to reclaim his rights as a descendant of the hill tribe, and subsequently work began to restore maraes and rebuild this sacred place nearly 40 years ago.

As well as on the on-stage presentation in music, song, dancing and narration, the night includes a warrior welcome, Maungaroa village cultural tour, sacred marae visit, umu (underground oven) feast and audience participation, including

The majestic Cook Islands.

the presentation of each table’s visiting “chiefs”.

The award-winning Highland Paradise Sunset Cultural Nights are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

In Rarotonga, phone

21924, see local travel desks or go to the website highlandparadise.co.ck for bookings.

Transfers are available from your accommodation, find out more when you book.

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6 Day Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers

16 Day Tasmania in Spring

8 Day Great Ocean Road

Departing Saturday 20th October

Departing 17th November

A holiday not just for the garden lovers. Travel to Tamworth for overnight before arriving in Toowoomba for a 3 nights stay. Visit Laurel Banks Park, Queens Park and the beautiful Spring Bluff Railway Station. Sit is reserved grand stand seating to watch the carnival parade. Visit some private gardens and visit Black Forest Hill. Overnight in Armidale on our return to the Central Coast.

Discover Tasmania in Spring .. a beautiful time of year to explore the hidden secrets that Tasmania has to offer.

Travel across on the Spirit of Tasmania with a 2 night stay at Strahan followed by 4 nights in Hobart. Historic Port Arthur, the Huon Valley, Arthur River Cruise and Cradle Mountain are just some of the highlights the tour has to offer.

Join us and travel one of the most photographed destinations in Australia the Great Ocean Road also known as the Shipwreck Coast. view the remaining Twelve Apostles, The Grotto , the Bay of Isles and the Blowhole. Plenty of photo Opportunities along the way. 3 nights in Warrnambool to visit Flagstaff Hill, Port Fairy and the Maremma Dogs. Enjoy the Sound & Light show “Shipwrecked” and Blood on the Southern Cross in Ballarat.

6 Day Riverina in Spring

8 Day Norfolk Island

Departing Thursday 11th October

Departing Monday 22nd October

Departing Thursday 20th September

Tour Price: $1667.00 per person twin share

This holiday favourite spends 5 nights at the Leeton Heritage Motel. Exploring the Murrumbidgee irrigation area. Tour the Roxy Theatre and visit Libby Bailey who restores Rocking Horses, View the amazing Citrus Sculpture in Griffith and visit some of the Local gardens open for the festival of gardens. Spend the day at Altina Wildlife Park. So much to see and do on this holiday.

Tour Price: $4150.00 per person twin share

Includes: return airfares, 7 night’s accommodation at Castaway, daily tours and outings, breakfast & dinner each day. Escorted all the way.

Tour Price: $3250.00 per person twin share

Tour Price: $1650.00 per person twin share

5 Day Cherry Festival - Young Departing 29th November

Enjoy a 4 night stay in Harden, pick your own cherries if you wish, see the Cherry Festival Parade and tour the local sights. Visit the Licorice Factory, the fudge and jam factory and Iandra Castle.

A great little getaway with lots to see.

Tour Price: $1185.00 per person twin share

Tour Price: $1450.00 per person twin share

Holiday Inclusions

Home pick-up for Central Coast & Newcastle passengers, 5-star coach travel with professional and informative coach captain/guide Quality Motel accommodation, 2 course dinners, full cooked breakfasts, all entry fees, attractions, sightseeing and cruises as per each itinerary.

It’s Easy Tours Shop 5A Gosford Central Plaza/153 Mann Street GOSFORD NSW 2250 Telephone: 02 4325 8000 | www.itseasytours.com

For detailed itineraries including our 2018 Holiday Guide & latest Day Tours call us 02 4325 8000

6641322am

02 4325 8000

36 Seniors Central Coast

Travel

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

#19 Take a hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia, Turkey.

The World’s ultimate Discover the best destinations set to inspire and captivate WELCOME to the world’s best bucket list ever assembled – a diverse collection of hidden gem locations and exhilarating activities from every stunning corner of our planet.

To create the World’s Ultimate Bucket List for 2018, Flight Network has consulted 800+ of the world’s leading travel journalists, agencies, bloggers and editors – the people who do this for a living – to gain insight from their opinions and expertise.

By consulting the world’s top travel professionals, Flight Network has produced the most reliable and precise bucket list for the modern era – meant to captivate and inspire travellers all

over the world.

But don’t just take our word for it – dive into this list yourself.

Pack your bags and book a flight to the wonders of an African safari, the gorgeous purple night skies of the Sahara, ancient ruins infused with power, and crystallised waters begging you to dive in.

This comprehensive list will transport you from the otherworldly landscapes of Iceland to the sensational views of French Polynesia, Bali, Melbourne, New Zealand, Fiji, Greek Islands, Singapore, South African capes, Oceania, Europe, Asia, Africa, USA, Australia, Caribbean, and everywhere in between.

Volunteer at an Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee; Chiang Mai, Thailand; or Kenya, Africa.

50

of the best 1. Take a wildlife safari in Africa. Gambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Africa.

2. Embark on an expedition to Antarctica.

3. See The Northern Lights, Iceland, Sweden, Canada, Norway, Africa.

4. Trek to Machu Picchu, Peru.

5. Sail the Galapagos Islands, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

6. Lose yourself in the streets of Paris, France.

7. Stay in an over-water bungalow, Maldives, French Polynesia, Fiji.

8. Gorilla trekking in Central Africa, Virunga National Park, Rwanda, DR Congo.

9. Explore otherworldly Iceland.

10. Go island hopping in Greece, Europe.

11. Visit the Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States.

12. Explore Western Cape, South Africa.

Travel

Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Central Coast

Seniors 37

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Great Wall of China, Huairou, China; walk around Historic Havana, Cuba; trek to Machu Picchu, Peru; take in the sights in Rome, Italy; and stay in an over-water bungalow in the Maldives, French Polynesia or Fiji.

bucket list for 2018 13. Dive and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Australia.

14. Walk around the ruins of Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia.

15. See the Taj Mahal, Agra, India.

16. Tour vineyards in Bordeaux, France.

17. Sleep under the stars in the Sahara Desert, Morocco.

18. Experience amazing Bali, Indonesia.

19. Take a hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia, Turkey.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Visit the Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States; visit the pyramids in Giza, Egypt; take in the astonishing Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe; and soak up city life in the Big Apple, New York City, United States.

20. Take an Alaskan Cruise, Alaska, United States.

21. Visit the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt.

22. Swim with whale sharks, Mexico, Rangiroa, Bora Bora, Isla de Mujeres, Donsol, Tahiti, Fakarava, Philippines.

23. Soak up city life in the Big Apple, New York City, United States.

24. Visit Petra, Jordan.

25. The Great Wall of China, Huairou, China.

26. Volunteer at an elephant sanctuary, Hohenwald – Tennessee, Chiang Mai – Thailand, Kenya –Africa.

27. Trek to Mount Everest Base Camp, Kathmandu, Himalayas, Nepal.

28. Ignite your senses in Tokyo, Japan.

29. Visit New Zealand’s South Island, New Zealand.

30. Drive the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia.

31. Visit the Amazon Rainforest, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia.

32. The Canadian Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, Banff Alberta, Canada.

33. Hike Through Volcanoes in Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii.

34. Explore the Australian Outback, Flinders Ranges, South Australia, Alice Springs, Australia.

35. Swim in the Dead Sea, Israel.

36. Soak in the Salt Flats in Bolivia, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.

37. Visit Tiger’s Nest, Paro Taktsang, Bhutan.

38. Watching Polar Bears roam, Canada, Norway, Greenland, Russia.

39. Visit The Mayan Ruins, Mexico, Guatelama, Belize.

40. Take in the astonishing Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

41. Walk around historic Havana, Cuba.

42. Take a slum tour in India, Delhi, India.

43. Soak up the sun in Sydney Harbour,

FOR MORE GO TO: flightnetwork.com.au/ blog/the-worlds-ultimate- bucket-list/

Everyone deserves a personal travel manager Hi, I’m Lois, personal travel manager. I know that with our busy lifestyles we don’t always have enough time to plan the most important part of our lives, our holidays.

Whether you’re planning a cruise or that once in a lifetime overseas tour, from the moment you discuss your journey with me you know that all the important details will be taken care of. And if by chance something does go wrong whilst you are away, I’m there for you 24/7.

Sydney, Australia.

44. Marvel at nature on the Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States.

45. Ride The Glacier Express, Switzerland, Europe.

46. Take in the sights in Rome, Italy.

47. Watch a centre court match at Wimbledon, United Kingdom.

48. Drink a beer at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.

49. Stay in an Ice Hotel, Sweden, Canada, Finland.

50. Experience Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

SO HOW CAN I HELP YOU? • Local, international and round-the-world cruises • River Cruising • Fly / cruise packages • Local and international coach touring • Local and international rail touring • Travel insurance I work with suppliers including P&O, Princess, Holland America, Royal Carribbean, Azamara, Celebrity, Cunard, Uniworld, Avalon, APT, Cruiseco, Trafalgar, Globus, Great Southern Rail, VIA Rail and Covermore.

Terms and conditions may apply on bookings. Fees may apply to credit card payments. Service fees may be applied on bookings. Please ask me for relevant details.

Contact me today to start planning your next holiday:

Lois Marshall

Personal Travel Manager

0419 974 660

lois.marshall@travelmanagers.com.au travelmanagers.com.au/LoisMarshall

38 Seniors Central Coast

Travel

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Thai luxury at its best Ann Rickard

SOMETIMES indulgence is called for; a holiday where you don’t have to leave the luxurious arms of your resort if you don’t want to.

Such a place is Banyan Tree Samui on Thailand’s tropical island of Koh Samui.

I have 10 reasons why you will come to love this special place.

■ We’ll get to the resort’s myriad charms in a minute but it is the welcome of the staff that tops our list.

The wide smiles, the cold towels and refreshing drink, the warm Sawasdee greeting and the gentle nod with the raising of both hands with palms together that makes you feel like visiting royalty – and you deserve it.

■ The resort tumbles gently down a steep and verdant hill surrounded by controlled jungle and lush gardens in the private Bay of Lamai overlooking the magnificent Gulf of Thailand. We need say no more.

■ All villas have their own infinity pools and ocean or part-ocean views, apart from spa villas which are

nestled among lush gardens High ceilings, tasteful Thai furnishings, king-sized beds, robes and slippers, flat screen televisions, and a pillow and bed-linen menu, all add to the sense of luxe.

Spacious terraces have sun beds and if you want to take the kids or your mates, two-bedroom villas are available.

■ Every guest has their own villa host who will arrange everything from dining or spa reservations, to buggy pick up and drop off. But there’s more…call your host any time on the personal phone given to you at check-in and use the same phone to make free calls to anyone anywhere in the world.

■ Banyan is home to the sumptuous rainforest/ hydrotherapy experience.

This is like a mini-visit to the Daintree Rainforest but with lots of pampering. Inside this watery sanctuary (swimsuits necessary) with is bamboo and greenery, you are guided through a wet and wonderful journey by a dedicated therapist.

First a walk through a mini jungle drenched in soft rain, then a quick steam and shower, then a fun bucket drench followed by a Swiss shower, sauna, ice mountain experience, sole therapy and finally into the vitality pool with built-in lounges, high-powered jets and rain showers to ensure every part of you is massaged and soothed.

Finish by the pool on a curved-to-your-body warmed day bed.

■ A fitness and yoga centre, kids’ club, spectacular main pool, dedicated kids’ pool, a calm and soothing library, water sports galore… didn’t we say you may never want to leave this resort?

■ Dining…very important …and Banyan Samui has it all covered. We love lunch at Sands overlooking the beach where fresh seafood competes with enormous steaks, or for the lesser appetites, zingy salads and the always-right pizzas and burgers. International fare is served with views at The Edge, and for a true Thai epicurean adventure,

THAI TRAVEL: The stunning Banyan Tree in Koh Samui, Thailand.

dinner at Saffron is the go. In-villa dining works for those days when you don’t want to step outside your gorgeous space, and for the ultimate in romantic dinners staff will set up a private place for you on the beach beneath a floaty marquee surrounded by candles.

■ Private beach, true indulgence. Giant boulders form a rocky surround for the calm and warm water of the Gulf of

Thailand, which means safe swimming and snorkelling. Giant sun-beds, shaded sun-lounges, swinging hammocks and oval lounge chairs for two… which to choose for a day on the beach?

■ If you must leave the resort – and it’s unlikely with its immaculate grounds brimming with water features, floating lilies, lush growth and orchids – a shuttle bus will

zip you into town in a jiffy.

■ Location, location, location. Sitting aloof away from the madness of Chaweng, Banyan Tree Samui in Lamai is far enough away from the bedlam to give you a memorable stress-free break. It is also close enough to have you in the bright lights if you seek that.

For more, go to: www.banyantree.com/en/ thailand/samui.

Central Coast

Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 39

A NIGHT AT THE SYMPHONY

Dinner and symphony

The music is world class and the price-tag is affordable MORE used to life at The Sydney Opera House, world-renowned Sydney Symphony Orchestra will be making an appearance at a “house” a little closer to home this winter, at The Art House, Wyong, for one night only on July 13.

A dream for classical music fans, The Sydney Symphony Orchestra will be bringing a program of Mozart to Central Coast audiences as part of The Art House Presents program 2018. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is the latest of several internationally recognised companies making their way to The Art House. Since opening, the Wyong theatre has hosted Sydney Dance Company, Queensland Theatre Company, Belvoir, Australian Dance Theatre, and follows the Sydney Symphony Orchestra concert with a visit from Opera Australia’s Madame Butterfly in August.

The program for the night consists of Mozart’s well-known Linz Symphony, written in just four days, and Horn Concerto No.3, as well as pieces from Schubert and Strauss, all played by Sydney Symphony’s 34-piece orchestra.

As this performance is not part of a tour and is a specially crafted concert put on just for The Art House, it will be a performance that can only be seen by Central Coast Audiences.

For many, no trip to the

❝

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra will be bringing a program of Mozart to Central Coast audiences.

CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE: The Sydney Symphony Orchestra will bring a program of Mozart to Central Coast audiences as part of The Art House Presents program 2018.

PHOTO: ©KEITH SAUNDERS

theatre would be complete without a pre-show meal. Start the evening with a pre-show visit to one of Wyong’s wonderful restaurants and get a taste of the Central Coast town’s burgeoning food scene.

Authentic Italian restaurant, Osteria A’ Mano, offers a delicious two-course pre-theatre meal that is a staple of many local theatre lovers.

While the music will be world class, the price-tag

will be more affordable.

Tickets start at just $25 for children, allowing both devoted classical music fans and those who have never experienced the magic of Sydney Symphony Orchestra on stage to get their tickets

and attend without the hefty price tag.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra Plays Mozart on Friday, July 13 at 7.30pm.

Tickets $25-$55. For bookings go to theart housewyong.com.au/ or phone (02) 4335 1485.

O st e r i a A ’ Mano Tra d i t i o n a l I ta l i a n R e sta u ra n t "Dine here before the Symphony for a great night of food and entertainment.”

The ideal venue for your next function!

66 Pacific Highway Wyong, 2259 For Reservations: 02-4353-4444 or ostamano@gmail.com

THE ART HOUSE PRESENTS

THE SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PLAYS MOZART FRIDAY 13 JULY 7:30PM

TICKETS: $55 ADULT | $50 CONC. | $48 MEMBER $40 UNDER 30 | $25 CHILD

40 Seniors Central Coast

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

What’s on

SUPPORT local talents as they rock your socks off with big sounds, big hair and big fun when Wyong Musical Theatre Company presents Rock of Ages.

Performances started on May 25, and continue each night at 7.30pm from Thursday, May 31 to Saturday, June 2, including a matinee on Saturday afternoon.

Songs include I Want to Know What Love Is, Don’t Stop Believin’, The Final Countdown and We Built This City. Tickets are $33-$50. For more information, go to thearthousewyong. com.au.

BRACKETS AND JAM

...........................................

IF YOU’VE not discovered it yet, Brackets and Jam is a regular monthly event, featuring brackets of local music and performance interspersed with drum jams and open mic.

Brackets South is at Kincumba Mountain on Friday, June 1. The community built venue is a mud brick and natural

timber building which sits in a bushland reserve, with panoramic views of Brisbane Water and magnificent sunsets. For more information, go to bracketsandjam.com or phone 0403 805 037.

WISH TO WALK FUNDRAISER

LOOKING for a reason for a night out? They don’t get much better than this one on Saturday, June 9. The Wish to Walk fundraiser event is a fun, family-friendly, free event with music, dancing and great company. There will be loads of prizes to be won on the night through auctions and raffles. All the proceeds go towards getting seven-year-old Lincon Craig and his dad over to Panama to receive revolutionary stem cell therapy that could well help Lincon, who has cerebral palsy realise his dream of walking one day.

It’s at Club Toukley RSL, Holmes Avenue , 6-9pm.

Find them on Eventbrite or phone 0478 725 903.

BEER AND CIDER FEST

THE Central Coast Craft Beer and Cider Festival is back for its seventh year on Sunday, June 10 at The Kincumber Hotel. It features local Coast brewers and regional brewers from all over Australia showcasing a huge variety of craft beer and cider varieties. Vote for your favourite and enjoy live entertainment, street food stalls, exhibitors and merchandise. For tickets, go to the website www. kincumberpub.com.au or phone 4369 2166.

AFTERNOON TEA ESPANOLA

PEARL Beach Progress Association is offering the chance to discover Spanish music’s strings and flamenco with classical guitarist Guiseppe Zangari and flamboyant flamenco dancer Chacy Penalver, as they join with string musicians and piano on Sunday, June 10 from

...........................................

ROCK OF AGES

ON THE RUN: Join the fun (and the agony) of the Terrigal Trotters’ Bay to Bay half marathon and fun run on Sunday, June 17 (or at least go along and cheer on those competing).

PHOTO: ABBEY DIGITAL

2.30-4.30pm at the Memorial Hall, 9 Diamond Road, Pearl Beach.

Tickets are $45 adults and include a Spanish tapas afternoon tea. Bar available. Go to pearlbeachprogress. org.au.

BAY TO BAY

TERRIGAL Trotters Bay to Bay Running Festival is on Sunday, June 17 and features a half marathon for those 16 or over ($77), 12km fun run for those 7 and over ($20 7-17, $50 adults) with staggered race starts at 7am and

8am respectively at Fisherman’s Wharf, Woy Woy. There’s also a 3km kids’ run ($5) at Central Coast Stadium, Gosford.

Go to baytobay.org.au or, to find out more about the Trotters, about a quarter of whom are over-55s, go to the website www. terrigaltrotters.com.au.

5 LANDS WALK

THE 5 Lands Walk’s motto is Connecting People to People and People to Place. It’s a day-long festival on Saturday, June 23 and comprises a moderately easy walk that

follows the spectacular Central Coast coastline for nine kilometres from MacMasters Beach to Terrigal. It takes 4-6 hours to cover the entire route, stop and admire the views and look for whales, but allow time to enjoy the free cultural events and exhibits. Almost 90 per cent of last year’s walkers rated it an excellent experience, so you know it’s got to be good. For details, go to 5landswalk.com.au.

ORCHID FAIR AND SHOW

THIS is the second biggest show in NSW, so if you love orchids, you know you have to go to the Mingara Orchid Club Fair and Show on the weekend of June 23-24. The free event runs 9am-5pm Saturday and 9am-3pm Sunday. Find great displays from enthusiasts and societies, potting demonstrations and advice. It’s at Mingara Recreation Club. Visit mingara.com.au.

Central Coast

Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 41

Live and let’s save

Coriander…love it or hate it?

IS IT tasty or terrible... and before you answer, remember looks can be deceiving.

Coriander is a green leafy herb also known as cilantro or chinese parsley. It’s used in a variety of meals and adored by some and despised by others. I’m definitely in the latter on this one!

All parts of the plant are edible but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking. The leaves have a different taste from the seeds. Some people find the leaves to have a pleasant citrus taste, while a small percentage experience a soapy taste.

This has been linked to a gene which detects aldehyde chemicals, which is also present in soap. Others experience an unpleasant aroma, like sweaty socks.

BE THRIFTY AND THRIVE NICKY NORMAN The health benefits of coriander can include: the treatment of skin inflammation, high cholesterol levels, diarrhoea, mouth ulcers, anaemia, indigestion, menstrual disorders, smallpox, conjunctivitis, skin disorders, and blood sugar disorders, while also benefiting eye care.

Unfortunately, some people (like me) have a severe reaction to coriander. In fact, it has spoilt many an evening out, not knowing what was causing the pain.

Sometimes unbearable …. not dissimilar to childbirth.

How is it so, that a small healthy looking herb

could be a villain in disguise? I believe it is the seed more so than the foliage that is the real issue for me, but none-the-less it’s horrible either way.

A coriander allergy is an immune system reaction to parts of the coriander plant, including the leaves and the whole or ground seeds. It may be caused by oral allergy syndrome.

Many spice allergies are a result of oral allergy syndrome, or a pollen-food allergy. Coriander is related to the birch tree, so people allergic to birch pollen may experience a mild and brief allergic reaction, such as itchy or tingling lips, severe stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and constipation. It may also affect the respiratory system, causing wheezing and trouble breathing.

Like most allergies, it

NOT SO HAPPY HERB: Coriander is used in food as a condiment, flavour enhancer and even as a garnish.

PHOTO: KITZCORNER

may take some time to discover the cause and then realise that avoidance is key. For me, that means being vigilant

and on coriander alert!

Facebook has a page dedicated to the passionate people who can’t stand the humble

herb. Love it or hate it, the “I hate coriander page” is a good laugh. Check it out, go to: facebook. com/ihatecoriander/.

Delicious broad beans this spring BROAD beans, sometimes referred to as faba or fava beans, are a great source of fibre and protein as well as containing vitamins, minerals and

antioxidants.

Broad beans (Vicia faba) are a fantastic bean to sow during May that will yield heavy crops of beans in about 4–5

months.

Yates® Broad Bean Early Long Pod is a vigorous variety that produces long 20–25cm well filled pods.

Chorizo and broad bean bruschetta TRY growing some broad beans in your own garden. Some of nature’s best gifts are in abundance right now, so enjoy them in this fresh dish.

METHOD

Step 1 - Heat a char-grill on high. Use a serrated knife to cut the baguette into 1.5cm-thick slices.

Brush each bread slice lightly with half the oil.

Christmas in July Lunch $27.00 per person

INGREDIENTS

★ Sourdough baguette ★ Two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ★ One garlic clove, halved ★ Two chorizo sausages, thinly sliced diagonally ★ 200g fresh or frozen broad beans, skins removed ★ One tablespoon sherry vinegar ★ 50g soft feta, crumbled ★ 1/4 cup small mint leaves

Japanese Gardens

SIMPLE AND TASTY: Impress with a delicious chorizo and broad bean bruschetta.

Cook the bread slices on the char-grill for 1-2 minutes each side or until lightly charred.

Remove from heat. Rub the hot bread with the cut side of garlic. Set aside.

Step 2 - Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden brown and heated

through. Add the broad beans, vinegar and remaining oil and gently toss until well combined.

Remove from heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3 - Spoon the chorizo mixture onto the toasted bread slices.

Sprinkle the bruschetta with feta and mint leaves and serve immediately.

For more recipes, go to: taste.com.au.

From 12.00pm

Main

Traditional Roast of the day w traditional roast vegetables, steamed greens and red wine jus bread roll & butter

Dessert Dessert of the day served w fresh cream & coulis

Tea & coffee station

Japanese Gardens 36 Webb St East Gosford Ph - 4324 8099

24th - 26th July For groups over 10 people.

Bookings essential 6816740aa

42 Seniors Central Coast

Reviews

Love and loss in Eleanor’s Secret THE story of Eleanor’s Secret is at once a surprising tale tangled with compelling love, an engrossing wartime mystery of past deceptions, family secrets and long-lasting love.

It’s London in 1942.

Art school graduate Eleanor Roy is recruited by the War Artists Advisory Committee and she comes one step closer to realising her dream of becoming one of the few female war artists. But breaking into the art establishment proves difficult until Eleanor meets painter, Jack Valante, only to be separated by his sudden posting overseas.

Go forward to Melbourne in 2010.

Although reluctant to leave her family at home, Kathryn can’t refuse her grandmother Eleanor’s request to travel to London to help her return a precious painting to its artist. When the search uncovers a long-held family secret, Kathryn has to make a choice to return home or risk her family’s future. Eleanor shows her that safe-guarding the future is sometimes worth more than protecting the past. Written by Australian author Caroline Beecham.

Published by Allen & Unwin. RRP $29.99.

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

Freedom, love, rage and regret

FROM the best-selling author of Still Alice comes a powerful and heartbreakingly moving exploration of regret, forgiveness, freedom – and what it means to be alive.

An accomplished concert pianist, Richard’s inspired performances received standing ovations from audiences all over the world. Every one of his fingers was a finely calibrated instrument, dancing across the keys and striking each note with exacting precision. That was eight months ago.

Richard now has ALS, and his entire right arm is paralysed. The loss of his hand feels like a death, a loss of true love, a divorce – his divorce.

As poignant and powerful as Jojo Moyes’s Me Before You, Every Note Played is a masterful exploration of redemption and what it means to find peace inside of forgiveness. Published by Simon & Schuster.

Paperback RRP $32.99 and ebook RRP $12.99.

Panic room secrets?

PANIC Room is Robert Goddard at his nerve-shredding best.

A sliver of a mystery kicks off a juggernaut of a thriller. Layers of secrets, half-truths and lies must be peeled back to reveal what really lies within.

Sometimes the danger is on the inside. High on a Cornish cliff sits a vast uninhabited mansion.

Uninhabited except for Blake, a young woman of dubious background, secretive and alone, currently acting as house sitter. The house has a panic room. Cunningly concealed, steel lined, impregnable – and apparently closed from within. Even Blake doesn’t know it’s there.

She’s too busy being on the run from life, from a story she thinks she’s escaped.

Her remote existence is going to be invaded when people come looking for the house’s owner, missing rogue pharma entrepreneur, Jack Harkness Published by Bantam Press. RRP is $32.99.

Adventures on Leopard Rock GLOABL best-seller Wilbur Smith has lived an incredible life of adventure. In On Leopard Rock he shares the true stories that have inspired his fiction.

“I’ve been writing novels for over 50 years,” he said.

“I was lucky enough to miss the big wars and not get shot, but lucky enough to grow up among the heroes who had served in them and learn from their example. I have lucked into things continuously.

“I have done things

which have seemed appalling at the time, disastrous even, but out of them have come another story or a deeper knowledge of human character and the ability to express myself better on paper, write books which people enjoy reading.

“I have been privileged to meet people from all corners of the globe, I have been wherever my heart has desired and in the process my books have taken readers to many, many places.

“I always say I’ve

started wars, I’ve burned down cities, and I’ve killed hundreds of thousands of people – but only in my imagination.”

From being attacked by lions to close encounters with deadly reef sharks, from getting lost in the African bush without water to crawling the precarious tunnels of gold mines, from marlin fishing with Lee Marvin to near death from crash-landing a Cessna airplane, from brutal school days to redemption through

writing and falling in love, Wilbur Smith tells us the intimate stories of his life that have been the raw material for his fiction.

Always candid, sometimes hilarious and never less than thrillingly entertaining, On Leopard Rock is testament to a writer who has written over 30 novels and whose life is as rich and eventful as his novels are compellingly.

Published by Allen & Unwin, On Leopard Rock: A Life of adventures is available in bookshops and online. RRP $39.99.

Puzzles

Monday, May 28, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au 4

5

Across 7 Which novel by Robert Louis Stevenson is set in late 15th Century England during the War of the Roses? (3,5,5) 8 In botany, what is the name for the woody layer around a peach or cherry stone? (8) 9 What liquid is stored in the gall bladder? (4) 10 What is an extreme irrational fear of something?

(6) 12 Who might carry a quiver? (6) 14 Radio pioneer Marconi and others formed which company in 1922? (1,1,1) 15 What is a catchy musical advertising slogan? (6) 17 What do many think dying Nelson said to Hardy instead of “kiss me”? (6) 19 What is a playing card or dice with three spots?

(4) 21 Which anxiety-relieving drug is best known under the trademark Valium? (8) 23 Children’s character who first appeared in 1926 and was worth $50m a year by 1931 (6,3,4)

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14 15

19

16

20

17

21

18

22

Down 1 Which is China’s most populous city? (8) 2 What word derives from the Latin for “from” and “suck in”? (6) 3 What Pacific Islands cloth is made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree? (4) 4 What variety of tuna with dark horizontal stripes is found in the Pacific? (8) 5 The word assassin originates from which language where it means “hashish-eater”? (6) 6 What light, flexible, blunt-edged sword is used in fencing? (4) 11 Which city is the UK centre for the North Sea oil industry? (8) 13 Elisha Otis invented the first safe what in 1852?

(8) 16 Georgetown is the capital of which South American country? (6) 18 What is a large flat unforested grassland in Siberia? (6) 20 What word can precede forest, dance and check? (4) 22 Who (Arthur __) won Wimbledon in 1975? (4)

23

SUDOKU

QUICK CROSSWORD

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

1

2

3

4

6

5

7 8

9

5x5

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.

A

10

12

13

R E

H 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 21 Very Good 29 Excellent 37

ALPHAGRAMS: PACED, QUINCE, REBATES, SALINATE, TRANSPIRE.

541

WORD GO ROUND

SUDOKU

5x5

QUICK CROSSWORD

V

Down 1. Commenced (5) 2. Inquire (3) 3. Finished (4) 4. Frustrating (9) 5. Quandary (7) 8. Children (6) 11. Smashed (9) 13. Sporting venues (6) 14. Hardships (7) 16. Ecstasy (5) 18. Nervous (4) 20. Colony insect (3)

Across: 6. Pensive 7. Choir 9. Dab 10. Irrigated 12. Ahead of time 15.

Distressing 17. Tolerates 19. Ill 21. Cruel 22. Agonise.

Down: 1. Began 2. Ask 3. Over 4. Thwarting 5. Dilemma 8. Minors 11.

Shattered 13. Arenas 14. Rigours 16. Bliss 18. Edgy 20. Ant.

Across 6. Thoughtful (7) 7. Music group (5) 9. Wipe (3) 10. Watered (9) 12. Early (5,2,4) 15. Upsetting (11) 17. Permits (9) 19. Poorly (3) 21. Vicious (5) 22. Worry excessively (7)

SOLUTIONS

S T E W S

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E R R E D

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GK CROSSWORD

20

Note: more than one solution may be possible.

Across: 7 The Black Arrow. 8 Endocarp. 9 Bile. 10 Phobia. 12 Archer. 14 BBC. 15 Jingle. 17 Kismet. 19 Trey. 21 Diazepam. 23 Winnie The Pooh.

Down: 1 Shanghai. 2 Absorb. 3 Tapa. 4 Skipjack. 5 Arabic. 6 Foil. 11 Aberdeen. 13 Elevator. 16 Guyana. 18 Steppe. 20 Rain. 22 Ashe.

19

D

CAPED CINQUE BEATERS NIL AT SEA TERRAPINS

WORD GO ROUND

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W

alive archive aver calve carve cave caver cavil chervil clave clavier crave curve evil halve have haver hive lave laver live liver rave ravel rival rive uvea uveal vail vale value valuer veal VEHICULAR veil vela velar vial vicar vice vile viral

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R A

16

T R

T

15

U A

E P

14

L I

E

A

11

5/5

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Seniors 43

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44 Seniors Central Coast

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, May 28, 2018

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