Mid North Coast, June-July 2019 by seniors

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Challenge to community

INDEX 3 4 12 14 15 19 25 27 28 29 31

News - ArtWalk lights up the CBD Cover - OzHarvest CEO Ronni Kahn News - Bello rocks to a winter vibe What’s on Community group guide Wanderlust Wellbeing Talk ’n’ thoughts Living Money Puzzles

Generations inspire conversation

Community supporting local clubs

Gail Forrer Seniors Group Editor Hello friends, This month I came across some valuable thoughts from Gosford (NSW) Anglican priest, Father Rod Bower. Fr Bower, recognised for his controversial billboard signage, spoke at the Communities in Control conference and called, postelection, for communities to come together. He told Pro Bono News that creating a deeper sense of belonging for everyone in our communities was one of the biggest challenges we all faced as Australians. “If we actually look for and discover each other’s humanity, we will discover that we share common humanity in a common place and that we can be part of a deeper sense of belonging,” he said. I was thinking much the same thing as I wrote this month’s special feature and looked into evidence behind polls that portrayed a divide between older and younger generations. What I found was a global effort to promote inclusiveness from American university students creating card games through to the partnership between Gympie’s (Qld) Aged Care Facility Cooinda and the University of Sunshine Coast offering student accommodation with an

innovative new program. Data collection is often the first building block used in community constructions, but it can also be used to create stereotypes that have little benefit for anyone, and – as election results proved – polls mightn’t quite get the point. Intergenerational projects such as ones I have written about fly in the face of superficial assessments. They seek common bonds rather than differences, echoing much the same sentiments as Fr Bower’s. Prompted by her 60th birthday, Tracey Johnstone took a look at her own and other’s personal circumstances. Tracey’s honest reflections will likely provide food for your own thoughts. In terms of mind and body, this month we have a number of first-person accounts in areas of arthritis, stroke and eating. Travel-wise we explore the Orkney Island with retired journos Yvonne and John Gardiner. Trust you enjoy the read, Gail

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

Your skills and experience are just what your club needs YOU were a business or community leader in your youth, directing people at work and planning to ensure your business plan succeeded. Now you’re retired, do you really think those skills are redundant? Think again! More than ever, retired business and community leaders’ skills are needed in clubs, committees and social groups right around the country.

As these groups age and their membership turns over, your skills as a co-ordinator of events, a manager of people, or a teacher of almost anything are still needed to keep those groups vibrant and active. The committee that leads a club is vital to its ongoing growth and survival, and groups need to both recognise and utilise the talents of their members to their

advantage. Let’s talk about club committees The best way to get good quality committee members is to appreciate their skills and encourage them to put their hand up during the year, rather than panic before the AGM about who’s available for which positions. To aid this, a good strategy is to conduct a skills audit of your members.

Do a survey and find out what they did when they were working, what qualifications they have now, what they enjoy doing, and what they want to do in the future. Most clubs find out things they never knew about their members, and they can then use this knowledge to encourage them to take up officer positions and use their life skills to promote and grow the club.

By encouraging them throughout the year, you’ll get a more enthusiastic group of volunteers at the next AGM, and hopefully a better functioning board or club committee. People always respond well when their skills and experience are recognised by their peers. They spent their entire life improving their knowledge and honing their professional skills, so even if they don’t want

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to be as involved as you’d like, they’ll always be happy to give advice and help others participate in the club’s management. Clubs are full of experience and talent. Make a habit out of recognising it to improve the skills in your management team for the benefit of the members.

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ArtWalk lights up the CBD Tania Phillips PORT Macquarie will light up as ArtWalk returns to the Central Business District on July 18. Presented by the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council in partnership with local businesses, ArtWalk is a captivating creative night of discovery that illuminates unexpected and sometimes secret spaces with free family-friendly pop-up performances and creative installations. Now in its fourth year, ArtWalk 2019 will see more than 40 artists and performers take to the streets throughout the night, providing a platform for local artists to be celebrated and to work collaboratively with local businesses. The evening comes

alive as the buildings and venues light up ‘after dark’ with digital projections, live music and live arts demos. Port Macquarie -Hastings Council Community Place Manager Lucilla Marshall said ArtWalk was more than artworks. “ArtWalk is not just ‘art on walls’; it’s street art, music, food and celebration for the whole family,” she said. “This year we are excited to extend our program to include a range of satellite events including exhibitions, workshops, record fairs and artist talks across all genres of the creative sector.” For the first time, the program features a special digital animation that was created by Port Macquarie-Hastings

TAKE A WALK: Harold Le Jeune art on display at Laing+Simmons from 2018 ArtWalk in Port Macquarie.

Photos: Lindsay Moller Productions

seniors living with memory loss. Sunday Afternoon is an exploration and response to the question: “What do you love to do?” Using hand-painted 2D elements and iPads, participants created stop-animations under the guidance of creative ageing practitioner Lisa Hort and designer Katherine Appleby. The workshops were funded by a Dementia

Australia grant and proudly produced by Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and the Port Macquarie Dementia Friendly Steering Committee. ArtWalk is on from 6-9pm in the Port Macquarie CBD. To discover a list of satellite events or to learn more about the ArtWalk 2019 offerings, go to pmhc.nsw.gov.au/artwalk.

Tim Maddren, Steph Maddren and Mat Brooker perform at the 2018 ArtWalk.

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Food found to feed the

The OzHarvest ethos is ‘take what you need, give if you can’ Tracey Johnstone Gail Forrer AUSTRALIA’S first “rescued food” supermarket, the OzHarvest Market, has opened in Sydney. It’s just another one of the “firsts” created by OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn and highlights her zeal to end food wastage on a worldwide scale. The 66-year-old former South African said she felt compelled to start the social enterprise after working in the hospitality industry and seeing first hand the enormous amount of unnecessary food waste. “On the one hand I set up OzHarvest (which collects quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivers it directly to more than 1300 charities) to make sure that good food feeds hungry people,” she said. “At that time I didn’t understand the scale of the problem. Now that we

do, we have a huge global mission.” Research reveals Australia’s shocking food wastage figures. According to the Federal Government’s National Food Waste Strategy 2016-2027 position statement, we produce 7.3 million tonnes of waste each year. Taking this down to a figure an individual can grasp, that’s 298kg per person. Some 2.5 million tonnes of that waste is generated by households. The government aims to see Australia halve those numbers by 2030. Ms Kahn’s passion for the OzHarvest project is underpinned by these mind-boggling figures, and an indomitable desire to feed the hungry. Her business acumen was honed running a successful corporate events company. In 2004 she started with one van in Sydney. In 2005, after having the laws changed to make it

FIGHT FOOD WASTE: OzHarvest founder and CEO Ronni Kahn. safe for companies to donate surplus food, the national food waste rescue organisation now rescues and rehomes 180 tonnes of donated perishable food each

week from more than 3500 food donors, including supermarkets, hotels, airports, wholesalers, farmers, corporate events, caterers, shopping

centres, delicatessens and cafes, restaurants, film and TV shoots and even boardrooms. “While our purpose is to nourish our country, it certainly extends globally

Photo: Livia Giacomini

in that we have to shift and change behaviour so that a third of all food does not go to waste and that there is enough food produced to feed all the hungry people on our

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Sharing with the Future

With our families dotted around the country side and the younger generations absorbed in new technologies, it does appear that a connection with a family history of old and stories of life past is not important. But before you decide that the younger generations are not interested nor have the time to listen to our tales it might be time to dig out those photograph albums and share a tale or two with the grand children. With the receipt of a photograph of my granddaughter baking biscuits from a recipe book (that was her great-great grandmothers), I decided look further into the importance of family history and story telling. There is a growing trend with our younger generations to connect with their family history. To maintain a strong sense of family connection and to ensure that the stories from the past survive with our children for generations into the future. Research suggests that children who are connected to family through history and story telling have a greater strength of presence and emotional resilience. There is little doubt that the older we get the more experiences we have to share. To be able to share this in turn, also benefits our health and wellbeing. Telling your story, no matter what story it is helps you to stay motivated, gives you a sense of accomplishment and the emotional ties/bonds with your family are strengthened. Recording of family history through journals, memory books, photograph albums and the like also improves overall cognition, assists with depression, improves behaviour and functionality but more importantly it continues to give us a sense of importance of life in general. The history that our parents and grandparents have played apart in through their lives, in some instances, is world changing. It defines who we are today and played an important role in the freedoms that our grand children are experiencing now. You may be surprised how intriguing some of your stories actually are. It still amazes me that my children find it hard to comprehend that a backyard toilet was such a privilege and that a telephone & television were only available to a few. As time passes it becomes increasingly important to ensure we maintain that valuable connection with the important people in our lives. This can be as simplistic as sharing a photo, a song, a story or family tradition. Or, as I did, an old recipe book that was full of love and sugary treats. 6882043ak

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planet planet. And we have to make sure it gets to them.” Ms Kahn said that each year in Australia, four million people needed some kind of food support. “That is unconscionable in a country that is as exquisite, beautiful and abundant as ours,” she said. “So I think I have a job for the rest of my life.” How does OzHarvest work? Seven days a week, paid OzHarvest drivers and assistant volunteers collect food in their yellow-branded vans that criss-cross Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Newcastle and Perth, plus in several regional areas. This food is then delivered free of charge to more than 1300 charitable organisations. Most is delivered directly to the charities on the same day it is collected, with surplus food stored overnight in OzHarvest coolrooms and going out the next

morning. Some of the food is kept back by OzHarvest chefs to use in the cooking for a cause program that turns rescued food into cooked meals, which is then delivered to charities. All sorts of charities benefit, including women’s refuges, community centres, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres, homeless support services, soup kitchens, the Wayside Chapel in Sydney, the Red Cross and schools. The latest OzHarvest project and Australia’s first rescued food supermarket, the OzHarvest Market, is based on a “take what you need, give if you can” philosophy. Relying largely on the generosity of donors, volunteers and corporate support, next on the expansion agenda is the new OzHarvest Food Truck which will be available for corporate, community and private functions and for helping feed communities in need around Sydney. OzHarvest also runs the educational programs

One of the OzHarvest vehicles that transports donated food for repurposing. NEST and Nourish. The curriculum-aligned FEAST education program for primary school students is currently being piloted. OzHarvest hopes to roll it out this year, starting in NSW. “We literally can change the life of a youth who might have been, and I use this word very seriously, discarded in that they have never had a

positive learning experience, never succeeded in anything,” Ms Kahn said. “They go through our Nourished training program and graduate and they say that we have opened a door they never knew existed.” The Nourished program takes at-risk youth aged 16-25 through an accredited Certificate II in

Hospitality or Kitchen Operations. The free program, which is run in Sydney, Adelaide and the Gold Coast, is a stepping stone for participants into the hospitality industry. It equips them with a range of skills including cooking, coffee making and food safety. “It’s those moments, and they happen almost every day, that keep me

Photo: OzHarvest

totally passionate and driven to make OzHarvest as impactful as possible,” Ms Kahn added. “The excitement and passion of doing what I do has never left me.” And it’s that passion for change that the fully energised 66-year-old wants other senior Australians to take on and apply within their communities.

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Bring joy with tiny tunes Tania Phillips STEPHANIE Sims has a passion for the ukulele she is more than happy to pass on to anyone and everyone who is interested in “the instrument of joy”. This includes a brand new course at the Coffs Harbour Library every Friday from 1–3pm, starting on June 28. “I have been playing the ukulele for eight years now,” she said. “I started Uko Ono in 2016 as a way to share the gift of music through the humble ukulele, or as I call it, the Instrument of Joy. “I run a range of ukulele groups, workshops and lessons and we regularly perform at Aged Care Centres, community events and festivals. The

ukulele really is the instrument of the people; it’s relatively cheap, portable, so easy to play and has a joyful sound.” She said the new 10-week course at the regional library was an absolute beginners’ course and open to anyone wanting to have a play and a sing – no musical background required. “At the moment, my youngest student is five years old and my oldest (that I know of) is 90 – so I’m expecting parents and children, the old and the young at heart at this new course – and hopefully some workers on their lunch breaks,” she laughed. “Because the library has 15 ukuleles to ‘loan out’, I hope this course will attract those who wouldn’t normally have

HAPPY TUNES: Stephanie Sims shares the joy of ukulele during one of her recent workshops. Photo: Contributed the opportunity to play. “I have run courses with new migrant families and the homeless and have seen first hand how music brings people together by reaching across barriers of language, age, nationality, status and culture.”

Stephanie is passionate about taking the ukulele into places where people feel disconnected from society. This could be because of their health, age, economic status or ethnic background.

“My aim is to share the feeling of connection, joy and value that comes from participating in music,” she said. “It’s no mistake that we are launching the new library ukulele program and course on World

Make Music Day (June 21).” The cost for the 10-week Absolute Beginners’ course is $50. For more information go to mycommunitydiary. com.au

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Rocketman to land in Coffs IN RESPONSE to enormous demand, and hot on the heels of the incredible global success of the Rocketman epic musical fantasy film, Elton-mania has reached fever pitch. Yes, it is true – Sir Elton John has extended the Australian leg of his sold-out Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour and added a concert in Coffs Harbour’s C.ex Coffs International Stadium on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. Seniors will need to be quick in grabbing tickets thanks to the huge success of Sir Elton’s recent movie, and his fan base has blown out to include an even younger following. Some seniors are thinking this may impede their opportunity to purchase tickets but, in all fairness, retirees will probably find more time to queue up on Ticketek when tickets go on sale Tuesday, June 25. The concert tally stands at 32 (38 including six performances in New Zealand) – and now carry the mammoth tour through five months,

STAR POWER: Council staff, councillors and Mayor Denise Knight celebrate the news at the Big Banana. Elton John will enthral Mid North Coast audiences by delivering the first music performance to be staged at Coffs Harbour's C.ex Coffs International Stadium on Wednesday, February 26. Photo: Trevor Veale

beginning in Perth on November 30 and wrapping up in March 2020. Since going on sale in February, Australia and New Zealand fans have snapped up tickets to Elton’s farewell tour, with

total sales approaching half a million tickets to the 32 shows announced to date. “We’re thrilled to be adding even more dates to Elton’s final tour,” promoter Michael Chugg said.

“Demand has been absolutely incredible – we know the Rocketman is going to create magic memories for Australia and New Zealand when he arrives later this year.” Elton’s career achievements to date are

unsurpassed in their breadth and longevity. He is one of the top-selling solo artists of all time, with 26 gold, 38 platinum and multi-platinum albums and one diamond album, more than 50 Top 40 hits,

and he has sold more than 300 million records worldwide. He holds the record for the biggest-selling single of all time, Candle in the Wind 1997, which has sold more than 33 million copies. Diamonds, the ultimate greatest hits album, reached the Top 5 of the UK album charts on its release in November 2017, becoming Elton’s 40th UK Top 40 album in the process. This release celebrated 50 years of his songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. In 1992, Elton established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which today is one of the leading non-profit HIV/AIDS organisations and has raised more than $400 million to date in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. This is the final chance to nab your spot at Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. It’s more than just a concert. For more information, go to eltonjohn.com or premier.ticketek.com.au.

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Seniors take on the tech challenge

ESTELLE Russell worked all her life in the early child care industry and has found that, as she is no longer in a career, the access to learning new technology stops with it. “In a world where technology is in constant flux and change, it is almost impossible to keep up to date,” Estelle said. “Every time you get a new phone, or an update on your phone, you feel like you have to start all over again.” The best thing is that Tech Savvy Seniors is not a one-off course. “You’re able to keep coming back to learn the jargon and have new technology explained. Not only that, Tech Savvy Seniors is very affordable.” That is one of the reasons why friends Estelle Russell and Danielle Matignier-Babb keep coming back to the Coffs Coast Community College. Estelle is committed to

TECH-SAVVY SENIORS: Estelle Russell and Danielle Matignier-Babb attending Coffs Coast Community College. working voluntarily in community organisations and thinks it’s vital to keep up to date. As a passionate writer, Estelle is looking forward to learning more about publishing online. “The Tech Savvy – Sharing Photos and Other Attachments Online

course will really help me put my book together.” Danielle, also a keen writer, has learnt to update her skills but is also needing to use her phone for more than making phone calls. “The only other way to learn new skills is to enrol in lengthy business

courses which I don’t want to do, so I really appreciate the two-hour sessions.” For more information, phone Coffs Coast Community College on (02) 6652 5378 or email admin@coffscollege.nsw. edu.au.

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Try taking a walk in my

Is there a growing disconnect between generations – or not? Gail Forrer

BONDS: As longevity increases, new ways of communcation are sought between young and old.

A recent report – Societal Views on Seniors in Australia – outlines a disconnect rather than a connect between older and younger demographics. Photo: Artecke launched. Due to begin in July, the University of Sunshine

Coast (USC) and Cooinda Aged Care Centre in Gympie, Queensland, will

be trialling an intergenerational living arrangement.

The trial came about through need and serendipity. In 2017, at the same time Cooinda Aged Care was building new accommodation, Cooinda CEO Robyn Kross and USC staff attended a meeting at the Gympie council. When USC staff expressed an interest in extending their campus but noted they were hindered by a lack of student accommodation, Robyn put forward the possibility of using their soon-to-be older rooms. Since then a feasibility study looking at nursing students paying a nominal rent to live in the older rooms in exchange for social activity with the residents has been completed, and earlier this year the idea further evolved when Robyn 6931193ae

IN TERMS of respect, a recent report headlined Societal Views on Seniors in Australia revealed a disconnect in perceptions between younger (18–44) and older (60-plus) Australians. The younger generations felt misunderstood, while senior Australians felt under-appreciated. The survey carried out by Aveo showed that 68 per cent of millennials felt seniors were treated with respect, while in contrast 53 per cent of seniors disagreed. A December 2018 report by National Seniors Australia, Respect for Age: Going, Going or Gone? Views of older Australians, highlighted the thoughts of its members and noted that about 43 per cent of them agreed that older people deserved the respect of younger people because of their age – which meant 57 per cent did not agree. Additionally, the popular satirical online publication The Betoota Advocate (60 per cent of readers are under 34) took a tongue-in-cheek approach to perceived differences, with its story headlined Baby Boomers happy for nothing to be done about climate change until after they die. A paragraph from the article said: “This particular generation – also known as The Baby Boomers – have been heavily criticised over the past 30 years for their inability to look past their own retirement, which many of them believe should have been the day they turned 55. However,

despite their sense of entitlement, many refuse to leave their highpowered positions in the corporate sector and free up the crowded housing market by retiring to the coast or country.” Yet, in the face of these surveys, statistics and satires, is there any solid evidence to fight back and call this “fake news”. Is there evidence to support a “connect” rather than a “disconnect” between older and younger demographics. Ninety-two-year-old nursing home resident Gladys Biles does not think there is anything to be envious about in either generation. “We had our own problems,” she said, citing the Great Depression and World Wars. On the other hand, she saw the younger people now tackling high costs of education and housing. She said she felt respected by the younger members in her family. Her 62-year-old daughter Jenny has three adult children and two grandchildren. She is a regular visitor to her mother and volunteers ironing time at the facility. She feels much the same way – good and bad points in both demographics. Twenty-seven-year-old Clare Grant, a regular visitor to her grandmother in a Bendigo nursing home, echoed the same sentiment. Additionally, in recognition of the importance of harmonious intergenerational relationships, a number of innovative initiatives ranging from housing to leisure games have been

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generation’s shoes

Family and community gatherings can bridge generational gaps. The Cooinda/USC model is loosely based on this intergenerational living model which began in 2012 and has since expanded to two more

Dutch aged care facilities. The desire to bring generations closer inspired America’s Stanford Centre of Longevity to theme its

2019 Design Challenge around “ways to promote intergenerational relationships and contributions from all generations”. Here are the top three

villages, Aveo Group head of care Darren Sonter said careful thought and consideration was put into various areas of its accommodation style. “The health benefits of leading a socially rich life are well known and we understand that we have an important role to play in ensuring there are plenty of opportunities for our residents to interact and socialise throughout their senior years with friends and family of all ages,” Mr Sonter said. “A number of our communities benefit from regular visits from local schools where the generations can bond over a shared love of music and game playing, whereas some of our communities feature a community area or a TV or media room where residents can enjoy a movie with family.” Ultimately, increased longevity has given rise to more living multigenerations than ever before. In addition, corresponding conversations have driven disparate viewpoints, considerations and surveys. In 2011, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that 531,000 people were living with “other related persons” in the family household. By 2036, the ABS predicts this number will rise to 781,000. Society is adjusting to these new demographics with fresh ways of negotiating relations, lifestyle and accommodation. It will take time, but certainly there appears evidence of a desire from many and varied parties to acknowledge generational differences while working towards respectful and thoughtful exchanges. 6832962ab

attended a Gold Coast seminar featuring Gea Sijpkes, head of the Humanitas retirement home in Deventer, Netherlands.

ideas: The So You Think You Know Your Grandma team from Berkeley University (California) developed a card game specifically targeted at breaking down barriers between members of different generations. The unique approach combines elements of both storytelling and game dynamics to engage players who may have differences in mindsets, views and perceived stereotypes. Stanford University’s team, the Family Room, created a user-friendly app that helps families capture and share the histories of their older loved ones through high-quality audio stories. This approach allows people with varying technology comfort levels to access the app via telephone, web interface or smartphone. In third place was Pillow Fight from Yu7anZE University in Taipei, which created an innovative video game platform using pillows as game controllers. The team demonstrated how the simplified controllers allowed very young and very old players to play together, creating shared laughter and experiences. The High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia has recognised the loving bond between older and younger Australians and its new campaign features young children urging their grandparents to have their blood pressure checked. Spokesman Professor Markus Schlaich asked: “What better way to encourage our ageing population to make that step than the concern of their cherished grandchildren?” In terms of retirement

Know someone who needs affordable, quality care? When the time arrives that it’s too difﬁcult to be alone at home, come and experience compassionate care in our loving and family friendly community. At Grafton Aged Care home, our dedicated, friendly and professional staff will welcome you to ensure you feel instantly at home.

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ENTERTAINMENT

JUNE, 2019// SENIORS

Bello rocks to a winter vibe Tania Phillips IT’S winter and for television presenter and comedian Brian Nankervis that means it’s time to head north for the annual Bello Winter Music festival. Nankervis, best-known for SBS’s ever-popular RockWiz, is back again to meet the performers and fans at the family-friendly boutique music festival that is Bello Winter Music. More than 70 artists descend on Bellingen for the festival during the school holidays (July 11-14). Nankervis, who hosts an interview show as part of the festival, said the acts would grace halls, pubs and even market places of the tiny town during the four-day event. This year’s line-up includes New Zealander Nadia Reid, the everpopular Bullhorn, fivepiece Pony Face, young indigenous artist Emily

ROCKWIZ: Television presenter and music lover Brian Nankervis at last year’s festival. Wurramara, Blues stars Hat Fitz and Cara, leading Zydeco band Pyscho Zydeco, one-man band

Juzzie Smith and The Maes. Nankervis said he was invited by organisers to be

involved in both the Bello and Mullumbimby festivals and so On the Couch with Brian

Photo: Kurt Petersen

Nankervis was born. “The audience gets a snapshot of the festival,” he said.

“It’s me interviewing three younger festival performers and they do a couple of songs each.” It’s a formula that obviously works well for both the warm, friendly festival and for the equally warm and friendly Nankervis. It’s clear he loves the chance to talk to people about their careers and their music as much as he loves the music itself. It’s also a good excuse to keep coming back to a region that seems to have captured his heart. “My connection with the area goes way back. I remember I spent a bit of time in Coffs Harbour 25–30 years ago,” he said. And now he just keeps coming back. Catch Brian and all the amazingly different and varied acts at the Bello Winter Music festival. Tickets are now on sale but sell out quickly. Go to bellowintermusic.com.

Authors delve into the intricate art of compelling crime writing Tania Phillips

Caroline Overington.

Photos: Adrian Cook

crime. Jaye Ford, a former news and sports journalist and public relations consultant, is the internationally selling author of five chilling suspense novels.

Wendy James.

Jaye Ford.

Her first thriller, Beyond Fear, won two Davitt Awards for Australian women crime writers (Best Debut and Readers’ Choice) and was the highest-selling debut crime novel in Australia in

2011. Her novels have been translated into nine languages and recorded as audio books. Joining Jaye on the panel is Wendy James. Wendy has eight novels to her name, including the

Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Caroline is also a former winner of the Sir Keith Murdoch Award for Excellence in Journalism. In recent times, she has turned her hand to writing both fiction and non-fiction books including nine crime thrillers. Her most recent novels include The Lucky Ones, The Ones You Trust and The One Who Got Away. The event is a satellite event of the 2019 ArtWalk event in Port Macquarie. To attend this panel discussion and meet the authors, phone (02) 6581 8755 or email portlib@mnclibrary.org.au.

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THREE of Australia’s top crime writers are on their way to Port Macquarie Library for a special literary event. The trio – Jaye Ford, Wendy James and Caroline Overington – will take part in Art of Crime: In Conversation on Saturday, July 20 from 1-3pm. It is a chance to join the trio – all masters in their field – as they take part in a panel discussion. The library staff host three of their favourite Australian crime/thriller fiction writers and delve into the how, who and why and discover the art of

best-selling The Mistake and The Golden Child, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Ned Kelly Award for crime. Her debut novel, Out of the Silence, won the 2006 Ned Kelly Award for first crime novel, and was shortlisted for the Nita May Dobbie Award for women’s writing. Wendy works as an editor at the Australian Institute of Health Innovation. Caroline Overington also started her writing career in journalism and is a two-time winner of the prestigious Walkley Award for investigative journalism. The former New York correspondent for the

Live events staged at 1000 seat historic heritage theatre with wonderfuL acoustics, air conditioning, comfortabLe seating and superb Line of sight.

Home

a taste of ireLand

the robertson brothers

soweto gospeL choir

dami im

an afternoon at the proms

the mccLymonts

tenori

tuesday 2nd JuLy 2019

saturday 20th JuLy 2019

saturday 27th JuLy 2019

saturday 3rd august 2019

sunday 27th october 2019

thursday 31st october 2019

friday 22nd november 2019

of the

Big Live Shows

Tickets on Sale Now.

SENIORS \\JUNE, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT

A cabaret show with tremendous heart and charm THE must-see live music event of the year, Lady Beatle – a kaleidoscopic journey to 1960s Liverpool via The Beatles’ most monumental hits – comes to the Glasshouse this August.

Starring UK-born Australian stage and screen star Naomi Price (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Rumour Has It, Ladies in Black, The Voice Australia) and inspired by true accounts,

Lady Beatle is soundtracked by The Beatles’ biggest chart toppers, including Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, Eleanor Rigby, Yellow Submarine and Penny Lane.

This is a loving tribute – though certainly NOT a “tribute show” to the Fab Four. Naomi’s original arrangements of these classics breathe new life into the hit songs, and you will hear them again

as if for the first time. You will sing, you will dance and you will leave with a huge smile on your face. Go to glasshouse.org.au/ Whats-On.

FAB-ULOUS: Lady Beatle star Naomi Price.

Paris caught on canvas Tania Phillips MID North Coast artist Wendy Stokes takes art lovers on a journey exploring the parallels between Monet’s France and her own Australian locations in her current exhibition at the Glasshouse Gallery in Port Macquarie. Within and Between – Walking in the space of Landscapes is featured at the Port Gallery through to July 21 and explores drawing as a vehicle to interweave a connection between place and memory, according to the talented artist. While not Wendy’s first exhibition at the Glasshouse in her four-decade career, this is

SMART ART: Wendy Stokes and her artwork. her first showcasing a selection of the drawings from her three-month residency in Paris in 2014 and her time in Monet’s Giverny garden. “My practice was grounded in my Australian experiences of landscapes influenced by air, light, space and water filtered through the understanding of various lineages of art history,” she said.

Saturday 31 August, 8pm

Photo: Jeremy Rogers Photography

“When first visiting Paris in 1980 as a recent graduate, I missed seeing Monet’s infamous Water Lilies Suite due to renovation. “In 2010 I felt I was at a point in my practice where I could find parallels and benefit from closer inquiry. This led to me being awarded a coveted Cite international des Arts residency in Paris for three months through

UNSW Art and Design in 2014.” As a child from a rural upbringing, followed by the coast, Wendy has always been conscious that her psyche is deeply embedded in the open space of landscapes and water about places of connection and joy. She believes her time in France allowed that to grow further. “In-the-field

experiences and research allowed for my processes to evolve with more considered meaning, and enriched understanding of locating and connecting to my own sense of place. “At the centre was the importance of actually being there; walking in the landscapes; and studying the relationships between sites, sketches and finished works.” What can people expect from this exhibition and how does it differ from her previous shows? “Philosophically, the exhibition focuses on parallels between place, the memories which emerge and what one carries with them between places,” Wendy said. “It presents an insight into how the process of

walking and drawing in the landscape informs making. “I made hundreds of drawings whilst away and it is only possible to show a few. “Using an abstract play of marks, or ‘notations’ evolved through drawing, I hope to invite the audience into a contemplative space where the interplay of light, space and mark float and elevates the viewer; reflecting how one’s own experience of a ‘sense of place’ filters into other locations through journey.” Wendy said she saw this show as a natural evolution of her practice in that it blends experiences rather than isolating them.

"one of the best shows of the decade" XS ENTERTAINMENT

GLASSHOUSE PORT MACQUARIE AND PERCIVAL PROPERTY REAL ESTATE SALES PRESENTS

LIVE BAND

LADY BEATLE

A LITTLE RED COMPANY & CRITICAL STAGES PRODUCTION ORIGINALLY PRODUCED BY LA BOITE THEATRE COMPANY

The must-see live music event of the year: Lady Beatle – a kaleidoscopic journey to 1960s Liverpool, birthplace of The Beatles. Once upon a time four boys from Liverpool started a band... and changed the music world forever. This is the story of The Beatles… as you’ve never heard it before. Lady Beatle breathes new life into The Beatles’ biggest chart toppers, including Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, Eleanor Rigby and Penny Lane.

TO BOOK glasshouse.org.au or call 02 6581 8888 Clarence & Hay Sts, Port Macquarie Supported by

A Little Red Company and Critical Stages Touring production, originally produced by La Boite Theatre Company. By arrangement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

JUNE, 2019// SENIORS out who will be crowned the King or Queen of Beef. A dozen barbecue teams will compete from Port Macquarie and Queensland cooking off using wood-fired smokers and grills for over $3000 in cash and trophies. For more information, phone (02) 6582 8377 or email info@cassegrain wines.com.au.

What's on

STEAM FAIR

Tania Phillips

ANTON BRINGS TAIKOZ HOME

AUSTRALIA’S internationally acclaimed drumming ensemble, Taikoz, will explore the immersive qualities of the Japanese taiko in their stunning production, The Beauty of 8, at the Glasshouse Port Macquarie on July 19. Former Kendall local Anton Lock will be returning to Australia to perform in this special show. A spectacular combination of infectious rhythms, soaring melodies, lavish costumes and huge drums. Go to glasshouse.org.au/ Whats-On/Taikoz-TheBeauty-of-8-July-2019.

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL ROADSHOW LOOKING for a laugh?

FEEL THE BEAT: Drum ensemble Taikoz perform at the Glasshouse. Photo: Leo Bonne The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow is coming to Coffs Harbour Jetty Theatre on July 5. For 20 years, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival has been touring far and wide, bringing giggles, guffaws and good times to Australia and further afield. The cast includes Dave Callan (MC), Blake Freeman, Ivan Aristeguieta, Nikki Britton and Pat McCaffrie. Phone (02) 6648 4930 for more information.

SALTWATER FRESHWATER ARTS

2019

THE Saltwater Freshwater Arts 2019 is a celebration of Aboriginal arts and culture from the Mid North Coast: the Worimi, Biripi, Dunghutti and Gumbaynggirr nations that make up the Saltwater Freshwater region. The exhibition includes the Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance Aboriginal art award and a display of contemporary cultural objects. There will be public programs throughout the exhibition, including storytelling, weaving and language workshops. The Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery is open

10am-4pm, Tuesday to Saturday (excluding public holidays and the week prior to each new exhibition) – exhibition is on display from July 19 through to September 9.

BEEF IN THE WINE

BEEF in the Vines is part of a series of events to create unique experiences “in the vines” on the beautiful grounds of Cassegrain Winery at Port Macquarie and will be held on July 21 from 12-6pm. Local barbecue enthusiast and seasoned barbecue pitmaster Adam Roberts has partnered with Cassegrain to find

STEAM Fair in the middle of winter, a fantastic time to enjoy Heritage steam, log fires, and fresh hot damper at Timbertown, Wauchope from July 6-8. They will have steam boats on the lake along with steam vehicles. Steam trains, traction engines and engines galore. The damper camp will be operating also along with live music. See rare trades and demonstrations and much more. For more information, email info@timbertown.com.au.

HASTING BONSAI GROUP

THE Hastings Bonsai Group meets each month at the Rotary Community Hall from 10am-2pm – next meeting July 6. The event is a fun-filled friendly day aimed at people looking to take up bonsai as a new hobby.

For more information, phone 0419 991 946 or email hbgjohnc@ gmail.com.

CLARENCE VALLEY CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL

THE Clarence Valley Conservatorium is proud to present the 2019 Clarence Valley Chamber Music Festival – featuring performances by visiting chamber music groups, as well as local performers and CV Con tutors and students from June 28-30. Festival performers will include: New England Ensemble, Acacia Quartet, Sirius Chamber Ensemble, Coffs Harbour Conservatorium Academy, CV Con Strings ‘n’ Things, CV Con Sinfonia and Ryan Enns.

CLARENCE RIVER ARTS FESTIVAL

THE annual Clarence River Arts Festival at 12 Cameron Street, Maclean on July 10 will include displays of fine art, patchwork and quilting, creative needlework, fabric and fibre design, jewellery and photography. There will also be a number of daily demonstrations and crafts stalls. Entry forms for all sections will be available from Ferry Park Gallery.

SENIORS \\JUNE, 2019

Community group guide

Community notes

VIEW CLUBS

Grafton MEMBERS have been busy gathering garments for our annual clothing run to be sent to head office via The Smith Family shop in Coffs Harbour. Members are also being involved in the People’s Choice Community Lottery this year. May saw members joining their sister club, Urunga, at Bellingen, UHA Mother’s Day morning tea, Maclean VIEW’s 41st birthday, Urunga’s 28th birthday, Woolgoolga Day’s 35th birthday and PWA annual friendship morning. VIEW Clubs of Australia will be holding its 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee in 2020 and they are looking for interesting stores from members. A reminder to bring these along to our June meeting. Guest speaker for our meeting on June 25 will be Karen Filewood, who will speak on Shipwrecks on the Clarence. Phone Vorna on (02) 6642 4719 if unable to attend meeting for catering purposes or if

you are interested in attending.

GRAFTON SENIOR CITIZENS

WE RECENTLY held a successful soup and games day. More recently, a full coach group did a most enjoyable day trip to Scotts Head, where lunch was enjoyed at local bowling club. There was sight seeing to Urunga, Valla Beach, Nambucca Heads, Stuarts Point en route. A pie and pea day is planned for mid-June, followed by a day bus trip to a mystery venue late June. A members barbecue is also planned for latter half of July. New members always welcome and all inquiries with publicity officer Sandra on (02) 6642 7720.

U3A

Port Macquarie Hastings U3A is short for University of the Third Age, a worldwide organisation dedicated to people in their “Third Age”, or retirement years. This is generally the time when seniors are now free

to enjoy opportunities for learning new things, enjoy their passions for hobbies and other creative activities, and embrace fun, social interactions with like-minded people. U3A plays an important role in breaking down loneliness and isolation among older people in our community. Seniors in the Port Macquarie Hastings Districts are warmly invited to join us. Term 3 courses/activities begin July 22. Check our website for updates for Term 3, go to pmhu3a.org.au. Location: The U3A Centre, Lochinvar PlacePhone (02) 6584 4192, 9.30am3.30pm weekdays.

BIG SAVINGS FOR COFFS COAST SENIORS

HARD-working Seniors will soon be able to save hundreds of dollars a year through the NSW Government’s new Seniors Savers Card. Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh said all people aged over 60 and

SOCIALISING SENIORS: U3A Port Macquarie Hastings players with Leslie Williams MP (centre), enjoy a game. working more than 20 hours a week will be eligible to receive discounts at more than 7000 businesses across the state including restaurants, cinema tickets and hairdressers. The Seniors Savers Card is one of more than 70 NSW Government rebates and savings available as part of the NSW Government’s Cost of Living initiative. For more, go to seniorscard.nsw.gov.au.

SIMPLE & SINCERE FUNERALS ALLIED FUNERAL HOME and Lady Cameo Funerals affordable and dignified funerals secure funeral plans available a large variety of timber and environmentally friendly cardboard coffins

6651 2363 or 6651 4155

124 West High Street, Coffs Harbour

6696318aa

TO ALLOW for readers’ requests for the publication of more neighbourhood news, please keep notices short and to the point (100 word maximum). If you would like to submit a photo ensure it is at least 180dpi or 500kb to 1mb in size and of faces, in a nice bright setting. Email editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au.

NEWS

JUNE, 2019// SENIORS

SENIORS \\JUNE, 2019

NEWS

JUNE, 2019// SENIORS

FINAL AUSTRALIAN TOUR!

26 FEB 2020

C.EX COFFS INTERNATIONAL STADIUM

ON SALE TueSDAY 25 June OZNZ.ELTONJOHN.COM

SENIORS \\JUNE, 2019

Stepping out on the Kepler Walk in the park for hiking novice PAGE 20

‘Kick start your day with Damo’ FM 103’s Breakfast Show, Monday to Friday 6 am to 9 am 6945592ab

JUNE, 2019// SENIORS

Our fall guy finds his feet

‘‘

It felt like I’d been hit by one of my host nation’s famous All Blacks

Spectacular Kepler Track well worth the effort for novice

Graeme Wilson I WAS almost 1500m high on my first ever multi-day hike and I had a serious wind problem. And not the sort I’d overheard others experiencing in our bunk room the night before. A 100km gust had just swept me off my feet and crashed me to the rocky ground on the most elevated section of New Zealand’s Kepler Track. It felt like I’d been hit by one of my host nation’s world-famous All Blacks rugby gladiators. As I gazed up from the razorback ridge at the stormy skies above, life had looked better, and I had the moment of reflection I knew would come on my inaugural venture into the world of serious hiking. My body and pride were equally bruised and when faced with such adversity we have two choices – retreat to safety or embrace the challenge. I took a deep breath and chose the latter, and I’m so glad I did. Completing the 60km four-day/three-night Kepler walk was quite likely the greatest physical achievement of my life. I’d trained reasonably consistently in the lead-up to the Kepler with regular half-day hikes and

twice-weekly 50km bike rides, but the lycra and lattes didn’t really prepare my legs for the challenge of transporting both me and my 15kg pack up and into the clouds. I believe it was a mixture of pride and fear of failure that helped propel me forward when the going got tough. It also helped that the amazing scenery along the way quickly has your mind turning away from thoughts of the enduring physical battle, and when it’s not the flora taking away whatever breath is left in your lungs, it’s the dainty little waterfalls cascading off the rugged hillsides and tumbling gracefully into space. I’ll also highlight that pain is temporary, but the special sights experienced along this four-day walk will live in the mind forever. Those memories begin forming the moment you step on to the track on the shores of the picturesque Lake Te Anau. But the reality is that when planning your assault on the Kepler, the challenges begin much earlier than those first bold steps along the undulating trail. While the hike itself is undoubtedly arduous, it’s testing enough simply securing hut bookings for

BREATHTAKING BEAUTY: The four-day Kepler Track walk will leave you wanting more. the three nights. On the day the bookings open, you need to be logged on to the website early to snatch up beds the moment the process goes live. It’s akin to getting tickets to an Ed Sheeran concert. And then there’s the equipment selection. Nancy Sinatra was clearly a hiking advocate as she sang about the importance of having boots made for walking. Trust me, no one wants to be climbing rocky peaks in boots made for anything else. It’s a given that you’ll burn through the calories on a four-day hike, so planning for the re-fuelling process holds great importance. Unsurprisingly, there’s no cute cafes or craft beer bars along the track, although I did note

numerous ideal locations for pop-up coffee carts. #ideasman Dried food is a staple on the menu and despite its initial resemblance to something you’d serve up to the family moggy, I was pleasantly surprised that the addition of a little boiling water returned it to something close to its former glory. When it comes to holiday accommodation, I’ll readily admit I’m traditionally the kind of guy who enjoys a little room service and the occasional spa. Pre-hike banter highlighting the possibility of long drops and enforced bedtime spooning involving hirsute international backpackers with questionable hygiene had me a little worried. I needn’t have been concerned. The three huts on the Kepler all have

Photos: Graeme Wilson

KEPLER TRACK FEES AND BOOKINGS Bookings open on June 13 at 9.30am (NZ time) for the Great Walks season from October 29, 2019 to April 30, 2020 Visit the NZ Department of Conservation website (www.doc.govt.nz) for full details on booking huts and campsites. International visitors: • Adult (18+ years): $130 per person, per night • Child (17 years and under): $130 per person, per night flushing toilets, and the rhythmic sounds of the inevitable snoring from bunkmates just acts as a bedtime lullaby. No recounting of a Kepler walk is complete without mention of the constant threat posed by mosquitoes with wingspans the size of small aircraft. To stop and pause near any still waterway is to invite a kamikaze-like attack from the bloodthirsty beasts.

But at the end of the day, a few itchy bites are a small price to pay to enjoy some of the most spectacular natural scenery this world has to offer. Taking on the Kepler was no walk in the park (ok, strictly speaking it was) but it’s only strengthened my desire to explore more. Everest may be a mountain too far, but never say never…

The forest floor resembles a plush carpet.

A soaring native kea takes in the picturesque views.

Living the dream...author Graeme Wilson.

Flying the flag at Hut 1 on NZ’s glorious Kepler Track.

SENIORS \\JUNE, 2019

Go troppo in tropical north THERE are several very inviting visitor options in North Queensland from luxury accommodation to romantic glamping on the Great Barrier Reef and an exciting new indigenous musical event.

MASTER REEF GUIDES

THE first official interpreters for the Great Barrier Reef have graduated. They are armed with stories and facts to give visitors the best possible reef experience. The Master Reef Guides can introduce you to a citizen science project or explain the intricacies of life on the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem. Go to gbrmpa.gov.au /our-partners/ master-reef-guides.

LUXURY ECO-LODGE

SET among the World Heritage-listed wilderness of the Daintree National Park on the banks of the Mossman River, the Silky Oaks Lodge offers river snorkelling, driving safaris, indigenous guided walks and the Healing Waters Spa. Go to silkyoakslodge.com.au.

ROMANCE ON THE REEF

COUPLES can get cosy after dark on the reef in a new deluxe two-person swag on Sunlover by Starlight. The glamping experience on the Moore Reef pontoon is popular with couples wanting to say their vows on the Great Barrier Reef and spend their wedding night under the stars. Go to sunlover.com.au.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS: The view from Dundee's Restaurant at the Cairns Aquarium.

CHOIR JOINS ART FAIR

ABORIGINAL and Torres Strait Islander voices will sing in their languages at Cultural Heights, a new event at the 10th Cairns Indigenous Art Fair.

Indigenous artists from across Queensland exhibit at the prestigious fair on July 10–14. Go to ciaf.com.au.

DINE AT AN AQUARIUM

WATCH schools of sharks and fish swim by at the newly opened Dundee’s Restaurant at the Cairns Aquarium. Dishing up Australian beef and seafood, Dundee’s can be included as part of

the new VIP Premium Experience, which features a behind-thescenes tour and feeding of a cownose ray. Go to cairnsaquarium.com.au.

ROOM UPGRADE

COOL, neutral tones with a splash of nautical blue set the scene for a relaxed stay at the Shangri-La Hotel at The Marina Cairns. The hotel has recently completed a refurbishment of its rooms. The waterfront bar and restaurant has also been revamped and named The Backyard. Go to shangri-la.com.

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INDIGENOUS

FOR SHANGRI-LA

CHINA WITH SPECTACULAR YANGTZE CRUISE $3,695 15 Day Tour Dep. Sep 3

Flying China Eastern into Shanghai and out of Beijing, 4 night American Victoria Cruise of the Yangtze River, visit to the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, nearly all meals.

VIETNAm & CAmboDIA ADVENTURE ToUR $4,825 24 Day Tour Dep. Sept 4

Flying Singapore Airlines into Hanoi & out of Siem Reap. 19 day tour of Vietnam off the beaten track. 4 day tour of Cambodia including Angkor Wat.

CoSTA RICA, PANAmA & GUATEmALA CAmboDIA IN DEPTH $8,675 24 Day Tour Dep. oct 30

Flying Qantas and American Airlines into Costa Rica and out of Guatemala, 20 days in Central America including a partial transit of the Panama Canal, stopover in Dallas Texas in both directions. Numbers limited to 22 passengers.

INDIA $5,485 19 Day Tour Dep. Nov 14

Flying Singapore Airlines into Delhi and out of Mumbai, 16 days touring India by coach, air and boat including Taj Mahal, Varanasi and Rajasthan, 2 day Singapore stopover.

INSIDE VIETNAm $3,985 20 Day Tour Dep. Nov 14 2019 & Feb 13 2020

bRITAIN ToUR WITH bUCKINGHAm PALACE & WINDSoR CASTLE

Flying Singapore Airlines into Saigon & out of Hanoi plus a flight within Vietnam. 18 day coach & air tour of Vietnam. No extra charge for having a single room.

$5,995 18 Day Tour Dep Sep. 13

GREECE & THE GREEK ISLANDS

Flying Thai International to London, 2 weeks touring England, Scotland & Wales with Windsor Castle and the Royal Yacht Britannia, stopovers in Thailand in both directions.

NEW ZEALAND GARDEN LoVERS

$6,780 17 Day Tour Dep. Sep 5

Flying Emirates into Athens. 12 day tour of Greece & the Greek Islands including a cruise to Mykonos, Patmos, Crete, Santorini & Ephesus. 3 nights Dubai. 4 star accommodation.

$5,495 2 Week Tour Dep. oct 29

VIETNAm oVERLAND TET

Flying Qantas into Auckland and out of Christchurch, 14 days touring both island of New Zealand with included visits to some of their most notable gardens, and also two garden festivals. Small group tour with numbers limited to 22 passengers.

Flying Singapore Airlines into Saigon and out of Hanoi, 19 day overland tour of Vietnam from south to north, visiting all of the interesting places, including the hill tribe area of Sapa. Optional extension to Angkor Wat.

The prices listed mainly include return air fares from Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane, airport taxes & fuel levies, tipping, good twin share accom., many meals, all transfers, Australian tour leader & local tour guides. 6974779aa

$4,165 3 Week Tour Dep Jan 23

$3,685 15 Day Tour Dep Jan 29 Flying Singapore Airlines & Silk Air into Phnom Penh, 14 day overland tour of Cambodia by coach and train, including Angkor Wat, Tonle Sap Lake, Irrawaddy Dolphin Cruise, Preah Vihear Temple and much more.

THAILAND & THE CHIANG mAI FLoRAL FESTIVAL $3,595 2 Week Tour Dep Feb 3 Flying Thai International to Bangkok, 4 days Chiang Mai, 4 days in Northern Thailand, 2 days River Kwai, 2 days Hua Hin, visits to many gardens and the fabulous Chiang Mai Floral Festival.

EGYPT LAND oF THE PHARAoHS $5,995 20 Day Tour Dep mar 8 Flying Emirates into Cairo , 15 days in Egypt including 4 day Nile River cruise, Great Pyramids of Giza, the fabulous Egyptian Museum, Abu Simbel, Aswan and Alexandria, 3 night Dubai stopover. Small group tour.

SPAIN, PoRTUGAL & moRoCCo $6,385 19 Day Tour Dep mar 18 Flying Emirates into Barcelona, Spain and out of Casablanca, Morocco. 17 days touring Spain, Portugal & Morocco, including mostly 2 night stays, Flamenco Show, Fado Show, Douro River cruise, wine tasting and more. Australian Federation of Travel Agents Travel Accreditation Number: A1038

JUNE, 2019// SENIORS

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Prehistoric stone circle the Ring of Brodgar was built between 2000BC and 2500BC.

INCREDIBLE INGENUITY: The Italian chapel built by prisoners of war in World War II.

Photo: Yvonne Gardiner

Village sites older than

Do some armchair touring and visit the Orkney Islands with intrepid travelling duo, and happy retirees, Yvonne and John Gardiner

THE incredibly beautiful and isolated Orkney Islands would have changed little since the Picts, Celts and Vikings stepped on their fertile ground. Blessed with stunning views and outstanding landscapes, the remarkable islands northeast of the Scottish coast safeguard extraordinary architectural treasures of historical global significance, some older than Stonehenge or the Egyptian pyramids. One of the best-known village sites, Skara Brae, rests on a beach and is Europe’s most complete Neolithic village. Thought to be more than 5000 years old, the eight turf-covered cottages give a fabulous glimpse into Neolithic life, including the beds they slept in. Nearby and also open to the public is Skaill House, owned by local laird William Watt when he discovered Skara Brae in 1850. The Orkneys, a group of more than 70 islands and islets, can be bitterly cold and windy. In chillier seasons it’s essential to

This 5000-year-old village, Skara Brae, was uncovered by a winter storm in 1850. pack thermals and warm coats. Not to be deterred, however, humans have been on the islands for about 8800 years. We visited at the end of October and stayed in a hotel beside the harbour

at Kirkwall, the islands’ capital. The first day we could hardly turn a corner without being blown backwards. A slight breeze and warm sun greeted us the following day while we explored the

incomparable Standing Stones of Stenness, of Neolithic origin and thought to be the oldest “henge” site in the British Isles. Nearby is the prehistoric stone circle

Photos: Yvonne Gardiner

the Ring of Brodgar, built between 2000BC and 2500BC. Photos cannot fully capture the mystical wonders of these two heritage sites. While the popular Stonehenge in the United

SENIORS \\JUNE, 2019

St Magnus Cathedral, founded by the Viking Earl Rognvald in 1137.

The Viking Harald Fairhair annexed Orkney to Norway.

pyramids, Stonehenge The atmospheric Ring of Brodgar in the heart of Neolithic Orkney, West Mainland.

Overlooking Orkneys’ capital Kirkwall from the roof of the St Magnus Cathedral.

Kingdom is now fenced off to the public, visitors can enter the ring of standing stones at the older Ring of Brodgar and experience their awesome majesty at close quarters. Twenty-seven stones remain in the circle, surrounded by a ditch. They sit in peaceful countryside with beautiful views taking in the sea, lochs, deep-pile green grass, massive skies, cows, sheep and little stone cottages. The place is magical. In Kirkwall, chief among the attractions is St Magnus Cathedral, a massive red sandstone place of worship built by the Viking Earl Rognvald in 1137.

90 in the Orkney Islands. Sheltering in the tomb for days during bad weather, the Vikings had made their mark by carving words into the stone. Looking from the outside like a big mound of earth covered in grass, Maeshowe tomb is accessed down a low, 10m-long passageway. It’s an incredible stone structure with one central chamber plus smaller chambers. At Winter Solstice, the sun’s rays line up with one of the chambers. Wildlife is another main reason for visiting these remote islands to the north of Scotland. We were lucky enough to see newborn seal pups

I joined the “upper floors” guided tour to the bell tower, roof chambers and the parapet below the spire, which offered glorious views of the harbourside town. Opposite the cathedral, a well-stocked museum gives an insight into Viking, Neolithic and medieval history. As if we hadn’t soaked up enough of the Orkneys’ heritage, the Iron Age village Broch of Gurness and the tidal island Brough of Birsay yielded their Viking and Pictish settlement remains. A great surprise was to see Viking graffiti from the 12th century at Maeshowe, the biggest Neolithic tomb of about

at Windwick Bay, although missed out on otters, orcas and puffins which are common at certain times of the year. The Orkneys’ modern history is as fascinating as its ancient past. We visited Scapa Flow where the Germans scuttled their fleet after the Armistice in 1918. During World War II in 1939, HMS Royal Oak was sunk by a German U-boat in the same waterway. Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered a block wall (the Churchill barriers) to be built by Italian prisoners-of-war right across the harbour channels. Those same prisoners also crafted an exquisite

Seals laze on the beach at Windwick Bay. Italian chapel out of Nissen huts, which is lovingly cared for to this day and hosts weddings and christenings. So much to see in the Orkneys, and all those adventures made us hungry. Black pudding and haggis were on the menu, but in the three days we

were there I chose more traditional dishes like slow-cooked lamb and vegetables, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, and delicious wild-caught salmon. Followed by the best apple crumble I’ve ever tasted. I wonder if the Vikings and Picts ate this well!

JUNE, 2019// SENIORS hours in an Igloos On The Pier. The private igloos have stylish furnishings and curated food and drinks menus. The cost includes a minimum spend for the menu. If you don’t reach the minimum spend the balance will be charged as a hire fee. Available to book until August 31 at 8am, 12pm, 3.30pm and 7pm. Info: pieronesydneyharbour. com.au/igloos-on-the-pier.

TRAVEL BRIEFS GRACE KELLY AND PRINCE RAINIER III FIRST MEETING EXHIBITION

ON UNTIL October 15 at the Palace of Monaco is an exhibition dedicated to the first meeting between the American actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco. The exhibition Monaco, 6 May 1955. The Story of a Meeting is organised for the 90th anniversary of Grace Kelly’s birth. Designed as a photographic tour through the palace state rooms, the exhibition follows in Grace Kelly’s footsteps Info: palais.mc/en/ museum-and-visits/ the-state-apartments1-26.html.

LIGHTS, CAMERAS, BOLLYWOOD AT MADAME TUSSAUDS

BOLLYWOOD has come to Sydney’s Madame Tussauds. Guests can step backstage and join Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Shah Rukh Khan on a movie production set, where they take the starring role in favourite Bollywood film scenes. Then it’s time to master a Bollywood dance routine in the rehearsal studio, grab an outfit and head centre stage and into the spotlight for the performance of a lifetime. Info: madametussauds .com.au/sydney/en/ whats-inside/lightscamera-bollywood.

TUGBOAT ALASKA’S INSIDE PASSAGE

FOR tourists with a hankering to wake up to birdsong and the smell of the forest, there’s a 10-day inside passage cruise aboard the 107-year-old coastal tugboat Swell. Swell is a fully restored, 88-foot tugboat. She has six private cabins with ensuite baths, a cozy salon, ample deck lounges, hot tub and an open wheelhouse. Operated by Maple Leaf Adventures, the slow-travel trips for 12 guests feature up-close experiences of whales and brown bears, walks through the rainforest, and zodiacing among icebergs. Info: MapleLeaf Adventures.com.

BIG SAVING ON FIJI CRUISING

BOOK before June 30 and save 25 per cent on cruise fares and no single supplement on all Captain Cook Cruises Fiji’s three-, four- and seven-night Mamanuca, Yasawa Islands and remote Discovery cruises.

DISCOVER A PINK LAKE

PALACE MEETING: The Palace of Monaco is hosting the exhibition, remembering when Prince Rainier III first met Grace Kelly. As well as being immersed in Fijian culture, enjoy daily snorkelling, kayaking, paddle boarding, relaxing on white sandy beaches and swimming in crystal clear waters. The sale offer is for travel before March 31, 2020. The cost for the three-night cruise starts at $1196.25 per person twin share (normally $1595 per person twin share), with solo occupancy fares starting at $1496.25 per person (normally $1995 per person). Info: captain cookcruisesfiji.com

PLAN TO VISIT FLORIADE

CANBERRA’S spring gardeners are at work planting the first Floriade bulbs at Commonwealth Park. The colourful celebration of spring will this year run from September 14 to October 13. The theme is World in Bloom, which visitors will see reflected in flowerbeds and entertainment programming. Info: visitcanberra.com.au

POLAR HURTIGRUTEN SALE

CHIMU are offering up to 25 per cent off Hurtigruten cruises to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Patagonia during the 2019/2020 season. The sale is on until June 26 and available to Chimu clients. Travellers can see Antarctica and the Falkland Islands from as little as AU$7594 for a 17-day itinerary, easily one of the best value Falklands cruises currently available. Info: phone 1300 720 564 or go to chimuadventures.com.au.

MICRO-ART AT ART SERIES

HOTELS

ONE of the world’s biggest, or smallest art exhibitions is on until July at eight of Accor Art Hotels in Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. Over 40 micro artworks from artists around the globe can be discovered when hotel guests are given a magnifying glass at check-in and encouraged to search for every micro art piece around the hotel. Info: artserieshotels.com.au

JAPAN GASTRONOMY TOURS

NEW tours from Walk Japan celebrate the ritual of bathing in onsens hot spring baths, and savouring fresh seasonal delights. Each five-day, four-night tours focuses on its relaxing, restorative and therapeutic onsen hot spring baths, and its wonderfully unique and delicious cuisine. The leisurely, guided walking is over easy terrain with distances each day limited up to 10 kilometres. The Onsen Gastronomy tours are limited to 12 people. Guests are immersed (or, get to be immersed) in the traditional Japanese way of bathing and every evening stay in a delightful local inn, almost always with their own onsens. Info: walkjapan.com.

ALPS SUMMER WITH SIR RICHARD

HEAD to the Swiss Alps this northern summer and book in at The Lodge, Sir Richard Branson’s mountain retreat in Verbier. Between June 14 and September 22, The Lodge takes individual room bookings. Stays at The Lodge are inclusive of meals and drinks. Verbier is a five-minute

walk away and offers a wealth of designer boutiques for shopaholics looking for some retail therapy. The Lodge has an indoor pool, indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, spa, a steam room, a party room, two bars and an award-winning head chef. Rates start from CHF940 (about AUD$1354) per room, per night based on two adults sharing and guests staying four nights or more will be treated to their final night for free. Info: phone (02) 9965 7299 or email info@inspiredluxury. com.au.

D-DAY EXHIBITION

THE Australian War Memorial’s D-Day exhibition, which is on until September, explores the remarkable story of Australia’s involvement in the invasion of Normandy. It tells the story of June 6, 1944 when the Allied forces stormed ashore the heavily defended beaches of northern France, supported by 24,000 glider-borne troops and paratroopers aboard 1,200 transport aircraft and 700 gliders. The Australian story has items from the National Collection, including: textiles, photographs, diaries, letters, models, artwork, and digital displays. Info: awm.gov.au

SPRING GARDENS UK TOURS

GET in early to book for Chelsea Flower Show, Cotswolds and Welsh Gardens in spring 2020. Explore iconic gardens and beautiful English, Welsh & Cotswold countrysides with these small group tours. The tours on offer for May 2020 are - Private Gardens of Devon, Somerset & Cornwall & Chelsea Flower Show, Chelsea Flower & Dublin in Bloom Shows and

Seine River Cruise including Chelsea Flower Show Info: botanica.travel or phone 1300 305 202.

SAIL BY THE CABIN

THE holidays are designed for couples and singles to enjoy travelling an all-inclusive crewed yacht for the price of a single cabin. With spacious cabins, double bed and private en-suite, Sail by the Cabin is a premium yachting experience. Experience the Caribbean’s British Virgin Islands, Belize and St Lucia. Prices start from $7191 for the British Virgin Islands, $5330 for Belize and $6348 for St Lucia. Info: moorings.com.au/ yacht-holidays/crewedcharter/by-the-cabin.

USA PADDLEWHEEL RIVERBOAT JOURNEYS

SAVE up to US$1600 per couple if you book by July 31 on 20 iconic river cruises aboard two of the grandest paddlewheel ships ever built – the American Queen and the American Empress. The price for eight-night river cruise includes pre-cruise stay, drinks with dinner and shore excursions American Queen is the largest river steamboat built. It’s a fully working recreation of a classic steam paddlewheeler. It plies the waters of the Mississippi River. The American Empress is the largest, overnight riverboat west of the Mississippi, offering journeys along the Columbia River in the US Pacific Northwest. Info: cruisetraveller. com.au/aqsc.

IGLOOS AT SYDNEY HARBOUR

IT’S hot idea for winter in Sydney; spending a few

WEST Australia’s famous ‘bubblegum’ pink Lake Hillier is located offshore on Middle Island, part of the Recherche Archipelago and close to Esperance which is about eight-hour drive or a 1.5-hour flight from Perth. You can see the lake by boat, but one of the best ways to take in the spectacle is from the air on a scenic flight with Goldfields Air Services. Info: goldfieldsairservices.com.

WHEN IN LONDON

CELEBRATE the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s births with a season of events and displays at the Victoria and Albert Museum until September 1. Displays include a new addition to our jewellery collection – Queen Victoria's stunning sapphire and diamond coronet, now on display. Info: vam.ac.uk.

NEW MEDITERRANEAN CRUISES

VIKING has launched six new Mediterranean 2021 cruise itineraries which include the new port of call, Istanbul in Turkey. The new cruises are combinations of two or more of Viking’s existing Mediterranean itineraries for 15, 22 and 29 days. Info: phone 138 747 or go to vikingcruises.com.au.

SNOW FUN

PERISHER is offering a ‘buy early and save up to 30% this winter’ deal. Ski or snowboard across Perisher Valley, Blue Cow, Smiggin Holes and Guthega. Booking seven or more days in advance helps you save on lift, lesson and hire. Info: perisher.com.au

DARWIN ARTS FESTIVAL

AUGUST is the time to visit the Top End for the Darwin Arts Festival, on from August 8-25. It combines outdoor festivities with cabare, theatre, dance and visual arts. Info: darwinfestival.org.au.

SENIORS \\JUNE, 2019

Depression treatments CBT can be used as an effective depression treatment A PROMINENT clinical psychologist says that cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) – which teaches skills for identifying and modifying dysfunctional thoughts, feelings and behaviours – is the leading evidence-based treatment for depression. In addition, CBT helps to break unhealthy habits that lead to, and maintain, major depressive disorders. Dr John Kearney, Director of Psychological Services at Wesley Hospital Kogarah, said CBT – or ‘talking therapy’ – is a well-established treatment for depression. “CBT is an increasingly popular approach for treating major depressive disorders and has proven to be as effective as – or even better than – antidepressant medications for many types of depression. Dr Kearney said while people with depression

can make great improvements with CBT – for it to be effective, it is important to be proactive and take practical steps. Dr Kearney reveals six ways that cognitive behaviour therapy can help treat major depressive disorders. 1. Develop new ways to manage unhelpful and negative thought patterns Chronic stress and worry can lead us to develop a mental filter in which we automatically interpret situations through a negative lens. CBT can teach you skills to manage negative and unhelpful thoughts more effectively, firstly by learning to shift your focus away from them and, secondly, by reappraising them. For example, if you are highly self-critical, CBT will teach you to challenge stress-producing thoughts by asking questions such as: “Would I be saying

SUPPORT: Tips to manage depression. these things to someone else in this situation?” You can then replace these thoughts with more constructive alternatives. Regularly practicing this skill will assist with managing strong emotions in response to stressors. 2. Restore activity levels One of the maintaining factors in depression is the reduction of physical activity and the vicious cycle that can follow. This can lead to further loss of enjoyment and achievement, contributing

to a lower mood. Activity scheduling and graded task assignments are a crucial part of CBT and help to rebuild activities that bring a sense of pleasure and achievement. 3. Master relaxation techniques When the amygdala – the part of the brain that is primarily responsible for emotional processing – is activated, it can trigger the ‘fight-or-flight’ response, the reflex that gets your heart pumping in reaction to a threat.

Relaxation is one of several skills taught in CBT that helps counter the physiological effects of this response. One way to practice relaxation is to sit comfortably with your eyes closed. Working from your legs upwards, systematically tense and relax your muscles. Hold the tension for 10 seconds, then release. This skill is known as Progressive Muscle Relaxation and can help you contextualise stressful situations and is transferable to other facets of life, including work, study and relationships. 4. Reduce insomnia Research has shown CBT can significantly reduce insomnia in patients with depression. If you struggle with sleep, CBT for Insomnia, sometimes called CBT-I, is an effective treatment for chronic sleep problems. By recognising and changing thoughts and behaviours that cause or worsen sleep, this type of therapy can

Wellbeing eliminate negative thoughts that keep you awake. This is important, as a good night’s sleep can increase emotional resilience and help with managing everyday stressors. 5. Increase your problem-solving ability As CBT takes a practical problem-solving approach to issues, it teaches skills that can be applied to other problems in your life. Through a series of sequential stages, your therapist will assist you in developing new empowering skills in determining and implementing solutions to your everyday problems. Ultimately, it will refine and focus your problem-solving skills, enabling you to learn more about your own thought patterns, emotions and behaviours. 6. Make improvements to your lifestyle, especially physical activity and nutrition These include maintaining a balanced diet and regular exercise.

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Watch for wound signs Wound Awareness week puts spotlight on chronic wounds

Australia every year. During Wound Awareness Week, promotional kits will be sent out to hospitals, pharmacies, aged care facilities and GP surgeries all over Australia to raise awareness of the problem. Key causes of chronic wounds in Australia are pressure injuries (84 per cent), venous leg ulcers (12 per cent), diabetic foot ulcers (3 per cent) and arterial insufficiency ulcers (1 per cent). Wounds Australia is promoting a multi-pronged approach to improving the outcomes for those suffering from chronic wounds including advocacy and awareness, better access to wound care products and services, transdisciplinary patient-centred care, improved education and training, accreditation and credentialling and surveillance and research. Wounds Australia said those suffering with

BEAT THE PAIN: Chronic wounds affect more than 420,000 Australians every year. chronic wounds are often in constant pain, have their mobility reduced and are predisposed to a number of potential complications including

“Chronic wounds can be healed. Know the wound warning signs and if you have a wound that isn’t healing, talk to your health care professional.”

Wounds are estimated to cost the health system $3 billion every year. To find out more, go to woundsaustralia.com.au.

Hello from SCCA …

www.hfpa.com.au

Dear Readers, As of July 1 2019, The Australian Government’s new Aged Care Quality and Safety Standards come into force. The new Standards make it easier to see what good care should look like. There are eight standards. Each one is about an aspect of care that contributes to resident safety, health and wellbeing. No matter who you are, where you live, or what your life experience, identity, beliefs or culture may be, every person receiving care has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to have their personal and clinical needs supported. Every person receiving care also needs to have an avenue to express concerns if they feel their care isn’t meeting the standard they expect. Raising concerns isn’t ‘being difficult’. Feedback is a normal part of service delivery, enabling organizations to examine their processes and procedures, and improve where necessary. The Royal Commission into Aged Care showcases how vital such avenues can be! At Sawtell Catholic Care we welcome this innovation in resident directed care, and believe that it will lead the whole sector to a better culture of meaningful service provision to the community. Until next month.

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WHEN the calendar ticks over to July 15, the medical spotlight will turn to wounds as Wounds Awareness Week 2019 commences in Australia. On from July 15-21, Wounds Australia will promote the theme ‘Let’s Talk About Wounds’ to encourage people to start a conversation with health professionals about hard to heal wounds. Key messages from the week revolve around general education of the community to help people to understand and identify wound warning signs such as pain, fluid, smell, and anything that takes over 30 days to heal. It is also about knowing who is most at risk, and what actions to take if they have a wound that won’t heal. Unfortunately, for seniors, people over the age of 65 fall into the high risk category for chronic wounds and account for a large proportion of the 420,000 cases of chronic wounds recorded in

SENIORS \\JUNE, 2019

Rural housing New report highlights increasing difficulties

Gail Forrer Group Editor THE latest report from leading community housing provider Horizon Housing is shining a light on the lack of appropriate housing in rural areas, deeming it largely unable to meet the needs of our ageing population. The My Home, My Place report, funded by the Queensland Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors, is the first of its kind to examine the housing needs of older people living in key rural communities. Focusing on the Maranoa region of Queensland, the report

Talk 'n' thoughts

FACTS ❚ 73 per cent of older rural residents received no advice about ageing in place. ❚ 64 per cent want modifications to be able to stay in their homes. ❚ 50 per cent did not know how to arrange an assessment for home modifications. ❚ More than 27 per cent lived in a home that was older than 50 years. The My Home, My Place report is the nation’s first research study to understand and address housing needs of older people in rural areas.

COUNTRY LIVING: For older Australians in rural areas, it can be difficult to maintain a home. Photo: freemixer uncovered broader issues for exploration in rural towns across the country that face similar harsh environmental conditions and associated housing design challenges. The report found more than 65 per cent of rural residents live in detached homes or on more than 2ha, exposing them to unique liveability challenges when compared to their metropolitan counterparts. Horizon Housing CEO Jason Cubit said despite more than 96 per cent of participants intending to

age in place, the regions were not equipped to allow them to do so. “For ageing Australians living in rural areas, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain a home in an environment where searing temperatures, drought and other extreme factors are expected,” Mr Cubit said. “More than 64 per cent of our participants wanted modifications to their existing home to allow them to remain there safely as they age, yet 73 per cent are not seeking advice on how to

do so. “We also found that over half did not know how to arrange an assessment to access modifications to remain in their home. “A surprising and unexpected finding from this report was that 13 per cent of the older people we engaged with were a couple caring for a child, grandchild or grandchildren. “This has significant implications for their future housing needs as they age.” Mr Cubit said the survey findings were vital as they paved the way for future nationwide research to address this important area and inform the development of future

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Older people living in our rural towns face unique challenges. accommodation solutions for older people living in rural and remote areas across the country. “Housing is an integral part of a person’s wellbeing. The concept of home is fundamental to a person’s identity and for older people there is a sense of pride that comes with living independently,” he said.

“The My Home, My Place report reinforces the fact that older people living in our rural towns face unique challenges, yet most of the available programs and services focus on urban areas. “It’s critical that government and service providers work to address the issue of the housing needs of older people in these regions. “The My Home, My Place project is an important leap towards identifying, understanding and addressing the unique and very real challenges faced by seniors in rural areas. “We have a significant presence in Queensland’s Maranoa region, with 45 per cent of tenants in the area over 55. Our oldest tenant is 95 and still living independently.” The aim of the research and work in regional communities is to set a benchmark for other housing providers across the country to continue to deliver affordable, appropriate and sustainable housing solutions that respond tocommunity needs.

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Living

Single, childless, 60

Tracey Johnstone THE journey to my 60th birthday has been momentous with lots of good times mixed in with a fair share of the ordinary. Turning 40 was a time to celebrate a busy life and loads of great friends. Turning 50 brought on the fear of menopause. Sixty is turning into a time of reflection; some decisions need to be reached, and unreached goals accepted. The most confronting decision is what will my life be like going forward. Single and childless – who will take care of me when I am older? My friends will be old with me. My siblings are both older than me by five and nine years. If I marry again, my partner is likely to be old, like me. So, what do I do? With

CELEBRATING 60: Gary Schulz, Shaaron Walsh and author Tracey Johnstone. no solid answers at hand I turned to a few of my friends who are in similar circumstances to see if I could learn from their approaches to ageing. Ian He’s lived in Thailand for about four years. Back in his old home town of Sydney he only has an uncle left alive. “I will probably stay in Thailand and live day by day,” he said. “As long as I

keep my health I will have a good time. I am doing more fitness training than I have ever done in my life.” Ian is determined to age at home. “If I am still in Thailand, I will still rent and hopefully I can find some old lady to do the shopping and cooking for me. “I’m not anti-euthanasia,” he added. “I am happy to pull

the plug when I think it is ridiculous.” Deborah The Melbourne resident has both her siblings living in New Zealand and their children don’t talk to Deborah. Recently she bought a low-set townhouse in a small enclave, which she equates to living in a retirement village, so she could age at home for as long as possible.

Without children, Deborah doesn’t know what to do with the money she has worked hard to save. Checking into a private high-care facility, if necessary, is a feasible option she believes. “I smoke and drink, so it might not be a problem. I might just drop dead,” she said. Deborah will keep working and accumulating for as long as possible and then “I am going to spend my money on me”, she said. Shaaron The Sydneysider thinks all the time about where she wants to live and how active she needs to be to stay healthy. “But I haven’t structured anything as I don’t think any of us likes to feel that we are moving in that direction,” Shaaron said. “I like to think I am a bit immortal and can stop the clock a bit.” In the meantime, she is conscious about keeping active and fit. Gary He’s been single for a long time and living alone in a rental unit. Since a close friend bought into a

retirement village, Gary has been considering his game plan. “I have no bloody clue how it’s going to work,” he said. “I don’t have too many assets. “At the end of the day my super, which ultimately will be the backbone of it all, isn’t enough to even put a deposit on because of how life has dealt out the cards.” If he gets sick, Gary’s first response is employ a carer. “At this point I don’t have anyone within 2000km of me,” Gary said. “It’s just one of those things that they will have to turn the switch off.” He doesn’t plan to retire at 65. “I am going to keep going until I can’t move anymore. Work’s been my hobby. I might cut back the hours, but between work and the club, that’s my life.” My friends’ comments are food for thought, but while they haven’t given me clarity on what I will do in my old age, they have brought me closer to wanting to live a happy, healthy and engaged future.

Look out for options and enjoy your retirement and beyond

I’VE noticed that blokes who retire often fall into one of two categories. The busy ones. “I don’t know how I ever found time to go to work!” And the bored ones. “Now what do I do?” Provided they manage their stress levels, the busy blokes tend to last longer. The bored blokes often die first. Maybe they’re so bored

won’t occupy you for as long as you think. Try out a few hobbies till you find one you like. Woodwork, painting, making model boats... whatever. Had an interesting life? Got stories to share? Write them down. You can find an editor to help polish them up if you want to try getting them into print. Investigate self-publishing – it’s a much better option than it was a few years ago. There’s sport. Golf, bowls, archery, walking, football. Something appropriate to

your level of fitness. If your ‘regular exercise’ throughout your working life has been walking to the bus stop, it’s not a good idea to launch straight into a marathon. Whether you play, or volunteer to help in other ways, being part of a group, even if it isn’t a team sport, can be good for the mind and spirit as well as the body. For more of Henri’s thoughts and tips, download the regular podcast A Quiet Word: Conversations About Men’s Health.

MIND AND BODY: Keeping active, trying a new hobby or joining a new club, can mean better wellbeing.

Congratulations to our Winners Congratulations to the winners of our April The Chaperone Screening giveaway. John McDonald Judi Adams Roslyn Mayes

Stay tuned to the paper and our website for the latest Seniors News Giveaways Visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitions 6985417aa

Henri Rennie

they don’t care. I knew a guy who spent his days in the cafeteria in the building where he used to work, sighing and reading the paper. He died in a few months, and the cafeteria food wasn’t that bad. Many blokes have drunk themselves to death within a year or two because they’ve done nothing more than prop up a bar most of the time. If retirement is looming, have a plan. Not just a list of “things to do around the house” – unless the house is in really bad shape that list

SENIORS \\JUNE, 2019

Farewell finance stigma Face up to financial fear and care for your money

not licensed, walk away,” Adrian said. The next step is to “interview the advisor, check that they are talking in terms you understand, that you feel comfortable asking them questions, get full answers, that they take a holistic approach to your needs, are not simply promoting one product and that you are empowered to know what’s going on”. But we also need to improve our knowledge in order to make informed decisions, and Adrian’s advice is to seek several sources. For now, go to moneysmart.gov.au.

Alison Houston OUR lack of financial knowledge is making seniors more vulnerable to scams and asset loss, and more likely to outlive our savings. Like politics and religion, finances is a topic we traditionally aren’t meant to speak about for fear of offending someone. But with his recent study showing financial illiteracy in over-55s at “dangerous levels”, that’s a culture we need to change, according to Bond University Associate Professor of Statistics and fraud expert Adrian Gepp. The study involved more than 3400 National Seniors Australia members, across a broad spectrum of socio-economics, ages and sexes. Only 7 per cent of respondents correctly answered all three simple investment questions (included here) as part of the study, and one-third got all three questions wrong. Older women were most at risk of making bad financial decisions, while people who were unmarried, suffered poor health and the most elderly all recorded poor results. Education level, occupation and home ownership also played a part. Worryingly, over 70 per cent of respondents said they never talked about finances with family and friends.

Money

MONEY SMART: Bond University associate professor of statistics and fraud expert Adrian Gepp says there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to finances, but we need to learn and discuss more. “We need to get away from that stigma of talking about money and open up discussion so we can learn from other people’s knowledge and experiences, positive and negative,” Adrian said. It was also important in any relationship that the people involved knew how to access the necessary financial information in case of emergency. While 50 per cent of study respondents reported joint control of finances, Adrian said often tasks were unquestioningly divided up between partners, so one looked after everyday expenditure while the other oversaw big-ticket items such as savings accounts, mortgage, loans, insurance and superannuation. “If something happens,

you need to at least know where to go and how to access the information you need in relation to those papers and information,” he said. Discussing finances with older family members to ascertain their financial knowledge and where they stand was also important, he said. But how do you open that conversation? “Very carefully,” he laughed, adding that it was important to recognise the other person’s knowledge and not imply that you had all the answers. Recognise they might be embarrassed if they are struggling financially and not want to be a burden or lose their independence. You might even start by talking about a financial

issue you are interested in to get their advice and gauge their understanding. His number one tip is talking to a financial planner. Unlike the general “one-size-fits-all” advice you may get from the TV, newspapers or internet, a good financial adviser looks at each person’s individual circumstances on a case-by-case basis. The amount of money you will need in retirement, for instance, depends greatly on your health, lifestyle, debts, any financial legacy you want to provide, and your appetite for or adversity to risk. But after all the revelations of the Banking, Insurance and Financial Services Royal Commission – not to

mention exposes on current affairs shows – who do you trust? A good place to start is the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) MoneySmart website, Adrian said. This provides independent information on how to choose a financial planner and allows you to check details including that they are qualified and licenced, where they have worked and whether they have been the subject of any ASIC disciplinary action. It also provides general budget and retirement planners, interest, loan and superannuation calculators, tips on building your wealth, managing your money, debt help and scams. “If a financial planner is

■ CHECK YOUR KNOWLEDGE Q1: Which of the following investment options is most likely to lead to a loss of money over a one-year period? (A) Conservative/Cash. (B) Growth/High Growth. (C) Balanced. (D) Don’t know. Q2: Which of the following investment options is least likely to lead to a loss of money over a one-year period? (A) Conservative/Cash. (B) Growth/High Growth. (C) Balanced. (D) Don’t know. Q3: If you had a choice between receiving $10,000 now, or a greater amount one year from now, what is the minimum amount you would need to receive in one year to choose this option instead of $10,000 now? ANSWERS Q1: (B) Growth/High Growth. Q2: (A) Conservative/Cash. Q3: Varies depending on financial circumstance, but at least 10,250 (to cover the cost of annual inflation plus a buffer).

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REVIEWS

JUNE, 2019// SENIORS

Remarkable story IT’S the extraordinary and honest story of Australian couple Kathy and Ralph Kelly, who turned their own family’s tragedies into a remarkable crusade that’s helping keep all our children safer. On a winter’s night in July 2012, Kathy and Ralph Kelly received a phone call no parent wants to receive. It was the emergency department of a Sydney hospital telling them their eldest son Thomas, 18, had been coward punched by a stranger within two minutes of getting out of a taxi in Kings Cross on his way to a private 18th birthday party of a friend. Two days later they were told their son had suffered catastrophic head injuries resulting in brain death and advised there was no other option but to switch off his life support. In the aftermath of their son’s death, Kathy and Ralph became the public face of the campaign to end the drunken violence that plagued Sydney’s major nightspots. Along with premiers Barry O’Farrell and Mike Baird they helped institute the lockout laws that have been a major factor in the reduction of alcohol-related deaths and injuries in Darling Harbour, Kings Cross and Sydney’s CBD. They were also instrumental in creating Take Kare Safe Spaces for young people in key nightspots, and they were one of the driving forces behind the introduction of tougher sentencing for ‘coward-punch’ deaths. But their campaigning created a huge toll on their family. Online intimidation, death threats and false

Healthy living in a no-waste kitchen

Thrilling new read

news about the mishandling of donations came from those with a stake in the clubs and businesses that were the financial losers of the lockout laws. When Stuart Kelly, Thomas’s younger brother, went for his first night at University of Sydney’s St Paul’s College, Ralph and Kathy believe the bullying he experienced because of the family’s profile was so traumatising he left university for good the

next day and wouldn’t tell his parents what he’d been made to endure. Five months later, on July 25, 2016, Stuart took his own life. This book is the parents’ story. How they coped with one unimaginable tragedy, only to find it had sowed the seed for another. How in the face of these terrible losses they have found the spirit and the drive to campaign first for a safer environment for all

our children, and for a greater understanding of young people’s self-harm and its drivers. Ralph and Kathy Kelly are the founders of the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation. As part of the foundation the Kellys created Stay Kind, a youth suicide awareness campaign encouraging all Australians to care for each another. Published by Allen & Unwin. Too Soon, Too Late RRP $32.99.

TOM Clancy’s Enemy Contact, written with Mike Maden, is thrilling, edge-of-the seat reading as Clancy continues his Jack Ryan series. It starts on a remote island off the coast of Argentina. A team of elite counterterror commandos prepare to assault a newly-discovered Hezbollah hideout. What they don’t expect is to be brutally ambushed themselves; slaughtered with no survivors. Back in Washington DC, the growing obstruction in the Senate has reached crippling levels as a crucial treaty to strength NATO in Eastern Europe is inexplicably blocked. Suspecting that key politicians may have been compromised, but aware of the explosive consequences of making such accusations in public, the US President dispatches Jack Ryan Jr to Poland to investigate. In Warsaw, Jack partners with beautiful and brilliant Polish agent Liliana Zaleski, and it’s not long before they find evidence of a tangled web of corruption. But what Jack and Liliana don’t realise is that this conspiracy stretches further than they could ever have imagined. Published by Allen & Unwin. RRP $32.99.

ARE you looking for ways to save money in the kitchen? No Waste Kitchen helps you make the most of every meal and keep your kitchen waste-free. And you can save money while helping save the environment. Author Amelia Wasiliev’s book is for anyone conscious of reducing household waste, giving you 140 innovative and easy-to-follow recipes. It’s a beautifully illustrated guide which includes inspiring tips and practical tricks to make the most of every meal and let nothing go to waste.Freeze, store, save and reuse your leftovers for future meals; you'll have a budget- and environment-friendly kitchen in no time. Published by Hachette Australia. RRP$19.99 or eBook RRP$11.99.

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Make the most of every meal and keep your kitchen waste-free.

Time to age well into the future

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Make the second half of your life the best half of your life.

HEALTH AND WELLBEING: Discover easy ways to a longer, healthier, happier life in this new book.

WHAT does it take to have a healthy and joyful old age? Researchers say it’s not too late to make changes at 50 to get the

‘retirement years’ we want. But what should we change and how do we do it? Annabel Streets and Susan Saunders spent their 30s climbing the career ladder, having children and caring for elderly parents – all at the same time. By their 40s, they were exhausted, stressed, sleeping too little and rushing too much. They began to ask whether the prolonged ill health and dementia

suffered by their parents was their inevitable future too – could they do anything to avoid requiring their own children to care for them in old age? Thus began The Age-Well Project. With incredible tenacity, Streets and Sanders read 50,000 scientific research papers on all aspects of ageing to find what advice cutting-edge research can offer us on how to ensure the longer lives we’re living are healthy and happy. Putting their findings

into practice, they found that the lifestyle changes they made were having incredible benefits on their health and wellbeing now – as well as for the future. Told with empathy and humour, in The Age-Well Project Streets and Sanders share the 50 key lessons they learned, the meals they cooked and the expert tips they uncovered. The Age-Well Project is published by Hachette Australia. RRP $32.99.

SENIORS \\JUNE, 2019

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

PUZZLES

8 9 10 11 12

17 18

24 25

DOWN 1 Who wrote the play Hedda Gabler? (5) 2 What was a member of a pre-Christian order of priests in Gaul, Britain and Ireland? (5) 3 From Arabic folklore, what evil demon eats stolen corpses and children? (5) 4 What Japanese system of combat means “empty hand”? (6) 6 What is the medical name for baldness? (8) 7 What system of assistance to the needy in Britain was in force from 1597 to 1947? (4,4) 12 What is the medical name for blood poisoning? (8) 13 What is ascorbic acid also known as? (7,1) 14 What is one circuit of a race track? (3) 15 Panaji is the capital of which state of western India? (3) 19 What French-made guided missile is used in sea warfare? (6) 21 What hot drink is high in protein, carbohydrate and fat? (5) 22 What are folded or rolled ﬁlled tortillas? (5) 23 “Thomas Atkins” on specimen forms led to which generic name for a private in the British Army? (5)

Across 5/8/9 Which 1935 song by Pattie and Mildred Hill is the world’s most frequently sung song in English? (5,8,2,3) 10 What type of anaesthetic is sometimes used in childbirth to produce a loss of sensation below the waist? (8) 11 What is the feminine form of “beau”? (5) 14 A section of a journey (3) 16 Which Lady is said to have ridden naked through Coventry in the 11th Century? (6) 17 Which Native American people of the Great Lakes region are also known as Chippewa? (6) 18 What is the vibrating ball in a referee’s whistle called? (3) 20 Which country did New Zealand’s All Blacks defeat 14517 in the 1995 Rugby World Cup? (5) 24 On which US river is the Hoover Dam? (8) 25 What is a communication sent via computers? (5) 26 What wine bottle holds the equivalent of four normal bottles? (8) 27 In which month was Julius Caesar killed? (5)

31 1/6

SUDOKU

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

QUICK CROSSWORD 1

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 I

T R

H R

MAPLE RED CAB HER CAPE DUG EARTH I BLED MORE

Note: more than one solution may be possible.

SOLUTIONS

alert altar alter earl fall faller falter fatal fell felt feral fetal flare flat flatware flaw flea flew late later lateral leaf left real tala tale tall taller teal tell trawl wale wall wallet WATERFALL weal well welt

21 22

H E R D S

QUICK CROSSWORD Across: 1. Plot 8. Ameliorate 9. Skittish 10. Toss 12. Lupine 14. Denial 15. Strata 17. Sleuth 18. Text 19. Sure-ﬁre 21. Belongings 22. Huge. Down: 2. Lacklustre 3. Tact 4. Decide 5. Wished 6. Pretence 7. Begs 11. Smattering 13. Inaction 16. Assign 17. Shrink 18. Tube 20. Fish.

BLACKOUT

ALPHAGRAMS: AMPLE, BRACED, CHEAPER, DAUGHTER, EMBROILED.

Solution opposite

S L E E T

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

A T T I C

How many words of four letters or more can you make? Each letter must be used only once and all words must contain the centre letter. There is at least one nine-letter word. No words starting with a capital are allowed, no plurals ending in s unless the word is also a verb. TODAY: Good 21 Very Good 28 Excellent 34

DOUBLE CROSS

L I T R E

WORD GO ROUND

L T

SUDOKU

5x5

S T O P S

Down 2. Drab (10) 3. Diplomacy (4) 4. Come to a conclusion (6) 5. Longed (6) 6. Sham (8) 7. Implores (4) 11. Sprinkling (10) 13. Inactivity (8) 16. Allocate (6) 17. Contract (6) 18. Pipe (4) 20. Angle (4)

GK CROSSWORD Across: 5/8/9 “Happy Birthday To You”, 10 Epidural, 11 Belle, 14 Leg, 16 Godiva, 17 Ojibwa, 18 Pea, 20 Japan, 24 Colorado, 25 Email, 26 Jeroboam, 27 March. Down: 1 Ibsen, 2 Druid, 3 Ghoul, 4 Karate, 6 Alopecia, 7 Poor Laws, 12 Toxaemia, 13 Vitamin C, 14 Lap, 15 Goa, 19 Exocet, 21 Cocoa, 22 Tacos, 23 Tommy.

A A

E F

WORD GO ROUND

Across 1. Scheme (4) 8. Improve, make better (10) 9. Nervous (8) 10. Throw (4) 12. Wolf-like (6) 14. Refusal (6) 15. Layers (6) 17. Detective (6) 18. Words (4) 19. Certain, guaranteed (4-4) 21. Possessions (10) 22. Massive (4)

H E I F E R H M E L T D O W N

O X R E K H L H X W W J E H H

J P R I S E Y A C H I E V E M

I E J G A S G Z E E T R I A C

S L U N G H A I L M C Y S T S

U N R K E A L R S B H J B O U

T R A C E U A P S E Q B J W D

O J N A A S I I A K P A P X S

P B I C R O P A L G R E L A Y

I D U U B F U Q E H E G E H L

C O M P E T E D G E D I B L E

P C V J D S N S C E A X E I G

R E S I D E N T E O T Y I N G

B A W D Y P U J U Y O L A N M

K N O W N S I M P E R J N E T

BLACKOUT

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

DOUBLE CROSS

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

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

I C O U M P E F T E D E E E D I E B L E

R K C E A N S O I W D D Y E S N N U I T M P E A T O R Y E I A N N E G T

MID NORTH COAST

JUNE, 2019// SENIORS