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2 Seniors Gold Coast

Welcome

In this edition

Cover Story: Bruce Robertson...............................Page 3 Feature: Kaz Cooke ........................................Pages 4 & 5 Travel ...............................................................Pages 15-20 Wellbeing.........................................................Pages 21-23 Life After Loss feature .........................................Page 24 Puzzles ....................................................................Page 35

Contact us Editor Gail Forrer gail.forrer@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Consultant Tracy O’Connor tracy.oconnor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Now online Get your news online at www.seniorsnews.com.au Advertising, editorial and distribution enquiries Phone: 1300 880 265 or (07) 5435 3200 Email: advertising@seniorsnewspaper.com.au or editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Location: 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore 4558 Website: www.seniorsnews.com.au Subscriptions Only $39.90 for one year (12 editions) including GST and postage anywhere in Australia. Please call our circulations services on 1300 361 604 and quote “Gold Coast Seniors Newspaper”. The Seniors Newspaper is published monthly and distributed free in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales. 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.

Welcome summer, goodbye to 2017 MERRY Christmas friends, In our last edition for 2017, I have endeavoured, through various profiles and feature stories, to include a snapshot of various demographics in our brilliant Seniors community. To welcome in summer and portray what is perhaps the quintessential Australian story, we feature 87-year-old Bruce Robertson, the man believed to be Australia’s oldest, active lifesaver. In a spirit of renewal, he praises the younger generation: “In my generation, the thumb was down on you. Today, people are out to make the best of everything and that applies to young people. I admire them enormously.” Go Bruce – love your attitude. The gorgeous Anna Abbot in her 70s speaks honestly about retirement. Yes, she loves and appreciates the life she has, but still there are a few things…. Retirement

TI PL C A B K T O E I O N K T N S UM O A W L A TO M N SE O D C ST D U R S IA E YO O MO L U D N R SP O D O U T! T

Opinions expressed by contributors to Seniors Newspapers are not necessarily those of the editor or the owner/publisher and publication of advertisements implies no endorsement by the owner/publisher.

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER

Group editor Seniors Newspapers network

has many connotations, I haven’t been there yet, but retirement seems to run in cycles ranging from initial euphoria to some sadness in saying goodbye to the working habits of old. Nevertheless, whatever stage, it’s about coming to terms with, and in turn comfortably establishing your identity at a stage of life. Part of that comes with realising you are not alone in your feelings and if you can have a “Yes, that’s me-too moment” – then, thank you Anna for sharing. In this edition, we speak with Kaz Cooke about her latest book, based on an Australian stage actor, who certainly lived beyond the norms of the time. I think that most post-55-year-old people

❝

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

have something in common with this character, which is, navigating a new stage of life without a generation of role models. Our older age is so much different to that of our parents, with a new set of challenges and advantages, we too must navigate a fresh path forward. In saying that, I think the words of Kaz Cooke’s bring it all back to earth: “I’d be more worried about not laughing than laughter lines.” The diversity of our Seniors community is further expressed with the wonderful story of Stuart and Robin Cumming, a long-term married, professional couple, who,

ready to hit their 60s decided they had had enough of big city stress and would leave for the country. However, it was the stress not the work, they were avoiding. So, not content to sit back in their rocking chairs, they have happily set up a life of fulfilment with the type of business interests conducive to a joyful rather than stressful lifestyle. I have had a good start to Christmas family get-togethers with my aunty and cousins and it’s set me up for all the ones to come with my much-loved family and friends. I hope the last 12 months of Seniors News has provided you with supportive stories, helpful information and a good deal of entertainment. I also hope that our stories on grandparent’s rights, age discrimination in the workplace and housing issues has also provided you with deeper insights into our society. Enjoy, Gail

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Cover Story: Bruce Robertson

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

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Seniors 3

75 years of lifesaving Tracey Johnstone

A LIFETIME of public service rests well on the broad shoulders of Australia’s oldest active patrolling lifesaver, 87-year-old Bruce Robertson. The summer patrols have started and Bruce is again on the beach with his patrol members. He no longer has his driver’s licence, so he catches the bus from his inner-city home to Bilgola, faithfully turning up once a month ready to do his duty alongside his younger lifesaver mates. Bruce started his extraordinary volunteer lifesaving journey when he was just 12. His father was away at war and Bruce had a Saturday morning job at Swain’s in Sydney city, the same place as actor Rod Taylor. “He and I became good mates. He was very keen to join the surf lifesaving movement so we both went down to Mona Vale,” Bruce said. In 1942, Bruce and Rod joined Mona Vale club where they both gained their Bronze.

“There was only one person over 18 at the club then, and that was the president, George Wray,” Bruce said. “They didn’t ask our age because there was nobody else.” The war had taken all the older members away. Bruce and Rod remained firm friends until Rod drifted off into the pursuit of his art at East Sydney Tech College and films, while Bruce remained in school. “Rod was almost two years older than me,” Bruce said. “He was also very successful with the ladies.” Bruce started as a rower for the club’s surf boat crew. Mona Vale had won the national championship in 1939 and they were looking to return to that glory. So, at 12, Bruce was co-opted as a member of an enormous surf boat. He remembers rowing in the 1954 surf carnival at Bondi Beach which the Queen attended. “It was an enormous surf, but it was a fantastic day,” Bruce recounts. He also has found

memories of his rowing mates, some 15 or 16 of them, sleeping on gym mats in the clubhouse. “We would go down to the club for the weekend,” he said. It wasn’t until 1950 that Bruce moved to Bilgola to join some of his friends. After school finished Bruce attended Duntroon where he graduated as a lieutenant. He spent two years in the army before the ambitious young man left to join the corporate world in building materials. Throughout this time and in the ensuing years his volunteer lifesaving commitment never waived. While he may have retired from paid work at 60, that was the only retiring he did. He next took on chairman of Taronga Zoo, then the deputy chair of the Botanic Gardens and then onto Keep Australia Beautiful while continuing to play golden oldies rugby union for the Gordon club where he was vice-president and keeping up his active lifesaving volunteering role at Bilgola Beach.

ACTIVE AGEING: Bruce Robertson (second from left) with members of his Bilgola Surf Life Saving Club patrol group. PHOTO: BILGOLA SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB

“I’m not keen to get into anything competitive these days,” Bruce admits. “I will still walk the beach.” His patrol group are on duty once a month for four hours. If there is a crisis, Bruce said he now lets his younger patrol members deal with it. “I find there is a lot of respect by younger people today,” Bruce said of his fellow patrol members. “I think the younger generation are to be admired. They have not had the thumb put on

them. In my generation, the thumb was down on you. Today, people are out to make the best of everything and that applies to young people. I admire them enormously. “Now I am quite happy to sit and watch, to see what people do. “So much has happened and so many changes have been made, really I should be one trying to get as much as I can from them.” As he gazes fondly over what has been his second home for all of his adult life, his greatest

joy is watching how his home club has progressed. “I can remember digging into the stone to build it,” Bruce said of Bilgola Surf Life Saving Club. “I am not going to give it up. I love the club. “I feel that I have to give something back to society as society has been very good to me. “Surf Lifes Saving is one of those ways I can give something back. “I am enjoying living in this society. I don’t want to stop.”

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Feature Story: Kaz Cooke

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

Unearthing the story The wilful way of a woman before her age Alison Houston

THOSE WERE THE DAYS: ¶ The Ada Delroy Company.

morosely directly into the camera. Instead, Ada’s hair was out and curled, escaping from a huge feathered and bowed hat, and she was bejewelled in a thick necklace, two butterfly brooches, and another spelling out her name in diamantes, as she looked into the distance with a secret smile playing around her mouth. Kaz soon discovered there was a huge body of information about this woman and the exploits of herself and her troupe,

PHOTO: PHOTO COURTESY THE ADVERTISER, 2

❝

Her consultants include professors and hospital heads of departments, but their expertise is complemented by parental anecdotes...”

and became “transfixed by her story”. Thus began two years of research and another of writing to give this incredible woman a voice. “She wasn’t an angel. There was definitely a naughtiness to her – her whole act was stolen,” Kaz said.

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

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“But there was so much life in her and I wanted her to be able to tell her own story.” The book begins in 1911, with Ada in reduced circumstances, suffering tuberculosis, dependent on morphine, and being assessed to live out her last days in a charity cottage for those in the theatre profession. “Dying is a bit like being poor,” Ada says. “You don’t get much in the way of choices.” It’s a hard end for someone who once danced for the Maharajah,

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KAZ Cooke reckons she’d like to be “a fully vaccinated time-traveller”. The 54-year-old author, best known for her advice books for modern girls and women, such as Up the Duff and Girl Stuff, has just released her new book Ada and, although it still mixes fact and humour, it’s a complete switch from what we have come to expect. In it, Kaz travels back to the 1890s through the true-life character of Ada Delroy, who escaped the humblest of beginnings in a milltown in Lancashire to become an acclaimed dancer, comic and singer, with her own vaudeville-style troupe which toured Australia and the world. That would be quite an accomplishment even now, but how much more so for a woman over 120 years ago? Kaz first “met” Ada in an old theatre scrapbook while doing a fellowship on a completely different subject at the State Library of Victoria. “I came across a photo of this woman that completely arrested me. There was something really feisty and modern about her,” Kaz said. Unlike most photos of women in the day, Ada’s hair was not scraped back into a severe bun, as she stood or sat, straight-backed, looking

Feature Story: Kaz Cooke

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

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FEISTY: Ada Delroy, c1895, had something feisty and modern “naughtiness” about her that appealed to author Kaz Cooke. PHOTO: COURTESY STATE LIBRARY OF VICTOR

balance that ensured people knew they could trust the medical, nutritional and other important health advice, while also relaxing enough to have a laugh when appropriate. While her books have, to an extent, traced Kaz’s own development, from 1994’s Real Gorgeous, looking at body image, to pregnancy, with Up the Duff, and then her child-rearing and teen books, Kaz said she’s not

quite ready to write an advice book for the over-50s. “I’m a bit worried my next book after that would be ‘How to Cark It’, so I really don’t want to rush that!” she laughed. She also admits she knows she’d probably have to take a bit of her own advice and do more exercise “which is my personal goal and my personal terror really”. Not that she’s worried

about getting old, saying “I’d rather worry about not laughing, more than laugh lines”. Besides, Kaz has a few other ideas in the pipeline, including losing herself in history again for another project, and the possibility of another children’s book, for those who remember reading The Terrible Underpants and Wanda Linda Goes Berserk to their kids and grandkids.

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horses. There are gaps in Ada’s story, including a baby mysteriously left in Adelaide, but Kaz said didn’t have to add any drama herself to this funny, poignant and dramatic tale which includes carriages hurtling off cliffs and a train catching fire. “I sometimes wonder if Ada would be a bit cross with me that I’ve taken liberties, but I think she’d be proud that she’s put on a good show,” Kaz said. And you could say the same for Kaz, whose advice books – constantly updated with the latest medical information – have been best sellers now for some 20 years. (An updated version of Kid Wrangling – about caring for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers – is about to be re-issued under a new name.) Asked her secret, Kaz said she reckoned no one else could be bothered doing all the work and research involved! Her consultants include professors and hospital heads of departments, but their expertise is complemented by parental anecdotes, and her cartoons, keeping the books friendly, practical, and non-judgemental. Kaz said it was a

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Local stories

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

Experience of going bush

A lifetime of experience lends to book Yvonne Gardiner

JOANNE Herkes’ first novel was inspired by the resilience of the Australian pioneers, especially women. During extensive research for Grace Under Pressure, she was also saddened by historical racial issues. “I am always fascinated about how the past has such an influence on the present,” she said. “Education through time is fascinating. That goes for the teaching methods/subject matter and rules/behaviour management. “How far greedy people will go is a common element of stories.” Joanne, now retired and living on the Gold Coast, is a softly spoken, reluctant self-promoter with no ambition to become rich and famous from her writings. “I never thought to make another career. I do it for fun,” she said.

The book cover of Grace Under Pressure.

“I’d be less than honest if I didn’t admit I wrote it for myself. It’s the type of book I’d like to read. “However, the other element is the continuation of the story into a more modern era and I guess I couldn’t help thinking that it might be interesting for a young teacher bound for a bush posting, an educator in the prison system, or educational psychologists.” The plot goes like this: In 19th century Australia, Virginia and her husband Charles seek gold in Granite Ridge, Queensland. Their friends, a Chinaman and his

LOVES TO WRITE: Gold Coast author Joanne Herkes delves into the way the past has such an influence on the present in her book Grace Under Pressure. PHOTO: YVONNE GARDINER

Aboriginal wife, are driven away by racial tension, but leave their son in Virginia’s care, with a huge gold nugget. This nugget is left behind “for all the children”. When Grace arrives in the outback town decades later, as its teacher, she learns of the rumour surrounding Jessica Campbell and her son Snowy – and that gold

nugget. Someone believes that Grace knows where it was hidden. Until the mysteries are solved, an undercover police officer comes to stay in the town. The story comes full circle when Grace, determined to make a difference, finds herself in Virginia’s old home, where it all started. The book’s author, in

her working career, was a teacher, educator and administrator. “While working in the Canberra region over 14 years I taught community classes in writing and drawing. I was also a volunteer board member and library consultant for the ACT Critical Incident Stress Management Organisation,” Joanne said. “In the Outback I served

on the Bush Hospital Board and the Country Women’s Association. “I’ve also managed an Anglican Parish Office.” Living and working in Canberra gave Joanne lots of access to the National Library. “When I was training for a school principal role, they showed us a film about a single female who went to a bush school and it had a very frightening outcome,” she said. “It was one of those things that stick in your mind. “There was also an Australian classic psychological thriller called Wake in Fright that was made into a film in the 1970s about a young teacher going outback. “While my book isn’t scary or a thriller, the topic of isolation has obviously concerned people over the years.” Grace Under Pressure by Joanne Herkes is available through the publisher’s website: www. austinmacauley.com/ book/grace-underpressure or it is also available at: www. amazon.com, on kindle or paperback.

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Local Story

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

Walk with quiet achiever

Baton bearer epitomises the motto Service above Self Yvonne Gardiner

IF ANYONE deserves accolades, it’s longtime volunteer Daryl “Saint” Sanderson. The Surfers Sunrise Rotary Club wheelchair project chairman, of Runaway Bay, was honoured with an OAM in August, and will follow that up by taking his place in the Commonwealth Games Baton Relay in early-2018. Daryl is said to be “a rare individual” who has dedicated about 50 of his 70 years to helping others. In effect, he epitomises Rotary’s motto, Service Above Self. As wheelchair trust chairman, he has organised the construction of more than 8000 wheelchairs to be sent to 31 underdeveloped countries during the last 20 years. The program started when a Rotary Club member travelled to Fiji and saw children immobilised by their

disability. It helps youngsters in Vanuatu, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Nigeria. Clearly moved by the experience, Daryl recalls the time he saw a crippled girl confined to a bed inside her home in Vanuatu – and the difference having a wheelchair made to this child as she rushed outside to play with friends. “I’ve been to a few of the countries, delivering wheelchairs and for business,” Daryl said. “These children have nothing.” Daryl won’t be covering the few hundred metres he’ll be allocated in the Queen’s Baton Relay quickly – he’ll walk, preferring to savour every second. Meanwhile, a shipping container carrying 190 wheelchairs will soon leave for Pakistan. Daryl said the donations also include woollen clothing for children, wooden toys,

SAINT SANDERSON: Surfers Sunrise Rotary Club wheelchair project chairman, and soon-to-be Commonwealth Games baton bearer, Daryl Sanderson talks with pride about his work for disadvantaged children overseas. PHOTO: YVONNE GARDINER

shoes, books and medicines, plates and cutlery. Rotary District Governor Darrell Brown paid tribute to Daryl in 2016, saying: “Daryl is a quiet unassuming chap who gets on with the work in the Rotary Club of Surfers Sunrise shed at Arundel. “It is rare for him not to be doing some work associated with the wheelchairs every day of the week to keep the project’s wheels turning. “This extends to

organising retirees taking kits home to assemble the bikes, sending kits to half-a-dozen Rotary clubs around Australia and then receiving these back at the shed for checking.” DG Darrell said more than 550 people were involved in the international operation of this project, including prisoners from Palen Creek Correctional Centre at Strathpine who help build wheelchairs and source bikes. Volunteers for the

Surfers Sunrise Rotary Club wheelchair project meet regularly at the community centre near the Arundel State School carpark, Napper Road, Parkwood. “We have grandfathers come on Saturday to help us,” Daryl said. “They work in all different areas. “We built a schoolhouse in the shed. We took over (to Samoa) water tanks, kids’ equipment, and turned the container into a toilet

block.” When Rotary members went to Apia, Samoa in 2012, they discovered children who were survivors of sexual abuse, some as young as 12 who had babies. Since then, the volunteers have built an orphanage called the House of Hope catering for 80 children. They finished the Matafaa School nearby just a month ago, in a village that was devastated by a tsunami in 2009. Daryl said the wheelchair project no longer needed discarded bikes, but money could be donated as it cost $95 to buy timber and wheels for one wheelchair. The wheelchair tyres are made puncture-proof with foam tubing, a modification for rough conditions in developing countries. The Queen’s Baton arrives in Australia on December 24. Daryl will be among more than 3500 bearers who will bring the baton across the country to the opening ceremony at the Gold Coast on April 4.

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Time it seems, is running out, and clean, affordable electricity has never been better for your business. If you own your own building and your business relies heavily on electricity, NOW is the time to solar your business. Give us a call and one of our energy experts can walk you through a solution that will protect your business from ongoing electricity increases before the government rebate expires. Our experience speaks for itself, having successfully installed more than 125,000 panels to date, and delivering savings to thousands of customers.

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If the National Energy Guarantee goes the way many are predicting, the government rebates that are currently available encouraging businesses to install solar and reduce their reliance on our aging grid, could be removed without warning (yep overnight). If you’re in the market for a larger system (up to 100kw), that’s potentially a saving of $67,000 gone in the blink of an eye. The NEG also pledges investment for coal, our current primary energy source where distribution relies on the struggling infrastructure which coincidentally also requires a serious upgrade, and where that money will come from… history tells us higher electricity bills.

Investing now in commercial solar will ultimately free up your cash flow for years to come, and reduce your energy demand spikes throughout the day, effectively lowering those incredibly high capacity charges businesses are slugged with. There are also immediate tax benefits available to businesses on assets purchased less under 20k. Feed in tariffs are also available to eligible businesses to export back to the grid, delivering a further reduction in outgoings. The marketable value of a green business is not to be discounted either, going green continues to be a valuable asset for business, not only does it make you feel good, but your customers will thank you for it too.

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As the country’s energy debate continues to rage, the government’s latest energy policy, the National Energy Guarantee looks likely to put the brakes on renewable energy investment. The federal government’s latest promise is ‘reliable’ energy, however reading between the lines there is no mention of affordable energy, or sustainable energy in the mix. So just what does this latest energy policy mean for your business?

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Personalities: Jimmy Barnes

Gold Coast

Jimmy grapples with his demons Yvonne Gardiner

THE pain of a povertystricken childhood marred by violence is hard for anyone to shake off. Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes tried for many years, numbing his anguish with an abundance of alcohol, drugs and wild behaviour. In recent times, he has beaten his “demons” by writing about his life in a two-volume autobiography, laying bare the disappointments, drug-taking, violence, shame and desperation of a man frequently “out of control”. Working Class Man is the second volume, released last month. At the start of this book, 17-year-old Jimmy leaves his childhood home in Elizabeth, Adelaide, with his new band, Cold Chisel. Despite all the charttopping records in the years that followed, both with the band and solo, the fame, adulation and

good fortune, Jimmy’s “demons” stuck relentlessly by his side. For him, writing his autobiography was part of the healing process. “It allowed me to put some of those demons in their place at last,” he said. “The sooner I open up and let this poison out, the better things will be. “It’s taken 60 years and I’m still afraid, but I have to put some things back on track before it’s too late.” Jimmy felt an overwhelming need to “get over” his painful childhood experiences to benefit his family, especially his grandchildren. “If I didn’t, they would have to struggle with demons that I had brought from my childhood into theirs,” he said. “If you want to change the way you feel about yourself, especially when you feel as bad as I did about myself, then you

have to do things that you are proud of. “Singing gave me a sense of being worth something. “I used to go to church so I could sing in the choir.” His first best-selling book, Working Class Boy, is a harrowing story of a Scottish migrant boy from Glasgow, growing up with his parents, Jim and Dorothy Swan, and five siblings in an impoverished and violent household. It was a tough tale to tell. Drunkenness, child abuse, fighting and the shame of his deprived circumstances come into play. His alcoholic, abusive father was not a good role model. “He’d send me to neighbours to borrow money,” Jimmy said. “I swore I would never be like my parents.” Jimmy’s affection for his mother, Dot – who gave birth to five children

before the age of 21 – is all too obvious from his writings. “My mum was a tough woman,” he said. “I can only guess what her life was like. Her life was atrocious. “(My father’s) problems got worse and she was 2000 miles from support. “The safest I’ve ever felt was when she held me in her arms.” Dot died in September 2016, before Jimmy’s first book was published. “I’m glad she didn’t have to read (the autobiography), because she lived it,” Jimmy said. “She wouldn’t have liked to think that she’s damaged us.” The damage, the demons Jimmy speaks of, has taken its toll. “It’s been a lifetime battle to get over it,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of therapy for years.” The love and support from his “darling” wife Jane, children and

Seniors 9

BACK ON TRACK: Jimmy Barnes travels the country promoting his second book, his long-lasting “road to ruin”.

grandchildren have helped. In his battle against alcoholism and drug addiction, Jimmy has had times of clarity. “Love, peace and quiet was all I really wanted,” he said. The Barnes family spent some time in France after a financial collapse. Even

there, Jimmy was still “troubled”. His adult life has been a rollercoaster ride of career successes and disappointments, of riotous behaviour and self-destructive tendencies. Many of his records have topped the charts and his fans adore him no matter what.

10 Seniors Gold Coast

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

The transitions of life

There’s a little spot in Anna’s heart that misses the job YOU can’t miss Anna Abbott. With a smile almost as wide as the enormous hats she favours, and with faultless make-up and a sense of extravagant style that turns heads, she makes a grand entrance. Now retired after and long and fulfilling career, Anna spends her days and nights with mixed and myriad activities that would leave most retirees exhausted. She studies language (she is already fluent in French, is learning Italian) and attends Shakespeare reading classes. She founded Les Belles, a group of like-minded local women who get together once a week to speak only in French throughout a fun and learning afternoon (and over a glass of French bubbles). She coaches students in English at the local language school, never misses a social event,

lunches at lot, and is making plans for her next overseas trip. All this, and yet Anna says she does not quite feel complete. It is the dreaded Relevance Deprivation Syndrome to blame. This condition strikes men and women who have had long and rewarding careers with all the trappings that go with it: power, money, perks, influence. In Anna’s case it is decades of working first as a lawyer and then as head-principal of a prestigious girls college in NSW. “I used to love being able to solve problems for people and make a difference to their lives,” she said of her role as principal. “Every day someone would come to me weeping over something. I was Mrs Fixit. I had 100 staff. I miss that.” Relevance Deprivation Syndrome is not a derogatory expression

MY STORY: The talented and determined Anna Abbott.

and it is a very real condition. It affects people who have worked hard for years to achieve promotions and goals, and who have invested all their working lives in their professional roles. In her position as school principal, Anna also helped young women

in countless ways, from teaching them table etiquette to giving them career advice, but mostly by just being herself and presenting as a powerful role model. “I miss being multi-faceted, giving academic and moral guidance, attending conferences,” Anna said.

“Despite all the things I do now I still miss it.” Anna is being honest in expressing feelings many like her have experienced upon retiring, yet have kept them to themselves. Generally, work makes us feel relevant and when we stop it is difficult to wake each morning and wonder what we are going

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to do to make the day rewarding. “It is hard to be an older woman in Australia,” Anna said. There is probably no cure for Relevance Deprivation Syndrome, other than to let time take care of it, and Anna with her quick intelligence and deep insight knows this.

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Ann Rickard

Gold Coast

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Talk ‘n’ thoughts Hurdles, highjumps and solutions

Share your thoughts

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

Speaking up for the truth THE talk is all about our generation. Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Bill Cosby, Rolf Harris, Don Burke – they are all seniors. If anyone ever questioned why women’s liberation had to happen – then right here, right now, on the media’s front pages, you will find the answers. To vindicate his actions, movie producer Harvey Weinstein flashed on a singular truth when he said: “I came of age in the ’60s and ’70s, when all the rules about behaviour and workplace were different. That was the culture then. I have since learned it’s not excuse, in the office – or out of it. To anyone.” Yes, the 1960s and

❝

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

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER

Group editor Seniors Newspapers network

’70s, the age many of us grew up in, was transition time, the first wave of women’s liberation saw changes such as women able to keep working in banks after they were married and, in various areas, wage equalisation. In terms of government legislation, women were starting to gain liberation from a stultifying culture of gender inequity. But socially, well that’s another story and I think it’s here that Weinstein, sadly, tells the truth. The

Hopefully the next step will be an honest reconciliation.

rules of the ’60s and ’70s about behaviour and workplace were different. While women saw the loosening of societal moors as liberating for their own spirit, some men saw women’s

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

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

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

Seniors 11

up against the essence of the women’s liberation movement that started in the 1960s. At its heart, women’s liberation was always about having the female voice heard, considered and owning an appropriately influential place in society. In 2017, we have a watershed moment when this is spectacularly happening. In some ways, I see it rather like the process of Truth and Reconciliation commissions undertaken by various nations, as a process of healing after undergoing dreadful atrocities. Right now, we are at the face of truth, I trust that after this, the next step will be an honest reconciliation.

12 Seniors Gold Coast

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

What’s on JOURNALIST YVONNE GARDINER

yvonne.gardiner@apn.com.au

CHRISTMAS IN SURFERS

EXPERIENCE the sun-drenched magic of a quintessentially Australian Christmas in Surfers Paradise. Santa dons boardies and arrives in a surfboat sleigh drawn by kangaroos to spread festive cheer to families and visitors throughout the world-famous holiday precinct. Christmas in Surfers Paradise brings a new dimension of summer sparkle to traditional festivities with a free, family-friendly entertainment spectacular, culminating in Carols on the Beach on Saturday, December 23. Surfers Paradise will be

transformed into an Aussie-style festive wonderland by the shore, as Cavill Mall becomes home to Santa’s summer grotto and families can pose for free keepsake photos in the surfboat sleigh, while kids can share their Christmas wish lists. Santa will be in his grotto from December 13 to 22, 10am-1pm and 4-7pm, December 23 from 10am-1pm, and December 24 from 10am-1pm and 4-7pm.

COAST MARKETS

JOIN us in celebrating the festive season at the Christmas Markets Gold Coast. Take a relaxing walk under shimmering lights while browsing unique gifts, grab your last-minute stocking fillers or just unwind with seasonal entertainment and delectable yuletide treats at the gourmet Christmas food court. There’s something for everyone with free family entertainment, food

trucks, kids’ activities and Santa will arrive by helicopter. Free entry includes Santa photos and a Christmas movie. At Broadwater Parklands from December 15-17, 4-10pm each day. Details: Christmas Spirit Group on 0434 289 282 or email christmasmarketsgc @gmail.com.

NERANG CELEBRATES

THIS is a community celebration of Christmas for everyone at Bischoff Pioneer Park and Nerang Street, Nerang on Saturday, December 16 from 3-8.30pm. The afternoon entertainment program will feature local artists and school bands, while the evening program includes traditional carols and a visit from Santa. Families can buy ride passes or single ride tickets. There will be a wide selection of food stalls. Remember to bring your chair or rug.

Entertainment starts from 3pm, with the main carols program from 6pm until fireworks finale at 8.30pm. Please phone 0406 320 085 or on www.facebook.com/ NerangCelebrates.

FINE FOODS

IF YOU happen to live in or around Mudgeeraba, or plan to visit, and like the idea of filling your fridge with delicious, farm-fresh produce, prepare to be excited. Instead of travelling a few suburbs over for your market fix, you can get it all on your doorstep at the new weekly Mudgeeraba Fine Foods & Farmers’ Market. Every Saturday morning from 6-11.30am. Next: Saturday, December 16, Mudgeeraba Showgrounds, 115 Mudgeeraba Road.

TASTE OF IRELAND

AFTER performing to thousands of audiences Australia-wide, A Taste of Ireland returns this

December with the premiere of an exciting show, The Christmas Spectacular! For one performance only on Tuesday, December 19, beginning 7.30pm at the Gold Coast Arts Centre, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise. Book online or phone the box office on 5588 4000.

ROMEO AND JULIET

THE forever romance, the hundred-year classic, the most heart-warming dancing you will see this year. The Russian National Ballet Theatre is coming back with the world’s greatest classical ballet, Romeo and Juliet. Seamlessly choreographed by Evgeny Amosov based on the Prokofiev ballet in three acts and featuring classical music. Gold Coast Arts Centre on Friday, December 22. Performance begins at 7.30pm. Book online or phone 5588 4000 for more information.

MAGIC MILLIONS

MAGIC Millions turns up the glamour and excitement of the Australian summer racing season. Racegoers are invited to the spectacular Gold Coast for the 2018 Magic Millions Carnival. Revel in 10 magnificent days of Australia’s number one summer racing carnival as you gather with friends. For more, visit magicmillions.com.au or phone 5504 1200.

AN AFTERNOON AT THE PROMS

AUSTRALIA’S most acclaimed international violinist Ian Cooper is joined by opera stars, prima ballerinas, Australia’s popular Pipe Band and the Blue Danube Orchestra to evoke the sheer exuberance of An Afternoon at the Proms – A Musical Spectacular. March 2 at 7pm. For more go to: theartcentregc.com.au.

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Gold Coast

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Community 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 please ensure it is at least 180dpi or 500kb to 1mb in size and of faces, in a nice bright setting. The deadline for the January issue December 18. Email Nicky or Chris: communitynotes@ seniorsnewspaper .com.au

between 9am-12.30pm on those days. Many tutors will be present to answer queries about their classes. Pay your membership fees for 2018 at the office, any time between now and December 13. The Early Bird raffle will be drawn at noon on January 24, email u3atwintowns@gmail. com or call 5534 7333.

Group takes an interesting ride back in time

■ GOLD COAST INC.

GOLD COAST BRIDGE CLUB

WE ARE located on the highway in Surfers Paradise. Brush up your skills or we can teach you new ones with our experienced teachers. We provide beginners classes and coaching at all levels and conduct bridge sessions six days a week and two nights. We’re known as “the friendly club” and organise many

Seniors 13

ALL ABOARD: Burleigh Waters Probus club members ride a tram at Rockhampton Heritage Village.

social functions for members. Join the club and meet interesting people from all walks of life. For more information, call Cecily or Lynley 5538 3112 or

0418 984 856.

SCLERODERMA ASSOCIATION OF QLD SCLERODERMA,

Raynauds and Sjogrens Gold Coast Support Group are holding their Christmas lunch at Benowa Tavern from 10.30am on Monday, December 11.

U3A ■ TWIN TOWNS

ENROLMENT days for 2018 will be January 23 and 24. The office at Boyd Street will be open

AUSTRALIA Fair office is now closed for the Christmas break and re-opens on Monday, January 15. The resumption of classes will be the week beginning Monday, January 29. These dates are earlier because of the effect the Commonwealth Games will have on traffic and parking, so as an incentive there is an ‘early registration draw’ and the chance to win a refund of the $75 membership. The draw will take place in U3A Australia Fair office at CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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14 Seniors Gold Coast FROM PAGE 13

2pm on Thursday, January 18. We are looking for tutors to teach computers, phones, tablets, art, current affairs forum, armchair travel and an experienced ‘tutor co-ordinator’ used to working in team environment. Call 5591 6671 or email u3agoldcoastinc @bigpond.com.

END OF LIFE CHOICES

VOLUNTARY euthanasia options are discussed at meetings held quarterly on the Gold Coast. For more information, phone Elaine 5580 8215.

SOUTHPORT MILITARY HERITAGE MUSEUM

WE WILL again open on the following dates/times: Sunday, January 7 from 11am-2pm. Our new display, honouring some of “Our forgotten Anzacs” and more renovations, have been favourably received thus far, by every visitor. The Southport Military Heritage Museum is located in the Qld Naval Brigade Drill Hall at Owen Park, Mick Vievers Way, 201 Queen Street, Southport (next to the Southport Primary

School). Entry is free, and there is free parking. For information, call Noel on 0437 732 575.

PROBUS CLUB ■ RUNAWAY BAY

WE ARE a non-profit club operating to promote fun, friendship and fellowship in our community. If you are interested in making new friends and joining us to enjoy guest speakers, lunches and outings, the club will be holding its next meeting on Monday, January 15 at the Paradise Point Bowls Club (cnr Thrush & Sunbird Avenues). The meeting will start at 10am. There will be an interesting guest speaker. All members and new friends are welcome to attend. Our next activity will be our Christmas party at 11.30am on Tuesday, December 12 at the Paradise Point Bowls Club. Please bring a gift for the Santa sack. Those interested, including visitors, can call Warren on 5514 0234 or Noel 5564 2231.

■ BURLEIGH WATERS

GENERAL meetings are held on the third Monday of each month. Retired or semi-retired men are invited to join us at club meetings, 10am on the

Neighbourhood News third Monday of each month at Burleigh Waters Community Centre, 131 Christine Ave. Nominally a men’s club, but wives are very welcome to share the club’s fellowship, friendship and fun at all club meetings and outings. Call Brian on 5520 6332 or John 5520 6661.

VIEW CLUBS ■ SURFERS PARADISE

WE HOLD our meetings and lunch on the second Tuesday of each month at the Southport Golf Club. Meeting at 11.30am for lunch at noon. Always with an interesting guest Speaker. New members and visitors are welcome. For an opportunity to meet new friends and join in our social activities and outings, call Felicity on 5679 0226.

■ TWIN TOWNS EVENING

WE WILL have our last meeting for 2017 on December 13 at the Tweed Bowls Clubs Opal Room. A great Christmas ending to the year. There will be no meeting in January. February meeting will see our AGM and all committee positions will be open. Call Trudy on

5524 1770 or Pat 5536 5227.

NERANG SENIOR CITIZENS

OUR friendly club holds a variety of activities at our clubhouse on the corner of Mylor and Ferry Sts, Nerang. We play cash Bingo on Wednesday starting 9am, indoor bowls, craft and needlework, quilting, cards, bus excursions, orchid society. Call 5596 6400 or Cheryl on 0407 373 149.

RIVERSIDE SOCIAL CLUB

PLAY competition euchre every Tuesday night for a 6.30pm start. Supper provided. Small cost involved. Riverside Home Park 456 Nerang-Broadbeach Rd Carrara. Contact Gail on 0414 274 416.

SOLACE

SOLACE is an organisation for people grieving the loss of a partner. We meet every second and fourth Wednesday at 10.30am at Broadbeach Senior Citizens Centre, TE Peters Dr. For more, call Betty on 5580 7034.

UNITING

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

TOASTMASTER CLUB ELANORA

COME in and join us to improve your public speaking and leadership skills at The Uniting Toastmasters Club. Learn how to speak with confidence, to think on your feet and be provided with constructive feedback. Meeting: Tuesday morning 9.30-11.30am at 17 Applecross Way, Elanora at Robinson Hall next to the Coffee Shop. The first three visits are complimentary. Contact Norma on 5534 3270 or Tuti via email t.aulia14@gmail.com.

ACTIVE SENIOR TENPIN BOWLING

SOCIAL Tenpin Bowling includes one game of bowling, free shoe hire and free urn of coffee, tea and biscuits for $10 on Mondays at 11am. GoBowling is located at 137 Currumburra Rd, Ashmore. Bookings essential. Call 5539 6433.

PALS BROADBEACH

NEW to the Gold Coast or a senior resident looking for social activities? Join PALS (People Alone Lending Support) for weekly barbecues, picnics, theatre, restaurants and outings at

various locations around the Gold Coast. Singles and couples welcome. Call Vicky on 0412 783 907.

LIBRARY OPENING

WE ARE having an official opening for our beautiful new Tweed Heads Library on January 22. Come and try all activities and services that we offer through our libraries. This will be a fun and exciting day full of demonstrations and activities for all ages. Forinfo: www.rtrl.nsw.gov.au or call 5569 3150.

Free 4 sale YOU can submit one item a month and write up to 20 words. Items must not exceed $500. Post to Gold Coast Seniors Free 4 Sale, PO Box 56, Maroochydore, Qld, 4558, or email free4sale@seniors newspaper.com.au. OZITO 18 VOLT MOWER 6 months old battery mower, used 4 times. $399 ono. PH 5520 1058. Varsity Lakes. WANTED 2 Carver Chairs. PH 0422 116 930. Robina.

Win A Signed Copy of Jimmy Barnes “Working Class Man” Book In the hugely anticipated second volume of his memoirs, Jimmy picks up the story of his life as he leaves Adelaide in the back of an old truck with a then unknown band called Cold Chisel. Working Class Man is the book Australia has been waiting for. Jimmy Barnes lays his life bare. To coincide with our interview with Jimmy Barnes, Seniors is Giving you the change to win 1 of 3 signed copies of “Working Class Man” To be in the running, simply email communitynotes@seniorsnewspaper.com.au. Make sure you tell us your name (ﬁrst and last), contact number, email, postal address and Seniors Newspapers region, then answer this question “What is your favourite Jimmy Barnes Song and why?” Or visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitions to enter online. Good luck!

Visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitionterms for full competition terms and conditions. Promoter is ARM Specialist Media Pty Ltd of 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore Qld 4558. Promotional period 4/12/17-29/12/17. Competition drawn 11am 10/01/18 at Cnr Mayne Rd and Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Winners announced in Seniors February 2017. Total prize value $150 (including GST). Entry is open to all permanent residents of Queensland.

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Gold Coast

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 15

Travel

10 top travel wardrobe items WE’VE all done it – over-packed. A heavy suitcase loaded with clothes, most of which will not be worn, is a curse to all travellers, especially the senior. Travel author Ann Rickard spoke to Lee Watt, of Brisbane’s Soubret Pink boutique, who can help women construct 20 different looks from just 10 pieces. The secret lies in being disciplined and the benefits are stress-free travel. 1. Stick to the numbers: two pairs of pants, six tops, one of them doubling as a lightweight cardigan/jacket. That’s

it. Oh, shoes... of course, they don’t come into the 10 items, but you’ll need three pairs. And scarves, three of them. 2. The pants or jeans should be black or navy to create a basic background. Comfort is essential. Mac Jay make a good pull-on jean without any hardware at the front that will accentuate the tummy. They are stretchy, don’t cut you in half and come in sizes 8 through 20. They are even comfortable to wear on a long-haul flight. A straight-leg jean is best. It can be worn as casual during the day and dressed-up for evening wear. Basic

black pants will go with everything. 3. Six tops are all you need. Some can be plain, others must have black or navy in them. Mela Purdie and Verge make beautiful and flattering tops suitable for the mature woman. Every top must co-ordinate with the jeans or pants. 4. Three scarves will help bring the outfits together or make them look different. Perhaps a plain white or black scarf and one with some navy or black in it. The scarves will double as wraps to keep you warm or work as an accessory when tied different ways. 5. Three pairs of shoes. A walking shoe, a good

casual shoe for day wear and a pair for evening. That’s it. No more. 6. Two bags. A small evening bag, one travelling bag. Baggallini do a good travel bag designed by two American flight attendants. It has zips and pockets for passports and documents, and it also has room for your laptop. 7. Four items of costume jewellery (plus earrings). Never take good jewellery when travelling. Lee suggests two short and two long necklaces, and if you have one in gold and one with pearls you can put them together for a double look.

8. One of the tops that doubles as a cardigan. If you are going to a very cold country in winter, you can still work with just these basic pieces, but you will need a good warm coat, a hat, gloves and boots. You wear your outers and just peel off when inside to the basic pieces. You don’t need heavy jumpers and cardigans. 9. Choose items in fabrics that don’t wrinkle or need ironing and can be rolled for packing. The ten items chosen will all fit into a small 7kg carry-on case and leave room for toiletries. If you stick to the ten items rule you can make the different outfits show variety and

style and they will do you for a three-week holiday. 10. We all make mistakes and throw in something extra. It takes discipline to stick to the ten items, so when packing, no drinking wine. Feedback on this approach has been excellent. One woman who disciplined herself to stick to the 10, wrote: “It was so liberating, so easy to pack and go every morning. I didn’t need to think of what to put together each day. I went to top class restaurants, hiked in the jungle, slept in hammocks and stayed at Raffles, all with just those pieces, and a little make-up and lotions”.

Join Us Online Get online to ﬁnd your news, your way.

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Ann Rickard

16 Seniors Gold Coast

Travel

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

A warm Parisian night The special ambience of a brilliant dining experience Ann Rickard

WE’D already been spoilt beyond our expectations. On board luxury hotel barge, Panache, operated by European Waterways, we had sailed from Paris out from the Seine along the Canal du Nord to the River Oise – and had a week of outstanding experiences both on board and on shore. We had been fed multi-course gourmet meals featuring exquisite local produce, we had indulged in French martinis from the open bar at 11am, sipped exquisite wines from some of the most renowned regions in France at both lunch and dinner, and been introduced to a variety of delicious cheeses and given a little bit of their fascinating history. We had visited Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, walked in Van Gogh’s steps in Auvers-sur-Oise where the great artist spent 70 days before his death, and where he painted prolifically. Still there was more. We had trawled the Chateau del Malmaison near Paris where Josephine spent much of Napoleon’s money while he was away fighting the Egyptian campaign. So, on our last night after a week of gentle, slow barging through the fertile and forested region north of Paris, we were ready to say a sad goodbye to the captain

and crew of Panache and go on our way. We glided slowly into Paris past the futuristic La Défense business district with its glass architecture, and then right into the heart of Paris and all its glorious buildings, its famous landmarks and monuments and its handsome bridges. We had all rushed with cameras as we past Notre Dame peeking at us above the trees, and again as we came close to the Pont de Grenelle where a replica Statue of Liberty stood, quite imposing despite its smaller scale. Our itinerary included a final dinner in Paris on board on this last night. But first, a slow shuffle up and down the Seine. It was a hot summer’s Friday night. It seemed as though all of Paris had come out into the streets to celebrate the beginning of the weekend. As we cruised ever so slowly along the Seine (feeling pretty smug I can tell you) we were delighted to see hundreds of people lining the river banks. They were sitting on walls and hanging over bridges, some were in nearby in parks, others in river-side restaurants. Almost everyone had a bottle of wine within hand-reach. Then there was the dancing – proper dancing in the old-fashioned way – at intervals all along the riverside. All that was required was an accordion or a music player and off

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

they took to tango, waltz, fox trot right on the riverside in the open air. We tied up at dusk beneath the Eiffel Tower and sat at one with Paris as night came in and the lights on the tower began to twinkle. Could it get any better? Actually, yes. Our chef Olie had prepared a five-course banquet, and the crew brought out course after course with yet more sublime wines and then champagne, and we let the hot Paris night have its way with us. A private boat in front of us was the stage for a swish party. We watched elegant women in short skirts climbed on board with attractive young men, and then we watched them

dance on the upper deck, and then we ate more food and drank more champagne and looked up to the twinkling Eiffel Tower. European Waterways has 17 vessels in nine countries with a wide variety of themed luxury barge cruises from walking, biking, food, wine, family tours. Accommodation is spacious enough with private bathrooms, the service is exceptional (usually five crew to eight passengers), the food is local and spectacular, wines are carefully matched, the bar is always open, and shore excursions are immersive. Prices are all-inclusive. www.europeanwater ways.com.au.

PHOTOS: ANN RICKARD

Ann Rickard takes a selfie beneath the Eiffel Tower.

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

WHAT VACCINES ARE NEEDED AND FOR WHERE?

Hepatitis A ■ Outbreaks occur throughout the world and sometimes in countries with a low risk for hepatitis A. ■ You can get it through contaminated food or water. ■ This vaccine is recommended for most travellers, especially if you are staying with

friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater. ■ Talk to your doctor to see if the hepatitis A vaccine is right for you. Malaria ■ Certain countries may have a higher risk of catching malaria. ■ Avoid mosquito bites. ■ Prescription medicine may be needed before, during, and after a trip to prevent malaria, depending on travel plans, such as where you are going, when you are travelling, and if you are spending a lot of time outdoors or sleeping outside. ■ Talk to your doctor about other ways you can prevent malaria.

WHERE TO GET VACCINES DONE, AND WHERE NOT TO?

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

TRAVEL: Learn what vaccines you should have before your next adventure.

Yellow fever ■ It’s a risk in certain parts of the world. ■ You need to get this vaccine at a yellow fever vaccine accredited medical centre. You can reduce the risk of getting an infectious disease by taking some

simple preventative measures. Good advice on the main health risks of travelling to particular countries can be found online at VaccineHub, Smartraveller and by consulting a doctor experienced in travel medicine.

OLDER DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN WISER

Lonergan Research, commissioned by Sanofi, earlier this year surveyed 1042 Australians ‘at-risk’ travellers aged 18+. They found senior travellers were remiss in taking appropriate travel protection. ■ About 41 per cent of seniors travelling to an ‘at-risk’ destination didn’t

see a doctor for a pre-travel health check before their last trip. ■ Sixty per cent of seniors who recently travelled to an ‘at-risk’ destination don’t believe that there is a risk of spreading a travel-related disease once returned home. ■ More than half of seniors ‘at-risk’ travellers are more worried about terrorism or plane crashes than catching diseases when travelling overseas. ■ Senior ‘at-risk’ travellers are less likely than all ‘at-risk’ travellers to have a current vaccination for hepatitis A, as well as typhoid and yellow fever. More info: www.vaccinehub.com.au.

Gold Coast

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 17

23 DAY MAJESTIC PRINCESS FLY- STAY- CRUISE

LAST CABINS LEFT ON MAIDEN VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA DEPARTS BRISBANE 22 AUGUST 2018

FROM $4,999* INSIDE CABIN OR

$5,499 BALCONY CABIN

per person twin share

INCLUDES:   

 

Flight one-way from Brisbane to Shanghai 2 nights twin share accommodation in Shanghai 20 day cruise from Shanghai to Brisbane on Majestic Princess with 6 ports of call; Busan, South Korea; Hong Kong, China; Nha Trang & Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Singapore and Darwin, Australia Onboard credit of AU$85 per cabin Pre-cruise China tour & accommodation options available

19 DAY GRAND MEDITERRANEAN ESCORTED FLY-STAY-CRUISE DEPARTS BRISBANE 17 MAY 2018

From $5,670

per person, twin share Fantastica Inside cabin

INCLUDES:     

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Economy Airfares to Milan & return from Venice with taxes Escorted by Helloworld Travel Professional, Lyndie Dennehy Arrival transfer from Milan Airport to 4* Genoa Hotel for 1 night Transfer from Genoa hotel to Genoa Cruise Port 7 night Western Med cruise on MSC Opera - Fantastica Class Coach transfer from Genoa to Venice between cruises 7 night Eastern Med cruise on MSC Sinfonia - Fantastica Class Transfer from Venice port to 4* Venice hotel for 2 nights Transfer from Venice hotel by water taxi to Venice Airport Cruise upgrade packages to Ocean View & Balcony cabins Options to extend your stay in Europe

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tripaway@helloworld.com.au tripaway.com.au

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Main St, Murwillumbah Tweed City Shopping Centre Tweed Mall Shopping Centre The Strand at Coolangatta The Pines Shopping Centre

*Terms & Conditions apply: Offers subject to availability, may be withdrawn or amended at any time and are subject to change until paid in full. Very limited availability of cabins and costs based on Earlybird airfares which may change without notice until paid in full. Group price based on minimum numbers. See in-store for full details,

18 Seniors Gold Coast

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

BEST IN AUSTRALIA, AND THAT’S OFFICIAL! GOLD WINNERS

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From $12,390pp Twin Share 10 Days - Includes 7 Night Private Charter 2 Nights Broome (1 pre & 1 post cruise) • Willie Creek Pearl Farm tour • Southern Kimberley Cruise takes in Horizontal Waterfalls • Montgomery Reef • King Cascade Waterfalls • Prince Regent River • Catch Wild Barra • Daily Tender Excursions • Wandjina Art • Sheep Island • Helicopter Flight over the Mitchell Falls and much more • 26 meals • Bonus September see Humpbacks and Wildﬂowers in Bloom Departs: 4 September 2018

HERON ISLAND HAVEN & CARNARVON GORGE WILDERNESS

per couple!

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$4950pp Twin Share

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13 Days – Grand Tour of Iconic Sights

• Cataract Gorge chairlift ride • 1 night Launceston • Seahorse World OR Platypus House • 1 night St Helens Wineglass Bay Cruise • 1 night Freycinet • East Coast Nature World • 4 nights Hobart • Port Arthur & Isle of the Dead Cruise • Bruny Island Food & Lighthouse Tour • West Coast Wilderness • Queenstown • 2 nights Strahan • Gordon River Cruise • Cradle Mountain • Gustav Weindorfer’s Chalet • 2 nights Smithton • Cape Grim The Nut at Stanley • Sheffield • Railton • 1 night Devonport • 34 meals Departs: ++21 March; 15 Oct; 2 Nov 2018

10 Days – Gold Class or Diamond Class coach ex Brisbane A naturalist’s paradise discovering canyons and wilderness at Carnarvon Gorge & Coral Cays on Heron Island offering a myriad of colourful coral and reef ﬁsh right off the beach • 1 Night Roma • 3 Nights Carnarvon Gorge Wilderness Lodge • Guided Naturalist Walks • Helicopter Flight over Escarpment • 1 Night Yeppoon • 3 Nights Heron Island with daily Naturalist Tours • 1 Night Town of 1770 • 28 meals Departs: 30 May; 13 June 2018

FRASER ISLAND WHALES, WILDERNESS & RAINFOREST

THE GHAN & RED CENTRE SENSATION

SINGAPORE SHOWCASE SPECTACULAR

Extraordinary Rail Holiday

Includes Singapore Garden Festival

LUXURY GOLD CLASS COACH TRAVEL

GHAN IN GOLD SERVICE

INCLUDES FLIGHTS TO & FROM SINGAPORE

$2290pp Twin Share

$8500pp Twin Share

6 Days – Includes Luxury ‘Gold Class’ coach travel ex Brisbane • 2 nights Hervey Bay • Half day Whale Watching Cruise • 3 nights Fraser Island • Bush Tucker Talk and Taste • Full day 4WD Island tour • Ranger-guided Beach & Mangrove Walk • Ranger-guided Wallum Walk • ‘Dingos of Fraser’ presentation • Sundowner drinks at the Jetty Hut • Themed Hawaiian night • Ginger Factory • 16 meals Departs: 19 August; 21 October 2018

14 Days – Includes ﬂights to Adelaide & from Darwin

$5400pp Twin Share 9 Days – Includes return ﬂights/taxes with Singapore Airlines

An epic adventure into the heart of the Red Centre • 2 Nights Adelaide • 1 Night on the Ghan Adelaide to Alice Springs • 3 Nights Alice Springs touring West MacDonnell Ranges & Alice • 3 Nights 5-star Ayers Rock • Uluru Camel Trek • Olga’s & Uluru Helicopter ﬂight • Field of Light • 1 Night Kings Canyon • 1 Night on the Ghan from Alice Springs to Darwin • 2 Nights 5-star Darwin • Litchﬁeld National Park • Wangi Falls • 38 meals

Unpack once and enjoy 7 Nights at the 5 star Swissotel The Stamford Singapore • See the world-famous Flower & Orchid Show • Jurong Bird Park • Trishaw Ride Chinatown • Raffles High Tea • River Safari Park • Giant Panda Forest • Singapore Zoo night safari on tram • Sentosa Island • Madamme Tussauds • S.E.A Aquarium • 20 meals and much more

Departs: 18 May; 1 June & 6 July 2018

Departs: 26 July 2018

** Savings offer valid for bookings & deposits paid before 12 January 2018 ++ Bookings & deposits paid by 30 January 2018 and savings applicable to 21 March 2018 only. Tours, dates and prices are correct as at 4th December 2017. Prices and dates are subject to change without notice at time of printing. Prices are Per Person Twin Share. Sole Use prices are available on each tour and are displayed in our full colour brochure. PP = Per Person. S1958

www.funoverfifty.com.au

We visit every State & Territory of Australia along with various International Tours

Gold Coast

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 19

Image is artist impression only

Luxury ‘Gold Class’ fleet

Elite ‘Diamond Class’ arrived November 2017! (Business Class on wheels)

and Ayers Rock

THE CENTRAL WEST, GULF COUNTRY & SAVANNAH SAFARI

CAPRICORN COAST & GREAT KEPPEL ISLAND EXPLORER

INCLUDES FLIGHTS + GHAN IN GOLD SERVICE

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TILT TRAIN RAIL + DIAMOND CLASS COACH TOUR

THE GHAN ROCK ‘N RAIL Adelaide, Alice Springs

$6200pp Twin Share

$5998pp Twin Share

2 nights Adelaide with daily tours • Overnight Gold Class on The Ghan to Alice Springs staying 3 Nights with daily tours • West MacDonnell Ranges • 3 nights 5 star Ayers Rock • Olgas at sunset • Uluru sunrise and Field of Light • 25 minute helicopter tour at Uluru • Uluru Camel Trek • Sounds of Silence Dinner • Dot Paint Workshop • 26 meals

Live Australia’s story through an adventure holiday in Queensland’s Outback & Gulf Country • 1 Night Roma • 2 Nights Carnarvon Gorge with Guided Walks & Heli Flight • 3 Nights Longreach touring Stockman’s Hall of Fame • Cattle Station Tour • Qantas Museum • Age of Dinosaurs at Winton • 2 Nights Cloncurry • Mt Isa Mine Tour • 2 Nights Karumba • Gulﬂander Rail Journey • 2 Nights Cobbold Gorge • Savannahlander Rail Journey • 2 Nights Undara & Lava Tubes Tour • 1 Night 5-star Cairns • 42 meals

Departs: 11 May; 13 July; 3 August 2018

Departs: 13 May; 1 July; 15 July; 22 July 2018

10 Days – Includes ﬂights to Adelaide & from Uluru

TOP END ENCOUNTER

15 Days - Gold Class coach ex Brisbane

From $2875pp Twin Share

7 Days – Includes one-way Tilt Train rail journey from Brisbane to Rockhampton in Business Class seats Travel in style on our NEW ‘elite’ Diamond Class Coach • 5 nights Yeppoon • Great Keppel Island day tour • Koorana Crocodile Farm tour • Capricorn Coast scenic loop drive tour • Capricorn Caves Cathedral Cave tour • Rockhampton city tour • Footlights Theatre Restaurant dinner and show • 1 night Town of 1770 • LARC sunset eco tour • Historic Childers • Hideaway Hotel at Tiaro • 19 meals Departs: 14 October 2018

Tiwi Island & Kakadu

HEROES OF LONGREACH & WINTON RAIL HOLIDAY

KANGAROO ISLAND, THE NULLARBOR & WESTERN AUSTRALIA WILDFLOWERS

INCLUDES SCENIC FLIGHTS

COACH/RAIL COMBO

INDIAN PACIFIC IN GOLD SERVICE

Darwin, Litchfield National Park,

From $2095pp Twin Share

$3690pp Twin Share 7 Days – Includes return ﬂights to & from Darwin A Top End short break tour • 4 Nights 5-star Darwin with local sight-seeing • Mindil Beach Markets in VIP Seats • Darwin Harbour Sunset Seafood Dinner • Litchﬁeld National Park Termite Mounds & Wangi Falls • Tiwi Island day tour • 2 Nights Kakadu • Kakadu Scenic Flight • Ubirr Rock Art Site • Yellow Waters Wetlands Cruise • 17 meals Departs: 2 June; 20 June; 4 July; 13 July 2018

7 Days – Includes Overnight Rail Journeys in First Class Cabins

Enjoy 2 Overnight Rail Journeys in First Class Cabins on the Spirit of the Outback • Choice of Diamond Class OR Gold Class coach travel • 4 Nights Longreach • Stockman’s Hall of Fame • Qantas Founders Museum & Jet Tour • Outback Stockman’s Show • Camden Park Station Tour • Drovers Sunset Cruise & Outback Dinner & Live Show • Age of Dinosaurs Exhibit & Tour at Winton • 17 meals Departs: 7 April; 12 May; 9 June; 30 June 2018

$6500pp Twin Share 14 Days – Includes flights to Adelaide & from Perth Fabulous Coach/Rail combo • 2 Nights Kangaroo Island & sight-seeing • 2 Nights in Gold Service on-board the Indian Pacific with Whistle-stop tours • 3 Nights 5-star Perth with local tours •1 Night Margaret River • 2 Nights Albany • Valley of Giants • Wave Rock • Wildflower Trail • 2 Nights Hyden • The Pinnacles and more • 39 meals Departs: 25 September; 9 October 2018

Savings offer only valid if booked direct with Fun Over Fifty quoting ‘SENIORS NEWSPAPER’. **++Savings per tour are based on set departure dates only displayed in the Fun Over Fifty brochure. Savings for a sole use person is 50% of the saving per couple fare displayed.

Call toll free Ph: 1300 554 505 for a free 108 page brochure

BOOK NOW AND SAVE!

20 Seniors Gold Coast

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

, 21st October 2018

Top End, Kakadu & Ghan Extended Expedition $5490 P/P-TS*

Single Supp + $420 *Seniors Group Discount Rail Rate *22nd April, 22nd July, 2nd Sep

$100pp Discount on selected tours When booking before end of February 2018

$2450*

*PP Twin Share, Single add $950 *Plus Applicable Discount Rail

Coral Sea P&O Cruising & Cairns Rail & Sail, 14 Days, Dep: 24 July Hosted 7 Night Coral Sea Cruise P&O Paciﬁc Eden, Trobriand Islands Kitava, Kiriwina & Conﬂict Islands Cairns Touring, Kuranda Scenic & Skyrail Railways, Paronella Park 4* Accom, Spirit of QLD Train Add Rail at Discount Rates TBA*

Return Flights Ex Brisbane Meals as per itinerary Guided tour of Darwin Day Tour to Kakadu National Park Most Off Train Excursions included Alice Springs Bush BBQ under the stars Adelaide City Markets & Oval

Gulf & Savannahlander Cairns To Karumba Adventure 10 Days, 21 & 28 Apr, 2 Jun 14 Jul, 18 Aug, 2 Sep, 6, 13 Oct

$2290 P/P-TS* Single Supp + $600 *Plus Discount Rail

$1690 P/P-TS*

Single Supp + $420 *Plus Discount Rail EARLY BIRD SPECIAL

$2390 P/P-TS* Single Supp + $550 *Plus Discount Rail

$1190 P/P-TS* Single Supp + $320 *Plus Discount Rail

Cairns, Mt Surprise, Georgetown Croydon, Normanton, Karumba Cobbold Gorge, Undara Lava Gulf, Savannah & Kuranda Trains “The Real” Outback Spectacular 7 Days, 28th April & 8th Sept 2018. Longreach, Winton & Lark Quarry Stockman’s Hall of Fame & Show QANTAS, Thompson River Cruise Winton & Waltzing Matilda Centre Age Of Dinosaurs Museum & Tour Sunset Dinner with the Dino’s Lark Quarry Dinosaur Stampede

Lawn Hill & Mt Isa 11 Days, 23rd June, 4th July, 22nd Sep Hughenden, Cloncurry, Julia Creek Mt Isa Discovery Underground Mine Lawn Hill Gorge & Creek with Cruise Adels Grove Cabin Accommodation Fourways Burke & Wills Road House Richmond, Charters Towers, TVille Longreach & Winton Experience 7 Days, 21st April, 23rd June, 28th July, 1st & 29th Sep, 6th Oct Experience the Outback with Campﬁre Dinners & Shows. Stockmans Hall & QANTAS Thompson River Sunset Cruise Winton & Age of Dinos Museum The new Waltzing Matilda Centre

$650 P/P-TS*

Single Supp + $225

$3495 P/P-TS* Single Supp + $600

$5590*

*PP Twin Share, Single add $800 *Flights Ex Brisbane

$4750* PP*

*Single, Add $350 *Seniors Group Discount Rate

All accommodation inc Train Dinner cruise on Darwin Harbour Entry to the Darwin Military Museum Katherine Gorge Cruise Underground Lunch Coober Pedy Exploration tour Fully Hosted by our Friendly Staff”

Yamba Short Break 4 Days 5th Mar 2018. Depart Brisbane Visiting: Bangalow, Yamba, Clarence River Cruise, Maclean, Brooms Head, Angourie, Evans Head, Woodburn, Byron Bay Majestic River Murray, 10 Days, 26th Apr 2018 A Wonderful 10 day Tour of the Murray River by Coach Albury to Adelaide including 5 Paddle Steamers & Cruises Yarrawonga, Echuca, Euston Swan Hill, Mildura, Renmark Loxton, Goolwa, Victor Harbour The Kimberly & Beyond 11 Days, 5Th July 2018 Darwin Discovery Tour Dinner Cruise Katherine Gorge Cruise, Lake Argyle, Argyle Mine Tour, Bungle Bungles Hidden Valley, Ord River Cruise & Geikie Gorge Cruise, Halls Creek, Chamberlain Gorge, Fitzroy Crossing, Broome Discovery Tours Cable Beach Indian Paciﬁc “Gold Class” & WA Adventure, 8 Days, 12 Sep Travelling Sydney to Perth including Blue Mountains, Broken Hill, Adelaide Nullarbor Plain, Cook, Rawlinna Perth, Swan River Cruise, Fremantle The Pinnacles, Benedictine Abbey Busselton, Margaret River, Augusta Perth Mint, Return Flights Ex BNE All Meals, Accom & Fully Hosted

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Wellbeing

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Gold Coast

Seniors 21

Wellbeing

Empowering our Baby Boomers TACKLING the hard issues with directness, tinged with moments of humour, gerontologist Dr Drew Dwyer is taking his “ageing well” message on the road. Dr Dwyer’s tour is based on his presentation of the enlightening material in his first “consumer” book, Ageing in the New Age – A Survival Guide for Baby Boomers. “What has driven me to write the book is the increase in the number of consumers that are quite confused about the changes of the government, the councils, the services, the systems that are going to be

provided as we move into an ageing population,” Dr Dwyer said. “There are a number of cohorts we deal with in the ageing population: Baby Boomers who are aged 52 to72, Silent Generation which are 72 to 92 and then the Great Generation which are 92 to OMG. “The government has been doing a long process of reform for the last five to eight years in preparation for the Baby Boomer generation which in Australia there are about 6.5 million. “There are about 3.5 million people over 65 who are about to enter care, retirement and nursing home services,”

he added. As the push from the government is to keep seniors healthy and active at home through the delivery of its

❝

There are about 3.5 million people over 65 who are about to enter care, retirement and nursing home services. consumer-directed care plan, until they move into a hospice type environment during end-of-life, Dr Dwyer wants

to see the Baby Boomers quickly educated on ageing well, happily and own and plan the final stage of their life. “To be absolutely in control of it,” Dr Dwyer said. To that end the sometimes comical, seven-foot two tall former army nurse and selfconfessed “not your average doctor” will be delivering his show at RSLs in Queensland and then inter-state. He will cover subjects from his book including knowing generations, building and strengthening emotional intelligence, the facts of ageing and what is healthy ageing, sex and sexual health,

AGEING WELL: Gerontologist, Dr Drew Dwyer.

dementia, financial issues in ageing and retirement plus death and dying. “I need to get this information into the hands, ears, eyes and senses of the Boomers because, if you allow the government to just run its course through the providers, the information is broken, it’s not real, it’s dressed up, it’s something else and it’s quite confusing,” Dr Dwyer said. “And then when the

client goes in to try work the system, they meet so many barriers so they disengage and move away from it. “It’s time this information be disseminated to the power of the people; they need to use it more than anybody.” For forthcoming show locations and dates, go to www.dr-drew.com.

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22 Seniors Gold Coast

Wellbeing

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

Donate today and you’ll be the life saver THE Be a Life Saver appeal raises critical funds to support Surf Life Saving. ■ Surf Life Saving Australia is a community cause in need of public support. ■ SLSA needs your donations to help keep our beaches safe. ■ You don’t have to be a life saver to save a life – donations play a critical role in keeping patrols operating across the country.

■ It costs an average of $86,000 to put a patrol on the beach each season. ■ 1.35 million hours are volunteered by surf lifesavers each year on patrols across our beaches nationwide. ■ Surf Life Saving services* performed over 10 thousand rescues and nearly 4 million preventative actions last season, that’s 30 rescues a day and over 900 preventative actions every

hour. ■ Australia has more than 11,500 beaches dispersed along 36,000 kilometres of coastline. ■ Donate today and Be a Life Saver. Go to bealifesaver.com.au. *Total figures pertain to all Surf Life Saving services and includes front line surf lifesavers, support services and lifeguards.

GET YOUR

GRANDKIDS INTO LIFESAVING

Targeted at children between the ages of five to 14 years, nippers is a fun and safe way to introduce the lifesavers of tomorrow to the ocean environment. Nippers are also: ■ A great way to meet new friends. ■ Learn skills for life. ■ Stay fit and healthy. ■ Fun for the whole family.

HELPING THE COMMUNITY: The Be a Life Saver appeal raises critical funds to support Surf Life Saving.

Know more about the management of medicines THE more people understand about their medicines the less likely there will be medication-related problems, COTA Victoria peer educator Annette Davies said. “All medicines have risks and benefits so it’s a matter of a trade-off

between those risks and benefits. “And if you understand what they are, you are better able to manage your own medicines.” What is a medicine? ■ It can be on prescription or bought over the counter. ■ It’s something that is

designed to alter the way your body works. Ask questions at surgery and pharmacy ■ Learn more about what you are taking and why. ■ When given a new medicine, ask what is it for, what does the doctor expect it to do, how long is it going to take to work

and how long do you have to take it for? ■ When you collect your medicine, look on the label and see if it’s what you’re expecting it to be. ■ Ensure you understand the instructions. If not ask the pharmacist to explain. ■ Know when to take it,

and if you can take it with other medicines. Inhalers ■ At the pharmacy get the staff to check your technique for using the inhaler. This check should be done regularly by your doctor or pharmacist. Other top tips

■ Always make a decision in consultation with your doctor. ■ Carry a list of your current medications with you. A great time saver in an emergency. For more medication information go to: www.nps.org. au/medicinewise.

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Wellbeing

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Gold Coast

Seniors 23

Swimming to save our lives Tracey Johnstone

WHETHER you move to win or move to stay well, swimming is one of the best choices you can make to live a happy, healthy life. While you are digging in the back of your cupboard for your togs and towel, take a look at why swimming is rated so highly by health professionals such as accredited exercise physiologist Carly Ryan.

WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT IT?

“It’s a brilliant form of exercise,” Carly said. “You get all the benefits of any other kind of physical exercise – cardiovascular, heart health, flexibility, weight management and improved mental health. “Because the water has resistance it is really good for muscle strength. “It’s a brilliant, all-round activity that is going to give you lots and lots of health benefits. “And if you have joint problems, the water really supports you. The water helps you to reduce the pain and you can do a lot more activity in it than you

can do on the land.” Other advantages of swimming are it’s accessible to all ages, affordable, and you can start with just a pair of swimmers and a towel.

MIXING IT UP

Any form of exercise in the water is going to be good, whether you are swimming in a pool or the ocean. You can choose your approach by enjoying a solo lap or two, joining in a social group at your local beach or swimming pool, getting more focused with aqua aerobics classes, joining an ocean swimming group, doing pool group lap training or even taking up masters swimming competition. Some pool managers offer pool-based tai chi and yoga, walking, dance classes and even pole dancing, just to mix up the fun of swimming exercise. In the ocean, in addition to lap swimming, you can also try swinging your arms and legs, doing squats and calf raises.

POOL SWIMMING

To find a pool nearby, contact your local council

or go to www.swimming.org.au/ Swim-Finder.aspx. If you are swimming in a home or retirement village pool, and you are not sure of your fitness, consider wearing a life-jacket or accredited flotation device while in the water.

IN THE OCEAN

Before heading out for an ocean swim, take some advice from Surf Lifesaving Australia: ■ Always swim between the red and yellow flags ■ Read the safety signs ■ Ask a lifeguard for safety advice ■ Swim with a friend ■ Stay calm and attract attention if you need help ■ If in doubt, don’t go out

TRAINING AIDS

There are many to choose from which you can spend a lot or a little on, but before you invest in a kickboard, flippers or resistance equipment, ask your pool supervisor, exercise physiologist, physiotherapist or GP about what is most likely to benefit you. It’s also worth asking the staff or exercise specialist at the pool how to use these

WATER ACTIVE: Swimming is a brilliant form of exercise for seniors, and it’s never too late to learn. PHOTO: RUSLANDASHINSKY

exercise aids. “It’s always good to start small and build gradually,” Carly said. “And listen to your body.” Starting in a class is another good way to get

moving and to learn how to use the aids.

AM I TOO OLD TO LEARN?

You are never too old to

learn. “Even walking in the water is a really great place to start,” Carly said. “Learn how to float and do a little bit of swimming, Everyone can do it.”

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24 Seniors Gold Coast

Life after Loss

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

LIFE AFTER LOSS

Living on after loss What you can do to ease the path through a painful time Tracey Johnstone

GRIEF: Sorrow is our response to loss. It is the normal, natural and inevitable response to loss.

“Seeking support is always good whether you use a support group, counselling, online or phone line help,” Ms Meyerink said. “People also need to give themselves time and space to grieve, particularly with disenfranchised grief because the rest of the community may be saying ‘it’s been two years and you should be over it’.” Anticipatory This grief happens before a loss. The symptoms are very similar to regular grief; people will experience sadness, anger or isolation, have memory issues and depression. The intensity and the duration of this loss is often no different to other losses. “Grief over a death, even though you have

anticipated it, it can be totally different,” Ms Meyerink said. “Anticipatory grief is normal.” Accepting the normality of this grief is important because you know it is going to happen. Feeling relief is also normal. “For self-care, people might want to do journaling, photographing, exploring mindfulness or breathing exercises, and talking with others such as caregiver support groups,” she added. “If you are able to connect with others who have had a shared experience, it’s quite powerful because you begin to realise you are not on your own.” Complicated “I call it grief that doesn’t heal,” Ms Meyerink said

❝

It occurs not just with death, but also with other experiences such as retirement from work or downsizing. “Most people will experience a period of intense sorrow and mourning, they might feel numb or be feeling guilty or angry. What happens with normal grief, usually within the first 6-12 months, is that those feelings start to ease. “People start to accept their loss.” With complicated grief, these symptoms remain. Some of the signs are intense pain and sorrow,

PHOTO: ANTONIO GUILLEM

and continually ruminating over the loss. “Generally, they can’t focus on anything but the loss; it takes up almost every waking minute,” she added. “They focus on all the reminders or they go the other way and totally avoid it because it is all too painful.” This type of grief needs professional help. It has a lot of risk factors as it affects people physically, mentally and socially. Getting help ■ Lifeline on 131 114. ■ Grief Line (open 12pm to 3am, seven days) on 1300 845 745. ■ Talk to your GP. ■ Meet with a certified bereavement counsellor. ■ The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement: www.grief.org.au.

DESPITE the fact that we all know death is as inevitable as taxes, most people would rather have root canal then lay out their final wishes in an estate plan. For many, it seems like they devote more time to planning a vacation than deciding who will inherit their estate. There is no doubt that estate planning isn’t as much fun as planning a vacation but without it, you can’t choose who gets the benefit of all your hard work. Whether you’re 18 or 80, if you have love ones that are financially dependent on you, a valid estate plan gives you the best chance of making sure your assets go where you want them to. Nobody likes to think of dying young, but if you’re the parent of small children you need to prepare for the unthinkable, to ensure your children are raised by someone that you would approve of. An estate plan can avoid squabbling between family members; we’ve all heard the horror stories, and the situation can get ugly, out of hand and end up in court. An estate plan will enable you to choose who controls your finances in the event you become mentally incapacitated or after you die, and can avoid family arguments and ensure your assets are handled in a way that you intend them to be. Don’t delay, phone Taylor Law & Conveyancing today on 5533 8833. ADVERTORIAL

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GRIEF can take many forms and can happen after any kind of loss. It can be avoided, postponed, thrived upon or even denied. But to survive it takes time. Gaining a better understanding of your grief and what you can do to cope and then survive can make the passage through loss a lot easier. Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement’s specialist bereavement counsellor and clinical supervisor Susan Meyerink talked to Seniors News about three key forms of grief – disenfranchised, anticipatory and complicated. Disenfranchised This occurs when the grieving person feels unsupported by family or friends, their workplace, community or society. It’s often grief that’s not acknowledged. “It leaves people feeling alone, isolated and unsupported, and they are unable to share that experience,” Ms Meyerink said. “Being able to share our grief is a very big part of healing.” It occurs not just with death, but also with many other experiences such as retirement from work or downsizing and moving into a retirement village. Acknowledging the loss is the first recovery step. Self-care is also important.

Protect your assets & loved ones

Gold Coast

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Living

Here’s some festive ideas

The added beauty of thoughtful gift-giving Yvonne Gardiner

THE simplest of Christmas gifts can bring much pleasure, years after the present has been received. Fond memories are created and affection is passed on through that very act of giving. Seniors and grandparents tend to have quite a collection of these items which are imbued with emotional attachment. Year after year, this collection grows. But there’s always room for more… When choosing a gift for an older friend or relative, take into consideration the recipient’s personality, likes and dislikes and way of life. Does he or she garden, entertain a lot, read, go to the movies, wear a lot of “bling”, or enjoy certain hobbies? It’s helpful to chat with the intended recipient to find out his or her needs. Would a hamper of food be more welcome than another ornament to put on already crowded shelves? Of course, gift vouchers are a popular choice because recipients can then pick out something that appeals to them. Our stores in Australia are brimful of gift choices, no matter how much you have to spend.

CHOOSE WISELY: Take into consideration the likes and dislikes of an older friend or relative when you go shopping for Christmas gifts. PHOTOS: COURTESY ROBINA SHOPPING

Handmade or personalised gifts are an option that’s sure to please. Shop at the local markets for soaps and other beauty products, hand-crafted timber and leather items, jewellery and even cards. Notebooks, journals and stationery can be monogrammed at stores; watches and pens can be engraved to add that individual touch. A calendar made up of family photos taken throughout the year will be treasured. Before you set aside a day for Christmas shopping around the stores, maybe save time by doing a bit of research online.

Seniors 25

Many charities, especially those that operate overseas, rely on the income from gifts they

offer at Christmas. These “meaningful” purchases could include a goat or cow to help a needy

family, adopting an orangutan, or choosing fair trade, eco-friendly products. Watches and clocks are usually a gift well-received – and there’s a huge range of designs, makes and prices. Perfume, glittering jewellery, crystal objects, paintings, figurines, books, picture frames, plants, calendars, diaries, notebook computers, an esky, scented candles, coffee machine, chocolates, Christmas Day lunches, Storey Bridge climb, skydiving, holidays, theatre tickets, there’s no lack of gift options to show grandparents and senior-aged friends and family members how truly loved they are. Importantly the gift will be an enduring symbol of your warm regard and affection.

Gift vouchers can be a popular choice but if you would prefer to make it more personal, there are many wonderful gifts that are sure to please.

“WHAT would you like for Christmas?”, I ask my grandchildren, expecting a helpful answer. The responses are mixed. Gift vouchers are the current favourite request from the older ones. They have very definite views about what they can live with – brand names, advertised products, specific colours, whatever their friends are obsessed with... and there’s no doubt they like to shop! “I don’t really need anything,” announces the eldest. That’s a refreshing but surprising comment, coming from a teenager, but when goaded he does concede that he might need new clothes and shoes (necessary as he’s growing about a foot a month)... and another video game could possibly be squeezed into the extensive collection. It’s obvious that youngsters are heavily influenced as consumers by their peers, and advertisements on TV and in brochures. What’s on the best-seller list for children is usually a good guide to sought-after gifts. Expect these products to sell out early in the lead-up to Christmas. Tried-and-true favourites include Lego, Smiggles, Monopoly, Disney products, super heroes and Ooshies (if you’ve got a 10-year-old, you’ll know what I’m talking about). So, talk to your children, find out what they’d like to receive... then don’t delay, go out and buy as soon as possible! In any case, this means you avoid the Christmas rush. Also do some research online to find out the products suitable for the age of the child, and what’s trending in the toy department. - Yvonne Gardiner

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26 Seniors Gold Coast

Living

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

Finding the good life

Going bush provided a natural alternative

❝

had.

retirement down here; we’re not requiring the mobility scooters yet,” Stuart chuckled. “The neighbours are mainly escapees from Melbourne because it is only three hours away. “Beechworth is also a growing town with good health facilities.”

What is retirement? I am working harder than I ever — Stuart Cumming

winding down as the advertising market changed which meant both he, and Robin who was the finance manager, were forced to look at their working futures and retirement. A previous financial interest in the Indigo Vineyard at Beechworth and a close friendship with its general manager helped Robin and Stuart to make the relocation choice to a very different climate and home. “It’s free range

To kick-start their new semi-retirement future, they formed Silver Creek Marketing. Utilising Stuart’s consumer marketing and strategic planning skills with Robin’s accounting and administration experience, the couple are using this platform to move forward, with a variation on their past work life, and with tweaking courtesy of their new home. “There are even more options on the menu in

The Best Xmas Gift Ever

“Usually for my Christmas, my children buy me towels or pillows. Last year, after a wonderful lunch in the park with my family, we came home and I found that for a Christmas gift my daughter had organised the replacement of my old toilet seat with an electronic Bidet toilet seat. I had seen them advertised on TV and thought what a great idea. I was absolutely shocked and thrilled to find I now have one on my toilet.” My daughter explained that she had recently purchased one from The BIDET SHOP® herself and found her husband

and children loved it so much they decided to buy one for me as a Christmas gift. After two weeks of having my new Bidet, I wondered how I had ever survived previously without it. All I have to do is sit down on my nice warm seat and go to the loo, and once I am finished I simply press a button and I get a warm water wash and a gentle stream of warm air dry. Now almost a year later, it has changed my life, I have saved a fortune in toilet paper and, I see going to the toilet as a time of luxury. “It is the best Christmas gift I have ever received!”

LEFT: Revived and relaxed and with a whole exciting new world in front of them, un-retirees Stuart and Robin Cumming.

that direction, albeit requiring trips to Sydney and maybe even Melbourne as that fertile retail marketing market opens up,” Stuart said. It’s been a quick learning process for Robin

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UN-RETIREES Stuart and Robin Cumming have left behind much of their old inner-city life to move to another state where the living is easier, the outlook healthy and enjoying work into older age a reality. The couple moved in February to Silver Creek on the green rolling plains below the Victorian Alps, settling into a 10ha bushland property only 4km from the historic gold rush town of Beechworth. Frenetic Sydney with its push-me, pull-me attitude made them start to feel claustrophobic which they decided simply wasn’t an attractive scene for the two soon-to-be 60-year-old business couple. They had lived in the same eastern suburbs home for 29 years with their daughter Catherine, but over time Stuart said the people around them were too aggressive. “Everything was money. It was unpleasant,” Stuart said.

“We had been stressed at work for a long time and I think it was getting too hard,” Robin said. “Trying to keep up a standard of living in the city just didn’t appeal anymore.” By late last year Stuart’s family boutique catalogue agency was

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move. “We are learning,” the happy couple both said. Stuart’s other work interests include keeping his hand in at the old firm, working as a consultant and working with a private school in Sydney and another in northern NSW on developing understandable and deliverable strategic plans. And last month he was appointed to the Beechworth Community Bank/Bendigo Bank board to assist with strategic marketing. Robin is enjoying the break from full-time work. Instead she is supporting Stuart in his projects and looking into how to improve the flower growing business which she sees as becoming a lucrative side business. “What is retirement? I am working harder than I ever had as I have all these projects on,” Stuart said. “We are keen to keep the connection of work,” Robin said. “We see it as a new direction; a new lease on life,” she added.

Gold Coast

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

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Seniors 27

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28 Seniors Gold Coast

Living

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

All Things Legal BE CAREFUL WHO YOU APPOINT AS YOUR ENDURING POWER OF ATTORNEY! FINANCIAL ABUSE BY ATTORNEYS WHO ARE FAMILY MEMBERS Wills & Estates Lawyer Amanda Smith discusses this very important topic amongst our elderly and incapacitated in the community. We recently wrote about the alarming statistics surrounding Elder Abuse in our country which includes financial abuse by attorneys who are family members. Increasingly, attention within the legal fraternity is being paid to the plight of the elderly who become the subject of various forms of abuse. Sadly, we see the abuse of relationships of trust too often. Frequently those relationships exist between family members where an Enduring Power of Attorney has been signed in favour of a family member, usually by an elderly parent or grandparent. An attorney appointed by a Power of Attorney has significant responsibilities under law which must be complied with. A Power of Attorney is a legal document that you can use to appoint someone (your attorney) to act on your behalf - that is, to be your decision maker - in property and financial matters. An Enduring Power of Attorney continues to operate after you lose mental capacity. The types of decisions an attorney can make include, but are not limited to, buying and selling real estate, operating bank accounts, dealing with government agencies, dealing with telco providers, and paying bills. Depending on in what State the documents are prepared, an attorney can also make decisions about your lifestyle and health (this is the case in Queensland). In New South Wales, a Guardian under an Appointment of Enduring Guardian can make your lifestyle and health decisions. DUTIES OF ATTORNEYS The legislation governing an appointment of an attorney imposes high standards of conduct on the attorney. It is well established that an agent (the attorney) owes the principal (the person who gives the power) a fiduciary duty. A fiduciary duty is a legal duty to act in the best interests of another. This means that all actions taken and decisions made pursuant to the Power of Attorney must be in the interests of the principal and where there is a conflict between the interests of the two, the attorney must accord priority to the interests of the principal. A significant form of financial abuse is the unlawful acquisition of the principal’s assets and using the principal's money for the attorney's personal use or gain. An attorney must not gain a benefit from being an attorney and must keep their own money and property separate from that of the principal’s. For example, an attorney should not transfer the principal’s money into their own bank account to pay the principal’s bills. The attorney should also keep reasonable accounts and records of the principal’s money and property. If an attorney is paying a principal’s bills they should keep a record of what they are paying as they can be called upon to demonstrate what they have done with the money, as they have a duty to protect and preserve a principal’s assets. Attorneys are too often entering into conflict transactions and need to be aware of the duties which they take on when they accept their appointment as attorney. A conflict transaction is outlined under section 73(2) of the Powers of Attorney Act 1998 (Qld) as a transaction where a conflict arises between the duty owed to a principal by the attorney and the interests of the attorney (or someone who might be a relation, business associate or close friend of the attorney). A few examples of conflict transactions are where an attorney:• Purchases an asset of the principal’s for themselves (e.g. the principal’s car); • Uses the principal’s money to make loans to themselves, family members, friends etc; and • Uses the principal’s money to purchase a house for the attorney to live in. A principal can authorise an attorney to enter into a conflict transaction but this must be expressed in the Power of Attorney and it is important that the attorney still acts diligently. In addition, an attorney acting pursuant to a Queensland Power of Attorney can use the principal’s assets to maintain the principal’s dependants as long as it is reasonable in the circumstances. However, under a New South Wales Power of Attorney the attorney would only have the power to use the principal’s assets for a third person if it was expressed in the document. An attorney must be very cautious when making transactions dealing with the principal’s money and property. Any transaction made MUST be entered into and authorised in the exercise of a Power of Attorney. If an attorney fails to comply with their obligations they can be required to compensate the principal or even the principal’s estate (if the principal has passed away) for the loss that they caused. If the transaction was not affected by the use of a Power of Attorney this does not mean that the party acting wrongfully gets off scot free. We often find in these situations the attorney is likely to be found guilty of undue influence. UNDUE INFLUENCE A transaction that occurs between an attorney and a principal automatically gives rise to a presumption in the principal’s favour that the principal was induced to enter into the transaction by the attorney’s undue influence. For instance, if Joe held a power of attorney for John and John transferred his car to Joe, it is presumed that John was induced to enter into the transaction by Joe’s undue influence. This is even the case where there is no concern regarding the principal’s mental capacity to enter into the transaction. Where a presumption of undue influence arises, it is for the person who wishes to uphold the transaction to rebut it by establishing that the other party to the transaction entered into it as a result of a free and well understood exercise of his own will, not as a result of the influence. It is up to the attorney to prove the transaction was authorised and/or appropriate. Relevant to the rebuttal of the presumption are whether the party said to have been unduly influenced: (a) Had the benefit of independent advice; (b) Knew or understood the extent to which the transaction was advantageous or disadvantageous from his or her perspective; (c) Was motivated to enter into the transaction by factors other than the relationship of influence complained of. Attorneys need to be careful that they do not enter into a transaction that automatically gives rise to a presumption of undue influence. It can be difficult to successfully argue the above matters rebutting the presumption, particularly in a family situation and especially where independent advice is not obtained. This can be compounded, if the principal then goes on to lose capacity and the attorneys are questioned about transactions. To this end, it is important that where any significant transaction between attorney and principal is contemplated, both parties seek independent advice to ensure the transaction is not set aside. It is quite common for a parent to want to give gifts of money or chattels to their children, but when the child is also their attorney, this can cause suspicion and jealousy amongst other siblings. We have been involved in many cases where the attorney says ‘Mum gave me her car’ or ‘Mum loaned me the money to buy my house but said I didn’t have to pay it back’. This is very difficult if you are also an attorney! WHO SHOULD I APPOINT AS MY ATTORNEY? SHOULD I APPOINT MORE THAN ONE? It is very important when creating a Power of Attorney that you carefully consider who you want to be your attorney and that you appoint someone who you trust. It is a good idea to appoint more than one attorney, acting jointly so they can keep each other in check and to have a reserve just in case something happens to them. Sometimes it is wise to appoint an independent person such as a lawyer or accountant to be your attorney or a co-attorney if you are concerned your children may not act in your best interests or don’t get on. You should also seek legal advice when creating a Power of Attorney from lawyers who specialise in this area of law, so that the correct powers and restrictions are noted in that document which will allow the attorneys to carry out their duties in the way you wish. WHO DO I GO TO IF THERE IS ABUSE? If someone believes that an attorney is abusing a principal by using their powers for their own use or gain and/ or is entering into conflict transactions, then they can make an application to the appropriate Tribunal in their State (NCAT in NSW or QCAT in QLD) and have the Tribunal investigate the principal's affairs. You may also report the matter to the Adult Gurdian.

SHARING AND CARING: Client Pat Pritchard and volunteer Robyn Hollis, take advantage of craft activities to make Christmas gifts. PHOTOS: YVONNE GARDINER

Connecting with locals at Liberty Yvonne Gardiner

LIBERTY Community Connect at Nerang is gearing up for Christmas with art and craft activities for its elderly clients. Any senior who feels socially isolated and alone and wishes to meet other people, have fun and make new friends, is willing to come along. Community development officer Anita Ryan said a bus pick-up could be arranged in the area. “Liberty is the place where you can enjoy a cuppa and chat, in the company of others with computers, cooking, creative pursuits, cards and board games,

gardening, theme days, entertainers, Brainiac moments, and lots of other fun,” she said. Liberty currently has 40 volunteers who provide support for the leisure and lifestyles programs. Robyn Hollis has been a volunteer for five years and is there one day a week. She says it’s a good outlet to help people. “I like making new friends myself,” she said. Pat Pritchard, as a client, joins in activities a couple of days a week. “It’s giving me something to do because I live on my own,” she said. Liberty will continue to provide the same services in 2018, whether it be

support provided in the home or through social groups. Home care packages and wellness weeks are ongoing. “The first Wellness Week for 2018 will be held from February 5 to 9,” Anita said. “This will include continence advice, falls prevention, nutrition advice, podiatry and so much more. Book in for a haircut, colour, wash and blow-dry.” Seniors wanting to get out and about for $17 a day, call 5578 1668 and ask for Lyn or Nahum. If you need information about home care packages, call the same number and ask for Rowena.

If you are someone who believes their Power of Attorney has been abused, or if you are an attorney requiring some assistance with the execution of your duties, or you would like assistance in preparation of a Power of Attorney please do not hesitate to contact our Wills & Estates Department Manager, Donna Tolley on free call 1800 621 071 or direct line 07 5506 8241 or email dtolley@attwoodmarshall.com.au.

Freecall 1800

621 071

Visit our website attwoodmarshall.com.au Coolangatta | Kingscliff | Robina Town Centre

Shop volunteer Sharyn Heslop raises funds for programs at Liberty Community Connect.

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Gold Coast

Seniors 29

30 Seniors Gold Coast

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

Money

Plan for Christmas costs I DO love a catchy new phrase, and this one made me laugh. “Debt lag” is a new one for me. It seems that as Chrissy approaches we plan a holiday, but don’t quite get around to saving for it. So some two million of us turn to our credit cards on vacation, and cop a nasty case of debt lag! Among the holidaymakers who return home with a maxed out credit card, half clear the slate within three months. But the remainder can

take anywhere from six months to more than a year to pay off their holiday debt. Taking a credit card on vacation can make a lot of sense. It’s a lot more secure than carrying wads of foreign currency, and it provides a handy back-up if you run low on the folding stuff. And let’s face it, that’s easily done. Vacations tend to encourage a sense of bonhomie, which can see us splurge on things we wouldn’t even think about buying at home (a colleague of mine is still

questioning the pineapple-shaped slippers she picked up in Hawaii). There’s no problem with a bit of overspending – if you can afford it. After all, holidays are meant to be enjoyed. But Australians rack up an average of $2000 on their credit cards while on vacation, and unless you can pay off the balance immediately the outstanding interest charges won’t just take the shine of a trip’s happy memories, they could leave you cash-strapped well into 2018.

❝

THINK MONEY PAUL CLITHEROE The key to avoid blowing your vacation budget is to plan how much you’ll spend and how you’ll pay for it all. Doing plenty of online research can give you an idea of the sorts of costs you’re facing. Where possible, aim to book and pay for accommodation, tours and even entry to attractions before you leave home so you’re not facing inflated tourist prices. Surprisingly, the most cited rip-offs mentioned by Australian travellers are not dodgy souvenirs that

Where possible, aim to book and pay for accommodation, tours and even entry to attractions before you leave home so you’re not facing inflated tourist prices.” fall apart before you reach the airport. Rather, credit card and ATM fees plus mobile

phone roaming charges are among the biggest gripes. Yet these are easy to control. Read the fine print of your credit card and/or travel card to understand any fees you may be slugged with. When it comes to phone charges, either purchase an add-on pack with your local Telco – it’s likely to be far less costly than pay-as-you-go roaming, or ditch your local SIM altogether. Picking up a pre-paid SIM at your destination is a low cost way to stay connected while you’re away.

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

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Accredited Specialist (Succession Law) on (07) 5554 5487 so you won’t have to worry about tomorrow! www.smithlegal.com.au

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AUSTRALIA’S FIRST NON PROFIT LAW FIRM

New Way Lawyers is a law firm with a difference. We are Australia’s First Non Proﬁt Law Firm. As a non profit law firm we are not motivated by profit or financial gain because there are no shareholders or partners in our organisation. This means that our fees for services are more affordable because unlike other law firms, the purpose of our fees is to cover costs, not to generate profit. We practice exclusively in the emotional areas of estate law and family law.

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Gold Coast

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 31

Reviews It could be The Place

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

Age well as you enter new age GERONTOLOGIST Dr Drew Dwyer is known internationally as one of the most inspiring, knowledgeable and engaging gerontologists in the aged care industry. Ageing in the New Age – A Survival Guide for Baby Boomers is his newly released book which focuses on the Baby Boomer generation, breaking many of the stigmas and myths around ageing and encouraging them to wind back the clock and own the later

years of their lives. The book provides a wealth of information for Boomers wanting to develop a pathway to a happy and healthy retirement. It’s also a great resource for family or friends who may be struggling to have the tough conversations necessary with older parents or loved ones. Dr Dwyer wants to empower Boomers to own every stage of their later years, encouraging them

to spend the kid’s inheritance and to "plan early for the end". It pulls back the curtain on all the taboo topics such as sex, dementia, incontinence and death. In conjunction with the launch of this book, Dr Drew is embarking on a series of laugh-out-loud, adults only shows, talking about things that only the over 50’s would understand and appreciate. For more information, go to www.dr-drew.com.

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

surprises, and includes all kinds of puzzles and propositions. Each one has different rules but together they reveal the different facets of John Clarke’s comic genius. Tinkering also includes previously unpublished material including . Text Publishing, RRP $34.99.

Aussie Christmas romance

CLAIRE Thorne has until Christmas Eve to turn around what may be a complete disaster for her friend. She never expected to be heading home for Christmas in Bindallarah, the small country town she left behind 13 years ago and spends every day trying to forget. But then again she never expected fate to bring Scotty, her oldest friend and first love back into her life. Or for Scotty to tell her that he’s about to get married – to a girl he barely knows. With only two weeks until Scotty’s big day on Christmas Eve, Claire’s determined to make up for lost time and help plan his wedding. And while she’s at it, she can make sure he’s not making a life-changing mistake. After all, it’s what any good friend would do. But is two weeks enough time for Claire to find the answers she needs? And will she be brave enough to question her own heart and the choices she’s made along the way? Penguin Random House, RRP $32.99.

Matt Moran whips up true blue coast and country food delights

❝

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

MATT Moran’s new book is a perfect Christmas present for the food-obsessed family member or friend who will enjoy recipes from the coast to country. The recipes span the country food traditions of regional Australia to the rugged coastline, which offers amazing fresh seafood. From the best slow-roasted lamb shoulder to an iconic

passionfruit cheesecake, anyone who has spent time in Australia will find something in this collection to which they can nod their head and smile, recognising a recipe that is a favourite in their household. At the heart of every one of Matt’s endeavours lies a passion for fresh, seasonal produce and simplicity in ingredients. He is a frequent contributor to food

publications globally and he has been a presenter, judge and host on many much-loved Australian and international TV shows, most recently on the top-rating Great Australian Bake-off. This is his fifth cookbook. “This is the Australian food I love, and I hope you find lots to love here too,” Matt said. Murdoch Books, RRP $45.00.

WHETHER it’s euphoria or serenity, awe or enlightenment, Lonely Planet’s The Place To Be hardback presents hundreds of places around the world to experience a particular emotion. Each of the 12 chapters explores a single feeling, with destinations ranging from wild and natural spaces, to modern and ancient cities. Plus, the travel writers explain when to go and how to get there. With 20 places and experiences for each emotion and state of mind, The Place to Be features 240 travel destinations around the world. Stand in awe and marvel at enormous natural phenomena, give yourself a joyful boost with cat cafes and chocolate indulgences, seek serenity on beautiful remote islands, find calm oases in the heart of bustling cities, and join the path to enlightenment with Renaissance paintings and religious pilgrimages. Lonely Planet, RRP $39.99.

Murder mysteries Collection SETTLE in for a great Christmas with this book of murder mysteries to enthral and entertain you during the coming summer month. Christmas Eve. While the world sleeps, snow falls gently from the sky, presents await under the tree ... and murder is afoot. In this collection of ten classic murder mysteries from the best crime writers in history, death and mayhem takes many festive forms, from the inventive to the unexpected. Join authors Ian Rankin, Ellie Peters, John Dickson Carr, Val McDermid, Margery Allingham and more, as they take us from a Santa Claus with a grudge to missing diamonds spirited away by a mysterious visitor. The are stories to enjoy - and be mystified by - in front of a roaring fire, mince pie to hand - or at the beach! Allen & Unwin, RRP$19.99.

32 Seniors Gold Coast

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

Let’s save

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Go on treat yourself HOME COOKING CHRISTINE PERKIN IT’S that time of year again, it sure does come around fast. You may be home alone this Christmas or your family may have gone on holidays and it can be very lonely for those left home. So I thought it might be nice to have a Christmas lunch menu for 1 or 2 people. This way you can be a bit more extravagant if you don’t have feed a whole table of people. You can start off with smoked salmon blinis then a lovely seafood platter. Why not buy a ½ a

dozen oysters, ½ kilo of prawns, a Moreton Bay bug (cut it in half) a piece of hot smoked salmon or smoked salmon, scallops, crab and have a seafood feast. Don’t forget a nice tossed salad, some beautiful cheese, mango and strawberries and fresh bread. Take your time and enjoy. You will also need a nice bottle of bubbly or chilled sauvignon blanc or a few beers, which go beautifully with seafood. If you’re not a fan of seafood make a platter with cold chicken and sliced roast beef or pork with salad, mango and bread. This is also a nice meal. A far as dessert goes, buy a small plum pudding from the supermarket or local market and have all

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

the trimmings or make a special Eton mess with meringue, ice-cream with mango. Go on, treat yourself it’s Christmas.

SMOKED SALMON BLINI’S

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

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

It’s time to shop with app-titude Linking seniors with community information across Queensland 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday

BE THRIFTY AND THRIVE NICKY NORMAN

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www.seniorsenquiryline.com.au

DOWNLOAD a free shopping app to your iPhone or android so you can sit back and shop while enjoying a coffee or early Christmas cocktail. Here are just some of the popular apps to help with your gift shopping and avoid the long checkout queues. ■ Amazon Mobile THE app syncs with the website, so your shopping and wish lists are

transferred automatically. The best part? Take a picture of a product with your phone’s camera and the nifty Amazon remembers feature will identify that product and find it online. ■ Groupon THIS shopping app is lots of fun to use and can save you a bunch of money. Groupon uses group purchasing to help users get a price break on everything from teeth whitening to helicopter tours. Daily local deals consist of restaurants, beauty, travel, ticket vouchers, shopping vouchers, hotels, and a whole lot more, in cities

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

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

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

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

Thanks to Event Cinemas, we are giving away $50 Event Cinemas Movie Gift Cards - the perfect Christmas Gift! To be in the running, simply email communitynotes@seniorsnewspaper.com.au. Make sure you tell us your name (ﬁrst and last), contact number, email, postal address and Seniors Newspapers region, then answer this question What movie are you most excited for in 2018? Or visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitions to enter online. Good luck!

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

Wellbeing + Travel + living + Money

Visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitionterms for full competition terms and conditions. Promoter is ARM Specialist Media Pty Ltd of 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore Qld 4558. Promotional period 04/12/17 - 22-12/17. Competition drawn 9am 03/01/17 at Cnr Mayne Rd and Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Winners announced in Seniors February Editions 2017. Total prize value $200.00 (including GST). Entry is open to all permanent residents of Queensland, residing in the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Toowoomba Seniors distribution areas.

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

Gold Coast

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 33

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

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Trades & Services

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We have one of the largest & most efﬁcient carpet cleaning machines in the industry. We steam clean and it is dry in hours. • We clean upholstery lounges • Tile and grout cleaning • Leather lounges • Mattress cleaning Suns Readers

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Be wary if the number in the ad is disconnected. If the buyer/seller says the number is disconnected because they are overseas, ask for a landline phone number at their current location as well as a mobile phone number. All contact details of the person buying or selling the car should be verified to ensure they are genuine.

Lowest prices guaranteed Government accredited Free hearing aid trials Free hearing checks Free wax removal for pensioners

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When a death occurs, few of us are well prepared. We all need assistance and support when suffering a time of loss. Rufﬂes Funeral directors are committed to assisting and supporting you to plan a funeral service that is both affordable and meaningful.

BEWARE OF SCAMS

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

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• Family owned and operated local dental practice • Gentle female dentist with over 16 years experience • Dental hygienist / therapist for all the preventative needs and children’s dentistry • Dental prosthetist with onsite dental laboratory where we fabricate all our removable appliances and dentures

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Thinking of finding out more about funeral planning?

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Tributes

34 Seniors Gold Coast

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

Trades & Services

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CALL ALBERT

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Great food - Great prices 180 Pokies & Jackpot Links | Cash Bingo Every Day FREE Courtesy Bus | Kids Zone FREE Entertainment - Fri to Mon Daily Raffles SENIORS DAY EVERY MONDAY FROM 11AM - 2PM

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All these services plus more from our experienced over 45 service providers

Phone 1300654244 or 0404043344

Cannot perform building work valued at more than $3300.

We would love to provide a worker for you.

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* Conditions apply, ask consultant at time of booking only.

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REPLACEMENT R C M OF S O SPIRALS, A S LOCKS, OCKS FRICTION HINGES WINDERS, W S DOOR CLOSERS S (INC FRAMELESS R M SS DOORS) O ROLLERS O S AND A SPRINGS S

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Puzzles

Monday, December 11, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

JIGGERED

4/12

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

R E W N D

A Z E L D A N I

I D N A M

A T A S A

O M

A R E N T R O

S E D N E N G

E R T P U H R

U E N S L U

M I O W N L E

E N T E O N D

C P A D T

S C G E M

S N

N A L I A E W

E P S D T R A

A N L C P L E

C O N E D

U M

A E R D N T

R E E A L G A

I E S P R H

A S O C R A V

A L S S K

G U R

N C

R L

Gold Coast

QUICK CRoSSwoRD

Across 6. Ample (6) 7. Angel (6) 10. Relapse (7) 11. Automaton (5) 12. Ritual (4) 13. Change (5) 16. Source (5) 17. Short note (4) 20. Perfect (5) 21. Incapacitated (4,3) 22. Avaricious (6) 23. Stinging insect (6)

Down 1. Tragic (12) 2. Fails to remember (7) 3. Leers (5) 4. Mapped (7) 5. Clan (5) 8. Mental struggle (6,2,4) 9. To no purpose (9) 14. Romantic songs (7) 15. Most direct route (7) 18. Delirium (5) 19. Aviator (5)

TRIO

Seniors 35 4

9 10

13 14

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

SUDOKU

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

APPAL, BRAVED, CAPSTAN, DRAINAGE, EMIGRANTS.

Good 14 Very Good 19 Excellent 23+

WORD GO ROUND

E E L A N T E N D U N S U R T U R R E

TRIO: CLE

Y N

R O

498

M N

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

ALPHAGRAMS

The Whitney Houston Show Ticket Giveaway

Showtime Australia will present the critically acclaimed live production, The Greatest Love of All - The Whitney Houston Show at the Star on the Gold Coast on the 3rd February. A beautifully crafted tribute, the show will honour the talent, music and memory of one of the world’s most revered singers. In preparation for such an anticipated show, Showtime Australia conducted over 15,000 auditions across 12 countries before selecting accomplished South African vocalist Belinda Davids who delivers the voice, charm, nuances, and even the gestures of Houston. And we have 5 double passes to the Gold Coast Event to give away to our readers! To be in the running, visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitions and ﬁll in the entry form! Good luck!

Visit www.seniorsnews.com.au for more information. Visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitionterms for full competition terms and conditions. Promoter is ARM Specialist Media Pty Ltd of 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore Qld 4558. Promotional period 11/12/17 - 15/01/18. Competition drawn 9am 16/01/18 at Cnr Mayne Rd and Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Winners announced in Seniors February Editions 2018. Total prize value $799.00 (including GST). Entry is open to all permanent residents of Queensland, residing in the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane Seniors distribution areas.

Wellbeing + Travel + living + Money

6724964ab

TODAY

PAPAL ADVERB CATNAPS GARDENIA STREAMING

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

E O

T J

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

SUDOKU

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

woRD Go RoUND

QUICK CROSSWORD

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

Across: 6. Enough 7. Cherub 10. Regress 11. Robot 12. Rite 13. Alter 16. Cause 17. Memo 20. Ideal 21. Laid low 22. Greedy 23. Hornet. Down: 1. Heartrending 2. Forgets 3. Ogles 4. Charted 5. Tribe 8. Battle of wits 9. Uselessly 14. Ballads 15. Beeline 18. Fever 19. Pilot.

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36 Seniors Gold Coast

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, December 11, 2017

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