Northern NSW, April 2017

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Seniors Northern NSW

April, 2017

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2 Seniors Northern NSW

In this edition

Feature: Jackie French............................................Page 4 Wellbeing ........................................................Pages 10-13 Live & Let’s Save....................................................Page 14 Travel ................................................................Pages 15-18 What’s On.....................................................Page 20 Puzzles .....................................................................Page23

Contact us Editor Gail Forrer gail.forrer@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Manager Kristie Waite kristie.waite@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 Subscription 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”.

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seniorsnews.com.au Monday, April 17, 2017

You can never stop learning FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER Group editor Seniors Newspapers network

IN THIS edition, we feature the joy derived and shared by those who participate in life-long learning.

Our cover person is Jackie French AM, truly a person who has engaged in life-long learning.

Some of you might recall Jackie’s appearances on Burke’s Backyard, others may be fans of her many and diverse books (more than 200), while for others, Jackie could have gained your attention when she was named 2015 Senior Australian of the Year.

This great Australian author and literacy

champion has overcome dyslexia and at 65 years old, promises to give us even more books and promote alternative learning programs to ensure there is no one – young or old – who is excluded from the wonderful world of books.

Life-long learning comes in many forms.

The Queensland Council of Life Long learning described it as: “Learning activity undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competences within a personal, civic, social and/or employment- related perspective”.

But to do it, you need what some call, a ‘growth mindset’, an attitude that is underpinned by an understanding that learning can be fun, keep you young and indeed ‘growing’ as opposed to being stuck in a ‘stagnant’ mindset.

❝

I don’t divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successes and the failures…

I divide the world into learners and non-learners.

— Benjamin Barber, sociologist If you feel a bit stuck, then take a deep breath and know that neuroscience and psychology studies have proven our brains remain plastic and malleable well into old age, and it’s possible to create new connections among neurons and learn new things even if you’re 80 years old and beyond.

My personal experience

– I’m completing a Masters degree – has significantly broadened my perspective and reinforced to me what a wide world of learning is open to us.

My learning philosophy agrees with Albert Einstein, who wrote: “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death”.

Our local stories are full of profiles featuring experiences of life-long learning from creative craftmaking to U3A studies and community note pages highlighting a whole host of activities that bring people into flexible learning situations.

I trust that in all of our stories and compiled information you are able to glean something new, perhaps something helpful that can enhance your life.

Monday, April 17, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

ANZAC DAY: No battle’s a picnic Yvonne Gardiner

ARMY bandsmancum-stretcher bearer Private Graeme Davis, of Lismore, was one of the 24 Australians of the 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), wounded in the infamous Battle of Long Tan in August 1966.

Eighteen soldiers had been killed in this decisive battle, fought in a rubber plantation during the Vietnam War. The Australians fought and defeated 2500 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army soldiers.

They had been outnumbered 20 to one and, despite their success against overwhelming odds, the Battle of Long Tan was still the costliest battle for Australia during the entire Vietnam War. Graeme, shot in the shoulder and arm at the age of 21, had arrived in Vietnam just four months earlier, after waiting three years to be posted overseas.

At 17 years of age, he had signed up as a regular soldier in the Australian Defence Force.

“We joined up for adventure and to go overseas,” he said.

“I thought of going to Malaysia – we had a battalion at Penang.

“We’d never heard of Vietnam – couldn’t even spell it.

“But you had to be 19 to go overseas.”

In the lead-up to Long Tan, 6th Battalion was trying to make that local government area safe, according to Graeme.

“No battle’s a picnic. No

soldier can come away from a battle unaffected,” he said.

“I spent nine months in hospital and rehab.

“I live Long Tan every day. That war does not end on your return home.

“Like most veterans, regardless of what conflict we serve in, I live my Vietnam experience every day... every night.”

On Anzac Day, April 25, Reverend Graeme – now an ordained minister – will be guest speaker at the Byron Bay RSL ceremony.

“As I ponder in my dreams every Anzac Day, I picture young men aged 17-18 years of age, the very same age as I was when I enlisted into the Australian Defence Force back in 1963,” he said.

“Young men and women seeking adventure, mateship, overseas travel... but still holding onto the spirit of youth and not understanding how war can change everything within you.

“I’ve got no regrets for my military service.

“I met lifelong friends, associates and characters.

“Anzac Day is an opportunity to be with these people and try to portray ourselves to the wider community as people who once had honour and dignity.”

Graeme says the basis of his reflection on April 25 at Byron Bay will be: “Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

“I cannot set aside the dignity, heroism and sadness of what war memorials stand for.

“I count the names on the plaques and ask why,

Northern NSW

ANZAC DAY: Reverend Graeme Davis will reflect on his experiences of war at the Byron Bay RSL ceremony on Anzac Day. PHOTO: YVONNE GARDINER

what part of history don’t we as a nation understand?

“What happened about the dream in World War One, the war to end all wars?

“What legacy and example has our nation handed to our youth and continued to do so generation after generation.

“What an incredible loss of life, loss of fatherhood, loss of mothers/fathers, sons/husbands, wives/girlfriends, grandfathers and all the opportunities for small towns like Byron Bay,

Bangalow and Mullumbimby.

“I have heard ex-servicemen and women

say to me in my chaplaincy role, ‘perhaps the lucky ones did not come back’.

How sad is that?”

In August 1966, at Vung Tau, Vietnam, Private Graeme Davis displays his arm wound.

PHOTO: AUSTRALIAN WAR MUSEUM

Seniors 3

Photographic show from the front war lines THE Anthea Polson Art Gallery, Shop 120 Marina Mirage, Seaworld Dr, Main Beach, will host a First World War photographic exhibition featuring photos taken by Australian Jewish soldier Harold Emanuel Collins, from May 22 to June 18.

The gallery is open Monday-Sunday, 10am-6pm.

His extraordinary wartime experience included participation in the Gallipoli landings where he served until evacuation in December 1915.

Collins served at the front line during most of this period.

In contrast to the official war photography of this period, Collins’ grainy and unauthorised images paint a personal picture of warfare – capturing the adventurer’s delight in his foreign surroundings, the infrastructure of war and everyday life on the battlefield.

Brisbane resident Sharryn Goldman, Collins’ great niece, recollects some of the family stories of his adventures.

“Uncle Harold was a founding member of the Returned Servicemen’s Association of New South Wales,” Sharryn said.

Images in the exhibition are supported by excerpts from Collins’ detailed wartime diary: “I saw a terrible sight today. A submarine sank HMS Triumph... I have seen dead men lying about by the hundred, have seen men’s arms and legs torn off, but nothing has made me feel like crying as I did when I saw that stately and majestic battleship go down.” Harold Collins’ Diary – Tuesday, May 25, 1915.

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4 Seniors Northern NSW

The lines of a well lived life Gail Forrer

BOTOX, facelift, fillers.

Get out of here!

At the end of her life.

Australian author, historian and ecologist Jackie French is aiming to look just plain old worn out.

“When I’m in my coffin, I don’t want to have any smooth, unused bits,” she says with a smile in her voice.

“I want everything to be worn out.”

The author of 200 books and winner of more than 60 literary awards is willing to go far to accomplish her last wishes.

Foremost, amongst a plethora of activities, she champions literacy.

If anyone understands the challenges of literacy, it’s Jackie French, the 2015 Senior Australian of the Year was born with dyslexia, overcame and indeed, conquered it.

The world of books has provided Jackie with an unending joy that she feels impelled to share with the rest of the world.

She wants everyone to have entry into the rich,

Reading is magic, says literacy leader and author Jackie French

colourful and diverse world of literature.

French could have slipped through a wall of words and ended up in the silent room of illiteracy, instead she credits a patient, insightful infant school teacher with recognising her innate ability and having the patience to deal with a very young person who would never learn through traditional teaching methods.

According to Jackie, this teacher accepted her difference, demanded alternative learning, while at the same time recognising this student possessed the smarts in many other ways.

But Jackie is keen to dispel the myth that equates learning difficulties with genius.

“No, it does not,” she emphatically states.

“You need determination to learn to read and write. But you need determination and talent to make genius.”

Jackie is as clear on

this point as she is about tackling literacy for young and old.

She calls reading magic.

In a letter to fellow dyslexics she wrote: “Reading can change your life. Reading helps you understand your world, yourself and what you and the world one day may become.”

She was the 2014–2015 Australian Children’s Laureate and is constantly promoting literacy, including in 2015 offering 60,000 children $5 each if they couldn’t find the Magic Book that would be so fascinating they couldn’t stop reading it.

With Harper Collins, she ran a 1000 books for 1000 kids, offering books to kids who needed one.

At the same time, she is aware of the many adults who have slipped through the system.

“Reading for the grandchildren is often a way adults can learn to read,” she said.

“Grandchildren won’t fall for the excuses, like I left my glasses behind.

“They just want to get you on a couch with book with them. Because there are plenty of pictures and the kids don’t know if you get it wrong, bit by bit, they learn to read.”

And Jackie’s neighbour proved it’s never too late to learn to read.

“My neighbour taught me many things about gardening and I taught her how to read,” she said.

But the reading lesson didn’t occur until her neighbour, in her late 70s, had an accident and was confined to bed.

Jackie was a regular visitor and noted how this naturally active woman was insanely bored.

Under the circumstances, Jackie came to realise her neighbour couldn’t read and was in the perfect place to learn.

In a sense, reading gave Jackie’s neighbour a second wind.

And this is another thing she is passionate about, because Jackie French does not believe in retirement.

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, April 17, 2017

ABUNDANCE: Jackie French - the natural patron of all those who wish to read.

She has seen too many people do the world trip or as she puts it – “the cruise up the Danube” and then come back and wonder what to do.

On the other hand, she has seen friends take up study and find lasting value.

For instance, one of her friends has taken up a long-held wish to study astronomy and achieved huge satisfaction.

“We are all living so much longer now, there is time for a second career,” she advised.

“It used to be that at 60 you were old, at 65 you retired and then you died.

“Now we can have another 30 years to go and it is a great chance to take on the career that you couldn’t do when you were young because you were tied down with

mortgages and family,” she said. She’s keen to acknowledge that another career has to be shaped around how you feel and your health during these years.

Jackie walks her talk.

She is still writing and releasing her awardwinning books and working.

For more than 40 years she has lived at the top of the gorge in the Araluen Valley.

Her short biography reveals she has built a house and power system, planted thousands of trees and studied 400 wombats.

Some of Jackie’s books have sold millions of copies and won more than 60 awards in Australia and internationally. Others, she writes, have been eaten by the wombats.

Various extracts from Jackie’s 2015 Senior Australian of the Year valedictory speech

■ When I was young, few schools accepted indigenous kids; women did not have equal pay; married women were barred from jobs; three kids in our street alone were crippled in one year from polio. Our nation has changed so much.

Sometimes we need to stop, and look back, to realise just how far we

have come. Focus on what has been changed, and is being changed, and you will have the courage to keeping working for good in the future, too.

■ These last two years I have seen thousands of people of goodwill work – not tirelessly, for they are often very tired, but

unstoppably, to give our children hope. There is no way I can thank them for the inspiration they have given me.

Nor do they work for thanks. But working together, for others, gives the greatest joy and fulfilment you will find, even if at times progress seems slower than a snail through

talcum powder.

■ Let us give our children role models who do not, will not despair, no matter how long it takes to change the world. And let us never surrender, no matter how tired we are, or how long it takes. Because with these weapons we shape the future of our planet.

Our nation and our

planet face many different kinds of battles now. Let us fight them with the tools of kindness. Let us fight with scientific research, and with determined voices to let that research be heard and used; with mentoring schemes; with determination every single day not to turn

away from anyone in fear or need.

Let us fight with literacy programs so that by reading books every child can learn to understand each other, and themselves, so every child has the knowledge and imagination to say: this is the future and I will work for it.

Northern NSW

Monday, April 17, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 5

Tweed hospice in recovery mode Op shops and hospice in need of repairs after flood Yvonne Gardiner

TWEED Palliative Support workers have something special planned for Palliative Care Week from May 21-28, but first they have to recover from the flood damage inflicted by Cyclone Debbie.

Their Wedgetail Retreat hospice is in need of repairs to the roof, one of the bathrooms and the driveway.

TPS president Meredith Dennis said one of two op shops that helped fund the service should be back in business by mid-April after a storage shed was swamped.

“Apart from fundraising donations, revenue from both our Murwillumbah op shops are vital to help us to keep the Wedgetail Retreat community hospice operational,” she said.

“Without the funds from the Tweed Valley Way shop, we are left with a huge gap in our finances.

“We’ve had fantastic support from local businesses.

“The community’s been

amazing.”

With a surge of individuals, groups and businesses now relying on government support after the floods, TPS’s appeal for state or federal funding could be further hampered.

“The community of Murwillumbah and Tweed, that’s our main source of funding,” Meredith said.

“The government funds have not been forthcoming.

“We’ve sent letters and the letters haven’t been answered.

“We live in hope.

“The State Government can give $2 million to a Sydney hospice but we can’t get $10.”

Meredith said the wages bill at Wedgetail Retreat is $500,000 a year, because registered nurses are employed 24/7 to care for terminally ill clients.

“We save NSW health services an absolute fortune,” she said.

“We run a home-based service too, all with volunteers.

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HELP WANTED: Meredith Dennis has mounted to fundraising campaign to hire nine staff members for the Wedgetail Retreat hospice.

PHOTO: NOLAN VERHEIJ-FULL

“Our free and donation-based home and hospice services help approximately 500

palliative clients in the region each year and up to 1200 people are assisted through our client and

family support programs.”

Wedgetail Retreat is NSW’s only adults’ community hospice.

■ Donations can be made for the hospice at www.wedgetailretreat. com.au.

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seniorsnews.com.au Monday, April 17, 2017

Salvos call on you to help It’s in times of tragedy that we need to stand in solidarity Yvonne Gardiner

WHEREVER there’s a disaster, the Salvation Army will usually be quickly on the ground to help out.

After the flooding disaster caused by Cyclone Debbie, the Salvos’ response teams are active in Mackay, Bowen, Townsville, Beenleigh, Ballina, Tweed Heads, Lismore, Proserpine and Connonvale – feeding residents and providing meals for emergency services personnel.

They are also providing eftpos cards and vouchers to meet residents’ immediate needs.

In addition to the immediate response, The Salvation Army will continue to provide emotional support, food assistance and material aid in the months ahead to help communities cope, rebuild and recover.

The Salvation Army has launched a disaster appeal to provide an opportunity for Australians

❝

With natural disasters, it is often after the storm when the real challenges begin.

— Major Neil Dickson

to support communities ravaged by Cyclone Debbie.

Communications and fundraising secretary Major Neil Dickson encourages Australians to give generously to the appeal.

“With natural disasters, it is often after the storm when the real challenges begin,” Major Dickson said.

“The Salvation Army is hearing heartbreaking accounts from people whose lives have been turned upside down and are now in desperate need of support.

“It’s our moral responsibility during times of great tragedy that we

FUNDS FOR FLOOD VICTIMS: Former Lismore branch manager of the St George Building Society, David Harris, enjoyed helping the Salvation Army during the Red Shield Appeal last year.

PHOTO: NORTHERN STAR

stand in solidarity with those affected and support one another – especially those facing this adversity.”

Donate to The Salvation Army’s recovery efforts by phoning 13 SALVOS (13 72 58) or online at www.salvos.org.au.

You can also make a donation at all Woolworths checkouts or at any Westpac branch.

Volunteer collectors

with a few hours to spare are also needed for the Red Shield Appeal on Saturday and Sunday, May 27 and 28.

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Monday, April 17, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Talk ‘n’ thoughts Hurdles, highjumps and solutions

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I NOTE that for a while now there has been an effort to raise awareness about elder abuse.

But what about those of us in our 50s and over who are victims of domestic violence?

We tend to only hear about young women and children who have been killed by their husbands or partners, but what about the many of us who have stayed in abusive relationships perhaps “for the sake of the children”, and are now too browbeaten to get out of a miserable relationship?

Perhaps we feel too ashamed to ask for help “at our age”.

Or we don’t even know that our relationship is now considered by law to be abusive, if our husbands/wives control all aspects of our lives and are constantly belittling us with snide remarks.

Because emotional/ relational abuse can be worse than the physical.

It can paralyse you.

❝

While I had several university qualifications when I first met my husband, it only took two months after the wedding for my self-esteem to start to go down the gurgler.

I was married for three years to a man who was physically abusive, but it was what he said to me over that time that can still affect me today – and this year I turn 60.

While I had several university qualifications when I first met my husband, it only took two months after the wedding for my self-esteem to start to go down the gurgler.

If you are told often enough that you are stupid, useless, ugly, fat “and what other man would put up with you?”, you begin to believe it.

Before long you are convinced that when he can’t find his car keys or his comb, it is your fault. You must have moved them, and so the apologising begins.

It is a form of hyper-vigilance, where you are not just very jumpy if

somebody drops a plate, but you are terrified at the prospect of somebody’s rage where poisonous words are screamed into your face.

Further, years later, you still find yourself apologising for existing.

Don’t forget that on top of being stupid, ugly, incompetent, and fat you’re labelled “selfish” day after day.

Anybody reading this who is in a relationship with a man/woman who delights in constantly belittling you, pouring scorn all over your ideas, stifling any joy you once felt, you are a victim of domestic violence.

Today, this means you can apply for an AVO. It is never too late to find and enjoy peace, quiet and harmony.

It is never too late to find happiness.

— Name supplied

Seniors 7

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The great home ownership decline Sophie Elsworth

sophie.elsworth@news.com.au

THE great Australian dream of owning your own home has become a nightmare and we are falling behind the rest of the world.

The sharp fall in home ownership has been revealed in a new report, No place like home: the impact of declining home ownership on retirement.

Every home loan customer could be paying too much if they do this.

The alarming findings showed more and more Australians will be retiring either never owning their own home or carrying a hefty mortgage debt.

Written by independent economist Saul Eslake and commissioned by the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees, it also found we don’t compare well to the rest of the world – our home ownership rate is at 27th globally behind countries including Romania, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Sweden and Canada.

NOT SOLD: A new study shows less people will retire having owned their home.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Mr Eslake said many more people would need to dip into their super at retirement to wipe outstanding home loan debt.

“We are on the cusp of seeing a significant increase in the number of people aged 65 and over who still have some mortgage debt,” he said.

“Or alternatively what will continue to happen is that when people reach retirement age they use their super to pay off their

mortgage.

“In turn, that will mean their super won’t do what it is meant to do.”

The report revealed substantial increases in the proportion of homeowners aged between 35-64 who still have outstanding home loan debt with much of it fuelled by soaring house prices and more people taken on much larger loans.

For those nearing retirement (aged 55-65) about 45% have mortgage debt, up from 29% in 1995-96.

And for homeowners over age 65, about 10% have outstanding debt, which has more than doubled from about 4% in 1995-96.

The Australian Institution of Superannuation Trustees’ chief executive officer Eva Scheerlinck said the home ownership slide would continue to put more pressure on superannuation savings and led to more reliance on the aged pension.

Take a look at the ‘why’ of homelessness Group editor Seniors Newspapers network

AUSTRALIAN women are living longer. By 2030, females born in Australia

and create service options that create better health and well-being for older women, the RDNS Institute has launched the Older Women Living Alone research project, funded by a $250,000 grant from the Melbourne’s Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.

The two-year project, which started in January,

Seniors News

will include analysis of 10 years of clinical data from more than 50,000 older women living alone in Melbourne as well as interviews and forums with about 50 women aged 55 or older who live alone.

The interviews will identify barriers to service access and gaps in service provision, and the

forums will bring women together with service providers to create services and strategies that address their high priority support needs.

“We know older women living alone are generally at higher risk of late life issues including elder abuse, and they don’t usually access services in the same way as couples

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or older men living alone,” project co-ordinator Dr Marissa Dickins said.

“We will be looking at why that is.”

What are the barriers to accessing services that older women are coming up against, and are there strategies that can be put in place to increase their access? www.rdns.com.au.

To find out more about advertising in Senio ors Northern NNSW and Seniors s Coffs and Clarence call media sales consultant Sue Germany on 1300 0 880 265 or get in touch at Sue.Gerrmany@seniorsnewspaper.com.au

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER

will have a projected life expectancy of 87.5, up from 84.5 in 2014.

At the same time, older women are at increased risk of homelessness, poverty and other factors affecting their physical, mental and social well-being, and this is particularly true for older women living alone.

To help understand why

8 Seniors Northern NSW

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, April 17, 2017

Finance

Changes from July 1 Separation,

SUPERANNUATION and Account Based Pensions provide a source of taxeffective regular income for many Australians.

From July 1, changes to superannuation rules may impact your ability to make non-concessional contributions to your superannuation.

What’s changing from July 1?

The annual non-concessional contributions cap (the amount of money you can place into super as a lump sum) reduces to $100,000 (from $180,000) and the maximum bring-forward cap (essentially being able to make use of three years contributions in one year) is lowered to $300,000 (from $540,000).

So this financial year is the last chance for some to contribute up to $540,000 to their super

as NCC. Individuals aged under 65 are eligible to make NCCs at any time.

Those who are aged 65 or over at the time of contribution are eligible to make NCCs if they are not yet 75 and have met the “work test”.

(Work test - you are gainfully employed for at least 40 hours over 30 consecutive days during the financial year.)

From July 1 there is a new cap of $1.6 million for individuals, which if exceeded by your superannuation balance, will prevent any further NCCs being made.

This criterion is to be met in addition to the existing age and work test requirements.

Financial advisers with knowledge of the “bring forward” arrangements, including any transitional

divorce and settlement: it’s complicated process, provide some practical legal information.

CAP REDUCTIONS: Changes to superannuation rules may impact your ability to make non-concessional contributions.

arrangements and the importance of a client’s total superannuation balance and the general transfer balance cap, can help maximise contributions and ensure you remain under the relevant caps.

For more Information contact Tim Maher at Maher Digby Securities Pty Ltd - Financial Advisers – AFSL No.

230559 (see advert Page 3). Ph: 07 5441 1266 or visit our website www.maherdigby.com.au Investors should, before acting on this information, consider the appropriateness of this information having regard to their personal objectives, financial situation or needs. We recommend consulting a financial adviser.

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An A-Z Review® is a complimentary one-on-one conversation with one of our banking specialists who can explore your current personal and business financial situation and future goals, to find financial solutions that may suit you. Simply visit or contact ANZ Lismore to speak to one of our specialists today.

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JUSTIN BEDNALL Branch Manager

82 Woodlark Street, Lismore NSW 2480 (02) 5698 1500 BranchLismore82Woodlark-2715@anz.com

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AARON CHAMPION Senior Personal Banker

NEW WAY LAWYERS CAROLYN DEVRIES CEO of New Way Lawyers

SEPARATION, divorce and property settlement can be very difficult and challenging. It is no wonder then, that when faced with these situations, individuals often seek support, counsel and advice from family and friends. While family and friends provide a valuable support

❝

When first considering a property settlement, make a specific list of assets and liabilities noting who is the registered owner or owners ... network, often their understanding of the family law system is incorrect and misinformed. Although family members and friends who have personally been through their own separation, divorce or property settlement are well intentioned in sharing their own experience and outcome, there is no “one size fits all” approach; rather, each separation, divorce and property settlement is different. It is therefore beneficial for anyone facing these situations to seek personalised legal advice.

In this monthly series, we discuss some of the most common myths regarding these matters and in the

MYTH NUMBER 1: WE ONLY NEED TO DIVIDE THE HOUSE

When we meet with a client who has separated or divorced and is considering property settlement one of the first questions that we ask is what assets and liabilities are owned by each party to the relationship. We often hear clients respond with, “We have nothing, just the house with a mortgage.” Half an hour into the appointment, we typically identify several other assets in addition to the family home.

■ In a property settlement, all assets and liabilities, either in sole or joint names are included for division, not just the family home and mortgage. These assets can include, but are not limited to: furniture, jewellery and collectables; cars, caravans, boats and motorbikes; savings in bank accounts or term deposits; shares; life insurance policies; and superannuation.

■ On the other hand liabilities can include, but are not limited to: mortgages; car loans; personal loans and lines of credit; credit cards; and tax debts.

■ Practical pointer: When first considering a property settlement, make a specific list of assets and liabilities noting who is the registered owner or owners, the kind of ownership (e.g. sole or joint) and the estimated value of the asset or liability. The categories of assets and liabilities listed in this article can be used as a starting point.

This list will enable you to understand the value of the assets and liabilities available for property settlement and will prepare you to seek initial advice from a family lawyer.

Monday, April 17, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

finance

Northern NSW

Seniors 9

All Things Legal Battles of Wills in Australia’s Underbelly

A plethora of legal issues surrounds George’s estate, including a contest between two Wills, conflict between executors and a nasty tax bill.

George’s estate consists of two properties, one in Essendon, Victoria and the other in Broadmeadow, Victoria. Roberta (Carl’s ex-wife), her partner and children (including Carl’s daughter Dhakota, born 10 March 2001) live in the Essendon property. George’s de facto Kathleen Bourke lives in the Broadmeadow property. Ms Bourke is the sister of George’s late wife Barbara who died in 2008.

George left two Wills; one dated 2009 and the other dated 2010. Court records indicate separate applications for Probate of each Will was made in the Supreme Court of Victoria between February and March 2017, but only one of the applications was granted. Probate was granted in relation to the latter Will, propounded

by Ms Bourke. The latter Will leaves the Essendon property, valued about $1 million, to Carl and Roberta’s teenage daughter Dhakota and the Broadmeadows property to Ms Bourke.

ONE SUPER FUND: Check that you don’t have mulltiple policies and that you have the right cover in place for your needs.

Multiple policies not a great thing

THINK MONEY PAUL CLITHEROE YOU really can have too much of a good thing.

A recent report from the Insurance in Superannuation Industry Working Group found many Australians hold multiple life insurance policies through their super, and the premiums are eating away at nest eggs.

Life insurance is an automatic feature of many super funds, and that’s generally a good thing.

It means many working Australians have life cover in place, when they otherwise would not.

Fund trustees can’t second guess your personal circumstances so it’s always important to check how much cover you have in place.

According to Canstar’s latest star rating report on life insurance, cover in super is usually only worth $100,000 or $200,000, and you could need considerably more.

Your super fund can tell you know the value of

your life insurance. And if it turns out you’re under-insured, it’s easy to top up your cover by contacting the fund manager. The premiums come out of super contributions or your fund balance, so if you’d rather hang onto the money for retirement, think about arranging separate life insurance outside of super.

The downside of automatic cover is that if you have more than one super fund you could be over-insured, and the additional premiums will steadily erode your account balance.

In fact, four out of ten Australians have multiple super funds.

So the problem of over-insurance is widespread.

The issue is more serious if you have income protection cover across several super accounts.

Most income protection policies only let you insure up to 75% of your wage or salary if you become sick and can’t work.

You can’t normally claim on more than one policy because you’d end up receiving more than 100% of your normal income.

It makes having more than one policy a waste

of money, and the premiums could be better used to grow retirement savings. I should explain.

It’s possible to have more than one income protection policy in place but it only works if the waiting and benefit periods are complementary.

For example, the cover held through your super could have a 90-day wait period with benefits paid for two years.

Alongside this, a separate policy could have a two-year wait period, and pay benefits until you turn age 65. But it’s doubtful this sort of match would be the result of coincidence.

It all reinforces the value of having just one super fund, and checking you have the right cover in place for your needs.

Paying premiums on insurance policies that you don’t need or can’t claim on will make the insurer rich, and leave you financially worse off in retirement.

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.

The earlier Will dated 2009 leaves the Essendon property to Dhakota and $130,000 to Ms Bourke along with all his chattels. If the remaining estate is not disposed of properly by his Will, Dhakota may be entitled to more than the Essendon property in accordance with statutory rules of intestacy which set out the distribution of estate assets that have not been disposed of properly, or at all, by a Will.

Roberta, fighting on behalf of her 16 year old daughter and George’s granddaughter, disputes the validity of George’s latter Will signed in December 2010 on the grounds that he lacked the capacity to understand the nature and effect of making a Will at the time the Will was drawn and executed.

On 19 April 2010, George’s son Carl died from a head injury whilst incarcerated in Prison.

Another inmate struck Carl with part of an exercise bike. Roberta argued that the trauma of Carl’s death meant that George was not in a mental state to make a Will, only eight months after Carl’s horrific death.

A Will can be challenged on the basis the Will-maker lacked testamentary capacity at the time the Will was signed. In order to successfully ground an application that George lacked mental capacity, Roberta must demonstrate that George did not meet the requisite legal test. Many of our clients assume the test is a medical test, but it is not. Medical evidence can assist the Court’s determination, but the test for capacity to make a Will is a legal test.

The legal test is summarised as follows: The Will-maker must: 1. Be aware and appreciate the significance of the act in the law upon which he is about to embark; 2. Be aware in at least general terms of the nature extent and value of the estate over which he has disposing power; 3. Be aware of those who may reasonably be thought to have a claim upon his estate and the basis for such claims; and 4. Have the ability to evaluate and discriminate between the respective strengths of the claims of such persons.

No disorder of the mind should poison his affections or prevent his sense of right, nor should any insane delusion influence his will, or influence the exercise of his natural faculties.

In order to win the contest against Ms Bourke, Roberta must satisfy the Court of the above matters, in the context of George’s mental state at the time of his son’s horrific death.

To muddy the waters even more, George died with a $720,000 tax debt and there has been a dispute as to which asset should be sold to pay the debt. Ms Bourke asserts the tax bill should be paid from the sale of the Essendon property. If the tax bill is paid from the sale of the Essendon property, Roberta, her partner and children could be removed from their home.

This dispute is sure to play out in the full public glare – it seems we cannot get enough of the ‘Underbelly’ saga. The reality is that a family and children could lose their home due to uncertainty about the will.

An executor of a deceased estate has certain tax responsibilities both on behalf of the deceased person and the deceased estate, including attending to the payment of any outstanding tax. The executor, in effect, steps into the shoes of the deceased person and winds up the deceased person’s personal affairs during the course of the administration of the estate.

It will be up to the executor of George’s estate to ensure the tax bill is paid. An executor may become personally liable if they fail to attend to their duties according to law.

Roberta has recently been removed as executor of the Will, leaving the authority and control to administer the estate in the hands of Ms Bourke.

Unfortunately, if not selected carefully, the appointment of multiple executors can lead to conflict. Conflict between executors can be catastrophic for the administration of the estate because of the increased costs and resulting delays caused by feuding executors. Court intervention to decide who is to administer the estate is often required. When an executor behaves badly the Court can intervene and remove an executor from office.

Prevention is always better than a cure.

To avoid conflicts between executors, a Will-maker should consult with a specialist Wills and Estates Lawyer to receive advice in relation to common issues that arise in the appointment of an executor. For instance, if the estate involves a number of trusts, companies, and complex unresolved tax issues, perhaps the appointment of an independent professional executor who has legal or financial knowledge may be more appropriate. We often find a sole executor who does not have sufficient legal or financial knowledge can easily become overwhelmed by the task of administering an estate where the estate is complex.

The estate of George Williams is a prime example of how things can go wrong. It is always best to consult with a specialist Wills and Estates Lawyer in relation to the drafting of your Will to ensure your estate is going to be handled properly and efficiently. A specialist Wills and Estates Lawyer can provide advice to a Will-maker in relation to issues like that which have arisen in this estate to mitigate against costly and protracted litigation.

We welcome any enquiries or comments in relation to these issues. Our Wills & Estates department has experienced lawyers who practice exclusively in this area. Please contact Department Manager, Donna Tolley on free call 1800 621 071 or direct line 07 5506 8241 or email dtolley@attwoodmarshall.com.au in order to arrange a free initial consultation.

Freecall

1800 621 071 Visit our website attwoodmarshall.com.au Coolangatta | Kingscliff | Robina

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George Williams, the father of one of Australia’s most infamous criminals Carl Williams, died of a heart attack on 12 May 2016 leaving an estate in Victoria. The women he left behind are now embroiled in a bitter dispute in relation to his estate.

10 Seniors Northern NSW

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, April 17, 2017

BREAST CANCER FEATURE

Taking control of the breast cancer battle ❝ Alison Houston

SHARON Sojourner’s attitude to her battle with breast cancer is unique and heart-warming.

“In a strange way it’s been a blessing,” she

said.

“You have to focus on the good stuff.

“I could have gone my whole life and not realised I was surrounded by so much goodness and warm-heartedness.”

Her ready laugh belies the fact that the diagnosis of stage 4 cancer has been far from easy on her and husband Mark.

She had almost finished her nursing degree when she was

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diagnosed early this year, and had to complete the last four weeks of prac while on chemo.

She also had a job lined up to start in early March.

That’s now on hold.

Their budget had literally been banking on it.

“I think the hardest thing is how it affects everything else going on in your life,” Sharon said.

“Future plans go out the window and everything is pretty much taken over by doctors and medical appointments. It’s pretty confronting.”

To a large extent, Sharon said fighting cancer was a mind battle, which she admitted was “way more challenging that I thought it would be”.

“I’m optimistic by nature, but it’s very hard when you have to willingly poison yourself,” she said.

“You feel so bad it’s almost impossible to explain and then you get

Look for and allow the blessings of other people and see the positives in life. Drawing on the strength of others, reaching out to them and telling them how you feel.

better and you have to go back and do it to yourself again.”

Her advice to others is to be informed of your own care.

Research it. Own it.

Know the treatment and side effects.

Look for and allow the blessings of other people and see the positives in life.

Drawing on the strength of others, reaching out to

them and telling them how you feel, and realising you can’t do it alone is also important for the patient and their loved ones.

Mark agrees.

He said nothing prepared you for the emotional turmoil of diagnosis in a partner and how it changed your lives.

He wished there was more information and support available for partners.

“As a partner, it’s very much like a nightmare from which you know you won’t wake up,” he said.

“You can’t just make it go away. This is real.”

But neither one of them has any intention of letting the nightmare take over.

“When the diagnosis came through, we thought ‘we can’t control this disease but we can control the way we respond to it’ and that gave us hope – we still have some control over our lives,” Mark said.

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Northern NSW

Monday, April 17, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 11

BREAST CANCER FEATURE

Practical tips for post breast cancer Tracey Johnstone

BREAST Cancer Network Australia ambassador Raelene Boyle AM MBE has some succinct and poignant messages to share with people in the breast cancer community.

As a breast and ovarian cancer sufferer, Ms Boyle has for several years taken her experience to the streets, encouraging, sharing and inspiring survivors of the diseases towards a better life.

The multiple-medalwinning Olympic and Commonwealth Games runner has also effectively used her public profile to advocate for keeping breast cancer issues in the spotlight.

For survivors ■ Life’s short; move forward.

■ Recognise that once diagnosed, life changes and everyone has issues.

■ Also, once you’ve got it

and you’ve had your treatment, look forward, don’t look back.

■ Try to deal with things as they happen and not worry about the things you don’t know about.

■ Don’t create issues that you haven’t got.

■ Don’t put off to tomorrow, what you can do today.

❝

Over the years I have let go of the small stuff and I have been able to prioritise the important stuff in my life.

“Over the years I have let go of the small stuff and I have been able to prioritise the important stuff in my life,” Ms Boyle said.

She said she was

MOVING ON: BCNA ambassador Raelene Boyle.

PHOTOS: BREAST CANCER NETWORK AUSTRALIA

knocked around by her breast and ovarian cancers, heart issues and epilepsy, but she said each time she was down, she got up and looked

forward.

It is 21 years since she was first diagnosed.

“I still suffer fear when it comes up to the next mammogram,” an

emotional Ms Boyle said.

For partners Ms Boyle noted it was hard for partners as survivors often were scared and moody. She recommended: ■ Go gently and let the individual have space.

■ Sometimes it better to not argue, but just give a person a cuddle, and say “can I get you a cup of tea”.

For both ■ Find a buddy who has been through the same journey and talk about it.

BreastScreen is a FREE service

women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their life time & each year 900 women die from breast cancer

Phone 13 20 50 to make an appoinment BreastScreen also operates a Mobile Unit for more rural and remote areas.

www.breastscreen.nsw.gov.au

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Early detection increases the treatment options available. All women over the age of 40 are eligible and women aged 50 to 74 are particularly encouraged to attend for their free 2 yearly mammogram. It takes just twenty minutes and can save their life. BreastScreen NSW North Coast provides free screening all year round at our BreastScreen Clinics located in Tweed Heads, Lismore, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie.

12 Seniors Northern NSW

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, April 17, 2017

ABOUT AMOENA: LEADING THE WAY IN BREAST CARE The Bianca Padded Soft Bra is a spacer bra. Its spacer foam cups are made with imperceptible air pockets in the foam, which allows air to flow through for better breathability than most other padded bras. The result is a lighter feel that still helps her maintain a smooth look under any top or t-shirt.

Such comfort-focused technological advances deserve to get noticed, so we’re making these two bras, among others, part of our Evergreen Collection, available year-round in stores and online.

We know that when you find that perfect bra that fits you best, you take comfort in the knowledge that you can purchase it again and again in the future.

Amoena provide Inspiration, Information and Innovation encouraging confidence in women’s lives.

Amoena is the world’s leading breast care brand.

Headquartered in Raubling, Germany, Amoena was established in 1975 and was the first company to introduce a silicone breast form.

As the industry pioneer, Amoena combines technology with supreme comfort, offering an extensive product line of lingerie, leisurewear, active wear, sleep wear, swimwear and breast symmetry products. Serving women worldwide, Amoena fully supports the needs of women following breast cancer surgery.

The Gracy Padded Soft Bra features, for the first time, memory foam cups. On the inside of the bra, this means the cup gently shapes to her breast form or natural breast and feels like a second skin. On the outside, it creates a smooth silhouette and always bounces back, retaining its shape even when packed in her luggage, bumped or crowded in a lingerie drawer.

Amoena’s ongoing commitment to innovation has resulted in four decades of patented materials, products and manufacturing methods. With the help of a global innovation network, Amoena’s research and development team collaborates with universities and scientists across many disciplines. The company’s in-house experts incorporate this knowledge into their constant search for new ways to transfer the latest scientific developments into breast form technology.

Home wear Look & feel fabulous 24/7 The perfect nightwear should fit and feel soft as silk. These do even more - they support and comfort with breast form pockets, soft fabrics and feminine details.

Amoena’s exclusive range of pocketed home wear was designed for those times when nothing matters more than comfort. For evenings on the couch with a good book, or lazy days sleeping in, our pocketed pyjamas and night dresses will have you looking gorgeous, while the modal fabric with a little extra give keeps you in total comfort, even when worn all day.

In our 40 years as a leader in lingerie design, we’ve learned a thing or two about what women look for in a bra, and it’s a surprisingly simple answer: comfort and fit. Yes, they’re looking for a pretty bra, of course, and one that gives them a little boost of confidence.

But, by and large what resonates most with the majority of women is that her bra gives her the best fit, feel and comfort possible.

We know that when you find that perfect bra that fits you best, you take comfort in the knowledge that you can purchase it again and again in the future.

The 2017 Amoena collections bring together complex styles and supportive features to reach more women celebrating their strength with comfort and style.

We take pride in our consistent offerings of a 24/7 collection specially designed to add choice and versatility to a woman’s wardrobe. Each segment in the collection is thoughtfully curated and boasts performance features that support beautifully brave women everywhere.

In store, the visually connected collections are allowing women to enjoy buying lingerie and clothing in a relaxed atmosphere.

We invite you to come in, look around and experience a very personalised fitting.

To find an Amoena store near you , visit www.amoena.com.au

Northern NSW

Monday, April 17, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

The Importance of Getting a Good Fit If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’ve made an important decision, and you’re exploring breast forms. You have come to the right place. Amoena has guided women like you for the past 40 years, and we’re anxious to put you at ease.

First things first: We strongly encourage you to rely on the professional services of a certified fit specialist for your breast form fitting and purchase. Amoena retailers and their on-staff fitters are trained and experienced to best help you determine which bras and breast forms fit you and your lifestyle. Many of them are survivors, themselves, and wear our products.

For women who have experienced breast surgery, a good fitter can be a lifesaver. Many women develop long term professional relationships with their fitters and consider them a member of their health care team.

Choosing a breast form is a very personal decision; we think it merits personal attention and an in-store experience at an Amoena retailer.

Seniors 13

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What Women Want: Comfortable Bras That Fit Most of us are just looking for a bra we barely notice.

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14 Seniors Northern NSW

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, April 17, 2017

Live and let’s save Save money, one byte at a time

WE LIVE in a world that connects us to information via the internet and the speed in which that is executed is determined by our internet provider. We all need to “google it” from time to time but how do we know what provider to use and if we are on a good deal. If you’re willing to search and compare, you will find the best plan to suit your needs.

TYPES OF PLANS

Super Saving recipes

MAKE it simple. Make it cheap and make it easy (and very tasty).

These are the qualities, Pauline Christie of SLOW Cooker Central has brought back to her fans with 200 delicious new recipes Super Savers is packed with easy, tasty and inexpensive meals for anyone on a budget. Organised into $5, $10, $15 and

$20 dishes, these all-new recipes are sure to hit the mark.

Slow cookers can turn the cheapest cuts of meat or inexpensive vegies into delicious dishes.

There are recipes for every occasion and all are by real people, cooking in real kitchens – with no obscure ingredients.

ABC Books RRP: $24.99

★Unlimited Plans Having an unlimited data plan means you don’t have to worry about data limits, excess usage charges or your speed being slowed if you go over. ★No Contract Plans No-contract plans are simply a broadband plan without a contract. These plans can also be called a one-month, or

BE THRIFTY AND THRIVE NICKY NORMAN month-to-month contract. ★Bundle Plans A home phone and broadband plan, also known as a bundle, is where you rent your landline telephone and fixed line broadband connection through a single provider. ★Streaming TV Plans With the introduction of streaming TV services such as Netflix, Stan and Presto the way we use our internet data limit each month is changing. ★Wi-fi/Wireless Plans A wi-fi broadband internet connection is where you have a wireless network within your home via a wi-fienabled modem router.

GET CONNECTED: Search and compare for the best deals.

TYPES OF INTERNET CONNECTIONS

■ NBN - (The National Broadband Network) is a project funded by the Federal Government with the aim to provide every Australian home and business with a faster, more reliable broadband internet connection.

What the fibre-optic cables have over the traditional copper wires is that the fibre-optic cables are far less susceptible to the effects of wet weather, lightning, congestion and erosion, providing users with a more stable and

reliable connection.

■ ADSL2 - is the most widely available internet connection and gives you access to speeds up to 24Mbps.

■ CABLE BROADBAND connections are delivered over a dedicated cable from the exchange to your home.

■ NAKED DSL - you don’t need to pay for phone line rental and don’t have a home phone. Some of the more popular internet providers are: Belong, Foxtel, iPrimus, Mate, iiNet, My Net Fone, TPG, Optus, Telstra and Dodo. ★To see what deals are being offered by the providers, you can visit their website or alternatively, you can compare plans via websites such as : broadbandguide.com.au whistleout.com.au and iselect.com.au.

Cooking for one can be simple IT’S NOT always easy to cook for one. You can put in a lot of effort for a single meal and who can be bothered. Here are a few simple ways of making a decent meal with less effort that you can try.

Sometimes it is harder to think of something to cook than cooking so we often take the easy way out but you can whip up a meal in minutes if you have the right ingredients. Think ahead and don’t over-buy.

FRESH COOKING

A great simple dish with a good protein is haloumi and salad only take a few minutes to cook and taste great. I also like to make pan-fried salmon with rosemary potatoes and

CHEAP EATS, NO TRUFFLES CHRISTINE PERKINS beans. Delicious. It doesn’t have to be salmon, any fish will do.

Chrisanella salad is another lovely two-minute meal and don’t forget a Caesar salad only takes a few minutes and you end up with a healthy, tasty meal. Check the website for recipes. No excuse to buy takeaway or go hungry.

FREEZING

I am a real fan of freezing

SOLO SENSATION: You’ll make the delicious Chrisanella Salad again and again.

in portion size, it makes life so much easier. You can buy takeaway containers from your supermarket and reuse them as few times. Just write on the top of the container what the contents are so you don’t get a surprise when you defrost the contents. I like to make up a batch of spaghetti bolognaise sauce which can be used with pasta and lasagne. It

is also nice on nachos or baked potatoes. You can even freeze mashed potato into portions. Don’t be afraid to freeze a roast including all the veggies and gravy or a casserole.

The freezing process also seems to tenderise meat so it tastes even better.

SANDWICH PRESSES

Sandwich presses are handy for cooking for one or two. Quick and easy, they cook both sides at once. You can use them for meat, sausages, haloumi, toasties, bacon, eggs, croutons, bruschetta or even pizza.

Just remember to season, taste and have garlic and olive oil on hand always.

Challenging Traditional Ageing Myth Busting In our May edition we invite your to join us in celebrating age disruptors, the people who are challenging traditional ageing stories.

We will interview Christine Danton, who is breaking the age barrier, still performing as a contortionist in her 70’s!

Pick up your free copy of the May edition at your local stockist or read online at seniorsnews.com.au News + LifestyLe + HeaLtH + traveL + fiNaNce + eNtertaiNmeNt

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Join us as we show that age is simply a number.

Northern NSW

Monday, April 17, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 15

Travel

FEW forms of travel are more senior-friendly than cruising. It ticks all the boxes for the mature person.

Here are Ann Rickard’s 10 top reasons to step on board and sail into the sunset.

1. BECAUSE WE CAN

Where once cruising was difficult for the mature or not-so-abled person, now it is not.

With walking frames, scooters and wheelchairs welcome on board, and plenty of trained crew to whizz you up and down a gangplank, just about everyone can cruise.

Elevators on all big ships and spacious lounge/dining areas mean getting around is doable.

2. EASY ON AND OFF

With online check-in, embarkation is just a matter of showing up, going through immigration and security and you are ready to enter another world.

And disembarkation, no matter the large numbers of passengers, is now just minutes providing you follow the authorities’ instructions and wait in the lounges until you are called to the gangway (it took us 90 seconds to disembark from Emerald Princess recently with 2700 passengers on board).

3. UNPACK ONCE

We all know the hassles

10 very good reasons to go - CRUISING of packing, unpacking and packing again if we tour by road or train – and let’s not even talk about getting bags in and out of hotels.

4. DESTINATIONS

Destinations never-before attainable, now are.

It is impossible to get to PNG’s Conflict Islands – as we did on Pacific Eden last year – without endless hours of air and road travel and enormous discomfort.

Scenic cruising in Alaska’s Glacier Bay on board Nieuw Amsterdam recently was a memorable highlight, something we could never have done on our own.

A day gently gliding along New Zealand’s Fiordland and Milford Sound on Emerald Princess took us close to nature’s marvels while sitting on the decks with a glass of bubbles – better than hiking through the beautiful but formidable

national park, no?

New itineraries now take us to places we once could only dream about.

However, using tenders to get ashore if the ship is not alongside the wharf can be tricky for the not-so-sturdy, so check itineraries carefully before you decide on exotic locations.

5. FOOD

Yes, lots of it, and yes, it can get frantic around the buffet, but other dining options on-board today are dazzling, with more and more celebrity chefs putting their names to at-sea restaurants.

Curtis Stone has opened SHARE on board Emerald Princess with some of his signature dishes we would normally have to wait months to try (butter poached lobster or chocolate cremeux, anyone?) in his LA restaurant (and we couldn’t afford to get

there anyway).

Luke Mangan’s Salt Grill on P&O ships is where you’ll enjoy some of his signature dishes including the famous licorice parfait.

Dragon Lady on Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden serve sublime Asian cuisine in luxe surroundings.

Master chef Rudi Sodamin will debut pop-up restaurants on Holland America ships serving classic French dishes, a rare treat.

Speciality restaurants require a small surcharge but take you into a world of sophisticated dining unattainable to most of us on shore.

6. ENTERTAINMENT You don’t have to queue to get a ticket for a Broadway-class act; just turn up at the ship’s theatre, take a seat, let crew members bring you drinks and sit back and watch world-class theatre.

Then there are the

pre-dinner piano bars, the afternoon-music, pool/deck fun, bingo, trivia and card games, ballroom and line-dancing. You can be entertained from morning to late. And it’s all free.

7. LEARNING

Free photography and IT classes fill quickly on board. Then there is the learning that appeals even more: cooking demonstrations, food and wine pairing.

QM2 has an elegant wine tasting room where sommeliers will guide you through wines from its global cellar. Sipping wines from regions you’ve never heard of in luxe surroundings is one heck of a way to learn.

P&O now has special food and wine cruises to meet a demand from passengers wanting new skills in the kitchen or new food and wine pairing knowledge.

8. SHOPPING

We might not be able to

afford a Tiffany’s diamond necklace but we can sure look.

Same goes for a Rolex watch or Montblanc pen or Ferragamo handbag.

Browsing in high-end shops with their big label names and unbeatable glamour all under the one roof is possible at sea.

There are constant sales on board of less expensive labels and plenty of good costume jewellery to have you coming back blinged-up.

9. COMFORT

Cabins – or staterooms as they are called today – have big beds, beautiful bedding, pillow menus, flat-screen televisions with movie options, a personal steward to look after your needs.

And who doesn’t love a little chocolate on their pillow at turn-down?

Spas on board modern ships are fragrant tranquil places where all up-to-the-minute treatments are available.

10. AFFORDABILITY If you are inclined to work out the exact cost of your cruise by dividing the number of nights between the fare, you’ll find many cruises average around $100 a night or even less, inclusive of food, entertainment and activities. Of course you can run up a big bar bill or go wild with shopping, but if you plan carefully and make the most of everything available, you will find no better value than a cruise.

16 Seniors Northern NSW

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, April 17, 2017

A man who pictured shape of modernity .

ERLE LEVEY Journalist .

SUCCESS is a job in New York. It was an illustration for an article in Glamour Magazine dated September 1949, the

illustration now claims the unique position of number one in the inimitable Andy Warhol’s artistic timeline.

During the Post Second World War period advertising agencies blossomed. It was the Mad Men era of Madison Ave and it’s where Warhol gained a name and fame etching fashion and ads of shoes, clothing, perfume.

Now these brilliant, history-making sketches are on display in Sydney – some never exhibited before.

Adman: Warhol before pop is one of those timed/ticketed exhibitions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, where you can enjoy special moments with the art but without the crowds.

Yet if you are looking for the Marilyn and Mao prints, the Campbell’s soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles of his pop art period, forget it.

This is an exhibition of the early works of Warhol, as he struggled to find fame in the advertising

MAN OF STYLE: a Young Andy Warhol takes on New York.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

world.

More than 300 works, many never seen on public display, provide an insight into this artist.

A man for his time or a time for this man? We learnt lot about the pop Warhol period in the exhibition at GOMA 10 years ago but little about his life before that.

That’s why this exhibition is so fascinating. We see his style developing, his whimsical humour and wit, the way he used creativity over technical ability. The way he observed or reflected life and used it

as comment, long before personal computers and mobile phones.

In doing so, he established his own identifiable “brand” ... a style that appealed to clients at a time when photography was on the rise.

Warhol established this approach with his first New York commission, for the September issue of Glamour magazine. By 1952 he had a roster of clients that included magazines, record labels and the fashion industry.

It’s great to wander and check out the interactive

screens depicting artist Warhol’s journals. Various subject, personal life and advertising sketches of shoes and feet (in particular) abound.

Visiting the Warhol exhibition opens many closed doors of long ago memories. Remember when same sex relationships were hidden away in the closets?

Illegal.

Warhol and his cohorts changed attitudes. This exhibition mixes personal and private lives, while introducing Andy’s mother.

She lived with him in New York, and was responsible for the handwritten script in many advertisements.

He could have easily become a shoe designer by the quality of his illustrations.

■ WHAT:Adman: Warhol before pop ■ WHERE:Art Gallery of NSW ■ WHEN: until May 28 ■ COST: Book timed entry tickets: artgallery.nsw.gov.au

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Northern NSW

Monday, April 17, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 17

Tripaway Cruise & Travel

WW1 Centenary Escorted Battlefields Tour Fly/Tou ur— —10 days from $5,899*

Per person Twin share

Join our experienced group escort, Janet Fraser on a ttour of the Battlefields of Northern France & Belgium during this year celebrating major First World War anniversaries. Fly to Paris, overnight stay before being transferred by coach to Bruges & a welcome dinner. The next days will incorporate walking tours with local guides to view the main sights of each town starting with Bruges, including tasting at the Halve Moon Brewery & a canal cruise; Ypres tour & visit to the Flanders Fields Museum; full day Battlefields Tour with local specialist guide, visiting cemeteries, memorials & preserved trenches & the Menin Gate Ceremony in the evening; Messines tour with a local specialist battlefield guide viewing battlefield & mine sites; coach from Ypres to Amiens including stops at significant sites with a specialist battlefield tour manager & again the following day touring Amiens & surrounds before returning to Paris for a memorable group farewell night.

Package Inclusions: class return airfare from Brisbane to Paris  Return arrival & departure airport transfers by coach  9 nights twin share accommodation in Paris (1)Bruges (2), Ypres (3), Amiens area (2) and Paris (1)  Meals; 9 breakfasts, and 2 dinners including a farewell dinner in Paris on your last night.  Transport between cities by touring coach, local coach for sightseeing and train from Bruges to Ypres  Escorted with arrival assistance in Paris, local guides & specialist Battlefield guides in Ypres and Amiens  Sightseeing & Entrance fees as per detailed itinerary  Economy

Departs Brisbane April 2018

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*Conditions Apply. Prices quoted are subject to availability at the time of booking and may change up to the time of final payment due to currency fluctuations.

Where exchange rate fluctuations occur of more than 2.5% package prices will be adjusted accordingly, up to the time final payment is made. Acceptance of this arrangement is a condition of booking. Final April departure date to be finalised but does not include Anzac Day 2018

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Main St, Murwillumbah Tweed City Shopping Centre Tweed Mall Shopping Centre The Strand at Coolangatta The Pines Shopping Centre GC H’way & Palm Beach Ave

18 Seniors Northern NSW Phil Hawkes

THERE was a time when a trip to Hong Kong had the shopping juices fired up.

Everything from the major fashion brand names to cameras and watches was seemingly on endless sale (even if Stanley Market and Granville Road presented some, er, cheaper options). How many times were we offered the whispered attraction of a “genuine” Rolex in Nathan Road?

How about a shiny new Nikon lens, sir? Or a tailor-made suit?

Well, times move on and Hong Kong’s rents are now close to the world’s most expensive and massive malls now attract wealthy visitors from across the border, leaving Aussies in their wake when it comes to brand name fever and conspicuous consumption.

Don’t despair…there is good news if you know where to go and what to look for.

And it’s not necessarily shopping for luxury goods.

No, the real deal in Hong Kong is not in the major city areas and malls but rather in the fringe precincts.

For example, Aberdeen on the south side and Mongkok in Kowloon are

travel

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, April 17, 2017

Getting the best of Hong Kong streets

places where local people shop, eat and drink without the “tourist” prices that support developers and landlords.

One such emerging precinct is Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island, really

an extension of Central but a safe walking distance or tram ride from the high-rise scene.

Sheung Wan’s streetscape is a higgledy-piggledy hotchpotch of lanes,

alleys and stairways designed to test the knees and thighs. The architecture is a beguiling mix of extremes… from old shop-front houses and terraces to modern commercial buildings and

apartments. Luckily much of the character of the area has been preserved, and community activity at the historic Man Mo Temple and other places still draws crowds.

But it’s the “new” rather

than the “old” that’s transformed Sheung Wan into a vibrant neighbourhood popular not only with expats and the younger local crowd, but increasingly tourists like us looking for something different away from the usual shopping haunts and the business hotels populated by suits.

To get a true taste of the district we embark on a different walk with a small group led by Lilian of Foodie Tours. We’ve been warned that as the tour starts at 2pm to avoid the lunch hour rush, we should arrive with an empty stomach…and we are certainly glad we did.

We walk around the narrow streets, up and down steps of “Ladder Street” and others, linger a while for Lilian’s informative commentary, and partake of a moveable feast of Cantonese delights.

These range from special wonton noodles to roast meats like barbecue pork, preserved fruits, pure cane juice, herbal teas and the best dim sum you’ll ever try.

After all, Hong Kong is recognised by many as a kind of foodie heaven.

■ The writer was guest of www.discoverhongkong. com www.hongkongairlines.com

The South West rocks

Please callDetails for full of details PTO for all of all upcoming tours upcoming tours.

Travel in style aboard Simes Bros Luxury Coaches.

P: (02) 6621 5416 F: (02) 6622 2225 E: admin@sbcoaches.com.au

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BIG4 Sunshine South West Rocks has launched a special seniors’ rate and a range of fun, interactive activities for mature travellers planning to discover the beautiful NSW mid north coast region.

Seniors travelling in a motorhome or with a caravan have access to a powered site for as little as $36 a night, year round. Special rates apply for cabins as well.

While the holiday park is renowned for its family friendly attractions and activities during school holiday periods, the BIG4 is particularly popular with senior travellers outside the holiday periods, and for the 2017 winter period has put in place a number of special activities with an emphasis on community and discovery for seniors. These include: ■ Monthly afternoon

teas with one of the park’s longest residents, Elizabeth Holden, a Ngaku Elder of the Dunghutti Nation, who shares stories of her life growing up in the region over the past 55 years; ■ Hunt a round the Rocks: which revives the popular treasure hunt concept, where people discover the region’s most famous landmarks – such as Smoky Cape Lighthouse and historic Trial Bay Gaol; ■ Activities such as fishing, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing and stand up paddle boarding are available on the adjacent Macleay River, and on the beautiful Trial Bay; ■ Dining at The Full Circle Eatery – local fresh fish is a speciality and fully licensed so there is no need to drive the motorhome at night anywhere – the restaurant is just a short stroll from the camping

sites; ■ Daily morning tea at the Camp Kitchen, with ‘cake days’ on Wednesday ■ Recommending the best spot to enjoy one of the rarest sites on the east coast – sunset over the sea. The headland above Trial Bay Beach offers the opportunity to enjoy a drink while watching the sun go down over the gleaming waters – a very special attraction.

BIG4 Sunshine owner Tony Mayne said holiday parks were just as relevant for seniors travelling as they were for families, with the emphasis on community really adding to the travel experience.

“The greatest attraction of travel is meeting new people with kindred spirits,” he said.

Information and bookings: www.big4 southwestrocks.com.au; Phone: 1300 509 649.

Grey Nomads

Monday, April 17, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Northern NSW

Seniors 19

Headless horsemen Sculptures a ghostly vision for Long Paddock travellers

From the mists of time a shadow emerged and a legend began.

We are sitting at a roadside rest area on the edge of the Hay Plains, the flattest area in the Southern Hemisphere.

Saltbush plains stretch as far as the eye can see.

And here at the Black Swamp the Cobb Highway takes one of its very few bends.

We are about halfway between Deniliquin and Hay, waiting for the sunset. And anyone who

Park

stay

OUTBACK EXPERIENCE: The Headless Horseman sculptures are part of a long paddock series, best enjoyed at sunset.

has been to western New South Wales will know how spectacular they can be.

This is the heart of The Long Paddock, a 600km plus tourist drive that remembers the heritage of drovers while promoting the old stock route from Moama on the Murray River to Wilcannia to the north of Broken Hill.

It crosses five rivers – Darling, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Edward and Murray – and in an

The Drover and Horse by Corey Thomas at Mathoura.

interesting concept uses artistic works to highlight the story of the land.

To stop and view The Headless Horseman sculptures at the Black Swamp at sunset is one of the great outback Australian experiences.

The Headless Horseman sculptures are part of a Long Paddock series ... 11 major art works and 52 information points along the route.

The Headless Horseman, created in

metal by Castlemaine sculptor Geoff Hocking, is between Wanganella and Boorooban.

In the mid 19th century, drovers told stories of a headless horseman who appeared suddenly at a campsite, mounted and wearing a cloak, who would spook the animals and cause a stampede.

It was said to be the ghost of a drover who died at the swamp.

Yet there’s more to this legend...

Play

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“When the lands were wide and the fences few, uneasy was the stockman when the sun was down and his thousand charges scattered for miles around the camp fire ...

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Erle Levey

20 Seniors Northern NSW

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, April 17, 2017

What’s on JOURNALIST YVONNE GARDINER

yvonne.gardiner@apn.com.au

1. CURRENT TO MAY 21

TUMBULGUM and the Countdown to Midnight Group Show is on at the Tweed Regional Gallery, Murwillumbah. This exhibition draws from documentation gathered from If These Halls Could Talk, a multi-arts project managed by Arts Northern Rivers celebrating halls and the role they play in our communities. The gallery opens Wednesday to Sunday from 10am-5pm. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday. The gallery will also close on Good Friday and Easter Monday and Anzac Day. Address is 2 Mistral Rd (corner of Tweed Valley Way), Murwillumbah South. Details (02) 6670 2790.

2. CURRENT TO JUNE 18

HEIRLOOMS of the Future exhibition displays the work of local textile and embroidery group Loose Threads. They use traditional techniques with a contemporary interpretation, demonstrating excellence in embroidery, confidence in design and a love of textiles. At Crawford House Museum, home of the Alstonville Plateau Historical Society, 10 Wardell Rd, Alstonville.

Open Friday 10am-4pm and Sunday 1-4pm.

Details (02) 6628 1829.

3. SUNDAY, APRIL 23

THE VOICE of Ireland –

Tommy Fleming returns to Australia for a national tour in support of his new album released early 2017. One of the best entertainers working today, Tommy has earned a stellar reputation as a live performer. Star Court Theatre from 7.30pm, 126 Molesworth St, Lismore. Cost: $60 adult, $55 group. This event is mostly suited for adults.

Details (02) 6622 5005.

4. MONDAY, APRIL 24

THEY’VE graced the stages of Bluesfest, Port Fairy, Woodford, Gympie Muster, Urban Country, Mud Bulls, Caloundra and Tamworth music festivals, as well as some of the most prestigious venues in the nation, rubbing shoulders with the best acts Australia has to offer.

Round Mountain Girls perform at Kingscliff Beach Hotel, 102 Marine Parade, Kingscliff, from 7pm. Cost free. Details (02) 6674 1406.

5. SATURDAY, MAY 13

IT’S a celebration of song and dance, an international phenomenon that has swept across the globe like a tidal wave of soaring voices and stomping feet. Gumboot dancing was born out of the oppressive gold mines of South Africa. Forbidden to speak and in almost complete darkness, the slave labourers developed their own language by slapping their gumboots and rattling their ankle chains. In time it has developed into a truly unique dance form.

Stimela The Gumboot Musical, at the Byron Bay Community Centre, 69

ROUND MOUNTAIN GIRLS: Chris Eaton, Francois De Klerk, Andy Kothe Photography, Paul Robinson, Chris Brooker and Chris Willoughby at Cudgen Leagues Club Limited earlier this year.

Jonson St, Byron Bay, from 8-9.30pm. For all ages, general admission $30. Details (02) 6685 6807.

6. SATURDAY, APRIL 29

THE Beatles Swing showcases a new take on The Beatles songs – an eight-piece swing band, two talented backing vocalists and Craig Martin. It features the songwriting talents of all four members of this supergroup, spanning the years 1962 to 1970. Craig and a team of Brisbane composers have rearranged the songs, making old new again.

Craig’s Merseybeat background helped him secure the permission to rearrange the songs. He is delighted to bring a little bit of his hometown Liverpool to Twin Towns, 2

Wharf St, Tweed Heads.

Show starts at 2pm.

Tickets $12. Phone 1800 014 014 or book online.

7. MAY 6 & 7

CASINO Relay For Life runs from 3pm Saturday to 9am Sunday at Queen Elizabeth Park, Casino.

Relay For Life is a fun and moving overnight experience which raises vital funds for the Cancer Council’s research, prevention, information and support services.

Relay is a chance for the Casino community to recognise and celebrate local cancer survivors, patients and their carers, to honour and remember loved ones lost to cancer and to raise money to help save more lives. Want to join the teams already registered? Log on to www.fundraising .cancer.org.au.

8. MAY 12

DIRECT from the USA, The Kings of Country... Phillip Bauer as Johnny Cash has been recreating the sound and the look since 1985 with his uncanny natural resemblance and his stage presence. Michael Moore as the outlaw Willie Nelson is the world’s leading Willie tribute artist and, as well as working with the Kings of Country, he also does his own show extensively in the United States. Ted Vigil as John Denver, tours regularly with his own show. The Kings of Country, a must-see show, 7.30-10.30pm at Ballina RSL Club, Ballina. Cost $40. Details: Vicki Veitch on (02) 6681 500.

9. MAY 20-30

CASINO Beef Week Festival presented by the 2017 Northern Cooperative Meat

Company. With more than 110 events featured in the program, there is something for everyone.

Come along to the fashion parade, Beef Meets Reef, rodeo, family fun day and don’t miss the grand parade.

Follow Casino Beef Week on Facebook and join in the celebration of the Richmond Valley’s signature event.

10. SUNDAY, MAY 21 THE fifth annual Heart of the Caldera Wellness Festival is on from 9am-3pm. Visit the Tyalgum Hall for an immersion in well-being.

Stalls will include holistic therapies, natural beauty, massage, energy work, organic foods and health care, psychic readings and much more. For more information or to book a stall, phone Treni on 0499 915 286.

Discover a lot more about farmed land-based seafood

COAST SEAFOODS: Lean more about the thriving soft shell lobster industry.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

HAVE you ever wondered how seafood is produced on land?

U3A Tweed Coast’s Friday Forum for May will show you how.

On its doorstep is Australian Bay Lobster Producers, a world-class producer of soft shell lobsters, or Moreton Bay Bugs.

Visitors are invited to come along to hear the story of this successful business which is providing a top quality product and vital training

and jobs for the area.

“Not forgetting the friendship, fun and delicious afternoon tea that we are famous for,” publicity co-ordinator Val Sparrow said.

“Only a $2 donation is required.

“To join the event, be at the Uniting Church Hall 24A Kingscliff St. Kingscliff on Friday, May 5 at 2pm.

“There is no need to book as we are open to everyone.”

For event inquiries,

phone Lorraine on 0457 936 202.

June’s Friday Forum will be a special event: Let us entertain, let us make you smile.

Details of the upcoming U3A classes are on its website www.tweedcoast.u3anet. org.au/wp.

The new Tweed Coast term starts on April 26 and go through to June 30.

There is an extensive range of classes on offer by the U3A.

Northern NSW

Monday, April 17, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

To advertise, call 1300 136 181 or visit finda.com.au Buy & Sell

Motoring

Household Furniture

Cars

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.

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.

ďŹ nda.com.au

More information is available at scamwatch.gov.au

Tip

Tie up Loose Ends.

Avoid leaving items lying on the floor of your vehicle or in the boot. An unsecured item rolling about during a test drive is unlikely to leave a good impression.

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Seniors 21

22 Seniors Northern NSW

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, April 17, 2017

Community

Our clubs and meetings HOW TO SUBMIT NOTICES

We welcome you to submit your photo and notice for publication. The deadline for May issue is May 10.

Email Nicky or Chris at communitynotes@ seniorsnewspaper.com.au

VIEW CLUBS

VIEW (Voice, Interests and Education of Women) is a proud partner of The Smith Family and supports their Learning for Life programmes which help children in need to participate more fully in their education.

■ COOLANGATTA TWEED

WE ARE delighted to participate in VIEW’s Fabulous Fountain photo competition, by recently frolicking with new VIEW umbrellas and dressed in VIEW colours.

We were photographed in front of the Fountain at John Flynn Hospital. The competition is being run to promote VIEW clubs and have fun.

The winner will be announced at VIEW National Convention in Tamworth in September.

Our next meeting is on Thursday, April 20 at the South Tweed Sports Club at 11am.

Our speaker on this occasion will be Belle McCarthy from Seaword Research & Rescue Foundation.

Fun and Fellowship with a great group of ladies is guaranteed and a delicious lunch is served.

Please phone Isobel on 5524 3023 to book, or phone the President Penny Thorpe on 5534 3931 to obtain further information about VIEW.

■ TWIN TOWNS DAY

WE ARE celebrating 49 years of fun, friendship and support for the Smith Family on Thursday, May 4.

Visitors and guests are invited to join us at 10.30am for an 11am start at the South Tweed Sports Club for a two course meal and entertainment will be provided by Romain.

Cost is $25.

Our theme for the celebration is A Day of Mystery so don’t be

surprised if you spot an Agatha Christie character in the crowd and perhaps it would be wise to leave your valuables at home in the safe and wear the paste.

If you would like to find out more or would like to attend, please phone Freda on 07 5524 1357

by Monday, May 1.

■ TWIN TOWNS EVENING

WE MEET on the second Wednesday of each month at Tweed Heads Bowls Club’s Blue Room.

6.30pm for 7pm. Guests from other clubs and new members always welcome.

Enjoy a delightful meal, guest speakers and fellowship.

Helping to give a hand up not a handout to disadvantaged Australian children through the Smith Family’s Learning for Life Program.

For guests and apologies, phone Trudy on (07) 5524 1770 before 1pm on the Monday prior

■ A.O.O.B’S TWIN TOWNS BRANCH

OUR monthly meetings are held on the first Friday of each month commencing at 2pm in the Secret Garden Room at South Tweed Sports Club, Tweed Heads South.

We are a not for profit organisation raising money for local children’s charities, palliative care, Westmead Children’s Hospital and many more.

New members are welcome to attend. For further information, phone Twenette on (07) 5523 2939.

■ LOCAL ART EXHIBTION

INTERNATIONAL artist Heather Bell and her class of local artists are holding an exciting exhibition at Kirra Hill Community Centre starting April 18 to May 25. Monday to Friday.

There will be many different genres for sale from pastels to oils.

Do not miss the opportunity to support local artists and buy a painting you will treasure for yourself or as a gift.

For more information, phone Heather on 0438 241 991.

28-30. About 150 dancers are expected to attend over the three-day event.

The public are more than welcome to attend and view the dancing free of charge. Burleigh Square Dance Club has been running for 28 years and is now accepting new members for their 2017 learners’ and refresher classes.

DREAM TEAM: Several new committee members were welcomed at the AGM of U3A Tweed Coast For further information, Inc. phone Karen on 0415 832 137 or visit the the conference is Live, 0457 936 202. For more website PROBUS CLUBS Laugh, Learn... without info: www.tweedcoast. www.isquaredance.net.

■ BANORA POINT boundaries in particular a u3anet.org.au/wp.

NEW to the Tweed area? special quest will be Ellie ■ TWEED HOSPITAL Retired or semi-retired?

Wilkie, artist, author, poet ■ TWIN TOWNS & Want to make new and public speaker who AUXILIARY DISTRICT GARDEN friends? Banora Point bases her work on things THE TWEED Hospital Probus Club meets the she sees and hears every CLUB Auxiliary is holding a Trivia fourth Monday of each day with hilarious results.

OUR April meeting will be Night at South Tweed month at South Tweed The pre-conference held on Monday, April 10 Community Centre, corner Sports Club 10.15am. activities include barefoot at South Tweed Sports of Heffron St and We are a mixed club, bowls and a trip to the Club, 4 Minjungbal Drive Minjungbal Dr, South have interesting speakers Margaret Olley Museum.

(Old Pacific Hwy), Tweed Tweed on Wednesday, and an outing each For more information, Heads South.

April 26. Doors open at month. Speaker this phone (07) 5534 7333 or Guest speaker for April 6.30pm for 7pm start. month will be from Dept of 0405 445 164 or register will be Ben from Rocky Cost is $10 per person.

Fair Trading. You would be at u3aqldconference.org Point Mulching – organic Tea, coffee and biscuits made most welcome. /registration.php. mulching products, some available. BYO nibbles, Phone Norma on of which will be on sale. drinks and glasses. Great (07) 5590 5919 or Col on ■ TWIN TOWNS Entry is $3 including fun and prizes to be had.

(07) 5590 7454.

YOGA classes, led by tutor morning tea from Maximum number in a Mary Ludwig are open to 8.30-9.15am. Visitors team is six. all mature men and welcome.

Don’t worry if you don’t ■ HASTINGS POINT women interested in Inquiries: Gwendoline have a team – come along TWEED COAST learning yoga.

Barnes, phone and we’ll find a place for WE NEXT meet on Classes are held at 0468 872 199. you. There is limited Tuesday, April 18 at 10am 9.30am on Tuesday space so phone at the Tri Care Retirement morning at St Cuthbert’s 0421 930 069 to book ■ SQUARE DANCING your table or seat. All Community, 87/89 Tweed Hall, Tweed Heads and Coast Rd, Hastings Point.

10.30am on Thursday IS BACK IN STYLE proceeds go Tweed At this meeting we will be mornings at St Monica’s MOST people of a certain Hospital Auxiliary to entertained by bush poet Hall, Tugun. All welcome, vintage remember with purchase needed Barry Tiffen who together phone (07) 5534 7333 or fond memories equipment for our local with Dean Trevaskis 0405 445 164. do-si-do-ing as a form of hospital. (another award winning physical education at poet) will give a recital of ■ TWEED COAST school. These days most ■ COOLANGATTA inspirational Anzac and OUR Friday Forum for May people partaking in this SENIOR CITIZENS other bush poems. is a bit different but just activity are retired or close CENTRE FOR 50 & New members as interesting to retirement – not that welcome.

Have you ever wondered there is any age restriction OVER SENIORS Inquiries with Julie on how seafood is produced at all apart from the very WE WELCOME all Gold 0418 966 256 or visit: on land? young, and whole families Coast & Tweed area hastingsptprobus. org.

On our very own have been known to residents and visitors. doorstep is a major world participate.

The centre has a large ■ U3A class producer of soft Most Saturday nights at range of activities THE U3A Queensland shell lobsters. We know the Maher Hall, Matilda including bingo, dancing Network State Conference these more commonly as St, Burleigh Heads, Gold (inc lessons) free will be held at the Tweed Moreton Bay bugs. and Tweed Coasters meet computer lessons, card Heads Civic Centre, Brett Come along to hear the for an evening of fun, games, choir group, St, Tweed Heads and story of this successful friendship and gentle indoor bowls, craft, light hosted by U3A Twin Towns business which is physical and mental exercises, line dancing, on May 18 and 19. providing a top quality exercise in the form of mah jong, qigong, rock & The conference will be product and vital training modern square dancing. roll, snooker & eight ball opened by Karen Andrews and jobs for our area.

Therefore it’s relatively and more.

MHR and the U3A Twin Not forgetting the quick to learn and the fun The next free monthly Towns Dance Group who friendship, fun and starts immediately. concert will be on Monday, regularly perform at delicious afternoon tea Singles and couples are April 24 at 1pm and will concerts and special that we are famous for welcome. feature a versatile group events. (only a $2 donation).

This year, for the very of six talented musicians Full conference fees are Friday, May 5, 2pm at first time, the Gold Coast Tall Poppies. $160 – includes the Uniting Church Hall 24a will be hosting the For more information, two-day conference and Kingscliff St, Kingscliff.

Queensland State Square please phone conference dinner or $100 No need to book, we are Dance Convention, at the (07) 5536 4050 or visit for the conference two open to everyone.

Albert Waterways Hall at the centre at 2 Gerrard St, days only. The motto for Inquiries Lorraine Mermaid Waters from July Coolangatta.

puzzles

Monday, April 17, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

JIGGERED

17/4

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.

I C E M M B

E N D

W

A S T R O

I T E R F O

O T H E R

I O L L

C O M O R B

A L M L A R

P T E A R T E A

E I S G C R E

L

S T E

R E O

D A B D E

R L E G O C O

M P L I S C E

E R V E L A

N T

U N A L E O

P O S I E G U

N E P

T W O W M A L

T S W T I L E

A A C T D H

A M F I E A T

O R E

D U E A S

Northern NSW

QUICK CRoSSwoRD Across 1. Shake (7) 5. Sizeable (5) 8. Clumsy (8-5) 9. Flightless bird (3) 10. Admitted (9) 12. Monument (6) 13. Anxious (6) 15. Indistinguishable (9) 16. Play a part (3) 18. Preceding events (13) 20. Bad-tempered (colloq) (5) 21. Seesaws (7)

Down 1. Commerce (5) 2. Expression of support (13) 3. Tally of casualties (4,5) 4. Climatic pattern (2,4) 5. Bound (t3) 6. Illusory state of wellbeing (5,8) 7. Gave in (7) 11. Shed in layers (9) 12. Captain (7) 14. Film text (6) 17. Trials (5) 19. Frozen (3)

1

2

3

4

Seniors 23 5

6

7

16

17

8

9

10

11

12

13 14

15

18

19

TRIO

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

SUDOKU

20

21

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

T E M I

N S

CLEAN, DIRECT, ELASTIC, FORENSIC, GESTATION.

Good 14 Very Good 19 Excellent 23+

E S S E E P L A Y

S A L T

QUIZ

B A B O B A L T E S S S C O O D L D S

8 lEttERS DECORATE EXECUTOR FOLLOWER HEEDLESS TATTERED TOWNSHIP

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

6 lEttERS BABBLE COBALT CYCLES LULLED PRONGS SCOLDS

E D W E EW R Y

1. Where in Australia would you find the largest population of quokka?

2. The dish Eggs Florentine contains which vegetable?

3. Which superstar band wrote Diana Ross’s hit “Chain Reaction”?

4. What is the maximum number of pieces on a chess board at any one time?

5. What is the name of the ghost ship that reputedly haunts the Cape of Good Hope?

6. Anderlecht football club play in which country’s national league?

7. The 1995 Rugby World Cup final was played in which South African city?

8. In a TV series, what was the name of law enforcer Michael Knight’s mobile computer buddy?

R O T A

5 lEttERS DALES LODGE SCARY SOLOS

S I L L

QUIZ

A R E A

YOGI

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

4 lEttERS AGAR AGUE AREA ARIA

BASS BELL CLAD CLUE DEEP DEWY DIED DUAL DUEL EWER FLAW HASP LOAF LOLL OATS ONTO ONUS ROTA SALT SILL SLAY SORE STEW URNS WEPT

WORDFIT

Solution opposite

3 lEttERS AGE ATE EEL EMU FOE HAD IMP LAX NOW OAT OWE PUT ROE SAC SEA SOD SPY WOO

1 Rottnest Island, 2 Spinach, 3 The Bee Gees, 4 32, 5 The Flying Dutchman, 6 Belgian, 7 Johannesburg, 8 KITT.

Fit the words into the grid to create a finished crossword

ALPHAGRAMS

woRDFIt

WORD GO ROUND

LANCE CREDIT LACIEST CONIFERS GIANT TOES

C O M O R B R L E G O O C T E M

T E

TRIO: SKI

432

R U

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

TODAY

M

SUDOKU

P O I E G U E S P T A T E I O L L A M L A

E S

E K

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.

JIGGERED I N S N D E P T W O W M A L

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: 1. Tremble 5. Hefty 8. Accident-prone 9. Emu 10.

Confessed 12. Statue 13. Afraid 15. Identical 16. Act 18.

Preliminaries 20. Ratty 21. Teeters.

Down: 1. Trade 2. Encouragement 3. Body count 4. El nino 5.

Hop 6. Fools paradise 7. Yielded 11. Exfoliate 12. Skipper 14.

Script 17. Tests 19. Icy.

alpHaGRaMS

esteem meek meeker meekest meet meets mere merest mete meter metes metre murk muse musk musket MUSKETEER must muster mute mutes resume seem serum smut stem strum teem term

U

24 Seniors Northern NSW

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, April 17, 2017

WHAT’S ON AT

SEAGULLS

APR MAY 2017

ANZAC DAY

TUESDAY 25TH APRIL

TWO UP WITH GLENNO G 12.30PM - 3.30PM

EUREKA FUNK K 3.30PM - 6.30PM

ENJOY ALLL DAY DINING G

GRAB UP TO $4000 CASH

EVERY WEEK Fridays 8-9.30pm & Saturdays 6.30-8pm PROMOTION COMMENCES MONDAY 3RD APRIL AND ENDS SATURDAY 27TH MAY 2017.

STAR BUFFEET - SEAFOOD FOOD $27.80 LUNC CH OR DINNER

MANGROVE RESTAURANT Red Wine Beef, m mushroom & bacon pie served with chips $18 M $21 V

Three crumbed lamb cutlets served with chips & salad $22 M $25 V

Authorised under NSW Permit Number LTPS/17/11885.Terms and conditions available from reception.

t s a f k Brea Deck e h T n OT S DAY ' R E H T MO

For the first time, overlook the beautiful Broadwater for brekky with mum!

SUNDAY 14TH MAY 7:30am – 10:30am

BUFFET LUNCH & DINNER BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER. Phone 07 5587 9000 for menu and bookings.

DINE & GO INTO THE DRAW TO WIN 1 OF 4 $100 GOLD CLASS MOVIE CARDS!

WWW.SEAGULLSCLUB.COM.AU

Mother’s ay D SUNDAY 14TH MAY Seafood Inspired Lunch $34.90 Bookings recommended – phone 07 55 87 9096

Dine & Go Into The Draw To Win 1 Of 4 $100 Gold Class Movie Cards!