Coffs & Clarence, September-October 2016

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Upcoming U pcoming event eventss THEATRE NEWS

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Own a piece of Jetty Memorial Theatre history Expressions of Interest open for historic seating.

Cinematinee Fortnightly world cinema screenings presented by Screenwave.

Grease The Musical Coffs Harbour Arts Council presents the much-loved hipshaking musical!

Twelfth Night or What You Will Celebrating 400 years of William Shakespeare, presented by CHATS

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Show: Fri 23 Sep – Sat 8 Oct

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Box office hours Tues to Fri 12 noon – 4pm Phone 6652 8088 | 337 Harbour Drive Coffs Harbour

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2 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, September 26, 2016

Jump for joy and put on the sticker

In this edition

Much loved Australian performer and author Judy Nunn has made our front page and we have followed up with some great stories about local sports people and community workers. Our community notes connects you with neighbours and there’s plenty of travel and entertainment news.

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

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER editor@seniorsnewspapers.com.au

Now online Get your news online at www.seniorsnews.com.au

YES, I don’t mind carrying on about it.

I’m over the moon and jumping with joy to see this amazing caravan prize competition open to our our readers.

The prize giveaway, a Majestic Caravan valued at $69,990, is the result of Seniors Newspapers Network teaming up with Palm Lake Resort to celebrate the launch of their new retirement resorts at Cooroy-Noosa and Toowoomba. The stickers have just been released by Palm Lake Resort and they are perfect for the back of your car, caravan, RV (or anywhere for that matter!)

For your chance to win the Garoova 19’6 semi off-road caravan, simply take a creative and fun

Advertising, editorial and distribution enquiries Phone: 1300 880 265 or (07) 5435 3200 Email: advertising@seniorsnewspaper.com.au or editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Location: 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore 4558 Website: www.seniorsnews.com.au Subscriptions Only $36.30 for one year (11 editions) including GST and postage anywhere in Australia. Please call our circulations services on 1300 361 604 and quote “Coffs Coast and Clarence Seniors Newspaper”.

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

The Seniors newspaper stable includes Toowoomba, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Northern Rivers, Coffs and Clarence and Central Coast publications.

Published by ARM Specialist Media Pty Ltd (ABN 73 064 061 794). Printed by APN Print, Yandina.

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

WISHING FOR A CARAVAN: Gail Forrer shows us how it’s done with a sticker on her car.

photo that features an official Palm Lake Resort sticker, then log on to www.seniorsnews.com.au to fill in an entry form and submit your photo entry.

Official competition stickers are available with the Palm Lake Resort ‘Spring 2016’ magazine, , and available in selected Seniors Newspapers during September 2016 or can be posted direct to your mailbox by emailing communitynotes@seniors newspaper.com.au before

November 18. The competition closes November 25 and will be drawn on November 28. winner will be announced on Nov 30. For full competition terms and conditions, visit www.seniors news.com.au /competitionterms Palm Lake Resort ■ FOR almost 40 years, the family-owned and operated company has been at the forefront of developing lifestyle

resorts for seniors.

Palm Lake Resort boasts 23 locations across the east coast of Australia filled with residents who are living the time of their retirement lives.Palm Lake Resort CEO Manuel Lang said their state-of-the-art facilities, five-star hotel styling and architectural home designs provided ‘wow factor’ to buyers, but it was the lifestyle on offer that ultimately sold homes.

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There is a great variety of choice. Meals can be delivered daily, weekly or ring for an order if you are not feeling well.

“A balanced meal will improve how you feel.” Consumers can pick up from the offices meals of their choice. It is quick and easy like a menu in your freezer.

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Coffs and Clarence

Monday, September 26, 2016 seniorsnews.com.au

New lease on life at Aston Motel

Seniors 3

Back to work with a great lifestyle Belinda Scott

“MY second career evolved by retiring – and turned into a seven-days a week business,” said Yamba’s Graham Lees.

Sunny days in a small and lovely seaside town sound like an ideal retirement plan but for motelier Graham, there is a lot more to Yamba than surf and sand.

The owner of the pretty Aston Motel retired the first time around 12 years ago, after he sold his Sydney motor business.

He has now been a motel owner for 10 years.

He first saw Yamba on a retirement campervan trip up the coast with his wife, who grew up in the Lismore area.

“After a couple of years of retirement I could sense my mind slowing down, so we went window shopping and ended up buying a motel,” Graham said.

After a hectic 30 years in the motor trade and 50 years of living on Sydney’s northern beaches, he said he had never imagined living anywhere else, but now he cannot imagine returning and even finds visiting Sydney stressful.

“After we moved here it took me six months to realise there were no traffic lights at all,” Graham said.

“I do work seven days a week, but it doesn’t feel like I’m at work at all. I love the motel industry and meeting all the

guests.”

The couple have just completed a major renovation of the motel which involved stripping half the rooms right back to bare bricks and even replacing the glass window sliders.

The renovations were completed on August 31, just in time for the spring rush of visitors to Yamba, which begins in

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Aston Motel for hands-on training for hospitality students of all ages from 18 to 80.

The first classes are expected to begin this month, with a teacher and students on site for three or four days each week.

They will work on everything from making breakfasts to pool cleaning; from making beds to booking

On a personal level, his wife Bronnie is now working on their next 10 year plan – looking for a country cottage nearby for their actual retirement, when that eventuates.

September.

“It’s just like turning a page, people book for spring, for the golf and other events,” Graham said.

He is deeply involved in local business and is on the six-member executive of the Yamba Chamber of Commerce.

He attended the inaugural meeting of the Yamba Tourism and Hospitality Cluster several months ago and was interested to learn of the success of the Clarence Marine Engineering Cluster, which organised specific training for its members.

He says Yamba’s problems were similar and he has gone a step further, allowing North Coast TAFE to use the

reservations; from dealing with customers to dealing with computers.

He is a little apprehensive but also excited.

“I’m not sure whether it will be an asset for me personally or not, but it will be an asset for the industry,” he said.

“It’s just like having apprentices in the motor trade. They are not much use to begin with, but if you don’t train them you won’t have any mechanics later.”

On a personal level, his wife Bronnie is now working on their next 10 year plan – looking for a country cottage nearby for their retirement, when that eventuates.

And no, it will not be a B&B.

REVAMPED VACANCY: Motelier Graham Lees at Yamba's Aston Motel. PHOTO: BELINDA SCOTT.

FREASHLY MADE: One of Yamba's Aston Motel’s newly-renovated rooms. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED.

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4 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, September 26, 2016

Creativity is ageless Life goes on for prolific author, actor and screenwriter...

Gail Forrer

JUDY Nunn, at 71 years of age, sees her 1980s career change from actress to novelist as rather fortuitous.

It meant she never reached the point of complaining about limited screen roles for older women. Nevertheless, she agrees the range of roles available as you age are narrow but, in typical fashion, she moves beyond the moment for solutions.

“We need to get more women into writing and producing and that would help change things,” she says.

As for claims of “invisibility” in old age, with a smile in her deep voice, she quotes crime author Ruth Rendell, who famously said: “I’m too famous to be invisible.”

But Judy says, if she’s made a quick trip to the supermarket dressed down in trackies rather than made up and is suddenly recognised, then invisibility would have its upside.

Still, who is it that Judy Nunn fans see?

Ailsa, the wife of Alf on Home and Away, the actress who gave the first lesbian kiss on Australian television, the award-winning screenwriter or best-selling author of 15 books?

Judy Nunn is all of these, and in 2015 her multi-faceted career was recognised when she was made a Member of the Order of Australia for her “significant service to the

performing arts as a scriptwriter and actor of stage and screen, and to literature as an author”.

Judy cannot be called a quiet achiever, her audiences has always been far too big for that.

Born in Perth to a family that encouraged both physical and artistic pursuits, from an early age Judy felt she was destined for a stage career.

She sees advantage in the gaining of wisdom, worrying less and a freedom in being less image-conscious.

Judy’s latest book Spirit of the Ghan is reviewed in this edition on page 26.

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“We need to get more women into writing and producing and that would help change things.”

— JUDY NUNN

FEARLESS ROLE MODEL: Judy Nunn is a great talker, easy to laugh, a straight-shooter and unafraid to speak up for what she sees as a fair go.

PHOTO: MILEN BOUBBOV.

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Coffs and Clarence

Monday, September 26, 2016 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 5

Proud to wear badge Women in the WW2 land army honoured Belinda Scott

RECOGNITION for her work during World War II has taken 62 years to arrive for Coffs Harbour’s Joan Quick.

British-born Joan, who celebrated her 93rd birthday in January, has just received her service badge for her three years of work in England’s Women’s Land Army during the Second World War. Joan milked cows by hand, drove horse-drawn carts and hefted 10-gallon-milk churns on and off carts and lorries to help feed the British population.

While most men of working age were serving in the armed forces and German U-boats (submarines) were blockading the island nation to shut down supplies from America and Australia, the role of the Land Army women became vital. They are credited with saving Britain from wartime starvation, but because theirs was a civilian organisation, they did not receive the service medals handed out to the troops at the end of the

conflict.

Joan, who has just received her badge from the Queen’s office in the post, said recipients were really supposed to wear the badge on official occasions only, but she planned to wear it all the time, because she did not have much time left.

Joan worked on two farms, one in Suffolk and another in Devon, milking up to 40 friesian and jersey cows a day by hand.

“Both farms had milking machines installed, but neither of them ever used them,” she said.

As a city girl, she found horse harness so confusing, she drew pictures of the straps and buckles to help her learn the process of attaching the pony to the cart. A small woman, she handled the milk churns, which weighed more than 45kg when full, by hoisting them on to her knees and then on to the cart.

“You’d never be allowed to do it these days, but then you never complained about anything,” she said.

Those heavy churns cost her dearly. After she began having children,

ARMY RECOGNITION: Joan Quick is amused by the time it has taken for the Women's Land Army to gain official recognition.

PHOTO: BELINDA SCOTT

she suffered three prolapses. But there were compensations. It was while working on the land that Joan met Fred, the

handsome soldier who was to become her adored husband of 64 years.

That meeting later saw the family living in Africa,

Britain and finally Australia, working in agriculture, hospitality, dog boarding kennels, antiques and jewellery.

Joan has since turned her journey into a self-published autobiography, Whatever Next?

Join us for gentle exercise classes to improve your balance WAR WORK: Better late than never, Joan's badge recognises her work. PHOTO: BELINDA SCOTT.

Unit 12, Lot 5, Druitt Court, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Phone: 6651 2143 / Fax: 6652 9430 Email: admin@coffshomemods.com.au www.coffshomemods.com.au www.facebook.com.au/coffshomemods

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6 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, September 26, 2016

All the replica vehicles have functional moving parts.

FUN & GAMES: Toymaker Bill Robson and offsider Sue Ewin, who does his computer work.

:

PHOTOS: BELINDA SCOTT.

Wooden machines keep Bill at full revs Belinda Scott

BILL Robson is a modern-day Geppetto, but there is no Pinocchio to be found in his Evans Head workshop.

Instead this maker of wooden toys creates miniature versions of the huge machines that excite the wonder of today’s children – and their parents. Scaled down versions of road trains, 18-wheelers, bulldozers and excavators line his Canberra St industrial bay.

Made from local timbers like silky oak and cedar, polished to a display-case finish, these

replicas have functional moving parts and are sturdy enough to be played with and handed down to future

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are a miniature Mack truck with a dog trailer; a 1934 Buick; a road train with 68 wheels; a 1936 Ford and a farm tractor.

“I bought a book on toys and some woodworking equipment and that’s how it started. — Bill Robson

generations.

Caterpillar tracks, wheels and buckets move, roll, open and close, cabs pivot and prime mover and trailer combinations can be hitched and unhitched.

Among the toys on display

Toy vehicles are not all that Bill makes – he uses his wood working skills and his computer-aided cutting equipment to build clocks in the shape of rustic windmills (with tank attached) and creates

individually designed timber covers for wedding guest books as well as miniature furniture and turned timber urns.

Born in Casino 73 years ago, Bill moved to Evans Head to become involved in surf life saving, an interest he still maintains.

A downturn on the north coast building industry saw Bill forced to move to Sydney for work.

“I had six kids and I was too proud to ask for the dole, so I had no choice,” he said.

A losing streak at the races was responsible for his current occupation.

“I was living in a unit in

Bill's bulldozers have functioning caterpillar tracks, a blade you can raise and lower and other moving parts.

Sydney with nothing to do at the weekends so I used to go to the races on Saturdays,” Bill said.

“One day I lost $800, and I thought: ‘that could buy a lot of saws and things’.”

“So I bought a book on toys and some woodworking equipment and that’s how it started.”

Busy in his workshop

five days a week, he mows his lawns and volunteers behind the bar at the Evans Head surf life saving club on Saturdays and has a stall at Lismore’s car boot markets once a a month to show off and sell his Heirloom Toys 4 Big Boyz.

Phone Bill Robson 0424 411 777 for more information.

Stellar line-up for We Care Day ACCESS all areas is the underlying theme for Coffs Harbour’s We Care Day. Event organiser Paula Dowd said this year would see the fourth running of the outdoor event, in Brelsford Park from 9am to 3pm on October 8.

She said this year would see a stellar line up of entertainers and activities for people of all ages, abilities and

cultures.

Paula, who is the marketing and community engagement manager for Community Care Options, said the concept for the annual event had a particular emphasis on access, which came from feedback from their clientele wanting to know what was out there for them.

“A lot of venues are not

THE DRUM: Rafiki Connection get the beat.

completely accessible and there are a lot of old people and people with disabilities in the audience,” she said.

Among VIPS at We Care Day will be Australia’s Got Talent finalist; singer and pianist Matt McLaren and his guide dog Stamford and Paralympian Ryley Batt, just home from Rio. Matt, who has been blind since birth, will be

the headline act on the main stage and Ryley will lead the wheelchair celebrity wheel-off and also host come and try sessions for anyone wanting to try wheelchair rugby and basketball As well as live entertainment by singers, musicians and dancers, there will be food and market stalls, an arts hub and youth zone.

GET READY: Celebrity Wheel Off takes place at the Wheelchair Sports NSW zone.

ALL WELCOME: kids and their special zone.

PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED.

Coffs and Clarence

Monday, September 26, 2016 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 7

Safe viewing from Pinnacles platform YAEGL woman Deidre Randall said it was a special moment when the viewing platform at The Pinnacles near Maclean Lookout was opened.

Deidre, accompanied by her cousin Stuart Randall, welcomed visitors to Yaegl country at the official opening and complimented the work done.

“It is much safer now,” Deidre said.

She said The Pinnacles itself was a women’s area and men did not go there.

Built at the edge of a cliff, the steel-railed sandstone viewing platform and walkway not only provides a panoramic view of The Pinnacles, but also discouraged people from venturing into the depths of the bowl-like valley which cradles the dramatic rock formation.

This unusual geological structure has cultural, historical and resource

significance to the Yaegl people.

Deidre’s grandmother and Stuart’s aunt, Auntie Annie Randall (nee Cameron) was born adjacent to the Lookout in 1901 and Aboriginal families lived there until they were relocated to Ulgundahi Island in 1904.

Yaegl Elder Elizabeth Smith provided information for Maclean Landcare Secretary Annie Stanton of RDI Design.

Annie then created the interpretative signage for the viewing platform.

Yaegl artist Charlene Williams was tasked with painting a special artwork for the sign.

Clarence Valley Council Mayor Richie Williamson said the $134,000 viewing platform, designed by Steve Gorrell and built by Clarence Valley Council staff, was a massive improvement.

He said it was council money that had been well invested.

The Pinnacles holds meaning for the Yaegl people.

Deidre and Stuart Randall on the viewing platform.

Belinda Scott

POOL TIME: The pool at Yamba's main beach.

Strength in a Yamba cluster Belinda Scott

LESSONS learned by Clarence marine engineers may help Yamba’s new Tourism and Hospitality Cluster, which held its first meeting several months ago.

Clarence Valley Council’s director of environment, planning and community, Des Schroder, said the direction taken by the cluster would be up to its members, as the intention was for it to be a self-help operation making use of the talents and experiences of the group to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities.

He said whichever direction it took, the council was hoping that the Yamba cluster could repeat the success of the valley’s marine engineering cluster.

Clarence Valley marine engineering cluster members have solved the problem of a lack of

SELF HELP: Des Schroder advises operators take advantage of opportunities.

ON OFFER: Yamba has ample scenic walking and cycling routes for young and old.

PHOTOS: CLARENCE VALLEY COUNCIL.

training for their staff in a local industry made of up of small business operators, by using their combined numbers to organise specific TAFE training.

Mr Schroder said

Yamba was “the new Byron” with a lot of traffic, especially from south east Queensland, bypassing Byron Bay and heading to Yamba. And tourism was recording annual growth of 15% and the town was

attracting publicity for its good food, food producers, markets, surf, accommodation and its “vibe”.

“Our biggest season is the Queensland school holidays,” Des said.

“Fifty-four per cent of our tourists are from south east Qeensland.

People are yearning for the traditional holiday experience –the laid back, quieter village atmosphere with no high rise.”

Maclean Landcare members with the new signage.

PHOTOS: BELINDA SCOTT

8 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, September 26, 2016

Live

BRIGHT: Open cabinets bring kitchen to life

Home deco on a budget

HIGH PRICE: Citrus is costing more than usual, opt for seasonal fruits instead. PHOTO: ADEMKA

Seasonal fruits deliver great buys for the table

CITRUS is setting some high prices this month, but vegetables and seasonal fruits are the best buys, delivering quality fresh produce to your table.

Asian vegetables, beans, beetroot and broccoli are cheap, as are kitchen favourites of Australian asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, leeks,

snow peas, silverbeet, sweet corn, zucchini, mushrooms, sweet potatoes and pumpkin.

Expect to pay more for brussels sprouts, eggplant, parsnips and squash, and potatoes are unusually expensive. If you buy them, remember most of the nutritional value is just under the skin, so it is best to cook them with the skin on.

You will pay high prices for onions and capsicums, with the sweeter red capsicum costing more than the green.

In the salad aisle, expect to pay firm prices for most tomato varieties with roma and cherry punnets costing more than usual. Avocados are firmly priced but there is great value lettuce varieties.

BUDGET conscience home owners seeking to liven up their family kitchen will love these renovating hacks: Removing the doors on cabinets can transform a tired kitchen into a warm and inviting cooking zone, and is a quick and easy task.

Taking off the doors is one thing, but why not take it a step further and fancy up the interiors?

Change the backs to the cabinets from that boring white laminate and reface using either a wallpaper, or even material.

The old fail-safe of a new coat of paint is always an option too – why not change it up with some trending colours?

Cheese glorious cheese CHEAP EATS, NO TRUFFLES CHRISTINE PERKIN CHEESE is becoming a very expensive and indulgent pleasure these days.

Have you ever thought of making your own?

It can cost a fraction of the price after the initial outlay for the utensils and ingredients and the flavour is so much better?

You will be surprised how easy it is to make.

I found the best way to start on the cheese making road was to start with Ricotta as it is a very easy cheese to make with ingredients you will have in your pantry.

Ricotta cheese originated in Italy when it was necessary to make the most of the by-products from cheese-making.

After a cheese like mozzarella was made, there were still some soft

curds floating in the whey.

These were scooped up and ladled into baskets to be drained, then cooked again and made into ricotta cheese. Ricotta actually means “recooked” in Italian.

You can make Ricotta on its own and also when you become more adventurous you can make the Ricotta from the left over whey of other cheeses you have made.

My first experience with cheese making was Camembert that took quite a while to make and wasn’t edible in the end.

I think it may have been a bit ambitious for a first try so I found the local home brew shop had the best way to start and that was to buy a cheese kit or you can buy a kit on line as well as information.

When your confidence increases make the more complicated cheeses, the sky is the limit.

Two web sites I found are www.cheesemaking. com.au and www.mad millie.com.au that have all you need to start.

Good luck and buon appetito.

Tips to help you manage your power usage and cut bills Ask about payment plans or Centrepay Paying for your bills in instalments is a great way of avoiding the shock of a large quarterly bill. You can arrange a payment plan through your energy retailer. Centrelink clients can arrange Centrepay External link, where regular small payments are deducted from your allowance and paid towards your account.

Check the energy star rating of appliances When thinking about buying appliances, look out for an energy star rating. Appliance labelling helps in choosing appliances that are cheaper to run.

Energy assessment Find out how efficient

your household is with power and explore ways to reduce your bills through the NSW Government’s NABERS website. Visit nabers.gov.au for more information.

Rebates Learn more about NSW Government rebates and financial assistance for energy customers. Phone 13 77 88 for more information.

Learn about power use Borrow a Save Power Kit (free) from selected local libraries in NSW External link. It’s a fun way to learn about power use and how to reduce bills.

Learn to save energy Check out the NSW Department of Industry’s website for tips on how to save energy. Visit

www.resourcesand energy.nsw.gov.au and start saving.

Smarter Choices Learn about the running costs of different appliances and white goods when you are deciding what to buy.

Search for Smarter Choice retailers on the web to make informed decision about running costs when you are buying TVs, fridges, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers.

Shop around for the best energy deals Customers can choose an energy deal that is best for them. Visit www.energy madeeasy.gov.au to search for offers. Make sure to have a bill handy.

WINNER: Pat’s skirt has withstood the test of time.

Creative Ken Done winners TWO months ago we asked readers “what’s the story behind the first Ken Done item you owned?” and the responses were brilliant.

Winners were Brisbane’s Patricia

McKenna, Toowoomba’s Sue Collins and Northern NSW’s Norma Kay, who received Ken Done’s book A Life Coloured In. Pat’s entry included a picture of her Ken Done item: “Going to a function;

nothing to wear. Saw Ken Done material; bought it then and there. It was furnishing material; the colours were just right.

Saw Ken signing scarves one day; he saw my skirt and did the same.”

Coffs and Clarence

Monday, September 26, 2016 seniorsnews.com.au

and let’s save Low-cost guide offers grey nomads savings

PEOPLE PLACES & PERKS EMILY BLACK WHAT better way to enjoy retirement than discovering Australia?

If you can see it for a fraction of the normal cost, you can go for longer and more often. The online world offers a

plethora of low-cost camping options, one of the most popular is freecampingaustralia. com.au.

Providing specials, events and camping sites, it’s great for planning your trip. According to the site, the latest free camp sites include: Mambi Island – Perry Creek Road, Lake Argyle, WA. The dog-friendly camping area is a popular fishing spot with toilets.

You need to bring your own firewood and drinking water. Oh, and be aware of “salties” in the Lower Ord River. Phone 08 9168 1177.

Gum Bend Lake – Gum Bend Road, Condobolin, NSW. The on-leash dog-friendly campsite is an artificial waterway for boating, swimming and water skiing, with free picnic and camping facilities, including barbecues, hot showers

and flushing toilets.

Phone 02 6895 4444.

GETTING THERE

Save on camper-van hire, with vehicle relocation services like transfercar.com.au offering a reduced price.

Drivers register online

BUDGET TIPS: Hit the road more. PHOTO: FLAIR IMAGES

CHEESE PLEASE: Make your own fresh ricotta cheese at home.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Fresh full cream milk ricotta Ingredients ■ 2 ltrs full cream milk ■ 1 tspn salt ■ 4 tbspns cream ■ 4 tbsps white vinegar or lemon juice Step 1 - Place the milk, salt and cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat until almost boiling (it needs heat to curdle properly).

Then add the vinegar and stir it once or twice very gently just to distribute the vinegar (constant stirring will

result in tough, rubbery curds). Simmer for one to two minutes and then allow to sit for 10 minutes. Most of the ricotta curds will float to the top, leaving the whey at the bottom.

Step 2 - Line a sieve with two layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl to drain or you can use a fine sieve as the ricotta curds are quite large and creamy. Gently pour the ricotta mixture through the cheesecloth and the

whey will separate at the bottom in a clear yellow liquid and the soft and creamy ricotta will sit at the top.

If you want a more solid ricotta, drain for an hour or overnight. Keeps for two to three days in the fridge in an airtight container. Bake your ricotta with lemon, thyme and grapes.

Hint: Wash your saucepan and utensils immediately, otherwise it can take a bit of elbow grease to clean up.

to access available vehicles and submit a request. If accepted, drivers are notified and the rental operator makes contact to organisepick up.

ON THE ROAD

Don’t waste money on expensive toilet chemicals. Laundry soaker is a good alternative.

According to freecampingaustralia. com.au Coles home brand is the favoured additive, stating it’s phosphate free, biodegradable, safe for septics and suitable for dump point disposal.

Directions ■ Mix 2 heaped tablespoons of Ultra Booster to one litre of cold water and stir until dissolved.

■ Pour into bottom of 20 litre holding tank.

Seniors 9

Eco footprint starts at home BE THRIFTY AND THRIVE NICKY NORMAN AS INDIVIDUALS, it helps to understand the demands on our environment and what we can learn now, so we can change our ways, for the benefit of future generations.

Some people believe that to live in a sustainable way is to make sacrifices, to live a less comfortable life in the name of environmental sustainability.

That doesn’t have to be the case and here are some ways you can leave behind a lighter footprint and a lighter budget.

ENERGISE WITH SOLAR POWER

Solar power energy from the sun can be captured in two ways, as heat energy (thermal energy) or as light energy.

Photovoltaic (PV) technology, also known as solar panels, converts the sun's light energy into an electrical current.

It’s an increasingly affordable option to reduce power bills.

Once paid for and installed, it’s low-maintenance and can last 20 years or more and the electricity they generate is free.

Solar power systems have become very

popular with Australian home owners, with more than 1.548 million rooftop systems installed across Australia (as at June 1, 2016).

HARVESTING RAINWATER

Rainwater is a natural and free source of fresh water.

If you live in a rural area or on acreage, rainwater may already be part or all of your water supply.

Harvesting rainwater in a tank gives you a personal supply of water to use during water restrictions and can help to reduce your water bills.

HEATING AND COOLING DESIGN

Very little energy is needed to make a well-designed house comfortable.

Appropriate insulation, which is essential for a comfortable house, can create low or even no energy requirements for heating and cooling.

Even for existing homes, there are many ways to reduce energy bills, improve comfort and help the environment. Gas heaters and efficient reverse cycle air conditioners, produce only one-third the greenhouse gas emissions of standard electric heaters.

Wood can be an excellent fuel because it is a renewable resource if sustainably harvested.

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10 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, September 26, 2016

online

www.seniorsnews.com.au

How to set up an email

v LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/seniorsnews.com.au

IN today’s society it’s almost impossible to live without an email address and at some point we’re all going to need an email account.

The most commonly used free email accounts are Gmail and Outlook, both of which need an internet browser, such as Internet Explorer, to access.

Gmail: Step 1. Type www.gmail.com into the URL space at the top of the internet browser Step 2. Select “Create

Account” Step 3. Fill in your details and you’re on your way Outlook: Step 1. Type in www.microsoft.com/ en-au/outlook-com/ into the URL space at the top of the internet browser Step 2. Select “Sign up” Step 3. Fill in your details and you’re on your way.

Both of these platforms will ask you to verify your account. This may require you to create an account on both platforms, starting with Gmail.

Now you have an email account, you’re well on your way to entering our caravan competition. See page 2 for more details.

3

67 today: 4 turns his stance on

New King Arthur movie coming THE legend of King Arthur is a mythical story told for generations but the story never gets old, and Guy Ritchie is the latest to direct the tale. Read more online.

Iris Apfel shares life lessons AT 95, she is a fashion icon and businesswoman and she admits she gets a little tired of running around, but once she’s out, she feels renewed. Read more online.

Told to leave uni job

DAVID Goodall, 102, can be found most days in his office at Edith Cowan University, where he claims the title of Australia's oldest working scientist.

He's had a career in ecology spanning 70 years, producing more

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than 100 research papers and earning three doctorates, but that's about to come to an end as the university has declared him unfit to be on campus.

You can read the rest of this story at www.seniorsnews.com.au

Happy 86th, Sean Connery!

THE Scottish actor turned 86 on August 25. In honour of his birthday, Seniors News posted some of his classic film quotes. Read at www.seniorsnews.com.au

TECH TALK TAYA SWEENEY

MOST POPULAR STORIES Father’s Day this September share a memory of your dad.

1

Willy Wonka star Gene Wilder dead at 83

2

REVEALED: Dietary fibre intake tied to successful ageing

Kim Cattrall turns 60: Her advice on ageing gracefully

Rick Springfield facelifts

Get smart tech classes at the Grafton Library

A NEW series of technology sessions for seniors are being rolled out in Grafton.

Sir Earle Page Library and Education Centre will host five Tech Savvy Seniors workshops each Wednesday, from 10am-noon, from mid September.

Topics include introduction to computers;

❝

gained through print or through technology and library staff always work to help the community, regardless of the format,” Kathryn said.

Bookings are essential as places are limited to 10 people a class.

Visit the library or phone (02) 6641 0100 to secure a place.

Alternatively, dedicated

Literacy skills can be gained through print or through technology and library staff always work to help the community, regardless of the format.

— Kathryn Breward

iPads and tablets; and basic email.

Regional librarian Kathryn Breward said the library’s classes help people become more independent, gain life skills and improve decision making and communication through information literacy.

“Literacy skills can be

staff will host informal sessions at the Sir Earle Page Library and Education Centre on the third Wednesday of the month, from 1–3pm.

Staff also visit Iluka, Yamba and Maclean libraries.

For more information, visit the website www.crl. nsw.gov.au.

IN COMMUNICADO: Become a Tech Savvy Senior at Sir Earle Page Library and Education Centre each Wednesday.

Coffs and Clarence

Monday, September 26, 2016 seniorsnews.com.au

talk’n’thoughts

Seniors 11

Share your thoughts

Tell us about your experiences What are your interests?

Hurdles, highjumps and solutions

Dementia Month time when you are not alone AUSTRALIANS are being encouraged to find out more about dementia during Dementia Awareness Month in September, so people living with the condition feel less isolated and alone.

As part of Dementia Awareness Month, Alzheimer’s Australia NSW and Alzheimer’s Australia (Qld) will host a range of events. Visit fightdementia.org.au for details.

This year’s theme is You Are Not Alone. World Alzheimer’s Day is on Wednesday, September 21.

Dementia Awareness

Month 2016 is supported by financial assistance from the Australian Government.

Alzheimer’s Australia is the charity for people with dementia and their families and carers.

As the peak body, it provides advocacy, support services, education and information.

An estimated 353,800 people have dementia in Australia. This number is projected to reach more than half a million by 2030.

National Dementia Helpline: 1800 100 500.

An interpreter service is available.

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

A cruel diagnosis PADDY Ryan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease four-and-a-half years ago.

His 15 years in Brisbane’s Metropolitan Fire Brigade and his life since appears to have counted for little. The cruel diagnosis placed Paddy among more than 25,000 Australians aged under 65 and currently living with dementia, a number forecast to increase to close to 37,000 by 2050.

Paddy was always a family man; a husband, father, grandfather and brother. Today his wife Shirley and children Tracy, Kellie, John, Jessica and grandchildren Lukas,

DRAMATIC EFFECTS: Former firefighter Shane ‘Paddy’ Ryan with his daughter Jess.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Jack and Tommy have been witness to this proud and selfless man’s gradual decline.

He now struggles to complete sentences or even recognise those who love him most.

Younger brother Shane said Paddy always made light of

every situation, saw the best in everyone, but he was now living with a disease that had had such a dramatic effect on his life and the life of his entire family.

“But dementia doesn’t discriminate and our family know we’re just one of many

families trying to come to terms with it,” he said.

Paddy began to show signs of confusion and forgetfulness in his daily work routine. He kept checking things with his son John who was working with him at the time. The family realised that something was wrong.

Paddy had always been an emotional strength to his family.

He provided comfort and support when his eldest daughter Tracey was involved in a serious car accident and then later diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma.

He’s been in full-time care now for the past 18 months.

Tom thinks renovations rather than million dollar purchases accountant Norm Barrington, who dubbed self-funded retirees “the forgotten race” in last month’s Coffs & Clarence Seniors Newspaper, Tom said home renovation was part of his planning for the year ahead.

He added high fees and confusing, or misleading, information from investment advisers were as problematic for self-funded retirees as the record low interest rates.

Both problems have

been noted in recent reviews into Australian banking and are among the reasons quoted for a royal commission into the independent retiree industry.

“Retirees would soon eat up their capital and find themselves needing the pension if low interest rates and high fees forced them to draw down their invested funds to cover their daily living expenses,” Tom explained.

Seniors News

INVESTMENT TEMPATION: Accountant Tom Caldwell says renovation is a tempting investment.

PHOTO: BELINDA SCOTT

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RETIRED Coffs Harbour accountant Tom Caldwell says he does not believe thousands of self-funded retirees will abandon term deposits to buy million dollar houses, just so they can get the pension.

Although, he does believe some will take their money out of low-interest banking products to renovate their homes. And he will be one of them.

Responding to 87-year-old Gold Coast

12 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, September 26, 2016

community COMMUNITY NOTICES HELLO readers, to enable us to respond to your request for publication of more Community Notices, we ask that you keep your notices short and to the point (100 word maximum). If you would like to submit a photo please ensure the quality is at least 180dpi of peoples faces and nice and bright. Club notices deadline for the next issue is October 12, 2016. Inquires to Nicky or Chris via email communitynotes@seniors newspaper.com.au

ROAD CLOSURE

THE Duke Street Extension will be closed to traffic on Monday, September 26, for the completion of works.

Traffic controllers and signs will be in place, as motorists and pedestrians are asked to follow their directions.

The Duke Street extension is due to finish in mid-November, weather permitting.

NORTH COAST PORCELAIN EXHIBITION

NORTH Coast Porcelain Painters Annual Porcelain Art Exhibition is on until Sunday, October 2, at the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden, Hardacre St, Coffs Harbour. The 16th Annual Porcelain Art Exhibition will feature members’ hand painted work in a range of different styles, using traditional to modern techniques. The exhibition is open from 10am to 3pm each day until October 2.

RUOK DAY: Cook, Alicia Nye, dressed as a yellow fairy, with Fay Mueck and Lola Miller. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED.

ON SHOW: North Coast Porcelain Exhibition will feature hand painted work.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED..

Items on display, and for sale, include large to small plates, coffee mugs, vases, dishes, and much more.

North Coast Porcelain Painters meet monthly at the Botanic Gardens for a workshop and new members or interested people are welcome to attend.

If you interested, or would like more information about the exhibition, workshop dates or group, call Maxine on 0419 642 66 or email ncppainters@gmail.com.

of service on the committee and life membership was awarded to Vreni Voigt.

Our guitar, ukulele and Good Vibes singing group provided entertainment as well as a recital from Dorothy Hillis of the Creative Writing group.

For more information, visit www.grafton.u3anet. org.au, or call secretary Carole Cairns on 6642 4615, or email secretary@grafton. u3anet.org.au.

VIEW CLUBS ■ COFFS DAY

COFFS Day VIEW Club will celebrate 49 years as part of The Smith Family

on October 11 at the Coffs Ex Services, from 11am.

Formed in 1967, the Coffs Day Club was the first on the mid-north coast with clubs in Sawtell, Bonville Boambee, Korora, Woolgoolga Day and Evening, Urunga, Coffs Evening and Nambucca all being formed in the years between.

Visitors are welcome to join us on the celebration, call Anne on 6651 3622,

by October 6 to book.

■ KORORA

KORORA VIEW Club Will celebrate 23 years on Tuesday, October 4.

Come along and help celebrate at Coffs Ex Services Club at 11am.

It will be a fun get together with lunch and

fashion parade.

For bookings and more information please call 6653 7078.

RUOK DAY

RESIDENTS and staff at Taloumbi Garden Villages, Coffs Harbour, took part in RUOK day on September 8.

Residents had an afternoon chatting and eating, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

GRAFTON U3A

WITH 126 members attending, David Thomson was elected president at Grafton U3A’s annual general meeting in August.

David Abrahams and Maree Burrows received presentations acknowledging their years

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

NOMINATIONS are open for the 2016 Grace Roberts Community Development Awards.

Previous winner Reuben

Robinson has no doubt of the importance of the Awards for the local Aboriginal and wider community – and is calling for people to nominate now.

“A lot of our people contribute so much to the greater benefit of the whole of Coffs Harbour and it’s so great we can put them up there on a pedestal for something that they think is so minor, but has achieved so much,” he says.

Coffs Harbour City Council and the Yandaarra Aboriginal Consultative Committee will host the Grace Roberts Community Development Awards Presentation Night at Pacific Bay Novotel Resort CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

Why the wax – surely we’re responsible for our own eyebrows? too thin eyebrows can add 10 years on to our appearance. (We’ve all known a lady who shaved off her eyebrows right and ANN RICKARD then pencilled in a thick Snapshots of life black line, haven’t we?) ann.rickard@apn.com.au These days you can’t pick up a magazine LISTEN up ladies. And you without being admonished men too. Let’s talk about about the state of your eyebrows. eyebrows. No longer is it Those things that sit enough to pluck and above our eyes and used to pencilas it was in our good be full and flourishing, but old days, it’s now have now diminished with necessary to attend an age, can have a dramatic specialist eyebrow salon. effect on our face.

I’ve had my eyebrows dyed Accordingly to a great professionally,(and come many beauty magazines, away looking like Groucho

Marx) but the thought of an eyebrow salon – a place dedicated solely to eyebrows gives me the jitters.

I am happy to go to salons that that will give me facials, cut my hair and fiddle with my toenails, but something about paying someone to smarten my eyebrows makes me feel… lazy.

Surely we must take responsibility for our own eyebrows?

On my last overseas trip I stormed the beauty counter in the duty free shop (as opposed to

storming the liquor section which is where I usually head straight to) and sought professional eyebrow advice.

I was told I must comb them, wax them, have a template made for them and once all that was done, to maintain them I should apply a special “moulding” serum to set each little hair (of the few I have left up there) and only then could I fill in the tamed and compliant eyebrow with a special eyebrow powder, and then give them a final comb with a special (expensive)

WAXING WOES: Comb, wax and have a template made.

gadget.

I must maintain and condition my eyebrows regularly with specialist eyebrow gel, but, if it runs out of expensive gel, castor oil will do the trick.

I’ve done all this andresented it. it adds another 10 minutes on to

my make-up routine every morning.

The thing is, I have a long fringe which all but covers them – what a waste. Of course the final solution to our eyebrow problems is to have them tattooed on, but really…do we want to go there? I do envy you blokes who only ask the barber (hair stylist, sorry) to run the buzzing machine over them when they have a hair cut.

Simple. No eyebrow template for you, eh?

— ann.rickard@scnews .com.au

Monday, September 26, 2016 seniorsnews.com.au

neighbourhood news

Coffs and Clarence

Seniors 13

Brian’s orchids are on show

Sammy Lovejoy and Elaine Broadfoot outside Grafton Gem Club.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED. FROM PAGE 12

on Saturday, October 22.

This year there are three nomination categories, including Community Worker of the Year, Community Organisation of the Year, and the Grace Roberts Community Development Award.

Nominations close on September 30.

WHAT A GEM. HAVE BIKE, WILL DELIVER

ELAINE Broadfoot might be 83 years of age and a little restricted in her computer skills, but that didn’t stop her making a successful application on behalf of the Grafton Gem Club for funding from the Clarence Valley Council’s Community Initiatives Program.

The club is one of 47 not-for-profit community groups who were successful with their applications for assistance from the program in the latest round, and Elaine said her club could not have been happier.

“It is only the second grant for the club,” she said.

“At our monthly meeting, I held the announcement until the last item of correspondence. The committee and club members were surprised and gave me a round of applause.”

Another surprise was the help she got making her funding application,

Reuben Robinson with his Award in 2013.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED.

with the council’s community projects officer arriving on a bicycle to offer assistance.

“I think it is just wonderful that the community projects officer is preserving the environment by making at-home appointments on her bicycle,” she said.

“I really appreciated the assistance. The club will definitely be applying to the community initiatives program again and would like to thank council for making funds available for non-profit organisations.”

The Gem Club meets Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9am-4pm in the club shed next to The Barn, Grafton Showgrounds.

New members welcome to come along, especially young people.

Contact Elaine on 6643 5659 or email clarencechick@gmail.com Any not-for-profit organisations or CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

BRIAN Newman has been growing orchids for 50 years and long before that was trailing his father through the bush to look for new specimens.

“I was about 10 when I started picking up orchids for my old man,” Brian said.

“Dad and his mates used to go hunting for orchids with the Rev HM Rupp, who is in a lot of books for finding new orchids. I think they were with him when he found the underground orchid at Bulahdelah.”

The Woolgoolga District Orchid Society President said it was not true that all orchids were difficult to grow, although some were more challenging than others.

“A cattleya orchid is something you can throw on the ground and it will flower,” he said, relating the story of an orchid he left in a plastic bag and forgot, until he realised it was flowering, inside the bag. He is looking Woolgoolga District Orchid Society President Brian Newman with an award winning forward to judging Dendrobium orchid, C.K. Ai ‘Oka’ PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED another new award introduced to the growing as an interest at Brian recently bought progress of his hard Woolgoolga Spring any age. He cites the a glasshouse for some cane dendrobiums. His Orchid Show this year, example of his friend and of his 1500-something “pin-up” plant is the President’s Choice colleague, phalaenopsis orchids; and is trychoglotis Award. expert Gordon Clarke, researching the least atropurpurea, which Brian said he could who is 83 and deeply expensive way to heat it produces a spike of dark recommend orchid involved in his speciality. and is pleased with the purple and burgundy.

Woolgoolga orchid sweet spot WOOLGOOLGA’S Yeates Hall will host a dazzling display of hundreds of flowering orchids on Saturday, October 1.

Club President Brian Newman said all the club’s members, not just a select group, contributed to the hard work involved in staging a major orchid show. This year visitors to

the show can also be a judge for a day, voting for the new People’s Choice Award, which is independent of the professional judging.

A Garden Expo will be held in conjunction with the Spring Orchid Show, with plants for sale.

Woolgoolga Garden Club will be providing tea

Step-by-step to positive ageing ACT OF AGEING DR ALEX McHARG PhD AGEING positively depends upon each step working together, because this is more efficient than focussing totally on separate elements at this stage.

In this second column on a step-by-step approach to positive ageing, I introduce you to the part that makes the

difference.

After being motivated in step one, to get off the couch, you decided to go for long brisk walk, remembering to only breathe through your nose.

You were feeling pretty proud of yourself and thought that a little treat would not do any harm.

You may have even thought that you deserved it, so you brought out the chocolate or cream biscuits.

Not a good idea.

What you need to focus upon now is what sort of

healthy food to eat.

If you can begin with a salad it would give you huge health benefits, followed by protein foods such as fish, meat, beans and nuts.

Include plenty of fruit and vegetables, preferably organic and aim to avoid processed foods.

Now that you are getting motivated, look into what kind of exercises and activities will give you additional benefits, such as yoga, table tennis, swimming or dancing.

Spending time in the sunlight and fresh air is

particularly important for your health.

Remember to stretch before any activity.

My following column will feature how you should breathe, the correct way to stretch, types of exercises to do and particular foods to eat and how to prepare them, especially as we age.

— Dr Mac

STAY TUNED: Dr Mac’s next column will explain the correct ways to breathe and stretch. PHOTO: PURESTOCK

and coffee and a sausage sizzle will operate from 11am to 1.30pm. Expert and experienced growers will be on hand to chat, guide and provide the best tips and advice for your local conditions, while there will be short talks on a variety of gardening topics .

The Spring Orchid Show

and Garden Expo will be held in the Yeates Hall at Woolgoolga Public School, 24 Scarborough Street, Woolgoolga. Doors are open from 9.30am until 3.30pm, with the award presentation and raffle draws at 3pm. Entry is free, with gold coin donations contributing to future shows.

14 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, September 26, 2016

finance Don’t be fooled as scammers pretend to be telco employees

IMAGINE receiving an unexpected call from a person stating they are from your telephone company or internet provider, claiming your accounts are under attack from fraudsters wanting to steal your money.

They’ll ask you to send money to be reimbursed, stating they have identified the fraudsters, instructing you to keep this request confidential as to not tip off other fraudsters.

They may request to remotely access your computer via remote access software, to show you they are indeed attacking.

In some occasions they show you your bank account online which has a false credit showing.

The caller provides you with their name and identification number.

Later, you receive another call from another person claiming to be an employee of the same company, but now providing a different identification number.

This is a deliberate part of the scam to make you believe fraudsters are really attempting to steal your money.

This is a scam, none of the callers are from the telephone company or internet provider.

Please refer to warnings on these types of scams from scamwatch.gov.au.

Unfortunately, once you have sent the money you’ve just become a victim of a scam.

Western Union regional fraud risk manager Asia Pacific Wayne Howarth

says criminals often target seniors.

“Awareness is the best defence against consumer fraud,” Wayne says.

“Scams can be convincing, but it’s important to keep a few things in mind before you rush to send money.”

Howarth recommends you follow the tips below to avoid becoming a victim of this scam or other scams: 1. Never send money on a request from someone you don’t know.

2. Never send money for tax charges or fees.

3. Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person.

4. Never send money to claim a lottery, prize winnings or compensation payment.

5. Never send money for an employment opportunity.

6. Never send money for an internet purchase.

7. Never send money to a grandchild, friend or family member for an emergency situation you have not confirmed.

8. If you did send money through Western Union, and then realise it was for a scam, contact the Western Union Fraud Hotline at 1800 023 324.

If the transaction has not been picked up, it will be refunded to you.

9. For more information on scams, or for more tips on how to help protect yourself from falling victim to fraud visit westernunion.com/au/en /fraudawareness/ fraud-home.

A house hunt number crunch THINK MONEY PAUL CLITHEROE

THE start of spring usually brings a flurry of For Sale signs to neighbourhood streets as property owners capitalise on warmer weather and gardens that look their best, to sell their place.

Spring 2016 is also accompanied by some of the lowest home loan interest rates ever seen, and buying activity is expected to be lively.

So if you’re home hunting, it pays to be prepared.

The latest figures from CoreLogic show Sydney remains the nation’s most expensive property market with a median home value

of $775,000 – far higher than nearest rivals Melbourne ($585,000) and Canberra ($561,000).

Prices have fallen over the past year in Darwin and Perth, taking median values down to $497,500 and $490,000 respectively.

Brisbane’s median is currently $477,500, while Adelaide ($417,500) and Hobart ($327,800) are Australia’s most affordable state capitals.

What’s especially interesting about the Sydney and Melbourne housing markets is the high level of recent price gains, which in some cases have eclipsed income growth.

As a guide, the Australian National University estimates that since 2012, Sydney home values have risen by 12.1% annually, yet

household incomes in Sydney have grown by just 4.5% per annum.

The only way many of us are able to afford today’s home prices is by taking out bigger mortgages.

I’m a fan of home ownership but, if you plan on entering the property market this spring, it’s important to crunch some numbers.

Living comfortably as a home owner means more than being able to afford your loan repayments.

You still need to be able to achieve other personal goals like starting a family, enjoying some decent leisure activities and, ultimately, be able to enter retirement as close to debt-free as possible.

It may all sound like a tall order but it can be done.

At the heart of this approach is having the

discipline to stick to a sensible household budget.

It also helps to avoid borrowing right up to the maximum limit a lender will allow.

This way you’re more likely to have cash in reserve to consistently pay a bit extra off your loan – a strategy that remains one of the most effective ways to get ahead with your mortgage over time.

When you find the place that’s right for you, it makes good sense to take out income protection insurance or review your current level of cover.

Yes, it’s another cost to wear. However if you can’t work for a lengthy period due to illness or injury, income insurance could be the thing that lets you hold onto your new home and your lifestyle.

Making your will: the things you need to know

EXECUTOR ADVICE: Carolyn Devries’ offers top trust tips.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED.

WHEN you make or update your will, an important decision is who to appoint as your executor.

You can nominate an alternate or back-up executor.

An executor is the person who you appoint to be responsible for carrying out the wishes in your will.

When choosing an executor, it is a good idea to name an alternate in case your first is unable to act as or does not want to become an executor.

You should consider the following: ■ Do you trust them?

■ Are they confident and prepared to deal with your assets as per your wishes?

■ Do they have time to do it?

■ Will they make sound decisions if disputes arises?

■ Are they likely to outlive you?

You can choose anyone over the age of 18, including your spouse, partner or children.

An executor of your will can be a beneficiary.

It’s possible to appoint two people to act as joint executors. If you are having difficulty choosing an executor, or you want someone independent, you can appoint a solicitor, accountant or a person from a trustee company.

— Carolyn Devries New Way Lawyers CEO newwaylawyers.com.au

* This information is intended as general legal information only for people living in Queensland and is not a substitute for individual legal advice.

Be prepared - and rule from the grave WHAT will happen to your estate when you die and do you have any say in the matter?

It’s not your typical barbecue conversation starter, but AMP financial planner Di Charman says it’s a discussion to have sooner rather than later.

“Basically, there are a number of quite simple, yet very powerful and important documents you must have,” Di said.

“These are four that I

would suggest you consider putting in place.”

■ Who will look after your money and make decisions for you?

A Power of Attorney (POA) gives another person the authority to make certain decisions on your behalf.

■ Who do you want to give your money to?

A will is not compulsory in Australia but can save a lot of fights and ensure assets get to the right

person at the right time.

■ Who gets my Super?

It’s important to remember your will doesn’t cover your super.

So if you don’t inform your superfund of your beneficiaries, the fund trustees may decide who gets your money after your death.

■ What happens if you fall ill or have an accident?

An Advanced Health Directive (AHD), is a

document many people won’t have heard of but again it can save a lot of heartache and worry for your family.

An AHD can be used to let your family and health practitioner know the type of care you want and for how long.

While these conversations are not the easiest to start, Di said a minor oversight now can lead to major problems down the track.

“It’s hard to think about our loved ones dying and many people avoid the conversation because they think it’s macabre,” Di said.

“However it’s far better to have a plan in place early and not have to worry about it when you may be dealing with far more emotional issues.”

*Dianne Charman is an Authorised Representative of AMP Financial Planning Pty Ltd, ABN 89 051 208 327, AFS License No. 232706. Any advice given is general only and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs.

HIGH FINANCES: Di Charman.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED Because of this, before acting on any advice, you should consult a financial planner to consider how appropriate the advice is to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

Monday, September 26, 2016 seniorsnews.com.au

At the 2016 Sunny's Business Awards, Community Care Options took home a trophy cabinet of awards.

PHOTO: BRUCE THOMAS FROM PAGE 13

individuals wanting more information on funding opportunities through the Community Initiatives Program are welcome to contact the community projects officer by email to sammy.lovejoy@clarence. nsw.gov.au or telephone 6642 0957.

The next funding round opens on September 1, 2016, for projects/initiatives from mid December 2016 to June 30, 2017.

WE CARE DAY

ACCESSIBLE outdoor event We Care Day on October 8 is the newest offering from innovative Coffs Harbour based non-profit organisation Community Care Options.

Community Care Options has won a raft of awards for its refreshing approach to assistance and inclusion.

It won seven of the 20 categories in the Coffs Coast’s Sunny’s Business Awards, including the

neighbourhood news

Business of the Year award and the special judges’ Young Executive award for CEO Debra Ryan.

Ms Ryan was recently described by a former colleague as vivacious and charismatic.

Community Care Options took out the Sunny’s awards for Employer of Choice; Business Leader of the Year; Excellence in Business Ethics; Community Services and the Achieve Anything Award. The government-funded, community-based organisation has 175 staff providing personal services for more than 2000 people each year, allowing them to remain independently in their own homes and as community members.

Clients include aged people; carers; those leaving hospital; people with dementia; those with disabilities and financially disadvantaged people in the Nambucca, Bellingen and Coffs

Harbour local government areas.

The service has proved agile and adaptable, supporting people to make and maintain community connections through a range of value added programs and activities.

NAME A RESERVE PROPOSAL

COFFS Harbour Reserve Naming and Memorial Policy Council is seeking comment from the community on the proposal to name the park at the Nana Glen Sportsground, Nana Glen after Mr Len Towells as Len Towells Oval.

Mr Towells was a long term resident of Nana Glen and throughout his life made an outstanding contribution to club cricket in the Orara Valley.

Submission must be in writing and addressed to the general manager, or email coffs.council @chcc.nsw. gov.au by close of business September 28 2016.

Macksville Hospital fundraiser

GETTING READY: Secretary Judy Riddell with Billie McKay and club treasurer May Harris (standing). PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

THE Nambucca Valley Garden Club will host the Garden Gala and Markets on Saturday, October 29, to raise funds for Macksville Hospital to

purchase much needed equipment.

The small group of about 50 members donated $8000 to the hospital last year and

hope to increase donations this year.

ABC Wild Kitchen’s Clayton Donovan and MasterChef Australia 2015 winner Billie McKay will stage cooking demonstrations and tastings at the event.

Back by popular demand, Clayton has very kindly agreed to join the festivities again following his extremely successful Bush Tucker Workshop last year.

Billie, fresh from Heston Blumenthal’s three Michelin Star restaurant The Fat Duck in England, will come to the Nambucca Valley’s Garden Gala, where she will demonstrate her skills and talk about her experiences for

attendees.

The event will present a variety of Australian and international foods, coffee and beverage outlets to choose from.

This is in addition to about 170 stalls, which will showcase a wonderful variety of plants, fresh produce, gourmet delights, arts, speciality crafts, gifts, garden artwork and more.

Live music, lucky door prizes, a flower show, art exhibition and sale will add to the entertainment and atmosphere.

The Garden Gala and Markets is on at the Macksville Showgrounds, entry and parking is free on the day. For more details, phone May Harris on (02) 6568 6285.

Coffs and Clarence

Seniors 15

Learning the art of mindfulness and how to breathe ‘in’ NEWBIE YOGA JAN RICHARDS MINDFULNESS is having its moment, by moment by moment. That’s an “in” joke. You might not get it, and it might not even be funny.

But mindfulness is in.

It’s in in the US, everywhere from prisons to playgrounds. It’s in in Australia, in schools, in community centres, in lounge rooms where groups of mindful practitioners meet to share the love.

Mindfulness is even a thing in dating, with sites for mindful singles. I might even join in the hope of meeting someone on my wavelength. Which wavelength? To be honest, I’m not quite sure. I’m a newbie yogi. That’s partly because I’m approaching it with a beginner’s mind – another mindful saying – but also because I’ve only been into it a few years – that’s a baby yogi.

If you’re thinking yoga’s just a series of poses, it’s not. Yoga’s a tradition of physical, breathing and mental disciplines with the ultimate aim of self-liberation, or the short-term aim of tranquillity. It’s working for me, somewhat. I practise mindfulness. I sit on my eco cushion, in my zen nook, beneath my Buddha print, prayer flags at the door. On a low-set table is a Tibetan bowl I can’t get to sing, candles I forget to light, and books I read, but don’t quite understand.

I’ve got apps to remind

me to breathe, for guided meditations and even a zen finger painting activity.

There’s music I use for meditation, and with meaningful voice-overs, with chanting, and for drifting into a zen sleep.

There’s a sound shower – too hard to explain, but totally makes me zen. I’m getting more zen, I must be. I’ve been to meditation retreats and sat for days following my breath. I’ve practised in yoga studios, community halls, on the beach and under trees. I practise mindfulness as I do the washing up, take a shower and as I walk the dog.

And, like a true yogi, I’m willing to share. So, if you’d like to follow my dedicated if haphazard journey towards a life of zen, I’ll be back next month. I’ll provide some useful information in my pick for the month.

This month I’m loving: Insight Timer meditation app. It’s free and there’s a huge variety of guided meditations, nicely grouped into playlists like Good Morning, Sleep, Relax, Mindfulness. You can create your own playlist with bookmarks.

There’s a timer, and I love the option to send a “Thanks for meditating with me” message to someone who’s been meditating at the same time you have. And it’s cool to get a message from someone in an exotic location, or just down the road, who happened to be meditating with you.

Newbie yogi Jan Richards develops yoga and meditation with her guru/mini-poodle Elvis.

Always in the moment, either chasing crabs on the beach or in her lap.

Look great for your age, as women live well into their 80s INSPIRING AND RETIRING EVA BENNETT “YOU look great for your age!” is the best compliment a 50-yearsplus woman can receive.

One hundred years ago, 50 was old and not many people lived into their 60s.

Today, the average life expectancy for women is well into their 80s.

Women are benefiting

from advances in health and skin care products and technology, to look younger as they live longer.

Women in their 50s and 60s are the baby boomers, who are changing all the previous rules about aging, and we are a long way from the finish line.

Actress Meryl Streep, who is in her 60s, is an inspirational woman who looks great for her age.

She doesn’t hide her lines and her happy, confident personality is what creates her beauty.

Aging is inevitable. From the day we are born to the day we leave this earth, we are all aging. Yet, many people are in denial of this fact.

Even young women today worry about aging and are seeking cosmetic procedures to maintain a “forever young” appearance.

Slowing down the development of aging skin is a fine balance between looking great naturally and not overdoing cosmetic procedures.

Research shows that our attitude has a strong

influence on speeding up or slowing down the aging process. Our constant thoughts are a self-fulfilling prophecy: Think “old” – you feel old.

Think “young” – you feel younger than your chronological age.

“Live life, forget your age” is a saying I think is so powerful.

We age from the inside out, so our emotional wellbeing and how we look after our bodies affects our health and skin.

Slow Down Skin Aging: 1. Eat plenty of antioxidant-rich foods.

Antioxidants help skin repair. Did you know that apples have a very high antioxidant content? So, “an apple a day keeps your skin healthy” can help us to look younger longer. Yet research shows that 46% of Australians only eat an apple once a week. Read more about the health properties of apples on www.haveanaussieapple. com.au 2. Take daily supplements like zinc and silica, to help maintain healthy skin.

3. Use skin care

products that contain antioxidants, to keep your skin looking its best.

4. Avoid excess sugar.

Research shows that a high intake of sugar can cause skin wrinkling.

5. Don’t smoke. Free radical production, generated by smoking, ages the skin.

6. Avoid prolonged midday sun exposure.

7. Drink up to two litres of water a day.

Eva Bennett is an author and professional speaker.

Visit her website plansretirement.com.au

16 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, September 26, 2016

travel

JOURNEYS -- International -- National - Your backyard ENJOY!

Perfect for smooth sailing

SET SAIL: Relaxing on the Anjodi.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Ann Rickard finds the leisurely pace of barging on the Canal du Midi much to her liking.

IN the Southern French city of Narbonne you can stand by a section of road still intact from the day the ancient Romans built it. You have to marvel at that.

The Via Domitia was the first Roman road built to link Italy and Hispania.

This section of the ancient road is now in a shallow pit in the town square, protected by a low wall where you can sit and take a selfie (if you are that way inclined) or just stand and gaze in wonder, trying to imagine what it was like there two thousand years ago when horses and chariots rumbled their way across the South of France.

The historical city of Narbonne is home to the wondrous St. Just-St Pasteur Cathedral, a massive Gothic structure you could easily spend an entire day just traversing.

Then when you’d had enough of Roman history and cathedral culture, a short walk would take you to Les Halles, the indoor market where your every French gourmet food fantasy will be satisfied.

Not a bad day in Narbonne, and it is just one of the highlights on a seven day Canal du Midi barge cruise with European Waterways.

In June, the beginning of the European summer,

we sailed on board Anjodi, the same barge Rick Stein travelled on when he made his evocative television series, A French Odyssey.

Remember Rick Stein stopping at impossibly pretty villages in the South of France? Dining extravagantly on regional dishes? Drinking delicious local wines and sailing serenely through idyllic countryside flanked by leafy plane trees with flourishing vineyards and redolent castles to the horizon?

You can follow in Rick Stein’s footsteps on Anjodi or another similar barge in the European Waterways’ fleet.

You’ll be picked up in Narbonne and driven to Anjodi docked just a short distance away where you will be greeted by crew proffering Champagne.

This pleasing and warm welcome is just the beginning.

Barge cruising is perfect for seniors. The pace is so leisurely you can’t help but forget all concerns. There are bikes on board, easy to manage along the towpaths as your barge cruises the 330 year-old World

Heritage Listed Canal du Midi, slower than you can cycle. If I can cycle a towpath, then you can to.

The crew on board Anjodi during our cruise – Captain Laurent, Chef Tom, Tour Guide Steve and Hostess Aneta - spoilt us as though we were visiting royalty.

Carrying just eight guests, cosseted in cosy yet roomy cabins with ensuite bathrooms, Anjodi is an 87-year-old barge originally designed to carry grain between Amsterdam and Paris.

Refurbished and transformed into a luxury hotel/barge in 1983, Anjodi is long and sleek, fitted-out in African dark wood and brass, her salon roomy with a bar (pleasingly full, and open 24 hours) and an eight-seater dining table, comfy lounges, large windows, a small library and CD player.

On the sun-deck, padded lounges, protective umbrellas, inviting deckchairs and a spa pool, complete the luxe story.

You will be constantly asked by your hosts if you need anything, and the

idea on this all-inclusive cruise is to have everything .

Every meal was carefully crafted by Chef Tom and presented as a testament to the fresh produce fathered from nearby villages: lunches of zucchini and feta salad, pissaladiere tart, seared tuna nicoise, an abundant seafood platter. Dinners were leisurely five-course affairs, but nothing too heavy: duck breast, guinea fowl, cured salmon, all the main stars for lively salads and regional vegetables.

Each dish was brought to the table by Aneta with insightful knowledge of the produce. Local cheeses were presented with elegance and in-depth understanding: a Sainte Maure de Touraine, Munster, Cantal, Roquefort…we were delighted and educated at the same time.

Wines had been meticulously hand-picked to match the food and showcase the areas we sailed through, wines we may never be in front of again: Puech Haut Rose Prestige; Picpoul de Pinet; La Croix Belle Grillon.

Every morning, Steve or

Tom would get on one of Anjodi’s bicycles and tootle to the nearest patisserie to bring back custard-filled pastries, pain au-chocolat, flaky croissants…spoilt, no?

Hotel barging is growing in popularity as it is totally different to an ocean or large river cruise ship.

The pace is agreeably slow with most seven day cruising covering about 100km, which means you can walk or bike the towpaths as your floating hotel glides alongside you. It is about fully immersing yourself in the culture, history and gastronomy of some of the fascinating regions of Europe including Burgundy, Alsace, the Cana du Midi…or the Italian Veneto.

A mini-van follows the barge, always ready to take you on fascinating shore excursions in between all that eating, drinking, sunning and gazing wistfully at passing villages of infinite charm and countryside that belongs on post-cards.

Each day brings discovery. In Carcassonne we stood before the mighty walls of the restored medieval castle

(featured in many Hollywood movies) while Tour Guide Steve wowed us with his total recall of Cathar history.

In the tiny fortified village of Minerve where the River Cesse tunnels through deep gorges, we wandered a maze of alleys to a 12th Century church and then a tiny museum filled with fossils.

A private wine tasting at the Chateau de Perdiguier, famed for its frescoes as well as its premium wines, is a highlight.

Crossing the aqueduct over the River Orb where you ascend the seven locks of Fonserannes is heady stuff, even for the locals on the canal banks who come to watch Anjodi rising majestically through the locks.

Embarking and disembarking Anjodi is easy as she pulls up right in villages with a senior-friendly gangplank.

When you are sailing you are never more than a few metres from the canal banks, very reassuring.

Barge cruising means you can access places big river ships cannot.

Everything about barging is agreeable, especially the crew ratio of one to two guests.

But be warned. Once bitten by the barging bug, you’ll want more, and more…and…yet more.

The writer was a guest on board Anjodi.

More on www.gobarging.com

Monday, September 26, 2016 seniorsnews.com.au

travel

Coffs and Clarence

Seniors 17

New York’s cheap eats Here’s your fabulous list of ten of the local’s best

EAT, DRINK AND BE KERRY KERRY HEANEY DESPITE the exchange rate, you can eat out in New York on the cheap if you slip on a local’s shoes. Here’s a list of ten of the best places for memorable cheap eats I discovered with Big Apple Greeter Ellen Gasnich. Big Apple Greeter Tours are a free service where locals show visitors around their city as a friend.

1. Find the best value dumplings in Chinatown at Fried Dumpling, 106 Mosco Street. You can buy 5 fried dumplings for $1.

Although the sign says they do pork buns, best not to ask the response is rarely favourable.

2. Pop into 69 Chinese Restaurant at 69 Bayard Street, to see the walls papered with signed $1 notes. Try Chinese food classics such as Beef Cho Fun and Minced Beef with Peas and Raw Egg. The average order is under $10.

3. It’s easy to find Jing Fong Restaurant, 20 Elizabeth St, by people queueing on the street outside. This large Cantonese restaurant seating 800 people draws crowds on weekends for dim sum rolled out on carts.

4. Deluxe Food Market, 79 Elizabeth St, is a long, narrow supermarket selling Chinese groceries, baked goods, sticky rice and Asian-style sandwiches. Wind your way through the crowds to find tasty marinated meats and seafood.

Check for samples too.

5. Look for the sign on Canal Street corner, fire hydrants painted in red, white and green and you’ll know you are in Little Italy where the street vendors sell almond biscotti and fig cookies, roasted chickpeas and honey roasted peanuts by the bag or pound.

6. A Lobster Tail, crisp puff pastry filled with cream at Ferrara Bakery and Café at 195 Grand St, along with some cannoli is a must try.

7. Katz’s Deli, 204 E Houston St, is where Where Harry met Sally in 1989. People queue up

CHINESE CUISINE: Wind your way through the Deluxe Food Market for Chinese choices.

Dean and Deluca sushi.

outside the door, and there’s a ticket system to get inside. Take a ticket, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t buy anything, although you will be sorely tempted.

PHOTOS: KERRY HEANEY

8. Established in 1920, Piemonte Ravioli, 190 Grand St, Co makes ravioli, tortellini and other pasta, made fresh daily the old school way.

9. La Esquina Corner

Deli at 114 Kenmare St, is a casual corner taqueria hiding a dimly lit subterranean brasserie serving upmarket Mexican fare.

10. Dean and Deluca,

BIG BIT: Greeter Ellen Gasnich with Kerry Heaney.

560 Broadway, has been providing the world’s best epicurean treats for more than 35 years.

It’s a wonder just to walk through the doors but head to the back

where you are sure to find samples or just try the sushi bar. * Discover more New York cheap eats on eatdrinkandbekerry. com.au

18 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

travel

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, September 26, 2016

Tahiti’s freshest of pearls Exclusive hotel player brings a new luxury level to Bora Bora

PLANS to further polish the Pearl of the Pacific will see several hotel updates giving Tahiti’s famed island of Bora Bora a stylish new look and feeling of chic.

A new hotel player will join the exclusive list of properties call Bora Bora home, as Conrad Hotels and Resorts prepares to take over the franchise for the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort and Spa. The property will undergo a multi-million-dollar refurbishment before re-opening as the stunning Conrad Bora Bora Nui in early 2017 – the first Conrad hotel in Tahiti.

Located on Motu To’opua, off the coast of Bora Bora, Conrad Bora Bora Nui will offer 29 tropical garden and beach villas and 86 over-water bungalows, including the destination’s only double-storey presidential suites.

The resort will feature a full-service spa, a kids’ club, mini-golf course, fitness centre and dining

options including a modern take on a French brasserie, a speciality beach restaurant serving Polynesian and Mediterranean cuisines, a contemporary Chinese restaurant, a swim-up pool bar and an over-water sunset bar and lounge.

The Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa, operated

by Pacific Beachcomber, is set to undertake renovations, constructing four new two-bedroom over-water villas with private pools.

Scheduled to begin in September and last for about 10 months, the work will also include the addition of swimming pools to 10 over-water villas in the south branch of the resort, as well as a general refresh of all villas.

Meanwhile, Le Meridien Bora Bora has completed a refurbishment with a focus on refreshing its bungalows and food and beverage outlets, including a revamp of its picturesque Miki Miki and

FUTURE PLANS: Construction of four new villas is planned for Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa.

pool bars.

The lagoon-side hotel has launched the new Happaina Wine Bar, which is the ultimate location for a sundowner.

Happaina, which means glass in Tahitian, offers a range of wines by the bottle or glass, as well as a new tapas menu.

Tahiti Tourisme director Australia New Zealand, Robert Thompson, said while Bora Bora would always be one of the most sought-after places to

Millions allocated for Conrad Bora Bora Nui renovation with new spa, fitness centre and French brasserie.

visit, these changes would make it even more

appealing.

"With unrivalled natural

PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED

beauty, sophisticated luxury and one of the world’s most beautiful blue lagoons, Bora Bora has timeless appeal,” Robert says.

“It’s hard to believe that Bora Bora can get better but, with these new-look properties, the Pearl of the Pacific is set to take on a striking new sheen.”

— For more information, visit Tahiti Tourisme at www.tahititourisme.com.au.

On the road in Portugal Fabulous food and scenery lures Aussies Phil Hawkes

THERE are many good reasons why more Australians are discovering Portugal.

Far from the madding crowds of France and Italy, Portugal has a relaxed vibe and friendly people whose historical alliances with England mean English is widely spoken.

Beautiful beaches and inland scenery, excellent food and wine combined with history and culture make the country one of Europe’s most appealing.

Accessibility has improved thanks to Emirates one-stop flights from Australian cities to the capital, Lisbon.

There are many ways you can enjoy Europe’s best-kept secret – guided tours, private tours and packages – but as we experienced recently, self-driving is the way to go. Even with left-hand drive, it’s easier than other European countries because the roads are

The cuisine, a Portuguese drawcard.

SUPER LUXURY: Opulent hotels are relatively affordable.

good, and not as busy as Spain or France.

Self-driving has many advantages. Your time is flexible and you can dally longer at places you enjoy.

One of the biggest benefits is to plan your own accommodation at super-luxury, yet relatively inexpensive hotels and resorts called Pousadas which are dotted around Portugal.

These restored palaces, castles, monasteries and convents combine history and architecture with modern

facilities.

In the central region of Alentejo, we stayed at several Pousadas which also boast some of the region’s finest cuisine.

Here are a few examples: ■ Pousada Mosteiro de Crato… a castle/monastery/palace at different times in its history. Today, it shows what can be done to transform a crumbling ruin into a luxury resort with creative modern architecture and engineering, whilst retaining much of the

PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED

original exterior including the church tower and ceilings in the cloister.

There’s a large pool for those hot summer days (sometimes over 40°), a fine restaurant and rooms with every modern convenience.

■ Pousada Convento de Vila Vicosa… a restored convent with large guest rooms and bathrooms. The poetic transcriptions around the hotel add a literary flavour, but a more visual experience awaits just next door at the palatial

Paco Ducal (Ducal Palace) of the Braganza family who ruled Portugal from 1640 until the proclamation of the Republic in 1910. The palace and museum is a treasure trove of history.

■ Pousada Castelo de Estremoz… a towering castle-like palace overlooking the busy market town of Estremoz.

Here, we’re lucky to arrive on market day (Saturday) in time to watch the passing parade of farmers, housewives and typical groups of men who gather for their weekly social. Secret men’s business, indeed.

■ Pousada Castelo de Alcacer… an ancient castle which reigns supremely over the town

and river flats where rice is still grown.

Here we spend two nights enjoying the luxury of the hotel as well as the waterfront cafes and bars… and trying another version of Portugal’s national dish bacalhau (codfish) which we find irresistible together with the fresh local wines.

In Alentejo, these are just a few of the many delights that await Australians who like to drive, enjoy some history, love their food and wine and, most of all, are not averse to a modicum of affordable luxury.

For more information see www.visit portugal.com; www.visit alentejo.pt or www.pousadas.pt

Coffs and Clarence

Monday, September 26, 2016 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 19

what’s on It’s Grease Lightning!

COMMUNITY theatre is thriving in Coffs Harbour, according to Jetty Memorial Theatre marketing co-ordinator David Horsley.

“With the Jetty Memorial Theatre as the hub for performing arts, it’s time to flip up the collars on your leather jackets as Coffs Harbour Arts Council brings Grease The Musical to the stage with a talented local cast of T-Birds and Pink Ladies,” David said.

“The longest running musical of all time hits the boards at Jetty Memorial Theatre for what will be a wonderful community show.”

Grease The Musical runs from now until October 8, with 2pm and 8pm shows most days.

Pat Slattery directs Rydell High’s 1959 senior class – the duck-tailed, hot-rodding Burger Palace Boys and gum-snapping, hip-shaking Pink Ladies in bobby sox and pedal pushers.

Head greaser Danny Zuko and good-girl Sandy Dumbrowski try to relive the high romance of their Summer Nights as the rest of the gang sings and dances its way through

GARDEN AGLOW: Degustation Japanese banquet will be a treat for guests.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Japanese laterns light up Botanic Gardens HIP SHAKER: Join Jetty Memorial Theatre for some hot-rodding fun.

Grease hits Hopelessly Devoted to You, You’re the One I Want and Sandy.

Tickets cost $26 for adults, concessions and under-21s $23, family $75, plus $2 booking fee.

“Following up, Coffs Harbour Amateur Theatre Society presents Twelfth Night or What You Will as actors from Bellingen, Dorrigo and Coffs Harbour pay ode to The Bard’s work on the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death,” David said.

Shirley Barnett directs the William Shakespeare comedy, running from

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED.

October 13–23, bringing a shipwreck, twins, cross-dressing, a duel, a clown, music and fun together for a Christmas pudding Shirley assembles a diverse cast, drawing actors from Dorrigo, Bellingen and Coffs Harbour, with all ages and levels of experience covered, from 10-year-olds to too-old-to-care.

Twelfth Night or What You Will will show Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesday, with shows at 2pm and 8pm. Tickets cost $25 for adults,

concessions and under-21s $22, students $20, groups of 10 or more $22 (each person), October 16 and 19 $20, plus a $2 booking fee.

“In November, Coffs Harbour Musical Comedy Company brings one of the most beloved Disney classics to Coffs Harbour,” David said.

“Mary Poppins The Musical brings the sets, costumes and crowd favourites to the Jetty Memorial Theatre for your spoonful of musical sugar.”

Visit jettytheatre.com for more information.

Art Gallery.

He is influenced by hard edge, minimalist abstraction and pop art.

More than 30 of his works are also held in the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery collection.

Eutick Memorial Still Life Award winner and significant Australian artist Angus Nivison has been showing at Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery a series of landscapes called Six Years . This collection was partly inspired by a trip to Japan and also a three-month residency in Paris at the Art Gallery of New South Wales Cite Studio.

Many of Nivison’s works are held in national collections in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Artbank, Australian Consolidated Press, Macquarie Group Collection, as well as in

numerous regional gallery collections.

“My work mostly deals with landscape, memory and the human condition,” Nivison said. “The paintings are really a personal dialogue. I offer the viewer the image and a title – it is then up to the viewer to complete the conversation.”

The artist event will be an afternoon of cheese and wine, which will be held from 2–4pm at the gallery on the corner of Coff and Duke Sts. Entry is $15.75 a person.

Book via nivisonhodges incoversation.event brite.com.au.

COFFS Harbour Botanic Gardens will glitter with more than flowers this October 14 and 15, as hundreds of lanterns are to be set afloat in celebration of the Japanese Lantern Festival.

Coffs Harbour Daybreak Rotary and the North Coast Botanic Gardens will host the festival, offering traditional Japanese cuisine and a lantern launching ceremony.

Guests will dine in the Japanese Waterside Pavilion and watch a flotilla of lanterns shimmering under the stars as they enjoy a sake tasting, followed by a degustation-style Japanese banquet served by stunning kimono-clad

wait staff.

Festival co-ordinator Ann Gee said Friday and Saturday nights diners are in for a treat.

“We are expanding the feast to include a Bonsai exhibition, and a traditional Guzheng performance of the Japanese Harp,” she said.

Garden Curator Ian Corbet said they are thrilled to host the festival and are excited to welcome Coffs Coast Event Catering and CHEC hospitality students to the catering team.

Tickets cost $75.

Proceeds go to the Botanic Gardens’ Japanese Pavilion and Rotary charities. For bookings, visit www.facebook.com/ japaneselanternfestival.

nights of fun, continuing until October 2.

For a total movie experience, organisers say that nothing beats the drive-in. Whether you’re a first-timer or a long-time lover of watching flicks from your car, the experience is one of a kind.

Movie screenings include The Princess Bride, Fury Road, Grease, Star Wars Episode Seven: The Force Awakens and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Gone are the days of metal speakers hanging from car windows. Now you can tune in from your car’s FM stereo to capture all the action on screen.

Tickets and screenings are available online at swiff.com.au, under the drive-in event menu.

Select the film, then the quantity of tickets and

follow the prompts online to purchase, or continue to browse for other tickets. This is an automated process so please allow 30 minutes and be sure to check your junk mail folders.

Once selected, click on the My Cart icon at the right of the page, then checkout to purchase.

Tickets cost $15, plus a $1 booking fee and a 1.7% credit card fee. Tickets will then be emailed and need to be printed.

Gates open at 5pm daily, but patrons are asked to not arrive any earlier than 30 minutes before the scheduled start time.

The drive-in is fully accessible. Amenities are located on-site. Please email Screenwave at contact@screen wave.com.au to discuss any special requirements.

Entertainment EARLY SETTLER WALK IN GARDEN

DAMPER, billy tea, bush ballads and yarns are all on offer at the opening event for a new Early Settler Walk at the Botanic Garden on Wednesday, September 28, at 10am.

Along the way, visitors can enjoy interpretive boards highlighting the Coffs Coast’s native plants through beautiful botanical drawings, historical photographs and descriptions made by early settlers.

The opening event is to be held opposite the glasshouses, a short walk along the main route through the garden, and costs $2 per person.

Please RSVP by Monday, September 26, by phoning 6648 4188 between 10am and 3pm.

ARTISTS IN CONVERSATION

COFFS Harbour Regional Gallery offers art lovers an opportunity to join a conversation between two prominent artists on September 24.

In Conversation: Angus Nivison and Christopher Hodges brings together two of Australia’s leading artists – and good friends – to talk about what inspires their passion for art, being an artist and collecting.

Artist and gallery director Christopher Hodges has exhibited paintings and sculptures regularly since the late 1970s and his work is in many public, private and corporate collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria and Queensland

A NIGHT AT THE DRIVE-IN

THE pop-up drive-in is coming to the Coffs Harbour Racecource on September 29 for four

20 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, September 26, 2016

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Coffs and Clarence

Monday, September 26, 2016 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 21

wellbeing

Start of new lease on life

Way to go with Mother Nature, a good attitude and a friend...

ACTIVE AGEING JENNY FARELLO IT’S been a long time since I did any writing like this. But if my mum could do it, why can’t I? She kept diaries and notebooks for most of her life and at age 92, her

❝

Now, after almost 20 years as a carer for my husband, then consequently for both of my parents, I have a whole new lease on life, and put all that training into daily practice.

scribblings as she called them were published. I wish I’d had the foresight to do what she did. She’s left quite a legacy for her children and grandchildren.

My life has been so very different to hers – times change – demographics change. Apart from time as a stay-at-home mum, my working life centred around office work. Then at age 54 a big career change – I became a fitness instructor and personal trainer and the world of fitness, health and how to be a “better me” opened up.

Now, after almost 20 years as a carer for my husband, then consequently for both of my parents, I have a whole new lease on life, and put all that training into daily practice.

Living by the beach now (my lifelong dream), makes it pretty easy.

Plenty of fresh, local fish and produce, miles of bicycle paths for cycling

ACTIVE AGEING: Miles of bicycle paths allow for cycling and walking that improves health.

and walking, although I much prefer to walk the miles of sandy beach, and the whole Pacific Ocean to swim, kayak and partake of some aqua aerobics.

Laser treatment for prostate enlargement

AS MEN get older, many will begin to notice a change in their urinary symptoms. This is usually as a result of the prostate gland slowly increasing in size.

The first thing that is noticed is a slowing of the stream of urine, followed by increased urinary frequency and then having to get up during the night to pass urine. This often causes sleep disruption for the man and his partner.

Other symptoms include the sensation of incomplete bladder emptying and sometimes episodes of involuntary incontinence. Some men will also experience recurrent bladder infections and rarely an episode of acute urinary retention requiring urgent catheterisation.

When symptoms become bothersome, or if there has been an episode of retention or

GOOD MEDICINE Dr MICHAEL GILLMAN infection, medical therapy is required. This begins as tablet therapy but as the prostate continues to increase with size, the tablets may lose their effectiveness and a surgical option is required.

Until recently, a rebore operation (TURP) was performed with the core of the prostate being removed by diathermy. The problems with this procedure included blood loss particularly for men on blood thinning medication. The latest addition to the treatment options is the futuristic sounding “Greenlight laser”.

The greenlight laser consists of a 532nm light

beam which is green on the light spectrum. The light from the laser is attracted to the red blood cells in the prostate and the heat from the laser beam denatures the prostate tissue and vaporises it into bubbles.

Penetration of the tissue is only to 1–2mm and the heat also seals up any blood vessels reducing any blood loss.

Men on blood thinning medication can have this procedure and hospital stays are generally shorter with this procedure.

This method of treatment has become so popular that more than 90% of “rebore surgeries” are performed with some type of laser therapy. Who would have thought that those of us who watched the light sabres in Star Wars would see something similar in the operating theatres?

See www.drmichael gillman.com for more.

All you need is Mother Nature, a good attitude and a friend or two to join you.

The beach is not essential – the great

outdoors a park, a bush track, maybe some steps leading to somewhere or nowhere, just whatever happens to be in your neighbourhood. It’s

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22 Seniors Coffs and Clarence G E N E R A L K N O W L E D G E

1

2

3

puzzles

4

5

8 9 11 12 13

14

15

16 17

18

20

DOWN 1 What thin body fluid contains white blood cells? (5) 2 Under what name did Theodor Geisel write children’s books? (2,5) 3 Which American admiral flew over the North Pole in 1926 and the South Pole in 1929? (4) 4 What might an inexperienced newcomer, or a raw recruit in the army be called? (6) 5 Mombasa is the main seaport of which country?

(5) 6 What is the melody pipe of bagpipes? (7) 7 Combining the Japanese words for “harbour” and “wave” gave us what word? (7) 12 What is the most widely used leaf of the nightshade family? (7) 13 What type of song sends a child to sleep? (7) 15 Which luxury motor car company did Ford acquire in 1922? (7) 16 The French word for cherry gave us what colour?

(6) 17 What unit of weight equals 2204.6 pounds? (5) 19 What toys were popular with soldiers in Napoleon’s army? (2-3) 21 Au is the symbol for which metal? (4)

ACROSS 1 In a rhyme, what insect is told to fly away home?

(8) 7 A diastema is a gap between a person’s what? (5) 8 What did Sigmund Freud collect as a hobby? (9) 9 What is the basic monetary unit of Japan? (3) 10 What word can be preceded by rush, happy and zero? (4) 11 In which city was Marie Antoinette born? (6) 13 What is the capital of Portugal? (6) 14 Seen as an inspector in On The Buses, who is Stephen Lewis’s character in Last of the Summer Wine? (6) 17 Which river in England is called the Isis as it flows through Oxford? (6) 18 Alphabetically, what is the second deadly sin? (4) 20 What is the name of the MGM lion? (3) 22 What is the treatment of the feet and their ailments? (9) 23 Which musical instrument does Billy Connolly play? (5) 24 Actor Mickey Rooney had nine what? (8)

6

7

10

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, September 26, 2016

19

21 22

23 24

SUDOKU

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

QUICK CROSSWORD 1

2

3

4

6

5

7 8

9

5x5

ALPHAGRAMS

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

Solve the anagrams. Each solution is a one-word anagram of the letters beside it, and the five solutions are sequential.

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

T

10

A

T

11 12

A

13

N

14

E S

16 18

KEENS AISLES MY TEARS SALESMEN NICEST BOY

S A

Note: more than one solution may be possible.

19 20

SOLUTIONS

annoy annoys anomy anon anonym ANONYMOUS mason mayo moan moans mono moon moons moony moos mousy muon noon nosy noun nous onus soma sonny soon soya sumo

21

A E

T

15

17

24/9

22

WORD GO ROUND

P A L S Y

Across: 6. Obscure 7. Array 9. Ash 10. Isolation 12. Exemplified 15.

Monogrammed 17. Fruitless 19. Shy 21. Acute 22. Unicorn.

Down: 1. Obese 2. Act 3. Arms 4. Gratified 5. Cajoled 8. Slalom 11.

Exfoliate 13. Marble 14. Correct 16. Chart 18. Sank 20. Ace.

BLACKOUT

ALPHAGRAMS: KNEES, LASSIE, MASTERY, NAMELESS, OBSCENITY.

Solution opposite

QUICK CROSSWORD

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

A R E N A

How many words of four letters or more can you make? Each letter must be used only once and all words must contain the centre letter. There is at least one nine-letter word.

No words starting with a capital are allowed, no plurals ending in s unless the word is also a verb.

TODAY: Good 13 Very Good 19 Excellent 23

DOUBLE CROSS

R A G E S

S N

T I N E S

373

WORD GO ROUND

A O

SUDOKU

5x5

S T A T E

O

GK CROSSWORD

N U

Y M

Down 1. Overweight (5) 2. Play a part (3) 3. Weapons (4) 4. Made happy (9) 5. Coaxed (7) 8. Ski race (6) 11. Remove dead skin (9) 13. Sculptor’s stone (6) 14. Proper (7) 16. Map (5) 18. Descended (4) 20. Star performer (3)

Across: 1 Ladybird, 7 Teeth, 8 Mushrooms, 9 Yen, 10 Hour, 11 Vienna, 13 Lisbon, 14 Smiler, 17 Thames, 18 Envy, 20 Leo, 22 Chiropody, 23 Banjo, 24 Weddings.

Down: 1 Lymph, 2 Dr Seuss, 3 Byrd, 4 Rookie, 5 Kenya, 6 Chanter, 7 Tsunami, 12 Tobacco, 13 Lullaby, 15 Lincoln, 16 Cerise, 17 Tonne, 19 Yo-yos, 21 Gold.

Across 6. Unclear (7) 7. An impressive display (5) 9. Fire residue (3) 10. Seclusion (9) 12. Represented (11) 15. Bearing one’s initials (11) 17. For no result or gain (9) 19. Timid (3) 21. Severe (5) 22. Mythical creature (7)

S U F F E R S B S U N R O O F

H Z O B D R H G U H U Q B C A

E A R L I N E S S Z C H E A T

R U E G T C L R H M L I S B I

I N I T I A L K I C E B E R G

F Q G O O M F H P M U L X T U

F I N A N C I E R Y S T A G E

A V E T I K S B I C O X N S X

S Y R U P X H Y D R A T I N G

A R E L R R Y T I S M W M N R

D R A W E R S U C H A R A D E

N T W T S T O H U M T V T W N

E R A S E M B A L L E R I N A

S C K T N C E X E R U B O T D

S W E A T E R G S T R A N G E

BLACKOUT

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

Solution opposite

DOUBLE CROSS

S U N R O O F S U F F E R S

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

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

C H A R A D E

D N E R R A W A W S E S E R S O B A U L L T E R T I N N A

E S T U R A O N G D E S S W K E A N T E E R

Coffs and Clarence

Monday, September 26, 2016 seniorsnews.com.au

reviews

Seniors 23

BOOKS read relax enjoy great stories

Sacrifice, power & politics

Voices of the air

Races collide MASTER storyteller Judy Nunn has now sold more than one million books worldwide.

In this spellbinding No.1 bestseller, she takes us on a breathtaking journey deep into the red heart of Australia. It is 2001 and as the world charges into the new millennium, a century-old dream is about to be realised in the Red Centre of Australia: the completion of the mighty Ghan railway, to

create the “backbone of the continent”, a line which will finally link Adelaide with the Top End. But construction of the final leg between Alice Springs and Darwin will not be without its complications, for much of the desert it will cross is Aboriginal land. Hired as a negotiator, Jessica Manning must walk a delicate line to reassure the elders their sacred sites will be protected.

:

OUT NOW ❚ William Heinemann Australia ❚ RRP $32.99 Will her innate understanding of the spiritual landscapewin their trust?

As they struggle against time to solve the puzzle, an ancient wrong is awakened and calls across the vastness of the outback.

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

AUSTRALIA’S untold war tale: the first ABC war correspondents broadcasting from the battlefields to home.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, a new breed of reporters join the ranks of war correspondents - and through the reach and power of radio Australians back home heard their voices and their stories shaped from the sounds of battle.

Australian forces defended our long shoreline against the threat of invasion and more than 500,000 Australians went into battle overseas.

They fought in the Middle East and North Africa, in Greece’s the snow-topped hills, on the beaches of the Pacific and in Malaya and New Guinea’s sweltering jungles.

The story of these correspondents is one of Australians at war and of personal struggle, humour, tragedy and achievement.

■ RRP $39.99 ■ Harper Collins/ABC Books ■ Author Tony Hill

Feeling social?

Join the conversation!

NIGERIAN author Odafe Atogun has used the beautiful force of simple language and universal themes to guide us through an extraordinary narrative of love, sacrifice, power and contemporary politics.

The famous musician Taduna returns from his self-imposed political exile to find a country suffering from a collective memory loss. All he has is memories, his beautiful voice has been lost through beatings from the secret police.

As the musician navigates his way back to his authentic identity, there is room to be amused at the simple power plays between men on the street and in high office.

But beyond this, the enormity of a complex world and what is asked of some men, is illustrated with great imagination.

It may well be Nigeria, but this is a moving tale of of integrity and courage.

■ RRP $24.99 ■ Allen & Unwin

Stories of rebellious daughters

“Not every woman is a mother, grandmother, aunty or sister – but all women are daughters."

And the scene is set for a collection of incredibly raw, emotional and often-brave stories from some of Australia’s greatest female writers.

Of the 17 writers featured there are the more established such as Marion Halligan, Jane Caro, Susan Wyndham and Caroline Baum, to newer voices – such as Eliza-Jane Henry-Jones and Jamila Rizvi. The theme of family underpins the collection, but the experiences shared vary from tussles with alcoholic or absent parents, to adolescent angst and rebellion, to sexual exploration and motherhood. The pieces vary in their delivery and complexity. Some tell a story, while others share a series of events. It’s hard not to find something to remind readers of our own childhoods, adolescence or families.

■ RRP $32.99.

■ Ventura Press.

What’s

Going On? Are there exciting things happening in your local senior community? Share your story online. Look for the ‘share your event or story’ box on our home page.

Visit www.seniorsnews.com.au

Visit us at seniorsnews.com.au

24 Seniors Coffs and Clarence

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, September 26, 2016

WIN A $69,990* CARAVAN Celebrate the modern-day retirement lifestyle. Palm Lake Resort has just released a set of fun stickers perfect for the back of your car, caravan or RV (or just about anywhere!) and to celebrate Seniors Newspapers is giving away a Majestic Caravans ‘Garoova’ valued at $69,990* inc GST. For your chance to win, simply take a creative and fun photo that features an official Palm Lake Resort sticker in it, log on to www.seniorsnews.com.au to fill in an entry form and submit your photo entry.

Stickers are available with your Palm Lake Resort ‘Spring 2016’ magazine, for collection at any of the Palm Lake Resort sales offices, will be available in selected Seniors Newspapers during the month of September 2016 or can be posted to you by emailing communitynotes@seniorsnewspaper.com.au before 18.11.16.

The competition closes 25.11.16, will be drawn on 28.11.16 and a winner will be announced on 30.11.16.

Keep your eye on the Palm Lake Resort Facebook page during the competition period for some of the latest entries. Good luck!

Visit www.seniorsnews.com.au/competitionterms for full competition terms and conditions. Promoter is ARM Specialist Media Pty Ltd of 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore QLD 4558. Promotional period 15.08.16 – 25.11.16.

Competition drawn 28.11.16 at 30406/9 Lawson St, Southport QLD 4215. Winners announced in Seniors Newspapers: Brisbane and Sunshine Coast 05.12.16, Gold Coast and Toowoomba 12.12.16, Wide Bay and Northern NSW 19.12.16, Central Coast and Coffs & Clarence 19.12.16 and online at www.seniorsnews.com.au 30.11.16. Total prize value $70,397 inc GST. Open only to residents of QLD, VIC and NSW.