Wide Bay, October 2018

October, 2018

FREE

7 www.seniorsnews.com.au vfacebook.com/seniorsnews 4 1300 880 265

Meet the older woman

Smile with confidence

Call: 4124 2428

10, 79 Boat Harbour Drive, Pialba

widebaydentureclinic.com.au NO REFERRALS NEEDED

... SASSY, SMART AND FULL OF WISDOM STORY: PAGE 4

DROPPING INTO NZ GOURMET STYLE PAGES 19-26

MONEY YOUR INVESTMENT MATTERS PAGES 27-28

Better Than Bingo!

Got a hankering for a new hobby? Discover everything you desire with Seniors online. There’s exclusive travel offers, the stories that matter to you, big win competitions, plus every exciting event happening near you! Seniors – redefining an exciting retirement!

Join us at seniorsnews.com.au

WELCOME

2

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

Smile, you’re recognised Gail Forrer Seniors Group Editor

10 Wellbeing

30

Music preview INDEX 3 Candid memories from Mike Carlton 4 Cover Story: The Matriarchs 6 Talk ‘n’ Thoughts 8 Community Group Guide 10Wellbeing 14Living 18What’s On 19Wanderlust 27Money 30Music and Book reviews 31Puzzles

IN ONE way or another a good deal of the stories published in Seniors newspaper, ask us to rethink our ideas on ageing.

It might be our sporting profiles, stories on business ventures, life-long education or the type of accommodation we choose to live in.

This month, our cover story makes it evident that other demographics are also reviewing their ideas on ageing.

That is, they are recognising the view of older age as a slow, quiet and perhaps sad journey into mental and physical decline, is simply a stereotype.

The article shows an acknowledgement of our differences, recognition of our strengths and weaknesses and importantly, that contemporary ageing demands a new story.

In our feature story, it is great to see the older woman upfront and visible.

Breaking away from stereotypes also enables us to have a more authentic view of society, which hopefully enables a fairer treatment for all. In this month’s Talk ‘n’ Thoughs section, we are

pleased to note the move towards a more equitable superannuation scheme in terms of women’s work contributions. Something, that up to this point is sadly lacking.

We also have an interesting review of former journalist Mike Carlton’s memoir.

In his book we can see how political opinions, personalities and conflict shaped the society we grew up in and in turn shaped us.

At 72 years old, Carlton is certainly breaking down age stereotypes.

Finally, don’t miss Robyn Nixon’s tips on travelling with your grandchildren. As an avid and professional traveller Robyn shares some practical tips.

As always, we have provided you with the latest well-being, living, travel and financial advice. I trust you enjoy the read.

CONTACT US General Manager Geoff Crockett – 07 5430 1006 geoff.crockett@news.com.au Editor Gail Forrer – 07 5435 3203 gail.forrer@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Executive Tracy O’Connor – 0438 478 204 tracy.oconnor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Online Get your news online at www.seniorsnews.com.au Advertising, editorial and distribution enquiries Phone: 1300 880 265 or (07) 5435 3200 Email: advertising@seniorsnewspaper.com.au or editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Location: 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore 4558 Website: www.seniorsnews.com.au Subscriptions Only $39.90 for one year (12 editions) including GST and postage anywhere in Australia. Please call our circulations services on 1300 361 604 and quote “Gold Coast Seniors Newspaper”.

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

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

Published by News Corp Australia.

Printed by News Corp Australia, Yandina.

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

ADVERTISEMENT

Interest free solar loans MAKE the switch to solar with the Queensland Government interest-free solar loan of up to $4,500. If you’re a homeowner, then now really is the best time to take back control of your electricity bills with an Interest Free government loan of up to $4,500 to be paid back over 7 years.

According to Energy Minister Dr. Anthony Lynham, this loan was priced to, “cover the supply and installation of an average 3kW solar system”. SAE Group has gone over and above the predicted government system size and takes solar savings one step further with a compelling offer of a 4.4kW system for only $4,500, comprising of 16 x 275-watt Seraphim panels and a 4kW X1 Solax inverter. Not only should this highly efficient system cover the cost of your loan repayments but will also significantly cut your household electricity bills for years to come.

Plus, the added value a solar system would add to your property. Even if you are not eligible for the government interest free loan SAE can provide $0 deposit finance where your solar could save you more on your electricity bill than what the loan repayments are which makes it a cash positive investment, there are not many cash positive investments available so everyone needs to consider installing solar power.

Are you eligible?

An interest free loan combined with this price crash offer from SAE Group make it obvious why homeowners are already acting fast to secure their loan before the fund is exhausted. However, to be eligible you must be a Qld homeowner, receive Family Tax Benefit Part B, and have had a power bill of more than $1,000 over the past 6 months*. If you are eligible then you must have a quote from one of eighteen Clean Energy Council Approved Solar Retailers such as SAE Group before applying – this is to ensure installations are only through trusted retailers.

The team at SAE Group are Master Electricians first and foremost, so you can also rest easy knowing you’re dealing with highly experienced, qualified staff.

From consultation, to quality installation, and after sales service, they are with you the whole way, and offer a 12-year workmanship warranty with every installation.

With only a limited 3,500 households expected to benefit, homeowners need to act now. If you’re interested in securing your energy future or looking for a solution that will protect you from crippling electricity prices, call SAE Group 1300 18 20 50 or jump on their website www.saegroup.com.au to take advantage of this offer before it runs out. *Other criteria exists – ask a SAE Group representative for full details.

4.4kW

Solar Bundle From

$4500

*

Normally

$5457

Switch to solar and SAVE

16 x 275W Seraphim panels + 4kW X1 Solax inverter For a free on site solar assessment call:

1300 18 20 50 or visit: www.saegroup.com.au

*This offer is not available with any other offer. Price includes racking and installation. Net meter changeover not included. Smart meter not included. Finance options are available, subject to lending criteria eligibility. Terms & conditions, fees and charges may apply. Travel charges outside of 70kms from the warehouse will apply. Electrical Licenses: QLD 72258, NSW 227562C

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

NEWS

3

A very candid memoir Former Journalist Mike Carlton shares good, bad and ugly

Ann Rickard MIKE Carlton might have a reputation for being outspoken, opinionated and controversial, but when we telephoned him for this interview, we found him in his kitchen prepping for dinner before going out on the school run to pick up his nine-year-old son.

At 72, the Sydney broadcaster, journalist, commentator, columnist, television and current affairs reporter has more than 50 years experience in the cut-throat media industry, but now he’s a mellow fellow, relishing his role as house-husband while his wife, Morag (28 years younger than him) works long hours as a producer of ABC’s Four Corners program.

“I did not believe it was possible when I heard our son was about to be born,” he said.

“I was shocked, thought it would interrupt my serene retirement, but it has been an absolute joy to have him. He keeps me young. I must keep up with life for him, keep up with the world for him. It is an incredible pleasure.”

Mike Carlton has just released his memoir, On Air, a mighty 550-page tome recording his life – all the good, bad and the ugly – and while he set out to write his personal story, he has written a record of modern Australian history that every baby boomer will relate to.

“I did not consciously write it as (a record of our modern history),” he said.

“But I didn’t want it to be just about me. I wanted it set in the context of the times.”

Those times Mike refers to begin in the 1950s, when, as a suburban school boy in Sydney, he lived with his widowed mother, younger brother and bigoted grandmother.

Every penny counted in their household. Mike recalls a time of great financial difficulty as a boy after his father died when Mike was just five and his mother struggled to keep the roof over their heads.

However, it was also happy time, an enlightening time of modest ambitions and boyhood and teenage rites of passage.

Unable to afford a university education he left school at 16 and gained a journalism

cadetship with the ABC, a journey that began humbly but eventually propelled him to the very top.

“I would like to think my book speaks to baby boomers,” he said.

“Things were a lot simpler then in terms of everything from schooling to education. Now I look at my nine-year-old son, at the range of social media available to him, it’s quite scary.”

In insightful and often hilarious prose, Mike has dredged his memory to talk of school days in Australia in the ’50s, when education taught him little of the world and virtually nothing of real life.

It wasn’t until he wandered into journalism that he started to learn about the outside world, especially on assignment as a foreign correspondent in Vietnam in the ’60s.

“The Vietnam horror. I talk a lot about it in the book. I had had a sheltered life in Sydney and going out into that was an eye-opener.”

One horrific account in the book tells of Mike driving into a village just over the border of Vietnam into Cambodia looking for stories with different angles.

He and his cameraman came across a burnt and raised village where hundreds of bodies, including many children, had been stuffed into a well. The impact on him was profound.

After stints as a foreign correspondent in Indonesia and Singapore, he returned to Australia, still a young man, but with eyes wide open to the shortcomings of almost all our world leaders of the time.

“Vietnam was the real eye-opener,” he said.

“I learnt how politicians work, the lies and deceit by the Americans and the Australians. I did not believe it possible.”

In the book Mike writes: “the profound lesson I had learned was that authority has an infinite capacity to distort and lie to protect itself from the consequences of its mistakes”.

Many such harsh

NOT HOLDING BACK: Mike Carlton, 72, is a broadcaster, journalist, commentator, columnist, television and current affairs reporter. INSET: Mike’s new book, On Air. Photo: Carol Gibbons

criticisms are peppered throughout On Air, and Mike does not hold back in his scathing assessments, whether talking about Gough Whitlam, Indonesia’s Suharto, or Queensland’s Bjelke-Petersen who he describes vividly as “pig-ignorant and cynically cunning, a grasping crook – barely literate, bumblingly inarticulate, but most certainly financially numerate – who plundered Queensland and its people and raped their

democracy behind a pantomime of hayseed bonhomie”.

“I held a few things back but not a lot,” Mike said.

“There is no point in trying to gild the lily. No point going around in circles, a memoir should be as candid as possible.”

Candid indeed. Mike does not run when it comes to criticism of some of the media industry’s personalities.

Many enemies were made during his 50 years during the industry and his criticisms of them are mocking, contemptuous, cutting... and always colourful.

Is he worried about the backlash to his memoir?

“I’m nervous,” he said.

“Writing this is stripping yourself bare. After all those years in the media I have built up a slate of both friends and enemies.

“I am more nervous about what my friends will think, and my brother. I don’t really care what the enemies think. It was fun taking a stick to a few people. It would be dishonest to say it was not enjoyable.”

Mike has two adult children and a 12-year-old grandson to his first wife Kerri, as well as his nine-year old son with his wife Morag.

Now he has finished writing his memoir, he spends his days looking after the family household

in Sydney’s Pittwater, supporting his wife in her career, managing to fit in a swim and surf as often as he can as he believes “regular immersion in salt water is essential to life”.

On Air is a big book of our political history, of our growing up, written in riveting and lyrical prose... unabashed, unputdownable. Many egos may be bruised when it is on book shelves this month, but Mike is beyond concern, heading into another direction with his now quiet and contented life.

“It took a while to get used to the slower pace of life,” he said.

“I plan to be around for another 20 years.”

4

COVER STORY

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

THE MATRIARCHS: Krissy Stanley, 68, Carefree campaign for 2018.

Griz Pomirska, 67.

Yvonne Tozzi, 60.

Gayle Foster-Brown, 69.

Photos: Contributed

The Matriarchs: sassy, smart and authentic Tracey Johnstone INSTEAD of a corporate brand telling the younger generation what to expect of the future, it has turned to the people who have been there and done that.

A young creative team in their 20s and 30s in the Sydney office of advertising agency DDB Sydney has developed a marketing campaign for Carefree’s female hygiene products with its essence being matriarchal trust.

Four women – Krissy Stanley, 68, Griz Pomirska, 67, Yvonne Tozzi, 60, and Gayle Foster-Brown, 69 – talk in the advertisement about what they remember of their teenage to pre-menopause years while reviewing the current crop of Carefree products.

It’s cheeky, bright and brutally honest.

Silver Creek’s retail marketing executive Stuart Cumming said this Carefree advertisement is ground breaking with its

use of women more than double the age of the target market having an authentic conversation with those younger generations.

“It comes down to people believing they are listening to something authentic, that then builds the trust,” Mr Cumming said.

“The Carefree ad was all about authentic storytelling. Marketing has certainly been heading in that direction in the last five years at least.

“It makes sense to have someone with experience talking as that feeds into the authenticity.”

DDB Sydney executive creative director Tara Ford said the creative team came up with the idea without her input.

“I am absolutely delighted when I see work like that because I am so conscious of women of a certain age absolutely disappearing from media landscapes or playing a kind of passive role in

things,” Ms Ford said.

“I know so many hilarious older people who are so sassy, so smart and have wisdom, so why don’t we show that for a change?”

Carefree’s approach to their product range, Ms Ford said, is

older women, Ms Ford said.

“The older you get, the more you can say and do whatever you like, and you don’t really worry so much about what people think, how you are going to look,” Ms Ford, who is in her late 40s, adds.

‘‘

The Matriarchs projected confidence, self-worth and unashamed enjoyment at being where they are in life unapologetically feminine.

She argues it’s that approach that lends itself well to honest and open discussion.

And who better to have that kind of women’s issues discussion than

The creative team recognise a lot of older superstars are popping up on Instagram and the younger generations are relating to them.

They are seen as being themselves, having fun

and, at times, being outrageous.

“They tapped into that quite a lot,” Ms Ford said.

The women, coined The Matriarchs, were drawn out of a casting call.

They were presented with a handful of questions with their answers to become part of the advertisement.

None of their responses were scripted so they were highly candid.

The Matriarchs projected confidence, self-worth and unashamed enjoyment at being where they were with a lot of life knowledge.

“We never really discussed it. We never talked about a period, we never talked about sex, we never talked about depression,” Yvonne says in the video.

But times have changed, a lot.

“Did you have seepage? Did you have leakage? We all talk about it now. But when I was a kid, you didn’t talk about it,” Krissy adds.

The online campaign has been very successful for Carefree.

Ms Ford said the feedback from younger women has been “really good”.

“Bringing back the crone wisdom archetype that women have been missing” and “Love it! No topic should be off limits in these modern times, glad people can laugh and be open about it all” have been some of the social media responses to the campaign.

Will we see more involvement of older Australians in the endorsement of products?

Mr Cumming said it’s really about the right person connecting with the target market.

“It’s not a matter of rolling out a whole lot of old people to be advocates, it’s a matter of does it make sense,” Mr Cumming said.

“If the answer is yes, then that’s great. But, it’s not going to happen with every product.”

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

5

MEDICAL ALERT!

FALL DETECTION

Australia wide Coverage

SAVES LIVES

free n o i t a Oblig n today r u o y tio Book onstra Dem

9 5 1 99 days 6 0 13204 hours - 7

safeTwear

Pendant

reddot award communication design winner

The world's smallest - Smartest fall detection & Medical pendant

2 way voice communication

24/7 response & monitoring We are more than just a call centre, we’re a support network available at all times…

Stay connected Anywhere / Any place / Any time No lock in contracts Prepaid packages available, for a lifetime of monitoring, at one low cost…

Speak & hear directly through the pendant

Medical alert button Traditional button push for Help as well as fall detection

No longer be restricted to "at home" use, safeTwear goes with you - Everywhere GPS/Satellite Tracking Technology so smart, yet simple to us

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

Limited Seniors Only Offer! lusive

r! e f f O l a i Spec xc

e

Phone : 1300 699 159 Email : care@emsas.com.au Web : www.emsas.com.au.

You, your family & friends can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with wearing your safeTwear pendant. Plus the added advantage & benefit of being connected within seconds to our professional response/monitoring centre, who will immediately get you the Help you need

e

Australia wide coverage

YOU'LL NEVER BE ALONE

lusive

A

A detected fall automatically connects to 24/7 response & monitoring centre

xc

Automatic fall detection

Over 65? Call 1300 699 159

You may qualify for a Free safeTwear pendant & KeySafe.

Valued at over $500 While stock lasts.

6

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

Talk 'n' thoughts

Gail Forrer Group Editor THE implementation of a fair and equitable superannuation system for young women of today would go far to alleviating a repeat of the problems that older woman are now suffering.

Women and homelessness is a major issue facing Australia.

The Mercy Report (2014) Older Women’s Pathways out of Homelessness in Australia reveals that one in four homeless people is an older woman.

Besides that, there is a general acknowledgement that this statistic does not account for the women who are living in various styles of temporary and unstable accommodation.

The report also notes: “The largest proportion of older women presenting with housing crisis in

Looking after day after tomorrow

Australia have led conventional lives, and rented whilst working and raising a family. Few have previously had involvement with welfare and other support systems”.

The reasons that have seen older women in this position are complex but foremost among them are pay disparity, divorce, intermittent outside work due to family caring commitments and lack of education.

But it is the broken work transjectory and pay disparity that affects superannuation payments and finally living circumstances.

A government policy designed to bridge the gender gap in superannuation makes total social and financial sense.

— Gail Forrer NATIONAL Seniors Australia says Labor’s new policy to bridge the gender gap in superannuation

will help improve retirement incomes for women, who are most at risk of poverty and homelessness.

The organisation’s chief advocate, Ian Henschke, said women retired on average with $113,000 less than men in their super accounts, mainly due to lower wages, the time they spent out of the workforce raising children and caring for ageing parents, and divorce.

Women were particularly vulnerable to homelessness as they aged because of their precarious financial situations. By the time they are 60, 34 per cent of single women in Australia live in poverty.

According to a Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, these women belong to the lowest income-earning group, surviving on less than $30,000 a year.

Mr Henschke said Labor’s policy would

GOVERNMENT POLICIES: New initiatives are mooted to provide women with appropriate superannuation. introduce Superannuation Guarantee (SG) payments on the 18 weeks of Government Paid Parental Leave and phase out the $450 monthly pay threshold for eligibility for super payments.

This was something

National Seniors had called for in the past.

Super contributions would also be paid on Dad and Partner Pay. “This policy is a key step in ensuring women have the income they need to live comfortably in

retirement,” Mr Henschke said.

“It won’t solve what is a complex problem overnight, but it will begin to correct a situation that makes older women particularly vulnerable at a time of their life when they deserve better.

“For a variety of reasons, including divorce and inequity in pay, many older women end up living week to week, totally reliant on their jobs to pay the rent.

“It only takes a bout of sickness when they can’t work and they can end up homeless, living in their car or worse. It’s a growing issue and one that needs to be addressed.

“Moves like this will also help alleviate the poverty faced by people reliant on the aged pension, which we’re trying to address through our Fix Pension Poverty campaign with the Benevolent Society of Australia.”

Tony’s latest book tackles the British army’s execution of its own soldiers MAYOR George Seymour will officially launch A Dawn with no Birdsong in the Federation Room at the Brolga Theatre on November, 17.

The afternoon will start at 1.30pm with video presentations, author’s talk and book reading, followed by the book signing.

November 11 this year marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I. But one of the least known aspects of the war is that 121 men serving in Australian military forces were sentenced to death during the conflict. Many of them were just country lads who had volunteered for service without really knowing what they were letting themselves in for.

Not one of these men was executed, but a powerful new novel by a Queensland author brings the brutal system of British battlefield ‘justice’ sharply into focus.

A Dawn with no Birdsong by Tony Matthews delves deeply into one of the most controversial aspects of the war – the British

military executing its own men and those of its allies for misdemeanours such as sleeping at a post, shell-shock (PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder before it was given that name), striking an officer and other similar ‘crimes’.

“The injustice involved in almost all these cases is something which has always been of keen interest to me,” Tony said recently.

“The courage, resilience and suffering of those very ordinary men who volunteered or were conscripted to fight and often to die during that terrible conflict.

“Generally speaking they didn’t want to be there but were forced to fight and die through the fear of brutal punishments which were being imposed by the British military authorities and government, including crucifixion to wagon wheels and execution by firing squad.”

Desertion, quitting a post, cowardice, disobedience, casting away weapons, mutiny and sleeping while on duty, were all punishable

by death.

During the four years of war, 346 men were executed by British firing squads for just such offences. The statistics are horrendous.

One soldier was being executed by firing squad about every four days for the entire war.

During World War I, the Australian Government banned the use of capital punishment and no Australian was executed with the exception of two who were serving with the New Zealand forces and one man who had been serving with a South African division.

“A Dawn with no Birdsong is a novel,” Tony says, “but it is also an examination and, I hope, a powerful indictment of the British military system of field punishment at that time”.

“I wrote A Dawn with no Birdsong as a tribute to all those soldiers who were killed unnecessarily by their British masters.”

In 2001 the poignant Shot at Dawn Memorial to the executed men was unveiled near Alrewas in Staffordshire, England.

It is a stark memorial –

a 2.4m high statue of a blindfolded soldier standing waiting to be shot.

The statue, created by British sculptor Andy DeComyn, is on the eastern side of the memorial – where the sun rises.

More than three hundred wooden stakes stand behind and beside the main statue, depicting each man who was shot at dawn and subsequently pardoned.

Some of the victims were as young as 17 years and lied about their age so they could enlist.

Most of the executed men were pardoned posthumously by the British Government , but for many decades the families of those soldiers had been forced to live with the shame and ignominy.

Additionally, the men who had been forced to form the firing squads had to live with their actions, and the guilt never left them. Some later resorted to suicide.

The book is the story of a struggle for survival when the enemy is not greatest foe, that is the

SAD TRUTH: Fraser Coast mayor George Seymour with author Tony Matthews at the Chinese Gardens, Urangan. Tony presented George with a signed copy of A Dawn with no Birdsong. people you fight for.

Tony Matthews is the author of 30 books. He lives with his wife Lensie at Hervey Bay. A Dawn with no Birdsong is available at leading bookstores or directly from the publisher, Boolarong Press in Brisbane.

It is also available from Amazon.

To connect with Tony online, go to a-dawn-withno-birdsong.weebly.com.

The book launch is open to the public and everyone is welcome to attend.

Bookings are essential and can be made through Hervey Bay Library on (07) 4197 4220 or the Maryborough Library on (07) 4190 5788.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

7

8

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

Community notes

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

VIEW CLUBS

Fraser Coast OUR October social day is on Friday, October 19.

Members and VIEW friends are invited to the Salt Restaurant at noon to enjoy friendship and a delicious meal. Before lunch, VIEW members will walk along the esplanade in VIEW colours for our “Walk for VIEW”, highlighting our mission to support under privileged children through the Smith Family. If you are not involved with VIEW in any way, you are still most welcome to join us. Phone Josephine on 0417 616 928 so she can save you a seat.

Gympie THE VIEW Club Zone Conference was held in Maryborough in September. The conference was a great success with club members from Gympie, Fraser Coast and Hervey Bay attending. Zone councillor Jean Jennings did a wonderful job of organising the conference and the guest speakers were the Deputy Mayor of Maryborough and the head of the committee to create the WWI Memorial.

Attendees were treated to a guided tour of the memorial which was truly

fantastic, the attention to detail was amazing.

Hervey Bay OUR meetings and luncheon are always on the second Monday of each month at the Club House, Tooth Street, Pialba from 10.30am and usually includes a guest speaker. Monthly socials are on the fourth Monday at various venues from 9.30am. The highlight of the month was our Zone conference at the Doon Villa Bowls Club in Maryborough incorporating Gympie, Fraser Coast and Hervey Bay View Clubs. This annual event’s theme of black and white was embraced and enjoyed by all who attend and treated to a feast of entertainment from Pam Ayers poetry, Fraser Coast Council news and their release of The Little Black Book for men, the wonderful address by Greig Bolderrow on the Maryborough War Memorial and more information about the ongoing monitoring of VIEW’s Learning for Life students of all ages. The day concluded with a walk through of the war memorial, with Greig giving ongoing commentary as we

POSITIVE MEET-UP: The highlight of the month was VIEW club’s Zone conference, incorporating the theme of black and white. This was embraced and enjoyed by all who attended.

Photos: Contributed

Statue of Duncan Chapman, a Maryborough man and the first soldier to step onto the beach at Gallipoli, with Zone Councillor Jean Jennings and Greig Bolderrow. walked, listened and felt the meaning of this place in Australia’s history. New or interested ladies are always welcome to join our fun and friendly club.

Phone Mary on (07) 4128 3908.

PROBUS CLUBS

Hervey Bay Mixed WE NEXT meet on Thursday, October 25 at 9am for a 9.30am start, upstairs at the Boat Club.

There is a lift for those who prefer and friendly

greeters to make you feel welcome. Come along and meet new friends and enjoy the view of our beautiful marina. Carla Keleher, the Community Hearing Adviser from Australian Hearing will give us a presentation with the offer of a free hearing check for anyone who wants one.

You may like to join us for lunch after the meeting so be sure to put your name on the list at the desk in the front. Inquiries with Judith on 0458 008 087.

AIR

Gympie VIEW club members visited the WWI memorial in Maryborough recently. They are (left to right): Margaret O’Keefe (assistant treasurer), Judy Fischle (Sunshine Lady), Barbara Cameron, Jan Reedman (program officer), Michele Schmitt (treasurer), Glynis Vallmuur (delegate and publicity officer), Lee Hodgson and Esme Paterson (secretary).

Bundaberg & District IT’S worth joining AIR and here’s why: Peak body representing fully and partially self-funded retirees of all ages, professional representation to all levels of government, continuous monitoring of government, legislation, newsletters monthly from your local, branch and nationally keeping members up to date with changes which could affect them financially and

socially, comprehensive informative website available to all members, fellowship with similar aged people, informative and entertaining speakers and periodic excursions to interesting destinations.

Our branch meets at Burnett Bowls Club, corner of George and Mulgrave Streets, West Bundaberg on the second Friday of each month at 9.30am for 10am. Come visit us as a guest. Phone Noel Baldwin on (07) 4159 6814.

BUNDABERG PCYC MARKETS

WE HAVE over 90+ Stalls full of Bundaberg’s best handmade creations, including wooden toys, jewellery, teddy bears, greeting card, personalised embroidery and beautiful head bands for the smallest member of the family. With Christmas fast approaching you will be able to find the perfect present for everyone on your Christmas list. Next market is November 11 and 25 from 8am-noon.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

9

Buying now Mike Cornish & Bryan Hunsberger will be traveling to Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Gladstone, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay areas from Monday, October 15 for 5 days only and are wanting to buy your unwanted items as pictured and listed below. Please visit us at one of the venues shown at the bottom of the page for an on the spot appraisal. If you live outside the area or have too many items to bring in phone 0401 379 401 NOW to arrange a time for the buyers to visit at your home. Fully licensed Antique, Numismatic and Precious Metal buyers with over 35 years industry experience.

These events are often compared to the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ on TV. Don’t miss this opportunity!

Gold Coins

Gold Jewellery • Worn Jewellery • Broken Jewellery • Gold Chains • Gold Rings • Gold Bracelets • Bullion Bars • Dental, Nuggets • Alluvial Gold • Broken necklaces & earrings

Silver Coins • Australia dated before 1965 -Crowns, Florins,

• Australian $200 Gold Coins • Sovereigns • Half Sovereigns • World proof coins and sets • Commemorative Coins • All other world Gold Coins • Gold coins: mounted, holed or worn • Gold medals & Fobs

Jewellery • Rings, Brooches, Pearls • Pendants, Sovereign Cases • Watch Chains, Lockets • Gold Cuff Links • Bracelets & Bangles • Any Asian Gold • Jade

Banknotes

Silver • Sterling items only • Tea Sets, Cutlery • Trays & Baskets • Cigarette & Card Cases • Trophy Cups • Jugs & Mugs • No EPNS or EP or A1 (If you’re unsure we’re happy to advise you)

• World Notes • Uncirculated Decimal • All Pre-Decimal • Error & Misprint Notes • Private & Trading Bank Issues • Specimen & Cancelled Notes • War Related Issues • Early Postal Notes • Star Notes

Watches

Military Medals

Shillings, Sixpences, Threepences • 1966 50 Cent Rounds • South Africa, USA & Canada dated before 1965 • NZ, Great Britain & Fiji dated before 1947 • New Guinea shillings • Misc Silver Coins • All other world silver coins

• All Rolex Watches (including Submariner) • All Omega Watches (including Seamaster & Constellation) • All Tudor & Breitling & other high-end Watches • All Mechanical (automatic & wind up) Watches • Gold & Silver Pocket Watches • Military Pocket Watches • No Quartz/Battery Watches

• World Military Medals • Orders & Decorations • Stars & Crosses • Bravery • Long Services • Groups & Accumulation • Collections

World Coins • World coins prior to 1950 • Collection & Accumulation • Error & Mis-strikes • Proof sets & Singles • Trade Tokens • Communion Tokens • Discount & Special Purpose Tokens

CASH PAID

No need to sort or clean coins, we can sort them quickly

Monday 15 October

Tuesday 16 October

Wednesday 17 October

Thursday 18 October KENSINGTON 8:30am to 10:30am Brothers Sports Club 130 Takalavan Street

FRENCHVILLE 11am to 1pm Frenchville Sports Club 105 Clifton Street, Berseker

YEPPOON 11am to 1pm Keppel Bay Sailing Club Anzac Parade

GLADSTONE 11am to 1pm Gladstone Yacht Club 1 Goondoon Street

SCARNESS 8am to 10am Beach House Hotel 344 Charlton Esplanade

EAST BUNDABERG 11am to 1pm East Bundaberg Sports Club 21 Eastgate Street

HERVEY BAY 10:30am to 1:00pm Hervey Bay RSL 11 Torquay Road

ROCKHAMPTON 1:30pm to 3:30pm Rockhampton Bowls Club 94 Victoria Parade

TARANGANBA 1:30pm to 3:30pm Capricorn Tavern 52-72 Scenic Hwy

CLINTON 2:00pm to 4:00pm Harvey Road Tavern 1 Harvey Road

BUNDABERG 1:30pm to 3:30pm Bundaberg Services Club 17 Quay Street

URANGAN 1:30 to 3:30pm Hervey Bay Boat Club Buccaneer Drive

HOME VISITS ROCKHAMPTON AREA 3:30pm to 6pm Phone 0401 379 401 For a home visit

HOME VISITS YEPPOON/ ROCKHAMPTON AREA 3:30pm to 6pm Phone 0401 379 401 For a home visit

HOME VISITS GLADSTONE AREA 4pm to 6pm Phone 0401 379 401 For a home visit

HOME VISITS BUNDABERG AREA 3:30pm to 6pm Phone 0401 379 401 For a home visit

HOME VISITS HERVEY BAY AREA 3:30pm to 6pm Phone 0401 379 401 For a home visit

ROCKHAMPTON 8:30am to 10:30am Rockhampton Leagues Club Cambridge Street

YEPPOON 8:30am to 10:30am Yeppoon RSL 15 Normandy Street

SOUTH GLADSTONE 8:30am to 10:30am Gladstone Events Centre O’Connel Street, Barney Pt

Friday 19 October

6876839aa

10

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

Wellbeing

$22.9m grant gets over-65s moving

Seniors juggle priorities as they battle to be fit, healthy Alison Houston OVER-65s are feeling positive about a new $22.9 million Australian Government program to encourage sport and physical activity providers to help them become more active.

A Gold Coast park vox pop found issues which affected participation currently included cost, accessibility, friendship and socialising, not being “tied down” in the case of grey nomads, level of exertion, interest and existing health problems or injuries.

The number of Australians aged 65 and over is projected to more than double in the next 40 years to nearly nine million people, representing more than 20 per cent of the population.

Sport Australia CEO Kate Palmer said that made it vital for sport and fitness providers to be adaptable and offer more options and products for older Australians, and the Move It Aus – Better Ageing program was an important step towards achieving that.

Sport Australia’s AusPlay research shows that although overall physical activity levels drop as we age, the main motivations to be active remain almost the same for over-65s – physical health and fitness (77.4 per cent); fun/enjoyment (39.4 per cent) and social

reasons (26.1 per cent).

Comments to Seniors didn’t support that, with “getting out” and “socialising” being as important to most people as the exercise itself.

At Burleigh Heads Bowls Club, Gail Rottier, 71, and Margaret Krall, 72, agreed that “social contact, mental stimulation and physical fitness... to a level”, were all part of enjoyment of the game.

Gail has been playing for 3-4 years, and Margaret for just 18 months.

“I moved up here and needed to do something, and it’s the best thing I ever did,” Gail said.

But a drink at the club and time with friends was all part of the fun.

“Just because you get older doesn’t mean you have to give up on everything!” the pair laughed.

Yvonne Moon also joined the club to meet people after moving to the area a few years ago, having played sport when she was younger and later been involved with surf lifesaving.

She said lessons and encouragement to “give it a go” were important to drive participation.

While at 57, Amanda Edwards doesn’t fit the over-65s target group, a health issue forced her to stop working, changing her friendship group, energy levels and general approach to life.

She was keen to point

BOWLS BUDDIES: Gail Rottier and Margaret Krall, at Burleigh Heads Bowls Club, say social contact, mental stimulation and physical fitness are all part of enjoying the sport.

Photo: Contributed out that starting to play bowls four years ago, using an extension arm so she doesn’t have to bend, had lifted her spirits enormously.

It’s an interesting point, given that Sport Australia’s research found that among over-65s who didn’t participate in sport or physical activity, poor health and injury was the biggest barrier.

The research also showed a tendency towards what it considered “recreational activities” than sport.

The most popular activities included: walking (60.9 per cent), fitness/gym (27.8 per cent), swimming (10.8 per

cent), golf (9.8 per cent), cycling (7.3 per cent) and bowls (4.6 per cent).

Again, apart from walking, this didn’t completely marry with Seniors’ quick poll which, taking place on the Gold Coast, found that after walking, it was swimming, surfing, golf and bowls that were most frequently mentioned, with other interests including yoga, tai chi and dancing.

Victoria University sport participation expert Associate Professor Dr Rochelle Eime said her research showed that only 1.2 per cent of Australians aged 50-54, and less than 0.5 per cent of over-55s played sport, compared to

40 per cent of 10-14-year-olds, when participation hits its peak.

She said sport clubs and organisations rarely focused on older adults, and although physical activity in later life was proven to have significant health and social benefits, including connectedness and stopping isolation (often associated with depression), older Australians weren’t getting the message – or at least not acting on it.

Sport Australia’s new sport strategy, Sport 2030, is a 12-year plan highlighting for the first time in Australian history, the idea that national

sport policy must focus on more than competition sport.

Dr Eime said it was critical that the voices of older Australians were not ignored in this new plan, with funding offering “a real opportunity to research the needs, desires and capabilities of older adults, modify sports, and develop new leisure activities for seniors”, including adapting cricket and other team sports to shorter, slower games.

Applications for grants close on October 31.

Guidelines are available at sportaus.gov.au/ betterageing.

A salad from your own garden

GROWING HEALTY: Fresh salad of cucumbers, radishes, green peas and herbs.

Photo: Elena_Danileiko

ONE of the many delights of growing your own food is being able to step out your door to pick what you need for a fresh salad.

Horticultural consultant to Yates, Angie Thomas, recommends you start with four easy vegetables: ■ Long green cucumber which has a sweet, crisp emerald green fruit that only take 8-10 weeks to harvest. It will need a trellis or tripod to climb up as the plants can grow up to 1.5m tall.

■ Lettuce baby combo will give you a blend of baby leaf lettuce types in

shades of green and red.

It’s perfect for salads and small space gardens, including pots.

■ Radish salad crunch are easy to grow and can be sown direct into a sunny spot in the garden or into containers. Finely shaved radish makes a crunchy and colourful addition to salads.

■ Large leaf rocket is a rapid grower. It has a peppery tasting leaves that add zest to salads.

Rocket can be grown in a full sun or a partly shaded spot in both the vegetable patch and in pots.

How to grow your salad: Before starting to sow the salad ingredients improve the soil first with some Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser.

The rich organic matter absorbs water like a sponge, helping to keep plants moist and also provides vegetables with gentle, slow release organic nutrients as they establish.

Once the seedlings are established, apply some Thrive Natural Vegie & Herb Organic based Pelletised Plant Food

around the root zone.

It’s a complete plant food for vegies and herbs like cucumber, lettuce, radish and rocket that’s rich in organic ingredients and boosted with fast acting nutrients to encourage healthy vegie and herb growth.

Keep an eye out for aphids which are sap sucking insect pests that are attracted to the soft tender young growth on vegetable and herb seedlings.

They can damage plant health and reduce the harvest.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

WELLBEING

11

SPOTLIGHT ON CANCER

Let’s find cancer cure

LOVING LIFE: Kerrie Claffey’s desire to survive is underpinned by the knowledge the cancer could return. heard about a tour guiding course, she happily signed up.

“While you are on chemo, it’s not good to have a lot of free time on your hands,” Kerrie said.

“You don’t need to have time to think; you need to stay occupied.

“When you are happy, free time is awesome.

When you are not happy, free time is dangerous.”

Subsequently Kerrie secured a part-time guiding job in Australia and New Zealand for an international company.

Kerrie’s drive to survive is underpinned by the knowledge that the cancer could return.

Last time she had four

lymph nodes involved.

“That is a sign it may have spread to other areas of the body,” Kerrie said.

“There were no other areas evident at the time, or till now. But, that doesn’t mean it’s not there. There is no way of knowing.”

Walking a fine line “Every time your big toe hurts or you get a headache, the first gut wrenching fear is, is it cancer?” Kerrie says.

“It takes a deal of mental discipline to say to yourself, no, I just kicked my toe on the bed leg; chances are I have a sore toe. The first reaction is the panic about cancer,

‘‘

When you are happy, free time is awesome.

When you are not happy, free time is dangerous.

but you just have to say to yourself, hang on.

“The fact that you have cancer doesn’t stop these things from happening.

You have to say to yourself, don’t panic.

due to better treatment options.

REGISTER4 Register4 is a national online database of women and men who want to fast-track cancer research.

It brings together researchers and people who share one common goal – to help deliver greater health benefits from cancer research, faster.

You don’t have to have cancer to help out, but you must be aged 18 and over.

When you become a

member you will be asked to provide some information about yourself.

By signing up you are only agreeing to receive emails from Register4 about opportunities to participate in research projects, and about Register4 information, newsletters and surveys.

Register4 will send members an invitation email or you can find projects on the Register4 Current Projects page. Or phone 1300 709 485.

arrive at my destination wrapped in cotton wool, more to skid in sideways with champagne in one hand and chocolates in the other saying whoo hoo’.”

How you can help Both the NBCF and the Breast Cancer Network Australia celebrate this year milestone anniversaries of their battles to raise awareness and understanding, and fund research. Each are encouraging all Australians to get involved in a variety of events during October. Go to www.nbcf.org.au and www.bcna.org.au.

Do you want to know how to store your fruit and vegetables in your fridge, so that they stay fresh for more than two weeks?

Register for research projects BREAST physician Dr Deborah Pfeiffer, who deals with screening every day as a relieving senior medical officer with Breastscreen Queensland, looks at the issues around the current screening program.

The main breast cancer risk factors are being female and aged over 50.

Added to that, we are living much longer which means we more likely to get breast cancer.

If the disease is found early, there is more opportunity for a person to live a normal life span

Investigate the likely cause. But, there is a fine line between paranoia and vigilance.

“If something goes on like your toe remains sore for a couple of weeks, you shouldn’t ignore warning signs.”

Whoo hoo, what a ride!

Life is short and with a diagnosis of cancer, “it may be shorter” due to the illness or the treatments, or both Kerrie philosophises. It’s living with this cloud over you that has Kerrie fighting back.

“Get on with it. There is no time to waste,” Kerrie said. “There is a saying, something like - life is not a journey designed to

BREAST CANCER: We are living much longer and are therefore more likely to get breast cancer. Photo:

monkeybusinessimages

6846744ab

FINDING an answer to breast cancer that will help save her life is all National Breast Cancer Foundation speaker Kerrie Claffey cares about.

“I just want to live,” Kerrie, 65, states firmly.

“Any money they raise goes to research. That is what is going to save my life.”

In the meantime Kerrie has the throttle down as she lives life to the full with competition gliding to pursue, as well as kayaking, bushwalking and cycling near her home in southern Sydney, and a fun new job.

Kerrie was diagnosed with stage 3 infiltrating lobular carcinoma, twice; once at age 45 and again at 54.

Sadly, the early cancer diagnosis and consequent chemotherapy treatment stopped Kerrie’s desperate attempts at getting pregnant through IVF. “Apart from facing a cancer diagnosis, and that the fact that chemo brings on an early menopause; you are entering another stage of your life and facing your own mortality,” Kerrie said.

“But then facing not being able to ever have your own child; it was a lot to take in at once.”

But this confronting experience hasn’t dampened Kerrie’s desire to support women who are on the same pathway as herself.

Keep busy The former computer programmer retired at 55 from work during the recovery stage of her second diagnosis. Kerrie wasn’t ready to do nothing, so when she

On returning from a threeweek Christmas holiday, all my vegetables were as I left them in these bags in the fridge – fresh and ready to eat. I have been Roslyn Roberts using these amazing bags Hammond Village for more than two years and Coombabah, QLD they are still going strong.

Bags are washable and reusable and can be kept anywhere in the fridge - on shelves, in the fridge door and the crisper. To purchase immediately visit www.superfreshbags.com.au or call

Super Fresh Bags on 02 9631 0143.

12

WELLBEING

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

Understanding our tongue’s messages

WE USE them to talk, taste and digest, but do you remember that tongues are also a window to our body’s health?

“When it comes to oral health, there are a few symptoms that older people should keep an eye out for,” Medibank clinical director Sue Abhary said.

“Seniors have a higher likelihood of a B12 deficiency, developing oral thrush and mouth cancer and should always seek help from their local general practitioner if they are concerned.”

A deficiency of B12, a vitamin that maintains healthy cells and DNA, is more common in older people.

A swollen, red tongue or strawberry tongue may be caused by an underlying health issue and deficiency of this vitamin.

Similarly, oral thrush, a condition in which candida, a normal fungus

GOOD HEALTH: Check out these good habits for keeping your tongue healthy. found in over half of our mouths, overgrows and causes white patches on the tongue, is seen more in older adults.

People with oral thrush usually notice discomfort in their mouth when they are eating.

Other symptoms include pain and burning

in the mouth, an unpleasant taste, or lack of taste, a red mouth and throat, and cracks at the edge of their mouth.

In some cases, it may lead to irritation or bleeding, which can make it difficult to eat or swallow.

Seniors and particularly

those who smoke, are at increased risk of mouth cancer. Most people first notice a persistent sore or lump on the side of the tongue.

“It’s important we can hear what our bodies are telling us about our health,” Ms Abhary added.

Photo: Willowpix

The team at Medibank offer some good habits to help keep your tongue healthy: ■ Brush your teeth twice a day It’s important to brush thoroughly with a soft-bristled brush to remove any build up of bacteria in the mouth.

‘‘

... there are a few symptoms older people should keep an eye out for Make sure to give your gums some attention, brushing the tooth where it meets the gum, as well as flossing.

■ Avoid sugar Bad bacteria in the mouth like to feed on sugary foods which can in turn damage your tooth enamel.

Reduce your sugar intake to mitigate this nasty bacteria and promote better overall oral health.

■ Stop smoking Smoking can lead to tooth staining, gum disease, tooth loss and, in more severe cases, mouth cancer. If you’re a smoker, think twice about having that next cigarette. Phone the Quitline on 137 848 for support.

■ Drink plenty of water Dry mouth, or a lack of saliva, can lead to oral disease. Drinking enough water can help to keep the mouth moist. The fluoride in tap water also helps prevent decay.

Osteoarthritis exercise study

NEW EVIDENCE Cape Byron Medical physiotherapist Andrew Olson discusses the implications of the study.

THE Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has released a new set of guidelines for the best treatment of Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis (OA), stating that the best treatment for reducing people’s pain and increasing their function is starting an individualised exercise program.

It is expected that by 2030 over 3.1 million Australians will be living with OA, so providing effective and cost-efficient treatment is crucial to assist this population stay mobile and active.

Andrew Olson, a physiotherapist with Cape Byron Medical who specialises in rehabilitation, said this differs from previous thinking, where surgery was seen as inevitable.

“The previous thinking on best treatment was exercise was important to postpone surgery as long as possible,” Mr Olson said.

“But if you have OA in

the knee, the thinking used to be that you were just biding time until the inevitable knee replacement.

“This new research shows that exercise has better outcomes than surgery.

“These guidelines found exercise to have greater evidence of benefit than arthroscopic surgery, stem cell injections and a wide array of currently prescribed medications.

“The other significant finding is that a controlled weight loss program for anyone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 25 was also very beneficial in reducing pain and increasing function.”

The report found that land-based exercise such as walking, muscle strengthening exercises and tai chi had the greatest amount of benefit for people with OA. They also recommend cycling, aquatic based exercise and yoga.

“Weight bearing exercise can help nourish

and strengthen remaining cartilage in the knee even if there is damage present,” Mr Olson said.

“Strengthening exercises reduce the load on painful areas of compression in the knee.

Combining these two types of exercise help reduce pain and increase function.”

The report advised that anyone suffering from OA seek guidance from a rehabilitation expert to create an individualised program.

Research showed it was imperative that the type and intensity of exercise is regularly monitored and progressed as appropriate to each individual.

“A great starting point is testing, which includes muscle strength testing, joint range of motion testing and functional activity testing to help people return to their chosen activity.”

Read the full list of recommendations, go to racgp.org.au.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

13

2&3 BEDROOM HOMES AVAILABLE FROM

$292,000*

Enjoy the best years of your life

Fraser Shores is Hervey Bay’s ultimate retirement lifestyle.

Easy Choice

SPACIOUS AWARD WINNING HOMES

Simply lock-up and leave. Our range of spacious, quality brick and tile homes are surrounded by five-star resort style facilities that include a community centre with bar and dining areas, stage and dance floor, library, fitness centre, swimming pool, full-size bowling green, RV, caravan and boat storage.

AMAZING RECREATIONAL FACILITIES YEAR ROUND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES RV, CARAVAN & BOAT STORAGE

Life’s Easy At Fraser Shores, you have time to pursue your hobbies and interests. Our year-round program of social activities and events gives you the opportunity to meet new friends and be part of a friendly, welcoming community.

Within Easy Reach Fraser Shores has everything you need for a wonderful lifestyle. Centrally located with easy access to shopping, the bay, beaches, boat harbour, sporting clubs and state of the art health precinct. You can also access a range of Blue Care Help at Home services as needed.

BLUE CARE HELP AT HOME SERVICES

FOR SALES ENQUIRIES CALL DONNA 07 4148 7111

*Price valid for typical 2 bedroom home at time of print.

Visit 58 & 100 Nissen Street, Hervey Bay • Phone 07 4148 7111 Email info@frasershores.com.au • www.frasershores.com.au

14

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

Living

Places to call home

Overseas retirement options

beautiful city.

A couple could live comfortably on a monthly budget of between $2470 to $3100.

3. Phnom Penh, Cambodia ONCE famed as “the Pearl of Asia”, the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, has lots to offer expats – a stunningly low cost of living, lively markets and a thriving food scene, set to a backdrop of colonial French architecture and Buddhist temples.

Phnom Penh’s beauty and its people’s warmth attracts retirees and for the avid golfer, Cambodia has a number of extraordinarily attractive courses – some even enlisted help from famous names in golf including Sir Nick Faldo, IMG and Nicklaus Design.

Not only is the weather great for a round of golf throughout the year, but the courses are set to idyllic backdrops.

Living here, retirees can afford luxuries beyond reach back home.

The total cost of living for a single person living well in one of the nicest neighbourhoods in Phnom Penh is about $1500 a month.

A couple could spend around $2000.

4. Hanoi, Vietnam HANOI, Vietnam’s capital, is known for its French colonial architecture and rich culture with Southeast Asian, Chinese and French influences.

A beautiful place of parks and lakes, Hanoi has maintained its traditional culture and charm while still being a modern city.

For every glitzy shopping centre, there’s an incense-filled temple nearby and cultural

BEACH LIFE: Simply stroll on the sand with a local beer or a fresh coconut in hand at Da Nang, Vietnam. influences of the past are still part of the modern-day fabric of life here, from revered Confucian monuments to trendy French restaurants.

It’s the political hub of the country, as well as the cultural and historical centre.

Plus, Hanoi has one of the lowest costs of living of any major city in Southeast Asia.

Wendy Justice, International Living’s Vietnam correspondent, and her husband David, live in the Ba Dinh District – also known as the French Quarter – with its wide, tree-lined streets, French colonial architecture and lush, verdant parks.

Their typical monthly budget averages around $1500 and rarely reaches $2000 – but that includes travel in the region and little luxuries like fine wine or evenings out.

5. George Town, Penang, Malaysia GEORGE Town is the capital of Penang, a tropical island off the west coast of peninsular

Malaysia.

Despite Penang being a small island, there is no shortage of arts and culture; from the international film festival to the month-long George Town festival that celebrates the arts in every form imaginable.

With its UNESCO World Heritage Site listing, the must-see sights are best explored by foot.

As a former British colony, English is widely spoken, making it easy to make friends.

And with a mix of cultures and cuisines, it’s a must-visit for foodies.

On $3300 a month, a couple can live in luxury here.

6. Siem Reap, Cambodia KNOWN as Cambodia’s “temple town”, Siem Reap, in northwestern Cambodia, is surrounded by the ruins of the ancient temple city, from which the Khmer Empire ruled much of Southeast Asia from the 9th to the 15th century.

Developing rapidly, the changes of the last 10 years in Siem Reap may

have brought more tourists, but they have also raised standards.

The artsy retreat is now filled with beautiful hotels, excellent yet affordable food, art galleries and shops stocked with fine artisan offerings.

The famous ruins of Angkor Wat are 10 minutes outside of town.

This is one of the world’s largest religious monuments, a grand complex which encompasses about 500 acres bursting with extraordinary stone temples.

Siem Reap is a place where expats report living on a modest budget – Melbourne native Bill Parker says “I spend less than $1500 in an average month on everything from food to medical care”.

7. Da Nang, Vietnam DA NANG, central Vietnam’s biggest city, lies on the coast of the Eastern Sea; and is considered by many, expats and locals alike, to be the most liveable city in Vietnam.

A river runs through the

heart of the city, necessitating a number of bridges that connect the city to the white sand beaches.

One of them, shaped like a dragon and illuminated by thousands of lights, changes colour at night and blows fire from its “mouth” in a spectacular display.

The beach is a hub of activity around dawn and dusk, with locals swimming, playing volleyball and football or simply strolling on the sand with a local beer or fresh coconut in hand.

And the jungle-clad Son Tra peninsula, just to the north of the city, makes for a wonderful day trip.

Here, you get serious bang for your buck.

Two people could live comfortably in Da Nang on a budget of around $1325 per month, including rent, utilities, food, frequent meals out and incidentals.

Source: InternationalLiving.com. au. For more information on retirement overseas havens, go to InternationalLiving.com.au.

Importance of Men’s Sheds

6765403af

A GROWING number of Australians are retiring overseas to big cities that offer plenty of conveniences, great dining choices and an arts-rich lifestyle.

In a new report, the editors at International living.com.au point to seven great retirement cities overseas.

1. Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam HO CHI Minh City – also known as Saigon – is oozing with energy and enthusiasm for life and its bustling economy.

But behind the vibrant exterior lies a gentler, more sophisticated side with exceptional cuisine, a rich history and a thriving arts and music scene.

Foodies will delight in the abundance and variety of great eats on offer in Ho Chi Minh City.

And to top it off, there are thousands of coffee shops dotted around the city to meet the enormous demand – the people of Ho Chi Minh City love their coffee.

The arts scene in Ho Chi Minh City is also full of life.

A range of museums and historical sites around town provide an insight into Vietnam’s fascinating history and most only cost a dollar or two for entry.

2. Chiang Mai, Thailand AS THE largest city in northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is an exciting place to live, offering top-class dining, a culture-rich lifestyle and famous festivals throughout the year.

Surrounded by mountains and lush countryside, Chiang Mai’s cooler climate makes it a favourite amongst expats.

The Thai people are warm and welcoming, but the low costs are a huge advantage of this

AUSTRALIAN men looking to pick up a tool and have a chinwag were able to access greater resources with the Men’s Shed community a beneficiary of $400,000 in grants from the Federal Government.

Over 100 sheds around the country were able to purchase tools and equipment, undertake community projects and maintain and develop buildings through round 17 of the Government’s National

Shed Development Programme.

The sheds were also able to offer a space for men to talk about their health and mental well-being.

“Men are often the last ones to make their health and well-being a priority,” Minister for Health Greg Hunt said. “(And) feeling part of a social group is important to our emotional and mental health and Men’s Sheds provide men with an opportunity for companionship and

support within their community.

“Men’s Sheds have been a real success story in promoting health and well-being for Australian men and I am delighted to award these grants.”

The grants – awarded across the categories of health and well-being events, shed improvements and equipment – are a part of a massive $5.1 million, three-year boost to the Men’s Shed movement.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

LIVING

15

Stress less as a carer BRAND INSIGHTS CARING is often a labour of love and many carers don’t see themselves as such.

But no matter what title you give yourself, finding the time to just manage your household can seem far-fetched, let alone taking a break. That’s where respite services can be a life-saver.

Respite care comes in a variety of forms but they all work towards the same aim of making sure you can be away from your duties safe in the knowledge the person you care for is well looked after.

Today we look at five respite services, delivered

by Ozcare, that are available to Queensland carers.

Short term respite care Typically used when you need to be away from home for a short time, such as an appointment, Ozcare’s carers come to your home and look after the person you care for.

They can play games, do craft or take the person you care for on an outing, or help with meal preparation, cleaning or other personal care services while you’re away.

Ongoing respite care Do you work part-time?

Organising respite care gives you the security of knowing the person you care for will always be looked after while you’re at paid work.

Regular respite care can be organised for day or evening, and is completely flexible to fit around your schedule.

LABOUR OF LOVE: Carers at Ozcare Day Respite Centres offer support and care and also share a laugh.

Photo: Contributed

Emergency respite care When you need care immediately, Ozcare’s carers can be organised at short notice and can come to your home or another place in the community.

Day respite centres Ozcare’s day respite centres are fun, social places for people with a disability, people living with dementia, or those

needing aged care.

Participants meet new people, take part in activities, and have their meals and care needs looked after.

Extended hours are available to carers of people living with dementia who want to do paid work or study.

Residential respite at an aged care facility Temporarily moving into

an aged care facility is often a great idea for people who have carers who need to travel interstate or overseas, or for carers or families who need a break, or are unwell themselves and need some help while they recover.

All of Ozcare’s aged care facilities offer residential respite care and cater for people living

with dementia.

No matter what your needs, or whether you consider yourself a ‘carer’, it’s important to know that there are services out there to give carers a break.

Find out your options by phoning 1800 Ozcare (1800 692 273) and discussing what services are available.

16

LIVING

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

Meet the walker on a mission

When the going gets tough, the tough get going

Tracey Johnstone STARTING competitive sport at age 70 isn’t quite what you expect to hear, but then you haven’t met Heather Lee OAM, until now.

The 91-year-old NSW resident has spent the last 20 years on the road, walking to her way to fitness and to a happier older life.

At age 85. Heather broke every Australian record for her age group in the 1500m, 3km, 5km and 10km race-walk distances.

And in the same year she broke the 3km and 5km world records. She currently holds all the world records for her 90/99 age group.

Her motivation for take her regular walking activity to the next level was driven by her late husband, Leonard, who

said to her just before he died ‘now is the time to show your mettle’. She found herself compelled to walk, and the more she did, the better she felt.

Heather stated with participating in the Sydney to Surf in 2001 and then went onto many other public walking events.

“I started to run out of peers to compete against,” Heather said.

“My physiotherapist suggested I try my luck in the Australian Masters Games in Adelaide in 2011.”

She registered for four events not realising it was race-walking. Four gold medals later after using the corridor of her hotel to practice the rules of race-walking, Heather discovered she is very competitive.

“Every Friday I do a 10km walk which I can do in an hour and 25 minutes,” Heather said.

“I just love it. I feel so much better afterwards.

You come home and feel so good about yourself. It just sets me up for the day.”

Heather has a weekly session with her 58-year-old trainer and then trains by herself three times a week. She’s on her own on the road, but that doesn’t seem to faze Heather.

“A lot of my old friends have died,” Heather said.

“My friends now are younger people because I have sort of out-lived everybody else.”

Armed with a pedometer and a focus on her pace, Heather concentrates on working against the clock to improve her performance, every time.

“I’m not out there to smell the roses,” Heather said.

Her closest race-walk competitor is a Romanian

woman who she raced in 2016.

“I wasn’t quite 90 at the time and she was five months older,” Heather said.

“I competed in the 85-90 age and she competed in the 90s plus.

I went there to beat her, which I did.”

Last weekend, Heather walked 10km in the Blackmore’s Sydney Running Festival, Bridge Run. This weekend she will participate in her 15th 24-hour Hawkesbury Relay for Life which raises money for Cancer NSW. Last year she completed 96,000 steps.

This year Heather is aiming to complete 100,000 steps. She is looking for supporters for her Team Heather.

“I will get there,” she said.

Heather will keep race walking as long as her body allows her.

DETERMINED: Heather Lee, 90, of NSW on her way to setting a world record.

90-year-old race walker Heather Lee poses for photographs at her home in Richmond.

Spread the Word With Seniors Think you’ve got news and information that needs to be shared? Whether an upcoming community event, heart-warming tale or an update on anything local we want to tell your story!

Opening Doors to the Seniors Lifestyle

Head online to seniorsnews.com.au today!

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

17

1 BEDROOM VILLAS

at Argyle Gardens Bundaberg

START AT

$125,000*

Argyle Gardens is Bundaberg’s best retirement location.

Easy Choice A range of low maintenance, spacious, quality, brick and tile homes.

Surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens and resort style facilities including a bar and dining facilities, auditorium and dance floor, indoor bowls and billiards, pool and outdoor bbq area, hobby room, library and hair salon.

Life’s Easy At Argyle Gardens, you have the time to pursue your hobbies and interests.

Our weekly program of social activities gives you the opportunity to meet new friends and be part of a friendly, welcoming community.

Within Easy Reach

CLOSE TO EVERYTHING YOU NEED EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY FACILITIES YEAR ROUND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES RV, CARAVAN & BOAT STORAGE BLUE CARE HELP AT HOME SERVICES FOR SALES ENQUIRIES CALL

LEO 07 4191 9115

Everything you need for a wonderful lifestyle, including access to a range of Blue Care Help at Home services. Conveniently located in Twyford Street at Avoca, just a short walk to Stockland Shoppingtown and Brothers Sports Club. *Price valid for typical 1 bedroom villa at time of print.

Visit 90 Twyford Street, Avoca • To book an inspection phone 07 4191 9115 Email info@ArgyleGardensBundaberg.com.au • www.ArgyleGardensBundaberg.com.au

WHAT’S ON

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

The Best Quality Assisted Living in the Wide Bay

FOOT TAPPIN’: Dean Perrett playing at the 2017 Murgon Music Muster. It’s on again this year from Tuesday, October 30 – Sunday, November 4 at the PCYC (Murgon Showgrounds, 40 Macalister Street).

Photo: Katherine Morris

GYMPIE LANDCARE BUSHDANCE

IT’S our birthday. Join the Gympie Landcare team as we celebrate 30 years of land caring in the Gympie region. We will be hosting a traditional bush dance. The ticket includes food and entertainment.

So put on your boots and hat and bring your partner for a night of fun, prizes and endless dancing.

Tickets are limited, bookings essential. On Saturday, October 20 from 6.30-11pm at Chatsworth Community Hall, corner of Allen and Rammutt Road, Chatsworth. General Admission $50. Go to gympielandcare.org.au.

FREE TRIAL STAY

Register today at u .a m o .c s la il v s n o iz r o newh tion no cost or obliga at ys da 14 to up r fo ay St ts and discover an Meet the friendly residen urself. independent lifestyle for yo

*

GOURMET AND GROOVES ON SMITHFIELD

JOIN Gympie Regional Council for an evening of great food and live music.

Council’s monthly Gourmet and Grooves event will fill Smithfield Street with food trucks, live music, and children’s activities, including free face painting and jumping castle.

Gourmet and Grooves is perfect for families looking for an affordable night out in the Gympie Town Centre, with lots of free entertainment to keep kids happy. It also supports the arts and cultural scene in Gympie – every month we’ll be showcasing different local musicians and street talent. Gympie Town Centre, Smithfield Street, Gympie on Friday, October 26 from 5-9pm and Friday, November 30 from 5-9pm.

MURGON MUSIC MUSTER

Contact us today on 1800 465 500 *Terms and Conditions Apply. Limited to 3 applicants at one time.

6590189ae

18

NOW in its 8th year, the Murgon Music Muster is an annual event held over six days during the first week in November at the PCYC (Murgon Showgrounds) 40 Macalister Street, Murgon in the small rural town of Murgon in southeast Queensland and proudly run by the Rotary Club of Murgon. Catering for Grey Nomads and day visitors,

the 2018 muster will include a wide variety of country music including one of Australia’s premier country music artists, Adam Harvey as the headlining act.

Other Golden Guitar winners who will be performing over the weekend include multi-award winning Australian balladeer and songwriter, Graham Rodger and talented singer/songwriter and story teller Brad Butcher.

On from Tuesday, October 30 – Sunday, November 4.

For more information, online bookings and inquiries go to murgon musicmuster.com or email info@murgonmusic muster.com. Phone Heath Sander on 0418 786 007 or follow us on Facebook – The Murgon Music Muster.

MARYBOROUGH HERITAGE CRAFTFEST 2018

THIS event will be proudly presented by Maryborough Artisans Inc at the historic Maryborough City Hall, 398 Kent Street, Maryborough, during the hall’s 110th year anniversary. This event showcases amazing traditional and modern handcrafts created by local artisans.

Crafts for sale will include teddy bears, crochet, resin jewellery, glass art, sculpture, pottery, decorative art and much more. There will be demonstrations by various group and individual artisans.

A challenge to ‘Make a Placemat’ will be held in conjunction with the event.

All entries will become the property of Maryborough Artisans Inc and will be donated to Care Packs for the Troops.

Entry forms can be requested by email at craftfest@live.com.au or downloaded from Facebook.

The fest is on Thursday, November 1 – Saturday, November 3 from 9am-3pm. Per Adult: $3

(children under 12 free with paying adult) door sales only. Profit from door takings will be used to buy much needed equipment for the Maryborough Hospital, and The Arts Department, Maryborough Special School. For more details, contact the secretary craftfest@live.com.au.

BELTANE FIRE FESTIVAL

BELTANE means bright fire, and in earth-based traditions, it represents the symbolic marriage of the God and Goddess and their eternal embrace.

May 1 is Beltane in the Northern Hemisphere, November 1 in the Southern Hemisphere, and on that day we honour nature’s oldest love story.

According to ancient lore, the two have been separated all winter long, and their glorious reunion on Beltane is celebrated with food, drink and multi-coloured maypoles to symbolise female energies wrapping themselves around the male form.

The entire world comes alive with new life and bright colours to celebrate this union of the Divine Feminine with the Divine Masculine. This holiday is a celebration that honours the divine balance in the union of masculine and feminine.

Having reached maturity after their long, wintry separation, Lord and Lady can now come together as one and give birth to new life, ideas, passions, projects, and wonderful expressions of unbridled sensuality.

Fires are the traditional staple and symbol of Beltane. Traditionally, pastoral herds were driven through two fire posts for blessing and purification.

Saturday, November 3 from 11am-11pm and Sunday, 4 November 4 from 7am-3pm, Gympie Showground, Exhibition Road, Gympie.

For tickets, phone 0415 800 888 or go to beltanefire.com.au.

19

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

Discover the Island and its pleasures INSIDE

20

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

Skipping a generation to share travel passion

camera. I then get that made into a video for each of them to have as a memory,” Robyn added.

“It really opens their eyes to the world – that people speak different languages, don’t have all the advantages that we have, and that countries have different history and traditions.

“The trip really brings it to life for them.

“It also gets them to understand their privilege.

“The travel has definitely created an interest in them seeing more of the world – it’s broadened their horizons massively.”

Tracey Johnstone ROBYN Nixon is skipping a generation to focus on introducing her grandchildren to the wide world, which is helping them to develop a keen interest in what’s outside their Melbourne backyards.

Her love of travel, which has been fuelled by 66-year-old’s job as general manager of the Intrepid Foundation, has led her to organising international travel experiences with three of her six grandchildren, without a parent in sight.

“When my daughter had the grandchildren, they were living overseas in different places for a while, so we travelled together with the kids quite a bit,” Robyn said.

“Then I decided, because we have a range of Intrepid family holidays, that one of the things I would like to do is take the kids away on their own, just with me.

“I started that with my eldest grandson when he was 11 and we went to China.”

Robyn enjoyed the shared travel experience as she watched grandson Josh became enthralled by the country and make new friends with the other children in the group.

She also found herself with like-minded adults who wanted their children and grandchildren to have similar experiences.

“We experienced The Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, quiet country villages and the energy of big cities,” Robyn added.

“All the kids were super excited about the Great

SKIP GEN TRAVEL: Robyn Nixon with grandson Josh and the other members of the family adventure tour in China.

Photos: Contributed

Wall of China. They literally ran up it.

“The other thing they got into, which none of them had done it before, was bargaining for things in the markets.

“They were kind of blown away by that. Also, we had a hot pot meal so they got to cook their food.”

Robyn came back from China determined to give the same travel opportunity to her other five grandchildren.

She has since taken Isaac to Japan and plans to in February to Ben, 11, to The Galapagos and Equatorial Amazon.

“When you get to spend a decent amount of time with your grandchildren

Robyn Nixon and her grandson Josh. and you see them interact with other parents and children, you build more of

a relationship because their parents aren’t there so it’s just you and them

working it out,” Robyn said The decision on where each child travels is based on each one’s personal interests. Robyn chose China for Josh as he had just done a school project on that country.

Isaac chose Japan.

Ben talked about going somewhere with animals.

“He is a mini marine biologist,” Robyn said Each trip Robyn encourages her grandchild to write a daily tour diary along the way.

She also collects mementos which Robyn then puts into a scrapbook and gives to her grandchild.

“I also takes lots of photos and videos, and get them to talk to

Robyn’s tips for travel with grandkids ❚ Book somewhere you haven’t been before so you can discover something new together.

This makes for the best memories. ❚ Consider booking a small group adventure where you can benefit from local tour leaders and the company of other children, parents and grandparents. ❚ Encourage kids to keep a journal or a daily video diary so they can look back on their cherished memories. ❚ Embrace all opportunities for them to get outside of their comfort zones and try new things from local food to playing popular local children’s games. ❚ Carry books, cards and activities for long travelling days, plus take extra snacks than usual.

Also, pack refillable water bottles and cloth bags, to avoid single-use plastics and plastic bags overseas.

AIRPORT & CRUISE Australian Dutch Clog Barn

TRANSFERS

10% DISCOUNT * 10

ON HERVEY BAY DOOR TO DOOR/TRANSIT TRANSFERS BY QUOTING

“SENIORSHB”

*Also available for Maryborough, Tiaro and Gympie transit stops

Book Online

Phone

www.cxn.com.au

1300 266 946

*Conditions apply, see website for details. Not valid with any other offer.

GOLD COAST | BRISBANE | SUNSHINE COAST | TOOWOOMBA HERVEY BAY | CAIRNS | SYDNEY | MELBOURNE | FIJI

THE big question often asked is: “If I can’t afford to go all the way to Holland to see historic villages and wooden clogs being made, where else is best?”

Well, how about beautiful Coffs Harbour on the NSW mid-north coast and visit the Clog Barn and Holiday Park just 1.5km on the north side of the town centre.

You will see clog making demonstrations three times a day for free, and also visit an amazing miniature Dutch village with all sorts of beautiful

COFFS HARBOUR: Clog making demonstrations are held three times a day for free. Photo: Scarr Photography and perfectly constructed Dutch buildings.

They are true miniature replicas of the actual buildings I have seen many times in the Netherlands and it’s a photographer’s paradise.

It’s all free, complete with working Dutch

windmills and two little working trains.

Take a delightful stroll around the model Dutch Village at 215 Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour.

For more information go to clogbarn.com.au or phone (02) 6652 4633.

21

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

10 reasons to stay in Vietnam VIETNAM’S newest luxury beach-front resort is attracting Australian guests in droves. Ann Rickard checked in to The Anam in Cam Ranh to see what it was all about.

These are her 10 favourite things ...

1. Luxury: Vietnam is opening to tourists at a giddy rate, yet it is still very affordable. You get a lot of bang for your buck in in this beautiful country and none more so that at the 18-month-old The Anam, Vietnam’s first five-star colonial-style beach resort. Better still, Jetstar will fly you comfortably there for small cost. Win-win.

2. Location: Away from the frantic pace of nearby Nha Trang, the resort sits on the pristine shore of Long Beach on the Cam

Ranh Peninsula. A 40 minute fight from Ho Chi Minh gets you to Cam Ranh, from there a 15-minute drive to the resort. Easy.

3. Atmosphere: Mist-shrouded mountains swathed in junglegreenery form a verdant backdrop for The Anam.

Add a few hundred palms swaying among the lush gardens, hand-cut green lawns as smooth as bowling greens, glittering pools and tinkling water features at every turn, and the stage is set for resort hedonism. With more than 300 sunny days each year... well... icing on the tropical cake.

4. Food, food and more: With a carefully planned variety of restaurants, the exhilarating flavours and exceptional freshness of

local produce, eating is a priority. From fine dining at The Colonial to fusion dining at Indochine Restaurant, to classic Vietnamese dishes at Lang Viet Restaurant & Bar overlooking the beach, the choices are myriad. Then there is afternoon tea (scones anyone?) in the Saigon Bar, and the extravagant buffet breakfast at Indochine with its Asian and Western offerings.

Mix it up... try everything.

5. Mama’s Cooking: Twice a week, Mama’s Vietnamese buffet presents a limitless range of diverse specialities in the airy Lang Viet Restaurant & Bar. Adding to the overwhelming choices, mamas and aunties from nearby villages come in to

AMAZING: Lush gardens and water features at The Anam. bring a street-food atmosphere, cooking satays over hot coals, making traditional pancakes, and dishing up the omnipotent noodle dishes. A contrast, an insight to street-food. A highlight.

6. Pamper and polish: You deserve coddling, and there is plenty of it at the resort’s Sri Mara Spa. “Is the room temperature and lighting to your liking?” you will be softly asked by one of the therapists as you quietly recline on the table with the fragrance of lemongrass and the sounds of trickling water in the air.

“Everything is to my liking,” you’ll reply before drifting off beneath the ministrations of soft hands massaging, soothing, easing. Spa products are organic tea-inspired known for

their textures and antioxidant and regeneration properties.

7. The Saigon Bar: Between 5-6pm, the cocktails flow freely. Yes, that is free drinks for an hour, from local beers to international wines and an excellent cocktail list.

Drink, eat complimentary snacks and listen to cool piano music, either on the terrace overlooking the pool or inside with its welcoming sofas and black and white photography.

8. Accommodation: You choose: terrace sea views, balcony garden views, ocean front, pool villa, three-bedroom suite.

Everything is covered in the resort’s 117 villas.

9. Warm Vietnamese service: From the general manager and his team strolling the property to ensure everyone is happy,

Photos: Contributed

through to the cheerful housekeeping staff, to the calm, soft-spoken spa attendants, to the smiling gardeners, everyone makes you feel special.

You are a VIP here.

10. Go touring: Shuttle buses will take you into Nha Trang if you can bring yourself to leave the open arms of The Anam. From cultural and adventure tours to the daring Nha Trang By Night tour on the back of a motor scooter, you decide.

Jetstar International gets you to Vietnam for such modest cost, there is plenty left to indulge in the affordable luxury of The Anam, go to jetstar.com. The Anam welcomes with a variety of accommodation packages. For more, go to theanam.com.

Call our frie endly, expe erienced team to book your next crui uise or touring ho oliday or to join one of Go See ee Touring’s special gro roup departures.

1300 551 997 goseetouring.c com 9 FEB - 2 MAR 2019

EXQUISITE INDIA TEXTILE TOUR

19 Nights accom, daily breakfast, 4 lunches & 12 dinners, many amazing textile outlets, Delhi National Crafts Museum, Jaipur City, Palace Textile Museum, Taj Mahal, Rajasthan Heritage Palace Hotel stay, Cruise on famous Lake Pichola, Ahmedabad Calico Museum.

ESCORTED BY KAY MCMAHON OF STYLEBOOMER

$5,150

per person Twin Share Ex BNE or SYD, Single suppliment $1,390

SINGAPORE SHOWCASE E HOSTED BY GRAEME HUGO, RODNEY VINCENT & FORTUNATO ISGRO

$3,999

per persson Twin Share ex BNE NE, MEL, SYD, ADL & PE ER, Single supplement $ $1,000

NORFOLK ISLAND CONVICTS CHALLENGE From

CRUISING: Sun, sand, sweet drinks and sublime views from a Caribbean cruise ship... what could be better?

Photo: cworthy

7 nights accom of your choice, 8 days car hire & insurance, half day Island orientation tour, welcome dinner err, island fish fry, breakfast bush walk, Presentaati tion di dinner, entry into Go See Touring Convictt’s ’ Challeenge at Rawson Hall, non-playerss receivee $50 disc scount.

Plus - fun & fabulous prizess!

per person Twin Share Ex BNE, Single suppliment $450

ENGLISH BLOSSOMS INCLUDING THE CHELSEA IN FLO OWER SHOW

Five fantastic cruises VOTED on by over 500 top travel journalists, agencies, bloggers and editors, these are five of the world’s best cruising experiences.

Cruising Greenland Ethereal green and purple ribbons of light dancing in the sky, geothermal waters, and fjords reaching deep out to sea make Greenland appear to be a planet all its own.

Cruise the Nile Lounging on the bow of a sailboat as a gentle wind pushes you down the Nile makes you feel as though you’re ancient Egyptian royalty.

Amazon River Cruise Revealing treasures of the 4345 mile waterway, an ultimate Amazon River cruise spans the region between Manaus, Brazil all the way to Iquitos, Peru.

Cruise the Caribbean Flowing through the twinkling waters of the Caribbean, on a stately liner, settles you into the ultimate state of relaxation as you island hop in one of the world’s most coveted destinations.

Around the world Whisking cruisers away to faraway lands all over the globe, a world cruise is a monumental event.

$5,445

per persson Twin Share Ex BNE NE or SYD Sing ngle suppliment $ $1,000

BROOME & THE KIMBERLEY per person Twin Share ex BNE, supplement $1,225

7 Nights 4-star hotel accom, Return airport transfers, Windjana Gorge & Tunnel, Creek, Cape Leveque, Camel Ride on Cable Beach, Staircase to the Moon, Willie Creek Pearl Farm, Daily Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 3 Morning or Afternoon Teas, 2 Dinners

20 - 27 JULY 2019

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

NORF RFOLK ISLAND From

$1,85 55

13-25 MAY 2019

3 Nights Tunbriidge Wells, 3 Nightts Cheltenh nham, 1 Night Oxford, 3 Nights London, 1 10 Brreakfasts / 2 Lunches / 6 Dinn ners, Great Dixter err House, Sissinghurst, Castle, Leeeds Castle,, Cante terbury Cathedral, Bath, Sudely Castle,, A Abbey Hou ouse Malmesbury ryy, Hidcote Manor, C Cotswolds, o Blenhei eim Palace, RHS Wisley, Chelseea Flower Show.

16 - 23 JUNE 2019

ESCORTED TOUR

$4,345

7 Nights 4 accom m, cooked breakfa fast daily, 1 lunch + 5 dinners, all touring and en ntrance fees, Singapore Zoo, Gardens By thee B Bay, National Orchid Garden ns, High Teea at Raffl affles, Changi Tour, Sentosa. PLU US 2 x Fabulous Concerts - Singapore Showccase 2019

30 MAR - 6 APR 2019

SOCIAL INDOOR BIAS BOWLS TOURNAMENT

$1,925

2 - 9 MARCH 2019

per person Twin Share Ex BNE Single suppliment $470

7 Nights accommodation, 8 Dayys Car Hiree, Half Day Orientation Tour, Choice of Haalf Daay Scenic Tour, Breakfast Bush Walk, Island Fish sh h Fry, 2 x Feature Dinners with Entertainmeent, PLUS Full Christmas Dinner with Entertain inment

TERMS & CONDITIONS *Price is per person Twin Share fully in nclusive. Single Supplement applies. Credit card sur urcharges apply. Deposit of AUD$500-$800 per person is required to secure tour. Tour requires a minimum number n of passengers to depart. Prices may fl fluctuate if surcharges, fee, taxes or currency change. Prices current as at 17 September 2018. Go SeeTouring Pty Ltd T/A Go See Touring Member of Helloworld ABN BN: 72 122 522 276 ATAS Accreditation A11320

22

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

Napier is a notch above Erle Levey FIRST impressions certainly last. When I stumbled upon Napier in the Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand’s North Island it was like discovering the land of autumn.

The grape vines in the seemingly endless vineyards were turning shades of yellow, gold, crimson and brown. The sky was clear but there was a crispness in the air.

And the city was wedged between a mountain range and the ocean, reminiscent of an English seaside town.

That first visit in the 1970s was by train from Gisborne, on the eastern-most point in New Zealand. I had stayed at a youth hostel overnight and caught the train the next morning.

It was while on a working holiday and I remember the railway went through the golf course then followed the coastline of Poverty Bay before crossing a range that brought glimpses of the Pacific Ocean and Hawke’s Bay for much of the journey.

I must have arrived in Napier mid afternoon and was immediately taken by the charm of the coastal town.

The beers at the sailing club at sunset were some of the most enjoyable I can remember. The Leopard Brewery was right there.

Today, half a lifetime later, I have driven down from Auckland. The early light of dawn revealed seas of fog in the valleys of the areas south of Thames – Matamata, Morrinsville, Tairu, down to Taupo.

Taupo is like a snow town – Cooma or Jindabyne in Australia’s

A highlight of the Murals for Oceans project is seen in the morning light at The National Aquarium on the foreshore of Hawke’s Bay at Napier, New Zealand.

SILENT BEAUTY: Sunrise on Hawke’s Bay, Napier, New Zealand. alpine region or something out of Alaska perhaps. There’s thermal power as well as hydro electricity from the wild rivers and geo-thermal activity.

Taupo is on the northern end of a Great Lake, known for its fishing. Trout. Well, there was this time in the ’70s when we tried to tickle some trout rather than catch them with a hook and line.

Quietly slip your hand into the water and under the fish as it lazily swims in the clear water, then tickle its belly.

That was the plan. But we could never quite pull it off. Maybe it needed the Maori touch ... or our workmates were fooling with us.

On our recent journey to New Zealand the drive through the range was in showery conditions yet being in a rain shadow the outlook for Hawke’s Bay

was good. Virtually as soon as we dropped down into the valley the sun broke through and the last silvery drops of rain were illuminated against the ranges as well as the grape vines in this wine-growing region.

Napier was decimated by an earthquake in 1932 so when the rebuilding took place it took on this art deco look.

Now it is a highlight. A town preserved with a theme.

East facing at the foot of the ranges, it is washed by the Pacific Ocean and bathed by the breezes.

Little wonder that it is home to some delightful wines and seafood.

The importance of the sea is celebrated in a glorious series of murals throughout the port city.

Murals for Oceans was a public art project in Napier in early 2016. It has resulted in about 30 large-scale murals

A highlight of the Murals for Oceans project is seen in the morning light.

Photos: Erle Levey

highlighting the ocean’s beauty and marine environment issues.

A series of thought-provoking works that can be appreciated by anyone who walks along the streets and laneways or by the wharves.

By collaborating with internationally-renowned artists, the murals and community-based educational efforts focus attention on major environmental issues impacting the oceans, and promote the importance of long-term sustainability of natural resources.

After all, if someone had asked where most of the oxygen we breathe comes from I would have said plants and trees, but no, it’s from the ocean.

In fact, every second breath we take comes from the ocean. Reason alone to look after a precious resource. And

Mission Estate Winery at Taradale, Hawke’s Bay. never mind the plastic.

A benchmark mural is at the National Aquarium on the foreshore, Cinzah Merkens’ endangered Longfin eel on the back wall glistens in the early morning light.

Joggers and walkers are silhouetted against it and give it a sense of scale.

Then there is the artist Phibs and his mural showing a turtle being affected by pollution.

Ocean acidification and rising sea levels as well as endangered NZ seabirds are all depicted.

The town is quiet, seeing how it is the middle of winter. Tourism must be of vital importance, along with timber, wine, agriculture and other horticulture such as peaches, nectarines, maybe cherries, apples and citrus.

I pull up at the wharf, looking for the sailing club.

Mission Estate Winery, Taradale, Hawke’s Bay.

The brewery is long gone, swallowed up by one of the international brands.

The old warehouses and wool stores are going through a revival driven by arts, crafts, professional offices and technology centres.

An esplanade runs along the long curve of the bay. Foreshore reserve on the ocean side, the town on the other.

Pacific gulls mix with silver gulls along the esplanade.

There are vacancies in the accommodation houses, a mix of motels and guest houses, backpacker hostels as well as bed-and-breakfast places.

Getting a table at one of the esplanade restaurants is easy enough on this winter’s evening, except some don’t open Monday while others might have Tuesday off.

23

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

mountain and seaside The entrance to Mission Estate Winery at Taradale, Hawke’s Bay.

Hawke’s Bay at Napier, New Zealand.

ATMOSPHERIC: After the rain at Linden Winery at Napier, New Zealand.

I am taken by the retro charm of Hunger Monger, recommended by the people at the Linden Winery as one to put on the must-do list.

It’s the same with Pacifica and Bistronomy.

Both highly recommended.

Indeed, Pacifica knocked over the heavyweights of the Auckland dining scene to claim the 2017 Cuisine Good Food Awards after winning best regional restaurant the two previous years.

Hunger Monger is a dedicated seafood restaurant and, well, Hawke’s Bay has a strong fishing industry.

The restaurant has those chintzy plastic table cloths, plastic tomato sauce containers that look like tomatoes, HP sauce bottles, period lamps, woollen skins thrown over the chairs.

The owners stake their reputation on the quality of the produce.

Fraser has more than 20 years experience as a chef, mostly in Auckland and elsewhere in New Zealand as well as in Australia.

Agnieska is Polish and has 20 years in hospitality in England, Scotland and New Zealand.

The 1932 art deco building that houses the restaurant was formerly

Mission Estate Winery, Taradale, Hawke’s Bay.

the home of Haynes Butchery.

The couple pride themselves on sourcing locally-caught fish and pairing it with local produce.

As Agnieszka says, “Hawke’s Bay is horticultural heaven and we know it.

“We’re swimming in wine here and the breweries have a great selection.’’

So it’s fish and chips, with a difference: Just $14.

There are also prawns spaghetti, seafood bouillabaisse or clam chowder. Sashimi for raw-fish lovers and fresh salads.

Photos: Erle Levey

The lightest of batters is used on the tempura prawns and the crispy squid: $10 and $12 respectively.

Steamed Coromandel greenlip mussels with Thai green curry sauce and wholemeal pita toast.

And the Bouillabaise is $28.

The beers include Zeelandt Brewery Jerry Rig blonde lager while the wine list features such labels as Elephant Hill Le Phant blanc, Pig’s Back albarino, Flying Sheep pinot noir, Squawking Magpie “The Gravels” syrah, Trinity Hill High Country pinot noir.

A visit to Hawke’s Bay would not be complete

without seeking out New Zealand’s oldest winery.

Mission Estate was established by a group of French missionaries in 1851 in Hawke’s Bay, where vines were planted to produce both sacramental and table wine.

The first record of a commercial sale dates back to 1870 when a parcel of mostly dry reds was sold.

In 1897 the 800-acre Mission Estate at Taradale was purchased from the Tiffen family and the Marist Brothers travelled each day from Meeanee to work the new land.

Then in 1911 the 57 English plane trees were planted along the driveway that today make such a spectacular entry to the winery.

Mission Estate is a museum as well as a

Mission Estate Winery, Taradale, Hawke’s Bay.

much-awarded winery and restaurant.

There is so much to like about the region. And while the train doesn’t run from Gisborne any more, there are railway tracks headed south towards Hastings.

That’s the way I head.

Along a road fringed by giant palm trees.

It gives great perspective – like driving in a Hollywood movie set.

Then maybe I am.

That’s what Napier’s like.

ART DECO FESTIVAL Each year people visit Napier for the Hawke’s Bay Art Deco Festival.

Fox furs, boaters and beads are the order of the day, the roads are reclaimed by vintage vehicles The 2019 Art Deco Weekend runs from February 13-17. For more information go to: www.hawkesbaynz.com

24

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

‘‘

I think you’re going to be impressed with the amount of hosted holiday options you now have at your fingertips.

LOOKING FOR NEW EXPERIENCES: Patti Newton has signed on as a brand ambassador for My Hosted Holidays.

Photo: Living In Pictures

Patti Newton on board with touring website Claudia Slack AUSTRALIAN icon Patti Newton is the proud new ambassador for travel site MyHostedHolidays.com, a site that allows you to compare escorted, guided and hosted holidays, all from your own home.

MyHostedHolidays.com is the brainchild of company director Ash Hayden, who has worked in the accommodation

and coach tour industries for over 25 years.

When he realised there was a gap in the market for the semi-retired to be able to easily compare and book hosted holidays, My Hosted Holidays became a reality.

“Why isn’t there a travel website out there where guests can go, see all the tours available to their selected destination, and be able to deal direct with the tour operator?” Ash

said.

“Everyone knows arranging a holiday can be stressful,” Patti concurs.

MyHostedHolidays.com comes as a solution to this booking nightmare by creating one destination to view hundreds of tours.

“I think you’re going to be impressed with the amount of hosted holiday options you now have at your fingertips,” Patti said.

MyHostedHolidays.com

allows you to search, compare, enquire about and book a range of hosted, escorted and guided holiday tours all in one destination.

They will also put you in touch with the tour operators themselves, to ensure your trip is in safe hands.

Hosted holidays are perfect for those who are looking for new experiences, to meet new and interesting people

and love the convenience of being able to sit back, relax and have their trip planned for them.

As the site grows and more tours and refining methods are being included, Ash loves seeing people excited about the site and is hopeful that it can further open the world of touring to over 50s.

Ash also said the beauty of the site is that customers can do

everything from the comfort of their own home.

Patti loves the convenience of the website, saying “My Hosted Holidays.com has made the whole process really easy for you, it really is a one stop shop”.

Looking to set off on your own guided, hosted or escorted tour? See what all the fuss is about at www.myhostedholidays. com.au.

Port Douglas: a must see destination Graham D Stephenson A VISIT to Queensland’s tropical north city of Port Douglas is an absolute must do if you have never been there because it is one of the world’s most diverse holiday destinations.

I must admit that as we were driving along Port Douglas Road just a few kilometres from the city, I thought I was back in Sarawak, Borneo with all the beautiful jungle greenery and overhanging curtain fig trees.

The multiple resorts, villas and superb golf course as you approach the town centre give a good indication of what will be coming up, and then driving along Macrossan Street through the main shopping centre gives you outstanding views of multiple and different shops, restaurants and more accommodation resorts.

A stop off at Anzac Park and Rex Smeal Park before driving up Island Point Road to the lookout overlooking Four Mile Beach is next, but one of

the best stop-off spots is the Reef Marina, where there are hundreds of small, large and extremely large sailing and motor vessels which sail into the Coral Sea to visit the Great Barrier Reef Islands such as the Low Isles just 15 minutes away.

So off we went on our first “must do” boating trips all aboard the Lady Douglas River Cruise.

This is a relaxing trip from the marina with complimentary beverages and nibbles on-board an historical older “paddle steamer”.

The next “must do” event we did was a ride on the Ballyhooley Steam Railway.

This is a very different and short railway trip on an old Sugar Cane track – onboard an open style set of carriages and pulled by either an old steam train or diesel locomotive.

For more details on the Lady Douglas River Cruise at ladydouglas.com.au.

Ballyhooley Steam Railway go to ballyhoolyrail. com.au.

Full story at seniors news.com.au

MUST-DO: Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

Photo: Tourism Australia

25

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

COMPaRe huNdRedS

of escorted, guided & hosted

hOlIdayS

Patti Newton

Brand Ambassador

Let TV Icon Patti Newton show you how to avoid all that confusion and stress trying to find your perfect holiday.

Discover and compare hundreds of guided, hosted and escorted holidays right here - all in the one place !!!!!

Call Today on 1800 849 132

myhostedholidays.com m Start the search!

Visit myhostedholidays.com to find your next getaway.

6850018ac

SeaRCh. COMPaRe. BO OOK. It’S that eaSy!

26

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

‘‘

The threat of being stranded for longer than your supplies last is real.

BE SAFE NOT SORRY: Driven by an unquenchable love for the undiscovered regions of Australia, this modern day explorer is persistent and fearless when heading out into the wild.

Photos: Contributed

Staying alive: Top outback survival tips

WE ALL love to get away.

To escape our day jobs in the city and get in touch with the splendour of the Aussie outback, we go camping with the family.

It’s cost-effective, good for the soul and it gets the kids off their screens.

Caravaning, off-roading and camping are great ways to entertain the whole fam: Dad, mum, the kids and the dog alike.

We live in an amazing country, full of sights and sounds that people from all over the world travel to witness – and we’re lucky enough to have it all right here in our own backyard.

But what would you do if the car broke down, got bogged or ran out of fuel?

There are plenty of spots outside of the tourist sectors without mobile reception, the threat of being stranded for longer than your supplies will last is extremely real.

So if, or perhaps when this happens, it’ll be up to you to keep calm and keep everyone alive.

Here’s what to do if you’re stranded in the outback:

Stay with your vehicle: Having one of your crew head a few hundred metres away to find a bit of tucker during the day is totally fine.

But when search and rescue rock up, you better believe they’ll be looking for a car.

They’re easier to spot than people are and will offer an extra level of comfort for the little ones during the night.

Hydrate like it’s your job: Australia is bloody hot at the best of times. Now consider how hot it can get out bush.

The kids, especially, will need periodic hydrating on the hour (supplies permitting).

Avoid more frequent small sips, opting for less regular more hearty gulps to ensure there’s enough H20 being absorbed.

Make sure you look after yourself too though, as it’s you who’s in charge of keeping everyone safe.

Seek shade and rest up: Depending on what’s in your vehicle, you’ll either be setting up your own shade or seeking the best

of what nature has to offer.

Be it an awning or gumtree, staying shady is the best way to keep the body temp down and facilitate a cool head.

Avoid strenuous exercise when you can, preserve your energy for important jobs like searching for food or water.

Figure out where your next drink is coming from: A healthy person can go for up to three weeks without food.

Without water, it’s four days, so it’s pretty bloody important you get this part of your involuntary stay in the bush sorted.

What you’ll want to do is set up a rain trap.

A tarp is best, however, any non-absorbent material could work too.

Use cable ties or rope to sling it up and make sure there’s a bucket or receptacle underneath to collect the rainwater.

Time to get help: Assuming you’ve done the smart thing and let people know when and

Jase Andrews is the host of Australia’s number one four-wheel-drive and adventure show, All 4 Adventure. where you’re going, people will soon start searching for you when they figure out that you haven’t returned on-time.

You’ll be wanting to help them out.

Reflective surfaces such as aluminium foil, mirrors, and even CDs are effective ways to hail down help.

Post these items strategically around your campsite and vehicle to increase your findability, making sure you’re covering a 360° radius.

Failing this, and pending appropriate weather conditions (you don’t want to start a bushfire), a big ol’ burning campfire is another way to catch the attention of helicopters.

Prevention is always best: The best way to stay alive in the outback is to be prepared and prevent where possible.

Invest in a sat-phone,

Jase honed his skills in the Australian bush from an early age. purchase yourself a solar powered water-purifying device and solar powered lights for night-time visibility.

Bring plenty of non-perishable food, a jerry can of fuel and stacks of water.

With any luck, you’ll be so well stocked your

emergency will almost feel like quality family time!

Follow the above guide guys, and keep you and the family safe. Australia is a marvellous place, however, she can be very unforgiving.

Go to the website all4adventure.com.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

27

Trends along the investment road

Money

Tony Kaye MANY seniors operate their own superannuation funds, so it’s interesting to see some new data showing where most of the people with DIY funds are investing.

Australia’s largest online broking platform CommSec has done just that, analysing the investing habits of thousands of different self-managed super funds (SMSF), who collectively manage billions of dollars in assets. CommSec has identified some quite interesting trends.

The first is that a growing number of SMSF trustees are broadening their share exposures to companies outside of the top 20 companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, including into international stocks, either directly or through exchange-traded funds.

While most of those with their own super funds still have large exposures to the biggest Australian companies, they are also diversifying into smaller stocks.

SMSF investors have also been actively selling stocks that have had strong gains over the past 12 months, suggesting that many view them as fully valued.

Meanwhile, a rising market has seen overall SMSF trading activity rise, with the total value of

NEW TRENDS: CommSec has found seniors with SMSF’s are changing how they invest those funds.

Photo: Contributed

shares traded up 2.1 per cent and volumes up 5.8 per cent, resulting in the average deal value falling more than 3.3 per cent.

Notably, the average deal size of ASX20 trades has dropped by 10.8 per cent.

Here are CommSec’s key findings from trading data between January 1 and June 30 this year: SMSFs are still looking beyond the top 20: Frustrated by the under-performance of many of the large blue-chips that have traditionally been among their favourite stocks, SMSF investors have

continued to turn to a more diversified group of mid and small cap companies.

SMSFs have become blue-chip bargain hunters: At the same time, many SMSF investors have taken advantage of share price weakness to snap up blue-chip shares with a history of strong dividends at bargain prices.

SMSFs are using exchange traded funds to diversify: Exchange traded fund (ETF) holdings continue to grow, as investors use ETFs to diversify offshore and into other asset classes.

International listed investment companies and listed investment trusts are increasingly popular: Internationally focused listed investment companies (LICs) and listed investment trusts (LITs) have carved out a significant niche as investors seek out diversification opportunities.

Direct international share trades continue to climb: From a low base, the value of direct international share trades

by SMSFs has jumped more than 57 per cent over the last year, with a growing focus on Chinese

equities.

Increasing sophistication CommSec notes that SMSF investors are becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated in their investment choices.

“While their portfolios are still heavily weighted towards larger stocks, SMSFs are also looking beyond the ASX20, as well as taking advantage of market dips to buy into blue-chip shares at a bargain price.”

“Only time can tell whether these value-based trades will play out as planned.

Meanwhile, our analysis

shows that SMSFs have continued to invest across the wider market and to actively trade in fast-moving sectors in search of new growth opportunities.”

Despite these trends, the list of stocks most traded by SMSFs has remained largely unchanged over the last six months, with only a few significant shifts.

The top three most traded stocks by value remain Commonwealth Bank (CBA), Telstra (TLS) and National Australia Bank (NAB) although they now account for a smaller proportion of trades overall – 13.8 per cent, down from 15.5 per cent six months ago.

At a portfolio level, the average number of stocks held by SMSFs is 11.9 stocks. SMSFs remain considerably more diversified than other investors, with the average number of stocks held by non-SMSF investors 4.9.

An analysis of the top 12 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) traded by value shows SMSFs increasing their exposure to currency and property, as well as international equities.

The strength of this shift suggests it is being driven by a desire for greater diversification, rather than simply the relative performance of different markets.

Tony Kaye is the editor of Eureka Report, which is owned by listed financial services company InvestSMART. For more go to investsmart.com.au.

Proceed with caution with home equity reversal AUSTRALIA’S over-65s collectively have about $500 billion in home equity, and for older workers heading into retirement, a reverse mortgage can seem an attractive way to pocket some cash without having to sell the family home.

But borrowing against what may be your best asset is not a step to be taken lightly.

Unlike a traditional mortgage, no regular repayments are required on a reverse mortgage.

The loan plus accumulated interest is paid off when the owner

passes away or moves into a nursing home or aged care.

The funds can be taken as a lump sum or regular payments, and you’re free to spend the money as you choose.

Several years ago, ‘negative equity protection’ became mandatory on all reverse mortgage products so borrowers can’t end up owing more than their place is worth.

It all sounds very tempting.

However, there are drawbacks, not the least of which is that only five

brands have, until recently, controlled 99 per cent of the market. Today, there are only three major reverse mortgage providers – Bankwest, Commonwealth Bank and Heartland Seniors Finance.

A lack of choice rarely works in consumers’ favour, and one impact of this is the rates on reverse mortgages are much higher than for regular home loans – 6.27 per cent in the case of Bankwest and 6.29 per cent with Heartland Seniors Finance.

The bigger drawback,

according to a review by ASIC, is home owners don’t always grasp the long-term risks – in particular the potential for mounting interest costs to eat away at home equity.

A 60-year old borrowing $118,000 (the average size of a reverse mortgage) today at 6.3 per cent could owe $392,000 by age 80.

If rates rose by just 2 per cent, the debt could snowball to $550,000.

Using your equity this way will mean leaving a smaller estate.

That shouldn’t be an issue if you’re faced with

the choice of living a hand-to-mouth retirement or enjoying a decent lifestyle.

The real crunch can come if you need to fund expensive medical treatment or move into aged care later on.

That said, I am pro reverse mortgages providing only small amounts are drawn down – and you borrow only a low proportion of your home’s value.

Check the loan fees you’re paying too.

These can be just as damaging to your home equity over time as a high

rate.

Always ask a trusted, independent party – preferably your solicitor, to check the loan contract.

Never sign anything you don’t understand.

And speak with Centrelink to see if payments from a reverse mortgage could affect your age pension entitlements.

Paul Clitheroe is chairman of InvestSMART, chairman of the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board and chief commentator for Money Magazine.

28

MONEY

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

Financial shape-ups

Your attitude to money can shape the way you invest Paul Clitheroe

INVEST the way that suits you because if there’s one thing experience has taught me, when something becomes too hard or too time consuming, we’re more likely to give it away.

Your attitude to money can shape the way you choose to invest.

Some people have a keen interest in building a vast pot of money for its own sake.

For others, money is all about what it provides – the ability to make choices about how you live your life.

We all need to eat and pay bills but money lets us enjoy the fun stuff like family holidays and personal hobbies be they golf, surfing, or, in my case, sailing.

Another place we are all different is whether

INVESTMENTS: It doesn’t have to be hard to go your own way. money is a passion or just a vague interest.

You may, for instance, be fascinated by the process of selecting shares.

But that is too time consuming for others, myself included.

If you love to spend a heap of time researching the sharemarket, good on you.

I am quite happy to hold shares like BHP individually but to be frank I have neither the time nor interest in keeping an eye

Photo: GlobalStock

on the shares of the future – small companies, which may become big companies in time.

Nor would I pretend I can select and manage international shares without a lot of time and effort.

This is what I love about managed funds. Of course, I want exposure to all these shares.

And a professionally managed share portfolio lets me get the benefit of these investments while I am out sailing.

How good is that?

Fees are a drag on investment performance, so this is something to watch for with managed funds. But it’s the same if you go for DIY. The cost shouldn’t just be measured in terms of direct expenses like brokerage.

You also need to work out the time you spend managing your investments (tax time can be especially challenging when either you or your accountant sort out your tax position).

The bottom line is, if, like me, you want to do some direct investing yourself and still use professional fund managers, no problem.

If you want professional managers to do it all for you, again, no problem.

It’s all about investing in the way that suits you best. And it doesn’t have to be hard.

Paul Clitheroe is chairman of InvestSMART, chairman of the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board and chief commentator for Money Magazine.

Take advantage of the new downsizer super boost from 1 July 2018

Boosting your super just got a lot easier.

From 1 July 2018, if you sell your home you may be able to contribute up to $300,000 to your super, tax-free and with no work test.

And that goes for your partner too. Together, you can contribute up to $600,000. If you are: • Aged 65 or over • And have owned your principal home for 10 years or more and thinking of selling and downsizing This provision can only be taken advantage of once, with several other criteria that you and your home must meet.

Call us today on 1800 634 378 to book an appointment to see if you are eligible and let us help you take advantage of the new downsizer superannuation contributions provision.

• • • • • • • •

Aged Care Wealth Accumulation Retirement Planning Investing in the Share Market SMSFs & Superannuation Lifetime Income Streams Estate Planning Life, Trauma & Income Protection Insurance

*Kathy Paget CFP®, DipFP

*Genevieve de Szoeke Adv DipFS (FP)

*Nathan Green DipFS (FP)

*Authorised Representative of RI Advice Group Pty Ltd ABN 23 001 774 125, AFSL 238429 This information, including taxation, does not consider your personal circumstances and is general advice only. You should not act on any recommendation without considering your personal circumstances and objectives. RI Advice Group recommends you obtain professional financial advice specific to your circumstances.

6758662ae

Phone: 1800 634 378 | Email: info@riwidebay.com.au | Website: www.riwidebay.com.au | Facebook: RetireInvest Wide Bay

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

REVIEWS

The story of a mighty ship

To advertise, call 1300 136 181 or visit finda.com.au Celebrations, Classes & Events

Motoring

Entertainment & Events

Caravans & Motor Homes

Senior-SpecialiSed coach TourS Central West nsW & Parkes - 8 Day Tour Wednesday 9th January 2019

• Custom design & conversion service • Tailored to suit all budgets • Quality work from qualified and respected cabinet makers

sPeCtaCular sydney Christmas tour -

6711331al

8 Day Tour Wednesday 22nd december 2018 Experience a Christmas like no other!

Experience Christmas lunch on the Sydney harbour, the Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular and the sights of the city.

Full Fare: $3087 Member’s Fare: $2940 Earlybird Fare: $2800 (Closes 25/09/18 unless sold out!)

Start the New Year with a bang! Explore the top attractions in Parkes and the surrounding region.

Visit the Parkes Elvis Festival, which is one of the top 3 festivals in Australia, or experience everything Parkes has to offer on this superb tour.

Full Fare: $2976 Member’s Fare: $2834 Earlybird Fare: $2699 (Closes 30/09/2018 unless sold out!)

2 Comet Street, Maryborough Mob 0409 884 973

Follow us on Facebook

armstongscrew@bigpond.com

bundaberg-coaches.com.au 20 Verdant Siding Rd,Thabeban

Professional Services

Phone 07 3812 3553 04188 76395 6731079aa

Call in and see Marita, Zeena & Maryann at Aspire Travel & Cruise for all your travel needs.

Specialising in organising and planning your holiday of a lifetime.

Experience the Difference info@aspiretravelandcruise.com.au

www.aspiretravelandcruise.com.au 184 Bazaar St Maryborough

A Dawn with no Birdsong

All caravans wanted We come to you All areas, Cash today!

Professional Services

Experience the Dif

6855901aa

CARAVANS WANTED

4153 1037

Ph 4121 2777

Cars

BEWARE OF SCAMS

Buyers and sellers should be cautious of possible scams when buying or selling a vehicle.

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

More information is available at scamwatch.gov.au

Health - Professional Practitioners

Primary Care

Trades & Services

Skin Centre

Bulk Billing Practice

All Services

Tenancy 6 / 13 Medical Place, Urraween

Ph: 4129 7132 | M: 0427 297 132

Phone 07 4124 3881 www.primarymedical.com.au Administrative Staff offer professional care

Fax 4129 7133 | E: rossbuscharters@bigpond.com

1197 Bidwill Road, Maryborough

www.ganddrossbuscharters.com.au

6706222aa

Fully Accredited Practice

6546920aa

Be wary if the number in the ad is disconnected.

If the buyer/seller says the number is disconnected because they are overseas, ask for a landline phone number at their current location as well as a mobile phone number.

All contact details of the person buying or selling the car should be verified to ensure they are genuine.

Health & Beauty

Great Western

PLAY & STAY - MUSICAL TOUR A GREAT CHANCE TO SEE THE OUTBACK LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE. COUNTRY MUSIC BY 12 ARTISTS.

Buy & Sell

2

B.B.B & N900 inc. ightly Mea l& An 11 DaEntertainment y to ur throug Western h $

Food & Beverage

Queensl like no and Enquireother! now Book

N Leaves M oW for A sEA on sep 23 t rd 2019

More than just a meal

Now takiNg worth r tam bbookiNgs fo festival 2019! iC CouuNtry mus N  27th JaN 2019 frroom 22Nd Jad & breakfast bus, be

$790

6802299af

?

A lIFt Servicing gympie & FraSer coaSt

6710081aa

6702958aa

Please call one of our offices below Hervey Bay 4128 1334 or Maryborough 4121 4297 to arrange a delivery or chat about your requirements.

Monday to Friday 8am to 3pm.

NEED

Wanted To Buy

Cheap Reliable Car

For my son, prefer a wagon, but will consider most, also wanted older car for restoration purposes older than 1985, any cond, unreg OK, cash paid Phone Ray 0457 698 680

• • • •

80 & 130 tonne Grove All Terrain 10-20 tonne Franna mobiles 30-50 tonne Kato Slew cranes Bucket trucks to 23 – 46 metres

Sell Your Stuff.

Visit www.finda.com.au

THE Western Front. 1917. A place closer to hell than any man has ever been.

German forces are overrunning the British and Australian lines and Alex Ray, a young soldier assigned to dig tunnels beneath the enemy’s lines in order to destroy them with explosives, is left with two choices: to remain, fight and almost certainly die along with his two closest friends who have already been killed, or to flee from the front in a desperate attempt to fulfil a promise to save a French family including a young woman, Lisle Raimond, to whom Alex has become closely attached.

Alex knows that his agonising decision will almost certainly cost him his life, no matter what he chooses to do.

Inspired by the true events surrounding the executions of British Empire soldiers during the First World War, this is the story of a struggle for survival when it is not the enemy who are your greatest foes, it is the very people for whom you are fighting.

Carefully crafted and with a deep understanding of what life was like in the trenches during that terrible period, Tony Matthews’ powerful and emotionally charged new novel, A Dawn with no Birdsong takes us back in time with rare clarity, deep compassion and an enviable beauty of expression.

MICHAEL Palin brings to life one of the greatest adventures of all time in his new book Erebus: The Story of a Ship.

It is September 2014, and the wreck of a sailing vessel has been discovered at the bottom of the sea in the frozen wastes of the Canadian arctic.

The ship is broken at the stern and covered in a woolly coat of underwater vegetation.

Its whereabouts had been a mystery for over a century and a half.

Its name was HMS Erebus.

The author, former Monty Python stalwart and much-loved television globetrotter, brings this extraordinary ship back to life, following it from its launch in 1826 to the epic voyages of discovery that led to glory in the Antarctic and to ultimate catastrophe in the Arctic.

Palin explores the intertwined careers of the men who shared its journeys – the dashing James Clark Ross who charted much of the ‘Great Southern Barrier’ and oversaw some of the earliest scientific experiments to be conducted there, and the troubled John Franklin, who at the age of sixty and after a chequered career, commanded the ship on its final, disastrous expedition.

And he vividly recounts the experiences of the men who first stepped ashore on Antarctica’s Victoria Land, and those who, just a few years later, froze to death one by one in the Arctic ice, as rescue missions desperately tried to reach them.

The result is a wonderfully evocative account of one of the most extraordinary adventures of the nineteenth century.

Published by Penguin, Erebus: The Story of a Ship is in stores now. RRP $35.

A Dawn with no Birdsong by Tony Matthews. Connect with Tony online at a-dawn-with-no-birdsong.weebly.com.

Crane Hire

• Your local community organisation delivering meals for up to 7 days a week • Chef prepared Meals • No shopping, cooking or washing up

29

• Foundation hole boring machines • Arm trucks • Licenced riggers

WIDE BAY CRANE HIRE For bookings call 5481 2850

A Bloke-a-saurus joke book PUT your hand in your pocket for a great yarn and help raise funds for the Gotcha 4 Life Foundation work in training male crisis counsellors.

Gus and Steve Worland’s The Bloke-a-saurus is full of jokes for blokes, fair dinkum funnies and true blue Aussie wisdom.

Knockabout brothers Gus and Steve know a good joke when they hear one, and this smorgasbord of their favourite gags and yarns

will keep the men in your life giggling all the way to the dunny and back.

Chocked full of the Worland brothers’ best jokes about being a dad, a son, a mate, a husband and much, much more, this collection gives you their funniest thigh-slappers, from one-liners and wait-for-its to shaggy dog stories, knock knocks, lightbulb jokes, Aussie rhyming slang, the longest and shortest joke in the world... and of course, their choicest and most

time-honoured dad jokes.

Through laughter and a tipping of the hat to the important things in life, The Bloke-a-Saurus also presents the wisdom of the ages with advice from the masters that helps grow boys into men, and stories that remind us that while we’re all laughing, some blokes are doing it tougher than others.

Published by Simon & Schuster, The Bloke-a-Saurus is RRP $32.99.

30

REVIEWS

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS

New single out is a magical mix THE Round Mountain Girls have released Magical Mix, their new single featuring Australian legend John Williamson.

More than a magical mix, releasing a single with John Williamson marks a magical moment for the Round Mountain Girls, who have become crowd favourites at festivals around Australia thanks to an electric live act that Beat Magazine called “an awesome, classic bluegrass riot,” noting that “foot stompin’ fury pulses through”.

Having played six of the past seven Bluesfests, Round Mountain Girls are festival stalwarts and in 2017 they opened the main stage for Santana, Zac Brown and Jethro Tull.

They’ve also whipped crowds into a frenzy at Gympie Muster, Tamworth, Groundwater, National Folk Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival and Caloundra Music Festival, but it was at Cruisin’ Country 7 that Chris Brooker looked down and saw John Williamson standing in the crowd.

“I lost my mind. We all thought he’d leave but he seemed to be getting into it and at the end of the gig he came up and introduced himself to us,” Chris said.

“They blew me away with their energy and the tightness of their music.

I became a fan,” said John about the band, and after the festival the two began communicating with each other.

Olivia says don’t stop believin’!

Ordinary days that change life

“I was hoping he’d accept my offer to catch up for a beer and chat, but I was blown away when he suggested a co-write,” Chris said.

They started writing letters and an idea took shape, and a few weeks later Chris found himself in John’s shed drinking tea, playing guitar and singing what was to become Magical Mix. Magical Mix is a peaceful song about what it means to be Australian.

It’s an anthemic track encouraging us to preserve our amazing culture and country, with Williamson sharing vocals.

“Mixing Round Mountain Girls with John Williamson seems crazy,

but it works in a refreshingly, beautiful way,” Chris said.

“It’s just like the mix of people in Australia.

“It’s so broad but when you break it down, we all just want a peaceful, happy place to live.”

This is a track that’s sure to become a favourite sing-along.

As Marika Bryant wrote for Artshub: “Round Mountain Girls play like they’re on fire: a veritable carnival all by themselves and you just have to be part of it”.

Become a part of the band’s magical place and join them throughout 2018 on the following dates: Saturday, October 13 – Tweed Heads Bowls

Club - Tweed Heads Saturday, October 20 – Wingham Akoostik Festival – Wingham Saturday, October 27 – Crabbes Creek Hall – Crabbes Creek Saturday, November 3 – Murwillumbah Show – Murwillumbah Sunday, November 4 – Shaws Bay Hotel at Ballina Country Music Festival – Ballina Saturday, November 10 – Sawtell Street Party (w/ The Bockstocks & Col Finlay) – Sawtell Sunday, November 11 – Hotel Brunswick – Brunswick Heads Saturday, November 17 – Rowan Robinson Park – Kingscliff More information at roundmountaingirls.com

AN UNREMARKABLE start to an ordinary day is no guarantee that what follows won’t sweep you off your feet.

Dual Walkley Award-winner journalist Leigh Sales investigates how ordinary people endure the unthinkable as she takes the reader on a journey of blindsides, resilience and what happens after the worst day of your life.

The day that turns a life upside down usually starts like any other but what happens the day after?

As a journalist, Leigh often encounters people experiencing the worst moments of their lives in the full glare of the media.

But one particular string of bad news stories – and a terrifying brush with her own mortality – sent her looking for answers about how vulnerable each of us is to a life-changing event.

What are our chances of actually experiencing one?

What do we fear most and why?

And when the worst does happen, what comes next?

SHE’s seen so much of the good and the not so good moments of life and yet Australia’s sweetheart, Olivia Newton-John, is prepared to share it all with her greatest supporters.

Olivia’s Don’t stop Believin’ autobiography covers her journey from Melbourne schoolgirl to international superstar in a deeply personal book.

It’s a warm, candid and moving account in her own words of her extraordinary life. Throughout it all, she has retained the mantra: don’t stop believin’!

Olivia is known for her strength, courage and grace. After her own personal experience with cancer, she has thrived and become an inspiration for millions around the world.

A tireless advocate for countless charities, Olivia’s true passion is as the founding champion of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in her hometown of Melbourne.

From every hardback sold, $1 will be donated to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre.

Published by Penguin, Don’t Stop Believin’ is available in bookshops for RRP$45, in audio download for RRP$32.99 and as an ebook.

An Ordinary Day is available in bookshops for RRP$32.99, in ebook and as a audio download from Penguin.

An adventurous walkabout life

TAKE A WALK: Joan Benbow, 94, at the launch of her fourth book.

Photo: Tracey Johnstone

JOAN Benbow’s working life has been an extraordinary 62 years of nursing life in Australia and in PNG. Her fourth book, A Walkabout Life, brings the former nun’s journey all together in an entertaining read that regales the reader with the highs and lows of battling bureaucracy, ignorance, the Catholic Church and harsh climates as she grabbed hold of her many roles that regularly delivered

the greatest gift of all – new life.

At 94 and “three-quarters” Joan is a wonderful story teller.

“I just thought it should be recorded in the annals of nursing what it was like back in the 1950s,” Joan said.

“Who else is going to record it?”

She worked in remote locations in Australia – NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory – and in three provinces in PNG. Joan has written

about the out-of-the-way places she lived and some of the marvellous people she met along the way.

“I left the bad ones out,” she remarks cheekily.

“It was a wonderful journey. I thank God every day that I had that experience.”

The start of the book provides the perfect tantalising introduction: “With nursing certificates under my belt (and nun’s habit) as well

as a tumbler half-full of hope and love – I set out buoyantly on yet unchartered seas, my sails at full mast! A life beyond another six decades was to follow – I had much to learn, and since then to reflect on.

Enjoy the journey I share with you today, dear reader.”

Books available for $20 from Coast Life Midwifery, 2/22 Beach Rd, Maroochydore or by phoning 5443 5555.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2018

PUZZLES

T R A O M B

S C I S F I E

C M L E A A N

C O P R A E T

E I P R O E

I T T Y O D

Y G M P E P

O L E E A T

QUICK CROSSWORD

Solution opposite

C

Fit the words into the grid to create a finished crossword

R

WORDFIT

O P E N L Y

Good 23 Very Good 31 Excellent 38+

J B A D O N A I T T Y O D R G I S T I C R I G E D S K I T

DEATH BINDER INTO JAR MOD KINGS HOMELIEST

I A L

H R

How many words of four letters or more can you make? Each letter must be used only once and all words must contain the centre letter.

There is at least one nine-letter word.

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

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

E T

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

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

584

SUDOKU

22

WORD GO ROUND

TODAY

C

21

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

ache acre arch carat care caret cart carte cater cere cert char chart chat cheat cheater cheer cheetah chert crate create each earache echt erect etch etcher hatch HEARTACHE hectare race reach react retch reteach teach teacher tech terce trace trachea tracheae

H A

TRIO

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

WORD GO ROUND

E A

20

ALPHAGRAMS

Y

19

3 LETTERS DOE ELM ERR FOG GEL GNU GOD GOO HUG IMP ION LOT ODD SET SOU TEA TRY WOO 4 LETTERS ADDS AGUE AMMO ARCS

ARIA CLEF DIRT EDGY EKED EWER FORM FREE HALO HAMS HERD INNS IRON ITEM KIRK LAME LARD MERE OAKS OSLO PUNS RUSE SIKH SING SOFA

TOUR

QUIZ

5 LETTERS CHART DREAD EPEES GEESE

1. In what year did the Australian government discontinue the awarding of imperial honours?

2. Who famously said: “An army marches on its stomach”?

3. What does the DC stand for in Washington DC? 4. “The liberty Bell” march was used as a theme tune for which TV series?

5. In 1918 in Britain, women over what age were conditionally given the vote: 21, 25 or 30?

6. Who had a 1966 UK No.1 hit with These Boots are Made for Walking?

7. What did Wilhelm Röntgen discover to help medical science?

8. Which shaggy, horned wild cattle live in the Tibetan mountains?

6 LETTERS CAUSES MEAGRE PETITE SAFARI SLEUTH THANKS 8 LETTERS APERITIF ARMCHAIR DULCIMER FOOTWEAR PARALLEL TWILIGHT

QUIZ G H T O U R D G Y

J B A D O N A

18

17

R U S E

C O T P H L E

16

I N N S

I N T F O T U T

15

A G U E

S D E R

14

P E T I T E

I

R G E D

13

A D D S

S T H E I

12

F R E E

R N O B L B O Y

11

O A K S

A L

R E S A P L U

10

S L E U T H

I T

I

9

O D D S O U L E L O C A D I R A R M C P E E S E A R R D G I S E TW I L I O N F O G

S K

I

F V O C R

T

8

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

X E O R

A S T A C

6

7

WORDFIT

S E R A S E N

I S C

5

1. 1992, 2. Napoleon, 3.

District of Columbia, 4. Monty Python’s Flying Circus, 5. 30, 6. Nancy Sinatra, 7. X-rays, 8, Yaks.

R G

4

Across: 1. Periodic 7. Abate 8. Unfounded 9. Nor 10. Elan 11.

Assent 13. Consciousness 15. Bandit 16. Brim 18. Tie 20.

Maintains 21. Rally 22. Inspired.

Down: 1. Pause 2. Refrain 3. Onus 4. Indisposition 5. Faint 6.

Decrees 7. Adverse 12. Economy 13. Captors 14. Earlier 15.

Belly 17. Mused 19. Stop.

C A S A T L O O

3

JIGGERED

G P E R

Down 1. Hesitate (5) 2. Hold back (7) 3. Responsibility (4) 4. Illness (13) 5. Indistinct (5) 6. Edicts (7) 7. Unfavourable (7) 12. Frugality (7) 13. Jailers (7) 14. Previously (7) 15. Stomach (5) 17. Contemplated (5) 19. Halt (4)

2

TRIO: AlI

E N C G L

Across 1. Happening at regular intervals (8) 7. Lessen (5) 8. Unsubstantiated (9) 9. Neither (3) 10. Panache (4) 11. Agreement (6) 13. Awareness (13) 15. Brigand (6) 16. Lip (4) 18. Bind (3) 20. Continues (9) 21. Recovery (5) 22. Outstanding (8)

1

SUDOKU

The challenge is to rearrange a crossword which has been broken into 25 sections. One letter has been given to get you started. Work out which 3x3 square fits in with that letter and write in the letters.

You can also shade the black squares if you find it helpful.

After completing the first 3x3 area, work out which square joins on to it, and continue until you have made a complete crossword.

QUICK CROSSWORD

ALPHAGRAMS

1/10

HATED, INBRED, JANITOR, KINGDOMS, lITHESOME.

JIGGERED

31

32

OCTOBER, 2018// SENIORS