Toowoomba, October 2019 by seniors

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OCTOBER, 2019// SENIORS INDEX

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The bold & adventurous

News - Sewing and socialising Cover Story - Sarah Jane Adams News - LACs work behind scenes News - Big Toowoomba welcome Profile Story - Erica Holmes What’s on Community group guide News - Werner cleans up at 91 Wanderlust Wellbeing Money Puzzles

Gail Forrer Seniors Group Editor

Community news and local events

Investments, retirement & savings

SERENDIPITY – the fact of finding interesting or valuable things by chance. That’s the meaning assigned to this lovely word by the Cambridge dictionary. For me it means receiving an email from 98-year-old Erica Holmes who skillfully put together words describing how she was living through her ninth decade of life. A little more communication revealed a woman who lived her life with intelligence and high adventure (seriously, to date sword-swallowing has not entered my life). Our reporter Alison Houston went onto speak with Erica and produced a fascinating two-page feature. Begone ageing stereotypes! Our front cover personality Sarah Jane Adams challenges the idea of frumpy, invisible older women as she expresses her fearless fashion choices, ethos and ideas to the world through various social media channels. I love her motto – Wrinkles Are My Stripes. Think you might like to do the same? Then check out our blogging feature and prepare to send your ideas into the

blogosphere. Senior’s living accommodation is also benefiting from fresh and innovative thinking. Woollams Construction GM Danny Hammon has contributed a column talking about the great new architectural angles that are redesigning the world of retirement living. To complement this article you will find a list of the latest moves in retirement villages. This month another global adventurer Paul Coffey leads us through the French countryside and over to England. I love reading these first-hand accounts detailing the real deal without fuss or fanfare. As always, special thanks to all of the people who contributed to our community news pages. It’s a pleasure to publish your articles and pictures. Find us online at seniorsnews.com.au

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 Brett Mauger – 07 3623 1657 brett.mauger@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 “Toowoomba Seniors Newspaper”. The Seniors Newspaper is published monthly and distributed free in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales. The Seniors newspaper stable includes Toowoomba, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Northern NSW, Coffs and Clarence and Central Coast publications. Published by News Corp Australia Printed by News Corp Australia, Yandina. 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. Responsibility for election material in this paper is taken by Gail Forrer, cnr Mayne Road & Campbell Street, Bowen Hills, QLD 4006.

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Sewing and socialising This busy group of ladies have found a second home in shed

Alison Houston EVERY Tuesday a group of about 15 Toowoomba district women gathers in a shed behind the Lifeworks Uniting Church to sew, help others and talk. It’s Toowoomba’s first Women’s Shed – a concept first begun in Charters Towers in 2016 inspired by the successful Men’s Shed movement. Organiser Jean Turner said that like the Men’s Sheds, the aim was to provide a safe and comfortable place for women to gather to help others, as well as themselves through socialising. “It gives women a chance to sit with their hands busy, and then the talk comes naturally – we solve all the problems of the world,” Jean laughed. “You have to find something that is fulfilling to do – for me, I love sewing, and it creates a little village … a little family where we care about each other.” She is encouraging others to join that family, with an Open Day from 9am-3pm on Tuesday, October 1 giving women the chance to “come along and have a look at what we do, and either join in or have a think and maybe come back the next Tuesday”. “You just have to want to get out of your house and join some people doing something good for others,” Jean said. While the Women’s Shed has only been operating about six weeks, the group isn’t entirely new, with many of the women having previously worked out of Jean’s home making goods for Sewing for

Charity Australia. Jean said the difference was that now all their work was concentrated on helping people in Toowoomba and surrounds. “There’s just so much need right here,” Jean said. First stop was asking nursing homes what their clients needed, including rugs, capes and fiddle mats for dementia patients, as well as 650 Christmas stockings. “It means that every single person in those nursing homes will get at least something for Christmas, because there are so many people who don’t get visitors or anything to make Christmas special,” she said. They are also making goods including library, swimming and chair bags and another 200 Christmas stockings for Darling Heights State School, whose students come from diverse multicultural backgrounds, with about 45 different languages spoken. Nighties for premature babies and clothes and toys for children coming into care are also made. Ultimately, Jean hopes that the Toowoomba Women’s Shed will grow into a venue where women can drop in at any time just to be with other people, offering a range of activities. “That’s my guiding star,” she said, pointing to the number of people – men and women – living alone and the depression that grows from loneliness. “We need to pull those people out, give them something to do that they enjoy – a lot of women who have sewn in the past are coming forward.”

SEWING AND STUFFING: Sewing sisters Ann and Noeline, with Margie, Rosie and Glendon and Jo, Margaret and Ann (visiting from Victoria) at Toowoomba's first Women's Shed. But you don’t need to have any particular skills to join the Women’s Shed. While some women work on the overlocker or sewing machines – you don’t have to have your own – others thread ribbons into the bags, stuff bears, cut out material, iron or pack goods. Some learn the basics or new skills from other women, increasing the confidence and self-esteem of both. Jean said she had retired about six years ago, and after the first six months had found herself bored, beginning work for Meals on Wheels and St Vinnies. “You’ve got to keep yourself busy – that’s how you stop getting old,” she said. To find out more, phone Jean on 0488 126 282 or just go along to the shed on October 1.

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They are also making goods including library, swimming and chair bags and another 200 Christmas stockings.

Updates from the Toowoomba Region Council meetings

The next meetings of Council’s Standing Committees will be held on 8 and 9 October commencing at 9am. The next Ordinary Meeting of Council will be held on 22 October commencing at 10am. All meetings are at City Hall, 541 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba.

Playspaces – Have your say

We’re developing a strategy to determine the best design, use, location and development of playspaces across our community. The strategy will ensure we provide and manage these important assets for current and future generations. Have your say by 11 October and complete the survey at yoursay.tr.qld. gov.au/playspace-strategy-survey or contact us on 4688 6611 for more information.

Animal inspection program

Our animal management officers do their best to re-unite owners with lost pets. It’s

important to have your pets microchipped and registered to make this possible. From 1 October we’ll be completing an inspection program for dog registration and dog/cat microchipping. For more information visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/animals

Get active for Spring

Our CHANGE Project offers a range of free and low-cost opportunities to help you stay ﬁt and active. There are activities to suit all levels of ﬁtness and interests. Find an option near you and join the fun! Visit www.tr.qld. gov.au/change

Water restrictions

The warmer weather usually increases consumption and demand on our water resources. We can all do our part in keeping consumption down to preserve this precious resource. For information on efficiently using water inside and outside the home, along with water restrictions and usage guidelines in your area, visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/water

Australia Day nominations

There's a spot for you at Toowoomba's first Women's Shed.

For bookings for all events call 131 872 or visit www.tr.qld.gov.au

TRC_1019_SN

Nominations are now open for the 2020 Australia Day awards – closing 31 October 2019. This is a great opportunity to recognise those who make a signiﬁcant contribution to your community. Who will you nominate? Forms are available online at www.tr.qld.gov.au/australiaday

COVER STORY

OCTOBER, 2019// SENIORS

‘Wrinkles are Think again: Sarah Jane Adams is challenging Gail Forrer

NEW WOMAN: Sixty-four-year-old Sarah Jane Adams shapes her image through personality, a little defiance and plenty of colour.

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IN SOME ways Sarah Jane Adams is in line with myriad mature-age role models who are defying ageing stereotypes, but in other ways she steps way out of line. Sarah Jane uses the phrase “My wrinkles are my stripes” as a sub-heading to her flourishing Instagram account @saramaijewels that boasts more than 180,000 followers and counting. Her naturally grey hair, her vibrant sense of offbeat fashion – think Adidas mixed with styles ranging from colourful Indian fabrics to op-shop cast-offs and defiant poses – blows her out of the average demographic. And so does her penchant for living life her own way. The English born, 64-year-old antique jewellery dealer and jewellery designer has been happily married for more than a couple of decades, and while the couple live in the same Sydney street, they live in

separate houses at opposite ends of the street. Among other things, she says it’s a great way to stay fit. “I’ll sometimes walk 20 kilometres a day, going up and down,” Sarah-Jane said. The thing is, although she has been offered

‘‘

For the elders who can accept themselves, there comes freedom. — Sarah Jane Adams

various business opportunities, Sarah-Jane Adams is not likely to come out as a champion for fads in fitness, weight loss, super foods or cosmetic surgery. Indeed, just because she has a certain amount of notoriety doesn’t mean

she is suddenly going to lose herself in a pile of superficial endorsements. Nevertheless, she’s keen to say she’s quite happy if that’s what you want to do. She recently declined a job to model “under’’ garments – which would have meant baring much of her body (which by the way has not changed size since her youth). “You will rarely see me show more than my ankle or down from my elbow,” she declared. “As an older woman I can’t see how you can be empowered by stripping to your underwear. “I see it as tokenism.” And she’s not falling for any revamped sexual image of the older woman. “I am not sexual, I am post-menopausal – I am not over 60 and sexy,” she emphatically states. “And it is a great relief not to be burdened by desires of the flesh.” Sarah-Jane reveals that she is sticking to the same style of sensible CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

COVER STORY

my stripes’ stereotypes of the older woman underwear, including the “passion killer’’ cotton knickers that she has worn her entire life. But the no-frills underwear is in line with her desire for a lifestyle of simplicity. “I have downsized,” she says. This means the assortment of products sent to her by various businesses looking for her endorsement are very simply not wanted or accepted. “What do I want them for? “At this stage of life, I’m giving things away.” Sarah Jane’s Instagram fame started with one of her adult twin daughters posting a photo of her that went viral. She has kept it up and especially enjoys the connection she has made with people around the world including Ari Seth Cohen, the photographer who has famously snapped unique ageing fashionistas in various global destinations. Sarah Jane grew up in

England and was well-groomed in conservative English traditions, but her natural independence, outspoken personality and desire for adventure led her to discover rock bands, second-hand clothing markets, obscure pieces of jewellery and the joy of overseas travel. In her youth, she describes herself as “bolshie’’ and “out there’’. A young woman determined to run her own race, which has meant creating her own work. “I have always made my own way and been self-employed,” she said. Her travels have led her to the place she calls her spiritual home – India. “I have been to India more times than I can count,” she says. India is the home of yoga and Sarah Jane, who has been a daily practitioner since her late 50s, says she lives her life from a yogic perspective. “Only a small aspect of yoga is physical exercise.” Her overall philosophy incorporates living

consciously and being able to say: “This is me and it’s OK.” “For the elders who can accept themselves, there comes freedom,” she said. “Acceptance is freedom.” These days she said she would rather grow old gracefully than disgracefully, and that means there are no disguises. She explained that one day, while walking along a city street, a sales assistant accosted her and brought her into a store to put the latest miracle facial cream on her. “Once the salesgirl mentioned anti-ageing cream, I was out of there,” Sarah Jane said. And of course, that’s why she says: “My wrinkles are my stripes.” Instagram: @saramaijewels Facebook: Search for saramai.jewels Pinterest: Search for sarah-jane-adams

Sarah Jane Adams peeling back the layers.

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The concerns around traditional ear wax removal What about Irrigation / Syringing? The technique of directing water under pressure down the ear canal to ﬂush out ear wax. The pressure needs to be strong enough to shift the wax, however if the pressure is excessive, there is potential to cause damage to the ear drum.

What about Cotton Buds? While you can remove some ear wax with a cotton bud, in many cases it pushes a greater amount of wax further down the ear canal. This can then lead to the opposite desired effect, wax impaction. In addition, there is a greater risk to the delicate skin of the ear canal, ear drum, and of causing secondary ear infection.

What about Ear Candles? In spite of their popularity, ear candles are not only ineffective, they are also associated with a number of complications or injuries such as facial burns, burns to the ear canal or ear drum, ear canal blockages, ear drum perforations, ear infections, and hearing loss. The slight vacuum caused by the heat of the candle is grossly insufficient to shift ear wax.

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COLLECTING FUN: Jan and Leo Connors enjoy “the fun of the chase” discovering stamps in line with their existing love of birds and cats. Photo: Brian Shackleton

The moment of discovery holds the joy Alison Houston STAMP collecting doesn’t have to be about investing large amounts of money, a fascination with postmarks, collections dating back decades and elusive treasures. It can be all of those things, but at Toowoomba Stamp Club there are just as many people who just enjoy stamp collecting for “the fun of the chase”, as club president Brian Shackleton puts it. Jan and Leo Connors are one such couple, joining the club’s 80 or so regular members about five years ago, having been introduced to the hobby by a friend. Looking through the club books of stamps for sale, they found ones that appealed to their existing loves, in Leo’s case birds, particularly roosters, and in Jan’s cats – and they were hooked. “I didn’t even realise cat stamps existed, but now I have two albums full, including from places you would never think of, like Afghanistan,” Jan

said. She collects stamps new and old, and has recently also started collecting Disney stamps, with unexpected origins including the Maldives, Guyana and Caribbean islands. While some people build on collections they have inherited, or from their own childhood, themed collections were not unusual, Jan said, and with stamps selling for as little as 5-10 cents, it was a very affordable hobby. An added bonus is that they aren’t a nightmare to dust. The club meets on the second Saturday of each month, from 1-4pm in the St Stephen’s Uniting Church hall, Annand St. Meetings always include a visiting club from Brisbane bringing exchange books, a Brisbane dealer as well as local John Laker, a sale by tender where members can sell their unwanted stamps, a bargain shop, and access to catalogues. “Membership is a great reason to get out of the house and meet new

people with similar interests and only costs $5 per year,” Brian said. While it is one of the biggest clubs in Queensland and they have a “wonderful group of people”, the members’ only wish is for some younger blood – by which they mean anyone under 70 – although any new member is welcome. They can also help in valuations, or disposal of collections or deceased estate lots. If you are interested in finding out more, the club’s Annual Stamp Day is on Saturday, October 12, at the Indoor Bowls Hall, Annand St, from 9am-4pm. Entry is free and there will be 15 south-east Queensland stamp clubs with their exchange books, several reputable Brisbane stamp and coin dealers buying and selling stamps, coins and collecting accessories, as well as a sale by tender. For details, go to toowoombastampclub.org or phone Brian on 07 4635 9381.

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SHARING: Local Ambulance Committees are all volunteers, generally retirees, and are responsible for providing vital ambulance equipment and services beyond what is supplied by government.

LACs work behind scenes Ambulance volunteers share info

Alison Houston MORE than $100,000 was invested back into the community in running September’s Local Ambulance Committee State Conference in Toowoomba. It’s a figure that organiser and Toowoomba LAC president Rosemary Morley is justly proud of, especially at a time when people are doing it tough due to the drought. “The committee was determined to buy locally to support businesses in Toowoomba,” the 17-year LAC volunteer said. The bienniel conference attracted more than 300 people from over 100 committees across the state, many of whom being retirees, Rosemary said, took the opportunity to stay on for a holiday. They were there to share ideas and learn more about the ongoing needs of the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) and developments worldwide, including the increasing use of helicopters to avoid ambulances having to battle heavily congested traffic. An added bonus was inspiration from 2002 Olympic gold medal winner Steven Bradbury.

Toowoomba LAC member Dianne Hannant and president Rosemary Morley at the LAC Conference dinner. An unusual guest speaker, you might think, but Rosemary said Bradbury had experienced his share of health crises, including losing a startling 4 of the body’s 6 litres of blood in a racing accident in 1998, and breaking his neck in 2000 before his famous Last Man Standing victory. But who are these all-but-invisible LAC volunteers and what do they do? Essentially, Rosemary said, LACs are the link between the QAS and their community. They are responsible for funds (primarily raised through bequests and donations) required “to provide vital equipment and services above what

Steven Bradbury was guest speaker at the State LAC Conference dinner, and told his inspirational story.

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You can’t simply volunteer for LACs, you have to be invited to be part of a committee is supplied by government”. For instance, LACs funded the first defibrillators (AEDs), now considered essential lifesaving equipment in ambulances. Rosemary said they were easy to use given the proper training, and only provided a shock when it was actually needed, so nobody would be hurt. On the other hand, in

the event of heart attack, every minute without defibrillation reduces your chance of survival by 10%. Recently the Toowoomba LAC bought a back-up car for Fairview Ambulance Station, and their current focus is on educating the public about effective cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). “If someone in every home knew how to do CPR

properly, more people’s lives would be saved,” Rosemary said. LACs also help establish communications rooms in major emergency situations and, on a more personal level, provide friendship and support to officers through barbecues, and Christmas lunch for duty officers and their families. LACs in small communities like Oakey, she said, played an even larger part, with everyone knowing and supporting each other. Rosemary stressed that funds donated or bequested to the LAC were tax deductable and used in the community from which they came. You can’t simply

volunteer for LACs, you have to be invited to be part of a committee, and the majority throughout the state are retirees, many former ambulance officers. However, Rosemary said the Toowoomba branch was fortunate to have secured a number of younger members to “carry it forward”. If you are a retired doctor or nurse, Toowoomba LAC is interested in hearing from you, with Rosemary saying your “medical acumen” would be appreciated in helping to prioritise spending. To find out more, phone Rosemary on 07 4635 4078.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

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STRENGTH AND COMFORT: Toowoomba end of life doula Tracey Roberts offers companionship and non-medical support and information to both the person dying and their family before and after the death. Photo:

Doula offers support at life’s end Alison Houston WHEN you have been involved in nursing, particularly palliative care nursing, for almost 40 years, there are some patients who “just stay with you”. For Toowoomba’s Tracey Roberts, one of those patients, Bill, and his wife Robyn, would literally change her life, leading her to become an end of life doula and open her own business, The Last Leaf. The name is inspired by an O. Henry short story based around the power of friendship, hope, sacrifice and care in the face of death, which Bill shared with Tracey before dying just over 12 months ago. Tracey said there were too many gaps in the system at the moment for people facing a life-ending

event, and too little knowledge about what to do, both emotionally and practically. There was too much emphasis on the medical, and not enough on the personal, she said. Having been a long-time nurse, Tracey has experienced first-hand how this can negatively affect people and working with Bill in particular led her to decide to help turn that around. At The Last Leaf, she offers companionship and non-medical support to both the person dying and their family before and after the death. It is completely up to the individual how much help they require, whether it’s just coffee and a chat or ongoing support. That can include helping them through discussions about end of life care choices, and if requested, being there for

‘‘

The name is inspired by an O. Henry short story based around the power of friendship, hope, sacrifice and care in the face of death, which Bill shared with Tracey before dying. them at that time. She said the best medical service in the world did not have the time to just sit and hold the patient’s hand or stay with the family and talk. “There is a huge need for someone to fill those gaps,” Tracey said, pointing particularly to people who may not have a support network to be there with them in the end. “This isn’t a 9-5 job – if

someone needs me, at whatever time of the day or night, that’s where I will be.” Many people did not realise, she said, just how much was involved in wanting to die at home, the implications for the family and how much support was needed by both the dying person and their family. She can also give practical advice on what legal documents are

required, including advance care planning and directives, wills and power of attorney, as well as funeral planning. “I’m not seeing them as a nurse, although my medical background can help families understand what the person is going through, for instance changes in their breathing and diet,” Tracey said. “What I really do is help that person get ready, feel confident that everything is in place and empower them so they can really concentrate on living their life until they die,” she said. Alleviating fear and uncertainty around end of life is a large part of her role. “A lot of people – both the person dying and their family and friends – don’t want to talk about death, how it will happen, what’s involved … or don’t know how to,” Tracey said.

“They don’t want to worry the other person or make them feel uncomfortable.” But it’s worse to ignore it. Her suggestion is to admit you don’t know what to say, and simply ask is there anything the other party would like to talk about. That can mean reflecting on and sharing memories of their life – and having a laugh is healthy. Tracey has also been running regular Death Cafes, where groups meet informally to discuss with her, a psychologist and social worker whatever they want to know about death and dying, thus overcoming the taboo which often surrounds the subject. You can contact Tracey on 0414 748 036 or go to thelastleaf.com.au.

Grants to kick-start age-friendly projects across Queensland EIGHTEEN age-friendly projects, ranging from active ageing programs to music and arts projects, will share in $1 million funding under the third round of the Palaszczuk Government’s Advancing Queensland: age-friendly community grants program. Minister for Seniors Coralee O’Rourke today (20 September) announced the successful grant recipients, highlighting how projects funded

through previous rounds of the age-friendly grants program had benefitted Queenslanders. “Over the past two years, we have provided funding contributions to 29 seniors-focused projects across the state,” Mrs O’Rourke said “These projects, ranging from a dementia friendly pharmacy program to age-friendly seating and the development of an app for carers, have made their

communities more age-friendly. “The age-friendly grants have been successful in getting seniors-focused community projects off the ground with partnerships between local government, not-for-profits and community groups. “I am sure the latest 18 projects that will receive funding under the third round of this grants program will be just as successful, and I look

forward to following their progress.” Among the recipients of the third round of the grants is The Older Men’s Network’s Community Home Visiting Program in Toowoomba, a seniors road safety program in Ipswich and an active ageing program in Biloela. The projects are aimed at improving social participation and communication and information for Queensland seniors. Mrs O’Rourke said the

age-friendly grants were a key part of the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to creating thriving, age-friendly communities. “We want all Queenslanders, regardless of their age or personal circumstances, to be able to participate and be included in their communities, be resilient and enjoy social and economic wellbeing,” she said. “The Advancing Queensland: age-friendly community grants prog-

ram is another example of the Queensland Government’s commitment to older Queens- landers and their communities.” — Communities and Disability Services and Seniors Minister , The Honourable Coralee O’Rourke. To find out more about the grants, including a full list of recipients, go to: qld.gov.au/agefriendly grants.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

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OCTOBER, 2019// SENIORS

IT'S OFFICIAL: Christophe Cojean (centre) accepts his citizenship certificate at the Toowoomba Regional Council ceremony with Cr Joe Ramia and Mayor Paul Antonio.

Photo: LucyRC Photography

Big Toowoomba welcome Alison Houston CHRISTOPHE Cojean arrived in Australia as a teenager in 1970, so has felt Australian for a very long time. Now, following Toowoomba Regional Council’s latest citizenship ceremony, he has the piece of paper to prove he belongs. And in today’s mixed up world, he said, that sense of security was important to him. Christophe was one of 95 new citizens welcomed by Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio on September 16, the eve of Australian

Citizenship Day. Across the country 150 ceremonies took place, with more than 8000 people expected to become Australian citizens. That’s the largest number of new citizens welcomed nationally since the inaugural Australian Citizenship Day in 2001. Originally from Toulon, in southern France, Christophe spent a short time in England with his family, before deciding to venture out on his own to the Pacific. An apprentice motor mechanic, he was accepted into Australia as

what became known as a “10 Pound Pom”. Since that time he has travelled Australia widely, married and had a family

since 1989. “Where else would I want to go? It’s the best country in the world,” he said.

‘‘

Christophe was one of 95 new citizens welcomed by Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio on September 16, the eve of Australian Citizenship Day. – three children and six great grandchildren – and called Toowoomba home

He does remember “copping quite a bit” when he arrived with his mix of

French and Yorkshire accent, at a time when racist comments made in gest were very much par for the course. But he said he believed the mayor’s speech at the ceremony had been “right on the button”, when he addressed both the need for Australians to accept different cultures and for migrants to respect Australian history, culture and lifestyle and find their place in it. Gillian Rodwell-Ball was another Senior welcomed to the country, in her case from Zimbabwe. Arriving in 2008 to join her son, who is in the Defence Force and

married to an Australian, Gillian said she found the weather a bit different to the predictability she was used to, with “four seasons in one day at times”. However, she said she felt it was “an honour and a privilege” to be an Australian citizen, was impressed with the diversity of cultures embraced and admitted it was “much safer than Zimbabwe” which has “gone through some very tough times”. A qualified English teacher, she said she may have retired from full-time teaching but she hadn’t retired from life.

Cancer Council marks World Mental Health Day TO MARK World Mental Health Day (October 10), Cancer Council Queensland will hold five events simultaneously across the state aimed at those affected by cancer and their loved ones. The series of free events, ‘Take time for yourself – improving and maintaining mental health’ will focus on ways people affected by cancer can prioritise their mental health and implement coping mechanisms into their daily lives. Cancer Council

Queensland’s psychologist Dr Keely Gordon-King will be the key speaker at the information session and her presentation will be followed by a talk by a cancer survivor and Cancer Council Queensland volunteer, Garth Stephens. The information session will be held face-to-face in Brisbane, with live webcast of the session (webinar) available across Queensland. The webinar will allow

people who are unable to attend in person, access this event online via a computer, tablet or smartphone. In addition, three satellite events will be held in Toowoomba, Townsville and on the Gold Coast, where locals are invited to watch the webinar together, followed by an opportunity to chat to the local Cancer Support Coordinator about Cancer Council Queensland’s support services. Cancer Council

Queensland CEO Ms Chris McMillan invited all Queenslanders affected by cancer to attend one of the sessions. “People going through cancer treatment or following cancer treatment face multiple challenges, especially related to mental health, relationships, and identity,” Ms McMillan said. “We are holding this webinar on World Mental Health Day to provide coping strategies for those impacted by cancer,

whether they are experiencing it themselves or through a loved one. “The strategies will help people on this journey manage common challenges, cope with uncertainty, and accept and manage changes in personal identity and relationships. “For those impacted by cancer who reside in Brisbane, Toowoomba, Townsville or on the Gold Coast we invite you to attend one of the sessions in person, as

our aim is to offer a supportive environment for locals, and their families.” To reserve your space, go to tinyurl.com/ ccqsupport. Cancer Council Queensland is an independent, community-based charity., Info: Cancer Council Queensland, go to cancerqld.org.au or phone Cancer Council on 13 11 20.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

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Erica greets Incredible magical memories and still making more Alison Houston

MAGICAL STORIES: Ready to perform in Singapore 1969, Erica and her husband look as exotic as their location.

“AS I write this, I am already past 98 – I know of no one older, which makes me feel at once isolated and alone. “At 80, I gave myself a licence to do what I liked: I had the ready-made excuse that I was old; I would be automatically excused. “But after 90, a subtle change begins to take shape; it’s as though you have become invisible … “People around you are moving on with the times, and you are being left behind.” These are the words penned by Burleigh Heads woman Erica Holmes, 99 next week, as part of her 6600 word treatise on being Beyond 90, which led Seniors newspapers to seek her out for a chat. Still with a sparkle in her blue eyes, her own home, cooking all her own meals, gardening, sewing and researching her beloved Vedic astrology, she encourages other Seniors to stay healthy, positive and keep challenging themselves. ✰Setting Goals “YOU have to have a goal – somewhere you want to get to or something you want to achieve, otherwise you’re just hanging around waiting to die,” Erica said. That goal doesn’t have to be big but gives you a reason to get up in the morning. Write it down, if only to remind yourself, and try and achieve one goal or piece of a plan each day.

‘‘

It is much better to rely on yourself for your happiness than to expect others to create it for you. — Erica Holmes

“If you have nothing to look forward to, then there is nothing to strive for – all that is ahead of you is

emptiness,” Erica writes. Everyone, she says, should have something pleasant to look forward to every day – a walk, a cup of tea and a good book, time in the garden – because it is too easy in old age to become “too involved with yourself … magnifying every little pain” and allowing time to drag. “It is much better to rely on yourself for your happiness than to expect others to create it for you; after all, they are busy with their own lives,” she wrote. Having run the City to Surf at 69, Erica is currently doing hand strength exercises, with the aim of indoor rock

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SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

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life over 90 with a smile

Erica looks every bit the starlet as she poses in her swimmers. A newspaper cutting of What's On in London from November 1964 featured Aly Kabah and Enrica at the Astor. climbing with her grandson next year. “It’s amazing what you can do once you get started … but you have to do it yourself,” she said. ✰A Life Less Ordinary ERICA’S life has indeed been amazing – reading like a romance adventure novel. Growing up in Melbourne, and forced to start earning her own living at 15, she married young and unhappily. “When you’re young, you haven’t got much sense really, but you don’t know how stupid you are yet,” she laughed. After 13 years, she had had enough, and spurred on by the words of an astrologer, ran away.

Dyeing her hair blonde and assuming an alias, despite no previous experience, she talked her way into work as a cook for 30 people on a remote cattle station outside Charleville, where she said “everyone was using an assumed name”. It was just one of the decisions which she said “have led me away from an ordinary life” – a wonderful segue into her 17 years touring the world as a magician’s assistant. Having met and married a mystic magician who was a snake-handler, hypnotist and sword, fire and glass-swallower, the pair toured the world as “Aly Kabah and Enrica” through the 1950-70s.

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The name Enrica was originally the result of a printing mistake, but the couple liked it, and it stuck. They performed in London, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa, climaxing in a performance at New York’s famous Madison Square Garden. ✰Memories “WHEN I look back on everything I did, I just laugh,” Erica said. But she sees being able to look back on those memories which we’ve spent a lifetime gathering as “our most precious asset”. And if your memory isn’t what it once was, short of a medical condition, find a way around it, she

advises, by writing yourself notes or using other tricks. “People forget things at all ages, but they only make a big deal of it in old age,” she writes. ✰Acceptance TODAY, she said, after initial frustration at not being able to do all she used to, she has accepted that her body has slowed down and that everything takes longer than it used to. “Even the simplest of chores, as in washing up, can throw up a hundred challenges – you can’t see to clean properly … you break things because your grip is not so strong … even standing at the sink is too much,” Erica

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A WONDERFUL LIFE: Erica Holmes, 99 next week, smiles as she looks back on an extraordinary life, but still sets goals and makes plans for the future. Photo: Alison Houston

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writes. But that doesn’t mean you give up, or accept that sickness and old age go hand-in-hand. Alongside eating well and keeping active, thinking positively is incredibly powerful, she said. “We should always be on our guard to avoid negative thoughts. “If we do stumble over one, then we should immediately replace it with a positive one,” she writes. “The easiest way to avoid thinking negatively is to keep the mind occupied with other things: listening to music is a good diversion… Not only, she says, will

lack of exercise lead to being out of condition and subject to illness, it’s also boring, and leaves you with nothing to talk about. ✰Final Thought HAVING started with Erica’s written word, we will finish with it, because with 99 years of experience behind her, she has earned the final say. “Deep inside us we are the same person at six as we were at 60, or at any age. “What has changed mostly is the body. “But the body is only the vehicle we are using in this world; the real you is that wonderful thing inside you called the life force.”

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OCTOBER, 2019// SENIORS

see the 50 exhibitors showcased and the spring gardens. Go to pittsworth craftandfinefood.com or phone 0437 672 472.

What's on

GEMFEST

MENTAL HEALTH WEEK ART

LOCAL artist, Craig Taylor, partnering with Ability Enterprises, will have a pop-up art display at Cafe Abuzz, Baillie Henderson Hospital, during National Mental Health Week. The event aims to raise awareness of mental illness and reduce stigma. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Craig is self-taught and his artwork includes African wildlife and roses. He suffered severe injuries in an assault before moving to Australia in 2005 and has been diagnosed with mental illness. The exhibition is on until Friday, October 11. Ability Enterprises is also hosting a Take Time for Mental Health picnic in the grounds of Baillie Henderson Hospital on the Friday, with free live entertainment by Kerry Kennedy and Double Barrel. Go to their Facebook page, phone 07 4638 7465 or for a picnic order phone 0427 405 327.

COLOURS OF YARRAMAN

THE Colours of Yarraman Garden Festival is on from Thursday, October 10-Sunday, October 13, and includes a host of events including barefoot bowls on Thursday 6-9pm at the Yarraman Bowls Club, a movie night on Friday at Yarraman school hall, Yarraman markets on Saturday 7am-12pm and Tunes on the Track at Station Park from 1-5pm, with the garden competition high tea and announcements Sunday. Phone 0459 638 282 or go to @YarramanProgress Association on Facebook.

PITTSWORTH CRAFT & FINE FOOD

The 15th annual Pittsworth Craft and Fine Food Spectacular is on from Friday, October 11-Sunday, October 13 at Pittsworth Town Hall. An initiative of St Andrew’s Anglican Parish it is an important fundraiser for the church, and also brings loads of visitors to

IN ITS 39th year, Gemfest is on the weekend of October 19-20, with crystal and mineral specimens from all over the world. Create original jewellery with stones and settings available on-site. It’s at Centenary Heights State High School Hours from 8.30am-5pm Saturday and until 3pm Sunday. Cost is $5 for over-13s. Go to toowoomba lapidaryclub.org.

CLIFTON COUNTRY WEEK

FROM FriOctober 18 to October 26 is Clifton Country Week, with the main events over the first weekend. The week starts with an art and photography exhibition in the library on Friday, with street markets, the Iris and Rose Show, steam train rides, car show and shine, model train displays, live music and kids’ entertainment on Saturday and the Clifton Garage Sale Trail Sunday. Hosted by Clifton & District Progress Association, phone 0418 790 083.

DISABILITY EXPO

THE Regional Disability Expo at Clive Berghofer Stadium showcases the products, services, education and employment options, sport and recreation available to people with disabilities, their families and carers in the Toowoomba region. It’s on Friday, October 18 from 9.30am-4pm and includes over 40 businesses. Phone 0402 836 213 or go to disabilityexposc. com.au.

DEMENTIA COURSES

DEMENTIA Australia is delivering two courses in Toowoomba for people living with dementia and their family members. The first course, Living with Dementia, is October 22-24 and provides an overview of dementia and how to proceed after a diagnosis. The second workshop, called Grief, Loss and Dementia, is on November 5-6 and gives an overview of caring for someone who has dementia. It focuses on practical tools to manage the emotions associated with change, including loss and grief. Both courses are free. Phone 1800 588 699, email qld.booking @dementia.org.au or go to Eventbrite.

LOCAL PRIDE: Artist Craig Taylor with one of his works which will be on display at Café Abuzz until October 11.

Australian tenor and the voice of Ireland together

DYNAMIC DUO: Mark Vincent and Tommy Fleming are together in concert throughout November.

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ARTIST Network Australia is proud to announce Australia’s beloved tenor, Mark Vincent and the Voice of Ireland, Tommy Fleming will share the stage in November. As two of the most talented and popular singers of their time, these great friends will perform a smorgasbord of favourites both together and individually throughout each show backed by some of Australia’s best musicians. Aussie fans will have the rare opportunity to enjoy powerful and unique arrangements of songs ranging from classical crossover to contemporary classics such as Nessun Dorma, Danny Boy, You Raise Me Up and Hallelujah to name a few. Singing from the age of 15, Mark Vincent has released nine consecutive #1 ARIA Classical Crossover Albums, and earned accolades both nationally and internationally as one of the world’s most talented tenor performers. Vincent’s last album, “A Tribute to Mario Lanza”, contains the ground

breaking ‘virtual duet’ of “Because You’re Mine” with the Hollywood legend. A Tribute To Mario Lanza debuted at #3 on the ARIA Album Charts, and at #1 on the ARIA Classical Crossover Charts. The album went on to be the highest selling ARIA Classical Crossover album of 2017. At the young age of 25 years, Mark has already headlined national tours and cast in musical theatre performances such as the Australian production of Dirty Dancing and Dame Julia Andrews, DBE production of My Fair Lady. Mark was also a finalist in the national selection show Eurovision - Australia Decides in February releasing his new single “This is Not the End” during this competition period. Tommy Fleming is regarded as one of the finest singers worldwide and is currently enjoying a hugely successful career having sold over three million albums worldwide and 10 million YouTube hits, earning multiplatinum sales. After 25 years honing his craft,

Tommy is now taking his place at the forefront of popular music across the globe. Tommy’s unique talent has brought him worldwide recognition with several sell-out tours in Ireland, UK, Europe, USA, Australia and Japan and he is now critically acclaimed to be one of the worlds’ finest singers of his generation. Tommy has collaborated with international artists including Vince Gill, Elaine Paige, Kenny Rogers, Luci Silvis, Mary Black and featured Mark Vincent on his most recent TV special - Voice of Hope 2 which was recorded live in Ireland in 2018 and toured in early 2019. Both received rave reviews and top chart position after its release. Mark Vincent and Tommy Fleming together in concert on Thursday, November 7 at The Events Centre Caloundra and Friday, November 8 at Toowoomba Empire Theatre. For more, go to theeventscentre.com.au, markvincent.com.au or tommyfleming.net.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

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OCTOBER, 2019// SENIORS

Community notes

Community group guide WE WELCOME your neighbourhood news contributions. If you would like to submit a photo, ensure it is at least 180dpi or 500kb to 1mb in size and of faces, in a nice bright setting. Email editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au.

GARDEN CITY COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION INC

WE WILL hold our October Country Music Afternoon on Sunday, October 13, at St John’s Lutheran Hall, 431 Bridge St, Wilsonton, from 1pm-5pm. Adults $8 inc lucky door and afternoon tea. Raffle tickets on sale. No booking required. For more, phone 07 4635 6429 a/h.

NATIONAL SENIORS AUSTRALIA

Garden City-Toowoomba WE WILL meet at Drayton Bowls Club, cnr Ball and Gipps Sts, on Monday, October 21, at 9.30am. Cost of $7 includes morning tea. Visitors welcome. Guest speaker is Sue Robin from Brisbane who is a storyteller. Bus trip for October is a mystery progressive luncheon. For more information, phone Hazel on 07 4635 4519. Toowoomba OUR branch holds their monthly morning teas on the first Thursday of each month and bus trips on the third Thursday of each month. Phone Desma on 07 4613 6750.

ANNUAL ROSE FESTIVAL

ST MARK’S Women’s Guild’s 57th Annual Rose Festival is on Friday,

October 11, at the St Mark’s Parish Hall off Grafton St, Warwick. Careful tending by volunteer parishioners has produced the first blooms in the Church Memorial Gardens. Pick up Competition Schedules detailing the five sections with perpetual trophies and cash prizes from St. Mark’s Church. No charge to enter competition with entries to be submitted between 8.30am and 10.30am. The trophy and prize presentation starts at 1.30pm with entertainment, raffle, cent sale, delicious afternoon tea and a lucky door prize all for $10 entry. For more, go to warwickanglican.org.au, phone Joyce on 07 4661 1938 or Sue 0427 962 281 or email sue.nalder@gmail.com.

TOOWOOMBA QCWA CHRISTMAS MARKET QCWA Toowoomba Branch’s Mini Christmas Market will be held on Tuesday, November 26, from 8am-1pm at 263 Margaret St in the CWA rooms. All invited to support fundraiser.

A CONCERT OF CELEBRATION

ARS Cantorum presents Celebration - a concert of sacred music on Friday, October 18, at 7pm at St

FLOWER POWER: Westhaven retirement village residents including Marley Morgan, Laura Davis and Val Tame, rode on board the decorated bus (float) in the Carnival of Flowers Parade. James Anglican Church, cnr Russell and Mort Streets, Toowoomba. The concert showcases a Mass for Christmas Eve written C.1800 by Fr. Nunes Garcia - a Brazilian priest/composer who was a contemporary of Mozart and Haydn. The program also includes a Kyrie by Charpentier, The Heavens are Telling by F. J. Haydn and other items by J.S. Bach, John Rutter and more. Tickets are available at the door; Adults $25; Concession & Uni Students $20; accompanied school age children no charge. The concert will be followed by “cheese & wine” for audience and performers in the adjacent Parish Centre.

WESTHAVEN RETIREMENT VILLAGE’S FLOWER POWER

EVERY Carnival of Flowers is memorable but for Bolton Clarke Westhaven retirement village residents, who turned the village bus into a float for Saturday’s parade, sharing the memories of

parades past was just as important as creating new ones. For Marley Morgan, Laura Davis and Val Tame, the Carnival of Flowers brought back a trove of treasured recollections. For 78-year-old Marley, it is the first Carnival procession that stands out the most, as it was also her aunty’s wedding day. She recalls watching the floats go by from the roof of the reception venue. Parade day brings back wedding memories in Laura’s family too. Laura has lived at Westhaven since 2011 and was excited to join fellow residents in the parade. Val, now 86, recalls fondly her shining moments in the 2nd Grand Parade in 1951, when she was the Carnival Queen entrant for the Table Tennis Association. Val’s passion for the sport remains, and she still plays regularly. Westhaven retirement village residents rode aboard the bus in the Parade, many of whom had helped to decorate it according to this year’s

theme “The Power of the Flower.” Harking back to 70’s ‘flower power’ the finished bus-turned-float was affectionately dubbed ‘Rapunzel’ as she looked so beautiful in her flowers and finery, most of which had been hand-crafted by the residents. The project has provided hours of conversation and great opportunities to meet new friends.

RARE AND BEAUTIFUL VARIETY SALE

THE Missionary Sisters of St Peter Claver are holding their Rare And Beautiful variety sale on Saturday, October 26 at 71 Margaret St, Toowoomba from 6.30am-12noon. On sale will be items of value - Rare and Beautiful, as well as everyday items including crockery, glassware, linen etc. All funds go to assist the missions. For more information contact the Sisters on 07 4632 1818.

TOOWOOMBA HOSPICE

Annual Charity Jazz Breakfast

WE ARE holding our Annual Charity Jazz Breakfast Sunday, October 27 from 9am at our very own DownsSteam Museum Railway Cnr Ball and Cambooya Streets in Drayton. Tickets are now on sale. Price is $35 per person for Breakfast while listening to Jazz music in the background. Phone Toowoomba Hospice on 07 4659 8500 to book. Melbourne Cup WE HAVE a ‘fever’…..yes you’ve got it ‘Melbourne Cup Fever’! Toowoomba Hospice is holding its Annual Melbourne Cup Lunch on November 5 from 11.30am at Café Valetta and tickets are now on Sale. Ticket price is $70 per person which includes a complimentary glass of champagne and nibbles upon arrival, delicious two-course lunch, prizes for the best dressed female, male, hat, fashion parade, raffles and sweeps. Phone Café Valetta on 07 4632 0332 to book your tickets.

Caring for grandkids, maintaining family harmony LOOKING after grandkids is a time when grandparents can draw on their rich experiences of parenthood and enjoy quality family time. However, the responsibility can sometimes leave grandparents in tricky situations, with parenting styles differing from one generation to the next. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is a helpline and website that supports expecting parents, families and carers with children up to five years old to ensure the health and wellbeing of their

children and family. The helpline is staffed by maternal child health nurses who provide reassurance and guidance on their child’s behavioural and developmental concerns, while also providing referrals to local health services when necessary. The service is funded by the Australian Government. Here’s some top tips for a positive experience ■ Be upfront about your needs and understand those of the parents so there are no unwelcome surprises or unmet

expectations. Setting boundaries around things like the number of hours and days of the week you are available, and the meals you provide, can help things run smoothly. ■ All parents will have their own views on things like how much TV time or outside play is best for their child. Finding out what these are and respecting those views from the outset will give your grandchildren a consistent message and avoid potential conflict. ■ If you feel your grandchildren need discipline while in your

care, check with their parents first about what they would do. ■ Think about whether you might need to make some changes to your home before children arrive so it’s safe for young exploring children. Make sure things such as dangerous chemicals and sharp or breakable objects are well out of reach. ■ You can also have a lot of fun with your grandchildren and become more active by exploring the world together. You can engage their

FAMILY TIME: You can have fun with your grandchildren exploring the world together. Photo: Maria Teijeiro creativity through arts and crafts, cooking or building things. Listen to their stories and share your own.

For more, go to pregnancybirthbaby .org.au/grandparents or phone 1800 882 436.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

NEWS

Werner cleans up at 91 Tracey Johnstone AT 91, Werner Meinhold can’t help but impress those that meet him. The German immigrant cleans homes in Canberra two days a week, working up to four hours each day. And he reckons he has another couple of years’ work in him. It’s not that he has to work, it’s that he wants to, and it keeps him fit. “When I got married the second time to an Asian lady, she started cleaning,” Werner said. “It was stupid that I would drive her there, so from that day on we cleaned together.” When the marriage ended, Werner kept cleaning. “People my age go walking; I hate walking,”

he said. “I think I will do it for another year or two.” Werner says people don’t believe he is in his 90s. He puts his good health down to working hard all his life. Without parents by the age of 10, he lived in an orphanage and then in a foster home. He learnt cabinetmaking in Germany in his early teens, before he was sent to fight in World War II at age 16. When he arrived home from the war, Hamburg was bombed out. There were few jobs to be found and only his grandparents were still alive, that he knew of. At 18 he got a job in a coal mine in southern Germany, working 1000m below ground.

HARD WORKER: Werner Meinhold at 91 is still happily working. Then an advertisement in a Hamburg newspaper piqued his interest. “Sunny Australia,” it read. At 23 he set off with nine other young Germans on the free transport to Australia to work as a cabinetmaker for two years with the Snowy Mountains Scheme. “We were the ones that built the camp for all the other contractors,” Werner said. He landed in Melbourne on November 13, 1951 and stayed on the job for about 18 months. He said the living

conditions were awful: no water and no toilets. “And when it rained or snowed, we didn’t get paid.” Werner went to Cooma where he found more cabinetmaking work with a Norwegian team. Finally, in 1955 he settled in Canberra and never left. It was then a small town with about 34,000 people, a police station and a pub, and plenty of job opportunities. He established his family there after marrying a Latvian woman, and set

up a thriving house construction business. Unfortunately, the “broken-down builder” was then on the wrong end of a tough divorce and a nasty lawyer, and had to start all over again. “It happens to a lot people, but you have to pick yourself up,” Werner said. He’s made a good life in Canberra and was eventually was able to find and connect with his other siblings in Germany. Werner regrets not staying in Germany when he was offered a good job

Photo: Tracey Johnstone

with a house at the coal mine. He also left behind his finance who he loved. “When you are young, you are stupid,” he said. His approach to every aspect of his life has been and still is, “if you want something, you have to work for it”. “When I come to work, I don’t come half hour later, I come five minutes earlier,” Werner said. It seems a trip back to Germany “for the last time” is on the cards since his nephew makes teeth and Werner needs some dental work.

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SLEEP UNDERWATER

IMAGINE floor-to-ceiling views of the spectacular underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef, all from the comfort of your bed. Reefsuites is Australia’s first underwater accommodation. Arrive at your unique accommodation after a scenic cruise through the Whitsunday Islands to the outer reef. Two private underwater rooms are available, all

meals and beverages, spectacular dining experience under the stars, activities at the reef including a private guided snorkelling tour and semi-submarine tour, from $749 a person. Visit cruisewhitsundays.com.

FOODIES’ TOUR OF THAILAND AND CAMBODIA

FEATURING cool bars, great restaurants, food walks and a great cooking class with a twist – that takes care of Bangkok. The Spirit House 11-day tour then goes back in time to the serenity and charm of the ancient ruins of Ayutthaya, just outside Bangkok. There are ruins to explore plus some great food history to try as well. Then fly to Cambodia and unleash your Indiana Jones as guests take some offbeat tours through the stunning temples of Angkor Wat. The tour dates are February 18-28. Cost is $4500 a person, twin share for all accommodation, meals, flight to Cambodia, transport and entrances. Visit spirithouse.com.au/ foodtours.

REEF GUIDES: Explore the Great Barrier Reef in the company of Master Reef Guides.

WARBIRDS OVER WANAKA

GET the best seats in the house for New Zealand’s Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow in Queenstown over Easter 2020. Grand Pacific Tours travellers will have exclusive access into the marquee where

1300 551 997 | (07) 5513 1086 E: info@goseetouring.com www.goseetouring.com

TASSIE CROQUET DEvILS TOUR From

$3,695

ENgLISh BLOSSOM TOUR IS FULLY ESCORTED EX BRISBANE

$7,035*

per person Twin Share Ex BNE Single supplement $1,385

$2,225

13 - 25 MAY 2020

per person Twin Share Ex BNE Single supplement From $390

SENSATIONAL SINgAPORE WITh SINgAPORE gARDEN FESTIvAL ESCORTED EX BRISBANE From

$4,745*

Join us when we visit the bi-annual world premier tropical garden and flower show - the 2020 Singapore Garden Festival. The festival showcases colourful and exciting garden designs with exquisite floral displays from over 50 designers and 19 countries. During the tour you’ll also visit the Botanic Gardens, National Orchid Gardens, have breakfast at the zoo, high tea at the iconic Raffles Hotel, visit the National Museum plus experience the exciting sights and sounds of Sentosa Island. Leisure time to explore further afield, shop ‘til you drop or lay by the pool. We’d love to have you with us when we travel to this beautiful multicultural city and its fabulous gardens. Space is limited.

NORFOLK ISLAND A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY ESCORTED EX BRISBANE

$3,065* ChRISTMAS IN JULY NORFOLK ISLAND From

$2,080*

per person Twin Share Ex BNE Single supplement From $485

20 - 27 JUNE 2020

Go See Touring invites players & spectators to join us on Norfolk Island in June 2020 for the 6th Convict’s Cup Social Croquet event. This is a social golf croquet doubles event and it doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an expert - it’s all about having fun. You’ll play on the oldest sporting pitch in the Southern hemisphere that is still in use. With stunning Norfolk Island as the backdrop to this week of friendly competition, there will be sightseeing, lots of fun and laughter! We hope you can join us!

20 – 27 JULY 2020

per person Twin Share Ex BNE Single supplement $1,380

From

THERE are now 26 Master Reef Guides ready to educate visitors about the diversity and complexities of the world’s largest coral reef system. The Master Reef Guide Program is led by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Every person visiting the Great Barrier Reef takes part in its future by paying the $6.50 Environmental Management Charge which is applied directly to the management, research, protection and preservation of the Marine Park. Visit tropicalnorth queensland.org.au.

Highlights include Great Dixter House, Sissinghurst Castle, Chelsea Flower Show, Leeds Castle, Canterbury, Bath, Cotswolds, Abbey House Malmesbury & much more! Includes return airfares, 10 nights quality hotels, 10 breakfasts, 2 lunches & 6 dinners, all touring & entry fees.

NORFOLK ISLAND CROQUET From

Join us on this escorted Tassie Croquet Devils 9 day tour and visit beautiful Tasmania where you can indulge in history, visit stunning wilderness areas and enjoy some delicious food and wines. Combine the fun and friendship of hitting through the hoops with some wonderful touring when we travel to Tasmania in 2020. Why not join the fun!

per person Twin Share Ex BNE Single supplement $410

18 – 25 JULY 2020

Join Fortunato Isgro or Lindsay (Waddo) Waddington for a fantastic week on Norfolk Island of Songs and laughter! A Little Bit Country on Norfolk Island 2020 sees a great line-up of performers taking to the stage. Graeme Hugo, Fortunato Isgro, Wayne Horsburgh and Lindsay (Waddo) Waddington will all perform at 3 big shows during the week. Plus plenty of time for you to enjoy beautiful Norfolk Island with its colourful history, lush greenery, stunning scenery and friendly locals. Enjoy delicious cuisine, tours, time to shop and explore and plenty of laughs along the way. Call us for more information!

VISIT JAPAN’S ASAKUSA

11 - 18 JULY 2020

Want to enjoy the festive season twice this year? Spend a week on Norfolk Island with its stunning scenery, sandy beaches and jagged cliffs. There is so much to see and do – and all at your own pace. We’ve included some great accommodation options, a hire car so you can explore, some fabulous tours that you won’t want to miss, plus plenty more to do on the Island. Enjoy a festive delicious Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings, fun trivia and Carols at Paradise Hotel & Resort. Chase away those winter blues and have some fun. Call us now to secure your accommodation.

TERMS & CONDITIONS *Price is per person Twin Share. Single Supplement applies. Credit card surcharges apply. Deposit of AUD $500-$800 per person is required to secure tour. Tour requires a minimum number of passengers to depart. Prices may ﬂuctuate if surcharges, fee, taxes or currency change. Prices current as at 1 October 2019. Go See Touring in conjunction with Norfolk Select Marketing ABN: 93 367 366 822 ATAS Accreditation A10619

6885061av

From

BARRIER REEF STORYTELLERS

14 – 22 MARCh 2020

* per person Twin Share Ex BNE, Single supplement $770

closed circuit TV will be available. Celebrity pilots will also be mingling, and travellers will have the opportunity to walk down the aircraft flight line Also included is a souvenir pack containing a gold cap and badge; collector’s program; voucher for entry to the Warbirds and Wheels Museum and a complimentary drink voucher. Prices from $4084 a person twin share. Visit gptnz.com/aviation or call 1800 622 768.

IT’S home to Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest and most significant Buddhist temple and it’s where you can rent a kimono, try traditional foods and explore the historical attractions of the area. Make your very own Edo Koriko glass as a special keepsake and check out

Photo: Kiana Saltarelli

the new commercial complex showcasing Tokyo’s downtown charm experience. Visit tobu.co.jp/foreign/en.

historical sites, unique wildlife and interesting vegetation: Come, see, walk, breathe. Info: bmac.com.au/ adventures/hiking.

DRIVE ALONGSIDE THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

MUSEUM OF UNDERWATER ART

FOLLOW the 143 road signs featuring images of swaying palm trees as you hug the coast from Cairns city to Cape Tribulation. The two-hour, 140km drive on the Great Barrier Reef Drive leaves the Coral Sea to weave in and out of tropical rainforests and sugar cane fields. There is also a five-day itinerary which allows visitors to more fully explore the beaches, villages, rainforest, unique wildlife and Indigenous culture of Tropical North Queensland, as well as the colourful corals and marine life of the reef. Accommodation is at several places along the drive from secluded rainforest retreats near Mossman, Daintree Village or Cape Tribulation, to the resorts and boutique apartments of Port Douglas and Palm Cove. Info: greatbarrierreefdrive.com.

BLUE MOUNTAINS BUSHWALKING

COME on a magnificent walk in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Explore spectacular locations and make delightful discoveries away from the highway and town centre. While wandering past spectacular lookouts your guide will share local secrets and interpret the unique environment for you. Stunning scenery, astounding landforms,

GO north to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to experience the newly installed Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA). It aims to increase awareness to the importance of the Reef. The partially and fully submerged sculptures are in locations such as Magnetic Island and Palm Island. The first, Ocean Siren, will be revealed this December at the Strand in Townsville and is modelled on a local Aboriginal girl that will change colour in response to changing water temperatures. A Coral Greenhouse sculpture is planned for the John Brewer Reef site offering a world-class dive and snorkel experience. Info: moua.com.au.

WHEN IN BANGKOK IN 2020

THE King’s Cup Elephant Boat Race and River Festival is again in Bangkok from February 28 to March 1, 2020. International teams paddle it out in specially commissioned boats decorated with artistic elephant heads and tails inspired by traditional Thai fish motifs. Each race is 400m with four teams per heat. On the land spectators are treated to entertainment including, concerts, arts and crafts, fun fair attractions and a wide selection of delicious food and beverages. Info: bangkokriverfestival.com.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

FROM regulations around sporting equipment, to e-cigarettes, to cremated human remains, a leading travel insurance specialist reveals the most surprising rules around carry-on luggage in Australia. Jonathan Etkind, spokesperson at InsureandGo (insureandgo.com.au), a leading online Australian travel insurer, says: “Australian airlines have a plethora of hand luggage restrictions that can be tricky for Australian travellers to adhere to, especially if they are taking all their travel belonging on in their carry-on luggage. Not only do passengers need to be wary of bringing a bag that weighs more than the maximum allowed limit, as this can result in additional fees, but they also need to know what items they are not permitted to take on the plane. “For instance, we encourage people to be extra cautious when travelling with high-value items, such as jewellery, mobile phones, cameras, video cameras or laptops. These items generally will not be covered by travel insurance if they are transported in the cargo hold of any aircraft, ship, train, tram or bus. If these items are with you in your carry-on luggage, however, you can get cover on them. For instance, InsureandGo will pay up to $3000 for laptops, computers, cameras and mobile phones, as well as provide cover for unspecified single items worth up to $750 in value. It’s important to keep in mind that airline and airport baggage rules may change, however, so always check with your carrier before travelling.” InsureandGo reveals 10 surprising rules around carry-on luggage, when travelling within or from Australia: ■ Don’t be fooled: Your handbag, coat and laptop bag will be part of your carry-on luggage limits on certain airlines. If you think your weekender bag was the only piece that counted as carry-on luggage, think again. When bringing a handbag or another personal item, such as a laptop bag, a small camera, or even a blanket or overcoat, these items will likely count towards your carry-on

weight allowance on budget airlines, but will be excluded in your hand luggage allowance on full-service airlines. ■ High-value items are only covered when they are in your hand luggage. Always keep valuable items, such as laptops and cameras, in your carry-on luggage, as travel insurers generally do not provide cover for these items if they are transported in the cargo hold of any aircraft, ship, train, tram or bus. You will only be covered for such items in your check-in luggage if airport security forced you to transfer them from your carryon to the cargo hold, and they got damaged. ■ If you need to take e-cigarettes or other vaping devices, ensure that they are in your carry-on. As e-cigarettes and other vaping devices use high-discharge lithium batteries, which could be at risk of igniting due to overheating, they must be packed in carry-on luggage only. Batteries that are not installed in a device should also be in your carry-on luggage and be protected from short circuiting by being placed in their original retail packaging, a sturdy container, or another type of protective material. Your travel insurer will not cover you for any mechanical or electrical breakdown that occurs due to leaking powder or fluid carried within your check in baggage, so it’s important that these devices are always in your carry-on. ■ There are no limits on liquids and powders in your carry on, when flying domestically. When flying within Australia, there are no restrictions on the quantity of powders, liquids, aerosols and gels you can bring on-board, provided it meets your carry-on size and weight limits. There are only limits on these items if you are travelling domestically and departing from an international terminal. In these scenarios, all aerosol deodorants, hair sprays or shaving gels must have a fitted cap or locking device. ■ You cannot carry more than 100mL of liquid on an international flight out of Australia, even if the contents of the bottle are partially filled. Liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs)

must be in containers of no more than 100mL or 100g – and inorganic powders, such as salt, sand, and some talcum powders, must be in containers of no more than 350mL or 300g – in your carry-on luggage. You cannot take containers larger than these limits, even if they are partially filled. For example, a 200g toothpaste tube that is half full is not allowed. However, there are no restrictions on organic powders, such as baby formula, protein powder and coffee. ■ You can carry onboard cremated human remains. If you have official documentation from the crematorium confirming the contents, you can bring ashes as carry-on baggage on some major Australian airlines. The container used to hold the ashes must be free from contaminants, such as soil, and sealed properly to avoid risk of accidental spillage. ■ Baby formula, hypodermic needles and certain medicines are allowed in your carry-on if you need them mid-flight – as long as they are accompanied by medical proof. Given that you have a doctor’s note explaining why you need certain medicines or medical items, you can bring them onboard if you need them during the flight. This includes baby formula, prescription and non-prescription medicines (including special dietary products) and medical items, such adrenalin auto injectors, in the case of allergic reactions, and hypodermic needles, to deliver insulin for diabetics. ■ Larger musical instruments are permitted, and you can even buy a seat for them. Larger musical instruments, such as a cello or guitar, and other large items, such as artworks, can be brought onto Australian aircrafts as carry-on luggage. If they are classified as bulky items, you may have to purchase an extra seat a seat for them and notify the airline that the seat is for a bulky item. If you would rather check them in, some airlines allow you to purchase one additional piece of checked-in luggage in advance for a fee.

VOTTE VO ED D

o.1.1 NNo

BEST VALUE SENIORS TOUR COMPANY

CAIRNS CHRISTMAS CAPERS

Cairns, Kuranda, Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge, Daintree River Cruise, Sky Rail, Reef Casino Xmas Lunch, Dundess Restaurant, Harbour Cruise *6 Days Tour Only $1,590, *8 Days with Return Rail Fare, QPC Economy Seat $1,640, QPC Deluxe Rail Bed $1,990, Sole Use Room Add $400, Departure Dates: 21 December

ECCENTRIC LIGHTNING RIDGE The most unique mining town in Australia, Lighting Ridge boasts with over 100yrs of opal mining history. Fossick for your own treasure on lands that 100mil years ago dinosaurs roamed. Visit Museums, Mines and Caves and even an artesian pool! 5 Days from $1,460 Departing 13th May 2020

A GOLDEN COAST CHRISTMAS

Gold Coast, Broadwater Cruise, Mermaid Beach, Tweed River Cruise, Xmas Day Lunch at The Star Casino, Coolangatta, Byron Bay, Mt Tambourine, Lunch at St Bernards with magical views over the Gold Coast. 5 Days from $1,590, Single add $400 Departure Dates: 23 December

TOTAL TASMANIA

Tasmania, “the Island of Inspiration” is an island of dramatic coastlines, quaint villages, convict-built heritage and magniﬁcent food and wine. Incl Hobart, Port Arthur, Derwent Bridge, Tamar Valley, Beauty Point, Cradle Mt & Gordon River Cruise. 11 Days, $3,490. Return Airfares $3,925 Departure Dates: 1st April 2020

NEw ENGLAND HISTORICAL TRAIL *4 Days* – Depart Brisbane. Enjoy Historical Armidale, Glen Innes and Tenterﬁeld, Booloominbah & Saumarez Historical Homesteads, Standing Stones*, *Lunch at Abby of the Roses Manor 4 Days - $799 *PP Twin Share, Single add $195 *Departure Dates 2020: 25th March*

YAMBA & BYRON BAY 4 Days – Depart Brisbane. Enjoy lunches overlooking beautiful oceans, colourful ﬁshing trawlers and pelicans, also Clarence River Cruise. Picturesque Villages and Maclean, known as the Scottish Town of Australia. 4 Days - $699*, *PP Twin Share, Single $195 Departing: 27th February

TURTLE HATCHING OF MON REPOS

MELBOURNE FLOwER SHOw, 25TH ANNIvERSARY

4 Days – Depart Brisbane to see the Turtle hatchlings at Mon Repos. Mon Repos is a very special place; it supports the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles on the eastern coast. Here we can learn about the Mon Repos Turtles and their colourful history. Then enjoy a Burnett River Cruise, Visit a Bundaberg Bundy Rum Distillery and gorgeous Tin Can Bay. 4 Days - $799*, *PP Twin Share, Single $195

*4 Days* *– “25th Anniversary Show”* Depart Brisbane to Melbourne. Enjoy the International Flower and Garden Show with over 300 exhibits. We also visit Old Melbourne Gaol and Queen Victoria Markets, Old Treasury and Exhibition Buildings and tour the famous MCG Cricket Ground. 4 Days, Return Flights Included Ex, BNE $1480 *PP Twin Share, Single Add $195

Departing: 4th March

*Departure Dates 2020: 28th March*

CLASSIC SOUTHERN OUTBACk PUBS AND CUNNAMULLA

*8 Days* - *Classic Outback Pubs – if only the walls could talk! *Discover the pubs where Australian folklore characters came to life including “Dad & Dave” Rudd’s Pub, Stanthorpe, QLD oldest 1864 Nindigully Pub, 1866 Club Boutique Hotel, Cunnamulla Fella Centre, Charleville Cosmos Observatory & Historic Corones Hotel, Mitchell Great Artisan Hot Water Pools, Big Rig Night Show Roma, Dalby. *8 Days $2180*PP Twin Share, Single add $420, *Departure Dates 2020: 1st April*

ICONIC PUBS OF NORTH QUEENSLAND *10 Days* -Depart Brisbane to Cairns on the Spirit of QLD Train – See spectacular scenic destinations whilst visiting well known and historic pubs including the 1878 Court House Hotel, Port Douglas, highest pub in QLD Ravenshoe Hotel, the Iconic *“Pub with no Beer”* Ingham, 1901 Great Northern Hotel, Townsville, Charters Towers 1865 Eureka Hotel *10 Days with Return Rail Fare. QLD Pension Economy Seat $1840. QLD Pension Deluxe Rail Bed $2190. Seniors Card Deluxe Rail Bed $2480 *Departure Dates 2020: 28th April 25th July; 19th Sep*

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OCTOBER, 2019// SENIORS

‘‘

The town of Cognac and great cognac houses of Hennessy, Martell, Courvoisier

HISTORICAL BEAUTY; The magnificent architecture inside the cognac castle is open for the public viewing.

All photos by Paul Coffey

The Coffeys - cricket, Aussie couple Anne and Paul continue their European journey and visit Anne’s relatives in France and then onto England.

HI CRICKET lovers, and others. We’ve had a few days staying with relatives of my wife Anne at their holiday house in yet another French village, not that far from our first week’s stay. Here we were definitely in wine country, in fact cognac country, with vineyards everywhere and not far from the town of Cognac and the great cognac houses of Hennessy, Martell, Courvoisier and the like. To my enormous disappointment, I didn’t really take to cognac: I found it overly spiritous and even burning (I’m not a spirits drinker), and couldn’t detect anything much of the fruity flavours that the publicity trumpeted. The local reds were much more to my liking. Oh well, c’est la vie. The countryside was beautiful around this area even though the village we stayed in was less than photogenic and looking as if it had seen its heyday some time ago. The towns along the main river, the Charente,

were very pretty, and we had the advantage that Anne’s relatives, Barbara and Brian, knew where to take us for coffees, a couple of cognac distillery tours (and tastings), and a gorgeous lunch spot with beautiful views for a three-course lunch – pretty standard for the French!. And Barbara is a wonderful cook, so we had three-course dinners at home too. Barbara and Brian confirmed that the British seem quite welcomed here in the French villages. They do complain that the French tradesmen are not totally hard-working – but what do you expect after three-course lunches and a couple of wines? I think the French have got the priorities right! The thing is that I’ve felt so comfortable in France. My French language is still pretty ordinary but it’s good fun trying it out. Nevertheless, it’s as if France is in my blood. Perhaps it is: although my ancestry is all Irish as far as I know, that’s only a few generations back.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll know more after we get to Ireland. The cognac distilleries are interesting. The tours show you how the distilling process takes place and then lead you down into the cellars where barrels are stored for decades. The cognac breathes in the long dark corridors of oak barrels, and a portion naturally evaporates. Moulds feed off this evaporation and coat the walls inside and out of the storage rooms black, giving them a very forbidding, grungy feel. Apparently spiders feed off this mould and keep it down a little, thus the spiders are tolerated; Besides reducing the mould their webs go along way to enhancing the sinister, dark atmosphere and the spiritous scent of the cognac pervades all through the cellar. Barbara and Brian took us to one local distiller in a nearby village for an impromptu tour of the relatively small scale and somewhat untidy facilities, and then booked us in for a grander

At the understated Lascaux Cave building.

The new London skyline. tour in a big cognac house in Cognac itself. This was in a historic – though much reconstructed – castle complex that had been the birthplace of a King of France, Francois 1st, in the 15th century. I enjoyed all this history,

and the French spend an awful lot of money on preserving their monuments and historic buildings. I visited the Lascaux Cave complex, the site of probably the most famous Palaeolithic European cave paintings, that when

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Paul at Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Cognac distilling equipment.

Inside the dark cognac cellars.

cognac and castles

Anne and Pauyl at The Couvoisier cognac house. discovered shook up the then-conventional view of stone-age humans as savages totally unlike modern humans. The cave is long closed to protect it from the damaging effects of mass tourism. The tour is of a replica,

which could turn some people off, but is a realistic necessity. The cave paintings are strenuously, faithfully reproduced, first for a guided walk-through that mimics the cave experience, and a second time in a separate

museum setting where individual tablet devices provide audio and visual explanations and backgrounding to the visuals. There’s also a virtual reality room, some hands-on displays, and a series of films – and

above all an intelligent, scientifically-oriented presentation. The building in which it’s all housed has no branding, no breathless exhortations to enter, and minimal signage altogether. This is another thing

reversed! We haven’t got a GPS in our own car at home in Australia, but do have it in the hire cars we’ve been using. You have to credit the new technology at times: not only is GPS indispensable on these

mazes of country roads, it substantially reduces navigation domestics in the car. And so to England, where fortunately Australia has already won the Ashes so I don’t have to endure any English jubilation (and I’m able to half-whisper “Don’t mention the Ashes!” from time to time – particular fun at the tour of Lord’s cricket ground). (Apologies to readers who know nothing of cricket.) Our first stop is with friends that we made in Myanmar, who live in Kent south of London, in a very small village near Royal Tunbridge Wells. The pubs nearby are old-world wonderful: small, very low ceilings, big old dark-stained timber beams, and some lovely hospitality. One featured a local eccentric, just to complete this very English tapestry, who claimed to have played cricket with Ian Botham, and wandered around the bar practising forward defensive strokes. (Apologies again).

OCTOBER, 2019// SENIORS

Dozens of Tassie delights ‘‘ Tasmania boasts pristine environment, luxury accommodation and top adventures

STORYTELLING GUEST HOUSE

AT THE base of The Nut, the Ship Inn Stanley on Tasmania’s North West Coast has been re-imagined as a storytelling guest house. It was built in 1849 by the grandfather of Australia’s only Tasmanian born Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Lyons. The new owners have restored the Inn offering seven suites, uniquely crafted with original artwork and artefacts, bespoke joinery and custom fittings. There is also a yoga studio and gym in the old stables and each stay includes continental breakfast at no extra cost. Info: shipinnstanley.com.au.

ARCHITECTURAL BEACHFRONT LUXE

THE Low Head Beach House is a minimalist, contemporary house that sits in the sand dunes of Lagoon Beach, 40 minutes north of Launceston. Each of the three king bedrooms has its own ensuite, making it ideal for three couples or friends. The open plan living area is spacious with large floor to ceiling windows framing panoramic views of Lagoon Beach and historic Low Head Pilot Station, Café and Museum. Local art adorns the walls and the stringybark dining table sits like a work of art in itself, in the centre of the room comfortably seating up to 10. The fridge is stocked

with the basics and guests can also pre-order produce, local seafood, Tamar Valley wine, or a private chef experience. It’s also a great base for golfers with Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm golf links courses a 45minute drive away. Info: lowheadbeachhouse .com.au.

a minimalist, contemporary house that sits in the sand dunes of Lagoon Beach

HERITAGE ACCOMMODATION

RAFFAH House is a historic home in Oatlands, one of Tasmania’s oldest settlements. It has the largest collection of sandstone buildings in Australia. The brand new kitchen is fully equipped and leads into the cosy sitting room complete with an open fire. Info: raffahhouse.com.au.

LUXURY APARTMENT

NOVO Luxury Apartment is a newly renovated three-bedroom apartment in Penguin, on Tasmania’s north west coast. It’s in a c.1912 heritage listed property, directly opposite Penguin Beach and the town’s foreshore area. The interior features exposed brick walls, contemporary artwork, natural timbers and luxe soft furnishings creating a comfortable retreat. The modern kitchen and living areas open out on to a large entertaining area with spectacular 180-degree views of Bass Strait, perfect for watching the sunrise and set from the timber daybed. Info: novoluxuryapartment .com.au.

GUIDED OYSTER FARM TOUR

FREYCINET Marine Farm is an oyster farm on the Freycinet Peninsula, which is part of the Great

TASSIE DELIGHTS: Low Head House a place of peace, quiet and beauty. Eastern Drive. Guests wear waders to walk out into the ocean and harvest oysters straight from the rack. Head guide Declan is a knowledgeable oyster farmer and will share how they grow their oysters and how to shuck them. Tours start from $95 per person and include a two-hour tour of the farm, six natural oysters with matched dressings, steamed mussels and a glass of Freycinet Vineyard riesling. You can also buy oysters and mussels directly from the farm gate. Info: oysterbaytours.com.

BRUNY ISLAND LONG WEEKEND WALK

THE Bruny Island Long Weekend Walk includes a curated menu of Tasmania’s world-class sparkling wines and Bruny Island cheese. For four departures in November, at the end of each walking day, guests will enjoy sparkling wine from

Stefano Lubiano, Moorilla, Moore’s Hill, Clover Hill, Josef Chromy, Haddow and Dinnen and Arras, paired with locally produced cheeses. The weekend starts with a private boat ride from Hobart’s waterfront to Bruny Island, for an itinerary of coastal walks, luxury camping, and fine food and wine. Departures are on November 8, 12, 15 and 22. Info: taswalkingco.com.au.

National Park and Wineglass Bay. The tour concludes on Maria Island where guests can cycle or walk the island, including the fascinating World Heritage Listed Darlington Probation Station. Cost is $1195 per person twin share and

Photo: Rachel Vasicek

includes all transfers, four nights cabin style accommodation and one-night camping on Maria Island, bike hire (electric bikes hire also available), route maps and National Park passes. Info: tasmanianex peditions.com.au.

SELF-GUIDED BIKE TOUR

TASMANIAN Expeditions Self-Guided Cycle east coast highlights tour is a six-day exploration of the region. It will suit independent travellers who enjoy having all the logistics taken care of. The adventure begins on the coastline near Bicheno, exploring the small fishing villages in the area. The route then winds past vineyards, cheesemakers and berry farms toward Freycinet

TASSIE DELIGHTS: Take an Oyster Bay tour.

Photo: Jules Ingall

Congratulations to our Winners

Congratulations to the winners of our October, Ride Like a Girl Screening giveaway.

Richard Ryan Monica Scheck Kerry Clayton

Rebecca Muir Betty Donnelly

Stay tuned to the paper and our website for the latest Seniors News Giveaways Visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitions 6947124cj

THERE is plenty to see and do across the pristine Tasmania island, and new accommodation offerings from which to choose.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

The bush tucker delights include meats, nuts, seeds and sauces.

NATURALLY TASTY: The award-winning Seabelle Restaurant at Kingfisher Bay Resort offers an extraordinary culinary experience. Photos: Kingfisher Bay Resort

Bush tucker on the menu Shirley Sinclair BUNYA nut and macadamia pesto sauce with crocodile tail. Native rosella glaze paired with red emu meat. Bush tomato and kangaroo tenderloin steak. The dishes are enough to make any foodie worth their salt salivate at the combination of flavours and pique their curiosity about the origins. Few would expect to find them outside Central Australia, the Northern Territory or even Far North Queensland. But Kingfisher Bar Resort on Fraser Island can stake its claim as the nation’s bush tucker capital for not only spicing things up on the menu selection but also better educating visitors on making the most of using “the flavours of Australia” at home. At the heart of the cuisine are tens of thousands of years of valuable indigenous knowledge, wisdom and experience gleaned from the Butchulla Tribe, which first came to K’gari or “Paradise”, as they called it, to catch fish in the winter tailor season, as well as mainland groups. The resort’s signature Seabelle Restaurant delights in offering bush tucker-infused modern Australian cuisine, blending native ingredients with seasonal,

local produce and fresh seafood. Guests can savour the flavours on the restaurant menu (rose-infused watermelon, salt and pepper calamari and Northern Territory crocodile salad with seasoned feta and pepperberry aioli, anyone?) and even indulge in cocktails with added zing (perhaps a Lemon Myrtle Caprioska: vodka, lemon myrtle leaf, lime, lemonade and soda water). But the award-winning culinary staff’s curated five-course degustation menu, named by Queensland Uncovered as one of the Top 7 fine dining experiences in 2019, is where it excels in bringing bush tucker to the fore. It includes: lemon myrtle and aniseedpickled crocodile, grilled oyster mushroom, fish sauce, lime and pepper berry aioli; thyme-rubbed duck breast with kipfler potatoes in a melange of wild lime, lilly pilly salsa, coriander, wattle seed, tamarind and native honey glaze; medium-rare seared kangaroo loin, on a bed of roasted sweet potato, asparagus, apple mustard cream and rosella-raspberry caramalised onions; paperbark-wrapped barramundi with macadamia nuts and lemon myrtle, served with a crisp side salad,

tomato, lemon aspen, wild lime and munthari berry salsa; and Queensland mango and coconut panna cotta with lychees and petite salad of Maryborough gold pineapple. The five senses are tantalised further at the Bush Tucker Talk and Taste. Laid before each guest is a “clock-face platter” of bright colours and varying textures with dipping sauces and leaves in the middle. We first scrunch up a lemon myrtle leaf, which ranger Cassie Duncan says is good for sore throats with its anti-bacterial properties and lemony smell or can be used as an insect repellent with its 3 per cent citronella component. Chef Mark Samson adds that the leaf can be dehydrated and crushed with a mortar and pestle to create lemon myrtle-infused oil. A smaller leaf of the cinnamon myrtle can be used like lemongrass for flavouring, put into tea to settle stomachs, rubbed on sore joints to numb pain or chewed as a natural anaesthetic for toothache. The Bauple nut, more widely known as the Queensland nut and macadamia, is already popularly used in ice cream and cakes but Mark also uses it for

crumbing meats. Its shell was used to make jewellery and its oil to preserve body paint. The bunya nut is a long, white, moist nut found inside a much larger oval kernel. Mark says its texture and flavour are very different to macadamias and it is used in the kitchen to create creamier sauces without affecting delicate flavours. A bunya nut and macadamia pesto is a scrumptious addition to the succulent barbecued croc tails he serves up. Mark admits that crocs, like humans, are what they eat and as the 13 croc farms in Australia serve them chicken carcasses, the crocs do taste like chicken. Next up, the pepperberry – that looks like a tiny blueberry but with more antioxidants – starts off sweet on the palate but ends with a distinctly hot kick. Mark dehydrates the berry and uses it as a peppercorn substitute, mixed with salt for a seasoning. But beware: one teaspoon of the dehydrated pepperberry in a large takeaway food container of salt adds plenty of “lift”. Cassie calls the lemon aspen “nature’s Powerade”. Its bitter taste makes it more flavoursome than regular lemon juice on fish, for example, and was

carried in dilly bags by the Aborigines because it was good for salivation and was much lighter than water. Mark likes to add the lemon aspen to sweet pickle to balance the flavour. Finger limes’ “pink pearl” seeds are like a citrus caviar and ideal with fresh seafood. The desert or bush lime, however, looks like a small sweet grape but is bitter to taste and much better when made into marmalade. Bush tomatoes are toxic if eaten straight off the tree but the Butchulla people watched how mammals waited for the fruit to fall and shrivel into raisins before eating them. With the red quandong, Aborigines would strip the flesh from the large seed using a bone or large rock to savour the sour, fruity, salty taste that Mark says goes well with goose, duck, kangaroo and emu and can be thrown in raw in a salad. Native rosellas are like native hibiscus flowers – very sweet but great for making into a glaze to pair with barbecued emu breast, as we discover. The small pink creek lilly pilly is often made into jam, a sauce for fish dishes, or added to salads. But a discerning wine connoisseur can pick up a bottle of creek lilly pilly wine for about

$1500. The seasonal munthary berry also can be used in salads or desserts. And wattleseed can be made into a powder and toasted for a coffee/ mocha or even burnt toast smell and taste, which can be mixed into bread, pasta and tiramisu (Seabelle Restaurant also makes it into ice cream). On the resort’s Bush Tucker Walk, ranger Tess Schreck is a wealth of knowledge of Aboriginal ingenuity in food, medicine and bush “technology”. We learn such tidbits as: the piccabeen or bangalow palm fruit can be eaten raw once it turns red/orange and that the sweet and herbal-tasting white berries of the midyim bush are a snack that can be picked and eaten straight off the bush. The bush tucker education we receive on Fraser island shows the Aborigines certainly knew a thing or two about sustainability, self-sufficiency and understanding how to make use of what they had growing in their own backyard. But above all, they undeniably were Australia’s first “masterchefs”. *The writer was a guest of the Kingfisher Bay Resort Group. info: kingfisherbay.com.

OCTOBER, 2019// SENIORS

Wellbeing

Role of male carers

There is a need for more recognition for this position Healthy Male GREG Smith, founder of Men Care Too, takes the lid off some of the health issues that affect the 1.1 million men around Australia who provide unpaid care or support to someone with an illness or disability. His organisation (mencaretoo.org) supports the carers through newsletters, social events and online resources. Healthy Male (healthymale.org.au) supports this small but extremely important

organisation by providing resources and information. A lot of carers don’t see themselves as carers. “ I’ve been in a caring role for 20 years, but I only recognised myself as a carer around 10 years ago, he said. There can be a bit of stigma for men and they typically don’t know what services or supports are around.” Greg said another big issue is not knowing how to talk about the caring role with mates. A lot of carers with a partner or child with a

MALE CARERS: Often men are so focused on caring for their loved one that they put their own needs to the side.

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disability or illness need to keep working to keep their income coming in. Say a guy is in the construction industry and he has an autistic child, it can be hard to talk about some of the challenges he faces. He might not have the right words or the conﬁdence to say what he needs to say. “Often you are so focused on caring for your loved one that you put your own needs to the

side. Many times you lose connections with your community. At Men Care Too, we organise social occasions for carers and former carers so that they can meet others who are in the same situation. We get the message out about our activities by connecting with the Australian Men’s Shed Association and other organisations that help promote the work we do. Men Care Too helps

men on the central coast of NSW, but the issues are the same for men across Australia. As carers, we need more opportunities for social connection and we need more information about how to look after our own health. Service providers and healthcare professionals need to think outside the box when it comes to engaging with men and carers. It might be that they

provide clinics outside of working hours, or offer quick basic health checks in workplaces, at sporting events and at hardware stores. Many carers might not make an appointment to see their GP during working hours. Services need to gauge where men are at and provide more male-friendly services. For more information, go to healthymale.org.au.

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SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

WELLBEING

Breast implants and cancer Doctor outlines what you need to know about implants when it comes to risk, mamograms IN LIGHT of the recent news about the potential link between cancer and breast implants, Seniors News asked Queensland breast physician Dr Deborah Pfeiffer to explain the facts. What are breast implants? THEY are synthetic medical devices that are surgically placed to increase the size, shape or fullness of the breast for cosmetic reasons, or to replace breast tissue that has been surgically removed for treatment or prevention of breast cancer by partial or total mastectomy. Older implants, also called breast prostheses, are silicone pouches filled with either saline or liquid silicone. Most recent implants are made of solid silicone gel within a silicone shell. The outer shell may be smooth or textured, depending upon the manufacturer. Breast implants and cancer IT’S important to know there is no association between having breast implants and subsequent breast cancer. Women with implants have the same risk of developing breast cancer as those without, apart from those who have implants following total mastectomy. The lifetime risk of breast cancer for most women is about one in eight for women living to age 85. Recently it has been recognised that there is a rare type of non-breast cancer called anaplastic

BREAST HEALTH: Learn the facts about the link between cancer and implants. large cell lymphoma that is associated with only some types of textured implants. The risk of developing ALCL with implants is estimated at one in 1000 to one in 10,000 women who have those implants. Women with breast implants require regular breast screening and clinical breast examination, but the method of screening may differ from women without implants. Conventional two-dimensional screening mammography may be less effective with implants in place and some women require supplemental screening with 3D mammography, ultrasound, and/or MRI. Women who develop breast cancer with breast implants in place may or may not require removal

of the implant on the affected side, depending on the size and location of the cancer and the condition of the implant. If the implant is removed, it may be replaced with a new implant, usually on

symptoms or problems don’t need to worry. All women, with and without implants, should be breast-aware and regularly self-examine for any changes. A screening mammogram should be

‘‘

Women with breast implants require regular breast screening. completion of the treatment for the cancer. Women who develop the rare form of implant-associated lymphoma must have both implants removed and not replaced. Do I need to do anything? MOST women with breast implants that aren’t causing them any

performed every two years at least to age 75 and women should inquire about the state of their implants on mammography. Unfortunately, this information is not routinely provided in the BreastScreen Australia program and women may need to ask about this at

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the time of booking their mammogram. Women who have any concerns about their breasts or implants should consult their GP who will recommend appropriate imaging and referral to a breast specialist if indicated. Many women may have a small amount of silicone leakage from one or both implants that may not cause any concern. However, any new lump or swelling, pain, or rash in the breast or armpit, should be fully investigated. If you have breast implants with no symptoms but would like them removed, there may be a Medicare benefit for this procedure, depending upon the type of implant. Medicare benefits are payable for the investigation and treatment of non-cosmetic

implant problems. Cosmetic problems alone are not rebatable. Before making a decision IF YOU are considering breast implants for cosmetic reasons, it’s important that you be fully informed of the relative risks and financial costs of having the procedure and of the type of implant that your surgeon recommends. You need to be aware of the possible complications over time, and of the additional breast cancer screening that may be required. In summary, if you currently have or are contemplating having breast implants, ensure you talk with your GP and a check on your breasts before you make any decisions. Go to tga.gov.au/hubs /breast-implants

The best way to dispose of unwanted medications Tracey Johnstone YOU don’t need to toss old medications down the toilet or in the rubbish bin as there is a much better alternative. Pharmacist Kerry Teed says you should take them to a pharmacy. There the staff will strip them of their identity and ready them for collection and safe disposal by the Return Unwanted

Medicines program. It’s a small thing to do, but it’s safe, free and will help the environment. If a widower finds medicines belonging to someone else in their home, Mrs Teed advises: “you should never use someone else’s medications unless the doctor has specifically prescribed that same medication and that same dose”. So, when cleaning up

the house, any medications left behind should be taken to a pharmacy. Expiry dates The expiry date will be on a box or bottle or embossed on the blisters. “Always check the expiry dates,” Mrs Teed says. “Don’t use them beyond the expiry dates.” If it’s out of date, take it to the pharmacy for disposal.

“Beyond the expiry date you can’t be sure of the efficacy,” Mrs Teed says. Storage Keep your medications stored as recommended by the manufacturer. Read the details of use and storage on the box and on the information inside or ask your pharmacist. Store them below 25 degrees except those that need refrigeration. Storing your

medications in the bathroom may not be a good choice as they may be affected by the humidity in there. “A cool, dry place is best,” Mrs Teed recommends. If a medication has sat in the cupboard for a while and is still in date, it can be used. But, if the condition you are treating doesn’t respond to the medication then you need to talk to

your GP or pharmacist. You also need to consider that if you have started other medications during that time, then there may be interactions between the new and old medications. In this situation, it is particularly important to consult your GP or pharmacist before taking any medications. For more information, go to returnmed.com.au.

OCTOBER, 2019// SENIORS

Money

MONEY ADVICE: Aim for finding a middle investment ground in the current economic situation.

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Keep portfolio balanced Paul Clitheroe IT’S a sign of the remarkable times we live in that banks are offering home loans with negative interest rates. But in today’s low rate world it pays for investors to take a balanced approach. I was intrigued to read that Jyske Bank, Denmark’s third largest bank, is offering negative home loan rates. My Danish is not up to scratch so I can’t share the finer points of the deal. However, the main point

is that Jyske Bank has a 10-year fixed rate loan with an interest rate of -0.5%. How a lender can make money on negative rate loans is a story for another day. Nonetheless, it highlights that very low rates are a feature right across developed economies, and it’s something investors need to navigate. A growing number of InvestSMART clients have been in touch asking me what to do with term deposits that are approaching maturity. Understandably, many

are far from excited about rolling their money into another fixed interest account paying just 2% interest. The big concern though is that a number of these investors are thinking about switching all their cash over to shares in the hope of earning high dividend yields and decent capital growth. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of shares. But suddenly going all out from cash to shares means jumping from one end of the investment spectrum to the other. Yes, shares have the potential to earn higher

long term returns. But they also carry a lot more risk than term deposits. We saw that recently when the local sharemarket reached new highs in July, only to dip by 4.5% in August. That’s why it makes more sense to aim for something of a middle ground. This typically means a balanced portfolio, which blends defensive assets such as cash and fixed income, with growth assets including Australian and international shares. The beauty of a

balanced portfolio is that you get the reliable, predictable income of cash and fixed interest, combined with the long term capital growth potential and tax-friendly dividends of equities and other asset classes like infrastructure. And it can be done without completely diving into the deep end. You can choose to build this type of portfolio yourself. Or opt for ready-made portfolios offered by the likes of InvestSMART. Whichever option you run with, having exposure to a broad spread of

investments is important. In these uncertain times, a diversified portfolio shelters your wealth from significant dips in any one market. Sure, a balanced portfolio is not a like-for-like to term deposits but it’s a better alternative than 100% equities unless you’re prepared to wear a marked increase in risk.

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

Manage risks with wise investment strategy FEW could have imagined, pre-GFC, that the crisis in the US sub-prime mortgage market would morph into global issue affecting entire markets. Liquidity ceased in some markets leaving investors unable to access their money. In 2010, one year on from the GFC’s deepest days, there was $20 billion in Australian frozen funds’ across the mortgage, high yield, property and hedge fund spectrums.

What is Liquidity Management? This is the basic concept of access to readily available cash. It might be for income purposes or in order to fund short-term investments or cover debts. A number of scenarios could set off a market shock and potentially trigger liquidity issues. For example, Woodford Investment Management, founded by one of Britain’s best known investment managers,

recently found they couldn’t realise cash quickly enough to meet withdrawal requests. They held unusually big stakes in smaller and early stage unlisted companies, which are hard to sell quickly. Their response: withdrawals were gated, leaving investors angry and in the unknown. Unlisted assets, such as infrastructure, real estate, and private equity, as well as alternative investments, including hedge funds, have become larger parts

of many Australian portfolios post-GFC. Although a good investment they do need to be carefully managed within a portfolio to allow for adequate liquidity and cash flow when needed. Liquidity is an essential element of portfolio construction and needs to be inbuilt within an investment strategy particularly when planning income flow for retirees. Investment Managers also need to manage risk within their investment strategy.

Stress scenarios developed by the many Investment Managers operating in Australia may differ, but a good strategy would be the ability to sell assets without incurring large transaction costs or quickly enough to prevent or minimise a loss. Portfolios, particularly for retirees, need to be prepared for the inevitable unknown within investment markets. Currently we have the USA/China trade wars but there are many possibilities that can

cause contraction in global markets. As always it is wise to be guided by your Financial Adviser as to best investment strategies that include access to Cash when you need it. For more Information contact Mark Digby at Maher Digby Securities Pty Ltd - Financial Advisers – AFSL No. 230559 (see advert Page 3). Phone 07 5441 1266 or visit our website, go to maherdigby.com.au.

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

MONEY

How to use property to retire Di Charman PROPERTY is a great asset to have when heading into retirement. When used correctly, it can help to fund the retirement lifestyle you have been aspiring to all these years. However, it is not an easy or simple decision, requiring careful consideration around the impacts on your superannuation, tax and age pension. Many pre-retirees or retirees will already own or have significantly paid off their family home, while others will have created a small portfolio of investment properties. Both have their own pros and cons, when it comes to leveraging them for retirement. It’s also worth noting that selling these properties can impact your age pension, superannuation or estate plan. The key then is in the planning. Knowing the different strategies for using property to fund your retirement is the first step. But, it is equally important to seek advice from a financial adviser on the tax and social security implications. Downsizing family home A COMMON consideration when approaching retirement age is downsizing the family home. This is often because your children have long since fled the nest and you no longer require the space, or it might not be as practical as it once was. Selling the home can be

SEEK ADVICE: It’s important to talk to a financial adviser to understand the full implications of any decisions you make when it comes to selling property. Photo: DGLimages a quick way to free up cash for retirement and give your nest egg a little boost as you hit your twilight years, particularly thanks to a new downsizing measure that came into effect from July 1, 2018. This new measure allows eligible individuals 65 years or older to contribute up to $300,000 (or $600,000 for couples) into their superannuation from the sale proceeds of a home they’ve owned for 10 or more years – even if they are no longer working. If you’re eligible to

make a downsizer contribution (there are a number of criteria you must meet) and it fits into your retirement plans, it could be a good way to boost your super funds. But, it is not always simple or straightforward so it is best to seek financial advice about the best way to proceed when selling investment assets. Reverse mortgage A REVERSE mortgage could be a consideration for those who need extra cash and have equity in their home. The Federal Government recently

made changes to the Pensioners Loan Scheme, allowing retirees to boost their income through a reverse mortgage on the family home. The enhanced PLS will now be open to full aged pensioners and self-funded retirees. Previously, only eligible pensioners were able to access the scheme. Essentially, what a reverse mortgage enables you to do is borrow money against the equity of your home, which doesn’t need to be paid back until you sell or move out of your home.

However, like any other loan, it will accrue interest, compounding over time and added to your loan balance. As a result, when the time comes that you need to leave the property, the loan could be significantly more than its original value, depending on interest rates. Rental income COMMON for investment properties and an option for owners of large homes looking to downsize, is renting out the property (or part of your home) to bolster your retirement income.

However, this may have tax implications and may impact your age pension, so, as always, it is best to seek financial advice before you proceed. It’s important to bear in mind that with any rental property, you will need to account for the expenses for the property, including interest, management fees and holding costs. Dianne Charman of Jade Financial Group, is an Authorised Representative of AMP Financial Planning Pty Ltd, ABN 89 051 208 327, AFS Licence No. 232706.

Before you buy a property with someone else WITH seniors considering buying a home with family members or in communal living, it’s timely to hear from Andrew Heaven of Wealth Partners about the difference between owning a property as Joint Tenants or Tenants in Common. When you buy an asset with another person, the asset is either bought as Joint Tenants or Tenants in Common. At the time you sign the contract to buy the property with your partner, the solicitor should explain the difference between the two types of ownership as this has consequences in terms of who receives what on your death.

As Joint Tenants, ownership is held equally. On the death of one of the owners, the property title will automatically pass to the surviving owner without the asset forming part of the deceased’s estate. If the asset is purchased as Tenants in Common, each owner declares a percentage of ownership of the asset. Unlike Joint tenants, you can hold unequal interests. On the death of one of the owners, the deceased owner’s interest in the asset forms part of their estate and is dealt with in accordance with the terms of the will. If you purchased the asset with your partner as

Joint Tenants, when one of you dies the asset will revert to the surviving partner. If this is not what you intended then you can change from Joint Tenants or Tenants in Common. Interestingly, the other Joint Tenant generally has no ability to prevent you doing so. Importantly you must make the title change when you are alive as this change can’t be made by your will after you die. This advice first appeared on wealthpartners.net.au. Any general advice in this story doesn’t take account of personal objectives, financial situation and needs.

FINANCIALLY INFORMED: Before you go into joint ownership take care to check the details. Photo: Contributed

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NEWS

OCTOBER, 2019// SENIORS

Evolution of senior living Thought, care in architectural design builds new choices

DANNY HAMMON, Woolam Constructions BY 2066 almost one in four Australians will be aged 65 and over, creating a boom in today’s retirement living market. With more than a decade of experience in seniors residential design and living, Woollam Constructions’ general manager Danny Hammon reveals some international trends that will shape the future of seniors living in Australia, sharing real examples of how new thinking is transforming old models. ■ Integrating lifestyle and care: Once upon a time, older Australians had a choice of either nursing homes which were clinical and sterile like hospitals, or “old-age” retirement villages with limited facilities and activities. The influx of the Baby Boomers has led a movement towards lifestyle-focused, as opposed to care-driven, developments and demand for greater amenities. How do we accommodate a lifestyle desire that’s vastly different to previous generations while also providing care? A reconverted chocolate factory near Bristol in the south-west of England is proving a game-changer in community living. At the former Cadbury factory in Keynsham, it

NEW CHOICES: Woollam Constructions General manager Danny Hammon reveals some international trends that will shape the future of seniors living. consists of 136 apartments and a 93-bed care home. The Chocolate Quarter boasts about raising the bar and this can be seen in everything from the beautifully designed apartments, a grand atrium with the luxuries of a five-star hotel, a gym, pool, nine-hole golf course, shopping arcade and cinema. There is also high-level care home within the development which provides care for those in need of long-term nursing, dementia care, respite and palliative care. ■ From cocoon to community hubs: Today, many villages in Australia have external communal areas, internal roadways, community

halls that could be used for a variety of events such as food and wine festivals, smaller scale music events, monthly antique fairs and farmers markets. In a related trend, not only does this approach “share” retirement villages with the rest of the community, but it capitalises on the assets of the operators to diversify their revenue streams. ■ Redefining dementia care: Communities do not have to be geographic communities. They can be about shared activities and lifestyle experiences that create meaning and connection. A small village

surrounded by forests and fields in the Danish countryside has an innovative model for dementia care. Dagmarsminde is a village where nature and wellbeing, proximity and equality is paramount. The house has nine beds – all designed around a central lounge, dining and kitchen area which creates a very welcoming warm, home-like environment. Dagmarsminde’s philosophy is that the life of a person living with dementia must be meaningful. The residents are encouraged to care for one another – they cook, they clean and they take care of the resident cat, chickens, goats and rabbits.

There are no restrictions around the house, with everyone free to roam around the property as they like. Watching the relaxed, cheerful behaviour and interaction of the residents was very gratifying. ■ Using technology to enhance senior living: Picture a specialised testing facility; an “innovation” hub where professional therapists test new products that assist the elderly. A place where the best minds collaborate, innovate, develop and test inventions against one common goal – creating greater mobility, independent lifestyles and an increased quality of life for the elderly.

The Centre of Assistive Technology in Copenhagen reviews, tests and advises on new products and innovations, and conducts workshops and educational seminars for therapists, citizens and caregivers to help in finding the right assistive aids. Essentially, they provide ground-breaking options for elderly and impaired to modify their home in a way that supports their needs and maintains their independence. We viewed some amazing products. The future of assistive technology is an exciting space and makes great headway for more comfortable and independent living for our ageing population.

residents will be able to engage in traditional homely activities including shopping, cooking, baking and gardening.

60s, comedy and old radio serials. The service has been found to positively impact social and communal outcomes in residents by reducing social isolation, increasing engagement, stimulating memories, sparking conversation and encouraging singalongs and movement to music – in the meantime also creating happier staff and family members. MORE than 170 residents of Aveo Peregian Springs Country Club retirement village recently enjoyed a black-tie evening to celebrate the community’s 15th anniversary. Guests were treated to a drink on arrival and enjoyed the entertainment provided by the Residents

Association. The first-ever group of residents to move into the community 15 years ago attended on the evening including Margaret Armstrong and Mary Wearing-Smith, along with a number of new residents. Margaret and Mary, as the original community residents, joined Aveo executive staff to cut the cake and share stories of their time at the community. SEASONS Aged Care Mango Hill has won two major company awards Team of the Year and its manager, Bernie Hatton, took home the Employee of the Year award. Seasons CEO Nick Loudon said that the

Mango Hill community displayed outstanding care outcomes for its residents thanks to exceptional team work between Seasons and Envigor staff. The venue was up against eight southeEast Queensland communities. AVEO Palmview’s first stage of the $60 million retirement community development was opened late last month. It’s been designed to meet the demand for premium retirement living options on the Sunshine Coast. Stage 1 of the 5.4-hectare site consists of 38 modern two and three-bedroom villas, alongside various health and wellness facilities.

AUSTRALIAN RETIREMENT LIVING BRIEFS

NSW

IRT Group has started construction of the Henry Brooks Estate at Kanahooka. It will feature about 90 two- and three-bedroom villas, and eight one-bedroom villas for older single women partially funded by an Australian Government Building Better Regions Fund grant of $634,500. Every villa sale will come with 50 hours of home care services free of charge. Dementia-friendly design principles will be incorporated throughout the village grounds and villas and include contrasting colours for the roads and pavements and different tree species to help residents identify sections of the village. In

the villas there will be wide entrances, clear door openings, large light switches, charging stations for motor scooters and ramp access. . The two and three bedroom villas will be available for sale from January 2020. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2022. GROUP Homes Australia has opened its dementia-friendly facility in Caringbah, south of Sydney. The home environment model offers care for six to 10 residents living in one home. The home is supplied with on-site trained staff. There is one staff member for every three residents. Its

QUEENSLAND

BALLYCARA has introduced Silver Memories Radio in its residential Aged Care homes. It’s 24 hours, seven-day nostalgia radio service that was created specifically for aged care homes. It is based on Reminiscence Therapy principles that assist in improving the quality of life of residents in care, particularly those suffering with dementia. Silver Memories is delivered via satellite that broadcasts music from the 1920s to the early

SENIORS \\OCTOBER, 2019

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

PUZZLES 3

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ACROSS 1 What ﬁxed-wing aircraft is capable of landing and taking off vertically? (4,3) 4 What preparation of the leaves and ﬂowers of the hemp plant is much used in India? (5) 7 What is an informal Italian word for hello or goodbye? (4) 8 Which port in Mexico is the country’s largest? (8) 10 What were members of a radical faction of the Russian Social Democratic Party known as? (10) 12 Which port in Poland is the country’s largest? (6) 13 What is the French form of Peter? (6) 15 The court case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce features in which Dickens novel? (5,5) 18 What is the capital of the Canadian province of Manitoba? (8) 19 Which island off Java became part of Indonesia in 1945? (4) 20 What is the revolving arm of the distributor of an internal- combustion engine? (5) 21 Where was Sir Harry Secombe born? (7)

DOWN 1 In the Old Testament, who is Esau’s twin brother? (5) 2 Who had a hit with his album Bat out of Hell? (4,4) 3 In a pack of cards, how many jacks’ eyes can be seen? (6) 4 What is ultraviolet radiation also called? (5,5) 5 What hairstyle is characterised by thick, bushy curls standing out from the head? (4) 6 There are 12 species of what slender type of antelope throughout Africa and Asia? (7) 9 Which Rupert Brooke sonnet begins: “If I should die, think only this of me...”? (3,7) 11 What was the former name of the Chinese theatre on Hollywood Boulevard? (8) 12 Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait led to which 1991 conﬂict? (4,3) 14 What are the gravel-voiced robots in TV’s Dr Who? (6) 16 Heaths and some heathers belong to which plant genus? (5) 17 What is a unit of speed for a ship or aircraft? (4)

35 5/10

SUDOKU

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

QUICK CROSSWORD 1

DOUBLECROSS 6

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

21 22

Down 2. Undecided (10) 3. Concludes (4) 4. Reparation, expiation (6) 5. Parody (4-2) 6. Club (8) 7. Permits (4) 11. Remarkable person or thing (10) 13. Downplay (8) 16. Backﬁre (6) 17. Excavating (6) 18. Place a bet on (4) 20. Prophet (4)

Across 1. Wall (4) 8. Assumed name (3,2,5) 9. Well thought-out (8) 10. Goes down (4) 12. Universe (6) 14. Favour (6) 15. Artilleryman (6) 17. Minor player, small-timer (6) 18. Smile radiantly (4) 19. Tin (8) 21. Sense of right and wrong (10) 22. Pealed (4)

5x5

ALPHAGRAMS: BAIRN, CABLED, DELIVER, ELEVATOR, FASCINATE. GK CROSSWORD Across: 1 Jump jet, 4 Bhang, 7 Ciao, 8 Veracruz, 10 Bolsheviks, 12 Gdansk, 13 Pierre, 15 Bleak House, 18 Winnipeg, 19 Bali, 20 Rotor, 21 Swansea. Down: 1 Jacob, 2 Meat Loaf, 3 Twelve, 4 Black light, 5 Afro, 6 Gazelle, 9 The Soldier, 11 Grauman’s, 12 Gulf War, 14 Daleks, 16 Erica, 17 Knot. QUICK CROSSWORD Across: 1. Dike 8. Nom de plume 9. Reasoned 10. Dips 12. Cosmos 14. Prefer 15. Gunner 17. Minnow 18. Beam 19. Canister 21. Conscience 22. Rang. Down: 2. Irresolute 3. Ends 4. Amends 5. Send-up 6. Bludgeon 7. Lets 11. Phenomenon 13. Minimise 16. Recoil 17. Mining 18. Back 20. Seer.

BRAIN BE CLAD REVILED TO REVEAL I CAN FEAST

5x5

C G

E E

E T

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

Note: more than one solution may be possible.

A E

TODAY: Good 12 Very Good 14 Excellent 16

SOLUTION

E M

O A

SUDOKU

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.

among apogee game gape gene genome ghee gnome gone hang hogan homage mange mango mega MEGAPHONE omega page pang pong

S T A R S

P H

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T E N E T

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.

C R E W S

WORD GO ROUND

A G R E E

DOUBLECROSS

F E A S T

SOLUTIONS

ALPHAGRAMS

TOOWOOMBA

OCTOBER, 2019// SENIORS

Highfields. Luxe home launch! Saturday 26 October, 10am-2pm Experience a taste of exceptional over-50s resort-style living at the launch of GemLife Highfields’ stunning new luxe display homes. • Four new luxe home designs • Five new garden block display homes • Award-winning country club GemLife Highfields - your place in the country.

WHERE: 75 Highgrove Drive, Highfields WHEN:

Saturday, 26 October, 10:00am–2:00pm

RSVP:

Register online at www.gemlife.com.au/ghfluxe and attend on the day for a chance to WIN 2 tickets to see The Glenn Miller Orchestra at the Empire Theatre, Toowoomba