Toowoomba, July 2019

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“Our people do amazing things”

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WELCOME

JULY, 2019// SENIORS

The great value of you

INDEX 3 4 5 8 12 12 14 15 23 25 27 31

News – Proud ageing advocate News – Happy 150th birthday News – Saxy Lady’s life after stroke News – For the love of camellias Community group guide What’s on News – Older workers upskilling Wanderlust Wellbeing Living Money Puzzles

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Community clubs and groups

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Gail Forrer Seniors Group Editor HOW much do you value yourself?

Are you guilty of age-discrimination against yourself?

In 2017, Australia’s Benevolent Society launched its EveryAGE Counts campaign which is underpinned by a research program that found ageism damages lives and prevents older people from participating fully in society.

Due to the numerous social implications of our increased lifespan, the lifestyle of contemporary older Australians is vastly different from previous generations.

In this edition, 72-year-old entertainer Normie Rowe talks about his role as an advocate of ageing and his mission to change the conversation around ageing.

In general, he believes there is a negative attitude to older Australians.

“When you turn 60 your working life is over. It’s time to hang up the tools. You’re not of value any more,” he told Seniors News.

However, we must also change conversations around the perception of ourselves.

This is emphasised by our story on former four-star general Stanley McChrystal, who left the military and re-invented himself as a

workplace leadership consultant.

The change was not all easy for McChrystal and today he speaks of his experience and shares tips on how to be your best self.

If you are not ready “to hang up your tools”, rather you would like to “hang in there”, then you will gain an insight into the culture of modern workplaces in our employment feature.

You might even gain inspiration from the vivacious and gifted 61-year-old Elena Kats-Chernin, whose great talent is shared with us via the work Opera Australia has commissioned from her.

Besides personalities, we share a refreshing armchair tour of Iceland with our favourite senior travellers, Yvonne and John Gardiner.

I trust this edition gives you plenty of reasons to value and enjoy this third stage of life.

Enjoy.

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 Mark Smith – 07 3327 3327 mark.smith@newsregionalmedia.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.

Your wellbeing and healthy living

Maria Berry speaks up for rural Aussies MARIA Berry is putting the voice of rural seniors on the map by working to improve their profile within the national conversations around ageing.

The former nurse and health consumer representative has started the business Communities of Respect to benefit rural, remote and isolated communities.

“It’s about bringing out the rural voice,” Mrs Berry

said.

“We have got some wonderful organisations and wonderful people doing work nationally, but it doesn’t always include the rural community in that a lot of ideas and a lot of thoughts run around what’s happening in metropolitan areas.”

Last year Mrs Berry, 54, turned a corner.

Up until then the Victorian country-born woman had cared for her two parents who lived

through the trauma of an early inheritance gone wrong when a family member started to exploit her parents and intimidate her own family.

Mrs Berry then had to deal with her father’s dementia and the complex issues around his care and aged care accommodation, while the relentless financial abuse continued.

While her experience deeply disturbed her and her ailing father, Mrs

Berry has learnt many valuable lessons about getting older while living in a rural community.

After speaking at last year’s National Elder Abuse Conference, and listening to the conversations that come out of that presentation, Mrs Berry realised “that at a grassroots level there is a lot more we can do within our communities to respect, look out for, involve and connect with our older people

SPEAKING UP: Maria Berry at Celebrate Ageing Embolden 2018. particularly with what’s happening in our health system”.

“I want organisations to listen to the rural voice community.” she said.

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THEMED “Better with Age – Vintage 2019”, the Australian Masters Games offers an “exceptional opportunity to showcase a healthier, more connected future for older Australians,” said National Seniors chief executive Professor John McCallum.

“Activity – physical, social and cognitive – is acknowledged as being key to longevity,” Prof McCallum said. “As one of the largest participation events on the Australian sporting landscape, the Games ticks all those

boxes and offers an incredible opportunity for older Australians to show that age is no barrier to sporting achievement.”

With events ranging from archery to figure skating, athletics, softball and even dragon boat racing, the only criteria to compete is that you must meet the minimum age requirement, which for most sports is 30+ years.

For National Seniors, the foremost consumer lobby group for older Australians, the partnership represents an ongoing commitment to

supporting healthier, more active ageing.

“Staying connected and active is an important way to support independence, physical and mental wellbeing and generally get the most out of later life,” Prof McCallum said.

“While not everyone will be Masters Games-fit, it’s important for people of all ages to find ways to move and connect – for your health as well as your happiness.

“Volunteering at events or supporting sports clubs is a great way to stay engaged and active.”

SENIORS \\JULY, 2019

NEWS

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Proud ageing advocate Normie Rowe looks to change the conversation Tracey Johnstone NORMIE Rowe is heading down the road when he stops in front of a 70-ish woman resplendent in her gym gear, berating her for having her face in her phone and not looking where she is walking.

“I pull over to the left of the footpath before I look at the device,” he says.

The exchange highlights the passionate approach to life of the outspoken 72-year-old entertainer, who then completes his regular 45-minute workout before launching into an empathic discussion on how he is trying to change the conversation around older Australians.

Rowe is proudly and loudly advocating for ageing Australians to be respected.

“I really think Australian society has gone completely the wrong way,” Rowe said. “(They say) when you turn 60 your working life is

over. It’s time to hang up the tools. You’re not of value anymore.

“It’s really frustrating to me to see all these people who take umbrage at minorities being lampooned and are very happy to lampoon people over 60.”

He uses the example of television news show The Project which he said constantly laughed at older people.

“These people will never achieve most of the things that the older people have achieved in this country,” he adds.

“I am not talking about those in their 60s. I am talking about those getting into their 80s and 90s who had to try and make do through the Second World War and perhaps The Depression.

“Everyone seems to have it easy today. I just admire some of these people who have slogged away constantly at what they do.”

Rowe finds remaining in

LOUD AND PROUD: Ageing advocate and rocker Normie Rowe warns not to waste a “national resource”. the entertainment industry opens doors and enables him to be heard above the crowd of dissenters.

His message to them is that they are wasting a vital national resource.

“These are people who have gathered

Updates from the Toowoomba Region Water saving tips

We can all do our part to save water wherever possible. Remember, every drop counts. For information about water restrictions and helpful water saving tips, visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/water

Central Traffic Area (3-hour zone) Did you know that we have a Central Traffic Area (3P Green Zone)? This means that parking in this area is limited to three hours (3P), unless otherwise stated. The perimeter of the area is signposted with entry and exit signs to help motorists identify the threehour parking limits to the inner city.

For more information and a detailed map of the 3P Green Zone, visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/carparking

Winter CHANGE activities

It’s winter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get out and get active! Our CHANGE project has a great range of activities for those who enjoy an active lifestyle.

Visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/change for more details.

Dispose of your coals safely

The weather is getting cooler and there is nothing more comforting than a cosy fire. When disposing of coals at our waste facilities please be sure the coals have been dampened down and are cool to avoid causing fires. Please use designated disposal areas for coals. For more information visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/waste

Dog off-leash areas

If your furry friend loves to get outside and burn some energy, we have plenty of dog off-leash areas to visit throughout the Region. For a full list of designated areas, go to www.tr.qld.gov.au/dogoffleash

d n a l r e d n o Winter W

21 JUNE – 14 JULY CIVIC SQUARE

Ice skating I New ice slide Food and drinks I Pop-up events

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

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131 872 I www.tr.qld.gov.au/winterwonderland

knowledge,” he said. “Not everybody is running around in a demented state or with Alzheimer’s or can’t move their bodies because of arthritis.

There’s this wealth.”

Rowe continues to support a whole range of charitable organisations

such as Soldier On and Variety. He is also talking ageing and attitude as a supporter of Grey Matters Live.

“One of the favourite things I like to do at the end of a show is to talk to the people in the audience,” he said.

“I will sign autographs, have photos taken and maybe sell a few CDs or not.”

Rowe wants to be the last person who leaves the foyer after spending time with his audience.

The voice of the ageing rocker still resounds strongly.

“It’s actually better than it’s ever been. I really still love performing,” he said.

“Over the last 10 years I have started playing the electric guitar on stage...I think I have bought about six guitars.”

Rowe jokes about being retired, but has plenty more to say about respecting older Australians.

He has shows to do and a newly released single, Compulsory Hero, which will be on a album, ISH Reimagined, to be released later this year.

“Life isn’t about being the most pristine corpse in the cemetery,” he said.

“Life is about broadsiding up to the grave, completely worn out. I don’t want to be the prettiest person in the cemetery. Every wrinkle I’ve got, I earned.”

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NEWS

JULY, 2019// SENIORS

Happy 150th birthday Alison Houston IT’S the celebration 150 years in the making and Allora is inviting everyone with any connection to the historic town to come home and join the fun on July 20–21.

Allora was proclaimed a municipality on July 21, 1869.

Allora and District Historical Society president Lyn Wright said she still remembers the buzz around the town’s 1969 100-year anniversary which featured a street parade and a day of activities.

For the 150th, the town is combining a parade and activities with a Pioneer Dinner on Saturday, much like the jubilee dinner which marked the town’s 50th year for twice the fun.

“I think it’s something that will really appeal to the older generation – it’s a chance to honour our history,” Lyn said.

While she had 30 years on the Gold Coast between parties, Lyn said she had moved back to Allora deliberately for its country town atmosphere, friendliness and the close-knit community, with everyone knowing everyone in some way.

Certainly the whole town has put its support behind this celebration, organised by the historical society, itself celebrating 50 years.

Penny farthing bikes, horse-drawn carts, vintage cars, bands and marchers in historical dress will all take part in the 11.45am parade, which follows the opening and dedication of the renovated Old Shire

CELEBRATE: The historic town of Allora celebrates 150 years with a host of activities over the weekend of July 20–21.

Photo: IMAGE COURTESY ALLORA150.ORG Chambers by Queensland Governor Paul De Jersey on Saturday.

Lyn said there will be a host of displays, the burying of a time capsule, poet’s breakfast (including walk-ups if you are poetically inclined), beard and moustache competition and high tea and jazz at Goomburra Hall.

The Warwick Town Crier will be on hand, with other Saturday events including a bullock crossing re-enactment, naming of the first Sporting

Immortal by league legend Shane Webcke, sausages and entertainment at Bangers by the Bonfire at the showgrounds and the Pioneer Dinner.

Sunday starts with a special 8.30am memorial at the RSL to Allora’s fallen soldiers, and music in the park from 10am.

“The town has a very strong military history and has shown very strong patriotism,” Lyn said, pointing to the most enlistments per capita in the Boer War and 70 soldiers with connections

to Allora lost in World War I. ( World War II figures are being researched.)

Throughout the weekend, you can also enjoy Meet the Makers Markets, the Rotary Bookfest, lost trades and maypole dancing demonstrations and street musicians.

The Allora Art and Craft Group is displaying 150 years of craft, sewing, dolls, teapots and bridal wear at St David’s (1888), known as one of the finest examples of a timber church in country

Queensland.

Historic Talgai Homestead (1868), Mary Poppins’ House, churches and museums will all have opening hours and in some cases tours, and the QCWA will mark 90 years with a display.

Come Home to Allora takes place during Warwick’s Jumpers and Jazz in July Festival.

If you would like to view the full program, go to allora150.org or for inquiries, phone Lyn on 0408 753 085.

DON’T MISS

YOUR CHANCE! SENIORS WEEK QUEENSLAND 2019 will be held from August 17 to 25 across our great State.

At Seniors News we’re keen to make sure every reader knows all there is to know about the local events, activities, services and products on offer to them during the one week a year when the spotlight is well and truly turned their way.

If you have a community event to share, please email the details to editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au

Alternatively, phone Mark 0431 411 099 to find out more.

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If you’d like to find out more about advertising in the Seniors Week lift-out in this paper – please email mark.smith@newsregionalmedia.com.au

SENIORS \\JULY, 2019

NEWS

Saxy Lady’s life after stroke

Lynette shares musical gifts Alison Houston SHE’S known around Allora as the “Saxy Lady” and says music was the key to helping her overcome a debilitating stroke.

Now Lynette Gordon-Smith is ready to share her gift again, planning a concert at the Allora RSL in July and donating profits from her CD sales to the Stroke Foundation.

Her latest CD is, perhaps appropriately, gospel songs.

“I think once you’ve had music in your life, you want to get back to it as soon as possible … I couldn’t imagine my life without it,” Lynette said.

“I really enjoy putting on a show and making sure people have a good time.”

She also wants to raise awareness of the signs of stroke, with early diagnosis and treatment a key to recovery.

She is forever grateful her husband Chris was able to think FAST and get her immediate medical help.

Face – Check their face.

Has their mouth drooped?

Arms – Can they lift both arms?

Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?

Time – Time is critical. If you see any of these signs, call 000 straight away.

After her stroke in 2017, which kept her in hospital for five months, learning to chew, swallow, talk, walk and use her hands again, Lynette defied the experts who told her she may never play her saxophone again.

“It’s been a tough journey, but I was committed to beating the odds,” Lynette said.

Having had more than her share of health problems – cancer, heart attack, stroke and type 2 diabetes – Lynette encourages others with health issues to embrace music as both an outlet and a tool to recovery.

“It’s not about how good you are … it’s a matter of letting that creative part of you out,” she said.

At 68, she won the

SWEET MUSIC: Allora’s Lynette Gordon-Smith is ready to perform again after fighting back from a debilitating stroke and earning the Stroke Foundation’s Creative Award.

Creative Award at the 2019 Stroke Foundation Awards, but says her recovery was very much “a joint effort”.

She is full of praise for the allied health team at Warwick Hospital for their

encouragement and support, even on the worst days when she didn’t want to get out of bed, to Blue Care and to Chris.

“And the people in Allora have been amazing

… I think in country towns people all stand beside you and give you a hand,” she said.

Her earliest childhood memories are of neighbourhood singalongs around the family piano,

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and from learning the saxophone at 13 to play in a band with her mother and uncle, performing has kept her on the move.

Her four-and-a-half years in Allora is the longest she has lived anywhere, having even “run away with the circus” at the age of 50, playing her saxophone with the touring Ashton’s Circus.

She plays at retirement and nursing homes as her way of “giving back”, and has such a following that she posts out a newsletter to 287 people each month, despite the postage bill.

“I choose not to drink; I choose not to smoke and I choose not to gamble … everything we do in life is a choice and that’s my choice … to make a difference to someone,” Lynette said.

She also plans to teach children at the neighbouring C&K Community Kindergarten to play the bells for their Christmas concert.

For more information about stroke, phone the StrokeLine on 1800 787 653 or go to strokefoundation.org.au.

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JULY, 2019// SENIORS

Hope for everyone

Those living with cancer have hope on the horizon

Henri Rennie

Alison Houston DESPITE being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, Dan McCabe reckons if he wrote a book, he’d title it “It could be worse”.

One of the major factors behind his positive attitude, he said, is the support and services he receives at Hope Horizons Cancer Wellness Centre.

“A week after my diagnosis, I was not in a happy place, but they are a tremendous organisation; I can’t speak too highly of them,” he said.

Regardless of age, sex or type of cancer, Hope Horizons offers its services and support to residents of Toowoomba and surrounds who are diagnosed with cancer, their carers and families, with no out-of-pocket expenses.

The aim is simply to make life a little easier for people at such a difficult time.

For Dan, that includes exercise physiology (light training), oncology massage and reflexology, as well as access to the centre’s information library.

It was in one of the

RAY OF HOPE: Hope Horizons Cancer Wellness Centre committee vice-chairman Peter Turnbull checks out the free service’s latest pamphlets with regular clients Dan McCabe and Bronwyn Jones. centre’s books that he picked up his mind-over-matter approach to the disease from a cancer specialist who said the major factors to patients responding and staying positive were to “live well, love well and laugh well”.

“Hope Horizons has helped me to achieve that,” Dan said.

However, the number of men who take advantage of any of Hope Horizons services is relatively small – something Hope Horizons committee

vice-chairman Peter Turnbull wants to change.

The light exercise training, at 10.30am Mondays at Complete Body Health and Fitness in Water St, is a relatively new service for the centre.

Other services offered include psychology and counselling, physiotherapy, tai chi, yoga, dietary advice, financial and legal help, and emotional and educational support.

Peter said after 18 months, the centre had

120 registered clients at various stages of “their cancer journey”, about 70 of whom attended regularly two to three times a week.

Relaxation through oncology massage and psychology counselling were two of the most popular services he said, with cancer diagnosis “a big hit to both the patient and their family”.

“Every single person is a volunteer, no one is on the payroll, and it is all community-based. Every cent stays here to help

residents in the region,” Peter said.

Services are completely free for clients, with only Medicare subsidies used, and Hope Horizons paying the gap, or a negotiated fee for non-Medicare services.

Hope Horizons is at 146 Drayton Rd, Harristown.

Info: 07 4636 6108, go to hopehorizons.com.au or, to lend a hand, contact the Friends of Hope Horizons, email friendsofhopehorizons@ gmail.com.

Jade’s ‘secret weapon’ hits the road RIDING a motorbike is about freedom.

It’s the exhilaration of the breeze in your face, the smell of the air, seeing the world without barriers. So just imagine what it feels like for someone who has spent months, or even years, in a nursing home environment.

In what lifestyle co-ordinator Jade Gilchrist calls her “secret weapon to person-centred care” she has introduced trike cruises for Clifton Community Health Service’s aged care residents.

She believes it is a potential first for aged care.

“For me, riding a motorbike is my passion, and to be able to share that at work with residents is really special – it brings a whole new depth,” Jade said.

She has purchased

Dementia diagnosis isn’t always correct

FREEDOM: Jade Gilchrist with resident Anne Kersley, 69, on her second ride with daughter Robyn. and, over four months, completely restored and refurbished a previously unloved 21-year-old

three-seater trike (with help from her dad).

“It basically took over my life,” Jade said.

“After work and every weekend, I was in the garage working on it, but the response from everyone who sees it has been great, and the staff are really excited too.”

While Jade has been riding for about 20 years, she said for passengers, the trike was “almost like riding in an armchair”.

“It’s a Bon Trike HS3 and is really quite an uncommon vehicle, with only about 20 of the 200 imported 20-plus years ago being three-seaters,” she said.

It allows residents to simply “step on to a footplate” rather than having to throw a leg over a motorbike.

The third seat means a carer or family member can ride along to ensure all is well with the pillion, so Jade can stay focused on the road ahead.

While the trike has only been operational for a

couple of weeks, Jade said one of her first passengers had convinced her the long labour of love had been worthwhile.

“I had taken her on a short tour and, on our return, she gave me a big hug and, with tears in her eyes, she thanked me so much for the experience,” Jade said.

“She said it reminded her of when she used to ride on her father’s motorbike when she was a child.

“This dear lady is in her 90s, so imagine what this would have meant to her.”

She is currently running Reminiscence Tours twice a week through the streets of Clifton and back roads, but has plans for other tours.

To find out more about the possibilities, go to Jade@cliftonhospital.org or phone 07 46973735.

I’VE realised that all too often “dementia” is now an easy diagnosis. But it isn’t necessarily the right one.

Sometimes a person suddenly starts showing the so-called “classic symptoms” – confusion, memory loss, failure to recognise people and things that should be familiar.

If that person is over 60, there are some doctors, and others, who will leap to the conclusion: “Oh, it’s dementia. There’s nothing we can do but try to make them comfortable”.

However, the important word in the situation I described is “suddenly”.

Dementia is gradual.

Insidious even. There are little signs and indications that slowly get worse.

‘‘

A blood test will normally identify that there is an infection present.

But what if the symptoms happen suddenly – one day the person is fine, and the next they’re trying to change the TV channel with the garage door opener? Then it may be quite a different problem.

Sometimes the sort of symptoms I described above can be associated in older folks with comparatively simple infections.

Urinary tract, or throat infections, commonly. For people who are ageing, sometimes those infections can affect the brain.

It’s called “delirium”.

And most times, the patient isn’t even consciously aware of the problem – just like with dementia.

The good news is that it’s often easily treated with a course of antibiotics.

A blood test will normally identify that there is an infection present.

Henri has a weekly podcast A Quiet Word – Conversations About Men’s Health.

SENIORS \\JULY, 2019

NEWS

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NEWS

JULY, 2019// SENIORS

For the love of camillias Be intrigued by this flower’s transformative abilities Alison Houston A BANKER knows better than anyone that money doesn’t grow on trees, but that didn’t stop Darryl Baptie buying a camellia nursery when he left the financial world 21 years ago.

He and his wife Steph run Camellia Glen Nursery at Palmwoods, on the Sunshine Coast, and are bringing their expertise along with about 70 varieties across 200 plants to this year’s Toowoomba Camellia Show and Garden Expo over the weekend of July 20–21.

“There will be plants there that people have never seen or haven’t seen for a long time, I’m certain of that,” Darryl said.

Darryl is the Australian Camellia Society president and a director of the International Camellia Society, and his business focuses on collecting and propagating unusual, rarely seen and older varieties of camellias.

He and Steph take all their own cuttings to propagate and grow, specialising in plants from private Southeast Queensland gardens, knowing they are tough enough to flourish in this climate.

They recently supplied 100 plants to the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens.

Darryl is one of four

guest speakers at this year’s Toowoomba event, which will also feature ABC Gardening Australia presenters Sophie Thomson and Jerry Coleby-Williams, as well as local horticulturist Brian Sams.

This year’s theme is Around the World in a Camellia Extravaganza, with the camellia hall divided into Asian, American, Australasian and European displays, giving a clear guide to as to where our current camellias originated.

Darryl said the camellia held a lot of appeal, including coming in thousands of attractive colours and varieties, being remarkably hardy, drought-resistant, and thriving in any position as long as the soil was well-drained and slightly acidic.

They are also long-lived, with overseas camellias 200–300 years old, and capable of surprising growers by “throwing” different colours or converting a stamen to petaloids to produce a much fuller flower.

While Darryl and Steph are in the process of “transitioning to retirement”, Darryl said they loved their work and would keep going as long as they were physically able to do so.

Their goal is to “get as many different varieties in people’s gardens as we can”, currently growing about 350 different types

VIBRANT BEAUTY: Some of the couple’s freshly picked camellia blooms. INSET: Darryl Baptie and his wife Steph from Camellia Glen Nursery at Palmwoods will be speaking about, showing and selling their camellias at Toowoomba Camellia Show and Garden Expo. of camellia.

“Some old gardens may have the only plant of that variety that we know of, so it’s very important to be able to propagate them and keep them going,” he said.

One such example is Gerda’s Gem, a pink double sasanqua, bred and registered many years ago by a man now aged in his 90s, in suburban

Brisbane, and named after his mother.

The man’s daughter contacted Camellia Glen Nursery recently saying how much it would mean to her father to see the plant grown in other people’s gardens.

Darryl has been able to produce 30 Gerda’s Gem plants from cuttings, which will be available to Queensland Camellia

Society members, with one bush even among those going to the Brisbane Botanic Gardens.

The biggest camellia display in Queensland also includes general gardening advice, plants products and demonstrations, music and entertainment.

It runs from 9am each day at the Toowoomba

TAFE campus.

Proceeds donated to the produce stall go directly to Toowoomba Hospice, as do other funds raised.

To donate produce, phone: Brian Shackleton, 07 4635 9381.

More info: toowoomba camelliashow.com or phone: Kevin Cotterell on 0438 250 849.

Sensory ‘all abilities’ trail part of upgrade

DEVELOPMENT of the Toowoomba region’s first sensory trail at JE Duggan Park, and other escarpment park upgrades, will open up new opportunities for seniors of varying abilities.

It is all part of a $7.4 million parks transformation funded by $4.46 million from Toowoomba Regional Council, $2.71 million from the State Government’s Building Our Regions program and $218,000 from Lockyer Valley Regional Council.

Toowoomba Regional Council environment and community chairman, Councillor Geoff McDonald, said the

upgrades would help make the most of the Great Dividing Range’s spectacular scenery.

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said new and upgraded interconnected multi-use trails would increase active usage across the Picnic Point Parklands, Redwood, Jubilee, McKnight, JE Duggan and Glen Lomond Parks, and the Tabletop Bushland Reserve.

JE Duggan Park will become the area’s first “all-abilities” trail, with interpretive signage in braille describing the area and its history, rope trails, and sealed wheelchairaccessible pathways.

Mr Hinchcliffe said

there would be three small, scenic bushwalks providing views east over the Great Dividing Range, including Table Top Mountain, ideal for seniors and others with mobility issues, as well as for walking with children.

“This project will deliver improved picnic facilities and lookouts that will further enhance the visitor experience, encourage recreational visitor usage and promote sports tourism opportunities,” he said.

Lockyer Valley Mayor Tanya Milligan acknowledged the value of the neighbouring councils working together on “a great shared asset”.

SENSING SUCCESS: Lockyer Valley Regional Council (LVRC) Mayor Tanya Milligan, Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, Regional Access and Disability Advisory Committee (RADAC) member Liz Schneidewin, Toowoomba Councillor Geoff McDonald, RADAC member Josh Marshall, and LVRC Parks and Gardens representative Cr Janice Holstein.

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Inspiration comes from

This dynamic, gifted woman is known for her extraordinary output of work and brilliant musical compositions Tracey Johnstone ELENA Kats-Chernin AO is bringing to the Opera Australia stage this month the bold life of an iconic Australian artist in the opera Whiteley.

Seniors News spoke to Kats-Chernin on the eve of the world premiere of Whiteley.

It’s late in the evening in Sydney. She has been home from rehearsal for about an hour and already 40 pages of the 800-page orchestral score have been edited. There are another two scenes to be reviewed before the end of the night.

The kitchen table is strewn with hand-written sketches and drafts. She has to push them away to find a corner to eat.

Once the Whiteley opera work is complete, Kats-Chernin will put all the paper in boxes. But then there is another opera waiting to be written.

She’s in bed by 2am then back at work from 5.30am before heading to the rehearsal well before it starts at 10.30am.

There’s always a lot for her to do before and after each rehearsal.

“I am like a machine; I need to work. I make sure I do exercise,” the 61-year-old said.

She uses weights at home each morning and does something, even simple exercises, for about 10 minutes which forces her to engage her muscles.

Kats-Chernin is also mindful of what she eats which includes lots of

healthy food and no sugar.

“Says she who has just had a chocolate,” Kats-Chernin said jokingly.

“But that’s OK because somebody gave it to me and it’s dark chocolate which I like.”

As to using her gym memberships, she admitted: “At the moment I don’t have time because of rehearsals”.

Born in Russia, the child prodigy started playing the piano when she was four and was composing at five.

“I just sat down and played,” she said.

‘‘

He was an iconic artist, interesting, quirky, genius, flawed “I could play anything I saw. I couldn’t read the words, but I could read the music.”

Her music-loving parents didn’t know what had hit them.

“They did everything for me to have good lessons,” she said.

“They got me special teachers because I was very far advanced immediately, so I was bored at normal music school.”

The family moved to Australia in 1975 and Kats-Chernin started at Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music.

Her resume is simply

MAKING MUSIC: Whiteley opera composer Elena Kats-Chernin.

Brett Whiteley’s The Balcony 2. outstanding. She has created a huge range of pieces for symphony orchestras across

Photos: Contributed

Australia and overseas and composed pieces for television and film. How many?

Photo: Prudence Upton

Brett Whiteley’s self portrait.

“If only I knew,” she said.

“Sometimes I don’t even remember what I

wrote. Sometimes people will say ‘you know you wrote that piece and it went like this’ and I will

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11

the bold and beautiful FAST FACTS

Whiteley’s Opera House.

have completely forgotten how it went,” Kats-Chernin said.

“I will recover it immediately I hear it, but I forget as every year I write about five hours of music, sometimes more.”

And that is after she has written several versions to find just the right score.

“This year alone I have written a piano concerto for Tamara-Anna Cislowska, called Lebewohl, a piano quartet, a piece for the ACO called A Knock One Night, and many more things.

“It sounds crazy but when working on something so big I need another outlet, something else to write.”

Does she ever think about anything else? “No” is the emphatic answer.

“I am thinking about it all the time because there is always a project. I am always thinking about it because it’s in my blood until something has premiered, and even afterwards I still think I could have done this differently.”

If she’s not composing, Kats-Chernin said her alternative was to clean

Heritage C Chapel a e

the house.

“And I don’t want to do that.”

The only time she really takes off is when she visits her grandchildren.

“But, don’t do that very often. For that I wish I had more time because that is very enjoyable,” she said.

There’s no planned date when Kats-Chernin will stop composing.

“There are composers who compose when they are 100. As long as my brain works,” she said.

“I think I will compose as long as I can. It’s another reason why I work every single day.

“I just think ‘who knows what will hit me tomorrow’ so I need to finish what I am doing and I try every day to send something away to my copyist in case something happens and I don’t wake up.”

The prolific and highly acclaimed composer partnered with librettist

Photos: Contributed

Justin Fleming to honour and share the tumultuous story of Brett Whiteley.

“It’s a great subject and inspiring in many ways and very multi-layered,” she said.

“He was an iconic artist, Australian, interesting, quirky, genius, flawed; lots and lots of extreme character features which are inspiring to compose.

“I don’t want to write about somebody who is a goody two-shoes who does beautiful pastels or something.”

It’s been an 18-month project for the Sydney resident. As soon as Fleming’s libretto was in her hands in December 2017, Kats-Chernin started work on the Whiteley score.

She has crafted the score to deal with several themes and changes in pace from conversations, to aria, to the singer or

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Elena Kats-Chernin. singers talking to the audience, to them talking to each other.

Woven into the final product are the complexities of fitting the librettist’s work and the voices along with the orchestra and digital backgrounds that make up the complete show.

Whiteley is on at the Sydney Opera House until July 30. More info: opera.org.au.

Elena Kats-Chernin has created works in nearly every genre including commissions for Ensemble Modern, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian World Orchestra, the Adelaide, Tasmanian, Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, Swedish Chamber Orchestra and the North Carolina Symphony.

In 2000, she collaborated with leading Australian choreographer Meryl Tankard on Deep Sea Dreaming which was broadcast worldwide as part of the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Her awards include 1996 – Classical Music Awards – Best Composition by an Australian Composer; 2004 Helpmann Awards – Best Original Score; and 2014 Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award – joint winner.

She has been the Composer in Residence for the Melbourne and Queensland Symphony Orchestras.

Her first QSO symphony, Symphonia Eluvium for organ, choir and orchestra, commemorated the devastating Queensland floods of January 2011.

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JULY, 2019// SENIORS

Community notes

Community group guide We welcome your community notes and pictures.

Please email to: editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au for publication in our next edition.

MID-YEAR BOOK SALE

THE Combined Mission Committee of St Stephen’s and Middle Ridge Uniting Church will hold their Giant Mid-Year Book Sale at 264 Stenner St on July 27 from7am–noon.

Come and have a cuppa and browse the wide variety of books for all interests and ages.

Proceeds will support the Leichhardt Patrol in western Queensland.

NATIONAL SENIORS AUSTRALIA

Garden City Branch WE MEET on the third Monday of the month at Drayton Bowls Club, cnr Ball and Gipps Sts, at

9.30am.

Our next meeting will be on Monday, July 15, and there will be lucky door prizes, raffles and a bring-and-buy stall.

Cost of $7 includes morning tea.

Local historian Don Talbot will launch his new book of tales of the pig industry in Queensland, especially on the Darling Downs.

Visitors welcome.

For more information, phone Hazel on 07 4635 4519.

Toowoomba WE MEET for morning tea on the first Thursday of each month commencing at 9.30am.

We have guest speakers or an entertainer.

JAZZ

What's on

Alison Houston

BASTILLE DAY CONCERT

VIVE la France! The Toowoomba Municipal Band will perform two concerts dedicated to all things French, at 2pm and 6pm on Sunday, July 14, at USQ Arts Theatre.

The concert will include classics such as Bolero and Les Miserables.

For the past 10 years, the band has put on a concert in support of the Toowoomba Hospice, with this year’s concert including the voice of Martin Paroz and the Philharmonic Society Choir, as well as Dance Central interpreting Bolero and the Can Can. Bookings through Artsworx on 07 4631 1111 or go to artsworx.usq.edu.au.

Cost is $25 adults.

JUMPERS AND

IT’S that time again, when Warwick’s trees get rugged up for winter, with this year’s theme being Connect!

Walk through a living, outdoor art gallery at Warwick’s Jumpers and Jazz. The annual festival over 10 days at the end of July (this year July 18–28) began in 2004 and has become Queensland’s quirkiest winter festival and a platform for the arts.

More than 120 trees will be “wrapped in art” by textile artists from all over Australia and there will be live jazz, swing dancing, dining events, workshops, exhibitions, street festivals and a giant bonfire night.

Phone Warwick Visitor Information Centre 07 4661 3122 or go to jumpersandjazz.com.au.

NATIONAL PYJAMA DAY ON FRIDAY, July 19, why not get your group or club together to wear their PJs or onesies to help raise vital funds for children in foster care.

Register to receive a free host kit. Money raised will help offer learning skills to more than 1000 children, fund educational resources and help provide stable, positive relationships.

Go to nationalpyjamaday.com or

WITH THANKS: Happy 16th birthday Toowoomba Hospice! The Rotary Club Toowoomba East has kicked off the ‘Roll Out The Carpet’ birthday fundraiser with a great donation of $7500.

Lucky door and raffle prizes can be won.

Our venue is the All Seasons Function Centre, cnr North and Tor Sts, Wilsonton.

Our bus trips are on the third Thursday of each month.

For further information, phone Desma on 07 4613 6750.

TOOWOOMBA PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP

OUR next meeting is on Thursday, August 1, at the usual time and place – 11.30am, meeting room, top floor, Toowoomba

Municipal Library, Victoria St, Toowoomba.

Our guest speakers will be from Brightside in Victoria.

They will outline their specific respite programs as well as the Home Care Packages they now offer.

There will be a shared lunch, as usual.

We look forward to seeing our regular members there and, as well, hopefully some new people who are always welcome.

For more information, phone Carol on 07 4659 7646.

TOOWOOMBA HOSPICE JULY EVENTS

MUNICIPAL Band and Hospice Yearly Concert at USQ Arts Theatre (two shows) on July 14; Birthday Fundraiser – Roll Out The Carpet on July 16 and Camellia Show and Garden Expo on July 20 and 21.

Check our Facebook for more information or go to toowoombahospice.org .au or phone 07 4659 8500. If you would like to run an event, email events@toowoomba hospice.org.au.

We have cared for more

CAMEL RACES

phone 07 3256 8802.

WINTER ORCHIDS

THE Winter Orchid Show is on at St Paul’s Lutheran Church Hall, Toowoomba, on the weekend of July 20–21. Admission is just $4. The show runs from 8.30am–3.30pm Saturday and until 2.30pm Sunday. Check out the beautiful blooms and maybe take a plant home with you, or get some advice. Phone 07 4696 9772.

OPERA AT JIMBOUR

QUEENSLAND Music Festival and Opera Queensland are again hosting the spectacular outdoor experience of Opera at Jimbour on Saturday, July 27.

Located on the impressive grounds of Jimbour House, this is a full day of entertainment, including opera favourites and market stalls. Pack a picnic or enjoy the food and wine on offer from the local region. Performers will be Rosario La Spina, Hayley Sugars, Sarah Crane and Shaun Brown.

Gates open at 10am, with the performance from 2.30pm. General admission is $42 adults.

SHOW ‘N’SHINE

WESTBROOK Wheels Show ‘n’ Shine is an annual event raising money for local residents.

than 1400 terminally ill clients in 16 years in a beautiful home-like environment, and to maintain this, we are continually upgrading our furniture, fittings and fixtures.

In the 2019/2020 financial year, we would like to upgrade our carpet throughout the entire hospice, and it will cost just over $30,000 to do this.

If you would like to donate to our ‘Birthday Gift’, go to givenow.com. au/hospice-16th-birthday.

Donations over $2 are tax deductible.

WINTER IS HERE: A yarn blast from the past as Warwick prepares for its annual Jumpers and Jazz Festival from July 18–28, with its accompanying yarnbombing, this year themed Connect.

Photo: IZELLE BARNARD This year it is supporting a local family whose daughter has been diagnosed with leukaemia.

There will be a large variety of cars on display, as well as fun for the grandkids. Gold coin donation. It’s on from 9am–1pm on Saturday, July 27, at Centenary Park, Westbrook.

Phone 0418 399 892.

OAKEY TOGETHER THE Oakey Together Street Parade celebrates 50 years since the Oakey

Airfield was transferred to Army control, establishing the Oakey Army Aviation Centre.

The parade and activities are on from 2.30–5pm Saturday, July 27. That’s followed by a Black Tie Dinner in the Oakey Cultural Centre, where you will hear from those involved in the operations, as well as enjoy music by the Army Band.

Email oakeychamberof commerce@outlook.com or phone Bec on 0418 534 575.

OKAY, it’s a couple of hours drive west, but … why not? The Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races is billed as a unique three-day event, which only occurs every two years from August 2–4. In addition to the iconic camel races, there is an eclectic mix of live entertainment, bands headlined by the McClymonts, roving performers, food stalls, arts, markets, cultural music and dancing, and workshops. An adult three-day pass is just $35, or $10 Friday and Sunday, and $30 Saturday. If you’ve got a caravan, there’s camping on site unpowered from $30.

Phone 0427 059 692 or go to tarafestival.com.au.

THE HANDMADE EXPO

HELD quarterly in Toowoomba at Harristown State High School, you will find market stalls in the auditorium and around the grounds on Sunday, August 4, from 9am–2pm. The Handmade Expo Markets include works of talented artisans, bakers and creators, and art and craft supplies to assist you with your own creations.

Phone 0488 791 379 or go to thehandmade expo.com.au.

SENIORS \\JULY, 2019

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JULY, 2019// SENIORS

Older workers upskilling Tracey Johnstone GAINING an edge in securing and retaining employment requires young Australians to hone their skills in digital literacy, critical thinking, creativity, problem solving and presentation along with expertise in a particular role.

All those skills are equally applicable to mature-aged workers, not just exclusively to the younger generations.

As the focus turns to how to keep older workers engaged in the workforce and how to upskill those same workers to meet the changing demands of an evolving workplace, the responsibility to meet these challenges lies both with the employees and the employers.

■ Changing the conversation Workplace solutions company WDC Director Morag Fitzsimons uses the example of one of her clients which wanted to be proactive in keeping its older employees engaged – an industrial supplies and safety company with an average employee age of over 50.

“There has been some difficulty in retaining skills sets and getting replacement skills sets when people retire or leave the organisation,” Ms Fitzsimons said.

The company recognised that it needed to work out how to help its employees to stay at work longer and how to have a conversation with them in a non-threatening way so they could be honest about their needs and future plans.

“Firstly, the program was about helping the older workers understand they were valued,” Ms Fitzsimons said.

“Secondly, it was about having a conversation with them to identify what their needs were going to be into the future to help them stay at work longer.”

She looked at the financial goals and physical health of the employees as well as flexibility in the number of work days and the need for training to help them transition to another role within the company.

“They (management) also walked around some of the operations and asked people what the simple things were that they needed to help them cope with their workplaces,” she said.

“We looked at lighting, temperature, matting to make standing easier, to magnifying glasses, to

GOOD VALUE: Skills, experience and a willingness to adapt are still valued. make it easier to reach parts of products; so, what we could put into the workplace that would allow them to stay at work and make work easier than before.

“As a consultant in this area, I am seeing more and more businesses thinking about this and wanting to find ways to engage in conversations with their mature employees about work, the importance of work in their lives and how they can help support them to stay at work for their benefit as well as the individual employees.”

■ Job options Australia Post CEO and Managing Director Christine Holgate has been looking at how to repurpose Telstra’s extensive workforce to meet its changing business needs.

“For us, automation is allowing us to think about our workforce,” Ms Holgate said at last month’s Centre for Economic Development Australia (CEDA) forum in Melbourne.”

“We can get more women in, more part-timers in and moving the guys who were driving onto the mail processing lines because it’s less physical. It enables us to address where we have labour shortages in the market.”

McKinsey & Company Associate Partner Hassan Noura said during the CEDA forum: “The workers most vulnerable to being disrupted are those in the more automated sectors as a

first filter.

“Those will be the transport, warehouse, manufacturing, mining and all sorts of administrative tasks. The second filter will be functional tasks even within very professional sectors that are quite routine; think of administrative and payroll, accounting, and basic legal research. Even in medicine, some particular specialisations like radiology are incredibly susceptible to automation.

“So, while you can generalise and say it’s going to be lower-skilled jobs in certain sectors, the reality is that there are going to be pockets of disruption everywhere.

“In terms of who will be more vulnerable, it will come down to resilience and adaptation.”

Curtin University’s Dr Gigi Petery has a different view on the impact of automation: “We have this idea that artificial intelligence (AI) is going to be taking over all the jobs and there is not going to be any work,” she said.

“I don’t think that is the case. What we have seen is a change in the nature of work and a change in the roles and tasks that people are doing.

“Yes, we are seeing AI taking over some jobs and tasks, but there are new tasks and jobs emerging as a result of that.”

This keeps the door open to work opportunities for mature-aged workers.

There are industries starting to open up work

opportunities such as service industries, particularly in jobs that can’t be replaced by AI. “There is always going to be people working with other people,” Dr Petery said.

Her recommendation?

“Follow the population trend...look at what are the needs for ageing people and look at the renewable markets such as newborns.”

■ The opportunities Some of the industry opportunities across various skill levels are in health care, social services, education, technical, construction and retail.

David Tarr, from the mature-aged workforce talent matching agency maturious.com.au, said older workers’ skills were their future.

Photo: Geber86

“They have accumulated an enormous amount of knowledge, skills and experience which are transferable across many different industries and can be used in many different ways, as long as the individual has the ability or the desire to grow and learn because the world is changing...it will never stand still,” Mr Tarr said.

Dr Petery added: “There are transferable skills which most mature people will already have just by living and having to interact with other human beings, such as different types of people skills.”

The skills she lists that can give an older worker a competitive edge over younger workers are professionalism, loyalty, productivity, teamwork,

organisational skills, time management, research, planning, communication skills including writing, speaking and listening.

“These are things that mature workers tend to do well,” Dr Petery said.

Mr Tarr added: “As long as you have the aptitude and learnability, you will be successful.”

Human Resources Director for hardware chain Bunnings, Jacqui Coombes, said its employees ages ranged from 15 to over 80.

“This provides fantastic learning and mentoring opportunities for everyone. Mature-aged workers have always played a significant role at Bunnings with almost 30 per cent of our team members aged over 50,” Ms Coombes said.

“We learned a long time ago that older, more experienced team members are integral in providing the welcoming and knowledgeable customer service we offer in our stores.

“While Bunnings doesn’t target older workers, we actively welcome and value the wide array of skills and knowledge mature-aged workers bring to the business and recognise the value this has in providing expert advice to our customers.

“Some have been with us for their whole career and others have joined us after retiring, often from trades.

“They can bring great experience from their own home improvement projects and this knowledge really helps our DIY.” Part 2 of this story, which will look at reverse mentoring and redundancy, will be published in the August edition.

A multi-aged corporate team is now part of many industry landscapes. Photo: gilaxia

15

SENIORS \\JULY, 2019

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JULY, 2019// SENIORS in the travel industry, The 13-day tour if you want to travel in the safety of a group. The tour meets in Brisbane before travelling on the Spirit of Queensland to Cairns.

Along the way spend three-nights at the gorgeous Kingfisher Bay Resort on Fraser Island, three nights in paradise at The Ville Resort-Casino in Townsville and three nights at the luxurious Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort. Tour cost is from $3580 per person. Info: sealink.com.au or phone (08) 8202 8608.

TRAVEL BRIEFS

CRUISE WITH THE WINEMAKERS

NORWEGIAN Cruise Line’s Meet the Winemaker returns in the 2019/2020 season. Wine enthusiasts will meet winemakers and other experts through seminars and activities including open-forum discussions, meet-and-greets, intimate wine tastings and wine-paired dinners, interactive cooking demonstrations and educational sessions.

Each cruise features vintages chosen by experts and on board for the exclusive events.

Wine experiences range from US$19.95 to US$60 per person plus tax, and gratuity. Info: phone Norwegian Cruise on 1300 255 200 or visit ncl.com.

TOUR WHITE CLIFFS AND OPAL FIELDS

THE desert landscape of White Cliffs disguises the value that lies hidden underground; it’s one of the richest opal fields on earth. Experience the local’s way of life with a two-night stay in the Underground Dugout Motel. Enjoy a rich touring experience through the silver city of Broken Hill, overlook Cobar’s first gold mine and visit Coonabarabran’s Crystal Kingdom. The All Australian Journeys tour goes for six days, and departs both Brisbane and The Hunter. Costs start at $2599 per person. Info: phone 1300 631 383 or visit aaj.com.au.

GO OFF-TRAIN ON GREAT SOUTHERN TOUR

GREAT Southern’s new immersive Off Train Excursions including wine tasting in the Hunter Valley, visiting the 12 Apostles, lunch with a view from Melbourne’s Eureka Skydeck followed by a laneways tour, Canberra’s War Memorial and Parliament House, exploring the wilderness of the Grampians and beachside dining. There will be 16 departures from Adelaide for Brisbane, starting in December.

Fares start at $1649 per person for Gold Single accommodation, $1829 per person for Gold Twin and $3899 per person for Platinum. Info: journeybeyondrail. com.au/journeys/ great-southern.

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YULETIDE MARKET RIVER CRUISE

TRAIN TRAVEL: Great Southern has launched a range of off-train excursions. horizons and rugged landscapes of some of the world’s most unique destinations including the Mediterranean, the Baltic, Asia, Alaska, and the South Pacific. Check out Alaska: Seward to Vancouver, August 14-21, save 55 per cent; The Baltics: Oslo to Stockholm, August 20-30, save 25 per cent; Mediterranean: Athens to Barcelona, October 16-26, save 30 per cent; Asia: Singapore to Singapore, December 6-20, save 47 per cent; South Pacific: Los Angeles to Papeete, December 5-23, save 46 per cent. Info: RSSC.com or phone 1300 455 200 or contact your preferred travel agent.

CANADA, ALASKA, USA WITH SCENIC

THE 2020 Canada, Alaska and USA Scenic brochure is out with great value offers.

One night stops have been removed wherever possible in favour of longer stays at each destination point Included is New Scenic Enrich options have been added, including a visit to one of the world’s largest dark sky preserves in Jasper, and an incredible wildlife walk with local nature experts. Scenic is offering until 30 September 2019 partner flights included, fly Premium Economy from $2595 per person, fly Business Class from $5995 per person, book now and pay in full by September 30 to secure an additional discount of $600 per couple for all tours of 19 days or longer or discount of $300 per couple for tours of 9-18 days (conditions apply).

Info: scenic.com.au or phone 138 128.

WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN

THE ways to travel in Egypt are many and varied

from camels to feluccas, luxury cruise ships to dahabiyas and safari jeeps. Bunnik Tours’ small group guided and indpendent tours has 30 Egypt and Middle East 2020 experiences to choose from. Experience more than UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites across six countries and 35 cities. Info: bunniktours.com.au Egypt-Middle-EastTours.

GO BOATING IN HOLLAND

THE canals and cycling paths that run throughout Holland paint an iconic picture of this stunning country. There are over 269 waterways in Holland so why try exploring them by water and by land with a Le Boat cruise. They will customise the perfect itinerary and offer plenty of pre-paid extras to choose from which include prepayment of the engine hours fee, collision damage waiver (CDW), boat cleaning and bicycle rental (one). Prices start from $1759 boat only (aboard a single cabin budget boat for one week). Info: leboat.com.au/ boating-holidays/ netherlands/holland

SMALL GROUP TOURING IN THE USA

BACK-Roads Touring has announced new small-groups tours to North America, with seven itineraries on offer for 2020. The new itineraries include Classic California Coast, A Taste of Northern California, Canyons of the Southwest, Heart of the Deep South, Historic America: Freedom and the Civil War, and Charming New England. Some of the highlights of the new tours include the historic Mt Washington Cog Railway, a tantalising food tour of

New Orleans’ French Quarter and walking in the footsteps of the soldiers who served in the American Civil War at the Gettysburg Battlefield.

Info: backroadstouring.com.

MAKE IT A WEEKEND IN MAITLAND

JUST two hours from Sydney and 40 minutes from Newcastle, the Maitland region has a rich history, emerging food scene, thriving arts community, boutique accommodation and is packed events calendar.

The Maitland Aroma Festival is August 10-11.

The warm aroma of freshly ground coffee beans, rich melted chocolate and decadent dishes descend on Maitland during this festival. The riverside come alive, allowing rugged up visitors to enjoy some of the most indulgent products from across the entire Hunter Region and beyond as local entertainers take to the stage to create a light, celebratory atmosphere.

Info: mymaitland.com.au /whats-on/ maitland-aroma.

ESCAPE THIS CHRISTMAS

ALBATROSS Tours has 12 Christmas European small-group tours to choose from, all departing mid-December. There are tours to Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany and Italy.They usually start with a few nights in one of Europe’s grand historic cities before escaping to snow clad mountains and celebrating Christmas between three and six-nights nights in nostalgic, charming hotels. The tour groups explore local picturesque towns and villages, Christmas Markets, ancient monasteries and fairytale castles. Info:

albatrosstours.com.au.

SOLO IN GREECE

EXPERIENCE Greece on a solo-only tour for ages 40 and over with Encounter Tours.

Departing Thessaloniki for nine-day tour, travel to Athens along the way discovering the highlights and not so well known but delightful stops including Meteora, Delphi and more. There’s in-depth discovery of Athens and a day out on the island of Hydra. Arriving into Athens enjoy a three-night stay with highlights including a gastronomic walking tour with a grazing luncheon, an visit to the Acropolis, along with dinner admiring the night time view to the Acropolis. The land cost is $4775 in a single room, less $300 for early bookings. Info: encountertravel.com.au.

DRIVE IN LUXURY

EXPLORE the UK in a Bentley, follow the French countryside in a luxury convertible, or get your adrenaline pumping on the German Autobahn in a speedy sports coupe.

Driveaway have a wide range of high-end vehicles with the choice of brands such as Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Mercedes, Porsche, Range Rover and more to choose from in various locations worldwide. Info: driveaway.com.au or phone 1300 363 500.

QUEENSLAND ESCORTED TOUR

SEALINK is offering its Follow the Winter Sun in Queensland escorted tour departing September 22.

Explore Queensland’s countryside by train, travelling along the picturesque coastline and enjoying island stopovers along the way. Escorted by Shirley Tamm who has over 36 years’ experience

EUROPEAN river cruise line Riviera Travel has a new Yuletide market sailing on the Danube, with solo travellers not having to pay single supplements in selected cabins. The six-day Danube’s Imperial Cities & Yuletide Markets will sail on November 30.

Travelling from Budapest to Vienna and back passengers will immersed in the traditional, storybook charm of Christmas markets with their twinkling lights, colourful decorations, baked gingerbread, hot mulled wine, handcrafted nutcrackers and alluring gifts to buy loved ones.

Info: phone Cruise Traveller 1800 507 777, or go to rivieratravel.com.au.

QANTAS FREQUENT FLYERS PROGRAM OVERHAULED

THE Qantas Frequent Flyers program is being updated with the changes to rolled out the next 12 months. They will include adding more than one million extra reward seats available annually on Qantas and new partner airlines, slashing carrier charges which are the additional costs associated with flights booked with points by up to 50 per cent on international bookings, changing the points required for reward seats on domestic and international flights including an up to 10 per cent reduction in the number of points required for international economy Classic Reward seats, increasing the points required for upgrades and Classic Reward seats in premium cabins to better reflect the value of this premium experience, creating a new tiered Points Club program to better reward members who earn most of their points through on-the-ground transactions and introducing Lifetime Platinum status, the ultimate recognition for the airline’sloyal flyers.

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VOTTE VO ED D

o.1.1 NNo

BEST VALUE SENIORS TOUR COMPANY

TOP-END: A bird perched in a tree as the sun sets over the billabong.

Photo: Michael Costa

Find more to do in the NT

TROPICAL LIGHT

ON in Darwin from October through to next April, the Tropical Light is artist Bruce Munro’s largest-ever Australian exhibition. Arriving in time for the Top End’s Tropical Summer season, the eight immersive large-scale light installations can be experienced through a walking tour and will illuminate Darwin’s vibrant and relaxed CBD and waterfront precincts.

Bruce Munro: Tropical Light will complement Mr Munro’s hugely popular Field of Light installation, which is set against the backdrop of Uluru.

OPERA AT ULURU

FOR the first time Opera Australia will perform an exclusive concert on November 2 in the spiritual heart of Australia with the vast outback plains and Bruce Munro’s Field of Light as the backdrop. The special gala performance held under the stars will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience as some of the world’s most renowned opera singers perform in a uniquely Australian setting. For more details ayersrockresort.com.au/ events/detail/ opera-gala-at-uluru.

KAKADU NATIONAL PARK TURNS 40

KAKADU National Park is celebrating its 40th year as a recognised natural wonder. Officially opened in 1989, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed icon is home to the world’s oldest indigenous rock art galleries, rich stories and primordial wonders, and is marking this impressive milestone with a jam-packed events calendar.

From Kakadu Bird Week to Mahbilil Festival’s annual explosion of music, dance and art celebrating the local Aboriginal culture, this vast and ancient wilderness has something for everyone to enjoy throughout this anniversary year.

NEW PRECINCT FOR LITCHFIELD

UNIQUE new swimming spots, 4WD tracks, mountain bike and walking/hiking trails, new campgrounds and more day-use picnic areas will open in the Top End’s Litchfield National Park, as part of a $12.1 million investment to grow visitation to the Territory.

When completed, the new areas will support more visitors to the park providing a significant boost to tourism.

ARTS TRAILS

THE Northern Territory is a living, growing exhibition 65,000 years in the making, and it’s become a whole lot easier to discover the varied and vibrant art and cultural experiences on offer. The Northern Territory Government’s Arts Trail project is funding the development and promotion of Aboriginal art galleries, museums,

and significant sites with a range of itineraries on offer for travellers to make the most out of their Territory experience.

Details: northernterritory.com/ things-to-do/ art-and-culture/ territory-arts-trail.

became a bustling port, exporting gold with 47 licensed pubs. Visit Cairns, Port Douglas and The Daintree. 8 Days from $1490* Departing 21 Sep Plus applicable discount rail fare*

COWBOYS/CAVES See Cowboys in action at Texas Longhorn Ranch, visit Historical Charters Towers, Caves at the incredible Undara Lava Tubes and Castle Ruins of Paronella Park. 8 Days from $1390* Departing 12 Aug Plus applicable discount rail fare*

ULTIMATECOASTALQLD&ISLANDSPORTDOUGLASTOTHEWHITSUNDAYS Travel the scenic cost of Queensland in comfort and revel in it’s highlights including: Mossman Gorge & World Heritage listed Daintree National Park. You’ll also visit the Great Barrier reef aboard luxury catamaran, Green Is, Magnetic Is, Airlie Beach & the Whitsundays. Townsville, Cairns & Port Douglas. 10 days from $1,990. Departing 3rd Aug. Plus discount rail*

GULFLANDER ADVENTURE

Travel the Gulf Country of northern Qld aboard the legendary Gulf & Savannahlander Trains. Visit the Atherton Tablelands, Georgetown, Cobbold Gorge, Finnegans Rest & Mt Surprise and traveling back to Cairns on the through lush tropical rainforest aboard the Kuranda Scenic Railway.

Departs 31 Aug & 14 Sept. 10 Days from $2,490 Plus applicable rail fare*

PMARRA ALTURLA – HOME WEST

ALICE Spring’s Iltja Ntjarra Many Hands Art Centre has launched Pmarra Alturla – Home West, is a new exhibition showcasing the rugged landscapes that extend from the heart of Alice Springs to the West MacDonnell Ranges.

Revealing the captivating stories of the desert landscape, told through vibrant watercolour paintings, offer a glimpse of the spiritual connection between land and the local Aboriginal artists.

Details: manyhandsart.com.au/ gallery/home-west.

WOMEN’S ONLY TRADITIONAL WEAVING TOUR

KAKADU Cultural Tours is offering a new experience for travellers with a rare insight into Aboriginal women’s weaving culture. Fom August 11-16, the six-day journey is exclusive for women and girls. It delves into the traditionally female art of weaving by expert weaving instructor, Anita Nayinggul, of the Manilikarr Clan. She’ll share with guests her knowledge of generations-old skills, from collecting pandanus and preparing the fibres to dyeing and weaving. Info: diversetravel.com.au/ aboriginal-tours/ nt-kakadu-weaving-tour.

CANBERRA FLORIADE & BLUE MOUNTAINS

TOTAL TASMANIA

Tulip Time in Bowral — one of Australia’s oldest & best loved floral Festivals and The Canberra Floriade — Australia’s biggest celebration of spring — showcasing a million flowers throughout Canberra’s Commonwealth Park. 7 Days from $1,990.

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.

Departure Dates: 28th September 2019

Departure Dates: 26th October 2019

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 $1,390 Departing 16 Sep

SYDNEY MILITARY TATTOO TOUR

Featuring more than 1200 performers from around the world. The Sydney show, will blend a thrilling mix of music, ceremony, military tradition, theatre and dance. Combined with a 2 night visit to the Blue Mountains including Jenolan Caves. 5 Days, $2395pp, Single add $450 Departing 14th Oct incl. return flights to Sydney

CAIRNS CHRISTMAS CAPERS

A GOLDEN COAST CHRISTMAS

Cairns, Kuranda, Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge, Daintree River Cruise, Sky

Gold Coast, Broadwater Cruise, Mermaid Beach, Tweed River Cruise, Xmas

Rail, Reef Casino Xmas Lunch, Dundess Restaurant, Harbour Cruise

Day Lunch at The Star Casino, Coolangatta, Byron Bay, Mt Tambourine,

8 Days from $1590, Single add $400 Departing 21 December

Lunch at St Bernards with magical views over the Gold Coast.

Plus discount rail*

* On all tours up to $3,000 value

5 Days from $1,590, Single add $400 Departing 23 December

Visit www.greatvalueholidays.com.au

or phone 1300 722 661 Terms and conditions apply: See website for details.

Our Industry Partner:

6897840ai

DISCOVER the many new experiences on offer during winter and spring among the stunningly picturesque and warmer Northern Territory. There is art, culture, opera, outdoor activities, food, indigenous craft and much, much more.

COOKTOWN

Step back in time to where Captain Cook ran aground. Cooktown later it

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JULY, 2019// SENIORS

‘‘

The lagoon, Jokulsarlon, had an ethereal beauty about it at twilight.

NATURE’S GREATNESS: Gullfoss, a waterfall in the canyon of the Hvítá river in southwest Iceland.

Photos: Yvonne Gardiner

Nowhere else on earth

Our travelling retirees John and Yvonne Gardiner take their journeys to another level when they walk through the snow, ice, caves and waterfalls of Iceland

ICELAND has the most dramatic scenery of any country I’ve visited. Its diversity of attractions is breathtaking.

Raging waterfalls, soaring geysers, snow-capped mountains, stunted birch trees, vast glaciers and a picture-perfect coastline make this big island entirely unforgettable.

It’s not a place where I’d like to drive, as the weather can change quickly, producing dangerous icy conditions and gale-force winds. Far better to book one of the many expert tours led by knowledgeable guides.

In nine days, my travelling companion and I had time to complete the Golden Circle tour, seeing a host of major tourist sites, plus overnight stays on the south and west coasts.

Hunting for the northern lights (or aurora borealis) was thrown in at every available opportunity.

Expect to stay up late, or be woken during the night, if you’re keen to see this most spectacular of the world’s wonders.

The nighttime tours

Dramatic scenery is everywhere you look in Iceland. included a cup of warming hot chocolate, which was very welcome when the temperature dipped below

zero and we’d been outside the bus for a good hour gazing at the sky.

Trust me, when that

coloured light dances across the sky, the experience is worth all the discomfort.

Iceland, known as “the land of ice and fire”, is a destination that offers any number of energetic

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SENIORS \\JULY, 2019

This famous fountain geyser, Strokkur, erupts every 6-10 minutes.

A supremely graceful waterfall, Seljalandsfoss, on the south coast of Iceland.

Jokulsarlon, also known as the glacier lagoon, is one of the most awe-inspiring and popular places in Iceland.

The Saga Museum in Reykjavik reveals the island’s Viking heritage.

like land of fire and ice

Sapphire blue ice caves vary in size and shape, and change daily. adventures.

As a senior with a dodgy back, I was hesitant to visit the blue

ice cave.

As it turned out, the trip wasn’t as strenuous as I’d imagined, requiring a

speedy ride in a super-jeep across the glacier – accompanied by the rousing AC/DC hit

Highway to Hell – then a slow walk across the ice wearing crampons, and short climbs up and down

steps at the cave.

It’s no wonder the unique and other-worldly Icelandic landscapes have been the backdrop to countless TV series and movies, including Game of Thrones, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Star Wars, Tomb Raider, Thor and Noah.

Many scenes in two James Bond movies were shot in Iceland, taking in amazing snowboarding and an epic car chase across the frozen glacier lagoon, meandering between giant blue icebergs.

The lagoon, Jokulsarlon, had an ethereal beauty about it at twilight.

Dozens of slowly melting icebergs jutted out of the river, with the glacier in the background and the sea in front.

Afterwards we drove through miles and miles of snow and moss-covered lava, punctuated by high mountains and glaciers, wide rivers, brown grasslands and small settlements.

Our west coast tour guide, Christian, was a

rock-loving bikie with leather waistcoat and long, grey hair.

He showed his six passengers sputtering geysers, an isolated church, towering waterfalls, a lava cave, and yet more stunning scenery.

In November the capital, Reykjavik, was a delightful scene of pre-Christmas sparkle.

A plethora of toy trolls of all shapes and sizes populated the shelves among the souvenirs.

A visit to the Saga Museum gave us a fascinating insight into the island’s heritage, beginning with the Viking settlers, in a series of tableaux containing wax figures.

A rare treat before we caught the plane out of Iceland was a few hours’ dip in the fabulous Blue Lagoon, a gigantic thermal heated pool complete with bar and restaurant.

Said to contain healing qualities, the lagoon was a perfect finale to a captivating journey through an amazing country.

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JULY, 2019// SENIORS

The Ghan Station.

at

Darwin

The Ghan Explorer departs from Darwin, March and October.

‘‘

AWESOME: At first sight, the 900 metal snake metres of The Ghan stretching away from the Darwin train station is awe inspiring.

The isolated outback town of Coober Pedy has long been on my bucket list...

An epic Aussie rail journey Kerry Heaney IT’S A trip that will take you from one side of the continent to the other through Australia’s red heart in absolute comfort all the way.

From first sight, the 900 metal snake metres of The Ghan stretching away from the Darwin train station is awe inspiring.

When your cabin is in carriage Q, it is also a long walk. Luckily, The Ghan offers transport to your carriage if you prefer.

That’s just one of the many thoughtful gestures that make travelling on this iconic journey a real pleasure.

The Ghan Explorer is a

four-day and three-night trip that departs each week from Darwin between March and October.

It heads out on a 2979km journey through Australia’s rugged outback, stopping to offer passengers experiences along the way.

I boarded the train with my iPad loaded with plenty of books and Netflix shows, ready to relax in my seat and watch the world roll by.

At the end, I realised I need not have bothered as sitting in the cabin was last on the list of top train activities.

From day one and the first stop at Katherine, to cruising up Nitmiluk Gorge

to view the stunning red cliffs silhouetted against the bright blue sky, the options were many, varied and all included in the journey.

With options for activity levels, the tours took passengers to see destinations well away from the train stops via buses.

From sedate to more adventurous, including an optional flight over Uluru, passengers have plenty of choices to see the outback their way.

There is also no chance that you will starve on this trip.

The elegant Queen Adelaide dining car is full of old-fashioned charm and warm hospitality while

the meals and wines are included in the fare.

As the train traverses the country, the menu reflects the region with crocodile sausages in Darwin, kangaroo in Alice Springs and Barossa gammon (ham) in Adelaide.

Feeling peckish between meals? The lounge car is the place to go for a cappuccino and morning tea or pre-dinner drink.

Day two on the journey sees the train pull in for a full day at Alice Springs.

Passengers head off on buses to explore the town and surrounds and finish with a starlit evening meal at the historic Alice Springs Telegraph Station.

It’s an outback barbecue with a rollicking local band that has many dancing the night away.

The isolated outback town of Coober Pedy has long been on my bucket list, and I was not disappointed by this quirky underground treasure.

The lunar-like landscape of the opal minefields, the spacious underground houses, the magnificence of Breakaway Conservation Park and the famed dog fence left me with lasting impressions.

Back on the train for the overnight journey into Adelaide, I enjoyed sharing memories with new-found friends over

dinner and drifting off to sleep with the gentle rock of the rails.

As The Ghan heads into its 90th year, it certainly deserves a place on every Australian’s bucket list as a unique way to explore the heartland of Australia.

See more of Kerry’s journeys at www. eatdrinkandbekerry.net.

Top tips ■ Pack light because storage is limited ■ Choose comfortable clothes for weather conditions ■ If you prefer your own company or want dinner for two rather than a shared table, choose an 8-8.30pm dining time ■ Internet is sketchy, so download before you go.

Australian sensory tours for the sight impaired TRAVLLERS with sight loss can now visit iconic east coast tourism sites regularly with accessible adventures that eliminate sightseeing and deliver experiences using other senses.

Sensory short breaks is a new product launched

by Cocky Guides, Australia’s first tactile and sensory tour operator for the blind and low vision community. The company offers sensory short breaks that range from two to four days.

The tours start from

Sydney, butassistance can be given with inquiries from people living in other locations. If, for example, a traveller is from from Brisbane, a guide can be sent to meet them and assist with getting them to Cairns for the start of that tour.

Destinations include Port Douglas, Byron Bay, Hunter Valley, Canberra, Snowy Mountains, Melbourne, Lake Mountain, Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula.

Sydney-sider Katie Best

a recent traveller and low vision community member, had a great time on a sensory short break to Port Douglas with Cocky Guides.

“I have just had the best holiday in ages,” she said. “I honestly didn’t want it to end. The activities were fantastic, and the support was amazing. I am now counting down to my next adventure.”

Details & costs: 1300 657 640 or go to cockyguides.com.au.

SENSORY TOURS: Indigenous Guide demonstrating the plating of a leaf for two travellers.

Photo: Peter Killick

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SENIORS \\JULY, 2019

Travel for a better world ‘‘ Your chance to volunteer for a scientific adventure

AS TRAVELLERS seniors can contribute to a better world while visiting remote and beautiful places where learning new skills alongside like-minded people and putting conservation into action can make a world of difference.

The international not-for-profit wildlife conservation organisation Biosphere Expeditions (BE) offers this type of travel through its citizen science and wildlife conservation expeditions.

For many destinations, the research could not be done without the provision of support and personnel from BE, and through its education, training and employment of locals to build their capacity to continue the research into the future.

Some of the expeditions BE takes teams on are to survey snow leopards in the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan; monitor brown bears in the quintessentially Swedish woodlands of Dalarna province; survey leopards, caracals and Cape biodiversity in the Cape mountains UNESCO World Heritage Site of South Africa.

The citizen science expedition teams get immersed in these long-term wildlife conservation projects run by scientists embedded locally.

The teams may visit for one or two weeks, but BE will go back again and again until the work is completed.

BE founder and CEO Dr Matthias Hammer explained his organisation has a very close connection to each project, which are selected after whittling

Tracking Romanian lynx. down the large number of submissions received each year from scientists.

“It’s a very detailed process designed to ensure we can achieve benefit for our participants, local wildlife and people, and our expeditions have a genuinely positive impact and generate real conservation outcomes,” Dr Hammer said.

“We then stay intimately involved in the project, sending staff on it each year and supporting our partners on the ground.

“The people who commit to coming with us and helping with wildlife conservation for a week or two and sharing our ambitions; they will have a great time.

“If people come expecting to be served cocktails at dinner time, and be handed safari-type wildlife experiences on a plate, then they won’t enjoy the experience.”

What are expeditions like?

They are expeditions with a conscience, a sense of purpose and tangible benefits and outcomes.

Each one is a citizen science project, not a package holiday.

Expeditioners live, breath and sleep expedition, working and sharing in the BE vision.

If they go to bed tired

They are expeditions with a conscience, a sense of purpose...

CITIZEN SCIENCE: At (volunteer) work in South Africa. after a day’s work, then that will only make the experience more enriching, the memories stronger and the sense of fulfilment more real.

Never too old The typical participant is in his/her mid-30s to late 70s (average age 42.3, spread six months to 87 years) and there are usually many singles and a few couples.

What you eat BE has a unique vegetarian policy, so only vegetarian food is served on the expeditions.

For expedition dates, destinations and costs, go to www.biosphere-e xpeditions.org.

Photos: Biosphere Expeditions

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

Cook Island ExplorEr - nEw tour

Cook Islands From

$3,995

*

sounds oF thE south Island

hostEd BY Fortunato IsGro

$4,795*

* per person twin share Ex BnE, single supplement $950

per person share twin ex Brisbane.

1 - 9 november 2019

Join Country Music celebrity Graeme Hugo for an entertaining & cultural tour to the magical Cook Islands. Includes return flights, 6 nights Edgewater Resort, 1-night Sydney, Daily tours, Daily Breakfast & Dinner and 3 lunches. Spaces are strictly limited.

6 - 13 noVEMBEr 2019

7 Nights 4 star accommodation, cooked breakfast daily, 4 x lunches/5 x dinners, Central Otago Winery Tour, Puzzling World, Warbirds & Wheels Museum, Sunset Cruise Lake Wanaka, Arrowtown, Te Anau Glow Worm Caves, Milford Sound Day Cruise, Walter Peak High Country Farm, Skyline Restaurant Queenstown

ChrIstMas on norFolk norFolk Island More places added due to popular demand.

From

$2,305*

per person twin share Ex BnE, single supplement $490

21-28 dECEMBEr 2019

Don’t want to spend Christmas at your place this year? Why not visit beautiful Norfolk Island. 7 nights accom, car hire, orientation tour, Wonderland by night, Breakfast Bush Walk, Island Fish Fry, Behind the Hedges, Convict Settlement Tour, 4 x Dinners, PLUS full Christmas Lunch

EnGlIsh BlossoMs tour nEw tour From

per person twin share

$6,895

*

Highlights include Great Dixter House, Sissinghurst Castle, 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.

ask about our Cook Island ukulele tour in september and noumea tour in november.

More 2020 tour to be released very soon.

Observing the wildlife like the moose, in Sweden.

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 20 January 2019. Go See Touring in conjunction with Norfolk Select Marketing ABN: 93 367 366 822 ATAS Accreditation A10619

6885061as

13 - 25 May 2020

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JULY, 2019// SENIORS

Pretty postcards from Paris DON’T MISS

Graeme Wilson PARIS is renowned as the city of love – and on both my visits I’ve fallen head over heels.

The object of my desire hasn’t been a beguiling French beauty, but the city itself.

Whenever I visit a new destination, my priority is to get out and explore by foot, and Paris is the perfect place to wander in wonderment.

Day and night, its streets are filled with unexpected treats around every corner, with its rich history evident wherever you roam, be it from Montmartre to the Marais or Bastille to Belleville.

And if you’re not up for a walk, there’s always the option to jump on board and take in the sights from the comfort of one of the many vessels gliding up and down the Seine.

I’m not a student of architecture, but more than once during my treasured time in the city I have found myself staring at a charming building of unknown origin just marvelling at its exquisite design.

❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚

DELICIOUS: JulesVerne Restaurant in the Eiffel Tower will help make you feel special on your birthday.

Photos: Graeme Wilson

When it comes to iconic landmarks, Paris shines bright – with the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Sacre-Coeur and Louvre featuring in literally millions of annual holiday selfies by visitors from across the world.

And around-the-clock restoration efforts are bringing legendary Notre Dame back to life after the devastating fire that destroyed its roof and famous spire earlier this year.

The arts in their varying

forms are proudly celebrated in Paris, and any refinement I possess owes much to cultural beacons such as the Opera Bastille and Musee d’Orsay.

On my latest visit, I declined queuing for

hours for a fleeting glimpse of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa at the Louvre, but instead put that time to good use at the Picasso Museum where I gained new appreciation for the unique work of the Spanish master.

The Musee d’Orsay is a work of art in itself.

The Musee d’Orsay is home to some of the world’s finest artwork.

Paris streets are equally alluring by day or by night.

The Seine overflows with romance.

Eiffel Tower Arc de Triomphe Sacre-Coeur Louvre Picasso Museum

If the way to a man’s heart is indeed through his stomach, then that goes a long way to explaining my deep affection for Paris.

The myriad patisseries and boulangeries have played a key role in fuelling the dawn-to-dusk sampling of all the city has to offer this latter-day Antipodean explorer, and no visit is complete without a little people-watching over a coffee and croissant at a corner cafe.

I’m a little less comfortable in fine-dining environments, but a milestone birthday treat sampling the culinary pleasures of the Jules Verne restaurant high up in the Eiffel Tower is etched in my memory.

Such memories of Paris will live with me forever with these photos a lasting reminder of my love affair with the city.

The Sacre-Coeur attracts millions each year.

SENIORS \\JULY, 2019

23

Don’t let fear of your faeces kill you Alison Houston THE “yuck factor” stops up to 60 per cent of us from taking part in a potentially lifesaving health screen.

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in Australia after lung cancer.

One in 23 people – male and female – is diagnosed with the disease before their 75th birthday and 80 people die each week.

More than 90 per cent of bowel cancer is found in people aged 50 years and over.

But early detection means more than 90 per cent of bowel cancers can be successfully treated.

Free bowel screening test kits are sent to everyone aged 50–74 every two years, so why do so few of us use them?

That’s what Belinda

10

%

Goodwin, from the University of Southern Queensland, in association with Cancer Council Queensland, is attempting to discover.

“There are a lot of people working on raising awareness of bowel cancer and its risks but we are examining the other barriers – physical, cultural and language,” Belinda said.

The kits include equipment and directions to collect two small stool samples and send them in a prepaid envelope for testing.

It doesn’t sound too hard.

But initial survey results have found many of us, even with the best of intentions, never so much as take the kits into the bathroom where they can be used.

“That’s a pretty big physical barrier to start with,” Belinda said.

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LIFE CHOICE: University of Southern Queensland researcher Belinda Goodwin discusses the bowel cancer test kit with Cancer Council Qld volunteer, Vicky Bloxsom, and why so many people don’t use it.

“So, we encourage everyone, when they receive the kits, to put them into the bathroom, that’s step one.”

Step two is to face your fears … and your faeces.

Reducing proximity to the stool sample by providing a longer collection stick and more protective gear in the kit are two options Belinda’s study is examining.

(A flushable toilet liner to place over the toilet bowl is already included.)

Similar initiatives overseas have been investigated and various options to make the kits more user-friendly are being discussed.

Belinda is currently seeking volunteers aged 45–80 to take part in focus groups and interviews to gain a better understanding of exactly what will increase participation.

It doesn’t matter whether you have participated in a screening in the past or not.

Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world, with lifestyle choices including diet, alcohol and exercise accounting for 50 per cent of variance.

Family history and genetics are other factors involved, but it is not a

male-only disease, a common misconception in survey responses.

One of the major problems, Belinda said, is that most people have no outward symptoms of bowel cancer until it is too late.

By potentially detecting microscopic traces of blood in the stool sample, the test kits can lead to a recommendation for further testing as needed for early detection and treatment.

Of 2.5 million participant screenings since the kits were first sent out in 2006, there have been 4000 cancer diagnoses and a further

12,294 benign, pre-cancerous tumours or polyps (which can grow into cancers) detected.

That’s potentially thousands of lives saved.

To take part in Belinda’s study, phone 13 11 20 or email her at belindagoodwin @cancerqld.org.au.

Toowoomba Hospital Foundation is running a free bowel health information session with morning tea at 10am on Tuesday, July 16.

RSVP to Stacey on 07 4616 6166 or email stacey@toowoomba hospitalfoundation.org.au by noon Friday, July 12.

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WELLBEING

JULY, 2019// SENIORS

Choose the right shoe Tracey Johnstone

AS WE get older, our foot health changes so the choices of our footwear should also change.

Podiatry Australia ambassador Charlotte Bodell says we should be thinking about support, comfort, the weight of the shoes, affordability, and removable foot bed if wearing orthotics.

It’s also important you understand what foot problems you have and whether you can bend down to tie shoelaces, before buying shoes.

If you have just come out of surgery, then you may need to wear slip-on shoes. “Good slip-on shoes are Propet and Skechers,” Ms Bodell said.

“When you are looking at good shoes, you need to look at motion control, if it’s breathable, lightweight material and has cushioning or support for the foot,” she said.

“Motion control is the amount of stability the shoe can provide when you are walking.”

If you over-pronate and the mid-foot drops, the vernacular bone can sometimes protrude.

“If that is prominent

A proper fit ensures healthy and safe activity.

Photo: NickyLloyd

BEST FOOT FORWARD: It might be time for you to change your shoe choices to suit the changes in your feet.

Photo: Dean Mitchell

there can be a lot rubbing and a lot of hard skin can form on that bony area.

So, you need to make sure it is cushioned as well,” Ms Bodell said.

Breathability is critical if you are prone to fungus or

tinea.

If you have bunions, you need to ensure the shoe is wide enough and flexible in the forefoot.

The fat pad gets reduced over the years, particularly if you have

been on your feet for most of your working life.

“The fat pad moves away from the bony areas and then causes calluses,” Ms Bodell said, explaining why cushioning is important.

At home Wearing a slip-on shoe with a Velcro strap to help to secure the foot is the best option. But, if you still want to wear a slip-on, then make sure the outsole is non-slip.

It can help to also have a heel of about 1cm on your indoor shoes. “That will help the ankle joint get into a neutral position and put less pressure on the knees and lower back,” Ms Bodell said.

Out and about Ecco, Hush Puppies, Skechers and Zierra – all have good leather shoes which are wide, deep and with a stable heel cup.

“Get the heel cup of a shoe and you hold it in your hand so you are

looking at the toes, mid-foot and heel,” Ms Bodell said. “Then put your finger on the heel counter and press it in. If you can move it and it’s soft, then it’s not good as it’s not holding your heel in position. You want it quite firm.”

For an orthopaedic shoe, Ms Bodell recommends Dr Comfort, Propet and Orthofeet.

On the go The material of the outsole is key to a good walking shoe.

“You don’t want a hard, stiff shoe,” she said. “The only part of the foot that is supposed to move is the mid-foot, where the arches move a little, little bit, but the ball of your foot moves the most because you need to able to propulse off when you are walking.”

Velcro-top trainers from New Balance, Brooks and Saucony are options. The Hoka One shoe offers a lace-up option with a thicker cushioning and is good when recovering from a foot injury.

Help with fitting Your podiatrist or GP can recommend a local orthotist who can come to you to work out what is the best shoe style and fit.

Seven ways to control your anger LEARNING to control your anger before it takes control of you is the first step in combating other issues, such as family and domestic violence.

Being angry can give us the energy to deal with difficult and sometimes threatening situations so it’s important to be able to feel anger occasionally, says director of

Psychological Services at Wesley Hospital Kogarah, Dr John Kearney.

His tips for managing anger are: Early warning signs Anger often escalates rapidly; you can lose your temper before you are even aware of it. There are physiological and cognitive changes that occur as you become

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angrier, such as getting hot in the face and a faster heartbeat. By recognising these changes as they occur, it will become easier to manage your anger before it gets out of hand.

The triggers Acknowledging what triggers your anger can help you avoid it in the future and allow you to identify what you should do to change your reaction in a particular situation. .

Reduce tension When angry, your heart and blood pressure increase and blood flow is redirected towards the major muscle groups. To reduce bodily tension, do muscle relaxation exercises by slowly tensing and relaxing each muscle group in the body, or take part in physical exertion such as cycling or running.

Know when to withdraw When you realise you are becoming very angry or are in danger of losing control, the best thing to do is to walk away from the situation.

Doing so will prevent you from saying things

MANAGE ANGER: These tips will support successful long-term management of anger.

Photo: Tuned_In that you might regret or from becoming potentially violent, such as threatening someone near you by slapping, shoving or pushing.

Use distraction strategies Your thoughts become narrow when angry, resulting in illogical thinking. You can resolve this by diverting your attention to the environment around you and concentrating on something nearby in detail, or by counting your

breaths.

Challenge angry thoughts When angry thoughts arise, ask yourself a series of questions that challenge the truth and reasoning behind your thoughts. For example, if you begin thinking negatively of your spouse leaving dirty dishes in the sink, or being stuck in an unpleasant social situation, ask yourself how logical, realistic or useful it is to think that way.

Avoid spreading anger through social media Before you post an angry tweet or publish an enraged Facebook story, make sure it is not a product of your irrational thoughts. Anger spreads more virally than other emotions – so people are more likely to react, getting yourself or someone else in trouble.

The consequences of exploiting anger on social media can be dire, from loss of a job to even criminal charges.

SENIORS \\JULY, 2019

25

Aveo recipes taste better BRAND INSIGHTS YOU may have heard that food in retirement and aged care communities is not very good.

So had leading retirement and aged care community operator Aveo, which is determined to change the industry standards for all senior Australians.

Aveo has been working with Nutrition Professionals Australia to set new standards in the kitchen so its residents enjoy meals that not only taste great, but meet their changing needs as they age.

“We understand that food plays an important part in helping to maintain independence and bringing friends and family together,” an Aveo spokesperson said.

“That’s why, at Aveo, residents come together over good food in our dining rooms, surrounded by a feeling of wellbeing.

“We want older

Delicious lamb korma.

Australians to feel empowered by good food and be inspired to cook simple and healthy meals at home.”

Aveo has taken its mission one step further by asking its executive chef John Casey and Nutritional Professionals Australia to work together to create the Live Life Cook cookbook to meet the idea that eating well should be easy and that with the right preparation it can be.

Live Life Cook features more than 50 simple recipes, beautiful photos of finished dishes and

Living

easy-to-find ingredients.

It draws on the 30 years of experience of John Casey, who began his professional career as as chef at one of Melbourne’s iconic five-star hotels.

He has since gone on to successfully represent Australia at the Culinary Olympics in Germany, where he was awarded a gold medal.

He has worked with chefs such as Stephanie Alexander and elite athletes such as Cathy Freeman and nurtured a passion for innovation in food quality and nutrition.

Full of cooking tips and tricks, delicious and nutritious recipes, Live Life Cook will empower the country’s active seniors to keep cooking well into the future.

The perfect gift for family members and friends is available now for $29.95.

To purchase a copy, go to aveo.com.au/food/ aveo-cookbook.

HEALTHY MEALS AT HOME: Enjoy a tasty freekah pomegranate kale salad from the Aveo cook book.

Vintage village therapy

A dive into the past can act as a soothing tonic for spirit Tracey Johnstone TOWN Square in California is a unique and quirky concept for the delivery of reminiscence therapy for people with dementia.

Developed by the team at the George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers in Chula Vista and led by its CEO Scott Tarde, they have opened in late 2018 Town Square which is an old-time interactive and stimulating indoor urban environment reflective of the early 1960s.

Reminiscence therapy has been around since the ’60s.

“It says people make their strongest memories between the ages of 10 and 30,” Mr Tarde said.

“If we look at the older people we serve in our organisation, they are typically in their early 80s.

“If you look at the time they made their strongest memories it would have been in the 1950s and 1960s.”

“In the county of San

It’s time to enjoy ice cream sundaes in Rosie’s Diner.

Diego there are 85,000 people with Alzheimer’s,” he added.

With the help of the San Diego Opera’s scenic studio, the Town Square was constructed across an area of about 836sqm.

Over time the scenic company will help to remodel the site and music to reflect the change in generations using the centre.

The Town Square comprises 11 vintage stores, fully fitted out.

There’s the diner with a ’50s jukebox, the City Hall

and the library, a pet shop, park, clinic, department store, garage, news stand, museum and even a movie theatre.

With the help of onsite carers working at the respite centre, at any one time each weekday, up to 45 people with dementia spend a day immersed in structured, tactile experiences, in groups of five, going from rotating through 45–50 minute group activities in each of the stores to eating an old-fashioned meal in the diner.

GOOD TIMES: Glenner’s Rosie’s Diner is fitted out with a jukebox playing ’50s and ’60s music while old-fashioned food is served to its visitors.

“If you think about it at a deeper level, these are spaces that are typically cut-off to people who have dementia,” Mr Tarde said.

The experiences are designed to create dignity and purpose for the visitors, helping ultimately to reduce their agitation, improving their mood and sleep quality.

“We’re not trying to fool anybody it’s 1953 within Town Square, but we are trying to create an experience that is consistent with where their strongest memories are,” he added.

School class groups have also visited Town Square to learn about what life was like for their

grandparents.

“The teachers have then been getting them to design a town square for what it would like when they are in their 80s,” Mr Tarde said.

The Town Square concept is in the process of being franchised internationally by Senior Helpers.

26

LIVING

JULY, 2019// SENIORS

Is laughter really the best medicine?

Meredith Yardley OK, it’s an old saying. But is it true?

The science is in and….

YES! Laughter has a myriad of health benefits.

Laughter is essential for our wellbeing. Why? When we laugh for a sustained period of time, our bodies release oxytocin – called the love drug; serotonin – to enhance our mood; dopamine – to tap into our brain’s pleasure centre; and endorphins – our body’s natural pain killer.

Regular, sustained laughter can aid our: Physical health ■ When you laugh, you breathe deeply, bringing more oxygen into your blood stream. Your immune cells move around your blood stream, aiding general wellbeing.

■ This boost in oxygen also helps your brain, improving creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

■ Laughing elevates your heart rate – it’s an aerobic exercise!

Mental health ■ Laughing is a mindful activity. You are completely in the here and now, not thinking about yesterday or tomorrow, reducing anxiety and even depression.

■ Laughter involves play and imagination – and having fun for its own sake.

■ Laughing is a connecting activity – the shortest distance between two people is a smile and a laugh.

Emotional health ■ Learning to laugh at life can help build emotional resilience, enabling you to cope better with life’s challenges.

■ Connection – we are social beings and laughing helps us feel part of a group.

■ Regular laughter lifts your spirit and brings out your natural beauty.

By engaging in regular, daily laughter, you can build up your physical, emotional and mental health arsenal.

Meredith Yardley is a happiness specialist and has an MA in Communication She is on a quest to help people live happier, more fulfilled lives, regardless of their circumstances. meredithyardley.com

OPERATING OPTIONS: As the population ages, we're operating on increasingly older people.

Photo: Katarzyna Bialasiewicz

Deciding on surgery

Dr Claire McKie, Deakin University HOW do we decide who should and shouldn’t undergo surgery?

As the population ages, we’re operating on older and older people. Rates for elective surgery in Australia are increasing most among those aged over 85.

Advances in anaesthetic and surgical techniques, especially keyhole surgery, now allow older adults to undergo operations and procedures that were previously not possible.

However, in many cases the balance between benefits and harms of surgery for older people is

not clear-cut.

■ Age is factor, but not the only one Some 70-year-olds are fit, healthy and still working full-time. Other 70-year-olds have multiple medical conditions, are frail and living in nursing homes. So decisions about surgery shouldn’t be based on age alone.

We can’t ignore the changes associated with ageing, which means sometimes the potential harms of surgery will outweigh the benefits.

The harms associated with surgery and anaesthesia include death, surgical complications, longer hospital stays and poorer long-term outcomes. This may mean not being able

to return to the same physical or cognitive level of function or needing to go into a nursing home.

The changes in our body as we age, as well as an increase in the number of diseases, and therefore medications we take, can increase the risks associated with surgery and anaesthesia.

Frailty is the strongest predictor of poor outcomes after surgery.

■ Consider the patient’s preferences Patients tend to overestimate the benefits of surgery and underestimate the harms.

This highlights the importance of shared decision-making between patients and clinicians.

As we age, outcomes

such as living independently, staying in our own home, the ability to move around, and being mentally alert often become more important than prolonging life at all costs. This information about a person’s values is critical for shared decision-making conversations.

When considering these preferences, the discussion becomes more than just “could” we do this operation – it’s about “should” we do this operation? Someone living at home with early dementia may decide the risk of this worsening, and the possible need to move to a nursing home, is not worth any benefits of surgery.

In some cases, cognitive impairment and dementia associated with ageing mean it’s not the patient (but their appointee) making decisions about surgery.

■ Not everyone should be offered surgery There shouldn’t be policies that say “no” to surgery based on age.

When considering resource allocation, it should not just be about how many years a person has to live, or blunt assessments based on how much their operation might cost the health system.

This story was first published in The Conversation .

Supporting ageing through My Health Record AGEING is not a destination, but a journey.

It’s not a place you suddenly arrive at one day – rather it’s something we’re all experiencing, all the time.

Our population is living longer than ever before, and before the turn of the next century it is expected that nearly a quarter of Australians will be over the age of 65.

The increased longevity is mostly due to advances in treatments, better hygiene and improved models of care – something that should be celebrated – but it also means it’s crucial that our health system is robust enough to provide support

Aged Care nurse Susan Emerson. Photo: Creolumen for all Australians through their ageing process.

As our longevity continues to increase, so too do the new challenges faced by the aged care sector. Initiatives such as My Health Record can bolster our health system and make sure it is prepared to provide for all

Australians across the continuum of ageing. I see the My Health Record as a great tool to support inter-professional and cross-disciplinary care.

I’ve worked in the aged care sector for almost 30 years. Time and time again, people in our sector hear Australians say they want to stay at home on their own or with their loved ones for as long as possible. It makes sense that our aged care system allows this, supporting people to manage their own care and maintain their independence. Geriatric care is critical to helping achieve and preserve the best quality of life and

independence for all Australians.

GPs are a central, trusted link in managing this care in the community. But there are times when juggling multiple specialities and tests, and accessing medical records and medications in a timely manner can be difficult.

The online summary of a person’s key health information ensures we can work with patients and their support networks to provide a treatment plan that is tailored around them.

When patients arrive at hospital, they’re often already too unwell to accurately recall all their

medical history..

Being able to store that information and have it retrievable for all healthcare providers is of enormous value to both patients and clinicians. In the common instances of after-hours medical emergencies, a digital health record can be a pharmacist’s best friend, preventing misdiagnosis or medication errors when information and support is not otherwise readily available.

Susan Emerson is an experienced aged care nurse and thought leader working in an innovative role in the aged care setting.

SENIORS \\JULY, 2019

27

In the dark about super?

Paul Clitheroe MORE than half of Australians have no idea about a shake-up of superannuation that’s due to kick in from July 1.

The clock is ticking towards the end of the financial year.

That matters because from July 1, more than three million Australians may be affected when default life insurance is switched off in super accounts that have been inactive for 16 months.

This change is part of the Protecting Your Super package aimed at preventing unnecessary or unwanted erosion of super savings by life insurance premiums.

It does this by ending cover for super accounts where there have been no contributions for 16 months or more.

More than 85 per cent of Australians have life insurance through their

super fund.

Yet a new study by industry body ASFA found 53 per cent are unaware of the upcoming change to life cover held in super.

Also, one third of Australians rarely or never read correspondence from their super fund.

Not surprisingly, one in four have no idea what their super savings are worth, and 44 per cent don’t know what insurance – if any – they have through super.

While holding life insurance through a super fund can provide an important safety net for your family if the worst should happen, paying multiple premiums out of different accounts doesn’t make sense.

Premiums come out of your super savings, so they can eat away at your retirement nest egg.

Paying several lots of premiums may provide

Money

SUPER MATTERS: From July 1, default life insurance is being switched off in super accounts that have been inactive for 16 months.

Photo: Squaredpixels no real benefit if you already have adequate cover in place through your main fund or if you have life insurance outside of super.

The key is to check your super before July 1 to see if you have life cover in place, and be sure you have the right level of insurance for

your circumstances.

You can elect to keep your cover in place even if the fund is inactive, and sometimes there can be good reasons to do this, for example, if you have a pre-existing medical condition that would make it hard to get life insurance outside of super.

This can also be a cue to tidy up your super by rolling any small balances, or accounts that have been sitting idle, into your main fund.

It’s a great way to save on fees and keep track of your super as well as cutting back on unnecessary insurance premiums.

The super industry has launched a new website: timetocheck.com.au.

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

NBN scams on the rise SCAMMERS are increasingly using trusted brands like NBN to trick consumers into parting with their money or personal information.

NBN Co is a wholesale-only company and does not sell services directly to consumers.

“We will never make unsolicited calls or door knock to sell broadband services to the public.

People need to contact their preferred phone and internet service provider to make the switch,” NBN Co chief security officer Darren Kane said.

“We will never request remote access to a

resident’s computer and we will never make unsolicited requests for payment or financial information.”

Watch out for scammers ■ Pretending to be from NBN or an internet provider calls a victim and claims there is a problem with their phone or internet connection, which requires remote access to fix. The scammer can then install malware or steal valuable personal information, including banking details.

■ Pretending to be the NBN attempting to sell NBN services, often at a discount, or equipment to

you over the phone.

■ That call or visit you at home to sign you up to the NBN, offer you a better deal or test the speed of your connection.

They may ask you to provide details such as name, address, date of birth, and Medicare number or ask for payment through a gift cards.

■ Calling you during a blackout offering to keep you connected during a blackout for an extra fee.

What to do ■ If someone claims to work for NBN and tries to sell you an internet or phone service and you are

unsure, ask for their details, hang up, and call your service provider to check if they’re legitimate.

■ Do a Google search or check the phone book to get your service provider’s number. Never use contact details provided by the sales person.

■ Never give an unsolicited caller remote access to your computer.

■ Never give out your personal, credit card or online account details to anyone you don’t know – in person or over the phone – unless you made the contact in the first place.

NBN does not make

Photo: natasaadzic

automated calls to tell you that you will be disconnected – if you get a call like this just hang up.

If you think a scammer has gained access to your personal information such as bank details, contact your bank immediately.

Embrace the Internet!

It’s time to jump on the social media bandwagon! Let Seniors ease you into the exciting world of online. Get every news story - big or small, the latest exclusive offers, plus a whole heap more when you connect with Seniors on social media.

Visit facebook.com/seniorsnews or seniorsnews.com.au

28

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JULY, 2019// SENIORS

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Briese Lawyers is a dynamic firm based in Toowoomba offering a wealth of legal experience to its valued clients.

Call us today on 07 4616 3100 to discuss your tailored home care services.

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With a nickname of “Hairy” Contact Jeff Hannaford who is a community minded Chartered Accountant and doubles as a Trouble Shooter.

What can Jeff and his staff solve?? Anything!!

Jeff Hannaford is a Community Chartered Accountant and Trouble Shooter who has been in business since 1978 when he opened up his first office in Inglewood.

His business has now grown with another 2 offices in Texas and Millmerran.

Jeff supports the AOOB Organisation because they are involved in charity and charity begins at home.

Try Jeff and his staff’s experience in solving your Accountancy, Taxation and Financial worries Don’t delay, contact and enjoy the experience of good old fashioned service.

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CLASSIFIEDS

Trades & Services

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Notices

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Health - Professional Practitioners

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Public Notices

Call Brad: 0429 554 496 brad@pristinewater.net.au

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Health - Professional Practitioners

Dr med dent (Berne, Switzerland), Phd, Specialist SSRD

129 Cunningham Street, Dalby QLD 4405 07 4570 4100 PO BOX 417, Dalby QLD 4405 patweir.com.au PatWeirMP condamine@parliament.qld.gov.au

Motoring

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Judith McGrath-Colquhoun Owner and Director

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REVIEWS

JULY, 2019// SENIORS

Daughter’s tale shines spotlight

Heartfelt, tragic and humorous POW story

The forgotten aviator with a story to tell

AUSTRALIAN author Mary Garden shares the personal, soulful story of her father in the newly released book Sundowner of the Skies: The story of Oscar Garden, The Forgotten Aviator.

She knew little about her father’s life as an aviator until she starting digging into his amazing flying adventures where she discovered his tumultuous childhood in north Scotland, the ghosts of his past which he could not escape.

It turns out he was a famous long-distance aviator who soared through any sky but crash-landed the one-way journey of his life on earth.

She approaches the book with the same disregard for self-preservation that saw her father fly to Australia from London in 1930 in a second hand plane with only 39 flying hours under his belt.

In the early morning of October 16, 1930, Garden taxied his tiny Gipsy Moth across London’s Croydon aerodrome and with a wave of his hand to the only person there to farewell him, took off.

He was to fly that plane to Australia, which was sheer madness as he only had a mere 39 flying hours under his belt.

When he landed at Wyndham 18 days later, no one was expecting him.

Diggers warts and all account

However, his flight – the third fastest after veteran aviators Bert Hinkler and Charles Kingsford Smith – captured the world’s imagination.

With a lack of fanfare, he had given the impression he had just set out on a short

pleasure trip, instead of the most formidable feat in aerial navigation.

The press dubbed him Sundowner of the Skies.

Unlike most of his contemporaries who died in crashes, Oscar survived and went on to a career in commercial aviation.

He ended up as Chief Pilot of Tasman Empire Airways, the forerunner of Air New Zealand, but left suddenly in 1947.

He never flew a plane again.

Released by New Holland Publishers, RRP $29.99.

FROM recruitment and training and the battlegrounds of Palestine, North Africa, Thailand, Burma and beyond, these are the highly individual stories of Australia’s World War II diggers told in their own voices – warts and all.

With a reputation for being hard to discipline, generosity to their comrades, frankness and sticking it up any sign of pomposity, Australian soldiers were a wild and irreverent lot, even in the worst of circumstances during World War II. In Larrikins in Khaki, author Tim Bowden has collected compelling and vivid stories of individual soldiers whose memoirs were mostly self-published and who told of their experiences with scant regard for literary pretensions and military niceties.

Most of these men had little tolerance for military order and discipline, and NCOs and officers who were hopeless at their jobs were made aware of it.

They laughed their way through the worst of it by taking the mickey out of one another and their superiors.

THE Diggers of Colditz is a classic and dramatic prisoner of ware tale about escaping from the inescapable.

Colditz Castle was Nazi Germany’s infamous ‘escape-proof’ wartime prison, where hundreds of the most determined and resourceful Allied prisoners were sent.

Despite having more guards than inmates, Australian Lieutenant Jack Champ and other prisoners tirelessly carried out their campaign to escape from the massive floodlit stronghold... by any means necessary.

In this riveting account – by turns humorous, heartfelt and tragic – historian Colin Burgess and Lieutenant Jack Champ tell the story from the point of view of the prisoners themselves.

Their story is about 20 Australians, who made Colditz Castle their ‘home’, and the plans they made that were so crazy that some even achieved the seemingly impossible – escape!

Published by Simon & Schuster.

Available now.

RRP $35.

Published by Allen & Unwin, RRP $32.99.

Ghosts of the Past brings a true story to life TONY Park’s new novel Ghosts of the Past brings to life the forgotten, but fascinating true story of a young Australian who at 24 took up arms against a brutal colonial power in the early 1900s in a remote corner of Africa.

The book is based on the story of Edward Lionel Presgrave, an Australian who fought in the Boer War in South Africa, but stayed on after the war and made a quasi-legal living as a cattle and horse trader.

In 1904, two years after the fight against the Boers ended, another conflict

broke out across the border in German South West Africa when the local indigenous people rose up against their colonial overlords.

“Edward Presgrave ran horses and guns to the Nama rebels and at some point he joined the fight, tying himself to a charismatic guerrilla leader, Jakob Morengo, known to the Germans as ‘the Black Napoleon’ due to his tactical genius,” Park said.

“By the time Presgrave joined the war the Germans had borrowed a tactic pioneered by the British in

the Boer War and rounded up innocent Nama and Herero women and children and interned them in concentration camps.

“In an eerie portent of what was to come some three decades later under the Nazis, tens of thousands of prisoners were beaten, starved and worked to death on construction project and subjected to inhumane medical experiments in the camps.

“We don’t know exactly why Presgrave joined Jakob Morengo in his war against the Germans, but we do

know he was a thorn in their side.

“A price of 3000 Marks was put on his head and Presgrave was eventually lured into an ambush by a couple of Afrikaner spies working for the Germans, and killed.”

The fictitious version of Presgrave, war-weary Australian Sergeant Cyril Blake is drawn into the rebellion by his love for two different women and a quest for a missing treasure based on another true story.

Published by Pan Macmillan, RRP $32.99.

SENIORS \\JULY, 2019

PUZZLES

JIGGERED

1/7

The challenge is to rearrange a crossword which has been broken into 25 sections. One letter has been given to get you started. Work out which 3x3 square fits in with that letter and write in the letters.

You can also shade the black squares if you find it helpful.

After completing the first 3x3 area, work out which square joins on to it, and continue until you have made a complete crossword.

T

A R S I T O N

R Y O P I I L C

H U E E A A L L

D C O O A N E

A P I E N

N O E B S

C N K E L Y

A T I

T E E R G

E M B S O

I

B S H T

H A R A E I J

A R L O M Y

T E S A N

N O B O O B A G

F L E M I A

R D A U

R E O W T O

C A U T N M

W S O F R

B O P A D D S

M B B I C

O R K N R E

A T O

T E

D O B A F

I

R M

QUICK CROSSWORD

1

Down 1. Absolutely (7) 2. Catch (7) 3. Even (5) 4. Roughen (7) 5. Started (5) 6. Sorts (5) 9. Engaged (9) 14. Seafarer (7) 15. Cheerfully (7) 16. Die (7) 19. Expertise (5) 20. Relating to birth (5) 21. Change (5)

7

Across 7. Melted (6) 8. Beautiful (6) 10. Radical (7) 11. Waken (5) 12. Entice (4) 13. Desiccated (5) 17. Eccentric (5) 18. Fury (4) 22. Military fabric (5) 23. Oval (7) 24. Idler (6) 25. Kingdoms (6)

2

3

4

31

5

6

15

16

8 9

10

11

12

13 14 17

18

20

19

21

22

TRIO

23

24

25

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

SUDOKU

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

Y

RELAX, SIGNAL, TANNERY, UMBRELLA, VACCINATE.

ALPHAGRAMS SUDOKU

P A S T E

B O G

H

JIGGERED

TRIO: HER

Across: 7. Thawed 8. Lovely 10. Extreme 11. Rouse 12. Lure 13. Dried 17. Batty 18. Rage 22. Khaki 23. Ellipse 24. Loafer 25.

Realms.

Down: 1. Utterly 2. Capture 3. Level 4. Coarsen 5. Begun 6. Types 9. Betrothed 14. Mariner 15. Happily 16. Decease 19. Skill 20. Natal 21. Alter.

QUICK CROSSWORD E W E S

T A K E

K E L P

P E R U

N O U N

I D I O M A T I C

O B S U R A R E S C WH O L A O V A L O I L T E M SW S E I E T E D A C R E T H A N

S T E A L

O R E W I G N D O

QUIZ

M A C T H I O L D I E A C I R O K N A D P O C OM P L O R A L W E R E

9 LETTERS COMPLETED CRESCENDO IDIOMATIC RELEVANCE

1. In 1984, who became the first Australians to reach the summit of Mt Everest?

2. Which number is equal to twice the sum of its two digits?

3. Where would you find treads and risers close together?

4. Of which continent is the tiger a native?

5. Who succeeded Nixon as President of the USA in 1974?

6. What does the C stand for in the media organisation CNN? 7. Which TV quiz began with “Your starter for ten...”?

8. How many rivers are there in Saudi Arabia?

R E L E V A N C E

5 LETTERS ALIKE APPLE INAPT KNEAD MACHO STEAL TEETH WIDEN

QUIZ

I S L E

TAKE THAN TILE TWIG VIOL WERE WHOA

S U I T

4 LETTERS ACNE ACRE ALMS AURA

BREW COAL DARK DIAL ETCH EWES ICON IDOL ISLE ITEM KELP LOOT MOBS NILE NOUN OOPS ORAL OVAL PERU POSE SASH SEAT SORE SUIT SWUM

WORDFIT

A U R A

3 LETTERS COW CUE DEW EGO ERA ILL IRK MAR OIL ORE OUR OWN RID ROC SIR TEA USE VIE

1. Tim Macartney-Snape and Greg Mortimer, 2. 18, 3. On a staircase, 4. Asia, 5.

Ford, 6. Cable, 7. University Challenge, 8. None.

Solution opposite

E

WORDFIT Fit the words into the grid to create a finished crossword

O R E B O O W E T O D D A R S T I M A T I O O O R K N O N O T R E B A F B B L E M I S I A T R C N A K E L P I Y N

TODAY Good 12 Very Good 17 Excellent 20+

Y

G S

D C O A N T E A N D B A F M B I C A L O M

H

T E

LAXER ALIGNS AN ENTRY RUM LABEL CAT IN A CAVE

H A R E A I J R Y O P I I L C N O E B S T E E R G A R S I T O N

L S

I S

How many words of four letters or more can you make? Each letter must be used only once and all words must contain the centre letter.

There is at least one nine-letter word.

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

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

WORD GO ROUND

WORD GO ROUND

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.

eight heist hilt hiss hisses hits light lights lithe shies sigh sighs sight SIGHTLESS sights sleigh sleighs sleight slight slights thesis this

ALPHAGRAMS

32

TOOWOOMBA

JULY, 2019// SENIORS

Highfields.

Your lifestyle.

New homes now selling from $439,000 GemLife offers luxury resort-style living with world-class lifestyle facilities on your doorstep.

Built with active over 50s in mind, it really is the place to live in Highfields.

The GemLife promise.

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SALES OFFICE

75 HIGHGROVE DRIVE, HIGHFIELDS QLD 4352

1800 910 278 | www.gemlife.com.au/hfs HIGHFIELDS QLD | MAROOCHYDORE QLD | PACIFIC PARADISE QLD | BRIBIE ISLAND QLD | LENNOX HEAD NSW | WOODEND VIC