Seniors Toowoomba, March 2020

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March, 2020

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2000: Kevin Coombs carries the torch at the opening of Sydney’s Paralympic Games

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Still throwing goals for indigenous Australians. The first indigenous athlete to represent Australia in Paralympic or Olympic games talks about his journey as a sportsman, political influencer and hopes for the future.

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INDEX 04-05 08 12-13 14 19 28 32 34

Treasures in spotlight

Feature – David Williamson What’s On Cover Story – Kevin Coombs Community Notes Wanderlust Wellbeing Living Money

Geoff Crockett Seniors Guest Editor Welcome to the March editions of Seniors News.

Our intrepid editor Gail Forrer is off on a month’s leave, which means I have the chance to guest edit for a few weeks and try not to break anything while she’s gone.

Luckily for me our writers have been busy and there are plenty of great stories to share.

Tracey Johnstone had the opportunity to chat to Kevin Coombes (AO) about his remarkable journey through life and his ongoing passion for education and reconciliation between Australia’s first people and the broader community.

She also caught up with national treasure, playwright David Williamson (AO), who has announced he is retiring from the theatre after 50 years to spend more time with his family, including five children and 14 grandchildren.

His is an amazing story

06 Era ends as cycling identities hand over reins.

of dedication to his craft, and his body of work will live on forever.

On the travel front, Erle Levey spent time in Hobart and came back with some great tips for anyone else looking to visit the city in the future, and Kerry Heaney shines a spotlight on the Stanthorpe region. She highlights the opportunity to be part of the Apple and Grape Festival – although you’ll need to be quick.

If you’re looking for ways to connect with your fellow seniors in the region, be sure to turn to our community notes pages where you’ll find a wide array of groups and activities planned for the month ahead where anyone is welcome to come along.

Also, check out the Wellbeing, Living and Money sections this month for great tips on topics including eye health, boosting your superannuation and how to avoid scammers.

I hope you enjoy this month’s read.

Geoff

SENIORS

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.

Responsibility for election material in this paper is taken by Gail Forrer, cnr Mayne Road & Campbell Street, Bowen Hills, QLD 4006.

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Sanctuary out to expand Alison Houston

YOU'RE WELCOME: Toowoomba Women's Collective CEO Amanda Dalton and Protea Place manager Susy Wenitong hope the doors will soon be open at 131 Russell St on Wednesdays, as well as the current Mondays and Fridays.

Picture: Contributed

MORE than 40 at-risk women a week, aged from their 40s to 80s, are welcoming the safe, homelike atmosphere and practical supports of Toowoomba’s Protea Place.

It is somewhere for homeless and disadvantaged women to shower, wash clothes, pick up new clothes and toiletries, enjoy a hot meal and relax Mondays and Fridays from 10am-2pm, and hopefully soon on Wednesdays.

“It’s not just about homelessness but social isolation and mental health and wellbeing,” CEO Amanda Dalton said.

Often, healing starts just by sharing a cup of tea, or talking and having a laugh around the dining room table – a normal, homely setting that these women have missed for too long.

“For some of these

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Amanda said letting women know they are valued and giving their lives purpose again was part of what she had seen being missed by services.

“I wish the community could see the impact a locally based service running on the smell of an oily rag can make … that their money really does make a difference,” she said.

And we will, with filming of a short documentary by Thru A Lens Media recently completed, capturing the spirit of days at Protea Place and the testimonials of some of the women.

“Tears, raw honesty, laughter, hope for the future with loads of goosebump moments,” the Facebook post said of the film, which was to debut at the collective’s International Women’s Day lunch on Saturday.

Amanda said many people would be surprised to learn the largest cohort of people receiving Newstart

was now aged 50-65. At an age when we expect to be comfortable, these people are struggling to live on just $40 a day, covering rent, food, health, bills and other essentials.

“Sleeping rough only accounts for a small percentage; it’s the hidden homeless that continue to grow,” Amanda said.

She hoped the collective’s 15 Bucks for February fundraiser and the International Women’s Day lunch would achieve the $25,000 needed for Protea Place to open its doors on Wednesdays, with an ultimate goal of opening seven days a week.

But she admitted there was an element of “charity fatigue” after the bushfire appeals.

If you can help or you need help, go to http:// toowoombawomens collective.org.au/proteaplace, phone 0403 756 783 or visit Protea Place at 131 Russell St, Toowoomba.

Updates from the Toowoomba Region

For Sale 3

women, that meal they have with us will be the only one they have all day and probably the only really nutritious meal they have all week,” Amanda said.

Protea Place was opened in September last year by Toowoomba Women’s Collective which Amanda started in 2018 to fill an increasing void she had seen over her 20 years in social services.

The environment is not structured, with craft and other activities, counselling and information about available services, with the focus on connection. And the holistic, individual approach is getting results.

“We’ve got women whose lives are being transformed; they are almost unrecognisable,” Amanda said. “Women who were so fearful and traumatised they could hardly speak or look you in the eye are now helping to run services and nurturing other women and feeling empowered.’’

Changed customer service hours

Our customer service team are committed to providing the best customer experience across all our centres. To ensure staff stay up-to-date with training and development, our customer service centres will be closed between 3pm5pm on 12 March and every second Thursday of each month. Our afterhours emergency contact line 131 872 will be available during these closures.

Otherwise 8.30am-5pm Monday to Friday.

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Water restrictions

We’re grateful for the recent rainfall in the Region however, it’s only had a very small impact on our water supply levels. Water restriction levels remain unchanged for all areas of the Toowoomba Region.

Crows Nest Community Nursery open day

The Crows Nest Community Nursery is a volunteer based environmental nursery, specialising in the native plants of Toowoomba Region. The group source local seeds from indigenous trees and shrubs in the area to grow, which ensures the plants are well suited and resistant to climatic conditions.

Plants can be purchased from the nursery at Depot Road in the Crows Nest Industrial Estate during their open day on 7 March from 8am-2pm.

Call the nursery for more information on 4698 2990.

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Celebrate our parks from 7 to 15 March. A wide range of activities will be running designed to encourage you to enjoy your neighbourhood parks and open recreation spaces. Activities include fitness classes to suit all ages, walking groups, parkrun and much more. Some bookings are required visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/parksweek for more information.

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Masterful Williamson takes curtain call on high Tracey Johnstone

COASTING IN COMFORT: Retiring Australian playwright David Williamson relaxing at his Sunshine Beach home with his wife, Kristin.

Picture: Paul Smith

FOR 50 years playwright David Williamson (AO) has had his hand on the pulse of Australian society, crafting a plethora of memorable creative memories.

Remember Don’s Party?

What about The Removalists, The Club, the film Gallipoli or the Phar Lap screenplay?

Even now he has a burst of plays happening, including Family Values, playing in Sydney.

In celebration of Williamson’s 50 years in Australian theatre, a revival of the hit 1987 play Emerald City is jointly being produced by the Melbourne Theatre Company and Queensland Theatre.

At another Sydney venue is his latest work, Crunch Time, which is on until early April, when it moves north

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to its Queensland premiere in Noosa in mid-April.

But now the writing pen lies dormant on his desk. No more plays. No more films.

No more television miniseries.

The time has come for Williamson, 78, to pack away his shingle and travel a different journey.

There is still plenty of Australian life that he could showcase, but Williamson is adamant it won’t happen through his pen.

Since 1970 Williamson has pursued his dream to introduce to audiences his flawed characters through his stories, which, as former Ensemble Theatre artistic director Sandra Bates writes, can through their actions achieve his dream of “ … a desire for a better society, a more tolerant society …”

As one lanky leg crosses over the other, Williamson

relaxes in a Sydney coffee shop at the base of the tower that houses his second home, and says: “Thankfully there is a whole generation of new writers who are tackling these issues. They can take it on.

“I care about the future of the world, but I will have to leave it to others.’’

His first-performed play was The Coming of Stork in 1970 at La Mama in Melbourne.

The journey to that point was convoluted. In his early teens Williamson’s father, who for 47 years worked in a job he hated, told the young fellow he should make sure he worked in something he really wanted to do.

Williamson’s mechanical engineering degree at Monash University certainly didn’t captivate him. But what did catch his interest was writing the “pretty

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playwright signing off rough” engineering and university student reviews.

He went back to university for another stint, this time doing a psychology degree.

“I could have gone down that career path and quite happily been a social psychology researcher, but at the same time my writing took off,” Williamson said.

His final year of studying social psychology prepared him for taking his keen interest in human behaviour and turning it into a valuable tool in his creative future.

“I couldn’t have cared less why a car worked; I was much more interested in how a human worked,” he said.

Williamson became hooked on theatre. He took himself to see many different plays and found himself completely enfolded in drama.

And as they say, the rest is history.

His last work, the play

Crunch Time, has just had its Sydney premiere at the Griffin Theatre, where his first play was performed all those years ago.

Crunch Time is due to have its Queensland premiere in Noosa in midApril.

In this play Williamson has created Steve, a typical Aussie bloke with a not so unusual dilemma. He’s just retired, handing over the reins of his business to one son. Is this a sign of favouritism? Could this action drive deeper the sense of sibling rivalry between his two sons?

His other son hasn’t spoken to Steve for almost eight years.

What follows is rivalry, illness, a father’s dream, the chance to repair broken relationships, and jealousy.

“These issues do come to mind when you get older,” said Williamson, who looked closely at what is happening to the people around him.

“It’s about family and a father who is approaching death. This family, driven apart by sibling rivalry, comes from observing friends. Luckily there’s been no such thing in our family, at least to date,” he adds with something of a smile.

“It’s a stressful business but one I have loved being in. Writing, getting the script right, and then right through to opening night. I could do without that.

“It’s been thoroughly enjoyable. I have had 50 terrific years in the theatre.

All the plays that I wanted to have done have been done and usually done very well so it’s been a dream run.”

The three plays being performed now are all booking well so “getting out now while people are still coming” seems to be a good idea to Williamson.

That quiet smile returns when he continues: “I don’t want to be wandering around at 98 wondering

Williamson with The Advertiser journalist Stan James and TV presenter Jan Beasley in December 1992.

Picture: Contributed

why there is no one in the theatre.’’

So, what will he do? Well, he says there are plenty of things to do to fill in his retirement. There are five children and 14 grandchildren to keep him and his wife, Kristin, busy.

Williamson will continue

to split his time between the family home at Sunshine Beach on the Sunshine Coast and the apartment in Sydney, which is close to two of his children.

Then there is lots of reading to catch up on and enjoying watching other people’s work on the stage

and in film. A memoir, perhaps? It’s a strong possibility.

On summing up his incredible 50 years in Australian theatre, Williamson casts his mind to Albert Facey’s book A Fortunate Life. “I can say I have had a fortunate life.”

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Cycling gurus shift up a gear Alison Houston IT IS the end of an era for Toowoomba cycling as Kerry and Donnamaree Cosgrove prepare to hand Bikeline over to new owners in April after 28 years.

The couple admit to mixed emotions in saying farewell to something that has been so much more than a business, and such a huge part of their lives.

Kerry said it was the customers who had become friends, and what he and Donnamaree had been able to achieve in terms of initiatives and facilities for Toowoomba, that really stood out.

That includes the Norwegian Olympic cycling team training in Toowoomba in the lead-up to Sydney’s 2000 Games, having the Australian cycling team race in Toowoomba and, at the other end of the spectrum, working with the PCYC on children’s bicycle

safety training. Kerry also lobbied for and was instrumental in construction of the purpose-built criterium track in 2011, rated one of the country’s best.

The annual Bikeline Pinktober Ride raises funds for St Andrew’s and St Vincent’s hospitals and Bikeline has also been part of Rotary’s charity Ride the Range since it began 10 years ago, helping to design the course with Rotary Club of Toowoomba members.

The March 29 ride, this year raising funds for MND and ME, Protea Place and Rotary District 9630 Drought Relief, attracts entrants from across the country and has raised more than $300,000 for charity.

“I’m really proud of the community stuff we’ve done … that’s what I remember most,” Kerry said.

It’s a big list of achievements and he almost passes over one … having been chairman of the Australian Paralympic

Federation, the forerunner of Paralympics Australia when it formed in 1990.

He was executive director of the Amputee Sporting Association of Australia at the time, having lost his leg when he “went through a harvester as a young bloke”.

Kerry said he was overwhelmed by how the Paralympics had taken off after the first combined event with the Olympics at the Barcelona Games in 1992 – the same year he bought Bikeline.

That Paralympics brought a young Louise Sauvage to fame and arguably changed the face of sport and views on ability and disability for ever.

“Those are definitely the things that give you a good kick out of life,” he said.

While Kerry and Donnamaree have never actually competed in Ride the Range, that’s because they are always there supplying on-road support.

To celebrate its 10th year,

RIDING TALL: Ride the Range chair Suzie Gibson with Kerry Cosgrove (right), who donated a practice bike to Brad Young (centre). Brad has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease but isn't going to let it stop him riding the 58km Nifty 50 Ride the Range event on March 29, part of the funds from which will support MND research.

Picture: Kevin Farmer

Ride the Range has added another test to its 2020 lineup – the epic 200 Double Range Climb. Labelled the

toughest and longest charity ride in the state’s southeast, it is estimated to take nineplus hours, travelling more

than 200km. To find out more about Ride the Range, go to https://ridetherange .org.au.

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What’s on

Alison Houston Journalist

HEALTH CHECK PITSTOP THE Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service is hosting a free community Health Check PitStop event on level 1 at Toowoomba’s Grand Central from 9.30am2.30pm on March 12. Free to the community, aimed at making it quick, easy and relaxed to check your health.

Checkpoints will include blood pressure, sugar levels, body mass index, weight, hearing, heart care, oral health, etc. Phone 07 4699 8386 for details.

MET GALLERY AUTUMN THE Met Gallery at Highfields is not being spooked by Black Friday,

opening its Autumn Exhibition from 5.30pm on Friday, March 13. The artists will of course be on hand to provide the good vibes, so go along and show your support. The Met Gallery@Highfields is on the New England Highway.

Phone 0466 564 241.

OAKEY SHOW IT’S the 112th time someone has said this – it’s Oakey Show time. On Saturday, March 14 from 8am-10pm at Oakey Showgrounds, you will find everything you would expect, including horse events, beef cattle, angora goats, poultry and caged birds, farm produce, flowers, cookery, craft, fashion and a ute muster.

Entry is just $5 for pensioners and $10 adults.

Go to oakeyshow.com.

SUMMER TUNES COINCIDING with the Yarraman Markets on

Saturday, March 14 at Errol Munt Park, you can also enjoy 2Timing with Toowoomba Shire Council’s Summer Tunes, singing songs from the 1950s to today from 10am-1pm. The entertainment is at Cecil Plains Homestead on Sunday, March 15, and on March 22 Summer Tunes comes to Pittsworth Historical Village and Obst Park Oval at Wyreema. On March 29 it’s at Goombungee and Cambooya.

VOCAL VOYAGES ST LUKE’S Anglican Church Toowoomba is hosting an afternoon of arias, songs, musical theatre and popular classics on Sunday, March 15. It will feature soloists Hayley Sugars, Nick Kirkup, Aylish Ryan, Monday Nights (a capella men’s chorus) and Eduarda van Klinken on pipe organ. The concert will be followed by afternoon tea, and tickets (online or at the door) are $20 adults, $15 concession and school students free. Go to toowoombatickets.com.au/ event/10733 or phone 07 4639 1910.

THE SAPPHIRES ON

SENIORS

STAGE THE Sapphires is a funny, heart-warming tale inspired by the true story of writer Tony Briggs’ mother, and has already won awards as a play, film and soundtrack album. Now it’s on a national tour which Tony says captures all the same fun and energy and will leave audiences smiling. Four young Aboriginal singers from regional Australia suddenly find themselves trying to spread joy for troops in the Vietnam War. It’s at Empire Theatre on Thursday, March 19, with adult tickets $52.

STEAM WEEKEND IF YOU want to take the grandkids for a “proper” train ride, Southern Downs Steam Railway is running trips from Toowoomba Railway Station to Wyreema and back (2 hours return) on Saturday and Sunday March 21-22. Seats are also available from Warwick at midday on Friday, March 20 as the train makes its way to Toowooomba. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids 5-14. Go to sdsr.org.au or phone 07 4661 9788.

RETURN TO THE

MUSICAL MAGIC: All the fun, energy and emotion of The Sapphires on film comes to the stage at Toowoomba's Empire Theatre on Thursday, March 19.

ROARING 20S THIS fundraising dinner on Saturday, March 21 is organised by Lifeline Darling Downs and South West Qld at The Cathedral Centre, Neil St, Toowoomba to raise money for local drought and fire relief services. There will

be dinner, dancing and a fundraising auction, and guests are encouraged to dress in the style of the era or simply go forma.l Tickets are $145, phone 1300 991 443 or go to toowoombatickets.com.au/ event/10791.

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SHARED PURPOSE: Twelve of the 26 current Missionary Sisters of Service, including Dear Mother, Dear Father author Sr Bernadette Wallis (far left) in Melbourne to celebrate the order's 75th year; INSET: Toowoomba’s long-serving Mary Cleary.

Picture: Fiona Basile

Sisters still blessing for bush Alison Houston

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SEVEN Toowoomba women are among the 26 Missionary Sisters of Service, officially retired but still doing good deeds across the country’s highways and byways.

Mary Cleary is one of those sisters who, nearing 80, still works to support people and projects in remote communities, reflecting the spirit of the original order begun by Father John Wallis in 1944.

For decades Mary and her colleagues visited socially and geographically isolated communities from Tasmania’s Bruny Island, where the movement began, to western NSW and Queensland, establishing in Toowoomba in 1964 and years later in South Australia.

Originally from Warwick, Mary was 22 and working in Brisbane when in 1962 she members of the order, saw the work they were doing, and realised that was where she belonged.

“I think it was also very attractive because they got to drive cars,” Mary laughed.

Staying with local families, on Outback stations, in caravans or halls, the sisters would go out in

pairs or alone to visit as many residents as possible in an area, including Aboriginal communities.

“Often people had no one they could share with outside the family because the neighbours were 60 miles away,” Mary said.

Mary admits it was “quite challenging at times” and “we all had our unexpected experiences”, but overall “it has been a very interesting life”.

From 1999 until her retirement to Toowoomba in 2011, Mary was pastoral leader of the Jandowae parish, 48km north of Dalby, and was referred to as “a friend to all” regardless of religion.

The order only ever numbered about 50 at its height, and while age means members are no longer able to physically get out to bush families in need themselves, they have adapted to keep Fr John Wallis’s work alive.

That meant in 2010 developing The Fr John Wallis Foundation and Highways and Byways – A Community of Service, which has now provided grants totalling about $330,000 to fund 173 projects involving more than 800 communities.

It is a mark of their emphasis on God and good deeds over denomination that the sisters this year invited Lindy Chamberlain to speak last Sunday, 40 years on from having lost daughter Azaria to a dingo at Uluru. At the event, Bishop Bill Morris also launched Sr Bernadette Wallis’s book of her uncle Fr John Wallis’s letters, Dear Mother, Dear Father, with commentary by eminent Australians.

From his early days in the seminary till after ordination (1927–49), the letters were kept by his mother and only discovered by his brother in an old biscuit tin decades later.

The order began with just four women gathered after a very young Fr John was challenged in the 1930s by one of his parishioners on Bruny Island as to whether anyone cared about kids in the bush.

While Fr John died in 2001, the Missionary Sisters of Service continue to show that they do.

To find out more about the order, or Highways and Byways, go to https:// highwaysandbyways.org.au or phone or email Mary on 4634 9786 or marycleary 5@bigpond.com.

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Advance Care Planning Week 23–27 March 2020 Learn about advance care planning (ACP) and empower yourself to make your future health care wishes known.

Advance care planning is the process of thinking about and communicating your preferences for future health care. Advance care plans are used in a situation where you are unable to speak for yourself, for example, if you are ill or injured.

What do you do now?

Discuss your wishes, values, beliefs and health care preferences with your family, friends and health care providers.

Make choices about your future health care and quality-of-life.

Download advance care planning documents from mycaremychoices.com.au and document your choices. Your GP or family/friends can assist you.

Send copies of your completed documents to the Office of ACP: • Email: acp@health.qld.gov.au • Fax: 1300 008 227 • Post: PO Box 2274, Runcorn Qld 4113 Contact the Office of ACP for more information or support on 1300 007 227. * You can also upload your ACP documents to your My Health Record.

The Office of Advance Care Planning – Queensland Health, provides a free and confidential service to all Queenslanders.

• The Office of ACP receives and reviews completed ACP documents from all care environments in Queensland.

• Effective documents are uploaded to the Queensland Health electronic medical record and accessed by doctors when needed.

Empower yourself to plan for your future health care.

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Office of Advance Care Planning

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Unwavering Work for indigenous causes inspires Tracey Johnstone

VOICE FOR CHANGE: Kevin Coombs (OAM) has been speaking up for the rights of disabled Aboriginal people since the early 1980s.

Picture: Contributed

WHEN a journalist described indigenous paraplegic Kevin Coombs’s childhood accident as fortunate, the initial reaction was a fiery slapdown, but then he started to look back.

The Wotjobaluk elder’s voice for indigenous recognition wouldn’t have been sought out.

“The late Charlie Perkins wanted a disabled bloke who could talk a bit,” Uncle Kevin said. “He said, ‘I understand there is a bloke in Melbourne by the name of Kevin Coombs; I want him’.

This was when he was secretary of Aboriginal Affairs in Canberra.”

Uncle Kevin was appointed in 1981 as the Aboriginal representative on a committee for the International Year of Disabled Persons.

There were 14 people on the committee, all representing different groups. As a result of that working group Uncle Kevin said: “I wanted to get the message through to Aboriginal people what they were entitled to, including grants (under the disability scheme).’’

Speaking to the then minister for health in Victoria, Bill Borthwick, Uncle Kevin also articulated the need for Aboriginal people to be involved in decision-making around the wellbeing of the Aboriginal communities.

Mr Borthwick

subsequently opened the door for Uncle Kevin to move from the Department of Aboriginal Affairs to the Department of Health.

“I was there for 21 years,” he said. “My job was to get hospitals, where there was a lot of Aboriginal people coming in, to have a liaison person working there. We started off with eight for the whole of Victoria.”

For his family He might not have been in the Pink Pussycat pub in Melbourne that night more than 50 years ago when he saw and fell in love at first sight with his wife, Linda.

They had two daughters – one is a magistrate and the other a vocal advocate for a Victorian Treaty.

The First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria held its first meeting last December.

The assembly will decide, alongside the Victorian Government, the ground rules for the treaty negotiations.

“I support it,” Uncle Kevin said. “It’s not about me, it’s for our kids and grandkids.

“I would like to see a treaty here in Victoria. I would like to see being recognised by the federal government in the Constitution.”

Will anything change?

As to a change at the federal level within his lifetime and actionable outcomes from Closing the Gap, Uncle Kevin doesn’t think anything will happen unless there is a “radical PM”.

The Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt (AM) announced on February 6 that the Government “is committed to recognising indigenous Australians in the Constitution and will hold a referendum should a consensus be reached, and should it be likely to succeed”. Previously he had signalled wanting a national vote by mid-2021.

Only a few days later, on February 12, at the tabling to Parliament of the 12th Closing the Gap Report, Prime Minister Scott Morrison signalled his unwillingness to lock in a specific time commitment, saying: “I am not going to allow any timetables to prevent the successful achievement of this result.’’

So, where does that leave indigenous Australians?

On May 26, 2017, The Uluru Statement from the Heart was made. Turning to the Federal Government, it stated: “We call for the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution.’’

While the conversation continues at the federal level, alongside Victoria, which is recognised as the leader in the charge forward to reconciliation, Queensland and the Northern Territory are pressing ahead on their journey towards reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

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voice of Kevin Coombs ‘‘

I wanted to get the message through about what Aboriginal people were entitled to.

As for the other states, there appear to be mixed commitments to turning the conversation around statebased treaties into action.

“One treaty for the state?”

Uncle Kevin said. “It won’t change me, but it will be good for my grandkids and great-grandkids.”

Sporting chance At 18 the wheelchair basketball athlete headed to Rome to compete in his first Paralympic Games.

Uncle Kevin was representing Australia, but had to travel on an honorary British passport.

“We weren’t recognised as we didn’t get our rights until 1967; it’s not that long ago.”

It was not until 1973 that Gough Whitlam’s Labor government actively assumed responsibility for Aboriginal affairs.

Uncle Kevin remembers missing the 1964 Games as he was “chasing women” at the time, but then went on to compete for Australia in the 1968, 1972, 1980 and 1984 Paralympic Games, the Commonwealth Games in New Zealand in 1974 and at two world championships.

Hopeful future The body is weary, but

PROUD MOMENT: Wheelchair basketballer Kevin Coombs at the opening ceremony of the 1960 Paralympic Games.

the mind is sharp.

At age 79, Uncle Kevin hasn’t quite retired. He’s left behind his 17-year role as an elder with the Koori courts, but he remains on the Melbourne University Murumbarak Committee, which supports Aboriginal

Heart

students, the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health committee, and at the Broadmeadows TAFE where he brings a voice of reason and understanding as an elder, watching over the indigenous students.

“You get to see kids go

through and come out successful,” he said.

Changing the way older non-indigenous Australians see the First Peoples is something Uncle Kevin thinks can be achieved through knowledge.

As Mr Morrison said in his

Closing the Gap speech to Parliament in February: “We must see the gap we wish to close not from our viewpoints, but from the viewpoint of indigenous Australians before we can hope to close it and make a real difference.’’

Get a free full hearing assessment Search Bupa Hearing for your closest store

Picture: Contributed

Uncle Kevin believes that by sitting down and talking to Aboriginal people, seniors can help to lead a change in the Closing the Gap conversation in Australia.

“Talking is a wonderful thing,” he enthused. “You get to know people better.”

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Contact your health insurer for details. Offer available until 31 March 2020 (inclusive). Hearing ABN 24 126 819 154

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SENIORS

Lowdown on dressing up Kerry Heaney WHEN it comes to complaints, Ronnie Gannon has heard them all.

“I’m out of touch with fashion’’, “I don’t get dressed up anymore”, and “I don’t like the way my body has changed” are the sorts of comments she hears every day when helping mature women find a dress for a formal occasion at her Forever Bridal and Formal fashion store.

Ronnie says many seniors who are second- or thirdtime brides, or mother of the bride, need formal dresses and don’t know where to start.

“Most women are overwhelmed by the amount of choice and can possibly walk away totally confused and disappointed,” Ronnie said.

“Our stylists are experienced and want to assist with recommending and selecting dresses that

Forever Bridal and Formal knows how to cater to your shape and features, no matter how old you are.

Picture: Contributed

PERSONAL TOUCH: Ronnie Gannon’s Forever Bridal and Formal prides itself on recommending dresses that make clients look and feel their best.

Picture: Contributed

will make our customers look and feel their best for their special occasion.’’

Ronnie believes there is a dress for everyone, including the 70-year-old customer who recently came looking for a wedding dress.

Ronnie’s tips for choosing the perfect formal gown: 1. Find the right dress

SOS

for your body shape: Plussize, tummies, sway backs, bodies come in all different shapes and sizes. Whatever your body shape, there is the right dress to highlight your best features and camouflage problem areas.

2. Choose the right size Many customers ask for their streetwear clothing

size, however, most formal dresses are more fitted.

When customers select dresses based on this size, many find it upsetting when they don’t fit. We don’t talk about dress sizes and recommend customers not select dresses on their own.

3. Wear a good bra Women with bigger busts

or broad backs need to have a well-supported bra. This dramatically affects how any formal dress looks and fits.

Wearing the right bra and seamless full brief underwear (not necessarily shapewear) when trying on formal wear dresses is highly recommended. We can select dresses that will cover any style of bra.

4. You can hide your arms We stock many dresses

with modest necklines and styles with flattering backs with coverage and covered shoulders and different length sleeves.

5. Wear comfortable shoes If you can’t wear high heels anymore, we suggest wearing a long dress rather than a cocktail or tea-length dress. This means comfortable footwear can be hidden by the length of the dress.

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the Pittsworth Function Centre. The Bus Tours running to rural areas will depart from the Pittsworth Function Centre at 9am and 2pm both days – tickets, $20/trip, can be prepurchased, phone Belinda McKinlay on 0427 932 033 or go to pittsworth.org.

Community notes

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

NSA Garden City -Toowoomba WE MEET on the third Monday of the month at 9.30am at Drayton Bowls Club, cnr Ball and Gipps Street.

At the next meeting on Monday, March 16, we will be celebrating St Patricks Day (a day early). We will be having Irish Musicians, Irish Jokes and prizes for the best dressed in green.

During the morning we will be making our annual donation to the Toowoomba Hospice. Cost of $7 includes morning tea.

Visitors welcome. Bus trip on March 24 is to Ipswich Rail Museum.

For more information, phone Hazel on 07 4635 4519.

TOMNET WE (The Older Men’s Network Inc (TOMNET)) are holding a St Patrick’s Day 500 card playing competition on Monday, March 16 at TOMNET Centre, 223 Hume Street, Toowoomba.

Doors Open at 8.30am with the competition running from 9am-noon.

Cost: $2 per player for Men over 50. If you want to learn to play 500, there will be a beginners table.

There will be prizes and great company. To register and book a seat, phone 07 4638 9080.

If you would like to attend or require more information, phone Hennie on 0419 194 753 or email ihlowe@bigpond.com.

LIVING LEGEND LAUNCHES NEW PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK ALL invited to the book launch at Cobb & Co Museum on Friday, March 27 at 6pm. Not many photographers are still actively making images at the age of 93 (and still shooting on film!). But Graham Burstow, having just achieved that milestone, is celebrating by publishing a book that surveys over 70 years of his photography.

Graham is well known for his photography of people.

Whether it’s at the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, or a beer belly competition, he goes behind the scenes, seeking out the strange, the humorous and the heartwarming.

The previously unpublished images featured in this book were mostly taken in his familiar stamping grounds of Toowoomba, Brisbane and

SENIORS

TOOWOOMBA HOSPICE

CRAFT AND A CHAT: Sue Nalder (standing) invites (from left): Tracey Waterhouse, Prue Harslett, Pam Hayes, Jenny Mosely and Robyn White to enter work in the St Mark's Heritage Festival's Quilt show, part of Heritage Open Days, Heart of Heritage, April 17-19.

the Gold Coast.

But there are also many striking images from his wider travels around Australia and overseas.

Graham’s work is held in several public collections, including those of the National Library of Australia, The Queensland Art Gallery and the Toowoomba Regional Gallery.

Graham is also active as a lecturer and photo competition judge, including a thirty-year involvement with Toowoomba’s Heritage Acquisitive Award. Cobb & Co, 27 Lindsay St. Phone 07 4659 4914.

HERITAGE OPEN DAYS ST MARK’S Warwick, Heart of Heritage Festival is on April 17-19 from 10am-4pm.

As part of the Australian Heritage Festival, there will be displays of quilts in the Church on Friday and Saturday and demonstrations and displays of heritage crafts Friday to Sunday in the Hall.

Guided Tours of the 1868 Church are offered on Sunday only hourly from 11am to 3pm. Morning or

afternoon teas and lunch available all weekend.

Official Opening function – Friday 6pm-9pm with Fork Supper, music from the Four Bows string quartet for $20 entry at the door with cash bar. Phone Sue on 0427 962 281 or email heritage.stmarks @gmail.com.

SHOWCASING PITTSWORTH & SURROUNDS PITTSWORTH District Alliance and Gardens of the Downs have organised an open weekend on April 18 and 19. We have had wonderful rain and the town is looking fantastic after a very long dry period.

We will have gardens open and buses running both days, morning and afternoon, North, South, East and West to outlying industries and agricultural areas showcasing the history of the surrounding Pittsworth Area with a local guide on-board.

There will be buses also running from the main street to Beauaraba Living and The Grange Country Villas.

The main street

businesses will open for extended hours and there will be markets throughout featuring only local artisans and producers. The Art Gallery will be open with the Showcasing Autumn Art Exhibition.

The Pittsworth Function Centre will host a display of images of the region by the U3A Photography group and a plant stall along with a historical display by the Pittsworth Garden Club.

All food and drinks for the weekend will be supplied by the local food outlets. A truck, vehicle and machinery display is organised and there will be car clubs coming through town over the weekend.

This event has been organised to showcase what Pittsworth’s has to offer. So, arrange for all of your friends and relatives to come and visit that weekend as it is going to be fantastic!

The markets and entertainment in Yandilla Street will be open 9am3pm Saturday and 10am2pm Sunday. The gardens will be open both days 9am5pm and will cost $20 to visit all – tickets purchased at

UPCOMING events: May 5 – Choirbolical Evening Concert; May 6- Mother’s Day High Tea at Gip’s from 9.45am-11.30am. Cost $45pp; May 8 – Hang Ya Boss Out To Dry; May 29 – National Palliative Care Week Breakfast at Gip’s from 6.45am $45pp. Phone 07 4659 8500 or go to toowoombahospice.org.au.

FUN MARCH MORNING THE Kingsthorpe branch of the QCWA is having a fun day fundraiser from 9.30am-12pm on Thursday, March 19 at Kingsthorpe War Memorial Hall.

There will be produce and craft stalls, entertainment and morning tea for $10 admission. There will also be multi-draw raffles at $2 per ticket for 20 draws. Phone Del on 0408 989 614.

TAKE A HIKE TAKE a Hike Toowoomba raises funds for children with autism. The challenge to help Toowoomba’s AEIOU Foundation is open to people of every fitness level on Sunday, March 22, with 5km, 10.5km and 21km courses. You can walk or run in a team or go solo.

It starts at Queens Park Gardens from 6am-11am.

Entry is from $30, and you can register online, go to supportus.aeiou.org.au/ events/4/toowoomba-2020 or phone 07 3320 7500.

NORTH STATE SCHOOL (TOOWOOMBA) SCHOLARSHIP CLASS OF 1960 IT IS 60 years since the class of 1960 sat for scholarship.

To commemorate this, an informal get-together is planned for October 3 at the City Golf Club, South Street, Toowoomba for lunch at noon.

Photographer Graham Burstow launches his new book that surveys over 70 years of his photography at the Cobb & Co Museum, Toowoomba, on Friday, March 27, at 6pm.

Picture: Mikaela Burstow

Pittsworth District Alliance and Gardens of the Downs have organised an open weekend on April 18 and 19, Showcasing Pittsworth & Surrounds. Photo: local artist Max Caesar.

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You need a hearing test!

GOOD FIT: Trainer and author Tom Law takes some clients through their paces. Picture:

But I’ve already got a hairy chest!

Contributed

Excessive ear wax

may be causing more than hearing problems!

Fitness expert lays down Law COULD you be happier if you looked after your body a little better?

Veteran personal trainer Tom Law thinks a healthier world would be a much better world and has written a book, Tom’s Law Fit Happens, to help you get started.

“I feel we can all contribute a little to the betterment of the world,’’ he said.

“As a personal trainer, I want to put a little back for all the help and support I have received during my life.

“The average person needs to be active on most, preferably all, days of the

week. They should accumulate 150 to 300 minutes of moderateintensity physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise, or an equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities each week.

“They also need to do muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days each week.”

Tom’s favourite exercises are push-ups, squats, lunges, chin-ups, crunches, walking, running/jogging, swimming and cycling.

“The reason these are my best exercises is you can do them without any special equipment, at the park or at home,’’ he said.

Common symptoms you may experience can include the following:

“You do not have to go to a gym to do them and, in most instances, they are free.”

Another excuse people often use, according to Tom, is they have no money to exercise.

“The reality is that all you need is a pair of bathers, a set of gym shoes or runners, and perhaps a bicycle,’’ he said. “If you are on a budget, forget the swimming or bike riding and just do the remainder of the exercises.

“Do them at home, in the park or wherever there is space for you to do so.

“Keeping active and healthy should not cost you the earth.’’

Visit tomslaw.com.au for more details.

Smile with confidence

• hearing loss • pain • itching • ear pressure or fullness

The concerns around traditional ear wax removal What about Irrigation / Syringing?

The technique of directing water under pressure down the ear canal to flush out ear wax. The pressure needs to be strong enough to shift the wax, however if the pressure is excessive, there is potential to cause damage to the ear drum.

What about Cotton Buds?

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

What about Ear Candles?

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

Have your ear wax safely removed using the latest Microsuction technology Hear better by having your ear wax safely and comfortably removed at Toowoomba’s Specialist Microsuction Service — the gold standard in ear wax removal.

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Good times shore thing Discover cultural mix making Hobart such a buoyant hub PAGES 24 AND 25

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Train of thought is taking off BRAND INSIGHTS WHEN Simon Mitchell came home one day and casually mentioned to his partner of 10 years that he bought a train, he got the rise of the eyebrows that he expected from Danielle Smith.

After all, she knew her partner had been a keen railway modeller for years.

When he mentioned that the scale of the train was actually 12” to the foot, he finally got the reaction he was looking for!

It turns out Mitchell, a retired accountant, had bought seven ex-Southern Aurora sleeping carriages from the liquidators of the Australian Railway Historical Society (ACT).

The carriages travelled by rail to Lithgow Railway Workshops, where four twinette carriages were painstakingly restored to operating condition. They currently form part of the Southern Aurora fleet at the

NSW Rail Transport Museum, Thirlmere, and have gone on a number of rail tours over the past nine months. For at least two of these carriages, it was their first passenger-carrying service since 1994.

Mitchell and Smith have also restored a further twinette carriage at the now-reopened Canberra Rail Museum, and two Roomette carriages at Goulburn Locomotive Roundhouse.

As a team they have gone on to buy 14 carriages, to be returned to operation.

The carriages have been kept in as original condition as possible. Mitchell said: “We’re amazed that the original vinyl wallpaper has survived since 1962. We’ve really grown to appreciate the mid-century vintage appeal of these carriages.’’

The pair’s passion comes through when they talk about the rail heritage community. “We have had tremendous support from the community, who really

want to see the return of this icon of Australian rail travel,” Mitchell said.

Trading as Vintage Rail Journeys, Mitchell and Smith recently released two exciting rail tours allowing you to travel for five days and four nights, sleeping and dining on the train and covering 1500km around rural and regional NSW. “We really wanted our guests to see everything possible, so we only travel during daylight hours,’’ Mitchell said. “We stable the train at night at rail stations, and it is quite a challenge finding somewhere to park up a 400m-long, shiny stainless-steel train.

“Our guests tell us they want to get out of the city and into the bush, so we have developed a northern loop (Golden West Rail Tour) and a southern loop (Riverina Rail Tour).’’

Both tours start at the iconic Sydney Central railway station. The Golden West Rail Tour goes north to

the Hawkesbury River, the Hunter Valley, Orange and the Blue Mountains and then back to Sydney. The Riverina Rail Tour goes south, along the Illawarra line, up the escarpment to Moss Vale and on to Goulburn. Time is spent in Griffith, Temora (featuring Warbirds Downunder 2020) and the Blue Mountains before returning to Sydney.

Mitchell and Smith have sourced caterers from the areas the train will travel through. They have engaged a wine consultant who will travel on the train and assist guests with tastings.

The response from the travelling public has reflected the desire to visit the bush, with the first Golden West Rail Tour, on April 1-5, being sold out.

Tickets for the Golden West Rail Tour on September 9-13 and Riverina Rail Tour on October 14-18 are on sale now. Info: www.vintage railjourneys .com.au.

MOVING EXPERIENCE: Simon Mitchell aboard one of the trains in his Vintage Rail business.

Picture: Contributed

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Beach break a slice of haven Tracey Johnstone YOU know you have arrived at your bucket list location when you are greeted with chilled champagne by barefooted waiters on the shores of Queensland’s Whitehaven Beach.

Every two years 200 or so lucky souls get to dress in their best, and coolest, white outfits and slip on over to Whitehaven for the enchanting White on Whitehaven Long Lunch by Fish D’vine.

Held in early January, a fast ride on a Cruise Whitsunday power catamaran from the Port of Airlie past Daydream and Hamilton islands with the wind in our faces and the perfectly clear-blue water beneath us delivered the enthusiastic guests to the shores of picturesque Whitehaven.

Alighting from the transport barge and onto the beach, glittery thongs in one hand and a chilled champagne in the other, we were greeted with the sight of long lunch tables and the promise of a slow-eating, delicious seafood lunch.

The vibe was all about having fun in the sun and under the expansive shade of the white tents.

It didn’t take long for many of the guests to hit the water, including this writer.

No swimsuit? No problems! Just hop in and float away the day between drinks and fresh seafood dishes.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end.

Worried about overseas travel??? feel safe and tour at home.

eXPerienCe lonGreaCh & Winton

There’s plenty of fascinating things to see and do in the heart of Qld. Visit the Qantas museum and Stockmans Hall of Fame or Winton — the birthplace of Waltzing Matilda and it’s Age of Dinosaurs Museum. 7 Days from $1,390 including return QLD Pension Rail Fare return in Economy Seat. Upgrade to Sleeper Cabin $1,870 Departing Monthly April to Oct

Departure Dates 2020: 26 June, 24 Aug

CoWboys Caves Castles

SWELL TIME: No swimsuit, no problem at the White on Whitehaven Long Lunch by Fish D’vine. Picture: Tracey Johnstone

By midafternoon we were herded reluctantly back onto the big boat for the trip back to beautiful Airlie Beach.

While the guests settled in for an afternoon snooze or more drinks on the voyage home, the Fish D’vine staff stripped the beach of the remnants of our visit, leaving Whitehaven Beach to return to its glorious best.

It’s an expensive experience at $388 per person, but when you take into account the cost of a one-hour each-way return trip to the beach, all drinks and sumptuous seafood feast, it’s the sort of event that should be added to your dream list of Queensland experiences.

One of a kind Whitehaven Beach stretches over seven kilometres and boasts brilliant white-silica sand that is among the purest in the world.

At the northern end is Hill Inlet, where the tide shifts the sand and water to create a gorgeous fusion of colours.

Many people claim Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach are the most beautiful places they’ve ever seen. The lookout at Tongue Point is the best spot from which to view the swirling sands of the inlet, so if you don’t mind a short bushwalk, book your Whitehaven tour with an operator that visits the lookout.

toWnsville anD Cairns Combo

Fabulous Scenic tour departing on the Spirit of Queensland train taking in Townsville, Ferry to Magnetic Island, board Skyrail to Kuranda and Atherton Tablelands and venturing on Daintree River Cruise to Mossman Gorge and Port Douglas. *6 Days tour from only $1340, *8 Days with return rail fare from $1390

This unique tour visits lots of amazing places and attractions. Cowboys at Texas Longhorn Ranch, Historical Charters Towers, Caves at the incredible Undara Lava Tubes and Castle Ruins of Paronella Park.

6 Days tour from $1390, 8 Days with return rail fares from $1440

DisCover CooktoWn

Discover Cooktown on the fantastic tour including Cairns, Port Douglas, Daintree River, Mossman Gorge, 2 Nights in Cooktown, Endevour River Cruise and much more !!! *6 Days tour only $1,490PP T/S *Single / Sole Use add $420 *8 Days with Return Rail Fare QLD Pension Economy Seat $1540 QLD Pension Rail Bed $1890 Seniors Card Economy Seat $1725 Seniors Card Deluxe Rail Bed $2160

Departure Dates 2020: 3rd July, 1st Sep.

norfolk islanD

Discover the Norfolk Island that Colleen McCullough the world renowned author of 24 books called home for almost 36 years and visit her beloved property “out yenna”.

8 Days from $2,895 Departing: 13th October 2020

ChillaGo Caves, Cairns anD Port DouGlas

Depart Brisbane for Cairns Welcome. Visit Historical Herberton Historical Village presenting the story of Australia’s pioneering past. Then Mossman Gorge and Daintree River Cruise. Visit spectacular Chillagoe Caves, Cairns Botanic Gardens and Cairns Aquarium. *6 Days tour only $1390 *Single / Sole Use add $290 *8 Days with Return Rail Fare QLD Pension Economy Seat $1440 QLD Pension Deluxe Rail Bed $1790 Seniors Card Deluxe Rail Bed $2060 Departure Dates: 10th July Ph: 07 5510 8958

“the real” outbaCk sPeCtaCular Dinner With Dinos anD lark Quarry

Longreach the geographical heart of Queensland. Depart Brisbane on the Spirit of the Outback. Welcome BBQ in Longreach, QANTAS Museum, Stockmans Hall of Fame, Thompson River Cruise, Campfire Dinner and Show. Winton, Age of Dinosaurs, Waltzing Matilda Center, 3 Sister and Lark quarry Dino Stampede. *5 Days tour only $1690 *PP T/S - Sole Use Room add $320 *7 Days with Return Rail *QLD Pension Economy Seat $1740 *QLD Pension 1st Class Cabin $2170 *Seniors Card 1st Class Cabin $2410 Departure Dates: 4 July, 12 Sep

herberton > undara lava tubes > Georgetown > forsayth > Cobbold Gorge Croydon > karumba > Cloncurry > mt isa > richmond > Charters towers

best of the north West & mt isa

Ever wanted to experience the Best of North West Outback Queensland but never could manage to get there? Well now is your chance. Visit Herberton Historical Village, Undara Lava Tubes, Georgetown, 190 million year old Cobbold Gorge, Quirky Croydon, Remote Karumba, Cloncurry, Mt Isa and its Mines, Richmond’s Dinosaurs & Charters Towers. *11 Days Tour Only $2890 *Single / Sole Use add $290 *13 Days with return rail fare QlD Pension economy seat $2940 QLD Pension Deluxe Rail Bed $3290 Seniors Card Deluxe Rail Bed $3560 *Departure Dates 2020: 13th June.

wh sa en ve $ dep booki 100 PP Art ng ure Apr il

2020 Departure Date: 22nd July

iConiC Pubs of north QueenslanD

*10 Days* -Depart Brisbane to Cairns on the Spirit of QLD Train – See spectacular scenic destinations whilst visiting well known and historic pubs including the 1878 Court House Hotel, Port Douglas, highest pub in QLD Ravenshoe Hotel, the Iconic *“Pub with no Beer”* Ingham, 1901 Great Northern Hotel, Townsville, Charters Towers 1865 Eureka Hotel *10 Days with Return Rail Fare. QLD Pension Economy Seat $2,040.

QLD Pension Deluxe Rail Bed $2,370. Seniors Card Deluxe Rail Bed $2,580 *Departure Dates 2020: 28th April 25th July; 19th Sep*

ContaCt us for a free BroChure Visit www.greatvalueholidays.com.au

Guests settling in for the sumptuous seafood feast, which included drinks, after a catamaran ride to glorious Whitehaven Beach.

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

Our Industry Partner:

7050938ao

Christmas in July murray PrinCess

Step aboard the Murray Princess at the historic riverport of Mannum and you step aboard the grand old lady of the river and into a bygone era. When winter comes around it’s time to break out the mince pies, puddings and Yuletide treats. For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, that transforms into Christmas in July, snuggled up in the warm cosy lounges of Murray Princess with a mulled wine and great company.

6 Days tour from $2490

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The villas are packed with creature comforts.

‘‘

This very Australian getaway has all the creature comforts you need to unwind.

FEEL THE SERENITY: The aptly named Mountain View villa captures all the soothing sights and sounds of the Aussie bush.

Pictures: Shirley Sinclair

The dam is one of many quiet places to relax.

Unplugged but reconnected Shirley Sinclair IT IS so quiet. Quiet as only the Australian bush can be.

The unmistakeable laugh of far-off kookaburras breaks the prolonged silence. Then a whipbird.

Quickly, tranquillity returns, leaving only the slight rustling of leaves around us.

From our comfy chairs on the undercover veranda, the break in the eucalypts reveals a herd of dairy cows on their morning graze and a smattering of farmhouses amid grand sprawling trees below, climbing past cleared grasslands and forests to the prized vista: the summit of Woolumbin Mount Warning.

This is what we’ve been waiting for.

Our arrival the previous afternoon in this rainforest canopy had been met with cloud cover and a smoky haze from distant bushfires over the border in Queensland.

But the morning breeze has cleared the air and uncovered the reason behind the name of our villa: Mountain View.

Colours emerge from the earlier greys.

The vista holds my gaze

The spa bath offers a great way to unwind while soaking up the lush setting.

as the hot cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast hubby has prepared on the barbecue starts to go cold.

A soft rebuke and I manage a mouthful while wondering how we can ever fit in the array of fruit, bread and jam, olives and cheeses that remains in the supplied picnic basket.

Oh, how I love it here.

But we’re certainly not roughing it in the bush.

We’re sampling the hospitality of Mistere Spa and Retreat, Urliup, in northern NSW – three

spacious, luxury selfcontained villas that offer the privacy and downtime we’ve been craving.

This very Australian getaway (pronounced, aptly, like “mist” and ‘’air’’) has all the creature comforts you need to unwind – from the soft sophistication of the modern four-poster bed, electric fireplace and airconditioning to the bespoke timber coffee table and warm embrace of the spa bath.

Regal Retreats likes to call it “elevated elegance”. This

is how to get away from it all … without being away from it all. The “secret” retreat in the stunning Tweed Valley is hidden amid 52ha of idyllic, pristine rainforest.

Yet Murwillumbah is only 10 minutes (8km) away, down and around our mountain road, then a few bends further on to the west. Cabarita Beach – where we came from yesterday – lies only half an hour east.

A flatscreen TV, Wi-Fi and great mobile phone coverage are waiting for you

– if you can’t do without them. So are boutique shopping and restaurants in Murwillumbah (and I highly recommend Bacaro Restaurant Bar for authentic Italian).

And you could spend hours playing board games and chess or reading a host of books and tourism information.

But this is a place to just relax, relax, relax.

It’s so much nicer putting down the remote control, leaving the phone in the handbag, and tuning in to the wildlife, which can range from ‘’growling’’ male koalas looking for mates and mountain brushtail possums to shy wallabies, cheeky goannas and water dragons, plus a variety of birdlife including owls on lamp posts, exotic parrots and tiny kingfishers.

The Urliup villas – Mountain View, Fountain View and Waterfall View – previously were known as Wychwood but were totally cosmetically renovated to officially open on Remembrance Day (November 11) in 2017.

While Fountain View and Waterfall View sit by the perch-filled dam, Mountain

View has a beautiful outlook to Wollumbin Mt Warning, which was formed from a volcanic plug of the nowdefunct Tweed Volcano.

After breakfast, we decide to take a stroll on the Zodiac Trail to find our Year of the Water Tiger.

It’s one of two pleasant walks (the other is named the Antman Trail) that are filled with sculptures and oddities, flowering plants and massive trees.

We take our time reconnecting with nature – and each other.

And in less than 24 hours, I’m ready to face the real world again.

AT A GLANCE What: Regal Retreats’ Mistere Spa and Retreat.

Where: 1110 Urliup Rd, Urliup, NSW. Details: The villas can be occupied by one couple for the ultimate in privacy or for groups and families.

Breakfast baskets and barbecue packs are available to buy before check-in.

Regal Retreats prides itself on unique Australian accommodation.

Contact: Go to mistere spaandretreat.com or phone 0411 052 759 to book.

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Irish luxury through the roof IF it’s luxury you’re after, there are plenty of topnotch hotels across Northern Ireland. If it’s something amazing, unusual or even eccentric, here are seven self-catering options that will fit the bill.

1. Twilight Bunkhouse, Carnlough, County Antrim Cosy indie coffee shop downstairs, comfy getaway upstairs, with views over Carnlough Harbour – or the Braavos Canal for Game of Thrones fans (the harbour was a film location for the HBO blockbuster). The two six-person dorms and two four-person private rooms come complete with kitchen, guest lounge and access to a courtyard.

2. Finn Lough Bubble Domes, County Fermanagh A cosy little bubble to call home deep in the forest of a lakeland resort. These polished, airy and 360degree glass-dome suites, with complimentary Wi-Fi, flatscreens and tea- and

CLEAR FAVOURITE: The Finn Lough Bubble Domes lie deep in the forest of a lakeland resort.

coffee-making facilities, mean you can stargaze the night sky on comfy seats or recline on the four-poster bed.

3. Aurora, Bushmills, County Antrim

Hewn from Canadian cedar, this pair of deluxe log cabins comes complete with supersized beds, wood burners, outdoor hot tubs and private verandas. Just 1.6km from the world-

famous Giant’s Causeway, there are myriad attractions to explore nearby.

4. Quarry Hill Church, Strangford County Down A unique opportunity to stay in a stunning converted

Picture: Contributed

Presbyterian church built in 1846. The spectacular fivebedroom property is at the entrance to the picturesque village of Strangford, overlooking Castleward Bay. 5. Blackrock Beach

House, Portrush, County Antrim This superlative holiday home overlooks a Blue Flag beach in the seaside resort of Portrush. The best local bars and fine-dining restaurants are no further than a pleasant stroll along the promenade. This is the perfect base for exploring the Causeway Coastal Route.

6. Waterfall Caves, Limavady, County Londonderry A perfect getaway for a weekend in the outdoors, this quirky subterranean setup lies at the foot of Binevenagh Mountain. The luxury caves sleep up to four.

7. Further Space, Glenarm Castle, County Antrim A distinctive comfort zone in the grounds of a 17th-century castle, these stylish glamping pods are set on a spectacular hilltop site with breathtaking views.

Info: ireland.com.

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.

Opening Doors to the Seniors Lifestyle

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

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Warming to hip Hobart’s culture club

SENIORS

ECLECTIC MIX: The panoramic view of thriving Hobart from Mount Nelson.

Pictures: Erle Levey

Art, music add to southern belle’s core appeal Erle Levey THERE’S more to Tasmania than apples, wine and seafood. The island state to the south of the Australian mainland is full of cultural surprises, whether it be art, music or architecture.

And as well as the worldfamous Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race, there is another link to an even greater journey … a link to man’s landing on the moon.

It’s something I quickly discovered after an earlymorning mystery flight from Brisbane in late November.

Just pack a jumper, walking shoes and an iPhone, I was told. No need for a passport.

That narrowed the destination down to Victoria, South Australia or Tasmania. Arriving at Gate 38, departures were either Melbourne or Hobart.

Hobart it was.

In a little more than two hours we were off the east coast of this southernmost part of Australia and starting the approach to Hobart International Airport.

Even though it’s virtually the start of summer there is a chill in the air on leaving the terminal. And I’m glad there is a woollen beanie to pull on. After all, next landfall is Antarctica.

Everything feels fresh.

Friendly. After the novel greeting of life-size replicas of the native wildlife at the luggage collection area in the airport terminal, the drive into Hobart is mostly through bushland or rolling farming country.

The approach to the Derwent River Bridge opens up the beautiful view of the city on both sides of the glacial-formed river and deep harbour. The backdrop is the majestic Mount Wellington, known as kunanyi by the first people, the Muwinina. Hobart is easy

to love. And to get around in. It’s such a walkable city for the most part.

You only need a car for day trips to such locations as the wineries of the Coal Valley, historic Port Arthur Convict Settlement, the wooden boats centre in the Huon Valley or to the summit of Mount Wellington.

There is the magnificent Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) to explore, the coastline of Bruny Island and so many walks.

You don’t expect it to snow on the first night in summer. You don’t expect to stumble upon an art exhibition opening on your way to dinner.

You don’t expect to experience the strings section of a symphony

orchestra playing to a packed house at a brewery.

There’s a lot to Hobart you don’t expect … and that’s part of its charm.

Hobart is easy to love … even when the weather turns cold and grey.

To see the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra at Hobart Brewing’s Red Shed at Mac Point was something to warm the soul. It was simply an 800m walk from the Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel, near Victoria Dock.

Despite the soft rain and chill wind the atmosphere was warm at the brewery.

Flannelette shirts and Blundstone boots were the order of the night as the sold-out crowd readily warmed to the unusual blending of an exceptional orchestra in such an industrial setting.

Pot-belly stoves inside, open fires in the courtyard and the talk from the bar area added to the sense of occasion.

The TSO is based right in the heart of Hobart. It is widely travelled throughout Australia and the most played on ABC Classic FM. Tonight the strings section will be playing everything from Elgar to Lady Gaga.

On Saturday night is another sold-out event with the orchestra’s brass section performing at St David’s Anglican Cathedral, about another 800m up the hill in Murray Street.

The TSO reaches a broad cross-section of listeners with free outdoor concerts in Hobart and Launceston, and performs in regional Tasmania, schools and community centres as well as these events that started three years ago to reach out to new audiences.

As marketing director Sam Cairnduff says, they are looking at different ways to take music out there.

“We are going through our most successful period in 71 years. While subscriptions around the country are challenging, ours are going up year on year.

“We are pretty much getting right around the state, and around Australia.

“A specialty is Australian composers. We have recorded more than any other orchestra.

“We have championed a lot of composers. Our

The Cascades Female Factory, a former Australian workhouse for female convicts.

Australian conductors’ workshop is a pipeline for aspiring conductors to build skills.’’

Tasmania’s food and wine are celebrated for their quality, especially its seafood. And there are so many good places to eat in the city.

Walking back from the brewery, we stop at the Drunken Admiral, right on Victoria Dock.

I had wondered about it, being in such a convenient position. Would it be a tourist place? Friends had all talked about it, including those who had lived in Hobart. Yet fears of it being impersonal were quickly dismissed as soon as we walked through the door.

It was a step back in time … to the inside of an old sailing ship with bowsprits, figureheads, heavy timber tables, all sorts of nautical bits and pieces such as

Tasmania Symphony Orchestra Strings at the Red Shed, Hobart Brewing Company.

shackles, ropes and chains, old sails, and gimballed navigation lights.

Everywhere you looked was like being in an antiques shop.

It was busy … and despite it being a cold night the welcoming was warm. We were happy to sit up at the bar and grab a drink while ordering.

The rum barrel behind the bar reminded you of what it must have been like in the time of sail.

Bruny Island oysters are arguably the best you will taste, then there’s the scallops, the seafood chowder, crusty bread … and a Tasmanian red.

To finish we walked around the waterfront to the floating Van Diemens Land Creamery.

The city fronts the River Derwent, so it has not just a nautical past but it is still part of its seafaring culture.

Constitution Dock, famous for the finish of the SydneyHobart Yacht Race, is also home to sailing ships from Tasmania’s past.

The sailing vessel May Queen, Australia’s oldest sail trading vessel, is one of only a handful of wooden vessels of her era still afloat in the world.

Westward is a fishing vessel that was converted to a racing yacht and claimed handicap victories in the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Races of both 1947 and 1948.

Recently, the SydneyHobart pioneer Mistral II has joined the fleet, in preparation for a major restoration to take several years.

Being able to virtually walk everywhere in Hobart adds to the intimacy of the city. Such as enjoying the Salamanca Markets of a Saturday morning, on the western side of the

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It’s well worth the walk up to Battery Point for the stunning surrounds and gorgeous views.

‘‘

There’s a lot to Hobart you don’t expect … and that’s part of its charm.

The Jackman and McRoss Bakery is a Battery Point highlight – one of the rewards for visiting the area.

waterfront. And then to walk up to Battery Point and places such as Jackman and McRoss Bakery, or on to the Shipwright’s Arms Hotel for a counter meal, particularly of a Thursday for the jazz night.

Shippies, as it is known, was established in 1846 and remains a traditional oldschool pub complete with nautical mementos and pictures to celebrate its history. Yet Hobart also has a host of interesting places within easy reach, whether it be by car, tour or ferry.

Mt Wellington, the dramatic backdrop to the city, is 1270 metres high, and climbed in 1798 by surgeon and explorer George Bass.

You can drive up, walk up or take a bike tour. Yet the weather can change quickly … from sunshine to cloud and scotch mist in minutes.

But the view is enormous.

Stop at the convict

women’s factory in South Hobart to get a glimpse of the harsh conditions the prisoners found themselves in during the 1800s.

Catch the ferry out to MONA, a remarkable art gallery cut into the sandstone cliffs and privately funded by Tasmanian David Walsh.

Allow time to discover what’s there as there is a remarkable backstory about how it came about.

Although it is not publicly funded it has earned such a name that virtually everyone who goes to Hobart probably experiences it …

400,000 visitors a year.

Set in the grounds of Moorilla Winery, the oldest in Tasmania, and on the banks of the Derwent, MONA has made a giant difference to the Tasmanian economy. Art and wine … both need even temperatures and controlled

light to preserve them at their best. MONA was built in 2011 with the philosophy that arts and culture should always be accessible.

A bit further out is Richmond in the Coal Valley, the perfect place to wander through the wineries, try the food and sketch the secondmost photographed bridge in Australia.

Standing among the rows of grapevines at Frogmore Creek Winery, the shape of the Mount Pleasant radio telescope provides a juxtaposition. Something from the future in such an old landscape.

Now run by the University of Tasmania, it had been part of the deep-space research program of the 1960s.

It had been the Orroral Valley radio telescope to the south of Canberra and was the first deep-space tracking station. That was before

nearby Honeysuckle Creek and then Parkes, in the central west of New South Wales, became forever etched in history as the sites to relay the first televised pictures of the moon landing … the “one step for man, one giant step for mankind’’.

Between mountain and sea, Australia’s southernmost state capital is wrapped up in history, culture, adventure and the natural environment. Hobart is timeless. Such clean air, good food and interesting landscapes.

Even the story of Tasmania is somewhat of an adventure. The first reported sighting of Tasmania by a European was on November 24, 1642, by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who named the island Anthoonij van Diemenslandt, later shortened to Van Diemen’s Land.

The square-rigged sailing ship Yukon at Franklin in the Huon Valley.

The 1846-built Shipwright's Arms Hotel at Battery Point.

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Perth’s worth easy to savour IN BRIEF ENJOY all-inclusive Perth touring at its best, featuring the Margaret River, Pinnacles Desert, Swan River lunch cruise, Fremantle, special lunches, a magnificent cruise and more meals.

The Discover Australia tour spans six days in Perth with flights, Western Australia luxury touring, the cruise, accommodation, breakfast daily, other meals and personalised transfers.

Admire the remarkable moonscape of the Pinnacles Desert, the world-famous Margaret River region, the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere, Busselton jetty and the bohemian port town of Fremantle, and enjoy a special lunch cruise down the iconic Swan River.

Discover Australia’s packages are wonderful for senior and solo travellers, and those with some

The beautiful Margaret River area has so much to offer, with local wine a favourite.

Info: Phone 135 777 or visit https://www.tripadeal .com.au/deals/3372-15-daysri-lanka-maldives.

US ROAD TRIP: SEE BEST OF THE WEST CAPITAL IDEA: Perth is the perfect base from which to explore the surrounding area.

mobility limitations.

The package costs $1532 per person, twin share.

Info: https://www .discoveraustralia.com.au/ or phone 1800 519 678.

SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES MAGIC Modern cities and timeless ruins, wildlife-rich jungle and tea plantations as far as the eyes can see; Sri Lanka offers an irresistible mix of

Call our friendly, experienced team to book your next cruise or touring holiday or to join one of Go See Touring’s special group departures.

ancient history, living culture and untouched natural beauty.

When combined with the barefoot luxury of the Maldives, where minutes seem like hours and hours feel like days, you have all the makings of a truly lifechanging holiday.

This 15-day discovery

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

NORFOLK ISLAND CROQUET

$2,335

*

per person Twin Share Ex BNE Single supplement From $540

CHRISTMAS IN JULy NORFOLK ISLAND

11 - 18 JULy 2020

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

per person Twin Share Ex BNE Single supplement From $495

From

$2,095*

NORFOLK ISLAND A LITTLE BIT COUNTRy ESCORTED EX BRISBANE From

per person Twin Share Ex BNE

$2,995* Single supplement $340 BELLA ITALIA HOSTED By FORTUNATO ISGRO From

Per person Twin Share

BNE, Single $995 $10,950* exsupplement

$4,395*

15 SEPTEMBER - 06 OCTOBER 2020

$3,995*

13 - 24 OCTOBER 2020

Vietnam dazzles the senses, the sights, the sounds, the fragrances.

Dramatic vistas and tumultuous history. Beautiful fresh foods, vibrant markets and friendly locals. Let us show you why we love this compelling country so much. This 11 day tour takes in the best of south, central and northern Vietnam and ends with a 2 night cruise on the UNESCO per person World Heritage Halong Bay. You’ll find out why everyone is drawn to Twin Share Ex BNE this fascinating country and why it should be on everyone’s travel list.

Single supplement $1040 Contact us for more details.

MAGICAL COOK ISLANDS HOSTED By LyNNE & GRAEME HUGO From

18 - 25 JULy 2020

Join Fortunato Isgro or Lindsay (Waddo) Waddington for a fantastic week on Norfolk Island of Songs and laughter! A Little Bit Country on Norfolk Island 2020 sees a great line-up of performers taking to the stage.

Graeme Hugo, Fortunato Isgro, Wayne Horsburgh and Lindsay (Waddo) Waddington will all perform at 3 big shows during the week. Plus plenty of time for you to enjoy beautiful Norfolk Island with its colourful history, lush greenery, stunning scenery and friendly locals. Enjoy delicious cuisine, tours, time to shop and explore and plenty of laughs along the way. Call us for more information!

You are invited to join entertainer Fortunato on his muchanticipated ‘Bella Italia’ tour, where you will experience 22 days of incredible history, culture, food and scenic landscapes within central and southern Italy all whilst enjoying wonderful entertainment from your renowned host. Fortunato is particularly excited to also take you to Sicily and the Aeolian Islands where his family originates, to bring you an authentic experience that you will never forget.

You don’t want to miss out on this stress-free holiday with Fortunato and his family. Contact us for more fabulous details.

COLOURFUL VIETNAM ESCORTED EX BRISBANE From

Upmarket shopping at Rodeo Drive is an LA highlight.

30 OCTOBER - 07 NOVEMBER 2020

You are invited to join entertainer Graeme Hugo & Lynne for a trip of a lifetime to the beautiful Cook Islands. Experience the authentic colourful local culture, swim in crystal clear tropical waters, enjoy delicious local cuisine, informative and scenic tours. Located just 6 hours from Australia, we hope you can join Per person Twin Share ex BNE, us on this trip to paradise. Please call us to secure your place Single Supplement $980 or for more details.

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 February 2020. Go See Touring in conjunction with Norfolk Select Marketing ABN: 93 367 366 822 ATAS Accreditation A10619

7099112ae

From

27 JUNE – 4 JULy 2020

Due to popular demand Go See Touring invites players & spectators to join us on Norfolk Island in June 2020 for a 2nd tournament of the 6th Convict’s Cup Social Croquet event. This is a social golf croquet doubles event and it doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an expert - it’s all about having fun. You’ll play on the oldest sporting pitch in the Southern hemisphere that is still in use. With stunning Norfolk Island as the backdrop to this week of friendly competition, there will be sightseeing, lots of fun and laughter! We hope you can join us!

package is a chance to do just that, immersing yourself in the exotic wonders of Sri Lanka on tour, before slowing things down at an all-inclusive Maldives resort.

Savour a taste of Sri Lankan daily life with free time in Negombo and the Kandalama/Sigiriya area, plus enjoy a guided tour of the Dutch colonial city of Galle.

Marvel at the golden Buddha and cave art of Dambulla Rock Cave Temple; spend a night in Kandy, a cultural capital brimming with intriguing museums; and journey through the hillside plantations of Nuwara Eliya, where you can explore the

Pictures: Contributed

country’s rich tea culture.

In the Maldives, pure relaxation is the name of the game. Relax with four days at leisure at the four-star Adaaran Club Rannalhi Maldives, enjoying three meals daily and an allinclusive drinks package, as well as a complimentary shark-feeding excursion and spa discounts.

This package includes return international flights, quality hotel accommodation and English-speaking guides.

The special, unique offer is valid for travel on selected dates until October 14, 2020.

This price, $2999, is for one person based on twin share. For solo travellers, a mandatory single supplement applies: standard, $1350; overwater villa, $2350.

Departure dates for 2020 are April 20, May 18, June 2, July 21, August 18, September 17 and October 14.

Skyscrapers, sequoias and impossibly big skies await you in America’s West. This 15-day tour through the urban and natural wonders of California, Arizona and Nevada is perfect for travellers who want to inject a little downtown energy into their out-of-town escapes.

In the cities, you’ll traverse the concrete jungle by day with an expert CEO (chief experience officer) and overnight in hotels and hostels.

You’ll marvel at the Grand Canyon and the giant sequoias of Yosemite before diving into a barbecue dinner and camping.

Highlights are stargazing in Los Angeles, marvelling at a Grand Canyon sunset, opting to spend a night in dramatic Monument Valley, taking a chance in Las Vegas, camping under the stars, and hiking in Yosemite.

Included are accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Info: https://www.statravel.com .au/tours-on-sale.htm or phone 1300 735 277.

San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge is admired by thousands of tourists every year.

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WELLBEING

MARCH, 2020//

SENIORS

Wellbeing

Dementia series has free tips Alison Houston NO TWO people’s experiences of dementia or caring for someone with dementia are identical.

But there is always a need for love, education, understanding, support and strategies for all involved.

Dementia Australia educator Deborah McLachlan is encouraging families and carers to take advantage of a series of free courses running in the Toowoomba region this month.

Just coming along is one step in overcoming one of the biggest issues people face following a diagnosis of dementia – social isolation.

Learning to understand how family and friends can best communicate with and support the person living

with dementia, so they can continue to be included in everyday life, is key.

“Staying socially engaged and doing things they have enjoyed in the past is so important,” Deborah said.

“The one-day Family Carers’ Course really deals with that early impact on people’s daily lives, what the next step is and what they need to plan for.

“Living with Dementia is a more intensive three-day course for both the person with dementia and their family.”

Both courses examine the complexities of the brain, and the multifaceted ways it can be affected by dementia, which Deborah said many were unaware of.

“Dementia is so much more than short-term memory loss,” she said.

“It can affect visual

Keep Cool This Summer!

FREE ADVICE: Dementia Australia educator Deborah McLachlan is running courses around Toowoomba.

interpretation, audio processing, emotions, spatial orientation, planning and organisation, and regulation of social behaviour.” For example, someone may plan a walk and simply forget to stop walking, forget their destination or not recognise familiar surroundings.

Deborah said it could be comforting for the person living with dementia to understand why things were occurring, and for both themselves and the family to know they are not alone and the services available to them.

“While everyone is different, it can really help

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understanding that means others can make time for the primary carer, for example taking mum or dad for a walk in the park, to give the carer some respite and ease the load,” Deborah said.

That means getting a diagnosis is also important.

“Often people recognise something is wrong, but they don’t want to know what it is,” Deborah said.

“But it is a very important discussion to have, so people know what to expect, can make plans and tap into services.”

A dementia support social group meets on the last Friday of the month at St Alban’s Anglican Church hall,

Toowoomba, from 10am12pm.

Courses, limited to about 10 people, are: – Family Carers’ Course, Oakey, March 16.

– Living with Dementia (three days), Toowoomba, March 18-20.

– Family Carers’ Course, Crows Nest, March 25.

– Family Carers’ Course, Yarraman, March 26.

– Care for the Carer, Toowoomba, March, 31 To register for these free courses, phone Dementia Australia’s booking line on 1800 588 699, email QLD.booking@dementia .org.au or phone Deborah on 0435 532 426.

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for people to share their experiences and compare notes on coping strategies and what they might need to plan for,” she said.

“It normalises what is happening.”

Involving several family members in education usually led to a better outcome for the person with dementia, because everyone was on the same page.

Often, Deborah said, people didn’t realise the added stress a spouse or child was under as a carer, having gradually picked up roles such as cooking, cleaning, planning and driving.

“So sometimes just

Picture: Contributed

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COURTNEY THOMPSON

THERE is a lot of panic around the coronavirus, so here’s what you actually need to know if you’re travelling in the next month or so.

Coronavirus is spreading across the globe and people are panicking.

The virus, also known as COVID-19, is dominating headlines as countries such as Italy are beginning to report an increasing number of cases.

Amid all of the rolling coverage of the outbreak,

everyone is getting a bit hysterical about how bad the situation is and what it means for you if you’re travelling in the next couple of months.

So, what do you actually need to know if you’re travelling?

The Federal Government has offered advice about travel through the Smartraveller website, basically saying that at the moment, all Australians should “exercise normal safety precautions” in most countries.

“For the coronavirus, this

means taking sensible measures to minimise your risk of exposure such as practising good hand hygiene,” the website stated.

“It does not mean reconsidering or cancelling your travel plans to these countries.”

So, although the advice for China and Iran is not to go there, the good news is that for the vast majority of countries, you don’t have to cancel any of your travel plans.

– Story courtesy of www.whimn.com.au

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Look health in the eye LONG-TERM vision disorders affected 93 per cent of people aged 55 and older in 2017-18, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Eye Health Web Report.

Of course, there are many eye conditions that affect people at various stages of life and these often depend on genetic, congenital and lifestyle factors.

According to Daniel Cornelius from Clearly.com.au, the most common to impact ageing Australians are: • Presbyopia, or “the ageing eye’’, the effects of which we will all experience from the age of about 40 as a normal part of growing older. This condition affects the ability of the eye to change focus from far to near. The onset may vary slightly depending on the lifestyle and environment where people grow up and spend most of their time before the age of 40.

• Cataracts: Just like presbyopia, developing cataracts is a normal part of ageing and is not always classified as an eye disease.

Cataracts occur when the crystalline lens of the eye

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Wellbeing EYE-CARE TIPS

BE WATCHFUL: Glaucoma is a silent disease that develops slowly, experts say.

starts to lose its transparency.This condition is dealt with by extraction of the opacified crystalline lens of the eye and replacing it with a clear artificial lens.

• Glaucoma – a condition whereby the optic nerve of the eye progressively becomes damaged. This is often associated with high pressure in the eye. The loss

of vision typically occurs in the peripheral sight and often goes undetected. In most cases, this condition can be treated successfully.

Unfortunately, glaucoma remains one of the major causes of blindness in the world. This is because the condition has no or very few symptoms in the initial stages and it is probably the

most under-diagnosed of serious eye diseases.

• Age-related macular degeneration: This is among the major causes of blindness in Australia. It typically affects central vision. There are two types of age-related macular degeneration: dry and wet.

Dry macular degeneration typically progresses very

Picture: Contributed

slowly and does not often result in legal blindness.

Unfortunately, there are currently no treatments for this condition.

• Diabetic retinal disease: There has been a dramatic increase in type 2 diabetes among the ageing population of the world, leading to a radical increase in diabetic retinopathy. The

• Visit you optometrist at least yearly.

• Consult your optometrist as soon as you notice a difference in your vision.

• Have the right ‘tool’ for the task. In today’s visually demanding world, it makes sense to optimise your vision for specific tasks.

• Consider contact lenses as an alternative to wearing your prescription glasses.

• Maintain A healthy weight: exercise and diet help prevent diabetes and high blood pressure.

risk of developing these retinal complications greatly increase with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes or poorly controlled type 2 diabetes.

Managing the risk for related eye disease requires a multidisciplinary approach, with regular screening for retinal disease recommended.

Dementia drink link is targeted CLARIFYING the relationship between alcohol use and dementia is just one of 19 new projects that will share in $1.5 million in grants to conduct groundbreaking dementia research.

Dr Louise Mewton from UNSW Sydney’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) was awarded a $75,000 Dementia Australia Research Foundation Pilot Grant, sponsored by the Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration, and will use the funding to clarify the relationship between low to moderate alcohol use and the risk of dementia.

“This world-first study combines innovative, stateof the-art research methods to address two of the largest contributors to the global disease burden: dementia and alcohol use,” she said.

“To date, the relationships between these two key causes of death and V1 - SETE01Z01MA

disability have been underresearched and overlooked.

It is critical that we have a better understanding of how alcohol use is related to agerelated diseases such as dementia.

“This research will uncover innovative avenues for dementia prevention through the development of age-appropriate, evidencebased recommendations on the number of standard drinks per week associated with minimal dementia risk.”

The chair of the Dementia Australia Research Foundation, Professor Graeme Samuel (AC), said the grants provided support to early and mid-career researchers who wanted to make a difference in the field of dementia.

“This next generation of talented researchers will be among those tackling some of the biggest challenges in this field. These grants

CRUCIAL LINK: New research is looking into how alcohol use relates to dementia.

provide vital insights into reducing dementia risk, improving accurate and timely diagnoses and establishing treatment and care options for people who

live with dementia,” he said.

“With the number of people living with dementia expected to increase to almost 1.1 million by 2058, research into dementia is

now more urgent than ever.

“Further, the broad range of projects supported, including nanotechnology, hip-fracture prevention, enhancing cognition with

Picture: Contributed

exercise and personalising care through music, reflect the increased diversity and quality of research in the dementia space across Australia.’’

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FAMILY AFFAIR: Author Jacqueline Henry with her mother, Agnes Hough, at the launch of Ms Henry's book, The Whole Heart.

Author tackles grief with a story all about hearts Melissa Seiler

The Whole Heart, the debut work by Jacqueline Henry, explores the different ways in which people are affected by grief.

WHEN author Jacqueline Henry first told a friend she had an idea to write a book about grief, she was met with a little scepticism.

“She said, ‘Oh, that sounds a bit dark’– which is why you shouldn’t tell people your ideas!’,” Mhs Henry said.

“But it’s not. For me it’s about accepting grief, and grief is the price of love.’’

The Whole Heart tells the endearing tale of a little girl who has lost her grandfather, and seeks help from a man at a repair shop to “fix’’ her heart.

That moment of bravery unfolds into a journey exploring the very nature of the human heart, and its different meanings to people riding the rollercoaster of emotions that are grief and heartbreak – and the wish to feel “whole’’ again.

Queenslander Ms Henry had spent the best part of 25 years working to realise her long-held dream of being an author.

After originally completing a degree in sociology, she started writing articles and stories in the 1980s, turning her attention to children’s picture books and junior school readers when she had her three sons in the 1990s.

“I got rejection letter after rejection letter, and that’s when I thought, I’m taking myself back to uni,” she said.

A postgraduate Diploma in Journalism led to a job writing for a community newspaper – where her determination grew stronger.

“Everyone I met was doing something amazing … they were artists, or releasing their first book or album, or they were 80 and running for the environment,” Ms Henry said.

“I thought, well what am I doing? So I started writing.”

The light-bulb moment for The Whole Heart came on a seemingly ordinary journey four years ago.

“My son and I play this game ‘what trade is that

truck?’,” Ms Henry recalled.

“I was driving along and I was behind this truck. It was old and it had the extension cords, a generator and power tools, things dangling off it … and I was thinking, I bet this is an old guy, I bet he could fix anything except a broken heart.

“By the time I’d reached my destination, I had the whole concept in my head.”

As for the very personal subject of grief, Ms Henry said it was something she by no means claimed to be an expert on.

“When you tell people you’re writing a book about grief, they tell you their story. My observation is, everybody experiences it so differently.

“I know people say they’re afraid of making others cry – but I don’t think you can. If you bring up someone they’ve lost and then they cry, it’s because they’re remembering them.

It’s a complicated thing.

“You can lose someone in different ways – they could move away, they could leave

you, they could die, they could get dementia. As someone said to me the other day, they could be there, but they’re not the person you’ve spent your whole life with.”

Launching the book recently, surrounded by family and friends, Ms Henry thanked her now grown-up sons Tom, Will and Harry Husson, and her mother, Agnes Hough, 85, for their “love and light” during the long journey to publication.

But perhaps the biggest fan of her book is her threeyear-old granddaughter.

“Over Christmas, I read it to her every day, and she loves it. She points to the new heart and says, ‘That’s my heart, Ma, I love that heart’.

“When I wrote the book, my dream for it was that someone might hold it against their heart and it might give them a little bit of comfort, thinking ‘Yes, I would rather remember’.”

The book is available for purchase at thewholeheart .com.au.

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Give web fraudsters flick CYBERSECURITY is a real threat to everyone, from millennials who are afflicted with ‘‘optimism bias’’, through to seniors who lack general cybersecurity knowledge.

According to the ACCC, scammers cost Australians half a billion dollars in 2018, via various schemes including internet-enabled theft, fraud, and exploitation, so it is important for those who didn’t grow up with technology to protect themselves from some of the most common types of online fraud.

Nick FitzGerald, senior research fellow at ESET, said: “Optimism bias, loneliness, and deteriorating cognitive abilities are key leverage points that scammers use to target their victims. By understanding the potential risks and identifying the signs, those who grew up without technology can better

protect themselves in 2020.”

Cybersecurity experts at ESET have outlined some tips to keep all internet users, including seniors, safe from common types of online scams.

1. Be sceptical Never assume that a stranger online is a trustworthy person. Always consider the possibility that any unexpected message may be a scam attempt, noting anything unusual about the message or sender. Additionally, caution should still be exercised if the message comes (or seems to come) from someone well known via email, instant messaging apps or social media. If in doubt, throw it out.

2. Don’t click It’s important to never automatically assume that any material received out of the blue is authentic, no matter how official it looks.

One of the most pervasive

online cons, phishing, usually begins with an unsolicited email or social media message in which the fraudster impersonates a trusted entity using social engineering techniques, and attempts to persuade the victim to hand over sensitive data, such as credit card details or login credentials.

3. Say no to ‘freebies’ Fraudsters have also been known to send emails congratulating people on their “win’’ in a lottery or sweepstake that they never entered, or as the apparent only remaining relative of a y wealthy person who is genuinely deceased.

Asking for personal details, requesting small payments and instilling a sense of urgency are all signs of a scam.

4. Never wire money to strangers Some $60.5 million was lost by Australians in 2018 to dating and romance fraud.

Victims are tricked into

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Living

STAY ALERT: Scammers could be lurking behind your next email, so be aware of the signs and never give out your personal details.

Picture: Contributed

sending money or personal information to a false admirer, making lonely seniors particularly susceptible.

5. Hang up

Tech support fraud is a common technique where the con artist advises potential victims that their computers have been compromised by malware.

Never give remote access to a device unless you called a help desk directly, even if the caller claims to represent a reputable vendor or your ISP.

Musos finetuning for northern exposure

BRING IT ON: Australian National Academy of Music cellist Eliza Sdraulig takes in the beauty of Townsville. The city will host the Australian Festival of Chamber Music this year.

Picture: Contributed

CLASSICAL-MUSIC lovers looking to combine a domestic holiday with a smorgasbord of sound are in luck.

North Queensland will come alive with the sound of music from July 31 to August 9 as the 30th as the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) takes over Townsville.

Over 10 days, 47 artists will perform more than 125 pieces, including four world

premieres and 11 Australian premieres.

They will also be celebrating Beethoven’s 250th anniversary and the Goldner String Quartet’s 25th anniversary along the way.

Queensland’s Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said AFCM was a unique event that promoted Townsville as a growing cultural tourism hub.

“It now generates $3.7

million and more than 35,000 visitor nights,” Ms Jones said.

This festival is the third and final AFCM under the artistic direction of celebrated British pianist Kathryn Stott.

The line-up includes British cellist Sheku KannehMason, who shot to fame globally after performing at the wedding of Harry and Meghan in May 2018; British flute player Adam Walker; violinists Alexander

Sitkovetsky (Russia) Amalia Hall (NZ); Lise Berthaud (France); and pianist Marianna Shirinyan (Denmark).

Australian artists include bassist Kirsty McCahon, Zoe Black (violin), Tobias Breider (viola), Mark Gaydon (bassoon), James Crabb (accordion), Lloyd Van’t Hoff (clarinet), Timothy Young (piano) and didgeridoo star William Barton.

For more on the festival, visit www.afcm.com.au.

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Living

FAIRWAY TO HEAVEN: The Ninth Middle Ridge development, which is under way, will comprise 85 apartments with tranquil views of the Toowoomba Golf Club.

Pictures: Contributed

Golf site suits unit lifestyle to a tee BRAND INSIGHTS A new over-60s apartment development to be built within the Toowoomba Golf Club has been launched.

The independent living village, The Ninth Middle Ridge, will be adjacent to the course’s ninth hole and will set a new standard for over 60s on the Darling Downs, according to its developer, Aura Holdings.

Expressions of interest are now being received for the 85 two-, three- and fourbedroom apartments with expansive views of the parkland golf course.

Early preparation work has begun, with earthworks to relocate the storage sheds for golf buggies, the relocation of the 10th tee and new carparking. The buggy shed and carpark works are being carried out

at a cost of $750,000 and all contractors and design consultants have been locally sourced.

Major building work will begin in April and construction is expected to be completed by the middle of 2021. Experienced retirement village builder McNab has been appointed to the project with Cox Architecture.

The Ninth Middle Ridge

will offer residents a maintenance-free lifestyle among like-minded neighbours in the low-rise development of three- and four-storey buildings, with community facilities including a gym, billiards area, wine room, library, craft room, lounge, multipurpose function room, and outdoor entertainment and barbecue areas.

Aura director Tim Russell

An outdoor entertainment and barbecue area is among the many facilities planned for The Ninth Middle Ridge.

said: “Both golfers and nongolfers will want to retire to such a beautiful, peaceful and green oasis. It really is a fabulous location to live on the picturesque escarpment of the Great Dividing Range with Toowoomba’s lifestyle benefits and sophisticated facilities nearby.’’

Toowoomba Golf Club general manager David Marr said the development had created an air of excitement

among members.

“Already the general conversation around the development is very positive,’’ Mr Marr said.

“We feel that the setting and quality of the project is very fitting of the demographic of our members.’’

For more information phone (07) 4602 9099 or email live@theninth middleridge.com.au.

Month-long celebration aims to promote age-friendly state SINCE first initiated in 1960

by Council on the Ageing (COTA) Queensland, Queensland Seniors Week has grown substantially.

So much so that it is celebrating Queensland seniors all month long this August.

During the state’s premier

event for older Queenslanders, people of all ages and backgrounds will join together in celebration of the achievements and contributions seniors have made and make in our communities.

Whether as volunteers or in the workforce,

community leaders or carers, grandparents or advocates.

Seniors Month provides opportunities to promote positive community attitudes towards older people and ageing, facilitate community participation and enhance community

connections, aligning with the Queensland Government’s and COTA Queensland’s vision of building an age-friendly Queensland.

COTA Queensland coordinates Queensland Seniors Month on behalf of the Queensland

Government and receives funding to collaboratively plan, run and subsidise Seniors Month events and activities.

Until Sunday, March 15, community groups, local councils and libraries can apply for up to $1000, sharing in $100,000 of

government funding to support events and activities held during the month.

All applications and acquittals are accessed and submitted through SmartyGrants, an online grant management system.

To apply, visit www.qld seniorsmonth.org.au.

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GM’s lack of love at heart of demise Chris Nixon COMMENT

HOLDEN HERITAGE: A range of the old Holdens that excite at Toowoomba's FX-FJ Holdens club's Australia Day run.

Picture: Contributed

Holden on to memories as Aussie icon scrapped Closure can’t put brakes on club’s passion Alison Houston THEY used to be as Australian as “football, meat pies, kangaroos”, as the jingle went, but on February 17 it was officially announced that GM was closing down Holden as a brand.

The closure directly affects 185 Australian dealerships and 600 jobs, with only about 200 people kept on to support warranty, spare parts and servicing of customers for 10 years.

For enthusiasts, however, while their love of the marque goes on, Holden really died in 2017 when manufacturing stopped in Australia.

“GM has said they are wiping their hands of Holden now, but really, what was left?” questioned Toowoomba’s FX-FJ Holdens club vice-president V1 - SETE01Z01MA

Toowoomba's FX-FJ Holdens club vice-president Ben Jewell with his Holden Premier … the stuff Australian family holidays were made of, Picture: Contributed

Ben Jewell. “Once they stopped manufacturing here, speaking generally for our club, the cars really didn’t have much to offer.”

Retiring the iconic Commodore and then returning it as a rebadged Opal BZ, he said, showed GM’s disdain for Holden – with Australia just 1 per cent of the global car market.

The iconic Holden v Ford battleground of Bathurst’s Mount Panorama, with names like Richards, Grice

and Brock, he said, was the “ultimate connection”.

“It was proven that if you won on Sunday (which Holden did 32 times) you would sell those cars on Monday,” he said. “In the 1970s and ’80s it was the average mum-and-dad car with a set of stripes and a slightly hotted-up engine going around the track, not like the cars today.”

Everyone in the know, he said, referred to the VF Commodore – the last built

in Australia – as “the last and best Holden”. If GM had put that know-how into all its cars in the 2000s, it wouldn’t be in its current predicament.

But that won’t stop him or his clubmates loving all things Holden up until 2017.

Making the point clear, their annual September All Holden Day – this year celebrating its 35th year – has drawn the line at cars built in Australia and “Holden as we know it”.

Ben fears for the next generation, such as his sons, who he believes are already being priced out of the Holden market.

Prices have risen considerably since the announcement in 2013 that Holden would stop Australian manufacturing in 2017, with the Commodore VF today worth about $10,000 more than it sold for new.

“The first Holden I ever bought was $700, and that car now is probably $56000, and to put the parts into it that you would need is probably that much again,” Ben said.

He estimated the HK Monaro he bought for $5000 while at TAFE 20 years ago would now sell for about $150,000 and any early-model Holden under $65,000 was “a barn find, a real project”.

To find out more, phone Ben on 0439 109 070 or president Harry Kunkel on 0417 622 926.

IN ALMOST every country town of any size there has been a Holden dealer as a cornerstone of the community.

Generations of families bought Holdens because they were a trusted, reliable product made here to suit our unique Australian conditions, and a racer named Peter Brock became a dashing flag-bearer for “Australia’s own car”.

This and much more is what the loss of Holden means to literally millions of Australians.

The announcement of Holden’s demise from 2021 was a surprise, but hardly unexpected. The make had been on the slide for years as changing lifestyles spurred a trend towards morecompact and economical cars, especially SUVs. The unique, rear-drive Commodore VF II was as good as any mass-produced car in the world, but ultimately the right car at the wrong time when the last example drove off the Adelaide production line in 2017.

So the mystery is, why isn’t GM continuing with Holden as an import-only make, as have other brands?

The answer is that the decision is less to do with Holden’s own fortunes than with GM’s global priorities.

The decision probably was correct in the circumstances, but many Australians will believe these circumstances have arisen only because GM failed appallingly to maintain and nurture the country’s single most important brand.

If more than 60 other makes can flourish here in a market of about one million vehicles a year, why can’t the most treasured make of all?

GM may as well pack up Holden, as it’s said it will do – to Australians now, the name Holden means nothing … except memories.

– Chris Nixon is a local motoring journalist of more than 50 years.

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Five key moves to turbocharge super in retirement run-up

Money

IT PAYS TO PLAN: Simple measures can help you make the most of your superannuation nest egg as retirement draws closer.

Picture: Contributed

FOR many of us, saving for retirement isn’t something we’ve done our entire lives.

However, when it comes to your 50s (and beyond), your super becomes more important to you than ever before and the key to retiring comfortably is all in the planning. Here are five easy ways you could boost your super when you’re over 50.

1. Consolidate your super Now might be the time to consolidate your super into one account to minimise fees, reducing your admin time and make it easier to keep track of your balance. Before consolidating super, it’s important to check you’re not going to lose any insurance cover in an existing super fund.

2. Think about debt Typically, retirees want to enter retirement with as little financial stress as possible – which means it’s time to think about debt.

There’s a wide range of options on how best to manage debt including the option of starting to pay down debt now, or waiting

until retirement – it depends on the individual circumstances.

3. Increase your super contributions As available cash flow increases – say because the mortgage has been paid off – it might be time to increase your super contributions.

Whether you choose to do this through salary sacrificing or a personal taxdeductible contribution, as you come closer to retirement it could be beneficial. to turbocharge your contributions to make the most of your investments.

4) Think about your investment strategy The closer you come to retirement, the better idea you will have of how and when you might like to retire. It’s a good time to assess your investment strategy to ensure it’s working for you and will get you where you want to go.

Is your current strategy too aggressive as you move closer to leaving the workforce and have less time to ride the wave of investing?

5) Review your insurance/beneficiaries As your financial commitments start to slow down, it’s important to reevaluate your insurance needs and any beneficiaries.

For some, if the mortgage is paid off and your emergency fund is in a good place, now might be the time to lower your level of cover or extend your waiting period to drop your premiums. Whatever you choose, review your beneficiaries regularly to avoid your benefit ending up in the hands of the wrong person or attracting unnecessary tax.

– Dianne Charman, of Jade Financial Group, is an authorised representative of AMP Financial Planning Pty Ltd, ABN 89 051 208 327, AFS Licence No. 232706.

Any advice given is general only and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs.

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

Managing inheritance Mark Digby IN AUSTRALIA, special capital gains tax (CGT) rules apply when dealing with assets of a deceased estate.

The most common types of assets inherited by a beneficiary that could be subject to a capital gain are property, shares and managed funds.

Implications for Australian tax residents Within Australia it is only if you decide to sell the inherited asset at some point that the normal CGT rules apply.

Inherited Property: CGT outcomes are an important aspect to consider when selling inherited investments.

Inheriting a family home may involve CGT when it is sold. This depends on a few factors, such as when it was bought, when it was sold and whether it was used for investment purposes during the ownership period.

The sale of the family home may receive the “main residence exemption’’, which means that CGT will not apply. (If you’re a nonAustralian tax resident, CGT may be applicable.)

Inherited shares and managed Funds: Generally these assets can be passed to Australian tax resident beneficiaries and not involve a CGT event; however, the beneficiary will inherit the deceased person’s liability.

This means the CGT is calculated on the original purchase price – not the price when these assets were inherited.

Other CGT considerations: Generally speaking, if the asset is: • A collectable asset, such as rare stamps, then CGT may apply.

• Personal-use asset such as jewellery, a car or boat, CGT will typically not apply.

Capital gain (or losses) on an inherited asset: Several considerations are involved in calculating a capital gain or loss. These can include: • The type of asset, and how it was used before the deceased’s passing.

• The deceased’s date of death.

• The date the asset was inherited.

• Your ownership period, before selling the asset.

• Whether you are selling the asset as an individual

Australian tax resident, or not. The CGT implications of a deceased estate are complicated.

A financial adviser will be able to assist you in understanding any tax implications of inheriting an asset, based on your personal circumstances, objectives and goals.

For more information, contact Mark Digby at Maher Digby Securities Pty Ltd – Financial Advisers – AFSL No. 230559 (see advert Page 3). Phone: 07 5441 1266 or visit www.maherdigby.com.au.

– This article is not a substitute

for specialist tax advice This document was prepared without taking into account any person’s particular objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not guaranteed as accurate or complete and should not be relied upon as such. Maher Digby Securities does not accept any responsibility for the opinions, comments, forward looking statements, and analysis contained in this document, all of which are intended to be of a general nature. Investors should, before acting on this information, consider the appropriateness of this information having regard to their personal objectives, financial situation or needs. We recommend consulting a financial adviser.

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\\MARCH, 2020

Coronavirus: ‘Black swan’ is no reason to hit panic button Paul Clitheroe IN the world of investing, a “black swan’’ is an unpredictable event with the potential for serious consequences. Right now, some commentators are saying the outbreak of coronavirus in China is a black swan.

Without doubt, the spread of coronavirus has been astounding.

First identified in December 2019, the number of cases has risen to more than 20,000 as I write in early February. Very sadly, hundreds of people have succumbed to the virus.

While comparisons have been made with the SARS outbreak of 2003, the impact of coronavirus is quite different.

It has spread more rapidly, though thankfully, with fewer fatalities. In our highly interconnected global economy, investors don’t have to hold overseas assets to feel the financial impact of

coronavirus.

China is by far Australia’s biggest trading partner, accounting for one-quarter of our global trade.

China also buys close to 25 per cent of our coal exports, and is our No. 1 source of tourists.

In addition, 150,000 of Australia’s 400,000 overseas students hail from China.

So it’s not hard to see how the outbreak of coronavirus can impact on Australia’s economy as well as listed companies across a variety of industries.

Despite some jitters, the Aussie sharemarket has held relatively steady since the start of 2020.

That said, many investors may be uncertain about how they should respond.

My first thoughts are to take care of your health.

That means following government health directives and adopting sensible precautions if you’re travelling.

In terms of your

Coronavirus is a “black swan’’ of the investment world.

investment portfolio, I’m not convinced that you need to take any steps at all – provided your investments are framed with your longterm needs, personal goals and tolerance for risk in mind.

Let me stress, I am not discounting the tragic loss of life – nor the suffering of those who have contracted the virus.

And I certainly don’t have

a crystal ball that shows just how far coronavirus may spread.

What I do know is that mankind has faced unprecedented health crises in the past – everything from SARS, MERS, swine flu and Ebola.

For the victims and their families, the human toll has been dreadful.

But for economies and sharemarkets, the recovery process has often been swift once the outbreak has been contained.

The upshot is that a black swan shouldn’t derail your long-term investment plans – as long as you have ticked all the boxes for low-cost investments that you’re comfortable with and which have the potential to help you achieve personal goals.

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

35

Take the ‘crisis’ out of your health care choices with a plan SEVENTY-YEAROLD Robert enjoys his active life, despite having severe emphysema.

Recently Robert’s daughter, Melanie, found her father on the floor of his apartment, blue and only semi-conscious.

Melanie rang 000.

During the ambulance ride to the hospital, she was panicking because she didn’t have any of her father’s paperwork and wasn’t sure what to do.

Fortunately for Melanie and the hospital medical professionals, Robert had documented his health care wishes in an advance care plan.

The doctors quickly accessed Robert’s Statement of Choices through his hospital electronic medical record and read he wanted all reasonable measures tried to restore him to his active life.

Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a process of communicating your wishes,

ADVANCE CARE PLANNING IS A PROCESS OF COMMUNICATING YOUR WISHES... AND FUTURE HEALTH CARE PREFERENCES ... values, beliefs and future health care preferences with your family, friends and healthcare providers.

Planning ahead assists those close to you make health care decisions on your behalf, if you are unable to, helping to ensure your wishes are respected.

During Advance Care Planning Week, March 23-27, learn how ACP can empower you to make your future health care wishes known.

The Office of Advance Care Planning – Queensland Health, provides a free and confidential service. Go to mycaremychoices.com.au or phone 1300 007 227.

Generous natures are coming at a high cost GENEROUS Australian seniors are being taken advantage of to the tune of thousands by overseas online scammers and con artists.

These scammers are taking seniors for a ride and no one is stopping them.

Michael Jones, online security expert from Aussie Watch Dogs, said Aussie seniors were particularly vulnerable due to their generous natures and relative naivety online.

“Younger Australians are more likely to do a little bit of research before hitting the donate button. They’re also much better at picking up on seemingly obvious scams,” Mr Jones said.

“This problem exists because a lot of people don’t have time to help their grandparents and parents with their computers.

“Another major issue is that sometimes seniors feel embarrassed about being ripped off, and don’t want to tell anyone. This can be fixed V1 - SETE01Z01MA

by educating our seniors around how to spot dodgy offers and fake donation campaigns.”

“This ends up creating a perfect storm where the scammers can target Aussie seniors with impunity, they actually have call centres set up overseas specifically to target our elderly.”

Mr Jones said anyone who wanted to be safer online could benefit from these tips: • Check the spelling of any emails received. Would a bank or a large charity send you an email with terrible spelling? The answer is no.

• Look at the quality of the website or Instagram or Facebook post. Again, this sounds simple but it’s amazing how many people miss it. A sure sign of an online scam is a poorly worded website or offer.

• If in doubt, leave it out: before you buy anything, seek another opinion.

Another pair of eyes might spot something you missed.

LOOK CLOSELY: Don’t accept all online approaches at face value.

Picture: Contributed

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REVIEWS

MARCH, 2020//

A joyous look into extended family

Take a trip down memory lane

TRACEY JOHNSTONE

STRAP yourself into your favourite reading spot and get ready for a six-month bumpy ride alongside the Casey and Kinsella families in Marian Keyes’s newest novel Grown Ups. If you thought you had a complicated extended family, wait until you have read to the end what Keyes shares.

It twists and turns in so many ways that any plans to

Boys will be boys in Aussie film

THEIR OFFSPRING ARE NORMAL KIDS WITH THE USUAL PERSONALITY QUIRKS MOST PARENTS HOPE WILL DISAPPEAR AS THEY GROW OLDER. put the book down and do something else with your day quickly fades when you finish one section and slide into reading the next one.

The family tree at the start of the 633-page book is very useful.

Until you get to know each character, this tree is invaluable.

In short, Grown Ups takes you to Ireland, where there are three brothers who couldn’t be more different.

Their wives, and an ex-wife, are smart and complicated at the same time.

Their offspring are normal kids with the usual personality quirks most parents hope will disappear as they grow older.

The grandparents, or at least one set, are

outstandingly bad – can there really be a couple like this?

Some of the language in the novel is new to me – perhaps the Irish influence is the reason?

Once you have dived deep into the stories, that

language starts to become familiar. Don’t let it stop you enjoying a great read.

I don’t want to tell you much more about the family get-togethers, money and health challenges, conflicts and loves.

Perhaps my family isn’t

that complicated after all?

Grown Ups in is bookshops now. RRP is $32.99.

Marian Keyes has been writing funny, internationally bestselling fiction for more than 20 years.

SENIORS

IT’S simply never too late to live your dream with your mates even if you are all holed up in Hogan Hills Retirement Village.

The Australian comedy from director Mark Lamprell (A Few Less Men), Never Too Late boasts an outstanding cast including James Cromwell, Dennis Waterman, Shane Jacobson, Jackie Weaver, Jack Thompson and Roy Billing.

The backstory is, it’s been a long time since Caine, Bronson, Angus and Wendell, AKA The Chain Breakers – escaped the torturous Vietnamese POW camp.

They now find themselves sharing a new prison, The Hogan Hills Retirement Home for Returned Veterans.

Each of the boys has an unrealised dream he wants to achieve before it’s too late.

So, once again they band together to devise a plan to escape this new hell.

But the rules of engagement have changed; in fact, they can’t even remember what they were and that’s half the problem.

Never Too Late is in cinemas from late April.

SIT back, peel down the Choo Choo Bar wrapper and lay some serious colour on your tongue as you reminisce while flicking through the pages of Stuff We Had in the ’50s and ’60s.

Welcome to Pam Van Der Kooy’s incomplete collection of stuff from the relevant decades with facts, history, anecdotes and memories to be used as catalysts for readers’ own memories of that time, good or bad, golden or otherwise.

From the joys of Cuisenaire rods and Dick and Dora at school, to Pope wringers, TV licences and home haircuts, there’s lots of stuff.

When Pam’s father’s book Aniseed Balls, Billy Carts and Clothes Lines: an ABC of Growing Up in the Thirties was published in 2002, one of the most frequent comments she had was that people were going to use it to give to their kids and grandies to show them what life was like.

How much better would it be to have space to add your own memories? You can.

Boolarong Press; RRP $24.95

Entertaining view into the future of food THIS is a rollicking exploration of the history and future of our favourite foods.

When we humans love foods, we love them a lot.

In fact, we have often eaten them into extinction, whether it is the megafauna of the Paleolithic world or the passenger pigeon of the last century.

Whether it’s chasing down the luscious butter of local Icelandic cattle or looking at the impacts of modern industrialised

LOST FEAST MAKES A CRITICAL CONTRIBUTION TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF FOOD SECURITY TODAY.

agriculture on the range of food varieties we can put in our shopping carts, Newman’s bright, intelligent gaze finds insight and humour at every turn.

Bracketing the chapters

that look at the history of our relationship to specific foods, Newman enlists her ecologist friend and fellow cook, Dan, in a series of “extinction dinners’’ designed to recreate meals of the past or to illustrate how we might be eating in the future.

Part culinary romp, part environmental wake-up call, Lost Feast makes a critical contribution to our understanding of food security today.

You will never look at

what’s on your plate in quite the same way again.

Lenore Newman is the Canada Research Chair in Food Security and Environment at the University of the Fraser Valley.

She is the author of the acclaimed Speaking in Cod Tongues: A Canadian Culinary Journey.

She divides her time between Vancouver and Roberts Creek, British Columbia.

RRP $39.99; ECW Press SETE01Z01MA - V1

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

PUZZLES

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Across 5 What has been linked with 80 percent of Russia’s murders and half its car crashes? (5) 8 Which legendary island lies beneath the Atlantic Ocean?

(8) 9 Which musical instrument was first developed by Bartolommeo Cristofori? (5) 10 What postal item was first introduced to the world in France in 1840? (8) 11 Used in combining form, what is “seemingly; apparently but not really”? (5) 14 What is the abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid?

(1,1,1) 16 Apart from the Vatican, which sovereign state is the world’s smallest? (6) 17 Graphite and diamond are forms of which chemical element? (6) 18 A slang word for marijuana (3) 20 Shown with the world on his back in a 1595 book, who gave his name to such publications? (5) 24 What military officer is an administrative assistant to a senior officer? (8) 25 A spiral curve (5) 26 Who wrote twelve volumes on Casanova? (8) 27 What unit of length equals 22 yards? (5)

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SUDOKU

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

QUICK CROSSWORD 1

2

3

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DOUBLECROSS 4

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Down 1 What is Sir Paul McCartney’s first name? (5) 2 What can be chewed on to alleviate toothache? (5) 3 Where would you hurt if you were kicked in the tarsus?

(5) 4 Who is the grubby character in Charles Schulz’s Peanuts strips? (3,3) 6 What is a death notice in a newspaper? (8) 7 Near which city was singer Bob Marley born? (8) 12 Which wedding anniversary is commemorated with rubies? (8) 13 The works of which Italian virtuoso violinist were transcribed for the piano by Liszt and Schumann? (8) 14 Cheap liquor made from winemaking residue (3) 15 What is a main division of a play, opera? (3) 19 In a song, who played knick knack on his drum? (3,3) 21 Aspartame is a substitute for what in some foods? (5) 22 Which musical instrument does the player hum or sing into? (5) 23 What powered early Stanley cars? (5)

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

8 9

10 11 12

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14 15 16 17

18

19 20

21

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Down 1. Cautious (5) 2. Murk (3) 3. Second letter of Greek alphabet (4) 4. Fleeting (9) 5. Fecund (7) 8. Gently mocks (6) 11. Moved elsewhere (9) 13. Charted (6) 14. Express strong disapproval (7) 16. Of this area (5) 18. Pretence (4) 20. Assistance (3)

Across 6. Soldier’s knife (7) 7. Moved in a curve (5) 9. Morning moisture (3) 10. Fatherhood (9) 12. Allowable (11) 15. Mouldering (11) 17. Uncomfortable (3,2,4) 19. Deity (3) 21. Wept (5) 22. Main city (7)

SOLUTIONS

5x5 T E N D S

ALPHAGRAMS: HACKS, ITCHES, JESTING, KNOTHOLE, LIGHTNESS. GK CROSSWORD Across: 5 Vodka, 8 Atlantis, 9 Piano, 10 Envelope, 11 Quasi, 14 DNA, 16 Monaco, 17 Carbon, 18 Pot, 20 Atlas, 24 Adjutant, 25 Helix, 26 Casanova, 27 Chain.

Down: 1 James, 2 Clove, 3 Ankle, 4 Pig Pen, 6 Obituary, 7 Kingston, 12 Fortieth, 13 Paganini, 14 Dop, 15 Act, 19 Old man, 21 Sugar, 22 Kazoo, 23 Steam.

QUICK CROSSWORD Across: 6. Bayonet 7. Arced 9. Dew 10. Paternity 12. Permissible 15.

Decomposing 17. Ill at ease 19. God 21. Cried 22. Capital.

Down: 1. Cagey 2. Fog 3. Beta 4. Transient 5. Fertile 8. Teases 11. Relocated 13. Mapped 14. Deplore 16. Local 18. Sham 20. Aid.

G

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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.

SHACK ETHICS TEN JIGS THEN LOOK SHE GLINTS

5x5 A

S I

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R A

G W

T

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

Note: more than one solution may be possible.

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All puzzles © The Puzzle Company

TODAY: Good 11 Very Good16 Excellent 20

goitre gore greet grim grime grit grot merge ogee ogre regime tiger trig

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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.

S T A L L

V1How - SETE01Z01MA many words

T E

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WORD GO ROUND

A L L O W

DOUBLECROSS

SUDOKU

ALPHAGRAMS

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