Toowoomba, October 2017 by seniors

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In this edition

Cover Story: O’Reilly’s .......................................Pages 4-5 Travel................................................................Pages 17-20 What’s On................................................................Page 21 Wellbeing ........................................................Pages 24-26 Money......................................................................Page 30 Puzzles ....................................................................Page 35

Contact us Editor Gail Forrer gail.forrer@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Manager Kristie Waite kristie.waite@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Now 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 south-east 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.

Welcome

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

Let’s mix it up and learn from the best GENFRIENDS – I’m always up for word invention and I rather liked this one. Since, it hasn’t made the dictionary yet, I take its meaning as positive term for intergenerational friendships. A recently published report Truth about Age, McCann World Group noted that individual cultures value ageing in different ways, for instance the people of India believe being respected by society is the key to ageing well, while British value a sense of humour, however across the board intergenerational connections promoted healthy, happy ageing. With this information in mind, we have presented The Intergenerational Issue. The great thing about intergenerational connection is that benefits are shared between both age-groups. Depending on the connection or program, friendships can be made, education gained and wisdom shared.

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER

Group editor Seniors Newspapers network

This month, we tracked down a few stories that personify the meaning of intergenerational. To that end, we have featured the O’Reilly clan – how they have worked together for four generations expanding their tourism business and nurturing the land for future generations. From another angle, Tracey Johnstone reports on the genXchange program. This program focuses on a sharing between educational institutions and the aged care industry. Initially, it came out of student’s research project and is all about connecting people in the community and reducing social isolation. The underpinning philosophy

supports the transfer of wisdom on one hand, and new skills and new relationships on the other hand. We also bring you up-to-date with one of Australia’s most important care-giving institutions Meals on Wheels - which, of course, relies on the generosity of more-able bodied volunteers. On September 15, Federal Minister for Aged Care Ken Wyatt announced an additional $8 million in government support for services delivering meals to private homes through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (See our feature story.) You may not be aware, but Grandparents’ day is celebrated this month on Oct 25. This means we all have a chance to celebrate in our own way. For the grandparents, who have had to take on a direct parenting role for their grandchildren it means an opportunity to have their message to the

Government amplified. This year the CWA is conducting a support campaign asking the government for considered recognition of the part these grandparents play in the wellbeing of our society. Read the full stories in our Wellbeing section. At times, we all require good, honest sounding boards, and for me that means my three sisters, who generously offer a running commentary on my editorial efforts! Of late, they have told me to take care in writing about too many extraordinary older people, it can make them feel inadequate. My reply is that the goal is to write about inspirational people, regardless of whether or not they are extraordinary. Let’s face it, is it ever too late to live the dream? So, here’s to all my genfriends - may you be inspired and enjoy the Big Read ahead. Cheers Gail

Precious hobby became a career Alison Houston

GEM expert Rod Brightman never thought his hobby would become a career. Working in and teaching gemmology for decades has dimmed none of his passion for fossicking, finding, swapping and testing gems and minerals in his retirement, or wanting to share that love with the next generation. Rod started his working life as a geologist and entered study at the Gemmological Association in Sydney in the late

1970s simply so he could identify some of his own finds. However, having topped Australia in the practical test, he found himself running a diamond-grading laboratory, before moving on to teach gemmology full-time in Canberra. These days Rod is one of the prime attractions at Toowoomba’s annual Gemfest. In fact, his skills are so in demand he has to limit the number of pieces each person can bring him to test. Queues form from the moment he starts until the doors close.

So what do people bring him? “Some people bring things they’ve found that they want identified, and others have rings or necklaces they’ve inherited or bought overseas and they’re not sure what they are,” he said. “I don’t do valuations, just identify them.” Sometimes the news can be good, but often the jewellery pieces are synthetic or fake. Synthetics, Rod explained, developed as a result of the Space Race. New transparent materials

were created to which colour could be added and which, to the untrained eye, looked as good as the genuine naturally occurring gem. However Rod is not always the bearer of bad news. He recalls one man who brought in a badly damaged ring he had inherited from his aunty, which he thought was probably only of sentimental value. It turned out to be a four-carat Ceylon sapphire, worth about $4-5000. Rod’s services on the

LIFETIME INTEREST: Rod Brightman examines a section of amethyst crystals with a secondary growth of calcite.

day are free. Gemfest runs at Centenary Heights High School, Ramsay Street entrance, from 9am-5pm Saturday and to 3pm Sunday, October 21-22.

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Fighting for RIght

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Three areas need cultural changes AGED Discrimination Commissioner Hon Dr Kay Patterson AO has set a clear agenda and she plans on using every element of her public sector, education experience and network to deliver deep change in issues vital to ageing Australians and the broader community. “I hope by the end I can say I have made a difference for older people,” the 72-year-old said. She has another four years with her support team of three to achieve some lofty, but worthwhile goals around her three chosen focus areas – elder abuse, homelessness for women aged 50 to 70 and seniors in the workplace. ■ Elder Abuse Report On June 14 the Australian Law Reform Commission released its 43 law reform elder abuse recommendations to safeguard older Australians. “There is a lot of momentum around that,” she said. Dr Patterson is now meeting regularly with a team of five from the Attorney-General’s office to work on a national plan out of the ALRC report and a first-time prevalence study. “I have said to both the attorney and shadow attorney that I would rather focus on getting this report implemented rather than writing another report.”

Even though the report is about law reform, Dr Patterson said, “There are things that aren’t in the report that I think need addressing later on.” Registration of Power of Attorney is a focus area for her. She has also spoken to Anna Bligh of the Australian Banking Association about finding a practical implementation for this recommendation since the banks have been pushing for this to happen. ■ Homelessness Women who are working, and aged between 55 and 70 and renting. If they become sick or lose their job and can’t pay their rent, they will become homeless. “I think you need a range of solutions because someone at 55 will have very different needs of someone who is 65. I would like to form a council of women who see this as a major issue and could invest into a property fund so that a person who has a bit of super can buy some equity so her rent is doable on the pension down the track. Women who have been working have all sorts of resources; they have networks, and when the time comes they may be able to use them.” For others who don’t have networks and resources, she says it will put downward pressure on social housing.

“Can we use their capacity to work or their super, using different solutions for the different women within that group to give them some housing? ■ Willing to Work Since the mid-90s and through to the adoption of the Age Discrimination Act in 2004, Dr Patterson pushed for the removal of the compulsory retirement age. Her vision now is see implemented as many as possible of the Commission’s Willing to Work report recommendations. Dr Patterson includes among her concerns about Australia’s older workforce is that Australians are living longer than they had imagined they would and a lot of older people weren’t in superannuation from the beginning because it wasn’t portable which many of them are approaching retirement with less super. “And, a lot of companies realise there is a big people dip after the baby boomers and there isn’t people coming in to fill those places,” she said. “Many companies are now realising that suddenly they may have a dearth of people and what they’ve got to do is keep their people working longer.” Another area of focus for Dr Patterson is education. She is targeting human resources and health

worker sector students with the aim to get more human relations courses about older people and the positive things of employing older people into education institutions. “The culture they set now is the culture they will inherit when they are older,” Dr Patterson said. “If young people coming up behind them in clinical situations or employment, see people dealing with older people in an understanding way that gets the fact they don’t always want to have a full-time job, that’s the culture they will experience. If they don’t do that, they get the culture that currently exists which is less than helpful, and understanding the motivation of older people.” Her next target is the Human Resources Institute of Australia, working with them to ensure professional development education

CHANGE-MAKER: Australian Human Rights Commission's Age Discrimination Commissioner Hon Dr Kay Patterson AO.

around older worker issues. “I am attending any event they invite me to talk to them about what they can do in their businesses and giving them examples of best practice,” she said. “I feel like I need to be like a bee, running around seeing the best practices and then pollinating them around the country.” Her final target is seeing developed materials similar to what will be produced for the students, that will help industry leaders to become better informed as to the value and

Bushfire season

Tech Savvy Seniors

The start of Spring means warmer weather, Carnival of Flowers and airconditioners, but it also means bushfires. Prepare your home for bushfire season by clearing gutters, trimming low-lying branches and thinking about what you’ll do if there is a bushfire nearby. Visit www. ruralfire.qld.gov.au to find out more info.

Toowoomba City Library is offering free Tech Savvy Seniors training sessions to teach older people how to use technologies to help them navigate the digital world. Seniors can participate in 19 different training modules covering a range of topics including intro to the internet & email, online shopping, banking, cyber safety and social media. For more info, call 4688 6670 or visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/library

Payments to Council

Live steamers Join the Live Steamers for the first running of the trains in Lemway Avenue Park! The Toowoomba Live Steamers Miniature Railway has provided a fun, family friendly experience to the Toowoomba region since 1996. After a short intermission, the Live Steamers are back in their new location! After a successful relocation from Kearneys Spring Park to Lemway Avenue Park in Kearneys Spring, the Live Steamers are ready to recommence operations. Come and join them on Sunday 15 October for the first running of the trains in their new home. For more info, call 131 872.

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importance of older workers. She hopes to use avenues such as the Institute of Company Directors to get directors to ask questions about diversity. “It will affect their bottom line if they lose all that knowledge,”she said. “If they see older people in their company being looked after, and employing them, or making sure they can transition to retirement, then I am going to be more loyal to that company, because that’s what is going to happen to me.”

Updates from the Toowoomba Region

Making payments to council has been made easy with our online options and 24/7 phone payments. You can pay rates, water notices and animal registrations by credit card on 1300 451 206 or online at www.tr.qld.gov.au. Please note that a credit card surcharge applies.

DENTAL EXPERTISE

Seniors 3

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

Events Register Looking for something to do or planning an event? Check out the events register to see what’s on in the region and advertise your event for free! Go to www.tr.qld.gov. au/events

Drought Support Grant Help is at hand for rural communities battling the ongoing drought through the Community Drought Support Grant program. Grants of up to $5,000 are available for eligible community organisations or groups that are interested in using funds to support activities promoting wellbeing or addressing a genuine need in an area. Guidelines, application and acquittal forms are available at www.tr.qld.gov.au/ droughtgrant For more info, call 131 872 or email info@tr.qld.gov.au TRC_1017_SN

Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

4 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Cover Story: O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

Behold, the regenerative Indigenous history

GAIL FORRER

Group editor Seniors Newspapers network

TO UNIVERSITY research students the rainforest regeneration of O’Reilly’s property, in Lamington National Park is something to behold. “It’s highly valued as dairy land that has gone back to rainforest without any replanting,” Shane O’Reilly said. At 55-years-old, Shane is the third European generation to live on the land. He speaks in a relaxed tone and notes that the Rainforest Retreat, though now boasting architecturally designed unit, day spa and 25m infinity edge poll is still an unpretentious place. “The staff are good, the guests are friendly – it’s a relaxed, communal feel,” he said. The first O’Reilly settled there in 1911, four years later the Lamington Park was declared a state forest. In 1994, World Heritage

ECO RANGERS: Intergenerational connections grow as environmental knowledge is shared and enjoyed.

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They were in their mid-50s, worked all their lives, they had a lovely asset but no money. They had put all their money back into the property,” Shane said. status was bestowed on Lamington in recognition of its high biodiversity, and the fact it contains a living museum of the evolutionary steps taken in the development of

Australia’s modern flora. It now includes 20,200 hectares of varying forest types, from temperate Antarctic Beech forest high on the border ranges through the sub-tropical

rainforests, to the dry eucalypt forest of the northern escarpment. O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, in the Gold Coast hinterland, has been a family owned and operated business since first opening in 1926. After devoting more than 40 years to the business, the second generation family members, including CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

PRIOR to European settlement, the Lamington region was inhabited by Aboriginal people of the Yugambeh language for thousands of years. The Yugambeh group inhabited the Gold Coast and hinterland, roughly between the Logan and Tweed rivers. The group lived as distinct family tribes in various regions, although interaction between them was well established. The family tribes that lived closest to Lamington National Park are the Birinburra, Kombumerri, Wangerriburra and Migunberri people. The Yugambeh people understood seasons, plants and animals and used them to provide a comfortable lifestyle. Whereas early European farming methods required toil from dawn to dusk in order to achieve a small return, the Yugambeh people were able to feed a large group with just a few hours’ walk a day.

Trading of food was well established between Aboriginal groups and early Europeans relied on trading with the Aborigines to survive. The Yugambeh people monitored plant and animal resources to ensure that food gathering was both efficient and sustainable. They gathered nuts, honey and other plant material, perhaps even planting many of the nut trees that grow today. Using an assortment of weaponry, they hunted a wide variety of species. Nets were used to catch fish, flighted birds, land fowl and land animals to the size of a kangaroo. Dingoes were trained to aid in the hunting of wallabies and kangaroos. Social gatherings such as corroborees were well attended, attracting visitors from as far as Grafton, Tenterfield and Maryborough. These corroborees were held for a variety of reasons.

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Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Cover Story: O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Seniors 5

beauty of the landscape THIRD GENERATION : Shane O’Reilly.

PHOTO: ADAM HEAD

Morans Falls is part of the diverse environment. FROM PAGE 4

84-year-old Big Pete O’Reilly who built the Australia’s first tree-top walk 30 years ago and still spends a day a week on the property, retired in the late 1990s, and so charged the third generation with the responsibility of carrying on the business into the new millennium. Fortunately, this is a

family who had foresight and goodwill to care both for themselves and the land. As Shane O’Reilly tells it, when he returned to the property in 1989 after working in an international hotel, his parents and uncle and aunt who ran the property, were ready to retire. “They were in their mid-50s, worked all their lives, they had a lovely

Thirty-years-ago the tree-top walk was constructed. It is thought to be the first of its kind in the world.

asset but no money. They had put all their money back into the property,” Shane said. “They could have sold, but they didn’t want to. “They were happy there.” With that in mind, he put together a retirement strategy for them and by the mid 1990s they were ready to retire. Shane spent an idyllic childhood on the land

before heading to boarding school. His intimate knowledge of the land and family photographs allow him to follow the dramatic growth, landscape changes and weather patterns across a century. His two children, not yet teenagers, are enjoying a similar childhood and whether they follow in his footsteps is up to them. But why wouldn’t they.

O'Reilly family timeline until 2012.

Shane has said each generation has added their own direction to the retreat, for instance Big Pete O’Reilly’s birdwatching excursion is this year celebrating a 40th anniversary.

While Shane talks about the eco rangers project that provides conservation awareness and time out for the parents. “It gets kids away from their iPad,” he said.

6 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

genXchange

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

Connecting genXfriends Tracey Johnstone

GENXCHANGE – have you heard the word yet? If not, be on alert, because it will soon be in your neighbourhood. GenXchange is the brainchild of Queenslander Charlotte Mellis who has nurtured the cross-generational collaborative project through the pilot stages and is now driving it, to roll out nationally in 2018 On Queensland’s Sunshine Coast the local genXchange group coordinators, Sam Wall and Kristen Ottley, said they are bringing local university students and community elders together in a way that gives meaning and purpose for themselves, and gets them involved in the community. “It gives them (seniors) the opportunity to prove they have so much value and knowledge to give,” Sam said. “We want to create awareness around social isolation and it’s a dignified way of sharing wisdom without being derogatory towards any generation,” Kristen

GEN FRIENDS: Emma (USC student and genXchange member) and Jack (genXchange member) at Smell the Roses garden and social club. PHOTO: TAYLAH BERGANN

added. “Both generations have something to share and we want to get rid of the stigma around old age and redundancy which a western culture seems to give to elders.” Sam and Kristen are working with a group of about 70 seniors and 11 occupational therapy students, who are using their volunteer involvement as practical experience for one of their study units. Each Tuesday members of this genXchange group meet across various activities – computer classes,

Spanish lessons, arts and crafts, walking or participating in community gardening. On a Wednesday its Breaky Club group provide at the Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre meals to the homeless, socially disadvantaged and isolated. Debra, 63, is a member of the gardening group. She said genXchange is letting her get in touch with the “younger generation”. “I am learning what they want to do and how they feel and see life, and their future,” Debra said.

“What I can teach them I will find out along the way. “We are creating friendships and connections rather than seeing it as a chore that we have to do,” Sam, 26, said. “I have learnt to engage with them. I used to have, like most people, an ageist way of thinking. From this program, it has broken down a heap of barriers for me. “I am able to have a really authentic conversation, really easily. If that’s the best thing I can do is listen and be

actively engaged with these people, then that’s great. “I love being able to do that, coming here every Tuesday and treating them the same as my friends and anyone of my generation,” Sam added. “Seniors are wiser people. They look a little bit different, but they are still young at heart. That’s the one thing I have really learnt the most,” Kristen, 28, chimed in. Charlotte said genXchange has partnered in Brisbane with Aveo Springfield for a cooking program and creating vertical gardens, in partnership with students from the University of Queensland the University of Southern Queensland. “There are a lot of younger people who are eager to be involved with this volunteer experience who may not have identified with other volunteer opportunities,” Charlotte said. Her team are developing a website to centralise the program information, and help people to search and connect within their local

area based on skills, interest and potential needs around companionship. The program will still retain physical hubs in each area it is running so genXchange groups can connect on mass and one-on-one. “As we roll out we will be partnering with universities and other education providers around Australia who will be accessing the platform to register their details for students who will be able gain approved credit points for their qualifications based on the partnership with the universities,” Charlotte said. “In exchange for that there is a huge amount of value to be gained by connecting with a genfriend, someone in their community of a different age.” She is also hoping to partner with aged care providers, retirement villages and hospitals to develop a program which suits their community’s needs. To register an interest in genXchange, go to www.genxchange.org.

Four ways you can reduce your electricity bill now

TAKE THE POWER BACK

Earlier this year Aussie households were warned another hefty price hike from our electricity retailers was looming. Electricity prices were set to rise by an average of 20% for residential tariffs and considerably more for small businesses. Fast forward to September, and households and business are reeling, with the average home on track to handover an extra $600 of hard earned cash to their electricity supplier this year. We for one, think there are far better ways to spend six hundred dollars, so we’ve put together a few tips that will help you to drastically reduce your electricity bill now, and protect you, and your wallet. 1. Stay calm and get solar It goes without saying the most effective way to reduce your electricity bill significantly is to use your roof and draw power free from the sun. There has never been a better time to invest in solar. With generous government rebates still available, and a significant drop in the price of a good quality system, solar just makes good sense. Let’s break it down…a 5kW system will set you back about $5k, and the average home spends approx. $500 per quarter on electricity. That’s $2,000 per year that effectively off sets the cost of your PV system, dependant the way you consume electricity. That’s potentially a payback period of under three years, and some serious savings now, and for years to come.

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If you’re like most of us, and spend your day at work, then your home is running at minimum power consumption at the best part of the day to generate solar power. By adding a battery, you can store energy generated through the day to power your home into the evening when electricity is most expensive and your home is also at peak consumption. Winning! 3. Check your hot water system Considered the most power-hungry part of the home, an inefficient hot water system could be burning a hole in your pocket. Start out by assessing if your hot water system is right for you. If the system is too small, heating it multiple times a day to keep up with the demand gets costly. If you have a large enough solar power system, you can use the excess power generated to heat your hot water, a hot water system can be used like a battery to store excess solar energy. If you’re not sure, one of our energy consultants can provide you with a free energy efficient consultation. 4. Shoot for the star rating Its estimated forty percent of our energy usage goes to heating and cooling our homes, short of renovating your home to improve your passive airflow, fitting an energy efficient air conditioning unit to cool a dedicated space or a ducted system to manage the temperature of your whole home are both good options, and significantly cheaper than running multiple space heaters or coolers all day long. New technology in the latest air conditioners can be up to 40% more efficient than older models so a replacement might be the best option. We are genuinely passionate about the benefits of a good quality energy solutions designed to deliver you real savings. If you’re ready to take control of your energy future, and you’re looking for honest, trustworthy advice from your local energy contractor, call SAE Group today on 1300 18 20 50. To ﬁnd out more visit www.saegroup.com.au

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Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Seniors 7

8 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

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Local Story

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Seniors 9

Sheralee’s nursing dream It is never to late to realise your dreams Alison Houston

SHERALEE Storey had goosebumps when she put on her cap and gown and prepared to join some 600 others in graduating from the University of Southern Queensland last month. The Dalby grandmother of seven, at 58, had achieved her life’s ambition to become a qualified nurse. “I still didn’t feel it was real until then,” Sheralee said. “Even though I knew I’d passed everything, I still couldn’t believe it – I couldn’t throw away any of my notes because I thought, ‘What if they’ve got it wrong?’” They hadn’t. It had taken Sheralee 4.5 years and a lot of hard work and dedication to complete the three-year course while still working part-time, but she had made it. Sheralee said she had wanted to be a nurse

NEW BEGINNING: USQ Chancellor John Dornbusch, graduate Sheralee Storey and Vice-Chancellor Geraldine Mackenzie on Sheralee’s graduation day.

since she was a child, but when she applied for nursing after finishing Year 10, she was turned down as too young. She was 16 and you had to be 17. By 17 she had her first child with high school sweetheart Larry Storey and marriage,

family (including another two kids) and life in general meant nursing was put on the backburner. Having cleaned houses, done night fill and been extremely successful in a party plan business, repeatedly earning the

title of Australia’s top salesperson, but basically working around the family’s needs, Sheralee decided it was time for a change. After completing her Assistant in Nursing certificate and working for some time in aged care, Sheralee decided to take

the next step and do her nursing degree. “I decided it was my turn to do what I wanted to do now, and it didn’t matter what anybody said,” Sheralee said. And, despite feeling intimidated at going back to study after such a long

period, nothing was going to stop her – not even smashing into a kangaroo during her first week of placement at Cunnamulla. Sheralee’s also lost 50kg during her nursing journey, deciding to have gastric sleeve surgery because it was “too hard to carry around all that weight” while being on your feet nursing all day. “I feel great. I wish I’d done it 10 years earlier,” Sheralee said of the surgery. But it’s nursing which has really changed her life and the lives of others. Carrying out care plans at Cunnamulla, Sheralee said she had helped people be diagnosed for diabetes and kidney problems, and get the treatment they needed. She’s still doing care plans four days a week at Western Downs General Practice in Dalby and doing hands-on nursing each Friday. “It’s very satisfying,” Sheralee said. “If it’s a passion, and you want to do it, do it. “You are never too old to study and certainly never too old to do what you want to do.”

10 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

Talk ‘n’

The science of longevity MOMCHILOVSTI, telomeres, epigentics, RADD, lutathione – these words might sound rather out of the ordinary, but as the conversation around longevity grows longer and louder these words are gathering familiarity. Dreams of drinking from the fountain of youth have long been part of the human race – but these days dreams are fast being replaced with scientific research. In 2013, Google announced the creation of Calico, short for the Californian Life Company. It is focused on longevity research and therapeutics and its mission is to reverse engineer the biology that controls lifespans. In 2015, American Liz Parrish experimented with gene therapy to find what she has called a cure for aging. The gene therapy she injected into her body had only been tested on mice. Two years later she believes certain areas of her body (*Telemeres) have been made more youthful. “We have the opportunity through the booming field of genetics to pioneer the future,” Liz Parrish told a festival on ageing in California conducted by RADD (Revolution against death and dying). “Stagnating and being risk averse is the worst thing we can do, because we know how we are going to die and we consign every generation to that death.”

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER

Group editor Seniors Newspapers network

The RADD website explains their vision: “We’re at a unique turning point in terms of the plausibility of radical life extension. It’s not a new idea. Taoists were interested thousands of years ago. 19th century Russian philosophers talked about physical immortality. Books written in the 1950s and 60s predicted it would happen. But only now is the science starting to look solid. So this is a critical time for people to come together to learn what is happening now and to understand how they can make a difference in their own lives. “It’s not enough to just talk about possibilities. We need to take all possible actions, including improving diet, exercise, and adopting a positive-and-practical attitude. And we need to influence public opinion to drive more research investment in radical life extension. Action now can be the difference between living and dying. The idea that lifespans are not fixed is being taken seriously by serious people.” In the late 1990s American scientist J. Craig Venter PhD* discovered and subsequently became

Thinking of a

SUPER SCIENCE: The race is on to decode the cause of aging.

the first human to have his complete DNA sequenced. For his latest project, he has raised $300 million to form a new company, Human Longevity, which aims to take the DNA information he helped unlock and find the means to use it to increase longevity. Behind this program is the Health Nucleus program – a $25,000 physical examination. The health data from this test is combined with the person’s DNA sequencing and together this data provides a comprehensive picture of the body capable of identifying present and future health problems. Foretold is forewarned and with this knowledge there is the possibility of outwitting sickness and death. It is hoped to be available in more than 300 centres around the world within the next five years. Australians are also recognised for their contribution to longevity

Territory Holiday in November?

studies. This month Professor David Sinclair was named as an industry category winner of the 2017 Advance Global Australian Awards. David Sinclair PhD is a Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and the founding director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging at Harvard. He is also a Conjoint Professor at the University of New South Wales and Honorary Professor at University of Sydney. He was the first non-US citizen to be awarded a prestigious Helen Hay Whitney Fellowship, allowing him to leave Australia in 2005 to work at M.I.T. where he discovered a cause of ageing in yeast. The work led the team to discover genes called the “Sirtuins” that enhance performance and the fitness of organisms and slow their pace of aging. Dr Sinclair’s research is focused primarily on

understanding genes that fight disease and ageing, with a focus on treating the major causes of death and disability. These include diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. He studies cellular energy production, learning and memory and neurodegeneration as well. He has won awards for his work in understanding why we age, for showing that the Sirtuins can be activated by agents such as resveratrol (from red wine) and for understanding how diet and exercise can be mimicked by a drug. More recently his work has branched out to understand why stem cells stay young, how to engineer the human genome, bioinformatics, how to reverse ageing, and how to enhance human fitness. Longevity is one of the largest areas of scientific research underway today. This article is just a tiny taste of what is happening in the world and, perhaps, what is just around the corner. Ageing science: Telomeres: At the ends of the chromosomes are stretches of DNA called telomeres, which protect our genetic data, make it possible for cells to divide, and hold some secrets to how we age and get cancer. Epigenetics, essentially, affects how genes are read by cells, and subsequently how they produce proteins.

Glutathione is a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time in your body. It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein or amino acids – cysteine, glycine and glutamine. Poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation all deplete your glutathione. Momchilovsti: Located in Bulgaria, the area is famous as “the village of longevity’’ because of the high number of centenarians living here. It has also given its name to a kind of drinking yogurt that is all the rage for Chinese consumers. Dr J. Craig Venter is an American biotechnologist, biochemist, geneticist, and businessman. He is known for being involved with sequencing the second human genome and assembled the first team to transfect a cell with a synthetic chromosome Human Genome: are bodies are made up of millions of cells each with their own complete set of instructions for making us, like a recipe book for the body. This set of instructions is known as our genome and is made up of DNA. Each cell in the body, for example, a skin cell or a liver cell, contains this same set of instructions. PLEASE NOTE: AT THIS MOMENT, EXERCISE IS KNOWN AS THE BEST POSITVE AGEING THERAPY.

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Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 11

thoughts Hurdles, highjumps and solutions

HERE’S one for the book. Me and my husband have been married three years coming up October 4. The unique thing about our marriage is how we got together. I was married to my previous husband for 35 years and he passed away. George, my husband now volunteered where I worked and was a good friend to us both. George was 66 years old and had never married and very little dating experience. We ask why he never married or got into a relationship and his comment was he always was too busy and was waiting for Mrs Wright to come along. Well long story short, when my husband passed away George became a good friend and told me he would be there for me as I needed a friend he was here for me. He never was anything but a wonderful friend. We started to go

out a few times and we discovered how much we had in common. We continued to date then our friendship blossomed. We fell in love and we took our time. After a short courtship, we decided to marry. It was the best decision I ever made. He is the love of my life. God is #1 in our marriage and we spend all our time making each other happy. Our families also love each other. Life couldn’t get any better.

George and Vickie Clements Fort Worth, Texas USA

The internet certainly transforms the world into a ‘Global Village’. We were delighted to receive this letter from George and Vicki and furthermore share their good news story with our online and print readers. Cheers Gail

WHERE’S OUR SENSE OF HUMOUR

To Gail, I was quite taken aback

by how you caved in at your friend’s ridiculous reprimand re “a senior moment”. Guess who’d be first off my Christmas list? Where has our sense of humour gone, and our ability to laugh at ourselves. Everyone’s so worried about being PC they’ve lost the essence of what it is to be Australian. We’re known, especially in Queensland, for our ability to take a joke, and make a joke, to laugh at ourselves. It’s what got the pioneers through the hardships they faced in developing this harsh country and that is where it came from. Our (some might say) weird sense of humour brought them through and now we’re being censored for being us. Now we’re frightened to be ourselves. Think about it! Someone should tell the friend that our memories do fade as we age, as does most of our body parts, and we

shouldn’t be afraid. And, shock horror, we’re going to die sometime – another fact of life… but I intend to laugh at myself and my silly foibles all the way there. Yours sincerely,

(Mrs) Chris Howard

Thanks for your email Chris. I guess it comes down to whether or not you believe language influences culture. I believe it does, and because of this, directly impacts on our interpretation of the world. However, I understand what you mean, but there’s often a very fine line between humour and inappropriate stereotypes. Ultimately, I love a goodhearted joke (even about myself). Cheers, Gail Gail Forrer, Group Editor, Seniors Newspaper Network. PS: Anyone else have something to say on the subject

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12 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Local Story

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

Joy of foster pet care Alison Houston

JUDY and Carl Kuhn have been RSPCA animal foster parents for more than 10 years. In that time the couple have fostered hundreds of dogs, from newborns upwards, until their “forever home” was found. But there was one dog they simply couldn’t give up. Yogi, a kelpie-cross, came to the couple to foster not once but twice, when his first rehoming didn’t work out. The second time, he stayed, and now plays dad to the younger foster dogs. The couple’s involvement in fostering began dramatically, with a litter of puppies dumped at a tip outside Toowoomba on a burning day. Judy was helping out at the RSPCA shelter, and she and Carl took three home to care for. When the pups found homes, the couple put up their hands for the next dogs that needed their care. “It’s very rewarding,” Judy said. “Every dog’s different and every one is lovely. “I love it when I take a dog back and I know it’s going to a good home.” Seeing a neglected dog transform into a healthy, happy animal with a shiny coat, Judy said, was “reward in itself; you feel you’ve really achieved something”. While she admits it is

hard at times to say goodbye, Judy said “they’re not our dogs and you just have to think you’re helping them, especially the puppies, to get a good start”. Judy said she particularly felt for the dogs she nursed back from sickness and neglect. “If you can’t care for the animal – if you don’t have the money or your situation’s changed – it takes nothing to take it to the shelter. There’s no disgrace in that, but it makes me angry when a dog is just left to suffer from neglect,” Judy said. She urged other retirees to give fostering a try, and see how much joy it brought, something RSCPA foster care co-ordinator Megan McKinnon was keen to encourage. “We have 123 animals at the moment, and 60 of them are in foster care,” Megan said. She said Toowoomba RSPCA was one of the busiest regional centres in Queensland. Dogs, cats, rats, mice and guinea pigs can all be fostered, with periods usually ranging from a week to a few months, depending on the animal’s needs. All the animals are vet and behaviour checked before being fostered and each is carefully suited to the right foster parent to ensure the placement is successful for both. Some animals are fostered

because they aren’t coping in the high-arousal shelter environment, others need care for illness or injury, some are pregnant, while others are orphans or have behavioural issues. “If an animal is going to be fostered on a behavioural issue, we make sure it is something that particular foster carer can handle,” Megan said. “A lot of the time an animal is surrendered because it is out of the cute puppy stage – about five months or older – and if the owners haven’t put in any training, they can be hard to manage in a shelter. “With consistent work in a foster placement, where someone works with them every day, it can make a real difference, and then they are ready for a new home.” Megan said the centre had a number of retiree foster parents who had “a lot of time to dedicate to the foster animals and tend to really enjoy it”. “You’re not committing to adopting, but the animals are good company and there’s a lot of satisfaction from knowing that animals will be rehomed to their forever home and you’ve helped them get there,” Megan said. However, she did warn that, as in Judy and Carl’s case, “sometimes an animal comes into your life and you just want to

BUNDLE OF FUN: Judy Kuhn with Spike, the runt of a litter of 13, fostered for Toowoomba RSPCA.

keep it”. Potential animal foster parents can express interest at fostering@rspcaqld.org.au or call 4634 1304. A training session and a property check are all that is necessary. The RSPCA provides food, medical and vet treatments, bedding, a litter tray and whatever else may be required, and BOOMERANG: Yogi, a kelpie-cross, became a permanent part of is always just a phone call the Kuhns’ household on his second fostering. Yogi is pictured with Lily, another foster dog who now belongs to Judy’s sister. away.

Planning ahead and learn about the Enduring Power of Attorney COUNCIL on the Ageing (COTA) Queensland is helping older Queenslanders understand Enduring Powers of Attorney. Thinking about a time when you might not be able to make decisions for yourself and you need someone to take care of things for you can be stressful. Many of us simply avoid it, because we don’t want to consider the possibility or don’t know who to choose to take care of our affairs. COTA Queensland is working to help older people in Queensland understand and think through these decisions. COTA Queensland is a statewide not-for-profit organisation advancing the rights, needs and futures of people as we

age. Peer educators, who are themselves older Queenslanders, are delivering free information sessions about Enduring Powers of Attorney. A Power of Attorney is a formal document that gives decision making powers on your financial, health and personal wishes to someone you trust, when you no longer have the capacity to make rational and informed decisions. Peter Carne, the Public Trustee, said the Public Trustee was proud to support the COTA program to educate people about the importance of Enduring Powers of Attorney, and what needs to be considered to support people to make the right choices for their future. “Sadly, too often our

office witnesses the results when people have not appointed an attorney or they have made the wrong choice of who to appoint,” Mr Carne said. “Enduring Powers of Attorney are important future planning documents that every Queenslander over 18 needs, and they need to be carefully considered. That’s why this COTA program is so vital.” The sessions are designed to assist older people to make informed decisions about their Enduring Powers of Attorney. The sessions help participants to think through who they could choose to manage their affairs, and how to talk to those closest to them about their decisions. The program has been

designed in collaboration with a group of peer educators to ensure the information is relevant to older people and delivered in a way that is easy to understand. The sessions are interactive, and run for an hour. Attendees are also provided with specifically designed take-home materials to help them work through these decisions at home. “People can be frightened by Enduring Powers of Attorney because they think they are giving away control of their decisions”, said Mark Tucker-Evans, the chief executive of COTA Queensland. “The peer educators who have been trained to deliver the sessions particularly talked about the importance of this

program for helping people to take control. “This is about empowering people to understand what an Enduring Power of Attorney is and how to choose the right people to act for them, if the time should come.” In and around Toowoomba, the sessions are being delivered by local peer educator Trevor Meares. “One of the disadvantages of living in regional areas like the Darling Downs is missing out on some of the services that city dwellers take for granted. In fact, some services have run their course before we even hear about them,” Mr Meares said. “COTA Queensland is seeking to remedy this by training volunteers like

myself to conduct local information events on topics that are of importance to older people. My task as a COTA peer educator is to help people understand the value of establishing an Enduring Power of Attorney.” Trevor is one of 18 peer educators across Queensland delivering the Planning Ahead sessions. If you belong to an existing seniors group, club or organisation, contact COTA Queensland on bookings@cotaqld. org.au to arrange for a free Planning Ahead: Let’s Talk Enduring Powers of Attorney session before May 31 next year – funded by the Queensland Government and supported by the Public Trustee.

Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Seniors 13

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14 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Neighbourhood News

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

Community HOW TO SUBMIT NOTICES TO ALLOW for readers’ requests for the publication of more neighbourhood news, please keep notices short and to the point (100 word maximum). If you would like to submit a photo, please ensure it is at least 180dpi with faces in a nice and bright setting. Deadline for the November issue is October 27. Email Nicky or Chris at community notes@seniors newspaper.com.au.

St Mark’s Women’s Guild’s Sue Needer and Laraine Stanley admire last year’s Rose Festival entries.

sends e-mail) or go to www.qcoss.org.au

TOOWOOMBA NATIONAL SENIORS

QCOSS ENERGY FORUM

IN THE dark about your electricity bill? Want to make sure you are saving money and energy? QCOSS will be running a free community event in Toowoomba. Bring your bill along to learn more about how you can save energy and money. There will be two short information

COMING TOGETHER: The Spring Festival of Music promises to be a wonderful event.

sessions at 3.30pm and 5.30pm, followed by opportunities to have a conversation about your energy bills, learn how to read your bill, how to work out the cost of using

appliances and share tips for saving energy. Afternoon tea will be provided from 3pm with some hot food at 5pm. There will even be lucky door prizes. Switch On

event City Golf Club, 254 South St, South Toowoomba on October 12 from 3pm to 7pm. Contact: D’Arne Sleeman 3004 6911or email darnes@qcoss.org.au(link

COME and enjoy a good time with Toowoomba branch of National Seniors. We have our morning teas first Thursday each month at All Seasons Function Centre, corner North and Tor Sts at Wilsonton at 9.30am. Bus trips third Thursday and this month heading to Caloundra.

Details call Desma 4613 6750 or Yvonne 4638 5252.

GARDEN CITY NATIONAL SENIORS

WE MEET on the third Monday of the month at Drayton Bowls Club, corner Ball and Gipps Sts commencing at 9.30 with morning tea. Cost $7. Visitors welcome. At the next meeting on Monday October 16 guest speaker will be Suzie Ross from the Stroke Foundation.

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Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Neighbourhood News

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Seniors 15

This will be an educational morning when we will learn what the warning signs of a possible stroke are and what to do about them. Bus trip on Wednesday October 25 is the last one for this year and is a Mystery Progressive Luncheon. Details call Hazel on 4635 4519.

SPRING FESTIVAL OF MUSIC

THE annual Spring Festival of Music is being performed again on Saturday, October 28 at 2pm at Middle Ridge Uniting Church, 264 Stenner St. All choirs of the Toowoomba Choral Society – the charming little Hummingbirds, Youth Choirs, Contemporary Choral and the TCS Choir – come together to present a varied and delightful concert catering to all tastes, and including such favourites as Danny Boy, Battle Hymn of the Republic, through to songs by Pink and Pentatonix. The concert will culminate in a massed choir performing How Can I Keep From Singing. Patrons are invited to afternoon tea after the concert. Tickets at the door. Adults $20, child $10, family (two adults, two children) $50. Details visit TCS website

WESLEY ONG

Audiologist & Owner

Esdene Kruger with her prize-winning roses – three roses other colour.

will be a pick up from Toowoomba Mail Centre in Stenner St. Tickets are limited. Details call Christine Siebuhr on 4633 3014. A BEAUTY: Barbara Bond places roses on the tea tables at the Rose Festival.

www.toowoomba choralsociety.com.au

TOOWOOMBA HOSPICE IS GETTING ALL JAZZY

TOOWOOMBA Hospice is holding its annual Charity Jazz Breakfast on Sunday, October 29 from 9am at our very own DownsSteam Museum Railway corner Ball and Cambooya Sts in Drayton and tickets are now on sale. Tickets are

$30 a person for breakfast while listening to jazz music in the background. Call Toowoomba Hospice on 4659 8500 to book your tickets. The Toowoomba Hospice has also arranged a bus to take in the local wineries on Saturday, November 11. Winery tour organiser Christine Siebuhr said this year’s tour will take in wineries from Rumbalara

Estate Wines for morning tea, then to Kominos Wines, lunch at Suttons at Castle Glen then Vincenzo’s at the Big Apple will be the last one before heading back. Tickets are $70 and include morning tea, lunch, coach travel and wine tasting. Book your tickets today on 4633 3014. The bus will be leaving the hospice at 7am sharp and return approximately 6pm. There

ST MARK’S WOMEN’S GUILD

WILL be holding the 55th Rose Festival at Warwick on Friday, October 13. The Anglican Parish in Warwick’s Rose City is once again hosting the Guild’s annual Rose Festival in the heritage Parish Hall. There is no charge to enter the competition. Five categories offer experienced and novice rose growers the opportunity to showcase their talent with cash prizes and perpetual

trophies. These are presented during the afternoon social. Entry from 1pm remains at an affordable $6 which includes the rose display, lucky door prize, musical entertainment from Yangan’s Sue Needer and an indulgent afternoon tea. A $1 raffle and mini cent sale ($2 tickets) complete the schedule for the community gathering. For full details of the competition schedule visit: warwickanglican.org.au, Call or email Sue Nalder 0427 962 281; sue.nalder@gmail.com All welcome. Competition entries to be brought to the hall between 8.30am and 10.30am on Friday, October 13.

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16 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Worthy Cause

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

MORE THAN A MEAL: Roger Darlington’s visits from Meals on Wheels make all the difference.

$8M to help MoW UP TO one million older Australians are under-nourished or at risk of malnutrition, making them more prone to illness. It’s a scary figure, but it gets even more frightening when you learn that it costs $1000 to keep someone in hospital for a single night.

JOURNALIST ALISON HOUSTON That’s what the government spends to subsidise Meals on Wheels for one person for

an entire year in many parts of Australia. On September 15, Federal Minister for Aged Care Ken Wyatt announced an additional $8 million in government support for services delivering meals to private homes through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP).

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intends to contribute a minimum of $4.70 towards the cost of each meal. Some Queensland services had been receiving under $3 per meal in subsidy. “The government has recognised the massive return in downstream community benefits and health savings it gains through preventative care services like Meals on Wheels,” Mr Matthews said. He pointed to the UK experience, where hospitalisation rates of malnourished older people increased by over 200% when funding for in-home support services such as delivered meals and social support was cut. So why did it take so long for the Australian Government to identify the benefits of this service which runs on the good hearts of volunteers and, as Mr Matthews put it, “the smell of an oily rag”? Why was it refused extra funding earlier in the year, despite the fact it’s estimated that for every $1 the government provides in subsidy, they get $5 back in downstream health savings? When Seniors newspapers spoke to Mr Matthews after the

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Mr Wyatt said supporting people to live as independently as possible in the comfort of their own homes was a top priority and acknowledged that volunteers delivered more than a healthy meal. “The visit is also an opportunity to have a friendly chat and to check on that person’s well-being,” Mr Wyatt said. “We need to maintain and grow this type of service into the future.” Australian Meals on Wheels Association president Nelson Matthews welcomed the funding boost, particularly for services which had been chronically underfunded and forced to raise meal prices to “levels we think are unacceptable”. In some cases that meant charging over $10 per meal for the first time in the organisation’s more than 60-year history, while other services went into the red attempting to keep prices lower, something which Mr Matthews said was simply “unsustainable”. He said the additional funding would “help stall further price hikes for those who can least afford them”. The government now

Australian MoW Association president Nelson Matthews said the service was all about keeping people at home longer.

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funding announcement, he said funding had passed to the Federal Government from the States in recent years, and there had been a lack of understanding as to how it operated, that customers paid for their meals and that, because MoW services had developed independently from grassroots community efforts, each service ran slightly differently with slightly different funding. While the exact details of how the $8 million will be divided have yet to be released, Mr Matthews was hopeful it would address the current inequities and take pressure off local services. “Food is essential,” Mr Matthews said. “But MoW is essential not just for providing a well-balanced and nutritious meal, but for the care we provide through social contact, monitoring of health and well-being, which is an enormous comfort for customers as well as the families of older people who might otherwise be quite isolated.” He said in connecting communities and giving people a sense of purpose, MoW provided another service.

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

T ravel

Seniors 17

10 ACE REASONS TO LOVE TRAIN TRAVEL ANN RICKARD climbs on board a train and gives us her top 10 reasons to love train travel in foreign lands

3. High speed trains get you there super-fast. Hurtling through the countryside at 300 kilometres an hour is exhilarating. 4. Arrive in the centre. Most airports are out of town and require an expensive taxi ride or bus transfer to get you in the city centre. With train travel, get off, and you are there right in the heart of London, Paris, Rome, Madrid…. oh, let’s go. 5. Comfort. The inter-city trains have comfortable

and spacious seats with head rests, plenty of leg room, power sockets for laptops and electronic devices. 6. Buy flexible passes in Australia before you go and snag a deal. In Europe, a Eurail Global Flexi Pass gives you access to countless trains in 28 countries. In the US, an Amtrak USA Rail Pass lets you hop on and off as you please. Similar passes apply in Canada and Japan. Flexible? We think so.

7. The dining car. Slip into a booth, have a waiter bring you anything from poached eggs to fillet of beef, depending on the time of day. There is wine, too. 8. Budget restraints? Pack a picnic to enjoy at your seat. BYO food is expected. We’ve seen people on trains (mostly in France) enjoy a multi-course lunch complete with wine, finishing with cheese and fruit… all from their backpack.

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9. Atmosphere. The stunning architecture of big train stations, the restaurants, cafes and shops. In Paris, at Gare de Lyon, the fabled Le Train Bleu restaurant with its gilt and chandeliers and Parisian grandeur is worth a station visit alone, even if you never get on a train. 10. Plan your train journey so you depart or arrive at your hotel check-in/check-out times. No hanging around with luggage. Speaking of which, travel light…really, you must…getting heavy

suitcases on and off trains is not for sissies (or seniors.) For more information on rail tickets and passes, visit www.railplus.com.au or phone 1300 555 003. About Rail Plus Rail Plus is Australasia’s leading international rail specialist. The company provides retail and wholesale travel companies with the ability to quickly and efficiently book and ticket an unrivalled range of train journeys, rail passes and point-to-point tickets on major rail networks across Europe, the UK, Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

Head to www.seniorsnews.com.au Scroll down until you see a box on the right hand side of the page titled ‘Stay Connected’. 3 Enter your email address and hit ‘Submit’. 4 Check your email – we’ve sent you a message! Click on the link in the message to conﬁrm your subscription. 5 Enjoy all the latest news from Seniors in your inbox as it happens. It’s that simple! 1 2

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1. The big train stations, especially in Europe and the UK, are intoxicating. The atmosphere is electric: the big clocks, the buzz of people going to places we have only dreamt of visiting, the romance, the magic…try finding that at an airport. 2. No check-in. How we hate long check-in queues at airports where it seems every person in front of us has a tonne of luggage and a mammoth problem to solve. With trains, you just turn up and get on. The recommended time to be on the platform before departure is two minutes (unless it’s the Eurostar, which does require check-in).

18 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Travel

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

Fiery ostriches at battle beside the road to Damaraland. PHOTO: DEBBIE PLUNKETT

Sundowners in Ongava Game Reserve, near Etosha. PHOTO: JEREMIA

NAMIBIA: A Himba woman trading local wares outside the entrance to Etosha National Park.

PHOTO: GARY MCCARTHY

Striking Namibia’s gives a warm welcome to guests Tracey Johnstone

BY DAY 10, my Namibia travelling companions wanted me to use something other than the word extraordinary to describe this vast desert country. But that was hard as no other word could truly encapsulate the nature of a country gradually emerging into its own since gaining independence from South African in 1990, and

finding its financial feet through its natural resources and tourism. In early August, Wilderness Safaris took me on my first 4WD experience, rolling out of the capital Windhoek in a seven-seat truck with the phone turned off and in the company of three Americans, two of which were professors, a medical specialist from Melbourne, my husband Gary and myself, and the most amazing guide,

Jeremia. The striking landscape unfolded as we soon left the paved highway and started out across the rolling dry savannah, past craggy hills and into the desert. Just before sunset, when I was starting to wonder where our camp could be in the seemingly deserted landscape of rocks and then rough sand, appearing before us and nestled under a craggy outcrop was our

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first glamp. The permanent tents of the Kulala Adventurer Camp looked out across the pristine desert of red and yellow. A short distance away was a watering hole for the desert-adapted wildlife to visit. No amount of photos or words could have prepared me for the beauty, comfort, but also enthralling rawness of this location. It was on that first night, sitting around the camp table, accompanied by white linen, cool wine and interesting company, that I came to realise our guide was going to deliver the most amazing journey. His depth of knowledge of everything from the stars, landscape, birds, geology, country history and culture was without exception and readily shared. The six of us were back in the classroom and ready to learn. We started each day before sunrise, catching the first rays as we downed our ample breakfast and welcome cups of tea. For the road, Jeremia had packed cool drinks, plentiful lunch and even a

secret supply of dried fruit for snacks. We also learnt not to waste any food, with leftovers collected and handed to people we met along the desert tracks. The Namib Desert part of our trip took us to south to Sossusvlei and the red dunes where we climbed the fine edge of one of the steep dunes, only to then have to work our way down its edge to the dry pan below, where it hadn’t rained since 1965. From there Jeremia, who quickly was nicknamed Hawkeye, took us back north and towards Walvis Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. We were already seeing oryx, springbok, black-backed jackal, wilderbeast, ostrich, zebra, chameleon lizard, meerkats and even cheetahs. This coastal centre was an interesting diversion from the desert, with its busy port and amazing thick sea fog, but we were all happy to get back on the road, heading north to Etosha National Park. A short stop at Cross Bay, where a massive fur seal colony made for pungent viewing, was our

last view of water for quite some time as we headed back inland to Damaraland Camp to view herds of desert-adapted elephants and discover minerals. A visit to the Twyfelfontein UNESCO World Heritage site, where the rock drawings are between 2000 and 6000 years old, and then onto the Living Museum village were the last memorable moments of our time in the desert before headed further north. As the savannah rolled out in front of us, Jeremia told us of Namibia’s battle to save its rhinos. As we crossed into Ongava Game Park’s Andersson’s Camp, next to Etosha, he told us in the first two weeks of July, already four rhinos had been poached just in Etosha. During our final days of the adventure, we saw white and black rhinos, impala, ground squirrel, lots of guinea fowl and small birds, giraffe, warthogs, more fabulous zebras and elephants, and a lion. My husband wants to go back there, soon, and so do I.

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 19

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20 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Travel

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

PICTURESQUE: Cathedral Cave, Hahei, New Zealand.

Exploration of NZ secret Erle Levey

STUNNING vistas and the crisp, crystal-clear ocean are just one of the many beautiful features of a visit to New Zealand’s north island in August. This pristine shoreline reminds me of the Greek Islands with its sandy beaches, dramatic limestone and sandstone cliffs, and caves. A photo in a travel brochure inspired me to seek out Cathedral Cove and the quirk of nature that formed its intriguing cave. It's one of the top spots to see and do in NZ - along with the nearby Hot Water Beach. Yet no-one had told me about it, until now. Cathedral Cove is walking distance from the small village of Hahei on the Coromandel

Peninsula. The area, renowned for its natural beauty, green pastures, misty rainforests and pristine golden beaches, is regarded as one of NZ’s most popular and best-loved holiday destinations. It was named after the British Royal Navy sailing ship HMS Coromandel which sailed into there in 1820 to collect kauri pine to use as its spars. The peninsula is steep and hilly, the range rising to a height of about 900m forms a spine. The large island of Great Barrier which lies beyond the northern tip is almost an extension of the range. This rugged nature means that much of the area is relatively isolated. Small island groups lie

offshore while the peninsula shows considerable signs of past volcanic activity. Hahei is to the north of Whitianga, the Maori word for Land of the Long White Cloud. Captain Cook visited Mercury Bay when he first sighted NZ in October 1769 on his voyage of discovery. He named it to mark the place where the expedition observed the transit of the planet Mercury. Getting to Cathedral Cove takes time ... time to enjoy the views, and time to drive carefully along the roads that twist and turn up ridge lines and down gullies, sometimes winding along the magnificent coastline and otherwise through rainforests and pine plantations or rich dairy

Stingray Bay at Hahei, NZ.

and sheep country. Once you exit State Highway 2 the villages become smaller. Apart from some nice homes there is just the shop at Hahei. For Cathedral Cove you need either to park in the village at a designated area and walk along the coastline, perhaps 2.5km, or catch a boat tour. Otherwise, it’s a drive up Grange Road and if it is on a weekday, you might get a park at the start of the pathway leading down to the cove. All along the road there are yellow lines to signify no parking. Once at the carpark there are good boardwalks and viewing platforms

looking back to Hahei beach and of the islands. It’s a magnificent outlook. You can just imagine the Maori canoes coming ashore here or Cook sailing past. Most of the pathway is sealed, but there are steps down to Stingray Bay and on the last part to Cathedral Cove. Stingray Bay is worth the detour for the seclusion and the clearest blue of the water. . Cathedral Cove is about 45 minutes walk each way from the carpark. Cathedral indeed. There is even a likeness of an outline of Western Australia seeping onto the wall of the cathedral arch as a result of minerals.

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There is an air of grandeur especially with the coves framed by elegant pohutukawa trees, and with the rocky outcrops. As well as walking, there are kayak tours, sailing trips, a water taxi and glass-bottom boat tours. As well as being a great place to dive and snorkel, you are also a 10-minute drive from Hot Water Beach which is best enjoyed two hours before and after low water. Take a shovel or hire one, dig into the sand and relax in the warm rising water. It’s good to come across such places, without crowds or commercialisation.

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Entertainment

Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

What’s on OLD-TIME FUN: How can you go past an event that says it’s “a top event, 'accordion' to fans”? The Maclagan Squeezebox Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary on Saturday, October 14.

JOURNALIST ALISON HOUSTON

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

THERE’S a whole wealth of services, support and activities out there that you may not know about. That’s the idea of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Expo at Baillie Henderson Hospital at Toowoomba from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday, October 11. Inside there’s information booths and outside, a free sausage sizzle, music, drum beat, yoga, shibashi (a shorter version of tai chi), and an art exhibition organised by patients. Details, call Donna on 4699 8386.

GEMFEST

RUN by the Lapidary Club, is now in its 37th year and offers jewellery of all price ranges, precious gem stones in the rough or cut, bead supplies, crystals, minerals and fossil specimens from around

the world, as well as Australian opals, pearls, carvings and ornaments. You can even make your own unique piece by purchasing a setting and a precious-cut gemstone and have it set while you wait. There will be up to 30 traders inside the hall, and another 35 outside, as well as food stalls. Gemfest runs at Centenary Heights High School, Ramsay St entrance, from 9am to 5pm Saturday and to 3pm Sunday, October 21 and 22. Adult entry is $5, children under 13 free. Details call Riki on 0458 728 649 or go to www.toowoomba lapidaryclub.org.

SQUEEZEBOX FESTIVAL

YOU can’t get much more old-fashioned fun than the Maclagan Squeezebox Festival, which celebrates its 15th anniversary on Saturday, October 14 at the Maclagan Hall. Walk up and play your accordion from 9am or just enjoy others on accordions, harmonicas and washboards.

Food is available and there’s a licensed bar and Old Time Dance at night. Tickets: Adults $12 (daytime) and $10 (dance only). Go to www. maclagansqueeze boxfestival or call 4692 1265.

WINE AND WATERCOLOUR

THIS event had me at its name – the Un-wine-d with Watercolour workshop. It’s on Sunday, October 15 from 2.30 to 4.30pm at CUA Community Hub, Ruthven St, Toowoomba. It’s a two-hour beginners’ workshop while you relax and unwind with a glass of wine to get those creative juices flowing. Cost, including materials, guided demonstration, creation time and a drink from $49.50. Go to www.madeworkshops. com.au or call Brighid on 0498 494 406.

BJORN AGAIN

UNBELIEVABLY, it’s 40 years since Abba’s Arrival album featuring all the big hits like Dancing Queen, Money, Money, Money, Knowing Me, Knowing You and of course Fernando.

Highfields Pioneer Village

Top Abba tribute band Bjorn Again has been touring the country celebrating and arrives at the Empire Theatre on October 19. Adult prices $69. Go to www.empire theatre.com.au.

CROWS NEST FEST

IF YOU’VE never seen worms race, you’ve never been to Crows Nest Day. This year it’s Saturday, October 21 at Centenary Park, with action from 7am to late, starting with the Colour Run at the school and finishing with fireworks at 7.30pm and live music. In between there’s Harley rides, picnic races, the famous worm races, whip-cracking, crow-calling, hay-stacking, food and market stalls and rides for the kids.

COUNTRY WEEK AND RACE DAY

THE theme this year of

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Clifton’s Country Week, running from October 20-28, is You’re Never Too Old. There’s Queensland’s only Iris and Rose Show, CollectO Mania, garden, scarecrow and recycling competitions, art and more. It all culminates in the annual Clifton Race Day, the town’s biggest one-day event of the year, from 11am-10.30pm on October 28. Go to www.cliftonpa.org or call 4612 3087.

TOOWOOMBA EXPO

WHETHER you’re thinking of renovating or travelling, the 2017 Toowoomba Expo at the showgrounds on October 20-22 is likely to have your answer. There’s everything from building to home improvements, homewares, electricals, pools, spas, gardening, heating and more. The Caravan and Leisure Expo, on the other hand, gives you all you need to get out and about this summer. Go to www.toowoomba expo. com.au or call 1800 671 588. Seniors $10.

REMEMBER YAMSION

YOU may have seen our piece on Yamsion in the last edition, so don’t forget to head along on Saturday, October 28 and celebrate Back to Yamsion Anniversary Day. This once thriving little community with a church, school, factory, rodeo, cricket field and tennis

Seniors 21

club is today little more than the town hall where people will share memories from 10am, and enjoy woodchopping, cheesemaking, a visit from three vintage car clubs and of course some great country tucker. Email kaynation1@bigpond.com.

SPRING MUSIC

TOOWOOMBA Choral Society’s annual Spring Festival of Music is on again, at Middle Ridge Uniting Church in Stenner St, at 2pm on Saturday, October 28. It features all the Choral Society choirs – the orginal adult/senior choir, the contemporary choir and youth choir – in a celebration of music and you can enjoy afternoon tea at concert’s end. Tickets at $20 for adults are available at the door. Details go to www.toowoombachoral society.com.au.

GET YOUR CELT ON

IF YOU have any Celtic blood running through your veins, you will be heading to Helidon for the Celtic Festival of Queensland on Sunday, October 29 from 10am-3pm. It’s free to explore your heritage and enjoy a massed pipes display at 10am to open the festival with dancing and music acts to follow throughout the day, stalls and food. There’s also a Highland Games display and Celtic collectables. Call 0408 889 841 or find them on Facebook.

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22 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

BREAST CANCER FEATURE

Toowoomba breast cancer rates higher than average Alison Houston

WHY is the incidence of breast cancer in Toowoomba greater than the national average? In Toowoomba 122 women in every 100,000 will be diagnosed with the disease, compared to the national figure of 115 in every 100,000 women. Dr Eliza Whiteside PhD is a breast cancer survivor, senior lecturer (Biomedical Sciences) and cancer research group leader at the University of Southern Queensland. She has spent her professional life researching cancer, cancer prevention and survival.

She said it is concerning that women living in some regional and remote areas of Australia have a higher incidence, and a lower rate of survival, from all cancers, including breast cancer. “We can speculate about the reasons behind these figures, however, we require more research to actually identify the causes and, more importantly, address them,” she said. USQ has recently begun research to investigate this survival imbalance. The chances of getting breast cancer increase with age, so women are encouraged to have free breast screening from 40

years old and BreastScreen Australia specifically targets women aged 50-74 for biennial mammograms. But Eliza said age did not explain the anomaly in Toowoomba’s figures. She points to 2016 census data from the ABS which indicates that the median age of the population in Toowoomba is 38, with 17.8% over the age of 65. Yet Kuranda in the East Tablelands, which has an incidence rate of just 51 women per 100,000 – the lowest in Australia – has a higher median age of 45 and 22.3% are over 65. “Furthermore, Southport has almost identical age population

statistics to Toowoomba (median age 37 and 17.1% over 65) but has a much lower incidence of breast cancer at 68 per 100,000,” Eliza said. “We really need to explore why these discrepancies exist.’’ “We hypothesise that it won’t be just one factor but a combination of differences in biology, behaviour and exposure to environmental factors. “This requires a multi-disciplinary approach involving cancer biologists, social scientists, epidemiologists, toxicologists and clinicians.” Breast cancer is now the most common cancer

among Australian women and has the highest incidence of all cancers in Australia. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and eight women die from breast cancer nationally every day. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Eliza encouraged seniors to ensure they took advantage of breast screening, with rates in Australia still around just 54%. “Fear, embarrassment and discomfort are all normal emotions associated with breast screening, but it should not prevent someone having a mammogram,”

she said. “The new mammography instruments are much more comfortable than some of the older machines and the radiographers, nurses and doctors that work at breast screening facilities are sensitive to feelings of fear and embarrassment. “The earlier we detect breast cancer, the less aggressive the treatment and the greater the chance of survival.” To make an appointment with BreastScreen Queensland call 13 20 50 or go to www.breastscreen.qld. gov.au.

Eat, drink and pay for pink in October WHEN you visit your favourite café or restaurant this month, why not ask them what they have on the menu that comes in pink. Cafes and restaurants across Australia are being asked to go pink this month in support of breast cancer awareness month. Anything goes; pink meals, cakes, cookies, desserts and drinks, could all be on the fundraising menu. If your local doesn’t have something pink on the menu, maybe you can give them some pink ideas which will help them raise funds to support Breast Cancer Network Australia which works to create a better breast cancer journey for woman and men. Dine Pink is the network’s newest awareness campaign, which they hope will bring attention to the role food plays in connecting people, especially at a time when they most need support from family and friends. Callan Smith, from the MasterChef 2017 TV program, has stepped up as ambassador for Dine Pink because his grandmother has been affected by breast cancer. He is showing his support by hosting a network fundraising

BREAST CANCER: This October, dine pink in support of the work Breast Cancer Network Australia does for women and men suffering breast cancer.

Dine Pink is the Breast Cancer Network Australia’s latest initiative to raise funds to fight cancer.

pop-up restaurant called Burner Takeover on October 21 and 22 in Sydney. “Food is our universal language that connects people all over the world,” Callan said. “I love how Dine Pink will celebrate the powerful role food plays in bringing people together. It’s something we can all relate to and I encourage everyone to get on board,” he added.

The idea for Dine Pink came from one of network’s members, breast cancer survivor Donna Falconer, who said she found that often the first thing a person does when something doesn’t go right in their life is to call their friends and family, and organise to meet over coffee or food where everyone can talk about what’s going on and about what support is needed.

“Many restaurants and cafes are participating in Dine Pink because they have a personal connection to breast cancer – some are breast cancer survivors themselves, and some have been affected because their mother, grandmother, friend or staff member has been diagnosed,” Rozalee said. “This year, 48 women will find out they have breast cancer every day in Australia, and 144 men will also be diagnosed, so most people know someone who has been affected by this disease. “This October we’re encouraging people to check out where they can Dine Pink when they’re making dinner plans with friends and family and show their support for more than 17,500 Australians who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. “We’re also encouraging restaurants and cafes to sign up and participate in Dine Pink as a way of showing their support to their staff, customers and the wider community.” So, when are eating or drinking out this month, don’t forget to ask for something in pink and pop a few dollars in a network jar to help. Cafes and restaurants can sign up for Dine Pink at www.dinepink.com.au.

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 23

BREAST CANCER FEATURE

Shock at the diagnosis

TOOWOOMBA music teacher Melissa Philp’s life was turned upside down when she was given a breast cancer diagnosis. As a busy 42-year-old mother of her two children, and four foster children, being told the lump in her breast was an aggressive form of cancer set in motion a series of life-changing events. “This lump came up out of nowhere,” Mrs Philp said. “I went to the doctor and didn’t think much about it, and the doctor wasn’t too concerned at that stage either. “But the results came back that I had an aggressive breast cancer; it turned my world upside down.” Mrs Philp underwent surgery, radiation and chemotherapy in her bid to become cancer-free. “It was a really stressful, hectic time,” she said. “But I received advice from friends and family about taking each day as they came.”

Focusing on the “here and now” helped Mrs Philp get through her treatment but it also challenged her to reflect more broadly on her life. “I knew I would get through that treatment okay, but once I was finished I had a new outlook on life and that changed everything,” she said. “Everything became very clear after cancer. I got fitter, lost 20 kilograms and I made the decision to move to Toowoomba. I had no job, but I knew it was going to work. I restarted my life, built a new life and remarried in April this year.” And while Mrs Philp obviously doesn’t recommend waiting for a cancer diagnosis to re-evaluate your life, she encourages others to consider their happiness. “Get out there; it is possible to change things. I feel like I am in a good place now,” she said. She also recommends

HERE AND NOW: Toowoomba music teacher Melissa Philp’s shock cancer diagnosis caused her to re-evaluate her life.

women become advocates for their own health and to take charge when things don’t seem right. “I didn’t do ‘self checks’ but it (the cancer) became quite large quite quickly,” she said. “I really didn’t expect it to be cancer.” BreastScreen Queensland Toowoomba Service health promotion

officer Alexandra Robbins-Hill said Melissa’s story highlighted that all women, regardless of their medical history, should have regular breast screens from the age of 40. “The BreastScreen Queensland Toowoomba Service offers free breast screens to all women

aged over 40 years,” Ms Robbins-Hill said. “It is important that women who turn 40 book in for their first breast screen and to continue to have screens every two years. “But it is equally important for older women to keep on top of their checks. As Melissa has pointed out, cancer can

develop quite quickly. One breast screen is not enough.” The BreastScreen Queensland Toowoomba Service is located at 661 Ruthven St and there is plenty of free parking off Warner St. To make an appointment call 13 20 50 or go to www. breastscreen.qld.gov.au.

24 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Brand Insight

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

Wellbeing

Healing help for wounds Quinn Jones

JEFF’s voice starts to creak as he reaches for the glass of water. He squeakily apologises for the interruption before taking a sip and letting the cool water soothe a throat ravaged by cancer. The relief will only last a moment. “At the end of the treatment you come out rather scarred,” Jeff told Seniors News. “It’s not nice. Your whole neck is like a big burn and the inside of your mouth is ulcerated. “You heal up gradually but it doesn’t quite go back to the way it was. “And going back to the way it was, that’s why I’m here.” The “here” is the Wesley Centre for Hyperbaric Medicine. Gold Coast resident Jeff happened onto the centre during a local cancer support group when one of the nurses from the hyperbaric unit was invited down to present information on the treatment. The nurse explained the facilities, described the chamber, spoke of the staff but what caught Jeff’s attention was the success rate: hyperbaric medicine can improve the quality of life – almost back to normal – in 80 per cent of patients. “When you have cancer, you do try everything and anything because you don’t want to be that person who missed out,”

FEELING BETTER: Gold Coast resident Jeff is a through-and-through convert to Hyperbaric Medicine.

he said. “I tried herbal medicines and everything else. “ But it’s all much of a muchness. “(But) hyperbaric therapy helps the healing of the burns.” Now, almost midway through his treatment, Jeff is a through-and-through convert of the therapy and the Wesley Centre. “They’re organised, they know what they’re doing and they’re very

professional in their work,” he said. “The nurses are brilliant, the technical staff are great, Doctor Aung, even though she goes at a million miles a minute, is fantastic!” Wesley Centre for Hyperbaric Medicine physician Dr Aung, currently conducting a trial to see if the treatment alleviates Xerostomia, a condition more commonly known as dry mouth, is keeping a very close eye

on Jeff and other patients affected by radiation injuries. “Most of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, which are very radiation sensitive,” Dr Aung told Seniors News. “And when you irradiate the cancer cells, in the way are the mandible (jaw bone) and the salivary glands. “So the radiation kills the cells and kills the blood supply.”

This result in less oxygen to the damaged area and slows the healing process which, in Jeff’s case, leads to dry mouth. However, Dr Aung is hoping a six-week program of 90-minute dives inside the hyperbaric chamber may eventually correct the damage. “We compress (the patients) to 2.4 absolute atmosphere and give them a 100 per cent oxygen. This increases the

oxygenation in their blood levels, promoting blood supply to the wound area, and stimulate healing,” Dr Aung said. Dr Aung and the Wesley Centre for Hyperbaric Medicine are recruiting patients for the study in to dry mouth following radiation. Contact the Wesley Centre for Hyperbaric Medicine on (07) 3371 6033.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Treats: • Non-healing wounds • Radiation tissue injury

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Call 07 3371 6033

Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Seniors 25

26 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Wellbeing

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

Betty’s lovely garden has made a big impact Alison Houston

THE CARNIVAL of Flowers is always a poignant time for 87-year-old Palm Lake Resort Toowoomba resident Betty Sullivan. Her second son, Barry, was born during the first carnival in 1949 and died from a brain tumour during the 50th. “He was born in flowers and he was taken in flowers,” said Betty. It makes her quadruple garden competition win this year all the more special. “It’s always Barry’s garden in September,” she said. In the Toowoomba Chronicle Garden Competition, Betty won first prize in the retirement/lifestyle unit dwelling category, second for best floral garden and third for the best front garden, as well as first prize in Palm Lake’s own in-house competition. They aren’t her first wins, and will undoubtedly not be the last, with Betty

already making plans to redesign the garden for next year. She and her daughter Debra have been living at Palm Lake Resort for six years, and Betty said she had gotten to work straight away on digging out everything that was there and starting her own garden. Debra has inherited her green thumb and is the resort’s gardener, but Betty is adamant: “She doesn’t touch my garden,” she laughs. “I’ve only got a pocket handkerchief, so I make the gardens go vertical,” Betty explained, with varieties this year including petunias, snapdragons, anemones, pansies, primulas and poppies for a start. “It’s colourful alright,” Betty said. “You can see it from everywhere. I’m very proud of it actually.” And so she should be. She spends about five hours a day in the garden year-round, and says the hundreds of visitors (many of whom are

WINNER: Betty Sullivan with her beautiful peacock trophy for winning the Toowoomba Chronicle Garden Competition.

decades her junior) who come to view the garden during the carnival are often amazed that she can still achieve so much at her age. “The more you do, the better you are,” Betty said simply. “I can bend down and touch my toes and do anything I like.” Always a gardener, and with six kids to raise and money scarce, Betty said her early gardens focused on growing all the fruit and vegetables her family needed on their quarter acre block. “There’s nothing like picking your own,” she said. But for Betty, it doesn’t matter what you are growing, so long as you are outside. “When you’re out in the garden, you’ve got no worries,” she said. “It’s peaceful and hours go by and you haven’t realised. “My garden calls me outside.” And it just goes to prove, size really doesn’t matter.

Spring clean your lifestyle for better health GET healthy, fit and feeling great this season with these tips from Cancer Council Queensland chief executive Chris McMillan. Spring cleaning doesn’t have to stop in your living area – it can extend to your health. Here are some simple tips to help you revitalise your well-being for the new season. ■ Clean up your diet: Conduct an audit of your eating habits to see which areas can be improved. Instead of focusing on what you can’t eat,

indulge in the healthy foods you can enjoy, such as sensational seasonal produce. Consider planning your meals in advance, if you don’t already. A plan can save time and ensure you are incorporating a wide variety of nutritious foods and the five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit a day you need to stay healthy. Spring is a great time for light soups, vegie-rich stir-fries and nourishing salads. ■ Spring into shape: As the weather warms up

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and the sun stays out longer, it’s the perfect time to change routines for the better, with extra daylight providing more time to work on your fitness. Take in the sunshine and fresh air with a daily afternoon walk – just remember to stay sun-safe and on top of your hydration levels. Or try out a new form of physical activity and ask a friend to join you – it will feel much less like a chore if you are having fun. ■ Clear out clutter from your mind: A mental spring clean gives us the opportunity to get rid of habits that don’t serve us and plant seeds of positivity. Learning ways to manage stress, such as practising relaxation exercises or meditation, helps many people cope with the challenges that life brings. ■ Schedule screenings and appointments: What do you need to organise to stay on top of your health check-ups for the rest of the year? Check to see what cancer screenings you are eligible for on our website and take the time to understand the look and feel of your body so

GET FIT TIPS: Cancer Council Queensland chief executive Chris McMillan.

you can report any changes to a GP. Finding cancer early greatly increases the chance of survival. There are national screening programs for breast, cervical and bowel cancer. ■ Smarten up your sedentary activities: Spending a lot of time on the couch often doesn’t do your body or mind any favours. Instead of zoning out to television solo, a consistent weekly viewing party can provide steady

social time. You could also do stretches and body weight exercises while watching your favourite shows, to increase your physical activity for the day. ■ Start writing it down: Keeping a wellness journal or taking advantage of the many tracking apps available is an effective way of analysing your eating habits, physical activity and mental health. Writing down what you eat and drink may help

you shed unwanted kilojoules, identify foods that don’t agree with you and make you more aware of certain habits, such as munching mindlessly. Diarising exercise can help ensure you reach the recommended 150–300 minutes of moderate intensity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity a week. Plus something as easy as writing down three good things that have happened in one day can have an impact on happiness levels. Remember, at least one-third of all cancers cases can be prevented through simple healthy lifestyle changes, including being active, eating well, limiting alcohol, quitting smoking, staying SunSmart and participating in cancer screening programs. A new season is a great time to try new things and develop new habits, in an effort to get healthier – so I hope these six tips help add a spring to your step. More information about Cancer Council Queensland, cancer screening and healthy living is available at cancerqld.org.au or phone 13 11 20.

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Be a part of this exciting lifestyle experience. Construction has commenced with the ﬁrst release complete by early 2018

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Secure living with a fantastic lifestyle opportunity including onsite parklands, • With air conditioning, bedroom ceiling gazebos, BBQ, kids play area, outdoor gym, communal veggie and herb gardens, and access fans and reverse cycle heating for winter, Willowview on South have setup all rooms to the planned ‘Glenvale Park’ a local council for comfortable living. initiative which will include bikeways, walking paths and other recreational facilities. • Willowview on South has catered to any ones outdoor entertaining requirements with an Security with an onsite manager and gated under main roof alfresco that is generously vehicle entry points ensuring peace of mind for sized with ceiling fans. its residents. Pricing starts from $305,000 • A variety of 3 and 2 bed townhouses and villas to suit any lifestyle at an affordable price point while not skimping on quality and size. • Generous sized living areas offering excellent affordability on internal square metres

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28 Seniors Toowoomba & Darling Downs

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

Living

Protest for healthy future Tracey Johnstone

THE yellow-attired knitting nanas are prepared to stand up, stand out and stand their ground on issues that will help save the land, air and water for future generations. They don’t fear any politicians in their quest for a better future. Give or take, there are now 40 Knitting Nanas Against Gas groups active in Australia. Each is autonomous, “working more as a web than as a pyramid,” co-founder Claire Twomey said. “Most of our active

women are in their 60s and 70s. There are a few men in the group now, as well. “You don’t have to knit and you don’t have to be nana. It’s open to anyone who wants to abide by our philosophy.” The first KNAG group, which was formed in Lismore in 2012, started with protesting gas and coal issues, but subsequent protests by this group and others have taken up climate change issues. In Victoria, there’s a KNAG group fighting old-growth logging and in

Canberra there is another group protesting children in detention. The protests take many forms from locking onto machinery and blockading offices to providing information at festivals and sitting down at key public locations knitting or crocheting. While they advocate non-violent action, each group or loop make their own decision through consensus on what form of action they will take. “We’re well presented, not offensive and make everything easy for everyone to talk to us,”

Claire said. “And we have the experience to communicate in a non-threatening way.” Sitting each week outside of the Lismore office of state MP Thomas George, and with their successful protest against Metgasco now a proud memory, Claire and her group of a dozen nanas are knitting and working on how they can support other KNAG groups. “We pick a place and we go back there every week,” she said. “It does wonders for the community who loves us

OLDER PROTESTERS: 95-year-old Bill Ryan, of the Sydney Knitting Nanas and Friends group, joins the Lismore group in protest. PHOTO: KNITTING NANAS

and toot their horns. “It reminds the politicians there are people in the community who won’t give up.

“We’re not afraid. We are going to keep doing whatever we can to save the land, air and water for the kiddies.”

Foregoing retirement to raise a third generation GRANDPARENTS are being sandwiched between acting as parents to the younger generation and trying to help manage their own children’s well-being. Many have had to give up jobs, retirement and even their super, to help their family. Centacare South West NSW’s facilitator of its local Grandparents Doing It Tough support group, Lyn Reilly, sees the changing family dynamics on a regular basis and the impact it is having on grandparents as they strain to deal with all the legal and social issues associated with raising a much younger

NSW group Grandparents Doing It Tough. PHOTO: LYN REILLY

generation. “Grandparents are being forced to take on the role of parenting a second generation because of the increase in drugs, particularly ice, and alcohol,” she said. “Sometimes it’s suicide and sometimes the parents aren’t in a position to raise their children, so grandparents are being called upon to

do that.” Leaning on a grandparent isn’t necessarily an intentional act by many parents, it just seems that they assume grandparents will always be around to “take up the slack”, Ms Reilly said. “We are bringing up generations of more egocentric people where they are concerned more

about themselves and what they need rather than perhaps what they need to provide as a parent,” she said. Also, a word of warning to our community from Ms Reilly; young children are learning ways of parenting that are probably not appropriate. They grow up learning the behaviours of their parents, about unhealthy relationships and unhealthy lifestyles. “If you don’t learn anything different, then that’s just how you do it,” she said. Consequently, caring grandparents were starting to outnumber foster parents. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s

2016 Children in Care report identified that the number of children in out-of-home care had risen every year for the past 10 years. At June 30, 2015 there were 43,400 children living in out-of-home care, and of those, 40.4% were in foster care while 47.3% were in relative/kinship care. “The government at some stage is going to have to recognise them because there won’t be enough foster carers,” Ms Reilly stated. Many grandparents had no government income to assist with the cost of raising a young child. “They are raising them on pensions,” she said.

“Our grandparent group here in Wagga are aged between 50 and 81, and raising between one and seven grandchildren per household. “A fair percentage of these children have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which results from alcohol exposure during pregnancy, and it’s a lifelong condition.” Ms Reilly said grandparents could only access childcare benefits through Centrelink. “This doesn’t compensate for a grandparent on a pension, bringing up a child that has disabilities or other behavioural or mental health issues. They are paying for this out of their own pocket.”

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Tracey Johnstone

Living

Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Seniors 29

CWA speaks up for the care of our grandparents Tracey Johnstone

THE voice of the Country Women’s Association of NSW is joining the growing chorus of people calling for grandparents as carers of their grandchildren to be recognised as family rather than as foster carers. Decision makers in government will be targeted as the CWA seeks change around grandparent versus foster carer status and the surrounding rules. NSW chief executive officer Danica Leys said the CWA had good access to state politicians when they need and want to advocate for change. “It’s just a matter of how the government

chooses to prioritise this issue going forward,” Ms Leys said. “We will be talking to other like-minded organisations as well, and seeing if we can, as a collective, get a bit of a push-on with this issue.” State president Annette Turner will lead the powerful voice of 400 branches statewide, most of whom will take up the role of advocating for change through their local contacts. Ms Leys said this year’s state conference adopted the grandparent policy as part of the process of looking at the issues around the changing face of families in the bush. “The grandparents’ position was bought to our

conference in May from a Riverina area branch,” she said. “They had been noticing this issue across their area. At the conference the motion passed unanimously. “It was surprising to me that so many people got up and spoke quite passionately about it, and also spoke from a very personal point of view. “It’s quite surprising how many people are affected by this issue.” Ms Leys said she learned from that debate there are a lot of grandparents caring for their grandchildren on either a full-time or close to full-time basis, acting as the child’s primary carer and often as their parent.

GRANDPARENTS: Delegates at the CWA NSW’s annual conference where they decided to enter the debate on recognising grandparents as the family of the grandchildren they are looking after, not foster carers. PHOTO: COUNTRY WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION

“This is happening more and more across the state,” she said.

“One of the biggest reasons our members are telling us is there are

issues particularly around substance abuse in lots of regional communities.”

We’re not foster carers, we are their families Tracey Johnstone

WAGGA Wagga grandmother Colleen Beale is talking tough about grandparents being recognised instead of being buried within the foster care system. “It’s the process, policy and procedures that grandparents are subjected to when they are raising a family member that we object to,” Colleen said. “We want our grandchildren to have a sense of belonging to their family. Families these days are not mum, dad and two kids. “The kids have been through the same trauma that most kids in foster care go through but they are with their family. Yet we have to jump through

all the hoops that foster carers have to jump through – intrusive, humiliating assessment processes that could be done a lot better.” Colleen said grandparents came under the government’s foster care model, which she said treated them “a bit like second-class foster carers”. “We want changes around language and legislation in particular so that we can get on with our lives with our grandchildren without the interference and unnecessary processes that the department of family and community services place upon us,” she said. The New South Wales Government said grandparents could apply

under Guardianship Orders for the guardianship of their grandchildren, which they said opened doors to funding and support. “Placing children with their immediate or extended family is always a priority for Family and Community Services,” a NSW Government spokesperson said. “It is hoped that many more grandparents will consider guardianship so that their grandchildren are no longer considered to be in out-of-home care and grandparents have the autonomy they desire.” But Colleen argued this approach still didn’t account for the individual grandparent relationship. “They can’t think a different way even

though we are in greater number than foster carers,” she said. “They need to divide that department and have a section that looks after grandparents and grandchildren and the foster carers can do their own thing.” Colleen cares for three grandchildren – one each from Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales. She is 66 and her husband is 71. They have had a grandchild living with them full-time for 19 years. “They all have the same mother, just different dads. It’s drug and alcohol abuse with her,” she said. “The little one from Victoria was removed from our daughter when she was about nine months old. She was put into

foster care for seven years but last year she was removed because of physical abuse. “Our daughter got sober in the meantime, got her daughter back and that lasted three months. “She was removed again and came to us for the holidays and she has been with us ever since. “I don’t know what is going to happen. I have dealt with Queensland and I now I am dealing with Victoria and I am weary.” Colleen said the situation had a huge impact on their lives. “We can’t retire,” she said. “I have given up my job. We have lost our freedom. We can’t come and go as we please and the workload is considerable

for people in our age group. “There is community support but you don’t expect in your 60s that you would still be getting out of bed and packing school lunches and talking to teachers.” She also has to contend with case workers telling her how to raise the children within her husband’s ancestral Kamilaroi people culture. “That is his duty, his job to instruct about culture, or not,” Colleen said. “We either do this job and get the right support or some of us go under.” She has until the custody hearing in April to make the hard decision as to whether she and her husband can continue to look after their autistic granddaughter.

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seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

Money

Property settlements EVERYDAY MATTERS CAROLYN DEVRIES CEO of New Way Lawyers

WE HAVE so enjoyed sharing information and practical pointers to individuals who are facing the difficult experience of separation, divorce and property settlement and hope it has been of interest or benefit to you or someone close to you. If you missed out on reading some of the previous instalments of this series these can now be found on our website www.newwaylawyers. com.au. Now for the final instalment of the series.

MYTH NUMBER 7: I NEED TO BE SEPARATED FOR 12 MONTHS BEFORE I CAN DO A PROPERTY SETTLEMENT

A lot of people think that they have to wait until they have been separated for 12 months before they can take any steps toward property settlement. This is incorrect – there is no waiting period that must be run before starting the property settlement process. Property settlement can in fact be started as soon as separation occurs. There are, however, some deadlines to be aware of for the completion of property settlement. For individuals who were

in a de facto relationship the deadline for completing property settlement is two years

❝

There are, however, some deadlines to be aware of for the completion of property settlement.

from the date of separation. For couples who were married the deadline is 12 months from the date of divorce. If property settlement has not been finalised by these deadlines it may be necessary to make an application to the court for property settlement. It is critical that this

deadline is not missed as although permission may be granted by the court for an application to be made out of time, there is no guarantee that permission will be granted, and the costs associated with making an application out of time are much higher than making an application within the required time frame. ■ Practical pointer: Make a note of your deadline for commencing property settlement proceedings in your calendar and put some reminders about this date in your calendar in the lead-up to your deadline. If you are within two months of your deadline, then you should seek legal advice to ensure that your rights are protected.

AWARENESS: Make sure you meet your deadlines.

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Submit your photos, stories, events and notices online. Look for the ‘share your event or story’ box on our home page. Visit us at seniorsnews.com.au

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BE THRIFTY AND THRIVE NICKY NORMAN small bowl. ★Vaseline. ★Scissors. ★Homemade glue/wallpaper paste. ★Strip of card, approx. 2cm x 25 cm. ★Stapler. ★Masking tape. To make bowl: 1. Lie newspaper out on the table and create a work area. 2. Blow up the balloon and fasten with a knot and spread plenty of Vaseline all over it. 4. Sit the balloon in the cup with the knot facing into the cup. 5. Brush over some glue/paste with the paintbrush on the top half of the balloon. 6. Cover the top half of

PREPARATION: Paper mache can be a fun activity to enjoy with your grandchildren. Just keep ahead of the mess.

the balloon (that is covered in paste) with strips of newspaper. 7. Make sure the newspaper is wet entirely with glue - add more if required. 8. Paste the strips horizontally and vertically as this will strengthen the bowl. 9. Cover the ends that

Cooking with the kids I LOVE cooking with kids, they’re so interested in learning how to make the yummy food they enjoy. Start with something simple like pancakes, fritters or honey joys, then progress to lemonade scones, pizza and rice paper rolls. The rolls may not look perfect when they’re finished but the kids think they are very clever with this healthy option. You can also, depending on the age of the kids, teach them how to prepare the ingredients. You will be very surprised how much kids are capable of at a young age. For stress-free cooking with kids, let

HOME COOKING CHRISTINE PERKIN them help choose the menu beforehand, give them a few options that are suitable and it is best to ensure you have the ingredients for what you are cooking and be organised. Don’t complicate the menu or the kids will lose interest very quickly. Have all the ingredients ready to go measured and portioned and make sure you have a stool or chair available for

3 INGREDIENTS: Delicious Lemonade scones.

them if they are a little height challenged. Let’s get cooking!

LEMONADE SCONES Moist and fluffy scones, made with only 3 ingredients! Serve warm with jam and cream Makes 10

haven’t been glued down properly with glue. 10. Add at least six layers of newspaper and glue to the top half of the balloon. 11. Leave it to dry. After it is dry, remove the newspaper mould from the balloon. 13. Trim off the rough edges, using scissors. To make a base for the bowl: 1. Turn the bowl upside down. 2. Make a loop/circle with the strip of card, and staple in place (as a base) and attach the loop with masking tape. 3. Paste on some glue and cover it with newspaper pieces/strips extending up on side of bowl. 4. Once the bowl and base are completely dry it is ready to paint and decorate.

Ingredients 3 cups self-raising flour 1 cup thickened cream 1 cup cold lemonade Method Preheat oven to 200C Combine the flour, cream and lemonade in a bowl and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Turn out onto a floured surface, and gently pat down to 2.5cm thickness. Use a 6cm round cutter to cut scones. Flour the cutter so the dough doesn't stick. Brush the tops lightly with milk. Place on a lined or greased tray, slightly touching each, and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden on top. Place on rack to cool. For more recipes go to www.seniorsnews.com.au

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LIKE most French words, papier (paper) mache sounds so much better than its English translation, which means, chewed paper. This can be a fun, low cost activity to enjoy with your grandchildren and impress them with your handy craft skills. Together you can create a bowl of any size for trinkets in their room, as a gift or as a fruit bowl for the family. The bonus is you should have most of what you need at home. What you need: ★Recycled paper, like lolly wrappers, coloured paper, envelopes, newspaper, magazines and wrapping paper. The newspaper will be ripped into small pieces/ strips (4-5cms wide and at least 15cms in length). ★Paint and paintbrushes. ★A balloon. ★A wide cup/

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seniorsnews.com.au Monday, October 9, 2017

Reviews Dawn French’s fabulous diary

DAWN French has written a new, non-fiction book. The reader and Dawn will spend a year together rambling through the days, the months and the seasons of the year to make sense of it. And have some fun along the way... “Feel free to write your appointments in it, lists, thoughts and reminders of, say, who to kill, and when, and in what order,” French writes. “But I’ve also written about age and life as I see it, through the seasons and the months, and I’ve added some places for you to join me in some fun and

FABULOUSLY FUNNY: Dawn French. PHOTO: TREVOR LEIGHTON

some thinking. “By the end of the year, I am hoping you will have a fatter, scruffier book that is written by me but totally personalised by you. “Come on in. The paper is lovely... AND... importantly, Me. You: A

Bucket list ideas big and small WHATEVER your dreams, this book will help you tick them off your lifelong to-do list. We all have a list of things we dream of doing one day, but work, family, school, money, and responsibilities can all get in the way. If there were no boundaries on what you could experience, what would you do? The Bucket List is a collection of 1000

adventures to be had across every continent, from seeing the northern lights from an igloo in Finland to ninja training in Japan. The Bucket List is the perfect gift for the passionate traveller: an around-the-world listing of beaches, museums, islands, restaurants, mountains, and more. Published by Murdoch

Books, Kath Stathers’s The Bucket List is available this month from book stores. RRP $39.99.

Girl’s war-time choices Diary comes with a practical elastic strap to keep all of your papers safe, with a pocket in the back for storing those special mementoes.” Published by Penguin Books, Me. You: A Diary is released this month and in bookshops and online. RRP $39.99.

THE Girl from Munich is set in worn-torn Germany of 1943 and tells the tale of a young girl’s choices that change her life forever. Growing up in Hitler’s Germany, Charlotte von Klein has big dreams for the future. But in 1943, the tide of the war is turning against Germany, and Lotte’s life of privilege and comfort begins to collapse around

her. As Hitler’s Reich abandons Germany and the country falls to the Allied forces, Lotte is forced to flee from the unfolding chaos to the country with the darkly attractive Erich Drescher, her Luftwaffe superior. Amid the danger, pain and heartbreak of a country turning on itself, Lotte must forge a new life for herself.

The Girl from Munich is published by Simon and Schuster and available in bookshops for RRP $29.99 and as an ebook for RRP $9.99.

Warm-hearted School Life retirement mean, they muse. Spanning the ancient and the ultra-modern has been their life and passion and so they’ve challenged the march of time by absorbing the endless supply of young ideas from their wards, but who will keep them young if they leave? For John, rock music is just another subject alongside maths, English, scripture and Latin, all of which are taught in a collaborative and often hilarious fashion. For Amanda, the key to

connecting with children is the book and she uses all means fair to snare the young minds. The children sit transfixed as she takes them on magical journeys with fantastical characters from tales of all kinds. “If we don’t come here, what will we will do all day?” John asks dryly. “We’ll sit around doing less and less and become more and more decrepit.” The highly entertaining and heart-warming film School Life will be in Australian cinemas from November 2.

TEACHER TALE: Amanda Leyden in the documentary School Life.

PHOTO: ANTIDOTE FILMS

Congratulations to our Winners Congratulations to the winners of our Event Cinemas, "Battle of the Sexes" Movie Ticket Giveaway. Brisbane Carol Dansey

Gold Coast Susan Savige

Sunshine Coast Peta Filsell

Toowoomba Valerie Ainge

There will be more chances to win our competitions in coming editions, plus exclusive online competitions on our website!

Visit www.seniorsnews.com.au for more information. Wellbeing + Travel + living + Money

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SCHOOL Life is an entertaining movie which gives an insight into the lives of two teachers who are reaching retirement after 46 years of inspirational teaching in an Irish boarding school. The observational documentary follows a year in the lives of John and Amanda Leyden, who work at the majestic Headfort, the only primary-age boarding school in Ireland, and who have shaped the minds of thousands. But now the unthinkable looms. What will

Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Monday, October 9, 2017 seniorsnews.com.au

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