Toowoomba, December 2019

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FEATURE

GUIDE TO FESTIVALS ALL OVER AUSTRALIA FEATURE

ROB MUNDLE

- the voice of sailing JOURNO, AUTHOR AND YACHTSMAN SHARES A LIFE OF CHANCE AND ADVENTURE

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DECEMBER, 2019//

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News — Power of the Yarn Cover story - Rob Mundle Community notes Feature - Music festivals Travel - Wanderlust Wellbeing Money Puzzle

47 CHRISTMAS TIME: Festive fun.

Travel: 21

On board for summer Gail Forrer Seniors Group Editor THINK Christmas, think Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

It’s Boxing Day and you’re relaxing on the lounge, feeling slow from the heat and festivities.

You turn on the tele and there it is: the reassuring vision of sailors and their great white racing yachts.

The media commentators bring to life the personalities and the challenge, while the aerial photography just about puts us on board.

Along with making new memories, we remember the great moments, like winning the America’s Cup, and the very bad moments when good men lost their lives at sea.

So to put us in the mood of summer and all that goes with it,we give our front cover over to yachting personality Rob Mundle – and what a read. Tracey Johnstone (herself a lifelong yachtie) spoke with Rob and recorded his tales of exciting nautical

adventures.

Back on land, music festivals have become a favourite on Aussie calendars and to assist your planning, we have put together a doublepage spread listing some of the most popular.

Extremes of heat, fires, floods and drought have put climate change front of mind and reporter Alison Houston has spoken to Professor Roger Stone.

If your keen eye has noticed something a little different about this publication and you are wondering exactly what it is, wonder no longer. Due to printing requirements our paper has undergone a small change (3cm) in size.

Seniors News wishes our readers a safe and happy Christmas.

Enjoy, Gail

SENIORS

CONTACT US General Manager Geoff Crockett – 07 5430 1006 geoff.crockett@news.com.au Editor Gail Forrer – 07 5435 3203 gail.forrer@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Executive Mark Smith - 07 3327 3327 mark.smith@newsregionalmedia.com.au Online Get your news online at www.seniorsnews.com.au Advertising, editorial and distribution enquiries Phone: 1300 880 265 or (07) 5435 3200 Email: advertising@seniorsnewspaper.com.au or editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Location: 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore 4558 Website: www.seniorsnews.com.au Subscriptions Only $39.90 for one year (12 editions) including GST and postage anywhere in Australia. Please call our circulations services on 1300 361 604 and quote “Toowoomba Seniors Newspaper”.

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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.

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SUCCESS STORY: Reminiscence Program learning officer Janelle Insley celebrates with two of the first volunteers, Josette Stansbie and Helen Moffatt.

Closely knit in power of yarn Alison Houston AGED care residents in the Toowoomba district have been enjoying reminiscing for 10 years thanks to a special program established

by Cobb+Co Museum.

Learning officer Tony Coonan said 5775 residents had taken part over 237 sessions across 10 aged care facilities over the past 10 years.

That’s a pretty impressive set of numbers, but they could do more with the help of extra volunteers, with homes on a waiting list to take part.

Volunteers work with Queensland Museum kits designed around themes such as Home and Heart, School Days, Animals, Farm Life and Toys and Hobbies, with historical objects they can touch and hold used to V2 - SETE01Z01MA

encourage residents to share their life experiences and interact.

Retired primary school teacher Josette Stansbie has volunteered with the Reminiscence Program from the start and took part in the first aged care visit.

“It’s a wonderful program and it just keeps getting better,” she said.

At the end of a recent visit, one of the residents, urged on by a lady of 100, got everyone’s attention to thank the volunteers.

“She said, ‘We find the program does stimulate us and makes us reminisce about our early lives’, and I had tears in my eyes because that’s exactly the two things we hope to achieve,” Josette said, her voice breaking even as she recalled it.

“You do hear some very happy and some very sad

stories – particularly those who don’t have family or might have family who live far away and don’t get to see them often.

“It’s a real mixture – we laugh with them and we shed a tear with them.”

For that reason, she said the requirements for being a Reminiscence Program volunteer were not teaching experience or historical knowledge but empathy and an ability to engage with people.

As well as the satisfaction of making connections with residents, Josette said friendships were formed between volunteers.

About six volunteers visit each of the seven homes currently involved in the program once a month from February to November.

Training is provided. To learn more, contact Tony on 0407 124 302.

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Picture: Contributed

Updates from the Toowoomba Region Local fire ban

The recent bushfires in the Region is a stark reminder to be vigilant with fire dangers. Our Region is very dry and the risk of bushfire is high. A local fire ban is currently in place. This means no lighting of fires is allowed; with the exemption of a contained fire for heating or cooking and is less than 1m x 1m x 0.5m in size. Fires must be monitored at all times and extinguishing devices must be available.

Council meetings

The next meetings of Council’s Standing Committees will be held on 10 and 11 December commencing at 9am. The next Ordinary Meeting of Council will be held on 17 December commencing at 10am. All meetings are at City Hall, 541 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba.

Christmas hours – Customer Service All our customer service centres will be closed from 5pm on Tuesday 24 December and re-open 8.30am on Thursday 2 January 2020.

We’ll be available via 131 872 8.30am-5pm Friday 27 December, Monday 30 December and Tuesday 31 December. After hours emergency contact will be available at all other times over the Christmas period.

Waste facilities and collection Our waste facilities will be closed on Christmas Day only and open as per normal operating hours from Boxing Day. Our waste trucks continue to collect waste all year round including public holidays and Christmas Day. Trucks will commence from 5am on Christmas Day. Don’t miss your collection, put your bin out the night before – make sure it’s not in the way of Santa and his reindeer.

For a full list of what’s open over the Christmas season visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/christmashours

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

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Rob riding Sailing guru christens new chapter Tracey Johnstone

BLUE-WATER VOICE: Veteran author and commentator Rob Mundle.

Picture: CONTRIBUTED

THERE’S a nautical song playing in the background as author Rob Mundle (AM) talks about his latest book.

The ocean-racing machine’s rigging is swaying above, while below the hive of activity on the Sydney waterfront edges towards its climax on Boxing Day. This is where Rob is most at home. He’s been the face of Australia’s blue-water sailing scene for close to 51 years.

The 73-year-old has already recorded the maritime history of Australia’s big-ship adventures in Bligh: Master Mariner; Cook; Great South Land; Flinders; and The First Fleet.

His latest book is a detailed account of the 75 years the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has run the

researching Under Full Sail, Rob discovered his greatgreat-grandfather, George Valentine Mundle, was the master of a clipper ship that brought cargo and migrants to Australia.

As famous names and fabulous experiences roll off Rob’s tongue, a picture emerges of a writer who has been “kissed on the bum by a butterfly”.

Rob left school with no idea what he wanted to do, but he did know he was good at writing his old school compositions and had an interest in world affairs.

“I loved reading the newspaper every afternoon,” Rob said. “One day I was reading the Daily Mirror and I said to Mum, ‘I am going to ring them and see if they have any jobs’ without having any clue of what sort of job. I just loved the whole thought of a

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Rob knows this Everest of blue-water sailing extremely well. He’s “gone south” three times and authored the international best-selling book Fatal Storm, which gave a deep insight into the devastating 1998 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, where six lives and five yachts were lost.

Writing about Australia’s maritime adventures has proven an appropriate fit for the former journalist. While

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wave with the write stuff newspaper environment. A week later I was a copy boy.”

One work day he was walking upstairs to the Sunday Mirror office when a blonde woman by the name of Blanche d’Alpuget stopped Rob and asked him whether he could fill in as the yachting writer while she went on holidays. “I just about kissed her on the spot,” Rob said. “It was one of those freakish things about everything unfolding in your favour.”

So, the copy boy suddenly also became the Sunday edition sailing column writer.

When Rupert Murdoch started The Australian in 1964, he moved a group of copy boys and journalists to Canberra to help put the new publication out. “I went down as a copy boy,” Rob said. “It was very exciting standing in the print room next to Rupert when the first edition of The Australian came off the presses. It was

Rob Mundle and crew on the English yacht Firebrand at the Southern Ocean Racing Conference in Miami in 1971.

Picture: CONTRIBUTED

an adrenaline pump for everyone.”

While journalist Anna Torv, who later became Rupert’s second wife, was keen for Rob to stay in Canberra, the lure of better sailing options in Sydney drew him back to the big

smoke. Soon after his arrival in Sydney, Rob was offered The Australian’s first Sydney bureau journalist cadetship.

He also got to keep his Daily Mirror sailing column.

In 1971, the chance to travel to America to see the big-boat competition and

write about it was supported by his editor, Neal Travis, who offered Rob a retainer to keep filing stories while abroad. “Suddenly, I had kicked another goal,” Rob said.

He finally returned to Australia and got caught up

in trying to make money out of selling little Laser dinghies, which became an Olympic Games class.

Round about then, Rob and an American friend, Lisa Halaby, who was in Australia training as an architect, were towing Rob’s yacht Waikikamukau back from a regatta in Queensland.

When Rob drove the trailer under a low bridge it became stuck, much to the angst of the drivers behind.

Lisa quickly leapt onto the truck bonnet and leant on the mast, so Rob could fit the load under the bridge.

“People were cheering and car horns blowing; people had never seen anything like it,” Rob said. “That girl dangling from the end of the mast, that absolutely delightful lady, went on to become the Queen of Jordan.”

But, “once journalism is in your blood, it’s there forever”, Rob remembers.

He was drawn back in by Kay

Cottee’s husband, Peter Sutton, who was working on the Channel 10 Sports Week with host Ray Warren, as a sailing reporter.

“I (also) got to be weatherman on prime-time news,” Rob said. The news editor then decided to send Rob to Newport, Rhode Island, to cover the 1983 America’s Cup. “My world and the whole world of sailing changed when Australia won the Cup,” Rob said. “I was on air that day, live and worldwide, for eight hours and 10 minutes. Apparently, that still stands as a record for live television.”

Rob has now written 17 books, including Sir James Hardy’s and Alan Bond’s authorised biographies.

His 18th book, The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, is for sailors and non-sailors.

Available in bookshops from this month, the book is full of sailing history and entertaining anecdotes. “

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Crafty ‘sisters’ all heart Alison Houston FOR about 10 years, The Friday Girls have been quietly caring for each other and their community through their big hearts and clever hands.

The group, which meets weekly at Toowoomba’s Sew Handy, hit the news last month for preparing quilts and handmade Christmas stockings stuffed with gifts for victims of the recent fires.

Sew Handy donated most of the materials, and other individuals and businesses kicked in for toiletries and other goodies.

Group member Norelle White said they had wanted to do something especially for children, so they would have “something of their very own because they may have lost everything too’’.

But store owner Michelle Huth said the group had been helping others and giving to charity from the

beginning. The women first gathered for a project to create a giant teddy bear for a local dentist, and Michelle said they enjoyed it so much they “just accumulated ladies from there’’.

The regular group of about 12 rises to as many as 20 with “drop-ins”; some stay a couple of hours and others all day.

The women come to sit, sew, crochet, knit, quilt, chat, share patterns and recipes, and help each other and customers out when they hit craft-related problems.

“Everybody’s welcome … they are just a lovely, caring group of ladies who do things to help each other and the community,” Michelle said.

“Even when we are closed for a public holiday on a Friday, they come on the Thursday because they don’t want to miss the interaction.”

The Friday Girls have

CLOSE-KNIT: Proud Friday Girls Agnes Hall, Michelle Huth, Pam Casey and Norelle White with some of the items they have made and collected for fire victims.

Picture: Contributed

become so much a part of the small business’s “family” that when Michelle and the other staff members are busy, they answer the phone or help customers.

Throughout the year, Michelle said, group members put some of the items they made in a box, so that when a charity event came up, or when they had

collected enough pieces, they could donate them for sale or auction, or run their own stall.

To find out more about The Friday Ladies, or if

you’ve been hit by the fires and can use a crafty hand or something for the kids, call (07) 4632 1257 or drop in to Sew Handy at Northlands Shopping Centre.

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Red alert against violence Benches help spread word on preventing family abuse Alison Houston YOU will likely have noticed a lot of red and orange around Toowoomba over the past couple of weeks.

Both colours have joined the white ribbon as part of the movement against domestic violence, which experts say is as relevant today to seniors as younger people.

It started with the unveiling of Toowoomba’s first Red Bench, near the family violence memorial sculpture at Clewley Park, on November 25.

The bench carries the simple message, “Change the ending: let’s stop domestic violence”.

An initiative of the Red Rose Foundation Brisbane, taken up by Toowoomba Regional Council, it aims to inspire conversations about the need to stop violence, particularly against women and children.

Other Red Benches will follow at Webb Park in East Toowoomba, Mervyn and John Hart Park in Pittsworth, Campbell St in Oakey and near the post office at Yarraman.

The unveiling marked the start of a united 16-day

SEEING RED: John Minz, from anti-domestic violence group Toowoomba Together, Red Rose Foundation member Andrea Frost, Zonta's Kirsten Tydings and Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio unveil the district's first Red Bench at Clewley Park.

Picture: Contributed

“Orange the World” campaign against genderbased violence by local women’s service clubs – the Soroptimists, Zonta, Quota, CWA and Inner Wheel.

“Domestic violence is just as prevalent here as anywhere else,” said Toowoomba Domestic Violence Action Centre manager Kath Turley.

“We speak to women every day who have experienced the whole plethora of abuse, from physical abuse, including strangulation and sexual abuse, to control and intimidation through psychological, financial, coercive and verbal abuse.”

Kath was pleased to see such a coordinated effort by women’s groups to spread the word against domestic violence across all ages and demographics.

“It’s great to see the community raising the flag because what we need is a coordinated community response and a united message to stop domestic violence,” she said.

Worldwide, one in three women and girls will experience violence in her lifetime with, on average, one female dying each week in Australia, as a result of domestic violence.

And older women are far from immune, despite

younger women traditionally being more willing to seek help.

“This is a real issue and a growing one for women over 50, who are more prone to homelessness as a result of leaving DV situations because they don’t have the financial resources behind them,” Kath said.

She said many women, even in their 70s and 80s, who had not previously felt they could speak out due to lack of support or the prevailing culture of dealing with such matters in private, were now doing so as the world embraced the #MeToo movement.

While the 16 days of action will be almost over by the time you read this, the Photo Voice Exhibition at Toowoomba’s Another Life Cafe continues until December 10.

It comprises up to 50 photos by women who have lived experience of domestic violence.

One, a photo of smashed egg shells, shows the fragility of life and is accompanied by the powerful narrative: “I felt as though I had to walk on egg shells every day. I would pray that the next day I would be good enough …”

Part of the power of the Red Benches campaign,

Kath said, was its longevity, unlike many initiatives, which come and go.

“They are a symbol that sits there permanently in the community to prompt discussion and challenge people of all ages to end violence against women and families,” she said.

It is hoped to have at least one Red Bench in every local government area in Queensland, with at least 100 expected to be in place

by December.

Interstate interest is already occurring for the simple campaign, which asks government and community groups to paint one existing public bench red and pay for the metal plaque.

Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre, Fairholme College, the Toowoomba Mosque and Harristown State High School have all signed up.

Kath urged everyone to be aware of and challenge, where it was safe to do so, attitudes and comments that denigrated women, and to “believe and listen to victims because sometimes that’s all they need” to help them act.

If you need domestic violence help or to speak with someone about historical sexual abuse, contact DVAC on (07) 4642 1354 or, for 24-hour crisis help, call DVConnect on 1800 811 811 or Lifeline on 131 114.

Never too late to test yourself Kerry Heaney DESPITE having finished school in Year 11, 59-year-old Lyndall Wolffe is well on her way to achieving a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) degree at Swinburne Online.

A little nudge from her manager, along with a hint that it would help her progress through the organisation, put Lyndall on the study path — but then she was made redundant.

“I started a new job about four weeks later with a residential construction company and continued with the degree. I expect to complete in early 2020,” she said.

The hardest thing about the study, said Lyndall, was the opportunity cost in leisure and family time.

“This weekend I am attending the Master Builders regional awards at the Gold Coast on Saturday, and I have two assessments due Monday. There’s no time to rest up on Sunday after a big night out, as I will have to get into it first thing Sunday morning.”

What Lyndall does enjoy is doing a university degree from the comfort of her own home.

“Who would have thought it when I first entered the workforce in the ’70s? Technology really is fantastic, and the global

progression I have seen in my lifetime is really mindblowing. I never grow tired of hearing about the next big thing.”

Of course, studying from your lounge room does require computer skills.

“My experience with computers started back in the DOS days, and it has been the longest learning curve of my life, and it continues every day,” Lyndall said. “I can’t say that these skills were easy to acquire, but having the advantage of almost daily exposure for the last 40 years has made it second nature.”

That did not mean you did not need to upskill.

“The study has allowed me to approach my workload with confidence. If I don’t know something, I have the knowledge to be able to obtain answers I need from a credible source.

It is empowering,” she said.

“At the age of 20, when I was first married, I had no idea what I was capable of and what I could achieve.

That I can reach out and obtain more knowledge whenever I want is liberating. I feel my mind is more agile now than it was all those years ago. I am more confident, even given my age, and feel that my life is only just beginning.”

Swinburne Online launched in 2011 with a suite

LEARNING FOR LIFE: Studying later in life opens up many new opportunities.

Photo: File

of courses in the fields of business, social science and communication, and now offers more than 30 undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma and short courses.

Students online receive the same qualification as an on-campus counterpart, along with an interactive online learning environment, the flexibility of online study and seven-day support.

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‘‘

I’ve certainly learnt my lesson the hard way.

SCAM SCARS: Toowoomba's Gabrielle Saide wants to ensure other seniors don't have to go through what she has as a result of an internet scam.

Picture: Contributed

Counting cost of a cruel con Alison Houston IT’S not just the financial loss, but the mental and physical spinoffs of being scammed that take their toll.

Weeks after having more than $9500 illegally taken from her credit card, Toowoomba’s Gabrielle Saide said it had “really knocked me around”.

She wants other seniors to know that it is not just through incoming calls and emails that you can fall victim to scams, but also through fake phone numbers provided on the

internet. Gabrielle had been looking for answers to a problem she was having with her emails when she found what purported to be a Microsoft help desk phone number.

Like many of us, she preferred talking to someone rather than doing an online chat.

She rang the 1800 number, which was answered by an American, and was told that, to go ahead with the service, she needed to provide a small $1.30 fee, which would be refunded to her account.

Having provided her

details, and her computer IP address, the service took remote access of her computer, just as a real IT help desk would.

She was told they would ring back in 30 minutes when the problem was fixed. Instead, they accessed her account 14 times, tallying up $9549.90 in spending.

In her 70s, and considering herself “reasonably tech-savvy” due to using the computer regularly in her work and volunteering, Gabrielle has since been kicking herself for not recognising the con

straight away. But when she had not heard back from the service that night, she called again, only to be told there were “a lot of problems with your computer”.

Unable to access her online banking, she called the bank and discovered the list of suspicious online overseas transactions that had been racked up.

“It just goes to show you’ve always got to be one jump ahead but, as an older person particularly, you aren’t always,” she said.

In Gabrielle’s case, she had been busy with plans to go away the next day for

work and then for a holiday.

Instead, she had to rearrange her trip, costing extra money, cancel and wait for a new credit card, and have malware that had been downloaded onto her computer removed, again at a cost.

And, to add insult to injury, she also has to pay the overseas exchange charges for the unlawful transactions.

The bank has agreed to refund a percentage of the money fraudulently charged, but she has to cover more than $3000 because, as she understands it, she had

provided some details to the scammers.

“I’ve certainly learnt my lesson the hard way, and I want to let other people know so they don’t make the same mistake,” Gabrielle said. “It really rocks your trust in people.’’

If you are concerned about possible scams, want to learn how to protect yourself from scams or report one, go to www.scamwatch.gov.au.

If you think your bank account details have been compromised, alert your bank or financial institution immediately.

Pitch for opera strikes chord Gail Forrer IN 2009, the position Lyndon Terracini took on as artistic director of Opera Australia could have been labelled a poisoned chalice.

In 2019, as Terracini agrees to extend his contract in the role for a further three years, he would describe it as a blessing.

At 69 years old, Terracini retains his characteristic good humour, enthusiasm and warmth.

He says that besides signing the new contract, he has just happily married

Swiss soprano and vocal teacher Noemi Nadelmann.

He still travels the country, wakes early every morning and thoroughly enjoys a drop of red wine.

“I am fortunate that people pay me for things I love to do,’’ he enthuses.

“As they say, if you do something you love, you never work a day in your life.’’

But perhaps it seemed more like a working day a decade ago when Terracini, just a few weeks into the new job, made plain his ambition to alter the course of opera events.

He was determined to

take opera to the people – all the people, not just an elite selection.

“The faces you see on our stages and in our orchestras do not accurately represent the faces you see on our streets,’’ Terracini said at the annual Peggy Glanville-Hicks address.

Not only did these lines reflect his heartfelt desire to share the wonders of opera with every social stratum, it also defined the journey he would take the company on to travel out of financial doom and into economic wellbeing. As Terracini led Opera Australia from its traditional home into city

parks, sandy beaches and red dirt, so have its audiences flocked to these non-traditional spaces.

Additionally, Terracini has dazzled opera aficionados with a line-up of international voices.

In turn, Opera Australia has tripled its audience and tripled its turnover.

In fact, Terracini notes that these days, “30 per cent of the audience are international visitors’’.

In 2020, OA will present 923 performances throughout Australia.

Opera Australia CEO Rory Jeffes said this could not have been achieved

VISION REALISED: Opera Australia artistic director Lyndon Terracini (AM).

Picture: CONTRIBUTED

“without Lyndon’s tenacious and unwavering focus on delivering the highest-

quality performances to as wide an audience as possible’’.

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There was something for everyone in the crowd at the expo organised by Nerang Men's Shed.

‘‘

It’s ... letting men know that it’s okay to not be okay

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS: Australian Men's Shed Association event and volunteer co-ordinator Marty Leist (left) with Nerang Men's Shed president Paul Lennon.

Pictures: Contributed

Sheilas' Shack president Jan McAulay, Gina Rea, Helen Daly, Sandra Small, Jackie Lynch and Sara Angus.

Blokes shed their inhibitions Expo builds on group therapy Alison Houston NERANG’S Country Paradise Parklands was abuzz with more than 300 people from 75 different Men’s Sheds across southeast Queensland and Northern NSW recently.

They were there for an expo of all things maleinterest, from hobbies to health and, of course, when that many men get together, a barbecue, all organised by the Nerang Men’s Shed.

Australian Men’s Shed Association event and volunteer coordinator Marty Leist said Men’s Sheds had achieved great things through their donations to charity and work for their communities in general.

For many members, he said, rediscovering old interests, learning new skills, developing new passions and new mateships, and that spirit of giving back to the community were addictive.

Having left paid work, men found a new and, for many, arguably better purpose, so that instead of retirement being the worst part of their life, it became

the best. Hence, taking nothing away from their concrete achievements, Marty said the work done in the sheds was “the excuse rather than the reason” to get together.

Research has shown that men talk shoulder to shoulder, rather than face to face as women do, so sit men down opposite each other at a table and not a lot will happen.

But, Marty said, put a broken lawnmower in the middle and a couple of tools on the table, and the suggestions, comments, jibes and laughs will flow as the men work.

With that comes a camaraderie that allows the men to learn from each other, discover new ideas and hobbies, and leads on to other topics – including health, emotions and their own life experiences.

“It’s breaking down the barriers and letting men know it’s okay to not be okay … it’s a bit of health by stealth,” Marty said.

It also allows the dissemination of information down the years, with older men saying, “I’ve been there

Taking some time out for a chat are Gold Coast Pipe Band pipe major Neil Nielsen, Albert Battery military heritage president Rod Dux and Nerang Men's Shed's Stewart Nicoll.

and seen that, and you’ll get through it too ...”

Not talking about problems, Marty said, and keeping up the traditional Aussie male stereotype of there being strength in silence, had “been a killer of men all over the country”.

The hardest thing in many cases was just getting men to set that first foot inside a Men’s Shed.

“For a lot of blokes, just spending half an hour on a

lathe is like meditation – it gets them away from their worries and clears the head,” Marty said.

There are now 930 Men’s Sheds Australia-wide, up from about 200 in 2005, and they have been formally recognised by the Federal Government for their role in addressing social isolation, health and wellbeing.

The Nerang Men’s Shed is at Country Paradise Parklands, 231 Beaudesert-

Nerang Rd, Nerang. Opening hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8.30am12.30pm and “drop-ins” are welcome.

There is a woodwork shed, stocked with a long list of tools and equipment, and a metalwork shed.

There is a place for the ladies as well, with the Sheilas’ Shack also on site, now over 100 members strong, and meeting

Thursdays and Saturdays for craft, workshops, bus trips and “a bloody good time”, as well as running walking and meditation groups.

To find out more about Nerang Men’s Shed, phone president Paul Lennon on 0447 667 606; for the Sheilas’ Shack phone 0490 815 790; and to find your closest Men’s Shed, go to https://mensshed.org/ find-a-shed/ or phone 1300 550 009.

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DECEMBER, 2019//

SENIORS

Community notes

Community group guide WE welcome your community news and pictures.

This is a great place to share the news about your clubs, meetings and activities with other locals.

Email your date claimers to : editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au.

NEIGHBOURHOOD CHRISTMAS LUNCH WE ARE providing a Christmas for those who otherwise may not have the opportunity to celebrate the day, at St Joseph’s College Hall from 11am-3pm on Wednesday, December 25.

There will be a two-course Christmas lunch, with gifts for children under 16. Bus pick-up is available for guests. Guests are strictly via referral only. If you are, or a loved one or someone you know is, doing it tough or spending Christmas alone, please get in touch with Stacey on (07) 4616 5903 or email stacey@toowoombahospital foundation.org.au to attend.

TOOWOOMBA HOSPICE CAROLS ON BEHALF of the Toowoomba Hospice, we would like to sincerely thank all those who were involved with this year’s Hospice Carols – from our great friends the Toowoomba Municipal Band and HAH (High Altitude Harmony), who led the carolling, to Cleo the Clown, who provided free face painting for the kids and the big kids, the food vendors, Santa and his chariot, and to our volunteers, who helped set up and pull down.

These special community events would not happen without the support from all these fantastic people.

Finally, but not least, thank you to the 250 or so guests who attended our carols. We hope you all enjoyed the evening.

We look forward to your continued support of this wonderful facility.

TOOWOOMBA QUILTERS LAST month Toowoomba Quilters Club members presented LifeFlight

Foundation with proceeds from their annual charity Quilt Art Union held in conjunction with the club’s quilt exhibition in September at the Salo Centre. LifeFlight Foundation’s fundraising coordinator Amy Luhrs received the cheque with grateful appreciation. Amy said the Toowoomba LifeFlight Rescue Base was the busiest in Queensland, with both helicopters and crews always ready for deployment – anyone, anywhere, anytime.

LifeFlight’s operating costs are huge, so community support is vital, and this cheque is thankfully received. Toowoomba Quilters Club meets on Tuesdays at TCBC, 100 Glenvale Rd, and new quilters are always welcome.

For inquiries, contact us on Phone 0409 634 272.

CHRISTMAS DOWN UNDER IT’S on from December 16-19 from 10am-1pm each day at the Rose City entry off Palmerin Street, Warwick.

There are free activities telling the story of the first Christmas through craft, face painting, storytelling, puppet shows and family photos around the nativity scene. Books, DVDs and gift items from the Koorong Christian Bookstore will be available for purchase.

A listing of the Christmas services in the region will be available. There is no charge to take part in Christmas Down Under.

All activities are funded

by Warwick’s Christian Church volunteers who hold Blue Cards and who wish to share with everyone that the good news is that “Jesus lights up our world … it is where Christmas begins”.

For information or inquiries, phone Dianne on 4661 3517

VALUABLE SUPPORT: Toowoomba Quilters Club exhibition convener Marilyn Cooper and TQC president Lyn Lloyd present a cheque to LifeFlight Foundation's fundraising co-ordinator Amy Luhrs.

Pictures: Contributed

Santa makes a guest appearance at Toowoomba Hospice’s carols event, which attracted 250 people.

or 0427 000 887, or Sue on 0427 962 281.

BUS TRIP A BUS leaves Toowoomba for Dolphins Leagues Club, Redcliffe, on the third Tuesday of the month. Cost $30. Phone (07) 4634 3751 or 0418 878 867 for further details.

HOME LIBRARY SERVICE If you are, or someone you know is, unable to access the library (either permanently or temporarily), the Home Library service operates within the Toowoomba City and Highfields boundaries.

This is a free service and to be eligible a doctor’s certificate is required.

Receiving library materials from the home library service: once membership has been approved, library staff will contact you and ask

you for your reading preferences. Library staff will then choose books and other library material according to your needs.

Library materials are delivered to your home every three weeks (for the Toowoomba City service) or every four weeks (for the Highfields service) by caring volunteers who generously give their time to support this service.

Resources available for loan through the home library include: • Books in regular and large print.

• Audio books.

• Books in languages other than English.

• Fiction and nonfiction books.

• Magazines from our special collection.

• Music CDs. • DVDs from our special selection.

• Bookstands.

To apply for membership to the homebound library service, please contact Toowoomba Library.

TRAINING SESSION AT CITY LIBRARY The city library will show seniors how to access eMusic and eMovies on December 11 from 1.30-3pm.

This training session introduces participants to a selection of online eResources where people can access eMusic and eMovies as well as other databases through their Toowoomba Region Libraries membership.

To take part, simply register at the venue. The session is free.

TOOWOOMBA LOCAL HISTORY LIBRARY If you’re interested in the history of our region or tracing your family tree, visit the local history section at

your local library, or at the Toowoomba City Library.

The Local History Library in Toowoomba has a valuable archival collection and is of local, state and national significance.

The impressive collection holds records from local identities, businesses and many community organisations. The Robinson Collection holds more than 5000 items and has in excess of 3000 photographs relating to the history of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs. The Toowoomba Chronicle and the Darling Downs Gazette are held on microfilm dating from the 1860s onwards.

The Oakey and Pittsworth local history collections focus on the history of the area and include books, maps, photographs, personal letters, business records, pamphlets and clippings.

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NEWS

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SENIORS

Sound ideas Whether it’s close to your home or at an idyllic Tracey Johnstone

There's a smorgasbord of music festival choices on the high seas.

Photo: Contributed

IN ANY month in Australia there is a selection of festivals in obvious and less than obvious locations.

They are being held in your own backyard or somewhere along the grey nomad road.

Music along with local produce, craft, culture, dancing, poetry and workshops often make up these events. And there are the old friendships to be rekindled and new friends to be made as seniors enjoy all that these festivals have to offer.

Here are just some to tantalise you: Woodford Folk Festival (QLD) HELD in Woodford, just north of Brisbane, the 34th festival will be six days and six nights of fun with more than 2000 local, national and international artists, musicians and presenters. It begins each year with the iconic opening ceremony and closes with a spectacular fire event on New Year’s Day. It’s Australia’s largest gathering of artists and musicians. The festival experience is deep, rich and colourful.

December 27-January 1.

Info: woodfordfolkfestival.com.

Port Fairy Folk Festival (VIC) THE four-day event has music, theatre, visual arts, spoken word, interactive workshops and street theatre. The historic coastal town attracts more than

100 acts from across the globe. March 6-9. Info: portfairyfolkfestival.com.

National Folk Festival (ACT) IT’S Australia’s longestrunning major folk festival, with 180 acts over five days.

The best and brightest in folk from around the globe converge on Canberra, with world-class performers hand-picked from 14 countries including Japan, Portugal and Italy, and a strong local component.

April 9-13. Info: folkfestival.org.au.

Fleurieu Folk Festival (SA) FLEURIEU presents a variety of folk music, dance, spoken word, culture and workshops. The music genres included are folk (folk/rock, folk roots, acoustic folk, indie/folk, folk/pop, alt/folk and contemporary/folk), country and bluegrass, singer/songwriters, world music, jazz (gypsy jazz) and blues. October 23-25. Info: fleurieufolkfestival.oztix.co m.au.

Gympie Muster (QLD) HELD in the Amamoor Creek State Forest, what was once a community fundraiser has grown to a four-day camping and country music festival attracting Australian and overseas musicians. Along with taking in the music, visitors can enjoy dancing classes, music workshops, a chilled Sunday session, bush poetry and more. August 27-30. Info: muster.com.au.

White Cliffs Music

Festival (NSW) HEAD 95km north of Wilcannia or 200km east of Broken Hill to the festival site. Its annual country music weekend festival is relaxed and welcoming.

The 2020 performers will include Adam Harvey, Andy Toombs and The French Family. May 15-17. Info: whitecliffsmusicfestival.co m.au.

Fairbridge Festival (WA) IT’S an annual three-day family-friendly celebration of folk, roots, blues, acoustic, Celtic, a cappella and world music in a trafficfree, self-contained, bushland, heritage-listed village. About 100 acts perform at this magical escape within just an hour’s drive of Perth. April 17-19.

Info: fairbridgefestival.com.au.

Groundwater Country Music Festival (QLD) GOLD Coast streets, parks, bars and restaurants come alive as 12 stages host more than 110 live performances. The annual Queensland Tourism award-winning event is on July 24-26. Info: groundwatercmf.com.

Tamworth Country Music Festival (NSW) TAMWORTH has it all when it comes to country music. Over 10 days, 700 performers will play across 120 venues. Hundreds of buskers provide a wide range of entertainment each day. The pinnacle event is the Country Music Awards, when the who’s

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for revellers interstate spot, year-round festive fun awaits who of Australian country music gathers with fans to see who wins the famous Golden Guitars. January 1726. Info: www.tcmf.com.au.

Big Red Bash (QLD) WITH the 2020 event already sold out, it’s probably a good time to go online to secure your tickets for 2021. Held 35km from the Outback town of Birdsville, it’s the most remote rock music festival in the world. The festival is held on the striking red sands of the Simpson Desert in front of Big Red, a 40mhigh sand dune that provides a spectacular natural amphitheatre setting found nowhere else in the world. July 2020.

Info: bigredbash.com.au/ bigredbash.

Stone The Crows Festival (NSW) HELD at the Australian Clay Target Association grounds in Wagga Wagga, it’s the ultimate over-50s and grey nomads festival of music and fun. There’s a talent quest, workshops, bush poetry, markets, seminars, crafts and the Australian Disc Bowls Championship. In 2020, Normie Rowe and Belinda Marks head up the stellar list of performers. April 10-16.

Info: www.stonethecrows .com.au.

Blues on Broadbeach (QLD) FOR four days each year, one of Australia’s largest free music festivals features more than 70 top blues, folk, soul and rock artists from Australia and around

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the world. May 14-17. Info: bluesonbroadbeach.com.

Lord Howe Island Rock Fest (NSW) THE backdrop is stunning and the music for all ages.

This annual festival of free concerts and entertainment is the perfect reason to head to Lord Howe to explore the island during the day and party away the nights. It starts on Saturday at 5pm with dancing in the streets.

Sunday is a day to chill and explore. Monday features a music trivia night. Tuesday is 1960s and ’70s music.

Wednesday afternoon it’s music at Ned’s Beach, where the whole community joins in.

Thursday is open mic, with guests supporting the locals as they perform before the visiting musos finish the night. Friday is the closing night with a fireworks show.

The music starts with the local schoolchildren and then gets louder and livelier as the night progresses. Be warned - the island accommodation is limited so book in early. March 2128. Info: lordhoweisland.info.

Blues and Berries (NSW) COFFS Harbour is the place to be in November.

The festival showcases the region’s amazing growers, fantastic produce and a lineup of great musical talent.

It’s a jam-packed program.

November. Info: bluesandberries.com.au.

Byron Bay Bluesfest (NSW) AT ITS permanent home

at the spectacular 120hectare Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, just 11km north of Byron Bay, the Bluesfest in 2020 will have 200 performances across multiple stages over five 12hour days, with up to 6000 visitors expected. There are five licensed bars, more than 100 food and market stalls and plenty of entertainment for all ages.

In 2020, the performers list is impressive with Crowded House, George Benson, John Butler and Dave Matthews Band among the outstanding acts. April 9-13.

Info: bluesfest.com.au.

Bellingen Fine Music Festival (NSW) CLASSICAL, contemporary jazz and world music are now on the program at Bellingen. There are concerts, busking, workshops and superb food and wine. The venue is about 30 minutes’ drive from Coffs Harbour. Last year’s performers included David Helfgott, Joseph Tawadros (with James Tawadros) and Ensemble Q. September. Info: bellingen musicfestival .com.au.

Festival of Voices (TAS) CHORAL singers from all over the world gather in Hobart to perform, teach, learn, listen and connect.

Audiences are encouraged to take part and find their voices. The free Big Sing Bonfire event in Salamanca attracts up to 5000 people.

In between the choral events are performances by

ISLAND VIBE: The Lord Howe Island Rock Fest provides a picturesque chillout with a Wednesday afternoon concert at Ned's Beach.

Photo: Contributed

cabaret artists, actors, and jazz and contemporary singers from Australia and overseas. July 1-16. Info: festivalofvoices.com.

National Multicultural Festival (ACT) THE weekend festival of culture and music includes a parade that has everything from beautiful exotic costumed dancers and marching cultural bands to magnificent floats.

People flock to the Canberra streets to what is a sea of vibrant colour and sound as 2000 performers from the local community and international groups dance. February 21-23. Info: multiculturalfestival .com.au.

Blue-Water Festivals JOIN Royal Caribbean Cruises for its on-water festivals. There is Cruisin’ Country (Sydney, October 5) with Lee Kernaghan and 50 other artists, Bravo Cruise of the Performing Arts with Anthony Warlow and Ruthie Henshall (Sydney, October 13), and Rock the Boat with Suzi Quatro and Jon Stevens (Brisbane, November 24).

Info: royalcaribbean.com/ aus/en?country=AUS. Other festival ideas: Parkes Elvis Festival (NSW). January 8-12. Info: parkeselvisfestival.com.au.

Agnes Blue, Roots and Rock Festival (Agnes Water, QLD). February 21-

23. Info: agnesbluesand roots.com.au.

Top Half Folk Festival (Alice Springs, NT). June.

Info: alicespringsfolkclub.com.

Ballina Country Music Fest (NSW). November.

Info: ballinacountry music.com.

By The Banks IndieFolk Festival (Albury, NSW). November. Info: bythebanks.com.au.

Wirrina Bluegrass Festival (South Australia). November. Info: wirrinabluegrass.com.

Australian Festival of Chamber Music (Townsville, QLD). July 31August 9. Info: afcm.com.au.

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What’s on

DECEMBER, 2019//

SENIORS

Nights of note for young, old Festive tunes set to reverberate around region Alison Houston

WATER TALKS As the region gets used to new water restriction levels, council’s water team is meeting with residents at 11 sessions between December and January – eight of which are still to come. As council looks to manage water usage, with dams about onethird full, it’s important everyone understands what level of restrictions they are on. Find out more at www.tr.qld.gov.au/ waterinfosessions or phone 131 872 to book a time to chat with the water team.

ART OUT OF THE BOX RED-LETTER DAY: There were Christmas treats, decorations and festive cheer for the hundreds of seniors at the annual Mayor's Over 80s Christmas Party.

Picture: Contributed

The Artists of Crows Nest Inc group exhibition Out of the Box is at Crows Nest

Regional Art Gallery until December 15. After the disruption of the fires, this is a great way to show your support for local talent, with the delayed opening now on tomorrow, December 10, from 5-7pm with nibbles and refreshments. Find out more on Facebook page @AofCN.

CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND Toowoomba’s Christmas Wonderland has just begun for another year at the Botanical Gardens, Queens Park (entry via Lindsay and Campbell Sts). For a gold coin donation, you will be enchanted by the traditional lights display, with free nightly entertainment and ice creams for the kids See christmaswonderland.com. au for details.

TUNE IN FOR CAROLS • Cecil Plains Christmas Carols from 5.30-8.30pm Wednesday, December 11, in the grounds of Cecil Plains Memorial Hall, includes Christmas carols, a sausage sizzle and a visit from Santa.

Phone 0419 680 191.

• Empire Theatre - A Tenori Christmas Special is on at 11am on Thursday, December 12, featuring three of Australia’s favourite tenors and a complimentary morning tea from 10. Cost is $20. Phone 1300 655 299; go to empiretheatre.com.au.

•Clifton Community Christmas Party is from 4.30-9pm on Friday, December 13, at FE Logan Hall, Meara Pl. (Please note the new venue). Phone 0402 032 502 for more details.

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But I’ve already got a hairy chest!

Gail Forrer

Symptoms of excessive ear wax Common symptoms you may experience can include the following: • dizziness • tinnitus (ringing in the ears) • persistent cough

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

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

What about Cotton Buds?

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

What about Ear Candles?

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

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DECEMBER, 2019//

Making your 60s the best time to shine

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

NEWS

“THIS is the best time ever for women in our 60s. If we use it wisely, this decade between our responsible 50s and our relaxed 70s offers us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvent ourselves and start something new, on our own terms.”

This is the introduction to Power of Women in our Sixties, a book that acknowledges and supports women making the 60s the best time in their lives.

Behind the book is vivacious author, 63-yearsyoung Chris Vidal – a teacher, traveller and founder of powerwomenover60.

She loves her age and her situation – twice divorced with two adult children who she considers among her best mates. Chris is all about making and taking the best out of life.

“When I turned 60 I thought, right, I’m going to make the next 10 years work for me,” she said.

She’s gone about achieving this goal with a good sense of humour, a huge amount of openhearted curiosity and a nose for adventure.

The title of her book is also the name she gives to the group she founded for like-minded women.

Three years ago she started the Gold Coast, Power Women in our 60s group, which now claims about 500 members. The Brisbane group started only three months ago and is fast heading towards 100 members.

Chris uses social media, including her website, blog and the Meet-Up platform to encourage women to try something different.

Chris is a natural extrovert – her glass is half full and she’s also very straightforward about the

WRITE STUFF: Author Chris Vidal is all about encouraging women in their 60s to make life an ongoing adventure.

Photo: Contributed

‘‘

Right, I’m going to make the next 10 years work for me. ups and downs of her life.

The “downs” perhaps started with her Scottish and English, Singapore-based parents shipping the nineyear-old off to a Scottish boarding school, where she spent the next nine years.

“It was emotionally hard,” Chris said.

But her natural disposition is to make “lemonade out of lemons” and so she attributes her resilience to these difficult years.

On the other hand, she counts among her “ups” career milestones such as event management and

restyling jewellery stores in beautiful resorts on the Maldives islands.

Today, she lives on the Gold Coast and has in some ways connected back to her teaching career and boarding school life to work as a boarding house mum at a Brisbane private girls’ school. She speaks with empathy of the young women she watches over.

While Chris shares and entertains with the story of her own life and the multicoloured stories of other women, it is the practical exercises included in her book that contribute a special element of support to readers.

The book concludes with The Power Plan, a practical method to make dreams come true – in your 60s.

You can find more about Chris Vidal, her book and meetings at: powerof womeninoursixties.com/ blog?category=women SETE01Z01MA - V1

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• 2 Nights Ballarat • 3 Nights Melbourne • Dubbo Zoo • Puffing Billy Steam & Cuisine Lunch • Ballarat Begonia Festival & Grand Parade • Old Gippstown • Gippsland Lake Cruise • Omeo & Great Alpine Road

• 4 Nights Coffs Harbour • Waterfall Way Sightseeing • Dorrigo Rainforest Centre & Skywalk • Trail Bay Gaol, South West Rocks • Bowraville Folk Museum • Harbourside Markets • Butterfly House • Clog Barn

• 3 Nights Albury • Bright Autumn Festival • Benalla Wall Art • Heartbeat of the Murray Laser Show • Silo Art Trail • Grampians Sightseeing • Twelve Apostles • Great Ocean Road • National Wool Museum, Geelong

• 2 Nights Innamincka & Marree • Cameron Corner • Depot Glen & Pooles Grave • Millparinka • Trilby Station • Burke & Wills Dig Tree • Lake Eyre Sightseeing • Birdsville Pub

• 2 Nights Adels Grove & Longreach • Birdsville Pub • Charleville Bilby Experience • Outback @ Isa Centre • Lawn Hill Gorge • John Flynn Museum, Cloncurry • Stockman’s Hall of Fame • Thomson River Cruise & Dinner

Adult: $4998 Single Supplement: $1423

Adult: $2198 Single Supplement: $483

Adult: $4726 Single Supplement: $1176

Adult: $5795 Single Supplement: $1129

Adult: $5768 Single Supplement: $1380

SPECIALISING IN SENIOR’S TRAVEL V1 - SETE01Z01MA

Departs: 29/04/20

14 Day Birdsvillle & Lawn Hill Gorge

Departs: 18/06/20

Departs: 8/07/20

COMPLIMENTARY DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE (Area Conditions Apply)

5% Early Bird Discount

Book your 2020 tour on our Freecall number before 31st December 2019 and receive a 5% discount on any 2020 tour.

Early Bird Terms & Conditions: To qualify for Early Bird Discount a $500 deposit is required within seven days of booking.

Early bird discount is not combinable with any other offer or discount. sn1219

FULLY ACCOMMODATED TOURS

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Spectacular aurora borealis in Yukon.

SENIORS

Picture: Contributed

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Visits to villages are a part of the soft (Japan) adventure

BOTANICAL BEAUTY: Travel in comfort and with other seniors on soft adventure tours in gentle Japan.

Picture: Contributed

Aurora borealis in Yellowknife.

Picture: Contributed

Luxuriate in calming climes IN BRIEF Let there be Lights THE world’s greatest light show, the aurora borealis, is taking centre stage in Canada as the winter months provide a perfect dark-sky canvas for its spellbinding display. Check out five ways to weave aurora viewing, best done between October and March, into an incredible winter wonderland experience. Pedal through snow and ice on bikes designed for the conditions.

Visitors to Yukon Territory can view the lights from 11,000m in the air, taking off from Whitehorse with Aurora 360 from January 23-27. Immerse yourself in indigenous culture as you witness the rippling, whirling spectacle at the Aurora Village in the Northwest Territories. Get off the grid in one of Yukon’s remote wilderness lodges, where you can combine crystalclear aurora viewing with a spot of ice-fishing or snowmobiling. View the phenomenon at Churchill’s 360-degree glass aurora dome, directly under the aurora oval in Canada’s

central province of Manitoba. Info: keepexploring.com.au.

Slow travel tailored to explore hidden corners UK-based Inn Travel helps you find a holiday based on no one’s timetable but your own, helping you to recharge, re-energise and feel refreshed. They call them Slow Holidays. Walk, ski, cycle, or take an inspiring journey by train, boat or car – each experience is a carefully crafted holiday built around you and your wishes or those of your group of friends, for a truly individual experience. Info: inntravel.co.uk.

Sydney art in frame PLAN your art trip to Sydney in 2020. The Art Gallery of NSW has many great exhibitions coming up next year, including Quilty, on now until February 2; the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes from May 9 to September 6; Streeton from September 26 through to February 2021, Matisse alive from October 20 to March 2021; and Matisse: life & spirit, masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou, Paris from November through to March

2021. Info: artgallery.nsw.gov.au.

Fiji cruise a first CAPTAIN Cook Cruises Fiji has two 2020 Northern Fiji seven-night Discovery cruises – The 4 Cultures Discovery Cruise and Colonial Fiji Discovery Cruise – on board small ship MV Reef Endeavour. The 4 Cultures Discovery Cruise is the first Fiji cruise to circumnavigate Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second-largest island, and visits four distinctive Fijian cultures: Ellice Islanders (Polynesians), Banabans (Micronesia), Fijian and Indians. Departure dates are January 7, May 23, July 25 and November 21, plus January 23, 2021. The seven-night Colonial Fiji Discovery Cruise visits the world heritage-listed Levuka on the island of Ovalau.

Departure dates are February 4, April 25, June 20, August 22 and December 19. Info: captaincookcruisesfiji.com.

High country charms AMBLE along the culinary road taking in the dining and wines of Beechworth and Rutherglen. Choose the type

of walk that best suits your pace and fitness. There is plenty of history to take in along with local produce fine dining, estate wines, relaxed pubs with their live music and delightful places to lay your head at night. The area is about three hours’ drive from Melbourne or about 40 minutes from Albury Airport.

Info: walkhighcountry.com.au.

Canary Islands walk THE Canary Islands are the perfect year-round destination for walkers, especially those looking for an active escape in the sunshine in the winter months. Besides the balmy temperatures, there are many reasons to put your walking shoes on and hit the trails that crisscross the “fortunate’’ islands: the dramatic scenery sculpted by centuries of volcanic activity, the history of the islands’ colonial towns and cities and, of course, the gastronomy. The best walk for beginners is the sevennight Landscapes of Tenerife, which takes in pine-forested hills and semivolcanic landscapes. The Hidden gem of the Canary

Islands, La Gomera, is a hiker’s dream. Only 50 minutes by boat from Tenerife is a laid-back little volcanic island with unique landscapes. Info: canariaways.com.

Feast fit for a king The Long Table Festival spans five days and provides unique King Island experiences encompassing art, local life and stunning produce. The island is anchored in the middle of the Bass Strait, between Victoria and Tasmania’s north-west coast. On the menu are Art Meets Beef, Diver’s Masterclass & Feast, Orchard to Platter Trail, Edibles to Art, Let’s Eat and more. It’s on from April 2-7, 2020. Info: kingislandlongtable.com.

Japan for seniors TOURSGALLERY is continually creating exclusive escorted Japan tours designed especially for people seeking a comfortable Japanese experience. It only accepts 10 to 15 guests a tour, but still provides a private luxury coach for touring. Itineraries are relaxing, with

accommodation for two or three nights in spa resorts.

Visits to national parks and gardens, pottery kilns, craft and art museums, rural villages and even a private audience with a monk are all part of the soft adventure program. The Snow Monkeys and Winter Festivals Tour starts on February 1 and is priced at $9988 a person, twin-share, from Tokyo. Single travellers can share with another solo guest and avoid paying the single supplement. Info: phone 1800 800 956 or email mayumi@toursgallery.com Bike Blue Mountains BEING on a bike in the Blue Mountains is as close to heaven as many want to be.

There is an abundance of safe off-road trails that allow you to be in nature while enjoying beautiful scenery. If you are tempted to enjoy nature on two wheels, you might consider Hanging Rock Trail in Blackheath; Narrow Neck Trail in Katoomba; The Oaks Trail in Glenbrook; and the Faulconbridge Trail. Select trails within your ability level Info: ebikerdiary.com.

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The ethereal interior of the spectacular Sagrada Familia.

‘‘

Gaudi’s special touch is evident everywhere you roam throughout Barcelona

DRINK IT IN: When you’re looking to celebrate in style, it’s pretty hard to beat sunset drinks in the somewhat exclusive rooftop bar at Barcelona’s Majestic Hotel.

Pictures: Graeme Wilson

The La Boqueria markets are full of colourful fare.

It’s party time in Barcelona!

Graeme Wilson IT’S not every day that you get to fly into Barcelona to celebrate your 60th birthday … in fact, you only get one shot at it.

So as the plane touched down at El Prat airport I was determined to grab my bag and hit the ground running.

My big day had started somewhat disastrously in Paris where a combination of city-wide transport strike and highly flawed decisionmaking on my part resulted in a $200 Uber airport fare.

So for this day to be memorable for the right reasons, the pressure was on

Barcelona to turn on the charm. The result was never in doubt. Fast forward several hours to a spectacular rooftop bar and as I took in the glorious sunset-drenched views, the French faux pas was long forgotten.

During my first day on Spanish soil, a casual wander along the famous Las Ramblas mall and on to Passeig de Gracia had already offered an introduction to the artistic brilliance of Antoni Gaudi.

The multi-coloured Casa Batllo was originally designed as home for a wealthy aristocrat, but these

days attracts millions of visitors as a museum.

Gaudi’s special touch is evident everywhere you roam throughout Barcelona and among other highlights of my three-night stay were tours of the iconic La Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic temple started in 1882 and finally due for completion in 2026, and the Gaudi House Museum.

Throw in a relaxing day on the beach at Platja de la Barceloneta, a romantic evening dinner overlooking the marina, expansive views from the hilltop Castell de Montjuic…and a tasty paella or three…and Barcelona ticked all the boxes.

1300 484 510 | (07) 5513 1086 E: groups@uplifttours.com www.uplifttoursandtravel.com

Service is our strength. Travel is our Passion

yarra valley & dandenong ranges tour *per person Twin Share Ex BNE Single supplement $405

From

$3,050* samoa bowls carnival From

Join former Australian Lawn Bowls coach and Commonwealth Champion, Cameron Curtis on this incredible fully hosted tour, representing outstanding value for money that will provide you *per person Twin Share with amazing opportunities to bowl, meet the locals, see the veryy best sights and rejuvenate Learn from the very best on the sport * Ex BNE with your amazing tour host, as you immerse yourself in your Single supplement $695 local surrounds. The waterfalls are breathtaking, the caves are evocative, the cuisine is to-die-for and the people are fascinating.

Join Cameron, as we explore this treasured island of the South Pacific for our first ever Samoan Bowls Carnival!

$3,259

From

$3,559* yulefest in the blue mountains From

$2,779*

*per person Twin Share Ex BNE Single supplement $360

*per person Twin Share Ex BNE Single supplement $775

From

12 - 20 june 2020

Discover this untouched beauty, culture and charm of the Cook Island... matched only by the friendliness of her people. This fully inclusive escorted tour specially designed for the mature traveller offers exceptional value for money with the most authentic experiences available in the magical Cooks!

06 - 10 july 2020

Join us on this 5-day Yulefest short break exploring the very best of this iconic region. This World Heritage Listed area offers some of the most unique scenery and culture attractions in NSW. Enjoy a very special Yulefest dinner, with an atmosphere of Christmas! Relax and enjoy all this iconic Australian Wilderness has on offer.

hawaii 50th annual ukulele festival *per person Twin Share

BNE $5,414* Ex Single supplement $1995

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20 - 26 april 2020

Less than an hour from Melbourne, the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges are the perfect destination to enjoy delicious food and wine and beautiful scenery. Enjoy this unpack once getaway in a truly wonderful region of Australia!

29 may - 05 june 2020

cook islands pacific paradise tour

The Castell de Montjuic provides sweeping views of the city below.

Call our friendly, experienced team to book your next touring holiday or to join one Uplift Tours special group departures.

13 - 23 july 2020

The Hawaii Ukulele Festival this year celebrates 50 years and is the largest ukulele festival of its kind in the world. We will experience all the festivities and immerse yourself in a little Oahu sightseeing also. So, come and join us ion this Ukulele Festival where the magic is in the music and the love that we share...

TERMS & CONDITIONS *Price is per person twin share. Single Supplement applies. Credit card surcharges apply. Deposit of AUD$500-$800 per person is required to secure tour. Tour requires a minimum number of passengers to depart. Prices may fluctuate if surcharges, fee, taxes or currency change. Prices current as at 1st November 2019. Uplift Tours and Travel in conjunction with Norfolk Select Marketing ABN: 93 367 366 822 ATAS Accreditations A10619

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A cool drink in the bar will have you in holiday mode.

‘‘

A South Bank weekend is definitely refreshing and certainly feels like a getaway

WEEKEND FUN: The Emporium Hotel at South Bank will feel like home away from home for a weekend escape in the city. The hotel provides the perfect location for playing tourist in your own city.

Photos: Kerry Heaney

Enjoy the view of Brisbane from the rooftop bar.

Enjoy a South Bank getaway Kerry Heaney

The glamourous Emporium Hotel transports you into another world.

CAN you get away from it all without leaving town? The answer is yes if you choose the right location.

Brisbane’s South Bank is a top tourist destination, but who says the tourists have to be out-of-towners?

There’s so much to enjoy here it is easy to spend a long weekend in your own city and still have a new experience.

Best of all, the travelling time is minimal!

Start by booking a hotel that makes you feel like you are on holidays the moment you walk through the door, then book a show and plan a dinner somewhere special.

One step inside the glamourous Emporium Hotel on Grey St and you are transported into another world. If you wish that American television series Sex and the City never ended, this is your spiritual home. It’s full of glitzy red glamour and sexy animal prints, and that’s before you even step away from reception.

The ground-floor piano bar is oh so cool and moody, just perfect for a late-night drink, but only after you have watched the sunset from The Terrace rooftop

bar. It’s a delicious slice of Brisbane you haven’t seen before. Don’t forget to look down on the kingdom of South Bank because that’s your playground for the next two days.

Start your day with breakfast at The Terrace and relax in the sunshine under the retractable roof. Your breakfast alternative is the delectable French-inspired Belle Epoch patisserie on the ground floor.

When you’ve had your fill, head out to explore South Bank. Food lovers might catch the free CityHopper ferry to Sydney Street in New Farm to visit Jan Powers Farmers Market held on Saturdays in the grounds of Brisbane Powerhouse.

For a morning stroll, you can’t go past the boardwalk, which extends right along the bank of the Brisbane River to Kangaroo Point. If a quick coffee is top of mind, cross the river on the Goodwill Bridge and stop at Brendan’s Cafe coffee cart in the middle. This is near the Maritime Museum if you like to look at old boats.

Walk through South Bank’s Epicurious garden and perhaps take home some of the free produce.

It’s available from 7am from Tuesday to Thursday but be

quick, otherwise you will leave empty-handed.

South Bank is filled with a wide selection of cafes and restaurants, but there’s also music on offer and it’s free.

On Friday evenings the sounds at Green Jam on Melbourne Street Green will soothe your soul while Sunday Social on the Green at River Quay Green offers river views with cool vibes.

There is no music, but at night Flowstate’s continually changing colours are just as entertaining. Other nighttime options at South Bank include a show, concert or play at the Queensland Performing Art Complex.

South Bank is full of dining options along the length of Grey and Melbourne Sts. If you feel like taking it easy but still enjoying excellent food, head to Signature in Emporium Hotel.

For an art fix outside the collections on show at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, take a stroll down Fish Lane. Here the building walls are the gallery filled with street art.

A South Bank weekend is definitely refreshing and certainly feels like a getaway.

The writer stayed as a guest of Emporium Hotel.

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Toast to historic Cowra MARJ OSBORNE

IF THERE’S one town in New South Wales that proclaims peace, it’s Cowra.

When we visit, it’s tranquil, the Lachlan Valley stretching out before our view, the town surrounded by vineyards, farmland and waterways.

But this land holds a more troubled history. On a gentle slope overlooking the town, a camp was set up during World War II to hold Japanese, Italian, Korean, Chinese and Indonesian prisoners of war. It was an extensive camp holding more prisoners than the number of Cowra residents at the time.

About 2am on August 5, 1944, more than 1000 Japanese war prisoners attempted to escape, in the largest POW breakout in modern military history.

During the escape and ensuing manhunt, four Australian soldiers and 231 Japanese were killed. The remaining escapees were recaptured.

It’s chilling to stand on the site today, picturing the scenes of chaos in the darkness of night, as a replay of the events unfolds, broadcast by loudspeaker from the guard tower beside us. It’s a tale of desperate men striving to maintain their honour and the few brave soldiers who tried to withstand the attack.

Not far away, the only Japanese war cemetery in Australia houses the graves of those prisoners who perished, now lying in peace

AN

L I VE

Supporting the

D INS P IR E

work of the Quee

beside the graves of Australian soldiers. It’s a place of tranquillity, a light breeze blowing as we wander beneath the Japanese maples. The site, tended by the RSL, is often visited by Japanese dignitaries on their visits to Australia.

The area’s significance to Japanese-Australian relations was further reinforced when the Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre was later built on Bellevue Hill to commemorate these events.

Initially viewed as a tourist attraction, the gardens have become a symbol of reconciliation between Japan and Australia.

Funded largely by the Japanese Government as a sign of thanks for the respectful treatment of their war dead, with further funding from the Australian Government and private entities, the garden was designed by worldrenowned designer Ken Nakajima and opened in two stages, in 1979 and 1986.

The “strolling’’ gardens were designed in the style of the Edo period when Japan was united under one shogun.

We have just missed the annual Sakura Matsuri (cherry blossom festival held each September), a major event in Cowra’s tourism calendar, but the springtime gardens are resplendent with foliage, their rocky hillsides, manicured hedges, waterfalls, lakes and streams representing the Japanese landscape.

Mr Nakajima said it was

SORROWFULLY SIGNIFICANT: The site of the World War II POW camp at Cowra, where chaotic scenes played out.

the best garden he had ever made, and upon his death his ashes were placed at the top of the garden overlooking his masterpiece.

Today, visitors to Cowra seek not only to learn about its war history and gardens, they also come to taste food and wine from the area.

The Quarry Restaurant is the only Cowra restaurant situated among the vines.

Settle in and enjoy a glass of local wine with good food.

The first vines had been planted in Cowra when the first settlers arrived; however, many early settlers moved to Mudgee as it was a

more prosperous town.

Although you can visit cellar doors by yourself, we took the Cowra Wine & Forage Tour to enjoy a carefree taste of the region’s wines.

Without the hassle of driving and finding wineries on country roads, this group tour ensured that we met producers at the farm gate.

Whether you visit Cowra to enrich your knowledge of history or to further your enjoyment of food and wine, the town is only a four-hour drive from Sydney.

For more information, check out visitcowra.com.au.

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It’s time to rush over to Russia now Friendly welcome a sign of the changing times Tracey Johnstone BETWEEN the history of murders and sainthoods of old Rus, the insurgence of Napoleon, and the reign of the Soviets and communism, incredible Russian architecture arose and outstanding artefacts were acquired.

Modern-day Russia has preserved a lot of that dynamic history and made it accessible and affordable for overseas visitors and locals.

It’s a destination I was hesitant to visit on my own, hence my choice to sign up for a 16-day tour with Australian company Academy Travel on the promise our tour leader, Dr Matthew Dal Santo, would take us behind the tourist banter and into the history behind the events that have made Russia such a fascinating place to visit.

We started in Moscow travelling for three hours, past the never-ending highrise residential buildings, through the incredibly congested traffic on the eight-lane highway, to the town of Suzdal.

Away from the madness, the countryside was lush, but the homes of the locals were small and simple, often timber construction. It was a timely reminder of how tough life would have been for the serfs.

On the way to Suzdal we stopped at the Sergiev Posad monastery, which is

thought to be the spiritual home of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its blue “onion” domes above are reminiscent of Constantinople, which provided the foundation for the orthodox church.

Suzdal was the start of the many, many visits to churches, some of which dated back to the 1100s – all important to understanding the growth of Rus, its governing structure and tsars. It was here that the churches moved from timber to limestone construction.

Every inch inside these churches is covered with dazzling icons, beautifully detailing the many stories of the faith.

Nearby is Vladimir, founded in 1108 by Kiev prince Vladimir Monomakh.

It replaced Kiev as the capital of Rus. From Vladimir it was a short train trip back to Moscow, with the train announcer proudly declaring we were arriving in the “hero city” of Moscow. It’s home to 12 million people in the city itself and 20 million or so across greater Moscow.

By late September the temperature was heading downwards, so out came the thermals. Luckily the central heating was already turned on. Normally, across the cities, it’s on from October 1 until May 1.

Moscow is old outside, modern inside. It throbs with commerce and tolerates

‘‘

Every inch inside these churches is covered with dazzling icons, beautifully detailing the many stories

eager visitors who are thrilled by the architecture, culture, history and artwork.

We did the obligatory and fabulous Bolshoi Ballet visit where we saw the prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova dance, marvelled at the interiors and ceilings of the Metro stations, waved hello to Mr Putin while we wandered in the grounds of the Kremlin, and delved into the tsar and Soviet history sites.

Red Square is impressive and confusing. On one side is the huge mausoleum housing Lenin, on another side the flame of the unknown solider guarded by stern young military men who only move precisely at the changing of the guards.

On another side is St Basil’s Cathedral with its nine church domes of varying colours and styles.

Turn to your left and there on the final side is the GUM department store with just every top (read expensive) European fashion brand.

There was so much to see I have promised myself a return visit to take in this incredible city at a much slower pace.

Soon the group hopped on the comfortable train for the three or so hours’ trip to St Petersburg.

The city was built on swamps with no arable land nearby to help feed the serfs, but it was the perfect location to give the tsar access to the Baltic Sea. Here Peter the Great changed Russia forever as he forced it to move towards modernisation and Europeanism. The Court spoke French and spent up big. It was also the time when Rus was renamed Russia.

Several leaders later, Catherine the Great ascended to the throne and made her mark both on Russia and across eastern

MOSCOW MAGIC: A spectacular view of St Basil’s, the famous and iconic cathedral on Red

Europe. Her palace in Pushkin, just 20km out of the city, is said to rival the Palace of Versailles. It is certainly another example of exceptional architecture, and excessive wealth.

Apart from some 200 gilded palaces and countless domed churches, the nobility acquired incredible artwork from across Europe.

Much of it survived the world wars but was then confiscated from the ruling families to be preserved and

displayed for the people.

The Hermitage and its adjacent General Staff Building artwork collection, which has earned its status as world-class, the Yusupov Palace and the Carl Faberge Museum are everything they say they are and much, much more. Original paintings by Picasso, Monet, Matisse, van Gogh and Kandinsky are just a hand span away from the visitor.

Coincidentally, the Yusupov Palace visit was

very special as an old school friend of mine is a relative of the family. If her family had stayed in Russia, she would have been an empress. Alas, they escaped to Paris and beyond, but left a magnificent home and more outstanding artworks for the world to enjoy.

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A delicate Faberge egg on display in the Carl Faberge Museum.

St Petersburg’s massive The Hermitage Museum.

Catherine the Great’s palace in Pushkin.

Square, with a beautiful backdrop of blue skies filled with cumulus clouds.

Bolshoi Theatre.

Not to be missed is the Leningrad Blockade Memorial. It is a stark and sombre reminder of the 900-day blockade by the Nazis of then-called Leningrad from 1941-44.

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the Outback, think again.

Zipping past us in the cities were Uber Eats-style delivery cyclists, while we regularly spotted Burger King and McDonald’s stores.

Ignore the grumpy face reputation; Russians are welcoming.

And celebrate the cleanliness.

The cities are impeccably clean, bar the occasional cigarette butt.

“Spacibo’’ to the Russians for a memorable experience.

Photos: Tracey Johnstone

Bishops’ hats for sale, but not to the public, at Sergei Posad.

St Basil’s sits at the edge of the square in The Kremlin.

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Line up for the Flam Railway Shirley Sinclair ONE of the world’s most scenic train journeys takes only a leisurely 60 minutes but is worth travelling to the other side of the globe for.

Norway’s Flam Railway can be experienced in a day trip from Bergen – the cruising capital on the west coast.

When we were unable to fit the much-talked-about Nordic wonder into our itinerary on a recent Holland America Line Scandinavian cruise, we made the effort to fly back to Bergen from our Amsterdam base for a few days and completed the rail journey as a last hurrah.

To maximise our day, we rolled slowly out of Bergen train station on a rainy Saturday (the city takes the title of rainiest in Europe, being situated between seven mountains) at 6.50am – the first train headed for Myrdal, 106km away, to make the connection with the Flam Railway.

Bergen is known as “the gateway to the Norwegian fjords”, located in the middle of the Sognefjord in the north and the Hardangerfjord in the south.

So the Bergen Railway is its own surprise packet of panoramas. Even on this eerily misty morning, the mirror-image reflections of mountains, trees, collections of homes and boathouses on the fjord are impressive.

After many more passengers get on at Voss, we finally arrive at Myrdal: the upper terminal of the Flam Line.

It may be July and well into summer in Norway but the passengers are rugged up and snow is still found in crevices and dips in the mountains touching the sky above the station, which lies at 866.8m above sea level.

The cloud cover creeps lower here, almost embracing us as we wait.

The 20.2km journey, with 80 per cent running on a gradient of 5.5 per cent, takes an hour one way at a top speed of 45km/h.

The Flam Rail line hugs the typical Norwegian scenes, bringing the outdoors inside. We feel like we can almost touch flowing streams.

But the exclamation point is the first glimpse of

VISUAL FEAST: Special views abound during the day trip from Bergen.

Fascinating villages can be seen all along the train line.

Flamsdalen Valley and Flam village, with a population of about 400 people in Aurland municipality.

Along the way, we have the opportunity to take photos of the Flamsbana trains as they head back to Myrdal and the quaint homes of Lunden, and stop for a snack by the turquoise waters of Flamselvi.

The Flam River brought the first tourists to Flam – mostly English lords and their families who came 150 years ago for salmon fishing.

The stretch of the river is now part of the Fretheim Farm, which holds fishing rights. The original bridges, giving fishermen easy access to the river, were built in 1910-20 but were restored in 2017 after a flood destroyed the originals.

We’ve taken many long and short rail trips over the years but as a window to Norwegian life and its majestic scenery in one day, Flam Railway deserves all its accolades.

The Flam Railway

Photos: Shirley Sinclair

A window into Norwegian life.

The Flam Railway opened for freight and goods transport on August 1, 1940, and to passengers in 1941. It became an important transport artery for the Sogn district, linking villages along the Sognefjord to Bergen and Oslo via the connecting Bergen Railway. Until the Flam Railway was completed, access to villages in the area could only be via the fjord or on foot and horseback over the mountains. Try to get a seat on the left when heading

from Myrdal to Flam, and from Flam to Myrdal if doing the full trip. Head to www. vy.no/en for rail tickets.

Various tour companies such as Norway in a Nutshell include the Flam Railway as part of their package deal.

Go to www.visitflam.com for more information.

Where to stay Thon Hotel Orion, Bradbenken 3, Bergenhus, Bergen. Go to www.thonhotels.com/ourhotels/norway/bergen/thonhotel-orion.

FAST FACTS The Flam Railway, or Flamsbana, was built over the course of 20 years at a cost then of about NOK 20 million. (about $3,210,000). It runs from the valley floor of the Sognefjord – the longest fjord in Norway and second longest in the world.

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Snoring: Hidden risks

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Wellbeing

BRAND INSIGHTS

BREATH EASY: It’s possible to enjoy a good night’s sleep.

choking sensation or waking with a loud snort, you appear to stop breathing, frequent night visits to the bathroom, continual lack of energy, poor concentration and short-term memory.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?

Picture: FILE

The quality of your sleep is more important than the quantity. The reason that most people with apnea are always tired is that their body is still fatigued the next morning as a result of poorquality sleep.

Health risks directly linked with apnea include:

7001088an

ALWAYS feeling tired?

Crave a daily nap? Find it difficult to concentrate?

You could be suffering from OSA (obstructive sleep apnea).

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common affliction that affects thousands of people every night, causing excessive snoring and sometimes even choking.

HOW SERIOUS IS SLEEP APNEA? If you’ve ever slept next to someone who snores you will know just how irritating it is. However a common side-effect of sleep apnea is excessive snoring and this can be much more serious.

When we are asleep, our airway can relax and start to narrow, causing snoring.

In people with apnea, the airway can completely close over, causing it to become blocked, which in turn starves the body of oxygen. Once the brain realises that the body isn’t breathing, it sends a shot of adrenaline to alert the body to wake up. We then take a deep breath (or loud snort) and go back to sleep. The cycle then repeats and can occur several hundred times a night – exhausting!

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU SUFFER FROM IT? Some common signs are: excessive snoring, a

• Type 2 diabetes • Heart attack • Stroke • High blood pressure • Dementia HOW IS IT TREATED? The most effective treatment is with a CPAP or APAP machine, which delivers pressurised air

through a tube and mask to your face.

The airways are held open by the higher air pressure, providing a much better quality, uninterrupted and restorative sleep.

Take the online check-up at cpap.com.au or call us to ask how you can have an in-

home sleep test.

The crew at CPAP Direct are experts and have firsthand experience with using the devices and masks.

For video reviews, hints and tips and to contact us, head to www.cpap.com.au, email info@cpap.com.au or phone 1300 133 298.

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30

WELLBEING

DECEMBER, 2019//

SENIORS

Reality of pancreatic cancer FOUR widowers – Mark Bethwaite (AM), Tony King, Dr Frank Cheok (OAM) and Daniel Goulburn (OAM) – all lost their wives to pancreatic cancer.

The men, who were friends before their cancer journey, forged a deep bond under the most dire of circumstances and feature in a moving video, eager to share their stories and assist in raising awareness about an innovative trial.

Their individual and collective stories are indicative of all pancreatic cancer journeys, which are shrouded in confusion and lack of awareness.

And with very little time from diagnosis to death, families and loved ones are left traumatised.

Pancreatic cancer remains difficult to detect and has one of the lowest survival rates. The poor prognosis has remained almost unchanged for more than 30 years, with a current fiveyear survival rate of 9.8 per cent. That is, only one in 10 diagnosed will survive the disease. Medical predictions are that by 2030, pancreatic cancer will be the secondhighest cause of cancer mortality.

Mr Goulburn said November was dedicated to bringing pancreatic cancer into focus through awareness and keeping hope alive for those living with or touched by the disease.

“The pancreatic cancer community needs to shout from the rooftops to make sure people know that in fact it is a cancer that is deadly, a cancer that needs more research, it’s a cancer that needs more clinical trials and with research we would get a significant increase in survival rates,” he said.

To find out more or to make a donation, visit

BOND: Daniel Goulburn (OAM), Dr Frank Cheok (OAM), Tony King and Mark Bethwaite (AM) all lost their wives to pancreatic cancer.

ImpactPancreaticCancer. com.au.

TRIAL PROMISING FRESH HOPE

The GI Cancer institute is preparing to introduce two innovative clinical trials, offering hope for improved survival outcomes in pancreatic cancer patients, and is calling for urgent funding of $600,000 to get the new Neo-IMPACT trial for 20 patients off the ground.

Neo-IMPACT, scheduled for 2020, will for the first time trial immunotherapy before surgery in the early stages of the disease. Recent results were published showing that aggressive chemotherapy with three drugs (Folfirinox) prevents pancreatic cancer coming back after surgery.

In this trial, researchers

will apply this chemotherapy regimen to people with early-stage pancreatic cancer, as well as two doses of immunotherapy before surgery. Researchers at the GI Cancer Institute want to try what has been shown to be effective with lung cancer: giving immunotherapy before surgery in the early stages of the disease.

Spearheading the trial is Dr Lorraine Chantrill, director of the GI Cancer Institute and head of oncology at Wollongong Hospital, who is passionate about increasing awareness, survival rates and improving outcomes for people with pancreatic cancer.

“This new trial provides hope – so desperately sought after by the patients I treat and their families,” Dr

Chantrill said. “I have promised my patients and people like Mark, Tony, Danny and Frank, who have all experienced the impact of this deadly and aggressive disease, that we will never give up until we find a better way to treat pancreatic cancer.

“Their story is indicative of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in that lives are so often cut short quickly.

“Even more traumatic is that three of the women taken by this disease were close friends – a situation compounding their tragic loss.”

Recognising the need for research into new and improved treatment options, the GI Cancer Institute not only plans to launch Neo-IMPACT in

2020, it has also begun recruiting patients in recent weeks for a new Masterplan pancreatic cancer trial and is looking to initiate an additional pancreatic cancer sub-study, Randoms, in 2020.

The Masterplan trial, funded by the Medical Research Future Fund, aims to find out whether chemotherapy, combined with focused high-dose radiotherapy before surgery, will increase the likelihood of shrinking the tumour by killing the pancreatic cancer.

This type of (stereotactic) radiotherapy is not the standard treatment for pancreatic cancer in Australia; however, it is commonly used in other parts of the world. Focused, high-dose radiotherapy is being used in this trial

Picture: Contributed

because it directs a higher dose of radiation to the tumour and less radiation to the normal tissue around the cancerous cells.

This trial will treat people who need to shrink their tumour before potential surgery and those who have tumours that are too big to be removed – which accounts for around one third of all pancreatic cancer patients.

Widower Tony King said: “We need to know more about pancreatic cancer.

Funding of research is absolutely essential. To get the sort of funding required, you need greater awareness.”

You can be a part of this extraordinary research effort to change the outcomes for those with pancreatic cancer.

Key facts and figures about a disease taking a bigger annual toll PANCREATIC cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in Australia, after lung, prostate, breast and colorectal cancers.

It is predicted to be one of the leading causes of cancerrelated deaths by 2030.

• It is estimated in 2019 that 3051 Australians will die as a result of this disease.

• In 2019, it is estimated that pancreatic cancer will remain as the 11th most commonly diagnosed cancer.

• Pancreatic cancer accounts for 2.5 per cent of all new cancer diagnoses in Australia.

• In 2019, it is estimated that the risk of an individual being diagnosed with pan-

creatic cancer by their 85th birthday will be one in 62.

• Currently the five-year survival rate is only 9.8 per cent – i.e. only one in 10 people diagnosed will survive beyond five years.

• Since the mid-’80s, survival rates have increased from 5 per cent – but the breakthroughs needed are yet to be realised.

• When identified early, surgery is sometimes possible. However, due to the hidden location of the pancreas and how the cancer develops, in most cases symptoms are not obvious until the cancer has spread beyond the pancreas.

• For most people diagnosed, life expectancy is six to 12 months, although often

it is only a few months.

THE PANCREAS The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach and next to the small intestine.

The pancreas does two main things. It releases powerful digestive enzymes into the small intestine to aid the digestion of food. It also releases the hormones insu-

lin and glucagon into the bloodstream – necessary to regulate blood sugar levels.

When the body does not produce insulin, blood sugar levels (blood glucose) can become dangerously high, which in turn affects the function of key organs such as the heart and kidneys among other important bodily functions.

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Home in on quartet of cool cardio ideas ARE you not keen to do exercises outside in the summer? That’s okay because with these great indoor exercise tips from Queensland Health you won’t need to leave the house.

Without lacing up the running shoes, there are four exercises, all aimed at beginners, which can be done in the privacy, and shady comfort, of your home.

Try to work through these four exercises in sequence, taking a short break between each set, and build up to the recommended number of repetitions over time.

You can find more advanced no-running cardio options to build into your routine at healthier.qld .gov.au/fitness/workouts/ no-running-cardio. l Advanced jumping jacks: Aim for: 20-30 a set.

Stand with feet together, knees slightly bent, and arms at your sides.

Jump while raising your arms and separating your legs to the sides and on your forefoot with legs apart and arms overhead. l Lateral hops Aim for: 20-30 repetitions.

Lateral hops look simple - they are, after all, just jumping from side to side.

But if you do them right, you’re working a bunch of big muscles in your legs, your butt and your torso

AT HOME: Think of the possibility of indoor exercise

that add up to some simple and effective cardio.

Keep your legs together, bound from side to side, jumping over an imaginary obstacle.

Land with soft knees.

Try to remain on the balls of your feet. l Superman Aim for: 10-15 repetitions per set.

The superman stretch

will contribute to your cardio, but it has the added benefit of improving your overall strength and increasing muscle definition.

Start on your hands and knees, with back straight and core muscles tight.

Keep hips low, simultaneously raise your right arm and left leg, straightening at your elbow and knee.

Pause, then lower to the

starting position before alternating sides. l Squat reach and jump Aim for: 10-15 a set If you think you’re noticing a theme here, you’re not wrong. Jumping is great cardio activity, which is why there is so much skipping in the training montages of 80s sports films. The squat reach and jump sets aside the skip-

ping rope and focuses on the core of the activity, adding in the squat.

Keep your feet shoulderwidth apart, then perform a squat by bending at the knees to lower yourself .

Make sure your knees don’t pass over your toes.

From the squat position, straighten and jump up, reaching both arms overhead.

31

Sun myths debunked WHETHER you’re at the beach, by the pool or simply on a walk around the block, you can burn in as little as 10-15 minutes here in Queensland when the ultraviolet (UV) level is at its peak.

That’s why it’s vitally important for people to know exactly how to protect themselves and reduce their risk of skin cancer. But with myriad myths circulating, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction.

Cancer Council Queensland is encouraging people to brush up on their “Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide’’ knowledge before heading outdoors.

The council has busted five sun safety myths to help you stay sun safe.

Myth one: Sun damage is not possible on windy, cloudy or cool days.

False: Sun damage is caused by UV radiation, not temperature. Visit sunsmart.com.au/tools/ interactive-tools/freesunsmart-app.

Myth two: People with olive skin or who tan easily can’t get skin cancer False: People with olive or very dark skin naturally have more protection against skin cancer.

However, they can still develop skin cancer.

Myth three: You need lots of sun exposure to avoid vitamin D deficiency.

False: Queenslanders typically receive enough sun exposure while completing everyday tasks.

Myth four: Putting sunscreen on once is enough.

False: All sunscreens should be reapplied every two hours.

Myth five: Sunscreen lasts forever.

False. Sunscreen naturally expires, so check expiry dates.

Research’s deeper insights reveal keys to anxiety-easing sleep EXPERIENCING anxiety because you have missed out on a good night’s rest isn’t anything new, but researchers can now explain how it can be reduced.

The new study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, looked at what phase of a person’s sleep pattern can help reduce anxiety. It established a casual neural link between sleep and anxiety.

Scientists from UC Berkeley identified the importance of the sleep phase NREM, or non-rapid eye movement, and its ability to ease an V1 - SETE01Z01MA

overactive brain. It’s the deepest stage of a person’s sleep and it restores the brain’s prefrontal mechanism, which regulates our emotions.

“Of societal relevance, we establish that even modest night-to-night reductions in sleep across the population predict consequential dayto-day increases in anxiety,” the study reported.

“These findings help contribute to an emerging framework explaining the intimate link between sleep and anxiety and further

highlight the prospect of non-rapid eye movement sleep as a therapeutic target for meaningfully reducing anxiety.”

Sleep has two main phases: rapid eye movement (REM) and NREM. When you are in REM sleep, your eyes move rapidly, your blood pressure and heart rate go up, and your brain becomes highly active.

REM sleep is when most dreaming happens. It’s thought to be important for learning and creating new memories.

When you are in NREM sleep, you go through four stages. In stage one you are in transition between being awake and asleep, and you wake easily. In stages two, three and four your eye movements stop, your body temperature falls, and you are deeply asleep.

Adults usually spend about one-fifth of the night in REM sleep and the remainder in NREM sleep.

It appears the non-medicated remedy to reducing anxiety is getting a better quality of sleep every night.

REST ASSURED: Research is pinpointing how getting more deep sleep can boost our mental health.

Photo: File

32

FEATURE

DECEMBER, 2019//

SENIORS

We can weather change Expert urges nations to dig in for long haul as climate takes high toll

By Alison Houston

LIQUID ASSET: How we can better capture, store and deliver water is one of the big questions facing us.

Firefighters rescue a koala during the recent spate of devastating blazes.

Photo: Contributed

IT’S without question the hottest topic of the moment – climate change.

But with 50 years of experience in meteorology and climate science, University of Southern Queensland’s Professor Roger Stone says we are looking at the problem the wrong way.

To begin with, he says, we can dispose of arguments as to whether current high temperatures and drought conditions here and in other areas of the southern hemisphere are the result of predicted weather patterns or climate change – it’s both.

The same unusually warm sea temperatures in the Central Pacific and cool temperatures in the Indian Ocean, giving us the El Nino effect, cause the reverse weather patterns in Europe and the Americas, resulting in record lows and flooding there.

“The world is usually out of balance with rainfall – when we’re having droughts in Australia, they are often having floods in the northern hemisphere and vice versa,” Professor Stone said.

El Nino is part of a predictable periodic weather pattern occasionally resulting in prolonged events such as that experienced in Australia

between 1991 and 1995, so people who say they have seen it all before are correct … to an extent.

THE CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECT The difference, Prof Stone says, is that climate change is making the impact of these seasonal climate patterns far more severe, protracted and more common.

Because Australia has the most variable rainfall of any nation in the world – with variability increasing, especially in northern Queensland – we are very much affected by climate change.

Prof Stone said the United Nations Commission for Agricultural Meteorology, of which he is president, brought together the work of climate science teams – including climate prediction models associated with agriculture and drought – from countries around the world.

This provides a global picture of weather and seasonal climate events, how these affect countries, and how we can learn from each other.

The key, he said, was “to have greater preparedness for when these events – drought, severe storms and flooding – occur”.

That means getting governments to think long term about climate and its effect on our lives.

Environmental volatility poses threat to health, livelihoods THE effects of climate change are already far-reaching, emerging in many crucial aspects of life As Labor health spokesman Simon Bowen recently highlighted at Sydney University: “Changing climate zones, desertification, ocean acidification, ecosystem collapse: these impacts threaten our food supply, our economy, our security and, of course, our health”.

HEALTH: The Australian Medical Association (AMA) in August declared climate change a health emergency, following similar statements by its

counterparts in Britain and the US. AMA president Dr Tony Bartone pointed to higher mortality and morbidity from heat stress – a major issue for the elderly – injury and mortality from increasingly severe weather events, food and water insecurity, and a higher incidence of mental health problems.

TOURISM: Australia’s Climate Council says Australia’s top-five natural tourist attractions (beaches, wildlife, the Great Barrier Reef, wilderness and national parks) are all at risk due to rising temperatures and seas, and

increased fire danger associated with climate change.

FIRE: Just last month, a state of emergency was declared in a number of states affected by “unprecedented” fires.

The Climate Council says “the nature of bushfires in Australia has changed” – with increasing risk to people and property.

Its key findings included that bushfire risk had been exacerbated by record-breaking drought, very dry fuels and soils, and recordbreaking heat. It also found the fire season had “lengthened so substantially that it has already

reduced opportunities for fuelreduction burning”, making it harder to prepare for worsening conditions and for states to share resources, as the number of threats mounted.

WILDLIFE: The recent fires have left Australia’s koala population in crisis, with the Australian Koala Foundation suggesting they are “functionally extinct”, with more than 1000 koalas killed and 80 per cent of their habitat destroyed.

WATER: According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Australia’s total rainfall during the 2018-19

financial year was 351.4mm, 24 per cent below average – the driest financial year since 1969-70.

Australia also experienced its second-warmest financial year on record with mean daily maximum temperature 1.7C higher than average – the highest on record.

The hot, dry conditions affected water resources in all states, resulting in reduced water in the soil (just 8.5 per cent), in storages, rivers, and groundwater, continuing years of drought for desperate farmers in many areas and necessitating increasingly tight water restrictions.

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33

– but joint plan is crucial ‘‘

TIME FOR UNITY: United Nations Commission for Agricultural Meteorology president and USQ Centre for Applied Climate Sciences director Professor Roger Stone says we need to be less parochial and look globally in addressing climate change and its effects.

The greenhouse gas emissions are almost entirely due to the northern

hemisphere THE POLITICS The climate problems we are experiencing globally due to greenhouse gas pollution in the atmosphere, Prof Stone said, would take at least 20 years to improve as a result of changes in our behaviour.

Having worked in government before becoming USQ Centre for Applied Climate Sciences director, he said some governments and politicians on both sides of the political divide were more willing to listen to environmental and climate concerns than others.

Part of the difficulty was that with each change of government and change in bureaucratic department heads, policy attitudes shifted, knowledge was lost and so little ongoing progress was ever achieved.

“The minute it starts raining, drought is taken off the agenda and becomes something for another day, so the next time it happens we are caught without answers again,” Prof Stone said.

However, with the country now clearly looking “so bad”, with “massive

and sorghum that had also been developed.

rainfall deficits” and unprecedented fires, he believes alarm bells are ringing that this is a climate crisis and we cannot afford to defer making long-term decisions.

But degenerating into political name calling, finger pointing and protesting for more to be done about greenhouse gases within Australia, he said, achieved nothing.

It was akin to burning the village witch in the Middle Ages, believing they had caused hailstorms.

“We are being too parochial in the way we think about climate change,” Prof Stone said.

“This is a global climate system we are working with and the greenhouse gas

emissions are almost entirely due to the northern hemisphere – they are responsible for 95 per cent.

“What we do in Australia has little effect (1 per cent of global emissions).”

That meant, he said, that while we needed to continue to do the right thing environmentally within Australia, we also needed to stop blaming ourselves and instead “ask our friends, particularly in the US, China and the European Union, to change what they are doing and set clear targets (to reduce greenhouse gas emissions)”.

“That’s where the real action has to be, and that’s the tougher question – how we, as a tiny nation, are going to influence the global

picture, because we are very much on the receiving end of this.

“We need to have a bigger voice on the global stage.”

TOLL ON THE LAND Those arguably hardest hit by the effects of climate change, including drought, associated fire, storm and flooding, are of course our farmers.

“The first thing we know is that farmers only make a good profit three years out of 10,” Prof Stone said.

On average, they will have three really bad years and four average.

He said that contrast in results would increase, and while good seasons would return, farmers needed to be more attuned and

responsive to weather and climate conditions than ever.

Many farmers, he said, watched very closely in autumn when, for instance, El Nino patterns generally end, before making decisions on whether to destock or increase stock and what to plant.

“In the future they are going to have to be very responsive and opportunistic to capture the good years when they are there,” Prof Stone said.

Some, he said, for example had swapped from wheat crops to chickpeas, which were more drought resistant (where markets allowed), and to innovative plant-breeding programs such as stay-green wheat

THE FUTURE Events such as the devastating fires in New South Wales and Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria, Prof Stone said, had already overtaken debate.

The question is where will it end, and how can we improve our future outlook?

Prof Stone said extremist views polarising the community could do only more damage.

We need to work together to take a stand to influence those responsible for large-scale global emissions.

He said long-term planning and policy were the answer, both to find power alternatives and to cope with existing climate-related threats.

As individuals, that meant contacting and lobbying our politicians – including state and federal local members, agriculture and environment ministers and shadow ministers and party leaders – to talk with their international equivalents and reinforce the need for greater responsibility and prompt long-term policy action against large-scale emissions.

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34

SHARES

DECEMBER, 2019//

SENIORS

How to find your missing money Money

What to do if you could be a lost shareholder Dianne Charman AMP ACCORDING to the Australian Shareholders Association there is currently more than $1.1 billion of unclaimed money lying dormant in Australia.

A lot of this money comes in the form of lost shares.

When it comes to small investors, it’s very common for shareholders to lose touch with the companies they invest in – more than 150,000 small investors have forgotten about $451 million worth of shares.

Otherwise known as “lost shareholders”.

Lost shareholders are people who own shares but the company has exhausted all means to contact them or pay their dividends. In many cases, investors – most of whom are likely to now be retirees – provided the company with a postal address, bank account or email address that is no longer valid.

Sometimes a company loses track of shareholders when they divorce or move house and don’t update their contact details with it.

Also, physical addresses have changed over the years. For example, some

‘‘

There are 352 lost Johns, 322 lost Peters and 100 lost shareholders called Margaret. roadside mailboxes in rural areas are no longer valid postal addresses. Some people have forgotten they own shares.

AMP, which has the thirdlargest shareholder base in Australia, recently launched a campaign to find 43,000 “lost” shareholders and connect them with their holdings and $13 million worth of unclaimed dividends.

The average lost AMP shareholder is a 63-year-old man. There are 352 lost Johns, 322 lost Peters and 100 lost shareholders called Margaret. Thirty-seven thousand lost shareholders are Australian while 4600 are New Zealanders. Most either live – or have lived – in New South Wales (12,000), Victoria (10,000) and Queensland (6700).

AMP has launched a

website – findmyampshares. com.au – that allows people to use their date of birth to see if they, a family member or client (in the case of financial advisers, solicitors and tax agents) own a stake in AMP. The website also helps people to then claim their shares and any dividends they’re owed.

AMP is not the only company looking for lost shareholders. Telstra (1.3 million shareholders) followed by CBA (830,000) have the first and secondlargest shareholder bases in Australia.

LOCATING LOST SHAREHOLDINGS

If you think you may have forgotten shares with another company, these guidelines from the Australian Shareholder Association may help: • Contact the relevant company.

• Contact the responsible state government department as the unclaimed money may be either registered with that department or, depending on the time that has lapsed, held by the department.

It’s important that if you discover you have lost shares, make sure you contact the company’s share registry and provide your new details.

AMP has recently launched a campaign to find 43,000 lost shareholders and reconnect them with their holdings and $13 million worth of unclaimed dividends.

Picture: FILE

It’s also worth trying to search for lost shareholdings through the Australian Government website moneysmart.gov.au.

The ASIC website contains details of how to claim your money. The unclaimed money form will step you through all the information you need to provide to ASIC. The

company will be contacted

by ASIC once you have submitted your form.

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

Any advice given is

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

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

Consider overseas markets for a bigger slice of ‘selfie’ pie IT’S official – Australia’s army of self-managed super funds (SMSFs) makes up one of the biggest likeminded group of investors on the Australian sharemarket.

Collectively, SMSFs – or “selfies’’ – own about 20 per cent of the local sharemarket. As a combined group, that makes them very powerful indeed.

But mum-and-dad funds aren’t in shares for the power.

It’s no secret that Aussie shares offer two key benefits that make them well suited to super funds – regular dividend income and the potential for long-term capital

growth, both of which can be lightly taxed. Oddly, though, many selfies are cooling on direct shares.

A recent report by Investment Trends found SMSFs have about 35 per cent of their portfolio in direct shares, down from almost 50 per cent five years ago.

It’s not a sign that selfies are bailing out of shares altogether.

Many are moving their money out of directly held shares, and into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other diversified products.

That’s not always a bad thing.

I’ve come across research showing do-it-yourself funds often con-

centrate their sharemarket investments in just two main sectors – finance and resource stocks.

This can leave your retirement savings highly exposed to possible shifts in these industries.

The added appeal of ETFs is that the fees are extremely low, so they can be a cost-effective way to diversify your SMSF investments.

The Achilles heel of SMSFs is that many focus their investments on Australia. The big hurdle among selfies is a lack of understanding about what to invest in, or how to invest, overseas.

There are a variety of ways to in-

vest globally. This can include ETFs, ASX-listed shares with overseas revenue and actively managed funds.

Whatever you can invest in here in Australia – be it property, shares, or fixed income – you can also invest in internationally. The trick is to minimise the costs.

So, how do the returns compare? Well, bearing in mind that overseas shares don’t have the same tax-friendly benefits such as franking credits that apply to home-grown shares, the returns on international shares stack up well. Over the past three years,

overseas shares have dished up returns of 15.71 per cent compared with total returns (including dividends) of 12.57 per cent for Aussie shares.

For five and 10-year periods, global shares have notched up gains of 13.09 per cent and 12.63 per cent annually respectively, compared with 8.47 per cent and 8.34 per cent for Australian shares.

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

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Why ring road is now assured EXPECTED to cost almost one billion dollars, Ring Road has the Mackay been in the pipeline for more and there is still than decade at least five years of work to be Highly political done. from the start, the project pork-barrelling has attracted and political tit-for-tat since were allocated. before funds We look at how far it has come.

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$3 0B BOOM MACKAY g he ssaw one ght of their i isitors — a tree snake. e eyesight t is veryy poor, gght-timee and nig ght

lights aren’t all that brilliant,” he said.

“I went down to to catch it, went the snake round his

head, but missed him.

“He took great exception to this and he charged he got me on the at me and finger. That

was all that was needed.

“We’d caught lots we just didn’t know of snakes, this was the most deadly snake in North Queensland.”

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

PUZZLES

\\DECEMBER, 2019

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8 9 10 11 12

13

14

15

16

17 18

19

20

21

22

23

24 25 26 27

SUDOKU

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

Across 5 Which conservative sect settled in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s? (5) 8 What small animal is an Erinaceus europaeus? (8) 9 What is the nickname for the gold statuette given as an Academy award? (5) 10 Which German composer ended a performing career in 1832 when he broke a finger? (8) 11 If you are posting a letter in England in 1860, the pillar box is probably what colour? (5) 14 What form of Buddhism emphasises the value of meditation? (3) 16 What hooded cloak was once worn by soldiers? (6) 17 How many sides has a hendecagon? (6) 18 What insecticide was once widely used to combat malaria? (1,1,1) 20 Which Russian nuclear submarine foundered in 2000 with the loss of 118 crew? (5) 24 Which US nuclear submarine foundered in 1963 with the loss of 129 crew? (5) 25 What is a group of sheaves of grain stood on end in a field? (5) 26 In which 1959 film did Hayley Mills make her film debut? (5,3) 27 Nairobi is the capital of which country? (5)

QUICK CROSSWORD 1

2

3

4

30/11 Down 1 What word can be preceded by sea and tea? (5) 2 Which state produces a quarter of the US’s potatoes?

(5) 3 What are microbes commonly called? (5) 4/6 In 1983, which Dad’s Army actor said in his selfcomposed obituary in the Times that he had conked out?

(4,2,8) 7 Death Valley is below it; Lake Tahoe is above it. What?

(3,5) 12 What is a long, narrow French loaf called? (8) 13 Which 1995 film was the first fully computer-generated feature film? (3,5) 14 Americans call it “zee”. What do we call it? (3) 15 What divides a tennis court? (3) 19 Which flower was named in honour of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl? (6) 21 What is the top or bottom supporting post of a stairrail? (5) 22 Which English locksmith (Jeremiah ____) patented a “pick-proof” lock in 1818? (5) 23 What were formerly called roentgen rays? (1-4)

DOUBLECROSS 5

6

7

8

39

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

9

10

11

12

13

14 15

19

16

20

17

21

18

22

23

SOLUTIONS

5x5 T H E S E

ALPHAGRAMS: DEFER, ELVERS, FLIRTED, GREMLINS, HEADLAMPS. GK CROSSWORD Across: 5 Amish, 8 Hedgehog, 9 Oscar, 10 Schumann, 11 Green, 14 Zen, 16 Capote, 17 Eleven, 18 DDT, 20 Kursk, 24 Thresher, 25 Stook, 26 Tiger Bay, 27 Kenya.

Down: 1 Chest, 2 Idaho, 3 Germs, 4/6 John Le Mesurier, 7 Sea level, 12 Baguette, 13 Toy Story, 14 Zed, 15 Net, 19 Dahlia, 21 Newel, 22 Chubb, 23 X-rays.

QUICK CROSSWORD Across: 7. Sanctimonious 8. Et cetera 9. Edgy 10. Youths 12. Option 14. Kin 15. Usable 17. Gained 19. Pawn 21. Eternity 23. General strike.

Down: 1. Cautious 2. Accept 3. Dire 4. For a song 5. Divert 6. Rung 11. Skeletal 13. Overtake 16. Banned 18. Ignore 20. Anew 22. Easy.

N

A C U T E

G

TODAY: Good 18 Very Good 27 Excellent 38

O R D E R

How many words of four letters or more can you make? Each letter must be used only

E G

T O N I C

WORD GO ROUND

V1 - SETE01Z01MA

S T U D S

DOUBLECROSS

SUDOKU

ALPHAGRAMS Solve the anagrams. Each solution is a one-word anagram of the letters beside it, and the five solutions are sequential. For example, if the five-letter solution starts with J, the six-letter solution starts with K, and so on.

FREED REVELS TRIFLED MINGLERS LAMPSHADE

5x5 S

O O

U

C D

I S

T

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

Note: more than one solution may be possible.

E T

R

E

All puzzles © The Puzzle Company

niggle null riel rile rill rule ruling ugli uglier

Down 1. Wary (8) 2. Hold to be true (6) 3. Dreadful (4) 4. Cheaply (colloq) (3,1,4) 5. Turn aside (6) 6. Pealed (4) 11. Painfully thin (8) 13. Pass (8) 16. Prohibited (6) 18. Shun (6) 20. Afresh (4) 22. Simple (4)

Across 7. Excessively pious (13) 8. And so on (2,6) 9. Nervous (4) 10. Young men (6) 12. Choice (6) 14. Family (3) 15. Operational (6) 17. Profited (6) 19. Chess piece (4) 21. Time without end (8) 23. Industrial action (7,6)

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