Wide Bay, April 2019 by seniors

April, 2019 FREE

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Are your family members supportive, or do they create stress in your life?

• Being told that you can’t make any decisions for yourself because you have had a diagnosis of dementia. • Being pressured into entering a nursing home when you’re not ready. • Being frightened to voice your needs/concerns. • Carers or family members borrowing money and not paying you back. • Adult children moving in with you and refusing to pay rent. 6972974aa

Do you feel your rights are being respected?

WELCOME

INDEX 3 4 8 12 14 21 23 25 27

Friendlies Fundraiser Cover Story: Dr Suzanne Packer Community Notes Feature: Seniorpreneurs Wanderlust Wellbeing Living Money Puzzles

21 Tips to travel with your pets

23 A ‘Feel Good’ session near you

APRIL, 2019// SENIORS

Our role as the elders Gail Forrer Seniors group editor THIS month our cover story features Senior Australian of the Year Dr Suzanne Packer. Our journalist Tracey Johnstone interviewed Dr Packer in her Canberra home and I believe the description of her backyard gives us a special insight into the philosophy that guides her work with children. Her acceptance speech also furthered understanding to what had prompted her ongoing life’s work: “By the current measures our Australian children are not doing as well as they could – middle of the pack, certainly not leaders,” Dr Packer said. “If we want to improve, we adults are the ones who need to change. No more belated apologies, we need to notice children, be curious about their lives – be it our own children, children in the neighbourhood or the children on Nauru. “If our situation in Australia is to improve, then all of us must first learn to truly value all children irrespective of their circumstances, as full members of our society who are learning from all of us. “We are a small but wealthy nation and we already have a reputation for

punching above our weight, surely our children should be our first priority.” On a personal level, we as grandparents, relatives and friends also have a role to play in the development of young children and maybe, rather like Dr Packer, it could amount to having fun play corners, yards or just making some special time to share with these little people. But life is many layered and focusing on another dimension, in this edition, our double-page feature highlights a new wave of seniors going back to business. Through various programs and grants, the government is supporting people who are looking for fresh ways to live and make a living in 2019. We have several case studies, so have a read – perhaps it will inspire you. I trust you’ll enjoy the read.

General Manager Geoff Crockett – 07 5430 1006 geoff.crockett@news.com.au Editor Gail Forrer – 07 5435 3203 gail.forrer@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Executive Brett Mauger – 07 5435 3203 brett.mauger@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Online Get your news online at www.seniorsnews.com.au Advertising, editorial and distribution enquiries Phone: 1300 880 265 or (07) 5435 3200 Email: advertising@seniorsnewspaper.com.au or editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Location: 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore 4558 Website: www.seniorsnews.com.au Subscriptions Only $39.90 for one year (12 editions) including GST and postage anywhere in Australia. Please call our circulations services on 1300 361 604 and quote “Brisbane Seniors Newspaper”. The Seniors Newspaper is published monthly and distributed free in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales. The Seniors newspaper stable includes Toowoomba, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Northern NSW, Coffs and Clarence and Central Coast publications. Published by News Corp Australia. Printed by News Corp Australia, Yandina. Opinions expressed by contributors to Seniors Newspapers are not necessarily those of the editor or the owner/publisher and publication of advertisements implies no endorsement by the owner/publisher.

Spread the Word With Seniors Think you’ve got news and information that needs to be shared? Whether an upcoming community event, heart-warming tale or an update on anything local we want to tell your story!

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SENIORS \\APRIL, 2019

NEWS

Seniors benefit from legal services

Support for patients A GROUP of Bundaberg women has banded together to begin fundraising for a second scalp-cooling machine that will make a huge difference in the treatment of people undergoing chemotherapy. Scalp cooling is a complementary therapy that may limit hair loss in patients undergoing treatment. The Friendlies Foundation Public Relations Officer Tunja Cottier said the foundation donated the funds to The Friendlies for the purchase of the first machine for the Day

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Scalp cooling is a complementary therapy that may limit hair loss in patients

Oncology Unit, at a cost of almost $50,000. “The Friendlies recognised the need to bring this technology to a regional centre. One of the main aims of The

Friendlies Foundation is to support The Friendlies in growing and expanding healthcare services in Bundaberg to reduce the need for patients having to travel to Brisbane,” Ms Cottier said. “Dozens of patients have already benefited from scalp cooling during treatment, and with a second machine, we can make sure more patients have access to this therapy.” Day Oncology Nurse Unit Manager DA Halpin said the benefit of the complementary therapy was undeniable. “We have had patients who were not going to try

chemotherapy or who were going to travel to Brisbane who have now been able to have their treatments here. “But also, a lot of patients, especially women, feel very self-conscious when they start to lose their hair. Being able to potentially reduce that hair loss has an amazing effect on patients’ emotions and self-confidence while they battle a cancer diagnosis and treatment.” The fundraising group is hosting a multi-draw raffle over the next few months to raise money for a second Paxman Scalp Cooling Machine

for The Friendlies. Tickets are $5 each, with one of the major prizes being a queen-sized Bella mattress kindly donated by OMF, opening in Bundaberg this weekend. “Tickets are already on sale, and we already have more than $3000 of prizes donated from generous businesses and organisations like OMF, GHD, Goldwell, NAK and Nurses for Nurses,” Ms Cottier said. Tickets are available at Signature Hair, Burnett Carpet Court, OMF and The Friendlies Foundation office.

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MULTI-DRAW RAFFLE : Helena Adams, Helen Rimmington and Susan Hackett are raising funds at The Friendlies for a second scalp-cooling machine to benefit patients going through chemotherapy .

SENIORS in the Bundaberg region will soon be able to access legal and support services as part of the Palaszczuk Government’s plan to tackle elder abuse. Minister for Seniors Coralee O’Rourke last month announced the Palaszczuk Government would be expanding its seniors legal and support services to Bundaberg. “I am pleased to announce that seniors living in Bundaberg will soon have access to their very own seniors legal and support service,” Mrs O’Rourke said. “Thanks to this service, seniors in the Bundaberg region who are experiencing, or at risk of elder abuse, will be able to access individualised support, referral, counselling and mediation services.” Since 2017-18, the Palaszczuk Government has doubled the number of legal and support services for seniors across the state, providing an additional $700,000 in funding per year. Mrs O’Rourke said the Palaszczuk Government was committed to preventing, responding to and raising awareness of elder abuse. “Seniors have worked hard contributing to their thriving communities and deserve to live free from abuse and financial scams,” she said. “We take elder abuse very seriously and have made it clear that we will not tolerate it here in Queensland. “All Queenslanders deserve to live free from abuse.”

COVER STORY

APRIL, 2019// SENIORS

Helping kids grow up well

Dr Packer’s life is dedicated to next generation Tracey Johnstone NESTLED in the corner of a summer-dried garden in Canberra is a magical play space for young ones to imagine, create and evolve in safety. Its guardian is pediatrician and Senior Australian of the Year 2019 Dr Suzanne Packer AM. There are no brick walls, just a little timber path winding its way under the thick brush, a mushroom patch, a fish pond, sandpit, touches of folk art and a boisterous cubby house. For the more active there is hopscotch painted on the brick pathway nearby.

The quaint welcome sign calls the neighbourhood school children to discover what is within, under the careful guidance of an adult. “My focus is children in Australia,” Dr Packer said. Her new role of Senior Australian of the Year will give the children’s guardian a greater voice. She will be travelling Australia for the Department of Health sharing her message, “How can we grow them (children) to be the best possible adults for Australia.” “It takes more than the family to do that,” Dr Packer said. And she has grandparents in her

sights. “We have kids living very different lives and the role of grandparents in these lives has become more critical,” she said. “Grandparents, despite their busy lives, tend to have more time than parents and they have this one-eyed devotion to these special little people, which is not spoiling them but actually helping the child identify itself as an individual.” What we do to them, for them and with them Dr Packer will be encouraging senior Australians to think how they can enhance the lives of their grandchildren. Those sharing interactions will help to

WONDER LAND: Dr Suzanne Packer AM in her Canberra garden. Photo: Tracey Johnstone

develop the child’s brain. Reinforcement, reassurance, embellishment – each she

says goes towards their emotional and cognitive development. Dr Packer’s work with

the Child at Risk Unit at Canberra Hospital exposed her to many vulnerable and damaged

SENIORS \\APRIL, 2019

COVER STORY

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You cannot underestimate the value of caring, involved grandparents

children and their families. “I followed up a number of these kids until they

were adults,” she said. “You cannot underestimate the value of caring, involved

grandparents.” She cautions that you can’t assume all grandparents will be great carers. Some of them are part of the pathology, she says, potentially looking for what the kids can do for them rather than what they can do for the kids. We’re sitting at Dr Packer’s kitchen table, which looks out to an array of colourful hanging baskets and the play area, as we chat about her national award, which celebrates her contribution to the well-being and safety of children. The guardian is retired from her pediatric practice but that’s about the only retiring the 76-year-old is doing. Dr Packer is vice-president of the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and chair of the Mr Fluffy

Dr Suzanne Packer AM with Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Asbestos Response community group. What’s next ? In retirement she has plans – to write some children’s booklets about her time as a little girl when there wasn’t plastic or television and the milk was delivered by horse and cart. “It’s about getting the kids to think that there was good and bad in history,” she said. It’s what she

encourages other grandparents to do, to record memories from their youth and share them with younger generations – how else will they learn what it was like for their grandparents? Dr Packer is also a carer for her sister, Prue, 75, who has dementia and is confined to a wheelchair. And much to her delight, she is heavily involved in the lives of her

Photo: Salty Dingo

four grandchildren – one aged three, two under two and one under one. Within her vibrant and complex life that has Dr Packer pulled in many directions each day and with the background sounds of children joyfully playing in her secret garden, she retains in the forefront of her mind: “No adult can say, ‘Oh yeah kids, nothing to do with me.’ Kids are to do with everybody.”

COLUMNS

APRIL, 2019// SENIORS

Tiny house option may fit for you

The Best Quality Assisted Living in the Wide Bay

Town planning changes to suit different styles

Paul Mckeon IT’S a well-known fact that many single women over 60 are heading into retirement with very limited funds. Some of the reasons are – less time in the workforce due to raising children and caring for elderly parents, lower salaries than men, more women in part time and casual low-paid work. The end result is that after a lifetime of work there are a large number of especially single women with not enough in their superannuation to give them financial security. To add to this problem, single women in their 50s and 60s with some savings have a low priority for social housing and could be waiting for up to 10 years to be eligible for a house /unit. In recent years, governments, councils and community groups have started to respond

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to this issue. One step in the right direction has been to remove or revise many of the town planning restrictions on building granny flats in back yards, and these dwellings are now appearing in many towns and cities.

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A new option is the "Tiny House" solution. What is it?

A relatively new option is the Tiny House solution. What is it? As the name suggests, it’s a very small, selfcontained house on wheels, which can be moved if and when necessary. Unlike a caravan, tiny houses are designed to be permanent dwellings for single people. They can be moved into back yards and connected to the water, sewerage

INTERESTED? ❚ Tiny houses aren’t yet being widely built, but if you’d like to find more information, here are a couple of web sites – www.australiantiny houseassociation. org.au; www.tinyhabitat homes.com.au

and electricity services. It’s also likely that we will start to see tiny house villages appearing in some communities over the next few years. While prices vary depending on size and the fittings the buyer requires, it is possible to purchase a tiny house for around $100,000. For this money a person achieves that wonderful feeling of security that comes with knowing that you own a home and you’re not at the mercy of the rental market. It’s yours and you can have pets and visitors if and when you want.

Mindful poses with touch of torture with the cats, cobras and elephant

Graeme Wilson GeeDubWords

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MY hamstring was burning, my breathing was laboured and I was fighting a desperate desire to expel wind. My belated introduction to yoga was definitely not proving the relaxing experience I’d been promised. To make it worse, I was surrounded by universally lithe yogis (definitely all smarter than this average bear!) effortlessly contorting their bodies as I simultaneously suffered in a world of pain. As I grappled with the challenge of sending my legs in opposite

directions, the irritatingly calming voice of the instructor urged us all to breathe deeply through each stretch. While those around me comfortably inhaled and exhaled with long and soothing breaths, I was huffing and puffing like a steam train negotiating a mountainous pass. And who knew such strength was required to survive a yoga class unscathed? Certainly not me. My quivering quads silently screamed a united protest each time I attempted an extended squat, and it became increasingly difficult to resist the urge to just stay prone on my mat. I know it’s not about comparing yourself to others, but a furtive glance around me confirmed that this

newbie had a long way to go. My more experienced classmates were all moving seamlessly through imitations of cows, cobras, cats and any number of other animals, while each pose I attempted more closely resembled a clumsy baby elephant. I thought I’d made a breakthrough when the instructor requested we all take up the "Child’s Pose", but apparently sitting with arms crossed, scowling, with your bottom lip drooped was not what was required.This yoga baptism of fire could have left me literally bent and broken, but I’m proud to report that practice does makes perfect (well, not perfect but at least better) and my perseverance is starting to pay off. Namaste!

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Community notes

Community group guide WE welcome your community notes. Please email editor@seniors newspaper.com.au.

PROBUS CLUBS

Bargara and District Mixed ON MARCH 13 we celebrated the election of our new committee at a Changeover luncheon at Bargara Golf club or ‘Club Bargara’ as it is now known. 60 members and guests saw Coral Kernick receive her badge of office and the Presidents collar from Chairman Bob Hill. The collar was not worn for long as, with 27 presidents name bars attached, it is now extremely heavy. Our club is now starting its 28th year with a membership of 73 and looks forward to a year of Fun and Friendship. Our sub-clubs provide a variety of activities throughout each month and, together with

the Committee members, our individual sub- club coordinators were recognised and presented with badges of office. Hervey Bay Mixed WE WILL next meet upstairs at The Boat Club at 9am for 9.30am on Friday, April 26 and every fourth Thursday of each month thereafter. Visitors are very welcome. Morning tea costs $3 which is provided by The Boat Club and you are welcome to join members for lunch later but be sure to add your name to the lunch list on the front desk. The speaker will be Kerri Brown from Clayton Hearing who will tell us everything we need to know about identifying hearing loss and what to do about it. Members are

Bargara and District Mixed Probus Club Chairman Bob Hill, Secretary Pat Wakefield, president-elect Coral Kernick.

TEAM WORK: Bargara and District Mixed Probus Sub- club coordinators welcomed Ruth Jung, Janet Lorrenzetto, June Reinemman, Daphne Keys and Chrystine Webber. reminded that subscriptions are now due for the current year. We look forward to meeting old friends and making new ones – come and join us. Phone Judith on 07 4125 1671 / 0458 008 087 or Brian on 07 4124 7023.

GYMPIE OPEN MIC NIGHT OPEN Mic nights are

held at the AICM (Australian Institute of Country Music) at 28 Channon Street Gympie, every third Friday of month, commencing at 6.30pm with a BBQ and BYO. Performers of all genre, including Blues, Folk, Jazz, Instrumental, Vocals, Dance, Poetry and comedy welcome. Cost is $5 per entry. Everyone welcome. Next evening is

Hervey Bay View Club 50-year milestone girls, Denise Kay (20 years), Robyn Busk (10 years) and Kay Williams (20 years).

April 19. Phone Robyn Hamilton on 0429 011 783 or Chris Kath on 0438 343 663.

FRASER COAST VIEW CLUB

Fraser Coast VIEW Club is holding its popular Fashionista Day once again this year at The John Paul Centre, Cnr Bryant and Hillyard Streets, Pialba, on May 15

at 10am. There will be a delicious morning tea and chat, and the opportunity to purchase pre-loved fashion at a minimal price. Morning tea is $5 and a gold coin donation for the Hall would be appreciated. All fashions are $5 unless marked. Proceeds from this event go toward our Learning for Life Student sponsorships through The Smith Family.

The Hervey Bay MS Support Groups carers and volunteer angels Laney Grove, Cath Meyer and Bernie Coulson who loving help with transport and assistance.

Un-serious Seniors Moments

LAUGHS: Cast from Senior Moments theatre show.

Photo: CONTRIBUTED

IF you love to laugh and can see the funny side of getting old, then now is the time to book yourself at ticket to the hilarious comedy revue Senior Moments which is coming to the Brolga Theatre at Maryborough on May 22. Veteran actors and crowd favourites John Wood (Blue Heelers, Rafferty’s Rules),Max Gillies(The Gillies Report),Benita Collings (Play School), Kim Lewis (Sons and Daughters, The Restless Year)and Russell Newman (A Country Practice, Underbelly) are more than half way through their national tour of the show as they tour

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deliciously funny and fresh collection of comic senior moments Senior Moments around the country showing us all how to have fun growing old disgracefully. Senior Moments is described as a “deliciously funny and fresh collection of comic senior moments, scenes

and songs, with hilarious sketches and wonderfully witty songs performed by some legendary show business seniors”. Actor John Wood describes the show as “a seriously silly show for otherwise sensible seniors.” The 90-minute show will be performed across Australia until the end of May as part of the current tour. For tickets for the 1pm or 7.30pm show at The Brolga Theatre, Maryborough, on May 22, see www.ourfrasercoast. com.auor phone 07 4122 6060.

SENIORS \\APRIL, 2019

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Talk 'n' thoughts

THANKS goes to the authors of the letters we have published here. If you would like to have your say, you can email me: Gail.Forrer@ seniorsnewspaper. com.au.

If in doubt hang up and call provider NBN Co, the company building and upgrading Australia’s telecommunications and broadband network, is urging residents to be wary of scammers impersonating the wholesale network provider. The company has published new information on its website to help Australians understand how to identify and avoid scammers posing as NBN

Co employees. You are advised to protect yourself by verifying who are you are talking to. If in doubt, hang up and call your retail service provider customer service centre to check if the call is legitimate.” For NBN Co’s top tips for protecting yourself against scammers: Visit NBN Co’s website at www.nbn.com.au/ scamadvice

National Seniors agenda

The federal election is a chance to address health, wellbeing, finances FIXING pensioner poverty and the aged care crisis, better dental care and eliminating chronic home care waiting lists are key initiatives older Australians are demanding of candidates this federal election. Leading advocacy group National Seniors Australia launched its Federal Election 2019 Policy Priorities of Older Australians, cautioning candidates that 30% of all voters were aged 60-plus and were demanding practical solutions to a range of issues. Chief Advocate Ian Henschke said the election was a national watershed opportunity to rectify years of policy neglect and stagnation on seniors’ health, wellbeing, finances and security. These were systemic issues all but forgotten in both the Federal Budget and Budget Reply last week. He said the election policies were a sensible investment in the health and safety of older Australians and would enable government to

better manage public spending in the ballooning areas of health and aged care. “In this election, we are calling on all political parties to adopt our policies to lift age pensioners out of poverty, cut health costs, ensure older Australians receive the aged care they deserve, and end the erosion of retirement income,” Mr Henschke said. He said the poor standard of living of many pensioners was a national disgrace requiring swift action by whichever party won government in the expected May election, to ensure older Australians in need were afforded a fair-go, respect and practical support. “Our policies address the essentials of life and top of the list is affordable dental care,” Mr Henschke said. “Poor oral health is linked to chronic diseases, including stroke and heart disease, but is out of reach of many pensioners and those in aged care.

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Our policies address the essentials of life and top of the list is affordable dental care “Along with a growing chorus of respected health professionals, National Seniors is demanding a funding boost for dental care. “We want a scheme that provides an annual subsidy to help maintain dental health.” Taking politics out of the age pension was another key policy and National Seniors wanted the establishment of an Age Pension Tribunal to independently set the age pension rate. Mr Henschke said the tribunal would take responsibility for calculating a fair and adequate pension rate and any supplements based on need and circumstance. “Its decisions would be accepted without debate

in the same way monetary policy is set by the Reserve Bank,” Mr Henschke said. “This, along with cutting the age pension taper rate from $3 to $2, would help ensure a better standard of living for more Australians in retirement. “The current government’s lifting of the taper rate in January 2017 had a punitive impact on older Australians, discouraging them from saving for retirement, and must be reversed.” Assisting pensioners to access housing and better connect to internet services were also important ways to alleviate pensioner poverty, because one helped provide a roof over their head and the other a

window to the world. Mr Henschke said the private rental market was out of reach for many older people but could be improved by lifting the maximum rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance. “The maximum rate of assistance could be set by our proposed Age Pension Tribunal so pensioners who rent receive enough income to meet reasonable living costs, no matter where they live,” he said. Summary: ■ Fix pension poverty ■ Establish an Independent Age Pension Tribunal. ■ Increase the maximum rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA). ■ Provide a subsidy to connect to the NBN or another appropriate internet service. ■ Expand the provision of basic dental care for pensioners, including those in aged care. ■ Address aged care deficiencies ■ Triple the number of level 3 and 4 home care packages.

■ Require all aged care providers to publish staff-to-resident ratios. ■ Ensure all aged care staff in direct care roles have basic dementia training. ■ Increase income in retirement ■ Retain access to franking credits for self-funded retirees. ■ Reduce the asset test taper rate from $3.00 to $2.00. ■ Exempt up to $250,000 of home sale proceeds from the age pension means test. ■ Arrest rising health costs ■ Require all specialists to publish fees on a public register and ensure that all GPs make patients aware of choice when referring to a specialist. ■ Limit private health insurance premium increases to no more than CPI until reforms take effect. ■ Protect pensioners from future rises in energy costs ■ Reinstate indexation of the Energy Supplement. ■ Improve Centrelink wait times

Concession and Commonwealth health cards I USED to work in the area of pensions, tax and concession cards and would like to comment. Re: Noel Whittaker article on dividend imputation, he provides an example of a couple, having $75,000 in the bank, share portfolio of $710,000 delivering an income of $47,700 a year, including $19 a fortnight Age Pension.

The example states that if the husband dies, the wife will lose her Age Pension and concession card. This is true, the maximum assets for a single home owner to receive a pension is $564,000 as at December 2018. This amount does increase a little every quarter but if the widow

doesn’t use a substantial amount of her assets, she would still be above this assets limit. However she could still have a concession card, the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. The income limit for this card is $53,799 for a single person. This entitles her to PBS-rate prescriptions. She would not

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This amount does increase a little every quarter but if the widow doesn’t use a substantial amount of her assets, she would still be above this assets limit automatically lose her franking credits. Only franking credits that are

more than the tax she has paid would be lost. IOW, she would get any tax she

had paid back and have a zero tax bill. — M Pietersen

SENIORS \\APRIL, 2019

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Back into business for seniors

Older people riding a fresh career wave Tracey Johnstone WHICHEVER title you want to use – silverpreneur, olderpreneur, seniorpreneur or just simply entrepreneur – these seniors are growing into an economic force in Australia. They’re the innovators, job seekers and risk takers of the over-50s who want, need, dream of building financially viable businesses whether they are sole operators or become small or large-scale employers. La Trobe University Professor of Entrepreneurship Dr Alex Maritz said these senior entrepreneurs were essential to the Australian economy. “People are living longer,” Dr Maritz said. “Straight away, what does that say to you? We can work longer, we can be active in business for longer and they want to be.” He reports senior entrepreneurs are contributing about $11.9 billion per annum to the Australian economy. The Benevolent Society’s Older Australians campaign director Marlene Krasovitsky said the senior entrepreneurship phenomenon was not limited to Australia. “It’s one we are watching with great interest,” Ms Krasovitsky

said. “The Federal Government is starting to recognise that entrepreneurship is not only about young people, there is a very significant role for older people to play as well.” In January the Federal Government poured money into the further development of its Entrepreneurship Facilitators network across Australia. The funding is for the network of 20 professionals tasked with helping mature-age Australians prepare for self-employment. Ms Krasovitsky said through the work of The Benevolent Society’s EveryAGE Counts campaign, they had evidence that ageism often happened in the work environment. “It’s in that context that we look at a range of initiatives,” she said. “Certainly, self-employment or starting up a new business is an attractive option for many older people to continue contributing to the workforce in the economy and to continue to get that sense of meaning and purpose that work brings.” Why start-up? Becoming an entrepreneur is often driven by necessity, opportunity or passion. “Traditionally people think as a retiree they

have stopped work,” Dr Maritz said. “So what do they do now? They go get themselves a little sideline job to supplement their income. That is true but that is not your stereotype senior entrepreneur.” They are more often serious entrepreneurs, with their age irrelevant to their work choice. Entrepreneurship is often a high-risk environment. It requires a person to be proactive, innovative, opportunityobsessed, willing to draw on their life experiences, learn on the run and use whatever resources there are at hand, including their business and friendship networks. Having enough money to start up a business is one of the biggest hurdles for entrepreneurs. “Senior entrepreneurs in Australia start 14,000 new businesses each year,” Dr Maritz said. Anecdotal evidence says about as many close down each year. A hobby that pays Maree Machin’s business, Telltale Designs, bucks that trend. Her “cottage” business is a year old next month and still in the black. The Sunshine Coast home-based business owner has experienced past start-up failure, so this time she did her numbers to ensure the

HELPER: Phil Daly, of BuildGrowRun, supports senior entrepreneurs going into small business.

LaTrobe University professor Dr Alex Maritz, professor of entrepreneurship. business was going to make money. She had a clear picture in her mind of what she wanted to do and how to go about it. “I also got my supply chain organised and did some market testing,” Ms Machin said. Her success came from limiting the amount of money put into getting the

Money for Jam program member Sharon Carroll.

business going and in using her small business background and personal network to grow the business, which up-cycles yacht sails into bags. “It puts together everything I love – the ocean, up-cycling and it feels good and has a great story,” Ms Machin said. “I am doing something

good for the environment, it aligns with the heart and stays in the black.” Her success, she said, was in starting small and keeping the business tight. “If I grow it, I will then need to go into the grant space,” Ms Machin said. Not everyone has the capital like Ms Machin to pursue a new business

SENIORS \\APRIL, 2019

FEATURE

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Senior entrepreneurs are contributing about $11.9 billion per annum to the Australian economy.

Telltale Designs owner Maree Machin is celebrating being in the black after the first year in business. IT consultant JC Shin with the Parkapiki team Adrian Adams (middle) and Neil Mackenzie (right). idea, nor the business skills to bring the idea to fruition. However there are support networks, grant opportunities and organisations, such as the government’s EFs, that are available to seniors. Help is at hand One of the EFs, Phil Daly of BuildGrowRun, said there was a huge

demand for the EF program. It’s free and open to anyone, no matter why they want to set up a business or whether is it going to be micro, small or medium-sized. “I think a lot of people may have an idea and may have even started the business but often they don’t have all the skills to

run the business themselves,” Mr Daly said. “In Australia we have a failure rate up around 75 per cent in businesses in the first three years. “Often there isn’t sufficient support there for people going into small business. “They need assistance in planning and organising things, marketing and having a general vision of

what they are trying to achieve by developing their business.” Micro steps to battle homelessness Some people, such as Sharon Carroll, are pushed into entrepreneurship. She was retrenched from her job, suffered depression as a result and then found herself homeless. Ms Carroll had worked

in many places but hadn’t acquired any specific work skills. Throughout this tumultuous period, Ms Carroll kept hold of a ribbon printing machine she had purchased several years before but had been unable to work out how to use properly. When the Victorian Government’s think tank Per Capita offered her the chance to join its Money for Jam program, she leapt at it. The program’s goal is to empower older women to earn as they age through micro-enterprise. Project leader Myfan Jordan explained that through class-based learning and a smartphone app, the pilot program members – all of whom had experienced homelessness – were given training in core business skills and personal growth. Money for Jam gave Ms Carroll sufficient business skills and confidence to unpack the old printing machine and use it to create a micro-business that is helping her rebuild her financial base. “I got so much more out of doing the course than I thought I would,” Ms Carroll said. “What has been achieved since the course has been amazing. There haven’t been any great sales but I have got my ribbons out there.” She has started to get orders and is in the process of developing a website. Just as importantly, Ms Carroll has found the confidence to get out among the community talking up her micro-business, happily handing out her unique business card printed on a ribbon. “It’s been small steps – no leaps and bounds but it’s all been extremely positive and all forward steps,” she said. Passionate about well-being Neil Mackenzie and colleague Adrian Adams

were pulled into their enterprise as a result of Mr Mackenzie discovering there wasn’t a single website with information on outdoor activities around Adelaide. It sparked his passion for developing a go-to answer. Mr Adams was the obvious partner. They received seed funding from the South Australian Government through its 2017 D3 Digital Challenge, which was run through the Office of the Ageing. The outcome was the challenge-winning website Parkapiki.com, which lists parks, outdoor places and events promoting health and well-being for older South Australians. “We wouldn’t have done it if there wasn’t an opportunity to make money,” Mr Mackenzie said. “The original business model didn’t work. “The underlying reason is we invested all the funds and time into developing the platform. It was a conscious decision to do that rather than providing a cheap product. “We wanted a quality product but now we have no money to market it. We have got to think of ways to earn money that we can reinvest in telling people this product actually exists.” Is it for you? Mr Daly said not all people in their 60s wanted to go into graceful retirement. “I like working in doing what I’m doing,” he said. “Dealing with entrepreneurs and people in small business, there is a lot of positive energy around that. “Research indicates that a lot of baby boomers don’t want to retire.” Dr Maritz concluded: “Entrepreneurship isn’t for everybody. Going out on your own can be very stressful. “Entrepreneurs don’t fail, their ventures do. It’s not about failing. It’s about learning failure.”

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APRIL, 2019// SENIORS

It’s all here in Albany Anzac history, heritage listings, harbour 4

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CAPE YORK DEPARTS: 6 JUNE 2019 DISCOVERY This tour showcases the most scenic Take the trip from Cairns to National Parks that Queensland can the‘TipofAustralia’by4x4 offer. Visit Cania Gorge, Kroombit coach! See mangroves, Tops and crash-site of Beautiful Betsy. rainforests, savannah, Discover Mount Britton, Eungella wetlands, tropical birds, National Park, Pioneer Valley, Broken waterfalls, termite mounds, River, Cairns, Townsville, Magnetic basking crocs and more. Departs 14 July 2019 Island and beautiful Mission Beach.

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DEPARTS: 30 JULY 2019 Experience the ultimate adventure drive from Cairns to Darwin. Ride the Savannahlander Train, explore Undara Lava Tubes, cruise Cobbold Gorge, explore Adels Grove and Lawn Hill Gorge, Riversleigh Fossil Fields, Lorella Springs, LimmenNationalPark,MatarankaThermal Departs 20 October 2019 Springs, Katherine Gorge and more!

SENIORS \\APRIL, 2019

TRAVEL BRIEFS WITH the redevelopment complete, Queensland’s Daydream Island is ready to welcome guests to its 277 rooms and suites. The food and beverage offerings have been expanded, with three restaurants and three bars, including an exciting new Asian fusion restaurant that joins the buffet and modern Australian restaurants. The revitalised pool landscape, with its poolside bar, allows you to enjoy the stunning views across the Whitsundays. The Living Reef also returns with bigger and better capacity. The free-form coral lagoon wraps around the central building. The marine biologists support over 100 species of marine fish, rays, coral and invertebrates such as starfish, sea cucumbers and crabs. Info: www.daydream island.com.

GLAMPING LAUNCHES ON WA’S ROTTNEST ISLAND

DISCOVERY – Rottnest Island is the first new accommodation on Rottnest Island in more than 30 years. The 2.8ha property is nestled behind the dunes of famous Pinky Beach, with 83 fully furnished eco-tents that come in four service levels, with each tent featuring an ensuite bathroom, pillow-topped bed and furnished private decks. Many tents also include kitchenettes, with the deluxe tents boasting opulent beach-front views and walk-in wardrobes. The eco tents are linked via walkways and boardwalks to Pinky’s Beach Club. The venue also has a resort pool and pool bar. Info: www.discovery holidayparks.com.au/ discovery-rottnest-island.

FULL-FLAVOURED FESTIVAL

VICTORIA’S high country producers are dressing their dining tables in readiness for the annual Feast High Country Festival on May 3–19. The very best of the high country’s food and drink will be showcased in a program that celebrates the natural beauty of the mountains, valleys, vineyards and villages of the region and the talented folk who bring the fine fare to your table. Feast High Country Festival offers a perfect excuse for a road trip.

Ride a horse, pedal a bike, take a hike and even paraglide to more than 40 delicious events at cellar doors, village cafes, hatted restaurants, among the vines and by the light of blazing bonfires from Mansfield to the King Valley, Beechworth to Bright, Rutherglen to Mount Beauty, Corryong to Falls Creek. Highlights of this year’s festival program include: ■ Patrizia’s Harvest Forage with foodie royalty Patrizia Simone – forage for ingredients for your lunch then get the lowdown from this celebrated chef on how to turn your found produce into a five-course Italian feast. ■ Fermentation Degustation – Bridge Road Brewers Beechworth founders Ben and Maria Kraus host a four-course matched dinner with a difference, where fermentation is the hero of the night. Each course made by and introduced by local experts: Louise Ritchie (Silver Creek Sourdough), Kimchi from Hatted chef, Michael Ryan (Provenance of Beechworth), incredible, authentic Austrian strudel from Maria Kraus and of course Ben’s own lovingly brewed beer. ■ In Merrijig, join winemaker David Ritchie in a toast to the 50th anniversary of Delatite Wines, including a five-course degustation dinner paired with some very special wines. ■ Lunch with Three Italians at Pizzini Wines in the King Valley – Italian food, wine and opera are on the menu, with food by Adam Pizzini of Rinaldo’s Casa Cucina, Pizzini’s own Italian varietal wines and opera courtesy of the amazing Catherine Pendelich and Ced Le Medelo. ■ The Tweed Ride in Rutherglen, where the theme is vintage – clothes, bicycles and wines – and the easy pedal includes outstanding food and wine experiences along the way, including lunch at Stanton and Killeen. Info: www.feasthigh country.com.au.

RETREAT INTO FITNESS WHILE TRAVELLING

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HIGH COUNTRY FOOD: Join our table at this year's Feast High Country Festival. restore your health is only a hop, skip and jump away. Recover in the Asian-inspired spa. ■ Turkey: Fusion Fitness at Six Senses Kaplankaya Set in a private landscape of pristine beaches and hills blanketed with olive trees, there are activities to suit all abilities and tastes, including yin yoga, mountain biking, scuba diving and hiking. ■ Cyprus: Fusion Fitness at Aphrodite Hills Power walk along the coast and explore the beautiful Cypriot landscape, before boosting your metabolism with strengthening TRX training. For the perfect recovery, soothe your muscles and release tensions with therapeutic treatments adjacent to fragrant gardens. ■ Portugal: Fusion Fitness at Monchique Resort and Spa Choose from a range of personalised activities, from boot camp training, yoga, Pilates and walking tours. Enhance your physical endurance and reach a new level of consciousness for a truly bespoke wellness experience as you get close to nature. ■ Thailand: Fusion Fitness Thanyapura Health and Sports Resort Create your own fitness program in the state-of-the-art fitness centre alongside nutritional advice and physiotherapy. Fusion Fitness at Forte Village Stay in shape and try a new sports discipline in sunny Sardinia, including boxing, fencing, triathlon courses or wreck diving.

There’s a choice of al fresco training throughout the 19ha of natural surroundings, a multi-faceted gym, yoga, tennis and cycling. Make like the Romans and melt away woes in the revolutionary world of thalassotherapy.

India: Fusion Fitness at Atmantan Wellness Resort Challenge yourself to bootcamp training, bolster your cardio and focus on mindfulness within 40 acres of Indian wildlands. Push your limits with a kick-boxing workout

designed for total body toning and reward yourself with deep tissue massages, acupuncture and moxibustion. Receive guidance on postural alignment and integration, a keystone in overall health and well-being.

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APRIL, 2019// SENIORS

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It’s here the Anzac Day dawn service originated

SOLEMN BEGINNINGS: King George Sound at Albany, where the Anzac troop ships left from on the way to Gallipoli in World War I.

Photos: Erle Levey

Albany honours the In honour of Anzac Day, we publish Erle Levey’s account of his visit to Albany, believed to be the place of the first Anzac dawn ceremony

YOU CAN STILL HEAR THE SOUND OF SOLDIERS MARCHING THE small West Australian coastal town of Albany has a big Anzac history – it’s here the Anzac Day dawn service originated. Atop of the town’s Padre White Lookout is the perfect place to stand at dawn or as the sun sets and reflect on those who have gone before. In the spring of 1914, thousands of men and hundreds of horses gathered at the town’s railway station, coming there from all points of the country. They marched down to the jetty to join those on the ships already anchored in the harbour, ready for their grand adventure, their journey across the seas to fight for king and country against the oppressor. These were young, free-spirited men from a sparse continent on the other side of the world. The Australians and New Zealanders responded to the clarion call of the British Empire. It was Europe’s war but

these young men and a handful of women serving as nurses of this newly formed federation of states answered the call with “Australia will be there”. The first and second convoys carried the Australian Imperial Force and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Twenty-six Australian and 10 New Zealand transport ships assembled in King George Sound and departed on November 1, 1914, escorted by three warships. The second convoy of 15 Australian and three New Zealand ships departed unescorted on December 31, 1914. Today you can stand on the headlands of Albany and look across the waters of King George Sound, the site where 30,000 Anzac soldiers and horses were gathered aboard a fleet of 40 ships before setting sail for Gallipoli in World War I – just as they had gathered at this magnificent harbour before heading off to the Boer War in 1899. Just as they would

The grounds of the National Anzac Centre on Mt Clarence at Albany, WA. again for World War II. If someone said spend a day at the Anzac Centre, you would wonder why you would spend a day at a war memorial and museum. But you can. It’s like a walk through time and history. Everywhere you look it’s a reference to someone’s life. Stand up there on the top of the hill and virtually picture the scene – the departing ships. You can do that at sea level as well, at the replica jetty on the edge of

Princess Royal Harbour, next to Anzac Peace Park. Among the men and women who gathered in Albany before departing to serve in World War I were the troops who landed at Gallipoli, including the Light Horsemen, who fought on the battlefields of the Middle East and who entered Jerusalem and captured Damascus. Soldiers also fought in France and Belgium as part of the eight-month campaign. Anzac Peace Park was

opened in 2010 and pays tribute to the Australians who served in World War I and all those who have served the nation in conflicts and peacekeeping missions since. As well as the Pier of Remembrance, the park features an Interpretive Walk and the Lone Pine Grove. Each departing ship is represented by an engraved panel on the Pier of Remembrance as well as the HMAS AE2 submarine plaque that sits at the end of the pier. The AE2 was one of two submarines commissioned for the fledgling navy and she joined the second convoy of AIF troops in King George Sound at Albany on December 31, 1914, going on to serve in the Dardanelles. The Lone Pine Grove provides a major focus for the theme of peace within the park. The memorial was planted in 1974 to commemorate the departure of the first contingent of troops 60 years earlier.

SENIORS \\APRIL, 2019

The grounds of the National Anzac Centre on Mt Clarence.

The monument to the Desert Mounted Corps at Mt Clarence, Albany.

The old railway station at Albany, WA.

The grounds of the National Anzac Centre on Mount Clarence at Albany, WA.

The monument to the Desert Mounted Corps at Mt Clarence, Albany.

history of the Anzacs

It expresses a direct and living connection between Gallipoli and Albany. The Battle of Lone Pine was between Australian and Turkish forces on the Gallipoli Peninsula and the ridge provided a vital position. When Australian troops landed at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915, they saw a stunted pine grove growing on the commanding position of 400 Plateau. It was held by the Australians until December 1915 when Allied troops were evacuated from the peninsula. Two Australian soldiers collected pine cones from the Lone Pine Ridge in 1915 and from them seedlings were propagated. The pier is a stretch of boardwalk, which curves into Princess Royal Harbour. It provides a site for respite and reflection of those lost in the war. The National Anzac Centre on Mount Clarence takes two to three hours to go through.

You can explore the outside, including great views of the ocean where the troops left Australia for the last time. The old gun emplacements and ammunition storage areas are dug into the hill. Walking tracks lead up to the peak and from here you can look over the whole city, including Anzac Peace Park. The Garrison bar restaurant beside the Anzac Centre also gives a great vantage point of King George Sound in comfortable surrounds. Perhaps the most touching monument is that to the Desert Mounted Corps – so gallant in the Middle East. That and the Padre White Lookout, a memorial to the man regarded as the instigator of the Anzac Day service. The 10th Light Horse Regiment was the only regiment of mounted infantry recruited in Western Australia during World War I. It formed part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade and served at Gallipoli as infantry in the Australian

St John’s Church, Albany. and New Zealand Army Corps. The regiment participated in the disastrous charge at the Nek on August 7, 1915, and their courageous actions were immortalised in the Peter Weir movie Gallipoli. After Gallipoli, the regiment served in the Middle East as part of the Anzac Mounted Division and later the Australian Mounted Division. The 10th Light Horse Regiment was largely supplied by the waler

breed of horse that originated in NSW, hence the name. The horses possessed amazing courage and endurance in harsh desert conditions, remaining alert and dependable even when short on rations. The Light Horse combined the mobility of cavalry with the fighting skills of infantry. They fought dismounted, with rifles and bayonets. However sometimes they charged on horseback, notably at Magdhaba and

Beersheba. On October 31, 1917, the Australian Light Horse bravely charged head-on into the machine guns to take Beersheba. Never would history see such a full-scale charge again. Horses usually need to drink about 30 litres of water a day. However during the campaign they often went for up to 60 hours without water while carrying a load of almost 130kg comprising rider, saddle, equipment, food and water. At the end of the World War I, Australians had 13,000 surplus horses that could not be returned home for quarantine reasons. Of these, 11,000 were sold, the majority as remounts for the British Army in India. Of all the walers that served in World War I, only one made it back. Sandy was one of Major General Sir William Throsby Bridges’ mounts. The gelding accompanied Bridges to Gallipoli but was not landed. After Bridges was killed

by a sniper, Sandy remained in Egypt until transferred to France in 1916. At the request of the Australian Government, Sandy returned to Melbourne in 1918 and was turned out to graze. Similarly, only one New Zealand horse that had served in the Middle East returned home. That was a mare named Bess. From 1916–18 Padre White served as an army chaplain with the 44th Battalion and, upon his return to Australia, delivered sermons in remembrance of locals who died in World War I. He led parishioners from St John’s Church to the summit of Mt Clarence at dawn on April 25, 1932 – the site where he, along with so many others, gathered to watch the convoys depart in 1914. Today the Padre White Lookout is the region’s most visited lookout and serves as an enduring place of reflection: a lasting monument to Ernest White and Australia’s first dawn service.

APRIL, 2019// SENIORS

Fishing the crater lakes in the Victorian district Anglers travel here in winter and summer Nige Webster IN THE last of my six-part fishing series, I want to introduce you to a truly unique part of Australia to visit and fish – the crater lakes district in Victoria. A short drive to the west of Melbourne will have you in the midst of an ancient landscape that was shaped by our last volcanic era. There are a few lakes in the area but the most notable are Purrumbete and Bullen Merri. These lakes are found in the area around Camperdown. These dams are circular and very deep, having been formed by violent volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. Today they are filled with cool waters and plenty of brown and rainbow trout, salmon and redfin perch.

The trout and salmon fishing is first class and many anglers travel here in winter and summer to sample the fishing. The pick of the fishing occurs in winter and the changeover seasons. Popular techniques include fly-fishing with bait fish profile flies around the weed edges of lakes, particularly in Purrumbete. Bait fishing with live baits under floats is popular in both Bullen Merri and Purrumbete. Many anglers opt to troll lures around these dams and fare well on some very big trout and salmon. Trolling lures behind attractors and down deep on downriggers is a popular pastime here. Standard trout lures such as bibbed hard-body minnows and winged options such as Tasmanian Devils are

Victoria’s Lake Bullen Merri.

worth packing. Standard trout spinning equipment will cover most options – 2–4kg weighted rods with 2500-sized thread line reels and 4–8lb braided or fluorocarbon lines. There are boat ramps on these dams and 4m-plus boats are perfect for navigating these waterways. There are plenty more locations that I could write of but I am afraid I have run out of space. My next big trip is planned to the beaches and rock headlands to the west of Port Lincoln towards Yalata, which is another remote fishery I have heard should be on the bucket list of anglers. Nige Webster works for AFN Fishing and Outdoors and presents and produces The Fishing Show on 7Mate. Search Facebook: “AFN The Fishing Show”.

Photos: Tourism Victoria

QUALITY AND QUANTITY: The trout fishing is first class.

Photo: seanfboggs

Time to be charmed in a historic NZ hotel HERITAGE Hanmer Springs is a hotel steeped in history. For more than a century, guests have reposed on the property after journeying to the alpine village of Hanmer Springs to ‘take the waters’. Robert Hood first built an 18-room lodge on the hotel site in 1897, later purchased by Duncan Rutherford in 1907. Heritage Hanmer

Springs has a range of hotel rooms and suites in the original building, while in the grounds are garden rooms and three-bedroom self-contained villas suitable for families. On-site facilities include a summer swimming pool, a tennis and petanque court and a wedding pergola set in the pleasant garden surrounds. Inside the main building you will find

a charming historic ballroom and Isobel’s restaurant and bar with a welcoming open fireplace in winter. The hotel still echoes the famous hospitality of the past as a venue for weddings and special events for up to 150 people.

For bookings phone 1800 141 780 or visit heritagehotels.co.nz/ hanmer-springs.

PEACE: Heritage Hanmer Springs has a range of hotel rooms and suites in the original building while in the grounds are garden rooms and three-bedroom villas.

SENIORS \\APRIL, 2019

The veteran adventurers

Photo: Ray Mustey

Practice walks up Mt Coot-tha whip Brian Eales into shape for a Himalayan adventure Kerry Heaney TWO senior trekkers have set off on a five-month journey along the world’s highest and longest alpine walking route, the 1700km Great Himalaya Trail. Brisbane local Brian Eales, who will celebrate his 71st birthday on the trail, and Dennis Frost, 65, from the Sunshine Coast, were unknown to each other before they embarked on this ultimate trekking experience. Brian, who has travelled to the Himalayas 15 times, prepared for the

trek by regularly walking different routes up Mt Coot-tha, down the other side, up again and back as his morning exercise. He followed that with a 50-minute walk to his local shopping centre for lunch. His anticipated tour highlights include abseiling off the West Col and traversing the high passes in Dolpo. Dennis loves the contrast between the excitement and vibrancy of Kathmandu and the serenity and natural beauty of the mountains and their people. He previously

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The trail itself triggers inspiring stories

INTREPID: Dennis Frost, with Mt Warning in the background, during a training walk. completed the Snowman Trek, crossing 11 high passes on the mountainous borders that define Bhutan and Tibet. Organised by adventure travel specialist World Expeditions, the Great Himalaya Trail carves a path of more than 4500km through the

Himalayas from Bhutan to Pakistan. “As well as being an incredible adventure, the trail itself triggers the most inspiring stories of determination, achievement and personal growth,” World Expeditions chief executive Sue Badyari

said. The Nepal section begins in the country’s far east. It crosses to the high plateaus on the Tibetan borderlands in the far west, along the way encountering some of the wildest and most remote mountain environments on the planet.

Trekkers can see all eight of Nepal’s 8000m peaks and visit villages where traditional culture has remained intact for centuries. “A thousand words cannot describe how absolutely amazing the Great Himalaya Trail was and always will be,” Ray Mustey, also of Brisbane, who trekked the full traverse in 2014, said. “I am often asked if I would do it again. The answer is always yes.” Brian and Dennis will join a select list of just 21 people who have completed this trek. World Expeditions has divided the Great Himalaya Trail into seven treks that can be completed individually or together. Find out more at worldexpeditions.com.

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Gokyo Lake, Himalayas, Nepal.

APRIL, 2019// SENIORS

The Villas in a park-like setting.

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Tangalooma Island is the world’s third-largest sand island

NATURAL BEAUTY: Wild dolphin feeding off Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island.

Photo: Contributed

Birdlife abounds Tangalooma.

A dive into Tangalooma Shirley Sinclair

shirley.sinclair@scnews.com.au

IT STARTS the moment you step off the ferry, stand on the jetty and take in that view. Your gaze immediately falls on the golden sands stretching from the resort in front of you to the snorkelling haven known as “The Wrecks” at the extreme far left. You’ve taken the scenic route and arrived at this island haven. You’d swear you’ve been teleported to the Whitsundays or North Queensland. Then your eyes turn back to the calm, jewelled waters that graduate in

colour – deepening from aquamarine to sapphire. Time-poor but fun-loving over-50s can discover a tropical getaway virtually on their doorstep and feel like they’ve had an exotic holiday in just one or two days. Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island – the world’s third-largest sand island after Fraser and North Stradbroke islands – is only a 75-minute ferry ride from Pinkenba in Brisbane’s north. It’s so close, yet a world away from the everyday. While we’d visited Tangalooma before, it had been in the colder months for some winter sun – a time of year when having a

scenic water view is enough. Today, it’s all about frolicking in the 23C water on a 26-degree day under cornflour-blue skies. And we’re not going to waste this opportunity, having taken the first ferry at 7am and cramming as much island time into our overnight itinerary as possible. For our 10am booking with Tangatours on the Wrecks Snorkel Tour, we mosey up the garden path where palm fronds and pandanus leaves cast shadows on to bottle-green lawns, to be suited up in wetsuits and decked out with snorkel and fins. Before the mandatory

safety briefing, we strike up a conversation with two Swiss travellers who couldn’t pass up the one chance they had to swim around 150 types of coral and 100 species of colourful tropical fish, as well as the possibility of sighting bottlenose dolphins, green sea turtles, wobbegongs and dugongs. Our instructor, the aptly named Sandy, expertly guides us on a tour beside, around and through the 15 wrecks. Over the next 75 minutes, we are mesmerised by nature. While I’ve snorkelled all over the world, this is my first wrecks dive and it’s a titanic experience.

Nothing can quite describe the feeling of following tiny colourful fish through the bones of a sunken hull of a ship, kicking past portholes and floating above decks. The tour snorkels with the current, the length of the shipwrecks from end to end. The snorkelling reminds me how the simple things in life are often the best. And with that in mind, we head off to enjoy a half-hour relaxation massage. The climax of our day on Moreton Island is its world-renowned wild dolphin feeding. Guests on selected accommodation and day cruise packages can feed

dolphins once per person per stay. But anyone can sit in the stands and observe this nightly heartwarming human/dolphin encounter. The grateful recipient of our tasty herrings is pregnant 14-year-old Silhouette. Her calf now named Comet made its first appearance on January 13 – the fourth generation of the same family to turn up at Tangalooma and the 12th member of the Moreton pod to frequent the jetty. * The writer was a guest of Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island: a 75-minute ferry ride from Pinkenba in Brisbane's north.

Opera Australia performs at the Rock

STARRY OPERA: At the very centre of our continent, an evening of soaring emotion awaits.

OPERA Australia will perform a concert in the spiritual heart of Australia, with Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and Bruce Munro’s Field of Light Uluru as the backdrop. The world’s finest music, married with sublime art in a uniquely Australian setting, will be held under the stars on November 2. Opera Australia’s finest singers will perform famous arias from Bizet, Puccini, Rossini, Verdi and more, accompanied by a

chamber orchestra and conducted by Tahu Matheson. As the sun sets over the desert backdrop, the evening will be illuminated by the spellbinding colours of Field of Light Uluru’s 50,000 glass spheres. The one-off event also offers a totally unique way to experience the global art phenomenon Field of Light Uluru. Since opening at Ayers Rock Resort in 2016, Bruce Munro’s

immersive artwork has dazzled visitors from all over the world and its run has been extended to the end of 2020. The Opera at Uluru program will feature: ■ Rossini – Largo al Factotum from The Barber of Seville ■ Bizet – Habanera from Carmen ■ Bizet – Toreador Song from Carmen ■ Bizet – Au Fond du Temple Saint from The Pearlfishers

■ Puccini – Vissi d’Arte from Tosca ■ Puccini – E Lucevan le Stelle from Tosca ■ Delibes – Flower Duet from Lakmé ■ Puccini – Nessun Dorma from Turandot. Performers will include Natalie Aroyan, Lorina Gore, Angela Hogan, Diego Torre and Haotian Qi. For more information visit www.ayersrockresort. com.au or phone 1300 134 044.

SENIORS \\APRIL, 2019

WELLBEING

How to stay safe in your home for longer

Wellbeing

BRAND INSIGHTS FOR seniors who wish to live independently for as long as possible, a medical alert system is essential for the peace of mind and security needed to age in place safely. What is a medical alert system? A medical alert system is a wearable device that helps you summon emergency assistance when needed so help is literally at your fingertips should you fall or experience a life-threatening emergency. When the button is pushed, it connects to a call centre. The call is received by a dispatcher who is able to speak to the person in distress over a loudspeaker.

Once they have assessed the situation, they can send emergency assistance or contact a friend or family member depending on the nature of the situation. When is it time for a medical alert system? 1. If you’re a senior living alone 2. A fall has occurred or there is a history of falls 3. Unsteady gait or weakness 4. You worry a lot 5. There is no one nearby to help 6. Your medications have side-effects Paul Joseph, from Emergency Medical Services Pty Ltd advocates the safeTwear medical alert system because it has automatic fall detection and safeTcare 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week emergency monitoring, by a

The safeTwear pendant has a built-in SIM card and speaker. Essentially it is a mini mobile phone. Photo: Contributed professional call centre with trained emergency responders. “This is not at all like the old systems (a box that connects to your home phone),” Mr Joseph said. “The safeTwear pendant has a built-in SIM

card and speaker. “Essentially it is a mini mobile phone… with only one button so it’s very simple to use. “You can take it with you wherever you go. “It’s lightweight, and as I said, easy to use, yet the system is incredibly

smart. “It has fall detection, GPS tracking and we see first-hand every day how it really does save lives.” “We often hear horror stories of people who fall and aren’t found for days. “With this advance in technology those

situations are now avoidable. “Anyone living alone will benefit from this system,” he said. To arrange a free safeTwear medical alert system demonstration call 1300 699 159.

Hotline part of national plan to stop elder abuse supported in their later years,” Mr Porter said. By 2056 it is estimated that 22 per cent of Australians or 8.7 million people will be aged over 65, up from 15 per in 2016. “There’s no doubt that a key benchmark of any society is how it treats and protects its older citizens, particularly those who may be vulnerable to abuse in whatever form it takes – emotional, physical or financial,” Mr Porter said. “This national plan provides a framework for co-ordinated action across federal and state/territory governments over the

next four years and reflects the commitment of all governments to act now to support older Australians dealing with elder abuse.” The Attorney-General also officially launched a new national, elder abuse freecall number. 1800 ELDERHelp (1800 353 374) will connect callers from anywhere in Australia to a state or territory phone line where they can discuss potential or actual elder abuse and get the information and referrals they need to protect themselves. “Getting assistance or advice is an important step in empowering older

units ■ health-justice partnerships ■ case management and mediation services,” the Attorney-General said. Every state and territory will have at least one trial site starting before the end of June this year. “We have all heard through media or directly, stories of vulnerable older people being subject to financial abuse, all too often by family members,” Mr Porter said.

SENIOR ABUSE: What is it? Australians to address issues affecting them,” Mr Porter said. “This funding, under the More Choices for a Longer

Life package, will support the establishment of three types of specialist support services: ■ specialist elder abuse

The plan, its companion documents and further information on elder abuse initiatives are available at www.ag.gov. au/ElderAbuse.

Congratulations to our Winners Congratulations to the winners of our King of Thieves Screening giveaway. Anne Freier Anthea Cornish John Morris

Robyn Eyears Vanessa Bradley

Stay tuned to the paper and our website for the latest Seniors News Giveaways Visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitions 6967445aa

AUSTRALIA now has its first national plan to combat the abuse of older Australians – and victims have a new hotline to seek help. Attorney-General Christian Porter recently launched the National Plan to Respond to the Abuse of Older Australians and announced the first key initiatives. “Our population is ageing and the release of this national plan reflects the commitment of our nation’s governments at both the federal and state/territory level to work together to ensure that older Australians can feel and be safe and

APRIL, 2019// SENIORS

Top tips for a good fit The right bra makes being active more comfortable Tracey Johnstone WOMEN are told that ageing well involves getting physically active, but do they know how to make the right clothing choices when doing recreation and competition activities? We asked Berlei’s head designer innovation, Adele Kershaw, to share her tips for choosing the right bra whether we are striding the streets or hitting a competition field. What type of active bra best suits women 60 and over? As we age, our tissue becomes softer and our skin less firm. It’s natural for the Cooper’s ligaments that support the breast to stretch out over time, becoming less effective. The skin also becomes more sensitive and prone to irritation, making close-to-skin comfort of active bras even more important to ensure the skin is not damaged from chaffing or ill-fitting support. For these reasons it’s particularly important for this demographic to ensure they are wearing the correct size and support level for their activity. Should we get fitted for a bra? The bra will only provide the level of support advertised if you are wearing the correct size and so it’s crucial that you get fitted and understand your breast size and shape. It’s important to get professionally fitted every six months because

BREAST HEALTH: Always consider the type of activity you will be using the bra for and therefore what support factor you need. Photo: Berlei

women’s breast sizes change over the course of their lives: ■ Our bodies change all the time as we gain and lose weight, and as we lose muscle tone. ■ There are many health risks in not wearing the correct size bra. Scarring under the breast is a common problem if the bra is far too tight, which

causes it to dig into and rub on flesh. ■ Lack of support in the bra frame adds extra pressure on the shoulders and chest, which can cause complaints in the back, shoulder and neck, especially in women with large breasts. ■ Breast pain due to tight-fitting bras that are uncomfortable with

underwire poking out can also lead to blisters on the skin due to rubbing. ■ Breast sagging can result from wearing a loose bra that fails to support the breasts and help keep them in shape. We recommend being open-minded about your size. It’s just a number and the proper fit of a bra is the most important

part. How important is breast bounce? Breast support is important for all women when active. Women with softer tissue are particularly prone to pain and damage when active. It’s not possible to cure the damage to breasts once they have been impacted and so the

solution is really in support for prevention. What to look for in selecting a bra? Consider the type of activity you will be using the bra for and therefore what support factor you will need: ■ In a sports garment a contour cup will provide more shaping and modesty. ■ Underwire helps separate the breasts and anchor the bra to the body, while a wire-free garment offers more relaxed comfort and freedom to move. ■ Wider straps help distribute the weight of a heavy bust and relieve any pressure you feel through the shoulder. ■ Material should have a strong stretch and feel. When you stretch it in your hand, you should see it return. And as always – fit, fit, fit! Will one bra do? Our research shows that breasts move differently depending on the sport or activity women are doing, however an astounding 76 per cent of women admit to wearing the exact same sports bra no matter what the activity is. A sports bra for yoga will not be the same sports bra for running. Most women are conscious of how their breasts feel during exercise because they can bounce around, feel uncomfortable and painful, however they are often unaware of the damage that can happen below the surface to the soft tissue and delicate Cooper’s ligaments inside their breasts. It is important to wear the correct sports bra during exercise activities and we encourage women to prioritise their breasts by choosing the correct support when it comes to sport.

Boost your day with a quick nap

DOZE OFF: Check these tips for having a better nap every time. Photo: Contributed

TAKING a nap during the day can make a big difference to our mood and energy but that nap can also interfere with our sleep patterns if we aren’t careful. We may want to nap for any number of reasons, such as increasing alertness, regaining energy and preparing for a long period of awake time. The Sleep Health Foundation recommends power napping. This means limiting your nap time to no more than

15–30 minutes. Sleeping any longer won’t make the difference you are looking for. Instead you are likely to wake up feeling groggy and unwilling to get moving. You may also find you struggle to achieve a deep sleep when you head to bed at night. Make it work for you These tips can help you have a better nap every time: ■ Aim to nap at the same time each day

■ Try not to nap too close to the time you normally go to sleep ■ Choose a quiet place, that is darkened and cool ■ Make sure you are comfortable, either sitting up or lying down ■ Try an eye mask if you struggle with napping in the daytime ■ If you are in a car, ensure you are parked in a safe location and the car is locked ■ Avoid drinking caffeine before napping ■ Eating a large meal

before trying to nap could make relaxing more difficult ■ Set an alarm to help you wake up and get moving again ■ Give yourself a moment to orientate yourself after you wake up. Take a few deep breaths, for example, or seek some fresh air before you start driving or walking. For more tips on better sleeping, go to www.sleephealth foundation.org.au.

SENIORS \\APRIL, 2019

Top tips to travel with older pets ‘‘

Living

Preparation makes travel experiences easy

YOU love to travel, and your elderly pet really wants to travel with you. Just like humans, pets need to have a good travel plan and time to adjust to the rigours of the trip. If you have an elderly pet, you must take more precautions, whether you are going on a quick day trip or a longer excursion. 1. A trip to the vet If you are planning to go on a longer trip, make sure your older pet has had a recent veterinary check-up before you go. Ensure that vaccinations are current, and check into airline or train guidelines if your pet will be travelling this way. As much as you want your pet to travel with you, an older pet’s health issue may require that the pet stay home where he or she is more comfortable. Try not to put your pet in a stressful, unhealthy or risky situation. Older pets can also have emotional challenges and may be

Ensure your older pet has had a recent veterinary checkup before travelling

less able to adapt to the travel environment. Once you have all the information and the vet’s opinion, decide whether your pet should accompany you or perhaps stay home with a friend or pet sitter. 2. Crating If your pet is not used to being in a crate, make sure it begins to become accustomed to it. Crate travel in the car is much safer for the pet. Older pets are set in their ways and will need time to make this change.

3. Familiarity Humans are creatures of habit. We love our favourite book or coffee mug or blanket. Pets are no different. Older pets in particular like familiarity, so be sure to pack special pet beds and toys for the journey. 4. Meals Remember that it takes a dog or cat about three hours to digest food, so plan accordingly. Don’t starve your pet before the trip, but feed them lightly before you go. If your pet can wait to eat until after your travel, that is the best scenario. This should help reduce any chance of pet motion sickness. 5. Bathroom breaks Once the pet does eat, it will take about three hours until they need to go to the bathroom, so be sure you are not stuck in a situation where that cannot happen! 6. Exercise Think about how stiff

PET CARE: Veterinarian Dr Sam Kovac. your legs, back and muscles are after you’ve been sitting in a car for a while. You get up and stretch, don’t you? Your pet needs to as well. Take driving breaks and if you are on a long drive, take your dog for a short walk before you get back on the road. Get those old bones moving! 7. Temperatures

You may be just fine in the desert heat or arctic cold, but your pet may not be. Be aware of temperature differences between where you live and where you will travel. Don’t get into a situation where you must leave your pet in a cold or hot car. 8, How old is too old? Dogs reach middle age around age seven, with

cats reaching middle age at about age eight to 10. If your pet is at or past this age, the pet will likely move slower and may have health issues. Use your judgment, but make sure that you are not creating a stressful situation for you or your pet by travelling. Dr Sam Kovac BVSC is the founder of Southern Cross Vet.

Being in the running is now a walk in the park GENERATIONS Project is the buzz with parkrun Australia enthusiasts after news the project will be funded under the Sport Australia Move It AUS Better Ageing government grant. Its primary purpose is to increase parkrun Australia’s participation by

people aged 65 and over by 5000 nationally over the next two years. To do this, parkrun Australia will create 65 new locations to help older Australians connect with their local community. These new members will be encouraged to run,

walk, volunteer or simply be a spectator. The Generations Project funding of $1.8 million creates new weekly parkrun events in areas that have a high older population and provide more older Australians with the chance to take part in free and fun

physical and social activity to help improve their overall health. The Better Ageing grants are intended to address inactivity, isolation and loneliness – major concerns for Australia’s ageing population. Moving from being

inactive to active in a group activity is important for an older person’s health and to socialisation, peer support, conversation and reducing the possibility for loneliness-related physical and mental illnesses. A further 26

organisations including golf, netball, basketball, football, gymnastics, bowls, taekwondo, water polo and surf life saving are receiving funding under the Better Ageing grants. For information, visit parkrun.com.au.

A few good foods to keep you healthy

NUTRITIONAL: Garlic extract benefits include reducing blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

CARDIOLOGIST Dr Ross Walker wants us to start adding these five foods to our diet as each has shown to increase in nutritional value as we age. Kimchi Take better care of your gut by including fermented foods such as kimchi into your diet. It’s rich in vitamin A and C, which have gut-boosting lactobacilli bacteria and antioxidant and immune-boosting abilities.

It’s important to have a good dose of prebiotics, which feed high-quality nutrients to healthy gut bacteria. Matcha It can take some time to produce matcha leaves suitable for drinking – the leaves are covered with shade cloths before harvesting to trigger better flavour and texture. The leaves are then hand-picked, steamed to prevent fermentation, then dried and aged in a

cold room to deepen the flavour. The result is a tea packed full of health-giving properties, including antioxidants such as polyphenols, which have been linked to protecting the body against heart disease and cancer, regulating blood sugar and blood pressure, and even anti-ageing. Aged garlic A study published in Frontiers of Nutrition found that aged garlic

extract had several health benefits, including reducing blood pressure in hypertensive patients, improved the age of arterial stiffness by about five years, inflammation and gut health. The study found that patients who took two capsules a day of Kyolic Aged Garlic reported fewer adverse side effects and an increase in lactobacillus and clostridia, which are known as the good bacteria in the gut.

APRIL, 2019// SENIORS

Easy way to fill a script

Wellbeing

New app just the tonic for medication issues Kerry Heaney

ONLINE ACCESS: The Tonic App allows users to scan a photograph of their script to order prescription medication and over-the-counter items.

STANDING in a queue with a sick family member at a busy pharmacy was the inspiration for two Brisbane dads to develop an app that makes it easier for people to get the medication they need. Guy McKenzie and Adam Gilmore said personal experience showed it needed to be easier for older members of the community, including those with limited mobility or who could not drive, to get their medicine. “In a world where you can get almost everything delivered, including food, groceries and online shopping, it should also be possible to get medicine brought to your door,” Adam said. “After standing in a long line with a sick person, we saw the acute need for greater convenience when

it came to accessing prescription medication.” The Tonic App allows users to scan a photograph of their script to order prescription medication and over-the-counter items like vitamins, hearing aid batteries and painkillers, and nominate a time and place for the products to be delivered. For 65-year-old Rod, who lives on Brisbane’s northside, the service keeps his medications up to date and on tap. Rod takes a multitude of preventative cardiovascular disease medications, as well as blood pressure medications, and has used Tonic since September 2018. His scripts are on file and Tonic ensures the medication is ordered and delivered before his supply runs out. “Pharmacy Guild of Australia stats show 43

per cent of medicine users aged over 50 take five or more medicines, and that’s why we’ve designed the app so seniors can order multiple products at the same time,” Adam said “It also means those with a vulnerable immune system aren’t exposed to a greater risk of infection by having to leave home and wait in line at a pharmacy.” One of the advantages of the Tonic App is users who have repeats on their scripts can set up automatic delivery, meaning they will never run out of the medication they need. “The scripts are stored in the app, so you don’t have to worry about finding them, and an alert is sent when those repeats are getting low as a reminder to return to the doctor,” Adam said. Info: tonicapp.com.au.

Join up with 86-year-old Doreen Wilson and make yourself fit for life EMBRACING the “healthy body, healthy mind” philosophy espoused by the Australian Brain Foundation, Gymnastics Queensland celebrated Brain Awareness Week with a “Fitter for Life” class in Brisbane. Developed specifically for the 8.3 million* Australians over the age of 50, Fitter for Life is a “gymnastics for all” program that aims to help improve mobility, strength and co-ordination. Having already benefited more than 400 Australians since 2017, 86-year-old Fitter for Life instructor and ambassador Doreen Wilson says the program is a fun and easy way to maintain physical and mental fitness. “Research shows that an active body helps lead to a healthy mind, so programs like Fitter for Life can really make a difference to an older person’s quality of life and independence,” Ms Wilson said. “Human beings are integrated creatures so it’s important that we

meet our mental, social and physical needs, no matter what age we are. “Fitter for Life classes include activities to stimulate the brain and create new neural pathways that may never have been used before.” Ms Wilson teaches five classes a week and has seen the real benefits exercise can have for participants, particularly in maintaining their independence for as long as they can. “Simple things like being able to get in and out of bed or up and down from a chair means that people can stay in their own home longer,” she said. “I must stress that we’re not talking cartwheels, vaults and trampolines. Fitter for Life is created to suit the needs of those over the age of 50 and can be adapted to meet the physical needs of all participants.” The Department of Health’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Older Australians (65 years and older)** recommends

FIT: Beth Hume, Margaret-Anne Watkin, Doreen Wilson, Barry Staier, Katie Stewart. that older Australians should accumulate at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day, doing a range of physical activities that incorporate fitness, strength, balance and flexibility. Gymnastics Queensland chief executive Kym Dowdell said Fitter for Life helped

over-50s achieve these physical activity goals as well as improving their mobility in other sports and daily activities and providing a local and social outing. “As we get older, the physical abilities we take for granted when we’re young can become more and more challenging, so

Fitter for Life classes aim to keep people active and functioning as well as they can,” Ms Dowdell said. “The program is designed to build specific muscle strength to stay mobile and to keep doing the things we do daily – like tying our shoelaces, hanging out the washing and walking up and down

stairs. “It’s not a daunting program, we don’t use specific machines or equipment and it can be tailored to any level of physical ability – so it really is gymnastics for all. “We encourage anyone who might be interested in the program or who might be thinking of a parent or friend who could benefit from the activities to visit the website.” Ms Wilson is a shining example of the benefits of the Fitter for Life program and is passionate about encouraging others to get involved. “Every day is a reward for me teaching Fitter for Life,” she said. “Seeing people getting up and getting active, being able to have fun and enjoy some great social interaction is what it’s all about. “I just love to help make people’s lives better.” Details on Fitter for Life and the participating gymnastics clubs, please go to, fitterforlife.org.au.

SENIORS \\APRIL, 2019

Could your home be a financial lifeline in your retirement? Paul Clitheroe AUSTRALIAN retirees are sitting on an estimated $500 billion in home equity but the options for using this resource are tightening up. A number of lenders have bailed out of reverse mortgages, a product that lets over-65s borrow against the value of their home to generate extra income. With lenders like the Commonwealth Bank and Bankwest jumping ship, seniors looking for a reverse mortgage are left with a choice of just IMB, Heartland Seniors’ Finance, and P&N Bank. However, other strategies to harness home equity are available. The Pension Loans Scheme (PLS) run through the Department of Human Services, works in a similar way to reverse mortgages. Your home equity acts as security for the loan, and the amount borrowed

is repaid when you sell up or pass away. Right now, the PLS is only available to age pension recipients, and the payment received is a top-up to the maximum pension payment. That’s about to change. The government has just passed a Bill, which from July 1 this year will see the PLS become open to all retirees including self-funded retirees, with the maximum payment worth 150 per cent of the full age pension. At present the PLS comes with an interest rate of 5.25 per cent. This compares favourably to commercial reverse mortgage rates. P&N Bank’s loan for example, comes at a rate of 6.24 per cent. Lump sum payments aren’t available through the PLS, but it’s still a welcome opportunity for seniors to increase their regular income. Another option for older Australians is downsizing their home to take

advantage of the new downsizer super contribution. A couple aged 65-plus can make combined contributions of up to $600,000 using proceeds from the sale of their home. All of these choices can mean leaving a smaller estate. The MoneySmart website has a calculator that shows the possible impact on home equity of taking out a reverse mortgage. But after years of paying off and maintaining a home, it seems only fair that older Australians should be allowed to use their equity to fund a decent lifestyle rather than focusing on what they can leave for their adult children. The possibility of using home equity is also far more palatable than throwing money into a dodgy “get rich quick” scheme in a desperate bid to generate some extra cash.

Money

FINANCIAL CHOICES: One option for older Australians is downsizing their home to take advantage of the new downsizer super contribution. The latest investment scam report from consumer watchdog, the ACCC, shows that older Australians are more exposed to scams, and often wear some of the biggest losses.

The main point is that as we age, every legitimate resource is worth looking into. After years of service providing a roof over your head, your home could be a financial lifeline in retirement.

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

Be aware – don’t get caught out with an SMSF a professionally managed super fund is that each member of an SMSF is also a trustee. That means every member is responsible for the way the fund is run. And it turns out that not all SMSFs meet the mark. A recent speech by Dana Fleming, the Tax Office’s Assistant Commissioner of Superannuation, identified some of the traps that SMSFs get caught up in. One of the biggest

pitfalls is using an SMSF to access super savings ahead of retirement. It’s what the ATO calls ‘illegal early release’ (IER). Apparently, several hundred newly established SMSFs have been caught out for IER this financial year. The main reasons for dipping into nest eggs prematurely were found to be financial stress or a desire to spend retirement savings on presentday benefits like funding a holiday or buying a home.

In other cases, SMSF trustees simply knew little or nothing about setting up or running an SMSF – the result of being targeted by unscrupulous promoters. The other area of Tax Office focus is the non-lodgement of SMSF annual returns (SARs). Amazingly, 14 per cent of SMSFs – that’s nearly three out of 20 funds – don’t lodge returns on time. Falling behind with paperwork is like waving a

red flag to the ATO bull. As Fleming noted: “Non-lodgement is a strong indicator that the retirement savings of SMSF members may be at risk.” In other words, the fund could be up to something dodgy or isn’t being suitably managed. Establishing your own super fund can be exciting. It’s an opportunity to control your retirement savings in much the same way you have control over other aspects of your financial

wellbeing. But it brings a raft of responsibilities that cannot be delegated to your accountant, tax adviser or financial planner. The bottom line is that as a member of an SMSF, the buck stops with you. Paul Clitheroe is chairman of InvestSMART, chairman of the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board and chief commentator for Money Magazine.

Win a double pass to see “The Chaperone” The Chaperone takes place amid the backdrop of the tumultuous times of the early 1920’s. The life of a Kansas woman (Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey) is forever changed when she chaperones a beautiful and talented 15-year-old dancer named Louise Brooks to New York for the summer. One of them is eager to fulfil her destiny of dance and movie stardom; the other hopes to unearth the mysteries of her past.

The Film reunites the writer, director and star of Downton Abbey TV Series. The Chaperone, based on Laura Moriarty’s best-selling book, is scripted by Julian Fellowes, directed by Michael Engler, and stars Elizabeth McGovern, who played Lady Grantham in the hit series. Movie hits cinemas on April 25th. Want to see what happens in the movie? We have three double passes to giveaway. To be in the draw, just fill in our form online at seniorsnews.com.au/competitions Image credit to StudioCanal

^Visit seniorsnews.com.au/competitionterms for full competition terms and conditions. Promoter is ARM Specialist Media Pty Ltd of 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore Qld 4558. Promotional period 01/04/19 - 24/04/19. Competition drawn 2pm 24/04/19 at Cnr Mayne Rd and Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Winners announced in Seniors June Edition 2019. Total prize value $120 (including GST). Entry is open to all permanent residents of Queensland living in the regions of Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Wide Bay and Toowoomba and New South Wales living in the regions of Northern NSW, Central Coast and Coffs and Clarence. Authorised under Permit NSW/LTPM/18/03133

6969465aa

AUSTRALIA’S 600,000 self-managed super funds (SMSFs) are collectively worth an estimated $755 billion. That’s nearly one-third of total super assets. But it seems not all SMSFs follow the road rules. It’s that time of year when many Australians will think about establishing their own super fund. SMSFs can have a lot going for them, however one of the big differences between running your own fund and

APRIL, 2019// SENIORS

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Fraud is the real deal If someone is requesting money to be transferred to an address or account prior to receiving the goods it may be fraudulent. Don’t be a wally, exercise caution before you respond to a request. Always verify the authenticity of persons requesting your credit card or bank details prior to making any transfers. For more info from the experts visit buysearchsell.com.au/staysafe

SENIORS \\APRIL, 2019

PUZZLES

JIGGERED

1/4

The challenge is to rearrange a crossword which has been broken into 25 sections. One letter has been given to get you started. Work out which 3x3 square fits in with that letter and write in the letters. You can also shade the black squares if you find it helpful. After completing the first 3x3 area, work out which square joins on to it, and continue until you have made a complete crossword.

N D S U T H I

A L D

I V D O

R E

I T

O C

U G A L

R A L Y I

S R A E R M

C C H T E

A R E D O S

U P A N O N

N D G U O U T

N T D C A C H

D E R U S I N

A R O W U E N

B S E

T V I D E N

M A C A O I N N

O B E U O S T

R A Y E O B Y

R H V E E A R

M A D A R R A I

E E C K O

A Y

E D

N E T O S M

T M O

I N G

O U G

QUICK CROSSWORD Down 1. Strange (5) 2. Mergers (13) 3. Unbiased (9) 4. Dives (6) 5. Vehicle (3) 6. Explanation (13) 7. Appears (7) 11. Rented garden (9) 12. Conversation (colloq) (7) 14. Be quiet! (4,2) 17. Long-limbed (5) 19. Man (inf) (3)

Across 1. Tires (7) 5. Pedal (5) 8. Unsuitable (13) 9. Excavate (3) 10. Restoring (9) 12. Carry out, execute (6) 13. Lashes out (6) 15. Intelligence (9) 16. Weaken (3) 18. Daydreaming (13) 20. Windy (5) 21. Power (7)

13 14

TRIO

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

SUDOKU

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

I O R L E D

O N C E U N I T

D I S A R R A Y

G E T S A G U E S A C S

L E A S E

I S L E

A C T O R

A N E M E N P P E R A M U L A B G A S E P A D V A C E M I I L T L O E L Y D C O U N T E R

8 LETTERS DISARRAY DOORSTEP PONYTAIL UPPERCUT

QUIZ

W A D E I C O N N E O N R U A S S I E A T O R E N I P P S C A R P O N Y A D O T E N

7 LETTERS COUNTER SAVELOY

1. In the 17th Century, European explorers named Australia what, after their home country? 2. In mythology, who supported the Earth and the heavens on his back? 3. In land area, which country is larger, Canada or China? 4. Who did Sheriff Pat Garrett kill on July 14, 1881? 5. What was the surname of the man who founded the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company in 1906? 6. Junko Tabei was the ﬁrst woman to do what: climb to the summit of Mount Everest, take a space walk or eat 17 pies in 60 seconds? 7. Does the starling hop along or walk along when on the ground? 8. Which opera was written to celebrate the opening on the Suez canal?

WORDFIT

6 LETTERS AMUSES ASSIST SCARCE VACATE

QUIZ

1. New Holland, 2. Atlas, 3. Canada, 4. Billy the Kid, 5. Kellogg, 6. Climb Mount Everest, 7. Walk, 8. Aida.

5 LETTERS ACTOR CITED ENEMA ENNUI ERASE LEASE NEPAL

QUICK CROSSWORD

Solution opposite

L A B

4 LETTERS AEON AGUE ANON CANE CODE DYED EARL EDAM EMIR GETS ICON ISLE NEON OMEN ONCE OSLO RELY RUIN SACS SARI SPAT TRIO UNIT WADE

Across: 1. Wearies 5. Cycle 8. Inappropriate 9. Dig 10. Replacing 12. Commit 13. Flails 15. Intellect 16. Ail 18. Woolgathering 20. Gusty 21. Potency. Down: 1. Weird 2. Amalgamations 3. Impartial 4. Swoops 5. Car 6. Clariﬁcation 7. Emerges 11. Allotment 12. Chinwag 14. Belt up 17. Leggy 19. Guy.

Fit the words into the grid to create a ﬁnished crossword

3 LETTERS ACE ADO AGE AMP DUO EAT GAP ILL INN IRE LAB LEG NIP OLD ORE PAD PAL PRY RUB SAG SIC TEN WIN

JIGGERED

WORDFIT

TRIO: AVo

Good 18 Very Good 22 Excellent 26+

SUDOKU

TODAY no plurals ending in s.

ALPHAGRAMS

S D

LEERS, MoDELS, NoURISH, oPTIMIST, PACEMAKER.

636

D E R U S I N G A L D O B E U O S T B O S U E G R H V E E A R

M A

REELS SELDOM IN HOURS MOIST TIP CREAM PEAK

N I M A D V I A R R A I D O R A T V L Y I D E I N N D I S R G U A O U T E R M C E C H E C K T E O N E A R E T D O S M O S

S I

S L

How many words of four letters or more can you make? Each letter must be used only once and all words must contain the centre letter. There is at least one nine-letter word. No words starting with a capital are allowed, no plurals ending in s unless the word is also a verb, e.g. he burns with anger.

M A C A R O O W A I N N U E N D E N U I D S T H I N G A T U P A N Y M O O N R A Y U E O G B Y A L E T R I O N C T D C A C H E

WORD GO ROUND

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

aids ails aims amid amiss dais dial dials dims dismal dismiss DISMISSAL diss ilia laid maid mail mails midi mild mislaid miss missal missis sadism said sail sails salmi sild sisal slid slim slims

ALPHAGRAMS

APRIL, 2019// SENIORS