Wide Bay, February 2018 by seniors

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Seniors February, 2018

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In this edition

Cover Story: Andy Thomas .....................................Page 4 What’s on ................................................................Page 10 Travel ...............................................................Pages 11-13 Money ......................................................................Page 14 Wellbeing ................................................................Page 15

Contact us General Manager Geoff Crockett – 07 5430 1006 geoff.crockett@news.com.au Editor Gail Forrer – 07 5435 3203 gail.forrer@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Manager Kristie Waite – 07 5430 8078 kristie.waite@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Media Sales Executive Brett Mauger – 07 3623 1657 brett.mauger@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Now online Get your news online at www.seniorsnews.com.au Advertising, editorial and distribution enquiries Phone: 1300 880 265 or (07) 5435 3200 Email: advertising@seniorsnewspaper.com.au or editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au Location: 2 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore 4558 Website: www.seniorsnews.com.au Subscriptions Only $39.90 for one year (12 editions) including GST and postage anywhere in Australia. Please call our circulations services on 1300 361 604 and quote “Wide Bay Seniors Newspaper”. The Seniors Newspaper is published monthly and distributed free in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales. The Seniors newspaper stable includes Toowoomba, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Northern NSW, Coffs and Clarence and Central Coast publications. Published by News Corp Australia Printed by News Corp Australia, Yandina. Opinions expressed by contributors to Seniors Newspapers are not necessarily those of the editor or the owner/publisher and publication of advertisements implies no endoresement by the owner/publisher.

Welcome

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, February 19, 2018

The extraordinary timeline of change

HELLO readers, This month our cover page features Adelaide-born astronaut Andy Thomas. If ever there was a dramatic story showcasing the extraordinary pace of technological advances and their implementation into daily life, then it belongs to Andy. The experiences of the 66-year-old now Houston USA resident, range from memories of ice being delivered to neighbours to fill the family’s icebox to rocketship launches and walking in space. While most of us have not walked in space, according to our age, we could all draw up an interesting timeline detailing our own experience of technology change. For a start, I’ll share a bit of mine. I’m 60 years old and my first-grade writing materials consisted of a slate and a slate pencil, the next year they were replaced with paper and lead pencil, but it was one marvellous day when I saw the bright, gaudy

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER

Group editor Seniors Newspapers network

colours that issued forth from ‘Neo Magic’ pens (I think this was the beginning of ‘fluoro’ colours). Television broadcasts were in black and white and the news of colour made life feel, well, very much improved. Manual typewriters turned electronic – who remembers the IBM Selectric? I think seatbelts (as we know them) were yet to be made, let alone legislated as compulsory. There were plenty of cars on the road that could be labelled ‘rust buckets’, hardly the case these days. And talking of TVs, how about the invention of the all-in-one television, radio and record player. By the time I started to seriously navigate a kitchen, the

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Today, as I watch my four-year-old grandchild deftly use her iPad, I wonder what changes she will experience... in a yet-to-be known medium.

microwave oven arrived and it seems around the same moment I was typing away on a word-processor, that, looking back featured quite user-unfriendly programs. Today, as I watch my four-year-old grandchild deftly use her iPad, I wonder what sort of changes she will experience and perhaps communicate, in a yet-to-be-known medium. This edition also

features this year’s Senior Australian of the Year, the eminent scientist Dr Graham Farquhar. He said he felt a sense of responsibility to voice his views on Seniors’ issues including seniors in the workplace. “The challenge is how to make better use of their experience and talent without necessarily reducing prospects for younger people to get a job.” He closed his acceptance speech, with, as journalist Tracey Johnstone said, “an evocative life outlook”. He said: “To me the most important things in life are to struggle to improve, to struggle to be honest, and to struggle to re-evaluate one’s prejudices.” I agree. I trust you enjoy our varied stories on health, wealth and happiness and don’t forget to checkout our stories: www.seniors news.com.au or drop into facebook at www. facebook.com/seniors news.com.

Bert Hinkler car rides again after restoration IT HAD been acclaimed by the Armstrong Siddeley Car Club of Australia as “the most significant Armstrong Siddeley restoration of its’ type in the world”. A group of dedicated vehicle enthusiasts and professionals have been beavering away from dawn till dusk over the past three years, restoring the car that was loaned to Bert Hinkler for the occasion of his “Tour of Triumph” Lord Mayoral

NEW LIFE: The Hinkler ArmSid before restoration.

procession through the streets of Brisbane on March 6, 1928.

One slight incident proved to be advantageous in

providing authenticity of the vehicle. A panel was damaged by a police horse during the street parade, and the ensuing insurance claim signed by Bert Hinkler assisted researchers in providing provenance of the vehicle with the registration number, Q1152, clearly displayed on the car. The vehicle was modified and spent the second World War on farm work, then left to deteriorate and fall apart.

The car was donated to the Association by Mr Thomas Smethurst, Brisbane. Bundabergians will be able to witness this amazing revival after the unveiling ceremony, via a special street parade on March 3 along Bourbong St between the Bundaberg Civic Centre and Tantitha St about 11.20am. This will include other veteran and vintage cars from the Bundaberg

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Vintage Vehicle Club and representations from the Armstrong Siddeley Car Club of Australia, making quite a spectacle. The car will be a valuable addition on display at the Hall of Aviation, making what we believe is the largest aviation museum in the world dedicated to a solo aviator. Yes, Bundaberg is more than a place to visit, it is a destination!

News: Australian Senior of the Year

TOP SENIOR: 2018 Senior Australian of the Year, Dr Graham Farquhar AO. PHOTO: SALTY DINGO

Insatiably curious man is Australia’s top senior in 2018 THE man seeking to find the answers to food security, Professor Graham Farquhar AO, is 2018 Senior Australian of the Year. Dr Farquhar was completely surprised by the Australia Day announcement which was awarded for his lifelong work in helping to reshape the world’s understanding of photosynthesis, which is the basis of life on earth, through his work on how the world will feed growing populations into the future. He has been researching how water efficient crops can protect food security in a changing climate. Notably, he has worked on developing strains of wheat that can grow with less water. In his speech Dr Farquhar, 70, acknowledged how lucky many of fellow seniors are. “We can, on average, live longer and more healthily and thereby contribute more. We can be creative. We can struggle for honesty. And, we can deal with failures. We are all lucky because of our ability to embrace creativity and hence progress as a nation,” he said. “Creativity is not limited to the arts or science. It can be applied to most activities I can think of. “I would like to see in Australia, that values creativity of all kind – scientific creativity of course, but also technical, sporting, artistic,

organisational creativity.” Dr Farquhar feels a sense of responsibility to use this year to voice his views on these and other Seniors issues that he feels strongly about. While he recognises that he needs to do some background research on seniors in the workplace, Dr Farquhar’s initial view is that Australia should be making much better use of the talents of seniors. “In terms of energy and intellect, and also experience, that quite often gets lost,” Dr Farquhar said. “The challenge is how to make better use of their experience and talent without necessarily reducing prospects for younger people to get a job because we don’t want to do that. “There are some jobs where volunteers can be working on a casual basis which has no legal implications, but for jobs that require some sensitivity, I think we need to clarify what exactly is the role of the senior person who is volunteering. It may be that it’s not a problem. “I do see a lot of talent that’s not being used and I am imaging, why not? It struck me it could be a bit awkward for large organisations to manage. “But, I am going to talk to a few of those organisations and just find out whether I am dreaming.” Dr Farquhar’s challenge going forward is his availability due to

commitments around his 2017 Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences which will take him on a lecture tour to the US and England, plus a side tour to Turkey to lecture to a group that work with trees. He also has his continuing research work at the Australian National University in Canberra. “I think it’s happening,” Dr Farquhar said. “I’m not sure what my colleagues think with me swanning around, winning medals while they carry on at the fort. I have to make sure I balance my time better than I have been doing recently.” He still has on his 2018 resolution list to join a Golden Oldies dance class, but as he has accepted a number of speaking invitations his other resolutions will sit on the back-burner. “I do feel there are one or two things that I might be a catalyst with,” Dr Farquhar said. “I am not saying I will be original or creative myself, but at least I hope I can help those that are creative in this area have a voice, and I can speak up on their behalf.” The eminent scientist, who is described as having a “childlike joy of discovery” on his scientific journey, closed his awards speech with an evocative life outlook. “To me the most important things in life are to struggle to improve, to struggle to be honest, and to struggle to re-evaluate one’s prejudices.”

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Cover Story: Andy Thomas

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, February 19, 2018

Down to earth about the future Former astronaut is acutely aware of earthly challenges

JOURNALIST TRACEY JOHNSTONE ANDY Thomas’s feet are now firmly on the ground, but it wasn’t so long ago he was setting records as the first Australian-born NASA astronaut. Dr Andy Thomas AO participated in four space flights, spending over 177 days in space including one space walk, and four months living in zero gravity on the Mir space station. But back on the ground in his birth city of Adelaide for a short visit, the 66-year-old shared his practical take on what life has been like and what he sees are the challenges ahead. Dr Thomas has seen dramatic changes around him since leaving the Adelaide suburb of Fullerton after finishing his University of Adelaide doctorate in mechanical engineering in 1978. In his early student years, slide rules were the only tool available for calculation. “By the time I finished post-graduate, we had calculators,” Dr Thomas said. “The other was computers. We had huge

CHANGING WORLD: Dr Andy Thomas.

computers which we would submit programs in with punch cards; you would have a shoebox full of cards. “Then you would wait a few hours to get a response out. “Now, of course, you have more computing power on your desktop than we could ever have imagined back then. “I can also remember when I was very, very young, the neighbours having ice delivered to their house because they didn’t have a refrigerator; they had an ice box. “And I can remember the milkman would come in the middle of the night to leave milk, and he used a horse-drawn cart to deliver to the neighbourhood. “I have (also) seen a lot of changes in technology over my lifespan.” Dr Thomas was back in Australia over the Christmas holidays to visit

his elderly mother, who still lives in Adelaide. While helping her with her care, Dr Thomas became acutely aware of the challenges facing older people, not only in Australia. “Commercial enterprises are becoming totally reliant on computer systems and internet access,” Dr Thomas said. “For example, if you want to run a bank account today you have to have a cell phone. “I get very frustrated by this. I think it’s very presumptuous for banks, for example, to assume that everyone has a cell phone. “Some seniors aren’t comfortable with a cell phone and don’t want one, and are entitled to that, yet you have these organisations that immediately assume you have to have a cell phone for any kind of transaction.”

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We have a culture where we don’t ascribe enough value to evidence-based thinking. He has been confronted by the challenges of food packaging while shopping for his mother. “They are packaged in ways that are almost impossible to get into and that provides huge challenges for elderly people,” Dr Thomas said. As for the shopping experience, with “bricks and mortar” stores decreasing as online shopping becomes the norm. “I think that is going to be a challenge for senior people because they’re not necessarily comfortable buying through the internet,” Dr Thomas said. “They are accustomed to walking the aisles of the grocery story, for example, and trying things on and picking what they want. “That’s going to be

PHOTO: NEWS LTD

relegated to the past and I think it’s going to be a big challenge for a lot of people.” He also laments the lack of evidence-based thinking and the amount of fake news among the broader community. “We don’t teach rational thought that comes with scientific education,” Dr Thomas said. Dr Thomas wants Australia’s grandparents to turn this around. “I urge everyone to encourage their children and grandchildren to study science. You cannot survive (in the modern, technology world) without having some understanding of science and mathematics,” he said. “We have a culture where we don’t ascribe enough value to evidence-based thinking. “You have these extraordinary fake news stories getting perpetuated through the internet which gain traction even though they are utter nonsense. “Some politicians in the US are very schooled at exploiting this; we have a president that exploits it.

“I think it’s really important that we teach people to value evidence-based thinking, empirical evidence and respect for facts, true facts, not fake news.” He also encourages Australia’s younger generations to aim high. “The sky isn’t the limit, based on my own experience,” he said. “I encourage young people to follow their dreams and bring them to reality because I think it’s important they have hope for the future.” Dr Thomas remains resident in America as his wife, Shannon Walker, 53, is also a NASA astronaut. She flew eight years ago and wants to fly again next year. “If you are in the space fight business, you have to be in Houston, Texas, if you want to be an NASA astronaut,” Dr Thomas said. “So, for the immediate future I will be staying in Houston to support her. “I retired from the agency about three years ago. I had four great flights, four more than I ever thought I would get, so I have no complaints.” Dr Thomas still retains a keen interest in Australia’s progression in space programs. He said he was one of many voices that in recent years has pushed the Federal Government to form a national space agency to collect satellite data, for communication, and for environmental, strategic and national security monitoring. “Space is the modern, critical infrastructure that countries need in order to function in the modern world,” Dr Thomas said. “I have pushed very hard for Australia to embrace that and have an in-country capability and infrastructure built around the space sector.”

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OVER THE MOON: Dr Andy Thomas.

PHOTO: NASA

Monday, February 19, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

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Special Interest

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, February 19, 2018

Swinging to a ’70s beat ❝ A blast to the past and a reminder of life in suburbia Tracey Johnstone

AS THE ’70s Swinging Safari movie images started to unveil themselves on the big screen in front of me, the memories came flooding back from when my family were growing up in a suburban Sydney cul-de-sac. Once I got home from the cinema it was out with the old photo albums and on the phone to the family to reminisce. I remember the two boys across the road with air guns, a madly barking Alsatian protecting the loud opera singer in the second house up the road, lots of teenage boys and girls to grow up alongside, a small park at the end which everyone played in and used to let off the occasional bunger, and plenty of freedom to visit the neighbours. We knew we were free to roam and have fun. In the summer, it was down to the beach all day where we fried ourselves with coconut oil, while we

tried to blonde our hair with lemon juice and then peroxide. Were we surrounded by “rudderless families” as profiled in the retro movie? Since I was in my mid-teens, I don’t really know. But when I asked my oldest sister what she remembers about the antics of our cul-de-sac families, she very firmly replied, “not for the record”. She did however remind me of some of the fashion of her friends and their parents which made up a lot of the movie wardrobe – everyone with long hair, halter tops, long dresses, big lapels, chunky earrings, neck scarves, bell-bottom pants, thongs and platform shoes, mission brown and burnt orange colours, men with hairy chests and heavy gold chains and rayon, lots and lots of rayon. Even the old flammable pyjamas made a showing. Constantly tucked in around the outrageous Swinging Safari parody

Even the old flammable pyjamas made a showing.

RETRO FUN: Take a hilarious journey down memory lane with the Australian movie Swinging Safari. In cinemas now.

with a swingers party that goes very wrong and an exploding whale, is a myriad of 1970s memorabilia; you just need to keep a close eye on everything happening in front of and beside the main movie characters. There is the shag pile carpet with plastic cover to protect it, almost unbreakable Parker-type

furniture with its vinyl seat covers, pearlescent plastic chimes, the beach umbrella with its awful fringe, vinyl records, amber glass tumblers, and the very trendy fondue set. Remember the rumpus room? Do we still have them? They were the best indoor place to play and

hide from the parents. In Swinging Safari the kids thrive in the rumpus room where they hatch some crazy stunts. The old Fairlane (ours was murky green) and the Kingswood gets a show-in, so does K-Tel and the “free steak knives”, the Avon lady, space food sticks, Chiko Rolls, Kentucky Fried Chicken,

Kahlua and milk, and last, but not certainly not least, cask wine. The favourite neighbour dog, the over-fed golden Labrador is in there too. We had one called Bambi. Once we had fed her she would visit many houses around the cul-de-sac for more of the same, even though we put a sign around her neck saying, ‘please don’t feed me’. On the way home from the cinema I stopped outside the nearby retro furniture shop to gaze at the contents and shake my head over the prices. I wonder, just wonder; if we had kept all that wonderful, mad ’70s artwork, clothing, cars and more, we might just have made a lot of money from it now? At least we could wear it, drive it and decorate with it, and be back in fashion. Swinging Safari is showing in major cinemas now.

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Monday, February 19, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 7

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“After searching for ﬁve years, our move to Fraser Shores has been the best decision we have ever made.” Russell and Denise, Our Village Residents EASY RESORT STYLE LIVING You will feel right at home in affordable, spacious and beautifully appointed two and three bedroom homes surrounded by resort style facilities. Fraser Shores offers a sanctuary to residents, where you will feel a strong sense of belonging and community. AWARD WINNING HOMES Our quality homes have won HIA Top Homes of the Year Awards for design, character and best value for money in Queensland. You can choose from a wide selection of spacious

two and three bedroom homes, including an executive model. Features include: • Spacious modern kitchens with ample storage and functionality • Open plan living areas, large bedrooms complimented by ensuites in selected designs • Air-conditioned homes with security features • 24 hour emergency call system • All homes are easy access ground level with patios and gardens • New home choices available with double and optional triple or RV garage attached* (*off the plan to suit your speciﬁcations) Our new luxury home program means a home built just for you incorporating liveable

housing design standards and our refurbished homes incorporate the latest in modern design and ﬁnish including larger showers, modern kitchens with stone benches and plenty of functional storage space. AMAZING FACILITIES Fraser Shores recreational and entertainment facilities are designed as an extension of your personal living space where you and your family can relax, socialise and enjoy a peaceful lifestyle. The Community Centre features a 300 seat auditorium with stage and dance ﬂoor, licensed club bar, formal lounge areas, billiard and pool tables, library, craft and computer room, gymnasium, swimming pool, spa and BBQ area. Fraser Shores even has its own full sized bowling green!

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8 Seniors Wide Bay

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, February 19, 2018

Talk’n’thoughts Hurdles, highjumps and solutions

No mistakes, it just happens FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK GAIL FORRER

Group editor Seniors Newspapers network

FOR the past 12 months, I have written many articles to raise awareness on the increasing number of older women experiencing homelessness. According to a 2014 report commissioned by the Mercy Foundation, Older women’s pathways out of homelessness, researched by UQ academics, “the largest proportion of older women presenting with housing crisis in Australia have led conventional lives and rented whilst working and raising a

family. Few have previously been involved with welfare and other support systems”. This month, I received a letter that succinctly described the circumstances that landed one woman in a precarious housing position. Here is an edited extract: “My fear/anxiety is housing or lack of. I need the government to supply more housing. I am a single female aged 76 and paying for private rental. I have never married and I am living on a pension. Anxiety about my living arrangements has been with me for 20 years when I realised I would not earn any more money in my job. I have never married or had children, or applied

for a government firsthome loan. I have rented privately for 50 years at different addresses, as owners wanted to sell, I had to move. I do not smoke or drink. I have worked full time for over 50 years with not much sick leave, I am still healthy and well and active. I do have six hours a month paid employment doing data entry which also helps my computer skills. When I was working I tried to get a bank loan to buy a house and was told ‘single female, not enough deposit’. I was not ‘allowed’ to join super until my late 40s. I did not choose to be single. When you are young and have a partner you can plan your future, which I never did. I just ‘expected’ I would marry

and then it was too late and I was in my 50s when I started to think about retirement and my living arrangements. Before I left work in Sydney, I researched rental villages and was put on waiting lists. I enquired about housing commission and was told about 15 years wait, if ever. I decided to move to Queensland when I retired, as living in Queensland is cheaper than Sydney. The costs of removalists over the years I haven’t added up but it would be thousands. I have been on the housing commission list here for over 10 years and have just been told I may never get accommodation as there is not enough for the homeless. They put

HAVE YOUR SAY: Email editor@seniorsnewspaper.com.au or go online to www.seniorsnews.com.au.

me on the NRAS list which I check regularly and there have been only two or three places suitable but not much cheaper, I feel secure where I am.” Jeanette Large is one person working towards finding answers to this terrible problem. She has worked in the community housing section in Victoria for more than 30 years. She is CEO of Women’s Property Initiatives, a not-for-profit provider of affordable, long-term homes for women, and of Property Initiatives Real Estate, a social enterprise established to create a revenue stream for WPI. Ms Large has addressed the issue of older women and housing through the foundation of a new community housing model. This plan is for

affordable housing for women who do not own a home but do have, with some superannuation, say between $100,000 to $300,000. The model’s finances are accessed through a philanthropic source, commercial loans and a financial contribution from the women. At this stage, Ms Large has secured the funds, however, due to the model undergoing further legal examination to ensure women will receive appropriate ownership in return for their funding and long-term tenancy, the construction start date has been delayed. However, Ms Large is upbeat about its success and forecasts a start date in the next few months. The project is taking place in Melbourne.

Wide Bay

Monday, February 19, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 9

Argyle Gardens is easy living. Discover Bundaberg’s premier retirement lifestyle INSPECT TODAY

AND GO IN THE DRAW TO

“We have everything we need at Argyle Gardens with shopping across the road, clubs and the hospital nearby and the bus stops right out the front.” Maree, Village Resident feels like home. You will feel right at home in affordable, spacious and beautifully appointed two-bedroom and threebedroom homes and a choice of apartments surrounded by resort style facilities and picturesque garden settings. Privacy and practicality combine here, with spacious homes set around a large community and leisure precinct, allowing you to enjoy the best years of your life where everything you will ever need is right at your doorstep. close to everything. Just minutes from one of Bundaberg’s biggest retail hubs, sporting clubs and city centre, at

Argyle Gardens, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping and entertainment with low maintenance living, friendly neighbours and a sought after lifestyle. easy living. If you appreciate fun, friendship and ﬁrst-class amenities, Argyle Gardens Bundaberg is an oasis where your ideal lifestyle abounds. An enticing Community Centre with space to meet up with your family, friends and neighbours, or a ‘secret garden’ to sit down and relax, combine to offer you a wonderful stress-free lifestyle with the magniﬁcent Coral Coast and southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef nearby and ready for you to explore. Resort style facilities at Argyle Gardens Bundaberg include: • •

Auditorium Bar and billiard tables

Dining facilities Swimming pool and BBQ area • Indoor bowls • Craft and hobby room • Hairdressing salon/ barber • Consulting rooms for physicians • RV, caravan and boat parking Also on offer at Argyle Gardens Bundaberg is access to support services including home care services, personal care services, respite care, 24 hour emergency call and meals. • •

Experience the retirement lifestyle you’ve always wanted surrounded by friendly neighbours and amazing facilities in a safe, secure and stress free community within easy reach of major shopping, doctors and hospitals. Argyle Gardens Bundaberg is the perfect home for your retirement.

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10 Seniors Wide Bay

Neighbourhood News

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, February 19, 2018

Community TO ALLOW for readers’ requests for the publication of more neighbourhood news, please keep notices short and to the point (100 word maximum). If you would like to submit a photo please ensure it is at least 180dpi or 500kb to 1mb in size and of faces, in a nice bright setting. The deadline for the March issue is March 7. Email Nicky or Chris at communitynotes @seniors newspaper.com.au.

FRASER COAST VIEW

OUR Club held our AGM Thursday, February 1. Our new and enthusiastic committee is already planning a calendar of interesting events for the 2018 year, including dinner meetings and social activities. We meet every first Thursday of the month from 11.30am at the Club House, Hervey Bay (Golf Club), for a great meal, some fun with quizzes and entertaining guests, birthday gifts and raffles. New members are most welcome, as are visitors. Phone Dianne on 0409 270 712 if you would like to come along to a meeting. Apart from enjoying the dinner meetings, there is a

serious side to our activities. We sponsor 2 Learning for Life students for The Smith Family.

HERVEY BAY VIEW

CLUB meetings and luncheon are always the second Monday of each month at the Club House, Tooth Street, Pialba from 10.30am and usually includes a guest speaker. Monthly socials are on the fourth Monday at various venues from 9.30am. We are lucky to have some very motivated and educated people among our members and many more willing to step forward and help out when needed which is the sign of a good healthy club. We look forward to another happy and successful year working together to support The Smith Family and continue to raise much needed funds to help our Learning for Life student Cohen. Details phone Bev 4128 2692 or email herveybay.viewclub 95@gmail.com.

TOMBOLA

MONSTER pre- Easter Tombola hosted by Quota International of Maryborough Inc. will be held at the Pensioner’s Hall, Upper Adelaide Street, Maryborough on Saturday, March 17. Doors open at noon for a 1pm start. Great prizes including lots of Easter goodies to be won. There will also be a lucky door

prize and a raffle. Refreshments available and a delicious free afternoon tea will be served. Proceeds to local charities.

BRIDGE

BRIDGE is a very intriguing and enjoyable card game for people of all ages and abilities. It has proven health benefits that keeps the brain exercised thus delaying the onset of Alzheimers and dementia. It is a game that utilises strategies and concentration that exercise the brain as well as being a great leisure hobby. Games are played in Bundaberg and Bargara most week days and/or evenings. The appeal of bridge is that it is easy to learn, a hard game to master yet you do not have to be an expert to enjoy it. Being a game of international appreciation and enjoyment you can find games played on cruise liners plus cities and towns around the world. Most bridge clubs welcome visitors as we do here. Beginners classes at Bundaberg Bridge Club, Kendalls Road, Bundaberg (showgrounds site) at 6pm, Wednesday, February 21. Details phone Trevor 0417 196 315.

GIRL GUIDES

COME along and support the Girl Guides and help them attend the Jamboree

What’s on complied by Christine Perkin

A TASTE OF CHINA

CELEBRATE Chinese New Year with A Taste of China, on Friday, February 23 at the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre commencing at 6.15pm. Indulge in traditional Chinese nibbles, your choice of a Chinese Beer or juice and experience a short performance by artists direct from Nanning, China, stay on for the free movie The Great Wall (M) starring Matt Damon. Venue Moncrieff Entertainment Centre, 177 Bourbong Street, Bundaberg on Friday, February 23 from 6.15-7.15pm. Admission: $15. Phone 4130 4163 or email events.admin@ bundaberg.qld.gov.au or go to moncrieff-

bundaberg.com.au/ theatre/taste-china-2018.

ART AFTER DARK

EXHIBITION opening of current exhibitions at the Hervey Bay Regional Gallery on March 23 at 6pm. This is a free event with entertainment, nibbles and cash bar available as well as live music. Located at Fraser Coast Cultural Centre, 166 Old Maryborough Road, Pialba. Phone 4197 4206, email regionalgallery@ frasercoast.qld.gov.au. for more details.

MORNING MELODIES CANADIAN singer Bobby Bruce has been astonishing and amazing packed houses with his passionate, exhilarating and vocally brilliant salute to music legend, Neil Diamond.

Thursday, February 22 at 11am. Cost $15, Friends of The Brolga $14 and Group 10+ $13. Contact the theatre to purchase a season subscription on 4122 6060. Location Brolga Theatre, 5 Walker Street, Maryborough.

HEART OF IRELAND

THROUGH the glens of Antrim, to the ring of Kerry, with stories, heartfelt sing-along ballads, fiery traditional Irish music and dance, delivered by internationally acclaimed Irish band Sásta, a spectacular dance troupe, including the two-time world champion Irish dancer. A special treat is a seanchaí (storyteller) from County Cork – something you may never have experienced before.

in Sydney. The fundraiser will be held on March 25 from 9am-2pm with dog wash $10, sausage sizzle $2, Easter raffle drawn at 1pm $2 per ticket, lob a choc 50 cents a go. Located at the corner of Torquay and Denman Camp Roads, Scarness. Phone 0438 748 465 to make a dog wash booking. Supported by the Hervey Bay Mobile pet grooming Hydrobath.

THE Hervey Bay and Maryborough Multiple Sclerosis Support Group meet on the first Friday of each month on the Deck at the Hervey Bay RSL at 10am for a coffee and a chat. We had our best attendance for quite a while at our February meeting and as usually it was a relaxed meeting with everyone given a chance to have their say. We now have our own more local RSC Chris Peterson who will be stationed in Bundaberg. We all look forward to meeting Chris and she will be here in the Bay next month discussing the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) We are always welcoming of anyone with MS and newly diagnosed are most welcome to sit in on a meeting to discuss their own situation and ask questions. Phone Bev on 4128 2692 or email bev_cornwell@ hotmail.com.

Touring Friday, March 16 at the Heritage Theatre, Gympie Civic Centre at the 32 Mellor Street, Gympie. Doors open 7.30pm. Show starts 8pm. Prices start at $59.90, $49.90 concession.

DISCOVER DOUBLE ISLAND POINT LIGHTHOUSE

LOCAL history ‘Discover our history’ lunchtime talk – On Wednesday, March 7, 12-1pm we talk about Double Island Point Lighthouse with guest speaker Ron Turner. At the Gympie Library. Bookings essential on 5481 0859.

CRUISE GREAT SANDY STRAIT

THIS is a unique opportunity to discover the rich biodiversity and

NEW YEAR: Fraser Coast VIEW Club 2018 committee (from left) Ros Kitchen, Gillian Ryan, Pauline Harriden, Jean Jennings (Zone Councillor), Michelle Pollock, Elaine Sanders (President), Dianne Rankin, Jacky Hens. Absent: Bonnie Fox, Josephine Stevens.

BUNDABERG QUILTERS

DATE claimer for our Biennial Exhibition. August 10-12 at 1 Civic Avenue, Bundaberg, New Multiplex Centre. Opening hours: Friday to Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 9am-3pm. Admission $5.

MIXED PROBUS CLUB OF HERVEY BAY INC.

OUR Club will meet Thursday, February 22 at 9.15am for a 9.30am start at the new venue, upstairs at the Boat Club. There is a lift for those who prefer and friendly greeters to make you feel welcome. Come along and meet new friends. The venue is superb, the view unsurpassed and the company is all you could wish for. A representative from the QLD. Ambulance Service will be the speaker. You may like to join us for lunch after the meeting so be sure to put

history of the wonderful Ramsar listed Great Sandy Strait. By joining a cruise you will support research into the water quality of this incredible waterway, which is now being considered for inclusion on the World Heritage list. Cruises on the MV Amaroo start at 9.30am and conclude at 3pm at the Hervey Bay Boat Club wharf, Urangan. Each cruise will have expert guides aboard providing a running commentary on the history and outstanding natural values of this heritage and biologically diverse waterway. Numbers for each cruise are strictly limited. Cost $100 which includes morning tea, a sandwich lunch and a contribution to the Research Fund. Organisers of the trip are

your name on the list at the desk in the front. Phone Judith 0458 008 087 or Sue 0413 202 448.

HYMNS FOR HIM

WILL be held on Sunday, March 4 from 3.30pm at Tinana Christian Church, 115 Gympie Road, Tinana, with afternoon tea to follow. The Salvation Army Band from Gympie will join with the Bands from Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and Maryborough.

BUNDABERG PCYC MARKET

SUNDAY, March 11 is the date for the next PCYC Market. For a relaxing morning out, go along and browse the stalls, have breakfast, and catch up with some friends. The canteen is open from 7.30am. To be a stallholder or for details call 0437 645 941 or email irene.petretic @pcyc.org.au

the Fraser Island Defenders. Bookings are essential and can be made and confirmed by emailing cruises@fido.org.au. Cruise dates Sunday, March 11 and Tuesday, March 20.

TURTLE HATCHLINGS

BOOK a spot and join the Park Rangers on a tour to see hatching sea turtles until March. Gather around as young hatchlings dig free and hustle down the beach. No one else is allowed on the beach at these times and the popular tours have limited places. Book through the website www. bundabergregion.org or phone 1300 722 099, or in person at 271 Bourbong Street, Bundaberg. Cost adults $12.70 or concession $6.45.

Wide Bay

Monday, February 19, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 11

T ravel

FOOD is an important part of travel and for many it is the main purpose of visiting a country. Ann Rickard believes in embracing the cuisine of the country you are in, forgetting all your usual favourite foods and taking your taste buds out for new experience. Be brave and try, she says. These are her 10 favourite food countries, but you surely will have your own. ■ CHINA STICK to the familiar if you are nervous, but dumplings, Peking duck, yum cha and stir fries as we know them are taken to a new level of flavour. For the adventurous, everything is possible. We’ve braved chicken feet in a Guangzhou restaurant that seated 1000 people, eating everything from what looked like battered spiders to slippery eels. ■ VIETNAM FAMILIAR and fabulous is Goi Cuon, a translucent

best food destinations spring roll filled with minced pork or crab and coriander. Not so familiar but a must-try is Banh Xeo, sizzling fried pancakes with prawns, bean sprouts and egg, wrapped in rice paper with herbs and dipped into a spicy sauce. Steer clear of the wet markets unless you have a strong stomach. Live frogs, snakes and turtles in buckets might disturb us but the locals love them simmered in a spicy sauce. ■ FRANCE IT’S not all Michelin-star dining, although it is quite the experience to sit down in elegant surroundings to confit duck and foie gras. But the real pleasure comes in finding a rustic bistro (often behind a tabac in a small village) serving three simple but good courses for 15 euros – the lot, including wine. Then there are the vibrant markets to pick up a pungent cheese, gnarly

2018 TOURS

tomatoes, marinated olives, an obligatory baguette and maybe an apple tart tatine. Where’s the nearest picnic spot? ■ THAILAND WE’VE eaten five-star here at David Thompson’s Nahm restaurant with its teak and wood panels, but we also love pulling up a plastic chair at a tin table on a footpath while something nearby sizzles in a wok or chars on an open burner. Don’t be afraid to eat on the street, but stick the rule of eating at stalls with crowds of locals, and watch your food being cooked (beware of anything in a food warmer.) For the timid, street food tours with English-speaking guides in the cities and towns will show you the ropes. ■ SPAIN HIT as many tapas bars as possible for lunch and feast on hundreds of varieties of small bites. Then have a long siesta

and go out to eat at 11pm like the locals do. Paella at one of the waterfront restaurants along the Passeig de Joan de Borbo might be touristy but when you have a towering pan of fragrant, saffron rice filled with moist chicken and fresh seafood in front of you, being a tourist among other tourists is okay. ■ MALAYSIA BREAKFAST on roti canai, a griddled pizza-like dough with a pile of lentils on top, (or an egg if you are conservative.) Eat at least six times a day here where food is king and all the familiar dishes are tastier than we know them: nasi goreng, rendang curry, satays. But a snack on the street of kuey teow, rice noodles cooked over charcoal with chilli, prawns and soy, eaten out of a paper parcel, will make you feel like a local. ■ ITALY ENJOY your pizzas with thin crusts and simple

mozzarella, prosciutto and tomato topping, and eat one all to yourself (locals do) and then take the taste buds out of their comfort zone with insalate di polpo (boiled octopus salad) or trippa (tripe). Each region has its own trippa recipe but it is often cooked in a tomato and wine broth. Look for cacciucco, a seafood stew in a chilli tomato broth. ■ GERMANY FOOD is not the first thing you think of here, more like beer, but start the day with bread and you’ll know you’ve arrived. Crusty outsides, soft or dense insides, Germans eat bread with every meal. Then there are the slow-cooked pork knuckles, smoked meats, sauerkraut… let yourself go but do save yourself for a large slice of Black Forest Cake. ■ SWITZERLAND THIS small land-locked country never blows its trumpet about its cuisine

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Stanthorpe Apple & Grape Festival Dalby Pioneer Park Museum Jimbour Homestead Jondaryan Woolshed Coolmunda Organic Olives Granite Belt Brewery Aloomba Lavender Farm Lawdogs Australia

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5 Night Stay Albury Bright Autumn Festival & Grand Parade Blue Mountains Sightseeing Canberra Sightseeing Beechworth Historic Precinct Australian Pumpkin Seed Company Tour Barwidgee Lavender Farm Brown Brothers Winery

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4 Nights 4.5 star 1770 Lagoons Resort 1770 LARC Tour Captain Cook Festival & Re-Enactment Lady Musgrave Cruise Bundaberg Rum Distillery Hinkler Hall of Aviation Flying High Bird Sanctuary Ohana Winery Farm Tour & Tasting

Adult: $2578pp Single Supplement: $551

but some of the tastiest food in the world is here. Rosti, thinly grated, pan-fried potatoes is a national dish, enhanced with salty bacon and fried egg and raclette cheese (Rosti Valaisanne) and eaten with tangy gherkins and pickled pearl onions. Finish that off with a Swiss chocolate or two and you’ll know you’re in a country that loves its food. ■ GREECE IN A taverna in the Plaka with views of the Acropolis I once ate a slab of moussaka so rich, I could barely lift my stomach off the ground for two days. But moussaka is a must in Greece, as is stuffed squid, a Greek salad, meatballs and baklava. Octopus, fresh off the boat and cooked over a grill on any Greek Island is going to be a lasting memory. Read more of Ann’s musings at www.annrickard.com

2 Night Stay Tibooburra & Coober Pedy Birdsville Hotel & Birdsville Track Arckaringa Station & the Painted Desert Umoona Opal Mine & Coober Pedy Tour Jacobs Creek Winery Hahndorf Kangaroo Island Overnight & Full Day Tour Twelve Apostles

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12 Seniors Wide Bay

Travel

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, February 19, 2018

Glenn’s blues and jazz cruise Gail Forrer

BLUES and jazz fans come on down. This is your chance to do a slide riff into the birthplace of jazz and blues with the master of music, the legendary music journalist and historian Glenn A. Baker. In 2014, Glenn A. Baker, a three-time winner of the BBC’s Rock Brain of The Universe title, label owner and nationally syndicated radio presenter, led a tour to Beatle Week in Liverpool via Hamburg and London. The tour didn’t miss a trick including visits to famous sites such as George Harrison’s house, Penny Lane and the obligatory pic across Abbey Road. Glenn said the commonality of purpose really brought the tour together, but he was over the moon when various tour travellers called it the trip of a lifetime. The positive feedback was a key factor in his hosting of the 2018 Mississippi River cruise. According to the man with the encyclopaedic knowledge of music, the 16-day cruise (June 22-July 10) has a lot of romance attached to it.

Perhaps the love begins with the American Queen. The riverboat claims the reputation as the world’s most luxurious and opulent of its kind, a floating palace that glides regally between the banks of the Mississippi River, where memories of Huckleberry Finn and his childhood adventures are scattered through the river’s wilderness along with the soaring emotional melodies that found root in this fertile country. Glenn A. Baker’s easy conversation and brilliant knowledge will reveal to you the music and its makers when you visit the hot spots such as New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville and many more, including a cruise to Elvis Presley’s Graceland, the Louisiana Delta Museum, The Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Sun Studios, Fame Studios, New Orleans Studios and the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in New Orleans. In each new destination you will be immersed in a musical nirvana, celebrating the birthplaces and historical landmarks of gospel, blues, jazz, bluegrass, country and rock’n’roll.

CRUISING: American Queen.

Also a two-time Travel Writer of the Year recipient, Glenn has visited more than 120 countries, making him the ideal guide for the American Queen’s voyage into the heart of American blues, rock and soul. Not only does the cruise explore so much history, but it takes passengers to the haunts of some of the truly pivotal acts of America’s musical history – to the Crossroads where the devil and the blues are

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RIGHT: Glenn A Baker.

supposed to have interconnected, to the recording studios where some of the greatest sounds of the twentieth century were captured. “The cities we’re visiting were at the centre of, and shaped the face of music for decades. On top of that, it’s going to be a huge amount of fun, with like-minded people indulging their passions and being immersed in the cultures they have long dreamed of.”

TOUR DETAILS The cruise offers fine dining each night with local produce prepared by celebrated American chefs. On the American Queen, passengers are treated to breakfast every day, along with luxurious five-course dinners with wine and beer included. The ship also boasts a vast library and a two-deck-tall Grand Saloon to showcase the cruise’s Broadway-worthy entertainment. Prices

start at $9990 twin share including air fares, accommodation, food and drinks on board the ship, world-class entertainment and access to daily sightseeing attractions. For details go to www.travelrite.com.au or call 1800 630 343.

FULLY ESCORTED HOLIDAYS* HOSTED FROM AUSTRALIA

SMALL GROUPS* MAXIMUM 20 PEOPLE

MUSIC & THE MISSISSIPPI

19 DAYS

Departs Brisbane: 15 May 2018 + Listen to the local jazz music in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans + Enjoy an airboat ride through the swamps and bayous of Louisiana + Relax as you cruise up the mighty Mississippi River from New Orleans to Memphis on a traditional paddle steamer + Explore the magnificent historic Plantation homes at Oak Alley + Take a tour to the birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll at Sun Studios, Memphis + Experience everything Elvis on an included tour of the famous Graceland + Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville + See an unforgettable stage show at the iconic Grand Ole Opry + Return airfares from Australia to Nashville and New Orleans to Australia + Breakfast daily, 8 lunches, 10 dinners from solo traveller from

$11,995* $15,570*

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HERVEY BAY

1300 732 697

escortedescapes.com.au *Travel restrictions & conditions apply. For further details refer to escortedescapes.com.au. Prices are correct as at 19 Jan 18 & are subject to change. Prices are per person, twin share and subject to availability. Prices shown are for payments made by cash in store and are fully inclusive of taxes, levies, government charges and other applicable fees. Payments made by credit card incur a surcharge. ^Interest Free: Approved applicants only. Fees, terms and conditions apply including $99 Annual Fee. Minimum finance amount $999. A minimum monthly repayment is required regardless of applicable Interest Free periods. Interest, currently 23.99% p.a. (variable), is payable on the balance outstanding after any Interest Free term. Credit provided by FlexiCards Australia Pty Ltd ABN 31 099 651 877 Australian Credit Licence number 247415 (FlexiCards). Lombard® is a trademark of FlexiCards Australia Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of FlexiGroup Limited. ~60+ Discount: Offer valid until 30 Jun 18. New bookings only, limited to one $100 discount per senior. Minimum booking value of $2500 per person consisting of air & land/cruise arrangements, or a land/cruise only booking over the value of $2500 per person. Valid identification card must be presented to consultant at time of quotation. Please ask us for further details or visit our website at http://www.escapetravel.com.au/terms-conditions. FROM BRISBANE. Flight Centre Travel Group Limited (ABN 25 003 377 188) trading as Escape Travel. ATAS Accreditation No. A10412. ATAS Accreditation No. A10412. ETHBF80223

Travel

Monday, February 19, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Wide Bay

Seniors 13

The Great Barrier Island night sky. PHOTO: MARK RUSSELL / SOPHI REINHOLT

■ Come over to the Dark Sky Sanctuary Granted International Dark Sky Sanctuary certification in 2017, Aotea/Great Barrier is the only island in the world to enjoy this status. The rugged 285sq km island at the

INTERNATIONAL HOBBIT DAY: Visit the magical Hobbiton movie set.

outer edge of the Hauraki Gulf has just 885 permanent residents and no reticulated power (off the grid for real!). As a result, there is minimal light pollution, which makes for absolutely spectacular stargazing.

Top 5 reasons to visit NZ A NEW year is upon us and for keen travellers it is the ideal time to start planning our new adventures, with New Zealand sitting at the top of many wish lists. Renowned for its cinematic landscapes, kilometres of pristine coastline and welcoming locals, the Land of the Long White Cloud also offers a lot of stuff to do. And whether you’re visiting for adventurous pursuits or you have more refined pleasures in mind, you’ll find five good reasons to start planning a trip to Aotearoa/New Zealand right here. ■ Indulge in the wine of Aotearoa There are more than 450 wine experiences to be found on New Zealand Wine’s official website www.nzwine.com/en/ visit-us and in 2018 there are barrels of compelling reasons to visit New Zealand if you’re viticulturally inclined. Toast Martinborough, held each November in the Wairarapa region, promises good times among the vines. Or make your way to FAWC, the Hawkes Bay Food and Wine Classic, also in November. Push the boat right out and set course for Cloudy Bay in the heart of the South Island’s Marlborough region, where the proprietors can arrange everything from a simple tasting to a mouth-watering meal or helicopter wine tour. Cloudy Bay also offers half- or full-day wining and dining tours aboard a 54ft yacht. The choice is yours. ■ Watch the Warbirds over Wanaka

Celebrating 30 years of spectacles in the sky, Warbirds over Wanaka International Airshow is one of the world’s bestloved aviation festivals. Established by Sir Tim Wallis, a live deer recovery pilot looking for a way to showcase his private collection of WWII aircraft, the biennial event is held in even-numbered years at Easter (March 30-April 1, 2018), attracting up to 50,000 aviation fans. Wanaka is arguably one of New Zealand’s most picturesque regions. Framed by dramatic alpine scenery, it is the South Island at its most majestic. For the air show, roads are closed and nearby towns burst at the seams, while Wanaka Airport buzzes with all manner of aircraft. Watch in awe as aircraft from the pioneer days of flight astonish with their aerobatics, then marvel as more modern flying machines zoom overhead. ■ It’s a World of Wearable Art in Wellington The World of Wearable Art Awards Show, or WOW as it’s fondly known, is one of the highlights of Wellington’s annual diary and features works by some of the world’s most innovative designers and couturiers competing for prizes worth more than $165,000. With a range of events, the major drawcard is the showcase of the top entries, the creme de la creme of creations. WOW has been described as a collision of theatre, fashion and arts, and with 2018 being its 30th year since starting out in a Nelson country

cottage, they’ll be pulling out all the stops. If you can’t be in Wellington in spring (September), but want to experience the WOW factor, visit the WOW Gallery in Nelson, where winners from each season are on display. ■ Happy Hobbit Day at Hobbiton With the birthdays of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins on September 22, International Hobbit Day will be celebrated in style at Hobbiton in 2018. Festivities on the day include a guided tour of the Shire at dusk. Fans will be escorted through the 4.85ha site, learning fascinating details of how the movie sets were created. Arriving at The Green Dragon Inn, there’ll be plenty of time to relax in front of open fires and enjoy traditional Middle Earth ales and ciders. Then stroll around the Marketplace where individually themed stalls hawk Hobbit wares, local cheeses, breads, cured meats and fresh produce. All the while, roaming entertainers mingle with guests. When the buffet is served, pace yourself, as Shire tradition encourages second helpings. To end the night, you’ll wander back along lantern-lit trails – pure magic. ■ Get in training for the Golden Oldies in Christchurch Promising fun, friendship and fraternity, the Golden Oldies games in Christchurch in April 2018 is a month-long celebration of sport with the focus on mature participants. Featuring basketball,

cricket, netball, lawn bowls, squash, softball, rugby, golf, football and hockey, this biennial event attracts sports fans and teams from around the world. As much about the love of sport as it is about winning, you don’t even

have to be a member of a team to take part because many teams are eager for extra players. Contact the organisers prior to the event and it’s likely you’ll be able to slot into a team. There’s no upper age limit and participants can

be as young as 35. With 10,000 entrants expected to converge on the city, this will be Christchurch’s biggest participant event ever and also the first time in Golden Oldie history that all the events have been held in one location.

Call our frie endly, expe erienced team to book your next crui uise or touring ho oliday or to join one of Go See ee Touring’s special gro roup departures.

1300 551 997 goseetouring.c com

SPLENDID SINGAPORE

7 nights accomodation at Park Hotel Clarke Quay with late checkout. Cooked breakfast daily, 1 x Lunch and 7 x Dinners. Touring and Entrance Fees as per itinerary, visit the Botanic & Orchid Gardens, SEA Aquarium, Gardens by the Bay, Changi, Universal Studios, Wings of Time, Breakfast at the Zoo, High Tea at Raffles, and so much more.

HOSTED BY JOHN MCSWEENEY

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per person Twin Share ex BNE & SYD, Single supplement $4,069

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13 nights quality 4star accomodation, cooked breakfast daily, 3 x lunches & 12 x dinners. All touring & admissions as per itinerary. Services of local guide, Gratuities and visas. Visit Old & New Delhi, Udaipur - City of Lakes, Jeep Excursions in Rajasthan, Train ride in Aravalli Ranges, and so much more.

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Join us for Pétanque und der the pines! C Come to Norfolk Island with us forr the inaaugural Norfolk Pine Pétanque Cup. 7 nigh ghts including flights and much morre. Dine & tour Norfolk and play Petanque on a beautiful clifftop propert rtty. Book now tto secure your spot!ç

TERMS & CONDITIONS *Price is per person Twin Share fully in nclusive. Single Supplement applies. Credit card sur urcharges apply. Deposit of AUD$500-$800 per person is required to secure tour. Tour requires a minimum number n of passengers to depart. Prices may fl fluctuate if surcharges, fee, taxes or currency change. Prices current as at 25 January 2018. Go SeeTouring Pty Ltd T/A Go G See Touring Member of Helloworld ABN: 72 122 522 276 ATAS Accreditation A11320

14 Seniors Wide Bay

Finance

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, February 19, 2018

Money

Aged Pension acid test

THE new assets test has become an acid test for many who were receiving a part Age Pension. Almost 90,000 individuals and couples around Australia who previously received a part Age Pension payment completely lost their entitlements in 2017 as a result of the Federal Government’s changes to the pension assets test rules, it can be revealed. In addition, hundreds of thousands of individuals and couples who were previously receiving a full pension have had their payments reduced.

DISCOVER THE LAND AROUND US

limits on the amount of assets outside of a family home that could be held by couples or individuals before their pension rate was reduced. The amount of pension received is now reduced by $3 per fortnight for every $1000 over the new limits under what is known as the pension taper rate.

THE ASSETS TEST LIMITS

■ SINGLE Home owner $250,000 Non-home owner $450,000 ■ COUPLE Home owner $375,000 Non-home owner $575,000 USING the latest official government data, our research has found that between the end of December 2016 and the

end of June, the number of recipients receiving a part Age Pension under the assets test fell from 486,031 to 321,106, a variation of just over 147,000. The DSS has claimed only part of that difference was due to the actual changes in the assets test, and that no full rate age pensioners have had their pension cancelled due to the assets test changes. However, between December 2016 and mid-2017, the total number of Australians receiving an Age Pension dropped from 2.57 million to 2.49 million. The number of couples receiving a full or part pension fell by around 61,000, from 1.43 million to 1.37 million, while the number of singles slipped from 1.13 million to

1.12 million. In terms of assessing the Age Pension under the assets test, the DSS data shows that around 1.18 million recipients are couples owning a home. A further 660,000 are singles owning a home. These cohorts tend to have the highest value level of assets outside of their homes. The pension assets test does not apply to the family home itself, but does to its contents and any other assets owned including property, vehicles, caravans, boats, superannuation holdings and funds in bank accounts. Average superannuation balances at retirement already put many Australians close to or over the new asset test thresholds. But one of the

biggest problems for those in this position is that having higher superannuation retirement savings may actually generate less tax-free income than those who only receive the Age Pension. In other words, having more can equal receiving less. As such, the changes to the assets test could deter some individuals and couples from putting more money into their superannuation so they can still supplement their income with a pension. But this is a complex area and it’s definitely worth seeing a financial adviser to assess all your options. Tony Kaye is the editor of Eureka Report, which is owned by financial services group InvestSMART. www.investsmart.com.au

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FINANCE TONY KAYE

The revised pension assets test rules introduced last year also mean many Australians who had calculated their retirement income stream around receiving a part Age Pension in the future should seek out professional advice urgently to re-evaluate their financial position. The Federal Department of Social Services has confirmed to Eureka Report that around 86,600 part rate age pensioners had their pension cancelled directly as a result of the assets test changes that came into effect on January 1, 2017. And, as we head into 2018, more retiring Australians will likely miss out on receiving any level of age pension. The Federal Government set new

Wide Bay

Monday, February 19, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

Seniors 15

Wellbeing

Politician’s battle to balance work and health Tracey Johnstone

FORMER tennis great in the 1970s and now Federal Government MP, John Alexander OAM, works long hours in his public life which puts a strain on his health. A younger man may not think this is a significant issue, but for the 66-year-old, who in a former life was extremely active when competing on the international tennis circuit for 18 years, finding a balance between work and health is important to living a healthy and consequently, happy ageing life. Seniors News spoke with the member for

Bennelong while he was savouring the short Christmas-time break from Canberra, distracting him from a game of golf with his partner Deb Chadwick, for a chat about keeping healthy in a fast-paced world. “I’m very good at lecturing people about it, but I’m not very good at doing it myself,” Mr Alexander said. “Inevitably you do what has to be done at work and then you squeeze in whatever you can as far as maintenance goes.” The start of every new year he makes a commitment to finding a better health balance. “This New Year’s Eve

resolution was more exercise, less food and less alcohol,” Mr Alexander said. “Then I read everyone has made the same one.” It’s a tough resolution to achieve as Mr Alexander, like many other government ministers, is on the job at least six days and often six nights a week as well. While many politicians put on weight, Mr Alexander has consciously worked on lowering his weight, even following the 5:2 Diet to trim off the edges of a lifestyle that involves a lot of work functions. Preserving at least one day a week for relaxation

and outdoor activity is a must for him. Sometimes he gets that day, sometimes he doesn’t. But when he does get a day off, he enjoys his golf or a social game of tennis. Otherwise, he tries to fit in a little bit of running, walking and some gym work. “I am reasonably active, but nowhere near regimented enough because the life of a politician doesn’t give you that standard nine-to-five,” he said. “You might be out seven nights in a row so when you are and have to work through the next day, you try to catch every minute of sleep you can,” he said.

ACTIVE AGEING: Federal minister and member for Bennelong, John Alexander OAM.

What the 6 most common pathology tests reveal about your health ACCORDING to Pathology Awareness Australia, more than 500 million pathology tests were ordered for Australians in 2017. If letters like LFT, FBE, FBC, TSH and 25OH-D look familiar, it’s because they are among the six most common tests performed last year. But what do they actually reveal about your health? LFT LIVER Function Tests (LFT) are a group of tests that measure enzymes, proteins and substances produced by the liver. The amount of these substances in the blood can indicate liver injury. When performed

together, these tests give the doctor a snapshot of your liver and provide a starting place for any further diagnostic testing. FBE FULL blood examinations (FBE), also known as Full Blood Counts (FBC), provide important information about the blood cells, including the number and correct development of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Abnormalities in the FBE can indicate anaemia, infections, some blood cancers and inherited conditions. IRON STUDIES

WITH nearly six million iron studies conducted in 2017, it’s clear that iron is a big concern for Australians. Iron tests are usually ordered if the doctor suspects there is too much or too little iron in the system. Low levels of iron can lead to anaemia, while too much increases the risk of liver disease, heart failure, arthritis and diabetes. TSH TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) Quantification is the fourth most common pathology test, with over 4.5 million performed last year. As part of the Thyroid Function Test,

TSH Quantification allows the doctor to screen, diagnose and monitor thyroid disorders such as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism by measuring the amount of thyroid-stimulating hormones present. These hormones regulate a range of vital bodily functions from breathing and energy levels to heart rate and temperature. Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can occur spontaneously or as a result of tumours, pregnancy, infections and medications. URINALYSIS URINALYSIS involves

testing a sample of urine to look for metabolic disorders such as diabetes and kidney disorders. Common tests as part of urinalysis include testing for urine protein during pregnancy, red cells which can signal kidney disease as well as urinary tract infections. VITAMIN D MEASUREMENTS are used to check that the body has an adequate supply of vitamin D which is vital for healthy bones as well as the absorption of minerals from food. Vitamin D deficiency is a growing problem in Australia and in 2017 over three million tests

were requested – more than any other year and is so common, your doctor may perform a vitamin D measurement as part of a general check-up. The test may also be used to investigate possible bone disease, kidney disease or malabsorption, a syndrome that can prevent the body from fully absorbing nutrients. Expert comment is available from pathologists Dr Ellen Maxwell (Haematology) and A/Prof Graham Jones (Chemical Pathology). MBS data source: www.medicarestatistics. humanservices.gov.au/ statistics/mbs_group.jsp

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Advertising Feature

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, February 19, 2018

STAY AT HOME

Retiring in your home Find out how to get more from your Home Care Package HOME is where the heart is. It’s where we feel we belong, we feel safe and where so many memories are made. According to the Productivity Commission, the majority of older Australians would strongly prefer to “age in place” by staying in their own homes, rather than moving into a retirement or aged care facility. More than threequarters (76 per cent) of over 60s told the commission they want to see out their retirement in their own home. When my mum’s dementia was advancing and my dad was struggling on his own, I remember the service provider that gave us all life-saving support. It wasn’t just about having practical care. It was a few precious

hours when we could all just take a big breath out knowing we had some back-up. We all needed our well-being fuel tanks to be refilled regularly so we weren’t running on empty. So how can you get more care from your home care package? “Well it’s time to have a closer look at what you are being charged by your current service provider,” Just Better Care director Tony Sandy said. “Most service providers are charging way too much for fees like administration fees, management fees, exit fees, basic daily fees, leaving the customer with very little to spend on their care.” Just Better Care has cut most of these fees and only charge a small administration and advisory fee, leaving the

QUALITY CARE: Home is where love resides, memories are created, and friends belong. It’s natural to want to stay there as long as you can.

majority of the package to be spent directly on care. “So for six months you’ll have 100 per cent of your Home Care Package

going directly to your care, and that’s how Home Care should be,” Mr Sandy said. Home is where love

resides, memories are created, and friends belong. It’s natural to want to stay there as long as you

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Monday, February 19, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

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Seniors 17

18 Seniors Wide Bay

Living

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, February 19, 2018

STYLISH DOWNSIZING: Bathers Beachside, Margate Beach. PHOTO: MIKE CURTAIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Downsize to upgrade your lifestyle on Brisbane’s coast REDUCING your living space to a luxury apartment and upgrading your lifestyle on Brisbane’s coast is a very attractive option. There are many factors to consider when moving from your prized family home, but if you’re an empty-nester, downsizing into a smaller place is both sensible and economical. Retirees looking to downsize to a modern apartment have the opportunity to re-evaluate their lifestyle. Unsurprisingly, many opt for a quieter beachside life, lapping up the water views and brilliant sunshine it offers. Acclaimed coastal property developer

Traders in Purple caters to the over 50s demographic. It creates new, luxurious and modern seaside developments for those who are unwilling to compromise on quality. With sweeping panoramic views of Moreton Bay, new developments like Bathers Beachside, and the recently completed Waters Edge and The Scarborough, offer unprecedented value for money for retirees. These developments are at coastal havens of unparalleled beauty right at your doorstep, and although it feels like a holiday destination, the Brisbane CBD is still close by. The vibrant bayside suburbs, which are just

north of Brisbane city, are blessed with beautifully maintained parks and walking tracks, making this area appealing to potential buyers who are searching for peace and serenity. The residences have open-plan living spaces and contemporary kitchens with high-quality appliances, ensuring a sleek modern feel that is both stylish and functional for over 50s. Every fitting and finish is meticulously selected, from the stylish designer-appointed interiors to the premium custom cabinetry, so you don’t feel you have compromised in the slightest. One of the key advantages of downsizing

able to take advantage of an attractive new government scheme which will allow retirees aged 65 and over to make a non-concessional contribution of $300,000 for a single and $600,000 for a couple, from the sale of their principal place of residence which they have lived in for 10 years or more, directly into superannuation.

to an apartment is the freedom it affords retirees. It gives those who have left the workforce the choice to live in a place that celebrates a relaxed style of life, where maintenance is low and recreational facilities are in

STYLISH DOWNSIZING: Bathers Beachside with its stunning location, beautiful finishes and generous spaces.

abundance. Better yet, freehold apartments often come with a real sense of community without an expensive price tag that landed property in desired locations have. Apartment living also provides greater security and convenience for those seeking a better quality of life. Think of it as downsizing your space, but upgrading your lifestyle. Forget mowing the lawns, taking out the garbage bins and worrying about the safety of your household belongings if you take a holiday break. The upkeep and ongoing costs of maintenance for vertical living are minimal compared to those required to run a house, villa or townhouse. From July this year property owners will be

BATHERS BEACHSIDE LUXURY APARTMENTS

BATHERS Beachside is a super-high-end, luxury project consisting of 24 exclusive, large-scale apartments positioned directly on Suttons Beach at Margate. The prestigious waterfront development, which occupies the iconic site of the old Waltzing Matilda Motel, is for those who expect only the best. This superb spot, which has been referred to as the jewel on the Redcliffe Peninsula, will help you transition into retirement with ease. For more information about Traders in Purple developments, call 0477 432 432 or visit www.tradersinpurple.com. ADVERTORIAL

Monday, February 19, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

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Seniors 19

NOW IN CONSTRUCTION. MOVE IN LATE 2018.

LIMITED EDITION LUXURY BEACHSIDE APARTMENTS WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LIFE. IT BEGINS HERE Bathers Beachside is the Peninsula’s newest and most prestigious waterfront development. Designed and developed by Traders in Purple with luxury living in mind, these exquisite residences deliver an unprecedented attention to detail and ﬁnishes second to none. Perfectly positioned in a premier waterfront enclave right by the beach on Margate Parade. Each apartment features three large bedrooms, two deluxe bathrooms, contemporary kitchen with Miele appliances as well as spacious living areas and large balconies that encapsulate the breathtaking never-to-be-built-out Moreton Bay views. A limited number of three bedroom apartments are available from $899,000. Don’t miss out. Secure yours today

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20 Seniors Wide Bay

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, February 19, 2018

Living

Over 60 male looking for love HITTING 60 and being single doesn’t mean you can’t start all over again. Use some of these tips to kickstart your journey to finding a new companion.

BRUSH UP YOUR OUTLOOK

■ Put pen to paper and list out what are your personal strong points and what you enjoy doing; sport, recreation, hobbies, general interests. ■ List what you want from a partner: age, interest, passions, religion and whatever else is really important to you. ■ List out what you want to share with a partner.

GET A GREAT PHOTO

■ Tidy up your hair and maybe shave away the five o’clock shadow. ■ Put on a clean shirt and one that makes you feel

good. ■ Take off the sunglasses and get a friend to take a head shot of you that shows off your smile.

LIST YOURSELF ONLINE

■ Get online to find a dating website that you like the look of, is affordable and that you find easy to use. ■ If you aren’t sure, talk to your friends, both male and female. You might be surprised to find there are several of them who have been online and can give you advice on which site to use and how. ■ Don’t lie about yourself when you list your details. Stay true to yourself. ■ Learn how to keep your profile updated and how to respond to people who show interest in talking to you.

CONNECT LOCALLY

■ Ask around your friends and family about local groups that are open to new people joining in their activities. ■ Check out meetup.com for group ideas – it’s a great way to get active and meet new people, both friends and partners. ■ Ask at your local library for information on local social and fitness groups. ■ Join in and enjoy!

BE HONEST IN YOUR CONVERSATIONS

■ We all want honesty in our relationships so it’s wise to stay true to yourself and to your profile so you can quickly build trust between you and the people you meet online. ■ You don’t have to tell everybody everything, but it’s good to be consistent with the amount of information you share.

RELAX

■ Try to find places to meet new people where you also will be comfortable. If you don’t like bars, don’t agree to meet in one. ■ Remember, both of you are going to be on edge and making judgements about each other – just try not to judge too quickly. ■ End your meet-up with an honest farewell, maybe a commitment to talk again. Even better, ring or message your date in the following 24 hours to thank them for meeting you and let them know if you want to meet again or not, and then hope they respond.

for you. It may take many dates before you find someone who is just right. But, think on the bright side, imagine how many interesting and varied

people you will meet, how many new coffee shops or restaurants you will get to discover, and maybe how many new friends you will make.

HAVE FUN

■ Don’t forget to enjoy the experience of meeting new people. ■ Not everyone you meet, either online or in person, is going to be the right one

FINDING LOVE: Use some of these tips to kickstart your journey to finding a new companion. PHOTO: YAZOLINOGIRL

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Seniors 21

Let’s save Living in the ’70s

COOKING IN THE ’70s: Brie fondue with thyme.

Review Learn lawn bowls IT IS a fact that, sometimes, we all feel lonely. Playing sport can be a very good way to escape loneliness to some extent and lawn bowls is an excellent sport to interrelate with people. This coaching manual introduces the new bowler to the wonderful game of lawn bowls. Pat O’Brien played competitive bowls for more than 50 years until well into his 80s. His highest achievements included representing Zimbabwe (formally Rhodesia) at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Australia, as well as at World Bowls and other international competitions. Between 1976 and 1982, Pat won some of his country’s highest honours in lawn bowls singles. Pat also played against some of the world’s top bowlers of his era, names like

Willie Wood of Scotland, Doug Watson of South Africa and Bill Jackson of Rhodesia. He has put all of his experience and bowling ability into this coaching manual for lawn bowlers. It should give valuable insights to beginners and experienced bowlers alike. RRP $19.95. Order at www.zeus publications.com, email marketing@zeus publications.com or phone (07) 5575 5141. Orders outside Australia www.amazon.com

HOME COOKING CHRISTINE PERKIN THE ’70s; what a time to be alive. It was when glam rock was born, the music and the clothes were outrageous with furs and flares being the norm. Food was starting to evolve with the influx of immigrants into Australia. Our tastebuds started changing. Takeaway was only available from the local fish and chip shop, then the Chinese and Italian restaurants started to arrive with such incredible flavours and ingredients. I remember going with

mum and taking a large saucepan to the Chinese takeaway to collect fried rice and dim sims in the early ’70s. It was such a treat. Chow mein entered the menu at home along with the delicious apricot chicken, spaghetti bolognaise (still is) and fondues. The fondues were a must for any dinner party, sweet or savoury, and that is still relevant today. For more recipes go to seniorsnews.com.au.

BRIE FONDUE WITH THYME

Serves 8 This is a rehash of the ’70s fondue with today’s ingredients. The fresh herbs and wine in this fondue add a

decadency that masks how simple it is to prepare. You can also add in luxurious ingredients like fresh crayfish, crabmeat, sautéed mushrooms, or spinach. Crisp tart apple slices are good for dipping; you can also use carrot sticks, roasted potato wedges or bread cubes.

INGREDIENTS

■ 2 tbsp butter ■ 1 large shallot, finely diced (about 1⁄4 cup) or white onion ■ 1⁄2 cup white wine ■ 500g brie, rind removed and cut into 1-inch pieces ■ 11⁄2 tbsp cornflour ■ 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme ■ Freshly ground black pepper, and salt

■ 4 medium Fuji apples cored and cut into 1-inch slices (about four cups)

METHOD

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about three minutes. Add the wine and quarter cup of water, and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, toss the brie with the cornflour to coat and then whisk into the wine until the cheese completely melts, about two minutes. Stir in the thyme. Season then transfer to a fondue pot, set out skewers, and let guests serve themselves by dipping the apple slices or bread into the fondue.

Peace, love and lava lamps BE THRIFTY AND THRIVE NICKY NORMAN WHAT screams the ’70s more than flares, tube tops, tie-dying, tang, beaded necklaces, disco balls, platform shoes, clogs, cassette tapes, pet rocks, Etch A Sketch and talking on a phone with a cord? Each decade has its own colour palette and the ’70s was totally about chocolate brown, avocado green and burnt orange. Many homes got groovy

with a wall hanging of an owl or some kind of animal print and, possibly, a macrame potted plant hanger. One of the earliest recorded uses of macrame-style knots as decoration appeared in the carvings of the Babylonians and Assyrians. Fringe-like plaiting and braiding adorned the costumes of the time. Macrame travelled from North Africa to Spain, France and then on to other European countries. Many Australians were into macrame in the ’70s and the creative flow of that era.

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Materials used in macrame include cords made of cotton twine, linen, hemp, jute, leather and yarn. Cords are identified by construction, such as a three-ply cord, made of three lengths of fibre twisted together. For larger decorative pieces, such as wall hangings or window coverings, a work of macrame might be started out on a wooden or metal dowel, allowing a spread of dozens of cords that are easy to manipulate. If you would like to get mellow with macrame and go back in time some 40 years, check out the free

GROOVY: Use your creativity to make a macrame pot plant hanger.

patterns and tutoring videos available online: free-macramepatterns.com/ and youtube.com/user/ macrameschool. For a modern spin on macrame creations, visit: modernmacrame.com.

22 Seniors Wide Bay

News

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, February 19, 2018

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PARADISE: Aerial views of the aquatic centre, the venue for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. PHOTO: BRADLEY KANARIS

YOU don’t need to hock the family silver to have a fun time at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April. For those lucky enough to have already secured tickets, an amazing experience is assured as world-class athletes from 70 nations come together from April 4-15 at what will be the biggest sporting event staged in Australia this decade. But there are also huge opportunities to “share the dream” – as the Games slogan says – for those still pondering the possibility of combining a Gold Coast holiday with the Commonwealth Games. “It is our hope that everyone, every man, woman and child in the Commonwealth, gets swept up in the excitement,” Games organising committee chairman and former Queensland premier Peter Beattie said. The 12-day Games is the first time the event has been held in Queensland since Brisbane in 1982 and in Australia since Melbourne in 2006. It will feature more than 6600 athletes across 18 sports and seven parasports. The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will be the most inclusive Games ever staged. For the first time at any Games, Olympics included, there will be the same number of gold medals for women as for men. The Games charter includes a reconciliation action plan and a commitment to the environment and sustainability. Proof of that already is the GC2018 Queen’s Baton (the Games equivalent of the Olympic torch). It is made, in part, from recycled plastic collected

from Gold Coast waterways and a piece of native macadamia timber sourced from the hinterland. After leaving Buckingham Palace last March with the Queen’s message inside, handwritten on a piece of paper made from desert spinifex grass, the baton has travelled more than 200,000km through Commonwealth nations and territories across the globe before arriving in Brisbane on Christmas Eve – coinciding with 100 days to go to the Games. The baton’s clockwise relay journey around Australia started in Canberra on January 25, taking in Australia Day celebrations the next day. It will visit every state before returning to Queensland on March 3 for a final month-long victory lap, where the baton will be carried by more than 1800 Queenslanders through 83 communities to its final destination – the Gold Coast’s Carrara Stadium. There, on the evening of Wednesday, April 4, HRH Prince Charles will read the Queen’s message from inside the baton to officially open the Games. To see the street-bystreet route of where the baton is heading across Australia, go to: www.gc2018.com/ qbr#gc2018-qbr-parentmap. For those not yet on board the Games excitement train, it’s not too late to get involved. And a Gold Coast Commonwealth Games holiday in April doesn’t need to cost as much as you might think. Games tickets, some as cheap as $20, are still available across a range of sports including lawn bowls (Broadbeach), track

and field (Carrara), table tennis (Oxenford Studios) and hockey (Runaway Bay) – the latter two options being ideal for those who prefer to stay a little further out from the main Gold Coast tourism hubs. The chance to see medals won and lost is still available in other sports, including squash, wrestling and weightlifting – and while they are not traditional viewing for many Aussies, a Commonwealth Games gold medal showdown in any sport is great entertainment and even better when the cost is less than a few beers. Tickets to the basketball qualifiers in Cairns and Townsville, which will include the Australian Opals women and Boomers men, are still available for those planning a north Queensland escape in April. For available GC2018 tickets, go to: www. gc2018.com/tickets. Every Games ticket comes with free public transport. Additional trains will run between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, while the recently opened extension to the G-Link line will provide a public transport option from Helensvale through to Broadbeach – passing Games venues on the way including the GC2018 pool, triathlon course, lawn bowls and the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre which hosts netball and basketball. For those who live further afield, Gold Coast accommodation across all budget ranges is still available and some bargains are expected to pop up as the Games get closer. For more information on the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, visit: www.gc2018.com.

Puzzles

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

14 15

SUDOKU

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

QUICK CROSSWORD 1

8 9

ALPHAGRAMS

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

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 ﬁveletter solution starts with J, the six-letter solution starts with K, and so on.

13 16

Note: more than one solution may be possible.

Down 1. Calmed (8) 2. Legal excuse (5) 4. Talk idly (colloq) (3) 5. Sparkling (12) 6. Alternatively (7) 7. Squall (4) 8. Having more than one use (12) 12. Spooky (5) 13. Dubbed (8) 15. Rotate (7) 19. Motionless (5) 20. Hobble (4) 22. Stain (3)

SUDOKU

5x5 S M E L L

R E N A L

Across: 1. Peak 3. Agreeing 9. Cliques 10. Fasts 11. Faint-hearted 14. Err 16. Purge 17. Dun 18. Overreaching 21. Igloo 22. Densest 23. Precedes 24. Stud. Down: 1. Paciﬁed 2. Alibi 4. Gas 5. Effervescent 6. Instead 7. Gust 8. Multipurpose 12. Eerie 13. Knighted 15. Revolve 19. Inert 20. Limp 22. Dye.

QUICK CROSSWORD

ALPHAGRAMS: ATTIC, BABIES, CAPSULE, DESIGNER, EAVESDROP.

O A

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. TODAY: Good 17 Very Good 25 Excellent 31

SOLUTIONS

A D O R E

519

M R

C O L O N

WORD GO ROUND

S M A C K

L S

O U

GK CROSSWORD

Across 1. Summit (4) 3. Concurring (8) 9. Close-knit groups of people (7) 10. Goes without food (5) 11. Timid (5-7) 14. Make a mistake (3) 16. Clean out (5) 17. Greyish-brown colour (3) 18. Aiming too high (12) 21. Ice house (5) 22. Most solid (7) 23. Comes ﬁrst (8) 24. Horse farm (4)

TACIT BIB SEA LACES UP RESIGNED DOPES RAVE

argus gaur glam GLAMOROUS glamour glom gloms gloom glooms glum goal goral gram groom grooms guar gums lags largo logo logs lugs mags magus mogul mugs mulga rags sago slag slog slug smog smug sugar

20 21

Across: 7 Elvis Costello, 8 Subpoena, 9 Oast, 10 Bodega, 12 Indigo, 14 Bee, 15 Madras, 17 Rabbit, 19 Spud, 21 Ninjutsu, 23 Draughtboards. Down: 1 Glaucoma, 2 Wimple, 3 Acme, 4 Espalier, 5 Second, 6 Olds, 11 Absinthe, 13 Glissade, 16 Radium, 18 Bhutan, 20 Peru, 22 Nibs.

WORD GO ROUND

17/2

5x5

C 11

Seniors 23

DOWN 1 Which disease of the eye is marked by increased pressure within the eyeball? (8) 2 What cloth headdress was once commonly worn by nuns? (6) 3 Which corporation features prominently in the Road Runner/Wile E Coyote cartoons? (4) 4 What is a shrub or fruit tree that has been trained to grow ﬂat against a wall? (8) 5 What is a boxer’s attendant during a bout? (6) 6 Who (Ransom E ___) made the ﬁrst Oldsmobile car? (4) 11 What potent alcoholic drink with a wormwood content was banned for many years? (8) 13 What is a gliding step in ballet, and a controlled slide down a snow slope? (8) 16 Exposure to what substance killed Marie Curie? (6) 18 Thimphu is the capital of which Himalayan country? (6) 20 According to the stories, Paddington Bear came from which country? (4) 22 What are writing points for ink pens? (4)

ACROSS 7 Which singer was born Declan Patrick McManus in 1955 in London? (5,8) 8 What is a writ ordering a person to attend a court? (8) 9 What kiln dries hops? (4) 10 In a Spanish-speaking country, from what type of shop might you buy wine and food? (6) 12 Which spectrum colour is between blue and violet? (6) 14 Which insect is harmed by the varroa mite? (3) 15 Chennai has been the official name since 1996 for which Indian city? (6) 17 Myxomatosis is an infectious disease of which animal? (6) 19 The first ever appearance in print of what slang term for a potato was in E J Wakefield’s 1845 Adventure in New Zealand? (4) 21 What traditional Japanese method of espionage developed in feudal times? (8) 23 What is the longest common two-syllable word starting with D? (13)

Wide Bay

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Monday, February 19, 2018 seniorsnews.com.au

24 Seniors Wide Bay

seniorsnews.com.au Monday, February 19, 2018

Home Care Assistance Helping Seniors Live Well at Home

Are you sick of having different carers arrive at the door? Home Care Assistance provides in-home support for people aged over 65 or with a disability. They pride themselves on being on the forefront of industry reform, by offering clients choice and control over their services and delivering a high quality, personalised service with lower fees. One of their main focuses is carer consistency – having one or two carers that you know well, and that know your routine and wishes. If you want to contact Home Care Assistance you can call any time of day or night. 24 hours per day, 7 days per week there will be a friendly voice to answer your query and support you needs. A big focus of service delivery is consistent carers so you know who is coming and they get to know your routines and wishes. Home Care Assistance has very high rates of client satisfaction. One client recently spoke and said ““With our old provider I was banned from being present at the services. I felt sick ringing them because of the way they treated me. Since March when we changed to HCA, we are stress free and so happy. The quality of life has returned for both of us and we want to tell the world.” Home Care Assistance has moved away from the traditional way of delivering home care services that is very task based, to a more holistic model where social connections, brain health, nutrition and personal happiness are focuses of care planning. Home care is very much about supporting you to have quality of life and achieve the things YOU want, not about someone coming in and taking over. Home Care can support you with anything that relates to your care. Home Care Assistance also offers specialist programs in Cognitive Therapeutics to keep the brain strong and healthy, and more recently, a music and memory program. The results are amazing and just add to the quality care and amazing caregivers they have. Value for money is also important at Home Care Assistance with lower fees, and no entry or exit fees. This means that there is more money for you to spend on the things that matter to you!

Changing the way the world ages one client at a time. Call today to speak with a home care expert and arrange a FREE in-home consultation. We are an approved provider of Home Care Packages. Ask us how you can easily switch to Home Care Assistance.

Wide Bay (07) 4181 1577

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