Wednesday, Wednesday, 20 30 October, June, 2021
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Cover Story
Third time’s the charm
This year’s Bachelorette, Brooke Blurton, will be familiar to viewers after stints on The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise. But she tells Danielle McGrane why this time is different.
Love lessons: After appearing on The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise, Bachelorette Brooke Blurton knows what she wants this time around.
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search for Brooke Blurton’s on love breaks boundaries Australia The Bachelorette
rooke Blurton is not shy when it comes to love. She’s this year’s Bachelorette but it’s fair to say this ain’t her first rodeo. In 2018, she nearly stole the heart of the Honey Badger, Nick Cummins, on The Bachelor but walked away before the final rose ceremony. Then she appeared on the second season of Bachelor in Paradise where, after revealing she was bisexual, she shared a kiss with another former Bachelor contestant, Alex Nation. But her quest for love continues as she steps up to become this year’s Bachelorette. The difference is that now it’s on her terms, and she knows what she wants. “I think this time around I’ve got a bit more of a backbone, in some sense, being the Bachelorette,” Blurton said. “I’ve come closer to what I’m looking for, I’ve really defined what connection I’m hoping to find.” Appearing on other reality love shows before gave Blurton some perspective, though when it comes to love she’s always been pretty clear about what she’s looking for. “I think the last two times taught me a lot about myself but nothing has changed in terms of how I’ve always wanted to find the person I want to spend my life with,” she said. “And I think this time around I was a bit more certain about what I wanted.” Originally from Western Australia, Blurton has recently settled in Victoria. It’s a move that actually pushed her to say ‘yes’ when she was approached to be the Bachelorette. “It just seemed like all great timing “It was definitely different from with things,” she said. being a contestant, I loved “I didn’t have any idea that the experience,” she said. this would be happening but “Obviously having girls and when the chance came to be the guys on the show, and being Bachelorette, it felt like the the right Bachelorette, means you have time. I felt like I was in a really a lot of say. Being on this side good headspace, I’d just moved means you have a lot of choices of to Melbourne so that was really what you’re looking for, it’s your exciting. And just the idea that journey, I it’s what you’re after. So I feel could find someone I want very to be excited because it just seems with to set up this new life like with, it’s my time.” I was just ecstatic. I thought ‘Let’s Blurton didn’t have a type just go for it, why not?’” of person that she wanted to It’s the seventh season of meet in the mansion, but she did the show, and the first time have the some criteria for her would-be Bachelorette is bisexual, so there suitors. are both men and women vying “For me it’s all about connection for the 26-year-old’s heart. and the connection that I have “It works the same as it would with that person,” she said. other seasons, there’s not a huge “It’s not always defined by difference, other than there what are they do with themselves, it’s more both females and males,” the about the connection and Bachelorette said. then how I feel about that person. “It’s the same: there are dates, “And also what I was looking cocktail parties, rose ceremonies.” for was someone who would There are 16 people, aged love me and see me for who I am between 23 and 34, hoping – to walk truly see Brooke [rather] than away on Blurton’s arm. She’s the enjoyed Bachelorette and the titles having a bit more of a say compared that I’ve been given. I’ve been looking to her last two 25 ventures. for someone that just saw PAKENHAM GAZETTE me.”
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One of the best parts of being regret the experiences and protagonist, aside from finding the felt love she was well represented. of course, is that Blurton gets a big “I think what was shown on say in what happens on all the dates. screen was me,” she said. “I had ideas around dates and “I am a big softie so I think production actually really listened the last two times it showed that.” to what I thought would be a She also had the full backing great day and some of the of dates her friends and family in becoming happened,” she said. the Bachelorette. “I do have quite a bit of a say in “Half of them were really who I pick for the dates and the excited and the other half dates themselves.” said: ‘Well, it’s about time’,” she said.
I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO WOULD LOVE ME AND SEE ME FOR WHO I AM – TRULY SEE BROOKE [RATHER] THAN THE BACHELORETTE “I’m multifaceted – I love adventure but then I love the downtime and relaxing things, so I think there’ll be a bit of variety this season.” Even though she didn’t find love on any of her previous reality show outings, Blurton doesn’t
“My family and I are so close, they know everything that’s happened in my life and when it didn’t work out the last two times, they obviously watched it and were devastated for me. But when this offer came, and when I said I wanted it, they were just really
excited for me. My family is my biggest support.” She was also certain that this time, she wasn’t going to walk away until she found love. “I think previous seasons have been hit and miss but I wasn’t prepared to let that happen – I think I’ve got some really good people,” she said. “I didn’t want to walk away. This wasn’t a time that I was going to. I really leaned into the whole process and really opened myself up to this experience again.” And, spoiler alert, she says she did find love on the show. “I did, but you’ll have to wait and see who it is,” she teased. “But I really thoroughly enjoyed the experience because I had a really good team backing me and, because I had done it twice before, I had a bit more experience in everything. I think there were times that were difficult but overall it was amazing.”
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All Prep-ped for a return to class You couldn’t wipe the smile off the young kids’ faces at schools across the Cardinia Shire on Monday 18 October, as prep and foundation students returned to onsite learning for the first time in months. At Pakenham Consolidated School, you could feel the excitement in the air as the 5-year-old students shared their enthusiasm for being back with their teachers and friends in person. Young Madilyn gave a big ’thumbs up’ to being back in the classroom, adding that one of her favourite parts was being able to “colour in“ and do fun, artistic activities together with her fellow students. STORY PAGE 4
Madilyn, a young foundation student at Pakenham Consolidated School, said she was very excited to be back in the classroom once again. 254354 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
New clue on Clay For the first time the families of missing campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill have shared their anguish over the pair’s mysterious disappearance 19 months ago. It comes as Victoria Police renew their appeal for information as they investigate a new theory. Carol, of Pakenham, and Russell, of Drouin, were last heard from on 20 March 2020 when they were camping in the Wonnangatta Valley. Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said
he wanted to reassure the community that police were far from giving up. “I’m really confident that we’re on the right track, we’re looking at a particular theory now which involves a number of persons,“ he said. He did not elaborate further on that theory. “Investigators have had the opportunity to speak with both the Hill and Clay families in the past week and to say their grief is still very raw would be an understatement,“ Detective Stamper said. “They spoke to us at length about all the
things they have missed – the family birthdays Russell and Carol weren’t present for, their first Christmases without them, and the pain of simply not being able to talk to them about the every day things happening in their lives. “These are two people who are still very much loved and missed by those who knew them; this hasn’t gone away in the past 19 months.“ Police have renewed their appeal for information in the hope there are people out there who are still yet to speak to police that have information about the campers’ disappearance.
“If you do know something or have heard something, no matter what it is, then I urge you to come forward and hopefully we can continue to fill in all the pieces of this puzzle until we get the result and answers both families deserve,“ Detective Stamper said. It is still yet to be fully determined whether the pair’s disappearance is suspicious, however investigators have long believed it is likely a third party was involved in their disappearance. STORIES PAGE 2 AND 3
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