SUMMER 2022
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Magical Mirusia Brisbane’s own International star soprano to Andre Rieu, Mirusia will headline the Christmas Spectacular - Mirusia and friends presented by Silver Memories at the Brisbane City Hall on Sunday, 27 November at 2pm. STORY PAGE 3
Taking up the baton PAGE 8
See Spain in style PAGES 18-19
Lives transformed Aged care residents have told attendees at Bolton Clarke Research Institute’s first SHARE webinar event that participating in life story work has transformed their lives. The SHARE series draws from the perspectives of researchers, residents and students in Bolton Clarke’s award-winning Storytelling program. The program
began with the pilot Life Stories project, which produced 20 books and six posters co-created with residents. It has expanded to include Intergenerational Digital Storytelling and Storytelling in Residential Aged Care, with a therapeutic framework and training modules developed and 32 university students currently involved across nine care homes.
“Stories are central to our human connection, communication and cognition - they enable us to learn, celebrate, heal and remember,” Bolton Clarke Research Fellow Dr Xanthe Golenko said. “Storytelling can be used as an intervention across settings, and its transformative nature means both the process and the output have benefits
for emotional and mental wellbeing, interpersonal relationships and preserving personal identity. “The power of its emotional impact is in providing voice to people who may be unheard - it’s also really great when you are bringing younger people in, to transfer that knowledge.” STORY PAGE 8
VOLUNTEERING ....................page 7 RECIPES .................... pages 10-12 PROPERTY AND FINANCE ....page 13 HEALTH ................ pages 14-15, 20 OUT AND ABOUT ........ pages 16-19 ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT pages 21-22 GARDENING ......................page 23 ACTIVE OUTDOORS .............page 24
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Kindness is key at 100 Bolton Clarke Cazna Gardens’ newest centenarian says kindness is the key to a long life. Dorothy Saunders was born on 22 September in 1922 and has spent a lifetime dedicated to helping others. Her simple philosophy? “People have just got to be kind to one another.” “Mum has always been such a kind person,” daughter Jan said. “We had quite a hard life but she went out and did what she could to have a little extra money, like clean houses and do ironing.” Dorothy grew up in the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland and came to Brisbane to join the war effort in the early 1940s. “She got trained up to fix planes and that’s where she met Dad, who was in the Navy,” Jan said. The pair married in 1943, shortly before Dorothy’s 21st birthday, in a union that was to last 65 years. Dorothy now has four grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren as well as a few great, great grandchildren who all adore her. “She is 100 but she is still always thinking about others!” Jan said. She celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends from the Cazna Gardens community over the weekend.
Welcome to summer As they sang in the classics – Summertime and the living is easy. Welcome to our summer edition of Seniors Today Brisbane. As the days get warmer thoughts turn to trips away, good food, fun events and good reads. Garden columnist Kevin Redd takes us through his tips for summer gardening. Mango season is in full swing and we have a full page of recipes for sweet and savoury dishes using that favourite summer fruit. Travel writer Kylie MitchellSmith has taken advantage of the opening of international borders to bring our first international travel page. Kylie took a 13-day cruise in Spain this time around. There is a page of good reads for summer including an interview with Bryce Courtney’s widow about her new book about the beloved writer as well as stories on shows and events coming to the city while cricket tragic Casey O’Connor brings memories of Summer tests at the Gabba (another summer staple). I hope you enjoy the summer edition and have a safe and happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Tania Phillips Editor
Dorothy cuts her cake with daughter Jan.
New life planned in Capalaba CBD revamp Redland City Council has partnered with global powerhouse Shayher Group to deliver an exciting community precinct in Capalaba Town Centre. Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said Council had signed a development agreement with Redland Investment Corporation (RIC) and Shayher Group to revitalise the principal activity centre to be the commercial, entertainment, cultural and civic heart of Capalaba. “The agreement for the commercial hub of Capalaba will see delivery of a $250 million project that incorporates exemplar public spaces including community assets such as a new library, customer service centre, arts centre and community hall,” Cr Williams said. “This will be complemented with a renewed public realm that is activated and innovative, using best practice architecture and sub-tropical design. “The Capalaba Town Centre Revitalisation Project, which will accommodate employment uses supported by a diverse mix of dining, retail and entertainment uses to create a day/night economy, will also deliver improved pedestrian and vehicular connectivity in the urban heart.” Cr Williams said Shayher Group had extensive experience in delivering mixed-use developments such as the Brisbane Quarter precinct, redeveloping the former CSIRO site in Indooroopilly and developing the former Gov-
ernment landholdings in Northshore Hamilton. Redland City Council engaged RIC to implement Council’s vision for a vibrant Capalaba Town Centre. RIC Chief Executive Officer Peter Kelley said they ran an extensive Expression of Interest campaign calling for proponents from the private sector. “The Capalaba Centre Master Plan, adopted by Council in 2010, identified key areas of need at Capalaba, which holds tremendous potential as the entry into Redlands Coast,” Mr Kelley said.
“The key areas included an active town square, a need to improve pedestrian movement and repositioning Capalaba as a primary employment, transit, and mixed-use development centre. The next stages of the Capalaba Town Centre Revitalisation Project will include the detailed design and development applications in 2023. The draft masterplan for the Capalaba Town Centre Revitalisation Project can be found on Council’s website at redland.qld.gov.au/CapalabaProject
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Making memories count Gary Thorpe OAM, General Manager of 4MBS Classic FM and Silver Memories, has been awarded an Australian Mental Health Prize by the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Silver Memories is a Brisbane-based 24-hour a day broadcast service, inspired by the experiences of Gary’s elderly neighbour when she moved to a home, was set up 15 years ago to address social isolation in the aged using age- appropriate music. The service is now delivered via satellite to 200 aged care homes across Australia and is also available in the community via an app. The service has grown to also include thousands of beautiful photographs as well as the music. As well as Gary Thorpe OAM – Community Hero, the remaining winners included: Donna Stanley - Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander: a proud Gunggari Umby (woman) and vastly experienced clinician in Aboriginal mental health; Ian Thorpe AM - Lived Experience: a prominent advocate for mental health awareness, prevention and stigma); and Alan Woodward - Professional: distinguished career in suicide prevention, evaluation and quality improvement). The prestigious UNSW Australian Mental Health Prize recognises Austra-
Gary Thorpe celebrates his latest award for his innovative Silver Memories program. lians who have made outstanding contributions to either the promotion of mental health, or the prevention/ treatment of mental illness. Silver Memories has expanded to provide ‘road-shows’ in aged care homes, public concerts and filmed studio performances. Silver Memories is enhanced (and accessed international-
ly) by its newly created app, accessed by users in their homes and across community facilities and hospitals. Co-chair of the Prize, Professor Allan Fels AO, said this year’s winners reflect the current mental health priorities in Australia. “In particular, we have seen higher rates of mental illness during COVID…
greater isolation of older people, particularly in nursing homes”. Gary highlighted the importance of Silver Memories as an evidence-based platform, operating in over 200 aged care and hospital facilities across Australia. “During Covid-19, Silver Memories provided an essential service addressing social isolation through its 24 hour a day broadcasts of age appropriate music and familiar artists, including Silver Memories’ ambassador, Mirusia,” he said. Silver Memories does not receive operational funding from any level of government and is supported by subscriptions, donations and philanthropic funds. Silver Memories Patron, Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO, congratulated Silver Memories: “The Australian Mental Health Prize is a great vote of confidence and appreciation for Silver Memories. I am proud to be the Patron of this important service.” Earlier this year Thorpe was awarded the Pro Bono Impact 25 Award for the social impact of Silver Memories. He had previously been awarded a Churchill Fellowship to research the use of music in the management of dementia, and the impact of social isolation and depression on the elderly.
Excitement on stage: Christmas shows are coming By Tania Phillips Only one man has introduced International singing star Mirusia on stage more than Redland’s Craig Martin but the Liverpool-born Martin doesn’t mind coming second when the other guy is Andre Rieu. Martin is set to add to his introduction tally when he steps onto the stage on 27 November for the Christmas Spectacular starring Mirusia and friends presented by seniors radio service Silver Memories. The event is at the Brisbane City Hall and kicks off a busy Christmas season for all the artists and an exciting time for Martin himself. While his main focus is the City Hall show – which will also star JD
Smith from the Ten Tenors, Vocal Manoeuvres and the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra conducted by Chen Yang – Craig has a busy 2023 ahead of him. The Raby Bay based artist is headline is own show at the Redlands Entertainment Centre on 4 February – The Great British Songbook and also releasing an album of the same name at the end of January. But first he has all the excitement of the Christmas show. “Mirusia did this last year, I wasn’t invited but I couldn’t have done it anyway because I was doing the Redlands carols, so I begged to get on the bill this time, please, please get me on the bill,” he laughed. “It was a huge event last year and very success, it was talked about for
months afterwards. It’s City Hall. Is there a nicer venue in Queensland, in the country than City Hall? It’s a stunning venue. Its breathtaking, I’ve been, I’ve performed shows there and you forget when you’re performing what’s behind you. It’s an incredible venue and not forgetting the ceiling, looking at that takes your breath away. Every soundcheck if I look up, I’m like woo and I lose track of where I am. So, to be a part of Mirusia’s show – Mirusia and friends – I am her friend, it’s just great to be asked.” Craig said he had performed with the star soprano many, many times. “We have a laugh,” he says in a Liverpool accent still detectable after 15 years in Qld (though he jokes that his parents think he sounds like he comes
from the Midlands after all this time). “The songs aren’t a laugh, we take it seriously, but we have a laugh prior to the songs. We have a genuine chemistry, a friendship, we have a good laugh and people love that. You’re not just singing the songs, you’re having a great time as well.” So, what can we expect from Craig? “I’m doing duet (with Mirusia) it’s the same song we do every year but it’s fantastic (I’m not going to say what it is) but I love doing this duet with he, again it’s fun and I’m doing a song that I love, an old 1930s crooner classic White Christmas by Bing Crosby,” he enthused. “I love that song always have, it’s one of my favourites.”
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Council launches vocal new service Brisbane City Council has launched an audio version of the Council’s newsletter. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Living in Brisbane Live! would help even more residents stay across what is happening in Brisbane. “From important information about Council projects and services to the latest about all the great events occurring in our suburbs, Living in Brisbane has always been a simple and easy way of staying informed,” Cr Schrinner. “However, we recognise that not everyone has the time or is able to read the printed version. “In response, we are launching Living in Brisbane Live!, an audio version of the newsletter to coincide with each edition. “Whether you’re vision impaired or just want to keep up-to-date while driving to work in the car, Living in Brisbane Live! is a great example of how Council continues to make its services even better for residents.” Cr Schrinner said Living in Brisbane Live! was given the green light through a Better Brisbane Proposal, which encourages ideas that solve problems or addresses an opportunity for Brisbane. “Since releasing Council’s A City for Everyone: Inclusive Brisbane Plan 2019-2029, we’ve invested nearly $300 million making Brisbane more acces-
Listen to the latest news from Brisbane City Council. sible and inclusive,” he said. “At the same time, the Better Brisbane program has led to great opportunities to collaborate on projects that help make Brisbane better. “Residents want to hear more about what Council is doing as well as all the great things to see and do. “Audiobooks are also becoming increasingly popular with 900,000 eaudiobooks downloaded through Bris-
bane’s libraries last financial year.” Vision Australia’s Chris Edwards welcomed the initiative. “People who are blind or have low vision have the right to access the same information as the wider community so they can equally participate in society,” he said. “Making written information available in alternative formats such as audio is one of the many ways organisations can increase accessibility and inclusion. “It’s estimated one in five Australians live with a disability, so not only are organisations doing the right thing by making their information accessible, they’re also giving themselves the best chance of reaching the widest audience.” Leading Australian voiceover artist Sharyn Doolan said she was looking forward to being the voice behind Living in Brisbane Live!. “We’re making it easy to catch up with all the amazing things Council does, just by listening,” Ms Doolan said. “I’m excited to tell the stories of our incredible city and there’s a lot happening. The audio book is launching for an initial pilot for six months with the first audiobook issue of Living in Brisbane will be available to download from brisbane.qld.gov.au in early October.
Crafty bunch raising awareness and funds More than 20 residents, and Seasons staff members, from Seasons Living Mango Hill hosted a fundraising afternoon tea for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with a ‘best decorated bra competition’. Dressed in pink, the residents from the community had an ambitious goal of raising $200 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation at the afternoon tea, which was held on Tuesday 18 October. They exceeded their goal, raising over $600. “Sadly, a number of our residents have been affected by breast cancer, so
it’s a charity close to many of the women and men’s hearts from our community,” Anna Garrood, Lifestyle Coordinator, said. “The bra decorating competition was a good bonding experience for us all to share stories of the impact cancer has had in our lives, and it helps that we were able to share a few giggles along the way.” “It’s been a wonderful event and we are really happy with the outcome of the fundraiser for this incredibly worthy foundation,” agreed Bernie Hatton, Community Manager. The glamorous creations for breast cancer awareness.
The Mango Hill crew dress up for a cause. 4 SENIORS TODAY SUMMER: DECEMBER 2022
Prizes and fundraising for breast cancer awareness.
Suicide prevention for seniors Anglicare Sydney has announced their Suicide Prevention for Seniors Program has expanded nationally to all states and territories until June 2025, through funding from the Australian Government. The program trains people who work with seniors to recognise the signs of suicide, how to step in and offer hope, and how to connect them to services and resources that reduce feelings of hopelessness and despair. “Australian men aged 85 and over have the highest rate of suicide,yet are less likely to use specialty mental health services. Equipping those who support older people can play a significant role in lowering the suicide rate in seniors”, said Michael Sheedy, Head of Mental Health at Anglicare. Since the program started in 2021, it has been completed by over 500 people from a variety of professions, organisations and industries including residential aged care, retirement living, home care, allied health, mental health practitioners, hospital workers, government organisations and more. “We are very pleased to take this program nationally, after the encouraging results to date of the program in NSW. Our threemonth follow up survey indicates that almost half of all program participants have called on their knowledge of suicide prevention to assist an older person crisis”, Mr Sheedy said. “A hundred per cent of these participants were able to ask the older person if they were intending on taking their life. Of those cases where a referral was required, 92 per cent of participants were able to connect the older person to professional services to receive the support they need. “This feedback is very encouraging and demonstrates that the program is making an impact and equipping people with the skills and confidence to save lives.” For anyone who is struggling, they can call the below for support and advice: Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 | Lifeline 13 11 14 | Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 Those interested in taking part in this free program, visit anglicare.org.au/suicideprevention and register their interest.
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Over 50s show to inspire An over 50s lifestyle resort developer has come up with a new program with difference to entertain and inspire residents and other retirees. It’s an actual television program being made right here in Queensland with some rather familiar faces heading it up. The 25-minute program “Living Proof” is presented by well-known Queensland presenters Leigh Muirhead (Good Morning Australia) and Michael Croaker. The lifestyle show is dedicated to over-fifties and aims to showcase why ‘life gets better with age’ covering topics including health, travel, fashion and technology. Sunshine Coast retirees George Oliver and Judy Fuller appear in the first episode and the cast also includes dietitian Carly Barlow, fashion consultant Tasha Homan, travel expert Graham Moore and technology guru Stephen Fenech who appear in each episode to give their expert advice on a range of topics. In the first 25-minute episode, GemLife Pacific Paradise resident Mr Oliver works with the dietitian to addresses his health goals, which include fitting into his suit for his son’s upcoming wedding. “I’ve had a suit in my cupboard for a few years and amazingly it shrunk,” he jokes. “Using the tools Carly gave me, I’ve managed to lose my middle spread, despite missing the gym during winter. “Carly was good at demonstrating
Travel expert Graham Moore.
Hosts Leigh Muirhead and Michael Croaker. how diet changes would work and now that I’ve proven it does, I’ll continue to implement it. “There are a lot of very health-conscious people at this stage of life because we’ve all been touched by some sort of medical drama – either personally or through close friends or family.” The first episode also features a makeover and wardrobe update for GemLife Maroochy Quays homeowner Judy Fuller, who said the experience had changed her attitude towards dressing. “Before I met Tasha I thought ‘I look ok in that, that’ll do’, but it’s really changed my perspective on how I shop and what I wear,” she said. “I wouldn’t have had the confidence to wear bright things before the show,
but I do now and I’m willing to give anything a go. “The experience taught me that as long as you are happy within yourself, it doesn’t matter what other people think.” Living Proof is created by GemLife, developers of luxury over-fifties resorts, giving its residents a chance to star in their own show. GemLife CEO Adrian Puljich said the show aimed to provide another avenue for residents to engage in an active life. “In-line with GemLife’s commitment to creating vibrant communities that reflect the rapidly evolving needs of Australia’s over-fifties, this program gives people the choice to be an active participant in our lifestyle show, or an avid viewer from the comfort of their
Fashion expert Tasha Homan. homes,” he said. “We’ve engaged some of the country’s leading experts in their fields so we can bring people up-to-date, tailored content in an informative and entertaining format. “The aim of the show is to celebrate residents’ best years and provide an opportunity for participation – something we focus on in our resorts as we strive to bring our residents new and exciting ways to engage and spend their time.” The first episode is now available through www.gemlife.com.au/livingproof/
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Tech assist have applied or there is a risk of being stranded away from home if travel is suspended or lockdowns are imposed. Internet is also a valuable method of streaming movies and watching catchup television programs that people have missed. Reading books online on mobile phones or tablets is also becoming more popular. Brisbane Seniors Online can assist learners how to confidently use modern technology and help to use it safely and minimise the risk of scams and cybercrime which cost Australians millions of dollars in fraud. Special interest groups that meet in person or by Zoom are Senior Shutterbugs digital photography, Apple, Linux (by Zoom) and Mentor Support. Some areas of Brisbane run technology clinics monthly or bi-monthly at the local Council library. New learners pay a one-off joining fee of $20 and $45 for one year’s membership for 12 hours of home lessons and ongoing support for the membership year. Volunteer mentors join for no cost and after induction, ongoing training and support is available. Brisbane Seniors Online would like to thank the Gambling Community Benefit Fund for their recent financial support. For more information see bsol.asn.au or phone 3393 2225 or Facebook.com/ BrisbaneSeniorsOnline
According to the staff at Gourmet Food Did gut health and diet can positively or negatively affect mood. The gut is home to trillions of micro-organisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microscopic germs. Evidence shows that these micro-organisms produce hundreds of neurochemicals that the brain uses to regulate certain physiological and mental processes like memory, learning, attention, and our emotional state. This means that how we feed the gut may affect how we feel emotionally on a day-to-day basis. Because gut bacteria are key players in mood and mental health, it is important to ensure that the body can produce as much “good” bacteria as possible. An imbalance of the “good” and “bad” bacteria in the gut can cause digestive issues and autoimmune problems, and, also - ruin mood. Here are some suggestions from Gourmet Food on how to improve gut health: 1. Reduce or eliminate foods that harm good gut bacteria. These include sugar, gluten, artificial sweeteners, and processed foods. Tap water is treated with chemicals including chlorine, which kills
2.
3.
4.
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good gut bacteria. Filtered water is the best option. Eat whole foods and avoid packaged or processed foods. Processed foods are high in unwanted food additives and preservatives that disrupt the good bacteria in the gut. Consume high-fibre foods like beans, legumes, berries, and whole grains. Fibre provides nourishment for your good gut bacteria and helps in keeping your digestive tract flowing. Add a range of colourful fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. On top of being excellent sources of fibre, fruits and vegetables are the best sources of nutrients for a healthy gut. Additionally, research shows that leafy greens contain a specific type of sugar that increases good gut bacteria in number and kind. Experiment with fermented foods. Packed with bacteria and yeast, fermented foods are natural probiotics that help the body digest food and keep bad gut bacteria from getting out of control. Start adding fermented foods to your diet gradually. Examples of these are kefir (unsweetened), sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi.
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Brisbane Seniors Online (BSOL) has been operating in the Greater Brisbane area for more than 20 years helping seniors and over 50s become computer and internet savvy. Volunteer male and female mentors are available to provide home tuition to learners who need help. Lessons are conducted in the learner’s own home on their own device and at a pace that suits them. As a guide, around 12 hours of lessons are provided and the membership covers lessons and support for one year. New learners living in the Greater Brisbane area who are seniors or over 50 are welcome to join. A modest fee to join applies. Brisbane Seniors Online is also looking for more volunteer mentors in many areas that are in the BSOL coverage area. Seniors and over 50s can become socially isolated and more so during the coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions that have applied. More transactions are now being done online with the closure of shop fronts and more people doing online shopping, banking transactions and bill paying online. With families spread across Australia and overseas, social media and applications like Zoom and Skype have become a fantastic way to stay connected. Email is also an important way to stay in touch and send family pictures. This is particularly important where travel restrictions
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VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering at the Mater A Queensland grandmother who has spent the past 30 years providing comfort to some of the state’s tiniest babies born at Mater Mothers’ Hospital has been recognised for her ongoing dedication and service. Jenny Summerson, the longest-serving volunteer at Mater Mothers’ Hospital in Brisbane, has clocked up more than 6000 hours of volunteer work and was recently acknowledged at an awards ceremony at Mater for her compassion and kindness to patients. More than 25 other long-serving volunteers were recognised for collectively contributing to almost 100,000 hours of service over three decades, including joint Mater Volunteers of the Year Brian and Barbara Daley and Mike and Mary Cardillo, and Susan Phillips, who cro-
chets beanies for patients and babies. Jenny from Yeronga, said she “found her calling” after spotting an advertisement in a local newspaper asking for ‘100 helping hands’ at Mater, and has never looked back. “At the time I really hated Mondays. It was like Mondayitis every week. Since becoming a volunteer, I have never felt that way about Mondays again,” Jenny laughed. “I love helping people and being an extra pair of hands. Being able to assist families and their newborns is enjoyable, as well as interacting with medical staff. “Sometimes I assist with babies who aren’t quite well enough to go home yet. I like giving them cuddles when their parents need a short break.”
With Christmas fast approaching Mater Volunteer Services senior manager Judy Johnson said she was grateful for the gift of time and empathy from volunteers and called on members of the community to considering joining the volunteer team at South Brisbane. “Volunteers make a profound impact on the care and services that Mater provides to the community,” Ms Johnson said. “Quite simply, Mater just wouldn’t be Mater without our volunteers.” For Susan Phillips, a Mater Private Clinic Welcome Lounge assistant, a “near-death experience” prompted her to “give back” to the hospital that saved her life. For the past 17 years, Susan has clocked up more than 4000 hours of service at Mater, talking and engaging
with patients, and making them feel comfortable. In her spare time, she also knits beanies for cancer patients and sick and premature babies. “In 2003 I fell very ill and spent quite some time in hospital, I know what it’s like to be a patient. After being in a high paying job, money wasn’t everything,” Susan, 70, said. “Due to health complications, I gave up work and started volunteering.” Susan said belonging to a “family of volunteers” gave her satisfaction. “I am proud to be a volunteer, it’s the sort of thing you don’t do for any other reason than to support each other.” For more information phone Mater Volunteers on 3163 8599, email volunteers@mater.org.au or visit Volunteering - Mater
Sign up for care service: Redlands animals need a hand Redland City Council is seeking volunteers for its 24/7 wildlife care service. Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said the Redlands 24hr Wildlife Rescue Service’s current volunteers were doing an amazing job but they desperately needed additional team members. “The Redlands After-hours Wildlife Ambulance (RAWA) and Redlands
Wildlife Care Network (RWCN) are operated by teams of dedicated locals who give up their time to rescue sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife across the city every day and night of the year,” Cr Williams said. “The job they do is so vital as we share our naturally wonderful region with a wide variety of native animals which unfortunately can sometimes
end up needing our help. “More volunteers are really needed to ensure our 24/7 wildlife care service has the capacity to respond whenever and wherever needed. So far this year the service has answered more than 4766 calls – that’s an average of 17 calls every day – giving our native wildlife the best chance of getting help.” Volunteers must live on Redlands
Coast, be 18 years or older and have a current driver’s licence (L plates are not accepted). To register for an induction at Council’s IndigiScapes Centre, contact indigiscapes@redland.qld.gov.au Call the Redlands 24hr Wildlife Rescue service on 3833 4031 if you see sick, injured or orphaned native animals.
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Stories bring connection Aged care residents have told attendees at Bolton Clarke Research Institute’s first SHARE webinar event that participating in life story work has transformed their lives. The SHARE series draws from the perspectives of researchers, residents and students in Bolton Clarke’s awardwinning Storytelling program. The program began with the pilot Life Stories project, which produced 20 books and six posters co-created with residents. It has expanded to include Intergenerational Digital Storytelling and Storytelling in Residential Aged Care, with a therapeutic framework and training modules developed and 32 university students currently involved across nine care homes. “Stories are central to our human connection, communication and cognition – they enable us to learn, celebrate, heal and remember,” Bolton Clarke Research Fellow Dr Xanthe Golenko said. “Storytelling can be used as an intervention across settings, and its transformative nature means both the process and the output have benefits for emotional and mental wellbeing, interpersonal relationships and preserving personal identity. “The power of its emotional impact is in providing voice to people who may be unheard – it’s also really great when you are bringing younger people in, to transfer that knowledge.” Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens resident and Life Story biographer Doreen McDonald said developing her book had “showed me I am an emotional person”. “It’s made a new life for me really, remembering some of the things and thinking ‘Did I do that?’” she said. “I
Galleon Gardens Lifestyle Co-ordinator Gwen Bonney, resident and Life Story biographer Doreen McDonald and Dr Xanthe Golenko. had no children, and my family are at the other end of Australia, but it gave me a reason to keep going, to meet other people and to listen to what other people had to say. It’s only when you listen and hear what they say that you think ‘I remember that!’ Galleon Gardens lifestyle co-ordinator Gwen Bonney said university students trained to support the project had spent hundreds of hours listening to and working with residents.
“At first the students were shy but now they love the residents, they know their stories and are anxious to begin their next stories and to come back as volunteers,” Gwen said. “They have blossomed and developed a lot of friendships with residents and staff.” The second SHARE webinar, Connecting People Through storytelling: The power of groupwork was held on Friday, 18 November from 10am with
more planned. “The webinar will cover different topics including group story circle work,” Dr Golenko said. “We’ll be inviting local and national experts to share insights from their work.” Later sessions in the series will focus on digital storytelling and intergenerational storytelling. Registration is free at https://bit.ly/ BCRISHARE2
Masterfully done: New maestro takes up the baton Be curious! That’s the message from Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s new Chief Conductor Umberto Clerici, as he unveiled Season 2023. He said it promised to be a year of grand masterpieces and intimate chamber moments, world premieres, and experimental music experiences, anchored by some of Queensland’s biggest music names in Ray Chen, Piers Lane and William Barton, and featuring some of the greatest music in the world in Don Quixote, The Planets, Beethoven’s heroic Symphony No.9, and what will be one of the most spectacular productions of 2023, Wagner’s Ring Cycle. “My ambition for these next three years is to create a web of interconnected programs in which each single concert has a clear and unique storyline that develops into a unified arc, embracing the entire season. My theme for 2023 is humanity, for after the past few challenging years I felt we needed music that celebrates sociality, friendship, and community,” said Maestro Clerici. “An important priority for me is to feature soloists from within our orchestra and showcase the abilities of single sections. Our strings, wind, brass, and percussion will all have their chance to shine, both at QPAC 8 SENIORS TODAY SUMMER: DECEMBER 2022
and in our studio, which I consider our ‘painter’s atelier’ where we showcase our experiments and new projects.” He said the message this year was to be curious. “Come and explore unknown paths with us; listen, even if you don’t yet know every piece in a concert, I am confident there will be many things you will discover and love.” QSO’s famed Maestro Series opens on 17 February with three performances of Ode To Joy – a concert for the ages. Ode To Joy will see Maestro Clerici lead the Orchestra, with internationally acclaimed didgeridoo vir-
tuoso William Barton and powerhouse violinist Veronique Serret along with soprano Eleanor Lyons, mezzo soprano Deborah Humble, tenor Andrew Goodwin, baritone Michael Honeyman and the Brisbane Chamber Choir performing Beethoven’s magnificent Symphony No.9 (Choral) along with Sculthorpe’s celebrated Earth Cry. Barton and Serret will also perform, for the first time in the Concert Hall, their collaboration Kalkani, described as ‘a message of peace and love carried by the eagle spirit’, transformed into a stunning orchestral version. In April, it’s Gustav Holst’s mighty
masterpiece The Planets under the baton of South Korean conductor Shiyeon Sung, with the fascinating Three Songs for Soprano and Orchestra by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov featured, with soloists Sara Macliver and The Australian Voices. The epic music continues in May with Don Quixote. Featuring a mix of theatrical and visual elements, all built around the music of Richard Strauss, Maestro Clerici and the Orchestra will tell the famous story of the nobleman who deludes himself into thinking he is a knight. Then it’s drama of a different kind when Queensland favourite Piers Lane performs Mozart’s 24th Piano Concerto - one of his most dramatic pieces for piano and orchestra. QSO Chief Executive Yarmila Alfonzetti said in 2023 and beyond, QSO would be everywhere, all the time. “On the mainstage, in our studio, in the pit for the opera and the ballet, and touring all over this vast State; QSO thrives as an arts company for all Queenslanders. Be in no doubt that the QSO underpins a significant portion of the major performing arts sector in Queensland,” she said. “ In all QSO will travel almost 10,000km in 2023. For more information head to qso.com.au
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RECIPES SENIORSTODAY.COM.AU
Cooking mangos in season It’s the gold that defines Australia – that delicious, sweet, juicy gold of a perfect Mango on a hot day. It’s Aussie as. So, if you feel like rich, ripe Mangoes are missing in your life, then relax because they are arriving at Harris Farm
Markets, with all the flavour of a North Queensland sunset. Harris Farm Markets have been working with mango growers for decades, and while ripe mangoes are a little late this year because of the colder,
MANGO LAMINGTONS Makes: 25 pieces Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 25 mins Ingredients: Sponge 200g caster sugar 200g self raising flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ cup cornflour 1 vanilla pod, seeds removed 150g unsalted butter 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
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Method: To prepare the cake: 1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. 2. Line a 25cm square cake tin (spring base is preferred) with baking paper. Leave the sides ungreased to ensure the cake rises evenly. 3. In a large bowl sift the flour, cornflour and baking powder 3 times, this is an important step to ensure the cake is light, set aside. 4. In a separate bowl add the butter, caster sugar and the seeds scraped from the vanilla pod, using electric beaters beat until the mix is creamy and smooth. This will take a minimum of 10 minutes of continuous beating. 5. Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time while beating continuously. Gradually sift the flour mix again over the batter while gently folding it in with a spatula, follow with adding the milk. If the mix is too dry add a little dash more milk. 6. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 20- 25 minutes. Test if the cake is cooked through by placing a skewer into the middle. If it comes out
· ¾ cup milk (at room temperature) · zest of 1 lemon Glaze 400g mango flesh 100g icing sugar 4 tablespoons cream cheese Juice of ½ lemon 2 teaspoons gelatine powder 2 tablespoons boiling water Coating 1 cup shredded coconut 1 cup desiccated coconut
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clean it is cooked, if it comes out with batter mix on it, cook it for a further 5 mins. Leave the cake to cool for 15 minutes in the tin then turn it out onto a cooling rack to completely cool before glazing. To prepare the glaze: 1. Using a food processor add the mango flesh, icing sugar, cream cheese and lemon juice. Blitz until it’s completely smooth. 2. Stir the gelatine with the boiling water in a small cup until its completely dissolved. Add to mango mix and give it a quick blitz. Place the mixture into the fridge for 10 minutes to allow it to thicken slightly. To glaze and coat the lamingtons: 1. Slice the cake up into 5cm x 5cm squares. 2. Spread the desiccated and shredded coconut together over a wide plate. 3. Coat one square of cake completely one at a time in the mango mixture then in the coconut by gently rolling it to ensure all sides are well coated. 4. Place the lamingtons in the fridge to allow to set before serving. Recipe & pics by Bonnie Coumbe | www. bonniecoumbe.com
wetter season, they are full of flavour – with co-CEO Tristan Harris reminding fans that the longer the fruit stay on the tree the more flavour they develop. “Tree ripened mangoes are worth the wait. Every moment on the tree
CAJUN FISH TACOS Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 mango ~400-500g White fish, filleted (I used flathead) 1 cup of breadcrumbs
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Method: 1. Prepare your crumbed fish; in 3 separate bowls or plates, add the whisked egg to one, flour to another and the cajun spice and breadcrumbs in the 3rd. 2. Coat your fish in the flour first, then the egg, then the cajun breadcrumbs. Set aside on a plate or board. 3. In a shallow fry pan, add some cooking oil of your choice (vegetable or canola work w ell), just so the bottom of the pan is covered. Add the pieces of fish, and shallow fry on one side for about 5 minutes, then turn over the other side. Cook the fish in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan.
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· 1 tbsp Cajun spice · 1 egg, whisked · 1 cup of flour · Cooking oil for shallow frying · ½ Red cabbage, thinly sliced · Soft tacos, to serve · Chipotle sauce, to serve · 1 Lime, to serve · ½ bunch Coriander, to serve Once cooked, set aside on a plate lined with paper towel, to absorb the excess oil. 4. Its time to prep the veg; cut up the red cabbage and mango into thinly sliced pieces, and tear off some coriander leaves to sprinkle over the top. Cut your lime into quarters, ready to squeeze over the top. Warm up your tacos in the microwave, according to packet instructions. 5. Assemble your fish on atop a taco, add the cabbage, mango, coriander and lime juice, and finish it off with a sprinkling of chipotle sauce. Recipe created by Charlotte from The Nutty Gritty, check out her Instagram.
HERBED PRAWNS AND KENSINGTONS Serves 4 as a light starter Ingredients: For the herbed yoghurt ½ cup each coriander & parsley 1 clove garlic Juice 1 lime Salt to taste 1 cup natural yoghurt or coconut yoghurt
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Method: 1. First make the herbed yoghurt. Combine the herbs, garlic lime and half the yoghurt in a blender and blend to a smooth puree. Fold this back through the remaining yoghurt, season with a little salt and set aside in the fridge. 2. Cut the cheeks from the mango and scoop out the flesh from the skin. Cut these cheeks in half, brush with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 3. In a bowl, toss the prawns with another 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 4. Preheat a BBQ or grill pan, and, working separately grill the mangoes about 1 minute each side then the prawns for 1 minute each side or until cooked. Cut each mango piece in half and place Mango Lamingtons.
means more sugar development resulting in more flavour and nutrients; we don’t pick immature mangoes, we let Mother Nature tell us when to harvest. And our tip is, prepare for a Queensland gold rush!” Tristan said.
For the salad: 2 Kensington pride mangoes 8 raw green prawns, peeled, head removed 4 tbsp olive oil 2 lime 1 Lebanese cucumber 2 radishes, thinly sliced 2 small head baby cos, leaves trimmed ½ cup each picked mint and dill 1 jar dairy free pesto
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onto a plate and squeeze over half the lime. 5. Place the cooked prawns into a bowl and squeeze over another half lime, 1 tbsp of the pesto & toss well to combine. 6. Cut the cucumber in half length ways, then slice into thin slices 7. Place these into a large mixing bowl with the radish, cos lettuce, herbs, mango and prawns. Squeeze over the remaining lime, 2 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 8. Spoon the herbed yoghurt onto a large serving platter and top with the prawn and mango salad and spoon over some more pesto. Recipe by Tom Walton. Check out his website here & Instagram
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country k tchens recipes Quesadillas Serves: 8 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes
Everyday Food
1 serve per portion Ingredients :
• 8 multigrain tortillas • 1/3 cup tomato salsa • 1 1/3 cups tasty cheese, reduced fat, grated • 400g can red kidney beans, reduced salt, drained • 1 cup carrot, grated • 1 cup baby spinach leaves • Olive oil cooking spray • 1 avocado, peeled and chopped • 1 tablespoon lemon juice Salsa (optional) • 1 medium tomato, diced • ½ medium red onion, diced • 1 medium red capsicum, sliced • 1 lime, juiced Method:
• LAY the tortillas on a clean surface. Spread with tomato salsa and sprinkle with the cheese. • TOP half of each tortilla evenly with beans, grated carrot and spinach leaves. Fold in half. • HEAT a large non-stick frypan or an open sandwich toaster grill and grease with cooking spray.
Spicy Cucumber and Pineapple Salad Serves: 4 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes 2 serves per portion
Ingredients: • 2 cucumbers • ½ pineapple, diced • ½ medium red onion, finely diced • 2 red chillies, thinly sliced • 3 tablespoons lime juice • 2 teaspoons soy sauce Method: • SCORE the outside of the cucumbers lengthways with a fork to create a stripe pattern. Dice into similar sized pieces as the pineapple. • COMBINE the cucumber, pineapple, red onion and chilli in a bowl. • ADD the lime juice and soy sauce
into a separate small bowl and stir until well combined. • POUR lime and soy sauce over the salad mixture and mix well. • CHILL in the fridge for at least one hour, stirring occasionally.
• ADD one filled tortilla and cook over a medium heat for about 3 minutes or until golden. Using a spatula, carefully turn and cook other side until golden. Remove from pan or toaster grill. • REPEAT the above step with remaining filled tortillas to make 8 quesadillas. Cool then cut each in half. • MASH avocado with lemon juice in small bowl. • COMBINE salsa ingredients in separate small bowl (optional). • SERVE quesadillas with avocado and salsa. Equipment: • Frypan • Induction cooktop • Measuring cups • Chopping board • Knives • Spatula • Grater • Strainer • Fork • Spoon • Small metal bowl • Scrap bucket Recipe courtesy of the Country Kitchens team
Everyday Food
What’s Great About It? This recipe was featured as part of the 2021 QCWA Country of Study – Malaysia. This salad is a popular side dish served as an accompaniment to many Malaysian curries and stir fries. It is particularly refreshing for hot climates with its sweet and tangy flavours. This salad is a great way to enjoy your fruit and vegetable serves. Traditionally a spicy dish, you can reduce or increase the amount of chilli to suit your preference. Recipe courtesy of the Country Kitchens team
Empowering women through education and health is a priority for the Queensland Country Women’s Association (QCWA). The QCWA Country Kitchens program, funded by the Queensland Government through Health and Wellbeing Queensland, supports Queenslanders to adopt healthier lifestyles. To find out more about the program visit https://qcwacountrykitchens.com.au/. 12 SENIORS TODAY SUMMER: DECEMBER 2022
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PROPERTY AND FINANCE
Superannuation and tax By Brian Hor Special Counsel Superannuation and Estate Planning SUPERCentral
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Brian Hor. However, normal TDTs have a wide range of beneficiaries which may include non-tax dependents such as independent adult children, grandchildren, parents, etc. So, if a superannuation death benefit is paid into such a TDT, then as non-tax dependents may be able to benefit from the super payment, it will not be received tax free. Instead, it may be taxed – at 15&per-
cnt; on any taxed component, and up to 30% on any untaxed component. 3. Should my will have a Superannuation Proceeds Trust? While it may be tempting to think that having a Superannuation Proceeds Trust in your Will solves any tax issues, it should be understood that a Super-
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You may be aware that toward the end of 2021, in a private ruling, the ATO confirmed the tax payable in respect of a gift of superannuation to a member’s estate where that super is to be held in a testamentary discretionary trust. With superannuation being the second main asset after the family home for many families, increasingly superannuation death benefits are being paid to a deceased estate. This means that the deceased person’s Will directs what will happen to the superannuation. But what if the Will includes Testamentary Discretionary Trusts (TDTs)? 1. Can superannuation be paid into a Testamentary Discretionary Trust? Yes, it can, if paid to the deceased person’s estate on their death. However, who the beneficiaries of the TDT are will determine whether or not any tax will be payable on the payment. 2. Will tax be payable on the Superannuation Payment? If all the beneficiaries of the TDT are restricted to “tax dependents” (most usually the surviving spouse and any children under 18 years old) and no other persons, then it will be received by the TDT free of tax. This type of TDT is often known as a Superannuation Proceeds Trust.
annuation Proceeds Trust is not always appropriate, such as in the following circumstances: If the surviving spouse and/or dependent children receive all the super death benefit under a Binding Death Benefit Nomination (BDBN) – since no part of the death benefit will go into the estate; If there is no surviving spouse and no dependent children (e.g. all the children are over 18 years old and financially independent) – so if the super was paid into the estate, it cannot be paid to a Superannuation Proceeds Trust even if the Will includes it; If there are multiple children but only some are under 18 years old (this is often the case with “blended families”) – depending on the overall estate strategy, it may not be appropriate if only some of the children can receive the super tax free and the others cannot, without other measures in place to equalise their inheritances. It’s important to remember a Will is not a static document and we recommend they be reviewed every two to three years or whenever there are major changes to succession or tax laws or a major life event such as marriage, divorce, property purchase/sale, birth, death or material inheritance. The ruling is available at 1051920326857 | Legal database (ato. gov.au)
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HEALTH AND WELLBEING
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New vision for living New technology is solving old problems with Vision Australia (a national NGO for the blind and low vision community) taking part in a new Alexa program to support older Australians with vision loss aimed at building confidence, independence, and a sense of connection with family and friends. Alexa and Vision Australia are helping blind and low vision customers in Australia to do more with smart voice technology. Through Commonwealth Home Support Program funding, Vision Australia has developed a new Alexa Smart Speaker Program providing Echo smart speakers with Alexa to qualifying clients free of charge. Devices are then coupled with a 12week educational program where participants quickly learn how Alexa can help them use their voice to access tools for organisation, communication, and connection to live confidently in their homes and communities. Access to information such as weather and news helps people who are blind or low vision to stay connected, from knowing whether to pack an umbrella when rain is forecast, to staying abreast of local information and events. Closer to home, tools such as kitchen timers, shopping lists and voice reminders, coupled with access to music, radio and podcasts, have helped participants manage their home life with more joy and confidence. Valerie, 81, was delighted to be gifted an Amazon Echo device from her local Vision Australia office, but had no experience with smart speaker technology before joining the program. Through the program’s group Zoom calls, she quickly embraced the possibilities Alexa brought into her home. “The group situation provided lots of insights to the ways others were using
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Dementia Australia reiterated calls for compulsory dementia education to be embedded in health and aged care reforms in response to the Federal Budget. Dementia Australia Executive Director Services, Leanne Emerson said that people impacted by dementia largely welcome the ongoing focus on reforming aged care and call on the Albanese Government to build on its commitment to strengthening the aged care workforce by investing in dementia education. The $3.9 billion package of reforms includes: $2.5 billion towards 24/7 registered nurses and increased care minutes; $3.6 million for a national registration scheme for personal care workers; $5 million for access to better food and improved nutritional standards; $68.5 million to help improve regional aged care services; $23.1 million for in-home aged care reform; and $26.1 million for individual aged care homes supporting people living with dementia, First Nations people, people from diverse communities and those in regional areas. “Compulsory dementia education is essential to the success of all of these initiatives,” Ms Emerson said. “Dementia education leads to fewer high-risk incidents, lower rates of inappropriate use of medication and more positive staff attitudes and morale, which ultimately results in better service delivery and quality of life for people living with dementia. “When people living with dementia receive care from professionals that have completed dementia education, fewer incidences of changed behaviour are experienced. We know from our work and broad consultation with people living with dementia, their families and carers, that if we get quality care right for people living with dementia then there will be quality care for all. “Dementia Australia looks forward to continuing consultation with the government on these important reforms and particularly the ongoing development of the National Dementia Action Plan which we anticipate will be a key measure in the next budget,” Ms Emerson said. Dementia Australia is the source of trusted information, education and services for the estimated half a million Australians living with dementia, and the almost 1.6 million people involved in their care. For support, contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. An interpreter service is available. The National Dementia Helpline is funded by the Australian Government. People looking for information can also visit dementia.org.au
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Valerie, 81, was part of the trial with the Amazon Echo device sent to her by local Vision Australia office. the device and everyone shared their experiences,” Valerie said. “One lady uses Alexa to check if she’s taken her medication. Another guy checks the football results. One lady even learned Italian! Alexa and this program have revolutionised my life. There are so many useful things I can do now that were just harder to do as a low vision person.” For Valerie, features such as kitchen timers and daily reminders were a big part of the Alexa journey – “My husband needs reminders more than I do!” – but it’s become an easier option than ever to quickly connect with family. She now uses Alexa as an aide to help tutor her granddaughter to find answers across maths, science and English subjects. Vision Australia has also developed an Alexa Skill of its own, providing voice access to the organisation’s podcasts, original audio programming, and answers about eye and sight conditions, as well as the ability to request a call back from Vision Australia’s support services.
“Alexa makes it easier for people who are blind or have low vision to access the content and services that Australians of all abilities rely on every day,” says Chris Edwards, Manager of Government Relations and Advocacy for Vision Australia. “We’re excited that an off-the-shelf smart speaker device can help older members of our community feel more included and empowered than ever before.” “Through the power of voice, Alexa has become an amazing example of how smart voice technology can help blind and low vision Australians; made even more exciting in the impact we’ve been able to create with Vision Australia,” says Kate Burleigh, Country Manager Alexa ANZ. “Having a friendly voice right there when needed is a powerful tool for this community, and is inherently personal. Helping Vision Australia to build this program to show Alexa’s value for their community has been a joy, and we’re excited to see it come to life.”
Legumes a healthy heart alternative Aussies can save money at the checkout and stretch meals further by adding heart healthy beans, chickpeas and lentils to meals – but half of us lack the confidence to do so, a new report shows. In response, the Heart Foundation is launching a ‘bean blitz’ to show Australians how easy it is to cook with this highly nutritious group of foods, known as legumes. This includes providing a selection of free and tasty recipes online. The insight into legumes is part of the Heart Foundation’s What Australia Eats 2022 report released today, which surveyed more than 2,000 Australians to provide a snapshot of our eating, shopping and cooking habits. According to What Australia Eats, other insights include: Favour the flavour: Australians choose what to cook at home primarily by how good it tastes; Keeping costs down: the price of food is another key factor in determining what people buy and cook with; Fresh desire: Australians mostly want fresh, unprocessed ingredients – perhaps overlooking the shelf-life, nutritional value and convenience of canned or frozen vegetables and legumes for those times you
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need a quick meal. Shop in store: nearly 80 percent of respondents said they preferred to visit a shop or supermarket versus shopping for groceries online. Seeing red: a quarter of us find it challenging to reduce our red meat intake to the recommended 350gms per week, despite trying. Heart Foundation senior dietitian, Jemma O’Hanlon, said eating more legumes by adding them to existing meals is an excellent way for people to start eating healthier. “Try to integrate small amounts of whole, nutrient-rich foods such as legumes into your existing meals. This will help you to feel fuller longer, helping both your heart and your hip-pocket,” Ms O’Hanlon said. The Heart Foundation will use the report’s insights to inform its nutrition resources. To discover our range of legume recipes as well as many other heart healthy meal ideas, visit our website for more advice. To view the What Australia Eats report, visit this page directly TIPS FOR EATING LEGUMES Where to start? O’Hanlon says: “When it comes to
including more legumes in your cooking, think outside the box. You can include beans, chickpeas or lentils in almost any recipe, even desserts!” Some simple additions to try at home: Add beans to your taco mix for a protein-packed punch Add lentils to your favourite spag-bol to stretch it further. Add lentils, chickpeas or beans to jazz up soups – add them in whole or blend them up Add canned mixed beans to give colour and texture to salads Other ideas include: Blend them up to make plant-based burger patties. Try them in dip form! Why not make your own hummus, which has a creamy, smooth texture? Perfect with vegetable sticks. Curb your snack cravings by baking canned chickpeas in the oven with a little olive oil and your favourite herbs and spices for flavour. Stock up on your favourite brand of baked beans (with no added salt and sugar) and have them on wholegrain toast for a quick and easy meal when you’re short on time.
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HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Medical drones on horizon
An artistist impression of the new service. have massive benefits, especially for older island residents. “In the meantime, Council is also looking at a potential partnership to trial a unique high-endurance drone with the capacity to cover long distances. “This offers great scope for a city such as ours which includes island communities as well as hundreds of kilometres of remote coastline and often inaccessible wetlands. “We see opportunities here to improve Council’s ability to care for our waterways and manage seasonal issues such as mosquitoes.” Cr Williams said Council was assisting innovators in this area to access Federal Government support through
its Emerging Aviation Technology Partnership. Global Community Resourcing Director of Projects and Research Anne Livingstone said her company’s work with Redlands Coast’s island communities aimed to ensure older people were not as vulnerable during times of emergency. “Through our technology, pressing local issues can be managed and resolved. This includes safety, security, scheduling of social services, effective management of chronic diseases and effective use of local resources,” Ms Livingstone said. “Our work in this area has identified new and emerging technology, includ-
ing Smart Home Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Collaborative Intelligence.” Ms Livingstone encouraged people who are interested in finding out more, or being involved in similar projects, to join the Community Care Smart Assistive Technology Collaborative. This is an internationally focused collaboration specifically on the role innovation will play in the future of more technology enhanced services and support. Join at satcommunity.com.au/ auth/register. Mater Pathology General Manager Deb Hornsby said using a network of 10 Swoop Aero drones to shuttle pathology sample to Mater Private Hospital Springfield would slash hours off the time it currently took by traditional transport means. “From next year, drones will be flying pathology samples safely across Moreton Bay, saving hours and leading to quicker diagnoses and treatment for island residents and reducing unnecessary movement of residents to hospitals. “This capability will service the GP and patient community with improved collections of tests on the islands, even for those with two-hour results. “We are also looking into how the drone service may be extended further, such as the potential to deliver medicines to aged care facilities on the islands,” Ms Hornsby said.
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Drones will soon be part of helping care for older Bay island residents as well as speeding up access to pathology services through partnerships supported by Redland City Council. Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said Council was taking a leading role in harnessing the power and flexibility of the latest drone technology to improve services for island residents as well as protecting Redlands Coast unique environment. It follows an Australia-first partnership, which will next year see pathology samples shuttled from the Moreton Bay islands to Mater Private Hospital Springfield’s pathology laboratories, significantly reducing the time it takes for patients to be diagnosed. “Redland City Council has engaged with Global Community Resourcing, which has been involved in a number of government-funded research projects over the past few years on the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, and aims to overcome issues that seniors can face living on our islands,” Cr Williams said. “This has included the use of smart technologies including drones and inhome monitoring to support people to live as independently as they can in what really are remote communities. “This, along with Mater’s partnership with Australian drone logistics company Swoop Aero to greatly improve pathology services to our islands, will
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OUT AND ABOUT
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Symphony’s view of state By Tania Phillips A solo oboe in the outback, a brass trio on the beach and a string quartet in the rainforest… despite being the state’s leading music makers, Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) believe they just might have also created possibly the best tourism video ever. QSO’s Season 2023 shines the light on music and celebrates some of the state’s most beautiful and iconic locations – from the beach to the rainforest, and the Outback to the city. The season video, called Sounds Like Queensland, together with images in the season brochure, were shot to reinforce that QSO is an Orchestra for all Queenslanders. Every year QSO tours across Queensland, sharing music with people from the outback to the beach, the rainforest to the city, performing on dusty regional stages, in tiny town halls, schools from Townsville to Toowoomba and Longreach to the Gold Coast, and of course in the mighty Concert Hall at QPAC. All up, QSO travels 10,000km across Queensland annually. Sounds Like Queensland is the Orchestra’s love letter to Queensland with musicians filmed on country in Iningai (Longreach), Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island), Maiala (Mt Glorious) and Meanjin (Brisbane). It features a specially commissioned piece of music by Cameron Patrick, performed by QSO and conducted by Peter Luff.
Section principal trumpet Rainer Saville in Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). QSO Marketing manager Renee Jones said they were really happy with the end result. “We dreamt big and hoped to create something long-lasting and beautiful,” she said. “I think we achieved that. Our videographer Joel Tronoff has such an eye for special moments. “How he has woven together the narrative of our musicians against the backdrop of Queensland landscapes is a testament to his skill and creativity.” She said they wanted the video to be
all encompassing. “We wanted to capture iconic Queensland locations, so we settled upon the Outback, Rainforest, Beach and City,” Renee explained. “Our musicians were touring to Longreach in March this year, so we jumped at the opportunity to go with them. “This video is a love letter to Queensland, so with that in mind it’s available for everyone to enjoy on YouTube. We’ve shared it as widely as possible – at our concerts, on social
media and in emails, even to Channel Seven News. We hope it’s something all Queenslanders can be proud of.” The aim of the video was to firmly place the QSO in the landscapes of Queensland to reflect how much they tour regional and remote communities each year. “We wanted to create something compelling to celebrate this,” Renee explained. “We’ve never done something on this scale before. This project involved a year of planning from concept to completion. We commissioned Cameron Patrick to compose the music to accompany the footage, recorded the piece in our studio, scouted locations, styled our musicians, and then travelled to each place for a day of filming. It’s been a complex task, but an incredibly rewarding one.” The idea has been on the drawing board for a while now though bringing it to fruition wasn’t easy. “A few years ago we started talking about capturing our musicians around Queensland so we could truly represent our commitment to everyone in our great state,” the marketing manager said. “It’s been challenging to find the time and resources for a large-scale project like this, but in our 75th year we decided to have a crack.” The result can be found on youtube.
A taste of paradise along the Noosa riverside Located only metres from the pristine Noosa River on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast, Noosa Lakes Resort provides a relaxing resort environment with a number of great room options and three of Noosa’s largest lagoon swimming pools. Noosa Lakes Resort is one of the few places that can boast such an amazing location, being surrounded by water and within easy walking distance to the best Noosa has to offer.
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Situated on seven landscaped acres by the shores of Lake Doonella, the resort is just 150 metres across the road from the Noosa Marina and only minutes away from the bustling hub of Noosaville and world renowned Hastings Street, Main Beach and Noosa National Park. Find Noosa Lakes Resort at 3 Hilton Tce Tewantin Noosa 5447 1400 Offer excludes peak seasons and is subject to availability.
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New app helps light travel Travel light – that’s the advice of experienced travellers to get the most out of your holiday. But it’s not just about cutting back on excess luggage. Having lots of different apps to find all the things you want from the best attractions to booking accommodation, finding the nearest public toilets or current road hazards can lead you fumbling from one app to the next. Now there is one travel app that provides an essential travel companion and it’s free. The Australian Visitor Centres App is available for free download from the App Store or Google Play. It opens the window on a wealth of up-to-date information for travellers starting with the location of over 400 accredited Visitor Information Centre across Australia. Wherever you’re travelling, from the tropics to the skifields, the coast to the outback, you can find the inside track on what to see and do from locals. Whether you are seeking must do attractions, galleries, bush walks and nature-based experiences, in search of fishing spots, the nearest golf course or great dining options, the Australian Visitor Centres App includes a wealth of information and special deals. For those touring or caravanning through regional Australia the app also provides road warnings, locates
Getting out and about thanks to the new app. your nearest petrol or EV charging stations, ATMs, campgrounds and dump points, hospitals, public showers, laundromats and the list goes on. Plan your trip with downloadable offline maps or get the latest info from the nearest Visitor Information Centre when you arrive at your next destination. Next time you set off to explore Australia, leave the guides and maps behind and lighten up on your digital aids with the one free app that really does do it all.
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Explore Aus From the Red Centre to coastal wilderness, mighty rivers to remote ranges, and busy cities to quaint country towns, Australia is a diverse country – and it’s increasingly appealing to domestic travellers. Grey nomads set off in their thousands when Covid limited international travel, and now many have been converted to the joy of finding out more about their own backyard. And they haven’t been disappointed. Whether it’s the big lap, shorter trips to avoid winter cold, summer heat, rain or drought, or simply a holiday, domestic tourism has taken off. “Domestic tourism is booming,” says Paul Brockhurst of CT Travel. “Covid restrictions have lifted, there’s no quarantine and we are all free to travel again, but many are choosing to continue their adventures around Australia.” In the June quarter this year, spending on accommodation, dining out and shopping, recorded the biggest increase since the start of the pandemic. For a number of years, Paul has been planning innovative itineraries for travellers to see the country the easy way – by luxury coach. “A spacious, air-conditioned luxury coach is the easiest, safest, and most comfortable way to go if you really want to get around this great country and learn more about it,” he says. “And it seems increasing numbers of
travellers are doing just that because domestic tourism is booming, and tours are filling fast as destinations find they are hitting peak numbers.” There’s no shortage of variety. Be mesmerized by the autumn colours of the New England Tableland, explore the national capital, visit King Island in the middle of Bass Strait, venture into the Australian High Country or enter the world of the Top End. Closer to home, take a quick getaway to Fraser Island and World Heritagelisted Lamington National Park and holiday in style while learning more about the beauty and history of locations that are right on our doorstep. “People come from around the world to see these places and yet often we haven’t quite managed to get there ourselves,” Paul says. “If it’s on the list, then start making plans for 2023.” Whether it’s seeing the glow worms while staying at O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat, visiting the magnificent Everglade Gardens at Leura in the Blue Mountains, or heading for the sky at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, Australia has a lot to offer. CT Travel has prepared a range of exciting itineraries covering all the mustsee experiences. The list of upcoming tours where you can choose your destination and duration, are on the CT Travel website. Visit cttravel.com.au or call 07 53911648
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2023 Tour Program FEBRUARY 2023 King Island (4 Days) Murray River & Kangaroo Island (11 Days) MARCH 2023 Fraser Island Explorer (4 Days) O’Reillys Escape (4 Days) APRIL 2023 2023 Autumn Tour (9 Days) High Country to Murray Delta (11 Days) MAY 2023 Norfolk Island (9 Days)
JUNE 2023 Red Centre - Adelaide to Darwin (18 Days) Queensland Savannah (12 Days)
Bookings
JULY 2023 Carnarvon Gorge & Wallaroo (7 Days)
PHONE (07) 5391 1648
AUGUST 2023 O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat (4 Days) Carnarvon Gorge & Wallaroo (7 Days) Lightning Ridge (7 Days) Fraser Island Whale Watch (4 Days)
M 0409 278 971 E tours@cttravel.com.au
SEPTEMBER 2023 Carnarvon Gorge & Wallaroo (7 Days) Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers (4 Days) Spring Gardens Tour (12 Days)
For more detailed itinerary information on any of these tours, please visit our website:
www.cttravel.com.au
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SUMMER: DECEMBER 2022 SENIORS TODAY 17
OUT AND ABOUT
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How to sea Spain in style By Kylie Mitchell-Smith www.travellingsenorita.com As the borders reopen, we begin to plan a European trip to reacquaint ourselves with countries like France, Portugal and Spain and as luck would have it a ’13day intensive Spain’ cruise by Azamara Voyages landed on our lap. As the tourism industry bounces back so do the costs of flights, with staffing issues and an increasing demand, they are fast becoming out of our reach. Alas we engage our trusty Travel Agent who finds us affordable options from Singapore to Paris on a reputable airline, with connecting flights from Brisbane. A layover in Singapore for 24 hours suited us down to the ground as we checked into the Novotel that adjoins Mercure on Stevens Road, an urban precinct on the fringe of the city. An ideal location that is close enough to the action but far enough away to relax in the comfort of the hotel’s gardens, cascading pools and global eateries. Refreshed and ready to go we board our flight to Paris to spend a couple of days basking in the beauty of the city of love. We discover areas we hadn’t visited before like Batignolles and Le Maraisas colourful as they are authentically French. A fast train to Bordeaux where we explore the old and new parts of the city, from the magnificent wine museum La Ciudad del Vino to the fresh food markets Les Halles Bacalan a showcase of the region’s providores. We board Azamara Pursuit and set sail to Northern Spain, dipping our ‘virgin’ cruise toes in on a boutique ship with 550 guests and a similar ratio of staff, is the ideal choice. Azamara have four smaller ships in their fleet and by all accounts are a trusted brand with a large portion of return guests. Greeted with friendly staff where nothing seems too much trouble, we get a quick safety check with Lifestyle Manager Nelson (also the ships resident DJ and dancer) and are introduced to our Stateroom Attendant Anwar, who is as tentative as he is fun. The deck cabins are spacious in design with all the fine trimmings, including a luxurious bed, bathroom to suit and balcony that opens onto the sea. As we wander the ships array of bars, eateries and entertainment areas, we slowly but surely find our sea legs. First stop Bilbao, we glide in as the sun rises over this stunning Basque city. Exploring the Guggenheim cultural precinct, we feel the vibe of this contemporary yet old-world destination. Sailing overnight and touring towns during the day, we embark on destinations off the big ship track- like the stunning coastal towns of La Coruna and Vigo in the Galicia region. The spirits of the pilgrims are felt through the cobble stone streets that lead to the Santiago de Compostela. Destination Portugal, we have time at sea to immerse in the culture on board the ship where we discover most of the guests are avid cruisers, choosing Azamara to see the world by water. On-board there is a decked-out gym, decadent spa and treatments, steam room and yoga studio. A luxurious lounge takes pride of place at the 18 SENIORS TODAY SUMMER: DECEMBER 2022
All aboard the Azamara Pursuit.
Soaking up the culture. bow of the ship with expansive views across the ocean. Fresh food is served from breakfast through to dinner exuding the flavours of Spain and food from across the globe. The chef’s source local produce where they can like Basque oysters, fish from Galicia and cheese from France. Azamara have built strong relations with suppliers at each port to ensure the freshest of food is served on-board. Embarking on the port of Lisbon we hire a car to explore the beachside town of Nazare, said to be the home of the largest wave in the world. Azamara are all about destination immersion and quite literally drop you off for a day of adventure, just be back 30 minutes prior to departure and all is well. There is also an array of curated shore excur-
Fresh food to enjoy. sions to book if guided tours are more your thing. A two day lay over in Seville, we are Greeted by hordes of Spaniards as we pass the narrow bridges, singing ‘Viva Espana’. Seville is rich in culture, pretty as a picture with a plethora of authentic tapas bars and live flamenco that ignites the streets. A day trip to Gibraltar then onto Costa Del Sol to take in Mediterranean towns like Malaga and Cartagena along the way. The mountains of Gibraltar are home to one of the last surviving monkey colonies, perched high above the island they keep a watchful eye over the city. Malaga beach is as dreamy as it is refreshing, we stay awhile and indulge on chargrilled fish cooked by the sea. We take a tour of the ancient ruins of
Cartagena, a town where historical architecture is fused with contemporary design, as we head to our final destination Barcelona. We pull into the colourful port of Valencia to visit the ‘Coves de Sant Josep’ a remarkable underground cave and water passage just outside of the picturesque city. Sailing up the Balearic Sea on our intensive journey around Spain we’ve crossed the Atlantic and Mediterranean and have taken in parts of four countries Spain, Portugal, Great Britain and France. Crusing into the harbour as the sun rises over Barceloneta Beach, The W Barcelona shines bright through our cabin windows, as we bid farewell to the Azamara Pursuit team and vow to return one day.
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OUT AND ABOUT
Enjoying Spain.
Time to indulge.
Taking in the vistas. W Barcelona is where all our hotel dreams come true, it’s a lifestyle hotel and to our delight we are upgraded to a ‘fabulous suite’. Complete with cocktail bar, supersized bath, plush lounge and floor to ceiling glass, capturing the water and city beyond. Day tripping around Barcelona is always a good idea, from bar hopping in the El Born district to dinner at the multi layered El Nationale to sunset on top of Tibidabo aka Magic Mountain. To complete the full circle of Spain we hire a car and drive to San Sebastian stopping off at Petritegi a traditional Basque cider house along the way. We stay at the stylish and convenient Silken Amara Hotel a short stroll to the old city of San Sebastian where we take a guided pintxos bar tour with a friendly local Amaia. Exploring the world by sea has captured our hearts, with a healthy dose of trains, planes and automobiles thrown in for good measure. Azamara offers affordable packages with all the inclusions, smaller ships and destination immersion itineraries- there’s a lot to like about a floating hotel on the sea. For all the sea faring information and offers visit https://www.azamara.com/ en-au/ The writer was a guest on the Azamara Pursuit Voyage.
A view to enjoy. SUMMER: DECEMBER 2022 SENIORS TODAY 19
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
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Time to put the feet up Often in later years, our years of stress over jobs, children and money are replaced with feelings of well-being and contentment. With age, we become comfortable with ourselves, start putting ourselves first (often for the first time in our lives!) and we begin doing things that make us happy. We can socialise on our terms, share stories about the past and reminisce about ‘the good old days’. And we can share our knowledge and wisdom with those younger than us. We realise that aging positively can make your life better. At Suncare, they love the positive stories of their customers. They marvel at some of the tales. They are motivated by their customers experiences and they are determined to age as well as many of the elderly they meet. At 83 years of age, Durelle decided that older age was not about being bored and boring. Enrolling at the local university for her Batchelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Durelle soon became a popular figure on the grounds of the Uni. “You can do anything if you just set your mind to it” says Durelle. Bob started his stamp collection at the age of seven. His study is filled with stamp albums and he loves his weekly catch-up at the local Stamp Collectors Group.
Hearing the stories at Suncare. Here he talks stamps and life with fellow collectors, keeping the joy in his life-long hobby alive. Using the Suncare Transport Service takes the hassle out of getting there. Suncare staff love to hear about Len and his wife who have been happily married for 70 years; about Elsie, whose husband moved into the care facility with her until she was well enough to
move back into their own home. They are proud to celebrate the birthday milestones with our octogenarians, some of whom still enjoy regular games of golf at the age of 100. Suncare support worker Meg says many of her customers have a special place in her heart. “It is not a job or a duty, it is a plea-
sure to meet so many of Queensland’s wonderful aged citizens”. The staff would love you to become part of the Suncare story. If you or your family member is considering in-home care as part of an aging plan, please contact Suncare on 1800 786 227 or visit suncare.org.au to see how they can best assist you.
Suncare Home Care If staying in your home is important to you, we can help. Help with housekeeping, a lift to the shops or someone to mow your lawn could be just that extra support you need so you can pursue your interests and live your life on your terms. Suncare delivers your Home Care Package services so you can stay in your home, connected with your local community and in control of your life.
We can help you with… Personal Care | Meal Service & Preparation | Transport Social Support & Respite | Housekeeping & Domestic Assistance | Home & Garden Maintenance | Home Care Package Advice | Allied Health & Clinical Services NDIS Coordination
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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Meatloaf: A tribute Meat Loaf: The Concert is two hours of nothing but show stopping hits of the iconic singer, Meat Loaf, and the hits penned by his long-time collaborator and friend, Jim Steinman. The concert features an eight-piece band fronted by lead singer, Rick Szabo, who is no stranger to taking on the role of singing the songs of one of the world’s unmatched vocalists, having performed as lead vocalist in The Australian Meat Loaf Tribute Show from 1989 to 2004. “I’ve sung these incredible songs over a thousand times and it was the most amazing journey to take the band around the country playing to thousands of people for years,” Szabo said. “Meat Loaf and Steinman were renowned for their Pavarotti meets Chuck Berry style approach to Rock and Roll. “We will deliver this show exactly the way the fans want to hear it complete with the theatrics, screaming guitars, and lots of vocals”. Fans will be treated to a performance of all the hits from one of the largest selling, critically acclaimed and one of history’s most important albums, 1977’s ‘Bat Out Of Hell’’ with songs including Bat Out Of Hell, Paradise By The Dashboard Light, You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night),
The concert features an eight-piece band fronted by lead singer, Rick Szabo. Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, and many more Meat Loaf favourites, plus the songs from Jim Steinman’s vast collection of his own and for artists such as Bonnie Tyler and Celine Dion, to name a few. “There is even a surprise for Rocky Horror fans,” Szabo teases. “This music is timeless. It’s powerful to perform. Millions of people the
world over love this and although Meat Loaf has passed, his music will live on forever.” In the words of Meat Loaf himself: “the beat is yours forever”, together we shall make some “Rock & Roll dreams come through.” Friday January 27 2023 – The Tivoli – Brisbane www.ticketmaster.com.au www.meatloaftheconcert.com.au
Canadian crooner returns: Buble in concert It’s beginning to look like Christmas and just to prove it recent king of Christmas, Canadian crooner Michael Buble is on his way for a six-city tour, taking in the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on 17-18 December. The multi-award-winning, multiPlatinum-selling global superstar will start his tour on Wednesday 30 November in Newcastle before travelling to Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, ending his tour hear in Brisbane. During this six-city national tour, the Canadian entertainer will perform selections from his hotly antici-
pated 11th studio album, Higher, and a selection of his original smash hits alongside his trade-mark innovative takes on the great classics. “I have been touring Australia for 20 years now and the fact that you all keep turning up to my shows makes me feel like the luckiest man alive,” Michael Buble said. “I absolutely adore performing live, being on stage is complete and utter enjoyment for me. It’s a great pleasure and honour for me to be able to show up and be made feel so welcome.” Buble, who recently welcomed his fourth child and second daughter
with wife Luisana Lopilato, is often credited for helping renew interest in the traditional pop-standards with strong musical influences by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole and Elvis. His 2011 holiday album Christmas spent five weeks at the top of the US Billboard 200 and has become one of those – go-to Christmas albums. He has now sold more than 75 million records worldwide and won four Grammy’s. Check Ticketek for availability of Brisbane tickets.
Musical thunder set to roll into Brisbane Tom Oliver will head up a strong Aussie cast for the highly-anticipated 2023 national tour of the powerful rock drama Rolling Thunder Vietnam. The hand-picked ensemble also includes Brittanie Shipway, Christian Charisiou, Jerrod Smith, Imogen Moore and Sam Richardson. Described by producer Rebecca Blake as, “a stellar cast of emerging young stars and exciting theatrical talents”, the performers will feature alongside some of Australia’s most renowned rock musicians in the biggest tour of the acclaimed production to date. From the time of its 2014 world premiere at QPAC, Rolling Thunder Vietnam has introduced a number of new talents to audiences throughout Australia. “The show is an original Australian work and I’m thrilled that we once again have such an exceptional cast,” Rebecca Blake said.
“Some names are already familiar, others are newcomers, and I can’t wait for our audiences to see them light up the stage in this uplifting and moving rock drama.” Original cast member Tom Oliver (Velvet, The Marcia Hines Band, Wynnum Fringe director) reprises the role of the country soldier Johnny – a lively and endearing character he has made his own since the production’s first triumphant tour. He will be joined by rising young stars Brittanie Shipway (A Letter for Molly, The Sapphires, Big Fish) and Jerrod Smith (Heathers the Musical), both of whom are currently appearing in Laura Murphy’s exhilarating new Australian musical The Lovers for Bell Shakespeare at the Sydney Opera House. In Rolling Thunder Vietnam, Brittanie will play Johnny’s girlfriend Sarah, a loyal and loving country girl who becomes an anti-war protestor, while Jer-
rod portrays the duty-bound American marine Thomas. With a number of theatrical successes to his credit, including his breakout role as Robbie Hart in the hit touring production of The Wedding Singer, Christian Charisiou plays the conscripted Australian soldier Andy in Rolling Thunder Vietnam. His big musical numbers include Bob Dylan’s blistering All Along the Watchtower and Marvin Gaye’s aching What’s Going On – both ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as among the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Rolling Thunder Vietnam is inspired by the true stories of numerous Vietnam Veterans and family members, extensive research and actual letters. BRISBANE Concert Hall, QPAC Friday 21 April – 8pm Saturday 22 April – 2pm and 8pm
· · ·
Songbird returns Mirusia is known to millions around the world as the ‘Angel of Australia’ - the name given to her by the famous Dutch violinist, Andre Rieu and, in February, the international Soprano returns home for a show on her home turf at Redlands on 18 February. She will be just back from an extensive European headlining tour to debut her stunning new concert. Affectionately dubbed as “Australia’s Songbird” by 3AW’s Denis Walter, Mirusia will sing songs from her illustrious career including classical favourites, Broadway musical hits, new original music and songs she has performed together with Andre Rieu on his global spectaculars over the years. She will also bring with her some of Australia’s finest musicians, including special guest JD Smith from The Ten Tenors. “I am so excited to return to Australia from touring in Europe in December, and it’s only fitting that I start my year off performing for my own home crowd at Redlands,” Mirusia said. “This concert will feature my most requested songs and also some new surprises.” Her shows on her recent ‘Songbird’ tour have had audiences describing her performance as “stunning”, “fabulous”, and “Divine”. ABC’s David Prior describing her as “a once in a generation voice.” Melbourne-based singer/songwriter, JD Smith, has been touring as a member of the international vocal group The Ten Tenors since 2015. With an indigenous heritage, JD has shifted his focus to releasing his debut album titled “Soul Searchin’” - produced by Michael Cristiano (The Seekers, Gene Pitney). With what critics describe as the voice of an angel and humour from Down Under, she has won the hearts of millions globally. This is Mirusia’s annual hometown concert and an unforgettable concert experience not to be missed! Saturday, 18 February – 7.30pm Redland Performing Arts Centre 2-16 Middle Street, Cleveland, QLD 4163 www.rpac.com.au | (07) 3829 8131
Mirusia - Australia’s Songbird. SUMMER: DECEMBER 2022 SENIORS TODAY 21
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Insider’s book on Bryce By Tania Phillips It’s been 10 years since the death of Bryce Courtney, the man whose books became an Australian Christmas present staple, but for the first time in a decade a Bryce Courtney book might once again join the socks and chocolates under the tree. This time around though, Bryce will be the subject and not the author, thanks to the new book, Bryce Courtney - Storyteller. The biography would come as no surprise to Bryce, he often said someone would write it one day – even had offers from other authors in his lifetime. But the person who finally wrote it might be the surprise. The author is none other than his widow Christine, who sat down to write her own fascinating story and suddenly found herself writing a chapter or two about Bryce. And just as she thought maybe she might not continue; she made a discovery in her garage that ensured the new book would come to life. Christine Courtney, who started her working life at the Canberra Times in advertising earning $3 an hour while still at University and went on to cofound Australian Himalayan Expeditions in 1975, met Bryce in the 90s and they became friends, eventually falling in love in the 2000s and marrying in 2011. “I started out writing memoire of my own life because in the 1970s I started a pioneering travel company called Australian Himalayan Expeditions which later became world expeditions and during that amazing period of my life we travelled everywhere, we met some amazing explorers and adventurers and a lot of great things happened,” she explained. “I’d been asked years and years ago to write the story of how that company was founded and when you’re running a business you don’t have time to write a book. So, when I came home from England and just missed the lockdown being cooped up in hotel, I thought I might sit down and write a book. “You know when you’re writing, it wasn’t sort of a writing exercise but one day I was sort of thinking I’d just have a write about how Bryce and I first met, so I wrote this sort of an essay really and I called it our first chapter. It was about how I first met Bryce, which was in 1993 and then we eventually came together as a couple in 2005. I thought that’s
Christine and Bryce. not bad and sent it to a girlfriend and she said I really like that it’s great. So, I wrote another chapter and then another chapter. And then I thought oh-dear what am I doing – even then I didn’t think I’d write a book about Bryce’s life. “And then, its almost serendipitous if that’s the word, I came back from Europe in late March 2020 and I was writing my memoire and then in June 2020 I was clearing out some boxes of stuff in my garage. I’d relocated from Canberra in 2015 where Bryce had passed away. I found this box of letters I honestly think much of them – maybe they were business letters or something like that, I came close to throwing them out. “Instead, I took them upstairs and looked at them – oh my goodness these were written by Bryce, I never realised they were there, he’d never mentioned them. Then I started to put them in some sort of order – many of them were handwritten on very flimsy, rice paper almost, some were typed on a manual typewriter, and they were from very early one, when he was a small child right through to when he was at school at the very posh boarding school he eventually managed to get into. Then when he worked at fruit farm after leaving school, then working down the mines in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, then his time studying journalism in London, travelling out to Australia by ship and then starting off in advertising, his family life and sitting down and writing The Power of One and other books. “I thought oh my god, plus there were whole swaiths of information in those letters that I’d not heard about, some I had. It was like diary of his life.”
Suddenly it was almost like Bryce was telling her to write the book. “It really was,” she said. “You don’t want to sound too self-absorbed, but I thought maybe I am meant to write this.” However, it wasn’t quite that clear cut for Christine who wondered if she really should do it. “I felt conflicted, Bryce had been asked by his publisher, they begged him to write an autobiography, I had asked him to write an autobiography and he always said no. Before he passed away a couple of people came to see him, or they’d ring him. They’d say can I come and sit with you Bryce and record your story. He was very sick by then and just couldn’t deal with it. “He said anyway I don’t want one. I was asked to write one as well by a publisher not too long after Bryce passed away. I rejected the idea out of hand. “But I began to think – you know what, Bryce knew a biography would eventually be written about him, he told me that and I thought, it is now ten years nearly since he passed away. As the queen once said I remember in the fullness of time perhaps, he wouldn’t mind if a biography was written now. “I’m in a unique position to write one, because we spent those years together and I knew him previously, so I knew a bit about those years and now I had this cache of pure gold and I thought these are going to be at the heart of the book. “Then when I reread his books, 21 books written in 23 years, I began to identify aspects of his life he’d woven into the books. They jumped out at me even more than they had done previously, especially books like obviously
The Power of One but also White Thorn, Bryce often said White Thorn was the most autobiographical of any of his books, most people think it’s The Power Of One. “Bryce never threw anything out, so I had boxes and boxes of files – every book that came out there seemed to be dozens dozens of interviews so I read all of them. I remembered there was quite a few documentaries made with him. “Again, he’d never told me he’d done this but in 1991 he sat down with Diana Ridge at the National Library in Canberra Oral history unit, and she interviewed him for what seemed like hours. I thought this is amazing material.” She also talked to old friends and family, doctors who treated him, family in South Africa and with her own memories in a sense she probably had too much material. “I was given a word count, but I wrote 22,000 more,” she laughed. “I had enough – remember it’s not an academic work, it’s a memoire. I just tried to write it in a way that was interesting and reflected Bryce’s personality, his personal courage, his resilience, his humour, his generosity of spirt and also to honour his literary legacy, often which I think was a bit undervalued, and also just as a tribute to my darling husband as we commemorate the 10th year since his death. “It felt like I couldn’t not do it in the end, even though there were times when it was very daunting. You are writing about someone’s life, I wasn’t with Bryce for many of those years, there are people are still living that you are writing about, and I had never written a book before. I’d written chapters of other books and I was always, like Bryce had been, writing in my working life writing press releases and travel brochures. In a sense I’d been writing all my life, but it was a big responsibility and sometimes I’d think, I can’t do this but in the end, I was also very fortunate in that I had a wonderful editor, Racheal Scully who had worked with Bryce on many of his books and who knew him. That was really fantastic to have that support and encouragement. She loves the book and feels that it’s gracious, dignified and a wonderful read. “She said Bryce’s readers are going to love this and so that was a great compliment but now all I want is for people to enjoy it and I can’t wait to know how they find it.”
Author Nigel Marsh contemplates his third trimester It’s 2022 and Nigel Marsh, bestselling author of 2005’s Fat, Forty & Fired, is staring down the barrel of turning 60. Every week he finds himself bumping awkwardly into evidence of his growing older. His parents have both passed away, he’s losing his hearing and he and his wife Kate are now empty nesters - within two months their house has emptied of all four children as well as the pet dog. Now he finds himself wearing a dressing-gown at his writing desk in a storage room under his garage won22 SENIORS TODAY SUMMER: DECEMBER 2022
Author Nigel Marsh. dering whetherhis happiest days are behind him. But just because the first half of life
is full of exciting, life changing events like becoming educated, building a career, forming partnerships and raising children - why can’t getting older be a good thing too? The term ‘old age’ has become irretrievably negative when applied to people, so Nigel decides to rebrand it into ‘the third trimester’ of life. Youth has its unique upsides, but so does old age. You care less what other people think of you; you’ve worked out who your real friends are; you haven’t got to spend your life
commuting to a crushingly pointless job, or working for an arsehat; you’ve nothing to prove to anyone; you have the freedom to devote proper time to getting really good at a hobby...the list goes on. In Smart, Stupid & Sixty, Nigel ponders his entry into the third trimester - ageing well, staying healthy, sex, decreasing work, parenting adult children, maintaining friendships, his parents’ passing, learning new skills and the secret to living a happy life and making the most of getting older.
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GARDENING
Summer loving plants By Kevin Redd Hello Queensland gardeners- here we are in the beginning of what promises to be another hot and steamy summer. It’s off to a great start with temperatures not too hot yet and there is plenty of rainfall and soil moisture just about everywhere! So now is the time in the garden when we can make sure that our plants are ready for the warm season ahead. So what should we be doing in the garden now? First and foremost- now is a great time to get out to apply an application of mulch to both the ornamental garden as well as the food producing patch. This will keep those pesky weeds from taking over and so far it’s not yet too hot to get out and do this job. What sort of mulch is best? This is a great question and it depends upon what you are growing and how easy it is to access your garden. At our site on the Sunshine Coast with lots of edibles and lush tropical foliage plants, we are big fans of sugar cane mulch which we can get locally in big ‘wheels’. As you might know, lots of cane farms are struggling with mill closures and large distances to take their cane, so buying mulch directly from the farmers is a wonderful way to support agribusiness in your local area. Secondly, we can start putting in ‘warm weather’ plants that love our
Enjoying the summer blooms.
Ginger festival.
Dragon fruit. summer season- things like dragonfruit and all the beautiful heliconias, gingers and turmeric are all starting their vigorous growth phases now and
are very easy to propagate. Go check out your local nursery or even get on the internet to some of the wonderful ‘online nurseries’ that have a fantastic
range of beautiful tropical plants. Make the most of the warm days at this time of year and get out into the garden!
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ACTIVE OUTDOORS
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Over Casey’s Gabba journey he has met some great and some real cricket super stars. Casey (right) is pictured with Alan Davidson (left), Sir Garfield Sobers and former secretary-manager of Queensland Cricket and the Queensland Cricketers club, Lew Cooper.
Predictions of the demise of the Gabba after the reconstruction phase did not eventuate. Test match during the building process - business as usual.
Lifetime of Gabba memories By Casey O’Connor As the T20 World Cup drew to a close recently my thoughts turned to the first Test at the Gabba, beginning December 17. As a cricket tragic, The Brisbane Cricket Ground, aka The Gabba is undoubtedly my “happy place” and has been for many decades. My earliest recollections of the ground are as a 10-year-old wide-eyed, cricket-mad country kid. For the kid from Ballandean (outside Stanthorpe) the opportunity to share a trip to “the Gabba” with my father and a couple of his friends and a mate was monumental. A trip from Ballandean to Brisbane in 1960 was a long way from the pleasant drive down the range it is today and took quite a bit of planning before you even got to the city and the hustle and bustle of the Fiveways at Woolloongabba. Little did I know that I would see one of the greatest ever Test games and that it would be the start of a lifetime of cricket memories at the Gabba. The 1960 Test was of the famous tiedtest against the West Indies. To a cricket loving kid from the bush and his best mate Errol McCosker it was simply amazing. The excitement of the finish, the colour, the theatre and of course the amazing talent of both the Aussies and the Windies had us spellbound. I was hooked on Test Cricket and the Gabba. There was another memorable trip to the Gabba as a kid a few years later. The 1962/63 series against England. It was during that game that Australian left arm quick Ian Meckiff was controversially called for throwing. My memory and the enormity of that incident has never faded. The first day of the first Test at the Gabba was traditionally the day country people went to the cricket. In those days and for many years until the ground was upgraded, it was a tradition to meet your mates at the “fig tree” on the eastern side of the ground(School side) before heading off for a yarn and a quiet drink. I don’t recall how big that fig tree was, but it must 24 SENIORS TODAY SUMMER: DECEMBER 2022
have been pretty big because everyone knew it and planned to meet there. Years later in 1970, I was back at the Gabba, a 20-year-old larrakin, with a bus load of mates from Stanthorpe. I just may have been the bloke who after a day on the hill in the hot sun, having consumed a few ales, wandered out onto the ground with the crowd (as you did back in those days) when play was interrupted due to poor light and grabbed a stump from under the nose of the Umpire and bolted. I was a pretty fit and quick and made my escape to the boundary with a couple of burly police sergeants (complete with pith helmets) in pursuit. I would have been home free had it not been for the little bloke in a towelling hat who grabbed my leg as I hurdled the fence and held onto it until the constabulary arrived amid the jeers of the crowd. I was marched across the ground and straight to the cubby hole office of the Secretary Manager of Queensland Cricket, former Queensland keeper, Lew Cooper. While my stunned mates, figuring I would be locked up, did a whip around to come up with enough money to bail me out, my fate was in Lew Cooper’s hands. He ejected the police, reminding them that the Trust was in charge of the Gabba, and he and the Chairman of the Trust would determine my punishment. He dispatched the press and settled the gentlemen in suits who were baying for blood, retrieved the stump, established I was a young lad from the bush having a day out, had not done anyone any harm, and promptly bought me a beer. It was the start of a friendship that was to last until Lew’s death a few years ago and he years later he returned that stump to me. The whole thing did not go unnoticed on the evening news or in the press the next day. It made the front page and back page of the Courier Mail and the Sydney papers. Pope Paul was visiting Australia at the time and my hijinks relegated the Pope to page three –something that did not sit well in an Irish Catholic household, my Mother less than impressed. Since that time, I have rarely missed
the first day of a Gabba Test match and have watched the Gabba transformed over the years. There have been several of alliterations of the Gabba on its journey to the ground it is today. I recall when the Greyhound track was installed in 1972 many traditionalists thought the sky would fall and the playing surface would be ruined. It certainly didn’t seem to bother Lillee, Thommo, the Chappell brothers and those amazing West Indian players. While one Test series blends into another and another and likewise Pre-Test breakfasts at the Gabba there are some that are burned into the memory. Like the performances of a very young and relatively unknow Jeff Thompson in 1974 against the Poms. Thommo in full flight ripped through the top order in their first innings and broke Dennis Amiss’ thumb. Not done with, in the second innings he cleanbowled four batsmen. They knew all about Thommo after that. The Dog track eventually went, and AFL arrived as the Brisbane Bears made the Gabba home. More outcry. The pitch would be destroyed. Work began soon after to transform the ground into a stadium. Over the next few years, the death of the famous Gabba Hill (another popular meeting place) and the loss of the old scoreboard were mourned by many. I clearly remember how grim things were when the old Cricketers Club was torn down and eventually relocated to its current home. No longer could players in the centre hear Lew Cooper’s booming voice over the Club PA announcing No79’s steak was ready or that there was a problem with the ladies’ loo. Despite the dire predictions, the wicket was better than ever and the new location of the Cricketers’ Club, the other side of the wicket is a great place to watch the game. But a word of warning be early if you want a seat inside at the glass windows and reasonably close to the bar. I have been very fortunate to be at the ground to watch many memorable Australian wins and met many former great players and great characters of the game. Even had a trip to the commentary box with all the usual suspects. If I had to choose a few of the most
memorable performances I’ve seen I would have to include Matt Hayden’s 2002 innings. His first innings score of 197 and second innings 103 included 38 fours and three sixes. I think it is still the most runs by an Aussie at the Gabba. In 1994 I watched as Ian Healy took five catches in the first innings dismissing five top-order Pommie batsmen and backed up with four more wickets in the second innings. Heals added 45 crucial runs with the bat. Since then, I have become quite good friends with the former gloveman, touring and rooming with him on several occasion during the Queensland Wanderers annual country Qld tours. Who could forget in that same game the performance of S K Warne – his first Test back in Australia after the “ball of the century” bewitched Gatting in 1994. His figures at the Gabba in that test 11/110. (3/39 and 8/71). Warnie had arrived. I was there for that memorable first delivery Steve Harmison bowled to Justin Langer in 2006 which set the tone for the remainder of the game and the series. One delivery wrecked his career. The Gabba got him. I haven’t even mentioned the most graceful of all batsmen, Greg Chappell or the Gabba performances of Ricky Ponting, or Michael Clarke’s score of 259 in 2012 against Sth Africa and so many other outstanding batting performances. Great bowlers like Mitch Johnson, Glen McGrath and Warnie was simply like a kid in a candy shop when he played the first Test’s at the Gabba. Beefy Botham, Sir Richard Hadlee and the amazing West Indian in the 80’s – the Gabba and I have witnessed a lot and I am most grateful. With the first against South Africa the Test around the corner, my tickets are booked, and I’ll be nice and early to grab once of those great seats inside the Cricketers Club. Once again there will be an air doom and gloom from some about the impact of the proposed Gabba upgrade for the 2032 Olympics. I reckon the Gabba will be just fine. Still the best place in Australian to start a Test Series and a great place to accumulate a lifetime of cricket memories.