10 - 16 September 2013 Issue: 480
CAPTURING AUSTRALIA
GREAT ESCAPE
entertainment P8
travel P10
Craig Silvey on Aussie literature
STRANGE BUT TRUE Ten fun facts about Australia
Dare to do Devon
uk life P5
41769
CONTRACTING? TIME TO EARN MORE TAX, FINANCIAL AND MIGRATION EXPERTS: Money Transfers, Tax Refunds, Visas, Limited Companies & Accounting, UK Bank Accounts, CV & Job Assistance, Travel Clinic, Shipping, Legal and Umbrella Services
ABBOTT’S APPROACH
n
Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott will wait at least six weeks to resume federal parliament, giving him time to set up his new coalition government and attend two summits. PRIME Minister-elect Tony Abbott will wait at least six weeks to resume federal parliament, giving him time to set up his new coalition government and attend two summits. Mr Abbott on Monday held a series of meetings in Canberra with deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop and Nationals leader Warren Truss and senior government officials. His mind is also turning to how to get legislation to repeal the carbon and mining taxes and toughen Australia’s approach to asylum seekers through a minorityinfluenced Senate in the coming months. “My job is to be respectful and courteous of every member of parliament - that includes independent and minor party MPs,” Mr Abbott said on Monday. “But in the end they all need to respect the government of our nation has a mandate and the parliament should work with the government to implement its mandate.” Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen, who on Monday nominated himself as shadow treasurer in the ALP opposition, criticised Mr Abbott’s decision not to bring parliament back until late October or early November. “I thought we had an emergency on our borders and a crisis in our
DANGER zone Aussie comedian David Quirk at Soho Theatre | Interview P9
budget,” Mr Bowen said. “Apparently everything is not all that urgent now.” Mr Abbott is expected to attend both the APEC summit in Bali and the East Asia Summit in Brunei in early October. The incoming 28th prime minister said he was being “purposeful, methodical, calm and conscientious”. “The last thing I want to do is to rush the parliament back for a photo opportunity,” he said. The coalition’s asylum seeker plan, Operation Sovereign Borders, won’t start until after the new ministry is sworn in early next week. Mr Abbott said he wouldn’t be surprised if people smugglers tried to test his government’s resolve. Mr Truss, who will take on the transport and infrastructure portfolio, said the Nationals would have at least 20 members in the 44th parliament. “Under the coalition arrangements the positions are divided according to the number of seats we have in the coalition room from each party,” Mr Truss told Sky News. Meanwhile, Labor is now turning to settling on its new parliamentary leader but at the time Australian Times went to print, the two likely
Catholic Church believed pedo priests 'curable' CATHOLIC leaders simply could not accept that ordained priests might commit child sex abuse, a senior church figure has told an inquiry. And where they did, they believed it was a “one-off”. Asked whether there was a “cultural disinclination” among senior Catholics to confront claims of abuse in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Monsignor John Usher replied: “It was not so much cultural but spiritual”. The monsignor on Monday fronted the special commission of inquiry into how church leaders and police handled child sexual abuse allegations against two Hunter Valley priests. He said that 20 years ago the first response from bishops and other senior Catholics to claims of child sexual abuse by a priest was disbelief. “(They thought), ‘this couldn’t be true’,” he said. “‘And if he did, it was only a one-off, and we’ll forgive him and he won’t do it again’.” Many in the church believed pedophile priests could be “cured” if they received counselling, he said. “I’m not saying it was a ...continued on p3
Sponsored by
Be our next great travel writer
...continued on p3
SUNDAY 20th OCTOBER
O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON LONDON Tickets available through:
TICKETWEB.CO.UK / 0844 477 2000 PLUS GUESTS FLAP!
0808 141 2314
www.1stcontact.com/mast2
WIN A travel voucher worth £250 Turn to P11 for details
2 | News
10 - 16 September 2013
Home and Away set to film “exciting storyline” in London
n
Publisher: Bryce Lowry Editor: Alex Ivett Production/Design: Jackie Lampard News Editor: Paul Bleakley Business Editor: Sepi Roshan Contributors: Georgia Dawes, Phillip Browne, Michael McCormick, Erin Somerville, George Katralis, Jacqui Moroney, Will Fitzgibbon, Chris Arkadieff, Kiel Egging, Daniel Shillito, Mat Lyons, Sandra Tahmasby,
Tyson Yates, Jennifer Perkin, Charlie Inglefield, Thomas Jones, Alistair Davis, Will Denton, Chloe Westley, Bonnie Gardiner, Michaela Gray, Marian Borges, Haylee Slater, Emma O'Neill, Ally Juchnevicius, Courtney Greatrex, Poppy Damon, Kris Griffiths Directors: P Atherton, J Durrant N Durrant, R Phillips and A Laird
Additional content: Who are we? Australian Times is written and compiled by young Australian journalists living in the UK. Contributing on a volunteer basis, they are uniquely placed to reflect the interests, opinions and attitudes of our community. If you would like to join us, contact info@australiantimes.co.uk Address: Unit 7C, Commodore House Battersea Reach, London SW18 1TW Tel: 0845 456 4910 Email: info@australiantimes.co.uk
WEBSITE:
The paper used to print this publication has been sourced from sustainable forests (farmed trees). Please reduce waste by recycling your copy or pass it on others. DISCLAIMER The printed opinions of advertisers and writers are theirs and not necessarily shared by Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Unless otherwise stated, copyright of all original materials is held by Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Official media sponsors of the following organisations:
Producers of Home and Away have announced that they will film scenes in London later this year for an “exciting storyline” scheduled for 2014. By Paul Bleakley PRODUCERS of popular Australian soap opera Home and Away have announced that they will film a series of special episodes in London this autumn which will see cast members travel to the United Kingdom for a significant storyline. A statement released by Home and Away representatives said that the dramatic storyline would be aired in 2014 and that the storyline would see characters “embarking on a desperate fight to hang onto what is most important in life – love and family.” Series producer Lucy Addario said that the production team were thrilled to bring the show to London and reward the soap’s British fan base. Ms Addario said: “We are thrilled that Home and Away will be returning to London to shoot this exciting storyline. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to bring the heart and soul of Summer Bay to the home of our loyal UK audience.” Home and Away currently airs on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, and acts alongside Neighbours as the network’s flagship soap operas.
Your Say On: Julian Assange: From information anarchist to party politician I disagree with Julian about many things, but some scrutiny of government workings would be a fine thing. If they were fielding a candidate here in WA, I would cast my vote in their direction.
Udi
THE NRL IS BACK & IT’S BIGGER THAN EVER EVERY GAME
EVERY ROUND
FROM INCLUDING THE GRAND FINAL
STATE OF ORIGIN
LIVE & EXCLUSIVE
PLUS 32 GAMES FROM
THE CHAMPIONSHIPS SUBSCRIBE NOW
0871 663 9000 PREMIERSPORTS.TV
On: Rudd brings Big Brother housemates to tears while Abbott causes cringe
storyline involving the publication of long-time Summer Bay resident Donald Fisher’s children’s book. The storyline prominently featured the return of Emily Symon’s character Marilyn, who had fled to the United Kingdom after the breakdown of her relationship with Fisher.
I believe there are more issues of paramount importance than the issue of homosexual marriage to be considered by Australian voters. This election result will determine what Australians really value and need for our country and its people's future.
citizens have a criminal record because the police gave evidence against alleged law breakers all because the police believe, like the liberal coalition, they are born to rule regardless of the consequences and damage they cause to individual people. Operational police when protected are just as corrupt as those exposed in our last Royal Police into corruption
Peter
I’ve no doubt that personally Tony Abbott is a nice man, perhaps even a better bloke than Kevin Rudd, but the policies of the party he leads are socially divisive and potentially ruinous to the economy. The only safe alternatives are Labor or the Greens, especially in the Senate.
Welsh Dog
Big Brother is a waste of viewing space, Kevin Rudd is as believable as Bob Katter proclaiming to represent the Northern Qld electorate, both wannabes. When the election is over Rudd will once again get knifed and Bill Shorten will be the new leader. Rudd is a dill,with Shorten in charge the Labor Party will be much stronger and more believable. Maroon
Abbott is an idiot. He reveals this every time he opens his mouth. How anyone in this country is planning to vote for this fool is beyond me. Remember people, this guy will be our representative to the world. He is already a joke, if we elect him, then we become the punch line. ET
? What’s your view
Channel 5 commissioning editor Greg Barnett said that he could not reveal specific details of the storyline, however could promise British fans that it would be an exciting series of episodes. Mr Barnett said: “Although we can’t reveal much about the storyline at present, I can promise fans this is going to be one not to miss. It’s great to have the show filming these very special episodes in the UK, and as a huge fan myself I’m very, very excited!” Home and Away last visited the United Kingdom in 2001 for a
On: Aussie singer Kath Haling at Camden’s Under Solo Bar Such a talent! Wish I could be there to share what will be, without a doubt, a powerhouse performance! Looking forward to hearing the new tracks soon.
Kristi
On: NSW candidates linked to corrupt police, political assassination
Isn’t it odd that when an election is called it shows how well police are protected. The lies that are being exposed shows the length the police will go to present them as above normal law abiding citizens and if elected will bring secularism in that the concerns of the electorate will be equally represented. How many
Get More Opinion
AustralianTimes.co.uk/news
Ian
On: Why I asked Boris Johnson to improve Aussie work rights in the UK
The freedom of movement of people around the globe is a difficult and contentious one. I don’t think(or at least I hope) these restrictions will be indefinate on OZ and NZ and will be relaxed when there is a need again for extra labour and markets pick up again. I think the current government wants to shows an overall reduction in immigration figures which has impacted unfairly on Australians and New Zealanders. It now looks as if they (the Tories) will not even achieve these outcomes of reducing overall immigration while removing people like Sally who would like to stay and sincerely benefit society and the children they teach. Christine
Share your comments on these and more stories online: AustralianTimes.co.uk
SKY CHANNEL 428 CALLS COST 10P PER MINUTE ON THE BT NETWORK, CALLS FROM OTHER CARRIERS AND MOBILES MAY VARY. TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY.
AustralianTimes
@AustralianTimes
+Australiantimes
Australiantimes
company/australian-times
News | 3
AustralianTimes.co.uk
‘Purposeful, methodical, calm Abuse cases often went unreported, inquiry told ...continued from p1 his help reporting abuse to the The pair travelled together and conscientious’: Abbott authorities. through NSW and the ACT for six ...continued from p1
Fisher, Fairfax and Mallee were not yet determined. The Senate count continues, but the crossbench could include senators from the Palmer United Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party, Family First and the Australian Sports Party. Incoming minister Christopher Pyne said he believed it would be easier to deal with centre-right micro parties in the Senate after July 2014 than Labor and the Greens. - AAP
22 DAY
12 September 2013
WAS £2109
Jordan
10% OFF
28 DAY
Queensland entrepreneur Clive Palmer is expected to win the Sunshine Coast electorate of Farifax, with several other Palmer United Party members highly likely to take positions in parliament.
EuroClub
Grand European
10 September 2013 NOW
WAS £2010
£1678
20% OFF
Includes £350 Food Fund Visits 13 countries including Spain, France, Italy & Croatia
EuroClub
12 September 2013 NOW
WAS £1115
9 DAY
7 DAY
5 October 2013
5 October 2013
WAS £1105
WAS £625 NOW
Visits 8 countries including France, Italy, Austria & Germany
£576
Includes £310 Local Payment
Includes £130 Local Payment
Tour Jordan and enjoy a short visit to Israel
A fantastic 7 day Topdeck trip of Jordan
5 DAY
TOPDECK
North O10F%F America
Camping
Prostmeister
1973
2013
EBR
AT I N G 4 0 Y E
12 & 30 September 2013
21 September 2013
WAS £975
WAS £1185 NOW
£829
Visits Vegas, Grand Canyon & Yoesmite
AUSTM13_34 9 Sept
Southwest States
NOW
Vegas to the Coast
£1007
Visits Austin, Monument Valley & Vegas
www.topdeck.travel L8291 / Y2992
10% OFF
WAS £883
£795
Visits Mykonos, Paros, Santorini & Athens
A
6 DAY
Camping
Steinmeister Return coach from London
20-24 Sep, 27 Sep-1 Oct, 3-7 Oct
19-24 Sep, 26 Sep-1 Oct, 2-7 Oct
FROM
FROM
£229
£249
Camping
Festmeister
12 DAY
19 September 2013
Return coach from London
4 DAY 8 DAY
Explorer
Oktoberfest RS
£1026
10% OFF
Includes £195 Food Fund
Jordan Adventure
NOW
Jordan & Israel
£1023
10 DAY
Greek Island Hopper
European Wonder
NOW
14 DAY
CEL
THE Palmer United Party’s strong electoral debut at Saturday’s election is expected to see the newly-formed party represented in both houses of parliament, with party founder Clive Palmer claiming that Palmer United Party preferences were essential to the victory of Tony Abbott’s Coalition. Mr Palmer is expected to be elected to parliament in the Sunshine Coast electorate of Fairfax after preferences are allocated, winning an electorate that had been held by Liberal National Party MP Alex Somlyay since 1990. He also believes that the Palmer United Party will be victorious in the neighbouring electorate of Fisher, despite former Howard government minister Mal Brough enjoying a significant lead. The Palmer United Party is also expected to be represented in the federal Senate, with former rugby league player Glenn Lazarus on track to be allocated one of Queensland’s vacant positions in the upper house. While Senate results will not be finalised for several weeks, Palmer United Party representatives Jacqui Lambie from Tasmania and Dio Wang from Western Australia are also considered possibilities for election. Mr Palmer said despite only being formed four months ago the Palmer United Party had already out-polled the National Party and had played a considerable role in securing the election for the Coalition. The party received around 6 per cent of the national vote, while in Queensland it achieved over 10 per cent of the vote in most electorates. Mr Palmer said: “We had six per cent and we preferenced the Liberal Party. The swing against Labor was 4.5 per cent. Without Palmer United’s
£1687
20% OFF
Visits 12 countries including France, Italy, Croatia & Germany
n
preferences, Tony Abbott would not be prime minister.” Mr Palmer said that he was pleased with his party’s performance in Saturday’s election, and that he intended to use his three-year term in office to further promote the policies of the Palmer United Party. He claims that by the next election the Palmer United Party will be established enough to have a serious chance at forming government. Mr Palmer said: “Those policies weren’t reported nationally, but they got me 30 per cent of the vote in Fairfax, where the local media reported on them. It’s never been done in the history of Australia in such a short time. We got more votes than the National party nationally, and they have been around for 100 years.” The soon-to-be elected Member for Fairfax said that he would act as the Palmer United Party’s parliamentary leader and would therefore exert some influence over the party’s other elected candidates. He said that his role as party leader would be no different to that which takes place in the Labor Party and the Coalition. Mr Palmer said: “Well, I’m the parliamentary leader of the party, just like Tony Abbott is the leader of his party, and my relationship will be similar to his relationship with his senators. I’ll have the same sway Tony Abbott has over his senators or what Bill Shorten will have over the Labor Party senators – it’s no different.” Mr Palmer also denied claims by newly-elected New England MP Barnaby Joyce that he would bring “pandemonium” to parliament. He said that federal parliament was “about having rational debate and raising critical issues – which Barnaby would struggle to understand.”
EuroHotel
Europe Uncovered
Palmer elected in strong debut for the Palmer United Party
By Paul Bleakley
years, until 1996, meeting priests accused of child sexual assault and other criminal behaviour and trying to convince them to leave the priesthood. Father Lucas revealed in July that he never took notes during the confidential meetings. Counsel assisting the commission Julia Lonergan SC asked Monsignor Usher if this was a deliberate move to avoid “a paper trail”. “No, I did keep notes and records of cases that seemed to be important,” he replied. The inquiry continues in Sydney before Margaret Cunneen SC. - AAP
Europe Summer NOW
contenders, Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese, were yet to say publicly if they will stand. If they both contest the leadership, there will be a vote weighted 50 per cent to the caucus and 50 per cent grassroots members, following a rule change just before the election was called. As well, former foreign minister Bob Carr may not be around for long amid speculation he will stand aside in his NSW Senate seat for Australian Workers Union boss Paul Howes. Neither Senator Carr nor Mr Howes confirmed the speculation on Monday. As vote counting continued at the time Australian Times went to print, the coalition was ahead in 87 lower house seats, to Labor’s 57. The Australian Greens’ Adam Bandt, and independents Bob Katter and Andrew Wilkie were on track to hold their seats, and the seats of
But he said “adamant” victims often dissuaded the church from contacting police. “In those days, victims were very frightened or scared… that if they reported the matter to the police, they would have to go to a court and give evidence and it would become public,” Monsignor Usher said. “Trying to respect their wishes was one thing.” The monsignor told the inquiry his recollections did not always line up with those of senior priest Brian Lucas, who has already given evidence.
universally held view but our church is strong on forgiveness and reconciliation and if someone said ‘I’m truly sorry, I’m not going to do it again’, there was a tendency to believe them.” Monsignor Usher said he did not recall dealing with the two clergy at the centre of the inquiry, Denis McAlinden and James Fletcher. But the Sydney Archdiocese chancellor said he went straight to police in two cases involving a brother and a priest who admitted to abusing children. On other occasions parents sought
7 DAY
Camping
Grossmeister
Make your own way - Munich
Return coach from London
20-23 Sep, 27-30 Sep, 3-6 Oct
20-26 Sep, 27 Sep-3 Oct, 1-7 Oct
FROM
£289
£109
FROM
Our campsite atmosphere is second to none. All Oktoberfest camping trips include a fully cooked breakfast, plus transport between the campsite and the beer halls.
Call 0845 257 5210 Open 8am-9pm
*Terms and conditions apply. Prices quoted are for specific departures only. All trips subject to availability. Discounts are off the base trip price only, and do not apply to food funds and local payments. Flights not included. For full terms and conditions please visit www.topdeck.travel
4 | Community
10 - 16 September 2013
UK Australian expats London Legacy supports widow make their voice heard of Brecon Beacons tragedy
AUSTRALIA House has traditionally attracted one of the largest turnouts for Australians voting overseas, and in this year’s federal election it was no different. Final numbers are not yet known for the number of Australian travellers and expats who passed through the polling booth, however anecdotal evidence suggests a steady flow over the two weeks the doors were open for prepolling. In the 2010 federal election over 16,000 Australian voters cast their votes at Australia House, making it the largest polling station in the election. Many Australians living in the UK or passing through on holiday made a deliberate effort to head down to the station in person to cast their vote, commenting on the fact the camaraderie of the experience made it feel like polling day back home. Australia House is historically a strong polling station for Labor and the Greens, reflecting the traditionally progressive nature of the expat community, dominated as it is by younger voters. However, it seems even expat Australians were not immune from the voter concerns which dominated the Australian federal election this year, with a swing towards the Liberal/National Party evidenced amongst 100 voters polled for an Australian Times exit poll on Thursday before the election. By around 12.30pm on Saturday, Australians in the UK learnt of the outcome of the 2013 federal election, with prime minister Kevin Rudd conceding and Tony Abbott’s victory speech being broadcast on UK’s BBC News. At the reception for Australian Liberals Abroad volunteers and friends held at a venue near Battersea Power Station on Saturday morning, a beaming Jason Groves thanked his team of volunteers as the results came in, declaring the result in London the best ever for the coalition. Earlier Mr Groves told Australian
By Simon Kleinig, Deputy President, London Legacy
Liberals Abroad volunteer Roland Marsden and Achilles the Labrador handing out How To Vote cards outside Australia House. Times how delighted he was with the exit poll numbers suggesting a clear margin lead for the coalition in the primary vote for the first time in the UK – 39 per cent to 35 per cent. The UK branch of the ALP party, ALP Abroad, hosted their own election party at the Coach Makers Arms in Marylebone, with lamingtons for guests. Despite the outcome ALP Abroad president Paul Smith said the mood was festive. “Labor is in a position to come back strong in the next three years, and we will,” Mr Smith told Australian Times. “Labor is proud of the fact it had the best economic record in the world in responding to the GFC, ensuring people kept their jobs and increased living standards. “For Australians living in the UK this outcome means they will probably not be able to return home to the same guarantee of getting a job and the same economic conditions Labor has provided over the past six years.”
The widow of a soldier who died whilst on a training exercise in Wales has been offered care by London Legacy. Corporal James Dunsby, 31, a reservist with the Royal Yeomanry, was taking part in a demanding exercise in the rugged Brecon Beacons in south Wales on a day of extreme heat. James worked as an analyst for the Ministry of Defence. He had served as a reservist for eight years, and had completed a tour of Afghanistan. Although James Dunsby was British, he and his family held strong connections with Australia. James was educated in Tasmania, where he became head prefect at St Virgil’s College in Hobart and studied at the University of Tasmania. He later served as a non-commissioned officer in the Australian Army. James has extended family living in Tasmania, and despite returning to Britain in recent years had always maintained a strong affinity and close links to the state where he grew up. The Brecon Beacons are a regular training destination for British forces. On 13 July 2013, James and five other soldiers suffered heat exhaustion whilst completing a gruelling time trial march for selection in the Special Air Services (SAS). This involved marching against the clock from checkpoint to checkpoint, crossing mountainous terrain carrying a rifle and heavy pack. Special forces insiders said candidates often pushed themselves to breaking point in order to qualify for SAS selection. During the exercise one soldier died in the field and another in hospital the same day. James remained in hospital in a critical condition for a further three weeks, before finally succumbing to his injuries. Three
other soldiers admitted to hospital eventually recovered. About 100 soldiers were taking part in the exercise, all carrying heavy packs and weapons. The Ministry of Defence has announced that an inquest in the deaths of the three soldiers is under way. James Dunsby was a popular man, highly regarded by all who knew him. A statement from his family described him as “a dearly loved son, brother and husband. He had the most wonderful ability to endear, enchant and captivate all who he met with his naughty sense of humour and highly intelligent wit.” According to the Daily Mail, James and HRH Prince Harry served in Afghanistan together in 2008. They shared a close and common bond during their three months together in Helmand Province, where they served as part of a three man crew of an armoured vehicle. A Kensington Palace spokesman confirmed that Prince Harry was aware of Corporal Dunsby’s death. This year Legacy is celebrating its 90th Anniversary. The charity was formed in the years immediately after World War One by returning veterans
Full Circle n
University of Hertfordshire oral history project collects memories of family members separated by 20,000 kilometers. Aussies and Poms who have family in both the UK and Western Australia are being invited to take part in a major new memories project which links the University of Hertfordshire and the University of Western Australia in Perth. ‘Full-Circle’ will see teams of interviewers in both WA and the SouthEast of England recording stories of those who emigrated from, and those left behind in, the UK. “We want to hear how lives were changed,” says project leader Andrew Green, a research fellow at the University of Hertfordshire. “That means stories both of the new opportunities that opened up in Australia and also of the adjustments made by those remaining in the UK.” Green - who has relations in Perth and spends plenty of time under the Southern Cross - is certain that Australians in the UK can help. “Aussies are great ones for family, so I’m sure expats over here will support
‘Full-Circle’ with their traditional enthusiasm. They can tell us how their families have managed to stay close across the gulf of thousands of miles, handling family celebrations and crises, and maintaining ties into the next generation. “It’s so important that these memories are recorded for posterity before they disappear.” Aussie David Cotgreave remembers the excitement of going out from the UK around 40 years ago. “My parents came to Oz as Ten Pound Poms to find work. We travelled out by ship on the Australis, which was a terrible experience! Gastroenteritis caused the death of something like nine people. “When we arrived I settled in so easily. But I was the one who made sure we didn’t lose touch with the folks back home - writing letters and Christmas cards, and then making lots of trips back to the UK. Family matters, doesn’t it?”
who took it upon themselves the duty of looking after the widows of their fallen comrades, many of whom had young children to care for. That sacred trust continued after the Second World War and all subsequent conflicts, and it continues today. Legacy Australia looks after the welfare of 100,000 families in 38 countries around the world. It is a unique charity and has always enjoyed the respect, admiration and support of all Australians. London Legacy is the 50th club of Legacy Australia and looks after the welfare of families of deceased and incapacitated veterans throughout the UK and Europe. Brigadier Bill Sowry, Australian Head of Defence in the UK and a trustee of London Legacy, has been in touch with James Dunsby’s brother and his wife, Bryher, who is the latest widow to be offered support from London Legacy. The President of London Legacy, Lindsay Birrell, is in discussions with Bryher Dunsby with a view to dedicating the next annual Legacy ANZAC Ball to the memory of her husband. The Ball will be held at Australia House on the Strand on Friday, 4 April 2014. UK-based Roger Gochin is another example of the type of person the University of Hertfordshire wants to hear from. “My mother and her brother, who were twins, were separated at the age of 8 and lived in separate orphanages,” he says. “My uncle was then sent by his orphanage to live in Western Australia. He was told his parents were dead, which was in fact untrue. “Only when he retired did he start exploring his background. It was amazing for him to find in the UK not only his sister but an extended family. He discovered that he and his sister had suffered exactly the same eye, heart and leg problems during their lives! “All this has led to me going out several times to Western Australia. It’s been a wonderful journey of discovery.” “‘Everyone who has experience of emigration will have fascinating things to contribute to ‘Full-Circle’,” says Andrew Green. “The end-product will be a series of complete pictures of the effect on families. I urge Aussies to please get in touch with me as soon as possible.” Outcomes of the exercise will include a publication and a CD featuring many of the interviews. Please contact Andrew Green on 01494 881871 or gardengreen333@yahoo.co.uk.
UK Life | 5
AustralianTimes.co.uk
Don’t make friends with Australians Sharing your sharehouse n
It is the inevitable opener to any conversation between newly n Every Australian in the UK has introduced expat Australians: how long are you here for, and what experienced the difficulties of sharehouse visa are you on? living, particularly when it comes to overseas guests. Work out a policy early Honeymooning Nomad with housemates to ensure your London > Jacqui Moroney sanctuary doesn’t become a 24-hour motel.
“I don’t make friends with Australians,” a work colleague said to me in my first week in a new role after moving to the UK. A little taken back, I immediately went on the defensive by asking her why not. “Because you come gallivanting over to our side of the world, make us all fall in love with your outgoing personalities and sarcastic sense of humour, and then run back home after two years. It’s not fair on a person.” She has a point. It’s not fair. Recently hubby and I have been to an extraordinary number of leaving dos and deportation parties. I didn’t even realise that we knew so many people in London. However, at almost every leaving do you find yourself being introduced to a new bunch of Aussies and Kiwis that you find yourself drawn to. Always, one of the first questions asked by or of your new acquaintance is the obligatory, “how long are you here for?” or “what visa are you on?” This is a perfectly acceptable question to ask, since you don’t want to be making a new friend to find out they will be leaving you within
a few months. But then again, every time you hear the response “I have sponsorship/Ancestry Visa/European Passport” you enviously congratulate them and secretly just want to punch them in the face. It’s just not fair. There are great benefits to befriending fellow travellers, such as finding out about all of their adventures, learning from their experiences, and getting recommendations on where to go next. With every new travelling friend I am adding more to my list of places to see and things to do. My ultimate bucket list is #neverending. Usually it is the aim of every person on a working holiday visa to outdo their fellow traveller by naming the most obscure place they have been, or the worst travel experience they have had. Since we were the victims of stolen passports and a broken foot on the same night on our honeymoon, we are usually the top contenders for the imaginary “worst travel story prize”. That story can only be topped
by “being mugged at gun point” or “going out to a party one night and waking up in another foreign country”. While the stories are incredible and the people you meet are amazing, making a new friend that is a traveller usually means that your Facebook friends list is ever increasing, while your personal downtime decreasing, as a result of trying to catch-up with them all face-to-face. Sometimes a quick comment or “like” will have to suffice for a few months, or you can just have a big round up and invite everyone to a large gathering at a London park or a house party. Even then you will no doubt forget someone. Sometimes I think that there should be some sort of indication, or countdown, on a person to indicate how long they will be in the country for. That way, it would be easier to decide, depending on the time they have left, if we’re going to be passing acquaintances, or new best friends.
STRANGE BUT TRUE 10 Aussie facts your UK friends won't know By Courtney Greatrex WHEN you tell people in the UK “I’m from Australia,” thoughts of kangaroos, Vegemite and the Sydney Opera House are most likely the first things that comes to their mind. However, there is much more to Australia than just those stereotypes. Here are ten true facts about Australia that you can use to impress your new British friends, and possibly increase your own knowledge about Down Under.
1 2
Australia has more than 10,000 beaches. If you visited one per day, it would take you more than 27 years to visit them all.
Australia’s first police force was a band of eight of the most well-behaved convicts, formed in 1789 by Governor Arthur Philip as a nightwatch for the fledgling colony.
3
In 1954, Bob Hawke was immortalised by the Guinness Book of Records for drinking 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds. Bob later became the Prime Minister of Australia.
4 5 6
The world’s longest mail run is from Cairns to Cape York. In one day, Postman Barry flies 1,450km in nine hours with 10 stops. Australia’s largest cattle station, Anna Creek, is 24,000 square km, making it bigger than Cyprus, Fiji, East Timor, Slovenia or Israel.
The first branch meeting of the Australian Labor Party (said to be Australia’s first political party) was held under a gum tree in 1891. It is now known as the Tree of Knowledge, and is in Barcaldine, Queensland.
7 8 9 10
SUBCULTURE SLEUTH > PAUL BLEAKLEY
In medieval times, the laws of hospitality were very strict. If a guest broke bread underneath your roof, you were responsible for their safety for the duration of their stay. Okay, maybe that is Game of Thrones rather than the medieval era, but same thing right? While the rules of hospitality have changed over the years, some things remain the same – feed the guests and they will become your responsibility. Most Australians living in the UK would be familiar with the intricacies of having guests stay over. Whether it is people we have met on our travels or friends from home, there is always someone that needs a place to crash and will not-so-subtly volunteer your couch for the job. There are different rules in every share house, and the slightest deviation from those rules can often be a recipe for disaster. After a particularly painful houseguest, our house instituted a business model to deal with guests. Family stayed free, however friends were required to pay five pounds per night. They received a discounted rate of twenty pounds for a week if they stayed a little bit longer. The money would go into a kitty to pay for communal household essentials like toilet paper or washing-up liquid. Despite my initial scepticism, the system worked. After several visas expired in synchronisation, the household had a
ritual turnover in occupancy and the system was abandoned. Our guest protocol was far more laissez-faire, with friends unexpectedly showing up for one or two days with no troubles whatsoever. Until the last few weeks, that is. Ever heard of giving someone an inch and them taking a mile? Our decision to have guests stay for one or two days without any issues was one thing. When one housemate had FOUR friends stay for a week, followed by her parents unexpectedly showing up for another two weeks? That was taking our inch and turning it into a mile. We have yet to re-evaluate the guest policy in our house after recent events. Perhaps we shall adopt a category system, with people charged varied rates based on their worth. Clean the house? Discount. Buy us booze? Discount. Attractive girl? Free. It isn’t a perfect system, but it works for me.
Get More UK Life
AustralianTimes.co.uk/uk-life
Australians eat 260 million meat pies every year, around 12 per head.
There are an estimated 10,000 species of Australian spiders. The deadliest jellyfish in the world, the box jellyfish, is found off the Australia coast. Cane Toad racing is a real sport at Magnetic Island in Queensland.
still FREE
Let us rejoice, for online we’re...
still FREE
Visit: AustralianTimes.co.uk
website | eNews | mobile | social media
6 | Food & Wine
10 - 16 September 2013
Coffee Cult visits Labi in Fulham
Cooking with Kangaroo By Courtney Greatrex In the confines of a southeast London flat, a group of Brits sit in the kitchen of an Aussie expat’s home. They crossed the threshold with the usual ‘shrimp on the barbie’ jabs, predicting a dinner party which would end with a Neighbours theme tune sing-a-long. Greeting my guests with a carefully selected Australian shiraz was only their first pleasant surprise of the evening. “So what’s on the menu?” they ask with eager eyes and grumbling bellies. I tell them “Kangaroo” and watch as a mixed response sweeps across the table. Half are enthusiastic about the thought of a new challenge, and the other half look at me with eyes that say “if only the wine was where the Australian culinary adventure ended.” The menu choice was sealed when I discovered Lidl is now selling a deluxe 300g pack of two kangaroo steaks for £3.99. Compared to the cost of beef steaks, which have sky rocketed to a whopping £9 for the equivalent weight, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to treat my friends to some red meat – and a taste of home. A few more glasses of shiraz and the stigma around eating an animal which featured on Australia’s coat of arms was forgotten. My friends enjoyed the mini indoor steak-out, and may even now be converted to the more environmentally friendly alternative to beef.
Why is kangaroo better than beef?
Kangaroo meat is much leaner and higher in iron than your average beef steak. It contains high amounts of polyunsaturated fat and is pretty much free of any chemicals that are usually associated with farmed stock. It costs
Australia next to nothing to produce kangaroo meat; it is mainly sourced from wild animals as a byproduct of population control programs. It is only harvested by licensed shooters in accordance with a strict code of practice. Exported Kangaroo meat is inspected by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection service.
How do I cook it?
If you’re looking to fry a kangaroo steak, be careful not to overcook it. There is far less fat in this meat and it can easily become dry and rubbery. However, if cooked correctly, a kangaroo steak is delicious and full of flavour. Ingredients • 1 kangaroo steak • Good quality olive oil Method • Soak steak in oil for about 30 minutes. • Heat up a heavy pan. If the pan is not hot enough the meat will boil, making it tough and giving it a less pleasant flavour. • Place the meat into a hot frying pan without any additional oil and sear for about one minute. • Remove the meat from the pan and place in a preheated oven (220°C) for about six or seven minutes. • Remove kangaroo from the oven and allow it to stand in a warm place for the same amount of time that it was cooked. • Kangaroo meat tends to expand when subjected to lots of heat. It needs time to settle and return to its original shape. The heat on the outside of the meat will cook the inside of the meat to perfection. • Serve with some fresh bread and delicious salad and you’ve got your self a fantastic Aussie feast!
By Kiel Egging There’s something about hearing of a hot new coffee spot that makes your ears prick up and the caffeinefilled components of your blood stream surge with joy. Hailing from Australia’s caffeine capital, I and a few other fellow expat Melbournians am experiencing serious withdrawals of a good brew, as I discovered when the topic of decent coffee in London was discussed at a BBQ I attended recently. So, when a new friend of mine started raving about Labi - a relatively new cafe in Fulham which she believed sold amazing coffee - I was all ears. Coupled with my desire to see more parts of London and its cafe scene (hey, I’ve only been here for two months after all), a Saturday morning expedition was hastily organised to see what the fuss was about.
The Craic This place is like a little sanctuary from the hustle and bustle on Fulham Rd. Speaking to the owner himself - Labi Krasniqi - during my visit, he said he designed the place to be an ‘all-rounder’ that was
accessible to families and anybody who wanted to just come in and have something to eat or drink. The decor certainly upholds that welcoming, homely vibe - seating-wise there’s a mix of antique solid wood tables and couches, complimented by a great mix of plants and quirky signs with uplifting sayings spread all over the venue. There’s also a case of matchbox cars hanging on the wall and a fireplace up the back. Labi is technically a delicatessen/cafe, and a series of products which you can purchase and take home with you are displayed on shelves heading down past the counter. As if the food and drinks weren’t enough, the man himself is also hoping to sell his own home-made products sometime in the future. But the jewel in the crown is going to be music to the ears of parents with young children - there’s a dedicated library and children’s playroom, complete with a series of toys and books to keep its occupants amused. Arguably the best of those signs mentioned earlier hangs nearby with a warning - ‘Unattended children will be given a double espresso and a drum and a puppy.’
The Crucials My friend grew a liking for this place through their coffee and ‘old-school tunes’ - and throughout the morning we downed our beverages and filled our faces to a very cruisy soundtrack featuring the likes of Craig David, Coldplay, Oasis, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley and Aussie girl Natalie Imbruglia. My mocha was nicely presented with dusted chocolate on top, and it contained a good caffeine kick and a generally nice flavour. However, the chocolate component was a little bitter, detracting from the
overall creaminess. The real star of the Labi experience was the food. First up, I had some scrumptious pancakes which were drizzled in maple syrup and dusted with icing sugar. They were fluffy enough without being too thin, and weren’t undercooked or crumbly.
A few hours floated by, and after my friend made tracks, I decided to hang around for lunch, opting for a serve of Labi’s homemade lasagne. It proved to be one of the best dishes I’ve had during my time in Europe. Filled with béchamel and ragu with minced beef (not mined as it indicates on the menu), every morsel tasted like it was made with love. The pasta sheets were fresh, the beef wasn’t undercooked or burnt, and the dish itself was served at a perfect temperature. Throw in a bit of homemade chili olive oil on top for an extra kick, and you have quite possibly the best £5.50 I’ve spent on lunch in a very, very long time.
The Connection The former head barista who helped Labi set up this fine establishment (and passed on his skills and wisdom to him) was a Sydneysider named Tyrone. And, as I mentioned earlier, a fellow Aussie expat invited me here. If that’s not enough, the place is also opposite much-loved Antipodean pub ‘The Slug’, making Labi an ideal place to reminisce over your antics there and tackle your hangover from the night before.
The Conclusion Is there anything not to like about Labi? If all of the above-listed goodness wasn’t enough, they also offer free wifi to their customers. The password is ‘We Love You’ - an oh-so-fitting choice to describe the cosy vibes and heartfelt food, drinks and service all on offer here. A leisurely visit to Labi and you’ll be hard-pressed not to feel the same way about Fulham’s newest culinary oasis in return. Labi 609-611 Fulham Rd London SW6 5UA Labideli.com
Entertainment | 7
AustralianTimes.co.uk
Acting Australian
By Thomas Jones FOR Australian actor Brett Brown, playing a character from Australia is a stretch. Whilst studying at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), Brett lost his native accent through the formal voice coaching. So when he was cast as Ben in Fishskin Trousers, a new play by Elizabeth Kuti, he admits, “I almost had to relearn the accent.” “My character, he’s from a suburb outside Canberra. And he’s from the 70s, so it’s a different Australian voice, than contemporary Australian voices today. So I had to do a bit of research,” Brett tells Australian Times. Since graduating from RADA where he received “very English training” heavily based on the classics and Shakespeare, Brett has continued to master this style of theatre. His credits include performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, La Bohème with OperaUpClose, and a one-man production of the Greek tragedy Phaedra. For Brett, acting in this new, more contemporary show “was bit of a learning experience”. “It was fun for me rediscovering those personalities and those character traits so present when I was growing up. “He [Ben] is very Australian, which is part of his charm. He’s not really a larrikin, but he’s very chipper. And he’s almost exotic in a strange way. He’s just so different, and thinks in a different way to the English. And he has a different relationship with England, where the play’s set.” Fishskin Trousers weaves together the stories of three characters from different eras. Each of them is connected to Orford, a fishing village in Suffolk. From the twelfth century Mab (Jessica Carroll) gives an eyewitness account of the legendary Wild Man of Orford, a half man, half fish type creature caught in the nets of fishermen. Eight hundred years later at the height of the Cold War Ben, a radar expert, hears strange noises on the mysterious island Orford Ness as he tries to fix the radar system, which is monitoring the Russians. Mog (Eva Traynor), in 2003, returns to the island where she grew
Jessica Carroll, by Alexandra Guelff
Eva Traynor, by Alexandra Guelff
Brett Brown, by Alexandra Guelff
up, and is faced with a heartbreaking decision. “It plays with the idea that time, rather than being linear is more balloon like,” Brett says. “All the characters exist without realising it in the same time and in the same place, but in different centuries. So this idea that things that happen don’t get erased, but stay, looping.” The play is structured around this loop. As it turns from one era to the next and then back again, the audience begins to realise all the connections between the stories. “What’s interesting is when the characters choose to either tell the truth or withhold the truth from the audience. So the interplay between the audience and characters becomes really dynamic and tense.” Though the characters are fictitious, the locations discussed within the play, including a 12th Century castle, still exist. To research for the role, Brett visited Orford. “It’s a really weird place. The radar system is in the distance and you can’t go near it. There are all these crumbling Cold War buildings. And it’s so flat it almost feels claustrophobic. There’s not this undulating lovely landscape. It’s just flat. And then the sea stretches out, and you can’t tell the difference between the sky and the ocean. It’s quite mysterious.” Fishskin Trousers was originally staged at the RADA Festival, where it enjoyed sold out performances. Since it opened at the Finborough Theatre, it has received highly favourable reviews. “The audience love the fact they have to piece it together themselves. They love that jigsaw nature of the stories, and find it quite rewarding that they have to really engage.” Brett also finds the experience of performing in this type of show gratifying. “I love the live element of theatre. Particularly in a play like this where it is so dependent upon your relationship with the audience. It’s not just like we’re going to present something to you. This is more, we’re going to share something with you, which is very different,” Brett says. Fishskin Trousers is at the Finborough Theatre until 28 September 2013. To book tickets visit Finboroughtheatre. co.uk or call 0844 847 1652.
Brett Brown in Fishskin Trousers
n
Currently at the Finborough Theatre, Fishskin Trousers is a play about three lost people from different eras. Brett Brown, a young Australian actor stars as a scientist, stationed on the mysterious island of Orford Ness during the Cold War.
PLUS GUESTS FLAP!
SUNDAY 20th OCTOBER
O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON LONDON Tickets available through:
TICKETWEB.CO.UK / 0844 477 2000
8 | Entertainment
10 - 16 September 2013
See what we are following this week on
Capturing Australia n
Interview | In the UK to discuss his latest novella, The Amber Amulet, Western Australian author Craig Silvey tells TYSON YATES what he thinks makes for good Australian literature and how his next book has him juggling more ideas than he can hope to handle.
Australian Election @JuliaGillard A tough night for Labor. But a spirited fight by Kevin, Albo, George + the whole team. My thoughts are with you all. JG @melkettle Just told hubby to switch the TV to the football. I no longer know who I am. #ausvotes @MiaFreedman So many people threatening to leave the country or drink themselves unconscious tonight. Stay calm & look at Amanda's shirt. #ausvotes @jennyeather Am predicting an unprecedented binge of dangerous drunk dialing tonight. #ausvotes @Joe_Hildebrand BREAKING: Civilisation survives first 12 hours of Abbott Government without sky falling in; however Marrickville quite overcast #auspol @BarnsGreg #auspol One thing I did learn from this campaign is that the mainstream media hates Assange. No wonder. He breaks their business model
Love and land
Australia in film at BFI By Alex Ivett
Follow us on Twitter @AustralianTimes
What’s On Ali McGregor's Alchemy 13 - 14 September @London Wonderground Amity Affliction 14 September @Underworld Briefs: The Second Coming 19 - 21 September @London Wonderground Adam Hills Happyism 22 September @Hammersmith Apollo Claudia O'Doherty 23 September - 5 October @Soho Theatre FilmFest Australia October 2013 @Barbican Centre Barry Gibb 3 October @O2 Arena Tim Minchin in Jesus Christ Superstar 13 October @02 Arena Jimeoin 17 October Fairfield Hall
For full details... ...and more Aussie gigs go to: AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment
BFI Head of Exhibition Clare Stewart knows better than most the inextricable link between Australians and their landscape, having been born and raised in the small country town of Korumburra in Victoria, Australia. It is fitting therefore she has designed a unique cinematic event for London’s BFI in September; a Shifting Sands programme which will celebrate and explore the story of Indigenous Australia through the medium of Indigenous filmmaking focussing on the idea of ‘landscape as character’. Running alongside the Royal Academy’s Australia exhibition, a major event representing the history of Australian art, September and October will see the UK experience the Australian landscape like never before. “The story of Australia, of Australian art, and its people is inextricably linked to its landscape: ‘an ancient land of dramatic beauty, a source of production, enjoyment, relaxation and inspiration, yet seemingly loaded with mystery and danger’,” says Stewart on the Shifting Sands website. “This thematic is also prevalent in Australian cinema (even though the majority of modern living is urban). The landscape is often described as ‘another character’, evoking both its potency and its agency. It is not just scene-setting, it has the power to shape the story. “This idea of ‘landscape as character’ shifts between European settler notions of ‘the land’ as something to be owned or overcome, and the Indigenous Australian belief in ‘country’ in which law, language,
storytelling and spirituality are entwined with the land.” The Shifting Sands season at the BFI will explore the shift in Australian cinema in the last two decades with the emergence of Indigenous filmmaking. Stewart charts this emergence back to the referendum ensuring Aboriginal Australians would be ‘counted’ in 1967, which predated the resurgence of an Australian ‘national’ cinema in the 1970s. Filmmakers began to ensure the inclusion of Aboriginal characters, although often these characters were assimilated ‘trackers’ who assisted the white man in navigating the land, or Aborigines rendered mad or dangerous by the spiritual schism brought about by colonialism. “It is not until the mid-1990s and 2000s when Indigenous Australians got behind the camera that there was a significant shift,” says Stewart. “In the different films of Moffatt, Perkins, Sen, Thornton, Blair and McKenzie, the depletion of country and the lasting impact of having the land taken away, or being removed from it, becomes a haunting narrative presence, touching even the most playful stories.” The film season revisits big budget releases like Baz Lurhman’s epic Australia (2008) and Wayne Blair’s musical comedy The Sapphires (2012), together with Stolen Generation drama Rabbit Proof Fence (2002) and the culture of traditional story telling in Ten Canoes (2006). They are complimented by a selection of lesser known films, among them a double bill of Tracey Moffatt’ beDevil (1993) and Night Cries: A Rural Tragedy (1990), teen runaway road movie Beneath Clouds (2002) and Catriona McKenzie’s feature debut, Satellite Boy (2012), a family drama about a boy living in an abandoned drive-in cinema. For the full program of events see whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/Australiashifting-sands.
Having written his first book some 10 years ago, you’d think that Aussie author Craig Silvey would have this writing thing down. However, as the 30-year-old explains, even after all these years penning good prose doesn’t come any easier. “It demands everything of you if you want to write a book that lasts” says Silvey when we met in Edinburgh where Silvey was presenting at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. “It starts to just take over your life in ways that you can only describe as unhealthy. The best way I can describe it is that you feel as though you’ve left the stove on. I’m kinda here but I’m always dragged back to this nagging thing that is never over until you’ve written that last sentence.” Any pressure that may be felt by the Fremantle based writer is entirely justified in light of his past successes. Most recently, The Amber Amulet has enjoyed a stint on stage, touring Australia in 2012, while the screen adaptation won the Crystal Bear for best short film at the 2013 Berlin Film Festival. This of course comes after the success of his most notable work, Jasper Jones, lauded as an Australian classic since being published in 2009 and having gone on to win a number of national literary awards. His first book, Rhubarb, has also received its fair share of praise but perhaps most impressive is the fact it was published when Silvey was just 19 years old. “I cut my teeth on that book,” says Silvey. “I was a teenager when I started. I’ve never been to university, I didn’t attend any arts collages or anything like that. That book was my apprenticeship in a lot of ways. And I learnt a lot about the craft while I was working on that book. “I thought I’d be done in a few months’ time and it took me years, thankfully, because it would have been f*cking awful otherwise.” While Rhubarb set a solid foundation on which Silvey has built his career, it also worked to establish his use of elements and themes that make his writing so attuned to Australian culture. It is this quality which has defined him as one of the country’s key literary talents. So, I ask him, what exactly makes for
Australian literature? “The immediate answer is that it needs to involve Australian people or an Australian setting,” says Silvey. “Though I think people tend to appreciate books that are universal. You can garner as much about culture and national identity from a book that is set elsewhere. Learning the differences of another culture is a great way to recognise the differences of your own culture. “A book like, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is not set in Australia but it is written by an Australian – is that any less of an Australian book as, say, Cloudstreet or The Shark Net?” One particular theme that commonly appears in Silvey’s writing is the plight of youth. Each of his previous works centre around young protagonists, which begs the question; what is it about adolescence that Silvey finds so interesting? “I think I am interested by crossroads. I’m interested by moments of deep change and I think about that age where every decision feels as though it hinges on something much, much larger. “Jasper Jones for example is a kind of coming of age book. He’s thrust into an adult situation and an adult world and recognising the difference between the two. “Rhubarb has quite young characters but again they were coming to a big moment of change, and The Amber Amulet I think was everything to do with naivety and innocence – this very, very honest kid unravelling the lies of an adult. There are kids in my next book but there are also adults. It’s hard to say.” While there are plenty of parallels that can be drawn between each of his previous works, Silvey promises that his next book will be something different entirely. He admits that’s why it is taking longer than it should. “It’s set in a carnival in Fremantle that used to run in the 20s and 30s but there is also waterfront disputes, there is an elephant (called Max), there is cabaret, there is boxing, there are orphans and there is Irish history. There is wheat farming, and that’s probably about enough.” Despite his excitability when talking about what is to come, Silvey is quick to reiterate that whatever it amounts to, it won’t come easy. “I’m writing myself into a huge corner at the moment,” he says. “It’s a bit epic. It’s a bit of a problem. There are a lot of different voices, a lot of different characters. “I’m in a lot of trouble.” The Amber Amulet is out now in the UK and is published by Allen & Unwin.
Entertainment | 9
AustralianTimes.co.uk
In the line of danger n
Australian comedian David Quirk describes himself as a ‘veteran up-and-comer’ on the stand-up circuit, and is only now starting to receive the international recognition he deserves. His new show, Shaking Hands with Danger, is on at Soho Theatre 10-14 September.
Aussie singer Kath Haling at Camden’s Under Solo Bar
By Michael McCormick
Image by Greg Stewart
Image by Jody Pachniuk
It’s a rite of passage really, for an Aussie to do “the London” thing. You pack your bags and head over to the motherland for a few years, get it out of your system then head back to the greatest nation in the world (Australia that is....) to settle down and build a life. Burleigh born and raised Kath Haling did all this, including the returning home part, only to find after gaining moderate success in Sydney’s music scene that there was still a fire in her belly that yearned for the bright lights and damp pavements of ye olde London town. So back she came. Since returning to London in 2010 Kath has worked with some of London’s finest musician, writers and singers. As a result Kath’s laidback Aussie folk style has picked up elements of jazz, soul and grunge with a big bright healthy splash of pop. A sound which has finally placed Kath firmly on the radar of labels, studios and synch agencies not only in the UK, but across the ocean in the
Image by Greg Stewart
Comedy Festival and one that he is less proud of for various reasons. The two shows share similar themes, and a history of sorts. Had he been able to get permission from his ex-girlfriend to do his current show sooner, he would have debuted it in 2012, which he believes would have been a mistake. “The show was undercooked then. I would have rushed it.” He assures us however that the show is now steaming hot and ready to be served to London audiences. Quirk describes Shaking Hands With Danger as “a true story about right or wrong, but mostly wrong.” It has been over three years since an incidence of infidelity saw Quirk’s relationship come to an end, and in that time, he has had to consider whether it was in fact an accident or, as bad as it may seem, deliberate. “Instead of dwelling on it, I decided to write a show about it,” Quirk explained. “It’s about the time I did something wrong and I’m openly talking about it.” Quirk went on to describe the show as a “weird love story, gone wrong” and one in which the audience becomes involved, mostly to judge him. If stories about infidelity aren’t enough for you, and you’re a fan of rock ‘n’ roll music, leather jackets and plane crashes, Quirk has those bases covered as well.
“I was once on a plane with Slash from Guns ‘n’ Roses,” he explained. “That was a very surreal experience, but you’ll have to see the show to find out what happened.” Quirk reveals that although the show has been welcomed with open arms by audiences in Australia and now, the UK, it is not without its critics. He divulged one particular story of a reviewer from an anonymous Australian publication who gave him a poor review. The reviewer who slammed his story of infidelity was later exposed by a female friend to have been hitting on her, and others, prior to the show, all the while with his wedding ring in clear view. “It can hit pretty close to home for some people I guess,” Quirk stated. “Maybe that’s why he gave me the review he did. That, or he just thought the show was sh!t.” Even if not quite everyone has loved his show, Quirk has uncovered his own love for the UK. With friends and fellow Australian comedians, such as Felicity Ward and Celia Pacquola, doing so well on the comedy circuit here, expect to see more of this darkly funny man in the northern hemisphere in the near future. Quirk will be playing at London’s Soho Theatre from 10 – 14 September at 9pm. See Sohotheatre.com.
US and even back in her homeland Australia. On Thursday 12 September Kath is set to raise the roof of Camden’s iconic Under Solo Bar - the gorgeous basement venue which helped carry Paloma Faith into stardom - with her Birthday Blowout. “I’m beyond excited and quite overwhelmed to be playing with such an amazing group of musicians” says Kath of her band. “Under Solo has the old school vibe of a traditional jazz/blues venue hidden under one of London’s most vibrant, live music districts.” Doors open at 7.30pm, entry is free and music kicks off at 8:30 with happy hour drinks until 10:30. It will be definitely worth your while to get down there to support one of Australia’s newest rising stars. Kath Haling at Under Solo Bar on Thursday 12 September. Doors open 7.30pm.See Kathhaling.com for more information.
Au S t r A l i A
Shifting Sands BFi SOutHBANK
10 September – 8 October Tracking the emergence of Indigenous Australian cinema and its relationship to the land
BOOK NOw
BFi SOutHBANK
020 7928 3232 bfi.org.uk/southbank
London SE1 8XT Waterloo
Media Partner
Image: Samson & Delilah
It’s not very often that a comedy show comes along that claims to not only make you laugh, but to also be unforgettable. The Comic’s Choice Award winning Australian comedian, David Quirk, offers that and more with his latest show, Shaking Hands with Danger. “The show is not forgettable,” Quirk assures Australian Times. “[Audiences] may hate the show, but they won’t forget it.” Quirk, who considers himself a veteran up-and-comer, has been enjoying rave reviews from numerous critics, including Richard Watts from The Age who describes his performance as “both funny and philosophical, full of uncomfortable truths, black humour, and brutal honesty.” Quirk agrees that he falls in with a new era of Australian comedians making a name for themselves internationally, even though he is older and has been performing as a stand-up comedian for over a decade. It may be that the well-deserved recognition he is currently receiving didn’t come sooner because Quirk isn’t a big believer in networking and social media to promote his comedy. Sure enough, a Google search of his name revealed just a few reviews for his shows and a small selection of YouTube clips, none of which posted by him. “I just believe so much in live performance I guess,” says Quirk. “I’m also quite lazy.” For what Quirk lacks with his online promotion, he certainly makes up for with his storytelling and performance on stage. So much so, that the Comedy and Cabaret Producer at the Soho Theatre, Steve Lock, scouted him to perform at the famed London venue. “Steve came to a show and he liked it, and then we had what was probably too many beers, and he asked me to perform at the Soho Theatre,” Quirk recalled. “The beers helped, but it was definitely the show that got him over the line.” Quirk hasn’t spent much time in London in the past but he is proud to be here debuting his new show. The show itself is connected to Man Date, a show that Quirk performed at the 2012 Melbourne International
10 | Travel
10 - 16 September 2013
Where to stay Woodbury Park Woodbury Castle, Woodbury, Exeter, Devon, EX5 1JJ See Woodburypark.co.uk What to do Kite Surfing @ Edge Watersports and Kitesurfing The Pier Head, Exmouth Marina, Exmouth, Devon, EX8 1ER See edgewatersports.com
The Great
Escape n
On a weekend where the rest of England decided to escape to Europe, ALEX IVETT dares to do Devon instead, and experiences first-hand what a weekend in the English countryside can really offer. It’s Friday afternoon before the last long weekend in August. There is a collective flurry of activity, as Londoners mentally check out, swarming onto trains and buses with their budget-airline friendly wheelies to confront the chaos ahead at Gatwick, Heathrow, or god forbid, Stansted. An hour to the airport, another through security and a desperate run across the departure
lounge and they’re there – almost. Only a few more hours to that beach, that ruin, that wilderness. For those left in London, an eerie calm descends as the city empties like a populace fleeing an impending apocalypse. What’s left for those who didn’t preplan their weekend getaway with military precision, or those can’t rustle up their enthusiasm to subject themselves to another
overseas flight? Is there any way to make the most of a three day window of opportunity, without making a mad dash for the exits of England?
Dare to do Devon Dare to do Devon, I’m told - give the south-west a chance. Though the sentiment could equally be take a chance on the Cotswolds, or live it up
in the Lakes. England, apparently, has a wealth of holidaying opportunities, right at our adopted doorstop. For Australians who moved to the UK in order to abuse its proximity to Europe, this may initially sound like heresy. However, after following the advice by spending a weekend soaking up the delights of the East Devon countryside and coastline, I’d agree that there is a lot more to our backyard than meets the eye.
Soak up the sun As one of England’s largest counties, planning a holiday to Devon involves not only a decision between home or abroad, but also determining what type of English holidaymaker you are. With enough twee B&B’s and clipped hedges to satisfy even the fussiest Devonshire tea and clotted cream devouring traveller, there’s always the option to opt for the quiet life deep amongst the green rolling hills. However, for those more inclined towards movement, Devon also offers an unexpected opportunity to get active and really experience the landscape – not just view it. Devon is home to the Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks, a rural and hilly interior, and two long, cliff-
Bike Hire & Cycle @ Exeplore 35 Bittern Road, Exeter, EX2 7LW See Cyclehireexeter.co.uk
coated coastline, offering a wealth of walking opportunities. We base ourselves in East Devon, at the comfortable Woodbury Park Hotel, secluded in the green hills above Exeter. With a golf course and spa, it seems to capture those two aspects of Devon appropriately – relaxation vs activity. It’s also near to Exmouth, a convenient gateway to the Jurassic Coast – a series of spectacular cliffs designated as a World Heritage Site.
Ride the waves Exmouth is also where we head to get our first taste of ‘active Devon’, being the base for outdoor adventure business Edge Watersports and Kitesurfing. The area is a hub for adrenaline addicts looking to harness the gusts of wind coming in off the English Channel,
Travel | 11
AustralianTimes.co.uk
creating the perfect conditions to jump, spin and ride the white capped waves of the Exe Estuary. Unfortunately for us the wind isn’t willing to play ball, but we get a taste for the sport from co-owner of Edge and four-times world champion kite surfer, Steph Bridge, who shows us how to fly the practice kites after a paddleboard along the coast. In addition Steph shows off her impressive knowledge of the area with some handy hints to make the most of the rest of the weekend. The next day, the wind is making up for lost time and a bevy of kitesurfers are out in force amongst the bobbing boats dotting the river mouth. As the colourful kites twist and swirl in the sky, their handlers dancing like puppets at the end of a piece of string, barely touching the waves, I vow to come back and experience it for myself.
Riverside rambles Luckily the next day’s activity is only dependent on the sun, and it doesn’t let us down. Along the two sides of the of the River Exe, which reaches up from coastal Exmouth to the county capital Exeter, is a 26 mile, mainly flat cycle/walkway. A passenger ferry across the river mouth from Exmouth to Starcross completes the loop of this relaxed path which ducks through quaint English villages and past rolling green fields. We hire bikes from Exeplore Limited, a friendly company which offers well maintained bikes, and a free drop off and pick up service from your accommodation to your bike area of choice. The owner takes us to our start point at Darts Farm – a centre for locally grown produce. Only half an hour in and we’re already tempted by the traditional pubs we pass along the path as we cycle through the cobblestoned streets of Exton and Lympstone. On Steph’s recommendation however, we’re holding out until we’ve crossed the river via the ferry from Exmouth (ferries depart every hour), and spent another few hours lazily spinning past the wooded hills, stone castles
Be our next great travel writer and green fields of the left bank. The destination – the Turf Hotel (see turfpub.net) – is worth the wait. On a thin peninsula bordered by the Exeter Canal and the Exe River, its patrons spill out the cosy rooms of the old, stone building and onto the picnic benches that dot a grassy shaded beer garden and BBQ area. Accessible only by walking or cycling, it is the perfect place to recharge with a BBQ’d burger packed to the brim, and a nap in the sun. There are more surprises in the village of Topsham, a bit of a foodie haven for those looking to improve the ratio of sitting and relaxing to movement and activity over the weekend, with La Petite Maison and Salutation Inn offering fine dining options. Nearing the end of our cycle, there is also the casual option of a pint by the water at The Lighter Inn – a traditional 17th century pub with a picturesque quayside location.
Into the woods To complete the trifecta of activity the next day we head to Dartmoor National Park, a rugged and hilly wilderness half an hour from East Devon. Covering 950 square kilometers, it is a warren of small hidden villages and wooded glens, topped by tors – bare hills covered in rocky outcrops. There are plenty of areas in which to get lost, and I’m tempted to continue to wander the moors like a lost soul from 19th century English literature. Instead, we head back to London, barreling down the highway whilst the planes descend above us, ferrying their multitudes of holidaymakers back through the gates. All I know is next time there’s a mass exodus from London, would last one left please turn off the lights? I’m heading to Devon. For more information see VisitDevon (Visitdevon.co.uk), like VisitDevon on Facebook (Facebook.com/ VisitDevon) or follow on Twitter (@visitdevon)
Get More Travel
AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel
Get your travel story published with Australian Times and WIN a £250 travel voucher from our friends at Topdeck. Do you harbour dreams of being the next Bill Bryson? Submit your original travel articles for publication on the Australian Times website. The editor will then select the best story each month to be published in the Travel section of the Australian Times newspaper with the writer winning the £250 voucher to any Topdeck tour of their choice! Embrace your own writing style and make those dreams of being a published travel writer a reality.
How to submit Email your feature to editor@australiantimes.co.uk with the subject ‘Great Travel Writer’. It should be: • 600-1200 words length • An original first hand account • Accompanied by 3 high resolution photos taken on the trip *Solicited features and third party links will not be accepted. For full T&Cs go to AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel
WIN
12 | Travel
10 - 16 September 2013
Postcards from Australia
n
Haylee and her husband are currently driving around Down Under. Follow along with their highlights from the road in this series of Postcards From Australia.
Includes free unlimited booze on the road. Huge party event in every city. By Haylee Slater
6
travel with
5 4
3
1
9
7 8
2
1. VALENCIA, SPAIN
6. BERLIN, GERMANY
2. BARCELONA, SPAIN
7. PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
3. PARIS, FRANCE
8. BUDAPAST, HUNGARY
4. BRUGES, BELGIUM
9. MUNICH, GERMANY
5. AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
STARTING AT
LA TOMATINA
ENDING AT
Oktoberfest
AT ANY CITY ..AT ANY CITY..
FOR MORE DETAILS WRITE TO GEMMA@STOKETRAVEL.COM OKTOBERFEST THE RUNNING OF THE BULLS WORLD CUP BRAZIL & CARNIVAL BRAZIL THE SURFARI SPRING BREAK IBIZA
LA TOMATINA SAN SEBASTIAN SURF CAMP BARCELONA CITY STAYS FETES DE BAYONNE SAIL CROATIA SAN VINO THE WINE FIGHT MOROCCO SURF HOUSE
TWITTER@STOKETRAVEL
STOKETRAVEL.COM
COME CREEP WITH US...
FACEBOOK.COM/STOKETRAVEL
I am standing over a camp stove making coffee 140kms south of Cairns and the rain has finally caught up with us. We awoke under a sagging canopy full of water and thanks to good fortune rather than good planning, the tent on our rental car is canvas. We managed to stay completely dry. The air is still very muggy despite the rainfall and under a blanket of humidity we drink our coffee. All is quiet and still. I love birds. I do. I fancy the owl to be my favourite animal. Yet, fatally aggressive, endangered birds larger than myself do not inspire a great confidence in my safety. This fear is how today became known to my husband as ‘The Day Haylee Tried to Climb a Car.’ To his great delight, he managed to film the entire incident. Driving into South Mission Beach you are met with many ‘Beware of Cassowaries’ signs. I am on alert on the road because I have been forewarned. However, packing away the breakfast dishes and waiting for the coffee jolt to take effect, I do not expect to turn around to find a fully-grown cassowary trying to eat the scraps from the bag in my hand. My animal encounter tally grows. I have now been bitten on the toe by a possum (yes, you read that correctly) and was saved from treading on a snake by a quick thinking husband who stopped me just in time. There have been many beautiful moments that have made this trip truly rewarding. There are days when covering so many thousands of kilometres confined in a car with one other person seems insane. It becomes very easy to start counting bad arguments as well as coastal towns as they all start to blur together. While this moment does not reign over my list of favourite moments, I know it is climbing my husband’s list very quickly, and that is what this has been all about. The travel has been enlightening but this is nothing without someone to catch it all on film and share it with you.
Professional Life | 13
AustralianTimes.co.uk
the Expat factor
Immigration solicitors
Extraordinary Aussies in the UK
Our expert team offer a comprehensive back-Jing.pdf 2/23/2010 11:05:18 PM individual clients service for corporate and covering all nature of applications. C
M
Specialists in Indefinite Leave to Remain and all Work Permit applications.
Y
CM
MY
CY
www.lammeerabux.com
info@lammeerabux.com | 020 8253 0099 | www.lammeerabux.com Cygnet House 12-14 Sydenham Road Croydon CR0 2EE CMY
K
Bowie Jane - Lawyer and Popstar Australian singer/songwriter Bowie Jane is a professionally trained lawyer, with a double degree in Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws. For years she lived a double life, practicing criminal law by day before rushing to gigs at night. Bowie Jane now lives in the UK, and is making a name for herself on the UK pop charts. I moved to the UK in March of this year. I had been living in Sweden working on my songwriting, and travelled around doing gigs in the UK which gave me a taste for life over here. I am back and forth a little to Australia, especially in London’s winter because that is festival season in Australia. For a long time I was a lawyer by day, and a musician by night. I’m in my fourth year of being a barrister and most of the time it was pretty easy to keep the two secret. But sometimes I would literally have to run from Court to a gig which was tricky. Before I came to the UK I was performing around six nights a week under a different name so the music world didn’t realise I was a lawyer and the lawyer world didn’t know I was a singer. I’m still a registered barrister and I have to do one case at the end of the year because I am part heard. I’ve always been really passionate about music. Mum and I used to sing harmonies to anything on the radio when I was really young. I learnt classical piano for seven years, and it was a natural progression
into the singing world because I loved making sounds. I started doing musical theatre, writing my own music and performing in pubs and bars. Over the years I built up my songs and last year I performed at the Australian Open Tennis Championships on the main stage. It was an unbelievable experience. I made the UK my home because there is so much going on here. There is so much music, so many different types of music and everyone accepts pop music here! Like any business, to make it in the music industry these days you really need to spend 100 per cent of your time on it. I’m not focussing on law over here so it’s meant I can really focus on songwriting, performing and meeting other people in the business. You pretty much do it all yourself these days – songwriting, producing, social media, meetings, gigs, rehearsals etc. I really love it and it’s definitely what I want to do so it doesn’t feel like work. I’ve gotten some good coverage in the UK. It’s been absolutely crazy really. In one day, four national UK papers printed a story on me. I had to go back to Australia for two weeks in April because I was part heard in a case – which means I had already heard evidence from witnesses, and had to hear the remaining evidence or the trial would have to be restarted. Two days after I arrived, a story which had been printed in the Daily Mail exploded in Australia. I had every TV station, radio and newspaper trying to contact me – all trying to work out how this double life had remained a secret for so long. It was completely bizarre, and a bit confusing because it happened so quick.
Australians were surprised because my song Luv Bomb was 11 in the UK Commercial Pop Club Charts and they didn’t even know I was a lawyer. In the UK it’s been fantastic getting out to the festivals and performing and slowly building the audience. I love engaging with the audience and I only feel satisfied when I have everyone singing. That’s been my favourite part about performing over the last few months. I’ve just finished doing a radio tour around the UK talking about my new single called Bad Boy. It’s currently sitting at 21 in the UK Commercial Pop Club Charts so stay tuned to see where it goes. I’m constantly working on my music so a typical weekend would involve either songwriting, or in the festival season, doing gigs at festivals and venues around the UK. Recently I did some songwriting in France which was ace. South of France is so pretty and the weather is unbelievable. Pretty much all my trips revolve around songwriting or performing so there are quite a few trips to Sweden on the cards. I do miss the smell of gum trees from Australia though. I love camping and being in the bush and at the moment I’m living right in the centre of London – it’s definitely different. For more information on Bowie Jane’s upcoming performances see Bowiejane.com or follow her on Twitter @bowiejanemusic Interview by Paul Bleakley
Now recruiting
A dynamic engineering firm, working with leading UK companies
If you are a tradesman looking for work in the UK, contact us.
Call Becky : +44(0)1223 653500 www.z-tech.co.uk
14 | Professional Life
Great News!
10 - 16 September 2013
Dollar Review
You can now get your Australian Times newspaper every week as a FREE digital edition for your iPad, iPhone or Android.
Weak US data and strong Chinese data help the Aussie recover By Dylan Goate The Australian Dollar began trading at around 1.7277 to the British Pound last Monday and around 1.1115 against the US Dollar. The Aussie strengthened throughout the week against both currencies to end the week at 1.7018 to the Pound and 1.0885 to the Dollar.
The Australian Dollar rallied sharply in Asia on Tuesday 3 September after the central bank appeared to water down expectations that it will cut interest rates further. Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens announced no change in the benchmark cash rate target from its current record low of 2.5 per cent. The Australian Dollar lost ground
on Friday 6 September amid more evidence that US employment growth was picking up pace. However the Dollar, which typically strengthens following federal elections, was also given a further boost by strong data out of China and the US Dollar following the release on Friday of a weaker-than-expected US jobs report for August. The Dollar is expected to strengthen further this week, following the removal of political uncertainty which is of key importance to investors, businesses and consumers. The upcoming Australian economic calendar is quieter than last week, with jobs data on Thursday being of the highest importance.
Exchange rates GBP/AUD: 1.6998 EUR/AUD: 1.4309 USD/AUD: 1.0867 NZD/AUD: 0.8687 09:40 GMT, 9 September 2013
Just scan this QR code or go to
AustralianTimes.co.uk/newspapers
Note: The above exchange rates are based on “interbank” rates. If you want to transfer money to or from Australia then please register/login on our website, or call us on 0808 141 2335 for a live dealing rate. Make use of a Rate Notifier to send you alert when the Australian exchange rate reaches levels you are looking for.
Aussies: Save Big on Expat Car Insurance!
GAIN A PROFESSIONAL EDGE FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS Sable offers an impressive portfolio of professional services. We have over 25 years of experience advising individuals, contractors and small businesses who have international interests and connections.
• Worldwide Liability Protection • Accident Forgiveness • Fast Claim Processing
sable services
• Multi-policy Discounts
Accounting
• 65 Years of Experience
Tax Wealth Mortgages Forex Offshore Nationality
Sable Group
Castlewood House 77/91 New Oxford Street London WC1A 1DG t: +44 (0) 845 094 3990 info@sable-group.com www.sable-group.com
Get a FREE quote at clements.com or call +44 (0) 20 7397 4960
Sable is a group of professional service companies. Sable Accounting Limited is a limited company registered in England and Wales with registered number 03517738. Sable Private Wealth Management Limited is registered in England & Wales, number 04305265, Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Visit: AustralianTimes.co.uk/move-to-australia
44761
In association with
www.sable-group.com
Sport | 15
AustralianTimes.co.uk
THE
In2Touch Thames Boat Cruise Party By Mike Abromowitz of In2Touch In2Touch celebrated the end of one of our best and busiest seasons with a free boat party on the beautiful Thames River for over 250 In2Touch team organisers, players, referees and venue managers on Friday 23 August. With some teams dressing up in fancy dress and others coming in suits and party dresses, it was a stunning afternoon and perfect weather to cruise along the Thames River taking in all the spectacular sights such as Big Ben, The London Eye and The Houses of Parliament to name but a few. The boat we were all on, the Dutch Master, left from Tower Millennium Pier at 19:30 and began the cruise down the river towards the Thames Barrier. All the guests were in great spirits and were certainly in the mood to end the summer season with a bang. The In2Touch team started the evening by thanking its very hardworking, dedicated referees and Venue Managers, without whom we
wouldn’t be able to have such great seasons. Each got their own bottle of French champagne as a gesture of thanks and appreciation for all that they do. Then almost everyone moved up onto the top decks to admire the sights of the Capital, and it was a perfect way to let all the players get to know each other off the field. There were teams from all our London venues, such as Surrey Quays, Richmond, Regents Park, Clapham Common, Clapham/ Wandsworth Common and Putney as well as a few from another two of our venues, St Albans and Manchester. The boat sauntered down the Thames and turned around at Greenwich to make its way back to the docks at Tower Pier, when everyone seemed to be in a dancing mood. With the bottom deck being used for the dance floor with a DJ and a bar there was plenty of dancing, mingling and fun to be had by all. We had a professional photographer on board who was snapping some fantastic shots of all the guests. We have put all the photographs
Finals Week 1 By Will Denton
from that night up on our In2Touch Facebook page. To have a look at these photos go to the In2Touch Facebook page. The In2Team would like to thank all our team organisers for all the work they do each season in our leagues. There are a number of leagues running over the Autumn period such as the Clapham Common September Shoot Out, the Regents Park Late Summer League, Clapham Common Autumn League on Sundays and our Active Touch leagues in Wandsworth and Canary Wharf. For more information or if you would like to register for an O2 Touch league or competition, go to www.in2touch.com/uk or e-mail info@in2touch.com or call the London office on 020 85420827.
Will the Wallabies play dumb or smart? By Justin Chadwick DO the Wallabies need to dumb it down or simply play smarter? That’s the question facing coach Ewen McKenzie ahead of Saturday night’s Test against Argentina in Perth. McKenzie says he might simplify his tactics following last week’s 3812 hammering at the hands of South Africa in Brisbane. The Wallabies made a host of errors in that match, and too often swung the ball wide before the forwards had the chance to gain valuable ground. The Springboks also dominated the breakdown, giving super boot Morne
Steyn a number of easy shots on goal. McKenzie has overseen three straight defeats since taking the reins from Robbie Deans, and a loss to Argentina would place further heat on the former Reds boss. Wallabies forward Ben McCalman believes the current tactics employed by McKenzie are sound, but said the team just needed to get a better feel of when to swing the ball wide. “I feel like on the weekend we played a bit too lateral before we took the ball forward,” McCalman said on Monday. “We want that style of rugby that everyone recognises as the Australian style - expansive, throwing the ball
RUBDOWN
around. “But on the weekend we didn’t deserve the right to play with the width when we did. We didn’t take the ball forward first. “So it’s certainly a big focus giving the backs a solid platform to attack from.” Argentina have been competitive in recent losses to South Africa and NZ. The Wallabies haven’t lost to Argentina since 1997, but only prevailed by four points when the teams met in Australia last year. Quade Cooper failed to fire last week against the Springboks, but might get the chance to redeem himself against Los Pumas.
THERE’S an old proverb that involves maths and poultry, which pretty much sums up just what in God’s green Earth actually happened over the weekend. Well, that’s all we can come up with, as this opening round of the 2013 finals series has produced possibly the most intriguing, unbelievable and heartbreaking results since probably ever. Things started off normal enough. Some coaches got appointed, some coaches got the arse. It will be interesting to see just what Paul Roos does do with Melbourne FC, or if he will just join the rest of the Dees fans up in the snowfields. Onto Friday night and it all went as expected. Hawks were at their passive aggressive best playing some of the best keepy off ever witnessed. The Swans premiership defence took a massive blow and now has to take the long way round to reach that last Saturday in September. All good, no great shock with that one, as long as you discount the fact that Buddy and Cyril are yet to be brought back into this team. *shudders*. The next day however will go down as one of the more staggering and script flipping days of modern day finals footy. With the Cats
finally getting to play a final down in their cute little substantial fortress in Kardinya Park, the Dockers were expected to be brave, get rolled and bugger off back to Perth hating life. So when these bloody purple upstarts stuff up everything by winning, the locals were a little unsure of what to actually do. Confusion soon turned into anger as they then started to blame Freo for the Ford factory shutting down, some even going so far lambasting the Dockers because Tony Abbott got in. This also stuffed up the AFL’s grand plan for a dream Geelong/Hawks GF (chooks/counting). Later that evening, the Pies were quite happy as it meant that now they wouldn’t have to travel to Perth next week, but stay in Melbourne and get ready for the Cats. It required them beating Port but hey, we’re the biggest club in Australia. We will romp it in right? Eddie? WRONG. The Power were unrelenting in their embarrassment of the Pies, even getting Heath Shaw to start a punch up with himself. See ya Collingwood, oh and if you’re looking for Buckley, he is still in the coaches box at the G, waiting for Ashton Kutcher to tell him he has been Punk’d. Finally, Richmond. There HAS to be higher forces at play to pull this one off, for it happened. The Tigers have been officially knocked out by ninth. Even Stalin would’ve spared them this fate.
Try Tag Rugby All Stars looking for hat trick in Malta
NRL title defence not weighing down Storm ...continued from p16 premiership, but it’s not about trying to go back-to-back, it’s about playing well each week we take the field,” Smith said. “It’s a huge achievement to give yourself an opportunity to go back-toback - we’re aware of that, we’re aware of the opportunity we’ve presented ourselves this year. “Finishing third, it’s a pretty big effort when you look at all the great teams involved in this year’s campaign.” While consecutive premierships may be a tough ask, so too is returning to the decider the year after winning. Since the 1993 Broncos, only two premiers have returned to the big one the following year - the 2003 Sydney Roosters and 2008 Storm - though
Melbourne could also be scrapped from the list considering they were eventually stripped of their 2007 premiership. “It shows how hard it is to make it ... it’s that hard just to make a grand final let alone win one, and then people are talking about going back to back,” Smith said. “For us, we’ve just got to take the opportunity we’ve presented ourselves this week.” Despite finishing third on the ladder, the Storm have emerged as title favourites with bookmakers, punters going cold on the faltering Roosters and South Sydney. A win over the Rabbitohs on Friday night would give the Storm a week off and a home preliminary final - leaving them perfectly positioned to reach their sixth grand final in the past eight years.
By Phillip Browne Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith (AAP Image/Paul Miller) The Storm won both encounters between the two sides during the regular season - the second encounter in mitigating circumstances with Greg Inglis and John Sutton both sidelined for the Rabbitohs. By Steve Jancetic
Brazil loss can’t hamper WC prep: Neill ...continued from p16 A match against Canada in London five days later is also in the pipeline. “It was a bad day, but a lot of it was unforced errors and mistakes that we made to allow Brazil to play such free-flowing, attacking and fast-paced football,” Neill said. “But we need to move on from this now. “Of course it was a valuable lesson and we’d rather learn it now than in
nine months time. “But we have to look ahead, not let it get us down and make sure the next nine months we do everything we can to work on the mistakes. “We have time now to look at the video and work on the mistakes on the training ground. “This is why you play the best teams so they can challenge you and we’ll learn from it.” From a logistical standpoint, Neill said it had been valuable experience to play at the 70,000-seater Mane
Garrincha stadium, on of the World Cup venues. “We’ve had a taste of Brazil as well,” he said. “We know it’s going to be big pitches, big crowds and everybody loves their football but we’ll be back here to do a job and we know at this level if you don’t play at your best or near your best then you will get beat and you will get beat well.” By Angela Habashy
WHILE it looks like London has experienced the last of the beautiful summer weather and autumn is well on its way, the Try Tag Rugby All Stars will be heading to the stunning shores of Malta for some sea, sun and tag rugby on Thursday 26 September in a bid to defend their 2012 Malta International Tag Rugby Festival title. The Try Tag Rugby All Stars, a team made up of individual registrations from all different teams across London, will take on Malta’s best tag rugby players on Saturday 28 September in Handaq, Malta. The Try Tag Rugby All Stars won the 2011 and 2012 Malta International Tag Rugby Festival titles and are on the lookout for a hat trick. Besides the tag rugby, the All Stars have lined up some amazing events, including a Malta island evening cruise and pub crawl, a day cruise to Malta’s iconic Blue Lagoon, sampling Malta’s vibrant night life and enjoying Sliema’s beautiful bays, restaurants and cafes. The Malta tour is a highlight on the tag rugby calendar, with a load
of new friendships made and many lasting memories to take away. The Try Tag Rugby All Stars are Mike Berry, Rebecca Burns, Aine Cribbin, Gary Jeffrey, Chris Jurotte Sharnie Pokai, Christina Puppel, David Shipley, Tracey Smith and Jenika Stubelj. In other news, Try Tag Rugby will be turning four this week and to celebrate the UK tag rugby community and friends are all invited to the Try Tag Rugby fourth birthday Thames Boat Party on Friday 13 September. The cruise departs from Westminster Pier (closest station Westminster) at 7.15pm and returns to Temple Pier at 11.30pm. After getting back onto dry land, all boat party goers will receive free entry into the nearby Temple Walkabout where the party will continue until 2am. Tickets are available for £18 each and are selling fast. Don’t delay as the boat party may sell out. If you would like to get involved in a Try Tag Rugby competition or event before the big cold comes back to London, go to www.trytagrugby.com or email info@trytagrugby.com for more details.
RUBDOWN
THE
Higher forces at play
P15
SPORT
PRESSURE SHIFT n
Australia’s 88-run ODI win over England at Old Trafford on Sunday has taken them to a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, with paceman Mitchell Johnson leading the charge. By Liam FitzGibbon THE Ashes door has opened wider for Mitchell Johnson and Australian captain Michael Clarke says the fiery paceman is doing everything right to set himself up for a Test recall. Having already boosted his prospects with some eye-catching form on Australia’s limited overs tour of the UK, Johnson’s odds of a Test return firmed further after Mitchell Starc was effectively ruled out of the upcoming series. Starc on Monday joined fellow young guns James Pattinson and Pat Cummins on the long-term injured list with back stress fractures, while Ryan Harris (hamstring) and Jackson Bird (back) are under injury clouds. It means selectors look increasingly likely to call on the experienced
Johnson for the series against England in Australia, and they may have little hesitation in doing so based on his form. The 31-year-old looked back to his best in Sunday’s 88-run ODI win over England, bowling with savage pace and movement to take 2-36 from 10 overs. It followed Johnson’s 4-36 in the one-off match against Scotland last week, while he also impressed in the two-match T20 series. Clarke said Johnson’s form was exciting for Australian cricket and felt a continuation of it would make him impossible to ignore come Ashes selection time. “I think if Mitch continues to bowl the way he’s bowling, there’s no doubt (he’ll be in contention),” Clarke said after the win at Old Trafford. “He wants to be part of all three forms of the game and all you can do
is perform. “If you’re a bowler, take wickets; if you’re a batter, score runs; and the selectors will certainly have to think about it.” Australia’s injury concerns mean selectors could also consider the likes of one-day specialist Clint McKay, who has spoken of his desire to add to his sole Test appearance. James Faulkner may also be in contention to start in the pace attack for the first Test at the Gabba in November, though coach Darren Lehmann indicated he was seen more as an allrounder. Faulkner admitted Test selection was in the back of players’ minds in the UK but said it was not a distraction for him. “Everyone’s hopeful of trying to hold on to their spot but at the moment I’m just concentrating on the one-day cricket and after that we’ll see what happens,”
said Faulkner, who took 1-39 against England on Sunday. Australia’s victory at Old Trafford gave them a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after game one in Leeds was washed out. More than two months into their tour, Australia finally feel like the pressure has shifted to the hosts and Faulkner challenged the tourists to go on with the job. “Any time you play a series, whether it’s a one-day series or a Test series, the first few games really dictates how the series is going to go,” Faulkner said. “We don’t want to go home empty handed. We’ve played some good cricket for the last couple of months and it’s our time now to really put our foot on the throat and win these last few games.” Game three is in Birmingham on Wednesday.
OUTPLAYED Can the Wallabies turn it around? | P15
NEED TO BOUNCE BACK: Wallabies players stand dejected following their 38-12 thumping by the Springboks on Saturday. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Storm seek back-to-back MELBOURNE captain Cameron Smith insists his side is not weighed down by history with the Storm attempting to become the first NRL premiers to go back-to-back in a unified competition in 20 years. Not since the all-powerful Brisbane sides beat St George in consecutive grand finals in 1992-93 has a team defended its title - save for the Broncos going back to back in 199798 when the competition was split. As the captains of all eight NRL finalists gathered in Sydney on Monday to launch the finals series aboard HMAS Leeuwin, Smith claimed the Storm were only focused on what the 2013 version could achieve - their 2012 success merely a footnote in history. “We are striving to win another
...continued on p15
Socceroos shown up
Skipper Lucas Neill says the Socceroos must ensure psychological scars from their annihilation in Brazil don’t hamper preparation for next year’s World Cup. Australia suffered one of the heaviest defeats in the country’s football history when dismantled 6-0 by Brazil at the Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia. The world No.46 Socceroos were shown up for pace, technique, composure and vision. And Neill frankly admits they were also overawed, playing the five-time world champions on their home turf. “We need to express ourselves better, not make early mistakes, to not be afraid, to show more bravery and courage, which was something we didn’t do,” said Neill. Rather than dwell on the loss, Neill said Australia must use the next nine months to right the many problems, beginning when they reassemble to meet France in another friendly in Paris on 11 October. ...continued on p15