Australian Times weekly newspaper | 24 April 2012

24 April - 30 April 2012 – Issue: 409

AUSSIE ROCK How it shapes our psyche

AMSTERDAM HIGHS Spinning the Dutch Way

OLYMPIC BLOW

Boomer Bogut not heading to London

TRAVEL P11

ENTERTAINMENT P10

SPORT P16

CLAIM YOUR TAX REFUND TODAY! TAX, FINANCIAL AND MIGRATION EXPERTS: Money Transfers, Tax Refunds, Visas, Limited Companies &

0808 141 2314

41434

LEST WE FORGET Accounting, UK Bank Accounts, CV & Job Assistance, Travel Clinic, Shipping, Legal and Umbrella Services

www.1stcontact.com/mast2

n

As we prepare for Anzac Day in London, ASHLEA MAHER reflects on why the Anzac legacy is still so important to all Australians and New Zealanders today.

AS freedom-loving, independent and individual Australians in the UK, I believe most of you could share similar sorts of liberal views with me: I don’t like war or fighting.

And I strongly believe in the power of diplomacy.

But while I am getting all preachy about giving peace a chance, that doesn’t mean I don’t get a little choked up when Anzac Day rolls around.

Australian expats are privileged.

Having the opportunity to travel overseas and establish one’s life somewhere out of a comfort zone is a freedom many of us have embraced and continue to enjoy.

But moving to a different country isn’t a choice for everyone.

And other Australians don’t have the chance to explore past their own driveway let alone seedy Hackney backstreets.

For many, exploring in the UK is not about being Australian, more about becoming a global citizen.

So maybe the suggestion of getting up at 3am on for a Dawn Service that recognises our home nation on a cold ...continued on p5

By Will Fitzgibbon

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM Anzac Day Special | P5 WE SALUTE YOU: Soldiers salute our Diggers at London’s Cenotaph on Anzac Day. Photo by Justin Ng

Gillard supports Slipper but ‘dark days’ for government CONTROVERSIAL MP Peter Slipper could return to the Speaker's chair with Gillard government support before the sexual harassment claims against him are resolved.

The former Liberal turned independent MP stood aside as Speaker pending a possible criminal probe into allegations he misused taxpayer-funded Cabcharge vouchers.

He also faces civil claims - to be heard

In association with

Save our Australian animals from extinction

by the Federal Court next month - that he sexually harassed a former male aide. He strenuously denies all the allegations.

The scandal on Monday overshadowed the first day of Prime Minister Julia Gillard's trip to Singapore.

Ms Gillard defended her decision to recruit Mr Slipper to the role in November, a move that gave her minority government a crucial extra buffer in the House of Representatives.

"I don't claim to know Mr Slipper personally or well, but I formed a professional judgment about his ability to do the job," Ms Gillard told reporters.

She said Mr Slipper had done a good job controlling MPs in the chamber and his defection from the coalition had enabled the government to do "important things" for Australian families.

Nonetheless, she said his decision to step aside was "appropriate".

Go to: AustralianTimes.co.uk/move-to-australia

The opposition wants both the criminal and civil matters to be resolved before Mr Slipper returns as Speaker.

"Mr Slipper should stand aside until all of the allegations are resolved," Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop told AAP. She said the government's strong support for Mr Slipper was "disgraceful".

"The so-called party of the worker has shown no concern for the claimant, ...continued on p3

UNDER the small, soft eyes of a Woylie projected on a Powerpoint screen, businessmen and women gathered in a London Fitzrovia art gallery to support the conservation of Australia’s threatened wildlife.

During an event organised by Australian Business, and hosted by the London-based Australian art gallery owner, Rebecca Hossack, The Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) and its Director Professor Tim Flannery sought to enlist support for the protection of unique treasures such as the Gouldian Finch, the Northern Quoll, the Common Mistfrog and many more.

“We’re in a transition,” Professor Flannery told Australian Times after the 2007 Australian of the Year made a short but powerful presentation to ...continued on p3

2 | News

24 April - 30 April 2012

Australian shoppers are being ripped off - queue the rise of online shopping n

Back home consumers are starting to realise it is far cheaper to order their own goods from overseas online, rather than pay for the ridculously excessive mark-ups in Australian stores.

Publisher: Bryce Lowry Editor: Tim Martin Production/Design: Jackie Lampard Australia Editor: Ashlea Maher Music Editor: Paul Judge Contributors: Bianca Soldani, Shannon Crane, Kate Ausburn, Sara Newman, Justin Ng, Phill Browne, Kristy Kenny, Carmen Allan, Mario Hannah, Amy Fallon, Rose Callaghan, Lesley Slade, Simon Kleinig, Kris

Griffiths, Guy Logan, Nathan Motton, JP Breytenbach, Cameron Jenkins, Will Denton, Leigh Johnston, Lee Crossley, Shane Jones, Adrian Craddock, Liam Flanagan, Emily Banyard, Mel Edwards, Raquel Messi Advertising Manager: Dominic Young 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:

the hard word > NATHAN MOTTON

AUSTRALIANS are being ripped off. There I said it. We’re being shortchanged because, well, I’m not quite sure. But it irks me, and as petulant as it may seem, clothes are one of the things that frustrate me most.

The latest Australian Shopping Intent Report by AMP Capital Shopping Centres claimed nearly a third of the world’s largest retailers have a home in Australia, with more on their way.

Underpinning their decision to move Down Under is the fact that while online shopping continues to rise in importance, the nation’s consumers still want the ability to browse in shopping centres.

Nothing new there. But is there?

The Hard Word was always against the idea of online shopping.

It wasn’t technophobia. It enjoyed the experience of retail therapy, as much as a member of the not so fairer sex can. We preferred to walk the shops, speak to the lessannoying shop attendants, feel the fabric and assess the size and shape of t-shirts, jeans, shoes and suits.

We never saw shopping on the internet as a past-time for the more intelligent and thrifty buyer. And while we're more than happy now to admit that online shopping is now a force to be reckoned with, this scribe had been reluctant to give in

Your Say On: ‘Dickhead’ Guy Pearce says sorry to Canberra

I think Guy was personable and charismatic. So he’s a celebrity and yes he’s shared his opinion openly (one of which may not be agreeable to all) but he’s entitled to an opinion like everybody else and REALLY I think he just voiced what a lot of Australian people are thinking anyway!!!

Antonina AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

On: What I will miss most about Britain You’re right, Josh, the UK certianly does have the best and widest variety of pubs! But that being said, there’s also more of a need for them – who wants to sit in a stuffy, smelly pub when it’s 28-degrees and sunny in Melbourne?! And Australia is certainly improving – I’ve seen several places with Kronenberg on tap! I know it’s not that old man’s warm brown stuff you talk of, but it’s better than VB! ShazzyC AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

?

What’s your view

to its many advantages.

Until now. Despite the survey, as far as I’m concerned physical stores do not have a future in Australia.

I’ve written in the past about how Australia’s high streets have been ruined by monolithic concrete jungles. But their success isn’t entirely restricted to retail. Or at least it shouldn’t be.

Australians are being treated like mugs at the checkout by all major clothing labels. I’m not talking about the high-end labels, rather the ever-increasing list of labels that seek to appeal to the country’s expanding middle class.

Labels that think it’s OK to charge you up to $100 for a t-shirt, that is not made from specs of gold dust but made from exactly the same material as every other t-shirt ever made (it just features an unoriginal print and comes with a ‘recognisable’ brand name).

Labels that insist on charging you up to $1000 for a suit that is, again, mostly made from exactly the same fabric as every other suit. Jumpers, sweaters, dresses, shoes, everything for both men and women is excessively overpriced in Australia.

Yes some London retail shops have some of the most ridiculously overpriced items of clothing (some of the stuff in Liberty, for example, is out of this world). But (love them or loathe them) shops like Zara, H & M, Topshop all sell reasonable stock at more than reasonable prices.

Even more expensive stores still

On: Australians urged to vote in London Mayoral elections

I’ll be voting for BJ for the simple fact that he hasn’t screwed up and he’s doing a good job. If he’d messed up I’d vote for KL. I’m still loving the 207 double deck buses on Uxbridge Road, it’s gotten rid of the filth that used to get a free ride and harass people.

Is Ken in the Mickey Mouse party?

He looks a little goofy!

Ben AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

On: Oldfield achieved nothing but to prove he’s just a rebel without a cause

What utter nonsense. You’re ‘a big believer in the right to protest’ yet attack anyone that does, calling them petty, pointless and useless. Well who knows what the outcome of a protest will be until it’s been carried out? You would have called Emily Davison’s fatal protest pointless, yet it helped in the fight for women to get the vote. The more people protest the more awareness there will be. If no-one believes in the cause then it will fall by the wayside but if it gets a following then momentum builds. How should people protest? Write a stiff letter, start a discussion group on fb, call a radio phone in? Anything mainstream will be drowned out by the masses who believe in the staus quo.

Paul AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

Share your comments on these and more stories online: AustralianTimes.co.uk

stock items that when compared to Australian dollars just don’t add up.

While two of these stores brands have already opened stores in Australia, the problem remains.

There are numerous examples of this ludicrous difference between prices of certain things here far outweighing the price of the same products in Australia, food is another.

I’m not convinced by the argument that says it’s because Australians earn a far higher average salary than the British. Earning a far smaller wage in Britain means everything is inevitably cheaper. Many say it’s all relative.

Of course, like everything, these items need to make the long journey down to the southern hemisphere from whence they came. But bearing in mind a lot of these clothes are actually made in countries much closer to our fair shores than the UK, is that the only reason why Aussies are forced to pay so much for clothes that cost next to nothing to produce?

Consumers now realise it is far cheaper to order their own goods from overseas online, than to pay for the excessive mark-ups in Australian stores. Soon enough those intelligent buyers will become the majority of the nation’s shoppers, so long as exorbitantly priced goods remain on shop floors.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

What we’re following #Slipper

@Joe_Hildebrand Say what you like about Peter Slipper's PR skills, he's very good at staying on massage. @Colvinius If the ALP wants to end the soap opera, why does it keep hiring soap stars? @watermelon_man With this Slipper episode the Liberals, and the Australian media, have finally cast off shackles and moved to fullyfledged US politics. @lipporocks Interesting that Ashby twice texted Slipper that he "cared for" him. Slipper texted Ashby that he was "close to" him.#nothowItalktomyboss @Pollytics If Ashby or Slipper werent males, the salaciousness (especially the ABC hiding under the petticoat of tones of gravitas) would be different Check out what we’re following today on AustralianTimes.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @AustralianTimes

News | 3

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Slipper slip could cost Gillard government Continued from p1...

James Hunter Ashby, who has detailed his claims of sexual harassment in court documents," she said.

Mr Slipper has also been asked to stand down from his role as chancellor of the breakaway Traditional Anglican Communion church, where he is a priest.

But senior government frontbencher Anthony Albanese, who has spoken with Mr Slipper in recent days but refuses to detail the talks, says the embattled Queensland MP should be free to return to the Speaker's chair if he is cleared of the Cabcharge claims.

"If you argue that people should step aside in terms of civil proceedings, well there'll be a lot of civil proceedings going on and a lot of people stepping aside," Mr Albanese told reporters.

The government hopes the Cabcharge claims can be dealt with quickly.

The Australian Federal Police is assessing those allegations but has not yet decided to launch a formal investigation.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has called on key independent MPs Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor to withdraw their for the Gillard government in the wake of the scandal.

Mr Oakeshott said his support for the government was unchanged but declared these the "darkest days" of the current parliament.

He said Mr Slipper had made the right decision in stepping aside but cautioned against setting a precedent that people should give up their positions over civil claims.

"If we make this the standard any Australian citizen could make any allegation against any politicians and we're all expected to step down," Mr Oakeshott told the ABC. Nonetheless, he said he was keeping an "open mind" about a possible noconfidence motion against Mr Slipper.

But Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he was unlikely to move any such motion.

"I'm not in the business of moving noconfidence motions lightly," he said.

"I haven't moved any up until now and I don't think anyone should expect something come parliament resuming."

Mr Windsor said his support for the government was still solid.

"I haven't seen anything that would breach the agreement," he told the ABC. Attorney-General Nicola Roxon took aim at Mr Abbott’s public pursuit of Mr Slipper.

“I’m very concerned that Mr Abbott is acting more like the leader of a lynch mob than the leader of the Liberal Party,” Ms Roxon told reporters in Sydney. Mr Slipper’s decision to stand aside and install Labor MP Anna Burke as a temporary replacement has effectively reduced the government’s numbers in the lower house.

But with the support of Mr Windsor, Mr Oakeshott and Greens MP Adam Bandt and the possible tie-breaking vote of Ms Burke - it still has the numbers to defeat any no-confidence motion.- AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

Professor Flannery urges Aussies to make a difference Continued from p1...

the assembled group.

Gone are the days, Professor Flannery argues, that Australians can blithely assume that their unique wildlife will survive on its own.

According to the AWC, Australia has more diversity than any other developed nation and has the highest proportion of unique mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians than any other nation. Yet Australia has the worst mammal extinction record in the world with 22 mammals becoming extinct in the last 200 years.

In a March 2011 report, the CSIRO predicted that if no action is taken 45 native species will become extinct within the next 20 years in the Kimberley Region alone.

“What this is really about is the power of the people,” said Professor Flannery, over canapés and Coopers.

Starting in 1991 with a small purchase of land by AWC founder, Martin Copley, the AWC continues to acquire land across Australia that houses some of the most endangered endemic Australian species. Today, the AWC owns and manages 22 sanctuaries country-wide, including lagoons, grasslands, rivers and rainforests.

Ever-increasing competition for land from natural resources industries and government inaction is endangering the already fragile ecosystems that

have had to fight exogenous weeds and animals since Captain Cook landed. A feral cat in the habitat of the 140mm small Pale Field Rat, for example, is about as equal a fight as Mike Tyson in a kindergarten play pen.

During the evening in London, AWC and Professor Flannery had the enthusiastic support not just of the attending members but of Australian art gallery potentate Rebecca Hossack. Hossack is well-versed in advocacy of all things Australian.

Hers was the first gallery in Europe to exhibit Australian Aboriginal art and Hossack was Australia’s Cultural Attaché in the 1990s. “’Why don’t they?’ is one of the phrases I detest the most. We should be asking ‘Why don’t I’,” Hossack told Australian Times as she encouraged those present to make their own contribution to the environmental cause.

Not one to admonish from on high, Hossack can point to the healthy-looking trees lining the streets outside her Conway St art gallery that came from a personal £20,000 fundraising exercise.

With support from Professor Flannery, Rebecca Hossack and individuals back home and in London, Australia’s diverse wildlife may just have a chance.

For more about the AWC or how to contribute, go to AustralianWildlife.org AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

£10 FREE NEW OFFER

CALL CREDIT WHEN YOU TOP UP £20 ONLINE

1 3

Australia

landline

New Zealand

landline

South Africa

UNLIMITED FREE CALLS Lycamobile to Lycamobile

Join Lycamobile & Keep your existing number

5

For your FREE Lycamobile SIM visit www.lycamobile.co.uk or call 020 7132 0322 Buy and top up online or in over 115,000 stores

Customers may not be able to use Electronic Top-Up at all locations where the top-up logo appears

1p/min promotion is valid from 01.03.2012 and valid until 30.04.2012. Visit www.lycamobile.co.uk for full terms and conditions and participating countries. £10 credit offer: When you top up with a £20 voucher online during April 2012, you will be credited with an additional £10 call credit. Offer valid only on the first 2 online £20 top ups during April 2012. Prices and offers are correct at the time of going to print on 27.03.2012. Please visit www.lycamobile.co.uk for the latest rates. From the April 1st to April 30th 2012, customers with a minimum balance of 20p can enjoy free and unlimited calls from Lycamobile UK to Lycamobile UK.

4 | Voices

24 April - 30 April 2012

Adding polenta to your Italian feast

n Our resident Aussie chef in London is a sucker for Italian food and has this week prepared a very tasty polenta treat.

chris’s

kitchen > CHRIS ARK

CRAVING a traditional quick and easy Italian treat? Once again the Italians have come to the party and given us an ingredient that doesn’t take up time and provides us with a hearty meal with friends.

Polenta, this golden Italian ground maze (corn), is traditionally cooked with a stock or water to give a warm creamy dish served with slow cooked stews or sautéed wild mushrooms.

The dish, from the north of Italy, is now found all over the world and used in combination with seafood, grilled, bbq’d or deep-fried. Polenta is a perfect option for vegetarians without being blanch or boring.

Simple preparation is needed with polenta, however taking your eye off the pot and forgetting to continually stir the mixture with result in hours of scrubbing in the sink.

Serving polenta hot, or wet polenta as we call it in the kitchen, is a perfect alternative to mash potato

and an excellent, lighter compliment to slow cooked lamb shanks.

The bonus with polenta is that any leftover polenta can be spread on a tray and placed in the fridge to set. Once set take a Sharpe knife and slice wedges to be grilled on the BBQ or served with lashings of pesto and Parmesan cheese.

Polenta can however have a bland side to itself. So always look towards mixing richly flavored ingredients into the mixture.

My top 5 ingredients would be, Parmesan cheese, mushrooms, olives, pesto and lastly a good knob of quality butter. Once you become familiar with polenta you can use it in baking cornmeal breads and polenta biscuits for a special treat.

When buying polenta choose a fine grain as it takes less time to cook and has a smooth texture when cooked. Instant polenta is equally as good taking 5-8 mins to prepare.

This week I will share with you my Parmesan polenta with mushrooms which is so simple but so tasty. So lets get cracking. Enjoy!

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

LONDON BRONCOS BRADFORD BULLS AT: Brisbane Road, Leyton Orient FC KO: 2.00PM DATE: Sunday 6th May 2012 For tickets please visit lofcdirect.co.uk/events facebook.com/LondonBroncosRL @LondonBroncosRL

UNTIL 29 TH F RO M 3 0

TH

Kids £1* dults £10 / APRIL: A s £5 s £15 / Kid lt u d A : IL APR

* (maximum of 2 kids per adult)

oms

Parmesan polenta with mushro What you need

• 500ml of milk • 170g of fine grain instant polenta • Salt and pepper • 50g of finely grated Parmesan cheese • 40g of butter • Good handful of wild mushrooms or flat fields • Olive oil for cooking • Fresh basil leaves • Few shaving of Parmesan cheese to garnish

What to do

• Use a heavy based pot to hold the ingredients and place on a medium heat.

• Warm the milk to just below boiling point.

• Slowly whisk the milk and pour in the polenta slowly and continue to stir • The mixture will become thick and more milk can be added to soften the mixture.

• Continue to stir on a low heat for 5 mins as instruction on the packet • Towards the end add the butter and

Parmesan cheese and mix until all ingredients are incorporated • Season and adjust the seasoning and consistency. Polenta should be smooth and creamy when cooked.

• Sauté the mushrooms in a hot pan and season with olive oil and salt.

• Spoon the polenta into bowls and top with the warm mushrooms and basil. Add the shavings of Parmesan and a splash of olive oil to finish.

London bargains and a Brick Lane curry n There’s bountiful (and beautiful) markets in London but

our resident adventurer may have just stumbled on the most relaxed one yet – Spitalfields Markets. Ticking off #47 on her London Top 100 list, she also came across a curious little lane that may just serve the best (and worst) curries in the world. bron in

the don BRONWYN SPENCER

A FRIEND of mine is one of those fashionistas that can just buy anything and make it look good. I would always ask her where she got that fur vest or that gorgeous scarf and her reply was always ‘oh just at Spitalfields Market’.

After weeks of seeing her wear her bargains I thought it was about time that I checked it out (and ticked off #47 on my London Top 100 list).

The most popular day to go is Sunday for the Sunday Up Market, so a few friends and I caught the tube to Liverpool Street and then followed the signs for a short walk to get there. The market area used to house fruit and veggie stalls and while they still do have some food options they mostly sell other goodies. Similar to other markets there is a wide variety of things to look at from handmade jewellery to photo prints to clothing. Although unlike other markets Spitalfields definitely had a more relaxed vibe. I’m not sure if I went on a quiet day or if it was just because it was a Sunday afternoon but rather than the hustle and bustle amongst the stalls

it was easy to wander through and gaze at what was on offer.

Right next door in the Old Truman Brewery is where the Up Market is held.

This area hosts another bunch of stalls full of vintage clothes and other treasures.

I found one of my favourite things at this area of the market – a bargain bin for £1! After about 10 minutes of trawling through and scrounging around in my wallet for change I walked away with three gorgeous scarves. All of which haven’t left my drawer since but it seemed like a fabulous idea at the time (so much for becoming a fashionista).

If you managed to resist the urge to have some of the food that is on offer and if you haven’t already been distracted by the scent of curry in the air then the best place to go to appease your shopper’s appetite is Brick Lane.

Also known as ‘ Banglatown’, Brick Lane is a street filled to the brink with curry restaurants crying out for your business. When I say crying out I mean it literally as you will find many touts standing outside their restaurant’s trying to get your business. The second we rounded the corner we were invited into the first restaurant we

saw. Having heard that you can bargain for your meal we decided to carry on. We caved in after the third restaurant because none of us were the haggling type and we were quite hungry! Apparently this was a rookie mistake to give in so soon but when you get two drinks, pommadoms, starter, curry, rice and naan all for £10 it’s hard to believe we got a bad deal. I’ve heard mates bargain in bottles of wine and extra dishes – so if you are a haggler, you’ll be in curry-haggle heaven.

While ours wasn’t the best curry I’ve ever had (and a prime example of you get what you pay for), since I’m hardly a curry connoisseur I was happy with my lot. Just don’t expect impeccable service and gorgeously presented food. Brick Lane is the perfect kind of place when you want a cheap meal with friends where you can have a few drinks before heading out as well as an easy Sunday afternoon feed. And now I know I can get a better deal I can guarantee you I will be back to see how low they can go!

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

Anzac Day

ANZAC DAY | 5

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Let us remember them on Anzac Day

n A message from Australian High Commissioner His Excellency Mr

John Dauth AO LVO, to Australians living in the UK for Anzac Day.

By His Excellency John Dauth AS all readers will agree, Anzac Day is a very important national day to Australia, and of course, to New Zealand as well. It is a day to honour the diggers that have served our countries proudly.

25 April marks the day in 1915 when the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps had their ‘baptism of fire’ and landed at Gallipoli to capture the Turkish peninsula known as the Dardanelles.

By the end of the campaign 11,000 Australian and New Zealand

soldiers lay dead.

They fought with such incredible bravery and spirit, we would later look to it as the moment that defined our nation and how we Australians see ourselves.

Even though the battle at Gallipoli was nearly a century ago, the significance of what they did there does not diminish with time. Although there are no longer any men or women alive who were there that day, it seems to me that with every passing year the significance of Anzac Day grows. Many young people, including many Australians living here in the UK, are now making an April pilgrimage to the Gallipoli site and observing a Dawn Service with thousands of their compatriots to pay respect to the original diggers and acknowledge the

continuing commitment and sacrifice of Australian men and women.

The importance of Anzac Day will not diminish, in part, because we have had so many diggers that have served proudly in uniform since then and of course continue to serve around the world.

Although we may have friendly rivalries on the sporting fields with our Kiwi neighbours, it’s a timely reminder too, of our common bonds and shared histories.

So, on Wednesday, let us reflect upon the service of the diggers and express in any way we can how grateful we are to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Whether it is attending a Dawn Service here in the UK or going to Gallipoli itself, let us remember them.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel/anzac-day-travel

Marking the Anzac Spirit in London Anzac Day in London n

Wednesday, 25 April, 2012

ANZAC Day 2012 will be commemorated in London with the following services: 5.00am: DAWN SERVICE, NEW ZEALAND WAR MEMORIAL, HYDE PARK CORNER This service is open to the public, is a non-ticket event and lasts approx 45 mins. Suggested arrival time is 4.40am.

11.00am: WREATH LAYING SERVICE, THE CENOTAPH, WHITEHALL This is a non-ticket event but please carry photo ID for security checks.

12.00noon: COMMEMORATIVE SERVICE, WESTMINSTER ABBEY Complimentary tickets are required to attend this service.

For more information about these events and to apply for tickets for the Westminster Abbey Commemorative Service go to: AnzacDayLondon.com

Continued from p1... and dark Hyde Park Corner may not sound appealing.

But taking part in Anzac Day Services is about more than that.

Coming together at such events with thousands of other like-minded expats, travellers and UK residents alike is truly a moving experience.

It is easy to get bogged down by life’s worries when there are bills, rent and smelly, weird men on the Tube to cause daily trepidation.

However, there are other times when using some ‘big picture perspective’ is beneficial.

I don’t condone violence, but I still believe there are important times to acknowledge how times of war sculpt our world.

Maybe your grandfather, grandmother, father or cousin has been in - or is currently serving in - war zones, conflicts or peacekeeping missions.

Maybe they died serving for their country.

If they had a choice in the decision, and what led most into such dangerous situations, is respect.

Respect for one’s country’s name, respect for the Commonwealth, respect for their kin.

I believe that this dedication to the Australian and New Zealand way – whether seen to be blind idiocy or not – should be recognised.

I imagine most people who are

courageous enough to sign up with military forces join with good intentions.

And that is not about a passion for death and destruction, but because they want the world to be a good place; regardless of how much military arm it takes to get there.

Chipping in to do their part, just like a good mate.

As per usual, there are three Anzac Day Services in London this year.

Anzac Day goes beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915.

It is the day we remember all Australians who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.

As the website for London Anzac Day events states, the Anzac Spirit isn’t just celebrating the spirit of Anzac, with its human qualities of courage, mateship, and sacrifice. The Anzac Spirit continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity. It moulds and shapes who we are as Australians. In an essence, it still continues to define us.

That’s why taking part in the London Anzac Day experience is so special.

The Dawn Service commences at 5am, at the New Zealand Memorial on Hyde Park Corner.

This harrowing Service includes a performance of the Haka as well as a rendition o f the Last Post, followed by two minutes silence.

While it is a fair mission to attend the Service, it is an amazing feeling of honour and pride as the hustle and bustle of London stops in order to recognise the Anzac Spirit.

The Service lasts approximately 45 minutes, is a non-ticketed event open to all members of the public and will be followed by a short wreath-laying ceremony at the Australian War

Memorial. It is suggested that guests arrive from 4.40am.

A Wreath Laying Service will be held at The Cenotaph in Whitehall from 11am.

Arrival before 10.30am is recommended.

This service will conclude at approx 11.15am, allowing time for the short walk to Westminster Abbey for the Commemorative Service at 12 noon.

While tickets are not required to observe the ceremony, passes are required for those wishing to participate in the Parade.

If you are Service, ex-Service Personnel, or a relative interested in marching in the Parade, please complete the online application form at the Anzac Day in London website: AnzacDayLondon.com At 12 noon, the Westminster Abbey Commemorative Service will commence.

Guests need to be seated at the Abbey by 11.45am and the service lasts for approximately one hour.

Complimentary tickets are required to attend this service and can be obtained from the Australian High Commission by completing the online application form at the Anzac Day in London website.

It’s not just about remembering those that have gone before us. It is about coming together under our Antipodean flags. About celebrating what is so special to be an Aussie or a Kiwi. For those feeling a pang of homesickness, coming together with thousands of fellow Australians, New Zealanders and even those not from the Antipodes is a bit like catching up with a nice old neighbour.

It’s exactly what our diggers would have wanted. Enjoy, and remember.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel/anzac-day-travel

6 | ANZAC DAY

24 April - 30 April 2012

Anzac Day is Visiting Gallipoli or here again France for Anzac Day? ATTENDING an Anzac Day dawn service overseas is a once in a lifetime experience but it’s important to come prepared. Here is some basic information on what you need to know for your trip to Gallipoli or France in 2012.

Gallipoli

By Simon Kleinig, Deputy President – London Legacy ANZAC DAY - 25 April - is always a big day for Australians and New Zealanders in London. For many of us, it’s a nice reminder of home and what it really means to be an Aussie or a Kiwi, whilst the rest of London goes about another busy day.

In the grey light of dawn at Hyde Park Corner thousands of us will stand near the New Zealand Memorial (it’s the Kiwis turn this year) at 5am for a few quiet moments of reflection and contemplation. We’ll be thinking of those sacrifices made by earlier generations so that we can enjoy the many freedoms we do today. You can play your part by making a small donation towards a Legacy pin to help support Aussie war widows in the UK. And don’t forget to wear your sprig of rosemary as a mark of respect and remembrance on Anzac Day. After the Dawn Service many people grab a coffee or tuck into a good breakfast. The Intercontinental Hotel on Piccadilly (adjacent to the

NZ Memorial) puts on a full Anzac breakfast at half price for all those attending the Dawn Service. Then, at 9.30am the Gallipoli Association holds a service at its memorial in the Crypt at St Paul’s Cathedral. Many expats also move on to the wreathlaying service at the Cenotaph at 11am. This is a big event and a good crowd always turns out in Whitehall.

It always feels like a breath from home to see Aussie slouch hats on parade.

Finally, a special Anzac Day service is held each year in Westminster Abbey at midday. But don’t be disappointed — you’ll need to reserve tickets for both the Cenotaph and Westminster Abbey through the NZ Embassy: NZEmbassy.com/unitedkingdom/news/london-anzac-dayservices-2012 If you have time on your hands and understand the aims of Legacy why not volunteer to help staff our office for a few hours each month and assist generally? You’ll be working with other Aussies and really helping a good cause. London Legacy is also looking for people to help sell pins on Anzac Day. If you can help please contact President Lindsay Birrell at LondonLegacy.org.uk

AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel/anzac-day-travel

Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli recognise the 8,700 Australians who died during the Gallipoli campaign – the first major military action fought by Australia and New Zealand during the First World War. Up to 10,000 pilgrims attend the commemorations each year. If you’re planning to attend in 2012, there are some helpful tips to keep in mind.

• The Anzac Commemorative site does not open until 1800 on 24 April.

• Dress appropriately – there is no shelter at the commemorative sites and you will be exposed to the elements for up to 24 hours.

• Wear sensible walking shoes – you will need to walk long distances of up to eight kilometres, up steep and uneven dirt roads.

• There will be large crowds and visitors may experience long delays due to traffic and security arrangements.

• Gallipoli is a sacred place, close to the hearts of Australians, New Zealanders and the Turkish people – please respect it when you are onsite.

• To receive other handy tips on what to expect, including updates on the commemorations, register at GallipoliRegistration.com

France

The Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Australian National Memorial, near Villers-Bretonneux, honours the 295,000 Australians who fought on the Western Front and the more than 46,000 who died there.

On average, more than 4,000 people attend the Dawn Service each year. The following tips will help those planning

to attend in 2012 make the most of their experience.

• The Australian National Memorial commemorative site is two hours drive from Paris and 20 minutes from the Somme capital Amiens.

• Special traffic arrangements are in place from midnight 24 April for safety reasons – some shuttle buses are available to and from nearby towns.

• After the dawn service, bilingual community services are held in the nearby towns of VillersBretonneux and Bullecourt – all are welcome to attend.

• Dress appropriately – it can be very cold as dawn approaches and then warm up later in the day for community services (layers are encouraged!)

• To receive other handy tips on what to expect, including updates on the commemorations and traffic arrangements, register at FranceRegistration.com

For more information on commemorations at Gallipoli or France, including information on services, what to bring and what to expect, or details on other overseas services visit Dva.gov.au/anzac

AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel/anzac-day-travel

Anzac Day: Not just for the Anzacs?

By Margaret Whittock GALLIPOLI: a name synonymous with Australia and New Zealand.

However, while that flawed campaign is rightly significant to these nations, marking as it did the birth of a new national consciousness, it involved troops from around the world, leaving a marked impact on these countries too.

While Gallipoli may not figure as highly in the UK’s national consciousness, British forces suffered hugely there. Casualty figures still vary wildly but there were almost twice as many British casualties as all other Allied troops together. An even lesser recognised fact is that 42,000 French troops landed at Gallipoli, including men from French Colonial Africa. While the French Cemetery at Morto Bay indicates the enormous extent of their losses, general histories make little if any mention of French

involvement in the Gallipoli Campaign.

Better recognised now is the role of Irish soldiers, although that has not always been the case, with their contribution written out of the new Irish Republic’s history.

In 1914, over 80,000 Irish men enlisted, over half from the ‘South’ and the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and the Royal Munster Fusiliers were among the first to land at Helles on 25 April, suffering 637 casualties in the first thirty six hours. The chance discovery of graves at V Beach of my great-uncles - Royal Dublin Fusiliers Sam and Jack Mallaghan led me to research their history and that of the Gallipoli Campaign, and to recount their story in a novel, Ghost of Gallipoli.

Alongside the above, other stories await: of the Jewish Legion, Zionists drawn from Britain, America, Canada and Russia, intent on wresting Palestine from

the Ottoman Empire in order to formalise a Jewish National Homeland; and of the Indian soldiers, Gurkhas and Sikhs, who between them lost 1,358 men with almost 3,500 injured.

Understandably, the greatest impact of all was felt in Turkey, then the Ottoman Empire, which lost over 86,000 of its male population. Gallipoli was a defining moment in Turkish history and the cemeteries and monuments of the Gallipoli peninsula are a testament to its continuing importance.

Nationalistic tendencies were revived, laying the grounds for the Turkish War of Independence and the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, under Ataturk, a Commander on the peninsula. Now Turkey, a newly expanding world economy, has developed into one of the strongest influences in Middle Eastern politics.

However it wasn’t just Turkish

people who experienced this great surge of nationalism. The defeat at Gallipoli impacted strongly on all those troops fighting for the British Empire: Australian, New Zealand, Indian, and Irish, leading to a demand for independent states, free from the dominion of British rule.

Just as Turkey metamorphosed, Gallipoli was a key event in the decline of the British Empire and the nascence of a new world order.

The Gallipoli Campaign is therefore important, not just to Australians and New Zealanders, but to many millions of people across the world.

The ghosts of Gallipoli are not just Anzacs; they are the ghosts of many nations.

Ghost of Gallipoli by Margaret Whittock is now available as an eBook at Amazon UK and at Amazon.com.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel/anzac-day-travel

ANZAC DAY | 7

AustralianTimes.co.uk

ANZAC DAY REVISITED: Ever wondered what the original Anzacs looked like? Well, in this photo you can see a whole room full of them.

These Gallipoli veterans, still showing a touch of youth in their 40s and 50s, were sitting down to their annual reunion dinner at the Sydney Town Hall, on Anzac Day eve in 1939. If you look closely at the photograph many Anzacs are wearing their medals, whilst others have sprigs of rosemary tucked into their buttonholes.

These men were commemorating an event that not only impacted heavily on their own young lives, but had helped forge the nation of Australia. No doubt Gallipoli was still fresh in their collective memory. After all, it was only 23 years since they abandoned the rugged slopes above Anzac Cove to a tenacious enemy, leaving behind nearly 8,000 of their fallen comrades.

Unfortunately for the men in this photo, four months later Australia would be at war again. And some of the Anzacs seen here would enlist again — destined to live out once more the proud Anzac tradition which they themselves had established. Here’s to our Aussie Anzac heroes - lest we ever forget. Words by Simon Kleinig, photo by Tom Lennon

Kiwi government criticises Anzac jibe

AUSTRALIAN and New Zealand political leaders say a Kiwi journalist's description of Australian World War I soldiers as "lazy bludgers and thieves" is disrespectful to the soldiers of both countries.

Jock Anderson made the comments during a Radio New Zealand panel discussion last week about a new book by former Australian Army officer and Department of Veterans Affairs historian Graham Wilson.

In the recently published book, Mr Wilson questions myths surrounding Australia's WWI and WWII volunteer forces, including the legend of the bushmen who transformed into natural warriors on the battlefield.

"The Aussies have been reluctant soldiers at the best of times, and they've been essentially lazy bludgers, some of them - excellent blackmarketeers, scavengers, poachers and thieves," Mr Anderson told the panel.

"Occasionally, they've actually been quite good soldiers, but there was no way that they can hold a candle, in my opinion, to the Kiwis."

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Mr Anderson's comments were a black mark on the Anzac spirit, just days out from commemorations on Wednesday.

"While I have enormous respect for the New Zealand forces and support one point that (Anderson) put

forward, which is that our forces have and continue to be magnificent in the work that they carry out, denigrating the Australians as part of that analysis I don't think is appropriate," Mr Key said.

He had seen the Australian forces during visits to Afghanistan and Gallipoli, and said they did a good job.

"The spirit of the Anzac tradition is alive and well. That was a tradition forged on the battlegrounds in Gallipoli, and to take away from their efforts I personally find quite offensive," Mr Key said.

Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith said Mr Anderson would come to regret his comments.

Mr Smith told reporters at Leeuwin Barracks in Fremantle on Monday that the comments were "disrespectful" to those who fought for both sides of the Tasman.

"Anyone who has been to Gallipoli, who has been to the New Zealand monument at the top of the hill, who understands the contribution that our Kiwi brothers and sisters made in Gallipoli alone - let alone other conflicts, including and up to Afghanistan - would dismiss those comments with the disrespect they deserve." - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

Friday 20th

Rugby League ANZAC Test Kangaroos vs Kiwis:7.30pm replay Wednesday 25th

ANZAC Day Drink specials + quiz Saturday 28th

ANZAC Sports Day

Party, BBQ & live music with Ian Munro

Happy hour all day Wednesday and Saturday, £1.50 Bundy and Mixer on Wednesday Address: 425 New Kings Road, Fulham SW6 4RN. Twitter: @thelarrikinn Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelarrikinn

Proud sponsors of the Putney Magpies

8 | Entertainment

24 April - 30 April 2012

Big and Small: “Our Cate” Blanchett the star of the British stage

n Australian acting legend Cate Blanchett is wowing London’s theatre-going public with an energetic but

moving depiction of isolation in the Sydney Theatre Company’s new production Big and Small at the Barbican.

Image by Lisa Tomasetti

By Will Fitzgibbon AUSTRALIAN actor Cate Blanchett and the Sydney Theatre Company (STC) are impressing full-houses at the Barbican Centre in London, in a production that looks set to be a highlight of the theatrical season.

Blanchett and the STC, of which she is co-director along with husband Andrew Upton, is currently performing German playwright Botho Strauss’s Big and Small (Gross und Klein) as part of the 2012 London Festiv l.

Written in 1978, Big and Small looks at social estrangement and abandonment as one woman, Lotte (Blanchett), loving but unloved, criss-crosses Germany in search of a human connection that she never finds.

“It’s one of those plays you don’t want to make too much sense of,” Blanchett recently explained on the BBC’s The Graham Norton Show.

In ten scenes, each dominated by an indefatigable Blanchett, Lotte stops off in different German

locales seeking friendship. The play’s director, Benedict Andrews, has called it “a metaphysical road movie”.

On her way, Lotte encounters common examples of society’s alienated. From the comical, including a nerdy computer programmer-cum-chess player, a failed beauty queen, and a Gogolian low-level bureaucrat responsible for dog licences to the serious, including junkies, immigrants and abandoned children.

The set design often places Lotte at the heart of contemporary isolation, using what must be two of the most isolating locations in the world: a fluorescently-lit public telephone box and a doctor’s surgery waiting room.

Big and Small is often funny, sometimes slapstick, but always serious. The translator Martin Crimp has done an excellent job in modernising the plays’ language and universalising the message and setting. Yet Strauss’s inspiration from the pessimist theories of interwar German cultural critic Theodor Adorno remains as untouched as ever.

Writing in 1940s Germany, Adorno lamented the ruthless corporate inauthenticity of the age in which cinema and radio neuter the individuality of each person. “No scope is left for the imagination,” he wrote.

The alienation of modern communication is an obvious theme in Big and Small. Dictaphones, televisions, newspapers, front door intercoms and waiting room announcements all interfere with Lotte’s search for real human contact.

It is through Lotte’s simplicity, often bordering the idiot-savant, that we witness the real bleakness of society.

Blanchett’s performance is the draw card. “Our Cate” is widely-

plus special guests

Wednesday 8 August

London Koko 0844 847 2258

Buy online at ticketmaster.co.uk livenation.co.uk xavierrudd.com new album ‘Spirit Bird’ out 12 june a live nation presentation in association with CAA

adored in Britain for what many see as her finest film role, portraying Queen Elizabeth I in the eponymous 1998 film. As Lotte, Blanchett brings extraordinary versatility that captures the efforts of a simple woman to “only connect”.

Blanchett’s vocal range extends from girly squeals to guttural, gaseous belches while her physical movement can quickly change from energetic Pina Bausch-like dance movements to perfect stillness.

The Australian spectator may appreciate the many overtly Antipodean moments. Blanchett does little to hide her drawnout monopthongs in words like “Amaaaaazing”. In another scene, a bickering, alcohol-fuelled barbecue could be in any Australian backyard in January except for the German flag blowing upstage.

While the STC last visited London in 1995, the standing ovation success of Big and Small can be hoped to lead to a more regular European presence.

Australia’s “Our Cate”, it seems, is just as popular as the British “Our Kate”.

Don’t miss Cate Blanchett in Big and Small at the Barbican until 29 April 2012

AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

Entertainment | 9

AustralianTimes.co.uk

PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

BLACK STONE CHERRY

KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES

SKINDRED LIFE IN FILM

FRIDAY 13 JULY

Including A Performance Of The Album Featuring LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO PLUS VERY SPECIAL GUESTS

ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION FEATURING

JERRY DOUGLAS

CHRISTINA PERRI BIG COUNTRY GUILLEMOTS PUNCH BROTHERS ROBERT RANDOLPH ROBERT ELLIS MARLON ROUDETTE MARCUS FOSTER

SUNDAY 15 JULY

HYDE PARK, LONDON

Buy online at www.hardrockcalling.co.uk

Buy VIP Experiences and Hospitality please visit www.livenationexperience.co.uk or call 0207 009 3484. www.livenation.co.uk

A Live Nation presentation

www.soundgardenworld.com

wwww.paulsimon.com

(subject to licence)

10 | Entertainment

24 April - 30 April 2012

Big building goes bang, who’s got The Voice and unleashing the inner Rage music from the

motherland > PAUL JUDGE

Happy Birthday Rage!

THE QUEEN might be celebrating her Diamond Jubilee this year but one of Australia’s treasures is celebrating its silver jubilee this week. We are, of course, talking about everyone’s favourite late night/early morning weekend music show - Rage.

For 25 years on Friday and Saturday evenings, eager Australian music fans have been curling up on their couch from midnight with a doona and cuppa in hand or keeping the party going well into the

wee hours with the music clip show on.

The show was famous for never having a host but rather inviting musicians and artists to take residence for the week on the iconic red couch to pick their favourite tunes and talk about songs which inspired them. They are making an exception for the anniversary show with everyone’s favourite crusty rock man Tim Rogers being handed the job to look back at 25 years of memories.

ABC is inviting viewers to get involved by having Rage parties, sending in pictures and also offering prizes for the best rendition of the well-known opening credits the ‘Rage scream’. You know the one, “Raaaaaaggeeee!!” You’re trying it right now, aren’t you?

Who’s The Voice?

It’s had everyone talking in the UK so we thought we better have a crack at it ourselves Down Under. The Australian version of The Voice is hitting the TV screens back home and for those unfamiliar with the concept, singing hopefuls get on stage for a sing and a crack at mentoring from a famous musician, maybe even to hit the big time.

Sound familiar? The difference in The

Voice is the judge’s have their back to the singer and are going on sound alone.

The Aussie judging panel is made up of Keith Urban, Seal, Benji Madden (Good Charlotte) and everyone’s favourite girl next door - Delta Goodrem. We thought with the name of the show, John Farnham would have been a shoe-in. Alas…

So far appearing behind the judges backs has been Guy Sebastian’s little brother; a teenage girl from the wrong side of the tracks; and a stay at home dad. Sounds straight off the reality music show production line at the moment. Yet the standout for the show so far has been Rachel Leahcar, a 19 year old girl who also happens to be visually impaired. Her voice stunned the judges and she was able to make light of her sight problem commenting on the irony of ‘blind’ auditions.

We’re sucker for a feel good story.

Go Rachel.

Ent Cent gets the chop

The home to nearly every big concert in Sydney for the past 30 years, the Sydney Entertainment Centre, is being ripped down next year as part of a $1 billion redevelopment of the area.

What’s On Cate Blanchett in Big & Small 13 - 29 April @ Barbican Centre Tracer 24 April @ Islington O2 Academy Julia Stone 26 April @ Studio Private, Shoreditch Midnight Youth 15 May @ The Borderline, Soho Husky 15 May @ Bull & Gate, Kentish Town The Jezabels 17 May @ Electric Brixton DZ Deathrays 17 May @ Barfly, Camden Temper Trap 21-22 May @ KOKO, Camden Emma Louise 22 May @ London Electricity Showroom, Hoxton Pond 22 May @ Cargo, Shoreditch Cold Chisel 13 July @ Hard Rock Calling, Hyde Park

For full details... ...and more Aussie gigs go to: AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

Chances are if you’re from NSW and like a bit of music you’ve probably caught a show there. Everyone from Pearl Jam to Madonna, Rage Against The Machine to Kylie Minogue have graced the stage and a room full of memories will go when the bulldozers get to work.

There’s plans afoot for a new centre as part of the redevelopment scheme but it will be at least three years before

it reopens, so watch this space.

As for us, we remember the time as a fresh faced 18 year old country kid hitting the city for a Radiohead concert, grabbing some cheap food in nearby Chinatown, then sitting enthralled for two hours in the back row as the electronic rockers wowed the crowd. Oh the Ent Cent.

You’ll be missed.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

Aussie rock and what it means to me

By Bon8

JIMMY BARNES sings “standin on the outside lookin in” and that’s the way I feel over here. Having lived in the UK for a few years I find myself taking every opportunity to fly the Aussie flag. I am definitely more Aussie since moving here and my biggest fear is being mistaken for a Pom. I feel like I’ve let the side down every time I call soccer football, but get a huge boost when some of my Pommy mates refer to it as soccer, just so that I understand what their talkin’ about. The BBQ is fired up religiously every weekend even in winter and the vegetarians next door have now put their house on the market. I buy VB in the supermarket even if I stopped drinking it at home when I was 19.

I wear thongs and shorts like they’re going out of fashion - heck, I even got a Southern Cross tattoo on my back by a Polish tattooist in Basingstoke....

But what I’ve noticed most about being over here on the other side of the world is that Australia stands still in my house. I am heavily influenced by 70’s & 80’s Oz music so the iPod is usually pumping out Oils, Chisels, AC/DC no new stuff really. Although I will be checkin’ out the new Chisel album!

It does remind me of visiting a friend’s house in suburban Melbourne years ago. His parents were Greek and when I walked through the front door it was like little Athens. At the time I was thinking ‘why don’t these people just let go and accept their

new surroundings’. I now understand how pride in your country becomes stronger and stronger the longer your away and how little bubbles of preserved patriotism can be concreted into the mainstream like portholes or gateways back in time. The longer I spend in limbo the more I fear what I will find when I go back. And bringing up three kids over here can be mentally challenging...I fear they won’t relate to our beautiful country. My youngest thinks she was born in England, “whats Vegemite Dad?” she asks, and they all have Mockney accents. So as I become more Australian my kids become less Australian...

However driving home from a day at the beach last weekend, my youngest boy leant over and said ‘turn it up Dad, this is real music’. The tune on the radio? AC/DC! Just yesterday I popped my head around the corner of my 13 year olds bedroom door, he was busy doin’ his homework with the Chisel’s blaring out. He didn’t know who it was but that doesn’t matter, he likes it. So it’s through their ears I will inject cultural identity and in some strange way when they are cruising Freeway 1 out of Sydney in a few years and Jimmy comes screamin’ out of the speakers it will remind them of Hampshire summers at the pebble beach...And while they won’t necessarily know what they mean they will know all the words! ‘And that’s the way I like it!’

AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

travel

Travel | 11

AustralianTimes.co.uk

tting This week we’re pu

Amsterdam ON THE MAP

Amsterdam fit for a Queen

n With Queen’s Day celebrations (Koninginnedag) turning

Holland orange this weekend, CLAIRE ADAMS got in early to the Netherlands to explore the Dutch capital, and check out some of Amsterdam’s overlooked treats and hidden gems.

WE regularly take advantage of subsidised travel on the European mainland through my husband’s employment. At the moment he is working in Utrecht and we spent a weekend in Amsterdam to spare him the commute home back to London.

This was our second visit, so we knew the tourist pitfalls and haunts; the bikes, the trams, the coffee houses, the canals and the infamous red light district.

En route to the Van Gogh museum, we discussed the maximum we would be willing to pay for entry.

We both agreed €10 a piece, but were stretched to €14 each, plus a fiver for the audio tour. After two hours there, we thought it well worth the outlay and mandatory for any visitor.

Fairytale food in The Dam

After a flight of about one hour from Luton, we met at Schiphol airport on Friday evening and took an easy cab ride to a very retro, pink hotel overlooking Vondelpark. We wondered a few blocks away to find ‘bond’, a restaurant with a fairytale narrative for every entry on the menu. The food, which was very tasty, was placed on the plate with military precision; some vegetables looked like they had been especially trained. As we paid the bill and left, we noted the word ‘Michelin’ on the door. We believe this to mean ‘expensive’ in English.

Worth the price (but not an ear)

With no specific plans for Saturday, we bought a 24 hour travelcard for €7 and spent it on the trams. We ate caramel and nut pancake for breakfast at Oesterbar and then headed back on the public transport for more Dutch sightseeing.

Walking delights

We did quite a bit of walking, which Amsterdam is made for. It is as flat as a drained bog, with only the bridges over canals to raise your heart rate. The architecture primarily looks like an ordinary set of flats which have been

12 | Travel

24 April - 30 April 2012

concertinaed into a small, narrow, elongated space. The canals are also picturesque and every photo is a composition with wildlife, boats and barges. We could not escape the shopping in the city centre, where we purchased some ‘high grade’ jasmine and green tea. We

“Loitering meant immediate intoxication” avoided the Condomerie, although we were intrigued by the knitted condom in the window. We passed a number of coffee houses, not to be mistaken for cafes, where we could smell what they were selling from the street outside. Loitering meant

immediate intoxication.

After a late afternoon nap in our hotel, we emerged, determined to savour the notorious nightlife of the city. A previous visit to the red light district was an introduction to how sex is sold.

We were disappointed the ladies had space only to stand in, as we imagined they would be interacting with each other like a Myer Christmas window.

We tracked down the Banana Show and compared prices across establishments.

The going rate is €35 per person, which was well over our €10 maximum. We decided we were not that desperate and passed on the live show. A Google search later satiated our curiosity. We know what happens to the banana.

On ya bike

On Sunday we hired free bikes from the hotel and spent a very cold day negotiating pedestrians, trams and traffic along the canal network.

The bikes had no gears, back pedal brakes and were very heavy.

Amsterdam has a healthy respect for all modes of transport and we appreciated this whenever we flew headlong across an intersection desperately grappling at the brakes.

For Sunday lunch, we were drawn to an ‘All you can eat tapas’ for €9.95. This is like a Meze Challenge, only Spanish. After being forced to eat a set selection of dishes, we were then allowed to choose what we wanted for the advertised price.

The waiter threw down the menu with disdain when we finally made it through the potato, olive and sizzling shrimp smorgasbord. We were stuffed, but determined to win the battle. The key is to avoid the bread at the beginning.

Th is we ek’s top Tra vel Dea ls

to Barcelona ted: Amsterdam Contiki discoun with Contiki’s s citie ated anim Europe ‘s most ss el through the Swi Visit some of Western Barcelona tour. You’ll trav discounted Amsterdam to g breathtaking views of the peaks, before ncin and French Alps experie lusive “Paris by Night” sightseeing tour. The 11 stopping in Paris for an exc Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Monaco if Jailhotel. Save £264 day tour travels through the a night in Lucerne’s famous and Spain, and includes departing 8 June. you book now for the tour last-minute/all-deals visit contiki.com/deals/ For further information

eap rica on theandch Oh Acacia!at Af close to e sav eti eng Ser Migration in the

Take a shot at the Gre ra and a smattering wildebeest, herds of zeb e 50%! Watch the mighty ate for their annual passag greg con to t star they as their 43 day of gazelles, ring a saving of £813 on offe is a Afric cia Aca a. across Afric now only £2,066 for rland expedition. Prices Kenya to Cape Town ove departure 6 May. /acacia_overland visit acacia-africa.com For further information

Coming back for more

Dragging the bicycles onto the train and heading back to Schiphol station, we parted company, with each other and the beautiful Dutch capital.

We realised we missed many things

- the Sex Museum, the Ann Frank museum, Amstelkring, The Jewish Quarter and the proliferation of weekend markets, but we know it is there for the taking when another weekend is going spare.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel

Jobs & Money | 13

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Promotion

Send money home at better rates than the banks

SENDING money home when living and working abroad can be a costly and complicated experience.

The exchange rates that are offered to individuals are usually far from competitive and the added fees can considerably reduce what you end up receiving at the other end.

Fortunately, individuals can save significant chunks of money by using a specialist foreign exchange provider like UKForex. UKForex has access to ‘interbank’ rates and add lower margins onto those rates than that of the banks. This results in excellent exchange rates and great savings.

You will also benefit from having access to a dedicated dealer, who will contact you at least once to discuss and complete your international currency transfer.

UKForex is one company that will provide individuals with a dedicated dealer to call 24 hours a day on business days to discuss the market, hedging tools or your upcoming FX requirements. Yes that’s right; you can actually speak to real people if you choose!

There is no obligation or cost to register so why not check out our live rates on www.ukforex.co.uk and compare them with what you currently receive?

UKForex is part of the OzForex Group, a strategic investment of Macquarie Bank, Accel Partners and the Carlyle Group. The Group also includes CanadianForex, OzForex, NZForex, ClearFX and Tranzfers.Since its launch in 1998, the Group has grown to become one of the world’s largest online foreign exchange providers by offering super competitive exchange rates, great technology and superb service. The Group completes over 350,000 fund transfers every year on behalf of our 100,000+ transacting customers globally.

UKForex is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FRN: 521566) for the provision of payment services. UKForex is also regulated by HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs as a Money Services Business (MSB): 12219180.

This information is brought to you by UKForex Foreign Exchange Services.

It is not intended to constitute financial advice of any kind.

Dollar Review

PPI data knocks the Aussie Dollar

WEAKER than expected data released by the PPI (producer price index), saw the Aussie Dollar fall by a third of a US cent recently.

The Aussie was trading at 103.28 US cents at midday AEST today, falling from 103.62 US cents just before the data was released.

At the end of Friday last week, the Aussie was trading at 103.38 US cents.

The PPI is used as an indicator of inflation measurement and often influences the expectations of the CPI (consumer price index).

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that the PPI index fell 0.3 per cent in the March quarter, far less than the expected 0.5 per cent rise forecasted for the quarter.

Tony Darvall, Easy Forex currency trader, was cited saying that the recent PPI data had taken the wind out of the Australian Dollar’s sails.

Mr. Darvall said that “ We’re expecting range trading this week between 102.30 US cents and 104.50 cents,” and that “We're suggesting to look for levels of below 103.00 US cents to buy the

Australian dollar and above 104.00 cents to sell.”

AUD/ GBP: 0.643537 AUD/ EUR: 0.784959 AUD/ USD: 1.037344 AUD/ JPY: 84.620332

Exchange rates as of: 10:28, 21 April 2012

Composed by Chad Frieslich Note: The above exchange rates are based on “interbank” rates. If you want to transfer money to or from Australia then please register/login or call us for a live dealing rate. Make use of a Rate Notifier to send you alerts when the Australian exchange rate reaches levels you are looking for.

Ask the Experts

WORLDWIDE TAX SOLUTIONS

Is your tax situation a mess?

Allow WWTS to clean up for you!

A World Wide Tax Solution Company is the answer to all your tax problems and needs.

WWTS CAN OFFER:  Administer and enforce laws of taxation within the UK and Internationally  Advice and consult on all matters of taxation  Accountancy Services and Formation of companies  20 years Australian tax experience

Graduate Entrepreneur

Q:

I am in the UK on a student visa and interested to find out more about the new immigration route for graduate entrepreneurs. What are the requirements for this route?

The new Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) scheme will be open for graduates who have been identified

by UK universities as persons who have developed world class innovative ideas or entrepreneurial skills, and who are not able yet to fulfill the requirements of the Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) route.

There will be a limit of 1,000 places on this scheme for the first year, which will be divided between the UK universities. The UK Home Office said that it will announce in due course a process and deadline by which the universities that wish to participate in the scheme should register.

Leave will be granted for 12 months, which can then be extended for a further 12 months, provided the sponsoring university is satisfied with the progress made.

Successful applicants will be expected to spend the majority of their time developing their business, but may work for up to 20 hours per week to support themselves.

Dependants may join the applicant in the UK, provided the Tier 1 maintenance requirements are met.

BIC will keep clients updated.

A:

Breytenbachs Immigration Contact: Teresa Tel: 07789952025 Email: teresa@worldwidetax.co.uk Website: www.worldwidetax.co.uk

JP Breytenbach

Director of Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants www.bic-immigration.com info@bic-immigration.com

14 | Jobs & Money

24 April - 30 April 2012

The Aussie putting the Social back into London

By Stephanie Beitzel

A CHANCE meeting with Richard Branson on the ski slopes of Verbier in 2008 was a big wakeup call for Andrew Essa. At that time, Andrew was working as a management consultant for large firm Accenture in London, but already knew one day he wanted to leave corporate life to run his own business. But it was some timely encouragement from the billionaire entrepreneur that inspired Andrew to start making serious plans.

A few years later, Andrew’s

London-based corporate events firm The Social Athletics Club is going from strength to strength.

One year in and the business has a full-time staff of three, new offices in Shoreditch, and is generating revenues from high-profile venues, and prestigious blue-chip clients, including PUMA and Deloitte, with unique, socially competitive activities such as ping-pong, curling and smoothie-making.

Andrew recalls how his transition from day job to business owner took time, planning and, of course, the all-

important idea. “I knew I wanted a business, but wasn’t sure what it would look like. One day I read that Budweiser had sponsored $10 million on a social ping-pong tournament across thousands of bars in the US, and that a slick ping-pong club had opened in New York. A week later I was in a London pub and saw hundreds of people in fancy dress having a great time drinking and playing ping-pong for a one-off charity event. I loved the idea and knew there had to be a business in it. However, as I didn’t have

millions to open my own club, I just had to figure out how to monetise it.

”For more of Andrew’s amazing story of success – go to AustralianTimes.co.uk/jobsmoney. Meanwhile, Andrew is offering readers of Australian Times 15% off any of The Social Athletics Club’s event packages if you mention Australian Times.

For details and conditions, visit

Socialathleticsclub.com

Stephanie Beitzel is the Founder of Aussiepreneurs, advancing Australians with entrepreneurial interests and ambitions outside Australia.

Don’t miss the Aussiepreneurs monthly network drinks on Wednesday, 25 April. For more info – go to Aussiepreneurs.com

AustralianTimes.co.uk/jobs-money

Visit: AustralianTimes.co.uk/move-to-australia In association with

Sport | 15

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Pearce and Carney set for Blues pairing OLD firm Mitchell Pearce and Todd Carney look set to be reunited as NSW’s State of Origin halves pairing after starring in Sunday’s CityCountry clash in Mudgee.

Pearce was outstanding for City in the 24-22 win, having a hand in all four of his side’s first-half tries, including a perfectly-weighted grubber kick for the second of Steve Turner’s double at the Glen Willows Sports Complex.

He silenced his critics in a dominant first-half performance, while Carney roared to life after the break to outpoint City’s Jarryd Hayne in the five-eighth battle and inspire a stirring Country fightback.

Pearce and Carney - the Sydney Roosters’ 2010 grand final combination - are now very much the frontrunners to team up for the Blues in Origin I against Queensland at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium on 23 May, with Hayne facing an uphill battle to get the selectors’ nod to play second-receiver for NSW. Rival coaches, City’s Brad Fittler and Country’s Laurie Daley, both commended their influential playmakers.

Fittler, whose team’s other fourpointers came from centre Chris Lawrence and fullback Lachlan Coote, also praised hooker Robbie Farah’s eyecatching display.

“It was real mature win and Robbie and Mitchell were fantastic at controlling the result,” Fittler said.

“We relied on them to win the game. They both played a part in our kicking game and exposing their weaknesses.

“I thought everything that was asked of Mitchell leading into this game he answered. He had a couple of good runs, his passing was slick and you couldn’t really ask much more from him.”

Daley said Carney was ready for his long-awaited NSW debut, but warned the Cronulla man he needed to perform for 80 minutes.

Carney was a peripheral figure in the

first half, but produced a moment of pure class to leave Jamie Buhrer for dead with a side-step and inside pass for Tariq Sims to score his second try.

“He started slow, Toddy, but was good for us in the second 40,” Daley said.

“You need to get on the front foot in Origin and, if you are doing the little things well, points will flow from that.

“The players that have been there know what is required at Origin level and the other guys that haven’t been there can get a small taste of what’s required here and that is why this game is important.”- AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Roar grab back to back A-League titles Continued from p16...

he cherished the most in his first season with Brisbane.

“I feel like we were robbed, without a doubt,” Perth Glory Jacob Burns said after the controversial result.

“The decision cost us the grand final. It was suspect and a knee-jerk reaction. Those sort of decisions cost you cups. It killed us and a wonderful game.”

It was a cruel fate for Perth who

at one stage looked set to become the first team since Sydney FC in the 2009-10 season to win an away A-League final.

Indeed at one stage they looked set to cap a remarkable season turnaround after at one stage crashing from second to second-last following just one win in 12 games in 2011-12.

The Glory still looked solid despite having Dean Heffernan sent off in the 93rd minute.

It may be a fitting farewell for Roar coach Ange Postecoglou after he

Aussie basketball star Bogut to miss Olympics Continued from p16...

Australia since he had coached the side.

"Andrew's departure will force our coaching staff to revisit particularly our offensive style," Brown said.

"I believe that the group that we now have will be more effective in an open court type of game and the responsibility to put them in their best environment to succeed rests with me."

Golden State Warriors general manager Larry Riley said Bogut's surgery was likely to ensure he would be fit for the start of next NBA season, and labelled the procedure "routine".

"I characterise it as something that is as much a preventive thing than anything else," Riley told The Associated Press.

Bogut's NBA career has been blighted by injuries despite his imposing record when he has been fit for previous club Milwaukee Bucks.

The 2005 No.1 draft pick had serious elbow and wrist injuries hinder him last season, before the

LONDON OLYMPICS 13 weeks to go

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

AFL - the most brutal game in the world

By Will Denton MUMS around Australia are currently considering legal advice after some of the most brutal, sickening and downright stupid injuries ever compressed into one weekend of footy. It was like watching one of those American montage videos of people copping horrific pain, with the same commentary after each one i.e.

‘Ooohh that’s gotta hurt!’

What’s even more amazing is that Jonathon Brown managed to play out a game unscathed, as his Lions overcame a Suns outfit that will probably be without Gary Ablett for a few weeks; after we found out that even the Son of God can get a bung knee.

Amongst all the carnage, there were some pretty significant results. Freo managed to overcome a Saints side that were still dirty about Ross Lyons departure, not because he walked out on them, but because he took the lunch room TV remote with him and its been stuck on SBS ever since.

Carlton clearly underestimated Essendon and you could be forgiven

why. An injury list longer than War and Peace, a looming mid week ANZAC clash with the Pies and James Hird’s hair now doing the press conferences. Somehow the Bombers made the Blues look ordinary and beatable.

Hirdy’s mob are undefeated along with the Swans and the Eagles who, despite not managing to kick a goal in the first half, got up in a thriller over the Hawks. Even though only 10 goals were booted for the match, it was a gripping game and a snapshot of what it will take to win the flag this year.

A quick turnaround this week as ANZAC day is on Wednesday, and unbelievably it’s Essendon that will go in favourite. The Pies, still with the ghost of Mick hanging over Nathan Buckley, will be keen to silence a few critics and keep the wolves at bay. Freo host Carlton in another Friday night blockbuster, and so it rolls on. Man, footy is so good.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Last chance to register for Early Summer competitions

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Unforgettable Australian Olympic moments Australian judo fighter and silver medallist, Natalie Jenkins, caused controversy at the Sydney 2000 games when she repeatedly referred to her opponent and gold medal winner, Edinanci Silva, as “he” throughout their press conference.

COUNTDOWN TO THE

RUBDOWN

was linked to a lucrative move to Melbourne Victory next season. - AAP

Sydney 2000: ‘He’ won it fair and square

NBA lockout, personal issues which forced a mercy dash to Australia and his ankle injury hampered his 2011-12.

It is the second blow to Australian basketball's Olympic hopes after women's star Penny Taylor was ruled out of the Opals team for London following a serious knee injury. - AAP

THE

Silva, who was born with both male and female sex organs, had surgery in the mid 90’s to definitively become a woman.

Olympic regulations specify that athletes cannot compete within two years of any sex-altering procedure. Although Silva was very much in keeping with this time frame, it wasn’t enough for this sore Aussie.

In response to Jenkins’ verbal attacks, Silva consented to a swab which confirmed she was indeed a woman, and proved it was nothing but superior ability that earned her the gold.

TAGGING FOR IT: A record number of Tag Rugby players are expected to take to the pitches across London & Reading this summer!

By Phillip Browne WITH the first of the Early Summer Tag Rugby competitions commencing next Monday, 30 April, this week is the last chance to get your teams or individual registrations together for most leagues.

This summer, Try Tag Rugby has more venues and competitions than ever before, right across London and, for the first time, in Reading.

This means more choice for you to find a convenient league suitable to your standard or experience level!

Mixed Tag Rugby will be returning to some of your favourite venues from the last few summers as well as a host of new summer venues including Blackheath, Reading, Rotherhithe, Southfields, West Ham & White City. We have a number of men’s only leagues around London and a brand new ladies’ only league that will be played in Highbury on Tuesday evenings, starting 1 May. The registration deadline for all leagues is six days prior to the

league commencement date. Many venues are expected to fill up, so don’t delay your team or individual registration or you may miss out!

Meanwhile, due to the popularity of the Hyde Park taster session last Tuesday (17 April) with 33 new players registered to give Tag Rugby a go, Try Tag Rugby will be holding the last free taster session before summer kicks off on Thursday, 26 April at Bacon’s College in Rotherhithe from 8pm – 9pm. To register, go to Trytagrugby.com If you would like to get involved in one of the fastest growing sports in London, new team and individual registrations are welcome. This is a great chance to develop a network of friends if you are new to London.

To register for a Try Tag Rugby competition, go to www.trytagrugby. com or email info@trytagrugby. com for more details.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

DON’T TAG IT TOO LATE Last chance for some Early Summer Tag Rugby fun P15

AUSSIE NBA SUPERSTAR OUT OF LONDON GAMES n Blow for Boomers as Andrew Bogut is forced to withdraw from the London Olympics.

AUSTRALIA'S Andrew Bogut says he is shattered to miss the London Olympics after being forced to withdraw on Sunday.

NBA star Bogut will have arthroscopic surgery on the ankle he broke in January, and will not be fit enough to play for the Boomers at the Games in July.

"After seeing a specialist I have decided it would be best to get my ankle cleaned out via arthroscopic surgery," Bogut said on Twitter.

"There is simply not enough time to rehab and be fully fit for the games.

"Shattered thinking about missing the 2012 Olympics.

"They truly are a life-changing experience and something that you will always remember."

Bogut was always facing an uphill battle to be fit for London after fracturing his ankle, then being traded to Golden State Warriors, for whom he is yet to play a game.

As Australia's highest-profile basketballer and a two-time Olympian, Bogut was to be one of the cornerstones of Australian coach Brett Brown's plans for London.

While the 27-year-old's withdrawal is a blow, the Boomers do at least have strong depth in the centre's role.

European-based David Andersen will most likely shoulder the bulk of the inside responsibility in Bogut's absence.

Emerging Aleks Maric, who was outstanding for Australia in the recent Olympic qualifiers, AJ Ogilvy and Aron Baynes are also playing in Europe.

Brown admitted Bogut was a "game-changer" when fit, and his loss would mean a shift in playing style for the Boomers to what he had originally planned.

But Brown pointed out the NBA star had not played a match for ...continued on p15

(AAP Image/Colin Whelan)

ORIGIN BATTLE HEATS UP| P15

A-League ref ‘robs’ Perth of final Glory THEY will go down as one of the A-League’s most dominant sides but it seems nothing is taken for granted by the Brisbane Roar in season deciders.

Last season the Roar famously came back from 2-0 down in extratime to down Central Coast in a dramatic penalty shootout.

It was a hard act to follow - but the Roar did their darnedest in front of yet another sold-out Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

Yet as well as they played, the Roar became the first team to win back-to back A-League titles thanks to a controversial call from referee Jarred Gillett in stoppage time.

Momentum appeared to be going the Roar’s way when Besart Berisha created something from nothing, scoring with a well-timed header off an innocuous cross from German talisman Thomas Broich in the 84th minute to cancel out an Ivan Franjic own goal in the 51st.

But nothing could prepare anyone for what was to come.

Just when the Roar looked to have locked in another extratime grand final nailbiter, Berisha threatened in front of goal only to air swing before falling to the ground.

Somehow Gillett saw a foul on Berisha, who proceeded to convert the matchwinner from the penalty spot as the majority of the packed Suncorp Stadium went nuts for a second straight season.

Albanian international Berisha had equalled the season record tally of 19 goals in 2011-12 before the final - but there were no prizes for guessing which one

...continued on p15