18 minute read
Local News
Luke powering along before the weather went feral.
Channel Challenge Changes Lives
Words Duncan Horscroft Photos Nils Young
For those keen on the rigors of ocean swimming, try swimming at Bondi for six hours in cold water. This was one of the many tests that best mates Quinn Darragh and Luke Stewart had to endure to prepare for their biggest challenge of all - the 36-kilometre journey across the English Channel, which they attempted in September. The boys swam between 30 and 50 kilometres each week, often in freezing cold water, in preparation. Struggling to put on weight, both experienced hypothermia at different times, which was difficult for their families to see. COVID-19, however, presented the biggest challenge.
“It went from being a once in a lifetime trip for the Stewarts, Quigleys and Darraghs, to the realisation we’d be away from our families for six weeks. It changed the way we had to train, with the pools and then the beaches closing. It changed the way we had to fundraise,” Quinn told The Beast.
“Professionally, we had to be right on our game, and family time is non-negotiable. Keeping it all together was pretty wild.”
Luke added, “At times it looked like the swim would not be allowed by the French authorities, then the English authorities, then approval to leave Australia looked highly unlikely. We also had numerous flight cancellations, changing quarantine laws, and lastly we didn’t know if we’d be able to get home or not, so we were having all these experiences for a swim that may or may not happen.”
After receiving an exemption from COVID restrictions to fly to the UK, the pair faced another challenge in the form of unpredictably brutal weather conditions. But when Quinn finally took to the water at 2am under the cover of darkness, he completed the swim in 9:36, the fastest time of more than 40 solo swims this year.
“I broke the swim down into 30-minute blocks, as that’s when you get thrown your drink feeds on an extendable dog leash. It was also something to look forward to. For me, anything long and difficult needs to be broken down into small pieces and that way your mind doesn’t get overwhelmed.”
Quinn also thought a lot about his family and friends.
“After seven hours I hallucinated and saw my wife as a mermaid looking up at me; that kept my mind off the pain for a while,” he said.
“I was so lucky to have Luke on my boat managing my nutrition, mental health and keeping tempo.”
Conditions for Luke’s swim the previous day were horrendous. No amount of swimming or cold exposure can prepare someone for debilitating sea sickness.
“Being on track and then getting pulled out after seven and a half hours, after vomiting for the preceding three hours or so, was shattering,” Luke told The Beast, “but I’ll keep that feeling with me and use it to continue to drive me forward - that’s the beauty of the English Channel!”
Luke was still swollen, greenish and had barely slept for 48 hours when Quinn asked him to be on his boat. “100 per cent, this is about you now,” Luke replied.
Despite his disappointment, Luke was incredibly proud of his mate’s effort.
“Brother Quinn is my best mate and I’m proud to be his friend. Seeing him cross the Channel was one of the greatest days I’ve ever had,” he said.
The inspirational pair raised over $145,000 for the Running for Premature Babies foundation, with the money going toward ventilators for Sydney’s Royal Women’s Hospital and two lifesaving humidicribs for Alice Springs Hospital.
Quinn’s son Ryder was born 27 weeks premature and survived thanks to a ventilator.
“Luke and I shed a tear for the sacrifices made by our families, the overwhelming community support and the generosity shown for such a great cause. It’s extremely humbling and we are indebted,” Quinn said.
The boys’ swim was never about personal achievement. In a year that has been so challenging for most, it has shone a light on the strength of our community, the power of mindset and mateship - together, we can still do great things.
For so many of us, this is what 2020 will be remembered for.
The encroachment continues.
Words Mike Ougie Photo Ann Exation
Not content with taking over public land on the southern side of its historic building, Justin Hemmes’ Coogee Pavilion now proposes to take over a large area of open public space on its eastern side, adjacent to the beach. Understandably, the land grab has many Coogee locals pretty riled up.
The proposal, contained in a development application currently before Randwick City Council planners, involves a new outdoor dining area at the end of Beach Street, with nine tables and 54 seats permanently erected on public land.
The proposal would be even bigger than that, incorporating planters and ropes to effectively block off the space between the Pavilion and the tables. If approved, the plan would effectively privatise a large courtyard area that is currently used by the public to mingle, and also as a busy pedestrian thoroughfare and popular meeting place for casual recreation.
This public land would be replaced by a commercial, profit-making area for eating and drinking - somewhat ironic given Randwick Council’s policy to prohibit the drinking of alcohol in the open areas around Coogee Beach, although Council’s policy does allow for footway dining areas and the associated consumption of alcohol in these licensed areas.
The Beast has been advised that the Pavilion would be required to pay a fee for the use of the space in accordance with Council’s Fees and Charges policy.
Naturally, the proposal has made a number of locals hot under the collar, many of whom believe it does not pass the proverbial pub test. Many have also written to Randwick City Council to voice their disapproval of the DA.
Local residents have also expressed frustration with the notification process. To date, the only way most of the public would be aware of the DA is if they had read the small notice attached to the side of the Pavilion building. Council informed The Beast that notification letters were also sent to adjoining and neighbouring property owners, and the DA is posted on Council’s website in addition to the site notice.
People feel strongly about the privatisation of public space and believe that any proposal to take away public space and give it to a business should be more widely publicised and debated inclusively.
Locals have also questioned whether the proposal itself would provide any public benefit and struggle to understand the logic behind reducing public space in an area that is already groaning under the pressure of increasing numbers of visitors.
Another gripe is that the proposal would add to the already considerable noise impact from the Pavilion. During peak times, booming noise from the business bombards beachgoers and forces nearby residents to keep their windows shut.
This is far more than just another NIMBY issue; this is about protecting public open space for all visitors to the area.
Given that the three-storey Pavilion already has substantial outdoor seating on the rooftop and on Dolphin Street, many locals are hoping this proposal is knocked back by Council planners. After all, if there’s one thing we’ve learned through the pandemic, it’s that public open space is valued very highly by all members of the community. We need more of it, not less.
RIP Rae Nightingale (1951-2020).
Rae’s Wild Ride
Words Luke Kennedy
To many from the east he was known affectionately as ‘Fins First Rae’, a radical surfer who would take off with his board facing the wrong way and then whip through a daring 180 degree spin as he slid down the face and resumed his regular stance. Each time Rae pulled off his nifty reverse take-off he would light up with excitement, his zany grin a telling reminder that surfing was really about making your own fun.
Good friend Billy Kriketos recalls vividly the time in the late ‘80s when he shouted Rae a trip to Bali.
“When we got there, all he wanted to do was a spinner at Uluwatu. We were out at Inside Corner and it was solid. Sure enough, I looked over and there was Ray spinning down the face and then bottom turning into the tube.”
It was a bold move for a surfer to pull over the notoriously sharp and shallow reef at Ulu’s, and when the duo returned from Bali the story became part of Bondi surfing folklore.
Rae’s older brother, Harry, can also remember Rae pulling his dizzying, signature move in barrelling waves at Lennox Head, and on a heavy left reef called Big Pass when they travelled to Mauritius together in the ‘90s.
“He was one of those people who did things his own way, but whatever he did, he did well,” explains Harry, who is familiar to many as a celebrated Bondi Rescue lifeguard and local surfing legend.
While Harry channelled his energy into surfing, travelling and jazz music, Rae’s lust for life led him in other directions.
“He was a surfer and a biker,” explains Harry. “A bit of a rebel and a bit of a tear away.”
Many remember Rae roaring around the bends of Tamarama and Bronte on his treasured Honda Goldwing 750. The bullhorns mounted on the front of his sidecar always turned heads as Rae cut through an afternoon southerly with his head held high.
“We used to strap the boards to the bike and I’d jump in the sidecar, and we’d go hunting for waves on the northern beaches,” reflects Billy. “He was like my best mate, I learned a lot off him. Another time he grabbed a spear gun and said, ‘This is how you live off the land’. He swam straight out at South Bondi and caught us two fish.”
Asked to ponder the origins of Rae’s fierce spirit of individualism, Harry was quick to point out the influence of his parents.
“Mum was a ballroom dancer, dance teacher, and socialite while Dad (Harry senior) started the Surf Life Saving movement in Sri Lanka and travelled to the 1936 Berlin Olympics as part of the coaching staff for the Australian swim team.”
Representing Bondi Surf Club, Harry senior also won Australian championships in both teams and individual events. As a surfer he was dubbed ‘Relaxation’ because he had a knack for making it look easy when he rode the finless, fifteen-foot redwood boards that marked the origins of Bondi surfing.
However, while Harry senior may have been a kind of beachside superman, his second son Rae Nightingale was crippled by asthma in his early years. After learning to swim with his dad, Rae made it his mission to transform his body and became a fitness fanatic. He was an early embracer of the martial arts craze and was known to be lethal with the nunchakus.
“We had to stop him from using them inside because he took out too many light bulbs,” chuckles Harry.
Rae taught karate and also applied his fitness philosophy to his work as a gardener in Bronte Park.
“He always said don’t look at work as work because you’ll hate it,” remembers Billy. “He said if you look at it like exercise then you’ll enjoy keeping fit.”
It was an attitude that helped keep Rae in a job with Waverley Council for over two decades.
Many locals can remember walking past Rae as he ripped into his work in Bronte Park, always ready to greet you enthusiastically, flashing that broad grin and the wild eyes that never failed to lift your spirits.
When Rae recently passed, the world lost one of its most unique characters. He belonged to a time when people in the East celebrated eccentricities and quirks because it made it a more interesting place to live. Vale Rae Nightingale; here’s to a life ridden fins first and fullthrottle.
Treating the soul as well as the disease.
Chasing Dreams
Words Nicola Smith Photo Glenn Miller
Two Bondi locals are taking on a new type of challenge to help grant dreams to cancer patients across Australia with the Dreams2Live4 charity. Glenn and Guy Miller (no relation) will run the 4x4x48 Challenge in November to raise money for the organisation.
Dreams2Live4 is the only charity in Australia that makes dreams come true for adults living with metastatic cancer (meaning any cancer which has spread from its original site), relapsed lymphoma, relapsed leukemia and high-grade brain tumours. The charity made a dream come true for Glenn’s mother in early 2020, inspiring the fundraising efforts.
Mr Miller’s training partner, Guy, suggested that the two try to complete the 4x4x48 Challenge during COVID lockdowns. The challenge, originally created by David Goggins, involves running four miles every four hours for 48 hours.
Mr Miller saw the challenge as a source of freedom during the strict lockdown measures.
“My mindset has always been to push the distance, and I think that with COVID, one thing that everyone can do to free the mind, is exercise,” he told The Beast.
The pair first tried the challenge running four kilometres instead of four miles in May, and Glenn decided that when they attempted the full challenge he would do it as a fundraiser for charity.
“I’d never done a challenge for charity before, and I wanted to do one in my mum’s name,” Glenn explained.
Dreams2Live4 was founded in 2008 by Annie Robinson, also a metastatic cancer fighter. Ms Robinson understood the importance of having something to look forward to and for others to have the chance to create precious memories.
“[We need] to treat the soul as well as the disease,” Ms Robinson said.
Dreams2Live4 CEO Louise Mahoney believes that delivering a dream has a profound impact on cancer patients.
“At Dreams2Live4, we are inspired every day by the stories of our Dreamers; stories that make you laugh and cry, stories that inspire and change you forever,” she said.
“When cancer strips patients of any sense of control, a dream can change everything.”
Dreamers are as young as 17 years-old and have all types of cancer. Many choose dreams that allow them to escape endless medical procedures and spend time with their loved ones. Some previous dreams have included a family holiday to Coffs Harbour and a meet and greet with the Bondi Lifeguards.
Dreams2Live4 was also the driving force behind The Beast co-founder Dan Hutton’s wedding day in October 2019.
Mr Miller hopes that people who hear about the challenge will do one of three things.
“We’d love for them to make a tax-deductible donation through the 4x4x48 page. I know it’s a hard time when people have lost their jobs or had to close their stores, but if others can donate, that would be fantastic,” Mr Miller told The Beast.
“People can also donate the elements of a dream. Maybe they own a hot air balloon company or a holiday apartment in Queensland; everything counts. Lastly, just get fit and do a virtual run with us!”
Mr Miller believes that the 4x4x48 Challenge and Dreams2Live4 encompass a similar perspective on life.
“Never give up,” he said. “Challenge yourself, because no one will do it for you. Show up at the start line and keep going.”
The pair will be running on November 27. You can donate and find out more at dreams2live4.org.au/ 4-x-4-x-48-challenge.
Theresa at her local cafe, Salina's in Bronte.
The Spin Doctor’s Wife: Infertility, Infidelity and Infamy
Words Nicola Smith Photo Stuart Zielger
Clovelly author Theresa Miller writes about the complexities of modern life and relationships in her new novel The Spin Doctor’s Wife, set against the backdrop of the Eastern Suburbs.
The story is a lively and insightful take on marriage, infertility and success in 21st century Australia. It follows the story of IVF-crazed Megan and her PR spin doctor husband Laurie, and what happens when they cross paths with Carla, a singer looking to revive her career.
“A lot of the inspiration for the setting came from sitting in cafes around the Eastern Suburbs for hours as I worked on my early drafts,” Ms Miller told The Beast.
Originally from Adelaide, Ms Miller was immediately converted, falling in love with the Eastern Suburbs’ connectivity and incredible lifestyle.
“At first I wasn’t all that impressed, but now I love it. I love the beaches and the coastal walk and that I can leave my car and walk to yoga or a café. It’s very friendly, and I can see the ocean at the end of my street, which is beautiful,” she said.
Despite having lived in both London and Switzerland, this love for her adopted home is reflected in the book, which heavily features Bondi and Bronte beaches, as well as Bellevue Hill - places rarely represented in popular fiction. It was this underrepresentation that also motivated Ms Miller to set her fiction in Australia.
“I think it’s really important for Australians to have their own culture and scenery reflected back at us,” she told The Beast. Ms Miller began her career in journalism and is now a media coach and journalism lecturer. She published her first book, Making Babies: Personal IVF Stories, back in 2007.
While IVF wasn’t the initial inspiration for The Spin Doctor’s Wife, its inclusion adds a dose of authenticity to the book’s characters and will be recognised by readers as an issue often experienced but rarely novelised.
In following the story of Megan’s infertility, The Spin Doctor's Wife also considers the many demands placed on women in the 21st century, exploring the struggles women face to get what they want. Ms Miller hopes it echoes Sheryl Sandburg’s saying, “Women can have it all but not all at the same time.”
The Spin Doctor’s Wife also highlights how PR can shape the news and public opinion - something Ms Miller knows first hand having worked as a TV reporter, radio producer and now media spokesperson trainer.
“My generation was led to believe that we could have it all, but that’s a real fallacy, and you just can’t do everything,” she told The Beast.
The book has proven so far to be a perfect read for book clubs as the choices of the characters feel so relevant and are perfect for sparking lively debate.
“That’s why I feel this book is such a good book club read, because everyone has such a different opinion on how these characters should go about getting what they want,” she said.
The Spin Doctor's Wife is a homegrown page-turner in which local readers will find not only their own neighbourhood, but also similar questions and challenges that they face in their own lives. It is available to purchase at Harry Hartog Bondi Junction and online at Booktopia.com.au.
Microchipping in progress.
COVID-19 Pandemic is Nothing to Sneeze At
Words Duncan Horscroft Photos Anthony Fauci
For many generations the “she’ll be right mate” attitude has been part of the Australian culture. It helped our fathers and forefathers cope with the trauma of two world wars where they fought and succeeded in keeping our country free.
But now we are faced with a world war of a different kind in the form of a virus known as COVID-19. As Aussies, most of us were a bit blasé about the effects of this deadly pandemic, thinking it was only an accentuated form of influenza, which can also be fatal.
However, since the start of COVID in Australia, we have been forced to readjust our lifestyles and abide by rules set down by state health bodies, which include social distancing, wearing of masks and continual sanitising.
Unfortunately, many have ignored the warnings and continue to live as though nothing is wrong. This has been evident in a number of local venues which were shut down and fined for non-compliance with the regulations.
The first spike we experienced in the Waverley area was at the Eastern Suburbs Legion Club in Charing Cross where a patron who had attended the venue was later tested COVID positive.
Several members of one Bronte family had attended the club and a couple of days later visited the Clovelly Bowling Club for Father’s Day drinks. Unbeknown to one of the members he had also contracted the virus and tested positive a couple of days later.
I was in the company of the victim and was gobsmacked when New South Wales Health contacted myself and a couple of mates, telling us we must get tested immediately and go into self-isolation for 14 days from the actual contact.
Admittedly, I was also a bit nonchalant about the whole COVID thing in the beginning but was certainly brought back down to Earth when I received the call from New South Wales Heath.
My initial test proved negative and a second test five days later was also negative, which was the same for my other two mates.
The mate whose father tested positive also got the all-clear after he was tested, but other members of his family succumbed to the infection which, fortunately for them, was not too serious.
Being self-isolated in your own home is not too bad, but you can certainly understand the mental health effects of being caged in some shonky Surry Hills hotel or aged care facility and having no contact with the outside world.
I admit the “what if” factor played on my mind before the initial test results came back. New South Wales Health has been on top of its game notifying people through contact tracing of the potential to contract the virus. I have nothing but praise for those on the frontline in the testing facilities who strive to keep on top of this pandemic. Without them we would be in a much worse position.
So I suppose the message here is to be aware and abide by the rules, and don’t think ‘it won’t happen to me’. By adopting that mindset, hopefully “she’ll be right mate!”
