Lifestyle Wimmera 2017 - Edition 3 by The Weekly Advertiser

LifeSTYLE

Edition 3, 2017

wimmera

Living life to the fullest INSIDE

Light work for your lifestyle 9

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People, places and projects... I

t is with great satisfaction that we welcome you to The Weekly Advertiser’s third Lifestyle Wimmera magazine. Production of this year’s edition has again reminded us of the many untold stories involving people, places and projects across the Wimmera, Mallee and Grampians. From what we have found in piecing together our collection of stories, images and features is that we are blessed with extraordinary communities, groups and individuals. Was it ever in doubt? We have again enjoyed engaging with people willing to tell us their stories – from the individuals who have spent a lifetime dedicated to their communities, to others who have quietly pursued personal passions or fought to overcome personal demons. This year, we have opened the door wider in welcoming writing contributors, which, in allowing people to tell their own stories, has

LifeStyle 2017

expanded the personality, style and content of the publication. We are sure you will enjoy the variety. Lifestyle Wimmera 2017 comes out at a time with much of the region continuing its economic rebound and prospects of a second productive agricultural season in a row. What many of the Lifestyle Wimmera stories hint or even blatantly tell us, is our region is subject to boom and bust cycles, whether it be from environmental or human perspectives. They also suggest that we can build on community confidence by reflecting on times past while considering what lays ahead. We are delighted to bring you another installment of Lifestyle Wimmera and hope you enjoy this brief cultural snapshot of a critical part of our society. We also welcome your thoughts and ideas for future publications. Editor – Dean Lawson

www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au

Cover photo: Al and Denise Harmer at Sheep Hills silo. Editor, Dean Lawson; subeditor, Georgia Bailey; writers, Sarah Scully, Dean Lawson, contributors; designers, Barry King, Kelly Laird; photography, Paul Carracher; advertising, Mark Sulic, Lee Meadows, Liz Luy, Chris Thomas, Matt Jenkins, Aimee O’Callaghan. Produced for free distribution by The Weekly Advertiser – Ace Radio Broadcasters Pty Ltd. ACN 064 882 042. Printed by Newsprinters Pty Ltd, 7940 Melbourne Road, Shepparton.

Page 3

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Helping you Wake Up Wonderful... The community-minded and family-owned Forty Winks Horsham store has been in the bedroom business for a strong 27 years

Sweet Jasmine Jasmine rice ranks high on the glycemic index, meaning the body digests it slowly. Consuming jasmine rice four hours before bedtime can cut the amount of time it takes to fall asleep in half.

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Very Cherry Al and Denise Harmer with their 1931 Ford hot rod, built by Al for his wife.

Reality check S

By Sarah Scully

everal ‘reality checks’ have inspired Glenisla’s Al Harmer to make every day count. Al’s father and a good friend both died of cancer at what he considered ‘way too young’, forcing Al to rethink his priorities. “My friend wasn’t even 60,” he said. “I decided there’s got to be more to life than accumulating money and possessions. “My friend had a lot of money and what good was it to him?” Six years ago, Al, who is nearing 67, had his own ‘brush with death’. “I’m lucky – Ian Campbell fixed me up,” he said. “I’m doing okay now. I have to go into Horsham every six months for a check-up. It was a major wake-up call. “A good friend in Donald rang me up 18 months ago and told me he had two years to live. He’s got six months now and time is not going to stand still for him while he does everything he wanted to do. “Too many people work and work and don’t take time to enjoy themselves. “Life isn’t about having a flashy house and nice things. “I have no desire to be the richest man in the cemetery, that’s for sure.” Al was born at Dimboola and he and his wife Denise lived at Donald with their four daughters before relocating to pursue other opportunities. “There’s nothing much in the community for four girls, so we moved to Geelong,” he said. “After they all got married or got jobs, I told them we were moving back to the country. “I wanted a place without neighbours so LifeStyle 2017

I could work on my hot rods and now we have a place at Glenisla, near Rocklands.” Al and Denise are members of Horsham’s Old Skool Hotrod and Custom Club. “We love travelling with the hot rods,” Al said. “Denise said to me the other day, we don’t have anything on this weekend, why don’t we take one of the hot-rods down to the coast? We love having flexibility to do things like that. “Because we’re part of a club, if we’re going to Halls Gap for a coffee or into Horsham for lunch we ring up some of the other club members and see if they want to come. “We’re always doing things. I said to the girls, we’re looking after you – there will be nothing for you to fight about after we’re gone because your mother and I are spending all our money.” Al not only loves driving hot rods, but has a passion for building them. “I built one for each of my daughters and then my wife said, ‘what about me?’ so I built one for her too,” he said. “Our girls ask me why I don’t buy Denise a new car, but she doesn’t want one. She’s happy with her hot rod and uses it to ferry the grandkids around.” Al and Denise recently returned from a five-week holiday in the United States and are planning a special trip to Hawaii next year for their 45th wedding anniversary. “Within reason, we do plenty of things for ourselves,” Al said. “Nothing makes you question what life is really about more than someone looking you in the eye telling you that you might die. “I know I’m going to die eventually, but I’m going to have a good time first.”

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An open heart and home L

esley Gold has been a foster carer for as long as she’s lived in the Wimmera – not only fulfilling a long-term ambition – but helping children in need. After moving to the area more than five years ago, Lesley, 61, found herself divorced, on a disability pension and with her children grown up and living independently. It was the time to start making a difference. “I first considered becoming a foster carer when I lived in Geelong and my youngest child was two years old, but pulled out during the process due to the timing not being right,” she said. “I have always loved children and when I lived in Geelong I was a nanny, so I have cared for kids all of my life.” In her time as a foster carer Lesley has looked after young children, from new babies to toddlers two years of age. “The shortest period a child has stayed with me was just four days and the longest was two-and-a-half years. Each circumstance is unique,” she said. “People ask me how can I let them go when it is time to move on? But it is always for a good outcome. “They will either go to another carer or

be reunited with their families, which is the ideal result. “The challenges are there, but I take them one step at a time and don’t stress about them. Each child has their own quirks and needs and I’m constantly learning as I go. “It’s important to ask for help when you need it and I’ve always felt fully supported by Uniting Wimmera. “They are there for you when you need them. Sometimes things will pop up that are a bit tricky, but I know I can call on them any time. “I’m lucky to have had the same case worker the whole time. We have a really good relationship and she has provided tremendous support and advice over the years.” For Lesley, the most rewarding part of being a foster carer is seeing the children progress in their development. “It’s the little things, like when a child makes eye contact for the first time, that give me a great sense of achievement,” she said. “I’ve also made some great friendships along the way. Not being local to the area, most of my closest friends here are other foster carers. We have a great network and are all there for each other.

“At my age I’ve lived life and I believe it makes you wiser, so I love that I can help give children a great start in life. “For people considering becoming a foster carer it is important to know that it doesn’t have to be a full-time commitment. “Even providing respite on weekends here and there is a huge help.” Uniting Wimmera, formerly Wimmera Uniting Care, is in urgent need of foster carers to provide safe and loving homes for children and young people in need. Specialised aroundthe-clock training is provided to help carers every step of the way. People with the time, energy and a passion to give young people a brighter future can find out more on 5362 4000. – Beau James, Uniting Wimmera

Foster carer Lesley Gold

Making new memories – RNH Residential Aged Care Our priority is to make you feel comfortable and happy while looking after you and your health. You are cared for as an individual and for this reason we offer a variety of group and individual activities to cater for your enjoyment. We value each of our resident’s rights to individuality and we work with you to find activities and interests that you enjoy.

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No ‘mistakes’ in life G

By Dean Lawson

erman philosopher Friedrich Nietzschke is responsible for the famous and familiar quote: “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” It is a strong declaration that generations of individuals and organisations have used for inspiration. But it is one of his other famous quotes that perhaps more readily applies to a group of Warracknabeal enthusiasts who get together weekly for a night of musical fun and exploration. Nietzschke also said, ‘without music, life would be a mistake,’ and that seems to be the type of philosophy driving members of the Beal Creakers. The band, made up of an eclectic mix of amateur and veteran musicians, gathers every Friday night at Warracknabeal Senior Citizens Centre to create music – because music is part of life. The 7pm gatherings have so far included Astrid van den Akker-Luttmer, Ian McLean, Ron Horsburgh, Rob Worthington and Robyn Koschitzke. The concept is the brainchild of Ms van den AkkerLuttmer, who had been looking for the best way to share a love of playing music after moving to Warracknabeal in 2012. “I could play the violin on my own, but it wasn’t satisfying and I missed the experience of playing with people,” she said. “I really wanted to have something happening and it came together in the senior citizen centre. “We originally planned to perform in the style of an Aussie bush band. But most people involved play from memory, not sheet music, so it tends to vary and is often based on what members think of at the time. “The type of music we play is totally flexible. “We can simplify most of the music we come up with and the truth is that the simplest music, if it is played well and everyone is in tune, works. “It is simply about playing as a hobby and for enjoyment and with our weekly rehearsals the music is gradually improving. “We came up with the name Beal Creakers as a play on words because we’re in Warracknabeal and we’re all a bit older than others.” Mr Horsburgh is in his 90s and has spent a lifetime exploring a natural inclination to play a variety of musical instruments. “I just like playing music,” he said. “I started playing the mouth organ when I was about 12 and you know what? I still play a pretty slick mouth organ tune.”

Members of the Beal Creakers, from left, Ron Horsburgh, Ian McLean, Rob Worthington and Astrid van den Akker-Luttmer love to get together for a tune. Another member Robyn Koschitzke is absent from the photo. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER. Mr Horsburgh has also had experience playing a variety of instruments including keyboards, clarinet, button accordion, mandolin and banjo. “I had two great-grandsons visit and I said I’d give them $100 if they could tell what was in the back seat of my car,” he said. “They didn’t get the answer, which was a didgeridoo. “It’s been a while since I’ve played it, but I reckon I still can.” Ms van den Akker-Luttmer said the benefits of playing music and playing music with others were considerable. “If you are playing music you are both physically and mentally active,” she said. “It is a great treatment for mental problems. Many people who totally stress out because of work tend to forget all that as soon as they start playing music. “Others who feel drained from day-to-day work often become refreshed and energised after playing. Music is the most wonderful thing – it ticks all the boxes.” The Beal Creakers play music simply for the sake of

playing and aren’t interested, for the moment at least, in public performances. They are content to simply have fun by ‘jamming’. “It’s all about opening the door for people who are simply keen to pursue the idea of playing music. We’re always looking for people who play any type of instrument,” Ms van den Akker-Luttmer said. “We’re aged upwards of 50, but if a younger person, even a high school student is keen, they and everyone else is welcome to get involved. “Even people who are not necessarily musicians but keen to be in a musical environment are welcome. We can always hand them a tambourine or something similar if they want to play and they can also be helpful in other ways.” Warracknabeal district people can get involved or find out more about the Beal Creakers at their weekly rehearsals. And in reference back to Nietzschke’s famous quote, when it comes to the Beal Creakers, while ‘life without music is a mistake’, mistakes while making music don’t really matter. It’s all about having fun.

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Helping you you to to hear, Helping hear, right righthere here Advertisement

Tim Rayner Audiology is celebrating

and also the best methods to help that person cope. with the entire family to make sure that people understand the impact of any It hearing is important to note that have Tim Rayner loss that patients and also and staffmethods will still continue provide thehis best to help to that person free cope.hearing care clinics through Wimmera Health Care Group via It is important to note that Tim Rayner referral from a general practitioner. This and his staff will still continue to provide is especially important for their work free thehearing care clinics of through with paediatric population the Wimmera Health Care Group via Wimmera region. referral from a general practitioner. This is especially importantis for their work This new development exciting for withRayner the paediatric of the Tim Audiology population and they really look forward to improving their quality Wimmera. ofThis carenew for development all patients. Itisalso signals a exciting for Tim long term commitment to the region via Rayner Audiology and staff look forward this to investment. improving their quality of care for all

10 Rayner years ofAudiology providing is services to the Tim celebrating Their services private clinic 10Wimmera years ofregion. providing to has been based Wimmera the Wimmera. Its at private clinicHealth has Care Group in November 2017, been based at and Wimmera Health Care they have opened a new clinic Group and in November 2017, at the28 Dooen Road Horsham. business opened a new clinic at 28 Dooen Road, Over the last Horsham. six months they have been renovating and transforming a 1950s Over the past six months Tim Rayner four bedroom home into a hearing clinic Audiology been renovating andAll and staff has accommodation quarters. transforming a 1950s four bedroom five Audiologists will be working from home into aathearing clinic and staff this facility various times. accommodation quarters. All five audiologists will be Over the last six working months from they this have facility at various times.range of hearing introduced a new aids for both the Danish Widex brand In and the also past the six Swiss months the business Phonak brand of has introduced new range of hearing hearing aids. a Being an independent aids for both Danish Widex andthat Swiss family run business, means they Phonak brands. Being by an independent, are not controlled any particular family-run business means they manufacturer of hearing aids and can arepick notfreely controlled by hearing any particular from any aid that manufacturer hearing aids andof can is available of in Australia. None their pick freely fromoranyany hearing that Audiologists staff aid member is receives available any in Australia. of Timor financial None incentive commission for services products Rayner’s audiologists or stafformembers providedany for patients within our clinic. receives financial incentive or commission for services or products Tim Rayner Audiology was established provided for patients within the clinic. initially by Tim himself in 1990 as a private practice basedwas in Warrnambool. Tim Rayner Audiology established For well years in they haveasbeen initially by over Tim 25 himself 1990 a providing services into the greater private practice based in Warrnambool. Hamilton region now, ourbeen clinic For well over 25 and years it as has has continued to successfully grow, providing services to the greater in the Wimmera over last Hamilton region andregion now, as thethe clinic 10 years. We now have well over 500 has continued to successfully grow, in aid for patients the Wimmera thehearing Wimmera the pastin10 years.

region. Within the new facility, not only is “We now well overconsulting 500 hearing aid there be have an upgraded room, patients in the Wimmera region,” but a state of the art testing facility Tim and said. “Within the newfor facility, notlevel only is a procedure room higher of there an upgraded consulting room, wax and ear health management. but a state of the art testing facility and a Over the last 18 months, they have procedure room for higher level of been wax involved in the Widex Unique hearing and ear health management.” aid study where 20 clinics around the Over months, Tim Rayner worldthe in last 10 18 different countries were has beento be involved the Widex selected the first in to provide such Unique hearing-aid study where 20 hearing aids to their patients. The study clinics around the in 10 different also reflected on world the performance of these patients and their to feelings countries were selected be theabout first hearingsuch aids.hearing This particular totheprovide aids to study their gave Tim hisalso staff an excellent patients. Theand study reflected on the insight into what patients require from performance of these patients and their their hearing New age hearing feelings about aids. the hearing aids. This aids havestudy data gave logging, system that particular Timaand his staff enables them to into trackwhat hearing aid an excellent insight patients performance with patients, their ability require from their hearing aids. New-

Services provided by University qualified Audiologists: Hearing assessments for all ages Work & Pre employment testing

to change the hearing aids in terms of age hearing aids havequalities. data logging, volume and also sound a system that enables them to track One of the changes in patients, hearing hearing aidbiggest performance with aids necessarily when they their was abilitynot to change the hearing aids went digital in 2000,and butalso more so in terms of volume sound when hearing aids became more qualities. wireless compatible. This has enabled One of the biggest changes in hearing an ability to connect mobile phones aids was not necessarily when they went and Televisions directly into hearing digital in 2000, but more so when hearing aids, either with wireless or Bluetooth aids became more wireless compatible. technology. This has enabled an ability to connect mobile team phonesalso and televisions Tim’s understanddirectly the into hearing aids, either or important nature of a with familywireless therapy Bluetooth technology. model where the hearing loss is not only the also patients, but also the a Tim’s just team understands challenge for the extended family. They important nature of a family therapy work the family tonot make modelwith where theentire hearing loss is only sure that people understand the impact just the patient’s, but also a challenge of any hearing loss that patients have for the extended family. They work

patients. The investment alsopossible signals a We will provide the highest long-term commitment the region. quality of care for patientstowhether they be“We private patients,the or public will provide highestpatients possible through Pensioner/DVA quality the of care for patientsHearing whetherAid they Scheme. be private patients, or public patients through the Pensioner-DVA Hearing Aid Early in theTim New Year there will be a Scheme,” said. grand opening for the building and “Early in New Year theretowill facilities andthe they look forward notbe a grand opening for the patients buildingbut and only welcoming our current facilities and we look forward to not only also new patients. For further details welcoming our current patients also and appointments, please dobutnot new patients.” hesitate to call on 5560 5833. For further details and appointments, It people is definitely bright can call a5560 5833.future that Tim Rayner Audiology see for their It is definitely bright that service provision, a one of future continual Tim Rayner not Audiology sees for improvement, only in products, butits service provision, of continual also the required skillsone and care for our improvement, not only in products, but patients. also the required skills and care for its patients.

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Cruise into your holiday Y

By Anne Taylor

ou know the feeling. Maybe you’re back from your most recent trip. Or maybe you can’t remember the last time you even took a trip. It’s the holiday itch. It’s a great feeling. What you don’t want though is the panicky feeling when that annual leave you booked in six months ago is quickly approaching. Yes, it’s those holidays that you desperately wanted where you planned to do something different and adventurous and enjoy a much-needed change from the usual do-nothing experience. But, groan, while you want to use this opportunity to experience something new and exotic, what you really need is a rest and an escape from everyday life, from work, or from the busy schedule of a retiree who wonders how they ever found time to work at all. Can you really be bothered to organise all the different aspects of lugging yourself, family and suitcases to a variety of destinations and then trying to make decisions where to go for entertainment, where to eat and where to find the best experiences? In can be exhausting just thinking about it and the big danger is to put it all in the too-hard basket and hope the need to make a decision goes away. Yes, hands up everyone guilty of wasting their holidays and staying at home without venturing too far from the front gate. For some there is no worse feeling than, when a holiday break is nearing its end and a return to work looms on the Monday, regretting that they hadn’t made the effort. If this is you, then the perfect out-of-theordinary holiday might simply be going on a cruise. One of the most profound pieces of feedback from people boarding a ship to sail to fascinating locations is how little effort is required to get the best from the experience – to see multiple destinations and unpack only once. When they say that it’s a case of simply

walking out of a cabin and straight into a holiday getaway it’s true. There is little organising required – everything is on hand and the biggest decision is about which attraction or activity to attend. Or none. The image of sitting on a deck chair sipping on a cocktail is enough to get most of us on board without a second thought. What’s more, there is an ideal cruise ship for everyone. For some it’s the appeal of a megaship, a veritable floating city with rockclimbing walls, overwater observation decks and outdoor movie theatres. Others prefer a more intimate ship with luxurious ambience or the romance of a sailing ship. Of course you can have all this on a river if you prefer, rather than the open sea. Choosing a cruise line can also have an important bearing on the enjoyment of your holiday. Do you mind sharing the pool with young children? Or perhaps you prefer your fellow passengers to be in the more matureage bracket. Your travel profesional can guide you in selecting the right ship for you. Multi-generation family cruise holidays are becoming a popular way for all the family to travel together without having to spend the whole time in close proximity to each other – you know how that can go sometimes. Today’s cruise ships are designed to keep everyone happy. Pamper yourself at the spa before a visit to the casino, learn a foreign language, go to an educational lecture on upcoming ports, enjoy some wine tasting, a dance class or play bridge. Perhaps watch first-class entertainment and movies all included in your cruise fare. You don’t have to leave the real world behind – modern vessels have WiFi, some mobile-phone coverage and satellite TV to

Feel t hem...

keep you in touch. But we bet you’ll soon lose the desire to know what’s happening outside the cocoon of your floating hotel. Cruises are also a great way to visit countries a little outside of your comfort zone. You can explore foreign destinations with the assistance of tours arranged by the cruise line or venture out with new-found friends to do some exploring on your own. There are few limits as to

destinations you can visit on a ship as well – cruising the beautiful coastline of our very own Australia and our neighbours New Zealand and the South Pacific through to the treasures of Asia, the glamour of the Mediterranean, the history of Europe and the stunning ice vistas in Alaska, Iceland and Antarctica. Or perhaps a balmy sail through the Caribbean is more your style. So if you want a holiday where you won’t come home feeling like you need a holiday to get over the holiday, cruising could be just the thing you’re after. Okay, are you on board now? – Anne Taylor is italktravel Horsham managing director

from

www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au

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Jess, 17, and Nicky Renwood with dogs Cracker, Annie and Asia. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

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LifeStyle 2017

For the love of dogs F

By Sarah Scully

or Horsham’s Nicky Renwood, showing dogs is all about the thrill of the win. She loves to compete. The validation that comes with the knowledge she is the best at what she does. “There’s not much in the way of prize money,” Nicky said. “It’s all about the statistic at the end of the game, really. Who was number one this year?” Nicky won the 2017 Horsham Dog Show with her Shetland sheepdog Asia. “I think I’m the first local to win top prize in the show,” she said. “It’s usually someone from Melbourne or Adelaide. I think it’s nice for the community to know their dog show was won by one of their own.” Nicky started showing dogs at a young age, encouraged by her parents who had prize-winning bearded collies. “I started showing dogs with my parents when I was about six,” she said. “My family started showing dogs in the UK. We’re British. We moved to Australia shortly after that and continued showing dogs once we got here. “When I was 13 I represented Australia in the UK in what is called ‘junior handler’. “It’s to do with dog showing but it’s for juniors. I came third in the world. Back then there were about 12 other countries. There’s heaps more now.” Nicky has represented her country on many occasions and was part of Groom Team Australia from 2009 to 2012. Along the way, she turned her passion into a career. “I started dog grooming when I was 26, in Geelong,” she said. “I was very lucky. I became very good at it very quickly, with no formal training.” Nicky went on to establish Australian Dog Grooming School in Melbourne in 2003. “There weren’t a lot of schools back then,” she said. “When I started there wasn’t anyone

fighting for the top in our industry. I became a young industry leader quite easily and quickly and now I’m an old industry leader.” Nicky said dog grooming offered good money, but it was also physically demanding. “It’s an industry that you can damage yourself in,” she said. “We’re only 50 kilograms ourselves and sometimes we deal with 30-kilo dogs. “And when you’re dealing with a 30-kilo dog that doesn’t want to behave, you’re dealing with that for a whole hour. It’s better than going to a gym. “My daughter Jess and I normally stop working at about noon, because it’s just started to get warm and it’s an exhausting job. “I couldn’t do a whole day anymore – it would kill me. “In saying that, I love it. I’m sure I’ll do it until I’m 90 or something like that. I just might not get around the table as well.” Nicky’s expertise has led to her becoming a world-renowned teacher. “I do four or five international trips a year,” she said. “I’ve just come back from Thailand and New Zealand. I go to the UK every year and also Hong Kong.”

Tree change

When Nicky’s not teaching, she runs her own dog-grooming business. At the end of last year, she decided it was time for a change of environment. After discovering Horsham grooming business Cuddly Dog was for sale, she started looking at houses in the Wimmera. “Jess and I were originally looking at a house in Great Western, but with Cuddly Dog in Horsham, we soon realised there was too much distance between them,” she said. “That’s when we started to look at houses here and came to be living in Horsham itself, because we bought the business. “We took over in January and moved here in February from Essendon.” Jess, 17, has always been interested in dogs and completed an Australian Dog

Nicky Renwood and Asia after winning the 2017 Horsham Dog Show. Grooming School course in January. She now works as her mother’s assistant and is completing her Victorian Certificate of Education by long distance. “Jess lived with her father and when she said she wanted to come live with me she said wasn’t going to do VCE,” Nicky said. “I really wanted her to do it, but if she doesn’t want to do it then she’s not going to. “Distance education has worked really well for her. She’s really motivated – she’s getting better marks and has actually gone up a grade.” Jess was also lured to the country by another factor – room for her horses. Nicky and Jess own quarter horses, which they agist at Bungallaly. Both are members of Wimmera Equestrian Club, with Nicky taking on the secretary’s role.

“It’s been great. We’re meeting lots of new friends,” Nicky said. Nicky said she and Jess had settled into the region well. “When we first moved here and started grooming, everyone wanted to know our story,” she said. “It took us so long to groom a dog. People would sit and talk to us for ages. But everyone was so nice. “I love the region and I love the people here. I love how friendly and welcoming they are. “In Melbourne – especially in the area we were from and the salon we were in – they didn’t have as much time for you. As much as some of our customers were beautiful people, they didn’t have the time. They were always rushing off. “It’s different here.”

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Retirement – the best part M

any Australians are choosing to retire by the age of 60, or Estready 1963 even earlier, to do all Est the 1963 things they could only Est 1963 dream about during their working years. However, with improved health services and medical technology the chance of living to 90 or beyond could be more realistic than many think. Retirement might comprise 40 percent or more of a person’s adult life. If you wish to remain happy and healthy during this next phase of life, planning is critically important. Although much of the focus for retirement is on financial wellbeing, good physical and mental health is equally crucial at this time of life. It’s imperative to stay active – so what will you do with all this spare time? To work full time up to a particular date and then retire with no planned activities can be devastating for your physical and mental wellbeing. The thought of spending more hours on the golf course or in the garden might be appealing when spare time is limited, but these previously loved activities might become a bore when you do them seven days every week.

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Serious planning for what you are going to do in your retirement should start at least a year beforehand. Think about the activities you have enjoyed in the past and add some new ones.

Some ideas to consider

Depending on your personality, health and interests, some suggestions, aside from travelling, include: • Volunteer. Don’t let your precious skills go to waste. Search the internet for volunteering programs in your state, or even overseas, and see what takes your fancy. It can be extremely rewarding and a lot of fun. • Part-time work. This can be particularly valuable if your retirement budget is likely to be stretched. Consider work that will be enjoyable and not too demanding on time or health. • Education. A plethora of training courses are available for retirees to learn new skills, or contribute by demonstrating your own skills as a lecturer or tutor.

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• Hobbies and sport. While you might have a hobby you’re keen to ramp up, just like investing, it’s important to diversify. Apart from obvious interests such as gardening and sport, what about arts and crafts, genealogy, food and cooking, just to name a few? • Exercise. In later years it’s important to keep up regular exercise. If you’re not keen on joining a gym, there are myriad outdoor activities you can do by yourself or as part of a team. Jump online or check out the local clubs to try something new.

Peter Snaddon, Melbourne, playing in Nhill Golf Club Winter Tournament.

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Yoga more T

By Sarah Scully

ully Gordon first took an interest in yoga as a way to manage the stress and pressure associated with her work with the Victorian and New South Wales governments. Before moving to Rupanyup in July last year for a change of pace, Tully had a background in welfare, teaching and psychology. Yoga was a good way to de-stress from the ups and downs of a high-pressure work life and maintain fitness and flexibility. When Tully went back to university to complete post-graduate psychology studies, she became intrigued by the role yoga could play in managing trauma and mental health issues. “I looked at the work of the US Military and iRest program, in adapting yoga – and yoga nidra more specifically – to manage symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder with incredible results,” she said. “I also spoke with veterans and have worked a great deal with children impacted by the trauma of child abuse and those affected by family violence. “I could see yoga as a therapy which could be tailored to meet an individual’s

Tully Gordon

needs and increase their capacity for calm, to provide a tool which they could use in their own time for better mental health.” Intrigued, Tully attended teacher training with Byron Bay Yoga in Indonesia. She discovered she was just as interested in the overall mental health benefits as she was the physical gains from practising yoga daily. “I have researched a great deal and spoken to both science and yoga professionals about moving my own practice and teaching beyond just the asana practice – which is the yoga movement,” she said. “Through my practice I am able to share the benefits of other areas of yoga, such as meditation, breathing to calm and soothe the mind and body, concentration, focus, living with integrity and honesty, compassion for all living things and practising kindness and gratitude every day. “This has resulted in a better diet, a more positive approach to life and the choices I make, and in approaching challenges with a completely different perspective.” Tully said through her study and professional experience she was aware of the increasing mental health statistics, suicide rates and challenges facing children and adults every day.

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LifeStyle 2017

than body movement “I couldn’t think of a more meaningful experience than sharing the skills and tools that could help people improve their lifelong wellbeing,” she said. Tully founded Yama Yoga to focus on restorative and gentle yoga for the body, mind and heart. “I’ve seen a great deal of push in the past few decades of health being more orientated towards physical prowess or appearance, on how strong and capable the individual is – yet we know depression and suicide affects elite athletes, soldiers, professionals at their peak of performance and we know that being fit in body is not enough for better mental health,” she said. “The human brain needs balance and too often our lives are filled with so many demands and expectations, commitments and routines. “Throw in trauma – personal or professional – and the scales might just tip. “Yoga is about far more than the physical body.”

Wimmera classes

Tully takes yoga classes at Rupanyup, Murtoa, Nhill, Dimboola and Rainbow, with interest in potential classes in Balmoral, Beulah, Warracknabeal and Stawell growing.

“I bring my own props and encourage people to leave their egos off the mat, there is no competition on the mat,” she said. “Yoga is about a journey through the self, to the self. It’s about listening to your body, getting to know yourself. “The body’s capacity for flexibility is often aligned with the mind. We store a lot of stress and tension in our bodies. “We have a lot of expectations, rules, routines and so on in our thoughts. “I encourage participants to acknowledge the thoughts and then bring their focus towards breathing, softening the muscles, releasing tension, giving themselves permission to nurture themselves, to calm the mind, to turn on the parasympathetic nervous system as it was designed.” Tully said she was in discussions with Aaron Schultz from Yoga Horsham, who also runs an Elevate men’s health program, to collaborate on a program for the Wimmera. “We are both very passionate about the benefits of yoga for children and adults and better mental health,” she said. Tully said she would also like to develop a ‘mindful festival’ for the region, showcasing the available complementary therapies and talented professionals who have so much

‘

The body’s capacity for flexibility is often aligned with the mind. We store a lot of stress and tension in our bodies

’

– Tully Gordon

to offer. “I’m also working with regional professionals to bring yoga and mindfulness retreats to the Wimmera – to bring yoga to the bush,” she said. “This is an incredibly beautiful part of Australia and it would be so fabulous to share this region and yoga with so many people.” Tully said she had a passion for helping improve mental health, particularly in rural and regional areas. “Many years ago I lost my sister to suicide, a beautiful mother, woman and incredibly hard-working farmer,” she said. “I was raised in regional Australia and co-ordinated services in remote regions. I

know how hard it is to access services, with devastating results at times.” Tully said she would love to see children exposed to yoga and for regional schools to incorporate the calming benefits of yoga into their curriculum. “I’ve approached a few schools but I haven’t had a lot of luck at this stage,” she said. “Yoga is currently used in the US instead of time-out. “Kids are being sent to meditation at lunch, with incredible results. “If we are to improve the health of our young people, we have to start doing something different.” Tully juggles teaching yoga with rebuilding her business, The Bohemian Emporium. The emporium combines fashion, home and creative treasures from around the globe. Tully is renovating a house at Rupanyup to relaunch her store after the original one was ruined by fire. The new version will also contain an art gallery, café and a creative space. People can search The Bohemian Emporium or Yama Yoga on Facebook for more information on both projects.

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Shop brings joy to many A

By Sarah Scully

bout two years ago, Stawell Uniting Church leaders were looking for a way to generate a new income stream while making the church more accessible to the community. A congregation member, Alliphon Rasche, suggested the church run a vintage pop-up shop. And the rest, as they say, is history. The initial event spurred a long-term venture. A group of dedicated women have taken on the running of the shop, which ‘pops up’ in the church hall on the third or fourth Saturday of the month, depending on the church calendar. Reverend Susan Pearse said the pop-up shop was more than a place to pick up a bargain. “It has become a real community event as well as a lifestyle shop,” she said. “These ladies have had a wonderful vision which they have developed over the past two years and are providing a great service to the community. “There is a huge amount of work that goes into the shop. “The organisers have to get everything out and it takes at least a day to set up.

“A lot of time and energy goes into it. The ladies also enjoy lunch together – it is a social outlet as well.” Organiser Kay Evans said while running the pop-up shop took a lot of commitment, she enjoyed the process. “The day before the opening our church hall is transformed into a shop, with tables adorned with vintage linen and chairs also set up for morning tea,” she said. “It is a team effort. We work together sharing the challenges – the setting up and packing away. “It’s funny that it can take ‘untold hours’ to set up, yet it is all packed away within two to three hours. “At the end of packing up we all sit and share a delightful lunch, lovingly provided for us. “We are tired, we laugh, we talk about our morning and with grateful hearts we give thanks for our day.” Mrs Evans said the church hall was a popular meeting place on pop-up shop days. “The buzz and the atmosphere of joy is amazing and contagious,” she said. “Each month brings new visitors as well as our ever-faithful regular supporters who share the morning with fun, chatter,

laughter, a complimentary cuppa and fellowship… and a little shopping.” Mrs Evans said organisers were grateful to the many people who generously donated items for the store. “We specialise in pre-loved and vintage clothing, bric-a-brac, handbags, scarves, china, linen, craft supplies, fabrics and much, much more,” she said. “We have become highly respected for the high quality and presentation of our beautiful wares, which are all generously donated. We are recycling and ‘up-cycling’ at its best.” Mrs Evans said the pop-up shop played an important role in raising money towards the church’s future, including its many outreach programs in the community. “The greatest highlight in the past two years was an amazingly successful evening featuring a fashion parade of our beautiful clothing and accessories,” she said. “This was combined with entertainment and a beautiful supper – served on fine china, of course – provided by the Evening Fellowship Ladies, who organised the event. “We are constantly being asked when our next parade will be.” Mrs Evans said an August Tea Cosy Challenge was also a highlight.

“It was the most incredibly happy morning with near standing room only at times,” she said. “We estimate that about 250-plus people supported our event. “We are humbled and grateful for such a wonderful response.” Reverend Pearse said fellowship ladies did a wonderful job creating exciting and vibrant events that reached a lot of people. “I hope people see God’s light and love in this community venture,” she said. “It is part of our mission to show love to others.”

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Step Outside and Live Page 19

Volunteering is at the heart of any vibrant thriving community binding people and groups and creating vibrancy and social cohesion. Volunteering benefits include increased social inclusion and participation, physical and psychological wellbeing, gaining new skills and creating a sense of meaning. For organisations, volunteering generates energy and interest, stimulates connections and creates a positive image in the community. Centre for Participation runs regular ‘Introduction to Volunteering’ sessions which assist in understanding volunteer rights and responsibilities, duty of care, legal requirements and much more. Attending these sessions is vital in maximising your volunteering experience. Once you have attended the Introduction to Volunteering session we book you in with our referral coordinator who then works with

“IT’S A FANTASTIC FEELING TO KNOW THAT YOU REALLY ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.” you to tease out your skills, knowledge and areas of interest. This assists in finding the volunteering position that best fits with you. Volunteering is an activity which brings rich rewards, such as friendships, new skills, pathways to employment, fulfilment, social networks and community integration.

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z Sleep is not z

z a luxury z

What can help get better sleep? The most perplexing sleep disorder is probably insomnia. Anyone troubled by this condition should consider simple remedies first, such as from an NPS sleep hygiene advice sheet from your doctor or from stores. Keep a strict sleep routine. Always sleep in a quiet and totally dark room without artificial white-blue light, especially radio, phone or computer screens. If you need a night-light, use a salt lamp with a red light bulb because this mimics the firelight colour spectrum that does not affect the natural production of the sleep hormone called melatonin. Spend at least 30 minutes each day outside in natural sunlight to reset your body clock. LifeStyle 2017

MUSTANG

z z

Learn relaxation techniques to manage stress. Limit alcohol and caffeine at night. And having a calming bedtime routine such as a warm bath or shower, some peaceful music, slow deep breathing or a warm milk drink just before going to bed can be helpful.

There is also a sleep diary that can be downloaded at www.nps.org.au/sleep and taken to your doctor when you fill it in over a week or two. A herb mixture from a herbalist is often effective, or a doctor can prescribe the sleep hormone melatonin. Restless legs is another reason for insomnia.

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This occurs when you just can’t find a comfortable position in bed. It can be a sign of nutrient deficiency such as iron or magnesium, or of poor circulation. Vitamin C and horsechestnut combinations can help. However, it’s best to see a health professional first to discuss the cause of the condition. Obstructive sleep apnoea, OSA, and snoring are increasingly common conditions reducing sleep quality. Patients with OSA have partial or complete obstruction of the throat, also known as the ‘pharynx’ during sleep.

RANGER

Sleep is obstructed as a result and snoring commonly occurs too. These episodes of obstruction might happen many times, sometimes hundreds of times overnight, leading to severe health problems if untreated. Fortunately good treatments are available, including CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. CPAP is the most effective way to treat sleep apnoea. If you suspect you have this condition, talk to your doctor about referral to a sleep specialist who might give you a test for OSA and offer a range of treatment choices. CPAP might be one of these, and it also treats snoring, but weight loss, cutting down on alcohol and better pillows will also help. Getting enough sleep is just as important as other vital elements of good health such as a healthy diet and exercise. In short, sleep is not a luxury but a basic component of a healthy lifestyle. – Des Lardner operates Des Lardner Organics, a holistic natural health and wellbeing centre, and Dimboola Pharmacy

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re you getting enough sleep? ‘To sleep, perchance to dream’ wishes Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In fact we all crave restful sleep, but not everyone achieves this. Recent research suggests sleep has immense repair value to us all. Conversely, poor sleep has a role in increasing blood pressure, increasing blood sugar, increasing body weight by changing certain hormones, increasing cardiac risk factors and reducing daytime energy, with a role linked to increasing workplace accidents. Researchers even suggest many major disasters were linked to lack of sleep – including the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Chenobyl nuclear disaster and Challenger spaceship explosion of 1986. Sleep is a complex phenomenon – only recently elucidated as a range of activities not just ‘sleep’. Sleep disorders plague many of us. These include: insomnia, obstructive sleep apnoea, snoring, restless-leg syndrome and sleepbehaviour disorders, such as sleep walking, night terrors and teeth grinding. Remedies are many and varied and a good website for people keen to find out more is the Sleep Health Foundation. But the best way to treat sleeping problems is to find and manage the cause. Your family and friends will know you’re not sleeping well when you get daytime symptoms such as: Inappropriate daytime sleepiness and drowsiness; poor decisionmaking; poor concentration; and poor memory. Adults with sleep apnoea will have these symptoms along with periods when they stop breathing and are restlessness during sleep.

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‘Whimpey’ Reichelt, left, and John Deckert at Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre.

Romance to reality T

By Dean Lawson

he Aboriginal word ‘Wirraway’ supposedly translates to mean ‘challenge’. It is a term that is more than appropriate considering a ‘challenging’ project evolving in the west Wimmera centre of Nhill. A hardy but enthusiastic group of volunteers, driven by a sense of history, recognition and promotion, has been busy

trying to generate the dollars it needs to buy an historic and fully functioning Australian ‘war bird’. The project has involved finding $300,000, a major undertaking for a relatively small regional committee and community without government help. Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre, dedicated to preserving Nhill’s rich aviation history with particular emphasis on a time when it was home to a Second World War RAAF

base, still needs several thousands of dollars to take ownership of a Wirraway aeroplane. But members are determined that it happens. The Wirraway, a general-purpose fighterbomber and training aircraft manufactured between 1939 and 1946, has the unique distinction of being Australia’s first massproduced aircraft. At the time of the Second World War Wirraways were efficient but quickly

outdated when lined up against other combat aircraft. In important ground-support roles, the aircraft and their pilots ultimately helped evict Japanese forces from Papua New Guinea. They were also highly valued for training and with Avro Ansons, Tiger Moths and other aircraft, played a key role in preparing pilots at Nhill’s RAAF base during the conflict.

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LifeStyle 2017

John Deckert

3.5-TONNE TOWING More than 750 Wirraways came off the production line at Fishermen’s Bend, but the aircraft, especially examples in flying order, are now rare. Melbourne aviation engineer Borg Sorensen spent 18 years collecting parts and rebuilding the aircraft the Nhill group is keen to buy. Mr Sorensen had to find every piece of the aircraft, which he restored or rebuilt to as-new condition, then added piece by piece to build a fully operational aircraft. After 18 years, Wirraway A-20 722 made its first flight since a Wirraway with that number was scrapped in 1950. The aeroplane has been flying for the past 14 years and is regarded by many in the historic aircraft industry as the best Wirraway in the world. Heritage centre volunteers jumped at an opportunity to buy the aircraft, having been no strangers to major challenges since forming their organisation in 2008. In a plan to have four display aircraft at the Nhill Aerodrome centre, they have almost finished restoring a Second World War Avro Anson from scratch. Plans to feature an historic Tiger Moth bi-plane are also advanced. Centre spokesman John Deckert said many individual volunteers and community groups were backing the project. “In November 2008, Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre was set up with a primary objective to come up with a way of commemorating the fact it had a significant Second World War RAAF base at Nhill,” he said. “The idea evolved and it now takes in the overall aviation history of Nhill, which goes back to 1919 and is quite significant. LifeStyle 2017

‘

There are countless stories about incidents and famous historical identities who visited the aerodrome during the stops

’

– John Deckert

“When it comes to Australian aviation, Nhill has an interesting history. “It was the first official aerodrome in Victoria outside Melbourne. “Most planes travelling between Melbourne and Adelaide had to land at Nhill, the halfway point, to refuel. “There are countless stories about incidents and famous historical identities who visited the aerodrome during the stops.” Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre volunteer engineers and enthusiasts have attracted national attention in their project to restore a twin-engine Avro Anson aircraft. Many years of combining raw knowhow, skill, research and dedication are reflected in an almost finished machine, which now has pride of place at the centre. The restored aircraft started as pieces of scrap but estimates are that it is now worth more than $1-million. Mr Deckert said there were only four Wirraways flying in Australia and probably no more than 15 in the world. “It won’t be flying if we can get it to Nhill. Similar to the Avro Anson, while it might be capable of flying, it will only get to taxi,” he said.

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5-star ANCAP safety rating on all MU-X models and 4x4 D-MAX Crew Cab models built from November 2013 onwards and 4x2 D-MAX Crew Cab High Ride models built from November 2014 onwards. #Private & ABN holders only on 17MY vehicles. Manual transmission. Metallic/mica paint $450 extra. Available until 31/12/17, unless extended, varied or while stocks last. *Private & ABN holders only on 17MY vehicles. Metallic/mica/pearl paint $450 extra. Available until 31/12/17, unless extended, varied or while stocks last. ^5 years/130,000km whichever occurs first, for eligible customers. Excludes trays and accessories. >The Capped Price Servicing Program (“CPS Program”) applies to Eligible Vehicles with a Warranty Start Date on or after 1/1/15 at Participating Isuzu UTE Dealers only. The 5 years Capped Price Servicing covers the first 5 Scheduled Services for 16.5MY and later vehicle models for up to 5 years/50,000km (whichever occurs first). CPS Program is subject to change. For full terms & conditions and current pricing visit isuzuute.com.au/service-plus.

Grampians – the perfect By Marc Sleeman

hether you are a wine taster, outdoor explorer or food finder, the Grampians region has an adventure waiting for you. Best known for its ‘big nature’, the Grampians is also a foodie heaven, with some even calling it the ‘Gastronomic Grampians’. You can taste your way around the region, with the option of five-star dining, cosy cafés, farm-gate provedores and farmers markets. From north to south and east to west, the region is so diverse. It provides people with a range of fabulous experiences all year round. You can enjoy all the Grampians National Park has to offer, as well as explore the region and discover the many towns and villages, the lakes and waterways, galleries and museums, picturesque golf courses and an abundance of dining experiences, olive groves and wineries. Award-winning Grampians vineyards are world famous and offer all sorts of experiences. You can share a tasting platter at a winery cellar door or pack a picnic. There are dozens of historic and boutique wineries scattered across the undulating Grampians and Henty winemaking regions in western Victoria. From an award-winning red to a vibrant white – western Victoria has it all. Visit Grampians cellar doors and meet passionate winemakers, hear their stories and let the amazing variety of wines tantalise your tastebuds. Explore the Grampians and sip and savour every corner of the region! Here are some insider tips –

North

Harvest Halls Gap: Located in a quiet side street of Halls Gap, Harvest Café and Provedore is all about fresh, local produce.

Every dish served at the café is created using simple, fresh, quality ingredients. Recipes are simple and uncomplicated – classic dishes with a twist – allowing the taste and goodness of the ingredients to shine through. In the provedore you can find products made in the region such as hand soap, salt, olive oil, several local wines as well as takehome meals made right in the kitchen, snap frozen and available to be eaten at home. Open daily from 8am to 4pm. Halls Gap Estate: With amazing views over the Grampians, the cellar door is the perfect place to taste and enjoy Fallen Giants wines including shiraz, riesling and their James Halliday five-star rated cabernet sauvignon. Pair your wine with a cheese platter from local producers. Available by appointment, take a tour through the vineyards to gain further insight into how wine in the Grampians is created. With a kids playground as well… plan to stay a while. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm. Livefast Café: A funky little cafe in the heart of Halls Gap with a focus on excellent coffee, local produce, boutique local wines, handcrafted beer and the freshest food prepared just for you. Young and friendly staff make this café a social hub in the heart of the Grampians. Open daily 7am to 4pm. The Views Restaurant: This restaurant is true to its name – the views of the surrounding mountains from every seat are spectacular. The restaurant is a part of the Grampians Motel, which offers you a comfortable and relaxing place to come home to after a day exploring the national park. Being only minutes’ walking distance from Halls Gap, The Views Restaurant provides hearty meals for the whole family. Open daily from 7.30am to 9pm. Halls Gap Hotel: The Halls Gap Hotel

family bistro, surrounded by a huge open veranda, is the perfect place to enjoy a cold one on a warm summer’s night in the Grampians. Through the cooler months enjoy the bistro’s open fire too. Offering a wideranging menu of quality meals and chef specials the hotel has rightly been named as a finalist in the Best Casual Dining – Regional Victoria category at the AHA State Awards for Excellence. Open daily from 3pm to 11pm. Great Western – Best’s, Seppelt, Grampians Estate: In Great Western, a sub-region of the Grampians, you can discover the iconic Seppelt and Best’s wineries, whose vineyards date back to the mid-1800s. Take a fascinating underground tour at Seppelt, awarded Gourmet Traveller Wine – best additional experience, Grampians. The cellar door at Best’s also dates back to the 1800s and includes a self-guided cellar tour. It has earned the Gourmet Traveller Wine – best large cellar door and best tasting experience, Grampians, awards. Grampians Estate offers something for everyone with coffee and local produce. This charming cellar door has earned Gourmet Traveller – best small cellar door and cellar door with the best food, Grampians, awards.

WEST

SOUTH

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LifeStyle 2017

wining, dining destination South

Pierrepoint Wines: Stop in at Pierrepoint Wines between Hamilton and Tarrington to enjoy a tasting and cheese platter at the family-owned and operated vineyard, cellar door and bed and breakfast. The winery is in the Henty wine region, one of the coolest climates of Australia’s mainland wine-growing regions. The region is known for its aromatic white wines, luscious sweet dessert wines and intense, finely structured reds. Open daily from 10am to 5pm. Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld: Nestled at the southern tip of the spectacular Grampians National Park, the Royal Mail Hotel was originally established in 1855. Today the Royal Mail is recognised as Victoria’s premier destination dining venue with accommodation due to its innovative kitchen brigade, extensive culinary plantings and a cellar containing one of the most comprehensive and varied wine collections in the country.

NORTH

East

Mt Langi Ghiran Winery: One of Australia’s most acclaimed producers of shiraz, Mount Langi Ghiran Vineyard exuberates passion and knowledge for its wine. From the Mount Langi, Cliff Edge and Billi Billi ranges, enjoy the spectacular views from the cellar door of their vineyard and beautiful Mount Langi Ghiran. Open daily from 10am to 5pm. Montara Wines: Established in 1970, Montara Wines is today owned by the Stapleton family. This dynamic group of six siblings has given Montara a youthful spark. Taste their wines at their cellar door, enjoy a local produce platter or a coffee as well. Open Friday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm. Red Rock Olives: Drive from Halls Gap to Ararat and stop at Red Rock Olives on your way. Pick up some award-winning extra virgin

EAST

olive oil and table olives as a souvenir, or stop for a coffee and light lunch in the charming farm gate cafe. Open Friday to Monday, 10am to 5pm.

West

Barangaroo Wines: This cellar-door experience offers seasonal tasting platters to share and a small selection of peckish board specials to last the entire afternoon. Taste the medal-winning Vermentino in the shade of the vine trellis in the warmer weather or the red wines around the fire in winter and learn about how the wines are created. Open Friday to Monday, 11am to 5pm. Norton Estate: In a quiet part of Lower Norton not far from Horsham sits renowned Norton Estate. In a beautifully new cellar door, this winery, which has built a reputation on its award-winning Arapiles Run Shiraz, is perfect for tasting the wine flavours of the west, surrounded by vines, with views of Mt Arapiles and the northern Grampians not far in the distance. Open Friday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm. Grampians Olive Co: Visit one of Australia’s oldest olive groves with heritage trees, dryland organic farming, a Mediterranean growing climate and a passion for quality. These organically grown olives are cold pressed on site immediately to maximise flavour and antioxidants. The oil is then lovingly hand bottled in small batches to guarantee freshness. Try them yourself at the olive grove farm gate and see what other goodies olives can produce – who knew you could make organic hand soap out of olives? Open daily from 11am to 4pm. – Marc Sleeman is Grampians Tourism chief executive

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BOOKS&Gallery Page 25

lake lascelles

Beulah Weir Pool

lake hindmarsh

CR EEK

lake albAcutya

Regional recreational waters

mbiack

Brim Weir Pool

river wimmera

natimuk lake

dock lake green lake

LAKE WALLACE lake toolondo

pine lake

LAKE BULOKE

yarria

Warracknabeal Weir Pool

BATYO CATYO taylors lake

walkers lake

MARMA LAKE

zie

will iam cre ek

Riv

Glenorchy Weir

lake lonsdale

rocklands

Radial Gates

Dad and Dave Weir

riv ra

e mm

Yes

Wartook

Yes

Green Lake

Yes

Camping permitted

Caravan Park

Toilet

Dogs allowed

Yes

Yes – camping areas only

Yes

Dock Lake*

EMPTY

Pine Lake

NOT IN SERVICE

Taylors Lake

Yes

Yes – camping areas only

Yes

Lake Bellfield

Yes

No – caravan park only

Yes

Lake Lonsdale

Yes

Yes – camping areas only

Yes

Lake Fyans

Yes

No – caravan park only

Yes

Moora Moora

Yes

Yes – camping areas only

Lake Toolondo

Yes

No – caravan park only

Yes

Natimuk lake

Yes

Lake Hindmarsh

Yes

EMPTY

Lake Lascelles

Yes

Lake Buloke

Yes

Silver perch

Lake wartook

fya

GREEN HILL lake

cre

www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au

Yes

Yes – but no jet skis

Yes

Green Hill Lake

Yes

walkers lake

Yes

Yes - but no jet skis

Yes

• Home-made cabana, stras & salami

Trout

Marma Lake

Bulk Meats – Old Fashioned Smoked Smallgoods

Murray cod Yabbies

Low level – check GWMWater for updates

* Lakes empty at time of printing. Some information courtesy of GWMWater. Some conditions might be subject to change.

Lake Bellfield

Weirs

Page 26

Rocklands

lake fyans

moora moora

Catfish

Swimming

Batyo Catyo Distribution Heads

river

Redfin

Water skiing & jet Boat ramp skis

Lake Albacutya*

glenelg

Yellowbelly

Storage

Power boats allowed

• Christmas homecooked ham on bone

riv

• Discount bulk meats er

*Map not to scale

LifeStyle 2017

• Chorisos • Kransky

sts Roast meat speciali

In-Shop Smokehouse

Family owned and operated butcher shops for more than 37 years

• Lamb • Beef • Pork • Chicken

Fresh Seafood every Wednesday & Thursday LifeStyle 2017

www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au

Page 27

lake lascelles

Beulah Weir Pool

lake hindmarsh

CR EEK

lake albAcutya

Regional recreational waters

mbiack

Brim Weir Pool

river wimmera

natimuk lake

dock lake green lake

LAKE WALLACE lake toolondo

pine lake

LAKE BULOKE

yarria

Warracknabeal Weir Pool

BATYO CATYO taylors lake

walkers lake

MARMA LAKE

zie

will iam cre ek

Riv

Glenorchy Weir

lake lonsdale

rocklands

Radial Gates

Dad and Dave Weir

riv ra

e mm

Yes

Wartook

Yes

Green Lake

Yes

Camping permitted

Caravan Park

Toilet

Dogs allowed

Yes

Yes – camping areas only

Yes

Dock Lake*

EMPTY

Pine Lake

NOT IN SERVICE

Taylors Lake

Yes

Yes – camping areas only

Yes

Lake Bellfield

Yes

No – caravan park only

Yes

Lake Lonsdale

Yes

Yes – camping areas only

Yes

Lake Fyans

Yes

No – caravan park only

Yes

Moora Moora

Yes

Yes – camping areas only

Lake Toolondo

Yes

No – caravan park only

Yes

Natimuk lake

Yes

Lake Hindmarsh

Yes

EMPTY

Lake Lascelles

Yes

Lake Buloke

Yes

Silver perch

Lake wartook

fya

GREEN HILL lake

cre

www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au

Yes

Yes – but no jet skis

Yes

Green Hill Lake

Yes

walkers lake

Yes

Yes - but no jet skis

Yes

• Home-made cabana, stras & salami

Trout

Marma Lake

Bulk Meats – Old Fashioned Smoked Smallgoods

Murray cod Yabbies

Low level – check GWMWater for updates

* Lakes empty at time of printing. Some information courtesy of GWMWater. Some conditions might be subject to change.

Lake Bellfield

Weirs

Page 26

Rocklands

lake fyans

moora moora

Catfish

Swimming

Batyo Catyo Distribution Heads

river

Redfin

Water skiing & jet Boat ramp skis

Lake Albacutya*

glenelg

Yellowbelly

Storage

Power boats allowed

• Christmas homecooked ham on bone

riv

• Discount bulk meats er

*Map not to scale

LifeStyle 2017

• Chorisos • Kransky

sts Roast meat speciali

In-Shop Smokehouse

Family owned and operated butcher shops for more than 37 years

• Lamb • Beef • Pork • Chicken

Fresh Seafood every Wednesday & Thursday LifeStyle 2017

www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au

Page 27

The impact is Brilliant F

By Molly Haines

or the past two years Drung resident Justin Brilliant and his young family have been amazed with the new addition to their family, Bart the retired greyhound. Weighing in around the 33-kilo mark and sporting a handsome brindle coat, Bart has made himself at home in the Brilliant household, which also includes a very energetic Beagle cross. “Greyhounds have the most beautiful nature and adapt very easily to different environments; they are easy going and very quiet. My youngest son has been able handle him since he was six-months-old,” Brilliant said. Bart raced under the name Point Of Impact and was owned by Brilliant during

his brief racing career. The manager of Horsham Greyhound Racing Club, Brilliant brings Bart into the office to give his patrons a chance to meet a greyhound up close.

1314 greyhounds, smashing the previous record of 798. The growth can in part be attributed to GAP’s Adoption Days, which are at various locations around Victoria every four to six weeks.

“I have also taken Bart to schools to give kids the chance to meet and pat a greyhound – Bart is great with kids, he loves them.”

Although every day is an adoption day at GAP’s kennels in Seymour, the portable adoption days make meeting, fostering or adopting a greyhound a little bit easier.

Brilliant, along with Horsham Greyhound Racing Club, works closely with Horsham Paws helping to rehome ex-racers and providing advice on the breed.

The final Greyhound Adoption Day for the year will be in Geelong on Sunday, December 3. For more information on the Greyhound Adoption Program, including upcoming adoption days, go to gap.grv.org.au.

“I also help local trainers prepare their greyhounds for the Greyhound Adoption Program, GAP, by bringing them into a home environment and teaching them about life outside of racing – it is very rewarding.” Last year GAP re-homed a record

And for anyone wanting to meet Bart, he will make his next appearance at Horsham’s twilight Boxing Day Picnic @ the races on December 26.

Celebrating

21 years

GEELONG A D O P T I O N D AY Sunday 3 December

11am – 1pm

Geelong Greyhound Racing Club, Beckley Park Broderick Rd, Corio 3214

gap_vic

GreyhoundAdoptionProgramVIC

gap.org.au

Sing, stomp and garden By Jody Taberner

hen most people think of gardening as a past-time recreation, they think of a low-impact, relaxing and safe activity that rejuvenates the mind, body and spirit. That is true – most of the time. But there are unforeseen dangers in the garden that can take their toll. You know that feeling when you are about to walk out your back door after a few days doing the spring clean-up feeling all so proud of your achievements. You have mulched all your beds, attacked the weeds and planted your seedlings in neat little rows ready to explode into a glorious riot of colour to take you through to summer. But then when you take that first step out, you get the feeling something isn’t quite right. There is mulch on the foot path. You venture out a bit more; the little seedlings are ripped from their bed, left lying with their feet facing the sky. You start to feel a wave of red rising up your chest, who was it? The dog? The chickens? Or some random blackbird that wandered in to cause this plant genocide. What do you do? Rant and throw your hands in the air, shout loudly, make a

complaint to the Plants Rights Movement – yes there is such a thing – or take a deep breath, count slowly to 10 and plant them back into their bed, water them, mulch them and pray they are safe until tomorrow. Sometimes along with the glory of creating a beautiful garden come the frustrations with it that are outside of our control. As gardeners all we can do is learn to take it in our stride and not sweat the setbacks. We all have failures in the garden but learn to celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they are. Gardener stress is not the only danger. There are creatures that lurk in the garden that can cause bodily harm. I have had more than my share of spider and snake encounters in the garden. Now just to be clear, these creatures aren’t hiding out there waiting to intentionally cause you harm, they are just going about their own day-to-day business of being a snake or a spider. So in order to avoid these encounters, think like a snake or a spider. Don’t gardening gloves and gumboots that have had little activity over the winter look like an inviting place to set up home? And that long patch of grass down the

back near what was once the family’s rock pond, wouldn’t that be the equivalent to the Hilton if you were a snake? Take precautions; always check your gloves and boots before you slip them on. Have a good look around the area you are working in and make a bit of noise. Sing, stomp and talk to yourself, it not only clears off snakes but I haven’t had a door-to-door salesman in years. Then there are the everyday dangers in the garden such as sunburn, scrapes and cuts. I know when the weather is warm it is so tempting to bath in its splendour in shorts, t-shirt and thongs while doing a spot of gardening. Before you know it the sun has more than kissed you, your arms look like you have gone 10 rounds with a feral cat and the realisation the soles of your thongs are no match for a garden spade is far too late. Always gear up appropriately for a gardening session – sunscreen, long pants, long sleeved shirt, gloves, boots and a hat. Don’t forget the sunglasses, not only do they protect from UV rays but they also stop the odd stray branch poking you in the eye. I won’t even get started on garden power tools and using them safely – that is a whole other story.

All I will mention is that it really isn’t a good idea to get up a rickety old ladder in thongs while wielding a chainsaw to prune a tree, especially if you have to do a contortion act on one foot to reach the branch. And if I have to tell you that, you probably shouldn’t be using power tools full stop. So now you are fully mentally and physically prepared for all the foreseeable dangers of this pleasant past time, go forth and cultivate! Happy gardening. – Jody Taberner Dip Hort, Dip CLM. Botanical Nursery

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5382 0473 Page 29

Daily I

By Keith Lofthouse

ve reached an age when no one says ‘you look well’ anymore. I am therefore at an age when technology confounds, irritates and drives me bananas. Microsoft imposes frequent pop-ups as I write. One reads: “You have 16 days left to activate MS Office.” The other informs me that updates await sooner, later, or tomorrow. Why do I get the feeling that these messages are thinly disguised threats? I must accept that I am a dinosaur among the chipmunks who have mastered the mysteries of coding, caching and cookies: good, bad and poisonous. The galling thing is that these ‘chippies’, the geeks and nerds of the world, are much smarter than I am. But I’m not on my own. Even the Macquarie dictionary, 2011, doesn’t list the word ‘encrypt’. Perhaps even they can’t make mortal sense of it. Sheepishly I confess that when I first ventured into a chat room I had to ask what ‘lol’ stood for. I didn’t know. The chipmunks still use unfathomable acronyms for just about everything.

Keith Lofthouse

Horsham Town Hall

Horsham Town Hall Box Office

Horsham Regional Art Gallery

71 Pynsent Street & 90 Wilson Street, Horsham 3400

71 Pynsent Street, Horsham 3400

80 Wilson Street, Horsham 3400

HORSHAM TOWN HALL

Find out about all of our events at horshamtownhall.com.au Find us on facebook Page 30

Mon - Fri 10am-5pm One hour prior to performances Phone: 03 5382 9555 www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au

HORSHAM REGIONAL ART GALLERY

Tues - Fri 10am - 5pm Sat 11am - 4.30pm | Sun 1-4.30pm Phone: 03 5382 9575 LifeStyle 2017

groan with technology It’s a secret language that I rely on Google to explain. My most used is FAQ. Chat rooms have now morphed into forums where spleens are vented by using the most despicable profanities; where evil lurks and stupidity reigns over intellect. In these breeding barns of hatred and terror, I get to feel superior to the loathsome trolls, because I can spell. But why bother? You post a comment, right, wrong or imbecilic and it’s only seen by the next user or two before it disappears beneath the trash that piles on top. To search the internet is to compromise privacy and exposes the unwary to a range of destructive viruses and vast regiments of spammers, both fiendishly clever and clumsy. Separating the two is an art form. I junk email with addresses ending in a foreign suffix, like jp, which means Japan, me for Mexico, ru, Russia and the like. ‘Unsubscribing’ from spammers just confirms your address is real, and is free to be sold on to more pernicious scammers. I don’t know what ‘Bitcoin’ means and still don’t even after ‘Googling’. It has something to do with making money fast. Later on the same day of

investigating this word I was asked to ‘verify’ my Bitcoin account. They work fast. Television show South Park’s ‘You Have 0 Friends’ episode is lol-worthy because it whacks Facebook right in the kisser. The character Stan rejects ‘that stupid Facebook stuff’ and asks Kyle and Cartman: “Why are you guys in here wasting time when we’re supposed to be outside playing video games?” They surprise Stan by opening an account for him and a deluge of ‘friend requests’ instantly assails him. Stan soon has 845,323 ‘friends’, but when he tries to delete the account, the insidious force prevents him. In the real world of Facebook’s 2.01-billion users, 510,000 comments are posted ‘every 60 seconds’, 293,000 statuses are updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded. When mobile phones appeared in the 1980s, they were the size and weight of a house brick and cost about $5000 or $17,000 in today’s money. Later when we yak-yakked into streamlined models and when Ipods surfaced in 1991 – we suddenly had two new toys. Facebook made it three. If it brings joy to

your life, good for you – fantastic. You have saved family and friends from the scourge of the family photo album, now that it’s exposed daily for all the world to see. It’s a fairly anti-social way to engage social media, you know. Some ‘friends’ you don’t see or talk to anymore. Some you even ‘unfriend’. I contain the rage a ‘byte’ by keeping technology and most of its devices at arm’s length, but I bear the weight of an irresistible force. I am on Facebook, but I’m an avowed enemy of all its intrusions. Its power is such that I’m not entirely sure that resistance places me in some kind of peril. Five million apps are now available for download and that’s emblematic of how ludicrous the glut of choice has become. Selling now is an app called ‘Sausage Legend’, which features graphic images of fighting frankfurts and bratwurst. A question it asks is ‘Is Dark Outside?’ And then answers that with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to keep users inside. Another called ‘Send Me To Heaven’ tracks how high you can throw your phone.

Handy, if you plan for a new phone anytime soon. ‘Places I’ve Pooped’ is an app I have no need to detail. Technology used to be about things that improved quality of life. We all embraced telephones, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and television. When VCRs arrived in the late 1970s, my prayers were answered. My needs were satisfied. Now, technology is about flogging stuff we want, or think we want… but not what we need. News just in: Sausage Legend now offers seven different sausage choices!

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Page 31

Arts flourishing A

Jeparit cello student Charlotte Kube plays along to the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Virtual Orchestra in Horsham Regional Art Gallery

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By Dean Lawson

growing western Victoria appetite for the arts shows little sign of slowing with audiences responding en masse to major performances, productions and exhibitions across the region. And it is the Wimmera, Grampians and southern Mallee, already boasting a reputation for festivals and community events, that are emerging as new and vibrant players in the Victorian cultural jigsaw, especially in performing arts. Regional cities of Horsham, Ararat and Stawell are primed to be the heart of growth in the sector, with surrounding districts also blossoming as a result. It is already happening to a large extent with a redeveloped Horsham Town Hall and Regional Art Gallery, with people flocking to experience an eclectic mix of exhibitions, performances and events. Ararat is also primed to be part of the growth on the back of a considerable arts precinct project, and Stawell has already set a high benchmark with Stawell Entertainment Centre an established performance and cultural hub. Across the region, Nhill Community Centre has plenty to offer and ADVERTISEMENT

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Nati Frinj festival

across the region Warracknabeal showed off the potential of its town hall with a major tribute show during 150th celebrations. One of the most profound changes in community response to performing arts is happening at Horsham Town Hall. Since opening its doors after redevelopment 18 months ago, 80 to 90 percent of shows have been booked out. Interestingly, the community response has been far from limited to Wimmera patrons. Some performing-arts enthusiasts have travelled from across Victoria and interstate to attend events in Horsham. Horsham Town Hall marketing coordinator Charee Smith said the public response had been amazing and reflected an evolving cultural lifestyle in the region. “It tells us that people in our region enthusiastically tune into the arts, regardless of whether they are elite or community performers, events or exhibitions, if given the opportunity to have experiences in modern, comfortable and appropriate settings,” she said. “Having outstanding facilities also means we can attract high-quality acts and exhibitions and word in the entertainment industry is that we’re becoming a ‘must’ on tour schedules.”

Ms Smith said the rise of Horsham Town Hall into ‘the place to be’ in Horsham would be producing considerable flow-on social benefits across the district. “Not only are people buying tickets but we have an army of volunteers – more than 110 last count, whether it be as ushers at performances or to support Horsham Regional Art Gallery,” she said. “Volunteers are playing a huge role in the success of the venue and in return the opportunity is providing them with a chance to engage with something they support and enjoy.” A multi million-dollar Ararat Arts Precinct project, meanwhile, is on schedule to finish in May next year and also promises to provide momentum to the growing public response to the arts. Former Ararat mayor Paul Hooper said the expectation was that the number of people going through the precinct would ‘increase dramatically’. “It basically means we will also have more opportunities to get high-standard performances and exhibitions, which will be fundamental to increasing patronage,” he said. “And it won’t just be restricted to the arts precinct – it will have an influence right across the municipality and beyond

– communities will ultimately be the beneficiaries.” Mr Hooper reiterated statements from earlier in the year when he said the Ararat project would help join the dots in a growing number of high-standard arts centres across the region and help pave the way for broad regional social and economic development. He said with Ararat joining centres such as Ballarat, Horsham and Hamilton in having modern and high-quality performing-arts centres, the heart of western Victoria had an enormous opportunity to tap into tourism and cultural benefits. “I think it will open, and is already opening, the door for us to start looking at ways of developing opportunities for our part of western Victoria to prosper and

grow,” he said. “We will be able to attract higher-profile acts for regional tours, put on significant cultural events and offer enormous opportunities for our homegrown artistic talent. That, in turn, will provide us with socio-economic leverage. “Having a thriving arts community is an attractive lure for many people to either stay or even shift to the regions and that is something on which we need to capitalise. “It adds something special to the dynamics of regional living.”

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Making the most of Many aspects of lifestyle change with the years. Journalist Faye Smith takes a look at holidays, how they’ve changed and her latest adventure.

I This monument at VC Corner Australian Cemetery in France shows a soldier helping a wounded mate. The French and Australian flags hang nearby.

Page 34

can’t remember my grandparents ever taking a holiday. I can’t remember them even talking about past holidays. Life revolved around their Wimmera farms, their families and well-populated community. Communication beyond that was by post. Having lived through wars and Depression, money was only ever for essentials. They were content to never venture far. For my parents, also farmers, the afterharvest two weeks’ caravan holiday to the beach was the year’s highlight. Later, their family grown, they embarked on organised coach trips beyond Victoria until the grand moment when they headed to Europe. After each holiday, ‘the film night’ subjected relatives to hours of slides and movies. Mum’s delicious supper was the best part of these nights, I thought. But my generation, the Baby Boomers, set a new benchmark for travel. Subsequent generations are even more travelled. Airports are crowded, planes are crowded and it’s rare not to hear an Australian accent, even in the most remote spots. My husband Neville and I have passed through the airport’s double metal doors at least a dozen times now. New Guinea was the first overseas holiday, followed by India. One time was especially difficult and memorable as it was with the kids and for a year in Canada. Our latest overseas venture began with the news that a Horsham-based group was planning a Western Front tour to France and Belgium with Australian First World War expert Pam Cupper, of Dimboola. From Paris our group travelled by coach to the famed Ypres in Belgium where our introduction to the First World War was the intense and incredibly moving dawn

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ceremony to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of Polygon Wood. Australian Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove presented a moving tribute to Australian soldiers, as did Princess Astrid of Belgium. In a week in two short battles, Australia lost 10,000 men while advancing the Allied line a mere 1000 yards. The next evening we were among hundreds at the famed Menin Gate to witness the nightly ceremony to remember the war dead. Two stone lions were in place at the entrance. These were a gift from Belgium to Australia and usually in place at the entrance to Canberra’s Australian War Memorial, but on loan to Belgium for the centenary year. During the next week many in our group took an emotional ride tracing ancestors’ graves or the walls bearing their names. Many graves also carried the inscription: ‘Known Unto God’. One in the group read a long and detailed letter from a great uncle from Warracknabeal district near sites where he fought. The tragedy was that the uncle survived years of hell only to lose his life on the boat home after complications following an appendicitis operation. We heard stories of heroism and comradeship as well as huge numbers of casualties caused by enemy gunfire, about the extremely wet winter, issues with artillery and supplies and the two-million horses used on the battlefields. The First World War cost about 10-million lives. Australia, then with a population of about five-million people, lost almost 60,000 men; most under 30. Many are in some of the almost 1000 war cemeteries in France and Belgium. In Adelaide Cemetery near VillersBretonneux, we viewed a headstone that marked the former grave of an unknown Australian soldier removed, and in 1993 interred in the War Memorial’s Hall of Memory.

LifeStyle 2017

holiday adventures His coffin is of Tasmanian blackwood. Soil from Pozieres battlefield in France was placed on his tomb. Earlier, with friends, we had taken the opportunity to explore more of the world before heading to France. Spain, Portugal and Morocco were our first destinations. By chance our time in Barcelona was sandwiched by a terrorist attack in the ultrapopular Las Ramblas and the well-attended and at times violent protests calling for independence for Catalonia. A visit to the magnificent and as yet unfinished cathedral Sagrada Familia, the brainchild of eccentric Catalan architect and artist Antoni Gaudi, which was commenced in 1882, was the highlight of the Barcelona stay. A comfortable train, which travelled at 300 kilometres an hour, carried us to the capital Madrid, another city rich in medieval history and amazingly beautiful landmarks. Our delights there included a guided tour of the famous Musee del Prado art gallery.

Next day, by coach, we visited the Valley of the Fallen with its vaulted crypt, an unimaginably huge monument completed in 1959 which houses the remains of 40,000 soldiers and civilians killed during the Spanish Civil War. The highlight of a short stay in colourful Portuguese capital Lisbon was a visit to the 16th Century Hieronymites Monastery, many seafood meals and the sampling of many Portuguese tarts. A short flight to Casablanca in Africa’s north-west commenced an adventurous eight-day stay in Morocco, which also included Rabat, Fez and Marrakech. Terracotta flat-roofed buildings, tagine dinners and markets filled with exotic items were among the delights of this fascinating country. Then it was off to Paris for a few days, where the Palace of Versailles and the Paris catacombs were a highlight as well as the magnificent Musee d’Orsay art gallery before joining the Wimmera group.

10 tips for overseas travellers

First World War expert Pam Cupper, above, Trevor Newell, centre, and Neville Smith, top, at a Western Front tour of France and Belgium.

1. Get advice about ways to communicate with people back home. Free hotel WiFi is usually available. 2. Don’t expect others to manage your luggage as well as theirs. If travelling by train in Europe, for example, it could mean lifting a 20kg-plus case up four sharp steps. 3. Ask travellers about use of cards and the best way to obtain cash in the countries you plan to visit. Many travellers run into money problems because of poor advice. 4. Don’t bore your friends with a dozen Facebook daily photo posts. 5. Most busy tourist spots will have people lurking who are eager and able to relieve you of anything valuable. Use hotel safes when possible. Minimise carried items and never lose sight of them. 6. Check airline luggage restrictions. Ensure items such as nail files, scissors and liquids are not in carry-on luggage and on return have declarable items easily accessible. 7. Don’t underestimate the crowds at tourist spots. Pre-book because waiting times can be three hours plus. A paid guide or audio unit is invaluable. There’s more to know than you can see. 8. If you expect to find everything as it is in Australia, holiday in Australia. 9. Most countries have an easily accessible public transport system. Hop-on hop-off buses are a great way to see a new city. 10. Be adventurous, accepting and enjoy the experience.

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Page 35

‘Whimpey’ pursuing a A

By Dean Lawson

1922 two-door Studebaker Roadster, shining in all its historic glory in a shed at Nhill, provides a glimpse into what makes Wimmera icon Ray ‘Whimpey’ Reichelt tick. The beautifully restored vehicle, its trimmings harking back to a bygone era not far removed from when people referred to cars as horseless carriages, is the result of hours upon hours of passion and dedication. The six-cylinder vehicle wouldn’t be the rare example of ‘the doctors car’ it is today had it not been for Whimpey zealously pursuing a personal project. The same could also be said for other projects for his four children – a 1957 FE Holden, 1922 T-Model Ford and 1968 Holden Brougham. And then there are the twin Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah rotary engines, one already fully operational and the other not far off it, that help make up essential parts of an historic Avro Anson aircraft holding pride of place at Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre. The reality is that Whimpey, 82, better known outside Nhill and Australian naturalist fraternity for his efforts promoting Little Desert National Park, establishing Little Desert Nature Lodge and working

with endangered Mallee fowl, has long been a talented mechanical engineer. Despite his lengthy resume based on conservation work and a love of nature, bird-watching and photography, his first desire as a teenager to be a mechanic has never left him. He was the youngest of 13 siblings and history suggests he inherited a penchant for mechanics from his father Jack, who drew up plans and sought international patents for a combine harvester in 1919. “As a young bloke I always wanted to be a motor mechanic,” he said. “My brother Arnold opened a garage at Lorquon and that’s where I started my apprenticeship. That’s also where I met my wife, Maureen.” Whimpey’s life took many ebbs and turns, depending on work opportunities. He briefly worked as a farm laborer before being called up for National Service, drove taxis in Nhill for a while and then was involved in a family trucking business, carting products such as timber, tiles, bricks and cement interstate. “We then had very heavy rain and a lot of water in the forests and clay pits and we couldn’t get bricks and timber. So I said to mum that I would try to get a job at Jack and Jim Bullen’s garage in Nhill, which was

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also a GM dealership,” he said. “They said we’ll give you a job for a couple of weeks and when my time was up, I simply kept working. Jack and Jim kept me on for 23 years, sending me down to Fisherman’s Bend and Dandenong every now and then to learn about new cars and trends. I never finished by apprenticeship but I got my certificate as a senior motor mechanic in 1963 after attending Horsham Technical School for three years. I had been working on cars for many years before that.” It was in Melbourne’s Eye and Ear Hospital while undergoing treatment for an eye injury and listening to the radio that he heard about issues surrounding the Little Desert that would eventually lead to it becoming a national park. “I bought an old four-wheel drive army Land Rover, fitted it out and in December 1969 started Little Desert Tours,” he said. “By 1974 I had five vehicles and left the garage in 1975 to take on the job full time.” History reveals that Whimpey and Maureen went on to establish the Little Desert lodge and sanctuary at Winiam in 1977, a project that led to thousands of people, initially children, visiting the park. At the same time Whimpey explored his interest in the rare Mallee fowl and

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eventually collected 28 years worth of study documentation on the bird, information still used as a reference today. Whimpey retired in 2012, the lodge undergoing several changes and ending up in the hands of Conservation Volunteers Australia. The couple then prepared for retirement before tragedy struck and Whimpey lost Maureen to cancer. “I had lost my mate. I needed to do something and what better way to keep active than to pursue what you enjoy,” he said. “I had earlier rebuilt the Studebaker, which had basically been a heap of junk. “It was completed in 2008 and Maureen wouldn’t come for a drive until I could convince her that it was registered. “After that I restored the 1957 FE Holden and before that, back in 1979 I had restored the 1922 T-Model Ford. “In the last 18 months I bought a 1968 Holden Brougham and now that’s finished. “I’ve rebuilt engines, gear boxes and diffs for club and family members. I like doing it – it keeps me young and the brain active. I haven’t followed up with new electronics and basically stuck with the old mechanics. The young blokes have no idea about the old stuff, but I also have no idea about the new stuff.”

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dream Whimpey recommended to anyone who had lost a partner to ‘get busy and get the brain organised’. “That helps you sleep at night,” he said. “It is also good to have close friends. People such as Mick Kingwill, the man leading the Avro Anson project, has been very good to me. Bird-watching, photography and mechanics – they are my release valves.” Whimpey always seems to have a project on the go, be it working on a diesel power plant, the gearbox for a truck dating back before the Second World War or an aircraft engine. And what about his nickname? Where did it come from? Whimpey revealed that he was born at the same time cartoon characters Popeye and Olive were popular and had a baby called ‘Whimpey’. “He didn’t have any hair and at the time neither did I, so I was also called Whimpey. The name stuck.”

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Page 37

The long road Serena Kereopa, 45, grew up in

country towns across Queensland and has lived in Horsham since 2011. She works for Centre for Participation. Serena agreed to share her amazing story of personal, physical and mental challenge and self-discovery. Her story provides insight into why people hike, climb mountains and pursue challenging adventures and underlines why there has been considerable investment into a Grampians Peaks Trail project in our region. Here is her story –

rikey that was a long way to walk – especially when walking isn’t really my thing. My name is Serena Kereopa and only sheer willpower and good old-fashioned stubbornness carried me along the 3524.14 kilometres that make up the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail traverses through 14 states in America, from Georgia to Maine, along terrain that is mountainous for its entire length and with an elevation gain and loss equivalent to hiking Mt Everest from sea level and back 16 times.

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I read this on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website about 12 months ago: got goose bumps, blurred vision and excited. I decided that I was going to be one of the thousands every year to attempt this hike and was determined I was going to be that one in four who summits Katahdin and touches the last waypoint. Then in September, 2017, after 165 days of blood, sweat and tears, sore feet, cranky knees and feeling all of my 45 years, I was number 894 to summit the last mountain and finish what was a fantastic journey that unleashed a quiet confidence I’d never felt before.

Finding the right angle

Two years ago two people I cared deeply about passed away – my father and his sister. Both were heavily influential in my life and with them gone I found myself at a crossroads. On top of this, I wasn’t dealing with work stress well and began questioning where my life was headed. I needed the world to stop for a moment. I needed the space to think and regroup. I started looking at various holiday destinations and ideas such as Thailand or a cruise perhaps, but none of them really spoke to or inspired me.

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to self-fulfilment I wanted to be challenged – to boldly go where I had never been before, to do something I would never think to do. Then a Google search landed me on walking and hiking holidays, which are two activities you wouldn’t automatically associate with me. Then I came across the Appalachian Trail. I laughed out loud when I read it was a gruelling and demanding endeavour that required great physical and mental stamina and determination. As an unfit overweight smoker, who had been smoking for 27 years, I thought ‘crikey, this could just be what I’m looking for’.

Learning to laugh again

Luckily I work for Centre for Participation in Horsham, an organisation that believes in a healthy work life balance and encourages its employees to fulfil both work and life goals. So after a long conversation with the chief executive and support from the organisation’s board, I had six months of leave approved to ‘go forth and conquer’. I meant to physically prepare myself for this ordeal, but I didn’t – the only thing I did do with any conviction was stop smoking. Looking back, I just had no concept of what I was in for. Even though I read blog after blog about how hard it was going to be, I couldn’t contextualise it.

That all changed by the end of my first day on the approach trail to the Appalachian Trail, which ended at 2pm because I couldn’t go any further. I shook my head in bewilderment, heart pumping and mind blown. All itinerary plans I had gone into it with were instantly thrown out the window. My muscles were racked with pain, my chest heaved and I thought ‘what I have gotten myself into?’ On that first day of my solo journey, I met two of what would turn out to be many great hiker friends I would come to know along the way. People on the trail and throughout the towns supporting the trail were fantastic. They opened up their hearts, fridges, doors, cars and wallets in support and acknowledgement of the enormous ordeal we had undertaken. I became part of a community where people supported each other, the environment and looked out for one and all. The trail highlighted the good in people – from ‘Trail Angels’, people who left food and drink on the trail, to those who shouted hikers meals, drinks and rides and others who gave encouragement as you passed by. For the first few weeks, I would arrive at camp and all of us would be trying to check our phones and didn’t talk because we were unused to daily interaction with strangers.

That all changed when phone coverage wasn’t available and we eased into life on the trail. Hikers learnt to bond quickly and respect each other’s journey, acknowledging we were all there with our own stories and that we are essentially seeking the same thing: challenge and solace. After five and a half months, going to sleep as the sun sets and waking up alongside the creatures of the forest, your body becomes symbiotic with nature. Walking in a green tree-lined tunnel surrounded by rivers, streams and springs of fresh water had the most amazing calming effect. However, a con of walking on your own for anywhere up to 12 hours a day every day is you tend to be inside your own head, so audio books become one of your best friends. There were times I became so frustrated with falling down, tripping and stumbling over the roots and rocks covering the trail, I would lose it and start pounding the ground with my trekking poles and groan in a very unladylike fashion. I was pleased to know that I was not the only one and many a male and female hiker would end up in frustrated tears at some point. It was as demanding and challenging as it had been portrayed.

Watching black bears and their cubs going about their business, rattlesnakes enjoying a spot on a stone in the sun, butterflies taking their first flight, squirrels foraging and the seasons changing had a way of putting life into perspective for me. Carrying everything I needed to be dry, warm, fed and sheltered in one pack on my back demonstrated how much excess I had in my life. The trail, like life, was rocky or filled with roots or mud, achievements and successes. I also learnt that I could overcome or achieve anything I set my mind to simply by putting one foot in front of the other.

The future

The Appalachian Trail and all I gained from it has had a positive effect on me. I have learnt to laugh again and find inner peace and happiness with my life and those in it. I have also caught the ‘thru-hiking’ bug and have already begun to plan my next thru hike; to hike the Bicentennial trail which is Australia’s premier long-distance, multi-use recreational trekking route, stretching 5330 kilometres from Cooktown in tropical far north Queensland to Healesville in Victoria. – Serena has invited people to read more about her experiences at website feistyadventures.com

Thinking of travel? Call in and see our team with a combined total of 130 years in travel. You can see below the destinations we have travelled, toured and lived in over these years. Let us help you with your travel needs and let us share our own personal experiences. Kelly

Kim

Kate

Chris

Thailand (7 times) • Bali (4) • Vietnam (2) • Ocean Cruising (2) • United Kingdom (2) • Singapore (2) • United States (2) • Malaysia • New Zealand • Japan • Mauritius • Dubai • France • Canada • Africa

England (lived for 12 months) • United Kingdom (6) • Europe (3) • Continental Africa (2) • New Zealand (2) • Hawaii (2) • South East Asia (5) • Ireland • Cambodia & Vietnam • Macchu Pichu • Peru & Chile • Zanzibar • Canada & Alaska • Croatia & Bosnia • Egypt • Japan

Bali (3) • Thailand (2) • New Zealand • New Caledonia • Fiji • Cook Islands • Japan • Vietnam • Europe River Cruise • United Kingdom & Ireland • Dubai • United States & Hawaii • India • Peru, Chile & The Amazon • Africa • Canada & Alaska

Canada & Alaska (13) • Ocean Cruising (10) • Bali (9) • United States & Hawaii (9) • New Zealand (7) • England & Scotland (5) • Europe River Cruising (5) • Singapore & Malaysia (5) • Hong Kong (4) • Southern Africa (3) • Vietnam (3) • Fiji (3) • Japan (2) • Equador & Galapagos Islands • India • China & Macau • Phuket & Thailand • Gili Islands • USA & New Zealand Skiing

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Sharna

Leanne

France (3) • Canada (3) • Fiji (3) • Bali (3) • United Kingdom (3) • Thailand (2) • Vietnam (2) • Ocean Cruising (2) • New Zealand • Sri Lanka • USA Skiing • Italy • South Africa • Europe River Cruise • India • Argentina & Brazil • Japan • Dubai

Canada (lived for 12 months) • United Kingdom (6) • Bali (3) • United States & Alaska (3) • New Zealand (2) • Europe River Cruising (2) • Singapore (2) • Europe Touring (2) • Vietnam (2) • Fiji (2) • Maldives • Mauritius • Egypt • South Africa • Peru & Chile • The Amazon • Cambodia • Sabah • India • China & Japan

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Nat England (lived for 12 months) •

New Zealand (8) • Bali (4) • Thailand (3) • Canada & Alaska (2) • United States (2) • Scotland & Ireland (2) • Vietnam (2) • India • Fiji • South Africa • Europe River Cruising • Japan • Penang & Langkawi • Vanuatu Page 39

Daily steps By Sarah Scully

elf-consciousness and a desire to feel comfortable in her own skin set Wimmera woman Lisa Cosson on a path that would not only change her own life, but the lives of many. Lisa spent years working in the hospitality industry, working in restaurants, running them and catering – to the point she became burnt out. In 1991 she took off for Hayman Island, ready for a change. “Along with being burnt out, big time, I really wasn’t happy in my own skin,” Lisa said. “In my later years of schooling I went to boarding school in Ballarat and I put on a lot of weight, because I could eat what I wanted since there was no one to be accountable to.” Lisa said she started exploring exercise a little, which ramped up when she moved to Stawell. “I used to travel up and down the highway between Stawell and Ararat because there were a couple of trainers in Ararat I loved,” she said. While Lisa enjoyed aerobics, she lacked an understanding about how it worked for her.

She decided to undertake some study to figure out how ‘this silly body’ of hers worked and discovered aerobic training was not the only form available. “Understanding weight training was a big catalyst for building lean muscle was a turning point for me,” she said. “It changed the way I approached fitness.” After moving home from Hayman Island, Lisa met a man who ran a small gym at Stawell’s leisure centre. “I trained up in the fitness industry to help him, because he was my boyfriend at the time,” she said. “I fell in love with the fitness industry and out of love with him. “He wanted to travel and I didn’t, so I bought the facility off him.” Demand for her services grew, so Lisa relocated across town to what was Casper’s World in Miniature, or ‘mini world’, which was part of her family’s business. Lisa thrived in her new environment, taking on the Les Mills group fitness classes when the worldwide program was still in its early stages. “I was one of the first franchisees in Victoria, just after Ballarat,” Lisa said. “One thing led to another. I started off

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to empowerment with just pump classes and now I have eight to 10 of the Les Mills programs.” While spending time in Horsham working as a dental nurse, Lisa decided it was time to expand her business. “I started going to one of the other facilities and I still felt really self conscious with body image, because I was not at my happy weight,” she said. “I have always battled the bulge. I felt maybe there was an opportunity for a small facility in Horsham for people who don’t like going to big gyms.” When Lisa learnt Workout World in Stawell Road was closing, she approached the owner about selling his equipment and renting the building. “That’s how Planet Feelgood started here in Horsham, 20-odd years ago,” she said. “It was a slow process moving from Workout World to Planet Feelgood. I never wanted to grow my business quickly. For me, it was about getting to know who my clients needed to be. It evolved from there.” Lisa now operates solely from Horsham and runs a wide range of group classes, personal training and programs for people of all fitness levels and a wide range of health issues. She also organises workshops and takes

groups away for fitness challenges, such as the popular Tough Mudder events. Throw a husband and children into the mix, learning ever-evolving choreography and upskilling to meet clients’ needs and Lisa is beyond busy. But she not only makes it work, she does so with a sense of energy and vibrancy that is the envy of many. Lisa said her motivation was reflected in the name of her business. “I simply want to help people to feel good, because I know how it feels when you feel empowered – when you think there is something you can’t have, but through hard work and determination you are able to achieve it,” she said. “The majority of people coming through my door have always been people with injury concerns or emotional wellbeing concerns who really do have a lot to do for their health and wellbeing and need hands-on support. They are my biggest inspiration.” Through her training and commitment to learning about health, Lisa formed a partnership with Wimmera Health Care Group about 16 or 17 years ago. “They refer people who have been to hospital for things such as a fall, heart attack, stroke or acquired brain injury,” Lisa said.

“The patients do their acute programming with a physio, occupational therapist or falls prevention specialist and then they are assessed and filtered into my groups. “They do a 10-week program with me, with a nurse in attendance. This helps them build confidence coming away from the hospital and to take control of their health management. “From there they can filter into any other program. There’s no bias to stay here at Planet Feelgood. We recommend they look at other facilities such as the aquatic centre if they want to do water work, or Curves if they want a ladies-only gym.” Lisa said although people went to gyms for different reasons, for her ‘hospital groups’, fitness classes ticked several important boxes. “It’s not about ‘body beautiful’ or anything like that,” she said. “It’s about mobility and independence. It is also a social outlet. A lot of people in my groups go on day trips or out for coffee. If someone is sick they will go around to their house with flowers. They look after each other. “For a lot of them, classes are not about physical health but about wellbeing. Some of them have lost spouses and this is a way to reconnect with life.”

Lisa encourages people of all ages to be active and prioritise their health. “So many people think they don’t need to exercise because they’ve got ‘ages’ before they need to worry about it,” she said. “But when people come into the gym for the first time in their 70s or 80s, they always say they wish they started younger. “That’s why I try to motivate others. If they start now, they aren’t going to have the same problems a lot of people have later in life.” Lisa is aware becoming and staying motivated is not easy. “You can use motivation as an excuse. I hear ‘I’m not motivated’ about three times a day. But for me, being active is about discipline, not motivation,” she said. “It’s about doing something because you know you will be better for doing it. “Until someone comes up with a miracle pill, the only way is the hard way. And the hard way is discipline. I encourage people to have rituals every day – whether it be with sleep patterns, exercise or food – and doing them, even when they don’t want to. “It is about taking small steps every day to empower yourself and make yourself feel good.”

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Page 41

Something you can buy I

By Chris Buwalda

t is amazing how the range of travel has changed in the 25 years I have been in the industry. In our early years as travel agents, we spent most of our time booking the highly demanded Gold Coast family holiday or sending our clients across Bass Straight to explore each of the various corners of Tasmania. For people looking for a broader, maybe a little different cultural holiday experience, we could choose from the six or seven airlines that used to cross the Pacific Ocean from Australia directly to Hawaii. Occasionally we would help the more adventurous with a bucket-list experience of trekking the Kokoda Trail or longer haul travelling across the world heading west to Europe or the United Kingdom or east to North America, usually involving a standard 20-day coach tour or visiting family who had moved abroad. These early years at the agency only required a notepad and pen to take down all the required details, and a telephone to call the airline or cruise company to make all the necessary bookings for our guests.

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LifeStyle 2017

that makes you richer We also spent a little extra in the earlier years and purchased a typewriter to make our quotes and itineraries a little more presentable. How things then changed over the ensuing years with the development of the computer and program technologies that saw us install our own terminal that allowed us to make airline bookings on the spot. As with the technological advancements over the years, the travel industry has been riding the same wave. This explosion of information technology and computing power has seen a dramatic drop in the cost of travel, with this the introduction of budget airlines across the globe, a more competitive airfare system and the various accommodation options now available. Where, in those early start-up years, we spent half a day organising and booking a Gold Coast holiday for the family, the same thing can now be done in minutes and even made on a mobile phone. By the next day all the family and all their ‘friends’ know they are going as well. What we are doing in our agencies today has totally transformed from those early years. The itineraries and travel experiences

we now help our clients with represents a complete change. Queensland and Tasmania were our biggest-selling destinations back then, but now with the online competition and ease of travel, we see limited demand for these holidays. Today we help out with an amazing array of travel experiences and itineraries around the world. Unique experiences to diverse destinations for assorted reasons are the norm these days. Chasing family ancestry, searching for hidden cultures and new learning experiences anywhere in the world are also common. Today we find we are here to help plan a holiday that is a little more complicated and difficult to arrange than maybe online, and for those who need a little more assistance to find those hidden places, as well as having support during their travel. Family and escorted group travel is also a large part of our business, with an assortment of regional groups travelling around the world. We recently travelled to the Western Front in Europe with a group tracking down Wimmera ties as part of the centenary commemorations of the First World War.

On another occasion a group of 50 farmers explored Europe on a farm study tour and other group tours from the Wimmera spent nearly a month in either Japan or China experiencing diverse cultures and lifestyles. Escorted travel also provides an opportunity for people a little unsure if they could manage on their own travelling

to other parts of our amazing world. The underpinning message is that there are countless opportunities now available through your travel agent. – Chris Buwalda owns and manages Helloworld Travel in Horsham • See Faye Smith’s story on her trip to the Western Front, pages 34 and 35.

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D Page 43

Wet lines Wimmera wide W

immera angling identity Chris Spence caught his first fish in the Wimmera River when he was four, and he was hooked

for life. “I caught my first fish out of the Wimmera River some 44 to 45 years ago,” he said. “It was a four pound tench, an absolute cracking fish. I would go fishing with my grandfather and my parents. “Since the introduction of golden perch and catfish and silver perch into the river system, they’ve become a major target now and that’s what we chase. “The Wimmera River holds a very dear part in my life. I live on it and I fish it as often as I can.” Chris said the Wimmera had become an important focal point for local and visiting anglers because of the golden perch fishery plus the self-sustaining catfish fishery. Chris shares his love for the Wimmera River in a short online film by Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, released in September. The Wimmera… a flowing fish tale also features Australian angling identity Rex Hunt, who said it was no secret his two passions were footy and fishing, with the

Wimmera the perfect breeding ground for both. “Footy legends like Tim Watson and Adam Goodes grew up near the banks of the Wimmera River, one of my favourite inland rivers to fish,” he said. “Just like country footy and netball clubs, the Wimmera River connects communities and towns, helps them prosper and makes them great places to visit and live.” Wimmera CMA chief executive

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David Brennan said the film’s purpose was to highlight the value of waterways to the community and the critical role environmental water releases played in maintaining them. He said it was also a way to spread the word to those who lived outside the region that the Wimmera River was a wonderful place and well worth a visit. In 2016-17 recreation at a selection of Wimmera and southern Mallee waterways

contributed $27.5-million to the regional economy, with nearly 500,000 visits to rivers, lakes and weir pools. “It has been a long held belief that our lakes, wetlands, weir pools, creeks and rivers have more than environmental, cultural and water-supply values,” Mr Brennan said. “The Wimmera Southern Mallee Socio-Economic Value of Recreation and Environmental Water 2017 study revealed the value was much larger than many of us thought. “It also highlighted the important contribution to the region’s towns by providing enhanced amenity and a critical outlet for physical and mental relaxation, improving the overall health and wellbeing of residents and visitors alike.” Brett Ireland from Jeparit Angling Club, who also features on the Wimmera film, said successful rural towns had something to hang their hat on and for Jeparit, this was the Wimmera River. “A lot of grey nomads travelling about will see a nice river and stop for a few nights and just camp by the river and have a bit of a fish. We’re always pleased to see these people in Jeparit because they keep the town thriving and alive,” he said.

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“We rely on environment flows getting up here. We’re at the end of the line. If our river gets too low and salty and the fish stop biting, then we don’t get the tourists.” Regular environmental flows as a result of the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline and periodic heavy rain have also allowed Jeparit to resurrect its annual fishing competition. “If environmental flows are always granted, given they’ve got the water to grant them, this town will prosper and survive,” Mr Ireland said. “We haven’t got a lot of businesses here but the ones we’ve got need the river, there’s no question. The only way the river has survived over the past few years is with the flows we’ve been given. “At our latest comp we had 300 seniors and 140 juniors and it was great. “The town gets quite busy. It all just flows onto the hotel, the supermarket, the takeaways – the dollars are really handy for them. “The fishing comp is vital to our town and business. We’ve also made very good money, which goes back into community projects like a new fishing pontoon for the kids and beautifying along the banks so the locals and people who come to Jeparit can enjoy the river even more.” Water for the environment returns some of that water to the river system that is captured by weirs and dams. It provides a range of low flows and pulses that in part mimic natural flow and are important to stimulate processes

such as fish breeding and diluting stretches affected by salinity. During droughts this involves providing more water so refuge locations stay wet and isolated pools are linked, allowing the movement of fish and platypuses. In wet years water for the environment can provide some of the larger flows that are important for triggers for fish and waterway plants to breed.

When are the fish biting?

A good day out on the water can turn into a great day if the conditions are right. Fish will respond to flows by becoming more active and likely to end up on the end of a line. Mr Spence said anglers had seen firsthand the benefits of well-timed environmental flows. “They’re an absolute bonus to anglers. When flows are on we see a spark in activity and anglers can explore more water,” he said. To help people see what is happening with flows, Wimmera CMA has a new webpage providing up-to-date information on creeks and rivers subject to environmental flows. Watch the film and access a map at www.wcma.vic.gov.au. Rex Hunt

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Page 45

Lifestyle W drawn a immera has 40-que snapsh stion ot of The W from the archiv es eekly A dve weekly quiz as rtiser’s a test. Care questio ful, while so me ns of the will be easy, a some n s w obviou e s as th rs aren’t as ey mig ht see m.

How is your knowledge? 1. What is the Mallee hometown of Australian country singer John Williamson? 2. What southern Mallee town is mentioned in Russell Crowe’s movie The Water Diviner?

25. Tiger snakes, Notechis scutatus, call some areas of the Wimmera home. Does a tiger snake produce eggs or give birth to live young?

3. Former English sportsman turned businessman Charles ‘Duncan’ Fearnley, 74, is responsible for creating primarily what things that have been used in the Wimmera?

26. True or false? If a bite from a venomous snake breaks the skin, venom quickly travels through the blood stream to vital organs and the central nervous system.

4. Wimmera terrestrial or ground-dwelling species of orchid are masters of ‘sexual deception’. What creatures do they deceive to guarantee pollination?

6. Travelling east to west, in what towns does the Wimmera Highway start and end? 7. Name all the lakes in the Boga Lakes, south-east of Horsham. 8. The kookaburra is a familiar inhabitant of the Wimmera. It is also the largest example of what type of bird? 9. What was the name of the prominent Australian Test cricketer from Stawell who in 10 matches captured 42 wickets at an average of 37.4 while representing Australia in the 1930s and whose family was heavily involved in the former Pleasant Creek News and Stawell Chronicle newspapers? 10. What am I? I’m a noisy, gregarious and seemingly fearless native bird common to the Wimmera with the Latin name Glossopsitta concinna. I am enjoying the spring blossom of many native trees in the Wimmera, hanging around with rainbow lorikeets, annoying wattle birds, frustrating New Holland honeyeaters and enjoying plundering fruit and nut trees. What is my common name? 11. Remarkably, there are people in the

Wimmera who can arguably trace part of their ancestry back to the House of Plantagenet. Had historical circumstances been different, these people would have been part of the royal family in what country? 12. What chemical element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79 has played a significantly historic role in our region? 13. What Wimmera lake can traditionally hold 431,700 megalitres of water? 14. The Wimmera is supposedly a variation on the Aboriginal term Woomera which means what? 15. The famous First World War Australian Light Horse charge on the wells at Beersheba in the Middle East, which involved Wimmera horsemen, was over what distance? A. One kilometre. B. Two kilometres. C. Three kilometres. D. Four kilometres. 16. What national poet of note who settled in the west Wimmera in 1889 had to dictate his poems after failing eyesight curtailed his reading from about the age of 30? 17. What is are names of the two imposing mountains in the Grampians that overlook Dunkeld?

18. In the Wimmera we have silvereyes. What are they? 19. Is the rare tiny silky mouse, Pseudomys apodemoides, which has a relative stronghold in parts of the west Wimmera, particularly in Little Desert country, a native rodent or a marsupial?

29. What is the name of the settlement starting with ‘L’ about five kilometres directly south of Dadswells Bridge?

20. Is much of the Grampians mountain range made of igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic rock?

30. If you chat with a lizard expert, especially in the Wimmera-Mallee, they might talk about Pogonas or the Pogona genus. These relatively small and harmless lizards have a fearsome common name. What is it?

21. True or false? There are some species of bats, some that call the Wimmera home, that can catch up to 600 mosquitoes in an hour.

31. Floodwater broke the banks of what waterway to inundate Dadswells Bridge in January, 2011?

22. What is the common name of the species of Australian cockatoo that has a Latin name derived from an appearance suggesting it is ‘dressed for a funeral?’

32. It took 65 years to rebuild Gerang Gerung Hall after what damaged it in 1897? A. Cyclone. B. Bushfire. C. Flood. D. Livestock stampede.

23. The Wimmera is home to a large deposit of heavy minerals including what slightly magnetic mineral that can withstand extreme temperatures, is a primary source of titanium dioxide and was first discovered in the Ilmenski mountains in Russia?

33. The main street of what Wimmera centre is named after the Scott brothers, the first European squatters to settle in the district where the town now stands?

24. What is wrong with this sentence? ‘Similar to other nocturnal owls, the tawny frogmouth uses acute night vision to hunt prey.’

35. J Ward, now a museum in Ararat, was home to some of Victoria’s most dangerous and criminally insane people from the 1880s to when it was finally closed in what year?

Answers: 1. Quambatook. 2. Rainbow. 3. Duncan Fearnley cricket bats. 4. Wasps. The wasps mistake the orchid flowers for other wasps and unwittingly carry pollen as they go from plant to plant. 5. Glenn Tepper. His younger sisters Kerri and Jan and brother Ross also represented Australia. 6. Marong near Bendigo and Naracoorte, South Australia. 7. Green, Pine, Taylors and Dock. 8. Kingfisher. 9. Leslie O’Brien ‘Chuck’ Fleetwood-Smith. Considered ‘a wayward genius’, he was a left-arm wrist-spin bowler and his dismissal of Wally Hammond to clinch the 1936-37 Ashes series has been compared with Shane Warne’s ball of the century. 10. Musk lorikeet. 11. Great Britain and the Commonwealth. The House of Plantagenet was a royal dynasty that came to an end with the death of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field during the civil War of the Roses. 12. Gold. 13. Lake Hindmarsh. 14. A spear-throwing stick or paddle that increased the speed of the spear. 15. C. Three kilometres. History’s last cavalry charge by the 4th Light Horse Brigade occurred with horses desperately thirsty. 16. John Shaw Neilson. He was born in Penola and lived at Nhill. 17. Mt Sturgeon and Mt Abrupt. 18. Small inquisitive birds. Four species of this passerine species occur in Australia, eating a combination of fruit juice and insects. 19. Rodent. In Victoria more than 40 percent of the original native rodent species have become extinct since the arrival of Europeans. 20. Sedimentary rock. The mountains are made up of sedimentary sandstone ranges. 21. True. 22. Yellow-tailed black cockatoo. Its Latin name is Calyptorhynchus funereus. The Djab Wurrung people called it Ghiran. Langi Ghiran means home of the black cockatoo. 23. Ilmenite. 24. The tawny frogmouth is not an owl, or even a raptor. It is more closely related to a nightjar. 25. They give birth to live young, often as many as 30 individuals. 26. False. Snakebite toxins are too large to navigate through capillaries to blood. They instead travel throughout the body via the lymphatic system. 27. There would be a fight to the death and the wasp would most likely win. The wasp would paralyse the spider with its sting. Pompolid wasps are among the few predators that eat red-back spiders. 28. Natimuk-Douglas Wetlands or chain of lakes. 29. Ledcourt. 30. Bearded dragons. 31. Mt William Creek. 32. Cyclone. 33. Warracknabeal. 34. Lake Coorong. 35. 1991. Page 46

28. What is the name of the north-south chain of Wimmera freshwater, brackish and saline wetlands west of Horsham that are remnants of an ancient river that stretched from the Murray River to the coast?

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34. What is the name of the large wetland bordering Lake Lascelles at Hopetoun?

7 3

SUDOKU

5. What international table tennis player from Murtoa represented Australia from 1982 to 1991, played in Sweden’s professional division one competition, three world championships, four Asian championships and achieved a highest individual ranking of 160 in the world?

27. If an Australian pompilid wasp, some of which call the Wimmera home, and redback spider confronted each other, what would happen?

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aysia Sunr

Patchewollock

Artist: Fintan Magee

Hwy

Hot on the trail

Lascelles Artist: Rone

Rosebery

Henty Hwy

Artist: Kaff-eine

Brim

Artist: Guido van Helten

WARRACKNABEAL

gh Hi

Sheep Hills Artist: Adnate

Rupanyup

Artist: Julia Volchkova

es W te

HORSHAM

By Dean Lawson

HOPETOUN

rn ay

onsider for a moment what immediate mental picture comes to mind when thinking or asked about the Wimmera-Mallee. Images that immediately flash in the mind’s eye are of distant horizons, dramatic sunsets and waves of crops gently moving in the breeze under the shimmer of a heat haze. The region stretches for kilometre after kilometre, from the sandstone Grampians created from ancient geographical upheaval in the south to the vast sundrenched plains of the north. What is immediately obvious is the vastness of this unique part of western Victoria and that its history, past and future is all about open space. Everything appears on a large scale except for the communities that call it home. Scattered in lonely isolation alongside railway easements among the patchwork of crops are cylindrical pillars. The pillars that tower over the country are grain silos – as much a part of the landscape as the stubble and remnant stands of buloke and box trees. Drive anywhere for any length of time in the region and silos, be they near a roadside or rail line or somewhere in the distance, will come into view. The silos, many of them decommissioned, remain as monuments to the grain that has played a pivotal and productive role in Victorian food production. Apart from a sense of history and nostalgia, these

structures might have played no further part in regional progress. This is, had it not been for what has proven to be one of the most imaginative, opportunistic large-scale socio-economic developments in the contemporary history of country Victoria. As a result of a mighty collision between agriculture, rural communities and art, the passion of a Brim community and a push from the likes of former Yarriambiack Shire Council mayor Ray Kingston, we now have a 200-kilometre Silo Art Trail, attracting descriptions including ‘the largest outdoor art gallery in the world’ to ‘Australia’s equivalent of the United States’ Mount Rushmore’. The Silo Art Trail, involving a series of six giant murals painted by internationally renowned artists on silos at Rupanyup, Sheep Hills, Lascelles, Patchewollock and now Rosebery, is finished. Artist Kaff-eine completed the series with her work on a silo at Rosebery. She follows other street and landscape artists Guido van Helten, Julia Volchkova, Fintan Magee, Rone and Adnate. The trail, apart from capturing international attention and a growing procession of visitors, links obscurely shaped Yarriambiack Shire from north to south. For any visitor to the region it is now a must to see one, two or all of the silos, which for some in the past, were isolated outposts that offered little attraction for the travelling tourist. Continued page 48

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Page 47

Patchewollock

Brim

From page 47 And while the Silo Art Trail project might now be complete, the concept appears far from spent with other communities now looking at their old town silos through new eyes. Giant concrete or steel eyesores? Not on your life. They are now mighty and empty canvases, simply waiting for a dab of paint and a creative touch. Earlier this year the Victorian

Page 48

Government announced speculative plans for a major expansion of the Silo Art Trail. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, in announcing $500,000 in regional tourism and planning money, said at the time the project had the potential to expand by 12 silos through a co-ordinated approach. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll wait and see. What we know for the moment is that we are now blessed with a fresh and impressive major tourist attraction that ticks all sorts of regional socio-economic development boxes.

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Picture: NATALIE BUTLER

LifeStyle 2017

Rupanyup Rosebery

Sheep Hills

Lascelles

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Page 49

Are you ready to head off into the great unknown? CARAVANNING is a logical option if you’re looking to emulate the hundreds of thousands of Australians who regularly get away for the weekend or to take to the highways to fulfil that lifelong dream of driving to the back of beyond. A ‘home away from home’ makes sense, not least because of the cost savings involved in having your own sleeping quarters, kitchen and, with upmarket RVs, bathroom facilities. But for first timers, and even experienced caravanners considering an upgrade, choosing from the huge range of recreational vehicles can be a daunting proposition. Caravans, 5th Wheelers, pop tops, Expandas, camper trailers – it can be intimidating. Shane Holloway, Jayco National Sales Manager, a well-travelled caravanner with more than 27 years of experience in the RV market, shares his views on what a buyer should consider before entering a showroom.

1. How do you plan to use the RV? For an around-Australia trip, regular weekend escapes, as a live-in for an extended period? ls it for a family, couple or a single person? Your intentions will determine the shape, size (RVs range from 8 to 28 feet – yes, it’s still imperial measurements), floorplans and fittings. Be specific. For example, if your road tripping involves carting around motorbikes, mountain bikes, etc., consider toy haulers. Fit-outs are just as important: ensuite, hot/cold running water, separate bedroom, lounge, culinary-standard kitchen, reverse cycle air-conditioning, solar kits, annexe, LED lighting and multi-media facilities (TV, games, music and communication).

4. Fibreglass or aluminium: Fibreglass has become the benchmark for caravans. It is easier to clean, stronger and better insulated against the vagaries of weather. Additional strength means it is hail and dent resistant. Aluminium is a lighter material and some traditionalists still like the old-fashioned look, while the shorter panelling in some cases makes it cheaper to fix after a mishap.

2. Buying new: Along with the advantage of custom-built (think fabric and indoor material selections for starters), new has the benefit of the latest in technology, safety, improved suspension and durability, lightweight construction material, ever-improving use of space and home comforts. Read the warranties too. For example, some brands offer 24/7 three-year roadside assistance.

5. Tow vehicles: Know the towing capacity of your vehicle. You need to make sure the RV has its fully-loaded weight and towball weight under your vehicle specs. In layman’s terms, a six-cylinder car should be the minimum to tow a caravan, while some four-cylinders are more than capable of towing units such as a pop top or camper trailer. There is less wind resistance as well as fuel savings with these lighter smaller models. The fixed-roof range of luxury caravans have a longer wheel base and require a vehicle with stronger pulling capacity. Of course, all the home extras make them a joy to travel in.

3. Buying used: Used vehicles are naturally cheaper. Make sure there’s a service record. Stick with licensed dealers to ensure clear title and peace of mind as to its condition. Are there warranties for parts and service?

6. Garaging: Undercover is always better. It’s where a convertible comes into its own. No need for a high roof carport with pop tops, Expandas and camper trailers. The compact design means better storage, while gas-filled struts and retractable handles make it easy to lift and lower the ceiling, or extend bunk beds outwards.

7. Fixed-roof caravans: One of the pleasures of caravanning is the ability to stop anywhere, anytime and take in the view, have a cuppa or catnap. As easy as it is physically, going through the whole process of opening and closing the extensions regularly can get tiring. All the state-of-the-art models have fixed-roofs with some featuring superior luxuries, such as an electronic slide-out lounge and full-sized kitchens. 8. Off-roader: Outback models are built to travel on rougher stretches, such as corrugated and unsealed roads. But RVers must be realistic. There are places even four-wheel drives find challenging. For rugged use, look for independent coil suspension, a stronger chassis than on-road models, larger rims and brake magnets. Ask about practical extras, such as solar kits (around 120W), gas bayonet for outside cooking and an external 12v socket for appliances. * There are more than 550,000 recreational vehicles registered in Australia.

For more information, talk to the team at Jayco Horsham today. 107 Stawell Road (On the Western Hwy, Stawell side of Horsham) LMCT 90214 WWW.JAYCOHORSHAM.COM.AU 5382 4100

Horsham

. . . s n u g l l e s t s u j t ’ We don

Firearms

600

With over guns on display from youth to elite

Gun safes Small to large

...it’s our lifestyle Accessories Massive range of scopes, binoculars, torches, knives, large range of re-loading accessories and heaps more...

Clothing Great range of hunting and camouflage gear on display

TMS S E RG EAR THE

LRAANGE OFLAFTIRED GENAR

Ammunition Huge range

GUN S AVA MITH IL IN-S ABLE TOR E

Customer SERVICE & years of KNOWLEDGE from the guys who shoot...

RE TER AND N WES IA I TOR VIC

27 Hamilton Hwy, Horsham

Buy from the guys who actually shoot

Email: jashooting@bigpond.com

Licence No.: 833-520-20F

Ph: 5382 2248

Road Safety starts with you

These safety tips come from the VicRoads booklet â&#x20AC;&#x153;A guide to choosing and using motorised mobility devices: mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs.â&#x20AC;? This information has been printed in the interest of safety for all of our customers. We hope you find it helpful and enjoy happy and safe shopping at Horsham Plaza.