Rex December/January 2017

TA K M E HO E ME

Dec/Jan 2017

WHYALLA

WONDERS Where the underwater giants play

“I’M A BIT OF A GYPSY” Home is where the heart is for country star Adam Brand COCOS & CHRISTMAS Unplug and reconnect on these tropical paradise islands THE SWEET SPOT More than a food bowl, the Riverina is a rich vein for investors.

GO PLACES It’s a funny question to ask someone, where are you going?

You might want to answer to work, or to the dentist, but we’re all going somewhere bigger than that.

We’re heading there with every action, every decision, every seemingly insignificant step. And, we’re here so you can keep moving.

With over 150 locations across Australasia, wherever you need to be, you’ll find us.

Wherever you’re going, stay with Quest.

Search locations at questapartments.com.au/goplaces

Bamaga NPA

WHERE WE FLY

Mornington Island (Gununa) Normanton

Cairns

Burketown Doomadgee

Townsville Mount Isa

Julia Creek

Hughenden

Richmond

Winton

Boulia

Longreach Bedourie

Windorah Charleville

Birdsville

Brisbane West Wellcamp (Toowoomba)

Quilpie Cunnamulla Coober Pedy

Brisbane

St George

Thargomindah

Lismore Ceduna

Grafton (Yamba) Armidale

Cobar

Broken Hill Whyalla

Perth

Dubbo

Parkes

Albany

Port Lincoln

Adelaide

Kingscote (Kangaroo Island)

Griffith

Bathurst

Narrandera-Leeton Wagga Wagga Albury

Mount Gambier

Taree

Orange

Mildura Esperance

Ballina (Byron Bay)

Melbourne

Newcastle

Sydney

Moruya Snowy Mountains (Cooma) Merimbula

King Island

Burnie

Dear friends of

Welcome to the December/January 2017 issue of Outthere.

As 2016 draws to a close and we move into

2017, we would like to convey our sincere appreciation to all of our passengers – ­­ both seasoned travellers and those who have travelled on Rex for the first time – for your support this year.

We have had a very exciting year. 2016 has given us three new routes – a year-round service between Sydney and the Snowy Mountains (Cooma), and services from Perth to both Esperance and Albany in Western Australia (WA). Rex’s expansion into WA back in February and the Snowy Mountains back in March now sees Rex operating to 58 destinations across all states of Australia.

Rex’s fully owned pilot training academy in Wagga Wagga NSW also undertook expansion in 2016, casting the net wider to provide

training to cadet pilots from Vietnam Airlines.

And while the prior financial year saw the first statutory loss since financial year 2003 due to some non-cash writedowns, the Rex Group remains operationally profitable and anticipates financial year 2017 will reap better results.

We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season and hope you find some time to relax and recharge over the summer period.

Looking forward to flying with you in 2017.

So until next time, from all 1,000 of us at Rex, Air Link, Pel-Air and AAPA, we invite you to sit back, relax and let us do the flying.

The Rex team 1

KNOX 2018 SCHOLARSHIPS ONLINE APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN Online applications for 2018 Scholarships, including scholarships for regional students, close 7 February 2017, with exams to be held in Dubbo and Sydney in February 2017.

FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK A TOUR OF OUR BOARDING HOUSE Please contact Martin Gooding, Head of Enrolments, at goodingm@knox.nsw.edu.au or call 02 9473 9768 A Uniting Church school for boys, K-12 – Wahroonga, Sydney www.knox.nsw.edu.au

contents

LIFESTYLE 01 ENTERTAINMENT 02 WHAT'S ON 04 CULTURE CLUB 09

MUST PACKS

10 AUTO REVIEW 14 CRUST

DESTINATION 17 IDYLIC ISLES The Cocos and Christmas islands are truly paradise.

22 GYPSY HEART Adam Brand shares his passion for country Australia.

33 07 Rex News 1 4 Puzzles 2 1 Origin Story

MEET THE SNUBBIES In Roebuck Bay, Broome, we meet some cute new friends.

BUSINESS 36 PADDOCK-TO-SHARE PLATE RIRDC winner Sophie Hansen talks farming & social media.

21

47 COMMODITIES REPORT Aussie market analysis 2016.

53 THE SWEET SPOT The NSW Riverina is more than a food bowl: it's a gold mine.

Local Millenials are turning the NSW Riverina into a foodies' Mecca.

63 BITING THE DUST Mining companies innovate against the danger of dust.

3 3 Wild Encounters Altina Wildlife Park is home to beasts you must see to believe.

75 EDUCATION SPECIAL Australian boarding schools and unis talk future leaders.

3 6 Whyalla's Wonders Rex visits the southern city for an underwater encounter like no other.

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TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS

A U S T R A L I A N

INDUSTRY SKILLS COUNCIL 2014 2013 2014 BEST REGIONAL AIRLINE 2011 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

AWARDS

TOP PERFORMING 2009-14 REGIONAL AIRLINE

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Gantheaume Point in Broome, Western Australia

Get in ! touch EDITOR Annabelle Warwick annabelle.warwick@edge.agency ART DIRECTOR Guy Pendlebury SUB-EDITOR Merran White PRODUCTION MANAGER Brian Ventour CONTRIBUTORS Deborah Dickson-Smith, Ben Smithurst, Darren Baguley, Danielle Chenery, Jiyan Dessens, Leanne Husdon, Dianne Bortoletto, Merran White, Rowan Crosby, Emma George, Michael Benn PRINTER SOS Print & Media ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Scott Hunt scott.hunt@edge.agency NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Peter Anderson peter.anderson@edge.agency WA, SA and NT SALES REP Helen Glasson, Hogan Media Phone: 08 9381 3991 helen@hoganmedia.com.au MANAGING PARTNERS Fergus Stoddart, Richard Parker

issuu.com/edgeinflight facebook.com/ OutthereMagazineAustralia @OutthereMagAus

Outthere is published by Edge Level 4, 10–14 Waterloo Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Phone: +61 2 8962 2600 edgecustom.com.au Outthere is published by Business Essentials (Australasia) Pty Limited (ABN 22 062 493 869), trading as Edge, under license to MGI Publishing Pty Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the Publisher. Information provided was believed to be correct at the time of publication. All reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders. Outthere cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If such items are sent to the magazine, they will not be returned. Some images used in Outthere are from Thinkstock and Getty Images.

Editor's letter

T

his a madly busy time of year but, wherever you’ve come from and wherever you’re headed, I reckon time in the sky is definitely Me Time (for everyone except the Rex staff, that is).

So grab a cuppa, let yourself off the hook (i.e. the phone) and find something to read.

Upfront in Rex – for this issue I was lucky enough to visit the stunning NSW Riverina after record rains had the rivers overflowing.

I rested up at the comfy Bolton on the Park in Wagga for a weekend of organic farm brekkies, cooking classes and food festivals.

I was blown away by the heavenly new cheese factory in the charming town of Coolamon, and the next day tasted these cheeses matched to wines at the Griffith McWilliams vineyards - genius Griffith’s vibrant Italian community was out in force, displaying huge orange sculptures in the main street for their Festival of Gardens. Pizza, pasta, antipasti- can you ever have too many Italian eateries? I think not and this is why I officially love Griffith.

You'll read about some of the young foodies of the Riverina on page 21.

In Outthere, charming country star Adam Brand talks about his upcoming tour, Get on Your Feet. Adam may be a bona fide gypsy but his heart is with regional Aussie communities and making life just that little bit more fun for everyone, through music.

Speaking of the good life, we escape with pole-vaulter Emma George and family to lie in a hammock on the Cocos Keeling and Christmas Islands. We also head to Broome to catch a glimpse of the adorable and rare Snubfin dolphins of Roebuck Bay on the Kimberley Coast.

In our Business section we cover news and innovation across agriculture, regional development and mining, and chat with RIRDC Rural Woman of the Year Sophie Hansen about helping farmers and foodies connect online.

I hope you enjoy, and if you’d like to take this issue home, please feel free.

Wherever you are in our amazing land, have a very happy new year,

Anna Warwick Senior Travel Editor

5

jack estate c o o N aWa R R a

Respect the past, cReate the FutuRe jackestate.com

news

Rex FY15/16 results ON 24 August, the Regional Express (Rex) Group announced its full financial year 2016 results at an investor presentation held at its head office in Mascot, Sydney.

Rex announced a statutory after-tax loss of $9.6 million (M) following the $15M impairment of goodwill and assets. The Company reported an operating profit before tax of $4.3M, as set out in the table below:

FY15

FY16

$M

$M

Operating profit before tax

4.3

9.3

Operating profit after tax

3.0

6.7

Goodwill impairment

(6.6)

Asset impairment

(8.4)

Tax impact of the above

2.5

Statutory (loss)/profit after tax

(9.6)

This image: Attendees at the presentation. Below: Rex Ambassadors Max Hazelton (left) and Wally Flynn (right).

6.7

The $4.3M operating profit before tax was achieved on a turnover of $261.9M. Rex Chief Operating Officer Neville Howell said, “The Group had to make some non-cash writedowns due to the cessation of a Defence contract which resulted in the first full year statutory loss Rex has reported since FY02/03.

“The new Western Australian routes, which began on 28 February 2016, are expected to contribute 9% of Rex’s total passengers in FY17. This, together with the reduced fuel costs from hedging initiatives, should see Rex post better results in FY17.”

“The new Western Australian routes are expected to contribute 9% of Rex’s total passengers in FY17” 7

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news

Piper Society Visits Rex Pilot Academy REX AND the Australian Airline Pilot Academy (AAPA), its pilot training facility in Wagga Wagga, NSW, were pleased to be part of the Australian Piper Society’s recent Annual General Meeting.

Members of the not-for-profit society enjoyed a tour of the Rex heavy maintenance facility where they witnessed a Saab aircraft undergoing a C Check, followed by a visit to the engine shop to see engines up close.

The group were then given a tour of the AAPA facilities and an opportunity to meet and talk with some of the cadets, with some also trying their hand at the simulators.

Members of the not-for-profit society enjoyed a tour of the Rex heavy maintenance facility where they witnessed a Saab aircraft undergoing a C Check.

UNE on the World Stage

Agribusiness student Sarah Rohr with Armidale Sales Manager James Barnier at the launch of the UNE Centre for Agribusiness in Armidale.

AGRIBUSINESS STUDENTS from University of New England (UNE) recently attended the International Food and Agricultural Management Association (IFAMA) conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. UNE was the only Australian university with a team at the event attended by more than 100 universities worldwide. Rex provided two return flights between Armidale and Sydney to assist with the team’s travel expenses.

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Travel in Rex-tra Style!

Book Rex-tra Legroom on-line now* Emergency exit row seats have a couple of inches of extra legroom and can now be reserved for less than $10.00 each sector*. Plus, enjoy the Rex-tra Legroom in row 1 to be one of the first to disembark on arrival.

You can purchase Rex-tra Legroom any time on-line by selecting the Amend Booking icon on our website. You will need your Rex Booking Reference for this.

If you have purchased your ticket through a travel agency or travel manager, ask them for the relevant Rex Booking Reference. And the next time they book your Rex flight, remember to ask them to add in the Rex-tra Legroom directly. *Terms and conditions apply.

All photos (except for top right) courtesy of Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa

THE FASTEST WAY TO THE SNOWIES Enjoy the Snowy Mountains in summer with Rex Airlines

news

Poetry Takes Flight The power of poetry lies in its ability to transport us to different places, times and experiences. ~ Katie Persse, Teacher, St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School.

FROM SOCK puppets to gnomes, snow globes and stones – our treasured objects open portals into inner worlds, memories of travel and poetic inspiration.

Special objects and the precious memories they hold are at the heart of Red Room Poetry Object; a competition that helps students and teachers create and share poems inspired by objects.

Now in its sixth year, the competition has published more than 15,000 student poems from a constellation of 250 schools across Australia and New Zealand. Many of these budding poets come from Rex destinations such as Cooma, Broken Hill, Dubbo, Parkes, Perth and Whyalla, where exceptional imagination is unlocked through personal poetry.

In Toowoomba, Year 5 student Bede shares the tale of his grandfather’s trumpet – “A musical machine... It’s the only thing I have left of him.” For his classmate Hugh, a silver toy plane becomes the “key to the world, the king of the air”. And students at St Mary’s Anglican Girls School in Perth created a group poem by painting verses onto canvas shoes that will be donated to charity.

As their teacher Katie Persse explains, “Through poetry we are able to put on a new pair of shoes and take a walk through an unfamiliar or alternate perspective.

The power of poetry lies in its

ability to transport us to different places, times and experiences.”

Families and friends also gain insight into the significance of special objects from different people, cultures and places, celebrating poetic achievements at community performances all over the country.

2016 winning Red Room Poetry Object poems will be announced in the next issue of Outthere magazine, with a prize pool of over $10,000 supported by the Graeme Wood Foundation, Copyright Agency, Australia Council for the Arts, generous individuals and Regional Express (Rex).

Katie with her magic gnome.

‘Poetic soles’ by St Mary’s students.

“Through poetry we are able to put on a new pair of shoes and take a walk through an unfamiliar or alternate perspective.”

ACTIVIT Y What would your Poetry Object be and why?

Using all of your senses, write a poem about your object in as much detail as possible.

Send your poem to education@ redroomcompany.org

FIND OUT MORE The Red Room Company’s vision is to make poetry a meaningful part of everyday life. We create poetic arts projects and learning programs in collaboration with a spectrum of poets, schools, communities and partners for positive social impact. Our mission is to make poetry accessible to all, especially those who face the greatest barriers to creative opportunities. redroomcompany.org

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PORT PROFILE

Doomadgee At the heart of the Far North town of Doomadgee is a rich community with a vibrant culture that’s just waiting to be explored.

JUST 140KM from the Northern Territory border, situated alongside the beautiful Nicholson River, Doomadgee is the last town on the Queensland section of the renowned Savannah Way outback itinerary, where travellers stop to enjoy the shade and river views.

If you have time for more than a lunch break, a tour of Doomadgee shire reveals beautiful scenery and superb Aboriginal art, as well as several sites of historical significance.

The permanent freshwater river by which the town stands is perfect for swimming, and many local residents enjoy the summer basking in its cool waters or fishing for barramundi, salmon, catfish, Sooty Grunter and bream.

Nearby is the splendour of Lawn Hill National Park, which offers visitors opportunities to see ancient art sites, waterfalls, lush vistas and gorgeous native flora and fauna.

Alongside its natural wonders, Doomadgee is famous for its local characters and cultural appeal,

contemporary and traditional.

While Max the Kelpie performs his gentlemanly duty escorting nursing staff home from the local hospital, you can enjoy sweet treats baked onsite at the local bakery, attend an authentic bush rodeo or grab a delicious home-cooked meal at the Doomadgee Road House, which also takes overnight guests.

Get a glimpse into local Indigenous culture and the Waanyi, Garawa and Gangalidda tribes through new documentary Zach’s Ceremony.

Produced by Alec Doomadgee, of Redfern Now fame, the film centres on Alec’s son Zach, who struggles with his identity as a ‘half-caste’.

Zach faces the challenge of growing up between the hustle and bustle of Sydney and the timeless cultural rituals of his family.

Shot in and around the remote outback town, the film has garnered praise at festivals worldwide – from Byron Bay and Sydney to New York – putting Doomadgee firmly on the map as a cultural hot spot.

Nearby is the splendour of Lawn Hill National Park, which offers visitors opportunities to see ancient art sites, waterfalls, lush vistas and gorgeous native flora and fauna.

Above from top: Zach Doomadgee in Zach’s Ceremony, Alec and Zach Doomadgee, local Doomadgee kids get ready to race. This image: Lawn Hill National Park.

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SUDOKU Rating 

(Hard)

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.

PUZZLES 1.

boss in 2016? Microsoft; NATO; Real Madrid Football Club; or Vatican Online?

Put these three in order of hottest first: earth’s core; surface of the sun; centre of a nuclear-bomb explosion?

9. Mexican Salvador Alvarenga, the 438-day longest-surviving castaway ever, was sued in 2015 for: reef damage; search and rescue costs; flying a kite too high; or eating his shipmate?

2. A postulant seeks qualification to practice in: accountancy; religion; history or mail/carrier services?

3. Founded in 1966, the US company Vans originally and most famously made: icecream; cigars; footwear; or cars?

10. The long-standing currency of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania (at early 2000s) is the: Peso; Shilling; Dollar; or Euro?

4. Roughly how many bubbles are in a standard bottle of champagne: 1,500; 50,000; 500,000; or 50 million?

11. Dragonflies have the sharpest vision of any insect, each compound eye having how many lenses: one; six; 28; or 30,000?

5. A metaphor for a shortlist of candidates is: horses and jockeys; runners and riders; gladiators and chariots; or balloons and baskets?

6. The US-originating paramilitary/police term SWAT stands for what?

8. What organisation appointed Zinedine Zidane as its new

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

THE ANSWERS

12. Human urine passes from each kidney via the ureter to (what?): kidney; pancreas; bladder; or prostate?

13. Roughly how many truck drivers are in India: 300; 15,000; 280,000; or five million?

14. In the USA a reindeer is also known as a: caribou; elk; moose; or Christmas camel?

QUIZ ANSWERS 1. 1st nuclear-bomb explosion (centre = 4million degrees C), 2nd earth’s core (7,000C), 3rd sun’s surface (6,000C) 2. Religion. 3. Footwear. 4. 50 million 5. Runners and riders. 6. Special Weapons And Tactics. 7. India, China, Pakistan. 8. Real Madrid Football Club 9. Eating his shipmate. 10. Shilling.

11. 30,000. 12. Bladder. 13. Five million.

14. Caribou.

7. The modern disputed region of Kashmir is in which three of these nations: India; China; Pakistan; Vietnam; or Russia?

Quiz © Businessballs 2016 / Sudoku & Crossword © Lovatts Puzzles

14

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Child absconders 5. Indonesian isle 7. Post of doorway 8. And so forth (2,6) 9. Congenital 12. Mode of transport 15. Seat divider 19. Lyrics 21. Makes shipshape (6,2) 22. Carnival 23. Lengthy story 24. Eden

DOWN 1. Renew membership of 2. Beer colour 3. In advance 4. Feed from breast 5. Water scooter (3,3) 6. N American tribe 10. Edge of hat 11. Great Lake 12. Animal physician 13. Humans, ... sapiens 14. Castro’s land 15. Eases off 16. Back of eye 17. Recaps (4,2) 18. Large property 19. Adder 20. Imprisoned

PULL UP. TAKE OFF. If you want to fly through Sydney Airport there’s nothing quicker than Pronto Valet.

Simply drop off your car and head straight to the gate. It’s that easy. Pronto Valet car parks are conveniently located just steps from the Domestic and International Terminals and you can save by booking online at sydneyairport.com.au

Frequently Asked Questions As you sit back in comfort en route to your destination, the Rex crew hope you enjoy this interesting and informative light reading.

Q. Why do the flight attendants insist that all window blinds be up for take-off?

A. The most critical phases of a flight are the take-off and the landing. In the most unlikely event of a situation that requires an emergency evacuation, it is important that crew and passengers are able to have a clear view of the outside conditions in case of obstructions. For example, before exits are opened, staff must check for fire or other obstacles that may present potential hazards during the evacuation.

Q. Why do you have to stow your hand luggage in the overhead lockers, under the seats or in the seat pockets for take-off and landing?

A. Flight crews are required by Civil Aviation Regulations to secure the cabin as well as possible for take-off and landing. As mentioned, these are the most critical phases of the flight and securing as much hand luggage as possible ensures that in the unlikely event of an emergency, the exits and aisles stay as clear as possible, in case evacuation is necessary. It is also important to keep hand luggage secure whenever possible to ensure that heavier items do not become airborne within the cabin.

This is especially important when the aircraft is experiencing turbulence.

Q. Why do you feel so tired from flying?

A. As the aircraft altitude increases, air pressure decreases. As the pressure of the air decreases, the body absorbs less oxygen than it would at sea level – therefore, it must work harder to supply oxygen to the body’s cells. As the body is working harder, it becomes more tired.

Q. Why do you sometimes feel pain in your ears or sinuses during ascent or descent?

A. The sinuses and middle ear are air-containing cavities that connect with the nose via narrow channels. As aircraft ascend and cabin pressure drops, air passes out of these cavities (without any effort from the passenger) to balance the cabin pressure.

It is a different matter during descent, as the cabin pressure increases. The channels close down and must be actively opened by holding the nose and

16

blowing to inflate the cavities. Facial and ear pain can occur during descent if re-inflation does not occur, and this is much more likely if the passenger has nasal congestion. If you must fly with a cold or hayfever, use a decongestant nasal spray before descent and buy some ‘ear planes’ to plug your ears. (Information contributed by Dr Daniel Hains, ENT Surgeon.)

Q. When can electronic equipment such as laptops, iPods and mobile phones be used?

A. All Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) must be placed in flight mode inside the departure terminal and must remain in flight mode until inside the arrival terminal. Small handheld PEDs weighing less than 1kg, such as mobile phones, can be used in flight mode during all stages of flight on Rex’s Saab 340 aircraft. PEDs over 1kg, such as laptop computers must be stowed appropriately for taxi, take-off and landing, and are permitted to be used only during cruise when the ‘Fasten Seatbelt’ sign is switched off. PEDs cannot be used while crossing the tarmac.

Q. What is the average speed of the aircraft in cruise?

A. Approximately 500 kilometres per hour.

Q. Why do you have to get permission from the Captain to move to a vacant seat?

A. The aircraft’s take-off speed is calculated by the weight and balance of the aircraft, and many factors need to be considered for a successful take-off.

Factors include the weight of passengers and where they are seated, the weight of cargo, freight and fuel, the distance available on the runway et cetera.

For example, if there are 100 or more kilograms of freight in the cargo, the balance of the aircraft will be better maintained if passengers are seated in the forward rows.

AIR TURBULENCE Q. Aircraft often experience air turbulence, but what causes it?

A. Imagine the air around the aircraft is water in a stream. We can see how water is disturbed around rocks or when two streams converge. Turbulence in the air is similar: as the aircraft passes through cold air or in the vicinity of terrain that has disturbed the

airflow – often incorrectly referred to as ‘air pockets’ – the aircraft climbs and descends in the same way that a boat moves on water. Though turbulence can be uncomfortable, it poses no threat to the aircraft and is akin to driving on a rough or unsealed road. More severe turbulence can be associated with developing thunderstorms. The SAAB 340 has a sophisticated weather radar that pilots use to avoid these areas. Occasionally, a flight attendant will discontinue serving passengers in turbulent conditions; this is a precaution to ensure everyone’s safety.

Q. Why should you keep your seatbelt fastened even when the ‘Fasten Seatbelt’ sign is switched off?

A. On occasions, the flight crew cannot foresee turbulence or it is not picked up on the flight-deck radar. Because of this, we could unexpectedly experience turbulence at any time. The company recommends that you always keep your seatbelt fastened while you are seated – for your safety, just in case unexpected turbulence is encountered.

ENGINE NOISES Q. Why do the aircraft’s engine noises change during flight?

A. Aircraft need more power to climb than to descend, in the same way that a car needs more power to go up a hill than down one. The SAAB 340 turboprop has more than enough power to climb, so shortly after take-off you will notice a change in noises as the power is reduced. The pilots also control the pitch angle of the propellers for various stages of the flight and as they ‘change gears’, this can also be heard in the cabin.

Q. What should you do if you see or hear something that does not look or sound right or normal?

A. Please advise your flight attendant. The flight attendant may be able to answer your query and allay any fears. If not, the flight attendant will contact the flight deck and advise the pilots of anything unusual. Rex encourages open communication and will always treat a passenger’s concerns with the utmost seriousness.

Exercise and stretch regularly while seated.

SEATED EXERCISES

Inflight comfort Flying can be demanding and altitude may make your body more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and caffeine. Sitting in one place for a long time can be uncomfortable and slow down your blood circulation. To help your body adjust to flying and to maintain your personal comfort and wellbeing, we recommend you take the following steps:

ANKLE CIRCLES. Lift feet off floor, draw a circle with the toes, simultaneously moving one foot clockwise and the other foot counterclockwise. Reverse circles.

Do each direction for 15 seconds. Repeat if desired.

FOOT PUMPS. Start with both heels on the floor and point feet upward as high as you can. Then put both feet flat on the floor. Then lift heels high, keeping the balls of your feet on the floor. Continue cycle in 30-second intervals.

Keep hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids – water, juice, non-caffeinated soft drinks – to prevent dehydration, fatigue and headaches. Minimise intake of alcohol and coffee. Moisten the face to help reduce the drying effects of cabin air.

Eat lightly. Eat lightly on longer flights to avoid indigestion – our inflight menu is designed to provide lighter meal options.

KNEE LIFTS. Lift leg with knee bent while contracting your thigh muscle. Alternate legs. Repeat 20 to 30 times for each leg.

SHOULDER ROLLS. Hunch shoulders forward, then upward, then backward, then downward, using a gentle, circular motion.

ARM CURLS. Arms held at 90° angles, elbows down, hands in front. Raise hands up to chest and back down. Alternate hands. Repeat in 30-second intervals.

SEATED STRETCHES

Exercise. We encourage you to do the gentle onboard exercises on this page to enhance your wellbeing during the flight.

We recommend you do these exercises for about five minutes every one to two hours.

You should also occasionally walk down the aisles, as space permits. In addition, we recommend that you avoid crossing your legs.

Please note: you should not do any of these exercises if they cause you pain or cannot be done with ease.

Moving about the aircraft. You may move about the aircraft as space permits and when the seatbelt sign is off. However, when the seatbelt sign is on you are required to remain seated with the seatbelt fastened.

KNEE TO CHEST. Bend forward slightly.

Clasp hands around left knee and hug it to your chest. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds.

Keeping hands around knee, slowly let it down. Alternate legs. Repeat 10 times.

FORWARD FLEX. With both feet on the floor and stomach held in, slowly bend forward and walk your hands down the front of your legs toward your ankles. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds and slowly sit back up.

OVERHEAD STRETCH. Raise both hands straight up over your head. With one hand, grasp the wrist of the opposite hand and gently pull to one side. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

If you feel unwell, tell the cabin crew.

They can assist with the more common inflight complaints and, if necessary, can seek further advice and assistance for you.

On descent. Ears and sinuses can cause discomfort, due to the change in air pressure on descent. To minimise discomfort: • Yawn or swallow frequently.

• Pinch your nostrils together and blow firmly into your cheeks with your mouth closed.

If you have ongoing discomfort, seek the advice of the cabin crew.

SHOULDER STRETCH. Reach your right hand over your left shoulder. Place your left hand behind your right elbow and gently press your elbow toward your shoulder. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

NECK ROLLS. With your shoulders relaxed, drop your ear to shoulder and gently roll your neck forward and to the other side, holding each position for five seconds. Repeat five times.

17

Destination Rules Club WAGGA WAGGA

It’s all about you This vibrant Club invites you to join them on your visit to Wagga Wagga and enjoy the modern services and convenience the Club has to offer.

Wagga Wagga is an ideal stop off for the business traveller, right in the middle of Sydney and Melbourne and offers a great base to service the regions. The Club and Hotel are located on the same site and are just 6 minutes from the CBD. The Club has launched a 4-Star Quality Hotel on their site which offers travellers the opportunity to stay in one of the most innovative and efficiently developed hotels in the country thanks to its unique off site construction and modular delivery method, a landmark in Australian hotel construction.

Special Rates $129

Stay with us in December for just or kick start the new year and stay during January for $109.00

Contact the Quality Hotel Rules Club Wagga and get your booking.

Phone 02 6931 2000

This luxury CHOICE branded property provides an opportunity for leisure travellers to relax after exploring the Riverina or the business traveller to re-energise and enjoy the Clubs facilities as you unwind at the end of the day.

Club Bistro Menu

The Club houses state of the art conference facilities which offer the flexibility to host intimate conferences, large trade expos, training seminars or workshops with an onsite event coordinator to assist you to host your guests or delegates in a professional setting. The Club Chef will arrange all of your catering requirements to ensure your attendees stay alert!

The Clubs conference rooms have operable walls that allow the space to expand and compact to suit the size of your event and give the option of pre function areas, breakout spaces and a refreshing courtyard outlook. A modern fully equipped Board Room adds another option for those meetings that require privacy and professionalism.

The freshly renovated Bistro provides a relaxed environment for diners to catch up on work, make a call home or debrief with your travelling colleagues.

The Bistro Menu allows diners to order from a fresh seasonal menu that will entice a wide range of tastes and to make things even better – the Chef gives you the freedom to choose anything you like from the Club buffet to compliment your meal at no extra cost! Who wouldn’t want to sneak a few extra calamari rings or a mixed dessert plate into their dining experience and then charge it back to your room?

The Club Café is open all day and offers travellers the option to start the day off with a great coffee and a wholesome breakfast to get the brain engaged.

If you aren’t sure what you want for brekkie – we suggest the buffet so you can have a bite of everything!

The Café serves lighter meals and drinks throughout the day and into the evening to refresh the body and mind after a day out and about in the region.

The Club has onsite Bowling Greens if you fancy a roll and is also nearby some great Golf Courses if you want to get out in the fresh air.

Stay Connected

Make RULES CLUB WAGGA WAGGA your next Destination.

FREE WIFI available at both the Club and Hotel.

Rules Club Wagga Wagga. Phone. 02 6931 1511 Fax. 02 6931 1489 Address. Corner Fernleigh & Glenfield Roads, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

QUEST GRIFFITH NOW OPEN Quest Griffith, located on Railway Street, offers premium apartment hotel accommodation. Comprising 68 modern studio, one and two bedroom serviced apartments, Quest Griffith is an ideal choice for the business or leisure traveller to Griffith, whether staying for a night, a week, or longer.

Visit questgriffith.com.au or call (02) 6953 1900

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ORIGIN

STORY WORDS: ANNABELLE WARWICK

For those Millenial foodies who hail from the ‘Food Bowl of Australia’, home soil often proves irresistible, luring them back to base from the world's fine-dining kitchens and far-flung five-star resorts. ccupying a particularly fecund 60,000-square-kilometre basin in south-central New South Wales, the Riverina is a prolific heartland renowned for its produce and vineyards.

Leaving home is a rite of passage, especially for country folk. But growing up in the Riverina is a feast for the senses and for Vito Mancini, Luke Piccolo, Hayley White, Anton Green, Gavin Careri and Daniel Paul D’Aquino, coming of age meant realising their hometowns offered something quite unique: abundant potential to do it their way, with family by their sides.

Here’s a tasty entrée into half a dozen of the hundreds of return-to-Riverina tales.

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Circle of Life

Third-generation blood-orange farmer and a founding director of Redbelly Citrus, Vito Mancini is enjoying the fruits of his labours.

How did you get started?

My first memories are helping Dad check the irrigation on the farms. Getting my boots stuck in the mud and walking home barefoot happened more than once!

I grew up watching my father trying new things like drip irrigation and exporting, and was proud to see his hard work succeed.

the best oranges that can be grown, for taste and for health.

So how's your blood-orange business?

The variety loves this region, with our frosty winter mornings and sunny winter days – almost identical to the Sicilian climate. To date, we [Vito and cousins Leonard and Anthony Mancini] have had so many Were you always going comments about the closeness we’ve to be a farmer? reached to the real Italian blood : FACTr of I went to university orange, packed with flavour.

T S FA d colou sults to study information We’ve become proud of our e e r The r ge flesh wn as n o technology, building achievements – but never a r n sk n d-o bloo flavonoid hich ca t skills to fall back on if complacent. w from cyanins, ntioxidan a o farming proved difficult Oranges are a commodity h e t .

C an wice th t tamin to sustain, down the these days, a price-based yield wer of vi po road in Wagga Wagga – purchase. The export markets I’m not much of a city bloke.

[Asia and the USA] are increasingly turning to Australia for the sweetness Why blood oranges? in our oranges, and our blood oranges are As a boy, I was always fond of my grandfather strong. This year has been challenging, with Guiseppe’s backyard. Seeing what vegetables the July and September rainfall records – but he planted and what fruits were in season that’s farming for you. always excited me.

The Australian citrus industry is What amazed me was a grafted tree grown traditionally slow to adapt, with eight years in the chicken pen, growing three different from planting to harvesting from an orange citrus varieties: a lemon, navel orange and a tree, but they recently brought out five new mysterious red-fleshed orange I’d never seen Italian varieties. We’ve planted Tarocco before, in our orchards or in the shops. oranges, which are blood oranges but larger, Nonno (grandfather) told me distinctly that sweeter and easier to peel. They suit the Asian this fruit was the fruit of Sicily, and they are palate for sweet and aromatic fruits.

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What’s the best thing about your job?

Having family there to help make decisions in the business, no matter how difficult it can be sometimes.

I also like participating in an industry that’s struggled at times, and contributing to creating opportunities for the future.

I particularly liked seeing one of our Chinese buyers put up a massive poster in a prominent area in his city. I was like a poster boy for blood oranges!

What do you love most about your hometown, Griffith?

I love being five minutes from everywhere, and having the ability to see friends and family as quickly as a phone call.

Any tips for visitors?

Check out our eateries: I think we have some of the best food around the Riverina.

Take a trip to our local visitors’ centre to learn about how our city started – it’s come a long way in 100 years.

REDBELLY CITRUS 02 6964 3288 redbellycitrus.com.au

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Piccolo’s Big Idea

The apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree for the Piccolo family, with wunderkind chef Luke returning to Griffith to build on their restaurant legacy with Limone.

How did you get started?

I always had hospitality in my blood. I started cooking at my parents’ café, Miei Amici, in town, at 11 years old. I worked there all the way through school and started my chef’s apprenticeship at 20.

In my first year, I joined a cooking competition, representing the Riverina: [the Crave Food Festival’s] 100 Mile Challenge, in Sydney. They got all the regions of NSW together and we battled it out.

I picked up the apprentice award for my dessert; it had a cheesecake base with Junee liquorice, a blood-orange granita with wattleseed crisp and a liquorice foam on top, all layered in a beautiful glass. My prize was an internship at any restaurant I wanted in Sydney.

I had no idea about fine dining, so I went onto The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide and picked the top five restaurants of the year.

I ended up getting into Bentley in Surry Hills. Brent Savage sat me down at the end of week. He said, “Your skills are terrible but I can see you’ve got a bit of a passion, so my advice to you is to come to the city”. The next week, I packed up my stuff and left home.

I got a job at Pendolino in the Strand Arcade and spent a year there. Then I spent two years at Pilu at Freshwater and worked my way up the ranks with Giovanni. Matteo Zamboni, the head chef, drilled a lot of stuff into me. By the time I left I was a sous-chef.

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What brought you back to Griffith?

I always came back to Griffith to do events and, over the whole five-year period I was away, my father was also constructing the magnificent building that houses Limone, intending to move the existing café there.

After Pilu I went to the USA for a month on an [Aqua Dining Group Young Culinary Achiever] scholarship, and spent a month in Colorado at cooking schools. From there I flew into Italy and spent three months working at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Sardinia. Then I went over to the east coast and did another three months at a friend’s seafood restaurant, and then went up north and spent the winter season at Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Dad and I were in conversation the whole time. I saw the photos of the [building’s] progress and it struck me: well, hang on, we could create something pretty special there.

When I got home in May 2015 we spent the last three months going hard. I was working alongside my father from early in the morning until late at night and building relationships with farmers and producers.

It is going amazingly but it wasn’t like that at the start. This was my first big project and the first six months were tough. A lot of people didn’t understand the concept.

What’s driving you?

We’ve got this untapped area in Griffith;

we’re creating this bit of culture. The ability to get fresh regional produce from the ground to the plate within six hours – it’s quite incredible.

A lot comes from our own farm, so having control from the ground up is really amazing.

Mr and Mrs Ronaldo in town do a lot of vegetables. We get all our almonds from the Dissegna’s, Murray cod straight out of the paddock pond from Matt Ryan.

This week I got six bunches of asparagus, as fresh as can be, from Mr Piva’s garden – put it over our charcoals with salt and olive oil, and that’s it.

Good food doesn’t need much done to it.

Any tips for visitors?

Definitely get out and see the wineries. I’d recommend Cassie from Bella Vita Tours; she knows all the ins and outs of where to go. Otherwise, just go into shops and talk to the locals.

LIMONE 482 BANNA AVE, GRIFFITH 02 6962 3777 dining@limone.com.au limone.com.au

visitgriffith.com.au

h t i rG iff an agricultural powerhouse, growing 30% of all Australia's citrus, 90% of Australia's prunes and one in every four glasses of Australian wine!

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Home to Roost

30-year-old Hayley Whyte has seen her parents’ Wagga Wagga restaurant, Magpies Nest, truly branch out since she took the helm as manager and events director.

Tell us about Magpies Nest...

Our little semi-rural restaurant focuses on local food, beers and wine. During winter, we harvest and make our own olive oil and in the summer months we make wine. More weekends than not we host weddings and other events, where most of my time is spent looking after our wedding couples, helping them plan their special day.

How did you get into the family business?

By accident really – I was born in Wagga and grew up in and around restaurants my whole life. I lived in Tasmania for a few years, and cherish the time I spent there, but knew home was calling.

Wagga is great: a mix of both city and country. We have amazing little cafés, great restaurants and bars. We’re also lucky to have a number of other great little towns within a day trip away. Most of all, it’s family and friends that make Wagga special to me.

Around the time I moved home from Tasmania our floor manager at the time left.

One thing led to another and here I am, eight years later!

How’s the business going?

Never been better really. We’ve taken some huge risks over the past couple of years – changing from à la carte dining to a fixedprice menu was something new and very 26

different for Wagga, but I think it’s been well received. Developing our website and social media over the past 18 months has also been a huge help in connecting with our customers.

What do you love most about your role?

We love our weddings. To see everything that’s been planned over the past 12 months finally come together is amazing. I still find myself holding my breath waiting for the bride to arrive each time we have a wedding in the gardens, and feel that sense of relief once she is down the aisle! Weddings are a great way to see the venue through fresh eyes and get a glimpse of what our customers love so much about this place.

Any tips for visitors to the region?

Book ahead to make sure you get a spot in one of our great restaurants and a bed in a great hotel. The Riverina has some great producers that are worth visiting. Be sure to sample as much local food and wine as possible.

MAGPIES NEST RESTAURANT WAGGA WAGGA 02 6933 1523 magpiesnestwagga.com

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The Big Cheese

Anton Green, 33, and his father, renowned cheesemaker Barry Lillywhite, are the masterminds behind the newly opened Coolamon Cheese Factory.

How did you get started?

My dad's been developing cheese for more than 35 years; he did a big spell at the Charles Sturt University Cheese Factory in Wagga Wagga.

Growing up, I was always surrounded by great cheese and food. So it’s no surprise that I ended up in the business too.

Hospitality has always been a passion of mine. Even when I was a traveller chasing the snow, I worked my way up slowly in resorts. I worked at summer resorts in Broome at Cable Beach, snow resorts in Banff and other parts of Canada, and at the five-star Hilton in Sydney.

I spent a year and a half in Japan as a bar manager until, unfortunately, my visa ran out.

It was about the same time my dad thought his stint at Charles Sturt was at an end. He said, “Why don’t we make our own cheese factory?” So in 2011, I moved back to Coolamon to help make the dream a reality.

We spent three years planning, working and drumming up interest. We began a campaign to raise awareness, and right when we were about to give up, two years ago, we started getting help to build the factory from local businesses and council.

People in the Coolamon community went the extra mile, donating antique sinks and door handles, even toilet seats.

What was your vision for the factory?

There’s a lot of really good produce here, but 28

the Riverina is still a bit of a secret. People visit wanting to know where the food comes from, and there’s a lot of young blood coming in and doing unique stuff in the region. We wanted to add to that with our cheese factory: create a place where people could come and learn about cheese, and taste cheeses that are distinctive to the Riverina.

Dad’s ‘native Australian flavour’ range – lemon-myrtle, native-mint and bush-tomato cheddars – is a core foundation of the menu, and our local region has embraced that. We had a lot of meetings to discuss what we could make, and designed the cheese factory with many small rooms that are individually controlled temperature-wise so dad can make different cheeses. Cheddars, obviously, but also a couple of creamy, delicious, oozy white cheeses; blue cheeses; a sheep’s-milk cheese; a goat’s-milk cheese… and more.

Dad is just over the moon. It’s like he’s a kid again, at retirement age; he loves to see all the happy people eating his cheese – the “best Camembert outside of Europe”, according to some Belgian customers we had through.

What do you love most about your town?

At first I was a little bit resistant. After travelling to all these amazing places, suddenly I was in Coolamon towards the end of a 10-year drought – with no mountains, no water and no green light on the project.

I’m just loving it more and more, and finding my feet back in Coolamon. You walk down the street and everybody says hello. It’s so relaxed, and people really care and have the time to make a connection. I’m enjoying that speed of life and feeling welcome in a small community.

Kate and I definitely see ourselves here for the long term.

Everyone collaborates with each other to bring out the best in the region. We work with our local regional wineries – such as McWilliams, who use our cheeses at their matching events. It’s all come together nicely.

Any tips for visitors?

It’s quite a large region, so stay a night or two at least. Do day trips and venture out. From Wagga Wagga it’s an easy half hour drive to Coolamon, where we are, then Temora for the Aviation Museum and Junee for great chocolate and liquorice.

COOLAMON CHEESE 87 COWABBIE STREET, COOLAMON 02 6927 3757 info@coolamoncheese.com.au coolamoncheese.com.au

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Tea for Two

Gavin Careri, 38, returned home to Griffith to fulfil a dream and open the town’s first teahouse, You Me Happy, in the beautiful old Hanwood post office. family, I saw that the old post office was for lease. I’ve always said to mum and Phil that it would make an awesome teahouse. Before we knew it we were in there renovating.

How did you get started?

I’ve always had a passion for tea and I’m always thinking of new ideas. Back in 2004, I had a small tea shop in front of my sister’s hair salon. It was successful, but never fully kicked off. I always said it was too early.

Then I met my partner Paul and he’s always wanted to open up a shop too, so this ignited my passion for tea again.

We both really wanted to get into the loose-leaf tea market. So we created our own blends, just ones we really loved, and started selling them every weekend at markets all over Sydney.

What brought you back to Griffith?

We loved doing markets but they can become exhausting after a while – and then, on a trip home to Hanwood to visit the

What’s driving you?

I really wanted to open something that will be good for the community and hopefully give people a space where they can chill and have a great experience.

We’re serving our brand of ‘You Me Happy’ loose-leaf tea, coffee, turmeric lattes, Kombucha, hot chocolates and different types of amazing treats, like cupcakes from The Tasting Kitchen. We’ll also be offering breakfast and lunches.

What we stock in the gift shop are products like scented soy candles, mugs and diffusers from our old market stallholder friends!

We’ll also be stocking local products and working together with local businesses to promote each other.

How’s business?

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind and we’ve been doing it on a budget, but we are so excited.

Seeing it come together has given us so much confidence. When we finally opened the doors it was awesome, and since then it’s just been getting busier and busier. We didn’t think it would happen this quickly, so we’re kind of chuffed.

What do you love about your hometown?

Even though I was only six hours away in Sydney, it seemed like a lot further. I just love the lifestyle in Griffith and the sense of community it’s always had, and at the end of the day it will always be home.

I love being so close to my family and friends. When we lived in Sydney our friends lived all over the place and with the traffic, it took a lifetime to get anywhere!

Any tips for visitors?

Take your time with the place; there are a lot of hidden treasures.

Make sure you visit my parents, Marj and Mick Careri, at their stunning garden: ‘Rosewood Park on Stokes’ at Hanwood.

They have over 800 roses.

Mum makes a delicious morning tea and Dad is happy to take visitors around.

YOU ME HAPPY TEAHOUSE 14 HANWOOD ROAD, HANWOOD admin@youmehappy.com.au youmehappy.com.au

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Tre Amici

Zecca Handmade Italian is owned by Michaela Cangelli, 35, Daniel Paul D’Aquino, 29 and Benjamin Di Rosa, 33. We spoke to Daniel about their joint endeavour.

Other chefs look to the future for their inspiration; Ben, our chef, is going in reverse to bring back lost or unknown recipes.

Italian cuisine is not limited to pizza and spaghetti bolognaise – there are so many amazing dishes to rediscover, and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet.

In Italian, zecca means ‘mint’, where your money gets printed. The building we are situated in is the old Rural Bank and this was our way of paying homage to its history.

How did you get started?

The three of us are born-and-bred Griffith people. We’re all close, like family. We’ve done a lot together. We were all working and living together in Melbourne, the hub of food, culture, art and fashion. We all travelled to Italy to visit family and discover our heritage. This feulled our fire to open our business together.

We decided it was time to follow our dreams and open an Italian eatery, cooking rustic dishes you would find in the homes and trattoria among the back streets of Italy’s small towns.

Tell us about Zecca Handmade Italian…

Zecca is a casual Italian eatery specialising in true regional Italian food, la vera cucina Italiana, not modern, reinvented cuisine.

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What brought you back to Griffith?

Having strong family ties in the Riverina and an abundance of local produce at our fingertips, it was an easy decision to make.

Our aim is to nourish our community with wholesome, quality, seasonal and authentic Italian food using fresh, locallysourced produce. We are lucky enough to get some herbs and produce from the gardens of our families and friends!

We want to recreate the strong sense of community which is prominent in Italy, so we’re also re-introducing traditional food, wine and culture with regional Italian nights.

What do you love about your hometown?

A five-minute drive to work is pretty good!

Coming back home after being in the city for so long really opens your eyes: it’s interesting to see the changes in the town, and how

some things haven’t changed. Our family and friends provided a great support network as we got our new business off the ground.

We love all the local Italian festivals – they’re never advertised and always sold out.

A lot of these traditions are championed by the older Italian community and sadly, without younger generations getting involved, will be lost. That is challenge enough for us to get everyone on board.

Any tips for visitors?

Griffith and the surrounding area have hidden gems in every corner. Search online and plan ahead - there are so many passionate local producers who want to share their story and products with you.

Cassie, our local tour operator with Bella Vita Tours, is another returning local who is passionate about what's on offer.

ZECCA HANDMADE ITALIAN 239 BANNA AVE, GRIFFITH 02 6964 4050 ciao@zeccagriffith.com.au zeccagriffith.com.au

     

  

        

Wild ENCOUNTERS

weekender

WORDS: JIYAN DESSENS

You don’t have to leave the country to go on safari.

We found animals you won’t believe at Altina Wildlife Park. his 1500-acre park isn’t your average zoo. For starters, it is so big that guests must ride in a horse-drawn cart down the long unsealed roads between the huge, open-air enclosures to see everything. Animals hang out way back in the shade of bushes and trees or roam the lush green fields. Girraffes chew the leaves of distant gums, enormous buffalo line up at gigantic troughs for a drink. Even the tiny animals can find plenty of space to keep to themselves, little

meerkat sentries guard extensive underground cave systems, while miniscule baby marmasets hide out on their parents’ backs in the thick greenery of their enclosure. Altina’s knowledgeable and devoted zookeepers take these tours several times each day. The cart offers mininimal noise so the keepers draw the animals closer with promises of hand-fed snacks, from worms for the monkeys to hunks of meat delivered right between the lions’ teeth.

“We’ve got about 50 different species

here,” explains Gino Altin, who co-owns and manages the zoo with his wife Gloria. “All up, that’s about 500 animals.”

With Asian Water Buffalo that quack, Guinea Fowl that routinely forget they can fly and the only Spotted Hyena exhibit in New South Wales, Altina Wildlife Park is known for its rare and exotic inhabitants – and for its successful animal conservation efforts. “Not all are endangered but we want to do

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weekender

something for conservation. We’ve got coati from South America and capybara from Brazil”, he continues. “And we’ve got a very rare endangered species from Africa called the Bongo Antelope. There’s only six Bongos in the country.”

One of the largest forest antelopes in the world, these herbivores have intricate spiral horns and bright-orange coats with markings so pronounced the Bongo looks more like a cave painting of an antelope than the real thing.

“If you rub your hand against the Bongo’s fur, you’ll actually get an orange stain on your hand,” Gino explains. “People thought eating them was bad luck and wouldn’t touch them.”

If seeing a unicorn is on your bucket list, Altina has those, too.

“The myth of the unicorn came from the Scimitar-Horned Oryx,” says Gino.

“They’ve got two horns but when they stand sideways, it looks like one big horn.”

Those horns can grow to six feet (nearly two metres) long, making ‘unicorns’ desirable targets for poachers. “They’re classified extinct in the wild; a few captivebred Oryx have been released in their native homeland in Chad,” says Gino. “We

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started off with six and now we’ve got about 26, so we’re quite proud.”

“At the moment, we’re one of the leading hoofstock breeders in the country,” he says.

“We’ve also bred maned wolves faster than anyone else in the world,” he says.

Maned wolves have rich, reddish fur, elegant physiques and distinctive roarbarks. Native to the open grasslands of South America, their numbers are dwindling steadily due to habitat loss.

These wolves also used to be hard to find in Australian zoos. “Six years ago there were only seven wolves in the country and now there’s more than 22,” says Gino.

“Altina has the biggest population of maned wolves in the entire world, thanks to our breeding program.”

Altina has sent strong, healthy park-bred animals to zoos and wildlife parks all over

Australia. “The furthest we’ve ever sent an animal is to to Auckland Zoo,” says Gino.

“Eight Blackbuck Antelope were flown to New Zealand first class. The animals get just as many benefits as people do – air conditioning and everything!”

Also taking pride of place at the zoo is a furry family of gorgeous rare white lions.

The four cubs were born two years ago, the result of a massive effort from head zookeeper Rebecca Altin and her staff.

Rebecca explains that, thanks to an incorrect myth about their origins, white lions nearly died out before anything could be done to save them.

“A lot of people thought white lions were caused by inbreeding but that’s not true,” she says. “It’s actually only albino lions, with no pigmentation and red eyes, that are the result of inbreeding.

weekender

“The white rhino is in a lot of trouble in the wild: they’re poached for their horn and being wiped out quickly. ”

STRANGER THINGS Tassie Devils’ ears turn bright red when they’re angry, like little red horns, hence the nickname.

“The white lion is a natural colour variation that occurs in the wild. But because white lions don’t camouflage as well as the tawny or brown lion, they don’t survive as long in the wild and don’t reproduce as often.”

“There were only about 150 of them left in the world, but they’re actually breeding really well in captivity,” Rebecca says. “We now have six white lions. Our mum and dad are Tim and Bella, and the four kids are Holden Commodore, Neferity, Elsa and Kimba. They’re very special.”

Altina’s zookeepers are hoping for a similar success story with their very special new arrivals: three Southern White Rhinos called Mtoto, Mango and Tatu. These ten tonne beauties arrived at Altina after coming out of quarantine in late 2016.

Mtoto had travelled from Auckland, Mango from Australia Zoo and Tatu all the way from Germany.

“The white rhino is in a lot of trouble in

the wild,” says Rebecca. “They’re poached for their horn and being wiped out quickly.

It’s a lack of education; the horn on a rhino is exactly the same as the horn on a buffalo [which can be safely dehorned].

But for some reason [some people] believe that the horn on a rhino is that much more special and that much more valuable, so it’s quite sad that an animal is becoming so endangered in the wild.”

Today, visitors can get up close and personal with all the exotic beauties that call Altina home as well as some Aussie favourites, including feisty Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, and both fresh and saltwater crocodiles.

The park is an easy 40-minute drive from Griffith; just head south down the Kidman Highway for an Aussie safari experience unlike any other. At Altina Wildlife Park, you’ll discover where the wild things really are – and, if you’re lucky, you may even get to feed one.

Tassie Devils are frequently cranky. Even when they mate the male traps the female and they fight so aggressively they’re lucky to get out alive - maybe this endangered species needs couples counselling.

African Wild Dogs are fed one meal to share among the pack rather than individual meals, because if you don’t need to work together, why not eat your own puppies?

The Scimitar-Horned Oryx can go for four months without peeing.

The female Himalayan Tahr pushes her newborn baby off high vantage points to teach it how to survive.

Capybara just love water. They have webbed feet, and waddle when they walk – just like ducks.

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destination

WHYALLA’S

extraordinary

Ancient stackedshingle beaches, dramatic sunsets and one of the world’s most extraordinary marine migrations: Whyalla offers a whole lot more than ore.

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NATURAL WONDERS WORDS: DEBORAH DICKSON SMITH

destination

tanding on a red-shingle beach looking out over the turquoise waters of Fitzgerald Bay, I feel a million miles from anywhere. In fact, Fitzgerald Bay is just 20 minutes’ drive north-east of Whyalla on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.

Until recently, Whyalla was known primarily as an industrial centre; indeed, the town grew up around BHP’s iron-ore jetty and was declared a city only in 1961.

Today, this coastal city continues to be a substantial industrial base, providing mining, engineering and steel to the region. Whyalla’s steelworks are a fascinating attraction in themselves.

But it is the region’s unique natural marvels – the millennia-old shingles of

Fitzgerald Bay, spectacular sunsets over the ocean and the underwater attractions of Stony Point – that have visitors flocking.

Whyalla’s sheltered coastal position, deep within the Spencer Gulf on the east of the semi-arid Eyre Peninsula, provides a remarkable 300 sunny days per year – perfect conditions for exploring the many walking trails that skirt the coast and wind through the nearby wetlands.

We’ve come to Fitzgerald Bay first – straight from the airport, in fact – to walk along the Freycinet Trail. The 12 peaceful kilometres that link Fitzgerald Bay and Point Lowly may be hiked, cycled or driven.

The striking stretch of red coastline I’m walking along is currently being considered for Heritage listing by the South Australian

Heritage Council. It’s one of only a few places on the planet and the only place in South Australia where you can find this landscape, known as ‘stranded shingle beach ridges’.

The shingle ridges, which date back to the Pleistocene period, curve around a turquoise semi-circle, dotted with sparse mangroves.

In the distance, a couple of kayakers paddle silently across the smooth-surfaced bay. It’s an Instagrammer’s dream, and just one of many natural wonders that travellers with a few leisurely days up their sleeves can experience.

Perhaps the most wondrous of all of Whyalla’s natural wonders, however, is its submerged population of giant cuttlefish.

The ridges of shingles and rocky inshore reef that line the coast near Port Bonython

Whyalla’s sheltered coastal position, deep within the Spencer Gulf on the east of the semi-arid Eyre Peninsula, provides a remarkable 300 sunny days per year.

Austral Day Spoia t

Flind Lookou ers & Freycine t: t at the in This vantage p t e r s e c t and Ellio ion of F oint a a memo tt streets doub rrell les as rial to e a rly Matthe w Flind explorer ers (1774 1814), w ho named surveyed and Spence r Gulf.

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destination FACT FILE Do • Whyalla Visitor Centre & Maritime Museum • Mount Laura Homestead Museum • Steelworks Tours

Stay

Over the past few years, the cuttlefish congregations here in Whyalla have been increasing steadily in size. and Point Lowly, provide an ideal habitat for the giant Australian cuttlefish that come here by the thousands between May and August to mate and lay their eggs.

Much like the annual wildebeest migration through Africa’s Serengeti, or the 40-million-odd red land crabs that scrabble each year over Christmas Island, this is one of the world’s truly awe-inspiring natural phenomena.

Known as ‘chameleons of the sea’ for their ability to change colour and texture, cuttlefish are intriguing creatures. Sitting in shallow water between three and seven metres below the surface, they are easily observed by anyone prepared to don a wetsuit, mask and snorkel – and in midwinter the water, albeit chilly, is usually still crystal-clear.

The crew at Whyalla Dive Services kit my companion and I out with sixmillimetre-thick wetsuits, neoprene hoods, gloves and booties, and extra threemillimetre short wetsuits for good measure, then direct us to the designated dive entry point. It couldn’t be simpler.

We make our way to midway along the Freycinet Trail, a place called Stony Point. It’s clearly marked and a guide rope leads us from the footpath into the water, making it easier to negotiate the rocky shoreline. We simply follow the guide rope into the water until it is at chest level, and take the plunge.

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Over the past few years, the cuttlefish congregations here in Whyalla have been increasing steadily in size.

In 2016, locals reported the largest aggregation since 1998, an estimated 200,000 individual giant cuttlefish.

Likewise, more people visit Whyalla every year to witness this extraordinary underwater spectacle. I think they’ve all turned up today – it’s an incredible sight.

And as cuttlefish are a favourite snack for several larger marine species, including dolphins, seals, eagle rays, Port Jackson sharks and sea birds, these waters attract a vibrant array of marine life.

A colony of seals has taken up residence on the Santos jetty, and Whyalla’s marina is frequented by a large pod of dolphins.

Sitting on the beach at Point Lowly after our dive, we watch dolphins and sea birds feasting on unsuspecting cuttlesfish.

Go snorkelling here and you’ll probably also encounter rays, Port Jackson sharks and even squid, all now common visitors to the area.

The town of Whyalla may have been built on iron ore, but its dramatic natural environs, glorious weather, fresh air and memorable wildlife encounters carry an even stronger magnetic pull.

For more Information on Whyalla, visit whyalla.yourvisitorguide.com.au, whyalla.sa.gov.au and whyalla.com

Quest Whyalla makes a great base for explorations of the area’s natural charms.

Centrally located, the self-catered one-, two- and 3-bedroom apartments are a short drive from the airport and a five-minute walk from the nearest shopping centre.

The hotel provides a ‘pantry shopping’ service for those who’d rather not spend their holiday in supermarkets.

If you’d rather dine out, you can charge meals back to your Quest apartment account at a wide array of nearby restaurants. questapartments.com.au

Unearth Natural Wonders Unearth Adventure Unearth Landscapes Unearth Experiences

Let us help you plan your adventure today 1800 088 589 or +61 8 8645 7900

www.whyalla.com

hearty food baskets art from the heart friends that are country at heart heart racing adventures are waiting for you in forbes art trail heritage trail food experience fishing & canoe tours outback droving tours

call 02 6852 4155

www.finditinforbes.com.au

BACK IN BUSINESS AFTER THE FLOODS

lifestyle

Entertainment

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The latest and greatest things to hear, see and read...

listen

Stitch It!

st picaff k

Kasey Chambers: Dragonfly Kasey Chamber’s latest album Dragonfly is due to be released on January 20, hot on the heels of her EP ‘Ain’t No Little Girl’, which came out in August. Chambers says, “My voice has a newfound strength in it since surgery in May last year, but I think even more of the strength has come from a power within myself that’s projected through my voice. The moment I wrote and started playing ‘Ain’t No Little Girl’ live, I knew it was the glue that would hold my next musical journey together.”

Frankie Valli: ’Tis the Seasons Frankie Valli’s first solo Christmas album puts his unique spin on well-loved yuletide classics. “The holidays are my favourite time of the year and, ever since the first Four Seasons Christmas album, I’ve wanted to do another one… I finally got around to it,” says Valli. “It’s still great fun collaborating with [producer Bob Gaudio]. The arrangements for this album are some of the most stunning he’s ever assembled. I can’t wait for the fans to hear it,” he says.

watch

App Store, free Google Play, free Ever wanted to take screenshots of multiple text messages and ‘stitch’ them together into one image, but needed to crop unnecessary parts or edit out private information? Stitch It! allows you to create one seamless image of a text message conversation so that you can share it via any channel you choose. It’s new to Android but has been around on iOS for a little while.

Shake-it Alarm

Google Play, free Need to make your mornings more interesting?

A ‘Shake-it Alarm’ allows you to turn off your alarm in a variety of ways – just to make sure you actually wake up. There’s the obvious ‘shake-it’ mode, or try the ‘scream off’; where you get to scream at your phone to make the thing quiet. Then there’s ‘touch off’, where you continuously tap your screen hard to make it stop. Or, mix it up with ‘random’ mode.

Good morning.

Lion PG-13 Drama Starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara and David Wenham, Lion tells the story of Saroo, who tries to find his family and return home to India, 25 years after getting lost on a train as a five-year-old boy and being adopted by an Australian couple. Showing the power of determination and the usefulness of technology such as Google Earth, Lion is adapted from the extraordinary true story A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierly, and is released January 19.

read The Lust List Colouring Book Sally Spratt, Hachette Australia, $16.99

Tapping into the mindfulness colouring trend, float away on your personal daydream about trips to Paris, soaking in the sun at the beach or buying the shoes you’ve always wanted via good old-fashioned paper and colouring pencils. ‘If I can’t have them, I’ll draw them,’ is the mantra of Instagram phenomenon The Lust List, which has 125,000-plus followers. This book takes it to the next level: ‘if I can’t have them, I’ll colour them’.

Daintree: The Porter Sisters 2 Annie Seaton, Macmillan, $29.99

Rural fiction at its best, this book tells Doctor Emma Porter’s story of living and working in the harsh but glorious Daintree. However, the life she’s escaped from in Sydney follows her in the form of her first love, Doctor Jeremy Langford, who also starts working at the hospital. This engrossing tale examines life in Australia’s very own tropical rainforest.

Delicious: At Our Table ABC Books, $49.99

It’s the beauty of Delicious magazine made into a hardcover cookbook.

Be inspired to weave magic in your kitchen through gorgeous photography, beautiful design and more than 120 impressive but effortless recipes.

You’re covered for lazy brunches, elegant feasts and delectable cakes and sweets. And don’t forget about presentation: the book also features inspirational tips on how to style your table.

MenuSnap

Google Play, free There’s nothing like playing menu roulette when you’re overseas and can’t read the menu. This app takes the mystery out of what you’re ordering by scanning your menu into a user-friendly interface so you can search and translate food items easily. MenuSnap translates more than 50 languages and saves menus for future orders. Bon appétit.

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What’s On

Our top pick of events coming up around the country...

O T T ED NOMISS BE

© wildoatsxi.com.au

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

DECEMBER

DECEMBER

November 29–February 5

December 2

December 3

December 28–January 3

Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience

Alice Springs Town Council Christmas Carnival

Red Bull Lighthouse to Leighton Kiteboard Race

Taste of Tasmania, Hobart

Alice Springs knows how to turn up the cheer with this annual carnival held on the Council Lawns and in Todd Mall. There’ll be market stalls, musical acts and street performers. It’s a most enjoyable way to finish off your Chrissy shopping and the kids will be delighted by the fireworks display. alicesprings.nt.gov.au

The longest race of its kind in Australia and a unique spectacle, it has amateur and professional kiters sailing from Phillip Point on Rottnest Island across the Indian Ocean and the Gage Roads channel to finish at Leighton Beach in North Fremantle as they compete for title, trophy and prize money. redbull.com/au/en/events

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Travelling to Perth, Bunbury and Kalgoorlie, WA, this ground-breaking exhibition brings to life an infant Australia on the eve of war, following in the footsteps of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and nurses. You’ll be deeply moved by the interactive storytelling around more than 200 artefacts from the Australian War Memorial. spiritofanzac.gov.au

else

where

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Dec 30–Jan 1 Hogmanay Celebration Edinburgh, Scotland Scotland’s world-famous New Year festival runs over three days. edinburghshogmanay.com

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10-11 December Big Mountain Festival Phetchaburi, Thailand One of the biggest music festivals in South-East Asia, with hundreds of acts. bigmountainmusicfestival.com

Dec 31 New Year’s Eve on the Strip Las Vegas, USA The entire Strip is shut down to traffic and it becomes one gigantic party. vegas.com/newyears

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Hosted at the Hobart waterfront, this festival is a foodie’s heaven. Think seafood, cheeses, berries, cool-climate wines, boutique beers and ciders and much more, representing regions from right around the state.

There’s free entertainment including buskers, local musicians and DJs, plus lots to keep the kids happy. thetasteoftasmania.com.au

Feb 11-28 Carnevale Di Venezia, Venice This annual festival is a great excuse to don a mask and parade around St Mark’s Square, Venice, until Lent. carnevale.venezia.it/en

lifestyle

DECEMBER

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Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race DECEMBER 26 Pick your favourite coastal vantage point to watch the yachts sail away from Sydney and be there at Hobart’s magnificent harbour to welcome those who make it in to shore. This year is the 72nd edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, which begins at 13:00 hours on Boxing Day. It’s the perfect excuse to keep the summer festivities going as Christmas draws to a close.

Rolexsydneyhobart.com

JANUARY

JANUARY

11

JANUARY

16

20

JANUARY

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January 11–15

January 16–29

January 20–29

January 26

Parkes Elvis Festival, NSW

Australian Open Tennis, Melbourne

Tamworth Country Music Festival

Yabun

Record crowds are expected for the 25th Anniversary of the Parkes Elvis Festival, which has the fitting theme this year of ‘Viva Las Vegas’. The festival continues to attract 22,000-plus Elvis fans to the Central NSW town of Parkes to celebrate ‘The King’ each January. Relive rock’n’roll’s heyday with plenty of wigs, white polyester and rock’n’roll glasses. parkeselvisfestival.com.au

There’s nothing like being courtside to see your favourite players compete, dripping with sweat in the Melbourne summer. Various packages are available for those wanting to absorb as much tennis and sunshine as possible. There are food and drink options to suit every palate, and music and entertainment to boot. event.ausopen.com/home

Australia’s largest music festival and one of the world’s top 10: with more than 2800 shows across 120 different venues, this is one giant hoedown.

Don’t miss the Golden Guitar Awards, where fans get to rub shoulders with the biggest names in country music and see all of their favourite artists perform in one huge show. tcmf.com.au

Celebrate Australia Day by recognising our nation’s First Peoples at Sydney’s Victoria Park. Yabun is Australia’s largest festival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Meaning ‘music to beat’ in Gadigal language, the event is free to attend, with live music, a bustling market, cultural performances and panel discussions. yabun.org.au

look

ahead

February 25–March 5 Australian Open of Surfing The 2km Manly surf beach and promenade turn up the heat during this surfing and skating fest. australianopenofsurfing.com

February 10–March 5 Perth International Arts Festival Don’t miss Australia’s longest-running international arts festival and Western Australia’s premier cultural event. perthfestival.com.au

March 3-19 Adelaide Festival of Arts Book in advance for acclaimed theatre and music productions, dance pieces, author talks and striking arts displays. adelaidefestival.com.au

March 10-13 WOMAdelaide Australia’s foremost world music and dance event isn’t just a festival, it’s an immersive cultural experience. womadelaide.com.au

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lifestyle

CULTURE

club

Got a thing for theatre? Love live music? Enjoy great galleries?

Read on for what’s happening this month...

DARWIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: MASTER SERIES 4 ‘BABE’ DECEMBER 10 It’s Babe like you’ve never seen her before; the family favourite story about a pig who yearned to be a sheepdog, performed live by the Darwin Symphony Orchestra to the film – simultaneously projected on the big screen. It’s a 21st anniversary special event celebrating the film that made everyone think twice about their appetite for bacon.

Tickets range from $20-$99. Dso.org.au

CAROLS IN THE DOMAIN DECEMBER 18

Nothing says Christmas like the annual Carols in the Domain event. It’s the biggest Christmas concert in Australia, after all, and this year promises to be another star-studded affair. Whether you watch it on TV or live at the Domain, the atmosphere of Carols in the Domain will get you in the festive spirit before you can say, “Pass the eggnog”. carolsinthedomain.com 4

lifestyle

December 27–January 1 WOODFORD FOLK FESTIVAL Now in its 31st year, this gathering of more than 2600 international artists and musicians is a great east-coast summer tradition. Thousands of revellers (many now with kids in tow) make the pilgrimage to the hidden bushland valley fondly referred to as ‘Woodfordia’ to form a pop-up feel-good village for six days. The festival is a feast of music, dance, circus, street theatre, art and crafts, workshops, comedy, kids’ festivities, social dialogue and debate. There are also late-night cabarets, parades and a spectacular fire event. The streets are lined with eateries. Tree-filled grounds, butterfly walks, ponds and wildlife complete the picture of a wonderful time had by all. woodfordfolkfestival.com

Field Day, Sydney JANUARY 1 Held at the Domain, Field Day is a massive dance party and New Year’s celebration. It’s typically a high-quality mix of house, hip-hop, indie and electronica, so there’s something to get everyone up and partying like it’s 2017. Be ready to boogie to Alison Wonderland, Alunageorge, Booka Shade, Broods, Claptone, Safia and many, many more.

Fieldday.sydney

THE AMITY AFFLICTION REGIONAL TOUR

January 2–February 4 The Amity Affliction will be celebrating the release of This Could Be Heartbreak with a regional tour in January, over 13 dates. Hear for yourself why this, their fifth studio album, has been hailed as the band’s best yet. Catch the Amity Affliction in Adelaide, Cairns, Townsville, Gympie, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Wollongong, Canberra, Frankston, Geelong and Hobart. theamityaffliction.net

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lifestyle

Exhibitions  Italian Jewels: Bulgari Style

NGV International, Melbourne. Until 29 Jan Emerald and diamond jewellery from the personal collection of Elizabeth Taylor and a ruby and diamond necklace worn by Sophia Loren, are showcased in this spectacular jewellery exhibition. Take a step back through time, and soak in the splendour of Bulgari’s remarkable jewels as well as film and photography focusing on Rome in the ‘50s, ‘60s. ngv.vic.gov.au

Top left & above: Take a step back through time, and soak in the splendour of Bulgari’s remarkable jewelllery exhibition.

 Primavera at 25

gilded furniture, monumental statues and other objects from the royal gardens, as well as personal items from Louis XIV to MarieAntoinette. nga.gov.au

MCA, Sydney. Dec 19 – Mar 19 This year marks 25 years of Primavera; the MCA’s annual exhibition showcasing the work of young Australian artists. Primavera at 25 brings together works by Primavera alumni artists that explore concepts of transformation, time and history. After its presentation at the MCA, Primavera at 25 will tour throughout the country. mca.com.au

 Sugar Spin – Gallery of Modern Art

 Versailles: Treasures from the Palace

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.

Dec 9 – Apr 17 This mesmerising period in French history comes to the National Gallery of Australia for the first time. Browse through more than 130 paintings, intricate tapestries,

THE MONKEES

Tickets and tour dates available online now.

TOUR 6

François-Hubert Drouais, The Sourches family 1756, oil on canvas, On loan from the Palace of Versailles

December 2–16 Most States

COLDPLAY December 6–14 Qld, Vic & NSW

(GOMA), Queensland.

Dec 3 – Apr 17 Take yourself on a tour of showcase contemporary works from GOMA’s collection with Sugar Spin. You’ll find large-scale favourites and major new commissions. Lose yourself in GOMA’s unique exhibition spaces with this exhibition that will force you to reflect on the urgent challenges of our day, as well as the beauty of the world we live in.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN January 27 Perth

HELLO WEEKEND!

GO YOUR OWN WAY WITH THE DEPENDABLE ISUZU D-MAX Isuzu D-MAX drivers put up with a lot from Monday to Friday. So when the weekend comes around, nothing beats getting away from it all with your best mates. With a powerful and efficient 3.0L turbo diesel engine, 3.5 tonne braked towing capacity+ and a Terrain Command 4WD system, the Isuzu D-MAX has everything you need to go your own way.

Discover the Isuzu D-MAX for yourself – visit your Isuzu UTE Dealer or isuzuute.com.au

5-star ANCAP safety rating applies to D-MAX 4x4 Crew Cab variants built from November 2013 and 4x2 High-Ride Crew Cab variants built from November 2014. +3.5 tonne braked towing capacity on D-MAX 4x4 and 4x2 High Ride models when fitted with an optional genuine Isuzu UTE tow bar kit. ^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 after 1/1/15 at Participating Isuzu UTE Dealers only. The CPS Program covers the first 6 Scheduled Services in line with the Scheduled Service Intervals. CPS Prices are subject to change. For full terms & conditions and current pricing visit isuzuute.com.au/service-plus.

10%

Pack the kids, clubs and canary and enjoy OFF SUV’s rented with Thrifty before 30 June 2017.* Quote OUTTHERE at the time of booking thrifty.com.au

1300 367 227

Thrifty Counter

*Rent a Thrifty CWAR, SWAR, IWAR, FWAR, and UWAR vehicles and receive a 10% discount off Time and Kilometres. Valid booking period between 1 December 2016 to 30 June 2017. Valid for Travel period between 1 December 2016 to 30 June 2017.BLACKOUT DATES APPLY 21 December 2016 to 3 January 2017 and 1 April to 23 April 2017.Minimum 1 day rental. Must quote OUTTHERE at time of booking.

Available at selected locations in Australia only. Offer is subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, special offer, coupon, corporate discounted rate or for existing bookings.

Drivers must meet the standard age, driver’s licence and credit requirements of Thrifty. Excess charges will apply for items such as Credit Card Surcharges (1%) and optional extras. All rentals are subject to the terms and conditions of the rental agreement.

lifestyle

Nintendo Switch

Restless kids? This new multi-function console is due February, pre-order now.

$999, jbhifi.com.au

Traditional Australian designed bangles Proceeds go to the individual artsts.

$11 each, ozaboriginal.com.au

Azteca Long Sleeve Swim Top / Rashie

Must haves

Protecting yourself from the sun now looks great!

$179, sunsoaked.com.au

Don’t hit the road without these hot products!

Poc Jox Travel Fitness Training Packs

Anywhere, anytime, no excuses.

from $75, pocjox.com

Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus Coffee Machine

Install this mini barista in the caravan and brew the perfect cup.

$799, harveynorman.com.au

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lifestyle

FAMILY-SIZED PARTY

MU-X

Isuzu makes brilliant tough-truck utes, but it was its entry into the SUV world – with the seven-seat MU-X – that proved the brand’s versatility.

WORDS: MICHAEL BENN

he most challenging thing about driving in the ‘sunburnt country’ so loved by a homesick, Londonbound poet Dorothea Mackellar is not that it is ‘a land of sweeping plains’...

Because lots of countries are hot, and lots of others share our combination of extreme heat and flat bits – albeit usually in a scaled-back sort of way – similarly crisscrossed by unsealed, occasionally boulderstrewn roads. Nor is it ‘her ragged mountain ranges’ or ‘her droughts and flooding rains’ that set this country apart.

The trickiest thing about driving in Australia is that we must deal with a combination of all of these things, all of the time, plus tiny winding urban roads besides. Potholed goat tracks and silky-smooth freeways are often part of the same trip – just to the servo for milk. Australian drivers must, quite literally, take the rough with the smooth.

Isuzu’s MU-X is designed in Japan, naturally, and built in the world’s utelovingest country, Thailand, a nation with around 800,000 annual car sales, of which two thirds are pickups.

But it’s Australia’s singular variability for which Isuzu’s ute-based SUV, the MU-X, appears purpose-bred.

Built on the bones of the brand’s unkillable D-MAX pickup, the MU-X sits a well-considered, genuine seven-seat SUV body onto its sibling’s 10

proven ladder-frame chassis. This provides outstanding strength, refined for purpose by replacing leaf springs with multilink coil suspension, for a much smoother drive.

Indeed, and especially on the LS-T model’s leather seats, the ride is more than supple enough to allow children to slip into sleep on long drives – if the halo car’s standard 10-inch ceiling-mounted DVD player doesn’t keep them quiet enough.

The MU-X’s 130kW, 380Nm, common-rail turbodiesel four-pot does not do fussy, which is no surprise; the MU-X also shares its 4JJ1-TC 3.0L engine with the D-MAX, providing capable three-tonne towing. (All six variants use the same engine, with five-speed auto and manual transmissions available in both 2WD and 4WD.) This SUV’s Variable Geometry System (VGS) turbocharger is juggled electronically to minimise turbo lag, while powerful disc brakes on all wheels – 300mm up front, 318mm at the rear – prove to be worthy anchors. Additional sound, harshness and vibration damping keep the cabin quiet.

The ladder chassis, shortened by 250mm over that of the D-MAX, retains 230mm of ground clearance. Despite that air beneath your ankles, the MU-X is just 1830mm high at the roofline.

This fact, combined with clever-dick engineering – presumably

lifestyle

“The trickiest thing about driving in Australia is that potholed goat tracks and silky-smooth freeways are often part of the same trip.�

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lifestyle

by wizards – produces a remarkably low centre of gravity; the family SUV will stay on its pegs at a remarkable transverse angle of up to 47 percent.

That milk run is capable of going via Mordor... or Dakar.

Bruce Garland has seen it all, and run into some of it; he’s driven a D-MAX in the Paris Dakar and the Australasian Safari, was a stuntman in the forthcoming Mad Max: Fury Road, and can weave his way through a herd of camels in a dust storm at 160km/h.

But he recalls that it was conquering a 10-metre, 35-degree incline in the MU-X – in idle – that had him raving.

“I’d done that in a D-MAX,” he says, “in second gear, in idle, with four blokes in the truck – I was amazed [by that]. But I didn’t think the MU-X would do it so easily. It did.

“Although, really, it makes sense.

That engine is the same engine we use in the Dakar, only then it’s tuned to about 95 per cent of how far they actually can push it – we bring it a

little but back so it’s more durable – to about 195kW and 600Nm. “So when they de-tune it to pull down-low, that just makes it incredibly durable and reliable at 130kW.” Hence the turbodiesel’s five-year, 130,000km warranty – and, perhaps, the marque’s customer satisfaction rating in 2015 Roy Morgan surveys, where it placed second, equal with Subaru and second only to Lexus.

The Isuzu design boffins first put pencil to paper for the MU-X back in 2007. That time in between was well spent, the investment maturing nicely since its debut in late 2013.

Body-wise, the SUV shares only its bonnet and front doors with the D-MAX, the exterior styling being most distinctive in the wedge shape also belonging to the tough ute.

But Isuzu’s ‘Dynamic Flow’ design language – artspeak for the architecture of the car’s exterior lines – is most obvious in the long, flat roof, with (sensibly) no bulging rear wheel

arch. The SUV’s bellicose stance is magnified by aggressive front fenders, large wheel openings and sculpted head and tail lights.

The front seats have wraparound bolstering for extra support, with 60/40 split-folds in the second row and 50/50 in the third, producing a cargo area up to 1995mm long. Add this to clever standard extras – a dozen cup holders, for example, or 19 separate storage compartments – and the MU-X asks questions of even its biggest competitors.

Isuzu sold 20,984 D-MAX and MU-X vehicles combined in 2015.

That number was up a colossal 25.8 per cent year-on-year.

It’s easy to love a sunburnt country.

Come hell and/or high water – likely in quick succession, between droughts, balmy summer afternoons, locusts and the odd ‘sharknado’ – this particular sunburnt country has learned to love Isuzu’s unpretentious MU-X right back.

“That engine is the same engine we use in the Dakar, only then it’s tuned to about 95 per cent how far they can push it.”

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lifestyle

RE WHE T TO EIANK & DR

FIVE OF THE BEST

HIGH-END ASIAN DINERS

It’s the world’s most flavoursome continent and one of its most eclectic, so when Asia’s street and everyman food meets Australia’s phenomenal produce, things can be taken up a notch (and then another one)…

WORDS: Ben Smithurst

SUPERNORMAL MELBOURNE, VIC

“Supernormal is an inspired interpretation our favourite Asian eating experiences,” goes the spiel for Andrew McConnell’s hip, bustling, brilliant Flinder’s Lane hotspot. They’re not lying.

Incorporating influences from Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul and Hong Kong, McConnell’s tremendously staffed (pray to be served by Sue) and super-fun font of innovation is worth booking in to, particularly if you’ve time for a very long lunch. Don’t miss the rice cakes: puffy noodles of sticky, fried dough, sprinkled in sesame and with a sweet and sour sauce that’s 1000 miles away from your local RSL Chinese, circa 1985. supernormal.net.au 14

lifestyle

APPLE DAILY

PERTH, WA

Cho-Cho San was the pregnant, doomed, eponymous 15-year-old ‘Madame Butterfly’ in that century-old silent film and play, which is, frankly, not particularly fun. But wait! While the vibrancy of Kings Cross may or may not be on the wane, one-hatted Cho Cho San the Japanese restaurant endures – to the credit of its indomitable sense of fun and innovative, not-religiously-authentic-Japanese menu.

Authentic-feeling Asian bustle means things get loud of a Saturday night, but embrace the experience and you’ll be so busy nomming on charcoal chicken (with sesame yoghurt) and koji-glazed lamb cutlets to notice. chochosan.com.au

You can sit at the bar. You can book (but only for six or more) or you can just line up before piling in, like everyone else, to soak up Gin Long’s unique blend of hipster-bar ambience and eclectic pan-Asian tumult. A godsend to North Adelaide’s food scene in late 2013, Gin Long maintains the rage with a long, long restaurant space (and a long, long bar down one side), music that’s actually a bit loud, and portions more generous than those served by a day-drinking Trustafarian. Begin with the Duck Cups – bolstered by shitake, dried shallots and water chestnuts – and move on to literally anything else (but definitely to the Thai beef). ginlongcanteen.com.au

Weird trivia: Chop Chop Chang – AKA Ham the Astrochimp – was the name of the first primate to leave the earth, blasted into space in 1961 by NASA. He landed, and survived, eventually to lend his name to Brisbane’s buzziest Asian marketplace-style eatery. Predominantly influenced by Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese flavours and techniques, CCG’s does twicecooked sticky beef ribs you’d wrestle an orangutan for, and Korean fried chicken you’d fight a silverback to taste. Oh, and for a single bit of the caramelised pork with tamarind you’d go 10 rounds with King Kong. Tasty, welcoming and more fun than a monkey butler. chopchopchangs.com.au

Head chef Ivan Blackwell’s Perth ‘bar and eating house’ is the perfect place for a first date – if only because it’s too dark and sultry for your prospective partner to be able to discern your imperfections. Happily, however, it would be difficult to identify flaws in Apple Daily’s menu even under a spotlight. Named after Hong Kong’s leading (but fruit-lover-misleading) daily paper, Apple Daily spins gold from South-East Asian street food.

Whether it’s a sublime pad thai (with prawns, bean curd, sweet radish, peanuts and coriander), Korean fried chicken wings or Teriyaki ribs, the peripatetic menu more than makes up for the bonkers name. printhall.com.au

CHO CHO SAN

POTTS POINT, SYDNEY

GIN LONG CANTEEN NORTH ADELAIDE, SA

CHOP CHOP CHANGS WEST END, QLD

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destination

Idyllic

ISLES T he Cocos (officially, Cocos Keeling) Islands and their neighbour, Christmas Island, complement each other perfectly. They are the yin and yang of islands: the Cocos Keeling group is a sand atoll, awash with squeaky white beaches; and Christmas, the summit of an undersea mountain, with lush tropical rainforests and plunging coastlines. Choosing between them is like trying to pick a favourite child: each has its special qualities, and you need to visit both to experience the complete picture – one of wonder and amazement.

These islands possess a magic that should make them tourist hotspots, but one of the highlights of a visit is that the Cocos and

Christmas Island and the Cocos Keeling Islands are remote Australian territories bobbing in the Indian Ocean off the nation’s north-west coast. Former pole-vaulting champion Emma George takes her family on a wellearned holiday and shares her top five adventures.

Christmas isles are so very un-touristy Visitors are welcomed by locals – indeed, this destination is so safe that you can leave your accommodation unlocked, your wallet on the dash of the car without worrying. On Cocos, our hire-car agreement stipulated that we should keep the keys in the ignition at all times – something I’d never do at home.

Although this was the third visit to the islands for my husband Ashley and I, it was the first we’d made with our three children. We wanted to show them the amazing wildlife, immerse ourselves in the islands’ underwater environment, and relish being unplugged from electronic devices. More than a holiday, it was to be an adventure.

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destination

1

Experience Christmas Island’s frenetic annual red-crab migration.

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CRAB MIGRATION

Finding out we’d be on Christmas Island during the annual red-crab migration (October to January) was like winning the lottery. We were up at 3.30 on our first morning to see this extraordinary natural event. It was difficult to find crab-free patches of sand as we tiptoed onto the beach.

Crabs hung off cliffs, scurried over our feet and scuttled onto us if we sat still for a second. The sea turned black as the females released millions of eggs. I felt honoured to share such an amazing experience with my children; it is something we’ll remember forever.

Take to the air for awesome bird’s-eye views of the islands.

DIVING

Cocos is a diver’s paradise, even better when you dive with a boutique operator. With 30-metre visibility, we could see everything from a vast array of corals to tiny nudibranchs as well as Bottlenose and Spinner dolphins, manta rays, and by a stroke of luck, the area’s lone dugong, Kat. Coming face-toface with schools of Blue-fin Trevally in one dive is just insane.

Diving is just as special off Christmas Island, with underwater caves, limestone walls that drop into the abyss of the Indian Ocean, and awesomely good visibility. Every time we dive here, we are amazed at the vibrancy of the reef, the clarity of the water and the multitude of fish, great and small.

© Rik Sodelrund

Dive and snorkelling sites in the area fairly teem with tropical fish: get immersed!

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COCOS KEELING ISLAND-HOPPING

We spent days on the unspoilt white-sand beaches of the Cocos, floating around as fish swam by. The boys loved hermit-crab racing and never-ending snorkelling sessions.

The motorised local canoes are an ingenious way to travel to nearby isles – you don’t even have to paddle. The kids delighted in being ‘canoe captains’ for the day.

Direction Island was a little slice of palm-fringed heaven. On the calmest day of our trip we had the whole isle to ourselves. I felt like a millionaire, relaxing on a hammock under the shade of coconut palms watching the children play in the calm, 28-degrees-Celsius turquoise water.

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SNORKELLING The Rip: We glided over tropical

reef fish, sharks, turtles and pretty corals as the current pulled us from the outer reef into the lagoon. ‘Drift diving’ is not for the faint-hearted, but our eight-year-old 18

“I donned my snorkel and jumped into the deep-blue water to find myself almost face to face with the gigantic filter-feeder.”

Not every visitor’s lucky enough to get up close to a whale shark, but if you do, you’ll never forget it.

FACT FILE Go

and 11-year-old managed quite well, holding our hands during the exhilarating ride.

They delighted in finning down to wake up reef sharks under the plate coral, and make Christmas-tree worms duck for cover.

Flying Fish Cove: I wasn’t sure all three kids would make to the 100-metre drop-off but they were so engrossed in the coral gardens, butterfly fish, batfish, lionfish, turtles, sharks and the whole cast of Finding Nemo none of them notices how far they’d snorkelled. The excitement was infectious as they speculated about what might dwell below, in the vast, deep-blue ocean, before circling back around to chase fish in the shallows.

Whale Shark encounter: A big brown shape emerged from the water and I struggled to identify it from where I stood on the shore. When I realised it was a huge Whale Shark, I donned my snorkel and jumped into the deep-blue water to find myself face to face with the gigantic filterfeeder. It was just the whale shark and I,

alone in the vast depth of ocean. I marvelled at its size, small eyes, giant mouth and the scratches along its polka-dot skin.

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FISHING

Christmas is a sport fisho’s Nirvana: you can catch anything from big tuna to trevally, wahoo, sailfish and your tasty bottom-dwellers. As I stood precariously on a ledge, a giant trevally attacked my lure, taking off like a train and almost pulling me in. With a bit of luck and some help, I used my last amount of strength to hold the trevally up for a photo before releasing it back to the water.

Cocos is one of the only places in Australia where you’ll find bonefish and I wasn’t going home unless I caught one.

Ashley and I fished the shallows for hours, catching an array of small trevally, sweetlip and cod – but no bonefish. Then we started chatting to a local fisho, who gave us the secret to success.

Within minutes we had our first bonefish, and even the kids were catching their fair share.

• Lying 2623 kilometres off the Western Australian coast, Christmas Island is a 4.5-hour flight north-west from Perth, or a one-hour flight south from Jakarta.

• The Cocos Keeling Islands are south-west of Christmas Island and a short flight away. You can also fly direct between the Cocos and Perth. Two circular atolls, also known as the Sand Bar, make up this island group, comprising 27 sandy coconut-palm-dotted isles, only two of which are inhabited.

• A small community of expat Aussies lives on 15-kilometre-long West Island, where you’ll also find an array of accommodation options. Across the lagoon on Home Island lives a community of more than 400 Cocos Malay, who speak the old Malay trading dialect of the East Indies, as well as English.

Book six to 12 weeks in advance of your visit. For more information, go to cocoskeelingislands.com.au

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DIS

COVER

THE

HUNTER #HUNTER VALLEY winecountry.com.au

discover

specialfeature

Explore the

HUNTER VALLEY he Hunter Valley is a winesoaked haven of tastes, sights and delights. With only a two hour drive from Sydney, touring around the picturesque regions is a great way to get a taste for, as the locals call it, the ‘Hunter Valley way of life’.

As you mosey through picturesque landscapes, you get a feel for the 180 year old history of the pioneering families, as well as the up and coming younggun Winemakers, who’ve helped shape Australia’s oldest wine region into a wellknown benchmark in Australian wine.

Quietly unwind after a day of exploring the region, glass of wine in hand, as you take in the sunset over rolling vineyards nestled at the foot of the towering Brokenback Ranges and native animals grazing casually among the vines.

Immerse Yourself There is an abundance of gourmet produce in the Hunter Valley, and the bespoke providores in the quiet nooks throughout the region offer a feast of gourmet morsels from cheeses, to chocolates, olives and jams. You can collect some of these epicurean delights along your travels, right down to freshly baked bread, and create your own picnic amongst the vines at one of the many picnic spots dotted throughout the region.

If you feel like getting out of the car for a bit of ‘me’ time, the options for leisure and pleasure are many. Enjoy a spot of pampering at a day spa, tackle one of the three championship golf courses, greet

the day with a quiet balloon flight over the vineyards at sunrise, or saddle up and enjoy spectacular valley views by horseback.

The Hunter Valley also boasts a range of tour experiences so you can relax and be chauffeured around the cellar doors and restaurants to sample the region’s finest without a limit on wine tastings.

The Hunter plays host to a myriad of events throughout the year, a perfect excuse to visit the region and spoil yourself. In Summer, the hills (Brokenback Ranges) are alive with the sound of music and events to keep you well entertained during your visit, from A Day On the Green to the Christmas Lights Spectacular and Slideapalooza.

Tour the Hunter Valley One of the many great things about this region is that it’s only a 40 minute drive from one end of the Valley to the other and there are many beautiful destinations throughout to discover.

Pokolbin forms the epicentre of the Hunter Valley. This is where most of the region’s first vineyards were planted and where you will find the largest collection of wineries, accommodation, restaurants and activities. You’ll also be able to pop in at the cellar doors of many of the original Hunter winemaking families here.

From Pokolbin, it’s only a short drive to explore other regions such as Mount View, Hermitage Road, Old North Road, North Rothbury and Lovedale to unearth decadent gems, from cozy restaurants to freshly made cheese, olive oils and

smoked goods providores, microbreweries and boutique accommodation.

Within a twenty minute sojourn through lush bushland, Broke Fordwich unfolds at the foot of the towering Brokenback Ranges and Yengo National Park. There are many beautiful wineries and a few secluded restaurants to visit in this picturesque haven.

Another picturesque drive takes you to the quaint township of Wollombi, brimming with history, art, wine and unique accommodation. It’s well worth winding through the rolling green valleys into the village. Here you’ll find boutique cellar doors and an eclectic mix of bric-abrac shops and art and sculpture galleries with works by resident artists.

Yengo National Park sets the backdrop for Wollobi village with a fascinating mix of native trees, scenic lookouts and over 12,000 years of rich indigenous history.

Only a short deviation off the F3 Freeway just north of Sydney, the Hunter Valley is a haven of gourmet treasures waiting to be explored.

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destination

Gypsy

HEART

As country music superstar Adam Brand prepares to hit the road again on tour with Get on Your Feet, the self-proclaimed gypsy shares his passion for Aussie country communities and suggests he may, at last, be putting down roots.

WORDS: Annabelle Warwick

W

hen we speak, Brand is about as far outback as it gets, in Queensland’s north-west Gulf country.

“I’m up here in Mount Isa with the Salvos,” he explains in a slight ocker drawl. “They’ve got a flying chaplain who goes to all the cattle stations and communities, so I’m out there with him spreading Christmas cheer.”

“I try to help out wherever I can in disadvantaged communities.

“We landed in a helicopter this morning in Dajarra – it’s a tiny community. We met everybody at the little local pub for morning tea and bickies, sang them a couple of songs and hung out.”

“I’m a bit of a gypsy,” Brand confesses. “I have a few days off and I’ll come up here and then I’ll go down south. If I’m not touring, I like

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to be active – I don’t do boredom very well.”

With a great-great-grandfather’s bona-fide Hungarian gypsy blood in his veins and nomadic parents, the musician has always moved around: “I was born in Perth but lived everywhere as a young fella; all my schooling was in country Victoria.”

At 27 years old, genetic wanderlust led Brand to pack up his guitar, climb into his old ute and drive east from Perth, heading solo across the Nullarbor in search of “wild adventure”.

“I didn’t really know where I was going to end up and in some respects I didn’t really care,” Adam recalls.

“I’ve always been like that. With my music, I’ve never thought, ‘I don’t want to take a chance’. I’ve always wanted to forge new paths.”

Chasing the Dream In 1988, a year after landing in Sydney, Brand released his self-titled debut record and took the country music world by storm.

The singer has since sold more than half a million albums and DVDs. Brand has three Platinum and five Gold albums to his name, and 12 Golden Guitars – including doubleups for Male Artist of the Year and APRA Song of the Year – as well as multiple Mo Awards and four ARIA nominations for Best Country Album.

A born performer, Brand’s work on stage and screen, including “talking his way through” to win 2009’s Dancing with the Stars, has taken him all over Australia and to the USA, where he landed in country music Mecca, Nashville. Stateside, he hit the big time stratospherically.

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“I got there and then I realised what I needed in my heart and soul was to be here in Australia.”

Below: Adam performing at Broadbeach.

“I was signed to Sony on the same label as Alan Jackson … and in 2011 I did a tour, opening for Taylor Swift.

It was an amazing experience. The last two nights were at Madison Square Garden,” Brand reflects.

But with the end of his relationship (with dancer Jade Hatcher), Brand’s love affair with the States also came to an end.

“It’s funny – you spend your whole life chasing that deal, the big dream,” he says. “I got there and then I realised what I needed in my heart and soul was to be here in Australia.”

Sleeping Under the Stars Home but with no fixed address, Adam once again hit the road: “I took four months off, put a mattress in the back of my ute and just drove.

“I went down south and took the ferry across to Tassie, then went

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“We are so lucky in this country.

Whatever you want, insofar as chasing inspiration or ‘down time’ is concerned, we’ve got it.”

Auto Enthusiast

Some of Brand’s favourite spots: the Devils Marbles (above) and Tasmania’s Bay Of Fires. up the centre through Alice. Floating down the hot springs at Mataranka in the Northern Territory – what an amazing experience. The Bay of Fires down in Tassie is incredible; I do love the water. I also love camping out under the stars at the Devils Marbles [Karlu Karlu].”

“We are so lucky in this country.

You can get any experience you want, from the Snowy Mountains alpine experience to the Outback, to tropical. Whatever you want, insofar as chasing inspiration or ‘down time’ is concerned, we’ve got it.”

With family in Queensland, Brand found himself repeatedly drawn to the Sunshine State, opening a restaurant in Townsville and eventually moving to the Gold Coast three years ago.

“I have a place at Coombabah, between the coast and the hinterland.

I’ve lived on the GC a few times; it’s a pretty unique place. You can have all the action of Australia’s hottest tourist destination or, in 15 minutes, be in

beautiful rainforest up on Tamborine Mountain,” he says.

The region ticks many boxes for the spirited star: “I love boating and fishing, and on the Gold Coast, in 20 minutes on a boat you can be up at Jacobs Well in creeks of mangroves.

“You have Sea World on one side and Straddy [Stradbroke Island] on the other, and right there in front of you are the high-rises – but right in that spot, there’s some great fishing: kingies and snapper, flathead and bream. It’s really diverse.”

Brand’s tip for visitors: “The Gold Coast NightQuarter markets on the weekends – great food, music and atmosphere!”

No Second Gear Feeling a little outgunned with Papa Brand on the GC. 24

He may now have a home base but, even after 20 years’ touring, there’s no

“I’ve always had a ute of some description,” Brand confirms. “Back in the day, it had to be a V8 Ford XR8. These days, I’m calming down: I’ve got a dual-cab Holden 4WD. I always want some space in the back to throw fishing rods, a barbeque – anything.”

The singer is also a huge Speedway racing fan: “I’ve been racing Speedway Legend cars – they look like little hot rods. With a 1200cc motorbike engine, they go like no tomorrow.”

sign of Brand slowing down.

Locally, the celeb does everything from co-hosting brekkie radio shows on 92.5 Gold FM to headlining the Buskers by the Creek festival at Currumbin in 2016.

He also played the Broadbeach Country Music Festival in June 2016 as part of a national tour with country supergroup, Adam Brand and The Outlaws, who notched up an ARIA charts #1 album and a second ARIA nomination within just one year.

Of the local Broadbeach festival, Brand raves: “It could end up being the biggest – country music on stage in the main street, with huge resorts either side, and the beach is right there – it works. Just fantastic.”

Forever chasing new ground, Brand has finished recording the new solo album, Get on Your Feet, to be

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Clockwise from top left: Adam’s a proud supporter of the Salvation Army; the self-proclaimed ‘gypsy’ enjoys entertaining the locals, wherever he goes; Adam and the band, rocking it out in the open air at The Big Red Bash.

released in February 2017.

“The tour will start in March and we’re off and running,” Brand says.

“I have two exciting young artists opening the show: Gemma Kirby, an amazing girl – she’s a miner, drives huge dump trucks, then goes off and sings; and Matt Cornell, who’s just released a single, ‘In This Town’.”

“We’ve got a pretty big tour planned, travelling all across the country,” says Brand. “We’ll be going to north Queensland and over to Western Australia, down to Tassie – as many places as we can cover.”

Naturally, the tour will take Brand to the Tamworth Country Music Festival, where he’ll be joined by dozens of country celebrities. “I’ve got an official role at Tamworth this year – Party Ambassador.

“Am I a laid-back gypsy? No! I certainly love to party,” he jokes.

Driving Force Despite Brand’s rock’n’roll lifestyle, the singer is in touch with what drives him. It all comes back to reaching people, he explains.

“I got to a point where I realised 26

a lot of things, and one was what I could do to make a difference in some people’s lives – communities who’ve been through a hard time hold a special place in my heart.”

“Communities who’ve been through a hard time hold a special place in my heart.”

Brand was a Salvation Army ambassador for several years. His song ‘I was Here’ – produced by Craig Porteils (Guns N’ Roses, Billy Idol, Guy Sebastian) and number one on the ARIA Country Album Charts – was used for the charity’s Christmas campaign.

“When the chips are down, the Salvos are there. They don’t go around talking about it or bragging; they just have their sleeves rolled up,” says Brand.

“There’s always going to be people going through hard times. You

could say overall it’s getting better, but somewhere around the corner, someone is going through a rough time – and that’s part of economics, and downturns in mining, or whatever it is that affects that town.

“Wherever you can, if you’ve got the ability to help someone else in need, it’s something you should do, I think.

“If you stop at the lights and see someone’s car broken down – if one person gets out of the car to help, sure enough someone else will, and then you’ll have four or five people helping out. It’s contagious.”

“This is what Get on your Feet is about. When I get up and play, I want people to forget about their crappy week and come on an emotional rollercoaster with me, and stand up on their chairs.

“So often, we lose sight of the amazing things that are right on our doorstep. I want to be a catalyst – to say, ‘Come on, let’s just have a great night! You’re there with your other half, your best mate, or your brother or sister, putting an arm around each other and singing at the top of your lungs’.”

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A CARAVAN

CHRISTMAS hen we were little, we actually lived in a caravan at the back of my grandparents’ house in Melbourne. Boxing Day every year, we’d go camping. Dad never took us to the same place twice: Apollo Bay, the Apostles, Ocean Grove waterfalls, Queenscliff, St Leonards, Geelong, water parks – as far as Uluru. We were so blessed as kids. That’s why I have an ‘outdoors’ life.

#1 MY FAVOURITE CARAVAN PARKS My 10-year-old son is into quad bikes. We go to Jamieson in Victoria where they have hilly little dirt tracks and good fishing. Mandurah in WA is beautiful.

In Queensland, I love it up north – in Townsville or Rockhampton – or Broadbeach.

#2 BEST CHRISTMAS SITE Echuca in Victoria is a beautiful spot and a good family caravan park. Between Australia Day and Easter are the busiest weekends.

#3 STAKING YOUR CLAIM Over summer, you’ve got to get in early; that’s the only way you do it. Book popular spots a year in advance.

For tips on where to stay last-minute, go to online caravan forums. Our caravan club also takes enquiries.

You may have to compromise on facilities at less popular spots. All our vans have ensuites, so we have the luxury of showering when we want without a crowd!

#4 HIDING CHRISTMAS PRESENTS I always stash them in the storage units under our bed

Gabby Montagnese, Melbourne-based owner and Managing Director of New Age Caravans, offers her tips on having a great family holiday in your van.

or the seats. Rooftop carriers are well out of reach.

#5 BEST TIMES OF DAY TO TRAVEL You need daylight because you’re towing and there’s less awareness at night. Early in the morning before the sun hits is always best, so you can get set up somewhere by mid-afternoon.

#6 CHRISTMAS FEASTS ON THE ROAD Barbeque is a big thing and lamb is the favourite for most caravan parks. If you go fishing, it’s fresh fish on the barbeque, [or] prawns. It’s beautiful.

#7 CAMP-SITE ACTIVITIES We go away with mutual friends, so all the kids and couples know each other. The kids play cricket, soccer or footy wherever they can find a bit of green grass. For us, it’s just all about sitting down and socialising.

People come past and introduce themselves, and they have a look at your van, and you have a look in their van – there’s a lot of comparison going on.

Night-time, the kids go inside and play board games or watch DVDs, but we’re always outside, under the awning.

#8 ENTERTAINING THE KIDS People talk to me about putting PlayStations in caravans. I’m not a fan. The whole point of caravanning is connecting! When we’re away, my son doesn’t want to come inside ’til 10 o’clock. It’s a way of life: appreciation for outdoors, not always needing to be entertained. Yes, it’s luxurious inside the van, but it’s more about what the lifestyle brings than about the van itself.

GABBY MONTAGNESE Gabby established New Age Caravans in 2008, in a mission to modernise the caravan industry. With degrees in Psychology and Business behind her, Gabby has cemented herself as a leader in caravan manufacturing, earning respect together with many accolades in a maledominated industry. Gabby was nominated in The Australian Financial Review and WestPac 100 Women of Influence 2016, after scooping the 2016 Young Future Leaders Award from the Caravan Industry Association of Australia; Women in Industry – Excellence in Manufacturing 2016 from Manufacturers’ Monthly; and Manufacturer of the Year 2016 from the Caravan Trade Industry Association Victoria. Gabby also received a nomination in the Entrepreneur category of Telstra Business Women’s Awards 2015.

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destination

Meet the

SNUBBIES Broome in Western Australia’s north-west is an ancient landscape where skies are big, beaches are beautiful, and the marine life is mind-blowing. In a sheltered bay behind the Dampier Peninsula, a special species of dolphins can be found.

WORDS: Dianne Bortoletto

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The wild and wondrous Roebuck Bay.

O

n the other side of town, away from the long white stretch of Broome’s famed Cable Beach, Roebuck Bay is something of a marine-life Mecca, home to what is thought to be the world’s largest population of exceptionally rare Australian Snubfin Dolphins.

The only way to see Snubfins is out on the water, so I book a spot on a morning dolphin-spotting cruise with accredited operator Broome Whale Watching.

As the catamaran sails into the bay, the contrasting colours are mesmerising: rustcoloured earth, with patches of bright-green scrub along the shoreline, set against a bright blue sky and an aquamarine ocean.

The azure water is almost opaque. Tour operator Cameron Birch tells us the Snubfin Dolphins like it this way. “Roebuck Bay’s immense mudflats and massive tidal range of over 10 meters combine to create the perfect environment for ‘snubbies’,” he says.

“They are an estuarine dolphin and like shallow coastal areas; they’re not an oceanic dolphin at all.”

My eyes scan the water, searching for blips on the surface, as he continues. “You’ll know a Snubfin when you see them. They have a big round ‘melon’ head – no nose or

STAIRCASE TO THE MOON The tidal range at Roebuck Bay can expose a staggering 160km2 of mudflats. For two or three days per month between March and October, when a full moon rises over the bay, glistening mudflats are exposed by the receding tides, and crowds gather along the shore to observe the illusion of a shining ‘Staircase to the Moon’.

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beak like the common Bottlenose Dolphin – and are quite a small, delicate dolphin.”

“They’re slow-moving, extremely social and playful, but they don’t usually live in one place – they move in and out of an area according to food,” Cameron says.

“That’s why we’re so lucky here in Broome to have a resident population of snubbies [that] live permanently in Roebuck Bay and it’s because, as a mangrove system, it’s full of food.”

Someone shouts “Over there!” and my head whips around to see a little grey dolphin, its round head sticking out of the water for a split-second. A moment later it arches its back, and the snubby’s small dorsal fin slides forward and out of sight under the surface.

But there’s another, and another, and then a calf. From a respectable distance, Cameron follows this close-knit pod of four for several minutes.

Australian Snubfin Dolphins feed on baitfish, and they have a unique way to

hunt. Lacking the speed and agility of their Bottlenose cousins, they find it a challenge to catch fish. So snubbies outsmart prey by sticking their heads above the surface and spitting jets of water as far as two to three metres to land between them and the fish they’re chasing. The fish see the splashes, turn around and find themselves swimming towards the waiting snubbies.

Once thought to be Irrawaddy Dolphins, a species usually found in the Bay of Bengal and around South-East Asia, these unique mammals were officially designated a new species in 2005. The first new species of dolphin to be identified in 56 years, the Australian Snubfin inhabits just a few areas of the waters around the north coast of the continent. The snubbies’ fishing technique is so unique that David Attenborough recently sent a crew to Broome to capture it on film.

Broome Whale Watching began running its Roebuck Bay Eco Tours in September 2015. Cameron says that in the past 12 months, they’ve seen at least one Australian

“Roebuck Bay’s immense mudflats and massive tidal range of over 10 meters combine to create the perfect environment for ‘snubbies’.”

ROEBUCK BAY

Cameron Birch enjoys another day at work.

Snubfin Dolphin on all but half a dozen occasions.

On our morning tour, we see – or rather, are entertained by – loads of Bottlenose Dolphins that put on a show, leaping, playing and surfing the catamaran’s bow.

Broome Whale Watching deckhand Dani points out a turtle several metres away.

Later, after morning tea, she spots a couple of dugongs.

When we get back to shore after our morning on Roebuck Bay filled with special marine-life encounters, my camera’s SD card is full – mostly with photographs of scenery.

I enjoyed it so much that I book in again, joining the Roebuck Eco Tour twice in the space of three days.

Cameron Birch’s daily tours aboard his quiet catamaran are designed to have minimal environmental impact.

Roebuck Bay Eco Tour 08 9192 8163 broomewhalewatching.com.au

Western Australia’s Kimberley Coast is one of the most pristine marine environments in the world, ranking alongside Antarctica and the Arctic with regard to freedom from human interference.

A National Heritage site since 2011, Roebuck Bay, on the Kimberley Coast, boasts the most diverse mudflat ecosystem in the world. From turtles and dugongs to threadfin salmon and an estimated 300 to 500 species of Benthic invertebrates, the seagrass meadows provide extensive feeding grounds. It is estimated that more than 150,000 migratory shorebirds arrive here over the season.

The 140 rare Australian Snubfin Dolphins that reside in the bay have been doing well since the removal of commercial fishing and gill nets in 2013, but more needs to be done to protect the species.

In October 2016, Roebuck Bay was officially made a marine park, to be managed jointly with the area’s traditional custodians, the Yawuru people. The bay is an integral part of the Yawuru’s history, culture and way of life, and they’re acutely aware of the bay’s vast richness: it has provided them with sustenance over many thousands of years.

Nevertheless, the new marine park is missing a sanctuary zone. Save Our Marine Life, an alliance of 20 conservation groups including the Australian Conservation Foundation, Wilderness Society and World Wildlife Fund, has pleaded for the WA government to create a nofishing sanctuary zone within the marine park to sustain Roebuck Bay’s biodiversity.

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PADDOCK to

SHARE PLATE

Rural women have always played a pivotal role in community outreach.

And with social media, they now have powerful new ways to breach the ‘paddock to plate’ divide.

WORDS: MERRAN WHITE

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business

Clockwise from left: RIRDC award-winner Sophie Hansen; guests enjoy a ‘paddock to plate’ long lunch at Sophie and Tim’s deer farm.

ifty years ago, women living in remote parts of Australia relied on snailmail, phone calls, CWA meetings and occasional trips to town to keep in touch. Today, they’re using digital technology to reach out to each other, consumers and the world.

As an everyday part of running 21st-century farms and contributing to farm work, women farmers can be found online doing tasks such as paying bills, tracking down suppliers, researching new markets and updating the farm’s website.

Increasingly, they’re also using social media channels to swap stories, exchange knowledge and forge profitable connections.

Take holistic deer farmer, food blogger and social-media advocate Sophie Hansen, whose innovative social media program for agriproducers, ‘My Open Kitchen’, helped net her 2016’s coveted RIRDC Rural Woman of the Year award.

“I had always worked in food media and spent lots of time writing about producers and telling the

“I really came to appreciate the simple, powerful message that if we consumers buy seasonal and local produce that has a story... the whole process is so deeply nurturing and so enjoyable...” ‘paddock to plate’ story. I really came to appreciate the simple, powerful message that if we consumers buy seasonal and local produce that has a story – then cook and share that produce in a simple way but at a shared, convivial table – then the whole process is so deeply nurturing and so enjoyable that you’ll want to repeat it over and over again!”

Sophie’s own ‘plate to paddock’ journey began when she moved to Orange, New South Wales, where her husband Tim had a deer farm, and swapped her fast-paced life as a Sydney-based food writer for one as

a country-based Jill-of-all-trades.

“I had to re-invent myself workwise,” she recalls.

Initially, Sophie did some marketing for a local winery and wine bar “but after having children, I wanted … an income source that was flexible – complementary to our farm business but independent of it”, she says.

So she started a blog, Local is Lovely. Its success led to freelance writing and recipe development, and soon, she was using the farm as a base for everything from food styling workshops to tours, cooking demos and hosted ‘farm-kitchen

37

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lunches’, sharing the paddock-to-plate experience and story.

Sophie’s latest project, ‘My Open Kitchen’ (MOK), brings her farmermeets-foodie philosophy to the next level, facilitating sharing among producers from all over regional Australia.

MOK is “a self-paced online course to help farmers, value-adders, cooks and producers get started with social media”.

The course has five modules, available as downloads, and will run in six-week blocks starting in early 2017. MOK participants will also produce a podcast of social media success stories from ‘behind the farm-gate’.

“It’s about collaboration, inspiration, conviviality and learning useful new skills,” she explains. “I want us farmers to

“There’s an audience and a market out there, hungry to engage. And once this happens, they’re far more likely to go the extra mile to source our products.” ‘virtually’ invite the world into our kitchens and, through stories, recipes and great photos, inspire new networks to support us through their choices and voices.”

Sophie doesn’t exclude networking with producers and farmers in the oldfashioned way – say, at weekend markets – but she makes a persuasive case for social media’s immediacy.

“Face-to-face is great but many farmers’ nearest markets are hours away, and being away from the farm takes a financial toll!” she notes. “Social media lets us connect in a very direct, authentic way to thousands, tens of thousands of people at once. It is very efficient and powerful.”

Unreliable internet access can still make things “tricky”, Sophie admits: “You may just have to save photos and stories on your phone, then upload them when you get to town, or schedule a bunch of posts in advance. That’s what I do when our internet’s down or we’ve used up all our data.

“I think MOK and its ilk will add to 38

the already-strong argument that these [regional internet connection] problems need to be resolved, fast.”

Sophie believes MOK will have broadranging flow-on benefits to agri-producers, from improving sustainability to enlivening rural communities. The platform will also help to draw in consumers Australia-wide.

The end-game for Sophie in connecting with all these consumers is to boost regional farmers’ bottom lines.

“More than ever, people want to connect with their food and the stories behind it – and we’re not just talking about ‘foodies’,” she explains.

“There’s an audience and a market out there, hungry to engage. And once this happens, they’re far more likely to go the extra mile to source our products.”

“I really think we can change consumer behaviour and encourage them to support us producers in a long-term way by involving them in our story, and making the ‘paddock to plate’ process enjoyable, accessible – and delicious!” she says.

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business

2016

RURAL

WOMEN’S

AWARD-WINNERS The annual RWAs recognise the creative, entrepreneurial role women play in rural businesses, industries and communities. Here we present to you 2016’s state and territory winners.

Western Australia winner, Kalyn Fletcher

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NSW/ACT Sophie Hansen (see previous pages)

Sophie is using her $20,000 Award bursary and business support to launch the ‘My Open Kitchen’ project, “a celebration of beautiful food, inspiring people and great ideas”, which will demonstrate “the power of social media to inspire farmers and producers to go out and build supportive and engaged communities and networks, both digital and real”.

NT Martina Matzner Two decades at the cutting edge of mango farming in the Top End, inspired Acacia Hills Mango Farm manager Martina Matzner to reach out to young people, and encourage them to choose a career in food production. Martina will use her $10,000 RWA bursary and $5,000 runner-up bonus to introduce field trips for students from the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Schools NT, who’ll head to the Acacia Hills farm to learn about mango production. She’ll also develop a course unit with Charles Darwin Horticulture Faculty, incorporating hands-on industry experience for students.

Vic Dr Jessica Lye Managing AUSVEG’s Vegetable and Biosecurity program made Jessica Lye acutely aware of the need to raise awareness around biosecurity risks and encourage best-practice pest, weed and disease management across Australia’s horticulture sector. Jessica is using her bursary to visit research and growing operations globally, gathering information on high-risk pests and threats, to foster biosecurity-focused networks in vegie-growing communities nationwide.

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Tas Rebecca Duffy Wine-industry veteran Rebecca Duffy returned to Tassie in 2006 to run Holm Oak Vineyards, expanding its size and production while also promoting the region as Tamar Valley Wine Route group secretary. Rebecca, now also director of Wine Tasmania, will use her winnings to conduct a cellardoor study of world-leading wine-tourism regions with a view to developing new, dynamic Valley visitor experiences and boosting regional tourism to and within Tasmania.

WA Kalyn Fletcher Kalyn Fletcher manages Kununurra family businesses RB Dessert Seed Co, and recently established an agricultural tour operation to promote the Ord River region. She also manages the region’s legendary Hoochery Distillery, producers of award-winning rum and liqueurs. Kalyn has been working with industry to develop new crops, trialling sorghum varieties suited to tropical climes. She’ll spend her $10,000 touring Brazil’s Cerrado Region, with its globally successful tropical-agriculture industry, relaying findings to agribusinesses across northern Australia.

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Qld Emma Robinsonr Family-farm advocate Emma Robinson owns and runs a trio of grazing properties, all models of innovative practice. Building on her 2015 Winston Churchill Trust Fellowship research into beef supply-chain innovation, Emma, a champion of rural producer cooperatives, will use her RWA winnings to consult with agricultural co-ops.

She’ll also develop a socialmedia platform to share information and promote existing producer co-ops; and facilitate a producer forum on the benefits cooperation can bring to family farms.

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INVESTMENT:

COMMODITIES ROUND-UP 2016

Commodities trader Rowan Crosby outlines how Australia’s key commodities performed in 2016, and what the analysts are predicting for 2017.

AUSTRALIA IS without doubt a natural resource nation and, as a result, commodity prices are at the forefront of our economic prosperity.

Overall, 2016 was meant to be a poor year for commodities and the nations that benefit from

higher prices, such as Canada, New Zealand and, of course, Australia.

So it comes as a nice surprise that, throughout the calendar year 2016, commodity prices for the most part were very strong.

This is apparent from the

Thomson Reuters/Core Commodity CRB Index, which indexes 19 of the country’s key commodity prices.

Here’s a quick round-up of some of our key commodities: how they performed in 2016, and what the markets may have in store for 2017.

IRON ORE

Iron ore prices reached an all-time high of US$191 in February of 2011 and a record low of US$37 in December of 2015. With the mining boom well and truly over, many analysts predicted 2016 would see a continuation in the demise of iron-ore value.

For the most part, however, 2016 was predominantly upside, with prices pushing upward of $60 at times throughout the year.

As a result, we’ve also seen renewed strength in iron-ore mining giants such as Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) and Rio Tinto (RIO), as they lowered their costs of production while continuing to produce strong levels of supply.

Looking ahead, however, it appears that producers will have a large say in the price movements of iron ore as we head into 2017.

Larger producers will need to exert tighter control over supplies as demand from China continues to taper off on the back of the Asian giant reducing its requirements for excess steel.

ANALYSTS PREDICT: STEADY/SLIGHT DECLINE

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CRUDE OIL

The crude oil market has very much been in transition over the past decade.

Boom times and dwindling supplies saw crude oil prices ramp up to $145 in 2007 before an influx of supply, through new technologies and slowing global economies, saw prices bottom out at under $30 in early 2016.

Like many commodities, crude oil was expected to decline throughout the year; however, we saw continued strength as the year progressed.

For the most part, OPEC (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) has refused to alter its output; however, late in 2016, the member countries reached an agreement to reduce output, which helped boost prices further.

However, gains appear to be facing a cap of sorts, given the sheer volume of production still coming out of OPEC and Russia, the world’s other large oil producer.

The consensus among analysts is that they expect crude to remain in the current $45-$55 range headed into 2017, with many sceptical of OPEC and its ability to rein in production.

ANALYSTS PREDICT: STEADY

WHEAT

Unlike those for many commodities, wheat values fell across 2016, with prices dropping to levels not seen in 10 years.

For wheat, much of the issue is simply one of supply. Global grain supply has been strong for a few years now, and there have been few production issues.

As a result, global stocks are high, and local farmers are likely to be forced to store a substantial portion of their grain from the coming harvest.

With large global supplies easily offsetting increasing demand from China, most analysts are expecting the grain glut to continue into 2017.

ANALYSTS PREDICT: STEADY/SLIGHT DECLINE 48

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GOLD

Gold was another of the big improvers through 2016, staging a 30 per cent rally from the lows it set early in the year.

As ever, the actual drivers of the price of gold remained varied and controversial.

Much of the upside for gold in 2016 was attributed to ever-changing monetary policy around the world, with most major economies currently undertaking stimulus programs in a bid to boost their flailing economies.

Much of what will happen to gold in 2017 will, as always, depend on what happens in the US – more specifically,

CATTLE

It was a story of two very different markets for cattle in 2016.

While world markets saw prices for cattle decline slowly but surely over the course of the year, our index locally has set a record high.

how the US deals with its slowly improving economy and the nation’s resultant position on interest rates.

As US interest rates begin to increase and investors can once again find yield,

analysts predict that the recent run-up in gold prices could, potentially, fade.

Following high prices in the US, cattle production began to ramp up, with prices levelling out accordingly.

In Australia, however, our key indicator, the Eastern Young Cattle Index (EYCI) – a rolling average of prices

– jumped to a record level in 2016, fuelled by strong demand at saleyards in Queensland and New South Wales.

After seeing our national cattle herd dwindle in recent years, much of the strength this year has been on the back of re-stockers looking to boost herd numbers following good rains earlier in the year.

Unfortunately for producers, that divergence in price can’t last, analysts predict. Even given the high quality of Australian meat relative to that of the rest of the world’s big beef cattle producers, prices are expected to fall moving into 2017 as supply slowly increases and prices fall into line with those of world markets.

ANALYSTS PREDICT: DECLINING

ANALYSTS PREDICT: DECLINING LOCALLY

Overall, 2016 has been a very positive year for Australia and for many of our key exports.

2017 looms as a tumultuous time for global markets, as many countries wind down their economic stimulus programs and interest rates in the US, potentially, rise... and, of course, as the markets absorb a Trump presidency. Read more market insights at rowancrosby.com 50

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REGIONAL INVESTMENT:

THE SWEET SPOT The Riverina, a mainly agricultural region in south-western New South Wales, is becoming a powerhouse of investment as Australian agriculture booms in the wake of a declining dollar.

WORDS: DARREN BAGULEY

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eginning at Cootamundra and running south to the Victorian border, the Riverina is dominated by two great river systems: those of the Murray and Murrumbidgee. While the area has a deep-rooted pastoral history, it’s 20th-century irrigation schemes that are now driving investment in an area that has hot summers, cool winters and flat land in abundance.

One of the most prominent recent investments is that of global confectionery giant the Ferrero Group, which is developing an extensive hazelnut orchard near Narrandera through its Australian subsidiary Agri Australis. Work commenced in 2014 and Ferrero

plans to spend $70 million developing the 2000-hectare orchard. More than 400,000 of the million trees planned have been planted, and the company hopes to have all the trees in the ground by 2018; however, heavy rain in the winter and spring of 2016 caused some delays.

The orchard employs 50 full-time staff and expects to generate an additional 70 seasonal jobs. When all the trees are established and at full production capacity – about 10 years after planting – Ferrero expects to produce 5000 tonnes of hazelnuts annually for use in its confectionery.

Further west, investment is booming in and around the city of

“One of the most prominent recent investments is that of global confectionery giant the Ferrero Group, which is developing an extensive hazelnut orchard near Narrandera.”

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Griffith. Baiada Poultry is expanding its Hanwood processing plant, and expects to double its production to 1.5 million birds a week once the larger facility is operating seven days a week.

According to Mayor John Dal Broi, the company is spending $100 million across the region. “Not only is there the expansion of the production line; more chickens will be needed for processing and they will need to be hatched and grown out, so the hatchery will need to be expanded and more poultry breeding sheds built.

“More grain will also be needed, which will benefit local farmers and grain mills.”

All in all, Dal Broi estimates

COTTON • The Riverina grows enough cotton to produce 93 million pairs of jeans every year.

• Forget Egyptian cotton: this region’s four cotton gins produce the world’s highestquality cotton.

FISH • Griffith aquaculture farmer Matt Ryan’s company Bidgee Fresh produces about 50 tonnes of Murray Cod a year, using a new water-efficient growing system.

• Larger, vertically integrated Griffith company Timpetra aims to produce 1000 tonnes of cod next year.

that up to 700 jobs will be created directly and indirectly as a result of the plant’s expansion.

Another project approved recently is the first stage of the 60MW Griffith Solar Farm. French energy company Neoen plans to install 185,000 solar panels on 120 acres [48.6 hectares] near the town of Yoogali, a few kilometres south-east of Griffith. Due to start construction in 2017, the project is being partly funded by a $5 million grant from ARENA. Several other projects are worthy of mention, says Dal Broi: they include the construction of a community private hospital, a new bottling facility for McWilliams Wines, an almond processing plant and an expansion of irrigation system company Flow Smart’s manufacturing facility. Griffith City Council is also contributing by allocating $8 million to upgrade the CBD streetscape and a further $37 million to build an industrial link road that bypasses the city centre.

Together, these projects are slated to generate more than 1000 jobs for the local area.

Further south in the Riverina, significant investment is occurring in the Edward River Council area, centred on the border town of Deniliquin. According to the Council’s interim general manager Des Bilske, by far the most significant recent investment in the area is the $90 million, South Korean-financed Dongmun Greentec ethanol plant and bio-digester.

“Work is planned to commence next year and up to 240 people are expected to be employed in the construction phase,” he says.

“Once the plant is in operation it will employ 60 people directly and consume 375,000 tonnes of grain – wheat, rice et cetera – and the products will be used for livestock feed and liquid fertiliser.” Bilske estimates that a further 250 jobs in associated industries such as cartage and steel fabrication will be generated by the plant.

WINE • The region exports more than 12.5 million cases of wine to more than 50 countries around the world every year – that’s 34,000 dozen per day!

• Casella winery runs 24/7, using more power than the town of Leighton. The winery has ‘tank farms’ with a storage capacity of 220 million litres. The two bottling lines produce 36,000 bottles per hour.

• Every weekday at 3pm, the train leaves Griffith carrying 50 to 100 containers filled with Casella and De Bortoli wines.

NUTS • As well as hazelnuts, the Riverina is home to Australia’s leading producers of walnuts and almonds.

• Walnuts Australia, based in Leighton, has a portfolio of one million walnut trees and counting.

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T FA Griffi CT th gr ows… S Aust r Aust alia’s ric 90% of ralia e, 3 of Au ’s citrus 0% of a stral ia’s p nd 95% rune s.

While plans are still in the early stages, Bilske is hopeful that an expansion of the Deniliquin abattoir will be greenlighted, too. “A lot of it is still commercial-in-confidence but if it goes ahead [it] could lead to 250 new jobs,” he says. “We’re working very closely with the organisation and the NSW State Government to try and make it happen.”

Council is also in the midst of developing a business plan for upgrading and lengthening Deniliquin Airport’s runway to 1960 metres. It has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Toowoomba’s Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport (BWWA).

Deniliquin will become a southern region ‘feeder’ airfreight terminal for Wellcamp.

This will provide an excellent opportunity for growers and producers in the Goulburn, Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys, enabling 56

them to airfreight fresh produce from the region into Asian ports within 24 hours.

Bilske expects that the upgrade of the runway and associated taxiways will cost about $15 million. “Once the business plan is complete we’ll start talking to federal and state governments about funding,” he says.

Events such as the Deniliquin Ute Muster and the Yamaha Cod Classic continue, but Bilske believes residential housing will see a lot of growth in the near future. “Rental occupancy is sitting at 99 per cent right now, so before construction starts on these new projects, we’re going to need building construction to take off so we can house people.”

Council is doing its best to encourage this shift by buying land in the centre of town to build a senior housing complex. It hopes people will move into the complex and put their suburban houses up for

sale or rent.

The Riverina is a region that has been hard hit by drought and the global financial crisis throughout the past decade, but the investment now flowing into the area will ensure it bounces back stronger than ever.

“The Riverina is a region that has been hard hit by drought and the global financial crisis, but the investment now flowing into the area will ensure it bounces back stronger than ever.”

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INNOVATION NEWS&VIEWS

BHP Billiton Technology and Innovation Award goes to Olympic Dam techie

BHP Billiton has awarded former employee Henry Muller its inaugural Technology and Innovation Award for ground-breaking work in the 1980s that made it possible for the orerich Olympic Dam to become a commercially viable operation.

Unearthed in 1975, Olympic Dam was the first discovery of an iron oxide-copper-golduranium orebody. It was the world’s largest uranium, fifth-largest copper and third-largest gold deposit, and one of the most complex mineral deposits on the planet.

Muller developed a single process flow sheet to mine and process the deposit, enabling simultaneous production of four high-value products: copper, uranium, gold and silver.

BHP Billiton chief technology officer Diane Jurgens presented Muller with the Award, recognising his outstanding contribution to the organisation in the field of technological innovation.

“Mr Muller’s process proved that economic benefit could be derived from Olympic Dam and other similar deposit styles. The process flow sheet he created had never been done before. It was a creative and unique application of metallurgical technologies and allowed the company to produce all four products at the one mine site,” Jurgens said.

“This is an example of how technology can create value by unlocking resources and lowering costs. Importantly, Mr Muller’s work opened up opportunities for mining of other similar complex ore bodies.”

Minerals Council slams anticoal mining report

The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) has slammed an Australia Institute report calling for the coal industry to be shut down.

“Annual coal exports at $38 billion in 2014/15 are almost twice those of beef, wheat, wool and wine combined so under the [Australia Institute’s] logic, eliminating those great industries would also have negligible

consequences,” said MCA executive director, coal, Greg Evans.

“The contribution to national income from coal exports improves the living standards of all Australians, and the taxes and royalties contributed by the coal sector assists in the provision of vital economic and social infrastructure.”

The MCA noted that there are 44,000 direct and 150,000 related jobs in the coal sector, mostly in regional areas. It also highlighted continuing strong demand for high-quality Australian coal from our traditional markets in Asia, and the growing opportunities in South-East Asia.

“Furthermore, the improved coal price since the beginning of the year (an increase of 40 per cent for thermal coal and 158 per cent for metallurgical coal) has left a gaping hole in their previous economic prognostication that the industry was in terminal decline due to the uptake of other energy sources,” said Evans.

WA yabbie farmers triple production on back of booming Chinese demand

Soaring demand for Australian yabbies among Chinese consumers has led to WA production tripling in a little more than a year, according to Kurkekin-based seafood exporter Cambinata Yabbies.

Cambinata’s production manager Ian Nenke told ABC Rural that, while the company had previously focused its efforts on Hong Kong and Singapore, “it’s just like [China has] recently discovered yabbies for the first time”.

A species of freshwater crayfish native to the eastern states and South Australia, yabbies were stocked into WA farm dams in 1932 and can now be found in some southwest rivers and dams. While they threaten local marron stocks, the new arrivals are proving a money-spinner.

“The Chinese are always trying to source new types of seafood, and their demand is just running rampant,” Nenke said, attributing record demand in the past 15 months to a burgeoning Chinese middle class.

Currently, Cambinata Yabbies sells about

500 kilograms of WA yabbies a week into markets overseas. And more clients – in China and closer to home – are clamouring to buy.

“With other species of crayfish like our local Western Rock Lobster fetching record prices at the moment, it helps us maintain a really solid price,” Nenke said.

Yabby farmers are benefiting, with farmgate prices doubling since 2015 and prices soaring as high as $19.50/kg. “Two years ago, a 30-gram sized yabby was only about $8 a kilo; now we’re paying $15 a kilo.”

Government defers decision on hemp-food permits

The decision on whether to legalise hemp for human consumption in Australia and New Zealand, due to be made in November, has been delayed until autumn 2017.

Hemp seeds, considered a ‘superfood’ by many, contain high levels of protein, vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids (FSANZ).

Randall Berger, founder of Industrial Hemp Australia, told ABC Rural in November. “In industrial hemp foods [THC] is so negligible that it can’t be measured in a drug test.”

A spokesperson for Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), which has outlined a proposal for allowing seeds of low-THC cannabis varieties to be used in and consumed as food products, said its proposal would now be discussed at a meeting of Australian and New Zealand government food ministers in April.

“The assessment has been delayed to enable resolution of technical aspects,” the FSANZ spokesperson stated.

Currently, hemp-food products including seeds, oil and protein can be grown, manufactured, produced and sold in Australia and New Zealand, provided they’re for external use only and are labelled accordingly.

They can also be exported as foods to countries where hemp consumption is legal, including the US, Canada and parts of Europe, changing nothing but the label. However, despite low-THC hemp’s beneficial nutritional profile, it remains illegal to eat hemp seeds, oil or products Down Under.

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BITING

DUST the

Open cut or underground, dust is the enemy of mining operations. Mobile dust monitors and road-condition monitors are just two of the recent innovations the Australian mining industry is deploying in the battle against dust suppression.

WORDS: DARREN BAGULEY

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“Mine personnel can shut down production on a site if they judge dust levels to be too high for work to continue safely”

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arge machines operating in a harsh environment – whether it’s above or below ground – generate dust, masses of it. Dust may seem innocuous but it’s damaging: inhaled in quantity, over time, it can cause ‘black lung’ and other pneumoconiosis-related diseases.

Indeed, it is so deleterious to human health that government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Planning have implemented ‘police and enforce’ dust emission standards.

Mine operators also take dust emissions seriously: mine personnel can shut down production on a site if they judge dust levels to be too high for work to continue safely.

According to Australian Diversified Engineering (ADE) sales manager Eric Tomicek, “New mines have limits on ‘fugitive dust emissions’ as part of their licencing requirements, so operations need to comply with best-practice dust suppression efforts.

“It looks bad if a community can see dust around, and it can impact on how the mine is perceived in the community – especially where you have mines in more inhabited areas such as the Hunter Valley in New South Wales,” Tomicek says. “As

a result, mining companies install dust monitors on the perimeters of the site to measure fugitive dust.

“It’s a pretty serious business: by law, companies need to upload their dust emission measurements to a website where anyone can see them and – at least in the Hunter Valley – on dry, windy days where there is likely to be a lot of dust in the air, the EPA will drive around, and fly up and down over the mines with a helicopter, to monitor dust levels,” he says.

With so much at stake, dust suppression is a perennial hot topic, and mine operators throw millions of dollars at the problem every year. One of the difficulties, argues operations and technical director for Reynold’s Soil Technologies (RST) David Handel, is that there’s no simple, one-fits-all solution.

“A lot of people are selling silver bullets, and companies want to buy silver bullets,” Handel explains.

“The problem is that mine sites vary so much: the conditions at a mine site in Queensland are completely different from [those at] one in Western Australia, and Tasmania is different again. Because everything needs a different approach, there’s no panacea offered by one product.”

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Handel and Tomicek agree that good dust suppression on roads starts with good roads. By building haul roads incorrectly, companies are creating their own problems, in part because fine particles – in other words, dust – are needed to help bind roads together.

One innovation in dust suppression on haul roads is the use of super-concentrates instead of water. “It’s more expensive per litre,” says Handel, “but it minimises shipping and application costs. In some applications, where a mine used to use 10,000 litres or more of water, it’s now using 2000 litres of super-concentrate.”

Another is the development of a water truck that delivers the same amount of water no matter what the speed of the vehicle. “At low speed, [a normal truck] can deliver too much water,” explains Tomicek. “But a haul truck on a mine site has priority, which forces the water truck to speed up, which means less water being sprayed onto the road. If it’s done at a defined rate, operators know how much water has been applied.”

As well as efforts to reduce the production of dust through better design and construction of haul roads and more effective road-dust dampening systems, work is going

into reducing the amount of dust produced by other mining activities, such as blasting, Handel says.

“Originally developed for Citic Pacific (CP) Mining in Western Australia, which had a problem with asbestos on the site, there’s a system that reduces the amount of explosive energy required by replacing [the usual blasting compound] with plasma gel, which attenuates the energy in the blast.

This gets better fragmentation and nice even rock break, with less fines, which improves material handling as well as reducing dust.”

Both Tomicek and Handel argue that it’s vital mine operators take a more holistic approach to dust suppression, and that they deploy tools that can measure the effectiveness of any dust suppression measures being used.

“You’ll have a mine site with perimeter dust monitors – but if the site gets shut down due to high dust levels, you won’t know where it’s coming from,” Handel says. “So companies really need to look at putting in place dust-monitoring systems that will monitor a specific area, such as a haul road, a blast face or a stockpile.”

Dust monitoring within a site, using technologies such as those developed by Proof Engineers (among others), is a good first step towards acquiring an accurate picture of how much dust is circulating and where it is coming from.

Tomicek and Handel also contend that change management is a major piece of the puzzle.

“A lot of the time, people think they’re doing the right thing but they may actually be creating a problem,” says Handel. “So it comes down to education.

“People need to realise they can’t just come in with a technology and expect it to do everything, without providing resources, without change management, without training people.

“It’s a bit like expecting you can wash your hair once with a new shampoo and not do it again for 12 months.”

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SPECIAL FEATURE

CUSTOMER SERVICE

AT A DIRECT LEVEL

BY MICHAEL O’CONNOR – SALES DIRECTOR.

FROM the moment we acquired Gessner Industries back in July 2013 we were ready to adopt an alternative sales strategy. The business has traditionally retailed Gessner equipment through a series of agricultural and construction dealerships throughout Australia.

In the first 12 months as new owners, made the decision to manufacture and sell our whole good equipment directly to the end user, whilst continuing good relations with the existing Gessner dealerships for the sale of our spare parts.

Our philosophy and strategy is simple. Take a highly regarded Company like Gessner Industries, with more than 40 years experience in fabricating proven and reliable machinery and allow the end user to purchase these whole good items at the most competitive price possible.

Manufacturing in Australia is hard enough with high labour rates and operating costs, so why

compound these pressures with more layers of selling margins?

We understand that the purchase of machinery is a major decision for all farmers and contractors. Even the smallest saving is important.

The response to our direct-sell approach has been overwhelming.

Sales in both agricultural and industrial equipment has increased more than 50% in the past 24 months. Farmers have a better sales experience from the purchasing end, because they are now dealing with our in-house sales staff who understand the equipment more intimately, provide answers more readily and ultimately negotiate positive outcomes with a financial win for both parties.

If customers require spare parts for any of our extensive range of equipment they can usually rely on our dealer network to have most wear parts available. In the event a part isn’t available from a dealer, chances are Gessner will have to

them within 12-24 hours, anywhere around Australia.

Growing Gessner Industries over the coming years is vital. The more equipment we manufacture the more competitively we can price our product for our local market.

Yes, we will need to sell more product. How do we sell more equipment? Innovation. This includes innovative manufacturing techniques and a clear mandate to introduce a new range of broadacre planting equipment for both our traditional selling area of Queensland and New South Wales, and also the grain growing regions of Central and Western Australia.

We’ve already taken the first steps to expand our product range, recruiting additional drafting and engineering staff.

The outlook for 2017 looks positive for both row-crop and broad acre farmers. We’re excited for the future of the industry and of this company.

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You must keep your RPA at least 30 metres away from other people.

You must not fly your RPA near emergency efforts such as firefighting, search and rescue and police operations.

c a s a . g o v. a u / r p a

You can only fly one RPA at a time.

Bass Point, New South Wales

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education Insights into some of the best education institutions in the country.

Harvest your agribusiness potential.

Johanna Hancock - 2013 Graduate Solicitor, Fox and Thomas Business Lawyers

Shape your future in agriculture at Australia’s only dedicated agribusiness college, with a Master of Agribusiness. Learn from the best at Marcus Oldham. Enrol today.

Agriculture | Agribusiness | Equine Management

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Marcus Oldham’s Career Enhancing Postgraduate Program We talk to three paricipants in this innovative and practical agribusiness program.

James Hawkins is farmer and agribusiness entrepreneur from North West Victoria James completed a Bachelor of Biomedicine, however, when his career path pointed to agriculture, the Master of Agribusiness at Marcus Oldham was a very exciting choice.

“I’ve always seen tertiary education as incredibly important, not just for the academic side, but because you learn so much more than you were anticipating, through researching information and understanding how to read primary literature,” says James.

James encourages prospective postgrad students: “If you’re not learning, you’re not growing. So if you’re thinking about further study, then just jump into it,” he advises.

“But you’ve got to be prepared... because you do it in parallel with your other jobs.”

James says one of the greatest advantages of his studies at Marcus Oldham is that the lecturers are actually working with or connected to industry, which helps graduates find employment links.

“Australia is an exporting country with unparalleled opportunities all over the world. Entrepreneurial Australians will meet these challenges and take the great opportunities, “says James.

“It is easier [to succeed] if you have a passion for what you are doing,” he says. “The key elements to the future of

“The key elements to the future of agribusiness are a combination of learning, entrepreneurship and passion”

agribusiness are a combination of learning, entrepreneurship and passion.”

Janeta Falknau is a graduate and feedlot livestock supervisor, from Goombungee QLD Janeta undertook postgraduate business studies to add value to her work operational skills. “I completed a Diploma of Applied Science at Emerald, specialising in beef. I’ve also enjoyed leadership training within the industry… Being keen to learn I find the study at Marcus Oldham extremely relevant to what I do day-to-day” Janeta says.

“It’s inspiring and makes me think outside the square. I love how I can choose topics that relate to my particular interest, for example, Free Trade Agreements.”

When it comes to recommending postgraduate studies, Janeta says, “If it’s something you honestly want to do and you’ll get something out of it, then you’ll make time for it.”

By studying online Janeta can enjoy staying local: “Jondaryan and Goombungee, the town where I live, are really young, active communities. More people are coming into the agricultural industry and you can feel the energy.”

“Everything moves very quickly in the feedlot scene,” said Janeta. “There’s a lot of change and it’s important to have your finger on the pulse. I wanted a challenge beyond my normal workplace and I love how the focus of my studies is still on agriculture, but takes me beyond what I see day to day and across other agribusinesses as well.”

Wes Lefroy from Moora WA is a technical manager for a commercial and research soil sampling company based in Perth.

In a bid to extend his business thinking to compliment the technical nature of his role, Wes embarked on postgraduate studies. “Agriculture is a fast changing

James Hawkins, farmer and agribusiness entrepreneur from North West Victoria.

industry and rather than predict the future for certain, I’m trying to develop myself as a person, so I can thrive in a changing environment and make the most of the opportunities of innovation that might be coming.

“We’re [already] seeing a diversification of business structures, investment and strategies, some of which is driven by new technologies and data analysis,” he adds.

“A more considered business approach is becoming everyday thinking,” says Wes. “In our business, we use sensors, data collection, soil sampling and soil mapping... because farmers are craving data to make more objective decisions. I’m also seeing the use of algorithms in beef operations, taking the subjectivity out of matching cows to bulls.”

Wes says his studies at Marcus Oldham will make him a better employee: “Not only do I have my technical abilities, but I can also see the benefits of what I am doing for other people’s businesses.”

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Nudgee College Boarding The right move for young men

www.nudgee.com

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Flipping the Classroom A new innovation in teaching using technology, is keeping education nimble..

ver recent years, classrooms all around the world have seen dramatic changes, with the integration of new technologies to enhance learning experiences and opportunities. St Joseph’s Nudgee College is no different, introducing its Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program in 2014, as well as transitioning to become a “Google school”.

Mathematics teacher and the College’s Technology Coach Mr Joel Speranza has taken full advantage of these changes, transforming many of his classes through a ‘flipped classroom’ method. A flipped classroom is when the role of class time and homework is reversed; the teacher provides video explanations on different concepts for students to view in their own time, and class time is used for students to ask questions and apply the information.

“It is really about answering one question,” Joel said. “What is the best use of my face-to-face time?

“The flipped classroom takes instruction out of the class and into the home, which allows the classroom to be used as a collaborative learning space.”

In the beginning, Joel said a flipped

classroom was a natural progression, enabled by the technology that has become available.

“I started because a few students missed classes and were struggling to catch up with the work,” he said. “At that point, video lessons just made sense.

“The College is very supportive of innovation in teaching, allowing me to experiment with this practice in my classroom, and offering me the support to do so.”

Nudgee College students are certainly embracing their flipped classroom, with feedback being overwhelmingly positive.

“Students who previously struggled with Mathematics are now able to pause or rewind their teacher for the first time, and learn at their own pace,” Joel said.

This concept, as well as Joel’s application, is gaining a lot of traction in the educational community, so much so that he has been asked to provide workshops on the method to other teachers.

“I was first approached by the Queensland College of Teachers to take part in an online mentoring program for early career and new teachers interested in how technology can be used in their practice,” he said.

“During this time many new teachers

expressed interest in my flipped classroom and wanted to learn more, so the Queensland College of Teachers then asked me to host a webinar explaining how teachers can use it.”

Joel’s flipped classroom lecture ended up being the QCT’s most popular webinar. Joel said he is really excited about other teachers trying flipped learning in their own classrooms.

“It’s a relatively new practice, which means that it’s up to our current teachers to shape how flipped learning is used,” he said.

“I’m a big believer in collaboration between teachers, within our school and across other schools, as technology moves at such a rapid pace that education needs to be nimble to keep up.”

In June, Joel was named as one of the champions in the Advance Queensland Community Digital Champions program. This program awards Champions whose stories and activities can act as a way to motivate and inspire people to explore the benefits of the digital age. Joel was also named a finalist for an Excellence in Teaching Award through the Queensland College of Teachers in 2016.

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specialfeature

Frensham Boarding for Girls or Frensham’s annual Sample Boarding programme, we host overnight up to 40 Year 5 girls whose parents are considering Year 7 entry for their daughters as boarders... and girls come from ‘everywhere’ for the experience...

The programme includes an information evening to update parents on our priorities, programmes and current goals.

It is important to note the current demographic of Frensham boarders: • 50% of our current boarders are from families with no direct family experience of boarding • 30% of our current boarders are girls whose parents boarded • 20% of our boarders have grandparents or other close relatives who boarded Increasingly, parents are seeing the benefits of boarding as a whole extra element of education focused on developing emotional and intellectual maturity, self-discipline and selfmanagement, and inspiring a deep sense of personal connection that develops when teenagers engage in positive, challenging experience.

Futurists say what the world needs most is high functioning young people who are emotionally intelligent, with strong self-management skills.

Likewise, tertiary educators note that that the world of work needs young people with empathy - talented people who can value other’s points of view.

From their first year at Frensham, students are ancouraged to develop these much-needed qualities. They are asked to share in organising and managing important aspects of School life, with the imperative to care about their impact.

The acronym STE(A)Mm ~ STEM has been embedded in the Frensham

curriculum for several years, and we have added to it. The new ‘A’ refers to artistic expression, creativity and design thinking. With science (S) and technology (T) interpreted through engineering (E) and arts (A), all based in elements of mathematics (M), embedded in music (m); cross-faculty collaboration on the development of new projects that add quality to the rigour of the existing academic programme, is driving change.

From Term 1 2017, we have added capacity to accommodate an additional 32 senior boarders.

Below: Linden Turner House – new expansion for senior boarders.

Frensham is an outward-looking, forward-thinking boarding school which provides a rigorous, personalised academic programme. On a spectacular 140 hectare campus, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Frensham is unique in Australia with more than seventy percent of the total school enrolment of 340 girls in residence.

Boarding at Frensham is not about distance from School – it is about a adding whole extra element of education, focused on developing emotional and intellectual maturity, self-discipline and self-management, and a deep sense of personal connection. When boarders from Berlin, Barraba, Bellevue Hill and Bowral learn to live, study, have fun and flourish together at Frensham – it is not by chance!

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USQ AVIATION STUDENT JASON WILL COMPLETE THE REX PILOT CADET PROGRAM WITH REGIONAL EXPRESS IN 2017

FIND MORE THAN KNOWLEDGE, DISCOVER BELIEF At the No.1 uni in Australia for graduate employability* we’ll help you discover the knowledge to succeed and the belief to do it.

USQ.EDU.AU/STUDY * Good Universities Guide, 2017 CRICOS: QLD 00244B, NSW 02225M

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TEQSA: PRV12081

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Take your career to the next level with an MBA at USQ f you’re looking to gain a competitive edge in the business world, look no further than the University of Southern Queensland’s (USQ) Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Ranked in the top-five MBAs in Australia in the latest Australian Financial Review BOSS rankings, the USQ MBA was also awarded a four star ranking by the Graduate Management Association of Australia.

Australian MBAs are ranked on criteria such as diversity and experience of faculty, subject coverage, opportunities for students to engage in peer-to-peer interaction, and alumni feedback.

USQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Jan Thomas said the university’s internationally-recognised program prepares students for exciting and rewarding careers in business and management.

“Our dynamic and engaging MBA program is one of the largest in Australia and our experience from over 25 years in the industry means we are able to ensure a dedicated faculty and well-established support systems that facilitate highly successful student learning, both on-campus and online,” Professor Thomas says.

“As well as developing advanced analytical and process skills related to management, people, markets, finance and technical knowledge, students emerge qualified to take on a range of public or private positions in Australia and internationally.”

USQ MBA Program Director Associate Professor Jane Summers says the program gives students the knowledge and managerial skills to be strategic and critical thinkers, strong

communicators and problem solvers.

“Our MBA graduates are sought after in the workplace and among the best in Australia for graduate employment because they have the ability to specialise in specific areas of interest alongside the traditional management courses,” Associate Professor Summers says.

“A strong emphasis of the USQ MBA is placed on peer-to-peer and student-tostaff interaction, for instance teamwork and role-play exercises designed to develop networking and leadership skills.

“Students also have the chance to develop innovative solutions and apply theoretical concepts to real-world problems in the workplace.”

Viviana Garcia recently graduated from USQ with a double degree in Master of Business Administration and Master of Professional Accounting.

Mrs Garcia said undertaking an MBA

at USQ was definitely worthwhile.

“I chose to study at USQ so I could have a better understanding of accounting processes and develop my business and management skills in order to increase my chances of finding work,” she said.

“I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to study at such a great university. I found all the staff and lecturers were very supportive throughout my education journey at USQ. “The one thing I will take away from my experience is the belief that nothing is impossible in life.”

To learn more about USQ’s executive prostgraduate degrees, including the MBA program, visit usq.edu.au/businessexecutive.

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Advance your career Apply now to study online

For career outcomes, James Cook University ranks among the best in Australia.* JCU is internationally recognised in the top 2% of universities in the world for academic and research excellence.** So, whether you study on campus or online with James Cook University, you can be sure your qualification is of global standing.

JCU offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses that can be completed online and via flexible delivery.

External study – Diploma

Diploma of Higher Education in Business

External study – Undergraduate

Bachelor of Arts in Criminology Bachelor of Arts in English Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Relations Bachelor of Business - all majors Bachelor of Creative Arts and Media - all majors Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) Bachelor of Information Technology Bachelor of Nursing Science (External) Bachelor of Nursing Science (Post-Registration) Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (External) Bachelor of Social Work

External study – Postgraduate

Graduate Certificate of Aeromedical Retrieval Graduate Certificate of Career Development Graduate Certificate of Conflict Management and Resolution Graduate Certificate of Disaster Health and Humanitarian Assistance Graduate Certificate of Education (Academic Practice) Graduate Certificate of Education for Sustainability Graduate Certificate of Health Professional Education Graduate Certificate of Health Promotion Graduate Certificate of Infection Control Graduate Certificate of Nursing Graduate Certificate of Rehabilitation

Graduate Certificate of Research Methods (Tropical Health and Medicine) Graduate Certificate of Science in Aquaculture Science and Technology Graduate Diploma of Economics Graduate Diploma of Health Professional Education Graduate Diploma of Nursing Graduate Diploma of Rehabilitation - all majors Master of Business Administration Master of Business Administration in Conflict Management and Resolution Master of Business Administration in Creativity and Innovation Master of Conflict Management and Resolution Master of Education in Global Contexts Master of Education in Leadership and Management Master of Health Professional Education Master of Midwifery Master of Nursing Master of Pharmaceutical Public Health Master of Professional Accounting Master of Public Health Master of Rehabilitation - all majors Master of Social Science in Indigenous Studies Master of Teaching and Learning (Primary)

External study – Joint Degrees, Postgraduate

Master of Business Administration - Master of Conflict Management and Resolution Master of Public Health - Master of Business Administration

This course list is intended as a general guide. External courses may be delivered using a combination of online resources, printed material or other technologies. Some courses include on-campus workshops and travel for professional placements. All applicants should contact the University to confirm admission requirements and the availability of courses. Information correct at time of printing. James Cook University reserves the right to alter any course or admission requirement without prior notice.

James Cook University CRICOS Provider Code 00117J * The Good Universities Guide, 2016 **Academic Ranking of World Universities, 2016

jcu.edu.au/externalstudy 1800 246 446 study@jcu.edu.au

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The Business of Finding your Dream Job t this time of year we’re all thinking about our future.

Where will I be in another 12 months? What do I want to achieve?

What support do I need to get there?

With so many courses to choose from and the excellent student support for both online and on campus students at James Cook University (JCU), now is the time to discover which opportunities are open to you.

If you already have a job you enjoy and a career direction, additional study to improve your prospects can easily be worked into your lifestyle.

Take Laura Landsburg, who is studying online with James Cook University, as a perfect example. “I’ve always wanted to study but have been occupied with full time work since I graduated high school,” says Laura.

Covering a range of topics including Marketing, Accounting and Economics, choosing a Bachelor of Business was an easy decision for Laura. “As a Store

Manager I practise business in my everyday life. I can relate to the theories I learn throughout my studies.”

With a busy life and a passion to learn, Laura opted for the flexible study options offered by JCU. “I felt online study would be more suited to my lifestyle as working full time is demanding. I travel a lot for work so online makes my course easy to access whenever, wherever. By being online I can pick up all subject material and recorded lectures in my own free time.”

Blake Owens also opted to study as an external student. “Working on a ship meant I was away for three weeks at a time and JCU gave me the option to study externally, with the flexibility to meet faceto-face when I was in town,” says Blake.

“It’s an advantage to manage your own time”, Blake says. “I balance my life and study, and I can take every work shift. As long as you’ve got the recordings and the books, you can study 100,000kms away.”

The flexible study options and support

offered by JCU cater to busy working professionals and individual preferences.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Conflict Management and Resolution (MCMR), can also be studied online and really enhance your career by differentiating your skills base.

JCU’s online MBA and MCMR will optimise your leadership, communication and negotiation skills in interactive workshops led by facilitators with a wide range of national and international practical experience.

Business owner Kenneth Waldron is studying for his Master of Conflict Management and Resolution. “Studying online with block-mode workshops means I can fit study into my busy timetable. I really enjoy the intensives which are an excuse to visit the attractive cities of Townsville and Cairns,” he says.

For more info on James Cook University, go to jcu.edu.au/externalstudy

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specialfeature

Feeding the world is

big business Make it your business, writes Professor Alex McBratney, Dean of Agriculture and Environment, at The University of Sydney.

well-known Wall Street broker and commodities trader recently purported, if he were to start his career all over again, he would go into agriculture rather than trading because the very future of the world depends upon farming.

Like many people in the world these days, he realised that for the future of humanity to survive on the planet we need to produce enough food to feed everyone. This means we need to increase our current output by about 70 per cent over the next 35 years.

Similarly, the quality of that food needs to improve. It must have the right nutritional and safety characteristics. So there is a big challenge in meeting that need while using our finite resources of soil, water and nutrients.

It is a challenge that’s exciting and will take a generation to achieve, so we’re looking for a new generation of people to work in the emerging ‘new agriculture’ industry, which will deliver high-quality food to everyone on the planet.

It’s a challenge that’s a noble one. By doing this we will help humanity. It will be a profitable challenge, also – people will make money in the new agriculture.

Those who work in this field will not only have good incomes but will also enjoy good lifestyles.

To meet the challenges of the new agriculture, solutions will be created using the best science, economics and sociology.

All of the technologies the biological revolution has brought us will be utilised.

We are going to breed new cultivars to deal with drought and salinity; we will recognise the huge biodiversity of plants, and bring many new plants with new characteristics into cultivation.

We will also harness the power of new information technologies to optimise everything we do on the farm. In doing so, we will grow things with the least possible use of fertilisers and chemicals to get the highest possible yields, the best quality product and we will recognise that quality varies across the landscape.

We will be employed to deliver to consumers the exact commodities they want using the best ideas of economics and business. Identifying products by location, and with particular quality characteristics, grown in the best way, we will deliver that information to the consumer along with the product.

We’re going to use the best ideas of

sociology to ensure that producers and consumers better understand the processes of agriculture, and that the products created are those consumers want.

By combining and connecting these elements, we’ll create the new agriculture – a post-industrial agriculture that is much more akin to the pre-industrial society. An agriculture that is totally interconnected.

This concept is driving the new curriculum in agriculture at the University of Sydney, where we are developing these ideas into new units of study and courses so that we can train the agriculturists of the future. Come and join us.

Learn more at sydney.edu.au

87

FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE The opportunity The BSR Group operates a national franchise system that delivers an industry-leading retail and commercial offering to Australian consumers with an extensive product range and cutting edge technology.

BSR Group is the number one independent franchisor of retail businesses selling electrical appliances, furniture, bedding, household goods and relevant accessories in Australia. The BSR Group grants franchises to operate under the Betta brand, which carries with it a history of over 50 years in Australia. The BSR Group offers its franchisees access, not only to the Betta Home Living brand, but to a tried and tested business system which supports and enables franchisees to maximise their offering to the customer and meaningfully participate in a market. BSR Group seeks to do this by providing the most comprehensive, all inclusive service possible.

We provide: • • • • • •

Powerful brand with over 50 years of history Decades of industry experience Marketing expertise and implementation National buying power Ongoing training and advice Tailored IT & POS systems

If you wish to know more about us, talk about joining The BSR Group brand, please visit www.betta.com.au or contact Paul Reeves on (07) 3414 8700 for a confidential discussion.

Franchise opportunities available in: • Home appliances • Furniture • Home appliances & furniture

Betta Home Living Parkes, NSW

GO L CAL that's beT TA! www.betta.com.au

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Unlock a free upgrade when you next rent with Hertz, a preferred partner to Rex Airlines.

To upgrade simply go to the Hertz counter on arrival and quote promotional code 304194 or visit hertz.com.au/rex

*Offer available for rentals until 15 December 2016. This offer is applicable for rentals in participating locations in Australia only. Offer excludes taxes, fees, optional products and services, fuel, additional charges such as airport taxes and sundry fees and the GST that applies to these charges. This offer may not be combined with any other offer, discount promotion, special offer or coupon. Offer applies to economy to full size vehicles.

Visit hertz.com.au/rex for full list of participating locations and terms and conditions. Blackout periods apply.