Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens and Hunter Valley | INTOUCH MAGAZINE JUNE ISSUE 2019

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WWW.INTOUCHMAGAZINE.COM.AU

ISSUE #45 // JUNE 2019

HOT IN THE

HUNTER VALLEY FEATURE

Shannon

NOLL

Realities of the Drought Hit Home

The Best French Wines Right on our Doorstep Strictly Spectacular with Strictly Ballroom Building Community Spirit On and Off the Ice Smartphone Film Takes New York by Storm

Lifestyle // Entertainment // Dining // Fashion // Community // Travel // Family // Home // Property

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PAGE 28

From the Editors...

How do you use the video function of your smartphone? For most people, the honest answer is probably “uploading cute Instagram stories of my dog” or “filming fireworks or live music concerts and then never watching the videos again”, but for local filmmaker Jason Genderen, mastering that video button has seen him take home the top prize at a recent New York Short Film Festival. Want some tips? We speak with Jason this month about this burgeoning industry.

When Baz Luhrmann launched the iconic Australian film ‘Strictly Ballroom’ in 1992, our screens were filled with the swish of feathers and the sparkle of sequins as we disappeared into the magical world of ballroom dancing. We can now all relive that pageantry when the talented students of St Philips Christian College bring Strictly Ballroom the Musical to the stage for its Hunter Valley debut at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre.

Don’t miss this one!

A rapid decline in media attention would make it easy for us all to assume that the drought is a thing of the past, but in reality, drought continues to hold its vice-like grip on many parts of Australia, with below average rainfall and record temperatures creating an arid, unforgiving landscape unable to sustain either crops or livestock easily.

While singer Shannon Noll was buoyed by last year’s heightened focus on the plight of Australian farmers, his trip to Condobolin in April reinforced his concern that it does not become a case of “out of sight out of mind” now the media frenzy has died down. In this issue we speak to ‘Nollsie’ about the plight of our farmers, family and the realities of getting older. See page 12.

Winter in the Hunter Valley has that special magical something – with its charming collection of quaint boutique accommodation, mountain and vineyard landscapes complete with hues of brown and red, cooler days and nights enjoyed sitting around open fires, cosy restaurants and cafes serving up heartwarming dishes and of course welcoming cellar doors with award-winning wines.

If the thought of a short-break in your own backyard has your tastebuds watering, then you’re sure to be tempted to take a trip or two up the Hunter Expressway this month with our Hot in the Hunter Valley Special Feature. Enjoy!

Stay intouch at getintouch@intouchmagazine.com.au

Contacts Publisher & Editors Two Tribes Media Quentin von Essen – quentin@intouchmagazine.com.au Di von Essen – di@intouchmagazine.com.au Phone (02) 4943 0888 Address Level 1, 216 Pacific Highway, Charlestown NSW 2290 Web www.intouchmagazine.com.au Email getintouch@intouchmagazine.com.au Advertising Sales Phone (02) 4943 0888 Marketing & Account Management Di von Essen and Olivia Rodgers Graphic Design Jess Codrington Feature Writers Michelle Meehan & Claire Bradshaw © Copyright 2019 Two Tribes Media. Published monthly by Two Tribes Media. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint or quote excerpt granted by written request only. While every attempt has been made, Two Tribes Media cannot guarantee the legality, completeness or accuracy of the information presented and accepts no warranty or responsibility for such.

PAGE 18 PAGE 42

Contents ISSUE #45 JUNE 2019 Features 11

Strictly Spectacular

12

Shannon Noll on Music, Aging Gracefully and the Drought

16

The Best of Burgundy and Champagne in Newcastle

18

Hot in the Hunter Valley Special Feature

20

It's Hot and Happening. It's The Hunter Valley!

23

Learn to make Gnocchi Like an Italian Nonna

27

Live Better With Organic Food

29

Oz Design Helping Locals Create a Comfortable Lifestyle

33

What Predicts a Successful Life?

34

Looking After Training Niggles and Injuries

39

Something for Everyone at Wallsend

40

Building Community Spirit On and Off the Ice

42

Smartphone Film Wins NY Film Festival for Local Talent

45

Is a Business Partnership Right for You?

46

Breathing New Life into Historic Site

When singer Shannon Noll headed home to Condobolin at Easter, there were parched, dry paddocks as far as the eye can see. This month we speak to ‘Nollsie’ about his biggest passion – raising awareness of and money for the worst drought in living memory Read more on page 12.

Regulars 6

What’s on Guide + Highlights

10

Horoscope

29

Home + Lifestyle

33

Health + Wellbeing

37

Family + Community

43

Business + Finance

GET MOBILE! View this month’s Issue of intouch magazine on your iPhone, iPad, android tablet or android phone.

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT WWW.INTOUCHMAGAZINE.COM.AU /INTOUCHMAGAZINES @INTOUCHMAGAZINES

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PAGE 34

CONTRIBUTORS Michelle Meehan Jess Codrington Di von Essen Quentin von Essen Tanya Obreza Claire Bradshaw Melinda Murray

Anne Ward Brett Cameron Lidia Monteverdi Sam Bacigalupo Chloe O'Sullivan Jenai Monz Kim-Cherie Davidson

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What’s on?

SATURDAY, JUNE 1 Ten Years of Newcastle Productions See the art of Trevor Dickinson on display at Newcastle Library until 20 July.

Deluxe Deluxe The Spiegeltent is in Civic Park until 16 June. www.spiegeltentnewcastle.com

►COMING UP JUNE SUNDAY 2ND Matt McLaren Shoal Bay Country Club WEDNESDAY 5TH The Celtic Tenors Wests New Lambton FRIDAY 7TH Never Ending 80’s Mezz Bar Tim Harding Nags Head Hotel Ben Travis Hotel Delany Genr8 Edgeworth Bowling Club Anyerin Colliery Inn SATURDAY 8TH Diplazar + NTL Landmarks Family Hotel Madelyn Battlesticks Bar The 3 Mezz Bar Brent Murphy + TK Vibez Northern Star SUNDAY 9TH Jayde Corner Mezz Bar The Smarts Beach Hotel Fish Fry + Pow Wow Wickham Park Hotel WEDNESDAY 12TH The Mersey Beatles Wests New Lambton Matt McLaren Kent Hotel FRIDAY 14TH Amigos Mezz Bar Kaylah Anne Warners At The Bay Mick Jones Lambton Park Hotel SATURDAY 15TH Southern End + Cooks & Bakers Family Hotel Morton Choppers Wickham Park Hotel Love That Hat Mezz Bar SUNDAY 16TH Ricky Campton Battlesticks Bar Reg Sinclair Colliery Inn Mick Jones Shoal Bay Country Club Tyler John Mezz Bar FRIDAY 21ST Shannon Noll Wests Cardiff Chris Saxby Customs House Hotel Wayne Dufty Duke of Wellington Keys on King Star Hotel SATURDAY 22ND Craig Thomson Lambton Park Hotel Jack Evans Northern Star The New Cool Great Northern Hotel Holly Mae Mezz Bar WEDNESDAY 26TH The Tea Party NEX Newcastle FRIDAY 28TH John Larder Battlesticks Bar Zane Penn Warners At The Bay Mick Jones Pippis At The Point Matty G Mavericks On Darby SATURDAY 29TH Melbourne Street Club Redhead Genr8 Mezz Bar Dean Kyrwood Shoal Bay Country Club Paula & Owen Lambton Park Hotel The Years Wickham Park Hotel Good Thanks + Mission Banana Family Hotel SUNDAY 30TH Shivoo Mary Ellen Hotel Jackson Halliday Argenton Hotel Sundays Record Duo 5 Sawyers

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Olive Tree Market Civic Park, Newcastle, 9am–3pm.

Streets of Our Town – Local Subdivision Plans 1880's–1950's Exhibition Some of the most beautiful, artistic and interesting plans on show at Newcastle Library. Until 20 July.

Grapest 5k Run Head to Hope Estate for a 5km or 10km run, finishing with wine tasting and 3 hours of entertainment! www.grapest5krun.com.au Hairspray JR Lake Macquarie Performing Arts Centre, 1+2 June.

Underworld: Mugshots from the Roaring Twenties The darkside of the Roaring Twenties Newcastle Museum, until 30 June.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2 Newcastle City Farmers Market 7am–1pm, every Sunday, Newcastle Showground (June 23 market at Newcastle Racecourse, from 9am) Puttin' On the Ritz Dig out your sequins and slip into your dancing shoes. It’s time to head back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Civic Theatre.

Lizotte's 10th Birthday Open Day Extravaganza Visit Lizottes 11am–3pm for great live music and to try their new Winter menu.

Warren Miller's Face of Winter Watch the world's best skiers and riders in legendary locations. Event Cinemas, Kotara.

MONDAY, JUNE 3 The Umbilical Brothers - Green 14 performances at The Playhouse, 3 June–7 July.

Second City: A Taste of Chicago Food and blues at 48 Watt St. Tickets at Oztix.

Newcastle Food & Flower Market Stage 2 Launch Indoors farmers market, new indoor cafe with new menu, children’s activities, face painting, cooking demos and more. 1 Rural Drive, Sandgate.

Newcastle Unity in Diversity Festival A walk, cultural performances, international food and lots of free activities for National Refugee Week. Gregson Park Hamilton 11am–3pm.

Clothing For Every Occasion See clothing and textiles 1910-1997 made by Florence Porter and her daughters. Marvel at re-purposed clothing and the mending and darning of yesteryear. Miss Porter’s House Museum, 434 King Street, Newcastle, 1pm–4pm. Adults $10, conc $8, family $25.

The Shake Up A live performance about the Novocastrian response to disaster and change at Newcastle Museum. 22+23, 29+30 June. Free event, register at www.tantrum.org.au

THURSDAY, JUNE 13 APIA Good Times All-Stars Tour The 7th anniversary line-up of 7 of Australia's all-time favourite music Allstars. Civic Theatre.

FRIDAY, JUNE 14 Sleepout for Soul Help raise much needed funds for the homeless and Soul Cafe. For more information visit www.soulcafe.org.au Star Struck 2019: No Limits At Newcastle Entertainment Centre, 14+15 June.

ACO: Indies and Idols At City Hall.

Urzila Carlson: Loser At Civic Theatre.

SATURDAY, JUNE 15 Mums Who Wine An event for mums of Newcastle and Surrounds to enjoy a night out, connect with other mums. Blind Monk, Hamilton. www.eventbrite.com.au

SUNDAY, JUNE 16 Sunday Muster Artisian Markets Mortels Thornton, 9am–2pm.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19 Scholastic Children's Book Sale Newcastle Jockey Club, 8am–5pm.

THURSDAY, JUNE 6 Sammy J's Major Party City Hall.

Grain Store GABS Tap Showcase 40+ beers from the Great Australian Beer Spectacular. The Rehab Brass Band will be in each night plus the Friday will be Crazy Hat Day. 6–9 June.

Bluewater Country Music Festival 2019 From 6–10 June, Port Stephens will be bringing country to coast with legends, emerging artists, bush poets, line dancing and more. www.portstephens.org.au

FRIDAY, JUNE 7 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow Bringing a jam-packed lineup to Civic Theatre. 7–9 June.

SATURDAY, JUNE 8 Novacastria Christopher Pantelidis for the Australian Premiere at Newcastle Conservatorium.

SUNDAY, JUNE 9 East Coast Championships and Festival of Bands Hear community concert bands and brass bands perform at Newcastle Conservatorium.

Newcastle Rescue Northstars vs Sydney Ice Dogs At Hunter Ice Skating Stadium. www.hiss.com.au

SATURDAY, JUNE 22

Craft Beer & Smoked Meat Festival House-smoked meats and sides, live music from 12pm onwards and 6 craft beer vendors at Lambton Park Hotel.

THURSDAY, JUNE 20 Strictly Ballroom The Musical Presented by St Phillips Christian College. Civic Theatre, 20–22 June.

Musica Viva: Doric String Quartet At the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music.

Entrepreneurial F-ups and Failures Meet people in the Newcastle startup scene, ask questions, have a drink and gain some insights. Hotel Delany, 6pm.

Register on Eventbrite.

Rove McManus at James Squire Comedy Club Visit www.eventopia.co for tickets.

FRIDAY, JUNE 21 Newcastle Outdoor Adventure & Motoring Expo A one-stop shop to get your outdoor adventure started.

21–23 June.

Jack’s Place A large scale outdoor performance with food trucks, hot drinks and family activities.

6pm–9pm at Shed 11 Collective, 50 Clyde St Hamilton North.

Winter Solstice Party Join Hunter Community Environment Centre to raise funds and celebrate Winter with local talent, food, drinks, live art and a fire. 6pm, $10 at the door, 167 Parry St Hamilton.

Adamstown Rosebud 130 years Gala Ball Wests New Lambton. www.proticket.com.au

SUNDAY, JUNE 23 'A World of Stories' Refugee Week Fundraiser Meet 3 local refugees and hear their stories. Tickets $15 include coffee, snack, lucky door prize. 7pm, Uniting Church, 118 The Boulevard, Toronto.

Newcastle Wedding Expo At NEX, 10am–3pm. Free entry – register at www.weddingexposaustralia.com

MONDAY, JUNE 24 Seussfest 24–29 June, Civic Theatre.

TUESDAY, JUNE 25 Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes & Dirty Beasts 25+26 June, Civic Theatre.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26 Heavy Water Follows big wave surfer Nathan Fletcher through surfing and big waves. At Event Cinemas Glendale and Kotara, 26, 29+30 June.

FRIDAY, JUNE 28 Newcastle Soul Weekender Hear 60's soul, Motown, rhythm/blues, and northern soul. Customs House and 48 Watt St, 28+29 June. Tickets $10 at www.trybooking.com Poppin Tags Markets At The Greenroof, 6pm–9pm.

Float Your Boat An open challenge for boat owners to dress up their boats with lights and take part in a flotilla parade on Lake Macquarie. 28+29 June.

SATURDAY, JUNE 29 Hunter Valley Wine Festival At Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley. www.huntervalleywinefestival.com Psychic Sally Wests New Lambton.

Judith Lucy Vs Men At Civic Theatre.

Travelling Film Festival Event Cinemas, Kotara.

21–23 June.

Knights vs Broncos McDonald Jones Stadium.

Contemplating the Slow in Music: Listening not just hearing Dr David Banney explores the concept of slow in music. Newcastle Art Gallery, tickets $20.

9th Annual Newcastle Bellydance Festival At Wallsend Diggers, tickets $10. 29+30 June.

Newcastle Race Day Newcastle Racecourse.

Snowtime in the Garden Winter fun at Hunter Valley Gardens! 29 June– 21 July www.hvg.com.au

Do you have a local event or gig coming up next month? Email us before the 15th of this month at getintouch@intouchmagazine.com.au

What’s on?

Coming Up JULY

Live & Cookin’

SATURDAY 6TH Hunter Valley Cheese & Chocolate Festival At Hope Estate, Pokolbin 6+7 July. www.hopeestate.com.au Pelican Foreshore Markets At Pelican Foreshore.

Pink Race Day Newcastle Racecourse.

31 Morehead Street, Lambton Doors open from 6pm FULLY LICENSED

WEDNESDAY 10TH Dr Seuss's Cat in the Hat Civic Theatre.

JUNE

FRIDAY 12TH Disney on Ice Celebrates Mickey and Friends At Newcastle Entertainment Centre, 12–14 July. www.nec.net.au SATURDAY 13TH The Olive Tree Market Civic Park, 9am–3pm.

Raffertys Coastal Run 12km, 22km and 36km trail running events in Lake Macquarie. www.raffertyscoastalrun.com.au Australian Wallaroos Vs Japan Rugby No.2 Sportsground, tickets at www.ticketek.com.au Newcastle Brickfest Newcastle Jockey Club 13+14 July.

SUNDAY 14TH My Kids Market Pre-loved good quality baby and kids goods.

No ATM on site, cash only, $4 entry. Newcastle Basketball Stadium, 9am–12pm.

Bastille Day Degustation Lunch At Longworth House. Visit www.ticketbooth.com.au FRIDAY 19TH Rock of Ages 19+20 July, Civic Theatre.

SATURDAY 20TH Winery Running Festival A scenic 2km Kids, 6km, 10km, 21.1km or 42.2km through the Hunter Valley Vineyards.

Register at www.wineryrun.com SUNDAY 21ST Sunday Muster Markets At Mortels Thornton, 9am–2pm.

Dogs in the Park - Christmas in July Demonstrations, competitions, stalls, grooming, adoptions and more. Free event, dogs on leash. Speers Point Park, 9.30am–3.30pm.

Live Your Light – Body Mind Soul Expo Stalls with products and services, plus workshops, demonstrations, readings and loads more at Souths Merewether. $10 entry, 10am–5pm.

TUESDAY 23RD Catfish and the Bottlemen Civic Theatre.

WEDNESDAY 24TH The Doors Alive Civic Theatre.

WEDNESDAY 31ST Roald Dahl's The Twits At Civic Theatre, 31 July–2 August.

COMING

Christine Anu

Up!

At Lizotte's, Saturday 20 July 2019

In 2019, Australia’s most iconic female Indigenous entertainer, Christine Anu, will return with her acclaimed intimate show Christine Anu: In Conversation & Song.

Anu is one of Australia’s most acclaimed entertainers. A multiaward-winning recording artist, Christine has also made widely acclaimed appearances in major films including Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, The Matrix Reloaded and Dating the Enemy. She has also starred in stage productions, including Hairspray: The Arena Spectacular, South Pacific, The Sapphires, Little Shop of Horrors, Rent, Rainbow’s End and Parramatta Girls. She has toured nationally and abroad and has performed at momentous events of cultural and national significance including the Sydney 2000 Olympics Closing Ceremony and being bestowed the honour of flicking the switch to launch National Indigenous Television in Australia.

On this very special occasion, Christine will share personal anecdotes on life and her successes in the Australian Entertainment Industry, her advocacy work for diversity and inclusion and the importance of First Nations culture, languages and song lines.

Christine will also incorporate the 2019 NAIDOC Week theme.

Included will be a selection of songs from her acclaimed music career, including songs from the Torres Strait Islands, Sunshine on a Rainy Day and the unofficial national anthem My Island Home, which was selected by the National Film and Sound Archives to be inducted into the Sounds of Australia Registry alongside Midnight Oil and The Wiggles.

For more information and tickets visit www.lizottes.com.au

Win!

Thanks to the crew at Lizotte’s we have 2 x double passes (show only) to give away to 2 lucky readers.

Visit www.intouchmagazine.com.au/Giveaways to enter – entries close midnight June 30th 2019.

THE EAGLES SHOW Saturday 1 OUR 10TH BIRTHDAY OPEN DAY EXTRAVAGANZA! Sunday 2 RUMOURS - A TRIBUTE TO FLEETWOOD MAC Friday 7 MACHINATIONS Saturday 8 LAZY SUNDAY JAZZ & BLUES LUNCH WITH RAY BEADLE + BAND Sunday 9 JACK JONES Sunday 9 DANIEL CHAMPAGNE Wednesday 12 TROY CASSAR-DALEY Thursday 13 A TRIBUTE TO ROY ORBISON Friday 14 THE LEGENDARY GANGGAJANG Sat 15 LUNCH WITH BENNY O CIRCUS OF ILLUSION Sunday 16 AKMAL Sunday 16 MEGAN MULLALLY Tuesday 18 WHISTLE DIXIE Thursday 20 DONT CHANGE - ULTIMATE INXS Friday 21 + Saturday 22

LUNCH WITH VAN THE MAN - A TRIBUTE TO VAN MORRISON Sunday 23 DIESEL - SOLO Friday 28 + Saturday 29 LAZY SUNDAY LUNCH - WHISPERING JACK SHOW - JOHN FARNHAM Sunday 30

JULY SHANE NICHOLSON Thursday 4

Art & Design Market JUN 1  JUL 13  AUG 3 CIVIC PARK 9am - 3pm

RUGBY THE MUSICAL Friday 5

MORE SHOWS added daily.

LIVE SHOWS starting from $65 (including dinner)

Wednesday’s

BOOK ONLINE NOW + See who else is coming to dinner...

lizottes.com.au or PH 4956 2066 www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 7

What's On

HIGHLIGHTS

Underworld: Mugshots from the Roaring Twenties Until Sunday, 30th June Visit the 1920's in a unique and revealing photographic exhibition where you can explore more than 130 candid, compelling mugshots taken by NSW Police. Remembered for Art Deco glamour and socialite parties, the 1920's also had a darker underbelly side involving violence, gangs and guns. See this fantastic exhibition from the NSW Police Forensic Photography Archive at Newcastle Museum.

2019 Harvest Festival Central Coast

Warners Bay Markets

Saturday 8th + Sunday 9th June In what will be another great couple of days in the Central Coast, the 2019 Harvest Festival Central Coast will be on again over the June long weekend.

Central Coast farmers are opening their gates and inviting you into their paddocks with plenty of activities and delicious produce for you and your family to enjoy.

Activities on offer include picking your own pecans and fruit, bush tucker tours, walking around garden estates, indulge in local offerings, eco sustainability workshops, local farm tours and loads more. Glenworth Grazing Food and Wine Festival is also happening again over the two days, with wine, food, boutique markets, live music plus kids pony rides and laser skirmish.

Many Harvest events are free, however some have a cost and require bookings. Find the full program at www.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au

Saturday, 15th June Operating on the 3rd Saturday of each month from 8am to 2pm on the beautiful Warners Bay Foreshore, Warners Bay Markets offer a large selection of fashion, gifts, homewares, arts and crafts, jewellery, skincare, pet accessories, local produce, gourmet delights, live entertainment and plenty more to tempt you! It’s a great day out for the whole family – including your fur-baby (responsible owners only). Pop in and stroll around – find something different and unique, pick up some fresh local produce, enjoy a coffee or a bite from one of the street eat vans and then take home some fresh baked goodies. Don’t forget to check out the many wonderful local businesses while you are in Warners Bay. Email www.warnersbaymarkets@outlook. com for further information or to book a stall, or visit www.facebook.com/WarnersBayMarkets

Sleepout for Soul!

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow Friday, 7th – Sunday, 9th June Enjoy Australia's best loved comedy festival in your own backyard, as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow comes to town! Storming the Civic Theatre's stage will be Dave Callan (MC), Cal Wilson, Sean Choolburra and more. Grab a mate, grab a date… grab a ticket at www.civictheatrenewcastle.com.au

Friday, 14th June Soul Cafe is one of Newcastle's most treasured not-for-profits, helping hundreds of the city's vulnerable and disadvantaged community through meals, connection, support and health services, plus loads more.

Sleepout For Soul is their annual fundraiser, where participants will raise as much money as possible and sleep out overnight. It's not too late to register or simply donate – the event has raised an incredible amount of money in the past and made a significant difference for the community, with 2017 raising $125k and 2018 over $150k. Homeless backpack swags are also available to purchase (and sleep in) – once you're done it will then be donated. So what are you waiting for? Register yourself or as a group, or donate today! Visit www.soulcafe.org.au. Support the annual Winter Appeal by dropping any spare Winter coats, feel free to drop them into iTravel The Junction/Warners Bay.

For all your Australian, sustainably caught, fresh local seafood needs, you wouldn't go anywhere else, other than the Fishermen’s Co-Op!

SWANSEA - 69 Lakeside Drive, Ph 4971 4762 • OPEN Tues - Fri 8.30am to 4pm + Sat 8.30am to 1pm

Car Parking now timed for your convenience.

WICKHAM - 97 Hannell Street, Ph 4965 4229 • OPEN Mon - Fri 8.30am to 5pm, Sat 8.30am to 3pm, Sun 10am to 2pm • www.fishcoop.com.au 8 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

Newcastle Diversity Festival

Akmal

Scholastic Children's Book Sale

Sunday, 16th June After selling a bucketload of tickets in 2018, Akmal returns by popular demand with his funniest show ever in the history of comedy.

Paramedics will be on call to transport audience members to the hospital as their sides split from laughter.

Now one of Australia’s most respected and accomplished comics, Akmal entered the world of comedy in 1990 under the alias Peter Saleh (apparently so people would think I was white).

Since then he’s performed in movies, on TV and as a regular radio and talk show host and has written a book about his journey from Egypt and his life as an Arab on the Australian comedy circuit. He may even mention one of the biggest mistakes of his life, when last year he agreed to appear on the reality TV show I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

Known for his incredible ability to deal with hot topics in a hilarious and slightly offensive way, Akmal promises to deliver a show that is punctual and jam-packed with words... some of which he will even be using for the first time.

Drawing on his Arabic heritage, his experience immigrating to Australia at the age of 11 and his disillusionment with religion and the modern world, this show promises to be a stand-up show that is fresh, honest and ridiculously funny.

Don’t miss the show that was nominated for an ARIA this year! Catch it at Lizotte's – for tickets visit www.lizottes.com.au

Wednesday, 19th June If you think it's time to restock the book shelf at home or in the classroom, the Scholastic Children's Book Sale event is the place to get your hands on some great bargains!

Save 50% off RRP on everything and shop a great range of titles reduced to $1 at Newcastle Jockey Club at this one day only sale, led by our favourite children's publisher, Scholastic. Sort through a large selection of picture, chapter books, novels, activity books, and nonfiction titles at great prices!

Everyone is welcome at this sale including schools – pay by cash, eftpos, credit card and school accounts.

Schools only need their Scholastic customer number and a letter of authority on a school letterhead/and or purchase order.

Catch this amazing book sale 8am–5pm, at Newcastle Jockey Club, Darling Street Broadmeadow.

Saturday, 22nd June Come and join in the celebrations for National Refugee Week at Gregson Park, Hamilton with an abundance of multicultural food and performance from 11am–3pm at the Newcastle Diversity Festival.

To begin the festival, meet at 11am for a welcome walk to Beaumont Street and return, or join the refugee and multicultural community afterwards for over 20 live performances and various free family and kids activities. There will be lots to see and do including dance workshops, hula hoop skills, the world language and craft lounge, origami, calligraphy, Afghan Henna, a kids playdough corner, hair braiding plus lots more. International cuisines such as Syrian, African and Afghan will be offered, plus coffee and Ethiopian coffee. This free community event is supported by Newcastle City Council along with local refugee/multicultural and community organisations.

Travelling Film Festival Friday, 21st – Sunday, 23rd June The TFF is coming to town again, bringing with it selected films from the latest Sydney Film Festival program! Opening night is one not to miss, with Australian director Mirrah Foulkes joining for the screening of her feature film and directorial debut of Judy & Punch. Ranging broadly, other films showcase sustainable farming, white supremacy transforming for love, sharp perspectives on Islamophobia, to a musical romance filled with decades of New Zealand hits.

Catch the festival at Event Cinemas, Kotara. To see the full program, visit www.sff.org.au/tff/program/newcastle

Kursk, 2019 featuring Colin Firth

NO DOGS

• Newcastle City Farmers Market •

Please check our websites for details

• www.nswfarmersmarket.com.au • • www.newcastlecityfarmersmarket.com.au • NSW Farmers Market Pty Ltd, P.O Box 152 MORPETH, NSW 2321

E: finefoodmarket@bigpond.com E: 0427 586 079

* Each Sunday at Broadmeadow SHOWGROUND Griffiths Road entry please

www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 9

Leo 23 July – 22 August You have so many planets on-side this month; it’s hard to know where to begin. Luckily, you’re feeling energetic, and you could finish a little bit of everything. There’ll be some testier moments too, but you’re about to set off a chain reaction that can’t help but lead to success. In romance, expect a merger of love and intellectual interests. One warning: success often sparks duplicity, so be wary of sharing your more innovative schemes.

Astrologer TANYA OBREZA on what’s in the stars.

STAR OF THE MONTH Gemini 21 May – 21 June

So many areas of your life have been brought to the boil in recent months – with your career also in the melting pot. Take heart. Soon after your birthday, you reach a major turning point – a time when you’re free to attract whatever opportunities you please. For some, new work unfolds, while others finally enjoy the pleasures of requited love. And when you’re feeling this vibrant, it stands to reason that your sexual magnetism is at its full strength. Embrace life, and it will love you back. Just be wary of overly dependent companions, especially those who would fritter away your hard-earned cash.

Cancer 22 June – 22 July Early June may not be your best time. If putting on an act gets you by, fine - but if your dilemma is desperate, tell it like it is. Besides, not everyone is playing fair. Call it manipulation or coercion – a certain someone knows which strings to pull. The upside? It’s your birthday soon, so when Venus offers extra time for play, slip into party-mode.

At the same time, the Sun generously boosts finances.

10 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

Virgo 23 August – 22 September Keep your cool, Virgo. This is one of those times when impulse and misplaced anger can cause huge misunderstandings. Though logic tells you to do one thing, your emotions may steer you differently.

Perhaps your intuition isn’t quite on the mark so it may be wise to take advice from others. After the 20th, the planets are back on your side, and romance sets the scene for happier scenes.

Libra 23 September – 22 October No-one has a completely drama free existence – we’ve all made mistakes. Consider, though, that these so-called “errors” of judgement are simply learning tools towards wisdom and compassion. Forgive others, and yourself - leave the old baggage behind and keep moving forward. There is so much more to experience, and love. By month’s end, social invitations become easier to accept.

Scorpio 23 October – 21 November Step cautiously through early June, when your emotions run wild.

Perhaps your inner voice isn’t as all-knowing as usual. It may, therefore, be logical to listen to others. Still, not everything gives cause for concern. The cosmos sets the scene for romantic delights after the 14th, including new playmates. With finances also on side, the occasional luxury is a must.

Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 This is a courageous month for Sagittarians, especially when it comes to travel and new ventures. Right now, you want the truth and will look for answers. If prepared, you could soon be treading more lucrative paths. But there’s still risk involved – so be sure to make provision for sudden detours. If plans are delayed, don’t let this ruin a potentially fun month - the best things in life are still free.

Capricorn December 22 – January 19 This month you’re absorbed in activities you love. Work duties are now seen as challenges rather than chores. Throughout June, Capricorns witness many zodiac neighbours struggle with money and, mostly, you’re spared this. Quite rightly, too – you have been through

enough financial hardship. If single, friends become a great source of introductions. Late June is a time to pamper and play.

Aquarius 20 January – 18 February Your future could open up by taking the road less travelled. Sudden opportunities and chance encounters are likely. And you may finally be freed from a tense situation – great news from those who’ve been feeling overwhelmed. After the 18th, keep an eye out for inspiration that hints at your next step. Late June also promises a time of luck and, perhaps, risky romance. Enjoy the journey ahead.

Pisces 19 February – 20 March With lucky Jupiter in your work sector, you’re fuelled with optimism this month. This prodigious planet helps to actualise what you value in life – granting some Pisceans the Midas touch. If you value money and possessions, finances could improve. If your values are more spiritual, expect personal growth. Of course, there's no reason why it can't be a combination of both.

Aries 21 March – 20 April Jupiter promises increased cash flow, although Mars is keen to squander money on your behalf - but if the budgets tally, then spend up guilt-free. If single, there’s a sense of adventure in the air - while for dissatisfied couples, it’s more of a make-or-break time. At work, retraining or networking allows you to rediscover your true potential.

It’s all a matter of making the right contacts and then choosing the right direction.

Taurus 21 April – 20 May Life may have seemed a battle recently, with any gains being hardwon. The trouble is, you take on too much, and others let you. The Sun brings change through June, in both finances and fun. For once, how much you spend doesn’t matter, so enjoy any small splash of hedonism. Same goes for romance – set that audacious Taurean libido free. Don’t hesitate, and your delight should be plentiful.

TANYA OBREZA was born in Slovenija and emigrated to Australia with her parents as a young girl. It was during her first visit to England that Tanya was introduced to astrology, and in 1980 she gained her London Faculty of Astrological Studies qualifications.

Over the years, Tanya has established an extensive and wideranging international following, mostly due to her reassuring, down to earth presence.

STRICTLY When Baz Luhrmann launched the iconic Australian film Strictly Ballroom in 1992, our screens were filled with the swish of feathers and the sparkle of sequins as we disappeared into the magical world of ballroom dancing. This heart-warming story of a young man (Scott Hastings) who desperately wanted to break free from traditional ballroom steps, whilst falling in love with an unknown beginner (Fran), finally arrived as a musical onto some of the biggest stages across Australia in 2014 with new and original songs such as Time after Time and Love is in the Air. Strictly Ballroom the Musical will make it’s Hunter Valley debut at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre for six shows only between June 20 and 22, being staged by Newcastle’s St Philip’s Christian College (SPCC) Senior School based in Waratah. St Philip’s has a long and successful track record of bringing brilliant musical theatre to Newcastle with their last Civic Theatre Production of Mary Poppins in 2017 attracting over 7000 happy audience members and winning five City of Newcastle Drama Association (CONDA) Awards, including ‘Best Musical’.

For the last five months, 98 skilled actors,

dancers and singers from the SPCC Senior School (and a few special surprise guests from younger years) have been immersing themselves in the 1980’s world of the ballroom era. The talented cast will bring not only traditional ballroom dancing to the stage but also contemporary, jazz and a bit of Broadway to help make Strictly Ballroom the musical one of the most exciting shows to hit the Civic Theatre stage this year.

With an incredible live orchestra, massive moving sets, lavish costumes, over 80 wigs, hundreds of light beams and some of the most outrageous make-up designs ever seen, this show is suitable for the whole family who will want to dance in the aisles and come back for more!

Tickets for Strictly Ballroom the musical start at only $19 and can be purchased from Ticketek either online, over the phone (4929 1977) or at the box office located in Hunter Street, Newcastle.

WHAT Strictly Ballroom the Musical WHERE Civic Theatre Newcastle WHEN Thursday, June 20 at 10.30am and 7pm; Friday, June 21 at 10.30am and 7pm; Saturday, June 22 at 2pm and 7pm TICKETS www.ticketek.com.au or phone the box office on 4929 1977 MORE INFO Phone 4960 6600, email productions@spcc.nsw.edu.au, or visit www.facebook.com/spccmusicals

ST PHILIP’S CHRISTIAN COLLEGE PRESENTS

20-22 June Civic Theatre Newcastle

Adults $30 Concession $19 Ticket price includes GST. Booking and Transaction Fees may apply

/spccmusicals @spccmusicals

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH ORiGiN™ THEATRICAL ON BEHALF OF GLOBAL CREATURES HOLDINGS PTY LTD

www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 11

Shannon

L O L N

On Music,

Aging Gracefully and the Realities of the Drought WORDS MICHELLE MEEHAN

When singer Shannon Noll headed home to Condobolin at Easter, there were parched, dry paddocks as far as the eye can see.

Drought continues to hold its vice-like grip on many parts of Australia including the central western region of New South Wales, with below average rainfall and record temperatures creating an arid, unforgiving landscape unable to sustain either crops or livestock easily.

For many farmers in these areas, their future on the land is uncertain – just as it was for Noll’s own family in the early 2000's when personal tragedy and the crippling effects of drought forced them to walk away from a property they had farmed for generations.

The downward spiral began in 2001 when Noll’s father Neil died following a shocking farming accident, with the sudden loss devastating Noll, his two brothers and their mother.

For the next two years, they tried desperately to maintain the farm, but with two failed crops, mounting debts and a drought that didn’t look like it would be over any time soon, the family was eventually forced to concede defeat, ending their 98-year connection with the Condobolin property.

By this time Noll had begun to make a name for himself as a singer, finishing runner-up on the inaugural season of Australian Idol and winning legions of fans with his down-to-earth persona, raw vocal power and stirring rendition of the Moving Pictures classic What About Me? But even his newfound fame and fortune wasn’t enough to save the farm, with much of his post Idol earnings instead used to pay off creditors calling in their debts.

It’s little wonder then, with his farming heritage, that Noll is so passionate about raising awareness of and money for the worst drought in living memory.

Aside from performing in drought relief concerts, Noll also wrote and released a single in September 2018 called Lean On Me, with 100 per cent of the proceeds donated to charity organisation, Drought Angels.

While he was buoyed by last year’s heightened focus on the plight of Australian farmers, his trip to Condobolin in April reinforced his concern that it does not become a case of “out of sight out of mind” now the media frenzy has died down.

“Lean on Me was mainly about trying to bring awareness to the situation, but the sad part (since then) is that not a lot has changed,” Noll said.

“There’s been a little bit of rain here and there, but there's still lots of places that are really struggling. A lot of people, from the city especially, those who drive out west, once they get out there 12 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

We’re losing T OO MANY fathers and husbands and brothers and sisters…

We've got to do something

they go ‘oh bloody hell, it's dry out here’… I think it has become a little out of sight, out of mind.

“I went home at Easter, and it's really, really dry still, and this time of year it should be lush green, you know, with crops coming out of the ground and all that sort of stuff.

“People are just dry sowing now, just hoping that it might rain enough to get their crop up. I've also got friends out there who have lost up to 60 per cent of their flock, all their sheep, and that's hundreds and thousands of dollars.

“It was a six-year drought that ended our farming life. We had the farm in the family for 98 years, and we ended up trying to farm our way through the drought but eventually went backwards – we lost eighty grand a year trying to plant crops to then not have any rain to get it up. We were just going further and further in [to debt] till we decided we had to get rid of it otherwise we’d lose it all.

“It was another six years of drought after that so we would have eventually just ground ourselves into the ground and had nothing to show for it really.

“This drought has become a little bit out of sight out of mind now after everyone had a lot to say about it last year.

“But it’s something that's not going away any time soon, and it's a bit scary as to what it’s got in store really because a lot of people could have no other alternative but to walk off their properties.”

The other alarming consequence of the drought – and one that needs more attention according to Noll – is the impact it is having on the mental health of those struggling to cope with the conditions or the reality of losing their farms.

“I think it's all terribly worrying, because as things get worse and worse, you know, there will be, I'd say, an increase in rural suicide,” he said.

It's been terrible out there for years. When I grew up, I knew 13 blokes in surrounding towns, young men who took their own lives.

“You’re in such an isolated area, where the mentality of people is often that you just don’t talk about it.

“We’ve got to break through that barrier because we’re losing too many fathers and husbands and brothers and sisters… we've got to do something; we've got to address it.

“We’ve got to work out a way that we can communicate better, I think. And read the signs, because some people can look as happy as Larry on the outside but be in absolute turmoil on the inside.

“It's hard because people often don't know what to say in these situations, but it's not really about that, it’s just being there for someone… and letting them know that no matter what they're going through, you’ll go through it together.”

Noll knows what it’s like to feel that inner turmoil, and has spoken in the past about his struggles with depression in the wake of his father’s death and during his recuperation

from a severe back injury suffered in 2012 during rehearsals as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.

The singer said he turned to music to provide a sense of solace when times got tough.

“I struggled a bit when I had my back operation because that’s when I realised I was going to carry this injury forever, that it would be with me for the rest of my life,” Noll said.

“That was a bitter pill to swallow; I think that made me realise that I'm not young anymore and I'm not the bloke I believed I always was physically. You have a feeling of uselessness that you’re not good enough for anything really.

“But no matter how desperate the plight was at different times, I just wanted to go out and tour because you come home and you feel like you’ve done something, you feel like you achieved something just by singing to people and seeing them having a good time.

“That really helped me through a dark patch; the fun and joy that came with performing for people, who were having a good time themselves. That’s what helped me through it.”

Noll’s career has certainly given him plenty of reasons to feel good, becoming the only Australian male artist in national chart history to have ever achieved ten consecutive top 10 singles.

The chart-topping singer’s first single, What About Me?, debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart and spent four consecutive weeks at the top spot.

What About Me? went on to become the highest selling single of 2004 in Australia, and was certified four times platinum after selling 280,000 copies. It also gained positive international exposure for Noll, reaching number two in Ireland and number 10 in New Zealand.

Noll followed this up almost immediately with the release of his debut album, That's What I'm Talking About, again debuting at the top of the ARIA charts, with more than 131,000 copies sold in the first week alone.

(Continued next page) ► www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 13

too because the more you write songs, the better you get at it,” Noll said.

“I think I learnt too, how to have much more input in the lyrics and the storyline, and then obviously when you touch on things that are much closer to home you find that it’s much easier to write.

“A song like Invincible is the perfect example, that was after I had a back operation and it was actually not about being invincible, but about realising when you're not invincible anymore, that when you hit the ground, you stay on the ground, instead of bouncing back up on your feet like a young person does.

(Continued)

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The album spent 14 weeks in the top 10, including four weeks at number one, and was certified five times platinum.

A second number one single from that album, a cover of British–Norwegian boy band A1’s song Learn to Fly, two nominations at that year’s ARIA Music Awards and a successful solo tour cemented Noll’s rapid rise to fame in 2004. A rise that was capped off with a request by channel Nine to re-record classic Australian cricket anthem, C’mon Aussie C’mon, as a charity single with updated lyrics, with his version peaking at number two on the charts.

Countless tours, a myriad of hit singles and five more albums, including two compilations, followed in the next six years, with his second effort, Lift, also debuting at number one on the charts before spending nine weeks in the top 10 and being certified triple platinum.

During this time Noll branched out into the world of theatre, making his on-stage debut in 2007 in the Australian tour of the stage musical, Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds. He revised his role two years later during the UK tour of the musical, and in 2012 was selected as a contestant for the 12th season of Dancing with the Stars. The back injury he sustained while performing a lift during rehearsals with dance partner Elena Samodanova forced Noll to withdraw from the competition, however it proved not to be his last foray into reality television, with the singer finishing runner-up in the fourth season of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here, in March 2018.

Noll’s fifth studio album, Unbroken, was released in February 2018, while the singer was still in the jungle on I’m a Celebrity. The album was Noll’s first release in seven years following a series of record label and management changes, and reflected a much more personal direction in his songwriting, taking a close look at his roots, his fame, his love of Australia and his family.

The trials of getting older were also the focus of one of the album’s stand-out tracks, a slow-burning anthem titled Invincible.

“There's a lot more of me personally on that album, you know, and I think that comes from being a better songwriter

That was a very personal story about me in that story, something I lived through and experienced, so I think to be able to tap into that personal space is really important [as a songwriter].”

While Noll spent much of last year touring to promote the album, it was a tumultuous 12 months for the singer, who also received his share of more unfavourable media attention for several incidents. This included the expletiveriddled on-stage barrage he delivered at a concert-goer after cans and bottles were repeatedly thrown at the stage, including a full can that narrowly missed hitting Noll in the head.

Last year also saw a remorseful Noll front Sutherland Local Court on a minor drug possession charge, which saw him placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond without conviction.

Determined to put his troubles in the past and move forward with his life, Noll ended 2018 on a much more positive note, welcoming son Colton Keith Noll into the world on December 30.

Noll and his wife of 14 years, Rochelle, now have four children together; Cody, who turned 18 last month, Blake, 15 and Sienna, 11.

“It's really, really great to be honest,” Noll said.

“You know, we were at the point where we were watching home videos and things like that going ‘They grow up so quick!’… but then all of a sudden we’re re-living that again, ⊲

going through the whole thing again.

“It's an amazing feeling, although I feel a little like the grandparent this time. The grandparent sort of takes a bit more time and soaks it up a little more, I think, whereas the first time around, you know, as a parent you’re hell-bent on trying to put food on the table and forge out a career, or an income or a support system for your family.

“Back then it was really difficult, you know, and I missed lots of things like birthdays sometimes and losing the first tooth, and just little things like that. I'd be in the States for eight weeks in a row, come home for a week and then, you know, go on a tour for two or three months; it made it really difficult.

“You don’t get those times back, you know, and while I’m still trying to (tour and record), I’m also keen not miss out on anything if I can help it.”

Noll took several months off after Colton’s birth to soak up the newborn excitement, but the singer is back out on the road again now with The Singles Tour, a career highlights show full of stand-out hits and fan favourites.

There’s certainly plenty of material for Noll to choose from, with a back catalogue of certified triple platinum sales, number one hits and five top 10 albums, as well as 17 platinum and three gold accreditations.

In between gigs, Noll is also working on his next album, which he assures fans

they won’t have to wait another seven years to hear. While it is still early days in the songwriting development, Noll said he is keen to return to his rockier roots with this release.

“I’m keen to try and get something done a lot quicker this time, you know, I'd love to get something out early next year or the middle of next year or late this year even,” he said.

“But you’ve also got to make sure that you put your best foot forward and you put out the best quality music that you can too because I think there's no point in just putting something out for the sake of putting it out.

“I'm going to try to change up the genre a little bit and go back to what I love to play, what I love to write, what I love to perform, go back to my roots a little bit with rock and roll songs.

“I’m sort of scratching at the surface at the moment with the writing sessions, so we'll see what comes and see what feels right when we find it. But I think at this stage of my career, wherever it's destined to go, I'd rather it be on my terms, playing the music that I really, really love.”

Tickets are on sale now for Shannon Noll’s The Singles Tour, with a performance at Wests Cardiff on Friday, June 21.

!

E M A G

www.ne Email- s

Readers affected by this story can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. ■

NEWCASTLE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL DRAW 1st Grade 2.05pm, 2nd Grade 11.30-1.45pm Phoenix vs WhiteSox - Windsor Park Toronto vs Boomerangs - Waterboard Oval Sunday, 16 June Boomerangs vs Phoenix - Boomerang Field WhiteSox vs Belmont - Plattsburg Park Sunday, 23 June WhiteSox vs Boomerangs - Plattsburg Park Belmont vs Toronto - Miller Field Sunday, 30 June Boomerangs vs Belmont - Boomerang Field Phoenix vs Toronto - Windsor Park Sunday, 7 July WhiteSox vs Toronto - Plattsburg Park Belmont vs Phoenix - Miller Field Sunday, 14 July Phoenix vs WhiteSox - Windsor Park Toronto vs Boomerangs - Waterboard Oval Sunday, 21 July Boomerangs vs Phoenix - Boomerang Field Belmont vs WhiteSox - Miller Field Sunday, 28 July WhiteSox vs Boomerangs - Plattsburg Park Toronto vs Belmont - Waterboard Oval Sunday, 2 June

Club Old Boys Days Belmont Baseball Club Sunday 23rd June WhiteSox Baseball Club Sunday 23rd June Boomerangs Baseball Club Sunday 21st July Toronto Baseball Club Sunday 18th August Phoenix Baseball Club Sunday 18th August

www.newcastlebaseball.org.au www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 15

Domaines Albert Bichot. Photo by Flore Deronzier

The Best of BURGUNDY & CHAMPAGNE Right Here in Newcastle!

WORDS KIM-CHERIE DAVIDSON

A love affair with wine that started in the Hunter Valley has come full circle.

More than 40 years ago, Leigh Dryden was introduced to Hunter Semillon and fell in love with the varietal and its uniquely distinctive characteristics that make it one of the greatest white wines in the world.

“It was like a light-bulb moment; I wanted to know more about quality wines,” Leigh said.

Growing up in a north-east Victoria vineyard region, Leigh believes wine was always in his DNA, but it was not until his early 20's that it fully kicked in, and quality wine became a hobby that grew into a passion and then a profession.

With his corporate marketing career, Leigh lived in New York, Singapore and Zurich, and it was during his time in Switzerland that his interest in French and German wines grew – especially those wines from family-owned small producers using sustainable, bio-dynamic and organic methods.

He found each vineyard had an incredible story due to the family’s multi-generational connection and respect for the land and terroir (micro-climate) of the vineyard and the hands-on approach to winemaking. However, he discovered 16 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

many of the vineyards were relatively unknown, as their passion was wine, not marketing.

“I met Yann Vadin from Champagne Vadin-Plateau, a family-owned, 100 per cent biodynamic enterprise in Marne Valley near Epernay which had been making wines since 1785. Yann is a ninth generation winemaker and one of the region’s most innovative small producers. Yann makes cracking wines, but no-one had heard about them.”

In 2009, Leigh established Decante This, as a concierge and sommelier service, mainly for private clients who wanted quality wines at reasonable prices. It has grown to also supply selected restaurants such as Aria Restaurant in Sydney, wine merchants and liquor stores across Australia, which become the bulk of the business.

In the past two years, Decante This has refined its focus to specialise in the supply of handcrafted French wines, in particular from the regions of Burgundy and Champagne – the world’s oldest wine regions.

“Australians love to travel, and many go to France. If they are wine lovers, they will usually visit Burgundy and Champagne, where they are exposed to the region’s handcrafted wines. On their return home, they discover that they can’t find, access or afford them. That’s where I come in,” says Leigh.

Decante This has created a broad portfolio of wines to help fill this gap. As a business, it has access to hundreds of wines due to Leigh’s personal relationships with wine families throughout Burgundy and Champagne. Leigh has also formed a business partnership with one of Burgundy's best organic winemakers Domaines Albert Bichot as well as Stephane Pommier and Brune Reillantare, who are also from Burgundy winemaking families.

“I spend three months of the year in France, being part of the process from the vineyard to winemaking. Working side by side with the families, from harvesting to processing, I know the wines, the makers and the stories. “ “We know our wines are good and clean. Our aim is to expose people to a range of exceptional wines, and wines they have never seen or experienced before.”

Last year, Leigh started building relationships in the Hunter Valley with restaurants and liquor stores. To date, he has 30 new customers that include Muse Restaurant,

Bushranger Bar and Brasserie, Restaurant Mason, Queens Wharf Hotel, Lucky Hotel and Tighes Hill Cellars.

“I love Newcastle; it is a burgeoning and fast developing city. I found it is a place where people are open and friendly.

They say, ‘what can I do to help?’ then we have a chat.”

Usually, Leigh will look at their wine offering and suggest ways to help attract new clientele.

“A good wine list is differentiated. We don’t want to dominate it – we aim to lift the offering to the clientele. Our wines are different, not better than other wines. There is room for all of us in the market.”

In August 2018, Leigh and the business moved to Newcastle, as did Stephane (who is the head sommelier at Muse Restaurant) while Brune is waiting for her visa to move to Newcastle.

“I have been drawn to this hidden gem, a very special little place with its great lifestyle, diversity, pace, vibe and potential. I love it here – this is now home!”

He has already built trusted relationships and partnered with customers to put on events such as tastings, dinners and master classes.

The next event is Bastille Day Long Lunch to celebrate the French national day in the much-loved traditional style but with a Novocastrian twist.

A long lunch is considered a very important ritual in France – a social time spent with family, friends or colleagues to share food and wine as well as a way of establishing a connection with them.

For this event, Decante This has joined forces with Restaurant Mason owner and head chef Chris Thornton and Longworth House, to create a unique culinary and gastronomic experience.

“For this degustation lunch, Chris has requested six wines be selected, and he will pair six traditional French-inspired dishes with them. It is usually done the other way around, though I know it will be something really special as he a very talented chef,” said Leigh.

Guests will be greeted by the old-world charm of Longworth House’s bar with aperitif and canapes before being seated at long communal tables for lunch.

Leigh promises there will be at least a wine from Domaines Albert Bichot and Champagne Vadin-Plateau.

Before each course, there be a talk by Leigh and Chris about the wine and its origins, followed by the culinary expertise and thinking behind the dish and its match to the selected wine.

“A degustation is always so much fun, and this Bastille Day Long Lunch will be a sensational mix of the best from France and Australia - something very different and special.”

It will be a formal but informal affair for up to 100 people, and Leigh believes this is the first time Newcastle has hosted a long lunch of this scale. The plan is for it to be an annual event.

There are also plans in the pipeline for a few more events such as dinners and deep-dive master classes; information will be available at the Bastille Day Long Lunch. On the day, guests will also be able to purchase the wine being showcased.

WHAT Bastille Day Long Lunch WHEN Sunday, July 14, 2019, from 12.30pm WHERE Longworth House, 129 Scott Street, Newcastle TICKETS & MORE INFO www.ticketbooth.com.au or email leigh@decantethis.com

Domaines Albert Bichot - Photo by Flore Deronzier

DEGUSTATION LONG LUNCH Presented by Decante This, Restaurant Mason and Longworth House Come and join the team from Newcastle ‘s French wine specialists Decante This and the award winning team from Restaurant Mason for a 6-Course Traditional French Degustation, paired with 6 organic wines and Champagnes in the amazing old world charm of Longworth House.

Sunday 14th July 12.30pm Tickets $175 per person plus booking fee.

Tickets are available at www.ticketbooth.com.au or contact leigh@decantethis.com

Decante This

HUNTER VALLEY

CHEESE FACTORY

JULY

CHEESEMAKING CLASSES The Craft and the Art of Making Cheese at Home Discover Specialty Cheesemaking under the guidance and expertise of Artisan Cheesemaker David Bower and Affinuer & Fromagier Rosalia Lambert in an educational 2.5 hour workshop.

You will learn the process from start to finish, plus cheese origins, ingredients, ripening principles, milk quality, ageing and more in a Cheese Tasting Appreciation and Wine Matching session.

Your cheese will be yours to take home, along with recipes to enjoy with family and friends.

2019 DATES:

June 30th, 1.30pm – 4pm September 29th, 1.30pm – 4pm December 8th, 1.30pm – 4pm All Workshops are held Sunday afternoons, bookings required.

Private Classes for 10+ by arrangement.

Contact us for more information or to book!

ARTISAN AUSTRALIAN CHEESEMAKERS Located at Mcguigan Wine Complex, 447 McDonalds Road, Pokolbin. PH 4998 7744 E contact@huntervalleycheese.com.au

www.huntervalleycheese.com.au

18 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

6th

Hunter Valley Cheese & Chocolate Festival 2019 After a successful first year in 2018, with over 6000 people enjoying the delights of the Hunter Valley, the Hunter Valley Cheese & Chocolate Festival returns to Hope Estate on 6+7 July, 2019.

We’re lucky enough to claim Hunter Valley Wine Country as our backyard playground, and it’s sometimes easy to forget that the Hunter Valley is a major tourist destination in its own right with a growing number of reasons to visit. Of course, there’s the wine, the food and an ever-increasing foray of live concerts – but increasingly it’s festivals such as this that are attracting visitors who are looking for different experiences and to maybe learn something new.

“We already know that large concerts, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, bring in thousands of visitors for the weekend. What we are learning is that there is also an appetite for lifestyle events,” says Hope Estate owner, Michael Hope.

“People are travelling to the Hunter Valley for more reasons than just filling their car boot up with wine. In creating the cheese and chocolate experience within Wine Country, we are exposing the Hunter to a broader market. I am a big believer that we need to evolve to survive.”

Lifestyle events enable many local businesses to showcase their products to not only Hunter residents but also those travelling from Sydney and regional NSW. “Cheese & Chocolate 2018 was an incredible event,” says Jason Chesworth of Hunter Belle Dairy.

“Never have we seen crowds in such large numbers that were all seeking gourmet artisan products. We sold out of cheese twice and after two quick trips back to restock; we were left amazed by the level of expectation amongst consumers with our premium products our best sellers.”

“Hunter Valley Cookies had one of the biggest single days trade from any event we have attended in 20 years last year,” said Sheryl Machain of Hunter Valley Cookies.

“We were thrilled not only with the sales but with the people we served who were patient, pleasant and jovial.”

This year attendees will find more vendors and lots of activities for the whole family to enjoy! The Festival will showcase the talents of many local and national cheese makers, bakers, and chocolatiers, including local legends Hunter Belle Dairy Co, Hunter Valley Chocolate Company, Binnorie Dairy, and Donarch Fine Chocolate to name a few.

As well as the sweet and savoury vendors, attendees will be able to watch demonstrations from guest chefs, chocolatiers and cheesemongers. Adults can experience a guided tasting of Hope Estate beer and wine and relax on the amphitheatre with live entertainment.

Attendees can also enjoy a cheese or chocolate masterclass in the Great Cask Hall or enhance their experience further by treating themselves to the 3-course VIP lunch overlooking the vineyards!

WHAT Hunter Valley Cheese & Chocolate Festival WHEN Sat 6 + Sun 7 July 2019, 10am–5pm WHERE Hope Estate, Pokolbin TICKETS + INFO Early Bird Tickets available now from www.hopeestate.com.au

www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 19

It’s Hot and Happening.

It’s The Hunter Valley!

WORDS QUENTIN VON ESSEN

For many of us, Winter is a favourite time of the year, bringing with it a welcome reprieve from the Summer heat.

The Hunter Valley is a wonderful and welcoming place to visit at any time of the year. But Winter in the Hunter Valley has that special magical something – with its charming collection of quaint boutique accommodation, mountain and vineyard landscapes complete with hues of brown and red, cooler days and nights enjoyed sitting around open fires, cosy restaurants and cafes serving up heartwarming dishes and of course welcoming cellar doors with award-winning wines.

In June, the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Festival rolls into the second Act of its packed two-month schedule, with plenty of events encouraging locals and tourists alike to explore the region’s bountiful offering of premium wine and fine food.

The festival is a feast for all the senses, with opportunities to explore and taste all the Hunter has to offer, see the region’s master chefs in action and hear from the

winemakers explain the process of taking wine from the grape to the glass.

Celebrate Smokey Sundays at Matilda Bay Brewhouse every Sunday in June and discover what they call Hunter Smokehouse Cuisine. Roll up Your sleeves and tuck into good old-fashioned comfort food as the chef serves up Asian herbs, bastes and sauces with the best of slow-cooked Texan Barbecue. And yes, there will be matching brews.

Rug up, grab a picnic blanket and some friends and head out to Stonehurst Cedar Creek on Wollombi Road on Saturday, June 8 for Music in the Woods. Enjoy a day in the fabulous Wollombi Valley with fine wine as you dance the afternoon away with three incredible live bands set amongst 100 poplar trees or relax beside the fire pit in the woods as you sip from a range of Stonehurst award-winning wines, with mulled wine on pour.

Those keen to soak up more of a festival vibe should check out the Hunter Valley Wine Festival on Saturday, June 29. This is the seventh year the family-friendly event will take over the picturesque grounds of the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, with an extensive array of wine, food, beer and cider on offer for the adults and a host of entertainment and activities for the kids including train rides, a jumping castle, face painting and the carousel.

A series of tempting tasting events will be on offer in the marquee as singer and performer Jarrod Sherman entertains you along with David D’Souza on guitars playing every song – old and new, with feeling and rhythm.

Enhance your wine knowledge with a visit to Margan Winery’s Annual Barrell Hall Sale held from Saturday 8 to Monday, 10 June. Grab a glass and taste your way through a selection of over 100 wines, meet the team for structured tastings, wine education and cellaring advice. And if you have

never had a meal at Margan Restaurant – perhaps now is the time.

Wine and cheese are old friends, with a strong affinity going back thousands of years and considered to be two of life’s true pleasures – especially when it involves a glass of the Hunter Valleys most iconic wines – Lovedale Semillon ⊲

A PL ACE TO CONN EC T

Winmark Wines is an extraordinary Vineyard in the idyllic wine region of Broke Fordwich, Hunter Valley with 28 acres of Chardonnay.

The Estate is ideal for weddings, corporate events or peaceful family retreats. It features the monumental sculpture Biosis by sculptor David Ball, a stunning perennial and rose garden by landscape designer Paul Bangay OAM, and is home to the iconic rock, Pooles Rock.

Winmark’s many landmarks provide unforgettable views and allow an array of opportunity for the ultimate getaway. Winmark Wines can accommodate up to 32 guests across its three stunning properties.

20 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

T: 02 9997 5373 | E: info@winmarkwines.com.au 229 Wollombi Road, Broke NSW 2330, Australia @winmarkwines | winmarkwines.com.au

Sips to

SAVOUR

Mistletoe Wines

and Maurice Shiraz accompanied by quality produce from the Australian Cheese Room from Manly.

Each day in June, Mount Pleasant Wines are inviting wine and cheese lovers to enjoy three vintage vertical tastings of each wine served in premium Riedel glassware paired with some of the world’s finest cheeses.

But the party doesn’t end once night falls on June 29, with several other special events capping off the final weekend of the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Festival.

Make your way to Glandore Estate for one of the most hotly anticipated moments of the two-month festival – the traditional Burning of the Barrel.

Combining a massive bonfire with fantastic wines, cheese, food, live music and a fireworks display not to be missed, gates open at 3pm with the bonfire going up in flames at 6pm. A perfect winter night event!

For more information about what's hot and happening in the Hunter Valley this winter, including maps and guides, visit www.yourhuntervalley.com.au ■

WE BELIEVE IN THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE. THEY JUST NEED TO BE AMAZING.

2017 Mistletoe Hunter Shiraz – RRP $27 100% Hunter Shiraz made from grapes grown on the Mistletoe Home Vineyard. From the highly acclaimed 2017 vintage this is a quintessential medium bodied Hunter Shiraz. Currently drinking beautifully it will handsomely reward medium term cellaring.

TASTING Soft, plummy, earthy and spicy. The fruit does the talking with the French oak just playing a supporting role.

FOOD MATCH A perfect match to Boeuf Bourguignon with mushrooms.

CELLARING Drink now to 2030.

Tintilla Estate

2017 Saphira Sangiovese – RRP $35 First class, hand-picked fruit, aged in French oak barrels for over 12 months before bottling. Aromas of cherries, blackberries and a touch of liquorice, and sweet leather.

TASTING The taste of this wine is firm yet elegant, reflecting the aroma with dark cherries, plums and savoury cranberries – with a touch of spice. Good structure and crisp acidity finish.

FOOD MATCH Great with classic Italian meals like pasta and pizza but will just as easily go with a steak and veggies.

CELLARING Drink now until 2025.

Mount Pleasant Estate

2017 Rosehill Shiraz – $50 First planted in 1946 by Maurice O’Shea, the Rosehill vineyard is the epitome of the Hunter. Elegance and power, grace and intensity, these wines are beautiful young but have the backbone to survive for decades. It's from great vineyards where great wines are made.

TASTING Red fruits, cranberry, violets and spice aromatics combine with a supple elegant mouthfeel with beautiful intensity and focus.

FOOD MATCH Perfect to have with Slow cooked lamb, aged beef or with some fine chocolate.

CELLARING Drink now or will reward cellaring for 25 years.

Elbourne Wines

2017 H.A.E Single Vineyard Shiraz – RRP $55 2017 was an outstanding Hunter vintage given the hot and dry conditions. Only 150 dozen cases of this high quality Shiraz were produced from single vineyard estate grown fruit. Hand pruned and handpicked to ensure exceptional quality. It also took out the Gold Medal at the 2018 Hunter Valley Boutique Show.

TASTING Intense black/purple colour, with ripe dark fruits and pepper on the nose. A well structured and balanced palate, with loads of spice and layers to complement the outstanding fruit weight. Framed magnificently with skillful use of high quality French oak barriques. A big red, from a big Hunter vintage!

FOOD MATCH Suited perfectly with Beef Burgundy.

CELLARING Comfortably store for 25+ years.

Emma's Cottage Vineyard

2015 Shiraz – RRP $30 This wine is light enough to drink on its own without food, and if you do not manage to finish the bottle save it to put into tomorrow’s casserole – it does the most wonderful things to big tasty casseroles!

TASTING This classic Hunter Valley Shiraz, is aged in old American oak, has a light fresh medium body and is very fruit driven with dark berry flavours and light peppery notes with a lovely savoury tannin finish.

FOOD MATCH Slow cooked lamb shoulder or aged beef.

CELLARING Drink now or cellar for 10 years.

Ascella Organic Wines

SMART CASUAL DINING FRESH LOCAL PRODUCE WEDDINGS | EVENTS | PRIVATE FUNCTIONS LOCATED ON THE VINE AT COCKFIGHTERS GHOST VINEYARD 576 DE BEYERS ROAD, POKOLBIN PH: 4998 7776 | info@huntersquarter.com.au www.huntersquarter.com.au

2014 Reserve Chardonnay $33.50 The choicest fruit and the most careful crushing technique are used to create Ascella's Reserve Chardonnay using only organic grapes from their vineyards in the secluded Thompsons Valley in Broke Fordwich where culture, tradition and the environment are respected and nurtured.

TASTING Layers of primary fruit characters and creamy notes with extended palate. A zesty elegant Chardonnay with ripe peach and orange blossom lift with spicy French oak.

FOOD MATCH Fish, poultry, pork, pastas.

CELLARING 10 Years.

OPEN LUNCH THURS - SUN. DINNER THURS, FRI, SAT & MON.

www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 21

We have a flavour for every taste.

Hunter Distillery is the only certified organic distillery in the Hunter Valley region.

Visit us to try our wide range of multi-award winning Gin, Vodkas, Liqueurs and Schnapps!

OPEN 7 DAYS 10AM - 5PM

1686 Broke Road, Pokolbin Hunter Valley ¡ PH (02) 4998 6737 ¡ www.hunterdistillery.com.au

22 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

Gnocchi Cooking Class at Il Cacciatore Il Cacciatore is pleased to offer budding chefs and food enthusiasts the opportunity to learn the technique of gnocchi making.

Our hands-on gnocchi making classes have participants enjoy full participation in the gnocchi making process from beginning to end, they also have the opportunity to observe demonstations in the cooking of gnocchi dishes in two different ways.

These dishes become your lunch which includes a glass of wine and dessert.

Cost: $125pp (2.5 - 3hrs) Saturday 8th + Saturday 22nd June, 11am

Learn to Make Gnocchi

Minimum 10 per class

Like an Italian Nonna!

Calling budding master chefs! Have you ever wanted to learn to make gnocchi?

Well, now you have the chance to channel your inner-nonna and learn how to make light and airy gnocchi at home.

Gnocchi originates in Northern Italy, where the colder climate was better for growing potatoes than grain.

A classic Italian pasta, these pillowy potato dumplings make for a hearty meal no matter how you serve them – whether it’s baked with creamy cheeses, sautéed with wintery veggies, dressed in a tangy tomato sauce… you name it.

The most common way to prepare gnocchi today is to combine mashed potatoes with flour, forming bite-sized balls of dough; though, other more modern variations include ricotta, ParmigianoReggiano, spinach, pumpkin, Gorgonzola and many more.

It’s a wonderful Italian dish that people love to learn to make for themselves and

it’s fun to make too – especially in a group or with a group of friends Popular amongst both locals and visitors to the Hunter Valley, Hermitage Lodge’s award-winning restaurant Il Cacciatore specialises in Northern Italian inspired cuisine and are renowned for their annual gnocchi making classes which form a part of the annual Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival.

This year, the gnocchi making classes are being held on Saturday 8th and Saturday 22nd of June from 11am with a minimum of ten people per class.

So if you love Italian food and want to learn to make gnocchi in a fun, hands-on environment with a small group of likeminded individuals who don’t mind getting down and dirty (floury) – contact Il Cacciatore on 4998 7639 to book your spot.

www.hermitagelodge.com.au (02) 4998 7639 | info@hermitagelodge.com.au

Hunter Valley

Chocolate Company EST. 1999

Includes Pick-up & Drop-off from your accommodation!

Located in the heart of Pokolbin, Hunter Valley Chocolate Company has been a family owned and operated Hunter Valley gem for the last 20 years.

Let us take you on a wonderful journey around the Hunter Valley!

FULL AND HALF DAY WINE TOURS AVAILABLE

7 DAYS A WEEK Visiting boutique cellar doors, vodka distillery and much more.

Book with us for a more personal experience

www.hunterwinejourneys.com.au | hunterwinejourneys@gmail.com | 0428 165 519 or 4998 1678

Indulge in the ultimate chocolate experience, with a tantalising range of premium hand-made chocolate and chocolate products plus more than 30 flavours of freshly made fudge!

Open 7 Days 9am – 5pm. Ph 4998 6999 Three Great Locations in Pokolbin: Twenty-3-Twenty – 2320 Broke Road Peterson House – Broke Road Hunter Valley Gardens – Shop 5, Broke Road

www.hvchocolate.com.au | admin@hvchocolate.com.au www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 23

A Tour of the Tastebuds

At Wine House Hunter Valley WORDS DI VON ESSEN

Located in the heart of Pokolbin (next door to Roche Estate and opposite Brokenwood), Wine House Hunter Valley is possibly the most idyllic and relaxing way to experience the best of the Hunter vineyards – without going anywhere else!

And we’re not the only ones to think so with Wine House

being recently awarded 'Best Tasting Experience' by Gourmet Traveller WINE Magazine 2019 Cellar Door of the Year Awards.

Visitors can start their tasting experience at the Tasting Bar and be guided through an amazing selection of over 30 wines from some of the Hunter Valley's most iconic winemakers such as Silkman, Little Wine Co, Thomas Wines, David Hook and Hart & Hunter. With five awardwinning winemakers in the Valley all under one roof, this is your must-do tasting experience.

Then stroll through to the recently refurbished Wine Lounge, which offers nearly 40 wines available by the glass and an incredible range from across the Hunter Valley and further afield.

Enjoy a themed flight of wines alongside some culinary pairings or create your own wine experience with state of the art Enomatic machines.

Enomatic was born in 2002 from the happy intuition of two Tuscan entrepreneurs, who - after years of experimentation and market analysis - decided to industrialise an innovative system for preserving and serving wine by the glass. It’s the kind of machine we wish we all had in our lounge rooms and we guarantee that you’ll want one too after trying it! Simply grab yourself a glass and sample your way through the best wines from all over the Hunter Valley, completely at your leisure.

Alternatively, simply enjoy a glass of wine on the patio overlooking the lake and select from the fresh and delicious Wine House Kitchen menu.

Each June the Winehouse celebrates Hunter Valley Wine & Food Month by pitching Australia's most iconic wine, Penfolds Grange against three of our local icons. This year sees the show-stopping ‘100 point’ 2008 Grange up against 2009 Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz, 2009 Tyrrell’s Vat 9 Shiraz and 2009 Thomas Kiss Shiraz.

These four incredible wines will be presented to attendees in Riedel glassware as a 'blind' bracket. Name the wines correctly, and you will enter in the draw to win an Icon Pack valued at over $500!

You can taste the wines any day throughout June ($96pp) or for an extra special experience, join a Saturday Masterclass hosted by one of the Hunters leading winemakers. Masterclasses will be held every Saturday throughout June at no additional cost and bookings are essential.

If you really want to go all out, then The Grand Masterclass may be just the ticket. The highlight event of the June Grange series, guests will begin the afternoon with a Grange Masterclass led by winemaker Andrew Thomas followed by a superb lunch focusing on the stellar 2017 reds.

Take the Masterclass with Andrew then, after a cleansing glass of sparkling on the terrace, you will be treated to a delicious lunch designed by chef Ros Baldwin to showcase the 2017 reds from Thomas, Silkman and Little Wine Co. There is no doubt that 2017 was one of the best vintages on record in the Hunter Valley and the Wine House team look forward to showing them off ($195pp).

For more information and bookings visit www.winehousehuntervalley.com.au

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24 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

MISTLETOE is a small family owned and run winery that was established by the current owners in 1989. Now in its 30th year, Mistletoe’s “no-compromise” approach to producing small quan��es of “true to origin” premium quality wine has seen it rewarded with many, many hundreds of awards and accolades.

With over 20 different wines, including Sparkling, Whites, Reds, Rosés, For�fied and Dessert styles on tas�ng, Mistletoe has one of the most comprehensive ranges of wines to be seen in the Hunter.

• All wines are made in our onsite winery • Winery tas�ngs available for larger groups – bookings essen�al!

• Mistletoe Wines are only available for purchase from the Winery Cellar Door • Knowledgeable and friendly staff to make you welcome • On most occasions you will be looked a�er by one of the Mistletoe Family

QUALITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE With three genera�ons now ac�vely engaged in the day to day opera�on of Mistletoe, it is truly a unique family winery.

When visi�ng Mistletoe be sure to take �me to visit POKOLBIN GALLERY and MISTLETOE SCULPTURE GARDEN also in the grounds of the Cellar Door.

Mistletoe is now just 35 minutes from Newcastle – take the Hunter Expressway M15 which becomes the A15 (New England Highway) at Branxton and then take the Hermitage Road exit.

Open 10am until 6pm daily | 771 Hermitage Road, Pokolbin 2320

PH 1800 055 080 FAX 02 4998 7792 E office@mistletoewines.com.au | W www.mistletoewines.com.au www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 25

Your

i c n a g r O

FOODIES WAREHOUSE!

Some of the Hundreds of NEW Organic Products

Now in stock at Your Foodies Warehouse – Bibina

More variety more brands MORE CHOICE

Bibina has recently doubled the variety of organic foods available at its giant Warners Bay Food Warehouse. With hundreds of products from dozens of brands, Bibina has the largest range of Organic Foods in Newcastle. If you like organic food, you’ll love Bibina!

355 Hillsborough Road Warners Bay • Open Weekdays 8am - 5pm, Thurs till 7pm, Sat 8.30am - 4pm, Closed Sun & Holidays. Ph 4954 6044

www.bibina.com.au

Thai style Salmon with Coconut Aminos and Honey Sauce

Taking only about 10 minutes to prepare and another 10 to cook, this is a fantastic dish which can be made using almost entirely organic foods.

Live Better

With Organic Food Are you happy with foods from massive farms using synthetic fertilisers, herbicides, GMOs and hormones to improve yields and make food grow faster?

There’s a growing resistance to this mass-produced food, with many people switching to organic foods and finding their physical and mental health improves.

Organic foods use less pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and insecticides in the production of food, which means less residue gets into the food chain and into your body.

A huge variety The variety of organic foods available today is huge.

Your pantry can be filled with staples like organic flour, sugar, maple syrup, cous cous, rice and coconut. But did you know you can also fill your pantry with canned organic tomatoes, vegetables, berries and beans?

All these products, and many more, are available at The Foodies Warehouse, Bibina, in Warners Bay. Bibina has recently expanded its range of organic foods, which now number in hundreds of lines – these day it’s surprising what you can’t get in an organic version rather than what you can.

Bibina now has organic snacks, sauces, cheese, pasta and lots, lots more.

Did you know Bibina has a huge range of organic nuts? Flavoursome, filling and super-healthy, organic nuts are the perfect health food snack.

Healthy doesn’t mean boring Organic food has an undeserved reputation for being boring – maybe it was in the past, but these days

Bibina has organic chocolate, marshmallows, tea and coffee, biscuits, wafers and fruit bars.

You can also create great shareable plates with organic olives, tapenade, gherkins, prunes, cheese and crackers.

Everyday dishes like pasta and sauce are available in organic varieties at Bibina, as well as marinades, sauces and salad dressings.

More micronutrients and phenols While having less insecticides, herbicides and GMOs in organics is great, there’s also evidence organics contain more phenols than non organic foods. Phenols are compounds which are believed to prevent cancer,.

Studies have also shown higher levels of micronutrients in organic foods.

Better for the environment Organic farming is better for the environment, reducing the amount of chemicals used on the land. This also benefits the local wildlife, from the insects to frogs to the larger animals which live on or near farmland, and the waterways which are so fragile these days.

Synthetic fertilisers and other agricultural chemicals aren’t good for the environment and moving to an organic diet is another way you can help to reduce our impact on the land.

Ingredients (Serves 4) • 4 Bibina skinless salmon fillets • 1 tbsp Organic coconut oil (for cooking) • 1⁄4 cup Absolute Organic Original Tamari Sauce • 1⁄4 cup Organic honey • 1⁄2 cup Organic coconut milk • 1 tbsp Ginger (to taste – optional) • 1⁄4 tsp Garlic powder (optional) • 1 tbsp Finely chopped spring onions • Coriander leaves and/or parsley flakes • Sesame seeds (optional) Instructions 1. (After defrosting frozen salmon) Rinse the fish under cool running water, pat dry with paper towels and set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. Place the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.

3. Take the fish out of the refrigerator and heat the coconut oil in a medium to large frying pan with a lid, on medium/high heat. Place the fillets in the pan and cook for approx. 3 minutes on one side, then carefully turn over and pour the marinade evenly over them.

4. Reduce the heat to medium/low, cover with the lid and continue cooking for approx. 3–5 minutes or until cooked through.

5. Remove frying pan from heat. Place the salmon on plates or a serving platter.

6. Pour remaining sauce over salmon, sprinkle with coriander and/or parsley leaves and sesame seeds, coriander and/parsley. Serve immediately.

TIP To bake the fish, place boneless, skinless fillets in a baking dish and pour the marinade over the fish. Cover the baking dish with baking paper, then tightly cover with foil and bake in a 180°C oven for approx. 8–10 minutes.

Then uncover and bake approx. 3–4 minutes longer until the fish is cooked through.

Organic cleaning products, too At Bibina there’s more than just organic foods – there’s also a wide range of organic cleaning products. From hand cleaner to laundry liquid to wipes and toilet gel, you no longer have to use harsh artificial chemicals to clean, you now have the option of gentle organic products. Check out the huge range at Bibina, The Foodies Warehouse, today. www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 27

LIVE YOUR LIST

Blooming Beautiful!

WORDS KIM-CHERIE DAVIDSON - Live Your Bucket List

From a young age, this Lake Macquarie yoga teacher had been fascinated by Japan and its culture. However, she never imagined it would be so enchanting.

With cherry blossom time high on her ‘must-sees’, Celeste Franklin and her husband Andrew left for a 21-day trip in early April with high-hopes of seeing the famous Sakura season. In the back of their minds was the niggling worry that they might not see this spectacle as the previous years season had finished by March 28.

Landing in Tokyo, they planned to head to the Imperial Palace, as the nearby gardens were known as a viewing site, but even as they left the hotel the street was an avenue of blooms – a pink wonderland.

“I had waited a long time to see them, and then there they were – in abundance and so beautiful. It was only the start of our cherry-blossom journey. In Hakone, the blooms were coming out, then in Kanazawa, they were falling – showering the ground,” said Celeste.

Celeste’s interest in Japanese culture was influenced by her father’s love of the art, in particular, Hokusai’s The Great Wave [off Kanagawa], which hung in the family home. Celeste followed his captivation and decided she would go to Japan.

“As I read more about it, my list grew to include a tea ceremony, Mt Fuji and more recently a Tokyo owl café. All things, I saw or did on this trip.”

“I love owls, and the café was quirky – to sit in such a quiet place in the middle of a city that is so busy.”

During her visit, Celeste discovered the owls were rescue birds; they were tethered though able to fly and free to be with people or perch quietly. She was instructed 28 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

to be quiet, move slowly and treat the birds gently.

“We stayed about 20 minutes. It was relaxing. Each owl had its own personality.

Some flew around me, while others sat with or on me. The little ones cooed and snuggled up to me – a bit like cats. It was gorgeous.”

On the more traditional side, Celeste went to a Tea Ceremony; in fact, she enjoyed the ritual so much that she ended up going to three! Each ceremony included the preparation process and ritual steps, which represent purity, tranquillity and harmony. The first she stumbled upon in Hakone, the other two were in Kyoto.

“I liked them all though they were very different experiences. The first in a temple was very Zen; the next one was entertaining as it was a pre-theatre addition to a Geisha Show and the third, a workshop about the ceremony’s essence, was experiential.”

Mount Fuji was another highlight, mainly due to how it showed up and several times unexpectedly.

Her first sighting was from the Park Hyatt Hotel on her way to the rooftop New York Bar, made famous by the movie Lost in Translation. On one of the levels, a lady in traditional dress motioned for Celeste to look out the window. She saw the sun setting on Mount Fuji.

In Hakone, known for its views of the iconic mountain, she was not as lucky, as clouds obscured the views, but on the bullet train, she saw it clearly. Then, of course, when flying out of Tokyo, she had a bird’s eye view.

“It was a gift and very special. We flew very close and saw the crater. It was a wonderful farewell to our trip.”

“Japan was a big thing to me. I was born quite unwell and lucky to be alive. So, I make the most out of what I can, and I have done a lot.”

Ticked off ‘the list’ already includes visiting the UK, becoming an aromatherapist then yoga teacher, kundalini training and living by the beach “I would like to see Greece, Uluru (dinner under the stars, sunset, sunrise), Darwin sunset, travel more spiritually to deepen my practise. Though I’m happy to wait for places to come up naturally.”

TALENTED ARTIST Celebrates the Unique Beauty of Nature WORDS CLAIRE BRADSHAW

For someone whose passion is capturing nature through art, there’s no better place to be based than this stunning country we call home. Artist Nicole Berlach is surrounded by inspiration in Australia’s flora, fauna and landscapes, translating the beauty she sees into art prints, custom works, silk-screened linen, and nature and botanical journals.

Exploring the world through science and watercolour has always come naturally to Nicole. “I’ve always been an observer – light; colour; line; texture; movement,” she explains on her website. “And for as long as I can remember, I've been drawing what I see and feel.”

After growing up surrounded by art (her grandparents on both sides of the family were painters), she embarked upon a Bachelor of Natural History Illustration at age 21. There she learned to combine technical skill and artistic sensibility, and to take a fresh approach to working with traditional techniques and mediums.

Nicole’s work has been recognised both at home and worldwide ever since.

If you’re visiting Nicole’s stall at the Olive Tree Markets or shopping in her online store, you’ll find a range of high-quality prints, greeting cards, journals and linen featuring her scientific and artistic work.

Her latest collection, Woodland Plains, explores Australia’s endangered native grassland communities. Delicate, detailed watercolour works depict grasses, leaves, flowers and feathers, and the arresting beauty of creatures like the Peregrine Falcon, Regent Honeyeater and Murray Darling Python. The collection aims to “offer a rich and deep experience of this ancient habitat and consider its value within contemporary Australian life and culture,” Nicole explains. “I have utilised the genre of scientific illustration as developed by early naturalists to document this ‘untouched land’, inviting a critique of our experience of the Australian landscape.”

Browsing her other works, you’ll find, to name just a few things – a giant botanical world map; a collection of prints celebrating Australian fauna families; and a series of linen tea towels featuring Australia’s birds, wildflowers, estuary fish, edible seeds and even seahorses. Each work draws on the discipline and detail of scientific illustration while encompassing Nicole’s contemporary vision and style. The result is a diverse yet cohesive collection of works that resonate with art enthusiasts, scientific types and Australian nature-lovers alike.

As well as selling online, taking private commissions and visiting our own Olive Tree Markets, Nicole has work available at select boutiques and galleries around the country and makes regular appearances at the popular Finders Keepers market events in Sydney and Melbourne. Visitors to the new Bar Botanica in Erina, might also spot Nicole’s handiwork in the hand-painted botanical motifs adorning the space.

As well as talent and training, of course, all of Nicole’s art has one thing in common: passion. Her dedication to exploring and celebrating the unique beauty of nature shines through clearly in every work produced at her Umina Beach studio. “I love what I do – I'm so grateful to be able to share this gift,” Nicole says. “I hope my work encourages others to see the world with wider eyes – to slow down and appreciate the beauty in small things, and to be grateful.”

View more of Nicole’s artwork, order pieces and contact her for commissions at www.nicoleberlach.com. You can also keep up to date with her work and adventures via Instagram @nicoleberlach. And be sure to swing by her stall at The Olive Tree Market this month on June 1, followed by market days on July 13 and August 3, 2019. For more information and dates visit www.theolivetreemaket.com.au

OZ DESIGN KOTARA Helping Locals Create a Comfortable Lifestyle WORDS CLAIRE BRADSHAW

Given the name, it’s appropriate that OZ Design Furniture has been operating for the past 40 years with a Wizard of Oz mantra in mind: ‘There’s no place like home.’ The importance of creating a personal, comfortable living space to call your own can’t be overstated. Fortunately, that’s something OZ Design Furniture at Kotara can help you with.

This year, the Australian-owned-and-operated business is celebrating four decades since it opened its doors in 1979.

Originally called The Great Australian Design Company, its first store was located in the Sydney suburb of Auburn. More stores (and a name change) followed, and today the brand is 34 stores strong along the eastern seaboard, including its Novocastrian branch in the Kotara Home complex.

The Kotara store operates under the overarching focus of the OZ Design Furniture brand: ‘delivering unique and attractive designs for Australian homes in sofas, furniture and homewares’. But there’s no questioning that it also has its own unique identity, reflecting and catering to the needs of the wider Newcastle region.

“If you compared us with, say, the Rutherford or Tuggerah or Gosford stores, or Port Macquarie or somebody down

in Melbourne, we definitely have different demographics,” explains Rosemary Kennedy, manager of OZ Design Kotara.

“The personality of the store is reflected in our staff, but within our customer base as well, [with] Newcastle being such a diverse city. We’ve got lots of young people moving up, we’ve got retirees moving up from Sydney, we’ve got nice family homes and beachside homes, and you go out to the wineries, and they’ve got their rural properties. It’s such a mix of people and spaces and diversity, and that shows here in the store.”

Whether it’s quality furniture or stylish homewares you’re after, OZ Design is bound to have pieces for every room in every type of house. There’s no focus on one particular style; the Kotara showroom is set up to give customers ideas and inspiration, but ultimately, pieces can be mixed, matched or customised to your home and your vision. “It’s a very broad offering – I think there’s everything in here to cater to most people’s tastes. You’d be hard-pressed not to find something that was to your liking,” confirms Rosemary. “From an apartment in the city to a coastal home, to a rural setting, to a large beach pad, to quite a luxurious home… It caters to the

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79 Fletcher St Adamstown. Showroom in the process.

needs of Newcastle and the greater region because there’s a lot of customisation that you can do. There’s no one size that fits all.”

Customers aren’t restricted to what they see on the showroom floor. When fitting out a dining suite, for example, settings can be mixed and matched with different tables and styles of chair, and the chairs themselves can be customised with different fabrics, colours or sizes. The choices and combinations are virtually endless, allowing you to create truly individual spaces and fulfil the particular vision you have in mind for your home.

But what if you don’t have a vision in mind? What if you’re not actually sure what you want, or what combination of furniture and homewares will look good and function well in your space? If that’s the case, don’t worry – Rosemary assures that you’ll be well looked after.

“Some people come in, and they’ve done a lot of research online - they’ve got an idea about what they want. But others will say, ‘I need a bit of a hand here’. We’ve got people who go out to the homes as well to give them a bit of an idea and a plan, or we can just discuss with them in-store what they’re looking for. They’ll be paired with a member of staff and they can go around and choose what they like. It could be anything from the timber colour that you pick, to the cushions, to the rugs, to ‘What artwork am I going to put there?’ or ‘I’ve got this space, have you got any suggestions for it?’”

Customer satisfaction is key for Rosemary and her team, which has been put together with the store’s diverse customer base in mind. “I think I’ve got one of every generation working here – we’re not all ladies over 50!” she laughs. “People are very different. It’s really got to do with you and your lifestyle and your likes and tastes, so we just try to consult with [customers] to find out what they do like and what they’re comfortable with.”

Repeat customers are a regular occurrence. As well as reflecting the efforts of the team, this is a clear testament to the quality of the products and the strength of the OZ Design brand. Rosemary recalls customers who bought from OZ Design some 20 years ago, returning simply for a change of fabric to freshen up a piece that was still going strong, or for some help with a new style. “We’ve had quite a few people come back and say, ‘I bought from you’, and they’ll bring their daughter or the next generation, so that’s been quite sweet,” she reflects. “[The brand] is endearing – it’s not a fly-by-night, it’s not going to be gone tomorrow. The company’s well put together, and it’s a family-run business.”

OZ Design Furniture is located at the Kotara Home complex, Shop 13/150 Park Avenue, Kotara. Visit www.ozdesignfurniture.com.au to find more information and to shop online, or contact the store on 8834 4690.

Advertise Your School Holiday Activities With Us! Advertising opportunities for the July 2019 School Holidays are open now. Phone 4998 0888 or email advertise@intouchmagazine.com.au

www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 29

A COMPELLING & COMFORTABLE Accommodation Alternative WORDS CLAIRE BRADSHAW

The short-term accommodation market is hotter than it’s ever been. Nowadays, whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure, there are plenty of competitive alternatives to a traditional hotel stay.

One such alternative is Executive Apartments – Newcastle’s suite of short-term stay options, including Charlestown Executive Apartments, Everton Apartments, Hamilton on Beaumont, Wallsend Executive Apartments and Wallsend on Longworth, as well as the recently opened East Maitland Executive Apartments.

This month, we chatted with Executive Director Graham Turner about his experience in the industry, the benefits of short-term accommodation, and the newest member of the Executive Apartments family.

Can you tell us a little more about East Maitland Executive Apartments? East Maitland Executive Apartments

first opened in April just gone, and was fully booked for the Easter weekend and the following weekend for the Groovin the Moo music festival. Since then, bookings for the Lovedale Long Lunch and Queen’s Birthday weekend have been very strong.

Centrally located in the historic suburb of East Maitland, this new property is a home away from home within walking distance to a variety of local businesses, shops, the Windsor Castle Hotel and other popular restaurants. The property offers a sizeable number of studio, one-bedroom and twobedroom single-level apartments, including two disabled apartments. The studio apartments include a partially equipped kitchen including microwave oven, refrigerator, utensils, crockery and cutlery; a modern bathroom; and a communal washer/dryer facility. The one- and two-bedroom apartments provide fully equipped kitchens including utensils, crockery and cutlery; a modern bathroom; and an internal laundry.

All units are fully air-conditioned and have balconies with outdoor settings, king-sized beds and UHD flat-screen televisions connected via cable to the internet. The units are serviced every seven days for longer stays. All apartments and the building are accessed via electronic code provided at check-in.

How do you aim to stand out from other accommodation options? As with other properties in our group, East Maitland Executive Apartments offers choices of apartment sizes and facilities located right in the heart of East Maitland CBD. Just a short walk along and across George Street is the renowned Windsor Castle Hotel, which serves excellent meals and hospitality of which our guests can avail themselves. There are also quality cafes and fast food outlets nearby.

How did you get into the accommodation business?

The initial foray into the accommodation industry happened somewhat unexpectedly. During construction of 22 units in Charlestown back in 2009, the opportunity arose to furnish and let the units into the short-term accommodation market rather than sell them and walk away. This idea made sense because the creation of a continuing business was far more attractive than operating as a developer in the highly cyclical property development market. At that time, serviced apartments were starting to make their mark in the accommodation industry, and so my wife Laurel and I took the plunge.

What were you doing before entering the property industry? In approximately 2000, I was granted a building licence and undertook a number of syndicated property developments as a builder/developer. Prior to that, I founded a prominent steel-framed kit home company, providing steelframed kits to an emerging owner/builder market.

Before that, for 20 years, I was employed in finance and merchant banking in Sydney, the last seven years of which as an Associate Director of a large international merchant bank.

But the desire to work for myself became too tempting, and hence ensued a life of self-employment.

What do you see as the main benefits of short-term accommodation, particularly for business travellers? Fully furnished units and townhouses with full-sized kitchens, often with multiple bathrooms and separate lounge and dining areas, make for a comfortable stay after a day’s work.

With free and unlimited WiFi, coffee machines and secure undercover parking, serviced apartment accommodation is a compelling and competitive alternative.

East Maitland Executive Apartments is located at 100 George Street, East Maitland. For more information, visit www.eastmaitlandapartments.com.au

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30 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

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What Predicts a Successful Life?

WORDS ANNE WARD – Mindinsight

Because physical and emotional health has such a bearing on our quality of life, success is very dependent on wellbeing. In fact, in 2012, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve stated that the ultimate purpose of economics is to understand and promote the enhancement of wellbeing.

Interesting opinion from the head of a bank.

Success and emotional health The question of what predicts a successful life was the subject of a large British study that examined wellbeing

in the general population. The study found that the most important predictor of adult life-satisfaction is emotional health, not income. The study also found that an adult’s emotional health is significantly influenced by their emotional health and behaviour as a child. It seems that learning to regulate emotions and get on with people are important lessons in childhood, that have a lasting impact in life.

Being able to tolerate emotions such as anxiety and frustration helps children to develop impulse control and staying power. Parents can help children to manage anxiety by teaching them how to “self-soothe” and calm down when feeling upset, and to solve problems rather than avoid them.

These skills are important to being able to complete tasks and goals, which, in turn, helps to build confidence.

Grit is the ability to persevere. This involves having the staying power to work toward goals and maintain effort and interest, despite setbacks. The gritty individual stays the course, rather than getting bored and giving up. Grit is more important than intelligence or talent to success. Even becoming an expert in any field requires consistent practice over a long period of time – at least ten years.

Skills that build grit Optimism – Optimism is about having a realistic sense of a) what is possible and b) what effort will be needed to achieve the desired result. Realistic optimism is about being hopeful, but still acknowledging difficulties that will need to be overcome.

Handling mistakes – Our beliefs about mistakes are crucial to whether we are likely to keep going, or give up.

The belief that mistakes mean failure prevents us from learning information that provides important clues to

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the steps needed to get back on course. It also leads to discouragement. Handling mistakes requires a learning mindset that sees mistakes and setbacks as an opportunity for learning, rather than cause for making a negative judgement about ourselves.

Perseverance – Perseverance is about persisting through setbacks and failure. Research with children as young as one year old has shown that children take cues from adults about the value of persistence. As children observe how adults around them work toward goals and deal with difficulties, they make assumptions that form the basis of their own beliefs about the value of hard work and what is involved in reaching goals. This can prepare them to anticipate failures, setbacks and maintain follow-through. These assumptions lay the foundations for adult wellbeing and life-satisfaction.

Many people have come from a childhood involving adversity and where caregivers were not available to provide the kind of parental guidance and coaching that helps develop skills in emotional regulation and perseverance.

Because our brains are capable of life-long learning, these skills can be developed in adulthood. People can find this very empowering and life-changing. It’s never too late to improve our emotional wellbeing, and this leads to much better life satisfaction.

Anne Ward is principal psychologist of Mindinsight, providing evidence-based psychology and coaching services. Mindinsight is located in the T&G Building at 45 Hunter Street Newcastle. Visit www.mindinsight.com.au or phone 4942 7660.

It’s Time to get the Jab! With now the time to get vaccinated ahead of the winter influenza (flu) season, a new ‘explainer’ article from national not-forprofit NPS MedicineWise is set to provide evidence-based information to answer everyone’s questions about the flu shot.

Flu is a major cause of illness, and experts agree that April to June is a good time to get your flu shot in Australia.

NPS MedicineWise medical adviser and general practitioner Dr Jill Thistlethwaite says 2019 is shaping up to be a bad year for the flu.

“The flu is a serious disease that for some people can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, heart damage, brain damage and even death,” says Dr Thistlethwaite.

“At a minimum, most people with flu will be unwell for at least a week and unable to go to work or school.

“This new article from NPS MedicineWise explains that the most important weapon against flu and its complications is vaccination.

“The take-home message is that annual vaccination is recommended for everyone over six months of age, so ask your GP, clinic or pharmacist about having a flu shot now,” she said.

The article covers who is most at risk of contracting the flu, who should be vaccinated against it, and why you need another flu shot this year even if you had one last year.

It also looks at safety, information for different age groups, and other ways you can help stop the spread of flu including staying home if you are unwell and maintaining personal hygiene, especially by washing your hands. To read the full explainer article, go to www.nps.org.au www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 33

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Training Niggles and Injuries WORDS JENAI MONZ – Membership Consultant, Planet Fitness Charlestown

When you train regularly at a high intensity, little niggles and sore muscles appear frequently and are all part of the hard work that comes with progress. Most of the time, we can work through that pain and adjust our training until it settles down. However, some are unlucky enough to experience an injury while training, which not only affects the mind but hinders the ability to train at the usual intensity and frequency. It is important to know the difference between these little niggles and more serious injuries, furthermore, how to manage and treat them to bring you back to your best as quickly as possible.

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What is the difference between a niggle and an injury?

There is no black and white way to diagnose whether that little ache or pain is a niggle or an injury. However, there are a few tell-tale signs to look out for that can notify you if there is potential for that niggle to develop into something more sinister. A niggle may begin as a chronic, dull ongoing pain or tightness in a specific area. The pain can fluctuate and may persist for a period of time.

These sorts of aches and pains may resolve during the workout or shortly after, and are usually not something to

raise the alarm bells. However, it is best to keep an eye on them and make minor adjustments during training, such as lifting lighter or changing from road to grass when running.

Making a note of what activity you were doing when the niggle first emerged is important as they tend to resurge in a cycle; the cycle length can vary in time depending on the training load you are currently under.

Now comes the part where you have to be honest with yourself and how your body is feeling. If the pain you are experiencing is extreme, acute and persistent, then it is more than likely you are injured. Injuries usually occur suddenly with an abnormal/uncomfortable movement causing intense pain/discomfort; however, they can also arise from a niggle if they are not looked after properly, inadequate warm-up prior to training, or an awkward/uncomfortable movement that puts the already fragile body in a vulnerable position.

The muscle or joint often stiffens and becomes quite painful, swelling will arise almost immediately, and movement is affected. Pain is sharp and intense and throbbing often accompanies the pain in the area.

How do I manage a niggle or an injury?

A niggle can usually be self-managed, through decreasing and adjusting training load and intensity, regular and thorough warm-ups and cooldowns (featuring static and dynamic stretching, and the use of foam rollers and spiked massage spheres. All these methods are great for loosening the tension in muscles, in addition to investing in good quality deep tissue massages at regular intervals. If pain continues to get worse throughout the activity, the first step is to avoid that activity until you can do it pain-free. If possible, see a physiotherapist as soon as you can. They can often help evaluate the cause of the pain and work to alleviate it before it gets worse.

If you think you have injured yourself, training should cease immediately. The first 48 hours after an acute injury are vital, as this can determine the severity of the damage to the area and the amount of time it will take for the injury to recover. It is recommended that you avoid HARM (heat, alcohol, running, massage) in the initial 48 hours, and employ the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) technique to prevent any further injury.

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IS IT TIME

To Stand in Your Truth?

WORDS BRETT CAMERON - Cameron Hypnotics

“Don’t die with the music still in you” ~ Wayne Dyer.

I love this quote. A client told me recently that this quote is her life mantra. It drives her towards her goals and beyond.

When she listed her achievements, I felt honoured to be in the company of such a focused and warm spirited person.

That conversation then inspired me to write this article.

Everyone has a talent, a passion, and a skillset. However, for many that talent is either suppressed, withheld or dismissed as a folly. When someone is suppressing their talent or desire to explore that passion, I have found in most cases; they are living with a pattern of limiting beliefs. They either feel that they don’t deserve success, or they can hear a voice from their childhood telling them that they aren’t good enough. Some people express a fear of failure or a fear of embarrassment. Basically, they lack the confidence to step out into the arena to express their true talent. They are afraid to stand in their truth.

History is littered with tales of human success stories that defied the conventional wisdom of the day. Henry Ford has been (dubiously) quoted saying “If I asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” The Ford brand was never found on horses. Some of the human success stories were the true dreamers from humble beginnings, such as Walt Disney, Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey and J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling was a single mum who couldn’t afford a typewriter. She had a story and was prepared to trust herself.

The many tales of Harry Potter have been a testament to her determination and trusting herself as an author.

It doesn’t have to be about exploring a skill. There are many people whose progress in life is held back by being afraid to speak their mind with honesty. To walk a life of honesty is to be authentic, real, genuine and bona fide.

Honesty allows us to live with openness, candour and to breathe reliability. It allows us to live a life without regret.

It doesn’t have to be about sports achievement or creative endeavour; this is about having the ability to look within and to trust that you have a truth that won’t be sacrificed. I know of too many good people who’d hold their tongue or swallow their words when in their heart of hearts, they wanted to speak their truth without malice or bad intent.

I know of people who have a passion that is wanting to burst forth, yet they have held it at bay, only to ponder years later, wondering “what could have been?”

When working with clients, I will often give them homework for them to explore “Who am I?” It is one of the most challenging questions to answer. I encourage people to explore: 1. What are your core values? What are the foundation values that you will never compromise? It could be honesty, trust, hard work, education.

2. What are your secondary values? These are values that are important, but under some circumstances, you can be flexible.

3. What are your dreams? If you had the moment when a genie was to grant you five wishes, what would those wishes be?

4. What is stopping you from achieving those dreams?

These are the limiting beliefs and obstacles that have to be removed or reframed in order for you to move ahead and successfully achieve your life purpose.

5. Inspirational people: List 5 people living or dead, who you would love to sit down with, share a meal, have a heart to heart discussion. Why are these people significant?

How would your life benefit and change from this chance meeting?

6. What will be your legacy? No-one from their death bed has uttered the words “oh I wish that I had watched more television”. So fast forward to the moment before your final breath. You have the chance to write your obituary.

How would you like to be remembered?

If for one moment you could trust yourself to stand in your truth, what would you do? What would you say? How will you feel when you are standing at the top of your mountain? Hey, look... there is another mountain!

Are you ready to break through your limiting beliefs?

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Jackie Newton, Bob Hawke and Jack Newton.

The Loss of a Great Man

ADAMSTOWN ROSEBUD FOOTBALL CLUB Cordially invites Supporters to the

130TH YEAR OF FOOTBALL

Gala Ball

WORDS MELINDA MURRAY

In a social media feed full of selfies and photos of peoples’ food, the 16th of May was different. As the news filtered through of the passing of Bob Hawke, my news feed was filled with photos and stories of a great man. A man who changed things in this country for the better.

One of my earliest memories is my mum taking me to vote in the 1983 elections. In the months prior, I had helped make signs for Franklin Dam and Anti-Nuclear protests and scored a button (which I still have somewhere in a box) that said:, ‘I trusted my government, and now I glow in the dark!’

Throughout most of my formative years, Bob was running the country. I have vivid memories of being awake in the earlier hours to watch Australia win the America’s Cup and Bob’s memorable moment fronting the news cameras in his black and white jacket. I remember my mum and her friends talking about the thousands of protesters who were murdered in Tiananmen Square and how our Prime Minister had fought back the tears while fronting the news cameras and granting Chinese students studying in Australia humanitarian visas. Imagine being able to save 20,000 lives just because you decided it was the right thing to do.

Years later, I settled in Newcastle and was running my own PR firm and a friend, Frank Barrett called me about the idea of looking after the media for The Jack Newton Celebrity Classic. A charity golf event which has now been running for over 40 years and my first thought was that I didn’t know the first thing about golf, but everyone spoke so highly of Jack and Jackie Newton, that the idea was too appealing to turn down.

Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke was the patron of the event. I have been lucky enough over my career to work with some big name, international artists and I pride myself on not fawning and remaining professional, but I must admit, the first time Jackie introduced me to Bob Hawke, it took me well longer than it should have to catch my breath and speak a complete sentence.

Community Calendar SUNDAY JUNE 2 Four Choirs Concert Newcastle City Choir, Waratah Male Voice Choir, Under Construction Choir and Waratah Ensemble at Adamstown Uniting Church, 2pm. Entry $15 adults, $10 concession – tickets at the door. Afternoon tea included.

FRIDAY JUNE 7 Friday Bar Beats and Eats $5 tasting plates 4pm–6pm, happy hour 6pm–7pm. 1st + 3rd Friday of the month, The Station Newcastle, from 4pm–10pm.

FRIDAY JUNE 14 Art Mania Studio Open Night Talks & information on all the workshops, classes & upcoming courses, lucky door prizes, and delicious food! $15, www.artmaniastudio.com.au

To be held Saturday 22nd June in the Starlight Room at Wests New Lambton

For the past nine years, I have been part of the event and looked forward to the years that Bob would attend. You always knew he would tell a great joke that you could share with your family over Christmas lunch and at the sponsor's dinner he always did a rousing rendition of Waltzing Matilda.

All four verses.

The thing I came to look forward to the most was watching the deep and decades-long friendship between Bob and the entire Newton family. The former PM often told this story in his speech. “The reason I attend this event as often as I can is because of the deep admiration I have for Jack and Jackie Newton and the charity work they do. I had only been PM for a couple of months when Jack had his accident, and I made a point of going to the hospital. They said to me, Prime Minister; he may not survive. He has two things going for him. He is incredibly strong, and he has Jackie” There are defining factors that I see as the best of the Australian character.... guts, determination and decency and no one embodies those things more than Jack Newton.”

I cried quietly in the dark the first time I heard that speech. Anyone who knows them, knows how true that description is of the entire Newton family. Strong, principled, humble, gracious, kind and working every day to make their part of the world a better place. That should be the goal in life, to leave the world a better place than it was before you arrived. Bob has certainly done that. I hope his passing is a reminder that we all need to do the same. He will be greatly missed.

SATURDAY JUNE 15 Handmade Eco Market The Station, Newcastle 9am–2pm.

Trees In Newcastle Sale Head to Bemont City Centre for TIN's plant sale, 8am–12pm.

FRIDAY JUNE 21 Embrace Hiking Adventure and Morning Tea Spend the morning hiking through Blackbutt Reserve and finish with morning tea.

Tickets $35, visit www.womenembraceadventure.com.au SATURDAY 22ND Street Feast At Newcastle Foreshore (Carriage Sheds) 4pm–8pm.

SUNDAY JUNE 30 Low-Tox Cleaning Have you stopped to think about all the artificial chemicals we use on a daily basis? Make your own natural cleaning products with Racheal. Tickets $40 at Eventbrite.

LIST YOUR EVENT - getintouch@intouchmagazine.com.au

Tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased online at www.proticket.com.au/Events/Details/5059 For all other enquiries please email arfc130ball@gmail.com Dance the night away with fine food, fine wine and friends in football and celebrate 130 Years of Adamstown Rosebud Football Club.

ADAMSTOWN ROSEBUD FC HOME GAME THIS MONTH NATIONAL PREMIER LEAGUES

SATURDAY 22ND JUNE Adamstown Rosebud v Lambton Jaffas Main Game Kick Off 1PM (U18 9.25am & U20 11.10am)

NON-STOP FOOTBALL ACTION! For Season Tickets visit www.adamstownrosebudfc.org.au www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 37

34 WALLSEND TH

WINTER FAIR SUNDAY9AM 11TH TO AUGUST 2019 3PM

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A WALLSEND TOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION PROJECT – MANAGED BY PWP EVENTS & MARKETING

38 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: WINTERFAIR.COM.AU

WALLSEND

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

At Wallsend WORDS CLAIRE BRADSHAW

History, community, family. These are some of the key elements underpinning Wallsend, a flourishing, family friendly urban community located 11km from Newcastle’s CBD. To start with the history: in an area originally called Barrahinebin by its Aboriginal custodians, Wallsend was established after the Newcastle-Wallsend Coal Company’s first mine was opened in 1860. The suburb actually began as two towns, Wallsend and Plattsburg. Wallsend was the more developed of the two, quickly growing as commercial buildings and shops were established to service the needs of miners arriving from Scotland, England and Wales. By 1880, a wide array of business could be found in the town: general stores, butchers, bakeries, hotels, blacksmiths, bootmakers, tailors, newsagents, chemists, tobacconists, undertakers, builders, insurance agents, a cordial factory and a newspaper.

In 1874, Wallsend was proclaimed a separate municipality, and the first Council was formed with James Fletcher elected Mayor. In 1915, the amalgamation of Plattsburg and Wallsend Councils led to the area we know today becoming Wallsend Municipal Council. Finally, in 1938, Wallsend joined Newcastle City Council and is now part of the Newcastle LGA. (For those interested in Wallsend’s rich history, we recommend taking the Historic Wallsend Town Centre Walk – find more info at wallsendtown.com.au/ community) Today, Wallsend continues to grow and flourish with a population of approximately 12,500. Outgrowing its main street, the suburb has expanded into a CBD that now includes everything its residents could need. The Wallsend Village Shopping Centre boasts a wide array of major supermarkets, banks, fashion and retail stores, medical and service providers, and dining and takeaway options. Wallsend is also an op shop destination, with savvy secondhand shoppers flocking to Nelson Street’s array of outlets for preloved goods.

“Winers and diners” aren’t forgotten in Wallsend. The suburb is home to several pubs, including the ever-popular Colliery Inn and Lemon Grove Hotel. Coffee fanatics are in for a treat at the popular Drop-In Espresso Bar; Café Tempest will cater to your breakfast and lunchtime needs; and if you’re looking for a Thai or Chinese feast, you’re spoilt for choice with Wallsend’s offerings.

The award-winning Wallsend District Library, one of Newcastle’s largest, is a vibrant community hub, and a fitness focus shines through in the area’s numerous gyms and top-quality facilities like the Wallsend Swimming Centre.

With on-street parking and four council carparks, visitors and residents can conveniently enjoy all that the suburb has to offer. Wallsend is also Newcastle’s gateway to the Pacific Motorway, making it a well located central hub to support visitors, travellers and the local community alike.

Sports lovers will appreciate Wallsend’s rich sporting history. The suburb is renowned for its soccer, racing,

athletics and football in particular. Notably, the Black Diamond AFL Cup is the oldest sporting trophy still competed for in Australia. Instituted in 1887 as a challenge cup, it was originally to be retained permanently by any team who won it twice successively. In 1889, Wallsend’s own club took the trophy home after winning the first two years; nowadays, the Cup is presented to the Premiership side on Grand Final day before being returned to its home at the Newcastle Museum.

As well as a popular sporting scene, Wallsend is home to a variety of community events. In 2017, the Mattara Festival – one of the Hunter’s premier community-based festivals, which celebrates the arrival of spring – moved from the Newcastle CBD to Wallsend Park. The move was a great success, doubling the crowd size from the previous two years. In 2018, Nelson Street also played host to the first pop culture festival in Newcastle: the Back in Time Pop Culture Festival, celebrating iconic 80's films, characters, cars and culture.

Everything You Need Easy Convenient Shopping & Services

Visit the Wallsend Winter Fair Wallsend Winter Fair is one of the largest one day events in the Newcastle LGA. If you’re looking for the perfect excuse to spend some time in the suburb, this is it!

Now in its 34th year, the 2019 Winter Fair will be held on Sunday, August 11th, 9am–3pm.

Attracting up to 30,000 visitors for a day of free, family-friendly fun, the fair commences with a Grand Parade down Wallsend’s main street, led by marching, pipe and brass bands. Afterwards, fairgoers can browse unique and handmade goods at hundreds of vibrant speciality stalls and local businesses and enjoy the thrill of amusement park rides. Stop for a bite to eat at food stalls and cafés while local musicians, school bands, choirs and dance schools perform across two stages.

Bookings for the Wallsend Winter Fair are now open for stallholders, general exhibitors, Grand Parade entrants, buskers and community stage performers. For more information, please email info@wallsendtown.com.au

www.wallsendtown.com.au www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 39

"The speed, the excitement, the adrenaline… It’s just second to none"

BUILDING

Community Spirit On and Off the Ice

WORDS CLAIRE BRADSHAW

“Unfortunately, in 1982, halfway through the season, our rink Australia is quite the sport-loving nation, to say closed down,” Garry explains. “It was pretty sad because the least. Give us players to cheer for and team we had quite a powerful team that year, but that was pretty colours to wear, and we’re pretty much golden, no much it… there was no more hockey in Newcastle.” matter what the game. Certain sports are more Approaching his mid-20s at the time, Garry knew he wouldn’t be able to pursue the same professional widely followed and played, of course, but many opportunities if he returned to Canada. But was that the only sports lovers are open to trying out different reason he chose to remain here on our sunny shores? “Well,” things, whether in the stands or on the field of he laughs, “fortunately for me, I met a beautiful young lady in play. For Novocastrians over the past few decades, Newcastle, and I was staying! I wasn’t going anywhere, and I haven’t looked back.” one of those things has been ice hockey.

The local ice hockey scene has had its ups and downs, but if there’s someone who’s been at the forefront through thick and thin, it’s Garry Doré, General Manager of both the Newcastle Northstars and the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium.

Garry moved to Australia in 1981 from his home country of Canada – where ice hockey is, of course, an official national sport.

“I had two older brothers, and of course my parents were fanatical hockey fans. I followed in their footsteps and started playing probably when I was six or seven years old, in a small town on Vancouver Island,” Garry says. “It was pretty much our life. Hockey all winter and baseball, softball and box lacrosse all summer. We pretty much couldn’t wait for September when we got back on the ice again.”

Garry first moved here as an import hockey player for the Newcastle Northstars. At the time, the Northstars played as part of a national league, then a NSW super league in 1982.

40 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

He did go on to play for the Sydney Bears from 1985–87, but after joining the NSW Police Force and starting a family with his wife Leanne, it was difficult to keep up with the sport.

For more than ten years, hockey faded somewhat into the background – only to make a return in a big way in 2000, when the development of Warners Bay’s Hunter Ice Skating Stadium began.

“I was retired at the time as a police officer and met a fellow who was building an ice rink. One thing led to another, and I started managing the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium,” Garry says. “And then hockey just went crazy – it just took off.

[There were] lots of ex-pats, a lot of Canadians in Newcastle, and Americans. We were doing a lot of inline hockey, so the transition to ice was very easy. We got quite a substantial ice hockey development program going – we had hundreds of kids playing.”

The community continued to grow. In the early 2000's, the Newcastle Northstars joined five other teams in what is

now the country’s top-level league, the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). Garry became the General Manager for his former team, switching to coaching duties for a couple of years before returning to his management role once more.

To this day, he’s heavily involved with promoting and furthering the sport, its players and its local teams. And the approach seems to be working – not just for player recruitment and development, but for fan involvement too.

Most games are nearly sold out, and die-hard fans eagerly await the return of the winter months. “The speed, the excitement, the adrenaline… It’s just second to none, and I think that’s what blows a lot of people away,” Garry explains.

“And you’re so close to it. You’re right there. You’ve got a bit of glass and some boards in between you and the game. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

It’s clear to see that Garry’s passion for ice hockey is as strong, if not stronger than ever, and he’s dedicated to seeing its community flourish. “I will be here for a long time to come,” he says. “It’s a big part of my life; it’s what brought me to Australia. Someone kept me here, but it’s been a full circle for me. And I just enjoy it. It’s just the whole atmosphere, the positive people that surround us. We’re growing – we’ve started to develop our management system, our coaching and training programs, and I think we have a big future.

We’re looking ahead all the time.”

So what is ahead for Garry and the local ice hockey scene? “Our goal is to develop our Newcastle and Central Coast kids to have an opportunity to play at the highest level in the country, and hopefully represent the country at some stage,” he says.

“And if I can be a little part of that – for those players to move on and have that opportunity; for Newcastle to have another elite sporting team that goes in day in, day out to win championships and put themselves out there for it – for me, that’s enough to motivate and keep me going for quite a few years to come.”

For more information about ice hockey in Newcastle, check out the Newcastle Northstars Facebook page or visit www.hiss.com.au

A N H HO OM M EE G GA AM MEE DDRRAW AW A II H H LL SS EE A AS SO ON

www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 41

y a D s ’ r Senio

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Join us as we open the doors at our NEW Northwood Retirement Village & host a fabulous FREE Senior’s Day with a wonderful line up of talks, free lunch and tours of the village including the village centre & display villa. Plus be in the running to WIN an Apple iPad! KICKS OFF 9.30AM WEDNESDAY 26TH JUNE AT NORTHWOOD VILLAGE, 16 COLLINSON ST, TENAMBIT

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Reserve your free seat today by calling 1800 733 553 or send an email to bookings@anglicancare.com.au For more information visit www.anglicancare.com.au/news

42 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

WORDS CLAIRE BRADSHAW

How do you use the video function of your smartphone? For most people, the honest answer is probably “Uploading cute Instagram stories of my dog” or “Filming fireworks or live music concerts and then never watching the videos again”. Considering the leaps and bounds smartphone video technology has made in recent years, for many people, its potential remains largely untapped.

But not for Jason van Genderen.

Eleven years after he made his first smartphone film, and with several major film festival achievements under his belt, this Central Coast ‘filmbreaker’ is at the peak of his creative stride. His most recent wins were two of the top nods at New York’s Moment Invitational Film Festival: Best Mini Documentary and Best Film (Filmmakers’ Choice). The festival involved almost 1,000 entries of films three minutes and under, shot entirely on smartphones.

For its fifteen finalists (of whom Jason was the only Australian), there was an incredible $100,000 prize pool – $20,000 of which was brought home by Jason himself for his film Beholder.

Shot on iPhone XS, the film is about Jason’s late father Jan, a self-taught sculptor, and Jason’s rediscovery of his artworks, which had been hidden away in his garage. Much like the artworks themselves, Beholder is beautifully simple, heartfelt and honest. Its success at the Moment Festival is as much a recognition of Jason’s

talent as it is a tribute to his father’s. “It was a beautiful honour to be able to make a story about my dad and his work,” Jason says. “And for someone who was as much a recluse as he was with his artwork, it was really nice to give it a global audience and to have his work seen in New York.”

For Jason and other creatives like him, the increasingly bright spotlight on smartphone films speaks to a shift in both the filmmaking industry and the world of content at large. That shift is something Jason’s video production agency, Treehouse Creative, fully embraced when they made the switch to 100% smartphone production around 18 months ago.

“For us, it’s really become a bit of a rebirth as a story production house. It’s changed the way we look at how we tell stories, it’s changed the way we look at the kinds of stories we can tell,” Jason explains.

“I think we’ve really enjoyed that process – it’s liberated us as creatives, and it’s stripped down a lot of barriers to getting into making video stories for more people, more brands, more causes and organisations.”

While it’s nice to be the first (and currently only) agency in Australia with this unique approach to filmmaking and storytelling, Jason doesn’t hesitate to encourage others to join them on this path.

“I’m a huge advocate for trying to spread the word – I want to get more people involved in this. I don’t want Treehouse to be the only agency in Australia that’s doing this!” he laughs. “I think there’s a lot of space for a lot more people to do a similar ⊲

VOLUNTEERS sort of thing. We’ve proven that we’re not just making social media fodder; we’re creating big national television campaigns this way. There are no barriers to what we’re making, which I think is the refreshing thing.”

The approach taken by Treehouse Creative is also reflected in the ‘Filmbreaker’ initiative, a smartphone-focused cinema movement championed by Jason. Launched in early 2018, the Filmbreaker community on Facebook currently has 30,000 members and is growing every day.

“We just put the question out there: who else is out there that believes in this?

Who else feels that this is another way that we can make stories?” Jason explains. “It had been, at that stage, 16 or 17 years since there had been any new cinematic movements recognised. It was astounding in the world of cinema that we’d gone through this extreme, incredibly creative, incredibly technology-focused era, and yet nothing new had been officially recognised or celebrated.

So we thought, we’ll try to start our own movement and see where that goes.”

There’s a lot involved in being a ‘filmbreaker’, and it keeps Jason plenty busy.

He’s up for another award at the upcoming International New York Film Festival and has almost finished an intriguing-sounding feature documentary about the darker side of crowdfunding. He’s also hoping to

make a longer-format story continuing the exploration of his dad’s work we see in Beholder. The next stage he has in mind will allow him to create new stories and find new homes for his dad’s sculptures, honouring his work, his life and his legacy.

So what would Jason want his own legacy to be?

“In my particular passion, through storytelling and filmmaking, I’d love my legacy to be that we can dissolve barriers and make storytelling something that’s accessible for everyone, anywhere.”

“Storytelling is a rich part of every part of our life. When we think about the way we live as families, the way we work, the way we educate ourselves, the way we entertain ourselves – storytelling’s all around us, and yet a lot of us feel that it’s something that’s only accessible to a privileged few. So I think if I can help dissolve those barriers and help make storytelling and filmmaking a more accessible medium for everyone to enjoy, that would make me a very happy person.”

Find out more about Jason at www.jasonvangenderen.com, and view the award-winning film Beholder on YouTube. ■

Thanked for Selfless Contribution

The City of Newcastle has praised the service of its volunteers at a special morning tea marking National Volunteers Week.

Around 80 of 350 city volunteers gathered at Newcastle Museum late last month to be thanked by Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and the City’s senior leaders for the countless hours they've dedicated over the past year.

Volunteers from all walks of life lend their skills, passion and time at various locations across the city including 23 Landcare sites, Libraries, the Museum, Gallery, Civic Playhouse and at major events like the Newcastle 500.

"On behalf of the city, I'd like to thank all of the volunteers for their selfless contributions to Newcastle," Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.

"Today is about recognising every one of our volunteers equally and acknowledging the work that they do across the City, whether that’s at our variety of outdoor Landcare sites or City-owned facilities, the City of Newcastle and our community highly values their dedicated service.”

The morning tea tied in with National Volunteers Week, the theme of which was “Making a World of Difference.” Throughout the week, thousands of people gathered across the country to say thank you to the more than six million Australians who volunteer their time for their community.

In Newcastle alone, volunteers sit on multiple committees, help manage city parks, fields and halls, and act as city guides through the NewCrew program.

Sixty NewCrew volunteers have helped attendees at 14 events, providing around 800 hours of their time as well assisting in the Newcastle Shop at Newcastle Museum since the team was formed in October 2018.

One of the biggest contributions they make to the City is their assistance at various Citizenship ceremonies throughout the year, which often draw some 200 to 300 people at each event.

NewCrew were among the volunteer groups thanked at the morning tea that included Museum, Landcare, Parks and Playhouse volunteers.

Chris Marley, a Nobbys Beach Landcare volunteer, said he was humbled by the accolades and pleased to be able to share the moment alongside other City volunteers.

He said hearing from a panel of local businessmen and women, comprising of Mel Histon from Got Your Back Sista, Karissa Lewis from Camp Quality, and 2014 Citizen of the Year and Soul Café Owner Rick Prosser, was particularly rewarding.

"It was great to hear from the panel members speaking about their passions and commitment to supporting the City’s volunteers who travelled from all over Newcastle to be at the event," he said.

“The men and women who attended are truly the unsung heroes of our community doing great work to proudly service our City. It’s such a pleasure to be recognised for all the work we do, and I thank those that have helped make the morning tea possible."

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www.jenkinslegal.com.au | PH 4929 2000 www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 43

What to do When Medical Treatment Doesn’t go to Plan WORDS LIDIA MONTEVERDI - Medical Negligence Lawyer, Turner Freeman

When medical treatment does not go to plan, it can have a life-changing effect. Choosing the appropriate forum to air concerns can be difficult and depends on the circumstances of the case. Turner Freeman has a long history of advising clients in relation to their healthcare rights and legal options.

The first, and perhaps most commonly discussed option is a claim in medical negligence. In order to succeed in such a claim, it must be established that the practitioner’s treatment fell so far below the accepted standard of care

that it amounted to a breach of duty of care. You must then show that the breach caused you to suffer a personal injury by establishing that it is more likely than not that you would have avoided your outcome if you had received an alternate course of treatment. Finally, you must show that you have suffered some harm or damage. Obtaining supportive expert evidence from an experienced practitioner is the key to establishing negligence and succeeding in a claim.

One of the difficulties in establishing negligence is satisfying that the specific breach of duty caused the particular harm alleged. Sometimes an expert cannot provide supportive evidence linking the breach of duty to the damage.

In other cases, it might be that the particular conduct, for example, poor bedside manner, was disappointing but cannot be said to be a breach of duty of care.

The second option available is to make a complaint to the Health Care Complaints Commission (‘HCCC’). The HCCC is a NSW government body. Its role is to investigate complaints made about healthcare practitioners or facilities where issues in relation to public health or safety have been raised.

The HCCC has powers to do what a medical negligence claim cannot do – it can and will make findings and orders which can have an impact on a practitioner’s ability to practice medicine. Such orders can include cancelling or imposing conditions on a practitioner’s registration.

Recently, the HCCC investigated a number of complaints made regarding Dr Richard Reid. Dr Reid was a gynaecologist who treated women for pelvic organ prolapse and resulting incontinence issues. He was found guilty of professional misconduct in relation to his recommendation and consent for surgery using a type of mesh device known as “Tissue Fixation System”. By the time the HCCC handed down its decision, Dr Reid had retired from practice. The HCCC

noted that if Dr Reid had still been registered, it would have cancelled his registration to practice medicine. It ultimately made an order disqualifying Dr Reid from applying to practice for five years.

The third option is only available when concerns are raised with someone’s treatment after they have died. If the death was suspicious or reportable, it may be the subject of a Coronial Inquest. The role of a Coroner is to investigate a person’s death and make findings as to the deceased's identity, date and place of death, cause of death and the manner or circumstances surrounding the death.

At the end of an Inquest, a Coroner may make recommendations if they are of the view that healthcare systems or procedures contributed to the manner or cause of the death. Those recommendations are made in the hope that they will bring about change and avoid future deaths.

There was an inquest into the death of Ahlia Raftery, who died on 19 March 2015 while she was a patient at the Mater Mental Health Unit. Due to the circumstances of her death, the Coroner made a number of recommendations to the Hunter New England Health District in relation to amending local procedures and policies, ensuring staff are adequately trained in mental health units and developing policies relating to observations of patients in mental health units.

Health and medical law is complex. It is important to get advice about your legal rights after unexpected medical outcomes so that you can make an informed decision about the right forum to pursue any concerns.

Turner Freeman Lawyers has been recognised as a NSW Leading Law Firm in medical negligence for the last two years. Our recognition is based on our years of experience and expertise in this highly specialised and complex area of law. Phone 4925 2996 or visit www.turnerfreeman.com.au

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Level 3, 384 Hunter Street, Newcastle NEWCASTLE | CAMPBELLTOWN | SYDNEY | PARRAMATTA | WOLLONGONG | WINDSOR | 44 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

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“I’ve seen it when people think this is easy; we’re best mates.”

For Better, for Worse:

Is a Business Partnership Right for You? WORDS SAM BACIGALUPO - DFK Crosbie

Are you thinking about a business partnership? Joining forces with someone else to start a business or take it to the next level could be a dream come true — or a nightmare.

Business partnerships are a lot like marriage I always ask, would you want to wake up every day and speak to the person who might become your business partner? Would you be happy to have dinner with them every single day and talk about your business?

Because that’s effectively what you need to do. It’s a relationship, so you need to actually like them, and be able to communicate effectively in good times and bad. Trust is really important. So is being open and honest.

Ask yourself why Why are you contemplating a partnership? If the business is up and running, is it because you want to expand, or step back a bit?

Are you thinking about selling? Is there a succession plan for one of your children to take over? A clear understanding of why you might want to go into business with someone else helps set the direction for all other decisions. Think about it this way: going into business in the first place isn’t something you take lightly. It’s a big life decision, and the same goes for taking on a business partner. Your livelihood, lifestyle and peace of mind are all at stake!

Partnerships can have benefits They can be a good way to bring someone else into your business. It’s much cheaper than setting up a trust or a company. There are different liabilities for companies too.

Your partnership agreement is probably the most expensive thing to set up. Down the track, you can incorporate a trust or a company in order to expand.

The most important thing Never go into business with someone else without a partnership agreement. You set this up with your accountant and lawyer. I’ve seen it when people think ‘this is easy, we’re best mates’. Then someone decides they want more family time or goes on holidays for two weeks longer than someone else.

Or someone wants to renovate and take money out of the business, but it’s all tied up. You might disagree on a capital expense.

It’s amazing how these relationships can break down. I’ve had mates do a successful partnership then they both got married, and things changed. Right at the start, you put everything on paper. Hearsay won’t help if things get difficult.

Who makes the decisions?

People bring different roles, skills and strengths, and it can be hard to put a value on that. Someone might bring premises or a client base to the partnership. A silent partner might put up cash but have no other input. Is one person going to be a managing partner? Who signs off on expenses and to what amount? This will be decided in the partnership agreement.

Partnerships can be very successful I haven’t seen too many fail, to be honest.

If they do, it’s usually when people aren’t open and honest about what they want from the start. A partnership can be hard to sell, though. If the business grows beyond expectations and you want to sell, you will have to change your structure. Overall, my advice is to put your peace of mind first and foremost as you decide if a partnership is right for you.

Accountant Sam Bacigalupo is from leading accountants and business advisers DFK Crosbie, which is proudly based in Newcastle.

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Three little words that can have a massive impact on your ability to breathe easy about your finances and your business.

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www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 45

BREATHING

NEW LIFE

Into Historic Site WORDS KIM-CHERIE DAVIDSON

For more than 100 years, St David’s in Teralba was a place of community worship. When it was recently deconsecrated, put up for sale then passed in at auction, its future became uncertain.

Enter local businesswoman, Kym McDonald, who had a vision for the region’s first centre for universal spiritual teachings, and the foresight to purchase the historically significant property.

Now the little church in Teralba will travel full-circle and come back to life as a community spiritual space.

For more than seven years, Kym had run a successful yoga and meditation business, Yogic Wisdom at Boolaroo.

Through her students, she saw a need for a community space where they could further explore spiritual paths.

When she saw St David’s Parish of Cockle Creek with its wooden church, hall and grounds, she knew it was the perfect site for Wisdom by the Lake.

“St David’s will continue to be a spiritual home to the community. Wisdom by the Lake is a meeting place for anyone on a spiritual path – as it is a multi-faith and nondenominational centre – we welcome people of all paths,” Kym said.

With the lease nearly up at Boolaroo, Kym had been looking to buy premises to accommodate meditation and 46 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

yoga classes and teacher training. She also toyed with the idea of space for community events and spiritual teaching.

“A spiritual school had always been in my heart. In the past five years, it had grown stronger as students expressed a desire to study deeper on the spiritual path across all traditions. After recent pilgrimages to Israel and India, I was ready to make this my next step.”

In February, she started her search for a site. It was while inspecting a property in Minmi that the real estate agent suggested St David’s. It was zoned commercial, on 1009 square metres and had been passed in at auction the previous day.

With only four days to place a submission with the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, Kym explained her vision to repurpose the church and its surrounds as a meeting place that included a centre for universal spiritual teachings, meditation, yoga and community activities. Her offer was accepted.

Within six weeks, she had the hall and gardens renovated to house Yogic Wisdom’s classes and teacher training. This stage also included building a deck, planting an orchard and establishing a grassed area as a community space. At the end of May the hall and gardens were opened with an Abundance community day.

“There has been a lot of interest from the local community.

They are very excited and keep saying Teralba needs this community space,” said Kym. The next stage is the church’s renovation, which will include a new roof and guttering, refurbishing inside and painting the outside.

“We will also put glass in the boarded altar windows. It will be matched to the colour of the existing church windows, in line with Lake Macquarie City Councils’ heritage requirements.”

Kym is aiming to have the church ready by August 21 – it’s a significant day for the church as it’s also the anniversary of St David’s dedication in 1915. She said it was a tight deadline though achievable, especially with volunteer support on drop-in days to help paint the church and work in the gardens.

When finished, the church will house the spiritual school and expanded meditation program.

The spiritual school will be a multi-faith centre sharing teachings from Eastern philosophies, Sufi, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Indigenous cultures as well as modern mystics.

To celebrate the school’s opening the first training program The Way – The Inward Journey: A Study of Spiritual Masters will also commence on August 21. It will be taught both at the school and also online in six-week blocks. It will explore all teachers of the inward journey through their parables, lives and teachings.

“The first block will be about Christian spiritual teachers, and in line with the opening of Wisdom by the Lake’s next stage, it seemed only fitting to start with St David of Wales,” said Kym. For more than 17 years, Kym has also been a meditation teacher, and she intends to expand the meditation program to help students connect within the community.

“It is easier to find your way and flow with other likeminded people around you.”

She has seen this happen in her weekly meditation classes that have spearheaded her fundraising efforts for Ashraya – an Indian orphanage and school for children with disabilities and living in slums – for the past decade.

With the larger venue, she hopes to able to give Ashraya more assistance.

Once the church is finished, Kym will start planning Wisdom by the Lake’s grand opening for September 21 to coincide with the Spring Equinox – a time of new light and life; new beginnings, seeds and path.

“After the opening, we will see where we go from there, though it will be up to the community. I have already had requests for fire twirling, yoga dance and wedding ceremonies! I’m sure there will be loads of other opportunities.”

While Kym is renovating the Teralba site, she is also building Wisdom by the Lake’s website and social media presence. Until they are online, you can email admin@ wisdombythelake.com.au to find out more about upcoming events.

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