WEEKEND | 16-07-2016 by Kiri ten Dolle

Saturday, July 16, 2016 news-mail.com.au

w PE OPL E w EA SY EATI NG w BOOKS w DIY w GAR DE NS w TR AVEL w ENTERTA INMENT w FA SH ION w H OM E READ: The doctor who performed lifesaving surgery on burns toddler Wesley Koni reunites with him after more than 20 years

Inside

Game changer Johnathan Thurston may be the man of the moment on the field, but at home heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just dad ...

travel

easy eating

screen life

Why 16 million tourists will visit this Malaysian city in 2016

Weekend recipe ideas to help you eat to beat cholesterol

A bittersweet release for stars of the latest Star Trek reboot

welcome // inside today

news-mail.com.au Saturday, July 16, 2016

Thurston wins hearts everywhere WE EKE ND E D IT O R K i ri t en D o l l e

E’S the NRL’s man of the moment. Since Johnathan Thurston led the North Queensland Cowboys to their maiden premiership last year, the magic hasn’t stopped. But behind the 10-time State of Origin series winner and future immortal are three people who serve as a daily reminder that rugby league is just a game. His wife Samantha and daughters Frankie, 3 and Charlie, 1. Inside today, Thurston chats exclusively with Weekend about the joys of fatherhood and how it has changed him. It’s hard to forget that post-grand final moment last year of Thurston with Frankie, clutching her doll and dad’s medal, that captured all of our hearts. It’s those soft moments after grand finals and State of Origin wins when the patter of small children run onto the field into the arms of their dads that humanises the game. The kisses, the victory laps. Players go from hardened aggressors to nurturing giants in seconds. So it comes as no surprise Thurston is the face of this year’s Community Sports Dad of the Year award. If he’s not spending cherished time with his own kids, he’s out in the community encouraging other children to do their best, like the students of Aurukun recently. While he might be touted as the greatest footballer in the modern era, Thurston says: “When you get home from a game and you’ve got a dirty nappy to change it brings you back to earth that’s for sure”. Have a great weekend.

HOME

SCREEN LIFE

EASY EATING

inside today read //

Johnathan Thurston chats exclusively to Weekend magazine about the joys of fatherhood and how it has changed him.

read // After suffering serious burns to his hands that

would later require surgery, Malcolm Linsell set his heart on becoming a plastic surgeon so he could change the lives of others, including Wesley Koni.

How to navigate your weekend: We’ve colour-coded your magazine for easy reference. Each section listed on the index page is coloured accordingly throughout. If you’d like to skip to Easy Eating look for the yellow at the top of the page, or magenta to skip to Home.

easy eating // Did you know you can lower your

cholesterol naturally in as little as three weeks. Recipes to eat to beat cholesterol inside.

travel // Why are 16 million travellers flocking to the

hey mumma // Seven things a burnt-out mum

wants to hear but is too afraid to ask. Plus, how to plan a child’s birthday party in 15 minutes.

home // How to create a space for meaningful conversation.

screen life // The stars of Star Trek open up about

the bittersweet Australian premiere of the latest film in the sci-fi franchise.

mind // Why your future doesn’t always have to reflect your past.

Malaysian city of Malacca this year alone?

w COVER: Frankie and Johnathan Thurston. PHOTO: Contributed. CREATIVE: Kiri ten Dolle, Heather Goodwin and Leanne Ryan. CONTRIBUTORS: Seanna Cronin, Alexia Purcell, Chris Calcino, Tracey Hordern, Maggie Cooper, Regan Drew, Steph Mulheron, Angie Thomas, Maree Curran, Peter Chapman, Ann Rickard, Greg Bray, Gail Forrer, Jody Allen, Roy O’Reilly and Nick Bennett. CONTACT US: weekend@apn.com.au CONTRIBUTE: contributors@apn.com.au ADVERTISING: Visit apnarm.com.au or contact your local sales consultant.

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Saturday, July 16, 2016 news-mail.com.au

Insider

w i th S e an n a C r on i n

Can one night ruin your life?

AZ Khan is having a really bad night. One so bad, in fact, that it threatens to derail the rest of his life. The university student sneaks out with his father’s cab to go to a party in New York City, but his plans are derailed when a beautiful, mysterious young woman gets into his cab. They end up going back to her place, she encourages him to drink shots and take a pill, and he wakes hours later to find her stabbed to death. He tries to run away from the scene but after a series of blunders and coincidences ends up in police custody. That’s the jumping off point for HBO’s new series created by The Wire writer Richard Price and Oscar-winning Schindler’s List writer Steven Zaillian. The eight-part mini-series explores the dark corners of the criminal justice system in New York City. Riz Ahmed, who will soon be seen in the new Jason Bourne movie as tech mogul Aaron Kalloor, stars as shy Pakistani-American Naz, while John Turturro plays embattled defence attorney Jack Stone. After playing a plethora of quirky, supporting roles in everything from Transformers to O Brother, Where Art Thou? it’s great to see Turturro back in a lead role. The filmmakers do a great job of building tension in the first episode as you wait for the police to put two and two together and figure out the drunk taxi driver they pulled over for a traffic violation is the same man seen fleeing the crime scene. Even though it doesn’t seem like Naz could hurt a fly, you’re internally yelling at him not to make mistake after mistake. He’s like a deer in headlights as his world comes crashing down around him. It’s easy to see why the police think they’ve caught their man: there’s a mountain of evidence stacked up against Naz. Turturro gets some of the best lines as the world-weary but street-smart Stone, who has to go into damage control after lead detective Box (Bill Camp) takes advantage of Naz’s naivete. Like The Wire, this is a story told in shades of grey, where no one is inherently good or bad. From each character’s perspective, they’re just doing what they think is best and it’s the intersection of those competing interests where the heart of the drama lies. The Night Of premieres tomorrow at 8.30pm on Foxtel’s Showcase channel.

w John Turturro in a scene from TV series The Night Of. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

App of the week

Reality bites Pokemon fanatics A FORTNIGHT ago you’d be forgiven if you’d never heard of Pokemon Go. The augmented reality game has skyrocketed to the top-grossing app of the week, adding $10b to Nintendo’s market value in just two days. The app involves users seeking out Pokemon characters in their neighbourhoods using their smartphones. It’s sparked trespassing reminders from authorities and safety warnings, with some players putting themselves at risk in order to capture certain items or battle other opponents. Meanwhile, some businesses are cashing in on the hype after discovering their premises are “pokestops” or “pokegyms”. Download Pokemon Go from the App Store of Google Play.

PHOTO: DIGITALLY ALTERED

Strange Politics w i th C h ri s Ca l c in o

Bean-fuelled protesters let it rip

HE United States has trumped us again with an entry into the annals of bizarre protests that blows away any Australia has had to offer in recent memory. Desperation for a headline makes people do funny things. A few years ago, Belgian dairy farmers sprayed thousands of litres of milk at the European Union headquarters to protest low prices. They even herded cattle into the centre of Brussels and squirted udder juice at bemused riot police. Straight from the teat, as it were. Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi shot to fame after hurling

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Full to bursting with the fruit that makes you toot, they plan to clench tight until Hillary takes the podium. two shoes at former US president George Bush while shouting, “This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog,” and being sent to jail barefoot. A US middle schooler got airtime in 2012 after duct-taping his arms to his sides to protest his school’s new no-touching rule, which included high-fives and backslapping – a response to a kid getting punted fair in the goolies and needing medical attention to his tender groin region. If only my cohort had been so politically active when our primary school principal banned Pokemon cards due to the inevitable schoolyard bashings and standover tactics employed to swindle kids out of their rare cards. All of these protests have an element of shock, but apparently adding some good old-fashioned disgust to the mix can work as well.

At the water cooler

Enter the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign: a grassroots organisation that says it is committed to “uniting the poor across colour lines to build a broad movement to abolish poverty”. Malcontent Bernie Sanders supporters are among the hundreds of people expected to partake in a beans pig-out before heading to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia at the end of this month. Full to bursting with the fruit that makes you toot, they plan to clench tight until Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton takes the podium. Then it will be a finger-pulling free-for-all, a synchronised discharge of flatus, with bottomburping protesters letting rip the loudest and most (ob)noxious rumbles their bloated guts can muster. “Because we think (Clinton) stinks, we’re going to hold a fart-in,” event co-ordinator Cheri Honkala told the National Post. “We’re expecting this thing to be a real gas.” Ah, what kind of a life would it be without puns? The group has been accepting cans of beans as donations, which were apparently expected to shoot through the roof after Sanders officially endorsed Clinton this week. A novel and retch-worthy idea, perhaps, but I get the feeling this has been done before. When 150 climate-change protesters held a sit-in at Parliament House in Canberra in December, there would have been a certain stale tang to the air. At least a few of them would have had a fairly legume-heavy diet, judging by the haircuts.

Strange Politics is a satirical column. Follow Chris Calcino on Twitter: @ChrisCalcino

FACBOOK has changed their news feed algorithm yet again. The feed is being altered to show users more content from their friends. Good news for those using Facebook personally but bad news for businesses. Businesses who use Facebook are now going to have to change the way they post to cut through. Share Wars author Andrew Hunter told Mumbrella Facebook’s advice for businesses is to build shareability into the content. Essentially: make the stories themselves shareable. When we look at our content and what goes off on social media it is the people, animal and local business stories. ”People will share stories that are novel, surprising and about issues they care deeply about,” Mr Hunter said.

w i t h A l ex ia P u rc e l l

What’s trending on social media this week

Alexia Purcell is APN Australian Regional Media’s social media editor. Follow Alexia on Twitter: @alexia_purcell. w Businesses must make their posts more shareable in order to make the most of Facebook’s latest changes. PHOTO: BRETT WORTMAN

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Johnathan Thurston

news-mail.com.au Saturday, July 16, 2016

FAMILY FANTASTIC: His wife and children inspire him but also serve as a reminder that rugby league is just a game.

Superstar is simply daddy when he gets home

Thurston – arguably the greatest footballer in the modern era – loves every second of family time B Y M a tt h ew M c I n er n e y

w Johnathan Thurston and Samantha Lynch, with Frankie and Charlie, on their wedding day in 2015. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

w Johnathan Thurston and Frankie in the middle of the field after last year’s NRL Grand Final win. PHOTO: DEAN LEWINS/AAP

ball boy at his dad’s games, and some of his best memories growing up were the sport-fuelled family gatherings. “We were always playing sport, whether it be league or cricket. All my uncles played touch and they’d put their own teams into touch carnivals around Brissy and things like that,” he said. “They’re good memories to have.” Frankie and Charlie may follow dad’s footsteps in that aspect – Thurston believes their introduction will be similar to his – but there will be no pressure on the pair to get into sport. Their future in sport is not a priority for Thurston; spending quality time and making the most of every minute together is – albeit at the cost of his handicap. Where a younger JT may have spent spare time at a golf course, Thurston now prefers to take them out on a bike for ice cream at Townsville’s Strand and even brings them to team breakfasts. “I make spending time with my girls a priority; whenever I am not at training or travelling away with the team, I am with them,” he said. “My father had a big influence on me all through my years as a kid and still is a big influence to me to this day. They’re too young to understand at the moment but we’ll see what sports they want to play as they get a bit older. We’ll just guide them and support them in whatever they want to do.” While fatherhood has been a treat for Thurston so far, the evolution of technology has the potential to make things difficult in the future. Professional sportspeople have never been more accessible and while that’s an enormous benefit for fans and can be used

for good things, the inevitable troll is certain to surface in this age dominated by social media. Brisbane Broncos prop and Queensland teammate Josh McGuire earned the ire of rival fans after the Maroons’ State of Origin-sealing Game II win. He tweeted “winners have parties, losers have meetings” in an obvious shot at the Blues, which was hammered by hundreds of users and still cops heat on a weekly basis. Every professional athlete on social media receives the unfiltered messages and the anonymity the internet allows has made it worse. As someone with one of, if not, the highest profiles, Thurston may one day have to not only protect his children from prying eyes, but also handle situations where they may read hurtful comments about their dad online. “That’s just the way the world is now with technology. I can’t control what people’s opinions are, everyone’s entitled to them. I’m sure there’s stuff out there people don’t want to read or see but that’s the type of world we live in these days,” he said. It is not all bad news however – those same sportspeople have found a way to use technology, and their profile, for good. In a post-match interview after Origin I, in which Queensland withstood the Blues’ barrage to win 6-4 and set up their 10th series win in 10 years, Thurston used the opportunity to send a message to children in Aurukun. The community, located on Cape York’s west coast, had endured weeks of unrest, which included fights in the streets and attacks on the school principal by students. Thurston, moments after one of his most taxing efforts, took the opportunity to address the students.

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...one local to another

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OU know the name. You instantly recognise the headgear and his curling conversion attempts have baffled the brightest boffins for a decade. But behind National Rugby League premiership and 10-time State of Origin series winner Johnathan Thurston, the man who led the North Queensland Cowboys to their maiden title last year, are three people who serve as a daily reminder that rugby league is just a game. Three years ago he and wife Samantha Lynch welcomed first child Frankie into the world, and last year Charlie was born. While the pair are still far too young to think about following dad’s footsteps into sport, Frankie, 3, and Charlie, 1, have changed the 33-year-old more than he could imagine. “Before kids, all you’re worried about is performance and preparation and things like that. Now some of the things you used to worry about, you don’t think for a second now with kids,” he said. “You can have a bad day at training or play terribly but your kids don’t understand that and don’t see that. You’re still daddy and that’s what’s important.” His wife and two girls serve as Thurston’s inspirations. They go some way to motivating the 33-year-old “JT”, who played his 36th consecutive State of Origin for Queensland on Wednesday night. But it’s the time together away from the field, the cameras and media that provides Thurston the best release from the day-to-day pressure of being arguably the greatest footballer to lace up his boots in the modern era. “When you get home from a game and you’ve got a dirty nappy to change it brings you back to earth that’s for sure,” he said, followed by his trademark laugh. Fatherhood has changed Thurston, and the future Immortal has loved every second. “I’d like to think I’ve become a bit more mature since before kids but my wife might say otherwise,” he said, again with the laugh. “It does change you, that’s for sure. For myself, being in the public eye you’re always mindful of your actions. When they were really little, first born, that part of the journey I really enjoyed. I can’t say there’s one part I enjoy more than the other I just love it.” Thurston comes from a large, sporting family. His dad, Graham, played rugby league in local competitions, while his mum, Deborah, is one of 13 – nine of whom are brothers. When Thurston was four years old he earned $1 per game as a

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Saturday, July 16, 2016 news-mail.com.au

Are you the 2016 Community Sports Dad of the Year?

“I just want to say a quick hello to the Aurukun State School,” he said to the camera. “There’s obviously been a lot of trouble up there, so to all the students there, I just want you to believe in yourselves and keep turning up to school.” Reflecting on that moment, Thurston said he and fellow sports stars were in a privileged position to change the world for the next generation. “Sport has the power to change social issues,” he said. “We’re in a unique and privileged position. I’m not the only one that does it but there’s a number of players doing great things in different communities. (The NRL has the) Ken Stephen Award that recognises a player from a club that does outstanding things in the community and there’s plenty of players who are helping with social change.”

JOHNATHAN Thurston is one of millions of Australian fathers. Philips have begun their search to champion and honour dads for their contribution to sport. The annual Philips Community Sports Dad of the Year Award is aimed at dads who go above and beyond at home and on the field to keep their local sporting community alive. Thurston said his dad had a big influence on his career and said he was humbled to be the face of the promotion. “I think a lot of dads are like that. I’m sure there’s dads out there that do fundraising for local sports teams and community groups and things like that, so if anyone knows anyone like that they can just register their name and have a go,” he said. To nominate your dad, or another dad in your community for the Philips Community Sports Dad of the Year (#SportsDadOfTheYear, #SportsDad), visit www.sportsdads.com.au/ community and tell Philips in 100 words or less why your dad should win. The winner of the 2016 Philips Community Sports Dad of the Year will receive over $1000 of Philips shaving and grooming products and a $5000 Rebel Sport voucher to donate to his community sports club of choice for new sports gear and equipment. Those who nominate will also be in with the chance to win a selection of Philips products (valued at over $1000 RRP) for their dad for Father’s Day. Entries close on Sunday, August 21, and the winner will be announced via the website on Father’s Day, September 4. Philips senior marketing manager Thomas Paltridge said he hoped the competition honoured the community leaders who helped their sports thrive. The 2015 winner, Jason Greenhalgh is a rugby league coach, club president and father of two from Orange. “Helping out is all about the kids getting outside playing sport, enjoying themselves, making life-long friends and giving them the opportunity to become better kids,” he said. “Without dads, mums and volunteers helping in their sporting communities, the kids would not have the opportunity to participate.”

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I make spending time with my girls a priority; whenever I am not at training or travelling away with the team, I am with them.

w Johnathan Thurston pictured with daughter Frankie. Thurston is an ambassador for the 2016 Philips Community Sports Dad of the Year Award. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

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ONE LOCAL TO ANOTHER

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news-mail.com.au Saturday, July 16, 2016

Changing lives

‘I’m a surgeon of self-esteem’ For plastic surgeon Dr Malcolm Linsell, there are some patients he’ll never forget B Y M a tt y H o ld s w or t h

OU can hear it in his voice. The voice of a man who’s saved a life – there’s a ring to it. The pride sets the beat, gushing gratitude the tempo, all the while the sense of humility echoing throughout. Dr Malcolm Linsell is a plastic surgeon who has saved more than just a life. He’s altered the lives of many. But he was in just his second year of plastic surgery when he was hit with the task of a lifetime. Wesley Koni, a young boy from Papau New Guinea, had arrived in Melbourne in desperate need of specialist medical treatment – burns had horribly disfigured him. “I was shocked when I first saw him,” Malcolm told Weekend. “The photos didn’t prepare me for how disfigured he was. I remember he arrived on a cold Melbourne night, huddled in his father’s arms. His head was at 90 degrees to where it should have been, infused to his chest.” Wesley’s journey to Malcolm began when a Salvation Army worker in PNG came across an article about the young surgeon in the War Cry (the Salvos’ newsletter). Malcolm had grown up in the Salvation Army, where his parents Frank and Jean were officers, which led to the story about his achievements being published. “I thought the readership (in PNG) was very limited, pubs and trains only, but it was seen and read by a young female Salvos worker in the Eastern Highlands of PNG,” Malcolm explained. “She knew of this little boy, badly burnt and severely disfigured. She thought I may be able to do something and somehow contacted me and sent me photographs and I went ‘Oh my gosh, what are we going to do here?’ “My brother was the minister and his church organised the logistics and I organised the medical side. “We didn’t even know how old he was but his father thought he was three or four. He had never even been outside of his home.” Malcolm and his team had to question whether the operation to firstly separate his head from his chest was even possible. Then if they could do it safely. “I firstly took him to several of my colleagues who had more experience than me,” Malcolm said. “I was only a few years out of training. They said ‘good luck son’. “There were plenty of sleepless nights. But the one thing that got us through was if we didn’t do anything, Wesley was going to die. Our

w Dr Malcolm Linsell pictured with Wesley Koni the day after Wesley’s last operation at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Kew. Linsell has since written an autobiography about his life. An Ordinary Man, An Extraordinary Life is published by New Holland, RRP $27.99. PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED

understanding was, if he became a burden to the tribe, the tribe would just leave him, so we were willing to take more controlled risks.” The first controlled risk took three hours, and then over the course of about five years and frequent trips back and forth from PNG for Wesley, Malcolm decided he could do no more for him and referred him on to another colleague. That was the last he saw of the young boy for 22 years. Just three years ago a merely curious Malcolm made inquiries about Wesley. Malcolm found him living in Sydney, working with the Salvation Army and with the same lady who recommended him to Malcolm originally, Lorraine Mack. And the pair met for a drink. “I was able to see him just a day later. It was fantastic. He was a normal, functioning human being. It was the first time I had seen him as an adult – laughing, joking, gracious and grateful for all the people who had put time into him.

“He remembered me straight away, oh yes. We hugged and shook left handed, which was important as I always shook him left handed – his right hand fingers are burnt off. “It was just lovely and he even paid for drinks.” Malcolm insisted he was just “one of many, many people who made it happen”. “It’s humbling, gratifying and fulfilling to look back on that. To see the change in him and his family’s life. “It was awesome. I remember thinking, ‘oh my gosh, what a difference I have made to him’. You don’t forget that.” After decades of patients, only a few stand out, usually for the wrong reasons. This, however, was for the right ones. Karen Hawkins came to Malcolm more than 20 years ago. She had a young family and was pregnant with her second child. She had a large melanoma on her scalp. It was a do-or-die situation. “There were so many questions over how we treat it. Do we abort the unborn child? Can we do the surgery? Can we do it

w Wesley Koni, pre-op April 1993, showing his head at 90 degrees to his body; post-op in his compression garments and head brace to help him keep his head straight; and six months after his first operation. PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED

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Saturday, July 16, 2016 news-mail.com.au

REUNITED: “He was a normal, functioning human being... laughing, joking, gracious and grateful for all the people who had put time into him.”

w The first time Wesley Koni and Dr Malcolm Linsell had seen each other in 20 years since Koni's major operations.

safely?” he said. “I cut around it and put a skin graft on her scalp but it wasn’t enough. We had to remove bone, which is serious stuff. “But it got to the stage where I had to refer her to the same colleague, Michael Leong. Then I lost contact and feared the worst.” Time passed and just last year a strange message came up on Malcolm’s Facebook page – “Hi Malcolm, you might not remember me, my name is Karen Hawkins and I am still alive and so is my 19-year-old daughter”. “Karen and her husband Scott came to see me and that was just extraordinary. She told me that I had made such a difference in her life and that her daughter was a healthy woman now. “It is such a strange and humbling feeling to hear those words.” Malcolm can look back on a life littered with coincidences. It was by his own making that he became a plastic surgeon – but at the time there was no way he could have known. “When I was a toddler, Mum was making lollies and I think I must have managed to crawl up a chair and put both of my hands on the hotplate. I sustained full thickness burns to both my palms. “The local GP in country Victoria bandaged them up and allowed it to heal, which it did but with scar tissue. “It was fine until I hit puberty and my hands grew. I had to have an operation to release my fingers.” As a child he had been obsessed with the medical world. His favourite television show was about a brain surgeon, and studying medical journals a hobby. He decided, when he was six years old, he wanted to become a doctor, but when he had surgery on his hands at 13, he zeroed in on plastic surgery. “I had my surgery done and when the doctor came to take my stitches out he drove off in a Jaguar and I thought that was the coolest thing ever,” he said. “I looked at him and said ‘I want to be that man’. “About 20 years later when I was sitting my exams, that doctor, John Hanrahan was the examiner. And he failed me. I had totally stuffed up. The second time he failed me again. “The third time I was so ready for the exam and of course, he wasn’t the examiner. But I have since told him the story and he loves it.” Malcolm does not see himself as an extraordinary man. He is a “surgeon of self-esteem” but not “the best of anything”. “I’ve made some silly mistakes… lost all my money, my wife left me and I had a stroke, but through it all I have resilience and I learn from my mistakes,” he said. “I do have some talent and some persistence. You don’t have to be the best of something to do good things. “I’ve been hit with hurdles, beaten and broken but come back more humble yet a more powerful person.” He might be an ordinary man but his life has been extraordinary.

easy eating

news-mail.com.au Saturday, July 16, 2016

Off the beaten track there’s a shiraz trio well worth sharing

PERFECT STEAK COMES IN MANY SIZES AND FLAVOUR S

WINE WORDS

with Regan Drew

HE Geelong wine region in Victoria doesn’t get a great deal of exposure but if you need a divergence from the start (or end) of a Great Ocean Rd drive, you could do worse than to call into Austins and Co winery, north-east of Geelong in the Moorabool Valley. Winemaker Scott Ireland crafts these three shiraz from the estate set up by Richard Austin in 1982. There’s also quality pinot noir, chardonnay and don’t forget their good value 6Ft6 easy drinking range. Wines available from major wine retailers.

Shiraz

2013: Concentrated black strap liquorice with solid chunks of blackberry and black cherry paste. Subtle French oak imparts nutty nuances over the obviously quality deep sweet, black fruit. White pepper and clove-like spice linger well after the fine, pleasant tannins depart. Medium to full bodied and enjoyable to drink. w Rating: 8.5/10 w RRP: $35 w Alc: 14%

w Steak tartare is a French favourite. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

To share

Holy cow, this is tasty Popular French dish offers amazing flavours and textures

Custom Collection Crue Syrah

2014: A “joven” or “young” style, (no oak aging) that transformed over three days. Day 1: Almost undrinkable with dense meaty, protein rich smells. Took a lot to find crushed grape aromas underneath. Day 2: Some coffee notes and a green stemmy lilt before black fruit and asphalt amalgam. Syrupy and gravelly, black cherry flavours wash over before youthful tannins assault. Day 3: Finally the caterpillar has become a butterfly. Blackcurrant, dark raspberry, integrated tannins and delicious jubey notes. w Rating: 9/10 w RRP: $35 w Alc: 14%

Custom Collection Spencer Shiraz

2013: Opens with a similar meaty smell as the Crue, but blows away far quicker. Smoky, woody smells along with that trademark thick black fruit. There’s a perfumed whisper of fresh resin hops and craisins. Feels full bodied and then angry and nervy in the mouth. Tart black plums and exotic medjool dates mesh with Turkish coffee bitterness before tightening to fine blueberry/boysenberry. w Rating: 8.5/10 w RRP: $50 w Alc: 14%

EAT

with Dan and Steph Mulheron

HERE is nothing quite like eating a perfect, well-cooked steak. Even our daughter, Emmy, likes her steak cooked medium with a side of cooked mushrooms, cucumber, tomato and olives. We know, right – what a little palate she has already. This week we are on the road, heading north to Rockhampton for the River Fest. Dan will be doing a cooking demonstration today and will be creating steak tartare. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a popular French dish made of finely diced beef with amazing flavours and textures. Try it for yourself.

Steak Tartare with Rye Toasts

INGREDIENTS: w 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil w 1⁄4 cup capers, rinsed and finely chopped w 1⁄4 cup finely chopped shallots w 2 tbs finely chopped cornichons w grated zest of 1 lemon w 1 1⁄2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice w 2 tbs flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, plus more for finishing w 500g top

quality sirloin, trimmed of fat and finely chopped w 1⁄4 cup minced fresh chives w 1 organic egg yolk w 1⁄2 cup of garlic aioli w 2 dozen rye toasts, drizzled with oil and toasted in the oven. METHOD: In a medium bowl, mix together the olive oil, capers, shallot, cornichons, lemon zest and juice, and salt (crumbled with your fingers). Add the steak, mixing and mashing until very well blended. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt or lemon juice if necessary, then gently stir in the chives. To serve, form the meat into three football-shaped mounds (called quenelles) on one or more platers, or into a circle ring mould, as pictured. Using the pointy end of the egg, make an indentation in the top of the tartare. Crack the egg, discarding the white and carefully setting the yolk into the centre. Garnish the yolk with sea salt and drizzle the meat with olive oil. Serve immediately with the rye toasts and a drizzle of aioli and olive oil. Visit www.danandsteph.com.au or find them on Facebook – Dan & Steph – My Kitchen Rules and Instagram – danandsteph13.

More at vinonotebook.com.

THE WEEKEND COOK with Maggie Cooper

Muffins will make your day and they’re relatively easy to make JUST about everyone loves muffins. They’re one of those versatile things we should all include in our cooking repertoire, if only because they can be tailored to fill an empty spot for breakfast, brunch, morning or afternoon tea. They are relatively easy to make, so they make a great starting point for kids in the kitchen. Today’s recipe is a good old-fashioned banana muffin. They’re great to use up quite ripe bananas. A friend in the US sent me this recipe. They’re moist and delicious but not at all healthy I’m afraid. So eat just one (if you can); you can also bake them without the crumble topping as I have here to knock off a bit of the naughtiness. Substitute wholemeal flour if you prefer; they’ll

taste just as good. These will stay moist for up to a week; store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They are also suitable to freeze.

Banana muffins

INGREDIENTS: w 3 cups plain flour w 3⁄4 cup raw sugar w 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder w 3⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda w pinch of salt w 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon w 2–3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed (about 1 1⁄2 cups) w 1 1⁄2 cups light sour cream w 3 medium free-range eggs w 80g unsalted butter, melted. METHOD: Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease medium-sized muffin tins or line with purchased paper muffin cups. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine the bananas, sour cream, eggs and butter. Stir into dry ingredients until just moist. Spoon into prepared muffin tins until two-thirds full. Crumble topping (optional): In a small bowl, combine 1⁄3 cup plain flour, 1⁄4 cup raw sugar, 3 tbs brown sugar and 1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon. Rub 45g cubed chilled unsalted butter through with fingertips until crumbly; stir in 1⁄2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts. Sprinkle over tops. Bake at 175°C for 20–25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted

w Muffin comes from the French word moufflet, used to describe soft bread. PHOTO: 123RF

near the centre comes out clean. Cool for five minutes in the tin before removing to wire racks. Makes 18. Email Maggie at maggies.column@bigpond.com

easy eating

Saturday, July 16, 2016 news-mail.com.au

EASY GOODNESS: These fast fish cakes are a good source of omega-3.

Eat to beat cholesterol

Your heart will love you Turn a handful of vegetables into a delicious, healthy meal

OOKING after your heart never tasted so good. You can lower your cholesterol naturally in as little as three weeks, according to accredited practising dietitian and nutritionist Nicole Senior and food consultant Veronica Cuskelly. Their updated edition of Eat to Beat Cholesterol will help you make healthy living a reality for you and your family. Learn about heart-friendly foods, which ones you need to eat, and how much, to lower your cholesterol and manage your weight.

Veggie Sliders

The fritters for these sliders are a great way of turning vegetables into a delicious meal. Serves 2. INGREDIENTS: Fritters - w ½ cup cooked chickpeas w ½ cup drained no added salt corn kernels w ½ cup grated carrot w 1 x 50g egg, lightly beaten w 1 tbs chopped flat parsley leaves w 2 tsp corn flour

w ¼ tsp gluten-free baking powder w ¼ tsp ground paprika w 1 tbs water w 2 x 40g slices gluten-free bread or 1 gluten-free roll w 1⁄3 cup mashed avocado. Salad - w 1 handful mixed salad leaves w ½ cup flat parsley leaves w ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes w 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil w Freshly ground black pepper. METHOD: Process the chickpeas and corn in a small blender and place in a mixing bowl. Add the carrot and egg. Blend the corn flour, baking powder and paprika with the water and mix well into the vegetables. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Brush the pan lightly and the inside of four 7½cm egg rings. Place the egg rings in the pan and spoon mixture into the rings evenly pressing down firmly. Cook for 3–4 minutes or until the mixture has set and is golden on the bottom, then turn and cook a further 1–2 minutes or until cooked. Remove fritters from egg rings and keep warm. Cut the bread diagonally in half and place on serving plates. Spread bread with avocado and place a vegetable fritter on each half of bread. Toss the salad leaves, parsley and oil together, scatter over and around the sliders with ground pepper. Nutrition per serve: w Energy kJ (cals) 1491 (345) w Protein 11g w Total fat 20g w Saturated fat 3g w Fibre 8g w Carbohydrate 35g w Sodium 504mg.

Speedy yet satisfying fish cakes hit the spot

ERE’S a quick and easy dinner which your heart will thank you for and it will only take you 30 minutes to make.

Easy fish cakes Serves 2

INGREDIENTS: Patties - w 3 slices soy and linseed bread, crumbed w 2 x 110g cans sardines in spring water, drained and mashed w ½ cup diced red onion w 2 tsp finely chopped dill w 1 lemon, finely zested w 50g lightly beaten egg w 1 tbs wholemeal flour w 1 tbs canola oil w Lemon wedges. Salad - w 2 handfuls mixed salad leaves – spinach, kale and rainbow chard w 125g finely shredded carrot w Dill sprigs w ½–1 tbs caramelised balsamic vinegar. METHOD: To make the patties, place the breadcrumbs into a mixing bowl. Add sardines, onion, dill, lemon zest and egg and mix well. Shape into four even patties. (The mixture should be easy to handle. If it is too soft, mix in a little wholemeal flour.) Place flour on a flat plate and coat patties, one at a time, well with flour. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and cook the cakes until golden on each side and cooked through, 8–10 minutes. To make the salad, combine the salad leaves, carrot, dill sprigs and vinegar. Serve the patties with lemon wedges and salad on the side.

Nutrition per serve:

w Energy kJ (cals) 1900 (454) w Protein 33g w Total fat 24g w Saturated fat 4g w Fibre 6g w Carbohydrate 25g w Sodium 408mg. Recipes and images from Eat to Beat Cholesterol by Nicole Senior & Veronica Cuskelly, published New Holland, RRP $32.99.

w These veggie sliders are a healthy gluten-free lunch alternative. PHOTO: SUE STUBBS

Breakfast

Quick-fix start to the day begins with overnight preparation A QUICK and healthy start to the day as most of the preparation can be done the night before. Make double or triple the recipe as it will keep well in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Overnight Bircher Muesli Serves 2

USE HONEY A S A N A LT E R N A T I V E TO AGAVE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS: Muesli - w ½ cup traditional rolled oats w 2 tsp white chia seeds w 200g grated skin-on green apple w ¼ tsp ground cinnamon w ½ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt. Topping - w ¼ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt w ½ cup low-fat milk or soy milk w 1 tbs unsalted pistachio nuts w 1 tbs dried goji berries w 1 tsp raw organic agave syrup. METHOD: Mix oats, chia seeds, green apple, cinnamon and yogurt in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. To serve: Divide muesli between two bowls and top with yogurt, milk, nuts, berries and drizzle with agave syrup.

Cook’s tip: Use honey as an alternative to agave syrup. Make this dairy-free by using soy yogurt and soy milk. Nutrition per serve: w Energy kJ (cals) 1585 (379) w Protein 13g w Total fat 10g w Saturated fat 2.6g w Fibre 7g w Carbohydrate 60g w Sodium 108mg. w This overnight Bircher muesli is high in fibre, low in sodium and is low GI. PHOTO: SUE STUBBS

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travel

news-mail.com.au Saturday, July 16, 2016

Strasbourg

Reaching new holiday heights Explore a wonderful city where old meets new and French and German culture intertwines TRAVEL

with Ann Rickard

TRASBOURG is famously known for its cathedral (Cathedrale Notre-Dame), a giant and imposing Gothic structure that is the city’s major drawcard. But this lively French city, the capital of Alsace, is surrounded by wine villages and has a vibrant food and wine culture, tranquil canals, museums, galleries, wonderful shopping and history galore. It all adds up to cosmopolitan flair. You will want to visit the famous cathedral first – it is the heart and soul of Strasbourg and the sixth tallest church in the world. Its proud splendour – described as “a pinky red angel hovering over the city” – is totally captivating and you’ll strain your neck looking up the length of its red sandstone exterior. The ugly gargoyles will sneer down at you, all part of the extraordinary facade with its profusion of sculpture and ornament, but lift your gaze higher to take in its imposing spire 142 metres way up in the sky. Inside its vast and lofty interior, the stained-glass windows let the light in through their multi-colours, creating an ethereal, religious atmosphere. When the cathedral’s astronomical clock strikes at 12.30pm, a series of figures showing the stages of the life of Jesus with his apostles, pop out with suitable pageantry. Because of its immense size, no matter how large the crowds, there will always be plenty of room for everyone inside. After you’ve paid your respects to this Strasbourg symbol of grandeur, take a ride in glass-domed bateau-mouche, a specially designed sightseeing boat. You’ll glide slowly past half-timbered houses and green parks, past tangled narrow lanes, and through the historic quarter of Petite France where artisans, tanners and

‘‘

... pretty flower-bedecked cafes and restaurants perch prettily over the water fishermen worked and sold their wares in the Middle Ages. The river splits and branches out through this beautiful and ancient district, now packed with pretty flower-bedecked cafes and restaurants that perch prettily over the water. Strasbourg is in eastern France, close to the border of Germany, and enjoys the best elements of both countries. One minute you feel as though you are in the midst of Germany with the pretty half-timbered houses, the next you are enveloped in France with its market produce and typical French restaurants. Ours was a guided tour from our Avalon Waterways cruise ship, part cathedral, part boat ride, part free-time, and ended up at a delightful hotel restaurant, Ancienne Douane, with an accordionist playing Edith Piaf tunes while the German riesling flowed freely. We ate what looked like pissaladiere (a French specialty of onion and anchovies on a pizza-like base) but turned out to be its German counterpart, flat bread with caramelised onions. The very best of two magical countries.

SEE STRASBOURG w Shopping north-west of the cathedral at Place Kleber will take you to department stores and upmarket boutiques. w Window shoppers who like to stop for coffee or a drink will love the lanes north of the cathedral where antiques and jewellery stores will appeal. w Shops are everywhere, serving kugelhopf – circular, semi-sweet cakes. More information on river cruising at: avalonwaterways.com.au

S E M I N YA K

w The Cathedrale Notre-Dame in Strasbourg, France, is the sixth tallest church in the world. PHOTO: NATALIA BRATSLAVSKY

Gastronomic opulence in the heart of Seminyak

EXPERIENCE eight nights of Bali luxury at the five-star The Trans Resort Bali in Seminyak for only $999 per adult twin share (valued up to $6203 for two), plus two kids, under five years, staying free. The lush resort offers easy access to Bali’s best high-end shopping and fine dining experiences. The exclusive package is jam-packed with celebrity style inclusions like a three-course dinner plus drinks at Will Meyrick’s acclaimed Tiger Palm restaurant, $100 food and drink credit to Movida Bali, VIP access to the exclusive Potato Head Beach Club, multi-course degustation dinner, all-you-can-eat Yum Cha, four-course tapas under the starlight, mouth-watering multi-station daily breakfasts, return VIP airport transfers, nightly cocktails at rooftop, as well as a raft of free spa treatments. The limited offer is available for purchase for one week (unless sold out prior) with validity for travel until December 2017. w MORE DETAILS: See www.LuxuryEscapes.com for full T&Cs or call 1300 889 900.

CANADA

White Christmas in Canada

SCENIC is offering Christmas in the Canadian mountains. Travel from Victoria to Calgary and enjoy a night on the Snow Train from Vancouver to Jasper, take a sleigh ride along Lake Louise and celebrate with a Christmas Day brunch and dinner at the Fairmont Banff Springs or Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. The 14-day Christmas in the Rockies with Christmas in Banff, December 14, 2017, from $8195pp, twin share; 13-day tour with Christmas in Lake Louise, December 17, 2017, from $7795pp, twin share. Flights extra. w MORE DETAILS: www.scenic.com.au

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Saturday, July 16, 2016 news-mail.com.au

INFO SESSIONS

YOU’RE INVITED

TO DISCOVER THE SCENIC DIFFERENCE We’d love you to join us at our free Ever Wondered Sessions to reveal the extraordinary in travel. Covering Europe and South East Asia River Cruising, Canada, Alaska and the USA plus The World’s First Discovery Yacht, Scenic Eclipse, let us introduce you to the Scenic difference.

HERVEY BAY Tuesday 26 July Beach House Hotel 344 The Esplanade

GLADSTONE Monday 5 September Oaks Grand Hotel 79 Goondoon Street

BUNDABERG Thursday 28 July Burnett Club 5 Quay Street

ROCKHAMPTON Wednesday 7 September Empire Hotel 5 East Street

SUNSHINE COAST Wednesday 31 August Maroochydore RSL Events Centre Memorial Avenue

TOOWOOMBA Thursday 15 September City Golf Club 254 South Street

BONUS OFFERS when booking on the day*

Places are limited and will book out quickly, please register early to secure your seats.

For session times and to RSVP visit SCENIC.COM.AU/RSVP or call 138 128

*Conditions apply.

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travel

Malaysia

Discover Malacca magic

news-mail.com.au Saturday, July 16, 2016

HISTORIC STATE: Malaysia embarked on a clean-up campaign years ago to improve the quality of the Malacca River. It now hosts popular sightseeing cruises.

A city that oozes history and offers great food and warm hospitality

MALACCA: UNESCO HERITAGE CITY Malacca is the historical state of Malaysia, rich with heritage buildings, ancient landmarks and colonial structures. It was here that colonial forces first made contact with Malaysia. Today, in Malacca, you can still see the imprints of British, Dutch and Portuguese forces left behind in forts, museums, churches and towers. Booming tourism economy with 15.7million tourist arrivals in 2015 a 210% increase since 2008. w GETTING THERE: Malaysia Airlines flies twice a day to Kuala Lumpur from Sydney. Flight takes around eight hours. Your can book car or bus from KL. The trip will take two hours or you can hire a car. The roads and traffic are easy to handle. w STAY: The Majestic Malacca is located in the heart of the city and offers a guided historic walk every day. w The central town square in Malacca dates back to the 16th century. The modern mode of transport through the area is by brightly adorned rickshaws which pump out loud music. PHOTO: PETER CHAPMAN

TRAVEL

with Peter Chapman

HERE to go, what to do and what will I experience? They are the first questions every traveller asks themselves when they look to their next adventure. Research, a newspaper article and a friendly experienced travel agent can supply the answers, but when you have an expert on hand it’s crazy not to use them. My expert for a planned two-week tour through Malaysia was Mary Morton a woman who loves the country and now works in Australia as a public relations consultant for Tourism Malaysia. When I told her that I wanted to revisit a country I have come to love her first question was if I wanted to discover Malacca. It’s a province situated around four hour’s drive from Singapore and about two hours from Kuala Lumpur. She may have heard the hesitation in my voice, but after a little coaxing I took her sage advice and locked Malacca in for a few days at the start of my trip through Malaysia. Her push for me to experience Malacca was based on the district’s emergence over the past 10 years as a hot spot for

ARTIC CRUISE

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Malacca will be visited by more than 16 million tourists in 2016

hungry stall owners wanting to you to buy imitation junk. Far from it, the people are warm and friendly, in many cases shy and unassuming. The Majestic Hotel offers many services for its guests, but its big winner is a historic walk undertaken each day by knowledgeable guide Rahayu Kamal. As you walk the narrow streets she takes you on a journey back to the 14th century when Malacca was first discovered by a Hindu Prince from Sumatra who was charmed by the wildlife that abounded. The Malacca River runs through the centre of town and it’s at one of the small foot crossings that Rahayu pauses to tell me why this overpass has been named the Ghost Bridge. It was here, she says, that invading Japanese troops in 1941 executed 500 villagers and hung their heads from the bridge as a warning to others that they must be obeyed. Most visitors come to Malacca for the weekend and public holiday street markets, but more and more are discovering the district which wasn’t even a mark on Asia’s tourism map before the last decade. Now crowds walk the narrow streets, or take a ride in brightly adorned rickshaws that blare out modern music leaving children singing along and some tourists covering their ears. Prices are good, accommodation is first class, and you feel safe and comfortable discovering this Malaysian delight. Once again my good friend Mary was right on the money, if you visit Malaysia mark down Malacca as a place to visit.

visitors wanting to experience its history and its foods, particularly its famous chicken rice, laksa and spicy nonya creations. On her advice I booked in to the Majestic Hotel a former Malacca mansion built at the turn of the 19th century. Just over a decade ago the original home was completely renovated to become the hotel’s reception, welcoming lounge, bar and restaurant. At the rear a 10-storey hotel was built in the traditional style of the old mansion. In essence it a fusion of Malacca history with modern elegance. The Majestic like most modern hotels throughout Malaysia features a first class spa that uses traditional natural ingredients to help rejuvenate tired travellers. A three hour Peranakan Signature experience in which your body is coated in such things as yoghurt and sliced star fruit has you ready and relaxed to explore the fascinating streets of Malacca and the myriad of traders who ply their wares. This is not another Bali where you are accosted by money The writer was guest of the Majestic Malacca

Explore the home of polar bears

READY for an epic adventure? Follow the footsteps of the early explorers to discover the best the Arctic has to offer. Fly to Longyearbyen and embark on a once-in-a-lifetime eight-day cruise in the comfort of a stylish and spacious expedition ship. Sail across the calm Archipelago seas and visit fjords with breathtaking mountain views and glaciers flowing around you. Experience the midnight sun or spend some time on deck searching for polar bears, whales and musk ox, or learn about Arctic history and ecology inside and out from expert guides. Exploring the end of the world has never been so easy. w COSTS: From $2924 per adult. The price includes seven nights’ accommodation with all meals included, Zodiac excursions with an expert expedition team, lecture and educational programs, airport transfers. Flights not included, departures from Norway. Valid for travel on June 14, June 21, July 8 and July 24, 2017. w MORE DETAILS: Call 1300 575 752

INDONESIA

Family fun on Bintan Island

CLUB MED Bintan Island is a resort in the heart of a magnificent tropical park, which boasts a private white sandy beach. It’s just a short ferry ride from Singapore. Bintan Island is also a golfer’s paradise, with some of the finest courses in Asia nearby at Ria Bintan. w COSTS: From $5270 for seven night for a family of four – two adults and two kids under 12. Based on departure September 24, 2016. Flights not included. w MORE DETAILS: 1800 258 263 or www.clubmed.com.au

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garden

Saturday, July 16, 2016 news-mail.com.au

VEGIE HIT: Leafy greens are great to grow in small spaces and it will only be a matter of weeks before you’re picking leaves and making salads.

In my garden w i t h A n gi e T h om a s

INSECTS CAN BE YOUR FRIENDS IN THE GARDEN, IF YOU ENCOURAGE THE RIGHT ONES

w A honey bee at work pollinating a lavender plant.

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

w Kale leaves can be picked as needed, leaving the plant to continue to grow. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Your guide to turning over a new leaf

Gardening

Get a buzz out of bugs Make your garden a welcoming place for beneficial insects GREEN THUMB with Maree Curran

VERYONE loves a bit of help in the garden, and some of the best helpers are happy to work all day, every day, for nothing. Beneficial insects will devote their entire lives to managing pests and diseases in your garden, if you let them. They fall into three broad groups – pollinators, predators and parasites. Pollinators fertilise flowers, increasing the productivity of fruit and vegetable crops. Predators consume pest insects as food. Parasites use pests as nurseries for their young. Much of the pollinating work is performed by insects, most notably bees, hoverflies and butterflies. So it’s important to provide nectar sources by planting flowers. Predators include lacewings, ladybirds and hoverflies. Some of the adults feed on pollen and nectar, and some feed on insects. They lay eggs that produce predatory larvae, which feed on soft-bodied insects such as aphids, thrips, mites, scale, mealy bugs and caterpillars. Lacewing larvae will feed for 15-20 days, eating 100 or more insects in a day. Adult ladybirds will eat several hundred aphids before mating and laying eggs on aphid-infested plants. The larvae feed on aphids as well. Some species prefer other pests, like mites, white flies, or scale insects. A few eat fungus or

mildew – you might see them feeding on cucumber or zucchini leaves if you have powdery mildew. One small subfamily of ladybirds includes leaf-eating beetles. Some of these are pests, but the majority of ladybirds are beneficial predators. Parasites deposit eggs on or into the pest or its eggs. The young feed on the host, ultimately killing it. Most parasites are either wasps or flies. Parasitic wasps and flies don’t sting. If you want to get some of these bugs working for you, there are three things you need to do. First, reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides in your garden. Many sprays will kill good bugs as well as bad ones. There are some safe, selective pest control products on the market. Second, provide food and shelter for the good bugs. Flowers are a source of food for many pest-controlling insects in their adult form. Many have short mouthparts, so simple open flowers or very small flowers are best. Among the favourites are coriander, fennel, dill, Italian parsley, daisies, cosmos, zinnias, dandelions, marigolds, tansy, sunflowers and more. Lastly, learn to recognise the good bugs in all the stages of their lives, so you don’t mistake them for pests. One of the beautiful things about this approach is that it helps us to appreciate the full life cycle of the plant. Instead of cursing when the rocket or coriander goes to seed, you can now appreciate the fact that those pretty flowers will attract beneficial insects. Got a gardening question? Email maree@edenatbyron.com.au

Super kale IN MOST parts of Australia, kale seed should be sown in summer and autumn, however you still have the opportunity to grow your own tasty and nutritious kale at home by starting with seedlings or semi established plants. Tuscan kale from Oasis Horticulture has long, dark green, crinkly leaves that are packed with vitamins and fibre. Tuscan kale are very attractive plants and look great in the vegie patch as well as grown in among flowers. Kale can also be grown in pots in sunny positions. Harvest leaves as needed and use in soups, smoothies and pasta sauces as well as kale “chips”. The key to tender and flavoursome kale is to grow it quickly.

Quick cropper

YATES Lettuce Baby Combo contains an interesting blend of baby leaf lettuces in greens and reds and different leaf shapes and textures. They grow really quickly, with sweet and tender leaves ready for harvesting just six weeks after sowing. And you can pick individual leaves as you need them, leaving the rest of the plant to continue to grow. Perfect for a sunny or lightly shaded position in the vegie patch or in pots. Growing tips: lettuce seedlings are irresistible to snails and slugs. A light sprinkling of snail and slug pellets around the lettuces will attract and kill snails and slugs. And regular feeding will encourage quick, healthy growth.

Winter vegie disease watch

COOL season vegies can be prone to diseases like powdery mildew – a fungal disease that looks like white ash or talcum powder covering the foliage. It can start as small spots and rapidly spread to cover entire leaves. Powdery mildew infections can result in death of leaves and lead to very poor plant health. Treat with a garden fungicide. Angie Thomas is a horticulturist from Yates

Garden products

Striking foliage plants for any garden Available from your local Bunnings w Dianella silverado’s slender foliage with striped variegation is perfect for mass plantings, landscaping and creating borders. Silver Streak is very hardy and requires very little maintenance. Small flower spikes erupt in spring and summer, displaying masses of purple flowers that are highly attractive. RRP $8.98.

w Bromeliads come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colours. They require differing levels of light, water and humidity, but do not like frost. They are relatively pest-free, can survive a lot of neglect and many will make excellent house plants. Bromeliad Acmea Matchstick (pictured), RRP $14.98.

w Cordylines have long thin foliage in a wide variety of colours, from green and yellow to pink and burgundy. Red Fountain’s round bush shape that grows to one metre in height with beautiful cascading foliage, makes it versatile for the garden or planted out in large display pots. RRP $39.98.

Saturday, July 16, 2016 news-mail.com.au

The time-poor mum’s guide to planning your child’s birthday party in 15 minutes CHECK OUT THE EPISODE ONLINE! This is our final episode in the series, but we’ve got a little extra bonus waiting for you online. w Susie O’Neill says finding time to herself is a rare commodity with kids.

CHILDRENS’ birthday parties have become some of the most outrageous events on the social calendar. From petting zoos to live entertainers and five-tier cakes, they’re actually getting ridiculous. But for those who don’t have the time (or budget) for a party to rival Carnivale, here is a simple checklist... How to plan your child’s birthday party in 15 minutes: w Guest list: Write down everyone you plan to invite and their address (or how you will send them the invitation). w Theme it: Work out the theme and make a list of everything you need to buy, plus all shops you will need to go to to get it. w Invitations: Will you make them yourself, buy them from the $2 shop or get them printed? Give yourself a deadline of when these need to be sent. w Venue and menu: Plan for rain, hail and shine. Also remember who you’re feeding. If it’s three-year-olds they probably won’t be so keen on salmon gravlax. But stuffing their faces with lollies and chocolate may also cause some issues – more so for the parents. w Get your list of games together: Even putting together somewhat of a games schedule may make for less to think about on the day of the party. w Having a cake? Work out if you’re buying, making or having made to order. Top tip for the non-bakers among us – buy a pre-made one from the supermarket, chuck a bit of extra icing on it and a few M&Ms and Maltesers and you have yourself a masterpiece. w Helpers: Yes, yes and yes. Get your friends on board to help herd the children on the day. Don’t even try and do it all on your own. Lock them in now before they make plans! And there you go – a birthday planning checklist that will take you 15 minutes to complete and save you stacks of time.

PHOTO: MARC STAPELBERG

Q&A

Me-time? Say what? Our mums talk me-time and how they manage to find it

F THERE is one phrase mums have probably forgotten existed in their vocabulary, it’s “me-time”. Running around after children, working, being a wife and trying to have a social life or time out can be a hard task. So just how do our mums do it?

How much me-time do you get and what do you do with it? GISELA: I get me-time pretty much once the kids are

sleeping either during the day, which can last anywhere from zero minutes to two-and-a-half hours.

Where do you stand on the scale of totally organised and chaos? SUSIE: The big thing for me since having children is that I always feel I am being pulled in many directions. It is hard to spend a big chunk of time on one thing. The hard thing is starting and stopping in short bursts and still being productive.

What are some of your time-saving hacks? DEANNE: I am up at 4am most days to be able to fit

Mums’ top 5 ...

How do you get your kids to do chores? MEL: Bribery. How do you manage your time between family, career, friends, personal hobbies etc? KATIE: I make plans every day for me, but they’re the first to

drop off the list, so I try to make my hobbies family orientated. I have also been known to enjoy school discos a bit too much... I’m just trying to fill my soul with what I need while the girls are having fun.

Do it now: If you can do something in less than two

Listen on the go: Put podcasts on in the car or when

minutes – like replying to an email or doing a household chore – do it straight away. If you plan to do it later, it will take you double the time.

LEARNING to manage your time effectively can mean you have more time for the things you love – and for yourself. So here are five time-saving hacks for busy mums… Shower power: Can’t get to the gym? No dramas! While you’re rinsing shampoo from your hair, take the chance to do some stretching, or pump out 50 squats or lunges. Bonus points for brushing your teeth at the same time.

everything in. I have no choice but to delegate jobs to the family. To organise meals I use my slow cooker so I can be organised before I go to work. I try to double recipes for some meals to make enough for two dinners, however with a growing teenager, it usually only lasts one meal anyway. When we grocery shop, we go and grab some things each to save time. The kids use buses much more now for school and for social life to save me time and to allow them some responsibility. I do my washing after work to allow it to dry overnight.

you’re vacuuming the house. This way you can catch up on news, learn a language, whatever you want, while you’re on the go.

Food prep: Think of your kitchen as an army base – order,

Say no: Now there’s a nifty idea. You don’t need to go to

order, order. Devote a few hours a week to cooking up a storm! Pre-make your dinners and kids’ lunches for the week and it will save you hours. Always cook twice as much whenever you’re in the kitchen and freeze half for ready-to-go meals.

every event you’re invited to. We’re constantly pressured to attend every event that drops on to our calendars, but it’s okay to decline every now and then.

FOR WHATEVER LIFE THROWS

TACKLES 99 TO TACKLE TOUGH OUGH S STAINS TAINS IIN ONE PRODUCT

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The expert says...

Seven things a burnt-out mum wants to hear, but is afraid to ask for

Mum’s the word Think of me-time as an investment in your health, says psychologist

T IS time mothers started taking their own advice. Every day, they tell their children to go to bed, take a break and rest, but when it comes to doing it themselves, most shove it to the bottom of the priority list. Queensland University of Technology psychology professor Karen Thorpe says that needs to change. Speaking from the USA where she was presenting at SLEEP – the conference of the Society of Research in Sleep, Dr Thorpe said rest and me-time protected one’s mental health and was vital for parents – especially in the early stages. “(Me-time) is particularly important for mothers who will be dealing with the physical exhaustion of sleep disruption and breastfeeding,” she said. Lack of sleep also heightens the likelihood of a mother developing postnatal depression, which research shows affects

10-20% of mothers in the early stages of parenthood. “Fatigue is certainly associated with poor mental health,” Dr Thorpe said. “Rest and relaxation, in whatever form, provides some sense of control and enjoyment and is therefore really important. “Our research findings (that I am presenting in Denver this week) show that when infants do not sleep in the day mothers have a raised risk of depression in the early post-partum months.” She said the flow-on effect to the family and child could be just as damaging.

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You’re doing the best you can and it is good enough w Don’t put your own priorities at the bottom of the list. You need a break too, mum. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

“Stress, tiredness and depression can affect the responsiveness of mothers to their babies and this has implications for infant development,” Dr Thorpe said. “Work I did some time ago in the UK showed that when mothers were stressed or depressed in the early post-partum months, their partner’s mental health was also more likely to be poor. “When we are tired and stressed we have less emotional control and may be more reactive with those around us.” So next time you cross your me-time activity off your to-do list, don’t. It’s an investment in your and your family’s health.

That’s a wrap BY Georja Ryan georja.ryan@apn.com.au OVER the past six weeks, we’ve taken you into the lives of four everyday mums from around the regions to bring you Hey Mumma. With host Susie O’Neill, we discussed topics close to every mumma’s heart; sharing stories, useful information and letting other mums know they’re not alone. We met our Ipswich battler mum Meltopia Grandelis, an incredibly strong woman with five children and an aura to calm the wildest of fires. We met Deanne Stock from the Sunshine Coast, a fitness-fanatic mum-of-two with traditional values and a heart of gold.

w Our mums Deanne Stock, Katie Dykes, Gisela Parker, Susie O’Neill and Meltopia Grandelis. PHOTO: MARC STAPELBERG

Our pocket-rocket Katie Dykes from Woodford won over many hearts with her no-nonsense, get-on-with-it attitude and inspiring story of why she doesn’t let being in a

wheelchair limit anything she does as a mother-of-two. Gisela Parker of Coffs Harbour made us smile with her positive and bubbly approach to motherhood, life and her two little ones under three. In week one we talked technology and kids – how do you get the balance right at home? Katie taught us that switching off the wi-fi was a good start, and our parenting expert outlined the rules of thumb with exposure to devices over the ages. In week two we reignited the fiery topic of smacking. Some of our mums had recently back-flipped on their approach to discipline with host Susie admitting after 10 years, she had now realised smacking had not worked in her home. Week three brought us into the health and nutrition space where our expert outlined five foods to remove from your child’s lunchbox. Week four we talked work/life balance and

When you’re sick, we all know where you’d prefer to be…at home and in bed. John Burgess

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how our mummas found the right mix. We learned Katie’s ex-husband lasted six weeks as a stay-at-home dad when they did a role-swap experiment. We also heard the heartbreaking stories of Meltopia, Deanne and Katie’s battles with postnatal depression and how work was somewhat a saviour for their mental health. We then moved into schooling, specifically the public versus private debate. Our expert told us research showed public school kids tend to do better at university than those who came through the private system. And this week we wiped the dust from the long-lost concept of me-time. The crux of this one – mums need it. As a bonus, we’ve pulled together one last episode – advice from one mum to another. Check it out online. We hope you’ve laughed with us, cried with us and loved every minute of our Hey Mumma series as much as we loved bringing it to you. Until next time, Mummas.

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We asked our mums: what are five things every burnt-out mother wants to hear, but is afraid to ask for. Here’s what they said: 1. Go home, have a rest, have a bath, shave your legs – do whatever you need to just for you. 2. Let me help. Let me do this for you because I know you’re not going to ask. 3. Let me take the kids for the day. 4. You’re doing good. You’re doing the best you can and it is good enough. 5. Someone to offer their company. They don’t have to fix anything, just be there for a vent, a coffee, a chat. 6. You don’t need to hold it together all the time. 7. Thank you. What would you add to the list?

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Rest and relaxation provides some sense of control and enjoyment and is therefore really important

SOMETIMES you can just tell. Her eyes may have started to lose their sparkle. Her smile appears forced or not quite like it used to. Maybe it’s a change in her routine that gives it away. Or maybe she’s fallen into a heap on the bathroom floor; exhausted, lost, broken. There are times in a mother’s life where it can all get too hard. Between the chaos that is raising a family, work, study, life and the rest, mums can become prone to burn-out. And it’s up to friends and family to notice the signs and speak up.

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HANDY HINTS: Blackheads don’t care that you have an important date coming up, so we’ve put together some simple treatments you can make at home.

Style w i t h E m m a B l om f ie l d

Make a space that gets them talking HOW do you create a space that encourages conversation?

w The right angle

Place furniture on the diagonal. If you have a sofa and an armchair or two, don't face the armchair directly in front of the TV. Armchairs are moveable pieces so angling the armchair towards the sofa means you’ll be facing your guest when sitting on the sofa. If you have two sofas, have them facing each other with the TV hung on the perpendicular wall. That way you'll be more likely to chat to the person on the sofa opposite rather than naturally being drawn to the TV.

w A cucumber mask is very refreshing and a great ‘pick me up’ for skin.

PHOTO: DIGITAL VISION.

w Zen it with TV

Don't have a TV in every room. Dedicate one room only to TV watching, that way you'll find you actually use your living spaces for other things like reading, talking to family members or entertaining friends rather than becoming a zombie in front of the TV.

w Petal power

Freshly cut flowers are an instant mood booster, their fresh scent and happy flower faces will make you smile when you walk into the room.

w Add cuddle factor

Make it cosy by layering soft furnishings like throw rugs, cushions and sheepskins in your living room. If you make it cosy you'll be more likely to hang out in that space and chat to friends when they come over.

Beauty at home

Banish those blackheads Try these treatments you make at home that don’t cost a fortune STAY AT HOME MUM with Jody Allen

w Make space for good wine

Make sure you have a coffee table as well as some side tables. That way you can pop a cheese platter down on the coffee table and have room for a glass of wine or two on a side table.

ENCOURAGE CONVERSATION BY THE WAY Y O U P O S I T I O N Y O U R S O FA

w More at TheHome.com.au.

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

HATE blackheads. You would think now that I’m in my 30s it wouldn’t be a problem but no. Blackheads are simply hair follicles that have become clogged and reflect the light to show a “black head”. Even if you wash properly, blackheads appear due to stuff happening under the skin’s surface. So here are some of our best blackhead treatments you can do in the privacy of your own home, that don’t cost a fortune: w Make Your Own Pore Strips In a microwave-proof bowl place one teaspoon of gelatin and one teaspoon of milk and mix together (if too dry add a few more drops of milk). Microwave on high for 10 seconds. When the mixture is cool enough apply it to the trouble area (the nose is a great place to start). Wait 10 minutes for it to set and pull away gently from the skin. w Natural Face Scrubs Scrubs will gently exfoliate your skin without being too harsh. Lemon Scrub: This lemon scrub is gentle and also tones your skin. Add two tablespoons of lemon juice to a tablespoon of white sugar, and apply the mixture to the area and very gently (using circular motions) exfoliate the area. Rinse and moisturise as normal. w Treatment Masks There are lots of simple home remedies for a “blackhead mask” available with everyday ingredients. For normal to dry skin types: Natural Yoghurt Mask: Make a paste of one tablespoon of

plain yoghurt with two tablespoons of rolled oats. Apply to cleansed and damp skin and wait 10 minutes or until totally dried and remove with a damp cloth. Cucumber Mask: Grate some cucumber and apply to your face (you might need to be lying down for this one). This mask is very refreshing and a great “pick me up” for skin. For Oily Skin: w Beat an egg white until foaming and mix enough rolled oats to make a paste and apply. w Brew some green tea and let it cool in the fridge, and use it as an “after mask” toner. Nice and gentle! w Cooking some rice? Save the rice water – it makes a terrific face mask and is great for both blackheads, whiteheads and pimples! w A mask made from a paste of bicarb and water is great for pimples on the chest and upper arms. Be very gentle if you use this on your face. Tips to avoid blackheads and pimples: w Never ever ever sleep in your makeup, no matter how drunk, how tired, how lazy you feel. Cleanse your face well before bed! w Try not to squeeze pimples or blackheads. But if you do anyway (and we all do) make sure you clean your hands well beforehand and wipe with toner or cleanse well afterwards to avoid spreading bacteria. w Only wear makeup when you have too. Let your skin breath naturally. w Change your pillowcase often; twice as often as your sheets if your skin is bad, especially in summer.

Jody Allen is the founder of Stay At Home Mum: www.stayathomemum.com.au

Home products

Shop the look: create a meaningful space to gather

w Solitary Wall art, $345, TheHome.com.au.

w Shetland lamp, $99.95, TheHome.com.au.

w Bird of Paradise cushion, $29, TheHome.com.au.

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stuff

Saturday, July 16, 2016 news-mail.com.au

On a Lighter Note

Gadgets

Sixteen candles brings back shades of 1982

w i t h G e of f E g a n

Bittersweet birthday memories revisited as Littlest Princess turns 16

with Greg Bray

HIS weekend the Littlest Princess turns 16. It’s an awkward age, because you’re old enough to know what’s going on, but not quite old enough to enjoy adult activities like work, insurance, voting, hangovers and fixing toilets. Remembering my own 16th, back in distant days of 1982, I recall conflicting senses of hope and impending doom, a yearning to get my licence and freedom, but wanting to sleep in ’til midday. I was struggling through Year 11 and didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up (still don’t). There was no internet, mobile phones, or a cure for my pimples so my hopes for a date with Joan Jett or Elle McPherson were slim at best. Power strikes meant blackouts were a regular occurrence, Tom Baker was replaced as Dr Who and Matilda, the giant winking kangaroo, wowed us at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games. Outside of Oz, Russia was enjoying a taste of Viet Nam in Afghanistan, the Brits were touring the Falkland Islands and the Middle East was a disaster area (no change there). Malcolm Fraser was on the button when he told us “Life

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wasn’t meant to be easy”, while President Ronnie Rayguns’ geriatric finger was hovering eagerly over The Button. To take my mind off impending nuclear Armageddon, Nostradamus’ gloomy prophecies and my zits, I’d go to the pictures. Rocky 3, The Man from Snowy River, Conan and Poltergeist were the movies I ended up seeing, after failing several times to sneak in to watch Porky’s. On the bright side, Paul Hogan was on telly and Kylie Minogue wasn’t, so I suppose things were about as bad, and as good, then as they are now. And, on that cheerful note, Happy Birthday Sweet 16, I hope you look back fondly on this magical year.

Greg Bray blogs at www.gregbraywriter.wordpress.com. Find him on Facebook: Greg Bray – Writer.

Gadget review

The fitness tracker you will forget you have on

www.servicecentral.com.au or call 1300 557 917

PHOTOS: CONTRIBUTED

w THERE are more font and typeface enthusiasts out there than you might think. Dubbed the ‘Shazam for text” the Spector aims to capture colours, font size and typefaces and send them to popular design program InDesign. Price TBA

ee e Fr us to

Find Mechanics the easy way

w EXTERNAL batteries can be lifesavers when you can’t find a power point. But most are only able to charge a phone. But the Mos Go is using the new USB-C standard to charge compatible laptops. Only some recently released computers and tablets use the format though. Price $160

TOP FEATURES: The Misfit Ray tracks steps, calories burned, distance, activity types, sleep quality and duration.

w i t h G e of f E g a n

FITNESS trackers promise big things. But they often end up running flat or being too much hassle to use properly. The Misfit Ray aims to avoid being forgotten in your sock draw by being forgotten about while on your wrist. It doesn’t have a display and can’t run apps. But it comes with a long-lasting battery that promises to last for weeks. The Ray isn’t for fitness junkies as it can’t measure heart rates but pairs with a Misfit app to provide all the information it records. Price $139.10.

w BAD singers rejoice – LG has the sound system to hide our inadequacies. The X-BOOM Freestyler is a Bluetooth speaker system that comes with inbuilt key changer to make you sound like a better singer than you really are. Price $599 :

You can spend hours calling around trying to find trades and services, or find them the Service Central way. Service Central finds all types of services, plus we check they’re qualified, insured and trustworthy. Then independent businesses call you back – easy!

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ON A LIGHTER NOTE

It’s an awkward age, because you’re old enough to know what’s going on, but not quite old enough to enjoy adult activities like work, insurance, voting, hangovers and fixing toilets

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screen life

news-mail.com.au Saturday, July 16, 2016

BEHIND THE SCENES: Cast and crew are still reeling from the sudden, accidental death of actor Anton Yelchin, who played Enterprise navigator Pavel Chekov.

Star Trek Beyond w Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, John Cho, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Sofia Boutella, Idris Elba. w Director: Justin Lin w Rating: TBA w Reviewer’s last word: Director Justin Lin, taking over the Star Trek reboot’s reins from JJ Abrams, brings exciting visuals and action to this entertaining new instalment.

Star Profile: Sofia Boutella w Anton Yelchin and Chris Pine in a scene from the movie Star Trek Beyond.

PHOTO: KIMBERLEY FRENCH

Film

A brave new world Star Trek Beyond transports audiences in an unexplored direction SCREEN LIFE

with Seanna Cronin

ROMOTING Star Trek Beyond, the third film in the rebooted sci-fi franchise, has been bittersweet for its stars. On the one hand the film helps to mark this month’s 50th anniversary of the series, but on the other, the cast and crew are still reeling from the sudden, accidental death of actor Anton Yelchin, who played Enterprise navigator Pavel Chekov. Emotions were clearly still raw for returning stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban and John Cho when they introduced the film in Sydney for its first public screening. Pine told the audience he hoped the new film celebrated both Yelchin and Leonard Nimoy, who passed away in February last year and made cameos in the previous two films as “Spock Prime” opposite Quinto as the younger Spock. The new film is a fitting tribute, making a seamless transition to a new direction by Justin Lin, who took over from JJ Abrams, and scriptwriting by star Simon Pegg (Scotty).

“One of the more rewarding aspects of making this film was that collaboration. Simon forwarded us a draft really early on and said: ‘What do you guys think? Email me any thoughts and ideas that you want’,” Karl Urban tells Weekend. “He was wonderfully inclusive and collaborative, and right throughout the film we continued to work on it and elevate it. We were very grateful to have him in that capacity.” Quinto is full of praise for Lin, who is best known for his work on the Fast & Furious franchise. “As a leader he came in with a real strong sense of what he wanted to do, but he coupled it with a respect for all of us and our relationships and the fact we’ve had these connections to these characters for two other films now,” he says. “He was able to come in on an already moving ship. He didn’t have much time to prep for this film and I was incredibly impressed by his ability to maintain a calm, confident point of view as he was pulling it together.” Captain Kirk and his first officer Spock both question their futures with Star Fleet during the film, which is set in and around the remote outpost of Yorktown halfway through the SS Enterprise’s five-year mission to explore the outer reaches of the universe.

w Quirky fact: Worked as a back-up dancer for Madonna and Rihanna before getting into acting. w Best known for: Kingsman: The Secret Service, StreetDance 2, Monsters: Dark Continent. w If you like this movie you’ll like these: Ghostbusters, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Jason Bourne. w Quote: “When I was dancing, the question was, ‘Why am I doing this piece and why am I dancing?’ It is exactly the same when you are acting. You have a very close relationship with your body movement. You have to find the physicality of your character.” “He’s not as loud or raging against the system as he had been in the first two films,” Pine says of Kirk. “In the first two films he was very much a guy driven by the ghost of his father, needing to be something and proving himself to be something because his father was so great. Now he’s 35 and he’s proven himself and what else is there? It’s a very existential, lost-in-space kind of moment for Kirk.” The brief and matter-of-fact revelation that John Cho’s Sulu is not only a father but a gay man in the film has also been a talking point in the media. Despite original Sulu actor George Takei voicing concerns over Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s vision for the character, Cho says he was happy with the opportunity to delve into Sulu’s personal life. “It’s interesting to have the stakes be very intensely personal, with his family living on the Yorktown base which is being attacked in the movie,” he says. “It certainly coloured it differently for me.” The relationship between Spock and Enterprise medical officer Bones (Urban) is also explored in the new film when the two are stranded together on a strange planet. “To be able to spend most of this film with him was exceptional fun,” Quinto says. “Those characters historically are so diametrically opposed that I think audiences enjoy the banter that is born out of their differing perspectives.” Star Trek Beyond opens nationally on Thursday.

Reviews What’s new on the big screen

Ghostbusters

THIS all-female reboot of the beloved 1980s comedy franchise has copped more than its fair share of criticism before its release. Australia’s own superhero Chris Hemsworth holds his own opposite funny women Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy. w Stars: Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth. w Rating: PG w In cinemas: now.

Sing Street

A BOY growing up in 1980s Dublin escapes his strained family life by starting a band. If you loved The Commitments, then this is the 2016 equivalent. It’s a toe-tapping, feel-good movie that will have you longing for the days when you were 15 and discovering music as a serious artform. w Stars: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Aidan Gillen. w Rating: M w In cinemas: now.

Love & Friendship

LADY Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale) takes up temporary residence at her in-laws’ estate and is determined to be a matchmaker for her daughter Frederica – and herself too, naturally. Beckinsale is a delight in this sharp, witty adaptation of the Jane Austen novella. w Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevigny, Xavier Samuel. w Rating: PG w In cinemas: Thursday.

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relax

Saturday, July 16, 2016 news-mail.com.au

Books

Digging in the Outback Aussie crime thriller twists and turns through harsh terrain

EDITOR’S PICK: Reese Witherspoon has bought the film rights to Jane Harper’s Australian crime thriller, The Dry.

Five second reviews The Second Girl

REV IEW by D e bo ra h C o ok

By David Swinson: A down and dirty thriller with real heart. Frank Marr, a decorated former cop and renowned PI, is also a high functioning drug addict. When he becomes a hero, suddenly he is under the spotlight. (Mulholland Books, RRP $32).

OME books attract a lot of attention before they’re anywhere near bookstores and The Dry by Jane Harper is one such book. The manuscript was the subject of a bidding war at auction and film rights optioned by Reese Witherspoon’s production company long before it was due to hit Aussie bookshelves. The book’s prologue is powerful and shockingly addictive – kicking off with the echo of gunshots and the death of a family in a small drought-stricken Australian town. Townsfolk (and readers) are even more horrified when it appears farmer Luke Hadler killed his wife and child before turning the gun on himself. It’s assumed Luke fell prey to depression as a result of

A Bird On My Shoulder

By Lucy Palmer: An award-winning journalist recounts the love story between herself and husband Julian; how they fell in love with New Guinea and how they faced the daunting challenge of terminal cancer. (Allen and Unwin, RRP $29.99).

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It’s a worthy recipient of its pre-release hype financial stress, although rumours of infidelity and jealousy soon start to spread across the small community. His childhood best friend Aaron Falk returns for the funeral. Aaron – now a financial investigator with the Australian Federal Police – was driven from town as a teenager following an incident two decades earlier. Luke’s mother is adamant her son would not have taken the lives of his family and Aaron grudgingly agrees to her request to look into the deaths. Of course small communities have long memories and Aaron’s an unwelcome visitor to his former home town, but decides to stay once new evidence suggests there’s more to the deaths than initially thought. Aaron works alongside local cop Sergeant Greg Raco, unpicking the Hadler family’s final weeks and days. He’s also forced to consider whether the events of his (and Luke’s) teenage years might have played a role in the tragedy. It’s pleasing Harper avoids the temptation to portray Sergeant Raco as a bumbling fool resentful of Aaron’s interference. The pair work well together and readers are offered a few false leads to keep us guessing. This wonderful debut novel reflects the

Dusting off the classics b y J o h n Gr e y

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

How (Not) To Start An Orphanage By Tara Winkler: An

intriguing tale of the author’s journey from starting a Cambodian orphanage and how after realising that with all the good intention in the world, it was not what the children needed. (Allen & Unwin, $32.99).

contrasts of Outback Australia: menaced in equal parts by drought and floods, and comprising communities that band together or ostracise you completely. It’s a worthy recipient of its pre-release hype. The Dry by Jane Harper is published by Pan Macmillan Australia, RRP $29.99.

Streaming online Mr. Robot

IN A house containing roughly a thousand books, one of my most treasured possessions has a swastika on the cover. Not a Nazi swastika, but the ancient Hindu symbol of well-being, on the cover of an early 20th century edition of The Jungle Book – a gift to my grandmother when she was a child, and later from her to me. Now Harper Design has given Rudyard Kipling’s famous collection of short stories and poems fresh life with this new edition, inventively illustrated by design studio MinaLima. From Mowgli’s well known tale to the white seal to (my favourite) the feisty little cobra killer Rikki Tikki Tavi, it was a joy to read these stories again with an adult eye, stepping back from the various screen interpretations and realising just what a great wordsmith Kipling was.

MR. ROBOT follows Elliot, a young and brilliant programmer who has perfected the art of computer hacking. Elliot suffers from a debilitating anti-social disorder, making hacking into peoples lives his only means of human connection. Season two of the Golden Globe-winning drama is on Presto now.

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mind TEST YOUR GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Quiz compiled by Roy O’Reilly.

news-mail.com.au Saturday, July 16, 2016

Mind you w it h N i c k B e n n e tt

Stop history repeating

Quiz

Your future doesn’t always have to reflect your past

1. Who won the Oscar for Best Actor this year? 2. Which golf major is being played this weekend? 3. The first Australian $5 banknotes went into circulation in (a) 1967 (b) 1977 (c) 1987? 4. Does sound travel faster in air or water? 5. In which decade did Ronald Reagan first become governor of California (a) 1960s (b) 1970s (c) 1980s? 6. Who played an elderly woman who lived for 15 years in her van parked in the driveway of the home of an acclaimed British playwright in the 2015 movie The Lady in the Van? 7. “Who the f… is the third umpire!” was an outburst that cost which Australian fast bowler a $2317 fine after a TV review decision was upheld in a recent test against New Zealand? 8. How many different categories of questions are in the board game Trivial Pursuit? 9. “Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing out parade at Puckapunyal. It was a long march from cadets,” are lyrics from which song? 10. “It’s a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I’d be a drag queen,” said which US country singer/actor? 11. Which venue hosted State of Origin 3 this week? 12. Does Tasmania or the ACT have the larger population? 13. Name the Perth-based netball team in the ANZ Championship. 14. In 1798, James Squire, a convict, was credited with founding Australia’s first commercial (a) bakery (b) brewery (c) butchery? 15. Which city is the primary setting for Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series (a) Knives (b) Forks (c) Spoons? 16. In 2009, which Italian prime minister described himself as “the most persecuted person in the entire history of the world”? 17. Of Australian male golfers, who has won the most (five) majors? 18. In Harry Potter novels, which semi-contact game is played between two teams of seven players riding flying broomsticks, using four balls? 19. Which topic was recently debated by the Australian Senate during a session of over 28 hours? 20. The Beehive is the common name for the executive wing of the parliamentary buildings in which national capital? 21. Ian Fleming International Airport is in which country? 22. Which Black Caviar trainer recently quit racing after being suspended for six months? 23. Which proverb is a title of a Shakespeare play? 24. Which two countries fought the Pastry War of 1838-39? 25. What is the term for the contractions experienced by a woman during false labour?

w Using past experience is not a great way to predict how things will turn out in the future.

HE mind is amazing. It holds in place key experiences as filters for everything that we encounter in the world and as a sense-making machine seeks to fit new experiences into the framework that is made up of the old. Did you make sense of that? What this does is create a cognitive bias and is the process from which stems our judgments about a situation and then additionally assists us to determine how we will respond or engage. Generally we’re blind to it and just react. If questioned we usually push back using the old excuse that “that’s just the way I am”. Thinking on this a little more deeply you would recognise, as I have, that using the events and experience from the past is not a great way to predict situations in the future. That sort of attribution is fraught with risk. Metaphorically, it’s like walking backwards into the future, holding tightly onto the past as a child might hold their favourite toy on a dark night. As a coach I have met many people who are so locked onto their previous experience, their past, that it has become the mirror that they hold up to themselves and others for every new experience they encounter, which then creates outcomes that we would call self-fulfilling prophecies. Of course they are self-fulfilling! If you keep telling yourself that you’re unworthy, or you’re stupid, or that no one likes you, or you’re shy or any number of other things that are based in negativity or negate your self-image, what do you expect will happen? The answer is as simple as it is straightforward.

PHOTO:THINKSTOCK

Exactly what you believe will happen, will happen and you will continue to affirm your view of the world. Mind you, it works the other way as well. If you hold the past in your hands, face the future clear-eyed, seek to see the world as an amazing place where the past is simply experience to assist us to improve our decision-making and learn that each

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... optimism enables us to see each experience as a ‘stand-alone’ experience and enables us greater clarity... new experience, regardless of what it is, is the platform of a self-fulfilling prophecy, that would allow a level of healthy optimism. That optimism enables us to see each experience as a “stand-alone” experience and enables us greater clarity in decision making and learning. What are you creating? Which way are you facing? It’s worth thinking about.

Nick Bennett is a facilitator, performance coach and partner of Minds Aligned: www.mindsaligned.com.au

Next week Answers

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How to create a holiday for yourself at home.

Matt Damon tells Weekend about returning to the spy franchise that made him an action superstar.

1. Leonardo DiCaprio. 2. British Open. 3. (a) 1967. 4. Water. 5. (a) 1960s. (1967). 6. Maggie Smith. 7. Josh Hazlewood. 8. Six. 9. I Was Only 19. 10. Dolly Parton. 11. ANZ Stadium. 12. Tasmania. 13. West Coast Fever. 14. (b) brewery. 15. (b) Forks. 16. Silvio Berlusconi. 17. Peter Thomson. 18. Quidditch. 19. Senate voting reform. 20. Wellington. 21. Jamaica. 22. Peter Moody. 23. All’s Well That Ends Well. 24. France, Mexico. 25. Braxton Hicks contractions.