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It’s known as ‘the silly season’ for a reason. There’s never enough hours in the day in the lead-up to December 25 and that frustration can turn anyone into the Christmas Grinch.
We try to fit in every festive invitation or arrange end-of-year catch-ups with everyone from the neighbours and schoolmates to former work colleagues. We cook. We bake. We decorate. We tidy. We clean. We vacuum. We make up the spare bedroom. We gift wrap. We drink. We eat, eat, eat.
Those of us who still have a day job furiously try to finish four weeks of work in two, just to get a decent break over Christmas-New Year.
Shopping for my two sons, now in their 30s, seemed so much easier when they were younger: I knew I was on a winner with anything to do with the surf/pool, sport or music. I also had a much better handle on their fashion sense back then. And now there’s a daughter-in-law and a partner to add to the mix.
Every year now for decades, two friends and I have planned a ‘super Christmas shop’. We used to make a weekend of it, staying
overnight on the Gold Coast and tackling Harbour Town factory outlets one day and Pacific Fair the next. Now, we stay much closer to home, venturing to Westfield Chermside or Sunshine Plaza in Maroochydore for what has been known to be a nine-hour shopping excursion. It’s a chance to reconnect while bargain hunting.
We flit from store to store (and sometimes back again), chasing the best buys. Invariably, we also have one eye on shopfronts for “something nice to wear” on Christmas Day.
It’s rare that I admit defeat because I know I’ll need to trawl online stores until midnight, find the last remaining seats to a show or consider what ‘experience’ they might like as the hours to Christmas Eve tick closer. That’s so silly (I told you!).
Luckily, in our cover story this month, teacher-librarian Sue Warren shows us all how we can slow down, take a breath and spend some quality time with the grandchildren (or the neighbours’ kids) in the lead-up to Santa’s arrival.
Also in this issue, our motoring expert Bruce McMahon buckles up for an Outback road trip from Brisbane to Adelaide, exploring the country towns and rural cities that are the backbone of the nation.
Merry Christmas and happy New Year to all our readers and please stay safe.
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From the joy of Christmas past to Christmas present
SUE WARREN gets creative to help us spend more quality time with the grandchildren and make special memories over festive craft.
When we are children, Christmas is a time of magic and excitement and the weeks leading up to it are full of delighted anticipation.
Many baby boomers will have similar memories of the typical post-war, suburban Aussie Christmases.
Real conifer trees, simpler decorations (often hand-made), family gatherings, church for many, and a traditional hot Christmas lunch feast were all very much a standard for those days.
Who remembers rushing out in the street to check out who had received a new bicycle, scooter or roller skates?
Our gifts reflected the trends: cowboy/cowgirl dress-ups, Tonka trucks and dolls (the advent of Barbie and GI Joe) and games including Test Match, Kerplunk! and Mouse Trap.
And then we grew up … and Christmas just didn’t feel the same.
Until along came our own children and all that delight and joy began again, albeit in a different shape.
Our trees became a bit fancier perhaps, with more sophisticated ornaments – though still with those wobbly ones made by little hands at school.
The trend in gifts changed: Tamagotchi, Atari and Nintendo game consoles appeared but also the crazes such as Cabbage Patch Kids, Teddy Ruxpin, Care Bears and the Rubik’s Cube.
And then our kids grew up … and Christmas just didn’t feel the same – again.
With our grandchildren, the magic can begin all over, thank goodness.
We can start to make new memories, create traditions, tell old stories and give the greatest gift of all: more precious time.
With Christmas approaching, we have an ideal opportunity to enjoy relaxed time with the grandchildren.
So, why not try some ‘slow living’ crafts with your grandies this year and create some new special memories?
PRETZEL GARLAND
Materials: knot pretzels, twine or ribbon (red or Christmas-themed looks effective).
1. Use at least two metres of twine or ribbon.
2. Simply thread ribbon or twine through one segment of each pretzel and loop around.
3. Space your pretzels evenly.
TRADITIONAL POPCORN GARLAND
1. Pop your corn. This is a fun, shared activity to start with. You can talk about why the corn kernel explodes, as well as safety in the kitchen.
“I
2. Stale popcorn works best, so leave your popcorn in a container for at least a day.
3. Use about two metres or so of thread. Tie a good-sized knot in one end.
4. Choose popcorn with a ‘fat’ middle to make it easier to push the needle through without the popcorn breaking.
5. Slide the popcorn gently to the end of the string.
6. The key to success with this is patience and being gentle. Definitely a ‘slow living’ activity.
CHRISTMAS CUPCAKE LINER CRAFTS
WHO knew cupcake liners are for more than just baking? Try folding and adding colour for easy decorations.
Materials: cupcake liners – plain, coloured or patterned, glue, craft/pop sticks, felt or gel pens, twine/ribbon or pipe cleaners.
Optional: stickers, sustainable sequins and bio glitter.
Flatten or fold. Those pictured above are self-explanatory and easy enough for even the littlest fingers to make, although they may need a little help.
For more challenging cupcake liner craft, why not try honeycomb baubles?
1. Take 12 cupcake liners, flatten and fold in half.
2. Put a dot of glue in the middle to keep the halves together.
3. Stack them together, using a dot of glue top and bottom of each until you have all in an even pile.
4. Fold a length of twine (as long as your cupcake stack plus enough to hang) in half to make a hanging loop.
5. Glue the twine along the flat, folded edges of the liners.
6. Fold the first and last liner together and glue. Dip edges in glitter for pizzazz.
NATURE’S GIFTS
USE some of your foraged materials to make natural garlands or bunting, or glue them onto circles of card to make wreaths.
1. Collect your chosen materials, making sure seed pods are fully dry.
2. You can paint and glitter them or leave them natural.
3. Tie your thread around stems or use needle and thread to pierce softer items.
4. Space your items to create a pleasing effect.
While you work on your crafts together, take the time not only for instructions but to tell those stories of Christmas past – times when you or your own children were little.
You may even have stories of your own parents’ childhood Christmas celebrations.
Most of all, you will not only be making sustainable decorations, but also creating those special memories that you and the children will treasure.
BIODEGRADABLE BUNTING/GARLANDS
Materials: foraged treasures, recycled strips of fabric or ribbon, food items such as pasta bows, cinnamon sticks, dried citrus slices, pretzels or popcorn (plain popped), rosemary sprigs, twine or raffia, large-eyed needle (plastic ones available for small fingers) and cotton thread, plus glue.
Optional: paint and bio glitter.
TAKE the grandchildren for walks in parks, in the neighbourhood or along the foreshore to forage for some interesting bits and pieces. These could include seed pods from she-oaks and poincianas, gumnuts, tiny pinecones or spent banksia pods, interesting twigs and small pieces of wood, shells, leaves or dried honesty pods and other flowers.
BOOKS TO READ TOGETHER
LOOKING for some lasting gifts for your grandchildren? Books are always a great idea and we have some wonderful titles this year.
0-2 years: Little Bee’s Year of Blooms – Sarah Jane Lightfoot (Affirm Press) Follow Little Bee’s buzzing around the neighbourhood gardens and streets with this super-cute board book, with its sculptured pages and combination of plants and insects.
3-7 years: Tomato Sandwich – Caroline Magerl (Walker Books Australia) Ottily has decided that today will be magical. She pulls on her fairy dress, waves her wand and asks for a fairy cake. Instead, dad gives her a tomato sandwich.
An epic ‘three-parts-in-one’ fantasy quest, from one of Australia’s leading children’s literature legends.
PAPER CHAINS
1. Recycle any colourful paper such as magazines, catalogues or even old and worn-out picture books.
2. Cut evenly into strips of desired length for each ‘link’ of the chain.
3. Loop and glue the first link.
4. Feed another strip through the first and glue that one.
5. Continue until the chain is the desired length.
What’s hip
What to experience
What to watch
Back in the day…
HERE’S the chance to immerse yourself in a unique travel experience combining rich historical exploration with incredible Greek hospitality and cuisine, hosted by one of Australia’s most-respected culinary figures. Join Lyndey Milan, the former long-time food director of The Australian Women’s Weekly and co-host of Fresh with the Australian Women’s Weekly on Channel 9 on an unforgettable 13-day gastronomic and cultural journey through Greece’s Peloponnese with Insight Vacations. A Greek Food Odyssey is a curated, specialised itinerary inspired by the 2011 TV series Lyndey and Blair’s Taste of Greece and the subsequent Greece With My Son. Fourteen years on, Lyndey honours her late son’s memory by revisiting this cherished region and sharing her deep love and insider’s knowledge of Greek food, culture and characters with fellow travellers in a joyous journey. Visit insightvacations. com/en-au/tours/lyndey-milan-a-greekodyssey?optionId=1707&tab=itinerary or view other tours on offer at lyndeymilan.com/culinary-tours-withlyndey/#upcoming-tours
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HE MET his demise in Game of Thrones all too soon, so here’s hoping Sean Bean keeps his head a little longer in the reimagining of Robin Hood on Stan. Bean, a BAFTA award-winning star, plays the Sheriff of Nottingham in the latest-release period drama based on the folkloric hero. Connie Nielsen, as Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Lauren McQueen, who plays Marian, help to bring the star power alongside Aussie actor and NIDA graduate Jack Patten. Patten has already captured the attention of sceptical critics for his winning portrayal of Rob of Loxley and performing his own stunts. This new drama series begins just before Rob becomes the infamous Robin Hood, offering an insight into his backstory, love and heartache.
Where to visit
THE recent screening on Seven and 7Plus of AC/DC: The World’s Greatest Rock Band may have conjured up two Aussie names synonymous with songwriting and record producing: Vanda and Young. In 1964, Harry Vanda and George Young became founding members of Australia’s most successful 1960s rock export The Easybeats. By the mid-1960s, the Vanda & Young writing powerhouse had begun, with hits She’s So Fine and Friday On My Mind Vanda & Young-penned songs have since been recorded by a who’s who of national and international stars. As Flash & the Pan, the pair found their own success with Hey St Peter and Down Among the Dead Men. But Young was the older brother of Malcolm and Angus Young and this dynamic duo’s legacy of producing also included early AC/DC albums.
BRISBANE’S annual outdoor interactive lightshow spectacle, The Enchanted Garden festive experience, has returned to delight all ages. The Enchanted Garden has reimagined the Roma Street Parkland as a fairytale in bloom and full of seasonal joy until December 20. Park-goers will be captivated by tens-of-thousands of twinkling LED lights, glittering visuals and shimmering projections cast across more than 22,000sqm of lush, inner-city parklands. This year, a playful, new immersive tale beams visitors into a magical wonderland constructed by the mischievous guardians of the garden, Willow and Marigold, for An Enchanted Eve. It’s the ideal low-cost outing to light up the night for families, friends and couples with a 30-night season, including up-late sessions. With glowing fairylights, bobbing orbs and spellbinding lightscapes, the one-kilometre self-guided and wheelchair-accessible trail takes about 45 minutes to complete. Visit enchantedgarden.com.au
What to book
MICHAEL Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry made him one of the world’s greatest entertainers. Now his story is set to thrill audiences in Brisbane in the multiple Tony Award-winning MJ the Musical. Centred around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, MJ the Musical goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Jackson into pop icon status. Created by Tony Award-winning director/ choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, the show arrives at QPAC on March 27 at the Lyric Theatre. Visit qpac.com.au
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Retiree GARRY REYNOLDS shares his thoughts on the world around us.
IF I GET DEMENTIA ...
I RECENTLY gained valuable insights into the world of friends who have dementia and wondered how I’d feel.
While everyone is different, people with dementia don’t want to be treated like children. They want us to talk to them like the adults they are, not down to them or at them.
If I get dementia, I will want to be treated the way that you would wish to be treated and not talk to me as if I’m not in the room. I will still want to enjoy the things that I’ve always enjoyed as much as possible, and it would be fun to be included in parties and other family gatherings.
If you could find ways for me to exercise, read, visit our friends and have my favourite music playing at home, that would be wonderful.
As friends and family embrace my new reality, I would encourage them to announce who they are as they enter my room. If I’m not sure who they are, I’d be grateful if you assure them that it’s nothing personal.
If I get dementia, it would be appreciated if you don’t argue with me about what is true for me versus what is true for you. It would help if you avoided telling me that my feelings are unfounded, but hold my hand and listen and visit me regularly if I’m in a care home.
If I get dementia, could you ask me to tell you a story from my past and accept that I may get things mixed up. If I become agitated, I would appreciate it if you could take the time to find out what is bothering me, with empathy and understanding.
If I don’t eat, I get angry, and I may have trouble explaining what I need. With plenty of snacks readily available, I could feed myself independently.
It is helpful, too, if you write the date on a little whiteboard on my bedside table and what is planned for the day, so I don’t risk irritating you by asking too often.
Don’t feel guilty if you can’t care for me 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s not your fault and you’re doing your best. I still like receiving hugs or handshakes. Yes, I’m still the person you know and love.
By Mocco Wollert
SOME of you might remember a Christmas song by Paul Kelly about How To Make Gravy
It is a rather sad song about a guy in prison called Joe who writes to his brother Dan and passes on the recipe of how to make that special gravy for Christmas Day.
Joe is stuck in prison. It’s a song full of nostalgia and longing for home.
I think most of us, at one time or another, have had those feelings of being stuck in our own ‘prison’.
I did not see my family for seven Christmases as we simply did not have the money for me to travel.
The story about the gravy at Christmas made me think of the many people who cannot be with their families (and not just the people who are in prison). It goes across the whole spectrum of life in those countries where Christmas is celebrated.
Dedicated people give their time, making maybe only a ‘little Christmas’ in whatever circumstances they find themselves.
There are the members of the armed forces who are stationed far from home. There are the sailors who are sailing in faraway waters. I wonder whether they still get that ‘tot of rum’ with their Christmas lunch, as talked of in the old seafaring stories.
December is one of the hottest months in Australia. The danger of bushfires is great. It means that the firies have to be on standby or may have to fight many fires all over the nation.
Surf lifesavers patrol the many beaches of Australia, although in the more northern beaches, there won’t be too many people enjoying the sparkling waters of the ocean because of stingers.
Law and order must prevail in cities and towns and especially at Christmas time, when celebrations can get out of hand. Alcohol flows freely, emotions are high and people might break their boundaries ... Did
we really have to ask Aunt Liz to come to the Christmas Day barbecue? We all know how tactless she is, offending everyone. Still, it wouldn’t be a proper Christmas if Aunt Liz didn’t upset someone. And who let that threeyear-old take the bottle of tomato sauce to squirt over the chips?
Nurses and doctors are also essential people to keep us all going and I sometimes wonder how they manage not to resent patients who need treatment for overindulgence or being careless with the firelighter.
I know from my granddaughter, who works as a doctor in a children’s hospital, that the staff try to bring fun and festive cheer into the rooms of the little ones, giving up their own family Christmas.
There are many other organisations: animal shelters, church parishes, good Samaritans who feed the homeless.
The list is long. I am sure you can add to it.
I know, there is Facetime and video calls and there are letters (does anyone still write letters?) to connect at Christmas time but can they replace a hug?
May you be one of the lucky ones to celebrate Christmas with your family.
Email mocco.wollert@bigpond.com
Life in the slow lane Life’s an adventure
By Cheryl Lockwood
WHAT does December mean to you?
Whether it’s the panic of buying gifts, too much food or the stress of keeping Auntie Rita away from the rest of the family and Uncle Fred away from the punch bowl, Christmas is often the biggest event on people’s minds.
Let us have a look at the day that often takes a back seat to the main event: Boxing Day.
Sports-loving Aussies will know it as a day of watching Test cricket or following the ups and downs of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
In the UK, the focus is on football.
Many English-speaking countries recognise Boxing Day. Not so in the US where it isn’t a holiday and most people return to work as usual. Thankfully, we get a day off to recover from the festivities and/or spend it sweltering at the beach. Why is it called ‘Boxing Day’?
Hopefully, nothing involving punch-ups! I used to question if it was the day people box up unwanted gifts to return, such as trinkets that clash with your decor or too-loud shirts.
The most popular theory is that it became customary for English aristocrats to distribute boxes containing small gifts, money and leftovers to the servants who had to work on Christmas Day. It was a sign of gratitude for their efforts.
Another is that it arose from the alms boxes that were placed in churches to collect donations, which were given to the poor on December 26, also called the Feast of St Stephen, named for the Christian martyr known for acts of charity.
One suggestion is that it was the day the postal service resumed delivering after the holiday. I assume that meant delivering things in boxes, which could support my returning gifts theory.
As if we hadn’t shopped ourselves senseless leading up to Christmas, it’s also known for big sales at the shops – for anyone who has anything left in the coffers to spend, that is.
For those who don’t, the credit card gets a good workout. I suspect it’s about encouraging people to keep spending.
In an effort to think outside the box (pun intended), South Australians call it Proclamation Day. It’s actually because it’s the anniversary of the announcement of SA as a British Province on December 28, 1836.
As much as we love a public holiday, it
was decided that there were too many crammed into that week. So, in 1993, it was changed to coincide with Boxing Day.
An anniversary of an announcement? Imagine noting the day you announced that you’d give up smoking, donuts or whatever. Not the day you actually quit, just the day you told everyone of your intention. I often plan to spend less evenings staring at my television, but I haven’t announced it officially, so it doesn’t count.
For those who have a birthday this month (besides Jesus, himself), there can be the temptation for loved ones to combine the person’s special day with Christmas.
They’d feel a bit gypped at getting one present for the year and having their celebration overshadowed or even forgotten. I don’t know of anyone who is happy about having a December birthday.
I also came across National Get on the Scales Day (December 29). Talk about putting a dampener on enjoying our Christmas treats. Supposedly, it’s to encourage us to be healthy after all that Chrissy pudding.
If this day takes off here, I say defer it until at least February to give us a fighting chance.
However you choose to acknowledge this month’s holidays, I wish you a merry Christmas, happy New Year and a wonderful Boxing Day, too.
Visit lockwoodfreelance.com
Meet the ‘Wizard’ and his giant bird
CHRIS CURRIE flies into SLQ’s collections to tell the story of Brisbane’s first airplane flight.
Early on the afternoon of Saturday, July 6, 1912, the gates of the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds were opened. Over the next few hours, nearly 10,000 people flooded into the grounds to see a special visitor.
American daredevil Arthur Burr ‘Wizard’ Stone had been touring the east coast with an attraction until that time unseen in Australia: a Metz-Bleriot monoplane. Brisbane locals were to see the machine in action for the first time.
The crowd assembled on the main oval. Those who paid an extra shilling could inspect the plane: an elegant (albeit flimsylooking) machine constructed of wood, fabric and wire some 7.62m long, with wings spanning 8.53m. Powering the plane was a 50-horsepower, 7-cylinder Gnome rotary engine, which could drive the propeller up to 1200 revs per minute.
Helping to maintain the engine was 18-year-old apprentice Bert Hinkler, who had joined Stone a month earlier in
Bundaberg and who would later become one of Australia’s most renowned aviators.
At 4pm, the bird-like machine was guided from a nearby tent to the centre of the oval. The propellor was spun and half-adozen assistants held the plane down while the engine warmed up. Ten minutes later, the assistants let go and the plane glided quickly across the grass before lifting off into the air.
Stone’s torso sat up high above the plane’s frame, further enhancing the illusion he was riding on the back of a giant bird.
He soared 60m into the clear Brisbane skies, circling the Exhibition Grounds three times to the cheers of the crowd, with each turn increasing the altitude until he was eventually flying at
122m. After successfully flying for 10 minutes, he began his final descent. To the assembled crowd, the descent appeared very steep (“as close to head first as he could have got it”) and indeed the first landing attempt jolted the machine so hard that one wheel broke off. The whole plane bounced back into the air before careening into the turf, spinning a full somersault and breaking spectacularly apart.
To the amazement of spectators, Stone uncovered himself from the wreckage and bowed to the crowd. Save for some cuts to his hands and a bruised hip, he was unharmed.
Despite the dramatic ending, the day was considered a great success.
Visit slq.qld.gov.au
THE ADVENTURERS WHO DEFIED
AUSTRALIA’S PEAKS
PACKING nerves of steel and no safety rope, Albert Armitage Salmon, better known as ‘Bert’, achieved feats so daring, they’d make the most hardened stuntman sweat.
Bert helped shape modern Australian climbing and though he never claimed to be the first, his exploits popularised what would become one of Australia’s most daring sports.
On June 6, 1926, together with his climbing partner Alan Clelland, he climbed the east face of Tibrogargan: an imposing climb made all the more dangerous without any safety equipment – just a hemp rope and sheer determination.
For the next two decades, Bert astounded onlookers and challenged those who had gone before, free climbing mountain after mountain with a natural flair that demands respect.
Discover Bert’s daring feats and the climbers who followed in his footsteps at On the Heights: a new exhibition celebrating the adventurers who transformed
Australian climbing. Presented by Landsborough Museum and Bankfoot House Heritage Precinct, and curated by climber and historian Michael Meadows, this exhibition showcases the stories, images and spirit that elevated a pastime into a cultural movement.
The exhibition runs from December 12 this year to March 29 next year at: Bankfoot House (free entry and tours), 1998 Old Gympie Road, Glass House Mountains; and Landsborough Museum (free entry), 4 Maleny Street, Landsborough.
Opening hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 10am3pm (closed December 25; reopens January 2).
For more information, including talks, events and workshops, visit heritage. sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
Before (left) and after the flight: State Library of Queensland collections
What grandparents need to know about new social media rules
EDIN READ explains the introduction of age-restricted bans that marks one of the most significant shifts to our online safety framework in recent years.
Australia is introducing new rules around social media use for young people. These changes will reshape how under-16s interact online.
From December 10, major social media platforms will be required to take active steps to prevent anyone under 16 from holding an account on services defined as ‘age-restricted’.
This applies to platforms where the primary function is public posting, sharing and social interaction. The new framework places legal responsibility on the platforms, not on children or parents.
Until now, most platforms technically set their minimum age at 13, but compliance was largely based on honesty: children could sign up simply by selecting a different birth year. Under the new rules, platforms must demonstrate that they are making reasonable efforts to identify under-age users and restrict access.
While the government has avoided mandating passport or driver’s licence checks for every user, platforms will need to introduce stronger age-assurance systems. These may include AI-based age estimation, behavioural cues, new onboarding processes or additional prompts when accounts appear to be used by younger teens. Each platform will choose its own method, but they will be required to justify that it is effective.
For existing under-16 accounts, companies will need processes to flag and act on them.
Some accounts may be locked until an age is confirmed. Others may be removed. Notifications and warnings will likely become more common as platforms adjust their systems before the deadline. Families may see more age-related prompts when young people attempt to log in, follow new accounts or create profiles.
The changes mainly affect large public platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, X and similar services. They do not apply to communication tools that are not primarily public facing, such as private
messaging apps, school learning platforms or services used for family communication.
The rules also do not stop under-16s from using the internet in general, nor do they restrict access to educational content, entertainment or private communication tools.
While the government has set the broad requirements, much of the practical impact will depend on how each company implements the rules. Some platforms may take a strict interpretation, blocking access entirely unless age can be verified. Others may take a lighter approach and introduce gradual restrictions or periodic age checks.
It is expected that the first few months after this month’s deadline will involve ongoing adjustments as companies refine their systems.
For families, the most noticeable change may be the disruption to routine social media use for young teens. Those who already have accounts may suddenly face new verification steps or find their access limited.
New sign-ups will be far more difficult, and in some cases impossible, until the user turns 16. This is likely to affect how teenagers communicate socially, since many currently rely on these platforms to keep in touch with friends or follow group activities.
The rules may also encourage a shift toward more private communication channels for younger users. Messaging apps that do not fall under the agerestricted definition are expected to become more prominent among families who still want to maintain contact without exposing children to large public networks.
The introduction of these rules marks one of the most significant shifts to Australia’s online safety framework in recent years. It reflects growing concern about the effect of large social media platforms on young people and the need for clearer protective boundaries.
For grandparents, parents and carers, the key point is awareness.
From this month onwards, young teenagers will experience new barriers on popular platforms, and households may see more age-related prompts or account restrictions.
For some teens, it might feel as severe as giving up smoking cold turkey. Keep an eye on your grandchildren and don’t be afraid to hold open conversations about how this will impact their life.
Understanding what the rules require will help families anticipate these changes and adjust accordingly.
Edin Read is founder and chief technician at Greyology Tech Support for Seniors. Visit greyology.com.au
BRENDALE MEMBERS COUNT DOWN TO CHRISTMAS
BRENDALE Evening VIEW Club members have already celebrated Christmas festivities at the November dinner meeting.
Committee members took time out to enjoy an early Christmas get-together at Portabella Restaurant to give a big farewell to Margaret H. as she makes a new life interstate. Margaret has been a great contributor to the club as newsletter writer and assisting other committee members.
The next dinner meeting and Brendale VIEW Club annual general meeting are on January 20. Dinner meetings are held at 6.30pm for a 7pm start on the third Tuesday of the month at Aspley Hornets Football Club, 50 Graham Road, Carseldine. A booking is required for attendees.
Call Suzanne on 0417 022 996.
IT’S the connection recession: Aussies are lonelier and more isolated than ever, with nearly one in three (32 per cent) feeling socially isolated. That skyrockets to almost three in five (58 per cent) among gen Z.
Data from the Real Relationships Report 2025 by life insurance provider Real Insurance reveals that more than one-in-two Australians (54 per cent) have shrinking friendship circles, while two in five (44 per cent) go out less due to the cost of living. The report highlights a significant decline in close friendships, with more than half of respondents reporting fewer close friends and a growing difficulty forming new connections – both platonic and romantic.
The report reveals a “U-shaped” pattern in friendships across age groups. While gen Z and gen Y each report having around four close friends, this drops slightly to three for gen X. Baby boomers and older Australians average nearly five friends, suggesting that time and space may allow for greater investment in connections. Gen Y spend the most on social catch-ups, averaging $163 per month, compared with baby boomers at $70.
VIEW CLUB’S FESTIVE HEADBANDS
REDCLIFFE Peninsula VIEW Club members met to create Christmas headbands to wear at the final meeting of the year.
Club members meet on the second Thursday of the month at the Moreton Bay Boat Club in Scarborough for lunch, friendship, interesting speakers and fundraising for their nine sponsored students through The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program.
In November, the meeting’s guest speaker was Susie Dash, from Task Tamers: a leading downsizing and relocation business.
For more information about VIEW, email redcliffeview@gmail.com
AUSTRALIA DAY PRODUCTION
REDLANDS Coast Museum and Theatre Redlands will present Linda Aronson’s Dinkum Assorted as its Australia Day January production.
This is a rousing human comedy full of laughter, tension, comradeship, dance and some very singable songs.
It’s 1942 and Australia is anticipating invasion.
In the remote township of Warrabadanga, temporary home for 2000 American airmen, the town’s heart – the biscuit factory – is under threat of closure.
Fifteen female workers take on the battle of keeping the factory open and the biscuits baking.
Like the biscuits, the women are a wide assortment – and they’re ridgy-didge real. Despite sometimes vast personal differences, they find a common ground.
There’s drama, comedy, pathos, comradeship, a battle against injustice –and a goat.
WHERE: Redlands Coast Museum, 60 Smith Street, Cleveland.
WHEN: January 23- February 1 next year: four evening shows (Friday and Saturday) and two Sunday matinees.
TICKETS: From $36, via redlandscoastmuseum.org.au/australia-day-plays-2026/
How to exercise with a cardiac condition
CAITLYN HUTH recommends patients follow their personalised plan for getting back on their feet.
Being diagnosed with a heart condition can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to knowing what activities are safe.
One of the most common concerns is whether it’s safe to exercise – and, fortunately, the answer is often yes.
With the right approach and guidance, exercise can play a vital role in managing and improving heart health.
Exercise offers a wide range of benefits for people with cardiac conditions. Regular physical activity can help lower blood pressure, improve circulation, reduce stress and strengthen the heart muscle. It can also enhance mood and overall quality of life.
However, it’s important to follow a safe and personalised plan. Many individuals with heart conditions begin with low-to-moderate intensity activities. These might include walking, stationary cycling or gentle resistance training.
These types of exercises are
typically well-tolerated and effective at building cardiovascular fitness without overloading the heart.
Monitoring how the body responds during exercise is crucial. It’s important to keep an eye on heart rate, breathing and any symptoms such as dizziness, chest pain or unusual fatigue. Learning how to pace activity and knowing when to rest are essential skills for anyone managing a heart condition. Working with a qualified professional such as an exercise physiologist or cardiac rehab specialist can make a significant difference. These
professionals help design customised programs that align with each person’s condition, fitness level and goals. They also provide education on how to exercise safely and make adjustments as needed.
In most cases, exercise becomes not just safe, but also a cornerstone of long-term cardiac care. With a structured plan and proper support, individuals with heart conditions can stay active, feel stronger and enjoy a better quality of life.
Caitlyn Huth is an exercise physiologist at Full Circle Wellness. Call 5456 1599 or visit fullcirclewellness.com.au
FIT HAPPENS with Tom Law
NORDIC WALKING MIGHT JUST BE FOR YOU
NORDIC walking started in Finland and was basically an alternative to skiing during the summer months.
It uses two poles to help assist and propel the walker/ runner along the route –generally cross country, but it can be used in all terrain.
Plenty of outlets in Australia now sell Nordic walking poles, and many instructors are available to help you out with technique and how to get started.
Now, the true Nordic walking technique takes some time to master, but the basics are really about support and exercise.
The concept of using arms and legs to help you move does involve more muscle groups and is considered more of an all-round body workout compared with walking alone.
Perhaps you already use poles of some sort when you walk?
Even if you decide that Nordic walking is not for you, perhaps you can walk with trekking poles that not only give you extra support (particularly if you need
the confidence of walking poles), but also help with the upperbody workout.
I have taken groups of people overseas on walking excursions and all of them have taken Nordic or trekking poles of some sort to help them negotiate the terrain.
My wife is a diabetic. She not only loves using the Nordic poles for her walks, the upper body workout also significantly assists her blood flow, and that is important for diabetics. For those who love walking but find balance is an issue, poles will help. Nordic walking poles can be very expensive. You will find them in various forms, including fold-up and telescopic, but there are also cheaper alternatives.
I strongly suggest you try before you buy. You may be surprised at how comfortable and confident walking poles can make you feel. If they help make exercise easier, that is a win-win.
Tom Law is the author of health and exercise-related books. Visit facebook.com/tomslawtraining or call 0409 274 502.
Mental health and dementia risk
KAILAS ROBERTS recommends we all stay on top of issues such as anxiety and depression throughout our life.
It is an unfortunate truth that many of my patients with dementia also have difficulties with their mental health.
This is understandable and may occur due to the psychological adjustment to having cognitive impairment, along with the diminished ability to effectively navigate day-to-day life. This can invoke a sense of loss, sadness and anxiety.
We also know that the underlying pathology associated with the dementia – such as the brain accumulation of misfolded proteins in Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, or the reduction in cerebral blood flow in vascular dementia – can predispose the affected person to depression, anxiety or other psychological symptoms.
Complicating matters, the loss of nerve-cell function in dementia means that the medications that are effective for treating these mental health difficulties in younger, cognitively intact people may be less effective the further along the journey a patient is.
What about mental health problems before dementia, though? There is increasing evidence that symptoms such as anxiety, depression and apathy may be harbingers of dementia: the early signs that
herald the later cognitive decline. This is important to recognise, not just because the symptoms need treating, but also because, if they do represent the start of a dementia process, it is best to pick this up early.
The other question I’m often asked is whether mental health difficulties increase the risk of dementia. Though the research is not 100 per cent conclusive on this matter, there does seem to be a signal supporting this. Clinical depression has been associated with a doubling of risk, and PTSD perhaps a little more. Chronic, clinically debilitating anxiety also seems to increase the risk, though not quite so much.
I should point out that I am talking about clinically diagnosable conditions, and not just the largely manageable and time-limited stress that we all experience periodically in life, or transient feelings of sadness or low mood we may feel in response to life difficulties. It is really the more severe and protracted symptoms that we worry about. These mental health problems can cause a state of inflammation in the body and brain. This might be one way they increase the risk of dementia. They also have been associated with changes in brain structure, such as a
shrinking of the hippocampus: a phenomenon also seen early in Alzheimer’s disease. Encouragingly, though, treating these conditions effectively can decrease inflammation and even increase the size of the hippocampus, ameliorating the risk.
Feelings of depression and anxiety can lead to other issues that in themselves heighten dementia risk. These include social withdrawal as the sufferer does not want to be around other people. The subsequent isolation and loneliness can be a real problem for the brain, and with less
social contact, there is less cognitive stimulation – again a suboptimal situation for our grey matter.
We live in an area where mental health difficulties are often very treatable.
Knowing the dementia connection is double the reason to talk to someone if there is a problem.
Kailas Roberts is a psychogeriatrician and author of Mind Your Brain: The Essential Australian Guide to Dementia, available at bookstores and online. Visit yourbraininmind.com or uqp.com.au
Welcome to the age of ‘DOBS’
CHARLIE GRIFFITHS is trying to come to terms with a recent diagnosis.
“This time, I’m telling my doctor exactly how it is.” I promised myself that we would finally work out why I feel so poorly. Here’s how the consultation played out.
Doc led with the standard invitation: “So, Charlie, what’s been happening since our last chat?”
I had rehearsed my spiel to make sure I covered everything.
I started with: “I know my left knee is stuffed but all my joints ache after a day in the garden.
“Even spending time in the workshop fires up muscles I didn’t know I had.”
Minimal response from Doc.
“My ticker’s pretty much given up on sinus rhythm. I don’t have to overdo it to trigger an atrial fibrillation episode: it’ll just do whatever it wants, whenever it wants.”
Surely this would raise an eyebrow.
“Does it race?” was the Doc’s searching question.
“Not really,” I responded, but how about this: “My eyes get sore and my vision blurs when I’m doing computer work for any length of time.”
“How long?”
“Six to eight hours typically.
“And my lower back locks up after sitting at my desk.”
“After six to eight hours,” Doc echoed.
“When I work on a ladder, I feel somewhat unstable and I’m not confident climbing backwards on descent.”
No response. But this should get a reaction: “I get tired when driving. I have to stop every couple of hours to stretch and rest my eyes, even have a power nap.”
At this point, I expected to see Doc’s fingers dancing across the keyboard requesting pathology tests and scans and preparing a prescription list. Instead, Doc leaned toward me with an engaging gaze and sternly announced: “Charlie, I don’t need to order any tests. It’s clear that you have full-blown DOBS.”
Drawing on my shock to add to the theatre, “I must inform you that DOBS is incurable, irreversible and terminal.”
“Bloody hell!” I wheezed. “So, what is DOBS?”
A comforting smile came over Doc’s face, accompanying the calm explanation of the acronym: “Date of Birth Syndrome.”
Okay, Doc, that was a pretty harsh way of delivering a reality check, but I needed it.
This was the moment that denial made way for acceptance, with one critical
caveat: acceptance does not mean capitulation. I can either succumb to DOBS and refuse to attempt anything that I know will cause pain or I can embrace the situation and use it before I lose it. When I was 40, I could dig a 10-metre trench in two hours and be sore for two days. Today, it would take me three hours, with soreness for a week. But I can still do it. Recently, I bought a heavy crowbar to break through limestone rubble in 20 stump holes I dug for our deck. Over a period of a week, I went from needing both
hands accompanied by Maria Sharapova grunts to picking the thing up in one hand while still kneeling.
A cricket coach once told us, “If pain scares you, you’re in the wrong game.” If I let DOBS scare me, I’d be in the wrong game. I could use it as an excuse to avoid inconvenience and discomfort, but I choose to go hard and enjoy the glorious pain of achievement.
Charlie Griffiths is a certified life coach and Neuro Linguistic Programming practitioner at charliegriffithscoaching.com
A whole new life. Over-50s living redefined.
Moreton Bay and Elimbah. New homes now selling.
By SHIRLEY SINCLAIR
AT THIS time of year, our thoughts are focused on giving.
Another festive shirt for Sarah’s husband. Another cricket set for the twins. Another gourmet hamper for neighbours.
Or, maybe the family has decided to do away with all the fuss and each person is to buy one Secret Santa surprise. Another metre-long Toblerone chocolate. Another cocktail-making kit. Another foot massager.
Giving is as much about the giver as the receiver. Of course, love and yuletide cheer are behind every purchase. But the cost of all those presents can really start to add up.
How can we give something that will make a real difference … become our legacy … keep on giving long after we’ve said our last goodbyes.
A bequest or gift in our wills can do all that and more. And you don’t have to be a
wealthy philanthropist to consider making that real difference.
In Queensland, a bequest can be specific items (perhaps a cherished stamp collection, your family history research or silky oak desk from your grandfather), a sum of money (maybe you’ve been putting aside ‘rainy day money’ for decades) or a portion of your estate (to set a grandchild up for life or support a cause close to your heart).
Individuals, charities, sporting clubs or community organisations could all be beneficiaries of a detailed bequest in your will, distributed according to your wishes, after your death.
But where to begin and how to choose?
Outside your circle of loved ones, there are so many worthy causes and so many groups deserving of funds.
You could start the process by simply thinking about what has been important to you in your life, which of those causes, organisations and charities need all the help they can get or will be stretched in the future, and perhaps where you can make the greatest difference to many.
Then, have a conversation – with family members, your lawyer, your accountant. Do some online research and make a few phone calls to determine what feels right for you.
In the spirit of giving this Christmas, considering a bequest in your will may be the best present you could ever give.
ALZHEIMER’S disease is one of the most devastating conditions affecting older Australians and their families.
Today, dementia is the leading cause of death in Australia, taking more lives than any other disease, and its impact reaches far beyond the person diagnosed. It affects spouses, children, grandchildren and entire families who must watch as memories, independence and connection slowly fade away.
Families who once shared laughter, holidays and stories find themselves grieving long before their loved one has physically gone.
Alzheimer’s doesn’t just take memories, it takes the person you love.
But there is real hope.
Alzheimer’s Research Australia is leading world-class research into early diagnosis, prevention and new treatments.
Researchers have already discovered promising blood biomarkers, advanced imaging techniques and new therapeutic approaches that may one day slow or even prevent the disease.
Clinical trials are underway, offering genuine hope for future generations. By including a gift in your will – whether it’s a small percentage, a
residual gift after your family is provided for or a specific amount – you can help ensure this vital research continues.
You do not need to be wealthy. Even 1 per cent of your estate can make a significant difference.
Many thoughtful Australians choose to leave a gift like this because they want a future where Alzheimer’s no longer steals time, memories or dignity.
Your legacy can help create that future. It is a powerful way to honour someone you love and to protect the generations that follow.
To learn more, call Caren on (08) 6457 0253 or visit alzheimersresearch.org.au
THE Mark Hughes Foundation launched in 2014 when former NRL player Mark Hughes and his wife Kirralee were suddenly faced with a devastating reality.
Mark was diagnosed with high-grade brain cancer. What the couple quickly discovered was that brain cancer, despite being one of the deadliest forms of the disease, received very little funding.
Survival rates had not improved in more than 30 years, leaving patients and their families with little hope.
Refusing to accept this, Mark and Kirralee turned their personal battle into a mission to change the future for every Australian affected by the disease. They created the Mark Hughes Foundation (MHF) with a simple, powerful vision: to raise funds for research, create awareness and support impacted patients and families.
What began as one family’s determination to make a difference has grown into a powerful national movement fuelled by the power of wearing a beanie, community fundraising, major events and, importantly, gifts in wills.
These lasting contributions ensure MHF can continue funding vital research and patient support programs well into the future. This support has transformed what is possible. MHF helped establish the Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain
Cancer Research at the University of Newcastle — a world-class hub where clinicians, scientists and researchers work side by side to push the boundaries of what we know about brain cancer.
The centre’s pioneering research brings together experts at the forefront of their fields, advancing discoveries that have the greatest impact.
For patients and families navigating the toughest moments of their lives, MHF provides practical, compassionate support.
MHF funds brain cancer care coordinators across regional NSW and ensures every patient diagnosed in Australia receives an MHF Patient Pack so no one faces the journey alone.
With every beanie purchased, every fundraiser hosted and every gift left in a will, MHF moves one step closer to changing the story of brain cancer — and bringing us closer to a cure.
Visit markhughesfoundation.com.au
A VOICE FOR WILDLIFE HAS BEEN HEARD SINCE 1962 HOW TO CREATE A LASTING LEGACY IN YOUR WILL
WE ARE lucky In Queensland to live among some of the most beautiful landscapes and alongside truly unique and diverse wildlife.
Australia is home to more than 500,000 animal and plant species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world.
Devastatingly, Australia is also one of the world leaders in mammal extinctions. Many of our unique species are at risk.
The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland (Wildlife Queensland) has been working for more than half a century to create positive change for Australia’s wildlife and environment. It is the oldest, largest and most respected wildlife-focused conservation group in the state.
Wildlife Queensland works in cooperation with government, businesses and other conservation groups to develop policies to ensure the protection of our state’s natural heritage such as the Great Barrier Reef, mallee country, rivers and catchments, rainforests, mangrove and other coastal ecosystems.
The society is undertaking projects to protect and conserve brush-tailed rock wallabies, Richmond birdwing butterflies, yellow-bellied gliders and platypus, to name a few.
As a community, non-profit organisation, Wildlife Queensland can only su cceed with the support of the public. Along with being the lifeblood of our organisation, gifts left in wills to Wildlife Queensland ensure that our beloved wildlife have a voice and that these beautiful, unique creatures and their habitat will be protected for future generations to live alongside and cherish.
Wildlife Queensland’s aim is to generate hope and to create a future for our native wildlife that is bright. With the public’s help, the society can create change and protect this unique environment that we all treasure.
All donations are gratefully received. To find out how to protect and conserve Queensland’s native wildlife, visit wildlife.org.au, email wpsq@wildlife.org.au or call 3844 0129.
A Gift in Your Will to QIMR Berghofer is a Legacy for the Future
QIMR Berghofer is a world-leading medical research institute, renowned for our efforts in both discovery and real patient outcomes. Celebrating eight decades of delivering ground breaking medical research.
Gifts in Wills to QIMR Berghofer are the gifts that keep on giving. The research and knowledge that is achieved because of your generosity will continue, and advances that are made today will have the potential to change the lives of Australians now and generations to come.
If you have left QIMR Berghofer a Gift in your Will please let us know, we would love to thank you and ensure you receive the latest research news.
LEAVING a gift in your will to Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Berghofer is a powerful way to create lasting change – a legacy that will help save lives for generations to come.
By supporting world-class medical research through your estate, you drive forward discoveries in cancer, infectious diseases, mental health and chronic conditions that touch every Australian family.
Throughout QIMR Berghofer’s rich, 80-year history, these heartfelt bequests have funded crucial breakthroughs, supported cutting-edge laboratories and brought hope to countless families facing illness.
Your legacy gift – no matter the size – becomes a beacon for future researchers and patients, helping to unlock new treatments and cures.
Every contribution is devoted directly to medical research, amplifying its impact.
If there is a particular area of medical research you feel passionately about – perhaps due to a loved one’s experience – you are welcome to specify in your will how your gift should be used. Alternatively, you may choose to let QIMR Berghofer direct your legacy to the research area most in need of funding, knowing that all of
your gift will be dedicated to advancing medical research.
Two people who have made the decision to leave a legacy gift are Barbara and Graeme (pictured).
“We believe that with the help of our legacy contribution, it will help shape the future medical development of Queensland,” they say. “We have benefited from past medical research and feel strongly in promoting the cause for the health of science and research that QIMR Berghofer provides to Queenslanders and internationally.”
Leaving a legacy is a personal decision. To talk through your wishes or to discover the different ways to give, including residual, pecuniary, percentage or specific gifts, call gifts in wills specialist Lorraine Fraser on 0408 722 877 or visit qimrb.edu.au/ support-us/leave-a-gift-in-your-will
YOU WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
For more information on leaving a Gift in your Will visit www.qimrb.edu.au or contact Lorraine Fraser for a confidential chat. 1800 993 000 E: giftsinwills@qimrb.edu.au
Leaving a Gift in your Will to QIMR Berghofer is a personal way to make a difference and create a lasting impact for future generations.
QIMR Berghofer has more than 650 researchers working on discovering better treatments and understanding of, Cancer Research, Brain and Mental Health, Infection and inflammation and Population Health in more than 60 specialised laboratories.
Gifts of all sizes are important, they are essential to fund the Research and the impact it has nationally and globally.
Detecting the hidden signs of reflux with bulk billed & non-invasive medical imaging technique
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a common condition. Silent reflux affects approximately 40 to 50% of patients who have GORD. It is referred to as ‘silent reflux’ because it does not present with the classic symptoms of reflux such as: heartburn; lump in the throat and regurgitation. Symptoms of silent reflux range from chronic cough, recurrent sore throats, loss of voice, persistent throat clearing, chest pain, choking, wheezing and shortness of breath.
When diagnosis and treatment are delayed, chronic GORD can increase the risk for serious health complications.
In recent years, Imaging Queensland partnered with Professor Hans Van der Wall and introduced the Gastroesophageal Reflux Test to Brisbane and the Redcliffe Peninsula.
The first of its kind, this patented nuclear medicine imaging technique precisely identifies reflux fluid contamination throughout the head, throat, and chest.
“Many patients do not present with classic symptoms of GORD but are suffering from typical upper respiratory tract symptoms such as chronic cough, dysphonia and globus. This is due to reflux fluid contaminating the maxillary sinuses, throat, middle ears and laryngopharynx. It may also contaminate the airways and lungs causing asthma-like symptoms, breathing difficulties, chronic
cough and recurrent bronchitis or pneumonia. We frequently see patients with a diagnosis of “atypical asthma”, which often turns out to be GORD with entry of reflux into the airways”, says Professor Van der Wall.
Historically, GORD has been diagnosed using pH monitoring, fluoroscopy, or endoscopy. So how does the Gastroesophageal Reflux Test differ to these tests?
Although PH Monitoring is 50-80% sensitive and 77–100% specific in the presence of heartburn & regurgitation, it is limited to oesophageal disease only, particularly the lower oesophagus.
Endoscopy is effective as an anatomical diagnostic tool but has a poor sensitivity for GORD (less than 30%) and is limited to detecting reflux disease that is severe enough to damage the oesophagus.
Fluoroscopy or Barium Swallow is insensitive and has a high radiation burden and only demonstrates oesophageal disease.
The Gastroesophageal Reflux Test is 90% sensitive and provides an effective, inexpensive, simple, and noninvasive screening tool for reflux and lung aspiration, detecting contamination throughout the maxillary sinuses, throat, middle ears, laryngopharynx, airways and lungs. If you suspect the symptoms you are suffering from correspond with reflux, you might benefit from undergoing a Gastroesophageal Reflux Test. Ask your GP for a referral to Imaging Queensland at your next visit.
For more information visit: www.imagingqueensland.com.au
’Tis the season to consider if changes are needed
By LESA MACPHERSON
The Halloween decorations have been put away and Christmas lights are showing up all over town. It’s officially the ‘most wonderful time of the year’.
One of the best aspects of Christmas is the time families spend together with their loved ones.
Often, however, we may notice that our cherished older family members are feeling isolated or perhaps not acting independently as much as they’d like to.
Of course, more family involvement is often required in these circumstances.
This could be a wake-up call for further family involvement and possible in-home care.
It can also be a time of reflection on whether current accommodation is suitable or if a change is desirable.
Decisions around change can be quite sensitive to reflect on and not easily made. Over time there is usually a recognition that the house seems bigger, the maintenance bears a larger cost, or even the lack of community and communication is becoming burdensome.
Maybe the time has come to consider moving into a retirement village or quality aged care to enjoy an improved lifestyle.
A decision to move into a retirement village is best done as a whole-of-family decision, with the involvement of the senior persons, as well as their supportive children (themselves often in their 50s or more) and trusted loved ones.
Often, it is the children who first see that mum and dad/nanny and pa are only just managing and wonder if a change from the home to a retirement village may be timely and beneficial.
Once decisions are made to investigate options, it’s time to focus on a downsizing of accommodation. The
outcome is usually an upsizing of community involvement and lifestyle through a retirement village.
Elder Law has seen many clients so invigorated by new friendships, plenty of engaging activities and a range of facilities such as a pool, gym, Men’s Shed, sewing clubs, musical events, technology support and sports options.
It definitely is a move from downsizing to upsizing. In fact, some in the industry call it ‘right sizing’.
A move into a retirement village is a significant legal decision as well, as the terms of retirement village contracts are complex, lengthy and onerous.
It is essential that the elderly persons and their family understand the ramifications of what they are signing and what it means to them down the track.
Generalist advice isn’t good enough and we also strongly encourage using a financial advisor.
Brisbane Elder Law are experts in the area of retirement village and aged care contracts. Call 1800 961 622 or visit brisbanelederlaw.com.au. Extensive information on the website includes the 24 things to look for in selecting a retirement village.
HIKES IF NO SURCHARGES
NEW research from Money.com.au reveals that older Australians are the most opposed to businesses raising everyday prices to cover lost revenue from card surcharges. That would occur if the RBA goes ahead with its plan to ban customer surcharges on card payments.
Under the RBA’s proposed changes, consumers would no longer pay debit or credit card surcharges at checkouts — a move expected to save Australians an estimated $1.2 billion a year. But businesses will still have to pay merchant fees to accept card payments. While the RBA is proposing to reduce interchange fees, these are only one part of the overall cost, alongside scheme fees and the provider’s margin. Cutting interchange fees won’t necessarily lower merchant fees unless banks pass the savings on to businesses.
The nationally representative survey of more than 1000 Australians found that 55 per cent of baby boomers say it wouldn’t be fair for businesses to raise prices on goods and services to offset card-processing costs, since those would no longer be directly paid by customers under the proposed reforms. This compares with 46 per cent of gen X, 35 per cent of gen Z and 32 per cent of millennials who share the same view.
The RBA is expected to deliver its final decision on the reforms this month.
Making this season brighter for those facing life’s final moments
As we head into the festive season, Karuna’s Christmas Appeal helps make this time of the year brighter for those facing life’s final moments.
Krissy, her husband Craig and their family (pictured) were cared for by Karuna in 2019. This followed Krissy’s diagnosis of an advanced form of bowel cancer, just after they welcomed their second child.
Once under Karuna care, Krissy was able to spend her final weeks at home surrounded by her family, including her children Madeline and Lachlan.
Karuna CEO Sophie Shrapnel says providing essential palliative and end-of-life care to the community ensures families are supported following the devastating impact of a terminal diagnosis.
“Krissy and Craig’s story is a beautiful reminder of why palliative care is so important,” she says.
“It can help families process the many complexities that come with a terminal diagnosis, along with the complex emotions, while still leaving room for moments of comfort and care.
“The end of the year is always a busy
time for Karuna’s services. Families want to be together during the holidays, especially with the uncertainty of a terminal illness.
“So, we are asking the community for your support, as the holiday season fast approaches. Together, we can make this season brighter for those facing life’s final moments.”
Karuna is a community organisation guided by Buddhist principles, delivering specialised and responsive palliative care.
Karuna is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘compassion’.
For more than 30 years, Karuna has helped thousands of Queenslanders by working in partnership with patients and their loved ones to offer expert clinical and emotional support so that remaining at home is possible, peaceful and positive.
Karuna is a no-fee service, accessible throughout Brisbane’s northern suburbs and into Caboolture, Redcliffe and Bribie Island.
Donations this holiday season help to provide compassionate care to families across Brisbane’s northern suburbs, just like Craig, Krissy, Madeline and Lachlan.
Visit give.karuna.org.au/christmas25appeal/
HOW TO MINIMISE THE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER
FEWER than two-in-five Australians feel well prepared for severe weather, despite four in five having already experienced it, research shows.
With the Federal Government’s National Climate Risk Assessment warning that extreme weather events will intensify and impact regions previously untouched, national insurer Youi has launched its Severe Weather Hub: a dedicated resource to help Australians prepare, stay safe and recover when disaster strikes.
The Hub offers practical tools and expert advice to help Australians build confidence and take meaningful steps before disaster strikes.
The launch follows new research conducted by the insurer with more than 2000 Australians, revealing an alarming gap between awareness and action.
While 81 per cent of respondents reported having experienced severe weather, only 17 per cent have a detailed and practised emergency plan, and 41 per cent say they don’t know what steps to take.
The data also shows that although most Australians recognise household risk factors and have taken proactive steps such as clearing gutters (55 per cent) or checking roof conditions (41 per cent), preparation is hindered by uncertainty.
Nearly one-in-five Aussies have taken no steps to prepare themselves or their home in the past year, and 35 per cent believe severe weather won’t affect them – despite government assessments indicating weather events are likely to impact areas where they haven’t before.
The survey reveals generational and state differences also impact preparedness levels. Gen Z and millennials are more likely to have practised plans and feel confident, while baby boomers report the lowest levels of readiness despite greater lived experience.
Queenslanders lead the nation in proactive preparation (90 per cent) and planning (75 per cent), yet only 17 per cent have practised their emergency plan –and 64 per cent say they wouldn’t evacuate if advised.
Youi executive general manager of claims Chris Jarrett says the research highlights a critical need for clearer public
guidance and practical support.
“Australians aren’t short on awareness, they’re short on clear, actionable steps. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, the cost of recovery is rising, and many people are finding themselves under-prepared,” he says.
Co-founder and former chief executive officer of Disaster Relief Australia, Geoff Evans, says the findings reflect what frontline responders have seen for years: that confidence without practice can be dangerous.
Where to start? Here are some tips from Geoff Evans:
• know your risk – understand the weather threats in your area and your property’s weak spots. Visit the National Emergency Management Agency Prepare Hub to check out your local weather risks
• make a plan – create a clear emergency plan with important contact details, emergency kit essentials, shelter spots, evacuation routes, pet care, insurance details and emergency service resources
• prep on a budget – you don’t need to spend big. DIY fixes such as drop bolts or plywood shutters, plus regular yard maintenance, can make a difference in being better prepared
• storm smarts – never drive through floodwaters, ignore weather warnings or leave prep to the last minute. Don’t rely on your internet or power or assume the danger has passed
• build for the new normal – routine maintenance and moderate safety upgrades (storm shutters or reinforcing garages) can significantly increase your home’s readiness when weather strikes.
Visit youi.com.au/you-connect/ you-prepared
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE
TRAVELLING WITH CPAP
IF YOU are going away this Christmas, travelling with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine shouldn’t add to the stress.
Whether you are checking into a hotel, cruising the coastline or camping kilometres from anywhere, modern CPAP devices make it easier than ever to keep your therapy on track.
With the right preparation, good sleep can travel with you.
Portable CPAP batteries are one of the best tools for holiday travellers.
They provide reliable power for up to two nights and can be recharged through a wall outlet, USB port or solar panels.
This makes them ideal for camping, staying with relatives or navigating power shortages during summer storms.
Turning off heated tubing and humidification can help your battery last even longer.
Hotels and cruise ships are generally CPAP friendly. Pack an extension cord in case the outlet is tucked behind a bed or nightstand. If you rely on humidification, check if the cruise line supplies distilled water. Travellers also can choose a machine designed for waterless humidification.
If you’re flying this Christmas, most machines are dual voltage, so they work worldwide without a power converter. They are also considered medical devices, which means they do not count toward your carry-on limit.
If you need a hand choosing the right travel machine, battery or accessories, the CPAP Direct team can help.
Visit cpap.com.au or call 1300 133 298.
CHRISTMAS is one of the busiest times of the year, and for carers it can bring added pressure.
Between social events, disrupted routines and increased responsibilities, it’s easy for carers to overlook their own wellbeing.
What many don’t realise is that support is available – often long before needing to consider short-term residential respite.
Flexible and day respite services play an important role in helping carers maintain balance, especially during the festive season.
Delivered in your own home (or local community), flexible respite offers short breaks for carers while a qualified support worker spends one-on-one time with your loved one.
Whether you need time to shop, attend appointments or simply rest, this support can provide peace of mind without disruption to the person being cared for.
Day respite programs offer another layer of assistance in a group setting with stimulating activities in a safe, supervised environment.
For the person being cared for, it’s an opportunity to enjoy meaningful connection. For the carer, it’s reliable, planned time to focus on their own wellbeing.
These supports often bridge the gap so families don’t feel pressure to organise short-term residential respite just to get through the festive season.
At a time of year when demands increase, these services can be a lifeline – helping carers sustain their role while protecting their own health and wellbeing.
Burnie Brae offers flexible and day respite throughout the Christmas period. The group day respite service operates Monday to Saturday, closing only on public holidays.
The one-on-one, in-home respite is available seven days a week.
This Christmas, remember: carers deserve care, too.
WORDS: Aynsley Johnson, head of care and member services, Burnie Brae. Call 3624 2121 or visit burniebrae.org.au
HOW LOVED ONES CAN LIVE INDEPENDENTLY WITH PEACE OF MIND
NEARLY 70 per cent of falls happen at home.
Whether it’s from unsure footing, tripping on a pesky bit of carpet, or dizziness related to medications, a simple tumble can leave someone unable to get up for minutes or even hours.
For older Australians or people with disability, a fall can change everything.
Wearables are the traditional solution. But they need charging, must be worn at all times and require manual activation to request help –not to mention the self-consciousness or stigma some may feel when wearing them.
When you’re going about daily life, this may not be a practical or empowering solution.
HomeGuardian.AI took these challenges and created a solution that revolutionises fall detection and personal safety.
The smart optical sensor detects falls and unusual activity.
No images or videos are ever taken or stored, and all monitoring is processed on the device itself, keeping your privacy completely safe. Alerts go out instantly when help is needed.
Most of HomeGuardian.AI’s customers are people who want to remain independent at home, supported through aged care or the NDIS.
Residential aged care facilities also trust the technology to keep residents safe.
Safety doesn’t stop at the front door. The companion app for Android and Apple devices lets users alert emergency contacts when outside.
Indoors, a small adhesive SOS button works up to 30-40 metres and can be placed in various areas around the home for extra peace of mind.
HomeGuardian.AI removes the stress of wearables and ensures your safety and wellbeing as you go about your favourite day-to-day activities.
The simple, smart solution keeps you safe, private and independent.
Visit homeguardian.ai
NEWEST LIFESTYLE HOTSPOT
WITH its natural beauty, coastal charm and fast-growing infrastructure, the Moreton Bay Region has become a standout destination for downsizers and active retirees planning their next chapter.
Adrian Puljich, managing director and Group CEO of leading land lease community developer GemLife, says the area offers an unbeatable combination of lifestyle, convenience and connection for over-50s.
Strong demand for quality downsizer homes led GemLife to fast-track its second local resort, GemLife Elimbah.
This follows the success of GemLife Moreton Bay, which launched in March 2024 and is already setting a new benchmark for over-50s living on a nearly 150-hectare site with seven lakes, lush landscaping and premium amenities.
and communities created for connection, wellbeing and independence,” Mr Puljich says.
Located in Burpengary East, GemLife Moreton Bay offers elevated coastal living with walking trails, parklands and tranquil lakes. The Summer House – featuring an outdoor magnesium-infused pool, barbecue and activity spaces – is a favourite gathering spot, while the forthcoming Country Club promises a luxury line-up including an indoor pool, gym, cinema, bowling alley, bar and creative studios.
GemLife Elimbah offers a peaceful, semi-rural lifestyle framed by greenery and mountain views. With more than 400 homes planned, plus a future Country Club and recreation precinct, it delivers space, serenity and a strong connection to nature, while remaining close to essentials.
Visit gemlife.com.au or call 1800 418 605.
HOW TO STAND OUT IN YOUR OWN STYLE
UNIQUELY You Personal Stylist is set to shake up your wardrobe with a wink, a grin and a whole lot of flair.
This isn’t just styling: it’s a personality parade where every look is tailored to your vibe.
Need sleek, contemporary styling for the office or brunch? Done. Curious about colour analysis to finally figure out why that ‘perfect’ dress makes you look like you’ve been up all night? Sorted.
And gentlemen, rejoice: men’s styling is on the menu, proving that sharp doesn’t have to mean stiff.
The fun really begins when you dive into the bold stuff. Think gothic and alternative styling for those who prefer their wardrobes with a dash of mystery, or rockabilly styling for anyone ready to channel retro swagger with polka dots, pompadours and a wink at the jukebox.
And because life isn’t just about clothes, Uniquely You doubles as your style scout, hunting down ideal pieces so you don’t have to.
If you have a big day coming up, its ‘creating memories’ special-event styling ensures you’ll look unforgettable, whether it’s a wedding, gala or the party of the year.
So, if you’re tired of blending in, let Uniquely You Personal Stylist help you stand out – quirky, confident
THE EASY WAY TO LIVE THE BEST OVER-50S LIFE YOU’VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF
OVER-50S looking for their next lifestyle move will soon have a new option to explore.
Living Gems Moreton Bay, officially launching in the new year, is a purpose-designed resort community offering low-maintenance homes and exceptional facilities in a friendly, welcoming environment.
Located in the thriving Moreton Bay region, the upcoming resort has been designed to deliver everyday ease alongside resort-style indulgence. Future residents can look forward to
beautifully appointed, low-maintenance homes paired with exceptional facilities, including a stunning Country Club, cinema, tenpin bowling alley, indoor pool and dedicated spaces for craft, wellness, fitness and social events.
Whether you enjoy pickleball, gardening or simply relaxing with new friends, the community will offer something for everyone.
Living Gems communities operate on a land lease model, meaning you own your home with no exit or deferred management fees – a major benefit for
and unapologetically yourself. After all, style isn’t about following the crowd, it’s about leading your own parade. Visit uniquelyyoupersonalstylist.com. au or call 0492 234 528.
downsizers seeking transparency and long-term value.
And the momentum doesn’t stop there. Living Gems is expanding across Queensland, with new resorts now selling in Townsville and Rockhampton. Each offers the same commitment to quality, community spirit and premium amenities, giving over-50s more choice than ever.
If you’ve been dreaming of a fresh start and the freedom to do more of what you love, Living Gems Moreton Bay is a resort worth watching.
See livinggems.com.au
Moreton Bay Country Club artist impression
Model: Tracey – True Colours Hair Studio Makeup: @jadesophiafx Photography: @aj_photography Location: Brisbane Motor Museum.
A company known for tractors is gaining traction on Aussie roads
BRUCE McMAHON explains why Indian conglomerate Mahindra is rolling into contention for buyers seeking a compact SUV for that road trip of daily commute.
Some of the world’s fastest, finest cars have come from the makers of tractors. Tractor profits kept the famed Porsche car lines ticking over through the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Lamborghini built tractors before adding sports cars to the Italian concern’s catalogue. David Brown started out with tractors before buying into Aston Martin (that’s why Astons are designated DB, through to DB12 and such).
And after starting out with a contract to build Willys’ Jeeps in 1947, the Indian conglomerate Mahindra has designed and built tractors since 1982 – just one element in a vast array of businesses. Today, Mahindra is looking to further advance its car business in Australia.
While the ruggedly ugly Mahindra ute has been around for a while and while there’s been one or two Indiandesigned and built SUVs to consider, the next chapter of the story begins with the Mahindra XUV 3XO: a cheap, yet quite substantial, compact SUV.
It looks good: contemporary and premium. It drives fine, arrives with a
decent suite of comfort and safety features and has reasonable room for four adults – all this with retail prices starting at $23,990 driveaway.
There’s a $26,490 version with a few more gizmos such as full glass roof and very decent Harmon Kardon stereo.
Both bob-tailed Mahindras are just under four metres long with turbocharged, 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine to drive the front wheels through a six-speed auto transmission.
There’s 82kW of power and 200Nm of torque here. Not huge numbers, yet quite adequate to have the Indian SUV stepping through the traffic with confidence and rolling down the freeway without any drama.
The factory reckons fuel consumption (on 91 octane petrol) should average around 6.5 litres per 100km but, despite the stop-start function, it can be heavier than that around the suburbs.
It needs a steady highway run to bring numbers down.
The premium exterior style is well complemented by the cabin layout, fit
STRESS FREE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Receive personalised service, tailored for you, with fixed rates and no hidden fees.
and finish.
Allowing for some hard and scratchlikely plastic surfaces, the Mahindra impresses well beyond the price tag.
It is comfortable and packed with today’s mod-cons – 10.5-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus reversing camera.
Then there’s the crowd of monitors to warn drivers of stepping over the white line or not having everyone’s seatbelt buckled or parking too close to car-park bollards.
Most of these go about their business without too much fuss; some can be turned off.
So, there’s good room and comforts for four in this five-door hatchback. The boot
area – with space-saver tyre below – is reasonable for a compact SUV.
And the Mahindra XUV 3X0 continues to impress. It drives, rides and handles as well as any sub-$30,000 car on the market.
Perhaps the interior trim may not forever look premium. Perhaps fuel economies could be better and perhaps the upmarket AX7 version’s glass roof may not suit Queensland drivers. Yet, there is much to like about these compact SUVs.
Easy on the eye, easy to drive and very easy on the bank balance is this latest offering from Mahindra: a starter on any retiree’s or first buyer’s runabout shopping list, for sure.
● Fixed rate with no hidden fees
● Fully licenced Property Manager
● Regular routine inspections with photo reports
● Flexible owner payments, and same day statements
● Strict property application processes with thorough tenant checks
● Limited number of managed properties to ensure top quality service
FOR THE DIARY: December
HERE’S some dates to keep in mind this month:
• December 3
United
Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities
• December 4
International Cookie Day
• December 5
International
Volunteer Day
• December 10
Human Rights Day;
International
Animal Rights Day
• December 11
International
Mountain Day
• December 18
International Migrants Day
• December 24
Christmas Eve
• December 25
Christmas Day
• December 26
Boxing Day
• December 31
New Year’s Eve.
ROLY POLY TRIFLE
Serves 8
GET into the festive mood with this colourful dessert: a modern take on an age-old classic.
Ingredients:
• 1kg Swiss roll
• 500ml thickened cream
• 1.5tsp gelatin
• 200g ripe strawberries, reserving a few to garnish.
Method:
1. Line a 16cm round bowl (so when it is turned upside down, it is a dome shape) with cling wrap.
2. Slice the jam roll into 1cm-thick slices and line the entire bowl with them.
3. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Mix the gelatin with 3tbsp warm water, stirring vigorously until dissolved, and then beat into the cream.
4. Chop all but three strawberries and add them and their juice to the cream.
5. Pour the mixture over the cake slices in the bowl and smooth the top. Cover with cling wrap and chill in the fridge for three to four hours or until set.
6. When ready to serve, unwrap, carefully turn out onto a serving platter, remove the bowl and peel off the clink wrap. Decorate with the remaining strawberries and serve.
This recipe is from 4 Ingredients Christmas, on sale now for $24.99. Visit 4ingredients. com.au/products/4-ingredients-christmas-2nd-edition
RPAC CHRISTMAS CONCERTS AND FESTIVE EVENTS
REDLAND Performing Arts Centre (RPAC) has a cracker of a Christmas line-up to bring joy to your December.
Gather your family and friends or lock in that end-of-year work catch-up and kick start your festive celebrations with one of these shows:
• Brisbane Excelsior’s Big Brassy Christmas – feel the joy and sparkle of the season as Australia’s worldrenowned brass band returns with soaring brass sounds and holiday favourites on Wednesday, December 17.
• A Merry Motown Christmas – groove into Christmas with soulful, smooth-assilk Motown renditions of beloved holiday and classic songs performed by Brisbane’s The 8-Tracks on Friday, December 19.
• Christmas Actually – relive the music and magic of Love Actually live on stage in this heartwarming, laugh-out-loud celebration of love and the festive
season on Saturday, December 20.
• The 7 Sopranos – experience seven glorious voices bringing Christmas to life with elegance, style and beloved carols that will lift your spirits on Sunday, December 21.
In other events, join multi-awardwinning singer and conductor Jonathon Welch and his Play It Forward Redlands choirs for a joyous hour of fun, singing all your favourite Christmas songs at the free Redlands Sings! Christmas. Experience the majesty of Handel’s Messiah performed by the Redland City Choir, under esteemed conductor Jacob Cavanough. Families can also enjoy the free Christmas Bubble and Lights Extravaganza. The experience has pop-up bubble shows, spectacular light displays on the RPAC lawn and fun for all ages. Visit rpac.com.au or call the RPAC Box Office on 3829 8131.
Cr
Musical Melodies
unforgettable hiitts.
WED 18 FEB, 11AM
The Sound of Julie
Suuellen Cusack celebratees t the legendary Julie Andrewws.
WED 27 MAY, 11AM The Great Gershwins
A dazzling tribute e to Americ i a ’ s greatest commposers
STORIES You Wear: Magpie Goose is a Museum of Brisbane exhibition where art and culture meet fashion.
This exhibition invites audiences to connect with the world’s oldest living cultures through the vibrant and statement-making designs of First Nations artists and communities from Southeast Queensland and beyond.
Curated in collaboration with proudly Aboriginal-owned and led, sustainable fashion label Magpie Goose, Stories You Wear embraces fashion as a canvas for storytelling.
Led by owners Amanda Hayman (Wakka Wakka and Kalkadoon) and Troy Casey (Kamilaroi), it stitches style and
THE
2026
culture together to create positive impacts for artists from 13 regional and remote communities in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Museum of Brisbane CEO and director Zoe Graham says the new exhibition spotlights First Nations stories and voices, increasing the visibility and viability of artists in remote and regional communities, including those in the surrounding areas of Brisbane.
The exhibition runs until October 5 next year.
WHERE: Museum of Brisbane, Level 3, City Hall, Brisbane
WHEN: 10am-5pm daily (closed December 25 and 26 and January 1).
TICKETS: Free entry.
MUSICAL MELODIES CONCERT SERIES
REDLAND Performing Arts Centre (RPAC) will present five extraordinary performances in the 2026 Musical Melodies Concert Series, celebrating timeless music, cherished memories and unforgettable moments of song and story.
These daytime performances have been designed specially for the ‘young at heart’ audiences to enjoy a morning of world-class live entertainment close to home.
The season opens in February with The Great British Songbook, Vol II, starring Craig Martin and his swingin’ big band. Audiences will be treated to a Brit-pop feast of hits from The Beatles, Elton John, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones and more.
In May, Suellen Cusack and her soaring vocals will bring the golden age of musical theatre to life in The Sound of Julie: a celebration of Julie Andrews’ stunning career featuring songs from Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music
July will shine a spotlight on the timeless music of George and Ira Gershwin with The Great Gershwins. International soprano Alison Jones and pianist William Schmidt, joined by narrator Chris McKenna, perform beloved classics including Rhapsody in Blue, I Got Rhythm and Summertime, blending musical mastery with storytelling flair.
In September, relive the energy and excitement of one of the world’s most iconic music events with Live Aid in Concert. Thomas Armstrong-Robley and his powerhouse cast recreate the spirit of the 1985 global concerts, featuring unforgettable hits from Queen, U2, Madonna, Elton John and more.
The season concludes in October when acclaimed Australian tenor Paul Tabone salutes Andrea Bocelli, performing much-loved favourites, including Time to Say Goodbye and The Prayer WHERE: Redland Performing Arts Centre, 2-16 Middle Street, Cleveland.
TICKETS: Tickets for seniors and pensioners start from $29. Visit rpac.com. au or call the RPAC Box Office on 3829 8131 (booking fees are $6 per transaction online or by phone).
South Australia roadAussietrip
once shipped by paddle steamers. The Bourke Centre is worth a look, with plenty of history to be digested and a magic, animated film of the area’s Dreamtime yarns. On to Cobar for some big, old lace-veranda pubs and a welcoming cabin at the taut-and-trim Cobar Caravan Park for the evening. Diesel prices through this stretch of the Outback at the time are up and down a touch, but rarely above $2 a litre.
Meanwhile, the Mazda ute is averaging a tick over 9.5 litres per 100km – all good.
Accommodation prices also vary but $160 a night finds reasonable rooms. If chasing more authentic experiences out this way, check out outbackbeds.com.au.
From Cobar, it’s a four or five-hour hop west down the Barrier Highway to Broken Hill and here the country begins to open up into proper Outback and ‘Priscilla’ territory.
Opting for some southern comfort
BRUCE McMAHON explores the historic, scenic and quirky places that make Australia great.
South-by-southwest out of Brisbane, out the back way through Bourke, and onto Adelaide is a fair and rewarding drive.
It’s the scenery, the black and white history and the people. It’s the stories and big skies of wide-open countryside, grand old pubs and homesteads of stone. And then there’s the wines.
Writer Henry Lawson, exiled from Sydney town to dry out in the late 1800s, proclaimed: “If you know Bourke, you know Australia” and gathered much of his material for poems and yarns out this way.
That Outback river port still holds a special place, and modern comforts, for the long-distance traveller.
A road expedition – with or without caravan – remains the best way to absorb this land.
It’s less onerous today than Lawson’s travels, with reasonable roads, decent motels and parks, plus, for the most part, half-decent coffee from the Queensland border to Adelaide.
It’s more absorbing than a plane ride; less constrained than a coach tour.
So, the old ute, filled with fuel and belongings, heads out through farmlands and cotton fields to St George, with a beer at the famed Hebel Hotel, and motors on to Lightning Ridge.
Accommodation is limited around here but there’s a decent motel among the options, black opal mines to explore and artesian baths to splash.
The next leg, around 475km, sees more scrub and mulga and emus and kangaroos and goats and goats and goats before running into Bourke on the drawling Darling River where wool was
TUESDAY 10 MARCH TO TUESDAY 17 MARCH, 2026
Be
shops down Jetty Road, a cinema, fine dining by the sea, plus beach wanders and such. Or explore the area’s historic mansions with an information centre booklet.
Glenelg is an excellent base for ducking out to South Australia’s acclaimed wineries. It’s just over an hour to the Barossa Valley, 30 minutes to the Adelaide Hills or McLaren Vale and there’s out-of-town bus tours (saving drink-drive angst) to consider.
Broken Hill, birthplace of ‘The Big Australian’, hosts the Palace Hotel (famed for a starring cameo in the film Priscilla Queen of the Desert and for two-up games) in a central streetscape of beautiful old hotels and historic buildings. This was Australia’s first Heritage-Listed city. It’s home to the Pro Hart Gallery, the Jack Absalom Gallery and, maybe best of all, about 20km out of town is the old Silverton Hotel: seen in a host of commercials and films, plus the Mad Max 2 Museum, chock-full of film shorts, costumes and cars from that edition of Mad Max shot out in this red-dirt country.
Back to bitumen and it’s some 500 kilometres and vistas wide open to the edge of the Earth – from Broken Hill to Adelaide and the charms of Glenelg: a forever convivial seaside suburb.
Armed with a free Metro Card for seniors, Glenelg is 45 minutes by tram from Adelaide’s Rundle Mall and about 10 minutes’ drive from the airport.
Yet there’s little need to decamp from the suburb with a collection of eating places and more than 300 speciality
This time, the ute is steered east to the delights of McLaren Vale and a fine collection of wineries. Steadfast wine fans will need more than a day here and vineyards such as Serafino offer handy accommodation. Be aware that some places may close up in cooler months and that restaurants may not open until late in the week.
One pub just south of here, and always open, is the Victory at Sellick’s Beach: a warm and welcoming hostelry with great views and good food, plus an amazing cellar of vintage wines.
Moving east, through the old-school charms of Victor Harbor, and the traveller comes to the classic old port of Goolwa and the sprawling mouth of the Murray River. A mighty fine sight to see.
On to Mount Gambier and here we turn north, cutting across some early morning fogged-in back country to Horsham, followed by a run to Swan Hill and paddle steamers and a small, yet absorbing, art gallery.
Just out of here is Lake Boga and the Catalina flying boat museum, dedicated to the World War II base and service crews, that is well worth a side trip.
A walk among the vines
Aussie film history to enjoy
Leaving Victoria, it’s over the Hay plains to Hay, and on through Forbes and Parkes – with the big astronomy telescope, the ‘Dish’ – and then to Dubbo for a ‘zoofari’ through the Western Plains Zoo.
By now, home’s starting to call and it’s a couple of full days’ travel up the Newell, through Goondiwindi, onto the Toowoomba bypass and to Brisbane.
With more time to spend, swing east
at Coonabarabran to the Oxley Highway and meander up through Tamworth, past the Big Guitar, and north through the genteel New England towns of Armidale and Tenterfield.
All this, over 5000 kilometres, takes in a good slice of southeast Australia, the edges of the Outback, western sunsets and a great deal of Aussie history.
All of this without leaving the bitumen and without forsaking any modern-day comforts.
LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL CHECKLIST:
• plan the route early for overnight stops
• service car and tyres
• carry a road atlas: old-school maps have more perspective, plus Google may show the quickest route, not necessarily the most interesting
• load up music playlists and/or podcasts: internet and phone coverage can be sketchy out west
• take a phone charger
• use a notebook to record a highlight, newfound fact, special (or ordinary) meal or fuel price, as memories can blur over two weeks or so
• pack a chamois: for wiping off early morning fog
• mop up spills and dry rain-splattered faces with an old bath towel
• pack a roll of toilet paper: not found in all roadside facilities
• supply patience for dealing with fellow travellers, roadworks and co-drivers.
•
•
• Fast settlement
Bendigo Vintage Talking Tram
Ballarat Botanic Gardens Bergonia Display
• International Flower & Garden Show
• Melbourne City Free Time
• Puffing Billy Train
• Crown Entertainment Centre
• Port of Echuca
• Canberra Tour, Newcastle
Pickup and Return: Brisbane, Redcliffe, Redlands, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Tweed Heads, Sunshine Coast, Bribie Island, Caboolture.
FARE INCLUDES:
• Great Ocean Road
• Kangaroo Island
• Barossa Valley - Maggie Beer Farm Shop
• Winery Tour
• Hahndorf Historic German Village
• Mt Lofty, Adelaide City, Central Markets
• Haigh’s Chocolate Factory Visitor Centre
• Glenelg, Victor Harbour
• Port of Echuca
• Mt Gambier, Mildura, Griffith
Pickup and Return: Brisbane, Redcliffe, Redlands, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Tweed Heads, Sunshine Coast, Bribie Island, Caboolture. 17 DAYS TOUR: 18th April to 4th May, 2026
SEE A GREAT SOUTHERN LAND
IMAGINE a coach tour that combines the history and culture of Melbourne with the spectacular scenic beauty of the Great Ocean Road.
This is Coastal Variety Tours’ 14-day coach trip to the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show which departs on March 19 next year and includes a convenient home pick-up and return.
This tour will take you via the Pacific Highway to Coffs Harbour, Sydney and Canberra, plus Albury, arriving in Melbourne for the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most loved horticultural event.
The holiday would not be complete without experiencing the Melbourne Cricket Ground tour, free time to explore the CBD, the Puffing Billy Train and the Great Ocean Road.
From the ocean, journey to the historic mining region of Ballarat where you visit the botanic gardens, begonia display and Conservatory before arriving at the historic town of Bendigo to travel on the vintage Talking Tram.
Another tour highlight includes the Port of Echuca on the Murray River.
Call Coastal Variety Tours for a full Itinerary on 55302363 and 0437 436 722.
IMMERSE IN NATURE AND HISTORY
CT TRAVEL has announced next year’s itineraries, ranging from three-day escapes to epic 18-day adventures.
Maybe you’ve been dreaming of a getaway to Port Stephens, with its sparkling beaches, lush rainforest pockets, koala habitats and chances to spot dolphins.
Or you may be drawn to Wallaroo Outback Retreat, where the glamping experience is truly next level.
After exploring Roma and the vast Roma Saleyards, head to Wallaroo to immerse in nature and the ancient stories of the land. Visit the historic Axe Factory, venture to a hidden cave and pause for photos at Date Rock before enjoying a hearty outback picnic at Cycad Gorge.
The adventure continues in Carnarvon Gorge National Park with a walk to the Moss Garden: a tranquil haven where crystal-clear water nourishes lush ferns and mosses, with a waterfall as the backdrop for unforgettable photos.
Later in the year, CT Travel’s 13-day Wild Wild West
Tour is an adventure through Western Australia that’s as rich in history as it is in experiences. After flying into Perth, head to Busselton, riding the 1.8km jetty train to the Underwater Observatory to explore a vibrant reef.
In Margaret River, visit Mammoth Cave, watch artisans at Vasse Virgin, indulge at the Chocolate Factory and enjoy wine tasting with lunch at Aravina Estate. Albany, WA’s first European settlement, offers a scenic King George Sound cruise and a moving visit to the National Anzac Centre. In Kalgoorlie, discover gold rush history with a city tour, gold panning at Hannans North, a working timber studio and awe-inspiring views of the Super Pit.
Full details of upcoming tours are at cttravel.com.au
WHERE in the world?
TRADITIONAL ‘basket boats’ create a colourful seaside scene in the fishing town of Mui Ne in Vietnam’s south-central Bình Thuan Province.
The serene coastal and calm waters of the harbour of Mui Ne (literally meaning ‘sheltered cape’) are in contrast to the controlled chaos on the beach in the early morning. There, fishwives and their families greet their men returning from a night’s fishing in these ‘baskets’ and other tiny sea-going vessels the colour of boiled lollies. Meagre catches are sorted methodically by the women on rectangular sheets of plastic rolled out on the flat, golden sands.
FEBRUARY 2026
Brisbane Tattoo (3 Days)
Brisbane Star (3 Days)
MARCH 2026
Norfolk Island (8 Days)
APRIL 2026
Easter in Port Stephens (8 Days)
Alpine High Country to the Murray Delta (11 Days)
MAY 2026
Murray Princess & Kangaroo Island (11 Days)
O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat (4 Days)
Wallaroo Outback Retreat (7 Days)
JUNE 2026
Darling River Run (15 Days)
Red Centre & Top End (18 Days)
JULY 2026
Lightning Ridge (7 Days)
Broome to Darwin (12 Days)
AUGUST 2026
North Queensland Savannah (11 Days)
OCTOBER 2026
NOVEMBER 2026
DECEMBER 2026
Tropical North Queensland (12 Days) SEPTEMBER 2026
IMAGE:
IMAGE: SHIRLEY SINCLAIR
SIGNATURE DAY TOURS
Tuesday 10th February, 2026
MONTVILLE AND THE GINGER FACTORY AT YANDINA
Morning Tea included. Lunch is at own expense.
Thursday 12th March, 2026
MOOLOOLABA CANAL CRUISE & FREE TIME
Return via a scenic drive of Caloundra.
Morning Tea included. Lunch is at own expense.
Tuesday 21st April, 2026
GALLERY WALK AND CEDAR CREEK WINERY, MOUNT TAMBORINE
Lunch included.
Morning Tea is at own expense.
Thursday 14th May, 2026
SUMMERLAND CAMEL FARM & DUGANDAN HOTEL
Boonah and Scenic Rim
Morning Tea and Lunch included.
Tuesday 16th June, 2026
CROWS NEST AND COBB & CO MUSEUM
TOOWOOMBA
Scenic drive via Esk and Perserverance Dam Morning Tea and Lunch included.
Tuesday 14th July, 2026
CHRISTMAS IN JULY AT MOUNT MEE
Birches Restaurant, Mount Mee.
Travel via Dayboro on the return to Brisbane. Morning Tea and Lunch included.
Saturday 18th July, 2026
JUMPERS AND JAZZ FESTIVAL IN WARWICK
Join us for a memorable day at the quirkiest festival, which has been an annual winter tradition since 2004. Morning Tea included, Lunch is at own expense.
Thursday 27th August, 2026
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
HINZE DAM, CHILLINGHAM & MURWILLUMBAH
NORTHERN NSW
Morning Tea and Lunch included.
Mon. 21st to Fri. 25th September, 2026
TOOWOOMBA CARNIVAL OF FLOWERS
Choice of 5 Day Tours to see the colours of this Annual Spring Festival on the Great Dividing Range. Morning Tea and Lunch included.
Thursday 22nd October, 2026
PEACHESTER, MALENY, KENILWORTH HOTEL AND BAKERY
A scenic drive up to the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
Morning Tea and Lunch included.
Wednesday 18th November, 2026
EUMUNDI MARKETS, SUNSHINE COAST
A straight-through journey to have maximum free time at these ever-popular markets. Morning Tea and Lunch are not included.
Thursday, 10th December, 2026
LADY BRISBANE LUNCHEON CRUISE ANOTHER DAY OUT BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
Special Coach pick-up times for the transfer to Bretts Wharf at Hamilton.
A relaxing three hour cruise along the ever-changing Brisbane River with lunch provided.
BE QUICK AS THIS TRIP SELLS FAST! Cruise and Lunch included.
For convenience, we offer a variety of pick-up locations primarily on the northside of Brisbane, specifically the Redcliffe and Sandgate areas. We also serve Taigum and Aspley Hypermarket Shopping Centres, making it easier for our passengers to access our services. Additionally, we provide pick-ups at the Eternal Flame in Ann Street, City, and, on tours heading south, we include Palmdale Shopping Centre for added convenience.
Dates and itineraries are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances that are out of our control.
LYREBIRD
By Jane Caro Murder mystery
Reviewed by Jan Kent
LOVING a good mystery by an accomplished Australian author, I leapt into this book.
I was gripped from the opening and couldn’t put it down until it came to its very moving conclusion.
The sound of a woman’s blood-curdling screams turns out to be the mimicking cry of a lyrebird, but comes with the realisation that it must have been from a real event.
With no body or record of a domestic violence incident, the police’s dismissal of the report is shown to be erroneous when, 20 years later, a body is discovered.
As the detective brought out of retirement and the knowledgeable ornithologist work together on this cold case, the many twists in the plot, believable and relatable characters and delicious descriptive language all combine in this compelling book.
In her usual creative and clever writing style, Jane Caro manages to weave together recurring themes that are close to her heart: the powerlessness of women exposed to trafficking; family relationships in all their complexity; and the beauty and vulnerability of the Australian countryside.
Another gem from Caro’s pen that’s not to be missed.
THE PREDICAMENT
THE CHAOS AGENT
By Mark Greaney Action thriller
Reviewed
by
John Kleinschmidt
IT WAS only a matter of time before a book I selected would be about artificial intelligence (AI), drones, robotic autonomous weapons and the evil role that they might play in our future world.
Retired super assassin and ex-CIA operative Court Gentry and his lover Zoya, a retired Russian operative, are living peacefully in Central America when they are drawn into assisting the CIA in the investigation of multiple murders across the world of eminent scientists who are experts in AI and robotics.
The Chinese, Russians and the Americans are all suspected of exposing Court, Zoya and many of their previous colleagues to danger.
The real villain and his desire to create a new world order is eventually exposed, but not before our heroes battle it out with deadly autonomous weapons.
This is an action thriller that is a little drawn out and predictable.
By William Boyd, Spy fiction
Reviewed by Annie Grossman, of Annie’s Books on Peregian
GABRIEL Dax, whom we met in Gabriel’s Moon, is back in a wonderful new offering from the great William Boyd.
Travel writer and accidental spy Dax is unable to resist his handler Faith Green, and is embroiled once again in the shadowy world of secrets and espionage.
The novel’s action moves around the globe, from Guatemala to West Berlin.
As the political turmoil grows in intensity, Dax seeks to remove himself from
this world of danger and deceit.
But there seems to be no way out for him.
He realises that the stakes have never been higher.
He has to face his fears.
Boyd is a wonderful writer and a great storyteller.
His new creation of Dax is an enormously enjoyable and believable character and brings the spy novel to a new high.
LYN’S A SHINING EXAMPLE OF RETIREES WHO DECIDE TO WRITE
LYN Caverhill never thought she’d add ‘published author’ to her long list of accomplishments. But in her retirement, that’s exactly what she did.
While working at Fossil Downs station in the late 1960s, she learned plenty about Australia’s ‘firsts’. She captured those during her 10 years of meticulous research to bring Fossil in the Flagstones (published 2024) to life.
The book follows the lives of three generations of Australians and their accomplishments: the world’s longest cattle drive (3500miles/5632km); the first cattle station in the Kimberley; and Australia’s first cross-continent trek in a four-wheeled vehicle.
It’s a story of Outback hardships and triumphs, leaving the reader in awe of the lives of pastoralists and encouraged by what’s possible with determination, creativity and persistence. The historical recount has not only been a first for her, but her writing journey also has inspired others to launch their own books.
Prior to Fossil in the Flagstones, Caverhill honed her publicspeaking skills, even being invited to the US for International Toastmistress clubs and to judge speaking competitions. She now lives on the Sunshine Coast, though her love for the Outback never ceased.
Spanning decades, Caverhill traversed many miles and months on the road with her husband John, supporting pastoralists through Care Outreach. As to what’s next in retirement, she remains an advisor at her local Writers’ Group and is writing a book of anecdotes.
Reviewed by Karen Weiber, of Books@Stones, Stones Corner
MOST people don’t even notice them: three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of a world-famous painting.
Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an artist herself, knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.
Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art – a painting that will unexpectedly be put into 18-year-old Louisa’s care. As she struggles to decide what to do with this bequest, she embarks
Security, Independence & Peace of Mind
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Glendale Granny Cabins provide comfortable, self contained accommodation for elderly relatives on the same site as the family home.
on a surprise-filled, cross-country journey to learn the painting’s story.
The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more she feels compelled to unleash her own artistic spirit, but happy endings don’t always take the form we expect.
Fredrik Backman has a way of simply describing relationships. His prose moves smoothly from one sentence to the next.
This is a deeply moving story of friendship, love and acceptance, with moments of humour and adventure.
With Quizmaster Garry Reynolds
1. What is the capital of Guyana?
2. Which NSW inland city was proposed as the capital called Albion?
3. What was US President Lyndon B Johnson’s wife’s birth name?
4. In what team sport does the winner go backward and loser go forward?
5. Which animal is a ‘bushman’s clock’ slang for?
6. What is the Greek name for the half-man, half-horse figure?
7. Who was Shane Warne’s former wife?
8. Who was the short one of the Two Ronnies?
9. In bingo, what number is referred to as ‘two fat ladies’?
10. What is the name of the sap of a rubber tree?
11. What is the name of the Jewish Festival of Lights?
12. What is the term for the number of strokes in which a talented golfer should complete a hole?
13. From which family of herbs is bergamot?
14. Which actress-singer was originally named Stefani Germanotta?
15. Which element constitutes 71 per cent of the Sun?
16. What is the common name for a plant embryo?
17. What creature killed Steve Irwin?
18. Which Australian minister for home affairs appointed himself a bishop in the US?
19. In Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, which plants were the evil characters?
20. How does the second arc differ from the first in a double rainbow?
