Your Time Magazine Brisbane - March 2021

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Your Y our p premier remie er 55+ m magazine agazine

Myth buster UNDERSTANDING DEMENTIA

Digital divide

THE CALL OF TECHNOLOGY – A BLESSING OR A CURSE?

BRISBANE EDITION 72 MARCH, 2021

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Editor’s note

M

y parents had what would now be called a home business. Mum did the books and dad worked from his shed.

I still remember the day Mum came home with a brilliant new invention, a phone answering machine. Oh, the magic of that tape winding back and forth on spools inside a machine the size of a volume of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. You could see a honeycomb of tape moving inside.

We marvelled that it could answer the old dial telephone all by itself.

Many people were a bit overwhelmed and at first refused to leave a message on this new-fangled machine.

And now, just over 50 years later, our phones do everything, including

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Contents answering calls. But, enslaved to the palm-sized device, I’m not convinced it’s a good thing. There is an obligation to return calls quickly, not later today or tomorrow, but instantly. The same goes for email. They enslave us to being on call 24/7.

Yes, technology has come a long way since clever machines answered phones and sent faxes; and each new advance seemed so exciting and impossibly ingenious at the time.

The so-called information superhighway promised to deliver us more leisure time, yet now I find myself in the promised age of communication lamenting the loss of a more leisurely pace. (I must confess though, that this is all a bit rich coming from someone who has a smart phone loaded with apps charging alongside an e-book reader, iPad and laptop.)

This month we look at the great digital divide. Are we in or are we out? Can we pick and choose engagement with new technologies or are we being forced to pick up whether we want to or not. In the end, as technology whiz Nathan Wellington explains, it’s going to be your call.

Dorothy Whittington Editor

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COVER STORY BITS AND PIECES AGES AND STAGES ACTIVE LIVING HISTORY OUR PEOPLE TECHNOLOGY CARE AFFAIRS MOTORING CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY NEWS BRAIN MATTERS ON TRACK FINANCE WELLBEING HEALTH RETIREMENT LIVING INDUSTRY EXPERTS PROPERTY WHAT’S ON TRAVEL BOOK REVIEW TRIVIA QUIZ PUZZLES

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PUBLISHER Michelle Austin 5493 1368. EDITOR Dorothy Whittington editor@yourtimemagazine.com.au ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES 0438 717 210. sales@yourtimemagazine.com.au.

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COVER STORY

The great digital divide – connect or be disconnected The information age is at our fingertips and, writes LORRAINE PAGE, now’s the time to buckle up for a ride down the digital superhighway.

A

t least 4.5 billion people are online – that’s more than half the world’s population and yet, as the online community keeps growing by more than 875,000 new users each day, not all older Australians are thrilled about getting on board.

Ask around, and you’ll uncover someone’s pain at being pushed into unwanted digital enablement as technology changes the way we experience most aspects of our lives at a startling pace.

Covid-19 restrictions last year highlighted how there has never been a better time to connect digitally – and how

difficult that was for many seniors.

Prostate Cancer Support Group president, 82-year-old Rob Tonge, says the pandemic brought to a head the attitudes within his group towards modern technology.

There are 500 members on the books, but only 20 took the plunge and joined the Zoom video conference when monthly meetings were forced to go online.

It was always going to be a tough sell, as one-third of the group refuse to use computers: “Most members said it was too hard, and we don’t want to know about it,” Rob says.

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Zoom has been a poor substitute for face-to-face meetings that drew 90 to 110 members at a time, and lost opportunities for Rob and his support team to personally welcome new visitors and their partners.

Rob, too, is uncomfortable with aspects of digital technology and says, “I don’t want to live my life through a computer – so many passwords to remember.

“A whole sector of the community is being pushed up against a wall to use computers.”

He’s content using a basic phone with big buttons and a large, easy to read display. He limits it to making and receiving calls as he finds texting tedious and text reminders even more annoying.

“If I make an appointment and say I’m going to be there, I’ll be there,” Rob says.

“I’ve given my word, isn’t that enough?”

He’s also very committed to his members. With help from his wife Barbara, and a tech savvy friend, he’s prepared to master an online booking system so face-to-face meetings can quickly resume as Covid restrictions ease.

R

esearch supports the idea that seniors are a curious lot and desire digital inclusion rather than risk being left behind.

YourLink, an organisation improving the quality of life for seniors through access to, and confidence with technology, in 2019 surveyed 600 older Australians who shared their views and experiences of technology.

Aptly named The Digital Paradox for Seniors, the report found seniors are not short on energy and passion for

experiences that open up the digital world to them. But getting a device into their hands is not enough – personal connection is key, and a human experience essential to facilitate learning.

Burnie Brae, a not-for-profit organisation based in Chermside, offers a wide range of care and community services for seniors.

Free classes have been on offer since 2010 in basic internet and computer skills. They’re booked up two to three

“A whole sector of the commuity is being pushed up against a wall to use computers” weeks in advance and have become so popular that the centre has trained 40 more digital mentors.

Those who sign up come to the centre with their smart device – laptop, smartphone or tablet – for a one-hour, one-on-one tutoring session, then rebook for four or five more.

Head of Burnie Brae’s project management team, Dr Sharon Hetherington, says the majority bring in a new device that they have purchased.

“The desktop computers don’t get used for tutoring anymore but they do get used for internet access,” she says.

“Help with internet banking is a regular request.”

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COVER STORY

The team developed an aggressive digital strategy during the Covid lockdown last year to keep clients and members connected to the centre.

Brian Ash, 77, says his fitness improved considerably during the shutdown when he and wife Lorelle joined the Exercise Right for Active Ageing (ERAA) program run by exercise psychologists on the Zoom platform.

They were already regulars of the centre’s gym and were computer literate enough to download the Zoom app to their new desktop computer. They then hooked up a HDMI digital interface cable from the computer to broadcast the display on their TV screen.

“When the Zoom sessions first started, I said to Lorelle, ‘it seems a bit wussy’,” Brian says. “But now it’s real to me, and all I need at home is a chair, a resistance band, hand weight, or a tin of baked beans.

“The beauty of technology is once you support it there’s so much more you can use it for in your everyday life.”

The gym has reopened, but the centre continues to run two, 30-minute ERAA sessions a week via Zoom.

Kevin Day, 92, attends respite at Burnie Brae. He received a tablet from the respite manager when the centre closed. First attempts at using it were troublesome but were soon sorted with some personal help.

Kevin and his wife can’t always book into the respite centre due to continued restrictions on numbers. When they can attend, social distancing is in place, so Kevin is more than happy to continue with a “clever idea”.

From the comfort of their living room, the tablet connects the couple to gentle morning exercise sessions and to entertainers who visit the centre once a week.

“The exercises are done sitting down

Brisbane

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BY THE NUMBERS Seniors struggle to access these services online: • Government agencies

78 per cent • Finance and banking

72 per cent • Public safety information

66 per cent and keep your mind and your body a little bit active,” Kevin says. “If the respite manager is good enough to go to all this trouble to help old people, I’m going to be good enough to use it.”

Esme Mews is in her 70s and says when fitness classes moved online she was surprised at how Zoom opened up the world for her.

“Although they were virtual, I still found them motivating,” she says. “It was a reassurance that people were still around.”

Esme was soon keen to find other fitness exercises on popular video sharing website YouTube. During the height of the pandemic, she held ladies fellowship meetings on Zoom and even a Sunday morning church service.

P

ersonalised customer service has taken a big hit in the digital age. In the online world, self-service means finding what you want on your own – and it has flourished in a contactless Covid world.

You can plough through FAQs (frequently asked questions) on websites for instant answers to common queries, but what if your particular question isn’t there? There’s probably a help@ or

support@ email address, but what if you haven’t time to wait for a reply?

Businesses operating in the modern customer service industry know that and are phasing out this old technology for chatbots.

Chatbots are an automated, online, text-based technology that can provide quick and accurate answers to common customer queries. They’re sophisticated and mimic human conversation, but they’re not human.

YourLink recently conducted a short survey of their mailing list of clients to learn from which main services seniors felt excluded.

From close to 100 respondents, who predominantly lived independently, 78 per cent said they felt excluded from accessing government services; 72 per cent from finance and banking; and 66 per cent from public safety information.

Only 30 per cent felt excluded from retail, as the choice to shop in person and enjoy the independence of a real-world experience is still widely available.

Director and co-founder of YourLink, Richard Scenna, says there needs to be a greater awareness by government that, as it transitions more of its resources and services online, seniors are feeling left behind.

“The whole of community including aged care providers of home care have a part to play,” he says. “Family and friends are the ones meant to be supporting, and they’re well intentioned, but people aren’t available when they’re needed.

“If someone has a mobile phone and a child overseas they want to video call, and they’re not comfortable with that, all they need is a couple of moments of someone showing them how to push that button,” Mr Scenna said.

You don’t have to love it. Expert Nathan Wellington addresses the most common concerns. Page 16.

FIND A HELP DESK

Help a loved one go online beconnected.esafety.gov.au Free, easy-to-use lessons on this website provide step-by-step help to get older Australians started with technology.

From online shopping to making video calls, these simple lessons cover everything from the absolute basics of using a device, to staying safe, informed and entertained online.

Find out how the Get Started app can assist, or find local support on offer through the Be Connected network of community organisations.

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A password manager is the safest way to keep track of your passwords, as they allow you to use stronger passwords without needing to memorise anything.

Security experts generally recommend using a password manager to protect yourself online.

March 2021 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 5

25/02/2021 1:49:31 PM

BITS & PIECES

IN THE GARDEN — with Penny A LOT of clothes were hand-made, including the big flannelette bloomers that I wore to bed, and one day realised I had worn to school.

Mum made most of our clothes using her old Black electric Singer sewing machine. She carefully drafted, on the kitchen table, patterns from the Enid Gilchrist pattern books or used premade patterns.

Big sheets of brown paper that packages had been wrapped in (and tied up with string) at the department

SHE’S DONE IT AGAIN! ON her 64th birthday, Claude Tranchant pulled on a pair of hiking boots and set off alone on a walk that would take her 2500km and 100 days.

She returned home to Brisbane and wrote a book, Boots to Bliss, about her empowering journey on the St James Way, from northern France over the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

For her it was a spiritual journey as much as a physical one.

And the former “checkout chick”, as she describes herself, hasn’t stopped. On her 70th birthday she walked the Larapinta Trail in the NT, listed as the 20th most

store, or similar, were carefully flattened and stored for these drafting purposes. David Jones paper wasn’t as good as the paper from Bayards, as it had a houndstooth pattern on one side which was distracting.

There was even a book for doll’s clothes from which Mum made many clothes for my Barbie.

Extract from Pam Van Der Kooy’s Stuff We Had in the ’50s and ’60s available from all good bookstores.

difficult in the world. She has trekked up 3210m to Poon Hill in Nepal, and returned to the Camino where she took part in the film documentary Camino Skies.

Next month Claude turns 75 and although the pandemic has thwarted plans to walk the St James Way a second time, she is now aiming to return next year.

The accidental author has now released a second book, Boots to Freedom, about her more recent treks.

“I was neither a walker or a writer,” she says. “It happened as I followed life’s path.”

Boots to Freedom is available at all good bookstores or email claudetranchant.com

IT HAS certainly been a great growing season with the showers and high humidity.

Lots of weeds around too – pulling them out when they are small doesn’t disturb the roots of other plants and they are unable to set seed. Time to give most plants a light prune to keep in shape.

Prepare soil for winter vegies by digging in compost and aged manures, with a dusting of lime for peas and beans. A good variety of seedlings will be available early next month.

Pansies, violas etc will also be available soon. I plant my sweetpea seeds in early March.

A selective weed killer will rid your lawn of unwanted weeds. Fertilise everything now before the cooler weather sets in.

An easy way to have an indoor plant is to grow in just water. I have a Spathyphyllum (peace lily) doing extremely well.

Most garden clubs are starting back up after a long break. I have just returned from a group tour to the Darling Downs area on a nursery crawl. It’s always good to get some different plants that do well here, and needless to say the bus was full of beautiful plants and some very happy people.

Happy gardening.

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BITS & PIECES

WE PAY CASH

LETTERS TAKE me at my word, your magazine is the best by a league of anything deserving the title of magazine or periodical.

Doubtless my judgement is tinctured with my age and place of residence – an aged care community. Nevertheless, it is the judgment of a clear intellect (for which blessing I thank God).

Each month’s end is my good time. I know that Your Time will be delivered.

With some apprehension I waited for the January issue, fearing the Christmas break might push it back, but no, it was right on time. You have achieved a nice balance in the contents. Likewise, a wise selection of topics among which I can be as delighted as Fido with his meaty bone.

Quality all-round marks your production, to which I eagerly draw the attention of fellow residents, some of whom might be a little slow in noticing its arrival each month. Invariably they display their interest.

There is just the one embarrassment for me. Because in every number I find one (but usually more) article I want to keep, the magazine is preserved, and hence I have a growing pile looking for somewhere to be stored. I do not like to snip pages of such a meritorious and carefully designed publication.

Thank you and your staff for the dedication that results in near perfection.

John Higgins

One of the most famous and wide-reaching rumours of World War II was that the English Channel was set alight in 1940 to prevent a German invasion, and was subsequently clogged with charred German bodies.

It was said that British defenders, at the touch of a button, had flooded the coastal waters with petrol and set the sea ablaze.

Sceptics who doubted there was enough petrol in all of Britain to do such a thing, were ignored. Everyone, it seemed, knew someone who had seen the bodies.

Although a Petroleum Warfare Department was established in July 1940, to develop the use of petrol as a weapon of war, the British experiment with submerged oil pipes as a means of defence was abandoned.

Nobody knows how the fire story began but long after the war ended, many Britons still remembered the day the Channel went up in flames.

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AGES & STAGES

by Mocco Wollert

NOT so long ago, sitting with my friend in our favourite coffee shop, I became aware of a table of five. All tables were taken but this one stood out like an oasis in a desert of noise.

Three boys aged probably five to 12 with, obviously, mum and dad – and astoundingly, there was not an electronic device in sight!

The three boys actually sat quietly on their chairs and ate with knife and fork. It was a miracle in the world of unruly, demanding youngsters who normally invade the coffee shop.

Most of them have no table manners, and screech and throw little tantrums when asked to sit still. Mum or Dad might utter a word of warning to behave – totally ignored by their offspring – but mostly they check their mobile phones oblivious to the noise and bad behaviour of their kids.

Of course, I am of the generation where children were seen and not heard. When I met elderly aunts or

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friends of my parents, I even dropped a little curtsy until I was 16.

If I wanted to be heard, I had to claim attention respectfully and quietly.

Interrupting an adult who was speaking would earn a severe rebuke.

My pet hate of bad manners is the “big yawn”. I can still hear my mother’s compelling voice, when I started to yawn “hand before your mouth”. It was a command better heeded or else.

I now watch people yawn with great abandon, opening their mouths as wide as they can. If it is one of those very long yawns that go on forever, I wish to call out “please shut your mouth”.

If some of the young, pretty girls who yawn with their mouth wide open knew how it spoilt their looks, they might consider covering their mouth.

It is funny to watch Mrs Bucket in Keeping up Appearances insisting on proper manners such as pulling out a chair for a lady, or that her longsuffering husband Richard should hold the car door open for her.

That really doesn’t happen much anymore, and I guess the next generation of cars will automatically open their doors when a human approaches.

Going back further – and here I am really showing my age – an acquaintance of my parents would always greet his wife with a subtle kiss on her hand. I found that so romantic and always wanted such a “gentleman”.

I did get the odd kiss on the hand from my husband, but it was mostly when he had had one drink too many!

Saying thank you and please has also largely disappeared from the mannersmenu. There are many grandmothers and great-grandmothers who do not receive a thank-you for a present given, a task fulfilled, or a favour done.

Maybe the reason Downton Abbey was such a popular series, was because we all admired their unfailing good manners, no matter what the situation.

Maybe we secretly yearn to go back to a more graceful life.

May somebody open a car door for you – or at least hand you the seatbelt.

by Cheryl Lockwood

REMEMBER when you had to be at home to receive a phone call? If you were out, the caller would have to try again later.

Our home phone was basic black and had pride of place on its own small table with an attached seat. An operator would connect us to the requested number. In my country town, phone numbers were just three digits long.

To “dial” the operator, one gave a few rapid turns of the small handle on the phone.

Phones then went to having a dial with finger holes for each number. Push button models followed. We moved on to automatic exchanges.

As kids, this meant we could make prank calls when our parents were out.

Perhaps, telemarketers are my payback for those days.

As for public phones, they are far and few between these days. I have memories of ringing my parents from a phone box in Cairns pre-mobile phone days. It was summer and felt like a sauna inside the little glass-sided box.

Now we find it hard to imagine life without our ever-present mobile devices.

A standard feature of these modern wonders is caller ID. What a great thing! We know who is trying to reach us before we answer.

When family calls, their name and picture pops up. The downside is that it leaves us with no excuse not to return a

call. Recently, I was at home and hubby was out. My phone rang and his sweet smile appeared on the screen.

For reasons I cannot explain, except to say that I like to make him laugh, I answered the phone with a drawn-out, seductive “Helloooo”.

The lovely man who replied was not my husband, but the person who happened to find my husband’s phone.

The thoughtful young chap had decided to try the last number dialled in an attempt to find the owner. The call log – another handy function.

Through my laughter, I explained that I had answered the phone like an idiot because I thought I was talking to my husband.

The finder of the phone kindly left it with staff at the store where he had found it. Naturally, we were most grateful.

Lucky we were not using that other marvellous new invention, the video call.

I really didn’t need any strangers seeing my red face!

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ACTIVE LIVING

Ways to avoid playing the hunch

FIT HAPPENS With Tom Law

Hunched shoulders are a common curse of our high-tech life. TRISTAN HALL suggests some easy ways to get your posture back into shape.

WHEN I struggle to lift my kayak on to the roof of the car, I often have some wellmeaning people offer to help me.

Last time I did it, someone said there was a small, inexpensive machine that makes it easier. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all the help I can get, but while I am still capable of lifting my own kayak on to the car, I want to keep doing it – and for as long as I can.

One of the reasons we now find ourselves in a national physical state that leaves a lot to be desired is, in my humble opinion, because many of us strive to make life easier. In the process, we may well have made our bodies weaker, less resistant to disease and tending towards obesity.

If you cannot possibly lift your own kayak, then of course seek assistance in whatever form that comes.

But all too often we take the easy option when it is not necessary.

I

f you spend hours tapping away on your computer or leaning over a mobile phone or tablet, your body will bear the cost. You can easily develop the unsightly hunched look.

Rounded shoulders mean many chest and back muscles have tightened up. To restore your posture, you need to release and strengthen these neglected friends.

Here are some easy ways to get started: DOORFRAME STRETCH FOR PECTORAL MUSCLES. Stand in a doorway. Put your hands and forearms behind the door frame in an L position. Keep your feet close together. Lean forward. You will feel a stretch in your major and minor pectoral muscles. Hold this for about 20 seconds. Release and then lean into the stretch again. Repeat 5 times.

You may also feel a pleasant stretch and softening around your shoulder blades.

To stretch your small pectoral muscles, the pec minor, do the same exercise with your hands

higher on the door frame. Your hands will be above your head height.

THE YWTL STRETCH. This exercise gives you an overall stretch for your upper back. Stand in an open space. Raise your arms above your head palms facing forward. Push your arms back.

They should be in a Y position to your body. Hold for 30 seconds.

Next, lower your elbows to make a W shape in line with your body.

Your palms will now be at shoulder height.

Stretch back and hold.

Next, move your arms out to

the sides at shoulder height, making a T. Stretch your arms back and hold for 30 seconds. The last shape is an L. Put your upper arms alongside your trunk.

With your elbows bent and hands facing out to the side, make and hold an L shape.

BROOMSTICK BACK AND CHEST STRETCH. Take a broom stick. Remove the brush head. Put the stick across the back of your shoulders. Hold the stick near the ends then lift it high above you. Push the stick backwards to stretch your chest, back and shoulder blades. Check in with your posture and use your core muscles. Hold for 20 seconds, release and then repeat five times.

Once you are comfortable with this stretch, you can adapt it. Move the broomstick lower to access different muscles. Look out for tight sore spots and give them some extra attention.

Tristan Hall is an exercise physiologist with Full Circle Wellness. Call 0431 192 284 or visit fullcirclewellness.com.au

The kayak is just one example, but it is indicative of the way we live. Most of us take the elevator rather than the stairs; use the car to travel short distances; park near the entrance to the store rather than in one of the many vacant carparks further away.

The list goes on.

Of course, many of us are no longer able to do some of the stuff we did when we were young, but it is still important to carry on as best as we can.

Lift, pull, push should be part of our daily plan, be it in a programmed exercise scenario or in doing the gardening, cleaning out the shed, or mowing the lawn. All of these require us to work our bodies.

My advice is to do as much as you can for as long as you can. Obviously, consult your doctor before commencing any exercise program and listen to your body. That, at least, is easy to do.

Tom Law is the author of Tom’s Law Fit Happens. Visit tomslaw.com.au

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Helping you make the right choice for aged care 12 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / March 2021

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25/02/2021 1:56:49 PM

HISTORY

The visionary of Rainbow Street The engineer behind the most famous bridges of Brisbane and Sydney was born in Sandgate. ELAINE O’BRIEN tells the story of the coastal suburb’s most famous son.

J

ohn Job Crew Bradfield, born in Sandgate on Boxing Day, 1867, was known for his lead role in the design and construction of Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and underground railway.

These projects were vital for the growth of this now large city.

He started his life in Rainbow St, Sandgate, on two roods of land on the corner of Washington St. His family moved to Ipswich where John attended North Ipswich State School and won a scholarship to Ipswich Grammar School. He studied at Sydney University and travelled overseas to study in Europe and America in 1914.

After his work in Sydney, he took on many Queensland projects. These included planning and design work for the St Lucia site of the University of Queensland

campus, consulting engineering work for the Story Bridge and advisory work for the Hornibrook Highway.

In 1940, when Story Bridge was completed, it was the seventh largest cantilever bridge in the world.

Another visionary idea was never realised – the Bradfield Plan. He wanted to take the monsoonal waters pouring into far north Queensland rivers, pipe them across the Great Dividing Range, and direct them into Lake Eyre .

When Bradfield was sitting in his Sydney office dreaming of this scheme, the bulldozer was a novelty, and yet now with satellite guided excavators, his plan could reasonably be implemented.

He died in Sydney in September 1943.

People have wanted to honour Dr Bradfield by changing the name of Rainbow St to Bradfield St but he humbly asked that the name remain unchanged.

However, he does give his name to Bradfield Street in Brighton.

A talk on the life and achievements of Dr Jphn Bradfield will be held at the Sandgate Museum and Historical Society, 150 Rainbow St, Sandgate on Sunday March 28, at 2pm. Call Pam 0410 327 095.

HOME SWEET HOME After spending much of last year at home, DIANA HACKER had pause to ponder the days of her childhood when home was a much humbler place.

MY first family home that I shared with my parents just after World War II, had just four rooms. There was no bathroom, laundry or indoor toilet. Washing was done in the yard, clothes being boiled in a wood-fired copper.

They were scrubbed and rinsed in big tin tubs set out on a bench. These same tubs were used for bathing. It was comfortable having your bathroom set up in front of the stove on a cold day.

There was just one door leading into a wide narrow room which was the kitchen and eating area. A cold-water tap ran in from a small tank outside.

Above the tap was a towel rail where my father’s towel hung and a bag hand towel hung from a hook beside it. It was a rule that you did not dry your hands on the bath towel. One day I forgot and when I used it a small snake popped out.

Furniture in this room was a table, chairs and a cupboard for storing plates, cutlery and food items.

There was no fridge , just a meat safe hanging in a breezeway. The sitting room held a battery-operated radio and the precious Singer sewing machine.

The other rooms were my tiny bedroom and one for my parents.

The little house had been relocated.

When it was re-erected, the walls and ceiling were aligned but the sheets of roofing iron had not necessarily gone back into the same place. And neither did the nails go back in the same holes.

When it rained, which it did often in the ’40s and ’50s, the roof leaked and water dripped through the ceiling.

The little house was mostly dry, always warm and very happy. The only stress my mother and I experienced was when the big grey tom cat brought death adders home, dropped them in the doorway and proceeded to bat them with his paw until they died. Fortunately, he never missed and survived to a great age.

But to this day, I never dry my hands on anything but a hand towel.

Diana Hacker is archivist for the Queensland Women’s Historical Association. Visit miegunyah.org

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Brisbane

25/02/2021 1:57:18 PM

OUR PEOPLE

Barry finds his focus on Vietnam When Barry Cheeseman was called up to fight in the Vietnam War at the tender age of 21, he never imagined the country would ultimately shape his life. GLENIS GREEN meets an award-winning photographer.

J

OINING A company, 9 Battalion where he was designated as a scout, Barry Cheeseman’s 1968-1969 tour in Vietnam was quite the reality check for the innocent young scholar who had been born and schooled in Newcastle, NSW. “I was young and naive and didn’t fully understand why I was there,” he recalls. “I was in the infantry as a scout for the first part of the tour, but I appreciate going through that experience. It changed me.

Photography and Vietnam changed my life around” Once back in Australia, Barry married his sweetheart Lesley and his financial acumen led to him to move to

Beaudesert as CEO of a community credit society. It was while working there in 1998-99 that a friend suggested he take up photography as a form of stress relief.

He had not done any real photography before, although his dad had had cameras which he would sometimes use.

The idea appealed and, together with his friend, he attended a TAFE photography course and then the Brisbane College of Photography.

He also joined the Beaudesert Camera Club and began investing in more and better gear.

So began his studio, Mystique of Images in Brisbane

which lasted until 2007 when rents became too exorbitant.

Meantime his wife Lesley suggested that to gain some closure from the horrors of the war, they should go back to Vietnam as tourists.

“I enjoyed it so much. It brought closure and I wanted to go back again,” he said.

By this time Barry was an accredited judge of photography in Queensland and a member of the Photographic Society of Queensland, so the idea formed to put together a photography tour of Vietnam. It was so successful that he has been running the tours since 2008.

But it was his skill with the camera and developing rapport with the Vietnamese people that led to him publishing his first book in 2008-9 - Portraits of Vietnam focusing on images of locals going about their lives.

As a courtesy, Barry sent a copy to the Vietnamese Consul-General to Australia, Vu Hong Nam. It was subsequently recognised by the Vietnamese

Government as a true representation of the people of Vietnam and their lifestyle.

“I wasn’t expecting anything, maybe a thank-you card, and then I got a phone call saying ‘this is Nam’ from the consulgeneral. He said all my visas had been completed and when next in Hanoi I should come and meet his people.

“If you’d told me that 40 years after the war I’d be getting introduced to all the senior people in the Vietnamese Government and the Vietnamese Government Publishing House I wouldn’t have believed it,” Barry says.

Fast forward through a whirlwind ride of photography tours, government recognition and making firm friends with many Vietnamese officials and country folk.

Barry’s photography has been recognised with awards and honours around the world.

Now living in Palmwoods, he has twice been runner-up in the Black and White Spider awards and in 2019, was approached to join the Australian Academy which embraces all media types. Only 20 photographers are members.

Last year, the prestigious DEK UNU Magazine in the USA published his works, Postcards from Vietnam, for the month of February, which consisted of 11 portraits of everyday rural Vietnamese together with individual comment and an interview with the photographer.

It was one of only 11 issues online and in print each year.

In 2019, Barry was admitted as a Chevalier Academicien of the Mondial Art Academia based in France, which selects artists from all genres around the world to be members.

He has also published a horse racing themed book of photos entitled They Gallop at Dawn.

Most at home behind a Nikon 800E and Nikon D3, Barry is now working on portraits for the first Berliner Art Book 2021.

“It’s photographing people that I enjoy – trying to capture the real person, looking beyond the face that we go through life with and seeing the real person (within),” he says.

Moving on from his early days of prints and chemicals in the darkroom, Barry has now honed his skills in digital photography and enjoys manipulating and using composite images to achieve the images he wants.

Along with an aspiring young photographer Peter Detheridge, he has set up a studio in the Palmwoods CWA Hall where he photographs local people and aspiring models, often working with Mr Beesley’s Vintage Clothing in Nambour.

He’s also planning another trip to remote regions of Vietnam once restrictions lift.

“Photography has opened so many doors. I’ve enjoyed where it has taken us and I never believed it would.

“It’s been an exciting life, and something I never thought would happen,” Barry says.

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0448 201 884 March 2021 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 15

25/02/2021 1:57:48 PM

TECHNOLOGY

You don’t have to like tech to use it Every day NATHAN WELLINGTON meets someone who is struggling with technology. The reasons are always remarkably similar.

T

he struggle with technology is a subject dear to my heart. People tell me about their frustrations and the reasons they don’t want to use it.

Often it’s a lack of understanding of how it works and, when it doesn’t work the way it’s meant to, immediately thinking it’s something we have done wrong or that we’ve broken it.

It brings out the worst in us –hidden insecurities, frustrations, second guessing or even throwing up our hands in exhaustion.

Believe me, I have heard it all.

The purpose of this article is to offer a brief explanation for some of the most common questions and statements that we hear among our more than 2500 clients.

16 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / March 2021

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WHY DID IT DO THAT? Generally, we have heard this same question many times. Often, the problem is to do with an update issue that corrupted another piece of software, or one device won’t talk to another because Microsoft hasn’t communicated with Epson or HP hasn’t checked with Canon. Sometimes hardware fails due to poor manufacturing or worn-out components.

Then there are some issues where there is no obvious technical reason for the error and no matter what your technical skill, you probably won’t get to the bottom of it.

WAS IT ME? Granted many of our calls may be put down to “user error” and these require some gentle guidance and written instructions. If it is you, don’t worry because 90 per cent of users are in the same boat.

There is a misconception that because you’re over 60 you don’t know what you’re doing, but neither do most of the younger ones. They just won’t admit it. It is common for me to receive many phone calls on a Monday morning from clients whose kids and grandkids visited on the weekend and made their computer problem worse. A word to the wise, don’t let anyone else try

and fix your computer problem for free, it generally ends poorly.

I’M JUST TOO OLD TO USE IT Doris, one of my oldest clients – she’s 97 – has a Windows 10 computer she uses to track her family tree, an iPad for listening to classical music through YouTube and a Samsung smart phone for texting, email and using google maps to direct her taxi driver.

Ron is 95, blind and partially deaf and uses his Windows 10 computer to play his favourite music playlist and his Samsung phone to talk to his kids every day. You are never too old, and granted, it can be frustrating – learning anything new is frustrating – but with persistence and patience it will reward you in many other ways.

I DON’T SEE WHY I SHOULD USE IT This comment is like standing on the beach and pushing back the tide with your hands. The wave of technology is here to stay and despite your best efforts to resist it, it is fast becoming the norm for most means of communication, including major retailers, banks, energy companies and telecommunications providers.

I have seen those who have decided to shun technology to their detriment. In the long term, they talk to friends and family

less and become more isolated. As they become frail, they find it more difficult to perform daily chores such as paying bills by cheque at the post office or shopping.

I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START There are many resources to access, from local community groups to library courses and even online videos. We have many clients we tutor in their home. They keep a little note pad of questions to ask, and when they get to the end of the page, they call us for an appointment.

We then go step by step through the list and help them with their learning and even leave them with homework. The key is persistence; the way to learn is to practise every day, even for just 30 minutes a day. Don’t be too hard on yourself, but give yourself time to make mistakes and continue to practise.

No one ever jumped into a car and drove perfectly the first time and technology is no different.

You may never like using it, but it will enhance your life in subtle ways, like keeping you connected to friends and family and helping with simple chores in daily life as you grow older.

Email Nathan Wellington at info@home techassist.com.au or call 1300 682 817.

Brisbane

25/02/2021 1:58:12 PM

CARE AFFAIRS

When it’s time to hang up the keys Getting a driver’s licence is a rite of passage for most young Australians, but how do you know when it’s time to give it up? KENDALL MORTON discusses the ways and means of calling it a day.

A

driver’s licence brings the sweet promise of independence and freedom at 17, but decades later, you may have to concede and hang up the car keys for the last time. It’s also a life milestone, but not a joyful one.

Many older drivers recognise that they are not enjoying driving and are not coping with difficult situations. They make a gradual transition to not driving. They stop driving at night and avoid peak hour traffic and highways. Instead, they stick to familiar routes and local areas.

These moves can keep you driving safely for longer, but the time still may come when you or a family member needs to stop driving completely. How will you know?

The Queensland Government website lists some of the changes that can come with aging and will impact driving ability.

For instance, your vision can deteriorate.

You may not see pedestrians or cyclists as well as you did previously. You may not be scanning for the unexpected.

Night vision or peripheral vision can deteriorate. You may have trouble changing your focal length from looking at things up close, such as a crossing sign, to

what’s in the distance.

Be sure to have an annual eye test.

Keep your windscreen clean and wear sunglasses during daylight.

Physical condition will affect driving ability too. If you have a stiff neck, you may not scan the traffic to your side as frequently as in the past. If you have knee pain, using the pedals quickly can be awkward.

Driving requires muscle strength, flexibility and quick fluid responses.

You need to process information

quickly: How fast is that bike travelling? Is that child about to step out on the road?

If your mental processing slows, it’s hard to make safe choices quickly. Your slow reaction time can annoy other drivers too. They will let you know with tooting horns which only adds to the stress of driving.

The RACQ offers a useful service to help seniors stay safe on the road. It’s called The Years Ahead program. It’s a free 45-minute presentation for community groups and at retirement villages.

The motoring club recognises that many seniors first learnt the road rules more than 50 years ago. Much has changed. We have merging lanes and roundabouts.

The RACQ presenter will review the road rules, tell you about medical reporting and allow plenty of time for questions. To book a talk for your group, call the RACQ Community and Education team on 1300 853 658.

In Queensland, the law requires that any driver over 75 must have a medical certificate. This certificate is usually valid for a year. If your doctor approves you to keep driving, this will show as an M on

your licence.

Your doctor may put certain conditions on your licence such as daytime driving only. You will need to carry this certificate with you when you drive and show it to police if asked.

There is another resource your doctor can help with.

Many driving schools offer driving assessments for older drivers.

On the Sunshine Coast, Roadwise Driver Training runs this service.

Director Michael Stibbard conducts about 20 driver safety assessments with older drivers each month. Each is done in a dual control vehicle. Mr Stibbard meets the driver at their own home and returns them there.

The driving assessment takes about 45 minutes. The assessor looks at a range of factors, including how well you respond to traffic conditions and how you operate the controls of the car.

Afterwards he puts together a report for your doctor who will decide whether you can keep driving or not.

Kendall Morton is the Director of Home Care Assistance. Email kmorton@ homecareassistance.com

60 Kuran Street, Chermside QLD Phone. (07) 3624 2121 |

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Brisbane

17.indd 3

March 2021 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 17

25/02/2021 1:58:45 PM

MOTORING

CONNECTIONS

City SUV enjoys a run in the country

Martin’s winning recipe

Perceptions can be the new reality when it comes to cars. BRUCE McMAHON takes a look at Volkswagen’s T-Cross, a so-called compact Sports Utility Vehicle.

When an avid foodie stumbled on an idea to bring lonely people together over a cuppa, he decided to use his scone – literally, writes GLENIS GREEN.

T

he T-Cross is the German manufacturer’s first foray into this part of the market and, with retail prices from $27,990, the cheapest of VW’s range of SUVs. Yet, while many will see the T-Cross as a small car in today’s world, it’s wider and taller than the 1963 EH Holden, a car considered a proper, full-sized family sedan back in the day.

(As a hatchback the VW is a tad shorter than the EH.) And consider this: The famous 179 Holden motor produced 86kW from six cylinders, the VW manages 85kW from a three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine.

So, while the VW is aimed at citified drivers it does have the ability to conquer indifferent road conditions past city limits; way beyond the perceptions.

It’s just that some folk now won’t head west unless sitting up in a three-tonne LandCruiser with all the mod-cons.

The front-wheel drive T-Cross does miss out – as do most so-called SUVs – on a full-sized spare, it doesn’t have push-button start and you need to plug the phone into the infotainment system to get satellite navigation.

But there’s airconditioning, electric windows all round, a decent stereo system and a host of safety aids including driver fatigue monitoring, rear view camera and front sensors to warn, and help brake, for wandering pedestrians and such.

Added to a fair degree of substance is a goodly amount of style, for the VW is one of the

I

smarter-looking SUVs in this market niche.

The interior also looks smart with a clean and tidy layout and excellent ergonomics, although it is let down by hard plastic trims across dashboard and doors.

More appreciated is the amount of cabin room. A six-footer (in the old language) can sit behind a six-foot driver while head and shoulder room are great for four proper-sized adults.

Cargo space isn’t huge, although the back seat can be slid forward for extra room.

Out and about, the VW’s engine is always looking for work. It can be a touch sluggish getting off the line – waiting for the fuel-saving stop-start system to fire and auto clutch to engage – but it runs smartly through to 6500rpm, shifting through a seven-speed automatic which likes to shift into higher gears as soon as possible.

This can cause a little

IRT Home Care Queensland IRT has been caring for older Australians for over 50 years.

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drivetrain grumble, overcome by a bootful of revs or manually shifting gears.

Past city limits, the T-Cross is quiet and comfortable, riding on 16-inch wheels with roadbiased tyres. With front-drive and 185mm of ground clearance the VW has a tendency to understeer with some body tip if harassed into a turn.

Drive to conditions and the VW is a competent highway machine, despite its positioning as a city-to-suburbs SUV. It rides, steers and brakes with confidence and a fair suppleness over rougher conditions and, given a prod, doesn’t shy from overtaking lumbering LandCruisers.

Fuel consumption for a combined city-country outing should be around 6 litres per 100 kilometres or better.

So, despite the perception that city-centric SUVs should not be let out of town, VW’s T-Cross won’t be upset by the occasional run into the countryside.

t was just a random pop-up on his Facebook page that caught Martin Duncan’s attention. A 96-year-old woman in Scotland had come up with a remarkable solution to the isolation she had been feeling since her partner’s death 15 years earlier.

With no friends and family, she decided to hold morning teas to, as Martin puts it, “escape her cage”. The concept was a big success and Martin was sold.

“I can do this,” he told himself and so his novel networking idea – Scone Time – was born, 18 months before Covid-19 hit.

Scone Time quickly became a community connector where seniors could come together with family, friends and local business owners over fresh hot scones loaded with home-made jam and whipped cream.

A New Zealander by birth, Martin said he had always been a keen cook and foodie.

“It started with my grandmother, she was an amazing cook, an amazing baker and every time I went there, she would make something different, but unfortunately her recipes went with her,” he says. “She gave me a cookbook when I was seven, for Christmas. It was the New Zealand Women’s Weekly Cookbook. I kicked Mum out of the kitchen and kept on cooking.”

After completing a chef’s apprenticeship in his home town of Temuka, he came to Australia where he worked on the islands and later opened a cafe in Terrigal in New South Wales.

He graduated to opening and running cafes in Brisbane where he would regularly network the

Personal care

Health and wellbeing support

Cleaning and household tasks

Social connection

Nursing services

Home safety and security

Getting out and about

Concierge service

local traders, and then ran a cooking school on the Sunshine Coast where he moved when the commute became too onerous.

But it’s his Scone Time that has captured the imagination.

Martin sets up at a venue, usually a local hall or meeting room, and with the help of volunteers prepares tables with vintage tea sets, gets the coffee and tea brewing, and warms up his freshly made scones along with lashings of jam and cream sourced from local farmers.

“The biggest thing for those who attend is the connection,” he says. “There are some amazing stories.

“One guy hadn’t been out for two years after his wife had passed away, and I told him ‘you’ve got to come’. He wasn’t on the internet so I said, ‘just come, come with me’ and I put him on a table with a lot of girls – the youngest was 82 – and they brought him into the fold. That’s what I love.”

Despite often making 360 scones a week with his own nutritious recipe which includes vanilla, yoghurt and egg, Martin says he never tires of them – and happily scoffs them himself.

Call 134 478 or visit irt.org.au/homecare 18 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / March 2021

18.indd 2

Brisbane

25/02/2021 1:59:17 PM

COMMUNITY NEWS

PARKINSON’S SUPPORT THOSE suffering Parkinson’s disease and their families and carers can be assured they are not alone.

A number of support groups are available within the community. These are informal community-based self-help groups mainly for people suffering from Parkinson’s and their carers but families, relatives and any others with an interest in this progressive neurological condition are also welcome.

Groups meeting regularly in north Brisbane are: • Bribie Island Support Group of Parkinson’s Queensland meets second Thursday of each month, 1pm-3pm at the Bribie Island RSL Club.

• Geebung/Zillmere meets on the first Thursday of each month, 10am-noon at the Geebung/Zillmere RSL Club.

• Mitchelton meets on the first Tuesday of each month, 10am-noon at the Gaythorne RSL Club.

• Strathpine/Lawnton meets on the second Tuesday of each month, 10am-noon at the Petrie Hotel.

• Redcliffe Community Parkinson’s Support Group meets on the fourth Thursday of each month, 10am-noon at the Redcliffe RSL Club.

Information on support groups in other areas can be obtained from Parkinson’s Queensland Inc on 1800 644 189 Call David Martin 0418 750 120.

GO FOR THE BEGONIAS

THE Queensland Begonia Society presents “Begonias are Fun to Grow in 2021” at the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens auditorium.

Learn more about the begonia and pick up some bargains. There will be plant sales, raffles and refreshments available.

Saturday, February 27, 9am-3pm, workshop 11am.

Admission $4.

EFT is available for plant sales. Bring your own bags and boxes.

Email qldbegoniasociety@gmail.com

QUEENSLAND FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH GUEST speaker at this month’s general meeting of the Queensland Family History Society is Sue Reid, who will go beyond the basic search facilities of Trove to introduce the use of Tags, Comments and Lists to get the greatest benefit from research.

Her family history journey began when a cousin gave her a copy of a diary written by an ancestor who was a missionary in Russia in the early 19th century.

She has presented sessions at a number of family history conferences and seminars, including the two most recent Australasian Congresses on Genealogy and Heraldry, the State Library of Queensland, and the National Archives of Australia.

Sue, who has been admitted as a Fellow of the Queensland Family History Society, the highest honour bestowed, is the author of a number of articles on family history published in local and overseas family history journals and other publications.

As well as serving on the committee of QFHS, Sue also convenes the QFHS Family History Writing Group and is chairman of the QFHS Education Sub-Committee. * * * * * * IN 1856, Queensland introduced compulsory registration of life events.

This is now a valuable research resource, with records of the births, deaths and marriages that took place in Queensland from 1829 to the present day.

Historical records are births that took place more than 100 years ago, marriages that took place more than 75 years ago and deaths that occurred more than 30 years ago. These records are free to search.

Obtaining the birth, death and marriage certificates of your parents is an important first step in beginning family history research. The certificates establish basic information such as dates, places of birth, death, and marriage. Some death certificates will include the cause of death.

Additional information is also included such as occupation, siblings, addresses and names of other family members.

At the beginning of January, another year for searching and getting copies of these certificates was added. The embargo times for the release of certificates varies from state to state.

But be aware that mistakes in certificates can and do occur. This could be a spelling error, or a transcription or indexing mistake or perhaps the person giving the information.

Double check with other sources you may have such as familyhistory.bdm.qld. gov.au. There is a charge for obtaining a certificate and the price and options vary from state to state. Read the information on the websites before you make a decision.

Queensland Family History Society can assist with your research questions.

Visit qfhs.org.au

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BRAIN MATTERS

Meet the dementia myth buster Three common myths about dementia were immediately busted in conversation with author Kailas Roberts, writes DOT WHITTINGTON. And there was plenty more to come.

W

ITH three close family members affected by some form of dementia, I considered myself relatively well educated about dementia, sufficiently so that, like many over 60s, I have a mortal fear I might be next.

Kailas Roberts (pictured), who this month releases his book Mind Your Brain – The Essential Australian Guide to Dementia, quickly and simply dispels the myths – and to some extent the fear – as he explains the realities.

First of all, early diagnosis does make a difference. Secondly, memory loss is not the only symptom to watch for, and thirdly, doing crossword puzzles every day isn’t going to help as much as you might think.

Kailas’ job title is quite a mouthful – psychogeriatrician – which means that he knows much more about dementia than most. After gaining his medical degree, he specialised in psychiatry and then about 15 years ago took his specialty a step further into old age psychiatry.

“I was put into a community old age mental health team and found it was a breath of fresh air,” he says. “I really enjoyed working with the elderly and in the cognitive assessment side of things. I realised this was the subsection I wanted to do.”

These days, 70 per cent of his work is with older people and he has come to realise that many people don’t seem to know that much about dementia, hence his decision to write the book.

“People come to me with memory problems, and many don’t know the difference

between dementia and Alzheimer’s,” he says. “Many think that dementia is due to normal ageing and this, with a fear of diagnosis, means they leave it too late. We can do a lot more when it is diagnosed earlier.”

Once recognised, it is easier to make clearer plans, anticipate issues, foreshadow interventions and have discussions with the person while they can, rather than relying on relatives to make decisions later.

Dr Roberts has also been surprised at how much uncertainty there is about diagnosis.

“Many think it is just a

memory problem, but it could be language, behavioural changes, or planning and organisational abilities,” he says.

“If there is a change in function in any of these areas, you should see about it. The more people can understand what is causing the issue the more power they have to deal with it.”

In addition, severe depression and anxiety can look like dementia and medications can cause cognitive problems.

With his experience, an urge to write, and a gift for giving simple explanations, he set about making Mind Your Brain as user-friendly as possible.

“It was important to make it readable,” he says. “There are few dementia books around and most are too medical and heavy. I wanted to write something accessible that could be read on different levels.”

The books is in two parts.

The first explores the science of dementia: how the healthy brain functions, how it changes as we

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age, the causes of cognitive decline and how to prevent it, and what dementia actually is.

It explains the main types of dementia: Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, alcohol-related dementia and forms of predominantly subcortical dementia.

Part Two focuses on the lived experience of dementia, in all its aspects – being assessed and diagnosed, symptoms and treatments, the physical and psychological challenges and practical life changes that can maximise comfort and happiness.

It also discusses legal and ethical issues, residential care options, and dying and end-oflife care.

One chapter is devoted to trying to prevent or delay dementia onset, which raises the question of the daily crossword puzzle.

“If you are exercising the brain in the ways you always have it won’t be as effective as doing something you are not used to,” he says. “If you have always done a crossword puzzle, try Soduku. Complex mental activity is good for your brain.”

His other key message is to not avoid diagnosis as there are things that can be done to help.

“It’s not the end of the world and there can be some years of reasonable quality of life,” he says. “Memories are going to become increasingly impaired, but you don’t have to have a fully functioning brain to derive pleasure and happiness.”

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dementia now. Is it more common or are there more of us?”

In Australia, more than 400,000 people are known to have dementia and this is projected to keep increasing. It’s simply that only now are we living long enough to get it.

“Medicine has come a long way so we are no longer dying of heart disease but vascular problems are still there and can cause dementia,” Dr Roberts says.

“We live longer but we have not quite worked out what to do with our brain when it gets to those later years.”

Lifestyle factors are relevant too – poor diet, fast food, lack of exercise, and excessive alcohol may be more prevalent and not helping the situation.

If you have any concerns, the best person to see is your GP as they know you best. The GP can do some screening and basic testing and depending on the outcome, will know which specialist to send you to.

Mind your Brain – The Essential Australian Guide to Dementia is now available at all good bookstores and online.

Visit yourbraininmind.com or uqp.com.au and search Mind Your Brain.

Call 134 478 or visit irt.org.au Brisbane

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March 2021 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 21

25/02/2021 2:03:17 PM

ON TRACK

Extending the hand of friendship is a healthy habit Retirement can be an opportunity for friendships to flourish or a time when interests diverge, and contact is lost. JUDY RAFFERTY discusses the value and importance of having other people in your life.

S

ometimes retirement means you have time to reinvest in old friendships or make new ones, or it can lead to a loss of contact with others. Existing friends do not seem to be available, or you or your friends move away from your local area.

It is well known that having and making connections with others is good for your health.

According to research, when you have friends you see yourself as having a better

quality of life. You are more satisfied with life and have a lower risk of dementia, less likelihood of developing anxiety or depression, better self-esteem, recover faster from illness and live longer.

It is important to have a range of friends. Different friends fill different roles in your life.

Bill told me that his low mood began when he lost his friends and his mood was in danger of developing into a full

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depression. He lived alone as his wife had died many years earlier, but he had three good friends.

Two had been in the same club for many years as fellow motor bike riders and they had weathered many good and bad times together. The third had joined them more recently (10 years ago) but was not good at planning or commitment and did not like playing cards.

Together, the three met Bill’s social needs and provided support as needed.

Then, one left the area to live with and support his daughter. Not long after, one had a stroke and went into care.

Bill was bereft and suddenly left with the non-card playing bloke who did not like to plan ahead. The pleasurable planning, anticipation of outings and get-togethers, and the card mornings all disappeared.

“You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”

– A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh Over a few months, Bill became more introverted and less enthusiastic about life.

The obvious answer was for him to make new friends. So why had he not done so?

Making new friends, even just being friendly, is hard work. As a minimum it takes self-confidence and energy. These are hard things to find when you are feeling a bit bereft or are in a new place.

I am suggesting something very small but powerful. The suggestion is that you find, and take, every opportunity just to say a friendly hello to another person.

If you are getting to the end of the day and have not had contact with another person make sure that you go out and about and create the opportunity, even if you go no further than your front garden or the foyer of your apartment building.

Once you are doing this each day you are in the process of forming a micro habit.

A micro habit is a small positive behaviour completed every day. Over time, it becomes an established habit. Often, we fail to make new behaviours into habits because we try to do something that is too big or too hard, and we give up.

It can be hard to be friendly when you are feeling down and a bit isolated. What seems simple – giving a smile and saying hello – can be surprisingly difficult. This is a case of JUST DO IT. Remember that others often feel as awkward as you do. Take the lead. Be friendly. Be positive and smile. You are not committing to a marriage or to being mates for life. You are just saying hello.

Don’t forget your body language. Keep your eyes up and smile ready. Looking at the ground doesn’t help. Even that small contact (especially if you look into someone else’s eyes) will give your brain’s dopamine reward system the boost it needs so that you will feel better about yourself and about the day.

Be the change you want to see in your own life. If you want people to smile at you and say hello, then you do it first and see what happens.

Be brave and give yourself a push!

Judy Rafferty is a psychologist and author of Retirement Your Way, A Practical Guide to Knowing What You Want and How to Get It. Available at all good bookshops and online.

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FINANCE

Granny flats – be safe not sorry The concept of a granny flat arrangement seems commendable yet, writes LESA MACPHERSON, it easily can – and often does – end badly for everyone involved.

Sometimes there is the fairytale ending like this, but sadly, the arrangement can also fall apart and end in acrimony and bitterness.

Putting aside the complex social security and tax issues that can arise with Granny Flat Agreements – which are lengthy topics in their own right – to get them right and protect all parties there first must be careful and detailed discussion. If not, there is a substantial risk that the end of the arrangement will not be pretty, with recrimination on all sides. The key rule is to put the agreement in writing.

A recent case involved the classic scenario. Mum put $200,000 into the construction of a self-contained unit on her son and daughter-in-law’s property.

Happy days. What could go wrong?

In time, the mother and the daughterin-law started to get on each other’s nerves, then it progressed to outright shouting, and the situation became (in the older person’s eyes) intolerable.

The son took his wife’s side. There

T

he idea is so sweet – a loving child provides care and accommodation for the elder person, while perhaps enhancing the home and saving money in the process. Three generations share meals, stories, and happy times.

was nothing in writing. Mum now lives in a caravan and would like her money back. The response: “But Mum, it was a gift. You chose to move out. It’s our property. Sorry, but it’s bad luck for you”.

Mum, who is in her 80s, now faces expensive court action to get her money, or at least some of it, back.

Before a Granny Flat arrangement is entered into, consider such things as: • What happens if a party changes their mind?

• Can it be unwound? How? At what/ whose cost?

• What happens if granny needs to go to aged care, because her needs become too great for the child?

• Who pays rates, insurance, electricity, maintenance, and other outgoings?

• What if the child becomes sick, has to move away, dies, or separates?

• What happens if the property is to be sold – does the granny flat interest pass to the new property?

• Is the payment treated as a debt, which is eroded over time, or a percentage of

the property value which increases?

• Is there a fee (offset against the contribution) for the care assistance, and living accommodation the flat provides?

• What do the other children say, if their hoped-for inheritance is effectively (partially or wholly) passed on to one child only?

This list only scratches the surface of the matters that should be discussed, and then documented. Expert legal advice is essential.

When these arrangements are first discussed no one wants to face up to what may happen if the arrangement fails, but the reality is that it often does, and then there is the challenge of trying to determine what the parties are entitled to when there is no agreement setting that out.

Lesa Macpherson is an expert in elder law issues, including granny flat agreements, at Brisbane Elder Law. Visit brisbaneelderlaw.com.au or call 1800 961 622.

REVERSE MORTGAGES AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR — By Russell Hunter WHILE it’s true you can’t eat the family home, there’s more than one way to cash at least some of the equity tied up in it.

As the Your Time February feature on reverse mortgages mentioned, the Australian sector offers a range of products that have a higher set of conditions than the Centrelink option, but reverse mortgage specialist Paul Dwyer takes that several steps further. And after 18 years in the reverse mortgage sector, he’s in a position to know the ins and outs.

“The regulator, ASIC, reviewed the industry in 2018 and found that while it was generally working well, there was room for further examination of future needs,” he said. Reverse mortgage providers and the brokers that serve them began to dig deeper.

“We look at things such as the

condition of the house to be mortgaged,” said Mr Dwyer of Reverse Mortgage Finance Solutions.

That asset, he explains, could be the principle place of residence or other residential security such as a beach house.

The Centrelink options offer commercial property or vacant land “We’ll want to look at factors such as the condition of the home,” he said. “Will repairs and maintenance be needed? We’ll want to know the client’s specific aims – life aims as well as financial goals.”

The traditional reverse mortgage will provide a lump sum, an income stream line of credit, or a combination that suits the borrower’s needs.

The private sector, Mr Dwyer says, actually has more consumer protections in place such as guarantees that debt will

never exceed equity – that is to say, you won’t owe more than your equity is worth.

For those who take the reverse mortgage route, it’s a major issue to be discussed with a qualified adviser.

And that’s where licensing comes in.

As far as the private sector’s concerned, that adviser will need to hold a credit licence, (plus an equity release accreditation from either FBAA or MFAA) – something that isn’t required under the government scheme.

That’s a piece of paper that may – or may not – be held by your CPA, solicitor or financial adviser. It’s vital to ask.

“In general, the Centrelink scheme requires you to be of pensionable age and own property,” Mr Dwyer said.

The private sector doesn’t quite approach it from that angle. In fact, 95 per

cent of private reverse mortgage clients have assets they can offer while the public sector looks to provide additional income.

“If a potential client comes to us, we’ll begin by asking them a series of questions,” he said. These are likely to include: • Do you need an income stream? Or can you live on a pension?

• Is your home in good condition?

• Will repairs be needed?

• Is there any debt with the home?

• Is there other debt, for example outstanding credit card bills?

Most potential borrowers are concerned about a reverse mortgage affecting the pension, being able to provide an inheritance, and staying in the home.

“Reverse mortgages are possibly the most protected of home loan products,” Mr Dwyer said.

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25/02/2021 2:06:30 PM

WELLBEING

Never under-estimate the B team

The importance of the whole range of the B complex vitamins cannot be overstated. They are vital for almost every function and system of the human body, writes TRUDY KITHER.

T

he B complex vitamins are water-soluble. They are depleted from your body whenever you are stressed, tired, ill or physically active. Overall, B complex vitamins nourish and support your nervous system and convert food into energy.

Additionally, they create neurotransmitters such as tryptophan, tyrosine, dopamine, seratonin and melatonin. The three phases of the liver methylation cycle are very much dependent on these vitamins.

Because the water-soluble B complex vitamins are so essential, it is vital to ensure that you are supplementing with a high-quality product.

It is also necessary to understand that you should not take just one B vitamin on its own. It will create a deficiency in all the other Bs, so when taking a particular B vitamin, always take it simultaneously with a B complex.

Here are some examples to demonstrate the importance of

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what each vitamin B does: Vitamin B1 is responsible for carbohydrate metabolism, nervous system, adrenal and cardiovascular function, and provides the co-factor for glucose metabolism. It also creates neurotransmitters for your brain.

Deficiency symptoms are a tired, weak heart, peripheral neuropathy, calf tenderness, nightmares, restless legs, nervousness, anxiety, muscle weakness, headaches, depression, muscle wasting, and fluid retention in legs.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) is essential for energy production and the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.

Deficiency symptoms can be cracked red lips and tongue, cracks around corners of lips, bloodshot or itchy, watery eyes, inflamed tongue, and sore throat.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) is needed for DNA repair, creating steroids (such as adrenal hormones), stabilizing blood sugars, breaking down fats, and lowering cholesterol to maintain normal levels. Deficiency symptoms are lack of appetite, digestive issues, low tolerance to cold, memory loss (dementia), skin inflammation (dermatitis), redness around the neck, diarrohea, and muscle weakness.

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) supports the metabolism of

proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Deficiency symptoms are morning stiffness, burning feet, fatigue, acne, irritability, insomnia, apathy, muscle cramps, low blood sugar, tingling pricking or numbness, and excessive soreness after exercise with a poor recovery rate.

Vitamin B6 supports more than 100 different enzymes involved in metabolism. B6 is involved in blood cell creation, amino acid creation, and neurotransmitter synthesis.

Without B6, all amino acids become essential (meaning they cannot be made from your body).

It is needed to make serotonin and convert tryptophan to B vitamins. Deficiency symptoms are cardiovascular weakness, carpal tunnel syndrome, dandruff, headaches, and high homocysteine levels.

Vitamin B9 (Folate) is essential in the formation of new cells, especially in pregnancy and infancy. B9 supports metabolism, nerves, blood, and growth

development while being vital for energy production.

Deficiency symptoms are a sore tongue, depression, anxiety, fatigue, neural tube defects, and anaemia.

Vitamin B12 supports liver function, the gastrointestinal tract, and healthy blood cells.

Deficiency symptoms are an overwhelming feeling of tiredness despite enough sleep, sighing or yawning frequently, shortness of breath, heavy breathing while climbing stairs, irritability, brain fog, mood swings, and memory loss.

You could also have a swollen tongue, brittle nails, pins and needles or numbness in your hands and feet, nerve pain in the bottom of your feet (peripheral neuropathy), or a constant full feeling in your stomach.

This information is general only and is not meant to treat or diagnose health issues.

Trudy Kither is a naturopath and owner of Nature’s Temple.

Visit naturestemple.net

Brisbane

25/02/2021 2:07:00 PM

HEALTH

TUNE IN TO HEALTHY AGEING AT SYMPOSIUM

NPH CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE OPENS

HEALTHY ageing will be a focus of the inaugural Sunshine Coast Health Symposium on March 18-19.

If you would like to know more about treatments, systems and programs being developed to enable wellbeing as we age, simply register to join the free online, virtual event.

Healthy ageing is about creating the environments and opportunities that enable people to be and do what they value throughout their lives.

The symposium’s healthy ageing, primary and secondary prevention session on March 18, from 1.15pm, will cover the latest research in the detection, prevention, and management of chronic and age-related conditions, including diet and nutrition, kidney disease, cardio pulmonary disease and exercise.

The session will provide information about real solutions that can advance all aspects of human function.

Once registered, you will be notified of the live stream link to take part.

The symposium, at the Sunshine Coast Health Institute, will also showcase collaborations with diverse components of the health sector including primary, tertiary and community health organisations, as well as health education and interprofessional learning.

THE Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) Centre of Excellence is now open.

The centre, the first of its kind in Australia, is based at Briz Brain and Spine’s main clinic at the Bowen Hills Medical Specialist Centre in Brisbane, and is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of NPH. Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) is a condition caused by an abnormal build-up of fluid in the ventricles of the brain, but without increased cranial pressure.

There are two forms of the condition – idiopathic NPH which mostly affects adults over 60 years; and secondary NPH which can affect adults of any age.

Idiopathic NPH is the most common form of the condition and in many cases, is reversible.

Symptoms include problems walking, reduced cognition or dementia, and urinary control problems.

Often, patients presenting with this triad of symptoms are diagnosed with other, non-reversible forms of dementia and may miss the opportunity to be treated.

The NPH Centre of Excellence is the brainchild of one of Briz Brain and Spine’s founding neurosurgeons Dr Frank Tomlinson, in collaboration with QSMC Physiotherapy and I-MED Radiology.

It is an opportunity to learn more about innovation, education opportunities and health advances in the community.

This free online event is a collaboration of Sunshine Coast Health Institute partners Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, University of the Sunshine Coast, TAFE Queensland and Griffith University.

To view the program, learn about keynote speakers and to register, simply go to the website.

Visit sunshinecoast healthsymposium.com.au

“NPH is a potentially reversible condition that is under-diagnosed,” Dr Tomlinson said.

“We hope that this centre will help change that so that more GPs can identify the condition in their patients which will ultimately lead to an improved quality of life.”

Patients can access the service through a referral from their GP. It will offer a tailored diagnostic and treatment process.

Visit brizbrain.com.au, email info@ brizbrain.com.au or consult your GP.

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25/02/2021 2:09:40 PM

RETIREMENT LIVING

NEVER A DULL MOMENT

CLUBHOUSE NEARS COMPLETION AFFINITY Lifestyle Resort, one of the newest over 50s gated communities between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, is surrounded by natural bushland with Sheep Station Creek flowing on the perimeter.

Life at Affinity Lifestyle Resort will be in full bloom with construction on track for the new 5-star clubhouse to open soon.

In a matter of months, homeowners will be able to spend their days relaxing in the magnesium spa, swimming lengths in the lap pool, working on joint flexibility in the fully equipped gym or gathering with neighbours for a game of lawn bowls.

Not only will the resort clubhouse make it easier for owners to stay fit and healthy, it will also give the confidence to try new things in a supportive environment.

The resort has been designed to naturally set the scene for social connections.

Social engagement is essential for health and wellbeing at all ages and is especially important for promoting health in later life.

The resort will have a dining

area, boutique coffee bar and alfresco lounge so there is plenty of space to enjoy a cup of tea with new friends.

Homeowners will even have an off-leash dog area so their pets can make some new friends too.

Affinity Lifestyle Resort sales consultant Lyn Morrison said the new resort clubhouse would be the cherry on the cake for the community.

“Everyone is excited to see construction progressing so quickly and we are experiencing a lot of people requesting tours of our three new display homes,” she said. “Affinity Lifestyle Resort has so much to offer and the best way to experience it is to join us at one of our free events.”

There will be free Wednesday morning teas for all guests in March and April.

“I have found that people who attend these events love the fact they get to experience first-hand what it’s like to live at Affinity with the added benefit of getting to meet current homeowners, who could be future neighbours and friends,” she said.

Call Lyn or Dee 1300 386 156 or visit affinitylifestyle.com.au

LIFE at Algester Lodge and Bundaleer Lodge nursing homes is a busy one, with many activities ranging from bingo and wheelchair bowls to concerts and parties for all occasions.

The pandemic has been a life-changing event for both residents and staff, but everyone has adapted with various new procedures and activities to minimise the mental, physical and sociological effects.

These have included maintaining social distancing while continuing activities such as the Sharing Spaces Program.

The program, a partnership with Ipswich Junior Grammar Early Education Centre, allows residents to interact and socialise with kindergarten students.

Residents travel to Junior Grammar EEC in Ipswich to enjoy a morning of activities and fun with the children through story time, craft activities and cooking

experiences. Children make new friends, increase their awareness of the elderly, develop empathy and have fun while residents share knowledge, experiences and skills.

The activity, which is a highlight for residents, has been a great success and through modification and social distancing has been able to continue through digital technologies and multimedia.

Residents still being able to see families and friends has been at the forefront of the approach to health, safety and mental wellbeing. Special areas that meet government regulations and guidelines have been created for social interaction.

Residents have been able to remained connected with family through mobile phones and iPads and the use of technologies such as FaceTime, Zoom, WhatsApp and Skype. Religious services

have also continued with the use of various apps.

Algester Lodge in a bushland setting with landscaped gardens in Algester has been providing high-quality aged care for the past 19 years. Depending on needs, high care, low care, residential respite and secure unit aged care is offered.

Bundaleer Lodge in North Ipswich also has a caring and committed team providing a high standard of fulltime care with registered nurses on call 24/7.

Visit algesterlodge.com and bundaleerlodge.com

KNOW WHERE YOU STAND BEFORE YOU MOVE IF MANAGING daily tasks at home is becoming difficult for you or someone you know, decisions need to be made about the next step.

For some, in-home support is a good option, while for others, moving to an aged care residence is the best choice.

For those who choose and are eligible to enter residential aged care, understanding the costs that apply and the level of government funding available is an important first step.

Within Australia’s aged care system, there are four possible fees you may need to pay. The fees that apply and the amount you need to pay varies, and is dependent on circumstances and choice of residence.

To help understand more about the four types of aged care costs, the team at retirement living and aged care providers Tricare, has put together an overview.

Basic daily fee – covers some living costs including meals, cleaning, laundry, and heating and cooling. This charge is set by the government and is capped at 85 per cent of the single person rate of the basic age pension Means-tested fee to contribute towards living costs.

The amount payable is set by the federal government and is calculated by assessing your income and assets Accommodation fee – set by the aged care provider and covers costs associated with

accommodation, including room, bathroom facilities and communal areas. You have the option of paying as a RAD (lump sum), DAP (daily charge) or RAD & DAP (combination of the two).

Additional and/or extra services fee – The extra services fee is set by the federal government and the aged care provider to cover the cost of hotel-type services and a higher standard of room.

Finding the right residential aged care can be challenging so knowing where you stand financially is a must. It will help you understand options and guide you in finding the right residence for your needs and budget.

Visit tricare.com.au

Wishart Christian to e m Welco Retirement Village Wishart Christian Retirement Village is a beautiful boutique retirement home, comprising of 29 units.

With peaceful surrounds and an elevated position this secure gated Village is centrally located, close to bus stops and shopping centres and Churches. All units are air conditioned, with lock up garages, Paved and covered patios, 24/7 medical alarm system, On site management. ● ●

A charitable Christian organization with low subsidised quarterly fees Community hall and beautiful village green ● Active residence committee Call today to make arrangements for an informal visit to the Village.

30/3 Erindale Close, Wishart Queensland Tel 3219 2386 admin@wcva.org.au

www.wcva.org.au au

26 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / March 2021

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Owned and Operated by Wishart Christian Village Association Incorporated ABN 67 089 024 936

Brisbane

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PROPERTY

EXPERTS PROMOTION

INDUSTRY EXPERTS MOBILITY

Introducing a world-class lightweight Scooters Australia Brisbane has just added an exciting, world-class product to its evergrowing showroom that will make life much easier for its users.

The Afikim Featherweight is the lightest wheelchair in the world.

Weighing just 8.6 kg, this remarkable model features top ergonomic design that makes it durable and desirable.

Made from high-quality materials, the Featherweight is light enough for most people to lift into the boot of a car yet more than strong enough to handle everyday use.

With a folding backrest and quick-release wheels, it’s also simple to store in small spaces.

This ensures caregivers can easily put it away and quickly rebuild it again when travelling.

Safety features include easy-access front wheel locks and an integrated braking system, which operates with simple levers on the push handles like those on a bicycle.

This makes the Featherweight as safe as it is practical.

Thanks to its world-class lightness, the Featherweight is literally a world-class choice.

Its weight makes it easy to live with, and its strength means quality is not being sacrificed along the way.

Lovable Luggies provide practicality and comfort in one small package We’re very lucky to live in Australia. While so many countries have locked down over a bitterly cold winter, we can still explore the great outdoors in the warm summer days.

If you’re going to hit the open road, you’ll want a machine that can travel with you and complete short journeys itself.

That’s where the mighty Luggies come in.

These incredible scooters fold down so they fit easily into the boot of a car or in the luggage compartment of a plane.

Scooters Australia Brisbane has seven outstanding models for you to choose from.

After taking a test drive, you’ll find that you don’t have to sacrifice speed for practicality.

Reaching speeds of up to 8km/h, they are more than fast enough for your next grand tour through this country.

They’re not short on comfort either, with strong tyres, cushioning suspension and soft seats ensuring you won’t have to endure a bumpy ride.

Whether going on a road trip or taking to the skies, the practical Luggies will ensure you reach your destination in style.

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TREND GROWS TO BETTER INTEGRATE AGEING LIFESTYLES SLOWER growth in Australia’s population will boost the size of ageing communities but emerging housing and planning solutions will better integrate older Australians into our cities, according to a leading urban planner.

Craig Christensen, Queensland principal at Hatch RobertsDay, an awardwinning urban planning and design practice, said Australia’s immigration shutdown in recent months would result in 1.1 million fewer people by 2031 than previously forecast, which would see a larger proportion of older Australians.

But, he said, it was encouraging to see living for over 55s rapidly evolving to enable older Australians to live in smaller dwellings while enjoying more integrated and independent lives, through accessible and inclusive housing, amenities, infrastructure and support.

“Over 55s living has evolved to the point that it has become an attractive model for Australia’s population overall,” he said. “There is a nexus between the housing needs of an individual working from home and those looking to scale back their careers.”

Mr Christensen said it was as much about housing as to how neighbourhoods were designed. “Maintaining a house is expensive and demanding,” he said.

He listed seven living trends that will help the ageing population integrate independently into their communities: 1. Mixed-use developments and apartment buildings.

Integrating over-55s housing more closely with the rest of the community will help older Australians avoid isolation and loneliness and be independent longer. An emerging trend is the incorporation of over-55s and aged-care living in major mixed-use masterplanned communities.

The new Ripley Town Centre (pictured) south-west of Brisbane is designed to include residential lots, retail space, underground train station, hospitality venues, community spaces, hospital, senior living and aged care.

2. Multigenerational housing.

One in five Australians live in a multigenerational household.

“Expect to see a growing trend whereby grandparents move into a granny flat or tiny house on their property – or a self-contained floor of the main house – while kids move into the main house with their families.”

3. Universal housing design.

Building more “livable” housing with the inclusion of more accessible doorways and stairs, grab rails and step-free entrances could reduce the need for care and promote greater independence. If 20 per cent of new homes in Australia included

universal housing design, the Australian health system could save up to $54 million a year.

Mr Christensen predicts that we will see better residential designs that meet the needs of people during all life stages, but which particularly helps the older population “age in place”.

4. Aged living above shopping centres or in CBDs. Mobility is an important part of over-55s living, as it helps live independently while integrating with the local community.

“We expect to see a trend for retirement units being built above shopping centres, giving residents community access while ensuring shops remain busy during off-peak times.

“We will also see over-55s living in CBD and central areas, allowing residents to be within easy walking distance of theatres, shopping precincts, restaurants, and health facilities.”

5. The rise of urban gardens.

Expect to see further growth in the number of urban community gardens.

These are mentally and physically beneficial for older residents who live in garden-free housing.

6. Age-friendly precincts.

Mr Christensen predicts a growth in age-agnostic infrastructure, amenities and services in local communities. Some examples are public transport that is more accessible, widespread street furniture for pausing and resting and public facilities (especially toilets), parklets and piazzas, and level, shaded and wider footpaths, which can encourage older Australians to feel safe in their community.

7. Age-friendly businesses.

While many town and neighbourhood centres are seeing revitalisation, the abundance of youth-focused retail and entertainment is missing the opportunity to serve one of our biggest markets, older Australians.

For example, we can encourage food and beverage venues to undertake fit-outs that reduce reflected noise and provide comfortable seating, or entertainment venues that are accessible, themed and programmed for older tastes.

Visit robertsday.com.au Brisbane

25/02/2021 1:52:27 PM

WHAT’S ON

Last chance for Act 1’s political spoof THE season of Act 1 Theatre Company’s first full production show for the year, closes soon.

Written by Len Randall and directed

by Terry Frawley, the Australian comedy Member for Lizard Falls, is a spoof of local politics that may seem close to reality but, as the author’s disclaimer states, if you think you recognise any politician, it isn’t them!

Playwright Len Randall was formerly a member of Act 1’s predecessor, Aspley Little Theatre.

The play opens with Clarrie Bullock, who is the Member for Lizard Falls and has an election coming up.

Unfortunately, he has quite a problem on his hands – trying to please those both for and against a new road through his electorate and, at the same time, looking out for his own interests.

An old hand at the game of politics, Clarrie makes lots of promises – to his wife Pearl; to greenie activist Rose, who

is not above a little blackmail; and to the business and political connections with whom he exchanges favours.

He can’t keep all his promises, but which ones can he afford to break?

A mix of Act 1 stalwarts and new actors, the cast of Charles Langford, Libby Scales, Kim Wood, Sandy Adsett, Akiwa Cavanagh and David Adams, guarantee an evening of hilarity.

Kay Tudhope and Trish Bromley are backstage.

Coming up next month is the David Williamson drama Emerald City.

Act 1 is based at the former Pine Shire Hall.

Act 1 Theatre, 238 Gympie Rd, Strathpine. March 5-6, 7.30pm Tickets: Adults $20, concessions $17, members $12. Bookings trybooking. com or purchase at the door with eftpos or cash at the box office.

Call 0458 579 269 and leave a message.

SATISFY YOUR CURIOCITY IN BRISBANE

FROM interactive and immersive installations to thought-provoking conversations, Curiocity Brisbane is an intriguing program of curious events and ideas that will spark inspiration from March 12-28.

The 17-day celebration of science, art and technology transforms Brisbane into a world of discovery with more than 60 Curiocities in four precincts – City Botanic Gardens, South Bank, South Brisbane’s Cultural Precinct, and the CBD. Visitors of all ages can explore, create and play with the physical and digital

Curiocities, including 28 never-before-seen installations created by artists and makers from around the state and around the globe.

Curiocity Brisbane includes the popular World Science Festival Brisbane from March 24-28, launches the inaugural Curious Conversations series hosted by Benjamin Law, and welcomes GOMA’s two-night The Motorcycle Up Late event on March 19-20.

Sponsored by the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council, the world-class program reflects that state’s place as a global hub for science, technology, innovation and the arts.

Curiocity Brisbane executive producer Theresa Famularo invited visitors of all ages to explore and engage with the free digital and physical attractions drawn from science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (STEAM) by world-renowned placemakers.

See an interactive map detailing locations at curiocitybrisbane.com

SIREN SONG CALLS TO NEW OPERA PRODUCTION THE much-anticipated Queensland premiere of the seductive new Australian opera cabaret Lorelei finally makes the stage at QPAC after being postponed by Covid last year.

The sumptuous, female-led production tells the story of the Lorelei, three sirens of song who sit atop the cliffs, singing sailors to their watery graves.

Moral dilemmas arise for the irresistible sirens: Are they tiring of singing sailors to their deaths? Do they really deserve to die?

The boundary-breaking Lorelei was conceived by Helpmann Award-winner and ARIA nominee Ali McGregor who wanted to reimagine the ancient myth for a modern audience.

Opera Queensland artistic director Patrick Nolan said Ms McGregor would be joined by original cast members Dimity Shepherd and Antoinette Halloran for the Brisbane season this month.

“When preparing for our 2021 season we didn’t think twice about reprogramming Lorelei,” he said. “It has moments of joy and humour; the music is

beautiful – sensual and enchanting in equal measure – and it stars three of the most exciting female performers working in Australia today.”

Julian Langdon created Lorelei’s contemporary score and librettists Casey Bennetto (Keating! The Musical) and Gillian Cosgriff wrote the sharp and witty lyrics.

The result is a work that traverses musical genres across tango, pop and classical.

Lorelei is sung in English and staged in the Concert Hall, QPAC, with Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

QPAC Concert Hall, March 6-13.

Tickets from $55. Bookings oq.com.au or 136 246

COMING UP AT THE POWERHOUSE WINNER of a record twelve Tony Awards, The Producers is the smash hit 2001 musical written by comedic genius Mel Brooks.

A fading producer and his mousy accountant devise a brilliant scam: to produce the worst musical ever to hit Broadway, guaranteed to close on opening night. Leave your prejudice at the door and prepare to laugh out loud with this fresh made-in-Queensland season of a musical icon.

Powerhouse Theatre, Thursday, March 4-Saturday 13, 2pm and 7pm. ******** THE long-range forecast is for fun, flashbacks and fashion when ABC’s revered weather presenter Jenny Woodward premieres her one-woman stage show at Brisbane Powerhouse as part of Writers+Ideas.

Weathering Well is a potted history of the life and times of the popular presenter

who chalks up 35 years with the national broadcaster in 2021.

Combining comedy, live music, video projections and a killer script with Jenny’s natural wit and charm, Weathering Well is an 80-minute autobiographical theatre experience with a high probability of intriguing anecdotes and behind-thescenes revelations.

Powerhouse Theatre, Friday April 23, 2pm and 7.30pm Bookings: Box Office 3358 8600 or visit brisbanepowerhouse.org

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March 2021 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 29

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WHAT’S ON

MARGARET FULTON MUSICAL SERVES UP A TREAT

AS Australia’s first culinary queen, Margaret Fulton long reigned supreme in our country’s kitchens as she taught a growing nation how to cook.

Based on her best-selling autobiography I Sang for My Supper: Memories of a Food Writer, Margaret Fulton: The Musical brings her inspiring true story to the RPAC stage.

From quiche and scones to nasi goreng and creme brulee, her recipes revolutionised Australia’s palate from plain old “meat and three veg” to the flavours of the world. The era of the dinner party was born.

Charting Fulton’s rise from home cook to a household name in the swinging ‘60s, this playful musical comedy has received rave reviews and

POPS PRESENTS BEST OF BRITISH

been declared a winner, just like Margaret Fulton herself.

A wholesome story with heart and soul, Margaret Fulton: The Musical is brought to you by Jally Entertainment (Calendar Girls, Ladies Night, Groucho) and will have you dancing into the kitchen.

Starring Judith Hainsworth, Jessica Kate Ryan, Zoë Harlen, Paige McKay, Clancy Enchelmaier, and Conor Ensor, it brims with love and energy and is guaranteed entertainment, “chicken soup for the soul”.

Redland Performing Arts Centre Saturday, March 20, 7.30pm Tickets: $30-$40 Bookings: RPAC Box Office 3829 8131 or visit rpac.com.au (Booking fees are $4.50 by phone and $5.20 online).

EMBRACING the best of British music in all its richness and diversity is a perennial treat for both the Queensland Pops Orchestra and its audiences.

For this journey through green and

pleasant lands in a concert that celebrates some of Great Britain’s finest music, the Queensland Pops Orchestra will be joined by two of opera’s brightest stars: bass baritone Sam Hartley and mezzo soprano Cassandra Seidemann.

The stirring voices and symphonic sounds will culminate in the muchanticipated Pomp and Circumstance grand finale with full orchestral and choral forces, leading the audience in true patriotic fervour.

There’ll be soaring strings, dazzling brass fanfares and noble woodwind themes from start to finish in this ever-popular and quintessentially British musical extravaganza.

The stirring melody of Land of Hope and Glory was a landmark theme not just for composer Sir Edward Elgar, but for British music – and it will return in full symphonic technicolour. Hear the best of British anthems, folk songs, sea shanties and more.

Hartley and Seidemann both graduated in Queensland and joined Opera Queensland’s Young Artist Program which gave them a launching pad for international careers.

Best of British, QPAC Concert Hall Saturday, April 17, 2.30pm and 7.30pm Tickets $75-$88 Bookings qpac.com.au or call 136 246

Act 1 Theatre presents...

Member for Lizard Falls A locally writen Australian Comedy

by Len Randall Directed by Terry Frawley

Evening Performances 7.30pm FINAL TWO SHOWS - FRI March 5 & SAT March 6 BOOK TODAY! SO DON’T MISS OUT - LAST SHOW WAS SOLD OUT! Bookings & Payment are online only: www.act1theatre.com.au www.trybooking.com/BOACV Seating will be allocated after bookings close.

If you need assistance with a booking, email act1theatre2@gmail.com or leave a message on mobile phone 0458 579 269 TICKET PRICES: $20 STANDARD, $17 CONCESSION, $15 MEMBERS Act 1 Theatre, Pine Shire Hall, 238 Gympie Rd, Strathpine An Amateur Production by arrangement with Len Randall

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Brisbane

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The WORLD in Your Hands

Travel in Your Time

Head to the heart of the Channel Country The little township of Windorah at first glance appears to have little more than its surrounding corrugated red dunes but, writes BEVERLEY EVERSON, despite its small population it has a big heart.

T

AKE a drive on the Barcoo Way skirting tranquil billabongs with backroads showcasing prime grazing land through Tambo (famous for Tambo Teddies), Blackall (art and cultural hub of Central Outback Queensland), Isisford (home of the Yellow Belly country), and Yaraka (opal mines and two national parks nearby) and you come to Windorah.

The Barcoo and Thompson Rivers join here to form a creek, the majestic Coopers Creek. Sometimes if you stop a while, you will discover little treasures.

Windorah has a population of about 80 and was gazetted a town in 1880. Its first police station, school and post office came a year later and the telegraph line in 1885 to connect the Outback to the big smoke.

It now has a police station, primary school, two council-owned caravan parks, the Windorah Outback shop for groceries, two fuel stations, a Western Star Hotel Motel and restaurant next door and one of the best tourist information centres you could find.

The woman at the info centre was knowledgeable and helpful, and guided us to wonderful experiences around the town including the red dunes at sunset and free bush camping on Coopers Creek just

outside of town. She also suggested extending our drive to Jundah and Welford National Park on the Barcoo River, where Mitchell grass plains and arid mulga woodlands, spinifex and ghost gums make a distinctive landscape.

Windorah’s water is pumped from Coopers Creek just 10km out of town. Its main income is primary industries, mining and tourism. Apart from the red sand dunes it is quite flat and is only 136m above sea level.

The Art Garden walk in town features local flora, sculptures, and mosaic artworks. Just down the road is the drinking water and dump point. We filled our tanks as the water was excellent.

The town was named by the local Mithika people and means “big fish”.

Yellow belly is sought after here, along with the tasty red claw.

Heading to our camp on Coopers Creek , we travelled the 12km Nature Drive developed by the community to give tourists a better understanding of the natural state of the land and its flora where shrubs and trees have been tagged to help identify the species.

The statement on their brochure is worthy of note: “Take nothing but memories and photographs. Leave nothing but tyre tracks and footprints.”

We camped on Coopers Creek for two nights and had a choice of spots either side of the Cooper Bridge. The location is peaceful and pleasant, with views of fishermen in their punts, pelicans floating by and parrots landing in the coolabah and acacia trees.

It was private in most locations and open fires are permitted.

Just out of town is Ergon Energy’s first solar farm, established in 2009. The five mirrored dishes 13.7m across reflect sunlight radiation to high capacity solar cells. Each generates about 26kw of electricity, depending on the weather, time of day and cloud cover.

It has a capacity to generate 360,000kw of electricity each year; power that would otherwise require 100,000 litres of diesel to run the town’s generators.

Windorah has two caravan parks with all the usual facilities and is very reasonably priced.

If you are bush camping out of town or just passing through, you can access the coin-operated washing machines, a real treat at the end of a dusty road.

There is a lush green public park with toilets and taps, shaded picnic tables and even a flyscreen enclosure for peaceful eating.

This little town has everything a traveller needs. The grocery store even sold home grown vegies –we bought two punnets of juicy fresh cherry tomatoes grown by the shopkeeper.

It is always worth stopping to have a chat with a local or pick up a brochure to discover something special and particular to the town – and often the tidbits of history that we didn’t learn at school.

DID YOU KNOW? Cooper’s Creek was named by Charles Sturt in 1845. In Sturt’s own words: “I gave the name of Cooper’s Creek to that fine watercourse we had so anxiously traced, as a proof of my respect for Mr Cooper, the judge of South Australia. I would gladly have laid this creek down as a river, but as it had no current, I did not feel myself justified in doing so.”

Mapmakers have in more recent times dropped the possessive “s” but residents are determined to preserve the historical as well as the natural heritage of this magnificent dry river.

HERMAN’S TOURS & TRAVEL DAY TRIPS

EXTENDED HOLIDAYS

Saturday 20 March 2021: North Coast Hinterland ....................................$85 Saturday 8 May 2021: Tamborine Mountain - St Bernard’s & Distillery...$92* Saturday 3 July 2021: Fox & Hounds – Christmas in July........................$90*

LONGREACH & ANAKIE GEM FIELDS EASTER TOUR 31 MARCH – 7 APRIL 2021

From $3190 per person twin share, Single Supplement $560

Saturday 10 July 2021: Queensland Garden Expo, Nambour.................$70* Departures from – Brisbane City, Corinda & Palmdale * Lunch included

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OPERA IN THE CAVES 3 NIGHTS IN YEPPOON 28 TO 31 MAY 2021

From $1379 per person twin share, based on pension rail concession, Single Supplement $280

Includes: Return tilt train travel, All Meals, 3 nights ocean view accommodation Yeppoon.

Highlights: Opera performance, Capricorn Caves & Keppel Island Day Trip

Extended holidays include return home transfers (Brisbane Metropolitan Area). Day tours marked with * includes lunch. Itineraries and prices quoted are subject to change.

RING NOW FOR BROCHURES hermans@hermanstoursandtravel.com.au 32 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / March 2021

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HERMAN’S TOURS & TRAVEL

CALL 3379 6255 ABN: 27862101744 Brisbane

25/02/2021 2:16:52 PM

TRAVEL

VICTORIAN BECKONS — SPREAD YOUR WINGS ON MORNINGTON PENINSULA

JUST an hour from the Melbourne CBD by car, Mornington Peninsula has a range of experiences for a day trip or short stay that is affordable, enjoyable and Covid-safe.

Start at Arthur’s Seat Eagle’s blue gondolas for expansive views of Port Phillip Bay and the city.

Treat yourself with one of the Eagle’s picnic packages containing a variety of goodies from local producers at nearby Seawinds Gardens.

The gondolas are spacious and wheelchair accessible and parking is handy too. Open seven days a week, Arthur’s Seat Eagle offers discounted return ticket rates with a Seniors Card for $21 a person.

Red Hill Truffles offers truffle hunts during autumn. Stroll the grounds and, with truffle dog Thomas’s assistance, find a truffle. The hunt takes about two hours and is a leisurely stroll. The tour, tasting and hunt come as a package at $150 a head.

Sip some of the region’s finest wines at Montalto, with its courtyards and outdoor sculpture park doubling as a picnic spot.

Picnics are available for purchase and can be booked seven days a week 11am-4 pm.

Montalto has 10 exclusive picnic sites around the winery for groups of 2-10 people. For $100 a head, they set up picnic tables with umbrellas, linen, tableware and glassware for a three-course picnic.

Alternatively, take a farmgate tour and collect some of the Peninsula’s finest produce. Pure Peninsula Honey explains how fresh honey is made and collected

onsite and has a huge selection of honey varieties, beeswax products and honeyflavoured ice cream kiosk.

Main Ridge Dairy has a selection of cheese made from goat’s milk produced at the farm. Sample and shop in the cheesery or join the local goats for a stroll around the grounds.

Nearby Torello Farm is a one-stop-shop for a variety of local fruit, vegetables and gourmet goods.

The Bushrangers Bay Trail is a gentle and picturesque hike from Cape Schanck Lighthouse to Bushrangers Bay, with incredible coastal scenery along the 3km trail.

Anglers can hire a boat for a day out with Jillian Fishing Trips. On board the classic fishing boat Sea Eagle, fishers enjoy a relaxing four-hour trip on Port Phillip Bay. All equipment including bait is provided, along with hot and cold drinks.

The catch is expertly cleaned and fileted to take home and, weather permitting, there’s a quick stop for a visit to a local seal colony. Seniors get a discounted rate of $50 a trip.

Picnic at Cruden Farm with its gardens and more than 100 lemon-scented gum trees. The farm, with its manicured gardens, was gifted to the public on the death of its former owner, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch.

Gardeners should also put nearby Heronswood House and Garden on their list. The historic two-acre property in Dromana has a stunning garden and is home to the Digger’s Club, Australia’s most respected gardening organisation.

Travel free on weekends and public holidays with Western Port Ferries by showing a Seniors Card to the ticketing crew on arrival.

Visit visitmorningtonpeninsula.org

LIVE IT UP AT SANCTUARY COVE CLOSE the lid on 2020 with an adventurous 4-day trip to the Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast.

The Coastal Variety Tours trip on March 28-31, will be filled with sights and activities as travellers experience international 5-star luxury and the scenic beauty of world heritage rainforest.

The world class resort is nestled in 4.2 hectares of lush landscaping, a one-acre lagoon beach and world class marina.

The hinterland experience includes lunch at Binna Burra Rainforest Retreat in the World Heritage Lamington National Park and a wander through the arts, crafts and cafes of famous Gallery Walk and Botanic Garden on Mt Tamborine.

There’s also a stop at St Bernard’s Hotel with its breathtaking views, cool mountain atmosphere and olde world charm and its resident St Bernards, Molly and Syrah.

Other highlights of the trip include

the Australian Outback Spectacular and boat cruise of the Gold Coast River and Canal system.

Call Coastal Variety Tours 3343 6722.

CRUISE THE MIGHTY MURRAY ONE river, two overnight cruise experiences – the majestic Murray Princess paddlewheeler, or the intimate Proud Mary. With overseas cruising on hold, the mighty Murray is the way to go.

The Murray River is one of Australia’s greatest waterways, extending just over 2500km through New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.

It meanders through an everchanging landscape – red gums, river boats, and majestic sandstone and limestone cliffs with flights of pelicans, cormorants and snake-like darters.

The Murray Princess is the largest inland paddlewheeler in the southern hemisphere and was built specifically for the Murray River, with the character and charm of yesteryear but modern facilities.

The vessel is accessible with railings on all stairways and passageways, offering enough room to use a wheelchair or walking frame if required.

There are 60 cabins and staterooms to

choose from, accommodating up to 120 passengers.

Rooms feature an ensuite, electric blankets, soap, shampoo, hairdryers, towels and daily servicing.

Choose a three, four, or seven-night cruise departing from the idyllic town of Mannum.

The Proud Mary has 18 river view cabins with ensuites and access to outdoor balcony areas.

Suites, either double or twin, have air-conditioning, tea and coffee making facilities, hair dryers and daily servicing.

There are intimate lounge and dining areas and a spacious open deck.

The Proud Mary has two and five night cruises departing from Murray Bridge.

Both cruises provide car parking or a scenic coach drive departing Adelaide for embarkation in either Mannum or Murray Bridge.

Call Coolum Cruise Travel 5446 1727 or Tewantin Travel 5447 1011.

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Call Today 07 4939 4500 March 2021 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 33

25/02/2021 2:27:20 PM

TRAVEL

ADVENTURE THROUGH THE OUTBACK THE EASY WAY

AS RESTRICTIONS lift and more travellers dare to venture out again, many are choosing the safety and security of coach tours within Queensland and Outback New South Wales.

Paul Brockhurst of CT Travel, who has just returned from a successful tour of southern Queensland, has found tours are filling fast, and upcoming trips to O’Reilly’s, the Darling River and Carnarvon Gorge have booked out. A second Carnarvon tour in August has only limited seats available.

“It’s a clear sign we are ready to get moving again,” he said. “Passengers are appreciating the excellent value and the best comment is when I hear people say that they saw things they didn’t even know were there.

“Of course, there is the bonus that everyone gets to enjoy the scenery from

big coach windows, without having to worry about keeping eyes on the road driving or scouring maps. You can just relax in spacious comfort” Leave the car in the garage and wait at your front door for pick-up.

There are no budget shocks either, as tours, accommodation and most meals are included, with the bonus of dining in historic pubs and restricted-access homesteads, around a campfire or a gourmet restaurant.

Bookings are now open for upcoming tours, including a Southern Outback Adventure over 11 days in early July, seven days to Lightning Ridge in late July and 12 days to the Queensland Outback and the Whitsundays in early August.

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The trip begins with two nights in Roma, arriving via Toowoomba and then the Adventure Way to Dalby, Chinchilla and Miles in time for dinner in beef country. Attend a cattle auction at Australia’s biggest saleyard. A retired grazier will give an insider’s view of the yards where up to 7000 head of cattle arrive each day.

In Charleville, tour the famous Hotel Corones, take a Big Sky Twilight tour at the Cosmos Centre, meet the bilbies and learn why Charleville was selected as a USAAF top secret site during World War II. Discover the history and landscapes of Quilpie town, St Finbarrs’ Opal Altar and Quilpie Airport mini museum. Meet Australia’s largest dinosaurs at the natural history museum in Eromanga.

Travel the Cooper Developmental Road, visit the Noccundra Hotel built in 1882 and lunch in Thargomindah, the first town in Australia to produce hydroelectric powered streetlights.

Tour the artesian hydro power plant, and see life-size holographics bring to life the old jail and the old Thargomindah hospital. Stop for lunch in Eulo with its opals and mud springs, before overnighting in Cunnamulla,.

The Balonne Highway leads to St

The Cunnamulla Fella George, and after a stop at the 1860s sheep station Charlotte Plains, take a guided tour of Anchorage Homestead, enjoy lunch and wine tastings at Riversands Wines and have a cotton farmer explain the industry.

After a trip packed with fascinating people and places, head home along the Carnarvon Highway, stopping to see Queensland’s first oilfields at Moonie.

The 7-day Lightning Ridge tour, from July 21-27, includes Dalby, Miles, Roma, Surat and St George en route to the home of the prized black opal. Full tour details and a list of upcoming tours where you can choose your destination and duration, are on the CT Travel website.

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35.indd 3

March 2021 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 35

25/02/2021 2:19:05 PM

BOOK REVIEW

BILL MCCARTHY OCCUPIED France. A famous songbird, a clever spy, nasty Nazis, brave Resistances fighters, treacherous traitors and unrequited love – all the elements of a pot-boiler set in the fog of war which, quite frankly, left me less than lukewarm.

There is far too much internal dialogue that leaves no doubt what the heroine is thinking at any moment. An unlikely plot with an unbelievable ending.

If you found this book on your seat at the start of a 16-hour long haul flight and the aircraft’s entertainment system was broken, you just might read it.

Otherwise …

MARY BARBER AUTHORS seem to be drawn to World War II. It offers a rich backdrop for a novel, but that doesn’t guarantee a good story. I found The Black Swan of Paris a bit disappointing.

It was well-researched. Life in Paris during the German Occupation meant starvation, night curfews and terrifying raids. Parisians distrusted their neighbours and their families. The novel had tension, threat and drama but I didn’t connect with the central character, the Black Swan. I thought the romance was overplayed too.

The climax, set in a German castle, reminded me of a three-star war movie. If you enjoy fiction set during World War II, there are better choices out there. One is All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

TONY HARRINGTON

BOOK review SUZI HIRST WORLD War II, Paris, resistance groups, a beautiful and famous French singer with a secret history, an undercover British soldier, love and romance – this book has it all.

This is a very easy read and should appeal to women readers who will enjoy the fast pace with well-developed characters. It’s a true page turner, but maybe not so much for male readers.

This is historical fiction that gives one some insight to the world during those troubled times. The author did a lot of research, so much so she was talking about it in her sleep! 7/10

THE BLACK SWAN OF PARIS

By Karen Robards

JOHN KLEINSCHMIDT I NEVER planned to read another story about the French Resistance in World War II, and then I found this on my review list.

It is an outstanding book, very well written and a captivating story of family loyalty, love and bravery.

Genevieve, the darling of the Paris music scene, makes the most of adulation from the Nazis to help her manager Max gain intelligence for the British Secret Service.

Her performance talent becomes a necessary ingredient in helping her sister and Max in the rescue of her mother imprisoned by the Nazis.

Unexpectedly, I found this book hard to put down because the story is mostly believable and easy to absorb.

In this historical thriller set in Paris in 1944, celebrated singer Genevieve Dumont is both a star and a smokescreen. An unwilling darling of the Nazis, her position of privilege allows her to go undetected as an ally to the resistance.

When her estranged mother, Lillian de Rocheford, is captured by Nazis, Genevieve knows it won’t be long before the Gestapo succeeds in torturing information out of Lillian that will derail the upcoming allied invasion.

The resistance movement is tasked with silencing the singer by any means, but Genevieve refuses to let her mother become one more victim of the war.

Reuniting with her long-lost sister, she must find a way to navigate the perilous cross-currents of Occupied France undetected.

WITH over 50 published novels to her credit, Karen Robards knows how to spin a good yarn. This World War II story is set in German-occupied Paris. Spies, lies, deceptions, evil Nazi SS characters, a Bond-like English operative, a beautiful French Piaf-like singer, and an incredibly dangerous rescue from an impregnable fortress are some of the essential ingredients of this novel.

The story is woven together with themes of nefarious activities, brutal torture, murder, death of loved ones, a dead child, an orphaned child, revenge, redemption and a passionate love story. How could this book not be entertaining?

It is quite an emotional read and will bring tears to your eyes. With such a well-written tale, I’m sure the movie is already is in the pipeline! 9/10

JO BOURKE WITHIN the first few pages we are drawn into the period of history when France was under Nazi control and terror was tangible. Sub-plots are many and the author weaves them in a way that meshes tidily, despite the ending which bordered on a stretch of my imagination.

While not a true story, the author’s thorough research of the Resistance movement was the perfect platform for her distinctive characters. Even though I sensed the ending would be happy, the buildup of suspense had me hooked and reading late into the night. This is a story of resistance and resilience – hard for us to imagine from the safety of Australia. Fortunately, there are excellent documentaries such as The Freedom Trails on SBS that help to keep the courage and persistence of the brave resistance fighters alive.

I am looking forward to reading more from this prolific author.

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36.indd 2

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25/02/2021 2:19:46 PM

TRIVIA

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

SUDOKU (EASY)

3 1 6 7 4 2 9 8 5

5 2 8 6 7 9 1 3 4

4 6 7 8 1 3 5 2 9

9 3 1 2 5 4 7 6 8

6 4 3 5 2 7 8 9 1

8 7 5 3 9 1 6 4 2

1 9 2 4 6 8 3 5 7

SUDOKU (MEDIUM)

7 8 4 9 3 5 2 1 6

9 5 6 8 7 4 3 1 2

2 3 8 5 6 1 9 4 7

CODEWORD D C Z B X F S A Y P K NO 15

2

1

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

1 4 7 3 2 9 8 5 6

4 8 9 6 1 2 7 3 5

5 7 2 9 8 3 1 6 4

3 6 1 4 5 7 2 9 8

8 1 4 7 9 5 6 2 3

6 2 5 1 3 8 4 7 9

7 9 3 2 4 6 5 8 1

WORDFIND

14

1. In which Australian state is the Huon Valley?

2. What score in tennis is often mispronounced as “juice”?

3. Which Nevada city is sometimes called the City of Lost Wages?

4. What major line of latitude passes through South Africa?

5. Who was the father of Steve Irwin?

6. Where on the body would a chapeau normally be worn?

7. What year is the next leap year?

8. “Awaken your unbreakable” is a slogan for what vehicle?

9. Yehudi Menuhin was famous for playing what musical instrument?

10. What kind of living thing is a gourami?

11. Three generations of which family have ruled North Korea since 1948?

12. The first transatlantic phone call was made between New York and which other city?

13. What is the only James Bond film with a country in its title?

14. What is the name of Canada’s national anthem?

15. During daylight saving, what is the time in Hobart when it is 3pm in Melbourne?

16. In a traditional Australian wedding ceremony, who carries the ring until it is required?

17. According to the Bible, the walls of which city fell when trumpets sounded?

18. In British law enforcement, what is colloquially known as “blues and twos”?

19. A person who exhibits mendacity tends to do what?

20. Mal de mer is French for what ailment?

QUICK CROSSWORD

2 5 9 1 8 6 4 7 3

With Quizmaster Allan Blackburn

Secret message: Clown town

26

G R U H EW L Q J T MV I 3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

9-LETTER WORD

WORD STEP TRICK, BRICK, BRINK, BLINK, BLANK, BLAND There may be other correct answers

audibly, auld, badly, bald, band, bandy, baud, bind, bland, blind, build, daily, daub, dial, dual, duly, ibid, idly, INAUDIBLY, inlaid, lady, laid, land, laud

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37.indd 3

March 2021 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 37

25/02/2021 2:20:18 PM

PUZZLES

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

CODEWORD

No. 2571

ACROSS

DOWN

When you’re stressed and drunk (5) 6 Sister takes a top card with a subtlety (6) 7 Reinterpret Tim’s comment on his undertakings (11) 8 Correct people have the last word (4) 9 Put them in the boat in twos, somehow (4) 13 Berate loyal workers in a fairly complex fashion (11) 14 Surgical suture inserted into particular organ (6) 15 They stang terribly when they bit me (5)

You can tell when an athlete’s at their best (6) 3 This little flier would like to sing but evidently doesn’t know the words? (11) 4 I am not metal. Somehow that explains my sadness (11) 5 Pick up the drift of perfumes, by the sound of it (5) 6 Its unending trouble for parasites (4) 10 A product of the tree fell on the manicured lawn on the fourth of January before tea, I heard (6) 11 Insurer is leaving but coming back for a repeat performance (5) 12 The favourable aspects of four top sopranos (4)

1

No. 044

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

2

WORDFIND

N O

The leftover letters will spell out a secret message No. 044

ACROBAT

STILTS

ACT

STRONG-

BIG TOP

MAN

ELEPHANT

TENT

HOOP

TIGHTROPE

JUGGLER

TRAINER

PERFORM

TRAPEZE

POPCORN

TRICK

RING-

TUMBLE

MASTER SIDESHOW

Copyright © Reuben’s Puzzles www.reubenspuzzles.com.au.

Refer to the website for a cryptic solving guide.

WORK IT OUT!

SUDOKU Level: Medium

No. 868

3 8 6

9 3

6 8 9 5 4 7 1 6 8 3 1 9 2 8 3 2 4 5 1 7 6 5

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38.indd 2

Brisbane

25/02/2021 2:20:48 PM

PUZZLES

QUICK CROSSWORD

No. 3672

9-LETTER WORD

SUDOKU

No. 044

Level: Easy

Today’s Aim:

L B

12 words: Good 18 words: Very good

N

Y

D

U A

I

24 words: Excellent

I

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once.

No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

WORD STEP

ACROSS 1 5 10 11 12 13 14 17 19 20 24 25 27 28 29 30

Cries out (8) Baltic country (6) Erect (5) Place in new arrangement (9) Slavic language (7) Musician (7) Enslave (9) Unadorned (4) Sulk (4) Assertion (9) Relating to the stars (7) Second thoughts (7) Guesser (9) Examine (5) Oppose (6) Initiations (8)

DOWN 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 15 16 18 19 20 21 22

Otic membrane (7) Winds (5) Spirit to stimulate appetite (8) Legal counsel right (7) Antenna (6) Clear of blame (9) Warned (7) Chatterbox (6) Sickens (9) Explosive (1.1.1.)

Broken down (8) French bacteriologist (7) Elf (6) European country (7) Missing digits (7)

23 Fastens (6) 26 Religious (5)

No. 044

No. 867

7 3 1 2 8 9 8 7 9 4 2 8 3 5

6

6 4

1 5 2

8 2 5 6 3 1 7 2 6 9 1 2

WORK IT OUT!

Complete the list by changing one letter at a time to create a new word at each step. One possible answer shown below.

TRICK

_____ _____ _____ _____ BLAND March 2021

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39.indd 3

March 2021 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 39

25/02/2021 2:21:27 PM

Cheers

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40.indd 2

25/02/2021 2:22:02 PM