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When I was a little girl, watching reruns of Gidget and Elvis movies on the weekends, all I ever wanted to be was 16.
Slicing sand and living the beach life, a la Annette Funicello, seemed idyllic. But six or eight years is a long time to wait when you’re young. Then you’re too busy playing sport, studying and smiling at your blond-haired and blue-eyed crush to notice 16 has been and gone.
On to university and my first job as a country reporter … and I can remember calculating that I would be 38 in the year 2000. Wow! That was old, but luckily that felt like eons away.
Then the new Millennium with its Y2K scaremongering also came and went, with the beach party to end all parties – now with a husband and two primary school-aged sons seeing in midnight. That was 24 years ago!
As John Lennon sang: “Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans”.
These days, however, I try not to look too far ahead. As they say, every day is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present. I am trying to live my best life for today and, in doing so, I have become a ‘yes woman’: saying yes to opportunities to be in the moment for my family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. If not now, when?
That’s a little about me – the new kid on the block, as I take up the Your Time reins as editor. First and foremost, I want to pay tribute to my predecessor Dot Whittington, whom I know has brought sunshine, wisdom, informative features and a variety of voices into your lives through these pages. Please join me in wishing her well as she lives retirement to the fullest.
And from this month, I don’t want you to waste another moment in living your best life, either. So, set aside some ‘me time’ and dive right in to our cover story on Pages 4-5 and a new feature called ‘What’s hip’ on Page 6. Enjoy!
PS. I’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions on topics we should feature in upcoming articles. Email me at shirley@yourtimemagazine.com.au.
SHIRLEY SINCLAIR
there’s no set formula for living our best life as we get older, but there are plenty of clues as to how anyone might
WITH every orbit the Earth completes around the sun, we can’t help but feel the promise of new beginnings and the possibility of a better life. By March, sadly, most of our resolutions to be shinier, bolder, healthier, fitter and happier have fallen by the wayside.
It was American television personality, talk show host, actress and entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey who famously encouraged her followers to “live your best life” or, in other words, to create the life you want.
And some people seem to be able to live large and strong all-year ’round. How do they do it? Does it get easier over 55 to live their ‘best life’ each and every day?
So, Your Time went on the hunt for the secrets to living life to the fullest.
The Federal Department of Health and Aged Care website talks about positive ageing. Maybe that’s a good place to start.
“As you age, your focus may shift from work and raising a family to planning for retirement and long-term financial security. But it is just as important to plan for your health, aged care and connection to community,” the website states.
“This is known as positive ageing, which can help you stay healthy and independent for longer. Looking after your body and mind can prevent many diseases and help keep you healthy and happy as you age. This involves:
• physical activity and exercise
• food and nutrition
• mental health
• preventative health.”
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Life coach and Your Time columnist Charlie Griffiths says the question of “how to live your best life over 55” is all about aligning actions with values.
“Long before I became a life coach, I concluded that it doesn’t matter if you’re 18 or 80: whatever decision you make, make it for the right reason(s),” he says.
“Some decisions are going to turn out great and some will prove to be dumb. As long as you’re comfortable with why you made that decision, you can live quite comfortably with it and defend it.
“My book Runaway Retiree … is all about helping Baby Boomers reconnect with their inimitable ’70s persona and apply that fearlessness and virtue to whatever they decide to do in their 70s.
“The sub-title of the book is: ‘Do your best work in your 70s’. That’s my motto and I can hardly wait to get into it. I’m 69 … so still have a bit of time to practise.”
A Psychology Today (psychologytoday. com) article highlights ‘9 Longevity Habits for a Happy and Healthy Older Age’ from Meg Selig, the author of Changepower! 37 Secrets to Habit Change Success.
She lists the nine habits as: cultivate love, friendship and social connections; become more conscientious; exercise and stay active; cultivate positive beliefs about ageing; seek a purpose for your later years; save for the future; reduce excessive and chronic stress; avoid the top causes of preventable deaths; and create healthy eating and sleeping habits.
Kali Lohman, director and psychologist at Mindful Psychology (mindfulpsychology. com.au ), agrees with these, but with one important addition.
“The thing I would add is the importance of a spiritual connection of
some sort – whether that be through someone’s faith or religion, or through practising meditation, especially mindfulness meditation,” she says.
“There are numerous evidence-based benefits for our mental health and it helps to tick many of the ‘longevity habits’ boxes, such as adding to our connections (when we practise with others) and to finding more meaning, purpose. joy and peace in our lives.”
The sum of all these parts seems to be reducing stress and putting more joy into our lives over 55 to ensure we thrive.
Readers may be familiar with communications and performance expert Amanda Gore’s The Joy Project (thejoy project.com). It aims to create a global joy movement by helping people start mini joy movements with their families, friends or workplaces.
Her book Joy is an Inside Job offers 12 steps to joy: simple but profound exercises that will help eradicate fear in your life and bring much joy and success. Two of the most powerful messages she gives is to do away with FOWOT (fear of what others think) and to practise gratitude – for what we have, who we are, and, in particular, how we got here. Appreciating every event that has happened to get you to this point is using the wisdom we have gained.
“One of my secrets for living my best life after 55 is to not think I’m 55 and that 55 is old,” Amanda says.
“Seriously, I work at keeping my body in good shape (with a power plate and movement), I have paid attention to my diet for most of my life, I learn something new most days and am always curious, grateful and in awe of nature and the world around us.
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“Although I sound a bit like a space cadet, I think those things and the fact I don’t think ‘old’ mean I am a perpetual 45 year old. And I am 69 now.
“My body is in better shape than most 45 years olds these days. My face gives it away but you can’t have everything. LOL.
“Oh, and a sense of humour makes a huge difference, along with not taking myself too seriously.
“Knowing you are worth loving, learning to love yourself and help yourself feel safe are two key emotional keys to living your best life. These core fears are the most common stories we tell ourselves as children and they become core, unconscious beliefs that rule the rest of our lives.
“You are worth loving and in most situations, you are safe but our childhood beliefs take over. Work on changing those and you are well on the way to your best life. Give your body what it needs to repair and rejuvenate (the right food, sleep and exercise), hang around with young people to remind yourself how to ’think young’.
“Focus on joy, wellness, gratitude, compassion, love and learning and explore your beliefs – and have fun and laugh as often as you can. In short, be joyful. It’s the foundation for your best life.”
Making the decision to try to live our best life isn’t something we necessarily do consciously. Rather, we ‘just do it’. And this ‘good life’ is different for everyone.
For some, it’s a feeling of place: somewhere they’ve always wanted to live, or be closer to family. For a few, it’s about finding love and companionship, gaining a new lease on life. Giving back to the community by volunteering or mentoring, pursuing new skills, being able to travel at a whim, joining a social group ... all of these may come into play.
When we’re in the middle of it, we may reflect on the fact with a smile or chuckle.
These folk reckon they’re pretty darn close to living their best lives right now.
Name: Jim Graham.
Age: 62.
Work status: Self-employed electrical fitter.
How do you try to live life to the fullest?: I’m definitely a glass-half-full kind of guy. Working for myself over the years has given me loads of time to reflect on life and how lucky I am to have it. At the age of 25, I was diagnosed with a pretty nasty cancer. With a young wife and an unclear prognosis, I was in, at times, worrying and unchartered waters. But here I am now, 41 years married to my beautiful wife Linda, and have two gorgeous daughters Caity and Kristy and I’m still livin’ and lovin’ life.
Name: Sylvia Reid.
Age: 74.
Work status: Retired administration officer.
How do you try to live life to the fullest?:
By being active, helping out at my grandchildren’s school, and giving back to the community. At the moment, I’m helping an elderly neighbour who had a stroke. I like to always be positive and upbeat, and I’ve taken up playing the ukelele (I’d never played an instrument in my life until now!).
When
Name: Mick Dickfos.
Age: 64.
Work status: National plant hire manager.
How do you try to live life to the fullest?: We have been planning for a move to the Sunny Coast and a gradual transition to retirement. This is now happening later this year. Life, for me, is spending time with my sweetheart wife Kate. We are very modest in what we need to be happy. We have an old Ford Transit van comfortably decked out for travelling. I love spending time with family and am very fortunate to have amazing friends in my life. Life is great and I’m so grateful.
Name: Angelo Harrison.
Age: 68.
Name: Lyn Brooke.
Age: 78.
Work status: Retired administration officer and receptionist.
How do you try to live life to the fullest?: I’m now enjoying time with husband Phil, family and friends, but it took a while to adjust after working until late in life. I have been very blessed with four children, seven grandchildren and a marriage of 57 years. I love travelling domestically and overseas, doing patchwork, reading and babysitting.
Name: Helen Heaton.
Age: 62.
Work
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Work status: Retired businessman. How do you try to live life to the fullest?: I try to live my best life every day, with the help of my wife, children and grandchildren. I try never to be a ‘glass-half-empty’ kind of guy, and my friends help me to remain grounded and positive. I believe that everybody has a story to tell, and being interested in others keeps me excited in life. 5477
Status: Retired. Former long-haul Qantas flight attendant.
How do you try to live life to the fullest?: After 30 years of flying around the world, there’s nothing quite like stopping and discovering paradise is right here at the beach in your own backyard. I cram plenty into my days, nurturing and learning from my immediate natural environment, our greenbelt, my garden and my birds, which in return generously enrich my life.
No, not the replacement surgery kind of ‘hip’. It’s a selection of on-trend snippets that could include places to dine, travel destinations, where to shop, what to see and visit, as well as what to watch, read and listen to, so you can stay up to date with family, friends and neighbours of all ages.
McCartney 321 on Disney+ (and recently on ABC iview) is a six-part series featuring one of the greatest songwriters of our time chatting with American producer Rick Rubin on sound desk. Rubin dissects Paul McCartney’s career, the tunes, the songwriting process, the studio atmosphere where magic happened, and other juicy titbits you never knew. The soundtrack of our lives is ever-present, along with rare footage and nostalgic photographs of The Beatles.
The Thursday Murder Club books by Richard Osman is an intriguing whodunnit series. It starts with the book of the same name and is set in a peaceful retirement community in southeastern England, where four friends meet each week to discuss unsolved crimes as a bit of harmless fun to keep their minds active. That’s until a local developer is found murdered and in possession of a mysterious photograph, forcing them to combine their diverse range of career and life skills to try to solve the murder … before more bodies start piling up.
Of The Moon masterpiece album, originally released in March 1973, has turned 50, and the Brisbane Planetarium is celebrating with an immersive experience. With the help of modern technology, the show combines breathtaking views of the solar system and beyond, played out to 42 minutes of The Dark Side Of The Moon in surround sound. Go to brisbane. qld.gov.au/whats-on-in-brisbane and search for ‘Dark Side of the Moon’.
When was the last time you enriched your life at a show at QPAC at South Bank? Take your pick from the wide-ranging program for March. Tempt your inner foodie with An Evening with Nigella Lawson (March 14, 7.30pm at the Concert Hall). Maybe you’d like to fill your hearts with the a capella brilliance of The King’s Singers (March 20, 7.30pm at the Concert Hall) or perhaps join physicist and bestselling author Brian Greene’s multimedia journey across the cosmos (March 20, 7.30pm, at the Playhouse). Visit qpac.com.au. Meanwhile on the Sunshine Coast, The Station opened on March 1 on the former NightQuarter site at Birtinya, promising more of the same all-ages food van dining, bars, live music and relaxed social gatherings. See thestationsc.com.au.
Endless Summer was a groundbreaking surf film that achieved cult status and this year celebrates 60 years since its first cinema screenings in 1964. Today’s ‘surf-and-travel’ culture and the pursuit of perfect, uncrowded waves owe their origins to sell-out screenings at the height of a snowy winter in Wichita, Kansas, when filmmaker Bruce Brown and business partner R. Paul Allen took over the Sunset Theater for two weeks, and outgrossed My Fair Lady
They’re more than 120km apart but they share a common attribute: Mapleton Public House and Clarence Restaurant, Woolloongabba (pictured), put as much care and attention into the treatment of veges as any protein in their paddock-toplate experiences. Book at mapleton. pub or clarencerestaurant.com.
Even if you haven’t the energy to enter the Mooloolaba Triathlon – the world’s second-biggest triathlon festival, to be held this year from March 9 and 10 – see the athletes of all ages, abilities, shapes and sizes who really know how to put on a show in this spectacular sun, surf and sand arena. Keep in mind the chance to volunteer and tri the fun your way. Go to mooloolabatri.com.au.
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LIKE taxis before them, Uber has revealed plans to launch a phone hotline as part of a new service designed to get more seniors on board.
Uber has revealed plans to launch a phone-booking ride service in what its top Australian executive admits is “a bit of a back-to-the-future moment”.
The tech giant launched its ride hotline in a bid to appeal to Australians over 65 who do not use ride-sharing services and prefer to book transport over the phone. Uber’s new service comes less than a year after the company launched a similar scheme in the US, and has been welcomed by a seniors’ advocacy group.
Uber Australia and New Zealand managing director Dom Taylor says the company identified that some older Australians are not using the service because they are not confident in navigating its app. The launch of a phone-booking service could feel like a throwback to the days of ordering taxis before Uber’s 2012 launch, he says, but encourages more people try the service.
“It’s a bit of a back-to-the-future moment for us,” he says. “There are groups within the community that are less open to using apps for a number of reasons and we
can still use our core product to help them move around.”
The new 13-UBER service, available between 5am and 8pm, will allow users book a ride over the phone, or set up an Uber account for the first time. Users must have a mobile phone to receive a text message with ride details, and will receive a second text message when their driver arrives at their pick-up location.
Mr Taylor says research conducted by YouGov showed 93 per cent of Australians aged 65 and over felt more confident booking services over the phone, and hoped the hotline could provide a new transport option for them.
“We have seen in the US it is a source of new riders coming to the platform who are less comfortable with apps,” he says.
“We know that older Aussies have a lot of appointments and that they are a very social group of people who are still going out for dinners and to the movies.”
National Seniors Australia chief executive Chris Grice welcomes the move to make the service more accessible, and hopes it will help seniors with specific challenges, such as mobility issues.
“Not everyone is able or comfortable using apps because of privacy, security and storage concerns,” he says. “It’s an interesting reflection of society, but a good one, when we welcomed being able to make a phone call and speak with a person to book a service.”
AUDIENNE BLYTH looks into the name and history behind one of the state’s favourite recreational reserves teeming with native flora and fauna.
Mary Cairncross Park at Maleny receives thousands of visitors each year. Mostly they come away amazed by the diverse flora and fauna on view.
The park is named after Mary Thynne (nee Cairncross, 1848-1918). Her daughters Bessie, Mabel and Mary honoured their mother in this way.
Mary was married to the Hon. AJ Thynne who was prominent in Brisbane as a solicitor and politician. The family home was Thoonbah in Highgate Hill.
Bessie, whose name was always shortened from Elizabeth, developed a love of music and nature which she kept all her life. She was the force behind the saving of the rainforest and establishing the park.
After Mary Thynne passed away in 1918, her husband remarried. His new wife was Christine Corrie, the widow of a former Brisbane lord mayor.
About 1940, Bessie, Mabel
and Mary, all unmarried, relocated from the family home in Brisbane to Maleny. Their ages at that time were 57, 66 and 62 years respectively. They chose to leave city life and live on a property purchased by their father in 1902.
His purchase of three properties in Maleny was an investment for the future. One block was 320 acres (almost 130 hectares), part of the 790 acres (about 320 hectares) which was the first selection in Maleny by Isaac Burgess in 1878.
Some selective logging had
already been done by the time of the purchase. Many stories have been told of timber-getting and the great size of the trees in the Maleny rainforests. Magnificent trees of red cedar, beech, hoop and bunya pine – hundreds of years old – were harvested (on one of the present-day walks through the park, an enormous red cedar tree remains).
With land tax to pay, Bessie asked the then Landsborough Shire Council if it would like to purchase the block. Publicity later claimed the land had been a gift: a great gift for all humanity.
In October 1941, 100 acres (nearly 40.5 hectares) were transferred through a Deed of Trust by Bessie, Mabel and Mary Thynne. Other land was to follow.
Mabel was the first to pass away in 1943. Mary died in 1956 but Bessie continued to live in Maleny until her death in 1978, after being moved to a nursing home at aged 95.
At 91, Bessie was dismayed to find that a cottage on a property she had sold 10 years previously, in the belief that she could live out her days there, had been on-sold to a developer who required her to vacate. When she had given so much, it seemed a cruel blow. However, another home was found for her, but regrettably next to the housing estate development construction.
She was also dismayed to find the name, Mary Cairncross, was used for the estate as well as the avenue.
In the 1950s, the Rotary Club of Maleny in consultation with
the council, set about maintaining the rainforest reserve. The Rotarians cut tracks, dug holes, built bridges, removed rubbish, made signs and created walkways. Members made the park their special project for the next 20 years. The council assisted with funding for amenities for the public.
On December 12, 1960, the then governor of Queensland Sir Henry Abel Smith officially opened Mary Cairncross Reserve, and Bessie was present among the dignitaries.
Today’s Mary Cairncross Park continues to be of priceless value, providing education, recreation and entertainment for the public.
Sunshine Coast Council has recently purchased large blocks nearby to be added to the park.
Source: Jeanette Nobes, Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve.
Audienne Blyth is a member of the Nambour Historical Museum, open Wednesday to Friday, 1-4pm, and Saturday, 10am-3pm.
Bouncing into a new era of life, retiree GARRY REYNOLDS shares his thoughts on the world around us.
WHO would have thought dressing like an old-style grandfather could be so cool.
Vogue says the latest look for trendsetters such as Harry Styles (pictured) is ‘eclectic grandpa’.
The fashionistas of the magazine reckon the 2024 look for young men and women is all about colourful knitwear with baseball caps, loafers or sensible sneakers and patterned boxers, all teamed with tweed.
The understated look relies on pieces meant to last decades, if not a lifetime, that have followed their ageing owner’s reluctance to jettison them.
Still, one of the best places to find classic grandpa clothes is in opportunity shops.
The style’s charm lies in the items’ simplicity and comfort while creating a
subtle fashion statement of practical chic.
Eclectic grandpa is what Pop always felt comfortable wearing, despite the protestations of his wife and children who could detect the vague aroma of mothballs when they hugged him lovingly.
Conservative grandfathers are able to dress this way because they purchased high-quality goods made from natural fibres with longevity, rather than cheap garments filled with artificial threads destined to end up in a landfill after a few wears.
Vogue concludes: “What we can really learn from our elders isn’t how to produce a lower-quality copy of their clothing, but how to cultivate personal style through well-loved pieces that will last a lifetime – hopefully, long enough to pass down to our own grandchildren.”
As a grandpa, I might go digging into the back of my old wooden wardrobe to set the fashion world ablaze.
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It doesn’t take long and the child will ask for a drink.
He or she is roused on: “Don’t be greedy. After all, you just had an ice cream.”
By Mocco WollertEVER watched a small child sitting on a high-chair dangling their feet?
The usual reaction from parents is: “Hold your feet still”.
The feet keep on dangling.
They kick the chair and the whole scene ends up in angry words and tears.
Have you ever tried to sit with your feet dangling in the air?
Remember the old barstools without a footrest and how you had to shift and wriggle because you were uncomfortable? I remember.
I can still feel what it was like when your feet were all pins and needles and there was nowhere to rest them.
Many times, I have intervened, trying to explain why the child with the dangling feet won’t sit still.
The result is that we are both in trouble.
Then there is the ice cream episode. It is a very hot day and mother buys an ice-cream for her little one.
My heart immediately goes out to the child. I can never eat an ice cream without feeling terribly thirsty afterwards. I, of course, can buy a drink anytime.
Ever had to wear a scratchy jumper that feels like a hairshirt of old?
Even pure wool can be torture on sensitive skin. Now, I would put it straight into the op shop pile.
Ever faced a meal when your stomach is tightly closed, with a giant standing beside you, trying to force you to eat those hated Brussels sprouts? “Eat those Brussels sprouts, or else!”
I know, I know. Leave Johnny to his own self and he would probably live on ice cream, cheese sticks and sugary soft drinks. Of course, I can say “no” to any meal I don’t want.
Where teenage years are concerned, I think I understand them.
I was the proverbial, rebellious girl. Didn’t I absolutely adore Elvis? Didn’t I love James
Dean until death. Didn’t I tighten my belt until my waist cracked and my mother declared I would never be able to have normal children with such a ruined body?
Didn’t I simply have to dress in multicoloured socks or be forever shamed in the eyes of my friends?
I still remember it as if it happened yesterday.
I feel like quoting the famous song from an old movie: “Oh, I remember it well.” My heart is on the side of the teenager.
Of course, I know my duty. I make an earnest face and preach the right behaviour to my greatgrandchildren (the grandchildren are all adults now), but somehow it always sounds wrong.
The adults sigh and the children don’t take me seriously.
I am a bad influence on youngsters because my youth is still so vividly alive in me.
I was lucky. I had a mother and father who understood that not eating Brussels sprouts was not the end of the world. While they gave me boundaries, they also understood my dreams, the hassles of growing up and learning to deal with life.
May you remember a happy childhood … and tolerant parents.
Email mocco.wollert@bigpond.com
TWO-year-olds must be the funniest people on the planet.
Professional comedians with scripted material and hours of practice are entertaining, but tiny tots have the ability to bring a laugh without even trying. It’s that age where they mimic actions and words, making us careful of what we say within earshot.
They may be pint-sized, but their brains are like sponges. My son likes to teach his daughter ridiculously, long words and she will repeat them like a parrot. I’m sure ‘onomatopoeia’ will come in useful for her one day. Two of my granddaughters (pictured) are this age and they both crack me up with their comments and actions.
One has a baby sister, which probably explains why she often ‘breast feeds’ her stuffed toys.
There is no explanation for the recent photo my daughter sent of said child sitting on her potty upon the coffee table in the lounge room and staring wistfully out of the window. The caption simply said, “I don’t know” – as if answering the obvious question of ‘why?’.
I love the way she sings “Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do” on an endless loop – mostly with the wrong words, but the tune is there.
When explaining the word ‘enormous’, I pointed
to some rocks and said, “They are enormous!” She shook her blonde curls and simply stated: “No, they are rocks.”
The other granddaughter is just as straightforward with her opinion.
When I gave her a glass of water with lunch, she said with a sigh, “I just like San Pellegrino.” This one also commented that her great grandma was dead … just like dinosaurs and mammoths.
They both break into infectious giggles when I make their toys ‘talk’, or feign sleep so they can wake me up by jumping on me.
Equal enthusiasm goes into a tantrum. Kids this age should come with a warning label about the possibility of going from sweet angel to spawn of the devil in a very short time. These meltdowns are caused by such horrors as wanting to wear a different T-shirt to the one suggested or not wanting butter on a scone. Home-based
tantrums are one thing, but in public places, they can be quite terrifying.
Two-year-olds are fiercely independent and believe they can do everything themselves – everything from dressing themselves in back-to-front clothes to trying to put two legs in the same leg hole of their shorts, often falling over as a result.
(Without wanting to incriminate myself, it’s also possible to do this at 60.)
They insist on emptying their own potties. As they carefully transport a sloshing potty to the toilet, one can only pray they will make it without spilling the contents. When they help wash the dishes, the kitchen floor gets a good wash at the same time. Many things take longer than they should. They want to buckle their own seatbelts and no matter how late you might be, will refuse your help.
They would rather walk than sit in a stroller, so the trip to the local park is the slowest amble you’ll ever have. When they tire, they’ll want to be carried and you’ll wonder when they got so heavy.
The best part about grandchildren is that it’s like having a little piece of my own children’s early years back again. It’s also nice to see my own offspring turning into capable parents. Maybe, just maybe, their father and I did something right.
We all know it’s gone in the blink of an eye. I’ll just enjoy the wisdom of two-yearolds while I can.
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SHIRLEY SINCLAIR speaks with a compassionate woman who fulfilled a long-held business dream late in life.
As a young adult, Di Niass always lamented never visiting her father Brian’s gravesite.
It took her 20 years and the passing of her mother Patricia before she made that pilgrimage.
But now, at 65, she not only empathises with people feeling similar pangs of regret but also has followed through on a long-held dream to create a service to give them peace of mind that, in their absence, loved ones’ graves are being cared for.
Grave Thoughts is a specialised floral-delivery and gravesitemaintenance service that can ensure the year-round upkeep of a loved one’s resting place.
With the utmost dignity and respect, the service, established in 2022, promises: “To show them you care, we can be there. When you wish you were near, we will be here”.
“My father passed away when I was 16. My mother had been left to bring up five children – we are talking about in the early-’70s,” Di recalls.
“Well, my mum had her hands full just trying to survive and also trying to do the best for us kids.
“She didn’t have time to go and grieve
or sit by a gravesite and talk to dad and she probably didn’t want to.
“She was probably thinking, ‘It’s okay for you. You’ve gone, put your feet up and left me with these five little rascals. I haven’t got time to talk of such matters. I have to get on with the hand that life has dealt me’.
“We were young kids trying to make our way in life without a dad. So, the
years passed and we all went on.
“Then, my mum passed away. We were all an adult age by then: working, married, not depending on our mum and it was then 20 years later.
“I realised I had never visited my dad’s grave and now I was going to because of the passing of my mum.
“Well, the gravesite wasn’t dilapidated because my father’s brothers and sisters had visited on occasions over the years and that made me feel good.”
Di understands only too well that there can be a variety of reasons why it may be challenging for people to personally tend to their loved one’s resting place – from geographical constraints and demanding work and life schedules, to physical or emotional limitations, or the distressing nature of the task.
A resultant feeling of neglect can further exacerbate the emotional burden.
“I was living interstate and working. So, when it came to my dad’s birthday or even my mum’s, I wasn’t able to go visit their resting place and this troubled me, even though they had passed,” Di says.
“I needed to say, ‘I’m thinking of you on this special day and thank you, because if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be
the person I am today’.
“So, my dream began and now 30 years later, I’m following that dream.
“I suppose the moral of the story is never give up on your dream. I’m not.”
Grave Thoughts’ specialised services can be customised to specific needs and honour the memory of loved ones on special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, religious holidays, or any other significant event.
As Di says: “Just because they are gone doesn’t mean they should be forgotten.”
The cost of individual and special occasion services varies, tailored to meet the specific needs of customers. They include:
• flower replacement
• candle placement and lighting
• reading a memory or special verse
• playing a favourite song
• headstone cleaning
• weeding, trimming, cutting and tidying turf
• cleaning or replacement of pebbles or vases
• maintenance and cleaning of existing decorative flora.
Visit gravethoughts.com.au
In the ‘Jeopardy’ of life, we may think we have all the answers, but CHARLIE GRIFFITHS believes we should all be asking ourselves one simple question.
Sometimes as a coach, I feel like Arthur Dent in Douglas Adams’ classic tale, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (pictured)
Arthur is swept up in the universal quest to find the ultimate answer to life, the universe and everything.
The supercomputer Deep Thought, after a period of 7.5 million years, declares the answer to life, the universe and everything to be ‘42’. The computer then has to design a more powerful organic computer, called Earth, to find the question to which 42 is the answer.
I live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and atrial fibrillation (AF): two debilitating conditions with a complex diagnosis and experimental treatment process.
For years, I have been pinning my hopes on a ‘42’ solution, which of course is fanciful. So, with an introspective mindset, I decided to look deeper.
Even if the answer is 42 (some magic drug or treatment), what is the question?
In other words, my chronic diseases are physical challenges, but I have choices.
I can give up and let them take their
rather unpleasant toll. I can put up with the discomfort and live a mediocre life.
My comfort zone doesn’t need to be stretched because I have an excellent excuse to not try too hard.
I can stand up and say, “This is what I want to do and achieve in my life!” and just bloody do it.
So, ‘the question’ is: what do I want to do and achieve in my life?
I want to be a coach and help people live the best possible version of themselves. But effective coaches need a niche.
I need to define a demographic I can relate to, and one that is willing to do whatever it takes to get the results they and their loved ones deserve.
The niching process involves identifying ‘pain points’ that potential clients need solutions to.
To do this properly, I learned that I had to pick painful experiences that I have survived.
My list included all manner of nasty stuff such as nursing my sanity through a bitter divorce, a multitude of career changes, and an extended mid-life crisis.
My ‘42 moment’ came when, with biro in mouth and fingers tapping on the desk, the title of my list jumped out and slapped me in the face.
It read: “Pain points”.
I extracted suppressed memories of life-saving surgeries to remove a gangrenous gall bladder and a Hartman’s procedure to remove a large section of bowel after a diverticular perforation.
Then there’s my ongoing IBD and AF. I know about this sh*t, and I’m prepared to draw on my experiences to help others in similar situations.
This is the first time I have publicly spoken about my little medical problems.
I can’t change the past and it’s not something I want to relive.
We recently lived in a caravan park
where conversations with grey nomads invariably turned to medical issues, drugs and beloved doctors. When it became a competition, I would change the subject or just leave. If I wanted, I only had to lift my T-shirt to end the discussion.
So, my career path is now settled. At the age of 69, chronic diseases, scars and all, I am available to work with middleaged professionals struggling with career decisions after being diagnosed with a chronic disease.
More than a worthy cause, this is a worthwhile enterprise through which I will not just survive but thrive well into my seventies and beyond.
What’s your plan?
If this article resonates with you, I would love to hear from you. Contact me at charliegriffithscoaching.com.
Charlie Griffiths is a certified life coach and Neuro Linguistic Programming practitioner dedicated to helping fellow baby boomers achieve their full potential.
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KAILAS ROBERTS outlines the ‘surgery gone wrong’ in the 1950s that provided researchers with a fresh understanding of how new memories are formed.
Scientific progress is fundamentally based on observation. A person must notice something about a situation or process and make an inference.
If it is observed that when A occurs, B also happens, this may lead the observer to surmise they are connected. An obvious case of this is that when someone smokes over a long period, they are more likely to develop cancer.
But the observation does not mean that one causes the other – just that there is an association. To prove so-called causality, you have to design an experiment that removes other influencing factors.
For example, smokers may also eat more poorly, and perhaps that increases the risk of cancer – meaning that you must ensure the participants in the study all eat the same food.
Sometimes, you can’t conduct an experiment like this, however, and have to rely on other things such as the magnitude of the connection between A and B, whether it is biologically plausible and whether one thing always precedes the other.
Interestingly, there has never been an experiment proving smoking causes lung cancer. This would involve asking one
group of people to smoke, and another not to, and then measuring the rates of cancer in the two groups.
Given that observational data so strongly supports a link, it would be unethical to make any of the study participants smoke at all.
Despite this limitation, there is universal consensus that smoking does, indeed, cause lung cancer.
When it comes to understanding how we remember things, a critical piece of observation came from a surgical error in 1953. The victim, for many years known only as ‘HM’, suffered severe epilepsy, and underwent an operation to prevent him having seizures.
The operation was a success in this way (his seizures stopped), but a disaster in another. As he recovered from his operation, his doctors noticed he could not remember things.
Well, that’s not quite true. He could remember the bulk of things that had happened in the time before the operation, but his ability to remember anything new was obliterated. Famously, he described his experience as “like waking from a dream … every day is alone in itself”. He could not learn new words, facts or faces, and he would even forget who he was talking to the moment he walked away.
This catastrophe occurred because his surgeon had removed 8cm of tissue from his hippocampus: a small seahorseshaped structure in his temporal lobe.
Up until that point, the importance of this structure was not known, but this ‘surgery gone wrong’ created a fresh understanding of how new memories are formed.
Observations about HM led to huge amounts of research focusing on this part of the brain (and on HM himself), and the hippocampus has come to be widely recognised as critical in forming new memories.
HM was still able to complete tasks, and even get better at them over time, making it clear that the hippocampus is less important for these so-called procedural memories.
These include riding a bike, driving a car and other ‘auto-pilot things’ that we do.
We now know that the hippocampus is one of the first areas of the brain to be affected in Alzheimer’s disease, leading to the typical forgetfulness of recent events, and that other areas of thinking can be relatively well preserved early on.
HM went on to live for many decades, dying in 2008. Although there is, of course, a tragedy to his story, at least his legacy has been one that has enriched medical research and will hopefully in the end hasten our progress in finding a cure for this difficult disease.
Kailas Roberts is a psychogeriatrician and author of Mind Your Brain: The Essential Australian Guide to Dementia available at all good bookstores and online. Visit yourbraininmind.com or uqp.com.au
Noosa & Hinterland Family Lawyers is the new name for a familiar face in Cooroy. Local lawyers Cooroy Legal Centre and McCarthy Family Law in Noosaville amalgamated in July last year and are now celebrating their successful marriage with a new name.
Principal lawyer Ms Jane McCarthy said the new name was chosen to celebrate the firm’s wide experience in all types of family law matters. “We will continue to offer sensible advice in all parenting, property, domestic violence and child protection disputes,” Ms McCarthy said. “Collectively our lawyers have more than 70 years’ experience between them in helping families to negotiate new arrangements after separation.”
Ms McCarthy said both offices in Cooroy and Noosaville would also continue to help people with their wills, powers of attorney, and winding up deceased estates.
Conveyancing remains a strength for the new practice. “Shelley, our very popular conveyancer, is still with us to provide knowledgeable and friendly help for people who are buying or selling property in Noosa and the hinterland,” Ms McCarthy said.
Noosa & Hinterland Family Lawyers will operate from their Noosaville office to service the Noosa community, while the Cooroy office will service those in the hinterland. Video and phone appointments, including free initial consultations, are available for clients who are unable to attend either office easily.
More information about Noosa & Hinterland Family Lawyers can be found at the firm’s webpage www. noosahinterlandfamilylawyers.com.
au. Both offices can be reached by phoning 5408 4399.
• Family Law
• Wills & Estates
• Conveyancing
Normal Vision
Unmanaged Glaucoma
Don’t let Glaucoma steal your sight
Make your appointment with SCO today!
reception@sconoosa.com.au
Glaucoma is the name given to a group of eye diseases where vision is lost due to damage to the optic nerve. It is often, but not always, associated with a gradual rise in intra-ocular pressure. Most commonly, the patient is unaware they have a problem until it is too late. Unfortunately there is no cure for glaucoma. Early diagnosis and correct treatment are essential.
Glaucoma can cause peripheral visual field loss resulting in reduced awareness of objects and people in our side or peripheral vision. Central (straight ahead) vision is often unaffected in the early stages of glaucoma, so our ability to see clearly is unchanged.
Initial changes in the visual field are subtle but can be detrimental to our safety on the road. Often, when small areas of vision disappear, the brain fills in the image to create an inaccurate but believable scene in
the part of the visual field that is diminished. This is called the “filling-in-effect”. The filling-in-effect influences our visual perception when driving and impairs our ability to see hazards on the road such as pedestrians, bike riders, other vehicles, road debris or potholes.
Visual field loss from glaucoma can also enlarge our blindspot when driving and impede our ability to safely merge into traffic or change lanes.
Reduced peripheral vision can also hinder our ability to rapidly adapt to dynamic variations in lighting, such as when we are driving through a series of shadows cast on the road. Our ability to drive at night and adjust to oncoming headlights and streetlights can also be hindered.
Contrast is our ability to see how faded an
image is before it becomes indistinguishable. Changes to vision as a result of glaucoma can cause subtle and unconscious changes in our contrast vision. Good contrast vision is important to be able to see pedestrians, other vehicles and hazards in poor lighting conditions and on overcast and rainy days. Because glaucoma has very few symptoms, patients are often unaware they have a problem. A regular eye examination with an optometrist, timely referral if necessary, and adequate treatment are all essential in the management of glaucoma.
Passwords can be the bane of our existence but EDIN READ explains how to make modern online life easier in remembering and keeping them safe.
With the growing number of accounts we use on our phones, computers and even TVs, there’s one thing that always seems to be an issue: passwords.
We sign up to new accounts, telling ourselves the lie that we’ll remember them and the next time we go to log in, it’s ‘access denied’. In addition to not remembering them, it’s a case of not being sure which password is for which account.
I founded Greyology over two years ago, and passwords has been a continual issue for most clients ever since. After much deliberation over the best way forward, I can confidently say that I have found the best way to store passwords in a cost-efficient and easy manner: a simple, well-laid-out, physical notebook.
Commonly, I see an attempt at a password book which is often not future proofed. It’s a good idea to write down your passwords and keep it secure
somewhere. But when you start being unable to read your writing, with white-out all over the page and little notes scrawled, it helps no one.
The notebook should have one account per page. Listed at the top: the username/email associated with the account, as well as any information required for that account. Listed underneath that is the password for the account, as well as the date this password was created.
This means that if the account asks you to update your password or create a new one,
you can simply put it on the line below and date it. That ensures no more uncertainty about which password is valid or if there is a new password written on another page.
Please note that you should never write down your complete password. Asterisk (***) out the body of the password, just in case anyone with bad intentions was to get hold of this information.
In addition to this, keep your password book secure – as if it was as valuable as a wad of cash, as usually it is more valuable than that. Ensure you write your
passwords clearly, and if you make a mistake, cross it out and rewrite it underneath. Trying to write over passwords may save you time today, but it will cause you pain when you go to type it in again in the future.
Indicate clearly if a letter is capitalised: I personally use an underline to demonstrate a capital. Some use a different coloured pen. Ensure you cross out your zeros so there is no doubt as to if it is an ‘O’ or a ‘Ø’.
You might be thinking, “Edin, don’t be silly. Google saves my passwords for me or I keep them saved in a document on my computer. Why on earth would I need to write down my passwords for someone to steal?”
Well, the reason I say this is because I have seen password managers go wrong time after time after time. Firstly, usually you don’t have people you don’t trust in your home in the first place to take your book. This is a valued consideration. However, on your computer, it is becoming
harder to manage who has access. Many times have I seen clients give remote access to a stranger via a program on their computer as a part of a scam.
Remote access has a time and place, but you should never let someone remote access your computer if you have saved passwords. If you can see your passwords on your computer, so can they. In my opinion, it is fine to save some passwords on your computer – but only passwords that are unique and wouldn’t cause devastation if someone were to access them.
Your login to golf or bridge, for example, wouldn’t be an issue. Your bank password or myGov should never be saved by anyone or anything. It simply puts you at too much risk.
Follow these steps and you should have more security and fewer forgotten passwords.
Edin Read is founder and chief technician at Greyology Tech Support for Seniors. Visit greyology.com.au
A
clouding of the lens of the eye. The lens is situated inside the eye, behind the pupil. It acts in the same way as the lens in a camera to help focus light rays on to the light sensitive nervous tissue in the back of the eye – the retina.
Dry eye syndrome is a general term for the breakdown of the tear film that protects the eye’s front surface. It is the most common symptomatic eye condition treated at Best Practice Eyecare. Dry eye syndrome causes chronic, tired, uncomfortable eyes.
Dr Michael Karpa and the amazing team at Best Practice Eyecare can help you with cataracts, dry eyes, and much more including glaucoma, pterygia, lid surgery and macular degeneration.
BRUCE McMAHON has found a compact electric vehicle that ticks the boxes as an economical, everyday ride for suburbia.
This three-door Italian is the right size and the right fit for an electric run-around.
It’s cute and compact and may rarely venture far from metropolitan limits and re-charging sources.
Fine to run from Brisbane to Broadbeach, but unlikely to be asked to take a spin out to Birdsville.
It’s not cheap at $52,500 but it is more fit for purpose than any number of other electrics.
The buzz about electric vehicles has been a little over-hyped – especially when it comes to larger (and heavier) family sedans and SUVs.
Take Hertz’s experience for example.
The American rental car company is now throwing some 20,000 electric vehicles – many of them Teslas – off its fleet and replacing them with petrolpowered cars. Why? High repair costs and rapid price depreciation.
Yet there remains a case, at this stage of battery-electric vehicle development, for the likes of Fiat’s 500e: small cars well-suited to city life, rather than high-mileage renters driven by Tom, Dick and Harry.
The Fiat’s 300km or so battery range,
and the cost when there are cheaper Chinese alternatives, may not impress eco-rationalists. But this is a mostentertaining compact, ideal for economical urban motoring with flair.
The Italian-built 500e is a touch bigger (56mm wider, 61mm longer) than regular, petrol-engined 500 hatchbacks, but still comes in at a friendly 3.6 metres long by 1.6 metres wide.
Some more numbers: the frontmounted electric motor puts out 87kW with peak torque of 220Nm – good enough for 0 to 100kmh in nine seconds.
Fast DC charging at 85kW should get the 500e from 0 to 80 per cent in 35 minutes and, with a claimed range of 310 kilometres, one charge should be enough for a week of average commutes. The 500e’s price tag – compared with around $28,000 for a petrol Fiat 500 –brings not only electric propulsion but also other cosmetics and comforts: from smart 17-inch wheels to a fixed glass roof, heated front seats to eco-leather seat and door panel trim. That’s on top of safety gear such as tyre pressure monitoring and lane centring.
This adds up to a premium cabin, a fair size for two average adults up front and two, for a short ride, in the back seats; entry to the rear can be a scramble. With those rear seats up, there’s not a huge amount of cargo space – maybe enough for a long weekend.
Back up front, drivers sit comfortably with good visibility to front and sides, although anyone close on two metres could find forward vision cut by the windscreen rail.
Controls and instruments, with centre touch-pad and a row of push buttons for gear selection, are relatively straightforward and there’s the big dial to show how much juice is being used (or saved).
There are three drive modes: Range which makes the most of regenerative braking; Normal for day-to-day; and Sherpa for saving power when the battery’s low.
This is an easy, comfortable car to drive. It’s also fun to drive with confident steering, decent ride and enough pep to stay out of traffic troubles.
The Fiat 500e has a distinct character not always found in today’s battery electric vehicles.
WHEN writing a Will, consider creating a testamentary trust to protect your assets, reduce the tax paid by beneficiaries, or maintain flexibility and control.
There are many benefits of having a testamentary trust in your Will. For example, a testamentary trust within your Will may increase your control over the distribution of your estate. They allow the trustees of each trust to decide which of the nominated beneficiaries may receive the benefits of the distributions from that trust for any given period.
It’s important to understand pros and cons when it comes to drafting your Will in a way that best suits your intentions. Here are four benefits a testamentary trust could have to your future.
1. Flexibility: testamentary trusts allow for greater flexibility to suit your particular circumstances. This can include former and current spouses, de-facto partners, or children of former spouses. The trustee can decide the appropriate amounts to distribute from the testamentary trust to any of the beneficiaries. Your Will can also allow the testamentary trust to be wound up at a certain point. If a Will does not correctly incorporate a testamentary trust, there may be complications between
family members after you pass.
2. Asset protection: a testamentary trust is ideal for protecting assets from going to those who were not intended to benefit from the estate. Testamentary trusts are also beneficial for vulnerable beneficiaries – people with intellectual disabilities, illnesses, addiction problems or vulnerabilities that could result in dissipation of an inheritance.
3. Tax planning: depending on the nominated beneficiaries’ circumstances, a testamentary trust may assist them with reducing tax liability. As inheritances will constitute a capital gain to a beneficiary, tax is liable to be paid on a beneficiary’s entitlements under a Will when they receive it. A beneficiary may be given control over distribution of income from the trust by being appointed as a trustee. Income can also be split across multiple beneficiaries to minimise tax liabilities.
4. Estate planning: compared to a simple Will, a testamentary trust allows beneficiaries to take more control over assets against third parties. As the trustee holds the title to the trust’s assets, this allows trusts to protect assets from court proceedings, bankruptcy or legal action.
If you are considering having a testamentary trust in your Will, seek legal advice to ensure it is properly structured.
Cameron Rogers and Co Solicitors is at 4/61 Burnett Street, Buderim. Call 5445 1213 or visit cameronrogers.com.au
EVERY day, people make excuses as to why they don’t need a Will to ensure their valuable assets pass to their family.
Classic excuses include:
• I don’t need a Will because my wife/kids are going to inherit everything anyway. She/they’ll take care of it.
• Isn’t that for rich, old people?
• I only have a house, not much to worry
WHILE many people understand the importance of Wills, the lesser-known personal document of an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) can often be misunderstood or its purpose unclear.
Not to be confused with your Executor, an Attorney is someone who can make decisions on your behalf while you are still alive (although often your Executor and Attorney will be the same person).
An EPOA is the legal document that appoints your Attorney/s. There two types of Attorneys, your Attorney for personal matters and your Attorney for financial matters. This can be the same person for both, different people for each or multiple people.
Your Attorney for personal matters can make decisions that relate to personal and lifestyle matters, such as your healthcare, where you live, and support services. Your Attorney for personal
about, really.
• Getting a Will is too expensive and time consuming.
• I’ll be dead anyway, so it’s not my problem.
• If I talk about it too much, I’ll probably jinx myself.
The response to all of these furphies is a resounding “wrong!”.
While not having a Will may mean that ultimately assets eventually find their way to next of kin, the pathway is longer, more expensive and requires court involvement – overall, a much slower and much more-expensive way to achieve the outcome that a straightforward Will could ensure.
Of course, not having a Will means that your intentions are irrelevant and what you wanted to happen may not occur.
matters can only act when you do not have capacity. That is, while you can still make decisions for yourself, and understand those decisions, your Attorney cannot act.
Your Attorney for legal matters can make decisions affecting your finances and related legal matters. This includes paying expenses, selling your property, or carrying on your business.
A significant difference with your personal Attorney is that you can appoint your financial Attorney immediately. This may be useful in circumstances where you travel a lot or need someone to assist you with your finances.
Miller Sockhill Lawyers understand that discussing these issues around your personal documents can be uncomfortable or confronting. But the lawyers pride themselves on providing expert advice with sensitivity and compassion.
If you are considering having your personal documents completed, call the succession team at Miller Sockhill Lawyers on 5444 4750.
Miller Sockhill Lawyers, 10 Aerodrome Road, Maroochydore. millersockhilllawyers.com.au
When people die without a Will (called an intestacy), the law sets out a formula that applies to distribute assets in different proportions between next of kin in a specified sequence. That may, for example, mean a house has to be sold, even if the wife is living there, to satisfy the intestacy formula.
The absence of a Will may open the door to a contested estate.
A simple Will would prevent unintended consequences occurring.
A simple Will is not expensive (usually
under $500). Unless the estate is complex, there is no need for a testamentary trust or other complications to blow out the costs of a Will. In fact, lawyers make much more money when people don’t have a Will, as the sorting out of people’s estates without a Will significantly increases the time and expense involved.
Sunshine Coast Elder Law is an expert in Wills, estate disputes, estate management and retirement village contracts. Call 1800 961 622 or visit sunshinecoastelderlaw.com.au
Brisbane Elder Law are experts in wills, estate disputes, estate management and retirement village contracts. Call 1800 961 622 or visit brisbaneelderlaw.com.au
TRISTAN HALL looks at simple steps everyone can take towards a healthier and happier life.
To start 2024, the allied health team has decided to provide the ‘fast fours in ’24’ in relation to a few subjects within our scope of practice as exercise physiologists and dietitians.
The first ‘fast four’ will set the scene for upcoming articles and discuss the four pillars of health.
Of course, more ‘pillars’ can contribute to a healthier and happier life but today we will discuss four that we focus on when providing tailored programs for our community.
The four pillars of health (as we see it) are: activity; nutrition; sleep; and environment.
When discussing health optimisation, it is imperative to take all of these factors into consideration. We think of them as transient and intertwined ideas that do not stand alone, but work more as a team to uphold health and positive habits. At certain times, more focus will be given to each pillar, depending on the circumstances and the goals. Activity and exercise – Our
bodies are designed to move. It has a ‘use it or lost it’ mantra, or ‘motion is lotion’ is one of our favourites. Our physical fitness and capabilities will hold the threshold to what we can do regularly. Moving more may seem fatiguing, but it’s actually a signal for the body to provide more energy to handle the stimulus. It is the best way to help your body excel at the normal daily demands and handle the extra activities we want to be involved with. The biggest take home tip? Do something you enjoy. Positive feedback is the best motivator.
Nutrition and hydration – Your
food and, by extension, fluid intake provide the energy, biochemicals and nutrients for the body to utilise. What you eat essentially wires your body and cells for you to think clearly, function optimally and provide energy to move. When cells and systems are lacking energy and nutrients, this stress can negatively impact metabolism and increase inflammation circulating. Your body needs the building blocks to regularly renew and rebuild.
Sleep and recovery – This is your biological tool to ‘be better’ for the next day and arguably is the most load-bearing pillar. It only takes a few nights of poor sleep to affect our physiology. While you might be able to continue with tasks, stress hormones and survival mechanisms are already active. A big driver of injuries, pain and mental health issues is not necessarily from overdoing it, but rather from under-recovering.
Environmental – The environment you choose to be in
can be broken into many cohorts. However, we like to focus on our physical and social environment as major contributors to our overall wellbeing. Physically, with more happening inside homes, shops and workplaces, we begin to lack exposure to full-spectrum light, fresh air and time in nature. Spending time outside sends signals that help regulate many, if not all systems. In a social sense, surrounding ourselves with people and communities that we can connect to is an integral part of life fulfilment. More so quality, not quantity. By choosing our environments carefully and reducing internal and external stressors, we can assist with regulation of our energy levels.
Over upcoming publications, we will delve into each of these pillars. If these topics have peaked your interest, feel free to reach out on 5456 1599.
Tristan Hall is an exercise physiologist at Full Circle Wellness. Call 0431 192 284 or visit fullcirclewellness.com.au
SUNSHINE Coast Council is helping residents prioritise healthy living, positive mental stamina and making connections – without breaking the bank.
Healthy Sunshine Coast is an affordable and holistic initiative that supports and encourages our community to be healthy, have fun and meet new friends.
The council’s economic and community development group executive Greg Laverty says this year’s program has something for everyone. “Activities range from the new pilates classes at the Maroochy Bushland Botanic Gardens, laughter yoga in Maleny and Caloundra and over-50s fitness at Buderim,” he says.
Registration is free, but essential. Once signed up, residents will be able to attend a range of low-cost health and wellbeing activities which are $10 – or just $5 with a Health Care/Pensioner card.
For more information and to register, visit the council’s website and search for ‘Healthy Sunshine Coast’.
Australia’s subsidised aged care services now help around 1.5 million older people to receive care and support. Taxpayers contributed A$28 billion to the various programs in 2022-23. And yet the system is governed by an act that was first passed in 1997.
A lot has changed over the past two and a half decades – more people are living longer with chronic conditions and impairments that necessitate care, more of that care helps people stay in their own home, older people have more choice and control, and quality and safety are subject to tighter regulation and improved enforcement. These and many other reforms are welcome. But as a result, the 1997 Aged Care Act has become a patchwork of change upon change. So when is the new act due, and what does it aim to achieve.
What we know so far: Following the report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the government is rewriting the act with a view to it commencing on July 1 2024 – less than five months from now. Parts of an initial draft of the act have been released for public consultation. The proposed act adopts a rights-based approach to caring for older Australians, and consolidates and simplifies multiple pieces of existing legislation.
Some of the improvements will include: establishing a complaints commissioner to
increase the independence and transparency of investigating aged care complaints; increasing whistleblower protections so older people, their families and aged care workers feel comfortable about exposing unacceptable treatment from a provider; streamlining access to aged care through a single-assessment process, rather than older people having to be assessed by different organisations depending on their particular care needs.
But several significant issues have yet to be addressed. The partial draft of the act lacks any provision relating to the proposed fees, payments and subsidies, or about how people with different needs will be prioritised and how aged care places will be allocated to them.
The act also makes many references to the government making rules about how the aged care system will actually operate. As always, the devil is in the detail but the rules have not yet been made public.
The new act also attempts to address the fundamental concern that Australia’s Constitution doesn’t provide the federal government with powers to make laws specifically for “aged care”. This is unlike the government’s powers over banking, marriage, the age pension and many other matters. Instead, the act attempts to patch together a range of other powers, such as for providing sickness and hospital benefits
Cost free initial Information Session
An obligation-free appointment with our aged care advisor to help navigate you through the process.
Aged Care Financial Strategy Paper
A Strategy Paper involves a review of your current financial position and provides you with up to 5 scenarios and compares cashflow effects of each option.
Placement Service
- Aged Care Facility
We liaise with facilities to organise your move from home or hospital and complete all the necessary paperwork.
Centrelink Service
We will handle all your Centrelink. We enjoy meeting with clients to fully understand your goals and objectives, and working together to find the best outcome for now through to estate planning, ensuring peace of mind and comfort with your financial future.
We look forward to helping you navigate through the next stage of your life.
and making binding international treaties (including disability support) under its external affairs powers. It is unclear whether this approach will make the system too complex, compared with seeking agreement from the states to refer their powers to the federal government, or to enact a common set of laws on which both levels of government agree.
Federal Parliament will have the final say on what the act will contain and when it is passed.
How does this fit with other recent changes? The new act aims to provide an enduring structure that brings the current aged care system, including recent reforms, into a single consistent regulatory regime.
The newly introduced residential care workforce standards, for instance, will be carried over to the new act. They include the requirement for 24/7 cover by registered nurses, so nurses are always available to care for a resident when needed, at any time of the day or night. The new levels of care minutes that nurses and other personal care workers must provide to residents will also be part of the new act.
The act will also include the Star Ratings for individual aged care homes. These help inform residents about the quality of the care their homes provide.
Will this be it for a while? The recent changes to aged care are not the end of the
decade-long reform journey. In the immediate future there will be changes to payment arrangements for care as the government responds to the yet-to-bereleased report of the Aged Care Task Force.
Following that, a new Support at Home program is being designed to consolidate and streamline the current home care packages, short-term restorative care and respite care. Having already been deferred twice in recent years, the current proposed start date is July 1, 2025.
The drafting of a modern, simplified act is an important opportunity to provide the best legislative regime for caring for older Australians. But such an opportunity comes only once every decade or two. While the new legislation needs to put older people at its centre, it must also facilitate a system that is sustainable and sufficiently robust to support them to access subsidised care when they need it.
The broad framework is there, but there are less than five months to get the details right.
* This article first appeared in The Conversation. For the full article, go to: theconversation.com/changes-are-comingfor-australias-aged-care-system-hereswhat-we-know-so-far-222757
By Michael Woods, Professor of Health Economics, University of Technology Sydney, and Eugenia Tsihlis, Senior Research Assistant Law Health Justice, University of Technology Sydney
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a common condition.
Silent reflux affects approximately 40 to 50% of patients who have GORD. It is referred to as ‘silent reflux’ because it does not present with the classic symptoms of reflux, being heartburn, lump in the throat and regurgitation.
Symptoms of silent reflux range from chronic cough, recurrent sore throats, loss of voice, persistent throat clearing, chest pain, choking, wheezing and shortness of breath.
When diagnosis and treatment are delayed, chronic GORD can increase the risk for serious health complications.
In June 2021, X-Ray & Imaging partnered with Professor Hans Van der Wall and introduced the Gastroesophageal Reflux Test to the Sunshine Coast. The first of its kind, this patented nuclear medicine imaging technique precisely identifies contamination of reflux fluid throughout the head, throat, and chest.
“Many patients do not present with classic symptoms of GORD but are suffering from typical upper respiratory tract symptoms such
as chronic cough, dysphonia and globus. This is due to reflux fluid contaminating the maxillary sinuses, throat, middle ears and laryngopharynx. It may also contaminate the airways and lungs causing asthma-like symptoms, breathing difficulties, chronic cough and recurrent bronchitis or pneumonia. We frequently see patients with a diagnosis of “atypical asthma”, which often turns out to be GORD with entry of reflux into the airways”, says Professor Van der Wall.
Historically, GORD has been diagnosed using pH monitoring, fluoroscopy, or endoscopy. So how does the Gastroesophageal Reflux Test differ to these tests?
Although PH Monitoring is 50-80% sensitive and 77–100% specific in the presence of heartburn & regurgitation, it is limited to oesophageal disease only, particularly the lower oesophagus. Endoscopy is effective as an anatomical diagnostic tool but has a poor sensitivity for GORD (less than 30%) and is limited to detecting reflux disease that is severe enough to damage the oesophagus.
Fluoroscopy or Barium Swallow is insensitive
and has a high radiation burden and only demonstrates oesophageal disease.
The Gastroesophageal Reflux Test is 90% sensitive and provides an effective, inexpensive, simple, and non-invasive screening
tool for reflux and lung aspiration, detecting contamination throughout the maxillar y sinuses, throat, middle ears, laryngopharynx, airways and lungs. For more information visit xrayimaging.com.au/reflux-testing
Patient preparing to undergo Gastroesophageal Reflux Testing
LIFE can often feel like a tiresome journey, but the key to staying alert lies in the quality (not quantity) of our sleep.
It’s time to recognise the profound impact of quality sleep and transform nightly routines into rejuvenating experiences.
Here’s why prioritising sleep quality is paramount for health and wellbeing:
1. Promoting heart health: quality sleep provides vital relaxation and rejuvenation for the heart, reducing the risk of heart issues such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
2. Maintaining hormonal balance: consistent sleep schedules help keep hormones in check, supporting alertness and overall wellbeing.
3. Managing weight: quality sleep plays a crucial role in regulating metabolism and preventing weight gain.
4. Strengthening the immune system: quality sleep actively restores and fortifies the immune system, reducing susceptibility to infections and illnesses.
5. Enhancing energy and recovery: prioritising sleep
ensures proper cell regeneration and sustained energy levels, essential for daily activities.
6. Improving mental sharpness: quality sleep enhances focus and memory, which are crucial for optimal performance in daily tasks.
Here’s some top tips:
• maintain regular sleep schedules
• create a comfortable sleep environment in your bedroom
• limit screen time before bedtime
• take strategic rest breaks to recharge during the day.
For those facing issues such as insomnia or sleep apnea, seeking professional guidance and using resources, including CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure ) therapy, can significantly improve sleep quality.
Visit cpap.com.au/locations for your closest in-store crew.
ARE you scared of skin cancer treatment? Enter superficial radiotherapy (SRT): a surgeryfree, highly effective treatment with numerous benefits.
SRT delivers low-energy X-rays directly to the skin’s surface. Precise targeting makes it ideal for treating basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma – the two mostcommon types of non-melanoma skin cancer.
Unlike traditional radiotherapy, which penetrates deep into the body, SRT is
A LONG walk on the beach might sound relaxing, but your feet and legs may not agree.
Walking barefoot on the beach requires our small foot muscles and our larger leg muscles to work hard, and sometimes this is difficult for our body to cope with.
Beach walking requires stability, and the normal ageing process can affect our balance and proprioception. If not careful, injuries such as heel pain, calf
specifically designed for superficial skin lesions. Unlike surgery, which may require anaesthesia and lengthy recovery periods, SRT sessions are typically quick and painless, allowing patients to resume daily activities immediately afterward. This makes it an attractive option for individuals with busy schedules.
SRT offers excellent outcomes for lesions located on cosmetically sensitive areas such as the face, scalp and neck. By targeting only the affected area with precision, SRT minimises scarring and
strains and painful lower backs can occur.
Sand is uneven and unpredictable, and it also changes underfoot once we stand on it. Feet need to readjust constantly to ensure we stay upright and the major muscles in our lower legs are having to work overtime to support the feet and ankles.
The tiny intrinsic muscles at the bottom of our feet can quickly get fatigued and easily injured. Here are three ways to reduce the risk of injury from beach walking and enjoy what
disfigurement, providing patients with not only effective treatment but also peace of mind. It is a suitable option for elderly patients or those with underlying health conditions who may not be appropriate candidates for surgery. Its non-surgical nature reduces the risk of complications associated with anaesthesia and wound healing.
WORDS: Martin Noller, managing director and radiation therapist Call Just Skin Treatment Clinic on 5348 9460 or visit justskin.com.au
the Sunshine Coast has to offer:
1. Walk on the harder sand rather than the softer sand for more stability.
2. Wear your running shoes or arch support thongs.
3. Stretch your calf muscles before and after a walk on the sand.
Look after your feet to ensure you enjoy many more walks in the future.
Talk to our podiatrists if you are worried about your feet. Call 1300 881 082 or visit steppingoutpodiatry.com.au
THE Music of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and All The Musical Classics, starring Mark Vincent and Julie Lea Goodwin, is a special treat for music lovers.
Australia’s most successful tenor, internationally acclaimed sensation Mark Vincent is returning to Caloundra due to popular demand, with special guest, Opera Australia’s Julie Lea Goodwin. Fans can expect an intimate performance of a rich repertoire of classical musical theatre songs and arias.
Singing from the age of 15, Vincent has gone on to become one of Australia’s most-beloved and most-popular tenors, having released nine consecutive No.1 ARIA classical crossover albums, earning accolades both nationally and internationally. This will be a sensational music experience not to be missed.
WHEN: Saturday, April 27, at 7.30pm.
WHERE: The Events Centre, 20 Minchinton Street, Caloundra.
TICKETS: $89.90, via theeventscentre.com. au/event/mark-vincent/
TAKE the grandkids along to Australian motocross hero, internationally recognised stuntman and world recordbreaker Robbie Maddison and the Freestyle Kings in a thrilling outdoor stadium show.
The world-class line-up of all-star champion athletes will be bringing their dynamic, jaw-dropping, action-packed production to the Sunshine Coast as part of a national tour.
Maddison will be appearing exclusively alongside FMX Champion and 13-time X Games medallist Rob Adelberg and two-time World Games Champion Pat Bowden. Seventeen-yearold Ry Davis is back with another world record attempt up his sleeve, and Brayden Davies will perform the leap of faith – the only rider in the world capable of performing this trick.
America’s favourite Ronnie Mac, with his multi-million social media following, leads the international contingent of athletes, along with their newest team member from New Zealand: Ellie Chew.
The Freestyle Kings have recently travelled the world performing all over the US, China and Australia and can’t wait to hit the road in 2024.
The family friendly, fully choreographed action sports theatrical spectacular is guaranteed to keep fans on the edge of their seats.
Death-defying stunts and never-seenbefore world firsts, along with front flips, double backflips and side-by-side jumps, are performed bigger, faster and higher than ever before. The riders will be hitting heights of over 22m from the ground during one huge, epic show with pyrotechnics, firebreathers, music, VIP experiences and much more.
WHEN: Saturday, March 23, 6.30pm.
WHERE: Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sportsmans Parade, Bokarina.
TICKETS: From $44.05, via freestylekings.com
THE She Sings crew is stepping off terra firma for a special sunset cruise around the canals of Mooloolaba.
Jump aboard one of the Sunshine Coast’s most-stunning vessels, Crusader 1, with Cavalier Cruises. Tickets include your spot on this exclusive two-hour cruise, grazing platters by Ground & Gourmet, She Sings entertainment and a $2.50 donation to the 2024 charity partner (soon to be announced). Wear something that makes you feel fabulous for this 18+ event.
WHEN: Saturday, March 23, 4pm.
WHERE: Cavalier Cruises (departing from Tank Riviera), 209 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba.
TICKETS: trybooking.com/events/ landing/1182599?
SCONETIME is back for 2024, bringing the wonderful old halls of the Sunshine Coast to life with seniors, their carers, companions and family enjoying a scrumptious morning tea of freshly baked scones with strawberry jam and lashings of whipped cream.
SUNSHINE Coast Libraries invites interested writers to join author Charlotte Powers for an introduction to the wild and wonderful world of monster romance.
This fast-growing romance sub-genre involves romantic relationships between humans and monstrous beings, such as a mythical beasts, aliens, or dinosaurs. It often includes themes such as tolerance and
Here are some dates to mark off the calendar:
Buderim Memorial Hall:
Wednesday, May 8, 10am.
Bookings trybooking.com/ CNJVV
Wednesday, August 7, 10 am.
Bookings trybooking.com/ CNJVX
Wednesday, November 13, 10am.
Bookings trybooking.com/ CNJWA
Beerwah Community Hall: Thursday, May 16, 10am.
Bookings trybooking.com/ CNJUR
Friday, November 15, 10 am.
Bookings trybooking.com/ CNJUU
acceptance. Blending horror, fantasy and love, noted examples explore compelling relationships between people and dragons, gargoyles and mysterious sea creatures. One story that became an award-winning film is The Shape of Water where a romance between an amphibious man captured in the Amazon unfolds with a janitor on staff at a research centre.
The writing workshops will
ALL artists like to break the rules and manipulate their chosen media to push the boundaries.
So, the work on display at the Matthew Flinders Art Gallery will be new and exciting. Many different surfaces have been used, including paper, fabric, canvas, clay, timber and plastic. Works scratch the surface in a literal and metaphorical sense.
WHEN: March 11 to 24.
WHERE: Matthew Flinders Art Gallery, Bribie Island Community Arts Centre, 191 Sunderland Drive, Banksia Beach.
TICKETS: Free entry.
provide an introduction to the sub-genre and an overview of other authors in the space, while Powers gives a crash course in writing monster romance fiction.
WHEN: March 11-23.
WHERE: Workshops will run across seven Sunshine Coast Libraries locations.
TICKETS: Registration is essential via library.sunshinecoast.qld.gov. au/whats-on/at-the-library/ monster-romance
HERE are some dates to keep in mind this month.
• March 1-31: Australian Adopt a Pet Month
• March 1-31: Epilepsy Awareness Month
• March 1-31: World’s Greatest Shave for the Leukaemia Foundation
• March 3: World Wildlife Day; Clean Up Australia Day
• March 1-7 Hearing Awareness Week
• March 8 International Women’s Day
• March 10-16 World Glaucoma Week
• March 13-20: Coeliac Awareness Week
• March 17: St Patrick’s Day
• March 20: World Oral Health Day; International Day of Happiness
• March 21: World Down Syndrome Day
• March 18-24: National Harmony Week
• March 29-31: Pa and Ma Bendall Surfing Contest
• March 29-April 1: Easter.
In honour of Easter, here’s a scrumptious recipe to make with the grandchildren or neighbours’ kids. Or why not just indulge yourself (go on, we won’t tell anyone!).
Makes 6.
Ingredients:
• 6 traditional hot-cross buns, halved
• ½ cup Nutella
• 24 marshmallows.
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Spread the cut side of each hot-cross bun with Nutella.
2. Place bun bases onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
3. Top each bun base with four marshmallows. Cover with bun tops.
4. Gently press to sandwich together.
5. Bake for six minutes or until the marshmallows melt.
6. Serve immediately.
This recipe was provided by Kim McCosker, of 4 Ingredients.
RETIREES seeking to join Aveo’s popular Sunset Palms retirement community in Palmview must get in quickly, with limited villas remaining in the latest collection of architecturally designed homes.
The second stage featuring 22 spacious villas, released last year, was eagerly anticipated, attracting downsizers to the vibrant community ideally situated for the Sunshine Coast’s pristine beaches and serene landscapes.
Sales manager Aimee King says the community’s residents are thriving in the village’s relaxed lifestyle after leaving behind their high-maintenance homes.
“With its resort-style facilities and boutique village charm, Sunset Palms, which launched in 2019 with the first 38 villas, has been sought-after by retirees ready to launch their next chapter,’’ Ms King says. “The community is only 15 minutes from the sandy beaches of Mooloolaba and 20 minutes from the lush hinterlands and bustling shopping paradise of Sunshine Plaza.’’
Positioned in a private corner of the
masterplanned Harmony residential estate, Sunset Palms benefits from 130ha of green space and extensive walking trails.
Upon completion of Harmony’s planned town centre, Sunset Palms residents will enjoy convenient access to retail amenities, including a supermarket, cafes and restaurants.
“Many of our residents had already been living on the Sunshine Coast and wanted to stay in an area they love, while others were drawn to the community to stay connected with family who reside in the Harmony Estate,’’ Ms King says.
While villas are limited, various designs are still available, including twoand three-bedroom floorplans – some with two-car garages and extra living areas.
“The stylish villas are open-plan design, with full-sized kitchens, premium inclusions, lock-up garages, outdoor entertainment areas and grassed backyards that residents don’t need to mow,’’ Ms King says.
“Everyone’s so happy with their beautiful homes. The response I most often hear is ‘wow, it’s stunning and more than we imagined’. Villas are also cleverly designed with discreet features to allow safe ageing in place without stairs or trip
hazards, so residents can look forward to carefree living.’’
Sunset Palms’ residents share an outdoor pool, gym, salon, bar, billiards table, function room, library, media room, art space, bocce court and communal vegetable gardens. A community bus is available for shopping trips to Maroochydore and Kawana.
The busy social calendar offers something for everyone, including regular events, happy hour, book club meetings, mahjong sessions and art classes.
Sunset Palms is at 58 Harmony Boulevard, Palmview, with villas priced from $545,000.
For more information or to tour the site, call 13 28 36 or visit aveo.com.au
RV LIFESTYLE Village Oceanside at Burnett Heads, on the coast of Bundaberg, is designed with the active retiree in mind.
Every home features an RV-sized garage (on average 16m x 6m with garage door clearance up to 3.6m) – big enough for the RV, boat and a couple of cars.
The homes are meticulously designed to optimise space without sacrificing style or comfort. From the high-roofed,
oversized garages to open-plan living spaces that blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living, the homes at RV Oceanside are designed to make the most of our beautiful Queensland climate.
When you’re at home, there’s plenty to do. A suite of best-in-class facilities include a lagoon pool, games room with self-serve bar, two tenpin bowling lanes, pool tables, table tennis, a golf simulator and lounge.
There’s also a gym, library, art and craft room, meeting room, barbecues, firepit and a residents’ workshop.
The next stage of facilities, set to start construction this year, will include a cinema, clubhouse, covered lawn bowls, tennis courts, community vegetable garden and catering kitchen, as well as a casual lounge and dining.
Now home to more than 200 residents and growing fast, this is not just a place to
live but a community to be part of. There’s something for everyone – from complimentary group fitness classes, to arts and crafts, woodworking, community barbecues ... the list keeps growing.
When friends and family visit in their van, they can enjoy a complimentary stay on the powered and serviced hardstand. When you’re heading off, you can lock up and leave, knowing all the community facilities and gardens are maintained and your home is secure in a gated community.
Stage 2 homes are under construction. Prices start at $695,000, and move-in-ready homes are available. Book for a noobligation tour, try the facilities, and enjoy a free two-night stay on the hardstand.
RV Lifestyle Village Oceanside is at 50 Marshall Street, Burnett Heads. Find the page on Facebook, visit rvlifestylevillage. com.au or call 4155 5035.
A RECENT study, published in this year’s January 3 edition of The Lancet Healthy Longevity, sheds light on a significant finding for adults grappling with hearing loss.
The research suggests that consistent use of hearing aids could potentially yield a remarkable 24 per cent reduction in the risk of mortality, compared with those who do not use them.
Previous studies have consistently underscored the detrimental impact of untreated hearing loss – compromised lifespan, heightened social isolation, increased susceptibility to depression, and an elevated risk of developing dementia.
However, until this recent study, there has been a notable absence of empirical evidence demonstrating that the regular use of aids could potentially counteract the life-shortening effects associated with hearing impairment.
The study of 1863 adults, with varying degrees of hearing loss, categorised 237 individuals as regular aid users (defined by wearing hearing aids at least once a week for five hours or half the time). In contrast, 1483 participants had never incorporated hearing aids into their routine.
Strikingly, the researchers observed a nearly 25 per cent difference in mortality risk between regular users and non-users. Importantly, this difference persisted across diverse factors, including the severity of hearing loss, age, ethnicity, income, education and medical history.
Conversely, the study found no statistically significant difference in mortality risk between non-regular users and those who had never used hearing aids, hinting that sporadic use may not confer the same life-extending benefits.
Although the study did not delve into the intricate mechanisms explaining the potential link between hearing aids and an increased lifespan, recent research has suggested that the ‘take home’ here is the importance of hearing in overall health.
Andrew Paton is a senior hearing rehabilitation specialist at independent clinic Hear4Good. Call 5477 0144 or visit hear4good.com.au
THE Caloundra Family History Research (CFHR) group holds its members’ meeting on the third Thursday of each month, featuring interesting guest speakers. All are welcome to join in person at the CFHR rooms at Corbould Park racecourse, via Gate 2, Pierce Avenue, Caloundra, or on Zoom. The next meeting is on Thursday, March 21, at 1.30pm (the members’ meeting follows at 2.30pm). Guest speaker will be Les Clarke on the topic of: “Clarke family – fishermen of Caloundra”. Non-members can register for the event at hello@caloundrafamilyhistory.org.au
ARE you interested in plants, gardening or looking to forge friendships through gardening? You’re invited to the Caloundra Garden Club monthly meetings that feature informative talks from guest speakers, demonstrations, raffles and morning tea. The meetings are held at 9.30am on the first Tuesday of the month, in the CCSA Hall at 1 Nutley Street, Caloundra.
Visit caloundragardenclub.wordpress. com or call Kath on 5492 4346.
QUOTA Club of Caloundra is a not-forprofit, incorporated organisation raising funds for local charities. A coffee morning is held on the first Friday of every month at 10am at the Caloundra Power Boat Club. All are welcome. Phone Peta on 0412 346 799 or Mary 0413 346 582.
The official club meeting is on the second Thursday of the month at 7pm, also at the Power Boat Club. If interested, phone Lynn Cosgrove on 0400 798 842.
MAROOCHYDORE VIEW Club is excited and eager to enjoy many opportunities again this year to continue supporting the education of students in the Learning for Life program of The Smith Family. Members are also looking forward to monthly lunches at Maroochy Surf Club, with interesting guest speakers, raffles, bring-and-buy stalls and a book table, as well as the monthly outings and coffee mornings. You are welcome to head along as a guest or visitor.
For more information, contact Claire on 0416 119 053.
Everyone is preoccupied with the weather lately, but Caloundra Community Choir has an ideal remedy: sing about it instead of worrying.
The choir will be presenting a weatherthemed concert in May this year, with songs Take the Weather with You, Stormy Weather, Walking on Sunshine and Singing in the Rain, to name a few.
“The choir has presented various themed concerts over the years,” music director Kim Kirkman says.
“A horse concert called The Mane Event, a Heaven Concert, and a Garden Concert have all been really well received.”
The choir caters for all singers. No experience is necessary.
All materials are provided and everyone is welcome, with no auditions.
Caloundra Community Choir rehearses on Fridays between 9 and 10.30am at the Salvation Army Hall at 119 Sugarbag Road, Little Mountain.
Any inquiries to Kim on 0431 560 929.
THE Yandina Branch of the Queensland Country Women’s Association (QCWA) is hosting a high tea to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The event is on Friday, March 8, at noon at the QCWA Division Hall (11 Stevens Street, Yandina). Everyone is invited to head along and enjoy homemade savoury and sweet treats, served on vintage crockery, and listen to guest speaker and Sunshine Coast Grammar School principal Anna Owens. Attendees are invited to dress in an Elegant in Black and White theme. There will also be a raffle, a lucky door prize, and prizes for best dressed. Funds raised will support those in need. Bookings are essential.
Tickets are $25 and are to be pre-purchased by contacting Yandina Branch secretary Maureen Brook on 0478 659 639 or by emailing qcwayandina@gmail.com.
What do these have in common?
They were all key ingredients in a recent case before the Queensland Supreme Court.
Robert thought his estate planning was in place. After all, Robert had:
• a Will;
• a Death Benefit Nomination to deal with his Self Managed Super Fund; and
• an Enduring Power of Attorney.
Sadly, Robert fell off a ladder, suffered a brain injury and lost capacity. Robert’s wife then also died unexpectedly.
Robert’s Superannuation Nomination didn’t really cater for the unexpected passing of his wife. Robert’s Enduring Power of Attorney gave his Attorney an express power to renew Robert’s Superannuation Nomination.
Could Robert’s Attorney simply renew Robert’s existing Nomination or could the Attorney actually change the Nomination and the percentage received by the beneficiaries under it?
The Court ultimately found the dictionary meaning of renew was broad enough to allow Robert’s Attorney to make a Superannuation Nomination that was different to the one Robert had made.
There were a lot of other issues at play in the Court procee dings, but the clear take-away message is that you shouldn’t attempt to do your estate planning without legal advice.
Hip bursitis is the popular term for the common condition trochanteric pain syndrome (TPS).
This condition causes pain in the lateral (outside) part of the upper thigh, just over the bony prominence called the trochanter, which is part of the femur (thigh bone).
TPS typically affects females over the age of 40 and can be quite debilitating.
A bursa is a fluid-filled sac which allows soft tissues to glide over bony prominences.
You have them all over your body around your joints.
Although the trochanteric bursa can become inflamed in TPS, the primary problem is degeneration of some of the powerful tendons around the hip joint, particularly gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.
Management of TPS is almost always non-surgical, although it can be quite a frustrating condition for patients who suffer with it and for clinicians treating it.
Often patients will be referred for a steroid injection into the bursa, which may provide some temporary relief, but typically doesn’t address the underlying problem.
Management for this problem includes physiotherapy and platelet-rich plasma injections into the degenerative gluteal tendons.
SHIRLEY SINCLAIR heads three hours west for a little flutter on the gee-gees at a quintessential country race meeting.
events held across almost 100 clubs annually – from punter favourites including Burrandowan, Kumbia, Esk, Stanthorpe and Roma, to Birdsville, Rockhampton, Mt Isa and Mount Garnet –you can hit the road and immerse yourself in an authentic sporting and social experience in our rural towns and villages just about any weekend of the year.
That’s exactly what our merry band of seven from Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast decided to do.
Asmall rural township at the foothills of the Bunya Mountains really knows how to ring in the masses for special events throughout the year.
The tiny dot on the map may not seem to have much appeal at first glance on any drive into the Western Downs –Queensland’s ‘Big Sky Country’.
But, like many small country towns, what lies beneath the surface is what is so special about the pretty rural enclave that is Bell.
The proud residents of the township and its surrounds – nearly 40 clicks north of Dalby, in the Wambo Shire – mostly make a living by farming beef cattle, sheep, pigs and grain.
The 500 residents work hard for their life on the land and might have been content to sit back and make their own fun in their downtime.
Instead, the friendly folk of Bell wear several hats as they volunteer to welcome visitors with open arms at a host of social occasions on the annual calendar.
At the time of publication, the most recent was on March 2 and 3, when the Bell Show Society celebrated 65 years of the agricultural show, along with the Show Ball and Showgirl and Rural Ambassador
awards, rodeo and maiden campdraft at the showgrounds.
But the annual Bell Races, held on the first Saturday in January, is a huge crowd-puller and the only on-course meeting in the town each year. Busloads of racegoers and punters of all ages from Dalby, the South Burnett and Brisbane join fashionistas and roadtrippers from near and far for the big day out.
The 2024 instalment on January 6 celebrated 100 years of racing for the Bell Race Club Inc. with more than 2000 through the gates (but when Menindee beat Moscini by the slimmest of margins in Race 6, the 2024 Bell Race Club Centenary Open Plate over 1300m, it felt more like 3000 crowded around our trackside table!).
Judging by the numbers camping on course and taking advantage of campervan and caravan spots, as well as cabins at Bell Tourist Park, most people were making a weekend of it.
And why wouldn’t you, with a six-race program, bar, food vans and a kiosk, foot races, Fashions on the Field, and naming of the Bush Bachelor and Bachelorette, as well as the after-party until late.
Queenslanders love a good country or picnic race meeting.
And with more than 200 non-TAB
What they say about country hospitality being warm and welcoming certainly rings true in Bell.
And it was demonstrated in abundance on the Friday night as we grabbed a drink at the bowls club.
The first friendly face we saw was Bell Tourist Park owner Emilia Wilson – this time taking food orders behind the bar.
Conversations between strangers flowed easily from an initial ‘Where are you from?’, as we sat down at long tables in the hall with our orders of homemade pie, chips, gravy and coleslaw or entertained ourselves (and others) under floodlights with a very dodgy game of barefoot bowls.
We thought we were up early on the Saturday morning, but the pet-friendly
tourist park had long been stirring.
Hot breakfasts at the camp kitchen were on the boil, caravanners and campervan owners were tidying up awnings and annexes, while others enjoyed the birdsong and shade with a coffee on the cabin patios.
A stroll around the empty streets painted the picture of a proud Bell history in colourful murals and memorials, the Bell Station Precinct with its early model diesel locomotive and vintage passenger carriage, and quaint Queenslander homes and the RSL Sub-Branch with well-tended gardens.
The only bustling hub was the general store, already cooking up takeaway orders for the younger set sitting out the front.
But with the racecourse gates open at 10am, we didn’t have long to don our smart racewear, fancy headbands and fascinators, find our spot under a Your Mates Brewing Co-sponsored umbrella, sit back and enjoy the proceedings.
For most of the program, our group needed only to take a few steps forward for an uninterrupted view of the horses bounding down the straight – so close, we wore some of the dust kicked up by the closest gallopers.
For Race 4, The Gordon Family QTIS Maiden Plate 100m, the crowd started milling around us early, quickly blocking any chance of seeing the runners.
So, I stayed in my seat, allowing the crowd’s voices to pick me up and carry me along for the ride.
The cheers rang out, building to a euphoria in sync with the thunderous pounding adjacent to me as the pack took the final outstretched strides towards the finish line.
A goosebumps moment.
Make sure you save the date next year – Saturday, January 4 – when Bell will once again resonate with punters and travellers wanting a great day at the races. Visit bellraces.com The finishing post.
IN THE middle of a wide fjord, the ship switches off its engines and slows to a stop as playful whales cross just metres ahead.
Everyone watches in awe as the duo dances in the water, rolling in circles and slapping the water with their fins.
Jennifer, a usually shy and quiet 32-year-old, is excited.
“I’ve never seen whales do this before,” she says. “It’s like they’re waving.”
This is Jennifer’s 17th voyage with Hurtigruten, but as she wipes tears from her eyes at the spectacle before her, it’s clear that the joy she feels for the Norwegian coast remains as deep and strong as it was on her first voyage. That was six years ago and taken under difficult circumstances: “To be told at 26 years old that you have brain cancer…”
Jennifer decided that she needed to start doing all the things she had always wanted to do but had put off.
At the top of that list was seeing the Northern Lights. That led her to Hurtigruten.
From the moment she first stepped aboard, the ship and the
Norwegian coast became her new world – a beautiful world far away from her cancer. It began a life-changing love affair with Norway and the comfort the coastline could bring her.
“I will never stop sailing the Norwegian coast,” Jennifer says. “It’s a way to keep myself alive.”
Jennifer has returned time and again to sail with Hurtigruten, booking voyages in between her treatments.
Jennifer explains that each time she booked a new trip, “it was a reason to keep going, to keep fighting, to stay alive for the future”, because, on the other side of the pain and sadness of her cancer, the beauty of Norway and the peace of being on the ship were waiting for her.
The Northern Lights are still the main reason Jennifer loves the Norwegian coast. She sails with Hurtigruten between October and March, often staying out on deck until the early hours to witness nature’s magical light show.
Contact your local Travellers Choice agent by March 31 to book a Hurtigruten cruise and discover Norway for yourself.
EMBARK on an extraordinary 15-day adventure, tailored exclusively for women, exploring the diverse wonders of South Africa.
Begin your journey with the breathtaking beauty of the Three Rondavels, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and God’s Window, where nature’s marvels paint an awe-inspiring canvas.
Venture into the heart of the wild at Kruger National Park to encounter the ‘big five’. Delve into the rich culture of Eswatini, where the vibrant traditions come alive through local songs and dances. Tour the bustling city of Durban and take a leisurely stroll through the botanic gardens: a haven of tranquillity.
Discover the charm of the Eastern Cape Coast, where golden beaches meet the azure sea. Embark on a guided tour through the mystical Cango Caves, marvelling at the intricate formations. Cap off your adventure with a two-night stay in Cape Town, at the foot of the majestic Table Mountain.
Call Tewantin Travel on 54471011.
CT TRAVEL’S Paul Brockhurst is an expert in touring Australia by coach and shares the top 5 reasons you should book a tour.
1. Everything is organised for you: on a CT Travel coach tour, you don’t need to do a thing other than sit back and enjoy the ride.
2. Experience the best tours and attractions: with our first-hand knowledge, we have designed itineraries that incorporate the best tours and attractions and ensure you don’t miss a thing.
3. Explore our magnificent
country: Australia is a land of contrasts and right now is the best time to get out and immerse yourself in our own backyard.
4. Tour with comfort and ease: our air-conditioned coaches have panoramic windows, plenty of legroom and an onboard toilet.
5. Enjoy the company of like-minded travellers: like you, theyenjoy the comfort and hassle-free experience of exploring by coach.
Visit cttravel.com.au or call 5391 1648.
Trollstigen, or ‘Troll’s Road’ is an engineering feat in the Westland region and one of the most-visited tourist roads in Norway. The route stretches for 106 km and is a narrow serpentine highway, part of the Norwegian County Road 63. It lies in the area of Rauma in Romsdal, with 11 sharp turns. While the observation deck’s view is spectacular in itself, nothing beats driving along the road (only 3.3m wide in parts) – complete with waterfalls. If you have a gob-smacking photo from your holidays, send it in with details for consideration in our travel pages. Email editor@ yourtimemagazine.com.au
APRIL
Southern Downs - Autum Colours (4 Days)
Great Ocean Road & The Grampians (12 Days)
MARCH 2023
MAY
Fraser Island Explorer (4 Days)
Carnarvon George & Wallaroo (7 Days)
O’Reillys Escape (4 Days)
Vivid Lights Festival Sydney (8 Days)
APRIL 2023
JUNE
2023 Autumn Tour (9 Days)
Qld Outback to Coast (12 Days)
High Country to Murray Delta (11 Days)
Tropical Nth Qld (8 Days)
Gold Coast & Northern Rivers (4 Days)
MAY 2023
Nth Qld Savannah Way (11 Days)
Norfolk Island (9 Days)
JULY
Nth Qld Savannah Way
JUNE 2023
Lightning Ridge (7 Days)
Red Centre - Adelaide to Darwin (18 Days)
Mystery Escape (4 Days)
Outback QLD to the Coast (1 Days)
Christmas in July (1 Day Trip)
JULY 2023
AUGUST
Carnarvon Gorge & Wallaroo (7 Days)
Lightning Ridge
AUGUST 2023
Carnarvon Gorge & Wallaroo (7 Days)
O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat (4 Days)
Cobb & Co 100 Year Celebration – Toowoomba (3 Days)
Carnarvon Gorge & Wallaroo (7 Days)
Lightning Ridge (7 Days)
SEPTEMBER
Carnarvon Gorge & Wallaroo (7 Days)
Fraser Island Whale Watch (4 Days)
SEPTEMBER 2023
K’gari (Fraser Island) Whale Watch (4 Days)
Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers (4 Days)
Carnarvon Gorge & Wallaroo (7 Days)
Spring Gardens (10 Days)
Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers (4 Days)
Spring Gardens Tour (12 Days)
NOVEMBER
Tasmania (14 Days)
O’Reillys (4 Days)
October, November, December details available soon
There’s never been a better time to see Norway with its wild coastline, perfect for adventure all year round.
as you sail along the coast, surrounded by the dramatic colours of the aurora display.
Uncover Norway’s stunning fjords, mountains, cities and charming towns on a cruise that crosses the Arctic Circle twice, venturing along both north and southbound routes.
Highlights: Bergen • Ålesund • Trondheim • Bodø • Tromsø
• Honningsvåg • Kirkenes • Hammerfest • Svolvær • Brønnøysund
Departs 26 October 2024
12 days from $3,094*pp
Combine an Arctic adventure on a coastal round trip voyage with a land, rail and sea tour exploring the stunning mountain and fjord scenery between Oslo and Bergen.
Highlights: Oslo • Flåm • Voss • Bergen • Ålesund • Trondheim • Bodø
• Honningsvåg • Kirkenes • Hammerfest • Svolvær • Brønnøysund
Departs 22 October 2024
16 days from $4,799*pp SAVE
Experience the enchanting Finnish Lapland and Norwegian coastal towns on an escorted small-group tour from Stockholm to Bergen while following the midnight sun.
Highlights: Stockholm • Helsinki • Rovaniemi • Saariselkä • Kirkenes
• Hammerfest • Svolvær • Brønnøysund • Trondheim • Bergen
Departs 4 July 2024
15 days from $7,598*pp
Reviewed by Jan Kent
THE latest offering from Australia’s masterful crime writer does not disappoint, whether or not you are as big a fan of Chris Hammer as I am.
Within the setting of a small western New South Wales town –brought to life so vividly you could just about feel the grit in the air – is the discovery of a murder victim, connected to one of the seven families who have dominated the district’s life for generations.
Weaving the many threads of the tale, spanning three distinct time frames, twisting and turning, with nothing as it seems, Hammer grips the reader from the outset and cleverly maintains the intrigue to the unexpected conclusion.
Basing the story around real events – in this case, World War I and the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Project –lends authenticity and contributes to the success of the latest novel from one of Australia’s finest crime writers.
By Mark Bowden
True crime
Reviewed by John Kleinschmidt
IN 1975, two young sisters, aged 10 and 12, went missing from a shopping mall in Washington.
Investigations over the next decades led nowhere and searches ceased.
In 2013, detectives unearthed the first real lead in the case and started questioning Lloyd Welch: a man who had been in the mall that day and reported seeing another man take the girls.
Detectives discovered that Welch had been involved in numerous crimes, including child molestation in the intervening decades.
The author focuses on 21 months of questioning Welch by many detectives, befriending and setting up the master liar.
Clever strategy and interrogations eventually pry out the truth.
The Last Stone provides an intriguing look at a complex police investigation, even if it can be a little slow in parts.
Reviewed by Annie Grossman, Annie’s Books on Peregian
SEX, drugs and alcohol. No, this is not the memoir of a rockstar, although if you opened the book midway and started reading, you’d be forgiven for thinking so.
It’s the true, sometimes hilarious, oftenshocking story of a regular woman – a wife, a mother – whose first foray into boozing began at the tender age of 11 and continued until her time of reckoning almost three decades later.
Victoria Vanstone, the creator of the Sober
Awkward comedy podcast, doesn’t hold back.
Some might feel she overshares (she apologises to her parents at the end of the book for having to read about the adventures of her vagina), but you just know this raw honesty and full transparency will cut through to readers struggling with similar issues.
Here is a woman who grew up in a happy home, but would later find herself resorting to pregnancy as a way to stop drinking. As serious as her story of partying, parenting and achieving sobriety is, Vanstone maintains her humour throughout. A sobering yarn that will strike a chord with anyone who has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.
DR LEE Mylne has built up plenty of cred in tourism and travel.
She’s spent more than three decades writing about the topics for magazines, newspapers, digital and online publications, and is the author or co-author of about a dozen guide books, including Australia For Dummies (2008).
Born a Kiwi, Mylne has lived in six countries on four continents but is a long-time resident of Australia, now calling Brisbane home. She’s been travelling the world for most of her adult life.
In her latest two ‘Dummies’ resource books, she opens readers’ eyes to new considerations in the way we travel as we broaden our horizons, post-pandemic.
Solo Travel for Dummies is Mylne’s lived experience that will help everyone from seasoned explorers to nervous first-timers choose a destination, plan a fulfilling itinerary, save money and stay safe by
by Lee Mylne.providing must-have info, insider tricks and essential checklists. There’s even tips on how to avoid loneliness and what to do if you get lost.
Similarly, she understands that sustainability is no longer just a catchphrase or slogan but an important consideration for a growing number of travellers of all ages and budgets who want to reduce their carbon footprints, respect and protect the planet, contribute to local economies and incorporate conservation into their travel experiences.
Sustainable Travel For Dummies is an easy-to-read guide that explains the concept, why it’s so important, and how to do it by looking at ecofriendly destinations, alternative transportation, unique accommodation and fulfilling cultural experiences. If nothing else, this book will get you thinking more about how and why you travel, and how you can leave a positive impact on the places you visit.
1. What colour in the Olympic rings is not visible in a rainbow?
2. What part of a human body is treated by a dermatologist?
3. In which US state is Chicago?
4. What is the collective noun for a group of baboons?
5. Complete the proverb: “A closed mouth catches no ...”
6. What is the first given name of ‘Molly’ Meldrum?
7. What film is credited as being the highest-grossing Australian movie?
8. What kind of living thing is a remora?
9. What is the traditional gift for a first wedding anniversary?
10. What country produces the most maize?
11. Which capital city is closest to Sydney: Wellington in New Zealand, Darwin or Perth?
12. What was the occupation of the title character in the novella Goodbye, Mr Chips?
13. Used in reference to time, what does the ‘M’ stand for in the abbreviation GMT?
14. In the board game Scrabble, how many tiles are worth 10 points?
15. What household item can be shag pile or twist pile?
16. What is the English equivalent of the German word ‘Montag’?
17. What book of the Bible was also a band fronted by Phil Collins?
18. For what recipe was Flo Bjelke-Petersen renowned?
19. When is a valedictory speech given?
20. How many seconds are between midnight and 6am?
Across
1 Hitler’s bodyguard, bound by decree, reformed and broke up(8)
5 Jeer short, battling club basketball player(6)
9 Old coin coloured in the middle(7)
10
11 So, senior MP corrected a slip of the tongue?(10)
12 Animal, with tail cut off, drew near(4)
13 Head of security makes a recording with listening device(6)
14 Reformed model that is starting to sing songs(8)
17 Hullabaloo made about a tree and Queensland
18 Head of college accommodating company
21 Start to smooth and polish with abrasive material(4)
22 Dodgy tailor has brought around hot Hawaiian
24 Fishing vessel left in water churned by river(7)
25 A hundred runs, for example, scored before duck in a single
26 Cute minor claiming right(6)
27 Barbaric people cook chickens(8)
Down
1 Cold is contracted by strike-breakers and prejudiced people(7)
2 Occasional tenor botched battle for minor places in competition(11,4)
3 Cord attached to twisted net is tight(9)
4 Stand under damaged stern of frigate(6)
6 Dog without lead jumped obstacle(4)
7 Fellow, insincere, had misconstrued language(8,7)
8 They knock funky musicians(7)
10 Nut case pruned with axe!(6)
15 Drive away in public and go too far(9)
16 Therapist that girl injected with alcohol(6)
17 New version of DOS kept for computer(7)
19 Fancies last piece of meat smothered in cooked onions(7)
20 The stunted people in a region of SE Europe(6)
23 Mark front of boxed set(4)
24
Spot(3)
DOWN
1 Co-worker(9)
2 Poor labourer of low social status(7)
3 Aptitude(5)
4 Dealing with the operation of aircraft(10)
5 Web auction site(4)
6 Readying for use(9)
7 City in southern France(7)
8 Cyber messages(5)
13 One who uses their wealth to invest in trade and industry(10)
15 Feeling a strong affection(9)
16 Visible features of an area(9)
18 City in northern Italy(7)
19 Occupying a middle position(7)
20 Seconds(5)
22 Pal(5)
23 million(4)
