Your Time Brisbane Edition December 2017

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THAT TIME ALREADY! CHRISTMAS AND LIFE’S JOURNEY

SUMMER READS BOOKS TO RELAX ON A HOT DAY

THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL OLD TUNES NEW PURPOSE

BRISBANE EDITION 33, DECEMBER 2017 01.indd 1

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WELLBEING TRAVEL PUZZLES

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Editor’s note

E

verybody seems to be saying it ... where on Earth did 2017 go to?

One minute we were turning over the calendar to a new year and the next it was Christmas countdown again.

Not even age and experience brings the ability to interrupt the space-time continuum, but that doesn’t change the perception that time flies, a subject I have previously pondered here. I would like to say that that was a couple of months ago, but it is no doubt closer to two years.

However, I still find Frenchman Pierre Janet’s ratio theory of 1877, has some merit; that it’s all about the ratio of doing new things. For a 5-year-old, one year is 20 per cent of their life but at 50, it is only 2 per cent (and it’s

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Contents downhill from there) so that we are constantly comparing time intervals with the total amount of time we’ve already lived. None of this helps or makes a smidgen of difference but it is nice to be able to put a name to it.

On a similar theme, Pauline du Rietz examines how Christmas seems to characterise all of the stages and phases of our life’s journey in her Life in Focus column this month.

Which brings me to our final edition of the year, which is full of seasonal news and tips, from gift ideas to good health; keeping finances in check to a good book for a hot day.

Entertainer John McSweeney, a familiar face for many readers, tells how his music is working wonders for a new audience, while Barry Bull, another familiar face in the music world, has his new CD compilations and a chance to win your own copy.

The season of peace and goodwill is a good time to count our blessings.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and safe Christmas.

Dorothy Whittington, Editor

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FEATURE LETTERS OUR PEOPLE LANGUAGE WATCH TIME WARP HISTORY BEAUTY YOUR LIFE IN FOCUS FASHION YOUR GARDEN STATE OF MIND MOTORING SUMMER READS TECHNOLOGY FINANCE WELLBEING HEALTH BOOK REVIEW RETIREMENT LIVING WHAT’S ON TRAVEL TRIVIA QUIZ PUZZLES

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December 2017 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 3

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FEATURE STORY

You’re the voice!

There are plenty of good reasons to join the thousands of older people who spend much of their leisure rehearsing and performing in a choir – for the sheer joy of singing, writes JULIE LAKE

Redland Rhapsody Chorus (above) and the Sunshine Coast’s Oriana Choir have something to sing about, both at home and internationally.

W

hen Brisbane-born Bernice Klein returned home after more than 40 years living overseas, one of the first thing she did was join a choir. Bernice has been involved with music in some form or another since childhood when she studied both piano and violin.

“When I moved back to Queensland just over a year ago,” she says, “I joined a singing group because I needed to make music in some form or other – not just listen passively. It’s also a great way to get to know people with a similar interest

and is amazingly good for health and wellbeing.

“Music brings me joy and is a great stress-reliever. Our choir practice day is my favourite day of the week!”

Though Bernice has sung in several choirs overseas, including the World Bank Choir, many of those strutting their vocal stuff around southeast Queensland today cannot read a note of music and, until they retired, never thought to find themselves singing in public.

Yet they are doing so in increasing numbers and in our region alone, there

are almost 50 singing ensembles to suit every musical taste, from large choirs to barbershop quartets.

And with Christmas upon us they are all busy rehearsing.

Like Bernice Klein, they have found that community singing is not only a joyful business but is also very, very good for you.

Benefits include improved lung capacity (and therefore oxygen intake), stronger vocal chords and abdominal muscles, improved memory and concentration.

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There are social benefits, too, in the warmth and friendship of a shared passion. You are never lonely in a choir and the very act of singing, so integral to all societies, lifts depression.

As German choral conductor Markus Ortelt said on a recent visit to Queensland, “It’s not what or how you sing, it’s the fact that you DO sing that matters”.

Markus, from a musical family, is not a professional musician but an aeronautical engineer with the German Space Agency.

Music is his hobby; he has a fine, deep voice, sings as well as conducts and when staying with Queensland friends after speaking at the International Astronautical Conference in Adelaide, he lost no time in joining in a rehearsal with a local singing group just for the fun of it.

Melissa Innes, president of the acclaimed 100-strong Sunshine Coast Oriana Choir agrees that singing is good for your health.

An associate lecturer at the Sunshine Coast University’s School of Business and mother of four, Melissa has been president of the choir for every year except one since it began.

Based on the southern end of the Sunshine Cost, Oriana placed second in the Queensland finals of the ABC Classic FM National Choir of the Year competition in its second year and has been five times overall winner of the Heritage Queensland Eisteddfod, as well as placing second in the 2012 International Eisteddfod in Wales.

The repertoire is mainly classical, but varied by contemporary popular music.

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FEATURE STORY Sunshine Coast and in Brisbane include performances with orchestras (including the Queensland Symphony Orchestra) and string ensembles.

This choir employs a highly-qualified music director and an accompanist who has recently been appointed artistic director. As Melissa points out, being part of Oriana has given members the opportunity to travel overseas and sing in some world-famous venues such as St Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cathedral in London.

Last year they performed in historic venues in Austria and Eastern Europe and in 1919 will tour Italy and sing in St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basilica.

The Oriana Choir embraces all age groups (including a separate junior choir for schoolchildren) but many members are Baby Boomers or older.

What the older members bring to the choir, Melissa says, is life experience and a perspective that younger people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have. They also bring a nurturing and mentoring component which enriches the performing environment for all members.

Following the Christmas concert, next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans include a performance of Karl Jenkinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Armed Man mass with the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra to mark the end of World War I. Like most singing groups anywhere in the world, the Oriana has fewer men than women because for reasons not well understood, men donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take to community singing the way women do.

When men DO sing itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mostly in all-male ensembles such as The Blenders Chorus or Brisbaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popular and decidedly youthful Birralee Blokes.

Some say itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because mixed-group

singing is seen as a bit â&#x20AC;&#x153;sissyâ&#x20AC;? but English community choir leader Chris Samuel, who has toured with Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Spooky Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chorale, takes this a bit further by speculating that the type of music generally favoured by choirs is not blokey enough.

The Spooky Men have met this challenge by singing about cowboys and power tools and their CDs bear titles such as Big, Stop Scratching and Tooled Up. They describe their chorale as being based on â&#x20AC;&#x153;the twin pillars of grand foolishness and the quest for the subwoofer-rattling boofchordâ&#x20AC;? but as Woodford Folk Festival-goers know, they do sing quite beautifully.

Redland Rhapsody Chorus doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to worry about a shortage of men because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an allfemale four-part a capella barbershop style harmony ensemble, affiliated to the Sweet Adelines International.

Current membership is about 50, drawn from the Redlands, Logan and Brisbane areas. The repertoire is a range of genres from contemporary world music to rock and jazz and some classical, with a decided focus on the upbeat, and this was shown to great effect at the chorusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; gala 21st birthday concert in October.

Redland Rhapsody Chorus, now under the direction of Louise Brannon, competes both nationally and internationally and has earned several awards, including Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best small chorus and most improved chorus.

It holds regular workshops with top coaches from Australia and overseas and earlier this year it was one of the groups backing John Farnhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the Voice program in the South Bank Piazza.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;For reasons not well understood, men donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take to community singing the way women doâ&#x20AC;?

Peace of mind at a great price

The term â&#x20AC;&#x153;a capellaâ&#x20AC;? means singing without accompaniment and female barbershop harmony groups feature tenor, lead, baritone and bass sections.

Dianne James has been with Redland Rhapsody Chorus from the beginning and says she enjoys this style of singing rather than traditional choral singing, because it involves movement and is more fun.

Asked to name the benefits of singing with so dynamic a chorus she responds enthusiastically: â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are multiple â&#x20AC;&#x201C; education, the chance to learn from top international coaches who give us fresh ideas, the confidence Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gained not just from singing in public but through the several different positions Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve held within the group, and the opportunity to sing in venues such as Carnegie Hall.â&#x20AC;?

And, of course, there are the friendships â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not just within the group but from singing regionally, nationally and internationally. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have made friends all around the worldâ&#x20AC;? Dianne says, adding that if you belong to a chorus affiliated with Sweet Adelines International you can be sure of a welcome anywhere there is a sister choir, as she found when she lived in England for six months.

Not all singing groups are as high powered as Oriana and Redland Rhapsody, both of which require potential members to undertake a modest audition. Most local ensembles, large or small, are only too glad to welcome new members and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not necessary to be able to read music or have a great voice, though an ability to sing in tune is obviously important.

Last year Dianne James founded the Bella a Capella four-part harmony group, most of whom are over 60, and new to this type of singing. Already this 16 (and growing)-member ensemble has gained sufficient experience to undertake a few public engagements.

As is common with such small, beginner groups, members pay no fees, but merely share the cost of copyrighted musical arrangements.

So wherever you live, this Christmas you and your family will be able to enjoy a concert or two given by local singing groups, without having to travel far or spend too much money. And if you are now feeling inspired to join one of them, maybe next year youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be up there singing too!

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This community choir has been entertaining at retirement villages and raising funds for charity around the Sunshine Coast for more than 40 years.

It is the only male choir on the Sunshine Coast and is seeking new members to bolster numbers and add strength to voices.

Under the expert guidance of music director Mitchell Meyer, the choir enjoys singing in the Welsh tradition.

The choir meets to practice for two hours from 7pm on Monday evenings at the Uniting Church in Buderim.

If you would like to join this group of happy singers or come along to a practice session call Rod 5456 4473 or Mort 5326 3071.

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05.indd 3

December 2017 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 5

23/11/2017 10:21:43 AM

Letters

Have your say. Send letters to Editor, Your Time Magazine, PO Box 717, Spring Hill 4004 or email editor@yourtimemagazine.com.au

With reference to the article by David Parmiter (YT Nov), “Trapped by French into a trip to the old country”, which I enjoyed and thank you.

I would like to add as a matter of interest that my brother (he is a tenor) sang Roses of Picardy. He told me that the roses represented the World War I nurses.

“Roses are flow’ring in Picardy but there’s never a rose like you! And the roses will die with the summertime and our roads may be far apart, but there’s one rose that dies not in Picardy! ‘tis the rose that I keep in my heart!”.

As you can imagine, a tear would come to the eye whenever he sang it. Thank you for your good work. And I do remember the young Australians travelling over to Britain and Europe – we went by ship!

Vera Black I particularly enjoyed the November edition of Your Time as it featured articles on one of my major interests – travel.

As always, I enjoyed reading David Parmiter’s Watch Your Language. His article this month struck a chord with me, as my wife and I recently visited the

6 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / December 2017

06.indd 2

World War I battlefields of northern France. My wife’s great-uncle was killed in the Somme offensive in July 1916.

Although his body was never found his name is inscribed on the wall of the Villers Bretonneux war memorial.

As with David, it made “a deep and lasting impression” to see the headstones at the war memorial, some with “Known Unto God” inscribed on them.

It’s difficult to understand why thousands of men lost their lives fighting over a few hundred metres of French countryside.

David is right in saying “consequences of the dire decisions made by ambitious and ignorant politicians a century ago”.

Have we really learnt anything a hundred years down the track? Keep up the good work! I look forward to reading Edition 33.

Ian Wood I do enjoy your magazine. It is very informative with an excellent balance of editorial and general public contributions.

I particularly like Allan Blackburn’s quiz, however, the November issue Q3 “what is the only chess piece that can

move diagonally?” had the answer as “Bishop”. The King and Queen can also move diagonally!

Garry Pinkerton I cannot resist pointing out a glaring error. Perhaps it is only a question of semantics but if Q3 were to read “what is the chess piece that can ONLY move diagonally” the answer would be the Bishop. But it is not the only chess piece that can move diagonally: both the King and Queen can move diagonally and so does the pawn when it captures.

Dmitri Perno I always get a thrill when our copy of Your Time arrives at our pick-up spots.

Congratulations on such a warm and informative publication with interesting and diverse pieces throughout the magazine.

Leah Burgess Your article “Those cotton balls are a rockin’” (YT Oct) brought a very great smile as it reminded me of a practical joke from my younger days.

My father had a small property and decided to grow a paddock of cotton for the mill. The crop grew and eventually turned into large buds. It was near a pathway so it caught the eye of all the passers-by.

One day I decided to give them

something else to look at, so I took one of the buds and soaked it in some cochineal from my mother’s kitchen and put it back on the plant.

Wow, did I get some enquiries about how we had grown red cotton. I set to then, and put different colours in all the buds, taking each one out, dying it and putting it back. We had a lot of people talking about our cotton but had to call it a day when Dad harvested.

Edward Ryan In the October issue was an article about Australian cotton by Styleboomer.

It said that Australia is becoming known for world class sustainable production.

While I was pleased to read that we are producing high quality cotton and that Australian farmers are being innovative and sustainable, I have some doubts.

Not that long ago it was in the news that some of our largest cotton growers have cheated and built unauthorised dams, canals and trenches, using much more water than was their allowance.

Unless we have a national institution supervising water use with a permanent person on duty, it is impossible to control how much water is really being used. The estimates of the disgruntled neighbours is probably the most realistic.

So, whilst many cotton farmers are working very hard to produce a quality

Brisbane

23/11/2017 10:23:08 AM

product in as sustainable a manner as possible, it’s not time yet for selfcongratulations.

Meanwhile, we as consumers must be prepared to pay a bit more for quality Australian cotton clothing and linens.

We, and the Australian producers, are worth it.

Marianne Pietersen

I enjoy Your Time magazine and the November edition struck a big chord with me, with the good the bad and the ugly, how the world has changed.

I think everybody should read that article as if we practised some of these things, what a wonderful place we would live in, with respect and consideration.

I was brought up to have respect for doctors and older people I knew the given names of all our neighbours but was taught to address them as Mr or Mrs, Sir or Madam. No way would I have been game to say their given name. My brother passed away a couple of years ago and one of our neighbours was at the funeral.

I spoke to her and even though I am now 77 years old, I still addressed her as “Mrs …” as I had been brought up to do.

Allan Muhling

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It was just as she described! I had attended out of curiosity and to tick it off my bucket list! Not your normal Tuesday, considering Melbournians pack Flemington on their Cup holiday.

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23/11/2017 10:23:49 AM

OUR PEOPLE

The greatest gift of all For decades John McSweeney has been a familiar voice on the local club circuit and his CDs have been bringing the joy of music to audiences around the world, and now, writes DOT WHITTINGTON, his work is putting the sparkle back into eyes lost to dementia.

IMAGE: KAREN HUTT

“M

usic is not a cure,” McSweeney stresses. “But it helps bring back some of the joy that Alzheimer’s takes away. People who have been barely able to speak begin singing along.”

During the past three decades, he has recorded literally hundreds of songs that “you know by heart”, but it’s only now that they are reaching a totally new audience with surprising results.

He receives hundreds of letters and emails from around the world telling him that his DVDs are helping relatives with Alzheimer’s.

“They come from the UK and the US, retirement villages and individuals, but the message is the same,” he says.

His music is returning life to tired minds.

For example, Susan from New Zealand wrote: “My Dad has Alzheimer’s and can only say one or two words, but when he heard your DVD he sang many of the songs and knew most of the words.

This has been a major breakthrough for him. I can’t tell you how much this means to us.”

It’s typical of the correspondence yet

not so surprising. McSweeney’s music is the singalong variety, the sort that you can’t help but find yourself humming, if not singing the words.

Now 74, he has been in the music business since he was a lad of 20 and his name will be familiar to many as for 33 years, he played at the Kedron-Wavell Services Club every Wednesday.

Add to that performances every

Tuesday at the Broncos Club for 21 years, and it’s fair to say he is a true veteran of the industry and the local music scene.

John was born in Woodford and learnt to play guitar while he was still at school.

“I went to the convent and a nun taught me how to read music,” he says.

“My brother Barry and sister Patsy, were also musical and we would have singalongs around the piano at night. I learnt to play sax but for me it was always more about singing and guitar.”

His family moved to Redcliffe and in 1959, he became more serious about his music.

The family were going down to the Palace Hotel at Woody Point at a time when the BeeGees were also turning up with their parents.

“I was with mum and dad, and we would sit there with their parents while they did their set,” he recalls.

In 1962, an agent suggested McSweeney get on to the hotel circuit and he says it all just branched out from there. He was signed by RCA and recorded his first album, Daisy a Day, in 1963, but his biggest single came in 1974,

Great Brisbane Flood Australia Day ‘74.

Even though it became the fastest selling single in the nation, it wasn’t a big earner for him as he gave all the sales to the flood relief fund. His work was back on the club scene and for 10 consecutive years he won the Queensland Country Music Entertainer of the Year Award, which is voted on by peers and industry.

He stopped entering after a decade.

In the 1980s, McSweeney came up with the idea to do all the old classics from the 1930s-‘50s as a medley singalong recording, but as he wasn’t signed to a label at the time, it was to be all his own work.

He flew to Nashville and recorded “100 Songs You Know By Heart” in a week. It turned out to be Volume 1.

It proved so popular he returned to Nashville and recorded another 100 songs and called it Volume 2.

“I was brought up on Doris Day and Al Jolson,” he says. “I love the old songs, from Orbison to Presley and Sinatra, but if I get a request for middle of the road, I can do that too. Tony Bennett is my favourite though.” Each medley is made up of five or six songs, usually just the first verse and

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OUR PEOPLE the chorus – the lines and the music that everyone knows.

Again, the recordings went well and again he returned to Nashville, this time to produce Volume 3.

In the early 1990s, while still working the club circuit here, McSweeney decided to take his music to England where his CDs walked out the door.

“I was asked to go back to England for a TV interview and had three minutes to sing a little bit of each song,” he says.

“I only sing the parts you sing along with, and mix waltz and ballad and faster tracks so nobody gets bored.”

That’s a lot of words and notes he has at his fingertips – and soon he was off to Nashville again to record another 104 songs in Volume 4.

He also recorded his Inspirational album, 54 songs all-time favourite songs of inspiration and gospel music, which went gold in New Zealand.

That was followed by a traditional Christmas album singing the full version of the best-loved seasonal favourites “how they should be sung” and a Mother’s album with 25 songs dedicated to mothers.

“I’ve made at least 20 trips to Nashville

over the years, including a gig at the Grand Ol’ Opry,” he says.

In 2005, John “had a brainwave” to record all 200 songs from his first two albums live at the Kedron-Wavell club – volume one in the morning and two in the afternoon.

“I had no lyrics in front of me and had to remember the order of them all. It was huge pressure,” he says.

But he did it and released the DVD in the UK, with the lyrics included.

So, there is a lot of John McSweeney music out there – countless words and chords, and close to a million CDs – and now, as he celebrates more than half a century in the business, his life work is taking a new turn.

“I didn’t do it thinking of dementia, but because you can’t beat those old songs,” he says.

“It’s not a cure but it is the happiness of singing along. The letters mean a lot to me, that I can put a spark back into eyes.

That’s the power of music.”

Joseph from California wrote: “Your music really inspires our Seniors and take them back to a simpler, slower, yet very active time in their lives. This is a product that the Senior communities need today.”

And Lynne from Bedfordshire in

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England: “I have recently been appointed activities co-Ordinator in a care home for elderly people with dementia and |Alzheimer’s, and there has been very little in the way of music being used with them up until now. This afternoon I put on your DVD. Everyone including visitors and care staff, started singing along.

“An elderly lady, who is normally to be found sleeping all afternoon, woke up and joined in and after a while, even got up to dance. She told me the music brought back many happy memories of her mother who used to play the piano and sing. One lady stood up with her walking frame and danced and sang.”

And Sarah, also from the UK: “My mum is 76 and has Alzheimer’s disease.

She took a turn for the worse this week, but I brought one of your singalong DVDs and she is singing her heart out and has calmed down nicely. It has helped my Dad so much to have your DVDs on standby for when things get tough.

“I just cannot thank you enough for the difference you have made.”

And Connie from New York: “My mom has long and short term memory loss. I can’t tell you what a joy it is to see her ‘connect’ with all of your songs. Her face lights up as she sings along, and it gets her distracted from some of her obsessions (like reading every traffic sign as we drive along).”

And Linda from Melbourne: “I salute

you and your music. It’s been of incredible help to our nursing home.

Seems to cater to the ones that dance and the others that can’t but sit and singalong.”

And the list goes on. Nursing homes where there’s “clapping and feet tapping with such delight on faces”.

The satisfaction of bringing happiness through his music is not lost on McSweeney, who now lives in about as close as he will ever get to retirement, on the waterfront at Sandgate, with Kay, his wife of almost 54 years.

They have three children and six grandchildren, and life has been good.

“I was able to make a fulltime career of music,” he says. “They are not writing songs like they used to. I have had the best years. I have been very lucky.

Measured notes The University of Melbourne is currently undertaking the nation’s largest trial of music therapy with the aim of finding scientific evidence to support its ability to improve the wellbeing of people living with dementia and their carers. It is measuring the effect of music therapy on 500 participants with depressive symptoms, cognitive functions and neuropsychiatric symptoms on their quality of life.

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22/11/2017 12:06:38 PM

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE

Christmas timing is all wrong The so-called festive season has a colourful history and yet, writes DAVID PARMITER, we still celebrate it in the wrong month.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;C

hristmas is coming, the goose is getting fat; please to put a penny in the old manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hatâ&#x20AC;?. Who remembers that popular saying that began more than a century ago?

It combines our eager childhood anticipation of presents, and rich food, with our learned generosity towards those less fortunate in our village.

Funny, that, because we have celebrated Christmas for 2000 years and yet we still call the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th months September, October, November and December from the Latin for seven, eight, nine and 10.

Why? And why is the Mass of Christ on December 25 of the 12th month â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or is it really the 10th month?

As children we learned that Christmas celebrated the birth of a young baby whose parents had been summoned to the town of their birth to take part in a census, ordered by the Malcolm Turnbull of the times, Caesar Augustus.

Now, Caesar Augustus (actually named Octavian) was the first Roman Emperor (self-proclaimed) from 63BC to AD14. He ordered that everyone had to be registered and counted in a survey of his empire. Sound familiar?

Later he also dictated that everyone had to adopt the new religion of Jesus Christ. And so began the Holy Roman Empire. St Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Letters to the Romans may have had something to do with it.

But the Romans had been obliged to adopt the calendar imposed by Julius Caesar a hundred years before.

Julius Caesar was never the first emperor of Rome. Surprised? No, he was only a consul, and he was charged with leading the first invasion into Gaul, Germania and Britannia, which he did in 54BC. Then he was forced by the Gauls, the Teutons and the Brits to retreat back to Rome. Augustus tried again in AD49 with a larger army, and this time the Romans were successful.

They built long straight roads across the country and established many towns which later grew into the cities we know today â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Londinium, Verulamium, and forts or castles which gave us towns ending in -castra or -chester. They were Roman towns during the first four centuries of the first millennium.

The Empire collapsed in AD410 and later the Saxons and Vikings moved in but, in time, they too were converted to Christianity and Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mass continued.

In 1513, Pope Gregory ordered the adoption of a new calendar, moving the first month back from March to January (named after the two-faced god Janus, with one face looking back and the other facing forwards into the New Year).

Julius Caesar had named the fifth month after himself and the sixth month after Emperor Augustus; but in the new Gregorian calendar the last four months retained their original names of Sept-, Oct-, Nov-, and December.

Maybe it was because the continent has always used the decimal rather than the duodecimal system of measurement.

Or maybe the Pope had just lost count!

If you have grandchildren, read with them the adventures of Asterix the Gaul.

They will think they are hilarious, and laugh at the names of Asterix, Obelix, Cacophonix, Dogmatix and all the others.

They will also notice that the speech bubbles are written in Roman and Gothic script so as to be as authentic as the stories. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best education for children before they go back to their palm screens and virtual reality; genuine history and the story of language.

The Roman calendar of Julius Caesar (the Julian calendar) was based on the

pagan festivals revolving around the sun and the moon, so their special days were focused on the solar and lunar equinoxes.

Their gods were many, and their festivals centred on sacrifices and the worship of the deities. Pantheism.

When the Romans converted to Christianity and Roman Catholicism, they moved their Christian celebrations to coincide with their pagan festivals.

Thus the birth of Christ was moved to 25th December, to coincide with their Saturnalia, a Bacchanalian orgy.

So, as we approach the â&#x20AC;&#x153;festive seasonâ&#x20AC;? please remember its original meaning, its hijack by the pagans, its imported German customs in the 1860s under Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, and more recently, its total takeover by TV commercialism and megastores which start the â&#x20AC;&#x153;celebrationsâ&#x20AC;? in October to sell you more stuff you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need.

Christmas should be about love for your family, your friends and your community â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including, and especially, those who will not be celebrating anything this year.

Do not let them be alone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;God bless us, every one.â&#x20AC;? (Tiny Tim - A Christmas Carol)

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TIME WARP

Modest joys of Christmas past A favourite Yuletide read is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It’s only a novella, but it contains a powerful message, writes KATE CALLAHAN.

Y

ou know the story. A meanspirited old miser by the name of Ebenezer Scrooge is transformed by nocturnal encounters with the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, and three spirits – the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.

By story’s end, the venomous old curmudgeon has learned the value of giving to others, and has morphed into an enthusiastic benefactor, ready to share his wealth and embrace the world.

First published in 1843, Dickens’ morality tale, set against a backdrop of terrible child poverty and deprivation, was written out of financial necessity.

But it turned out to be far more than a commercial success for the author; it influenced profound social change.

A Christmas Carol gave Christmas new meaning and helped shape the family celebration we know today.

My mother was fond of saying, “It is more blessed to give than receive”, which made no sense to me at all. Not surprisingly, Christmas at our place was a relatively modest affair. There was plenty of food – and more on that later – but the presents were decidedly thin on the ground and rather predictable.

True to form, my parents opted for

12 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / December 2017

12.indd 2

practical gifts for their children, usually underwear, pyjamas and similar necessities – the sorts of things they would’ve had to buy the following year, had it not been for Christmas.

Sometimes I wondered if I’d find next year’s schoolbooks under the tree.

Speaking of trees, we never actually had a Christmas tree. I doubt there was space for a tree in the two-bedroomplus-sleepout farm house, but Dad always said the bunya pines in the paddock were perfectly good.

My friend Colin was lucky because his grandparents lived in England.

Every December, just before Christmas, a very large brown paper parcel tied up with string would arrive from “overseas”.

I couldn’t have been more excited if the parcel had been addressed to me.

I didn’t know anyone from “overseas”, except the Queen, whose head was on our money and postage stamps.

For his part, Col didn’t share my enthusiasm. “Just more clothes from Marks & Spencer”, he would say, adding that his mother said you couldn’t buy decent clothes in Australia.

No, Colin wasn’t interested in the contents of the parcel, but he was beside himself with delight over the postage

stamps adhered to the brown paper, which he duly soaked off, dried and added to his stamp album.

While Christmas gifts were modest – there’s that word again – Christmas food was a different matter. It was the one time of the year when we had ham and, if we were lucky, chicken. The leg of ham was always delicious, but Mum had this unfortunate habit of studding it with cloves, nasty black things that were to be avoided at all cost.

The roast chicken, on the other hand, was faultless. It was so sublime that I could overlook the fact that two days before it had a name and was scratching around the garden. At the time, I didn’t appreciate the full extent of my mother’s capabilities and the very considerable effort she put into preparing the Christmas feast for us. This wasn’t a case of phoning the butcher and ordering a two-kilo free-range chicken to be collected on 23 December. No, Mum had to catch, kill, pluck, eviscerate, stuff and roast that chook.

Just before Christmas one year, several wild ducks took up residence at the water hole. My mother couldn’t swim, but she was extremely resourceful. Invoking, as always, the

assistance of St Jude, patron saint of hopeless cases, and armed with an old mosquito net – what else, I hear you ask – she miraculously caught a duck, which ended up taking the place of a hen at our Christmas dinner. It was a break from tradition that was never repeated.

Wild duck is just awful, but that year the ham was very good.

Prior to Christmas dinner being served, it was my job to “dress” the old red laminated table in the kitchen with a meticulously laundered double-damask table cloth and napkins that hadn’t seen the light of day for 12 months.

This linen was for special occasions only, Mum explained; it was part of her “glory box” and had cost “a pretty penny” before the War. Then I laid the good silver, which I’d helped Mum polish to a high sheen the day before.

Thinking back now, the effect was transformational. The old kitchen table had been turned into something grand and in my mind’s eye I can still see it.

My parents taught me that love and kindness are greater gifts than gold, and even though money was hard to come by, I know now that we were rich beyond compare.

Season’s greetings, dear Readers.

Brisbane

22/11/2017 12:14:28 PM

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22/11/2017 12:12:29 PM

HISTORY

A Bush Christening Australia’s great bush poet Banjo Paterson famously and humorously wrote of a bush christening. DIANA HACKER shares a similar story, without the verse, from the 21st century – and not that much has changed in more than 100 years.

“O

n the outer Barcoo, where churches are few, and men of religion are scanty” are the opening words of Banjo Paterson’s humourous poem A Bush Christening, written about 100 years ago.

Cynics may think that these words have no relevance to events which may have taken place in more recent times; however I do believe that much depends upon a person’s imagination.

Let me tell you of a more recent bush christening.

The time is Sunday, December 24, and the place is a small cattle property in the Queensland bush. Relatives and friends of a small boy are gathering at the home of the proud grandparents.

A horse float is used to transport the organ and extra chairs. Many vehicle types arrive – battered utes, dusty 4 x 4s, assorted trucks and smart city cars disgorge their passengers.

The specially iced cake which has been nursed for 300 miles is, with a huge sigh, set down upon a table undamaged.

The clergyman arrives dressed for the day’s heat in shorts and T-shirt. He changes into his vestments at the last minute and changes again as soon as the

service is concluded. The congregation fills the small main area of the house and the solemn ritual of Baptism and Holy Communion takes place.

The setting does nothing to detract from the religious aspect of the ceremony.

The sermon taken from the Ten Commandments “Thou shalt not steal” is most fitting, for it is pointed out that collecting unbranded stock is the same thing. At the end of the service neighbours who have not seen one another for months gather to talk.

Food disappears as fast as the cool drinks. Appetites satisfied, the serious drinking begins. Huge pots of tea are

emptied faster than the punch bowl. The heat has been severe for days and eyes go skyward to the gathering black clouds.

The air all around takes on a different feel and lightning begins to flash.

Guests hastily depart and the last to leave are the boy’s family and some city relatives. Gates are hastily opened and closed and large rain drops dampen the gateperson.

Finally, all hell seems to break loose.

The sky opens up and the water drips and gurgles and runs and the Land Rover leaks. Just as well it goes out as fast as it comes in!

Water rushes along the wheel tracks

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and around a few more bends, where one of the guests in a conventional vehicle is stranded.

The engine is so covered in dust which is now mud that the spark is leaping about everywhere but the right direction. Some clever work with a few old rags and the engine roars into life once more.

The traveller is escorted to within a short distance of his home and at the last gate there are cheery calls of “Thank You” and “Merry Christmas”- for it is now truly Christmas Eve and those who gathered to worship and mark the birth of a treasured son have received God’s blessing; a true Christmas gift in the form of welcome rain.

The storm rages on for a few more hours. The sleepy infant is put to bed and another pot of tea is drained.

Country people live simple lives.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Your Time readers.

Diana Hacker is archivist for the Queensland Women’s Historical Association based at Miegunyah in Bowen Hills. Tours are available. Visit miegunyah.org

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BEAUTY

Commonsense skin care for summer Summer is here and it’s a high-risk time for all skin types in more ways than one, writes dermatherapist MIMI GYERGYAK.

I

t’s a dangerous time of year for skin, with both sun and the humidity taking a toll.

While we are slowly becoming educated about the need for protection from the sun, it’s easy to overlook the damage being caused by the humidity.

We always feel hot and sweaty and our skin feels moist, so we don’t realise just how much we are dehydrating.

In fact, we are losing moisture through perspiration and yet not feeling feel dehydrated.

Many women are saying “I can’t stand

anything on my face” and can’t abide the thought of using a moisturiser only to feel it running off their face in a sticky sweat.

It doesn’t have to be this way and I would encourage the use of a lightweight moisturiser.

If you don’t, by the end of summer your skin will have become very dehydrated and you will notice some serious signs of ageing.

To stop this cycle, you need a product that concentrates on hydration and the most active hydrating product is a collagen moist gel. It is oil-free, penetrates effectively and stays in the skin.

Collagen is responsible for the moisture in our cells, which are 75 per cent water and are the building blocks for our skin. They need water, not oil.

This is a point I have emphasised to my students over the years: Skin needs water, not oil. Keep the cells, the building blocks, well hydrated and you are going to have nice, healthy skin and collagen gel is the most effective – and pleasant – way to do that.

You want to make the cells like a juicy plum so you don’t end up looking like a wrinkled prune.

The second aspect is one we know a little more about – protecting the skin from the sun’s harmful rays.

In this climate, with the sun beating down every day, a sunblock is a must.

Follow the instructions, and apply half an hour before you leave home to allow time for the sunscreen to absorb properly. Unless you are swimming or washing your face, there is no need to reapply.

I am not suggesting we have to use sunscreen every day but if you are driving and have the sun on your side of the vehicle, for example, it’s a good idea to have the protection. The sun rays so easily cause damage without us even knowing it.

Queenslanders are not good at noticing the need for a sunblock even though we are in the most damaging climate.

The sun is not only dehydrating skin but also disturbing the melanin production which leads to sunspots or liver spots as we used to call them.

A lot of us don’t like the stickiness of a sunblock on our face. When everyone started using some of the early sunblocks, a lot of people turned up with skin

problems – acne, blackheads – as they were heavy and oily.

I have formulated my own sunscreen which has been tested by Sydney University and licensed to meet all the requirements of the TGA. The best testimonials have come from those who really need it – lifesavers and deep sea fishermen – and the biggest compliment is from the Wickham Terrace specialists who recommend it to mothers of albino children.

I use only the best ingredients, some of which I have to import from Europe, but it’s very special.

It goes on like a moisturiser so can be worn as a base under makeup and is absorbed by the skin so it is not sticky or greasy and you don’t look like a ghost.

And of course, the other key point during summer is to remember to drink a lot of water and keep yourself well hydrated.

If you would like a sample sachet of my BioPacific sunscreen, apply via the Contact Us section at biopacific.com.au or send your name and address to Biopacific Skincare, P.O. Box 436, Albany Creek. 4035.

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16 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / December 2017

16.indd 2

Brisbane

22/11/2017 12:10:33 PM

LIFE IN FOCUS

The shadow side of Christmas

If we consider festivities and celebrations, Christmas seems to best characterise the stages and phases of our life’s journey, writes PAULINE DU RIETZ.

A

s kids, Christmas was always a long wait. Santa and Christian rituals played a strong role. As we grew up, celebrations included gifts, family and friends.

When we had our own families, the phases and stages changed to accommodating the expectations and needs of others.

Throughout the years we often worked hard to create, provide and probably clean up after the festivities.

During this stage of our lives we were primarily focused on others.

As we move into the more advanced years, our thoughts about, and even our behaviours change as we experience Christmas, which seems to come around so quickly.

For this month’s column, I decided to ask 130 males and females over the age of 55, their opinions regarding the Christmas festive season. I created a survey and asked individuals to give me their thoughts.

The survey covered areas like: • How did your experience the different stages throughout your life?

• What do you do for Christmas in this stage of your life?

• How do you experience or feel about

Christmas and New Year in this stage of your life?

• What do you dislike about the Christmas festive season in this stage of your life?

• Do you feel alone or lonely during this period?

• Is there is any sadness or loneliness for you during this season how do you manage it?

The responses to my survey: Generally, most people experienced the early childhood, teens and bringing up families in the traditional Australian cultural manner.

The answers to Questions 2 and 3, basically fell into a couple of categories: Many people commented that they still spent enjoyable time with family and friends; but a larger number than I expected said the time they spent with others was often uncomfortable.

They said they often ask themselves: why am I still doing this, like this? They make decisions and plans not to be involved in the same manner next time.

However, their intentions rarely created new behaviours and the following year, they repeated the event.

Questions 4, 5 and 6, received the longest responses.

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Question 4: The Christmas events that people most disliked included an over abundance of decorations, Christmas carols and music in stores, and of course the problems with parking in shopping centers.

People often attended social obligations, where they did not want to be. Many women felt that providing for others took time, energy and money.

Uncomfortable issues with family or friends included interacting with people they didn’t like; being caught up in either family dysfunction or reactions to past experiences or hurts.

Question 5: Many commented that Christmas was a reminder of times past that were lovely and enriching. Some said that they experienced sadness, because the season reminded them of family and friends who were no longer here, or of a family that had changed because of divorce.

Many commented that because of family breakdown, they no longer see or even have access to grandchildren.

Question 6: The answers ranged from: Just grin and bear it, while feeling alone or lonely, to depression and sadness. Some commented that because the season’s festivities are so obvious, it is a constant

reminder of who or what they no longer have.

Christmas is usually a time when we expect that everyone will be celebrating in some manner. However, I was surprised by the number of people who commented that they spend Christmas alone. One respondent commented that there is a difference between being alone and being lonely. She explained that you could be with a number of people and still feel alone, or in a relationship and still feel lonely.

I always see the Christmas period as an ending and beginning phase. Earlier this year, I wrote that at this stage of our lives we often get caught up in the “have to do” behaviours which usually produce a negative feeling. “Want to do” usually produces a positive feeling.

In 2017, my new year’s resolution was to concentrate on: “I still get to do…” and there have been many times when I have had to remind myself that I may not always be as capable as I am now.

My wish for you dear reader is that you focus on the positive, rather than the shadow side and celebrate the good stuff in your life. Thanks to the people who have responded so positively to this column this year. Enjoy 2018.

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Southern Cross Care (Qld) ŝƐ Ă ŶŽƚͲĨŽƌͲƉƌŽĮƚ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƟŽŶ ǁŝƚŚ ϰϬ LJĞĂƌƐ͛ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ƐĞƌǀŝŶŐ YƵĞĞŶƐůĂŶĚĞƌƐ ŝŶ ĂŐĞĚ ĐĂƌĞ͕ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĐĂƌĞ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƟƌĞŵĞŶƚ ůŝǀŝŶŐ ʹ ǁĞ ůŽŽŬ ĂŌĞƌ ƉĞŽƉůĞ. Ŷ ŝŶŝƟĂƟǀĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ <ŶŝŐŚƚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ^ŽƵƚŚĞƌŶ ƌŽƐƐ December 2017 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 17

22/11/2017 12:17:13 PM

FASHION

Colour your Christmas The weather’s hot and the festivities are ramping up. KAY McMAHON suggests accessories to add some fun to your summer.

W

hat special “something” will you buy sisters, daughters, nieces and girlfriends?

How can you make that expensive caftan/frock you bought last year make a comeback to walk the Christmas carpet without breaking the bank?

Accessories are the key to a host of festive occasions and gift-giving and to freshen summer wardrobes.

Shoes are integral to your look. Those black, beige (and probably scuffed) flat pumps will not make a statement.

Colour is the theme this summer and interesting heel shapes and embellishments add the touch of fun that Queenslanders wear so well.

Pompoms, shells, bling and beads add special interest.

Heels are chunky, assymetric, angled, and in complementary colours to the front of the shoe. Mules in particular can make a statement

18 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / December 2017

18.indd 2

to a monochrome work outfit.

Sandals are still a staple and can be worn to formal occasions and beach barbecues – great news for boomers who love comfy caftans and want to dance the night away with the youngsters.

Bags are also colouring the world. Straw is still a big hit for the beach and for holiday shopping, but this season add a pompom, fake flowers, beads, or tie a colourful scarf to update the look.

I’m currently making several

large, colourful pompoms that I’ll sew on to a favourite crochet bag to see it through another season.

Florals are everywhere and none more so than on bags.

Overnight bags are in floral-printed leather, floral canvas and fabric totes are beach-ready or pool-ready for resort holidays. Again, add your own hand-made embellishment and you’ll have one-of-a-kind.

And while we’re on the subject of hand-made, don’t underestimate Boomer skills in this area to make a unique present for one of your family.

Many Millennials are short on the skills of crocheting, knitting, embroidery, sewing or pompom-making. Add this dimension to any accessory and it will make an on-trend Christmas present that’s made with love and won’t break the bank.

Hats in Queensland are a necessity. And while we all have a favourite beach hat, it may be time to invest in a more glamorous and wide-brimmed

shape for all family holiday reunions and parties.

Hollywood glamour, aka Hedy Lamarr or Greta Garbo, or if you’re younger, Julia Roberts at the polo in Pretty Woman, is making a resurgence. Not only will you make a statement, but hats also hide a humid, frizzy, bad-hair day.

As for jewellery, all the above augurs well here too. Make bold statements in colour and more is better.

Clashing prints, colours, metals and bling will always add to the drama of an outfit. Be adventurous and combine op-shop, store-bought and hand-made pieces.

Christmas is a celebration; whether it be religious, family, holiday or relaxation.

Enjoy the festivities, enjoy the reason to dress up for a party, and brighten your presence by playing with the colours and textures of summer accessories.

For Styleboomer answers and ideas: styleboomer@gmail. com

HAPPILY EVER AFTER Regular readers of Your Time, may remember our series from Jacqui Ball and her struggle to find a gown for a mature bride.

Jacqui has now tied the knot and loved every minute of her garden wedding ceremony.

She writes: “I’m really pleased I pushed past the many barriers and attitudes that seem to stand in the way of being a mature-age bride. My advice is to keep pushing past the ageist attitudes, occasional rudeness, and various other difficulties to create your dream wedding and have what YOU want. Persist in finding a dress or outfit that makes your heart thump, and love every moment.”

Brisbane

22/11/2017 12:16:42 PM

YOUR GARDEN

Garden hampers make a perfect gift It’s been said that if you don’t know what to give somebody for Christmas buy a plant, and you can turn it into much more, writes JULIE LAKE.

T

o some of us, a garden gift would be at the top of the list because a plant in a pot gives such long-lasting pleasure and cuts across the gift-giving challenges of age and gender.

What’s more, garden centres are peaceful, stress-free places in which to do your Christmas shopping and give you the opportunity to create a unique present, just by teaming a particular plant with the right container.

Or put together a garden “hamper” of, say, some seedling herbs and flowering annuals with a bag of potting mix, a trowel and some smart gardening gloves.

Other combinations could be an elegant pot, planted with a colourful flowering plant and some coloured stones covering the soil surface (perfect for indoors) teamed with a decorative watering can.

Or a shrub in a tub plus some secateurs to keep it trim. Or perhaps a citrus tree in a traditional terracotta pot with special fertiliser, some appropriate tools and a small book on citrus cultivation – or even a citrus recipe book.

Once you start thinking in terms of garden centre “hampers” the choices are wide indeed. Decorative garden lights, stands for growing herbs and vegetables

1

1. Impatiens, 2. Gazania, 3 Dipladenia. vertically in small spaces, terrariums, miniature cactus gardens, hanging baskets planted with Christmas colour, outdoor ornaments, unusual tools and gardening gear of all kinds can be put together in a package to make personalised Christmas presents for anyone – even grandchildren.

Here are some suggestions for plants which will make good gifts this Christmas, either on their own or in combination with other garden centre goodies.

Small pots: Gerberas, impatiens, (sun and shade-loving), marigolds, celosia, salvia, zinnia, geraniums, daisies of any kind. All will add colour to anyone’s Christmas, especially if you match the

2

3

flower colours to the pots.

Large pots/tubs: Mandevillas and dipladenias (always a great choice for large and small spaces, climbing frames and pergolas because they flower most of the year and come in Christmas red among other colours), hydrangeas, poinsettias (these are forced so that the bracts are in colour at this time of year), fuchsias (especially the Aussie Winner Shadow Dancer series which does well in this climate), and bougainvillea.

Hanging baskets: Calibrachoa, ivy, geraniums with a prostrate habit, alyssum, lobelia, nasturtiums, brachycome daisies, portulaca and other succulents.

If you are looking for something more substantial, to give Christmas colour in the garden for years to come, the New South Wales Christmas bush and a small red-flowering eucalyptus such as “summer red” are ideal because beyond brightening your backyard the flowers can be used in Aussie-style Christmas floral arrangements.

A very merry Christmas and happy gardening in 2018.

Julie Lake is a horticulturist and gardening writer. Visit gardenezi.com

THE SLEEP SYSTEM

Brisbane

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December 2017 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 19

22/11/2017 12:16:13 PM

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22/11/2017 12:15:36 PM

STATE OF MIND

Destress your Christmas Stress is a serious matter and a major cause of physical and mental health issues in our country, writes KATHRYN SMITH.

A

ccording to the Australian Psychological Society’s stress and wellbeing survey (2014), financial issues and family issues remain the leading causes of stress among Australians.

So, the precarious combination of Christmas and family can, for some people, open the floodgates.

Financial and emotional stressors can get in the way of what should be a fun-filled, happy time of year. Now, if someone can please tell Ebenezer Scrooge to leave the room, we can put a more positive spin on Christmas and how to stress less about it.

Christmas brings with it a lot of expectation.

As a child, we eagerly anticipate Father Christmas’ arrival and go to bed dreaming of what the big day might bring.

Fast forward however many years and many of us still have fanciful ideas and expectations of Christmas day.

Whether you are playing host or guest, there can be a lot at stake.

If you break it all down they are, by-large, first world issues based on material things, that at the end of the day don’t really matter.

“Will the turkey be perfectly browned; will Grandma comment on the mis-matched bonbons; have I bought enough beverages; will there be an encore to last year’s family political dispute”.

They can all amount to a large serving of unnecessary stress.

Getting back to basics by thinking about what really matters might mean leaving stress boxed up somewhere next to the infuriatingly tangled fairy lights.

And if it’s not you that stresses, but perhaps a particular family member (no names mentioned), passing on this helpful advice may lead to a more relaxed time for all.

Destressing tips: 1. Make a list and check it twice. (sorry, couldn’t go past it) Planning takes the stress out of most events, Christmas is no exception.

2. Make a budget and don’t exceed it to avoid financial stress.

3. Exercise! Consistently shown to be a proven stress reliever.

4. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Remembering that no-one is going to starve to death or be horribly disappointed if the napkins don’t match may help keep things in perspective.

5. Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can lead to stress, especially when there is more pressure.

6. Crank up the tunes. Another great way

to reduce stress is to play music that makes you feel relaxed … and that may not be Santa Claus is coming to town.

Of course, some people experience stress at Christmas that is warranted due to more serious issues, like financial hardship or illness and during this time may benefit from an extended network of support and professional help.

Kathryn Smith is a clinical psychologist. Visit psychologyconsultants.com.au

HEALTHY EATING MADE EASY Thank you to our customers forr your y support. pp We hope you have hav a very Merry rry Christmas

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR …

For those with a loved one who will probably be having their last Christmas in this world, emotions will be fluctuating between wanting to make it extra special and dreading it, writes SHARON TREGONING.

Everyone knows it will probably be the last, but it’s not something that is said out loud. How do you make it special and respectfully acknowledge the reality without thrusting it into people’s face?

This can help guide what does/ doesn’t happen: • What do/don’t they want to do?

• What are they capable of doing?

• Do celebrations need to be held earlier in the month?

• Do celebrations need to be broken into a number of smaller events?

• If it’s appropriate for the situation, does the fact that it may be their last Christmas get publicly

acknowledged? Would it be helpful to address the elephant in the room?

Make sure there is fun and laughter.

You don’t want this to be a time of doom and gloom. Yes, it is a sad time, but it is also a time for creating joy and precious memories. Buy the Christmas bonbons, wear the silly hats, read the dad jokes and groan.

Gifts can be a challenge too. My Mum was given a beautiful, warm pashmina for Mother’s Day. She died less than a month later but she proudly wore it until her last breath.

The poignancy of having awareness is a powerful aspect of this journey.

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Email: sales@alternatemobility.com.au www.alternatemobility.com.au December 2017 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 21

22/11/2017 12:21:07 PM

MOTORING

Plenty of choice and it’s all yours There is a right plethora of SUVs – all shapes, sizes and colours – fighting for our attention these days, writes BRUCE McMAHON.

T

oday’s SUVs are machines, originally all of them all-wheel drive, with extra ride height and some practicalities to design.

They’re not meant to go everywhere, but are more able than the family Holden which through the 1990s dropped lower and lower for aesthetics, aerodynamics and handling.

The problem was, not all Australian roads meet autostrada standards.

About that time there was an explosion of interest in four-wheel drives.

But many “gunnas” (gunna go to Fraser, gunna see The Centre) never got going and realised, while enjoying the high-riding four-wheel drive style, they would never use low range.

Others whinged about being unable to see around higher vehicles so moved on up in ride height. Plus some, as affluent Baby Boomers became less lithe, liked the idea of easy access to a car’s seats. Slide right on in.

So now there’s this plethora of SUVs for a plethora of reasons.

Subaru was a pioneer here, back in the 1970s, and then later helping establish the current SUV segment with the mighty Forester, a handy dirt-tracking

wagon. It’s still around, now complemented by Subaru’s XV, a cheerful and competent all-wheel drive of character.

This one has more friendly funk to its style without diluting any substance.

As with all Subarus (aside from rear-drive BRZ coupes) the secondgeneration XV is all-wheel drive. There’s no low range but there’s reasonable

ground clearance plus a down-and-dirty X-Mode.

This X switch, to be used below 40km/h, steadies throttle responses and better controls traction across the drivetrain and the four wheels. Below 20km/h it also engages Hill Descent Control.

So, the compact XV is quite capable of handling rutted and mud-washed tracks

or scrabbly hills. Yet the Subaru doesn’t have to get dirty to be enjoyed, for this updated version is a delightful touring companion from creek to coast.

There’s a useful 115kW of power, excellent ride comfort and all-wheel drive surety.

It offers easy access to a comfortable driving position with good ergonomics for all sizes. Controls and instruments are intuitive and good vision is complemented by rear view camera.

Top XV models also score Subaru’s Eye Sight, which includes Lane Assist, or Vision Assist which includes Rear Cross Traffic Alert (the latter, spotting cars as the XV is reversed, a handy option at a Westfield centre car park near you).

Best of all, there’s a CD player among the XV’s entertainment devices.

These are disappearing from many makes; sorry, some of us don’t want to download our 300-strong CD collection just so manufacturers can save a dollar under the pretext of being hip and happening.

So full credit to this Subaru XV from $27,990. It’s a thoroughly modern SUV with a touch of empathy for the needs of us older folks.

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22 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / December 2017

22.indd 2

We wish you all a Merry Christmas Brisbane

22/11/2017 12:20:04 PM

23.indd 3

23/11/2017 10:25:05 AM

HOLIDAY READS

AGRO + DUNN The life and crimes of an extraordinary puppet and his master $19.99 All good bookstores Most will remember having a chuckle if not a downright belly laugh at the antics of Jamie Dunn and his alter-ego, the scruffy Agro, over the decades. Between them these radio and TV stars have won seven Gold Logies and dozens of radio ratings. Agroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adult-rated bloopers are a huge hit on You Tube and Jamie still works the airwaves.

Finally, the entertainer who started out as a drummer for John Farnham and accidently became a side-kick to an irreverent puppet, is telling all.

Agro + Dunn is as unconventional as its stars and weaves Dunnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tales with contributions from friends and frenemies and insightful interludes from his mate Agro.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a mixed bag of treats, some a little on the acerbic side of sweet but stacked with laughs and memories.

Co-author is Your Time writer Bruce McMahon.

The Shadow Queen $22.49 This 1300s historical royal love novel by Anne Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien is based on the true story of Joan of Kent, a royal princess, first cousin to the reigning King. Her father was executed for treason and her family was stripped of wealth and influence.

Joan knows how to use her breeding to obtain what she wants; power and materialistic wealth.

Peace of mind at a great price

Whether looking for gift ideas or a holiday read, sitting back with a good book is the perfect way to escape the summer heat.

Pavilions in Parks $34.95

Murder in the Bush $19.99 $25 including postage Queensland history is brought to life in a new novel by Brisbane author Carmel McMurdo Audsley. Based on a true story, Murder In The Bush is the tale of young William McDonald who leaves the Scottish Highlands in 1885 and travels to Australia in search of a better life. He dreams of owning a sugar plantation in the Mackay area but realises it will take a long time on a labourerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wage. William had worked with Clydesdale horses in Scotland and when he was told that he could make a lot of money delivering horses overland, he set out on his own, travelling through untamed country. He disappeared and died in bizarre circumstances in the Mackay area. This is the seventh novel with connections to Scotland and Australia written by Ms Audsley whose father was born in Scotland. scotsnews@iinet.net.au

She was selfish in her personal ambitions, but she knew how to use her intelligence, power and strength without appearing forceful to get what she wanted, especially as she matured.

I enjoyed the fast moving extremely interesting historical scandalous stories of her marriages, battles of family pride and the aftermath of the inappropriate marriages, bigamy, plagues and wars, but some chapters failed to keep my attention. An interesting read which encouraged me to do my own research. charlequinbooks.com.au

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something fascinating about pavilions and bandstands, a glimpse of another era sitting in parks around Australia.

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Brisbane

23/11/2017 10:26:21 AM

FINANCE & TECHNOLOGY

Make your Christmas stress-free Despite the talk about over-spending, many still let loose with the credit card.

The result for some, writes BRIAN MOONEY, is more debt or dents in savings.

C

hristmas is like a lot of things in life – we seem to have forgotten the original meaning. No doubt this has partly come about with Christianity declining, although, this group still represents 52 per cent of all Australians. More so, the commercialisation of religious events by retailers has led many to forget the real purpose and meaning of such important events for many.

There are lots of ways to save money at Christmas and I will suggest just a few.

Some families in which all or most of the siblings have children, maybe just buy presents for each other’s children and not the adults.

You can take this a step further and have a secret Santa among the parents and they just buy for one or two children within the family group.

Going a step further you can put a dollar limit on the secret Santa gifts which ensures some

Brisbane

25.indd 3

don’t receive more highly-priced presents than others. That can become a nightmare. Secret Santa works well in a work environment and does equally so in large family situations.

I am quite practical and I like to receive things I really need as gifts and I often tend to do the same when buying for others.

Another way of saving is that you may have received some gift cards for last Christmas or birthday which are still sitting in your wallet. Using these to purchase gifts saves you money and the cards are not wasted.

While it is probably too late for this Christmas you can buy throughout the year at sales.

There are many retailers too, where, if you sign up to their mailing list you know when the sales are and you may receive a further discount. A special Christmas savings account that you contribute to every pay day is a good idea. It helps to do a budget first on what you will

likely spend the following Christmas, so you know how much to contribute regularly.

When the sales occur throughout the year you have the funds available from this account.

Another option is to buy an experience not a present. I have booked to take my sons to a NRL game in Sydney next year and this is their Christmas present.

They tend to forget this on Christmas day, but they are old enough to know the weekend away will be a great experience.

Sometimes these experiences might be something you would do anyway, but with older children it’s easily converted to a gift.

The vital tips are – do a Christmas budget that you know you can afford without using credit, stick to it and be creative.

Most of all, enjoy the time with your family and friends.

Brian Mooney is a certified financial planner and authorised representative of Logiro. Email: brianm@logiro.com

DECK THE HALLS WITH TECHNOLOGY There are so many new gadgets, it can be daunting. NATHAN WELLINGTON suggests some technology-based gift ideas.

SMART TABLET The latest smart tablets have been built with simplicity in mind. Google and Apple even use speech recognition so you don’t even have to type anymore. Price $100-$2000.

FITNESS BAND Keep in shape and measure daily activity by recording daily steps, heartrate, calories burnt and some even have a GPS. The major brands are Fitbit, Garmin and TomTom. Price $50-$500.

SMART WATCH The Dick Tracey watch is here, essentially a much smaller version of the smart tablet coupled with the fitness watch and even your mobile phone.

Check email and internet, GPS and all apps. You can even take and receive calls on some models. Price a cool $500 up.

GOOGLE HOME The Google Home speaker, a little Google Assistant gives realtime answers including the latest on weather, traffic and local news, or use while cooking for unit conversions or

nutritional information. Listen to music by requesting a song and set reminders. It’s like having your own home assistant. Price around $200.

HOME SURVEILLANCE Place a camera in or outside the house, connect it wirelessly to your modem router, download an app on your smart phone and see what is going on at home while away. Price $300-$1200.

SMART TV Although many have struggled with the installation of the NBN and wondered what was the point, the Smart TV comes into its own. Connect your Smart TV to your modem router and expand your TV experience from 27 digital channels to an unlimited range of programs on demand. Price $600-$6000.

Any technology purchase can be daunting, so do your homework! Visit a few retailers, read the reviews and if you are still not sure, ask your technician for impartial advice.

Nathan@hometechassist. com.au

December 2017 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 25

22/11/2017 12:19:03 PM

WELLBEING

Herbs to ease seasonal stress As Christmas approaches so do the levels of stress and anxiety so that this time of happy family reunions and fun times often ends up being quite the opposite, writes TRUDY KITHER.

T

he buildup begins and so do the stress levels, from arranging where the Christmas lunch will be held to who’s going to be there, who doesn’t want to be there, who’s being difficult about it and who really doesn’t want to be involved in any of it.

Then it starts again for Christmas dinner. With split and mixed families the problems simply quadruple. Couple that with decisions on gift buying, food buying, plans and holiday arrangements, and it quickly builds to a crescendo, before the big day even arrives.

As much as the media promotes a time of joyful smiling families, lots of great traditional (and expensive) food and the gift buying can make Christmas an anxiety-filled whirlwind of shopping, planning, even negotiating, while rushing through frantic shopping centres for the last-minute item.

It often becomes a mind and budget-blowing free for all with

stress that your mind and body might be trying to cope with during this time.

The adaptogen herbs will also be of enormous assistance to help your body adapt to the different emotions and physical stressors, while gently effecting a normalising balance on your body without the negative side effects of pharmaceutical preparations.

St John’s Wort is a popular anti-depressant. an extra side of loads of stress and anxiety for the event planner/organisers within the family.

This is when a carefully selected range of herbs can get you through the festive season without mind or body taking on the stress of it all, so that you eventually succumb to physical and emotional health issues.

A family of herbs called nervine herbs are gentle, yet effectively reduce the physiological and psychological

SOME USEFUL HERBS FOR STRESS AND ANXIETY ARE: St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) - best known as a herbal anti-depressant. Research backs this up, with its use indicated in many states of anxiety and depression without the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs. It has a tonic effect on the ventricles of the heart, the aorta and arterioles. It is also used for nerve pain within the body such as fibromyalgia. St John’s Wort does counteract with certain pharmaceutical medications so it

is always best to seek the advice of a registered Naturopath before commencing use.

Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) – While being an adaptogen (altering the processes of the body to restore them to their normal function), it is also an antioxidant, antidepressant, reduces feelings of anxiety, is a nervous system stimulant, heart protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and a hormonal regulator. Rhodiola’s actions are best suited for increasing endurance, relieving fatigue, calming physiological responses from physical and emotional stress, reducing depression and anxiety and improving poor memory and concentration. It is also used for cardiovascular disease, immune insufficiency and cancer, while reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory disorders.

Withania (Withania somnifera) – Also known as Ashwaganda, this herb is well regarded in traditional western

herbal and ayurvedic medicine for its tonic and strengthening properties (among many others).

Withania has a high iron content which can counteract anaemia.

It restores vitality in those suffering from overwork and nervous exhaustion and with its sedative nature, it can reduce blood pressure and lower the heart rate. Research has shown that the Withanolides (which are similar to the body’s own steroid hormones), are antiinflammatory and actually inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Withania is also helpful in chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, assists recovery from chronic illness and is used as a cancer preventative.

These are just three herbs that can reduce the effects of physical and emotional stress, anxiety and more during your Christmas Break.

Trudy Kither is a registered naturopath.

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HEALTH

Season’s feastings – a survival guide If there is one time of the year when our health goes out the window, it’s Christmas. The team at Northside Allied Health has devised a plan for those suffering Type 2 diabetes that has a message for everyone.

M

ost of us will admit to overindulging in a little too much festive cheer, with the aftermath being weight gain, loss of fitness and, for some, compromised health.

For those with Type 2 diabetes, the festive period can bring an additional set of health challenges with indulgent food choices and reduction in exercise, resulting in increased blood glucose levels, high blood pressure and weight gain.

Diabetes is an incurable disease that affects 1.7 million Australians, with one person every five minutes diagnosed with the disease. There are more than 4400 diabetes-related amputations in Australia every year.

As health professionals, it is our responsibility to take control of what is a rising critical health issue but no-one likes to be a killjoy, especially at this fun time of year. With this in mind, our dedicated dietitian and exercise physiologists have devised a survival plan for Type 2 diabetics that incorporates just enough festive cheer, without compromising health.

Tips for getting stuffed without the stuffing by dietitian Rebekka Frazer Adapt your recipes. There is a direct relationship between carbohydrate intake and blood sugar levels. The more carbohydrates (including sugars) you consume, the higher your blood sugar levels will be later.

Focus on carbohydrate-free festive foods (such as ham, turkey, prawns/ seafood, cheeses and spiced nuts) and try to limit your intake of carb-rich choices (cakes, biscuits, soft drinks, juices, bread).

Also get creative and adapt your favourite recipes by swapping out regular sugar for a natural sweetener such as Natvia. Receipes at natvia.com.

Apply portion control. There is nothing wrong with enjoying dessert, alcohol or other treats, just watch your portions. Eat your food slowly and mindfully to enjoy the experience.

You’ll find you need less of that treat food or drink when you take the time to appreciate every aspect of its taste, texture, consistency and aroma, rather than scoffing it down in one mouthful.

Count your drinks. It is important to remember that alcohol contributes to

overall calorie intake for the day and can wreak havoc on blood sugar levels in those suffering from diabetes.

It’s not just the sugar or carb count, but rather the alcohol content itself (your overall intake of alcohol). Alcohol puts a handbrake on fat being burnt off.

For diabetics, the best options for those who do choose to drink will be dry wine (red or white), light beer (XXXX Gold) or spirits with a diet mixer (rum and diet coke or vodka and soda water). Enjoy your drink after you’ve eaten.

Pack away leftovers as soon as meal time is over. It’s not really the single Christmas dinner that results in extra weight gain but the fruit mince pies, fruit cake and sugary treats that tend to creep into the house from the end of October.

Couple this with all those leftovers lingering around the house for a week or two into the new year and you have a recipe for unwanted weight gain and elevated blood sugar levels.

Exercise tips for shifting the Christmas pud by accredited exercise physiologist, Eloise Sypott Any exercise is better than none.

Time is hard to find around the Christmas

period. If you’ve got 10 minutes to spare to go for a quick brisk walk, do it! Take the grandkids, relatives or friends with you and turn it into a fun activity.

Do a home workout. You do not need a big, fancy gym to exercise. For example, switch afternoon activities to include a family cricket/football/soccer game in the park. Maybe spend the afternoon enjoying water activities at the beach/in the backyard pool. In the kitchen, when you have a short break from food preparation, use a chair to do some quick sit to stands. Use a wall to do some wall pushups or even engage in some calf raises and high knee marching.

Set some health and fitness goals.

Have some exercise goals set over Christmas and get your family involved to keep you on track. This can include daily walking, pool lap swimming, bicycling challenges or anything active you can think of.

Northside Allied Health runs an eight week Type 2 Diabetes program. It is fully Medicare funded under a GP referral.

The next program commences in February 2018.

Visit northsidealliedhealth.com.au

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23/11/2017 11:25:39 AM

BOOK REVIEW

It’s a lovely spring day and I am sitting in my favourite armchair meeting Slav in 1940. The young Polish cavalry officer has just been arrested by the KGB on espionage charges, humiliated and sentenced to 25 years jail – off to camp 303 located in Siberia.

Herded into cattle railway trucks, they are chained up and sent to one of the most inhospitable places on earth.

Realising that he had to escape or die, Slav selects six men, who all had individual skills, and after months of preparation, they set off down under the wire. And then the story really begins. This is an awful, harrowing story, but there is also a magnificence about it – the Tibetans who gave warmly and the men who risked all for each other.

ELIZABETH PASCOE

TONY HARRINGTON

This is an amazing story of escape and survival of a small group of prisoners walking 5000 km across the world’s most inhospitable territories. The intense desire to be free of imprisonment in a remote Russian Siberian work camp led them to endure intense hardships on their trek to freedom. I liked the writing style making it a pleasurable and easy read. Like the walk, the tale moves along at a steady pace with many interesting encounters with generous Mongolian and Tibetan people. The themes, including the physical hardships of the trek, the toll on their feet and general health, starvation, walking to exhaustion and death, make this a fascinating story. They survived because of their military background, incredible endurance, comradeship, solidarity and the cohesion and cooperation within the group. I certainly enjoyed reading this book.

BOOK review JOHN KLEINSCHMIDT I enjoyed reading this book as a true account by Rawicz of his arrest, interrogation, imprisonment, escape and long walk out of Siberia, across Tibet to freedom in India.

A compelling story until the Gobi and Himalayas crossings. Research reveals considerable doubt about the credibility of the author.

Rawicz was a Polish Officer imprisoned by the Russians in Siberia, but official records show he was released as part of a general amnesty of Poles in the USSR in 1942 and transported to Iran giving lie to his whole trek to liberty.

There is opinion that Rawicz stole the story and told it as his own. Whatever the truth, these revelations spoiled my enjoyment of the book.

SUZI HIRST

THE LONG WALK

By Slavomir Rawicz

First published in 1956, this is one of the world’s greatest stories of adventure, survival and escape.

Slavomir Rawicz (1915-2004) was a young Polish cavalry officer. In 1939, he was arrested by the Russians and after brutal interrogation and a farce of a trial, he was sentenced to 25 years’ hard labour in the Gulags, for “spying”.

After a three-month journey to Siberia in the depths of winter, he and six others escaped. They went south, climbing into Tibet and, finally freedom after travelling 6000km through some of the harshest regions in the world. By the end, he weighed just 31.7kg and three had died.

I really enjoyed The Long Walk. From page one to the end I was drawn into this true story of grit and determination against all odds that human nature brings out in a person when faced with the only other outcome – death. It is hard for us now to imagine the cruelty and hardship that was faced by these prisoners during the war, from unbelievably cruel interrogation to the Siberian prisoner of war camps. How they survived and tackled the bitter cold, the blistering heat, the lack of food and water, during their escape from the Siberian camps, I cannot imagine. When I finished the book I wanted to know more and was disappointed to find out that there is a lot of doubt about the truth of this story. I would recommend this book.

JO BOURKE

MARY BARBER I found this book slow at first. The chapters about how Slav came to be in the gulag were hard to read. Slav suffered torture, interrogation and appalling prison conditions before he was tried and sentenced to the gulag. But there’s hope too.

Once the journey to freedom starts, I was with these courageous men all the way. It’s a tale of how men and women come together with courage, ingenuity and comradeship. Very often over the thousands of kilometres they walked, they survived only on the kindness of strangers.

Having read this book, I am a different person.

This was a long long read! I read the first chapter with its graphic torture and put it aside. A week later I tried again, hoping the worst descriptions were behind. But no – the inhumane treatment continued with prisoner transport by cattle trucks and chained men stumbling through the snow behind lorries to the Siberian work camp.

‘Tis said that ‘Truth is stranger than fiction’ and I had to hold on to that statement to get through this story! I found myself becoming cynical from the moment the Commandant’s wife aided and abetted the escape of Slavomir and his mates. Add to that the snakes with their heads out of holes waiting to be caught and cooked.

Google tells us opinion is divided re the accuracy of this tale. Even if there are inaccuracies it is still a tale of courage and daring and I read it with awe. Personally I found it exhausting and was pleased to finish.

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RETIREMENT LIVING

Are you a baby boomer?

GOOGLE the question and you’ll find some fun content like this quiz …

Watergate is (a) a large dam or (b) the scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation.

Paris Hilton is (a) a highly publicized heiress, socialite, model, and media personality, (b) a posh hotel in France named after the nation’s capital.

Of course, a Boomer will know the answers are (b).

So, what are the key characteristics that makes this generation so interesting?

Boomer stereotypes are rife, so the next time some young hipster says, “you boomers ruined the environment and housing affordability” shoot these stats back: Boomers are one of the most adaptable of all age groups; they embrace new technology, spending average 21 hours a week online.

Boomers hold the lion’s share of Australia’s wealth and more than half own their home outright.

The Australia Institute says retired Baby Boomers will be wealthier, healthier and longer-lived than any previous generation.

According to online sources, boomers

are shying away from staid, traditional retirement villages and opting for stand-alone, low-maintenance singlestorey homes surrounded by sporting and recreational facilities.

The good news is housing options are increasingly attractive, especially at lifestyle communities such as Nature’s Edge Buderim.

At Nature’s Edge Buderim, over 50s can buy a spacious architecturallydesigned home within a gated community in the Buderim foothills. A multi-million-dollar leisure centre is nearing completion for resident use.

Most importantly, there are no exit fees and every home owner keeps all the capital gain when they decide to sell.

Contact one of the Nature’s Edge Buderim’s lifestyle consultants on 1800 218 898 and ask for a personalised tour.

TIPS TO STAY IN SHAPE DECEMBER is here, and with it comes an overload of various functions and festivities. For the most part, getting into the spirit of the festive season tends to involve excessive eating and drinking.

But your health is paramount every single month of the year. If you want to look and feel great, then you need to exercise control.

Here are some simple tips: 1. Be prepared You need breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, regardless of what month it is. Even if you have a few nights out for dinners or functions during the week, that doesn’t mean you can fall off the wagon all together and blame it on the “silly season”.

2. Eat before you go to a party It’s so easy to graze on nibbles over the course of a few hours and not even

HALCYON GREEN SUITS COUPLE TO A TEE

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Homeowners are realising that living big can be better achieved through efficient, less time-consuming properties.

“The downsizing market is in huge demand,” says Josh Kindred of Kindred Property Group. “We are seeing people from all walks of life opting for properties that they can spend less on in upkeep, both in time and money.

“Having a smaller property has numerous benefits including increased cash flow through a smaller mortgage, less cost in utilities and fewer maintenance costs. It also means minimised stress having less of a workload to upkeep the property.

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“In today’s design standards, it is important to note that downsizing doesn’t mean reducing quality. Efficient sized homes still have high-quality, highly liveable fit outs.”

Kindred’s most recent developments, Scarbourough Villas and Seachange at Woody Point have been built specifically to meet the growing needs of this market.

“We really believe this trend will continue into the future as people realise the benefits. Changes to superannuation laws in the coming months will further benefit and encourage some Australians to sell their existing home to downsize,” Mr Kindred said.

“If you have been thinking that downsizing is right for you, now really is the time to invest in your future lifestyle with a more efficient property.”

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realise how much food (and calories) you’ve consumed. But if you eat a healthy and balanced meal before arriving, you’ll feel full and less tempted.

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KEEN golfers Chris and Rex Bell have hit upon the perfect way to combine their love of golf and caravanning with the coveted Gold Coast lifestyle.

The retired couple has bought a home within Halcyon Greens, Australia’s first over 50s golf and lifestyle community, at Pimpama.

“We loved our previous home at Hope Island, but it needed a lot of maintenance because we had a yard and a pool, so we couldn’t just take off in the caravan,” Chris says.

That is why they were attracted to the low maintenance yet luxurious lifestyle available within the gated Halcyon Greens community.

“We can just lock up and leave and do what we want for as long as we want

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without having to worry about the pool or garden being looked after,” Chris says.

“We also like the fact that there’s somewhere to keep our caravan within the community. Our plan is to keep travelling so it ticks all those boxes for us.”

Not surprisingly, the community’s frontage to Gainsborough Greens Golf Course was a bonus for the Bells who, between them, have been playing golf for 35 years.

“On average, we play three times a week, so the fact the golf course is on our doorstep was the sweetener that made the whole package so good,” Rex says.

“We won’t have to travel for golf anymore, which makes it easier.

Although the Bells won’t be moving into their new home until March, they’ve already participated in three Halcyon golf days and the Halcyon-sponsored 2017 AVGU Golf Championship.

Stage one at Halcyon Greens is now 85 per cent sold. Keen golfers have jumped at the prospect of free golf membership at Gainsborough Greens that accompanies a new home, allowing home owners to play free of charge until 2027.

Visit lifebeginsathalcyon.com.au

Call for a no obligation estimate 07 3180 1689 caretomove.com.au

December 2017 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 29

22/11/2017 12:22:49 PM

WHAT’S ON

Musical Melodies the perfect Christmas gift

Pirates of Penzance never misses.

FOR those who already have everything and are trying to downsize, an experience is the perfect Christmas gift and tickets to the Redland Performing Arts Centre (RPAC) Musical Melodies Concert Series create a great experience.

With 2018 marking the 10th anniversary of Musical Melodies, a great year of entertainment is ahead with five superb concerts from the glitzy golden age of the silver screen, to great comedy and singing along to classics.

A great Christmas treat is tickets to start the year on the high seas with the return of the sell-out The Pirates of Penzance on February 14, at 11am.

It’s their 21st and final tour so don’t miss your chance to see these swashbuckling, singing, buccaneers in

action, when the entire smash-hit musical is brought to the stage.

Return to RPAC on May 12, at 2pm for the talented Sharon Rowntree (Dusty and the Divas) joined by the Gold Coast’s Glenn Shields in the Tribute to the Stars.

The pair will perform some of the greatest duets of all time including It Takes Two, Summer Nights and The Prayer.

Look forward to a trip back in time as Greg Aspeling (The Kings of Swing) is joined by Rhydian Lewis and Sebastiaan Scholtens as they take to the stage as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jnr and Dean Martin in The Rat Pack.

Meet ol’ blue eyes in this wisecracking stage show packed with history on June 23, at 2pm.

The timeless classics of the Carpenters will welcome spring when We’ve Only Just Begun performs on September 12, at 11am.

Australian music theatre star Angela Lumicisi will channel Karen Carpenters’ unique style as she performs Top of the World, Close To You, Yesterday Once More and many more favourites.

Finishing off this season of great entertainment will be Just a Couple of Song and Dance Men on October 24, at 11am. Joe Meldrum (A Fine Romance) and Shay Debney will bring the exciting dance routines and fabulous songs of

Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and many more to the stage, including Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Be a Clown, Blue Skies and That’s Entertainment.

Guests are invited to arrive one hour prior to each performance, for a complimentary cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit. The Sundial Café will also be open with a range of drinks and light snacks available for purchase.

Musical Melodies concerts can sell out quickly, so make sure you early to avoid disappointment, or better still, organise yourself or your friends a Christmas treat.

Tickets seniors/pensioners $23, in groups of 10 or more $20. Seniors/ pensioners booking all five shows $20 and adults $29.

For bookings or more information visit www.rpac.com.au or call the RPAC Box Office on 3829 8131.

The Ratpack is back.

LAUGH WITH ROBIN THE HOOD OYEZ, oyez, oyez! Welcome back to the middle ages, a romantic time of fair maidens and knights in shining armour.

Well, that’s how history wants us to remember it, but what really happened back then? Join Guys ‘n’ Dolls for an action packed, madcap romp through the unknown pages of England.

The hero is Robin the Hood and the baddie is the evil King John.

A tangled web is woven when the other characters enter the story. First, there’s the strange Sheriff of Snottingham, who would be more at home in a spaghetti Western, and then there’s the beautiful, if somewhat silly, maid Marian.

As for the merry men, well, they belong in an asylum rather than a forest.

So, mix all these characters with a large dollop of comedy, blend in music and song, add just a pinch of participation and voila, it’s Robin the Hood.

The Sherwood Forest canteen will be open for snacks. Tea and coffee is complimentary and the venue is air-conditioned Kallangur Community Centre, 1480 Anzac Ave. Sunday January 28, February 11 and February 18, 2pm and Saturday February 3 and 17 at 7pm.

Tickets $20, seniors $15, can be purchased at the door or guysndolls.net.au

DECEMBER PROMOTIONS Sunday 17th December 1.15pm-2.50pm. Members Giveaway Draws 13 x $300 Trebles, 1 x $1,000 Full House, 2 x $1,500 Trebles + Bonus $5,000 in Calls.

Friday Night 29th December 7.30pm-9.00pm-10.30pm 13 x $1,000 Trebles, 1 x $5,000 Treble, 1 x $2,000 Full House, 1 x $10,000 Treble + Night Owl.

Info Line: 3340 3961 www.southsidesport.com.au 76 Mt. Gravatt Capalaba Rd Upper Mount Gravatt Phone: 3340 3960 30 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / December 2017

30.indd 2

Brisbane

22/11/2017 12:22:04 PM

WHAT’S ON

TAKE A RIDE

FAMILY RESEARCH MADE SIMPLE

REVIVE THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT FOR A GOOD CAUSE

The Australian Railway Historical Society has the following tours coming up: Burnett and Capricorn Wanderer, December 27-31.

Travel from Roma St north to Kingaroy, Moura, Biloela, Childers and more. A chartered coach will take you to your accommodations, and explore some railway sites in the area.

Enjoy the country air and relax with a taste from the local tavern. Some meals, coach and accommodation included.

Limited availability.

Buderim, January 20 Take a coach to the north side of Brisbane, heading towards Forest Glen, then on to Mons followed by a stop at Buderim for an opportunity to purchase lunch. See the little-known first tunnel built between Landsborough and Mooloolah. Limited seats.

Brochures are available on request.

Brochures with full details are available from the Australian Railway Historical Society, Tuesday-Thursday 10am-3pm, call 3252 1759, email arhsqld@bigpond.com

THE Queensland Family History Society is constantly seeking ways to provide services for its members.

The latest initiative is to provide free access for members to MyHeritage, a subscription website.

QFHS members now have access MyHeritage Library Edition and are able to login to the database from their home computers.

MyHeritage Library Edition features a focus on people-based records, which contain information about both everyday people and prominent individuals across societies and periods of time.

MyHeritage has more than five billion historical records from all around the world. The particular strength of this service is the European records it contains.

The database also has features which include: Smart Matching – finding matching profiles in family trees Record Matching – finding automatic matches between people and historical records Instant Discoveries – a

BRAIN cancer is an illness that affects the lives of many Australians. Last year, young Brisbane opera singer Matt Hirst talked about his journey with brain cancer and released his first album Mighty Steps, in an effort to raise money for Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, that is supporting him during the biggest battle of his life.

Twelve months have passed, and Matt is going strong, thanks to the work of organisations like Cure Brain Cancer.

The small classical singing community of Brisbane was rocked by Matt’s story.

Soprano Jo Willans had studied with Matt at the Queensland Conservatorium, and had seen her aunt battle the illness. She started a small Brisbane production company

Brisbane

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unique technology that allows adding a whole new branch to the family tree in one click SuperSearch – a search engine for exploring billions of historical records and Global Name Translation – a function that translates names found in historical records and family trees from one language into another.

QFHS members can access MyHeritage from the Members’ Area of the QFHS website.

Visit qfhs.org.au or email secretary@qfhs.org.au

START WRITING Creative Writers Group is a supportive gathering of people who enjoy writing in all its forms - short stories, novels, poetry and script writing both fiction and non-fiction.

It meets first Saturday of each month 9am-11.30am at the Logan Central Library, 26 Wilbur St just off Wembley Rd. Aspiring, established and returning writers are welcome to share and discuss ideas in a positive, friendly environment.

Call Wayne 3800 9070

to offer opportunities for emerging artists in Brisbane.

This month, her young company, Republic of Song, is holding a candlelit carol concert at the historic St Andrew’s Anglican Church in South Brisbane to raise money for Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.

With Matt, she has chosen a list of Christmas favourites, and lost gems.

The whole event will be bathed in gentle light.

They will be joined by Opera Queensland favourite, Irena Lysiuk and accompanied by John Woods at the piano.

St Andrew’s Anglican Church, 160 Vulture St, South Brisbane. December 2, 7.30pm. Tickets $30.

Visit republicofsong.com.au or at the door.

Congratulations to the winners of double passes to see the Australian film Three Summers: Margaret Clark of Strathpine, Blair Sheppard of Chermside, Nigel and Elaine Clay of Beachmere, Annabelle Lam of Forest Lake and Caron Murphy of Teneriffe.

The film is screening now and delivers an engaging folk tale of contemporary Australia. with a cast including Michael Caton, Magda Szubanski, John Waters and Deb Mailman.

December 2017 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 31

22/11/2017 12:33:02 PM

WHAT’S ON

Stars come out for concerts

BARRY IS STILL MAKING MUSIC

QUEENSLAND Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) invites you to celebrate with family and friends at its annual Spirit of Christmas concerts on December 22 and 23.

This year’s concerts stars Simon Gleeson, revered for his role as Jean Valjean in the 2016 Australian revival production and London season of Les Misérables, and Alinta Chidzey, who won the Green Room Award for Best Supporting Actress in the lead of Chess and a nomination for the Helpmann Award for her role in West Side Story.

QPAC also welcomes back Sofie Formica, Channel Seven’s Great Day Out presenter, to host the popular concerts with accompanying music performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Simon Kenway.

The delightful combined voices of the QPAC Choir, Brisbane Chorale, Brisbane Birralee Voices and Voices of Birralee will be accompanied by the Brisbane Bells Handbell Orchestra.

Inspirational Botswana-born community leader Sharon

AS 2008 approached there were storm clouds on the horizon for the music industry, particularly for independent music retailers like Barry Bull.

It as a storm that became a cyclone called “Internet” that would change traditional access to music so after almost 30 years, Barry closed his Toombul Music and retired to the Sunshine Coast.

“When the storm clouds abated, I considered if I really needed an expensive brick and mortar store to continue my ambition to connect people with music,” he says. “My entire career it seemed was connecting the people who made the music with those who consumed it, a conduit between the dream makers and the dream takers.”

Barry approached his friend, Sony CEO Denis Handlin about an idea to compile songs for Baby Boomers on the road for retirees looking for a musical companion.

“This generation, the Grey Nomads, weren’t concerned with downloading but loved collecting CDs of their favourite songs and artists. All I had to do

Simon Gleeson, Alinta Chidzey Orapeleng will return to the Spirit of Christmas stage to deliver the Christmas message.

Julia McRae returns as guest soprano after the Australian tour of My Fair Lady and Shubshri Kandiah will also make her debut.

An occasion to enjoy with family, friends and for many, a cherished annual tradition, QPAC’s Spirit of Christmas program showcases all your festive favourites with audiences invited to sing along and enjoy an uplifting concert full of Christmas cheer.

Presented every year at QPAC for more than three decades, Spirit of Christmas concerts sell out quickly.

QPAC Concert Hall, December 22 and 23, 7pm Tickets $55 qpac.com.au or phone 136 246.

was select the right hit songs, in the right sequence and provide the best personal radio station in the bush,” he says.

“As a music retailer I knew the music they grew up with and loved, and it was such a privilege to have Sony Music release my own personal songbook.”

The first two compilations – with artists from John Farnham and Daddy Cool to Midnight Oil, Lee Kernaghan, John Williamson and The Seekers –On the Road Again and Moment to Remember quickly clocked up mileage, and Music for Cruizin’ was born.

It soon grew into a catalogue of 14 double albums selling over 45,000 units and earning an ARIA gold album award along the way.

As song licences expire however, these albums will gradually be deleted so Barry has compiled three New double albums, a selection of “terrific touring tunes.

The Best of Music for Cruizin’ Volumes 1 and 2 each with 43 classic tracks of some of the best contemporary songs of

our generation and a third album, Country to Coast, a playlist of 42 classic songs that set the mood for the Boomers out cruisin’ country to coast.

To see the track lists visit barrybull.com or your nearest retailer.

ENTER AND WIN To celebrate Sony’s release of his latest albums this month, Barry has three double Music for Cruizin’ CDs to be won.

Simply email your name and address to editor@ yourtimemagazine.com.au and tell us where you are most likely to be cruisin’ (even if it’s the kitchen) with your old favourite hits. Contest closes December 15, and Barry will choose the winning answers. The winners will receive their CDs before Christmas.

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The Pirates of Penzance The Rat Pack The entire smash-hit musical, with a cast of only 6!

The music of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jnr & Dean Martin

Wed 14 February, 11am

Sat 23 June, 2pm

Tribute to the Stars

We’ve Only Just Begun

The greatest duets of all time, The legendary & heart-warming from popular music to Broadway music of the Carpenters Sat 12 May, 2pm

Wed 12 September, 11am

Just a Couple of Song and Dance Men The best song & dance routines from the Golden Age of Hollywood Wed 24 October, 11am

Book all 5 shows now and save!

Tickets: Snrs/Pens $23, Snrs/Pens (grps of 10 or more) $20, Snrs/Pens booking for all 5 shows $20, Adults $29 Bookings: Phone the Box Office on 3829 8131 or visit www.rpac.com.au* * A $4.10 fee applies by phone and $5 online per transaction Supported by: Redland City Bulletin Event Sponsor: Cleveland and Wellington Manor Retirement Villages

32 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / December 2017

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MORAYFIELD STATION

MORAYFIELD SHOPS

CABOOLTURE SHOPS

KING CIRCLE

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Christmas Twilight Market FREE BUS SERVICE Santa will be there!

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Casual stall holders welcome phone Kevin 0402 991 396 MARKETS are on 25th & 31st Dec

RETURN > MORAYFIELD STATION EXPRESS TO SHOWGROUNDS 140 BEERBURRUM ROAD, CABOOLTURE For more information, call Kevin on 0402 991 396 caboolturecountrymarkets.com.au 

Brisbane

22/11/2017 12:31:23 PM

The WORLD in Your Hands

Travel in Your Time

Never too late to do Europe by van Viewing Europe from a motorhome driver’s seat high above the road can open new vistas on the continent and has many advantages over other ways of travelling, writes CLAUS SCHAFFNER.

F

or those who love to deeply immerse themselves into the different European cultures, a motorhome road adventure is unforgettable. It’s all just outside the windows but as with all travel ideas, planning and organising is essential.

There’s no packing and unpacking every day, no bus driver honking impatiently and Europe can be explored at your own pace. Add to that the locals you will meet staying at campgrounds, and the Grey Nomad experience translates into a European adventure.

If you are picturing yourself in your own road movie in Europe you can add some more question marks to the list. The biggest is about your personal time frame.

For good value, a motorhome tour should be planned with at least three or, even better, four weeks. Europe may look small on a map, but distances shouldn’t be underestimated, especially if you want to immerse yourself into the different cultures without rushing.

Depending on perseverance, budget and personal situation there are basically four ways to accomplish the adventure: • Rent a motorhome on your own; the planning-intensive way • Consider a guided motorhome tour; let others do the job • Ship your rig; if you have plenty of time • Buy and resell a motorhome in Europe; the risky way All these options have one thing in common: planning carefully and making arrangements months ahead – especially when it comes to finding reputable companies with the best value for your money. Just as essential, is choosing and making reservations for the friendliest and most convenient campsites near your targeted destinations.

THE RENTAL WAY The first thing travellers must realise

Claus Schaffner gives the tips. is that one-way rental across the European borders is almost not available or drains the wallet dramatically. This is due to the fact that someone would have to drive the vehicle back to the rental company’s main pick-up station.

It is a little bit more likely to get hold of a one-way rental within just one country but this is not what you expect from a tour through Europe, so planning a round-trip is the best idea.

To find a rental company is not that difficult. The rule of thumb is if your Internet search spits out results in English you have probably found a company which is used to dealing with international customers.

Online travel portals and camping forums can also provide tips. You can try your luck with local dealers, but don’t expect them to speak your language.

TIP: ask your national automobile club for recommendations.

Rental contracts are similar to those for normal cars but unfortunately not all dealers offer a translation. Before booking, ask for special terms such as country restrictions or limited mileage

Girls On Tour

per day and whether your driver’s licence allows you to drive your desired model. Having an international driver’s licence is a bonus. These are readily available from the RACQ. Rental costs vary from country to country, and Germany is considered to be on the cheaper side. The cost always depends on the size of the motorhome and, of course, the season.

The difference in price for the same motorhome can be around €50 a day between low and high season.

For a 2/4 berth, mid-sized camper van up to 7m expect an average rental fee of about €100 a day. The vehicles are new or almost new. Automatic transmissions are the rare exception. The fee normally includes comprehensive car insurance but the initial equipment with propane and water add to the cost and chairs and kitchen utensils often are also extra.

You’ll be charged a painful fee if you leave emptying the toilet to the company at the end of the trip.

TIP: especially during low-season, rental companies offer special package deals.

MAKE RESERVATIONS It is essential to book the motorhome way ahead, often six months or more, especially if you plan a trip during peak season. Same with campgrounds; check before you leave home that your favourite sites have pitches available.

Make reservations if possible, although some campsites require a minimum stay for that and will possibly ask you to transfer a deposit.

During the off-season, the situation is much more relaxed but don’t rely on luck only. Call the next campsite on your list one or two days before your arrival instead of just showing up.

If you choose the adventurous way, start looking for an overnight stay during daylight. Groping through the dark with

a vehicle the size of a small hotel room is a hair-raising and potentially hazardous, even for experienced European drivers.

Staying overnight at a car park should be for emergencies only, as different laws apply in every European country.

Community-owned parking lots for motorhomes have become popular, often within walking distance of the main attractions and are sometimes equipped with hook-ups. They often charge only a small fee. The downside is you can’t book ahead. Expect the cost for campsites to be around €20 to €50 a night.

ON THE ROAD It is really hard to judge as a first-time visitor to Europe how much time you’ll need to drive from one destination to the next. Browsing these lovely winding European roads through Brothers Grimm type villages can be time consuming.

Which is, on the other hand, part of the fun. In general a distance up to 200km a day is reasonable and you’ll spend three to five hours on the road. A fairly early start in the morning is a good idea. This allows enough time to do a final check on the motorhome, and to make some shopping and photo stops along the road. continued over>

On almost every travel itinerary: Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria.

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Facebook @girlsontouraustralia December 2017 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 33

23/11/2017 9:00:58 AM

TRAVEL

Rental companies in Germany are busy places.

THE GUIDED WAY “So many road signs?” Debbie, an experienced traveller from Australia, said, frowning as she took the information brochure about traffic rules in Germany. “But if in doubt we’ll just follow you, close our eyes and hope for the best.”

The reasons travellers decide for a guided tour are many. Some don’t trust their language skills, others are afraid of foreign road layouts and signs. To just follow the tour guides allows them to relax and enjoy the trip.

Guided motorhome tours can be considered a hybrid of a classic, escorted hotel and motor-coach tour and an individualised, adventurous way to explore Europe. All of the planning is done for you but you have to pay for

34 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / December 2017

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having the convenience of a fully organised tour with 24/7 support from the accompanying tour guides.

Included in the costs are normally the motorhome rental, campground fees, organised side excursions to special places of interest or boat cruises, and maybe road tolls. In general, you can compare the costs of a guided motorhome tour with pricing for hotel-based tours.

What can make it look more expensive is the fact that motorhome tours are generally longer; four weeks is common. But shopping at local markets and the ability to prepare your own food can be a money-saver.

There are several companies on the market which offer guided motorhome tours in Europe for overseas travellers.

Their portfolio ranges from tours through

the heartland of Europe to its periphery.

As with hotel-based tours, you can expect to visit the main attractions of these areas. If you are also interested in particular events you don’t find in normal tour books, you’ll need a tour operator with intimate knowledge of the area.

Confirm that they provide insurance against their insolvency. As an example, for Germany-based tour operators, the “Reisesicherungsschein” is statutory.

You will find differences in the size of the convoys; either you travel in a larger caravan or in smaller family-type groups.

Check if you are allowed to do side trips on your own initiative or if you have to strictly follow the rig of the tour guides.

Tour books with detailed information such as addresses and GPS coordinates of the visited campgrounds and the destinations should be a matter of course.

The motorhome should be fully equipped with everyday life essentials.

BRING YOUR OWN RIG OR BUY ONE These alternatives are not for the faint-hearted and not feasible for average tourists. Both options require having time and the planning itself can be a headache with loads of paperwork. Be prepared to deal with embassies and customs.

Shipping a motorhome to Europe is of course possible. There are specialised freight companies in the market. The difficulty is to plan around the shipping aspect. If you plan to stay longer than 90

days in the European Schengen area you’ll face serious visa issues.

Finding appropriate insurance for the travellers and the motorhome can be the next big hurdle and don’t forget to adapt the motorhome’s electrically or gas operated appliances to European standards. All of these issues have to be resolved months before beginning.

TIP: if you should consider this way of travelling, try to find a shipping company which can support you in these aspects.

Buying a motorhome in Europe is like buying a pig in the poke, although you can read success stories on the Internet.

You wouldn’t have to worry about the technical equipment, but the visa and the insurance problems stay the same. Don’t trust “too good to be true” stories. What they often don’t tell you is that it is almost impossible to license a car in a European country without being an EU resident.

There might be solutions for that, but it’s playing with fire and a police stop could crash your holiday dreams.

Apart from that, prices for secondhand motorhomes are currently through the roof and there’s no guarantee that you can resell the vehicle at a good price.

And once on European streets, don’t forget to wave to other motorhome drivers. It’s a tradition.

Claus Schaffner is a motorhome enthusiast and journalist from Germany.

Visit guidedmotorhometours.eu

Brisbane

23/11/2017 9:01:40 AM

TRAVEL

Cruise the Med like a local

Tight squeeze at Corinth Canal. include many UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Itineraries showcase a diversity of destinations endowed with layers of civilisation reflected through history, art, music, architecture, language and boundless culinary temptations.

From Gibraltar to Athens, Venice to Corsica, enjoy the many facets of the Mediterranean including Zodiac landings on secluded beaches or in the heart of small ports.

Pass through the narrows of

the Corinth canal connecting the Adriatic and Aegean Seas.

At just over 21m wide it will need one of Ponant’s sister ships to squeeze through this historic waterway. Or visit the diminutive mythological Greek island of Delos in the Cyclades archipelago, sanctuary to the god Apollo and birthplace of Artemis.

Nearby, explore the island of Mykonos with its waterfront cafes, restaurants and bars.

Donkey-power transport and picturesque whitewashed windmills are backdrops to this modern iteration of Mediterranean lifestyle – casual, relaxed and stylish.

Whether it is observing active volcanoes or sipping Sicilian wine, marveling at the extraordinary mosaics of Monreale or photographing the bronze horses in Piazza San Marco, Ponant’s Mediterranean collection of voyages promises a chance to enjoy life onboard and ashore, discovering the multiple charms of the Mediterranean with a local.

Upcoming itineraries include Italy, Spain, Croatia, Montenegro, Malta, Greece, Corsica, Morocco and Egypt, venturing off the main marine highway to often explore smaller, less visited ports-of-call in Sardinia, the Balearic Islands and Corsica.

Some voyages are themed to appeal to those who have specific interests, for example gastronomy, music (jazz, classics and opera) or a round of golf on some of the Mediterranean’s stunning courses, or even

discovering the underwater world of the Mediterranean, scuba diving from Le Ponant.

The Ponant hallmark is French ambiance, fine food and wines (open bar included, of course), intuitive service, indulgent pampering options and renowned design touches, all while travelling in understated luxury.

Book now for a saving of up to 25 per cent on some voyages.

The Cruise Centre 1800 428 105 or visit thecruisecentre.com.au

IMAGE: PONANT

IMAGE: PONANT

A

lmost entirely surrounded by land, the Mediterranean comprises not only the familiar Adriatic, Aegean, Balearic, Ionian, Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas but also the lesser known Alboran and Levantine Seas, the Seas of Crete and Sardinia, and even a Sahara Sea. It makes sense to explore the seas and surrounding lands with a local who knows where to find the best bays, beaches and historic ports, many of which are inaccessible to large ships.

Marseille-based Ponant luxury expedition cruises has been sailing these waters for almost 30 years – this is their backyard and your cruise introduction to the Mediterranean and all her beauty, whether by small expedition ship or classic three-masted yacht.

Ponant has 31 Mediterranean cruise departures between April and November 2018, with a choice of seven to nine night itineraries visiting eight countries that

The classic three-masted yacht gives a new perspective of the Adriatic.

Set sail to discover the beauty of the Mediterranean. Explore the Adriatic or Aegean Seas and delve into Croatian and Greek history and culture. In Greece, our smaller ship size will allow you to sail through the famous Corinth Canal. Accompanied by experienced guides or lecturers, time ashore is maximised, with a number of UNESCO-listed sites and excursions that stimulate mind, body and soul through food, wine, history, art, architecture and natural beauty. Experience PONANT’s signature French Touch, with just 122 staterooms & suites, enjoy a dip in the pool, unique comfort & service, the facilities of a luxury small ship, Open Bar and sophisticated cuisine. Contact The Cruise Centre for a new brochure & offers.

PHONE: 1800 428 105 Brisbane

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December 2017 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 35

22/11/2017 12:27:20 PM

TRAVEL

Favourite treks

REMEMBER THIS? FIFTY years ago, young girls lined up for a job after answering an advertisement for fearless girl skindivers to swim with “sharks, stingrays and other swimming companions” at Manly Sea Life Sanctuary in Sydney.

Many of them went on to become the Marineland Mermaids, who were among the first divers employed at what was then known as Sydney Marineland.

The attraction is closing next month, after half a century and is now looking for those girls to share their memories.

Original footage of the girls who answered the call can be viewed in an old

After 37 years of trekking and conducting treks as a tour leader for Back Track Adventures, RAY BAKER lists his favourites.

T Movietone clip on the Manly Sea Life Sanctuary page on Facebook.

If you were a mermaid or recognise anyone, the organisers would love to hear from you. Email editor@ yourtimemagazine.com.au

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CALOUNDRA pet resort

he question I get asked the most is, “what is your favourite trek?”

I can’t pick just one, but the fundamental ingredient that links them all, is that they all involve walking. Here’s my top picks: Parvati Valley, India This is a trek in an area rarely visited by outsiders: pristine forests, waterfalls, lakes, flower-filled meadows, snowcapped peaks, sacred sites and serene solitude.

Mt Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea Imagine trekking through four eco zones and at dawn on the summit, spying the Coral Sea on the one side of PNG and the Bismarck Sea on the other. A great short and vigorous adventure.

Renjo La, Nepal If a single trekking day stands out, it’s this one. The view from Renjo La took my breath away. Mt Everest and three other 8000m peaks plus a panorama of the Himalayas. Far below we could see the Ngozumpa Glacier and the frozen waters of Dudh Pokhari.

Mt Meru, Tanzania, East Africa Meru is a dormant volcano; the

Ray Baker (third from right) with a group of adventurers on the Renjo La trek.

summit ascent involves trekking along the rim of the crater. Atop the summit at dawn, Kilimanjaro is floating on a sea of cloud.

Cape to Cape, Western Australia A 135km walk from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin (or vice versa). Some say the most beautiful coastline in the world.

The Kokoda Track, Papua New Guinea Jungle trekking and a pilgrimage to honour the courage of the Diggers.

After a long day on the Track, plunge into a cool mountain stream … paradise.

I’ve got four treks planned for 2018.

Coming? Email info@backtrack.com.au or visit backtrackadventures.com.au

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inclusion: All flights with taxes and fuel surcharge, meals, 4-5* hotels, sightseeing& transfers, English speaking Tour Guide, tipping for most of tours. * Travel insurance, visa are excluded

36 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / December 2017

36.indd 2

Indooroopilly Toowong Village Aspley Hypermarket Wes ield Carindale Loganholme Hyperdome Shopping Centre (A few doors down (Next to ANZ Bank) (Next to Rebel Sports) (Next to Escape Travel) (Next to Westpac) from K Mart) 59 Albany Creek Rd 1151 Creek Road Pacific Hwy & Bryants 322 Moggill Road 9 Sherwood Rd Aspley Q 4034 Carindale Q 4152 Road, Loganholme Indooroopilly Q 4068 Toowong Q 4066 Q 4129

check out

Ph: 1300 392 426 | www.crowncurrency.com.au Brisbane

23/11/2017 9:02:48 AM

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

SUDOKU (EASY)

1 8 9 4 7 6 5 2 3

3 4 5 9 2 8 6 7 1

6 5 1 2 8 7 3 4 9

8 3 4 1 9 5 2 6 7

2 9 7 3 6 4 8 1 5

SUDOKU (MEDIUM)

7 6 2 5 1 3 4 9 8

5 2 7 3 1 6 8 9 4

9 3 1 4 2 8 5 7 6

6 4 8 9 5 7 1 3 2

CODEWORD X Z V F O Q A WM T S G P 15

2

1

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

3 5 2 6 7 4 9 8 1

1 8 4 2 9 5 3 6 7

7 6 9 1 8 3 2 4 5

8 1 6 7 3 2 4 5 9

2 7 3 5 4 9 6 1 8

4 9 5 8 6 1 7 2 3

WORDFIND

14

1. Which Christmas song has the lyrics, “Then one foggy Christmas Eve…” ?

2. What are the three reindeers whose names begin with “D”?

3. What TV family has a dog called “Santa’s Little Helper”?

4. What ornament do Santa’s elves wear on the tip of their shoes??

5. To which country does Christmas Island belong?

6. How many points does a snowflake have?

7. In the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, how many swans were a-swimming?

8. The Geographic North Pole is located in which ocean?

9. On what day of the week is Christmas Day this year?

10. In which Dickens story did the character Tiny Tim appear?

11. What anagram of “Santa” is another name for the devil?

12. What is Spanish for “Merry Christmas”?

13. Who had a hit with “Six White Boomers” in 1980?

14. Which saints day is celebrated on Boxing Day? 15. What colour are the berries of mistletoe?

16. According to the Bible, what gifts did the Three Wise Men give to the baby Jesus?

17. What was the first name of Scrooge from “A Christmas Carol”?

18. The red and white colours of Santa’s costume allegedly came from what drink?

19. What Bing Crosby single, released in 1942, became one of the biggest sellers of all time?

20. What is the star sign for a person born on Christmas Day?

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

9 2 6 8 3 1 7 5 4

QUICK CROSSWORD

5 7 8 6 4 9 1 3 2

With Quizmaster Allan Blackburn

4 1 3 7 5 2 9 8 6

TRIVIA

Nutritional

26

B J Y R E U L H C D N I K 3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

9-LETTER WORD

WORD STEP PLANE, PLANK, FLANK, FLACK, FLOCK, FROCK There may be other correct answers

ably, abysm, airy, amyl, army, aryl, bailey, balmy, barely, barley, barmy, basely, belay, beryl, bleary, bray, byre, early, easily, easy, layer, limey, limy, lyre, maybe, mealy, measly, miry, MISERABLY, miserly, misery, mislay, relay, rely, riyal, seamy, sibyl, slay, slayer, slimy, slyer, smeary, yale, year

1. “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer”; 2. Dasher, Donna, Dancer; 3. The Simpsons; 4. Bell; 5. Australia; 6. Six; 7. Seven; 8. Arctic; 9. Monday; 10. “A Christmas Carol”; 11. Satan; 12. Feliz Navidad; 13. Rolf Harris; 14. St Stephen; 15. White; 16.

Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh; 17. Ebenezer; 18. Coca Cola; 19. “White Christmas”; 20. Capricorn.

Help us get $XVWUDOLD PRYLQJ Start a Heart Foundation Walking group and you’ll join Australia’s largest free walking network and be rewarded for your walks.

Visit walking.heartfoundation.org.au RU FDOO WR ƂQG RXW PRUH

Join tod

and you

ay

(QWHU WKH SURPR FRGH ),7%,7 ZKHQ \RX MRLQ XS

could wi

a Fitbit.

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Brisbane

37.indd 3

December 2017 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 37

23/11/2017 10:27:30 AM

PUZZLES

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

DOWN

1

2

7 8 10 12 14 16 17 18 20 22 24 26 27

A consignment of goods that get moved if you spin them around quickly (8) Upon a twisted heavy weight ring (4) Extinguish an inhaled powder (5) Cried about the first person being caught in the rain? (4) They take a breath, being a bit removed from the bustling confusion (5) Detective leaves the savage garden to go on the prowl (5) Card game played in a gloomy corner (3) Run smack bang into a farm animal (3) So the developments are in line with their distinctive spirit (5) Boast that five hundred is a large gathering (5) Make a detour at every turn, without question (4) Hardy form of plant life (5) The small band caused an awful riot (4) It is very upsetting being in agony around a sudden ending (8)

3 4 5 6 9 10 11 13 15 19 21 23 25

No. 2532

Sounds like more exorbitant rent (4) I can’t go past a dish of good food! (5) Bird ran out of manure (3) That version of the bean that goes out with force! (4) Purchaser finds that his spending run comes with a catch (8) The willing spirit contrasts with the weaker part teetering on the shelf? (5) Exploratory oil wells drilled by the quick-tempered only discover ocelots and the like (8) Trailer with a lavish poolroom but no loo (5) Care for the patient person (5) The indigent all left leadenly – unhappily (5) Female organ has nothing to change (5) Indian greeting, transformed a horse rider’s command (4) Hastily ran east to secure the money (4) This colour is finished, I hear (3)

CODEWORD

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

WORDFIND

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

Refer to the website for a cryptic solving guide.

Book a

Cruise today

Welcome aboard the MV Lady Brisbane for p one of our regular scheduled cruises, or special event celebration cruises.

Cruises we offer: Brisbane to Gold Coast Cruise Corporate Function Cruises Moreton Bay Cruise Brisbane River lunch or dinner cruises Bribie Island Day OR Lunch Cruise Birthday, Wedding, special Celebration Cruises

QUOTE CODE YTM FOR A FREE BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE

Call us on 07 3630 2666 Online bookings available www.brisbanecruises.com.au 38 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / December 2017

38.indd 2

No. 004

WORK IT OUT!

G P

The leftover letters will spell out a secret message No. 005

apple

nectarine

bean

nut

carrot

oat

corn

okra

currant

pear

kale

peas

leek

plum

legume

tomato

lemon

yam

lime

onion

mango

chive

melon

thyme

mushroom

roots

SUDOKU Level: Medium

5 2 3

8

No. 790

1 7 8 2 4 1 9 1 7 5 8

6 8 7 4 9 3 4 6 2 1 7

4

1 2 3

Deal Directly With The Crematorium No Middle Man Mark Up Or Delay Best Price Guarantee Contact us today for more information

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22/11/2017 12:35:46 PM

PUZZLES

QUICK CROSSWORD

No. 3633

9-LETTER WORD

No. 005

Today’s Aim:

I B E

33 words: Very good

A M

Level: Easy

22 words: Good 44 words: Excellent

S

Y

R

SUDOKU

L

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

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

WORD STEP

ACROSS 1 5 9 10 11 12 15 16 18 20 21

Uncovered (7) From Stockholm, say (7) Layer that absorbs most of the sun’s UV radiation (5) Grant (9) Female name with three syllables (8) Bug (6) Vacations (5) Insincere or untrustworthy person (9) Tupperware, for example (9) Prefix meaning more than one (5) Most recent (6)

23 Male name, also an ABBA song (8) 25 Language created in 1887 (9) 26 US state (5) 27 Perform surgery (7) 28 Convent (7)

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 14

Self-centred (11) Test period (9) Searchers (7) Establishing (10) Squalid district (4) Improve (7) Boring (5) Garden tool (3) Nomenclature (11) Neighbourhood in Washington DC (10) 17 Outline (9)

19 Country with capital Vienna (7) 20 Refer to (7) 22 Conical tent (5) 24 One time (4) 25 Prefix related to the environment (3)

No. 789

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

No. 005

9

8 1 9 5 6

7

8

WORK IT OUT!

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

PLANE

_____ _____ _____ _____ FROCK December 2017

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BRISBANE’S UNDERGROUND OPERA HOUSE! THE SPRING HILL RESERVOIR

DECEMBER

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39.indd 3

December 2017 / YOUR TIME MAGAZINE 39

23/11/2017 1:17:38 PM

40.indd 2

22/11/2017 12:33:56 PM