PakMag Cairns - Oct 2017 Issue 124

ISSUE: Oct 2017

124

CAIRNS

TRICK OR TREAT! COMMUNICATION DISORDERS CAN BE INVISIBLE CONSEQUENTIAL DISCIPLINE THE

IMPORTANCE OF READING

FREE

DOES YOUR

FAMILY HAVE A HOBBY? CRAFTY HALLOWEEN FUN SPOOKY SPREE

CONTENTS 06 Entertainment: Check It Out

Boo! Welcome to our October Edition of PakMag.

09 The Thing Is...

With Bree James

The kids are back at school. Yay, I hear you cry! Well, don’t cheer too loud as the big one is coming your way soon; summer holidays! Why not start planning now for the next school holidays? Check out our Best of Magnetic Island feature to find out why you should consider this North Queensland treasure for your next school holiday.

10 Feature: Does your Family

have a Hobby 13 Parenting: Consequential Discipline 17

Education: The Importance of Reading to your Children

21 Education: The Arts,

the Key to Developing

Great Life Skills 23 Meet Dr Phoebe Hong 25 The Facts about

Thumb Sucking 25 Health 27 The Best Daily Workout 28 Bump, Bub and Beyond 31 What’s On Guide 33 Mini Mag 41 Communication Disorders

Ever hear your kids say, “I’m bored.” Silly question, right? Well, we have a solution. Our feature on family hobbies gives some great tips on the types of hobbies you could look at as a family. Not only do hobbies become ‘go-to’ activities for busting boredom, but they really help you bond as a family too.

This month we look into Communication Disorders in our Challenges with Children series. It’s an eye-opening look into how communication has an extremely strong impact in a child’s development, and how speech pathologists and other health professionals can help children with communication issues.

We’re also all about Halloween this month. Make sure you get down to Brothers World of Entertainment on Sunday 29th September from 4pm6pm for some festive family fun. As usual, there will be plenty of games, competitions and prizes. You can also see our best Halloween party tips on page 60 to get into the spooky spirit!

We hope you have a Spooktacular month, and until next time, don’t forget to tell them you read it in PakMag!

42 Health 45 Healthy Recipes 46 AFL Cairns Juniors Snapped 48 Sunbird Orthodontics Snapped 50 Business 54 Buying or Selling?

You need a Converancer 57 Families that Play

Together Stay Together 59 The Millennial Entrepreneur 60 Spooky Spree 62 Be Magnetised by

Magnetic Island

Bree James Grand Publishing Founder and Editor-in-Chief Contact Us: p 4053 3331 f 4053 3350 e admin@grandpublishing.com.au a Po Box 7433 Cairns Qld 4870 / Unit 5, 78 Anderson St, Manunda fb facebook.com/pakmagcairns t #pakmag

Grand Publishing Founder and Editor-in-Chief Bree James Operations Manager Rose Foster

64 Home with Caro & Kingi:

Lovely Laundry

Graphic Designers Clare Winter Lise Mardon-Smith

66 Essential Vaccinations

for your Dog

Sub-Editor Kate Moloney

Marketing to Families Experts Lisa Gillman Steph Bartram Janelle May Supply & Distribution Manager Gleisy Meireles Accounts Trent Stievano Media Intern Monique Saggers

Disclaimer: No part of this magazine, including the advertisements within it may be reproduced, in part or in whole without the expressed permission of the editor. Whilst the greatest of care is taken to ensure that the information in the magazine is correct at the time of going to press, readers are advised to check details before visiting. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. The expressions expressed within PakMag are not necessarily the views of the publishers, but those of individual writers.

Net Distribution Per Issue 10,000 CAB Publisher Statement Period ending 30th July 2018

www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 5

Entertainment

CHECK IT OUT Taipans Home Page When: 6, 12, 22 and 27 October 2017 Where: Cairns Convention Centre More Info: www.taipans.com Get behind your Cairns Taipans as they start their 2017/2018 season.

During October, the Taipans will be playing four home games: Yarrabah Band Festival When: Saturday, 28 October 2017, from 5.00pm to 10.30pm (Local bands from 12pm) Where: Jilara Football Oval, Black Beach Rd, Yarrabah More Info: www.qmf.org.au

Parent Information Session When: Tuesday, 10 October 2017, 5.30pm to 6.30pm Where: Cairns Early Years Centre More Info: www.talktimeslp.com Speech Pathologists from Talk Time Speech and Language Pathology will be presenting some of their favourite tips for quick, easy and effective ways to support your child’s speech and language development, particularly between the ages of 1 and 3 years.

A 1-hour information session for tips and strategies on how to best help your child develop their communication skills.

Targeted at families residing between Gordonvale and Earlville. Register online.

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The popular Yarrabah Band Festival returns this year. The festival continues to attract huge audiences. This year the event will be at the Jilara Football Oval to allow a bigger crowd.

•• Friday, 6 October, 6.30pm – Illawarra Hawks •• Thursday, 12 October, 6.30pm – Adelaide 36ers •• Sunday, 22 October, 6.00pm – Perth Wildcats •• Friday, 27 October, 6.30pm – Adelaide 36ers Tickets are on sale now.

Join the full day of live music, food stalls, local art and the opportunity to explore paradise by the sea. Yarrabah Band Festival is presented by Queensland Music Festival and Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council.

All Ages / Free Event / Alcohol Free Event

2017 Baby Welcoming Ceremony When: Saturday, 28 October 2017 Where: Cairns Regional Council, Spence Street More Info: www.cairns.qld.gov.au/whats-on Families who have welcomed a baby in the past year are invited to be part of this ceremony by registering their baby. Registrations are open now. Check the website for deails.

Night Fire at Tjapukai When: Nightly at 7.00pm Where: Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park More Info: www.tjapukai.com.au Night Fire is Tjapukai’s signature evening activity where you will meet the Indigenous rainforest people, who paint your face to link you to their traditional land and more. Follow the Tjapukai warriors to a corroboree celebrating Aboriginal Dreamtime stories.

Win a Family Pass to experience Night Fire.

Enter at www.pakmag.com.au

Rugby League World Cup When: Sunday, 29th October, 2.00pm Where: Barlow Park More Info: www.rlwc2017.com Head down to Barlow Park for some world-class family fun.

Scotland and Tonga battle it out at 2.00pm and Ireland takes on Italy at 4.15pm. Tickets available online.

Pakmag Spooky Spectacular When: Sunday, 29th October 4.00pm - 6.00pm Where: Brothers Leagues Club, Cairns More Info: www.facebook.com/PakmagCairns Save the date and get ready for some spooky fun! This is a family-friendly event with prizes for the best dressed on offer, a disco and live entertainment!

Kids Friendly | Free Event.

Sempre Financial - Divorce Hacks: What to do When you Separate When: Tuesday, 31 October 2017, starts at 8.30am Where: Pakmag Head Office, Unit 5/78 Anderson St (Cnr Macdonnell St), Cairns More Info: admin@semprelife.com.au Separating but don’t know where to start? Take control back!

The program will explain how to tackle some of the major challenges you are likely to encounter during your divorce and separation. It is designed to help speed up the process, saving you time and money as you move through this uncertain and emotionally challenging time.

Tickets: $148 (Pakmag Reader Special).

www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 7

The Thing Is...

STORY Bree James

What the heck has happened to twenty seventeen? As the year is starting to come to an end, I am looking back on the year and wondering if I achieved all the little things I wanted to achieve this year.

•• Go to my kids’ class and do reading. Fail so far.

•• Go to my kids’ after school sports to watch them play. Made it three times so far.

•• Have a weekend away with the girls. Fail so far.

•• Go to Pilates twice a week. Lucky to make it once a month.

•• Take my toenail polish off. No time, fifth coat looks ‘fabulous’ albeit a little, ok a lot, chunky in places, but who looks at feet anyway?

As every day goes by, we look at our children, and they seem older after every day at school. And we get little pangs of regret that we aren’t fitting enough quality time in with them. Kids sure do teach us about how valuable time is.

The thing is, I had to make a choice a long time ago, and that was to look at all the things I actually do do, rather than beat myself up about the things I don’t do for myself, my family, and those in my life. Because you know what? Dammit, I do a lot for them. Why the hell do we focus on what we haven’t done rather than what we actually have done, which is often more incredible than

these little things, that sure, mean a lot to us, but didn’t make the cut?

Yes, I want to be an incredible mum, partner, friend, business owner, leader, citizen of the world, daughter, sister, and many other things. But I realised that if I am not kind to myself, that if I beat myself up all the time mentally, telling myself I am a crappy person or crappy mum because I don’t make it to my child’s class every week like other mums, then I am going to die a little inside for comparing my life to others.

Comparison is the thief of joy. How can we be a good parent if we lose our sense of joy because we have beat ourselves up like egg whites till we are stiff and only good for baking? Ok, bad analogy, but you get my point.

So yes, I wish I had done all of the above list better this year. And yes, I am going to try and jam it all into the last two months of this year as much as I can and do better next year, that’s what some parents have to do.

Look at your kids, if they are happy, loved, and growing into little humans you are proud of, you are doing a pretty spectacular job, so be proud of yourself. This parenting thing is damn hard work.

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Feature

Does your family have a hobby?

STORY Meg O’Donnell (B. Ed) With the busy lives we all lead, it’s no surprise that come the weekend, sometimes we just want to lie on the couch and sleep. However having a hobby can not only keep you busy on the weekends, it can also keep you both physically and mentally healthy. People who participate in active hobbies get a boost essential for one’s heart, muscles and overall health. Aside from the positive effects to your body, they can also improve cognitive skills.

With time being so precious, a simple solution is to discover a hobby that you can enjoy as a family. Listed below are nine ideas that you can enjoy together as a group. Don’t be afraid to try something new.

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Feature

Get cooking Whether you enrol the family in structured cooking classes, or you simply try some new dishes on the weekends, involving your kids in the cooking process will always end with memories to keep. Not only will your children experience new dishes from other cuisines and cultures, but they will be learning lifelong skills.

Pack up and go camping Getting away from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives is exactly what every family needs from time to time. Switch off your electronic devices, and spend a few nights simply talking with your children and bonding as a family. Guaranteed, your children will remember eating marshmallows by the fire and learning to fish on the camping trip much more fondly than any gift you could buy them.

Take up bushwalking This is another simple hobby that the whole family can enjoy on a budget. Getting out there amongst nature gives the family a chance to reconnect, whilst the children (and you!) learn about our native flora and fauna. Start with some smaller trails with rest stops, and as the whole family become more experienced, you can work your way up to half day or full day hikes.

Support a sport Getting out to support your local team can be a great way to bond as a family. Whether it’s going to professional games or supporting your local league, there are so many sports to be a part of. Talk to your children and see which sports interest them. There may even be a local team for their age that they can join.

Discover your family history Exploring your family lineage can be an eye-opening experience that the whole family can appreciate.

Whether you consider an online service that will do the research for you, or you visit some older relatives, it is a valuable experience for a child to learn where they come from. Grandparents are an amazing resource of knowledge, but unfortunately, they won’t be around forever. Spending what time you can with them to learn about their lives and hear their stories will allow them to live on in your children’s memories forever.

Grow your own garden Next weekend, visit your local hardware store and head to the gardening section. No longer do you need a big backyard to grow your own vegetables, with vertical garden beds, and other space saving ideas. Start with something small and hardy like herbs, strawberries or

tomatoes, and work your way up from there. Not only does this give your children an education on how food is grown, but it also teaches them responsibility with watering and trimming. A bonus is that children who are picky eaters are more likely to try food that they have grown themselves.

Let’s go bike riding Bike riding is a healthy active hobby that the whole family can enjoy in good weather while teaching your children about road rules and safety. Bike riding is a great way for children (and adults) to get some healthy exercise outdoors and improves hand-eye coordination, as well as strengthening the larger muscles in the body.

These days, the whole family can enjoy biking, with trailers and baby seats readily available to attach to the adult’s bikes for those too little to ride their own.

Start a band You might not become the next Partridge Family, but gosh you are going to have some fun! Search your local area for someone who specialises in group lessons and learn a new instrument together, or if you have the time and money, you could choose a different instrument each and try to learn some songs together. Not only is this a fun way for your children to see you as an equal (learning the same skill from the beginning) but it nourishes their creative side and gives them a platform to access their emotional side through music.

Volunteer for an organisation Helping in the community is a great way to bond as a family. Children tend to be a little self-centred at times, as they are used to having everything done for them.

Allowing your children to see how other people live, and sometimes struggle, can open their eyes and get them thinking more about others. Sometimes we try to protect our children from the ‘less than perfect’ parts of life, but by giving them more responsibility within the community, you may be surprised by just how much your child can not only handle but also contribute.

Get the camera ready I know the article says nine hobbies, but here is a bonus one. Take a camera on your weekends while you participate with your family and take some photos.

Too many of our photos are posed these days, so try to catch some candid shots of your family enjoying not only their hobby but each other. Make sure someone else takes the camera off your hands occasionally, so that you can be in some photos too. At the end of the weekend, your family can go through the photos together, reminisce and create a scrapbook of your adventures.

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Parenting

Consequential Discipline STORY Meg O’Donnell (B. Ed)

Let’s be honest here; parenting can be a tough gig. Some days you are operating on no sleep, and unlike any other job in the world, it is almost the norm for your ‘boss’ to literally scream at you all day. Rewarding? Yes of course. But easy? No. It’s not just about keeping the kids alive, safe, clean and fed either. Once they get to that toddler stage, it is also our job to start teaching them how to become functional people in society by teaching them social skills, verbal cues, and all about the consequences of their actions.

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Parenting

Knowing that our actions have consequences is one of the most important truths to instil in our children.

While it is easy these days to shrug off a young child’s behaviour with a simple “he’s little and doesn’t know any better”, it is important that we strive to raise conscientious children who are aware that they decide their actions, and therefore they need to be willing to accept the consequences. By learning this valuable lesson, we can hope that they will then try to act with kindness and consideration as much as possible.

No matter the age, children like knowing what is expected of them and what will happen if they disobey.

They exceed in structured consistency and thrive when they feel secure in knowing that the rules have not changed from the day before. It should not be a surprise then, that children will learn quickly about cause and effect. This can, of course, be a little difficult for toddlers to understand at the beginning, but consequences (both negative and positive) are a vital part of functioning in society, and so there are certain ways that we can introduce this concept through learning experiences.

Firstly though, it is important to distinguish the differences between a consequence and a punishment.

A consequence is something that follows naturally from a person’s action or inaction, while a punishment is retribution or ‘getting back’ at someone for what they have done. As an example, Jamie sleeps in and in doing so missed the bus for school. A consequence would be having Jamie go to bed an hour earlier the next night so that he gets the sleep he needs. A punishment would be taking away his television time. One is linked and teaches Jamie a way to correct his behaviour, while the other is unrelated and doesn’t teach him anything in the long run.

As quoted by American Psychologist B.F Skinner, “A person who has been punished is not less inclined to behave in a given way; at best, he learns how to avoid punishment.”

It’s important that our children learn early on that what they do or say can have a chain reaction for not only themselves, but the world around them.

Teaching consequences in the early years begins with explaining natural consequences and then working up to personal consequences. “Look at that! Mummy spilt the milk, and so now there is a mess. What do you think happens now?” By verbally talking them through what has happened, they begin to see a direct link between

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mummy doing something, and how it will be followed up. This can go both ways, with positive consequences playing an important role as well. “Look at that! You studied really hard for that spelling test, and you got them all right!” Asking your child what they think will happen next helps them to better understand that a consequence is a flow on effect.

When it comes to using consequences in your behaviour management, it is important to make sure that you are implementing smaller consequences for minor infractions, and more serious consequences for more serious infractions. If we try to go out all ‘guns blazing’ every time our children do something wrong, they begin to lose sight of the big picture, and instead of teaching them about what choices they can make in the future, it just becomes all about trying to show them you are in charge, which can be counter-productive.

It is also important to be aware that what might not seem like a big consequence to you, might mean the world to your child. Removing phone privileges for an extended time from a teenager is a major consequence as, to many of today’s adolescents, a mobile phone is a prized possession. The same applies for a small child’s favourite toy. Again, to quote Skinner, “The consequences of an act affect the probability of it occurring again.” The trick is to apply an equal consequence to the infraction so that the child is not so overwhelmed by the consequence that they are unable to see or hear reason.

Like our children, we also need to think about the consequences of our own actions. This means dealing with our anger and disappointment from our children’s behaviour, as well as outside influences, in a productive way. We all know how tough parenting can be at times, and you can guarantee that every other parent out there has felt that same frustration; however, we need to try to be more aware of the consequences we ourselves will face if we do not handle a situation appropriately. Children learn so much more from what they see from their parents rather than what they hear.

And so ultimately, the best way that we can teach our children about consequences and taking responsibility for our actions is through how we conduct ourselves with the world around us.

Education

The importance of reading to your children STORY Rachael Di Bella, Speech Language Pathologist, Catholic Education Services Sharing books with your child is a fantastic way to build their language skills, introduce literacy skills, and build their knowledge of the world. Reading together is also great family bonding time.

Try to read with your child every day, whether it be before school, after school or before bedtime.

It’s important that this time is not made to be a chore, rather a time that both yourself and your child look forward to. Book sharing is all about engaging and involving your child in the book reading process and allowing them to play an active role throughout in an enriching and safe environment.

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Education

A great deal of research has been done on the benefits of sharing books with children, and it’s no surprise that by reading regularly to your child, you are actually: •• Boosting their vocabulary and overall development of nouns, verbs and adjectives.

•• Developing their knowledge of concepts relating to location, position, number, quantity, sequence, attributes, dimension, size and similarities and differences.

•• Providing them with opportunities to support their inferential questioning skills.

•• Sparking their imagination.

•• Giving them an opportunity to explore their emotions and what different emotions may mean in different contexts.

•• Improving their picture recognition and visual attention.

Here are a few key points on how to make the most of that special reading time together: Read with excitement in your voice.

Use interesting voices and alter your expression whilst reading. Don’t forget to make animal sounds such as, ‘moo’, ‘quack’ and ‘woof’, to engage your child and attain their interest. Better still, encourage your child to copy these sounds and add in others where they see fit.

When you enjoy sharing books together, your child will enjoy this time too. They will also get the message that reading is important.

Have a conversation while reading.

Talk about the pictures together and ask your child open-ended questions. “What do you think will happen next?” “Why did that happen?” Relate what you are reading about to your child’s own experiences. “Look, that pig’s house is made of straw, but ours is made of bricks, isn’t it?” You can extend them further by asking, “Which house do you think would be stronger?”

By asking a range of questions, your child’s reading comprehension skills will also bloom.

Read it again!

Reading favourite books over and over is important and helps your child get ready to read. Pause and give your child the chance to ‘fill in the blanks’ when they know the story or line. “Little pig, little pig, let me…”

When children anticipate what’s coming next, they have a sense of mastery over books. It’s also a great way to practice specific concepts your child may have difficulty with in a safe environment.

If you’re reading an old favourite, try different ways of sharing the story; close the book and ‘remember’ the story together, draw the best part of the story with some chalk on the cement and talk about why you love it, or act out the story using simple props, such as puppets or toy animals. Get creative, let their imagination run wild!

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Talk about interesting words.

As you read through the story, stop every now and then to talk about an interesting word. Act it out, describe it another way, or relate it to something your child already knows. Give your child the opportunity to practice saying the word with you. “Is it a long word or a short word?”

Clap out the syllables together. Try to use those interesting words again later in the day or in the coming week. This will help to consolidate their learning of new words or concepts. It can also help to build their understanding of words and their meanings in various contexts.

Talk about the print.

Don’t forget to talk about print concepts with your child.

Show them the front cover and the back cover. Show them how to hold the book and explain that we read left to right. Point out the author’s name and distinguish the difference between an author and an illustrator. Point to individual words and letters to show them they are different and show them that several words together make a sentence. Give your child the job of ‘turning the page’ and don’t be afraid to repeat this phrase each time they turn the page.

Read words everywhere.

Read words on street signs, in the shops or on the side of a bus. Organise a pen pal or leave little notes for your children at home. Reading words from all your surroundings demonstrates to your child that words are important and fun to read. It also shows that words are everywhere!

Make reading fun!

•• Use props and puppets to act out parts of the book.

E.g. use plastic food when reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

•• Let your child lift the flaps and turn the pages to help maintain their attention and engagement throughout the story.

•• Talk about the pictures in the story, make up parts or change the ending. Let your child’s imagination go wild! You’ll be surprised with their responses.

•• Be animated! Use ‘silly’ voices to distinguish between the different story characters. Alter your facial expression and body language to make the story more engaging.

•• Find a comfortable place to sit. E.g. Make a fort using the couch or cushions and a sheet. It’s not only fun to make it with your child, but also is a great learning opportunity to talk about how we build a fort.

It’s never too early or too late to start sharing books with your child. If you haven’t already, make a time to go and check out the library together. Whilst there, why not join and pick out some books together? This can be such a fun experience for your child.

Your local library can provide you with instant access to a huge range of books and toys for you and your child’s enjoyment. Library staff have a keen interest in helping families develop an interest in reading. And best of all, it’s free.

Education

The arts, the key to developing great life skills STORY Leigh Boswell, General Manager, The Young Company.

We all want the best for our children, so when it comes to choosing which extra-curricular activities, it can be a difficult decision. If there’s an option that will develop social and emotional capabilities, help them do better in school and help them navigate their journey through to adulthood, then we’d be mad not to look into it.

Well, look no further than the arts.

Not only does participation in the arts help children to grow up to be self-confident, self-disciplined lifelong learners, it also nurtures key skills such as critical thinking, imagination, collaboration, problem-solving, communication, agility and empathy.

Decades worth of international research attests to the fact that the arts have a number of developmental benefits for children. Participation in the arts is among the most profoundly important and valuable ways to improve learning and promote success in a child’s development.

The Australian Curriculum groups the arts into five areas; dance, drama, media, music and visual arts.

Each has specific processes, skill bases and disciplines that they draw on. These different arts areas have some similar elements and approaches. These include knowing through doing and creating, with children learning to express ideas and emotions through voice, movement, actions and different expressive forms, all the while encouraging them to look at things from a different perspective.

‘soft skills’ or ‘non-academic’ areas including empathy building, confidence, motivation and engagement.

These essential life-skills are core components to raising a strong and resilient child.

The artistic experience accelerates the production of endorphins that naturally improve a child’s mindset and mental health well-being. Their cognitive development is rapidly advanced when learning through play.

It is particularly noteworthy to mention that it also helps develop children’s knowledge and understanding of social cues and their ability to step into someone else’s shoes, and in turn develop empathy. Giving your child an opportunity to take on a different persona provides them with an outlet or reason to be the extroverted king or queen, when at home they are the introverted one in the family. Studies have shown that experiencing the world from different perspectives helps children’s social development.

Art helps develop their cognitive, social and motor skills.

These are all great reasons to get your children involved in the arts especially during their early development.

But just as important is the fact that children delight in exploring and creating with art materials. As young children explore paint by putting it all over their hands, or create collages with torn paper, or dance or act on the stage, it's noticeable how involved they get in their activities. As they progress into school and beyond, art activities continue to provide opportunities for children’s brain development and mastery and is great for their self-esteem and creativity.

Current longitudinal research suggests that participation in arts based activities leads to improvements in many academic areas including literacy. It also impacts on

Art experiences help children to develop so many life skills so find out what interests your little one and start them on their art journey; you won’t regret it.

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Advertorial

Meet Dr Phoebe Hong Dr Phoebe Hong is a specialist private Obstetrician and Gynaecologist who believes in providing her patients with personalised care of the highest standard. Having completed her medical degree in 2006, Dr Hong worked in New Zealand before moving to Cairns in 2013 to work at the Cairns Base Hospital.

This was an experience that provided her with speciality knowledge of the healthcare needs of the women of Far North Queensland.

the only Gynaecologist in Cairns to offer Laparoscopic surgery for myomectomy (removal of fibroids while preserving the uterus) and cervical suture (for women with cervical insufficiency).

Dr Hong can offer you an empowered pregnancy journey. Her complete obstetric services and her vast experience in pregnancy care and management, including high risk and complicated pregnancies and deliveries, means you can have every confidence in your pregnancy care.

Dr Hong said that “Women with no cervix or a very short cervix and women who failed or had a suboptimal outcome from a previous cervical suture placed vaginally during pregnancy for cervical insufficiency will be good candidates for a laparoscopic cervical suture.

The suture in this procedure is placed higher than the conventionally vaginally placed suture hence allowing better support to the pregnancy, with the additional benefits of no foreign body in the vagina cavity and no repeat sutures needed for each pregnancy.”

Recognising and being passionate about the need for more women in the Far North to have access to advanced laparoscopic procedures, also known as keyhole surgery, Dr Hong undertook extensive training to ensure that she was able to offer this. This included a two-year Fellowship in Advanced Hysteroscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeries as well as completing a Master of Minimally Invasive Surgery from the University of Adelaide.

Dr Hong said, “I offer Laparoscopic surgery for ovarian cystectomy (removal of ovarian cyst), oophorectomy (removal of ovary), hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) and endometriosis excision.” Dr Hong is also

“Women wishing to preserve their uterus, (to preserve fertility) and some cases of infertility are good candidates for laparoscopic myomectomy”, says Dr Hong. “And they get the benefit of a quicker recovery, less scarring and better cosmetic outcomes than traditional surgery.”

Dr Hong realises that we all have unique needs and priorities and does not abide by a one size fits all approach to medicine and surgery, she instead focuses on your individual wishes and goals. Being fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, as well as basic Japanese, Dr Hong is also able to assist those locals for whom English may be a second language.

If you would like to make an appointment to discuss your needs, please call Dr Hong’s practice on 4041 2600.

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Bump, Bub and Beyond

The best daily workout STORY Kate Moloney It’s not really talked about, yet according to the Continence Foundation of Australia, it affects one in three women who have had a baby. So, what are we all keeping quiet about? Incontinence.

Pregnant women are offered so much advice by seemingly everyone they meet, yet rarely is this advice in relation to bladder and bowel control problems post birth.

It is important to protect your pelvic floor muscles post birth, and there are a number things that you can do to assist them: •• Before you sneeze, cough, blow your nose or lift anything try to squeeze, lift and hold your pelvic floor muscles or cross your legs and squeeze them tightly together.

•• Don’t lift heavy loads on your own.

•• Don’t do exercises that involve bouncing.

•• Do pelvic floor muscle exercises.

Your pelvic floor tissues, muscles and nerves should mend in the first six months after giving birth. The key is regular pelvic floor muscle training. While these are very important post birth, they ideally should be done every day of your life.

The Continence Foundation of Australia recommends that you do the following exercises each day:

Of course, like a lot of things, this is all sometimes easier said than done. Especially when you throw into the mix the demands of a newborn baby and sleep deprivation.

To make it easier to remember to do these, the Continence Foundation of Australia suggests linking the exercises to your daily activities. For example, you could do them every time you change the baby or when you have your shower. Or you could put signs up to remind you until you have created the habit of doing them.

For further details on these exercises visit www.continence.org.au If things are not getting better for you after six months, or if you notice leaking of urine at any time, experience the urge to rush to the toilet, feel a burning or stinging sensation when you pass urine or if you find you have to strain to pass urine, you should speak to your doctor.

You can also contact the National Continence Helpline on free call 1800 330 066, and they can put you in contact with professionals and support groups that can help.

Considering how this affects woman of all ages and in significant numbers, why are we letting everyone feel so alone? Incontinence is a major problem that has such a significant effect on a women’s quality of life, and it is sad that there is such silence that surrounds this issue.

If you’re one of the thousands of women affected by this, we urge you, don’t suffer in silence.

•• Squeeze and lift your pelvic floor three times quickly with no rests.

•• Squeeze, lift and hold the pelvic floor for three seconds, three times.

These two exercises combined are one set, and you should do three sets of these each day.

•• You should also practice three times a day, what is known as ‘the knack’. This is when you squeeze hard, hold and cough.

With time and practice, you will gradually be able to hold your squeeze for longer.

WATCH SKIN ALERT’S VIDEO ON HOW THEIR INTIMALASE PROCEDURE WORKS. *CONTENT WARNING VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED

www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 27

Bump, Bub and Beyond

BUMP, BUB AND BEYOND Featured products, reviews and prizes. Visit www.pakmag.com.au for your chance to win!

Little Belle Nightlight RRP $149.99, www.little-belle.com Little Belle night lights have been designed to bring smiles, hope, laughter and encouragement to children travelling through life’s little adventures. Founded by New Zealand Based, Laura Burbery, Little Belle creates quality children’s lighting for little hearts and homes.

Made with hand-painted brush strokes + shimmers of gold and splashes of bright, each of the night lights are inspired by the imagination of young children, and help to to soothe little ones into a magical night’s sleep.

Breastvest Nursing Singlet RRP $30.00, www.apikali.com.au Momsense Smart Breastfeeding Meter RRP $69.00, www.momsense.com.au Momsense is the world’s first smart breastfeeding meter. For the first time, Australian mums can know how much breast milk their baby has consumed in millilitres, without having to express. Momsense eliminates all of the uncertainties around breastfeeding.

28 October 2017 | www.pakmag.com.au

The idea behind Breastvest is that it is worn over your nursing bra and covers your postnatal tummy so you can breastfeed your baby without having to worry about your post-baby midriff.

Breastvest is shaped to sit comfortably under your well-fitted nursing bra and is held in place by shoulder straps that are specifically designed not to interfere with the nursing bra’s straps.

Breastvest covers the postnatal tummy generously and discreetly, and allows breastfeeding mums to wear normal tops, which can then just be lifted up to breastfeed... without exposing any postnatal tummy. It really couldn’t be easier to use.

Dads can struggle too STORY Kate Moloney Becoming a dad for the first time is an extremely exciting, sometimes scary and always exhausting new stage of a man’s life.

Studies have revealed that working fathers of newborns are extremely fatigued due to their long working hours and getting less than six hours of sleep a night. Both new parents may get roughly the same amount of sleep during the night, but whilst stay at home mums may catch up on sleep during the day, fathers generally don’t. Recent studies show this sleep loss of up to two hours per night can continue up until a baby is five months old.

Juggling this new hectic schedule while also dealing with sleep deprivation can be tough on both new mums and new dads. Approximately one third of fathers, according to studies, struggle with the mental pressures during this time and, like women, can be affected by postnatal depression and perinatal mentalhealth issues.

New dads need to ensure they are taking care of both their physical health and mental health during this exciting new time. A healthy diet, supplements if required, and making sleep a priority is important.

As it is for new mums too.

Most important of all though, is that new dads need to ensure they do not shy away from seeking advice or professional help if they find they need it.

Becoming a parent is an extreme life changing event, and whilst hugely rewarding, it can also be exceptionally challenging.

Hope for fussy eaters STORY Melissa Kent, Author of Broccoli Trees?

Yes Please!

Are you one of the eight out of ten Australian parents who are concerned about their child’s eating habits and nutrition?

Mealtime stress is far more common than you might think, with approximately half of all toddlers being described as fussy eaters. Helping a fussy eater to explore healthy new foods can seem like a futile task, but there are some simple things that you can do to increase your chances of success.

•• Get growing. This could be as simple as planting some herbs in small pots and asking your child to water them.

•• Ask for their help. Often children will be excited if they are given a specific task. Eg. “Could you please choose a rainbow of fruits and vegetables for us to take home and try? We need something of each colour!”.

•• Praise every win. But try not to criticise the ‘failures’.

Children thrive on positive reinforcement, so make sure you celebrate every victory, no matter how small.

•• Try to have fun. Children learn through play. If they are having fun, they will be more likely to try new foods.

•• Persevere. Research suggests that you will need to show your child a food 15-20 times before they may be interested in trying it. So, don’t give up!

Fussy eating can affect the whole family, but by adopting a fun and relaxed attitude at mealtimes, you’ll be one step closer to saying ‘goodbye’ to those stressful stand-offs, and ‘hello’ to a whole new world of healthy food exploration.

For your chance to win a copy of Broccoli Trees?

Yes Please! visit www.pakmag.com.au

www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 29

WHAT’S ON OCT OCT SUNDAY 1 No Game over $10 Promotion Go Bowling Cairns www.gobowlingcairns.com $9.95 Adult / $8.95 Juniors / Family All new Christmas Work Party Go Bowling Cairns www.gobowlingcairns.com Cost / Family Blu Light Unlimited Bowling Go Bowling Cairns www.gobowlingcairns.com 7.30pm / $15 / Ages 10 - 17 Night Fire by Tjapukai Daily Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park www.tjapukai.com.au 7.00pm / Cost / Family Matthew Mitcham - Up Close and Personal Centre of Contemporary Arts Cairns www.centre-of-contemporaryarts-cairns.com.au 8.00pm / $29 / Youth+ Nikki the Clown Facepainting Smithfield Tavern nikki@nikkitheclown.com 11.30am / Free / Family Paradise Palms Pool, Play + Putt Putt All Month Paradise Palms www.paradisepalms.com.au Open daily / $4 per child / Family Coarse Language - Phil Johns and Ian Tunbridge Runs Until 07 October Centre of Contemporary Arts www.kickarts.org.au Check Website

Here We All Are. Assembled.

Runs until 10 October Centre of Contemporary Arts www.jute.com.au 7.30pm / $30 / Adult

Movie Night - Free Popcorn and Cordial Cazaly’s Kids Room www.cazalys.com.au 6.00pm / Gold Coin / Kids

TUESDAY 3

Light The Night Barbary Coasters Cazaly’s nikkivance@barbarycoasters.com Registration for walk / Family

Emerging Structure - JCU Creative Arts Exhibition Runs until 6 November Tanks Arts Centre www.tanksartscentre.com 8.30am / Free / Family THURSDAY 5 Tiny Tackers Every Thursday Cairns Art Gallery www.cairnsartgallery.com 10.30am / $15 / Ages 2 - 5 with Adult Advancing Young Women in Business Pullman Cairns International Hotel www.cbwc.org.au Check Website FRIDAY 6 Tropical Gaze 2017 Art Exhibition Runs until 29 October Tanks Arts Centre www.tanksartscentre.com 9.00am / Free / 18+ CairnsTaipans Vs Illawarra Hanks Cairns Convention Centre www.taipans.com 6.30pm / Cost / Family Cairns - Light the Night Cazaly’s Football Ground lightthenight.org.au Check Website

SATURDAY 7 The Ollie McGill Trio Tanks Arts Centre www.tanksartscentre.com 7.30pm / $36.75 / Youth+ ITF Circuit Runs until 15 October Cairns International Centre www.tennis.com.au Check Website Bloom Inspiring Wellness Cairns Colonial Club Resort bloominspiringwellness.com 9.00am / $30 - $155 / Youth+ Halloween Arts and Crafts Cazaly’s Kids Room www.cazalys.com.au 6.00pm / Gold Coin / Kids Nikki the Clown Facepainting Babinda harvest Festival nikki@nikkitheclown.com 4.00pm / Free / Family Gallery Kids Art Club Inner City locations www.cairnsartgallery.com 10.00am / $30 / Ages 8 -12 Shopkins: World Vacation Event Cinemas www.eventcinemas.com.au Check Website

With Triple M’s Maddi

Moana Sing-Along Event Cinemas www.eventcinemas.com.au Check Website SUNDAY 8 Mt Sheridan Plaza Community Markets Mount Sheridan Plaza www.mtsheridanplaza.com.au 10.00am / Free / Family Fairy Gardens at Reef Feast Palm Cove Markets Facebook/GardenSparkle Check Website Cairns Tropical Pride Fair Day Tanks Arts Centre www.tanksartscentre.com 10.30am / $5 Donation / Family The Taste perform at Reef Feast Palm Cove www.tanksartscentre.com 11.00am / Free / Family Nikki the Clown Facepainting Holloways Beach Market nikki@nikkitheclown.com 8.00am / Free / Family TUESDAY 10 Gallery Art School Level 1 Cairns Art Gallery www.cairnsartgallery.com 3.45pm / $70 / Ages 5 - 7 Parent Information Session Cairns Early Years Centre www.talktimeslp.com 5.30pm / Free / Parents St Andrew’s Catholic College Open Day St Andrew’s Catholic College Redlynch Intake Rd enrolments@standrescc.qld.edu.au 4.00pm / Free / Family

www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 31

WHAT’S ON OCT OCT WEDNESDAY 11 PechaKucha Night Volume 22 Tanks Arts Centre www.pechakucha.org 7.30pm / $5 / Youth+ Come join: Play-ConnectGrow - Term 4 98 Birch St, Manunda 4032 6800 9.30am / Free / Ages 0 - 5 THURSDAY 12 Cairns Taipans Vs Adelaide 36ers Cairns Convention Centre www.taipans.com 6.30pm / Cost / Family FRIDAY 13 Halloween Arts and Crafts Cazaly’s Kids Room www.cazalys.com.au 6.00pm / Gold Coin / Kids Neighbourhood Watch Woree Community Markets Woree State High School nhw.woree.markets@gmail.com 8.00am / Free / Family SATURDAY 14 Peter Helliar & Tom Gleeson - LIVE Port Douglas Yacht Club www.portdouglasyachtclub.com.au 8.00pm / $60 / 15+ Party Games Cazaly’s Kids Room www.cazalys.com.au 6.00pm / Gold Coin / Kids Nikki the Clown Facepainting Peace Lutheran College nikki@nikkitheclown.com 3.00pm / Free / Family

Beauty and the Beast Singalong Event Cinemas www.eventcinemas.com.au Check Website Aqours 2nd Love Live Happy Party Train Tour Event Cinemas www.eventcinemas.com.au Check Website

SATURDAY 21 Havana Meets Kingston Sound System Tanks Arts Centre www.tanksartscentre.com 7.30pm / $36.75 / 18+

SUNDAY 15

Halloween Arts and Crafts Cazaly’s Kids Room www.cazalys.com.au 6.00pm / Gold Coin / Kids

Peter Helliar & Tom Gleeson LIVE Tanks Arts Centre www.tanksartscentre.com 6.00pm / $56 / 15+

The Glenn Miller Orchestra Dance by Twilight Tanks Arts Centre www.tanksartcentre.com 7.00pm / $57 / Family

FRIDAY 20 Cine: Stories from Film Runs until 21 October Centre of Contemporary Arts Cairns www.centre-of-contemporaryarts-cairns.com.au 8.00pm / $35 / Youth+ Ball Games Cazaly’s Kids Room www.cazalys.com.au 6.00pm / Gold Coin / Kids Disney Cinderella Kids Runs until 22 October Clink Theatre clinktheatre.com.au Check Website Barbary Coasters Innisfail RSL nikkivance@barbarycoasters.com 6.30pm / Free / Adult Send Hope Not Flowers 2017 Pullman Reef Hotel Casino Miller Harris Lawyers 07 4036 9700 12.00pm / Cost / Charity

32 October 2017 | www.pakmag.com.au

Nikki the Clown Facepainting Trinity Beach Tavern nikki@nikkitheclown.com 6.00pm / Free / Family The Little Mermaid - Singalong Event Cinemas www.eventcinemas.com.au Check Website SUNDAY 22 Cairns Taipans Vs Perth Wildcats Cairns Convention Centre www.taipans.com 6.00pm / Cost / Family Nikki the Clown Facepainting Smithfield Tavern nikki@nikkitheclown.com 11.30am / Free / Family Ferrari 312B Event Cinemas www.eventcinemas.com.au Check Website

With Triple M’s Mark

Film Screening: Mountain [2017] Tanks Arts Centre www.tanksartcentre.com 7.30pm / $15.75 / Adult FRIDAY 27 Cairns Taipans Vs Adelaide 36ers Cairns Convention Centre www.taipans.com 6.30pm / Cost / Family Elizabeth Hunter Momento Mori: Art, Death and the Afterlife Runs until 12 November Tanks Arts Centre www.tanksartscentre.com 6.00pm / Free / Family Halloween Themed Scavenger Hunt Cazaly’s Kids Room www.cazalys.com.au 6.00pm / Gold Coin / Kids Nikki the Clown Facepainting Trinity Beach Tavern nikki@nikkitheclown.com 6.00pm / Free / Family SATURDAY 28 Yarrabah Band Festival Jilara Football Oval, Black Beach Rd www.qmf.org.au Free / Family

WEDNESDAY 25

Grit Strength MaterClass Sportsworld Fitness Centre Facebook/ SportsworldFitnessCentre 8.00am / Cost / Youth+

Tanks Round Cinema - Mountain Tanks Arts Centre www.tanksartscentre.com 7.30pm / $15.75 / 15+

Trivia in the Tropics Manchans Beach Sports Club 4037 4222 6.00pm / $25 / 18+

FUN COMPETITIONS INSIDE! ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO

www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 33

Mini Mag

A MYSTERY PRIZE!

FOR YOUR CHANCE To WIN, COMPLETE & mail TO: PakMag Colour In October 2017 PO Box 7433, Cairns QLD 4870 Win a mystery prize!

Competition closes 30/10/2017

Name

Age

Parent/Guardian Address Postcode Phone Email

Mini Mag

A MYSTERY PRIZE!

FOR YOUR CHANCE To WIN, COMPLETE & mail TO: PakMag Colour In October 2017 PO Box 7433, Cairns QLD 4870 Win a mystery prize!

Competition closes 30/10/2017

Name

Age

Parent/Guardian Address Postcode Phone Email

A FAMILY PASS TO A DISNEY SING-ALONG SEASON SESSION.

Visit Disney.com.au/Frozen Visit ©2014Disney.com.au/Frozen Disney. All Rights Reserved. ©2014 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Visit Disney.com.au/Frozen

On Blu-ray Combo Pack March 18 ™

7-8 OCTOBER

14-15 OCTOBER

©2014 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Visit Disney.com/Frozen

21-22 OCTOBER

28-29 OCTOBER

Permission is hereby granted to video dealers to reproduce this activity sheet for promotional purposes ONLY on condition that it is accompanied by “©2014 Disney. All Rights Reserved.”

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Burbank, CA 91521. © 2014 Disney

FOR YOUR CHANCE To WIN, COMPLETE & mail TO: PakMag Colour In October 2017 PO Box 7433, Cairns QLD 4870 Win a family pass to a Disney Sing-Along Season Session. Final Entries drawn 18/10/2017

Name Parent/Guardian Address Postcode Phone Email

36 October 2017 | www.pakmag.com.au

Age

WHAT’S ON OCT OCT SATURDAY 28 Garrett Kato & Leanne Tennant Centre of Contemporary Arts Cairns www.centre-of-contemporaryarts-cairns.com.au 7.30pm / $21 / Youth+ Movie Night - Free Popcorn and Cordial Cazaly’s Kids Room www.cazalys.com.au 6.00pm / Gold Coin / Kids Nikki the Clown Facepainting Bunnings Smithfield nikki@nikkitheclown.com 10.30am / Free / Family

REGULAR MARKETS Esplanade Markets Date: Every Saturday Time: From 8.00am - 4.00pm Location: Lagoon, Cairns Herberton Markets Date: 3rd Sunday of the month Time: From 7.00am - 12 noon Location: Wondecla Sports Ground Night Markets Date: Every Day Time: 5.00pm - 11.00pm Location: 71 - 75 The Esplanade Port Douglas Markets Date: Every Sunday Time: From 8.00am - 2.00pm Location: Anzac Park

Frozen Singalong Event Cinemas www.eventcinemas.com.au Check Website

PakMag’s Spooky Spectacular Brothers Cairns Facebook.com/pakmagcairns 4.00pm / FREE / Family

SUNDAY 29

Unseen Cinema: Ali’s Wedding Centre of Contemporary Arts Cairns www.centre-of-contemporaryarts-cairns.com.au 4.30pm / $15 / Youth+

Walk for Prems Funship Parklands, Cairns Esplanade www.lifeslittletreasures.org.au 8.00am / $18 Adult $10 Child / Family

Lucky Ducks - Halloween dress up Competition Cazaly’s Kids Room www.cazalys.com.au 6.00pm / Gold Coin / Kids SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER Gallery Kids Art Club Inner City locations www.cairnsartgallery.com 10.00am / $30 / Ages 8 -12 SATURDAY 11 NOVEMBER

TUESDAY 31

Rugby League World Cup Barlow Park Ireland v Italy – 2.00pm Scotland v Tonga – 4.15pm www.rlwc.com Cost/ Family

Divorce Hacks: What to do when you separate Pakmag Head Office - Cairns admin@semprelife.com.au 8.30am / $148 Pakmag Reader / Adult

Palm Cove Market Date: 1st Sunday of the month April to December (not September) Time: 8.00am – 2.00pm Location: Foreshore at Palm Cove

Mount Sheridan Plaza Markets Date: 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month Time: From 9.00am - 3.00pm Location: Mount Sheridan Plaza

Malanda Markets Date: 3rd Saturday of the month Time: From 7.30am - 12.30pm Location: Malanda Showgrounds (opposite Jack May Park)

Ravenshoe Markets Date: 4th Sunday of the month Time: 8.00am - 12 noon Location: Tumoulin Railway Station

Neighbourhood Watch Woree Community Markets Woree State High School nhw.woree.markets@gmail.com 8.00am / Free / Family

Tanks Art Centre Markets Date: Last Sunday of the month (Apr to Nov excluding Aug) Time: From 9.00am - 2.00pm Location: Tanks Art Centre, Collins Avenue, Edge Hill Tolga Markets Date: 1st Sunday of the month Time: 7.00am - 12 noon Location: Morrow Park Racecourse

Mossman Community Market Date: Every Saturday Time: 7.00am - 12 noon Location: St David’s Anglican Church, Under the Raintrees

Rusty's Markets Date: Every Friday and Saturday Time: 5.00am - 6.00pm Date: Every Sunday Time: 5.00am - 3.00pm Location: 57 - 89 Grafton St, City

Holloways Beach Markets Date: 2nd Sunday of the month Time: From 8.00am - 1.00pm Location: Holloways Beach Foreshore

Atherton Lions Club Indoor Markets Date: Every 2nd Sunday Time: From 7.00am - 12 noon Location: Merriland Hall (Robert St)

Yungaburra Markets Date: 4th Saturday of the month Time: From 7.30am - 12.30pm Location: Bruce Jones Park

Email your event or market to admin@grandpublishing.com.au to be included. Spaces are limited.

www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 37

REGULAR EVENTS CAIRNS INDOOR SPORTS Tiny Tots Days: Weekdays (During school term) Time/Cost: 9.00am - 12.00pm, $7 In2soccer Days: Mondays (During school term) Time/Cost: 4.30pm, rego: $15, term from $65. (6+ years) Days: Wednesdays (During school term) Time/Cost: 4.30pm, from $65 (10 wks) (3 - 6 Years) Milo In2Cricket Days: Fridays (During school term) Time/Cost: 4.30pm, from $45 INFLATABLE KINGDOM Tiny Tots Days: Everyday Times: 9.00am - 12.00pm during school term, 9.00am - 4.00pm on weekends, public holidays and school holidays.

Location: Cairns Indoor Sports, 164 Mayers St, Manunda FREE SWIM PROGRAM FOR 2 & 3 MONTH OLD BABIES An educational, stimulating water familiarization program for parents and their newborns.

Days: Mondays and Tuesdays Location: Swim Skills Swim School, 32 Fishburn St, Bentley Park Web: www.swimskills.com.au Days: Wednesdays and Thursdays Location: Little Snappers Swim School, 1 Cumberland Ave, Smithfield Web: www.littlesnappers.com.au

Days: Wednesdays (During school term) Time: 9.30am - 11.30am Location: 98 Birch St, Manunda Cost: Free (or gold coin donation) Contact: 4032 6800 LIBRARIES Storytime Location: Edmonton Library Days: 1st Thursday of the month Times: 10.30am - 11.30am Location: Gordonvale Library Days: 1st Tuesday of the month Times: 10.30am - 11.30am Location: Manunda Library Days: 1st Wednesday of the month Times: 10.30am - 11.30am Location: Stratford Library Days: 2nd Tuesday of the month Times: 10.30am - 11.30am Location: City Library Days: Wednesdays Times: 10.30am - 11.30am Location: Babinda Library Days: 3rd Monday of the month Times: 10.30am - 11.30am Location: Smithfield Library Days: Tuesdays Times: 10.30am - 11.30am

Location: Stratford Library Days: 3rd Thursday of the month Times: 10.30am - 11.00am Location: Manunda Library Days: 4th Tuesday of the month Times: 10.30am - 11.00am Location: City Library Days: 4th Thursday of the month Times: 10.30am - 11.00am Free First 5 Forever Program Bopping Babies Parents and Bubs aged 3 - 12 months.

Bookings required.

Movers & Groovers Parents and toddlers aged 1 - 5 years.

Bookings required.

Hartbeeps Babies Parents and bubs aged 6 weeks - 12 months.

Bookings required.

Hartbeeps Toddlers Parents and toddlers aged 1 - 5 years.

Bookings required.

Play Connect Grow Supported Playgroup for Children 0 - 5 years

Location: Smithfield Library Days: 2nd Thursday of the month Times: 10.30am - 11.00am

38 October 2017 | www.pakmag.com.au

Active Living Aqua Zumba Days: Wednesdays Time: 5.30pm - 6.30pm Location: The Lagoon Active Living Boxfit Days: Thursdays Time: 6.30am - 7.30am Location: Fogarty Park Sahaja Yoga Meditation Days: Saturdays Time: 7.30am - 8.30am Location: Western Event Lawn Active Living H.I.I.T

Active Living Aqua Aerobics

Days: Mondays Time: 5.30pm - 6.30pm Location: Aqua Café by the Lagoon

UNITING CARE COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICE

Days: Wednesdays Time: 9.30am - 10.30am Location: Muddy’s Playground

More info: www.first5forever.org.au www.cairns.qld.gov.au/library, or email f5f@cairns.qld.gov.au

Monday Read Club

Location: Earlville Library Days: 1st Tuesday of the month Times: 10.30am - 11.00am

Active Living Mumbalates

Days: Saturdays Time: 8.00am - 9.00am Location: Aqua Café by the Lagoon

FREE FITNESS ON THE ESPLANADE

Baby Rhyme Times

Days: Tuesdays Time: 5.30pm - 6.30pm Location: Lagoon Deck

Storytime Parents and pre-schoolers aged 3 - 5 years.

No bookings required.

Location: Earlville Library Days: Thursdays Times: 10.30am - 11.30am Location: Smithfield Library Days: Mondays during school term Times: 3.30pm - 4.30pm

Active Living Zumba Fitness

Active Living Fitness Playground

Active Living Pilates Days: Tuesdays Time: 6.30am - 7.30am Location: Lagoon Deck

Days: Saturdays Time: 9.00am - 10.00am Location: Cairns Esplanade Lagoon TOBRUK MEMORIAL POOL Free Aqua Playgroup for 3 – 6 Month Olds: Gentle intro to water lead by a fully qualified teacher.

Days: Wednesdays and Thursdays Times: 10.00am – 10.30am Aqua Natal: Cairns exclusive mums to be and new mums water fitness.

Active Living Beach Volleyball

Days: Wednesdays Times: 5.30pm – 6.30pm

Days: Tuesdays Time: 5.30pm - 6.30pm Location: Volleyball courts

Location: 370 Sheridan Street Contact: 4051 2604 tobrukswim@belgravialeisure.com.au

Challenges

Communication DISORDERS can be invisible STORY Teagan Pease, Speech Pathologist, Talk Time Speech and Language Pathology As with all learning for children, learning to talk happens at different rates for every child. Speech development and language starts at birth; our imitating of baby sounds and responding to their needs is just the beginning of their learning to communicate journey.

Communication is quite complex. It includes language, speaking, speech, hearing, listening, understanding, social skills, reading, writing, and using voice. A child that is slow to develop language and whose language is developing in a way that does not reflect normal sequential developmental patterns may have a language disorder.

As many as 20 per cent of four-year-olds have a speech or language disorder. Language disorders are often known as the ‘invisible communication disorder’ because language difficulties aren’t always obvious.

Speech difficulties, pronunciation or stuttering are often more obvious for adults to notice.

Many children have no known cause for their communication disorder. Other children may have communication difficulties as a result of a diagnosis such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy or hearing loss.

Children with a speech or language disorder are six times more likely to have literacy problems than children without, in addition to affecting their well-being, self-esteem and social development. Long-term impacts include poor academic achievement, a risk to mental health, reduced employment options and social isolation.

But it’s not all bad news, there is help available.

Speech pathologists are university trained health professionals who can help. Most speech pathologists will do an assessment of the child, to begin with, so they can understand the child’s strengths and weaknesses.

Once these are determined, a speech pathologist will plan treatment goals taking into consideration the family’s priorities.

Whether you are seeing a speech pathologist or just wanting to help your child with their pronunciation, here are some things that you can be doing to help them master the complicated world of language, but just remember always keep it fun: Get down and play.

‘Play is a child’s work’ - for a child, play is their job! Talk about what they are doing, and what you are doing. Using a variety of words is more helpful than using lots of words.

For example: Instead of saying, “Oh, the truck is wet

because you watered everything, instead of watering the garden. Now it’s all wet and we have to clean up.’

Try saying instead, “The truck is wet! It’s saturated, it’s so wet! Look, it’s sopping wet!”

Recasting.

This is when a child makes a mistake, and we say it back to them correctly. For most children, once is enough. But to make it more powerful, try aiming for 10! When you hear a child make an error, you continue to talk about it (corrected), for as long as you can, with just a little emphasis on the word or sound.

For example: If your child says, “It’s berry yummy!” You can respond with, “Very yummy? It is very yummy. Very, very yummy. What else is very yummy?”

In this way, the child doesn’t feel like they’re being corrected, which gets annoying for all of us. We’re still talking about their interest, and we’re giving lots of modelling on how the child should have said it.

Bring out the books.

Books are well known to promote early speech, language, literacy and narrative development. Try changing up how you read the books. Turn the page, and wait for the child to start talking, or talk about what you can see happening in the pictures, rather than reading the words. Then link it to the child’s life. How is the bear in the book alike or different to their bear?

These are some of the common difficulties that are often experienced if your child has a language disorder: •• Difficulty following instructions at home and at school.

•• Finds it hard to use language to express their ideas, thoughts and feelings.

•• Has a limited vocabulary and has difficulty finding the right word to use.

•• Uses sentences with poor structure, errors or with words in incorrect order.

•• Sentences are short in length and complexity.

•• Has problems retelling stories and finds it hard to tell information to others and often repeats phrases.

•• Meaning from a situation being gained through reliance on visual information.

If you’re finding that you’re needing to translate for your four-year-old, or they’re struggling with peer interactions, or with following instructions, it’s worth getting them checked out by a Speech Pathologist.

Medicare rebates may be available for some children, so check with your GP.

www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 41

Health

HEALTH Is your brain’s diet balanced?

Be a smart traveller

STORY – Kate Moloney

In 2016, 9.9 million Australian residents travelled internationally, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

We all lead busy lives, and while we are constantly reminded to be vigilant about our physical health, how often do we think about the ‘mental nutrients’ that our brains need to function at their best?

David Rock and Dr Daniel J. Siegal designed The Healthy Mind Platter, which is comprised of seven daily essential mental activities to aid you to make sure you are bringing the right ingredients into your mental diet.

STORY Dr Sinead McEnroe, Apple Tree Medical

Our travel destinations are becoming more varied and, although overseas travel brings wonderful experiences, it can also expose you to potentially serious health risks. But easy preventative measures are at hand for all travellers.

Before you leave, you should research the country you are travelling to and think about the following: •• Will you be in an urban or rural setting?

•• Sleep Time. Our brain needs rest too, and sleep allows it time to recover from the experiences of the day and consolidate learning.

•• Are food and water likely to be contaminated?

•• Focus Time. This is when we make deep connections in the brain through challenges and by closely focusing on tasks in a goal oriented way.

•• Will you be around wild animals?

•• Play Time. The time for making new connections in the brain through being spontaneous and creative, enjoying playful novel experiences.

•• Physical Time. Moving our body aerobically is an essential aspect that strengthens our brain in many ways.

•• Connecting Time. Appreciating the natural world around us and connecting with people, especially in person, activates our brain’s relational circuitry.

•• Time In. Our ‘me-time’, where we reflect internally, focusing on our thoughts and feelings to better integrate the brain.

•• Down Time. The brain’s chance to recharge, with non-focused, non-goal oriented time, where we let our mind wander and simply relax.

Make sure you fill your ‘mind’s plate’ with what it needs to be a healthy mind.

•• Will you be outdoors during times when mosquitos are most active?

•• Are you taking medications with you?

•• Whether travel is actually needed particularly if you are in the later stages of pregnancy?

Seeing your GP well in advance can be a great way of preparing and avoiding unnecessary harm to yourself and your family while in a foreign country. Discussion and administration of immunisations that are appropriate for your destination, age and medical status can be a fantastic way of avoiding contraction of harmful diseases. Your GP can also guide you on antibiotics that may be beneficial if you are visiting high-risk areas.

Once you have returned, the holiday may be over, but you can still be at risk. Some diseases do not appear until later, so as a general rule of thumb, if you become sick after returning from a holiday it is advisable to see your local doctor.

Great information can be found on the Australian Government’s Smartraveller website www.smartraveller.gov.au

TEST YOUR DNA At Calanna Whole Health Pharmacy, the team knows that each person is unique.

Get your DNA Test Kit from Calanna to find out how your body will respond to what you eat and drink, how you exercise and the medicines you take.

42 October 2017 | www.pakmag.com.au

Healthy Recipes

HEALTHY RECIPES

Sweet Potato & Maple Glazed Pears with Crunchy Moroccan Chickpea Salad - Serves 4

Banana and Coconut Teff Muffins - Serves 12 Recipe by Sally O’Neil @thefitfoodieblog

Recipe by Melissa Wallace @wholesomedaily

Ingredients 1 ½ cups almond meal 3 large bananas, mashed ¾ cup teff flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla powder 1 cup almond milk 2 tbsp rice malt syrup (or other liquid sweetner) 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ cup granulated stevia 2 tbsp coconut flakes

Salad Ingredients 200g soaked and rinsed chickpeas ¼ cup olive oil 2 tbs Moroccan spice blend (1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp salt, ¾ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp cayenne, ½ tsp ground allspice) 500g sweet potato, unpeeled and cut into wedges 2 medium pears, unpeeled and cut into 8 wedges ¼ cup pomegranate arils

Method

Dressing Ingredients

Preheat oven to 160°c.

1 cup coconut yoghurt 1 tbs tahini Juice of ½ lemon 200g rocket to serve.

Mash the bananas, then add milk and liquid sweetner and mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, add all the dry ingredients (excluding the coconut flakes) and mix.

Add the wet ingredientsto the dry mix and whisk until a smooth batter forms.

Spoon into a 12 hole muffin tray.

Top each muffin with some coconut flakes and bake for approximatly 30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Method Bake sweet potato and drizzle pear in the maple syrup then bake in oven until cooked.

Rinse and pat dry chickpeas, add olive oil and spice blend and cook in oven until crisp.

For the dressing, blend coconut yoghurt, lemon and tahini until combined and set aside.

To serve: arrange rocket, sweet potato and pears on plate. Top with chickpeas and pomegranate arils and drizzle with dressing.

Recipes bought to you by The Source Bulk Foods. You can pick up quality, fresh ingredients for these recipes from The Source Bulk Foods. For more gorgeous recipes pick up The Source Bulk Foods free Winter Recipes cook book in store. Check them out on Facebook: /TheSourceBulkFoodsCairns

www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 45

SNAPPED

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1. Grand Final Winners, Manunda Hawks U11’s 2. Grand Final Winners, Cairns Saints U13’s Div 1 3. Grand Final Winners, Cairns City Lions U13’s Div 2 4. Grand Final Winners, Youth Girls Centrals Trinity Beach U17’s 5. Grand Final Winners, Cazalys Colts Cape York Eagles 6. Cairns Saints U10’s

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AFL Cairns Snapped

www.aflcairns.com.au/juniors

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7. Cairns Saints U10’s 8. Grand Final Winners, Manunda Hawks U15’s 9. North Cairns tigers U8’s 10. Hope, Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 11. Jordan, Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 12. Cairns City Lions U8’s

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snapped snapped

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WINNER! Sunbird's Smile of the Month wins a mystery prize!

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1. Sharon, Aaron and Kaitlynde - Muddies Playground 2. Samantha - Cairns Skating Centre 3. Astrid - Muddies Playgound 4. Abby and Kaylee - Muddies Playgound 5. Madeline - Freshwater Tennis Club 6. Ben - Freshwater Tennis Club 7. Elia - Cairns Skating Centre

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Sunbird Orthodontics Snapped

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Photography thanks to: Captured by Catherine - 0407 588 361 www.catherinecoombs.com

8. Nikolas and Jasmine - Muddies Playgound 9. Kaylee - Muddies Playgound 10. Ben - Freshwater Tennis Club 11. Mia and Arlia - Mudies Playgound 12. Keira - Muddies Playgound

www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 49

Business

BUSINESS NEWS NIKKI THE CLOWN

CAIRNS BUSINESS WOMENS CLUB Cairns Business Women’s Club (CBWC) offers support, development and assistance to all women in business in Cairns, whether in private enterprise or public service. They provide a place for women to network, educate, celebrate success through Awards and above all inspire each other to generate more success in business.

Nikki the Clown is an established, professional children’s entertainer.

This side of her career began many years ago in Dubai where Nikki became a celebrity with her Puppet Shows, music and fun games, appearing in an English-speaking children’s TV show which she co-wrote. At the same time, Nikki performed regularly, as a singer and guitarist at Dubai hotels like the Hilton and the Sheraton.

After moving to Cairns, Nikki added face painting, balloon twisting and various character costumes to her act and is also part of the well-known duo Barbary Coasters.

To become a member of this inspiring club, visit the CBWC website www.cbwc.org.au

Nikki is able to offer her clients a choice of activities to suit their event, be it a birthday party, corporate event, Christmas celebration or charity event. Costs vary with activities, time required and location, but be assured the prices are very reasonable.

This month’s CBWC luncheon is on Friday the 13th October at the Pullman Cairns International, with Amanda Stevens as the guest speaker, a renowned thought leader on customer experience. Cost for members $59.00 and non-members $79.00.

BUSINESS INDEX Studio Pilates Cairns

Spa in a Jar

You won’t settle for an ordinary workout again. Discover your new favourite way to workout. p 4041 4140 www.studiopilates.com

Locally developed natural skin and health care products to relax, restore and rejuvenate. p 0451 182 425 www.spajar.com

Abacus by Wallis

Garden Sparkle

Skills for mental calculation. Sums, multiplication and division through abacus skills. 5 year olds + p 0437 600 229 facebook: Abacus by Wallis

Fairy gardens with heart. Kits + fairies, unicorns and accessories.

Gift shop opening in Cairns soon! p 0420 234 776 www.gardensparkle.com.au

Nikki the Clown

Modern Pantry

Facepainting, puppets, balloons, games, music, fun party entertainment by established, professional performer. p 0408 183 032 entertainmentcairns.com/nikkitheclown

Fun and educational classes that teach children the joy of food and cooking. p 0405 039 199 www.modernpantry.com.au

50 October 2017 | www.pakmag.com.au

Business

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1. 3rd Love A Floral Crush Dress - RRP $89.95 - www.globalfreestyle.com.au 2. Love Heart Fairy Mugs Set - RRP $4.00 www.gardensparkle.com.au 3. Pink Fairy - RRP $23.00 - www.gardensparkle.com.au 4. Island Tassel Aqua Earrings by Blue Scarab - RRP $25.00 - www.prettylittlesomething.com.au 5. Dream Weaver Earrings by Blue Scarab - RRP $27.00 www.prettylittlesomething.com.au 6. Cactus Dreaming Cloth Nappy - RRP $34.95 - www.hello-miss-poppyseed.myshopify.com 7. Heavenly Magnesium-Rich Bath Salts, Lovable Blend 200g - RRP $39.00 - www.spajar.com.au 8. Gingersnap Cwedarwick Candle by Sohum - RRP $32.00 - www.prettylittlesomething.com.au 9. Dreaming Mermaid - RRP $11.61 - www.gardensparkle.com.au 10. I Love You Candle Orange and Grapefruit - RRP $12.95 - www.ellej.com.au 11. Kissed by Nature Box - RRP $45.00 - www.prettylittlesomething.com.au

BUSINESS INDEX PhyxMe Physio & Fitness

Pretty Little Something

Our Edge Hill studio offers Pilates, yoga, meditation, cycling, rehab and fitness classes. p 4053 4343 www.phyxme.com.au

Online gift boutique inspired by tropical North Queensland.

Making gifting easy and beautiful. p 0410 519 790 www.prettylittlesomething.com.au

Calanna Whole Health Pharmacy

Gift of the Gab

Cairns whole health advisors for pharmacy, natural therapy and dietary advice for wellbeing and quality of life p 4033 2814 www.calannapharmacy.com.au

Call Kathy for quality creative unique and affordable wow factor for your next party or event. p 0488 972 789 www.giftofthegab.com.au

Pupstars Daycare and Grooming

PakMag

Doggy daycare, pet grooming and dog training. Two locations Portsmith and Marlin Coast. p 4041 6096 or 4057 8218 m 0431 213 971

Advertise here from just $100 + GST per month*. Get in touch and talk to our marketing experts. e admin@grandpublishing.com.au www.pakmag.com.au www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 51

Business

WHAT’S NEW IN BUSINESS Talk Time Speech & Language Pathology is a busy little private practice servicing the south side Their new clinic offers four treatment rooms with a large waiting area and is conveniently located within Piccone’s Shopping Village in Edmonton. Since opening in 2014 with head therapist Teagan Pease, Talk Time has rapidly grown into a larger clinic with additional therapists, Alison Mather and Courtney McClanachan.

Working with children with speech, language, fluency, literacy, or social skill difficulties, the therapists work hard to ensure every session is enjoyable and successful for the

children. They have a huge range of games and resources to keep little ones (and the big ones!) motivated.

They’ve also had the unique opportunity of being able to offer kindergarten screening programs, and parent and staff education sessions thanks to Communities for Children and Mission Australia. You may have also noticed their therapists at some of the fantastic playgroups offered by the Cairns Early Years Centre, where the therapists are available to answer questions or concerns and offer tips and support to families who come along.

These opportunities help them to work towards their mission of supporting the wider community to reduce the impact of communication difficulties in children.

If you have concerns or would like some advice on your child’s communication development, give them a call on 4045 4615.

Non-surgical treatment for obesity is now available in Cairns at Cairns Gastroenterology.

Obesity is the single most pressing health problem of our time and ‘growing’. Dieting and exercise simply doesn’t work for the majority of sufferers. Invasive surgery can result in impressive weight loss but has complications rates of 10-18 per cent, according to US data.

brain ‘resets’ at the higher level and resists attempts to lose weight. At a BMI of 30-40, a person still has a reasonable chance of ‘resetting’ their brain and making the necessary changes to maintain a healthier weight and lifestyle with the assistance of ESG.

The community has been crying out for a non-invasive weight loss procedure. Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) is a new revolutionary non-surgical weight loss technique that is performed with a camera through the mouth. The stomach is stitched up internally to result in a 75 per cent reduction in capacity, and complication rates are quoted at one per cent in the latest US studies. Patients typically leave the hospital the next morning and are back to normal activities in three days.

Weight loss of 20-25 per cent has been reported.

ESG is technically demanding, and the device manufacturer will only work with elite Endoscopists like those at Cairns Gastroenterology who have a combined experience of over 45,000 endoscopic procedures spanning 16 years.

ESG works best for patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30-40. As a patient gains more weight, the

For more information on this exciting new procedure, visit CairnsGastro.com.au or call 4041 2877.

www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 53

Your Families Future

Buying or selling?

You need a conveyancer STORY Marino Lawyers Are you in the market to buy a new property or in the process of selling? We all know how nerve-wracking that can be. Choose D.I.Y conveyancing, and from negotiation to settlement, your stress levels will skyrocket, and you’ll still need a conveyancer for the specialist legal details. To ease the burden and avoid mistakes, get advice right from the beginning.

A conveyancer will help you meet the legal obligations and ensure your rights are protected during the buying or selling transaction.

What else can a conveyancer do for you?

Legal advice: When buying or selling a property, the terms and conditions included in the contract must be clear for both parties. Every sentence has a purpose, and every condition stipulated needs to be very clear.

So, while you might think drafting a contract can’t be that hard, the reality is that many legal battles are won and lost due to badly drawn up contracts. Proper guidance from legal counsel from the beginning helps ensure a fair settlement for both parties.

Prepare documents: Legal documents must be prepared and handled by a legal professional. Buying or selling property is likely to be the biggest purchase or sale you ever make; for your own protection, the documents need to be accurate. A conveyancer can assist you in preparing the contract, as well as all other documents needed like Land Title,

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Vendor’s Statement and other necessary papers to complete the real estate transaction.

How to spot a good conveyancer.

Referral: Nothing beats a personal recommendation from a trusted friend, colleague or family member. Try to ask questions about that person’s particular experience with a conveyancer, don’t just rely on, “My uncle does that,” or, “I know someone who used this person.” When your hard-earned cash is at stake, you want to know that the person recommending someone has actual experience in using that person for conveyancing.

Online: Have you heard about forum sites? You’ll find reviews, feedback, comments and mentions from different people based on their experience. If you have enough time to search and check, forums could be a good place to start your research. You can also google Conveyancing Solicitors and check the reviews in the responses you get.

Member of Australian Institute of Conveyancers: Before you hire anyone, make sure they’re licenced.

Never assume the person you choose is legally allowed to carry out the work they do. Licensed professionals are committed to being accountable for their actions. If they are not registered, choose someone else.

If you want to ensure your property purchase or property sale is handled professionally we highly recommend the use of an experienced licensed Conveyancer.

Advertorial

Families who play together stay together!

STORY Gary Bradley, Owner, Sportsworld Fitness, Cairns

Think about the above statement, when growing up and now with your own family, you will find it hard to argue against it. The family unit delivers into our society tomorrows generation, and the success of our next generation relies on their health and well-being, both physically and mentally.

The benefits of exercise are irrefutable, and the prevention of obesity is, in my mind, the single biggest benefit for your child. Obesity can cause problems like depression, anxiety, a lack of self-confidence and a range of health issues. In most cases, all of this is preventable, and it all starts at home.

As a parent and an exercise professional, I have read many testimonials, studies and reports. I have experienced 25 years of teams, groups and individual’s health and fitness needs, highs and lows, goals and outcomes. I can personally vouch that families play a pivotal role in an individual’s future success.

At Sportsworld, I am offering the opportunity for families to be active together with the following activity options, and at a price that is very affordable.

Set a good example.

As a parent, your children learn from you, your actions, your words, your mannerisms and even your opinions. They may not admit it, and they may even deny it, but they do.

Don’t ask your kids to get off the couch when that’s what you are doing yourself.

Group Fitness Classes An extensive array of enthusiastic instructors deliver classes to suit all levels of fitness.

Gym – We have everything from treadmills, bikes and rowers to cable weight machines and Olympic free weights. Weight training is recommended for every age, male or female. The key is knowing how much, how often and how to do it correctly.

Learn to Swim - It is essential that our children can firstly survive in the water and then learn to swim and enjoy the water.

Childminding - Drop the toddlers off to our childminders and have some free time in the gym to yourself. Recharge your mind and invigorate your body with a workout of your choice.

25-meter Pool, Sauna and Spa Swim laps or join in on an Aqua Aerobic class.

Ladies Only Gym - For the girls who like the convenience and privacy of their own studio.

Squash Courts – Join our junior clinics, get coaching, or compete in one of our many club competitions (all levels) or perhaps just have a social hit amongst friends and family.

I am passionate about sport and exercise and believe we should all be involved. The earlier we start, the more chance it will become habitual.

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58 October 2017 | www.pakmag.com.au

Earthbound Images by Kate Stoter

The MILLENNIAL Entrepreneur The gig-economy is here to stay, and millennials such as Oliver Murphy-Kurth (Ollie) are embracing it as a rewarding career.

He’s university educated, but swears by broad experience and embracing opportunities as a key to happiness and success. Even though he’s only 22, he’s worked in the corporate environment, had numerous other jobs and regular gigs as a musician. He loves taking on ad-hoc projects that he can do to make some extra money, use his broad skills, and make a difference at the same time.

Initially, he had planned a career in the corporate environment, but it didn’t take long for him to realise that corporate life wasn’t suited to him. So, he traded in a regular pay check for the flexibility of choosing the work he does. Ollie follows the philosophy that if you enjoy your work, you never work a day in your life.

“Many people choose work based on the pay, but I look for more. Why work in something I don’t enjoy, just to spend all the money I make on holidaying to do what I enjoy? I would prefer to do work that may be harder to make a living, but allows me to contribute and have purpose”. He’s passionate about the environment, the outdoors and advocates for people to make conscious choices. “Young people can get trapped into following what other people want them to do, rather than really thinking about what they want to do, what their values are, and what’s important to them.”

Whether working for someone or himself, Ollie has excellent work-ethic. “Whether I’m doing jobs that

other people don’t want to do or my dream jobs, I bring a positive attitude, and want to be proud of the contribution I make.” At the moment, Ollie is managing and guiding WindSwell Kitesurfing in Port Douglas.

He’s busy and works long days, but he’s getting paid while sharing his passion for the outdoors and the environment with his customers from around the world.

“Every day I get to go out onto the Coral Sea, have fun and teach people about how their choices affect our environment… it doesn’t get much better than that” His parents may not have planned for Ollie to work in the gig economy but they’ve always been supportive of him doing his own thing. “Having trust that your children can make good decisions about their own life is a tip I’d give to parents”.

His tips for young people: •• Be your own person, don’t be a sheep.

•• Think about what you really want to do.

•• Use social media to document your life, but not to define you.

•• Try out lots of things, even the jobs no one wants to do, to give you broad experience.

•• Take advantage of opportunities (that you want to do).

Ollie plays each Friday evening at Wharf One Café at Trinity Wharf. You can catch where he is playing through his facebook page @omkmusicofficial or book him for your event on 0400 812 638.

www.pakmag.com.au | October 2017 59

Celebrate

SPOOKY SPREE From plastic spiders to toilet paper mummies, Halloween is just around the corner. So why not throw your little one a spooktacular monster bash with plenty of tricks and treats for all?

Pizza Monsters Make your very own spooky faces with these cheesy monster pizzas.

Ingredients:

Pineapple Jack O’Lantern

•• Pre-made or home-made pizza bases

Bring a tropical twist to the classic pumpkin Jack o’Lantern with this sweet but spooky surprise.

•• Pizza sauce and your favourite pizza toppings

What you’ll need:

Creating your pizza monster:

•• A whole pineapple

1. Taking a pizza base, cover with your desired pizza sauce.

•• Knife and Spoon

2. Let your imagination run wild as you dice and slice your favourite pizza toppings to make your very own unique pizza monster.

•• Tea light candle How to:

3. Place in a hot oven for 10 mins and watch your monster come to life!

1. Carefully cut the top off the pineapple and scoop out the centre with a spoon (Make sure to keep the pineapple top as you’ll need this later).

4. Once cooked remove your spooky creation from the oven and enjoy.

2. Using a sharp knife cut out a spooky face.

3. Place a tea candle inside and place the top of the pineapple back on top of your spooky pineapple face.

Boo-Nana Pops Simply cut a banana in half and insert a popsicle stick into the bottom. Dip the banana into melted white chocolate and add two chocolate chips for eyes. Place in freezer until frozen. Then enjoy!

Please note that pineapples are more perishable than pumpkins, so we suggest making this spooky creation only a day before your event.

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Be Magnetised by Magnetic Island STORY Kate Moloney

If you are looking for a tropical break away from the hustle and bustle, then look no further than Magnetic Island.

With “Maggie” lying just 8 kilometres off Townsville, and only a quick ferry trip away, the island is the perfect retreat. With 23 beautiful bays and beaches, you are sure to find your own little piece of heaven. Magnetic Island is known for its laid-back vibe, and you will experience the welcoming community from the moment you step off the boat. With so many activities on offer, you will struggle to decide what to do first. Getting around is easy, you can choose to either hire a vehicle on the island or take advantage of the Sunbus regular bus service.

Magnetic Island is two-thirds protected National Park, offering you plenty of opportunities to unwind and explore its rugged nature and abundant wildlife. There are a number of walks of differing lengths and difficulty, from the shorter Butterfly Walk and Horseshoe Bay Lagoon Walk, to the famous Forts Walk (approximately 4km) which takes about 90 minutes return. It is an easy to moderate walk that offers 360-degree views of the coast and the Coral Sea, as well as providing the opportunity to see Australia’s largest population of koalas in the wild.

Being situated in the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, you have the opportunity to explore the reef, whether it is snorkelling off a bay, or taking in a fishing or dive tour. Add to that the exhilarating water

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sports options available at Horseshoe Bay such as kayaking, kneeboarding, wakeboarding, waterskiing and jetskiing, and your day is sure to be filled with fun.

If your interests are more cultural, then Magnetic Island still has you covered with the Magnetic Island History and Craft Centre and the Magnetic Museum both offering the opportunity to explore the island’s colourful past. The art scene on Magnetic Island won’t leave you wanting either, with numerous galleries and opportunities to see artists at work in their studios.

After all this exploring, you are sure to have worked up an appetite and satisfying your hunger will not be a problem. You can choose to enjoy the free shore side BBQ facilities, get your supplies from one of the two supermarkets, or sit back and indulge at one of the many restaurant options available across the island.

Getting to Magnetic Island couldn’t be easier with SeaLink operating up to 18 daily high-speed catamaran services, crossing the sheltered waters of Cleveland Bay in only 20 minutes.

Tickets are available at the terminal or on-board the boats, so there is no need to pre-book (though if you prefer to you book ahead, you can book online). The terminal is located within the Breakwater Terminal on Sir Leslie Thiess Drive in Townsville. You can contact SeaLink on 1300 MAGGIE (1300 624 443) or to book online visit www.sealinkqld.com.au

Home

LOVELY LAUNDRY With the Block’s Caro and Kingi Is your laundry in need of an urgent make over?

There are many ways to revamp your laundry, as well as creating a system that gets the job done in an organised way. We have the top tips and tricks to transform your laundry from mayhem to spick and span.

Lighting Lighting is important to master in the laundry as this room is known to become dull and quite dark. Not enough light in a room can impact your mood and motivation, making it hard to do daily chores. We suggest aiming for warm-toned lighting, or even better, welcome the natural light within this space to provide a fresh and appealing environment.

Spacing Take a look at the space you are working with. Can you save space by simply re-arranging items in the room? If you are in need of new laundry appliances, try looking into a slim structured machine to save space.

Nobody wants to see dirty laundry on the ground or piled in a basket taking up precious bench space. So why not add a dirty clothes “bin” into your laundry.

These drawers act as a storage unit to keep track of your washing, while also freeing up bench space providing a clean clutter free work environment.

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The Battle of Clutter No matter what room it is, clutter will always find its way in. From stain removers to a variety of soap sprays, your laundry shelf is starting to look like a supermarket.

Although these products are a necessity for removing mysterious stains that kids create, the collection can create an unsightly view. Why not display these products in good-looking jars to create an organised shelf that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing?

This way, you can buy products in bulk to save money and never run out of your important products.

Smart Ironing From school uniforms to work attire, ironing boards are essential to any laundry. However, this vital element can take up valuable space when not in use. Install a wall mounted iron to save space as well as creating a more organised flow in your workspace. We suggest upgrading to a larger ironing board as this will make your ironing duties more enjoyable and easier.

Colour Scheme A coat of paint can go a long way, especially in a room known to be dull and dark. By using a bright colour scheme from pastel pinks and blues to a variety of white tones, the environment of your laundry room will change drastically. By staying away from dark tones and heavy textures, you begin to open this room up into an inviting and brighter work space.

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1. www.brepurposed.porch.com 2. www.vintagerevivals.com 3. Interior by Piet Jan van den Kommer 4. Ladder Stand - RRP $100.00 www.vastinterior.com.au 5. Bondi Wash Laundry Wash Tasmanian Pepper & Lavender - RRP $22.00 $11.00 - www.korufurnitureandhomewares.com.au 6. UE MEGABOOM Wireless Speaker - RRP $348.00 - www.harveynorman.com.au 7. Natural Cotton Rope Basket - RRP $19.95 - www.ellej.com.au 8. HOLA Timber Wall Plaque - RRP $29.95 $15.00 - www.ellej.com.au 9. Verve 7 Drawer Chest - RRP $1,499.00 - www.vastinterior.com.au

Advertorial

ESSENTIAL VACCINATIONS FOR YOUR DOG STORY Jane Quinn

Vaccination is the best way to protect your pet from serious infectious diseases. Most of the diseases we vaccinate against have no specific cure or where treatment is available it can be prolonged, costly and often unsuccessful.

Tetanus – Vaccination is recommended if your dog lives, plays or hunts on farms, bushland or around horses.

How vaccines work.

Cairns Veterinary Clinic’s dog vaccination regime.

Vaccines contain disease-causing viruses or bacteria that have been chemically changed, so they don’t cause disease. When your dog is vaccinated, the immune system produces antibodies that work against the viruses or bacteria that cause the disease. If your pet is exposed to the infectious disease after vaccination, these antibodies will help destroy the virus or bacteria.

Puppies

When presenting your pet for vaccinations, the standard vaccination regime most vets use (often called a C5) includes protection against the following four diseases: Canine Parvovirus – A highly contagious intestinal virus that infects puppies and adult dogs.

Canine Distemper – A highly contagious viral disease that can affect dogs of any age.

Canine Hepatitis – A viral disease which is highly contagious and often fatal.

Canine kennel cough – A dry hacking cough which can persist for several weeks.

Due to Cairns being a high-risk area for both Leptospirosis and Tetanus, we strongly recommend vaccination against these diseases: Canine Leptospirosis – A serious disease risk for both humans and dogs. It is spread by the urine of rats and is usually transmitted by contaminated food, water or by rat bites.

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For more on these diseases click here.

Puppies are ‘temporarily’ protected against diseases by antibodies received through their mother’s milk (if the mother is vaccinated). These maternal antibodies decline in the first few months of a puppy’s life and until sufficiently low these antibodies can neutralise vaccines.

This is why a series of vaccines are necessary.

First vaccination – 6 to 8 weeks of age. Generally, will include protection against Canine Parvovirus, Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis & Canine kennel cough (C5).

Second vaccination – 10 to 12 weeks of age. Generally, will include C5 injection and the first initial Leptospirosis and Tetanus vaccinations, given at 12 weeks.

Third vaccination – 16 to 18 weeks of age. In the event of an infectious disease outbreak, a third C5 injection is recommended. The second Leptospirosis and Tetanus vaccinations are also given.

Adult Dogs The protection provided by a vaccine gradually declines after a dog has been vaccinated. Annual re-vaccination is essential to maintaining long term immunity. Adult dogs are vaccinated yearly for Leptospirosis and every five years for Tetanus.

For more information on vaccination or to make an appointment for your pet, please contact us.