Regional Extra 270923

Learning new ways of writing

By CHLOE JAENICKE

COSTA Georgiadis is a well-known landscape architect and TV presenter with a passion for all things gardening and will be featuring at the Mount Beauty Writer Festival on October 7.

He started writing his debut book, ‘Costa’s World: Gardening for the Soil, the Soul and the Suburbs’, in 2019, two years before it was published in 2021.

In the book he merged his two loves of gardening and writing, both of which he fell in love with at a young age.

His passion for gardening was fuelled by his family, specifically grandparents.

“My grandparents were the real catalyst for my connection, my parents just nurtured what my grandparents instilled in me,” he said.

“When we start to see us as nature and not separate, we can begin to appreciate it more.”

As for his love of writing, that stemmed from his love of language due to studying other languages including Greek, French, German and Czech.

According to Costa, he had always been asked to write a book since his days on SBS in the 2000s but said he just didn’t have the time until recently.

“I thought I just don’t have the time, unless there’s some kind of app you can put your hand on while you sleep and it transcribes your thoughts,” he said.

While he had done other forms of writing, such as writing articles and speeches, Costa found he couldn’t participate in writers festivals without a book.

This prompted him to begin writing his first book and he is proud he did.

■ Continued page 6

◆ COSTA’S WORLD: Costa Georgiadis released his first book in 2021 and will be a featured writer at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival. with ROB

Im-peck-able bird keeping

BIRD keeping has been entwined through human culture for centuries, dating back well before the fifth century BC.

Some bird species can be trained and live within the household while others thrive as an aviary exhibit in the backyard.

Good bird keeping involves researching a breed thoroughly before keeping it.

For example, if you are looking to obtain a native bird, a wildlife license is required prior to purchasing.

All birds also require worming, especially if kept outdoors, and good cage hygiene is a must.

Always research or discuss with a breeder what is required to house and feed the species you are interested in.

All birds do not eat the same thing, and bird seed alone is seldom enough to keep your bird healthy, and too many sunflower seeds can cause liver issues.

Different birds can be insectivorous (finches), granivorous (parrots) or nectarivorous (lorikeets).

We are lucky today that there are many quality commercial feeds and pellets available to provide the main nutrients for each species.

Bird diets often need supplementing with fresh veggies, fruits, flowers and branches to chew on.

with Ovens and Kiewa Veterinary Hospital

Insectivorous birds often require live insects such as maggots, crickets or mealworms to keep them healthy, and it is up to you as the keeper to supply these.

Birds are also very intelligent, with some species having a similar intelligence to a four-year-old child.

Due to their advanced cognitive state, environmental enrichment and social interaction are a must with most parrot species, simply putting them in a small cage in the corner is not enough.

Cage design is important for ensuring your birds cannot escape, no rodents or wild birds can get in, and that your birds feel secure and safe.

Rodents can kill smaller birds and need to be dealt with accordingly, and wild birds can spread disease to your birds.

Planted aviaries containing natural foliage can be aesthetically pleasing and showcase a mix of species.

If you are interested in bird keeping contact the Aviculture Society of Australia or their Goulburn Valley Branch in Shepparton for more information.

with Rob Alexander

Fishing improves in lakes, rivers

THINGS are really starting to heat up on the fishing front right across North East Victoria at the moment.

I have received a number of good reports from Lake Nillahcootie over the past week, with people saying yellowbelly, Murray cod, carp and even a couple of redfin are being caught, all off the bank using worms as bait.

The Murray cod have all been released as it is the closed Murray cod season.

I was also sent a few photos of some lovely yellowbelly caught on medium sized diving lures from a boat - Nillahcootie is starting to fire.

Social media has been awash with photos of fat chunky yellowbelly (golden perch) being caught at both Lake Hume and Lake Eildon over the past week. These fish appear to have been caught on medium sized hard body diving lures and lipless crankbaits.

The yellowbelly are not fully on the bite yet, but they’re biting enough to lure many

keen anglers onto both lakes to try their luck.

Trout fishing is going from strength to strength across the region with most anglers that head out being rewarded with a catch of trout.

I had a great day fishing in a small tributary of the Ovens River last week, catching plenty of both brown and rainbow trout.

None were overly large, but I had a lot of fun catching them.

I caught mine on a combination of soft plastics and small diving minnows, but to be honest they were biting so well that I don’t really think it would have mattered which lure I was using.

There were not fussy at all.

The main Ovens River itself is fishing quite well at the moment.

Anywhere upstream of Bright is worth a try.

Wading can be a bit tricky as the river is still flowing quite strong, so care needs to be taken when walking in the water.

This Day in History, 1872

THERE was nothing like a ploughing match to draw a crowd of spectators, and one of the biggest matches of its time was held on this day in Oxley, when between six and seven hundred people gathered at Tea Garden Creek, on Mr P. Skeane’s farm, to see the finest ploughmen of the district at work.

◆ GOTCHA: A nice brown trout caught on a small minnow lure in a tributary of the Ovens River.

WANGARATTA

◆ BIRD KEEPING: Good bird keeping requires researching the bird’s breed thoroughly to ensure proper care.

TASTY FOOD Papaya Lime Bars

To

Ingredients

For the crust

• 100gm butter, melted

• 1 cup flour (130gm)

• 1/2 cup icing sugar mixture (60gm)

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

• Zest from 1 lime – approx. 1 tsp

• Pinch sea salt

For the filling

• 1/2 cup mashed papaya (125gm)

• 1/3 cup lime juice (80ml)

• 2 eggs

• 1/4 cup caster sugar (60gm)

• 2 tbsp cornflour (20gm)

• Zest from 1 lime – approx. 1 tsp

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

Lightly coat a 20cm x 20cm pan with cooking spray, then line the base and two sides with a single strip of baking paper.

2. In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients for the crust (flour through salt)

and mix well.

Add melted butter and stir to create a soft dough.

Turn dough into the prepared pan and press evenly across the base.

3. Par-bake the crust for 12 mins until just golden.

While it’s baking, make the filling.

4. Add papaya and lime juice to a blender jug and puree until smooth.

Add remaining filling ingredients (eggs through salt) and pulse to combine.

5. Remove pan from the oven, pour filling over the hot crust and return to the oven.

Bake for an additional 18-20 mins, until bars are puffed and firm to the touch in the centre.

6. Allow papaya bars to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the slice and using the paper to lift it out onto a rack.

Cool completely, then cut into bars to serve.

With Simone

Drawing on mythology of ancient Greek gods

GREEK mythology continues to inspire authors - even now, in the 2020s.

It’s often used as a story source for young adult fiction, and two novels released over the last year are examples of the enduring appeal of stories of gods.

Late last year, English sisters Katharine and Elizabeth Corr released ‘Daughter of Darkness’, the first instalment in the ‘House of Shadows’ duology. The sequel, ‘Queen of Gods’, was released earlier this year.

This fantasy series allows readers to enter the Underworld, where the Gods of Ancient Greece rule everything but fate.

‘Daughters of Darkness’ tells the story of Deina, one of the Soul Severers serving the god Hades on Earth. She feels trapped, as her future is tied to the task of shepherding the dying on from the mortal world - unless she can earn or steal enough to buy her way out.

Then the tyrant ruler Orpheus offers both fortune and freedom to whoever can retrieve his dead wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld.

Deina jumps at the chance. But to win, she must enter into an uneasy alliance with a group of fellow Severers she neither likes nor trusts.

So begins their perilous journey into the realms of Hades. The prize of freedom is before her…but what will it take to reach it?

While not specifically steeped in Greek mythology, warring gods are a feature of

another recent release, Australian author Amie Kaufman’s ‘The Isles of the Gods’.

In this story, main character Selly has saltwater in her veins, so when her father leaves her high and dry in the port of Kirkpool, she has no intention of riding out the winter at home while he sails to adventure in the north seas.

But any plans to follow him are dashed when a handsome stranger with tell-tale magician’s marks on his arm commandeers her ship under cover of darkness.

He is Prince Leander of Alinor, and he needs to cross the Crescent Sea without detection so he can complete a ritual on the sacred Isles of the Gods.

Selly has no desire to escort a spoiled prince anywhere, and no time for his entitled demands or his good looks.

But what starts as a leisure cruise leads to acts of treason and sheer terror on the high seas, bringing two countries to the brink of war, two strangers closer than they ever thought possible, and two dangerous gods stirring from centuries of slumber.

* Thanks to Allen & Unwin, we have a copy of each book to give away to one lucky reader. If you would like to be in the running to win ‘Daughter of Darkness’ by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr (RRP $19.99) and ‘The Isles of the Gods’ by Amie Kaufman (RRP $24.99), simply email skerwin@ nemedia.com.au and tell us why you would like to win.

◆ WIN: Copies of ‘The Isles of the Gods’ and ‘Daughter of Darkness’ are up for grabs for one lucky reader.

THIS zesty treat from Papaya Australia makes an ideal addition to a lunchbox or morning tea plate.

find more recipes like this, see australianpapaya.com.au.

Learning new ways of writing

■ From page 1 “I didn’t write a book back in those earlier days because the book that I’ve written was written at the right time and I think it was meant to be,” he said.

While using nature and gardening as his muse for his writing came naturally, the writing process itself was more difficult to wrap his head around.

Costa said his first obstacle in writing was finding the right environment to write in.

Eventually he fell upon a unique way to get his thoughts onto the page through talking them through out loud and allowing his phone to translate them into an email.

“If I started typing I found I couldn’t type quick enough for my thoughts and I find that my most creative time is when I’m walking around talking or presenting somewhere,” he said.

“I would just walk around and I found that in half an hour I’d rip out 2000 words without even blinking.”

From there he’d edit what he’d

emailed to himself to fit into the book and make sense.

Another major learning curve for Costa in the writing process was editing his book.

He said he found editing is the most important part of writing a book, especially when working alongside his editor, his illustrator and graphic designer.

This is due to the back and forth about what should and shouldn’t be included in the book.

“I was strenuously standing up for my case and they were equally strenuously standing up for what they knew better than me,” he said.

“They know better because that’s what their work is, they’re not telling me how to spread the mulch or turn the compost and I enjoyed that process because you have to let go.”

Costa is currently working on his second book, which will be a children’s book which once again has been a new experience in writing.

He said the children’s book has been

FEATURE STORY

a whole new experience of writing due to the collaborations with the illustrator.

“The illustrators got to take everything that you’ve written and put 90 per cent of it into illustrations so I’ll be interested to see how that all plays out,” he said.

Costa is looking forward to the Mount Beauty Writers Festival due to the scenery and the intimate feel of a smaller writer’s festival.

“I think there’s something special about that part of the world, the mountains,” he said.

“It’s different to the city as far as the festival it’s going to bring out different levels of conversation in the mountains, in the fresh air and in the community in those landscapes.”

“Writers festivals for me are a chance to put your guard down and just observe and in some cases participate in conversations from a relaxed perspective disarmed from the city and the rigors of life.”

For more information on the Mount Beauty Writers Festival visit https://www. mountbeautywritersfestival.com/.

◆ GARDENING ENTHUSIAST: Costa Georgiadis recently decided to merge his love of writing and gardening in his book Costa’s World.

NorthEast JOBS

Graphic Designer

Full or part time opportunity

An opportunity has arisen for a graphic designer to join one of Victoria and NSW’s leading independent news and media groups, based at our Wangaratta office working on newspapers, magazines and digital properties across our group.

JOBS AT INDIGO

ALPINE SHIRE COUNCIL

Watters Electrical are hiring!

Locations: Wangaratta and Shepparton

As a family-owned industry leader, we offer competitive pay, growth opportunities, and a supportive team. If you're licensed and ready to excel, apply today and be part of our success!

Email applications to hr@watters.com.au

Finance and Administration Manager

North East Media and its subsidiary companies has a vacancy at its head office in Wangaratta (Victoria) for a motivated and experienced accounting and business administration professional to provide administration management, financial management, and HR support across the group.

Reporting directly to the CEO, the successful applicant will be responsible for the provision of day-to-day accounting and financial management responsibilities in the company. They will deliver on all financial and management accounting requirements within allocated deadlines, collaborate with the wider business to optimise finance operations and provide insightful financial and team information to the CEO for strategic decision making.

Essential Experience:

management and the ability to multitask while working autonomously.

role and the group.

data entry and financial record-keeping.

to collaborate with internal teams and external stakeholders.

We offer a competitive and attractive salary package for the right person and the chance to build a good long-term stable career with a well-respected employer.

letter to: Edward Higgins CEO North East Media Pty Ltd ehiggins@nemedia.com.au

Important Notice

Discrimination in Advertising is Unlawful

The Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 2010 makes it unlawful for an advertiser to show any intention to discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, age, marital status, political or religious belief or activity, industrial activity, parental or career status, physical features, disability, lawful sexual activity/ sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS status or on the basis of being associated with a person with one of the above characteristics, unless covered by an exception or granted an exception under the Act. As we could be legally liable if we print an unlawful advertisement we will not accept advertisements that appear to break the law. For more information about discrimination in advertising, contact your legal advisor, the Equal Opportunities Commission on 1800 134 142.

– MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY BY JOINING OUR TEAM!

www.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/ council/careers

CLASSIFIEDS WORK!

Position available: Welder/Metal

5723 0101

Following recent acquisitions North East Media is seeking additional graphic design support. You must be able to multitask, have strong organisational skills and be able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.

You must also be a team player who shows initiative and be able to work with minimal supervision.

Your experience will include sound skills developing artwork using Adobe InDesign. Experience designing artwork for multiple digital channels, including websites, social media, email marketing would be an advantage but not is not essential.

If you are looking for a new challenge in an energetic and stimulating environment, we would encourage you to apply.

Applications should be forwarded to:

Edward Higgins CEO

North East Media Pty Ltd ehiggins@nemedia.com.au

classifieds@nemedia.com.au Emailyouradvert

Quality Assurance Co-ordinator

Full-time Role

Exciting Career Opportunity

Based in Milawa, North East Victoria

About Us: Brown Family Wine Group is one of Australia’s most loved and respected wine companies built on over 130 years’ experience in quality winemaking, market leading innovation and family values that are at the heart of everything we do as a business.

Our portfolio has grown over time to now include market leading wine brands such as: Devil’s Corner from the East Coast of Tasmania, Tamar Ridge and Pirie from Tamar Valley Tasmania, Innocent Bystander from the Yarra Valley and of course Brown Brothers from Milawa Victoria the spiritual home of our business.

info@vacuumtrucks.com.au

GREAT JOBS FOR GREAT PEOPLE

The following opportunities now exist for enthusiastic, safety focused people with suitable experience and qualifications. Please visit our website to find out more about current positions available across Mawsons business divisions.

Heathcote – Concrete Truck Driver – HEAT004

Shepparton Country Concrete – Concrete Truck Driver – SHCC007

Mansfield – Concrete Truck Driver – MANS006

Shepparton – Concrete Truck Driver – SHEP005

Shepparton – Contractor required for Concrete Cartage

Mildura – 2IC – MILD005

Swan Hill – Concrete Truck Driver – SWAN002

Alexandra – Concrete Truck Driver – ALEX001

Castlemaine – Concrete Site Supervisor – CAST006

Regional North Victoria – Mechanical Engineer – COSE001

Myrtleford – Concrete Truck Driver – MYRT007

NSW Riverina – Contractor required for Concrete Cartage

Deniliquin – Concrete Truck Driver – DENI001

www.mawsons.com.au/careers/join-us

About the role: Reporting to the Pre-Production Manager this role has ownership of our packaging Quality Assurance processes. The primary function of this role is to ensure our packaging, as well as product packaged off-site, is within specifications and compliant with all quality standards, customer requirements and regulations.

About you: Ideally, the successful candidate will be highly motivated and have a background in quality assurance and/or compliance. You will have demonstrated ability to successfully implement business process improvements and have strong analytical, investigative, and problemsolving skills. You will also have:

Strong attention to detail with the ability to triage and prioritise evolving demands.

Experience working within ISO9001, ISO22000, HACCP and GMP quality systems is highly desirable.

Excellent communication skills – verbal, written, and interpersonal. Strong influencing and negotiation skills.

Intermediate to advanced computer skills and an ability to learn new programs and applications.

Experience within the food and beverage industry or fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) business, with a focus on quality, packaging, and production is desirable.

Driver’s Licence.

Occasional travel within Victoria and interstate will be required, including overnight stays.

What’s on Offer:

Work within one of Australia’s leading wine companies

Career development

Be part of a passionate and dedicated team Generous employee benefits including discounts on all products.

Apply Now!!

More Information: Further information and a position description may be obtained by emailing Allyce Henwood at careers@brownfwg.com.au .

Applications will close on 13 October 2023

High quality sprayers

SPRING is the perfect time to care for your garden and North East Fasteners has the perfect tools to make your garden look perfect.

We carry a range of Kincrome sprayers to help make your lawn lush and green.

Kincromes range of 12V sprayers offer agriculture users a high-quality sprayer for professional use which include innovative components and engineering for spot on broadcast spraying performance.

With Kincrome sprayers, there is no cool down period thanks to the premium components used throughout the pump allowing for a 100 per cent continuous duty rating allowing for consistent spraying over large areas.

They are also packed with components designed to reduce wear and keep working as well as a unique automatic power switch to help conserve the battery power.

As well as the agricultural grade sprayer pumps, there are also Kincrome products

Do we need two ears?

WE might take for granted that most people hear equally well from both their ears.

While it is “normal’ to have ears which both work fine, it is also quite possible to have a significant difference between the ears for various reasons.

Do we need both of them?

Firstly, for us to determine the source of a sound and localise it, two ears are very important.

suitable for the backyard including backpack sprayers and power sprayers.

These also contain the same industry standard in quality and usability while also being smaller and compact, making them perfect for smaller jobs while standing the test of time.

◆ Scan here to learn more about Kincrome sprayers that are now stocked at North East Fasteners:

Think what might happen if we have only one ear working: any sound you hear needs to go through the one working ear and it sounds like everything is coming from that side.

So, if you are about to cross the road and you hear a car approaching through the one hearing ear and you don’t look both ways, a car coming on your deaf side could easily lead to disaster.

If we are in a situation where there is a lot of background noise, having fairly similar hearing on each side assists us to filter out some of the noise when the conversation is on the other side.

The brain is able to filter out a little of the noise and concentrate on the speech, but this is not possible if conversation and noise are heard through only one ear.

There are not many things we do which are definitely dependent on using only one ear.

The activity which comes immediately to mind is listening to the telephone or mobile

phone, which is only one ear unless you have on the speaker.

It can also be more difficult for a driver to get the message in the car if the poor ear is toward the passenger and the better ear is just picking up the car noises.

We want to know that the eyes of the driver are looking at the road, not trying to lipread the message.

Overall, it is easier to get the message in a variety of listening places if we can hear on both sides.

If someone asks whether they need two hearing aids, the answer is usually “yes”, assuming both ears have a significant and “aidable” hearing loss.

For those people who have little or no useable hearing in one ear, other hearing solutions might be appropriate – in particular, a hearing device worn on the deaf side to deliver sound to the hearing ear which is known as a CROS aid.

Some people may also find that a cochlear implant is appropriate.

If you have a significant problem hearing, even if it is in only one ear, it is important to identify this.

Your Audiologist will assist you to work out ways to improve your communication.

Please call us for an appointment at Wangaratta Audiology on 03 5722 4433.

Everyone deserves to communicate.

◆ USING BOTH EARS: Hearing through both ears can help us in many situations such as crossing the road.

◆ INSDUSTRY STANDARD: Kincrome sprayers are built to last.

with Diana Bienvenu WANGARATTA AUDIOLOGY

with Rodney Dean NORTH EAST FASTENERS