Alliance Airlines Magazine - Aug/Sep 2018

August/september 2018

FISH FIRST THE BEST BOATS FOR THE JOB Retreat into Wildnerness Exploring the Tweed Valley

Grand Slam

Some of the top grand final moments ever

AusBiz.

The new Aussie business mag Fast Torque

Hitting the road in the latest Lexus

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A U S T R A L I A’ S L A R G E S T, FA M I LY O W N E D C O U N T R Y C L O T H I N G C O M PA N Y

Welcome.

WE’RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE OUR REGULAR TRAVELLERS ONBOARD AS WELL AS THOSE FLYING ON ALLIANCE FOR THE FIRST TIME. We’d particularly like to give a warm welcome to passengers travelling ex Cairns and Darwin as part of JTB Corporation's new return day trips to Uluru (Ayers Rock).

Welcome also to students from Ormiston College flying with us as part of a school camp educational program. The Grade 6 class will fly from Brisbane to Canberra to learn about Australia’s Federation and the Australian Government, and engage in interesting activities that will give them ‘hands on’ understanding of the Australian electoral system and the function of the Federal Government. We hope our budding young travellers have a great time!

From 31 August through to 1 September, I will be joining 20 Alliance Airlines employees and trade partners taking part in a cycling tour called Hangar2Hangar. The workplace initiative for Breast Cancer Network Australia will see participants ride over 400 kilometres from Cairns Airport to Townsville Airport in North Queensland. In addition to the physical challenge, we’ve set a fundraising target of $50,000 to help show our support for BCNA. I’m extremely proud of all our staff, suppliers and clients who have been involved and supportive of Hangar2Hangar, and to finally see it come to fruition. I’d particularly like to thank VIVA Energy Australia, PWC, Norton White Lawyers, IOR Petroleum, QBE, BMG Aviation and Alliance Leasing, who are all supporting us as corporate sponsors of the event.

If you would like to support our fundraising efforts visit hangar2hangar.com.au for more information and details on how to donate. If you have any feedback about your experience on our flights, email the Alliance Airlines team at media@allianceairlines.com.au.

Lee Schofield Chief Executive Officer

EDITORIAL

Publisher: Michelle Hespe

publisher@publishingbychelle.com Editor: Katrina Holden editor@publishingbychelle.com Art Director: Jon Wolfgang Miller Lifestyle & Travel Sales Manager: Sonja Halstead sonja.halstead@publishingbychelle.com AusBiz. Sales Manager: Effe Sandas advertising@publishingbychelle.com Sub Editors: Claire Hey, Sally Macmillan, Jessica Multari Editorial Assistant: Sarah Hinder editorial@publishingbychelle.com

CONTRIBUTORS Darren Baguley Kirsten Craze Anna Farrell Ken Gargett Briar Jensen Karl Peskett Ben Smithurst Jo Stewart

PRINTING

SOS Print + Media 65 Burrows Road, Alexandria, NSW, 2015 August/september 2018

FISH FIRST THE BEST BOATS FOR THE JOB Retreat into Wildnerness Exploring the Tweed Valley

Grand Slam

Some of the top grand final moments ever

AusBiz.

The new Aussie business mag Fast Torque

Hitting the road in the latest Lexus

Photo courtesy of Haines

Alliance is published by Publishing ByChelle (ABN: 78 621 375 853 ACN: 621 375 853) Suite 8, Level 8, 100 Walker Street North Sydney, NSW, 2060 (02) 9954 0349 publishingbychelle.com The reproduction of any content, in whole or part without prior written permission by the publisher, Michelle Hespe, is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed in the content are those of the contributors, and not necessarily those of the publisher. All information in this magazine was believed to be correct at the time of publication, and all reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders.

Publishing ByChelle cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If such items are sent to the magazine, they will not be returned. We apologise if we don’t get back to your email, as we do receive a large volume of communication via various online channels. Some images used in Alliance are from istock and Getty images, and we make every effort to credit all contributors.

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

26 In this issue.

Cover Story Which boat for which trip?

We help you to make that

tough yet exciting decision.

AusBiz. Check out AusBiz. at the back of the magazine. In this edition, you’ll find:

upfront

Features

11 Alliance News

20 AFL & NRL Greatest Moments

37 Fast Torque

Does the Japanese flagship sedan have what it takes?

We hit the roads to test out the Lexus LS 500.

TELECOMMUTING More Australians working from home means rising regional property prices.

30 Tweed Tripping

48 Puzzle it Out

AGRIBUSINESS We investigate the booming business of bees and honey.

Alliance celebrates the 90th anniversary of the first trans-pacific flight; Hangar2Hangar charity cycling event raises muchneeded funds for Breast Cancer Network Australia; Alliance’s newest fleet unit arrives in Brisbane.

13 Meet the Team

Interview with Captain James Barley, who heads the operation of F70/100 Fokker aircraft at Alliance.

We take a nostalgic trip through the greatest Grand Finals moments in AFL and NRL history.

We take a wander through the rainforests of the Tweed Valley in NSW where we bump into Predator.

Get your brain in gear while en route to your destination, and solve some of our latest puzzles.

16 Events

A great line-up of national events during August and September not to miss.

18 Entertainment The latest films, books and art to inspire you.

30

INFRASTRUCTURE The latest innovative developments in healthcare design.

BIRTH BEAT Improving maternity and antenatal care across rural Australia.

MAN & MACHINE We witness the wonder of wooden boats.

AUG/SEPT 2018

3

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PUBLISHER’S

I recently visited the opal mining town of White Cliffs in Outback NSW. It was the second time I’ve made the journey — twelve hours west of Sydney.

Ha. And you thought Broken Hill was Outback? If you love a good road trip, a chance to MacGuiver, and meeting people who truly love the place that they call home, this town is worth making the effort for. Bet you can tell already that I’m a big fan of Opal Hunters on the Discovery Channel?

There are usually around 100 locals in town, but you won’t see many of them, as they all live underground. It gets up to 45 degrees out there, with the highest recorded temperature in 1973 being 48.6 degrees Celsius. Dugouts are the only sensible way to make a house. Simply grab a jackhammer, lease an old opal mine from the government, and build some bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom. You can get a big one for around $50,000.

I met local artist and resident Cree Marshall, and her partner Lindsay

White, who have taken cave living to a luxurious new level with their enormous underground home that is superbly decorated with recycled and reclaimed objects. There’s a circular kitchen made from cupboards and benches reclaimed from an old Centrelink office, an enormous gnarled tree trunk bursting from the ground to cause a central sculpture — lights made from old car parts, and mosaics made from opals and gemstones.

Graeme Dowton is another longterm resident who runs a café and operates mining tours on his property.

He’s found some of the biggest opal ‘pineapples’ in the world. Pineapples, if you aren’t familiar with them, are highly unusual opal pseudomorhphs — but to me, they’re a beautiful clump of jagged opals radiating out from a central hub like spiky fingers, and sadly, most that were found back in the late 1880s were cut up into smaller less impressive pieces to be sold. Such a bummer.

But back to Graeme, and most of

the locals you meet in this tiny outback town — they love the place so much that that they wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. After having spent so much time underground in rooms with undulating corners and corridors, living above ground in an expensive boxy house with corners, simply doesn’t appeal. Not to mention it stays cool underground when the temperatures outside are crazy. Graeme could’ve sold a truckload of opals and lived anywhere in the world, but it’s in White Cliffs he likes to be, eternally in search of the next big opal. Even the smaller ones keep him happy.

Michelle Hespe

AUG/SEPT 2018

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Route Map

Where we fly.

Alliance Airlines is Australia’s leading air charter services operator.

CHRISTMAS ISLAND G R O OT E EYLANDT

Private charter

Alliance Airline CAIRNS

TOWNSVILLE PORT HEDLAND K A R R AT H A

CANNINGTON

CAPE PRESTON ONSLOW ROCKHAMPTON GLADSTONE

KEY

CHRISTMAS ISLAND

BUNDABERG G R O OT E EYLANDT

Private charter flights

SUNSHINE COAST

MOOMBA

Alliance Airlines & Virgin Australia commercia BRISBANE

CAIRNS

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PORT MACQUARIE

PORT HEDLAND K A R R AT H A

CANNINGTON

PERTH ONSLOW

NOTE: MAPS ARE NOT TO SCALE

CAPE PRESTON

SYDNEY ROCKHAMPTON GLADSTONE

ADELAIDE

BUNDABERG

SUNSHINE COAST

MOOMBA

BRISBANE

PORT MACQUARIE AUCKLAND

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Roxby Downs

RACING CLUB

Alliance News.

Stay in the know with what’s happening with our airline and in our industry.

Hangar2Hangar gears up for a good cause From August 31 to September 2, Alliance Airlines will host a three-day cycling event for up to 20 participants, including Alliance staff and customers, plus internal and external stakeholders. An initiative from our Workplace Giving Program, Hangar2Hangar is an opportunity to raise awareness and $50,000 for Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA), specifically in the North West Queensland community. Cyclists will cover more than 400 kilometres between Alliance’s Cairns and Townsville bases to promote the charitable cause. If you’d like to show your support, visit hangar2hangar. com.au for more information.

Passenger Feedback “I have never felt the need to compliment an airline in all my years of travelling nationally and internationally. However, my flight to Emerald on Wednesday was exceptional! What made this trip so special?

1. A day before departure, I didn’t have to wait in a queue to have my phone booking enquiry answered .

Amazing! Plus, the person I spoke to was very helpful and courteous.

2. The ticket was half the price, my seat was seven rows from the front and the service was exceptional.

3. The baggage collection point and security at the terminal were excellent and the staff were all very friendly.

4. The exterior of the plane was amazing. Congratulations to the artist who created the designs for the trans-Pacific celebrations!

5. I could hear every word over the PA system. Thank you, because this really is vital when instilling confidence in passengers.

6. The final, utterly amazing point (cheers all round): when I asked a crew member if herbal tea was on offer, the lovely lady looked in the galley and came back offering one of her own tea sachets. How’s that for service! BIG thank you.

Flying to Emerald is something I will be doing three or four more times this year. You have won my patronage hands down! Thank you.

Fleet update: UQA arrives For those interested in aviation history, Alliance welcomed its newest fleet unit, VHUQA, to Brisbane in June. This registration was previously used on a de Havilland DH.60M Moth that flew between Australia and Europe.

The same Moth was flown by C.W.A. Scott in 1931 from Wyndham, Western Australia to Lympne, England in the record time of 10 days, 23 hours. The above photograph from the J. E. Martin collection shows the Moth in the UK on tour with Scott’s circus.

AUG/SEPT 2018

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Alliance News

Paul Kelly in Dirranbandi Alliance Airlines operated two charter flights on June 2 on behalf of Sheehan Events for the Paul Kelly concert at Dirranbandi. The special charity event supports rural Australians suffering from the lasting impact of extreme drought. The concert helped raise funds for a program that seeks to connect youth with agriculture, and build career pathways in the local community.

q&a

James Barley Position: F70/100 Captain Location: Brisbane Briefly describe your role…

I oversee the operation of F70/100 Fokker aircraft across the entire company network, while managing crew and ensuring safe and efficient procedures for all aspects of flight.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I’m an avid sports fan. I love football (soccer) mainly, as I was born in the UK, and I love cricket and anything else that gets me outside.

Sheppard’s Amy and Emma travelling with their mum, Linda Busby Marou singers Tom and Jeremy with the operating crew

Jess Mauboy with the operating crew

Winton’s Way Out West Fest!

The team at Alliance Airlines was extremely excited to fly with these fantastic homegrown artists as part of Winton’s Way Out West Fest in April.

What is the best advice you’ve received?

Never discount any conversation.

Be a good listener. Take everything in and then formulate your own opinion.

What do you feel has been your greatest achievement?

Making Captain at 27, after five and a half years with Alliance.

What one memory do you treasure most?

Being at the North London derby, 2014: Arsenal versus Tottenham at Emirates Stadium.

AUG/SEPT 2018

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Alliance News

Rick Heaton, Therese Batterham

Fokker 100 VH-FGB with special commemorative livery

Adrian and Rachel Dudock

Michelle Farquhar, Scott McMillan, Peter Stafford, Kerrie McMillan, Bernie Campbell

Logan Appu, Hugh Jones, Scott McMillan

Alliance celebrates 90th anniversary of first flight across the Pacific Ocean On June 9, Alliance commemorated the 90th anniversary of the first transPacific flight from Oakland, California, to Brisbane, Australia.

Pilot Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, copilot C.T.P. Ulm, navigator Harry Lyon and wireless operator James Warner set out to make the historic crossing on a tri-engine Fokker named Southern Cross.

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

Leaving Oakland at 8.53am on May 31, 1928, Southern Cross was bound for Honolulu, Hawaii, where it landed at 09.49am on June 2. At 5.20am on June 3, it left Hawaii for its second leg bound for Suva, Fiji. The crew landed in Suva’s Albert Park at 2.21pm on June 4, after flying 34.5 hours across open seas. They then completed the final leg, arriving at Brisbane’s Eagle

Farm Airport at 10.50am the following day, on June 9.

In special commemorative livery, Alliance Airlines’ Fokker 100 VHFGB retraced the final leg of that milestone journey and landed at Brisbane’s Eagle Farm Airport at 10.50am, exactly 90 years to the minute of the historic Southern Cross land.

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What's on.

Our pick of the very best gigs, festivals, and cultural and sporting events from around the country.

WORDS: Sarah hinder

August 9–16 Airlie Beach Race Week

Airlie Beach Qld The famous Airlie Beach sailing festival is accompanied by terrific on-shore activities, from the Festival Fun Run to a Frenchinspired, five-course Long Lunch with matching wines. abrw.com.au

August 9–12

Mount Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo

August 9–26 Darwin Festival

Darwin NT The tropical city is transformed when free outdoor events, concerts, theatre productions and multicultural food stalls pop up across town and the decorated Festival Park. darwinfestival.org.au

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

Mount Isa Qld The mining town puts on four jam-packed days of rodeo action and outback competitions, plus the Isa Street Festival and Rodeo Ball.

Jimmy Barnes, Shannon Noll and The McClymonts headline a free concert. isarodeo.com.au

August 10–19

The Ekka (The Royal Queensland Show)

Brisbane Qld It’s all about agriculture at The Ekka. Wander through animal

exhibits, marvel at horticulture and fresh-food displays and watch whip-cracking competitions at this massive Queensland event. ekka.com.au

August 18

Act-Belong-Commit Dwellingup 100

Dwellingup WA Perth’s largest one-day mountain-bike race celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and treats competitors of all abilities to some of the state’s most spectacular scenery in the historic town of Dwellingup. dwellingup100.com.au

Events Calender Shinju Matsuri

August 25–September 2 Melbourne Writers Festival

August 18 Henley-on-Todd Regatta

Alice Springs NT Held on the dry, sandy bed of the Todd River, this quirky, mock regatta sees participants build and race their own ‘boats’ made from metal frames and banners. There are egg-and-spoon, three-legged and budgie-smuggler races, too. henleyontodd.com.au

August 22–26 CinefestOZ Film Festival

Busselton WA Showcasing new homegrown and French cinema in the region’s theatres, wineries, small bars and galleries, this festival awards $100,000 to an outstanding Australian feature, and hosts a range of film-related events and forums. cinefestoz.com

Melbourne Vic Melbourne’s literary festival hosts readings, film screenings, workshops, book launches and banquets with some of the world’s best writing talent. mwf.com.au

August 25– September 2 Shinju Matsuri

Broome WA Japanese for “festival of the pearl”, Shinju Matsuri celebrates Broome’s early days as a producer of rare South Sea pearls. Events include the symbolic Floating Lantern Matsuri and a long-table feast on Cable Beach. shinjumatsuri.com.au

August 31–September 2 Red CentreNATS

Alice Springs NT Over Father’s Day weekend, this festival of wheels puts on a wild show of professional burnouts, off-road jumps and drag racing. redcentrenats.com.au

August 31–September 2 Barossa Gourmet Weekend

Barossa Valley SA In one of the country’s premier food and wine

regions, you can feast your senses on a smorgasbord of experiences, from tastings and masterclasses to foodie trails. barossagourmet.com

August 23–September 20 Desert Festival

Alice Springs NT Alice Springs’ upbeat arts festival shares the stories of the Red Centre and celebrates the rich desert culture through a vibrant program of performances and workshops. desfest.com

September 8–29

Brisbane Festival

Brisbane Qld This three-week cultural celebration delivers a program of art, theatre, opera, dance, circus and major public events, culminating in Australia’s longest fireworks display, the Sunsuper Riverfire. brisbanefestival.com.au

September 13–23

Darwin International Film Festival Darwin NT

Under a blanket of stars at the waterfront Deckchair Cinema, DIFF presents more than 40 films, plus filmmaking workshops and exhibitions. diff.net.au AUG/SEPT 2018

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Promoting Healthy communities Roxby Downs and Andamooka are embracing a health and wellbeing program which has seen student kitchen gardens spring up, local businesses using new wellbeing toolbox programs, volunteer ‘foodies’ being trained, and fitness programs implemented.

It’s all part of the Time for Wellbeing project, focusing on mental wellbeing, physical health and early childhood development in the South Australian region.

Thanks to the collective involvement of the community, several activities are promoting health. Five local businesses are using a ‘workplace toolbox series’ to educate staff on priority physical and mental health topics. A ‘Move It’ low-impact exercise program has been implemented and 14 sporting clubs in Roxby are engaged in Goodsports to promote healthy club environments. In addition, 170 students have been trained in the Rock and Water self-awareness

program; 77 people took part in the Andamooka Yacht Club Workshop Week for Wellbeing; and 150 locals attended the Family Forum Neighbour Day Barbeques.

A community garden has been built in nearby Andamooka to promote community involvement across all ages.

“This is about putting good health into the community’s hands. We’re excited by the level of participation that’s been achieved,” said project head, Sally Modystach.

Project Coordinator Angela Lafferty, based in Roxby Downs, sees the difference the program is making.

“This is a small, somewhat transient community, and families and workers need a connection point,” Angela said.

“I love the fact I can connect people with the local health services that they need.”

Time for Wellbeing is an initiative of BHP, the Roxby Health Forum and Healthy Environs Pty Ltd. timeforwellbeing.com.au

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

Entertainment.

WORDS: Sarah hinder

books TOUR

Welcome to Country, Marcia Langton

Released May 1, RRP $39.99, Hardie Grant, Travel.

This travel guide to Indigenous Australia and the Torres Strait Islands offers a fascinating look into the history and customs of our first peoples, and provides a state-by-state directory of Indigenous tourism experiences.

Out of the Forest, Gregory P. Smith

Released May 28, RRP $34.99/EBook $12.99, William Heinemann Australia, Biography.

In this revealing memoir, Smith shares the story of his escape from society to live in near-total isolation in a forest in northern New South Wales for 10 years — and what eventually brought him back.

ART

Whitsunday Dawn, Annie Seaton

Released July 23, RRP $29.99/EBook $6.99, Harper Collins, Fiction.

This eco-adventure is set in the Whitsundays, where Olivia finds herself torn between big business and nature when she meets a local fisherman who opens her eyes to the impact her mining project will have on the Reef.

Gene Simmons

August 28– September 1 in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane.

Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of his debut solo album, KISS legend Gene Simmons visits Australia for his first-ever solo tour, and will be joined on stage by former band mate Ace Frehley.

DOCUMENTARY Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards

August 10–November 25, Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory, Darwin.

Now in its 35th year, the country’s most prestigious Indigenous art awards celebrate the richness and diversity of contemporary creative practice by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.

Blue the Film

Current screenings across Australia & available on iTunes, Google Play, YouTube & DVD. In the last 40 years, half of all marine life has disappeared, and by 2050 there will be more plastic in the sea than fish. This eye-opening Australian doco tells the story of our dying oceans and the human-imposed dangers destroying them.

AUG/SEPT 2018

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Regional News.

Keep up with what’s happening across our communities. WORDS: Sarah Hinder

R U OK?’s Conversation Convoy bound for regional towns across Australia On July 30, R U OK?’s Conversation Convoy hit the road on a journey across the country, encouraging Aussies to look out for each other by raising awareness about mental health — a deep concern in remote regions, where suicide rates are 40 per cent higher than in metropolitan areas.

On their mission, R U OK? representatives will deliver a total of 26 community-focused events in towns and cities around Australia, finishing up on September 13. The Convoy aims to dispel any stigmas and connect communities with local service providers to show

support is always available.

Each bright-yellow Audi represents one of the four steps — Ask, Listen, Encourage Action and Check In — to starting a helpful conversation with someone.

The Conversation Convoy will pull up at Longreach, Mount Isa, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Alice Springs, Broome, Darwin, Kununurra, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing, Rockhampton, Hervey Bay, Lismore, Inverell, Grafton, Newcastle, Griffith, Young, Mildura, Murray Bridge, Mount Barker, Geelong, Ulverstone, Devonport, Sydney and Canberra.

Litchfield National Park receives tourism overhaul The Northern Territory Government will inject $12.1 million into Litchfield National Park’s tourism sector, in an effort to attract greater numbers and stimulate local businesses.

The investment will go towards building five new swimming spots, at least three new campgrounds, mountain bike tracks, a new picnic area and an extra 40 kilometres of fourwheel-drive tracks. The expansion will be rolled out over the next two years and is expected to attract an additional 60,000 visitors to the National Park each year.

The grant is a part of the Territory Government’s $103-million stimulus package that plans to “turbocharge” the tourism industry through job creation, improved infrastructure and increased visitation across the state, aiming to achieve a $2.2-billion tourism visitor economy by 2020.

Fast Facts

16,000km

In 2017, R U OK?’s Conversation Convoy travelled 16,000 kilometres over six weeks and reached 22 communities across Australia.

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

Litchfield is the most visited national park in the Northern Territory and covers an area of 1,500 square kilometres.

Supporting Rural Australia With our growing number of rural assistance focused programs, we’ve got your back rural Australia!

niche programs, big hearts

ruralaid.org.au | 1300 327 624 DONATE OR GET INVOLVED TODAY

BUILDING COMMUNITIES THROUGH PARTNERSHIP

• Social investment strategy • Community partnership projects • Community engagement • Health and wellbeing programs • Environmental programs • Social impact evaluation

If you work for an organisation committed to social investment and you’re looking for a collaborative approach to supporting local communities, please contact us. We’d be happy to meet with you to discuss your proposed project and see how we can facilitate your community partnerships.

info@healthyenvirons.com.au | www.healthyenvirons.com.au

THE GRANDEST FINALS AFL and rugby league are Australia’s winter religions — but that doesn’t mean every decider is a match made in heaven. Here’s the best.

Words: Ben Smithurst

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

AUG/SEPT 2018

21

beyond anxiety

NRL Scott Sattler saves the Panthers, 2003

Thurston’s Cowboys pip Brisbane’s desperate Broncos, 2015 North Queensland 17–Brisbane 16

Few league players are as gifted as future Immortal Jonathan ‘JT’ Thurston, a beloved, pretty-eyed maestro who has spent his career putting kicks through, then being murdered by opposition forwards. But even his genius seemed unlikely to save his Cowboys with a minute to go in the 2015 grand final. Brisbane, up 16-12, were playing their seventh grand final. They’d won the previous six. But wait! On the bell, haphazard Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt scored, miraculously, in the corner, giving JT an after-the-siren chance to convert the try to win. He missed.

“You think of your best sporting movies in Hollywood and you don’t get a moment like that,” gushed commentary blumpkin Andrew Voss. “This was real, Thurston was real, he hooks it right to left, they always swing back, but he hits the post. Then what happened to Ben Hunt from the kick-off in extra time was a rugby league tragedy.”

Indeed. In extra time, for no apparent reason, Brisbane half Ben Hunt fumbled Thurston’s kick off. The Cowboys were gifted unlikely field position, and their leader’s next kick was a wobbly drop goal. It won the match.

“I can’t imagine it could ever get any better,” said Voss.

Penrith 18–Sydney 6 The Sydney Roosters were juggernauts in the early 2000s, led by football genius Brad Fittler and coached to such defensive savagery that their 2002 premiership was a fait accompli. In 2003, Fittler’s super-rich, super-pretty, superstar Chooks lined up in the decider against his unfashionable trackie-daks boyhood club, Penrith. The climactic moment came surprisingly early, when Roosters winger (and alleged speedster) Todd Byrne burst into space and hared up-field — only to be, remarkably, dragged down by a single chaser: hulking Penrith lock forward Scott Sattler. Penrith crossed twice more, and the bubbly went flat in Bondi.

Joey’s Knights trample the Eels, 2001 Newcastle 30– Parramatta 24

Parramatta’s mighty Eels were unstoppable in 2001. Until the last hurdle.

They’d won the minor premiership in a canter, five points clear, and with a for-and-against of +433. They entered the GF as red-hot favourites. Newcastle, on the other hand, had no expectations with Andrew ‘Joey’ Johns, and… some other guys. Pre-game, “Parra were shitting themselves and we were having a good time,’’ recalled Knights’ second rower Ben Kennedy. Then Joey fired his Knights out of the blocks at three-quarters the speed of light. By the 32nd minute, the Eels were down 24-0. A lopsided cracker.

AUG/SEPT 2018

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NRL

Sonny Bill’s resurgent Roosters beat Manly, 2013

Adam Goodes’ seesawing Swans clip Clarko’s looming Hawks, 2012

Sydney 26–Manly 18

Sydney 14.7 (91)– Hawthorn 11.15 (81)

Sonny Bill ‘SBW’ Williams is a polarising figure in league. Some — aka Bulldogs supporters — think he’s a traitor, having walked out on the club in 2008 without even finishing the season. Others think he has reformed, or he’s misunderstood. Either way, he’s very good. But with 25 minutes to go in 2013, his Sydney side seemed cooked, down 18-8 (including a penalty try). They roared back, including with a cracking 70-metre try to Shaun Kenny-Dowall, a man who has dropped more balls than puberty, thanks to a lead-up line-break/offload from… SBW. Manly’s almost-as-polarising halfback Daly Cherry-Evans won Man of the Match in a beaten team. He’d later one-up Williams by walking out on the Gold Coast Titans without ever even playing for them.

The Storm (and the ref) slay the Dragons, 1999 Melbourne 20–St George Illawarra 18

The Dragons had lost their last four grand finals in a row, but things looked rosy at half-time in 1999: they were up 14–0. Winger Nathan Blacklock had scored one of the best grand final tries ever. It fell apart slowly.

Anthony Mundine fumbled the ball over the try line.

The Storm got back to 18-14, and in the 77th minute Melbourne halfback Brett Kimmorley kicked high to the corner. His winger, Craig Smith, was right on the spot — until he was coat-hangered by St George opposite Jamie Ainscough. Referee Bill Harrigan awarded Smith a penalty try and Melbourne converted to win.

Hawthorn had a lot going for them in 2012, including superstar Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin, Alastair Clarkson in the coach’s box and football sociopath Luke Hodge as captain.

But Sydney was right there with them, and while not all grand finals feature the year’s two best teams, the Swans and Hawks match-up was so salivating tickets should have come with bibs. Do you like twists and turns?

Get ready for this then...

It started well for the Hawks, the favourites, who shot to a 20-point lead at quarter time. Then Sydney swung the pendulum back, blazing to their own 27-point buffer. Hawthorn rallied, seizing momentum, but at three-quarter time Sydney was in front. Then the Hawks started spraying it about. They still managed to eke out a 12-point advantage in the final term, but with Adam Goodes causing havoc up front, on one leg, Sydney kicked the last four majors.

“This is a grand final from the top shelf,” crooned commentary genius Dennis Cometti. The Hawks were so steeled by the loss that they’d win the next three in a row.

Lions have last laugh as the Pies die hard in the wet, 2002 Brisbane 10.15 (75)– Collingwood 9.12 (66)

With a superstar team and a shrewd coach, Leigh Matthews, who’d been even better than any of them, reigning premiers Brisbane were expected to steamroll the Pies in 2002. Yet wet weather brought them back to the field, with only one goal coming in the first quarter. A narrow lead swapped throughout before a deciding snap goal in the final quarter to Jason Akermanis.

Collingwood draw with St Kilda, earning the AFL a motza, 2010

AFL

Collingwood 9.14 (68)–St Kilda 10.8 (68)

The Saints came within one skewed bounce of sealing the club’s second premiership, but as Emma Quayle, former AFL journo and now GWS Giants recruiter wrote, “Lenny Hayes’ long kick towards goal skidded away from Stephen Milne and through for a point, tying the scores at 68 apiece with 30 minutes gone in the last quarter.” Just the third drawn AFL GF ever, it was too much for a sore St Kilda during the replay a week later, when they were well beaten. The big winners? The AFL, who scooped an unexpected $16 million windfall in bonus ticket sales the second time round.

The underdog Dogs break a 62-year drought, 2016

Indefatigable Weagles wreak revenge at the MCG, 2006 West Coast 12.13 (85)–Sydney 12.12 (84)

A replay of the previous year’s decider, won by the Swans, the 2006 grand final boasted a most intense fourth quarter.

A higher scoring affair than in 2005 (when the Swans’ Leo Barry’s mark in the dying seconds sealed the game), this time the Swans were attacking hard when the final siren sounded — leaving them stranded just a point behind their bitter rivals. Chris Judd and Ben Cousins would hold the cup aloft, and West Coast had their third flag.

Western Bulldogs 13.11 (89)–Sydney 10.7 (67) The Swans entered as favourites and deserved to.

They were going into their fifth GF in 11 years; the Bulldogs hadn’t made a decider since 1961. None of the Dogs’ 22 team members had even played a grand final at another club and stalwart captain Bob Murphy had a bung knee. And yet, helped by a 20-8 free kick differential and a brilliant game by South Africa-born Jason Johannisen, the Doggies caused an almighty upset. Their coach, Luke Beveridge, gave his coach’s medal to Murphy at the death, to tears all round.

Or at least in the general area of Footscray.

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Fishing Special

We look at the types of boats you need to transform yourself into the god of fishing.

Words: Ken Gargett

One of the things that appeals to many about fishing is that, at its most basic, it is an incredibly easy and cheap sport, in which anyone can participate. Perhaps images of Tom Sawyer and his friend Huck Finn using string tied on the end of a stick with a bent pin are a little simple, but kids can get away with not much more.

Fishermen, however, are no different to other humans, despite what their wives might think (and isn’t it great to see more and more women joining various forms of fishing and doing it so well): we absolutely love our toys. Why have six different rods if you can have 12? Why make do with a dozen flies or lures if you can fill your tackle box with 10 dozen? For that matter, what self-respecting fisherman gets by with only a single tackle box? Every year, before the annual pilgrimage to Fraser Island, I swear to my mates that I will carefully cull my gear and take only the bare minimum. And I do try, but they are still used to me bringing endless boxes, rods, bags and every other thing imaginable. Sometimes I feel a bit like a snail, moving house with all my possessions.

Fishing boats are similar. The traditional journey for your

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average boating fisherman begins with their family and a long history of boats, or they’ll join a friend for a few trips.

The bug bites and then they need their own boat. Then they need to upgrade. It never ends.

Wives and girlfriends, if they don’t share their partner’s obsession, will think a boat is a nice idea to begin with.

Weekends on the water, a little water-skiing, picnics on some nearby island. What could be better? They soon realise that their partner may have had a very different image in mind.

Wives and girlfriends want to know just why there are holders for so many rods, why there has to be a box for live fish in the middle of the boat, why so many eskies, why spend so much money on a depth sounder and fish finder. Most accept that when it comes to a choice between a wife and his fishing boat, they are better off not posing the question.

But there are, of course, fishing boats and fishing boats — an extraordinary variety. It is not simply a matter of how deep the wallet is, it depends on the sort of fishing you enjoy.

Chasing bass in a local dam requires a completely different craft to the type you’ll need for landing marlin offshore. 

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In truth, the majority of those investing in a fishing boat will have serious experience. For those keen to make up on lost time, these thoughts may assist.

OFFSHORE, DEEP SEA AND COASTAL Offshore in northern Queensland requires a different approach to heading off the Gold Coast. Offshore northern Western Australia may be providing some of the most exciting fishing on the planet at the moment, but it’s something else again. It comes down to the sort of fishing and the sort of fish you are chasing. Saltwater fly is fantastic fun for many (myself included), others chase species hiding deep below.

They require specific approaches, mindsets and gear. A 12-weight for fly; a solid handline might work best for the deep; a small game rod and Penn reel for chasing billfish (or possibly a big one); a Shimano for tuna trolling; or perhaps a Wilson Live Fibre rod for chasing snapper over a reef.

When choosing a boat, a good rule of thumb is that once you have ensured that all your major needs are met, check out the little things. They might seem inconsequential but with time they can make or break your love for your new toy.

One example: that narrow space where one can stick toes under locked-in containers, providing anglers with more security and balance.

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The one-size-fits-all approach is difficult but for an allrounder, the Haines Signature range is a great place to start.

Its ‘F’ series (‘F’ for Fishing) has more than a dozen options, varying from under five metres to six and a half.

For offshore, the Haines Signature 550F is worth a look.

Ideal for fishing, there is provision for accommodation and it can double as a family craft but as always, consider what this boat offers then look through the range to see what works for you. Any fishing boat worth the name will offer the ‘standard requirements’ — space for gear, bait tanks, rod holders, etc — in addition to the appropriate motor, sounding gear, and trailer (take that into account — there’s not much point in going big if you don’t have a vehicle that can tow it).

Discuss options at the time of purchase — maybe you’d prefer less accommodation space and more room to fish.

The 550RF (Runabout Fishing) has an ideal live bait tank and bait table, plenty of compartments (fishermen love compartments; you can never have too many tackle boxes!), plus a storage locker. The 180-litre fuel tank gives good range, with the optimal four-stroke engine. Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Mercury are all highly regarded. As a kid I used to try and talk my old man into a Mercury. I knew nothing about engines but loved the look of a big black outboard.

One assumes serious fishermen will make their decisions on a more rational basis.

Optional bimini tops protect from the elements. Packages can include all the bells and whistles — chemical toilets, GPS, safety gear and more. All up, there should be some change out of $80,000, making this good value. More than Tom Sawyer might have paid for his stick, string and bent pin, but fishing is not always a cheap pastime.

RIVER FISHING, DAMS AND CREEKS Everything about choices mentioned above applies here. Consider where you'll be fishing. Is it a short hop to the fishing grounds or will you be covering considerable distances? Do you park yourself and wait for your prey to arrive or chase your quarry up and down the river? Are you looking at day trips only or will you be spending nights in it?

Will it be just you or a large cast?

For a pure fishing boat (which can be used for other things, but is ideal for the weekend fisherman and those more serious), there's the Haines Signature 485SF (‘SF’ for Sports Fisher, and it's pictured top left). The good news: all up, you're talking about a price a third to half that of the 550F package — not bad for an award winner and a universally highly regarded boat.

Seating, the fish tank, live bait tanks, under-floor fuel tank, built-in icebox, the rear (aft, for those of a nautical nature) casting deck — all designed for and by fishermen (well, I assume it was designed by fishermen because if it wasn’t, they got very lucky). Mix and match to make your perfect craft. What appeals to me is the casting deck that allows for

Fishing Special

some potentially great fly-fishing — barramundi at Awoonga Dam, saratoga at Borumba Dam, bass almost anywhere. A five or six weight for the smaller fish; eight- to 10-weight for the larger. Of course, lure and bait fishing will be just as easy from this boat.

It is not simply a matter of how deep the wallet is, it depends on the sort of fishing you enjoy.

RAFTS AND KAYAKS In recent years, largely inspired by pioneers in places like distant South America where fly-anglers chase massive tarpon and other monsters in largely unexplored rivers, we have seen fishermen taking to rafts and kayaks that are specially designed for this purpose. My short time fishing some of those rivers convinced me that dangling one’s legs in such murky waters was a touch risky — fortunately, kayaks allow your toes to remain both dry and attached.

If you’re curious, check out the Hobie site (hobie.com) and see whether this is something that might appeal. Space is limited, naturally, but every attempt has been made to provide storage, rod holders and all those little things fishermen love. This is fishing on the edge and the photos of some of the more adventurous catching large billfish from what seems such a small and flimsy craft is just a bit thrilling.

One can almost imagine the successful anglers modifying Shakespeare’s famous Henry V speech: “We happy few, we band of brothers… and yes, those who have not attempted such feats can count their manhood cheap.” I, for one, am very envious.

We are largely talking pedal power here and one needs to ensure a level of fitness and comfort with the prevailing conditions of the day, but the fun of hooking a good fish in a dam or river — or even offshore — is surely one of the great fishing moments. And a very economical alternative to the full fishing boat.

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Getaway

A getaway in the Tweed Valley offers just the right dose of relaxation, indulgence, nature and exploration.

Words: Michelle Hespe AUG/SEPT 2018

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Learn about the history of the Huon Valley apple industry

Enjoy a Willie Smith’s cider paddle

Take a tour of the Charles Oates Distillery

Visit the Saturday Artisan & Produce market

Visit the home of Willie Smith’s cider where you can enjoy a great meal and a cider paddle, visit the Huon Valley apple museum, get up close and personal with a working distillery, peruse the Saturday Artisan & Produce Market.

Hobart Hobart Huonville

Contact

25mins

Huonville

www.williesmiths.com.au appleshed@williesmiths.com.au (03) 6266 4345 2064 Huon Hwy, Grove, TAS, 7109 25 minutes from Hobart

Getaway Left to right: Views of the peaceful dam and sculptures from a villa at Mistere Spa and Retreat.

t’s not something you’d expect — bumping into Predator while bushwalking. My partner and I are on a sculpture walk around the 50-acre forest-laden grounds of Mistere Spa and Retreat in Urliup, NSW, where we’re relaxing into a few glorious days of nature and art. The quirky Chinese Zodiac walk, which twists and turns through the stunning mountainside property, crossing creek beds and ravines, is flanked by every creature of the zodiac — hefty cast bronze heads perched atop wooden posts. We pass Pig, Dragon, Snake, Horse and Sheep, and then, lost in conversation, take a wrong turn.

And there before us, Predator stands in all of his hideous glory, surrounded by tree ferns as though he’s just hacked through the undergrowth, a killer scythe in one menacingly outstretched hand and a metal ball on a chain dangling from the other, its razor-sharp spikes longer than my fingers. But rather than the 1987 version that Schwarzenegger was up against in the science fiction horror film, this Predator is more approachable.

We close in on him and discover that he’s entirely constructed from bicycle and motorbike parts — an incredibly clever assemblage of pieces so meticulously fitted together that he looks perfectly armoured, if he does happen to come to life and meet some likeminded ‘folk’.

We wander past a dam almost completely covered in lily pads, where a pair of silver dancing brolgas crafted from thin metal are glinting in the sun as they’re showered by a fountain. A toy-

like wooden boat for two is anchored to a raised wooden seating area and bridge, there for those who’d like to paddle out and enjoy the rainforest from the water.

Arriving back at our five-star villa tucked discreetly into this magical land, we make tea and sit on the enclosed balcony, complete with BBQ and lounge setting. The suite is fully self-contained so that you needn’t go anywhere if you so choose, and it has a room off the enormous bathroom with a spa that could fit ten. There’s also a twoperson sauna sitting out front, with a perfect view of the Tweed Valley. This morning, thick mist is swirling its way across Mount Warning’s midriff, and the sun is breaking through the low-lying clouds and lighting up the valley from which bird calls emerge: bell bird calls blending in with the jolly warbles of magpies.

Mount Warning is the largest erosion caldera in the Southern Hemisphere and is considered one of the world’s natural wonders. In layman’s terms, a caldera is a large volcanic crater formed by a major eruption leading to the collapse of the mouth of the volcano. Astonishingly, the caldera valley is over 1,000 metres deep and has a diameter of over 40 kilometres, making it larger than Tanzania’s famous Ngorongoro Crater.

As the mist lifts, some of the area dubbed ‘Australia’s Green Cauldron’ is revealed. It was given this name as the uber-green scene before us has built up over the centuries on the fertile folds of lava that spewed from the monstrous volcano 23 million years ago, when its peak was 1.9km above sea level.

Urliup is a short drive from the picturesque riverside town of Murwillumbah, which every year plays host to the Murwillumbah Art Trail.  AUG/SEPT 2018

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Getaway

The festival runs for about 10 days and includes pop-up galleries, art workshops for kids and adults, and over 25 local music acts entertaining the ever-growing culture vulture crowds that pour into town. There are comedy shows, a film night at the local Regent Cinema (which has thankfully retained its old-world picture theatre character), art river cruises, a VIP progressive dinner through galleries after hours (promoted as ‘not snobby’), and an arty picnic in a sculpture park.

The event wraps up with an evening at a pop-up gallery in a warehouse, where there’s music and entertainment and the final crowning of the winner of the Border Art Prize (BAP), which is a competitive exhibition that runs at the Tweed Regional Art Gallery for three weeks every second year. The major prize is $3,000, and this year Trinity Leonard from Lismore won first place for her oil painting titled ‘Hannah’.

Tweed Regional Gallery punches way above its weight in terms of the gallery itself, and the artwork on display. Six exhibition spaces host all kinds of art events during the year, and the modern, light-filled building set upon a hill and surrounded by beautiful gardens has magnificent views of the Tweed River.

Down there by the Tweed River, you can see the old farmhouse where legendary stilllife painter Margaret Olley lived as a child.

Her father once rowed her across the river every weekday to school, and she grew up surrounded by cane fields and nature. Olley passed away in Paddington, Sydney, in 2011, but before she died she bequeathed a still-life display of her life to this gallery that was close to her heart, by the creation of the Margaret Olley Art Centre (MOAC).

This page, clockwise from top: The classic Queenslander that is home to the delightful Mavis’s Kitchen; Paints and papers in the Margaret Olley Art Centre (MOAC); People enjoy the Tweed Regional Gallery.

TWO FAST FACTS Murwillumbah is located 848km north-east of Sydney, 13km south of the Queensland border and 132km south of Brisbane. it is the last major town (apart from the urban sprawl of Tweed Heads) before the Queensland border.

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Timber Cutters moved into the Tweed Valley in 1844. After the forest had been cleared, farmers moved in with bananas, cane and dairy farming dominating the area, while a fishing industry developed.

Getaway

MOAC is a mind-boggling recreation of Olley’s former home in Paddington, including more than 20,000 items that she collected and arranged (somewhat haphazardly in some people’s view) for subjects in her paintings.

Original architectural elements from her house, including windows and doors, were also relocated or recreated, so that visitors can literally peek into her home and see the piles of magazines, the hundreds of vases and flowers that she liked to collect (she’d let them die and then paint them years later as dried flowers) and the most fascinating details of her life as a prolific artist. I think it’s as close as you’ll ever get to being able to step inside an extraordinary artist’s mind, if you’re not one yourself.

“I like working in the kitchen, much to the amusement of my friends,” she said in an interview with Peter Thompson for the ABC. “They come and say they could tidy it up, and I say: “Excuse me! It’s a very unique kitchen.

It’s a studio first and a kitchen second.” If you think about it, I suppose my painting is an extension of my life, and my life and surroundings are part of my paintings, so I feel I’m in harmony with where I live and who I am.

So, I’m at one with the painting.”

After our fill of art, we decide on local institution Mavis’s Kitchen for dinner. This gorgeous restaurant is housed in a classic white-washed weatherboard Queenslander with a romantic picket fence-like staircase and verandas hugging it on every side. It’s been pulled apart and moved twice (because the owner was attached to his old aunt’s place where he grew up) to find its resting place on verdant pastures from which much of the organic produce on the menu is sourced. It’s no wonder that Mavis’s is booked for weddings all year round — it’s a fairy-tale setting with a mountain backdrop crying out for ladies in lacy white dresses to grace its gardens.

There are so many wonderful eateries in these parts, but another that stands out for its charm and homemade fare is House of Gabriel in the riverside village of Tumbulgum. Don’t leave town without trying its corn fritters and arancini balls, and if it’s an afternoon tipple that you’re after, fit in an Ink Gin and tonic — the creators (Husk Distillery) are just up the road, and soon they’ll be launching a new kind

of rum, created from the sugarcane plantation surrounding it. A rum bar, café and rum-tasting experience will all be unveiled towards the end of 2018, so watch this space.

On our last day we book a three-hour, five-course Seafood Degustation Cruise on the Spirit of Wollumbin, a traditional Huon pine river ferry. The onboard catering team entertain guests as they dish up delectable dishes crafted from local seafood and produce and foraged bush food components.

A soft-shell crab salad is a stand-out, and the pumpkin soup is as good as mum makes it. Garlic prawns and Balmain bugs are barbecued on a camp stove, and wine glasses are filled as the boat glides smoothly down the river. Before us is an ever-changing kaleidoscope of local life — dense, birdfilled rainforests and mangroves, sprawling sugarcane fields, farmhouses with families fishing off their pontoons and river clifftops and locals set up on the riverbanks with picnics and eskies — that has everyone waving, pointing and smiling at the good life.

By the time we dock in Tumbulgum, we’ve made friends and learnt about the many villages and farmlands that make this region so special. Rising above us is majestic Mount Warning — an extinct volcano that thousands of artists continue to fall in love with every day before and during their attempts at capturing its ever-changing moods. Rising into the sky, like a giant capturing clouds and sunshine on its hat, it’s a stunning backdrop that ties every one of our relaxing days here to the glorious Green Cauldron.

Top to bottom: Delicious corn fritters from House of Gabriel; Spirit of Wollumbin Huon pine ferry.

FACT FILE

Mistere Spa and Retreat misterespaandretreat.com Murwillumbah Art Trail themurwillumbaharttrail.com Tweed Regional Gallery & the Margaret Olley Art Centre artgallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au Mavis’s Kitchen maviseskitchen.com.au House of Gabriel houseofgabriel.com Mount Warning Tours mountwarningtours.com.au

 AUG/SEPT 2018

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custom menswear www.georgeandking.com.au

Photographer: Julian Lallo

George & King

FAST TORQUE

Konichiwa,

When you’ve been at the top for so long, the trick is to continually improve. So does the Japanese flagship sedan have what it takes to put the Germans back in their place? words: KARL PESKETT JUNE/JULY 2018

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low as a wet week.

That’s how you’d describe the new Lexus LS if you weren’t fixated on the speedometer.

Yes, this big sedan has a big problem: it just doesn’t feel fast.

It’s a bit like sitting in a Boeing Dreamliner — the aircraft punches through the air, doing upwards of 900 kilometres per hour, leaving behind a massive wake. But you’d never guess.

The LS can likewise hit 100 kilometres per hour in five seconds, carry four (or five) in decadent luxury and top out at 250 kilometres per hour, but your passengers will likely fall asleep enjoying the onboard shiatsu massage seats. No longer is there a barking V8 up front — a creamy-smooth twin-turbo V6 ensures it can cover the country at such rapid speeds while isolating its passengers from their surroundings.

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It’s a getaway inside a getaway.

Yet despite supplying an overwhelmingly cossetting experience — omotenashi is the Japanese spirit of hospitality, and it’s the principle which underpins the whole vehicle — it’s not devoid of driver involvement.

Find a sweeping country road and the deliberate steering weighting becomes obvious.

As the speed rises, the feedback gets better, while the adaptive air suspension (with 650 switching levels) stiffens up further and allows you to press on, with impressive grip.

The LS was designed with a platform that deliberately keeps most of its weight closer to the ground, creating a very neutral position on turn-in. The engine is mounted lower and further back, while aluminium panels are used for the bonnet, front fenders, doors and boot lid. Team that with very effective brakes and the LS is surprisingly agile.

There are two variants: the LS 500 (with the

FAST TORQUE FAST FACT This is the first Lexus to receive a turbocharged V6, but it won’t be the last. Soon a production version of the LF-1 SUV concept will get the same engine and transmission — after all, it runs on the same platform as the LS.

Lexus LS 500 Sports Luxury specifications Engine: 3.5-litre twinturbo petrol Transmission: 10-speed automatic Drive: rear wheels Weight: 2225kg Fuel tank capacity: 82 litres 0–100kmh: 5.0 seconds Top speed: 250kmph Price: $195,500

turbo V6) and the LS 500h. The latter is a hybrid, combining a petrol V6 with electric drive to reduce emissions, but it’s the more powerful LS 500 that’s our pick. Producing 310kW and 600Nm, it’s got plenty of punch (not that it feels that way), and with an incredible 10-speed automatic it rides the low-end torque in each gear, but it also keeps the engine in its sweet spot on brisk drives. The best of both worlds.

Inside the build quality is typical Lexus: topshelf materials, precision build and bursting at the seams with an eye-watering array of technology. Park the vehicle and it raises slightly, making entry and egress easier. A soft glow like that of andon lamps bathes the interior at night. For audiophiles, however, it’s

the 23-speaker Mark Levinson system that will be the drawcard.

During the build phase a small tripod is placed on the rear seat, positioned carefully to capture the sound emanating from nearby speakers. It records a test piece of music, and the data is analysed. Then the microphone is removed and a man takes its place. Technically, the information gleaned from the microphone should be perfect. But to the sound engineer’s ears it’s not quite right, and adjustments have to be made. The tuning of the Mark Levinson system found in the new Lexus LS has taken around 3,000 hours to perfect.

And it shows. We tested a variety of songs and sounds, and there’s no distortion at volume, nor any wobble from the subwoofers. It’s tight, clear and faithful in its reproduction.

The infotainment screen is massive, and voice commands can be spoken in natural English.

Tell the LS that you’re hungry and it will display a list of restaurants nearby. The touchpad and pointer system isn’t our cup of tea (Audi’s MMI and BMW’s iDrive are far more intuitive) but there are plenty of options and settings.

Opt for the Sports Luxury model and the rear passenger side seat boasts a full-recline seat, and pushes the front seat forward so you can stretch out and put your feet up. There are screens for you to watch a movie or you can use the onboard Wi-Fi to get some work done.

All the while the open-pore wood grain and aniline leather surround you, with the ‘Climate Concierge’ adjusting the front and rear temperature using sensors placed in 16 locations throughout the car. And if you pass through a different time zone, the analogue clock automatically adjusts to compensate.

The real trump card is Lexus’s service.

Anyone walking into their dealerships is treated like royalty. Research company JD Power, the immortal arbiter of satisfaction and dependability, placed Lexus as the number-one nameplate for seven consecutive years. Lexus now offers 10 years of unconditional roadside assistance with the LS. Clearly the LS is a very Japanese take on what luxury should be, whether it’s the koto-inspired design of the dash fascia or the kiriko-style glass door panels. But it’s a refreshing change from the very Teutonic offerings the segment is used to.

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Health and fitness Events

Peach Band

Lululemon ‘Down For A Run’ Jacket Stay warm on your run this winter with Lululemon’s latest wind- and water-resistant jacket, made with 800-fill-power goose down and Glyde fabric. Comfy and stylish all at once, it comes in black, white and inkwell. $229, lululemon.com.au

This revolutionary resistance band is suitable for workouts at home and the gym. Short and taut, it allows for optimal time under tension and improved muscle control. Using a Peach Band is an effective way to incorporate resistance exercises into your routine. $27.45, peach-band.com

Health and fitness

Enhance your wellbeing and stay active this winter.

KeepCup This Australian company has succeeded in diverting billions of disposable cups from landfill, instead promoting sustainability through the use of reusable ones. You can design your own personal barista standard KeepCup or customise a branded one for your organisation. $11–$34, au.keepcup.com

Herschel Novel Duffle The Herschel Novel Duffle is practical, wears well and will last years. Ideal as a weekender or gym bag, it comes with great storage space, a separate signature shoe compartment and is available in more than 35 custom designs. $159.95, herschel.com.au AUG/SEP 2018

Health and fitness nts

Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link Purifier Heater

Travertine Dumbbell 1pce The Travertine Dumbbell is the most stylish of all gym accessories. They are also perfect for use as a paperweight or functional sculpture in the home or studio. $129.90, top3.com.au

Dyson’s purifying heater uses compact filtration technology to capture 99.95 per cent of fine particles, including allergens, pollutants, bacteria and odour. For use in all seasons, the device both purifies the air and maintains your preferred temperature. $799, dyson.com.au

Live Whole Coconut Yoga Mat Made from 100 per cent natural tree rubber and reinforced with coconut coir fibre, this biodegradable yoga mat is one of the most durable — and easy to grip — on the market. With every mat sold the company buys back acres of land for conservation in partnership with the Rainforest Trust. $99, livewholeyoga.com

Blackmores Probiotics+ Immune Defence Providing 20 billion good bacteria, plus a prebiotic, Blackmores’ multi-functioning probiotic formula helps to restore the good, natural bacteria in the digestive system, while providing a healthy dose of vitamin C and zinc for immune support. $29.99, blackmores.com.au AUG/SEP 2018

Health and fitness

DOIY yoga mat terrazzo white DOIY’s Nature Yoga Mat is printed on one side with a natureinspired pattern, so you can bring a little of the outside into your living room/yoga studio. It’s thick, lightweight, easily portable, and has a supportive cushion. $59.90, top3.com.au

Camelbak Ultra Pro Vest Ideal for the competitive runner, this vest is made from ultra-light materials and features a streamlined design.

With a 4.5-litre capacity, secure phone pocket, gear storage and reflectivity for safety, the Ultra Pro Vest aims to change the way you exercise. $185.95, camelbak.com.au

Camelbak Eddy This durable water bottle from Camelbak has achieved the perfect design for hydration on the go. Made from BPA-free materials, it’s equipped with a spill-proof bite valve, plus it’s dishwasher safe. They’re available in a range of colours and in 60ml, 75ml and 1L options. $24.95–$49.95, camelbak.com.au

Everyday Super Food, Jamie Oliver Jamie Oliver makes eating well simple, fun and colourful in his best-selling cookbook, where every recipe is nutritionally balanced and loaded with nutrient- and vitamin-rich superfoods. Delish ideas. $49.99, jamieoliver.com AUG/SEP 2018

Health and fitness

PlanetBox These stainless steel lunch boxes provide a neat way to pack healthy food, keeping everything inside fresh. Ecofriendly and built to last, they don’t cost the planet and better yet, they come with a customisable design. $39.95–$59.95, planetbox.com

Twotags Microfibre Towel Frank Body Coffee Scrub Frank Body’s coffee-infused scrubs exfoliate dry skin, stimulate blood flow and promote collagen production. The scrubs come in original coffee as well as cocoa, coconut, peppermint and a new shimmer kit. $16.95–$19.95, frankbody.com

Soft and lightweight, Twotag’s smart microfibre training towels absorb eight times their own weight in liquid, yet dry in just half the time of regular cotton towels. The built-in pockets hold keys, cash, earphones and other gadgets — very handy when hitting the gym or travelling. $12–$25, twotags.com.au

AUG/SEP 2018

AusBiz.

NEWS+VIEWS | MINING | AGRIBUSINESS | INFRASTRUCTURE

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05 P.5 mining: renewable energy P.10 property: The rise of telecommuting P.16 agribusiness: the booming business of bees P.30 Business: HelloFresh australia. P.34 family business: Thomas cook boots & clothing co. P.40 EDUCATION

Business News+Views

Business News+Views Bringing you the latest insights and analyses. WORDS: Sarah Hinder Mining X-rays map new paths to hidden gold Revolutionary new X-ray technology that provides critical data to miners on gold grades in near-real time is changing the landscape of Australian mining. Developed by the CSIRO and brought to market by Chrysos Corporation, the fully automated photon analysis system drastically reduces the turnaround time on assays from days to minutes.

Adopted by Aussie mining services company Ausdrill, the groundbreaking technology is currently being used in a world-first at their MinAnalytical Perth facility, with two

more photon assay systems to soon be established in the Kalgoorlie goldfields.

At a similar cost to the conventional fire assay technique for gold analyses used for 500 years, this new X-ray system analyses more than 50,000 gold samples a month and can be applied to other minerals, including silver and copper. A faster, safer and more environmentally friendly alternative, photon assay technology is expected to give Australia’s mining industry a competitive edge on the global stage.

Chef in the house?

Meet Andrew — in his mid-thirties, always up for a challenge, with a sense of adventure that has led to living in towns from Western Australia's Pilbara region and also in the Central Highlands area of Queensland. Much of Andrew’s travels around regional and remote Australia has been for free, including his accommodation and meals, because Andrew is a qualified chef.

Some years ago, Andrew approached Atlas People after a recommendation from another chef. Atlas People recruit chefs, sending them to venues in regional and remote towns throughout Australia.

Venue owners and managers also benefit, knowing they can relax when an existing chef decided to move on, because they will secure a chef who has worked for Atlas People before, or who has been referred to them with the necessary, recognised qualifications. If long term appointments are required, Atlas People offer a try before you hire service.

"Let’s face it, anyone can find a chef in the city because of the sheer number of

AusBiz. Promotion people who live there,” says Managing Director of Atlas People, Doug Fletcher. “Away from the city, as any owner or manager of any business will tell you, it is harder to find qualified people.

We've been active in building a large pool of talent, that as well as being qualified chefs, are after a lifestyle that enables them to travel Australia and play a vital role in these communities", Fletcher said.

With a repeat business rate of 75 per cent plus, the advantages Atlas People offer regional and remote venues are appealing. "Our try first offer and available talent pool means we can have a chef in place within 24-72 hours, regardless of your location. We also manage the payroll headaches and our rate includes wages, superannuation, PAYG tax, Workcover and Public Liability Insurances,” said Fletcher.

Contact Atlas People at admin@ atlaspeople.com.au or phone 07 3088 3700 (east coast) and 08 9468 7500 (west coast).

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Business News+Views

Australia’s fish populations in peril Numbers of large fish species in Australia are rapidly on the decline, with populations of fish measuring more than 20 centimetres — such as bream and snapper — down by 30 per cent in the past 10 years.

Since the introduction of marine parks in the 1980s, as well as national regulations that outlined fishing zones, catch sizes and mesh size of nets, Australian fisheries have enjoyed a reputation for being some of the world’s most sustainable. However, the latest statistics have marine ecologists calling for a review of Australian fisheries and

fishing practices.

Research from the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Tasmania suggests that, in addition to climate change and overfishing, the ineffectual managment of marine reserves is largely to blame for the steep decline. Undersized and under-resourced, most Australian marine reserves are largely unable to aid in the recovery of important ecosystem functions.

If Australia wants to manage its commercial fish stocks for sustainability reasons, attention must be paid to the protection of marine habitats.

Fast Facts

50,000

Photon assay technology analyses more than 50,000 gold samples a month.

In the past century, seagrass cover has declined by 30 per cent, while 20 per cent of the world’s mangrove cover was lost between 1980 and 2005.

33%

In waters open to fishing, exploited populations fell by an average of 33 per cent between 2005 and 2015.

Mining

Renewables start to shine for Australian miners RUNNING A MINING OPERATION USES A LOT OF ENERGY. AS RENEWABLE ENERGY COMES DOWN THE COST CURVE, IT’S BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO DIESEL AND NATURAL GAS. Darren Baguley An agriculture, tech, mining, energy and business specialist writer.

Mines use a lot of energy, whether it is to run draglines and haul trucks, conveyors and crushers or for on-site beneficiation. According to Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)’s white paper Renewable Energy in the Australian Mining Sector, on average one tonne of coal takes 50.5kWh (kilowatt/ hour) to produce, minerals average 10.7kWh/tonne and metals come in at 54.5kWh/tonne. With coal and minerals, diesel equipment and comminution operations comprise much of the energy consumed, but with metals on-site beneficiation operations cause disparity.

The beneficiation processes for bauxite consume on average 13kWh/tonne while gold averages 210kWh/ tonne. This is because the energy consumed by metals with low on-site beneficiation, such as bauxite and iron ore, is predominantly consumed as diesel for plant involved in extraction and transport. Metals with a high level of on-site site beneficiation, such as copper and gold, consume energy as electricity.

The energy for beneficiation is mainly supplied by diesel (41 per cent), natural gas (33 per cent) and grid electricity (21 per cent), and the industry’s energy intensity is only going to increase as miners chase

Fast Facts

58million Australia has the best solar energy resource in the world, receiving on average 58 million Petajoules of solar radiation per year, approximately 10,000 times its total energy consumption.

30,000

South Australia’s 100MW/129MWh battery is the biggest lithium ion device in the world and is capable of powering about 30,000 homes for a little over an hour.

K E E P I N G D E G R U S S A’ S S O L A R / D I E S E L / B AT T E R Y H Y B R I D P O W E R P L A N T O P E R AT I N G AT P E A K P E R F O R M A N C E I S A T E A M E F F O R T. O N S I T E M A N A G E M E N T T E A M : ( L- R ) TA D G H O ’ S C A N N A I L – SANDFIRE, PETER COOK – OTOC, NORBERT BORCHERT – JUWI, LAURENT LAFFORGUE – NEOEN.

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Mining

M E TA L S W I T H A H I G H L E V E L O F O N - S I T E S I T E B E N E F I C I AT I O N , S U C H A S C O P P E R , C O N S U M E E N E R G Y A S E L E C T R I C I T Y. T H E D E G R U S S A COPPER MINE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA SOURCES AROUND 20 PER C E N T O F I T S T O TA L E N E R G Y N E E D S F R O M 3 4 , 0 8 0 S O L A R P V PA N E L S C O N N E C T E D T O A 6 M W L I T H I U M - I O N B AT T E R Y S T O R A G E FA C I L I T Y.

ore bodies of ever-decreasing grade.

According to A.R. Bye (Case Studies Demonstrating Value from Geometallurgy Initiatives, 1st AusIMM International Geometallurgy Conference 2011), in the past 30 years the average grade has declined by half while the amount of overburden needing to be removed has doubled.

As commodity price volatility is the new normal and competition from international players grows, our mining industry is under immense pressure to reduce operating costs. Mining operations with a high electricity demand and a long life can support the capital investment required to extend electrical or gas pipeline infrastructure and 65 per cent of Australian mine sites are connected to the grid.

On remote mine sites diesel is generally reliable and quick to deploy, but it’s also expensive. According to the AECOM report Off-grid Solar in the Mining Sector, remote mines can be paying more than $300/MWh in fuel; and diesel costs are likely to rise over time. Natural gas, either CNG or LNG, can be cost competitive if close enough to infrastructure, but price volatility is one of the consequences of the Australian gas market’s recent interconnection with the global market.

According to AECOM, “A 1.2 MW solar installation could reliably supply 5 per cent of the electricity for a 5MW mine, reducing diesel consumption by 600,000 litres per annum, saving around $6 million in diesel costs over 10 years.” It’s

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important to note, however, that even though diesel prices have been edging up recently there is little consensus among analysts about what oil or gas prices are likely to do over the next few years, let alone 10 years.

The report noted several other benefits for mine operators deploying renewables, including “reduced exposure to the uncertainty of the carbon price [and] increased system redundancy, providing an increased level of reliability.”

While it’s true there is currently no price on carbon in Australia, it is only a matter of time before a carbon price, an emissions trading scheme or an emissions intensity scheme is introduced. ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht says any new mining company that has a 10-year plus operating horizon is factoring some form of carbon price into its calculations.

It is important to note that this report was written in 2012, and as well as factoring in a carbon price it priced solar photo-voltaic (PV) generation costs at approximately $226/ MWh. Since then solar PV has moved even further down the cost curve. According to International Renewable Energy Agency's report Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2017, utility scale solar photo-voltaic power has come down to US$10 per MWh. Australia’s leading solar researcher, 2018 Global Energy Prize-winner Professor Martin Green, was reported by ReNew Economy as predicting that the cost of solar PV will fall to about 1c/KWh before the mid-2020s.

While mine sites aren’t quite utility scale and they also need battery storage to smooth out intermittency to work effectively, the cost of renewable energy is plummeting, and the business case is becoming ever more compelling.

Companies are starting to look closely at renewable energy.

Cost saving is the major driver for mining companies

Mining

but they’re also looking to smooth out volatility in fuel cost and hedge against the future introduction of some sort of carbon price. Frischknecht says there are other benefits from deploying renewables on mine sites. “The strongest driver is the cost of the alternative, so for mines that are off grid – and 65 per cent of Australian mines are grid-connected — they’re either using gas or diesel generators and it’s mainly the cost of fuel.

“Solar with diesel and battery storage is predominantly the generation method that mines are looking at. Wind is a possibility in some instances but many of our mines are in cyclone areas and to make a wind turbine that can stand up to a cyclone needs a stronger frame that is more firmly anchored down, which costs more.”

Connecting a battery in-line with solar serves several purposes. The most obvious is that it can store energy for when the sun is not shining. However, an advantage that is not widely recognised is that a battery provides better quality power. “It eliminates the voltage drop caused by clouds passing over the solar array, but a battery also provides more stable frequency and voltage by dampening down the sub-second oscillations that even grid connections experience,” says Frischknecht.

In a way, even a relatively small battery can provide these benefits as it works in the same way that an uninterrupted power supply works for a data centre, i.e. providing power while the generator starts up.

Both Frischknecht and the AECOM report argue that deploying renewable energy provides excellent opportunities for public relations and community engagement, and for improving the environmental credentials of the business. Sandfire Resources’ DeGrussa Copper-Gold Mine is a high-grade copper mine located 900km north east of Perth in Western Australia. The mine was completed in 2012 and in 2016 commissioned the largest integrated off-grid solar and battery storage facility of any mine in Australia, and quite possibly the world.

The $40 million project funded by ARENA comprises 34,080 solar PV panels mounted on a single-axis tracking system that enables the panels to track the sun during the day. The panels are connected to a 6MW lithium-ion battery storage facility and the existing 19MW diesel power station.

The solar panels supply around 20 per cent of the DeGrussa mine’s annual power requirements and cut its emissions by approximately 12,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year — this represents a reduction of about 15 per cent based on the mine’s FY2016 emissions.

Just as importantly, Frischknecht says, there has been a boost in workforce engagement. “I was flying into the DeGrussa mine with some of the workers and without any prompting they started telling me how they love flying over the solar field as they’re coming into work. ‘It reminds us that

T H E D E G R U S S A C O P P E R M I N E ’ S 3 4 , 0 8 0 P V PA N E L S C O V E R J U S T O V E R 2 0 H E C TA R E S A N D C A N B E C L E A R LY S E E N F R O M T H E A I R .

the company cares about the planet, our kids, the future,’ one worker said.”

Despite the advantages, many challenges remain before renewable energy is commonplace on remote mine sites, says Frischknecht. “One major challenge is the shortage of technical expertise. Once a hybrid system is tuned it will run itself but integrating all the different components — solar PV, batteries and the diesel power plant — is a different skillset from running a diesel genset.”

Other inhibitors include the 10-15 year power provisioning contracts that mining companies take out with third parties that are very difficult to vary during the life of the contract.

“There are challenges around the processes and operational principles that large companies operate under.

For example, a genset is an accepted piece of technology and the acquisition of an additional unit may only take 48 - hours to sign off because it’s in the system. By contrast, getting something new and untried like a solar array component can take a year or two,” says Frischknecht.

There is no doubt that projects such as DeGrussa and a similar ARENA-financed installation at Rio Tinto’s Weipa bauxite mine are igniting interest in renewables. In the past few months South32, Image Resources and OZ Minerals have all announced plans to integrate renewables with existing power plants. The South32 project at Cannington, Queensland, will be funded by ARENA and will incorporate a re-deployable 3MW solar farm from Energy Developments Ltd. If the re-deployable system proves successful, it will help solve the disconnect between mine life and ROI that is acting as a brake in investment in renewables.

AUG/SEPT 2018

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Precision Solar Farm Technology

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AusBiz. Promotion

New semi-autonomous pile driving solution for Australian solar farms

A combination of Carlson machine guidance, the Vermeer PD10 pile driver machine and technical support promises increased productivity for the Australian solar industry.

Intelligent positioning solutions provider Position Partners has teamed up with heavy machinery manufacturer Vermeer Australia, to streamline pile driving applications in the solar industry. With more than 200 people in offices Australia-wide, in South East Asia and New Zealand, Position Partners is the largest Australian-owned company focussing entirely on the distribution and support of positioning and geospatial solutions for surveying, civil works, mining and building projects.

The amount of posts required for a solar farm varies greatly, from a few hundred to a few hundred thousand. Traditional methods are labour intensive with potential for human error, as they involve a surveyor manually staking out each pile location, along with continuous stringline installation to guide the machine operator. If any pile is a little off its desired location, the racking system that is used to house the solar panels may not fit.

By eliminating the need for manual stakeout and stringlines, the new semi-autonomous solution not only speeds up the process, it also guarantees greater accuracy and improved safety, by removing the need for people to work close to the pile driving machine.

“Depending on the project, we estimate that contractors save between eight to ten dollars for every pile they drive,” said Andrew Granger, Position Partners Business Manager for Mining, Solar and Landfill. “On a small solar farm where every dollar counts that’s a good saving, and on a large-scale farm the savings are significant,” he added.

Carlson machine guidance includes a variety of sensors fitted to the machine, along with a precision GPS unit and a control box that gives the operator real-time information about location, depth and angle of each pile. With all the information required on screen, the solution eliminates the need to manually stake out the piles altogether.

When combined with Vermeer’s PD10 piling system, the benefits of Carlson’s machine guidance are further increased. Vermeer opened up the machine’s CANBUS system to allow for greater communication between the machine and the guidance technology, creating a semiautonomous solution that reduces the risk of human error even more.

“We’ve been working with Carlson’s Australian distributor, Position Partners, for some months on this solution, with great success,” said Jeff Lawson, National Construction Sales Manager at Vermeer Australia. “Vermeer’s most advanced pile driving machine, combined with Carlson’s machine guidance and our combined technical support capabilities enables us to offer a winning combination for Australian contractors.”

For more information about the semi-autonomous pile driving solution contact Position Partners on 1300 867 266 or visit positionpartners.com.au AUG/SEPT 2018

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Telecommuting

Cutting the work commute WITH A GROWING NUMBER OF AUSTRALIANS NOW WORKING REMOTELY, TELECOMMUTING IS RESULTING IN A RISE IN REGIONAL PROPERTY PRICES. Kirsten Craze Kirsten Craze is a freelance journalist who has been writing about property in Australia and overseas for more than 15 years.

T H E E N T R A N C E , C E N T R A L C O A S T. C R E D I T: D E S T I N AT I O N N S W I

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M A N W O R K I N G AT 1 0 0 M I L E TA B L E I N B Y R O N B AY. C R E D I T: D E S T I N AT I O N N S W

Telecommuting

H O O K I N G A L I N E AT F L I N D E R S P I E R , MORNINGTON PENINSULA.

Fast Facts

2020

By 2020, after the completion of the National Broadband Network, the Federal Government aims to give 12 per cent of all public servants the opportunity to regularly telecommute.

8%

According to the latest ABS Census data, telecommuting increased from 8 per cent of the workforce in 2001 to 30 per cent in 2016.

Escaping tedious commutes and high-density living is a dream for many city dwellers, but there is a real fear of missing out on big city salaries. However, a growing number of Australians are managing to make their ideal lifestyle change while maintaining metro wages.

Telecommuting, also known as teleworking and e-working, is an emerging lifestyle phenomenon not only changing the way Australians are living, but also driving up regional property prices.

“Now it seems prices could be peaking in capital cities, so people are looking outside of these areas.

As a result, prices are starting to grow in the regions as people move out to them,” says Mathew Tiller, Head of Research at LJ Hooker.

“Obviously, most of our regional towns have property prices well below capital-city medians. But, for many, the hardest part about moving to a regional centre is income and employment prospects. So if you can take your city income with you and transfer it to an area where life is more affordable, then obviously you’re far ahead of the pack.”

The mass exodus, Tiller adds, mostly includes Baby Boomers who might still be a few years off retirement, and young families seeking a lifestyle change.

While these city defectors are at different life stages, they share the same goal: they want to ditch the commute, cash in on big city property prices and get more bang for their buck in regional towns.

“We’re definitely seeing it on the East Coast, AUG/SEPT 2018

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Telecommuting

particularly for Sydney and Melbourne due to the population growth and affordability issues those two cities have. But the other capitals are experiencing it as well,” says Tiller.

“All our capitals have very scenic coastal towns or attractive regional centres just outside them. Near Sydney you have the Hunter Valley, the Southern Highlands and the beaches of the South and Central Coasts. Close to Melbourne you have the same thing with Mornington Peninsula and the Surf Coast, while in Queensland it’s the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

Outside of Adelaide you have the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa Valley, and with Perth there is the Margaret River region.”

While many regional towns suffered property price slumps post-GFC, the tides have recently turned.

Although there are a number of reasons behind rising regional real-estate values, Tiller attributes flexible working arrangements and technology as key drivers.

According to recent statistics from property data firm CoreLogic, the median house price in the Central Coast in New South Wales has jumped 74.2 per cent in the past five years to $748,178, while in the greater Wollongong area they have skyrocketed by 76.2 per cent to $831,774.

L I F E O N T H E G O L D C O A S T. C R E D I T: T O U R I S M Q U E E N S L A N D .

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In Victoria the regional hotspots are Mornington Peninsula, where the median house price increased by 50.5 per cent in five years to $808,036, and the Greater Geelong area, where prices rose 33 per cent to $518,613.

Queensland’s Gold Coast saw the median house price increase by 34.7 per cent in five years to $640,000, and even units, which endured significant losses post-GFC, have increased in price by 22.2 per cent in that time. Another region of note in the Sunshine State is the greater Toowoomba area, where the median house price now sits at a modest $388,236, up 20.9 per cent.

A recent McCrindle Research survey showed that Australians are eager to make significant changes to their working styles and embrace the freedom to work from home or remotely. Of those surveyed, 80 per cent (82 per cent of women and 78 per cent of men) said they’d be more likely to stay longer with an existing employer if they provide flexible working conditions.

“Most employees are prepared to forego a percentage of their pay in exchange for greater flexibility,” says social demographer Mark McCrindle, founder of McCrindle Research.

While 28 per cent of Australians would be willing to earn five per cent less for significant flexibility, an incredible one in 16 Australians would compromise 20 per cent (or one day’s pay) in exchange for the opportunity to work remotely.

A poll of more than 8,000 people by recruitment firm Hays found that 55 per cent of workers were happy to drop their salary if it meant they could work from home.

Telecommuting

“If you have a long commute, working from home or at another location closer to home will allow you to cut the travel time of your routine, which should improve your physical wellbeing,” says Susan Drew, Senior Regional Director at Hays.

Despite the overwhelming desire of Australian workers to plug into telecommuting, Drew says it is still not the norm for many companies.

“There is a worry among both employers and employees that telecommuting will hinder performance. However, it is down to the individual and the employer to ensure that they remain on track,” she says, adding that companies seeking five-star staff should consider the practice.

“If people cannot access telecommuting from their existing employer they may look elsewhere, which will lead to competitiveness in the market. To compete in retaining and attracting staff, companies will have to

“It's no longer a commuting class.

It's no longer people living in the region and suburbs but travelling to work in the nearest city."

T H E G O L D C O A S T. I M A G E C R E D I T: B R O B E S . C O M .

B E L O W : M O R N I N G T O N P E N I N S U L A B AT H I N G B O X E S .

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introduce working-from-home options.”

Mark McCrindle says that, with this growing desire for flexible work conditions and more affordable lifestyles, it is no wonder population rates and property prices in regional areas are on the rise.

“Some regional cities are actually growing faster than the capitals — it’s phenomenal. People can now work from these areas; we don’t just have to work in the CBD of big capitals. Technology solutions have really been an enabler,” McCrindle says.

“It’s no longer a commuting class. It’s no longer people living in the region and suburbs but travelling to work in the nearest city.”

In many ways, McCrindle adds, the NBN and the ever-changing digital landscape has given regional towns a leg up on capital cities, where house prices are becoming prohibitive.

“People can see the affordability, the lifestyle and now the ability to work from these places. They’re not just holiday destinations now; people live and work there while holding down well-paid CBD jobs,” he says.

“That’s the new way of life that Australians have responded to: they want to live, work and play close to where they are rather than just commute.”

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Agribusiness

A HIVE OF INDUSTRY CRUCIAL POLLINATING MACHINES AND CHAMPIONS OF THE FOOD CHAIN, BEES BRING MORE TO OUR TABLES THAN HONEY.

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Agribusiness

Darren Baguley An agriculture, tech, mining, energy and business specialist.

Fast Facts

25km/hr Bees fly at about 25 kilometres per hour and beat their wings 200 times per second.

10 kilos

It takes 10 kilos of honey to produce one kilo of beeswax — pretty amazing considering each bee only produces 112 of a teaspoon of honey in its entire lifetime.

60,000

A bee colony or hive contains 20,000–60,000 worker bees and one queen. Worker bees are female and live between six weeks and nine months depending on the season.

The honey and beeswax they produce and the pollination services they provide are worth billions to Australian agriculture. But more importantly, life as we know it would be impossible without honey bees.

As humans have spread out across the globe to populate every continent except Antarctica, they have brought their animals, large and small. Of these species’ introductions, none have been more successful than the western (or European) honey bee (Apis mellifera). First brought into Australia in 1822 to aid in the pollination of the colonists’ European crops and pastures, beekeeping is an important rural industry and the pollination services it provides are even more vital than they were nearly 200 years ago.

Amateur and commercial beekeepers in every state and Territory, except Tasmania, are required by law to register their hives. According to Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) executive director Trevor Weatherhead AM, there are 24,000 beekeepers in Australia and more than 647,000 hives, which produce around 20,000 tonnes of honey annually.

The ABARES Australian honey bee industry 2014–15 survey results estimated the gross value of production at $101 million. The report found that, “on average, Australian beekeepers sold around 53 per cent of their honey to major processors in 2014–15. Around 17 per cent was sold to other processors, while the remainder was sold direct to retail (12 per cent), local markets (10 per cent) and door sales (6 per cent). Average sales of honey directly to export were minimal (0.5 per cent).

“This pattern was similar for all states except Tasmania, where a larger proportion of beekeepers sold honey to other processers and directly to retail (34 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively), and 8 per cent sold honey direct to export.”

Around 14 per cent, or 4,600 tonnes, of honey gets exported, according to the ABARES report. Weatherhead, however, says it is exported as a packaged, finished product by processors rather than in bulk. “There is demand for our honey overseas, but price is a big factor — our honey is expensive compared to the world price,” he says. “Ironically, we import honey from China, but there is a big demand in China for food produced outside the country because of our clean, green image and our more stringent quality assurance procedures.”

While honey is the most important bee product by far, beekeepers also sell beeswax, royal jelly, pollen and propolis — a resinous substance used by bees to repair AUG/SEPT 2018

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80 YEARS OF THE VERY BEST In 1938, Charles Warman came up with an idea that would totally revolutionise the mining industry. As soon as Warman’s pumps came on to the scene, they became the very best you could buy.

If it wasn’t Warman, you were wasting your time.

Over the course of 80 years, Warman pumps spread across the globe driven by the ethos to always innovate. Soon, Warman became a global brand with a bigger influence than even the forward-thinking Charles Warman could ever have imagined. All over the world, Warman is known as the very best.

It’s always been Warman, and it always will be.

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Agribusiness

and varnish honeycombs.

Live queen bees and packaged bees are also sold to Canada, the Middle East, Pakistan and Japan. “There’s a good market in the Northern Hemisphere as we can supply bees at the start of their season.

They’re able to use imported Australian queens to split hives, and packaged bees to make good any losses they may have suffered over winter,” says Weatherhead.

While it ranks behind honey, pollination services and live bee sales in terms of income for beekeepers, Australian beeswax has surged in popularity and price in recent years, according to Weatherhead and beeswax candle-maker and owner of Queen B, Cate Burton. “There has been a 300 per cent increase in the price of Australian beeswax in recent years,” says Burton.

“Australia doesn’t have Varroa mite (Varroa destructor), so our beeswax is free of the chemical miticides that beeswax everywhere else in the world has. This makes it very popular with pharmaceutical companies making hormone replacement therapy products, and cosmetic companies who use it in hand cream, lipstick, lip balm etc.”

While honey is the main product of bees, in recent years more and more attention has been focused on the role bees play in pollinating the plants that are so vital to our planet, known as ‘pollination services’ in economic-speak.

Modern industrial agriculture is increasingly dependent on beekeepers trucking thousands of hives around the country every year. Due to land clearing and the resulting loss of biodiversity, cherries, apples and pears, almonds and macadamias all need additional bees to pollinate the crops at the appropriate time of the year. According to Weatherhead, 200,000 beehives were needed to pollinate last year’s almond crops in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

And it’s not just tree crops that need bees for pollination.

Strawberries, cucurbits, carrots and onions all need bees to pollinate the next crops, as do canola and sunflowers.

A study by Curtin University’s John M Karasinski found that 53 crops rely on honey bees for pollination to some extent, while the economic value of Australian-managed and wild honey bee pollinators is estimated to range between $8.35 billion and $19.97 billion, depending on fluctuations in the AUG/SEPT 2018

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Agribusiness

farmgate value of the crops they pollinated.

Whatever the actual value of pollination services, what we can be certain of is that a world without bees would be a very bleak one. Activists painted this unsettling picture several years ago when a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) occurred in the United States that saw entire beehives die off. According to Weatherhead, CCD is caused by multiple factors, with Varroa mite being the major culprit, along with starvation. Environmentalists point the finger at a group of insecticides known as neonicotinoids, which are extremely persistent in the environment. So harmful, the European Union is convinced enough of their impact on bees and other pollinators to ban their use, despite legal challenges by chemical companies such as Bayer and Syngenta.

Knowledge of CCD and neonicotinoids teamed with the spectre of a world without bees has led to a massive upsurge in amateur beekeeping in both urban and rural environments. According to NSW Amateur Beekeeping Association (ABA) president Bruce White OAM, “the ABA in 1968 had six branches, in 1988 seven branches, in 1991 eight branches, in 2018, 21 branches; and membership has grown from 706 in 2014 to 1680 in 2018.”

This interest has been driven by the media and popular TV programs such as the ABC’s Gardening Australia, which have publicised the world decline in bee populations and the

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Agribusiness

magnitude of the threat to world food security. “Up to 65 per cent of all the food we eat depends on pollination, with honey bees the main pollinators,” says White.

The invention of the Flow Hive, a new type of easy-to-use beehive, has also played a part.

Weatherhead welcomes the growth in amateur beekeeping, but also cautions that making sure Australia continues to be Varroa mite-free is the best way of ensuring our bee population remains healthy. This will be a big ask as the eastern (or Asian) honey bee (Apis cerana) is the natural host for Varroa mite, but it’s a threat government and the community are taking seriously so far.

“It’s absolutely crucial that we keep Varroa out of Australia,” says Weatherhead. “We’ve been running education programs, including education of wharfies, and there’s the National Bee Pest Surveillance Program which is being run by Plant Health Australia (PHA).”

Perhaps, ultimately, the best thing Australian bees have going for them is our beekeepers. Burton has been making beeswax candles for more than 20 years and has travelled all over the world visiting beekeepers. “No Australian beekeeper — even those doing pollination services and trucking their hives around the country — will shut their bees up for more than 24 hours,” she says. “They refer to the bees as ‘their girls’, and they just have much higher standards of animal husbandry than in other countries.”

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Infrastructure

Picture of Health

Jo Stewart Jo is a Melbournebased author and features writer.

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INNOVATION CONTINUES TO CHANGE THE WAY HEALTHCARE IS PROVIDED ACROSS AUSTRALIA, BUT THE DELIVERY OF NEW INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT WITHOUT ITS CHALLENGES.

Infrastructure

The funding of healthcare is one of the best investments governments can make. A universal need that benefits the entire population regardless of age, gender or income, healthcare funding is always a hot topic come election time.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) more than $155 billion was spent on healthcare in Australia in 2012-2013, with the federal government contributing $63.5 billion and state and territory governments contributing $41 billion.

Despite this seemingly significant investment, the

Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) Public Hospital Report Card indicates that performance of Australia’s public hospitals remains less than adequate. Contending that public hospitals are facing a funding crisis, the report highlights that emergency room waiting times continue to increase and bed number ratios remain static.

Innovation within the healthcare sector has delivered mixed results in Australia, with the nation’s hospitals and healthcare services using new technology and fresh approaches to meet the evolving needs of the population, but not without failures and setbacks.

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Infrastructure

High-tech hospitals

Technological advances have transformed many industries and the healthcare sector is no exception. Two landmark hospital developments recently constructed in Australia show the changing face of hospitals and the impact that technological advances have on how healthcare infrastructure is planned, designed and built.

As Australia’s most expensive building and South Australia’s largest capital investment project, the new Royal Adelaide Hospital (nRAH) was heralded as a game-changing facility that would use an innovative approach to deliver optimal outcomes for the community.

Costing $2.3 billion, the public-private partnership suffered many setbacks over

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Fast Fact

4 Star

With a 1.6-hectare footprint of green space, high-efficiency water fittings and an on-site heat generation system that uses waste heat, the new Royal Adelaide Hospital has been awarded a 4 Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).

the course of its construction. From budget blowouts to costly legal challenges, planning bungles and design flaws, the ambitious project has captured headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Finally completed in September 2017, the 800-bed facility was described as “a hospital for the future” by the hospital’s Director Commissioning, Elke Kropf.

Despite the challenges it has experienced in its short life, the nRAH remains an example of how modern healthcare facilities are more patient-focused than those of previous generations. Gone are the dour colour schemes found in hospitals of years gone by. Instead, natural light and green space are incorporated throughout the space, with 70 courtyards, terraces and sky gardens scattered across the site. Moving away from shared wards towards private suites, 100 per cent single overnight patient rooms offer greater levels of privacy to promote healing.

Mirroring the move to automation evident in other industries, the hospital harnesses new technology to automate many of its key functions. An automated pharmacy distribution system (one of the largest in Australia) supports fast, precise distribution of medicines. Diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases is supported by the largest automated microbiology system in the Southern Hemisphere, while a digital instrument tracking system efficiently manages equipment.

In Western Australia, the state-of-the-art $1.2 billion Perth Children’s Hospital designed

by JCY Architects and Urban Designers, Cox Architecture and Billard Leece Partnership with HKS Inc also experienced extensive delays and budget blowouts.

Opening in May 2018 (almost three years late) the hospital design prioritises the patient experience by affording more privacy than hospitals of the past. Three-quarters of the 298 beds are housed in single rooms, while family lounges and parent accommodation facilities are designed to provide comfort and ease stress for loved ones.

As with other contemporary hospital developments, green space, natural light and views of nature take precedence in the design with outdoor spaces and private courtyards,

Infrastructure

Fast Fact

88,000

More than 88,000 people across Australia took part in a Royal Flying Doctor Service telehealth or telephone consultation in 2016/2017.

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Infrastructure

changing the perception of hospitals as closed-in, overtly clinical spaces.

While both hospitals were plagued by planning, design and construction issues, the completed projects demonstrate how hospitals have evolved from artificially lit, concrete slabs filled with shared wards to well-lit, flowing spaces that make use of the latest technology to streamline service delivery.

Innovation driving healthcare delivery in regional communities While hospitals remain a priority for healthcare funding, what about people who don’t live within cooee of one?

Australia’s vast land mass and significant number of regional, rural and remote communities make delivery of essential health services to people living far from metropolitan hospitals an ongoing challenge. The birth of key technologies such as the internet has led to the emergence of telehealth services that can overcome some of the barriers that prevent rural-dwellers from accessing healthcare.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Victoria has provided telehealth specialist services to rural Australians since 2013, enabling rural communities to access health services without leaving the community. The free service started in Mildura and has now grown to service many more communities in need. Offering endocrinology, cardiology, psychology, psychiatry and respiratory services, the telehealth program operates in a number of rural regions, including Swan Hill, Mildura, Kerang, Edenhope, Nhill and Warracknabeal.

A purpose-built platform that operates from a single portal, the RFDS telehealth service not only allows patient and clinician communication but also enables appointment viewing and scheduling, and document storage and sharing. A share-screen feature also allows clinicians to show patients diagrams and pictures.

“Back in the day hospitals bought these large, complex systems with double screens for telehealth, but with our system all you need is a laptop or iPad with a camera and access to the internet,” explains Margaret Kuhne, General Manager, Primary Health Care at RFDS Victoria.

Helping people to stay within their community to access specialist medical advice, the telehealth program reduces the huge distances that rural-dwellers travel to attend specialist medical appointments. Many patients are unable to drive or take time away from work to attend appointments in the city, so the telehealth service has improved the lives of many Australians living with chronic disease.

Kerang resident Ron Hick used to undertake a 600km round trip to see a diabetes specialist but now uses the RFDS telehealth service instead. “The greatest impact for me has been the fact that instead of having to travel four hours each way to see my specialist, I now travel four minutes. I have great respect and admiration for the service,” says Hick.

In the past regional communities may have been overlooked for government funding, yet Kuhne contends that this has changed in recent years. “More and more, governments are supporting innovative models in rural communities. Telehealth is being used more frequently to address the issues that rural and remote communities have with accessing specialist healthcare.”

The ability to operate off low bandwidths means areas without NBN access are still served well. “While it’s not suitable for every type of consultation, it’s gradually becoming the option of choice where appropriate, as patients are saving time and money,” says Kuhne.

Because it is a cost- and time-effective way for service providers to reach rural communities, the expansion of telehealth services to other communities is a priority.

“It takes time to physically transport a clinician from the city to a remote community, whereas clinicians could spend that time seeing patients via telehealth appointments and therefore see a greater number of people across a range of locations,” Kuhne explains.

“It’s a much better use of everyone’s time.

We’re constantly trying to innovate. Innovation and technology is certainly the key to providing better service and access to services.”

Plato may have coined the phrase “necessity is the mother of invention” centuries ago, yet for healthcare providers delivering essential services in Australia’s many remote communities, necessity still drives innovation.

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Start-ups

Start-ups

Birthing a business FRUSTRATED WITH THE LACK OF CHOICE FOR REGIONAL PARENTSTO-BE AROUND THEIR BIRTHING OPTIONS AND PRENATAL EDUCATION, TAMWORTH MIDWIFE EDWINA SHARROCK CREATED BIRTH BEAT, OFFERING ONLINE COURSES ACROSS AUSTRALIA. The conception of her company was a classic story, says Edwina Sharrock, founder of Birth Beat — working out of friends’ living rooms and on dining tables in the New South Wales town of Tamworth.

Sharrock, who grew up in Tamworth, studied nursing at the University of Sydney and began working at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. She had planned to study midwifery there when her father became ill and she returned home. With her plans changed, Sharrock enrolled in studies in Tamworth.

“It was the best way to study midwifery, because I was able to go to Armidale, Inverell and Moree and spend time in those hospitals. When you’re learning in country hospitals it’s often a very small team, so the student gets to do so much more,” says Sharrock.

Settling down in Tamworth and starting her own family, Sharrock, who has daughter Polly (aged six) and son Theo (aged three), was disappointed when the local maternity unit closed down at the private hospital.

“Just because we live in the bush doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have access to and choice around our healthcare,” says Sharrock. “Our choices were taken away and that made me cranky. I was complaining about it one afternoon and my husband said to me, ‘Well, why don’t you do something about it?’ I couldn’t build a maternity wing, but what I could do was provide the very best antenatal classes — and that’s how we started Birth Beat.”

Initially offering courses in Tamworth only, Sharrock had customers travel great distances to attend. One pair came from Cobar, travelling 500 kilometres each way. Sharrock began researching maternity and healthcare options in regional and remote parts of Australia.

“I found out that 41 per cent of maternity units have closed in the last 15 years in Australia, mainly in rural, regional and remote areas. So we’ve taken away this access for women in the country to get educated, and it’s so important to be educated for birth because then you’re not fearful. It’s all

Katrina Holden Editor of True Blue, Katrina has been an editor of business and lifestyle titles for more than 20 years.

about removing the fear,” says Sharrock.

It was then, in 2017, that she decided to take her courses online, signalling the beginning of her start-up journey. Birth Beat was soon recognised by Commonwealth Bank with an Innovation Award, then as a Google Regional Online Hero.

From here, Sharrock heard about the HCF Catalyst program, in which HCF helps businesses that are taking innovations in healthcare which align with the company’s values.

“I was really lucky to get a place on that program,” says Sharrock, although hard work and grit clearly played major roles in ensuring Birth Beat became one of just 10 companies selected from 300 applicants to take part.

“I literally had to pull an all-nighter and build a pitch deck — I had no idea what a pitch deck was — and then get it to them within 48 hours. The presentation was like Shark Tank — it was the most nerve-wracking thing, and I’d got up at 4.30 in the morning and driven from Tamworth to Sydney.”

The 12-week accelerator course has an assigned expert in residence for each business. Sharrock feels privileged to be “hanging out with some pretty smart people doing incredible things in business and the health industry.”

Though the pace has been gruelling, the mum-of-two acknowledges the support of her community. “All my friends and family have rallied around me,” says Sharrock, who advises anyone considering a start-up to just do something.

“That’s the thing in start-ups — people worry that they don’t have it perfect or that the website isn’t 100 per cent. Just get it out there, because you’re never going to have it perfect,” says Sharrock. “Also: talk to your market.”

Looking to the future, Sharrock says she has a greater understanding of her potential customers and is now looking at B2B opportunities with big companies to provide antenatal education to its staff members, many of whom are scattered all over the country.

She has also registered birthbeat.com.

“So we’re ready to go global — but I’m not in any mad rush to do that!”

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Business

A fresh start FOUNDED IN 2012, HELLOFRESH AUSTRALIA NOW DELIVERS MORE THAN TWO MILLION MEALS AND RECIPES EACH MONTH AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE CHAT TO FOUNDER AND CEO TOM RUTLEDGE ABOUT THE COMPANY’S GROWTH. Growing up on a rural property in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Tom Rutledge says the kitchen was the “nerve centre” of his family’s farm.

“From a very early age, I was aware of the seasons and the provenance of ingredients. The blokes that worked on the farm would come into the kitchen every morning — it was where we’d always congregate as a family. It was a place that had very happy associations for me and still does,” says Rutledge.

After graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Economics, Rutledge worked for a number of start-ups, including a human resources company and a wine business, before finding his way onto Network Ten’s MasterChef series as a finalist in 2011.

“Coming from a farm which is a small business, I’d always had the desire to do something entrepreneurial and to be able to tie that in with food, which is a subject matter I was keen on because of MasterChef but have always loved.

It was an obvious place to turn my attention to for opportunities,” says Rutledge, who then founded gourmet food home delivery service Mr Perkins & Co., after taking inspiration from several overseas models.

It was the first meal-kit concept to hit Australia, and it wasn’t long before HelloFresh came knocking. Established in Berlin in 2011, its founders were on the hunt for prime global markets where they could launch concurrently.

Australia was on the list of launch markets (along with Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and France) and

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Rutledge was approached to oversee its launch.

“The blokes behind HelloFresh are very smart guys. We were put in touch by someone who was aware of their plans and what I was doing — and it was a pretty easy decision for me,” says Rutledge.

At the start of 2012, Rutledge set up HelloFresh Australia, initially doing everything on his own and then building a small team, meeting challenges as they arose. Today they’re leaders in the meal-kit market, and their revenue grew by more than 50 per cent year-on-year for the first quarter of 2018, with a current revenue run rate (at May 2018) in excess of A$200 million.

Katrina Holden Editor of True Blue, Katrina has been an editor of business and lifestyle titles for more than 20 years.

HelloFresh Australia is now shipping 600,000 meals a week, and more than 2 million a month.

Business

AUG/SEPT 2018 C H I L L I P R AW N L I N G U I N E

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Erosion Control Blanket

1300 040 050

Business L E F T, T O P R O W : M A C A D A M I A CRUSTED SALMON. BOTTOM R O W F R O M L E F T: PA N S E A R E D BARRAMUNDI; SIRLOIN STEAK. PICTURED: CEO TOM RUTLEDGE.

“The biggest challenge to begin with was finding customers. It was a new service and people weren’t waking up thinking, ‘I need a meal kit’. We were having to get out there and explain the benefits of a meal kit as opposed to traditional grocery shopping,” says Rutledge.

HelloFresh Australia creates recipes based on trends, customer insights and seasonal ingredient availability. The company then transports those recipes and the required ingredients to its customers, with the aim of taking the stress out of weeknight cooking.

Rutledge explains the company has a range of customers, from professionals with no kids to families and empty nesters.

“Our value proposition, which is to solve the decision dilemma around deciding what’s for dinner, appeals to a lot of people. The whole conundrum

of what’s for dinner holds for everyone and not only ‘What do I want to cook and what do I need to buy for that’, but also the constant refreshing of inspiration,” says Rutledge, adding that the company has a very short supply chain and ingredients are packed and dispatched within a 24-hour window.

Rutledge works with a range of suppliers and has a preference for independently run businesses. “But more than anything, we want to make sure we have suppliers who have a quality product and, on top of that, are able to deliver things to us on time and in full. Getting things a day later may not be super-critical for a supermarket, but with a product like ours, it’s imperative for us it's on time or it won’t make it into the box,” says Rutledge.

HelloFresh Australia is now shipping 600,000 meals a week, and more than two million a month. Globally,

HelloFresh has an active customer base of 1.88 million.

Rutledge is most proud of the company’s growth and what that means for its customers.

“What we’re doing is eliminating thousands of decisions every week, and we’re giving our customers and their families the opportunity to still have the fun of cooking without all of the process, decision-making and logistics,” he says.

Committed to further growth, the company plans to add to their product portfolio by expanding the variety they offer customers.

“We also want to continue our expansion into the regions,” says Rutledge. “Last year was a great year for New South Wales and Queensland, and this year we’ve had some good additions in Victoria and Western Australia, with more to come.”

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Family business

T H R E E G E N E R AT I O N S . L- R : M U R R AY C O O K , THOMAS COOK SENIOR, THOMAS COOK II.

Following in the family footsteps

Katrina Holden

WE CHAT TO THIRD-GENERATION FAMILY MEMBER MURRAY COOK, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST SUCCESSFUL BOOTMAKING AND COUNTRY CLOTHING COMPANIES.

Editor of True Blue, Katrina has been an editor of business and lifestyle titles for more than 20 years.

Bootmaking was in the blood from an early age says Murray Thomas Cook, Managing Director of Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Company.

At eight years old, Murray spent his Saturday mornings sweeping the factory floor of his grandfather’s boot business to earn 50 cents pocket money from his father, second generation Thomas Cook.

Murray’s grandfather, Thomas Cook Senior, established the business in 1924.

His story is a classic rags-to-riches tale, involving hard work, strong business AY CC OO OO KK ..

SS UU EE AA NN DD MM UU RR RR AY ethics and great vision.

Born in Fremantle in 1908, Thomas, the youngest of seven children, was just four years old when his mother died. Unable to cope, his father placed the youngest four kids in a Salvation Army home.

Thomas’s father would remarry and take the children out of the Salvos home for a number of years, but the youngest of the kids, including Thomas, were returned when their father then passed away.

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“It was a very tough upbringing for Pop and he learned to fight in those Salvation Army homes,” explains Murray.

At 14 Thomas landed a job at a dairy farm, and come weekends, he’d box and play football. He soon developed his boxing skills and thought he could have a shot at being a professional. His older brother George was based in Melbourne working at a boot factory, and paid the 10 pounds to put Thomas on a ship to Melbourne, where he took up boxing and started working in the boot industry.

Thomas got his first knockout after winning 20 matches and decided a career in boxing was not for him. “But an opportunity came out of that with fellow boxers making boxing boots for them. So that’s where he started, working out of a shed,” says Murray.

In his early twenties he opened a shop on High Street in Preston, and before long, as the business flourished, he expanded to buy four shops in a row, which he then knocked down to build a small factory that later made way for a

Family business

bigger one.

Thomas II ran the company from 1968 until his retirement in 1990.

Murray loved spending his school holidays working at the factory, painting boot soles and fixing eyelets.

After high school he worked at Melbourne Sports Depot before joining the family THOMAS COOK SENIOR. business.

Today the company produces footwear; men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories; and homewares. The business employs 45 staff in its Melbourne office and 10 sales staff throughout Australia and New Zealand. It has four distinct brands: Thomas Cook, the company’s signature line; Wrangler and American boot label Twisted X, both sold under licence; and the company’s Pure Western label.

“One of Pop’s sayings was: ‘Just remember, it’s my name on the line — you’ve got to make a good, honest product and, once you do, you’ll get a good following,’ recalls Murray. “I certainly carry that through to this day.”

As the National Sales Manager, Murray’s wife Sue loves meeting her customers in their own towns and hearing about what conditions they’re dealing with — be it a closing mine, cattle prices or how drought is affecting them.

“We get to work together, but we also get to see some really beautiful parts of Australia and our fantastic customers and towns that they live in — it’s great,” says Murray, who acknowledges you can’t run a clothing business from behind a desk in the back blocks of Melbourne.

Where other companies have pulled their sales teams from the road due to expense, Murray believes it’s vital to have first-hand contact with customers, and for account managers and product designers to be talking to retailers as much as possible.

With a shared commitment to their company, both Murray and Sue relish working together and “wouldn’t have it any other way”. “We are very lucky,” says Murray. “You talk to some couples and they don’t even holiday together!”

And when it comes to carrying on founder Thomas’s sense of innovation, the company certainly hasn’t hung up its boots, with Murray confirming his beloved business is “forever evolving”.

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Man & Machine

The Wonder of Wood LONG AFTER THEIR CONSTRUCTION, CLASSIC TIMBER HALVORSENS STILL HAVE THE GLAMOUR FACTOR TO TURN HEADS.

Briar Jensen Briar Jensen is a freelance travel writer with a penchant for soft adventure. She especially loves exploring Australia in search of inspiring travel experiences to share with her readers.

Glasses clink in salute as water laps the wooden hull. A breeze shimmies through the gum trees, and the setting sun ups the saturation on honeyed sandstone cliffs. It’s cocktail hour aboard MV Kalinda, anchored in Sydney’s Cowan Creek; time to relax, absorb the serenity and admire the varnish.

There’s something romantic about vintage timber craft — their classic lines, distinguished heritage and superb craftsmanship. They exude the refined grandeur of yesteryear, and none more so than Sydney Classic Boat Charters’ MV Kalinda, a 1950 Halvorsen Bridgedecker motor cruiser.

The Halvorsen name is synonymous with timber boats in Australia. Second generation Norwegian boat-builder Lars Halvorsen arrived in Sydney in 1924, and through determination and hard work established a family boat-building dynasty that now spans five generations.

As Mary-Louise Williams, then director of the Australian National Maritime Museum, says in the foreword to Wooden Boats, Iron Men: The Halvorsen Story, “The name Halvorsen is central to the achievements of 20th century boatbuilding in Australia.”

Many Sydneysiders fondly remember holidaying on a Halvorsen, and tall stories about on-board shenanigans. Less well known is Lars Halvorsen Sons’ involvement in World War II, having built more than 250 vessels for the Australian, US and Dutch forces. The family also built yachts, including Freya, three-time Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race winner, and Gretel, Australia’s first America’s Cup challenger.

The quality, workmanship and timeless style of Halvorsens have made them highly sought after by wooden-boat enthusiasts, like skipper of MV Kalinda, John Spry.

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Fast Facts Three requisitioned Halvorsen cruisers snared the Japanese midget submarine No.21 in Sydney’s Taylors Bay in May 1942.

MV Kalinda has featured in episodes of The Bachelor and Married at First Sight.

legacy of those who designed them, built them, sailed them, worked on them or lived on them,” he says. “It stems initially from the timber, itself a living thing.”

John started mucking about in wooden boats when he was 12, and MV Kalinda is his fifth wooden craft and third Halvorsen. “I love the style and functionality of Halvorsen designs,” he says. “They were the pinnacle of excellence of their time.”

In 2004 John was contemplating a lifestyle change, so he sold his electronics engineering business and, at 54, became a mature-age boatbuilding and shipwright apprentice, to the amusement of his mates.

At the time he and his wife Debbie owned a 26 foot Halvo, as they are affectionately known, but together with daughter Kitty, an accounts and marketing executive, decided to purchase a larger family boat. “We wanted a classic Halvorsen with the charm and elegance of 1950s luxury, but large enough with plenty of outdoor seating for comfortable day charters,” says John.

In 2007 they found their perfect match — online, in Seattle, USA. The 47 foot Bridgedecker was built in Sydney in 1950 and taken to America by Carl Halvorsen, chasing the Hollywood market. She sold immediately and changed hands many times over the years, by swapping, repossession and the winnings from a game of craps — the dice from that game rumoured to be in the bilge.

Following an arduous ordeal arranging transportation from Seattle, Hardway as she was then named, began to sink when unloaded from the ship in Newcastle.

Despite knowing she would take on water due to plank shrinkage in transit, the volume was far greater than the on-board fire pump could handle, and only prompt assistance from the local water police averted disaster.

Told “you’ll never get an old boat like her into commercial charter,” her owners took on the challenge of restoration, removing live-aboard conveniences of furnace, laundry, trash compactor, dishwasher, cat flap and hot tub. The entire internal space AUG/SEP 2018

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Man & Machine

was gutted, revealing the dice from the winning craps game.

The following years were a labour of love for the Sprys, returning the vessel to its original layout. Tragically, in 2010, Debbie lost her long fight with cancer, but the family continued the backbreaking work knowing she was with them in spirit.

In 2015 MV Kalinda, an Aboriginal name meaning 'the sea' or 'a lookout', was licensed for commercial operations, and now hosts guests for vintage high teas and cocktail parties on the sheltered waters of Cowan Creek, surrounded by Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Her retro glamour attracts proposals, intimate weddings, anniversary celebrations and photo shoots.

Shipwright skills aren’t a prerequisite for wooden-boat ownership, but time certainly is. “You need to be handy and retired or have bucketloads of money to pay for maintenance,” quips Halvorsen owner Cathy Astridge (who works full-time and maintains her boat herself). But John and Cathy agree

paying someone to do general maintenance misses the point of owning a classic timber boat. “The more you put into it, the more you get out of it,” says John. “It’s an emotional investment.”

All that gleaming woodwork involves at least 10 coats of varnish, though, not something that can be knocked over in a weekend, especially by the inexperienced; which is why the Halvorsen Club was formed in 1991. Commodore Bob Allen says the club adds prestige, provides camaraderie and offers technical support.

Pride comes with preserving a piece of history, and Halvorsen owners see themselves as custodians of their heritage craft which, like vintage cars, are living museum pieces. They willingly share their vessels at wooden-boat festivals around the country, and in the case of MV Kalinda, out on the water, where you too can luxuriate in her vintage charm over a sunset drink. sydneyclassicboatcharters.com.au halvorsenclub.com.au

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A TIMBER BOAT: • Search for known designs, not one-off models; this helps the resale value.

• Check state of varnish, chrome and paint, look for interior mould and dry rot in timber.

• Check age of engine, as a modern diesel can add value, as can good electronics.

• Research the vessel’s history; talk to other wooden-boat owners.

• Invest in a pre-purchase marine survey by a specialist timber boat surveyor.

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“We knew that Nudgee College could provide so many more opportunities.

Not just in normal everyday education, but in a way that would expose Tom to new challenges, that could help him to grow into a young man who will leave an indelible footprint on his surrounding world.�

Education Special Feature

All aboard for Junior Boarding Boarders at St Joseph’s Nudgee College share their thoughts on the many benefits and lifelong friendships formed whilst boarding at the school they call home.

For boarders, St Joseph’s Nudgee College is not just their school, it is their home. The connection that many boarders past and present feel towards the College is obvious whenever they reminisce for days gone past or share anecdotes from within the Boarding Village.

While some boarders only experience a year or two in Nudgee College Boarding, others start in Years 5, 6 or 7, and therefore most of their teenage years are shaped by their journey through Boarding.

Head of Murphy Boarding House Ben Ralston spent years as the Head of O’Brien Boarding House, which is a dormitory for boys from Years 5 to 9.

When boys begin their high school boarding experience in Year 7, Ben said it allowed them to form

friendships and develop good habits around study and daily routine under the guidance of experienced staff who provide a caring and nurturing environment.

“I have been able to see the transformation of several boarders I looked after in O’Brien who are now flourishing in a Senior Boarding House,” he said.

“I think that being here from Year 7 has helped these young men really feel as though Nudgee College is a second home to them and has allowed them to mature at their own pace, supported by many great role models.”

College Vice Captain Lawson Saurels has been boarding since Year 7, and said this experience helped him settle in early so he didn’t have to worry about it in his Senior years.

“That is truly where the friendships and bonds start to be created,” he said. “I felt I was helped and supported well as a younger boarder.”

Year 11 student Izaac Fiorini was living in Dubai before he moved into Nudgee College Boarding when he was in Year 7. His father had also boarded at the College, and Izaac said he felt privileged to continue that tradition.

“I loved watching the Nudgee spirit videos growing up, and I would watch

the 1st XV video over and over again before arriving at Nudgee College,” he said.

From fast-making friendships to getting the hang of community living by the end of his first year of high school, Izaac said there were many benefits to his early start in Nudgee College Boarding.

“Starting off in Year 7 has helped shape me, in good times and in bad, into a true Nudgee College man,” he said.

“From an endless sleepover with your mates, to waking up five minutes before morning training, boarding is also just such a convenience for everyday life and study.”

While going into Boarding can be daunting for some boys, Izaac and Lawson agree that the best way to adjust is to get involved.

“From academics to sport, and even supporting others through their sports and extracurricular activities, it is imperative that you get involved,” Izaac said. “You meet new people and time goes a lot faster when you’re having fun.”

“There’s always a calling to something, so don’t be afraid to put your hand up and give it a go.” nudgee.com.

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A UNI THAT KNOWS CONVENIENCE COUNTS At CQUniversity Australia, we know you want options when it comes to accessing a quality education.

With a huge range of courses, outstanding support and flexibility, plus the expertise of a uni ranked in the top two per cent worldwide*, CQUniversity can help you be what you want to be. Whether you’re interested in a certificate, diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate or research higher degree – full or part time – our courses have you covered. Choose to study on campus at one of our many locations across Australia, or online via our renowned distance education mode.

Designed alongside industry with a focus on work integrated learning, our courses will prepare you with up-to-date, real-world knowledge and skills.

What’s more, we’re recognised as Australia’s first and only Changemaker Campus by social innovation group Ashoka U and have been awarded five stars for full-time employment, starting salary and social equity^.

Apply now to study in 2019.

*Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018. See cqu.edu.au/reputation. ^ The Good Universities Guide 2018.

300+ TAFE AND UNI COURSES 20+ NATIONAL LOCATIONS LEADER IN ONLINE EDUCATION TOP 2% OF UNIS WORLDWIDE*

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– Liam, CQUniversity graduate.

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OUTSTANDING EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES^

Finance

Tax time tips Tax time. Two words that bring a sense of dread to most people. If this includes you, read on. We’ve compiled our top tips to ensure smooth sailing this financial year.

Start early

If you’re after a stress-free tax return, the best thing you can do is stop procrastinating and lodge your return as early as possible. Get ahead of the ball this year by organising any statements for savings accounts or other investments in advance, as well as ensuring that you have your Pay As You Go (PAYG) Payment Summary or Group Certificate on hand.

Having these prepared before you begin your tax return will save time and help you receive your tax refund sooner.

Become a boss at deductions

The thought of adding deductions when filing a tax return often seems like a hassle – but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, once you know what you can claim, the process becomes easy and it could end up saving you thousands.

We’ve compiled a quick list of the top deductions that will help you dominate this financial year and put some of your hard-earned tax dollars back into your own pocket.

• Mobile phones – Workers can claim the costs of their phone and internet expenses that are work-related.

• Electricity – Many people take work home with them.

If you don’t want to claim comprehensive home office expenses, you can still claim for electricity used when doing work at home.

• Education – If you’re studying subjects related to your

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current paid employment, it’s tax-deductible after the first $250. You also can claim travel expenses for the cost of getting to and from your place of education.

• Printer ink — There’s a pile of home office items that can be claimed including inks, stationery, printers, computers, chairs, desks, paper shredders and rubbish bins.

• Bricks – The most lucrative potential tax deduction for property investors is not the carpets and curtains, but writing down the bricks and mortar. For most people it’s a 2.5 per cent annual tax deduction on the cost of the building – but not the land, which does not depreciate. For an investment property costing $300,000 to build, that’s a welcome $7,500 tax deduction every year.

• Your income – If you pay income protection insurance premiums, make sure to claim them. It’s the only form of personal insurance that is tax-deductible.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

An estimated 46 per cent of us spend three or more work hours per week thinking about our finances (PWC 2017 Employee Financial Wellness Survey), resulting in low financial wellness. Add on the stress of a tax return and it’s easy to see why so many of us become overwhelmed.

Our financial wellness impacts all aspects of our lives — from our physical and mental health, right through to the relationships we have with our family and friends.

So, if you need a little extra help filling out your return, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Accountants can take the hassle out of your tax return, leaving you to live your good life.

Join our growing College community

APP LY N OW

Integrate learning and living at university. New undergraduate wing now open! www.stpauls.edu.au

Engineering Construction Automotive Electro Technology Information Technology Career Ready Introducing P-Tech Industrial IT in 2019

Townsville MACKAY CAIRNS MAIN Campus 54 Discovery Drive Douglas 4814 | reception@tecnq.com.au | 07 4779 2199

Puzzles

CROSSWORD

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I A M O N G L L A M I T W

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A N E B C A N O B U G N I R E S M T G S D E I N N A

J S A Z A U A S P M D I Z T B O E A K A A Q G A A B

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A I O N F H I I S G H A M

SOMALIA SUDAN TANZANIA TOGO TUNISIA ZAMBIA ZIMBABWE

Find all the words listed hidden in the grid of letters. They can be found in straight lines up, down, forwards, backwards or even diagonally. Theme: AFRICA

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GAMBIA GHANA GUINEA KENYA LIBYA MALI NAMIBIA NIGERIA SENEGAL

WORD SEARCH

J S A Z A U A S P M D I Z

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DOWN 1. Feminine 2. Attain 3. Anaesthetises 4. Actress, ... Monroe 5. Dancer’s costume 6. Unrelenting 12. Devour 15. Try 16. Wheel covers 17. Wound with claw 19. Illinois is there (1,1,1) 20. Surrendered 22. Short pasta tubes 23. Highest ranking peers

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ANGOLA BENIN BOTSWANA CAMEROON CHAD EGYPT ERITREA ETHIOPIA GABON

28. Cash machines (1,1,2) 29. Occurred afterwards

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ACROSS 1. Series of rabbit tunnels 5. Look before you ...

7. Consumption 8. Large 9. Australian gem 10. Erected 11. Recesses 13. Eve’s mate 14. Masted vessels 18. Nakedness 21. Pencil end 22. Canoe oar 24. Wear by rubbing 25. Global hostel chain (1,1,1,1) 26. Charitable 27. Dessert, ... pie

The Aboriginal Artists Project combines the fashion accessory designs of Catherine Manuell with the artworks of many wonderful women artists from remote Australian communities. Shown here is the Bush Yams artwork by Evelyn Pultara from the Utopia region of Central Australia. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of these products goes directly to the artists.

Call us on 03 9486 4066 for help or a little personal service, or email: info@catherinemanuelldesign.com

www.catherinemanuelldesign.com

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