AusBiz Magazine - September/October 2020

AusBiz.

NEWS+VIEWS | MINING | AGRIBUSINESS | INFRASTRUCTURE

p.10 the big three in australian mining P.14 biostimulants: saving our soil P.20 the ancient brew taking 2020 by storm P.24 will regional hospitality survive covid-19? p.28 dating goes digital: finding love in 2020

THE GREEN REVOLUTION IS OVER, SO WHAT’S NEXT? With less than 60 harvests before catastrophic collapse, farmers are embracing biostimulants as a means to revive their soil and protect their livelihoods. p14

SUPPLIERS OF NEW, USED AND RECONDITIONED PARTS & COMPONENTS P 1300 4 SPARES E sales@expressway.com.au W www.expressway.com.au SUPPLYING THE EARTHMOVING INDUSTRY WITH PARTS & EQUIPMENT SUITABLE FOR CATERPILLAR & HITACHI SINCE 1964

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AUSBIZ NEWS

BRAINFOOD Bringing you the latest insight and analysis Words: BETHANY PLINT

HOW TO STAY FIT AND HEALTHY IN ISOLATION With widespread gym closures, daily outdoor exercise limits and fresh produce scarcity in some states, no one can be blamed for slipping off the wagon when it comes to healthy living.

Overall wellbeing is far wider reaching than exercise and diet alone, but if you find that you’d adopted a few habits that don’t align with your goals, we’ve got a few suggestions to help you find your balance again.

Plan ahead

Embrace the #snacklife

Lockdown has really thrown a spanner in the works when it comes to outdoor exercise, particularly for our friends in Victoria. But if your government allows it, grab a mask, lace up your sneakers and head out for a bit of fresh air. Take a stroll around your neighbourhood, go for a run in the park or take the bike out for a quick cycle. Cardio doesn’t have to be boring. If you’re locked in your house all day, it might become the thing you look forward to most!

If you’re like me, you might find yourself examining the fridge every hour wondering if anything new has magically appeared. Snacking throughout the day is a common habit, especially when your desk is a few steps from the kitchen.

And that’s okay – you need to stay fuelled up. Opt for fruit, veggies, nuts, hummus and even try your hand at baking something from scratch. When it comes to meals, always aim for three quality meals everyday with plenty of veggies and lean protein. And remember to drink two litres of water a day.

Get up and stretch If you’ve begun working remotely, there’s a good chance your home office hasn’t been ergonomically set up (if you have a home office at all). It’s all too easy to wake up in the morning, pull your laptop over and begin working from bed, or to set yourself up at the breakfast bar with your back hunched over a bowl of muesli as you flick through emails. By all means, work from where you’re most comfortable but remember to get up once every hour to have a stretch. A few twists of your torso, some toe taps, neck rolls and wrist rotations will not only help to release the tension built up in your muscles, but it will help you clear your head before diving into the next task.

Check in with your friends and family We’ve heard it a million times but the situation we’re living through is unprecedented. Staying physically in shape has a great deal to do with our overall mental and emotional wellbeing but it’s only one part of the puzzle.

We should also be checking in with the people around us, offering support where we can and asking for it when we need it. Our mental health is being challenged on a huge scale right now and the more we embrace these challenges and work through them together, the stronger we’ll emerge when the storm finally passes.

Image: Jonanathan Borba

Designate some time each day to move your body. Whether it’s a quick HIIT workout you found online, a few laps around the block or a gentle yoga flow, taking time to get the blood flowing each day can be beneficial for your overall health. If you’re a gym junkie, you’ll know that intensity often outweighs duration when it comes to an impactful workout, so you only need 20-30 minutes to jack your heart rate and get the endorphins flowing.

If you’re new to exercise, remember to ease into it and focus on increasing your mobility and get your form right before adding too much weight, resistance or reps.

Get outside (if you can)

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AUSBIZ NEWS

Living small The tiny house movement currently sweeping the nation is an architectural and social philosophy that advocates living simply in smaller abodes. Tiny living principles promote financially prudent, economically safe, shared community experiences, and a shift in consumerism-driven mindsets.

Born out of a desire to discover nature and stay in comfort, Tiny Away is providing a fresh new take on the tiny house phenomenon.

They have taken things one step further by partnering with unique rural property owners, allowing them to earn up to 45 per cent of the revenue share to enable guests to enjoy spectacular rural settings, carefully selected to ensure the most enriching experience possible.

In Australia, this means farmers and other rural property owners can have a home on their property and make additional income.

Tiny Away currently has 26 eco-friendly handcrafted tiny homes across NSW and Victoria.

Each tiny home is designed from sustainable materials in Malaysia, before being shipped to Australia and constructed in under three hours by an experienced team of certified Aussie builders, plumbers and electricians.

One Tiny Away home well worth a visit is 6Sixteen The Banks in Hawkesbury. With the Blue Mountains as a backdrop, this loft-style tiny house is set on a stunning two-hectare

property. It’s all about getting back to nature here, meaning a glass of wine and cheese platter at sunset, followed by roasted marshmallows around the firepit. Be sure to take a trip into nearby towns to load up on fresh produce, wine and artisan goods.

Another standout is Picton’s two Paperbark Cottages. Situated on Mowbray Park Farm, these side-by-side wooden homes face out over expansive green paddocks. Mowbray Park Farm is a real working farm, so there’s plenty to see and do, including exploring the animal nursery, feeding the animals and horseriding. Just under an hour from Sydney, the surrounding towns here had a tough trot during the bushfires, so a farmstay here is the perfect place for an ‘empty esky’ holiday. tinyaway.com

FAST FACTS

37M²

Tiny houses are ‘dwellings of 37 square metres or less’, while the average Australian home is around 240 square metres.

2500 YEARS

Mindfulness has been around for 2500 years and has been part of psychological therapies since the 1970s.

A NEW WAY TO WORK Want to work in a space that inspires, surrounded by people with similar goals and aspirations? Sydney’s Kafnu Alexandria is a private member community of innovators and creators.

What’s that, you ask? It’s a co-working space, with both flexible and dedicated desks and plenty of common areas (including meeting rooms, a media production studio and a creative lab) that are so aesthetically pleasing you won’t want to leave.

Recently Kafnu Alexandria partnered with one of the country’s most prolific creators of public art – Gillie and Marc – and their iconic artworks now adorn the walls and hallways, adding pops of colour and a heaps of oomph to the space.

When the going gets tough (read: you need a break from work), the virtual fitness studio is a great space to sweat it out. Or if you prefer to unwind with a drink in hand, there’s a gin bar, plenty of craft beer and award-winning wines.

Finally, the space is home to a 16-room mini-hotel, ideal if you have business meetings that span a few days. The best part of staying here is access to the whole complex… and yes, that includes the coffee machine. kafnu.com/alexandria/

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AusBiz.

AUSBIZ NEWS

WHERE ARE ALL THE MANGROVES?

As our planet continues to change dramatically, the ecosystems set up to protect it are disappearing at an alarming rate. Mangroves provide vital services to both human and sea life, but research shows these nearshore forests are perishing at a rate least three to five times faster than overall global forests.

Hasanthi Dissanayake, Director of Ocean Affairs, Environment and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Relations – Sri Lanka addressed the issue in a recent event organised by the Commonwealth: “Mangroves are rare ecosystems that support rich biodiversity, support a range of livelihoods from fisheries to tourism, and act as a form of natural coastal defence against tsunamis, rising sea levels, storm surges and erosion.”

To combat the issue of mangrove disappearance, members of the Commonwealth Blue Charter – an agreement by 54 countries to solve some of the world’s most pressing ocean issues – are implementing projects on a global scale to reverse the decline of mangrove forests.

In Trinidad and Tobago, a mangrove re-planting project is underway on a site that was cleared to make way for a pipeline. In the UK, social enterprise Blue Ventures has begun placing a monetary value on the carbon stored by mangroves and selling the “carbon credits” to environmentally conscious buyers.

The Commonwealth Blue Charter welcomes involvement from conservationists around the world, allowing the general public to contribute to finding the solutions for more sustainable ocean and, particularly, mangrove management. bluecharter.thecommonwealth.org

The big cover up With COVID-19 holding firm, face coverings have become the norm.

If you take a stroll down any main street in Australia’s cities, you will see individuals donning face masks of all sorts – N95s and surgical masks to hand-sewn creations and balaclavas.

The growing demand for facial coverings has sparked the interest of entrepreneurial types who have begun producing face masks for private sale.

Turning to platforms such as Etsy and Facebook MarketPlace, these smallscale producers are helping to provide a “better than nothing” alternative for the general public, leaving the finite medical grade surgical and respirator masks for those who need them most; namely, health practitioners and confirmed COVID patients.

Among the COVID-skeptics are those who doubt the efficacy of

cotton and polyester-based masks.

However, the current government advice suggests a combination of physical distancing and frequent hand washing with the use of facial coverings in public as the best way to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

There is a looming question of whether or not these producers are leveraging the pandemic to make a quick buck. But they’re not the only ones. Fashion labels such as VPL and Collina Strada are selling face masks for upwards of $100 a piece.

Even skincare brands such as Ellus & Krue and Skinstitut have jumped into action to address the emerging concern of “maskne” – breakouts on the lower half of the face caused friction and irritation as a result of regular face mask-wearing.

One thing is for sure: there is some serious money to be made in the booming face mask business.

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Increase Productivity From a Distance Tokara is a remote access service developed by Position Partners for the construction & mining industry.

It enables support technicians, surveyors, project managers and engineers to view and adjust Topcon machine control and survey systems in the field.

• • • • •

Fast, effective technical support without the need to visit site Send and receive design files digitally – no USB to handle Check the job file from the office or home No climbing into machine cabs or leaning over a survey tablet Train users remotely without face-to-face interaction

Get in touch today:

1300 867 266 info@positionpartners.com.au www.positionpartners.com.au Australia 6 AusBiz. • New Zealand • SE Asia

SPECIAL PROMOTION

Increase productivity and maintain physical distancing using Tokara remote access from Position Partners POSITION PARTNERS technicians are experts in their field and with the remote service capabilities enabled with Tokara, these technicians can solve myriad technical issues that arise without the need to be on-site. With remote access to machine guidance and survey technology, Tokara helps to maintain physical distancing without hindering productivity.

Tokara is an Australian-designed telematics solution that improves efficiency and productivity for a range of civil construction, mining and engineering projects.

Tokara connects your machines and survey instruments to the office, provides access to Position Partners’ technical support and links you to any GNSS/GPS network needed for the job.

Managers and surveyors can also remotely update design files on all machines across multiple projects, without the need to visit each machine in person to upload a design via USB. “Tokara increases productivity and reduces downtime on site,” says Hayden Paul, Major Accounts Manager Construction, Position Partners.

“If you’re having issues with your machine(s) or survey gear on site, Tokara gives the customer and Position Partners full diagnostic access,” he adds. “If the support team can’t resolve the issue over the phone and we need to get out with field service we can be a lot more efficient knowing what the issue is to reduce time onsite.”

Tokara offers project managers, surveyors and other key stakeholders the ability to login to a user-friendly web portal to track and manage their equipment, or send design updates to the field without leaving the office.

“We, at Position Partners, have always prioritised timely and efficient support because we know that if your technology isn’t working then you’re not making money,” says Aaron Krenske, Networking Solutions Manager at Position Partners.

Tokara is designed to help you get the most from your machine control and survey technology with fast, comprehensive support when you need it and also makes training your staff on the machine and equipment very simple.

“Our unique blend of experience and industry knowledge means that we are ideally placed to deliver a single industry-wide solution: we understand the business, we understand our customers, and we understand what they want to achieve,” Mr Krenske adds.

“Tokara has been developed in Australia, using Australian skills and programmers, based around customer requirements, and has been extensively tested with contractors and end-users throughout the country so that we know it works in our harsh environment and with our often-challenging telecommunications networks.”

“The service and support offered

by Position Partners in conjunction with the remote access it provides to managers is what makes Tokara such a powerful solution for our customers,” says Mr Krenske said. positionpartners.com.au SEPT/OCT 2020

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BUSINESS MENTAL HEALTH

SPOTLIGHT ON...

MANAGING UNCERTAIN TIMES These are uncertain times. Bushfires, drought, COVID-19, talk of a recession and increasing unemployment has nearly everyone feeling worried. We stress about what could happen, the uncertainty and unpredictability of life right now. To deal with this, the number one thing each of us can do is to focus on what is within our control. Easier said than done, so here are some tips to help you.

Words: REBECCA MARTIN

1. BELIEVE IN YOUR CAPACITY TO COPE

3. DISPLAY KINDNESS, PATIENCE, & GRATITUDE

Recall times in your life when you have overcome difficulties and challenges. Make a list of them. Don’t be humble – you earned your track record of tenacity, grit, and strength.

TIP: Acknowledging our past resourcefulness helps us to be resilient now.

When we are kind, we feel good, and make others to feel good. Kindness fosters kindness, and helps us feel connected to one another and less isolated in difficult times. If others aren’t being kind, they’re possibly stressed so have patience.

TIP: Notice the positive things that others are doing for us and thank them.

2. STAY INFORMED, BUT DON’T BINGE ON NEWS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

We often mull over what we should have done or what happened in the past. This can lead us to wasting a lot of energy on negative emotions. If you find this happening, ask yourself “what could I change, if anything?”

5. FOCUS ON YOUR WELLBEING We know that we feel better when we exercise, eat healthy food and have good sleep. It’s good for our psychological health and helps us deal with uncertainty.

Set yourself wellbeing goals. It may be as simple as a walk in the paddock each day. Tell a friend about your goal.

Get them to hold you accountable.

TIP: Set wellbeing goals and get a friend to help you achieve them.

Image: Michael Rechenberg

Consuming excessive news and social media distracts us from taking more positive actions and can make us feel even more anxious.

TIP: Limit your news and social media each day.

4. AVOID RUMINATING ABOUT THE PAST

If the answer is nothing, let it go. If there was something you could change, learn from it and try to change it in the future if it’s within your power.

TIP: What can you change? If you can’t change something, let it go.

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MINING MINERALS

THE BIG THREE How Australia’s largest mineral earners are keeping our nation afloat in these turbulent times Words: IAN NEUBAUER

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MINING MINERAL LEFT: ADANI’S CARMICHAEL MINE, CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

“The beginning of the economic climb-back is almost certainly months, not years away.”

WHEN THE Global Financial Crisis hit back in 2007, the mining boom and government fiscal stimulus packages are said to have prevented a recession.

Now, as Australia faces the most challenging economic conditions since the 1930s, the resource and energy sector is again punching above its weight. In the 2019-2020 financial year, it delivered a whopping $299 billion GDP windfall – 6.5 per cent more than the figure forecast in December.

“The resources sector will not be our only path back,” The Australian editorialised in April. “But on current performance, it will be the cornerstone of our return to prosperity.”

In this edition of AusBiz, we take a look at Australia’s three largest mineral earners and at three new mining and energy projects being fast-tracked by investors and the government to help get the economy back in black.  SEPT/OCT 2020

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MINING MINERALS

CARMICHAEL MINE, CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

IRON ORE

COAL

Despite increasing talk of a trade war with China, including tariffs on Australian barley and bans on some of our beef, iron ore exports to China are up eight per cent compared to last year. Around two-thirds of China’s iron ore imports come from Australia and China depends on our iron ore because we are “a reliable, competitive and trusted partner,” wrote Gavin Thompson, vice chair for Wood Mackenzie Asia Pacific, in his popular industry blog APAC Energy Buzz.

Global rating agency Standard & Poor predicts that the demand for iron ore in China will remain strong in the second half of this year as the Chinese government directs stimulus money into construction and infrastructure projects.

Chinese demand for iron ore has pushed the spot price above the critical US$100 a tonne mark, delivering a much-needed boost to Canberra’s rapidly depleting coffers. It also put a rocket under the Australian dollar.

“In dollar terms, the iron ore price is higher than at almost any time since early 2014,” said The Australian in April. “The beginning of the economic climb-back is almost certainly months, not years, away.”

Despite more Western nations turning away from the black stuff, Australian coal is still in high demand overseas as it’s consistently rated as the highest quality, lowest-sulphur varietal in the world – and remains our second most valuable mineral export after iron ore.

Most of it goes to China, with imports to the country increasing by three per cent compared to last year.

“Chinese imports of Australian coal are way ahead of where they were before the pandemic,” Thompson noted.

But gains must be measured against a significant fall in price. Coking coal contracts traded on the Singapore Exchange that mirror the free-onboard price in Australia tumbled to a three-year low in May, down 33 per cent since March. This, in turn, has seen Australian coal mines cut production and shed hundreds of jobs. “I haven’t seen anything like this in my 15 years in the industry,” CFMEU district vice president Jeff Scales told the ABC. Yet the market fundamentals for Australian coal remain strong. India and Bangladesh have scores of new coal-fired power plants coming online within the next five years, as do Turkey, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa and the Philippines.

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LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS At the height of global lockdowns in April earlier this year, demand for oil fell so low producers in the US were actually paying buyers to take it off their hands to allow them to free up space in storage units and keep their refineries going.

“As China first began to battle the coronavirus outbreak at the beginning of the year, LNG imports looked immediately vulnerable,” Thompson wrote of the scenario that made many lose sleep in Australia, now the world’s largest exporter of the commodity.

And while LNG prices also fell to record lows, tumbling 40 per cent in April compared to the same month last year, the commodity is still in high demand. Credit once again goes to China, which is currently buying nine per cent more Australian LNG than it was buying in 2019.

“The appetite of China’s consumers for Aussie tenderloin and merlot is insignificant in terms of overall trade,” Thompson wrote. “Iron ore, coal and LNG are what really matter. By value, China currently buys around a third of everything Australia exports.”

MINING MINERALS

Image: Iron ore freight wagsons

THREE BIG NEW MINES CARMICHAEL COAL MINE

ELIWANA MINE AND RAILWAY

THE SURAT GAS PROJECT

In June 2019, an epic nine-year-long legal battle between environmentalists and India’s Adani Enterprises reached its nadir when the Queensland Government finally granted approval for the construction of one of the world’s largest coal mines in the Galilee Basin. The Carmichael mine will have the capacity to produce 60 million tonnes of thermal coal each year when it comes online. Adani says the Carmichael Mine will create about 1500 new jobs and 6750 indirect jobs in Western Queensland.

Some 1900 people, including hundreds who identify as Aboriginal, are working around the clock to build Fortescue Metal’s new $1.3 billion Eliwana Mine and Rail Project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. 500 permanent new jobs will be created when the ore processing facility – capable of producing 30 million tonnes of ore per year – and its 143km-long railway come online next year. In April, Fortescue also broke ground on the new $3.7 billion Iron Bridge mine in the Pilbara that will produce 22 million tonnes of iron ore a year from mid-2022.

Located in Darling Downs near the NSW border, the Surat Gas Project, valued at $10 billion, is the biggest new resource project in Queensland in almost 10 years. More than 800 people are currently building the plant, which features 18 separate production facilities linked by highpressure gas pipelines. Another 200 permanent jobs will be created when it commences operations. Owned by Arrow Energy – a joint venture between Shell and PetroChina – the Surat Gas Project is expected to produce five trillion cubic feet of LNG over 27 years of operation.

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AGRIBUSINESS

TURNING DIRT INTO SOIL WITH BIOSTIMULANTS The Green Revolution of the 1950s and 1960s promised much and, according to the metrics of the time, delivered. But soil health advocates argue there is a hidden cost.

Words: DARREN BAGULEY

INTRODUCED WITH the intention of eliminating famine, the Green Revolution saw the transfer of advanced agricultural technologies including mechanisation, highyielding varieties of dwarf wheats, rices and other cereals, and irrigation or other forms of controlled water supply to underdeveloped countries. In addition, synthetic fertilisers and ‘crop protection’ agro chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, as well as modern cultivation methods, worked to achieve the program’s aim of boosting production and greatly reducing the incidence of famine.

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In later years, however, questions arose about the actual cost of the Green Revolution. The oil crisis of the 1970s caused the price of synthetic fertiliser and diesel fuel to spike, which made it difficult for farmers everywhere to continue buying these inputs. The new hybrids replaced traditional seed varieties that had been bred for hundreds, even thousands, of years to deal with local conditions. Any attempt to reduce or eliminate the regime of synthetic fertiliser, pesticides and herbicides saw reduced yields as the hybrids had been bred to thrive with these inputs. 

AGRIBUSINESS

"We are entering a perfect storm with increasing reliance on fertilisers and pesticide, compunding climate stressors, reduced resilience in food

Images: Truffle & Wine Co

production systems, and poorer outcomes for food producers."

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AGRIBUSINESS

SEWING THROUGH THE PAST Farmers across the world are now on a treadmill. Yields drop if they try to stop or scale back synthetic inputs, but they are at the mercy of the market when it comes to price. By the late 20th century, ecologists, agricultural scientists and farmers themselves were questioning the road down which agriculture was travelling. In the second decade of the 21st century, farmers struggled to maintain yields and, drained of the microbial life that characterises living soil, vast tracts of agricultural land had become dirt.

“The promises of the Green Revolution are now bearing their fruit,” writes soil advocate Nicole Masters in her book For the Love of Soil. “Soil losses are escalating beyond soil’s capability to regenerate, with dramatic impacts on the environment, food nutrient density, and upon human life. Scientists calculate that in the past 40 years we have lost nearly a third of arable land to degradation and erosion and we may have as little as 60 harvests left before catastrophic collapse. We are entering a perfect storm with increasing reliance on fertilisers and pesticide, compounding climate stressors, reduced resilience in food production systems, and poorer outcomes for food producers. This decline is happening when we need food security more than ever.”

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While some farmers continue to treat their land like dirt, over the past decade more and more are realising the importance of soil biology. Soil organisms strongly influence plant health and growth. Beneficial plantmicrobe interactions reduce pressure from invertebrate pests and diseases, mobilise nutrients that plants are unable to access by themselves, build root mass and modulate stress responses.

In some ways, farmers are rediscovering the past and using techniques that have been used for millennia. For example, rotating monoculture crops seasonally to reduce the build-up of pests and pathogens, planting multi-species cover crops and incorporating organic materials such as crop residues, composts and manures. All these methods stimulate diverse soil biological communities – and some companies are seeking to shorten the process of building soil biology by producing biostimulants.

BUILDING A BETTER BASE According to DTS Regulatory Consultants’ Gavin Hall and Stellina Popplewell, “Biostimulants are generally regarded as biologically based products that, when applied to either soil for crop production or to a crop directly, produce a corresponding desirable

AGRIBUSINESS

effect in that crop. They are not considered to be nutrients, pesticides or soil improvers, however often claimed to replace these products in part.

“They can work directly with the plant itself, often inducing plant growth regulation, to elicit production of plant defence compounds or increase tolerance of environmental stresses. Alternatively, they may work within soil by such means as competing with harmful microorganisms, and/or providing a means to more easily absorb nutrients. Many biostimulants are bacterial organisms and so often called crop probiotics. Other examples include organic acids, seaweed extracts and other biological compounds.”

Other waste-derived or raw organic biostimulants include sewage sludge, composted urban waste, vermicompost and chitin/chitosan derivatives. Some biostimulants include beneficial microbes that can be added to soils. For example, some soil microbes tolerate harsher environments than others.

Pseudomonas putida can help wheat cope with heat stress, and some strains of Bacillus subtilis produce a plant hormone, cytokinin, that promotes growth in drought-stricken plants by interfering with suppressed shoot growth.

A SEED OF DOUBT Though well short of the estimated US$155.8 billion spent globally on fertiliser in 2019, research that appeared in Biology and

Fertility of Soils that same year estimated the biostimulant industry was worth $US2.9 billion in 2017, and is predicted to increase to $US5.4 billion by 2022.

While many farmers have experienced great success using biostimulants, one of the report’s co-authors, Professor Susanne Schmidt, of The University of Queensland School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, warns that, unlike the EU, Australia does not regulate biostimulants. “Farmers who want to do the right thing pay dearly for products that deliver very little or nothing,” she says.

“Often farmers change many things at once (for example, adding compost) and that may be enough to improve their soil health.

“Replacing pesticides with microbes has a better chance of working but, again, scientific research is needed to generate the knowledge. Because particular microbes work against particular pests or pathogens, research has to be targeted to particular crops. A general product that ‘works for all crops in all soils and climates’ is not going to work.”

Professor Schmidt cautions that the industry needs to remain mindful of the bigger picture.

“Without scientific foundations and research and development, we will not make speedy progress … and those who are looking for a silver bullet may be disappointed. Probiotics are not going to solve all problems, but they certainly have potential to help agricultural industries to step up to the challenge of feeding our growing global family.”

FAST FACTS • One teaspoon of rich garden soil contains between 100 million and one billion bacteria.

• There are five types of soil microbes which boost soil and plant health differently: bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, protozoa and nematodes.

• That earthy smell that permeates the air after it rains is known as petrichor and is caused by soil bacteria known as actinomycetes.

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CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Christmas gift ideas

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Get organised early with these Christmas gift ideas for the whole family.

Compiled by: Sarah Hinder

1. Blundstone Boots The new Blundstone #600 is built for comfort, with a soft brown leather upper and leather lining. It also features hidden stitching in the heel for added durability. It’s the perfect boot to wear for work or play.

RRP $149, blundstone.com.au

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2. Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II This is second release of these top-tier wireless headphones, now engineered with even more precise noise-cancelling technology. Allowing greater focus and the opportunity to block our noise when travelling, the headphones are sturdy, impactresistant and connect via Bluetooth.

The best part – 20 hours of battery and super-quick charging. $499.95, bose.com.au

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3. Tom Dixon Tank Decanter This Tank decanter takes its minimal, sculptural design from the functional shapes and volumes of scientific glassware. Each decanter is handmade, and fuses clear and solid black glass. $250, top3.com.au

4. hellyers road distillery single malt whisky

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Aged over 15 years as part of the Original series by the award-winning, Tasmanian-based distillers.

700mL - $149.00, hellyersroaddistillery.om.au

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

5. Wouf Messenger Bag Inspired by the classic bomber jacket, this messenger bag is both functional and stylish.

It is available in three colours, is waterproof and has multiple compartments for storing essentials. $295, top3.com.au

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6. FAME greeting card pack

7. Southern Wild Co Candles

Good greeting cards never go astray.

Featuring artworks by local Australian designer Danielle B Latta, FAME’s card designs include the Tasmanian devil, western quoll, southern cassowary, numbat and Mary River turtle. $19.95, to order email fame@fame.org.au or call the Foundation on 08 8374 1744

Inspired by the diversity of Australia’s distinct landscapes and references, Southern Wild Co pays homage to our cultural Australian identity through its range of beautiful bespoke candles and its collection of various scented goods. $65, southernwildco.com.au

8. Islands of Australia: Travels through Time In this new photographic travel/history book, travel guru Tony Wheeler takes a journey around the Australian coast and beyond to discover the stunning natural features, unique wildlife and chequered histories of our remarkably diverse islets, cays, atolls and archipelagos. $39.99, bookshop.nla.gov.au SEPT/OCT 2020

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KOMBUCHA

KOMBUCHA: HOW THE ANCIENT BREW IS EVOLVING From the odd market stall to supermarket isles, kombucha has grown to become a fridge staple for health-conscious consumers.

Words: BETHANY PLINT

PROMISING improved gut health thanks to its probiotic qualities, the fermented tea drink is an acquired taste. Fizzy and tart, it contains a slight amount of alcohol acquired during its fermentation process. While skeptics deem it another health fad spruiked by ‘influencers’ that will soon be laid to rest alongside SkinnyMe Tea and Bulletproof Coffee, in Australia the industry’s $200 million valuation suggests otherwise.

AN ANCIENT ELIXIR Before bike-pedaling hipsters and mums-who-brunch caught wind of it, the Chinese had been brewing kombucha since around 220 BC. Born out of the Tsin dynasty, the “Tea of Immortality” made its way to Japan, then to Europe and Russia in the early 20th century.

Preparation processes vary, but every batch requires a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria or yeast), which is added to a mixture of steeped tea, sugar and vinegar. Left to ferment, the sugars break down and are converted into health-giving acids and probiotics.

Confined to our homes during COVID-19 lockdowns, people turned to their kitchens to occupy their days.

While some of us never made it past the banana bread phase, the truly dedicated began dabbling in homebrewed “booch”, with mixed results.

It’s risky business: if equipment is not properly sanitised or the temperature

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changes too drastically, bad bacteria can take hold of the SCOBY and lead to allergic reactions, infections and upset stomachs. It’s best left to the experts, then, who are increasingly turning to local breweries to mass-produce their brews as demand grows steadily.

AUSTRALIA’S KOMBUCHA KINGS The country’s first commercial kombucha operation, MOJO Beverages, started out in Willunga, a small town in South Australia’s famed McLaren Vale wine region. Getting their hands on a traditional recipe, the founders began producing kombucha in 2009, selling it in small batches to farmers, foodies, yogis and surfers. A decade on, MOJO still uses the same SCOBY strain from their very first batch.

Although new flavours and varieties are constantly being introduced, they’re fiercely protective of their original recipe despite being scooped up by The Coca-Cola Company in 2018.

Though MOJO is the first producer to hit the market here, they are not the biggest – Remedy takes that title. Backed by brewing giant Lion, Remedy holds around 70 per cent of the Australian market. Beyond kombucha but still on the fermenteddrink bandwagon, they also produce Switchel, a mixture of raw apple cider vinegar and fresh organic ginger; Tepache, a tangy Mexican-inspired drink made by brewing pineapple

FAST FACTS • Concerns around kombucha’s naturally occurring alcohol content began to swirl when Lindsay Lohan’s alcohol-monitoring braceletwassupposedly set off as a result of her frequentconsumption of kombucha during a period of house arrest in 2010.

• The health benefits of kombucha are largely attributedtoprobiotics, however, experts suggestaquickerwayto boostyourmicrobiome is to opt for yoghurt or kefir instead.

KOMBUCHA

Image: The Dirty Bucha of Byron

"Answering the calls of health-concious consumers, a handful of Australian producers have begun brewing a different kind of booch – with a serious kick."

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juice with a live culture; and Coconut Water Kefir, an organic, live-cultured drink backed by nutrition experts.

SMALL BATCH SUCCESS Rather than competing with the big guys, smaller operations such as Central Coast brewers Kombucha Zest have channeled their energy into cutting out the middleman. “Our unique brewing process means we get to work directly with cafe and pub owners to create bespoke, handcrafted blends delivered by tap,” says founder Nathan Jennison.

A staple in a stack of Central Coast cafes, the company’s sales took a hit when pandemic-induced lockdown regulations came into play. They adapted quickly, offering home delivery to Sydney, Newcastle and the Central Coast as a way to keep the business afloat.

Sydney-based brewers Jiva share a similar story. Their revenue dropped 80 per cent after shutdowns commenced in March. Despite the direct-toconsumer approach showing its holes, Brand Development Manager Joshua Shubitz is confident Jiva will bounce back fast, especially with three new products slated to hit the market.

“Kombucha is now a category, not a fad,” Joshua explains. But not all are made equal: some producers, says Joshua, are “veering away from the true art of kombucha”. “Real kombuchas are not sugar-free or shelfstable. Live cultures need sugar to stay alive,” says Joshua, adding that’s what puts Jiva’s brew in a league of its own.

kick. “People are consuming less alcohol these days, but when they do they want a higher quality,” says Paul Tansley, co-founder of The Bucha of Byron. Mixing high-quality kombucha – made in partnership with Stone & Wood – with premium spirits from neighbouring Cape Byron Distillers, Paul says, “The Dirty Bucha of Byron offers a low-sugar alternative to the standard RTDs on the market.”

With competitors such as Victoriabased Brewhaha hot on their heels, the Byron-based producer is working hard to stay ahead of the curve, taking cues from the US to develop a hard seltzer. Before its release later this year, Sneaky Bucha will hit shelves first, in spring. A mix of beer and kombucha, it offers beer-lovers a lower-carb option in the form of a 4% XPA, lager and a dangerously drinkable summer ale.

Unfortunately, Paul admits, the probiotic qualities of boozy booch won’t prevent hangovers, but they will

at least save you from the sugar crash at the end of the night.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK The younger sibling in the fermented family, kefir is just beginning to step out of kombucha’s shadow. Like kombucha, kefir is cultured from a SCOBY and mixed with either milk or water. Rich in B vitamins, calcium and vitamin K2, its probiotic properties and beneficial bacteria help relieve inflammation and promote gut health. A tart drink, the dairy version resembles a thick, creamy yoghurt, while water-based kefir is sweeter and naturally fizzy, much like kombucha.

With hundreds of small-scale producers popping up around the country, large operations leveraging growth opportunities and home brewers getting behind the trend, the future of fermented goods in Australia is looking solid. As long as they can nail the flavour.

THE HARD STUFF

Image: JIVA Kombucha

Answering the calls of health-conscious consumers, a handful of Australian producers have begun brewing a different kind of booch – with a serious

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HOSPITALITY

CLOSE TO HOME: WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF REGIONAL HOSPITALITY? Many regional hotels, restaurants, bars and cafĂŠs have found ways to soldier on during the current crisis, while others have chosen to hibernate until better days.

But with so much uncertainty ahead, regional hospitality businesses are left wondering, what next?

Words: lisa smyth

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Image: Freycinet Lodge, Tasmania

HOSPITALITY

NO AUSTRALIAN business sector has been harder hit by COVID restrictions than hospitality. In June, the Australian Hotels Association and Tourism Accommodation Australia estimated that 240,000 of the 250,000 workers employed by their members had been stood down – that’s a previously unimaginable 96 per cent!

“Before COVID, 80 per cent of our market was interstate, five per cent international, and the other 15 per cent were intrastate, meaning Tasmanians,” explains Andrew Paynter, COO of RACT Destinations, which operates three accommodation properties across Tasmania. “When the state was locked down we took a people-first approach. We had close to 200 employees and only 50 per cent qualified for JobKeeper. We sat down with every single individual and mapped out

a plan, and we brought some maintenance programs forward to give people minimal hours. Every person in our business had food, a bed and a roof over their head.”

OAK

FUN FACTS

Truffles have a symbiotic

SURVIVING LOCKDOWN relationship with host

‘People-first’ has been a core ofEnglish the trees,mantra commonly holm oak and hospitality industry during the oak, COVID-19 hazelnut. crisis in Australia. Large chains like Accor have become critical to the nation’s response 300 measures with many of their properties To make a truffière acting as mandatory quarantine centres, commercially viable, an as well as providing rooms for the average homeless of 200 to 300 and domestic abuse survivors needing a safe trees need to be planted. refuge. Many other businesses have offered DOGS takeaways and home deliveries to keep as Truffle hunting used to many staff employed as possible, though be entrusted to young that has proved more difficult for businesses pigs, but they are far too in regional Australia.  fond of the expensive delicacy. In Australia, dogs are preferred.

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HOSPITALITY

“We can’t pivot to takeaway like our metro cousins as the distances are much further, and it costs too much for travel,” says Eliza Brown, CEO of All Saints Winery in Wahgunyah, three hours north of Melbourne. The property offers multiple accommodation and dining options, has a cellar door, and is a popular wedding venue. “Regionally, we rely on tourism to improve our revenues due to locals having a finite spending power. So, we built a lot of video content during the first lockdown and used it to promote our wines and build trust and loyalty with our customers while they had to stay away.”

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR Despite the challenges regional hospitality businesses have faced this year, as lockdowns and restrictions ease, many are finding advantages to being so far from metro centres.

“What we have been seeing in Australia as a result of lockdown is pent-up demand for leisure travel, but to regional locations,” explains Simon Wan, StayWell Holdings’ President and Director. “When travel restrictions eased, our regional properties in Cairns, the Blue Mountains and the Hunter Valley all saw very sudden short-term occupancy growth, but the same was not true of metro areas.

“People wanted to escape lockdown, but wanted to do so in locations they viewed as ‘safe’ options. Cities are unfortunately not yet being viewed in the same way, and with business travel and international travel yet to return, metro hospitality offerings are likely to continue to face more difficulties than regional properties.”

Paynter concurs that there has been strong immediate demand since lockdown ended in Tasmania. “You cannot get a room at our Cradle Mountain Hotel,” he says, “and you would struggle to get one at the Freycinet property.

Demand is strong until the end of August, but there’s only so much that we can yield from a Tasmanian market.”

While Australians are staying close to home when it comes to travel in 2020, whether by necessity or feelings of ‘safety’, the opening of state borders is a critical first step for the long-term future of the regional hospitality industry. While hotels can’t rely on domestic travel forever, the industry hopes occupancy

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rates could at least climb to 50 per cent in March 2021, from the less than 20 per cent seen in August 2020.

RELAX AND RECONNECT The Greater Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula region in Victoria usually has 6.4 million visitors per year, with an annual contribution of $1.1 billion per year to the state economy. More than 90 per cent of visitors are domestic travellers, so there’s huge potential for a quick rebound once lockdowns cease and borders reopen.

“Of the domestic travel that we do receive, 50 per cent of those are travelling here primarily to visit friends and relatives,” explains Brett Ince, Executive Director of Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine. “A big focus as we move forward is ensuring that the products that our 600 members are offering have that relaxation, reconnection and recovery approach to them. What will support people to recover and reconnect with family and friends? If we think of the ’90s when people would get in their cars for a two-week family holiday rather than go overseas, that’s the kind of deep connection people are looking for. It will be a big change to how we travel.”

Brown has also had customers express a desire for a different type of holiday than what they are used to. “People have a new-found excitement for travelling in winter and rugging up,” she says. “Many people have mentioned that they usually head to Europe or Asia to get away from the cold, but now they are excited about reading by open fires and walking in the bush with scarves and beanies – they see the cold as a positive.”

Hospitality has often been referred to as a ‘hearts and minds’ industry, and many regional operators are also relying on the continued desire for destination weddings as a key part to their recovery. But no matter what happens in the future, Wan predicts the hospitality industry will be changed forever.

“There is no denying that the world will be a different place due to the effects of COVID-19,” he says. “I would argue that all of us in hospitality need to develop a more sustainable financial model so our businesses can survive not only the rebound from COVID-19, but also the next challenge when it comes.”

RIGHT: IMAGES COURTESY OF STAYWELL PROPERTIES AND RACT DESTINATIONS

FAST FACTS • In June, figures showed that jobs in Accommodation and Food Services decreased 21 per cent since midMarch – four times that of the ‘all industries’ average.

• According to IBISWorld, Australian restaurant revenue has declined by 25.1 per cent, from $19.7 billion in 2018-19 to $15 billion in 2019-20.

HOSPITALITY

"While Australians are staying close to home when it comes to travel, the opening of state borders is critical to the longterm future of the regional hospitality industry."

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MODERN DATING

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MODERN DATING

THE DATING APP BOOM They offer the potential to meet Mr or Mrs Right without having to get off the sofa and are fuelling a business that’s estimated to reach US$12 billion this year. But how are dating apps doing working for us when it comes to the search for love? words: Paul Ewart

IF YOU’RE one of the (many) newly single Australians out there gearing up to get back on the dating wagon, chances are you won’t be wrangling your besties together for a night on the tiles in the hopes of bumping into a potential partner. Nope, in today’s smartphone age, if you want to meet your match, all you need to do is swipe.

While yesteryear’s internet dating carried a raft of negative connotations – from cat ladies to catfishing – the next generation of e-dating is as cool as it gets. Fuelled by hipster millennials, according to new research, more than 25 million people worldwide are finding love via their phones.

Locally, YouGov discovered that at least 35 per cent of Aussies have used internet and app dating services, while research from dating app Bumble showed that more than half of Australian singles (52 per cent, to be precise) aged 18 to 45 have used a dating app to make a connection, and it’s expected that more than half of all couples will have met online by 2031.

“It may once have had a stigma attached,” says couples and singles

counsellor Melissa Ferrari. “But with more than 4.5 million Aussies using them now, it really is the new normal.”

It may feel like geolocation dating apps have always been around, but they’ve actually only been in wide use for the past decade. Though originating in the gay community with 2009’s Grindr, it was the 2012 launch of Tinder that proved to be the real game-changer. In three short years, the app was registering a billion swipes daily (left for ‘no’, right for ‘yes’), and last year it topped Apple’s highestgrossing app chart, beating Netflix to become the highest-earning non-game app in the entire world. In fact, the dating app industry as a whole is worth a staggering estimated US$12 billion.

And given its cash-cow status, an A to Z of apps launched in Tinder’s wake, hoping to emulate its meteoric success.

While each app spruiks a slightly different selling point, targeting a slightly different demographic, in reality, most are owned by the same handful of conglomerates – significantly Match Group (which boasts more than 45 dating services, including Tinder,

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MODERN DATING

"Ghosting, benching, zombieing...dating apps have created a glossary of new terms, and most of them are bad."

Match.com, Hinge and OKCupid) and MagicLab, which owns the femalefocused Bumble, among others.

“Since launching in 2014, Bumble has amassed over 80 million users in more than 150 countries,” says the company’s Australia Country Lead, Lucille McCart.

“This has led to more than 1.4 billion women-led first moves and over four billion messages sent worldwide. On a local level, we have three million registered users in Australia, which is very impressive given the relatively small size of the market.”

Knowing there’s big bucks to be made in this primal urge to connect, both industry giants have created spin-off businesses. Bumble have launched Bumble BFF – a mode within the app dedicated to friend-finding, and Bumble Bizz – dedicated to professional networking. In addition, micro-companies cater to specific demands. For example, Aussie startup Matchsmith offers packages for time-poor swipers that include a ‘profile polish’ and personalised ‘matching

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strategy assistance’.

Dating apps have undeniably changed the way we meet people forever. But as more and more of us ditch the concept of real-life encounters through friends, or meeting at a bar, to date almost solely via apps, what are the consequences? They may be the new normal, but given apps’ relative newness, the psychological implications of long-term use are only just starting to be assessed.

“Dating at your fingertips is powerful and addictive,” says Melissa. “With every ‘match’ you can experience the ‘feel good’ hormones in your brain as oxytocin and the neurotransmitter dopamine are released. The danger is that this constant seeking of a new buzz can easily negatively impact the relationships that you form, as you find yourself quickly losing interest in people you meet as you are always seeking something new.”

Presented with a smorgasbord of seemingly never-ending options – at your fingertips – creates choice and

more choice is good, right? Well, not always. “The paradox is that choice can actually end up hindering our ability to make a choice,” explains relationship coach Louanne Ward. “We end up fearing we may get it wrong, or there could be something better. There are many scientific studies which show that more choice increases anxiety.”

Then there’s the relative anonymity that a device holds: a downside of virtual connections is the bad behaviour they can induce. Ghosting, benching, zombieing… dating apps have created a glossary of new terms, and most of them are bad.

“One of the most obvious and concerning by-products of dating apps is they have created a whole set of poor behaviours in which the user is unaccountable for their actions,” continues Louanne. “It has become part of the dating culture to ghost people, to date multiple people at the same time and generally be non-committal.”

Just as we’re witnessing widespread reports of addiction to social media, the

MODERN DATING

dependency on our devices is spilling over into the time we spend on dating apps. For example, the average Tinder user spends 90 minutes every day on the app – more time than we spend exercising or eating.

“We are seeing a range of negative effects with people who find themselves addicted to dating apps,” says psychotherapist and relationship counsellor Dan Auerbach. “They’re highly addictive because our minds are naturally reward-seeking. In this case that reward is a profile picture which we find exciting or stimulating, and in the online dating space, we never know when that next reward will come. That sort of random reinforcement triggers strong compulsivity. It's a phenomenon we see in gambling addiction, too.”

While it may seem like it’s all doom and gloom, it’s not. Used correctly – and in moderation – dating apps have the potential to lead to genuine, longterm relationships.

“On the flipside, these platforms can reduce isolation,” explains Dan. “And I think we all know of great relationships that would never have happened were it not for dating apps.”

Melissa agrees: “Out of the millions of people who have met online, research is telling us that there has been vetting at the beginning, uncovering ‘deal-breakers’ early on. If you are careful, deal with one person at a time and look for a genuine connection as early as you can, online dating can work for you.”

As smartphones infiltrate even further into our day-to-day lives, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see a return to more ‘traditional’ dating – especially not when matching with a potential partner is as easy as ordering Uber Eats. But while the matching process is easy, finding actual rom-com-esque love in the digital age certainly isn’t. It’s a search filled with both positives and negatives, highs and lows. Make sure to have a game plan in place, be realistic, stay upbeat, know your boundaries and, above all, think before you swipe.

5 EXPERT TIPS FOR DATING-APP NEWBIES BITE THE BULLET

If you’ve emerged from a long-term relationship and are dipping your toe into the world of dating apps, Ferrari suggests limiting hesitation.

“My advice is to not leave it too long. Dive back into the dating scene as quickly as you can.”

PHOTO FINISH

While looks are far from everything, in the world of app dating, your initial profile photo is the hook. “Dating isn’t all about looks but there does need to be some kind of mutual attraction. So, just like the rest of your profile, make sure that your photo shows you in your best light,” Ferrari says.

LIMIT EXPECTATIONS

As hard as it may be, try to let go of your expectations. Instead, go on a date with a ‘what will be will be’ mentality. “Understand the

playing field in apps is equal,” explains Ward. “When you first meet someone, don’t expect special romantic treatment, such as the man paying.”

BE HONEST When it comes to crafting your profile, honesty is always the best policy, says Ferrari: “It can be tempting to embellish yourself to make you sound more attractive, but this will only work against you in the long run.”

BE UP-FRONT As honest as you are with your profile description, be equally candid with your intentions, be it something more casual or more long-term. “Be up-front about the type of relationship you want,” explains Ward.

“The other person will respect that and you’ll save a lot of time second-guessing.”

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PUZZLES

CROSSWORD 1

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R Q N A D T N A H P E L E

P W R L G N I K L U H G Z

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SOLUTIONS:

Y

E

A

M T

R

A

F R

L

A

S

H

E A T S

P O R

S

B

E

T

L

I W

R A

D

R

A

S

E

R L

T

L

N

N G U

R B

Y A

F

D I

G T

D

B

F R N

U A

E

O O O

O S A

I

E

S B

T

T

T T

L

G R

R

A N

E G A P

I D

E

R N A

O A

D

H C

A

B

A

I

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T C U

A

P

C

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M G I G A N T I C B B H R

E A S E K E R I U X T Y S

Z L M S G U V M T A G U M

I S A M I R P I I A O O L

S P W F O E E L S M N A W

G O H C R T O A R S R I Q

N L O O J G H O T G A N C

I C P L J P N R E V N M A

K Y P O U E O M I G H T Y

V C E S G U E S N E M M I

F O R S S F S I Z A B L E

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P W R L G N I K L U H G Z

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MIGHTY MONSTROUS SIZABLE TITANIC WHOPPER

K

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GREAT HULKING IMMENSE KING SIZE LARGE MAMMOTH MASSIVE

A

BUMPER COLOSSAL CYCLOPS ELEPHANT ENORMOUS GIGANTIC GOLIATH

H

25. Young chap started like a dream (3)

C

27. Cook taco mix for parrot (8)

T

23. Raised cattle, branded, and went (4)

C

26. Hope deer is let loose (6)

H

21. Come before tea to see a heavenly body! (5)

20. Foil what’s often on the rocks (6)

C O C

24. Cancelled producing child before spring (3)

V C E S G U E S N E M M I

B O O B O O

16. Sole position in the way (9)

K Y P O U E O M I G H T Y

E

23. Mistake made by Yogi’s partner (3-3)

I C P L J P N R E V N M A

R

15. Horse-drawn transport for a theatre instructor (10)

N L O O J G H O T G A N C

D

22. Dashes off other half of code (4)

G O H C R T O A R S R I Q

R

19. Depress some prudish ear?

Tenacious! (10)

S P W F O E E L S M N A W

I S A M I R P I I A O O L

Z L M S G U V M T A G U M

E A S E K E R I U X T Y S

I

7. Insert a leader in Russia (5) 13. Anna kissed Dick, said to be anti-government (11)

M G I G A N T I C B B H R

I

6. Do they break in to steal mice? (3,8)

T

18. Complaining bitterly about fence (7)

5. Lord’s wife seen with Chatterley’s lover! (4)

S

17. Longed for Ned after 12 months (7)

C

14. I leave train games for ships (10)

4. One who carries grizzly animal and queen (6)

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: BIG BIGGER

T

12. Temptation changed a bit (4)

WORD SEARCH

S

11. Be salver or be disloyal (6)

3. Weird spade adapted for use by many people (10)

T

2. Beat a retreat, initially, to pub (3)

E

9. You can count on it (6) 10. Raft no longer right behind (3)

C

1. For each grade, journalist put on an act (9)

M

DOWN

8. Give lawful permission to call on league allies (8)

D O

ACROSS

D

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