True Blue Magazine - April/May 2018

TrueBlue April/May 2018

OUR HEART IS IN THE COUNTRY

IT’S EASY BEING GREEN

Marvel at the country’s top green buildings

HUNTER GATHERINGS

The Hunter Valley is produce perfect

TASSIE GEMS

From the coastal hamlet of Strahan to the wilderness of Cradle Mountain

AusBiz.

The new Aussie business mag

Reigning Rodeo BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE MOUNT ISA MINES ROTARY RODEO

Get closer to the locals on the

EYRE PENINSULA

Whyalla, Eyre Peninsula Swim with the giant cuttlefish with pureSA

South Australia’s seemingly-endless west coast offers some of the world’s most stunning scenery, curious wildlife and enticingly fresh seafood.

The Eyre Peninsula will get your adrenalin pumping. Come face-to-face with great white sharks in a cage diving experience or swim with the region’s playful sea lions, dolphins and giant cuttlefish.

Make the transition from ocean to plate, tasting the Eyre Peninsula’s famous seafood. You can even take a seafood cooking class if you prefer to cook your own!

In fact, whether you fish, surf, hike or simply like to indulge, you’ll find a journey that’s awash with surprise and seaside adventure.

Find out more at southaustralia.com

Letter From the COO

The year feels like it has just begun, and it is already Easter…

EDITORIAL

Publisher: Michelle Hespe publisher@publishingbychelle.com Editor: Riley Palmer editor@publishingbychelle.com Art Director: Jon Wolfgang Miller National Sales Manager: Robert Desgouttes advertising@publishingbychelle.com Lifestyle & Travel Sales Manager: Sonja Halstead sonja.halstead@publishingbychelle.com Sub Editors: Sally Macmillan, Jessica Multari Editorial Assistant: Sarah Hinder editorial@publishingbychelle.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Charlie Atkinson Darren Baguley Natasha Dragun Patrick Haddock Ian Lloyd Neubauer Reilly Smart Ben Smithurst Ryan Watson

PRINTING

SOS Print + Media 65 Burrows Road, Alexandria, NSW, 2015

TrueBlue April/May 2018

OUR HEART IS IN THE COUNTRY

IT’S EASY BEING GREEN

Marvel at the country’s top green buildings

HUNTER GATHERINGS

The Hunter Valley is produce perfect

TASSIE GEMS

L_NEVILLE HOWELL_WELCOME LETTER_EDIT.JPG

To another great issue of True Blue.

We’ve had an exciting start to 2018. In early January, we operated the special Rex Hound Dog Express flight to the Parkes Elvis Festival, and have organised a static aircraft to participate in the Parkes Aero Spectacular for its 70th birthday at the beginning of April.

We have also recognised the success and importance of our own Community Fare initiative. The scheme has allowed Rex to offer regional communities fares lower than ever before. First implemented by Rex in Western Australia on the Albany to Perth and Esperance to Perth routes, it has since been introduced in Broken Hill, Burnie and Moruya, and later this year will be implemented in Parkes, Mount Isa and Cairns.

In this edition of True Blue, we also share with you a couple of special stories from Rex partners Little Wings and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Until next time, sit back, relax and enjoy your flight.

Neville Howell Chief Operating Officer

From the coastal hamlet of Strahan to the wilderness of Cradle Mountain

AusBiz.

The new Aussie business mag

Reigning Rodeo BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE MOUNT ISA MINES ROTARY RODEO

Photo by Ant Ong

True Blue is published by Publishing ByChelle, (ABN: 78 621 375 853 ACN: 621 375 853) Suite 2, 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 True Blue are from istock and Getty images, and we make every effort to credit all contributors.

APRIL/MAY 2018

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Eco-friendly products

Cover Story

We round up some of the most awesome sustainably made, ethically produced green goodies on the market.

We get down and dirty behind the scenes of the Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo and meet some locals ahead of the event's 60th anniversary.

Inside TrueBlue upfront

Features

09 Rex News

26 Events Calendar

Parkes and Rex celebrate their longstanding relationship with the unveiling of the Hound Dog Express for the Parkes Elvis Festival; a family shares the story of their daughter’s battle with leukaemia and the help they received from Little Wings; the Sydney Symphony Orchestra heads out on a regional tour; and we check out the Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and Cabins on Kangaroo Island.

24 Destination Highlight

Townsville has it all. Its beaches, rainforests and the smorgasbord of activities ensure every visitor to this balmy city is up for a cool adventure.

Don’t miss out on the best happenings from around our glorious country throughout April and May.

34 Meet the Chef

We catch up with the chef from Goldfish in the Hunter.

42 Road Trip

We hit the open road in Tasmania and explore the port-side town of Strahan, the culturally rich and artistic town of Burnie, and the intoxicating mountains, of Cradle Mountain.

56

47 On the Grapevine

The rise and rise of sustainable wine in Australia.

48 Food, Art & Wine

Explore some of the Hunter Valley's latest food and wine offerings, and meet some of the locals and artists who call the Hunter home.

56 ArtSpace

We meet the extraordinarily talented street artist Fintan Magee, who brings another level and sense of space to buildings and urban niches.

61 Top 10 Ecotours

We bring you the top places to tour and stay that get you off the beaten track and don't cost the earth.

AusBiz. AB8 MINING JOBS A renewed sense of optimism has returned to the mining sector.

AB12 MINING With the advent of off-the-shelf virtual reality headsets, mining simulators are set to take off.

AB22 CYBERSECURITY With the Internet of Things, it is important to pre-empt future attacks.

AB26 INFRASTRUCTURE We look at five of the country’s buildings that demonstrate long-term sustainability goals and commitments.

APRIL/MAY 2018

5

Publisher's Letter

“We are extremely proud to produce a magazine that supports Australia’s regional, rural and outback communities, and inspires others to visit them.”

There’s nothing like an outback sunset to put things back into perspective.

If you’ve never been to the Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo, I suggest you pull those boots on and make it happen.

I recently spent five days in Mount Isa to experience what has become the biggest, most revered rodeo in the Southern Hemisphere. In fact, it’s won so many awards (including scooping gold at the 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards) that it's a bucket-list event for many Australians. I can't put it in better words than the organisers do: “The Mount Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo is where the romance of the Australian Outback meets the grit of a mining town, and where east meets west and man meets beast.” You get the picture!

This year, the rodeo is celebrating its 60th year in action, so we thought we should check out what goes on behind the scenes. Read our story on page 36.

In this issue we also explore the magical coastal towns of Strahan and Burnie in Tassie, and head deep into the state's heart, Cradle Mountain, for an invigorating journey of discovery.

I also hit the road to check out some of the latest produce in the Hunter Valley, and was lucky to get sky high in a hot-air balloon. It’s one of those things everyone should try at least once

in their lives. The sense of peace while drifting aloft is incomparable.

In our new business section AusBiz, we explore a selection of compelling topics, from cybersecurity and automation in the mining industry to some of the latest developments in Australia's top green buildings. We also interviewed an expert on how your finances can affect your sense of wellbeing, and we take a look at the future on the roads: driverless cars. For those interested in agribusiness, meet some farmers who really know their stuff when it comes to going organic.

So now it’s time to settle in with a cuppa. Let us take you on a trip around Australia. By the time you touch down, you might have some new ideas and fresh inspiration for your next journey.

MICHELLE HESPE AND THE TEAM AT TRUE BLUE APRIL/MAY 2018

7

87 BAYLIS STREET, WAGGA WAGGA NSW 2650 | T: 026931 7277

wagga-marketplace

@wagga.marketplace

WAGGA M ARKE TP L AC E .C OM

Rex News

Rex News

Into the wilderness on Kangaroo Island page 11

Little Wings Charity

Hound Dog Express

Regional SSO Concerts

page 13

page 13

page 14

APRIL/MAY 2018

9

RELAX AND UNWIND IN -TRA STYLE BOOK ONLINE AT VIEW/AMEND BOOKINGS OR AT CHECK-IN

Experience Rex-tra comfort in an emergency exit row seat.

Emergency exit row seats have extra legroom and can be reserved for less than $5.00 per sector to eligible passengers*.

Plus, be one of the first to disembark if you choose a Rex-tra seat in row 1. *Terms and conditions apply.

rex.com.au

EXPERIENCE THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS IN SUMMER WITH FISHING, HIKING, RAFTING, RIDING WILDFLOWERS, WILDLIFE & WINERIES

SUMMER FARE

$129* ONE WAY

*One-way Rex Promo fare for web sales only. A booking/handling fee and a credit/debit card surcharge applies. Sales and travel until 31 May 2018.

Terms & Conditions apply.

Photo Credit: Paul Sinclair; Destination NSW

Rex News

Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and Cabins WILDLIFE, WILDERNESS AND WALKING TRAILS Hanson Bay Cabins are part of the privately owned, 2,000 hectare Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, which sits inside the immense Flinders Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island, South Australia.

You’ll be awed by the view and the force of the Southern Ocean’s blue–green water, by the sandy beaches and by the spectacular cliffs. A 35-minute flight from Adelaide followed by an hour’s drive puts you in pristine coastal wilderness on the south-west corner of Kangaroo Island.

The Hanson Bay Cabins are at latitude 36.01 south, disconnected from phones but reconnected with nature.

They make an excellent base for exploring the new 61-kilometre, five-day Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail.

While the trail connects the cabins to Flinders Chase, guests have an exclusive option to join at the Remarkable Rocks and head east along the coast to the cabins. For a half-day walk, walk east from the cabins along the

nine-kilometre trail to Kelly Hill Caves. You’ll meander through banksia heath, pink gum woodlands and coastal heath, alongside freshwater lagoons, and over dunes to viewpoints that provide wonderful vistas inland and along the coast. The abandoned Grassdale Homestead is an excellent spot for late-afternoon kangaroo viewing and is just a six-kilometre return walk from the cabins.

If you have come for the wildlife then take a daytime koala walk and return for a nocturnal tour, which commences at sunset from the Hanson Bay Sanctuary Visitor Centre. Most wildlife is nocturnal and becomes more active at night. This is especially true for koalas as they sleep 19 hours every day.

Watching koalas on the move while hundreds of wallabies emerge from the bush is a sublime experience that is often missed by day-only visitors to western Kangaroo Island. hansonbay.com.au

APRIL/MAY 2018

11

Want to be a

High Flyer?

The Rex Cadet Pilot Programme From zero to FO (First Officer) within 14 months*

Find out more at www.aapa.net.au

Programmes Offered

Rex Pilot Cadet Programmes

Graduate with a AVI50215 DIPLOMA OF AVIATION (COMMERCIAL PILOT LICENCE - AEROPLANE) AVI50415 DIPLOMA OF AVIATION (INSTRUMENT RATING)

For more information and to apply for the Rex Cadet Pilot Program, please visit our website at rex.com.au/cadetpilot *Course duration may vary depending on individual aptitude and ability.

Rex News

Little Wings – Ava Garland Kathy Garland’s life was turned upside down last year when her youngest daughter, Ava, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Here, she talks about how Little Wings helped her through one of the toughest times of her life.

“Ava was your typical bubbly three-year-old living on a farm outside Forbes with me, her dad and four big sisters. When she hadn’t been feeling well for a couple of days, then turned a funny colour, I drove her to Forbes to see a doctor. Blood tests showed Ava’s bone marrow wasn’t working properly. It was a Tuesday afternoon; by 1am the next morning, doctors had diagnosed Ava with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, and it was in 98 per cent of her bone marrow. By 4am, Ava was admitted to the oncology ward and started treatment.

“Doctors set a treatment program that involved at least six months of intensive chemo. After digesting the devastating news, my husband Andrew and I began rearranging our lives. My sister and her husband stepped up and said they would look after our other girls. It was such a relief. Ava and I moved into Ronald McDonald House where we now stay when Ava isn’t in hospital.

“That’s when Little Wings stepped in to help to keep us together as a family, through this very difficult time. When Ava was too ill to travel, Little Wings flew Andrew and the girls to Sydney to see us. After months of intensive chemo, Ava was allowed to go home for a few days and the charity flew us back to Forbes so we could spend some precious time together.

“Ava had been really unwell — she hadn’t been able to talk or eat at one point and was learning to walk again after chemo damaged nerves in her legs and feet. She was so excited to be going home, to see her sisters and sleep in her own bed.

When she saw her toys again it was like the first time and she walked without a frame for the first time in 10 weeks. Going home was a huge step forward in her recovery.

“The family reunions have helped immensely. We live five and a half hours from Sydney and when Ava isn’t well from the chemo, driving is not an option. That’s why Little Wings is extraordinary. It’s a privilege to know the amazing team of volunteers and staff at Little Wings. We are eternally grateful.” littlewings.org.au

Rex Hound Dog Express Rex celebrated its long partnership with Parkes Shire Council, unveiling a Rex Saab 340 aircraft in special 'Parkes' livery, with the introduction of a new $99 Rex Community Fare for the Parkes to Sydney route.

The Rex aircraft’s new livery was unveiled on the Rex Hound Dog Express from Sydney to the Rex-sponsored Parkes Elvis Festival. This followed Elvis-inspired celebrations at the

Sydney Rex Lounge before departure.

The Rex Hound Dog Express provided passengers with the opportunity to purchase a special package for the music festival with return flights, entertainment in the lounge and more.

The $99 Rex Community Fare is available on all seats outside of 30 days before departure, subject to availability, plus all remaining unsold seats within one day before departure.

APRIL/MAY 2018

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Rex News

Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Must-See Regional Tour It’s with some nostalgia that Australia’s flagship orchestra jets off on its next regional tour.

A quick look backstage at the Sydney Opera House is enough to confirm that touring is part of the lifeblood of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO). Stickers on cargo boxes and double bass cases in the Orchestra’s digs behind the Concert Hall show a trail of where the SSO has been: Italy, Japan, China and even Taree.

The SSO has been touring for almost as long as it has been alive and will this year celebrate 80 years of touring regional New South Wales, together with its longstanding Regional Tour Partner Rex, when it goes back to where it all began: Wollongong.

Emma Dunch, CEO of the SSO, says it’s impossible not to feel nostalgic about the orchestra’s upcoming tour of the South Coast.

“Back in 1938 we undertook our first regional tour with concerts in Katoomba, Bathurst, Orange and Wollongong,” Dunch says. “This ignited a culture of touring within the orchestra, which has allowed us to bring the power of music to people right across New South Wales.”

More than 50 SSO musicians will travel to Nowra, Wollongong and Mittagong to perform the Overture from Smetana’s ‘The Bartered Bride’, Elgar’s ‘Sea Pictures’ and Beethoven’s epic ‘Fifth Symphony’.

SSO double bassist Steven Larson (pictured right), who lives in Scarborough on the South Coast, is excited to be performing on his home turf.

“It’s great to see the kids explore the music,” Larson says. “While there are a lot of smaller ensembles on the South Coast, there isn’t a full symphony orchestra of our size on the classical scene so we’re excited to give audiences the chance to hear us and the big classical repertoire.”

Larson moved to the South Coast 15 years ago after he took a weekend surf trip to Coledale and fell in love with the area.

“It’s fitting we’re playing Elgar’s ‘Sea Pictures’ on this tour because the ocean is fantastic where we live and it’s such a big part of our lives.”

The SSO is in Nowra on 22 May, Wollongong on 23 May and Mittagong on 24 May.

14 TrueBlue

“It’s fitting we’re playing Elgar’s ‘Sea Pictures’ on this tour because the ocean is fantastic where we live and it’s such a big part of our lives.”

rg io G i rg D io to e m co el D W to e m W elco W Call into our cellar door and check out our range of produce, stay for a glass and a local produce platter

OPEN 10-5PM EVERY DAY RIDDOCH HIGHWAY, COONAWARRA SA 5263 P 08 8736 3222 | WWW.DIGIORGIO.COM.AU

Changes to REX Arrivals at Adelaide Airport Adelaide Airport will shortly commence demolition of the current REX arrivals terminal (T1A) to allow for future construction works associated with the new hotel forecourt, taxi drop-off and proposed terminal expansion.

From February 13, 2018, arriving REX passengers will travel by bus from the aircraft to a new entrance to the main terminal. Passengers can then walk to the Baggage Reclaim Area in the main terminal to collect luggage.

There will be no change to REX check-in and departure procedures.

Carers meeting passengers requiring special assistance should present at the Bus Drop Off point marked on the map overleaf. For all other passengers requiring assistance – such as people with a disability or unaccompanied minors – a new meeting point is available just inside the terminal’s northern entrance.

Adelaide Airport customer service staff can be contacted by phone at this point and will assist customers to the baggage hall or to transport as required.

Customers with baggage enquiries can use the baggage assist phones located on the walls at either end of the baggage hall. A REX contact phone number is programmed into these phones.

Please note the roadway adjacent Terminal T1A currently used for taxis and passenger pick-ups will also be closed. Customers should use the taxi rank adjacent the main terminal and the passenger pick-up zone under the terminal car park.

We thank you for your understanding as we redevelop our terminal for a better overall customer experience.

REX arrivals journey map

Terminal car park

Ride share Bus stop

Taxi rank

Pick up and drop off zone

Baggage Collect

Meeting point

Pedestrian Route

Terminal

Hotel Bus drop off

Bus Route

Bus pick up T1A Bus Route

Ca

Directory

TrueBlue Experiences

Your directory of things to see and do across Australia.

Commonwealth RoofClimb ADELAIDE OVAL, WAR MEMORIAL DRIVE, NORTH ADELAIDE, SA. T 08 8331 5222 E enquiries@roofclimb.com.au roofclimb.com.au

RoofClimb will literally take you to new heights at the world-class Adelaide Oval – in the heart of the city! This exhilarating adventure will have you travelling along the impressive curved roofline of the oval as you soak up 360-degree views of the city and beyond.

Loyalty Beach Campground & Fishing Lodge 1 LOYALTY BEACH RD, BAMAGA, QLD T 07 4069 3808 E fishcapeyork@bigpond.com loyaltybeach.com

The Palms Motel Dubbo 39 COBRA STREET, DUBBO, NSW T 1800 185 322 E bookings@thepalmsmoteldubbo. com.au ThePalmsMotelDubbo.com.au

Just 45 minutes from Australia's northernmost tip, we offer 13 acres of stunning beachfront, including 11 acres of open bush camping.

We have town water, power supplies and our restaurant and bar is open 7 days a week.

Relax in our spacious, modern rooms. Get that tropical feel by our saltwater pool guarded by towering palm trees. Enjoy our friendly customer service and central location, right in the heart of Dubbo. It's only a 10-minute drive to the airport and Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Commercial Club Albury

Rock Cottage, Winmark Wines

Lookout Cave Motel

618 DEAN STREET, ALBURY, NSW E info@commercialclubalbury.com.au T 02 6057 2000 commercialclubalbury.com.au

229 WOLLOMBI ROAD, BROKE, NSW T 0429 265 268 E info@winmarkwines.com.au

LOT 1141, MCKENZIE CLOSE, COOPER PEDY, SA T 08 8672 5118 E info@thelookoutcave.com thelookoutcave.com

Our next big event (June 15 & 16) is LIVE and FREE! Held over two fun-filled days, this notto-be-missed event features Where’s Ringo, Kaleidoscope Eyes, The 2Beatles, Rubber Soul and Beatle Magic. Schedules and further info is available at reception and on our website.

Winmark Wines is a stunning property situated on 116 acres. Nestled into the landscape is Rock Cottage — a perfect getaway for exploring the Broke region. The residence has three bedrooms, a cosy living area with a fireplace, and a kitchen and dining room.

Sleeping underground is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. An opportunity not to be missed.

Lookout Cave Motel has been excavated into sandstone rock up to 50 metres deep, so you'll experience a sleep like no other. Mention this advertisement for 10 percent off your stay.

16 TrueBlue

Outthere MEDIAKIT 2016/17

TrueBlue Experiences

Directory Bamaga NPA

where we fly

Gununa Cairns

Normanton

Burketown

Doomadgee

Townsville Mount Isa

Richmond

Julia Creek

Hughenden

Winton Longreach

Boulia Bedourie

Birdsville

Windorah

Quilpie

Charleville

Brisbane Thargomindah

Coober Pedy

Wellcamp/ Toowoomba

St George

Cunnamulla

Lismore Grafton Armidale Broken Hill

Perth

Taree Ceduna Whyalla

Dubbo Parkes

Mildura

Esperance Albany

Newcastle

Orange

Griffith

Adelaide

Port Lincoln

Wagga Narrandera/ Wagga Leeton Albury

Kingscote

(Kangaroo Island)

Bathurst

Sydney

Moruya Cooma Merimbula

Melbourne

Mount Gambier

King Island Burnie

Macenmist Black Truffles

Absalom's Art Gallery

Eurobodalla Council

230 CAPPANANA ROAD, BREDBO, NSW T 02 6454 4095 E inquiries@macenmist.com macenmist.com/

638 CHAPPLE STREET, BROKEN HILL, NSW T 08 8087 5881 E jackab5@bigpond.com.au jackabsalom.com.au

BATEMANS BAY | MORUYA | NAROOMA T 1800 802 528 E info@eurobodalla.com.au eurobodalla.com.au

Macenmist is one of three truffieres located in the Bredbo region, approximately 80km south of Canberra, where the climate is ideal for the production of the coveted Black Truffle. After harvesting truffles, your three-course journey from 'paddock to plate' commences. Enjoy!

On your next visit to Broken Hill, Absalom's Art Gallery is a must. It has the finest collection of outback paintings by Jack Absalom, and features the largest opal display in the Southern Hemisphere. Hope to see you on your next visit. Come in and say hello.

Head to Eurobodalla, where you can explore 83 beaches, four mighty rivers, forests and islands. Enjoy ancient walking tracks, cycling and kayaking routes, superb fishing, swimming, snorkelling and so much more. Order your FREE ‘escape’ brochure today.

Cooks Hill Galleries

Sundowner Cabins

Port Lincoln Visitor Centre

67 BULL ST, COOKS HILL, NEWCASTLE, NSW T 02 4926 3899 E mail@cookhillgalleries.com.au cookhillgaleries.com.au

226 BROADBENT TERRACE, WHYALLA NORRIE, SA T 08 8645 1535 E sales@sundownercabinpark.com.au sundownercabinpark.com.au

3 ADELAIDE PLACE, PORT LINCOLN, SA T 1300 788 378 E visitportlincoln@plcc.sa.gov.au visitportlincoln.net

Artist Brett McMahon's exhibition 'Elements' is shaped by the weather. He leaves paintings on handmade Spanish paper outside for weeks, letting the elements do their thing. As he puts it, "There's an element of them forming themselves." Email mark@cookshillgalleries. com.au for a prospectus on his art.

Offering accommodation for all budgets, at daily or weekly rates. Choose from 72 Modern Cabins — three with disability access, 52 2– bedroom, seven 1–bedroom with full kitchens and 10 Studio Cabins. We also offer a range of fully furnished units or houses in Whyalla.

The Visitor Centre is the perfect place to start planning your Eyre Peninsula adventure.

Visit us to obtain permits, book land-based tours, ferry tickets and charters for shark, tuna and seal dives, and fishing. Drop in for travel brochures, souvenirs and postcards and internet access. Open seven days a week.

Quest East Perth

King Island Escapes

176 ADELAIDE TER, EAST PERTH, WA T 08 6210 6000 E questeastperth@questapartments. com.au questeastperth.com.au

135 BARNES RD, LOORANA, KING ISLAND, TAS T 0417 580 550 E stay@kingislandescapes.com.au kingislandescapes.com.au

Charleville Cosmos Centre & Observatory

Quest East Perth is conveniently located, and caters for your short– and long–term accommodation requirements. At Quest East Perth, you can expect the same familiar and reliable experience and level of service you’ve come to expect from Quest across Australasia.

This ultimate beach retreat will take your King Island experience to another level.

Our 4-bedroom architecturally designed accommodation, with bespoke cedar hot tub and sauna, are tucked into a hidden coastal setting with direct access to your private beach.

1 MILKY WAY, CHARLEVILLE, QLD T 07 4654 7771 E enquiries@cosmoscentre.com www.experiencecharleville.com

At our amazing observatory, see the wonders of our Outback night skies and view the beauty of the Milky Way Galaxy through powerful Meade telescopes. Enjoy ‘Astronomy by Day’ and book in for our incredible ‘Sun-viewing’.

APRIL/MAY 2018

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SEASIDE, KANGAROO ISLAND’S IDYLLIC NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AT EMU BAY IS THE PERFECT POSITION TO BE IN.

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Existing Dwelling & Outbuildings (Proposed Tourism Site)

Lot sizes range from 1,500 sqm to over 2,100 sqm with the first release consisting of 22 lots that are sympathetic to the natural surrounds.

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This tranquil haven of 78 housing allotments will offer stunning homes with many highly desirable living options. And, there’s even more with the availability of NBN and the renewable/off-grid hybrid power supply system that will make living at Seaside a breeze.

Emu Bay

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HOME AND LAND PACKAGES AVAILABLE FROM LOW $300KS MORE HOUSE AND LAND PACKAGES AVAILABLE call Grant on 0400 719 299

Stage 1 release

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Future releases

FOR LAND ENQUIRIES call Michael Barrett 0427 727 333 2018. All information contained in this ad was correct at time of printing and is subject to change All plans are copyright. Images and plans shown are for illustrative purposes and may vary. Rivergum Homes SA Builder’s Licence GL113681. Century 21 KI RLA219280

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ROCK COTTAGE WINMARK WINES (formerly Pooles Rock) is a stunning property situated on 116 acres, with 28 acres covered by vineyards. Nestled into the property's bushland is Rock Cottage — a perfect getaway for exploring the Broke Fordwich region. The residence has three bedrooms, a stylish, cosy living area with a fireplace, and an adjoining kitchen and dining room.

Rock Cottage offers privacy and spectacular views capturing the vineyard and mountain range, making it an ideal retreat.

Rock Cottage | Winmark Wines 229 Wollombi Road, Broke NSW 2330 E: info@winmarkwines.com.au Ph: 0429 265 268

Up, up and away!

Regional Express: Our heart is in the country Bamaga NPA

Mornington Island (Gununa) Karumba Normanton

Cairns

Burketown Doomadgee

Townsville Mount Isa

Julia Creek Bamaga NPA

Hughenden

Richmond

Winton

Boulia

Longreach Bedourie

Windorah Charleville

Mornington Island (Gununa) Birdsville Carnarvon

Karumba Normanton

Monkey Mia

Brisbane West Wellcamp (Toowoomba)

Quilpie

Cairns

Burketown Coober Pedy Doomadgee

Cunnamulla

Brisbane

St George

Thargomindah

Townsville Mount Isa

Julia Creek

Lismore

Hughenden

Richmond

Grafton (Yamba) Armidale

Ceduna

Broken Hill WintonPort Augusta Dubbo Boulia Parkes Whyalla Orange Longreach Mildura Newcastle Bedourie Port Lincoln Griffith Bathurst Windorah Adelaide Charleville Sydney Narrandera-Leeton Birdsville Wagga Wagga Brisbane West Wellcamp Kangaroo Island Moruya Quilpie (Toowoomba) (Kingscote) Albury Snowy Mountains (Cooma) Cunnamulla Brisbane Merimbula Mount Gambier St George Coober Pedy Thargomindah Melbourne

Perth

Esperance Albany

Effective 2nd July 2018

Lismore

King Island Ceduna

ective 2nd July 2018

Grafton (Yamba) Armidale

Broken Hill

Perth

Port Augusta Whyalla

Albany

Port Lincoln

Adelaide

Kangaroo Island (Kingscote)

Orange Newcastle

Griffith

Bathurst

Narrandera-Leeton Wagga Wagga Albury

Mount Gambier

Ballina (Byron Bay)

Dubbo Burnie

Parkes Mildura

Esperance

Ballina (Byron Bay)

Melbourne

Sydney

Moruya Snowy Mountains (Cooma) Merimbula

Rex was recognised by CAPA Centre for Aviation as the Asia Pacific Regional Airline of the year for 2017 King Island

Burnie

APRIL/MAY 2018

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Check-in Info

CHECK- IN

BAGGAGE

Online check-in You can check-in online through the Rex website, rex.com.au, on your desktop or mobile devices between 48 hours and 60 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time of your flight.

Checked baggage Passengers on all fares (except Rex Flex) are permitted a 15 kilogram free baggage allowance.

Passengers in possession of a Rex Flex Fare are permitted a 23 kilogram free baggage allowance.

Airport check-in If you have checked baggage, we recommend that you arrive at the airport for check-in at least 60 minutes before the scheduled departure of your flight at all airports except Burketown, Queensland (90 minutes before).

Passengers with international connections (within 24 hours) are permitted a 20 kilogram free baggage allowance upon presenting a valid itinerary or ticket.

Cabin baggage A maximum of two pieces per passenger up to a total of 7 kilograms of cabin baggage is permitted on board.

Rex check-in closes: •6 0 minutes prior to scheduled departure time at Burketown airport.

•3 0 minutes prior to scheduled departure time at Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Queensland airports (with the exception of Burketown above).

•2 0 minutes prior to scheduled departure time at regional airports in NSW, SA, Tas, Vic and WA.

Excess baggage Excess baggage is permitted subject to restrictions of the day and a surcharge of $7.70 per kilogram.

Virgin Australia Baggage Agreement Rex accepts the checking of baggage to/from Virgin Australia flights. Ask at check-in for more information.

Passengers with special requirements Passengers with special requirements must check-in at the airport (online check-in is not available) no later than: •6 0 minutes prior to scheduled departure in major cities and all Queensland regional airports except Burketown (please see below).

• 45 minutes prior to scheduled departure in NSW, SA, Tas, Vic and WA regional airports.

• 90 minutes prior to scheduled departure in Burketown.

REX AIRCR AFT FACTS

AIRCRAFT

MAX. TAKE-OFF WEIGHT (KG)

SPEED (KM/H)

AVAILABLE SEATS

GALLEY

REST ROOM

AVAILABLE AIRCRAFT

CRUISE ALTITUDE (METRES)

CREW

SAAB 340

13,155

520

34

Y

Y

56

8,000

3

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2018 NPA Cultural Festival Keep the Flame of Culture Burning

July 4th - July 7th 2018 Careers Expo

Performances

Arts Exhibition

Fireworks

Arts and Crafts

Cultural Workshops

Float Parade

Kids Activities

Guest Performance Christine Anu

Proud Festival Partners

For further information contact festival@nparc.qld.gov.au

Rex FAQs/Exercises and Stretches

Frequently Asked Questions As you sit back in comfort en route to your destination, the Rex crew hope you enjoy this entertaining and informative light reading.

Q. Why do the flight attendants insist that all window blinds be up for take-off?

A. The most critical phases of a flight are the take-off and the landing. In the most unlikely event of a situation that requires an emergency evacuation, it is important that crew and passengers are able to have a clear view of the outside conditions in case of obstructions. For example, before exits are opened, staff must check for fire or other obstacles that may present potential hazards during the evacuation.

Q. Why do you have to stow your hand luggage in the overhead lockers, under the seats or in the seat pockets for take-off and landing?

A. Flight crews are required by Civil Aviation Regulations to secure the cabin as well as possible for take-off and landing. As mentioned, these are the most critical phases of the flight and securing as much hand luggage as possible ensures that in the unlikely event of an emergency, the exits and aisles stay as clear as possible, in case evacuation is necessary. It is also important to keep hand luggage secure whenever possible to ensure that heavier items do not become airborne within the cabin. This is especially important when the aircraft is experiencing turbulence.

Q. Why do you feel so tired from flying?

A. As the aircraft altitude increases, air pressure decreases. As the pressure of the air decreases, the body absorbs less oxygen than it would at sea level — therefore, it must work harder to supply oxygen to the body’s cells. As the body is working harder, it becomes more tired.

Q. Why do you sometimes feel pain in your ears or sinuses during ascent or descent?

A. The sinuses and middle ear are air-containing cavities that connect with the nose via narrow channels. As aircraft ascend and cabin pressure drops, air passes out of these cavities (without any effort from the passenger) to balance the cabin pressure. It is a different matter during descent, as the cabin pressure increases. The channels close down and must be actively opened by holding the nose and blowing to

22 TrueBlue

inflate the cavities. Facial and ear pain can occur during descent if re-inflation does not occur, and this is much more likely if the passenger has nasal congestion. If you must fly with a cold or hay fever, use a decongestant nasal spray before descent and buy some ‘ear planes’ to plug your ears. (Information contributed by Dr Daniel Hains, ENT Surgeon.)

Q. When can electronic equipment such as laptops, iPods and mobile phones be used?

A. All Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) must be placed in flight mode inside the departure terminal and must remain in flight mode until inside the arrival terminal. Small hand held PEDs weighing less than 1kg, such as mobile phones, can be used in flight mode during all stages of flight on Rex’s Saab 340 aircraft. PEDs over 1kg, such as laptop computers, must be stowed appropriately for taxi, take-off and landing, and are permitted to be used only during cruise when the ‘Fasten Seatbelt’ sign is switched off.

PEDs cannot be used while crossing the tarmac.

Q. What is the average speed of the aircraft when cruising in-flight?

A. Approximately 500 kilometres per hour.

Q. Why do you have to get permission from the Captain to move to a vacant seat?

A. The aircraft’s take-off speed is calculated by the weight and balance of the aircraft, and many factors need to be considered for a successful take-off. Factors include the weight of passengers and where they are seated, the weight of cargo, freight and fuel, the distance available on the runway, etc. For example, if there are 100 or more kilograms of freight in the cargo, the balance of the aircraft will be better maintained if passengers are seated in the forward rows.

AIR TURBULENCE

Q. Aircraft often experience air turbulence, but what causes it?

A. Imagine the air around the aircraft is water in a stream. We can see how water is disturbed around rocks or when two streams converge.

Turbulence in the air is similar: as the aircraft passes through cold air or in the vicinity of

terrain that has disturbed the airflow — often incorrectly referred to as ‘air pockets’ — the aircraft climbs and descends in the same way that a boat moves on water. Though turbulence can be uncomfortable, it poses no threat to the aircraft and is akin to driving on a rough or unsealed road. More severe turbulence can be associated with developing thunderstorms.

The Saab 340 has a sophisticated weather radar that pilots use to avoid these areas.

Occasionally, a flight attendant will discontinue serving passengers in turbulent conditions; this is a precaution to ensure everyone’s safety.

Q. Why should you keep your seatbelt fastened even when the ‘Fasten Seatbelt’ sign is switched off?

A. On occasions, the flight crew cannot foresee turbulence or it is not picked up on the flight-deck radar. Because of this, we could unexpectedly experience turbulence at any time. The company recommends that you always keep your seatbelt fastened while you are seated — for your safety, just in case unexpected turbulence is encountered.

ENGINE NOISES

Q. Why do the aircraft’s engine noises change during flight?

A. Aircraft need more power to climb than to descend, in the same way that a car needs more power to go up a hill than down one. The Saab 340 turboprop has more than enough power to climb, so shortly after take-off you will notice a change in noises as the power is reduced.

The pilots also control the pitch angle of the propellers for various stages of the flight and as they ‘change gears’, this can also be heard in the cabin.

Q. What should you do if you see or hear something that does not look or sound right?

A. Please advise your flight attendant. The flight attendant may be able to answer your query and allay any fears. If not, the flight attendant will contact the flight deck and advise the pilots of anything unusual. Rex encourages open communication and will always treat a passenger’s concerns with the utmost seriousness.

Rex FAQs/Exercises and Stretches

Exercise and stretch regularly while seated Exercise and stretch regularly while seated

IN-FLIGHT COMFORT

SEATED EXERCISES

Exercise and ExerciseSTRETCHES andstretch stretchregularly regularlywhile whileseated seated SEATED

Inflight comfort

Flying can be demanding and altitude may make your body more sensitive to the Flying can be demanding and altitude effects of alcohol and caffeine. Sitting in one may make your body more sensitive place for a long time can be uncomfortable to the effects of alcohol and caffeine. and slow down your blood circulation.

Flying be and Sitting in one place for a long time can Flyingcan can bedemanding demanding andaltitude altitude To helpmay your body adjust to flying make your body more be uncomfortable and slow downand your may make your body moresensitive sensitive to maintain your personal comfort and to and caffeine. blood circulation.

To help your body tothe theeffects effectsofofalcohol alcohol and caffeine. wellbeing, wein recommend you take the Sitting one place for a long time adjust to flying and to maintain your Sitting in one place for a long timecan can following steps: be your personal comfort and and wellbeing, beuncomfortable uncomfortable andslow slowdown downwe your blood ToTohelp recommend you take theyour following bloodcirculation. circulation. help yourbody bodysteps: ANKLE CIRCLES —floor, Lift feet FOOT PUMPS —with Start withonboth ANKLE CIRCLES Lift feet off draw a circle with FOOT PUMPS Start both heels the floorheels and pointon feet the upwardfloor as high Keep hydrated.

Drink plenty of fluids — adjust to flying and to maintain off draw a circle with and point feet high as Then youliftcan.

Then put adjust to flying and to maintainyour your thefloor, toes, simultaneously moving one foot the clockwise as you can.

Thenupward put both feetas flat on the floor. heels high, keeping the water, juice, non-caffeinated soft drinks — to personal comfort and wellbeing, we toes, moving both balls feet flatfeet ononthe floor.

Then lift heelsintervals. high, keeping and thesimultaneously other foot counterclockwise.

Reverse circles. of your the floor.

Continue cycle in 30-second Keep hydrated.

Drink of fluids personal comfort andplenty wellbeing, we – Do each direction for 15 seconds.

Repeat one foot clockwise and theif desired.the balls of your feet on the floor. Continue cycle in preventrecommend dehydration, fatigue and headaches. you take the following steps: water, juice, non-caffeinated soft drinks recommend you take the following steps: ANKLE CIRCLES Lift feet off floor, draw a circle with30-second FOOT PUMPS Start with both heels on the floor and point feet upward as high other counterclockwise. intervals.

Minimise– intake of dehydration, alcohol andfatigue coffee.

ANKLEfoot CIRCLES Lift feet off floor, draw a circle with FOOT PUMPS Start with both heels on the floor and point feet upward as high to prevent and the toes, simultaneously one foot clockwise as you can. Then put both feet flat on the floor. Then lift heels high, keeping the Reverse circles. moving Do each Exercise Exercise and and stretch stretch regularly regularly while while seated seated the toes, simultaneously moving one foot clockwise as you can. Then put both feet flat on the floor. Then lift heels high, keeping the Moisten the face to help reduce drying and the other foot counterclockwise.

Reverse circles. balls of your feet on the floor.

Continue cycle in 30-second intervals.

Keep hydrated.

Drink plenty of fluids –– direction seconds.Reverse circles. balls of your feet on the floor. Continue cycle in 30-second intervals. headaches.

Minimise intake ofthe alcohol and the otherfor foot 15 counterclockwise.

Keep hydrated.

Drink plenty of fluids Do each direction for 15 seconds.

Repeat if desired. effects of cabin air.

Repeat if desired. water, juice, drinks Do each direction for 15 seconds. Repeat if desired.

SEATED SEATED EXERCISES EXERCISES and coffee.

Moisten the facesoft to help water, juice,non-caffeinated non-caffeinated soft drinks –reduce dehydration, fatigue and the drying effects of cabin air. to Eat lightly.

Eat lightly on longer flights –totoprevent prevent dehydration, fatigue and headaches. intake alcohol avoid indigestion — our in-flight is headaches.Minimise Minimise intakeofofmenu alcohol and Moisten the totooptions. help Eat lightly.

Eat lightly onface longer flights designed tocoffee. provide lighter meal and coffee.

Moisten the face help to reduce the ofofcabin air. avoid indigestion –effects our inflight menu reduce thedrying dryingeffects cabin air.is Exercise. We encourage you to do the designed to provide lighter meal options. gentle on-board exercises on this flights page to Eat Eatlightly. lightly.Eat Eatlightly lightlyon onlonger longer flightstoto enhanceavoid yourindigestion wellbeing during the flight.

– our inflight menu isis Exercise.

We encourage you to the avoid indigestion – our inflight do menu We recommend you do these exercises for KNEE LIFTS Lift leg with knee SHOULDER ROLLS Hunch ARM CURLS Arms held at 90° angles, designed totoprovide lighter meal gentle onboard exercises on thisoptions. page to designed provide lighter meal options. bent while contracting your thigh shoulders forward, then upward, elbows down, hands in front. Raise hands about five minutes every one to two hours. enhance your wellbeing during theStartheels flight. muscle. Alternate legs. Repeat 20 then backward, then downward, up to chest and back down. Alternate ANKLE CIRCLES ANKLE LiftCIRCLES feet off floor, Lift feet drawoffa floor, circledraw with a circleFOOT with PUMPS FOOT StartPUMPS with both withonboth the heels floor and on the point floor feetand upward point feet as high upward as h should also occasionally walk down We encourage you to do the theYou toes, simultaneously the toes,Exercise. simultaneously moving one foot moving clockwise one footyou clockwise as do you can.

Then as you putcan. both Then feet put flatboth on the the feetfloor. flat on Then theliftfloor. heels Then high,liftkeeping heels high, the keeping to 30 times for each leg. using a gentle, circular motion. hands. Repeat in 30-second intervals.

We recommend these exercises Exercise.

We encourage you to do the and the other and foot the counterclockwise. other foot counterclockwise.

Reverse circles.

Reverse balls circles. of your balls feet on of your the floor. feet on Continue the floor. cycle Continue in 30-second cycle in intervals.

30-second intervals.

KNEE LIFTS Lift leg with knee SHOULDER ROLLS Hunch ARM CURLS Arms held at 90° angles, aisles, as space permits.

In addition, weto exercises on this page Do each direction Do each forgentle direction 15 seconds. foronboard Repeat 15onboard seconds. if desired.

Repeat if desired. every KNEE LIFTS Lift leg with knee SHOULDER ROLLS Hunch ARM CURLS Arms held at 90° angles, for about five minutes one to two gentle exercises on this page to bent whileLIFTS contracting thighleg shoulders forward, then upward, elbows down, hands in front. Raise hands KNEE —your Lift SHOULDER ROLLS ARM CURLS Arms recommend that you avoid crossing your bent while contracting your thigh shoulders forward, then upward, elbows down,— hands in front. Raise hands enhance your wellbeing during hours.

You should also occasionally walklegs. muscle.knee Alternatebent legs. Repeat 20 then backward, then downward, to chest and back down. Alternate enhance your wellbeing duringthe theflight. flight. with — Hunch shoulders heldupup at muscle. Alternate legs.while Repeat 20 then backward, then downward, to90° chestangles, and back down. Alternate to 30 times for each leg. using a gentle, circular motion. hands.

Repeat in 30-second intervals. you do exercises SEATED down the aisles, as permits.

In MovingWe about the aircraft.

You may move contracting your forward, upward, elbows down, to 30 times forSTRETCHES each leg. thigh using athen gentle, circular motion. hands.

Repeat inhands 30-secondinintervals.

Werecommend recommend youspace dothese these exercises muscle. Alternate legs. then backward, then front. Raise hands up to for minutes one toand two addition, we recommend that you avoid about the aircraft as spaceevery permits when forabout aboutfive five minutes every one to two Repeat 20 to 30 times for downward, using a chest and back down. hours.

You should walk crossing your legs.also the seatbelt sign is off.

However, when the hours.

You should alsooccasionally occasionally walk each leg. gentle, circular motion.

Alternate hands.

Repeat SEATED aisles, asas space permits.

InInremain SEATEDSTRETCHES STRETCHES seatbeltdown signthe is you are required in 30-second intervals. down theon aisles, space permits.to addition, we recommend that you avoid Please note: you should not do any of seated with the seatbelt fastened. addition, we recommend that you avoid crossing your legs. these exercises if they cause you pain or If you feel unwell, tell the cabin crew.

They crossing your legs. cannot done withcommon ease. can assist withbe the more in-flight KNEE LIFTS KNEE Lift legLIFTS with knee Lift leg with knee you should SHOULDERnot SHOULDER ROLLSdo Hunch ROLLS Hunch ARM CURLSARM ArmsCURLS held atArms 90° angles, held at 9 Please note: any offurther complaints and, if necessary, can seek note: you shoulders should not do any bent while contracting bent whilePlease your contracting thigh your thigh forward, shoulders then forward, upward, thenof upward, elbows down,elbows handsdown, in front. hands Raiseinhand fron muscle. Alternate muscle. legs.

Alternate Repeat legs.

20 Repeat 20 then backward, then then backward, downward, then downward, up to chest and up to back chest down. and Alternate back down. these exercises if they cause you pain or Moving about the aircraft.

You may and assistance these exercises iffor they cause you pain to advice 30 times for to 30 each times leg. for each leg. using ayou. gentle, using circular a gentle, motion. circular motion.or hands. Repeat hands. in 30-second Repeat inintervals.

30-second cannot be move about thewith aircraft ascan space permits On descent.

Ears and sinuses cause cannot bedone done withease. ease.

SEATED SEATEDEXERCISES EXERCISES

Inflight Inflightcomfort comfort

and when thethe seatbelt sign is discomfort, due to change inoff. air pressure on descent.

To minimise discomfort: Moving about the aircraft.

You may about the asasspace you are required to remain seated with • Yawn move or swallow frequently. move about theaircraft aircraft spacepermits permits the seatbelt sign isisoff. the seatbelt fastened.

• Pinch and your nostrils together blow firmly andwhen when the seatbelt signand off.

However, when the seatbelt sign into your cheeks with mouth However, when theyour seatbelt signisclosed. ison on you are required to remain seated with Ifyou you feel unwell, tell the cabin crew. are required to remain seated with the fastened.

They can assist with the more common theseatbelt seatbelt fastened. inflight complaints and, if necessary, If you have ongoing discomfort, seekcan the Ifseek feel tell cabin further advice and assistance for you. advice of the cabin crew Ifyou you feelunwell, unwell, tellthe the cabincrew. crew.

They Theycan canassist assistwith withthe themore morecommon common inflight complaints and, if necessary, can descent.

Ears and sinuses can KNEE TO CHEST KNEEBend TOOn CHEST forward Bend slightly. forward slightly.

FORWARD FLEX With both FLEX feet With oncan both the floor feet on theOVERHEAD floor OVERHEAD STRETCH Raise STRETCH both hand Rais inflight complaints and, ifFORWARD necessary, Clasp hands Clasp aroundhands left knee around andleft hugknee it toand hug it toand stomach and heldstomach in, slowly held bend in, slowly forward bend forward straight up over straight yourup head. overWith yourone head. han seek further advice and assistance for you. cause discomfort, due toassistance the change seek further and for you. your chest. Hold yourthe chest. stretch Holdforthe15 stretch seconds. for 15advice seconds.and walk your and hands walkdown your hands the front down ofin your the front ofgrasp your the wrist grasp of the theopposite wrist of the hand oppos and

SEATED SEATED STRETCHES STRETCHES Moving about the aircraft.

You may However, when the seatbelt sign is on KNEE TO CHEST Bend forward slightly.

Clasp hands around left knee and hug it to your chest. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds.

Keeping hands around knee, slowly let it KNEE TO —10slightly.

Bend down.TOAlternate legs. times.

KNEE CHESTCHEST BendRepeat forward KNEE TO CHEST Bend Clasp forward slightly. forward Clasp hands slightly. around left knee and hug it to Clasp hands around left knee and hug it to your chest.around Hold the stretch knee for 15 seconds. hands and your chest. Hold theleft stretch for 15 seconds.

Keeping aroundchest. knee, slowly let it hug it hands tohands your Hold Keeping around knee, slowly let it down.stretch Alternate legs. Repeat 10 times. the seconds. down. Alternatefor legs.15 Repeat 10 times.

Keeping hands around knee, slowly let it down.

Alternate legs. Repeat 10 times each leg.

FORWARD FLEX With both feet on the floor OVERHEAD STRETCH Raise both hands and stomach held in, slowly bend forward straight up over your head. With one hand, and walk your hands down the front of your grasp the wrist of the opposite hand and legs toward your ankles. Hold the stretch for gently pull to one side. Hold the stretch FORWARD FLEX —back With STRETCH — for 15 seconds.

RepeatRaise on theboth other side.

15 secondsFLEX and slowly sit up.

FORWARD With both feet on the floor OVERHEAD OVERHEAD STRETCH hands FORWARD FLEX With both feet on the floor OVERHEAD STRETCHstraight Raise both hands both on floor both hands andfeet stomach heldthe in, slowly bend forward Raise straight up over your head. With one hand, and stomach held in, slowly bend forward straight up over your head. With one hand, walk your hands down front of your grasp theyour wrist of the opposite hand and andand stomach in,the slowly With and walk yourheld hands down the front of yourup over grasp the wristhead. of the opposite hand and legsforward toward your and ankles.walk Hold the stretch for onegently pull to one side.the Hold the stretch bend hand, legs toward your ankles. Hold the stretch for gently pullgrasp to one side. Holdwrist the stretch for 15opposite seconds. Repeathand on the other side. seconds and slowly the sit back up. your1515 hands front of the for 15 seconds. Repeat on theand other side. secondsdown and slowly sit back up.

of your legs toward your ankles. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds and slowly sit back up.

gently pull to one side.

Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the Please note: you other side.

should not do any of these exercises Please note: you note: you SHOULDER STRETCH — Reach your right handcause over you ifPlease they should not do your left shoulder. Place your left hand behind your right should not doany any PLEASE NOTE: You pain or cannot be elbow and gently press your elbow toward yourexercises shoulder. ofofthese shouldSTRETCH not do any SHOULDER Reach your right hand HoldNECK With your these exercises the ROLLS stretch forshoulders 15 seconds. Repeat on thewith other side. done ease. over left shoulder.

Place yourifleft hand relaxed, drop your ear to shoulder and ofyour these exercises ififthey theycause causeyou you behind right elbow andpain gently press your gently roll your neck forward and to the theyyour cause you NECK ROLLS —each With your drop your elbow toward your be shoulder.

Hold the stretch other side, holding position for shoulders relaxed, pain or cannot be or cannot done pain or cannot be ear to shoulder and gently roll your neck forward and to forwith 15 seconds.

RepeatReach on theyour otherright side.hand five seconds.

Repeat times.

SHOULDER STRETCH NECK ROLLS With yourfive shoulders ease.

SHOULDER STRETCH Reach your right hand the other NECK ROLLS With your shoulders done with ease. side, holding each position for five seconds. over your left shoulder. Place your left hand relaxed, drop your ear to shoulder and done with ease. over your left shoulder. Place your left hand relaxed, drop your ear to shoulder and

Keeping hands Keeping around hands knee, around slowlyknee, let it slowly it legs toward your legs toward ankles. your Holdankles. the stretch Holdforthe stretch gently for pull togently one side. pull Hold to onetheside. stretch Hold air pressure onletdescent.

Toslowly minimise for Repeat 15 seconds. on theRepeat other on sideth down. Alternate down. legs.

Alternate Repeatlegs.

10 times.

Repeat 10 times. 15 seconds and 15 seconds sitand back slowly up. sit back up. for 15 seconds.

On discomfort: Ondescent. descent.Ears Earsand andsinuses sinusescan can cause discomfort, due to •cause Yawn or swallow frequently. discomfort, due tothe thechange changeinin air pressure descent.

ToTominimise •air Pinch youron nostrils together and blow pressure on descent. minimise discomfort: firmly into your cheeks with your discomfort: • •Yawn swallow mouth closed.

Yawnoror swallowfrequently. frequently.

• •Pinch Pinchyour yournostrils nostrilstogether togetherand andblow blow into your cheeks with your Iffirmly you have ongoing discomfort, firmly into your cheeks with your mouth seek theclosed. advice mouth closed.of the cabin crew.

times. behind your right elbow and gently press your Repeat gentlyfive roll your neck forward and to the gently roll your neck forward and to the other side, holding each position for other side, holding each position for five seconds. Repeat five times. for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side. five seconds. Repeat five times.

behind your right elbow and gently press your toward your shoulder. Hold the stretch 12 elbow elbow toward your shoulder. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Please note: Please you note should not should do any not d of theseofexercises these exer if they cause if theyyou cause pain or cannot pain orbe cann done with done ease. with e

SHOULDER SHOULDER STRETCH Reach STRETCH your right Reach hand your right hand NECK ROLLSNECK With ROLLS your shoulders With your shoulders over your leftover shoulder. your left Place shoulder. your left Place hand your left handrelaxed, droprelaxed, your eardrop to shoulder your earand to shoulder and Ifyour have ongoing discomfort, Ifyou you have ongoing behind your behind right elbow and right gently elbow press and gently your press your gentlydiscomfort, roll your gently neckrollforward your neck and forward to the and to the elbow towardelbow your toward shoulder. your Hold shoulder. theadvice stretch Hold the stretch other side, holding other side, each holding positioneach for position for APRIL/MAY 2018 seek the of the cabin crew. seek the advice cabin crew. for 15 seconds. for Repeat 15 seconds. on theRepeat other on side. the other side.of fivethe seconds. five Repeat seconds. five times.

Repeat five times.

12 12 12

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THE TOWNSVILLE TRIFECTA Reef, rainforest or Outback? It’s a question 2.7 million people ask themselves every year while planning a trip to Far North Queensland. Here, we help you with the life-changing quandary.

Words: Ian Lloyd Neubauer

Fast Facts Townsville is home to Australia’s largest army base, Lavarack Barracks.

190,000 Townsville is the largest city in FNQ with a population of 190,000.

24 TrueBlue

Destination Highlight

galleries, museums and restaurants. The other thing visitors talk about is how pretty the coastline is. All the other cities in Far North Queensland have extensive mudflats, but Magnetic Island shelters the harbour and keeps sand on beaches.”

You can combine reef and rainforest at Port Douglas, reef and Outback at Seisia on the tip of Cape York, or see all three by driving along the 1,000 kilometres of corrugated roads connecting the two. But there’s an often-overlooked place in the north that offers easy access to all three and it happens to be the sunniest place in the state with an average of 320 rain-free days each year. Welcome to Townsville, a former mining town turned army town turned university town, and unofficial capital of Far North Queensland (FNQ).

City lights

Townsville began as a port in the 1860s to service nearby goldfields including Charters Towers, then the richest mine on the continent. It only became a city during WWII when the Allies built an air force base in Townsville, then the biggest in the world, with 22 buzzing airstrips. The commotion didn’t escape the attention of the Imperial Japanese Air Service, which bombed the city three times during the war.

A great way to see Townsville’s sights and learn about its colourful past is on a military and scenic tour with ex-army man Toby Dean of Tour Townsville. Dean’s trips take in sights such as the Brandon Heritage Precinct, Strand Waterfront Precinct, the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Old Brandon Church and maritime, army and air force museums. They culminate on top of Castle Hill, a 268-metre-high rock with 360-degree views of the city, across the Coral Sea to Magnetic Island.

“Most people who come to Townsville have already been to Cairns and end up here by accident because they didn’t think of Townsville as a touristy place,” Dean says. “But the first thing they notice is that it’s bigger than Cairns with lots of art

Country stars

Beyond the city limits, adventure awaits. Take a step back in time and into the Outback at Charters Towers, one and a half hours drive south of Townsville. Today, the former gold town is one of the largest cattle producing areas in Australia. Rowdy live auctions are held every Wednesday at the Dalrymple Sales Yard and visitors are welcome. There are good pubs in town and they’re serious about their steaks, though it’s hard to beat the T-bone at the Cattleman’s Rest Steakhouse.

Two and a half hours drive north of Townsville is Wallaman Falls, also known as Queensland’s Niagara Falls. At 268 metres high, this is the largest single-drop waterfall in the country. There are several hiking trails that offer spectacular views of plunging gorges and prehistoric rainforests of the surrounding Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. But nothing beats seeing it from the air with helicopter pilot Josh Liddle of Hinchinbrook Adventures. Liddle, who’s based in Ingham, 50 kilometres east of the falls, also offers heli-fishing tours in the remote wilderness of the Herbert River Gorge.

No trip to Townsville is complete without a stopover at Magnetic Island. Only a 20-minute ferry ride from the CBD, the island has 23 bays and beaches, 25 kilometres of walking trails, northern Australia’s largest population of koalas, plenty of places to eat and drink, plus a series of old hilltop forts that were built to protect Townsville during WWII. “Magnetic Island is almost like a movie — that’s how beautiful it is,” says Melia Hinks, whose parents, Steph and Adam of Aquascene Charters, run daily snorkelling trips from Magnetic Island to nearby coral cays crowded with turtles and tropical fish. “I don’t think any photograph can truly capture its beauty.” TB APRIL/MAY 2018

25

Events Calendar

What's on & What's hot Our pick of the very best gigs, festivals, and cultural and sporting events from around the country.

Compiled by: Sarah hinder

4–15 April 2018 Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games

Gold Coast, Qld Our sunny Gold Coast plays host to the much-anticipated 2018 Commonwealth Games in April. Accompanying the Games will be a city-wide cultural festival featuring international theatre, musicians, dance, visual and Indigenous arts. gc2018.com, gc2018.com/festival2018

13–15 April 2018

5–8 April 2018 The Man From Snowy River Bush Festival

Corryong, Vic This bushman’s festival is a jubilant and uniquely Australian event celebrating everything country.

There’ll be poetry and bush music, Australian art, bush skills competitions and a historic street parade. bushfestival.com.au

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Julia Creek Dirt N Dust Festival

Julia Creek, Qld Famous for hosting Australia’s toughest triathlon, this roughhewn festival brings the best of the Outback to travellers from far and wide. Expect a line-up of homegrown Aussie music talent and quirky events, from bog snorkelling to Australia’s Best Butt dancing challenge. dirtndust.com

23 April–20 May 2018 Sydney Comedy Festival

Sydney, NSW Showcasing top Australian and international comedic talent,

the Sydney Comedy Festival will present at the city’s most iconic venues, with smaller gigs around greater Sydney. sydneycomedyfest.com.au

27 April–6 May 2018 Bright Autumn Festival

Bright, Vic This 10-day festival celebrates the Victorian Alpine High Country, which comes alive with astounding autumn hues each year. Join in the carnivals of Gala Weekend, Brewery Bush Dance, Wandiligong Nut Festival, as well as terrific open garden displays throughout the region. brightautumnfestival.org.au

Events Calendar Events

30 April–6 May 2018 Sydney Writers’ Festival

Sydney, NSW At Australia’s biggest gathering for lovers of writing and ideas, you can join leading novelists, journalists and screenwriters, united for a superbly curated program of keynotes, forums and workshops. swf.org.au

10–27 May 2018 Anywhere Theatre Festival

1 may–30 june 2018 Heroes of the Hunter

Hunter Valley, NSW As part of the Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival, Redsalt Restaurant has brought back the Heroes of the Hunter degustation. Feast on a five-course meal specifically designed to showcase the finest local produce. Hear from Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley’s Executive Sous Chef, Hamish Watt, regarding his philosophy and inspiration behind devising this menu. To make the most of your heroes’ experience, book an overnight accommodation stay with Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley and roll right into bed after your meal. www.crowneplazahuntervalley.com.au/heroes-of-the-hunter

27 April–12 May 2018 Groovin’ the Moo

Wayville, SA; Bendigo, Vic; Bunbury, WA; Canberra, ACT; Maitland, NSW; Townsville, Qld A community-minded and muchloved Australian musical festival, Groovin the Moo’s 2018 lineup is set to include The Amity Affliction, Flight Facilities, Duke Dumont, Grinspoon, Royal Blood and Tkay Maidza. gtm.net.au

Brisbane & Sunshine Coast, Qld Backyards and back alleys are transformed into pop-up theatres, concert halls and comedy haunts with more than 500 events aimed at challenging traditional structure and access to theatre. anywhere.is

25–26 May 2018 Uluru Camel Cup

Uluru, NT An exciting weekend of quirky camel racing, this family friendly carnival hosts outback games, a Fashions on the Field parade and a true-blue Frock Up & Rock Up Gala Ball where guests hit the red desert dance floor. ulurucamelracingclub.com

25 May–16 June 2018 Vivid Sydney

Sydney, NSW Sydney is artistically transformed in a city-wide festival of free events, art installations and light displays. Join the Vivid Ideas program for thought-provoking workshops or wander through night markets and forests of light. vividsydney.com APRIL/MAY 2018

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Multi Award Winning Underground Complex Guided tours through the Aboriginal Interpretive Centre, underground home and our real opal mine.

20 minute award winning documentary "The story of Opal".

Underground bunkhouse accommodation Package tours for groups Special display of fossils from SA Museum.

Large display of exclusive opal jewellery.

Crystal, Black & Boulder opal.

Rough & cut opal. Specimens.

TOWN

18 MAP

TAX FREE TO OVERSEAS VISITORS 100% INTERNATIONAL WRITTEN GUARANTEE Lot 14 Hutchison Street, Coober Pedy SA 5723.

Phone: (08) 8672 5288 Email: admin@umoonaopalmine.com.au www.umoonaopalmine.com.au - OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Entertainment

Entertainment

Compiled by: Sarah hinder

books

music

Daryl Braithwaite, Days Go By: The Definitive Greatest Hits Collection The Shepherd’s Hut, Tim Winton

Release: 12 March 2018, RRP$39.99/EBook$15.99, Hamish Hamilton, Fiction.

Tim Winton’s latest thrilling novel is an urgent masterpiece about solitude, friendship and the raw business of survival. In an unforgiving landscape bordering the salt lakes of the Western Australian desert, protagonist Jaxie Clackton’s raw and resonant voice tells an incredibly authentic Australian story.

Victory at VillersBretonneux, Peter FitzSimons

Released: 16 October 2017, RRP$34.99/EBook$19.99, William Heinemann Australia, History.

In 1918, the Allied lines are under attack by German soldiers with the intention of splitting the British and French forces by driving through Villers-Bretonneux.

Australian soldiers are called upon and, on Anzac Day 1918, arrive just in time to save the French town.

Child of Mine, Janita Cunnington

Released: 29 January 2018, RRP$32.99/EBook$12.99, Bantam Australia, Fiction.

Spanning three decades, Child of Mine is a resonant novel that begins in circa-1974 Brisbane.

Cunnington’s book is an evocative and deeply Australian story about a devastating flood that changes the lives of four women, a maternal tug-oflove, and one little girl who was caught in between.

Out now Top Aussie musician Daryl Braithwaite has released his definitive greatest hits album, including four brand-new recordings: ‘When We Were Kings’, ‘If You Leave Me Now’, ‘In Your Eyes’ and ‘Motor’s Too Fast’, exclusive to this album. Featuring all the hits of Braithwaite’s 45-year-plus career as one of Australia’s most successful pop singers, it includes classics ‘The Horses’ and ‘As the Days Go By’, among others.

film Sweet Country

In cinemas now, MA15+ Set in the NT in the late 1920s, this film tells the impassioned tale, loosely inspired by true events, of Aboriginal stockman Sam and his wife Lizzie, who are pursued after killing an abusive white station owner in selfdefence. Director Warwick Thornton's film has received critical acclaim.

Breath

In cinemas 3 May 2018, M Based on Tim Winton’s award-winning novel, Breath is a story about youthful recklessness and what we’ll do to avoid feeling ordinary. In mid’70s coastal Australia, two teenage boys form an unlikely friendship with an ageing surfer who has a profound and lasting impact on their lives.

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True Blue Wines

Small Wonders The Barossa region of South Australia is home to some of the country’s best-known wineries. It’s also fertile ground for boutique estates such as Schwarz and Izway.

WORDS: Natasha Dragun

Order this exclusive box of six wines for $200 and have them delivered to your door.

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intners Brian Conway (of Izway Wines) and Jason Schwarz (Schwarz Wine Co) may make very different wines, but both share a similar philosophy on production. At their boutique estates in the Barossa Valley, surrounded by some of the country’s biggest names in winemaking, each is dedicated to creating wines using minimal intervention — it’s all about letting the terroir shine.

“We are focused on respectfully making the greatest wine we can from each of our sites every harvest,” says Conway, who loves the clay-dominant vineyard sites on the northwest ridge of the valley for the structure the soil gives his wines. Schwarz, in contrast, seeks out stony soil, “which gives lighter structure and more elegant wines”.

Regardless of soils, vines here are prone to frost in cooler months, giving most Barossa wines a high natural acidity that often equates to purity.

“The Barossa Valley has a history of grape growing and producing dating back 175 years,” says Conway. “Many of the most iconic Barossa wines are made from some of the oldest

True Blue Wines

vineyards in the world. Our soils here are some of the most diverse in the world. If we had the same evolution of grape growing history as a region like Burgundy then I truly believe that we would see the same patchwork of appellations.”

Indeed, Schwarz makes a Schiller Shiraz using grapes from vines planted in 1881.

Despite this history, or because of it, the Barossa is attracting a new breed of boutique winemakers who are keen to experiment with varietals, techniques and styles. This changing of the guard is leading the production of unique wines. “When buying wines from a small winemaker you will be getting a wine that is individual and never made to a recipe,” says Schwarz.

“Small winemakers will introduce you to an assortment of textures, flavours and aromatics,” adds Conway. “Their wines will generally be more representative of harvest conditions and an artisanal approach to making, giving their wines personality and charm. They have an energy and focus that is driven by passion — and the necessity to feed their families.”

Where it all began

When your father and grandfather are master pruners and you spend your childhood among vines, your future in the industry is almost guaranteed. “As a kid I would go with

my father delivering grapes to wineries and get a glass of lemonade with a splash of riesling at the weighbridge,” says Schwarz. “I also remember having a taste of a fortified wine at my grandfather’s 75th birthday. He was given it on his retirement from Seppeltsfield Winery, the 1909 vintage, for his birth year. I was 11 at the time but I still remember the smooth intensity of the wine.”

In contrast, Conway had no interest in the industry until later in life, when he fell into it while backpacking around Australia. “We arrived in Margaret River with no money and started working with Virginia Willcock at Evans & Tate. Virginia and Mike Gadd were the first genuine influences on my life in wine, introducing me to a completely different philosophy on drinking and eating. This, coupled with the harvest experience, was the catalyst for my career as a winemaker,” he says. It’s also probably why he still likes getting his hands dirty.

“I enjoy the physical side of winemaking: digging and plunging ferments and dragging hoses around the winery.

Some of my most memorable days have involved 24 hours of work and a drink with mates afterwards.”

Inspired by the creative process of making wine, Schwarz says,“I love the enjoyment of taking a raw product (grapes) and making it into something that gives enjoyment to people around the world.” TB

True Blue Wines: Supporting Australia's winemakers The Local Drop and True Blue magazine have teamed up to ensure that you, as our valued readers, have access to some of the finest wines from the Barossa Valley.

Order this exclusive box of six wines for $200 and have them delivered to your door.

Simply email us at charlotte@ thelocaldrop.com.au Or call 1800 903 885 to chat to one of our friendly staff.

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A Room with a Zoo...

Jungle Bungalow

WINNER - Best Deluxe Accommodation in Australia* Unforgettable Dining

Giraffe Treehouse

Jamala Wildlife Lodge in Canberra offers 3 very different accommodation facilities and is amongst the most unique animal lodges in the world. You can stay in uShaka Lodge with its own shark tank, in a Jungle Bungalow virtually built into the habitat of a bear, lion, tiger or cheetah, or in a Giraffe Treehouse where you hand feed your tall neighbour. Included are afternoon and morning tours, 5 star accommodation, gourmet meals and fine wines. Dining is in the uShaka Lodge tropical rainforest cave where you may be joined by magnificent white lions and hyenas.

Ph: 02 6287 8444 | Fax: 02 6287 8403 Email: info@jamalawildlifelodge.com.au Web: www.jamalawildlifelodge.com.au Address: 999 Lady Denman Drive, Canberra ACT 2611 * 2017 Australian Hotels Association Awards for Excellence

City Bites

VIVID on the Bridge From 25 May to 16 June 2018, there's a dance party of light at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Vivid Sydney fans are invited to come and experience a ‘70s style multi-coloured flashing dance floor 134 metres above the festival, on The Vivid Climb. During Vivid Sydney, the city will host three weeks of thoughtprovoking industry forums, outdoor lighting sculptures and exhibitions and an eclectic range of contemporary music performances. Every night from 6pm to 11pm during Vivid Sydney the city will light up with sculptures, installations and grand-scale projections, and the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge offers the best view. One installation is exclusive to the patrons of The Vivid Climb; an illuminated dance floor of multicoloured flashing square tiles, as seen in the classic American film Saturday Night Fever. Climbers become a part of the event, wearing special Vivid Climb vests fitted with flashing lights, so they can be seen illuminating the steel arches

by Vivid visitors far below them.

Visit: bridgeclimb.com or call 02 8274 7777.

City Bites

While in Sydney during April and May, consider mixing leisure with business in a cool and colourful way.

Curio by Hilton The Hilton is synonymous with sleek style and West Hotel in Sydney, which is a part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, is a botanicalinspired oasis that is no exception. In fact, the 182-room new build, designed by Australian Architecture firm Fitzpatrick and Partners, with interiors by Woods Bagot, is a beacon of modern architecture, with subtle nods to streamlined, classic Scando influenes in the chic wooden furniture. Rich hues of blue and green in the suites are off set by bold flower motif rugs and highly textual artworks, and strong black window and door panes lend the space some art deco magic. Right on Barangaroo’s doorstep, West Hotel is one of Sydney's finest accomodation offerings to date. 65 Sussex St, Sydney APRIL/MAY 2018

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Raw

Talent We meet Chef Rafael Tonon from the Publica Group, who is lifting the bar at Goldfish in the Hunter Valley.

WORDS: Reilly Smart

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I

f you’re from Brazil, have an Italian family who loves to entertain and you have an unshakeable penchant for raw food, then becoming a chef must seem like a logical career move. This was the case for Rafael Tonon who, even as a teenager, knew he wanted to become a chef.

“I had a complete obsession with sushi from the age of 13 and that ignited my passion for cooking,” explains Rafael, who’s known by friends and colleagues as Raf. “So I taught myself to make sushi and started working in a Japanese restaurant, so I could learn as much as I could about it. From there, my interest in food developed and I moved on to exploring other cuisines. I’m from Brazil and moved to Australia in 2003 to start working professionally. It is here that I fell in love with beach life, which only further fuelled my love of raw ingredients.”

Raf is currently working with the team at Goldfish in the Hunter Valley to relaunch the restaurant’s as more of a tapas bar than a restaurant. And after taste testing a couple of the restaurant’s entrée dishes, his approach to food and style shines through. He draws on Italian and Asian influences, uses fine, well considered textures such as the hemp seed in his wagyu beef tartare dish, and despite an ensemble of delightful ingredients — such as crushed rose petals on a king fish carpaccio — no one taste overpowers another. Balance of flavour is key, and if it’s a menu created by Raf, then true to his beginnings, you’ll always find a raw beef or a fish dish among the offerings. More if you’re lucky.

“I want people dining with us to have an experience that

“I fell in love with beach life, which only further fuelled my love of raw ingredients.”

— Rafael Tonon will make them open-minded, and hopefully then they will be more adventurous about food,” he says. “I live and breathe food, personally and professionally. I’m always discovering new places, new cuisines and new trends — I’m eternally in search of something new and delicious and I balance flavours with the ostentatious aspects of my personality.”

So, since those early days of being a teenager on a quest to conquer the art of sushi, has Raf’s approach to food changed course? He shakes his head and smiles. “My goal has not changed. I come from an Italian family and I was always surrounded by food, which was always associated with good times and fun meals. Now I try to represent or inspire those good times through my cooking. I still have an enormous fondness for raw ingredients, and the best thing about being a chef is that you are given the opportunity to — hopefully — rock someone’s world by doing something that you love.” TB

Meet the Chef

WAGYU BEEF TARTARE Serves 4

Ingredients: • 240g fresh wagyu beef rump cap • 2 tspns eschallots brunoise • 2 tspns gherkins brunoise • 2 tspns chives chopped • 1 tspn hemp seeds • 8 tspns extra virgin olive oil • 4 tspns freshly squeezed lemon juice • Dash of salt • Dash of pepper • Dash of sorrel chiffonade • 4 tspns crème fraiche • 1 tspn yuzu juice • Pangritatta (old loaf of white crusty bread, garlic clove, thyme sprigs) Method: 1 Dice beef in small cubes 2 In a bowl, mix beef, eschallots, gherkins, chives, hemp seeds, olive oil and lemon juice, and season.

3 In a separate bowl, mix crème fraiche with yuzu (lemon juice can be replaced), zest of half a lemon, and season.

4 For the pangritatta, aka ‘poor man's parmesan’, get an old loaf of white crusty bread, remove crust, cut into small cubes and blitz in blender until fine, but not too fine. In a frying pan over low-medium heat, fry breadcrumbs in olive oil, one crushed clove of garlic and a couple of thyme sprigs until golden. This requires attention stirring crumbs at all times to avoid burning and to get evenly golden crumbs. Season.

To serve: Smear crème fraiche on a cold serving plate, scatter sorrel chiffonade, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil, place beef on top and garnish with an extra sprinkle of hemp seeds and pangritatta.

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Not Their

Cover Story

First Rodeo Meet some of the colourful characters that make Queensland’s Mount Isa Rodeo such an entertaining and thrilling spectacle.

WORDS: Riley Palmer PHOTOGRAPHY: Ant Ong

C Cover Story

liff ‘Hollywood’ Harris feels at home under the spotlight: he has a flair for showmanship and delights in making people laugh. A rodeo clown for more than 30 years, Cliff is still as passionate and excited about clowning as the day he first encountered it — a day that stands out distinctly in his mind. “When I was four years old, my dad took me to the Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo,” he recalls. “He was in the cattle business and he managed a feedlot, and the guys that worked for him were clowns and bull riders. So we went to the rodeo to watch them clown, and then when it was over and everyone was exiting, Dan — one of Dad’s workers — got on his bull.

But he still had his clown face on, and I remember it clear as day. He had one of his hands in the air, and I looked at my dad and said, ‘Dad, is Dan waving at me?’ and he said, ‘I think he is, kid.’ And I’ve loved the rodeo ever since.”

“I looked at my dad and said, ‘Dad, is Dan waving at me?’ and he said, ‘I think he is, kid.’ And I’ve loved the rodeo ever since.” — Cliff ‘Hollywood’ Harris Even through his thick American accent, you can hear the smile crinkling the edges of Cliff’s mouth as he tells this story.

It’s rare that any of us pursue our childhood pipedreams, but Cliff is one of the few who has. “I am very, very, blessed,” he acknowledges. “I will never be rich, but I’m wealthy in many other ways.”

One of the opportunities Cliff’s job affords him is the chance to travel, and just last year he made his first appearance at

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Queensland’s Mount Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo. “It was a real lot of fun,” he says, reflecting on his short stint. “And I tell you, the people were so, so nice.” It goes without saying that the rodeo-goers loved Cliff, too, as he entertained them and made them laugh throughout the weekend.

However, Cliff wasn’t seen performing any of the athlete protection duties that used to fall under his jurisdiction as a rodeo clown when he first began in the industry. “I do miss doing that,” he says. “I miss that sensation of being able to slide in when you want and just manipulate the bull.” He pauses briefly before adding: “I don’t miss getting run over, though.”

In 2009, Cliff suffered a career-worst injury, when a bull hooked onto his clown pants and thrashed around while he hung upside down for 50 seconds. “It snapped my leg and dislocated both my shoulders,” he says. “It wasn’t pretty, that’s for sure.” Asked how he found the courage to go back to work, he says: “Getting back in the arena was really no big deal, but coming back from the injury was hard. It took a good two and a half years and two surgeries — I had to have my ankle fused, so I don’t have use of the joint in my left ankle.” I can’t help but think the use of his left ankle might be helpful in the event that he ever has to run from a bull. Confirming my suspicions, he says: “It’s pretty tough to run. In my mind, I’m still really fast.

But when I try to run I’m not fast at all anymore.” 

Cover Story

“It snapped my leg and dislocated both my shoulders.

It wasn’t pretty, that’s for sure.”

— Cliff ‘Hollywood’ Harris

APRIL/MAY 2018

39

Cover Story

Despite the risks that come with his chosen career, Cliff wouldn’t change a thing. And his proclivity for clowning clearly runs in the family; his son Brinson James is already being heralded as one of America’s most promising rodeo clowns. Now in his 20s, Brinson made his first rodeo appearance at the tender age of two, and has had the crowds in the palm of his hand ever since.

Working as a father-son duo at a rodeo in Quebec, Canada, earlier this year, Cliff had a bit of a revelation: “We were in the arena together — I have the old-school clown look and he has the new-age clown look — and I realised I can’t even keep up with him anymore,” he beams. “I actually had to get out of his way and say, ‘This is your crowd, buddy, you take ’em and run.’ I’m so proud of him.” The genuine delight in his voice is heartwarming, but ever the funny man, Cliff quickly adds: “He has more energy than me, but he’s not quite as funny as I am.”

Cliff will once again be entertaining the boisterous crowds at this year’s 60th anniversary of the Mount Isa Rodeo. Disappointed he “never even saw a kangaroo” last year, he’s looking forward to staying in town a little bit longer, to take in the sights and learn more about the Australian Outback and the people who call it home.

The 2018 Mount Isa Rodeo is taking place 9–12 August.

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Riding High Champion cowgirl Jo Caldwell is a veteran on the rodeo circuit. She’s won her favourite event, barrel racing, five times at the Mount Isa Rodeo, and is hoping to win her sixth title at this year’s event. True Blue spends five minutes with Jo and learns what it takes to compete at such an elite level.

TB: How do you prepare for an event like the Mount Isa Rodeo?

JC: The main priority is to have my horses fit. I exercise them every day, and make sure they’re feeling good by giving them HYGAIN feed and supplements. I try to stay in shape, too, but I’ve got two little kids, so I definitely don’t as much as I used to.

What kind of a relationship do you have with your competitors?

It’s pretty much the same people at all the rodeos, so even though we’re competitive, we’re all pretty close friends. It’s such a good family environment; we camp during the week between rodeos, and all the kids get to play together — it’s a little community.

Do you remember learning to ride?

My dad bred horses, so I remember he’d go and muster them and we’d sit up on them. That was when I was

only one or two years old — I’ve been riding from a young age. We’d always have a pony in the backyard, and my brother and sister and I would get on the horse bareback and ride around the yard. Mum would always laugh; she says she’d look out the window and one minute there’d be three on, and the next there’d be one, then none.

Do you have a favourite horse?

Country Roc is my main horse — he’s the one that’s won Mount Isa five times — and he’s definitely my favourite. He’s really one of a kind — not the kind of horse I’d take on a gentle, pleasurable ride, but he loves his job as a barrelracing horse. He’s 22 now and he’s a fast, strong horse. He’s got a heart of gold, so hopefully we’ll get one more year out of him at Mount Isa and then he’ll probably be ready to retire.

Will you be teach your children what it takes to be a barrel rider?

They’re riding already. Georgia’s just turned three and she’s riding my old barrel-racing horse. She’s still on the lead, but she rides with me and I lead her off another horse. Georgia’s had some barrel-racing runs already, with me riding around in front of her — she absolutely loves it. TB

Need help planning your Outback trip?

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Julia Creek Hotel (The Top Pub) Cnr Goldring & Julia Streets, Julia Creek Phone: 07 4746 7727

Julia Creek Motel Clean, quiet and comfy rooms catering to singles, couples, families, workers and budget conscious.

Undercover parking at front of rooms with ample parking for larger vehicles or trailers.

98 Burke Street, Julia Creek 4823.

Phone: 07 4746 7305 * Web: www.juliacreekmotel.com.au

Go

s We t T he sea breeze whips through my hair and the descending sun slowly turns the sky a pastel pink. I’m on a speedboat travelling away from Tasmania’s seaside town of Strahan, which is fast becoming a series of dots in the distance. As the boat slices through the choppy water, my entertaining guide Suz regales me with facts and anecdotes about the region.

“You’ll notice that the water is a brown colour, like Coke or tea,” she says. I look down and take in the murky hue of the water. “That’s because the button grass, which grows in the catchment area, releases tannins into the water.”

I feel a sense of relief that the brown isn’t on account of

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Tasmania’s wild West Coast is brimming with natural beauty, adventure and artistic flair.

WORDS: Riley Palmer Photography: Tourism Tasmania

pollution, which I realise I’ve become accustomed to back on the mainland. “And the composition of the water is fairly unusual,” Suz continues, “in that it’s fresh water on top and salt water underneath.” More than a little baffled, I silently mull over these facts.

But before long, my meditations on nature’s mysteries have been replaced by imaginings of fairy penguins, their upright chests protruding with pride. After all, they’re what I’ve come here to see. We dock at the wharf on Bonnet Island, an isolated speck bounded by craggy rocks, and as water laps noisily against the boat we clamber ashore.

Suz leads us up a winding dirt path fringed by small shrubs and coastal flowers to a lookout from which looms a historic lighthouse. Blinking at regular intervals and illuminating the entrance to the immense Macquarie Harbour, the 

Road Trip

Fast Facts

1,545

Cradle Mountain reaches 1,545 metres above sea level.

90km

Located less than 90 kilometres north-west of Burnie, The Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station regularly monitors Tasmania as having the world’s cleanest air.

APRIL/MAY 2018

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This tiny creature preens himself and scratches at the earth, every so often glancing at us humans as if unsure what to make of us.

top to bottom: aerial view of keith tulloch wine pizza at peter Drayton wine; and beer tasting at potters hotel brewery resort

opening spread: bonnet island lighthouse in the early morning mist

lighthouse is powered by solar and battery. However, when it was constructed in 1891 it ran on kerosene and was operated by ill-fated lighthouse keepers who lived on the tiny island, often bringing their equally ill-fated families with them. Suz tells us stories about these unfortunate souls, one of whom lost his wife and two children in a shipwreck, and another who nearly burnt down the lighthouse in a kerosene fire.

The sun has now fully set, prompting us to grab our torches and search for our little feathered friends. Wandering up through the scrub we spy a stout, diminutive fairy penguin.

Very aware that he’s on display, this tiny creature preens himself and scratches at the earth, every so often glancing at us humans as if unsure what to make of us. Having watched him for some time we head back to the boat, which whisks us back to Strahan under a night sky speckled with glittery stars.

Just over two hours from Burnie, Strahan is well worth the drive. In addition to the Bonnet Island trip, there are all kinds of things to see and do. A Gordon River cruise takes you toward Cape Sorell, where you can breathe in the purest air in the world before gliding past stands of Huon pine in the UNESCO Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The cruise also visits Sarah Island, Australia’s oldest penal colony, where some of our nation’s most notorious convicts were incarcerated.

If you’re after a bit of rest and relaxation, there’s no more idyllic place to have a tipple than at Strahan Village’s View 42° Restaurant & Bar. Overlooking majestic Macquarie Harbour, its outdoor seating provides the perfect vantage point to

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this spread, clockwise from top left: sunset at ocean beach, Strahan; beautiful strahan village and harbour; bonnet island lighthouse; Hikers walking along Crater Lake towards Marions Lookout; strahan waterfront

watch ships docking at the wharf, mountains silhouetted on the horizon. And after a big day of exploration, and maybe a few too many wines, why not stay the night at one of Strahan Village’s rooms or cottages? Snuggle into your king-size bed and know that when you open your curtains in the morning, Macquarie Harbour will be glimmering back at you. Hot tip: head down to The Coffee Shack for your morning caffeine hit — you won’t be disappointed.

After you’ve finished exploring Strahan it’s time to hit the road. From harbour town to mountain peaks, the next destination is Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park.

You can drive there in two hours, but if you have a 4WD, detour to Ocean Beach. This windy stretch of sand extends a whopping 32 kilometres and, as it’s deemed a public road, you’re free to hit speeds of up to 80 kilometres an hour.

Once you’ve had your speed fix, it’s back to the meandering roads that weave through open moorland en route to the National Park. Driving through this part of the world, with mountain vistas surrounding you on all sides, you’ll really feel like you’ve gone back to nature. And if this excites 

Road Trip

you, just wait until you see what the National Park has in store.

One of Australia’s most untainted pockets of wilderness, Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park is made up of ancient rainforests where waterfalls cascade, open plains where conifers and beech trees reach for the sun, and tranquil, glassy lakes.

One of the most popular walks leaving from the northern end of the National Park is the Overland Track, a five- to six-day hike from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. As appealing as that is, I opt for a decidedly shorter hike to Marions Lookout. Just shy of three hours return, this trek starts at Ronny Creek and takes you through flat plains covered in buttongrass, where I am lucky enough to spot a wombat. Ascending through mossy alpine trees the landscape transforms dramatically, and as I climb higher — up towards the rugged peak of Marions Lookout — it continues to change, becoming much more gravelly and scrubby.

The plateau is sparse, revealing the jagged rock underfoot, but more engrossing is the uninterrupted view of Cradle Mountain. I gaze at the dolerite peaks of the craggy mountain and in that moment, I can’t help feeling very small. The other

Where to eat:

View 42° Restaurant & Bar The Esplanade, Strahan 03 6471 4361 Altitude Restaurant 3718 Cradle Mountain Rd, Cradle Mountain 03 6492 1404 The Coffee Shack 19 Esplanade, Strahan

Where to sleep:

Strahan Village strahanvillage.com.au Cradle Mountain Hotel cradlemountainhotel.com.au

How to get there: Rex Airlines flies directly from Melbourne to Burnie seven days a week

I gaze at the dolerite peaks of the craggy mountain and in that moment, I can’t help feeling very small. side of the lookout provides an equally breathtaking view over the perfectly still Dove Lake — like a mirror, it reflects the mountains surrounding it. I breathe deeply and take a mental snapshot of my surroundings before the steep descent.

Worn out and still under a spell, I get an early night at the Cradle Mountain Hotel before taking my road trip full circle, back to Burnie. A port town, Burnie has become a creative hub full of artisans. What better place to encounter them than at its dedicated Meet the Makers workshop and exhibition space?

Walking into the building I’m immediately struck by its energised atmosphere; a woman is crafting baskets from coloured ropes while giving a young girl instructions on how to fashion her own; there’s a stall for tasting Tasmania’s cheeses (make sure you try the Tasmanian Heritage Triple Cream Brie); and a gift shop stocked with vibrant textiles, glassworks and jewellery made by onsite artists.

I book in to a papermaking workshop and before long am discussing plants, fibres, pulp and sealants. By the time I leave I feel incredibly accomplished, having made my own piece of denim paper embellished with an emu watermark.

This little souvenir is not the only thing I take home with me. The feeling of the sea breeze in my hair, the spectacle of a fairy penguin preening himself and the breathtaking views from the top of Marions Lookout will be coming with me as well. Oh, and my boyfriend; I guess he can come, too. TB The writer was a guest of RACT (Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania) and Tourism Tasmania.

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From the Grapevine

It’s only natural the rise of sustainable wines… words: patrick haddock Love it or not, natural or sustainable wines are very much here to stay. Not since the rise of Acid House music and club culture in the early ’90s has there been such a groundswell movement.

What was seen as a fad has quietly maintained its momentum to the point where it’s now a lively part of the contemporary winescape.

At a time when we think so comprehensively about what we eat, it’s only natural that what we pour down our throats is scrutinised, too.

Why would we not want our wine to be organic or preservative-free the way our eggs, meat or vegetables are?

Sustainable farming in winemaking is by no means new. Grown from a frustration with conservative winemaking — which often sees wines finished with additions, fining agents and too much sulphur at bottling — has prompted a generation of forward-thinking winemakers to eschew these practices for something more unconventional.

This can mean less adherence to convention in the vineyard, too: using fewer chemicals and herbicides, not spraying unless to preserve the vines, and instead allowing Mother Nature do her work. Using organics is a normal part of sustainable farming and some even use biodynamics, meaning they adhere to the lunar cycles to decide what days to spray and which days to pick their fruit.

Ultimately it comes down to taste but there’s no doubting that sustainable viticulture will present a compelling argument in the glass, ensuring that your wine is as nature intended.

When seeking out this type of wine, ask in a wine bar or bottle shop for a brand that has been made in a sustainable manner — that could be organic, biodynamic or preservativefree (including vegan). These wines may also be labelled ‘amber’ or ‘orange’, reflecting the colour change that occurs when a white wine comes in contact with the skins of grapes. TB

Here are four sustainably made wines to get your palate excited.

Pheasant’s Tears Mtsvane 2015

An American who makes wine using ancient practices in Georgia? Yes, and it’s delicious. Amber in colour and a little hazy, it smells of dried fruit skins, hints of herbs and is musky with impressions of apricot. The palate feels almost savoury with a textural, dry mouthfeel.

Passopiscaro Etna Rosso DOC 2014

From the volcanic soils of Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy, comes this energetic and electrifying red made from the variety Nerello Mascalese. Unfined and unfiltered, it appears in the glass a little wild with vibrant fruit and earthy tones. It’s a benchmark for the region.

Swinging Bridge #003 2017

A fascinating trio of Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris combine in this drop from Orange, NSW, making it as refreshing as it is intriguing. Expect hints of Turkish delight on the nose with a scintillating texture and fresh, acidic finish.

Hungerford Hill Preservative-Free Shiraz 2017

Many people are pleased to find their wines are preservative-free but this wine is vegan, too. It enjoys bright fruit aromas of plum, berries and spices, with hints of dark chocolate and vanillin oak on the palate with a spicy finish and a clean acidity.

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Food & Wine

Fast Fact Viticulture was encouraged in the penal settlement of the Hunter Valley as those under the influence of heavier spirits tended to be more drunk and disorderly, and it was thought that if enough wine was available it would provide a moderate influence and “tame the savagery�.

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Drifting

about

Hunter

the

When you think of the Hunter Valley, you think food and wine, but why not add add beer and balloons to the package too?

The hot air variety of balloon, that is.

WORDS: Charlie Atkinson APRIL/MAY 2018

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Food & Wine top to bottom: the sun rises over the hunter valley as guests take to the skies with balloon aloft; wine flight at Peter drayton wines

F

ew humans enjoy getting up at 4am (surely?), but if the promise of floating above the world as the sun rises is part of the deal, alongside an impressive fry-up and a glass of Peterson’s sparkling wine, then the prospect of arriving in a dew-soaked paddock at 5am gains appeal.

That’s exactly where my partner and I find ourselves on our wedding anniversary morning — hot cuppa in hand, standing in a Hunter Valley paddock where cows, bleary-eyed too it seems, stare at us through a wire fence. A reddish glow plays across the horizon and before us an enormous purple, yellow and green hot air balloon is lying on its side, gusts of fire shooting at well-timed intervals into the opening at its base. Then slowly, gracefully, the balloon stands up and just as we’ve been instructed, we board the attached basket, climbing up the footholds in its side.

The ropes connecting our party of 10 to the truck are then untied and that’s when the magic unfurls. There’s utter silence in the basket as everyone watches the ground drop away. Silently, peacefully, we ascend

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into the sky, headed towards the red glow that has now mellowed into streaky hues of golden-purple and orange.

Within minutes we’re looking down and across vineyards, ponds, dams and treetops as we glide straight into the sunrise. No-one speaks at first, but there are a few gasps and sharp intakes of breath before people find their voices and start pointing out a flock of ducks or a farmer there, two horses cantering, and one of the highlights for some tourists from Eastern Europe — two grey kangaroos boxing one another playfully as their mob looks on.

The ride with Balloon Aloft lasts for just over an hour. We cruise for some eight kilometres, drifting across homes, shacks and sheds, resorts, cellar doors, the Roche Estate outdoor music stadium, the spectacular Hunter Valley Gardens and, of course, row upon row of tethered vines.

Then, as gently as we took off, we land in another paddock, where another herd of cows gives us the once-over before turning to the more urgent matter of eating grass.

The morning continues with a fry-up and a glass of bubbles at Peterson House 

y l F

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Food & Wine

Fast Fact The Wonnarua (“people of the hills and plains”) were the first inhabitants of the (Coquun) Hunter Valley, with the Worimi to the north-eastern shores, and the Awabakal to the southeastern shores.

top to bottom: aerial view of keith tulloch wine pizza at peter Drayton wine; and beer tasting at potters hotel brewery resort.

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(try the pink sparkling as well while you’re at it — how often do you get offered sparkling wine at 8am?).

We start our exploration of local goodness with a premium tasting of wines lovingly crafted by local legend Keith Tulloch, who comes from four generations of winemaking. It’s actually his 21st birthday — in terms of how long he’s been making wine anyway. You can do a basic tasting for $5, but the premium tasting, at $25 is well worth it — not just due to the wonderfully aged Field of Mars Semillon (the Hunter Valley’s signature wine) but also because of the big peppery, long-legged reds, including the 2014 Field of Mars Shiraz.

Keith doesn’t create his Field of Mars wines (named after his property) unless it’s an exceptional year, so you know that you’re getting his personal favourites created from the best vintages in this collection.

Both of us being lovers of beer and cider, we then swing

by Peter Drayton Wines. Peter also comes from a huge wine legacy — six generations of them in fact. Peter’s brother went on to make great wines like the siblings’ parents, while Peter established Ironbark Hill Brewhouse within his own winery.

Whoever said that wine (dry, light, lovely quaffable wine) and beer flights don’t go hand in hand, quite frankly has no idea. They have great ideas at Peter Drayton’s, such as big communal benches under the trees, and when you add cider and pizza, there’s a whole lot of fun to be had. The pear and apple cider have the light bubbles of a sparkling wine, are super-dry and the fruit flavours will have you smiling.

Continuing with the beer theme, we take an entertaining beer tour at Potters Hotel Brewery and Resort. Our guide explains the impressive range of signature beers such as the Hunter Kolsch and Hunter Witbier, and scrumptious seasonal beers such as the Chocolate Porter and Christmas Cheer. The resort’s courtesy bus seats 11 people so staff can pick you up from wherever you are and then drop you back at a desired location after a little more taste-testing. We booked into Potters for our first night in the valley — it’s really affordable 

Boutique Collection Of Luxury Escapes

Style

ICONS

| A P L AC E AND T I M E Y O U’ L L NE V E R FO RG ET

The Convent Hunter Valley

C www.lilianfels.com.au

www.echoeshotel.com.au

www.hydromajestic.com.au

www.parklands.com.au

www.convent.com.au

Food & Wine top to bottom: rock cottage at winmark wines; beer tasting at potters brewery hotel and resort; the beautiful gardens of spicers vineyards estate

What to do and see while drifting about Balloon Aloft balloonaloft.com

Peterson House petersonhouse.com.au Keith Tulloch Wine keithtullochwine.com.au Peter Drayton Wine and Ironbark Hill Brewhouse ironbarkhillbrewhouse.com.au Potters Brewery Hotel and Resort pottershbr.com.au pdwines.com.au Spicers Vineyards Estate spicersretreats.com

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as it’s on the periphery of wine country. You can rent a simple, large two-bedroom cottage with a back porch, and there’s a pool in the middle of the resort to lounge around.

After a weekend drifting about the Hunter, we’re pretty chuffed to have gathered a nice collection of local drops that represent a new era filled with interesting things going on in this valley that has been producing wines since the 1820s.

We’ve bagged a growler of Drayton’s lip-smackingly dry cider, a couple of Hunter Kolschs — hand-filled, hand-capped in Champagne-style bottles (they even apply the labels by hand) — a few of Keith’s awesome Field of Mars wines to cellar, and a bottle of white Muscat from Mistletoe.

If you need a break from all of the glorious food and wine, Ubika Spa at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley is a refreshing sanctuary surrounded by picturesque vineyards and golf greens, all framed by the rugged Brokenback Ranges. The spa is known in the Hunter for friendly, professional service provided by some of the region’s top therapists. The spa menu features a diverse selection of therapies for both men and women, aimed to help regenerate and restore.

A newcomer on the accommodation scene, and one that is ideal for a group of friends or an extended family, is Rock Cottage at Winmark Wines in Broke. Formerly Poole’s Rock (renowned for its chardonnay), this stunning property on 116 acres has been lovingly restored and features three double bedrooms. There is an alfresco area, loungeroom and cosy living space with a fireplace. (Remove: and a library, and wide balconies from) Enjoy the veranda with the spectacular scenery. Wander amongst the vines and watch the sun set around the famous sculptural rock.

Our final stop is the icing on the cake, and something we’d planned well in advance to coincide with our actual anniversary (doesn’t everyone have a week-long anniversary party?). After a light lunch at Goldfish restaurant on Roche Estate (see our article on chef Rafael Tonon on page 34) we drive to Spicers Vineyards Estate, one in a collection of superb retreats that offer the epitome of relaxed luxury in a beautiful environment where privacy is key. The onsite finedining restaurant, Botanica, is set in a cosy, stylish homestead where glass doors open on to sprawling native gardens and vineyards. The wine list is nothing short of sensational and the degustation menu is as artful as it is delectable — the offerings varying in tune with the seasons and what Mother Nature has offered up to the kitchen.

We linger longer at our table, the stars shining bright above the vines, and then wander back to our room, the sound of frogs and the rustle of the wind in the trees a calming night song perfect for drifting off to sleep. TB

ROCK COTTAGE WINMARK WINES (formerly Pooles Rock) is a stunning property situated on 116 acres, with 28 acres covered by vineyards. Nestled into the property's bushland is Rock Cottage — a perfect getaway for exploring the Broke Fordwich region. The residence has three bedrooms, a stylish, cosy living area with a fireplace, and an adjoining kitchen and dining room.

Rock Cottage offers privacy and spectacular views capturing the vineyard and mountain range, making it an ideal retreat.

Rock Cottage | Winmark Wines 229 Wollombi Road, Broke NSW 2330 E: info@winmarkwines.com.au Ph: 0429 265 268

ArtSpace

Artist Fintan Magee transforms vacant city corners into striking murals, sharing his ideas, sparking conversations and bringing beauty to passers-by.. words: RILEY PALMER

Arresting 56 TrueBlue

Art

T

P H O T O G R A O H Y C O U R T E S Y O F F I N TA N M A G E E

he first time I encountered one of Fintan Magee’s murals, I felt as though I’d been punched in the stomach. Walking down Alice Street in Sydney’s innerwest suburb of Newtown, I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of a young man in an oceanblue shirt. Emblazoned on the dark-red brick wall in front of me, this man was utterly lifelike, from natural folds that had formed in his clothing to the flecks of light brown and blond in his otherwise auburn hair.

However, what really provoked my sense of wonder was his torso, or lack thereof. In its place was a large metal birdcage, empty except for one finch-like bird that had yet to fly the coop. I felt paralysed watching him, but ultimately I was the one who walked away, while he is still stuck in that moment, letting something beautiful and cherished fly away. This was my initiation into the whimsical, entrancing and often confronting world of Fintan Magee’s art.

Creative from a young age, Fintan credits his parents with giving him the support and encouragement to express himself artistically. He also acknowledges that thanks to his parents’ careers — his mother an architect, his father a sculptor — creativity runs in his bloodline. “My parents definitely laid the foundation,” he says.

“My father was a teacher, so he was always able to help me out with technical advice, and they were both very supportive of my career and creative outlets. They always gave me the freedom to do what I wanted.”

However, as is the case for most people, finding his feet and the exact direction he wanted to head in as an artist took some time. When he was about 13, Fintan got into traditional forms of graffiti, but that proved to be a fraught component of his career that culminated in an arrest in 2006. Asked how the experience shaped him as an artist, Fintan says, “It just made me focus my energy away from graffiti for a short period while I sorted out my legal issues. I enrolled in university in 2007 and my work started to become more figurative as I got tired of the lettering format of graffiti. It was a classic case of art school ruined my graffiti.”

Since then street art has taken Fintan across the globe, from French Polynesia and Italy to Buenos Aires and New York.

“I feel like I take something from everywhere I have visited,” he says. “There are a couple of different places that stand 

“It was a classic case of art school ruined my graffiti.”

— Fintan Magee APRIL/MAY 2018

57

ArtSpace

“The ephemeral nature of working on the street is natural and I learn not to get attached to things. Its humbling to watch your works disappear sometimes.”

— Fintan Magee

out — Russia, Ukraine and Jordan, for example. But for the most part, everywhere I visit has its own challenges and rewards.”

A common challenge for Fintan is the form his art takes; the creation of large-scale street art in often-isolated corners of a city can be problematic. “The logistics of producing large works can be highly stressful,” says Fintan, regaling me with a tale of being rescued by the fire brigade in Portugal when one of his lifts broke down.

“It’s also a lot of pressure when you’re working in public spaces, because if you produce something you’re not happy with, then it’s stuck there and everyone can see it.” I imagine some of my career mistakes on display to the public and cringe a little. Although that said, I’m yet to come across one of Fintan’s murals that I don’t love.

On the flip side, street art is a transient medium and something that Fintan has created could be torn down in an instant. “From a young age I have been watching my graffiti pieces disappear because they were painted over, destroyed by development or because they fell victim to the elements,” he explains. “For me, the ephemeral nature of working on the street is natural and I learn not to get attached to things. It’s humbling to watch your works disappear sometimes.”

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As well as beautifying public spaces, many of Fintan’s works have political and social undertones. For instance, one of his most recent artworks, Drowning While Standing — which stands tall in Acquapendente, Italy — is a statement on youth concerns about climate change. The image of a young man, seemingly drowning in a tank of water that surrounds his face, is highly confronting but it sends a powerful message.

While this mural is in Italy, it’s impossible to separate its message from Fintan’s personal experience with the 2011 Brisbane floods.

“My mother’s house was flooded in 2011 and sadly some other families on our street were a lot worse off than she was. Much of my work still talks about the 2011 floods, and I want to use my personal experience to discuss bigger issues around climate change and the environment.”

Of course, not all of Fintan’s works are political; many of them are created purely for their aesthetic value. But if my experience of these murals is anything to go by, they capture the heart just as much as his didactic works; they stay with you long after you’ve passed them, and leave you wondering about the man who constantly brings such beauty into this world. TB

Happy stays, happy days!

With 21 parks perfectly positioned in a touring route across coastal and inland NSW and QLD, Ingenia Holidays offers the perfect place to stay for a night, a few days or your whole holiday!

There’s something for every style of traveller with plenty of accommodation options including cabins and camping with a selection of powered, unpowered and ensuite sites – we’ll even welcome your four legged friends.*

p 1300 790 758 ingeniaholidays.com.au *Subject to participation – sites only (conditions apply).

Sustainability Special

Top 10 ecotours and sustainable places to stay in Australia

From exclusive ecotours to sustainable luxury retreats, these are the best places in Australia to tour and stay, without costing the earth.

Words: Sarah Hinder

ARKABA WALK, FLINDERS RANGES, SA The Arkaba Walk is an incredibly immersive way to see the Flinders Ranges. Over four days and three nights, the walk takes adventurers on a hiking safari led by passionate guides across Arkaba’s private wildlife conservancy.

Covering between 13 and 15 kilometres a day, the expedition is one of the Great Walks of Australia. With the aim of educating guests about ecotourism, Arkaba is all about minimal impact, from its tours to its commitment to conservation. The epic walk includes two nights of swag glamping and one night in the 1850s Arkaba Homestead — a historic oasis of comfort for early explorers, including Burke and Wills’ search party and John McDouall Stuart. arkabawalk.com 

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Sustainability Special

BAMURRU PLAINS, KAKADU NATIONAL PARK, NT

BINNA BURRA LODGE, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK, QLD The first Australian property to attain the internationally recognised Green Globe Certification for its best practice environmental performance, Binna Burra boasts a remarkable location above Lamington National Park. The eco-friendly Sky Lodges have sweeping views across the Coomera and Numinbah valleys. A visit to the massage studio should help you unwind, or you can hike around the park, which sits 800 metres above sea level. Soak up the mountain scenery, waterfalls and fern gullies, and get your thrills trying out the flying fox or going abseiling. binnaburralodge.com.au

BOMBAH POINT ECO COTTAGES, MYALL LAKES NATIONAL PARK, NSW Reconnect with nature at this lowimpact retreat, where you’ll sleep in a tree house, swim in a tea tree lake, explore untouched beaches and forage in sustainable gardens.

This lovely property is set in Myall Lakes National Park, home to one of Australia’s largest coastal lake systems. The eco-friendly touches don’t stop with the cottages — rainwater tanks, an onsite solar grid and a permaculture garden make this place truly environmentally conscious.

Not to mention the business' ongoing involvement in land regeneration. bombah.com.au

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Shared with just 20 guests, Bamurru Plains is a luxury safari lodge surrounded by 300 square kilometres of floodplains and savanna woodland on the Mary River, at the edge of Kakadu National Park.

Bamurru’s bungalows have been designed with minimal impact in mind, so they employ solar-generated power and hot-water systems. This remote yet beautiful part of Australia’s Top End is home to one of the largest crocodile populations in the world and an annual migration of more than 100,000 magpie geese. Take a guided bushwalk or head out in an open-topped 4WD to see water buffalo, birds, wallabies, wild boar and brumbies. bamurruplains.com

Sustainability Special Events

GWINGANNA LIFESTYLE RETREAT, TALLEBUDGERA VALLEY, QLD

Overlooking the beautiful Tallebudgera Valley, this retreat promotes “wellness, energy and calmness”. Gwinganna’s Wildlife Survival Program is a testament to the company's commitment to the environment, while its nature walks with resident botanist and social ecologist John Palmer is a highlight during a stay here. No ordinary retreat, Gwinganna has been awarded Eco-Spa of the Year at the AsiaSpa Awards for three consecutive years. gwinganna.com

DAINTREE ECOLODGE & SPA, DAINTREE RAINFOREST, QLD With the world’s oldest tropical rainforest at your feet, this sustainable resort doesn’t skip on luxury comforts. You’ll wake up to 180-million-year-old surrounds from the comfort of your eco-friendly banyon, entirely coated in green canopy. Committed to reducing its environmental footprint and positively contribute to the local community, the resort uses self-sufficient practices wherever possible and is in partnership with Rainforest Rescue to plant 2,500 trees across the Daintree. daintree-ecolodge.com.au

BOOBOOK ECOTOURS, OUTBACK QLD A tour with Boobook’s local ecological experts reveals a world steeped in one thousand years of Australian history. With exclusive access to some of the country’s best privately owned outback locations, Boobook delivers the best in ecotourism by engaging in activities that protect the outback’s unique natural assets. From the wildflowers of Gurulmundi to the Aboriginal rock art at Carnarvon Ranges, the company’s ecological experts share their knowledge on each region’s ecosystems and wildlife, and tell guests inspiring stories about the outback’s agricultural and pioneering history. boobookecotours.com.au

LONGITUDE 131°, ULURU-KATA TJUTA, NT

FREYCINET RETREAT, COLES BAY, TAS

FARAWAY BAY, KIMBERLEY COASTAL REGION, WA

Staying at Longitude 131° places you right in the spiritual heart of Australia, amid rugged outback beauty and rich Aboriginal culture. Atop uninterrupted red dunes, the resort’s 15 tented pavilions directly overlook the country’s most recognisable natural landmark: Uluru. The glamping experience of a lifetime, Longitude 131° has been sustainably designed to preserve the natural lay of the land.

When you’re not dining under the stars, take a helicopter ride over Uluru and Kata Tjuta, or hike the Valley of the Winds and learn about the local Anangu people. longitude131.com.au

Located in Freycinet National Park, this retreat has self-catering bush retreats and studios that enjoy unspoiled views of Coles Bay, and the surrounding bushland and forest is teeming with native wildlife.

Dedicated to preserving its enviable surrounds, the retreat is committed to minimising waste and sustainable living. To best experience the stunning setting, join one of the retreat’s organised tours or take a short drive to the pristine waters of Wineglass Bay. If you arrive at the right time of year, you might even be lucky enough to witness the Aurora Australis. freycinet.com

Set on the turquoise Timor Sea, Faraway Bay is in a region of the Kimberley that is so isolated it makes this wilderness retreat one of the most remote in the world. A leader in lowimpact tourism, it was built with local, recycled materials and plantation produce. Faraway Bay generates its own solar lighting and heating, ensures all guest products are locally sourced and biodegradable, and allows only a small number of bookings at any given time. Expect isolated beaches and indescribable stargazing in an awe-inspiring landscape. TB farawaybay.com.au APRIL/MAY 2018

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BLAYNEY & VILLAGES

• Barry • Carcoar • Hobbys Yards • Kings Plains • Lyndhurst • Mandurama • Millthorpe • Neville • Newbridge

Indulge in the region’s vibrant local festivals, beautiful gardens, sporting pursuits, fresh produce, rich culture, arts community and heritage.

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Spring Flower Show Lyndhurst Market Day Carcoar Show Carcoar Cup Running Festival Millthorpe Garden Ramble Neville Show

Millthorpe Markets Blayney Carols by Candlelight Millfest Carcoar Australia Day Parade and Street Fair Newbridge Swap Meet & Market Day

B2B Cycling Festival Blayney Hay Bale Art Challenge Blayney Show Textures of One Art Exhibition & Arts Festival Blayney Book Fair Millthorpe Markets Millamolong Polo Carnival Lyndhurst Team Penning

Newbridge Winter Solstice Festival Winter Wonderland activities Community Movie Night Carcoar Bright Lights and Whimsical Nights

Monthly Pym Street Markets, Millthorpe Acoustic Sundays, Millthorpe Blayney Farmers’ Markets

Orange Forest Reefs

BLAYNEY

Lyndhurst Neville

Cowra

97 Adelaide Street, Blayney • Ph 02 6368 3534 • Fx 02 6368 4360

Millthorpe

Carcoar Mandurama

See the ‘What’s On’ events listing at www.blayney.nsw.gov.au

Blayney Shire Visitor Information Centre

Bathurst

Newbridge Barry Hobbys Yards Trunkey Creek

#warmwelcome #historicvillages

Sustainability Special Events

Portable fridge Little Sun Diamond Solar Light Pocket-sized and lightweight, this solar lamp is incredibly useful for travellers while supporting an organisation that has passionate sustainable development goals. For every Little Sun product sold, one goes to its partners in rural Africa, where the company trains local sales agents and brings solar energy to those who need it most. $49; littlesun.com

The Dometic Waeco CFX portable fridge/freezer models are extremely energy efficient and have excellent cooling performance, even in high ambient temperatures. The CFX comes in various sizes, is robust and ready for action whatever the conditions. You can live off the grid and run the CFX off the Dometic PS180A portable solar panel and Dometic RAPS44 battery pack.

From $999; dometic.com

Ethical & sustainable products Minimise your travel footprint with these stylish, yet sustainable, gadgets.

Frank Green VisapayWave SmartCup Through their honest approach to sustainability, Frank Green products are stylish, functional and great for the environment.

Choose from the Original SmartCup and innovative Next Generation VisapayWave design, which allows you to pay for anything under $50 from the base of your cup. $32.95; frankgreen.com

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Kitchen Sink An ultra-lightweight kitchen sink that's small enough to fit in your pocket and light enough to barely leave a trace on a set of scales.

Perfect for collecting water for purification, cooking, washing dishes or personal bathing. The PVC-free sink can hold up to 10L. $44.95; seatosummit.com

BioLite SunLight This portable solar-powered device is an effective travel light. Providing up to 50 hours of run time per seven hours of solar charge, the device combines the ultimate portability with maximum functionality. $24.95; row.bioliteenergy.com APRIL/MAY 2018

custom menswear www.georgeandking.com.au

Photographer: Julian Lallo

George & King

Sustainability Special Events

Black Diamond ReVolt Headlamp

Wacaco Nanopresso One of the most innovative portable espresso machines on the market, the Nanopresso brews a high-quality espresso, wherever you are in the world.

All that’s required is ground coffee and boiling water; the rest is taken care of by the Nanopresso’s manual (and newly patented) pumping system. It’s light, ergonomic and exceptionally eco-friendly.

US$79.90; wacaco.com

A revolutionary waterproof and USBrechargeable headlamp, which also runs on standard AAA batteries, the ReVolt is a fully featured, hybrid-power headlamp that produces a whopping 200 lumens of light. $59.95; blackdiamondequipment.com

Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic Water Bottle This forward-thinking design uses double-wall vacuum insulation to keep liquids hot for 20 hours and iced for 50 hours. Made from environmentally responsible materials, available in a variety of sizes and exceptionally durable, Klean Kanteen water bottles are perfect for people and the planet. $30.95; kleankanteen.com

Eva Solo SunLight Bell

Rig Tig BOX-IT Bread Box Made of bamboo melamine with a solid bamboo lid, this stylish box keeps your bread fresh for longer. The useful appliance fits smartly into any kitchen, with its lid conveniently doubling as a chopping board. $125; top3.com.au

Designed in Denmark, this highly energy-efficient, solarpowered lamp will provide atmospheric lighting anywhere around your garden or patio. Its dawn-todusk sensor means charging for eight hours will seamlessly provide 20 hours of illumination. The lamp also has a rechargeable battery, which can be charged up to 500 times. $199; top3.com.au APRIL/MAY 2018

Sustainability Special

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014) Cowspiracy is a groundbreaking documentary that looks at the environmental impact of animal agriculture, a leading cause of carbon emissions, global warming, deforestation and species extinction. The film also addresses why the world’s environmental organisations are too afraid to talk about this.

Available on Netflix or for download at cowspiracy.com ($4.95).

Sea to Summit Trash Dry Sack Specifically designed to prevent leakage, the design of this lightweight sack allows any disposable garbage bag to be placed inside it. The Dry Sack works well as a garbage container in the car, boat or attached to the outside of a pack. $34.95; seatosummit.com

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NEWS+VIEWS

ArgiBusiness

mining

infrastructure

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26

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P.2 Agribusiness: growth of organic foods P.8 Mining: renewed optimism in mining sector P.12 Mining simulators P.22 Cybersecurity: The internet of things P.26 Infrastructure: sustainability

Agribusiness

Agribusiness

The organic rush WHILE THE JURY IS OUT AS TO THE MEDICINAL BENEFITS OF ORGANIC FOOD, CONSUMERS ARE INCREASINGLY PREPARED TO PAY A PREMIUM FOR THIS PRODUCE. On a lush subtropical ridge overlooking Currumbin Valley in the Gold Coast hinterland, fourth-generation farmer David Freeman sells organic bananas, mangos, avocados and other fruits to motorists at prices up to 50 per cent more than the cost of regular supermarket fruit. Freeman says the markup is justified by his fruits’ superior flavour, texture, high nutrient value and healing properties. “In 2014 when I was in the army, doctors discovered a malignant tumour. I was supposed to have 12 months of chemotherapy but the oncologist told me to go back to my farm and eat some healthy vegetables before I started the treatment,” he says. “When I got back 12 months later, I was in the clear. That’s why I believe in growing this nutrient-dense produce on this beautiful soil to help the community eat healthily.”

There is no scientific evidence of the medicinal value of organic food, while evidence about its allegedly superior nutrient value also remains slim. After compiling the results of 250 different studies that compared the nutrients in organic versus regular foods, researchers at Stanford University in the US found very little difference between the two. Organic produce was found to have 30 per cent lower pesticide residues, but pesticide levels in regular foods tested also fell within allowable safety limits.

Nevertheless, a significant minority of consumers in the developed world are willing to pay extra for organic food that addresses not 

Ian Lloyd Neubauer With nearly 20 years’ journalism experience, Ian is abreast of global news as it happens.

APRIL/MAY 2018

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Agribusiness

only health but ethical and environmental concerns. Australia’s organic farming sector grew 17 per cent over the past five years, according to market research firm IBISWorld, with 2,300 certified organic businesses generating $742 million in farmgate value in 2017. And with hundreds of new organic producers now graduating from the lengthy certification process, IBISWorld believes the sector’s farmgate value could leapfrog to $1.2 billion in less than five years.

But how difficult is it for producers to become organically certified in Australia?

What kinds of organic foods will see stronger demand? And what challenges or threats will organic farmers face in the future?

A tale of two farmers

We spoke with two organic farmers on different sides of the country who have seen very different results. The first, grazier Rob Lennon, is a soil-health fanatic and owner of Gundooee, a 1,000-hectare cattle station in Leadville in Central West NSW. “I like the passive approach to organics,” he says.

“It’s about trying to understand natural processes rather than controlling them and creating more problems.”

As Australia’s only certified organic grass-fed Wagyu farm, Gundooee cannot meet demand. Its mince retails for $30 a kilo while T-bones sell for $60 a kilo — about twice the price of regular Wagyu — and is sold via high-end butchers in Sydney and on suburbanpaddock.com.au, the online store of a small collective of non-competing organic farmers in the region.

“The reason organic beef is more expensive is because we don’t feed animals a high-energy diet so we have to graze them for longer,” Lennon says. “It’s a more sustainable method of production and the result is meat with a higher amount of unsaturated fats and Omega 3s, which is where all the flavours and nutrients are.”

Ian James is a farmer from Western Australia’s Wheatbelt who has been preaching the benefits of organics for 30 years. Five years ago, he ran as a political candidate for the Greens on a no-GM (genetically modified) seed platform in the seat of Durack. James didn’t win the election, while his experience with organic wheat farming has been hit and miss. 

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Are GM foods bad for you?

Genetically modified (GM) foods are those with ingredients made by inserting foreign genetic material into the genetic material of an existing organism to give them a new characteristic, such as insect resistance. Currently, there’s only one genetically modified-approved food crop in Australia: GM canola.

However, a wide array of GM foods, ranging from potatoes and rice to soybeans and corn, are certified for consumption. The GM Free Australia Alliance estimates genetically modified organisms are found in 60 per cent of processed foods. So one way or another, the majority of us are consuming GM foods daily. Are they safe? The truth is we really won’t know until long-term studies are published in coming decades.

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Agribusiness

“We are a fairly large grower; we grow about 300 tonnes of grain per harvest,” he says. “But organic wheat processors in our area can only handle 25 tonnes at a time, so we have to bear the cost of storing it in our silos. Processors say they need more organic growers to justify more infrastructure for larger volumes of grain. But it’s a case of which comes first, the chicken or the egg?”

Getting certified

When Lennon bought Gundooee 20 years ago, it was a conventional cattle farm with straight Angus cattle. The idea of raising Wagyu evolved after a barbecue at a Wagyu ranch next door. “I thought, ’These steaks are good! They have a superior flavour,’” he says. “I wondered if could make them even better by raising the cattle organically.”

Lennon ran Gundooee as an organic farm since day one but only became certified in 2006, two years after he sold his first organic Wagyu carcass to Sydney’s TJ’s Quality Meats. He used his resume to sell Wagyu to TJ, who used his resume to on-sell to customers. But when Lennon’s business grew, he needed a way to share his organic credentials with the mass market.

It took Lennon the usual three years to gain certification with Australian Certified Organics (ACO) — one of seven groups accredited by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to dispense organic trademarks. These trademarks assure consumers products are free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, hormones and antibiotics, that livestock is pasture-fed, seeds are non-GM and farming processes are water efficient and biodiversity friendly.

“The process is pretty straightforward so long as your soil samples come back OK,” Lennon says. James agrees: “There’s a lot of misunderstanding among farmers about the accreditation process. But it’s not that difficult to get your head around it. The real problem is that organic food is not being marketed well in Australia. We can grow it well, but reliable demand doesn’t exist.”

Premium price-point

ACO chairman Andrew Monk says organic farming has strengths and weaknesses.

“There’s great demand for anything organic in dairy, especially with China in

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our backyard,” he says. “There’s also been significant movement with dried fruits; thousands of hectares are about to be harvested. And the price for red meat, well, that goes through its own cycles, though I believe it’s doing rather well right now.

“But grain is a real challenging one because of the high cost of production and problems meeting consumer price points.”

It’s not only the price of organic bread that leaves most Australian consumers baffled.

“We estimate total organic food retail sales in Australia will reach $2 billion this year,” says Monk. “But that’s just 1 or 1.5 per cent of total food sales in the country. In Europe and the US, market share for organic food varies from 2.5 per cent to 5 per cent.”

Organic food prices in Australia may drop marginally this year as next-generation producers come online. But organic farmers like James say consumers shouldn’t hold their breath. “There are big advantages using chemicals and fertilisers for farmers.

They get a bigger yield,” he explains. “And we cop a yield penalty for not using them.

So the cost differential is here to stay.”

Lennon agrees, saying the solution lies not in charging consumers less but educating them more. “If I had time I’d write a blog about why food quality has gone downhill and why it costs more to produce organically so consumers can understand why they should pay more,” he says.

“Right now, I don’t think they know.”

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AS COMMODITY PRICES STABILISE OR IMPROVE, THERE IS RENEWED OPTIMISM IN THE AUSTRALIAN MINING SECTOR. A RECENT HAYS RECRUITMENT REPORT SHOWS THAT DEMAND FOR MINING JOBS IS GROWING AGAIN.

Mining The Australian mining and energy construction boom that peaked in 2012–13 was a once-in-a-generation event. But as with all booms, it was followed by a bust.

As the mines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects were completed, the mining and energy industry transitioned abruptly from the construction phase to the production phase. At the same time, coal and iron ore prices tanked due to a perfect storm of oversupply coupled with reduced demand out of China.

For more than five years, mining in particular and the resources sector in general were in survival mode, with gold and lithium being the only bright stars in an otherwise dark firmament. The green shoots of a recovery, however, are finally apparent. According to BIS Oxford Economics’ report ‘Mining in Australia 2017 to 2032’, Australia's mining industry is expected to more than double this financial year.

The report predicts that mining production growth will more than double from 2.5 per cent in the 2016–17 financial year to 5.5 per cent in 2017–18­­. This growth is expected to continue for the rest of the decade; even without Adani’s controversial Carmichael mine in central Queensland’s Galilee Basin, which, the report suggests, is unlikely to proceed.

Nevertheless, Deloitte Access Economics is circumspect about any marked lifts in mining investment. In its December quarter ‘Investment Monitor’, Deloitte Access Economics lead partner Stephen Smith says that despite more than 18 months of broadly better news on commodity prices and a lift in exploration expenditure, mining investment isn’t expected to increase substantially.

“Miners appear focused on controlling costs, so recent strong profit results are more likely to be returned as dividends than laid out on new investments,” Smith said.

In contrast, recruiting experts Hays’ January 2018 ’Jobs in Demand’ report has flagged a decided uptick in several key areas of employment within the mining industry. Hays Australian Director for Resources & Mining, Chris Kent, says that renewed optimism is driving increased demand across Australia’s mining industry to the point where skills shortages are starting to emerge again.

“But it is a very different workforce now to then,” said Kent. "When a mine is in the construction phase, we’re talking construction trades, construction engineering and

construction know-how, which draws on a very multicultural, international workforce. Many of the people who [built the mines during the boom] work on a project-specific basis all over the world and move to where those new projects are.”

According to Kent, once a mine transitions into the production phase, the workforce is more like the construction or manufacturing industries, whereby there are permanent positions that are there for the life of the mine. “Once a mine is in production there are different sorts of rosters, because it’s not all about how fast you can get something done, it’s actually how efficient and productive something can be. So just as we struggled to find construction engineers in 2012, now we’re struggling to [fill roles] such as mechanical fitters that can keep trucks on the road to carry the ore from pit to port.”

Not only are different jobs and workers more in demand than at the height of the boom, but the dynamic between employee and employer has changed. During the dizzy heights of 2011–12 there was a real war for talent, and talent won. Today, says Kent, “A fair bit more power and influence is in the hands of employers than in the heady days of the mining boom. In the past three to six months, skills shortages have started to emerge again, but it’s no longer ’hire at all costs’ because mining companies are still running tight. Commodity prices have returned to solid levels but are not at all-time highs or anything like we saw back then.”

One of the notable trends, says Kent, is the push for more diverse workforces. “Mining companies are trying to get more female workers into the mining sector and more indigenous participation. They’re also trying to add more value to communities where the mines are operating to improve the mining companies’ social licence to operate.”

Kent named underground engineers and maintenance planners as areas of high demand and quipped that exploration geologists — one of the hardest-hit areas during the downturn — “are finally getting out of their Ubers and getting a job in exploration again”.

He attributes that trend to miners having a renewed appetite for exploration. “Exploration is the first stage of the life cycle for a mine, which bodes well for sustainable job creation over the next few years. If a company is exploring and it finds something, obviously it will take it to market. Gold and lithium are the 

Fast Facts

5.5%

The predicted mining production growth in Australia for 2017–2018, up from 2.5% in 2016.

$56.5

The 2017 value of Australian coal exports, in billions of dollars. It's a new peak, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

APRIL/MAY 2018

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Mining

main areas of demand but increasingly for copper and even nickel and zinc as well. That is exciting because we’re not completely reliant on iron ore and coal, which are obviously two of our bigger exports.”

Demand for blue-collar jobs such as dump truck drivers, mechanical fitters and excavator operators is starting to ramp up again. “These are pretty straightforward roles,” says Kent, “but during the downturn, wages got cut and working underground especially is still a pretty difficult job, what with the rosters and being away from family.”

With the reduction in wages, mining has had to compete with other industries to retain those people. “Take, for example, someone working in an underground coal mine in regional Queensland. There is the threat of black lung and all sorts of health risks but they’re only earning a few bucks an hour more than in a factory just outside Brisbane, where they go home to their family every night.”

As a result, Kent says wages for low-level blue-collar roles are starting to go up as mining companies realise they can’t attract people to the sector. For that reason, he expects the first stage of wage inflation will be in the blue-collar space in the coming year.

Even with wages destined to go up, Kent believes it will be difficult to entice people back into the sector. “Workers

weren’t treated brilliantly when there was that quick reduction in commodity prices, there was a bit of panic, rosters were cut, wages were cut, conditions were cut and there were years of negative press about the mining sector.

The challenge for the industry is to bring some of those workers back and bring new workers into the industry.

“There is a marketing piece to be done about the career opportunities in the mining sector. Mining companies need to reassure people who doubt that there are opportunities that it’s possible to make some competitive money but there are also opportunities for career advancement, that mining is a cutting-edge industry that embraces a diverse culture.”

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Mining Simulators

Virtual mine management and training SIMULATORS HAVE BEEN USED IN MINING FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES, BUT WITH THE ADVENT OF OFF-THE-SHELF VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSETS, THE TECHNOLOGY IS SET TO SOAR. In recent years, the mining industry has figured out what those in aviation have known since World War II: using simulators saves time, money and lives. Whether it’s for the passage of trucks on a haul road, driving a haul truck itself, or for drilling and blasting, simulation technology is becoming more widely used. In one of its more unusual applications, it’s wound up being a valuable training tool for crane drivers. While we don’t normally associate cranes with mining equipment, the reality is that many mine sites use them for construction, and for relocating equipment and overhead cranes in processing areas.

According to Keith Bishop, General Manager – Marketing at crane hardware specialist Nobles, the advent of relatively inexpensive virtual reality (VR) headsets — such as the Oculus Rift — has made the technology even more appealing. “The first generation of crane simulators were like flight simulators, with lots of screens and

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

controls mocked up like a crane cabin,” explains Bishop. “But they weren’t very well received since they were large, immobile and expensive because they had all that gear associated with them. And they still didn’t provide a very realistic experience of operating a crane.

“This VR technology takes simulation to a whole new level: you put a headset on and you’re immersed in a crane cockpit, with a 360-degree view of everything that’s going on, as if you were sitting in a crane,” says Bishop. “And the controls you operate are OEM specified crane controls, which are exactly the same as the major levers you’d use in that crane model, in real life.

This combination makes for a very realistic simulation, and training experience.”

Not surprisingly, registered training organisations (RTOs) make up one of Nobles’ main consumers of their simulation product. Since cranes cost millions of dollars and often only one vehicle is 

APRIL/MAY 2018

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Mining Simulators

ADAM PRICE, RPMGLOBAL

Mining Simulators

allocated per 10 or more students, training to a baseline of skill on a simulator means RTOs can maximise crane time for their students.

Elsewhere in training, simulators can be used to improve the competency of existing operators. Just as air forces, airlines and navies do, companies with large fleets of cranes can use simulators to expose their drivers to hazards they wouldn’t normally encounter in an operational environment.

By practising in the simulator, operators are better equipped to know what to do if something should go wrong, and at the same time valuable machinery is not being tied up or put at risk of damage.

In addition to RTOs, Bishop says large construction, mining, oil and gas companies with strong site safety compliance and control policies are interested in the VR system as a competency tool. “They need to be able to verify that all employees or subcontractors are compliant and capable of using heavy machinery like a crane, before letting them onto their sites,” explains Bishop.

By using off-the-shelf technology, such as the Oculus Rift VR headset and a high-end gaming laptop, Bishop believes companies such as ITI are democratising VR technology.

“One of the benefits of this type of system is that it uses existing off-the-shelf technology that can then be applied [to meet a variety of needs, whatever they may be]. As the technology improves and the price decreases, the cost of providing it as a service will also decrease, and the benefit of higher resolution, et cetera, will be passed on to users,” says Bishop. “The system is incredibly simple and easy to operate — as simple as pressing a button to turn on a PlayStation, and it loads up straight away. There’s no complex set-up routine; the most complex part is plugging in all the cables.”

A similar trend is evident in mine management simulation programs such as RPMGlobal’s HAULSIM, says Adam Price, the company’s Simulation Product Manager. “In the past, any simulation undertaken at a mine site has been done by a simulation expert — not a haulage expert — and the simulation model was not for a specific project,” he explains.

“This is an expensive way to run simulations, and you’re left with a static model that isn’t kept up to date.”

HAULSIM uses a gaming-inspired 3D model based on the user’s unique mine site, providing an accurate visual representation of their scenarios. According to Price, this approach gives users a more holistic view compared to traditional models. In addition, HAULSIM’s Discrete Event Simulation (DES) software models mine haulage systems by simulating equipment interactions and infrastructure, allowing users to navigate current operations and future mine plans.

“Using HAULSIM and its powerful DES, a gold mine in Canada was able to reduce the time taken to create scenarios from over a month to under a week,” says Price. “This allows mining engineers to move away from

programming and instead focus on adding real operational improvements that will have an impact on the bottom line.”

While safety is the highest priority on a mine site and products such as HAULSIM help to identify high-risk situations, simulation technology — such as Nobles’ crane simulator — also saves mining companies big bucks.

However, RPMGlobal’s Price contends that many mining operations are making decisions worth several thousand dollars without a model to support the decision — and simulation can provide that data.

“Often decisions are based on a gut feeling rather than data,” says Price. “We’ve found the answer after running a simulation is obvious after we’ve done the analysis, but the simulation often produces a different result to what we were expecting. Customers who use simulation have a much deeper understanding of their haulage systems, as they are able to test all possible scenarios, such as widening a road, decreasing the maximum queue lengths or adding a stop sign to a particularly congested route. They save money since they’ve investigated all other viable alternatives, and have only spent when their return on investment is proven.”

With new technology comes fresh challenges, and VR and 3D simulation are no exception. “There’s been a bit of suspicion from some of the more experienced crane operators, who question whether the technology will actually be able to simulate a real crane operating environment,” says Bishop. “But as soon as they get on the gear, they quickly realise it’s very close to the real-world experience of driving a crane. So, one of the main ways to get over some of the challenges is to just get people to drive it and see for themselves that it’s not a toy, but a sophisticated education and training tool.”

For RPMGlobal, Price says it’s the mine sites themselves that provide the greatest challenge, since they are all so dynamic. “If you’re simulating haulage, the road network is constantly changing, and the movement of equipment around that network depends on the demands of the day,” explains Price. “That’s why RPMGlobal has developed the largest public equipment library available in HAULSIM, to provide accurate load and travel calculations that keep up with the demands of an ever-changing environment. The network can be updated so that the model is always current and precise.”

Despite fluctuations in commodity prices, the use of simulation technology by mining companies appears to be on the up and up. Price attributes this to the fact that simulations such as HAULSIM play a significant role in identifying areas for improvement and opportunities for increases in production. “Although commodity prices have risen, the same cost-cutting mentality exists and will continue even as the commodity prices rise further,” he says.

“This means the use of simulation will continue to grow as mining companies search to lower their costs.”

APRIL/MAY 2018

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Parkes - Centre of Australia's Transport Future The Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail line will transform freight movement in Australia – and Parkes will be central to this opportunity In one of the biggest investments ever seen in regional Australia, the Federal Government will fund the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail project with $8.4 billion in equity to be provided to the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).

Inland Rail will complete the spine of the national freight network, delivering freight from Melbourne to Brisbane in less than 24 hours with competitive pricing and extremely high reliability.

Parkes is central to Inland Rail and to Australia’s transport future. Parkes is the only place in Australia where the north-south Newell Highway, the eastwest rail-line and the Inland Rail line ALL INTERSECT. Parkes is capitalising on its potential to become a major national transport node. Already, more than 80 per cent of Australia’s population can be reached in less than 12 hours from Parkes, creating a valuable competitive advantage for companies looking to develop logistics, distribution and manufacturing operations.

"The Parkes National Logistics Hub has been designed to operate 24/7 as a multi-modal transport facility with buffer zones and has been in the planning

for decades. Parkes is geographically located in the centre of NSW and at the epicentre of the national's transport and logistics network. Inland Rail will be a catalyst to change freight movement in Australia,” says Parkes Shire Council Mayor Ken Keith, OAM. The announcement by the Federal Government to start construction on Inland Rail has led directly to investment in Parkes, with Pacific National in October 2017 committing an initial $35 million to commence development of the company’s Parkes Logistics Terminal, which is set to be one of the largest private sector investments in freight infrastructure in regional Australia.

Once fully operational, Pacific National’s Parkes Logistics Terminal will have the capacity to process approximately 450,000 cargo containers each year, including the ability to haul

double-stacked containers from Parkes to Perth.

SCT Logistics has been operating in Parkes for over 10 years and they are now in the process of planning for the development of a ‘Logistics City’.

SCT Logistics CEO Glenn Smith says “When the Inland Rail is completed one of the great aspects of Parkes will be the ability to receive trains from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne Ports and even Adelaide ports - they are all overnight by rail (to Parkes). SCT sees great opportunities for importers, exporters and manufacturers, who have a requirement to move freight efficiently."

The Parkes National Logistic Hub consists of nearly 600 hectares of land, and can offer a diverse range of investment opportunities for companies looking to leverage from Parkes’ key strategic advantages.

APRIL/MAY 2018

17

Finance

How can financial wellbeing help us ‘live the dream’?

Historically, the Great Australian Dream was the belief that home ownership led to a better life and was seen a symbol of both prosperity and success.

Over time, our understanding of happiness and ‘living the dream’ has changed. A report by the Financial Planning Association (FPA) of Australia (‘Live the Dream’, 2017) found that only 41 per cent of Australians see home ownership as living the dream. To most of us, this now means having the lifestyle of our choice (57 per cent) and having financial freedom and independence (54 per cent).

Rather than objects such as a house, we are now placing more value on experiences and the freedom to forge our own path.

However, even with these changes, only one in four Australians describe themselves as ‘mostly’ or ‘definitely’ living the dream.

About 48 per cent of us admit that having a low bank balance is holding us back from living the dream. Many of us also admit to having regrets about not saving enough and making poor decisions (37 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively). Some 73 per cent of Australians find it hard to plan their lives, with 36 per cent attributing this to not knowing what we want. It’s clear both money and the self-awareness to see we want from life play a huge role in living the dream.

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With so many of us confused about our goals, how do we realise what we want out of life? The answer lies in financial wellbeing.

The best part about improving financial wellbeing is that it’s unique to everyone and attainable to all — regardless of your bank balance. There are two key aspects to financial wellbeing that come into play: selfawareness and planning.

Becoming self-aware by recognising your relationship with money is crucial to financial wellbeing. This way you begin to understand your life goals and what truly motivates you.

The next step is to create a plan to help you reach your good life.

With 29 per cent of Australians too time poor to map out a plan for their future, many have turned to financial advisers. In fact, those who report they are living the dream are three times less stressed about money and three times more likely to see a financial adviser, compared to those who do not see themselves as living the dream. Of those who received financial advice, 79 per cent claimed their financial wellbeing had improved since seeing an adviser.

The ability to plan for and reach our goals is undeniably linked to our happiness, making financial wellbeing a major determinant in whether we’ll ever see ourselves living the dream.

Ryan Watson Tribeca Financial's CEO knows all about money management.

Financial Wellbeing in Australia

60%

Would invest in building a better future for their families if they had the money.

40%

Are scared that they won’t have enough money to retire.

1 in 4

Have not mapped out a plan for their financial future at all.

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Securing the Internet of Things Darren Baguley An agriculture, tech, mining, energy and business specialist.

WITH TECHNOLOGY MOVING AT A RATE OF KNOTS AND THE IOT ENABLING ALL MANNER OF DEVICES TO BE CONNECTED OR AUTONOMOUS, IT’S IMPORTANT TO PRE-EMPT FUTURE RISKS.

It’s lunchtime on a bright, sunny day at a primary school in the Australian wheat belt.

Right on the edge of town, the school’s playground overlooks crop fields and many of the children watch a harvester at work as they eat their lunch. Twenty minutes into lunch, the sound of the harvester changes.

Instead of working up and down the field as it has all morning, it is moving towards the school fence at top speed. A quick-thinking student realises it's heading straight for the playground and notifies the duty teacher before calling a warning to his schoolmates.

The teacher dashes into the school building to sound the alarm minutes before the harvester crashes through the fence, across the playing fields and into a toilet block before coming to a stop.

Three young children are injured, one of whom later dies in hospital. The subsequent police investigation discovers the automated harvester had been hacked into by a terrorist organisation that turned it against the school to cause mass casualties.

In 2018, this scenario may seem unlikely, fanciful even. But high-end harvesters and

tractors built in the past few years by major manufacturers such as Case New Holland, John Deere, Deutz-Fahr and Fendt are capable of autonomous operation, straight off the showroom floor. So while this equipment, currently in use on many large Australian crop farms, is capable of autonomous operation, every piece always has a human ‘machine minder’ in the cabin.

According to David Lamb, University of New England’s McClymont Distinguished Professor (Research) Precision Agriculture Research Group, the legal framework to allow this to happen — put simply, who would be liable if something went wrong? — is not yet in place. Nevertheless, with the capability being widespread, it’s only a matter of time 

Cybersecurity

“In the security space we've known security comes at a cost, and that's just the way things go.”

—

James Turner, IBRS security advisor and founder of CISO Lens.

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Cybersecurity before tractors and combines are working their way up and down Australian broadacre crop fields without a human in sight.

In the case of the transport industry, much of the publicity has been generated

by Google’s driverless car experiments.

However, driverless trucks are likely to start appearing on our roads long before we all have our own robotic chauffeur. A convoy of automated trucks has already platooned across Europe and reports by organisations as diverse as consultancy PWC and merchant bank Morgan Stanley suggest that at least the long-haul part of long-distance truck and train drivers’ jobs may be a thing of the past within two decades.

Future present

Science fiction writer William Gibson once said, “The future is here, it’s just not evenly distributed,” and there is no truer example of this than in the mining industry.

Because a mine is a closed, contained environment compared to a farm or a highway, automation has been an easier task for engineers and the technology is well developed. As a result, the mining sites of the big three miners in Western Australia’s Pilbara — BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals — have all deployed automated

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trucks and drill and blast rigs with trains due to be rolled out later this year.

Mining companies are not just looking to automate vehicles; crushing plants, conveyor belts, coal and ore loaders have all been automated and all mines, both open cast and underground, are increasingly being covered with internet connected sensors.

This tendency toward automation is being collectively known as the Internet of Things (IoT), and it represents both an opportunity to make our lives better by eliminating dangerous, mundane, repetitive tasks and a threat to human life.

Economic fallout

While some people may consider the threat to human life an exaggeration, others believe it’s only a matter of time before there’s some sort of catastrophic event involving the IoT. While attacking a school with a harvester or crashing a truck into a school bus could involve heavy loss of human life, there is also the possibility of economic loss.

In 2002/3, Venezuelan oil workers used a virus to shut down the country’s oil terminals for eight hours as part of a bitter and protracted strike. In 2010, the Stuxnet virus — widely believed to have been developed by US and Israeli intelligence — was used to attack key supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems in Iran’s nuclear program. It’s quite possible to conceive that an unscrupulous company may seek to gain commercial advantage over a competitor by unleashing a stream of cyber attacks that disrupts its supply chain and causes it to default on a high value contract.

Industry analyst, cyber security advisor with IBRS and founder of CISO Lens, James Turner, doesn’t discount the possibility of any of these sorts of things happening.

“A few years back … Australian banks were being attacked by a botnet made of webcams and the Mirai botnet attack was made up of millions of devices, including personal digital recorders. Given that it’s absolutely predictable that anything electronic or mechanical will get connected to the internet, we have to plan for what happens when these devices are either targeted themselves or become collateral in an attack against something else.”

If we accept the risk that automated

devices could be compromised, then this begs the question whether it is possible to secure the IoT? Turner believes that it is, but he doesn’t downplay the difficulty of doing so. “[When] we come to the Internet of Things, there are several challenges.

There is the sheer scale of the problem and the cost that comes with that. Whose job is it to ensure that instead of the 20-cent microprocessor, the 40-cent one with inbuilt security is used?

“When it comes to an organisation deploying 20 million sensors, the ones with inbuilt security double the cost. That can be a tough pill to swallow for people who don’t appreciate what’s at stake. In the security space, we’ve known that security comes at a cost, and that’s just the way things go.”

A further issue is the sheer number of devices already out there. Turner explains that when looking at people’s home computers, the security industry recommends keeping operating systems up to date, using current security software and using two-factor authentication and a password that is unique for any website that matters — such as your bank. For most people who regularly use computers, these measures are common sense.

The issue with the IoT, however, is that “these IoT devices are being deployed with a basic level of capability,” says Turner.

“That means often a default username and password, which also means when you know the default password for one device, you know it for them all. And unless someone changes them all away from the default, then a hacker can write a script and take control of all of them.”

Risk versus cost

Whether it’s a mine site that may have thousands of devices ranging from trucks to sensors on the haul road or individual harvesters, tractors or prime movers, Turner poses the question, “When making any decision we balance risk versus reward versus cost. Security is a moving target because the risk may be worth it to one person, but not to another. [Nevertheless], whose job is it to make sure that each of these devices is running the latest software, and that the password is changed from the default?”

Turner believes that organisations know securing the IoT space is important,

but he questions whether “we’ve yet to experience sufficient pain to drive a change in behaviour. We still want all the reward with low cost and to ignore the risk.”

While that may be true in some industries, it is perhaps not the case in the mining industry. According to Hays Regional Director for Resources & Mining, Chris Kent, mining companies definitely recognise the risks inherent in the IoT. “If you look at all the big miners — Rio, BHP, FMG — they’ve got their control centres in Perth. [But the result of this automation is that] cybersecurity is obviously an issue. A lot of the new SCADA equipment is essentially at risk of hack if the appropriate security is not in place and as a result, the heads of technology of these big companies now have cybersecurity teams.”

There’s an old Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times!” While the IoT offers a myriad of benefits to industries, there are also risks and only time will tell whether these are outweighed by the benefits.

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Infrastructure

Sustainability gets the green light AUSTRALIA IS NATION-BUILDING ON A SIGNIFICANT SCALE. HERE, FIVE DEVELOPMENTS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, COMMUNITIES AND CITIES.

Riley Palmer A writer and editor, Riley loves sinking her teeth into juicy news and sharing tales of the land.

images: the Green Building Council of Australia With population growth and climate change on the top of people’s minds the world over, sustainable living and infrastructure are becoming both an expectation and a necessity. In a nation like Australia, which is prone to extreme weather conditions, conserving energy, water and resources is a must. As a result, the adoption of green building practices has skyrocketed, especially since 2002 when the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) was established to assess the design, construction and performance of buildings, and subsequently grant them a one- to six-star rating — six demonstrating global leadership.

Since then, sustainable buildings have become far more commonplace, with the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark consistently ranking the Australian real estate market as the world’s greenest.

While the environmental benefits of creating sustainable buildings are clear, as many individuals and organisations advocate for best practice, the social and financial advantages are becoming increasingly obvious, too. Green buildings routinely improve the health and productivity of occupants, increase building values and reduce operating costs.

We speak with Romilly Madew, CEO of the GBCA, who shares insights into five of the nation’s greenest buildings, and the features that set them apart.

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Ingkarni Wardli

Location: Adelaide, South Australia Year: 2010 Architect: DesignInc Rating: 6 Star Green Star, Education Design & As Built v1 The University of Adelaide’s Ingkarni Wardli was the first education building in Australia to attain a 6 Star Green Star rating. The eight-storey building provides contemporary teaching facilities and honours the Indigenous land it stands on — its Kaurna name means ’ place of learning or enquiry’.

What differentiates it from other teaching facilities are the environmental strategies incorporated into design.

“This was undoubtedly a test case for a range of sustainability innovations,” says Madew, “from the geothermal energy storage system to the underfloor air distribution system, which provides 100 per cent fresh air.”

There are also sun-shading louvres, thermal chimneys, hydronic cooling loops, a rooftop tri-generation plant that powers the building and rainwater-harvesting into underground tanks.

Madew believes that the most interesting legacy is Wardli's status as a ‘living laboratory’ for engineering students, giving them real-world experience without impacting operations.

Infrastructure

IMAGE: DIANNA SNAPE

Council House 2

Location: Melbourne, Victoria Year: 2006 Architect: DesignInc Rating: 6 Star Green Star, Office Design & As Built v1 When Council House 2 (CH2) was built, it was at the cutting edge of sustainable infrastructure. “The most important thing to emphasise about CH2 is its significant role as a beacon of sustainability,” says Madew. “The building’s energy efficiency and energy-production features, including solar photovoltaic cells and integrated wind-turbines ... were revolutionary, and delivered an 87 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to buildings of similar size. This alone helped to establish the business case for green building. When coupled with the productivity improvement, which saves Council an estimated $2 million a year, it’s easy to see why this building remains a green icon.”

A CSIRO report a year after CH2 had been built showed staff productivity had increased by 10.9 per cent. “Indoor Environmental Quality matters,” says Madew. “Our thermal environment and air quality, our visual environment and acoustics ... affect our health and ability to perform daily tasks.”

One Central Park

Location: Sydney, New South Wales Year: 2013 Architect: Foster and Partners, Ateliers Jean Nouvel and PTW Architects Rating: 5 Star Green Star, Multi-Unit Residential Design & As Built v1 One Central Park has been recognised on an international level, winning the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s award for the best tall building in the world in 2014. This accolade was largely due to its vertical garden, which, at 150 metres, is the world’s tallest.

“External green walls have a lot of benefits,” explains Madew. “Aside from being attractive, they clean the air of pollutants, can reduce the surface temperature of walls, limit solar gains and with it, the need for artificial cooling. Green walls have also been found to boost health and wellbeing, and biodiversity.”

One Central Park’s commitment to sustainability is further evident in its tri-generation power plant, a water recycling and blackwater treatment plant. Each apartment is also fitted with smart metering screens, which provide real-time monitoring of electricity, gas and water consumption.

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I M A G E : F I L I P P O D A L L' O S S O

Infrastructure

“The Sydney Opera House dispels the myth that it’s ‘too hard’ to improve the sustainability of older buildings.”

— Romilly Madew, GBCA

Sydney Opera House

Location: Sydney, New South Wales Year: 1973 Architect: Jørn Utzon Rating: 4 Star Green Star, Performance V1 When reflecting on how green a building is, it’s important to consider not just what the building takes, in terms of resources such as water and energy, but also what and for how long it gives — which is why the Opera House is one of Australia’s most sustainable buildings. Pioneering features implemented include a seawater cooling system, which powers the heating and air conditioning.

“An early interpretation of the ‘chilled ceiling’ remains in the Drama Theatre, to help control air temperature,” says Madew. “The building was designed with durable materials to meet a 250-year lifespan. Over the past decade, it has welcomed more visitors than ever, but has reduced energy usage by 10 per cent through a lighting retrofit.

For example, LED lighting in the Concert Hall has cut electricity consumption by 75 per cent.”

Furthermore, the building maintains its heritage while also meeting sustainability benchmarks through its ecofriendly cleaning methods.

“Baking soda is used for concrete cleaning and olive oil for bronze restoration,” says Madew. “The Opera House dispels the myth that it’s ‘too hard’ to improve the sustainability of older buildings.”

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Fast Facts

350

There are 23 green walls on One Central Park, spanning 1,200 square metres. There are 350 species of plants used in the green walls alone.

$1.85b The New Royal Adelaide Hospital is 258,000 square metres, and is valued at $1.85 billion.

New Royal Adelaide Hospital

Location: Adelaide, South Australia Year: 2017 Architect: DesignInc and Silver Thomas Hanley Rating: 4 Star Green Star, Healthcare Design v1 The New Royal Adelaide Hospital has 800 beds and 40 operating theatres, designed for the needs of the 80,000 patients it sees annually. Some of the building’s environmental innovations include water and power metering to track consumption, lowVOC paints, flooring and acoustic insulation, and a co-generation system that turns waste heat into energy. “It generates far fewer greenhouse gas emissions than standardpractice healthcare facilities,” says Romilly.

The design of the hospital, with more than 70 courtyards, terraces and sky gardens, is optimised for daylight, which has been proven to aid patient recovery and decrease the length of stay.

“It offers the best possible healing environment with greater levels of privacy, comfort and infection control,” says Madew.

The hospital is also one of the most technologically advanced facilities of its kind: it uses robots to deliver food and equipment, has a wireless patient–nurse call system, and — able to operate self-sufficiently for up to 48 hours and designed to prevent a structural collapse — it is earthquake proof.

“It’s one of the most cutting-edge and technically complex Green Star buildings in Australia,” says Madew.

Ben Smithurst A lifestyle, motoring and travel writer with a penchant for the humorous.

Look Ma, no hands!

DRIVERLESS CARS ARE COMING. JUST HOW QUICKLY MIGHT SURPRISE YOU…

This year, Audi will reveal its new fourth generation, rootand-branch overhaul of the A8 sedan, a giant luxo-barge of an executive (non-stretch) limo. This would normally be news only to motoring enthusiasts and businessmen who expect never to drive their car, as more than half of all day-to-day A8 drivers are ‘the help’. They work either for hire car companies or are private chauffeurs. The owners sit in the back, barking orders like any respectable corporate titan.

The Audi A8’s main rivals are similarly lavish, $200,000-plus German luxo-barges: the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the BMW 7 Series, or an English Jaguar XJ or Lexus LS. This is the ultra-refined, ultra-high-tech end of the market, where companies’ shiniest, most impressive new gadgetry debuts. At this level, choices aren’t made on price but on whether you’ll fit in at the car park of the Australian Club.

That halo technology eventually filters down to more utilitarian everyman vehicles. Otherwise, though, the release of an all-new Audi A8 would be less than news to most of the motoring public, except for one thing — it drives itself. Or

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rather it can, up to a point. The new Audi A8 is the world’s first production car capable of Level 3 autonomous driving.

Which, to paraphrase Ron Burgundy, is kind if a big deal.

There are six ‘levels’ of autonomous driving. Established

by SAE International in 2014, the stages were defined to be used as common reference points to assist legislators, engineers and the public in understanding just how capable a particular vehicle is (see Level Up! box).

In the new A8, and its more stylish but mechanically identical A7 sibling, the driver needn’t pay much attention to the road — in some (very well defined) circumstances.

In traffic, for example, on well-marked roads or on the autobahn, the driver can read a book, use a laptop or eat cereal. Audi’s slick limo will steer itself, accelerate and brake, turn and cruise, and avoid other traffic, whether or not you’re paying attention. If it needs you to take over, it will give you 10 seconds warning before you need to take control.

It scans the road ahead, negotiating the world with a combination of GPS, cameras and sensors, including Lidar, a

Man & Machine

sort of radar-by-laser. One day the machines will rise up and destroy us all, and this will be considered a significant step.

But for now, we’re still in charge!

The self-driving car has long been a holy grail of automotive manufacturers. While public perception has recently caught up, Audi and its rivals have been building development cars that perform incredible feats sans driver for decades. In 2010, an autonomous Audi TT used precision GPS to complete Colorado’s Pikes Peak hill climb in just 27 minutes — about 10 minutes slower than a professional racing driver would have managed in the same car. But still, not bad.

This was considered a curiosity by most of the car-buying public, if they’d heard of it at all, and even by the automotive press. However, as US tech bible Wired noted in January, “in the past five years, autonomous driving has gone from ‘maybe possible’ to ‘definitely possible’ to ‘inevitable’ to ‘how did anyone ever think this wasn’t inevitable?’”

Every significant motoring marque is pursuing the tech,

keen to rebrand as a ‘mobility provider’ before the concept of car ownership goes kaput and 90 per cent of us Uber to work in driverless mobility boxes.

Google’s self-driving car project launched in 2009, but Intel and Apple, among others, are working on their own tech. Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Tesla; basically everyone, really, has debuted concept cars that show where they’re going, mapping out a rough timeline to get there.

Last year, Elon Musk announced every Tesla would feature eight cameras, radar, a dozen ultrasonic sensors and a powerful super-computer, declaring (in trademark fashion, well ahead of his tech teams’ progress) that self-driving Teslas were soon to arrive. In January, Toyota demonstrated a Lexus LS 600L, an Audi A8 rival, that used Lidar to ‘see’ 200 metres in every direction.

Things are happening in Australia, too, regardless of, or sometimes as a challenge to, infrastructure and laws. Last year, the Mercedes-Benz autonomous driving program team took a development test S-Class from Sydney to Melbourne.

It showed similar abilities to the new A8: steering indefinitely on freeways, changing lanes when prompted, slowing for bends on winding roads.

It passed with close to flying colours — although, like anyone not familiar with Melbourne, was eventually baffled by hook turns. It was also not strictly street legal; Mercedes received special permission to conduct the test, within strict boundaries (someone was always in the driver’s seat).

Which points to the main roadblock to the progress of self-driving vehicles. Worldwide, tech is moving much faster than legislation. Road laws are even less in sync in Australia.

While autonomous test cars are already cruising roadways from California to London, there are issues. Foremost is infrastructure: cars must be able to read road signs and understand non-uniform road markings. In Australia, the A8’s full suite of capabilities will be disabled until legislators are convinced it is safe.

Second involves moral and ethical issues. Namely: if a car crashes, who is at fault? Audi got around that simply last year: by owning it. The brand’s boss of pre-development of automated driving, Dr Thorsten Leonhardt, told Australian journos that his company was confident in its technology and would accept the insurance liability risk. Leonhardt didn’t explain what a car’s AI would do when faced with a choice of, for example, either ploughing into a crowd to save the driver or driving off a cliff to save the crowd.

Level 3 capability is already here. Levels 4 and 5 are anywhere from a few years to a decade away. Audi, and the rest, have time to figure it out. For now, it’s the boss barking orders from the back seat. Eventually, it’ll be all of us.

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Puzzles

CROSSWORD

L N T I M P T A T A A E G

I A F S A A E N N F N R N

R I I N N N A L A T T T A

B D R T W C T D E T S N N

A A T N A C S E D N S A T

R R E V E U Q I T N A N P

E P O L E T N A O K O E I

C A N T E E N C H A N T I

SOLUTIONS:

L N T I M P T A T A A E G

I A F S A A E N N F N R N

R I I N N N A L A T T T A

B D R T W C T D E T S N N

A A T N A C S E D N S A T

R R E V E U Q I T N A N P

E P O L E T N A O K O E I

C A N T E E N C H A N T I

PANTS PREGNANT RADIANT RELIANT TENANT VACANT

L T G N H A I S I E P H E

I L N A A F N L N R N T R

A Y N D E H E T W O K N P

N T U D P R C L L U C A A

L T G N H A I S I E P H E

CHANT CONSTANT CURRANT DEFIANT DESCANT DISMANTLE

T T C U R R A N T E L P Q

I L N A A F N L N R N T R

ELEPHANT ENCHANT GIANT INSTANT PANTHER

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: ANT WORDS

A Y N D E H E T W O K N P

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ANTELOPE ANTENNA ANTIQUE BRILLIANT CANTEEN

WORD SEARCH

N T U D P R C L L U C A A

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DOWN 1. Monotony 2. Become tattered 3. Unknown writer 4. Refreshments booth 5. Widening 6. Light-bulb inventor 9. Niggling worry 11. Documents fastener 13. ... sleeping dogs lie 15. NE US state 16. Personal money order 18. Dally 19. Director, Woody ...

21. Assignment 22. Prison

T T C U R R A N T E L P Q

ACROSS 1. Lovers’ squabbles 7. Undid (skirt) 8. Fear 10. Children 12. Rissole 14. Yemen port 16. Burlesque actress 17. Exerted (oneself) 20. Intensifying (of war) 23. Relieved 24. All of space, the ...

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Enjoy a Willie Smith’s cider paddle

Take a tour of the Charles Oates Distillery

Visit the Saturday Artisan & Produce market

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Contact

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Huonville

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

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