1876 SCG Members Edition No.2

M EM BERS EDITION SU M M ER 2020/2021

{ PICT U R E PE R F ECT } GREGG PORTEOUS’S 10 BEST SCG IMAGES PAGES 24-29

{ F R A N K LY SPE A K I NG } ‘BUDDY’ ON CHASING FLAGS, LOVING SYDNEY AND BEING A DAD PAGES 34-35

{ BOU N T Y H U N T E R } TAPPING INTO THE REGION OF PLENTY ON OUR DOORSTEP PAGES 52-57

Indian summer

THE HEAT TURNS UP ON A TEST FOR THE AGES

AustraliaBig v India, ODIs & T20Is Bash, ODIs & T20Is

SAME SAME GAME GAME MULTI MULTI

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*Available online to TAB Account holders. Think! About your choices. Call Gambler’s Help, Gambling Help or the ACT Gambling Counselling & Support Service on 1800 858 858 www.gamblinghelp.nsw.gov.au or www.gamblinghelponline.org.au. Don’t chase your losses. Walk Away. Gamble Responsibly.

INDEX 8

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40

Quick singles

Hawk eyed

Fitness

The latest news from the Sydney Cricket Ground

Steve Waugh’s India exhibition

Jess Sergis’s fitness tips and tricks

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Three cheers

Picture perfect

Peaky blinders

The amazing local connection to the word barracking

Gregg Porteous’s favourite SCG images

New Zealand’s rugged beauty

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Indian summer Peter Lalor’s analysis of the summer’s hottest Test

Worth crowing about Mitchell Aubusson hangs up his Roosters jersey

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Tries & tempest Reliving a vintage, soggy, rugby league Test

Bounty hunting Exploring the Hunter region

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Where I was when ...

Steve Gearin scored that try

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Jess Sergis

Gregg Porteous

A globetrotter on the international cricket circuit, Peter Lalor, as chief cricket writer for The Australian, was grounded in Sydney for most of 2020 as the world shut down for COVID-19.

So it is with particular relish that he welcomes the touring Indian side this summer to add spice after a bland year for world sport.

An Australian international rugby league footballer, Jess Sergis plays locally for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL Women’s Premiership. The 2019 Dally M Female Player of the Year, and still only 23, Sergis has a huge future of league ahead of her.

Widely recognised as one of the nice guys of Australian sports media, Gregg Porteous is also arguably the sharpest shooter on the circuit. A Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year awardwinner, he has shot the biggest names in world sport, as well as innumerable up-and-coming sports stars and always has a good word to say to everyone.

Editor

Elizabeth Meryment

Art director Trevor Timms Sub-editor

Neil Breen As a broadcaster, journalist, writer and editor, Neil Breen has covered sport for more than 30 years in print, on television and on radio. Breen is a wellknown rugby league fan — read his nostalgic reflection of one of league’s greatest tries on page 66 — and an equally devoted cricket fan, not only for the sport itself but for the connection it brings annually to long and easy summer days.

Caroline Clements & Dillon SeitchikReardon A writer-and-photographer couple who specialises in coastal photography, Caroline Clements and Dillon Seitchik-Reardon may have the world’s best job. The authors of two books, Places We Swim and Places We Swim Sydney, the couple got off the coastal roads to explore New Zealand’s picturesque South Island for our beautifully written and shot story, Peaky Blinders, from page 48.

Alistair Jones

Contributors Jeremy Archer Neil Breen Caroline Clements Charlie Drayton Ian Heads Phillip Heads Katrina Holden Peter Lalor Elizabeth Meryment Gregg Porteous Ryan Selvage Dillon SeitchikReardon Jess Sergis

CONTRIBUTORS

Peter Lalor

Cover image Hamilton Lund 1876 is produced by Local Publishing Co in consultation with Phillip Heads and Charlie Drayton of the Sydney Cricket and Sports Grounds

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{ S CG STA DI U M U PDAT E }

Rising from the rubble THE NEW SYDNEY FOOTBALL STADIUM IS ON ITS WAY — AND EXPECT NOTHING BUT THE BEST FROM THE CITY’S NEWEST SPORTING JEWEL

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T

he future is near. In less than two years, gold and platinum members will be able to enjoy the best seats in the house at the new Sydney Football Stadium — the city’s new, modern, world-class, sporting jewel.

It will be situated in a sporting and entertainment precinct of international standard and the new venue will ensure that NSW remains Australia’s No 1 choice for major events.

Progress on the stadium is moving at a rapid pace, with the foundations now laid for what

will be one of the country’s best rectangular venues and the fulltime home of the Sydney Roosters, the New South Wales Waratahs and Sydney FC. Four large tower cranes have been erected, with two crawler cranes supporting on the ground.

The pouring of concrete slabs is complete, as is the forming of building cores that contain lifts or stairs to distribute people and services up each floor of the stadium.

The earthworks, piling and basement construction is nearing completion, with the structure to be the focus of 2021 and the building,

public domain, roof, façade and internal fit-out to follow in 2022.

Fans can expect 42,500 seats closer to the action than ever before and that 100% of seating will be covered by the roof line.

The new SFS will have new and

diverse food and beverage offerings, with 350 points of sale — that’s a blockbuster increase on the old stadium. There will also be premium hospitality areas including a tunnel club for paying guests, which will provide a view of team warm-ups and walk-outs before games.

It will have the latest in wifi, IPTV and LED technology to enhance the game-day experience.

But beyond that, it will provide a state-of-the-art stadium located within a leading business, lifestyle, education and high-performance hub and will incorporate the new Stadium Club facility.

THE NEW VENUE • 42,500 seats closer to the action • New and diverse food and beverage offerings with 350 points of sale • A roofline which covers 100% of seating • Premium corporate hospitality experiences including a tunnel club • Easily accessible lifestyle and recreational facilities for the general public • A stadium positioned in a leading business, lifestyle, education and high-performance hub • The latest in wi-fi, IPTV and LED technology to enhance the game day experience 1876

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SCG turns pink Day Three of the Sydney Test will again be dedicated as the annual Pink Test, one of the biggest days of the international cricket calendar. Fans are encouraged to come dressed in pink to honour the late Jane McGrath and support the McGrath Foundation, which raises funds for breast care nurses.

Despite difficulties in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on gatherings, this year’s event will go ahead and supporters are encouraged to give generously to help care for women with breast cancer. It’s an important cause, so get involved and don’t forget to come wearing pink on January 9.

Stars keep it cool at second SCG sleepout A group of Australian sports stars once again braved wintry conditions at the SCG on Monday, August 3, to raise more than $110,000 to donate to homeless youth in Australia.

“We only managed a couple of hours’ sleep, but it was worth it,” says The Chappell Foundation director Lisa Sthalekar of the sleepout. “A big thank you to all of those people who donated; your efforts go a long way and are greatly appreciated.”

Before the pandemic it was estimated 43,000 young Australians were homeless, many forced to sleep out every night, as these athletes did for one. Those who took the challenge included: Mitchell Starc, Alyssa Healy, Alex Blackwell, Lisa Sthalekar, Michael Slater, Steve O’Keefe, Stuart MacGill, Matthew Nicholson, Phil Emery, Daniel Hughes, Greg Mail, Jon Moss, Lisa Griffith, Russel Arnold (cricket), Bronte Campbell, Lisa Forrest (swimming), Benny Elias, Jimmy Smith (rugby league), Louise Sauvage (paralympics), Allison Yeoland (hockey), Andrew Mehrtens (rugby), Beki Smith (race walking), Mel Rippon (water polo), Michelle Bromley (table tennis), Najat Khoury (weightlifting), Russell Garnett (handball), Warren Rosser (judo) and Luke Harvey-Palmer (cycling).

SCG XI appoints new manager The SCG XI – the playing arm of the ground – is excited to announce the appointment of Lawrence Prittipaul to Manager of the SCG XI. The role will involve the engagement, management and development of the SCG XI program, including preparations to launch a women’s team. Lawrence has a strong cricketing pedigree, having played for Hampshire from 1999-2005 and in England’s A squad as an all-rounder. He also happens to be cousins with West Indian cricketers Shivnarine and Tegenarine Chanderpaul. Lawrence will be supported by Rossco Barrat, who will be responsible for organising SCG XI tours, social events and the wider membership base.

See Clancy at the SCG this summer Keep an eye out for the newest member of the Sydney Cricket Ground family, Clancy, next time you visit the SCG. “We hope our new mascot will create a connection to a wider audience and you’ll see it as our face on our digital and social

media channels,” says Venues NSW CEO Kerrie Mather of the 160-year first. The mascot is modelled on the clocktower of the SCG’s Members Pavilion and joins home-team mascots Rocky (Sydney Roosters), Cyggy (Sydney Swans), Syd Sixer (Sydney Sixers), Sky and Blue (Sydney FC), and Tah Man (NSW Waratahs).

In Vogue And Kerrie Mather was one of six high-profile women invited to discuss the future of women’s sport in Vogue Australia. Mather joined other illustrious female leaders including Katie Page and Ellyse Perry in an article by journalist Jessica Halloran that discussed the rise and rise of women’s sport and women in sport in Australia.

The article noted that not only was the attitude of the Australian sporting consumer changing in favour of watching women’s sport, the attitudes of administrators were also changing.

Mather told Halloran the new facilities under construction at the SCG would cater far more widely to female athletes.

“A lack of changing rooms at the old stadium meant that women’s events were relocated,” she said.

“There will also be seven times the number of bathrooms for women. Previously they were designed just for males.”

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{ H I STORY }

Three cheers BARRACKING FOR OUR FAVOURITE TEAM IS A NATIONAL PASSION BUT FEW REALISE THE WORD ITSELF HAS ORIGINS CLOSE TO HOME WORDS: JEREMY ARCHER

W

hen the 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot — under the command of LieutenantColonel Henry Keane Bloomfield, a Waterloo veteran — set sail for Australia, embarked in the Castle Eden and the Ramillies during the summer of 1845, the nascent colony was less than 60 years old.

Initially, the Regiment was stationed in the barracks in Wynyard Square, close to the centre of Sydney and all its amenities, where the 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot had been headquartered between 1826 and 1832, before being posted to Van Diemen’s Land (renamed Tasmania in 1856) a year later.

In the meantime, the finishing touches had been made to Victoria Barracks at a site in Paddington, chosen because the location had a borehole, defended the city on its eastern side and was free from traditional soldierly temptations. On Saturday, August 5, 1848, “amidst the cheers of the populace who lined the route to Paddington Hills”, the Regiment marched four abreast from the Wharf, along George Street, and into its new home.

On July 19, 1851, having concluded that the recreational facilities for the officers and men in his charge were wholly inadequate, Colonel Bloomfield approached the Colonial Secretary’s Office for a grant of land behind the barracks.

It was an unpromising site, described in a Trustees’ Report of 1895: “A hill on the eastern side …

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extended to the centre of the playing ground, where match wickets are now pitched. There was a waterhole at the foot of it, by which flood waters from the southern slope of Paddington ... find their way to a waterhole on the southern end of the ground, and thence to the Botany dams, from which the city received its water supply. At the northern end, the site of the present tennis courts, there was a long shallow lagoon, much frequented by wild fowl during the winter months.”

By January, 1852, 25 acres of rolling scrubland lying to the

“THE ROWDY PUBLIC SPECTATORS ON THE ‘HILL’ ENSURED THAT THE WORD ‘BARRACKING’ ENTERED THE LEXICON AS A DESCRIPTION OF THE NOISY AND INSISTENT SUPPORT EMANATING FROM AUSTRALIAN SUPPORTERS” south of the barracks had been set aside for the military: half for the cricket ground and half for gardens.

Lieutenant Philip Vigors was given the role of working closely with the Government Surveyor in order to establish the boundaries of the cricket ground, three of which remain unchanged to this day, while the vegetable and flower gardens have long since vanished.

The Regiment was particularly keen on cricket, providing no fewer than nine members of the

team that represented the Military versus the Royal Victorian Club at Cleveland Park on December 20, 1851. The soldiery tackled the task with enthusiasm and the total cost of the work amounted to £150, the equivalent of some £17,500 ($31,5000 approx) today.

The Garrison Club, which replaced the old Military team, hosted the first match at what was known as the Garrison Ground on February 15, 1854. Although Victoria Barracks is still occupied by the Australian Army, the cricket ground is now rather better known as Sydney Cricket Ground.

A long-standing tradition was established by the enthusiastic and vocal supporters of visiting teams, who used to tease those of the home team by shouting: “Here come the barrackers!”

As the years passed, the infrastructure of Sydney Cricket Ground was steadily developed. On either side of the adjacent Members Pavilion and Brewongle Stand — constructed in 1878 and 1881 respectively — were two popular public-viewing places: the ‘Hill’ and the ‘Paddington Hill’. These ‘hills’ were apparently less genteel than the neighbouring stands.

In speeches delivered during the build-up to the 1882-83 English tour of Australia, the visiting captain, the Hon. Ivo Bligh, boldly explained that he hoped to “beard the kangaroo in his den and try and recover those Ashes”.

With passions running high in the third and final matches, each side having by then won one match

A packed SCG during the 1st Ashes Test on December 3rd 1932 at the beginning of the Bodyline series.

The official attendance was 58,058.

apiece, the rowdy public spectators on the ‘hill’ ensured that the word ‘barracking’ entered the lexicon as a description of the noisy and insistent support emanating from Australian supporters.

Barracking achieved its apotheosis during the 1932-33 ‘Bodyline’ Tour. The description by the controversial English captain, Douglas Jardine, of barracking as ‘offensive’ and ‘thoughtless’, elicited a response from the Australian

cartoonist, R. W. Blundell, who proposed the erection of ‘special barrackers’ towers’, from which spectators could happily shout as loudly as they wished without disturbing the players on the field.

As a measure of the regard in which he was held, Colonel Bloomfield was appointed to the NSW Legislative Council on May 22, 1856. Before the 11th Regiment of Foot marched out of Victoria Barracks and down to Circular

Quay on October 24, 1857 — at the conclusion of a most successful 12-year tour of duty — the good denizens of Sydney presented the Commanding Officer with what is known as the ‘Sydney Centrepiece’.

A tall, reeded, silver column with fern fronds in place of a classical capital, below a salver decorated with floral swags, the base is embellished with Australian fauna.

Alas, there is no cricketer in flannels, which is clearly a serious oversight.

Jeremy Archer is a Trustee of The Keep Military Museum in Dorchester and served with the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment that continues the legacy of the 11th North Devonshire Regiment that founded what was to become the Sydney Cricket Ground.

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Q& &A

ASHLEIGH GARDNER on the rise The rising star of Australian women’s cricket on heading through the ranks, playing at the SCG … and dancing on stage with Katy Perry Ash, when did you know you wanted to play cricket?

I wanted to be just like my older brother Aaron. I was a bit of a tomboy growing up, so whatever sport he was playing, I wanted to play as well. So I was playing rugby league, cricket, doing motorbike riding. I just started in the backyard like most other kids.

going through the ranks, I realised there was an Australian team and that they were really good and that that was something I wanted to do. I realised it could be a full-time career, which is a pretty special thing that I am able to do day in, day out, as my job — and travelling Australia and the world, which is pretty cool.

When did it dawn on you that you might be good enough to play for Australia?

That’s a hard question. I probably realised when I was 17 or 18 — when I first got selected in the NSW squad — that there was a potential career for me and that I had to have a bit of an attitude change, and not just rely on my talent and to put some hard work in. And once I started playing more frequently for the NSW Breakers and the Sydney Sixers, that’s when I saw that there was the potential to make my debut for Australia one day.

You guys won the World Cup at the MCG in front of 90,000 people, Katy Perry played and you were on the stage with her. Was that whole experience mind-blowing?

It’s going to be pretty hard to beat for the rest of my career, and I obviously still have so much cricket left to play. It has been one of the best days of my life so far. We knew at the start of the tournament that if we were ever to get to the MCG, Katy Perry was going to be there and it was almost like she was the cherry on top for that day. The cricket was amazing, but it’s funny, you don’t really remember that stuff. You just remember being on stage with Katy Perry and it’s going to be something that I will talk about

And was that when you realised you could make a living out of this?

Yeah, absolutely. Growing up and

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for the rest of my life, standing up on stage with a superstar, dancing with my mates, which is something not everyone can say.

You’re very proud of your Indigenous heritage. Do you feel a responsibility to get more young Indigenous girls and women into the game?

I guess there is that responsibility.

When you’re a sportsperson you just become a role model naturally and for me that means to encourage young, aspiring Indigenous athletes to play sport at a higher level in any sport they choose and to reiterate the message that you can achieve your dreams and your aspirations if you work hard enough. The message I try to get across is work hard and there are no limitations as to why you can’t achieve the highest level.

It would be awesome to see the numbers grow, which they are, growing slowly and it’s great to see it going that way.

“WORK HARD AND THERE ARE NO LIMITATIONS AS TO WHY YOU CAN’T ACHIEVE THE HIGHEST LEVEL.” { ASHLEIGH GARDNER }

When you play on the SCG do you feel the likes of Bradman and Waugh and everyone who has gone before?

Absolutely. And I think the best thing about that ground is the history behind it. The stands, the change rooms that are still there, it’s my favourite ground in the world, being from Sydney, but also the history behind it. I know the teams that I have played with at that ground have had success and it’s something that I never take for granted, being able to walk out on to the SCG and call it my home ground. To the day that I retire I will enjoy playing at the SCG. What will life be like postcricket for you?

Well, I just started a foundation so there will be plenty of work put into that. I would love to do something to do with sport and go down that route. ashgfoundation.com

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S P I C E

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T R A I L TWO MIGHTY TEAMS WILL FACE OFF OVER CRICKET AND CULTURE IN A SYDNEY TEST FOR THE AGES WORDS: PETER LALOR

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s it a coincidence that the trip down Cleveland St, Surry Hills, to the historic Sydney Cricket Ground is now lined with Indian restaurants? Dosas, dhabas, idlis and dhals are as redolent and ready as any trail to a venue on the subcontinent.

There was a time when the visiting Indian team used to pick up a well-known Perth chef and employ him for the entire trip. There is a story that Sachin Tendulkar once had the chef’s famous lamb chops — now there is a coming together of cultures — flown to Mumbai for a special event.

How things have changed. You cannot imagine any of Don Bradman’s sides stopping for a post-match vindaloo, and you wonder where the Indians, who have been coming here for the best part of 75 years, ate back in the day.

Australian teams are so keen on a curry these days that Mark Taylor is said to have eaten Indian every night on an Ashes tour of the UK. Running with the culinary theme, it is fair to say there is no tastier prospect than seeing our old friends the Indians back at the SCG this summer. It is a place as close to the visitors’ hearts as it is to Australian fans.

It was here in 2018-19 that the proud cricketing nation celebrated its first victory in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 71 years of fruitless attempts.

Australia to Indians has proved as challenging as India to Australians in cricketing terms. It is a world away from the conditions they know, just as there is a world away from the bounce, grass and home support for our teams when they visit.

The great Indian players marked themselves by their feats in these foreign conditions. People such as Sunil Gavaskar, V.V.S. Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Bishan Bedi, Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri garnished their reputations with outstanding performances in these parts.

Shastri dreamed of Australia as a boy. It was a country he was familiar with only through the commentary on ABC radio, but one he imagined as a far-off cricket kingdom where the game was played by hair-chested warriors and only the strong survived.

To this day, he says it is his favourite place to visit and was his favourite place to play. It was 35 years ago that the young all-rounder played a critical role as India won the World Championship of Cricket.

The Audi he was awarded as a prize was shipped home under a special arrangement with the Indian government, which waived the massive tax on foreign vehicles in place at the time and as such became a unique object on the subcontinent.

Shastri still has the car, which was in need of a visit to the panel beaters after his team mates rode on it during the ceremony. It is, apparently, in mint condition in his Mumbai garage.

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Seven years later, in January 1992, all eyes were on a chubby blonde Australian leg spin bowler from Black Rock making his debut at the SCG. Shastri was Shane Warne’s first and only victim in that game, but by that stage the Indian had scored a towering double century.

Dean Jones took the catch in the outfield and, when the champion Victorian batsman died last September, Warne recalled the exchanges that followed.

“In that first Test I was getting smacked around the park, then Ravi Shastri skies one to deep cover and Deano takes the catch,” Warne said. “[Jones] comes into the huddle and says, ‘Well done, champ’. He used to call everyone champ. He said, ‘You’ve got your first one, they can’t take that away from you’.

“Then we went to Sri Lanka in 1992, and I was getting smacked all over the park again, and I got my second Test wicket.

“He came in the huddle and said, ‘Well done, champ, you now average 435 runs per wicket, well done’.

Thanks for that, Deano.”

Something else was going on in that Sydney Test.

A small, curly-headed teenager by the name of Sachin Tendulkar batted at No 6 for India and made his first century in Australia.

In 2003-04, Tendulkar matched Shastri’s feat, scoring 241 in an innings of restrained magnificence at the SCG. On the same tour Dravid posted 233 in Adelaide.

Tendulkar and Shastri laid the groundwork for the recent Indian sides, but we should not forget those that laid the groundwork for them.

A magnificent new book, India’s 71 Year Test, written

by R. Kaushik for the Bradman Foundation, traces the history of visiting teams over the years.

Shastri writes in the forward of his experiences in Australia as a player, commentator, team director and coach and it was in that last role that success finally came.

It was under his guidance that Virat Kohli’s side won the series for the first time here in 2018-19.

“The satisfaction gained in registering India’s first series win in Australia after 71 years of heartbreak was immense,” Shastri says. “I can’t see Virat’s feat of winning against Australia both at home and away being emulated by another Indian captain for a very long time.

“I can state emphatically that there is no such entity as a weak Australian side, especially in their own backyard. Anyone who thinks otherwise is uninformed.

Australians hate losing and it’s a thought process entertained not just by the 11 on the field, but on the whole nation, the fans and the media. When a team tours Australia theirs is a combined assault like no other. Remember that, and remember that again.”

Success does not come easily in Australia. When you

consider the great Indian sides that have toured over the years and left empty-handed, it drives home the point.

The book begins with India’s first tour in 1947, the year that country gained its independence from Britain, and cheekily refers to that series as the Independents against the Invincibles.

That first tour was led by the indefatigable Lala Amarnath, a player whose war-interrupted Test career stretched from 1933 to 1953. He came here aged 36 but registered his most significant achievement five years later when he led India to victory over Pakistan.

Armanath’s two sons, Mohinder and Surinder, both played Test cricket for their country, too.

Two players stood out on that tour. The first was the great all-rounder Vijay Hazare, who managed to bowl Bradman twice. It was, however, his efforts in Adelaide in the fourth Test that were best remembered.

The Indian arrived in South Australia with a string of low scores trailing him, but instead of making a beeline for the nets, he opted to visit St Peter’s Cathedral in the hope of some divine intervention.

Hazare was blessed with two centuries in the Test and was awarded a gold watch by the South Australian Cricket Association for his efforts, which surprisingly did not result in a mass conversion to the Protestant faith among his team mates.

The historic tour is remembered, however, for one thing and one thing only: the Mankad.

Poor old Vinoo Mankad, a person whose name entered the lexicon not for the fact that he scored two centuries and took 12 wickets in the five Tests but for running out a batsman who was backing up too far from the non-strikers end.

It was in Sydney that Mankad ran out Bill Brown.

It was the first recorded instance of such an event happening in Test cricket, which may explain its significance, but it was the second time the bowler had done that to the batsman — the first had been in an earlier tour match.

To this day there is argument over the ‘spirit’ of the act, but Bradman defended Mankad at the time, saying the law stated a batsman should stay in his crease until the ball is delivered. It remains in the laws.

A new take on the controversy opened recently with Sunil Gavaskar — another Indian legend who lit up the game on many a tour down under and is here this summer as a commentator — advancing the argument that it is not fair to call the act ‘Mankading’.

“I have grave objections to that because it’s putting one of India’s cricketing legends in a bad light,” Gavaskar said recently. “He has been one of India’s alltime great cricketers.

“If it has to be referred by somebody’s name, it should be the non-striker. I think it should be called (getting) ‘Browned’ because it was Bill Brown who was outside the crease. He was at fault, not Mr Mankad.

“Our legend’s name should not be spoiled. If you want to call it anything, just say the batsman was ‘Browned’, not ‘Mankaded’.”

This may be a case of the cure being worse than the disease but the essential point stands.

In 2008, an even greater controversy occurred at the SCG when Harbhajan Singh was accused and eventually excused for racially abusing Andrew Symonds. It is a relief to say that the two sides have rediscovered the respect that binds two great cricketing nations.

Peter Lalor is the senior cricket correspondent for The Australian and one with a deep love of India, which spring from his first trips there in the 1980s as a traveller and many, many times since to cover the cricket.

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six

Hitting ’em for A POPULAR STAR WILL DON THE MAGENTA THIS SUMMER WORDS: RYAN SELVAGE

C

arlos Brathwaite isn’t coming to Sydney for a summer holiday.

Last sighted in the Big Bash League in 2018, the one-time Sixers star is back in magenta this season — and he’s determined to defend the ‘champions’ crown the side earned in the ninth edition of the competition last summer.

“I’m very motivated to win the championship, it’s something that I’ve prioritised in the last year or so, just trying to learn from guys who are ‘serial’ winners… learning how to win trophies and how to consistently put in good performances,” Brathwaite says of re-joining the Sixers.

“To put in trophy-winning performances over an extended period of time is something that few have mastered.

“Dan Christian is someone who has won all over the world. I want him to chaperone me into being that match-winner that he is, wherever he goes. I want to add to this group, but to also take away any learnings I can from it.”

A born entertainer on and off the field, the big-hitting West Indian inspired a four-game winning streak and thrilled fans at the SCG upon his last visit to the harbour city throughout BBL07.

The 32-year-old all-rounder spoke glowingly of the ground when inking a deal to re-join the side for the 2020/21 campaign.

“It’s one of my favourite grounds that I’ve played at, the SCG,” he said. “I put together a good Test innings there [69 runs versus Australia, 2015/16] and then had some fond memories with the

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Sixers in 2018 when I was here last time.

“Obviously it’s a bit different this year having no home or away games — we’re playing in more of a bubble — but any chance you get to play at the SCG is one that you must be chuffed with, so I’m really looking forward to getting back out there.

“Most of the pitches and grounds around the world have shifted to that modern-style, drop-in wickets. The SCG is still an old fashioned, traditional cricket venue. I love the purity of the ground — I love to think of myself as a purist. The ground has kept its heritage and it’s a fantastic place to play.”

Brathwaite flirted at bringing the modern flair to the ground with a now-famous post-wicket celebration ‘dab’ in 2018.

Can the Sixers fans expect more of the same this summer?

“The dab is dead,” Brathwaite jokes. “There were a few calls for it to be left in 2018, and I’ve answered them.

“I’ll try to whip up something to give the fans a bit of a celebration this tournament — this tournament is more than the celebrations for me, there’s a lot more on the line. But the kids at home and the people who loved the entertainment side of the game can expect something else this summer.”

The Sixers are set to play their first match of the BBL10 season at the SCG against the Perth Scorchers on Saturday, January 16.

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Hawk eyed

A MUCH-LOVED FORMER AUSTRALIAN CRICKET CAPTAIN HAS LAUNCHED HIS LATEST PASSION PROJECT WITH SPECTACULAR RESULTS WORDS: ELIZABETH MERYMENT

S

teve Waugh estimates that for each photo he takes in India, he has about 30 seconds to capture a shot. That’s 30 seconds from getting out of the bus or car in which he’s travelling to clicking the shutter.

“The word gets around pretty quickly that I’m there,” says the ex-Australian captain with his trademark wry grin. “People come pretty fast.”

Waugh may be a national hero in Australia, but in India, where cricket is not only the national sport but akin to a national religion, he’s more like a god, his face recognisable, his celebrity assured.

Gritty and indomitable with the bat in his day, victorious as a captain, a hard man but a thoroughly decent man, he embodies characteristics beloved of so many Indians. He is also deeply admired on the subcontinent for the years of charity work he has performed there, and for his abundant love for both India and its people.

“I still go there probably every year,” he says.

“Although for now, COVID has put a stop to that.”

Waugh has this year channelled his love of India into an extraordinary new project, a weighty coffeetable book called The Spirit of Cricket — India, featuring photography that he captured during an exhaustive trip of the country undertaken in January under the tutelage of renowned photographer Trent Parke.

The book features 220 photographs selected from 15,000 images he shot on the trip — all taken with a Canon EOS camera using manual shutter settings — of which 70 have been selected to show at an exhibition presently running at Paddington’s new The Playbox, a creative space on the ground floor of the Arts Hotel on Oxford Street.

The images range in tone and texture from urchins playing cricket with hand-me-down bats in gritty alleyways, to glorious scenes of beach cricket on pristine shores, to a convivial portrait of India’s greatest cricketing son, Sachin Tendulkar, at home.

Geographically, the 17-day photographic tour roved from Kolkata to Jodhpur, with imagery snatched in hundreds of different locations with a huge variety of subjects. Each image aims to convey, as Waugh puts it, “the spirit of cricket” across all walks of life.

The cricketer says he came up with the idea for the book after watching cricket’s reputation suffer during the bruising ball tampering scandal that unfolded in

The Spirit of Cricket — India $249, including a special presentation case and free delivery stevewaugh. com.au The Playbox 21 Oxford St, Paddington theplaybox.com The exhibition runs until after the Sydney Test (January 7-11, 2021)

Cape Town in 2018, involving Australian players David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, overseen by captain Steve Smith.

“I felt that the spirit of cricket needed a bit of a lift,” he tells 1876 in an interview at the Playbox. “After what happened in Cape Town, when people said that the spirit of cricket had changed, I didn’t agree with that.

“In Australia, cricket is about playing with your mates in the backyard. It’s about the afternoon tea ladies and the mums and dads who help around the club.”

But in India, Waugh adds, cricket is another level.

“In India, cricket is more than a game,” he says. “It’s a place where you pull up off the side of the road and see people playing cricket. I wanted to be able to drive along on the road and take shots of that.”

The assignment Waugh gave himself was a tough one. Untrained in photography, yet with an abiding interest in the subject matter, he enlisted Parke’s help to teach him everything he needed to know to create a coffee-table book of the highest calibre.

And the size and scale of the work is astonishing.

Extraordinary, joyful and occasionally confronting imagery dances across the pages of the book and shimmers on the walls of the exhibition. The work is all the more incredible when you consider the singular issues Waugh faced, given his enduring popularity with the Indian public.

“It was challenging,” Waugh says of the endeavour.

“I was putting myself out of my comfort zone to even think I could do a photography book. And I needed it to be not just a photography book, but the best photography book. I always wanted to go back to India and capture the spirit of India through the lens.”

The venture was self-funded, with help from Canon, and will complement the charity work Waugh and his wife Lynette do both in Australia and India. In Australia the Steve Waugh Foundation supports the Rare Disease Foundation, while in India, Waugh has been integral in helping save and educate girls trapped in tragic conditions in leper colonies, among other work.

Waugh says undertaking to make the book was a risky proposition but attests working on it was rewarding. As for his stardom in India getting in the way of the shots, he quickly came up with a solution.

“I would just say to everyone, ‘Look, I’m doing this project. Just let me get this shot and then we’ll have a game.’ And they were all very good about that.”

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{ L LOY D R E ES }

Art of the game IN 1953, AUSTRALIA SENT A TREASURE TO LONDON’S MARYLEBONE CRICKET CLUB THAT REMAINS ON SHOW AT LORD’S TO THIS DAY WORDS: PHILLIP HEADS

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he SS Strathnaver took Australian and New Zealand soldiers to join the Allied forces during World War II. In the years that followed, it brought back many 10-pound Poms, before loading up with mail and tourists to make the return journey from Brisbane to Tilbury.

It was during one of these return journeys in 1953 that the P&O ocean liner carried a gift from the Trustees of the Sydney Cricket Ground to Lord’s Cricket Ground — a gift in recognition of lives lost during World War I and II and a further link between the two celebrated venues.

The Marylebone Cricket Club

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had written to sister grounds around the world, requesting contributions to the Imperial Cricket Memorial at Lord’s.

The Trustees of the SCG responded positively and sought out one of the then rising stars of the Australian art world, celebrated landscape painter Lloyd Rees, offering him a 175 guinea commission.

Rees had won the Wynne Prize in 1950 and is remembered as one of the most significant and influential of Australian artists.

The first hint of the SCG’s contribution is contained in the historical records of Trustee meetings, and an invitation from David Jones Art Gallery to view the

work before it left the country: The Trustees of the Sydney Cricket Ground have commissioned Lloyd Rees to paint the Sydney Cricket Ground. This is the only opportunity to view this painting as it will shortly leave for England.

The David Jones Art Gallery opened on the seventh floor of the Elizabeth Street store in 1944, established by Sir Charles Lloyd Jones, the merchant, arts patron and grandson of the store’s founder whose name is continued today.

Lord’s and the SCG are linked by sport, their heritage pavilions and membership programs. They are also linked by a Rees’s painting, lost from his archive when it departed Australian shores in 1953.

“LLOYD REES SPENT YESTERDAY AT THE SCG WATCHING THE TEST MATCH AND GETTING SOME IDEAS FOR HIS PAINTING. HE PICKED A LOVELY, BLAND DAY FOR IT.” { D A I L Y T E L E G R A P H , D E C E M B E R 4 , 1951 }

In the Lord’s Long Room, portraits of Don Bradman, Victor Trumper, Ian Botham, W.G. Grace and Viv Richards, among others, are on display; in the Long Room Bar it’s cricket grounds from around the Commonwealth, including Rees’s SCG. Rees’s commission captures a match in progress from the perspective of the Paddington Hill, today the site of the MA Noble Don Bradman and Dally Messenger Stand.

The crowd is somewhat sparse but appears healthy in front of the 1924 Robertson and Marks scoreboard on The Hill. The tower in the left-hand side of the painting is Byron Kennedy Hall, present

home of The Stadium Clinic, PRP Imaging and Sydney FC. A newspaper clipping suggests that Rees visited the ground during the second Test of the West Indies tour to Australia in 1951, a match during which Ray Lindwall took his 100th career Test wicket against a line-up led by celebrated batsmen Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott.

The Daily Telegraph of December 4, 1951, reported: “Lloyd Rees spent yesterday at the SCG watching the Test match and getting some ideas for his painting.

He picked a lovely, bland day for it.”

Like many commissioned works, there is restraint in Rees’s style. The work is very much a

moment in time at the SCG, rather than the artist’s interpretation.

Rees still captures the unique light of the SCG as the shadowed outlines of the Members and Ladies pavilions begin to creep across the ground as the day moves into afternoon.

Rees was a cricket fan and his fame increased substantially when he was interviewed by fellow cricket lover Michael Parkinson in 1979. The televised interview made him a national figure and, it’s been reported, his skills as a cricket raconteur made him a favourite of former prime minister Bob Hawke.

The Rees painting can be viewed during the Lord’s public tour.

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Picture perfect PHOTOGRAPHER GREGG PORTEOUS HAS CAPTURED A LIFETIME OF SPORTING MEMORIES. HERE HE SHARES HIS FAVOURITE SCG IMAGES, AND HOW HE CAME TO SHOOT THEM

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s a young man, I always loved going to the Sydney Cricket Ground to watch sport. I remember my first trip, with mum and dad, to watch the Aussies in a Test match. We were big fans of Greg Chappell.

Since the days of watching cricket and league in the stands, or on the old hill with my family, I have

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spent many more hours at the SCG — privileged ones at that. I never knew or thought that I would be lucky enough to one day ‘work’ at the famous SCG. I say that the way I do because whenever I have shot at the SCG, or at the Sydney Football Stadium, there’s never been a dull moment.

It is not simply a turn-up-and-get-paid-for-being-

This photo was shot on a tiltshift lens, a lens not commonly used in sports photography.

Work with this lens gives a different perspective.

It’s very tricky to get it right, but when you do, it’s a special feeling. The thin plane of focus gives a beautiful feel across the magnificent SCG. Here is day one of the 2018-19 Ashes series. It’s always exciting waking up on the morning of an Ashes Test.

Australia had already secured the series, but a beautiful day presented itself at the SCG and you could feel the energy at the ground wherever you stood or sat.

The photo was taken from the Victor Trumper Stand, with Nathan Lyon bowling from the Randwick end of the ground. The Australian fielders appear more like figurines from the Test Match cricket board game, than they do real people.

Australia would go on to win the Test match by an innings and 123 runs.

there type of gig. “Love the work you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life,” so the adage goes.

When you’re shooting at these grounds, that saying couldn’t be more true.

Every venture out on to the hallowed turf is one I hold dear. Few people — other than those who are the very best at what they do — get to set foot on the SCG.

Just think of the great names that take their place atop the stands and around the ground: Don Bradman, Clive Churchill and Dally Messenger, among others.

Seeing these names when capturing sport at the ground is humbling, still. I consider myself a very lucky person to have enjoyed the experiences that I have.

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As a photographer at the SCG, you are always looking for this photo.

Getting the beautiful stands behind the action is always the goal — it’s our job to show them off. Here, Roosters captain Boyd Cordner dives over for a try, straight down the lens.

To tell the truth, I didn’t even know Latrell Mitchell was there until I looked back at the snaps soon after. All my focus and attention was on capturing Cordner’s try.

The composition of this photo is near-perfect.

Shooting rugby league at the SCG is all about trying to put yourself in the right position at the right time.

This is one of those moments where it all came together.

The technique here is one I’d seen before and had always wanted to recreate. Sydney Sixers’ GM Jodie Hawkins and I are actually inside the ‘zorbs’ created by the moving light.

Such was the means of the shot, and our movement throughout it, that you can’t see us.

The photo was shot in complete darkness on a 90-second exposure — meaning Brett Lee and Pat Cummins had to stand extremely still to not appear blurry in the final shot.

It took many attempts and plenty of patience from Brett and Pat to get it right — the shoot itself took more than an hour to get the final snap.

To capture all the elements together, it was a 9/10 difficulty.

The photo ran on the back page of The Daily Telegraph ahead of a Sydney Smash at the SCG in 2015.

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The Sydney Test is traditionally the last Test of the summer, and fortunately — or unfortunately — you get to witness some of the greats of the game retire. Here is Justin Langer being chaired off the SCG by Brett Lee and Stuart Clark, just moments after the Australians secured a 5-0 Ashes sweep over England in 2006-07.

I had always admired Langer as a player, and now as a coach.

At the crease, he was every bit as tough and defiant as he was elegant and crafty. To me, Langer sums up everything it means to be an Aussie cricketer.

There are few joys like shooting rugby league at the SCG on a Sunday afternoon. The light thrown over the back of the old stands is as close to perfect as you can get. I’ve shot league at many grounds over many years, but the backdrop that the SCG provides is the best of them all.

Here, Luke Brooks scoots away from the Dragons in round 24 of the 2019 season. It was just one of the many moments that Wests Tigers fans had reason to cheer on the afternoon — they went on to win the match 42-14.

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Here, the Sydney Roosters honour Johnathan Thurston after the side’s clash with the Cowboys at Allianz Stadium in 2018. This set up was a mark of respect that all the clubs had extended to Thurston on his ‘farewell tour’. This photo showed how high he was held in the sport — and still is. I was lucky enough to be there to capture it. JT’s headgear from the match now resides in the SCG Museum.

Any chance to shoot an Olympic gold medalist is always a great occasion. This photo of Charlotte Casslick was snapped for 1876 magazine. Casslick was a wonderful athlete to work with, and she spoke so glowingly of the SCG — she one day hopes to play there. The combination of a stunning athlete and the beautiful SCG is hard to top.

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This may not be the world’s best picture, but it means a lot to me. It’s Balmain captain Wayne Pearce after the Tigers lost the 1989 NSWRL grand final to the Canberra Raiders, in an extra-time thriller. It was the first time I’d shot a grand final at the SFS. As a Balmain fan, it was shattering. Pearce was one of the best Tigers to have ever played the game.

Here he is, overcome with emotion and despair.

The photo was shot on film via an all-manual focus camera. Each roll of film had 36 frames. Shooting in those days, you had to be patient — you didn’t want to have wasted your roll and miss the shot. The art of photography has changed so much since then. We would hurry from the grounds back up to our News Limited office in Surry Hills to process the photos. It was probably close to two hours after I had taken the photo before I had seen it as a print. Now, images can be in your hands in an instant.

Few batsmen in world cricket proved more troublesome to dismiss than the great Brian Lara. So, when Zoe Goss snared his wicket in a charity match at the SCG in 1994, it meant plenty. Lara can be seen here, wiping his brow with a look of disappointment and disbelief.

David Warner’s ‘100 before lunch’ against Pakistan was truly one of those special moments. I had shot many Tests at the SCG before this one, but I had never seen anything like that before. The atmosphere was enormous. You could feel the energy pulsating throughout the stands when everyone began to think he could get to the magical milestone.

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Climb to the top THE WARATAHS MAY HAVE NARROWLY MISSED THE SUPER RUGBY FINALS, BUT FIRST-YEAR COACH ROB PENNEY SAYS THERE’S HOPE ON THE HORIZON

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tepping into the role of Waratahs head coach in October 2019, Rob Penney could have never predicted the global firestorm set to unfold.

Penney had barely put his feet under the desk when he and the Waratahs were forced to confront the greatest challenge in the history of Australian rugby.

“Initially, there was a lot of doom and gloom coming out via media practitioners about what COVID-19 looked like — it was a bit scary for everyone, the unknown,” Penney says. “But once we got through that first month of realising where we were at, and where the virus was potentially hitting, there was a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.”

But the glimmer of hope came only after a host of dark days for the 56-year-old Waratahs mentor.

With uncertainty lingering over the state of the game in 2020, and beyond, Penney made a last-minute dash to Christchurch to reunite with his wife and children before international travel borders closed.

At the time of flying, Penney was unsure if he would return to Australia this year and recalls

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how he had to plead with airport security to allow him to return to Australia in May. “The people at Air New Zealand had to ring through to immigration in Australia to double-check I could get access in, and initially I was rejected,” Penney says. “It was a frightening half an hour while I waited to see if I was going to be confirmed on the flight.”

Reflecting on a whirlwind three-month period, Penney likened the challenges of the 2020 season to those of the Christchurch earthquake in 2011, a season in which he coached Canterbury in New Zealand’s first-tier domestic competition.

Overseeing a youthful Waratahs squad, including 19 debutants throughout the season, Penney says he leaned heavily on club stalwart and Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper for support throughout an up-and-down year.

“I’ve worked in the careers of players like Richie McCaw, Stirling Mortlock ... some of the greats of the game. I think in some ways, particularly in his work ethic, [Hooper] supersedes many of the very best players

that I’ve been involved with.”

“He’s generally tough, resilient and he works unbelievably hard. You put those elements together and you get a world-class player, and that’s exactly what he is. He and the rest of our leadership group played a critical role in those formative days in nurturing the young bunch through the uncertainty.”

Hooper’s leadership and talent will be missed next season, though, as the 29-year-old explores a one-year sabbatical in Japan, but Penney is confident the standards won’t slip in his absence.

“When he comes back, he will see a more mature group that is more self-sufficient. They can walk back into an organisation that’s moved forward, where they can slip in seamlessly and be the great players in a group that’s taken some steps forward in their development,” Penney says.

“They’re fantastic young men with great character. They work really hard and have all the attributes you need in a rugby team to have success.”

While some uncertainty still hangs over the complexion of the Super Rugby competition for 2021, one thing is for sure: Penney and the Waratahs will make it their mission to challenge for silverware next season.

“We lacked a little bit of experience, but you only get that through time. The foundations now have been set for the Waratahs to start to grow and develop, to get some consistency in our results.”

Penney says.

Q& &A

STEVE CORICA never stand still Sydney FC broke new ground in a year like no other and the club now has its sights set on 2021. Coach Steve Corica reveals how Sydney FC will find fresh motivation heading into the new season

Steve, it’s been a very testing year for everyone in sport, right around the globe. Tell us how proud you are to have led the club to a record fourth Premiers Plate and a fifth Championship?

We’re very pleased with the way the season panned out. Winning both trophies, the Premiers Plate and the Championship, that’s our goal at the start of the season. For the boys to do that in a year which was very trying and a very hard season for everyone — not just for football but right around the world itself — it’s just great to finish the season off with a bang.

You were an integral part of the championship-winning Sydney FC side in 2006. How do the emotions compare, winning titles then as a player and now as a coach?

I love winning trophies. As a player it was special, as a coach it’s very special as well — to see the boys work extremely hard all year and to make a lot of sacrifices throughout the season with the amount of training they do and the travel.

To win the double is very special.

I’m just proud of the coaching staff that we’ve put together, and for the players it’s been a great couple of seasons since I’ve taken over. It’s a different feeling, it’s two different parts of my life.

At the time (as a player), it’s all I knew about. We wanted to win trophies as a club and I wanted to do well as a player. They were fun times. We obviously won in my first

season here in 2006 and I scored the winning goal in the grand final which was a very special moment in my playing career. I then became the assistant (coach) and under ‘Arnie’ (former Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold) we won trophies.

Now as a head coach, it’s a different feeling. It’s all very special. In my first couple of seasons as coach to do it — and to win two in a row now — it’s obviously a very touching thing that we can do that. It’s down to the players and the coaching staff that we’ve put together here.

We want to win more trophies. We don’t want to stand still; we want to improve every season. Next year is going to be no different.

You’ve played a leading role in establishing a winning culture at Sydney FC. What makes Sydney FC such a special club and what’s been the key to sustaining success?

It’s the people that we bring into the club. The culture has grown with the players who we’ve kept here for long periods.

We’ve had Rhyan Grant here for more than 10 years. Miloš Ninković, Alex Wilkinson, Michael Zullo, Andrew Redmayne — these players have all been here for long periods of time.

They don’t stay at a club for that long if there’s not that great culture,

a great team spirit. We work them very hard, but they’ve got to want to stay here for the right reasons.

Finding the right people and keeping them here is what we try to do at the club. It’s what we’ve tried to do this year, again.

Sydney FC is the mostdecorated club in the history of the A-League. But no club has ever won three consecutive championships, and no manager has ever won three championships. What would it mean to you if you could achieve both feats with another success in 2020-21?

Sydney’s always been a club that wants to win trophies. As a player I knew that. I’ve been here for 15 years and 16 seasons. You have to understand what the club wants to do and this club wants to win trophies. It’s my job to try and make that happen. It is the motivation for us this season. When you do the double, the players need more motivation. For me, this is a great motivation for the players and the staff to try and do something that no other club has done in the A-League’s history, to go three years in a row winning the grand final.

Only one other club has won two grand finals in a row. Now it’s up to us to break another record.

It’s not going to be easy, of course. We need a lot of hard work and there’s a long way to go. But we’ve already set that goal.

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WORTH CROWING ABOUT MITCHELL AUBUSSON EPITOMISES WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A ROOSTER, BUT AFTER 14 YEARS IN FIRST GRADE, THE CLUB’S MOST-CAPPED PLAYER HAS CALLED TIME WORDS: RYAN SELVAGE

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e’s the knockabout, uncompromising, unheralded Rooster who now sits above all others.

Mitchell Aubusson, Sydney Rooster #1067, became the most-capped player in the 112-year history of the club during season 2020, with a 303rd NRL appearance, overtaking former club captain Anthony Minichiello for the title when the Roosters met the Sharks in round 19.

A fan-favourite who built a career on being a team-first player, ‘Aubo’ made his debut as a freshfaced 19-year-old in 2007 in the club’s 100th season in the top-tier. He is one of 1195 to have worn the famous tri-colours that are synonymous with the Eastern Suburbs.

“It’s really, really tough to comprehend but I knew it was a bit of a special moment,” Aubusson says of the milestone. “Obviously I was really proud, really humbled, a little bit embarrassed about it.

“Surpassing Mini (Minichiello) who was our skipper … I know how much the club meant to him and what he went through (to become the most-capped Rooster).

“He called me the week of the game and had some great words to say to me, he was really proud. He put my mind at ease when it came to going past him. I’ll sit down, maybe 10 years down the track, and I’ll be

Aubusson recieves a guard of honour after playing his 306th and final game in his sides 18-22 loss to the Canberra Raiders at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 9, 2020.

Picture: Grant Trouville

super proud of what I’ve achieved.”

The humble Aubusson quips he’s “already looking forward to the next person to break the record”, but that may be a while off yet.

Born and raised in Ballina, Aubusson found his way to Bondi Junction after impressing onlookers at a schoolboy carnival on the NSW north coast. Roosters legend-turn-scout and now NRL Immortal, Arthur Beetson, spotted Aubusson and offered him a trainee contract at the Roosters.

“When you come to this club, you know the history, you know what’s expected of you,” Aubusson says. “It’s something that I was drawn to at a young age and the longer I stayed there the more I wanted to be a big part of that. The club’s obviously really successful; it takes a lot of people to get to the right level.

“I’m really grateful to have been a part of some great teams. But I had my end of the bargain to hold up, too — I had to work really hard and to make plenty of sacrifices to stay there. The club demands you be your best self.

I’m really thankful that I got to do that for 15 years. It helped me to become a better person for sure, being at the Roosters.”

As if the script were already written, Aubusson crossed for the opening try of the night in his recordbreaking 303rd NRL appearance. It was a “really special” moment that Aubusson says he will remember forever.

“It’s hard to talk about the SCG — I love the place, we all do,” he says. “We all love playing there, we know the history of it. Even when the Sydney Football Stadium closed down and we were moving there, Robbo (Roosters coach, Trent Robinson) made us get changed in the ‘home’ dressing room in the Members Pavilion.

“It’s hard not to sit there and think about the people who’ve come before you. That guard of honour, the way we played, the lap of honour there at the end. It’s something I’ll never forget, it’s a really special moment in my career. It will be something that I think about once a week until I die. That’s how much that meant to me.

Every time I go there to watch a game of cricket or footy for the next however many years, I’ll think about it.”

Unfortunately for Aubusson and his Roosters teammates, the quest for a third-successive NRL premiership was brought to a halt with a 22-18 semifinal defeat at the hands of the Canberra Raiders.

Aubusson retires from the game as a three-time NRL premiership winner and an integral part of the Roosters’ decade of dominance.

“What people don’t realise about the Roosters is how close and tight the whole club is. Administration staff, football staff, marketing, we are all in together. We’re in one building, everybody knows each other really well and for me it was that ‘family’ and group vibe of ‘we play for everybody’ there.”

The sun may have set on Aubusson’s time in the NRL, but the veteran Rooster won’t be lost to the club.

“I’ve got an opportunity to work and to help out next year, which will be really awesome,” he says. “Hopefully I’ll be doing a bit of recruitment and footy operations, some ambassadorship for the club. I’m really looking forward to that, to help this great club keep running the way it is from the other side of the fence.”

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Q& &A

LANCE & JESINTA frankly speaking He’s one of the AFL’s biggest stars, but how does Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin really feel about living in Sydney, dealing with pressure and calling the SCG his home ground

Lance, you’re now two-thirds of the way through your historic nine-year deal with the Swans.

What has been the highlight?

There have been so many highlights over the journey. I’ve been fortunate to be able to play the game I love for so many years and with that has come some great memories. I’ve been lucky to make lifelong friends at both Sydney and Hawthorn, I’ve been part of some big finals matches and have loved playing in the milestone games over the journey.

Round 23 last year was a particularly special one when we farewelled Macca (Jarrad McVeigh), Kizza (Kieren Jack), Smooch (Nick Smith) and Reg (Heath Grundy) in the match that marked my 300th game.

Hopefully there are plenty more special moments to come, which I’ll no doubt reflect on and be proud of once I finish playing the game.

It was a big deal, did it come with a lot of pressure?

There’s a lot of pressure on all professional athletes these days and it’s just part of the game. I’ve loved my time in Sydney — it’s a beautiful city — but my drive and goals haven’t changed one bit: I’m determined as ever to achieve team success.

What’s the biggest difference between being an AFL star

in Melbourne and being one in Sydney?

There’s clearly some differences between the cities but the life of an AFL footballer is pretty similar in both states. Clearly there are a few more competing sports in Sydney, but AFL has grown a lot even during my time at the club.

There have been Grand Final appearances but no flag. Can you and the Swans deliver one in your time?

Absolutely and that’s clearly the goal and driving factor for all of us at the club. While it was an unbelievable effort to make a couple of Grand Finals, it certainly would have been nice to win one or two! That’s what we play for. Team success is what motivates us to keep going and absolutely you have to be confident in this game to succeed and that’s what we’re working incredibly hard to achieve at the Swans.

What is your favourite thing about playing at the Sydney Cricket Ground?

I just love the SCG and always have.

I actually made my debut at the SCG way back in 2005 so it’s always been a special ground for me. The SCG is our home, it’s where we train and where we’re lucky enough to play all of our home games. There really is nothing better than the buzz of a

home crowd when you win a match and you get to celebrate with them at the end.

What is your favourite thing about Sydney?

I absolutely love the beaches and the lifestyle. I think Sydneysiders have the perfect mix of enjoying their sport and also making the most of the other activities at their doorstep. There are just so many things to see and do in the city and you can really make the most of the outdoors and the amazing weather we have here.

You’re almost 34 now and there have been a few injuries ... does it get to you when you can’t play?

There’s no denying my injuries have been really frustrating but it’s just part of the game unfortunately and something we have to deal with as professional athletes.

How do you find being a dad?

Being a father is one of the most special things. Jesinta and I are absolutely besotted by our little Tullulah. She’s absolutely beautiful and we couldn’t be more proud or happier as a family of three.

What’s the best lesson your Dad gave you?

Just to enjoy every moment of life and to soak it all up.

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&

TRIES TEMPEST

IN THE WETTEST YEAR IN SYDNEY HISTORY, A SOGGY RUGBY LEAGUE TEST WAS PLAYED IN ANKLE-DEEP MUD, WITH A FINISH THAT LEFT EVEN THE HARD MEN IN TEARS WORDS: IAN HEADS

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or all the glory days that have assembled through the passing summers and winters of the seasons — and in many unforgettable sporting battles since — it is fair to propose, these 70 years on, that in its lifetime the Sydney Cricket Ground has hosted nothing to top the drama of the drowned rugby league Test match on the afternoon of Saturday, July 22, 1950.

It was a day on which a rain event approaching biblical proportions arrived to hover above the murk of a playing surface camouflaged in 40 tonnes of river sand that had been gathered to provide some sort of footing for the players in the rugby league series decider between Australia and Great Britain.

The arrival of a final great deluge on match day ultimately undid all the hard work the SCG ground staff had undertaken during the lead-up week, one in which the unforgiving rain had reduced the playing surface to a quagmire. On the days preceding the match the ground was spiked to a depth of 18 inches (46cm) in a move to at least drain surface water away.

The famous UK-based rugby league man Harry Sunderland would declare at full-time in his brief radio summary back to England: “There was more mud today than I have ever seen on any rugby league ground anywhere.”

It was on such an afternoon that the rugby league warriors of Australia and Great Britain slogged out the Ashes-deciding third Test of the 1950 season, with the series locked at kick-off that day at one-all.

The Australians, so hungry for success, had not won an Ashes series against the Brits in 15 years. Now they had to overcome both the Poms and a serious bout of English weather at its worst.

This month of June 1950, which provided the dramatic backdrop, would turn out to be Sydney’s wettest on record, with 643mm of rain falling.

The first Test of the 1950 series, played on June 12, belonged to the British (6-4), a victory eked out on an SCG surface of almost comparable awfulness to the way it would be on the day of the decider.

The second game, in Queensland, was played in bright sunlight on a bone-dry Brisbane Cricket Ground and taken decisively by the Aussies, 15-3, under the captaincy of 23-year-old fullback Clive Churchill, a budding champion earmarked for a stellar career.

Notwithstanding the weather of Test week 1950, such was Sydney’s enthusiasm for the decider that the gates were opened at 7am on match day, and the stands filled by 10 am.

Years later respected British rugby league scribe Robert Gate would reflect on what unfolded, writing: “The crowd (an extraordinary 45,178 on such a day) was rewarded with a contest as stirring and close as any in Test history.”

Missed goal kicks and, occasionally, real try-scoring chances added to the tension as a gripping afternoon unfolded. The Aussies were brilliantly guided in their tactics by coach Vic Hey, a legendary ex-player and champion five-eighth, and a man steeped in the fine arts of playing rugby league on saturated ground through his long and successful stints with clubs in England.

The Poms had their noses in front 2-0 approaching half-time that day, quickly followed by a Churchill goal in the 28th minute before British captain Ernest Ward levelled up with a penalty goal.

On and on went the relentless struggle of the second half as the teams thrust and parried, with half-muddy chances appearing, and disappearing.

Then, 35 minutes out from the final bell, came ‘the moment’ — an unlikely gem of an Australian try featuring a raid of unorthodox technical perfection on any day, let alone one so difficult.

A slick four-man backline surge set up some space — and a chance — for the tall (192cm) St George winger Ron Roberts down the western touchline. Roberts was a quick-footed player reputed to have “uncertain hands” and, in fact, had come up with erratic fumbles of the muddy ball earlier in the game.

But, haring south in the 66th minute for what would be talked of as his famous dash-and-dive at the Randwick end of the ground, the big bloke safely grabbed a neat pass from North Sydney’s teenage centre Keith Middleton and headed into clear space down a narrow strip of grass and onwards to his spectacular dive over the line and into rugby league immortality.

In the rugby league storybook it was a moment for the ages, captured on film by at least two sodden photographers.

The Rugby League Review would record the moment: “Pandemonium broke loose as he (Roberts) dived over for the try. Thousands of papers were tossed in the air ... bags, hats and umbrellas, anything ... as the crowd went crazy with joy.”

Sunderland painted his own picture of Roberts’ run for listeners in the UK: “The crowd rode him for the whole 40 yards and when he dived over four yards inside the flag, the confetti that was hurled in the air presented a sight like a snowstorm as it fell back amongst the spectators.”

Fourteen nervous minutes remained for play at that point but the Australian forwards, so strong all day, kept things tight and ensured that their defence would not be pierced. Respected Sydney sports writer and editor of the league’s Annual Yearbook, E.E. “Ernie” Christensen (Christo), would reflect later on the day and its qualities, writing: “Sydney Cricket Ground’s oldest members could not remember a more spontaneous nor sustained demonstration of joy than the one that marked the winning try by Ron Roberts and gave Australia the Ashes.”

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He observed: “Every Australian played magnificently”, adding “and possibly most credit would go to (vice-captain) Jack Holland” who contributed “magnificently” and “as though his life depended on it.”

Referee Tom McMahon was praised for his “firm control” and was deemed to have been strictly impartial and to have delivered one of the finest displays of his career. Sunderland later praised him for the “extreme calm” of his handling of the game.

In a future century, the Roberts try would be voted Australian Rugby League’s `Greatest Moment’ in a promotion in the magazine, Rugby League Week.

In an interview conducted in 1986, Roberts reflected on his great moment, declaring “that I knew all I needed was a good ball from Keith (Middleton) and I was over. It was a perfect pass … and off I went”.

In an interview years later the Australian halfback of the day, Keith “Yappy” Holman, recalled his postscript to the match: “I cried that day … we all cried.”

In the nervy final minutes, with the tension growing, the English skipper urged on his weary warriors as the crowd held its collective breath.

The match ended when Churchill kicked for touch after a penalty as the bell sounded. A touch judge caught the ball and kept it as a souvenir.

Finally, it was over, and the day was won, five points to two. Amazing scenes followed as emotions overflowed. Thousands invaded the field and a mass of spectators swept into the members reserve; there plate glass windows were smashed and the mob chanted: “We want Churchill! We want Churchill!” This led to the constabulary stepping in to calm things down.

The gathered fans called, too — for coach Hey, such a towering figure in what had been achieved — while in ankle-deep mud on the hallowed playing field others scrambled for souvenirs: corner posts and flags, and even the buckets players had used to wash the SCG mud from their eyes throughout the game.

Christensen would take the story further, noting that even the padding from the goalposts had been nicked in the excitement. Several players also gave muddied socks to enthusiasts.

Second rower Bernie Purcell would never forget the sight of grown men crying in the Australian dressingroom afterwards and journalist and historian Gary Lester would reflect on the depth of emotion, noting “how men had knelt and kissed the quagmire on which Australia had won the Ashes”.

Ward was a gracious loser, telling Sunday Herald journalist Tom Goodman that afternoon: “The better side won; they took their big chance. I have never seen Australian forwards play better.”

In famously winning the Ashes that wintry, mud-soaked day, Australian rugby league gained the ascendancy against the ‘Old Enemy’ for the first time in the six occasions on which the Great Britain v Australia series had been decided in the final match.

No Australian player on that last, muddy day was

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over 30 and only two were over 25.

Churchill, team captain at 23, fell just short of being the youngest Australian Test captain ever (behind Dave Brown).

Australia’s Ashes win was the first in the green and gold colours. When Australia had last won the Ashes in 1929, the sky blue of NSW was the team’s colour.

Churchill, bound for greatness, showed his personal qualities before the deciding Test when, in the dressing-room minutes before kick-off, he called his team together and addressed coach Hey, thanking the coach for the manner in which he had improved the football of all in the team.

The series win was widely acclaimed as a coaching masterpiece by Hey. A legendary figure in UK rugby league, Hey took several months leave from his job before the 1950 series, so he could give his undivided attention to “thinking football”. He insisted that the Australian team had to maintain aggression for the full 80 minutes of each match — and had to make every tackle felt by the Poms.

Postscript Seventy years on from that July day when the Aussies broke the Ashes drought for the first time in 30 years, memories still shine bright for a lucky few. Among them are some from within the ranks of current SCG members and I hope the memories of such an occasion are rekindled by this retelling.

By the chances of fate, I happen to be one of the lucky few who can say: “I was there the day Australia won the Ashes.”

I was seven then, living with my mother, grandmother and sister in Rose Bay within the rugby league boundaries of Eastern Suburbs club — Tricolours territory. A couple of good old sporting uncles, Ken and Cecil Appleton, effectively introduced me to “the sporting life” after the death in 1944 of my father, an RAAF pilot in New Guinea.

On that soggy match day, my uncles and I caught a bus to Paddington — and walked down the hill to the SCG and my first experience of the game of rugby league.

The three of us took up a position at the back of the Hill, beside the old SCG scoreboard.

There, I clearly remember men nearby pressing long-neck beer bottles into the soft ground, and standing on them to improve their view.

All these years on I retain the sense of a relentless struggle as the play ground its way up and down the field in a great muddy clump of unrecognisable footballers.

Finally, after the lowering clouds had done their worst and dumped vast quantities of rain on the ground, there came an electric thrill surging through the crowd as the ball sped across the Australian backline, ending in the hands of a big fella over the other side, posted on the one visible strip of green grass.

My memory remains — of the mighty roar that went up, of great tumult and movement and shouting on the far touchline, and of hats and shredded paper flying into the air in a joyous and spectacular celebration.

Unknown to me at the time, that single drowned day changed the direction of my life, leading me down a path on which I became a faithful follower of the game of rugby league with its mix of rawness and skills — and of my local side, the Tricolours, and eventually into the newspaper world and the sports writing caper where I remain, now and then, to this day.

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GYM SESSION

JESS SERGIS GUEST TRAINER

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WARM UP THIGH STRETCH Hold foot for hand on same side of your body, keeping in vertical alignment 30SECS EACH SIDE

WARM UP ROLL OUT GLUTS, HAMSTRINGS & CALVES Target each muscle, moving up and down on the roller. Get blood flowing and muscles moving.

30 SECS-1 MIN EACH MUSCLE, EACH LEG

KETTLEBELL SWING

S

tanding 173cm and weighing in at 72kg, Jess Sergis is a ball of muscle. But she’s also known for her agility and tenacity on the field. The St George-Illawarra, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian Nines star has had an illustrious career for a 23-year-old.

Named Dally M female player of the year in 2019 and the 2019 Golden Boot recipient, she was a member of the Dragons’ NRLW grand final loss in 2019 and Perth Nines tournament win in 2020. She hasn’t let the COVIDforced interruption to her season get her down, keeping her fitness up in preparation for a huge 2021.

PICTURES: GREGG PORTEOUS

Start with the kettlebell between your knees (shoulder-width apart).

Bending slightly at the knees, swing kettlebell up 90°. Let the bell return to between your legs. Repeat.

3 SETS x 10-12 REPS

KETTLEBELL SINGLE ARM ROW Start with knees bent, lean forward and back straight.

Lift the kettlebell to your chest, focusing on using the muscles in your back and shoulders. Lower the weight slowly to the ground.

10-12 REPS EACH SIDE 1876

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CLEAN AND PRESS 1-2-3 weight lifting. Legs shoulder width apart 15KGS/30KGS X 6-8 REPS

WEIGHT PLATE SHOULDER/LAT PRESS Standing straight, hold weight at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions, arms bent at the elbows. Push the plate up, extending arms until plate is overhead. Lower the plate back down to the starting position 3 SETS X 6-8 REPS

BARBELL SQUATS Feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly out.

Keeping your spine in alignment by looking at a spot on the floor about two metres in front of you. “Sit” back and down until your hips are level with your knees.

Keep your weight on your heels as you drive back up.

3 SETS X 6-8 REPS

BALL SLAMS

DUMBBELL BICEPS CURLS Stand holding dumbbells with your arms hanging by your sides, elbows close to your torso and palms facing forward.

Keeping upper arms still, curl the weights up to shoulder level while contracting your biceps 3 SETS X 6-8 REPS

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Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and a non-bounce medicine ball held overhead. Throw the ball down to the ground with as much force as possible. Lift the medicine ball back to the starting position and repeat.

3 SETS OF 6-8 REPS

BATTLE ROPES DOUBLE ARM WAVES

BATTLE ROPES SINGLE ARM WAVES

Start with feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward and knees slightly bent. Grip the ropes and move both arms at the same time up, then down, using your full range of motion. Keep a brisk pace.

Start with feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward and knees slightly bent. Grip the ropes and move each arm one at a time, making two waves up, then two waves down. Repeat for 30 seconds.

STRAPS INCLINE PULLUPS

CHIN UPS Grip bar with palms facing towards you.

Hang with arms extended then pull yourself up. Lower slowly.

Set strap handles to waist height.

Pull your chest up, squeezing core muscles to keep your body as straight. Slowly lower, repeat.

3 SETS X 6-8 REPS

SQUAT JUMPS

ROWING

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Squat, then engage your core and jump explosively.

Drive back with your thighs, pull elbows back, keeping your back straight

3 SETS OF 6-8 REPS

5 MINUTES

CROSS TRAINER BIKE Use arms and legs for total body workout 5 MINUTES 1876

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PEAKY BLINDERS

WITH ITS EXTRAORDINARY WALKS, PLUNGING LAKES AND SNOW-CAPPED SCENERY, NEW ZEALAND’S SOUTH ISLAND IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST SCENIC DESTINATIONS. NOW WE CAN START PLANNING TRANS-TASMAN TRAVEL AGAIN, DON SOME WALKING BOOTS AND HIRE A VAN FOR A JOURNEY THAT WILL STRETCH YOUR PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES WHILE BROADENING YOUR HORIZONS WORDS: CAROLINE CLEMENTS PHOTOGRAPHY: DILLON SEITCHIK-REARDON

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Starc warning: Mitchell Starc dismisses Kane Williamson (main); Steve Smith (below right).

D

riving through New

Picture: David Mariuz (AAP) Zealand’s South

Island in a van feels like an antipodean rite of passage. It seems there are more campers, trailers, caravans and motorhomes in NZ than any other vehicle on the road. And no wonder. It’s the best way to traverse this extraordinary island, giving you the freedom to move about with your home on your back.

You can set off in the morning with a map on your lap and not know where you’ll end up that night.

In the summer of 2019-20 we spent three weeks roaming the South Island, uncovering an astonishing array of natural beauties to take in — from multiday hikes through finger-like sounds in the north to camping in alpine huts in the south, while also tramping through farmlands, crossing rivers, eating cheese scones (around every corner) and enduring sandfly swarms worse than mosquito plagues. There were also earthy hot springs, icy glacial pools and refreshing river baths.

Three weeks was the right amount of time to cover quite a lot of ground, leaving a few things to return for.

Christchurch Begin in Christchurch, spending a few days exploring this quaint city. Remnants of the 2011 earthquake are still present. Crumbling buildings sit next to modern builds. It feels like the city is still grappling with its new(ish) identity, but there is a lot to enjoy.

Christchurch is making an excellent attempt at regaining its liveability.

A flat city that you can walk, cycle or motor scooter around through parks and pedestrian streets to openair markets and outdoor bars on the Avon River in summer — it feels good.

Call us book nerds (we’re okay with that), but we often seek out libraries in cities when travelling.

Turanga, Christchurch’s new city library, is an excellent example of a place for the people. After the library in the same spot closed following the earthquake, a new and superior modern four-storey facility was built in its place. A great spot to work/study, borrow books and come for lunch. Foundation Cafe on the ground floor is famous for its excellent cheese scones.

Christchurch has a bounty of other culinary highlights. Some choices include: Mumbaiwala. Contemporary Indian dining near the city centre serving authentic street food and curries stacked in tiffins, Mumbai style.

Thai Container. A beloved Thai food outlet in a shipping container on the outskirts of the city. Sit outside on picnic tables to eat pad Thai and flavoursome larb gai. BYO plates and cutlery to avoid the

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High points: the insanely beautiful Blue Pools (main image, opposite); and Mount Cook rising above the grassy Hooker Valley (above)

North

Christchurch

polystyrene takeaway containers.

Earl. This beautiful venue brings European bistro chic to Christchurch with its wholesome yet urbane menu and focus on intriguing wines.

Riverside Market. Overlooking the Avon River in the heart of Christchurch, Riverside is an indoor food market with a meticulously curated selection of food stalls by local restaurants, cafes, bars, breweries and patisseries. There is something here for everyone.

While in Christchurch take a detour past Hagley Oval, now the city’s home of first-class cricket. In 2014, this picturesque ground became NZ’s eighth Test oval, hosting the NZ-Sri Lanka Boxing Day Test. It also hosted NZ’s opening ceremony and match for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. The Oval, with a history stretching back to 1867 and its long, sloping boundaries reminiscent of those Adelaide Oval, replaced Lancaster Park as the home of cricket in the south after the forced demolition of Lancaster Park due to irreversible damage sustained in the earthquake.

For luxury city hotels, try: The Tackrooms tackrooms.co.nz; The Britten Stables thebrittenstables.com

North Leaving Christchurch, drive north up Highway 1 via Kaikoura, a cute surf town with two long, gnarly right-hand points along the coastal road. You’ll want a 4/3 wetsuit even in the summer on the South Island.

Just north of Kaikoura is Nin’s Bin crayfish shack in Rakautara. It’s a bit of a tourist favourite, but perfectly positioned for a pit stop to eat garlic butter crays, crumbed paua (abalone) and whitebait fritters on a roadside overlooking the beach.

QU E E N C H A R L OT T E T R AC K This hike is 72km, or three to four days, through Marlborough Sounds. It’s less busy than the popular Abel Tasman Track, also in this area, and has amazing mountain landscapes. Catch a boat from the town of Picton via a company called Beachcomber to the start of the walk at Ship Cove. They can also drop your bags at your campsite. We camped the first night at Camp Bay, the second night at Black Rock, the third night at Davies Bay (3km from the end of the walk at Anakiwa). The end of the walk is 24km from Picton — grab a lift with someone going back that way or organise a pick-up.

N E L S O N L A K E S N AT I O N A L PA R K Schedule time at this beautiful, mountainous national park in the central north based around two large lakes, Rotoiti and Rotoroa. There are several multi-day hikes that leave from the lakes. Spend a

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morning tramping the Mt Robert Circuit, and highly recommended is an overnight hike up to Angelus Hut. M A RU I A HO T S PR I NG S A hot spring in the mountains where you can stay the night (there’s accommodation on site, or sleep in your van). There are both indoor and outdoor springs here available 24 hours for guests.

WO ODPE C K E R H U T If you are in the Punakaiki region on the west coast, check out Woodpecker Hut, a rustic dream home overlooking the rugged coastline. The fire-powered hot tub is an incredible way to spend an afternoon, evening or morning. This place has a really well set up outdoor kitchen and barbecue for feasting.

West F R A NZ JO S E F G L AC I E R There are plenty of short walks to have a look at the magnificent, albeit shrinking, FJ Glacier. Roberts Point Track is our pick of the bunch. It’s a steep 11km return walk that winds up sheer walls through open scrubland and glacially polished rocks, and the views from the top offer a panorama of ice, waterfalls and mountain peaks.

Continuing south, there are several short walks off the Haast Highway as you drive the Haast Pass between the island’s west coast and Wanaka. Try Roaring Billy Falls, a 1km walk off the road through wet rainforest to huge falls and a blue river over a rocky riverbed. Or on the roadside, Fantail Falls, is a large waterfall with an icy river flowing below. Magnificent.

T H E BLU E POOL S Expect insanely beautiful, crystal clear blue water at these landmark natural waterholes along the Makarora River. The pools are a 20-minute walk from the Blue Pools carpark on the Haast Highway. Take your swimmers and a towel so you can dunk into the icy glacial water. After your swim, stop in at Wonderland roadside bar on the way towards Wanaka. Stay at the very picturesque Boundary Creek DOC Campsite ($8/person/night) on Lake Wanaka, 60km north of Wanaka township.

A O R A K I / M T C O O K N AT I O N A L PA R K Mt Cook is New Zealand’s highest mountain at 3724m. There are glaciers everywhere you look and they provide a constant grumbling soundtrack during summer. The Hooker Valley Track is a popular 10km return walk and will take two to three hours along an easy flat path over suspension bridges to the Hooker Glacier (and lake). There is also a more challenging hike up to the Mueller Hut, providing mind-blowing 360-degree panorama views.

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South West

South Queenstown

WA N A K A A resort town on Lake Wanaka with views of snowcapped mountains and the gateway to the Southern Alps Mount Aspiring National Park, this is one of the south’s most scenic towns. There’s a big focus on the outdoors here — hiking, kayaking, mountain biking in summer, skiing in the winter (Treble Cone and Cardrona are the closest spots). Spend a few days enjoying the town and hiking the mountains. Here’s where to try: Kai Whakapai. This cosy bar and cafe feels like a town meeting point and is always busy, morning through to late night, serving Supreme coffee, muffins, big breakfasts, bacon butties and beers on tap.

Big Fig. A cute cafe serving Allpress coffee and meats and salads by weight.

Black Peak Gelato. Offering homemade gelato and sorbets made using fruit from local orchards.

Kika. A beautiful tapas restaurant at the top end of town with dishes such as Poaka farm salumi, Cloudy Bay clams and liquorice-cured salmon. It has the same owners as neighbouring Francesca’s Italian.

Cinema Paradiso. A cosy arthouse cinema showing independent and mainstream movies and serving house-made choc tops and fresh hot cookies.

An experience.

ROY’S PE A K Hikers should prepare for this stunning 1500m high, 15km return walk, about five to six hours up and down. It’s steep but so worth it for the views. Start early morning so you’re not ascending in the heat of the day.

GI L L ESPI E PA SS CI RCU I T This is a three-to-four day hike up a river valley, over a high pass and down another river valley. Start at Young Valley and stay at Young Hut the first night (no booking required). Day two, head over Gillespie’s

Saddle (1500m). It’s steep and sustained but presents breathtaking aspects. Most people stay at Siberia Hut (bookings are required) or camp nearby. Allow an extra day for a side trip up to the ice-filled Crucible Lake (1172m). Then walk down to Wilkin Valley to get back to the road (six to seven hours from Siberia Hut). You can opt to take a speed boat from Kerin Forks, which is two to three hours from Siberia Hut. If walking out, you have to cross the Makarora River, so ask the Siberia Hut attendant about current conditions. This will all make sense when you look at a map.

Scene stealers: take a tentative dip into icy Gillespie Creek (main image); soaring Gillespie Track (top); and, ferny Queen Charlotte Track (above)

Queenstown Queenstown is a great base for exploring Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables ranges (popular for skiing) and Richardson Mountains. The natural beauty is undeniable, but the centre of town can feel like it is run by tourists, for tourists.

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S H E RW O O D On the outskirts of town is the Sherwood, an old Tudor-style motel turned into a boutique accommodation with a very ecofriendly approach. There is yoga, a co-working space, community events and the best restaurant in town, where almost everything is made, bottled, or produced on site, much of which comes from their incredible kitchen garden. Come for dinner even if you’re not staying here.

Breweries. Brewing beer is a big deal in Queenstown, and there are operators set up in garages and industrial zones on the outskirts of town serving more beers on tap than you can try in one sitting.

Try Searchlight Brewery and Altitude Brewery. Order a paddle and sample a few.

Bespoke Kitchen. Come for good, healthy breakfasts and lunches, such as a “veggan” eggs Benedict with nori and tofu. There’s also a great salad selection and house-made cakes (try the coconut and apricot), daily soup, good coffee and beer.

BE N L OMON D T R AC K This is a steep, popular, summit hike at the heart of Queenstown with epic views over Lake Wakatipu. If you start the hike from town (Lomond Crescent), the full walk will take four to five hours. You can also catch the gondola up to the Skyline complex, which will shave an hour off your timings.

GL E NORCH Y Check out this small town 44km from Queenstown with an unmissable drive (also, the location of Top of the Lake TV series). Make sure you do this in daylight. Stop into Mrs Woolly’s General Store for a pie or enjoy a coffee outside at the Trading Post. There are countless tramps

around here, most notably the Routeburn Track and Greenstone and Caples Tracks. Follow the unsealed road north to stay in rustic cabins at Paradise Trust.

A RO H A W E L L N E S S R E T R E AT If you have time to check in to a wellness retreat for a few days, Aro Ha is a combination of luxury, adventure and wellness (the ultimate elixir), just near Glenorchy. aro-ha.com

Fiordland

Beaten tracks: Mount Nicholas Road winds through the lowlands (main image, opposite); the excellent Sherwood restaurant (top); and, the view from Mount Roberts (above)

Fiordland

Dunedin

There’s lots to explore down in the nether regions of the South Island, but you’ll need a car. Te Anau is an unremarkable town, but is the gateway to the many Great Walks and adventures such as the Milford Track, the Kepler Track and Doubtful Sound overnight boat cruises. The weather here is famously wet, so pack accordingly.

Dunedin Back on the east side, this coastal city is a university town with a heavy Scottish influence. A creeping urban renewal is spreading across the city, with lots of small cafes and eateries tucked into the lower levels of heritage buildings. The architecture here is striking, ranging from Edwardian Baroque, to neo-Gothic, to Modernist.

Wander the streets exploring, stop in for a burger at Joe’s Garage, then head over to the beachside suburb of Saint Clair where there is a fun point break, a saltwater pool overlooking the ocean and a pizza bar called Esplanade.

On your way north (about an hour) have lunch at Fleurs Place, a seafood restaurant on the water in Moeraki.

LOCA L K NOW LEDGE Get familiar with the Department of Conservation (DOC) website. It has all of the best and most current information about virtually every tramp, walk and public campsite in the country. The interactive maps are extraordinary.

DOC campsites are dotted around the best parts of the country. They are usually basic sites with flat ground, a sheltered cooking area (BYO stove) and toilets.

NZ’s sandflies are nasty little bugs that are often found near water and will bite you better than a mosquito. Bring repellent.

If you are getting a local SIM card for your phone while in NZ, go with Spark Mobile. There are WiFi phone boxes all over the South Island and you can connect to their network and use up to 1GB per day.

For booking accommodation, we are big fans of Airbnb. But localised sites in NZ include: holidayshouses.co.nz and bookabatch.co.nz. * Information was correct at the time of writing and publishing. But due to COVID-19 some things may have changed. Be sure to check ahead of any visit.

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Bounty D Hunter FOR YEAR-ROUND DOLPHIN WATCHING, WINE BARS HOUSED IN HERITAGE COTTAGES AND OUTSTANDING REGIONAL DINING, HEAD NORTH OF SYDNEY FOR A BEGUILING BREAK WORDS: KATRINA HOLDEN PICTURE: KATE BENNETT

rive north of Sydney for a short trip or a long weekend and you can almost pinpoint the place where city cares fall away. Traffic on the bumper-to-bumper Pacific Highway, with its exhaust fumes and aggressive tradies, suddenly frees up and the majesty of a million gum trees and the sparkling water of the Hawkesbury River looms large. The sky seems bigger, the air cleaner, the views, glorious. A spirit of adventure steals upon you and the possibilities of breathing space — literally and figuratively — become a reality.

There’s no need to go far. Just two hours north of Sydney are the picturesque inland and coastal regions of Maitland, Port Stephens and the Hunter Valley wine country.

Port Stephens, with its coastal walks, seaside eateries and luxury accommodation, has untouched beauty for those keen to explore or simply relax.

Maitland is a thriving regional centre with much to offer those escaping the grind of city life. And the Hunter’s charms are manifold — from rolling hills dotted with cellar doors and grand restaurants to golf courses and country retreats, it’s an area of deep beauty.

It’s a good time to visit these close-by regional communities, following the harrowing struggle of a horrific 2019-20 fire season coupled with prolonged drought. Operators in the Hunter Valley have sustained losses over the summer, with smoke taint affecting the grape yields in some vineyards. Many wineries will produce a limited 2019-20 vintage, or no vintage at all.

But with the fires over, this resilient community is far from calling stumps. And whichever way you like to travel — by car, caravan, limo or helicopter — it’s time to call play on a visit north.

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Maitland The regional centre of Maitland has a true heritage feel, along with a creative vibe. The town is home to Australia’s first Slow Food Earth Market with the produce sourced from within a 15km radius of Maitland.

On High Street, new café, small bar, deli and bistro Coquun is located in a lovely space. Local goodies are sourced predominantly from nearby farms, wineries, breweries and distilleries. The restaurant pays homage to the local indigenous landowners, the Wonnarua people, using their language for the name of the restaurant.

Also on High Street is popular Melbourne-style wine bar, lounge and restaurant The Rigby, created by father and son duo, Howard and Nick Bourne, in a converted 1870s building.

In the restored Arnott Bakehouse building dating back to 1850, Morpeth Sourdough in the historic Morpeth district bakes bread to make the mouth water in the building that was home to Maitland’s first bakehouse, said to be the oldest original Scotch oven in Australia. Afterwards, visit the Morpeth Ginger Beer Factory and Gourmet Foods and see ginger beer brewed, stirred and packaged the old-fashioned way, by hand.

Sugar fiends will want to make their way early to Icky Sticky Patisserie in Lorn, before their coveted frangipane-filled almond croissants, strawberry and raspberry tarts and lemon meringue pies sell out.

At nearby JERF, everything is made to order from scratch at this wholefood organic café catering to customers with allergies, intolerances and special dietary requirements.

Popular spots for a caffeine hit include Dragonfly Foods, Black Label Espresso, The Cabin Collective (a café in a tattoo studio) and The Bikesmith & Espresso Bar (located in a bike service shop).

Spend your time browsing Campbell’s Store Morpeth — a two-storey stone and brick building built

by James Campbell in 1835. There are 10 speciality stores featuring the work of talented artisans and crafts people under the one roof. The sandstone building is also home to the Morpeth Antique Centre and its 25 antique dealers.

The village of Morpeth is classified as a National Trust destination. Take the Morpeth Heritage Walk or visit Australia’s only museum dedicated to clothing from the 1860s to the present day at the Museum of Clothing and Textiles.

Some of the best accommodation options include The Villa Country House Retreat constructed in 1879, where guests can take a selfguided vintage bike tour. The Glenellyn House Servants Quarters is a stylishly appointed cottage with contemporary furniture and capacity for four guests.

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Hunter Valley

Hunter Valley’s Tyrell Winery (main) and Brokenwood wines (above) and dessert from Icky Sticky Patisserie.

Wining and dining is the name of the game in the Hunter. As Australia’s oldest wine region, its history is shaped by some of the country’s most lauded wine families and brands. Today, the Hunter also offers many contemporary restaurants, cellar doors and places to stay.

Tyrrell’s Wines, family owned since 1858, is a must-visit cellar door. See the old oak vats and red cellar still in full operation, as well as the original iron bark hut in which Edward Tyrrell lived. The winery has unfortunately reported a crop loss of 80% this year, due to smoke taint.

Following wine, cricket and sport come a close second as a Tyrrell family passion. The late Murray Tyrrell was an opening batsman in NSW schoolboys cricket; and his son Bruce, current CEO, made the shortlist for selection in the NSW under-18 rugby league team. Tyrrell’s was a wine sponsor with Cricket Australia between 1991 and 2001. Attendees at the SCG may be familiar with a Tyrrell’s drop or two, as official wine partners with the SCG for more than 25 years.

On Broke Road, Vamp Wine Rooms has recently opened by fourth-generation winemaker, Lisa McGuigan.

It includes a circular tasting-bar, semi-private tasting rooms and a pop-up oyster bar Friday to Sunday.

Brokenwood Wines has a contemporary new cellar door, allowing visitors to sample their much-loved Cricket Pitch wines in tasting pods, or on the outdoor terrace enjoying food from its casual eatery, Cru Bar + Pantry. Wine enthusiasts may want to book in for the VIP ‘Soil to Cellar’ experience, providing a rare opportunity to taste the flagship Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, take a private winery tour and enjoy a four-

course degustation lunch in a private dining room.

Picnics are popular at Audrey Wilkinson vineyard, with elevated views of the valley; or sample charcuterie and an incredible cheese platter at Usher Tinkler Wines in a restored former church in Pokolbin with views of the Brokenback Ranges.

For fine dining, Exp. restaurant at Oakvale Winery offers a contemporary menu prepared by head chef and owner, Frank Fawkner. He and wife Emma also run the more casual Fawk Foods Kitchen & Bakery in Pokolbin Village — a great stop for coffee and pastries.

Settle in for a long meal at Muse Restaurant at Hungerford Hill winery. And legendary local restaurant Bistro Molines in Mount View has a European appeal, with an entrance framed in wisteria vines and views over rolling hills. Cheese lovers should visit Binnorie Dairy in Lovedale

Bistro Molines, Mount View, Hunter Valley (above left), Muse Restaurant at Pokoibin (above right) and Binnorie Dairy, Lovedale (above) Pictures: Destination NSW

for its renowned range of soft cheeses.

Regular festivals and major events provide Sydneysiders with a great excuse to book a trip. The Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival spans May and June. In July, Hope Estate will host a Cheese and Chocolate Festival, and singer Kate Ceberano will perform at Jazz in the Vineyards on October 31.

Let someone else transport you, allowing you to enjoy the region’s spoils. Check out Two Fat Blokes, All Around the Vines and DiVine Tours for seamless tour options. For something different, saddle up with a Murchessons Equine Wine & Dine tour to visit cellar doors on horseback.

Bed down at Spicers Vineyards Estate, Voco Kirkton Park, golf resort Chateau Elan — or check the large range of residences and homesteads through Hunter Valley Stays.

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Picture: Kate Bennett

MAITLAND Coquun 396 High St, Maitland; coquun.com.au; The Rigby 307 High St, Maitland; therigby.com.au; Morpeth Sourdough 148 Swan St, Morpeth; historicarnottbakehouse.com.au; Morpeth Ginger Beer Factory and Gourmet Foods 5 Green St, Mortpeth; campbellsonline.com.au; Icky Sticky Patisserie 2/27 Belmore Rd, Lorn; ickystickypatisserie.com; JERF 1/27 Belmore Rd, Lorn; facebook. com/jerfthewholefoodcafe; Dragonfly Foods 417 High St, Maitland; dragonflyfoods.com.au; Black Label Espresso 2/427 High St, Maitland; facebook.com/blacklabelespresso; The Cabin Collective 511 High St, Maitland; facebook.com/thecabincollectivetattoo; The Bikesmith & Espresso Bar 326 High Street Maitland thebikesmith.com.au; Morpeth Antique Centre 175 Swan St, Maitland; morpethantiquecentre.com; Morpeth Heritage Walk mymaitland.com.au; Museum of Clothing and Textiles, Brough House, 73 Church St, Maitland; mgnsw.org.au; The Villa Country House Retreat 7 High St, Morpeth; facebook.com/thevillacountryhouseretreat; Glenellyn House Servants Quarters 69 Cumberland St, East Maitland; facebook.com/glenellynhousesq HUNTER VALLEY Tyrrell’s Wines 1838 Broke Rd, Pokolbin; tyrells.com.au; Vamp Wine Rooms 2198 Broke Rd, Pokolbin; vampbylisamcguigan.withwine.com; Brokenwood Wines 401-427 McDonald’s Rd, Pokolbin; brokenwood.com.au; Audrey Wilkinson 750 De Beyers Rd, Pokolbin; audreywilkinson.com.au; Usher Tinkler Wines 97 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin; ushertinklerwines.com; EXP. 1596 Broke Rd, Pokolbin; exprestaurant.com.au; Fawk Foods Kitchen & Bakery 2188 Broke Rd, Pokolbin; fawkfoods.com; Muse Restaurant 2450 Broke Rd, Pokolbin; musedining.com.au; Bistro Molines 749 Mount View Rd, Mount View; bistromolines.com.au; Binnorie Dairy 25 Lodge Rd, Lovedale; binnorie.com.au; Hunter Valley Food & Wine Festival huntervalleywinefestival.com; Hope Estate 2213 Broke Rd, Pokolbin; hopeestate.com.au; Two Fat Blokes 691 Hermitage Rd, Pokolbin; twofatblokes.com.au; All Around the Vines 2 Branxton St, Nulkaba; allaroundthevines.com.au; DiVine Tours divinetours.com. au; Murchessons Equine Wine & Dine 294 O’Connors Rd, Pokolbin; murchessonscom.au; Spicers Vineyards Estate 555 Hermitage Rd, Pokolbin; spicersretreats.com; Voco Kirkton Park 336 Oakey Creek Rd, Pokolbin; huntervalley.vocohotels.com; Chateau Elan, Vintage Dr, Rothbury; chateauelan.com.au PORT STEPHENS The Little Nel 3/7 Government Rd, Nelson Bay; thelittlenel.com.au; Little Beach Boathouse 4 Victoria Pde, Nelson Bay; littlebeachboathouse.com.au; Holberts Oyster Farm Lot 52 Diemars Rd, Salamander Bay; holbertsoysterfarm.com; Nelson Bay Fishermen’s Wharf 1 Teramby Rd, Nelson Bay; Red Neds 3/17-19 Stockton St, Nelson Bay; red-neds-gourmet-pie-bar.business.site; The Home Interior 41 Donald St, Nelson Bay; thehomeinterior.com.au; Crest Birubi Beach 73 James Paterson St, Anna Bay; crestbirubibeach.com.au; Anchorage Port Stephens 6 Corlette Point Rd, Corlette; anchorageportstephens.com.au; Bannisters Port Stephens 147 Soldiers Point Rd, Soldiers Point; bannisters.com.au; Seabreeze Hotel Nelson Bay 1 Stockton St, Nelson Bay; seabreezehotel. com.au; Mantra Nelson Bay 1A Tomaree St, Nelson Bay; mantra.com.au; Salt at Shoal Bay 83 Shoal Bay Rd, Shoal Bay; saltshoalbay.com.au; Ramada Resort Shoal Bay 35-45 Shoal Bay Rd, Shoal Bay; ramadashoalbay.com.au; Shoal Bay Country Club 35-45 Shoal Bay Rd, Shoal Bay; shoalbaycountryclub.com.au; Shoal Bay SUP On the Beach Opposite 3 Shoal Bay Rd, Shoal Bay; shoalbaysup.com. au; Port Stephens Paddlesports Shop 25 Shoal Bay Village, Shoal Bay; paddleportstephens.com.au; Dolphin Swim Australia d’Albora Marina, Teramby Rd, Nelson Bay dolphinswimaustralia.com.au; Moonshadow-TQC Cruises 3/35 Stockton St, Nelson Bay; moonshadow-tqc.com.au; Inner Light Tea Rooms 5a Lighthouse Rd, Nelson Bay; innerlighttearooms.com.au

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Port Stephens If the coast is calling, head to the pretty bays and beach towns of Port Stephens and fill your lungs with fresh air.

At Nelson Bay, start with coffee and breakfast at The Little Nel. Then head on to lunch or a cocktail on the marina at Little Beach Boathouse. Stop for oysters at Holberts Oyster Farm or taste fresh local seafood at Nelson Bay Fishermen’s Wharf. For an Aussie snack visit Red Neds gourmet pie bar in Stockton Street, which sells more than 50 varieties of pies, baked on site.

Nearby is The Home Interior, a café and homewares store where you can lose yourself for hours browsing their curated collection. Crest Birubi Beach, popular for coffee, is located within the Birubi Point Surf Lifesaving Club at Anna Bay, directly on the beach.

At Moby’s Bar at Anchorage Port Stephens, there’s a range of bespoke whiskies and cocktails, and daily whisky tastings at 5pm.

Bannisters Port Stephens is one of the best accommodation options in the region. The new ultra-chic resort is found at Soldiers Point, along with its premium fine-dining restaurant, Rick Stein at Bannisters, its Terrace Bar by the pool and the recently opened casual bistro, Cheeky Dog. The Anchorage Hotel & Spa is positioned on the waterfront. Its signature fine-dining restaurant The Wild Herring serves sustainably sourced, local seafood. Other places to stay include Seabreeze Hotel Nelson Bay, Mantra Nelson Bay, Salt at Shoal Bay

Bannisters Port Stephens (above), and The Anchorage Hotel & Spa (above right) Pictures: Kate Bennett, and Destination NSW

* Information was correct at the time of writing and publishing. But due to COVID-19 some things may have changed. Be sure to check ahead of any visit.

and Ramada Resort Shoal Bay — with neighbouring Shoal Bay Country Club being a popular spot for drinks and dining.

There are plenty of activities handy to burn off the kilos. Take stand-up paddleboarding classes with Shoal Bay SUP; hike to the summit of Tomaree Head through the national park at sunrise for magnificent views; or go kayaking with Port Stephens Paddlesports. Swim with wild dolphins and view them in their natural habitat with experienced staff from Dolphin Swim Australia. You can spot dolphins year-round and migrating whales from May to early November from a vessel with Moonshadow-TQC Cruises.

Unwind at the many local beaches including Fingal Bay and Bagnalls Beach, or visit pelicans at the wharf at Little Beach Boat Ramp before heading up the hill for the best scones in Port Stephens at the Inner Light Tea Rooms on Lighthouse Road, Nelson Bay. 1876

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8.30am

Start with coffee at Single O When beginning the day in Surry Hills, you may as well start it right with a perfect coffee at this seminal cafe. For more than a decade, Single O has been at the forefront of Sydney coffee, turning out perfect brews while riding caffeine trends as they come and go.

As well as offering top lattes and flat whites, Single O last year introduced a black coffee bar, where patrons can help themselves to drip-filter brews.

60-64 Reservoir St; singleo.com.au

9.30am

24

hours in…

Surry Hills WORDS: ELIZABETH MERYMENT

O

nce notorious for its hellish slums, soul-crushing factories and bloody razor gangs, Surry Hills today exemplifies Sydney’s relentless march towards gentrification. Now one of the city’s most interesting and eclectic suburbs, it is home to a charming collection of shops, cafes, restaurants and galleries that dot its terraced laneways and high streets. Over the course of a day, a visitor can do anything from trying one of Australia’s most fashionable restaurants to taking a dip in a splendid outdoor pool. Here are some tips for a perfect day.

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12pm

Lunch at The Dolphin Hotel After swimming and shopping, you’ll need lunch and the best place on Crown Street is this wonderfully reimagined pub.

Once a dark and dank den, the Dolphin is now a collection of unique spaces offering relaxed menus with a modern Australian/ Italian focus. Go for an inevitable pizza or, more interestingly, try one of the unusual pastas — spaghetti with scampi and XO, say, or rigatoni with prawn and chilli. They do a mean Negroni, too, if you need a pick-me-up.

Which you do.

Swim at Prince Alfred Pool

412 Crown St; dolphinhotel.com.au

An oasis in the city, Prince Alfred Pool is an unexpected pleasure in the midst of the urban jungle.

Reopened in 2013 after a long redevelopment, this sleek aquatic centre has pleasantly heated water, highly glamorous change rooms (including functional hair dryers) and a poolside cafe for lingering on sunny days.

2pm

105 Chalmers St; princealfred.org

11am

Shop Surry Hills laneways to Crown Street One of the great pleasures of visiting Surry Hills is stumbling into the unexpected on every corner. In the tightly packed laneways around Commonwealth Street, find a choice selection of exquisite shops including the fantastically cool Planet Furniture, before wandering up to Crown Street to wander through some of the most interesting shops in Sydney. From Title Store, selling a glorious array of books, comics, records and DVDs, to the Standard Store with its collection of beautiful men’s and women’s fashions, plus accessories and homewares, there’s much to separate you from your cash.

Planet Furniture: 114 Commonwealth St; planetfurniture.com.au. Title Store: 501 Crown St. Standard Store: 503 Crown St; thestandardstore.com.au

Visit Brett Whiteley Studio He was one of Sydney’s favourite — if naughty — sons and now the painter is remembered at this gallery on Raper Street.

Whiteley died in 1992 but was living and working out of this former warehouse until the year of his death, and the studio remains crammed with his works and possessions. Observe Whiteley’s unfinished paintings, read his words (including some documented on a graffitied wall) and exist for a few moments deep in the artist’s headspace.

The studio, operated by the Art Gallery of NSW, houses roving exhibitions of the artist’s works in pencil, oil and sculpture, as well as maintaining a permanent collection.

2 Raper St; artgallery.nsw.gov.au/ brett-whiteley-studio

4pm

Eat ice cream at Messina After all that art and angst you’ll need a treat, so head to this famed gelateria for a scoop or two of Sydney’s finest. The salted caramel with white chocolate is the signature scoop.

389 Crown St; gelatomessina.com

4.30pm

11pm

You can go to a regular cineplex in any suburban mall but taking in a film at the Golden Age cinema is like a step back in time to, yes, the golden years of Hollywood. The Art Deco Paramount building in which Golden Age is now housed was built in 1940 as the Australian headquarters of the American movie studio, and the vestiges of old-school glamour remain. Head downstairs from the Paramount Coffee Project cafe into the miniature theatrette, complete with rows of old-fashioned cinema seating and wood-panelled walls. There’s something very quaint about the space and the movies shown are a mixture of commercial releases and arthouse specials.

This boutique hotel — also partly housed in what was the Paramount building — is redefining urban hotel accommodation. From minimalist rooms with high ceilings, terrazzo tiles, exposed copper plumbing and potted plants, to little niceties that include Aesop bath products and house sodas on arrival, the Paramount is like spending a night in an upmarket furniture brochure. And its proximity to everything in Surry Hills makes it the abode of choice.

Watch an arthouse movie at Golden Age Cinema

PRINCE ALFRED POOL

Sleep over at Paramount House Hotel

80 Commonwealth St; paramounthousehotel.com

80 Commonwealth St; ourgoldenage.com.au

7.30pm

Dine at Chin Chin

SURRY HILLS LIBRARY

SINGLE 0

It’s loud, it’s frantic, it’s hot, it’s a Melbourne institution made good in Sydney. The local dining community may have been sceptical when Victorian restaurateur Chris Lucas brought his Thai juggernaut to Surry Hills. Lucas has achieved the improbable: Chin Chin is just as much a hit with fussy Sydney diners as it is in Melbourne. It helps that the restaurant is housed in the dramatic Griffiths Tea Building, a heritage block of style and elegance, and that the food is light, fresh and spicy and, yes, rather delicious.

6am

Rise early for yoga at the Paramount Rec Club The Paramount Recreation Club operates from the rooftop of the Paramount building, with the yoga studio boasting plate glass windows with views over Surry Hills rooftops.

Do an early morning practice as the sun comes up, and afterwards call into the onsite kiosk for a health shake to get your morning started.

Rooftop, 80 Commonwealth St; paramountrecreation.club

69 Commonwealth St; chinchin.sydney

10pm

Sneak in a late-night tipple and dessert at Poly

DOLPHIN HOTEL

8am

Eat pastries at Bourke Street Bakery

Chef Mat Lindsay runs this “walk-in wine bar” that’s an offshoot of his celebrated Chippendale mainstay, Ester. Come for a glass of natural or orange wine and maybe squeeze in one of Lindsay’s exceptional snacks that may range from anchovies on toast to a very good coconut sundae.

No visit to Surry Hills is complete without a visit to this acclaimed bakery. While Bourke Street Bakery’s tentacles have spread across Sydney, this original store remains the beating heart of the operation. Go for rhubarb tarts or the signature pork and fennel sausage rolls. You may need two.

74-76 Commonwealth St; polysurryhills.com.au

633 Bourke St; bourkestreetbakery.com.au

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RECIPE { ELIZABETH HEWSON }

Fresh tomato, goat’s curd, basil This recipe should only be made in the height of summer, when tomatoes are ripe, the basil is heady and the weather is warm. It should be eaten barefoot in the sun as a reminder that it’s the simple things in life that matter.

INGREDIENTS 1 garlic clove 150g cherry tomatoes or the best summer-ripe tomatoes you can find, chopped ¼ bunch of basil, leaves picked, plus extra leaves to serve 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon goat’s curd Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to serve Chilli flakes, for sprinkling (optional) FRESH PASTA FOR ONE busiate, fettuccine, linguine, strozzapreti DRIED PASTA FOR ONE fusilli, linguine, spaghetti

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METHOD

1 2

Cut the garlic clove in half and rub it around a large serving bowl, to impart the scent of garlic.

Add the tomato to the bowl, along with the garlic, basil and olive oil. Generously season with salt.

Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30–60 minutes, to allow the flavours to meld.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a lively boil and season as salty as the sea. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.

3 4

5 6 7

Remove the garlic from the tomato mixture and discard.

Add blobs of goat’s cheese to the tomato mixture in anticipation of the hot pasta that will fall on top.

Using tongs, pluck the pasta out of the rapid bubbles and drop it directly onto the tomato mixture. Give everything a big toss, adding a scoop of cooking water if needed to loosen things up.

Season with salt and pepper, then top with extra basil leaves, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano and a few chilli flakes, if you like, and serve.

8

This is an edited extract from Saturday Night Pasta

by Elizabeth Hewson (PanMacmillan, $36.99).

Photography by Nikki To

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WHERE I WAS WHEN …

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs were avenging a grand-final loss when magic happened. In another city, a young Neil Breen was spellbound

G

rowing up in Brisbane, the old NSWRL competition was the stuff of fantasy. Of course, we had our own competition, but the “Sydney League” was the big time.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, the ABC broadcast rugby league and, if a Saturday or Sunday came around and there was no Brisbane league to telecast, we’d get the Sydney match. I loved those days.

In 1979, when I was 11, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs under the coaching of Ted Glossop became known as “The Entertainers”. Steve “Turvey” Mortimer was the halfback and his two brothers Chris and Peter were in the centres.

There were three Hughes brothers in the side, Chris Anderson was on the wing and Steve Folkes tackled anything that moved. Dr George Peponis was the studious, yet rugged, skipper. The “Wild Man of Sydney League” Geoff Robinson — all hair, beard and pulled down socks — steamrolled everyone.

They threw the ball everywhere and, when you’re a kid, that is magical stuff. So I became an 11-year-old rusted-on fan. I’d wish every weekend for them to be in the match of the day.

They lost the 1979 grand final 17-13 to St George and I was gutted. Then came 1980. Canterbury were still “The Entertainers”, and made it to the grand final again — this time against minor premiers, Eastern Suburbs.

It was a Saturday and I clearly remember Dad driving me home from Little Athletics to watch the game. I had to leave early and miss the hurdles and the 800m. He brought my blue-and-white Canterbury jersey with the famous old CB badge that Grandma had sewn on to it, and I put it on in the car. I was beside myself.

It was a typical grand final day with 52,881 crammed into the Sydney Cricket Ground. The field, as it always did in September, showed the scars of a long winter of football, with brown grass and dirt patches. That’s just how it was back then before today’s sophisticated drainage systems.

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CanterburyBankstown begin celebrations after their thrilling 1980 grand-final victory, above, and, below, try-scoring hero Steve Gearin.

Pictures: Robert Pearce

On the TV, the din of the crowd hummed underneath commentator Rex Mossop’s voice. Broken crepe streamers blew endlessly across the field. People waved the world’s biggest pom poms. It all added to the magic of the occasion.

Canterbury edged closer and closer to victory.

And then, it happened.

With Canterbury leading 12-4 and full-time in sight, Steve Mortimer was passed the ball inside Canterbury’s half. With nothing on, he passed it to Gary Hughes, who handed it to brother Graeme.

Graeme Hughes found superstar fullback Greg Brentnall on the fly. He ran out of room and, 40m out, launched a bomb. Bulldogs winger Steve Gearin chased the ball at full pelt and never broke stride. With three Easts players around him, he was still hurtling at full pace when he put his hands out. The ball miraculously stuck and he crashed over.

The Canterbury players, bench and crowd were absolutely delirious.

Gearin, who was the competition’s top points scorer in 1980, then converted his own try and it was all over.

Canterbury won 18-4. It was the most thrilling sporting moment of my young life and has lived with me forever.

The team I loved won the big one on grand final day at the SCG and Gearin’s winning try went down in folklore.

Years later he recounted the moment: “I was running along and it just fell into my arms. It was a wonderful thing.

“It shapes your life too. A lot of people were a lot better footballers than me and to be highlighted by something like that is just very humbling. It all went right for me. You treat that highlight with respect. You’re very fortunate to be remembered for something that was very good.”

I’ll never forget it either, Steve Gearin. I went on to practice it with my friends in our backyards for years.

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