May 2012 - Fifty-Plus News

May 2012 News Fifty~Plus News
­1
61,752 copies monthly
CAB audit to Sept 30, 2011
may 2012
A jubilant night to celebrate the diamond jubilee
The Choir shows true British spirit and class at the Best of British Concert 2011.
What better way to spend a
Saturday evening in June than joining
The Choir — 120 harmonious
voices under the direction of the
inimitable Jonathon Welch; the
award-winning Footscray Yarraville
City Band along with a company
of special guests to honour Queen
Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee with
British music at its best?
Even better, one of the guests will be Her
Maj herself (courtesy of Gerry Connolly!)
to ensure a suitable moment or two of
gravitas and a wealth of humour.
Other guests in this program
of musical delights and surprises
include international opera sensation
Liane Keegan, just home in Australia
after several years singing at Berlin
Opera and Glyndebourne; and David
Johnston, who will entertain on the
magnificent town hall organ.
The Best of British music means
everything from the Beatles, Andrew
Lloyd Webber, Queen, Dusty to the
Hallelujah Chorus, Land of Hope and
Glory, Rule Britannia and more, with
plenty of opportunities to sing along,
wave a flag in the best British spirit.
Hosted by Jonathon Welch AM,
the Best of British Diamond Jubilee
Celebration Concert will be at
Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday 16
June at 7.30pm. Tickets $25-$35, 0402
973 244, www.thechoir.com.au
• Proceeds from the concert will go
the School of Hard Knocks Foundation,
Melbourne’s new collaborative arts
and culture institution for the homeless
and disadvantaged.
features: planning your future, plus aged care news
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­2 Fifty~Plus News News May 2012 May 2012
News
Fifty~Plus News ­3
‘Life’s better together’
Join in and beat the winter blues
Some age-related changes, such as wrinkles,
are inevitable. But changes to muscles,
bones and joints are now thought to
be avoidable. Researchers now suggest
“that many factors associated with ageing
are due to inactivity, and that performing
physical activity can help to reduce or
reverse the risk of disability and chronic
disease” (Better Health Channel www.
betterhealth.vic.gov.au).
Walk and play for
healthy bones and muscles
Life Activities Clubs can help you do that!
LACs don’t shut down and head north for
the winter but keep the blood pumping
with lots of physical activities, both indoors
and outdoors. Why not talk a walk? Almost
all Clubs have at least one walking group,
some have two or three, from coffee crawls
to bush or beach walks. And coming up
soon, you can join in our ‘Walk for Life’ on
7 October, leaving from Federation Square:
open to all, young and old alike, as a celebration
of our 40th anniversary — watch
this space for more details.
If that doesn’t appeal you could get on
your bike and go cycling from the gentle
pedal to more challenging expeditions. Or
try your hand at golf.
Or be like Leonard Trouse, one of
LIFE Activities
with Marion Wright
Tours Just for Women!
Small groups, personal service
2012 & 2013 Tour Calendar
September 4 – 18 Day “Laugh, Eat & Play” Italy – $11555pp last seats
September 30 – 7 Day Soakin’ Up the Sunshine Coast – $1390pp
October 1 – 15 Day Charms of China – $5699pp
Port Phillip LAC members
leaving footprints in the sand.
Mornington LAC’s best. Len can be found
with the table tennis group every Friday
giving all he’s got… and doing very well
tha nk you! Len, who has just celebrated
his 90th birthday, is bat-swinging proof
that keeping active is indeed very good
for you. Many happy returns Len! Why
don’t you give it a go? About half of our
Life Activities Clubs offer table tennis as a
weekly activity.
Do things together
and beat the blues
Len came to Australia from London as
a ‘ten pound pom’. When he retired he
and his wife ran a caravan club for the
Frankston Life Activities Club for 15 years.
Many clubs have caravan and cabin
groups. The SurfCoast LAC Wanderers,
for example, have not long returned from
November 3 – 7 Day Lord Howe Island – $3519pp New
November 7 – 22 Day Ancient Treasures of Egypt & Jordan – $8199pp last seats
November 30 – 8 Day Norfolk Island Discovery – $3479pp New
March 9, 2013 – 17 Day Vietnam & Cambodia Vista – $5199pp New
Pictured at their 10th anniversary celebration are the three people who were
instrumental in getting the Club up and running; from left Tracey Roebuck, Laura Connor
and Dr Ann Stephenson, President Peter Sweetten in the background.
one of their week-long treks. Their biannual
event focuses on having fun; go
to www.life.org.au/surfcoast for photos
from earlier trips. The Club is now gearing
up for the Relay for Life in November
where a team of people keep walking
for 24 hours to raise money for Cancer
research. They raised $3000 last year and
are aiming for $5000 in 2012. If you want
to sponsor the team just contact the
Secretary on 5261-2155.
Go to our website www.life.org.au and
search for Clubs that offer what you want.
Just select an activity from the numerous
pick lists and voila! Remember that you
can try out a few things before deciding
whether to join. carpe diem. Put Life into
your life!
• SPECIAL OFFER: people joining for
the first time as full members in May or
June get $10 discount off membership
subscriptions.
Thank you Marion
After many years contributing to Life
Activities Clubs, our correspondent Marion
Wright has handed over the editor’s blue
pen to someone else. Thank you Marion for
your constant service to the organisation.
Visit us at www.life.org.au Email: life@life.
org.au or Ph: 9662-2930.
Become a member
today for $55!
Membership includes:
• Stylish Shoulder Cabin Bag
• Personalised Name Badge
• $100 First Tour Discount
• 15% discount on Travel Insurance
• Pack of Luxury L’Occitane products
• Exclusive Member discounts
• Exclusive Monthly Member Offer
Your chance to recognise a
valued community member
Doug McColl OAM (centre) winner of the 2011 Premier’s Award for Victorian Senior of the Year,
with his wife Evelyn and the Minister for Ageing David Davis, pictured after the
2011 awards ceremony at Government House, Melbourne.
“Amazed. Absolutely amazed.” This was
Doug McColl’s initial reaction on learning that
he had been awarded the Premier’s Award for
Victorian Senior of the Year in late September
2011. Indeed, since receiving his Award from
Premier Ted Baillieu, Doug — a dedicated
volunteer and contributor to Warracknabeal
— has been greatly honoured by the recognition
bestowed upon him by his community.
According to Doug, special treats include
receiving congratulations from students at
St Mary’s Primary School, Warracknabeal and
opportunities to talk to community groups
about the benefits of volunteering.
In addition to the many letters and telephone
calls of congratulations (including one from a
man he last saw in 1949) Doug had the opportunity
to have lunch with Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II during her visit to Melbourne last
year. Receiving the Premier’s Award for Victorian
Senior of the Year has been an unexpected and
well-deserved acknowledgement for Doug.
The awards celebrate the achievements of
Victoria’s ‘heroes’: older Victorians who — since
turning 60 — have made all kinds of significant
contributions to our communities, like Doug, who
continues to give his time to Warracknabeal as a
volunteer gardener, fund raiser and historian.
If you know someone who deserves recognition
for their outstanding contribution to a local community,
nominate them for the Victorian Senior
of the Year Awards. The awards offered include
The Premier’s Award for Victorian Senior of the
Year, the Veteran Community Award, Promotion
of Multiculturalism Award, the Healthy & Active
Living Award and Council on the Ageing (COTA)
Victoria Senior Achiever Awards.
Nominations for the Victorian Senior of the Year
Awards open on 14 May 2012 and close on 20
July 2012. To nominate someone for an Award,
visit Seniors Online at www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.
au or call Seniors Information Victoria on 1300
135 090 (local call cost) to request a nomination
form be sent to you. Winners will be acknowledged
at a special reception on 5 October 2012,
leading into this year’s Victorian Seniors Festival.
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In this issue
COTA (Vic) comment 4
Kevin Bailey 5
National Seniors comment 5
Genealogy 7
Computer Tips 7
Trader Column 9
Lifestyle 11
Virginia Hill 11
Ben Knight 11
Planning for your Future feature 12
Body & Mind 14
Mindgames puzzles 14
Jill Margo 15
Arts & Entertainment 16
Arts & Events Digest 17
Fifty~Plus News
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April 20, 2013 – 22 Day South Africa Wilderness Delight – $10849pp New
Book on a 2013 Tour before 1 July and receive
a $200 Early Bird Discount. (Must be a Sisterhood Member)
All prices
include airfares
and taxes
Contact the office for current special offers.
Single travellers welcome – join our ‘willing to share’
register, a great opportunity to keep your costs down and
make a new friend in the process.
Ph: 1300 885 255
or visit
www.sisterhoodwomenstravel.com.au
We are the only VCAT approved Women’s Tour Company operating
under an exemption from the Equal Opportunity Act 1995.
Next Get Together
Join us for ‘Christmas in July’
1.00pm Saturday 28 July 2012
Mitre Tavern, 5 Bank Place,
Melbourne
Tickets $65 (prepaid)
Includes 3 course Christmas Lunch
with a glass of bubbly on arrival.
Subscribe to our
‘Friday Hot Flush’
newsletter via
our website

­4 Fifty~Plus News News
May 2012 May 2012
News
Fifty~Plus News ­5
Two Need to Know
opportunities in May
Boomerang Kids
There are many reasons why parents agree
to their adult son or daughter moving back
home. It may be as a result of a relationship
breakdown, personal issues, alcohol
or substance use or mental health issues.
Sometimes, the son or daughter may never
have moved out.
This Need to Know forum, presented by
Seniors Rights Victoria as part of the 2012 Law
Week, will assist seniors in this situation. It will
look at negotiating conditions before your
adult child moves in, as a way to protect your
own living arrangements, set a timeframe, and
mediate or deal with conflict.
Boomerang Kids offers an opportunity to
discuss matters in a confidential and safe
space. A solicitor will be in attendance to
answer specific questions. The session will
be held on Wednesday, 16 May from 10:30
– 12:30 at Seniors Information Victoria, 247
Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Hearing Loss
Australian Hearing will cover the causes of
hearing loss and provide tips on how to cope
or how to talk to others who may have a hearing
loss. This Need to Know session will be
on Wednesday, 30 May from 10.30 – 12.00 in
the COTA meeting room, fourth floor, Block
Arcade, Melbourne.
To find out more, or to book for either Need
to Know session, phone Seniors Information
Victoria on 1300 135 090.
Exciting times to age
Many of my friends would
have no idea why I believe
we are in exciting times. Just
over 35 years ago I started working
with older people, and I must say I
have enjoyed nearly every moment of
it. At that time I remember looking at
the demographic predictions on population
changes for the next 30 to 40
years; in fact, the statistics for 2010-
2020. I remember thinking “now that
is when it will get interesting and we
shall see change!” The numbers have
it, as they say, and here we are.
So what is so exciting?
Recently our newspapers and airwaves
have been full of the promised changes in
‘aged care reform’ by the federal government.
These changes are welcomed by
many people, of course, and some more
than others. I am excited by a number of
elements to these reforms, and not just
the dollars promised although increased
dollars will be essential for these reforms
to succeed. Most exciting are the positive
changes in attitudes towards ageing.
The Prime Minister said something interesting
in her press conference announcing
the reform. She said that “getting older
is not to be seen as a burden”; I think this
is the first time a PM has said something
to counter the many negative phrases
and descriptions about getting older.
The increased funding and the program
changes have come about as a result of
the Productivity Commission’s Report
and the Seniors Panel, after extensive
reviews with consumers, providers and
carers, as well as a nationwide consultation
by COTA so that the voice of older
Australians could be clearly heard.
What is even more important is the significant
culture shift in the attitude towards
ageing, and this opens the way for important
changes in service design and delivery.
There is an emphasis on older people determining
their own destiny, in how, when and
what they choose for their support options
to enable them to stay in their own homes.
I only hope we will see a concerted effort
to free up the system and a more imaginative
response in line with the new direction
and aspirations heralded by the PM.
Of course just changing a funding
scheme and the way government goes
about its business does not in itself make
for effective change. Alongside this work,
we (those who are ageing and supporting
older family members) must take
up the opportunities afforded us by this
significant change in direction.
We need to consider what it is to have
rights as an older person and how we are
able to express and exercise these rights.
We also need to explore what it is to live
in a world that is age friendly. Dr Alex
Kalache is in Melbourne to share with us
his ideas and dreams about an age friendly
Comment
with Sue Hendy, CEO, COTA Victoria
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world. He was the key creator of the
Age Friendly communities while he was
Director of Ageing and Life Course at the
World Health Organisation. I remember
when I first met him, he asked, “Melbourne
is one of the most liveable cities in the
world, but is it so for older people? “
I thought a lot about his question and I
have since been committed to the idea of
working towards a community that is welcoming
and supportive of ageing. There are
a number of key domains developed under
Age Friendly communities and they include
outdoor spaces and buildings; transportation;
housing; social participation; respect;
social inclusion; civic participation; employment;
communication and information;
community and health services.
COTA is working hard to involve older
people in creating age friendly communities
and we are interested in your
views. We do live in changing times and
this can be exhilarating and exciting.
www.cotavic.org.au
* Sue Hendy is chief executive officer of
COTA Victoria, 9654 4443, email: exec@
cotavic.org.au
Congratulations to short story winners
The selection process has been
long and difficult, but the 10 winners
of the Fifty-Plus News Short
Story Competition have been
chosen, at last. The following
authors have responded to this
year’s ‘Memoir’ theme, providing
reminiscences of their early life
in individual, sometimes touching
or even humorous ways.
Their stories should certainly
make enlightening reading for
their grandchildren or members
of the younger generation.
Jim Dow: German Spies and Gas
Masks
Jeannie Haughton: Place
Margaret Lock: Memoirs of a sixyear-old
Barbara Macfarlane: Miss Fish
Margaret Reid: Never Again
Janeen Samuel: What I Saw at
the Pageant
Geoff Stannard: The Other Cricket
Maribel Steel: His Emerald Eyes
Jackie Tritt: Apples from Australia
Rose Williams: Alligator
Mincemeat
The winning stories will be published
each month in Fifty-Plus
News,in alphabetical order, and we
hope you enjoy reading them. The
first, ‘German Spies and Gas Masks’, by
Jim Dow appears on page 18.
Our boutique retirement
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Short walk to the railway station
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Stroll
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Grace Gardens, 1 Grace Street, Glen Waverley
Ph 9562 5814 or Mobile 0412 337 243
Helping your children financially: tips and traps
In my last article we looked
at the concerns many parents
have when wanting to
help their adult children financially,
and financial planning
issues that need to be considered.
Now let’s talk about some
of these issues in more detail.
Loans to children
Firstly, we recommend that all
but minor loans to children be
supported by a properly documented
loan agreement. This does
not need to be overly complex
but establishes that in certain circumstances
the loan needs to be
repaid. Typically such loans are
interest-free and made to the child
and their partner. In the case of
a divorce, the loan would have
to be repaid ensuring that the
money remains within the ‘family’
and isn’t dissipated to former inlaws.
In the event of the death of
the parents (the lender) the loan
could be repaid by reducing the
child’s (the borrower’s) interest in
the estate of the parents. This
The collective sigh of relief
emanating from seniors
in mid April, three weeks
before the budget announcement,
could be heard across the
country.
In Canberra, Mark Butler, federal
Minister for Ageing and rising
political star, had just declared the
family home safe. Safe, that is, from
a puritanical vision of aged care in
which the family home, secured
through years of blood, sweat and
tears, played the lead funding role.
Eight months earlier the
Government’s independent advisory
body, the Productivity Commission,
had handed its federal paymasters
an aged care reform blueprint.
In a rare show of unity, consumers,
industry, the Government and
Opposition all agreed that we had
arrangement has the additional
advantage of allowing different
loans to be made to different children
over time. We recommend
that these loans be recorded in
the list of assets so that when an
estate is being administered, they
can be considered.
A second issue is whether or
not any conditions should be
imposed on how the financial
assistance should be utilised.
Often, assistance can be directed
towards paying for education
costs of grandchildren, reducing
mortgages or providing the
deposit on a house. Generally,
most parents are happy with this
type of financial support so long
as it is even-handed across all
family members.
Superannuation contributions
for children
A seldom-considered option is
superannuation contributions.
Many allocated pensioners experience
a cash flow surplus generated
by the requirement to draw
Funerals can be expensive
Who will pay for yours?
(the second of a three-part series)
a minimum pension from their
superannuation fund. For those
over 60 these pensions are taxexempt.
However, it’s often difficult
to reinvest this surplus back
into your superannuation fund,
once the investor has ceased
employment after age 65.
In this case there is no choice
but to invest the savings outside
superannuation. Ultimately this
can lead to an increase in the
amount of income tax and capital
gains tax payable.
One strategy is to use the cash
flow surplus to help children
maximise tax-deductible contributions
into superannuation by
way of salary sacrifice. For example,
children can look to maximise
the amount they salary sacrifice
into superannuation, and that the
parent replaces the ‘lost salary’.
This way, tax-exempt money leaving
superannuation can re-enter
superannuation as tax-deductible
contributions. This strategy
provides very effective long-term
savings for the child; however,
Keeping it in the family
an aged care system that desperately
needed fixing.
The stories came thick and fast.
National Seniors members described
nursing homes devoid of afterhours
staff, of mum left strapped to a toilet
seat dripping wet, and dad desperate
for a glass of water. At one of eight
independent consumer forums we
heard of three home care packages
on the same street delivered by
three different providers, one based
70 kilometres away.
Then there was the 80-something
grandmother discovered
carrying the vacuum cleaner
down the stairs because safety
regulations precluded the young
carer from doing it herself.
Mentioning very little about staffing,
the Productivity Commission
proposed a streamlined, deregulated,
user pays system built on the wealth
hidden in the homes of incomepoor
elderly Australians desperate
for care. This meant, for the first time
ever, shifting the family home into
the assets test, and then creating
the mechanism through which to
extract money out of that home.
The Productivity Commission
presented consumers with two
choices: a government-backed
reverse mortgage scheme, or a
savings bond realised through the
sale of the home.
Ironically, these proposals would
have disproportionately hit low to
middle income Australians who’d
spent a lifetime paying off their little
cottages in formerly blue collar, but
now trendy, inner city suburbs.
Our polling suggests only 46
per cent of people aged 50-plus
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on TV
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the children cannot access these
funds until they themselves retire.
A further benefit of this strategy
is that it alleviates concerns that
the financial assistance provided
by parents to their children may
be squandered. Additionally, this
will reduce the pressure on children
to provide for longer term
savings allowing them, for example,
to repay a mortgage.
Gifts and tax implications
An often-voiced concern is
whether a gift or a loan from
parents to a child creates any tax
problems. Gifts or loans themselves
have no tax consequences
for either the donor or recipient.
There may be tax issues if shares
or property are gifted by parents.
For example, a capital gain can
be triggered and give rise to tax
consequences where an asset is
sold or transferred from parent to
child. Furthermore, consideration
should be given to the potential
tax implications where children
invest the money they are gifted
had heard of the Productivity
Commission report. Of those, 90
percent had little idea of its detail.
The remaining few dug in.
National Seniors was bombarded
with letters. Our family home is off
limits, we spent a lifetime paying
it off and we will decide who we
hand it on to, they said.
After rejecting the overtures of
the government – and industry –
backed National Aged Care Alliance
which had pushed for a blanket
endorsement of the Productivity
Commission’s proposals (apparently
on behalf of consumers!), National
Seniors, out on a limb and very
much alone, took the messages of
ordinary people to Canberra.
We told them Australians wanted
to age at home, in the communities
they knew.
Managing
Money
with Kevin Bailey
Principal and Private Client Adviser
Shadforth Financial Group
as they will pay income tax and
capital gains tax on any investment
earnings.
In the next instalment of ‘Helping
Your Children Financially’ we’ll
examine the impact of gifts and
loans on Centrelink payments
such as the Age Pension.
• Kevin is a renowned financial
adviser and commentator. If you
would like to clarify your position,
get a second opinion or review
opportunities available to you,
we offer a private discussion.
To arrange, contact Kevin or his
colleagues, Stephen Asztalos
or Steven Edwards call on 03
9649 2400 or send an email to
fiftyplusnews@sfg.com.au.
Comment
with Michael O’Neill,
CEO, National Seniors Australia
We told them there could be no
reform without more and better staff.
We told them it was reasonable
to expect us to pay something
towards our care.
And we told them that the family
home was off limits.
And the Government listened.
What Minister Butler announced in
April is a system focused on ageing
at home, a system committed to
addressing staffing issues, and a
system, through a fair pension-type
means test, keeps the family home
just that — in the family.
• Michael O’Neill is chief executive
of National Seniors Australia,
www.nationalseniors.com.au
Spending time with our family is what we enjoy most. We’ve
always worked hard to provide the best for our family and
when we go we don’t want to leave them struggling to find
thousands of dollars to pay for our funerals.
With Australian Seniors Funeral Plan you are investing in
peace of mind – so you know that should anything happen to
you, your family will have the money on hand to pay for the
funeral you want.
Call 1800 004 005
or visit seniors.com.au
This is general advice only. Please consider the PDS to ensure the product suits your needs, available by
calling 1800 004 005 or visiting www.seniors.com.au. This information is provided by Cardell Insurance
Agencies Pty Ltd (AR 270983), trading as Australian Seniors Insurance Agency, an authorised representative
of The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd AFSL 241436. The Australian Seniors Funeral Plan is issued by
Hannover Life Re of Australasia Ltd ABN 37 062 395 484.
H0097 Fifty Plus News 2-01_10

­6 Fifty~Plus News News
May 2012 May 2012
News
Fifty~Plus News ­7
Hi everyone, this month I have
had a tremendous response
from so many clubs. So please
accept my apologies if I have
shortened your club’s report as
I wanted to include as many
clubs as I could.
OAKLEIGH
Oakleigh members - 90-year old
Madge and daughter Christine.
Foundation member Madge
Williams recently celebrated her
90th birthday with the Oakleigh
members at Steve’s restaurant
in Oakleigh. Madge has been a
member since the club’s inauguration
in May 1994 and has made
regular monthly donations to the
club’s monthly raffle, as well as
participating in the club’s outings.
BRIGHTON
Our club meets on the third
Tuesday of the month at Rylands,
59 Outer Crescent, Brighton, at
View Clubs of Australia
6.15pm for dinner, followed by
a guest speaker. We are small in
numbers, but we are an ‘active’
club. For International Women’s
Day we celebrated with 170 View
members in our zoned area – this
turned out to be a great day of
fun and chatter. Recently we celebrated
our 19 th birthday. If you
are interested in joining us phone
Dita (95961371).
BERWICK SPRINGS
Our club meets the second
Monday of the month at Berwick
Springs Hotel, corner of Greaves
and Clyde Roads, Berwick. One
of our main activities coming
up is attending the taping of
Brighton View Ladies.
Around the Clubs with Carole Smith
‘Millionaire Hot Seat’ at the
Channel 9 studios in Docklands.
The taping was also attended
last year and was so popular it
was put on to this year’s program.
Our contacts for the club
are President Merryl (0418 139
440), and Secretary Jenny (0419
879 481).
BORONIA
The ladies of our club were
treated to a fabulous morning tea
recently. The program committee
organised a wedding dress memorabilia
morning and some of the
ladies brought along their wedding
dresses – some 40 to 50 years
old. The highlight of the morning
was when a member produced
three pillowcases. In the first was
her own beautiful wedding dress,
the second pillowcase contained
a stunning lace wedding gown
belonging to her grandmother
(which her own mother wore on
her wedding day) and the third
pillowcase containing a breathtakingly
beautiful lace wedding
gown worn by her great grandmother
– over 120 years ago. If
you would like to come along and
join us for lunch, we meet on the
third Friday of each month at the
Eastwood Golf Club, in Kilsyth
South. Phone Val (9762 6219) for
details on when the club meets.
GREENSBOROUGH
Our club will hold a fun Auction
night this month featuring
Auctioneer-extraordinaire Bev
Ward. The theme for the evening
is ‘I made it myself’. Our ladies will
donate hand-made goods to auction
on the night. All proceeds will
go to The Smith Family. Our venue
is the Heidelberg Golf Club (date
not given). For further details contact
Nancye on 94671258.
FERNTREE GULLY
Our club meets on the fourth
Monday of the month at the Knox
Club, corner of Boronia and Stud
roads, Wantirna. Our speaker for
this month is Maria Matser talking
about her experience as a lift
driver at Myer. Our 17 th birthday
comes up in June and the theme
for the luncheon will be flowers.
The speaker will be Leanne Gillies
from Flemmings Nursery, having
just arrived back from the Chelsea
Flower Show in England. For further
details on our club phone
Isabel on 9758 5435.
DONCASTER
Our next luncheon will be on
Tuesday 15 May at 10.30am at
The Eastern Golf Club. Our speaker
will be Maha Sukkar, senior
constable, southern multicultural
unit, Victoria. She was the first
Australian policewoman to wear a
hijab as part of her official uniform.
Ring Laurice to book on 9877 3713.
WANTIRNA
Our club meets at the Quest
Knox, Mountain Highway,
Wantirna, on the first Wednesday
of each month (time not given).
We will be meeting for a lunch
this month at the Banksia Nursery.
Phone Olga for further details
0400 713 650.
• For further information on the
above clubs contact Carole on
smithsainter10@hotmail.com
Recently my wife and
I visited Geraldton in
WA, and one afternoon
drove to a tiny town called
Walkaway, which I suspect is
slowly dying, like so many such
towns throughout Australia.
We were looking for the
Walkaway Station Museum.
Walkaway was the site of a
railway station for The Midland
Railway of Western Australia,
a privately built and operated
railway which ran between
Perth and Walkaway. The
Midland Railway operated
from 1892 until a government
takeover in 1964. According to
the museum’s web site (http://
members.westnet.com.au/
hampton/walkawaymuesum/)
it “was closed as an attended
railway station in 1966”.
It was easy for us to walk
through the beautiful old railway
station building, to see
where the stationmaster lived
and worked and to learn about
Small country museums
Around U3A
U3A Melbourne City, Australia’s first
University of the Third Age, is actively
recruiting volunteer tutors for its
Modern Languages Program.
If you have a passion for languages,
a level of expertise in French, German,
Italian, or Spanish, excellent opportunities
currently exist to join their team of
volunteers. Tutors are drawn from many
differing backgrounds. Some have teaching
experience in relevant languages,
others are native speakers or are multilingual.
Many are regular travellers to
European countries. There is an urgent
need for tutors who can conduct much
in demand beginners’ classes. Classes
in language consolidation, conversation,
the history of this small community.
There was, of course,
a lot of bric-a-brac, and the
sort of displays common to
most small museums, but this
museum has a big accent on
railways. One surprise was a
gun room. In one of the rooms
there was a large table on
which more than 20 (I estimate)
family histories of the
‘locals’ were available to peruse.
But in the museum’s collections
there were manuscripts
and many volumes of books
specifically about the Midland
Railway. One book took our
fancy: it was (from memory) at
least 100 pages long and contained
all the instructions to
the Station staff covering their
dress and duties. I read several
pages about the staff’s duties
and I marveled at the detail,
and wondered how anyone
could remember all the details.
Many small country museums
have at least a few family histories
of the local population,
often with some sort of index of
names — always worth checking.
At Walkaway the index was
of deaths of those buried in
their local cemetery, and had I
any suspicion that any of our
ancestors were buried there
we would certainly have visited
that cemetery to see if there
were any memorials on the
graves of those ancestors.
I think the major lesson from
our visit to this little museum
was that it is always worth at
least a 15-minute call at small
museums. As a source of your
ancestors’ family tree details it
is a sort of lucky dip. But it is a
great way to learn about how
our ancestors lived, played,
earned their livelihood, practised
their religion, and to
discover other aspects of the
social history of their time.
If you had an ancestor who
worked for the Railways a visit
to Walkaway to learn about
and reconnection are also of particular
interest to our members.
If you are an accomplished language
speaker, eligible for membership of
U3A and interested in joining the U3A
Melbourne City team of volunteer tutors
please telephone 9639 5209 or email citymelb@u3a.org.au.
New members are
always welcome, too.
U3A Melbourne City, Level 2, Ross House,
247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, office hours
10am to 3pm Monday to Friday.
• U3A Melbourne City’s monthly
Thursday Forum on 17 May from 1-2pm
features Prof David Ames, director of
National Ageing Research Institute
speaking on Alzheimer’s: What Lies
Ahead? What research? What treatments?
What hope? Held at Melbourne
Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St (opp
Genealogy
with Clive Luckman
railways would be, I am sure,
most valuable. Railways in
Australia were very important
and many staff were in
their employ. As an indication
of the number of railway
employees, the GSV index
to all the names of Victorian
Railways staff as at 1 January
1929 totals more than 21,000.
• The Genealogical Society
of Victoria has an increasing
number of indexes and sources
for members (and a Free
Trial Name Search for guests
on our web site – see www.
gsv.org.au for a link to that
Name Search). For information
about the society see our
website or email gsv@gsv.
org.au, or phone 9662 4455.
Clive Luckman is a past
president of the Genealogical
Society of Victoria.
Queen Vic Market). Bookings essential,
9639 5209, www.u3amelbcity.org.au
Kingston voices entertain
Voices combined in Leonard Cohen’s
Hallelujah as visitors to the Bayside
Community Centre joined in with Kingston
U3A ‘Vivace Voices’ choir on a recent visit
to the Centre. Other items from popular
musicals were also enjoyed. The Kingston
U3A choir regularly visit Nursing Homes
and Day Centres bringing back memories
of favourite songs.
Computer Tips
with Barry Coaker
Advice for creating
a secure password
Too many people create usernames and password
for the web sites they visit and never give
it a second thought. Choosing a secure, unique
password is important and helps keep your
online accounts safe.
Choose a password that is at least 8-10 characters
long. The longer the better. Include letters, numbers
and symbols. Use case sensitivity (upper and lower case
letters). Try to use as many different characters as possible.
Don’t use the same password for everything. For
example you may go to web sites on the internet
such as message boards or daily news sites. Don’t
use the same password you use for email or online
banking on those sites. Use a unique password for
each site you register with.
Don’t use common words, geographical names
or locations, your name, your pet’s name, the name
of a family member, your address, phone number,
birthday or other meaningful number or date or any
other personal information. Don’t use any words
that can be found in the dictionary. Don’t save your
password in your web browser.
Choose a password you can remember but that is
not easy for someone else to guess. For example, take
your first two childhood pets’ names. Fido and Duke.
Use a combination of those two names with one or
more numbers and symbols. You could use Capital F,
lowercase o, the number 1, the & sign, Capital D, lower
case e and the number 2. Fo1&De2
Keep your password to yourself. Never give it to
someone else and change your password often, say
every 3-6 months. If you suspect someone has your
password change it immediately. Make sure no one
is standing next to you or watching when you enter
your password. Avoid typing your password on any
public computer.
Don’t write your password down and stick it to
your computer monitor or other location where
someone can see it.
Use an online password generator if you don’t want
to choose the password yourself. There are many
sites on the internet that will allow you to generate
a random, secure password; just Google ‘online
password generator’.
For more tips and tricks and also to make
some new friends visit my website:
www.seniorshelpingseniors.com.au
.aspx

­8 Fifty~Plus News News May 2012 May 2012
News
Fifty~Plus News ­9
letters to the Editor
The Waverley Retirement Activities
Group (WRAG) is the ‘umbrella organisation’
for over 30 leisure activity groups
for the ‘over 50s’ living in and around
the Monash / Glen Waverley area in
Melbourne. We are a non-profit, community-based
organisation with about
500 members run by volunteers with
support from the Monash City Council.
We also hold regular functions and
events and help make retirement fun.
Many members of senior citizens
clubs and social clubs in the Monash /
Glen Waverley area are also members
of WRAG.
EVENTS & FUNCTIONS
Mexican Trains
Gwen, Sue, Bill and Graeme
playing Mexican Trains.
At April’s Games Night, Sue and Graeme
brought along Mexican Trains, a new
game played with dominoes. Rummykub,
Quiddler, Table Tennis and Snooker were
also enjoyed, as were the hot cross buns for
supper. Second helpings were even served
with strawberry jam.
Yellow Cabs Tour
A visit to the 13CABS Communications
Centre at 35 Downing Street in
Oakleigh (Melways 69 G8) is at 11.30am
on Tuesday 15 May. We will have a
conducted tour of the entire centre
and hear about the communications
operations — you’ll be surprised!
Refreshments will be served at the end.
There is plenty of parking at the Centre.
There are still some places left for this
tour. Contact Rae on 9802 8934.
Underwater Photos
The May quarterly General Meeting is at
7.30pm on Monday 14 May in the Glen
Waverley Community Centre, 700 Waverley
Road, Glen Waverley (Melways 71 C4). The
speaker is David Brant, an underwater
photographer whose photos are fantastic.
Come along and find out about WRAG.
Please wear your name badge. Supper is
provided.
ACTIVITIES
Maypole Dancing
The WRAG Walking Group held a special
May Day Picnic on Tuesday 1 May
in Schwerkolt Reserve, Deep Creek
Road, Mitcham. Walks from 100m to
8km were available from 10:30am with
maps provided. Some members even
tried Maypole Dancing around a converted
floodlight stand with colourful
ribbons attached! A fun day was
had by all. See next month’s WRAG
News for photos. This Group organises
orienteering-type walks in and
near the Monash Council area every
Tuesday morning. For further information
phone Wally on 9544 2663.
WRAG News
by David Mallen
For all your home care
equipment needs.
Ask about our
Rent to Buy scheme.
Beth and Pat on the silver motorbike.
Malaysian Mahjong
The WRAG Malaysian Mahjong Group has
vacancies for a few more players. Come
along and learn this exciting version of the
traditional Mahjong game. Once you have
played this game, you’ll be hooked! We play
in members’ homes on the fourth Sunday of
each month. Contact Kay on 0423 917 738.
MEMBERS
Motorbike Riders
Arthur was recently sighted around
Rowville on his new red & black 3-wheeled
CanAm Spyder motorbike. What a
machine! (For more pictures of this amazing
type of motorbike search the internet
using Google Images.) Not to be outdone,
Beth and Pat are trying out a silver motorbike
for size! Who said seniors can’t have
fun. Could this be the making of a new
Activity Group?
SCRABBLE & QUIDDLER
WORD OF THE MONTH
ZA
The 17th letter of the Arabic alphabet. It
is also American slang for ‘pizza’!
Our WRAG Scrabble Group Word Lists and
the new WRAG Quiddler Word List may
Delivery Available to your home.
Seat Walkers from $120
If you find a lower price on our
products we will match it !!
Arthur on his CanAm Spyder.
be downloaded from the Scrabble and
Quiddler Activity Group’s webpages.
CONTACTS
WRAG Activity Group and General
Enquiries: Sheilagh 9807 2188
New Member Enquiries: July 9886 3909
Post: WRAG, PO Box 1015, GLEN WAVERLEY
Vic 3150
Website: www.wrag.org.au Email: info@
wrag.org.au
Please contact us if you live in the Monash
/ Glen Waverley area and wish to find
out more about what fun we’re having
as members of WRAG. Members of local
senior citizens clubs and social clubs welcome.
Membership is only $5 per year
and enables you to participate in all WRAG
Activity Groups. No waiting list. Visit the
WRAG website for details of all the activities,
the latest news and photos.
News Briefs
New Williamstown aged care facility
planned
Minister for Ageing David Davis has announced
the purchase of prime land adjacent to the
North Williamstown railway station, which the
government has earmarked for a new 90-place
residential aged care facility through the Aged
Care Land Bank, an initiative of the previous
government, designed to assist not-for-profit
organisations to establish aged care facilities in
prime areas. Mr Davis said that the government
would soon call for tenders for the building of
a new facility, which he said was “an important
milestone for the Aged Care Land Bank” and
help meet a growing demand for residential
aged care in Williamstown. It is estimated that
Victoria will need some 20,000 additional aged
care places by 2021.
Call for international convention to
protect rights of older people
The Labor Member for Derrimut, Telmo
Languiller, spoke recently in the Victorian
Parliament, calling upon the Federal
Government to champion the call for an
International Convention to protect the Human
Rights of Older People. Many other groups in
the community are protected by human rights
conventions, but Mr Languiller says that people
over 65 years are frequently being exposed to
discrimination, violence, abuse, workplace and
social exclusion as well as inadequate access to
many services and need to have their human
rights protected.
Who are the most discouraged work
seekers?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ report,
Persons Not in the Labour Force, Australia,
reveals that in September last year, there were
90,700 discouraged job seekers of which more
than half (56 per cent) were aged 55 and over.
The principal reason job seekers reported for
giving up looking for work was that they were
“considered too old by employers”, followed
by “lacked necessary skills, training or experience”.
Commenting on the report, National
Seniors Australia chief executive Michael O’Neill
said it confirmed that older people were the
DO YOU HAVE A
BOOK TO PUBLISH?
For an appraisal please send your
manuscripts to:
(ref: FTY)
MELROSE BOOKS
St Thomas’ Place, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4GG, UK
Phone: 01353 646608 Fax: 01353 646602
info@melrosebooks.com www.melrosebooks.com
fifty plus.indd 1 06/10/2008 14:32:25
most marginalised of job seekers, with a large
number of mature aged workers being thwarted
in their attempts to stay in the workforce,
largely by age discrimination. “Australian society
can no longer ignore than older workers
are facing discrimination based on their age,”
Mr O’Neill said.
Grandparents who are caring for grandchildren
needed
Researcher Dr Rebekah Doley of Bond
University is conducting a study of the health
and wellbeing of grandparents raising their
grandchildren. If you are currently caring
for your grandchildren on either a full-time
or part-time basis and willing to talk about
your experiences, please contact Dr Doley, 07
5595 1344 or email rdoley@bond.edu.au It
will take about 60-90 minutes of your time,
involving a brief interview and completion
of some short questionnairs. A $10 Coles gift
card will be provided to each participating
grandparent. Results will be used to highlight
resourcing needs for grandparent carers
in our community.
Making Mothers Day more meaningful
Begun in 1998, the community walk or run
that has become known as the Mothers Day
Classic, has raised $10.8 million for National
Breast Cancer’s research programs and grows in
strength and participation each year. This year’s
Melbourne event, on 13 May, involves a 4km or
8km walk or run around Alexandra Gardens and
the Tan Track as participants remember, support
and celebrate the lives of those affected
by breast cancer. There are also events in
many regional areas around Victoria. www.
mothersdayclassic.com.au Mothers Day also
brings out the ‘pink’ in football and netball
clubs during the weekend 12-13 May. Breast
Cancer Network Australia’s fourth Pink Footy
and Netball Day is a chance for suburban and
country footy and netball clubs to support
those affected by breast cancer, by the wearing
of ‘the pink’ and organising fundraising activities
for BCNA. It’s too late to register your club,
but for information about BCNA visit: www.
bcna.org.au
Lotto to Win
I’m a World War II pensioner playing Lotto for 14 years.
I have never won a First Division prize yet. But my
method can produce Second and Third Division
winnings which supplement my income.
If you are playing Lotto with little success, do yourself a
favour and see my Loto-Smart Method. No obligation!
Details Bill Grey
(02) 9971 8093
Can you help with
this reunion?
Sandringham Technical Girls’
School (foundation year 1958) is
having another reunion. We’ve
had the 50th reunion of commencing
at the school. Now we
want to celebrate 50 years since
leaving, but this time we are
very keen to find those former
classmates with whom we’ve
lost touch.
Can you help us find Valerie
Allen, Gaye Bartrop, Lynette
Bates, Annette Burke, Diane
Cleary, Margaret Dannock, Susan
Davies (Barclay), Sandra Dellar,
Carol Dennis, Dianne Francis, Gail
Griffin (Freene), Robyn Hale, Alicia
Johnson, Christine Kelly (Bishop),
Pamia La Frania, Deidre McDonald,
Maureen Payne, Roslyn Quick
(Forbes), Sandra Patterson, Joan
Reiffel (Perkins), Sandra Rickard,
Margaret Smith, Veronica Sinclair,
Yvonne Stanway, Carmen Stephen,
Mary Thompson, Marilyn Walker,
Paulette Warhurst, Gayle Wells and
Laurel Withers?
If you know the whereabouts of
any of the above, please contact
Sally Evans Padgham, 9597 0239.
Jacquelene Hamer
St Kilda
Fifty~Plus News
Trader
Letters to The Editor are
welcome. Shorter letters will be
preferred. Send to ‘Letters’, Fifty-
Plus News, 96 Pelham St Carlton
Vic 3053 or by email to: letters@
fiftyplusnews.com
Buy, swap, sell...or find a tradesman!
Painter
Painter handyman,
30 yrs exp., seniors discount,
free quotes. Ph 9571 9904
or 0419 385 551. Carnegie.
Property
For Sale
Parkdale 2 bedroom unit
opposite beach Ret. Village.
$275 - 295,000. Owner
relocating. Ph 0400 666 844.
Photos & Music
to CD/DVD
Photographs
& music
• 35mm slides & photos to DVD
• 8mm film roll to DVD
• VHS to DVD
• Music cassettes
& vinyl records to CD
Now with FREE background
music. Call Thomas
0428 316 208 for more info.
Wanted
to Buy
Collector seeks old china, green
glass, old postcards, old Kitchenalia
& old lamps. Top cash paid.
Jenny 5428 2848, 0401 820 697
Collector seeks Rabbit traps
• Old enamel signs • Oil bottles & tops
• Railway mem. • Footy & cricket cards
• Old tools. Top cash paid.
Richard 5428 2848, 0417 415 336
Old records, 1960 - 1980s
vinyl records, LPs or singles.
Single items or collections.
Ph Richard 0417 415 336
or 5428 2848.
Collector buys all Medals,
Badges, Bayonets, Swords,
Hunting Knives. All Militaria.
Ph 87963016 or 0417 589020
Miscellaneous
Vintage men. Social &
support group for older
gay & bisexual men.
Contact Cliff 9776 8667.
Avoiding Alzheimer’s
a high priority
Much is being written and said
about the projected increase in the
number of Alzheimers sufferers and
the need for increased funding to
provide care and facilities for them.
What does not seem to get the
same publicity is what is being done
to delay, defer and even avoid the
onset of Alzheimer’s.
As an 82-year-old I am much more
interested in how I can avoid getting
Alzheimers than how well I might be
cared for when I do.
Peter Leith
Heidelberg West
Music
Teacher
Piano/keyboard lessons in your
home. All levels eg beginners
welcome. Compassionate & exp.
$20 Phone Gary 0408 382 955.
Accommodation
wanted
granny flat unit or share.
Mature, working female 50plus is looking
for a place to live. Very clean & honest, also
has a loveable old dog - both great company.
Must be close to bus or tram.
Please phone 0402 147 524
Accommodation
For Rent
Half rent of private furnished SC
granny unit offered to gent with active
garden interest. Suit P/T employed,
pet dog considered. In Dandenongs.
Character Refs reqd. Ph 9756 6191
Why not try a trader ad in this column?
Ads come in 3 sizes and start
for as little as $17.60 (incl GST).
Call us on (03) 8415 1901.
DoAbility
53 Stubbs St
Kensington Vic 3031
Ph: 03 9376 4487
Fax: 03 9376 6071
www.doability.com.au
Have you got something to sell?
Or a service to promote?
Call us on (03) 8415 1901
for details or email us at:
trader@fiftyplusnews.com
You can pay by credit card over the phone,
or send us a cheque.

­10 Fifty~Plus News News
May 2012 May 2012
Lifestyle
Fifty~Plus News ­11
New Victorian Seniors Card supporters
Beauty Therapy
Decadent Beauty
Therapy, Monbulk, 59a
Main, 9756 621. 10%
discount on all retail
and services.
Automotive
Pink Elephant Airport
Parking, Tullamarine, 7
Garden Dve, 1300 937
275. 10% discount on
indoor parking service.
www.pinkelephantparking.com.au
Alpha Care
Hire, Tullamarine,
9 International
Square,1300 227
473. 15% discount
(3 day + hire). www.
alphacarhire.com.au
Food & Beverage
Secret Recipe Cakes
& Café, Templestowe,
5 Websters Rd, 9846
6883. 10% discount
2012 Victorian Senior
of the Year Awards
Nominations now open
Do you know an inspirational
older Victorian who is making
an extraordinary difference
to their community?
Celebrate their contribution and
nominate them for the Victorian
Senior of the Year Awards.
Award categories
Premier’s Award for Victorian Senior
of the Year for an outstanding contribution
to their local community and Victoria.
Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria
Senior Achiever Awards for signifi cant
contributions to their local communities
and Victoria.
Promotion of Multiculturalism Award
for a signifi cant contribution to promoting
cultural diversity.
Healthy and Active Living Award
for helping create active and healthy
communities.
Veteran Community Award for
an exceptional contribution to the
veteran community.
Nominees must be residents
of Victoria aged 60 years or over.
Authorised by the Victorian Government, Melbourne.
on total bill. Excludes
other offers. www.
secretrecipeaustralia.
com.au
The Dish Restaurant
& Bar, Mildura, 29
Langtree Ave, 0439 465
007. 10% off total bill.
The Olive Tree
Espresso Bar and
Kitchen, Cranbourne,
144 High St, 0451 381
430. Half price on all
coffee menu items
Mon-Fri or free coffee
menu item with any
lunch purchased.
www.the-olivetree.
com.au
Bridie O’Reillys
Brunswick, 29 Sydney
Rd, 9387 2600. 10% off
meals all day, early bird
meals 20% off, 11am
– 12pm & 5pm – 6pm.
www.brunswickrd.bridieoreillys.com.au
M c D o n a l d s
Australia Ltd,
Collingwood, 2 Smith
St, 9418 5555. Free
medium drink (soft
drink, orange juice
or standard espresso
pronto) with any purchase
over $3. Valid
until 31/12/12 in participating
Victorian &
Tasmanian McDonald’s
restaurants. Present
your SC when ordering
to receive offer. Limit
of one person per
day. Not to be used
to discount any other
offer or a breakfast
McValue Meal purchase.
www.mcdonalds.com.au
Freeman’s Bakery
Café, Shepparton, 11B
McHarry Place, 5821
Doug McColl OAM
2011 Victorian Senior
of the Year
Nominations close
on 20 July 2012.
Nomination forms are
available from Seniors
Information Victoria.
Phone 1300 135 090
(local call cost)
You can also complete
the nomination form
at Seniors Online.
Visit
www.seniorsonline.
vic.gov.au
3763. 10% discount.
www.freemansbakeries.com.au
Tip Top Butchers,
Laverton North, 10
Raymond Rd, 9368
4544. 10% discount.
www.tiptopbutchers.
com
Herbal Lore
Liqueurs, Daylesford,
Lot 2, Railway Cres,
5348 1920. 10% off
cash purchases. www.
herballoreliqueurs.
com
Safety Services
Proud Living,
Seaford, 55 Fortescue
Ave, 9785 7814. 10%
discount.
Televisions
Budget TV Tuning
Service, Frankston,
2/21 Denbigh St, 0414
264 942 . Normally $70
for callouts, for seniors
card holders $50.
Clothing &
Accessories
Necktie Coolers &
Cool Hats. 02 9548
1169. 10% off all products;
must enter code:
201144 & seniors card
number. Excludes
bulk discounted packs.
www.personalcoolingproducts.com
Health &
Wellbeing
Australian Colon
Health, South
Melbourne, 4/219-221
Park St, 9690 8948
10% off single colon
hydrotherapy consultations.
www.australiancolonhealth.com
Photography
Ce ntre
for
C o n t e m p o r a r y
Photography, Fitzroy,
404 George St, 9417
1549. Seniors Card
holders eligible for
concession
www.ccp.org.au
Tourist
Attractions
prices.
Uniquely Wines
At Helen’s Hill,
Coldstream, 16 Ingram
Rd, 9739 1573. 15%
discount upon presentation
of card; excludes
specials. www.helenshill.com.au
Silent Range Estate,
Wangandary, 183
Wilsons Rd, 5725 3292.
10% off any wine purchased
at cellar door or
via internet sales. Free
case delivery anywhere
in Australia (proof of
seniors card required).
www.silentrangeestate.com.au
Old Gippstown,
Moe, 211 Lloyd St, 5127
3082. 10% discount on
entry-first offer free.
www.gippslandheritagepark.com.au
Andrew Peace
Wines, Piangil, 4077
Murray Valley Rd,
5030 5291. 15% off
Cellar Door price of
wine, or buy 6 pay for
5. Excludes wine on
sale. www.apwines.
com
Gwynnyth Vineyard,
Moonambel, 87
McAdams Lane, 0409
944 757. 10% discount
on all wines. Excludes
Gourmet Foods. www.
gwynnythvineyards.
com
Grampians Estate,
Great Western, 1477
Western Hwy, 5356
2400. 10% off all wine
www.grampiansestate.com.au
Piedmont Wines,
Piedmont, 3470 Yarra
Junction Noojee Rd,
9733 0449. 10% discount
www.piedmontwines.com.au
B e e c h w o r t h
Honey Experience,
Beechworth, Cnr of
Ford & Church St, 5728
1432. 10% discount on
classic range during
weekdays. Excludes
premium range. www.
b e e c h w o r t h h o n e y.
com.au
Golfing
Maffra Golf Club Inc,
Maffra, Fulton Rd, 5147
1884. 10% discount off
green fees. www.gippslandgolf.com
Leisure &
Recreation
Vintage Tiger Moth
Joy Flights, Point Cook,
Point Cook RAAF Base,
Point Cook Rd, 1300
138 207. 10% off all
flights. www.joyflightsmelbourne.com.au
Melbourne Skydive
Centre, Hawthorn,
285 Auburn Rd, 1300
734 471,10% discount.
www.melbourneskydivecentre.com.au
Rally Drive &
Ultimate Driver,
Bacchus Marsh, Cnr
Parwon South Rd &
Neronie Rd, 1300 306
391. 15% off all packages.
www.rallydrive.
com.au
Searoad Ferries,
Queenscliff, 1 Wharf
St, 5258 3244. 10% off
foot passenger travel.
Excludes vehicle travel.
www.searoad.com.au
Peninsula Hot
Springs Pty Ltd, Fingal
(Rye), 140 Springs Lane,
5950 8777. $25 for
public bathing, (Mon-
Fri), $10 for early bird
bathing, (7.30-10am,
Mon-Fri). Excludes
weekends, school &
public holidays. www.
peninsulahotsprings.
com
Hair & Beauty
Blue Rose Bowen
Therapy, Ballarat
Central, 15 Dawson St,
5364 2935. 20% off for
Bowen Therapy treatment.
Treatment for
$48 for pension card
holders. Normally $60.
w w w. b l u e r o s e b o -
wentherapy.com.au
Ellenis Salon Spa,
Kyneton, 48A High St,
5422 3795. 10% off
treatments & 15% off
body treatments.
Natural Therapy
Island Healing,
Newhaven, 6 Forrest
Ave, 5956 7886. 5% discount
on all service.
www.islandhealing.
com.au
Accommodation
Chocolate Gannets,
Apollo Bay, 6180 Great
Ocean Rd, 1300 500
139. 15% off the room
rate, subject to availability
and our terms
& conditions. Excludes
peak periods, minimum
stay 3 days usually
4. www.chocolategannets.com.au
Belvoir Village
Motel, Wodonga, 2
Trafalgar St, 02 6024
5344. 10% discount
off the advertised
Annesley House,
Portland, 60 Julia St,
0429 852 235, 10% off
the advertised rate.
www.annesleyhouse.
com.au
Mossglen On
Panton Hill, Panton
Hill, 30 Bakehouse Rd,
9719 7555. 10% off the
advertised rate for two
rate. www.belvoirvillagemotel.com.au
Wine Village Motor
Inn, Rutherglen,
217 Main St, 1800
028 356. 10% off the
Directory published
rates. Excludes annual
events listed on our
website. www.winevillagemotorinn.com.au
nights stay or more.
www.mossglen.com.
au
Belmont Bed &
Breakfast, Benalla, 80
Arundel St, 5762 6575.
10% off the advertised
rate. www.belmontbnb.com.au
Promhills Cabins,
Yanakie, 3650
Meeniyan-Promontory
Rd, 5687 1469. 10%
off the advertised
rate. Excludes any
other offers. www.
promhillscabins.com.
au
Melba Lodge, Yarra
Glen, 939 Melba Hwy,
9730 1511. 15% off the
discounted rate.
www.melbalodge.
com.au
Ballymena Holiday
Units, Mallacoota,
10-14 Bruce St, 5158
0258. 10% off the
advertised rate.
Excludes Nov-Apr.
Limosa Rise, Yanakie,
40 Dalgeish Rd, 5687
1135. 10% off the
advertised rate for two
nights stay or more.
Excludes peak periods,
subject to availability.
South Mokanger
Farm Cottages,
Cavendish, 728
Mokanger Rd, 5574
2398. 20% off the
advertised rate for
bookings, Monday to
Friday. Excludes peak
times, subject to availability.
www.smfarmcottages.com.au
Kingbilli Country
Estate, Taggerty, 279
Cathedral Lane, 5774
7302. 20% discount
off midweek accommodation
packages.
Does not apply over
weekends, public holidays
or to LLAMA Eco-
Experiences or Pouch
Professionals Program.
www.kingbilli.com.au
Pamora House
Boutique Bed &
Breakfast, Lakes
Entrance, 3 Princes
Highway, 5155 1982.
10% off the advertised
rate. Excludes
peak periods, includes
Christmas, New Year &
Easter. www.pomorahouse.com
Dining alone
Pastiche
with Virginia Hill
All the world’s a stage said
Shakespeare and most of us are
happy to be players on it, through
the various stages of life, that is until it
comes to dining alone when many of us
feel extremely self-conscious. It seems
aloneness — when you are dining alone
— is still confused with being lonely as
it is assumed that the best meals are the
ones shared with family or friends.
This cultural anxiety that views eating
as a communal activity persists despite
the fact so many people today live alone
and one-person households are the fastest
growing demographic, according to the
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures. In
2006 there were 1.9 million people living
alone in Australia and it is projected that
by 2031 there will be between 3 to 3.6
million, an increase of between 63 and
91 per cent. This will have a particular
impact on women as the number of older
women living alone is growing faster than
for men. Men living alone are more evenly
distributed across age groups, reflecting
the likelihood of young men going it alone.
Nowadays the dining stereotypes of old
have long since evaporated especially if
you are working out of town or travelling,
when solo dining is a pre requisite
Grape Expectations
with Ben Knight
The weather has
most certainly
turned and our
drinking habits should
adjust accordingly.
While there is not really
a season for any one
particular wine, as there
is always an excuse one
can find to drink almost
anything, these cooler
nights and darker afternoons
make me think of
fortified styles the most.
I’m going to imagine
you have all heard of
De Bortoli Noble One,
Australia’s most famous
dessert wine. The wine
we are looking at today is
made from that very wine,
it is the Black Noble, made
from fortified and barrel
aged Nobel One semillon.
This is the brooding and
moody version of that
most bright and delightful of wines,
the darker sibling as it were.
De Bortoli Black Noble is the colour
of treacle with a rim of mahogany
and burnt orange. The nose is dark
and complex with notes of figs, dark
De Bortoli Black Noble
unless you want to spend your time
incarcerated in a hotel room. A good
guide on this matter was M.F.K.Fisher, a
peripatetic international food writer of
the twentieth century, who suggested
that dining alone should be a mode of
celebration because “sharing food with
another human being is an intimate act
that should not be indulged in lightly”,
and there is now a fearless, increasing
minority of women and men who
are comfortable with their single seat
demands, viewing restaurants as safe
environments rather than battlefields,
where they can be amused or have their
souls replenished by eating alone.
But generally most people feel awkward
dining alone, automatically thinking that
other diners are staring because sitting
alone, at a table for two, is being friendless,
when in fact they don’t even notice, being
preoccupied with themselves, and thus
indifferent.
toffee, stewed quince,
char and strong mint. It
also offers smells of dried
grapes and ginger. In wine
speak, it has rancio notes
and a madeirised character,
one developed from
age in oak, 10 years in
oak as it happens. Rancio
is the flavour of melted
rancid butter — in a nice
way — and madeirised
flavours reflect those of
the wines of Madeira,
where the wine is heated
to create the style. Both
labels describe deep
complex flavours and go
hand in hand with fortified
wines. The texture
is rich and the acid fresh
and attacking, just as you
are confronted with the
sweetness of the wine,
the acid cleans up your
mouth. There is a strong
very deep citrus rind quality and
more elements of Christmas cake.
This wine is sweet, but there is much
more to it than that, this is historic,
and the wondrous elements unfurl
as you take another glass.
MUSHROOM RISOTTO
1 (generous) serve
1 tbsp oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¾ cup Arborio rice
2 cups chicken stock, warm
150 g Swiss brown mushrooms sliced
100 g baby spinach leaves
Shaved parmesan for garnishing
Place oil, onion and garlic into a large
Pyrex jug and cook uncovered for 2 minutes
on High (100%)
Stir in rice and mix well to coat with oil
mixture.
Add stock, stir and cover with plastic
wrap. Cook for 5 minutes on High (100%).
Reduce heat to Medium (50%) and cook
a further 5 minutes.
It is this indifference that makes the angst
surrounding solo dining absurd when the
advantage is that you can choose where
you want to eat without worrying about
anyone else’s feelings and in this way get
to sample a bowl of noodles in a simple
Vietnamese place or haute cuisine at a
high end restaurant, depending on your
mood or finances, whilst reading a book at
the same time, if you so choose.
Some basic ground rules to think about
if you are going it alone, to alleviate social
discomfort, is to choose a restaurant with a
bar or that caters for business people, that
has a casual bent and a bit of noise. Pick
your time earlier or later than prime dinner
hours, so you are a welcome guest and the
other settings on the table are removed
quickly by waiters.
Don’t accept a table at the back of the
restaurant; scan the restaurant for one that
Remove wrap and stir through mushrooms.
Recover and cook on Medium
(50%) a further 5 minutes.
Uncover, stir through spinach and cook
on High (100%) 2 -3 minutes.
Season to taste and serve garnished
with parmesan cheese
NB: Leftovers reheat well for solo snack
attacks.
• Contact Virginia Hill at her Cooking
Centre, 10c Cromwell Rd, South Yarra,
Victoria, 3141 for copies of her CDRom ‘Fit
Food For Fellas’, $24.95 plus $5.00 delivery
charge, or for her CDRom ‘Microwave
Meals on the Move’, $19.95 plus $5.00
delivery charge. All enquiries phone:
03 9804 7235, fax: 03 9804 7489. Email:
virginiahill@i.net.au or visit her website at
www.virginiahill.com.au
offers a good people watching view and
where you can be seen. It’s a good way
to strike up some conversation with other
people if you wish. Alternatively, eat at
the bar, a spot which is becoming more
popular in Australia now, particularly in
gastro- pubs.
Chat to your waiter about the area,
the restaurant and the menu. Bring a
book or a small notebook if the venue is
suitable or just people watch discretely
whilst enjoying your surroundings.
Savour your personal time and choice of
dinner. Order a dessert if you’re lusting
for one remembering the bill will be significantly
less than if you were on a date
or with a group.
Nourish yourself and enjoy your own
good company as there is no shame
attached to dining alone, it just takes
practice.
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­12 Fifty~Plus News Lifestyle
May 2012 May 2012
Lifestyle
Fifty~Plus News ­13
planning for your future Advertising Feature
An emphasis on
making at home care
more accessible, measures
to ensure that
the family home does
not have to be sold to
pay for aged care and
a capped user-pays
system to replace the
present bond system
are key features of
the 10-year plan for
aged care, Living Longer
Living Better, to commence
unfolding on 1
July 2012. In the plan
announced by Prime
Minister Julia Gillard
and Minister for
Ageing, Mark Butler,
funding for dementia
care ($268.4 million)
will dramatically
increase and $1.2 billion
has been allowed
over five years to
tackle critical shortages
in the aged care
workforce.
Home care
Over the next five
years the numbers
Future planning for aged care
of Home Care packages
will increase from
59,876 to 99,669 and
a new means-testing
arrangement will
begin on 1 July 2014,
ensuring that people
of similar means pay
similar fees. The means
test will not include
the family home, which
remains exempt.
Full age pensioners
will pay no more than
the basic fee (now
$1800pa) and single
people on income less
than $43,000 will pay
no more than $5000pa,
with a sliding scale of
up to $10,000 for selffunded
retirees.
It is important to note
that people currently
receiving a Home Care
package will not be subject
to the new arrangements
while their current
care continues.
Aged care reforms aim for more choice, easier access and better care
Residential Care
From 1 July 2014 the
maximum government
supplement paid
to providers of aged
care when people are
unable to meet the
cost of their accommodation
with rise from
the present $32.58 to
$52.84 per day and it
is expected that this
will result in aged care
places increasing from
191,522 to 221,103.
Residents will have
more choice in how
they pay for their care:
in a lump sum, periodically,
or a combination
of both and a cooling
off period will mean
that they, and their
families, will not have
to decide how they
will pay until they have
actually entered care.
Residential care means
testing will be based on
capacity to pay and the
amount paid for care
costs will be capped.
Nobody will pay more
than $25,000 a year and
no more than $60,000
over a lifetime.
As with Home Care,
no changes will be
made to the treatment
of the family
home.
Aged care workforce
An allocation of $1.2
billion over five years
is promised to tackle
the critical workforce
shortage in the aged
care sector. These
funds are to be used
to attract, retrain and
train aged care workers
and to ensure that
they receipt competitive
wages.
New information
services
A new My Aged Care
website and national
call centre will be
established in 2013 as
a first step in providing
single gateway to
all aged care services,
making information
easier to access and
navigate.
Reception favourable
— family home
remains exempt
Consumer groups,
aged care service providers,
industry leaders,
representatives
of aged care workers,
health care professionals
and commentators
have all welcomed
the federal governments
announcement,
acknowledging that it
is a significant reform
package that signals a
fairer, and more flexible
era in Australian
aged care. Benetas
CEO Sandra Hills said
that the package “demonstrates
respect for
older people and their
carers”. COTA Vic chief
executive Sue Hendry
also applauded a new,
more positive attitude
to ageing in the presentation
of the package,
citing the Prime
Minister’s statement
that “getting older
is not be seen as a
burden” as a significant
indicator of a promising
shift in outlook.
In particular, seniors
advocacy groups such
as National Seniors
Australia have praised
the government for listening
to the voices of
older people who argued
against the Productivity
Commission’s recommendation
that the
family home be included
in the means testing
process. It remains
exempt under the new
arrangements. “The
family home lies at
the very heart of the
Australian way of life,
it’s sacred,” commented
NSA chief executive,
Michael O’Neill.
Most commentators
approve of the modified
user-pays system, which
means that people will
be asked to pay for services
according to their
income, while the size
of user contributions
will be capped each
year and for a whole of
life period. However, it
has been pointed out
by a spokesperson for
UnitingCare Ageing
in New South Wales
that the cost to some
people might put aged
care services beyond
their means. A person
with an annual income
of $30,000, for instance,
could be required to
pay Home Care fees
of between 16.8 per
cent and 21.3 per cent
of their income, considerably
more than is
required now. (Note
that people presently
receiving a Home Care
package will not move
to the new arrangements
while receiving
their current care.)
Workforce
improvements
important
The funded compact
to improve pay and
conditions for aged
care workers received
universal commendation.
“…the focus on
alleviating workforce
Show Mum how much you care
this Mother’s Day
Give the gift of in-home
care to help make Mum’s
life easier!
Senior Helpers offer:
• Companionship and conversation
• Laundry and ironing
• Light housekeeping
• Meal prep and clean-up
• Errands and transportation
• Attend events
• Grocery Shopping
and much more …
Gift Vouchers now available!
(Companionship only, conditions apply)
pressures is welcome.
$1.2B will go a long way
to delivering higher
wages, better training
and professional development,
and improve
career pathways,” said
UnitingCare Australia’s
national director Lin
Hatfield Dodds.
Implementation and
efficient delivery of
the new package is a
concern for some commentators.
In an online
comment, Hal Kendig,
research professor
of ageing and health
at the University of
Sydney asks “How will
this actually happen?”
Professor Kendig suggests
there may need
to be fundamental
changes like having
services developed and
delivered at a regional
level, yet control still
seems to be envisaged
as “coming out of central
offices in Canberra”.
But positive attitudes
seem to predominate,
many emanating from
the 28 organisations of
the National Aged Care
Alliance, representing a
broad cross section of
the aged care sector from
consumers to providers.
“We are on the road
to ageing well but there
is more work to do
and the National Aged
Care Alliance will work
with Government to
ensure the package is
delivered,” said Martin
Laverty, CEO of Catholic
Health Australia, a
member of the alliance.
CALL 1300 AGE CARE
(1300 243 227)
planning for your future Advertising Feature
Unique present for Mum
Di Bradley shares a way to enjoy more
quality time with her Mum.
Women are wonderfully talented and give up
so much whilst our families are growing up
juggling home, work and a healthy relationship.
It isn’t easy but we do it!
When the children are finally in the work force
and have hopefully moved out of home we breathe
a sigh of relief and think to ourselves…it is now MY
TURN…travel locally and overseas, leisurely walks
or long lunches with girlfriends, getting fit again
and of course more shopping… for ME this time!
Then we begin to realise that the parents seem
to need more and more assistance. I, like many
others, willingly take Mum to do the weekly
shopping and the increasing number of doctors’
appointments, but again I need to take more time
off work. It is becoming quite stressful, as I struggle
to fit in quality time with my parents and, of
course, the ‘me’ time has disappeared again.
Thank goodness I found a solution that works for me
and is also wonderful for Mum. A meaningful Mother’s
Day gift (for both of us) from a company called Senior
Helpers: a day or perhaps an hour (or more) a week
where Senior Helpers can take Mum to the appointments,
shopping and all the other activities that have
become so ‘stressful’. Ahhh…what a relief!
So before you reach for the old standbys – another
pair of slippers, pot plant, cup and saucer set or
hand cream, the best gift may simply be an hour,
day (or more) where they (and you) are relieved
of all those mundane tasks and duties,;call Senior
Helpers (1300 243 227) and enjoy quality time
together once again.
Call 1300 307 059
A new way to use the equity in your home to fund retirement
In these very difficult financial times
there are many senior Australians
who are finding it difficult to plan
for their retirement. How then to
plan for retirement if, your only real
asset is your home which you do not
want to sell and you do not want to
(or cannot) borrow any more money?
The answer may well be the solution
offered by Homesafe Solutions Pty
Ltd in conjunction with Bendigo and
Adelaide Bank Limited. The Homesafe
Solution is an arrangement to sell an
agreed share of the future sale proceeds
their home for an upfront cash
payment, while retaining the security
of tenure, legal ownership and the certainty
of keeping equity for the future.
Peter Szabo the Managing Director of
Homesafe Solutions says that “we have
been helping an increasing number of
seniors to fund their retirement in these
extremely difficult economic times”.
The Homesafe Solution is a conservative
way for risk averse seniors seeking
a way to access the equity locked up in
their home. This is because the homeowner
always retains the right to the
share of the sale proceeds they have
NOT sold to Homesafe regardless of:
• what happens to the value of their
home,
• how long they live in their home; and
• what happens to interest rates.
Homesafe Solutions.
The smart way to use your
home to fund your retirement.
Release the equity in your home with the Homesafe Solution.
There’s no denying that being faced with funding your
retirement can be daunting. The decisions you make will
affect the quality of your life when you have the most time
to enjoy it. Naturally, you want to be as comfortable as
possible, yet going into debt could make you anything but.
Szabo says; “As an actuary, I wanted
to offer a way for seniors to access the
equity in their homes with certainty that
they would always know the share that
would belong to them regardless of
what was happening to the economy”.
Homesafe believes that the certainty
offered by the Homesafe Solution will
be welcomed by seniors needing to
access some of the equity in their home.
The transaction gives seniors the
opportunity to sell a share of the future
sale proceeds of their home for an
upfront cash payment. The homeowner
remains on title, remains the legal
owner of their home, continues to have
the right to occupy the home and can
buy back the sold share at anytime.
The cash amount paid to the homeowner
is determined by their age, their
home’s value, and the maximum share
(up to 65%) that the homeowner is willing
to sell. The cash payment is less than
the face value of the share because
the homeowner keeps valuable entitlements
such as the right to live in their
home for the rest of their life, or rent it
out and keep all the income.
The higher the ‘sale’ percentage the
homeowner is willing to sell, the more
cash the homeowner can receive upfront.
If the homeowner sells the home earlier,
or passes away earlier than expected,
then Homesafe’s share is reduced
by means of early sale rebates, which
means the homeowner will retain a
greater share of the sale proceeds.
The bottom line is that the transaction
will always leave the homeowner with
their share of the sale proceeds regardless
of circumstances.
However, as eligibility criteria are currently
restricted to over 60s (mainly
freestanding) homeowners in certain
postcodes within greater Sydney and
Melbourne, not all will be able to take
advantage of the transaction.
“Unfortunately, at this time eligibility
is limited,” says Szabo, “but in time we
hope to expand the eligibility requirements
so more people can access the
transaction. Homesafe was always
designed to meet the needs of the
risk averse senior wanting to access
the equity in their home. With current
uncertainty it may well be that all seniors
are now seeking the type of risk
averse solution provided by Homesafe,”
says Szabo.
As with any financial decision there
are many factors to be considered in
relation to equity release depending
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­14 Fifty~Plus News Body & Mind
May 2012 May 2012
Body & Mind
Fifty~Plus News ­15
Mindgames
Welcome to the Fifty-Plus News Mindgames page. In
each issue, we bring you a Double Take crossword and a
Wheel Words or Sudoku in alternating issues. Good luck and
happy puzzling!
Solutions are on page 18.
Rating:
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Fill the grid so that every
column, every row and
every 3x3 box contains the
digits 1 to 9.
1 5 6
7 1 6
3 6 2 5 8
5 6 2
2 3 4 8
9 3 1
8 3 6 1 7
1 4 9
8 9 5
7 1 5 4 8 6 2 3 9
8 2 4 5 9 3 7 1 6
3 9 6 1 2 7 5 8 4
4 7 1 9 5 8 3 6 2
6 5 2 3 7 4 8 9 1
9 3 8 6 1 2 4 7 5
5 8 3 2 6 9 1 4 7
1 4 9 7 3 5 6 2 8
2 6 7 8 4 1 9 5 3
doubletake crossword
1 2 3 4 5
7
10 11
16 17
19
13 14 15
18
20
© Lovatts Crosswords
Tackle either set of these clues – you can even
mix and match them, because the solutions
are the same for both sets
CRYPTIC CLUES
Across
1. Sun protection for Paris souls, apparently
(8)
6. Display no slip for 24 hours (3)
7. Type of blanket used by bouncers? (8)
8. Pasture in mid-Orleans (3)
10. Vera enters ages for typical scores (8)
13. Tongue that can be foreign or foul (8)
16. Drain vital fluid (3)
18. Waterfall makes lens go cloudy (8)
19. Loud ad for current craze (3)
20. Tell her Vi’s heard broadcast (8)
Royal Melbourne has lifesaving device
The Melbourne Hospital is currently the only Victorian hospital
to have a new lifesaving device for patients over 75 years to
help them recover faster, spend less time in hospital and back
to a full and happy life. The new stent, known as Perceval S, is
an innovative device designed to reduce risk and complications
associated with valve replacement at open heart surgery, with
recovery times likely to improve significantly. It is significantly
quicker so that the heart is stopped for a much shorter time
and surgeons can implant the valve only partially dividing the
sternum or by implanting it through a small incision between
the ribs. The device will be available for patients over 75 years
6
8 9
12
Down
1. Pieces of writing displayed in hallways (8)
2. Illegal enterprise makes a din (6)
3. Poor Ray is Jordan’s neighbour (5)
4. Turner writes same article in French and English
(5)
5. Fast runner in Bucharest (4)
9. You won’t get a present from this person (8)
11. Spirit seen in imagination (3)
12. Hunting expedition is a far-out experience (6)
14. Silver monkey with mouth open (5)
15. Dying to end up in this place (5)
17. A path somewhere else (4)
STRAIGHT CLUES
Across
1. Umbrellas (8)
6. Night & ... (3)
7. Fixed tenure, job ... (8)
8. Poetic term for field (3)
10. Norms (8)
13. Latin or Chinese (8)
16. Tree secretion (3)
18. Eye disease (8)
19. Passing fashion (3)
20. Show on screen (8)
Down
1. Sea crossings (8)
2. Commotion (6)
3. Middle Eastern country (5)
4. Wood-shaping machine (5)
5. The ... & The Tortoise (4)
9. One that is not in residence (8)
11. Drink, ... & tonic (3)
12. 70s men’s outfit, ... suit (6)
14. In state of wonder (5)
15. Very serious (5)
17. Not at home (4)
requiring an aortic valve replacements or patients at high risk of
cardiac surgery.
Loneliness major cause of ill health
According to Sue Hendy, CEO of COTA Victoria, social isolation
is as important a risk factor for chronic diseases as ‘lifestyle’
risk factors like tobacco and alcohol. Statistics show that lone
person households are projected to grow to 28 per cent in 2031
and almost two-thirds of the increase is projected to be among
people over 60 years. “All too often our society accepts chronic
illness related to lifestyle such as obesity and diabetes as an
accepted and inevitable part of ageing,” Ms Hendy said, calling
for more funding to be allocated to preventive health programs.
Heart failure and its
unhappy consequences
When a man suddenly drops
dead from a massive heart
attack in mid-life, it is a great
shock for his loved ones. While there
is a little comfort to be found for them,
there is some small compensation in
understanding that this man managed
to avoid what awaits many who
live on after their heart attack.
Men who survive with badly damaged
hearts become prime candidates for
heart failure later in life. They can have
many good years after their heart attack
but eventually large numbers of them
they succumb to heart failure. This is a
slowly developing condition that reduces
them to shuffling between the bed
and the bathroom. Short of a transplant,
there is no cure.
The compensation is that rather than
rusting, the man who drops in midlife
burns out.
It doesn’t seem very old but the average
age for a man to have a heart attack
is 66. With normal ageing we lose a
number of heart cells every day, just as
we lose brain cells. But this slow loss in
the heart can be accelerated by a heart
attack, which kills off an area of muscle.
When too many cells are lost and the
heart can no longer manage, it begins to
fail. And once this process has begun, it
can be slowed but can’t be stopped.
Bob Graham, professor and director of
Sydney’s Victor Chang Cardiac Research
Institute, describes it as “Alzheimer’s of
the heart” and says that despite treatment,
50 per cent of people who develop
heart failure will die of it within five years.
With our society ageing, more men are
naturally going into heart failure but
their ranks are being boosted by the
increasing numbers of men who survive
heart attacks.
Graham says the number heading for
heart failure is expected to increase by
two to three-fold over the next decade.
“Back in the 70s when I graduated
from medical school, if a person got to
hospital with a heart attack, their chance
of survival was 75 per cent. Today, if they
get to a good hospital they have more
than a 95 per cent chance,” says Graham.
About 300,000 Australians are now
living with heart failure and a further
30,000 are currently diagnosed with
the condition every year. It is the most
common cause of hospital admission in
people over 65.
Not all men who have had a heart
attack will develop heart failure and
those who are on track for it, usually have
a decade or two of satisfactory life ahead
of them before they feel it.
Classically, the first signs include putting
on a bit of weight because of fluid retention.
The ankles become a little swollen
and the face becomes puffy. There is usually
a bit of breathlessness when walking
up a hill and a general feeling of lethargy.
Graham says over time men in heart
failure become increasingly incapacitated
until it is only possible for them
to walk small distances on the flat. If
they are diligent with their fluid and salt
intake and religiously take their medication,
the deterioration can be slowed.
The medication becomes less effective
over time and eventually their fluid
retention becomes so debilitating they
need to be admitted to hospital intermittently
to be dried out. They go home
feeling better but the fluid gradually
accumulates over the following months.
Bodyworks
with Jill Margo
Men in heart failure need such frequent
admission to hospital they are known
as the ‘frequent flyers’ of the hospital
system. Other organs may be affected
too and regular hospital stays make
heart failure expensive to treat. Usually,
they have other medical issues, which
complicate treatment.
There are four stages of heart failure
and towards the fourth, people begin to
waste. It is the kind of wasting usually
associated with advanced cancer and is
so serious, only a heart transplant can
save them. But there is a shortage of
donor hearts and people beyond 60 are
usually outside the remit.
Those fortunate enough to be on the
list are often given a bridging mechanical
device to keep them going while they hope
for a donor. By this stage they look sick,
pasty and grey. The device can be transforming
and many temporarily blossom.
“Over three months, their colour comes
back and their skin tone returns. The
heart has time to rest and sometimes,
when we take out the device, they
remain reasonably well for a while,” says
Graham.
Of the promising treatment options on
the horizon, the most hope lies in regenerative
medicine with the use of stem
cells to repair damaged heart muscle.
The best way to prevent heart failure is
by controlling life style factors early on
and keeping blood sugar, blood pressure
and blood fats within healthy limits.
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­16 Fifty~Plus News Arts & Entertainment
May 2012 May 2012
Arts & Entertainment
Fifty~Plus News ­17
Babirra’s Oliver! will have you asking for more Exhibiting significant pottery of the northern suburbs
Babirra Music Theatre has an
enviable reputation for bringing
brilliant musicals to Melbourne
audiences who love to enjoy talented
casts and high standard
productions at economical prices.
The company has a 56-year tradition
of excellence, presenting
two major musicals a year at the
Whitehorse Centre in Nunawading
and providing a springboard to
launch future careers in all roles
that are required for a career in the
world of theatre. Babirra is a consuming
interest for many senior
theatre lovers too, who assist with
everything from stage scenery and
costumes to front of house duties.
The company’s outstanding success
culminated last year in the Victorian
Music Theatre Guild Awards and
Lyrebird Awards.
Babirra’s June 2012 production of
Oliver!, the exciting musical adaptation
of Charles Dickens’ classic novel
Oliver Twist, might well launch the
careers of quite a few young members
of cast who enthusiastically
perform as members of the great
The very talented youth cast of
Babirra Theatre Company’s
production of Oliver!
villain, Fagin’s, band of pick-pocketing
urchins, as well as ‘the boy who
asked for more’ Oliver himself.
Lionel Bart’s wonderful score
includes a host of familiar tunes:
Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself,
You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two, I’d
Do Anything, Oom Pah Pah, As Long
As He Needs Me and many more. And
Babirra’s talented cast and production
team are set to do justice to a
memorable musical theatre occasion.
Oliver! is at the Whitehorse Centre, 397
Whitehorse Road, Nunawading from 1
to 10 June. Tickets $37/$33, bookings
9262 6555, www.babirra.org.au
During the twentieth century, key potteries
emerged in and around the northern suburbs
of Melbourne and an exhibition now at
Bundoora Homestead Art Centre provides a
special insight into one of these establishments
located in Brunswick.
The exhibition Melrose Art Pottery tells the story
of to: the Hoffman Brick, Tile and Pottery Company’s
survival during the 1930s Depression. Established
in 1862, the Brunswick company was the largest
business of its type in the southern hemisphere.
FRoM:
Melrose Art Pottery, with its accompanying catalogue,
Fax no: provides a window into the social history of exhibition, Melrose Art Pottery examines the historical,
technical and artistic achievements of the
the era as well as the impressive range of Melrose
pottery date: produced at Hoffman’s, making the business
economically viable even in turbulent times. of Australian commercial pottery. The exhibi-
RetuRn Melrose Fax: range (03) and 8415 its role 1902 in PH: the development
(03) 8415 1901
❐ Melrose Proof pottery sent was designed using images ❐ Proof tion approved and catalogue for printing. are the results signed.............................................
of extensive
of a newly recognised Australian identity and research by ceramics expert Gregory Hill, who
message: Here is a proof of your ad for the next issue. Please check copy carefully and advise our
largely styled under the inspiration of the worldwide
office modernist of any errors movement you and find prevailing or alterations tastes which many Hoffman you may employees. require immediately. if you are happy
was able to draw on the candid reflections of
reflected in Australian arts and crafts societies. Melrose Art Pottery is at Bundoora Homestead
All with manner this copy of vessels please such sign as and vases, return jugs and by fax. Art Please Centre, 7-27 note Snake tHat Gully we Drive, cannot Bundoora, be until Held resPonsible
for errors or omissions after tHe ad Has been signed off, or if cHanges are
bowls were adorned with Australian gum leaves, 1 July. Open Wednesday to Friday 11am to 4pm,
gumnuts and native animals. The popularity of weekends 12 to 5pm. Free admission.
the made pottery to allowed coPy after the company tHe PaPer to survive Has and gone • Curator Press. Gregory Hill will give a floor talk ‘Madly
to continue to employ key personnel until more Melrose’ on 14 June at 2pm. Cost $5 includes
last date for cHanges is.........................................................
prosperous times arrived.
A Bundoora Homestead Art Centre touring
multi award winning community project
Mont De Lancey
historic home, garden,
museum, chapel
& 1880s kitchen
wellington road, wandin, vic. Mel 121 B2
• Panoramic Views • Dev. teas • Light lunch • Weddings
• Fully licensed • Group tours Monday & Tuesday by appt.
Open Wed - Sun 10am to 5pm
Ring 5964 2088 for bookings.
www.montdelancey.org.au
afternoon tea. Enquiries 9496 1060, www.bundoorahomestead.com
HandyRails
Safe &
Confident
Inside and Out
9511-5151
Call Michael:
For free advice and an idea of the price
Where did you
see that ad?
In Fifty-Plus
News, of
course!
Exploring the appeal
of architectural ruins
Dr Colin Holden,
Geelong Gallery guest
curator of the exhibition,
In Search of
the Picturesque — the
architectural ruin in art,
reminds us that architectural
ruins have long
exercised a powerful
fascination for artists.
As the exhibition
shows, the fascination
encompasses both
the grand ruins of the
classical civilisations of
Rome, Greece and the
Middle East, and their
more modest Australian
counterparts. Works
by some of the towering
figures in European
art from the late 16th
to late 19th centuries
from Claude Lorrain
and Salvator Rosa
Unknown photographer: Untitled (Arch of Septimius
Severus, Roman Forum, Rome), Geelong Gallery.
to Giovanni Battista
Piranesi and JMW Turner
are included as well as
works by Australian artists
like Russell Drysdale,
Margaret Olley, Lionel
Lindsay and William
Blamire Young.
In Search of the
Picturesque – the architectural
ruin in art is at
Geelong Gallery, Little
Malop Street, until 24
June. Open daily 10am
to 5pm. Free entry.
Enquiries 5229 3645.
Would you like
to advertise in
one of our
special
features?
Call us on
(03) 8415 1901
for details
of rates and
upcoming
features.
50+
you are reading
news
Arts & Events Digest
Inner Worlds: portraits and psychology: at Ian Potter
Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, Swanston
St, Parkville until 22 July. Open Tue-Fri, 10am to 5pm,
weekends 12 to 5pm. Free. Enquiries 8344 5148.
www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.au
uuu
Roy Lichtenstein: A Pop Remix: at Mornington
Peninsula Regional Gallery, Civic Reserve, Dunns
Road, Mornington until 11 June. Open Tue-Sunday
10am to 5pm, $4/$2. Enquiries 5975 4395.
uuu
Art Melbourne: ‘Affordable Art Fair’ at Royal
Exhibition Building, Carlton, 24-27 May. www.
affordableartfair.com.au
uuu
Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention: explore 62
West Wallaby Street, a life size version of Wallace
& Gromit’s home for a hands on and interactive
display of their inventions and contraptions. At
Scienceworks, from 19 May to 11 November, 10am to
4.30pm. $9/$7.50. www.museum.vic.gov.au
uuu
The Girls in Grey: production developed from real
life accounts of Australian nurses during World War
I. Until 13 May at Theatre Works, 14 Acland St, St
Kilda. Tickets $28/$20; bookings 9543 3388 or www.
theatreworks.org.au
uuu
Macbeth: Bell Shakespeare production, directed by
Peter Evans. At Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne,
7 to 23 June. Tickets $33-$79; bookings www.
artcentremelbourne.com.au, 1300 182 183.
uuu
An Unseasonable Fall of Snow: by acclaimed New
Zealand playwright Gary Henderson. Presented by
Hoy Polloy at Mechanics Institute Performing Arts
Centre, cnr Sydney and Glenlyon Roads, Brunswick
from 2 to 19 May. Tickets $30/$25; bookings www.
trybooking.com/23212. Enquiries 9005 6734.
uuu
The Exchange: reciprocal exchange between Italian
theatre company Dewey Dell and Australian artists
Justin Shoulder, Toby Knyvett and Nick Wales. At Arts
House, North Melbourne Town Hall. Program 1, 19-22
May, Program 2: 24-27 May. Bookings 9322 3713,
www.artshouse.com.au
uuu
The Australian Ballet School: see the next generation
of gifted young dancers. Morning Melodies at
State Theatre, Arts Centre, 11am and 1.30pm 29 May.
Tickets $19; bookings 1300 002 787, www.artscentremelbourne.com.au
uuu
Matthew Fagan’s Gypsy Flamenco Concert: at Montsalvat
Barn Gallery, 7 Hillcrest Ave, Eltham, 4pm Sunday 20 May.
$35/$25; bookings 9439 7712 or at the door.
uuu
History of Black Rock and Surrounds: talk by historian
Dr Valerie Tarrant at Black Rock House, 34 Ebden
Avenue, Black Rock, 2pm 19 May. Entry free; bookings
essential, 0438 141 389.
uuu
Huanduj: Brugmansia: illustrated talk by Dr Alistair
Hay at Mueller Hall, National Herbarium, 6 for
6.30pm, 31 May. Cost $25. Enquiries Friends of
the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, 9650 6398.
www.rbgfriendsmelbourne.org
uuu
Workshop – Dichroic Glass Pendants: two classes 22
and 29 May from 7pm. Create your own pendant
with glass artist Jenie Yolland. $120, all materials
and firing included. At Box Hill Community Arts
Centre, 470 Station St, Box Hill. Enquiries 9895 8888,
www.bhcac.com.au
uuu
Pascoe Vale Hand Spinners & Weavers Group
Annual Exhibition: at 7 Prospect Street, Pascoe
Vale (Swimming Pool Hall) on Sat 2 and Sun 3
June, 10am to 4pm. Lots to see and work for sale.
Enquiries 9306 2803.
uuu
Patchwork Exhibition: fundraiser for local CFA, at
Warratina Lavender Farm, 105 Quayle Road, Wandin
Yallock (Yarra Valley), 12 to 27 May. Entry $5/$4.
Devonshire Tea available. Enquiries 5964 4650,
enquiries@warratinalavender.com.au
uuu
Saturday Night Dancing: new venue for Hawthorn
Town Hall social ballroom dance: Blackman Hall
(Melbourne University Hawthorn Campus) 442
Auburn Road, Hawthorn. Doors open 7.45pm, dancing
8 to 11pm. Free undercover parking, enter from
Robinsons Road. Enquiries, John 0408 341 516 or
8873 2000.
uuu
Emerge Festival 2012: Multicultural Arts Victoria’s
diverse festival providing people from diverse cultures
to make music together, sing, dance, learn
about each and showcase their own cultures. At
various venues in city and suburbs, 1 June to 31 July.
www.multiculturalarts.com.au
uuu
Stonnington Symphony Concert: as part of
Stonnington Jazz Festival. At Malvern Town Hall,
2.30pm, 27 May. Tlickets $35/$27/$18; bookings
8290 7000 or www.chapeloffchapel.com.au
uuu
Classical concert: presented by Richmond Uniting
Church, 310 Church Street, Richmond. Sunday 20
May, 5pm to 6pm. Gold coin donation to Richmond
Hill Churches Food Relief Centre. Refreshments after
concert. Enquiries 9427 1282.
uuu
The Choir at Daylesford: 100 voice community choir
and Jonathon Welch present a program of popular,
rock and classic arrangements. At Daylesford Town
Hall, 3pm Sunday 27 May. Tickets $15-$25 at the
door from 2.30pm. Proceeds support the African
Children’s Choir through the KWAYA project. www.
thechoir.com.au
1 9 3 1 – 1 9 4 2
A p r i l 2 0 - J u ly 1 2 012
Vase [ gumleaf] c. 1932–1942, moulded earthenware, glazed, 22.3 x 14.3 x 14.3 cm
Bundoora Homestead Art Centre
historic house • gallery • café
7-27 Snake Gully Drive Bundoora
ph 9496 1060
www.bundoorahomestead.com
Wednesday – Friday 11am – 4pm
Saturday & Sunday 12noon – 5pm
Free admission
Bundoora Homestead Art Centre

Rating:
­18 Fifty~Plus News Arts & Entertainment
May 2012 May 2012
Arts & Entertainment
Fifty~Plus News ­19
short story competition Winners’ series
When the war started in 1939, I was in
short trousers. Our town was about
12 miles from Glasgow, which was a
prime target for Hitler’s bombers. We expected
to be invaded and the Home Guard, Dad’s
Army, was the last line of defence. To make
it difficult for the Germans, all references to
place names were painted out, such as main
road signs and town names over shop frontages.
Presumably, we imagined the invading
paratroops would be disoriented on landing
and would have to waste time getting their
bearings. At school, we were told that careless
talk cost lives. If a stranger asked for information,
no matter how trivial, we were warned
not to respond.
On the way home from school one day, my
friend Tosh and I were accosted by a stranger in
highland dress, who asked where the post office
was. “I don’t know,” I said, bearing in mind the
recent lecture on careless talk.
Tosh, eager to please, said, “It’s just round the
corner, in King Street, mister.”
“Thanks son, I’m much obliged to you,” said the
man, in a broad Scottish accent.
As he strode off, I said, “Tosh, you shouldn’t have
told him. He could be a German spy.”
“Don’t be daft, Jim, he’s wearing a kilt.”
“That could be a disguise, Tosh,” I said.
“But he talks Scottish.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” I said. “Even
the English talk Fill the like grid so us that after every living here for three
column, every row and
months. We’d every better 3x3 box follow contains him the and see what he’s
up to.”
digits 1 to 9.
Keeping our distance, we watched as the man
bought stamp from the machine and posted
a letter. He then headed 7 1 for 6 the bus stop and
caught a bus going to Glasgow.
“There you are, Jim, he didn’t blow up the post
office or anything.” 5 6 2
We were all issued with gas masks and suffered
daily 2 drills, 3 sitting 4 in 8 class for half an hour with
those horrible contraptions on. They caused me
to sweat profusely from my head and face and I
was always glad when the drill was over.
One day, Tosh asked me to come after school
to see the latest additions to his stamp album.
1 5 6
3 6 2 5 8
9 3 1
8 3 6 1 7
1 4 9
8 9 5
Mindgames solutions
Puzzles are on page 14.
German Spies and Gasmasks
7 1 5 4 8 6 2 3 9
8 2 4 5 9 3 7 1 6
3 9 6 1 2 7 5 8 4
4 7 1 9 5 8 3 6 2
6 5 2 3 7 4 8 9 1
9 3 8 6 1 2 4 7 5
5 8 3 2 6 9 1 4 7
1 4 9 7 3 5 6 2 8
2 6 7 8 4 1 9 5 3
by Jim Dow
specialised touring
12 day red centre & top end
Departure Saturday 14th July
Includes the Ghan to Alice Springs with a four day whistle stop break for
sightseeing including Ayers Rock & the Olgas. Re-board the Ghan & travel overnight
to Darwin for a 5 night stay which also includes Kakadu & Litchfield Park etc, before
direct flight back to Melbourne.
Pensioner cost $5395.00 pp t/share, Non-pensioner $5685 pp t/share
Single supplement $750.00 extra.
14 day nth queensland outback
Departure Thursday 9th August
Includes airfare to Brisbane & return from Cairns & features the Stockman’s Hall of
Fame, the Qantas Founders Museum, a cattle station visit, the Lava Tubes plus travel
aboard the historic Gulflander & Savannahlander trains, & the Kurand Sky Rail.
Cost $4395.00 pp t/share Single supplement $520.00 extra.
8 Day tasmania
Departure 7th September
Cost $2895.00 pp t/share Single supp $440.00 extra
When I got around there, nobody answered my
door knock and I went in, only to find Tosh in the
kitchen, lying unconscious with his head in the
gas oven. The place reeked of coal gas. I switched
off the gas at the oven and opened the windows.
His mother then arrived, pulled Tosh free from
the oven and removed his gas mask, to find him
bleeding from the nose.
“My God,” said Mrs MacIntosh, “he’s been testing
his gas mask. Didn’t they tell you at school that
they’re no good against coal gas, Jim?”
“No, they didn’t, Mrs MacIntosh. I’m glad you’re
here. I had no idea he was going to do this. I just
arrived a minute before you.”
She revived him and we took him to the cottage
hospital for a check-up. Fortunately, he was given
a clean bill of health. She took him home and put
him to bed as he had a bit of a headache. “Thanks
for your help, Jim. You got to him just in time, son.
He’ll be all right in the morning.”
Mrs MacIntosh must have informed the authorities
about this incident because a bulletin was
issued, warning people of the danger of experimenting
with gas masks in the home. Tosh was
embarrassed, swearing me to secrecy about his
stupidity. However, he reminded me about my
silly comments about the kilted stranger, but
promised to keep mum about that.
A few days later, we saw the kilted stranger
alight from the Glasgow bus with a heavy suitcase.
Tosh giggled, saying, “Here comes your
German spy, Jim. Do you want to follow him?”
“No,” I said, “just shut up about him.”
That night, the post office burned down to the
ground. I couldn’t wait to tell Tosh the news next
day. “I know all about it,” he said. “I know what
you’re thinking, Jim, but you’re wrong. My father’s
in the fire brigade and he said it was some kind of
electrical fault.”
“Mmm – I wonder,” I thought. “I’d love to know
what was in that suitcase.”
We never saw the kilted stranger again.
• For this year’s Short Story Competition, entrants
were invited to write a ‘Memoir’, a reminiscence of
aspects of their early life. The 10 winning stories will
be published each month in Fifty-Plus News, beginning
with this entry by Jim Dow.
H
50+
you are reading
R
B
L A N G U A G E
C A T A R A C T
news
T E L E V I S E
P A R A S O L S
A A Y A D A Y
S E C U R I T Y
S K I H L E A
A V E R A G E S
G T I S S
E
S A P G R F N
W
F A D P V R E
Y
© Lovatts Crosswords
Arts & About
New courses at Melbourne Free University
Established in 2010, Melbourne Free University provides a platform for
learning, discussion and debate, which is open to everyone. Two new
courses have begun: On Language on Tuesdays, 6.30-8pm at Dexter Bar/
Café, 123 Queens Pde, Clifton Hill and Activists, Activism and Change
on Thursdays 6.30-8pm upstairs at The Alderman, 134 Lygon St, East
Brunswick. No enrolment, no registration, no fee. Enquiries 0413 766 173,
email: donna.mfu@gmail.com
Henry Lawson festival in Gulgong
Gulgong in the Mudgee region in Central NSWS is the location for this
year’s Henry Lawson Festival from 9-11 June. A prelude to the festival is
a Pilgrimage Ride with 30 horse-drawn vehicles: the two-week Grenfell to
Gulgong ride beginning on 27 May, a re-enactment of the gold-rush ride
made by Lawson’s parents with the infant Henry. Among the items on the
program celebrating Lawson’s life and work is a talk by Sydney historian
Don Swonnell, who will talk about a lesser-known period of the writer’s
life, his retreat to a cave in Sydney’s Naremburn. For information about the
Henry Lawson Festival, contact Mudgee Visitor Information Centre, (02)
6372 1020, www.visitmudgeeregion.com.au
Australian solo tour for Judith Durham
Australian ‘living treasure’ Judith Durham will undertake her first
Australian concert tour since 2001, celebrating her incredible 50-year
musical journey. Presented by Nine Live, the Colours of My Life tour will
take in all of Australia’s major capital cities with Judith Durham performing
her favourite songs from across the eras of her music, covering the pop
years, the jazz years and the singer/songwriter years. Melbourne performances
will be at Her Majesty’s Theatre, on 7 and 8 July. Bookings 132 849,
www.ticketek.com.au
Free Jazz Festival opening events
The Melbourne International Jazz Festival will get off to a rousing start
on Saturday 2 June with two events at the main stage, Federation Square.
From 2 to 3pm With One Voice, an event led by Gillian Howell, will unite
Melbourne in song. With special guests including Katie Noonan and SKIN
Choir, discover your voice during a mass music-making celebration that
everyone can be a part of. The Opening Celebration Concert follows at
3pm. It’s a free two-hour concert to provide a taste of what the Festival
has in store for Melbourne for the next 10 days as a host of international
and Australian jazz ‘royalty’ entertains at venues large and small across
Melbourne. The festival runs from 1 to 10 June and includes a week-long
Jazz on Film program at ACMI, Federation Square. Program details www.
melbournejazz.com, 9001 1388.
take a winter break @ queenscliff - seniors special 2012
Benambra Bed & Breakfast
15 Hesse St Queenscliff 3225
Stay 2 nights & take 50% off the price of the 2nd night
– that means for 2 nights bed & breakfast you only pay
$210 for a double/twin or $180 a single
• Available Monday to Thursday only • Warm, comfortable rooms with ensuites
• Beautiful cooked breakfast each day • Available until 19 July
Ask us about longer Getaways
Central location, easy walk to shops, beach, ferry, galleries & only 200 metres
from the bus stop – McHarry’s bus pick up Geelong station (check timetables).
‘Come when you can, go if you must’
5 Day snowy mountains
Accommodation Providence Lodge
Departure Monday 17th September
All inclusive cost $645.00 pp t/share Single supp $110.00 extra
5 Day Canberra Floriade
Departure 17th September
Accommodation 4 star Pavilion
Cost $895.00 pp t/share. Single supp $300 extra.
16 Day new zealand special
In association with Grand Pacific Tours
Departure Sunday 30th September
Cost $3975.00 pp t/share
5 day flinders island
Departure 22nd October
All inclusive cost $1995.00 pp t/share
Single supplement $120 extra
Limited seats available.
Quote
“Seniors Special”
when booking.
Bookings: 03 5258 2606
info@benambraqueenscliff.com.au • www.benambraqueenscliff.com.au
Free home pick-up & return service
(Conditions apply)
Individual & group bookings welcome
Phone now for your selected itinerary
Phone
9782 0367
all hours or email:
grouptravel@bigpond.com
www.grouptravelmarketing.com.au
Travel Licence nos 32979 / 32980
Come travelling with
SRJBA Pty Ltd
Travel Agents Lic no 33021
Warragul Travel Club Tours
Longreach &
Carnarvon
Gorge 14 days departing
7 June, 2012
Travel on luxury coach as
we head to Longreach &
Carnarvon Gorge, visiting many interesting places along
the way, such as Charlesville, Blackall – where we will
view the “Tree of Knowledge”, and visit the Longreach
School of distant learning, Longreach Pastoral College,
enjoy a 3 course candle lit Dinner Cruise, visit the
Stockman’s Hall of Fame & Outback Hertiage Centre
and the original Qantas Hangar before heading to the
Carnarvon Gorge National Park with all its splendour.
There are just too many highlights on this trip to list
them all. From $3,695 per person S/S $815.
The Ghan 9 Day tour, departs 17 July, 2012
Leaving Warragul and picking up on route to the
Melbourne Airport, where you will fly to Darwin. You
will then be transferred to your accommodation, where
we will spend the next couple of days sight seeing and
visiting some of Darwins spectacular locations, such
as Litchfield National Park, the Chinese Temple and
lush botanical Gardens. Enjoy an evening dinner River
Cruise from Stokes Hill Wharf before boarding The Ghan
to experience the Gold Cabin service, on its journey to
Adelaide. We will stop over in Katherine, where you
may choose to do a tour of the famous Katherine
Gorge. We then head on to Tennant Creek, enjoy dinner
in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant – Dining car. Stop
in Alice Springs where you may wish to experience a
morning tour. Snaking its way through the Flinders
Ranges before arriving in Adelaide, you will stay for two
nights visiting places such as the Barosssa Valley and
Hahndorf, before boarding the “Overland” and returning
to Melbourne. Priced from $4,700 pp twin share. S/S
$790 Pension/CSCH Concession applies.
Outback Spectacular 14 Days
Departs 28 July-10 August, 2012
If you have ever wanted to see parts of the South
Australian Outback then this is the tour for you. Fly to
Adelaide to begin the journey travelling through many
towns before stopping at Woomera, from there we visit
places such as Andamooka, Roxby Downs, Marree,
Birdsville Track, Mungerannie, Innamincka, Burke and
Wills Country, visiting the grave of Wills, then onto
Coober Pedy Hoemstead. We then cross the NSW
border and head to Sturt National Park before we reach
the historical township of Tibooburra, the most remote
township in NSW. Visit the ghost township of Milparika,
White Cliffs, Mutawintji National Park, Broken Hill then
depart back to Adelaide. All in all a fabulous tour. From
$4,399. S/S $601
3 Cities, 3 Trains 7 Days departing 4
August, 2012
You will be personally escorted from your home to meet
up with the group for departure on “The Overland” to
Adelaide, spend three nights and two days in Adelaide
seeing the sights, such as Barossa Valley, Arts &
Craft markets, botanical gardens, before boarding the
“Indian Pacific” and experience the overnight Gold
Service to Sydney. Stopping enroute at Broken Hill for
a Whistle Stop Tour. You will stay in Sydney here for
two nights. You will experience a Sydney Highlights
tour, Sydney Harbour, the Rocks, Circular Quay, the
Opera house. Lunch at Bondi Beach. Return home to
Melbourne on the “XPT” day service. From $2,950.
Single Supplement $430
Top End, Kimberley and West
Coast 20 Days, Departing 4th August 2012
Fly to Darwin and then spend the next 20 days travelling
down the West Coast to Perth. Includes Kakadu,
Katherine, Kununurra, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing,
Broome, Port Hedland, Hamersley Ranges, Exmouth,
Carnarvon, Monkey Mia, Kalbarri, Geraldton and
Perth. This fantastic tour includes 8 cruises, Flights,
Luxury Coach, 50 meals and all entries. You won’t be
disappointed. Priced from $7,399pp twin share. S/S
$1,400.
New Zealand
D i s c o v e r y
Tour – 16 Days
departing 10
September 2012
Your fully escorted
discovery tour of New
Zealand’s South and North Islands will start as you
traverse the Southern Alps aboard the famous Tranz-
Alpine rail journey to Arthurs Pass. On this 16 day tour
you will see things that you will not see anywhere else in
the world, including spectacular glaciers, picturesque
fiords, rugged mountains, vast plains, rolling hillsides,
subtropical forest, volcanic plateaus, and kilometres
of coastline with gorgeous sandy beaches. Overnight
stays in Auckland, Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Napier,
Wellington, Christchurch, Fox Glacier, Queenstown, Te
Anau and Dunedin. Priced From $4,375 pp. Single
Supplement $900.
10 Day Grand Tasman Tour
Departing 16 October, 2012
Fully escorted tour travelling in a premium airconditioned
coach through Launceston, Ross, Port
Arthur, Hobart, Strahan and Cradle Mountain visiting
historic places like Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage
Centre, Freycinet National Park and the historic
Campbell Town. Discover convict history at Port Arthur
and cruise to the Isle of the Dead. Explore the delightful
Salamanca Markets, a nature walk to cascading Russell
Falls, cruise Macquarie River to Sarah Island, plus
much more. A tour not to be missed. From $3,600.
S/S $775. $30 discount for pensioners. $130 Early
Bird Special if paid in full by 31 July 2012.
Canberra Floriade Festival – 5
Days departing 25 September, 2012
Please book early for this fabulous floral festival. Travel
via Wangaratta, to Canberra (2 nights) staying at the
wonderful Novotel, Canberra. Cruise to the spectacular
Government House Gardens via Lake Burley Griffin.
Visit the Australian War Memorial and have lunch at
fascinating Cockington Green. Return home via Albury,
Yackandandah and Beechworth. A Garden Lovers
Delight! From $ 1,399pp.
Norfolk Island – 8 Days departing 28
September 2012
Price includes return flights, buffet breakfasts daily and
dinner with special entertainment nights. Island coach
tours will include Half Day Discovery Tour, Mutiny on the
Bounty Show, Breakfast Bush Walk, Island Cultural Tour,
Convict Settlement Tour, Progressive Dinner, Behind the
Hedges Tour, Island Fish Fry, Wonderland By Night and
Night as a Convict. This is an excellent value for money
tour with more inclusions than other advertised tours.
A passport or Certificate of Identification is required
for Norfolk Island. From $3,399.
** We now offer Travel Insurance **
Our tours offer old fashioned country-style hospitality, with an overall
emphasis on comfort, entertainment and value for money
WARRAGUL TRAVEL CLUB
18 Palmerston Street, Warragul 3820
Flinders Ranges Tour – 11 Days
departing 22 September 2012
View breathtaking scenery in this stunning tour of the
Flinders Ranges. This tour covers visits to Dundees
Wildlife, Melrose, Quorn, the famous Cazneaux Tree,
Blinman, Yunta, Silverton, Mildura and Swan Hill. It also
includes the Pichi Richi Railway, Astronimcal Observatory,
Silver City Tour, All National Park Fees, Cooked Breakfast
daily, 8 lunches and all evening meals with choices, and
morning and afternoon tea on most days. Travel via
Coonawarra and the Clare Valley Resort, spend 3 nights
at Wilpena Pound Resort, 2 nights at Arkaroola Resort
and 2 nights at Broken Hill. Scenic Lake Eyre Flight and
Ridgetop 4WD tours additional optionals. From $2,799
Eastern US & Canada Discovery
Departs 7th October to 22nd October 2012
Discover the beauty of the Eastern part of America
discovering Boston, onto Quebec City visiting the
majextic beauty of Franconia Notch State Park in the
scenic White Mountains,visit the Place d’Armes, ancient
Place Royake and the Plains of Abraham. From Quebec
City to Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, then onto the famous
and beautiful Niagra Falls where we will board the Maid
of the Mist for a thrilling boat ride right up to the falls.
Onto Lancaster, Washington DC, Philadelphia then the
one and NEW YORK CITY before departing to head back
home. From $4,575 (Airfares and taxes not included)
KANGAROO ISLAND 10 Days departing
26 October 2012
Australia’s 3rd largest island stretches 155 kms long and
55kms wide. 4 nights will be spent on the Island and some
of the tours include: Seal Bay, Flinders Chase National
Park, Remarkable Rocks, Admiral’s Arch, Cape Willoughby
Lighthouse, Baudin Beach, Emu Ridge Eucalyptus
Distillery, Cliffords Honey Farm, Parndana Wildlife Park
and a sheep milking experience at Island Pure Sheep Dairy.
In addition there will be numerous tours on our way to and
from Kangaroo Island, including a lunch cruise aboard the
PV Rothbury in Mildura and more. From $2,753
Great Ocean Road, 5 Days departing
19 November, 2012
4 nights at the Comfort Inn International, Apollo Bay. (4
Star) Includes Bay Walk Bollards, Torquay, lunch at Lorne,
Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Flagstaff Hill Maritime
Village, Otway National Park, the “Otway Fly”, Cape Otway
Lighthouse and the Food & Wine Loop including Timboon
Distillery, G.O.R.G.E Chocolates, Apostle Whey Cheese,
Heytesbury Ridge Vineyard and Night Glow Worm Tour.
From $1,399 pp A Great Value Tour!
2012 TOURS – REGISTER NOW
June Gulf to the Reef 26 Days
Sep Western Australia & Wildflowers
Port Lincoln & Barossa Valley
11 days departs 6th
Oct Go on Safari to South Africa, 15 days
Dec South Pacific 10 day cruise departs 18th Dec
Feb
may
JUL
2013 TOURS – REGISTER NOW
Vietnam
Chelsea Flower Show
Europe River Cruising
ask about our FREE HOME
PICK-UP & RETURN –
all melb. suburbs, mornington
peninsula & gippsland
Ph: 5623 6998
Check out our web site – warragultravelclub.com.au

­20 Fifty~Plus News Friends Arts to & travel Entertainment
with...
May 2012 May 2012
Arts & Entertainment
Fifty~Plus News ­21
Join O’Shannessy’s for a
holiday you’ll never forget!
Prices include: All meals (including morning teas and most
lunches) quality ensuite motel and resort accommodation, all
entry fees to interest venues and cruises, travel by O’Shannessy’s
new 5-star coaches equipped with 2 doors, seat-belts and
rest-room. Patrons are not expected to handle luggage. All
prices are per person twin share and include GST. All coach
tours hostess escorted. Prices include Flights where applicable.
WINNER 2009 Australian Achievers Awards for Excellence in Customer Service.
Repeat Clientele and Group Discounts apply
Norfolk Island
Bounty Day June 3 – 11, 2012
• 9 Days, $3,885
Oct 18 – 26, 2012 • 9 Days, $3,945
free
call
stay put
tour
European River Cruises
Magnificent Europe Cruise – Amsterdam to
Budapest 14 night cruise • June 3 – 23, 2012,
from $12,260
Grand France Cruise – Paris to Cote d’Azur
14 night Cruise • Aug 18 – Sept 7, 2012, from
$12,240
Both Cruises will be escorted by an O’Shannessy’s
Tour Escort and include return airfares with
stop over’s each way and pre and post tour
accommodation and meals in Europe.
Phone our office to register your interest
in these tours. Home pick-up included, as
always.
Outback QLD - Longreach
June 3 - 15, 2012 • 13 Days, $3,685
Tropical Far North QLD
Jun 14 - Jul 1, 2012 •18 Days, $5,995
Highlights: Shearers Hall of Fame – Hay, “the
original” Black Stump, Cobar Museum, Fred Hollows
Monument, Bourke, Australian Workers Heritage
Centre, Barcaldine, Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Qantas
Museum & Jumbo 747 tour - Longreach, Waltzing
Matilda Centre-Winton, Cloncurry, Mt. Isa, Riversleigh
Fossil Centre, Gulflander Train -Normanton, Karumba,
Undara Lava Tubes tour, Millstream Falls, Curtain Fig
Tree, Cooktown, Kuranda Scenic Railway & Skyrail.
5 Cruises: Thompson River , Cobbold Gorge, Lake
Barrine, Endeavour River Cruise - Cooktown, Daintree
River Cruise.
Port Douglas - Cairns
Jul 5 - 11, 2012 • 8 Days, $3,295
Highlights: Breakfast with the Birds at The
Rainforest · Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, Kuranda
Scenic Railway, Rainforest Skyrail Cable
Car, Kuranda Markets, Sample Mango Wines,
Historic Paronella Park, Josephine Falls and
Sugar Museum. 3 Cruises: Day Cruise on the
Quicksilver Wavedancer to Low Isles Coral Atoll,
Daintree River Cruise, Cruise on Lake Barrine,
Atherton Tablelands.
Whitsunday Experience
Jul 16 - 23, 2012 • 8 Days, $3,395
Highlights: 7 nights at Colonial Palms Motor
Inn - Airlie Beach, Big Mango in Bowen, Local
guided tour around Bowen, Bowens Historical
Museum, Day Cruise to the Great Barrier Reef
with Fantasea Cruises, Local guided tour around
Mackay, Eungella National Park, Hamilton Island,
Whitehaven Beach, Airlie Beach Markets, Peter
Faust Dam (Lake Proserpine) and Whitsunday
Crocodile Safari.
The Magnificent Kimberley
Jul 17 - 27, 2012 • 11 Days, $6,095
Highlights: Darwin, East Point Military Museum,
Australian Aviation Heritage Centre, Kununurra, Durack
Homestead Museum, El Questro Station, Wyndham,
“5 Rivers Lookout”, Optional Flight (Bungle Bungles,
Argyle Diamond Mine, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing,
Boab Prison Tree – Derby, Broome, Gantheaume
Point, Japanese Cemetery, Pearl Luggers Museum,
Cable Beach. 4 Cruises: Lake Argyle / Lake Kununurra
Cruise, Chamberlain Gorge Cruise, Lily Creek and Ord
River Cruise, Geikie Gorge Cruise.
The Kimberley Explorer
Jul 29 - Aug 11, 2012 • 14 Days, $6,345
Aug 11 – Aug 27, 2012 • 17 Days, $7,495
Ghan Option
Aug 11 – Aug 27, 2012 • 14 Days, $6,345
Flight Option
Early Bird Discount if Book and Pay Deposit
before 10 May (Train Option only).
Highlights: Darwin City Tour, Litchfield Nat. Park,
Kakadu National Park, Zebra Rock Gallery – Kununurra,
Wyndham, Argyle Diamond Mine Tour, Boab Prison
Tree – Derby, Willie Creek Pearl Farm (includes cruise)
– Broome, Pearl Luggers Museum. 7 Cruises: Darwin
Harbour Cruise, Jumping Croc Cruise, Yellow Water
Sunset Cruise, Katherine Gorge Cruise, Ord River &
Lake Argyle Sunset Cruise, Chamberlain Gorge Cruise
– El Questro Station, Geikie Gorge Cruise.
Sunshine Coast
& Fraser Island
Jul 30 – Aug 6, 2012 • 8 Days, $3,295
Highlights: Famous Eumundi Markets, Pomona Silent
Majestic Theatre, Hastings Street – Noosa, Montville
in the Blackall Ranges, Glasshouse Mountains,
Australia Zoo, Underwater World & breakfast with
the seals, Canal cruise on MV Mudjimba, Ginger
Factory, Macadamia Nut Factory, Snail Farm, Parrots
in Paradise, early morning guided bird walk on Fraser
Island, Fraser Island ½ day 4WD tour.
Brisbane Highlights
Aug 8 – 15, 2012 • 8 Days, $3,595
Highlights: Botanic Gardens, Brisbane River Luncheon
Cruise, Mt Coot-tha Lookout, Miegunyah historic home,
Glasshouse Mountains, Maleny Cheese Factory, Stradbroke
Island, XXXX Brewery tour, Kookaburra River Queen dinner
Cruise, Southbank, Brisbane Mall, Black Forest Hill Cuckoo
Clocks, Cobb & Co Museum, Toowoomba, Sanctuary
Cove, Thunderbird Park, Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk,
Outback Spectacular Dinner and Show.
Cook Islands
Aug 10 - 19, 2012 • 10 Days, $3,925
Highlights: Visit Historic Local Churches, Discover
Rarotonga Tour, Raro Mountain Safari 4WD Tour with
Beach Lunch, Island BBQ & Fire Dance Show, Around the
Island Sailing Tour, Visit Whale Discovery Centre, Island
Night Feast & Show “Legends of Polynesia”, Captain
Tama’s Lagoon Cruize and Trip to the Punanga Nui Market.
For enquiries or bookings call
Chris O’Shannessy and the team on
1800 354 352
Visit us on the web at www.oshannessys.com.au
The West Coast of Australia
Aug 11 – Sept 7, 2012 • 28 Days, $10,680
Ghan Option
Aug 14 – Sept 7, 2012 • 25 Days, $9,395
Flight Option
Early Bird Discount if Book and Pay Deposit
before 10 May (Train Option only).
Red Centre and Top End
Aug 13 - 31, 2012 • 19 Days, $7,575 Ghan
Aug 13 - 29, 2012 • 17 Days, $6,295 Flights
Early Bird Discount if Book and Pay Deposit
before 28 May (August Train Option only).
Highlights: Burra, Southern Flinders Ranges,
Woomera, Coober Pedy, Uluru and The Olgas,
Sounds of Silence Dinner, Alice Springs –
Western MacDonnell Ranges, Earth Sanctuary
– Quandong Homestead, Devils Marbles
– Tennant Creek, Daly Waters, Mataranka,
Katherine, Kakadu National Park – Nourlangie
Rock, Litchfield Nat. Park, Darwin, includes 4
Cruises: Katherine Gorge, Yellow Water Sunset
Cruise- Kakadu, Jumping Croc Cruise and
Darwin Harbour Dinner Cruise.
Central Australia
Aug 13 - 23, 2012 • 11 Days, $4,195
Highlights: Woomera, Burra, Port Augusta, Coober
Pedy – Opal cutting demo, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata
Tjuta (The Olgas), Sounds of Silence Dinner, Royal
Flying Doctor Service Base, Telegraph Station, Earth
Sanctuary – Quandong Homestead, Glen Helen Gorge
and Homestead, Standley Chasm, Simpsons Gap,
Ormiston Gorge, Mac Donnell Ranges, Optional Flight
over Uluru (Ayers Rock).
Top End Tour
Aug 19 - 29, 2012 • 11 Days, $4,845 Fly
Aug 19 - 31, 2012 • 13 Days, $6,075 Ghan
Early Bird Discount if Book and Pay Deposit
before 28 May (Train Option only).
Highlights: Alice Springs, Earth Sanctuary –
Quandong Homestead, MacDonnell Ranges Nat. Park,
Devils Marbles, Tennant Creek, Daly Waters Pub,
Katherine, Kakadu Nat. Park, Darwin, Litchfield Nat.
Park. Includes 4 Cruises: Katherine Gorge, Yellow
Waters Sunset Cruise – Kakadu, Jumping Croc Cruise
and Darwin Harbour Cruise.
The Mid West
Broome to Perth
Aug 24 – Sept 7, 2012 • 15 Days, $5,895
Highlights: Historic Gantheume Point, “Pearl
Luggers” Museum, Willie Creek Pearl Farm, Eighty
Mile Beach, Port Hedland, Karijini National Park,
Mt Tom Price Mine Tour, Tropic of Capricorn,
Carnarvon Jetty, Stromatolites, Shark Bay, Monkey
Mia – Dolphins, Kalbarri National Park, Nambung
National Park – Pinnacles, New Norcia Museum,
Perth Sightseeing. 2 Cruises: Yardie Creek Cruise –
Exmouth, Ningaloo Reef –Coral Bay.
Port Stephens & Hunter Valley
Sept 1 – 10, 2012 • 10 Days, $3,295
Highlights: Darnum Musical Village, Lakes Entrance,
Orbost Exhibition Centre, Bega Heritage Centre, Batemans
Bay, Kiama – Blow Hole, Shoal Bay – Port Stephens,
Moonshadow Dolphin Cruise, Stockton Bight Sand Dunes,
Hunter Valley Gardens, Newcastle – Talking Tram Tour, Dobell
House, Fighter World – RAAF Williamtown, Gloucester –
Bucketts Way, Trudgalong Farm, Hillview Herb Farm, Meet
the Locals – Hawkesbury River Cruise, Bathurst – Crago
Fountain, Australian Fossil & Mineral Museum, Japanese
Gardens – Cowra, Junee – Green Grove Licquorice Factory,
Botanical Gardens – Albury. Coach both ways.
Alice Springs –
Uluru Special Tour
Sept 2 – 9, 2012 • 8 Days, $4,095
Fly in – Fly out.
Sept 2 – 14, 2012 • 13 Days, $4,895
Coach Return.
Highlights: Alice Springs - Royal Flying Doctor Base,
The School of Air, Old Telegraph Station, Western
MacDonnell Ranges, Standley Chasm, Simpsons Gap,
Palm Valley 4WD Safari, Alice Springs Cultural Precinct,
Earth Sanctuary - Quandong Homestead, Uluru (Ayers
Rock), Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), Sunset Strip viewing
of Uluru, Scenic Flight over Uluru, Kata Tjuta & Yulara
(Optional extra), Mount Olga Gorge, Sounds of Silence
Dinner, Coober Pedy - Old Timers Mine, Breakaways,
Woomera, Clare Valley, Historical town – Burra, Blyth -
Medika Gallery, Morgan and Mildura.
South West Corner WA
Sept 9 – 18, 2012 • 10 Days, $4,345
Train Option
Sept 11 – 18, 2012 • 8 Days, $3,295
Flight Option
Early Bird Discount if Book and Pay Deposit
before 6 June (Train Option only).
WA Wildflowers – Monkey Mia
Indian Pacific
Sept 9 – 25, 2012 • 17 Days, $6,245
Flight Option
Sept 11 – 25, 2012 • 15 Days, $5,345
Early Bird Discount if book and pay deposit by
6 June, 2012. (Train Option Only)
Lord Howe Island
Oct 7 – 13, 2012 • 7 Days, $3,945
Murray Princess
Oct 7 – 13, 2012 • 7 Days, $2,695
Flinders Ranges
Oct 12 – 20, 2012 • 9 Days, $2,985
New Zealand
North and South Islands
Oct 18 – Nov 5, 2012 •19 Days, $6,095
Free Home Pick-up and Return
All suburbs of Greater Melbourne, Ballarat,
Geelong, the Bellarine & Mornington
Peninsulas, Bendigo & some areas of
Gippsland, including Warragul.
O’Shannessy’s Sorrento Travel Pty Ltd trading as
2121 Point Nepean Rd, Rye, Victoria 3941
Licensed Travel Agent No 31335
stay put
tour