Pittwater Life October 2017 Issue
Bill & Alfred. Election Deep Dive. Secret Men's Business. Eyes in the Sky.
Bill & Alfred. Election Deep Dive. Secret Men's Business. Eyes in the Sky.
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The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
BILL & ‘ALFRED’<br />
FUN WITH CARS +<br />
SAILBOATS AS THE<br />
RPAYC TURNS 150<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
FREE<br />
pittwaterlife<br />
ELECTION<br />
DEEP DIVE<br />
How <strong>Pittwater</strong> will<br />
set the tone for<br />
our new NB Council<br />
SECRET MEN’S<br />
BUSINESS?<br />
MEET AVALON’S<br />
‘BLOKES BOOK CLUB’<br />
EYES IN THE SKY<br />
DRONES BOLSTERING<br />
WATERWAYS SECURITY
Editorial<br />
Consultation the buzzword<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> went to print<br />
the night before the vote<br />
by the 15 new councillors to<br />
determine the first Mayor of<br />
our new Northern Beaches<br />
Council, so we were unable<br />
to garner a message from the<br />
successful individual about his<br />
or her plans for the future.<br />
But we did approach key<br />
individuals to try to get a handle<br />
on how the former <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
Council region might exert<br />
influence on the machinations<br />
of the new Council.<br />
The key phrase we kept<br />
hearing was “better community<br />
consultation”. Which, given<br />
that the protest over our<br />
Council’s amalgamation hinged<br />
greatly on a perceived lack of<br />
community consultation, is<br />
indeed encouraging.<br />
Although, whether or not<br />
that is followed through, is<br />
quite another thing. It’s up to<br />
us, the ratepayers, to keep the<br />
administration accountable.<br />
The run-up to the Council<br />
election was dogged by fears<br />
that party politics would<br />
hijack our local government<br />
but the result was anything<br />
but that. The Liberals had five<br />
councillors elected, the Your<br />
Northern Beaches Independent<br />
team six, plus three unaligned<br />
independents and a Greens.<br />
That’s a pretty good balance<br />
and one that augurs well for<br />
robust debate and some good<br />
outcomes.<br />
(More on the new councillors<br />
and their vision on page 6.)<br />
* * *<br />
Iconic local institution<br />
The Royal Prince Alfred<br />
Yacht Club celebrates its<br />
sesquicentenary this month.<br />
But would you believe it?<br />
It’s also a big year for one<br />
of their passionate sailors<br />
who celebrates 40 years as a<br />
member.<br />
Bill Buckle, 91, he of<br />
significant motor industry<br />
renown, is our ‘<strong>Life</strong> Stories’<br />
focus this month (p28). What a<br />
life, and what a story!<br />
– Nigel Wall<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 3
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Publisher: Nigel Wall<br />
Managing Editor: Lisa Offord<br />
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Vol 27 No 3<br />
Celebrating 26 years<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
BILL & ‘ALFRED’<br />
FUN WITH CARS +<br />
SAILBOATS AS THE<br />
RPAYC TURNS 150<br />
SECRET MEN’S<br />
BUSINESS?<br />
MEET AVALON’S<br />
‘BLOKES BOOK CLUB’<br />
EYES IN THE SKY<br />
DRONES BOLSTERING<br />
WATERWAYS SECURITY<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
FREE<br />
pittwaterlife<br />
ELECTION<br />
DEEP DIVE<br />
How <strong>Pittwater</strong> will<br />
set the tone for<br />
our new NB Council<br />
14<br />
28<br />
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thislife<br />
COVER: The new Northern Beaches Council has been<br />
sworn in – who are our representatives, what are their<br />
priorities and what does the future hold for <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
(p6)? We update the ongoing squabble over the new<br />
B-Line bus service (p12); read how drone technology<br />
is making our waterfront a safer place (p14); the Royal<br />
Prince Alfred Yacht Club turns 150 this month – we talk<br />
to 40-year member Bill Buckle (p28); and don’t miss our<br />
simple tips for spring cleaning your home (p34).<br />
COVER IMAGE: Little Penguin / Chuck Bradley.<br />
also this month<br />
Editorial 3<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> Local News 6-27<br />
<strong>Life</strong> Stories: RPAYC turns 150 28-29<br />
Art <strong>Life</strong> 30-31<br />
Boating <strong>Life</strong> 33<br />
Home Special: Clean & De-clutter 34-37<br />
Surfing <strong>Life</strong> 38-39<br />
Health & Wellbeing; Hair & Beauty 40-47<br />
Money & Finance 48-52<br />
Law: Mutual Wills 54-55<br />
Trades & Services 56-58<br />
Food: Marvellous mince recipes! 64-66<br />
Gardening <strong>Life</strong> 68-70<br />
Travel <strong>Life</strong> 72-74<br />
the goodlife<br />
Restaurants, food, gigs, travel and gardening.<br />
Also find our regular features on beauty, health, surfing,<br />
art, local history, our guide to trades and services, money,<br />
law and our essential maps.<br />
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on FRIDAY 27 OCTOBER<br />
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All contents are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced except with the<br />
written consent of the copyright owner. GST: All advertising rates are subject to GST.<br />
4 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
News<br />
‘Hey <strong>Pittwater</strong> – we need to talk’<br />
The newly sworn-in Northern<br />
Beaches Council is already<br />
shining the spotlight on the<br />
former <strong>Pittwater</strong> region as it<br />
looks to create harmony across<br />
its 30-kilometre patch from<br />
Palm Beach to Manly.<br />
And better community consultation<br />
sits atop the councillors’<br />
mutual to-do list.<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> ward councillor<br />
Alex McTaggart said his<br />
approach would be to “not<br />
hit the ground running but<br />
hit the ground listening”<br />
while Your Northern Beaches<br />
Independent (YNBI) team head<br />
Michael Regan wants direct<br />
community consultation to<br />
trigger and drive important<br />
projects like the shelved Mona<br />
Vale Place Plan.<br />
“We want transparency and<br />
accountability at a level we<br />
have not seen before in the<br />
former <strong>Pittwater</strong> area,” said<br />
Mr Regan.<br />
Mr McTaggart was elected<br />
as an independent in <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
ward along with former <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
councillor Ian White (YNBI)<br />
– but only after 24 recounts,<br />
and a dismissed protest from<br />
the Greens – saw them join<br />
former <strong>Pittwater</strong> deputy mayor<br />
Kylie Ferguson (Liberals) as the<br />
chosen three.<br />
Mr White acknowledged the<br />
need to make Council “more<br />
accessible” to everyone but<br />
added the greater priority was<br />
to get the new Council working.<br />
“It is so much bigger and has<br />
so much more money,” he said.<br />
However, Mr McTaggart<br />
told <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> that several<br />
philosophical debates were<br />
required between Council and<br />
community.<br />
“Although I was not part of<br />
the <strong>Pittwater</strong> secession I was<br />
mentored by the early secessionist<br />
community members,”<br />
he said. “Their message was<br />
clear and simple and stays with<br />
me today: Protect the environment,<br />
be fiscally responsible<br />
and ensure good governance.”<br />
He added that through the<br />
1990s he was part of a Council<br />
that paid off the debt for<br />
the purchase of the Warriewood<br />
wetlands, then acquired<br />
and put into public ownership<br />
important environmental<br />
assets such as the Ingleside<br />
escarpment, Winnererremy<br />
Bay, Currawong and the Warriewood<br />
land release creek<br />
line corridors among others.<br />
“In many cases these assets<br />
were funded by environmental<br />
rate levies, a social contract between<br />
council and community<br />
to deliver specific outcomes,”<br />
he said. “This leads me to the<br />
philosophical debates I believe<br />
this Council and community<br />
should have.<br />
“Is public land to be protected<br />
and enhanced for future<br />
generations, or flogged off to<br />
vested interests for short-term<br />
gain? Should the built form<br />
dominate the landscape or are<br />
ridgelines, wildlife corridors<br />
and tree-lined streets worthy<br />
of protection?<br />
“Should we use debt to<br />
acquire or build assets – not<br />
operating expenses – and pass<br />
on some of the costs to the<br />
next generation who will have<br />
the use of that asset?”<br />
He questioned whether the<br />
Council as a wholly owned<br />
subsidiary of state government<br />
should “blindly accept” what<br />
it was given, or should instead<br />
challenge decisions that were<br />
not in community interests.<br />
“Having these and other debates<br />
requires transparent and<br />
respectful consultation that<br />
gives to the community ownership<br />
of the decision-making<br />
process,” he said.<br />
In all, the 15 new Northern<br />
Beaches councillors comprise<br />
nine independents, five Liberals<br />
and one Greens.<br />
YNBI team head Michael<br />
Regan told <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> he believed<br />
the representation was<br />
well-balanced, adding he was<br />
heartened to hear the Liberals<br />
had said they would not bloc<br />
vote on issues.<br />
“That is encouraging and<br />
bodes well for all our community,”<br />
he said.<br />
Dog policy across the<br />
peninsula was just one of the<br />
projects that needed atten-<br />
6 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
GROUP HUG: The new Northern Beaches councillors (minus Manly's Pat Daley).<br />
tion, he said.<br />
“All the councillors agreed<br />
to a review… I want to take<br />
that further and ensure it is<br />
an active document that is<br />
constantly reviewed, updated<br />
and the like.”<br />
He confirmed YNBI team<br />
councillors White and Heins<br />
were keen to open communication<br />
channels between the<br />
Council and community and<br />
get to work on “everything<br />
from overseeing section 94<br />
expenditure in Warriewood<br />
to improving basic services”.<br />
“I personally want to see<br />
the Mona Vale place plan kickstarted.<br />
As an outsider to that<br />
project, it looked as if the direct<br />
community consultation<br />
was ignored on certain issues<br />
and no explanation forthcoming<br />
as to why.<br />
“Something needs to be<br />
done, but it has to be backed by<br />
those that live and work there,<br />
otherwise it won’t work.”<br />
In Narrabeen ward, 13<br />
recounts were required before<br />
independent Vince De Luca<br />
claimed the third spot behind<br />
Rory Amon (Liberals) and Sue<br />
Heins (YNIT).<br />
Mr Amon said the election<br />
result was pleasing for the<br />
Liberals.<br />
“Two of the main issues the<br />
Liberals campaigned on were<br />
stopping overdevelopment and<br />
lower Council rates… it is clear<br />
these resonated with the people<br />
of Narrabeen,” he said.<br />
“In terms of my role on<br />
Council, Council will not be a<br />
club. There needs to and will<br />
be robust debate – we need to<br />
hold each other to account and<br />
I will be the first to call a spade<br />
a spade.<br />
“We’ll fight to keep rates<br />
down and focus first on controlling<br />
costs before hitting up<br />
ratepayers for more cash.”<br />
Mr Amon confirmed he<br />
would continue to oppose<br />
overdevelopment “so that the<br />
character of Narrabeen ward,<br />
the old <strong>Pittwater</strong> Council<br />
and the Northern Beaches is<br />
protected”.<br />
And he promised to drive<br />
the development of a masterplan<br />
for Narrabeen Lagoon to<br />
protect and enhance the natural<br />
resource. – Nigel Wall<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 7
News<br />
Out to make a splash<br />
Swimming is one of those rare sports that go rather than being the fastest… although<br />
can be enjoyed by all the family, says this might not seem the way in some of the<br />
Avalon Bilgola Swimming Club Vice President adult’s races!” Garry said.<br />
Garry Gudmunson.<br />
“The majority of our races are handicaps so<br />
“Living on the peninsula with water on it doesn’t matter how fast or slow you swim,<br />
both sides I have always believed swimming one of our regular events is the 2 x 50m freestyle<br />
relay where parents and kids to swim<br />
is a necessity, not a choice,” Garry said.<br />
“It’s a also a life skill<br />
together.”<br />
– once you know how to<br />
The club also runs<br />
swim properly you can<br />
junior and senior learn<br />
always continue in later<br />
to swim/stroke correction<br />
programs and<br />
life, it’s great for fitness<br />
and it’s a sport you can<br />
members have the<br />
do on three levels – for<br />
opportunity to compete<br />
in interclub meets<br />
fun, to compete… and to<br />
win.”<br />
organised through the<br />
An ABSC <strong>Life</strong> Member,<br />
Warringah Amateur<br />
Garry, 49, joined the club<br />
Swimming Association.<br />
with his dad in the late<br />
Over the past 18<br />
’70s, continuing the family<br />
tradition by taking<br />
her swimming to the<br />
months Jessica has taken<br />
his daughters Jessica, 15,<br />
next level – qualifying for<br />
and Emily 12, to race at<br />
Metro, State and National<br />
Bilgola Beach Ocean Pool.<br />
events in both pool and<br />
Races from ages 4 and<br />
open water swimming.<br />
up are held Saturday<br />
For more info about<br />
mornings from mid-<br />
local swimming clubs<br />
<strong>October</strong> until the end of<br />
or competition visit<br />
March.<br />
warringahswimming.<br />
“We focus on having a<br />
asn.au.<br />
10 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
News<br />
B-Line ‘scaremongering’ slammed<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> MP Rob Stokes<br />
has refuted claims being<br />
circulated throughout the<br />
community regarding the<br />
extension of the B-Line bus<br />
service to Newport, labelling<br />
them “scaremongering” and<br />
unhelpful to the understanding<br />
of the $500m project.<br />
However, the Newport<br />
Residents Association (NRA)<br />
has returned serve, questioning<br />
whether in fact the rumours<br />
were wholly misleading.<br />
The developments come as<br />
Transport NSW confirmed Mona<br />
Vale as the initial terminus<br />
point for the B-Line when it<br />
commences in November,<br />
while committing to further<br />
consultation with the Newport<br />
community prior to the<br />
extension to Newport in 2018.<br />
The department said it would<br />
continue to work with the<br />
local community – including<br />
residents, businesses, the surf<br />
club and council – as part of the<br />
ongoing planning process.<br />
There is no suggestion<br />
the NRA or its members are<br />
responsible for intentionally<br />
spreading misinformation.<br />
Mr Stokes said a volley of<br />
bizarre rumours had been<br />
circulating which were<br />
inaccurate.<br />
“To be very clear, no ‘bus<br />
terminals’ or ‘bus depots’ will<br />
be built in the Newport Beach<br />
Car Park; no ‘B-Line toilet<br />
blocks’ will be built in the<br />
car park and no multi-storey<br />
car parks will be built in the<br />
Newport Beach Car Park,” a<br />
disappointed Mr Stokes said.<br />
He confirmed no B-Line<br />
buses would be directed<br />
down Coles Parade, Foamcrest<br />
Avenue, Seaview Avenue, Ross<br />
Street or Bramley Avenue – or<br />
other residential side streets.<br />
“Further, no dedicated ‘B-Line<br />
lanes’ will be introduced<br />
through the Newport shopping<br />
precinct – and the iconic<br />
boulevard of Norfolk Pines<br />
through Newport will stay.”<br />
Mr Stokes said spreading<br />
misleading rumours deprived<br />
the community of the<br />
opportunity to have a genuine<br />
discussion about improved<br />
public transport services.<br />
“Scaremongering doesn’t<br />
help anyone,” he said. “It’s<br />
the oldest trick in the protest<br />
handbook – come up with a list<br />
of frightening rumours and use<br />
these to hijack discussion.”<br />
He stressed every person that<br />
caught a bus was potentially<br />
one less car on local roads.<br />
“The only thing we’re looking<br />
at adding is improved public<br />
transport services and the<br />
only thing we’re looking at<br />
removing is traffic congestion,”<br />
Mr Stokes said.<br />
“Transport for NSW has<br />
consistently said it wants to<br />
work with the community<br />
on a suitable proposal before<br />
progressing. This is a position I<br />
strongly support.”<br />
NRA president Gavin Butler<br />
said residents welcomed the<br />
postponement of the service to<br />
Newport and looked forward<br />
to Transport NSW presenting a<br />
“viable solution to consider”.<br />
“Although, the department<br />
stated this would occur before<br />
the end of September, which<br />
appears overly optimistic given<br />
as of the 22nd we had not<br />
heard from them,” he said.<br />
He added the association did<br />
not have an option for Newport<br />
to put to Transport NSW as<br />
they were “unable to see any<br />
solution that will not have<br />
a huge impact on the iconic<br />
beach nature of Newport or not<br />
create a significant impact on<br />
the surf club car park”.<br />
“Whether or not parts of<br />
the car park are dedicated<br />
commuter spots, the concept<br />
is to make the car park a parkand-ride<br />
facility, which is going<br />
to impact the beach facility.”<br />
Mr Butler said the NRA<br />
took issue with some of Mr<br />
Stokes’ comments about<br />
misinformation and rumours.<br />
“Regarding no ‘B-Line toilet<br />
blocks’ built in the Newport<br />
Beach Car Park, we will have<br />
to take Rob at his word –<br />
as Transport NSW told us<br />
something different as initially<br />
they thought the surf club<br />
facilities would be too far away<br />
and they needed to ensure<br />
there was provision for both<br />
male and female toilets at their<br />
‘Terminus’,” he said.<br />
“Regarding dedicated ‘B-Line<br />
lanes’ to be introduced through<br />
the Newport shopping precinct<br />
– yes, both Rob and Transport<br />
NSW have indicated they have<br />
no plans to commence with a<br />
dedicated bus lane.<br />
“The problem is, as the<br />
Minister says, he can’t<br />
guarantee what a future<br />
Government does and<br />
Transport NSW said they are<br />
still working out the best way<br />
for a Rapid Bus Transit system<br />
to work.”<br />
Regarding confirmation the<br />
“boulevard of Norfolk Pines<br />
through Newport” would not<br />
be removed, he said: “If the<br />
B-line turns around in the<br />
car park we do not see how<br />
they can avoid not taking out<br />
some pines... and Transport<br />
NSW have told us they have<br />
not yet determined what to do<br />
about the trees in the centre<br />
of Newport given a B-Line bus<br />
probably cannot get under<br />
them at their current height.”<br />
He said the association was<br />
not against improved services<br />
but wanted the issue balanced<br />
against “the cost”.<br />
“At our monthly meeting<br />
in September we were almost<br />
packed out, with a lot of new<br />
residents turning up and<br />
expressing their unanimous<br />
deep concerns about the B-Line<br />
extension to Newport, and<br />
calling for action.” – Nigel Wall<br />
12 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Local chapter<br />
for ‘Blokes<br />
Book Club’<br />
Here’s a ‘novel’ idea – a<br />
men-only book club where<br />
members can meet, share their<br />
thoughts on crime literature<br />
and broaden their friendship<br />
bases.<br />
And before anyone cries “discrimination!”,<br />
consider it comes<br />
with the blessing of partners<br />
who are only too happy for their<br />
gents to participate.<br />
The all-new ‘Blokes Book<br />
Club’, which meets for 90<br />
minutes at Beachside Bookshop<br />
at Avalon the first Monday of<br />
every month, is chaired by store<br />
co-owner Michael Armstrong.<br />
Michael said the idea for the<br />
club, which numbers up to<br />
eight participants per session,<br />
came after a few male customers<br />
commented that their wives<br />
were in a book club “… and<br />
wouldn’t it be good to have a<br />
club where blokes could chat<br />
about books”.<br />
“The advantage of a club is<br />
that it forces the members to<br />
read authors and topics they<br />
may not normally choose to<br />
themselves,” said Michael.<br />
“Given the shop’s focus on<br />
promoting Australian authors,<br />
we are introducing members to<br />
their favourite crime genre.”<br />
Michael said proceedings<br />
were very relaxed and that the<br />
group discussion was stimulating.<br />
“We start with a beer and<br />
chat about overall impressions,”<br />
he said. “Although discussion<br />
is informal, we do follow an<br />
overall framework to make sure<br />
we cover off all aspects of the<br />
book including structure, plot,<br />
characters etc. We typically end<br />
with whether we would recommend<br />
this book, and to who.<br />
“Now we are three books<br />
along, we also compare the stories,<br />
their plots, and characters<br />
from the earlier authors.”<br />
To date the group have chewed<br />
over ‘Crimson Lake’ by Candice<br />
Fox; ‘The Girl on Kellers Way’ by<br />
Megan Goldin; and ‘The Twentieth<br />
Man’ by Tony Jones. Their<br />
current book, which will be<br />
dissected in early <strong>October</strong>, is<br />
‘The Rules of Backyard Cricket’<br />
by Jock Serong.<br />
Michael said members came<br />
with their own experiences and<br />
perspectives on life and this<br />
fostered a good discussion and<br />
the chance to learn.<br />
“For example, Tony Jones’<br />
book covered events in the early<br />
1970s and it was great to have<br />
some members describing their<br />
own experiences of the era and<br />
Not secret men’s business: Michael Armstrong (rear) with Blokes Book Club<br />
members Andrew Blake, Ian Hallett, Geoff Payne, Ray Drury and Peter Peine.<br />
how accurately the author captured<br />
the feeling of the time.<br />
“Personally I have found the<br />
benefit of being involved in the<br />
club is the discipline of having<br />
to read a specific book a month,<br />
widening my horizons and generally<br />
being a more interesting<br />
person to talk to!”<br />
Local Geoff Payne said he<br />
joined because it was just for<br />
‘blokes’.<br />
“My wife goes to two groups<br />
in the area and there are no<br />
males in either group,” he said.<br />
“A male group with a narrow<br />
focus on crime thrillers seemed<br />
a good way of getting involved.”<br />
He said he is enjoying the<br />
informal catch-ups which involve<br />
a general introduction by<br />
Michael followed by overview<br />
comments by most members.<br />
“It is good to meet with<br />
a male group of locals. It’s<br />
not high-brow… it’s a pretty<br />
spontaneous discussion of<br />
impressions and summary of<br />
the book’s strengths and weaknesses,”<br />
Geoff added.<br />
“The group session offers<br />
some social contact and<br />
the discussion is reasonably<br />
lively – the group has a wide age<br />
range… mid-40s to mid-70s.<br />
“I’ve found people are serious<br />
about the responsibility to read<br />
the book, form a personal view<br />
and be active in contributing.<br />
“I find the differing views<br />
stimulating and it has forced<br />
me to look closer at how I am<br />
influenced to form an opinion.”<br />
Fellow member Peter Peine<br />
said he looked forward to the<br />
meetings of “like-minded men<br />
with common interests”.<br />
“It’s easy to make acquaintances,<br />
an entertaining evening<br />
and a great way to widen your<br />
social network and meet people<br />
from your neighbourhood.”<br />
Want to know more? Call<br />
Beachside Bookshop on 9918<br />
9918.<br />
– Nigel Wall<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 13
Eye in the sky, looki<br />
News<br />
Drone technology has<br />
a new application in<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> – as an eyein-the-sky<br />
security guard<br />
patrolling Newport’s western<br />
waterfront.<br />
Specialist John Morrison<br />
from Morrison Aerial Robotics<br />
has been assisting childhood<br />
mate David Rowell with<br />
surveillance of the Rowell<br />
Marina adjoining The Newport<br />
entertainment precinct,<br />
utilising drones as deterrents<br />
to would-be mischief and<br />
trespass.<br />
In just a few months, the<br />
results have been impressive.<br />
“After messing about with<br />
security cameras at the Rowell<br />
Marina, David came to me with<br />
the idea of covering the entire<br />
East Bayview mooring area<br />
with cameras and drones – he<br />
called it ‘Baywatch’,” John said.<br />
“I was already doing lots of<br />
drone flying in the area, so it<br />
was a good fit. From the very<br />
first security flights we were<br />
amazed at what the camera<br />
catches from above. You<br />
wouldn’t believe it!”<br />
Added David Rowell: “John<br />
and I had been talking about<br />
security for a while – the<br />
stretch of water between The<br />
Newport wharf and Bayview<br />
sand spit is a very busy patch.<br />
“The drone footage gives the<br />
eagle eye of Rowell Marine and<br />
its surrounds. We will also<br />
use drones during the festive<br />
times and undertake regular<br />
night flights to set a pattern of<br />
cover from the air, providing<br />
peace of mind for us and our<br />
tenants.”<br />
John, a licensed pilot who<br />
first started flying 40 years<br />
ago, said security work with<br />
a drone was much like the<br />
work a regular security guard<br />
would do, complete with a<br />
similar ‘authoritative’ look.<br />
“It’s the perfect security<br />
tool and it really does work,”<br />
he said. “Deterrent is the first<br />
order – that’s why security<br />
guards wear a uniform and<br />
have little cars with a flashing<br />
light on top… they want to<br />
look like the police, of course.<br />
“You just can’t miss our<br />
drone – it sits up there<br />
buzzing away with flashing<br />
lights and you know it’s<br />
looking down on you.”<br />
As well as serving as<br />
a deterrent John said his<br />
surveillance had also helped<br />
panicked dog owners find<br />
their missing pets at the dog<br />
park, kept an eye on kids who<br />
had swum out too far from<br />
the wharf, helped other people<br />
track down where they had<br />
parked their car, documented<br />
speeding boat drivers, picked<br />
up bits and pieces of rubbish<br />
floating in the water, and<br />
reported boats that were<br />
found to be listing or leaking.<br />
“And of course, we’ve seen<br />
a few people who were listing<br />
and leaking,” said John with<br />
a smile.<br />
He added privacy was an<br />
important consideration.<br />
“I completely understand<br />
that the ‘eye in the sky’<br />
idea makes many people<br />
feel uncomfortable and<br />
you always have to respect<br />
people’s privacy,” he said. “We<br />
never film or fly over private<br />
property – our MO is to keep<br />
public areas secure and safe.<br />
“Any ‘listing or leaking’ you<br />
do in your own backyard is<br />
your business!” he said.<br />
Random timings of flights<br />
are seen as key to successful<br />
prevention.<br />
“Good security companies<br />
randomise their movements<br />
so you can never predict when<br />
a sweep is happening,” he<br />
said. “The best security is in<br />
place when a would-be ‘rascal’<br />
realises that it’s just not worth<br />
trying.”<br />
He said the biggest<br />
difference between a regular<br />
security guard and drone<br />
security was that, “… they<br />
can only see what they can<br />
see from a car – we have a<br />
helicopter.”<br />
John currently pilots his<br />
drones but has no doubt<br />
autonomous flight will be<br />
approved in the future.<br />
“Technology experts now<br />
predict that drone technology<br />
will be the most disruptive<br />
technology in human history –<br />
remember that a driverless car<br />
is also just a drone,” he said.<br />
14 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
ng at you!<br />
“At the current time<br />
CASA does not allow fully<br />
autonomous flight… much like<br />
all modern airliners, a drone<br />
can already fly itself easily<br />
once programmed correctly<br />
but there has to be a ‘pilot’ in<br />
case something goes wrong.<br />
“People will travel in<br />
driverless cars for a long<br />
time before they will be<br />
comfortable flying in pilotless<br />
aircraft – but it will happen.”<br />
John said drones promised<br />
further widespread benefits<br />
for society.<br />
“I remember a great story<br />
in the local paper last year<br />
telling how our water police<br />
used a drone to find lost<br />
bushwalkers up in the West<br />
Head area,” he said. “They just<br />
took off from the police boat,<br />
flew up into the hills and<br />
found them in no time. It was<br />
on the front page. The first<br />
good local story about a drone<br />
helping to save someone’s life.<br />
I believe there will be many<br />
more.<br />
“Disruptive technology will<br />
always invoke fear that will<br />
one day be laughed at. The<br />
best way into the future is to<br />
just keep laughing!”<br />
– Nigel Wall<br />
Politics & Peta Credlin<br />
on Spring dinner menu<br />
Liberal Party identity Peta Credlin says<br />
she’s looking forward to supporting<br />
the Palm Beach branch as guest speaker at<br />
their sold out Spring Dinner at Moby Dick’s,<br />
Whale Beach, on Thursday <strong>October</strong> 12.<br />
“Grassroots involvement in policy<br />
development is critical to both good<br />
policy, and the health of our democracy,”<br />
Ms Credlin said. “As a new Sydney<br />
resident, I’ve only just started to get to<br />
know the Palm Beach area but I think <strong>Pittwater</strong> in particular<br />
is unique with the bushland setting and waterways.”<br />
Ms Credlin said she was keen to hear from supporters and<br />
small business owners about what government – both state<br />
and federal – could do to “better reward effort”.<br />
“As Liberals, we’ve got to be the party that gives<br />
aspirational Australians hope that the system works for<br />
them and not against them.” – NW<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 15
6THINGS<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
News<br />
Give blood. The mobile blood<br />
service is visiting Avalon Beach,<br />
Bowling Green Lane Car Park<br />
on Tue 3 and Wed 6 from 9am-<br />
2pm. The Australian Red Cross<br />
Blood Service says every blood<br />
donation can save three lives. To<br />
make an appointment call 13 14<br />
95 or visit donateblood.com.au<br />
Family fun. Trafalgar Park at<br />
Newport will come alive from<br />
10am-3pm on Sat 14 with an<br />
inflatable obstacle course,<br />
entertainment, carnival rides<br />
and sideshow alley games and<br />
delicious food and coffee from<br />
Sotto Sopra and Zubi. All profits<br />
will go to Newport Public School<br />
P&C to fund support education<br />
and playground improvements.<br />
Join a band. Dust off your<br />
tuba, trombone, percussion or<br />
woodwind instruments – the<br />
Northern Beaches Concert Band<br />
wants you! If you are a musician<br />
Grade 3 or above interested in<br />
playing a varied repertoire and<br />
performing with a “mixed bunch”<br />
aged 18-88 go to nbcb.org.au<br />
for info.<br />
How to get rid of stuff<br />
online. Learn how to use<br />
websites Gumtree, eBay and<br />
Facebook to sell and donate<br />
stuff that’s too good to chuck<br />
out, at a free workshop at<br />
Warringah Mall Library on Mon<br />
16 from 5.30-7pm. Bookings<br />
essential through Northern<br />
Beaches Council website.<br />
Support local theatre.<br />
Described as a ‘star-spangled<br />
theatre rock party’ Sunny Ray<br />
and the Magnificent Moon is a<br />
production for kids aged four<br />
and up, taking the audience on<br />
a journey of what it would be like<br />
to stay up all night and party with<br />
the moon. Sat 21 and Sun 22 at<br />
11am; Glen Street Theatre. Ages<br />
4+. Tickets $22 or Family Pass of<br />
5, $85. Bookings 9975 1455 or<br />
glenstreet.com.au<br />
Be a trailblazer. Newport<br />
Sculpture Trailblazers <strong>2017</strong><br />
curated by Sydney Art Space<br />
commences Fri 27 for two weeks<br />
with sculpture, live painting,<br />
performance, music and<br />
dance celebrated throughout<br />
Newport village. Full program at<br />
newportsculpturetrailblazers.com.<br />
16 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
News<br />
$1m for Currawong renovation rescue<br />
Co-ordinating a meeting<br />
with the top brass of our<br />
local council and state and<br />
federal governments is no<br />
mean feat, especially when the<br />
venue is offshore.<br />
But the effort in getting<br />
NSW State Member Rob Stokes<br />
and Federal Member, Jason<br />
Falinski and council heads<br />
to Currawong Beach to see<br />
first-hand both the challenges,<br />
but more importantly<br />
the opportunity and potential<br />
of the site, has certainly paid<br />
off with the NSW Government<br />
announcing it will provide $1<br />
million to support Northern<br />
Beaches Council with the<br />
refurbishment of the iconic<br />
holiday cottages.<br />
Currawong State Park<br />
Advisory Board Chair Romilly<br />
Madew said she was pleased<br />
the visit this time last year<br />
had culminated in government<br />
funding which would<br />
help in refreshing the nine<br />
1950s cottages to make them<br />
more comfortable and inviting<br />
for guests.<br />
“Currawong is a gem in <strong>Pittwater</strong>,<br />
however the cottages<br />
are in need of a refurbishment<br />
due to their age,” Ms<br />
Madew said.<br />
“The Advisory Board has<br />
been working closely with<br />
Council for a number of years<br />
developing plans to refurbish<br />
the cottages with sustainability<br />
and heritage at the heart<br />
of their considerations.<br />
“We are committed to maintaining<br />
the simplicity and<br />
accessibility of the cottages,<br />
so that all visitors can appreciate<br />
and explore the natural<br />
beauty of Currawong and its<br />
surrounds.”<br />
Currawong was purchased<br />
by the NSW Government in<br />
2011 following a hard-fought<br />
community campaign against<br />
residential subdivision plans<br />
by a private owner.<br />
The area was afforded protection<br />
from developers and<br />
a guarantee it would continue<br />
to be a place the wider community<br />
could enjoy when the<br />
NSW Government announced<br />
the creation of Currawong<br />
State Park in 2015.<br />
Midholme, the original<br />
Currawong homestead dating<br />
from 1911, was carefully<br />
restored in 2014 through collaboration<br />
between Council,<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> Environmental<br />
Foundation and Friends of<br />
Currawong.<br />
And over the last year<br />
Northern Beaches Council,<br />
which manages Currawong<br />
State Park, has been planning<br />
essential improvements to<br />
the heritage-listed cottages to<br />
enhance their functionality<br />
(such as creating bathrooms<br />
inside), provide greater<br />
comfort for guests (knocking<br />
through internal walls to<br />
increase living spaces) and<br />
ensure their longevity.<br />
In announcing the $1<br />
million funding Rob Stokes<br />
described Currawong State<br />
18 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
SIMPLE PLEASURES: The quaint 1950s Currawong cottages are ripe for a<br />
sensitve renovation. Credit: Michael Mannington Volunteer Photography.<br />
Park as one of the most iconic<br />
areas of our community.<br />
“Currawong holds a special<br />
place in the hearts of many<br />
local residents – so I’m<br />
delighted Northern Beaches<br />
Council is planning essential<br />
improvements that will<br />
enhance visitor opportunities<br />
and preserve its history,” Mr<br />
Stokes said.<br />
“Anyone that’s visited<br />
Currawong knows its key<br />
drawcards are its simplicity,<br />
tranquillity and pristine surrounds.<br />
“I commend Friends of Currawong,<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> Environmental<br />
Foundation, Northern<br />
Beaches Council and the<br />
Chair of the Currawong State<br />
Park Advisory Board, Romilly<br />
Madew, for their ongoing<br />
support and guardianship of<br />
Currawong.<br />
“It’s fantastic the NSW<br />
Government is continuing<br />
to work with these groups to<br />
see necessary improvements<br />
introduced and the unique<br />
character of Currawong preserved.”<br />
– Lisa Offord<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 19
News<br />
All the<br />
right<br />
‘moves’<br />
Fitness expert Lizzy<br />
Williamson, who devised<br />
the cheeky ‘Wine Bottle<br />
Workout’ has shared her<br />
personal story and wellness<br />
tips in her first book written<br />
for women struggling to “put<br />
on their oxygen mask first”.<br />
Nine years ago, the Bilgola<br />
mum to Stella, 10, and Ruby,<br />
9, was diagnosed with postnatal<br />
depression.<br />
“I was stuck and in an<br />
overwhelmed place when my<br />
doctor gave me the advice<br />
to put my ‘oxygen mask’ on<br />
first,” the 40-year-old said.<br />
“So, even though it was the<br />
last thing I felt like doing – I<br />
was tired, unfit and not in a<br />
good headspace – I thought I<br />
should try to start exercising<br />
again.”<br />
Lizzy began doing little<br />
workouts at the kitchen<br />
bench and realised that even<br />
though she only seemed to be<br />
able to manage two minutes,<br />
it still felt “incredibly<br />
worthwhile”.<br />
She filmed her ‘Two-Minute<br />
Moves’ and now thousands of<br />
women access her YouTube<br />
channel, Instagram and<br />
Facebook to get their daily<br />
inspiration on easy ways they<br />
can give their body, mind and<br />
spirit some love.<br />
“I think ‘Two-Minute<br />
Moves’ resonates so much<br />
because it feels achievable<br />
and can easily fit into<br />
what you’re already doing<br />
throughout your day,” Lizzy<br />
said.<br />
Her new book demonstrates<br />
how little moments add up to<br />
big changes.<br />
“I wrote the book for those<br />
women who are finding it<br />
hard to make that first step<br />
or keep going,” Lizzy<br />
said.<br />
“I also know that<br />
when someone shares<br />
their story in a honest<br />
way, it helps others feel<br />
less shameful about<br />
what they’re going<br />
through and know they<br />
are not alone.”<br />
Lizzy said she hoped<br />
readers would prop<br />
up the book on their<br />
kitchen bench and when<br />
they’re cooking dinner<br />
follow the easy moves.<br />
“I imagine them<br />
following the ‘brushing<br />
teeth’ workout or seeing<br />
the moves they can do<br />
at work to give them a<br />
whole lot more energy<br />
throughout the day…. or<br />
before they open a wine<br />
bottle they lift them up and<br />
use them as their dumbbells.<br />
“There are so many little<br />
suggestions of moments<br />
you can take in your day to<br />
get back your sanity and<br />
energy so instead of putting<br />
themselves last, I hope that<br />
my reader begins to make<br />
themselves a priority,” she<br />
said. – Lisa Offord<br />
20 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Book Reviews<br />
Two Minute<br />
Moves<br />
Lizzy Williamson<br />
Affirm Press,<br />
$29.99<br />
Who can’t find just<br />
two minutes to move?<br />
Better yet, you don’t<br />
need to make the<br />
time, just use the time<br />
you have already put<br />
towards brushing<br />
your teeth, waiting<br />
for your coffee<br />
or unpacking the<br />
groceries.<br />
Followers and<br />
friends of local Lizzy<br />
Williamson who love<br />
her online workouts,<br />
including the famous<br />
Two Minute Wine<br />
Bottle Workouts, have<br />
been eagerly anticipating<br />
Lizzy’s first book Two Minute<br />
Moves. Her beautifully<br />
photographed and styled<br />
debut will not disappoint, as<br />
she has managed to channel<br />
so much of her signature<br />
energy and charm into this<br />
motivating charter.<br />
A lead Christmas title for<br />
her Australian publisher,<br />
Lizzy’s story of how exercise<br />
saved her from a dark place<br />
will resonate with many, and<br />
her workouts and recipes for<br />
a healthier life will inspire<br />
all.<br />
– Libby Armstrong<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 21
Comment<br />
News<br />
The threat to our native<br />
flora and fauna is real<br />
Threatened Species Day<br />
<strong>2017</strong> was on 7 September,<br />
which happened to<br />
be on a sitting day.<br />
At Parliament House, I joined<br />
a number of my colleagues,<br />
including Minister for the<br />
Environment Josh Frydenberg,<br />
to announce new initiatives<br />
the Liberal Government is<br />
putting in place to protect our<br />
native wildlife.<br />
Having the honour of representing<br />
the Northern Beaches<br />
in Parliament, one of my duties<br />
is bringing environmental<br />
issues to the fore in Canberra.<br />
We are incredibly privileged<br />
to live in such a beautiful part<br />
of the world and our beaches,<br />
waterways and bush should be<br />
preserved.<br />
In 2014 the Government<br />
appointed Australia’s first<br />
Threatened Species Commissioner,<br />
Mr Gregory Andrews.<br />
Since then we have spent<br />
$228 million on more than<br />
1,000 projects supporting our<br />
threatened species.<br />
In September, we announced<br />
19 new grants – worth more<br />
than $3 million – from the<br />
Threatened Species Recovery<br />
Fund to help community<br />
groups fight extinction of<br />
endangered Australian native<br />
wildlife.<br />
The Threatened Species<br />
Strategy we have been<br />
implementing since its 2015<br />
launch, shows our commitment<br />
to protect and recover<br />
some of our most precious<br />
and endangered animals and<br />
plants. Under the strategy,<br />
we have targeted 20 birds, 20<br />
mammals and 30 plants for<br />
recovery by 2020. The habitat<br />
improvements to support<br />
these species will protect<br />
many more.<br />
In New South Wales, we<br />
spent $250,000 to protect wild<br />
populations of Magenta Lilly<br />
Pilly in the Great Lak es area by<br />
improving its habitat and that<br />
of eight other threatened species<br />
in the area.<br />
We are allocating $205,000<br />
to support efforts to protect<br />
populations of golden<br />
bandicoot and the brushtailed<br />
rabbit-rat from feral<br />
cats and other threats in the<br />
Dambimangari and Uunguu<br />
Indigenous Protected Areas of<br />
Western Australia.<br />
Marvel<br />
at ‘Little’<br />
rascals<br />
If you know what you are<br />
hearing it’s not uncommon to<br />
experience the sounds of Little<br />
Penguins calling or splashing<br />
off our western foreshores as<br />
they venture from their colony<br />
on Lion Island.<br />
A few lucky residents<br />
also boast coming face<br />
to face with the cheeky<br />
creatures while swimming<br />
off Clareville.<br />
A spokesperson for the<br />
NPWS said Lion Island was<br />
home to around 130 pairs of<br />
Little Penguins.<br />
“This colony is highly<br />
protected as this little<br />
creature is vulnerable to many<br />
threats and access to the<br />
areas where these colonies<br />
live is restricted,” she said.<br />
We are spending almost<br />
$50,000 in a partnership<br />
between school children and<br />
farmers to grow seedlings and<br />
create new habitat for Australia’s<br />
rarest cockatoo, the<br />
south eastern red-tailed black<br />
cockatoo in South Australia.<br />
On Threatened Species Day,<br />
I saw first-hand the Turnbull<br />
Government’s commitment to<br />
working with conservation and<br />
community groups, scientists<br />
and other governments to<br />
deliver the on-ground actions<br />
required to save species.<br />
In Mackellar we have 26<br />
threatened species, which<br />
include birds, turtles, sharks<br />
and whales that pass through<br />
our water and land as part of<br />
their migration.<br />
Six of these species are<br />
specifically targeted in the<br />
Threatened Species Strategy:<br />
the Caley’s Grevillea, Regent<br />
Honeyeater, Swift Parrot,<br />
The primary purpose of a<br />
Nature Reserve is the care,<br />
preservation and conservation<br />
of natural environments<br />
and natural phenomena and<br />
landing on Lion Island without<br />
permission is prohibited and<br />
is an offence under NPWS<br />
legislation.<br />
Natural predators of the<br />
Little Penguins include<br />
snakes, goannas, fur seals<br />
and sea eagles. Penguins are<br />
also often killed or injured<br />
by boats, being tangled in<br />
fishing debris or ingesting<br />
By Jason Falinski<br />
Federal Member for Mackellar<br />
Eastern Curlew, Australasian<br />
Bittern, and Magenta Lilly Pilly.<br />
More than $1 million has<br />
gone towards supporting<br />
threatened species in Mackellar<br />
through the Green Army<br />
Program.<br />
The only place on earth you<br />
can see the Caley’s grevillea is<br />
an 8km2 area around Terrey<br />
Hills, which includes the Baha’i<br />
Temple grounds. We are working<br />
on a program that will<br />
introduce the Caley’s grevillea<br />
into nurseries so the community<br />
can help protect them<br />
against extinction.<br />
For regular updates of<br />
what’s happening to protect<br />
our local fauna and flora send<br />
me an email jason.falinski.<br />
mp@aph.gvo.au, so I can add<br />
you to my mailing list. You<br />
can also ‘Like’ my Facebook<br />
page for automatic community<br />
updates in your own Facebook<br />
feed.<br />
plastic rubbish.<br />
“For those boating on<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong>, if you see or<br />
hear penguins swimming<br />
near your boat, turn off the<br />
engine if possible and just<br />
watch for a while,” she said.<br />
“They are very acrobatic in<br />
the water and the skill they<br />
display while chasing down<br />
fish is something to see.”<br />
Anyone who finds a dead<br />
or injured penguin in the<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> area is urged to<br />
report it to their local NPWS<br />
office. – Lisa Offord<br />
22 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
Photo: Chuck Bradley
<strong>Pittwater</strong> News<br />
War historian<br />
Probus talk<br />
War historian Peter Sweeney<br />
will deliver a detailed talk<br />
on the Battle of the Coral<br />
Sea at the next <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
Men’s Probus Club meeting<br />
on Tuesday <strong>October</strong> 10. Last<br />
May represented 75 years<br />
since American warships,<br />
aided by Australian forces,<br />
turned the Pacific War<br />
around by preventing the<br />
Japanese from invading Port<br />
Moresby, in this historic<br />
battle off the Queensland<br />
coast. The meeting at Mona<br />
Vale Golf Club starts at<br />
10.30am and visitors are<br />
welcome. More info Bill<br />
Marshall 9999 5226.<br />
Drive for more<br />
sustainable living<br />
Permaculture Northern<br />
Beaches have two great<br />
initiatives in the coming weeks.<br />
First up, if you are interested in<br />
‘Greening’ your home – from<br />
retrofitting to clean energy<br />
innovations, to being chemicalfree,<br />
attend the Permaculture<br />
‘Green Home’ launch on<br />
September 28, when guest<br />
speakers (architect Joanne<br />
Gillies of Archisoul Architects<br />
at Manly who specialise in<br />
sustainable building design<br />
on the Northern Beaches<br />
and John Caley, mechanical<br />
engineer, founder of Ecological<br />
Design in 2004 which<br />
provides residential building<br />
thermal modelling, BASIX<br />
assessments, water balance<br />
modelling and design of<br />
rainwater harvesting systems)<br />
will talk from 7.15pm. Venue<br />
is Nelson Heather Centre,<br />
Banksia Room, 5 Jacksons Rd,<br />
Warriewood. More info www.<br />
permaculturenothernbeaches.<br />
org.au/events. There is also a<br />
two-day course (<strong>October</strong> 28-29)<br />
at the Coastal Environment<br />
Centre, Narrabeen (9.30am-<br />
4.30pm), where participants<br />
will learn how to include<br />
News<br />
Palm Beach takes a walk<br />
Construction on the<br />
long-awaited walkway<br />
from Palm Beach Wharf<br />
to Governor Phillip Park<br />
is expected to commence<br />
before Christmas<br />
following the awarding<br />
of the tender to northern<br />
beaches company Lloyd<br />
Drilling. NB Council<br />
funded the project<br />
under the $32.6 million<br />
Connecting Northern<br />
Beaches program,<br />
utilising funds provided<br />
to Council as a result of<br />
the merger under the NSW<br />
Government’s Stronger<br />
Communities Fund. With<br />
the help of a communitybased<br />
working group,<br />
Council developed concept<br />
designs for a walkway<br />
from the Palm Beach<br />
Ferry Wharf to Governor<br />
Phillip Park, which<br />
forms part of the larger<br />
Connecting Northern<br />
Beaches iconic coastal<br />
walkway from Palm Beach<br />
to Manly. The walkway<br />
will be a combination of<br />
suspended walkway and<br />
concrete path. Palm Beach<br />
Whale Beach Association<br />
President Dr Richard West<br />
said the community was<br />
delighted the walkway<br />
was progressing.<br />
24 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
permaculture design in<br />
your own home and garden.<br />
Teachers include biologist<br />
Margaret Mossakowska<br />
and international ecologist<br />
Michelle Sheather. Cost is<br />
$290 for members, $330 for<br />
non-members; concessions<br />
available. More info elle232@<br />
gmail.com with the subject<br />
heading ITP <strong>October</strong> <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
HSC library Lock-In<br />
Local HSC students who enjoy<br />
pizza and good company<br />
are invited to attend special<br />
HSC ‘Lock-In Study Sessions’<br />
at Mona Vale Library on<br />
Wednesday nights (6-9pm)<br />
throughout <strong>October</strong>. The<br />
popular Council initiative is<br />
designed to support young<br />
people through the stress<br />
of the Year 12 study period.<br />
The HSC Lock-Ins offer a<br />
safe, supervised and social<br />
environment where students<br />
can study with their friends<br />
or tutors. Library members<br />
can show their card for free<br />
entry. Non-members can bring<br />
identification and join on<br />
the night or simply pay $5 at<br />
the door. It’s first-in, bestdressed<br />
and entry will close<br />
15 minutes after start time to<br />
minimise interruptions.<br />
‘Save’ date for<br />
Surf Open Day<br />
Want to be a part of Surf <strong>Life</strong><br />
Saving? You can check out<br />
what happens at a surf club<br />
when their Open Day is held<br />
at clubs across the northern<br />
beaches on <strong>October</strong> 15.<br />
Participating clubs will host a<br />
range of activities, including<br />
lifesaving demonstrations,<br />
clubhouse tours, barbecues<br />
and displays – plus watch<br />
the Nippers participating in<br />
beach and water activities.<br />
Organisers say there are many<br />
roles that you can take on<br />
which can make a difference<br />
to the safety of our beaches<br />
and make you feel part of the<br />
Surf <strong>Life</strong> Saving family. These<br />
include putting on the red<br />
and yellow and patrolling the<br />
Continued on page 26<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 25
News<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> News<br />
Continued from page 25<br />
beach; helping train Nippers<br />
into lifesavers; officiating<br />
at sport events; training<br />
fellow members; supporting<br />
governance; fundraising or<br />
running the barbeque;<br />
running social events; and<br />
undertaking skilled project<br />
work within the club. More info<br />
phone SLS Sydney Northern<br />
Beaches on 9913 8066.<br />
Alcohol-Free Zones<br />
Northern Beaches Council<br />
wants community feedback<br />
on existing and the planning<br />
of future alcohol-free zones<br />
in <strong>Pittwater</strong>. Existing zones<br />
and amended existing zones<br />
currently on exhibition for<br />
community feedback include:<br />
Church Point (from the cargo<br />
wharf in McCarrs Creek Road<br />
to the eastern end of Church<br />
Point car park); Newport<br />
residential (from Barrenjoey<br />
Road to <strong>Pittwater</strong> and<br />
bounded by Gladstone Street<br />
and Beaconsfield Street);<br />
Newport Beach; Avalon Beach;<br />
Mona Vale (reduced – but now<br />
includes the main shopping<br />
Tony Milat remembered<br />
Avalon is mourning the passing of respected community<br />
member Tony Milat. A local optometrist for more than 30 years,<br />
Tony passed away peacefully and surrounded by his family on<br />
August 26; he was 62. A celebration of Tony’s life was held at<br />
the Avalon Beach Village Church, with his family, friends and<br />
patients gathering to commemorate his life. Tony was a beloved<br />
husband to Robyn, father to Jane and Karla, and a friend to<br />
many on the Northern Beaches. “He was a wonderful, clever,<br />
generous man, with a positive attitude and a cheeky smile,”<br />
said Robyn, who along with her daughters thanked locals for<br />
their thoughts, support and kindness.<br />
centre and is bounded by<br />
Darley/<strong>Pittwater</strong> Rd, Surfview<br />
Road to the east and Mona<br />
Vale Road/<strong>Pittwater</strong> Road). A<br />
new zone is proposed at Palm<br />
Beach (Ocean Road from the<br />
rock pool end to the junction<br />
with Palm Beach Road).<br />
Feedback via the Council<br />
website until <strong>October</strong> 2.<br />
Hospital fundraiser<br />
The Mona Vale Hospital<br />
Auxiliary will hold a<br />
fundraising fashion parade<br />
on Tuesday, <strong>October</strong><br />
24 at Newport Bowling<br />
Club. Morning tea will be<br />
available from 10.30am<br />
followed by a Donna<br />
Lou affordable fashions<br />
parade. There are raffles<br />
and lucky door prizes and<br />
funds raised will help to<br />
purchase equipment for the<br />
hospital and rehabilitation<br />
units. Entry $10 at door; all<br />
welcome.<br />
<strong>2017</strong> sporting grants<br />
Local groups are being<br />
encouraged to apply for funds<br />
under this year’s Local Sport<br />
Grant Program. Grants up to<br />
$20,000 are being awarded as<br />
part of a $10 million sports<br />
grants package announced<br />
by the NSW Government.<br />
The focus this year will be<br />
to encourage more girls and<br />
young women into local<br />
sporting programs. Around<br />
half of all Australian boys<br />
are active through a sports<br />
club during their childhood<br />
compared with just 33<br />
per cent of girls, and the<br />
26 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Surf Club funding<br />
Mona Vale and Newport Surf<br />
Clubs will receive a total of $1.5<br />
million in state government<br />
funding to support upgrades,<br />
refurbishments and planning<br />
works. Local MP Rob Stokes said<br />
Mona Vale would be the major<br />
beneficiary of the latest round<br />
of grants, with a new clubhouse<br />
in the pipeline. “It will not<br />
only provide more suitable community<br />
amenities but will also help cater for the<br />
club’s increasing membership whose core<br />
role is keeping beachgoers safe,” Mr Stokes<br />
said. Meanwhile a six-figure sum will assist<br />
Newport SLSC develop better links between<br />
its facilities and the nearby all-abilities<br />
playground at Bert Payne Reserve. In August,<br />
participation rate for girls<br />
drops sharply after they turn<br />
12. Applications close <strong>October</strong><br />
6; sport.nsw.gov.au<br />
Zonta Annual Dinner<br />
The Zonta Club of Northern<br />
Beaches and Mackellar ZClub<br />
dinner is on Thursday <strong>October</strong><br />
26 with the theme ‘Women,<br />
Work & Family’. Guest speaker<br />
Dr Marian Baird – Professor<br />
of Gender & Employment<br />
Relations at the University of<br />
Sydney Business School – will<br />
talk on her work researching<br />
women’s working lives and<br />
advocating for improved<br />
policies. The dinner (7pm,<br />
Dee Why RSL) is a fundraiser<br />
to support Zonta projects for<br />
local women in need on the<br />
Northern Beaches. Tickets $65<br />
(by Oct 10) with students $50.<br />
More info Julia 0419 122 987;<br />
zontacnbdinner@gmail.com<br />
Northern Beaches Council also allocated<br />
$554,500 to the Mona Vale Surf Club project,<br />
as part of the NSW Government’s Stronger<br />
Communities Fund and Northern Beaches<br />
Council’s own Merger Savings Fund. Other<br />
local surf clubs to benefit under this joint<br />
initiative include South Narrabeen ($203,500)<br />
and Warriewood ($337,500).<br />
Who's next Lion King?<br />
Avalon Beach SLSC will<br />
host the 12th Lion Island<br />
Challenge from Station<br />
Beach (<strong>Pittwater</strong> side of Palm<br />
Beach) on Saturday <strong>October</strong> 7.<br />
Participants have the option<br />
of covering two distances<br />
– 14km and 8km – in ocean<br />
racing skis, SLSA spec skis,<br />
SUPs and outrigger canoes.<br />
Info contact avalonbeachslsc.<br />
com.au<br />
Vet<br />
on<br />
call<br />
with<br />
Dr Ben Brown<br />
Owning a new puppy can<br />
be a very exciting (and<br />
busy!) time for owners. There<br />
are some crucial health care<br />
measures that need to be<br />
taken to ensure your puppy<br />
gets the best start in life.<br />
Puppies need a balanced,<br />
premium puppy food. Puppies<br />
grow and develop rapidly and<br />
have very different nutritional<br />
requirements to adult dogs.<br />
For example, puppies require<br />
additional calcium and energy<br />
to facilitate proper growth of<br />
bones and muscles; this ratio<br />
of calcium and energy can<br />
be different for small breeds<br />
to large breeds. It’s essential<br />
that you discuss the best<br />
nutritional plan with a trained<br />
veterinary professional.<br />
Parasite control is also very<br />
important for puppies as they<br />
are more likely to be carrying<br />
gastrointestinal worms at<br />
this stage in their life. An<br />
all wormer tablet should<br />
be given every two weeks<br />
until 12 weeks, every month<br />
until six months and then<br />
every three months for life.<br />
Heartworm prevention is even<br />
more important – the best<br />
way to prevent heartworm<br />
is with injectable medication<br />
administered by your vet; this<br />
removes the possibility of<br />
forgetting to give a dose. Tick<br />
prevention on the Northern<br />
Beaches is a must. The<br />
newer oral tick preventatives<br />
and tick collars are highly<br />
effective and very safe.<br />
Vaccinations are also<br />
imperative to prevent deadly<br />
infectious diseases such<br />
as parvovirus, distemper,<br />
hepatitis and infectious<br />
canine cough. During the<br />
consultation the vet will<br />
complete a full physical to<br />
ensure your puppy is healthy<br />
and fit for vaccination.<br />
We are currently offering<br />
free puppy health check-ups,<br />
free pet insurance for one<br />
month and a free heartworm<br />
injection for puppies. Drop<br />
into our hospital at Newport<br />
or Avalon with your new pup!<br />
News<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 27
‘Alfred’<br />
& Bill<br />
While the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht<br />
Club celebrates its sesquicentenary in<br />
<strong>October</strong>, Bill Buckle is celebrating<br />
40 years as a club member.<br />
<strong>Life</strong> Stories<br />
Story by Rosamund Burton<br />
Bill Buckle has driven to the yacht club<br />
in his silver Tesla Model S electric<br />
car. “When I first drove it I knew I<br />
had to have it,” he says, extolling both<br />
its performance and efficiency. On a full<br />
battery it can travel 450 kilometres. “It’s<br />
a beautiful, refined, extraordinary motor<br />
car.” Coming from someone, who over his<br />
life-time career is considered to have done<br />
more for the Australian motor industry<br />
than most others, I realise this is an<br />
exceptional vehicle.<br />
Bill has been a member of the Royal Prince<br />
Alfred Yacht Club, which celebrates its 150th<br />
anniversary this month, since 1977. “The<br />
club was nowhere near as big as this 40<br />
years ago,” he reminisces, sitting on a leather<br />
sofa in the Edinburgh Lounge Bar on the<br />
first floor, and looking out over <strong>Pittwater</strong>.<br />
The Prince Alfred Yacht Club was formed<br />
on 15 <strong>October</strong> 1867, when the Mosquito<br />
Yacht Club, which had been established in<br />
1856, called a meeting of boat owners at<br />
Punch and McGrath’s Hotel in King Street.<br />
In 1911 the club was permitted by King<br />
George V to use the prefix ‘Royal’ and<br />
became the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht<br />
Club. By 1919 the club’s committee decided<br />
that Sydney Harbour was becoming too<br />
congested for racing, so this land at Green<br />
Point was purchased. For nearly 20 years<br />
it was barely used until a group of Jubilee<br />
class yacht owners built a boatshed, slipway<br />
and pontoon. The Governor of New South<br />
Wales, Lord Wakehurst, officially opened<br />
the current premises in 1938 and in 1968<br />
His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, the Duke<br />
of Edinburgh, came to lay the foundation<br />
stone for the present clubhouse. And the<br />
royal connection continues as the RPAYC is<br />
the organizing authority, with the support<br />
of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and<br />
the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, for<br />
the sailing events in Prince Harry’s Invictus<br />
Games, to be held in Sydney in 2018.<br />
“This has to be considered a world class<br />
yacht club on probably one of the best harbours<br />
in the world,” Bill reflects. “It’s better<br />
than Sydney Harbour for pleasure boating,<br />
because it’s non-commercial, not full of ferries<br />
and liners. We’re very lucky.”<br />
Bill lives with his wife, Alvia, at Church<br />
Point. His grandfather built the first big<br />
house on the hill above Church Point, and<br />
a boatshed in the bay below. “I’ve got the<br />
boatshed now,” says the sharp and spritely<br />
91-year-old, “and it’s still in beautiful nick.”<br />
Bill’s father owned Buckle Motors in the<br />
city. He was gassed during World War I, and<br />
in his early 50s got cancer of the oesophagus<br />
and died when Bill was 19. Bill junior<br />
was doing an engineering apprenticeship,<br />
but he never finished it as he immediately<br />
joined the family business.<br />
In the early 1950s Bill persuaded the<br />
other directors of Buckle Motors they<br />
should make a fibreglass-bodied sports<br />
car, and in 1957 the first Buckle Coupe was<br />
manufactured. “At one stage that thing<br />
held every hill climb record, and every lap<br />
record for GT cars at tracks across the East<br />
coast, including Bathurst and Orange,” he<br />
says with a grin.<br />
In the late 1950s when the economy was<br />
down, and import taxes on fully assembled<br />
foreign cars were high, Bill went to Bavaria<br />
to visit Hans Glas GMBH. Despite having<br />
no German, and not much English being<br />
spoken in country Bavaria, he explains, he<br />
reached an agreement with the company<br />
that he would import the chassis, engine<br />
and running gear, and the bodies of the<br />
cars would be made in Australia at the<br />
Buckle factory in Punchbowl. The result was<br />
a Buckle version of a Goggomobil, a basic<br />
car for two adults and two kids.<br />
“Lots of people bought it, because it was<br />
cheap,” he explains.<br />
Then Bill designed a little sports car –<br />
the Goggomobil Dart – now considered an<br />
iconic Australian vehicle, and a van called<br />
the Goggomobil Carryall.<br />
In the 1960s Bill set up Bill Buckle Auto<br />
Conversions in Brookvale, converting<br />
American cars like Buicks, Cadillacs and<br />
Mustangs from left- to right-hand drive. He<br />
went on to become one of the first Australian<br />
dealers for Toyota vehicles. “Cars and<br />
boats are my passions,” Bill admits.<br />
He started sailing as a boy in a heavy<br />
clinker dinghy, which was the tender for<br />
his father’s motor launch. Also, setting sail<br />
for the first time was Bob Oatley, another<br />
long-time member of the RPAYC, who had<br />
converted a canoe to a sailing craft using a<br />
garden stake as a mast and a sheet as a sail.<br />
Both lived at Mosman and became friends<br />
because of their mutual love of sailing.<br />
28 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
They went on to sail 12ft skiffs together<br />
and raced out of Middle Harbour, but<br />
irritated that they were paying the same<br />
subscriptions and entry fees as the 16ft<br />
skiffies, but only receiving a fraction of<br />
the prize money, they decided to start<br />
their own club. A concrete slab was laid at<br />
the southern end of Balmoral Beach, they<br />
bought an ex-Army Nissen hut for the skiffs<br />
– and that was the start of the Balmoral 12ft<br />
Sailing Club. It later became the Balmoral<br />
Sailing Club, and in 2015 Bob Oatley and<br />
Bill attended its 70th anniversary.<br />
In 2014 within weeks of one another Bob<br />
Oatley was appointed an Officer of the Order<br />
of Australia (AO) for his distinguished service<br />
to the Australian wine and tourism industries,<br />
to yacht racing, and as a supporter<br />
of medical research and the visual arts.<br />
Bill was awarded the Medal of the Order of<br />
Australia (OAM) for his service to the motor<br />
vehicle industry as a designer and retailer.<br />
Then in November 2015 the pair were<br />
honoured with <strong>Life</strong>time Achievement<br />
Awards by Yachting Australia for their contribution<br />
to sailing. That was Bob Oatley’s<br />
last public appearance before he died in<br />
January 2016 aged 87.<br />
Bill admits that they were always competitive<br />
when it came to sailing and went<br />
to great lengths to outdo one another. Soon<br />
after Bob Oatley commissioned the first<br />
Wild Oats, a Farr 43 in 1983, “I decided to<br />
build something that would blow Bob’s boat<br />
away,” says Buckle.<br />
The result was ‘Buckle Up’, a super light<br />
40-footer. The construction material he<br />
used was instrumental in revolutionising<br />
the building of light displacement yachts<br />
around the world. This boat had a seven-foot<br />
beam on the waterline and a 15-foot beam<br />
on the deck. It had an asymmetric kite, and<br />
three trapezes, so was like a giant skiff.<br />
“Nothing could catch Buckle Up. It was<br />
very radical. Downwind it really took off.<br />
We used to single-ski waterski behind it.”<br />
As Bob Oatley acquired bigger boats and<br />
set his sights on winning longer races Bill<br />
admits he never had any interest in the long<br />
offshore races.<br />
“I never wanted to go to Hobart. My saying<br />
was ‘Round the buoys in the daytime,<br />
round the girls in the night time’.”<br />
After he sold Buckle Up, he bought a<br />
little 23-foot trailer boat, which he named<br />
‘Buckle Up Again’. It was a very quick little<br />
boat, and seeing the potential of the design,<br />
he became an early enthusiast for what is<br />
now known as ‘Performance Sports’ class.<br />
These days Bill is sailing on his old<br />
friend’s boat, Wild Oats X, in the Wednesday<br />
afternoon races.<br />
“I’ve sailed most of my life, but as you get<br />
towards where I am now it gets a bit harder,”<br />
Bill admits. “Wild Oats X is a powerful<br />
66-footer. It jumps about a fair bit, and you<br />
need to be able to hang on.”<br />
Bill admits he doesn’t get to the club as<br />
often as he would like to as there are too<br />
many other things to do. His innovative,<br />
creative mind is still bubbling with ideas.<br />
“Presently, I’m designing with another<br />
guy a radical type of wing sail. It’s for<br />
everything from a dinghy to a freighter. It’s<br />
in the early stages, but it could be a big deal<br />
in the future.”<br />
* The RPAYC was recently awarded<br />
Marina Industry Association ‘Club of the<br />
Year’ and Yachting NSW Club of the Year for<br />
<strong>2017</strong>; for more info about the RPAYC and its<br />
sailing calendar go to www.rpayc.com.au<br />
<strong>Life</strong> Stories<br />
CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE: Bill Buckle, in his element, at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club at<br />
Newport; the 40-foot ‘Buckle Up’ streaks across <strong>Pittwater</strong> in the mid 1980s; Bill at the tiller of his first<br />
sailing boat off Clontarf in 1940; Prince Alfred, after whom the Club is named; Bill at the wheel of a<br />
Cole 43 in the 1980s; ‘Oh, What A Feeling!’ – jumping for joy with Australia II designer Ben Lexcen; the<br />
RPAYC site back in 1960; Bill poses proudly with a 1959 Goggomobil Dart at a show in 2000.<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 29
Art <strong>Life</strong><br />
Art <strong>Life</strong><br />
Beaches society’s<br />
Avalon exhibition<br />
The recently ‘retouched’ Northern Beaches Art Society will<br />
hold their 71st Annual Art Exhibition on the weekend of<br />
<strong>October</strong> 7-8 at the Avalon Rec Centre.<br />
The talented artists of the NBAS (until recently known as<br />
North Shore Art Society), cover all media – oils, acrylics, watercolour,<br />
mixed media and pastels. Their free exhibition will also<br />
include the beautiful paintings of Liz Curman. All the works on<br />
display are original and are in both contemporary and traditional<br />
styles.<br />
This year their judge will be respected artist Geoff Buckle,<br />
who will have the daunting task of awarding the top three prizes.<br />
All the entries will also be in the running for the ‘Northern<br />
Beaches Council Award’, as well as the ‘People’s Choice Award’,<br />
selected by the viewing audience. A Raffle for a beautiful acrylic<br />
painting by Annette McCrossin will also be held.<br />
With the variety available, there will surely be something for<br />
everyone – it’s a great opportunity to shop early for Christmas.<br />
New members are always welcome to join the society; information<br />
will be available at the exhibition or check out their<br />
website – northernbeachesartsociety.org – where you can also<br />
download a membership form.<br />
Age no barrier in Space courses<br />
Broad-focus art and a special teens’ ‘Art Club’<br />
are two new offerings among the collection<br />
of exciting Term 4 courses kicking off this<br />
month at the Sydney Art<br />
Space in Mona Vale.<br />
Tutor Rachel Carroll is<br />
looking forward to nurturing<br />
participants in her<br />
eight-week ‘Expression<br />
to Abstraction’ course<br />
commencing Thursday<br />
<strong>October</strong> 12.<br />
“Artists will learn to<br />
think laterally about new<br />
mark making ideas,” said<br />
Rachel. “This class explores<br />
still life, interiors<br />
and landscape with a<br />
move toward abstraction.<br />
“Mixed media is the<br />
focus, with acrylic being<br />
the main component in<br />
any artwork – this is a<br />
great way to move beyond<br />
your comfort zone<br />
in art and explore new possibilities.<br />
“Students are also invited to bring their own<br />
projects to class that I can help them complete.”<br />
Classes run 12.45pm-<br />
3.45pm; beginners welcome.<br />
Meanwhile Christina<br />
Frank says she is looking<br />
forward to tapping the creative<br />
minds of the region’s<br />
emerging teens when she<br />
hosts a special Saturday<br />
morning ‘Art Club’ (10am-<br />
12pm) for eight weeks<br />
starting <strong>October</strong> 14.<br />
“Students will explore<br />
drawing, painting, mono<br />
printing and hand building<br />
in clay,” she said.<br />
Ages are 11-15; all art<br />
materials supplied.<br />
For more info on<br />
courses or to book visit<br />
sydneyartspace.com<br />
– Nigel Wall<br />
Locals<br />
‘in the<br />
frame’<br />
Local specialist arts<br />
business Peninsula<br />
Reflections are ‘in the frame’<br />
as the recently announced<br />
winners of the coveted <strong>2017</strong><br />
National Picture Framing<br />
competition.<br />
Operators Bill and Linda<br />
Roberts say they are thrilled<br />
with the accolade, which saw<br />
them best a competitive field<br />
from across Australia, based<br />
on the couple’s excellence<br />
in design and quality of<br />
workmanship.<br />
A record number of<br />
entrants were given the same<br />
image to frame – a copy of<br />
a lithograph of Snowy Owls<br />
– with entries judged by a<br />
panel of experts and peers<br />
within the industry based on<br />
originality, creativity, design<br />
and craftsmanship.<br />
Bill said the pair spent<br />
countless hours working<br />
on the perfect design to<br />
complement the print, and<br />
focused on delivering 100%<br />
30 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Hit the Trail,<br />
connect –<br />
and collect!<br />
It’s on again in <strong>October</strong> – the<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> Artists Trail, celebrating<br />
the alliance of talented<br />
artists who collectively open<br />
their studios to the public on<br />
two weekends each year creating<br />
a ‘Trail’ for art lovers.<br />
Visitors can engage with<br />
the artists, see how they work<br />
and what inspires them, buy<br />
beautiful, original artworks or<br />
perhaps enroll in one of the<br />
courses offered by several of<br />
the artists on the Trail.<br />
The PAT’s inaugural Open<br />
Studio weekend was held<br />
in 2011 and the group have<br />
been going from strength to<br />
strength ever since.<br />
This month, don’t miss the<br />
opportunity to spend a day (or<br />
even two) discovering original<br />
works on Saturday 14th and<br />
Sunday 15th, from 10am-5pm.<br />
You are encouraged to plan<br />
your own route from Elanora<br />
to Clareville and Terrey Hills to<br />
Newport. Enjoy the day by engaging<br />
with multiple makers<br />
who are ready to share their<br />
stories and spaces.<br />
(If you are an artist who<br />
lives on the Northern Beaches,<br />
have visited the Trail and<br />
would like to apply to join in<br />
2018-2019, check out their<br />
website – it also contains a<br />
map and artist details.)<br />
More info pittwaterartiststrail.com.au<br />
– Nigel Wall<br />
Art <strong>Life</strong><br />
quality in workmanship –<br />
“much the same as we do<br />
with any of our clients”.<br />
“Our entry used a high<br />
grade of preservation<br />
materials including an antireflective<br />
glazing which is<br />
almost invisible and is highly<br />
sought after by our clients,”<br />
said Bill.<br />
“When it comes to<br />
design solutions, we frame<br />
to suit the artwork and<br />
ask questions and listen<br />
attentively to our clients<br />
relating to matters like taste,<br />
decor, likes and dislikes.”<br />
Bill and Linda’s work<br />
ethic is reflected by their<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
continuing education and<br />
professional affiliations.<br />
Bill is a Master Certified<br />
Picture Framer with the<br />
Professional Picture Framers<br />
Association and is affiliated<br />
with the Australian Institute<br />
for the Conservation of<br />
Cultural Materials, the<br />
Australian Institute of<br />
Professional Photographers<br />
and the Cultural Heritage<br />
Preservation Foundation of<br />
Australia.<br />
Find their studio at Suite<br />
2102, 4 Daydream Street,<br />
Warriewood; open Monday<br />
to Friday 9am-5pm or by<br />
appointment. – Nigel Wall<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 31
Boating <strong>Life</strong><br />
<strong>Life</strong>’s a<br />
breach<br />
The southern migration of<br />
humpbacks and southern right<br />
whales will reach its peak late this<br />
month, with great viewing expected<br />
off the coast of the upper northern<br />
beaches in the next few weeks.<br />
Having travelled from the<br />
feeding grounds of Antarctica to<br />
the warmer waters of Australia to<br />
breed from May to September, the<br />
whales are now migrating back to<br />
Antarctica.<br />
(Thank you to reader William Hall<br />
who sent us this photo of a sighting<br />
by a yacht off Palm Beach in late<br />
September.)<br />
Local operator Fantasea have<br />
three dedicated Sunday cruises<br />
out of Palm Beach scheduled for<br />
<strong>October</strong>, offering an unforgettable<br />
close-up look at these amazing<br />
creatures – and a whale watching<br />
guarantee.<br />
Not only will you get the chance<br />
to get up close and personal<br />
with these charismatic creatures,<br />
but your cruise also includes an<br />
experienced marine biologist on<br />
board, giving expert explanations<br />
about the whales and their<br />
behaviour.<br />
The enthusiastic and<br />
knowledgeable crew will perform<br />
guidance and commentary,<br />
explaining the history and wildlife<br />
of Sydney’s Northern Beaches.<br />
If you have a question, they can<br />
answer it!<br />
Plus there’s plenty of room for<br />
viewing – they limit capacity so<br />
everyone gets front row views.<br />
Dates are <strong>October</strong> 1, 8 and 15;<br />
more info 9974 2411 or fantasea.<br />
com.au<br />
Sailing volunteers call<br />
Summer presents a great opportunity to enjoy the<br />
twilight hours on <strong>Pittwater</strong> – and the Royal Motor<br />
Yacht Club is calling for keen locals to join their sailing<br />
volunteer group.<br />
Club Sailing Master James Hill said it was a one-off<br />
opportunity to be part of a great bunch of people and<br />
great club. “The job entails helping to run races, including<br />
the very popular Monday and Friday Twilight series,<br />
plus there’s sailing events on the weekend as well,” he<br />
said.<br />
Whilst having a salty-sailor background is an advantage,<br />
complete landlubbers are welcome – providing<br />
they’re keen to “learn the ropes”.<br />
There are positions aboard the starter’s boat such<br />
as time-keeping, signal flags and time recording which<br />
non-sailors can pick up with training. The club is constantly<br />
up-skilling its volunteers so they become more<br />
effective in their role; participants can gain valuable<br />
qualifications as a Race Officer, boat driver or radio<br />
operator.<br />
Volunteers will be part of various club functions and<br />
gain a few perks too – including free drink/food vouchers,<br />
and tickets to the RMYC annual Sponsors and<br />
Volunteers Dinner Night.<br />
This year the RMYC is needing extra hands as it takes<br />
on the exciting role of hosting the Pantaenius Newport<br />
to Coffs Coast Ocean Race starting December 27.<br />
More info 9997 5511 or email jaz@royalmotor.<br />
com.au<br />
Boating <strong>Life</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 33
Seize the<br />
season<br />
Spring is the season of renewal and<br />
a time to clear out, downsize and<br />
lighten your load. Here’s a guide<br />
to help you deep-clean and spruce<br />
up your home. And if a move to a<br />
smaller place is on the cards check<br />
out our local experts’ tips to help<br />
you get your head around the task<br />
at hand. Compiled by Lisa Offord<br />
Home Special<br />
34 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
CLEAN SWEEP<br />
Preparation is key.<br />
Might sound obvious but<br />
before you start anything<br />
make sure your essential<br />
equipment and tools such as<br />
a ladder, brooms, dustpan,<br />
mop and vacuum are in good<br />
order. Create a cleaning kit<br />
by filling a bucket with the<br />
basics you’ll need to use room<br />
to room, such as cleaning<br />
sprays, rags, sponges,<br />
brushes and rubber gloves.<br />
Make a to-do list. Schedule a<br />
day and break it up into a few<br />
cleaning sessions of two to<br />
three hours. Identify the jobs<br />
that absolutely need doing<br />
and tackle those first, treating<br />
every other task you manage<br />
to complete within the allotted<br />
time as a bonus. The aim is<br />
to not get overwhelmed by<br />
chores so at the end of the<br />
day when you put your feet up<br />
you can do so with a sense of<br />
accomplishment.<br />
Inside general. Start<br />
from top to bottom. Dust<br />
ceilings and corners of walls<br />
and vents. Dust and clean light<br />
fixtures. Replace light bulbs<br />
and change the batteries in<br />
smoke detectors. Clean the<br />
blades of ceiling fans. Clean<br />
windowsills. Wash walls and<br />
wipe down doors, light switch<br />
plates, clean skirting boards<br />
and touch up with paint. Wash<br />
all your windows. Clean blinds.<br />
Wash curtains. Beat clean<br />
or wash rugs, shampoo and<br />
vacuum carpets. Clean sliding<br />
door tracks. Scrub and mop<br />
hard floors. Replace anything<br />
broken.<br />
Kitchen. Declutter and<br />
clean out fridge and freezer.<br />
Wipe down the front and the<br />
top of whitegoods and clean<br />
underneath and behind if<br />
possible. Clean microwave,<br />
oven, and cooktop and<br />
exhaust fan. Remove<br />
everything from the pantry<br />
and throw out expired food. A<br />
must: clean out the food trap<br />
in the dishwasher.<br />
Bathroom. Take<br />
everything out from under<br />
the sink and discard expired<br />
cosmetics and products.<br />
Clean and wipe down. Clean<br />
the showerhead and taps.<br />
Clear out drains. Give shower<br />
screens and/or curtains a<br />
good scrub. Touch up any<br />
cracked grout or tiles.<br />
Laundry. Clean behind<br />
washer and dryer, remove<br />
and clear lint filters and wipe<br />
down.<br />
Bedrooms. Replace<br />
pillows and rotate and/or flip<br />
mattress if necessary. Change<br />
bedding from cold weather<br />
to warm weather and wash<br />
before storing. Go through<br />
cupboards and sort through<br />
your winter clothes, discard,<br />
donate or sell what you won’t<br />
wear next year. Vacuum<br />
cupboards and arrange your<br />
spring and summer clothes.<br />
Family/living<br />
rooms. Remove books and<br />
knickknacks from shelves and<br />
tables, donate or sell items<br />
you are ready to let go, dust<br />
before replacing the things<br />
you want to keep onto clean,<br />
polished surfaces. Change or<br />
replace cushions and throws<br />
to lightweight fabrics.<br />
Outside general. Get<br />
rid of cobwebs. Wipe down<br />
flyscreens and security<br />
grills. Wash the windows, the<br />
house and paths (or hire a<br />
specialist). Clear out gutters.<br />
Check fencing. Consider<br />
oiling the deck. Tackle the<br />
shed and the garage. Treat<br />
Continued on page 36<br />
Home Special<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 35
Home Special<br />
continued from page 35<br />
your home to a new front<br />
door mat.<br />
Specialist help<br />
If any part of your spring<br />
cleaning seems like ‘too<br />
much’, refer to our specialist<br />
providers whose ads are<br />
sprinkled throughout the<br />
magazine and in this feature,<br />
as well as our Trades &<br />
Services section (page 56) to<br />
locate local professionals to<br />
do the job for you.<br />
ADDING VALUE<br />
A professional exterior clean<br />
and a fresh lick of paint will<br />
always help add value to your<br />
home. Other value-added<br />
details include:<br />
n Super-tidy garage spaces<br />
with built-in storage.<br />
n A remote control garage<br />
door.<br />
n An outdoor kitchen.<br />
n New blinds and/or curtains.<br />
n An automated louvre<br />
roof to define an outdoor<br />
entertaining area.<br />
n New all-weather cushions<br />
for outdoor seating.<br />
n A safe and tidy garden<br />
(check trees and fencing are<br />
in good order).<br />
n Beautifully presented<br />
interiors that champion<br />
a natural, lived-in feel<br />
(check out our wonderful<br />
local small businesses for<br />
furniture, linens, fittings<br />
and accessories that reflect<br />
the Northern Beaches<br />
lifestyle).<br />
n Air conditioning.<br />
n New carpet or polished<br />
floorboards.<br />
n A new bathroom (keep it<br />
neutral but add some ontrend<br />
accessories such as<br />
indoor plants).<br />
n A new kitchen with highquality<br />
appliances such as<br />
built-in water filters and the<br />
latest cooking innovation<br />
– induction cooktops with<br />
extractors built into the<br />
benchtop (see Bora ad<br />
page 37 – could this be<br />
the beginning of the end<br />
to grease-filled overhead<br />
extractor fans?).<br />
SPRING INTO<br />
DOWNSIZING<br />
Whether you are an empty<br />
nester or a retiree moving<br />
to a smaller home, making<br />
the move to downsize is far<br />
from easy.<br />
Here, downsizing expert<br />
Angie Kelso from Nannies &<br />
Helpers shares some tips to<br />
help with the process.<br />
Prepare. First, think about<br />
what you have, what will fit<br />
into the new house and get<br />
rid of what you don’t need.<br />
Draw a floor plan of your<br />
new house to ensure your<br />
furniture will fit in the new<br />
space. Don’t clutter the new<br />
house with old furniture that<br />
needs repair or paint.<br />
Enlist help. Get your<br />
family and friends on board,<br />
ask if they want any of your<br />
things.<br />
Plan. Take your time, attack<br />
one room at a time, and clean<br />
the inside of cupboards and<br />
wardrobes as you go.<br />
Love it or leave it!<br />
Make a list for each room, put<br />
a coloured tag on furniture<br />
i.e. blue to keep, green to<br />
give away to family or friends,<br />
red to charity, yellow for<br />
dump/council disposal day.<br />
Get rid of what you don’t want<br />
as quickly as possible. Out of<br />
sight... out of mind.<br />
Get quotes. When you’ve<br />
made decisions about keeping<br />
or disposing of major furniture<br />
items get several quotes from<br />
removalists.<br />
Stay focused. Write a daily<br />
or weekly schedule so you are<br />
really organised and have a<br />
good plan of action. It is very<br />
satisfying to cross items off<br />
the list!<br />
Assess. If you have items you<br />
think might be valuable – get<br />
them professionally assessed<br />
and then decide if they should<br />
be sold at auction or if that<br />
valuable painting should hang<br />
on the wall in the new house!<br />
Sell. Make money from your<br />
move. Have a garage sale, sell<br />
items on eBay or a local online<br />
website.<br />
Don’t be sentimental.<br />
Make a decision and stick to it.<br />
Do you really need three sets<br />
of china, nine wooden spoons<br />
or two irons?<br />
Reduce your load. Give<br />
your children their school<br />
projects, baby book, school<br />
reports and photographs.<br />
Tackle paperwork.<br />
Keeping all your old paperwork<br />
is a waste of space. Scan<br />
documents to your computer<br />
and file the important papers<br />
to keep them safe.<br />
Stop buying food.<br />
Use-up the pantry items by<br />
incorporating in meals and eat<br />
the food in the fridge.<br />
Storage. Think about the<br />
new house – have you enough<br />
36 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Vault locks in better storage<br />
Fed up with working or living in a confined space and frustrated<br />
by a lack of decent storage for all your extra stuff?<br />
A solution is on the way – ‘The Vault’ Storage Centre at<br />
Cromer due for completion in 2018.<br />
The strata-titled, storage units will range in size from 20m2<br />
to 103m2 with each having a five-metre ceiling. ‘The Vault’ will<br />
feature 24-hour, back-to-base security with pin code access, plus<br />
lighting and power for each unit. Each storage unit can comfortably<br />
fit a car and there are different shapes and sizes to suit all<br />
storage requirements.<br />
Shore Commercial leasing agent David Falvo said investors<br />
could expect around a six per cent return on units which start at<br />
$95,000.<br />
“Storage space is in great demand on the Northern<br />
Beaches, from small- to medium-sized businesses as well<br />
as families,” David said. “Business operators, such as<br />
tradesmen and home-based entrepreneurs, need secure<br />
space for equipment, stock, stationery and other items.<br />
“The big difference with this release is that the storage units the garage or simply de-clutter their homes but don’t want to<br />
are strata titled and they have a five-metre high clearance which throw stuff away.”<br />
will be ideal for many businesses and families,” he said.<br />
He added the fact that space would be rented on a squaremetre<br />
basis and not by the cubic metre, as is normal in the<br />
“With an increasing number of people living in apartments<br />
there is strong demand for somewhere to store extra furniture storage industry, would be a big plus.<br />
and other items. Then there are the families who want to clear More info 9938 3122 or email david@shorecp.com.au.<br />
storage? Buy transparent<br />
storage bins in the same size<br />
so they will stack on top of one<br />
another and when packing,<br />
label the contents of each box.<br />
Use plastic boxes in the space<br />
under the bed for storage.<br />
Clean out wardrobes.<br />
Use the 12-month rule – if you<br />
haven’t worn it in a year, you<br />
probably don’t need it.<br />
Connect. And when you<br />
are done and make the move,<br />
make an effort to get to know<br />
your new neighbours, invite<br />
them to your house to meet<br />
and greet.<br />
Home Special<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 37
Surfing <strong>Life</strong><br />
Surfing <strong>Life</strong><br />
Strangely powerful duo<br />
driving a tricky transition<br />
The top end of professional surfing is in for a seismic shift... and not everyone’s happy<br />
Yes, sorry gang! This month<br />
we veer from the bliss of<br />
the Reef to the harsh reality<br />
of Money.<br />
It’s tricky times at the top end<br />
of professional surfing. Three<br />
weeks ago in Dana Point, California<br />
– many thousands of Ks away,<br />
yet oddly, at almost the exact<br />
opposite latitude to <strong>Pittwater</strong>! – a<br />
very rich man stood up in front<br />
of the world’s pro surfers and<br />
told them the truth.<br />
The rich man was Dirk Ziff, a<br />
New York-based private equity<br />
investor who for four years now<br />
has been pouring his cash into<br />
the sport, underwriting the world<br />
championship tour to the tune of<br />
about US$30 million a year.<br />
Now Dirk, by all accounts a<br />
quiet man who carries a big<br />
stick (he is currently worth about<br />
US$4.8 billion), was there to<br />
explain that something had to<br />
give. That in 2018, the world<br />
tour would undergo a massive<br />
re-vamp, designed both to save<br />
some money and to focus closer<br />
on the handful of surfers at the<br />
very top of the rankings.<br />
Iconic events like the Pipe Masters<br />
in Hawaii would be shifted<br />
or dropped. In their place would<br />
be a shortened Championship<br />
Tour – less events, and down the<br />
track, less surfers – and a single<br />
World Champion Showdown<br />
event as a climax, featuring just<br />
BUYING UP: Dirk Ziff is now the majority shareholder in the KS Wave Co.<br />
the top six men and top four<br />
women, battling it out for the<br />
title at a remote Indonesian location,<br />
far from prying eyes.<br />
The surfers were – well, they<br />
weren’t all stoked. But they<br />
have little choice. Their wealthy<br />
benefactor is on the move. He’s<br />
acquired a majority stake in<br />
the Kelly Slater Wave Company,<br />
whose central California wave<br />
pool was last month’s biggest<br />
surfing news, and hopes to turn<br />
it into pro surfing’s new Chocolate<br />
Factory.<br />
And in his quiet way, he’s<br />
hired a couple of serious guns<br />
to do it.<br />
First, there’s Englishwoman<br />
Sophie Goldschmidt, who has replaced<br />
former CEO Paul Speaker.<br />
with Nick Carroll<br />
In the past 16 years, Ms<br />
Goldschmidt has assembled<br />
one of the most formidable CVs<br />
of anyone in world sport. She<br />
played pro tennis briefly before<br />
working at adidas in the US as<br />
a sports marketing manager.<br />
Then came a fascinating series<br />
of increasingly big gun jobs:<br />
running the US National Basketball<br />
Association’s overseas<br />
programs in Europe, the Middle<br />
East and Africa; backing up<br />
with the Women’s Tennis Association;<br />
chief of commercial<br />
and marketing at the English<br />
Rugby Union; then a stint at<br />
CSM Strategic, a British sports<br />
management group chaired by<br />
Lord Sebastian Coe. (Olympics.)<br />
She’s also active in sportsbased<br />
youth welfare programs,<br />
sits on the advisory board of<br />
the British E-Sports Association,<br />
and is a close friend of Maria<br />
Sharapova’s.<br />
Then there’s Joe Carr. On<br />
August 15, the day Ms Goldschmidt<br />
began her job, the WSL<br />
announced that Joe, a former<br />
senior vice-president and head<br />
of content at UFC, had been<br />
hired to oversee “strategy, corporate<br />
development, execution of<br />
international operations, sales,<br />
events and athlete development”,<br />
and to “spearhead further<br />
integration with the Kelly Slater<br />
Wave Company”.<br />
Joe Carr is a Boston native<br />
who lived in Las Vegas while<br />
working for UFC; prior to UFC,<br />
he worked in real estate private<br />
equity. More to the point is his<br />
record at UFC, where he helped<br />
drive the organisation’s international<br />
growth, was a big part of<br />
the famed Ronda Rousey/Holly<br />
Holm fight in Melbourne in 2015,<br />
and was key to developing its<br />
Fight Pass program: a worldwide,<br />
highly successful live/on<br />
demand pay-per-view subscription<br />
system. (Read it again:<br />
Pay-per-view.)<br />
You’ve gotta wonder: how’d<br />
these two find their way into pro<br />
surfing?<br />
Well at the bottom of the Joe<br />
Carr PR, there’s a hint of how. It<br />
says that for more information,<br />
one should contact a person<br />
named Holly Zhao. And Holly’s<br />
email suffix is “teneostrategy.<br />
com”.<br />
Whooo!<br />
This is the first and only acknowledgement<br />
I’ve seen of the<br />
WSL’s extremely discreet advisor.<br />
Teneo Strategy is an arm<br />
of Teneo Holdings, one of the<br />
world’s least-written-about yet<br />
most effective corporate handholders.<br />
Founded in 2011 by<br />
former US diplomat Declan Kelly<br />
and two partners, with impeccable<br />
connections across the top<br />
end of Western moneyed society,<br />
38 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
PL’s OCTOBER SURF CALENDAR<br />
WSL: Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro, Hossegor, France<br />
7-18/10; MEO Rip Curl Pro, Supertubos, Portugal, 20-<br />
31/10<br />
Big events pushing nearer to what seems like a classic Hawaiian<br />
showdown for both men’s and women’s world titles. The World Surf<br />
League’s proposed changes will change everything about these<br />
tours when they take effect.<br />
56th Mattara Classic, Bar Beach, Newcastle 21-22/10<br />
At the other end of the scale is this event, which has been running<br />
longer than almost any other surf contest on Earth. The Mattara<br />
was once one of Australia’s big three – Bells and the national titles<br />
being the other two – and the names on its winner’s list are legion<br />
and legendary. It’s a lot smaller in rep these days, but it’s still got a<br />
lot of heart and it’s still going.<br />
NICK’S OCTOBER SURF FORECAST<br />
September turned the seasons around so fast we didn’t know where<br />
we were going. Crazy bombing south swells and cold SW winds, then<br />
the spring switch flicked back and forth so quick even the whales<br />
didn’t seem too sure what was what. Nutty, but good. We like rattly<br />
times of year, they always mean surf, and I bet <strong>October</strong> has its share.<br />
Watch for a couple of southerly shifts, some periods of onshore winds<br />
and rain, and a few magical days as the sand off our beaches rearranges<br />
itself after all the big swells of late August and early September.<br />
Only drawback, the water is likely to stay in the 18-degree range for a<br />
little while yet, so don’t hang up the rubberwear.<br />
it’s “a one-stop shop for CEOs<br />
to get advice on a wide range of<br />
issues”. (Quoting The New York<br />
Times.)<br />
You won’t hear much about<br />
Teneo. They’re damn good<br />
at keeping quiet, particularly<br />
about their clients. In 2015, for<br />
instance, when Huma Abedein,<br />
one of Hillary Clinton’s aides,<br />
was being vetted by the US<br />
Senate Judiciary Committee<br />
over her simultaneous employment<br />
by the US Government<br />
and Teneo, the company was<br />
requested to appear before<br />
the Committee. Teneo politely<br />
declined, saying they’d already<br />
provided the US State Department<br />
with all the information<br />
required.<br />
Imagine that! You’re so underground,<br />
yet so gnarly, that you<br />
can say No to the US Senate.<br />
Nonetheless, Teneo advises<br />
very rich people, including Ziff,<br />
on many things: capital, risk,<br />
foreign investment, corporate<br />
crises, leadership, recruitment…<br />
and sport. They’ve consulted to<br />
NASCAR, FIFA, various Olympic<br />
bids, the WTA, and the Billie Jean<br />
King Leadership Initiative. Add<br />
to that our very own little field<br />
of dreams!<br />
You do not have to be Sherlock<br />
Holmes to see how these<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
Nick Carroll<br />
big guns of world sport were<br />
recruited.<br />
As for Goldschmidt and<br />
Carr, I’ve got no clue yet as to<br />
what they know about surfing<br />
and surf culture.<br />
But the fact is that there’s<br />
been times in pro surfing<br />
when everyone involved<br />
would have cut off their right<br />
arms for access to the likes of<br />
this crew. Pro surfers used to<br />
talk wistfully about things like<br />
Mark McCormack’s IMG, or<br />
Rupert Murdoch’s CSI – elite<br />
sports superpowers, people<br />
with clout beyond surfing,<br />
who could drag it into some<br />
stratospheric future, far far<br />
away from its scuzzy surf<br />
bum origins.<br />
Well, here they are. For real.<br />
Someone with Sophie Goldschmidt’s<br />
track record and<br />
contacts list? With Joe Carr’s<br />
UFC pay-per-view success?<br />
With Teneo’s connections?<br />
If they can’t build Dirk Ziff’s<br />
Chocolate Factory, who can?<br />
Nick Carroll is a leading<br />
Australian and international<br />
surf writer, author, filmmaker<br />
and surfer, and one<br />
of Newport’s own. Email:<br />
ncsurf@ozemail.com.au<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 39<br />
Surfing <strong>Life</strong>
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Holistic approach a grey matter of choice<br />
There’s plenty of advice on<br />
how to keep your brain<br />
sharp and healthy but with so<br />
much information out there it<br />
can be confusing to work out<br />
what’s best for you.<br />
There are a few simple<br />
things you can do to help<br />
maintain overall health,<br />
including the health of the<br />
brain, said Delia Schaffer<br />
of Home Care Assistance, a<br />
provider of in-home caregiver<br />
services and in-home nursing<br />
services.<br />
“Coming from an epidemiology<br />
background, and having<br />
written systematic reviews<br />
of healthcare evidence for 18<br />
years, I can see this is an area<br />
that doesn’t have fast-andready<br />
conclusive answers<br />
and I often hear exasperated<br />
comments ‘what I was told to<br />
do 15 years ago is the exact<br />
opposite now!’” she said.<br />
“Despite all the scientific<br />
research and clinical data that<br />
exists today, I believe that<br />
trial and error is a ‘skill’ that<br />
everyone still needs to do for<br />
themselves, especially when it<br />
comes to one’s brain health.”<br />
Delia explained when<br />
trying new “health things”<br />
she followed a concept from<br />
epidemiology called an ‘N of<br />
1’ trial.<br />
“When I am trying a new tip<br />
or product – for example eating<br />
a high protein or low-fat<br />
diet – I often set a time frame<br />
of three months.<br />
“I buy a notebook to jot<br />
down how I feel daily plus any<br />
other observations that help<br />
me to decide at the end of the<br />
three months if I am benefiting<br />
in ways that are meaningful<br />
for me,” she said.<br />
Home Care Assistance<br />
health advice and education<br />
is based on the research findings<br />
from the population in<br />
Okinawa, Japan, where more<br />
people live to over 100 years<br />
old than any other place on<br />
earth, Delia said.<br />
It is thought that living a<br />
long and healthy life in this<br />
population is influenced twothirds<br />
by modifiable lifestyle<br />
habits – the other third is<br />
genetics.<br />
“Okinawans have low cholesterol<br />
levels, low homocysteine<br />
levels, clear arteries,<br />
suffer from dementia at less<br />
than half the rate of Western<br />
populations, have a low incidence<br />
of cancers and experience<br />
slower rates of bone<br />
density loss,” Delia said.<br />
Home Care Assistance’s<br />
‘Balanced Care Method’ to<br />
maintain overall good physical<br />
and mental health involves:<br />
1. Following a diet that is<br />
plant-based, high in fibre,<br />
low protein, high omega-3<br />
fatty acids and high in<br />
flavonoids;<br />
2. Eating until only 80% full;<br />
3. Moderate physical activity<br />
that involves flexibility,<br />
strength building as well as<br />
aerobic activity;<br />
4. Mind exercises;<br />
5. Low stress, socially rich<br />
lifestyle;<br />
6. A mind-calming routine or<br />
activity (e.g. meditation,<br />
mindfulness); and<br />
7. Consciously spending a<br />
significant part of the day<br />
doing things that have<br />
meaning and purpose for<br />
you.<br />
Some clients are offered<br />
formal science-based brain<br />
exercise called Cognitive<br />
Therapeutics Method (CTM).<br />
Delia explained the aim<br />
of the program was to help<br />
clients maintain and sometimes<br />
even improve cognitive<br />
function so that they could<br />
remain at home with as much<br />
independence as possible.<br />
“CTM accomplishes this<br />
goal by engaging clients both<br />
mentally and physically with a<br />
variety of activities that target<br />
the five primary domains of<br />
the brain.<br />
“Our caregivers are trained<br />
to deliver CTM one on one as<br />
part of their in-home visits.<br />
“It is a social activity and the<br />
caregiver typically plays 15 to<br />
30 brain games with a client<br />
for an hour, systematically<br />
targeting the planning, attention,<br />
visual-spatial perception,<br />
language, memory and coping<br />
functions of the brain,” she<br />
said.<br />
Clients can also step up to a<br />
CTM program specifically tailored<br />
to their cognitive needs.<br />
This program is delivered by<br />
more specialised staff.<br />
More info phone 8052<br />
3255. – Lisa Offord<br />
40 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Slow down the clock<br />
Slowing down the ‘ageing<br />
clock’ is the pursuit of<br />
most people the wrong side of<br />
40 – but few realise that exercise<br />
is one of the best ways to<br />
achieve it.<br />
Rachel Cohen from<br />
Xperteze Fitness & Nutrition<br />
says she sees people over<br />
40 who have spent too many<br />
years being sedentary, and<br />
now struggle with simple<br />
functional activities such<br />
as balancing on one leg or<br />
getting up and down off the<br />
floor.<br />
“They start their ‘exercise’<br />
journey by telling me all the<br />
things they believe they can’t<br />
do rather than focusing on<br />
what they can do, and believe<br />
that exercise is a difficult activity<br />
involving gym machines,<br />
heavy weights and lots of pain<br />
and sweat,” said Rachel.<br />
“That’s a myth that should<br />
be dispelled... exercise is<br />
doing any type of physical<br />
movement, and the days of<br />
‘go hard or go home’ are long<br />
gone.”<br />
Rachel said walking,<br />
cycling, swimming, jogging,<br />
gardening, even doing the<br />
housework, dancing, or playing<br />
sport were all forms of<br />
exercise.<br />
“Then there’s our tendency<br />
to over-complicate things –<br />
what do we do and how long<br />
do we do it?” she said.<br />
Rachel said the key to maintaining<br />
vitality was simply to<br />
move – and move often.<br />
“Research shows that just<br />
30 minutes a day can add significant<br />
years to your life and<br />
quality of life... while being<br />
obese and inactive is proven<br />
to decrease life spans by up to<br />
eight years,” she said.<br />
She said there were undeniable<br />
truths to the new saying:<br />
“Sitting is the new smoking.”<br />
“It’s time to stop making excuses,<br />
stop making the process<br />
too hard, stop thinking it has<br />
to be in a gym, stop feeling<br />
you’ve failed if you miss a day<br />
– and please stop looking for<br />
short-term ‘instant results’.”<br />
Rachel advised there were<br />
four key components over-40s<br />
should incorporate into their<br />
fitness regimes:<br />
CARDIO<br />
“It will strengthen your cardiovascular<br />
system, reduce<br />
the risk of type 2 diabetes,<br />
lower cholesterol and blood<br />
pressure and improve your<br />
immune system – aim 10,000<br />
steps a day.”<br />
STRENGTH<br />
“Increase muscle strength,<br />
prevent loss bone loss,<br />
improve balance and stability<br />
– perform squats, lunges,<br />
push-ups, plank and balance.”<br />
STRETCHING<br />
“To keep muscles, tendons,<br />
joints and ligaments as flexible<br />
as possible, avoid stiffness<br />
and injury and improve<br />
mobility – try pilates, yoga, or<br />
Tai Chi.”<br />
MINDFULLNESS<br />
“To calm the mind, reduce<br />
stress, reduce cortisol, improve<br />
cognitive function and<br />
sleep, improve digestion and<br />
the immune system – again<br />
pilates, yoga or Tai Chi, plus<br />
meditation.<br />
“Amazing results and improvements<br />
are achievable at<br />
any age, Rachel said.<br />
More info call Rachel<br />
on 0409 241 297; www.<br />
xperteze.com.au – NW<br />
42 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Consider surgery solution<br />
to reduce prominent ears<br />
scraping technique. Each<br />
part of the ear is corrected.<br />
Surgery is performed<br />
through an incision along<br />
the back of the ear, close to<br />
the scalp, ensuring scars are<br />
well hidden. Timing of the<br />
surgery is important. It can<br />
be performed at any age,<br />
from children to adults, but<br />
usually after five years of<br />
age, or in the early school<br />
There are two main<br />
factors contributing<br />
to prominent ears: an<br />
excess of cartilage in the<br />
bowl of the ear (near the<br />
ear canal); and an unfolding<br />
of the ear folds. It is also<br />
common for the ears to be<br />
uneven.<br />
When contemplating ear<br />
surgery, the upper, middle<br />
and lower ear is carefully<br />
assessed and measured.<br />
The relative contributions of<br />
the two causes are assessed<br />
to allow accurate surgical<br />
planning.<br />
Excess cartilage is either<br />
sutured closer to the scalp<br />
or a small section cut out.<br />
The fold is restored to<br />
nearly 90 degrees by either<br />
using sutures or a cartilageyears.<br />
Importantly, children<br />
need to be old enough for<br />
ear growth to be complete,<br />
the cartilage strong enough<br />
to hold sutures and the child<br />
mature enough to be cooperative<br />
with the care after<br />
surgery.<br />
The ears are then carefully<br />
bandaged and packed to<br />
maintain the folds, contours<br />
and position. This head<br />
bandage is worn for the first<br />
week. Scratching must be<br />
avoided as this may alter the<br />
position of the ear or even<br />
fold it over. A headband is<br />
then worn at night for six<br />
weeks to prevent the ears<br />
from folding over during<br />
sleep.<br />
Otoplasty is generally<br />
considered to be not very<br />
with Dr John Kippen<br />
painful. Recurrence of ear<br />
prominence is possible<br />
with any of the surgical<br />
techniques used and may<br />
require further surgery.<br />
Our columnist Dr John<br />
Kippen is a qualified, fully<br />
certified consultant specialist<br />
in Cosmetic, Plastic and<br />
Reconstructive surgery.<br />
Australian trained, he also<br />
has additional Australian and<br />
International Fellowships.<br />
Dr Kippen works from custom-built<br />
premises in Mona<br />
Vale. He welcomes enquiries<br />
and questions. Please<br />
contact him via johnkippen.<br />
com.au or by email: doctor@<br />
johnkippen.com.au<br />
Health & Wellbeing<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 43
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Thongs a friend for feet<br />
Nothing is more<br />
representative of our laidback<br />
northern beaches lifestyle<br />
than wearing thongs on your<br />
feet as the weather warms – but<br />
did you know the humble yet<br />
iconic rubber footwear can both<br />
benefit and harm your feet?<br />
Avalon Beach Podiatry<br />
operator Evan Johnstone<br />
(pictured) says thongs offer<br />
good foot protection.<br />
“Hot sand and concrete<br />
can often cause blisters,” he<br />
said. “Also, wear thongs in the<br />
showers at the beach – be wary<br />
of changing room showers that<br />
are inside, damp and don’t get<br />
direct sunlight. These showers<br />
are the kind of environment<br />
tinea pedis loves.”<br />
While we all seem to grow<br />
attached to our favourite<br />
summer footwear, Evan advises<br />
changing thongs regularly.<br />
“We often see patients<br />
during summer suffering<br />
from capsulitis of the<br />
metatarsophalangeal joints<br />
(joint inflammation/damage)<br />
or plantar plate tears (ligament<br />
damage in the forefoot),” he<br />
said.<br />
“These conditions could<br />
easily be avoided by throwing<br />
out the old, worn-out thongs<br />
and replacing them with new<br />
ones.”<br />
He added the rubber<br />
material that thongs are made<br />
from compresses and warps<br />
over time, which amplifies the<br />
pressure areas on the soles of<br />
your feet.<br />
“Thongs don’t need to be<br />
flat unsupportive footwear,”<br />
he continued. “At the clinic,<br />
we sell thongs that look the<br />
part and are in the same price<br />
bracket as the usual thongs,<br />
but support the feet.”<br />
Also, with Melbourne Cup<br />
and Christmas parties just<br />
around the corner, Evan<br />
suggests men currently<br />
embracing the ‘no socks’<br />
fashion trend should think<br />
again.<br />
“It might look good but<br />
wearing shoes without socks<br />
is another environment for<br />
tinea pedis to thrive,” he<br />
warned. “And if you have old<br />
trainers that are used as gym<br />
or running shoes, throw them<br />
in the wash or use powder to<br />
soak up any moisture in the<br />
shoe.”<br />
Cracked heels are another<br />
summer “given”.<br />
“See a podiatrist to remove<br />
any hard skin and use heel<br />
balm cream regularly – heel<br />
balms contain urea that helps<br />
with water retention in the<br />
epidermis (upper layer of skin).”<br />
His final advice?<br />
“Put sunscreen on your feet<br />
– everyone forgets about the<br />
feet!”<br />
You can find Evan at 2<br />
Simmons Rd, Avalon (above<br />
Pizzico); call 9918 0070.<br />
– Nigel Wall<br />
44 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Health & Wellbeing<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 45
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Health & Wellbeing<br />
Staying connected during<br />
Oct Mental Health Month<br />
range of free local workshops and activities<br />
A designed to uplift, educate, build resilience<br />
and help people connect are being held in <strong>October</strong><br />
supporting Mental Health Month.<br />
There are events for all ages kicking off with<br />
Odd Socks Week (Mon 2-Sun 8) where we are<br />
all encouraged to pull on odd socks<br />
and to help stomp out the stigma<br />
surrounding mental illness. The Odd<br />
Socks campaign (oddsocksday.org.<br />
au) demonstrates that being ‘odd’<br />
is really ‘normal’ and encourages<br />
people to reach out for support.<br />
Workshops promoted by Northern<br />
Beaches Council (bookings essential<br />
through the council website)<br />
include:<br />
Mental Health Awareness<br />
Workshops. Learn about the<br />
common warning signs of mental<br />
health issues and how to offer support. Wed<br />
4, 6-8.30pm at Dee Why RSL and Wed 18,<br />
6-8.30pm at Coastal Environment Centre North<br />
Narrabeen. Light supper provided.<br />
Cancer Journey Workshops: A Holistic<br />
Approach. Join three-time cancer survivor<br />
Chad Walkaden to learn about a therapeutic<br />
program for people with cancer which is<br />
designed to complement oncology medicine<br />
for a better quality of life. Thur 5, 6.30-7.30pm<br />
at Dee Why Library. Tue 10, 11.30-12.30pm at<br />
Mona Vale Library.<br />
Laughter Yoga Workshops. Enjoy 60<br />
minutes of gentle breathing and<br />
stretching exercises and loads of<br />
laughs, followed by a light breakfast<br />
on Sat 14, 8.30-10am at Avalon<br />
Annexe.<br />
Supporting Students’ Study,<br />
Stress and Memory Workshop:<br />
Feed Your Mind. For students<br />
aged 14 to 25, local naturopath and<br />
clinical nutritionist Layla Metcalfe<br />
will explain how making healthy<br />
food choices can help manage<br />
stress and increase memory and<br />
study performance. Includes delicious<br />
samples. Thurs 19, 5.30-7pm at Mona<br />
Vale Library.<br />
* Mental Health Month promotes the importance<br />
of early intervention for positive mental<br />
health and wellbeing and reducing the<br />
stigma associated with mental illness. For<br />
more info go to mentalhealthmonth.org.au.<br />
Paddle for<br />
breast cancer<br />
recovery<br />
Fire up for the annual dragon<br />
boat regatta at Darling<br />
Harbour and help make a difference<br />
in the lives of breast<br />
cancer survivors.<br />
This year marks the 10th<br />
annual Dragons Abreast<br />
Australia corporate and community<br />
challenge with each<br />
team of between 16-26 people<br />
competing in three heats of<br />
200m races before the finals.<br />
The festival is the major<br />
annual fundraiser for Dragons<br />
Abreast Australia, a national<br />
not-for-profit registered<br />
charity raising breast cancer<br />
awareness through the sport<br />
of dragon boating and giving<br />
hope to those with a diagnosis<br />
of breast cancer.<br />
Support our own <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
Pinks Dragon Boat Club crew<br />
as they compete in the festival<br />
at Cockle Bay on Saturday Oct<br />
21 action starts 8am. More<br />
info dragonsabreast.com.au<br />
46 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Hair & Beauty<br />
Breakthrough for<br />
the skin barrier<br />
with Sue Carroll<br />
The skin is the largest<br />
A compromised skin barrier<br />
organ of your body. You<br />
and its side effects do not<br />
may not think of your<br />
need to be endured. In addition<br />
skin as being one of the most<br />
to the right combination<br />
important organs – with the<br />
of high-quality ingredients, a<br />
heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas<br />
healthy diet and lifestyle and<br />
taking priority. But our<br />
certain non-aggressive (but<br />
skin is the outer barometer of<br />
result-orientated) techniques<br />
what is happening on the inside<br />
in the treatment room will<br />
of our bodies. If there is<br />
have a hydrated, radiant and<br />
an irritation, dryness, rosacea<br />
healthy skin back to functioning<br />
or any type of rash, our skin<br />
at its optimal level quickly.<br />
is simply letting us know that<br />
our internal homeostasis is<br />
Sue Carroll of Skin<br />
out of balance.<br />
strengthening. Another<br />
Inspiration has been a qualified<br />
Aesthetician for 33 years.<br />
Common signs of a compromised<br />
skin barrier may of a Jet Peel system which<br />
alternative may be the use<br />
Sue has owned and<br />
include dry, flaky, itchy, irritated,<br />
sensitive or red skin. skin hydrated and oxygen-<br />
will exfoliate and keep the<br />
operated successful beauty<br />
clinics and day spas on<br />
When the lipids – which are ated. This is imperative for a<br />
the Northern Beaches.<br />
like the cement that holds the positive outcome for a healthy<br />
cells together – are damaged and hydrated skin. A facial info@skininspiration.com.au<br />
or depleted by environmental massage will not only relax www.skininspiration.com.au<br />
conditions, harsh products, the mind and the skin, it will<br />
handling or treatments, skin also hydrate and soothe when<br />
loses water and becomes ingredients such as hyaluronic<br />
dry and more permeable to acid, organic stem cells, shea<br />
pollutants and irritants. When butter, and epidermal growth<br />
this occurs, an inflammatory factors are incorporated. The<br />
response is triggered.<br />
finishing touch is always with<br />
The skin barrier strength a cooling alginate mask which<br />
will determine the level of will help with a calming effect<br />
protection the skin will receive on the skin, plus the infusion<br />
from external assaults. The of the ingredients used.<br />
skin barrier serves an important<br />
Home care for a compro-<br />
role in protecting us from mised skin barrier is impera-<br />
toxins, bacteria, infection tive to assist in rebuilding the<br />
and other DNA damaging strength and hydration of the<br />
elements. A compromised skin. A few of the points to<br />
skin barrier is more prevalent consider for home care may<br />
today than ever before as a result<br />
include: 1. Avoid irritants<br />
or our environment, over-<br />
and allergen; 2. Avoid harsh<br />
use of skin care products with cleansers and body washes,<br />
harsh ingredients, medications,<br />
either with a high alkaline or<br />
autoimmune diseases, low acid pH level; 3. Exfoliate<br />
as well as overly aggressive by using gauze with toning<br />
professional treatments. lotion only; 4. Avoid extreme<br />
In the treatment room the environmental conditions<br />
aesthetician will ask questions<br />
such as extreme variances in<br />
such as: when did the either hot or cold water, high<br />
changes in your skin appear? heat, dry air and cold winds;<br />
And do diet, medications or 5. Repair the lipid barrier of<br />
stress trigger any changes in the skin with ingredients such<br />
your skin? A corrective facial as rose water, hyaluronic acid,<br />
treatment for a compromised shea butter, epidermal growth<br />
skin barrier may include an factors, mandelic or arginine<br />
enzyme peel which contains acids, and organic stem cells;<br />
amino acids which will soften and 6. Use sunscreen daily,<br />
the skin and digest surface which will protect lipids from<br />
cells, while supporting skin lipid peroxidation.<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 47<br />
Hair & Beauty
Business <strong>Life</strong>: Money<br />
Business <strong>Life</strong><br />
Touching on the murky<br />
‘cryptocurrencies’ world<br />
Let me be completely<br />
up front here: when it<br />
comes to the fine details<br />
about Bitcoin or any other<br />
so-called ‘cryptocurrency’<br />
I have absolutely no idea<br />
what I’m talking about – so<br />
please don’t read further<br />
thinking I’m about to<br />
enlighten you about what<br />
these things are. I’m more<br />
interested in what investors<br />
should be thinking about<br />
when considering the issue<br />
because in practice we<br />
are being asked more and<br />
more about the potential<br />
investability of Bitcoin.<br />
Like many others I source<br />
my general knowledge<br />
about developments with<br />
things like Bitcoin from<br />
the press and a good<br />
example of how and what<br />
the press are writing<br />
about cryptocurrencies is<br />
contained in the following<br />
paragraph from Financial<br />
Review journalist Jessica Sier<br />
in May this year:<br />
“Put another way, you<br />
know how Bitcoin is the<br />
asset that powers the<br />
blockchain? And Ether is<br />
the asset that powers the<br />
Ethereum network? People<br />
are basically now creating<br />
hundreds of new assets<br />
(called coins or tokens) that<br />
might power new, yet-tobe-developed<br />
peer-to-peer<br />
blockchain networks.”<br />
Um, no Jessica as a matter<br />
of fact I don’t know what a<br />
‘blockchain’ is and trust me<br />
Google is no real help in this<br />
regard.<br />
Bitcoin itself has been<br />
around for ages but even<br />
now after many years<br />
of existence I wouldn’t<br />
know what to classify it<br />
as – currency, commodity<br />
or some form of deity? It<br />
basically draws its value<br />
from those who worship it.<br />
What I did glean from this<br />
article and a bunch of others<br />
like it is there is a high<br />
degree of angst amongst<br />
potential Bitcoin punters in<br />
the form of FOMO, or, the<br />
fear of missing out which is<br />
driving up prices – this is an<br />
element of human nature<br />
that I think experienced<br />
investors are easily able to<br />
understand.<br />
In concluding her article<br />
Ms Sier noted:<br />
“No-one knows how the<br />
legality of these things work<br />
and, like any speculative<br />
market, no-one knows which<br />
project will actually get off<br />
the ground.”<br />
This sentence composed<br />
of weasel words at the<br />
end of the article simply<br />
means that all of the views<br />
preceding it are at best<br />
guesses. Like the FOMO<br />
example though it does<br />
give potential investors a<br />
clear signal, in this case<br />
one that says the markets<br />
underlying cryptocurrencies<br />
are speculative and legally<br />
untested.<br />
with Brian Hrnjak<br />
Most of the heady price<br />
gains for Bitcoin have<br />
occurred in the past 12<br />
months, with the internetbased<br />
currency climbing over<br />
US$4,000 per coin. It has also<br />
had some spectacular falls<br />
over the years, the biggest<br />
in 2013 I understand with<br />
some articles pointing to an<br />
overnight price collapse of<br />
70% after a failure of trades at<br />
the largest Bitcoin exchange<br />
at the time.<br />
More recently we saw<br />
reports from CNBC of<br />
comments by JPMorgan Chase<br />
global CEO Jamie Diamon who<br />
called the cryptocurrency a<br />
‘fraud’:<br />
“It’s worse than tulip bulbs.<br />
It won’t end well. Someone is<br />
going to get killed,” Dimon<br />
said at a banking industry<br />
conference organized by<br />
Barclays. “Currencies have<br />
legal support. It will blow up.”<br />
Dimon also said he’d “fire<br />
in a second” any JPMorgan<br />
trader who was trading<br />
bitcoin, noting two reasons:<br />
“It’s against our rules and<br />
they are stupid.”<br />
Diamon’s comments in<br />
early September coincided<br />
with a crackdown on<br />
cryptocurrencies, such<br />
as Bitcoin, by Chinese<br />
authorities – although it’s<br />
still not entirely clear weeks<br />
later what in fact is being<br />
48 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
anned and if so to what<br />
extent. Perhaps the Chinese<br />
authorities know as much<br />
about Bitcoin as I do?<br />
But Diamon’s comments<br />
had their detractors, only<br />
a few days after his strong<br />
views were published Forbes<br />
magazine reporter Laura Shin<br />
basically stuck it right back to<br />
him in an open letter headed<br />
“Jamie Diamon, here’s why<br />
you are wrong about Bitcoin”.<br />
After laying out half a dozen<br />
technical reasons why Bitcoin<br />
is robust, safe, indestructible,<br />
cheaper to use and<br />
overall better than normal<br />
currencies, Shin signs off her<br />
article with these words:<br />
“I’m not saying that Bitcoin<br />
will definitely succeed. As I’ve<br />
written about before, there<br />
are many ways in which it<br />
could fail. But I would be<br />
surprised if cryptocurrencies,<br />
with their many advantages,<br />
don’t prevail over the long<br />
term – especially at a time<br />
when everyday people are<br />
still angry about paying for<br />
the economic crisis caused<br />
by financial institutions while<br />
bankers made off with<br />
bonuses.”<br />
Yep, a whole paragraph<br />
of weasel words with a bank<br />
bash thrown in for good<br />
measure.<br />
In the end, it doesn’t<br />
matter what you read<br />
about Bitcoin or other<br />
cryptocurrencies, no-one<br />
wants to go out on limb and<br />
say without qualification that<br />
Bitcoin will be there in one<br />
year, 10 years or 100 years’<br />
time because they simply<br />
don’t know.<br />
As investors, we define<br />
our risk appetite and then<br />
select investments to satisfy<br />
the need for income versus<br />
capital growth, security<br />
versus volatility. Investing<br />
101 says that you need<br />
to understand what<br />
you are buying – recall<br />
that Collateralised Debt<br />
Obligations (CDOs) were not<br />
thought to be a problem<br />
in the early part of 2007<br />
because no one other than<br />
the architects of CDOs really<br />
understood them.<br />
Bitcoin may very well be<br />
the next big thing; or, it<br />
may turn out to be a great<br />
big fraud; or, it may simply<br />
disappear only to be replaced<br />
by the next big thing. The<br />
range of variables affecting<br />
Bitcoin and other such<br />
cryptocurrencies combined<br />
with their opaqueness make<br />
them uninvestable in normal<br />
portfolios. Until these issues<br />
can be resolved they will<br />
remain nothing more than a<br />
punt.<br />
Business <strong>Life</strong><br />
Brian Hrnjak B Bus CPA (FPS) is a Director of GHR Accounting<br />
Group Pty Ltd, Certified Practising Accountants. Offices at:<br />
Suite 12, Ground Floor, 20 Bungan Street Mona Vale NSW 2103<br />
and Shop 8, 9 – 15 Central Ave Manly NSW 2095,<br />
Telephone: 02 9979-4300, Webs: www.ghr.com.au and<br />
www.altre.com.au Email: brian@ghr.com.au<br />
These comments are of a general nature only and are not<br />
intended as a substitute for professional advice.<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 49
Business <strong>Life</strong>: Finance<br />
Business <strong>Life</strong><br />
Big market power means<br />
never having to say sorry<br />
The Amazons, Googles<br />
and Facebooks of our<br />
world remind me so<br />
much of some historical<br />
monopolies that ended up<br />
being broken up by the<br />
Governments of the day<br />
who saw them as companies<br />
that had simply amassed<br />
too much power. The irony<br />
of this is that following the<br />
forced break-ups, the sum<br />
of the parts ended up being<br />
greater than the original.<br />
The best illustration I can<br />
think of is The Standard Oil<br />
Trust, which was formed in<br />
1863 by John D Rockefeller.<br />
He built up the company<br />
through 1868 to become the<br />
largest oil refinery firm in the<br />
world. In 1870, the company<br />
was renamed Standard<br />
Oil Company, after which<br />
Rockefeller decided to buy<br />
up all the other competition<br />
and form them into one large<br />
company.<br />
The company faced legal<br />
issues in 1890 following<br />
passage of the Sherman<br />
Antitrust Act. That also<br />
brought unwanted attention<br />
to the company by Ida M.<br />
Tarbell, a McClure’s Magazine<br />
reporter, who began an investigation.<br />
Following publication<br />
of her report, the Standard Oil<br />
Company was forced to break<br />
up into separate state companies<br />
– the ‘Seven Sisters’<br />
– each with its own board of<br />
directors.<br />
The Standard Oil Trust had<br />
quickly become an industrial<br />
monster. The trust had<br />
established a strong foothold<br />
in the US and other countries<br />
in the transportation, production,<br />
refining, and marketing<br />
of petroleum products. Early<br />
on, Rockefeller and partners<br />
attempted to make money<br />
on the home lighting market,<br />
converting whale oil to<br />
kerosene. Gasoline had been<br />
nearly worthless up to 1911.<br />
However, with a growing<br />
demand for “juice” needed to<br />
power the newly emergent automobile,<br />
Standard Oil Trust’s<br />
moneybags began to bulge.<br />
The Trust broke up in 1911,<br />
which led to the skyrocketing<br />
of the trust’s stock prices.<br />
Some historians contend that<br />
the break-up of Standard Oil<br />
closely resembles the more<br />
modern monopoly breakup of<br />
AT&T and the Bell telephone<br />
system.<br />
Like the telephone industry’s<br />
‘Baby Bells’, many of big<br />
oil’s ‘Baby Standards’ kept the<br />
old company name as they<br />
went into business for themselves.<br />
However, if a company<br />
separated on its own, it was<br />
restricted from using the<br />
‘Standard’ brand. Just as Bell<br />
had accomplished later on in<br />
its history, the Standards soon<br />
rose up to dominate the market,<br />
becoming more valuable<br />
than the original trust.<br />
The impending arrival of<br />
Amazon to Australian shores<br />
has sent the retail market into<br />
a frenzy; tens of millions of<br />
dollars of market capitalisation<br />
has been erased from<br />
the listed Australian retail<br />
sector, just on the back of the<br />
(free) fear mongering – thanks<br />
to the generous Australian<br />
media who are saving the<br />
company millions in advertising<br />
costs and publicity. And<br />
that’s even before Amazon<br />
has stepped ashore (likely<br />
with Simon Bond<br />
2018)!<br />
Just ask Gerry Harvey how<br />
he feels about Amazon and<br />
its impending arrival. Perhaps<br />
top of the ‘probably shouldn’t<br />
say that’ list was the suggestion<br />
that Australia stop<br />
Amazon from coming here<br />
“… like Donald Trump not<br />
letting the Muslims in”. Later<br />
he would refer to Amazon as<br />
“parasites”.<br />
Harvey’s issue focuses on<br />
Amazon’s pricing, which he<br />
believes is part of a long-term<br />
plan to “send everyone broke,<br />
then put up the price”.<br />
However, among Harvey’s<br />
more reasonable concerns is<br />
the fact that Amazon – and<br />
global companies like Amazon<br />
– aren›t paying corporate<br />
tax in Australia. “They pay<br />
virtually no company tax<br />
[globally] and make virtually<br />
no profit in relation to their<br />
turnover. They’re not good<br />
corporate citizens, they send<br />
lots of people broke, they<br />
contribute virtually nothing to<br />
society. They’re not someone<br />
that we’d want around the<br />
place,” thundered Mr Harvey.<br />
Having overwhelming<br />
market power means never<br />
having to say you’re sorry –<br />
even to your owners. Beyond<br />
taxpayer subsidies, Amazon<br />
founder Jeff Bezos can afford<br />
to be a voracious predator<br />
because his Wall Street inves-<br />
50 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
tors have allowed him to keep<br />
operating without returning a<br />
profit. On paper, his revenuegenerating<br />
machine has lost<br />
billions of dollars, yet his<br />
major investors, enamoured<br />
with Amazon’s takeover of<br />
one consumer market after another,<br />
haven’t pulled the plug.<br />
Amazon uses their capital to<br />
buy its competitors and/or<br />
to market its own version of<br />
competitors’ products, which<br />
it then sells at a loss in order<br />
to squeeze hapless competitors<br />
out of business. To many<br />
that’s the very definition of<br />
predatory pricing.<br />
Brad Stone’s book about<br />
Amazon gives a chilling example<br />
of one such predation. According<br />
to the author, Amazon<br />
has its own corporate espionage<br />
team called Competitive<br />
Intelligence that tracks rivals.<br />
In 2009, CIAmazon spotted<br />
a fast-rising online seller of<br />
one particular baby product:<br />
Diapers.com. A Bezos lieutenant<br />
was dispatched to inform<br />
the diaper honchos that the<br />
cheetah was going into that<br />
business, so they should just<br />
sell their firm to it. No thanks,<br />
replied the upstart.<br />
Amazon promptly responded<br />
to the rebuff by marketing<br />
another line of diapers with a<br />
price discount of 30 per cent.<br />
It kept dropping the price<br />
even lower (plus free shipping)<br />
when the smaller firm<br />
tried to fight back. Diapers.<br />
com’s investors grew antsy,<br />
and in September 2010, the<br />
two founders of the company<br />
met with Bezos himself and<br />
surrendered. The final blow<br />
was their discovery that Bezos,<br />
in his campaign to crush them<br />
and control the market of<br />
online diaper sales, was on<br />
track to lose $100 million in<br />
just three months.<br />
Fast forward to where we<br />
now sit with the behemoths.<br />
Stratechery.com writes about<br />
‘Aggregation Theory’, which is<br />
about how business works in<br />
a world with zero distribution<br />
costs and zero transaction<br />
costs; consumers are attracted<br />
to an aggregator through the<br />
delivery of a superior experience,<br />
which attracts modular<br />
suppliers, which improves the<br />
experience and thus attracts<br />
more consumers, and thus<br />
more suppliers in the aforementioned<br />
virtuous cycle. It<br />
is a phenomenon seen across<br />
industries including search<br />
(Google and web pages),<br />
feeds (Facebook and content),<br />
shopping (Amazon and retail<br />
goods), video (Netflix/You-<br />
Tube and content creators),<br />
transportation (Uber/Didi and<br />
drivers), and lodging (Airbnb<br />
and rooms, Booking/Expedia<br />
and hotels).<br />
The first key antitrust implication<br />
of Aggregation Theory<br />
is that, thanks to these virtuous<br />
cycles, the big get bigger;<br />
indeed, all things being equal<br />
the equilibrium state in a<br />
market covered by Aggregation<br />
Theory is monopoly: one<br />
aggregator that has captured<br />
all of the consumers and all of<br />
the suppliers. This monopoly,<br />
though, is a lot different than<br />
the monopolies of yesteryear:<br />
aggregators aren’t limiting<br />
consumer choice by controlling<br />
supply (like oil) or<br />
distribution (like railroads) or<br />
infrastructure (like telephone<br />
wires); rather, consumers are<br />
self-selecting onto the Aggregator’s<br />
platform because it’s a<br />
better experience.<br />
It’s my long-held view that<br />
in time the new Standard Oils<br />
– aka the Internet guys – will<br />
incur the wrath of Governments<br />
globally and will also be<br />
broken up.<br />
And then, yet again the<br />
sum of the parts will be worth<br />
more than the whole.<br />
My view of Amazon and Jeff<br />
Bezos is complete awe; I believe<br />
he is the businessman of<br />
our generation – but gee these<br />
guys really do scare me!<br />
So, as Andy Grove of Intel<br />
continually said: “Only the<br />
paranoid survive.”<br />
Business <strong>Life</strong><br />
NewportNet co-director Simon Bond has been actively involved in<br />
all aspects of Stockbroking since 1987. Simon’s area of expertise<br />
includes equities, portfolio management, short-term trading,<br />
long-term strategies, derivatives and fixed interest. His focus is<br />
on how technology is changing the investment landscape, demographic<br />
trends and how they influence equity markets.<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 51
Business <strong>Life</strong>: Finance<br />
Business <strong>Life</strong><br />
Suddenly single: how to<br />
cope and move forward<br />
Whether it is buying a sudden took all of my energy. I<br />
house, planning an<br />
was in no shape to make major<br />
overseas holiday or deciding financial decisions on my own,”<br />
to accept a new job offer, most said Irene when asked about<br />
major financial decisions are the weeks that followed her<br />
made with the help and input husband’s passing.<br />
of someone else. But that<br />
The good news for Irene, and<br />
can all change when death or others like her, is that many<br />
separation mean that you are significant financial decisions<br />
now faced with making these are not nearly as time critical<br />
decisions alone.<br />
as they are perceived to be. By<br />
“I could barely cope with following the steps below and<br />
daily life, things like cooking getting professional advice,<br />
and grocery shopping all of a Irene was able to work her way<br />
Kay offers First Class help<br />
Ask any small business operator and they’ll tell you a quality<br />
bookkeeper is an important asset and not an expense<br />
when it comes to running a productive enterprise.<br />
After a successful career in finance and accounting, Kay<br />
Godfrey has set up a business radiating from Mona Vale.<br />
“You need to grow your business but you also need to live<br />
better and not be stressed by doing record-keeping,” Kay said.<br />
“I am dedicated to helping clients run businesses more efficiently…<br />
I understand the time and effort required to run a<br />
small business and offer flexible, local and compliant bookkeeping<br />
services – you have enough on your plate, so let me<br />
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Kay can assist with accounting software, identify where you<br />
can improve procedures and show you ways to save time and<br />
money.<br />
“No matter how well you are running your business, you<br />
may find yourself playing ‘catch-up’ if your records are not up<br />
to scratch,” she warned. “It is important to stay on top of cash<br />
flow and keep track of expenses so when BAS time arrives,<br />
there will be no hiccups.”<br />
Kay is fully trained in accounting software such as MYOB,<br />
Xero and Reckon One; call First Class Accounts on 0438 529<br />
439 for a free, no-obligation assessment on your business.<br />
through adapting to her new<br />
life.<br />
Keep or form routines<br />
If you have always paid your<br />
credit card off by cash on the<br />
first Tuesday of the month,<br />
keep doing it. If things are<br />
working, there is no need to<br />
change.<br />
Beware of ‘helpers’<br />
There will likely be people<br />
around you that will want to<br />
help. By all means accept their<br />
generosity, but be sure to<br />
seek professional advice when<br />
it comes to financial or legal<br />
matters. There is no shortage<br />
of half-truths when it comes<br />
to death, divorce and money. I<br />
have heard on many occasions<br />
that “… if you want to stop<br />
your child contesting your will,<br />
leave them a specific amount,<br />
like $1,000. This way they can’t<br />
challenge your will”. This is<br />
simply not true.<br />
Create a Decision-free Zone<br />
It’s OK to leave some space for<br />
your emotions and perfectly<br />
normal to feel like you need<br />
time to grieve, so don’t feel<br />
like you need to be on top of<br />
everything straight away. By<br />
creating a DFZ, you give yourself<br />
an exemption from making<br />
major financial decisions. For<br />
some people, it can be as short<br />
as three weeks. For others, 12<br />
months is needed. It is different<br />
for everyone.<br />
Define ‘Urgent’ & ‘Important’<br />
Write down all the things or<br />
decisions you think you must<br />
make and then mark them as<br />
either important or urgent.<br />
Urgent might be getting cash<br />
from the ATM. Important might<br />
be advising the Tax Office<br />
about the passing of your<br />
partner. By doing this, you will<br />
with Darren Johns<br />
feel more confident in your<br />
Decision Free Zone as you are<br />
aware of what has to be done –<br />
and by when.<br />
It is not a race<br />
I have seen people rush into<br />
making decisions to try to<br />
make things ‘normal’ again. But<br />
what they soon come to realise<br />
is that it takes time to adjust;<br />
and making financial decisions<br />
in a hurry can have disastrous<br />
consequences.<br />
Stay organised<br />
It is likely you will be faced<br />
with a reasonable amount of<br />
paperwork and be asked for<br />
the same thing over and over<br />
(eg a death or divorce certificate).<br />
By staying organised and<br />
having a file where important<br />
documents are kept, you will<br />
feel more in control.<br />
Cash up<br />
Arrange for your living expenses<br />
for six months to be<br />
covered by cash in the bank.<br />
This way you can feel free to<br />
contemplate long-term decisions<br />
without the fear that you<br />
might run out of money.<br />
Seek Financial Advice<br />
A financial adviser with experience<br />
in this area can help at<br />
this early stage and take the<br />
stress out of making financial<br />
decisions alone, along with<br />
helping facilitate the legal<br />
aspect of things. By adopting a<br />
collaborative approach, a good<br />
financial adviser can make sure<br />
all aspects of your financial<br />
life are co-ordinated and that<br />
all your professional advisors<br />
are working towards the same<br />
goal: YOURS.<br />
For more detail, download<br />
our eBook on being Suddenly<br />
Single at alignfinancial.com.<br />
au/resources.<br />
Darren Johns is the current AFA Adviser of the Year, a SMSF<br />
Specialist and one of Australia’s only Financial <strong>Life</strong> Planners.<br />
He is the Principal Adviser at Align Financial, an independently<br />
owned financial planning business. Email: adviser@<br />
alignfinancial.com.au or call 02 9913 9995.<br />
These comments are of a general nature only and are not<br />
intended as a substitute for professional advice.<br />
52 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Business <strong>Life</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 53
Business <strong>Life</strong>: Law<br />
Business <strong>Life</strong><br />
Mutual Wills: a binding<br />
contract or otherwise?<br />
Over a lifetime it<br />
is not unusual to<br />
make a Will several<br />
times, as life unfolds. For<br />
example, a couple making<br />
wills on marriage and the<br />
purchase of assets such<br />
as a first property, or on<br />
the birth of children and<br />
added responsibilities, or on<br />
becoming grandparents, or as<br />
one ages and contemplates<br />
making more final<br />
arrangements for the care<br />
of a husband, wife, partner,<br />
children and grandchildren<br />
and the allocation of assets.<br />
The first Will is likely to be<br />
what is often described as a<br />
‘simple Will’ by which all your<br />
estate is left to your spouse<br />
or partner.<br />
The second reflects the<br />
first but makes provision for<br />
children, guardianship for<br />
infant children, and perhaps<br />
a trust for them until each<br />
reaches a nominated age.<br />
In middle-age<br />
circumstances may have<br />
changed and the Will may<br />
reflect a divorce and or<br />
remarriage and a blended<br />
family.<br />
Finally, as one becomes of<br />
a more mature age, a final<br />
Will reflects as noted above<br />
arrangements for the family<br />
and the allocation of assets.<br />
There are of course many<br />
differing circumstances which<br />
bring about one creating or<br />
revising a Will and the general<br />
categories outlined here are<br />
but that general.<br />
A mirror Will is one<br />
where the parties, husband<br />
and wife, have identical<br />
documents in which they<br />
appoint each other as<br />
their executor and leave<br />
to each other the whole of<br />
their estate, both real and<br />
personal.<br />
A mirror Will can be<br />
revoked at any time and<br />
replaced by another<br />
document that is it can<br />
be adapted to a change in<br />
circumstances at any time.<br />
There are many variants<br />
in estate planning – and<br />
interestingly a form of quite<br />
ancient Will is surprisingly<br />
modern and adaptive to the<br />
times today.<br />
In 1769, in a novel case<br />
(that of Dufour v Pereria)<br />
consideration was given<br />
by the courts of a joint Will<br />
which was also ‘mutual’. It<br />
was unknown in English law<br />
until this time. The family<br />
involved were probably<br />
French Huguenot refugees<br />
who married in England and<br />
remained there for the rest of<br />
their lives. When they made<br />
a Will it was expressed to<br />
be “their mutual testament”<br />
which was a form used in<br />
France but new to England. It<br />
with Jennifer Harris<br />
reflected the civil law and was<br />
witnessed by a Notary Public<br />
as was civil law custom.<br />
The Wills provided for a<br />
life interest in each other’s<br />
property and a scheme for the<br />
distribution of what remained<br />
on trust on the death of the<br />
survivor.<br />
In terms of the Will, the<br />
daughter was left the whole of<br />
the residue and the trustees<br />
were to pay her a specified<br />
income for herself and her<br />
children; the balance of the<br />
income was to be divided<br />
in equal portions among<br />
the children of the daughter<br />
on attaining 21 years, but<br />
meanwhile they were to<br />
54 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
have an allowance to be<br />
maintained.<br />
On the death of her<br />
husband the wife in the Will<br />
revoked the original Will and<br />
made a new Will with various<br />
legacies and arrangements,<br />
the effect of which was to cut<br />
out the residuary gift to the<br />
grandchildren.<br />
The grandchildren sued<br />
their mother, who under the<br />
new Will was the beneficiary.<br />
They claimed that their<br />
mother and stepfather<br />
(Pereira) had “converted,<br />
applied and disposed of<br />
the personal estate of their<br />
grandfather” – in other words,<br />
they had been cheated out of<br />
their inheritance.<br />
The issue in the case was<br />
the right of the grandmother<br />
to leave her property contrary<br />
to the mutual Will and give to<br />
her daughter and not to her<br />
grandchildren.<br />
It was found that a mutual<br />
Will was a mutual agreement<br />
expressed in a contract.<br />
The consideration for the<br />
agreement was the reciprocity<br />
of provisions each made in<br />
consideration of the other. A<br />
binding agreement had been<br />
established.<br />
It was therefore determined<br />
that all the bequests in the<br />
original mutual Will between<br />
husband and wife, where the<br />
residue was to be divided<br />
into two equal parts for the<br />
grandchildren, belonged to<br />
the granddaughters as agreed<br />
in the mutual Wills.<br />
Mutual wills arise where<br />
two or more people make<br />
an agreement as to the<br />
disposal of their property<br />
through Wills, and each has,<br />
in accordance with their<br />
agreement, executed a Will.<br />
The doctrine is based on the<br />
mutuality of the obligation<br />
of the two testators each to<br />
make provision for the other.<br />
What makes mutual Wills is<br />
a specific agreement that the<br />
provisions for the distribution<br />
of property set out in the Wills<br />
are to be binding and are<br />
frequently expressed that they<br />
should not be revoked.<br />
A common arrangement<br />
where mutual Wills are used<br />
is where a husband and wife<br />
marry and each has children<br />
from an earlier marriage.<br />
They may agree that whoever<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
survives the other is to inherit<br />
the estate of the other, but<br />
on the death of the surviving<br />
spouse, his or her entire<br />
estate is to be divided, for<br />
example, equally amongst<br />
all of the children of both of<br />
them.<br />
During the life of the<br />
husband and wife if one of<br />
them changes or makes a new<br />
Will without obtaining the<br />
consent of their partner, this<br />
is a breach of the agreement.<br />
It may be that one partner<br />
alters the Will and leaves the<br />
whole of his/her estate to<br />
his/her children. The partner<br />
who learns of the change<br />
can make a new Will because<br />
the breach of the agreement<br />
discharges he/she from<br />
having to comply further with<br />
the agreement.<br />
There are limitations in<br />
a mutual Will arrangement<br />
where, for example, one<br />
spouse has died and the<br />
estate has been inherited<br />
by the survivor. While the<br />
survivor will not be able to<br />
make a new Will which could<br />
operate to give away the<br />
estate other than according<br />
to the scheme of the agreed<br />
mutual Will. Unless the wills<br />
are precise and clear with<br />
matters particularized, for<br />
example, listed as to:<br />
n The trusts on which the<br />
property is to be held;<br />
n The property to be<br />
included;<br />
n What happens during the<br />
lifetime of the survivor; and<br />
n The nomination of the<br />
trustees and their powers.<br />
It may be difficult to<br />
prevent the survivor from<br />
doing what is known as<br />
‘white anting’ the agreement<br />
by giving away assets during<br />
his/her lifetime.<br />
There are many other<br />
matters to be considered in<br />
relation to mutual Wills, which<br />
should be the subject of<br />
advice and elaborated on in<br />
conference.<br />
Comment supplied by<br />
Jennifer Harris, of Jennifer<br />
Harris & Associates, Solicitors,<br />
4/57 Avalon Parade,<br />
Avalon Beach.<br />
T: 9973 2011. F: 9918 3290.<br />
E: jenniferha@pacific.net.au<br />
W: www.jenniferharris.com.au<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 55<br />
Business <strong>Life</strong>
Trades & Services<br />
Trades & Services<br />
AUTO REPAIRS<br />
British & Swedish<br />
Motors<br />
Call 9970 6654<br />
Services Range Rover, Land<br />
Rover, Saab and Volvo with the<br />
latest in diagnostic equipment.<br />
Narrabeen Tyrepower<br />
Call 9970 6670<br />
Stocks all popular brands<br />
including Cooper 4WD. Plus<br />
they’ll do all mechanical repairs<br />
and rego inspections.<br />
Barrenjoey<br />
Smash Repairs<br />
Call 9970 8207<br />
barrenjoeysmashrepairs.com.au<br />
Re-sprays a specialty, plus<br />
restoration of your favourite vehicle.<br />
Commercial vehicle specialist.<br />
BOAT SERVICES<br />
Avalon Marine<br />
Upholstery<br />
Call Simon 9918 9803<br />
Makes cushions for boats,<br />
patio and pool furniture,<br />
window seats.<br />
KB Marine<br />
Call Pami 9913 3522<br />
New owner; one-stop shop for<br />
sales, service and repairs of<br />
outboard and inboard Mercury<br />
engines, boats and trailers.<br />
ELECTRICAL<br />
Eamon Dowling<br />
Electrical<br />
Call 0410 457 373<br />
For all electrical, phone, TV,<br />
data and security needs.<br />
FLOOR COVERINGS<br />
Blue Tongue Carpets<br />
Call Stephan 9979 7292<br />
Family owned and run. Carpet,<br />
rugs, runners, timber, bamboo,<br />
vinyl, tiles & laminates.<br />
Open 6 days.<br />
GARDENS<br />
Graham Brooks<br />
Call 0412 281 580<br />
Tree pruning and removals.<br />
Reports regarding DA tree management,<br />
arborist reports.<br />
Precision Tree Services<br />
Call Adam 0410 736 105<br />
Adam Bridger; professional tree<br />
care by qualified arborists and<br />
tree surgeons.<br />
CLEANING<br />
The Aqua Clean Team<br />
Call Mark 0449 049 101<br />
Quality window washing,<br />
pressure cleaning, carpet<br />
washing, building soft wash.<br />
Martin Earl House Wash<br />
Call 0405 583 305<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong>-based owner on site at<br />
all times. No travellers or uninsured<br />
casuals on your property.<br />
House Washing<br />
Northern Beaches<br />
Call Ben 0408 682 525<br />
Family-run housewashing –<br />
exteriors, high-pressure cleaning<br />
and soft washing; 18 years<br />
on the Northern Beaches.<br />
LAWN CARE<br />
Platinum Turf Solutions<br />
Call Liam 0412 692 578<br />
Specialists in turf supply &<br />
installation, lawn care & cylinder<br />
mowing, full lawn construction,<br />
turf renovations, maintenance.<br />
MASSAGE & FITNESS<br />
Avalon Physiotherapy<br />
Call 9918 3373<br />
Provide specialist treatment for<br />
neck & back pain, sports injuries,<br />
orthopaedic problems.<br />
Avalon Physiotherapy<br />
& Clinical Pilates<br />
Call 9918 0230<br />
Dry needling and acupuncture,<br />
falls prevention and balance<br />
enhancement programs.<br />
Avalon Beach<br />
Chiropractic<br />
Call 9918 0070<br />
Professional care for all ages.<br />
Treatment for chronic and acute<br />
pain, sports injuries.<br />
NJF Exercise Physio<br />
Call 0449 713 472<br />
Increase mobility. Entitled<br />
Department of Veterans Affairs<br />
(DVA) clients may be referred for<br />
clinically necessary treatment<br />
on a valid D904 referral form.<br />
Francois Naef/Osteopath<br />
Call 9918 2288<br />
Diagnosis, treatment and<br />
prevention for back pain and<br />
sciatica, sports injuries, muscle<br />
soreness and strain, pregnancyrelated<br />
pain, postural imbalance.<br />
PAINTING<br />
Contrast Colour<br />
Call 0431 004 421<br />
Locals Josef and Richard offer<br />
quality painting services. Tidy,<br />
reliable, they’ll help consult<br />
on the best type of paint for<br />
your job.<br />
Modern Colour<br />
Call 0406 150 555<br />
Simon Bergin offers painting<br />
and decorating; clean, tidy,<br />
quality detail you will notice.<br />
Dependable and on time.<br />
Painting & Decorating<br />
Call 0418 116 700<br />
Andrew is a master painter with<br />
30 years’ experience. Domestic<br />
and commercial; reasonable<br />
rates, free quotes.<br />
56 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Trades & Services<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 57
Trades & Services<br />
UPHOLSTERY<br />
Luxafoam North<br />
Call 9999 5567<br />
Local specialists in all aspects<br />
of outdoor & indoor seating.<br />
Custom service and expert<br />
advice.<br />
Susan Ottowa<br />
Call Susan 0422 466 880<br />
Specialist in day bed and outdoor<br />
areas. Reliable local service.<br />
Domestic & commercial.<br />
RENOVATIONS<br />
Rob Burgers<br />
Call 0416 066 159<br />
Qualified builder provides all<br />
carpentry needs; decks, pergolas,<br />
carports, renovations and<br />
repairs.<br />
Underdeck<br />
Call Adrian 0417 591 113<br />
Waterproof under your deck and<br />
turn the area into usable space<br />
all year round.<br />
Advertise your<br />
Business in<br />
Trades<br />
& Services<br />
section<br />
Phone<br />
0438 123 096<br />
DISCLAIMER: The<br />
editorial and advertising<br />
content in <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong><br />
has been provided by a<br />
number of sources. Any<br />
opinions expressed are<br />
not necessarily those of<br />
the Editor or Publisher<br />
of <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> and<br />
no responsibility is<br />
taken for the accuracy<br />
of the information<br />
contained within. Readers<br />
should make their own<br />
enquiries directly to any<br />
organisations or businesses<br />
prior to making any plans<br />
or taking any action.<br />
PEST CONTROL<br />
Predator Pest Control<br />
Call 0417 276 962<br />
predatorpestcontrol.com.au<br />
Environmental services at their<br />
best. Comprehensive control.<br />
They provide a 24-hour service.<br />
SunSpec<br />
Call Dustin 0413 737 934<br />
sunspec.com.au<br />
All-aluminium, rust-proof<br />
remote-controlled opening roofs<br />
& awnings. Beats competitor’s<br />
prices.<br />
Trades & Services<br />
PUMPS & TANKS<br />
Water Warehouse<br />
Call 9913 7988<br />
waterwarehouse.com.au<br />
Rainwater tanks & pumps. Irrigation<br />
& filter supply specialists.<br />
Askerrobertson<br />
Call 0411 956 242<br />
Northern Beaches-based<br />
specialists in residential alterations<br />
and extensions, and new<br />
houses.<br />
58 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
the<br />
good<br />
life<br />
dining<br />
food<br />
crossword<br />
gardening<br />
travel<br />
60<br />
64<br />
67<br />
68<br />
72<br />
Showtime<br />
Hats off to Cocker<br />
If you love the music of Joe<br />
Cocker you won’t want to<br />
miss this ultimate tribute show<br />
by Australia’s greatest soul<br />
voice Doug Parkinson.<br />
And if you act quick, you can<br />
still snap up seats at Dee Why<br />
RSL this month before the show<br />
lands at Sydney’s State Theatre.<br />
With seasoned backing singers<br />
and a tight eight-piece band,<br />
Doug Parkinson Honours Joe<br />
Cocker has earned rave reviews<br />
from audiences Australia-wide,<br />
with Parkinson’s powerful and<br />
unique smoky voice doing Cocker’s<br />
interpretations of American<br />
classics proud.<br />
Cocker is most famous for<br />
his treatment of other people’s<br />
works including Hitchcock<br />
Railway, Delta Lady, You Can<br />
Leave Your Hat On, She Came in<br />
through the Bathroom Window,<br />
The Letter, You Are So Beautiful,<br />
Up Where We Belong and Cry Me<br />
A River… just a few of the songs<br />
Parkinson has included in this<br />
new show.<br />
Parkinson too is often described<br />
as a master of interpreting<br />
other’s songs – like his huge<br />
hit, The Beatles’ Dear Prudence.<br />
In this show Parkinson includes<br />
his own hit records plus<br />
interpretations of other legendary<br />
artists such as Ray Charles,<br />
Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and<br />
Michael McDonald.<br />
Doug Parkinson Honours Joe<br />
Cocker is at Dee Why RSL on<br />
Oct 14 at 8pm. Tickets are $38.<br />
Book at dyrsl.com.au or call<br />
9454 4000.<br />
Enjoy evening of elegant<br />
& engaging French music<br />
The next Peninsula Music<br />
Club concert in early<br />
November will feature<br />
wonderful melodic French<br />
music.<br />
Ensemble Aspherical (pictured)<br />
is a new and exciting<br />
chamber group formed by four<br />
leading Sydney classical musicians<br />
who enjoy performing<br />
elegant and engaging music.<br />
The group, all long-standing<br />
members of the Sydney Symphony<br />
Orchestra, features sisters<br />
Marina and Justine Marsden<br />
(violin and viola), Louise Johnson<br />
(harp) and Jane Web (flute).<br />
“The vibrancy and warmth of<br />
the violin and viola strings combine<br />
with the ethereal qualities<br />
of the flute and harp to create<br />
sounds and evoke images for<br />
the listener both congenial and<br />
colourful,” said PMC’s Janice<br />
Tuynman.<br />
They will perform works by<br />
Vivaldi, Ravel, Ibert, Debussy,<br />
Piazzolla, Mahler and more.<br />
“It’s a largely French program<br />
which should be beautiful,”<br />
Janice said.<br />
The concert will be on Friday<br />
November 3 at 8pm at St Luke’s<br />
Grammar School Bayview Campus.<br />
Tickets are $25 (available<br />
from 7.30pm at the door).<br />
Children’s<br />
hospice<br />
concert<br />
Enjoy an evening<br />
performance at a<br />
fundraising concert<br />
for the children’s<br />
hospice Bear Cottage.<br />
The concert of<br />
celebrated songs<br />
from opera, oratorio,<br />
art song and music<br />
theatre has been<br />
organised by soprano<br />
Sarah Clark with<br />
mezzo-soprano Judith<br />
James, tenor Michael<br />
Butchard, baritone<br />
William Moxey and<br />
piano accompaniment<br />
by Ben Burton. The<br />
concert will be held on<br />
Wednesday <strong>October</strong> 4<br />
from 7pm at New <strong>Life</strong><br />
Church 28 Fisher Rd<br />
Dee Why. Adult $25,<br />
conc $20. More info<br />
0402 667 126.<br />
A supper will be held after<br />
performances where concert<br />
goers can mingle and meet the<br />
musicians.<br />
More info 9999 1937 or<br />
0407 441 213, or visit peninsulamusicclub.com.au<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 59<br />
Showtime
Dining Guide<br />
<strong>October</strong>’s best restaurants, functions, events and reader deals...<br />
Dining Guide<br />
Bistro 61<br />
Avalon Beach RSL<br />
1 Bowling Green Lane<br />
Avalon Beach<br />
OPENING HOURS<br />
Open 7 days<br />
Lunch 12pm-2:30pm<br />
Dinner 5:30-8:30pm<br />
CUISINE<br />
Modern Aust / pub food<br />
PRICE RANGE<br />
Meals $8-$30<br />
Specials $12-$15<br />
BOOKINGS 9918 2201<br />
Visa<br />
MasterCard<br />
Avalon Beach RSL’s new<br />
Bistro 61 is a great place<br />
to head for a local meal,<br />
offering tasty modern<br />
Australian dishes at<br />
affordable prices.<br />
Don’t miss the 5th annual<br />
<strong>October</strong>fest on Saturday<br />
<strong>October</strong> 21 with specialty<br />
beers and souvenir steins.<br />
Book now for ‘Melbourne<br />
Cup by the Park’ on Tuesday<br />
November 7 with a threecourse<br />
lunch including<br />
bubbles and canapes on<br />
arrival ($65 members; $69<br />
non-members).<br />
Happy Hour is now every<br />
Monday, Tuesday & Friday<br />
from 4-6pm.<br />
Bistro 61 has been named<br />
to commemorate the opening<br />
of the Club in 1961. The<br />
kitchen – led by experienced<br />
Northern Beaches head chef<br />
Mitch Blundell, boasts all<br />
fresh, house-made meals, with<br />
locally sourced ingredients<br />
used when possible.<br />
Open for lunch and dinner<br />
seven days, with extensive<br />
outdoor dining areas, Bistro<br />
61 offers a variety of specials<br />
(lunch and dinner) during the<br />
week, including $12 tacos<br />
(Tues), $15 Chicken Schnitzels<br />
(Wed), 2-4-1 pizzas (Thurs),<br />
and a $20 burger + beer (Fri).<br />
Seniors are well catered<br />
for – there are daily Seniors<br />
specials, including beerbattered<br />
flathead – plus<br />
Pinch me – I’m in Italy!<br />
Family-owned Pizzico Italiano in<br />
Avalon will further live up to its<br />
name when it introduces relaxing<br />
‘Aperitivo’ summer dining sessions<br />
from <strong>October</strong> 28.<br />
With its name meanings ‘a pinch<br />
of Italy’, the cosy restaurant located<br />
in Simmonds Lane will offer extended<br />
hours Friday through Sunday, from<br />
2pm-6pm, with a light tapas-style menu<br />
inspired by summers on the Amalfi<br />
coast and accompanied by Aperol<br />
spritz, cocktails, Italian wines and<br />
imported beers.<br />
Brother and sister Elena and<br />
Mauritzio and their mamma Giovanna<br />
have a successful background in Italian<br />
cuisine in Italy, France and Sydney.<br />
“Our family moved to Sydney in 1979<br />
with the opening of Alberto trattoria<br />
on Bondi Rd, followed by Il Puntino<br />
and later Marina Piccola at The Spit.,”<br />
explained Elena. “We slowly moved<br />
north and we all now reside in Avalon.”<br />
Elena said that since opening in July<br />
last year, the family had focused on<br />
offering customers the experience of<br />
being transported back to Italy through<br />
great authentic food served in a cosy,<br />
buzzing Italian atmosphere full of<br />
amazing aromas.<br />
“The local support has been<br />
fantastic,” says Elena. “Many have<br />
shared their enthusiasm and<br />
appreciation of having authentic cuisine<br />
and a true Italian atmosphere.<br />
“We often hear how Pizzico Italiano<br />
transports them back to Sorrento,<br />
Amalfi and many other towns they have<br />
visited in Italy and this of course gives<br />
us great joy.”<br />
The Pizzico menu sings with<br />
traditional treats and flavours including<br />
Elena’s favourite pasta offering,<br />
pappardelle with slow-cooked lamb<br />
ragu, topped with parmigiano reggiano.<br />
There are no pizzas on the menu,<br />
although they serve a street food called<br />
pizzette (like a small calzone) – housemade<br />
dough filled with prosciutto<br />
ricotta and mozzarella.<br />
Other offerings include Nonna’s<br />
house-made gnocchi baked and served<br />
in a clay pot, Spaghetti barcaiola with<br />
fresh local seafood, lamb scottadito,<br />
stuffed zucchini flowers, while the<br />
specials menu regularly features duck,<br />
quail, fish and house-made pasta.<br />
“Our special Aperitivo sessions are<br />
inspired by the flavours of the south<br />
of Italy, summers in Sorrento and<br />
Amalfi coast where we spent time<br />
with our family as kids,” said Elena.<br />
“The flavours transport us back to<br />
childhood; the magic happens when<br />
fresh quality produce meets traditions<br />
and recipes passed down from<br />
generations.”<br />
The restaurant team and family<br />
sought to reflect their Italian heritage<br />
by referencing how they remember<br />
eating when growing up – communal<br />
seating with food at its centre.<br />
As part of the Aperitivo by Pizzico<br />
menu, expect house-made fried bread<br />
with a selection of cured meats and<br />
they do a $5 kids meals<br />
on Sundays! (There’s a<br />
playground, too.)<br />
From the menu, chef<br />
Mitch recommends his twist<br />
on nachos – pulled beef and<br />
blackbeans with chipotle, corn<br />
chips, guacamole, Danish fetta<br />
and coriander.<br />
Members get discounts on<br />
meals purchased. Membership<br />
starts from $5.50.<br />
The club is licensed, with<br />
no BYO. Bookings online or<br />
call 9918 2201 – large groups<br />
welcome.<br />
Head to Avalon RSL for<br />
APL Poker Tournaments on<br />
Tuesdays and Thursdays.<br />
Visit avalonrsl.com.au/<br />
bistro-61<br />
cheeses, fresh buffalo ricotta and<br />
mozzarella, antipasto platters, sardines<br />
scapece, Burrata cheese, and traditional<br />
street food from Napoli.<br />
While Italian wines by the glass as<br />
well as an organic selection of wines<br />
are available, Aperitivo by Pizzico is<br />
the perfect time to try a classic Italian<br />
drink, like an Aperol Spritz, Campari,<br />
Americano, Negroni and Bellini.<br />
The Pizzico dinner menu will<br />
continue as normal Tuesdays through<br />
Saturdays from 6-10pm, with the<br />
restaurant closed Mondays.<br />
More info facebook.com /<br />
pizzicoitaliano or phone 9918 8717.<br />
60<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Barrenjoey<br />
Bistro<br />
Club Palm Beach<br />
1087 Barrenjoey Rd,<br />
Palm Beach<br />
BISTRO OPENING HOURS<br />
Lunch 11:30am-2.30pm<br />
Dinner 6pm-8.30pm<br />
PRICE RANGE<br />
Lunch and dinner<br />
specials $13.50<br />
BOOKINGS 9974 5566<br />
LIC<br />
All<br />
P<br />
Club Palm Beach,<br />
conveniently located just a<br />
short stroll from Palm Beach<br />
Wharf, celebrates its 60th<br />
birthday on September 30.<br />
The Bobby Sox will rock<br />
from 7pm – but you must<br />
book! Plus there’s a lamb on a<br />
spit from 5-8pm ($15pp).<br />
Head down on Sunday<br />
<strong>October</strong> 1 for the NRL Grand<br />
Final on the big screen.<br />
Book now for their<br />
Melbourne Cup celebration on<br />
Tuesday November 7 with a<br />
Bucket of Prawns and glass of<br />
champers (for $26.50pp).<br />
The Members’ lucky badge<br />
draw is held Wednesday and<br />
Friday night (every 30 mins<br />
between 5pm-7pm), and<br />
jackpots by $100 each week.<br />
Wednesday and Sunday<br />
are meat raffle nights, with a<br />
whopping 14 trays to be won.<br />
Enjoy Trivia Night from<br />
5.30pm on Wednesdays, plus<br />
Bingo at 10am on Fridays.<br />
The club’s Barrenjoey<br />
Bistro is open for lunch<br />
(11.30am to 2.30pm) and<br />
dinner (6pm to 8.30pm) seven<br />
days. The Bistro serves topvalue<br />
a la carte meals plus<br />
daily $13.50 specials of roasts<br />
(Mondays), rump steak with<br />
chips and salad (Tuesdays),<br />
chicken schnitzel with chips<br />
and salad (Wednesdays),<br />
homemade gourmet pies with<br />
chips and salad (Thursdays)<br />
and fish and chips with salad<br />
(Fridays), except public hols.<br />
Entrees on the a la carte<br />
menu range from $10.50 to<br />
$17.50 (mains $14.50 to $25).<br />
The club has a courtesy<br />
bus which meets the 11am<br />
ferry from Ettalong at the<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
Palm Beach Wharf at 11.20am<br />
daily, returning on request.<br />
It also makes regular runs<br />
Wednesdays, Fridays and<br />
Saturdays from 4.30pm to<br />
9pm. Ring to book a pick-up.<br />
Royal Motor<br />
Yacht Club<br />
Salt Cove on <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
46 Prince Alfred<br />
Parade, Newport<br />
OPENING HOURS<br />
Breakfast Lunch & Dinner<br />
Mon-Fri from 8.30am<br />
Weekends from 8am<br />
PRICE RANGE<br />
Breakfast from $8-$18<br />
Entrees from $9-$21<br />
Mains from $16-$26<br />
BOOKINGS 9997 5511<br />
LIC<br />
All<br />
RMYC’s restaurant Salt<br />
Cove on <strong>Pittwater</strong>’s menu<br />
offers affordable meals and<br />
P<br />
generous servings including<br />
a variety of starters and share<br />
plates, seafood, burgers,<br />
grills, salads, desserts and<br />
woodfired pizza.<br />
Great Friday night<br />
entertainment in <strong>October</strong> kicks<br />
off in the Lounge Bar from<br />
7.30pm. Acts appearing include<br />
Jesse (6th), James Naldo (13th),<br />
Geoff Kendall (20th) and Keff<br />
McCulloch (27th).<br />
Don’t miss The Elton Jack<br />
Show on Saturday <strong>October</strong> 21;<br />
Lance Strauss is celebrating<br />
25 years of performing this<br />
awesome tribute to Elton John.<br />
Book now for the Melbourne<br />
Cup Luncheon in the Top Deck<br />
Function Room with a threecourse<br />
lunch plus champagne<br />
on arrival and Fashions on the<br />
Field for $75 per member ($80<br />
non-members).<br />
And save the date for the<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Timber Boat Festival on<br />
November 4-5.<br />
Trivia is held every Tuesday<br />
night from 7.30pm (great<br />
prizes and vouchers).<br />
Club social memberships<br />
are available for just $160.<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 61<br />
Dining Guide
Dining Guide<br />
Dining Guide<br />
Hong Kong<br />
Chinese Restaurant<br />
332 Barrenjoey Rd,<br />
Newport<br />
OPENING HOURS<br />
Dinner Tues-Sun 5pm<br />
CUISINE<br />
Chinese & Asian<br />
PRICE RANGE<br />
Entrees $5-20<br />
Mains $12.90-26.50<br />
*Deliver Whale Beach - Narrabeen<br />
BOOKINGS 9997 4157<br />
LIC<br />
BYO<br />
All<br />
Book a table at this<br />
popular Newport eatery in<br />
<strong>October</strong> and your family is<br />
guaranteed a great night<br />
out with a feast for the eyes<br />
and the tastebuds.<br />
Order ahead for their<br />
wonderful Peking Duck which<br />
is offered as a dine-in-only<br />
special Thursdays through<br />
Sundays in Spring.<br />
There are two traditional<br />
P<br />
courses: Peking Duck<br />
pancakes & duck sang choy<br />
bow (bookings essential;<br />
mention the ad when you call).<br />
This long-established<br />
restaurant on the eastern<br />
side of Barrenjoey Rd has<br />
an extensive menu based<br />
on traditional flavoursome<br />
Cantonese with touches of<br />
spicy Szechuan and other<br />
Asian dishes and fresh<br />
seasonal vegetables.<br />
Entrees start at just $6<br />
while mains are great value<br />
too, starting at $16.80.<br />
The menu ranges from<br />
adventurous, like a Sizzling<br />
Szechuan-style Platter of<br />
king prawns and fillets of<br />
chicken, to contemporary,<br />
featuring spicy salt and<br />
pepper king prawns, to<br />
traditional, with favourites<br />
including Mongolian lamb,<br />
Honey king prawns and<br />
Honey chicken.<br />
New dishes are introduced<br />
regularly so make sure you<br />
check out the blackboard<br />
specials.<br />
The team are only too<br />
happy to home deliver your<br />
meal, with a range that takes<br />
in Narrabeen to the south to<br />
Palm Beach in the north.<br />
Fully licensed or BYO.<br />
Sabiang<br />
Thai Restaurant<br />
4/49 Old Barrenjoey Rd,<br />
Avalon<br />
OPENING HOURS<br />
Lunch 11.30am – 3pm 7 days<br />
Dinner 5-10pm 7 days<br />
CUISINE<br />
Thai<br />
PRICE RANGE<br />
Entrees from $8<br />
Mains $15-$28<br />
BOOKINGS 9918 3292<br />
Sabiang Thai is Avalon<br />
Beach’s newest dining<br />
destination – and if you’re<br />
craving some traditional<br />
Thai ‘street food’ fare as well<br />
as hearty curry favourites,<br />
you’ll come away licking<br />
your lips at the menu<br />
View and value at Spring Wed<br />
Future brides and grooms<br />
will find everything<br />
they need to create their<br />
once-in-a-lifetime wedding<br />
experience when waterfront<br />
reception venue Metro<br />
Mirage Hotel Newport hosts<br />
its Spring <strong>2017</strong> Wedding Expo<br />
on Sunday 8 <strong>October</strong> from 12<br />
noon to 3pm.<br />
Overlooking picturesque<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong>, the Bridal Expo<br />
will include live music,<br />
sparkling wine and canape<br />
menu tastings and a range of<br />
suppliers.<br />
Marriage celebrants,<br />
event stylists, florists,<br />
photographers, wedding<br />
stationers, make-up artists,<br />
music and entertainment<br />
specialists, vintage car hire<br />
and more will be available<br />
on site for couples to speak<br />
with, either to discuss their<br />
own ideas for their wedding<br />
or to find out what the<br />
experts recommend.<br />
Couples will also be<br />
given opportunity to view<br />
a function room fully set<br />
for a wedding to enable<br />
them to picture exactly how<br />
their reception could look,<br />
and to discuss with expert<br />
function and catering staff<br />
the different decorating and<br />
catering options available.<br />
It’s the perfect place for<br />
the bridal party to stay and<br />
prepare for the wedding,<br />
and for couples to spend<br />
their wedding night – when<br />
you book a package you’ll<br />
receive a complimentary<br />
one-night stay on your<br />
wedding night, with<br />
French champagne and full<br />
breakfast in the morning!<br />
The Hotel offers wedding<br />
packages from $99 per<br />
person. Couples who book<br />
their reception at Metro<br />
62 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
formulated by co-owner Mint<br />
and team.<br />
Chef’s specials include<br />
‘Angry Seafood’ (a spicy<br />
seafood stir-fry), Pad Cha<br />
Duck (stir-fried with wild<br />
ginger, basil, red chilli and<br />
green peppercorn), and<br />
‘Heavenly’ Sizzling Beef<br />
(marinated in sesame oil with<br />
oyster sauce, onion, shallot<br />
and roasted sesame seeds).<br />
Enjoy Larb Chicken Mince<br />
– which features chicken,<br />
chillies, toasted rice, onion<br />
and mint – or the Kana Moo<br />
Grob, which is a stir-fry<br />
broccoli dish with oyster sauce<br />
and garlic. For street food you<br />
can’t go past the crispy skin<br />
pork stir fry with green beans,<br />
red chilli, kaffir lime leaves<br />
and prik khing sauce.<br />
Or try their delectable<br />
seafood dishes including<br />
whole fried baby barramundi,<br />
crispy soft shell crab or salt<br />
and pepper squid.<br />
Fried rice, noodle dishes,<br />
curry, and soups are also<br />
favourites...<br />
Located near the corner<br />
ding Expo<br />
Mirage Hotel Newport at<br />
the Wedding Expo and pay<br />
a 10% deposit will receive<br />
a complimentary round of<br />
canapes for their big day.<br />
Metro Mirage Hotel<br />
Newport is a boutique<br />
waterfront hotel and event<br />
centre boasting magnificent<br />
views from <strong>Pittwater</strong> to<br />
Ku-ring-gai National Park.<br />
It offers three stunning<br />
waterfront wedding ceremony<br />
venues – for couples looking<br />
for something unique and<br />
spectacular for their wedding.<br />
The hotel also offers an<br />
intimate wedding chapel for<br />
those that prefer an indoor<br />
ceremony venue. The hotel’s<br />
experienced functions team<br />
is well-equipped to help<br />
couples plan their perfect<br />
day, while the catering is<br />
handled through the hotel’s<br />
restaurant.<br />
For further information<br />
on hosting a wedding at<br />
Metro Mirage Hotel Newport<br />
phone 9997 71011 or visit<br />
metrohotels.com.au<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
of Old Barrenjoey Road and<br />
Avalon Parade, Sabiang<br />
boasts a smart, industrialstyle<br />
interior with soft<br />
colours and soothing blackand-white<br />
wall prints.<br />
There’s outdoor seating<br />
too – perfect as the weather<br />
heats up. Open seven days;<br />
takeaway pick-up or delivery.<br />
The Mirage<br />
Restaurant<br />
at Metro Hotel<br />
Mirage Newport<br />
2 Queens Parade West,<br />
Newport<br />
CUISINE<br />
Modern Australian<br />
PRICE RANGE<br />
Breakfast – $25 adults,<br />
$12.50 kids (5-12)<br />
Dinner – entrees<br />
from $7-$17,<br />
Mains from $21-$30,<br />
Desserts from $13-$25<br />
BOOKINGS 9997 7011<br />
Bookings are now open<br />
for Christmas lunch at the<br />
waterside Metro Mirage<br />
Hotel at Newport.<br />
Local residents are finding<br />
the peaceful ambience of The<br />
Mirage restaurant overlooking<br />
spectacular <strong>Pittwater</strong>, the<br />
perfect waterfront venue to<br />
enjoy breakfast or dinner.<br />
Located in boutique Metro<br />
Hotel Mirage Newport, The<br />
Mirage restaurant is a popular<br />
choice for breakfast from<br />
7-10am seven days a week,<br />
offering a fixed-price full hot<br />
and cold buffet, including a<br />
selection of cereals, seasonal<br />
fruit and freshly made juice,<br />
toast and pastries and<br />
sausages, eggs, has browns,<br />
bacon and tomato served with<br />
the Chef’s Special of the day.<br />
The Mirage restaurant is<br />
also open for dinner from<br />
Monday to Saturday from<br />
5.30 pm – 8.30pm and can<br />
be hired, along with all the<br />
hotel’s function rooms, for<br />
private and corporate events<br />
of between 60-110 guests.<br />
The restaurant also offers<br />
dinner six nights a week<br />
(Mon-Sat) from 5.30pm.<br />
Christmas lunch enquiries<br />
on 9997 7011.<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 63<br />
Dining Guide
Food <strong>Life</strong><br />
For more recipes go to www.janellebloom.com.au<br />
Food <strong>Life</strong><br />
Recipes: Janelle Bloom Photos: Steve Brown; Benito Martin<br />
There’s really so much more<br />
to mince than ‘meats’ the eye!<br />
It’s no surprise mince is the<br />
most popular ‘cut’ of meat<br />
purchased from supermarkets.<br />
Mince is quick to cook,<br />
cheap – and very versatile. The<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> team challenged<br />
me to come up with great new<br />
ideas using mince that hopefully<br />
will replace the bolognese<br />
and appear on your dinner<br />
table over the coming weeks.<br />
Meatballs<br />
Serves 4<br />
600g beef mince<br />
½ cup dried breadcrumbs<br />
30g parmesan, finely grated<br />
2 tbs shredded fresh basil<br />
1 egg, lightly beaten<br />
3 garlic cloves, crushed<br />
1 tbs plain flour<br />
3 tbs olive oil<br />
1 cup long grain rice, rinsed<br />
1½ cups water<br />
1 brown onion, finely chopped<br />
700g jar tomato passata sauce<br />
1 cup beef stock<br />
1 cup basil leaves & extra<br />
grated parmesan, to serve<br />
1. Combine mince, breadcrumbs,<br />
parmesan, basil,<br />
egg and half the garlic in a<br />
bowl. Season and mix until<br />
well combined. Roll level<br />
tablespoons of mixture into<br />
balls with damp hands.<br />
2. Scatter flour on a plate, season.<br />
Roll meatballs in flour<br />
to coat. Heat one tablespoon<br />
oil in a large frying pan<br />
over medium heat. Add half<br />
meatballs, cook, shaking<br />
pan often 4-5 minutes until<br />
browned. Remove to a plate,<br />
cover keep warm. Repeat<br />
with oil and remaining meatballs.<br />
3. Meanwhile, put the rice and<br />
water in a medium saucepan.<br />
Bring to the boil. Reduce heat<br />
to low, cover and simmer<br />
for 12-15 minutes until small<br />
craters form in surface of<br />
the rice. Remove from heat.<br />
Stand covered for 5 minutes.<br />
4. Heat remaining oil in a large<br />
saucepan over medium heat.<br />
Add onion and remaining<br />
garlic, cook, 5 minutes until<br />
soft. Add passata sauce and<br />
stock, bring to the boil.<br />
Simmer 10 minutes until<br />
thickened slightly. Add the<br />
meatballs, cook 5-8 minutes<br />
or until meatballs cooked<br />
through.<br />
5. Stir the rice through the<br />
meatballs and sauce. Stir<br />
through basil leaves and season.<br />
Scatter over parmesan<br />
and serve.<br />
Mexican chicken and<br />
tomato quiche<br />
Serves 6<br />
1 tbs olive oil<br />
300g chicken mince<br />
1½ tbs taco seasoning<br />
1 leek, halved lengthways,<br />
thinly sliced<br />
1 large tomato, diced<br />
1 tbs chopped coriander<br />
¾ cup grated tasty cheese<br />
3 eggs<br />
300ml carton pouring cream<br />
Fresh coriander & lime to serve,<br />
optional<br />
Pastry<br />
1½ cups plain flour<br />
125g butter, chilled, cubed<br />
1 egg yolk<br />
2-3 tbs chilled water<br />
1. For the pastry, combine flour<br />
and butter in a food processor.<br />
Process until mixture<br />
resembles breadcrumbs. Add<br />
egg yolk and 2 tablespoons<br />
water. Process until pastry<br />
just comes together in one<br />
ball, adding remaining water<br />
if necessary. Turn onto lightly<br />
floured surface. Knead gently<br />
until smooth. Press into a<br />
15cm round. Wrap in greaseproof<br />
paper. Refrigerate until<br />
firm enough to roll out.<br />
2. Preheat oven and large flat<br />
tray to 200°C fan forced.<br />
Roll the pastry out between<br />
baking paper to fit base and<br />
64 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
with Janelle Bloom<br />
sides of a 2½ cm deep 25cm<br />
(base) fluted loose-bottom<br />
tin. Trim the edges. Pierce the<br />
base of the raw pastry with a<br />
fork 6 times. Line with baking<br />
paper. Half fill the pastry with<br />
baking beans or dried rice.<br />
Place the tart onto the hot<br />
tray, bake 15 minutes until<br />
set. Remove the paper and<br />
weights and bake a further<br />
15-20 minutes until light<br />
golden. Reduce oven 180°C.<br />
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in nonstick<br />
frying pan on mediumhigh<br />
heat. Add the mince<br />
and seasoning, cook stirring<br />
4 minutes until mince has<br />
changed colour. Add leek and<br />
cook a further 2 minutes until<br />
leek is soft. Set aside to cool<br />
completely.<br />
4. Spread mince mixture over<br />
pastry base. Top with tomato,<br />
coriander and cheese. Beat<br />
eggs, cream and salt and<br />
pepper in a jug with a fork.<br />
Pour over cheese. Bake 25-30<br />
minutes or until set in centre.<br />
Stand 10 minutes before cutting<br />
into pieces. Serve with<br />
coriander and lime.<br />
Janelle’s Tip: You can use<br />
frozen shortcrust pastry<br />
sheets if you don’t want to<br />
make your own pastry.<br />
Meatloaf<br />
Serves 4 (with leftovers<br />
for lunch)<br />
1 cup couscous<br />
½ cup water<br />
12 slices prosciutto<br />
1 tbs olive oil<br />
1 brown onion, finely chopped<br />
2 garlic cloves, crushed<br />
400g veal mince<br />
400g pork mince<br />
1 carrot, grated<br />
1 zucchini, grated<br />
100g roasted capsicum,<br />
chopped<br />
60g semi dried tomatoes, finely<br />
chopped<br />
¼ cup chopped stuffed olives<br />
Tomato or beetroot relish, to<br />
serve<br />
1. Place the couscous in a large<br />
heatproof bowl. Pour over<br />
½ cup boiling water. Cover<br />
and stand for 5 minutes until<br />
couscous has absorbed water.<br />
Remove the cover, drizzle<br />
over 1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
and stir gently with a fork to<br />
separate the grains. Set aside<br />
to cool.<br />
Janelle’s Tip: The<br />
couscous absorbs all<br />
the meatloaf juices,<br />
preventing meatloaf<br />
from tasting dry.<br />
to a large bowl, set aside 5<br />
minutes cool slightly.<br />
4. Add the mince, vegetables,<br />
olives to the couscous; season.<br />
Use clean hands to mix<br />
until well combined. Press<br />
mixture into loaf pan, folding<br />
the prosciutto over to cover.<br />
Bake for 40-50 minutes or<br />
until firm in the centre. Stand<br />
in the pan for 10 minutes<br />
before turning out. Slice and<br />
serve with chutney.<br />
Pizza Scrolls<br />
Makes 10<br />
1 tbs olive oil<br />
½ small onion, grated<br />
150g beef mince<br />
1/3 cup pizza sauce<br />
80g thinly sliced mild salami<br />
1/3 cup pitted olives, chopped<br />
1 cup grated tasty cheese<br />
Extra finely grated tasty<br />
cheese, to serve<br />
Dough<br />
2¼ cups self-raising flour, plus<br />
extra for dusting<br />
1 tsp sea salt flakes<br />
75g cold butter, chopped<br />
½ cup finely grated parmesan<br />
¾ cup milk<br />
1. Preheat oven 180°C fan<br />
forced. Grease and line a<br />
22cm round cake tin. Heat<br />
oil in a small frying pan over<br />
medium heat. Add onion,<br />
cook stirring 3 minutes until<br />
soft. Increase heat to high,<br />
add mince, cook stirring 5<br />
minutes until mince changes<br />
colour. Transfer to a bowl, set<br />
aside to cool.<br />
2. For the dough, combine<br />
the flour, salt and butter<br />
in a large bowl. Use your<br />
fingertips to rub butter into<br />
flour to form fine crumbs. Stir<br />
in parmesan. Make a well in<br />
the centre. Add milk. Gently<br />
stir with a butter knife, until<br />
dough comes together, adding<br />
more milk if necessary to<br />
form a soft dough.<br />
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured<br />
bench. Gently knead until<br />
dough is smooth. Roll out<br />
to a 25cm x 35cm rectangle.<br />
Stir the pizza sauce into the<br />
mince mixture then spoon<br />
over the dough, leaving a<br />
1cm border around edges.<br />
Top with salami, olives and<br />
cheese.<br />
4. Starting from one long<br />
side, roll up dough firmly to<br />
enclose filling. Trim ends.<br />
Cut into 10 equal slices. Arrange<br />
in the cake tin. Bake for<br />
about 35-40 minutes, or until<br />
golden. Serve warm or at<br />
room temperature sprinkled<br />
with extra cheese.<br />
Food <strong>Life</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
2. Preheat oven to 180°C fan<br />
forced. Grease the base and<br />
sides of a 7cm deep, 7cm x<br />
25cm (base) loaf pan. Line<br />
the pan with prosciutto,<br />
allowing slight overhang on<br />
both long sides.<br />
3. Heat oil in a small frying pan<br />
over medium heat. Add onion<br />
and garlic and cook 3-4<br />
minutes until soft. Transfer<br />
Janelle’s Tip:<br />
Scrolls are best<br />
eaten on the day<br />
they are made.<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 65
Food <strong>Life</strong><br />
Food <strong>Life</strong><br />
In Season<br />
Passionfruit<br />
Whether eaten straight<br />
from the shell or<br />
drizzled over a sweet pavlova,<br />
nothing says warm weather<br />
like passionfruit. Australian<br />
passionfruit thou available<br />
all year, peaks at the start of<br />
winter and summer.<br />
Buying<br />
Ripe passionfruit should feel<br />
heavy for its size and the skin<br />
should be slightly soft to the<br />
touch. Avoid those with mold<br />
forming around the stalk or<br />
really wrinkled.<br />
Storage<br />
Keep the fruit in a bowl out<br />
of direct sunlight for 1 to<br />
2 days, as they dehydrate<br />
quickly. They will keep in<br />
the fridge for up to 2 weeks.<br />
You can also freeze the pulp<br />
or the whole fruit for up to<br />
12 months.<br />
Nutrition<br />
Passionfruit are a good<br />
source of fibre and vitamin<br />
C. They are low in KJ only<br />
55kj per serve.<br />
Also In Season<br />
<strong>October</strong><br />
Bananas, Blueberries,<br />
Strawberries, Grapefruit,<br />
Australian Valencia<br />
Oranges, Passionfruit<br />
& Pineapples. Also<br />
Avocado, Asparagus,<br />
Asian Greens, Broad and<br />
Green Beans; Beetroot,<br />
Cucumber, Australian<br />
Garlic, Fennel, Peas and<br />
Zucchini.<br />
Grow your own<br />
Many factors contribute to the<br />
development of plump and<br />
luscious passionfruit. Here<br />
are some top tips for transforming<br />
passionfruit flowers<br />
into tasty fruit (from Aussie<br />
Passionfruit grower Nick<br />
Hornery).<br />
n Fertilise your plant with<br />
Seasol or granular fertiliser<br />
approximately every 6-8<br />
weeks.<br />
n Hand-pollinate your passionfruit<br />
to encourage the<br />
fruiting process. This can<br />
be done using a paintbrush<br />
by collecting pollen from<br />
the stamen of one flower<br />
and spreading it to the pistil<br />
of another flower on the<br />
vine.<br />
n Plant fragrant flowers such<br />
as lavender near your vine<br />
to attract more bees to help<br />
pollination.<br />
n Plant your vine in a sunny<br />
spot, and run the vine from<br />
north to south to ensure<br />
optimal sunlight.<br />
n If you’re planting a purple<br />
variety, do so in spring so it<br />
has time to grow stronger<br />
before the winter chill sets<br />
in.<br />
n Passionfruit vines can take<br />
anywhere between 5 – 18<br />
months to fruit, depending<br />
on variety and conditions<br />
however they usually develop<br />
fruit within a year.<br />
passionfruitaustralia.org.au<br />
Passionfruit cream sponge cake<br />
Serves 8<br />
1 cup wheaten cornflour<br />
1 tsp cream of tartar<br />
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda<br />
4 eggs, at room temperature<br />
¾ cup caster sugar<br />
300ml thickened cream,<br />
whipped<br />
1 passionfruit, halved<br />
Passionfruit icing<br />
1½ cups icing sugar<br />
2 tsp butter<br />
1 passionfruit, halved<br />
high speed in a mix master<br />
until thick and creamy,<br />
about 5 minutes. Using a<br />
large metal spoon, gently<br />
fold in sifted flour mixture<br />
until just combined. Divide<br />
mixture among cake pans.<br />
Bake for 15 minutes or until<br />
a skewer inserted into the<br />
centre comes out clean.<br />
Stand in cake pan 5 minutes<br />
before turning onto a<br />
wire rack to cool.<br />
3. Place 1 sponge cake onto<br />
serving plate or cake stand.<br />
Spread over the cream,<br />
drizzle with passionfruit.<br />
Sandwich together with<br />
remaining sponge.<br />
4. For the passionfruit icing,<br />
sift icing sugar in a small<br />
1. Preheat oven 180°C fan<br />
forced. Grease and line<br />
bases of two 22cm round<br />
cake pans. Sift the cornflour,<br />
and enough passionfruit to until icing is a spreadable<br />
cream of tartar and bicarbonate<br />
forms a thick paste. Place consistency. Spread icing<br />
of soda together twice.<br />
bowl over a saucepan of over sponge and allow to<br />
2. Beat eggs and sugar on<br />
heatproof bowl, add butter simmering water and stir set before serving.<br />
66 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
<strong>Pittwater</strong> Puzzler<br />
Compiled by David Stickley<br />
25 The YC in RPAYC (5,4)<br />
27 Swag; book by British writer Roald<br />
Dahl (7)<br />
28 The ability to endure prolonged<br />
physical or mental strain (7)<br />
29 Beach at the lower end of the<br />
Northern Beaches (4,4)<br />
30 Draw back, as with fear or pain (6)<br />
ACROSS<br />
1 Bill, a 40-year member of the RPAYC (6)<br />
4 Important people in the business<br />
world (8)<br />
9 A person who grows, makes or<br />
invents things (7)<br />
11 Essential breakfast appliance for<br />
some (7)<br />
12 Newport _________ Trailblazers <strong>2017</strong><br />
will be curated by Sydney Art Space<br />
starting the end of <strong>October</strong> (9)<br />
13 Quick-moving, nimble, active (5)<br />
14 An account of one’s education,<br />
qualifications, previous occupations,<br />
etc. (6)<br />
16 The leading or most impressive<br />
element in an enterprise or<br />
organisation (8)<br />
18 Newport and Newport Beach’s is<br />
2106 (8)<br />
21 Of first importance; fundamental (6)<br />
24 Name given to roads Capri, Elgata<br />
and Coral in Avalon Beach (5)<br />
DOWN<br />
1 Piece of lamb no doubt available<br />
from Avalon Village Meats (9)<br />
2 Witten orders directing a bank to<br />
pay money (7)<br />
3 Ease off (3,2)<br />
5 A greyish-fawn colour flecked with<br />
brown (7)<br />
6 A family fun day will be held at this<br />
park on <strong>October</strong> 14 in support of the<br />
Newport Public School P&C (9)<br />
7 Whiskery, slimy, eel-like sea creature<br />
(7)<br />
8 Shot on show at the Kitchener Park<br />
Tennis Courts (5)<br />
10 A mixture of fat (especially butter)<br />
and flour used in making sauces etc.<br />
(4)<br />
15 Australian electoral division that<br />
covers the <strong>Pittwater</strong> area (9)<br />
16 A fixed charge for a privilege or<br />
for professional services (3)<br />
17 The northern start of Sydney’s<br />
Great Coastal Walk (4,5)<br />
19 Abbreviate (7)<br />
20 Service provided by Making a<br />
Difference at Oceana, for example<br />
(3,4)<br />
22 A thousand thousands (7)<br />
23 High cards usually (4)<br />
24 A light yellowish-brown colour (5)<br />
26 The next open studio weekend<br />
by The <strong>Pittwater</strong> Artists _____ starts<br />
<strong>October</strong> 14 (5)<br />
[Solution page 70]<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> Puzzler<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 67
Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />
Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />
Looking further afield to<br />
inspire and excite senses with Gabrielle Bryant<br />
Every gardener loves the<br />
challenge of something<br />
new. A trip to a garden<br />
centre can be frustrating; the<br />
plants are the same, week in,<br />
week out – ditto the hedging,<br />
bordering and potted colour.<br />
To find something different<br />
make sure that you go to<br />
garden shows and open days.<br />
There you will find plants that<br />
are almost forgotten. They<br />
may not be perfectly presented<br />
and uniformly grown but<br />
they will be the plants that are<br />
grown by small growers in an<br />
old-fashioned way. It is always<br />
fun to find something new.<br />
Last month I went to the<br />
Rosehill Garden Show and was<br />
delighted to find a plant that I<br />
had never come across before.<br />
It is planted in my garden<br />
and I am longing to see the<br />
results. Syneilesis aconitifolia,<br />
commonly called the Shredded<br />
Umbrella Plant. I have planted<br />
it in the garden in a shaded<br />
position under a tree.<br />
This is a plant that comes<br />
from Korea. It grows to about<br />
40cm. It is a shade-loving<br />
member of the aster family<br />
and has a white flower<br />
in autumn but I am growing<br />
it for its foliage, a clump of<br />
pale dusty grey leaves that<br />
will fill out under the shade.<br />
Herbaceous, it will die down<br />
in winter to reappear bigger<br />
and better next spring. (Look<br />
carefully through stalls and<br />
you will always find something<br />
that will take your attention!)<br />
Banking on Royal Mantle<br />
Roadside banks can be hard to cover. No plant will do the job<br />
better than a prostrate grevillea. Grevillea Royal Mantle is an<br />
old favourite that is hard to beat.<br />
It will grow in full sun or semi-shade, it will tolerate dampness<br />
and it thrives in the dry. It flowers in spring, spot flowers<br />
throughout the summer and carpets the ground with thick dense<br />
dark green leaves that complement the bright crimson toothbrush<br />
flowers.<br />
Other prostrate grevilleas are Bronze Rambler that has dark<br />
bronze new foliage; the fast-growing Gaudichaudi that has more<br />
height; the smaller-growing, softer-leaved Mt Tambouritha with<br />
delicate pink spider flowers; and obtusifolia Gingin Gem whose<br />
bright green grassy foliage shows off the scarlet flowers that<br />
appear in late winter and early spring. There are many more new<br />
wonderful varieties that have been developed by plant breeders,<br />
but these older varieties are sure to thrive.<br />
Local Giant Spear Lily<br />
Doryanthe is a family unique<br />
to the east coast. There<br />
are two varieties: doryanthus<br />
excelsa (Gymea Lily), and doryanthus<br />
palmerii, the Giant Spear<br />
Lily. Both grow in huge rosettes<br />
of tall, spear-shaped leaves that<br />
can reach two metres.<br />
These majestic plants have<br />
become a landscaper’s delight<br />
for pots, rockeries, feature<br />
plants and main road median<br />
strips. They may take up to 10<br />
years to flower from seed, but<br />
the wait is worth it. The Gymea<br />
lily grows naturally around the<br />
Hawkesbury coastline and up<br />
into the Central Coast district,<br />
while its cousin the Giant Spear<br />
lily grows further up the coast in<br />
warmer climates.<br />
It can be seen in Sydney but<br />
will not take any frost or cold<br />
winter temperatures. The flowers<br />
are loved by florists and<br />
home decorators alike. Until<br />
they flower the plants are very<br />
similar. The Gymea Lily sends up<br />
a tall rosette of hot red trumpet<br />
flowers on a single stem that<br />
68 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Easy ball<br />
hanging<br />
baskets<br />
This summer, we are<br />
told, will be hot and dry.<br />
Hanging baskets will need<br />
a lot of water and care. So,<br />
try making a hanging ball of<br />
succulents that will be easycare<br />
and drought-tolerant.<br />
Use the smallest hanging<br />
baskets, as the weight will<br />
be considerable. Fill both<br />
baskets’ rims with goodquality<br />
potting mix. Add<br />
some slow-release fertiliser<br />
and some sphagnum moss to<br />
hold the moisture, and water<br />
well. Wet soil will stay in the<br />
basket better when you join<br />
the two halves together.<br />
Once full, cover one basket<br />
with a sheet of baking paper<br />
or plastic wrap. Very carefully<br />
turn the basket and place it<br />
upside down over the other<br />
one. Once in place, slide the<br />
paper or plastic from the<br />
middle. With cable ties or<br />
wire, join the two halves of<br />
your ball. The soil inside will<br />
compact down, so cut a small<br />
hole in the top and carefully<br />
fill the cavity with additional<br />
potting mix. (A chopstick is<br />
the ideal implement to pack<br />
it in.)<br />
If the hanging chains<br />
provided are not long<br />
enough reconnect them on<br />
wires that are at the top side<br />
of the ball.<br />
Now you are ready to<br />
plant. With a sharp knife, or<br />
a Stanley knife, cut a small<br />
hole in the fibre liner where<br />
you want to insert a cutting<br />
or seedling. The fibres are<br />
tough; once you have made<br />
a hole cut a “V” shape with<br />
small scissors above the<br />
hole, just large enough<br />
to poke the seedling into<br />
its new home. Use your<br />
chopstick to firm it in. The<br />
top half is easy but the<br />
lower seedlings need to be<br />
supported with thin wire<br />
until the roots take hold.<br />
The plant selection is up<br />
to you. If you have time to<br />
water daily, you can choose<br />
from sun-loving seedlings<br />
of lobelia, petunias, seaside<br />
daisies, white alyssum,<br />
violet scaevola, pink<br />
nemesias or other trailing<br />
plants. In semi-shade try<br />
impatiens or dichondra,<br />
native orchids or native<br />
violets… although nothing<br />
is easier than a succulent<br />
ball that will not mind if you<br />
miss a day of watering.<br />
Hang your new basket<br />
where it can be admired<br />
by everyone – and watch it<br />
grow.<br />
A month of maintenance<br />
for beautiful bottlebrush<br />
Long sunny days and still<br />
no rain as I write. Spring<br />
has arrived with strong<br />
winds and clear blue skies<br />
and our wildflowers and<br />
native shrubs are bursting<br />
into colour. <strong>October</strong> is<br />
the month that the bottlebrushes<br />
(callistemons)<br />
flower in every colour, from<br />
the palest cream to pinks,<br />
lavenders, scarlet and deep<br />
burgundy. Bottlebrushes<br />
have been bred and hybridised<br />
so that there is one for<br />
every situation.<br />
There are tiny dwarf plants<br />
that grow no more than<br />
50cm, to tall, weeping street<br />
trees that fill with lorikeets<br />
as the brushes open. Some<br />
weep with bright green new<br />
growth and others are stiff<br />
and erect in form.<br />
All bottlebrushes respond<br />
to regular pruning; they look<br />
good as individual trees<br />
and specimen shrubs or<br />
clipped into hedges. Once<br />
the brushes fade remove the<br />
spent flowers otherwise the<br />
stems will have bald lengths<br />
between the leaves. A word<br />
of warning: take care to keep<br />
the earth under the branches<br />
clean and clear of litter, as<br />
this can harbour ticks.<br />
Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />
can be 6m high.<br />
The Giant Spear lily produces<br />
a huge, single stem that droops,<br />
displaying a long bough of<br />
glorious red trumpets that can<br />
be easily seen from below. Every<br />
gardener will be thrilled to see<br />
the flower after a wait of many<br />
years. Doryanthes require little<br />
maintenance. Remove any old<br />
woody spent flower spikes and<br />
wait as the new side shoots<br />
increase the size of the clump.<br />
(Thanks to Trilby Bond from<br />
Mona Vale who sent this amazing<br />
pic of a nine-year-old doryanthes<br />
palmerii in her garden.)<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 69
Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />
Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />
Jobs this Month<br />
<strong>October</strong><br />
It has been a long cold dry<br />
winter. Check hoses and<br />
sprinklers to be ready for the<br />
summer to come. Rejuvenate<br />
the garden by turning the soil,<br />
trimming plants as you go.<br />
Then mulch with cow manure<br />
or garden compost. Water in<br />
with a wetting agent to let the<br />
water and fertilisers penetrate<br />
the dry earth.<br />
Ṫhink ahead<br />
Dahlia and hippeastrums are<br />
on the bulb and perennial<br />
stands now. Nothing is more<br />
fun than watching dormant<br />
plants appear as the weather<br />
warms up. Also, it is hard to<br />
find plants that like it hot and<br />
dry. Look for a grafted Emu<br />
bush, Eremophyla nivea, the<br />
pale silvery foliage and lilac<br />
flowers will be a highlight in<br />
any seaside garden.<br />
Set a bait<br />
Hang a Cera Trap fruit fly bait<br />
in the veggie garden to protect<br />
your tomatoes and fruit crops.<br />
You can buy them at garden<br />
centres or on line from Organic<br />
Crop Protectants.<br />
Seek protection<br />
Leaf miner can totally disfigure<br />
your citrus trees; hang a<br />
leaf miner trap in the tree and<br />
Beekeeper<br />
spray regularly with Eco Oil.<br />
Time spent with protection<br />
now will be well rewarded in<br />
summer.<br />
Be fire ready<br />
Clean gutters and clear away<br />
litter from the house, keep a<br />
hose handy and be prepared<br />
for the bushfire season ahead.<br />
Xmas planning<br />
Plant pots and borders with<br />
colourful seedlings to flower<br />
in time for Christmas. Petunias,<br />
marigolds, dianthus, lobelia,<br />
nasturtiums, ageratum,<br />
vinca, alyssum, verbena and<br />
zinnias can all go in now.<br />
G<br />
one are the days of arsenic and DDT<br />
to control insect damage that not only<br />
killed harmful insect life but beneficial<br />
bugs and bees as well. Now it is the job<br />
of every gardener to encourage back the<br />
bees, insects and as a consequence the<br />
birds, lizards and wildlife as well.<br />
Every year new products are released to<br />
improve the sustainability of our gardens.<br />
The most outstanding new one is ‘Beekeeper’,<br />
made by Amgrow. Beekeeper is a<br />
liquid spray that will entice the bees back<br />
into your garden. It is made of Honey<br />
Bee-attractant fragrances and controlledrelease<br />
formulation aids. It will attract the bees who will in turn<br />
improve the pollination and yield of all flowering crops.<br />
On trend at<br />
Wirreanda<br />
While screening and<br />
hedging plants are<br />
always in demand, the trend<br />
over the past few years has<br />
been for growing natives,<br />
especially the long flowering<br />
hybrids now available.<br />
Tropical gardens and the<br />
more traditional Bush<br />
Tucker plants are also proving<br />
popular.<br />
You’ll find all needs at<br />
Wirreanda Nursery, a traditional,<br />
family-owned and<br />
operated nursery situated<br />
just off Mona Vale Road in<br />
Ingleside. Uniquely run as<br />
both a retail and trade nursery<br />
and established over<br />
30 years ago, they are well<br />
known for growing quality<br />
plants, giving professional<br />
advice and providing friendly,<br />
personalised service.<br />
Specialising in natives,<br />
but also stocking a full<br />
range of exotic plants, horticulturists<br />
are available seven<br />
days a week to help with<br />
advice on plant care and<br />
selection. A plant sourcing<br />
service is also available<br />
(more info ad p19). – NW<br />
Crossword solution from page 67<br />
Mystery location: BILGOLA HEAD<br />
70 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Times Past<br />
From<br />
‘Farrells<br />
Beach’<br />
to 2106<br />
The story of early<br />
Newport and the Farrell<br />
family is so closely<br />
enmeshed as to be almost<br />
inseparable.<br />
In his excellent book ‘The<br />
Newport Story’ Guy Jennings<br />
regarded the Farrells as<br />
Newport’s founding family.<br />
Some early locals and writers<br />
even referred to the beach<br />
as ‘Farrell’s Beach’ and the<br />
lagoon, which flowed to the<br />
beach behind the eastern side<br />
of Barrenjoey Road and under<br />
the present Bramley Avenue<br />
car park, Farrell’s Lagoon. In<br />
fact, there were three Farrell<br />
family members, all called<br />
John – and none of them had<br />
a middle name!<br />
John Farrell arrived in June<br />
1813 on board the ‘Fortune’<br />
as a convict to serve 14 years’<br />
transportation for “knowingly<br />
having a forged banknote in<br />
his possession”.<br />
The second John Farrell was<br />
known as John Junior and the<br />
third simply as Johnny.<br />
Governor Macquarie<br />
granted John Farrell a ‘ticket<br />
of leave’ and he promptly<br />
married Martha Hughes in<br />
the first St Mary’s Church on<br />
March 1821. John and Martha<br />
bore four children: Hannah,<br />
Daniel, Mary Ann and John<br />
junior.<br />
Farrell purchased a 30-acre<br />
grant in Newport in July<br />
1822; at the time it was in the<br />
possession of Martin Burke.<br />
Two years later he added<br />
an adjoining property of 40<br />
acres. At the end of <strong>October</strong><br />
1826, Farrell had 18 acres<br />
cleared, nine of those planted<br />
out with wheat. He had 93<br />
The Local Voice Since 1991<br />
head of horned cattle, two<br />
mares, two colts, 18 pigs and<br />
a ‘logged house’ (photographs<br />
show it as a vertical slab<br />
building) worth about 40<br />
pounds.<br />
Surprisingly, the family<br />
spent much of the early 1820s<br />
in their house in Macquarie<br />
Street, Sydney (valued at<br />
the time about 100 pounds).<br />
Farrell had several assigned<br />
convicts taking care of his<br />
Newport Beach property.<br />
John died in November<br />
1851 and left the farm to his<br />
son John junior, who in turn<br />
left it to his son Johnny in<br />
1889 who ran the farm until<br />
he died (from a stroke) in<br />
1933.<br />
Early locals recalled the<br />
‘cow cemetery’ as the early<br />
name given to the Avalon<br />
Beach golf course. Farrell’s<br />
cattle were free to roam ‘far<br />
and wide’ and took a fancy<br />
to the pineapple-looking<br />
fruit of the Burrawang Palms<br />
(Macrozamia), especially in<br />
Bilgola Valley. By the time<br />
they reached the golf course<br />
Rickets (also known as the<br />
‘Zamia staggers’ in cattle) had<br />
deprived them of the use of<br />
their back legs and there they<br />
perished.<br />
TIMES PAST is supplied<br />
by local historian<br />
and President of the<br />
Avalon Beach Historical<br />
Society GEOFF SEARL.<br />
Visit the Society’s<br />
showroom in Bowling<br />
Green Lane, Avalon<br />
Beach.<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> 71<br />
Times Past
Travel <strong>Life</strong><br />
Travel <strong>Life</strong><br />
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72 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
Travel <strong>Life</strong><br />
Travel <strong>Life</strong><br />
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Sailing along the waters of<br />
Irrawaddy, Upper Irrawaddy<br />
and Chindwin Rivers, you’ll<br />
immerse in the rich culture and<br />
beautiful scenery of Myanmar<br />
whilst embracing the traditional<br />
lifestyle.<br />
Cruiseco is offering guests<br />
$500 per person savings<br />
on two exclusive Myanmar<br />
March 2018. (Carrying just 58<br />
guests across three decks, the<br />
luxurious Cruiseco Explorer is<br />
a hotel-style passenger ship.)<br />
“It’s a fascinating adventure,”<br />
said Travel View’s Sharon<br />
Godden. “Highlights include<br />
Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda, home<br />
to the exquisite 70-metre-long<br />
reclining Buddha; Bagan’s<br />
authentic local markets which<br />
sell a variety of wood carvings,<br />
fabrics and rattan products;<br />
and Mandalay Hill, where<br />
guests can enjoy panoramic<br />
views of the voyage.”<br />
Sharon said guests would<br />
also explore the lush teak<br />
forests of ancient Yangon and<br />
sample Mandalay’s impressive<br />
mix of classic and modern<br />
culture, as well as soak up<br />
glittering gold pagodas and<br />
temples of Myanmar.<br />
“Your evenings will feature<br />
tantalising cuisine, enchanting<br />
local entertainment and<br />
service from a crew that’s<br />
ever-attentive,” she promised.<br />
The reduced rate Cruiseco<br />
Explorer package starts from<br />
$5,299 per person, twin share,<br />
in a French Balcony Main Deck<br />
cabin with floor to ceiling<br />
windows for optimum viewing.<br />
Price includes<br />
return Economy Class<br />
airfare from Sydney; sevennight<br />
luxury cruise between<br />
Mandalay and Yangon, including<br />
on-board gratuities, soft<br />
drinks, local beers, wine, daily<br />
breakfast, lunch and dinner<br />
(as specified); deluxe hotel<br />
accommodation with two<br />
nights at Mandalay Hill Resort<br />
in Mandalay; two nights at the<br />
five-star Sule Shangri-La Hotel<br />
in Yangon; extensive sightseeing<br />
with expert local guides;<br />
plus all transfers.<br />
Conditions apply – offer<br />
valid for a limited time only<br />
or until sold out; alternate<br />
departures are 26 <strong>October</strong> and<br />
2 November <strong>2017</strong> and 1 and 8<br />
February, 2018.<br />
* Want to know more?<br />
Contact exclusive Cruiseco<br />
member Travel View Cruise<br />
View on 9630 4931.<br />
74 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991