Pittwater Life May 2017 Issue

Celebrating 25 Years
AMAZING
PHOTOS
Rock ’n’ Roll
as Still Life
MAY 2017
FREE
pittwaterlife
COUNCIL
ELECTION
Who’s going
to stand?
Mother’s
Day gifts
Your say
on Ingleside
WIN a Sydney
Film Festival pass
+
PASSING OFF: When
imitation ceases
to be flattery
OUT OF
BOUNDS
Should local golf courses
make way for playing fields?

Editorial
Jockeying starts for election
How time flies! The interim
Northern Beaches Council
marks 12 months of operation
this month – but it won’t get
to celebrate another birthday
given we are all headed to the
polls to elect a new Council in
September.
Understandably, wannabe
players are starting to emerge.
The election shapes as a real
battle for control of the beaches;
five wards and 15 councillors
who will be wholly responsible
for the election of the new
Council’s first mayor.
Party politics has entered
the fray, with the State Liberals
voting to endorse and stand
candidates. And former
Warringah Mayor Michael
Regan intends to nominate
15 candidates from his ‘Your
Northern Beaches’ party.
Pittwater Forever is beating
the bush, trying to flush out
candidates who will work to
uphold Pittwater’s ideals, while
the Northern Beaches Greens
are carefully considering their
position. Stay tuned.
In other news this month
we look at Council’s review
of public golf courses on the
northern beaches and hear
from potentially affected local
parties.
Also, the Ingleside draft
plan has prompted substantial
comment from the public and
also government agencies and
organisations.
Plus we urge you to get
along to ‘Instrumental’ at the
Manly Art Gallery & Museum
– it’s a unique exhibition from
photographer Chuck Bradley
(who also took this month’s
cover shot of a ‘full moon
jellyfish’ in Pittwater).
* * *
Pittwater Life is looking for
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magazine each month.
If you have kids who are
looking to earn some pocket
money, we’d love to hear from
them. Ditto if you are a retiree
looking to earn some cash while
keeping fit. – Nigel Wall
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Publisher: Nigel Wall
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Vol 26 No 10
Celebrating 25 Years
AMAZING
PHOTOS
Rock ’n’ Roll
as Still Life
COUNCIL
ELECTION
Who’s going
to stand?
Celebrating 25 Years
Mother’s
Day gifts
Your say
on Ingleside
WIN a Sydney
Film Festival pass
+
PASSING OFF: When
imitation ceases
to be flattery
MAY 2017
FREE
pittwaterlife
OUT OF
BOUNDS
Should local golf courses
make way for playing fields?
20
30
54
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thislife
COVER: Win a pass to the Sydney Fim Festival (p10);
Northern Beaches Council is considering using golf
course land to solve the peninsula’s growing sports
field problems (p16); candidates and political parties
are starting their campaigns for the council election
in September (p18); photographer Chuck Bradley talks
about the process that led to his upcoming Instrumental
exhibition (p20); read about Avalon author Amanda
Hampson (p28); and local mums give their tips on how
they balance their jobs with their family lives (p30).
COVER IMAGE: Chuck Bradley / Full Moon Jellyfish.
also this month
Editorial 3
Pittwater Community News 6-27
Life Stories: Amanda Hampson 28-29
Mum’s The Word 30-31
Mother’s Day Gift Guide 32-35
Art Life 36-37
Young Life 38
Boating Life 39
Surfing Life 40-41
Health & Wellbeing; Hair & Beauty 42-49
Money & Finance 50-53
Law 54-55
Food 64-66
Gardening Life 68-70
the goodlife
Restaurants, food, gigs, travel and gardening.
Also find our regular features on beauty, health, surfing,
art, local history, our guide to trades and services, money,
law and our essential maps.
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4 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

News
Crowdfunding pitch to
restore Pittwater Council
Passionate locals are
continuing to fight
against forced council
amalgamation and restore
Pittwater Council.
Groups anxious about
overdevelopment of
Pittwater, the B-Line and
future of Mona Vale Hospital
are increasingly rallying and
using social media to air
their concerns.
Amid all the noise
is the issue of council
amalgamation, with motions
being passed “for immediate
action against the forced
amalgamation of Pittwater”.
Plans are afoot to launch
a crowdfunding page, with
former Pittwater Councillor
Bob Grace telling Pittwater
Online News: “This will
enable the community to
support an opportunity to
contribute to obtaining a
solicitor and take action
to have Pittwater Council
restored through the
rescission of the forced
amalgamation.
“We may take action for
wrongful dismissal and will
seek a mandatory injunction
to restrain this Northern
Beaches Council from acting
as if Pittwater is part of their
council.”
“We believe we have a good
case and can win.”
On Facebook, The group
Save Our Councils Coalition
(SOCC) has again called
upon the government to
withdraw forced council
amalgamations and “to do so
now.”
“If it fails so to act, it is
probable that the courts
will continue to set aside
the merger proposals,
community anger will
continue to increase in
the run up to the Local
Government elections in
September and further
increase in the run up to
the State elections in March
2019,” said SOCC President
Brian Halstead.
6 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Locals vocal on Ingleside
News
NSW Government officials
are poring over the high
level of community
response on the exhibition
of draft plans for the new
environmentally sustainable
suburb in Ingleside which
they say will greatly help them
deliver their final strategy plan.
More than 420 formal
submissions are being
reviewed after the exhibition
of draft plans for 3,400 new
homes at the new development
– which could accommodate
around 9000 new residents –
closed in February.
Issues raised by the
community included
environmental concerns about
bushland and native flora and
fauna, managing bushfire risk,
transport planning, especially
the upgrade of Mona Vale Road,
appropriate types of housing,
and sustainability.
You can read public feedback
at www.planspolicies.planning.
nsw.gov.au; however Pittwater
Life’s perusal of public and
ARTIST’S IMPRESSION: The Ingleside of the future.
now.” – AC, Elanora Heights
also government agency and
organisation feedback reveals
the following:
Sustainability
“The plans suggest that residents
in the new south Ingleside area
will use the existing local shops
at Elanora Heights. Do you
realise that it is already just
about impossible to park there
if you want to pick up milk and
bread? There are simply not
enough parking places, even
“Having lived in Bayview
Heights for 13 years, I am
concerned there is not enough
allocation to retail space… as
a result more traffic will be
generated in the streets of Mona
Vale to an already congested
precinct. Please allocate enough
space for a decent grocery store,
specialty shops and associated
parking, so residents can avoid
travelling down the steeply
graded Cabbage Tree Road,
through Parkland Road and
Park St to Mona Vale shops.”
– CW, Mona Vale.
Transport
“The new road infrastructure
should include sensible and
convenient cycle paths.
Specifically, shoulders marked
for bike riders for safe transit
between Ingleside, Bayview with
access to Mona Vale, Narrabeen
and Terry Hills. Provisioning
for bicycle riders increases
certainty and safety for motor
vehicle drivers who can better
assess the bicycle rider and the
requirements on the road.” – CJ,
Elanora Heights
Housing
“With regard to specific sites,
it is considered that the land
at 5 Manor Road would be
most appropriately zoned B1 –
Neighbourhood Centre. This will
allow for a range of retail uses
appropriate to the locality, shop
top housing and the proposed
8 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

community use shown on the
Structure Plan.” – NB Council
“I would love to see some over-55s
housing to encourage our older
generation to downscale. That
will allow family housing closer to
the CBD or new hospital.”
– GT, St Ives
“The rural amenity of North
Ingleside is being changed to
the detriment of the residents of
Bayview Heights. Once the area
becomes residential, the rural
amenity is lost, yet the residents
of Bayview Heights receive
nothing in return for this loss of
amenity, and lifestyle.” – Bayview
Heights Estate Owners Group
Flora & Fauna
“More of this land should be
dedicated towards conservation,
as ‘about 30%’ is just not
enough… the development and
increase in residents will already
be highly disruptive to the
ecology in the area, and creating
pockets of reserve that are
disjointed will not be beneficial
for the remaining wildlife, unless
they are connected through
wildlife corridors.” – Name
withheld, Ingleside
Fire risk
“As a resident of Dendrobium
Crescent Elanora Heights,
an area of extreme fire risk,
surrounded by Garigal National
Park, I am concerned about the
impact the proposed medium
density development will
have on my family’s and my
neighbours’ ability to evacuate
in the case of a catastrophic
fire event. As a member of the
Ingleside Community Fire Unit
I have been made aware of the
issues of evacuating my family
from an area with only one
street access.” – VH, Elanora
Heights
Other
“The endangered ecological
communities ‘coastal upland
swamps’ require full and extra
protection. As they are already
endangered, their protection
must receive highest attention.
As their drainage patterns will
be affected by surrounding
development in the current
proposal, a 60m buffer zone
must be applied to all four of
them.” – NB Envirolink
“I wonder given that the
Warringah Aquatic Centre looks
to be closed soon and possibly
relocated to Frenchs Forest High
School site, if it may be prudent
to consider also building a
swimming pool in Ingelside – the
Northern Beaches is crying out
for more swimming centres and
this may be an opportunity.” –
SW, Sydney
In late April, Fairfax Media
reported government infighting
on the development,
with the transport department
lodging its own submission
and refusing to support the
draft plan unless it was given
assurances of full funding for
the crucial Mona Vale Road.
Local MP Rob Stokes told
Pittwater Life he totally agreed
with the transport department.
“The whole draft strategy of
Ingleside is contingent on the
upgrade of Mona Vale Road,” he
said. “I think it’s a good thing
agencies have it out in public;
it’s good government.”
Mr Stokes said $30 million
had been secured so far, which
would get the Mona Vale Road
upgrade to a stage as a “costed
project”.
“The upcoming government
budget will provide the
opportunity for the funding
that the transport department
wants,” he said.
The Executive Director,
Infrastructure, Housing and
Employment, Brendan O’Brien,
said of the submissions
received: “Local residents
were particularly interested in
sensitive urban and building
design in the area; plans for
upgrades of roads and the
protection of the environment
including ensuring there is a
network wildlife corridors to
connect with existing national
parks surrounding the precinct.”
As well as the planned 3,400
new homes, the Ingleside
precinct will also feature a town
centre, neighbourhood centre,
a proposed new primary school
and other community facilities.
Future residents will benefit
from upgrades to Mona Vale,
Powderworks and Chiltern Rds.
About a third of the land
at Ingleside is proposed for
conservation, while around
a third is proposed for new
homes.
The Department says it will
continue to work with the
community to ensure the best
planning outcomes for the area.
when the final strategy goes on
exhibition later in the year.
News
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 9

News
Curtain goes up on
Sydney Film Festival
The best time of year for
movie fans is rolling
around again, with the Sydney
Film Festival kicking off
next month.
The 64th SFF will run over
12 days with premieres, redcarpet
openings, in-depth discussions
and more than 250
diverse global and Australian
films – from debut features
and blockbusters to documentaries,
shorts and animation.
Leading the titles is the
hotly anticipated documentary
Whitney: Can I Be Me,
with director Nick Broomfield
also presenting an industry
master class.
Top of the flicks list are A
Ghost Story, starring Casey
Affleck and Rooney Mara
and The Woman Who Left, an
award-winning drama from
Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz.
True stories play a big role
in this year’s line-up and
include the Oscar-nominated
I Am Not Your Negro nar-
rated by Samuel L Jackson; a
portrait of Winnie Madikizela-
Mandela in Winnie; Ethan
Hawke and Sally Hawkins
starring in Maudie, based on
the life of folk artist Maud
Lewis (below); and Rumble: Indians
Who Rocked The World,
an examination of Native
American musicians and their
role in the development of
American popular music.
There’s a solid collection
of new Australian and New
Zealand films too and a
screening of John Landis’ cult
favourite An American Werewolf
In London, which will
run under a full moon at the
Skyline Drive In, Blacktown,
on Friday 16 June.
Festival Director Nashen
Moodley said the program
would be as entertaining as it
was enlightening.
“From the view backstage
with Whitney Houston or
An American Werewolf In
London viewed through the
windscreen of your car, the
2017 Festival is a collection of
film from every angle, from
everywhere, for every kind of
film lover,” he said.
“These films bring together
thousands of talents and
perspectives from across the
globe, to create a lens – a way
of looking at and experiencing
aspects of the world and
ourselves.”
The festival runs from
7-18 June at the State Theatre,
Dendy Opera Quays, the
Art Gallery of NSW, Event
Cinemas George Street, the
Hayden Orpheum Cremorne,
Dendy Newtown, Randwick’s
Ritz Cinema, Casula Powerhouse
and the Skyline, with
Sydney Town Hall serving as
the festival’s hub.
Visit sff.org.au for more
information.
WIN
See 10
Festival
flicks
on us!
Pittwater Life is giving
one lucky reader the
opportunity to score a
free Sydney Film Festival
Flexipass comprising 10
adult tickets to utilise at
any venue (and which you
can share with friends…
if you really want to) –
valued at more than $300.
Email your name, contact
number and postcode to
win@pittwaterlife.com.
au with the word Festival
in the subject line (and
don’t forget to like us on
Facebook). Competition
starts April 28 and closes
May 26. Winner will be
announced in the June issue
of Pittwater Life. Full Ts &
Cs at pittwaterlife.com.au.
10 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Todd’s tribute hits a 20-year high
Acclaimed entertainer
Todd McKenney says
audience members should
expect the unexpected when
he takes to the stage at Dee
Why RSL to perform his ‘Todd
McKenney Sings Peter Allen
20th Anniversary Tour’ show
on May 20.
Todd’s current series of
performances mark 20 years
since he first grabbed the
maracas and put on the bright
shirts to portray iconic Aussie
singer and international star
Peter Allen in the legendary
stage musical ‘The Boy From
Oz’.
Got a question? Call it out
during the show and the
former ‘Dancing With The
Stars’ judge says he might just
answer you back.
Speaking to Pittwater Life
in the lead-up to his Dee Why
gig, Todd said he still finds
it difficult to pin down his
favourite Peter Allen song.
“I think Tenterfield Saddler
is very special because not only
is it a beautiful song, it is the
audience’s reaction to it that
makes it really special for me.
They sing along, hold their
phones up with the torch on
and sway along to the song. It’s
always a special moment in my
shows. I love it.”
Todd said his focus in the
current series of shows was to
ensure a “freshness” to each
performance.
“We never do exactly
the same show twice,” he
explained. “I also change
my chat around and every
audience is unique and they
often dictate the direction and
the mood the show.”
The audience demographic
continues to amaze him.
“It’s everyone from kids
from about 13 onwards, to men
and women up to 95,” he said.
Todd said he had gained
enormous satisfaction
from filling the shoes of
one of Australia’s greatest
entertainment exports for so
long, and had formed a strong
bond with the late entertainer’s
family.
“His family come to my
shows from time to time and
they always thank me for
honouring Peter and his music
in such a great way,” he said.
“Their continued support
means the world to me.”
He promises a range of new
songs that aren’t included in
‘The Boy From Oz’
“So many songs are new…
we treat this show like a
variety show and we often pop
in songs from the other artists
in Peter’s life like Judy Garland,
Liza Minelli and Bette Midler.
The show is all about Peter
Allen though and his music.”
He added there was a
distinct difference between the
performer/audience dynamic
in his show and ‘TBFO’.
“Yes, absolutely – this
show is not me as an actor
portraying Peter Allen, this
show is Todd celebrating
Peter Allen and his music and
stories.”
Asked if he could provide
an interesting anecdote about
Peter Allen that most people
wouldn’t know, he said: “I
can… but you will have to
come to the show to hear those
things! LOL. It’s a very funny
show, too. We treat it like a
dinner party with plenty of
chat and great laughs and lots
of music.”
* Todd McKenney Sings Peter
Allen, 20th Anniversary Tour;
tickets www.toddmckenney.
com.au
News
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 11

News
Public forum on ‘Protecting Pittwater’
major development
A overhaul instigated by
the NSW government will be
the focus of a public forum at
Mona Vale this month, where
one of Australia’s top environmental
planning activists
will speak.
Better Planning Network
founding convenor Corinne
Fisher will address the forum
‘Protecting Pittwater: Where
to now?’, along with NSW
Greens MLC and local government
spokesman David
Shoebridge and former Pittwater
Councillor Bob Grace, at
Pittwater RSL on Tuesday May
16 starting at 7pm.
Ms Fisher – whose network
is not affiliated with any
political party – will discuss
strategies for opposing overdevelopment
and encourages
residents to stand firm
against it.
“By working together at a
grassroots level, history has
shown that anything is possible,”
Ms Fisher said
The network was founded
in 2012 on the principles that
community well-being should
be at the heart of any planning
system, and that protecting
the environment – both
natural and cultural heritage
– is essential.
Mr Shoebridge will talk
about his bill for council
demergers and concerns that
consultation on the latest
plans for Sydney’s North District
have taken place while
residents do not have any
elected representatives.
“Pittwater residents have
already lost their local voice
and local democracy to the
Coalition’s supersized Northern
Beaches Council and the
community is asking what
impact this will have on
growth and development in
the area,” Mr Shoebridge said.
“The Greater Sydney
Commission [the new body
responsible for city-wide planning]
will be making significant
decisions that could lead
to large scale rezonings and
other major planning changes
in the community.” he said.
5THINGS
THIS MONTH
Make your own fertiliser.
Did you know by using a
compost bin or worm farm you
can recycle your food scraps
into a rich natural fertiliser for
your garden? You will also
reduce the production of
greenhouse gases at landfill
where most food waste ends
up. Get along to the free
compost workshop on Thurs 4
or Sun 7 10am-1pm at Kimbriki.
Bookings essential 9486 3512.
Monet and music. Flautist
Jane Rutter and distinguished
guest artists including tenor
Andrew Goodwin, pianist
Tamara-Anna Cislowska, cellist
David Pereira and violinist
Christopher Latham present
Monet: The Flowers of War
– a multimedia production
with the paintings of Monet
projected on the screen behind
the artists as they perform
the music of WWI French
composers. At 8pm on Fri 12 at
the St Luke’s Grammar School
Bayview Campus. More info
peninsulamusicclub.com.au or
9972 3556.
Keep your drawing skills
alive. Grab some paper,
charcoals and pencils and get
along to the monthly drawing
session at Mona Vale Library
Sat 13 from 12-2pm and
capture what you see before
you. Suitable ages 12 and over.
Free; bookings essential 9970
1600.
Meet Stephanie Smee.
The translator of Francoise
Frenkel’s French Masterpiece
‘No Place To Lay One’s Head’
Stephanie Smee, will be at
Bookoccino, Barrenjoey Rd
Avalon on Thurs 18 from 11am.
Tickets $10. Bookings essential
9973 1244.
Bone up on writing. Be part
of the Sydney Writers Festival
event at Glen Street Theatre
with Australian novelist Carmel
Bird, winner of the 2016 Patrick
White Literary Award for her
tragi-comic novel ‘Family
Skeleton’. Carmel is also a
popular teacher of fiction and
memoir writing. Thurs 25 at
11am. Tickets $15 glenstreet.
com.au.
14 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Last chance for watercraft owners
Time is running out for
owners of watercraft
around Narrabeen Lagoon
who have yet to obtain permits
for a new storage facility
that will discourage dumping
and dangerous boat storage
facilities.
As reported in Pittwater Life
in February, Council has introduced
a universal mandatory
$75 annual permit across
the new Northern Beaches
Council region.
A recent inspection of the
southern shore of the lake
showed dozens of boats,
canoes and kayaks displaying
orange warning stickers,
placed by Council rangers in
early March, requesting owners
remove the watercraft or
obtain permits. Owners were
given 28 days to comply.
Almost 400 orange stickers
have been placed on all boats
currently stored around Narrabeen
Lagoon asking people
to contact Council.
More than 100 people
have contacted Council and
received an identification
number to place on their boat.
Council Deputy General
Manager Ben Taylor said
Council will start removing in
May any boats stored around
Narrabeen Lagoon that do not
have an identification number
on them.
“We encourage anyone who
has a dinghy, canoe or kayak
stored at the lagoon to check
it and to contact Council to
avoid the boat being removed
by Council.
Call 9970 1111 or email
watercraft@northernbeaches.
nsw.gov.au with your details.
Mr Taylor added the
planned secure storage facilities
would be built at various
locations around the lagoon
in the next few months.
News
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 15

Golf courses call for le
News
Officials at public golf
courses in Pittwater are
hopeful the Northern
Beaches Council will not
reclaim their fairways and
rebirth them as new playing
fields for other sports.
Council administrator
Dick Persson is pushing the
agenda, which initially saw
Warringah Golf Club at North
Manly targeted to increase
venues for increasingly
popular sports such as soccer,
netball and touch football.
The issue now involves all
public courses on Council
land, with Mr Persson seeking
public feedback via the
Sportsground Needs Analysis
and Golf Course Review Discussion
Paper.
Mr Persson said the new
council area was continuing
to see a massive growth in active
sports resulting in sports
groups having to turn away
players due to field shortages.
“We have more than 50,000
people from 17 sports using
our fields and participation
rates have increased by more
than 10% in the past three
years, with more women, juniors
and over-35s participating
in sports competitions,”
Mr Persson said.
The Golf Course Review
section of the Discussion
Paper, undertaken by Golf
Business Advisory Services
(GBAS) pointed out that the
seven public courses on the
Northern Beaches covered 180
hectares of land and catered
to 4,000 members, a decline
of 16% over the last decade.
Mr Persson said that in the
past three years there had
been a 50% increase in sixa-side
football players with
1,000 players turned away in
2016; a 32% increase in touch
football players with 20 teams
turned away in 2016; an 8.5%
increase in
(football) soccer
players; a
6% increase in
cricket players
and hockey
has capped
their intakes.
“As a result
of the current
field shortage,
92 of the 122
fields are being
overused
and this will
only get worse with the shortage
predicted to reach 41
hectares in the next 15 years
if nothing is done.”
The Sportsground Needs
Analysis identified a shortage
of around 24 sports fields on
the northern beaches.
“With one in five children
identified as overweight or
obese, Council has a responsibility
to provide enough
facilities and recreational
spaces that will allow them
to participate in active sport,”
Mr Persson continued.
“I cannot stress enough
that Council is listening and
while the facts certainly lean
towards the need for urgent
action no decision has been
made or will be until extensive
community consultation
has been undertaken.”
While commending Council’s
proactivity, Mona Vale
Golf Club President John
Karren said
the club was
concerned
that information
circulated
did not
correctly reflect
the fact
that golf and
the courses
available
provided a
much-needed
physical and
social outlet
for people over 50 that would
not be met by other alternatives.
“We do not want to see any
golf courses lost, as it is a
game for life and promotes
an active lifestyle in a natural
setting,” Mr Karren said.
“While golf course membership
was used as a key
statistic, and it shows it has
decreased for most clubs
over the past 10 years and is
now stabilising, the number
of rounds the members play
has been either consistent or
increasing the last few years.
So slightly less members are
playing more often.
“Overall rounds played
have been consistent at Mona
Vale (around 60,000 rounds
per year – 35,000 members
and 25,000 public roughly).
“Golf is played every day,
all day by the members and
public,” he added. “Playing
fields are packed at nights
and on weekends, but vacant
at other times.”
He acknowledged NBC
owned or managed the land
which Mona Vale and other
courses leased, and they were
appointed/elected to make decisions
on the use of the land
based on priorities.
“We understand that,” he
said. “They are in a difficult
position and must make
tough decisions. But all other
options should be exhausted
including more efficient use
of sporting facilities, and new
sportsgrounds via land purchases,
before closing down
golf courses.
“Is it good to take away
from the over-50s to give
sporting grounds to the
under-30s?”
Mr Karren said although
discussions with NBC and
Club patron Rob Stokes led
them to believe they were
not at risk of dissolution, the
16 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

vel playing field debate
FLOW-ON EFFECT: Mona Vale Golf Club would still be impacted should any other Northern Beaches golf course be converted into sports fields.
Club would still feel the effect
of any other course’s closure.
“We would do our best to
accommodate new members
at MVGC, but we have limits,”
he said. “We already have
full playing sheets with our
existing members, and this
constricts further during the
winter months due to the
shorter days.
“I would assume the
other courses are similar…
we would need to change our
competition schedules and
competition culture to add
significant numbers.”
Acting President of Palm
Beach Golf Club Stephen Misdale
said his club’s location
would possibly preclude it
from reclamation.
“As a nine-hole golf course
we are unique in a lot of
ways compared to other golf
courses on the peninsula as
we are at the end of the road
and literally surrounded by
water on three sides,” Mr
Misdale said.
“Surrounding golf courses
are 18 holes and are much
larger and tend to be in the
middle of suburban areas and
can attract members and public
from surrounding suburbs,
whereas we have a membership
based on the immediate
area with visitors coming and
playing from all parts of Sydney
and country areas.
“As our lease renewal with
Council is upon us shortly,
quoting figures of membership
and usage would be inappropriate
as the information
contained is confidential.
“In saying that, usage of the
course is by no means limited
to a privileged few – by pure
definition we are a public
golf course and wholeheartedly
welcome and encourage
the use of the course by the
public, which happens on a
regular basis.”
Membership at Palm Beach
GC, which marks its centenary
in 2024, ranges from the
ages of 12 to 90, he said.
“At 90, our oldest playing
member still plays his two
games a week, enjoying all
the thrills – without the hills,”
he said.
“And our junior membership
and junior program is
the envy of other clubs. In
April we went through undefeated
and won the 2017 Division
4 Major Pennant – something
not done since 1970.
“This team contained past
and present local juniors
that went through our junior
program which is testament
to the success of the program
and the culture at the Club.”
To lose the golf course to
something other than what
it was always intended for
would be “an inexcusable
tragedy”, he said. – Nigel Wall
* Public submissions on the
paper, which can be viewed
at yoursay.northernbeaches.
nsw.gov.au, close on May 7.
News
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 17

News
Starter’s gun fires on Council
The jockeying
for positions
on the
inaugural Northern
Beaches Council
has begun in earnest,
with political
parties and key
individuals working
furiously both behind
the scenes and
on the public record
five months out
from the election
polling day.
Last month the NSW Liberal
Party shocked elements of its
membership – including key
local Northern Beaches MPs
Brad Hazzard and Rob Stokes
– when it passed a vote to
endorse nominees along party
lines.
It followed the transition
of former Warringah Mayor
Michael Regan’s ‘Your Warringah’
party into a broader ‘Your
Northern Beaches’ (YNB) party
in January.
Both the Liberal and Your
Northern Beaches
parties are expected
to stand councillor
candidates in all five
of the wards when
the crucial election
is held in September.
Mr Regan (below
right) confirmed
YNB will stand 15
candidates across
the five wards
– with their six
contenders for the Pittwater
and Narrabeen wards to be announced
in the next fortnight.
“We are working very hard
to get the best local candidates,
with 15 solid individuals to
represent the community,” he
told Pittwater Life.
Meanwhile a spokesperson
for The Greens said they were
considering their position on
standing a candidate, adding
that if they didn’t they would
throw their support behind a
like-minded environmentally
focused candidate.
State Labor was approached
for comment but had not
replied at the time of going to
print.
There is likely to be a high
volume of Independent candidates
nominating – particularly
in the Narrabeen and Pittwater
wards, where the issue
of potential over-development
is the over-arching concern.
The move by the Liberals
and the formation of the YNB
party presents the possibility
of ‘blocks’ of councillors
along the 30-kilometre council
region from Manly
to Palm Beach, with
the election of the
mayor dependent on
the votes of the 15
councillors.
But Mr Regan said
YNB would operate
as an independent
team and would
be a party in name
only on election
day.
“We are not
a block, councillors will be
exercising conscience votes,”
he added.
Sources confirmed Mr
Stokes’ opposition to the proposal
to run Liberal candidates
before the motion was carried.
It’s understood the membership
were locked into a “if we
don’t do it, they’ll do it” mindset,
which won the day.
Mr Stokes reportedly spoke
strongly against the proposal,
arguing he didn’t believe a political
party of any persuasion,
let alone a well-known brand,
should figure in council elections,
and that
parties should
concern themselves
with parliaments
instead.
Mr Stokes’ opposition
was confirmed
to Pittwater
Life by Pittwater
Forever Chairman
Craig Boaden, who
said the MP had
contacted him once
18 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

election
the vote had been decided.
Mr Boaden added the Liberals’
decision would not prompt
PF to change its charter and
run candidates along party
lines.
“We oppose political parties
in local government elections –
we always have and we always
will,” he said.
“We prefer to facilitate likeminded
people, not blocks.
And we’re certainly not running
candidates on our own
ticket,” he said.
As reported in Pittwater Life
last month, Pittwater Forever
intends to issue a questionnaire
to all candidates to
assess their suitability to
represent the Pittwater and
Narrabeen ward areas.
Former Pittwater Council
deputy mayor Kylie Ferguson
(photo opposite) is among the
first to confirm she is putting
up her hand to stand for preselection
as a Liberal councillor
candidate; if endorsed Ms
Ferguson says she will stand in
Pittwater ward.
And sources confirmed to
Pittwater Life that local lawyer
and Narrabeen resident Rory
Amon – an advisor to Federal
Mackellar MP Jason Falinski
– will also stand for Liberal
pre-selection.
Mr Amon, 27, grew up on
the Northern Beaches and has
spent recent years building his
own practice locally. He was a
member of Warringah Council’s
Strategic Reference Group
in 2014-2015 and has been a
volunteer for numerous local
community groups.
Ms Ferguson, who has lived
in Pittwater for 16 years, is currently
the chair of the interim
council’s Youth and Placemaking
Strategic Reference Group.
She said the amalgamation
12 months ago was a tough
period for many on council,
but it had steeled her resolve
to continue to serve the community.
“Our community was
disappointed in the outcome,”
Ms Ferguson said. “After the
amalgamation, all councillors
were stood down, and asked,
through an expression of
interest (EOI), to apply for the
interim period.
“I still hadn’t made up my
mind two days out from the
deadline. I was at a stalemate. I
went to five key people I knew
through Council, and asked
their opinion. I said, ‘I need to
know what you would want
me to do and what would you
expect me to do’.
“I was pleasantly surprised
that all replied – ‘You need to
have a seat at the table to be
part of that decision making, so
take that seat’,” she said.
Ms Ferguson said her platform
would focus on the community
and environment, both
natural and built.
“We need to look long term,
for the future generations, to
ensure the legacy we leave them
is a positive one,” she said.
“I still want to see improvement
in infrastructure but I’ll
fight against inappropriate
over-development. Community
consultation is always encouraged
and as for sustainability,
that should be a given.”
Results of the Liberal Party
pre-selection of council candidates
is not expected to be
announced until June at the
earliest.
– Nigel Wall & Lisa Offord
News
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 19

‘Still’ rock ’n’ roll to
News
Scotland Island resident
Chuck Bradley’s transition
from advertising
photographer to artist
hits a high note later this
month when his intriguing
‘Instrumental’ exhibition
opens at the Manly Art
Gallery & Museum.
Bradley’s latest work is a
collection of still-life shots
of iconic Australian rock
musicians’ instruments and
associated ephemera
from the 1960s
to the present
day – guitars,
harmonicas,
trumpets,
pianos, drum
kits and
decades-old
set lists from
performers and
bands including
Midnight Oil,
Archie Roach,
Jimmy Little,
Mental As
Anything and The
Go-Betweens.
Emotive works include
the saxophone played by
INXS’ Kirk Pengilly, plus
a microphone used by the
band’s front man Michael
Hutchence, as well as the
drumkit used by Cold Chisel’s
Steve Prestwich and the set of
sticks used by Midnight Oil
drummer Rob Hirst.
A meeting with Hirst, a
few years after Chuck made
the jump from the corporate
world to the art world, set the
wheels in motion.
“About four years ago as
advertising was adapting and
changing due to the digital
photography age, I slowly
bowed out to pursue more
personal projects,” Chuck
explained.
“I decided that to stand
out I needed to photograph
objects that not everyone
had access to – this
started with my
first artist-in-residence
opportunity at
the Manly Art Gallery
& Museum where I
was given access to
their collection of
century-old beach
ephemera with my
exhibition ‘Nostalgica’
being exhibited
at Manly.”
It triggered a
meeting with curator
Ross Heathcote, who was
working on The Making of
Midnight Oil which was to be
exhibited at the gallery.
“I was shown various items
of ephemera and instruments
and thought it would be cool
to do images of them,” Chuck
said.
After returning from
another artist-in-residence
placement at the Bradman
Museum, Chuck was
introduced to the Oils’
Rob Hirst and expressed
interest in shooting the
band’s instruments.
“The band agreed,” said
Chuck, who also dabbles
on drums in the blues
band Sly Dogs. “I stayed in
touch with Rob and Ross
and I did various bits
and pieces for Rob’s other
band The Backsliders.”
Positive feedback on
his instrument shots
prompted further feelers
throughout the rock
world.
“People were loving
the shots, so I
proposed shooting the
much-loved iconic instruments
– the instruments
that musicians
DEVIL IN THE DETAIL: Chuck preparing prints for his ‘Instrumental’ exhibition;
arranging Martin Plaza’s guitar (Mental As Anything) before shooting
(left); Rob Hirst’s drumsticks and Kirk Pengilly’s saxaphone (top right).
had a special attachment to
– and to have Ross collect
and curate the stories behind
them… Instrumental was
born.”
All the work to date bar
four images have been
completed within the past
year.
“Ross and I made a ‘hit
list’ of musicians that
we would approach, and
thought about their iconic
instruments,” Chuck said.
“Once the ball started
rolling, some musicians
would suggest others (‘you
really should talk to…’) and
would text others while I was
shooting their instruments
and I’d be given more contact
details. So Instrumental has
snowballed organically to
some degree.
“Over time I have honed
the style of the project – a
lot depends on the space I’m
given to work in as to the
time I take. Being a ‘still life’
shooter I do seem to spend
time making minor tweaks
to the shape and position of
cords and straps, drumsticks
and so forth.”
The Michael Hutchence mic
is a poignant piece.
“It is a vintage German
valve microphone that
Andrew Farriss used to record
Michael Hutchence’s vocals
20 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

me!
(amongst other elements),” he
explained. “It has particular
significance for Andrew. He
talks eloquently about its tone
and character.”
And the future?
“Our hope is to one day
compile a coffee table book of
the images and stories.”
* Instrumental runs at the
Manly Art Gallery & Museum
from 26 May to 9 July; hear
Chuck in conversation with
Ross Heathcote on Sunday 4
June at 2pm. Entry free.
– Nigel Wall
Avalon pets get new vets
Avalon Veterinary
Hospital – the go-to
practice for hundreds of
pet owners north of Bilgola
Bends – has a new team
in place following the
departure of popular owners
Sam and Charlotte Burke.
The couple, who ran the
practice for the past six
years, made the decision
to sell up and move back
to their native Western
Australia to start a family.
But they have assured
locals pets will remain
in good hands, with the
family-owned Sydney
Animal Hospitals acquiring
their practice and by doing
so expanding its northern
beaches footprint to include
Newport and Avalon.
“We will miss our patients
and we will miss their
owners and being part of
a locality of like-minded
people that truly values
their pets like family,”
said Sam. “Alas, Western
Australia beckons! The
decision to sell the Hospital
was not an easy one but it
was the only one to allow
us to move back and start a
family of our own.”
SAH founding partner
and Pittwater Life columnist
Dr Ben Brown said: “As
veterinarians and animal
lovers, we know how
important pets are to their
owners – they’re part of
your family. And as the new
veterinarians north of the
bends, we look forward to
continuing the level of trust,
dedication and care provided
by Sam and Charlotte.”
Ben said SAH would
continue to maintain the
values established at Avalon,
and that no major changes
to the operations of the
hospital were planned in the
short-term.
NEW TEAM: Dr Jamie Geddes and
Dr Louise Mathews with Bramble.
“As a family-owned
business, and an important
part of the local community,
we are passionate about
providing professional and
affordable veterinary care
for your pets,” Ben said.
“All six hospitals in our
network are entirely owned
by just four vets, who
actively work full time in the
practices and aim to provide
consistent quality of care
across all the branches.
“The staff at Avalon are
thrilled about this new
opportunity, as it means
the hospital will be able to
provide greater services and
in-house facilities for your
pets.”
Dr Jamie Geddes and Dr
Louise Mathews will the
primary veterinarians in
charge of patient care at
SAH Avalon.
With 20 years’ experience,
Jamie was a veterinary
partner at Ku-Ring-Gai
Veterinary Hospital from
2004-2013, where he built
a strong reputation for
passionate and dedicated
patient care, while local
mum Louise will be familiar
to many owners, having
worked at the practice a few
years ago.
“Jamie’s authentic
and cheerful character
makes him very easy to
communicate with,” Ben
said. “He and his vet wife
Helen have three children
and are crazy about their
Border Terrier, Bramble.”
He added that SAH
Avalon would be seeking
feedback over the coming
months to help better
deliver desired services.
More info phone 9918 0833.
News
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 21

Pittwater News
‘Second Hand
Saturday’ garage
sales promoted
Pittwater residents are being
encouraged to sell unwanted
goods at garage sales first,
before leaving them out
for your booked Bulky
Goods Clean Up. Northern
Beaches Council is driving
a ‘Second Hand Saturday’
initiative designed to reduce
the amount of these goods
ending up in landfills. Deputy
General Manager Ben Taylor
said: “If all residents recycled
10 per cent of their bulky
goods through garage sales,
car boot sales and online
sales, that would save more
than 1,000 tonnes of bulky
goods material ending up
in our landfills each year.”
He added it was “amazing”
what people put out on the
nature strip for Council’s
clean-up. “We’ve had reports
of of valuable furniture,
expensive bottles of port
wine and even priceless 19th
century French dolls,” he said.
Residents are encouraged to
use the free ‘Second Hand
Saturday’ service on the
Council website. “If you hold
your ‘Second Hand Saturday’
garage sale before your Bulky
Goods Clean Up, then you can
try selling unwanted items
before throwing them out,
make some money and reduce
landfill.” For more tips go to
Council’s website and search
Recycling A-Z.
Narrabeen trail
boardwalk closure
Narrabeen Lagoon Trail
boardwalk between Bilarong
Reserve and Deep Creek
Reserve at North Narrabeen is
being reconstructed to make
it more user-friendly and
more resilient to flooding.
News
Rotary Club sets a raffle record
This year’s Rotary Club of Upper Northern Beaches Car Raffle set a record
for the number of tickets sold in the 20 years of the club’s fundraising,
with more than $120,000 received. The 60,000 tickets overflowed
the club’s traditional raffle drum, so organisers loaded the tickets into
the boot of the Holden Spark prize car for the draw, undertaken at
Bay view Golf Club by Federal Mackellar MP Jason Falinski. This year 15
groups took part, including local schools, Rural Fire Services, sporting
clubs, health and community support organisations and neighbouring
Rotary clubs. The winner bought the winning ticket from her grandchildren
who attend Elanora Heights Public School, raising a cheer from
the school’s teachers and friends present at the draw ceremony. “We
sold about $17,000 worth of tickets to benefit our school,” said Principal
Leesa Martin, “and we’re delighted that one of them was the winner.”
22 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

To facilitate the work, the
section of the trail alongside
the Wakehurst Parkway will be
closed for approximately five
weeks, weather permitting,
from the start of May to allow
the work to be completed.
Council reports work will
include replacement of an
80-metre section of the
elevated boardwalk with a
wider, non-slip boardwalk. The
old section of the boardwalk
did not meet the standards
set by other sections of the
Trail. The work continues
the $7 million upgrade of
the walkway to bring the
whole trail up to modern,
safe standards with a wider
2.5-metre boardwalk. Also
included is the replacement
of a 14 square metre viewing
deck that was damaged
during the June 2016 storm
event. The lagoon trail, one of
the most popular and widely
used community facilities on
the Northern Beaches, leads
walkers and cyclists through
beautiful ecosystems with an
abundance of wildlife, cultural
heritage and historical sites.
PB Probus meeting
The former Range Curator
of Stony Range Regional
Botanic Garden, Eleanor
Eakins, will be the next guest
speaker at Palm Beach Probus
Club’s meeting at Club Palm
Beach on Wednesday May 17,
starting at 9.30 am. Visitors
welcome; more info phone
Patricia Prior on 9973 1247.
Northern Beaches
Retirement Expo
The Northern Beaches
Retirement Village Expo
will be held at Bayview Golf
Club on Sunday May 7 and
Monday May 8 from 10am-
3pm both days. Organisers
say the Expo will showcase
the latest resort-style
developments as well as
established villages from
many different organisations.
More info retirementexpo.
com.au
Fun for all at
St Ives Show
The St Ives Show, presented
by the Northern Suburbs
Agricultural and Horticultural
Society at St Ives Showground
on May 20-21, will showcases
the best in arts, crafts,
horses, apiculture, aviculture
(birds), cooking and baking,
horticulture, photography,
rabbits and more. The schedule
includes: annual all breeds
horse show on Sunday;
Clydesdale heavy horse
display on Saturday; the Mt
Druitt Indigenous Choir; Blue
Mountains reptile awareness
show plus a fireworks display
on Saturday evening. Entry just
$5; more info stivesshow.com.
au or phone 0408 253 563.
Hospital Auxiliary’s
Mother’s Day stall
Here’s your chance to get
mum a great gift with funds
from your purchase going
to a good cause – Mona Vale
Continued on page 24
News
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 23

News
Pittwater News
Continued from page 23
Hospital Auxiliary will be
holding a stall outside the
ANZ Bank, Avalon Parade,
Avalon Beach on Friday, 12th
May from 8am to 4pm selling
knitting, sewing, craft, and
jams. Support your local
community!
Road works to
affect Newport
Motorists are advised of
changed traffic conditions on
Barrenjoey Road at Newport
over the next two months
while essential maintenance
work is carried out. Work will
involve removing vegetation,
investigating the condition of
the drains and cleaning the
drains on the embankment on
the western side of Barrenjoey
Road to provide a smoother
road surface for motorists
and reduce the need for
future ongoing maintenance.
Work will be carried out until
Friday 30 June between 7am
and 6pm on weekdays and
8am to 1pm on Saturdays. .
For traffic updates call 132
701, visit livetraffic.com or
download the Live Traffic
NSW App.
Donate for kids
in need
St Lucy’s, a Catholic primary
school for children with
intellectual disabilities based
in Wahroonga and with
satellite classes in Narrabeen
and Narraweena, is calling
for assistance to help raise
$15,000 for Interactive Multi-
Touch Projector bundles. For
many children at St Lucy’s,
technology is their only
voice. The students learn best
through interactive, handson
learning that they can
apply to real-life contexts.
Interactive technology
provides opportunities for
communication, interactive
play, learning in context,
and problem solving. The
Interactive Multi-Touch
Projector bundles provide
increased viewing, interactivity
and are compatible with a wide
range of devices. The ‘Diesel’s
Friends’ fundraiser will be held
at the Royal Motor Yacht Club,
Newport on Saturday July 8,
starting 6pm. Tickets $50 from
trybooking.com/272368. Or
donate via everydayhero.com.
au/event/dieselsfriends.
Sorry Day at
Narrabeen
National Sorry Day is an
Australia-wide observance
which gives people the
chance to come together
and share the steps towards
healing for the Stolen
Generations, their families
and communities. The day
will be commemorated in
Narrabeen on Sunday May 28.
More details go to asgmwp.net
Local architect
makes TV debut
Award-winning architect
and builder (and Avalon
Beach local) Drew Heath
joins Channel Seven’s ‘House
Rules’ this month as a judge.
24 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

This is Drew’s first foray into
television, with the exception
of a few appearances
connected with his work.
“It’s an exciting opportunity
to do something completely
different,” he said.
Party on May 7
Permaculture Day
International Permaculture
Day on May 7 will see
permaculture groups across
Australia and around the
world celebrate permaculture
initiatives and activities.
Permaculture originated in
Australia but it has become
a global phenomenon of
much-needed practical solutions
for real sustainability.
The Northern Beaches will
celebrate the day with a festival
of ideas, practical talks,
workshops, and music across
three venues. A garden
tour, including aquaponics
workshop and seed saving,
will be held at Bungan Edible
Sanctuary (7 Beach Rd, Newport),
from 9-11am. Other
Write a Picture
Book workshop
Head to Beachside Bookshop for the
Write a Picture Book Workshop on May
25 (6.30pm start) with award-winning
children’s book author Lesley Gibbes,
and learn everything you need to know.
Lesley will draw on her experience as
CBCA Early Childhood Book Of The
Year Honour Book, Scary Night, Bring a Duck, Quick as
a Wink Fairy Pink, Little Bear’s First Sleep and the hilarious
chapter book series Fizz, in this 90-minute workshop to help
get you started. $45 per person includes refreshments. Bookings
essential on 9918 9918 or info@beachsidebookshop.com
garden tours at Mona Vale
will include a honey bee talk
(at 22 Minmai Rd,12-12:45pm)
and a coffee growing and
harvest talk, followed by live
music and party at 1 Samuel
St (from 2pm). More info
www.permaculturenorthernbeaches.org.au
Biggest morning tea
One Australian is diagnosed
with cancer approximately
every five minutes – the length
of an average tea break. The
official date for the Cancer
Council’s major fundraiser
Australia’s Biggest Morning
Tea is Thursday 25 May but
you can host an event on any
day that suits you before now
and the end of June. Visit
biggestmorningtea.com.au.
End to busy
SLS season
Volunteer surf lifesavers
have lowered the flags on the
2016-17 patrol season. Since
September, 21,000 members
collectively volunteered over
560,000 hours of their time to
keep NSW beaches safe.
News
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 25

News
Wheels in motion for
injured wildlife
Sydney Wildlife – the volunteer
organisation which
helps care for Sydney’s native
animals – is celebrating 20
years this month.
Formed by a large group of
experienced wildlife carers
to meet the specific needs of
urban wildlife, Sydney Wildlife
volunteers are licensed by the
NSW National Parks & Wildlife
Service to rescue, rehabilitate
and release sick, injured and
orphaned native animals.
As well as providing a 24-
hour, 7-days rescue and advice
service, the group works to educate
the community about the
need to protect native animals
and preserve their habitats.
Sydney Wildlife Rehabilitation
Facility manager Joan Reid
explained the service received
more than 13,000 calls a year.
“We provide as much as assistance
as we can but we are
not vets and sometimes the
wildlife need treatment that
can only be provided by professional
veterinarians,” she said.
“At the moment we are
burdening our local vets with
injured wildlife and they are
having to bear the medical
costs, while our volunteer rescuers
bear all other costs.”
To help ease the load Joan
said the organisation was
working towards establishing a
Wildlife Mobile Clinic (concept
van above) which would be
staffed by volunteer veterinarians
and nurses.
Joan said the mobile clinic
would not only provide first
aid and emergency treatment
to native animals in the Sydney
metro area but could also be
deployed to areas where natural
disasters have occurred.
To achieve this ambitious
plan Sydney Wildlife needs
your help (and one or two
major sponsors) visit sydneywildlife.org.au
for more
information.
(If you choose to contribute
funds towards the mobile clinic
please write “clinic” on your
donation, Joan said.)
Vet
on
call
with
Dr Ben Brown
Beyond looking and
smelling better, a clean,
well-groomed dog is also
generally a healthier dog.
Long hair can block vision
in some dog breeds, while
matted hair can pull the
skin, causing pain. More
importantly, matting may lead
to severe skin problems due
to bacterial infections. It also
makes it harder to identify
and remove foreign material
and parasites.
Some grooming tasks, such
as bathing, brushing, and nail
trimming can be performed
at home. How frequently
these are required will
depend on the breed and on
how dirty they get. Trimming
nails may be difficult if your
dog is resistant to having its
paws handled, but if you do
manage, take care not to cut
the nail too far – stop before
the quick (usually a slightly
different colour).
Some dog breeds also
require regular haircuts.
While it is possible to do this
yourself, it can be surprisingly
complicated to get a good,
even cut. In general, it is
better to leave haircuts and
matt removal to a trained
professional groomer, who
is used to performing these
tasks on dogs of all sizes
and temperaments, and who
can identify any signs of skin
conditions at the same time.
Groomers often also perform
additional services such as
hand-stripping, dental checks
and ear cleaning. They can
also trim your dog’s nails.
Sydney Animal Hospitals
offer a full range of grooming,
clipping and washing services
for cats and dogs of all sizes
and breeds. Our grooming
station is staffed by trained
professionals, and is part of
our hospital, allowing annual
health checks and vaccinations
to be conducted at the same
visit, and any health problems
to be identified and attended
to immediately.
26 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

French
Connection
Life Stories
Growing up on a dairy farm with
no TV was the ideal start to a
life involving books, says Avalon
author Amanda Hampson...
Story by Rosamund Burton
a book is such a team effort,” says Avalon
author Amanda Hampson talking about her latest
“Writing
novel, The French Perfumer (Penguin 2017), a fastpaced,
amusing tale of suspense, set in the South of France in
the 1950s.
Sitting on her sofa in her central Avalon apartment she
explains that many of her local friends are writers and have
cheered her on and offered invaluable feedback during
the writing of the book. Two local authors have provided
endorsements. Susan Duncan, made famous by her memoir
Salvation Creek, describes it as: “A delightful, witty gem
of a book that will keep you guessing right to the end.”
Another local, Sarah Turnbull, author of Almost French
wrote: “Hampson has created a vivid world and colourful
characters… a tale with verve, sharp observations and
humour.”
“Avalon is a wonderful community for a creative person.
Two bookshops in a village this size is pretty amazing, as lots
of places don’t have a bookshop anymore.” says Amanda who
moved with her then partner and children to Bilgola Plateau
in 2001.
Amanda is currently developing a television series for her
second novel, Two for the Road, with Avalon-based television
writer, Tracey Trinder. Two for the Road was published in
2008, and is set in a fictitious seaside town but she admits the
landscape and the beaches are based on this area.
Hampson grew up on a dairy farm near Hamilton in New
Zealand. “We didn’t have television, so we read. When we went
to town once a week we went to the library. I gradually worked
through all the books in the library – the children’s section,
the classics, myths and legends – and I always wanted to be a
writer.”
Following her dream, she put her name down with the local
paper to become a cadet. However, in 1971, at the age of 16 she
fell pregnant. So she left school, and was put by her parents
in a home for unmarried mothers. After a couple of weeks
she ran away, and for six months moved from one place to
another answering ads offering board to unmarried mothers
for housework and childcare. When her son was born she gave
him up for adoption.
A couple of years later she married the father of her son.
“In those days when you have put up a child for adoption
all ties were completely severed. I tried many times over the
years to find out if he was alive, and was always told by the
Department of Welfare that they had no record of him.”
After she and her husband separated in the ’80s, she got
together with another partner. “I was in my mid-30s and we
wanted to have children. For five years I tried IVF, as well
as Chinese herbs and acupuncture to help me conceive,
and it didn’t happen. I discovered that a lot of women who
have relinquished their children can’t get pregnant again.”
Meanwhile the adoption laws had changed, the Department of
Welfare now said they had a record of her son, and that if she
wanted to write him a letter, it would be passed on.
“I received a letter from him, and a couple of months later,
I was pregnant. I had my daughter when I was 39 and my
second son, aged 42.” Her first book, Battles with The Baby
Gods, published in 1997, was about her experiences.
28 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

It’s now been 21 years since Amanda and her son Darren
renewed their relationship.
“In 2013, we ran the New York marathon together to
celebrate his 40th birthday. Neither of us were runners, but
we both trained. We wanted to do something just for the two
of us.”
Although people say that writing a book is like running
a marathon, she believes that book writing is like training
to run a marathon. “Initially, you run one kilometre, are
completely exhausted, and can’t imagine how you would run
42km.” But, she explains, having run one kilometre a couple
of times, she ran two, and then three, and after a couple of
months thought 7km was quite a relaxing run. “It’s the same
with a novel. You write a bit, and a bit more, and eventually
you get to the end. It’s really an exercise in having faith that
you can do it, and tenacity.”
This fit 62-year-old obviously has incredible tenacity. It
took five years to write her first novel, The Olive Sisters, which
was inspired by a brief tree change she made from Sydney
to the Hunter Valley in 2000. Having written 50,000 words,
she realised she had the wrong protagonist, so started again
from scratch. Philosophically, she saw this as all part of the
learning process.
The Olive Sisters was published in 2005, and the movie
rights were auctioned to an American producer. She wrote and
re-wrote the screenplay for different directors and producers,
but funding for the film never eventuated. However, that
training in screenplay writing, she believes, has made her
novel narrative far more dynamic.
Her publisher had had nothing from her for eight years
when she submitted the manuscript of The French Perfumer.
“Within 24 hours I received the email that every writer
dreams of getting, ‘I absolutely love it,’ it said. ‘I couldn’t love
it more.’”
Hampson believes her love of a yarn comes from her
father, who is from Liverpool in England, where there is a
strong storytelling tradition. Innately aware of the factors
which make a good tale Amanda is in demand, not only as
a writer, but also a teacher, giving workshops at the NSW
Writers Centre, and this month at the Sydney Writers’ Festival.
Nearer to home she’s taught writing workshops, including on
memoir, at Avalon Recreation Centre, as well as Mona Vale
Library and Berkelouw Books.
Her next novel, which she is currently working on, is about
two English couples living in France.
“The themes in my work are families, children, new places,
and the sense of place and community, because they really
are the fabric of my life,” she concludes with a smile.
* You can hear Amanda Hampson talking about The French
Perfumer at Berkelouw Books’ Mother’s Day event on
Saturday 6 May. For more info go to berkelouw.com.au/
events
Life Stories
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Celebrating running the New York marathon
with son Darren; aged 17; four generations – celebrating her father’s 88th
birthday; launching her novel at Cafe Racer in March; family and friends
snaps; with her two youngest children and her son’s girlfriend.
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 29

MUM’S
THE
We could all do with some advice on
finding that elusive work-life balance. We
asked six mums how they juggle work
and kids. Stories told to LISA OFFORD
Special Feature
WORD
Few things in life are as rewarding as being a mum and
being a wildlife rescuer, says Sydney Wildlife’s Lynleigh
Greig, 45. A qualified snake-handler, Lynleigh is on call
24/7. Fortunately, her husband of 20 years Justin “tolerates
having a house full of recuperating wildlife”.
Lynleigh says: “Together, we are raising two
environmentally aware teenagers (Connor, 16, and Kayleigh,
13) who realise that the world does not, in fact, revolve
around them and that there are more important things to
worry about than fashion and fitting in. They are the dearest
offspring in all the land!
Top tips: “Luckily my ‘job’ is fascinating to my kids, so one
of my tips is to involve the family and make it interesting for
them. Many life lessons have come wrapped up in a bundle
of fur or rolled up into a cranky package of reptilian scales.
Our kids have also learnt we can’t always put their needs first.
There are situations that require them to wait their turn.”
Brooke Castle, 42, owner and Managing Director of
Brooke Withers Swim School has a son Jackson, 4, with
husband Matt and share their home half of the time with
Brooke’s stepchildren Ashton, 11, and Marnie, 9.
Brooke says: “During my working day I oversee the running
of the business by liaising with my team to ensure smooth
operation. This all happens between pre-school drop-off and
pick-up. Like most mothers I am always busy organising all
aspects of the home, so the magic for the business tends to
happen when all small people are sleeping, consequently my
staff often receive emails at all hours of the night!”
Top tips: “I find ‘balance’ comes with being social and
spending as much time with my family and friends as I can.
Not only does our house embrace our children and often
their friends, we also have two dogs, a cat, a budgie and t wo
turtles. We keep an open-door rule at our house, with our
friends and family always welcome.”
30 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Audiologist and Director of Pittwater Hearing Emma van
Wanrooy, 42, works “around” a 40-hour week and is mum
to Leo, 18 months, and Claudia 9.
Emma says: “There are things that make life easier as a
working mum, including flexible hours and working close to
home, high quality, reliable childcare, and a good support
network. Not least a good partnership with my husband both
for looking after the kids and getting things done at home.
Top tips: “Keeping a routine reduces stress, says Emma. “For
Leo, this is more around being fed and in bed at the same time
every night. For Claudia, this is about knowing what happens
each day after school. It reduces the chances of confusions
and mix-ups.” Emma also plans all the meals for the week –
“so we only need to do one big shop, and when I get home, I
know what I’m cooking and the ingredients are all there.” Also,
“Clean, healthy and happy kids are more important than how
the house looks, and I squeeze in the cleaning when I can.”
Amy Towner, 33 and husband Andrew own The 2107
restaurant in Avalon Beach and are the contracted caterers
at Palm Beach Golf Club. The mum of one-year-old Bailey
works part-time (25 hours plus) looking after the back of
house – accounts and marketing for both businesses and
on weekends you’ll see Amy on the floor working.
Amy says: “If I have Bailey I tend to work around his
schedule, so when he is sleeping I am working. Generally
7-11pm is my most productive time. Tuesdays and weekends
grandparents and Bailey’s aunty and uncle look after him
while Andrew and I are working which I’m very grateful for!”
Top tips: “To be honest I haven’t quite mastered the work-life
balance yet – but I am working on it! The best piece of advice
I have been given was to not be afraid to ask for help. No-one
can do everything by themselves. Thank god for friends and
family, they make a very hectic life all the sweeter and more
bearable!”
Special Feature
Sales Consultant for Fantasea Cruising Pittwater Emma
Smith, 40, works 26 hours over three days a week. On
working days she and her two children Summer, 8, and
Rio, 5, are up and out of the house by 8am so Emma can
get to Palm Beach for an 8.45am start.
Emma says: “M y work days are quite varied and that’s what
I really enjoy. I arrange private charters for special events,
organise the marketing for our Whale Watching cruises,
along with taking the bookings. I also look after the sourcing
of our homewares and gifts and the merchandising. There’s
a constant flow of locals and people from all over the world
coming into the store, which keeps it interesting.”
Top tips: “It’s important to stay in the moment and be present
with children and loved ones. Life can move by quickly, so it’s
good to slow things down and enjoy the precious moments that
you have together. I’m lucky to have my family’s support and
to live and work in such a beautiful area.”
Principal dentist and owner of Avalon Beach Family Dental
and mum to Caitlin, 9, and Chloe 6, Astrid Kylstra
recognises she’s lucky her husband happily shoulders
some of the day-to-day parenting duties, she has
wonderful staff who step up when required, her home,
school and business is within a 5k radius and she is part of
a community who help each other ease the load.
Astrid says: “I work three and a half days a week and on
those afternoons after school the girls either catch the bus to
art class, go to netball practice or go to OOSH (out of school
hours care), which is a fabulous service. On the one late night
I work, my husband picks the girls up and they go out for
pizza. I also work on Saturday mornings and my husband is
more than happy to be the ‘netball mum’.”
Top tips: “Even with support it can still be a bit frantic… the
best advice (that I don’t always follow) to survive the juggle is
to leave the guilt at the door and value yourself.”
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 31

Special Feature
Mother’s Day Gift Guide
Lindsay & Edmunds
Give the gift of chocolate this
Mother’s Day – and so much
more! Lindsay & Edmunds
was created by former chef
Peter Edmunds from his
passion for the superior taste
and environmental benefit
of quality organic food,
combined with his love of
the French chocolatier. Made
right here on the peninsula,
L&E Fairtrade premium
Belgian organic handmade
chocolates are the perfect
Mother’s Day indulgence.
They also offer introductory
chocolate making courses
($85) after which you can step
up and improve your skills
with an intermediate course
($145). Gift certificates are
available. Try their popular
Slab chocolates in dark, milk
or white – great varieties
including Dark Honey &
Almond Praline, Brandied
Raisin & Roast Almond, and
White Tropical Fruits. All L&E
chocolates are made with the
finest single-origin Belgian
couverture. Find Peter and
the team at 3 Apollo Street,
Warriewood (open Monday
to Saturday). Plus, in the
lead-up to Mother’s Day, you
will find their pop-up shop at
Warriewood Square (May 8-14)
– perfect for last-minute gifts.
www.lindsayandedmunds.
com.au. P: 9979 2666
Nothing Butt Lingerie
Nothing Butt Lingerie have a fabulous range of gifts for
Mother’s Day, including a variety of beautiful sleepwear
from stockists Victoria Dreams and Schrank, Givoni,
Florence Broadhurst, Billy Dreams, Yuu, French Country
and silks from Ginia and Simply Silk. New lingerie sets
from Blush, Simone Perele, Heidi Klum and Pleasure
State are gorgeous including black lace body suits from
Simone Perele and Palindrome. There is a range of satin
robes and kimonos from Pierre Cardin, Essence and
Palindrome. All gifts are gift wrapped. Everyday bras and
briefs from Triumph, Berlei and Jockey are always available
and trained bra fitters are in store at all times. Drop
by and see Chris and her team for any assistance with
gifts or speciality bra fittings. P: 9999 1462
ecodownunder
Choose a gift for Mothers’ Day
that gives twice! ecodownunder
has created a new collection in
support of the McGrath Foundation’s
‘Moments with Mum’
campaign. They’re donating
20% of online sales from the
collection (using promo code
MCGRATH) until 14th May. Shop
from the collection and in doing
so help the McGrath Foundation
raise money to place specialist
McGrath Breast Care Nurses
wherever they’re needed, and
make breast health understanding
a priority. To shop from the
32 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

collection go to www.ecodownunder.com.au
and click on the
McGrath Foundation logo at the
bottom of the web page. The
McGrath Foundation ‘Moments
with Mum’ campaign is encouraging
mothers and daughters
around the country to start a
conversation that matters about
breast health. So far more than
50,000 families have been supported
by 117 McGrath Breast
Care Nurses – but there are still
more families to be reached
who are going through breast
cancer.
Gidgets Beach Shack
Gidgets Beach Shack – now in two
locations at Mona Vale and in Avalon
– is the perfect stop for your Mother’s
Day gifts. They have the most amazing
mohair ponchos and wraps, perfect for
the cooler weather arriving. Their Avalon
Store now stocks labels Ping Pong,
See Saw, Vigorella and Nicole Fendel
Jewellery (what character Nina wears
in the Channel 10 hit ‘Offspring’). They
stock a small range of ‘Summer’ fashion
all year round, so if you plan on going on
a cruise or holiday in the sun, drop by –
they might have the perfect dress/kaftan
for you! Their store caters for ladies of
all ages at very affordable prices. They
also have a huge range of fashion
jewellery, sterling silver jewellery and
accessories. “And we now have a loyalty
program – make sure you join when you
purchase (it’s free) you could be earning
dollars to spend on future purchases,”
says owner Sarah. “And our store is
available for fundraising events, as well
as ladies shopping day/nights – you
can walk out with cash in your pockets,
with just a minimum of 10 people
required. And the food and drinks are
supplied by us!” P: 9979 7215 (Mona Vale)
or 9918 0266 (Avalon).
Special Feature
Billabong Retreat
Billabong Retreat is a magical eco-retreat offering affordable
wellness and relaxation short-breaks situated just 45 minutes
from Sydney’s CBD, yet feeling like a million miles away. Treat
mum to a visit to help her unwind, be pampered, learn simple
wellness techniques and enjoy delicious healthy foods. Each retreat
includes twice-daily workshops introducing all aspects of
yoga, mindfulness and meditation and they’re suitable for any
level of experience or fitness. The delicious cuisine is all-included
and offers organic meals made from wholefood ingredients
locally sourced from producers. There’s a range of accommodation
including tree-house ensuite cabins with private balconies
overlooking the water, some with outdoor roll-top bath, and
guests can enjoy the stunning new aqua therapy magnesium
mineral swimming pool and private spa treatments. Abundant
with colourful native wildlife, vistors can spot hundreds of
bird species, albino-faced black wallabies, lace monitors, deer,
micro-bats, water lizards and at night the whole place throbs to
the chorus of frogs and cicadas. For more info check out www.
billabongretreat.com.au. P: 02 4573 6080
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 33

Mother’s Day Gift Guide
Special Feature
Flora Faux
Interior designer and
florist, Christine Battersby,
is the creative
force behind Flora Faux.
Her inspiration is derived
from nature’s splendour,
a love of gardening and
her observation of all
things beautiful. “We
are all enthralled by the
magnificence
of David Jones’
Floriade or when
we enter an international
hotel and
are rewarded with
the vision of huge
floral displays – so
we aspire to provide
a smaller version
of such grandeur
to enhance
the décor in your home or
workplace,” said Christine.
Her creations range from
cottage simplicity and
unpretentious elegance to
showy opulence. There is
something for everyone in
her stunning collection.
Christine’s exquisite floral
arrangements are individually
crafted and are sold
ready to showcase in your
home
or workplace.
Your favourite
flowers will
be on display
all year round
whatever the
season. Superb
quality and amazingly
realistic, all designs
are lovingly created to
Christine’s exacting
standards. She will also
make to order – and loves
to be challenged. The Flora
Faux gallery is located on
the northern beaches and
is open to you by appointment.
P: 0410 554 557
Natcha Thai Massage
Spoil mum this May with a relaxing visit to Mona Vale’s hidden
treasure ‘Natcha Thai Massage And Spa’. This serene space
located in the Peninsula Plaza Building on Bungan St is tucked
between MGS Physio and The Art Shop. A keystone of Thailand’s
Traditional Healing system for more than 2000 years, Natcha’s
invigorating massage therapies embrace the most effective Thai
Massage Techniques. Their “heavenly hands” and aromatic oils
loosen tight muscles, improve circulation, soothe the mind, nurture
the spirit and promote overall wellbeing. Feel your muscles
being kneaded and the tension unravel. This Mother’s Day and
for the whole of May, Natcha is offering a 55-minute Aromatherapy
Massage plus 20-minute Foot Massage for just $80. Or
you or mum might like to try their ongoing special of 90 Minutes
Thai, Thai oil, Aromatherapy or Reflexology Massage for $100.
Gift Certificates are available. Open Monday through Saturday,
9:30am – 7pm at Shop 11 / 20 Bungan St Mona Vale. P: 9979 5318
34 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Utopia Lingerie
Help mum to feel special with the gift of luxurious sleepwear or
lingerie from this specialist shop at Narrabeen. Owner Julia recommends
the nighties range, from silk chemises to full-length cotton
jerseys to keep older bones warm. Brands include Ginia Silk, Arianne,
Palindrome and Schrank. They also stock classical favourite
sleepwear brand Givoni. “With winter approaching, treat mum to a
pair of gorgeous, comfortable slippers from Grosby,” said Julia. “Our
lingerie includes beautiful lace bra and brief sets in all price ranges
and various sizes, with quality brands Heidi Klum, Pleasure State,
Fayreform, Lovable, Berlei, Jockey, Simone Perele, Triumph, Bassoni,
Freya and Fantasie.” There are winter button-through gowns for
mature mums and fab new trendy gowns from Pierre Cardin. They
now stock lounge wear and Kaftans, plus French perfumed artificial
flowers from $20. If
you’re not quite sure
what mum might like,
relax – Utopia offer
Gift Vouchers. “And
we have trained bra
fitters in-store,” said
Julia. Utopia Lingerie
was situated at Warriewood
Square for
10 years – now you’ll
find them on Pittwater
Rd at Narrabeen
(opposite Bunnings).
P: 9913 7091
Avalon
Floral Art
It’s one of the most
exciting times of the
year for owners Lisa,
Danny and their
wonderful team of
talented floral stylists
– and they would be
only too happy to assist
you in finding the
perfect arrangement
for your mum. Their
shop near the entrance
to Angophora
Arcade in Avalon is full
of gorgeous fresh blooms ranging from traditional Mother’s
Day chrysanthemums to tulips, perfumed oriental lilies and
of course roses. Beautifully handcrafted native and tropical
bouquets are popular, or for something a bit different,
fabulous frilled and parrot tulips are spectacular. They also
have a wide range of potted plants including stunning phalaenopsis
orchids, cyclamen and chrysanthemums. You can
even surprise mum by having something special delivered
to her on the day. Pop into the store or call to pre-order your
Mother’s Day flowers or go to avalonfloralart.com.au for a
browse and to place your order. See more of their work on
Instagram and Facebook. P: 9918 2711
Richards’ Shoes
Feel the chill in the air? Winter
is almost breathing cold down
our necks – so now’s the perfect
time to help mum into a pair of
toasty warm slippers to help her
start her busy day. Mona Vale’s
Richards’ Shoes – the leading
shoe specialist and fitter on the
Northern Beaches – stocks a huge
range of warm footwear that
would make an ideal Mother’s
Day gift (or even just as musthaves
for the change in season).
These include genuine Australian-made
Emu Ugg Boots – noted
for their sturdy construction
and fur-lined comfort. And as
a special offer for Pittwater Life
readers they’re offering up to $20
off the Emu Ugg range. Also as a
bonus for mums and daughters,
Richards’ is continuing their
post-Easter Special on their entire
ladies’ boots range, with $25 off
every pair bought before May 31.
Just mention you read about it
in Pittwater Life! Drop in at 4/3
Bungan St; the friendly team will
be happy to assist. P: 9999 6065
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 35
Special Feature

Art Life
Art Life
Set the mood at interior
design Open Day
If it’s anything like their
last event, interior design
enthusiasts will be heading in
their droves to Sydney Design
School’s June Open Day. This
unique opportunity to get creative
building an interior mood
board, meet practising designers
and watch studio demonstrations
is not to be missed.
“Our Open Days are about
rolling your sleeves up – if
you’re passionate about
interiors we encourage you
to join us and experiment
with colour and ideas or grab
a coffee and watch one of
our Educators at work,” says
Director, Amanda Grace.
The school is known for its
personal and industry-focused
approach to design education
favouring small class sizes,
hands-on learning and real
briefs developed by experienced
interior designers and
architects.
Their accredited career
courses are crafted to produce
graduates whose technical
skills and ability to think creatively
allow them to pursue
roles in top design firms or establish
their own businesses.
Since launching their online
platform, Interior Design Online,
in 2014 they are now able
to offer their courses to online
students all over the world.
“Life is busy with work
and family and not all of our
students can learn on campus.
Our online creatives are proving
it’s possible to change
careers by studying anytime,
anywhere,” explains Amanda.
The Sydney Design School
Open Day is on Saturday 17
June from 10am-12pm; head
to level 2, 40 Oxley Street, St
Leonards.
* Next enrolments are in July
– register online at sydneydesignschool.com.au
Artists launch trail with
The wait is nearly over – the
Pittwater Artists Trail are
making the final preparations
for the launch of their exciting
2017 schedule which will
feature a dynamic group exhibition
at the Newport Community
Centre during the Queen’s
Birthday long weekend in June.
Organisers say this year’s
selection of talented artists
introduces many new faces to
the 2017 Trail, each inspired
by the Pittwater environment,
resources and community.
Artistic expression among
the group delivers diverse
mediums that include metalsmithing,
jewellery, textiles,
ceramics, sculpture, mosaics,
illustration, painting, pastels,
glass and mixed media.
The June long weekend
exhibition will introduce you to
this wonderful scope of work
that continues its commercial
success among clients of local,
metropolitan and outer Sydney
regions.
Opening night will feature
live music and opportunities to
meet the new and diverse artists,
as well as discover what
some of the seasoned Trail
artists have been up to since
the end of 2016.
Jeweller Tabitha Higgins said
she was most looking forward
to networking with her peers
and sharing and feeding off
Showcase ‘Cabaret’
art at Glen Street
Northern Beaches artists
are being invited to “come
to the cabaret” by showcasing
their artistic talents at a
special art exhibition being
staged by Glen Street Theatre.
Northern Beaches Council’s
Glen Street Theatre
Curator Rachel
Carroll said it was
the first time the
theatre had held
an art exhibition
that mirrored the
theme of the theatre’s
stage production,
a five-day
cabaret festival.
“This is a great
opportunity for
local Northern
Beaches artists to present and
place on sale an artwork on the
theme of ‘cabaret’,” said Rachel.
“Our local Northern Beaches
artistic community is very
talented so I’m excited about
what we might get to see. We
are also proud to be offering a
$500 People’s Choice Award.
“We will be showcasing the
cabaret artwork and etchings
of Avalon native and former
Archibald Prize winner Wendy
Sharpe, who will officially
open the exhibition.”
Wendy Sharpe won the
1996 Archibald
Prize with her
self-portrait as
‘Diana of Erskineville’
(pictured
is her artwork
‘Anything Goes
– Venus Vamp
2013’).
The art exhibition
runs from
October 3-22 to
coincide with the
five-day cabaret
stage show festival held from
October 18-22. However, artists
wishing to apply should
visit glenstreet.com.au and
complete the online form by
Monday, 26 June. (Art is limited
to 2-D works and spaces
are limited.) More info email
rsvp@glenstreet.com.au.
36 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

June group exhibition
the energy of the many artists
in the group exhibition.
“And the launch exhibition
for the new trail line-up is
an excellent opportunity for
visitors looking to discover
local artists, as it provides a
wide variety of unique and
distinctive work that reflects
this wonderful region.”
Opening night of the
seventh year of the Pittwater
Artists Trail is on Friday
evening 9th June from 6-8pm;
the exhibition continues daily
10am-4pm through to Monday
12th June (10am-3pm).
And make a date for the
next open studio artists trails
in October 2017 and March
2018 – here visitors will be
fascinated by the processes
behind each artist’s creations
and the evolution of their
design and production, with
access to the artist’s most
current works and developments
available for sale.
For more information on
the 2017 Artists Trail and
participating artists visit the
website at www.pittwaterartiststrail.com.au
Watch out for new brochures
which will be available
from popular cafes, businesses
and libraries along the
northern beaches, as well as
updates in Pittwater Life.
– Nigel Wall
Art Life
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 37

Young Life
Young Life
Alanna earns
top honour
C
ongratulations to Pittwater
High School student
Alanna Reneman, the topranked
Aboriginal student
in HSC Aboriginal Studies in
2016.
Achieving a very high
mark and Band 6 in the
subject, her achievement
is even more impressive
given Alanna completed the
Aboriginal Studies course
as a Year 11 student in its
inaugural year at Pittwater
High.
Alanna was presented
with her award at the
NSW Aboriginal Education
Consultative Group 40th
anniversary dinner.
During an eloquent
speech Alanna thanked principal
Jane Ferris, her inspiring
teachers Ms Behringer
and Ms McLean and her
“beautiful mum and dad”.
“This subject has taught
me more about myself than
I ever would have thought
possible,” the current Year
12 student said.
“It is something I recommend
for all students,
Indigenous or not, and is
an experience I will never
forget.”
Her speech was met with
a standing ovation, indicating
Alanna is set on a path
to becoming an influential
role model.
Why grey matters
Expect to see plenty of
people on the beaches
wearing grey beanies over
the next few months showing
their support for brain cancer
research and the wonderful
work of our local charity
Mums for Mums.
Supporting families from
Newport, Avalon and Bilgola
Public Schools during times
of illness and bereavement,
Mums for Mums began in 2011
as a one-off fundraiser for
a friend who was battling a
brain tumour.
The mums held a movie
night and the funds raised
helped to support their
friend’s family.
At the same time it became
apparent other local
families would also welcome
the warmth of a community
behind them.
Mums for Mums grew;
it became a licensed charity
and over the past six years
has discretely reached
out, quietly providing assistance
with cleaning,
laundry, meals, car pooling
and support for more than 40
local families going through
difficult times.
The charity is run by volunteers
steered by a committee
of 15 women from the three
schools and relies completely
on the generosity of the community
to carry out its work.
A major fundraiser this year
is June’s #onebeanieatatime to
help raise awareness and support
brain cancer research.
Partnering with Sydney
Neuro Oncology Group at
North Shore Hospital, Mums
for Mums have a quantity of
grey beanies for sale.
Why grey? The group explains:
“Our brains are often
referred to as our grey matter
and our brains matter so
much… especially when you
Book Review
Little Pip Eats
The Colours of
the Rainbow
Baby Pip Eats
Amie Harper
Murdoch Books $24.99
consider this terrifying statistic:
One person is diagnosed
with brain cancer every 6
hours in Australia.”
You can purchase a beanie
for $20 by heading to the website
mumsformums.org.au.
Proceeds will the shared
equally between Mums for
Mums and SNOG.
Former Narrabeen resident,
Amie Harper, is giving
Annabel Karmel a run for her
money and bringing a fresh Australian perspective to baby
and toddler nutrition.
Amie, a nutritionist, recipe developer, food stylist and
mum of Pip and Jim, has just followed up her first cookbook
Baby Pip Eats with another water-watering range of
healthy and colourful meals which the whole family can
enjoy.
Included with each recipe are the nutrients it boasts,
and tips for packing flavour punch. Many of the dishes are
suitable to involve small people in prepping such as Sweet
Potato Gnocchi or Strawberry and Cream Scones.
Every dish Amie has included are based on her own
food journey of introducing her children from the age of 6
months to solids. And she really hits her stylist s trides in
producing a book that looks yummy enough to eat.
– Libby Armstrong
PHOTO: Keiva Baker Photography
38 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Boating Life
Avalon SC helping time-poor
mums and dads learn to sail
Avalon Sailing Club (ASC)
years, and able to swim. The
– well-respected for its
course fee is $495 (including
long and successful history
GST) and includes a simple
in teaching youngsters to sail
text and course notes.
– is conducting its inaugural
A friendly, family-oriented
adult Learn to Sail course,
club, ASC is one of the
commencing Saturday 20
leading volunteer-run sailing
May. Lessons on land and
clubs on Pittwater.
water will take place at the
“We have been fostering
clubhouse in Clareville and
the enjoyment of sailing the
will comprise four sessions
waters of Pittwater since
of 3-3½ hours on consecutive
being founded in 1938,” said
Saturdays.
Toni. “It all started when an
“We are delighted to
enthusiastic band of sailors
offer this beginners course
gathered together on Clareville
for adults, to help people
Beach and started racing VJs
experience another way of
and later, VSs and Moths.”
enjoying beautiful Pittwater
For more information on the
– what better place to learn
club visit avalonsailingclub.
to sail?” said Toni Fox, ASC
com.au; for more information
Vice Commodore. “Sailing
and to express interest in the
is a sport that you can take
adult Learn to Sail Course,
up at any age and continue
contact Chad Leggett on 0476
until any age, so if you have
790 826.
watched others enjoying
yachting on beautiful
Pittwater in envy, you have
a chance to give it a go
yourself,” she said.
The course, led by a
qualified instructor, will suit
beginners who are keen to
sail their own small sailboats
or yachts or start crewing in
yacht races, and will cover
basic theory, terminology
and skills. The club’s four
2-person dinghies will be
used so you will get wet
(that’s part of the fun of
sailing in small sailboats!).
Participants must be over 18
Boating Life
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 39

Surfing Life
Surfing Life
Case is closed: From
the silly to the sublime
What makes great surf sports? A lot of stuff – but actually running them helps, writes Nick.
Surfing great waves with
great surfers is a serious
high, and never more so
than in 2017. That’s the main
thing I learned – well, re-learned
– at Bells Beach this Easter.
It was the second major
surf sports event I’d attended
in four weeks. The first, the
Australian surf lifesaving
championships at North Kirra
in Queensland, had ended
in farce after organisers had
cancelled the water events
on finals weekend, throwing
thousands of athletes and their
families into confused disarray.
The Rip Curl Pro at Bells,
on the other hand, ended in
triumph. It concluded a threeevent
opening leg of the World
Surf League’s Championship
Tour on the highest possible
note: solid waves, phenomenal
surfing, and a surge of delighted
support from the sport’s millionstrong
global fan base.
Why was Bells so epic? I
dunno if there’s a simple
answer, other than the one at
the beginning of this column,
and let’s face it, that’s a pretty
personal sentiment. Not
everyone totally enjoys surfing
with a bunch of frothing
superstar pros, all of whom
want everyone else’s waves as
well as their own.
As much as anything, I
Kelly Slater failed to blow minds downunder; even he is beginning to suspect his days are numbered.
suspect it was the confluence
of classic storylines weaving in
and out among the long days
of spectacular performance.
There was a tale here for
anyone to follow. None much
more fascinating than the slow
erosion of Kelly Slater.
Kelly’s been at the top of
this game so long, people
are still talking about him
having a crack at a 12th
world championship. I think
maybe they are refusing to
believe the evidence of their
own eyesight. Even Kelly the
uber-competitor himself is
beginning to suspect his days
are truly numbered. This
whole Aussie leg, he failed to
blow minds. At Bells, he won a
first round heat and was then
drawn against Mick Fanning,
one of his great rivals of the
with Nick Carroll
past 15 years.
Five years ago, their clash
in the final here was the
great moment of the event:
Kelly throwing down a nearimpossible
360 air rotation
for a perfect 10 wave score,
but not quite backing it up
enough to beat a brilliantly
consistent Mick. In 2017, it
was awful. KS rode his first
wave like a disco dancer. Mick
40 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

NICK’S MAY SURF FORECAST
Ah the Darling Buds of May! That’s the title of a pastoral novel
by the English writer H.E. Bates. If H.E. Bates had been a surfer
round these parts, the title might have been more like The Dirty
Great ECLs of May. Yes folks, this is the time of year when the
south-west Pacific typically rolls up its sleeves and decides to
smash us all into the next world (ie. winter) with a coastal storm
or three. Me, I reckon it’s all going to be delayed a bit. This
crazy hot summer we’ve just battled through is leaving its mark
on the evolution of 2017’s seasons. April looked a lot like a
normal March and May is likely to look a lot like a normal April,
at least at first – plenty of cool to mild days, not a heap of wind,
and lots of local residents wandering around saying things
like “I love this time of year!” And maybe just occasionally, a
cold wet windy bombshell of a day when everyone but a surfer
stays inside. Keep an eye on the ocean this month and obey
the golden rule: if you see a wave breaking, ride it.
rode his like I might. Kelly
rode his second like someone
riding a mechanical bull in
a cowboy theme bar. Mick
rode his second like a hurdler
on the edge of tripping. On
a day when lesser-known
pros were ripping out eights
and nines like overly excited
Easter bunnies, these two
epic champions couldn’t put
together a seven.
The peanut gallery
blamed Kelly’s boards, which
look twitchy and unhappy
underfoot. I suspect he’s
carrying an injury, something
in his hip or lower back, and
refusing to admit it. But the
cold fact is, either way, he’s
being overwhelmed by the
surge of younger, faster,
fresher talent in the field.
Mick survived that heat and
went on to pick up form and
energy. For about 20 minutes
of the second heat on finals
day, he was on fire. I watched
from the famed Bells steps as
he dismantled a big powerful
new swell with style and class.
“He’s turned up!” muttered his
Gold Coast mate Joel Parkinson.
Mick had, but so had Johnny
Florence. John, 24, is the current
world champion; he spent a lot
of the Aussie leg showing the
world why he’ll almost certainly
win again in 2017, and never to
finer effect than right then, at
the back end of this heat, with
Fanning holding a combination
points lead.
Plenty of people saw this on
TV, but I think you had to be
watching live to see what John
did. He drilled his way back
into the heat on the 20-minute
mark with an absolutely
Celebrating 25 Years
Nick Carroll
scores. Then picked off the
second and vastly more
important wave of a set, and
completely unloaded on it.
The judges only split it away
from Caio’s best ride by 0.17
– 9.77 to 9.6 – but it might
as well have been happening
in another solar system. The
sense of an impending win
seemed to cause Jordy to
finally relax into himself. His
last ride was his finest of the
contest: fired up, incredibly
fast twitch, the transfers of
power coming so swiftly and
smoothly it seemed almost a
little surreal, in the dusky late
light of that great day.
I was too jazzed to think
of it at the time. But later, I
couldn’t help but reflect on
the ironic counterpoints of
Bells and the Aussies. Fifty
years ago, the surf club
movement pretty much turned
its back on surfing. The
common wisdom within many
SLSCs at the time was that
surfers were lazy, good-fornothing
bludgers who among
other things, couldn’t organise
their ways out of a paper bag.
And today? Surfers run
epic sporting events worth
millions of dollars with pinpoint
timing in dramatic heavy
surf, broadcast near-flawlessly
online and across cable TV
networks worldwide, with
support from government
tourism offices, global surf
businesses, and hundreds of
thousands of fans.
And the SLSA can’t run its
own national titles in one-foot
surf, on days when almost
every Gold Coast beach is
open to the public, 300 people
are surfing within sight at
Snapper Rocks, and a regional
surf teams contest is going
ahead just two beaches away.
Maybe it’s time the SLSA
asked itself: what do the
surfers know that we don’t?
scalding ride on a slightly
smaller wave. Then he just
kept giving himself chances.
Got super close to a winning
score twice and would not
let go. Used all his paddling
Nick Carroll is a leading
speed and lineup management
skills. And then pulled the
Australian and international
almost literally impossible – a
surf writer, author, filmmaker
and surfer, and one
huge full rotation air, on a
choppy six foot wave in the
of Newport’s own. Email:
Bells bowl. Toe tip control.
ncsurf@ozemail.com.au
He had so much time, he
even let the board shift and
wiggle underneath him before
putting it down on the face
like he was setting a teacup
back in its saucer.
That was the move of a
world champ who’s gonna go
on with it.
Improbably Johnny was
bumped in the semi-final
round by Caio Ibelli, a secondyear
Brazilian pro who’d been
one of the form surfers at
Bells from the start. Caio was
in the final of the best event in
ages, and anyone in a final has
a shot. But Caio had peaked
in that semi with Johnny, and
his rival Jordy Smith hadn’t.
Jordy, a big South African of
confounding talent, is usually
the perennial Early Peaker –
winning a quarterfinal with
insane speed and power, then
losing the plot down the track.
Not this Bells. As the epic final
day evolved, and set after set
of solid three metre waves
roared across the surf zone, I
watched Jordy construct wins,
fighting for them, keeping
his surfing under a tight rein,
sometimes seeming to fight
his board in the process.
Then in the final, he stepped
up. Racked a couple of good
MAY 2017 41
Surfing Life

Health & Wellbeing
Health & Wellbeing
Undetected eye issues a
threat to kids’ learning
The 1st school term for
2017 is over; now is the
time to review how your
child is going – and how they
are seeing.
Healthy vision is important
for your child’s educational,
physical and social development
and to help them reach
their full learning potential.
Did you know that one in
four children has an undetected
eye problem and one in
three parents have never taken
their child for an eye examination,
despite eye examinations
being covered by Medicare.
With 80 per cent of all
learning experienced through
vision, it is no surprise that
children with undetected
vision problems often fail to
progress well in school.
Children’s vision and vision
needs can change dramatically
from one year to the next, so a
thorough regular eye examination
is important.
Many children continue to
experience undetected and
unnecessary vision problems
– and often they assume that
how they see is normal. We
need to be able to recognise
the signs of a vision problem,
and to ensure children are
examined regularly to detect
any problems early.
Symptoms to watch out for in
your children include:
● Complaints of blurred vision,
headaches, or sore eyes;
● Delayed progress in reading
ability;
● A turned eye, red or watery
eyes, and frequent blinking;
● Poor hand-eye co-ordination;
and
● Losing their place or omitting
words and skipping
lines when reading.
with Rowena Beckenham
Once recognised, these
problems are usually easy to
correct, which is why early
detection and treatment of
eye and vision problems are
important.
Give your kids the right
start. Get their eyes ready for
the classroom.
Schedule an appointment
today to make sure your child
is ready for another big term
of learning, development and
fun!
Comment supplied by Rowena Beckenham, of
Beckenham Optometrist in Avalon (9918 0616). Rowena
has been involved in all facets of independent private
practice optometry in Avalon for 16 years, in addition
to working as a consultant to the optometric and
pharmaceutical industry, and regularly volunteering in
Aboriginal eyecare programs in regional NSW.
42 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Slow down sight loss
with early detection
Age-related macular degeneration
is the major cause
of vision impairment and blindness
in Australia for people
over the age of 50 however if
caught early there are therapies
that can dramatically slow
its progression.
AMD damages the part of
the retina responsible for central
vision and makes it difficult
to see small details of objects,
explained Avalon-based optometrist
Rowena Beckenham.
“Side vision is not affected
– if both eyes are affected reading
and other tasks requiring
fine vision may become very
difficult,” Rowena said.
Rowena explained AMD was
a result of ageing processes in
the eye. Some of the layers of
the retina thicken and waste
material, which is usually
removed from the retina, forms
deposits, distorting the retina.
This distortion can cause
damage to the other layers of
the retina.
“In about 10 per cent of
cases, new blood vessels grow
into the macula from beneath,”
Risk factors
n Age
Macular degeneration
is primarily age related,
affecting one in seven
people over the age of 50, in
Australia.
n Family History
People with a family history
of macular degeneration
have a 50 percent chance of
developing the disease.
n Smoking
Smokers and people that have
smoked are three times more
likely to develop macular
degeneration.
* Source Macular Disease
Foundation Australia
Celebrating 25 Years
Rowena said.
“These newly-formed vessels
are fragile and often leak blood
into the retina, where the blood
causes scar tissue to form – the
scarring severely blocks central
vision.”
Early AMD occurs in about
14 per cent of people aged
55 to 64 years, 18 per cent of
those aged 65 to 74 years, and
30 per cent of those aged over
75 years.
Men and women are equally
affected. AMD accounts for
almost 50 per cent of legal
blindness and up to 70 per
cent of seriously impaired vision
in people over the age of
70 years.
There is little that can be
done to cure AMD; however
early detection through an eye
examination can help delay
progression.
Rowena explained in an eye
examination, specialised instruments
are used to view the
sensitive film layer of the eye to
detect changes in the macula.
“Sometimes drops are used
to dilate the pupil to get a
better view of the internal
structures,” she said.
Another test that may be
used is a grid pattern known as
an Amsler chart.
“This is a regular grid that
looks like a piece of graph
paper – patients with AMD
often report that sections of
the grid appear to be distorted
or missing.”
There are new treatment options
available that can significantly
reduce the rate of vision
loss – also a healthy diet and
dietary supplements have been
shown to reduce progression
of AMD in some people.
It’s important to have regular
eye examinations as you age
to stay on top of any vision
changes. – Lisa Offord
Put your hand up and
boost your giving game
Volunteering gives you a sense of belonging, achievement
and purpose and has been shown to make us happier
and healthier human beings.
Research shows volunteering can increase self-esteem and
wellbeing.
Volunteering can also relieve stress, and alleviate symptoms
of depression.
As well as having a positive impact on your community,
volunteering can improve your relationships too.
There is a wide range of organisation that actively seek
volunteers and sometimes it can be difficult to know where
to start.
An important component of N ational Volunteer Week
(8-14 May), is the annual Northern Beaches Volunteer Expo –
which provides a fantastic platform for people considering
becoming a volunteer.
More than 30 community organisations will showcase the
wide variety of volunteer opportunities available throughout
the Northern Beaches.
Not only will you be able to learn about the various services
these organisations provide but you can speak with
their representatives to discover what volunteer role best
suits you.
The Expo will be held on Wednesday May 10 at The Show
Room of the Dee Why RSL Club from 10am-2pm (with tea
and coffee provided).
You can simply turn up on the day, no bookings required.
More info from Community Connect Northern Beaches on
9931 7777.
MAY 2017 43
Health & Wellbeing

Health & Wellbeing
Health & Wellbeing
Reasons you’re not
eating enough fruit
and vegetables...
According to the latest
CSIRO survey, four out
of five Australians are
not eating enough fruits and
vegetables.
And if you think these
findings don’t apply to our
health-conscious northern
beaches community,
think again… when was
the last time you ate the
recommended two fruits and
five vegetables a day?
Although we have access
to an enormous amount
of nutrition and health
information, turning that
guidance into sustainable
eating habits was a big
challenge said Accredited
Practising Dietitian Louise
Perkins, of Gilbert Collins
Medical Practice Mona Vale.
A former head of the
Dietetics Department at
the Children’s Hospital
Westmead, Louise explained
some of the key barriers to
eating the recommended
fill of fruit and vegetables
included our busy lifestyles,
where times for family meals
are getting shorter (and in
some cases non-existent)
plus our increasing reliance
on ready meals and take-away
foods.
“Fresh fruits and vegetables
are also perceived to be
expensive and we seem to
throw a lot away because
we don’t know how to store
them, or use them in time,”
Louise said.
“Some people simply ‘don’t
like fruit and vegetables’
– they don’t know how to
cook or serve them in an
appetising way… I see this
especially in my young adult
clients who have recently
moved out of home and do
not have cooking skills.
“For families with children,
44 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

watching your efforts to
provide vegetables and fruit
go to waste and arguments
at mealtimes thanks to your
unappreciative audience can
be exhausting, ending in
the eventual removal of the
offending items from the menu
to keep the peace,” she said.
Louise said willingness to eat
vegetables and fruit increased
when you’re really hungry and
also when the items looked
amazing. She offered the
following tips to boost your
fruit and veggie intake.
n Present your vegetables
as their best selves! Think
about the way you serve
them – shapes, colour
combinations, size of pieces,
flavours. Think ‘steamed
to perfection’, raw in salad
or tossed in a wok. Add a
little extra virgin olive oil, or
other oil of your choice, as
this makes them taste great
and can help enhance the
absorption of some of the
nutrients. Use fresh herbs
or a dressing or sauce.
Make them taste delicious –
dressed to impress!
n Use recipes where fruit
and vegetables are the
main part of the meal, not
a side dish. Try spinach
and ricotta cannelloni or
Bolognese mince made
with mushrooms, grated
carrot, zucchini and grated
broccoli stalk. Experiment
with a rainbow of colours in
your vegetable stir fry, with
meat or tofu for protein.
Vegetable frittata is great
for lunch boxes or try meat
or vegetarian soft tacos with
extra lettuce, fresh tomato,
grated carrot and avocado.
n Include veggies, fruit
and legumes in between
meals. Try hommus dip
with cucumber and carrot
sticks, roasted broad beans
or chickpeas, or make a
beautiful fruit and veggie
platter for kids with a bit of
cheese and dip for protein
for when they come home
from school. – Lisa Offord
Health & Wellbeing
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 45

Health & Wellbeing
Health & Wellbeing
Want to be
healthier?
Say ‘thanks!’
Our special day for
thanksgiving hasn’t really
caught on in Australia yet,
despite the good efforts of
many here to celebrate a
National Day of Thanksgiving
in May. However, it may be
time to consider its inclusion
in your calendar as part of
a preventative approach to
health care, because gratitude
is so good for you!
In his book, Thanks!
How the New Science of
Gratitude Can Make You
Happier, psychologist Robert
Emmons cites research that
found saying “thank you”
measurably increases our
happiness and health.
“I’ve noticed that gratitude
is often the catalyst that
brings healing into my
life,” says Christian Science
practitioner Kay Stroud.
“For instance, stress and
anxiety have lessened when
I’ve changed a resentful
attitude to being thankful
for someone’s creativity,
intelligence or communitymindedness;
or when I’ve
stopped belittling myself and
been grateful instead for my
unique abilities.”
Kay says that to feel
thankful, people need to
consciously stop the insistent
negative whirring in their
heads, be calm and replace
that negativity with better
thoughts.
(“Hold thought steadfastly
to the enduring, the good, and
the true, and you will bring
these into your experience
proportionably to their
occupancy of your thoughts,”
affirms spiritual thinker, Mary
Baker Eddy.)
Kay agrees, adding: “Like
many others, I can relate to
the connection between a
grateful heart and a healthy
body. But for me it goes even
deeper than that.
“As a practitioner of
Christian Science, I’ve
found that gratitude is
more than now-and-then
positive thinking, or a verbal
expression of thanks. To make
a difference, it needs to be
shown in greater patience,
a humble attitude and good
deeds. You could call it
‘putting prayer into action’.
“As such, it forms part of
a preventative approach to
healthcare and becomes a
natural, foundational part
of everyday life, inextricably
linked to consistent health.
“Could it be that we have
more control over our health
than previously thought? And,
if so, are there other qualities
of thought besides gratitude
that we could and perhaps
should be cultivating?”
Kay said this year’s National
Day of Thanksgiving will be
held on 27th May. Check
out the website for more
information www.austhanks.
org.au. Learn more about
Prayer that Transforms Us (see
details in the ad on p18).
* Kay Stroud writes
about the connection
between consciousness,
spirituality and health and
trends in that field; www.
health4thinkers.com
Eco Corner
Plastic pollution of the ocean
has reached crisis point and
it doesn’t respect boundaries.
It’s a global problem. It takes a
plastic bottle about 500 years
to decompose in the sea.
We’re at the tipping point;
measures are being taken;
alternatives to plastic are
being found. Already this
year Delhi has banned use
of all disposable plastic.
Every month we learn of new
products that have been
created by eco innovators.
The ooho, which won Spanish
designers, the Lexus Design
Award, is a water bottle you
can eat. It’s made from brown
algae and calcium chloride and
has no taste. Imagine its use
at sports events rehydrating
athletes and at festivals.
Until we get to a point where
we have alternatives to plastic
packaging that reduce the
overall production of plastic,
innovators such as Vissla are
finding new ways to reuse
existing plastics; 45 plastic
bottles are recycled into each
Eco Seas wetsuit. And they’re
doing this at the right price.
Statistics show we have
the ability to improve, but a
recent survey found that 90%
of people do not think the
world is getting better! Why?
Because media tends to focus
on catastrophe. In 1981, 44% of
the world’s population lived in
extreme poverty. Now it’s less
than 10%. This has happened
when the world population
has grown seven-fold in two
centuries. Two hundred years
ago, almost half of all children
died before they turned 5. Now
whilst still too many, it’s just
over 4%. Similar improvements
can be seen in the statistics
on freedom, education and
literacy. Our world is changing
and becoming a better place.
Everyone can make a
difference. Wherever we see
plastic litter,
let’s pick it up
and push back
on its use.
Russell
Lamb is the
Founder of
ecodownunder
46 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Health & Wellbeing
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 47

Health & Wellbeing
Health & Wellbeing
8 ways to stay active as the cold blows in
It’s getting cold outside – which can make it that little bit
harder to exercise.
These eight great tips from three local health and fitness
experts – Rachel Cohen of Xperteze Fitness and Nutrition; Sam
Garner of Avalon Beach Chiropractic & Wellness; and Jen Smith
of Fix & Flex Pilates & Physiotherapy – will help to keep you
moving during the colder months.
DON’T ROLL OVER
When the alarm goes off, don’t roll over and snuggle under the
doona. Get up, get dressed and get going. Once you’re up and
moving you know you’ll feel great. – Rachel
LOCK IT IN
Make an actual booking for a class or trainer rather than just
doing casual exercise – it will force you out of bed on those cold
mornings rather than hitting the snooze button. – Jen
FIND A BUDDY FOR A WORKOUT
Keeping your exercise going throughout the colder months is
tough but accountability is key – find a friend who wants to keep
fit with you and train together. You will be far less inclined to
cancel a work out if you’re letting your work out partner down
too. – Sam
CHANGE YOUR SCHEDULE
If the cold mornings are really too much of a challenge, try a
quick lunchtime workout. Even 30 minutes a day will produce
enormous benefits to help you maintain your summer fitness or
give you a head start for next summer. – Rachel
MIX IT UP
Regularly changing your exercise challenges your body by not
allowing it to get used to the same type of activity – so what
are you afraid of? If exercising outdoors is too daunting, try
something different indoors – yoga and Pilates are a great winter
activity to keep your body moving. – Sam
SET GOALS
Set a goal such as walking 10,000 steps a day to bring some
incidental exercise into your day. – Jen
JOIN A TEAM
Whether you are joining the local soccer cub to keep yourself to
a schedule of two training sessions and a game a week or you’re
joining a group training gym, exercising as a team will create the
motivation you need to keep going and ensure you push yourself as
hard as you can to keep up with the other members. – Sam
DON’T DO IT ON YOUR OWN
Can’t do it alone? Get a personal trainer. Personal trainers
are “the masters of winter motivation” helping you stick
to your winter training commitment when you lose your
resolve. – Rachel
48 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Hair & Beauty
One-size-fits all skin care
– things to consider first
They have been around
Are the main ingredients
for decades and there
waxes, fillers, sulphates, propylene
glycols, PEGS (poly-
are dozens of them – the
“miracle” multi-level marketing
(MLM) skincare products
that promise to completely
transform the skin. Chances
are you have either heard of
some of them, tried them
or even sold them. These
may be the ‘new kid on the
block’ Rodan and Fields; or
ProActive, Arbonne, Nerium,
Mary Kay or Nutrimetics to
name a few.
Skincare is a multi-billion
dollar industry world-wide. It
often promises a miracle in
a jar – which we all want of
course – but does not deliver
or live up to hopes and expectations.
There are many different
levels of skincare ranges,
from the TV infomercial skincare,
to the basic supermarket,
chemist or department
store ranges, right through to
the beauty salon and cosmeceutical
medical ranges.
Just because a product is
expensive and has an attractive
bottle with great marketing
does not mean that it will
deliver results.
So, how do you navigate
through the ‘noise’? Some
points for you to consider before
purchasing any skincare
product may include:
The back story: Research
the training the representative
who sells the product
has undergone. Are they a
qualified aesthetician who
has undergone a minimum of
one year’s full-time training in
the physiology and chemistry
of the skin, along with the
chemistry of products? Or
have they simply undertaken
a 1-day training course which
is primarily based on the art
of selling and recruiting rather
than the art of skincare. Check
your consultant’s professional
qualifications, their years of
experience, their ability to go
through a professional consultation
addressing the health
of your skin and being able
to address your concerns for
improving your skin. If there is
a problem with a skincare prescription,
is your consultant
going to be there tomorrow
and are they able to fix the
newly created problem? And
finally, are you being recruited
for someone else’s financial
gain?
The right fit: Most MLMs,
infomercial skincare and OTC
(over the counter) products
follow a one-size-fits all approach.
When acne, aging,
dehydration and hyperpigmentation
occur for different
reasons in different skin types,
these products simply cannot
live up to their promises. An
ingredient that works well for
one skin condition may be
disastrous for another.
Less effective: Any product
sold en mass on the internet,
TV, in a mainstream store or
as an MLM, is going to have
some restrictions on the level
of active ingredients that may
be used. This is simply due to
the risk of an adverse reaction
occurring. The OTC, infomercial
and MLM products are
made less active, so anyone
can open the package and
start using it without any sort
of consultation.
Ingredients: What is the percentage
of active ingredients
that have been formulated
with cutting edge science and
quality of customization for
each skin condition that may
be presented – are the active
ingredients listed towards the
end of the ingredient deck?
ethylene glycols), synthetic
fragrances and dyes, and
chemical sunscreen ingredients
– all of which are not
conducive to healthy radiant
skin.
And does the product contain
‘chirally correct’ ingredients?
To illustrate what this
means, think of your left and
right hands. They are mirror
images of each other but could
your left hand fit into your
right-hand glove? The same
holds true for chiral isomers,
which do not link perfectly
with one another and are not
superimposable but are rather
mirror images of one another.
We all want to put our best
face forward each day and we
Celebrating 25 Years
with Sue Carroll
are always on the lookout for
the newest miracle in a jar.
Skincare is an emotionally
driven purchase as we all want
to look younger and healthier.
Just be aware of product
promises that sound too good
to be true.
Sue Carroll of Skin
Inspiration writes on
beauty trends and treatments
for Pittwater Life.
She has been a fully qualified
Aesthetician for 33 years.
Sue has owned and
operated successful beauty
clinics and day spas on
the Northern Beaches.
info@skininspiration.com.au
www.skininspiration.com.au
MAY 2017 49
Hair & Beauty

Business Life: Money
Business Life
Barrie and Bronny make
a ‘B-Line’ for distraction
Goodness me it
must be love. Well,
if not love then
tell me what else could
bring together two such
opposite political war
horses to jointly rally
against something so
important to our area as
transport improvements?
What spiked my
attention was a mid-April
report in The Sydney
Morning Herald by Lisa
Visentin describing the
protest rally against the
new B-Line bus service at
Mona Vale headlined by,
of all people, former NSW
premier Barrie Unsworth
and former local federal
member Bronwyn Bishop.
Visentin may very well
be responsible for the
understatement of the year
with her opening sentence:
“Change doesn’t come easily
to the northern beaches.”
Yep, change is a real toughy
up here. As is getting any
real amount of infrastructure
funding from state and
federal sources given that we
are classified as a safe seat
for the conservatives.
So when we do finally get
a few dollars to improve
health infrastructure or fix
a fundamental problem
like transport, it beggars
belief how quickly a few
narky individuals can
organise themselves into an
opposition. Perhaps it was
a slow news day… perhaps
it was just a sunny day in
the park… but 100 people
protesting is not what you
would describe as a mass
movement in an area with
a population of 60,000.
Regardless of the miniscule
turnout it was no doubt the
gravitas of the pairing of
Barrie and Bronny that led
to story being worthy of
appearing in the SMH.
Ensuring that readers
absolutely recalled the
infamous helicopter
expenses incident, Visentin
then reported that Bronwyn
“took the stage and made
an impromptu 10-minute
speech. She avoided the
B-Line issue, but said the
with Brian Hrnjak
northern beaches lifestyle
was being ‘threatened’ by
more people ‘coming into
the electorate’. ‘Highdensity
living is what
most people who live here
have come to escape,’
she told the gathering,
before voicing her
disapproval of the state
government’s forced
council amalgamations.”
In a similar vein,
Unsworth: “Calling the
B-Line a ‘Trojan horse’
for development, Mr
Unsworth has slammed
the expected privatisation
of the new bus corridor
between the northern
beaches and the CBD,
and the decision to build
a new bus stop at Mona
Vale’s Village Park. ‘We’ve
had government bus services
for as long as anyone can
remember. We’re all happy
with the operation of the
buses now,’ Mr Unsworth told
Fairfax Media.”
The funny thing about
this odd couple is that
they’ve had the last 30
years in and out of public
life to get hot under the
collar about development
50 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

or transport issues around
here or and I can’t recall a
specific thing. Barrie actually
chaired a NSW Government
review into bus services in
2004 which wasn’t critical of
private bus services or that
linked service improvements
to development. As with
most things in NSW it’s
usually the other way around
– develop first and backfill
services later.
The actual facts regarding
transport usage in Pittwater
make for interesting reading
– let me refer to the ABS
Census data for the period
between 1996 and 2011.
Of those who used a single
mode of transport to get to
work on census day in 1996,
17,631 people either drove
or were a passenger in a car,
1,660 people caught the bus.
On census day in 2011 the
numbers were 18,534 and
1,660 respectively.
Yes, that’s correct, our bus
service is so good that over
a 15-year period not one
additional person used it as
a way to get to work. This is
despite the fact that over 15
years our general population
grew by 11.1% from 51,450 to
57,155 people and our labour
force expanded by 8%.
Yet Barrie says “we’re all
happy” with the operation
of the buses as they are
now. I don’t think we are. As
someone with five grown
children at home I can assure
you that the local L90 bus
service is universally known
as the ‘Loser 90’. Our local
kids aspire to get their P
plates as quickly as possible
so that they can avoid any
prospect of using the bus
service as it is now. The kids
when they get their licences
offer to drive their younger
friends around so they don’t
have to catch buses – a
service we have nicknamed
‘Puber’ in our household.
With respect to transport
it’s interesting to see what
has actually saved our bacon
over the past 15 years. If
you think there are more
motorcycles on the road,
you’d be right – 124 riders
in 1996 rising to 200 in
2011. A big percentage
rise of 61%, but off a very
low base, so not really
significant.
Did more people turn to
using pedal power? No it
seems – riders fell from 162
in 1996 to 157 in 2011. Glad
we put in those bike lanes!
What’s been helping our
daily commute for over 15
years has been those people
working from home – up
from 1,857 in 1996 to 2,592
in 2011 a rise of almost
40%. So we have more people
commuting in their pyjamas
from the bedroom to the
dining room table than we
have catching buses and this
is during a period of time
when internet speeds moved
from lowly dial-up speeds
to ADSL. You would expect
the NBN to have a profound
effect on future commuting
statistics.
So is the B-Line a ‘Trojan
horse’ for development or
is it just a long overdue
catch-up for a system in an
area where the population
has grown and where buses
are the only form of public
transport? The odd couple
of Barrie and Bronwyn would
have you believe the former
and I’d strongly suggest that
any reasonable person would
say the latter.
Anyway as a final thought,
I couldn’t help but ponder:
if the hypothetical political
“love child” of Bronwyn
Bishop and John Howard
is Tony Abbott, then the
political love child of
Bronwyn Bishop and Barrie
Unsworth might be… Bill
Shorten?
Business Life
Brian Hrnjak B Bus CPA (FPS) is a Director of GHR Accounting
Group Pty Ltd, Certified Practising Accountants. Offices at:
Suite 12, Ground Floor, 20 Bungan Street Mona Vale NSW 2103
and Shop 8, 9 – 15 Central Ave Manly NSW 2095,
Telephone: 02 9979-4300, Webs: www.ghr.com.au and
www.altre.com.au Email: brian@ghr.com.au
These comments are of a general nature only and are not
intended as a substitute for professional advice.
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 51

Business Life: Finance
Business Life
Investing in the future
starts with the Next Gen
Change is accelerating
– and right now we
are in a sleepwalker’s
paradise.
In the share market,
acting too early can have
the same result as being
too late. Risk continues to
be misunderstood by the
majority of retail investors
and each day we as advisors
spend more and more time
trying to save people from
themselves.
So, what are the best
investments? Shares,
property, fixed interest?
One could argue that the
best investment starts with
being happy, and being able
to provide a safe, happy,
financially secure and stable
environment for the investors
of tomorrow: our children.
But how do we prepare
them for an uncertain future
where property prices
keep trending higher and
continually moving traditional
home ownership further
out of their reach. In a low
interest rate environment,
where returns are continually
under the microscope, the
pressure increasingly builds
to move further up the risk
curve in order to achieve
higher returns.
So, in a low interest rate
environment, investors then
take on more risk that they
would ordinarily, leading to
increased volatility and a
higher chance of suffering
loss. So where should we
start?
We need to start with being
happy, and making sure the
next generation is prepared.
If children have happy
childhoods, and happy
experiences of school, there
is a good chance they will stay
happy for life – but how do we
best educate them to prepare
for a 21st century world?
Schools and homes need to
have high expectations and
high moral standards, but
they also need to be kind and
generous places. Wellbeing
makes us happy, and schools
should do more to teach
good physical and mental
health hygiene.
An enlightened curriculum
encourages children to
develop a positive attitude.
Optimism, research has
shown, can be learned.
Happiness comes from wise
acceptance of oneself and
one’s limits. There are many
different types of intelligence
– including emotional,
spiritual, athletic, artistic,
musical – and schools should
allow each student to find
his or her corner to shine.
Problems arise when the
individual or parents push
beyond those natural limits.
In this age of technology
and social media we need
strategies to help children
focus on what we can do
best as humans. Even young
children are aware of the
fact that “most of what is
expected of them in school
with Simon Bond
can be done better by
computers”. That can’t be
encouraging.
Relationships will set us
apart from algorithms and a
world of artificial intelligence,
and that’s the best
investment you can make.
Traditional education
focuses on teaching, not
learning. It incorrectly
assumes that for every ounce
of teaching there is an ounce
of learning by those who
are taught. However, most
of what we learn before,
during, and after attending
schools is learned without
its being taught to us. We
learn by doing. We learn
through physical and mental
activity that helps us make
connections and construct
our own meaning. Learning is
a non-linear process and it is
different for every child.
Students can only be said
to have fully understood if
they can apply their learning
without someone telling them
what to do and when to do it.
In the real world, no teacher
is there to direct and remind
them about which lesson to
plug in here or there.
Schools and students
need to figure out how their
individual learning goals fit
within, and are advanced by
their engagement with the
world around them.
Ultimately, it is the
intersection of the personal
and the larger community
that delivers a richer, deeper,
more personally meaningful
set of outcomes.
And to what extent will
technology help scale
personalised learning… or
sabotage it?
Simon Bond of Morgans Newport (9998 4200) has been actively
involved in all aspects of Stockbroking since 1987. Simon’s area
of expertise includes equities, portfolio management, short-term
trading, long-term strategies, derivatives and fixed interest. His
focus is on how technology is changing the investment landscape,
demographic trends and how they influence equity markets.
52 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Business Life
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 53

Business Life: Law
Business Life
When imitation is not the
sincerest form of flattery
An unusual but very
interesting report was
published in the daily
press last month. Described as
a David and Goliath contest it
reported the settlement of the
case by mediation between a
Melbourne artist Jon Campbell,
who sued Target claiming
$200,000 in royalties over a
wall canvas which he claimed
copied his work. The wall
hanging of the “YEAH” series
was sold for $14 online and instore
as part of an ‘Affordable
Art’ homewares collection.
Evidence given by Campbell
was that he received 12
phone calls, emails and text
messages alerting him to the
chance he’d been copied. He
claimed distinctive parts of his
work were lifted by the Target
designer, such as the four-panel
design, the use of block letters
and the use of negative space.
His solicitor said after the
conclusion of the case that “…
the use of intellectual property
without permission whether
accidental or on purpose, was
a growing trend around the
world…” In our experience
this is correct. As competition
continues to expand with
developing technology, the task
of protecting products of the
mind is becoming more and
more complex and it is rare that
an individual is prepared to take
on the corporate giant.
As readers are no doubt
aware, under Australian law
ideas are not protected. It is the
expression of those ideas that
attracts protection – for example
by the intellectual property
regime of patents, trademarks,
designs and copyright. At the
same time, appropriate scope of
protection in an expanding world
which encompasses competition
policy, privacy, health,
biodiversity and public policy
is a challenge, which some see
as subversive and threatening
to an established order in a
culture of non-regulation such as
the internet. The adaptation of
intellectual property law to what
is called ‘the Digital Agenda’,
resulting in Internet treaties at
national and international level,
is a demonstration of how the
law can adapt.
The practice of seeking a
remedy for copying may be
traced back to about 1617 in
a case of a tailor objecting to
a competitor producing and
offering for sale garments of
much the same style, but not
the same quality, but having
similar labeling in offering them
to the public. The Court looked
at the goodwill in the tailor’s
business and gave a protection
to the tailor.
Over generations debate
ensued as to whether a trader
has goodwill to protect, or
a reputation. ‘Goodwill’ is
regarded as a reference to
revenue raising criteria whereas
reputation is recognised as an
element of business in what
Lord Salisbury described in 1900
as a passing off action “as a
well recognised cause of action,
certainly for the last 250 years”.
This action was extensively
developed in the late Victorian
period in England, in parallel
growth with industry and
commerce. Passing off was one
of numerous economic torts
with Jennifer Harris
(wrongs) available to protect
business reputation. It was used
to assert protection of rights
attaching to reputation earned
by a trader in the market place.
It sought to deny and defeat
imitators and ultimately today
statutory versions of passing off
are found in State Fair Trading
legislation and Commonwealth
Competition Legislation, in
which protection is conferred
on a wider range of marketing
activities than e.g. the particular
protection for signs as found in
the Trade Marks Act 1995.
What is accepted as the
authorative statement of the
necessary elements to establish
the cause of action of passing
off is set out in the judgment
of Lord Diplock in Etven Warnik
Besloten Vennootschap V J
Towend & Sons (Hull) Limited
(1979) AC 731 (Advocaat Case),
known as one of the liquor
cases; where at 742 his Lordship
stated the five elements which
need to be present as:
A misrepresentation;
Made by a trader in the
course of trade;
To prospective customers of
his or ultimate consumers of
goods or services supplied by
him;
Which is calculated to injure
the business or goodwill of
another trader (in the sense that
it is a reasonable foreseeable
consequence); and
Which causes actual damage
54 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

to a business or goodwill of a
trader by whom the action is
brought or will probably do so.
This statement has been
accepted by Australian courts.
In short, the general proposition
is – no man may pass off his
goods as those of another.
An interesting example of
the application of the Diplock
principles is Reckitt & Coleman
Products Ltd v Boden in 1991.
Reckitt sold lemon juice in
lemon-shaped containers. This
was claimed to have deceived
customers but Reckitt had no
proprietary rights in lemon
containers as the law of passing
off does not supplant the laws
of designs, copyright or patents.
The deception – i.e. the passing
off – was in selling containers so
fashioned as to suggest that the
plastic lemons emanated from
the same source.
Magazines in the UK, USA
and Australia have provided
considerable litigation over the
years as proprietors have fought
to defend their masthead, font,
indicia, get-up and descriptive
words, to nominate but a few.
In one of the UK landmark
cases National Magazines
took on IPC accusing them of
imitating ‘House Beautiful’ with
‘Homes and Ideas’. IPC accepted
that design similarities were
such that consumers could have
been confused and agreed to
make the necessary changes.
In Australian Surf LifeSaver
Pty Ltd (Life Saver) v S & I
Publishing (S & I) [1998] FCA 972
Life Saver sued S & I and sought
injunctive and other relief on
the tort of passing off and an
alleged contravention of ss 52
and 53 of Trade Practices Act
1974. The proceedings related
to the publication of a magazine
by S & I with a masthead similar
to that of a magazine owned by
Life Saver.
Life Saver purchased a
magazine ‘Triathlon Sports’
which had been published
continuously since 1984. Ten
issues had been published
each year, monthly except for
the months of May, June, July
and August during which it
had been published bimonthly.
This reflecting the seasons for
triathlon competition.
Evidence tendered to the
court were three examples
of mastheads. First a
masthead with the words
‘Triathlon Sports’ where the
word ‘Triathlon’ was printed
prominently and in upper
case with the words ‘Sports’
appearing prominently
below but also in upper case.
Sometime later the format of
the masthead was changed;
the word ‘Triathlon’ remained
prominent but in lower case.
The word ‘Sports’ remained in
upper case and less prominent
and was off centre and above
the word ‘Triathlon’.
The first edition of S&I
magazine contained, as part
of its masthead, the word
‘Triathlon’ – in upper case
prominently displayed.
Evidence was given by
several consumers who were
‘Life Saver’ purchasers of their
confusion at having bought
‘S&I’ thinking it was ‘Life Saver’.
His Honour applied three
questions to the evidence:
“Has the applicant proved
that the get-up under which its
magazine has been sold since
1984 has become associated
in the minds of substantial
numbers of the purchasing
public specifically and
exclusively with the applicant’s
magazine?
If the answer to that question
is in the affirmative, does the getup
under which the respondent
markets its magazine amount
to a representation by the
respondent that the magazine
which it sells are the applicant’s
products?
If the answer to that question
is in the affirmative, is it on the
balance of probabilities, likely
that if the respondent is not
restrained, a substantial number
of members of the public will
be misled into purchasing
the respondent’s magazine
in the belief that they are the
applicant’s magazine.”
His Honour found Inter alia: “I
accept that the word ‘triathlon’
is descriptive in the sense
that it describes a sport and
when found on the cover of a
magazine which was overtly
a sports magazine, may be
descriptive of the contents of
the magazine and thus the
type of magazine it is… I think
it may reasonably be inferred
that the dominant use of the
word ‘triathlon” provides a point
of distinction at the time of
purchase between the magazine
owned by Life Saver and other
magazines generally dealing
with the same subject matter
in the market… In my opinion
the prominent use of the word
‘Triathlon’ in the magazine
published by S&I will create
something more than mere
confusion and uncertainty.
There is a real possibility
that purchasers of triathlon
magazines will and will continue
to believe the magazine
published by S&I is the
magazine owned by Life Saver.”
Accordingly the relief sought by
Life Saver was granted.
A classic case of when
imitation ceases to be flattery!
Comment supplied by
Jennifer Harris, of Jennifer
Harris & Associates, Solicitors,
4/57 Avalon Parade,
Avalon Beach.
T: 9973 2011. F: 9918 3290.
E: jenniferha@pacific.net.au
W: www.jenniferharris.com.au
Business Life
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 55

Trades & Services
Trades & Services
AIRCONDITIONING
Avalon Air
Call 0414 944 894
Local and dependable. They
specialise in domestic ducted
airconditioning, split systems and
central heating.
AUTO REPAIRS
British & Swedish
Motors
Call 9970 6654
Services Range Rover, Land
Rover, Saab and Volvo with the
latest in diagnostic equipment.
Narrabeen Tyrepower
Call 9970 6670
Stocks all popular brands including
Cooper 4WD. Plus they’ll do
all mechanical repairs and rego
inspections.
Barrenjoey
Smash Repairs
Call 9970 8207
barrenjoeysmashrepairs.com.au
Re-sprays a specialty, plus
restoration of your favourite vehicle.
Commercial vehicle specialist.
BOAT SERVICES
Avalon Marine
Upholstery
Call Simon 9918 9803
Makes cushions for boats,
patio and pool furniture,
window seats.
ELECTRICAL
Eamon Dowling
Electrical
Call 0410 457 373
For all electrical, phone, TV, data
and security needs.
FLOOR COVERINGS
Blue Tongue Carpets
Call Stephan 9979 7292
Family owned and run. Carpet,
rugs, runners, timber, bamboo,
vinyl, tiles & laminates.
Open 6 days.
FLORISTS
Avalon Floral Art
Call 9918 2711
Internationally recognized; amazing
bouquets and arrangements
with freshness guaranteed.
GARDENS
Graham Brooks
Call 0412 281 580
Tree pruning and removals.
Reports regarding DA tree management,
arborist reports.
Precision Tree Services
Call Adam 0410 736 105
Adam Bridger; professional tree
care by qualified arborists and
tree surgeons.
CLEANING
The Aqua Clean Team
Call Mark 0449 049 101
Quality window washing,
pressure cleaning, carpet
washing, building soft wash.
Martin Earl House Wash
Call 0405 583 305
Pittwater-based owner on site at
all times. No travellers or uninsured
casuals on your property.
MASSAGE & FITNESS
Avalon Physiotherapy
Call 9918 3373
Provide specialist treatment for
neck & back pain, sports injuries,
niggling orthopaedic problems.
Avalon Physiotherapy
& Clinical Pilates
Call 9918 0230
Dry needling and acupuncture,
falls prevention and balance
enhancement programs.
Fix & Flex Pilates / Physio
Call Jen 0404 804 441
Equipment pilates sessions run by
physios. Mona Vale-based. Help
improve posture and reduce pain
while improving core strength.
Francois Naef/Osteopath
Call 9918 2288
Diagnosis, treatment and prevention
for back pain and sciatica,
sports injuries, muscle soreness
and strain, pregnancy-related
pain, postural imbalance.
PAINTING
Contrast Colour
Call 0431 004 421
Locals Josef and Richard offer
quality painting services. Tidy,
reliable, they’ll help consult
on the best type of paint for
your job.
Modern Colour
Call 0406 150 555
Simon Bergin offers painting and
decorating; clean, tidy, quality
detail you will notice. Dependable
and on time.
PLUMBING
Nick Anderson Plumbing
Call 0411 251 256
All aspects of plumbing including
gasfitting and drainage.
Competitive rates, free quotes.
UPHOLSTERY
Susan Ottowa
Avalon Beach
Chiropractic
Call 9918 0070
Professional care for all ages.
Treatment for chronic and acute
pain, sports injuries.
Call 0422 466 880
Specialist in day bed and
outdoor areas. Reliable local
service. Domestic & commercial.
56 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Trades & Services
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 57

Trades & Services
PEST CONTROL
Predator Pest Control
Call 0417 276 962
predatorpestcontrol.com.au
Environmental services at their
best. Comprehensive control.
They provide a 24-hour service.
PUMPS & TANKS
Water Warehouse
Call 9913 7988
waterwarehouse.com.au
Rainwater tanks & pumps. Irrigation
& filter supply specialists.
RENOVATIONS
Rob Burgers
Call 0416 066 159
Qualified builder provides all
carpentry needs; decks, pergolas,
carports, renovations and repairs.
Underdeck
Call Adrian 0417 591 113
Waterproof under your deck and
turn the area into usable space
all year round.
SunSpec
Call Dustin 0413 737 934
sunspec.com.au
All-aluminium, rust-proof remotecontrolled
opening roofs & awnings.
Beats competitor’s prices.
SECURITY
Sure Security
Call 1300 55 12 10
Northern Beaches-based specialists
in Alarms, Intercoms, Access
Control and CCTV Surveillance
with solutions to fit your needs.
Advertise your
Business in
Trades
& Services
section
Phone
0438 123 096
DISCLAIMER: The
editorial and advertising
content in Pittwater Life
has been provided by a
number of sources. Any
opinions expressed are
not necessarily those of
the Editor or Publisher
of Pittwater Life and
no responsibility is
taken for the accuracy
of the information
contained within. Readers
should make their own
enquiries directly to any
organisations or businesses
prior to making any plans
or taking any action.
Trades & Services
58 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

the
good
life
dining
food
crossword
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60
64
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Showtime
From Cerretti
Chapel... to
Carnegie Hall
Manly Warringah Choir will
perform the profound
and powerful ‘A German
Requiem’ by Johannes Brahms
in the beautiful Cerretti Chapel
in Manly from 7.30pm on
Saturday May 6.
Featuring the choir, orchestra
and soloists conducted by
Carlos Alvarado, the deeply
moving piece was inspired by
the death of the composer’s
mother in 1865.
MWC spokesperson Kerry
Foster explained this work
stood out from other Requiems
and Masses in that it was composed
to reflect the German
form of worship – at that time
Lutheran – and was sung in the
German language. In contrast,
the predominant Catholic
Masses were sung in Latin.
This month is a busy one for
the choir as it heads to the US,
invited by Distinguished Choirs
International New York (DCINY)
to sing this work in Carnegie
Hall, New York at the end of May.
“We submitted an audition
tape of our December 2015
concert – Saint-Saens’ ‘Christmas
Oratorio’, and were invited
on the basis of the quality
and high level of musicianship
demonstrated by the singers,
as well as the exceptional
quality of the audition tape
recording,” Kerry said.
“It is of course a tribute
to our magnificent conductor
Carlos Alvarado, who has
developed our singing to such
a high standard over the past
12 years.
“As the audition tape was
from a public performance, I
feel the whole community can
take credit for this honour, as
a performance isn’t a performance
without an audience!
“We couldn’t have done it
without our loyal Northern
Beaches supporters.”
To enjoy the concert in Manly
before it is performed in
Carnegie Hall go to manlywarringahchoir.org.au
or phone
9953 2443 or 0432 656 798.
Tickets cost $45 for adults,
concession $40, students $20;
children under 12 free with
booking.
Comedy showcase hits stage
The funniest comedians from this year’s Sydney Comedy
Festival are hitting the road and bringing an all-star comedy
showcase to Dee Why RSL. It will feature some of the hottest
acts of this year’s Festival live on stage for two hours drumming
up some side-splitting laughter. The line-up includes MC Rhyse
Nicholson, headline act Luke Heggie with Becky Lucas, Sarah
Callaghan and special guests. Ge t in quick and grab your tickets
($32.50) for Sunday May 28 from 7pm. A warning though – the
show is 18+; it may contain offensive material, coarse language
and adult themes. More info: deewhyrsl.com.au
Tim’s Big
Wave Project
Award-winning film maker
Tim Bonython’s 13th annual
Australian Surf Movie Festival
drops in at Club Palm
Beach on Saturday May 20
with the screening of his
latest thrilling documentary
‘The Big Wave Project’.
Five years in the making,
Tim follows a tight-knit crew
of leading big wave surfers
who are working together to
attempt a personal goal that
drills to the core passion of
surfing – the adrenaline rush
that accompanies riding the
world’s biggest wave.
“The Danger Level
increases as we attempt to
climb a mountain of water
where the peak keeps
getting higher,” comments
one of the participant Big
Wave Surfers, Alex Gray.
In the film you’ll hear
candid, personal, no-holds
barred accounts of surfers as
the real fear of death walks
side by side with their aim of
the ultimate personal glory.
The ‘Big Wave Project’
depicts the history of the
how the sport has developed
from humble origins to modern
tow-in surfing with the
latest challenges of returning
to the simple art of unassisted
paddling into 100-foot
walls of water.
Production of the film took
Bonython around the planet
to interview the world’s most
renowned big wave surfers
and to record the biggest
and most death-defying
waves and provide a narrative
that will scare viewers as
much as it will exhilarate.
The progression of the
skill level of big wave surfing
collides with the best swell
season in 30 years as the
world’s best and bravest
paddle, and also tow, into
some of the greatest waves
ever documented. This
includes what has been
called “the biggest wave ever
attempted” – featuring Aaron
Gold’s infamous massive
paddle-in wave at Jaws, in
Hawaii.
More info asmf.net.au
MAY 2017 59
Showtime

Dining Guide
Dining Guide
May’s best restaurants, functions, events and reader deals...
Hong Kong
Chinese Restaurant
332 Barrenjoey Rd,
Newport
OPENING HOURS
Dinner Tues-Sun 5pm
CUISINE
Chinese & Asian
PRICE RANGE
Entrees $5-20
Mains $12.90-26.50
*Deliver Whale Beach - Narrabeen
BOOKINGS 9997 4157
LIC
BYO
All
This popular Newport
eatery will be open for
Mother’s Day lunch from 12
noon to 3pm (dinner too) –
and every mum will receive
a complimentary glass of
wine!
Order ahead for their wonderful
Peking Duck which
P
is offered as a dine-in-only
special Thursdays through
Sundays.
There are two traditional
courses: Peking Duck pancakes
& duck sang choy bow
(bookings essential; mention
the ad when you call).
This long-established restaurant
on the eastern side of
Barrenjoey Rd has an extensive
menu based on traditional
flavoursome Cantonese with
touches of spicy Szechuan and
other Asian dishes and fresh
seasonal vegetables.
Entrees start at just $5
while mains are reasonable
too, starting at $12.90.
The menu ranges from adventurous,
like a Mongolian
chicken hot pot, to contemporary,
spicy salt and pepper
king prawns, to traditional,
fillet steak with snow peas
and bean sprouts.
New dishes are introduced
regularly so check out the
blackboard specials.
The team are only too
happy to home deliver your
meal, with a range that takes
in Narrabeen to the south to
Palm Beach in the north.
Barrenjoey
Bistro
Club Palm Beach
1087 Barrenjoey Rd,
Palm Beach
BISTRO OPENING HOURS
Lunch 11:30am-2.30pm
Dinner 6pm-8.30pm
PRICE RANGE
Lunch and dinner
specials $13.50
BOOKINGS 9974 5566
LIC
All
P
Head to Club Palm Beach,
conveniently located just a
short stroll from Palm Beach
Wharf, for great meal specials
in May.
Mother’s Day lunch is on
Sunday May 14, with a special
menu; no bookings. Lunch from
11.30am to 3pm.
Head down on Saturday May
19 for the Australian Surf Movie
Festival and the screening of
‘The Big Wave Project’.
The Members’ lucky badge
draw is held Wednesday and
Friday night (every 30 mins
between 5pm-7pm), and
jackpots by $100 each week.
Wednesday and Sunday
are meat raffle nights, with a
whopping 14 trays to be won.
Enjoy Trivia Night from
5.30pm on Wednesdays, plus
Bingo at 10am on Fridays.
The club’s Barrenjoey Bistro
is open for lunch (11.30am to
2.30pm) and dinner (6pm to
8.30pm) seven days. The Bistro
serves top-value a la carte meals
plus daily $13.50 specials of
roasts (Mondays), rump steak
with chips and salad (Tuesdays),
chicken schnitzel with chips and
salad (Wednesdays), homemade
gourmet pies with chips and
salad (Thursdays) and fish and
chips with salad (Fridays), except
on public holidays.
Entrees on the a la carte
menu range from $10.50 to
$17.50 (mains $14.50 to $25).
The club has a courtesy
bus which meets the 11am
ferry from Ettalong at the Palm
Beach Wharf at 11.20am daily,
returning on request.
It also makes regular runs
Wednesdays, Fridays and
Saturdays from 4.30pm to 9pm.
Ring to book a pick-up.
* The Club celebrates its 60th
anniversary in 2017; the call is
out for locals to contribute their
stories about the early days.
Phone 9974 5566.
Oceanviews
Restaurant
Shop 4, 120 Narrabeen Park
Pde, Warriewood Beach.
OPENING HOURS
Open 7 days lunch and dinner
CUISINE
Vietnamese
PRICE RANGE
Entrees $2-$9.80
Mains $13.80-$19.80
Noodles $13.80
Lunch specials.
1/2 price daily deals.
BOOKINGS 9979 9449
BYO
All
P
Book now for a great table
for lunch or dinner at this
popular Vietnamese eatery.
Ocean views across
Warriewood Beach may be
enjoyed from the restaurant
which offers one of the most
popular of Asian cuisines.
Eat in and take-away meals
are available; plus they offer
free home delivery for orders
over $35.
Tantalising lunch specials
60
MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

from $2 to $10.80 include egg
custard buns (two for $4.40),
Money Bags (four for $5.80),
prawn dumplings, fresh rice
paper rolls, beef noodle soup,
noodles with veggies and
chicken, or beef with rice for
just $10.80.
Chef’s specials include Basil
Mint Pork, Honey King Prawns,
Sizzling Tofu Hot Pot and
Chicken Laksa.
Each day there is a half-price
deal for evening diners-in (limit
of one deal per table of diners).
They include: on Thursday
satay king prawn for $10.40, on
Monday salt and pepper squid
for $10.40 and on Saturday
lemongrass chicken for $8.90.
Prices reduced across the
board, as well as lunch specials
and the daily half-price deals.
Find Daniel and his
friendly team at 120
Narrabeen Park Parade,
Warriewood Beach.
Bistro 61
Avalon Beach RSL
1 Bowling Green Lane
Avalon Beach
OPENING HOURS
Open 7 days
Lunch 12pm-2:30pm
Dinner 5:30-8:30pm
CUISINE
Modern Aust / pub food
PRICE RANGE
Meals $8-$30
Specials $12-$15
BOOKINGS 9918 2201
Visa
MasterCard
Avalon Beach RSL’s new Bistro
61 is a great place to head for
a local meal, offering tasty
modern Australian dishes at
affordable prices.
Bistro 61 has been named
to commemorate the opening
of the Club in 1961. The
kitchen – led by experienced
Northern Beaches head chef
Mitch Blundell, boasts all
fresh, house-made meals, with
locally sourced ingredients
used when possible.
Open for lunch and dinner
seven days, with extensive
outdoor dining areas, Bistro 61
offers a different special (lunch
and dinner) every weekday,
Celebrating 25 Years
including $15 rump steak chips
and salad (Mon), $12 tacos
(Tues), $15 Chicken Schnitzels
(Wed), 2-4-1 pizzas (Thurs),
and a $20 burger + beer (Fri).
Seniors are well catered
for – there are daily Seniors
specials, including beerbattered
flathead – plus they
do a $5 kids meals on Sundays!
(There’s a playground, too.)
From the menu, chef Mitch
recommends his twist on
nachos – pulled beef and
blackbeans with chipotle,
corn chips, guacamole,
Danish fetta and coriander.
Members get discounts on
meals purchased. Membership
starts from $5.50.
The club is licensed, with
no BYO. Bookings online or
call 9918 2201 – large groups
welcome.
Head to Avalon RSL for
APL Poker Tournaments on
Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Visit avalonrsl.com.au/
bistro-61
Royal Motor
Yacht Club
Salt Cove on Pittwater
46 Prince Alfred
Parade, Newport
OPENING HOURS
Breakfast Lunch & Dinner
Mon-Fri from 8.30am
Weekends from 8am
PRICE RANGE
Breakfast from $8-$18
Entrees from $9-$21
Mains from $16-$26
BOOKINGS 9997 5511
LIC
All
P
RMYC’s restaurant Salt
Cove on Pittwater’s menu
offers affordable meals and
generous servings including
a variety of starters and share
plates, seafood, burgers,
grills, salads, desserts and
woodfired pizza.
Spoil mum on Sunday
May 14 with a champagne
breakfast, lunch or dinner;
bookings essential.
In May, Friday night
entertainment kicks off in
the Lounge Bar from 7.30pm.
Great acts appearing this
month include Jack Evans (5th),
Keff McCullough (19th) and
Angelene (26th).
Trivia is held every Tuesday
night from 7.30pm (great
prizes and vouchers).
If you’re a fan of classic
country pop/rock music you’ll
love the Campbell, Ronstadt &
Denver Show, showcasing the
mellow sounds of three of the
biggest-selling artists of the
1960s, ’70s and ’80s. Tickets
are just $25 for members ($30
non-members).
Bookings are essential for
all events.
Club social memberships
are available for just $160.
MAY 2017 61
Dining Guide

Dining Guide
Dining Guide
Little Bok Choy
Pittwater RSL
82 Mona Vale Rd,
Mona Vale
OPENING HOURS
Open 7 days
Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm
(3pm Fri, Sat, Sun)
Dinner 5:30-8:30pm
(9:30pm Fri, Sat)
PRICE RANGE
Entrees $6-$20
Mains $12.80-$25
BOOKINGS 9446 9613
Book now for 10 per cent off
your meal at Little Bok Choy
restaurant (mention the ad
below).
Have you discovered this
hidden gem? Conveniently
located inside Pittwater RSL,
with plenty of on-site parking
and public transport, it’s the
ideal location for locals to get
together to share great Asian
food.
With a vast range of menu
options, you won’t know
where to start in this Asian
Fusion restaurant. Some of
the secrets of LBC’s finest eats
include traditional favourites,
like Shao Long Bao – it’s the
perfect starter; the juicy mini
pork buns will get your taste
buds excited for the coming
courses.
Tuck in to Yum Cha
favourites including delicious
Prawn Dumplings, BBQ pork
buns, Spring Rolls and popular
Thai entrees like Thai Curry
Puffs.
For mains, all the
popular Chinese dishes are
included, from Sweet and
Sour Pork, Honey Chicken,
Sizzling Mongolian Beef and
Seafood Stir-fry. Plus, they
have plenty of fried rice and
fried noodles also available in
kids’ size!
Prices are very reasonable
– Chinese mains start from
$15.80, with gluten free and
vegetarian options available.
If you prefer Thai, be sure
to check out their latest
addition – Tom Yum Fried Rice,
a modern twist on a classic
favourite. And their range of
Thai soups, salads, curries and
stir fry noodles are fresh and
exciting, all prepared by their
skilled Thai chef.
Walk-ins are welcome,
although for larger
groups (6+) to ensure they can
comfortably accommodate
you, call to book in advance.
Cinque Cucina
e Caffe
5 Darley St East,
Mona Vale
OPENING HOURS
Breakfast/lunch
7 days 7am-2.30pm
Dinner Wed-Sun 5.30-10pm
CUISINE
Italian
PRICE RANGE
Breakfast $9.50-$16
Lunch:
Starters $12-$22
Main $15-26
Dinner:
Starters $13-$22
Main $21-$28
BOOKINGS 9999 5555
Visa
MasterCard
Casual, authentic Italian at
it best. Operating 7 days
for breakfast and lunch and
Wednesday through Sunday
for dinner, Cinque Cucina e
Caffe brings a taste of Italy
to Mona Vale Beach – with a
pleasing price-tag.
Relaxed indoor and outdoor
dining areas provide a great
setting for early morning
coffee, a work meeting, a
dinner date or whole-venue
function for that special event
(birthdays/anniversaries).
With simplicity and fresh
key ingredients in mind, the
lunch/dinner menus comprise
6 to 8 starters and 9 mains
with gluten free, vegetarian
and dairy free options.
Start with a cured meat &
cheese Antipasto plate ($21),
followed by a Cartoccio Di
Pesce ($28) an oven-baked
parcel of Hoki fillet, calamari,
prawns & mussels with white
wine, olives, cherry tomatoes
& garlic.
Their signature 5-hour
roasted Pork Belly ($24) is
another must – whilst their
famous burger is available
Wednesday nights for just $10!
The standout on their
extensive Italian wine list
is the Fantinel Pinot Grigio
– crisp with a light finish –
whilst the Nero D’Avola will be
a hit with anyone looking for
a full-bodied shiraz. There’s
BYO too (wine only).
Bookings are highly
recommended on 9999 5555
or ciao@cinque5.com.au
Think local for functions and events
Metro Mirage
Hotel Newport is
a beautiful local 4-star
boutique waterfront hotel
and event centre, with
views across to Ku-Ring-Gai
National Park and beyond.
Their Pittwater Reception
Room, with adjoining
Waterfront Terrace, offers
magnificent views across
Pittwater, and is available
for 60-110 guests, with a
selection of Cocktail, two- or three-course
menu packages and beverage packages to suit
all budgets.
The Alfresco Poolside Function area, located
right on the water’s edge, is perfect for more
intimate functions of between 20-75 guests.
Packages include exclusive use of the poolside
function area, provided on a complimentary
basis including AV system, and an alfresco
barbecue buffet with personal chef.
For functions of up to 60 guests or private
corporate dinners, The
Hawkesbury Function
room, with its own private
access and welcome
lobby, is a perfect dining
solution during the winter
months.
Located just 45
minutes from Sydney
CBD, The Metro Mirage
Hotel Newport offers a
range of competitively
priced accommodation
options, including nine waterfront spa suites
and 38 executive rooms. The property
offers an outdoor swimming pool and spa,
a casual poolside area perfect for postevent
networking or private functions,
complimentary WiFi, 24-hour reception, on-site
parking and a private jetty for arrival by water.
Their experienced functions team is
well-equipped to help plan your function
or event. Contact Tracey Scott on (02) 9997
7011 or email tscott@metrohg.com.
62 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

80,000 Reasons *
To Advertise In
IN JUNE...
A TASTE OF PITTWATER 2017
MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR FRONT-OF-HOUSE IN ORDER AND BOOK YOUR PLACE IN
OUR EAGERLY ANTICIPATED ANNUAL GUIDE TO PITTWATER’S BEST CAFES!
Don’t miss the opportunity to advertise your business
and reach a HUGE audience in Pittwater Life!
PHONE 0438 123 096!
*Independent Readership Claim based on 2 ½ readers per copy.

Food Life
Make your Mum’s day
with food from the heart
Mother’s Day is definitely one of the most important days
of the year. While it represents a great opportunity for
the family to get together and spoil mum with a sumptuous
lunch or dinner at a restaurant, it also provides us with
the chance to cook a great meal at home – to show our special
mum (and don’t forget the grans!) how much we care. Celebrating
in the family environment can also be a lot more relaxing –
and by following these recipes, just as tasty and satisfying!
Lunch
with Janelle Bloom
Food Life
Recipes: Janelle Bloom Photos: Steve Brown, Benito Martin & Mark O’Meara
Breakfast
Mother’s Day
buttermilk
pancakes
Makes 12
2 cups plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tbs caster sugar
2¼ cups buttermilk
2 eggs
60g butter, melted, cooled
Ghee, melted, for cooking
Maple syrup & fresh berries,
to serve
1. Sift the flour and baking
powder into a large
bowl. Stir in the sugar.
Whisk the buttermilk and
eggs together until well
combined. Pour into the
flour mixture. Use a wooden
spoon to stir until well
combined. Stir through the
butter. Cover and for stand
10 minutes.
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan
over medium heat. Brush
the base of the pan with a
little of the melted ghee (see
Janelle’s Tip). Pour ¼ cup of
the batter into the pan, use
a spoon to quickly spread
batter out slightly to a circle
about 12cm in diameter.
3. Reduce heat to low, cook
for 2-3 minutes or until
bubbles start to appear
on the surface. Turn, cook
2 minutes or until cooked
through. Transfer pancake
to a clean tea towel. Wrap in
the tea-towel to keep warm.
Repeat with the remaining
pancake batter, greasing
the pan with melted ghee
between each pancake.
Serve warm with maple
syrup and berries.
Janelle’s Tip: Ghee, or clarified butter, is
my secret (actually my nan’s) to cooking
pancakes because it doesn’t burn and
taint the flavour and colour of the
pancakes like regular butter will.
Tomato prosciutto
& mozzarella
bruschetta
Makes 12
2 x 200g Sweet Solanato
tomatoes, halved lengthways
3 tbs olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp caster sugar
12 slices sourdough
250g prosciutto, roughly
chopped
2 x 250g buffalo mozzarella,
sliced
Caramelised balsamic &
thyme, to serve
2. Arrange tomatoes, cut
side up, in a greased
roasting pan. Drizzle over 2
tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with
oregano and season with salt
and pepper. Sprinkle with
caster sugar. Roast for 50-
60 minutes or until slightly
shriveled, but still juicy. Allow
to cool in the pan.
3. Brush both sides of bread
with remaining oil. Preheat
barbecue grill to mediumhigh.
Chargrill the bread
3-4 minutes each side
until golden. Remove to a
board. Top with prosciutto,
mozzarella tomatoes
and thyme. Drizzle with
caramelized balsamic.
1. Preheat oven, 150°C fan
forced.
Serve.
64 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

For more recipes go to www.janellebloom.com.au
DInner
Slow-roasted
shoulder of lamb
Serves 4-6
½ preserved lemon (see
Janelle’s Tip #1)
2 bunches rosemary
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1.8kg shoulder of lamb, on
the bone
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
1½ cups chicken stock
Greek-style yoghurt &
vegetables, to serve
1. Remove and discard
the soft flesh from the
preserved lemon. Roughly
chop the rind and place
in small food processor
with rosemary leaves from
2 sprigs, garlic cloves
and 3 tablespoons of
the oil. Process until well
combined.
2. Rub the mixture all over
lamb. Season with freshly
ground black pepper.
Preheat oven to 130°C, fan
forced.
3. Arrange the lemon
wedges and remaining
rosemary sprigs over the
Janelle’s Tip #1: If you don’t
have preserved lemon you
can replace it in this recipe
with grated rind of 2 lemons
plus 1 teaspoon sea salt.
base of a roasting pan
(see Janelle’s Tip #2).
Place the lamb on top.
Pour enough stock into
the pan to cover the base
(the lamb should not be
sitting in stock). Press
baking paper onto the
surface of the lamb then
cover tightly with 3 sheets
foil. Cook for 4 hours.
4. Remove lamb from the
oven and place on a
baking tray, increase oven
temperature to 230°C,
fan forced. Return the
lamb to the oven and
roast, uncovered, for 8-10
minutes or until golden on
top. Set aside 15 minutes
to rest.
5. Transfer the lamb to a
serving platter, spoon
over juices in the pan and
serve with a dollop thick
yoghurt and steamed
vegetables. The lamb will
just fall off the bone.
Janelle’s Tip #2: The
rosemary and lemon act
as a bed for the lamb,
keeping it out of the stock
while also infusing the
flavours.
Food Life
Dessert
Cookie sandwiches
with fudge sauce
Makes 10 sandwiches
125g butter, softened
¼ cup caster sugar
100ml sweetened condensed
milk
1¼ cups plain flour
1¾ tsp baking powder
200g chopped milk chocolate
10 scoops vanilla ice cream,
to serve
Fudge sauce
200g dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup thickened cream
1. Preheat oven 170°C, fan
forced. Line 2 baking trays
with baking paper.
2. Use an electric mixer to
beat the butter, sugar
and condensed milk until
pale and creamy. Sift the
flour and baking powder
together over the butter
Celebrating 25 Years
mixture and mix until
the dough almost comes
together. Add chocolate and
stir until well combined.
3. Roll heaped tablespoons of
mixture into balls and place
onto baking trays, allowing
a little room for spreading.
Flatten slightly with
fingertips or a fork. Bake
two trays at a time for 9-12
minutes until light golden.
Stand 5 minutes on trays
before transferring biscuits
to a wire rack to cool.
4. For the fudge sauce,
combine chocolate and
cream in a microwavesafe
bowl. Microwave,
uncovered, for 2-3 minutes
on High/100%, stirring
every minute with a metal
spoon until smooth.
5. Sandwich two biscuits
together with ice cream and
drizzle with fudge sauce.
Serve.
MAY 2017 65

Food Life
Food Life
In Season
Apples
Choose apples that have
firm, smooth, clean skin.
Some varieties are better
for cooking than eating and
vice versa. My pics for eating
are Pink Lady, Jazz and Kanzi
while for cooking Golden Delicious
and Granny Smith are
far superior.
Storage
Apples keep their crispness,
stay fresh longer and are
more delicious when stored in
the fridge. Store loose in the
crisper section.
Nutrition
Apples contain no fat or cholesterol
and are an excellent
source of dietary fibre. Eating
a medium apple per day will
give you one-third of your
daily vitamin C requirement.
Also In Season
May
Apples (look out for Jazz
and Kanzi varieties);
banana; custard apples;
dates; grapes; Kiwi
fruit; mandarins &
oranges (Navel); pears;
pomegranates; quince;
rhubarb; avocados; bok
choy; broccolini and
broccoli; Brussels sprouts;
cabbage; cauliflower;
eggplant; fennel; kale;
ginger; leeks; spinach and
sweet potato.
Growing up my sisters and I now realize how spoilt we
were to have the house always filled with lots of amazing
food and the aromas of freshly baked treats. This
cake is my mum’s specialty – allowing it too cool was always
mum’s big challenge!
Mum’s BIG apple
cake
Serves 12
250g butter, at room
temperature
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, at room temperature
2½cups self-raising flour
½ cup milk
1 tbs boiling water
4 Granny Smith apples
Topping
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbs caster sugar
30g butter, chilled, finely
chopped
1. Preheat oven to 160°C, fan
forced. Grease and line
a 22cm (base) square
cake pan allowing a 3cm
overhand at two opposite
sides.
2. Beat butter, sugar and
vanilla with an electric
mixer until pale and
creamy. Add eggs, one
at a time, beating well
after each one is added.
Sift flour over butter
mixture. Stir gently to
combine. Fold in milk
and water. Spread the
cake batter into cake pan
and smooth the surface.
3. Grate the apples and
squeeze with your
hands to remove excess
moisture. Sprinkle the
apple over the cake
batter.
4. For the topping, combine
the cinnamon and sugar
and sprinkle over the
apples. Dot butter over
top. Bake for 1 hour, or
until a skewer inserted
into the centre comes
out clean. Stand for
10 minutes in the pan.
Carefully lift the cake out
of the pan and set aside
to cool.
66 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

25 26 27 28 29
Pittwater Puzzler
30 31 32 33 34 35 36
ACROSS
1 Early GPS perhaps? (4-3)
5 Company run by David Thomas,
_______ Adventures, that organises
travel options around the world (7)
9 A distinctive expression whose
meaning is not determinable from the
meanings of the individual words (5)
10 Has ownership of (9)
11 New book by local writer, Amanda
Hampson, The ______ ________ (6,8)
13 Catch the Palm Beach ferry, perhaps (4)
37 38 39
40 41
42
43 44
14 Music group that forms the O in
NBO (9)
16 Fellow big-boat travellers on
Pittwater, say (9)
18 Teasing desire (4)
21 School hosting Monet: The Flower
of War, featuring flautist Jane Rutter
(2,5,7)
24 Issue always at the forefront for the
residents of the Northern beaches (9)
25 Todd McKenney’s alter ego on stage
Compiled by David Stickley
at Dee Why RSL, Peter ____ (5)
26 Abandoned (7)
27 Those who insist on great precision
and correctness; sticklers (7)
DOWN
1 Type of environment featured in
Hordern Park in Palm Beach, littoral
__________ (10)
2 Flavour in liquorice etc (7)
3 People who imitate, especially those
who perform in ludicrous imitation of
others’ speech and gestures (6)
4 Type of restaurant that comes and
goes (3-2)
5 Generally, areas, localities or regions
(9)
6 Rocks in a bar? (3,5)
7 Examine carefully for accuracy with
the intent of verification (7)
8 Blast of air (4)
12 Groups of people meeting together
(10)
14 Travelling, especially as a
salesperson or drover (2,3,4)
15 Sudden desires (8)
17 Blubbering (2,5)
19 Places of worship like the Baha’i one
in Ingleside (7)
20 Event held four times a year on the
Northern Beaches, ______ Kids Gifts
and Toys (6)
22 Rise from bed; win (3,2)
23 Breeding horse (4)
[Solution page 70]
Pittwater Puzzler
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 67

Garden Life
Garden Life
Consider Callicarpa: it’s a
‘berry’ good shrub option with Gabrielle Bryant
As the days shorten and the autumn chill sets
in, the landscape comes alive with berries
and ripening fruits: some scarlet, some gold,
some blue – but the most amazing of all must be the
singing violet berries of the callicarpa.
Callicarpa dichotoma is a medium semideciduous,
upright, clumping shrub, ideal for
shrubberies or background garden beds. Originating
in China and Japan, it can be trained to cover a
fence or be used as a hedge. The soft, bright green
elliptical leaves complement both the pale pink
flowers in spring and the clusters of shiny, rich
violet, bead-like berries that follow. The berries
hang on for several weeks after the leaves have
turned to gold and fallen for winter.
Also, known – not surprisingly – as Beautyberry,
callicarpa loves sun or partial shade, well-drained,
fertile garden soil and regular water but doesn’t like
to sit in poorly drained areas.
Prune the arching stems back in early spring to
encourage the new growth that will carry the flowers.
This pretty shrub is undemanding and easy to grow,
and it always berries well after hot summer months.
Help mum remember
her day all year round
Although the second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day, I
often wonder why mothers are only remembered on one
Sunday in the year. I think that every day should be Mother’s
Day, so this year instead of a bunch of flowers that will only
last a few days why not give Mum a plant to grow in the
garden or in a pot that will last for years to come and remind
her that you care about her every day of the year?
Garden centres are full of the most beautiful living
gifts. There are pots of flowering bulbs, succulent bowls,
cyclamen, begonias, orchids, roses, dipladenias, hanging
baskets, small shrubs, tall shrubs, palms and trees to
choose from.
68 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Kiwi miniature packs a fruit punch
The Kiwi fruit that we buy in
the supermarkets grows on
vigorous vines that are heavy
and hard to control. Both
male and female vines are
needed to produce fruits and
few city gardens have space
to grow them. Now there
is an answer for Kiwi fruit
lovers with small spaces: the
new Kiwi Berry Issai which is
self-pollinating.
Kiwi berries are small
miniature Kiwi fruit with the
same flavour and texture
as their larger-growing
counterparts. The skin
is dark green and shiny,
unlike the brown furry skin
of the traditional fruits.
These small succulent
berries are the size of large
green grapes and can be
eaten whole or sliced into
fruit salads They are both
decorative and delicious,
and have eight times the
vitamin C content than that
of an orange!
The Kiwi berry is a smallgrowing
climber that is ideal
for a large pot, or it can be
planted in the garden to
climb over trellises, arches
or pergolas; alternatively,
it will grow against a fence
with wire supports. If it
is grown in a pot make a
tripod with bamboo stakes
to support it, or train up
a single pole and let spill
over a circular frame in an
umbrella shape, just as you
would a weeping rose.
This adaptable plant loves
the sun or semi-shade. Feed
it well and you will be well
rewarded.
Celebrating
30 years of
Expo Gold
Back in our Bicentenary
year a new small tree was
released in Queensland for
Expo ’88. It was the birth
of a hybrid form of the
Golden Penda, xanthostemon
chrysanthus. A spectacular
rainforest tree from the
rain forests in Queensland,
the Golden Penda will grow
10-15 metres tall in its
natural environment, but in
cultivation it is much smaller
than this.
Expo Gold has the most
amazingly bright yellow
flowers, highlighted by large
glossy green leaves, that
are similar in shape to the
blossom of the eucalypts.
There can be no brighter
colour; it surpasses even the
colour of the yellow wattles
that flower in spring.
Expo Gold is beautiful as a
small street tree, or regularly
pruned it can be kept as a
shrub for smaller gardens. It
loved the long hot summer
and the recent rains. (The
Expo Gold that were in
flower in Bungan Street Mona
Vale were quite amazing.)
Celebrating 25 Years
A tip: prune in
early spring, as
the flowers and
fruit form on the
new growth.
Frangipani rust
Frangipani rust-affected leaves should be gathered
up and put in the garbage bin, NOT the green bin or
the compost. The tiny spores blow in the wind. Wear
gloves as you pick up the leaves from the ground and
remove any that are still on the tree. Rust will spread
quickly to other plants – particularly geraniums, canna
lilies and beans! Once you have destroyed the leaves
spray the frangipani and the ground beneath with
Lime Sulphur to kill any spores that are left.
MAY 2017 69
Garden Life

Garden Life
Garden Life
Jobs this Month
May
Plant out your winter
seedlings while the soil
is still warm. Pansies,
primulas, cineraria, poppies,
marigolds, alyssum, lobelia,
snapdragons, stock and violas
will all flower in early spring.
For fun, plant some spring
bulbs under the seedlings –
they will appear like magic
through the flowering annuals
as the winter cold fades.
(Jonquils and narcissus are
great for this.)
Snail alert
Newly planted seedlings need
protection from snails. After
April’s rain snails have come
out of hiding; you can try a
saucer of beer to catch them
– it works in small areas but
not for larger gardens. Use
an iron-based snail bait such
as Multiguard that is safer for
animals and birds. Use the pellets
sparingly as indicated on
the packet.
Help peas climb
As peas and sweet peas begin
to grow they’ll need support.
To help the tiny plants find
their way, try using a small stick
beside each seedling that will
reach the bottom of the trellis
or mesh that you have put up
as support. This way the seedlings
will begin to climb and
establish faster. Wooden satay
sticks will do the trick.
Stop Army
Worm
Small dead patches in the lawn
can often be tell-tale signs of
army worm. They move fast
and spread through the night.
It is important to control them
before they get out of control.
Spray the lawn with Eco Neem
three times at weekly intervals,
or treat with Professor
Orchid move
If you haven’t already done so,
move cymbidium orchids into
the sunlight. They need bright
light now to form the flower
spikes for spring. Feed them
with Strike Back for Orchids;
use the liquid form as it will
work quicker. Watch or snails
that can damage the new
spikes of flower. A few pellets
of Multiguard will save your
flowers.
Tea mite trouble
Camellias used to be troublefree
but in the past few years
they have been attacked
by Tea mite. This shows as
a pale brown centre of the
leaves. The damage looks
like sunburn but is, in fact,
caused by mites. Once the
damage is done the leaves are
marked forever. The mites are
active in the hot dry months
of summer. The only control
is to spray with a miticide,
insecticides won’t work. Yates
Rose Gun contains a miticide.
Spray regularly with Eco Oil
to protect the new unmarked
foliage as it appears.
Compost tips
Gather up fallen leaves and fill
the compost
bin, then add
some blood
and bone to
help them
decompose quickly.
Remember to add all the vegetable
scraps from the kitchen
as well – but never add any
form of meat, eggs or fish
as this will attract rats and
cockroaches!
Spring bulbs
Spring bulbs are still on sale.
Check the packets and make
sure that the bulbs you buy
are firm and fresh. Don’t be
tempted to buy ones that have
been reduced if the bulbs are
not healthy or if they are starting
to shoot.
Strengthen
camellias
Disbud your camellias by removing
multiple buds, leaving
just one bud on each tip. Buds
that are crowded never open
properly. Feed the bushes with
Kahoona now, to give them
extra energy at flowering
time.
Last feed
Watch out for bronze citrus
beetles. Spray fortnightly with
Eco Oil to protect new tips from
leaf miner. Feed citrus trees for
the last time before winter.
Water watch
Be careful not to overwater
pot plants in the cooler weather;
no water should be left in
saucers underneath pots. Cold
wet soil will damage roots!
Indoors,
outdoors
Ground cover plants protect
the soil and hold in the moisture.
Sometimes it is hard to
find ground cover for shady
Dipladenia delight
Dipladenias make wonderful
pot plants. You can grow
them in hanging baskets or
train them up a tripod. They
flower for most of the years
if given sufficient sunlight.
They love full sun and some
neglect. For colour in the
garden they are hard to beat;
they come in many shades
from white through pink to
the deepest red. Try mixing
two colours together for a
stunning display.
areas that will not become
invasive. Look for the lowgrowing
saxifrage ‘Mother of
Thousands’. The small neat
rosettes of leaves multiply on
long trailing stems. A bonus
are the pale pink flowers in
spring. It is an old-fashioned
plant that is well worth tracking
down. Sometimes called
Creeping Saxifrage, this delicate
little plant makes a great
hanging basket for indoors or
for sheltered balconies out of
the sun.
Crossword solution from page 67
Mac’s 3 in 1.
Mystery Word: AVALON
70 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Local Call
Fish and hip
in Avalon
Visitor’s feedback on
Avalon over the past
few years has always
featured a similar thread:
Why doesn’t a village nestled
by the ocean have a decent,
dedicated fresh and cooked
seafood shop?
Of course, Avalon has had
one, on Old Barrenjoey Rd –
although, if we’re being honest,
over the past few years it
hasn’t been anything to write
home about.
Which is why local family
business Oceana Traders,
who have been selling fresh
seafood at local markets
around Sydney and the Central
Coast for the past three
years, jumped in when the
opportunity to buy the, ahem,
‘understated’ site arose in
February.
The team (comprising
brothers Lucas and Max
Frazer, their dad Nick and
new business partner Will)
gave the space a simple, modern
refit before opening for
business in late March – to an
overwhelmingly grateful local
and visiting clientele.
Cooked food includes tangy
and on-trend Fish Tacos, flaking
flathead or barramundi
in impossibly crisp and fresh
batter and double-cooked,
hand-cut chips (potato and
sweet potato options). All seen
to by a full-time chef, no less!
Or there’s a range of fresh
local fish, prawns, lobster and
oysters to fawn over.
Lucas said in addition to selling
at markets, Oceana Traders
had also been doing deliveries
to homes, cafes and restaurants
around the northern beaches
and north shore.
“Max and I grew up in Mona
Vale and Avalon and Will,
who came on board from a
licensed building background
around six months ago, grew
up in Narrabeen,” said Lucas.
“We all shared a passion for
fishing and knew the area was
crying out for a decent seafood
shop. Our clients at the Warriewood
farmers market would
always comment, saying that
Avalon would be the perfect
spot for us.
“We always knew that
Avalon was the spot we
wanted to open our first store.
It was just a matter of suitable
premises becoming available.”
Theirs is the only shop
north of Narrabeen selling
fresh and cooked seafood.
“We pride ourselves on
our fresh product display,”
continues Lucas. “We have
Huon salmon, Cone Bay barramundi,
flathead, ocean trout,
Yellowfin tuna, swordfish,
ling, whole snapper, cooked
Queensland tiger prawns,
green king prawns, oysters,
sashimi, wild sockeye salmon.
“We also have a fridge
full of mussels, crab meat
FRESH ON THE SCENE: Lucas Frazer (centre), brother Max (right) and
business partner Will (left) are cooking up a seafood storm in Avalon.
and smoked products and
a freezer full of scallops,
cooked lobster, wild salmon
sides, Alaskan King Crab,
scampi, Moreton Bay bugs and
Patagonian toothfish.
“We only use Australian seafood
– we don’t believe in using
imported seafood to cook
with. We are at the Sydney fish
markets buying fish daily. We
also have a few sources from
the mid north coast that send
fish directly to us. We only
sell fresh Australian products
so we always know where our
fish is coming from.
“And we employed a chef
full-time to do all our cooking,
which we think makes a
big difference to the overall
product.”
The boys are already looking
to improve on their winning
formula.
“Hopefully down the track
we will get some outside tables
and seating and it would
be great to get a licence so
people can have a glass of
wine with their cooked fish,”
said Lucas.
“Food-wise we have some
things in the pipeline… we
are playing around with a few
different Hawaiian poke bowl
ideas, which we hope to introduce
in the next few months.”
So what’s their ‘hero’ dish?
“So far our Fish Tacos have
been a massive hit and you
can’t go past our grilled Cone
Bay barramundi and chips
or our beer battered flathead
and chips,” he said.
– Nigel Wall
* SPECIAL OFFER: Oceana
Traders have a special
offer for Pittwater Life
readers – mention this
story and you’ll pay just
$5 for Fish Tacos, normally
$7 (offer valid through
Sunday May 7 only). Get
’em while they’re hot!
Local Call
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 71

Times Past
Living life
to the ‘Max’
Times Past
Luckily for local surf Wooloomooloo Police Boys (receiving medal, inset). of this monster.
lifesaving identity Max Club (WPBC) who joined the Max also paddled double From then on Max paddled
Watt the outcome of Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving ski with his good mate Jack. in the rear so he could keep
this dramatic incident was
much more favourable than
Club in 1943 to help patrol the
beach. All but one of the 22
One day they were competing
in a north-side carnival and
an eye on his partner!
Max thought nothing of
it would appear from the members of the Club enlisted had just rounded the buoy paddling out the back and
photograph published in The for war service, leaving just when a boomer of a wave
‘anchoring’ himself between
Sydney Morning Herald on Wally Simmonds as the only
loomed up out the back. Max
north and south headlands to
the 30th of January, 1950. patrolling member.
provide a fish dinner for the
yelled to Jack: “Paddle like
The associated caption Max was in the first group
family.
blazes mate – this is our
read:
of 11 members of the WPBC
After Max passed away
wave.” As they fell off the
SWEEP-HAND NARROWLY to gain his Bronze Medallion
in 2012 his daughter
back of the wave Max turned
ESCAPES INJURY
on Sunday 15 November 1945.
Julie recalled for us at his
Crew members of the Avalon Max rowed and swept the
to see Jack with his legs memorial service: “His love
surfboat anxiously watch boats only for a short time
dangling over the side and of surfing and fishing was
their sweep-hand Max Watt because he soon discovered white as a sheet – Jack had legendary – the only thing
as he is flung high into the surf ski paddling – and it seen the wave too and there he liked better was teaching
air by one of the big seas at became his forte. He became was no way he was going to someone to love it as much
Avalon yesterday. The sweep
oar was shattered and Watt
one of the best ski paddlers
around and in 1954 was
be a part of tackling the face as him.”
just missed being impaled by narrowly beaten into
TIMES PAST is supplied by local
a piece of the oar, which can second place at the National
historian and President of the Avalon Beach
be seen protruding from the Championships. Three years
rowlock.
later he became the Club’s Historical Society GEOFF SEARL. Visit the Society’s
Max was one of
first State Champion, when he showroom in Bowling Green Lane, Avalon Beach.
the members of the
won the open surf ski event
72 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years

Travel Life
Explore the land
of fire and ice
Iceland – the land of fire
and ice – is one of the most
fascinating destinations on
the planet, with awe-inspiring
landscapes that show off the
powerful yet pristine forces of
nature.
It’s modern and comfortable
too – the island nation
boasts one of the world’s highest
standards of living, thanks
to its natural resources such
as fish, thermal energy and
hydropower. Notwithstanding
the modernity, its inhabitants
have never relinquished their
cultural roots and harmonic
existence with nature.
A Circumnavigation Small
Ship Cruise aboard the OCEAN
DIAMOND is the best way to
experience Iceland; a journey
that showcases the country
and its people, wildlife as varied
as wild horses and whales
(possibly some of the best
whale watching experiences
in the world can be
found off the coast of Iceland),
culture and cuisine,
stories and legends.
Discover this mystical
land steeped in Viking
traditions and volcanic
landscapes rarely seen anywhere
else – most cities and
towns are located along
the coast and can easily be
reached by boat; however
numerous shore excursions
also give you the opportunity to
explore the interior.
You’ll get to admire blacksand
beaches, erupting volcanoes,
lumbering glaciers and
thunderous waterfalls while
at the same time swimming in
hot springs – betting on when
geysers will erupt – and hiking
across barren rocky deserts.
You can also go seal-watching
on horseback, or play
some golf in a volcano!
The two most popular
excursions include the famous
Snaefellsnes Peninsula and the
‘Golden Circle’. The former is
often called ‘Iceland in miniature’.
This excursion includes
views on the Snaefellsjökull
Glacier, the dramatic rock formations
of Snaefellsnes as well
as the Londrangar Rock pinnacles.
And the Golden Circle
is a must-see before or after
your cruise: it’s an eclectic
journey taking visitors to the
world famous Geysir area with
its active geysers and Gullfoss
waterfall, which plunges 70
metres in three stages into a
narrow rock chasm.
With a maximum of 199
passengers, the OCEAN
DIAMOND features a range of
modern onboard amenities
and is staffed with outstanding
officers and crew, as well
as bilingual expedition leaders
and guides.
* Book now to enjoy 20% off
Early Bird Savings. Prices
start from $2999 per person
based on Triple share cabins
(10 days). For bookings and
info call TravelView on 9999
0444 (Collaroy) or 9918 4444
(Avalon Beach).
Travel Life
Celebrating 25 Years
MAY 2017 73

Travel Life
Travel Life
Set your own agenda
on a Driving Adventure
Self-driving holidays have
proven to be one of the most
popular ways to travel in recent
years. The flexibility they offer
as well as the ability to explore
away from normal tourist hot
spots opens up a range of
amazing options for the independently
minded traveler.
Specialist tour operator David
Thomas says his Driving Adventures
outfit organises its tours
to be as flexible and stress-free
as possible.
“Guests are given a personalised
Sat-Nav unit and a detailed
road book that explains the
correct route, as well as a short
history of the areas to be travelled,”
said David.
The difference is that unlike
most tours, guests are free to set
their own agendas for the day.
“You can choose between
a sleep-in and a leisurely
breakfast, or an early start
with stops along the way to
more closely inspect the local
colour,” David said.
“Alternatively, you could
short-cut the scheduled route
and hurry to your destination
for a swim or spa before dinner
with the group.”
And you are not locked
into the group itinerary either
– David says you can even arrange
to skip a night or two to
take in a special side trip.
Driving Adventures’ most
popular tour is the Tour of
Europe, which has run every
September for the past six
years.
“It starts in the picturesque,
cobblestoned village of Stavelot
in the Belgium Ardennes Forest
and winds its way through
Salzburg, the Italian Dolomites,
Sirmione on Lake Garda and
Tuscany before turning north
through the Cinque Terra, the
French Riviera, Provence and
many of the most picturesque
passes through the Alps before
concluding in Igls, an alpine
village just above Innsbruck,”
said David.
The tour takes in many of
the iconic motoring sites, Spa
and Nurburgring race circuits,
Porsche, Mercedes and Ferrari
Museums.
“The benefit of being part
of a group comes into its own
each night when dinners are
held at a range of extraordinary
restaurants that have taken
years to track down – from
the Portofino waterfront to a
‘locals’ pub in the Swiss village
of Martigny,” said David.
If Europe is not your thing,
Driving Adventures also
conduct tours on the USA West
Coast, the UK and New Zealand,
as well as Australian
tours including Tasmania.
If you would like to know
more about these or other
self-drive tours, contact David
at david@drivingadventures.com.au
or phone 0418
473 916.
How to stay
connected
T
ravelling abroad with
a mobile phone, tablet
or laptop makes it easy to
inexpensively communicate on
the run and keep in touch with
friends and family back home.
Plus, a mobile device
helps you make the most of
your travel time – you can
pull up maps when you’re
lost, enhance sightseeing
with audio tours and
podcasts, even book a table
at a restaurant.
Here are some
connectivity options:
1. Bring your own phone and
sign up for an international/
global plan. It’s easiest to set
up your own mobile phone
with a basic international
calling and/or data plan that’s
customised to your needs.
2. Bring your own phone and
do everything over Wi-Fi.
Not only can you use Wi-Fi to
get online, but you can also
make phone calls and send
text messages at no charge.
Sounds great – but you’ve got
to find a hotspot first.
3. Buy a European SIM card.
This option works best if you
plan to make a lot of calls.
You buy a European SIM
card (a microchip that stores
your phone number and
other data) to insert in your
current phone — or into a
cheap mobile phone that you
buy for your trip. This gives
you a European number —
and the same local rates
Europeans enjoy.
More info ricksteves.com
74 MAY 2017
Celebrating 25 Years