Pittwater Life July 2019 Issue

The Local Voice Since 1991 

JULY 2019 

FREE 

pittwaterlife 

COAST WALK ART PLAN SURPRISE 

WHERE WERE YOU? – LOCALS REMEMBER THE MOON WALK 50 YEARS ON 

BRYAN BROWN & RACHEL WARD DISCUSS THE MAKING OF ‘PALM BEACH’ 

PLUS: STATION BEACH DOG WALK TRIAL LATEST / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD...

Editorial 

First man on moon 50 years on 

If you are old enough to 

remember the momentous 

event, can you recall where 

you were when Neil Armstrong 

and Buzz Aldrin landed on the 

moon and embarked on the 

first walk on the lunar surface, 

and how you felt at the time? 

We put that to some of 

Pittwater’s ‘elders’ and received 

an eclectic response indeed. 

And you don’t need to have 

been born by July 20, 1969 to 

appreciate musician and pilot 

John Morrison’s hilarious tale 

of how he and brother James 

tried to beat Apollo 11 to the 

moon – very nearly with dire 

consequences. See page 16. 

* * * 

The mix-up at Northern 

Beaches Hospital that saw 

surgeons remove a healthy 

section of a patient’s bowel 

instead of the diagnosed precancerous 

growth has raised 

more questions about the 

beleaguered new hospital. 

Labor have already triggered 

a parliamentary enquiry into 

the hospital, prompting Health 

Minister Brad Hazzard to 

defend the facility, saying “... 

these challenges will continue 

to some degree – as happens 

with all new hospitals”. 

Mr Hazzard described the 

parliamentary enquiry as a 

“cynical exercise” undertaken 

by the Labor Party. 

In light of the latest incident 

we think all Pittwater residents 

deserve to feel better about any 

hospital stay they may require 

there in the near future. 

Hopefully the enquiry can 

make all sleep a little easier. 

Politicians included. 

* * * 

Avalon Beach SLSC have 

done it again! Congrats to 

all concerned following their 

Sport NSW Community Club of 

the Year Award. 

It completes a fantastic 

trifecta after the Club won both 

State and National SLSA Surf 

Life Saving Club of the Year 

Gongs. 

– Nigel Wall 


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Vol 28 No 12 

Celebrating 27 years 


JULY 2019 

FREE 

pittwaterlife 

COAST WALK ART PLAN SURPRISE 

WHERE WERE YOU? – LOCALS REMEMBER THE MOON WALK 50 YEARS ON 

BRYAN BROWN & RACHEL WARD DISCUSS THE MAKING OF ‘PALM BEACH’ 

PLUS: STATION BEACH DOG WALK TRIAL LATEST / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD... 

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thislife 

COVER: Pittwater is earmarked for the lion’s share of art 

installations across the new Northern Beaches Coast Walk 

– find out where they’ll be (p10); Bryan Brown and Rachel 

Ward reveal the inside goss on their new movie Palm Beach 

which opens in cinemas next month (p12); where were you 

when man walked on the moon in 1969? Locals recount their 

stories (p16); learn the best tips for sprucing up your home 

and getting it ready for the next selling season (p32); find out 

about the plays and concerts happening this month (p60); 

and follow Janelle Bloom’s recipes for the best chocolate 

dishes ever! (p66). COVER IMAGE: Ferry view / Sharon Green. 

also this month 

Editorial 3 

Pittwater Local News 6-29 

Life Stories 30-31 

Special Feature: Home Living 32-36 

Art Life 38-39 

Surfing Life 42-43 

Health & Wellbeing; Hair & Beauty 44-50 

Money 52-53 

Law 54-55 

Trades & Services Guide 56-59 

Showtime; Clubs & Pubs 60-63 

Tasty Morsels; Food & Recipes 64-68 

Crossword 69 

Gardening 70-72 

the goodlife 

Restaurants, food, gigs, travel and gardening. 

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law and our essential maps. 

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4 JULY 2019 

The Local Voice Since 1991

News 

Ingleside ‘biobank’ eco win 

Pittwater has notched 

another important ecowin 

with the announcement 

Northern Beaches Council 

has entered a ‘biobanking’ 

agreement with the State 

Government to help fund 

the ongoing conservation of 

the ecologically important 

Ingleside Chase Reserve. 

The biobanking agreement 

is the first of its type for 

Council. Negotiated with the 

NSW Office of Environment 

and Heritage, the agreement 

means a biobank site will 

be established at Ingleside 

to help manage the land for 

conservation. 

Ingleside Chase Reserve 

is a 70-hectare bushland 

reserve owned and managed 

by Council and is located on 

the Warriewood Escarpment 

between Warriewood, 

Ingleside and Elanora Heights. 

The arrangement will 

enable Council to continue its 

important work conserving 

the Reserve. 

Under the biobanking 

agreement, Council receives 

credits calculated on the 

vegetation type and fauna 

species present. These credits 

can be sold to developers, for 

example, looking to offset 

their environmental impact. 

This generates funds for 

Council for the environmental 

management of the site on an 

ongoing basis. 

“Ingleside is home to 

many endangered species 

of threatened plants and 

animals. The Reserve is 

critical to the region’s 

biodiversity and it is vital it 

be maintained, but this does 

require significant ongoing 

funding,” said Mayor Michael 

Regan. 

“The biobanking agreement 

provides an opportunity to 

secure a substantially larger 

budget to continue to manage 

the Reserve.” 

Apart from protecting 

threatened plants and 

animals, Council’s work at 



Ingleside includes reducing 

the impact of weeds and feral 

animals, and minimising 

the human impact to 

improve water quality in the 

Narrabeen, Fern and Mullet 

Creek catchments. 

The initiative comes as 

green and open spaces 

were boosted in the NSW 

Government’s 2019-20 Budget 

delivered last month. 

Planning and Public Spaces 

Minister and Pittwater MP 

Rob Stokes said $162 million 

would be used to upgrade 

existing government-owned 

land and buy new land for 

public parklands, increase 

the tree canopy across Sydney 

and build more inclusive 

playgrounds, as a follow-up 

to the government’s election 

commitment to create wellconnected 

communities with 

quality local environments. 

“We’re committed to 

creating outdoor living rooms 

right across Sydney so more 

people can get outdoors and 

enjoy easy access to fantastic 

public spaces wherever they 

live,” Mr Stokes said. 

“We are planning for open 

space more strategically – 

through improvements to 

land we already own and by 

buying up forgotten land 

across Sydney to create new 

parks, playgrounds, green 

links and cycleways between 

existing open spaces.” 

The budget devoted $9 

million to improve open space 

in Frenchs Forest, with new 

green connections, linking 

the local community to 

nearby bushland corridors. 

Funding has also been set 

aside to continue building 

inclusive playgrounds 

across NSW through the 

Government’s Everyone Can 

Play initiative. 

“We’re also committed to 

planting more trees to boost 

Sydney’s urban tree canopy, 

with more than $36 million 

allocated to create greener 

and cooler environments,” Mr 

Stokes said. 

The funding will help build 

on the 149,000 trees already 

planted by the community 

through the ‘Five Million 

Trees for Greater Sydney’ 

program. 


News 



Fears new dog buffer 

zone is ‘unworkable’ 

News 

Dog walkers group Pittwater Unleashed 

says it is wary of ‘uncalled 

for’ recommendations included in 

the environmental review of the proposed 

and long-awaited off-leash dog trial at Station 

Beach. 

The independent Review of Environmental 

Factors (REF), detailing the potential 

impacts of the proposed 12-month trial, is 

now on public exhibition. Public submissions 

in response to the REF close at 3pm 

on Friday 12 July; thereafter Council will 

consider a report about the proposed trial 

at its July meeting. 

Pittwater Unleashed spokesman 

Mitch Geddes said the 121-page 

document included several areas 

of concern to those supporting the 

trial – including an ‘unworkable’ 

three-metre buffer zone inside the 

offshore seagrass bed. 

“Notwithstanding the green light 

given to the trial by the updated 

REF, there are a few matters which 

serve to unnecessarily complicate 

things and add to costs,” he said. 

Northern Beaches Council has 

proposed a trial arrangement 

that would allow people to take 

their dogs for a walk and a swim 

off-leash along a section of Station 

Beach – bound to the east by Palm 

Beach Golf Club and to the west 

by Pittwater Estuary – at specified 

times and days. 

Northern Beaches CEO Ray 

Brownlee said the REF would 

inform Council and help with its 

decision on the proposed trial. 

“The review document gives a 

detailed description, takes into 

account relevant planning controls, 

examines the existing environment 

in the vicinity of the proposed trial 

area, as well as potential impacts and any 

mitigation measures that must be taken,” 

he said. 

“It follows a period of extensive community 

consultation on the nature and scope 

of the proposed trial.” 

However, Pittwater Unleashed is concerned 

about the reduced scope of the trial 

area, as recommended in the REF. The revised 

trial area would cut 30 metres’ use at 

the southern end of Station Beach, and include 

an on-leash buffer zone some 50 metres 

short of the originally planned northern 

boundary at The Boathouse Wharf. 

Reasons given for the southern boundary 

amendment included proximity to houses 

and associated noise mitigation (the nearest 

house is 155 metres away), as well as closest 

point to seagrass beds. 

“The southern end should not be shortened 

by 30 metres – there is already a 

50-metre on-leash buffer zone in place at 

the southern tip of the proposed trial area 

and shortening the area would take out 

access to the only large tree around which 

needs to be included as this is where the 

dogs can get some shade (see image),” said 

Mr Geddes. 

“And the northern end should run right 

up to The Boathouse so the elderly can sit 

on the bench from the proposed landscaped 

area and watch kids playing with 

RECOMMENDED: Diagram included in the REF on Council’s website. 

their dogs – it loses its connection and 

purpose if the dogs are running around offleash 

50 metres away.” 

A section of the REF reads: “Council 

should take the minimum width buffer 

zone from the edge of the seagrass bed 

landward of three metres in making any decisions 

regarding allowing human and dog 

activities in the area off Station Beach. 

“If dog swimming/activity is permitted 

then… a straight boundary line (should) 

be placed three metres from the edge of 

the seagrass bed closest to the beach and 

running parallel to the beach the length of 

the proposed dog swimming area… dog 

activity (should) be allowed east of this line 

only, i.e. between the line and the beach, at 

any time of the tide.” 

But Mr Geddes said the suggested buffer 

was too restrictive and would not work. 

“As long as there is half a metre of depth 

over the seagrass, this is enough water for 

the dogs to swim without any problems,” 

he said. 

“We know that for over 10 years the State 

Government agencies have had no objection 

to the trial proceeding, and we also 

know via the original REF and the updated 

REF that the experts have no problem with 

the trial proceeding – and we know that the 

broader community is overwhelmingly onboard 

for the trial, given the 90% approval 

during Council’s consultation.” 

He said the group was disappointed 

with some of the input 

from the Department Primary 

Industries-Fisheries, which said 

had turned the focus on the issue 

of impact on seagrass “on its 

head”. 

“DPI-Fisheries only ever asked 

for a survey of the Posidonia species 

at the start of the trial, and 

again at the end,” Mr Geddes said. 

“The focus was Posidonia, and 

two surveys were requested. 

“Last-minute involvement within 

DPI-Fisheries has turned this on its 

head, going against the views previously 

expressed. It now includes 

convoluted suggestions to include 

broadening the focus from Posidonia, 

to include the more rampant 

Zostera and proposes using a 

large control area, and conducting 

detailed surveys each month, 

including a search for seahorses… 

that’s just ‘mission creep’.” 

He said this would likely see a 

basic $10,000 monitoring exercise 

“blow out to well over $100,000”. 

“This is money Pittwater 

Unleashed would rather see used 

by our Council to install the ‘random rock’ 

revetment along the edge of the golf course 

– which would protect the interests of the 

golfers, who do not want to see the 3rd, 4th 

and 5th fairways washed away in the next 

big storm – as well as protect the interests 

of DPI-Fisheries, who do not want to see 

continued release of the dumped sediment 

over the seagrass meadow during storm 

events.” 

He added it would also improve the 

amenity of the area, with golfers on one 

side of the revetment, and families with 

dogs on the other. 

To view the REF and lodge a submission 

(by July 12) visit Council’s website. 


* What do you think? Email us at readers@pittwaterlife.com.au 



Lion’s share of Coast Walk 

News 

It’s been revealed most of 

the sites earmarked for 

more than $2 million worth 

of public art projects across 

the Northern Beaches will be 

installed in our neck of the 

woods. 

Plans reveal up to 30 works 

of art reflecting the cultural, 

heritage and natural significance 

of our area will be 

placed along the 36-kilometre 

Northern Beaches Coast Walk 

over the next three years – with 

seven of 10 “priority sites” 

between Narrabeen and Palm 

Beach. 

The Coast Walk – on track 

to be completed before 2020 – 

includes 8km of new footpaths, 

boardwalks, stairs and tracks, 

linking Palm Beach to Manly. 

Northern Beaches Mayor 

Michael Regan said the experience 

for users would be 

enhanced significantly by the 

high-quality art and sculptures. 

“The artworks will add 

further vibrancy to the walk, 

as well as draw a direct connection 

between the villages, 

beaches and headlands,’’ he 

said. 

Council documents show 

artworks along the walk 

would cost between $100,000 

to $250,000 to develop and 

install, although some may be 

cheaper. 

Council will preference the 

design and fabrication of artworks 

to Northern Beaches artists 

and there is the possibility 

of some artworks being created 

by groups of artists and community 

groups such as youth 

groups and schools. 

Sites have been selected 

by the Coast Walk Pubic Art 

Working Group and through 

extensive community engagement. 

A leader in the arts and culture 

sector and President of the 

Manly Art Gallery & Museum 

Society John Pearson praised 

council’s professional, considered 

approach to the project. 

“What’s really impressive 

ART THOUGH BEAUTIFUL: Turimetta Headland Reserve is among seven 

local sites earmarked for art installations along the new Coastal Walk. 

is the public consultation and 

significant feedback from community 

engagement that has 

been taken on board,” he said. 

“There is a strategic focus 

which has perfectly selected 

sites for public art to go on and 

there will be a proper curatorial 

oversight reflecting best 

practice. 

“And that’s important 

because not only is it an opportunity 

for local artists to be 

engaged but also significant 

Australian artists to potentially 

be engaged as well.” 

Plans show integrated 

artworks such as sculptures, 

murals, plantings, symbols 

or roundels embedded in the 

walkway and design elements 

such as seating, fences, bol- 



art is for Pittwater 

lards and plantings will be 

delivered in two stages, with 

priority sites in the Pittwater 

area at North Narrabeen Rockpool 

and surrounds; Turimetta 

Headland Reserve; Mona Vale 

South Headland (Robert Dunn 

Reserve); Mona Vale North 

(Headland); Little Av (South 

Avalon Headland); Bangalley 

Park; and Pittwater Park [Palm 

Beach]. 

Other stage one sites include 

Dee Why and Long Reef 

headlands and Collaroy Beach 

(South). 

The second stage will include 

artworks and headland markers 

at Observation Point (Palm 

Beach); Avalon Beach Reserve; 

Newport Beach Reserve; Bilgola 

Headland; Mona Vale SLSC; 

Warriewood SC; Long Reef 

SLSC; Dee Why Rock Pool and 

surrounds; Freshwater Beach 

Reserve; Queenscliff Headland 

(Freshwater Park); and Manly 

SLSC. 

Other potential local program 

sites (subject to funding) 

include Whale Beach Reserve, 

Newport Beach Reserve, 

Bungan Castle [Headland] and 

Apex Park, Mona Vale. 

Temporary art and cultural 

programs will also play an important 

part of the Coast Walk 

public art strategy. 

Council’s allocation of $2 

million over four years to 

fund permanent public art 

works along the Coast Walk 

has been boosted by a grant 

for $200,000 for Indigenous 

artworks and signage. 

Also, Council has given the 

green light for an app to be 

developed that will guide the 

community along the walk, 

highlighting areas of natural 

and heritage significance as 

well as providing commentary 

on artworks. 

Additionally, Council is 

offering a once in a lifetime opportunity 

for suitably qualified 

and experienced artists and 

arts project teams to join the 

new Northern Beaches Public 

Art – Artist Panel. 

Panel artists would be given 

the chance to develop integrated 

artworks for sites along the 

Coast Walk and other potential 

local public art projects. 

Mayor Regan said: “To be a 

part of a permanent gallery 

along our extraordinary coastline 

will be a real achievement 

for artists who are successful 

in gaining a commission.” 

Artists will need to apply 

through the tender process. 

A Public Art Selection Panel, 

made up of curators and arts 

professionals, will review the 

submissions to appoint successful 

artists. 

Artists must submit applications 

outlining their artistic 

approach, credentials and 

qualifications, their ability to 

undertake the work, a record of 

their previous completed public 

artworks, fee proposals and 

references. 

The Public Art, Artist Panel 

Tender closes at 2pm on July 

25; register at Council’s E- 

Tendering portal. – Lisa Offord 

News 



Palm Beach 

wows on the 

big screen 

News 

Award-winning actor couple Bryan 

Brown and Rachel Ward say they’d 

be thrilled to hear what locals 

think of their latest film ‘Palm Beach’ 

which opens in cinemas in August. 

The movie was shot over six weeks 

from May last year, directed by Ward and 

featuring a stellar cast including Brown, 

Sam Neil, Jacqueline McKenzie, Greta 

Scacchi and Richard E Grant. It opened 

the 2019 Sydney Film Festival last month 

to critical acclaim – not least due to Bonnie 

Elliott’s stunning cinematography 

that championed the local area. 

Brown told Pittwater Life all involved 

were ecstatic with the finished product, 

adding the final cut was the film they 

wanted to make. 

“We set out to tell a story that would 

resonate with over-50s – that doesn’t 

mean it can’t be enjoyed by other people 

but I did want to tell a story about my 

generation and the things that people 

handle,” he said. 

“And I did want to set it in a location 

that was one of the great locations in 

Australia – I think Palm Beach has never 

looked better.” 

Added Ward: “I am thrilled… you never 

know if what interests you and pinches a 

nerve with you will resonate. Essentially 

you are dancing in the dark. It feels like 

we turned the lights on and lots of people 

are dancing with us. 

“I think we all had a good idea of 

where we wanted this film to land… we 

wanted to share and celebrate some of 

the good life that we have on our shoreline. 

Although we’ve set our film in a 

house and location in the pinnacle of 

fabulousness, a lot of Australians share 

its plenty and will identify with the 

lifestyle. It also gives us a wonderfully 

paradoxical position to share our woes.” 

A dramatic comedy, the plot involves a 

group of lifelong friends (the men were 

members of a moderately successful 

1970s band) who gather in Palm Beach to 

celebrate a special birthday. From there, 

bonhomie soon gives way to the messy 

realities of life, with secrets revealed and 

relationships fracturing. 

Brown described the movie as a blend 

of ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ and 

the 1983 cult classic, ‘The Big Chill’. 

“I saw Exotic Marigold Hotel just after I 

had been thinking about a story like this 

and I remember all the characters were 

older characters dealing with things... 

whether it was loneliness, the loss of 

someone, relationships... 

“In the same way, this film is dealing 

with people who have known each other, 

people who have had relationships, people 

who are dealing with ends of careers 

and questioning what that means. 

“And ‘The Big Chill’ aspect was once 

again a group of people who know each 

other, discussing themselves and the 

world. And the soundtrack is a big, big 

deal, as it was in ‘The Big Chill’ – we have 

Otis Redding, Frank Sinatra, The Easybeats, 

Donovan… it’s a big part of the film 

for the audience.” 

Ward said another “tone template” for 

her included contemporary French movies 

and the current series superhit, ‘Big Little 

Lies’. 

“Palm Beach explores the universal 

themes that many of us are struggling 

with – retirement, children going their 

own way, envy, dashed expectations, 

long-term relationships, health and 

friendship – to name a few,” she said. 

“I think French movies always exalt in 

beauty and have much less antipathy for 

depicting middle class lives. 

“And ‘Big Little Lies’ was the tone I 



GREAT ACT: Bryan 

Brown, Jacqueline 

McKenzie and 

Richard E Grant 

(left) dressed for 

summer during the 

cold movie shoot. 

BEAUTIFUL: The 

crisp cool days on 

Pittwater provided 

stunning colour and 

light (top right). 

TEAMWORK: Director 

Rachel Ward 

with cinematographer 

Bonnie Elliott 

(right). WHAT A 

VIEW: The Palm 

Beach ‘hero’ house 

provided a jawdropping 

backdrop 

(below). 

was after – people seemingly having a 

good life but riddled with their own personal, 

existential dramas. The juxtaposition 

of people in paradise having the 

usual woes is often funny as well as sad. 

Also, ‘It’s Complicated’ and ‘Something’s 

Gotta Give’.” 

Shooting a summer-themed movie in 

cold months presented challenges. 

“The actors were dressed for summer, 

in and out of water and picnicking in 

what turned out to be many blisteringly 

cold days,” Ward said. 

“They did a brilliant job defying the 

weather but at the end of each take they 

were bleating for their puffers!” 

Brown shrugs and says: “That’s what 

they pay you for. It was cold – particularly 

when we went across to The Basin, 

it happened to be a very windy day but 

you would never know looking at the 

screen and I have dealt with far worse 

things than that. 

“We went swimming at Palmy for the 

movie and the temperature of the water 

is pretty good all year round, really. 

“Even though it was a bit cold I thought 

we did pretty well – it could have rained 

the whole time and then we would have 

been in trouble.” 

Ward said the Pittwater vista was crucial 

in telling the tale. 

“We needed to set up Bryan’s character 

as someone who had been very successful, 

so the house and view had to be 

knockout,” she said. “One of our themes 

is envy, so again the vista had to be 

downright enviable. 

“We were locals many years ago but 

I never saw Pittwater from the position 

of our ‘hero’ house – shooting up there 

(above Palm Beach) was knockout. The 

actors and crew nearly fell over when 

they came there the first time.” 

How did they spend their time off-set? 

“The Boathouse got a fair few breakfasts 

when we were working nightshift, 

and The Greedy Goat, we were down 

there for eggs quiet often,” said Brown. 

“It was great to wander around Avalon 

too – people wandered up and they were 

very interested in the fact were making a 

movie called Palm Beach. The next time I 

wander around there, I hope they will be 

telling me what they think of it.” 


News 



Sustainability stars 

It’s pretty clear Pittwater has embraced 

efforts to reduce single-use plastic for the 

good of the planet, so this July we shine the 

light on a few initiatives that are raising the 

sustainability bar. By Lisa Offord 

News 

Lighting upgrades at 

buildings, carparks and 

sports fields, heating and 

cooling system improvements 

as well as installation of solar 

panels on depots has led to 


receiving Bronze Partner status 

from the NSW Government’s 

Sustainability Advantage 

program. 

The program also took 

into account Council’s 

efforts to measure resource 

use and waste generation 

and to develop strategies 

and initiatives to embed 

sustainability through all of 

Council’s business units. 

The Sustainability Advantage 

Recognition Scheme provides 

public acknowledgement of the 

sustainability achievements of 

member institutions. 

Since joining in October 

2016, Council has been working 

towards achieving Bronze 

Partner status. 

Council plans more solar PV 

installations, implementation 

of new community waste 

services, accelerated streetlight 

improvements and a new 

environment strategy, with 

plans to achieve Silver Partner 

status. 

businesses to reduce their volunteers have been visiting 

usage of single plastics. 

food and beverage venues 

Swap for good 

The ‘Swap for Good’ program encouraging them to be singleuse-plastic 

free. 

provides a range of support for 

NB Council has launched a local businesses including oneon-one 

Program co-ordinator Rowan 

new campaign designed to 

guidance, sustainable Hanley told Pittwater Life the 

encourage and support local procurement guides, online group aims to accredit the TOP 

networking hubs and webinars 100 Ocean Friendly Venues by 

as well as a list of suppliers of the end of the year. 

sustainable materials. 

“It is heartening to see 

Mayor Michael Regan is that most businesses on the 

urging businesses to embrace Northern Beaches are already 

the movement away from doing some things to reduce 

single-use plastic bags, bottles, their plastic footprint as there 

straws and coffee cups and is a high level of awareness in 

lids and use sustainable 

the community around ocean 

alternatives instead. 

plastic pollution,” Rowan said. 

“With everyone doing their “Our volunteers are warmly 

bit, we can collectively make a received and generally 

huge difference to the volume businesses are interested in 

of plastics polluting our 

what we have to offer.” 

waterways and oceans and The success of Ocean 

adding to landfill,” he said. Friendly lies in that it is easy. 

Businesses can sign up to “We don’t ask that they 

the Swap for Good program on eliminate every piece of plastic 

Council’s website. 

from their operations, but 

The Swap for Good 

get rid of the major singleuse 

Sustainable Solutions Expo 

plastic ocean polluters – 

will be held from 5pm on polystyrene packaging, plastic 

Monday July 1 at Harbord straws, plastic cutlery, plastic 

Diggers, showcasing suppliers water bottles, plastic bags – 

of sustainable materials 

and we ask that they embrace 

for hospitality and retail proper recycling and waste 

industries, independent 

reduction practices.” 

packaging bodies and recycling * Artist Angela van Boxtel 

businesses. 

produced ‘Missing Drop’ 

(pictured) to raise awareness 

Ocean Friendly 

about plastics use; fashioned 

Council’s Swap for Good in the shape of a water drop 

campaign sits nicely alongside and made from plastic water 

the award-winning Surfrider bottles, it was unveiled at the 

Foundation’s Ocean Friendly ‘Swap for Good’ launch at Cafe 

accreditation scheme, where Racer in Mona Vale. 



Hair care that’s not costing the earth 

When Deborah Grevett opened 

Papillon Hair in Avalon a year 

and a half ago she introduced a 

range of eco-friendly practices to 

become Pittwater’s first ‘Sustainable 

Salon’. 

The salon uses natural products, 

reuses and recycles as much as 

possible and aims for 95 per cent of 

waste to be saved from landfill. 

“We built our own in-house bins 

and have a hole in the ground where 

we sweep hair,” Deborah said. “Foil, 

plastic, paper, hair and chemical 

waste is all recycled correctly.” 

The team received training and 

information from a salon-specific 

waste recovery service, Sustainable 

Salons, which collects and recycles hair, paper, plastics, metals 

including aluminium foil, chemicals, razors and hairdressing 

tools from hair, beauty and dog grooming businesses around 

the country. 

“All plastic is melted down and turned into the NBN plastic 

protective covers, or into park benches that will last for 

hundreds of years,” Deborah said. 

“The hair that we send off is turned in hair booms – all the 

hair goes into a giant stocking-like sock that can be used to 

help clean up oil spills.” 

Deborah said staff embraced the waste reduction and 

recycling concept wholeheartedly. 

“Most of us already recycle at 

home and managing the salon waste 

this way is actually easier than not 

recycling, it’s all organised and so 

much cleaner,” she said. 

“We now only have the tiniest 

waste bag of rubbish per day and 

the amount of recycling we are 

doing makes us all so happy, it’s 

very rewarding.” 

There is a small $2 ‘green fee’ for 

all clients – but there hasn’t been a 

customer who hasn’t contributed, 

for the good of the planet. 

The fee goes to Sustainable Salons 

to help cover costs for the bin 

collection. 

All proceeds from repurposing 

salon materials in Australia are donated to OzHarvest to 

distribute meals for those in need. 

Avalon beauty salon Facial Impressions recently joined the 

program and there are now 30 salons on the northern beaches 

that are part of the Sustainable Salon network. 

“Knowing our waste is all recycled or only re-used within 

Australia makes us satisfied in knowing it’s all going to a good 

cause,” Deborah said. 

“We’re proud to be making a difference to ensure that 

our waterways are cleaner, rubbish tips less full and our 

environment saved for future generations to come,” she said. 

– Lisa Offord 

News 



Walking on 

the Moon 

News 

Fifty years ago on July 20, 1969, 

Apollo 11 mission commander Neil 

Armstrong became the first person 

to set foot on the moon. His words to 

mark the milestone – “It’s one small step 

for man... one giant leap for mankind” – 

will be remembered forever. 

For those old enough to recall, that 

winter’s day in Australia will similarly 

never be forgotten. 

Here’s what some of Pittwater’s ‘elders’ 

had to say about arguably the greatest of 

human achievements. 

Compiled by Nigel Wall 

Bronwyn Bishop 

Mackellar MP 1994 – 2016 

“Ryan Gosling in the recent Hollywood 

movie ‘First Man’ brought it all back. 

Man was about to land on the moon and 

I could watch it on my television in my 

own home! 

“So I was glued to the TV and 

watched in awe as the Eagle module 

landed and Neil Armstrong planted 

himself on the moon. (‘Step’ seems 

too dainty a word and yet his famous 

words still resonate.) 

“But my overall thoughts were of the 

sheer achievement of the human mind, 

the courage and dedication of the individual 

men who undertook this extraordinary 

voyage and the huge team behind 

the mission. (Reminds me that we were 

spared being drawn into a black hole 

with the Liberals winning the federal 

election...) 

“I was and remain proud of their 

achievement and full of anticipation for 

what the next 50 years may hold – as 

long as we put our energies into the positive 

and abandon the negative.” 

Brady Halls 

Channel 9 Reporter 

“I have recently researched and shot a 

10-minute story on the moon landing. In 

my story (which will air on ‘A Current Affair’ 

in early July), I went back to my old 

school, Beacon Hill Primary. 

“I also went to Parkes and Canberra 

to our telescopes, and spoke to workers 

involved on that day 50 years ago. 

“Me? I was in Mr Ferris’ 4th Class in July 

1969 – I was nine years old. I vividly recall 

we were all brought up to the library at 

BHPS by our teachers to watch the landing. 

“I was standing against the wall, and 

I remember looking over at my teacher 

on the other side of the room as all the 

students sat silently glued to the 1960s 

black-and-white TV out front. 

“As Neil Armstrong came down the ladder 

and touched the surface, I looked over 

to see my teacher crying. As a nine-yearold 

I was puzzled and didn’t quite understand 

why. But 50 years on… I now do. 

“What a memorable moment! One I 

shall never forget… I feel lucky I was alive 

to witness it, as it is certainly one of the 

greatest achievements in human history. 

“I’m sure some kids at my old school 

will be doing the same in the coming 

decades, watching as a man or woman 

one day steps foot on Mars.” 

Professor Fred Watson 

Astronomer-at-Large 

Department of Industry, 

Innovation and Science 

“I remember in the lead-up that hopes 

were very high for a successful mission, 

given NASA’s successes of the previous 

seven years with the Mercury, Gemini 

and early Apollo flights. Everyone was 

very confident. Also, the 1968 release 

of the movie ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ 

made the prospects of human habitation 

of space within a few decades entirely 

believable. We thought we were on the 

brink of a new era of human space travel. 

It was extremely exciting. 

“On the day, I was living in Newcastleupon-Tyne 

in northern England, working 

for a company that built specialised 

telescopes for astronomy. One of the 

projects I was working on was a space 

telescope to be flown on an uncrewed 

satellite called TD1A, which was eventually 

launched in 1972. I and my colleagues 

in the lab lived and breathed the 

Apollo missions. 

“Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk took 

place in the late evening UK time on 

Sunday 20 July, and I spent the entire 

day in my flat glued to the TV. I think the 

BBC ended its live transmission before 

the moonwalk took place, and I went to 

bed at about 12.45am, but was up at 6am 

to watch a recording of the moonwalk. 



I stayed tuned for the rest of the day to 

catch the lunar module lift-off and docking 

with the command module. 

“I remember feeling totally captivated 

by the entire mission, as were all my 

colleagues. We were acutely aware that 

history had been made, and that this was 

one of humankind’s greatest achievements. 

No-one begrudged NASA and 

the Americans the kudos, and Neil’s ‘we 

come in peace for all mankind’ struck a 

chord with us all. 

“Last, I had and elderly and very 

grumpy great-aunt, who was an early 

Apollo-denier. My mother told me a few 

days after the moon landing that my 

Aunt had stumbled across a TV documentary 

that showed endoscopic images 

of a medical procedure, and began cursing 

‘that damn Moon thing again’!” 

John Morrison 

Musician & Pilot 

“My interest in aviation goes back to 

early childhood dreams of flying to 

GIANT LEAP: Neil 

Armstrong’s photo of 

fellow astronaut Buzz 

Aldrin standing on 

the moon during the 

Apollo 11 mission on 

July 20, 1969. 

the moon, and during the Gemini and 

Apollo Missions, I travelled with the 

American astronauts every step of the 

way. My brother James and I decided to 

launch our own mission to the moon in 

1969, believing that we could get there, 

but would need a lift to get back home. 

We planned to meet the Apollo astronauts 

on the moon and come home with 

them. We had a plan. James was two and 

a half years younger than I and at the 

age of six, he had complete faith in his 

wise old brother’s idea to build a rocket 

and began to help me gather all of the 

necessary materials for a trip of this 

magnitude. 

“A tea chest was found for the command 

module, large plastic bags and elastic 

bands for storing oxygen, heavy-duty 

tracksuit pants and gum-boots which 

we had fashioned together to make what 

must have looked like something out of 

an early science fiction movie. 

“The final and most critical element 

was the propulsion system, which was to 

PHOTO: Neil A. Armstrong/NASA 

blast me into orbit and beyond. We had 

emptied our piggy banks and convinced 

most of the other kids in our street to 

give us money to purchase nearly 60 

large skyrockets from the local store. 

These were on sale for the Queen’s Birthday 

weekend in June and we bought the 

biggest ones we could get. 

“After securing the rockets to the 

outside of the tea chest, we began 

going through all the final preparations 

for the launch. I had also built a 

launch ramp for the rocket and in mid- 

July 1969, only six days before Apollo 

Eleven’s launch date, we stood back and 

admired our magnificent work. 

“At this point James noticed that the 

ramp was not pointing towards the 

moon and was concerned that I might 

miss the target. I explained to him that it 

would take me around four days to get to 

the moon and by the time I arrived, the 

moon would have travelled the necessary 

distance and I would land successfully. 

I’ll never forget the look in his eyes at 

that point. He looked at me as though I 

was the cleverest person in the world. If 

only he knew what was about to happen. 

“As he secured me into the wooden 

tea chest and nailed it shut along with 

the plastic bags full of air (and one over 

my head of course) he never doubted 

that lighting nearly 15 pounds of gunpowder 

underneath me was going to 

launch me into history. (Yes, I was about 

to become history.) 

“Many of the kids who had contributed 

their pocket money were there to see it 

(and me) go up in smoke. As the countdown 

went down and the flames licked 

upward I began to feel a warm orange 

glow around the rocket which meant I 

was either approaching escape velocity 

and leaving the earth’s atmosphere, or 

the whole machine was on fire and I was 

leaving earth in a more biblical sense. 

“The rocket shook violently, and I 

could hear the approaching sound of my 

father’s unusually high-pitched voice. At 

this point I realised that perhaps all was 

not going to plan. My father did a quick 

head count and instantly knew that if he 

Continued on page 18 

News 



News 

Continued from page 17 

couldn’t see me standing around holding a box 

of matches, then I would certainly be inside the 

burning box in the middle of our backyard. 

“And so it came to pass that Neil Armstrong 

was the first man to walk on the moon – and 

if he knew how close I was to beating him, 

perhaps his famous words would have been: 

“One small step for a man, one giant lesson for 

a nine-year-old boy.” 

Dr Richard West 

President Palm Beach & 

Whale Beach Association 

“I recall thinking in the lead-up to the moon 

landing that is was a great step forward for 

mankind... I was in Londaon at the time and I 

remember feeling a great sense of excitement. 

“However, in hindsight I have been disappointed 

with the long-term benefits of the 

space program. I think the money – billions of 

dollars – could been spent in other ways, such 

as improving living standards in Third World 

countries and medical research into the cure 

of cancer.” 

Alex McTaggart 

Pittwater Ward Councillor 

“Leading up to the actual landing I can 

remember going to a mate’s house but after 

that I don’t remember having much specific 

interest. 

“As for the actual moon landing, I worked 

for a firm of accountants in Clarence Street 

in the CBD. I remember there was a TV in the 

board room and we watched it sitting in the 

board room leather chairs with the rest of the 

staff... about 12 of us in all. 

“Then it was back to work – we had time 

sheets and had to account for every quarter of 

an hour... someone had to pay!” 

Collette Searl 

Avalon identity 

“In 1969 I was a senior student at Stella Maris 

College in Manly. Just before 1pm on July 21 

the nuns gathered us all together and we were 

taken to the school hall. I can’t remember if 

only the senior girls were allowed to watch the 

television – I think so otherwise it would have 

been almost impossible for the whole school 

to see the television set, let alone the picture! 

(Honestly I don’t think many of us girls were 

especially interested in space travel but we 

were just happy that we were being given time 

off classes.) 

“We had been told a little about what was to 

happen but the main emphasis was on Australia’s 

involvement through the Parkes telescope. 

“Of course, being a Catholic school there 

was also emphasis on President Kennedy’s 

(a Catholic President) foresight in instigating 

America’s space program! 

“However, what we were about to witness 

was truly amazing – a remarkable and unique 

experience. Watching it, it was as if time stood 

still. Imagine two men actually walking on the 

moon! It was indeed ‘a giant leap for mankind’.” 

7THINGS 

THIS MONTH 

Hospital stall. The Mona Vale 

Hospital Auxiliary will have a 

lovely assortment of bric-a-brac, 

craft, books and handmade knits 

on offer at Pittwater Place, Mona 

Vale on Sat 6 from 9am-3pm. 

Furniture repair. Give your 

broken timber furniture a new life 

with the help of woodworkers 

from The Bower Reuse and 

Repair Centre who will show how 

simple it is to restore wooden 

items back to functional furniture 

at Kimbriki Resource Recovery 

Centre, Terrey Hills on Sat 6 from 

2-5pm. Spaces are limited to four 

people an hour and bookings 

essential through NB Council 

website. 

Comedy show. Join comedian 

Sean Murphy for a hilarious and 

interactive show all about getting 

children active and curious, 

emphasising the possibilities 

of play without screen-based 

devices on Tues 9 from 2-4pm 

at Mona Vale Memorial Hall. 

Suitable ages 8 and up. Cost $8. 

Bookings essential. Enquiries 

9976 1739. 

Give blood. You’ll find the 

Australian Red Cross Blood 

Service’s Mobile Donor Centre at 

Mona Vale Beach from Wed 10 – 

Fri 12. Register donateblood.com. 

au or call 13 14 95. 

Waterwise garden. Learn how 

to set up a self-watering garden 

bed at one of two interactive 

workshops on Fri 26 from 10am- 

1pm and Sun 28 from 10am-1pm 

at Kimbriki Eco House & Garden 

Ingleside. Understand and apply 

the key principles to setting up a 

wicking bed and build your own 

mini bed planted up with some 

vegie seedlings to take home. 

Bookings essential. Cost $45. 

More info kimbriki@kimbriki.com 

Car show. Get along to the 

Royal Motor Yacht Club, Newport 

on Sun 28 from 10am-3pm and 

see more than 80 cars on display 

in the Unique Vehicle Show. Entry 

by donation. More info 9997 5511. 

Support Beryl. Book your ticket 

for the annual fundraiser to help 

Beryl Driver compete in the 21st 

annual Variety Bash. Black-and- 

White event at Club Palm Beach 

on Mon 14. More info 9974 5566. 



various other organic products with the view of ceasing the 

use of glyphosate-based products in the near future.” Also, 

congrats to our Council for the gushing bouquet awarded 

by Minister for Local Government, Shelley Hancock, who 

described us as a “shining star amongst the merged Councils” 

in parliament last month. Ms Hancock said: “It is amazing to 

see what they have been doing in that space… NB Council 

is going from strength to strength due in part to the strong 

partnership with the State Government and the professional 

leadership present in that council.” 

News 

SEEN… 

The striking and stylish set of new stairs through the Road 

Reserve at Church Point that was recently completed and 

opened, providing residents with much easier access down 

the steep, heavily vegetated area (above). Remember how 

poor access used to be? These new stairs connect Captain 

Hunter Road to the top of Quarter Sessions Road; they’re made 

from fibre-reinforced polymer and feature two flights, each 

1.2m wide. Built after extensive community consultation, the 

stairway will give residents better access to public transport, 

local facilities and businesses in the Church Point commercial 

hub, while reducing car dependence. Funding came via a State 

Government grant to the Bayview Church Point Residents 

Association. 

ABSURD..? 

To the uncaring morons who dumped dangerous asbestos and 

other building materials at McCarrs Creek and Palm Beach recently 

(below), we hope the authorities catch you and throw the 

book at you – with a fine of $500,000 if you acted individually or 

up to $2 million if a business. “Asbestos is very dangerous when 

disturbed and leaving it exposed in public areas can have severe 

health risks,” said Mayor Michael Regan. “Plus it costs ratepayers 

thousands of dollars to remove.” The recent dumping incidents 

cost around $25,000 to identify, classify and dispose of safely. 

You can report illegal dumping to Council representatives on 

1300 434 434, or the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), or 

email info@environment.nsw.gov.au 

HEARD… 

A looming class action on behalf of people suffering cancers 

allegedly linked to exposure to the widely used weedkiller 

Roundup has prompted Sydney Councils including ours to 

ban the product’s use and trial organic alternatives instead. 

An NB Council spokesman told Pittwater Life: “We have 

recently successfully trialled an alternative organic product 

for weed control and are currently substituting it for the 

glyphosate-based product. Further trials are continuing on 



News 

Dynamite expands 

One of Pittwater’s leading dance schools has officially opened 

its new state-of-the-art facility in Mona Vale. Students and the 

team at Dynamite Premiere Academy, Newport are dancing to 

their heart’s content in an impressive two-storey complex at 95 

Darley Street – which boasts three studios fitted with sprung 

flooring, mirrors, wall-mounted barres and air-conditioning. 

DPA Principal Melissa Mitchell said the facility was more than 

a decade in the making and a lifelong dream of hers to be able 

to inspire, nurture and watch children flourish under one roof. 

The school specialises in classical ballet RAD, jazz, modern, 

hip hop, limber, 

performance 

classes and elite 

ballet programs. 

DPA now also 

runs the northern 

beaches arm of 

the nationally acclaimed 

program 

Ready Set Ballet 

offering carefully 

curated classes 

to ensure preschoolers 

have 

lots of fun whilst 

also learning the 

fundamentals of 

classical ballet. 

More info 9918 

8841 or info@dynamitepa.com.au 

Pittwater News 

Clear the weeds 

Feeling community minded? 

Want to help clear Ku-ringgai 

Chase National Park from 

asparagus fern, learning and 

laughing while you go? Join 

the annual Bush Regeneration 

weekend on July 12-14 – for 

just $60 per person you’ll 

experience two nights’ multishare 

accommodation at the 

beautiful Pittwater Youth 

Hostel, with kayak hire and 

morning tea thrown in. (Late 

Sunday checkout.) More info 

9999 5748. 

Probus news updates 

The Historical Aircraft 

Restoration Society (HARS) 

aviation museum, located at 

Albion Park, is dedicated to 

Australian aviation history 

with a collection of flying, 

under-restoration and static 

display aircraft. It is an allvolunteer 

group of aviation 

professionals and enthusiasts 

– many are active or 

retired aircraft engineers 

and pilots. Pittwater Probus 

Club’s guest speaker in July 

is HARS President and Chief 

Pilot, Bob De La Hunty, who 

manages the overall operation 

of the Society. Meeting 

commences 10am at Mona 

Vale Golf Club on Tuesday 

July 9; visitors welcome. 

More info Geoff Sheppard 

0437 274 074. Meanwhile 

Palm Beach Probus Club 

invites visitors to hear their 

July speaker, David Vaughn, 

discuss the wonderful 

world of flags. A vexillographer, 

David is regarded as 

Australia’s leading authority 

on the design, etiquette, 

protocol and history of 

flags. The meeting is at Club 

Palm Beach from 9.30am 

on Wednesday July 17. More 

info 9973 1247. 

Missing footpath link 

Construction of an 800-metre 

footpath ‘blackspot’ extension 

along the northern side 

of Hudson Parade in Clareville 

has been completed by 

Northern Beaches Council. 



The new path from Delecta 

Avenue to Taylors Point Road 

links the residents of Taylors 

Point, Refuge Cove and Bilgola 

with existing footpaths to 

Avalon. It’s anticipated the 

footpath extension, which 

cost $550,000 and was funded 

through the NSW Government’s 

‘Stronger Communities 

Fund’ and was delivered as 

part of Council’s New Footpath 

program, will encourage 

‘active transport’ in Clareville 

as well as make it easier and 

safer for pedestrians to reach 

Clareville Beach and Avalon 

Shops. “It will make it safer 

for local children to walk to 

schools and nearby beaches, 

and improve opportunities 

for activities such as dogwalking, 

jogging, walking. It 

will also be of great benefit 

to local residents with limited 

mobility,” said Mayor Michael 

Regan. The extension was 

undertaken following advice 

received from the Clareville 

and Bilgola Plateau Residents’ 

Association. 

Pittwater budget win 

Member for Pittwater Rob 

Stokes has welcomed further 

funding in the State Budget 

to continue the NSW Government’s 

investment in Pittwater 

infrastructure. Key local allocations 

for 2019/20 include: 

$40 million for the upgrade 

of Mona Vale Road East (total 

funds allocated to date $67.6 

million) and an additional $4.9 

million for Mona Vale Road 

West (total funds allocated 

to date $21.4 million). Work 

on this generational upgrade 

commenced in February and 

will deliver essential safety 

and traffic flow improvements 

once completed. 

$18.4 million for northern 

beaches health service improvements 

– including ongoing 

infrastructure upgrades at 

Mona Vale Hospital. 

Funds for the construction 

of the first ever permanent 

ambulance station at Mona 

Vale Hospital. 

An additional $10 million 


News 



News 



to enhance the palliative care 

inpatient facility currently 

under construction at Mona 

Vale Hospital. 

$339,000 to introduce improved 

walking and cycling 

paths in Newport. 

$1.6 million to support 


with the introduction of new 

and improved boating infrastructure. 

$51 million to complete 

road and traffic flow enhancements 

along the B-Line 

corridor between Mona Vale 

and the CBD. 

Young Writers’ Comp 

The challenge is on – who will 

be the winners of this year’s 

Northern Beaches Young 

Writers’ Competition? Young 

writers have until Wednesday 

August 7 to enter. The theme 

for 2019 is ‘wild’ (think wild 

adventures, wild animals or 

even wild child), so entries 

must be an original story 

based around the word ‘wild’. 

Somewhere new for the ʻKiddiwinks’ 

The strain on families with young 

children looking to break into Pittwater’s 

brimming childcare facilities 

has been eased with the opening of a 

new centre at Warriewood. 

Friends Toni Isaac and Nicole Youssef 

realised a lifelong dream when they 

opened their cutely named Kiddiwinks 

long-day care centre in Vuko 

Place, adjacent to McDonald’s, in 

April. 

Kiddiwinks is open 7am through 

6pm Monday to Friday, with capacity 

for 67 children. The centre is 

currently only 50% full, with nine 

staff members (all local) on the 

books and more set to be employed 

as numbers increase. 

Conveniently sited just minutes’ 

walk from the B-Line, the centre 

comprises four separate rooms, for 

ages 0-2 (three teachers per day), 

2-3 years (three teachers), 3-4 years 

(two teachers) and 4-6 years (two 

teachers). 

Kiddiwinks features brand new 

indoor and magnificent outdoor facilities, 

provides Huggies and Aldi Mamia 

nappies – plus a qualified chef prepares 

fresh meals onsite (breakfast, morning 

tea, lunch, afternoon tea, late snack) and 

Now in its 10th year, entry 

to the competition is open to 

students up to and including 

those in Year 12 and entrants 

must live or go to school on 

the Northern Beaches and be 

members of a local library. The 

best entries will be published 

in an eBook to be included 

in the collections of Northern 

Beaches Council Library 

and the National Library of 

Australia. In each age category, 

there are awards for 

the winner and runner-up as 

well as encouragement and 

highly commended awards. 

Entry forms with competition 

details are available on 

Council’s Library website and 

in branches of libraries across 

the Northern Beaches. 

National Tree Day 

Want to do your bit for a 

greener local area? Council is 

hosting a National Tree Day 

event at Toongari Reserve 

in Avalon from 10am-2pm 

on July 28, with everyone 

welcome to ‘turn a sod’. The 

concept of National Tree Day 

began in Australia in 1996 

and continues to prosper each 

year. Co-founded by singer 

Olivia Newton-John and 

Planet Ark, it has grown into 

Australia’s largest community 

tree planting and nature protection 

event. Volunteers are 

welcome, with gloves, tools 

and equipment for planting 

all provided, as will be 

buckets and drinking water. 

To register visit treeday.planetark.org 

Councillor honoured 

Northern Beaches Councillor 

Roslyn Harrison was recently 

recognised for her supreme 

work ethic, taking home a 

major honour from the 12th 

annual Ministers’ Awards for 

Women in Local Government. 

The French Forest Ward Councillor 

and mother of three 

was the joint winner of the 

Elected Representative from a 

Metropolitan Council category. 

Before she became a primary 

school teacher, Cr Harrison 

take- home meals for busy families (with 

a menu approved by NSW Health to meet 

all dietary requirements for children). 

“We offer a school readiness and 

pre-school program for all children in 

the 3-4yrs and 4-6yrs room,” said Toni. 

“Plus we offer dance classes, multisports 

classes, language classes, yoga 

classes – all included in the program 

for no extra cost – and gardening and 

cooking classes.” 

University-trained, Toni said she and 

Nicole had been in the childcare industry 

for more than 20 years. 

spent 20 years working in various 

government departments 

which included curriculum 

development with the Board of 

Studies, marketing for Work- 

Cover and managing National 

Youth Week. She has also been 

president of Northern Beaches 

Multiple Birth Association, as 

well as sitting on numerous 

northern beaches committees 

the past couple of decades. 

Mayor Michael Regan added: 

“Everyone at Council was 

delighted after news of Cr Harrison’s 

award became public. 

Roslyn has been an important 

figure behind the scenes for 

a number of years and it was 

fantastic to see her hard work 

formally recognised on such a 

big stage.” 

Kimbriki upgrade 

A new $3.5 million treatment 

plant at Kimbriki Resource Recovery 

Centre in Terrey Hills 

will provide improved environmental 

outcomes for the 

site. Opened last month, the 


“We have both worked on the floor 

with children, been directors and in the 

previous company we worked with for 

10 years managed seven centres,” she 

said. 

“But we wanted to go back to working 

more with the children and families 

and fulfil our dreams of opening 

our own centre. 

“Both of us are passionate about 

working with children of all ages 

and their families. We enjoy providing 

environments which assist each 

child to develop and flourish within 

– we believe in providing an atmosphere 

where children feel comfortable 

and confident to be themselves 

by providing a loving and caring 

environment. We also believe that 

children should have fun.” 

She added that as a family 

business, Kiddiwinks took value 

in working with other families 

within the local community. 

Kiddiwinks is open 50 weeks per 

year (closed over Christmas and on 

public holidays). They are taking enrolments 

for all ages for 2019, or waiting 

list applications for families wanting to 

start in 2020 and onwards. More info 

9970 7213. – Lisa Offord 



Book Review 

Love and 

Other 

Battles 

Tess Wood 

Harper Collins 

$32.99 

There’s a skill to 

writing contemporary 

fiction that makes the 

reader feel a genuine 

connection with the 

characters. Tess Woods 

demonstrated this 

in her debut, awardwinning 

Love at First Flight, the story of a 

couple who meet on a plane to Sydney, and despite respective 

partners, fall madly in love. You know these people. 

Her third novel Love and Other Battles is a multi-generational 

story sweeping from Australia’s participation in the Vietnam 

War, through to parenting teenagers with today’s social media 

pressures. So caught up in the lives and choices of the three 

spirited and hard-loving women, Jess, Jamie and C.J, they felt 

like family by the time I finished. 

Make a cup of tea, find a sunny spot, keep your tissues close, 

and settle in for an extremely satisfying read. – Libby Armstrong 

News 



News 


Relax and have a ‘Cushie’ time 

With the Northern Beaches a favourite holiday 

destination, some locals have been cashing in 

by turning their family homes into short-term 

rentals whilst they take a break themselves. 

For more than three years, local company 

Cushie has been helping homeowners get the 

best possible returns. 

Whether it is just for a few weeks while the 

family is away, or for full-time holiday rentals, 

Cushie takes the hassle out of the process, says 

operator Maranda McLaren. 

“We can take care of pretty much everything 

in managing a holiday rental,” Maranda said. 

“From setting up a listing on the holiday rental 

sites, to arranging cleaning, photography, 

guest screening, to 24/7 guest support.” 

They can also tailor packages to best suit 

clients’ needs. 

“Some of our clients just use us for individual 

services, such as professional cleans or to 

supply hotel quality linen,” she said. 

Maranda has a long history in customer 

experiences and knows that the key to a happy 

outcome is open communication, setting the 

right expectations – and honesty. 

Cushie sources locally where they can and 

collaborates with other businesses in the 

community to deliver its services. 

“Our team, comprising partnerships with 

local cleaning and services companies, are 

truly dedicated – they know, thoroughly, the 

nuances of all our homes. That way we can 

present them at their best – every time. 

“Key for us is that these houses are people’s 

homes. We like to care for them like our own.” 

* More info visit cushie.com 


fully automated plant treats 

wastewater generated from 

landfilling activities (known 

as leachate) using a combination 

of biological and chemical 

processes to render the leachate 

safe for disposal to the 

sewer. It upgrades the existing 

leachate management system 

on site which previously 

relied on traditional site-based 

solutions including onsite reticulation 

and reinjection into 

the waste. Kimbriki’s General 

Manager – Asset Management, 

Mr Mark Winser, said the 

launch of the Plant was a key 

milestone in Kimbriki’s ongoing 

environmental protection 

program, ensuring the facility 

is able to exceed all regulatory 

standards while meeting the 

recycling and waste disposal 

needs of future generations. 

The Plant can treat and discharge 

up to 500,000 litres per 

day, providing ample capacity 

during peak rainfall periods. 

Mr Winser said it would be 

in use through the life of the 

landfill and beyond to ensure 

the site remained secure from 

the risk of discharging wastewater 

off-site. 

Early reading boost 

Avalon’s Beachside Bookshop 

will run a six-month program 

to support Story Times in 

several local kindergartens 

and the Avalon Community 

Library after being awarded 

a grant by Penguin Books 

Australia. Proprietor Libby 

Armstrong said the program 

involved the donation of a 

monthly Puffin Picks Picture 

Book from July to December 

(six in total). “Our focus will be 

on new releases and Australian 

authors,” said Libby. They 

will also issue Beachside Bookshop 

‘Puffin Club’ Cards to 

the program’s kindy families, 

which will entitle the bearer 

to a great discount off any 

books bearing the Puffin logo 

in-store from July 1 through 

December 31. Also, they will 

host a free seminar to be 

run around October for local 

early childhood educators 

(and interested parents). “We 

are kicking off with Northern 

Beaches’ own Aura Parker’s 

new release with Puffin Books 

for July, Meerkat Splash. 

Plastic-free event 

Living Ocean with support 

from Surfrider Foundation 

is holding a Plastic Free 

July event at the Avalon 

Recreation Centre. Opening 

night is Friday 19th from 

5-8pm, showcasing recycled 

art, stalls and a Red Cross 

fashion parade. The art 

exhibition will continue 

Saturday 20th from 10am- 

4pm with workshops in 

basketry using recycled 

materials and painting on 

timber siding (pictured) plus 

a silent auction of artworks. 

There will also be a beach 

clean at 10am on Avalon 




News 



Beach co-ordinated by the 

Avalon Green Team (all 

invited). Free event. 

Falinski’s new roles 

Re-elected Mackellar MP 

Jason Falinski will take 

on new parliamentary and 

community roles in coming 

months. Mr Falinski has 

been appointed Chair of the 

House of Representatives’ 

Tax and Revenue committee. 

“Ensuring that hard-working 

people and small business 

owners pay less tax is 

central to the Government’s 

economic plan – I am an 

unashamed believer in 

people having less financial 

burdens,” Mr Falinski said. 

“When you lower tax you help 

the economy. Delivering on 

the tax plan we took to the 

election will be the first order 

of business when Parliament 

returns.” The Committee’s 

role is to enquire into any 

matter referred to it by the 

House of Representatives 

or a government minister. 

It can investigate any prelegislation 

proposal, bills, 

motions and/or review 

government expenditure, 

financial matters as well 

as deliver reports on its 

investigations to the House of 

Representatives. Mr Falinski 

will formally take on the role 

once parliament returns on 

July 2. He has also been asked 

to Co-Chair the Parliamentary 

Friendship group of Surf 

Life Saving Australia. CEO of 

Surf Life Saving Australia, 

Adam Weir offered Mr 

Falinski the role off the back 

Watch out... whales about! 

Fantasea’s Northern Migration three-hour whale watching 

cruises continue this month with departures from Palm 

Beach on both Saturdays and Sundays until July 21. During 

winter, Humpback Whales begin their annual migration 

northbound from the colder Antarctic Waters, to breed and 

give birth in Queensland’s tropical waters. This is an exciting 

time to go whale watching and see entire family groups 

travel past the Northern Beaches. With numbers increasing 

every year in abundant proportions, Fantasea’s experts say 

are expecting 33,000 whales to migrate this year. It’s a great 

outing for all the family – you’ll experience an epic wildlife 

adventure close to home but a world away. Listen to their expert 

marine hosts educate all onboard about these fascinating 

creatures and enjoy wildlife photo opportunities cruising 

on their 23-metre Catamaran, with covered decks and 

an open landing and inside seating. Plus they offer a whale 

watching guarantee! And if you’re an NRMA member you’ll 

receive 20% off! Bookings fantasia.com.au or 9974 7413. 

of a successful year for the 

Northern Beaches Clubs. “It 

is a pleasure to be Co-Chair 

of the parliamentary friends 

of Surf Life Saving,” Mr 

Falinski said. “The clubs do 

an amazing job keeping our 

beaches safe and deserve a lot 

of praise – Mackellar has the 



most Surf Life Saving Clubs 

in a single electorate, and 

don’t I know it when AGM and 

award season comes around!” 

Mr Falinski is the club patron 

of Whale Beach and Long 

Reef SLSCs but has a close 

relationship with all the 

Northern Beaches clubs. 

Finding InnerFlame 

Here’s our latest local 

success story: InnerFlame 

Fires. Home grown at 

Avalon Beach, the start-up 

team followed its vision 

to combine beautiful and 

robust commercial grade 

furniture with warmth, 

comfort and lighting 

ambiance. Now three 

years into development 

and testing, they’re 

actively seeking suitable 

businesses to offer 

their tables as product 

placement over winter, in 

order to demonstrate their 

effectiveness. Interested? 

Call Michael Lamb on 0404 

941 273. 

Patonga rooms open 

Now you can stay at The 

Boathouse Hotel Patonga as 

well as enjoy breakfast, lunch 

or dinner, with three renovated 

waterside apartments opened 

in late June. Plus they’re 

running an opening special 

on accommodation, with 20% 

off rates for guests who stay 

before July 31. Bookings online 

or call 9974 5440. 

Vet 

on 

call 

with 

Dr Ben Brown 

Does your pet have smelly 

breath? Halitosis (bad 

breath) is common in pets and 

can occur for several reasons. 

The most common cause is 

dental disease. Even a small 

amount of dental tartar and 

gingivitis (inflammation of the 

gums) can lead to a bacterial 

infection which causes bad 

breath. A staggering 80% of 

pets have some form of dental 

disease by 2 years of age. 

Fortunately, if caught early, it 

can be treated by veterinarians 

without it causing permanent 

damage. Prevention of dental 

disease via brushing, dental 

diets and dental chews is the 

most effective way to preserve 

your pet’s teeth for life. 

Another cause is cancers of 

the mouth, tongue and throat. 

This occurs more commonly in 

middle-aged to older pets but 

can affect any age. Tumours 

can affect the jaw bone and/or 

the soft tissues of the mouth 

resulting in inflammation and 

secondary infection. Many 

cancers grow so quickly that 

the blood supply can’t keep 

up, meaning that some of the 

tumour begins to become 

diseased, causing further 

bad breath. Early diagnosis 

is crucial as many oral cavity 

cancers can be aggressive and 

spread. A detailed oral cavity 

examination by a vet can allow 

early diagnosis and treatment. 

Some breeds of dogs – 

especially the Cocker Spaniel, 

can be genetically prone to 

developing lip folds near the 

mouth on the lower jaw that 

become infected due to the 

constant presence of moisture 

from the mouth. This can 

cause pain and inflammation 

and a very foul smell. These 

lip folds are not required for 

the health of the animal and 

surgical removal can greatly 

improve these dog’s quality of 

life – and their breath! 

* If your pet has bad breath, 

pop in for a free dental and 

oral cavity health check by one 

of our friendly qualified vet 

nurses during July and August. 

News 



Sea 

change 

Local maritime and 

sailing identity Yvette 

Wijnen was born male but 

admits that gender had 

been an issue for her since 

the age of 12 – until she 

decided to transition. 

Story by Rosamund Burton 

Life Stories 

I’ve arranged to meet Yvette Wijnen at 

Church Point, and she’s unmissable. 

Six-foot four and long-legged in her 

short summer dress, wearing pink 

lipstick and with a pink flower in her 

shoulder-length wavy blonde hair. On 

April 7, 2018 Yvette held a party for a 

group of close friends – she ‘came out’ 

telling them she was transitioning from 

man to woman. 

“It was scary coming out, but that 

was the first day I lived as myself, and 

dressed as a woman.” 

She had been on hormones for six 

months prior, to prohibit facial hair 

growth and grow her breasts and in 

August she went to Thailand to undergo 

genital surgery. 

“It’s an expensive procedure,” she 

tells me, as she steers her red painted 

electric dinghy across Pittwater. “Last 

year I worked every job I could get to 

earn the money to pay for it.” 

Yvette, now aged 48, admits that her 

gender had been an issue for her since 

she was 12 years old. 

“For years on and off I dressed as 

a woman at home, then I’d think I 

shouldn’t be doing this and throw the 

whole wardrobe out, before several 

years later starting again, and I felt a 

huge guilt pretending to be a woman. 

Last year I realised I had to address this, 

and saw a psychiatrist who told me I 

had gender dysphoria – the condition of 

feeling emotionally and psychologically 

my gender is the opposite to my 

biological sex.” 

Yvette pulls up alongside the 

impressive 71-foot red multi-hulled 

proa – a multihull sailing boat with one 

hull larger than the other – moored 

to the north-west of Scotland Island, 

which she built 10 years ago. Sitting on 

the deck she tells me more about her 

extraordinary life. 

Born in the Netherlands, and living 

near a lake, Yvette, then known as Ini, 

became interested in sailing boats at the 

age of five. Having trained in engineering, 

he began building boats in his early 20s, 

constructing a 40-foot proa, before he 

was conscripted for national service. He 

volunteered to serve as a United Nations 

peacekeeper in former Yugoslavia, and 

worked as a communication technician 

during the Yugoslav Wars. 

“After that nothing seemed 

dangerous,” says Yvette. 

Aged 23, Ini left the Netherlands, 

single-handedly sailing the proa 

westwards with no fixed destination. He 

met an Australian woman in Portugal, 

who was sailing with her father. In their 

separate boats, they crossed the Atlantic 

and got engaged when they were 

reunited in the Caribbean. Ini continued 

his solo sail, going through the Panama, 

across the Pacific and arriving in Coffs 

Harbour in July 1995. 

The couple married and had two 

children, a daughter and a son, and 

Ini built them a 55-foot steel boat on 

which they lived, until he and his wife 

separated. From then on Ini lived with 

his young son on the boat, travelling 

up and down the east coast between 

Cairns and Hobart for his work, which 

was mostly boat maintenance and refits. 

When his son was six, they sailed with 

two other people across the Pacific, 

delivering a yacht from Melbourne to 

San Diego. Having gone to 10 different 

primary schools, his son wanted to go 

to only one high school. That was 10 

years ago, and they had recently come to 

Pittwater, so he went to Pittwater High. 

“For a period, we lived on the boat, 

and I used to drive the ferry. The ferry 

route went past the boat, so I’d pick him 

up from here for school.” 

Yvette and her son, who is now 20, 

and doing a shipwright’s apprenticeship, 

are living at McCarrs Creek with 

Yvette’s ex-partner. They broke up due 

to Yvette’s transition, although remain 

good friends. 

Being a lifelong environmentalist, 

Yvette runs her Nissan Navara ute 



on vegetable oil. This proa, named 

Gaiasdream, is built of sustainable 

timber, the engine runs on vegetable 

oil, cooking is done with ethanol and 

electricity comes from solar and wind. 

“And the dinghy is the only electric 

commuter boat on Pittwater,” she says. 

“I recharge the batteries every night 

by plugging an extension lead into the 

dinghy’s built-in battery charger.” 

Yvette has specialised in making boats 

fossil fuel-free, working for Greenpeace 

and also Australian sailor and climate 

action advocate, Lisa Blair, who sailed 

solo around Antarctica in 2017. 

When she came out, she says, mostly 

locals were incredibly supportive, and 

went out of their way to make her feel 

at ease, although she adds some people, 

particularly men, found it hard to deal 

with the transition, because they couldn’t 

understand why she wanted to do this. 

“My parents found it difficult, 

especially initially, but now my dad’s 

happy he’s finally got a daughter, and 

my mum’s really proud.” 

Yvette, who holds Australian 

permanent residency, not citizenship, 

returned to Holland to get her 

documents updated. 

“It’s only my birth certificate that has 

my old name and gender, as well as the 

new information. My passport states 

I’m female. And the Dutch authorities, 

realising how special this new passport 

was to me, made an exception and 

allowed me to smile for the photograph.” 

As a member of Trans Pride Australia, 

a support group for trans and gender 

diverse people, Yvette was on the 

Trans Pride float at the Sydney Gay and 

Lesbian Mardi Gras in March this year. 

“I’m not a natural dancer, but I 

learnt the dance routine, and had so 

much fun. Initially, it was confronting, 

because there were thousands of people 

watching, and I was wearing a bikini, 

but it was an amazing night. I loved it.” 

She meets with members of the Trans 

Pride group occasionally, and they talk 

about the issues they face. One of the 

reasons she agreed to be interviewed for 

Pittwater Life is that she knows someone 

else in the area who has just come out. 

“I want people to be more aware that 

there are trans people here, and that 

they’re lovely people, not scary, and 

need a bit of support.” 

Less than a year since her operation 

Yvette is still very much in a transition 

phase of her life. She has gone from 

being a man with little to no concern for 

how he looked to what she describes as 

“a real ‘girly’ girl”. 

Physically, she’s lost some of her 

strength, and found that knots she tied 

on the boat before the operation she 

now can’t undo. Psychologically, she’s 

also changed, 

“I definitely take things more 

personally.” 

Having done close to 100,000 offshore 

miles, and for years getting scratched 

and scraped doing boat maintenance 

and repairs, she’s unsure if she’ll 

remain in the male-dominated marine 

industry. 

“Now, I’m less interested in getting 

my hands dirty, I want to look pretty. I 

super care how I look, whereas before I 

didn’t care.” 

As we motor in the dinghy back to 

Church Point I have only admiration for 

the path that Yvette has chosen. It isn’t 

easy for her, or her close family and 

friends, but she has followed the course 

she knew she needed to take. 

“I wish I was born a woman,” she 

says with a smile, “but I love being a 

transwoman.” 

Life Stories 

CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE: Yvette Wijnen aboard her pride and joy, the fully sustainable 

71-foot multi-hulled proa ‘Gaiasdream’ which she built 10 years ago; at the wheel moored 

off Scotland Island; Yvette was born Ini before transitioning last year; Yvette has always 

held an interest in environmentalism and runs her ute on vegetable oil; she now says she is 

less interested in getting her hands dirty and cares more about her looks; the former Ini. 



HOME 

HELP 

Winter is a great time to focus on 

your home – we spoke to local 

experts to discover the latest 

trends, tips and products to help 

you make the best of your space. 

Compiled by Lisa Offord 

Special Feature 

KITCHENS 

Dreaming of a new kitchen? 

Whether you want to give your 

kitchen a cosmetic makeover 

or you’re up for a full renovation, 

there are a number of key 

features that stand the test of 

time, says Seabreeze Kitchens 

Director Anders Lawaetz. 

“Good design is timeless 

and classic – it may be 

inspired by trends but not 

driven by them,” he said. “A 

good kitchen design can be 

defined by its practicality and 

its simplicity of line, colour 

and style. 

“And always buy the best quality 

appliances you can afford.” 

Trends 

Anders says matt surfaces for 

doors and benchtops are in 

vogue, along with: 

n Black, grey or white matt 

doors often combined with 

timber or metallic accents; 

n Shaker or v-groove doors in 

a satin finish; 

n Integrated appliances and 

induction cooktops; 

n Concealed storage; 

n Butler’s pantries / laundries; 

n Marble- and concrete-look 

benchtops and splashbacks; 

n Black or brushed metallic 

sink and tapware; 

n Splashbacks that create 

visual interest and/or add 

texture; 

n Doors that have no handles 

or doors that include integrated 

handles. 

Eye on design 

Anders says Seabreeze designers 

are known for their 

long-term industry expertise 

designing kitchens, bathrooms 

and whole house joinery, creating 

spaces that are carefully 

considered based on requirements 

and budget. 

“They can advise on the 

overall space, work flow, appliances, 

lighting and consult on 

colour and style,” he said. 

Designers are also experienced 

in discussing what to 

expect during your renovation. 

“They are backed by a team 

who custom manufacture 

their designs in our factory in 

Brookvale and by our scheduling 

coordinators and specialised 

tradespeople.” 

Bells and whistles 

Anders said high-spec touches 

that prove worthy of added 

investment included: 

n Drawers with bin systems that 

include recycling bins; 

n Zip taps that include any 

combination of boiled, chilled, 

filtered or sparking water; 

n Electric lift systems (servo 

drive) that allow you to open 

and close overhead cupboards 

with just one touch; 

n Combi microwave ovens or 

combi steamers. 

And last, if you are looking 

to sell, a professional clean, 

including inside appliances, 

reducing clutter especially on 

benches and a fresh coat of 

paint on the walls can make and 

refresh a tired kitchen. 

* More info seabreezekitchens. 

com.au or call 9938 5477. 

WINDOW 

COVERINGS 

The importance of window 

treatments is often overlooked; 

whether it be it blinds, 

shutters, louvres or sheer 

curtains, they add a key functional 

and decorative element 

to homes. 

Functional finery 

“A window covering should be 

both beautiful and practical, 

as it can impact the whole feel 

of a room and is something 

that you will interact with every 

day,” says Jonathan Pretty 

from Shades of Pittwater. 



“Child safety is an increasing 

concern for homeowners; 

fortunately all of our window 

coverings are designed with 

the latest ACCC Child Safety 

Regulations,” he said. 

“From cordless alternatives 

to motorised operation 

systems, there are many 

innovative lifting systems that 

incorporate safety, convenience 

and style.” 

Invite light 

Light control is the number 

one consideration in choosing 

a window covering. 

“Whether to darken a bedroom, 

reduce glare in a living 

room, or utilise natural light to 

brighten a kitchen, different 

opacities can filter or deflect 

sunlight depending on your 

needs and preferences,” Jonathan 

said. 

“Nowadays, motorisation 

technology enables you to 

schedule the position of window 

furnishings, and even automatically 

creates preferred 

‘scenes’ to provide the perfect 

room ambiance day or night.” 


Block neighbours 

Privacy is an important 

consideration for homeowners 

– particularly in bedrooms 

and bathrooms; however, 

you don’t need to give up a 

beautiful view or block out the 

daylight to achieve this. 

Maintaining privacy and 

total control can be achieved 

through louvred window coverings 

where you can angle the 

‘vanes’ for your ideal setting. 

Energy efficient 

Insulation is key to maintaining 

room temperatures and 

a few small changes can help 

your home be more energy efficient 

and keep bills down. 

“The patented cell-within-acell 

construction of our Duette 

Architella Ménage Shades 

provides more insulation than 

any other window covering on 

the market – helping you make 

direct savings on your energy 

bills,” says Jonathan. 

* Visit the new Shades of Pittwater 

showroom at G04/697- 

701 Pittwater Road, Dee Why 

or call 9999 6001. 

CUSHION 

COMFORT 

Winter is a great time to 

update and replace worn-out 

seating and cushions. 

Custom cut 

Luxafoam North in Mona Vale 

specialise in providing quality 

Dunlop foams for use in your 

home and outdoor areas. 

“From lounge chairs to 

dining chairs, window seats, 

outdoor daybeds, cane and 

wicker settings and BBQ settings 

you can bring new life 

and comfort to your furniture 

by replacing old worn out 

cushions with comfortable 

and supportive ones,” says 

Caroline Wall. 

The clean water specialists 

Renovating or building a new 

kitchen is the perfect time 

to install a stylish, functional 

water filter. 

“They make good sense 

economically – for just a few 

cents a litre you can benefit 

from peace of mind knowing 

they can remove Chlorine, 

Ammonia, Asbestos, 

VOCs (pesticides, herbicides, 

petroleum products), heavy 

metals and parasites Giardia 

and Cryptosporidium – year 

round,” said Jenny Day from 

Northern Suburbs Water 

Filters which has operated 

locally for 25 years. 

“It’s really important to know that you’re providing clean, 

healthy water for your family,” she added. “You can even retain 

or remove Fluoride… we can tailor the water filter to suit 

your needs.” 

Speak to their friendly and informed team and see their 

wide range of quality filters and designer faucets. 

Apart from being economical, filters are environmentally 

friendly, reliable and easy to use… and you can really taste 

the difference. 

As Jenny advises: “Buy a filter, don’t be a filter!” 

* Showroom 6/20 Bungan St Mona Vale or call 9979 5855. 

The team cut foams to 

any size and shape to suit all 

styles of seating. 

“You can choose to have just 

one single piece of foam or for 

extra comfort you can layer 

your foam cushions with soft 

cushioning and slow recovery 

foams which help create 

lasting plush comfort,” says 

Caroline. 

The team also makes custom 

covers with a wide range 

of indoor and outdoor fabrics 

from the major brands. 

* Visit luxafoamnorth.com. 

au or call 9999 5567. 

Design advice 

If you want to repair, update 

or replace furniture upholstery 

and/or foam, local Susan Ottowa 

specialises in transforming 

and reinvigorating indoor 

and outdoor pieces. 

With years of styling experience 

and up-to-date with 

current trends, Susan can help 

bring life back to your exisiting 

furniture with a wide selection 

of foam and an extensive 

range of designer fabrics to 

help you achieve the feel you 

are after. 

Susan also offers curtain 

making and soft furnishing 

and upholstery zip repairs at 

competitive prices. 

FLOORS AND 

DOORS 

To add warmth and style, 

roll out rugs, consider carpet 

or new flooring and solid, 

custom-made windows and 

doors. 

‘Rug’ up 

Family owned business Rug 

Revival have been successfully 

washing rugs in their custombuilt 

wash plant at Mona Vale 

for more than 15 years. 

“Rug cleaning is a 

specialised service, which 

should be done in plant and 

not by a carpet cleaner in your 

home,” says co-owner Ian. 

Ian is fully qualified to wash 

any style rug, from the finest 

hand-woven Persians to the 

modern designer styles. 

“Each rug is individually 

washed with care and 

* Call Susan 0422 466 880. attention to ensure you the 

JULY 2019 33 

Special Feature

OUTDOORS 

Make the best of your space 

year-round with clever design. 


BESPOKE 

FURNITURE 

Beck Urban Furniture boasts 

quality, custom-made furniture 

at affordable prices. 

The team – comprising 

owner Adrian Beck, manager 

Mick Saxby and interior stylist 

and designer Janet Hay – offer 

a personalised experience 

from start to finish. 

“We specialise in and are 

perfect for downsizing, kids’ 

furniture and custom-made 

furniture,” says Adrian. “We 

come out and measure to ensure 

that we get the perfect fit. 

“Furniture is custom-made 

and designed at no extra 

cost, made in any timber, any 

size and any colour – and all 

Australian-made. 

“Labour costs are already included, 

so you pay more if it’s 

larger... but less if it’s smaller.” 

They also have a selection 

of imported timber furniture 

at the cheapest prices. 

“We won’t be beaten on 

price with our 90-Day guarantee 

– if you find the same 

piece cheaper excluding delivery 

(online companies) we will 

refund the difference.” 

* Visit beckurbanfurniture. 

com.au or their showroom 

at 1/553 Pittwater Rd, 

Brookvale or call 9905 0947. 

best possible result for your 

treasured possession,” he said. 

Rug Revival is equipped to 

handle any carpet cleaning 

problems – from pet accidents 

to wine spills and stubborn 

stains. 

A handy pick-up and 

delivery service is available 

and they can also move and 

replace furniture in order to 

roll up and roll out your rugs. 

* More info call Belinda on 

9997 8888. 

Make an entrance 

Cool Change Doors and Windows 

is a family owned company 

manufacturing custom 

timber doors and windows in 

Terrey Hills. 

Company Director Garth 

Kirkland and his team construct 

top-quality products 

from western red cedar and 

select hardwoods (above). 

“Timber-framed doors and 

windows should be the first 

choice for those seeking optimal 

energy efficiency,” Garth 

said. 

“Timber is far more thermally 

efficient than aluminium, 

allowing little heat to escape 

during winter and reducing 

heat transference from the 

outside during summer. 

“Additionally, timber doors 

and windows bring a character 

to your home that will never 

go out of style.” 

Garth is also a licensed 

builder and has 30 years’ 

experience in the Pittwater 

area, with all staff living on 


* More info coolchangedoorsandwindows.com.au 

or 

Facebook; Call 9450 0889. 

Lay of the land 

Landscaping can add tens of 

thousands of dollars to the 

value of your property. 

Engaging a professional 

landscape design and 

construction company to 

give your outdoor area a 

makeover (below) is one of the 

few improvements you can 

undertake that not only adds 

value immediately but actually 

increases over time. 

While paint peels and kitchens 

and bathrooms date, your 

garden continues to become 

more bountiful and advances 

as years go by, says Joe Whiteside 

of Blayd Architectured 

Landscapes. 

He explained there really 

was no limit on the types of 

things that could be done to 

improve outdoor areas. 

If you are after a low-maintenance 

garden, Joe recom- 



SELLER CHECKLIST 

When you‘re selling your 

home, as in life, it’s 

best to be prepared. 

As a seller, you want the 

best price; meanwhile buyers 

are also looking carefully for 

problems, to help negotiate a 

better price, or to ready themselves 

for future expense. 

Apparent problems can 

easily result in a lower price. 

That’s why good presentation 

is key when you are selling – 

and it all starts at the street, 

says principal of Shores Real 

Estate, Stephanie Hammond. 

Street appeal 

Potential buyers will drive by 

houses, just to check out the 

appeal. 

“They’re looking at the area, 

the street, and the house 

– that’s the famed ‘street appeal’!” 

Stephanie said. 

So, to make it look its best: 

n Tidy the garden; 

n Mow the lawn; 

n Clear the pet bowls and 

kid’s stuff away; 

n If it needs it, think about 

repainting the façade; and 

n At the very minimum, get 

the gutters cleaned and 

downpipes fixed. 

Stephanie said it was crucial 

to look at your own home 

through someone else’s eyes. 

“The quirks and oddities 

you love, or are at least used 

to, may be much less appealing 

to strangers.” 

Less is more 

Inside... less is more! 

“Declutter and – yes, I 

know it’s your home but still 

– de-personalise,” Stephanie 

advises, adding you should: 

n Put away all your knickknacks 

and souvenirs – you 

want someone to imagine 

it’s their house; 

n Change sheets, air bathrooms, 

put washing away; 

n Repair anything broken 

(cracked tiles in the bathroom, 

broken mirrors, loose 

door handles...); and 

n Clean, clean, clean! 

Focus on features 

Show off your home’s features. 

Stephanie says: 

n If it has a great view, make 

sure the windows are clean. 

n If it’s got a beautiful garden, 

make sure it’s accessible. 

n If there’s a fireplace, or a 

fire pit (in winter), light it. 

Be prepared 

Away from the house itself, 

there are also plenty of things 

to prepare. 

n Instruct a solicitor so that 

the paperwork is all done. 

n Check your mortgage 

lender to make sure 

you’re set for the move. 

And Stephanie says that 

increasingly, agents recommend 

getting a Building & 

Pest inspection done. “Buyers 

like to know there’s nothing 

nasty, and are happy to get 

access to one already done – it 

saves time and money,” she 

said. (Check out beforeyoubid. 

com.au – they will arrange an 

inspection and your costs are 

reduced the more people view 

the inspection report.) 

Trust is the key 

At the open house, have your 

home looking its best. 

“Put the kids, pets, and 

grumpy partner in the car, and 

leave your agent to work their 

magic,” Stephanie said. 

“Don’t hang around, don’t 

eavesdrop or watch the comers 

and goers, it’ll only make 

you more nervous. 

“Just go... and leave it in the 

hands of an agent you trust.” 

* Thinking of selling? Call 

Shores on 8355 7955 for an 

obligation-free assessment. 





mends focusing on advanced 

trees, ground covers and 

native plants. 

“Consider creating features 

such as BBQ terraces, paths 

and timber elements such as 

an entertaining area or deck,” 

he said. “These work incredibly 

well to give those areas a 

warm and welcoming feel.” 

He said a garden makeover 

did not need to be costly. 

“We take pride in working 

closely with every client to ensure 

that the best design and 

project is completed within 

budget and on time,” he said. 

* Go to blayd.com.au or call 

1300 907 266. 

Roof with a view 

The versatility of an opening 

roof means that you can control 

your environment, giving 

you warm sun in winter, shade 

in summer, plus more ventilation 

and protection from wind, 

rain and storms. 

Designed for Australian 

conditions, SunSpec opening 

roofs offer the whole range of 

positions between open and 

fully closed, conveniently operated 

by a remote control. 

SunSpec’s Dustin Weaver 

says the roof systems are versatile, 

easy to use and clean. 

“The louvered roof mechanism 

transforms from a solid 

waterproof covering to an 

open garden trellis, or Pergolastyle 

covering – giving light, 

ventilation, and views of the 

clear sky above (above) all of 

this simply at the touch of a 

button, giving you complete 

flexibility of your light and 

weather control needs for any 

outdoor living area,” he said. 

Opening roofs are a great 

addition for the home, office, 

business, commercial or industrial 

site. 

And SunSpec opening roofs 

are unmatched in terms of 

cost, functionality, warranty 

period (10 years’ parts and 

labour) and performance. 

* Visit sunspec.com.au. 

Deck space 

The age-old problem of 

keeping under-deck space 

dry so it can be utilised for 

entertaining or storage has 

been solved by Underdeck. 

Manufactured in Australia, 

Underdeck is a specially 

designed pre-engineered ceiling 

system that transforms the 

unsightliness of the underside 

of the deck into a desirable and 

useable area year-round. 

It’s a simple system: 

Underdeck panels catch the 

water dripping through the 

deck gap and channel the 

water away to the gutter 

running along one edge. The 

water-carrying panels are 

hung from specially designed 

brackets that are fixed to the 

bottom of the joists, with a 

fall towards the gutter – all 

the panels are interlocked to 

prevent leaks. 

Made from recycled and 

recyclable metal, Underdeck 

(above) is easy to install, 

maintenance-free and works 

with existing or new decks. 

* More info underdeck.com. 

au or call 0417 591 113. 

Room solution 

If you need an extra room, 

a private space to work in, 

or your teenage children 

require a more independent 

space, a Backyard Cabin 

could be the perfect solution 

and an economical option to 

traditional renovations. 

This home-grown company 

creates attractive cabins, 

cottages (below), studios 

and sheds priced between 

$25,000 and $120,000 with 

construction times that range 

between 2-10 weeks. 

Backyard Cabins’ Zac 

Rochester said that with 

years of experience the 

team understood the needs 

of the family home and the 

spaces required for complete 

functionality. 

“Our cabins are perfect for a 

home office, salon, workshop, 

artist studio and with the 

ATO extending its $30,000 

instant tax write-off for small 

business, a Backyard Cabin 

would be a welcome addition 

to your home and help greatly 

with your budget,” he said. 

“We can handle all the 

approvals, if required, to make 

the project as smooth and 

stress-free or take advantage 

of the allowance for exempt 

development for sheds and 

cabanas up to 20m2.” 

* Phone 0400 499 939 for 

a free site visit and quote 

and check out their work on 

Instagram @backyardcabins. 



Art Life 


Manly gallery’s 

scope on show 

Manly Art Gallery and Museum 

(MAG&M) is throwing 

open the doors to its 

extensive permanent collection 

in two diverse exhibitions which 

will include some works on public 

display for the first time. 

The exhibitions come before 

the Gallery’s 90th anniversary 

next year and will provide a 

great insight into the workings 

of a major public art gallery and 

the composition of its permanent 

collection. 

“MAGAM is a landmark 

institution on the Northern 

Beaches cultural landscape, 

and we are very proud to see 

works from the Gallery’s permanent 

collection on display 

for the public to enjoy,” Mayor 

Michael Regan said. 

The two exhibitions – Recent 

Acquisitions and Artists Abroad – 

will commence on Friday 28 June. 

Recent Acquisitions highlights 

selected works from the 

collection acquired over the 

past 10 years, including Pittwater 

artist Joshua Yeldham’s 

gift to the gallery ‘Resonance – 

Morning Bay’ (pictured). 

Senior Curator Katherine 

Roberts said the exhibition 

would emphasise the scale and 

scope of the Gallery’s permanent 

collection. 

“Each work has a unique 

story about how and why it was 

acquired,” said Katherine. 

The second exhibition Artists 

Abroad explores the notion of 

European travel by Australian 

artists over the past century. 

“Both exhibitions aim to 

be a fascinating and informative 

and have been designed 

to give visitors an excellent 

understanding of our collection 

history and how it came 

together,” said Katherine. 

“In our Recent Acquisitions 

exhibition, much of this is 

told through the words of the 

curators, artists, donors and 

subjects, making it a very 

enjoyable experience of our collection 

over the past 10 years. 

Ms Roberts said curated 

collection exhibitions such as 

Artists Abroad provided a new 

context in which works could 

be shown. 

“Like woven fabric, these 

works together tell a larger 

story and paint a larger picture 

about the lives of artists and 

the world beyond these shores. 

They are historical and personal 

at the same time, objective 

and subjective.” 

From plein air sketches and 

watercolours to large-scale 

Darling Portrait Prize call 

Calling all Pittwater portrait 

painters looking to try their 

luck further afield – entries for 

the inaugural Darling Portrait 

Prize are open. 

Get your entries in by 

Tuesday 1 October 2019 to 

be eligible to win the Darling 

Portrait Prize valued at 

$75,000. 

Director of the National 

oil paintings, works in Artists 

Abroad include those by Will 

Ashton, Theo Batten, Charles 

Bryant, Theodore Penleigh 

Boyd, Rupert Bunny, Ethel 

Carrick-Fox, to name a few. 

Featured works in Recent 

Acquisitions are by artists 

Herbert Badham, Grace 

Cossington Smith, Elisabeth 

Cummings, Joshua Yeldham, 

Hobie Porter, Salvatore Zofrea, 

Barbara Campbell-Allen, 

Daniel Mellor, Anne Zahalka, 

Bill Leak, Euan Macleod and 

Luke Sciberras. 

* Exhibition dates: June 

28 – July 21; opening night 

Friday June 28, 6-8pm (by 

Paul Brinkman, President, 

Regional Public Galleries 

NSW and Director of Blue 

Mountains Cultural Centre). 

Portrait Gallery, Karen 

Quinlan, says that entries are 

already rolling in and she’s 

excited to see a diverse field 

of entrants. 

“Australia is home to so 

many talented and inspiring 

artists and this is evident 

in the entries we have 

seen so far,” she said. “We 

welcome entries from all 



The Art School’s in 

when school is out 

I 

t’s that time of the year when you need to get snuggly and 

creative! Look no further as Sydney Art Space will be holding 

its July Winter School over the school holidays for adults, 

children and teens. 

This art school is now a Creative Kids provider and they have 

organised the July workshops so that school-aged participants 

enrolling for painting, drawing and sculpting can claim their 

rebate for 

these sessions. 

For ages 16 

and up they 

have three 

workshops on 

offer: Porcelain 

Hand-Building; 

Sculpting the 

Portrait; and 

Encaustics 

Painting. 

Head over 

to the original 

Taronga Park Zoo caretaker’s cottage at 64 Darley Street, Mona 

Vale and enjoy their creative community this Winter. There is 

also convenient parking directly opposite in Pittwater Place to 

make everything easy for you. 

And a heads-up for Term 3 coursework: It will begin on July 

22 with offerings in Sculpture, Drawing, Painting: Oils, Acrylics 

and Multi Media, Kids Art Club and Teens Art Club with fullterm, 

half-term and casual enrolment options. 

* For all bookings and enquiries go to sydneyartspace.com 


over the country and from 

professional and emerging 

artists alike. 

Artist have until 9am 

Tuesday 1 October to get 

their entries in. Finalists will 

be announced in November 

2019 and the Darling 

Portrait Prize exhibition 

will run at the National 

Portrait Gallery, alongside 

the finalists in the National 

Photographic Portrait Prize 

and the Digital Portraiture 

Award, in March 2020. 

Prize entrants must be an 

Australian citizen or resident 

over the age of 18. Artists 

may paint any Australian 

citizen or resident and/or a 

person or persons who have 

a strong association with 

Australia or who has made 

a significant contribution to 

Australian life. 

* More info portrait.gov.au 



Obituaries 

Obituaries 

Avalon celebrates life of ‘Davo’ 

Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving 

Club legend and Life Member 

Ken (Davo) Davidson passed away on 

June 12; he was 91. 

Club spokesman Roger Sayers said 

Ken joined the club in November 

1946 and obtained his Bronze 

Medallion the following year. 

In 2017 Ken received his 

70-years’ service award. 

“Ken was a boatie and 

a board (toothpick style) 

specialist and won the board 

event at many carnivals,” 

Roger said. “He was treasurer 

of the Club for 14 years. 

During his surf lifesaving 

career, Ken had the pleasure 

of seeing improvements 

to four generations of our 

Clubhouse. 

“Ken completed many 

rescues over the years but 

said his most memorable 

rescue was when he saved a father 

with his two young daughters caught 

in the rip at South Avalon. This 

rescue was carried out with the belt 

and reel.” 

He added that perhaps Ken’s most 

memorable exploit was when he dived 

off his board and grabbed the tail of a 

shark that was in the channel near his 

brother – “... to his surprise the shark 

turned around and bit him!” 

Ken gave an 

extraordinarily sustained 

contribution to the Club 

and was awarded Life 

Membership in 1963. Even 

with advancing years he 

always attended and helped 

at Club events like the 

annual swim, IRB carnivals, 

and still marched with the 

Club on Anzac Day in his late 

80s. 

“He liked a good bottle 

of red and a good meal on 

Friday nights with Club 

members, young and old,” 

Roger said. 

Ken, who referred to 

his Club as “like a home”, passed 

away wearing his Avalon Beach 70- 

year anniversary 1925-1995 t-shirt. 

“He will be sorely missed by many.” 


Vale Millicent Prescott 

Mrs Millicent Prescott, 

one-time Headmistress 

of the former Loquat Valley 

School, Bayview, passed away 

peacefully in Hobart on May 31 

at the age of 104. 

She was the second longest 

serving Head of the School 

(1967 – 1981) and wrote in the 

50th Anniversary Booklet, 

“I came for two terms and 

stayed 14 years! I came with 47 

children and left with 200!” 

Born in 1914 to Australian 

missionaries in India, later 

moving to Canada, she 

arrived in Australia aged 14 

to complete her education at 

Melbourne Girls’ Grammar, 

studied to be a teacher then 

moved to Sydney in 1935 

where she completed an Arts 

degree by correspondence 

from London University. From 

1935 she taught Sydney Church 

of England Girls’ Grammar, 

Meridan School, Strathfield, 

SCEGGS Moss Vale and Tudor 

House. She moved to Avalon 

Beach when her husband 

Alwyn was appointed as the 

Rector of the Pittwater Anglican 

Parish. The position of 

Headmistress at Loquat Valley 

School was accepted on the 

understanding that timetables 

could be re-arranged to allow 

parish commitments to be met. 

Her appointment ushered 

in the beginning of a new and 

significant era for the School; 

solid enrolment growth, new 

building and grounds works, 

educational innovation and a 

strong Christian ethos. 

She was generous, 

compassionate, and always 

had the best interests of the 

students, staff and parents 

at the forefront, yet she was 

not afraid to tackle difficult 

issues, asking parents in one 

newsletter to “… take a far more 

positive stand in directing your 

children’s leisure activities 

and not allow yourselves to be 

cowered into submission by 

the stand-over tactics of your 

young ones”. 

A former student and 

staff member recalled: “Mrs 

Prescott was extremely regal. 

Her whole presentation was so 

professional and so you just 

looked up to her all the time. 

What she said went, there was 

no grey area, and she was just 

held in high regard by staff, 

children and parents.” 

In May, 1981 at her farewell 

dinner she said: “It is beyond 

my capabilities to express 

adequately my thanks and 

appreciation, and the presents 

given. Now for the hard part! 

How can I say goodbye to my 

little school? I love it very 

dearly and can’t imagine life 

without it.” 

Millicent and Alwyn moved 

to Hobart in 1983 leading a very 

full and rewarding life. She 

remained intensely interested 

in her Bayview school and 

continued educational pursuits 

through involvement with a 

literacy program for women 

in Pakistan. She celebrated her 

100th birthday in the presence 

of the Tasmanian Premier, 

the Anglican Archbishop, the 

extended Prescott clan, family, 

friends and representatives 

from her days at Loquat Valley, 

surrounded by newspaper 

reporters and TV cameras, and 

received written greetings from 

The Queen, Governor-General 

and Governor. She joined a 

local Sing Australia group 

which helped her regain speech 

after she suffered a stroke and 

continued to drive her own 

car, having bought her first 

automatic model in her 90s! 

She and Alwyn were 

married for 67 years and had 

six children. Hers was a life 

well lived and she will be 

remembered as an outstanding 

educator and Head of Loquat 

Valley. – Rick Stevens 



Surfing Life 

Any ideas where your 

surfboard came from? 

Crazy import figures show another side of a cultish industry... 

with Nick Carroll 


CHANGING SHAPE: Boardroom showcases all that’s happening in the world of surfboards; however, figures on the origins of imports tell a conflicting tale. 

Recently I spent two 

state at his stand, flanked nations as varied as Peru, factory, the main producer of 

fantastic days at 

by Mr Pipeline himself, Thailand, Mexico, Taiwan, one of the world’s best-selling 

Boardroom, the world’s 

biggest surfboard show. 

Held in Del Mar, California 

in late May, Boardroom 

showcases the finest in 

surfboard craftsmanship 

from around the world. 

A highlight is always the 

Shapers’ Challenge, in which 

several expert surfboard 

designers take to the tool in 

public, trying to out-match 

each other in producing a 

hand-made replica of some 

legendary board of yore. 

(In this case, a late 1960s 

design from the show’s 

guest of honour, Australia’s 

Wayne Lynch.) 

I wandered the hall, 

captivated by the general 

gorgeousness on display. 

Dick Brewer, probably the 

greatest surfboard designer 

ever, was in session with 

his great team rider, the 

big wave pioneer Darrick 

Doerner. Darrick roamed 

the show, all camo pants 

and thousand-yard stare, 

dragging people over to 

meet Brewer, who sat in 

Gerry Lopez, and a fleet of 

boards priced in the many 

thousands. 

The whole show is like that: 

drenched in cultish regard for 

style, form, and most of all 

perhaps, tradition. As well it 

might be. A good surfboard, 

made for good waves, 

remains possibly the coolest 

thing in surfing. Like a big 

heavy early-morning winter 

groundswell, it can frighten 

you just by its very existence 

– as anyone who walked past 

the Boardroom’s big-wave 

gun racks could tell ya. 

But is it really a reflection 

of what’s going on in 

surfboard making today? 

Not long after Boardroom, 

I was sent a document leaked 

from the USA’s international 

trade watchdog. It contained 

a detailed breakdown of 

surfboard imports into the US 

over the past five years. 

To put it mildly, the figures 

are astonishing. They show 

that on average, over a 

million surfboards a year are 

brought into the US, from 

Czechoslovakia, Vietnam, 

China, and even good ol’ 

Australia. 

This radically out-does 

US domestic surfboard 

production, which is 

estimated by the Surf Industry 

Manufacturers’ Association at 

around 250,000 annually. 

Some of the imports can 

be easily traced to their 

sources. Taiwan, which sent 

117,962 boards to the US in 

2018, is home to the world’s 

biggest manufacturer of 

bodyboards and softboards, 

and softboard sales through 

just one chain, the big box 

retailer CostCo, are estimated 

at around 80,000 per annum. 

So there’s that. 

Mexico’s figure of 59,482 

is a result of US-based blank 

and surfboard makers, who 

have increasingly moved 

production to their near 

neighbour to avoid US 

environmental laws and to 

take advantage of cheaper 

labour costs. And Thailand’s 

64,412 is down to that 

country’s renowned Cobra 

high-performance board 

brands, Firewire (including 

Kelly Slater’s eponymous 

brand, Slater Designs). 

All pretty much known 

quantities in the surfboard 

market – though the figures 

will still be a shock to some 

home-grown US boardmakers. 

But the real bolt from the 

blue is China. According to 

the watchdog, last year it 

sent over 615,000 surfboards 

across the Pacific – more than 

all other imports combined. 

Such a massive figure 

isn’t easily explained by 

any known board brand or 

individual sale activity. And 

needless to say, you’ll look 

far and wide across US board 

retail to find a ‘Made In China’ 

decal. There surely weren’t 

any at Boardroom. 

It leaves the rather awkward 

likelihood that a LOT of 

different, possibly very wellknown 

surfboard brands are 

sneakily filling their inventories 

via the Chinese factory 

complex, without actually 

telling their customers. 



PL’s JULY SURF CALENDAR 

9-22/7: WSL CT Corona J-Bay Open, Jeffreys Bay, RSA 

Super-pivotal event on the men’s and women’s world 

championship tour thanks to the wave at Jeffreys, which tests 

all sorts of surfing skills when it’s on. J-Bay became notorious 

in 2015 after Mick Fanning encountered a Great White Shark 

in the lineup just as the final began (pictured), resulting in the 

most widely seen footage in surfing history. Don’t expect that to 

happen again – the place is under intense surveillance during the 

contest, if not at other times – but do expect to see some of the 

best surfing of the year. www.worldsurfleague.com 

NICK’S JULY SURF FORECAST 

Woooo, June had a shot at it. There was one massive burst of south 

swell early in the month. It lasted about as long as the wind that 

accompanied it, then died back, leaving us with the bits and pieces 

we’d expected. I think July is about to change it up. The deeper 

waters are still unseasonably warm and at some point this will lead 

to a blazing contrast between southern winds and northern water 

temperatures. Watch for a series of really cold weather events, which 

may well be underway as this magazine is being printed, then watch 

for a resulting swirl in energies over the mid-Tasman Sea and some 

explosive winds and swells, providing (I truly hope) the best moments 

of 2019 so far. There’s a dark side to a month like this, by the way – if 

it pans out this way, it will be another confirmation of global warming/ 

climate change. Because otherwise, this July would be a damp squib. 


Nick Carroll 

While all this seems 

related just to the US, the 

way surfboard markets and 

manufacturing only differs 

between there and here by 

degree. And while Australian 

boardmakers send around 

16,000 boards a year to be 

sold in the US, we tend to 

follow US trends in this area 

rather than lead. Softboard 

sales, for instance – they’re 

only now just starting to spike 

toward CostCo levels. 

All of which begs the 

question: where DID your 

surfboard come from? 

Maybe it doesn’t matter. 

Maybe in some cases, 

foreign production is a plus. 

Thailand’s Cobra is one of, 

if not the best boardmaking 

facility in the world. Taiwan 

makes softboard quality that 

nobody in Australia could 

achieve, not for any price. 


And while there’s plenty of 

high value Australian board 

producers, particularly here 

on the northern beaches, 

there’s a few shonkinesses 

going on. Recently a wellknown 

Australian brand was 

caught using faked-up paper 

decals to mimic the more 

expensive carbon fibre tape 

that’s now commonly used 

as a strengthening agent in 

lamination. 

Of course, you may be one 

of those savvy humans who 

goes big on custom ordering, 

and who follows through the 

production cycle from shape 

to finish coat. But who has 

time for that these days? 

All we can say is: if the 

shop can’t tell you where 

the board was made, don’t 

be surprised if it turns out 

to be somewhere you can’t 

pronounce. 


Health & Wellbeing 


Local ADHD support grows 

It is estimated that one in 20 

children in Australia have 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity 

Disorder (ADHD) – a chronic 

problem that results in poor 

concentration and control of 

impulses. 

Local group ADHD Support 

Australia has been holding 

monthly expert speaker evenings 

on the northern beaches 

since 2013. 

Originally called Northern 

Beaches ADHD Support Group 

and with an aim to support parents 

of children with ADHD on 

the Northern Beaches through 

expert speaker evenings, 

various meet-ups and self-care 

events, Facebook groups, parenting 

courses and a website, 

the organisation is in the middle 

of a momentous year. 

February saw the group 

re-brand as ADHD Support Australia 

in order to reach those in 

need of help with ADHD across 

the country and launched its 

new website which incorporates 

information on ADHD, a directory 

of professionals, services, 

resources and recommended 

products, an expert blog and 

event listings. 

In January, Founder and 

organiser Vivian Dunstan was 

awarded a Northern Beaches 

Council Australia Day Outstanding 

Community Service 

Award for her commitment and 

dedication to helping the ADHD 

community on the Northern 

Beaches over the past six years. 

And in May, ADHD Support 

Australia received news that 

it is now endorsed to provide 

NSW Education Standards 

Authority (NESA) Registered 

Professional Development for 

teachers accredited at Proficient 

Teacher level. 

“This is fantastic news as it 

is so important for teachers to 

have the training and skills to 

GROUP FOUNDER: Vivian Dunstan 

ensure children with ADHD are 

well-catered for in the classroom, 

allowing them to reach 

their full potential academically, 

socially and emotionally,” Vivian 

told Pittwater Life. 

“This new development will 

give local teachers added incentive 

to come along and access 

training from leading experts in 

ADHD and its co-morbid conditions 

every month at Pittwater 

RSL in Mona Vale.” 

Thanks to Pittwater RSL’s 

sponsorship of ADHD Support 

Australia, teachers and parents 

alike are able to access the 

speaker evenings for only $15. 

At this month’s meeting, 

educational consultant Sharon 

Pittwater Friends of 

Soibada is a diverse group 

of locals who are committed 

to forging a lasting 

friendship between our 

community and those in the 

Central Timor Leste province 

of Soibada. 

Its latest mission is to 

raise money for clean water 

for birthing clinics. 

Group founder Tamara 

Sloper-Harding explained 

that a few years ago the 

Timorese Government built 

a new maternity clinic in 

Soibada; however due to the 

extreme weather conditions 

there is no water in the clinic 

in the dry season. 

The midwives need to 

carry soiled sheets to the 

river to wash them and 

Bramble will present her talk 

Demystifying Reading – for 

Parents of Children with ADHD 

and Associated Learning Difficulties. 

Attendees will hear about 

the current reading practices 

taught in schools and will learn 

multisensory strategies using 

systematic phonics that will 

help children with ADHD as well 

as enhance learning for other 

children. 

If a child with ADHD also has 

a language-based learning difficulty, 

a multisensory teaching 

approach – which simultaneously 

uses visual, auditory and 

kinaesthetic pathways to the 

brain – will enhance memory 

and increase learning, she says. 

With more than 20 years’ 

experience assisting learners 

of all ages and abilities with 

ADHD, Sharon will share some 

of the evidence-based practices 

which she has successfully 

taught to hundreds of teachers 

in primary and secondary 

schools across New South 

Wales. 

The meeting will be held in 

the Pittwater RSL Auditorium on 

July 30 from 6.45-8.45pm. Go 

to the website adhdsupportaustralia.com.au 

for more details. 


Soibada Stayin’ Alive Disco 

families carry water to the 

clinic when mothers give 

birth. 

The group recently 

purchased an industrial 

washing machine for the 

clinic and in July a working 

party will go there to put in a 

water tank and guttering so 

it can be used. 

And they need your 

support. 

One way you can help 

is by dressing up and 

heading to Avalon RSL Club 

on Saturday July 6 for the 

Stayin’ Alive Disco Party 

fundraising event. 

Tickets ($35) are available 

from Studio Hair, Mitre 10 

Avalon, Avalon RSL and 

online at avalonrsl.com.au 

– LO 



Beware kombucha’s unhealthy side effect 

local dentist has issued a warning about 

A the popular fermented tea drink kombucha. 

The slightly fizzy beverage, which is created 

from tea, sugar and a culture of bacteria 

and yeast, is known for its 

many health benefits and is 

considered a popular alternative 

to soft drinks. 

“It is a natural beneficial 

bacteria and probiotic but we 

have to be mindful how and 

when we should drink it due 

its acidic nature,” Dr Astrid 

Kylstra, practice owner of 

Avalon Beach Family Dental, 

explained. 

“Kombucha actually has an 

acidity on par with lemonade 

or cola, without the sugar 

content, so decay is unlikely – 

but tooth erosion is a real danger,” she said. 

Tooth erosion happens when acids wear 

away the enamel on teeth. Tooth enamel 

does not grow back. If left untreated, tooth 

erosion can lead to the progressive loss of 

the surface of the tooth. 

“This loss of tooth structure can require 

complex and lengthy dental treatment involving 

fillings, veneers, crowns and potentially 

root canal treatment or even extraction,” 

Dr Kylstra warned. 

When the signs of dental erosion are detected, 

it’s essential to determine the cause 

and modify it. 

“When we continuously 

drink kombucha or any acidic 

beverage such as juice, or 

soft drinks, we are essentially 

creating an ideal acidic 

environment for acid wear to 

occur,” she said. 

The good new is you can 

still enjoy kombucha without 

compromising your oral 

health by following Dr Kylstra’s 

teeth-saving tips. 

Drink kombucha at one sitting. 

Do not sip it throughout 

the day. Doing this maintains 

a thriving acidic environment, detrimental to 

teeth enamel. 

Once you have finished your drink, swish 

or gargle with tap water to create a neutral, 

alkaline environment. 

Avoid brushing teeth for approximately 30 

minutes, to allow enamel to re-harden after 

the acidity. 







How modern Digital Life 

is causing eye strain woe 

Do you find yourself having 

to hold the menu further 

away to read it? Are you 

struggling to read messages on 

your mobile phone or the small 

print on grocery labels? If you 

are, you’re not alone. Many of 

our patients are too suffering 

from the effects of presbyopia. 

These are common first signs 

of presbyopia, the normal loss 

of near focusing ability that 

occurs with age. Unfortunately, 

we can’t escape this, and most 

of us will start to notice this 

change in our early to mid-40s. 

The good news is that we can 

help correct presbyopia very 

simply with glasses or contact 

lenses in the prescription you 

need. Through an eye examination 

we can help tackle the no. 

1 symptom associated with 

presbyopia – the need to extend 

your arm to read the small 

print. 

What causes it? 

When you’re young, the lens 

in your eye is flexible and 

relatively elastic. It can change 

its length or shape with the 

help of a ring of tiny muscles 

that surround it. However, as 

we age, the lens in the eye 

gradually thickens and loses 

elasticity. As a result, light focuses 

behind the retina instead 

of directly on it, compromising 

our ability to focus on close 

objects. With an estimated 1.8 

billion people with presbyopia, 

we are dedicated to providing 

service to all those on the 

Northern Beaches who might 

be suffering. 

What are the signs? 

n Blurred and cloudy vision; 

n Difficulty reading small print; 

n Difficulty focusing on near 

objects; 

n Need to hold objects further 

away to see them properly; 

n Difficulty reading in dark 

conditions; 

n Headaches occurring after 

reading; and 

n Eye strain. 

In response Beckenham Optometrist 

is launching a community 

campaign educating 

on the realities of Presbyopia. 

With common side effects including 

eyestrain, headaches 

and fatigue after reading 

close work or struggling with 

reading small print; we can 

help find you a simple solution 

to ease the strain. 

Why see us? 

You don’t need to put up with 

the inconvenience and strain 

of presbyopia. Our job is to 

get your near vision within 

arm’s length again, and this 

starts with a comprehensive 

with Rowena Beckenham 

eye examination. Once we 

have a full picture of your 

vision and eye health, we’ll 

prescribe a tailored solution 

that fits best with your daily 

life. It’s natural to feel a little 

apprehensive about wearing 

glasses or contact lenses for 

the first time. With this in mind, 

we will support you through 

the process, so you see well 

and feel confident in your new 

eyewear. 

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 20 years, in addition 

to working as a consultant to the optometric and 

pharmaceutical industry, and regularly volunteering in 

Aboriginal eyecare programs in regional NSW. 



Organ donation focus 

DonateLife Week 2019 

(28 July – 4 August) is 

Australia’s national awareness 

week to promote organ and 

tissue donation and get more 

people signed up as donors. 

This year’s campaign urges 

existing registered donors to 

find a ‘plus-one’ to sign up. 

If every registered donor did 

this, the number of people 

on the register would soon 

double. 

In 2018, 1,782 lives were 

transformed by 554 deceased 

and 238 living organ donors 

and their families. 

Although the number of 

annual donors has more 

than doubled over the past 

decade there is room for 

improvement so that more 

people can receive lifechanging 

transplants. 

“Only one in three 

Australians have joined the 

Australian Organ Donor 

Register (AODR), even though 

81 per cent believe it’s 

important,” a spokesperson 

said. 

“With more than 1,400 

Australians currently on the 

waiting list for a transplant, 

and a further 11,000 people 

on dialysis, every new 

registration counts.” 

Letting your family know 

you want to be a donor is 

important too. 

Research shows nine out of 

10 families agree to donation 

when their loved one is on the 

donor register. 

Consent is given in 7 out 

of 10 cases when the family 

knows their loved one’s 

wishes, but this drops to 5 

out of 10 when the family is 

unaware of what their family 

member wanted. 

You can register as an 

organ and tissue donor at 

donatelife.gov.au – it’s quick 

and easy and takes less than 

a minute. – Lisa Offord 






Up for a 

visitor? 

If you or anyone you know 

is feeling lonely and doesn’t 

have regular contact with family 

and friends, the Community 

Visitors Scheme (CVS) can 

offer an opportunity for social 

support and companionship. 

CVS provides friendship and 

companionship by matching 

aged care recipients with volunteer 

visitors. 

CCNB – a not-for-profit 

community-based organisation 

– coordinates the program on 

the Northern Beaches. They will 

take into account your interests 

and background when finding a 

suitable visitor for you. 

CCNB provides impartial 

information and advice to support 

people to access a range of 

health and community services. 

More info 1300 002 262 or 

email ccnb@ccnb.com.au 

Diabetes 

awareness 

Every day almost 300 Australians 

are diagnosed with diabetes 

but for many the diagnosis 

is being made too late, putting 

them at risk, according to 

Diabetes NSW and ACT. 

The organisation is urging 

people to learn the signs and 

symptoms of type 1 and type 2 

diabetes. Each year 640 children 

and adults are admitted to hospital 

because the early symptoms 

of type 1diabetes – severe 

fatigue, thirst and weight loss 

– are not recognised. More than 

half of these hospital admissions 

are children and teens. 

On top of this there are 

almost half a million who are 

living with type 2 diabetes but 

don’t know it. That’s because 

type 2 diabetes can be “silent” 

and occur without any obvious 

symptoms. When type 2 diabetes 

goes undiagnosed there 

is the danger of complications 

like vision loss and blindness, 

kidney failure, nerve damage 

and heart disease occurring. 

People over 40 are encouraged 

to do a quick online assessment 

to ascertain their risk 

of diabetes and if concerned 

to speak to their GP. More info 

diabetesnsw.com.au – LO 

Ros is keeping 

things ‘Upbeat’ 

In 2015, Pittwater Life featured an article on 

Ros Saunders’s newly formed Upbeat Choir 

in Avalon, which she started to help people 

whose voices have been affected due to 

strokes, or other disorders. 

She had then been asked to participate in a 

research project with RSL Lifecare in Narrabeen 

on the effects of singing on the communication 

development of stroke victims over a 12-week 

period. Participants in the choir were found to 

have significant improvement in engagement, 

better social interaction, and general wellbeing. 

In fact, the choir proved such a success that it is 

now a regular weekly event. 

Ros was a piano teacher until a close friend 

of hers was diagnosed with Aphasia (loss of 

speech and memory). Wanting to help him she 

contacted Bernadatte Matthias, who was doing 

a PhD at Newcastle Conservatorium of Music 

on the effect of choir-singing on people with 

speech problems. Ros learnt from her and her 

choir, before taking singing and conducting 

lessons and embarking on her new vocation. 

In RSL Lifecare’s Peter Cosgrove House, Ros 

Saunders conducts the group through their 

first song of the morning, I Still Call Australia 

Home, with Jill Parker accompanying on the 

piano, and Recreation Activities Officer, Erica 

Wallace, not only singing beautifully, but also 

encouraging the participants to join in. Over 

half of them are in wheelchairs and their 

voices are quiet and hesitant initially, but Ros 

insists on volume. 

There are two enthusiastic renditions of 

Ob La Di Ob La Da, and a man sitting a little 

apart from the group, not only bellows out the 

words, but also keeps perfect time with a tambourine. 

Later, Ros tells me, he can’t speak. 

“I wouldn’t miss this every week, wherever 

there’s singing there’s always joy,” says wheelchair 

bound, 98-year-old Ita Cronan. 

Annie Noddings, in her 80s, says: “I find it 

invigorating. You’ve got to learn the music 

and the words, and with a group of us, it feels 

good. It helps the memory too.” 

Ros Saunders now runs three Upbeat Choirs 

– this one, her original Upbeat Choir at Avalon, 

and a community choir in Bayview. 

Bronwyn Coe joined the Avalon Upbeat 

Choir with her husband, who’s her carer, three 

years ago. Her third nerve palsy stroke in 2013 

took away her capacity to express herself, but 

she loved singing, and this was an opportunity 

to sing again. 

“It’s not only improved my lost speech and 

pronunciation, but also helped build my selfconfidence,” 

she explains. 

Ros Saunders is now expanding the Avalon 

Choir to include people suffering with dementia. 

Since 2003 in the UK, over 200 Singing for 

the Brain Choirs have formed across the country, 

and scientific research is proving the benefits 

of group singing for dementia sufferers. 

The finale at RSL Lifecare is Sing, sing a 

song. Thai, Mr Too, appears from the kitchen 

to add volume to the men, carer Sabrina 

Cohnen joins in, and as the sound of 20 voices 

fill the room, there can be no doubt as to the 

power of singing. 

“Everyone should be in a choir,” says Ros. 

– Ros Burton 

*For more information about the Upbeat 

Choir contact Ros Saunders on 0478 438 684. 






Hair & Beauty 

Hair & Beauty 

Treat for colour, texture 

& tone before surgery 

with Sue Carroll 

Radiant skin signifies 

are wanting to be the consider prior may include a 

youth, good health 

best version of who they change of lipstick colour, hair 

and vitality and 

already are. Plastic surgery style and colour. 

assists us in facing 

performed by a certified Post-surgery tips to stimulate 

the world with more 

plastic surgeon is a 

the healing may consist of 

confidence. It is, therefore, 

fantastic tool to assist with reduced alcohol and coffee 

no surprise that across 

accentuating, reshaping consumption, no picking, 

all cultures and regions, 

or sculpting areas of the scratching or peeling the scar 

wevare all in constant 

face and body that may tissue site, use a silicon gel to 

search for ways to improve 

need tweaking to be more reduce scar tissue, and wash 

our appearance. Today 

functional and aesthetically makeup brushes and sponges 

both men and women 

surgery today is accentuated 

pleasing. 

every day to reduce the risk 

are visiting plastic surgeons by a real phenomenon, known Even after having performed of infection. It is advisable to 

in their quest to achieve their as ‘Instagram Dysmorphia’. your hours of homework in purchase at least 2-3 of each so 

desired appearance. To achieve With the help of image editing finding the most skilled plastic hygienic rotation is possible. 

optimal results with surgery, software, we can make 

surgeon for your requirements, Following homecare postprocedures 

it is always best to treat the ourselves look taller, more surgery is not able to treat the 

for both surgery 

colour, tone and texture of the slender, less wrinkled or 

colour, tone and texture of the and clinical treatments is as 

skin before surgery. 

more muscular. This creates skin. By treating these elements important as the procedure 

Plastic surgery patients are unrealistic expectations and can at least 2-3 months prior to itself. By thinking you know 

often stigmatised as wanting lead to a nightmare for plastic surgery, the icing is applied better than the surgeon or 

to look like their favourite surgeons and aestheticians. to the cake (so to speak). To aesthetician is putting your 

Hollywood/pop/sporting 

Not everyone wants to look improve the brown and red surgery and result at grave 

idol. The demand for plastic like someone else, but instead discolouration appearing risk. Some important tools 

on the skin, IPL is still the to assist with healing are the 

gold standard to diminish use of lymphatic drainage 

these blemishes. Chemical pressotherapy and manual 

and herbal peels can reduce massage, along with a light 

both the hyperpigmentation therapy system known as 

and the coarse texture of BIOPTRON. This light therapy 

the skin prior to surgery. system from Switzerland heals 

Utilising Nano Fractional skin wounds up to twice as fast as 

resurfacing, skin needling or the body would on its own. 

fractional laser will retexturise Pain is reduced, along with 

the coarse appearance of the discomfort and scar tissue. 

skin. This includes acne scars, There are many modalities 

enlarged pores and fine sun available to us today to assist 

damage wrinkles. Multi-Polar with the possibility of revealing 

Radio Frequency and Pulsed the best version of ourselves. 

ElectroMagnetic Frequency Unfortunately, it is not as simple 

will enhance collagen and as a swipe across a screen to 

elastin production to show change our appearance. With 

a firming of the skin and careful research, planning, 

stimulate the circulation to realistic expectations and 

assist with a speedy recovery combining techniques and 

of your procedure. Ensuring qualified plastic surgeons and 

your body and skin health is aestheticians, your desired goals 

at its optimum pre-surgery is can be achieved. 

of great assistance to a good 

outcome. This may consist of 

Sue Carroll of Skin 

an exercise program, hydration Inspiration has been a qualified 

Aesthetician for 33 years. 

of the body and skin internally 

(through water and good diet) 

Sue has owned and 

and externally (through in-clinic 

operated successful beauty 

oxygen treatments and the 

clinics and day spas on 

use of topicals such as organic 

stem cells, multivitamins and 


growth factor serums). If you do info@skininspiration.com.au 

not want friends to realise you www.skininspiration.com.au 

have had surgery, other tips to 



Business Life: Money 

Business Life 

Are there better ways 

to save? Let’s ‘Raiz’ one 

with Brian Hrnjak 

This month we look at 

how using the Raiz 

investment app can 

boost savings from everyday 

spending… Each year the 

publisher of this magazine 

lets me get away with a 

blatant self-interest article 

and so this month I’ll choose 

to indulge as it’s the perfect 

time at the start of a new 

financial year to talk about 

establishing a pattern of 

saving – especially if you 

have older kids in the house. 

Raiz is a smartphone app 

that allows you to round-up 

day-to-day purchases and 

invest the difference into a 

portfolio of exchange traded 

funds listed on the ASX. You 

can do this with a starting 

balance as low as $5. Raiz 

allows you to transfer funds 

directly from a bank account ROUNDING UP: The smartphone app helps you save by investing into exchange-traded funds on the ASX. 

in case you don’t wish to use traded funds at the heart of the unit prices, they range growth assets which returned 

the round-up feature and the six Raiz portfolios are the from 0.224% p.a. to 0.423% 5.20% for the same period 

the app also contains a fully same or similar to the ones p.a. Assuming a balance of and SuperRatings median 

integrated superannuation we use to when constructing $10,000 the maximum annual balanced fund return of 

account with insurance bespoke portfolios for clients fee is $698 or 0.698% p.a. 5.30% for the same time. The 

options all kept secure on without the tailoring and made up of Raiz and ETF standout performance has 

your phone and with you personalisation. 

fees. By way of comparison been for the Raiz Emerald 

every minute of the day. 

The reality in a post-Hayne- my software tells me this (socially responsible) portfolio 

The reason why this is Banking-Royal-Commissionworld 

is that compliance quoted by industry funds. to 30 April 2019 with the 

is cheaper than those often at 9.49% for the period 

self-interest is that our firm 

was a partner in bringing the is paramount and the 

Above all else these fees same growth asset mix as 

Raiz app to Australia from cost of being compliant is allow you access to a robust the moderately aggressive 

the US where it was known astronomical. Investors who and compliant platform to portfolio suggesting it does 

as Acorns – this was in 2015 are starting out have little start investing. It also comes pay to be green. 

before anyone outside of desire to pay their financial with one of the best user 

One of the features I did 

weed control had ever heard planner thousands of dollars interfaces in the space – want to highlight that has 

the term ‘round-up’. We retain to produce a legally required plenty of graphs and pictures, been extremely popular with 

a significant shareholding Statement of Advice that full expense tracking, 

younger savers is a feature 

in the ASX listed entity and may represent more than integrated superannuation, called Raiz rewards. Rewards 

aside from all that most of they actually have to invest. a child investment option, is a loyalty program that 

us in the office use the app As an entry pathway roboadvice 

Raiz rewards (more on that pays money into your Raiz 

every day. At its core Raiz 

is a perfectly rational in a minute) and full tax account if you shop with a 

is a new breed of fintech solution until an investor’s reporting. 

participating retailer through 

company, specifically roboadvice, 

needs evolve in terms of 

The returns have been the app or desktop site. I’ve 

where you can make sophistication and complexity good as well. Trying to 

had about $100 paid back 

ongoing investment choices and require customisation to compare like for like, the from purchases that would 

without the intervention of meet their goals. 

Raiz moderately aggressive have occurred anyway from 

a human. But even though Raiz costs $1.25 per month portfolio with growth 

Dan Murphy’s, Apple and 

everything happens on your for accounts with balances assets between 66% and a hotel booking via Luxury 

smartphone the app is not below $5,000 and 0.275% p.a. 81% returned 7.12% for 

Escapes. 

a toy, your investments will for those over. The underlying the financial year to date 

Anecdotally I’ve heard a 

rise and fall with the markets exchange traded funds have 30 April 2019. Compared report of one small business 

because they are invested their own management with Chant West’s growth investor purchasing $150,000 

on the ASX. The exchange fees which are reflected in portfolio holding 61% to 80% of computers through a 



partner retailer and banked 

almost $4,000 into his Raiz 

account. This is an additional 

cash benefit that can accrue 

on top of things like frequent 

flyer points. 

For a more day to day 

example consider using the 

new vouchers that have just 

become available through 

Raiz rewards: Woolworths, 

Dan Murphy’s, Caltex, Myer, 

JB HiFi are all examples of 

local retailers that allow 

you to buy an instantly 

redeemable (digital) voucher 

of either $50 or $100. You can 

earn up to 3% back into your 

Raiz account by using one or 

more of these at point of sale. 

If you spend around $10,000 

per year at a combination of 

Caltex, Woolworths and Dan 

Murphy’s that’s potentially 

$300 cash back into your 

Raiz account each year from 

otherwise non-discretionary 

spending – or, in Millennial 

currency that’s around 85 

lattes or 20 smashed avo 

sandwiches. 

Looking at the Caltex 

example more closely – if 

you spend $50 per week on 

fuel and swipe a Woolworth’s 

rewards card to obtain the 4c 

per litre saving that’s about 

a $1.20 saving. Pay with a 

Raiz Caltex voucher and save 

another $1.46 – that’s $2.66 

all up, or, 5.3% or, nearly 

9c per litre off your weekly 

petrol. 

So how do you access Raiz? 

The first step is to 

download the app from 

either Apple or Google app 

stores and install it on your 

phone. This is sufficient for 


the majority of users but 

after downloading the app 

you might find setting up 

on a desktop computer is 

more comfortable, it was to 

me anyway. Establish your 

funding account – this is 

the account where money 

comes from and goes 

to. Then specify one or more 

spending accounts this can 

be the same as the funding 

account but can also include 

credit cards – these are the 

accounts that are tracked for 

round-ups if you choose that 

option. Transfer an opening 

balance to the account to 

kick things off and you’re 

away. If you get stuck, and 

some banks have two factor 

authentication that makes 

things difficult, there’s email 

support or a local call centre 

based in Sydney. You can 

always learn more at www. 

raizinvest.com.au. 

As a parent of teenagers 

who all actively use the 

app I can say that it is the 

only solution I have come 

across that is sufficiently 

engaging and integrated 

enough with how they live 

to encourage savings and 

educate about money all at 

the same time. Older savers 

should also consider the app 

as it democratises access to 

the markets (no brokerage, 

very low minimum holdings) 

at time when returns from 

traditional sources like terms 

deposits are at all-time lows, 

albeit with the proviso of 

there being additional risk to 

bank deposits. 

* Disclosure: the author 

holds shares in Raiz Invest 

Ltd. 

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. 


Business Life

Business Life: Law 


In the news: the issues 

concerning Strata Title 

Over the past two months 

we have discussed 

purchasing property, 

up to the stage of exchange of 

Contracts. 

This month because of 

renewed developments in 

evacuations of owners and 

tenants from Mascot Towers 

following on the December 

evacuations from Sydney 

Olympic Park Opal Tower 

at Homebush, it seems 

appropriate to consider 

what you need to know 

when buying a new highrise 

apartment, or strata 

townhouse. 

Opal Tower was a fivemonth-old, 

38-storey 

apartment block where, just 

before Christmas Eve last 

year, around 300 people 

were evacuated from 51 of 

392 units condemned by 

Fire and Rescue New South 

Wales. The faults were said 

to have affected 35 floors 

of the building, it having 

shifted between one and two 

millimetres which caused 

extensive cracking of walls 

and supports. Residents are 

said to have first noticed the 

issue because door jambs of 

the building had shifted and 

they couldn’t open their doors. 

It is understood that seven 

months after evacuation, 

owners/tenants from 156 

of the 392 apartments are 

still without access to their 

units. However, it is hoped 

restoration and repairs will be 

completed by the end of July. 

Mascot Towers is a 

132-apartment complex built 

10 years ago; whereas the 

owners of Opal Tower knew 

the identity of the developers 

and many of those who 

worked on the building and 

insurances and the statutory 

warrant period to look to for 

rectification, the situation for 

the owners of Mascot Towers 

is very different. 

The statutory warranty 

period for claims for 

recompense has long 

expired and it is reported 

that the builder/developer 

of the complex went into 

administration some years 

ago. Meetings of the owners 

have been held with their 

strata managers informing 

them that they cannot have 

access to their units, or occupy 

them, for the foreseeable 

future. 

To add to their problems, 

owners will have to find funds 

for payment of special levies 

said to be an initial $1 million 

contingency fund to begin 

stabilising the complex – and 

this is just an initial payment 

with more to come – and noone 

to sue. 

Being 10 years old, Mascot 

Towers has Strata records 

which may throw some 

light on whether there have 

been construction or similar 

with Jennifer Harris 

problems with the building. 

It has been reported that 

the records show problems 

emerging eight years ago. 

To avoid the major 

issues such as at Mascot 

Towers, what steps should 

a prospective purchaser of 

a strata unit or townhouse 

undertake before committing 

to purchase? 

What sort of unit block 

do you want – a glittering 

high-rise probably with 

fabulous dazzling views, a 

swimming pool and gym and 

other facilities? Or perhaps 

an established, older-style – 

known as a coldwater walk-up 

– or a three-level walk-up. 

No lift, no pool or gym – but 

probably very solid and well 



established. 

In a property beyond 

three levels, home warranty 

insurance cover is no longer 

required for new apartments 

over three levels. In New South 

Wales there is instead a 2% 

bond scheme to cover defects 

identified in the first two 

years of a new building. There 

are also statutory warranties 

provided by the builder for all 

defects identified in the first 

two years, and major defects 

found within the first six 

years. 

If looking at an established 

building, look at the building 

as a whole – particularly the 

common property areas i.e. 

the areas available to all 

and for whom the Owners 

Corporation is responsible. 

You may be shown a unit 

which has been beautifully 

renovated – but what does 

the rest of the building look 

like? Is the wallpaper tired 

and scuffed... is the carpet 

clean or worn... are there 

water stains or cracks... has 

the garden had attention and 

the lawns mown? If not, the 

Owners Corporation and those 

who live there don’t appear 

to have any pride or good 

management of the building. 

In our earlier columns we 

noted “... if purchasing a strata 

property, a strata inspection 

may cost a few hundred 

dollars but better before you 

commit than many thousands 

of dollars after taking 

possession and possibly in the 

years to come”. 

So, what is a Strata 

Inspection Report? If you are 

intending to purchase a strata 

unit you should obtain a Strata 

Inspection Report before 

exchange or during the initial 

period. You should obtain it 

yourself i.e. an independent 

report made for you – not one 

offered to you by the vendor 

which has been prepared for 

his/her purposes, not yours. 

The report should contain 

some of the following details: 

n Strata roll information 

setting out the details of the 

lot owner; 

n Strata plan; 

n Certificate of title – relating 

to the lot you wish to 

purchase and the certificate 

of title of the common 

property; 

n Strata Bylaws often model 

bylaws, namely the rules 

of the strata plan and any 

additional bylaws and draft 

bylaws yet to be registered; 

n Details of the Strata 

managing agent; 

n Details of any asbestos 

report; 

n Whether there is any 

evidence of disharmony in 

the strata scheme/ this can 

be gleaned from a careful 

reading of the Minutes of 

Strata Committee Meetings; 

n Financial records for the 

strata scheme – very 

important; 

n Amount of funds in the 

administrative fund; 

n Amount of funds in capital 

works fund; 

n Current levy amounts per 

lot; 

Is the strata scheme properly 

retaining records? 

n Details of the executive 

committee; 

n Details with respect to 

insurance for the strata 

scheme; 

Is the strata scheme compliant 

with fire safety, and work 

health and safety matters? 

n Details with respect to any 

major building works; 

n Copies of all recent 

maintenance and defect 

reports; 

n Date of expiry of the 

statutory warranty period; 

n Details of noise complaints 

in the scheme; 

n Copies of any mediation, 

or NCAT application and 

orders issued. Details of 

any cladding or orders 

associated with cladding; 

n Notices or orders issued 

by a government authority 

against the owners 

corporation; 

n Details of any water entry 

complaints, including 

history of any burst pipes; 

and 

n Details of any pending or 

proposed special expenses 

of the owners corporation 

not related to repair and 

maintenance. 

To purchase a strata 

property will likely cost 

hundreds of thousands 

of dollars together with 

substantial stamp duty and 

other costs. It is therefore a 

prudent step to conduct the 

widest possible enquiries 

before exchange of contracts 

and as far as possible 

avoid the tragic problems 

confronting Sydney Olympic 

Park Opal Tower and Mascot 

Towers owners. 

* Should readers wish 

to contact the writer 

concerning matters raised 

in this column or any other 

issue our hours of business 

are 9am-5.30pm, Monday to 

Friday. Call 9973 2011. 

Comment supplied by 

Jennifer Harris, of Jennifer 

Harris & Associates, Solicitors, 

4/57 Avalon Parade, 

Avalon Beach. 

T: 9973 2011. F: 9918 3290. 

E: jennifer@jenniferharris.com.au 

W: www.jenniferharris.com.au 




Trades & Services 


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 specialist. 

BATTERIES 

Battery Business 

Call 9970 6999 

Batteries for all applications. Won’t be 

beaten on price or service. Free testing, 

7 days. 

BOAT SERVICES 

Avalon Marine Upholstery 

Call Simon 9918 9803 

Makes cushions for boats, patio and 

pool furniture, window seats. 

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. 

CONCRETING 

Pavecrete – All Concrete 

Services 

Call Phil 0418 772 799 

pavecrete@iinet.net.au 

Established locally 1995. Driveways plus 

– Council Accredited. Excavation service. 

ELECTRICAL 

Captain Cook Electrical 

Call Blake 0488 849 124 

Zero dollars call-out; offering discount 

for Senior; 24-hour emergency service. 

Family owned and operated. 

Eamon Dowling Electrical 

Call 0410 457 373 

For all electrical, phone, TV and data 

needs. Local business. Quality service 

guaranteed. 

FLOOR COVERINGS 

Blue Tongue Carpets 

Call Stephan 9979 7292 

Family owned and run. Carpet, rugs, 

runners, timber, bamboo, vinyl, tiles 

& laminates. Open 6 days. 

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. 

GUTTERS & ROOFING 

ABC Seamless 

Call 9748 3022 



Local roofing & guttering experts. 

Free quotes. 40 years’ industry 

experience. 

Fully licensed, insured & extensive 

warranties. 

Aussie Gutter Services 

Call Henry 0409 130808 

Local, reliable and punctual service 

7 days a week; fully insured. 

KITCHENS 

Seabreeze Kitchens 

Call 9938 5477 

Specialists in all kitchen needs; 

design, fitting, consultation. 

Excellent trades. 

MASSAGE & FITNESS 

Avalon Physiotherapy 

& Clinical Pilates 

Call 9918 0230 

Dry needling and acupuncture, falls 

prevention and balance 

enhancement programs. 

Francois Naef/Osteopath 

Call Francois 9918 2288 

Diagnosis, treatment and prevention 

for back pain and sciatica, sports 

Advertise your 

Business in 

Trades 

& Services 

section 

injuries, muscle soreness, pregnancyrelated 

pain, imbalance. 

Avalon Physiotherapy 

Call 9918 3373 

Provide specialist treatment for neck & 

back pain, sports injuries, orthopaedic 

problems. 

Fix + Flex Pilates & Physio 

Call Jen 0404 804 441 

Private & Group Equipment Pilates & 

Physio sessions (max 3 per class). 

PAINTING 

Modern Colour 

Call 0406 150 555 

Simon Bergin offers painting and 

decorating; clean, tidy, quality detail you 

will notice. Dependable and on time. 


Phone 

0438 123 096 





AJJ Painting & Decorating 

Call 0418 116 700 

Andrew is a master painter with 30 

years’ experience. Domestic and 

commercial; reasonable rates, free 

quotes. 

PEST CONTROL 

Predator Pest Control 

Call 0417 276 962 

predatorpestcontrol.com.au 

Environmental services at their best. 

Comprehensive control. Eliminate all 

manner of pests. They provide a 

24-hour service. 

PLUMBING 

Nick Anderson Plumbing 

Call Nick 0411 251 256 

Specialist in gasfitting, drainage 

and plumbing. Complete service, 

competitive rates. Local and reliable 

– free quotes. 

Pure Plumbing Professionals 

Call 9056 8166 

Zero dollars call-out – and you approve 

the price before they begin. 24/7 

Emergency Service. 10% pensioner 

discount. 

RENOVATIONS 

Rob Burgers 

Call 0416 066 159 

Qualified builder provides all carpentry 

needs; decks, pergolas, carports, 

renos & repairs. 

B & RD Williams 

Call Brian 0416 182 774 

Kitchen and bathroom renovations, decks, 

pergolas. Small extensions specialist. 

RUBBISH REMOVAL 

One 2 Dump 

Call Josh 0450 712 779 

Seven-days-a-week pick-up service 

includes general household rubbish, 

construction, commercial plus 

vegetation. Also car removals. 

UPHOLSTERY 

Luxafoam North 

Call 9999 5567 

Local specialists in all aspects of 

outdoor & indoor seating. 

Custom service, expert advice. 

Essyou Design 

Call Susan 0422 466 880 

Specialist in day bed and outdoor 

areas. Reliable local service. Offering 

domestic & commercial. 

WELLNESS 

Piria Coleman 

Call Piria 0490 499 963 

Learn Tai Chi and Qigong, gentle 

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. 

forms of exercise that are both 

relaxing and energizing. Group 

classes; private training by request. 

Piriacoleman.com 






the 

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life 

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APPEARING: Dorian Mode, Donne Restom, Zoe Hauptmann, Briana Cowlishaw and Queen Porter Stomp (below). 

First Ettalong Jazz 

Festival a high note 

Save the date and book the Fantasea Ferry 

tickets – the inaugural Ettalong Jazz Festival 

will be held on Saturday July 20 at renowned 

Central Cost destination Galleria Ettalong Beach. 

The event is a free, family friendly day 

out (11am to 5.30pm) full of food, drink and 

entertainment within the Mediterraneaninspired 

walls of The Galleria which is 

celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. 

Emily Batts from local events company 

Empty Suitcase says she hopes Pittwater locals 

and families will “cross the water” and spend a 

day out enjoying incredible music from some 

of Australia’s best musicians with a line-up 

assembled by acclaimed Artistic Director Zoe 

Hauptmann, winner of the inaugural AWMA 

Creative Leadership Award. 

A Central Coast local, Zoe has curated a 

diverse program 

including The Red 

Hands (featuring Ray 

Beadle), Queen Porter 

Stomp, I Vanish, Gerard 

Masters Aussie Jazz, 

The Fabulous Botting 

Flower, Jo Fabro’s 

Home Cookin’, Brianna 

Cowlishaw & Gavin 

Ahearn, The Hauptmann Trio featuring Arne 

Hanna (and for which Zoe picks up the bass), 

Rodric White, Dorian Mode Trio , Donné Restom 

Trio and the Andrew Wilke Duo. 

There will also be a pop-up bar sponsored 

by the locally loved Six String Brewing 

Company and Bar Toto, alongside guest 

wineries and pop-up food stalls. 

“Within the quirky venue we are utilising 

balconies, courtyards and stages where you can 

sit and have a local beer, or a cocktail,” said Emily. 

“Guest wineries and pop-up food stalls 

complete the lunch options, with an array 

of world cuisine that sits inside the Galleria 

complex – including Armenian pizza, to 

Malaysian curries and Vegalicious treats.” 

More on some of the acts: 

The Red Hands – “The band take their 

cues from the likes of Grant Green, Wes 

Montgomery, George Benson and Ernest 

Ranglin,” said Emily. “Expect a high-energy 

performance that showcases exceptional 

musicianship.” 

Gerard Masters Aussie Jazz – “They have 

taken songs from songwriters and bands such 

as Don Walker, Crowded House, Icehouse, 

Missy Higgins, INXS and in their own unique 

way, brought them into the jazz realm.” 

Jo Fabro’s Home Cookin’ – “Play a mix of 

original tunes and reimaginings of the great 

works of legendary artists such as Bill Withers, 

Al Green, B B King and Bonnie Raitt.” 

Dorian Mode Trio – “Multi award-winning 

jazz musician who is known equally for his 

funny novels as his cool music. He first hit the 

music scene with the mighty Hammond B3 

Organ – exploring the unique classic ’60s jazz 

sound. It earned him 

a record contract with 

EMI Records – one of 

the few Australian jazz 

artists to be signed to 

a major label.” 

Rodric White – “His 

pianistic and vocal 

skills have seen him 

work with luminary 

musicians such as James Morrison and Don 

Burrows.” 

The Hauptmann Trio – “Featuring Arne 

Hanna, Zoe, Ben and James Hauptmann, 

they’re well known and very well-respected 

siblings in various fields. Between them 

they have played with Australian greats 

Katie Noonan, Lior, Bluejuice, Micheline Van 

Hautem, Paul Dempsy, James Morrison, Missy 

Higgins and Paul Kelly. Guest Arne Hanna is 

one of Sydney’s best-known funk guitarists.” 

* Galleria Ettalong Beach is celebrating its 

40th year in 2019. A hidden gem of the Central 

Coast, it is a hub of food, entertainment, 

shopping and community. It’s home to Cinema 

Paradiso, Ettalong Beach Tourist Resort, Bar 

Toto, cafes, multiple restaurants and eateries 

with international cuisines, a series of pop-up 

events... even a brand new pilates studio. 

60 JULY 2019 The Local Voice Since 1991

Turbulence galore in this 

high-flying French farce 

A 

deliciously fabulous 

farce with superbly 

delectable characters – 

that’s the description director 

Sarah Lovesy gives Elanora 

Players’ July production, 

Boeing Boeing. 

The French comedy, 

by Marc Camoletti and 

translated by Beverly Cross 

and Francis Evans, is set in 

Paris in the 1960s. Central 

character Bernard is juggling 

love affairs with three Air 

Hostesses, who touch down 

briefly but lovingly in his 

apartment between flights. 

Thanks to Bernard’s keen 

study of flight schedules and 

the efficiency of his quirky 

French housekeeper, his three 

mistresses have no inkling 

of each other’s existences 

– but these glamourous Air 

FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS: Boeing Boeing cast Tonia Davies, Dan Ferris, 

Iwona Abramowicz, Chantel Ciano, Gerard Hawkins and Karen Pattinson. 

Hostesses also have their own 

hidden love agendas. 

“Collision of course is on 

the cards – and into this mix 

comes Bernard’s naïve and 

inexperienced boyhood friend 

Robert,” said Sarah. “Hilarity 

Diplomacy earns encore 

Theatre legends 

John Bell and John 

Gaden are starring in 

the edge-of-your-seat 

thriller, Diplomacy, for 

five nights only at Glen 

Street Theatre from 23 

to 27 July. 

Produced by 

Ensemble Theatre and 

Directed by John Bell, 

best known as the 

creator and former 

Artistic Director of 

Bell Shakespeare, this 

production sold out in 

its premiere run at the 

Ensemble Theatre in 

Sydney in 2018. 

The plot is 

spellbinding: In 1944 at 

the Hôtel Meurice, the 

Swedish diplomat Raoul Nordling and the German General, 

Dietrich von Choltitz meet in a life or death situation for 

the city of Paris. On abandoning Paris, Hitler has ordered 

its destruction. 

Raoul has one night to persuade the General to leave the 

landmark city standing. The many twists and turns of their 

negotiations play out in this highly entertaining thriller by 

Cyril Gély. 

* Diplomacy runs from Tuesday 23 July through Saturday 

27 July; bookings glenstreet.com.au or 9975 1455. 

ensues in this glittering 

cosmopolitan play.” 

The cast appearing in Boeing 

Boeing are Gerard Hawkins 

as charming, romantic 

Frenchman Bernard, with Dan 

Ferris as Robert his innocent 

and unworldly friend from 

Provence, and Karen Pattinson 

as Bertha the eccentric, 

unorthodox French Maid. 

The three Air Hostesses 

are played by Tonia Davies 

(who is Gloria the sassy, 

quintessential American), 

Chantel Ciano (as Gabriella 

the flirtatious and feisty 

Italian), and Iwona 

Abramowicz as Gretchen (the 

passionate, domineering, 

femme fatale German). 

Performance dates for the 

Elanora Community Centre, 

49A Kalang Road are July 12, 

13, 18, 19, 20 at 8pm and 

matinees at 3pm on July 13, 14, 

20 (also 11am matinee July 14). 

* Bookings 9979 9694 or 

boxoffice.elanora@bigpond. 

com or elanoraplayers.com.au 


Showtime 


Dining Clubs & Guide Pubs 

Clubs & Pubs 

July's best functions, music gigs, events and dining news... 

THE ANGELS: Rick Brewster (far right) with brother John (second left). 

No Exit anniversary 

boon for Angels fans 

There will be pogo dancing 

aplenty when The Angels 

celebrate the 40th anniversary 

of their third album No Exit with 

a track-by-track concert at Pittwater 

RSL on Saturday July 6. 

According to co-founding 

member and lead guitarist Rick 

Brewster, No Exit – the followup 

to their hugely successful 

album Face To Face – was an 

important progression that 

helped cement the band as 

Australian rock 'n' roll icons. 

“We found our sound with 

Face To Face and it was a huge 

success, so it was like we had 

set the bar and it was a daunting 

task to match or better it,” 

Rick tells Pittwater Life. 

“We wrote mostly in the 

same vein, but there was more 

experimenting with sounds 

and arrangements... I used 

some guitar effects for the 

first time and double-tracked 

some solos... Doc [Neeson, 

original lead singer] doubletracked 

some vocals; and I 

used an organ on two songs.” 

Rick has vivid memories 

about making the album, 

which he co-produced with 

brother John and Mark Opitz. 

“There were many heated 

debates/arguments, mainly 

with John, about arrangements,” 

said Rick. “The rest 

of the band used to leave the 

studio, they thought it was the 

end of the band!” 

Once the tracks were 

recorded the bickering didn’t 

stop – there was still the order 

of the songs to be determined. 

“It was important to us, especially 

the first and last tracks 

on each side,” Rick said. “Track 

1 had to grab you, Track 5 had 

to make you want to turn the 

record over, and so on.” 

He rates ‘Dawn Is Breaking’ 

as one of four of his favourites 

from the album to perform. 

“I like playing my new guitar 

solo on that one,” he said. 

“Also ‘Skid Row After Dark’ – 

Dave’s (Gleeson, lead singer) 

delivery is sensational; ‘My 

Light Will Shine’, which is a 

beautiful song rediscovered, 

and the harmonies are great! 

This is a bonus track on the 

studio album. 

“And of course ‘Mr Damage’ 

– I love watching the audience 

try to keep up with the words!” 

Rick said Dave Gleeson’s 

vocals and delivery introduced 

a new element. 

“Dave’s a great singer and 

front man, he’s very visual,” 

he said. “And he brings an element 

of comedy into the show, 

while his delivery of ‘Dawn is 

Breaking’ is chilling!” 

Rick said Pittwater RSL audience 

can look forward to two 

sets – the whole No Exit album 

followed by some of The Angels’ 

best-known other works 

(“and maybe something new”). 

As for the future? 

“I’ve never really thought 

about it... it’s just kept rolling 

and I guess I’ll be playing until 

I can’t,” he said. “I love it! We 

all do...” – Nigel Wall 

Pittwater RSL 

Assorted eateries 

82 Mona Vale Rd Mona Vale 

There are some awesome 

live music acts coming to 

Pittwater RSL Club – including 

Diesel and The Angels 

in July and Mental As 

Anything in August; book 

tickets now on the club's 

website. 

Don't miss The Angels who 

will play a high-energy, twohour 

gig on Saturday July 6, to 

celebrate the 40th anniversary 

of their second album 'No 

Exit'. Hear hits including the 

title track, 'Shadow Boxer' and 

'Mr Damage'. Book online. 

Hungry? There's something 

for all tastes and ages 

at Pittwater RSL. At Glasshouse 

chefs stay true to the 

story of the local area by 

embracing the farm-to tableapproach, 

focusing on where 

food comes from and how it 

is grown and shaping the way 

they cook and create. Open 

for lunch from 12pm and 

dinner from 5.30pm 7 days 

a week. 

Or relax on the terrace and 

enjoy family friendly food 

and great coffee from 9.30am 

from Potter’s café while kids 

play in the indoor playground. 

Potter’s café menu is available 

weekends and public holidays 

from 12pm to 5pm. 

Nonna’s Kitchen boasts a 

menu full of delicious and authentic 

Italian pizzas, pastas, 

salads and starters. 

The space is warm and 

versatile with intimate booths 

to banquet tables for large 

groups or families. There is 

also a large outdoor terrace 

where you can enjoy your 

meal with a glass of wine 

overlooking the treetops of 

Mona Vale. Open for lunch 

Thursday to Sunday from 

12pm and dinner Wednesday 

to Sunday from 5.30pm. 

For a taste of Asia try 

Little Bok Choy for noodles, 

fried rice, stir fries and madeto-order 

Laksa. 

Check the Club’s website 

for the latest menus and meal 

deals for all eateries. 

pittwaterrsl.com.au 

Avalon 

Beach RSL 

Bistro 61 

1 Bowling Green Lane 

Avalon Beach 

Avalon Beach RSL’s Bistro 61 

is a great place to head for 

a local meal, offering tasty 

modern Australian dishes at 

affordable prices. 

Take advantage of their 

new #AVRSL MEMBER MON- 

DAY. This brand new weekly 

promotion includes $5 drinks 

all day for members, plus a 

$15 Roast Meal special (lunch 

and dinner) and $10 chicken 

wings available to all! 

Don't miss That Old Chestnut, 

who return by popular 

demand for a free gig on 

Friday July 5. They're sculpting 

a new musical genre with 

their quirky reworkings of the 

music of Guns and Roses, Soft 

Cell... even ACDC! 

Head down for the State 

of Origin Decider on the big 

screen on July 10 – there 

will be $5 schooners from 

7.30-9.30pm, plus $10 Blues 

Burgers. 

Then there's the Monthly 

Karaoke Party on Friday July 

26 with free entry from 9pm 

And now available for free 

download – the new Avalon 

Beach RSL Club App. Earn 

rewards, prizes and member 

points by logging in daily. 

See what's on, check out 

events, view menus and more! 

Don't miss the Super Sunday 

raffle on the first Sunday 

of the month – there's more 

than $1500 in prizes. 

Bistro 61 is open for breakfast 

from 9am to 11.30am. 

Open for lunch and dinner 

seven days, with extensive 

outdoor dining areas, Bistro 

61 offers a variety of specials 

(lunch and dinner) during the 

week, including $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 beer-battered 

flathead – plus they do 

a $5 kids meals on Sundays! 

(There’s a playground, too.) 

avalonbeachrsl.com.au 



Royal Motor 

Yacht Club 

Salt Cove on Pittwater 

46 Prince Alfred 

Parade, Newport 

RMYC’s restaurant Salt Cove 

on Pittwater’s winter menu 

is now available, offering 

affordable meals and generous 

servings including a 

variety of starters and share 

plates, seafood, burgers, 

grills, salads, desserts and 

woodfired pizza. 

Friday night music kicks 

off in the Lounge Bar from 

5.30pm to 8.30pm. There are 

some great acts in July, including 

Mitch G (5th); Antoine 

(12th); Grace Fuller (19th); and 

Phil Simmons (26th). 

And it's on again! The annual 

Unique Vehicle Show will 

be held in the RMYC waterfront 

carpark from 10am-3pm 

on Sunday July 28. Entry is by 

donation (for charity). Come 

and see a great range of over 

80 unique vehicles on display 

including vintage cars, classic 

and sports cars, hot rods and 

motorcycles. Great food and 

beverages will be available 

throughout the day. 

Trivia every Tuesday night 

from 7.30pm (great prizes and 

vouchers – 12 years plus). 

Club Boat and Social memberships 

are now available for 

just $160. 

royalmotor.com.au 

Club Palm Beach 

Barrenjoey Bistro 

1087 Barrenjoey Road, 

Palm Beach 

In July, make your way to 

Club Palm Beach, located 

a short stroll from Palm 

Beach Wharf, for great dining 

for the whole family. 

Head down to watch State 

of Origin III (July) and enjoy 

half-price schooners of Carlton 

during game time. 

Also, enjoy a Works 

Burger and schooner for just 

$15 every Friday in July. 

Every Wednesday there's 

family trivia from 7pm, with 

great prizes! 

Grab some friends and 

enjoy their Christmas In July 

Cruise & Lunch, with a cruise 

on Pittwater plus traditional 


Christmas roast and vegetable 

for $33pp. Book now! 

Barrenjoey Bistro is 

open for lunch (11.30am to 

2.30pm) and dinner (6pm 

to 9pm) 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 tempura 

fish and chips with salad 

(Fridays), except public hols. 

The Members’ lucky badge 

draw is held Wednesday and 

Friday night (every 30 mins 

between 5pm to 7pm), and 

jackpots by $100 each week. 

Enjoy Trivia Night from 

5.30pm on Wednesdays, plus 

Bingo 10am on Fridays. 

The club has a courtesy 

bus that makes regular runs 

Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays 

from 4.30pm to 9pm. 

Ring to book a pick-up. 

clubpalmbeach.com.au 

Dee Why 

RSL Club 

932 Pittwater Rd, Dee Why 

Located in the heart of the 

Northern Beaches, this club 

boasts contemporary surroundings 

and an expansive 

menu offering across its six 

bars, four restaurants and 

13 function spaces. 

Book now for the hilarious 

Faulty Towers – The Dining 

Experience Dinner (three 

courses) + Show (Friday 26th 

and Saturday 27th, $99). 

The club also presents 

terrific entertainment acts. 

In July, catch: Two Fires 

Chisel Barnes Show (5th, $25); 

Marina Prior & David Hobson 

(7th, $59); and The Radiators 

(19th, $25). 

The Bistro on Level 2 is 

a great place for an enjoyable 

and affordable lunch or 

dinner with classic café and 

pub-style food. 

At ‘The Asian’, you can 

choose from a menu showcasing 

a variety of wok dishes 

from Hong Kong, Malaysia, 

Singapore and Japan. 

Enjoy the heart of Italian 

culture with antipasto, pizza, 

pasta and contemporary 

cuisine Italian at Aqua Bar & 

Dining. 

‘Flame Lounge & Dining’ 

is where the club stakes its 

reputation on steaks. Sit 

down to a special menu featuring 

certified Angus and 

Wagyu beef, fresh seafood, 

and superb lamb. Perfect for 

everyday or special occasion 

dining. 

Dee Why RSL offers a twoyear 

membership for $5. 

Check out their website 

for the latest menus and 

specials. 

deewhyrsl.com.au 

Park House 

Food Merchants 

2 Park St, Mona Vale 

Park House continues to 

build a name for its great 

food offerings, with a 

variety of experiences and 

spaces in July. 

Every day their Restaurant 

menu offers mouth-watering 

dishes such as Californian-inspired 

Guacamole, 

Burrata that bursts with 

flavour and Snapper Ceviche 

drizzled with jalapeño oil. 

From local waters, favourites 

include Spaghetti 

Prawns with mint, parsley, 

chilli, butter and lemon; and 

Whole Snapper with asparagus 

and white miso hollandaise 

sauce. 

If you are someone who 

loves steak, you will be impressed 

with their seasonal 

selection from the grill, 

sourced from areas 

including Armidale and the 

Riverina. 

For dessert, their lime 

tart brûlée is served with inhouse 

sour cream Chantilly 

and pistachio praline. It’s a 

perfect balance of flavours 

to top off a memorable evening 

in Food Merchants Restaurant. 

Looking for the perfect 

‘hump day’ inspiration 

to get you through the week? 

Perhaps their $1.50 oyster 

night on Wednesdays is just 

what you are looking for! 

Get in touch to ask about 

Restaurant bookings. 

parkhousefoodandliquor.com.au 

This Month... 

Faulty Towers 

The hilarious Faulty Towers 

The Dining Experience returns 

to Dee Why RSL but tickets will 

sell out here, so early booking 

is essential! Two shows Fri 26 

and Sat 27. Tickets $99; book 

at deewhyrsl.com.au 

Blue Plimsoul 

Blues with a sting in the 

tail. CP Rhodes guitar, vocals. 

Rowan Turner lead guitar, 

Steve Hart bass and Avo Karageuzian 

on drums. Fri 19, 9pm 

at Avalon Beach RSL. Free. 

Celebrity Psychic 

Meet Elissa and experience 

an evening of live readings 

and audience participation at 

Pittwater RSL on Saturday 20, 

from 7.30-9.30pm. Tickets 

$40pp. Bookings 9997 3833. 

Winter jazz 

Catch some Jazz at the 

Avalon Beach Bowling Club on 

Wednesdays from 7pm. The 

line-up this month includes Armondo 

Hurley, Nicky Crayson, 

Nic Jeffries and Johnny Nicol 

with Ray Forster & Friends. 

Tickets $15 at the door or $10 

for members pre-purchased. 


Dining Clubs & Guide Pubs

Tasty Morsels 

Tasty Morsels 

Berempah adding 

spice to Newport 

The upper northern beaches is 

spoilt for choice when it comes to 

good-quality Asian restaurants, 

with Thai options particularly plentiful 

across Pittwater – now diners have a new 

taste to savour with the opening of Berempah 

Restaurant and Bar at Newport 

which specialises in authentic Malaysian 

dishes. 

Owners Stephanie Hoang and her 

partner opened their first Berempah 

restaurant (in Malay it means “spices and 

herbs”) at Willoughby three years ago; 

their Newport venue opened in June, 

serving the same range of tasty curries 

and fusion dishes. 

“Our menu has great variety – we have 

entrees, authentic Malaysian curries and 

mains, rice and noodles, also Chef Special 

fusion dishes,” Stephanie said. 

“The popular street food in Malaysia 

are Roti Canai, Nasi Lemak Rice, Laksa, 

Char Koay Teow, Mee Goreng and Satay 

Skewers. I want to bring a great dining 

experience to Newport with quality food, 

good service – and authentic flavours.” 

Joe also contributes as head chef, with 

more than 10 years’ experience. 

“Joe’s mother is Malaysian, his dad 

is Thai, so his cooking style is a kind 

of Malaysian-Thai fusion,” Stephanie 

explains. 

If you’re looking for guidance on menu 

selection, Stephanie is happy to assist. 

“For an entrée, I suggest from Chicken 

Satay, Roti Canai, Curry Puffs or our 

Sweet Tamarind Wings. 

“Main meal specialties include Chicken 

ʻPleased to meet you!’ 

In Spanish, “Mucho Gusto” 

means “pleased to meet 

you” – and that’s exactly 

how you’ll feel when you 

step through the door and 

into this welcoming new 

café space on Darley Road 

in Mona Vale. 

Owners Giselle and 

Jaime say their mission is 

serve the local business 

community by providing 

the highest-quality coffee, 

sandwiches, snacks, and 

baked goods in an atmosphere 

that meets the needs 

of customers who are in a 

hurry as well as those who 

want a place to relax and 

enjoy their beverages and 

food. 

Their specialties include 

Acai Bowls, signature 

serving Chorizo Rolls, 

Burgers, Salads, 

Smoothies and freshly 

made Sandwiches daily. 

They’re open 6 days 

Monday to Saturday and 

also offer a text-and-pickup 

service for those on-thego; 

call them on 0450 187 

574 or find them at 9/101 

Darley Rd, Mona Vale. 

* Reader Special: In July, 

show their ad (see page 

22) and receive 10% off 

your bill. – Nigel Wall 

Curry, Beef Rendang, Ayam Berempah, 

Lamb Shank Penang Curry, Berempah 

Pork Belly or tower of Pork Ribs (top 

right), or Mee Goreng Noodles. 

“And for dessert you must try Joe’s 

chef-made coconut ice cream, banana 

roti or banana fritter.” 

Also, look out for their changing lunch 

and monthly specials, while they will 

be launching home delivery to suburbs 

including Newport, Avalon, Mona Vale, 

Bilgola, Warriewood and Clareville soon. 

* Find them at 335 Barrenjoey Rd, 

Newport (next to Wild Lotus Florist). 




Palm Beach café is GOAT 

Looking for a laid-back, rustic and quirky café at the northern 

tip of the peninsula? Head to The Greedy Goat, the first cafe 

when arriving in Palm Beach. (“If you missed the goat on the 

hedge, you missed us!” say owner Vicki.) 

The GG’s tasty, home-cooked fare, plus delicious coffee from 

Allpress, is a favourite with the locals and a hit with day trippers 

too. (And actor Bryan Brown tells us the cast and crew of the 

new hit movie ‘Palm Beach’ spent plenty of mornings wolfing 

down their eggs for breakfast!) 

The GG has a new chef too, with local identity Alex taking 

control of “the pans” recently. 

This unpretentious café has outdoor seating, 

is dog-friendly and has 

overhead heaters. 

Their go-to breakfast 

dishes include tasty corn 

Plus, they offer a daily $20 lunch special (from 12pm, 

zucchini & shallot fritters 

including coffee), which attracts customers from near and 

with bacon and tomato 

far – simply phone ahead to find out their dish of the day! 

chutney, as well as crisp 

(And ask about their $12 Soup of the Week). 

potato rosti (both right). 

The GG currently have two ‘Tradies Treat’ specials – a 

Their burger selections 

include Wagyu 

Bread with regular coffee ($7). 

Bacon and Egg Roll with regular coffee ($10) and Banana 

Beef, Veggie and Chicken 

And if it’s something sweet you’re after, they offer a 

Schnitzel, while they also 

selection of homemade cakes and brownies – and their 

serve weekly pies in winter 

must-try flourless peach and strawberry slice. 

(Chicken and Leek or 

* Open: 8am-2.30pm 6 days (closed Tues); find them at 

Shepherd's Pie). 

1031 Barrenjoey Road, Palm Beach. Call 9974 2555. 

Tasty Dining Morsels Guide 



Food Life 

It's no sin to give in to 

chocolate temptations... 

Although there are many days chocolate is celebrated 

throughout the year (a little every day for me!) July 7th 

is generally considered by most to be the worldwide 

day to celebrate all things chocolate. So I have pulled out the 

best of the best from my files to share! My favourite chocolate 

tip? Use a chocolate that has at least 40% Cocoa solids, with no 

vegetable or palm oil. 

with Janelle Bloom 


Best ever 

chocolate cake 

Serve 8 

250g butter, chopped 

200g dark chocolate, 

chopped 

½ cup cocoa powder 

½ cup self-raising flour 

½ cup plain flour 

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda 

1½ cups caster sugar 

3 eggs 

¾ cup buttermilk 

Chocolate curls, to decorate 

(optional) 

Frosting 

¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted 

¼ cup hot water 

250g butter, softened 

½ cup pure icing sugar, sifted 

400g dark chocolate, melted, 

cooled 

1. Preheat oven to 160°C fan 

forced. Grease and line base 

and sides of a 6cm-deep, 

20cm (base) round cake pan. 

2. Combine butter and 

chocolate in a small 

saucepan. Stir over low 

heat until melted. Stir in the 

cocoa, whisk to dissolve. Set 

aside to cool for 5 minutes. 

3. Sift flours and bicarbonate 

of soda into a large bowl. 

Stir in sugar. Whisk eggs and 

buttermilk together. Pour into 

flour mixture, add chocolate 

mixture and stir gently to 

combine. Pour into prepared 

pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 

minutes or until a skewer 

inserted into the centre 

comes out clean. Stand 15 

minutes in pan before turning 

onto a wire rack to cool. 

4. Meanwhile, for the frosting: 

Whisk cocoa and water 

in a bowl until cocoa has 

dissolved. Cool 10 minutes. 

Beat butter and icing sugar 

with an electric mixer 

until pale. Beat in melted 

chocolate. Fold in the cocoa 

mixture until combined. 

Janelle’s Tip: It’s delicious 

served warm, drizzled with warm 

chocolate or salted caramel sauce 

for a winter dessert. 

5. Split the cake in half. Place 

base on serving plate. Spread 

one third of the frosting over 

the cake base. Sandwich 

with cake top. Spread the 

remaining frosting over the 

tip and sides of the cake. Top 

with chocolate curls, if using. 

Serve. 

Raspberry 

brownies 

Makes 15 


200g dark chocolate block, 

chopped 

2 tbs cocoa powder 

1 cup brown sugar, firmly 

packed 

3 eggs, lightly beaten 

¾ cup plain flour 

1 tsp baking powder 

200g fresh raspberries 

extra cocoa powder to 

decorate 

1. Preheat oven 180°C (no 

fan). Grease and line base 

and sides of an 18cm x 

28cm rectangular slab pan. 

2. Combine butter and 

chocolate in a small 

saucepan. Stir over low 

heat until almost melted. 

Remove, stir until melted. 

Add cocoa, stir until 

smooth. Pour into a bowl. 

Cool for 10 minutes. 

3. Add sugar and eggs. 

Sift the flour, and baking 

powder over chocolate 

mixture. Stir until smooth. 

Spoon into prepared pan. 

Press half the raspberries 

into the batter. Smooth 

over top. Bake for about 35 

minutes, or until just firm 

to touch. Stand 10 minutes, 

while warm press half the 

remaining raspberries into 

the top of the brownie. Set 

aside to cool completely in 

the pan. 

4. Remove from the pan. Cut 

into squares, dust with 

cocoa. Serve with remaining 

raspberries. 



For more recipes go to www.janellebloom.com.au 

Churros with 

choc fudge 

dipping sauce 

Makes 24 

½ cup caster sugar 

2 tsp ground cinnamon 

vegetable oil, for deep-frying 

churros 

1¾ cups plain flour 

1 tsp baking powder 


1 cup full cream milk 

¾ cup caster sugar 

2 eggs, lightly beaten 

Choc fudge dipping sauce 

300ml thickened cream 

200g dark cooking chocolate, 

chopped 

1. For the sauce, combine 

the cream and chocolate 

in a microwave-safe bowl. 

Microwave in 1-minute 

bursts, on High/100%, 

stirring each minute until 

melted and smooth. 

2. For the churros, sift the 

flour and baking powder 

together into a bowl. 

Combine butter, milk 

and sugar in a medium 

saucepan. Stir over medium 

heat until butter is melted. 

Bring to boil, without 

stirring. Remove from heat. 

Quickly add sifted flour 

mixture and stir over low 

heat until dough comes 

together. 


3. Transfer hot mixture to 

the bowl of an electric 

mixer. Cool for 5 minutes. 

With mixer on medium, 

add eggs a little at a time, 

beating until smooth and 

shiny. Spoon into a piping 

bag fitted with a 1cm star 

nozzle. 

4. Combine sugar and 

cinnamon on a tray. 

5. Heat enough oil in a 

large pan or wok over a 

medium-high heat until oil 

reaches 175°C on a deepfry 

thermometer or a piece 

bread sizzles when dropped 

into oil. Carefully pipe four, 

8-10cm lengths of mixture 

into hot oil, cutting mixture 

from bag with a kitchen 

scissors (see Janelle’s Tip). 

6. Deep-fry for 2-3 minutes, 

turning occasionally, until 

golden. Drain on a wire rack 

over a baking tray. Toss 

in cinnamon sugar while 

hot. Repeat with remaining 

mixture and cinnamon 

sugar. Serve warm with 

dipping sauce. 

will stop mixture sticking. 

#2 – make the churros a few 

hours ahead. After tossing in 

cinnamon sugar, place onto a 

wire rack. Warm in the oven 

on the rack and toss again in 

more cinnamon sugar. #3 – 

dipping sauce can be made 

ahead and warmed in the 

microwave. 

Naughty caramel 

hot chocolate 

Makes 4 

600ml full cream milk 

3 tbs cocoa powder 

180g block Caramello 

chocolate 

1 cup mini white 

marshmallows 

Extra cocoa, to serve 

1. In a medium saucepan, 

combine milk, cocoa 

powder and chocolate. Stir 

over medium heat until 

cocoa has dissolved, and 

mixture is smooth. Do not 

boil, remove from heat, 

whisk well then pour into 

warm mugs. 

Janelle’s Tips: #1 – tip 

2. Top with marshmallows, 

scissors in cold water 

dust with extra cocoa and 

between cutting churros; this serve. 


Food Life



In Season 

Brussels 

Sprouts 

Growing up, my 

sisters and I 

refused to eat Brussels 

sprouts, as we hated 

anything green and 

there was something 

about the smell as 

mum boiled them. 

But I am now a convert. 

However, they should not 

be boiled; they should be 

roasted, stir-fried or sautéed! 

I know you will absolutely 

adore them when cooked this 

way... even with a little Maple 

Syrup, and some Macadamias. 

The combinations and 

possibilities are endless! 

Buying 

Look for small to medium 

Brussels sprouts. They should 

have bright green that are 

tightly wrapped around each 

other. There should be no 

yellowing of the leaves. Baby 

Brussels Sprouts are slightly 

firmer, crisper and sweeter 

than larger ones – a bit like 

peas and Baby peas. 

Storage 

Store unwashed in an air-tight 

bag for up to a week. 

Nutrition: 

Brussels sprouts are 

incredibly nutritious, 

they offer protection from 

vitamin-A deficiency, bone 

loss, iron-deficiency anemia, 

and believed to protect from 

cardiovascular diseases and 

colon and prostate cancers. 

They are a rich source 

of protein, dietary fibre, 

vitamins, minerals, and 

antioxidants. 

Also In Season 

July 

Apples; Banana; Custard 

apples; Mandarins, Kiwi 

fruit (look out for new Gold 

variety); Nashi; Australian 

Navel oranges; Pears; 

Quince, Rhubarb and 

winter strawberries. Also 

creamy Avocados; Beetroot; 

Broccolini and Broccoli; 

Cauliflower; Celeriac; Leeks 

and Fennel (look out for 

baby variety); Jerusalem 

artichokes; Mushrooms; 

Butternut pumpkin; Sweet 

potato; Spinach and 

Silverbeet; Kale and turnips. 

Roasted parmesan Brussels Sprouts 

Serve 4 as side 

300g Baby Brussels Sprouts 

2 tbs olive oil 

1 tbs butter, melted 

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

40g parmesan, finely grated 

1. Preheat oven 200°C fan 

forced. 

2. Cut the stem off the end 

of the sprouts and remove 

any yellow outer leaves. Cut 

sprouts in half. Arrange in a 

greased roasting pan. 

3. Combine the oil, butter 

and garlic. Spoon over 

the sprouts, toss gently 

to coat. Season well with 

salt and pepper. Roast 20 

minutes until sprouts start 

to colour. 

4. Scatter over the parmesan. 

Roast a further 10 minutes 

until leaves are crisp and 

the centres of the sprouts 

are just tender. 

5. Serve. 



Pittwater Puzzler 

Compiled by David Stickley 

22 DOWN 

ACROSS 

1 Ancient calculator (6) 

5 An enthusiast for the sport of 

surfboard riding (7) 

9 Company of singers like the 

Northern Beaches Chorus (5) 

10 The first man on the moon (9) 

11 Professor or lecturer (8) 

12 Give blood at the Australian Red 

Cross Blood Service’s Mobile Donor 

Centre, for example (6) 

13 Very black (4) 

14 Suburb in the local government 

area of Northern Beaches Council (9) 

18 Hear about (3,4,2) 

20 The largest of the world’s 

continents (4) 

23 Overtakes (4,2) 

24 Time when the Kids on the 

Coast program has many activities 

available (8) 

26 Right now when it’s very chilly (9) 

27 One’s son or daughter (at any age) (5) 

28 In vogue (7) 

29 Becoming less severe (6) 

DOWN 

2 Type of site to be established at 

Ingleside Chase Reserve to help 

manage the land for conservation (7) 

3 Bay where the beginnings of the 

Roman Catholic Church on the 

Northern Beaches were established (6) 

4 Good advice on a wet winter’s day, 

perhaps (4,2,3) 

5 Dull, heavy blow (4) 

6 Creative features that will one day 

adorn the Northern Beaches Coast 

Walk (8) 

7 3-D museum display (7) 

8 Good golf score; bird of prey (5) 

9 Outer layer (7) 

15 Deviating from the correct route 

(3,6) 

16 Slipped away (7) 

17 Resource recovery centre at 

Ingleside (8) 

19 A national one of these will happen 

at South Creek Reserve in late July (4,3) 

21 Beach where Northern Beaches 

Council is proposing an off-leash dog 

trial (7) 

22 A place, building or tent for 

entertainment by acrobats, clowns, 

performing animals, etc (6) 

23 Olympic ones will be held in Japan 

in 2002 (5) 

25 Impress clearly (4) 

[Solution page 72] 

Pittwater Puzzler 



Garden Life 


Delight Tips to in help the overcome amazing 

colours latest water of hydrangeas restrictions with Gabrielle Bryant 

All 

A 

gardeners are 

lways a favourite for 

Christmas now faced colour, with the hydrangeas 

are flowering their 

challenge of water 

restrictions and the prospect 

heads off! They look wonderful 

in the garden, brightening 

of a long, hot dry summer 

ahead. It is time to re-look at 

the semi-shaded areas and 

the ways of gardening, before 

glowing in the full, protected 

the days of electric timers 

sunlight. Once the older 

and watering systems. Our 

varieties were either pink or 

parents managed well with 

blue depending on the soil, 

a few old-fashioned ways 

additional lime will deepen 

of keeping water for their 

the pinks and blueing tonic 

gardens. 

(sulphate of aluminium) will 

The new restriction is 

heighten the blues, but the 

Phase One. It means that no 

new named varieties will 

fixed hoses or sprinklers can 

maintain their colour. White 

be used, and hand watering 

never changes. There are 

is only allowed with a hose 

hydrangeas of every size from 

fitted with a spray nozzle 

the tiny dwarf Piamina to the 

after 4pm and before 10am. 

tall traditional Mop Heads. 

Water as early as possible 

With so many to choose from 

so that the water sinks in 

it is almost too difficult to 

before it evaporates in the 

decide. There are the delicate 

heat of the day. Don’t waste a 

lace caps, the huge blooms 

drop of water. 

Keep your watering cans full 

for watering your pot plants. 

You can save roof water 

into storage water tanks. 

This will then need powered 

pumps to use the water. The 

old idea of water butts under 

down pipes is very appealing. 

Wooden wine barrels are 

perfect; if you can’t find one 

you can use any large watertight 

container. 

Keep empty buckets in the 

shower. You will be surprised 

how quickly they fill with water! 

If you’re starting a new 

garden, buy plants that need 

little water. Most plant labels 

show if the plant is droughttolerant. 

Save every drop of moisture 

around newly planted trees 

and shrubs by cutting a 

cardboard circle the width 

of the foliage, making a hole 

in the centre the diameter of 

the trunk, and placing it over 

the soil and covering it with 

thick mulch or compost. The 

cardboard will hold moisture 

for a long time and, as a 

bonus, it will keep the weeds 

away. 

Make sure that you use 

potting mix that has water 

crystals and spray both the 

garden and the lawn with a 

wetting agent. 

of Aerate the traditional the lawn mop to allow heads, 

the water cone-shaped to sink flowers in and turn of 

hydrangea paniculata bushes 

the topsoil of garden beds 

regularly to prevent the soil 

from hardening in the heat, 

allowing that can be precious two metres water tall. to 

run The off recently the surface. introduced 

smaller 

Mulch, 

growing 

mulch and 

Picotee 

more 

mulch 

varieties 

will 

with 

always 

two-tone 

help. 

flower 

heads 

The old 

are 

bottle 

hard to 

trick 

leave 

has 

behind 

and 

taken on a 

if 

new 

you 

look. 

have 

Fittings 

a semishaded 

are made 

wall, 

with 

the 

adjustable 

climbing 

flow 

nozzles 

hydrangea 

to fit 

petiolaris 

plastic drink 

is just 

beautiful. 

bottles that will water your 

Hydrangeas are forgiving 

plants over several days. I 

plants that are easy to grow. 

haven’t seen them for sale in 

They like regular water and 

retail shops but there are many 

any good garden soil. Mulch 

different ones for sale online. 

the roots with compost to 

Some are plastic and others 

keep them cool and feed 

are ceramic, all will work 

them in early spring to get 

the same way. Ceramic is 

them going. Grow them in 

more expensive but more 

pots, or in the garden; bring 

ecologically friendly. 

them inside when in flower 

Last, check the washers on 

or cut the blooms – they last 

all taps and fix leaking pipes. 

well in water. 

Planning for 

vegetables 

July is a cold, damp month, 

often wet and miserable, 

so when the sun creeps out 

make the most of it and get 

out to the vegetable garden. 

If it is still cold, put up a 

collapsible plastic house 

over the garden. 

Cherry Then you can Guava get ahead a 

with planting seedlings 

sweet surprise 

that will give an early crop 

Ibefore n full flower Christmas. in my Sow veggie 

seeds garden of is beans, my Cherry sweet Guava, corn, 

sometimes leek, pumpkins, known tomato as a Strawberry 

and watermelon Guava. This inside delightful your 

evergreen plastic cover. shrub never fails to 

produce Once they a heavy germinate, crop of cherry 

guavas pot them in early into small autumn. pots 

and It is keep a small, them pretty warm tree for with 

rounded, planting glossy out next green month. leaves 

that Make only sure grows that to about your peas 

three and sweet metres peas in height. have a Keep it 

trimmed strong frame into shape to climb. after If fruiting. 

have The grown delicate winter fluffy crops flowers 

you 

are of carrots, creamy white, spring growing onions, close 

to silver the branches. beet, lettuce, They or are other followed 

veggies by feed the tangy them flavoured, now with 

sweet, a slow berry-sized, release fertiliser cherry and red 

fruit mulch that well are with high compost. in vitamin C. 

Unlike Potatoes the can taller-growing be planted deciduous 

and yellow so can guava sweet that potato, needs 

now 

cooking, onions and the fruit shallots. can be eaten 

raw straight from the tree or 

used in cooking, jellies, drinks, 

sauces or jams. 

You should protect the fruit 

from fruit fly with a fruit fly bait. 

Get into the 

‘swing’ of Xmas 

It is time to relax and enjoy 

your garden. Look at your 

outdoor seating requirements 

– the shops are full of 

amazing chairs and tables. 

Hanging cane egg chairs have 

been trendy for the past few 

years and now the ‘Swing 

Seat’ is back. Nothing is more 

peaceful than swinging in a 

seat for two, sheltered from 

the weather with a roof to 

shade from the sun – makes a 

great Christmas present too! 

72 70 DECEMBER JULY 2019 2017 


Beautiful boronia 

are heaven scent 

When boronias are 

mentioned, the sweet 

scent of the brown boronia that 

is unrivalled in the garden is 

always remembered. However, 

the boronia family has many 

members; all are fragrant, 

some are easier to grow than 

others – but all are worth a try. 

None of the boronias are 

long-lived but while they are in 

the garden they are beautiful. 

Boronias are small, low-growing 

shrubs that need filtered 

sun and moist but well-drained 

(not waterlogged) soil. 

The Western Australian 

Boronias magastima (brown), 

lutea (yellow) and heterophylla 

(red) all have many cultivars 

and named varieties. They are 

touchy plants and I believe 

best kept as pot plants to bring 

inside when they are in flower 

– their pendulous bell flowers 

fill the house with their magical 

scent. 

The easiest is the Native 

Rose, boronia serrulata. Also 

fragrant, the pointed soft green 

leaves make a perfect background 

for the star-shaped, 

bright pink flowers. Plant this 

boronia in a semi-shaded position 

as a low-growing shrub 

under taller-growing native 

grevilleas or bottlebrush. 

Make sure that the shallow 

roots don’t dry out in summer, 

trim it back after flowering and 

it should live for several years 

lighting up your garden in 

spring. Boronia serrulata also 

grows well in pots. 

Waxing lyrical 

about WA native 

With spring almost here, 

shrubs are showing buds 

and the earliest are bursting 

into flower. The drought-tolerant 

Geraldton 

Wax is a Western 

Australian native 

that loves 

our drier sandy 

coastal conditions. 

You will 

find it now in 

garden centres. 

Bees love the 

honey in the 

waxy flowers 

that in the wild 

are pale pink, 

but with plant 

breeding can be 

found in every colour – from 

palest cream to dark burgundy. 

It is a great plant for flowerpicking 

and is used by florists 

all over the world. Picked, just 

as the buds start to open the 

sprays of tiny wax-like flowers 

will last for many days. 

The shrub will grow to about 

two metres 

tall. The fine 

green foliage 

is decorative 

all year round. 

Trim the bush 

back after flowering 

to keep it 

dense and feed 

in spring with 

a native plant 

food (Bush 

Tucker is the 

best). 

Geraldton 

Wax is an 

undemanding plant that needs 

full sun and well-drained soil. It 

is susceptible to root rot if the 

position is too shady or poorly 

drained. 


The natural dye is cast! 

School holidays are here, so instead of giving tired veggies 

and vegetable peelings to your worms or the compost 

bin, give them to the kids. Have some fun in the kitchen with 

natural dyes. 

Use onion skins (ochre), beetroot (red), carrot peelings (orange), 

old coffee beans and tea leaves (brown), outside red cabbage 

leaves (purple), spinach (green), orange peel (yellow) and other 

vegetables to make some wonderful colours. 

You will need a cup of each vegetable chopped into a small 

saucepan with two cups of water. Simmer for one hour, let the 

water cool and strain it into a clean jar. It is as simple as that! 

Run the clean cotton under cold water, before soaking it in the 

coloured dye. Leave it soaking until it is the colour you want. Take 

it out and let it dry. 

Find new colours by experimenting with tree bark, gum leaves, 

other fruit and flowers. 

NB: To fix the colour permanently, soak the fabric in a saucepan 

of water that is one part vinegar and 4 parts water, and simmer for 

about one hour before you put it into the dye. 




Jobs this Month 

July 


We may be in drought, 

but no-one would 

have thought it 

last month! Heavy rains 

compacted the soil. Turn the 

topsoil for better drainage 

and cover with a new layer of 

mulch. Also, this is the last 

month to move any trees or 

shrubs that are deciduous. 

The days will start getting 

longer now, and the sap will 

begin to rise. Last chance this 

month for summer-flowering 

lilium and hippeastrum bulbs 

and other summer-flowering 

perennials that are sold on 

the bulb stands. Make sure 

that the bulbs are still firm 

and that perennial plants 

in peat packaging have not 

dried out. Last, plant tomato 

seeds this month so that you 

will have them ready for next 

month and planting. 

Prune roses 

Cut back any weak or twiggy 

growth so that the centre 

of the bush is open. Always 

prune to an outward-growing 

shoot. Spray your roses with 

lime sulphur to eliminate any 

spores of black spot. Spray 

the surrounding soil at the 

same time. 

Glorious 

gardenias 

Gardenias are always a 

favourite in the garden. The 

smaller-growing Super Star is 

a compact, low-growing neat 

shrub with fragrant, single 

pinwheel flowers. If you have a 

space this is great plant to fill 

a corner in a sunny spot. Once 

established it is tough, hardy 

and undemanding. Feed it with 

Kahoona for a mass of flowers 

at Christmas. 

Fruits of labour 

If you want to grow fruit trees, 

this is the time to plant them. 

Make sure if you are buying 

fruit trees that you check the 

varieties carefully. Most apples 

and stone fruit need winter 

frost although there are a few 

newer varieties that will grow 

in frost-free climates. Fruits 

that are good for this area 

include paw paws, passionfruit, 

avocadoes, guavas, 

pomegranates, grapes, kiwi 

fruit, strawberries, mangoes, 

bananas and figs. 

Divide & conquer 

Lift and divide gingers, iris, 

mondo grass gazanias, liriope, 

ornamental grasses, dichondra, 

strawberries and Shasta 

daisies. Also trim and train 

passionfruit vines. The fruit is 

only produced on new growth. 

You should cut the vine back 

by 50%. 

On your guard 

Guard the flower spikes on 

orchids. Snails, caterpillars and 

grasshoppers can decimate 

the buds in a single night. 

Multiguard will keep the snails 

under control – but why not 

bring the pots inside until they 

finish flowering? 

The good oil 

Protect the new growth on 

citrus trees from leaf miners 

with Eco Oil mixed together 

with Eco Neem. As the days 

warm up a regular weekly spray 

is worth the effort. 

‘Lei’ off pruning 

Wait until next month to prune 

Hawaiian hibiscus. It is always 

tempting to tidy them up, but 

the nights are still too cold. 

Basket beauty 

Cheer yourself up on a cold 

day by buying a new hanging 

basket plant. Ipomea Blackie 

is a tough and hardy trailing 

plant. It is a cousin of the sweet 

potato. The stunning dark 

purple leaves look amazing as 

a backdrop for the pretty pink 

flowers. It loves good light and 

the sun. It looks great in mixed 

baskets, multi-planted tubs, 

or as a ground cover in the 

garden. 

Crossword solution from page 69 

Mystery location: BROKEN BAY 



Times Past 

Catholic beginnings 

at early Careel Bay 

The history of the Roman 

Catholic Church in the 

2107 postcode area 

began when the Reverend 

Father John Joseph Therry 

was granted land there. 

Governor Bourke granted 

him some 1200 acres on 

August 31, 1833 and a further 

grant of 280 acres was made 

on February 11, 1837. 

The boundaries, according 

to his biographer Eris O’Brien, 

were from Narrabeen Lake to 

Careel Bay and bounded by 

the Tasman Sea. 

However Father Therry’s 

main focus was on the Careel 

Bay area where he proposed to 

establish the ‘Marine Village 

of Brighton’ in the diocese of 

Josephton. 

Father Therry had 

ambitions of agriculture there 

but he also hoped for success 

searching for coal on the 

Avalon Golf Links. However, 

the test bore to 120 metres 

revealed nothing and it was 


claimed to have cost him 800 Grace Dr Vaughan, 

pounds in 1860. 

accompanied by the 

Besides the sale of shells Very Reverend Dean 

from Aboriginal middens Hallinan, DD visited 

around Careel Bay and 

Pitt Water for the 

Pittwater for the manufacture purpose of holding 

no visiting priest, the Church 

of lime for cement in Sydney, Confirmation there. The 

was moved to the Narrabeen 

he managed to settle a few ceremony took place in the 

Parish on 6 December 1917. 

Roman Catholic families in the church, which has lately been 

It shows in the photo with its 

area, some from his home town erected near the residence of 

later roof of asbestos shingles 

of Cork in Ireland. Plans for a Mr John Collins. The church 

and Father Amiel Sobb 

Church of “almost cathedrallike 

proportions overlooking for the occasion”. 

was handsomely decorated 

standing by the doorway. 

I was fortunate to have 

the sea at St Michael’s Cave” The Church is not shown in 

recorded some dialogue with 

never eventuated. 

the 1871 subdivision of the 

him about the Church before 

After his death on May 24, ‘Marine Village of Brighton’ in 

he died in 1982. 

1864, the small weatherboard the diocese of Josephton but 

St Joseph’s Church was built the cottage and lot outline of 

on the corner of Joseph and Henry Gaskin’s 50-acre grant TIMES PAST is supplied 

George Streets. I suspect it from July 1820 does. This has by local historian 

may have been erected in frequently been incorrectly and President of the 

memory of Father Therry assumed to be the site of the 

Avalon Beach Historical 

as much as also providing Church. 

Society GEOFF SEARL. 

somewhere for the celebration The main photo shows the 

of Mass for the local Roman Church with its shingled roof Visit the Society’s 

Catholics. 

on its site facing George Street showroom in Bowling 

The Freeman’s Journal of which at that time shows as Green Lane, Avalon 

November 13, 1875 reported little more than a worn track. 

that “… on Monday last his After years of inactivity and 

Beach. 


Times Past

Travel Life 

Travel Life 

Seamless journey through Old Europe 

Viking Homelands is one of Viking’s most popular 

ocean cruise itineraries — and with good reason, 

says Travel View’s Karen Robinson. 

“Sailing from Stockholm to Bergen or vice versa, this 

spectacular 15-day voyage covers the highlights the 

Nordic nations, Russia and Germany, with overnight 

stays in three fascinating cities. 

Sweden: Stockholm 

“Here, you will stroll through the charming 

cobblestone streets of Gamla Stan 

and marvel at the Royal Palace, Parliament 

House and the Royal Opera,” says Karen. 

“With an overnight stay, you will have time 

to sample plenty of traditional Swedish cuisine 

and visit the famous Vasa Museum.” 

Finland: Helsinki 

“Finland was named the happiest country in the world this year, 

and in the nation’s dynamic capital, it’s easy to see why. Helsinki 

is overflowing with magnificent architecture and breathtaking 

natural beauty. Browse the stalls of Market Square and mingle with 

locals, see the Uspenski Cathedral and visit stunning Sibelius Park.” 

Russia: St Petersburg 

“Visit St Isaac’s Cathedral, the Peter and Paul Fortress and 

Nevsky Prospekt – with an overnight stay here, you will have the 

chance to explore the incredible Hermitage Museum, Catherine 

Palace and Peterhof Palace.” 

Estonia: Tallinn 

“Stroll through the meticulously restored medieval streets of Tallinn 

and visit the colossal Alexander Nevsky 

Cathedral and the sumptuously baroque 

Kadriorg Palace, all while feasting on delicious 

locally made marzipan,” said Karen. 

Poland: Gdansk 

“Gilded Goldwasser… glowing amber… Gothic 

cathedrals – your stop in Gdansk is a visit 

to one of the richest cities in the Hanseatic 

League of old. Explore the remarkably restored 

Old Town with its eclectic mix of architecture 

and indulge in traditional pierogi dumplings.” 

Germany: Berlin 

“Discover Germany’s historic capital at your own pace. Sample 

locally brewed beer and see the Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz, 

Checkpoint Charlie, and remnants of the Berlin Wall.” 

Denmark: Copenhagen & Ålborg 

“Delight your palate at one of Copenhagen’s many Michelin-starred 

restaurants. In beautiful Ålborg, stroll through the Old Town and 

Utzon Park.” 

Norway: Stavanger, Eidfjord & Bergen 

“Explore Stavanger’s old quarter, where you will find Europe’s 

highest concentration of wooden buildings from the 17th and 18th 

centuries. In Eidfjord, ascend Europe’s largest mountain plateau, 

and witness the 550-foot drop of the Vøringsfossen waterfall. And 

in Bergen, gaze in awe at the majestic mountains and fjords surrounding 

you, and see the quaint wooden buildings of Bryggen 

– a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

* Call Travel View Avalon (9918 4444) or Collaroy (9999 0444).

Pittwater Life July 2019 Issue

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