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Pittwater Life November 2020 Issue

FEARS FOR ‘COVID AMBASSADORS’ 1980 FLASHBACK: REMEMBERING THE FIRST AVALON VILLAGE FAIR SWELL CHASER: HOW TIM BONYTHON BECAME A BIG WAVE FILM MAKER LATEST COUNCIL NEWS / SUMMER SAILING / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD...

FEARS FOR ‘COVID AMBASSADORS’
1980 FLASHBACK: REMEMBERING THE FIRST AVALON VILLAGE FAIR
SWELL CHASER: HOW TIM BONYTHON BECAME A BIG WAVE FILM MAKER
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The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

FREE<br />

pittwaterlife<br />

FEARS FOR ‘COVID AMBASSADORS’<br />

1980 FLASHBACK: REMEMBERING THE FIRST AVALON VILLAGE FAIR<br />

SWELL CHASER: HOW TIM BONYTHON BECAME A BIG WAVE FILM MAKER<br />

LATEST COUNCIL NEWS / SUMMER SAILING / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD...


Editorial<br />

No flood of ideas for Parkway<br />

What’s to be done about the<br />

Wakehurst Parkway – or<br />

the ‘Wakehurst Floodway’ as<br />

Federal MP Jason Falinski now<br />

prefers to call the troublesome<br />

road given its vulnerability<br />

during heavy rains.<br />

The State Government is<br />

no closer to solving the issue<br />

of improving access, much<br />

to the disappointment of the<br />

many thousands of <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />

residents who use the road to<br />

get to and from work each day.<br />

Not to mention the anxiety<br />

felt by the elderly and more<br />

vulnerable in our community<br />

when faced with ongoing visits<br />

to Northern Beaches Hospital<br />

and when the alternative<br />

route, Mona Vale Road, is also<br />

proving a headache during its<br />

upgrade.<br />

Whatever the findings of<br />

any feasibility study into the<br />

Parkway, locals deserve to<br />

know what is, or isn’t, going<br />

to happen in the short and/or<br />

long term.<br />

* * *<br />

This year marks 40 years<br />

since the first Avalon Village<br />

‘Fair’ (as it was called before it<br />

became known as Market Day).<br />

With all <strong>2020</strong> Market Days<br />

scrapped due to COVID-19, we<br />

recall the festivities from 1980.<br />

It certainly was a different<br />

time, with a few highlights that<br />

would never see the light of day<br />

in <strong>2020</strong>! See page 14.<br />

* * *<br />

Kerrie King from popular<br />

amateur drama group<br />

Elanora Players reports the sad<br />

news of the recent passing of<br />

their Booking Officer Margot<br />

Beckett after a long battle with<br />

cancer.<br />

“Margot, with the help of her<br />

husband Eric, was an integral part<br />

of Elanora Players for 45 years...<br />

she had a marvelous rapport<br />

with audience members, knew<br />

many personally and always<br />

endeavoured to accommodate<br />

seating requests. She will be<br />

sorely missed.” – Nigel Wall<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 3


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Publisher: Nigel Wall<br />

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Photography: Adobe / Staff<br />

Contributors: Rosamund Burton,<br />

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Vol 30 No 4<br />

Celebrating 29 years<br />

52<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

FREE<br />

pittwaterlife<br />

FEARS FOR ‘COVID AMBASSADORS’<br />

1980 FLASHBACK: REMEMBERING THE FIRST AVALON VILLAGE FAIR<br />

SWELL CHASER: HOW TIM BONYTHON BECAME A BIG WAVE FILM MAKER<br />

LATEST COUNCIL NEWS / SUMMER SAILING / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD...<br />

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thislife<br />

INSIDE: Residents of Ingleside are concerned the dry<br />

bushland surrounding their homes represents a fire<br />

disaster waiting to happen (p8); Council’s plan to recruit<br />

volunteers to monitor and enforce social distancing across<br />

the local government area this summer has met with a<br />

mixed response (p10); we relive the first Avalon Market/<br />

Fair 40 years ago (p14); big wave surf film-maker Tim<br />

Bonython tells how he found his career groove (p36); and<br />

catch up on all the latest real estate sales and news (p40).<br />

COVER IMAGE: Avalon Beach / Stephen Fitzgerald<br />

also this month<br />

Editorial 3<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> Local News 8-35<br />

<strong>Life</strong> Stories: Film-maker Tim Bonython 36-38<br />

Hot Property 40-49<br />

Book Review + Author Q&A 50<br />

Art 52-53<br />

Surfing 54-55<br />

Health & Wellbeing; Hair & Beauty 56-63<br />

Money 64-65<br />

Trades & Services Guide 68-70<br />

Times Past 71<br />

Tasty Morsels & Food 72-76<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> Puzzler Crossword 77<br />

Gardening 78-80<br />

the goodlife<br />

Returning soon! Showtime, Pubs & Clubs and gigs!<br />

Inside this month: our regular features on food, gardening,<br />

beauty, health, surfing, art, local history, money, plus our<br />

guide to trades and services... and our essential maps.<br />

ATTENTION ADVERTISERS!<br />

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The DECEMBER issue will be published<br />

on FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER<br />

COPYRIGHT<br />

All contents are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced except with the<br />

written consent of the copyright owner. All advertising rates are subject to GST.<br />

6 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991


News<br />

Burning question for Ingleside<br />

The bushfire season is upon us and<br />

residents of Ingleside are more worried<br />

than most, feeling hazard reduction<br />

has been neglected for far too long.<br />

Two years ago, Ingleside was deemed too<br />

much of a fire risk to consider development<br />

in the area. According to many locals,<br />

however, no hazard reduction burning has<br />

been carried out since then.<br />

Dig deeper and some will tell you that<br />

the area has not been prepared properly for<br />

the bushfire season in almost a decade.<br />

Stephen Choularton, President of BIRA<br />

(Bayview Ingleside Residents Association),<br />

told <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> that as far back as 2013<br />

the area was marked as urgently needing<br />

hazard reduction – but it’s not been done.<br />

“It’s an accident waiting to happen,” says<br />

Stephen Choularton. “The fires were bad<br />

here in ’93/’94, and I have no doubt they<br />

will be a lot worse next time.”<br />

Another resident of Ingleside Stephen<br />

Smith agrees.<br />

“I was part of the Ingleside Community<br />

Reference Group (ICRG) formed in 2013 by<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> Council, to represent people in<br />

the area when it came to land development<br />

– and it’s gone nowhere. Finally, 22 months<br />

ago we were told we would receive the<br />

development plan within a month. Then<br />

five months ago there was an apology and<br />

another meeting was announced… which<br />

was cancelled three or four days before it<br />

was due to take place.”<br />

Stephen Smith is certainly worried: “Last<br />

fire season was scary and it’s a question<br />

of when – not if – a fire comes through.<br />

There’s nowhere to go… what’s the evacuation<br />

plan?”<br />

Stephen Choularton believes that most<br />

residents in the area are in favour of development<br />

and would welcome a development<br />

plan. He believes that locals are largely<br />

very keen to sub-divide land. But beyond<br />

the questions of zoning, it is the imminent<br />

fire season that needs addressing urgently,<br />

according to both Stephens.<br />

“I know they’ve been doing backburns,”<br />

says Stephen Smith, “but not in Ingleside.<br />

OVERVIEW: Dark areas show burned land, with green areas revealing dense growth.<br />

They did a great burn 15 years ago and<br />

told me then that they would stay on top of<br />

things... that it had to be done at least every<br />

12 years to avoid trouble. It hasn’t been<br />

done since.”<br />

When residents have taken matters into<br />

their own hands, they claim Council has<br />

‘stop-worked’ their efforts to clear the fire<br />

hazards and threatened them with fines.<br />

“The Council served notice for land<br />

clearance,” says Stephen Choularton. “They<br />

told us the RFS would come and burn it,<br />

but the season has passed yet again.”<br />

If nothing else, an evacuation plan would<br />

seem an absolute necessity.<br />

“We have water tanks rather than water,”<br />

explains Stephen Smith. “They’re doing<br />

road works on Mona Vale Road, they could<br />

at least put a water pipe to the Fire Station.<br />

“Either do a burn-off, or give us the water<br />

and let us do it.”<br />

Scott Molenaar, who is responsible for<br />

Community Safety with the Northern<br />

Beaches District RFS, played down the<br />

residents’ concerns.<br />

“Things are definitely happening in the<br />

Ingleside area – especially in the Cicada<br />

Glen Creek area, north of Cicada Glen<br />

Road and up towards Bayview,” says Scott.<br />

“Hazard reduction burning is happening,<br />

although weather conditions have made<br />

that hard in recent weeks.”<br />

Scott agreed that Mona Vale Road was<br />

certainly in danger of getting clogged in<br />

the event of an evacuation, but was pragmatic<br />

about the situation.<br />

“The roads are the roads,” said Scott,<br />

“you can’t really change that.<br />

“There is also a responsibility on owners<br />

to manage risks to their properties and<br />

prepare for fire season conditions,” he<br />

added. “You can’t rely entirely on the RFS.”<br />

The RFS remain confident the situation<br />

is under control, but if nothing else, there<br />

seems to be a communication breakdown<br />

that needs to be addressed. – Rob Pegley<br />

*At its October meeting Councillors were<br />

expected to endorse a staff recommendation<br />

to place the new draft Bush Fire Management<br />

Policy on public exhibition for a<br />

minimum 28 days, with the outcomes and<br />

feedback to be reported to Council.<br />

IMAGE: Google Maps.<br />

8 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991


Safety fears for volu nteer ‘COVID Cops’<br />

News<br />

Northern Beaches Council’s<br />

proposal to recruit<br />

volunteers from the<br />

local community to serve as<br />

COVID Safety Ambassadors<br />

this summer has drawn criticism<br />

from within its ranks<br />

over the safety of those who<br />

sign up to participate.<br />

Under the plan, volunteers<br />

will be expected to patrol<br />

10 key identified sites from<br />

Manly to Palm Beach, monitoring<br />

social distancing and<br />

crowd numbers and, when<br />

required, intervene to remind<br />

the public of their responsibility<br />

under COVID safety<br />

guidelines.<br />

Volunteers will be given t-<br />

shirts to clearly identify them<br />

as COVID Safety Ambassadors.<br />

It’s understood Council’s<br />

preferred position had been<br />

for the NSW Government<br />

to fund the Ambassadors<br />

program, which would have<br />

seen individuals employed to<br />

perform duties.<br />

Sources say Council<br />

wrote to the Government<br />

requesting $1.4 million<br />

in funding but had not<br />

received a response;<br />

Council consequently<br />

triggered its fallback<br />

position of proposing<br />

to recruit volunteers at<br />

its September meeting;<br />

their resolution passed 13<br />

votes to 2.<br />

Over the past month,<br />

online recruitment had<br />

yielded more than 50<br />

expressions of interest<br />

from the public.<br />

Mayor Michael Regan<br />

said the proposal was<br />

part of Council’s comprehensive<br />

COVID-19<br />

Summer Action plan for<br />

Outdoor Spaces to keep<br />

the region’s popular<br />

public spaces COVID-safe<br />

through summer.<br />

“Like all businesses, Council<br />

has incurred significant<br />

human and financial expense<br />

in keeping staff and customers<br />

safe through the<br />

pandemic,” he said. “We<br />

have taken an innovative<br />

approach to solving<br />

manpower challenges<br />

by drawing on the vast<br />

expertise and goodwill of<br />

our community.”<br />

He added all ‘ambassadors’<br />

would receive suitable<br />

training to carry out<br />

their roles, be covered by<br />

workplace insurance and<br />

be identified by distinctive<br />

clothing.<br />

“We have reached out to<br />

other councils with similar<br />

challenges with visitation<br />

‘hot spots’ in the interest<br />

of information sharing a<br />

uniform approach to crowd<br />

control over summer.<br />

“We have all seen examples<br />

of where volunteer<br />

ambassadors have worked<br />

well at sporting events, like<br />

the local rugby, and being respected<br />

as they asked people<br />

to maintain suitable distance.<br />

“Volunteers would perform<br />

a similar role to those at the<br />

Sydney Olympics, providing<br />

a friendly face to crowd management,<br />

which then helps<br />

free up lifeguards and lifesavers<br />

to focus on the water.”<br />

However, three councillors<br />

expressed fears for the safety<br />

of volunteers.<br />

French Forest Ward Cr<br />

Vince De Luca told <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />

<strong>Life</strong>: “I believe Council using<br />

volunteers in such a hostile<br />

environment could pose a<br />

serious risk to their safety. We<br />

should not be risking exposing<br />

volunteers to potential<br />

violence and attack.<br />

“Ratepayers are liable for<br />

costs should an incident occur<br />

and legal action taken as<br />

volunteers fall under workers<br />

compensation legislation in<br />

our state and could make a<br />

claim against council should<br />

they suffer in the pursuit of<br />

their volunteering as COVID<br />

Safety Ambassadors.”<br />

He said several local sports<br />

Clubs had reported that<br />

during winter competitions<br />

their volunteers were abused<br />

and threatened for trying to<br />

enforce COVID restrictions.<br />

“I note one sport banned<br />

certain parents who were<br />

abusive,” he said.<br />

Narrabeen Ward Cr Rory<br />

Amon said that while he was<br />

always open to ideas, Council’s<br />

“COVID Cops” initiative was<br />

likely to prove dangerous for<br />

participants as well be a waste<br />

of staff’s time and resources.<br />

He described it as “another<br />

example of tone-deaf virtuesignalling”<br />

from the Mayor.<br />

“The social distancing message<br />

is important and COVID<br />

safety is vital – but both these<br />

are already being promoted<br />

loud and clear by Federal,<br />

State and Local Governments,”<br />

Cr Amon said.<br />

“We don’t need nanny state<br />

‘COVID Cops’ monitoring our<br />

community and we’re also<br />

potentially putting volunteers<br />

at risk by having them seek to<br />

enforce or encourage compliance<br />

with social distancing<br />

requirements.”<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> Ward Cr Alex<br />

McTaggart maintained it was<br />

a missed opportunity for the<br />

State Government to collaborate<br />

with Council to ensure<br />

a uniform front and COVIDsafety<br />

message.<br />

“It’s unlikely we’ll see a vaccine<br />

before next summer so<br />

from my position this should<br />

have been considered a longterm<br />

process – I personally<br />

believe that no ‘Jo Average’<br />

should be put in front of people<br />

unless it’s part of a State<br />

position tackling the broader<br />

issue,” he said.<br />

“We are only part of the<br />

solution and there should be<br />

continuity of rules, messaging<br />

and of course uniforms right<br />

across the city and the state,<br />

so people visiting from outside<br />

the area are familiar with<br />

these Ambassadors and the<br />

reason they’re being told to<br />

comply with their directives.<br />

“You don’t want a situation<br />

where someone gets off<br />

a ferry or parks their car at<br />

the beach and takes unkindly<br />

to being told what to do by<br />

someone in a coloured t-shirt<br />

that means nothing to them.<br />

“We have 18 beaches – that’s<br />

a lot of ground to cover and<br />

this will run into 2021 and<br />

2022 so we should get ready<br />

for the long haul.”<br />

Council has identified 10<br />

sites to be monitored by volunteers<br />

over summer: Mona<br />

Vale, Newport, Palm Beach,<br />

the Narrabeen Lagoon Trail,<br />

Manly (and surrounds), Manly<br />

Dam, Queenscliff, Freshwater,<br />

Curl Curl and Dee Why.<br />

– Nigel Wall<br />

* What do you think? Have<br />

you, or would you volunteer?<br />

Tell us at readers@pittwaterlife.com.au<br />

News<br />

10 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 11


News<br />

New principal to make his Mark<br />

Some of Mark Robinson’s youth was<br />

spent riding a bodyboard at Mona<br />

Vale Beach but nowadays the selfconfessed<br />

sports tragic is more enamoured<br />

with English Premier Football,<br />

motorsport and tennis.<br />

“There were a few ‘boos’ when I mentioned<br />

to the students that I supported<br />

Manchester City,” he said.<br />

Importantly, the new Principal of<br />

Barrenjoey High is also obsessed with<br />

education, describing himself as a<br />

holistic educator who fully supports the<br />

school’s directive to produce “life-ready<br />

students”.<br />

“I believe in physical and emotional<br />

wellbeing which allows students to grow<br />

and develop,” he said.<br />

The new principal is married to Tania,<br />

who is also a teacher, and they have a<br />

young daughter. Currently the family<br />

lives at South Turramurra.<br />

Mr Robinson, who is in his early 40s,<br />

said he was inspired by the work which<br />

had been done by the previous principal<br />

Ian Bowsher, and that he was confident<br />

of being able to continue in that vein.<br />

“While also adding some of my own<br />

flavour,” he said.<br />

“I think leadership means having high<br />

expectations. But is also means having<br />

compassion and empathy. Ultimately,<br />

you want what’s best for the community.<br />

“I feel privileged to be in this position.<br />

It comes with much responsibility.”<br />

His last school was Ku-ring-gai High<br />

where he was Deputy Head; prior to that<br />

he was Deputy at Asquith Girls’ High<br />

School, following a stint as Humanities<br />

teacher at both Chatswood and North<br />

Sydney Boys’ high schools.<br />

He said he liked the balance of the<br />

sexes in education. This also drew him to<br />

this comprehensive co-ed school.<br />

“I knew a fair bit about Barrenjoey<br />

before applying,” he said. “I could see<br />

it was a school with a strong sense of<br />

community and one that valued learning<br />

– for students and teachers.”<br />

Mr Robinson said he prided himself in<br />

creating a workplace culture of high expectations,<br />

rigour and academic success.<br />

“It’s a great time to begin at Barrenjoey<br />

as it’s the start of our vision for the next<br />

four years,” he said. “This is the Strategic<br />

Improvement Plan (SIP).<br />

“SIP involves the whole school community<br />

including staff, students, parents<br />

and relevant stakeholders. It’s a working<br />

document that details the steps the<br />

school will take to improve outcomes,<br />

achievement and growth for all students.”<br />

NEW HEAD: Principal Mark<br />

Robinson with <strong>2020</strong> Year 11<br />

students Eliza Cutrie, Ewan<br />

Coles and Hannah Hopkins.<br />

The principal recognised the strain<br />

the community had been under following<br />

the relative spate of recent suicides,<br />

particularly felt hard by the school.<br />

“I’ve been at other schools where this<br />

has happened and it’s always awful,” he<br />

said. “It’s something where we need to<br />

continue to improve.<br />

“Both physical and emotional wellbeing<br />

is important. For instance, we now<br />

have a team of teachers who go around<br />

at lunch and encourage kids to be active<br />

– to get them off their phones.<br />

“It’s not just an issue for our school<br />

but it’s across the northern beaches, and<br />

Sydney. It’s a community issue.<br />

“We have the kids between 9am and<br />

3pm. Beyond that, we have to work with<br />

the community.” – Rod Bennett<br />

12 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991


1980 flashback:<br />

the f irst Avalon Fair<br />

News<br />

Curse you COVID-19: if it weren’t for Coronavirus, this<br />

month Avalon would be celebrating the 40th anniversary<br />

of its popular ‘Market Day’ – or ‘Village Fair’ as it was<br />

known when it kicked off in 1980.<br />

Leigh Haines, who used to own and operate the Avalon Toy<br />

Shop, remembers the occasion with pride. He recalls the Fair,<br />

which took place on Saturday October 25, was the brainchild<br />

of Mike Menson, the first President of the newly formed Avalon<br />

Beach Chamber of Commerce and the proprietor of Mensons<br />

Pharmacy at 40 Avalon Parade (now Saad Khan’s Avalon Beach<br />

Pharmacy).<br />

Leigh was his deputy and the Fair’s convenor.<br />

“Mike had visited the Queen Street<br />

Fair at Woollahra and believed that<br />

a similar event could be staged in<br />

Avalon to boost the local business’<br />

trade and promote Avalon Village as a<br />

‘destination’,” Leigh tells <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong>.<br />

“The fair was to be open strictly to<br />

Avalon Beach traders, charitable organisations<br />

and local craftspeople.”<br />

Leigh remembers the local Warringah<br />

Council was approached for permission<br />

to temporarily close Old Barrenjoey Road<br />

between Sanders Lane and Avalon Parade,<br />

but the Traffic Committee “would not hear<br />

of such a bold idea”.<br />

“A fall-back request was for the angle<br />

parking bays along Old Barrenjoey Road to be occupied<br />

by traders to set up tables with Village Fair specials,”<br />

Leigh continued, “But that was refused too.”<br />

So, shopkeepers were strictly limited to having<br />

a table on the pavement outside their business<br />

and craftspeople and charities occupied the space<br />

outside banks and other spaces not otherwise<br />

used on Saturdays.<br />

“There was nothing like the street closures<br />

enjoyed by traders, the community, and visitors in<br />

recent years,” Leigh said.<br />

The Fair was promoted through street banners and bunting,<br />

signs in shops and a fully paid-for supplement in the local<br />

Manly Daily newspaper.<br />

There were a few highlights from 40 years ago that would<br />

raise eyebrows today.<br />

“The Avalon Village Fair in 1980 featured a Miss Avalon competition,<br />

with judges selecting three winners from shoppers on<br />

the day,” Leigh explained.<br />

“The winner received a $50 cash prize and the two runnersup<br />

received gifts of merchandise.”<br />

Leigh said Newport car dealership Sundell Motors displayed<br />

one of only 500 HDT Brock Special Commodore cars, the model<br />

which had filled the first eight places in the 1980 Hardie Ferodo<br />

1000 car race at Bathurst just three weeks before the Fair.<br />

“As Marlboro cigarettes was a major sponsor, the Marlboro<br />

25 Girls were there ‘to excite the interest of the more mature’,<br />

according to the Manly Daily<br />

supplement, and promoted their<br />

product,” he said.<br />

Fair entertainment included the<br />

Barrenjoey HS Band, which played<br />

on the Avalon Theatre steps.<br />

“The band had been unbeatable<br />

over four years in the school band<br />

championships,” recalled Leigh.<br />

Also, the Fair hosted displays by<br />

the Australian Army, Avalon Sailing<br />

Club and Avalon Surf Club.<br />

Searl’s Health & Bulk Foods and Avalon<br />

Health Foods gave out free samples<br />

and had specials (dried apricots were<br />

$5 a kilo).<br />

For children there was a merry-goround,<br />

a jumping castle and fairy floss, with<br />

special appearances by Alcoa’s early environmental<br />

ambassador ‘Aluminium Man’ and by Holden’s<br />

mascot, Rory the Lion, who gave out balloons.<br />

The Manly Daily supplement listed Fair specials<br />

including Johnnie Walker Scotch for $11.99<br />

and Penfolds Bin 231 Rhine Reisling for $1.99 a<br />

bottle at Avalon Drive-in Liquor; dinner at Avalon<br />

RSL for $1.50; 115cm wide dress fabric for $1.99<br />

per metre at Avalon Fabrics; childrens’ sandals for<br />

$5 at Shoeland; Fisher Price toys at half-price at Avalon Toy<br />

Shop; a Polaroid camera for $35.95 at Plunketts Chem-Mart<br />

Pharmacy; and men’s poly-cotton shirts for $6.50 at Haslam’s<br />

Avalon.<br />

– Nigel Wall<br />

*Were you there? What do you remember? Tell us at readers@<br />

pittwaterlife.com.au<br />

Get ready for jibe talking<br />

Turns out sailing is one of the most COVID-safe<br />

pastimes we can enjoy this Summer, writes James Judd<br />

Sailing is a sport of many tribes,<br />

from the cruising sailor, kids in<br />

dinghies, youths in skiffs, twilight<br />

racers to offshore ‘gruelers’ and classic<br />

boat enthusiasts. Some sailors race,<br />

while others cruise, so <strong>Pittwater</strong>’s club<br />

managements and volunteers busy<br />

themselves with diverse programs to<br />

cater for all.<br />

The dinghy clubs are perhaps the<br />

spawning grounds for many a sailor’s<br />

lifetime passion. Robert Warnes of<br />

Bayview Yacht Racing Association<br />

(BYRA) speaks with a genuine passion<br />

about helping children discover the<br />

simple pleasures of sailing. BYRA’s learn<br />

to sail classes are affordable and fun,<br />

with a large beach area to rig on and<br />

events as simple as an ‘adventure sail’<br />

to another bay, to competition racing at<br />

a high standard. COVID has closed their<br />

canteen and made what is a fabulous<br />

boatshed wedding venue available only<br />

to small groups; otherwise it’s business<br />

as usual out on the water.<br />

Avalon Sailing Club is another Dinghy<br />

sailing club on the shores of <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />

with a very community-oriented<br />

approach to sailing and other sports.<br />

Commodore Larry Eastwood says their<br />

clubhouse is available to other community<br />

groups for yoga, art classes and<br />

the like at very affordable rates, adding<br />

it’s a beautiful venue for these pursuits.<br />

The growing paddling division includes<br />

a local community of SUP and kayak<br />

paddlers. He reports their learn to sail<br />

classes and sailing calendar is unaffected<br />

by COVID, with all on-water events<br />

going ahead.<br />

Woody Point Yacht Club’s Ian Major<br />

suggests they have arguably the most<br />

COVID-safe club in the world – “since<br />

we don’t have a clubhouse!” They have<br />

a large enthusiastic membership, with<br />

their Wednesday evening twighlight<br />

‘stern chaser’ race attracting over 70<br />

boats. It’s an eclectic fleet of yachts,<br />

from old wooden classics to discarded<br />

ex-Olympic boats to pretty much anything<br />

with a keel and sails.<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> Aquatic Club at Mona Vale,<br />

with its sound financial position, enjoys<br />

a membership kept at 400 and a waiting<br />

list to join. Run by volunteers, its<br />

excellent DIY facilities make it the club<br />

of choice for boat owners who like to do<br />

their own maintenance and/or restorations.<br />

Its calendar and activities include<br />

racing and cruising for keelboats;<br />

because of COVID restrictions there are<br />

no clubhouse prize-givings or social<br />

events but on-water activities remain<br />

unaffected.<br />

The Royal Motor Yacht Club conducts<br />

events for motor, sail and angling that<br />

keeps Events Manager Jaz Rowntree very<br />

busy. Like other clubs, their busy on-water<br />

calendar is unaffected by COVID. The<br />

multihull division continues to grow<br />

as a part of the RMYC diverse boating<br />

culture. For the clubhouse activities, the<br />

management has engaged with advisors<br />

to fall in with all legislation relating to<br />

COVID including staff training for social<br />

distancing and cleaning. They have curtailed<br />

any large clubhouse events and<br />

otherwise obliged members to socially<br />

distance with all that requires in a club<br />

setting. A popular trend is ordering<br />

takeaway from the clubhouse, so members<br />

can still head down to the club for<br />

the weekend and enjoy a meal aboard,<br />

cooked for them at the restaurant.<br />

The RPAYC’s focus is on sailing, from<br />

learning to sail for kids or adults to high<br />

performance training, gym facilities,<br />

cruising and racing inshore/offshore<br />

divisions. The club hosts state, national<br />

and world championships. Unfortunately<br />

COVID has stopped national or<br />

international competition for the time<br />

being. In March each year, the club runs<br />

one of Australia’s premier ocean races,<br />

the <strong>Pittwater</strong>-Coffs Harbour race. Whilst<br />

the <strong>2020</strong> event was cancelled, the 2021<br />

event is expected to attract a large fleet.<br />

News<br />

14 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 15


News<br />

Council plan for rocketing rubbish<br />

Flying squads of sanitation teams will gear<br />

up for the summer months to ensure<br />

popular public places across <strong>Pittwater</strong> are<br />

garbage-free and public toilets are cleaned<br />

more frequently.<br />

Council says it will ramp up cleansing<br />

services over summer to supplement its COV-<br />

ID-19 summer safety plan, and cater for larger<br />

than usual crowds.<br />

Chief Executive Ray Brownlee said Council<br />

anticipates an influx of visitors to beaches and<br />

outdoor leisure areas due to a forecast hot summer<br />

and travel restrictions from COVID-19.<br />

“During the recent October long weekend<br />

alone we managed an increase of over 62<br />

per cent more garbage at beaches and public<br />

places, compared to the same holiday weekend<br />

in 2019,” Mr Brownlee said.<br />

“We were prepared for the hike so distributed<br />

44 more bins at hotspots and scheduled 10<br />

extra cleaning staff to shift an unprecedented<br />

39 tonnes of garbage.<br />

“Going forward, we will continue these extra<br />

teams so people can enjoy the warmer months<br />

outdoors without the nuisance of backed-up<br />

litter spoiling our beaches and leisure spots.<br />

“This strategy is aligned with extra hygiene<br />

practices businesses and individuals are being<br />

urged to undertake to keep COVID-safe.”<br />

Council says additional services are scheduled<br />

for the bins along patrolled beaches over<br />

summer. These bins will be emptied twice<br />

or three times every day in some locations<br />

depending on the crowds and weather.<br />

Extra cleansing staff will be scheduled to<br />

work additional shifts from early morning<br />

until 8pm, particularly on peak days.<br />

Locals who notice any overflowing bins can<br />

report the location to Council on 1300 434<br />

434 any time of day.<br />

Avalon Art Space Workshop ready in January<br />

The new Avalon Workshop<br />

Creative Space is currently<br />

under construction with<br />

projected completion in late<br />

January, Council has announced.<br />

The lower level of the<br />

Avalon Golf Club is being<br />

transformed into a hireable<br />

artist studio, two multi-use<br />

teaching spaces and a communal<br />

kitchen.<br />

The cost of the project is estimated<br />

at around $450,000.<br />

The space will be available<br />

for activities including workshops,<br />

artistic collaboration,<br />

arts activations and talks.<br />

Council says it will subsidise<br />

hire rates to support artists<br />

and provide opportunities<br />

for them to develop their<br />

skills and generate income.<br />

Council says the larger<br />

Creative Space earmarked for<br />

the Mona Vale Civic Centre is<br />

still in the planning stage.<br />

6THINGS<br />

THIS MONTH<br />

Movember. Patchy, lopsided,<br />

itchy or epic – whatever Mo you<br />

grow in <strong>November</strong>, your face can<br />

raise funds and awareness in<br />

support of men’s health. Sign up<br />

at movember.com<br />

Step up. Join a virtual monthlong<br />

exercise event to help raise<br />

funds for the Manly Warringah<br />

Women’s Resource Centre and<br />

support women and children<br />

escaping domestic violence and<br />

abuse. Register your interest,<br />

gather some sponsors and move<br />

anyway you want – walk, run,<br />

swim, ride or dance – knowing<br />

you are doing it for a great cause.<br />

More info womensrefuge.org.au<br />

Tour Careel Bay. Learn more<br />

about the most significant area<br />

of estuarine wetlands on the<br />

Northern Beaches on a guided<br />

walk around Careel Bay led by<br />

Coastal Environment Centre<br />

Educator Tim Seaton on Sun 15<br />

from 2.30-4.30pm. Bookings<br />

essential through the CEC.<br />

Walking Netball. Sharpen<br />

skills and build on your strength,<br />

balance, co-ordination and have<br />

a ball playing walking netball<br />

at John Fisher Netball courts<br />

North Curl Curl on Tuesdays<br />

from 10am-11am. Run by Netball<br />

NSW cost is $5 a session go to<br />

playwalkingnetball.com.au for<br />

more info or call 9951 5000.<br />

Grow Herbs.See how to<br />

cultivate a variety of herbs in a<br />

small space and how to build a<br />

herb spiral so you can always<br />

have fresh herbs at your fingertips<br />

in this free one-hour webinar<br />

hosted by horticulturist Toni<br />

Salter on Sat 14 from 1pm-<br />

2pm email wasteeducation@<br />

northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au<br />

Counsellor Training. Learn<br />

skills to help support someone<br />

you know who is experiencing<br />

crisis in this series which will<br />

equip you to RECOGNISE<br />

when others are struggling, to<br />

RESPOND appropriately with<br />

confidence and to REFER them<br />

to the best help. Held over two<br />

Thursday nights (19 and 26)<br />

from 7-9pm using ZOOM. cost<br />

$50. Contact <strong>Life</strong>line Northern<br />

Beaches 9949 5522 or alistair.<br />

robinson@lifelinenb.org.au<br />

16 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991


Loretta’s Kindred spirit<br />

News<br />

It’s not unusual to hear<br />

that a famous musician’s<br />

offspring are also fine<br />

minstrels in their own right.<br />

But how much is nature and<br />

how much is nurture?<br />

Now a book by Newport<br />

author Loretta Barnard delves<br />

into the backgrounds of some<br />

of Australia’s finest players<br />

– including some from our<br />

neck of the woods.<br />

Kindred Chords: Australian<br />

Musical Families takes a<br />

look at 27 of these family<br />

connections across the gamut<br />

of musical expression.<br />

“I didn’t want to make<br />

it too esoteric, just about<br />

classical music for instance,”<br />

Loretta said.<br />

She says the book changed<br />

shape as she researched it: “It<br />

became more about finding<br />

similarities between the<br />

musicians.”<br />

Loretta knows about the<br />

musical ties that connect<br />

people. She is the daughter<br />

of famous Australian jazz<br />

REVEALING: Loretta Barnard.<br />

trumpeter Bob Barnard, and<br />

the mother of professional<br />

musicians Beau and Casey<br />

Golden.<br />

She says a common trait<br />

among all she interviewed<br />

was a general love for music<br />

in the household.<br />

“Another was how focused<br />

these people were,” she<br />

said. “All were dedicated to<br />

improving themselves and<br />

becoming the best.”<br />

Loretta admits to originally<br />

thinking that somehow<br />

people who trained in music<br />

would be different from<br />

those who had not.<br />

“We have that stereotypical<br />

idea that the rock stars are<br />

wild hedonists, and the<br />

classical musicians are the<br />

nerdy ones – locked away<br />

doing their scales,” she<br />

said. “I don’t think that’s<br />

necessarily true.<br />

“People think classical<br />

musicians sit around playing<br />

Mozart. But a lot of them like<br />

to listen to jazz or rock when<br />

they go home and relax.”<br />

Along with Loretta’s family,<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> locals to appear in<br />

the book are the Morrisons,<br />

Angus and Julia Stone, and<br />

Joy Yates, Dave MacRae and<br />

their children.<br />

Other dynasties include:<br />

the Barnes (Jimmy et al),<br />

the Fields (Wiggles), Nigel<br />

Westlake (composer of film<br />

scores Babe and Miss Potter),<br />

the Williamsons (John and<br />

his daughter Ami), the<br />

Amphletts (Little Pattie and<br />

niece Chrissy), and Jimmy<br />

Little and composer-niece<br />

Deborah Cheetham.<br />

Loretta feels readers<br />

might be surprised to<br />

learn country singer John<br />

Williamson’s daughter Ami<br />

studied opera in Europe.<br />

Of course, that is until they<br />

learn her grandparents were<br />

fond of Gilbert & Sullivan<br />

and used to sing in G & S<br />

performances.<br />

Then there is the story of<br />

jazz drummer John Morrison<br />

who, like his brother James<br />

and sister Kathryn, is a pilot.<br />

In fact, he is a commercial<br />

pilot and at one time flew<br />

Bob Barnard and his band to<br />

gigs around regional NSW.<br />

From Kindred Chords:<br />

“There have been occasional<br />

nervous passengers who have<br />

expressed concern that the<br />

small plane they’re about to<br />

fly in is being piloted by a<br />

drummer”.<br />

And the question of nature<br />

vs nurture? Loretta says in<br />

the end the score was about<br />

50/50.<br />

“I think there is something<br />

in the connections people<br />

have with their ancestors,” she<br />

said. “It’s interesting to watch<br />

shows like Who Do You Think<br />

You Are and the star discovers<br />

a long-lost relative was also,<br />

for instance, an actor.”<br />

But some were adamant<br />

there were no genetic factors<br />

at play and that this bent was<br />

due to the environment of<br />

their youth.<br />

“Just because someone’s<br />

father is a plumber, you don’t<br />

say to them, ‘hey, can you fix<br />

my toilet – you must have a<br />

natural talent’,” Loretta said.<br />

MUSICAL FAMILIES: Dynasties Loretta researched included the Fields, the<br />

Morrisons (Newport locals) and the Amphletts.<br />

“By the same token, you don’t<br />

ignore music education because<br />

your child can play by ear. If<br />

your child is a fast runner, you<br />

wouldn’t say ‘they’ll be right,<br />

they don’t need to train’.<br />

“There might be something<br />

inherently in them but it still<br />

needs to be coaxed out and<br />

encouraged.”<br />

Kindred Chords is<br />

available directly from the<br />

publisher Shooting Star Press<br />

(shootingstar.pub) or online<br />

from Amazon or Booktopia.<br />

– Rod Bennett<br />

News<br />

18 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 19


News<br />

Living Ocean<br />

riding a wave<br />

of innovation<br />

success<br />

Local volunteer group<br />

Living Ocean has<br />

achieved global<br />

recognition for its worldleading<br />

animal tracking<br />

software, which was initially<br />

developed to track humpbacks<br />

migrating up and down the<br />

east coast of Australia, and<br />

is now being used to study<br />

wolves in Canada and polar<br />

bears in the Arctic, as well<br />

as birds, bees and butterflies<br />

across the globe.<br />

Living Ocean was<br />

established in 2010; cofounder<br />

and Palm Beach<br />

resident Robbi Newman<br />

explains it is his colleague,<br />

IT guru Bill Fulton, who<br />

had developed the Behayve<br />

software.<br />

“He did a lot of work in<br />

America with some of the big<br />

international computer firms,<br />

and also was involved with<br />

some of the American marine<br />

environmental organisations,<br />

because of his fascination for<br />

marine mammals.<br />

Back in 2004, Fulton<br />

and environmentalist Sam<br />

Barripp began an annual<br />

survey of migrating whales<br />

off Sydney, using a runabout<br />

to record their tracks as well<br />

as the water temperature<br />

and depth with the intent to<br />

discover the factors which<br />

influenced whales in a<br />

limited geographic area.<br />

Fulton developed a<br />

software called WhaleTrack,<br />

but because it wasn’t<br />

configurable, he went on to<br />

build the completely new app,<br />

Behayve, which integrates<br />

tracking, behaviour and<br />

environmental conditions, as<br />

well as providing real-time<br />

feedback on events as they<br />

occur. Fulton and Barripp<br />

have been working with<br />

Living Ocean since 2014,<br />

when the latter merged forces<br />

with the Whale and Seal<br />

Foundation.<br />

It was the data collected<br />

with Behayve in 2017 that<br />

enabled Living Ocean to<br />

secure the postponement<br />

of seismic testing by<br />

the petroleum company<br />

leaseholder in the PEP<br />

(Petroleum Exploration<br />

Permit) 11 zone, after it<br />

confirmed the seismic survey<br />

location was on the southern<br />

migration track of the<br />

humpback whales.<br />

“Also, Living Ocean’s data<br />

has assisted Save Our Coast<br />

and Surfrider Australia in<br />

their campaigns for the<br />

removal of the PEP 11 zone,”<br />

adds Newman.<br />

In 2019, the Behayve<br />

app was launched to the<br />

research and citizen science<br />

community at the World<br />

Marine Mammal Conference<br />

in Barcelona.<br />

“The Behayve app is already<br />

in use by 130 research<br />

teams worldwide, even in<br />

COVID-restricted times – in<br />

USA, Canada, Mexico, UK,<br />

Germany, Russia, Australia,<br />

New Zealand and others,”<br />

says Fulton.<br />

GOOD USE:<br />

LJ Hooker Palm<br />

Beach has loaned<br />

Living Ocean a boat<br />

to conduct research.<br />

But to do their research<br />

the Living Ocean volunteers<br />

need to be out on the water,<br />

and it’s David and Diana<br />

Scott Edwards of LJ Hooker<br />

Palm Beach who have made<br />

that possible by giving them<br />

free use of their 18 foot Iluka<br />

Class boat, when it’s not being<br />

used to show clients around<br />

the <strong>Pittwater</strong>.<br />

“It’s sensational that the<br />

Edwards’ have lent us the<br />

boat,” says Newman. “They’re<br />

doing it because they care.”<br />

Because it’s a small boat,<br />

the team only go offshore in<br />

calm weather.<br />

“Because the whales are<br />

migrating south, depending<br />

on the conditions we usually<br />

head up to Cape Three Points<br />

and from there go out to pick<br />

them up coming down the<br />

coast, and once we find a pod<br />

we follow it for as long as<br />

we’re allowed. There are time<br />

limits and strict state and<br />

federal regulations.<br />

“We’ve discovered that<br />

humpback whales don’t use<br />

sonar to navigate, but they<br />

follow the same route year<br />

after year – the mothers and<br />

calves staying close to the<br />

coast and the others taking<br />

advantage of the east coast<br />

current and swimming<br />

further offshore.”<br />

The vast volume of<br />

research that Living Ocean<br />

has gathered has resulted<br />

in the organisation being<br />

invited to participate as a full<br />

partner in a study by Griffith<br />

University and several South<br />

African Universities to model<br />

the effects of climate change<br />

on southern hemisphere<br />

whales.<br />

Living Ocean also collects<br />

data on microplastic for<br />

AUSMAP and Fulton is<br />

developing a microplastic app<br />

for AUSMAP data collection.<br />

AUSMAP is a nation-wide<br />

citizen science initiative,<br />

surveying Australian<br />

beaches and waterways<br />

for microplastic pollution.<br />

AUSMAP is creating maps of<br />

microplastic hotspots around<br />

Australia, with the aim<br />

that its findings will enable<br />

communities and government<br />

to implement behaviour<br />

change, regulate industry<br />

and develop better waste<br />

management systems.<br />

“It’s phenomenal,” says<br />

Newman, “that this software<br />

developed here on the<br />

Northern Beaches is going<br />

global.”<br />

– Rosamund Burton<br />

News<br />

20 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 21


News<br />

Gale pitches in with<br />

a forceful presence<br />

Don Gale is such an integral part of <strong>Pittwater</strong> RSL Football<br />

Club he virtually bleeds green. Story by Ryan Jones<br />

Don Gale is the type of person every<br />

sporting club craves. No job is<br />

beneath him; he has always been<br />

happy to lend a helping hand, accompanied<br />

by a beaming smile.<br />

With an affiliation at Kitchener Park in<br />

Mona Vale stretching back to 1974, the<br />

81-year-old says he can’t imagine life without<br />

“his second family” – anyone associated<br />

with <strong>Pittwater</strong> RSL Football Club.<br />

Born in Guernsey off the coast of France<br />

before moving to England, Gale emigrated<br />

to Australia in 1971 with his late wife<br />

Lorna.<br />

The Gales settled in Newport and soon<br />

found themselves heading to Dunbar Park<br />

in Avalon, with their eldest son Marcel<br />

initially turning out for the Reds.<br />

“A few years later, Marcel asked me if he<br />

could play for <strong>Pittwater</strong>, purely because all<br />

his friends from Newport Public (School),<br />

were there,” Don tells <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong>.<br />

“So we headed down to Kitchener to get<br />

a feel for the place, and it just felt right.”<br />

In 1977, <strong>Pittwater</strong> were on the hunt for<br />

a men’s Premier League manager, and the<br />

affable Gale was the perfect fit.<br />

“I loved it from day one,’’ he recalled. “I<br />

was living the dream every Saturday afternoon,<br />

watching ‘my’ team, and also doing<br />

the jobs behind the scenes that needed to<br />

be done on game day.<br />

“I made sure the boys didn’t touch the<br />

match balls before kick-off, the lines were<br />

marked properly, the nets were at regulation<br />

height… all tasks which are very<br />

important.”<br />

Eventually Don, who also was a<br />

groundsman and ‘general dog’s body’ at<br />

the club, decided he would have a crack at<br />

refereeing.<br />

“Like so many Poms (English) I felt I<br />

knew the game back to front,” he said.<br />

“So I did the (refereeing) course and<br />

got a call from (then referees course boss)<br />

John Caputo saying I had failed!<br />

“It was very humbling and probably the<br />

kick in the pants I needed at the time.<br />

“I quietly went away, came back with a<br />

different attitude second time round, and<br />

passed.”<br />

Over the next few years, Don officiated<br />

countless local Premier League and Amateur<br />

League games across the peninsula,<br />

as well as State Cup fixtures.<br />

He was promptly given the nickname<br />

‘Gobby Gale’ by many, as he had the habit<br />

of pulling players into line mid-match.<br />

“I was dealing with some fiery characters,”<br />

he recalled. “My well-versed line was<br />

‘you are better than that’ if a player looked<br />

like he was going to lose control.<br />

“I only sent off nine players when I was<br />

refereeing, which is a statistic I am quite<br />

proud of. You always want to be involved<br />

in a clean game, there is no need for silly<br />

behaviour on the pitch.”<br />

Over almost five decades, Don, a boilermaker<br />

by trade, has seen his fair share of<br />

talented players and squads donning the<br />

iconic green colours of <strong>Pittwater</strong> RSL FC.<br />

He nominates the likes of Aaron Ferguson,<br />

Alan Crawford and Steve Gosling<br />

as ‘born footballers’, and in recent years<br />

Stefano Teghini, Roland Weber and Charlie<br />

Fyfe were some of the best individuals he<br />

has laid eyes on.<br />

“But for me the two standouts are Colin<br />

Macedo and Helmut Weber. I firmly believe<br />

Colin could have played for Australia he<br />

was that good, and Helmut, he did some<br />

freakish things on the field,” Don said.<br />

“<strong>Pittwater</strong> has been fortunate to have<br />

great teams as well. The 2011 men’s<br />

Premier League team is the best I’ve seen.<br />

They won the league, grand final, MWFA<br />

Cup and the NSW Champion of Champions<br />

All Age decider at Parklea, all in one<br />

season. They were wonderful to watch.<br />

“It is also worth pointing out <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />

don’t pay their players… plenty of our current<br />

(Premier League) guys are local juniors…<br />

they are here for the right reasons.”<br />

In 2000, Don and his Lorna were both<br />

formally recognised for their tireless efforts<br />

with football locally when they were<br />

made life members of the Manly Warringah<br />

Football Association.<br />

“It caught both of us by surprise, I was<br />

happy to attend on the night to support<br />

Lorna,’’ he said.<br />

“To both walk away with some accolades<br />

on the night was unexpected and fantastic.”<br />

MWFA CEO David Mason described<br />

Don’s contribution to the ‘beautiful game’<br />

locally as immeasurable.<br />

“Both for <strong>Pittwater</strong> RSL Football Club<br />

and the MWFA, Don has volunteered his<br />

time and energy to not only help drive<br />

and deliver football on the Northern<br />

Beaches but to help inspire and teach<br />

younger generations of players, coaches,<br />

referees and administrators,” he told <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />

<strong>Life</strong>.<br />

“Grassroots sport is built on a platform<br />

of dedicated volunteers and Don, as well<br />

as his late wife Lorna and as his entire<br />

family, are right at the top of the tree<br />

when it comes to long-standing and passionate<br />

support of football.”<br />

Mr Mason’s glowing words were echoed<br />

by current <strong>Pittwater</strong> men’s Premier League<br />

coach Adam Israel.<br />

“He is a modern-day legend in my eyes,”<br />

he said. “Don’s support is incredible. I<br />

have been fortunate to see it first-hand<br />

the past five years.<br />

“He really is ‘Mr <strong>Pittwater</strong>’; he is the<br />

reason the place ticks. All the boys and<br />

everyone at the club loves him, Don’s<br />

selfless nature epitomises what football<br />

should be about.”<br />

Away from football, family is everything<br />

to Don.<br />

He is a doting granddad for his daughters<br />

Annette and Samantha and also loves<br />

to read, particularly history.<br />

“<strong>Life</strong> has been good to me, I have been<br />

fortunate to meet some great people from<br />

all walks of life,” he said.<br />

“I didn’t mind judo back in the day, but<br />

football has always been my favourite pastime…<br />

I also watch Manly United as often<br />

as I can, especially at Cromer Park.<br />

“My friendships from football are very<br />

special, I love the way sport unites people.<br />

“I think the (<strong>Pittwater</strong>) club will continue<br />

to go from strength to strength over<br />

the next few years, good people are working<br />

hard behind the scenes.<br />

“This COVID business the past few<br />

months has shown how quickly life<br />

can change, so my advice is to enjoy all<br />

aspects of life as well as the wonderful<br />

Northern Beaches – it really is an amazing<br />

place to call home.”<br />

REPAIRS: New piles at Great<br />

Mackeral Beach Wharf.<br />

Northern Beaches<br />

Council is making<br />

progress on a series of<br />

wharf and jetty upgrades.<br />

Currently Council is<br />

undertaking emergency<br />

repairs to Currawong<br />

Wharf and recently<br />

completed urgent repairs<br />

to piles at Great Mackerel<br />

Beach wharf.<br />

It is also about to trigger<br />

$2.2 million worth<br />

of work on the Bell and<br />

Carols wharf upgrades<br />

on Scotland Island. Plus,<br />

work has begun on repairs<br />

to the Taylors Point<br />

Tidal Pool, which includes<br />

repair work on the jetty<br />

attached to it.<br />

CEO Ray Brownlee said<br />

for many residents in<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong>, boating was an<br />

essential part of life with<br />

many relying on sea craft<br />

as their only means of<br />

access to other parts of<br />

the region.<br />

“It’s very important we<br />

maintain our wharves<br />

and jetties in good order,<br />

so they are safe for public<br />

transport such as ferries<br />

and also private recreational<br />

boating.”<br />

At the Taylors Point Tidal<br />

Pool, work will include<br />

replacement of some<br />

piles, renewal of decking<br />

boards and piles to support<br />

the netting. Work is<br />

expected to be completed<br />

by late <strong>November</strong>, weather<br />

permitting. During the<br />

construction works,<br />

PHOTO: Sharon Green<br />

Wharf and jetty upgrades<br />

access to the jetty and<br />

water will be restricted to<br />

ensure public safety.<br />

Emergency repairs<br />

to Currawong Wharf<br />

entailed the replacement<br />

of piles so the wharf can<br />

withstand the impact of<br />

ferries bumping up alongside,<br />

which is a normal<br />

part of their operation.<br />

On Scotland Island,<br />

the upgrades include the<br />

construction of a multipurpose<br />

floating pontoon<br />

at both Bell Wharf and<br />

Carols Wharf, as well as<br />

repairs to the existing<br />

fixed wharves.<br />

Works on Bell and<br />

Carols wharves is likely<br />

to be finished around the<br />

middle of 2021. – NW<br />

News<br />

22 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 23


News<br />

Happy snaps in Dog Project<br />

One Whale Beach<br />

mum’s tenacity to see<br />

her daughter’s lifeeducation<br />

grow has led to a<br />

book called The Dog Project,<br />

due for release next month.<br />

Tania Kerr wanted to do<br />

more for daughter India, 18,<br />

who had to leave the school<br />

system due to learning<br />

difficulties, the result of a<br />

brain injury because of a<br />

stroke at birth.<br />

She also has mild cerebral<br />

palsy.<br />

While holidaying in the US,<br />

Tania came up with the idea of<br />

a book dedicated to local dogs.<br />

Moreover, India would play a<br />

big role in its production.<br />

“I saw a photographic book<br />

called Canines of New York,<br />

with a short bio on each<br />

dog,” Tania said. “I knew a<br />

photographer and I thought<br />

‘it’s achievable’.”<br />

Furthermore, she said dogs<br />

CANINE CONSULTATIONS: Working with dogs has been a confidence booster for Whale Beach teen India Kerr.<br />

were effectively her daughter’s<br />

connection to the community,<br />

as she regularly walked them<br />

and loved them.<br />

“We had an interview<br />

template for India and she was<br />

able to ask owners questions<br />

about their dogs,” Tania said.<br />

Enter photographer Elle Hall<br />

could also be protective and,<br />

as a result, she felt safer and<br />

more independent with her<br />

who lived next door to the dogs around.<br />

Kerrs. She took on the project She said the project had<br />

and began shooting pictures allowed her to meet many<br />

of dogs who they met in the interesting people and their<br />

Avalon/Palm Beach area. pets.<br />

In addition to the countless “I asked the owners the<br />

hours photographing, Elle also names of their dogs and the<br />

edited the stories – all at no breeds,” India said. “I was<br />

cost.<br />

able to find out about their<br />

“I did it because I love Indi characters, their favourite<br />

so much,” Elle explained. “It foods, and where they liked<br />

was nice to do something to go.<br />

from a motivation of love and “What I’ve liked most about<br />

kindness, not money.”<br />

this project is the way it<br />

She said the book’s goal has all come together. It has<br />

was to profile 100 dogs and brought community together<br />

to record the progress of the and there is communication<br />

project on social media. between us.”<br />

“When we started, Indi was While The Dog Project is<br />

like a timid little girl, always mostly about dogs, there are<br />

asking for reassurance of her also some human profiles.<br />

questions,” she said. “Now In particular, Paralympics<br />

that it’s nearly finished, her snowboarder Ben Tudhope<br />

communication skills and features in the book.<br />

confidence levels have vastly Money raised from the sale<br />

improved.”<br />

will go to CPA (Cerebral Palsy<br />

India’s support worker Maria Alliance), India’s charity of<br />

Gerathy, from Hireup, agreed: choice.<br />

“It’s been wonderful for India The Dog Project will be<br />

to learn different skills, like launched at Avalon Bowling<br />

working collaboratively, Club, 4 Bowling Green Lane,<br />

to achieve something<br />

at 2.30pm on Saturday,<br />

meaningful.”<br />

December 5.<br />

India, who has two dogs of *For a preview, check out The_<br />

her own, described her pets Dog_Project on Instagram or<br />

Daisy and Stella as happy and visit thedogprojectcpa.com<br />

always loving. She said they<br />

– Rod Bennett<br />

24 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991


News<br />

Carols, fireworks COVID-cancelled<br />

Due to the ever-present risk of Coronavirus<br />

(COVID-19), Northern Beaches<br />

Council has made the tough decision to<br />

cancel this year’s local community Christmas<br />

Carol events along with New Year’s<br />

Eve fireworks.<br />

Events cancelled include Carols by the<br />

Lake at Narrabeen, Carols by the Beach at<br />

Avalon, the Rotary Club event, Carols in<br />

the Park at Mona Vale, as well as the Fireworks<br />

over <strong>Pittwater</strong> (held in conjunction<br />

with The Newport).<br />

Council will instead put the funds<br />

towards smaller initiatives in the town<br />

centres and outdoor spaces such as public<br />

and street art, localised performers and<br />

carollers, lighting displays and Christmas<br />

decorations.<br />

Mayor Michael Regan said cancelling the<br />

popular local events, which attract tens of<br />

thousands of people, was simply the right<br />

thing to do.<br />

“The community’s health and safety is<br />

paramount and we could not guarantee<br />

large crowds could gather safely with the<br />

continued threat of possible COVID-19<br />

transmissions,” Cr Regan said.<br />

“Obviously, this will be disappointing<br />

for many people which is why we have<br />

decided to reallocate the funds to provide<br />

localised entertainment, lights and street<br />

art to give our whole area a real festive<br />

buzz through the holiday period.<br />

“This approach has the added benefit of<br />

supporting some local artists and musicians<br />

and we encourage locals to submit<br />

an EOI if they’d like to be a part of it.”<br />

Inspector Jill Walters of Northern<br />

Beaches Police Area Command supported<br />

NOT THIS YEAR: Avalon Beach’s popular Carols.<br />

Council’s decision to cancel the New Year<br />

fireworks this year.<br />

“The health and safety of the general<br />

public is paramount and unfortunately<br />

due to COVID-19 the impact of the crowds<br />

due to the fireworks may have the potential<br />

to place people at risk,” she said.<br />

Cr Regan said major events are subject<br />

to the NSW Government’s public health orders,<br />

which are continuously amended to<br />

address the local impact of the pandemic.<br />

“Due to current health precautions in<br />

place, other community groups have also<br />

made the hard decision to cancel their<br />

Christmas carol events.<br />

“Council supports those decisions as<br />

they are simply in the best interest of<br />

community safety.<br />

“It would be irresponsible for us to<br />

encourage thousands of people to come<br />

together, potentially exposing them to infection<br />

because enforcing social distancing<br />

would be impossible.<br />

“We look forward to the return of events<br />

to the community when it is safe to do so,”<br />

Cr Regan said.<br />

Bands, musicians, orchestras and choirs<br />

from the Northern Beaches are encouraged<br />

to submit an EOI to be a part of the<br />

entertainment initiative – see Council’s<br />

website.<br />

– NW<br />

26 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

OFF LIMITS: School leavers won’t be able to head to usual Schoolies venues.<br />

Schoolies out for <strong>Pittwater</strong>?<br />

With Fiji, Bali and the Gold<br />

Coast off limits to NSW<br />

school leavers this year, are<br />

the Northern Beaches about to<br />

be invaded by Schoolies?<br />

Well, the short answer is:<br />

probably not. But it is going<br />

to be busier generally than<br />

ever on the Beaches this year,<br />

according to the many sources<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> contacted.<br />

Every year during the last<br />

week in <strong>November</strong> and the<br />

first week of December, popular<br />

beach resorts are invaded<br />

by Schoolies intent on having<br />

a great time – sometimes at almost<br />

any cost. The Gold Coast<br />

in particular can be a riot of<br />

young people over-indulging<br />

in raucous high spirits.<br />

With many of the usually<br />

popular destinations off-limits<br />

due to COVID-19, many locals<br />

have raised concerns that the<br />

Northern Beaches might become<br />

a new Schoolies hub.<br />

Councillor Pat Daley is on<br />

the record saying that: “There<br />

is now a big question mark<br />

regarding schoolies week<br />

celebrations on the Gold Coast<br />

and other traditional locations.<br />

This means northern beaches<br />

teenagers will be having<br />

even more of their schoolies<br />

celebrations in our parks,<br />

bushland reserves and other<br />

public locations.”<br />

Having approached local<br />

police, entertainment venues<br />

and many local school leavers,<br />

however, the feeling is that<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> won’t see a large<br />

influx of school kids looking<br />

for fun; instead Schoolies<br />

seekers are likely to head to<br />

the South Coast; flock to the<br />

Central Coast; or head even<br />

further north to Byron Bay.<br />

Even unlikely places such as<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

Dubbo are being touted as new<br />

Schoolies venues.<br />

While the Northern Beaches<br />

is a beautiful place to spend<br />

the Summer, it is thought by<br />

many not to be suited to the<br />

cheap-and-cheerful, OTT shenanigans<br />

of Schoolies.<br />

It will be busy, though…<br />

Management at Sydney<br />

Lakeside Holiday Park at<br />

Narrabeen was one of many<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> talked to; they<br />

are already heavily booked for<br />

Summer, but with a crosssection<br />

of families, couples<br />

and youngsters, rather than<br />

any one particular age group.<br />

With International holidays out<br />

this year, and the Queensland<br />

border still closed, a bumper<br />

Summer is expected on the<br />

Northern Beaches.<br />

And certainly, our many local<br />

organisations are prepared<br />

for that – not least with the<br />

Council’s COVID-19 Summer<br />

Action Plan for Outdoor Public<br />

Places now available. Working<br />

with the community and<br />

including measures such as<br />

aerial surveillance, there is a<br />

raft of guidelines in places to<br />

deal with different capacities<br />

on our beaches and in our<br />

parks and bushland.<br />

For those who have traditionally<br />

enjoyed a quiet<br />

Summer on the beaches, as the<br />

majority depart for overseas<br />

holidays and family reunions,<br />

expect things to be a little different<br />

this year.<br />

– Rob Pegley<br />

* At its September meeting, NB<br />

Council resolved to investigate<br />

the possibility of using ‘Red<br />

Frog’ or similar volunteers to<br />

help with social distancing at<br />

any local Schoolies celebrations.<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 27<br />

News


News<br />

SEEN…<br />

The bumper-to-bumper traffic negotiating the slog to work<br />

down <strong>Pittwater</strong> Road south of Narrabeen, after problem child<br />

the Wakehurst Parkway was closed both ways due to flooding<br />

that accompanied Sydney’s big, big wet in late October. The<br />

closures came days after the Parkway was thrust into the<br />

media spotlight again with reports Transport for NSW had<br />

reaffirmed its current position to not upgrade the troublesome<br />

carriageway from two lanes to four lanes from Narrabeen to<br />

Frenchs Forest. The road conveys more than 10,000 vehicles<br />

each day. The latest closures due to flooding give further voice<br />

to locals’ calls to upgrade the Parkway to ensure better access<br />

to Northern Beaches Hospital – especially when the alternative<br />

Mona Vale Road is currently a go-slow-if-at-all route during its<br />

own multi-million dollar upgrade. Flooding aside, this year the<br />

Parkway has also been closed due to several bad car accidents,<br />

many involving the tricky turn-off to Middle Creek Reserve –<br />

where locals have been crying out for safety changes for years.<br />

Federal MP Jason Falinski tells us he is more focused than ever<br />

to try to get the NSW Government to widen and floodproof<br />

the Parkway, which he now prefers to call the ‘Wakehurst<br />

Floodway’. In the meantime, readers want to know when they<br />

can expect much-needed urgent repairs to the crumbling road<br />

surface.<br />

HEARD…<br />

Avalon locals appeared to enjoy another win last month in<br />

their long-running battle against unauthorised structures<br />

built on Shore Brace Reserve in Riverview Road. They claimed<br />

the structures built by the owner of the neighbouring 173-<br />

175 Riverview Road were illegal, gave the impression of<br />

privatising the reserve and were not in the public interest.<br />

Council unanimously agreed with them 12 months ago.<br />

However, no action was taken by Council for nine months<br />

before the property owner, Gary Johnston (who gave his<br />

side of the story to <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> last month), attempted<br />

to overturn elements of the Council determination via an<br />

application to modify the original DA. Given the number<br />

of objections to the application, the matter was referred to<br />

the independent Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel. We<br />

hear that the panel unanimously rejected the application<br />

on October 7. Further, we understand another application<br />

for a Building Construction Certificate to “regularise” the<br />

illegal structures has also been rejected by Council, which<br />

now plans to commence the enforcement process. Locals<br />

say they will be watching keenly to see if Council follows<br />

through.<br />

ABSURD...<br />

While some consider Council guilty of dragging the chain<br />

on Shore Brace Reserve, the same could never be said for any<br />

of the key initiatives Council is keen to get up and running<br />

at the earliest opportunity, even if there is the minor<br />

issue of consulting with the community first. Like, say, its<br />

12-month trial of a walking and cycling-friendly link within<br />

The Serpentine at Bilgola, which also forms a section of the<br />

Newport to Avalon Pedestrian and Cycle Link. The changes<br />

include more space for cycling with cycling lanes on the<br />

uphill section of The Serpentine; a 10km/h posted speed<br />

limit (for cars and cyclists), with planter boxes, pavement<br />

paintings and marked parking bays. But blink and you’d<br />

miss Council’s community consultation, which it notes on its<br />

website was slated for ‘October/<strong>November</strong>’. Well, kinda – it<br />

was posted online on Friday October 23 and ends <strong>November</strong><br />

8, so if you want to have ‘Your Say’ you’d better act quickly.<br />

Regardless, the trial will commence in December.<br />

28 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991


News<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> News<br />

Streets close for<br />

event weekends<br />

Northern Beaches Council<br />

has announced two pilot<br />

street closures in <strong>Pittwater</strong> in<br />

<strong>November</strong>, paving the way for<br />

two public space events that<br />

will provide an opportunity<br />

to create places for people to<br />

support local venues and help<br />

Northern Beaches Council plans to support<br />

34 more local cafes to set up ‘swap<br />

and go’ takeaway coffee systems to keep<br />

people safe during COVID-19 and also help<br />

the environment. During the COVID-19<br />

lockdown, many local businesses began<br />

offering a ‘swap-and-go’ takeaway coffee<br />

service to ensure customers and staff<br />

remained safe from the virus. There<br />

are currently more than 30 cafes on the<br />

Northern Beaches using either Green Caffeen,<br />

Huskee Swap, Returnr or Claycups<br />

swap and go systems. Under the ‘swap and<br />

go’ system, customers get their coffee in<br />

a reusable cup washed and sanitised in<br />

the café, which they can either return to<br />

the café or to another café using the same<br />

bring communities together<br />

in a safe and relaxing way,<br />

increasing outdoor dining<br />

and car-free areas for walking<br />

and cycling. The pilot street<br />

closures involve Robertson<br />

Road, Newport – Friday 13<br />

<strong>November</strong> (evening) through<br />

10am Monday 16 <strong>November</strong>;<br />

and Waratah Street, Mona Vale<br />

– Friday 20 <strong>November</strong> through<br />

10am Monday 23 <strong>November</strong>.<br />

More info Council website.<br />

Alarming statistics<br />

on woman drinkers<br />

A recent survey has highlighted<br />

problem drinking among<br />

women on the Northern<br />

Beaches. Northern Sydney<br />

Council helps cafes install coffee cup swap<br />

swap system. Mayor Michael Regan said:<br />

“Australians use one billion disposable<br />

coffee cups per year, which generally can’t<br />

be recycled and could easily be avoided<br />

with a reusable cup. The beauty of this<br />

system is that if you forget to bring your<br />

own cup to the café, or it is inconvenient<br />

to do so, you don’t need to get your coffee<br />

in a takeaway cup.” He said if 50 customers<br />

used the system at each café, it had<br />

the potential to save 620,500 cups from<br />

landfill each year. “If 200 customers use<br />

the system at each café, this could add up<br />

to 2.48 million cups, spared from landfill.”<br />

The swap-and-go systems also make business<br />

sense – based on 50 cups used in one<br />

day, each café would save $2,700 a year,<br />

Local Health District (NSLHD)<br />

Health Promotion Service<br />

asked Northern Beaches<br />

women aged 35 to 59 years<br />

for their thoughts, opinions<br />

and experiences with alcohol.<br />

The survey revealed 56% of<br />

women in this cohort believed<br />

there was problematic<br />

drinking among their peers.<br />

due to reduced packaging costs (assuming<br />

a disposable coffee cup and lid is 0.15c).<br />

Eligible cafes can apply through an EOI<br />

on Council’s website. Council’s ‘Swap for<br />

Good’ team are also hosting a webinar on<br />

10 <strong>November</strong> at 6pm with a panel of ‘swap<br />

and go’ providers to answer questions.<br />

Register on the website.<br />

Women were drinking alcohol<br />

for enjoyment, to be social<br />

and to relieve stress. Yet,<br />

women were rethinking their<br />

consumption with nearly<br />

50% of moderate to high-risk<br />

drinkers wanting to reduce<br />

their intake. The results have<br />

enabled NSHLD to explore<br />

innovative strategies to help<br />

reduce alcohol related harm<br />

for Northern Beaches Women.<br />

Do you or someone you know<br />

want to drink less? The NSW<br />

FREE Get Healthy Service offers<br />

free and friendly support<br />

over the phone to change<br />

your drinking habits and set<br />

healthy lifestyle goals. All<br />

calls are strictly confidential;<br />

1300 806 258 or visit gethealthynsw.com.au/alcohol<br />

Gap Year 2021?<br />

Time to go bush<br />

Despite closed international<br />

boarders, local Federal MP<br />

Jason Falinski says taking an<br />

adventure-fuelled gap year is<br />

still an option for <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />

school-leavers. The Australian<br />

Government is investing<br />

$33.7 million to support<br />

farmers by encouraging and<br />

incentivising Australians to<br />

take a ‘domestic gap year’ and<br />

eligible temporary visa holders<br />

to work in the agriculture<br />

sector this coming harvest<br />

season. Mr Falinski said the<br />

agriculture sector was facing<br />

unprecedented pressure on<br />

labour supply as a result of<br />

COVID-19. “Through the <strong>2020</strong><br />

Budget, the Liberal Nationals<br />

are investing $17.4 million in<br />

relocation support and $16.3<br />

million in temporary Youth<br />

Allowance and ABSTUDY<br />

eligibility changes to incentivise<br />

people to take up seasonal<br />

farm work this summer.” He<br />

said relocation allowances<br />

of up to $6,000 for Australians<br />

and up to $2,000 for<br />

eligible visa holders would be<br />

available from 1 <strong>November</strong> to<br />

undertake seasonal work. He<br />

further explained that under<br />

the Youth Allowance and AB-<br />

STUDY new criteria, a person<br />

Continued on page 32<br />

Youth Hub thankful<br />

for funding extension<br />

Northern Beaches Council<br />

has signalled its<br />

intention to extend financial<br />

support of the Avalon Youth<br />

Hub.<br />

Council was instrumental<br />

in helping to set up the Hub<br />

in May 2018, in response to<br />

an alarming rise in youth<br />

suicide and mental health<br />

issues in the <strong>Pittwater</strong> area.<br />

Co-ordinated by the<br />

Burdekin Association, the<br />

Hub has been providing<br />

free counselling, case<br />

management, mentoring,<br />

advice and referrals and<br />

delivering workshops and<br />

information sessions to<br />

young people and their<br />

families and the wider<br />

community.<br />

At Council’s October<br />

meeting staff recommended<br />

Council continue to provide<br />

the Hub with funding<br />

through to June 2022;<br />

funding will be $90,000 per<br />

annum for the 18 months.<br />

Burdekin Association CEO<br />

Justene Gordon explained<br />

the council’s ongoing<br />

support provided the<br />

opportunity for the group to<br />

secure the Hub’s future.<br />

“Council’s<br />

recommendation to continue<br />

to support the Hub at<br />

this time is unbelievably<br />

fantastic... there is such a<br />

need for it,” Justene said.<br />

“Over the past two<br />

years our energy has been<br />

focussed on meeting the<br />

demand for support services<br />

and building the resilience<br />

of young people in the<br />

community.<br />

“Now we have space to<br />

build on that capacity and<br />

resilience and invest time in<br />

finding alternative funding<br />

sources for the Hub to be<br />

self-sufficient.” – LO<br />

News<br />

30 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 31


News<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> News<br />

Continued from page 31<br />

who earned $15,000 through<br />

employment in the agricultural<br />

sector in regional Australia<br />

between 30 <strong>November</strong> <strong>2020</strong><br />

and 31 December 2021 would<br />

be considered as “independent”<br />

for the purpose of YA<br />

(student) or ABSTUDY. “This<br />

will significantly reduce the<br />

time needed for a young<br />

person to gain ‘independent’<br />

status and claim Youth Allowance<br />

or ABSTUDY faster than<br />

under the existing criteria,”<br />

Mr Falinski said. More info<br />

dese.gov.au<br />

Palm Beach Probus<br />

Members of the small and<br />

friendly Palm Beach Probus<br />

Club have been pleased to<br />

resume their monthly meetings<br />

thanks to the excellent<br />

safety protocols at Club Palm<br />

Beach. Their next meeting is<br />

on Wednesday, 18 <strong>November</strong><br />

for a 9.45 start, with guest<br />

speaker Richard Broinowski, a<br />

distinguished career diplomat<br />

who has worked in Japan, the<br />

Philippines, Iran, Burma, and<br />

as Ambassador to Mexico,<br />

Vietnam and South Korea. On<br />

his retirement from DFAT he<br />

became Adjunct Professor in<br />

Media and Communications,<br />

first at the University of Canberra,<br />

then Sydney University.<br />

He will be speaking on his<br />

varied experiences.<br />

Anytime access<br />

via new library app<br />

Northern Beaches Council has<br />

released a new Library app to<br />

allow members streamlined<br />

contactless borrowing, catalogue<br />

searches and information<br />

about library events and<br />

news. The app has everything<br />

together in one mobile-friendly<br />

location to make accessing<br />

the library now safer and<br />

easier. Via the new library app,<br />

users can manage accounts;<br />

store library cards and link<br />

family members’ cards; borrow<br />

books in-branch; view<br />

loans and reservations or renew<br />

items; scan the barcode of<br />

any book (like one you see in<br />

a bookstore) to see if you can<br />

borrow it from your library;<br />

search the collection and place<br />

a reservation; browse for easy<br />

access to the eLibrary and eReosurces;<br />

and check out what’s<br />

available at the nearest library.<br />

Earlier this year, Council’s<br />

library service moved quickly<br />

during the COVID-19 pandemic<br />

to deliver Library2U, a home<br />

delivery service ensuring our<br />

community could still access<br />

and enjoy the library during<br />

challenging times. Search for<br />

Northern Beaches Library Service<br />

in the App Store or Google<br />

Play store; free to download.<br />

Crohn’s & Colitis<br />

support group<br />

Crohn’s & Colitis Australia<br />

have established a support<br />

group at the Mona Vale Memorial<br />

Hall for people impacted<br />

by inflammatory bowel<br />

disease (IBD). The facilitated<br />

group provides support for<br />

those diagnosed with IBD and<br />

their family, partner, carers or<br />

loved ones, from people with<br />

experience living with IBD.<br />

For more information or to<br />

register to attend visit crohnsandcolitis.com.au<br />

Tough competition<br />

for Community Grants<br />

After an exhaustive review<br />

process, Northern Beaches<br />

Council has approved<br />

$280,000 in Community Development,<br />

Arts and Creativity<br />

as well as Environmental<br />

grants for this financial<br />

year, to support projects and<br />

initiatives that deliver direct<br />

benefits to the local community<br />

and the environment.<br />

It provides grants of up to<br />

$10,000 to eligible individuals<br />

and organisations to support<br />

projects and initiatives to be<br />

delivered by 31 December<br />

2021. Of the $280,000 awarded,<br />

$240,000 was shared between<br />

the Arts and Creativity<br />

and Community Development<br />

grants and $40,000 went towards<br />

Environmental grants.<br />

Council approved $95,250 in<br />

Continued on page 34<br />

That’s not a knife…<br />

it’s another Dagger<br />

A<br />

valon Beach’s Michael<br />

Robotham has triumphed<br />

at this year’s Crime<br />

Writers’ Association Awards,<br />

receiving the prestigious and<br />

internationally recognised<br />

Gold Dagger for Best Crime<br />

Novel of the Year for his<br />

bestselling Good Girl, Bad<br />

Girl. Robotham joins a select<br />

few including John Le Carre<br />

to have claimed the Dagger<br />

twice and he becomes the<br />

first Australian to do so.<br />

Robotham said: “What thrills<br />

me the most is that since<br />

2007 Australians have won<br />

[the Gold Dagger] four times. It reflects how far Australian<br />

crime writing has come.” An unnerving psychological thriller,<br />

Good Girl, Bad Girl became the top-selling fiction title on<br />

release in August 2019 and When She Was Good, released in<br />

August this year, was equally well received earning the top<br />

spot for adult fiction in its release week. The Gold Dagger<br />

rounds off what has been an incredible year for Robotham,<br />

with Good Girl, Bad Girl also nominated for the <strong>2020</strong> Edgar<br />

Award for Best Novel (presented by the Mystery Writers of<br />

America) and shortlisted for the <strong>2020</strong> ABIA General Fiction<br />

Book of the Year Award. Also, The Secrets She Keeps television<br />

series premiered on Channel 10 in April.<br />

News<br />

32 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 33


News<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> News<br />

Continued from page 33<br />

Arts and Creativity grants<br />

and $97,566 in Community<br />

Development grants. In the<br />

previous financial year, five<br />

grants were awarded for funding<br />

over three years; $47,184<br />

was allocated this year for the<br />

second year of this multi-year<br />

funding. Mayor Michael Regan<br />

said the number of grant applications<br />

received this year<br />

far exceeded Council’s grants<br />

allocation in the budget. “We<br />

received more than $1.8 million<br />

in eligible applications<br />

to come from an allocated<br />

budget of $280,000, so it was<br />

super competitive. We were<br />

only able to fund about 20%<br />

of the eligible applications.<br />

There were many quality submissions,<br />

so some difficult<br />

decisions needed to be made.”<br />

He said COVID had had an<br />

obvious impact contributing<br />

significantly to the high level<br />

of applications this year. “In<br />

the past six months, we have<br />

seen an increased demand for<br />

community-based programs<br />

and activities in the areas of<br />

mental health, community<br />

support services and in the<br />

creative sector.”<br />

Hospital Auxiliary<br />

making busy for sale<br />

Mona Vale Hospital Auxiliary<br />

members report they have<br />

been busy during the COVID<br />

pandemic making and acquiring<br />

goods to sell at their<br />

stalls to raise funds for the<br />

Builder’s Bilgola SLSC gesture<br />

PBS Building, which is about to start construction on the luxury<br />

and sustainable Qubec villas project at Newport, has shown<br />

its support for the local SLS community with the purchase of a<br />

unique longboard signed by former Women’s World Champion<br />

Layne Beachley and a host of other surfing identities. PBS head<br />

Dominic Fussell bought the board from Bilgola Surf <strong>Life</strong>saving<br />

Club for $5,000 – then loaned the surfboard back to the Club for<br />

display in the Clubhouse over the current season. Dominic (far<br />

right) is pictured with Ed Horton, Chairman of developer The<br />

Stable Group (left), and Bilgola SLS Club Sponsorship & Grants<br />

Officer Jonathan Papworth (centre), who thanked the company<br />

for its generosity. * Hot Property – see page 40<br />

Hospital. Stalls will be held on<br />

Friday and Saturday, December<br />

4th and 5th at <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />

Place, Mona Vale from 8.30am<br />

until 3pm and on Friday, 11th<br />

December outside the vacant<br />

shop, 41 Avalon Parade, Avalon,<br />

also from 8.30am until<br />

3pm. Items will include sewing,<br />

knitting, books, jam and<br />

more. (Unfortunately, Mona<br />

Vale Hospital kiosk has had to<br />

close after serving the staff<br />

and public for many years.)<br />

Seniors: learn<br />

computer skills<br />

Calling all Seniors: Manly<br />

Computer Pals (their patron<br />

is Cr Kylie Ferguson) are open<br />

for Term 4 enrolments. Learn<br />

to master the online world<br />

so you can plan your next<br />

(domestic) holiday with ease;<br />

learn how to play Bridge; learn<br />

how to video your family’s<br />

events; research your ancestors;<br />

meet up and enjoy a new<br />

social group. Let your tutor<br />

know the skills you would<br />

like to learn on your mobile<br />

device or computer – your<br />

personal tutor will show you<br />

how to comfortably enjoy<br />

using your own personal<br />

computer or mobile device.<br />

Contact Manly Computer Pals<br />

on 9976 0930 or manlypals@<br />

gmail.com.<br />

Work starts on NRL<br />

Centre of Excellence<br />

Construction has begun on<br />

the $33.1 million Manly Sea<br />

Eagles Centre of Excellence<br />

Three new buildings within the Mater Maria Catholic<br />

College at Warriewood were opened by Most Reverend<br />

Bishop Anthony Randazzo of Broken Bay last month.<br />

Principal Marc Reicher said: “I’m very proud that we<br />

have been able to achieve our projected growth, allowing<br />

us to provide a Catholic education for over 1,000 students<br />

on the Northern Beaches every year.” With this growth<br />

and our thoughtful financial management at the school<br />

level, the support of the Diocese and its building fund,<br />

we were able to start this project in 2017, and we have<br />

gradually moved into the spaces over the last 12 months.”<br />

Set high in a tranquil bush location, Mater Maria Catholic<br />

College is a co-educational school for Years 7 to 12. The<br />

College has indoor and outdoor agile learning spaces, new<br />

administration and staff facilities, an easily accessible<br />

student welfare hub, a new café style canteen and the<br />

old parts of the school have been reconfigured into 6<br />

new classrooms, a new junior kitchen and a purpose-built<br />

STEM lab.<br />

and Northern Grandstand at<br />

Brookvale Oval, with work<br />

expected to be finished in<br />

time for the start of the 2022<br />

NRL season. The project is<br />

expected to create more than<br />

300 jobs and provide a major<br />

boost to the local construction<br />

industry,” said Acting<br />

Minister for Sport Geoff Lee.<br />

“It’s one of the most iconic<br />

grounds in rugby league and<br />

this project will ensure the<br />

Northern Beaches community<br />

continues to love coming<br />

to Brookie Oval.” The new<br />

grandstand will add 3,000<br />

seats. The Sea Eagles Centre<br />

of Excellence will include<br />

high performance, training<br />

and administration facilities<br />

for the Manly Warringah<br />

Sea Eagles men’s and future<br />

women’s NRL teams, as well<br />

as pathway participants.<br />

Military service<br />

boards update<br />

Newport Surf <strong>Life</strong> Saving Club<br />

is in the process of updating<br />

its Military Service Honour<br />

boards to include those club<br />

members who have served<br />

since 1975. The criteria for<br />

inclusion is to have been a<br />

Newport SLSC member at<br />

time of deployment; and to<br />

have received a Returned<br />

from Active Service badge.<br />

If you, or someone you know,<br />

fulfils those requirements,<br />

please email Club Historian<br />

Michael King at historian@<br />

newportsurfclub.com.au.<br />

Vet<br />

on call<br />

with Dr Brown<br />

We all know how important<br />

tick prevention is for our<br />

dogs in summer, but what about<br />

heartworm disease? Is your dog<br />

adequately protected?<br />

Heartworm in dogs is a<br />

potentially fatal disease that is<br />

transmitted from infected to<br />

uninfected dogs by mosquitoes.<br />

These mosquitoes inject several<br />

tiny worms (microfilaria) into the<br />

dog’s body which then mature<br />

into adult heartworm over about<br />

six months. These adult worms<br />

settle inside the chambers of<br />

the heart and interfere with the<br />

flow of blood. Adult heartworm<br />

infection causes heart failure<br />

which can result in serious<br />

illness and death. Heartworm<br />

disease is very difficult and<br />

expensive to treat so prevention<br />

is much better than cure!<br />

According to the Australian<br />

Heartworm Advisory Panel, yearround<br />

heartworm protection<br />

is recommended for every dog<br />

Australia wide. Therefore, just as<br />

we vaccinate pets against deadly<br />

viral diseases, heartworm<br />

prophylaxis is an important<br />

cornerstone of preventative<br />

care. Whilst monthly heartworm<br />

preventatives have been<br />

demonstrated to be effective<br />

(when given every month) any<br />

lapse in treatment puts patients<br />

at higher risk of heartworm<br />

disease. Recent research<br />

showed that complacency<br />

around heartworm prevention<br />

has resulted in dogs testing<br />

positive to heartworm, in fact<br />

around 40% of dogs diagnosed<br />

with heartworm disease are<br />

on owner-given monthly<br />

heartworm preventatives.<br />

The easiest way to avoid<br />

forgetting heartworm<br />

medication is to use annual<br />

heartworm prevention given<br />

by injection at the time of<br />

vaccination, this medication<br />

lasts for 12 months.<br />

Give us a call to discuss<br />

your dog’s heartworm<br />

prevention to make sure they<br />

are adequately protected<br />

leading into the warmer<br />

months. We are currently<br />

offering a free heartworm<br />

test with every year round<br />

heartworm prevention injection<br />

sydneyanimalhospitals.com.au<br />

News<br />

34 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 35


swamp and I remember as a kid there was<br />

a property owner running around on a<br />

horse, a stockman with a stock whip who<br />

chased us off his property a few times.”<br />

They later moved to the Adelaide Hills<br />

and for a time lived in a magnificent<br />

160-year-old house at Mount Lofty owned<br />

by his grandmother.<br />

The Creative Bug<br />

By the time he was 12, the family had<br />

moved to Sydney where his father opened<br />

the Hungry Horse Gallery in Paddington<br />

and Tim was attending Cranbrook School<br />

in Bellevue Hill, where he met well-known<br />

shaper Greg Webber and his brothers, who<br />

in those days were Bondi locals.<br />

“Because of all the creative things going<br />

on around me when I went to Cranbrook, I<br />

was trying to create things I could sell and<br />

make money out of. I saw opportunities<br />

all around me,” he says. “And we were<br />

hanging out a lot with the Laws family,<br />

John and Caroline, because John and dad<br />

were good friends.<br />

“John had a Super 8 movie camera<br />

sitting on the floor and I kept on eyeing it<br />

off for many, many months and I said ‘hey<br />

John I’ve seen that movie camera on the<br />

floor, any chance I can borrow it?’<br />

“He looked at me and said, ‘you know<br />

what, I don’t use it so if you can put it to<br />

good use you can have it.”<br />

From that point on Tim started shooting<br />

Super 8 footage, partly inspired by the<br />

Webber boys who were making films of<br />

their own. “So that was the beginning of<br />

my film career.”<br />

A business model born<br />

By 1981 Tim was back in Adelaide,<br />

working as a DJ. “I was still shooting<br />

surfing on the Yorke Peninsula and a few<br />

other spots for the fun of it,” says Tim.<br />

“Then I hit up a guy by the name of Peter<br />

Victorsen – his nickname was Punk –<br />

who owned the Top o Taps surf shop to<br />

sponsor me to go to Sydney and shoot the<br />

1981 2SM Coca-Cola Surfabout.”<br />

After some haggling Punk agreed and<br />

on the same long trip Tim made it to Bells<br />

Beach for the annual Easter comp. The<br />

timing could not have been better.<br />

The waves at Bells reached a perfect 15<br />

foot while Narrabeen’s Simon Anderson<br />

won the comp on a three-finned board<br />

known as a thruster, a revolutionary<br />

design that changed surfing.<br />

It was a seminal event – and so was the<br />

movie that resulted for Tim.<br />

“We had a line a mile long to see the<br />

film because the only way you’d see<br />

surfing in those days was a 30-second<br />

bulletin on the news,” Tim says. “I<br />

suddenly realised I could live a dream on<br />

Continued on page 38<br />

Surf’s<br />

<strong>Life</strong> Stories<br />

Up!<br />

Into his fifth decade behind the<br />

lens, Avalon film-maker Tim<br />

Bonython tells of his career<br />

documenting big wave surfing.<br />

Story by Martin Kelly<br />

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: With surfing’s original ‘Gidget’ in<br />

Malibu; with legend Kelly Slater; back in his early DJ days; with wife<br />

and business manager Sandrine and sons Tristan and Maxim; with<br />

dad Kym; after a heavy knock, with jet ski driver Campbell Farrell.<br />

<strong>Life</strong> Stories<br />

Tim Bonython can trace his family<br />

tree back to 1370 but he very much<br />

lives in the moment, so fast it’s<br />

often hard to keep up, both with his<br />

conversation, which jumps from point to<br />

point, and movement – he’s always doing<br />

something.<br />

Later this month, Tim, a timeless<br />

showman and acclaimed surf<br />

cinematographer from Avalon, will once<br />

again be packing his bags and heading<br />

up the coast for the latest instalment<br />

of the Australian Surf Movie Festival, a<br />

moveable, changeable feast he started<br />

back in 2002.<br />

Eighteen years on, media production<br />

and consumption may be radically<br />

different – streaming, internet, mobile,<br />

COVID – but in essence the surf movie<br />

game remains the same. Entertainment.<br />

For Tim this means getting exclusive<br />

shots of the best surfers in the largest,<br />

heaviest, scariest waves possible, cutting<br />

and editing the footage before taking it<br />

out on the road.<br />

The drill is the same as it ever was: travel<br />

from surf town to surf town, promote the<br />

hell out of the product, charge a fair entry<br />

fee, set up in a local cinema, put on the<br />

show for the local crew.<br />

Then move on and do it all again,<br />

following the path laid down in the 1960s<br />

and 1970s by surf movie pioneers such as<br />

Bruce Brown, Bob Evans, Paul Witzig, Albe<br />

Falzon and others.<br />

Early days<br />

Tim’s story begins 1400km from Avalon<br />

in the city of Adelaide, where he was born<br />

61 years ago into one of the city’s bestknown<br />

families. Paternal grandfather,<br />

Sir John Lavington Bonython, was a<br />

journalist, businessman and former Lord<br />

Mayor of Adelaide. His dad Kym achieved<br />

a certain fame as a World War II squadron<br />

leader, jazz aficionado, concert promoter,<br />

entrepreneur, speedway racer, art gallery<br />

owner, politician and man about town.<br />

Tim is one of three children from<br />

Kym’s second marriage to former Miss<br />

South Australia Julie McClure, and grew<br />

up by the water in the Adelaide suburb<br />

of Tennyson, a long way from the surf<br />

towards the crook of Gulf St Vincent but<br />

right on the beach.<br />

“The front door opened onto the street<br />

but the back door straight on the beach<br />

and so I would just kinda wander out<br />

the back door and the ocean became my<br />

playground from day one,” Tim says.<br />

“Literally just half a ‘kay’ up the road<br />

was the sand hills that ran up to Largs<br />

Bay. Then on the other side was the<br />

36 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 37


PHOTO: Russell Ord<br />

LEFT: Filming big wave surfer Mark Mathews at ‘The Right’ in Western Australia. RIGHT: Shooting from the beach in Hawaii.<br />

<strong>Life</strong> Stories<br />

Continued from page 37<br />

the road, shooting surfing and showing it<br />

to a paying public.”<br />

Fast Forward<br />

Now here we are, 40 years later, and Tim<br />

– who has a wife Sandrine and two boys<br />

aged 18 and 21 – still has the energy and<br />

enthusiasm of that long-ago teenager with<br />

his first Zino Super 8, doing crazy things<br />

like shooting “mental” 60-foot Nazare in<br />

Portugal from the back of a jet ski.<br />

“It’s so exciting, I love it. I’m scared<br />

shitless but… Nazare from the water is<br />

just so rewarding because you’re putting<br />

your life on the line to get the shot. I<br />

can join the hundreds of people on the<br />

hills getting those shots but that’s not<br />

exclusive,” he says.<br />

“When you’re on a ski, trying to get that<br />

angle, you just can’t beat it. But it comes<br />

with the worst-case scenario and so you’re<br />

constantly on guard, you know, relying on<br />

the driver to keep you out of trouble.”<br />

In terms of the danger, he rationalises<br />

that: “The more you’re with the ocean the<br />

more you become part of it and the less<br />

likely you’re going to drown.” (Ok...)<br />

His other favourite wave to shoot is<br />

Teahupo’o, Tahiti.<br />

“It is cinematically the most amazing<br />

wave that delivers some of the most<br />

incredible big wave surfing when it gets<br />

super big, and you can get so close to it,<br />

literally just metres away from the energy<br />

in a boat.”<br />

Australian Surf<br />

Movie Festival<br />

Both Nazare and Teahupo’o feature in<br />

the latest edition of the Australian Surf<br />

Movie Festival, titled ‘Swell Chasers – To<br />

Swell and Back’ – five movies featuring<br />

footage from some of the world’s most<br />

infamous big wave locations.<br />

It kicks off with a screening at the<br />

Orpheum Cremorne on <strong>November</strong> 10<br />

before heading up the NSW coast.<br />

Also keep an eye out for a new<br />

four-episode series called (again) Swell<br />

Chasers, that takes a behind the scenes<br />

look at Tim’s life and work. It’s due to<br />

screen on Foxtel later this year.<br />

* Tickets & info visit asmf.net.au<br />

38 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991


Hot Property<br />

Hot Property<br />

Keen out-of-area buyers,<br />

low stock driving up prices<br />

This Spring, the number<br />

of properties for sale<br />

in <strong>Pittwater</strong> is far lower<br />

than normal but demand is super<br />

high, leading to some very<br />

quick sales and street records.<br />

Agents have been welcoming<br />

up to 60 parties at open<br />

houses, are holding extra<br />

open inspections and have<br />

been seeing buyers who are<br />

checking out the upper northern<br />

beaches for the first time.<br />

A quick survey of Realestate.<br />

com.au shows that in the busy<br />

selling season there are only 14<br />

houses for sale in Mona Vale,<br />

10 in North Narrabeen and in<br />

Bilgola Plateau, which would<br />

normally see around 15 properties<br />

on the market, there are<br />

just two homes selling.<br />

Reasons for the low volume<br />

include older sellers deferring<br />

coming to market in COVID-19<br />

conditions and younger homeowners<br />

deciding to renovate<br />

rather than upgrade thanks to<br />

low interest rates compared<br />

to changeover costs. For the<br />

average stamp duty and legals<br />

payments of $150,000, families<br />

can extend and renovate<br />

their existing home – and<br />

many are choosing to do so.<br />

Next pocket to pop<br />

One example of high demand<br />

leading to a high price is<br />

in a small pocket of North<br />

Narrabeen next to a popular<br />

holiday park. This low-lying<br />

area including Collins Street,<br />

Road has been sometimes<br />

overlooked by locals but<br />

out-of-area buyers are seeing<br />

value, a pocket close to the<br />

B-Line bus, Narrabeen Lagoon<br />

and the beach.<br />

Joshua Perry, of Belle Property<br />

Dee Why, sold 17 Darius<br />

Ave for $2.111.111 to an eastern<br />

suburbs buyer who loved the<br />

position. The four-bedroom<br />

house with pool and granny<br />

flat originally had a guide of<br />

$1.7 million but that was raised<br />

to $1.8 million after 65 buyers<br />

turned up at the first open<br />

house. The previous record for<br />

the street was $1.6 million.<br />

“This is a forgotten pocket<br />

but only two minutes to the<br />

beach and I believe it is the<br />

next area to pop,” Perry said.<br />

Street record in<br />

four days<br />

Meanwhile a four-bedroom<br />

house at 17a Loombah Street,<br />

Bilgola Plateau sold in four<br />

days in October setting a new<br />

street record by more than<br />

$500,000. Adrian Venturi, of<br />

McGrath <strong>Pittwater</strong>, said he<br />

had seven offers (below), six<br />

from out-of-area buyers, and<br />

it sold in the mid-$2 millions.<br />

The previous street record was<br />

$2.02 million.<br />

“In 14 years I have never<br />

seen stock levels so low and<br />

we are seeing so many buyers<br />

at a Saturday open house we<br />

are now opening on a Wednesday<br />

as numbers were getting<br />

out of control,” he said.<br />

He added that <strong>Pittwater</strong> was<br />

becoming more attractive to<br />

Sydneysiders thanks to NBN,<br />

the B-Line bus service to the<br />

city and the hope of the Northern<br />

Beaches Tunnel.<br />

“They are realising life on<br />

the upper northern beaches<br />

is pretty cool, you can work<br />

from home, surf, enjoy the<br />

parks, live on a big block of<br />

land and the largest distance<br />

to the ocean is one kilometre,”<br />

he said.<br />

Whale of a sale<br />

Out-of-area buyers have<br />

swooped on an old cottage<br />

100m from the sand at Whale<br />

Beach, paying more than the<br />

$4.4 million guide before it<br />

could get to auction.<br />

Number 214 Whale Beach Rd<br />

had been held for six decades<br />

and consisted of three bedrooms<br />

on a 753sqm block one<br />

house away from the beach.<br />

Noel Nicholson, of Ray White<br />

Prestige, said the market was<br />

incredibly strong, driven by<br />

low stock levels and new buyer<br />

groups entering the market.<br />

“We’re also seeing a greater<br />

interest from affluent outof-area<br />

buyers (mostly North<br />

Shore and Eastern Suburbs)<br />

who due to the limitations of<br />

domestic travel and the new<br />

reality of working from home<br />

are placing a premium on<br />

lifestyle,” he said.<br />

Whale Beach Beauty<br />

A rare fresh listing for Whale<br />

Beach is a brand-new architect-designed<br />

home with due<br />

north aspect that has just<br />

come to market with a $5.3<br />

million guide and a <strong>November</strong><br />

11 auction date.<br />

Number 24 Beauty Dr (main<br />

photo) has only just been<br />

completed and comprises four<br />

bedrooms, three bathrooms<br />

and four-car garaging on<br />

830sqm of land in a private<br />

cul-de-sac and it has close and<br />

wide beach and ocean views<br />

plus an infinity pool and spa.<br />

Peter Robinson, of LJ<br />

Hooker Palm Beach, describes<br />

it as the epitome of Whale<br />

Beach living.<br />

Features include several<br />

outdoor entertaining areas,<br />

one with a sunken firepit and<br />

another upstairs with television<br />

and barbecue zone. Inside<br />

there is a Tassie oak ceiling,<br />

vast bifold glass doors to the<br />

views, a top-of-the-line induction<br />

and pyrolytic kitchen,<br />

zoned air-conditioning and<br />

underfloor heating.<br />

Berry Avenue and Lake Park<br />

– Kathryn Welling<br />

40 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991


Hot Property<br />

Sod turn near for<br />

luxe-living Qubec<br />

Hot Property<br />

Work on a large luxury<br />

townhome/villas<br />

development set to<br />

transform the residential zone<br />

behind Newport’s <strong>Pittwater</strong>-edge<br />

shops is scheduled to commence at<br />

the end of <strong>November</strong>.<br />

Construction of the Qubec<br />

complex, which will front Queens<br />

Parade and Beaconsfield Street,<br />

covering 3000 square metres<br />

and incorporating 18 three-level<br />

townhomes, will begin in early<br />

2021.<br />

Developer The Stable Group<br />

bought the site, comprising six<br />

properties, from a local property<br />

entrepreneur last year and has collaborated<br />

with architectural firm nettletontribe on<br />

a design incorporating numerous energyefficient<br />

and eco-friendly features.<br />

Affluent downsizers are the primary<br />

target market. Ed Horton, Chairman<br />

of The Stable Group, says the appetite<br />

from this growing cohort has exceeded<br />

expectations.<br />

The initial release of five townhomes<br />

sold quickly at premium prices between<br />

$2.95 million and $3.7 million.<br />

Expressions of interest are now being<br />

taken for the second sales release, expected<br />

to come on the market in early 2021.<br />

Horton says Qubec has struck a chord<br />

among northern beaches residents who want<br />

to downsize from their<br />

large homes to a luxury<br />

“lock-and-leave” dwelling.<br />

There has also been a<br />

surge in buyer interest<br />

from outside the area.<br />

“What has happened<br />

since COVID is that the<br />

demand from people<br />

aspiring to come to<br />

the northern beaches<br />

has blown up, it’s huge<br />

now,” says Horton.<br />

“People are not just looking for holiday<br />

accommodation up on the northern<br />

beaches, they’re looking to make it their<br />

principal place of residence.<br />

“It is a much bigger market than we<br />

originally envisaged – and it’s growing.”<br />

Horton adds that “people are flocking<br />

to quality” – validating The Stable Group’s<br />

decision to go all-out on fittings and<br />

inclusions, which include a luxe $27,000<br />

fridge for each property and the very latest<br />

appliances from industry leaders.<br />

Each villa consists of three large<br />

bedrooms, study, two-plus bathrooms,<br />

a double lockup garage and a private,<br />

accessible rooftop area; also, each has its<br />

own private elevator.<br />

Generous balconies, courtyards and<br />

thoughtful landscaping break up the<br />

design, providing open space throughout<br />

the project.<br />

There also polished concrete floors,<br />

voice control for lighting and appliances,<br />

electric vehicle charging facilities, solar<br />

power and battery storage, number plate<br />

recognition, biometric access – no keys<br />

required – and smart light switches.<br />

Horton says learnings from several of<br />

his company’s previous projects, most<br />

notably the award-winning The Burcham<br />

in Rosebery and the <strong>Life</strong>style Working<br />

complex in Brookvale,<br />

have been incorporated<br />

into the design of<br />

Qubec.<br />

He says it will set<br />

new benchmarks for<br />

quality on the northern<br />

beaches and that some<br />

of the features will<br />

reduce running costs for<br />

residents.<br />

“For example, we’ve<br />

got individual solar on<br />

each roof and a battery storage system in<br />

each villa that can be accessed by residents.”<br />

Horton says each villa has also been<br />

designed to minimise the use of air<br />

conditioners.<br />

“We’ve got polished concrete floors,<br />

ceiling fans, louvers, sliding doors and<br />

cross ventilation through each one,<br />

empowering the occupier to manage their<br />

indoor air quality using passive techniques<br />

without electronics.”<br />

Completion is anticipated in the first<br />

quarter of 2022.<br />

– Martin Kelly<br />

‘Freshwater’<br />

a finalist<br />

GJ Gardner Homes Sydney North<br />

have been named a finalist in<br />

the <strong>2020</strong> HIA CSR NSW Housing<br />

and Kitchen & Bathroom Awards<br />

for their beautiful Freshwater<br />

showcase home.<br />

Company owners Horst and<br />

Melissa Lueckl are delighted to be<br />

recognised not only by industry<br />

leaders, but also by the public.<br />

“The Freshwater was a true labour<br />

of love, and our team took so much<br />

pride in considering every detail of<br />

this place from the slab pour down<br />

to the final finishing touches with<br />

the wine in the cellar and the GJ baby<br />

hoodie in the nursery,” said Melissa.<br />

The home was built to complement<br />

Sydney’s northern beaches<br />

while maintaining a modern, family<br />

friendly layout. Carefully thought<br />

out to best satisfy the needs of large<br />

and growing families, it offers an<br />

abundance of space and functionality,<br />

spread over two fluid levels.<br />

“Being recognised as a readers’<br />

choice shows us that the dedicated<br />

effort we put in really hit the<br />

mark and we have delighted our<br />

customers and guests who have<br />

walked through the home or taken<br />

a virtual visit.”<br />

Taking advantage of the block<br />

size, and the lifestyle of this<br />

region, the home was built to incorporate<br />

a large, open-plan living<br />

space. The generous kitchen, cellar<br />

and butler’s pantry connect effortlessly<br />

with the family and dining<br />

areas, which extend outdoors to an<br />

oversized rear-covered alfresco.<br />

The winners of the <strong>2020</strong> HIA CSR<br />

NSW Housing and Kitchen & Bathroom<br />

Awards will be announced on<br />

Friday 20th <strong>November</strong>.<br />

* The Freshwater showcase home<br />

is available to view by appointment;<br />

call 9939 3339.<br />

42 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991


Hot Property<br />

Hot Property<br />

Hop, skip & jump away<br />

Avalon Beach<br />

54 Central Road<br />

5 Bed / 4 Bath / 6 Car<br />

Spacious interiors, a versatile family focused layout and quality<br />

finishes set the scene for a superb coastal lifestyle in this<br />

elevated ocean-view home with pool.<br />

A two-storey layout offers flexibility of space with informal and<br />

formal living areas and separate living quarters for in-laws or teenagers.<br />

Interiors open to a choice of balconies boasting ocean views<br />

and sea breezes with alfresco entertaining in the rear.<br />

Also features secure front level lawn, landscaped gardens and<br />

ducted air conditioning. Positioned within a short stroll to Avalon<br />

Village shops, convenient to schools and express city buses.<br />

* Contact the listing agents at LJ Hooker Avalon: Danielle Forde<br />

(0418 463 615) or David Watson (0414 441 111).<br />

Moments to Paradise<br />

Avalon Beach<br />

3 Paradise Avenue<br />

4 Bed / 2 Bath / 2 Car<br />

This long-held family dwelling is one of just a handful of homes<br />

that enjoys an exclusive Paradise Avenue address and it’s just<br />

moments to adorable Paradise Beach.<br />

With all bedrooms on the lower level, the bright and breezy<br />

upper level is devoted to entertainment. The lounge, kitchen and<br />

dining area is spread comfortably over a large single area upstairs.<br />

At ground level, there’s a double carport with internal access.<br />

On the lower level, there are four bedrooms, the master with wide<br />

and expansive views over <strong>Pittwater</strong>, an en suite, and all with built-in<br />

robes. There’s also a great study nook area.<br />

* Contact the listing agent at Shores Real Estate: Stephanie<br />

Hammond (0414 997 328).<br />

Prized in every aspect<br />

Newport<br />

128 Grandview Drive<br />

4 Bed / 2 Bath / 2 Car<br />

This property offers unrivalled potential to accompany a prized<br />

coastal lifestyle. Nestled amongst tree tops, this contemporary<br />

home has so much to offer. Open-plan living flows to a timber deck<br />

to take in the peaceful north easterly aspect while the private courtyard<br />

allows for year-round entertaining.<br />

The family friendly layout offers a separate ‘work from home’<br />

office space or potential guest/fourth bedroom. It boasts a contemporary<br />

design with modern kitchen, open-plan living and an<br />

abundance of light.<br />

It has spacious bedrooms, modern bathrooms and a private master<br />

with walk-in robe, well-appointed en suite and private balcony.<br />

This property provides low-maintenance living and is designed<br />

to take in the leafy surrounds and sea breeze.<br />

* Contact the listing agent @ LJ Hooker Newport: Rebecca<br />

Hammond (0499 101 552).<br />

46 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991


Books<br />

Books<br />

Love<br />

Clancy<br />

Richard Glover<br />

ABC Books<br />

$29.99<br />

Have you ever wondered<br />

what your dog really<br />

thinks about their life<br />

with us humans? In this<br />

hilariously funny new<br />

book from Richard Glover<br />

we get a rare insight.<br />

After Richard’s beloved<br />

dog of 13 years Darcy dies<br />

the family brings home<br />

Clancy. Not only is Clancy<br />

a cheeky Kelpie but also<br />

quite the letter writer<br />

and the book features<br />

a selection of the dog’s<br />

letters back home to his<br />

‘Mum and Dad’.<br />

As a puppy we<br />

learn about Clancy’s<br />

bewilderment at the<br />

goings in his household –<br />

especially the behaviour<br />

of ‘the man’. Why do they<br />

think I enjoy car rides?<br />

Why when they have a full<br />

fridge of food do they not<br />

feed me more? Why does<br />

the man keep fussing<br />

over yellow patches in the<br />

lawn?<br />

At the end of each<br />

Clancy letter, ‘The Man’,<br />

has his right of reply<br />

ensuring the record is<br />

‘accurate’.<br />

This is another gem<br />

from Richard Glover.<br />

Michael Armstrong<br />

Beachside Bookshop<br />

Focus on<br />

meditation an<br />

enlightening<br />

revelation<br />

In the midst of a global mental health<br />

crisis, Northern Beaches-based journalist<br />

Shannon Harvey recruited a team of<br />

scientists to put mindful meditation to the<br />

test. Her acclaimed documentary and book<br />

My Year of Living Mindfully are out now.<br />

Interview by Lisa Offord<br />

Q: When and why did you begin writing?<br />

I studied journalism at UTS and later got my<br />

first job as a TV and radio journalist with<br />

the ABC in my early 20s. I hoped to become<br />

a foreign correspondent, but when I was<br />

24 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune<br />

disease (originally thought to be lupus, now<br />

diagnosed as Sjogren’s disease) and my<br />

life took another path. I now make feature<br />

documentaries, write books, and present<br />

podcasts which are all about<br />

finding evidence-backed<br />

solutions to the chronic<br />

illness epidemic.<br />

Q: What inspired you to<br />

write My Year of Living<br />

Mindfully?<br />

I’d like to say this whole<br />

thing started when I decided<br />

to tackle a big problem: the<br />

global mental health crisis.<br />

But although that would have<br />

been a worthy motive for any<br />

unshrinking journalist, the<br />

truth is, the inspiration for<br />

My Year of Living Mindfully<br />

was also very personal. I’d<br />

just had my second child<br />

and although I wasn’t in the midst of a fullblown<br />

mental health episode, I was struggling<br />

in my attempt to dance the work/life twostep.<br />

Even more troubling though, was my<br />

insomnia. One or two nights a week I was<br />

plagued with rumination and unable to sleep.<br />

With a family history of mental illness and<br />

addiction, I went in search of something that<br />

I could do (and something that I could teach<br />

my kids) that didn’t require expensive trips<br />

to a therapist or having to take medication.<br />

I was after a kind of evidence-based mental<br />

fitness training, like the brain’s equivalent<br />

of a 30-minute workout or the mind’s daily<br />

serving of five fruit and vegetables.<br />

Q: What did you learn?<br />

After my year-long self-experiment to see<br />

what would happen if I meditated every day,<br />

it’s now clear to me why mindfulness has<br />

earned a multi-decade record in modern<br />

medicine and healthcare, and why it’s now<br />

finding its way into education, business,<br />

social justice, and politics. At a time when<br />

275 million around the world suffer from<br />

anxiety, when one in five of us live in the<br />

grip of chronic pain, and every 40 seconds,<br />

someone, somewhere, takes their own life, it’s<br />

pretty clear that the current<br />

mainstream strategies we<br />

have in place to support<br />

psychological wellbeing are<br />

not working. Mindfulness<br />

is no panacea, but in all its<br />

simplicity and complexity,<br />

high-quality mindfulness<br />

training is an adjunct that<br />

complements the best of<br />

whatever else is available.<br />

Q: Any interesting<br />

feedback?<br />

Among other things, people<br />

who have seen the film<br />

and read the book tell me<br />

how motivated they are to<br />

start mindfulness training<br />

and how relieved they are to know that the<br />

training was (and still is) difficult for me. I<br />

think it’s good to be honest and to bust the<br />

myth that mindfulness training is easy and<br />

always relaxing. Just like learning any new<br />

worthwhile skill, mindfulness training can<br />

be hard work, especially at the start. I’m not<br />

suggesting that mindfulness training is a<br />

replacement for the best of evidence-based<br />

psychology, psychiatry or pharmacology. It’s<br />

an adjunct that, with the help of qualified<br />

teachers, we can do every day for ourselves<br />

to keep mentally fit and prepare for whatever<br />

life will throw at us.<br />

* Published by Hachette Australia, My Year<br />

of Living Mindfully is available where all<br />

good books are sold.<br />

50 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991


Art <strong>Life</strong><br />

Art <strong>Life</strong><br />

Historic Hill End<br />

muse for sketches<br />

month’s artistic residence in a historic program run by Bathurst Regional Art<br />

A cottage in Hill End proved fruitful inspiration<br />

Gallery.<br />

for Avalon artist Joanna Gambotto<br />

whose interiors sketches are now on exhibition<br />

at the Manly Art Gallery & Museum.<br />

A series of 14 etchings was developed<br />

from countless sketches Joanna made of<br />

the interiors of homes she visited while in<br />

the former gold rush town in June last year.<br />

The sketches were later developed into<br />

large-scale charcoal drawings and etchings,<br />

produced at the Warringah Printmakers<br />

Studio.<br />

Senior Curator Katherine Roberts said<br />

Joanna’s residence enabled her to pursue<br />

her interest in the quaint interiors of the<br />

homes there.<br />

“The large scale of the work invites the<br />

viewer to immerse themselves in the drawings,<br />

to almost walk in to the cottages and<br />

to become a part of the lives of their occupants,<br />

absorbed by the curios, architecture<br />

and history of this town,” Katherine said.<br />

Joanna said she first caught a glimpse of<br />

the beautiful interiors of Hill End cottages a<br />

few years ago, during a brief visit; thereafter<br />

“The local community was very welcoming<br />

and keen to open their doors wide, enabling<br />

me to wander through the cottages<br />

and make many sketches of the interiors,”<br />

she said.<br />

“Initially intended only as a starting point<br />

for my paintings, the drawings gained so<br />

much gravity that it became imperative<br />

to give them a life of their own. All they<br />

needed was a touch more refinement. I<br />

turned to printmaking.”<br />

This project was assisted by a <strong>2020</strong><br />

Northern Beaches Council Creative Communities<br />

Support grant.<br />

Mayor Michael Regan said it was great to<br />

see the works of a very talented local artist<br />

showcased at the Gallery.<br />

“There’s no doubt Joanna is one of our<br />

emerging artists to watch on the Northern<br />

Beaches, and at MAG&M, we are very keen<br />

to nurture our local talent.”<br />

The exhibition closes <strong>November</strong> 29; there<br />

will be an artist’s ‘Walk & Talk’ from 2pm on<br />

Sunday <strong>November</strong> 1 – bookings essential<br />

she applied for the Artist in Residence on Council’s website. – Nigel<br />

Wall<br />

Society sale keeps<br />

with tradition<br />

After a challenging year full of<br />

cancellations and disappointment,<br />

the Northern Beaches Art Society is<br />

excited to announce their 74th Annual<br />

Art Exhibition and Sale.<br />

President Heather Macorison said: “In<br />

2021 artists have had the advantage of<br />

being able to use an abundance of time<br />

to put brushes to canvas and pencils to<br />

paper. Works on display at this exhibition<br />

will be in a variety of mediums and styles<br />

in oils, watercolours, acrylics, and pastels<br />

as well as drawings.<br />

“There will be a multitude of subjects<br />

such as landscapes, seascapes, abstracts,<br />

semi-abstracts, still life, animals and<br />

birds; all artworks will be for sale.”<br />

The exhibition will be held in the<br />

Lakeview Room at the Tramshed, in<br />

Narrabeen; in order to comply with<br />

COVID-19 regulations, all visitors will be<br />

required to sign in.<br />

There will not be an official opening<br />

night or any awards presented. However,<br />

the doors will be open earlier than in the<br />

past, from 2pm on Friday 13 <strong>November</strong>,<br />

and will stay open until 7pm that day.<br />

(Visitors can enjoy a glass of wine on<br />

Opening Day.)<br />

On Saturday and Sunday, doors will<br />

open at 9am until 5pm.<br />

Northern Beaches Art Society are<br />

offering discounted membership for those<br />

who join at this exhibition.<br />

*Visit northernbeachesartsociety.org<br />

‘Inside Out’ explores<br />

lockdown art process<br />

Art Gallery on Palm<br />

Beach is presenting<br />

the exhibition ‘Inside<br />

Out’ by Northern Beaches<br />

artists Julie Nicholson and<br />

Fiona Verity from 19-22<br />

<strong>November</strong>.<br />

The stunning double<br />

solo exhibition relates<br />

the artists’ experiences<br />

during lockdown and<br />

how it forced them to see<br />

their surroundings in a<br />

new way.<br />

Gallery owner Vanessa<br />

Ashcroft said the collection of semi-abstract paintings were<br />

an emotional response to the physical and mental restraints<br />

of staying inside or within the boundary of their studios. “The<br />

result is a stunning collection that encourages the viewer to take<br />

time to discover the layers of each painting and the impact this<br />

year has had on them personally,” she said.<br />

Fiona Verity’s work (above) gives form to objects found and<br />

drawn, with multiple moments and memories revealing themselves<br />

through layers of paint. During lockdown Fiona simply<br />

drew items she found near her home and studio rather than her<br />

usual practice of responding to the local landscape.<br />

Julie Nicholson has<br />

developed a new body of<br />

work that delves deeper<br />

into abstraction (right);<br />

exploring the poetry of<br />

transforming her memories<br />

and experiences into<br />

pictures began during<br />

lockdown. Her lush<br />

layered, heavily textured<br />

paintings are an emotional<br />

response to the physical<br />

and mental restraints of<br />

staying inside.<br />

The Art Gallery on<br />

Palm Beach is a collective of successful Sydney artists offering a<br />

broad range of affordable, original and spectacular art.<br />

Find the gallery at 1/1095 Barrenjoey Road, Palm Beach; open<br />

Thursday to Sunday, 10am-3pm.<br />

Spotlight on watery wonders<br />

Stunning oil pastel<br />

drawings of the lagoons,<br />

marshes, creeks and<br />

waterfalls of the Northern<br />

Beaches feature in<br />

Sydney artist Nick Hollo’s<br />

exhibition ‘Waterways’ at<br />

the Manly Art Gallery &<br />

Museum this month.<br />

The exhibition will<br />

feature Hollo’s drawings<br />

of 13 key sites from<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong>’s Careel Bay<br />

to Manly’s North Head,<br />

including Narrabeen<br />

Lagoon and Deep Creek<br />

(pictured).<br />

Nick is passionate about<br />

the need to preserve the<br />

pristine beauty of the<br />

waterways and catchments.<br />

“These places provide<br />

important habitat as well as<br />

places of tranquillity for us<br />

in the burgeoning city,” he<br />

said. “Our waterways and<br />

their catchments should<br />

be the centrepiece of our<br />

planning for the future.”<br />

A series of guided<br />

walks associated with this<br />

exhibition are presented<br />

in partnership with<br />

Environment & Climate<br />

Change, Northern Beaches<br />

Council. Pick up a list at<br />

the gallery and book via<br />

Council’s website.<br />

The exhibition closes<br />

<strong>November</strong> 29. – NW<br />

Art <strong>Life</strong><br />

52 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 53


Surfing <strong>Life</strong><br />

with Nick Carroll<br />

NICK’S NOVEMBER SURF FORECAST<br />

Surfing <strong>Life</strong><br />

Awkward truth about how<br />

women are treated in the surf<br />

Here’s something to think about this Summer...<br />

It’s an awkward truth in<br />

today’s world that top<br />

Australian women surfers<br />

receive a fair bit of unwanted<br />

male attention. Some of it is<br />

scary. Some of it’s dangerous.<br />

A couple of weeks back, a<br />

66-year-old man named Squire<br />

Winter was convicted and<br />

fined $1000 in Tweed Heads<br />

Local Court after breaching a<br />

protection order taken out on<br />

behalf of seven-times world<br />

champ Stephanie Gilmore.<br />

Winter, who has a long<br />

history of violence, assault,<br />

and breaching similar orders<br />

involving other people,<br />

approached Steph at a recent<br />

“ice-breaker” WSL event<br />

in northern NSW and was<br />

subsequently arrested for<br />

breach of the order, which<br />

had been taken out after he’d<br />

approached Gilmore several<br />

times earlier this year.<br />

If you’re thinking Steph<br />

might be a little sensitive,<br />

maybe you’d be right. In<br />

2012 she was attacked by a<br />

homeless man with an iron<br />

bar outside her apartment.<br />

Her wrist was broken in the<br />

attack.<br />

Then again, Steph might<br />

have been thinking about<br />

Jodie Cooper. Jodie, a pro<br />

surfing legend of the 1980s<br />

and ’90s, was attacked by<br />

a man in the surf at Lennox<br />

Head in 2018. The man, local<br />

surfer Mark Thomson, held<br />

her underwater so long she<br />

acted out drowning just to<br />

get free. Thomson was also<br />

convicted and given 300 hours<br />

of community service.<br />

These events have had<br />

plenty of publicity. But they<br />

occur over the top of a<br />

background hum of women<br />

copping questionable<br />

treatment from men in lineups<br />

far and wide – treatment<br />

that may not turn violent, but<br />

feels as if it might.<br />

Biba Turnbull isn’t what<br />

UNHAPPY HISTORY:<br />

Stephanie Gilmore<br />

has endured some<br />

unpleasant stuff in<br />

recent times.<br />

you’d call a shrinking<br />

violet. At 25, Biba is an<br />

accomplished athlete, an expro<br />

snowboarder who moved<br />

to Vermont, USA by herself<br />

as a teen to pursue her goals.<br />

Today she works for Surfing<br />

NSW in admin and team<br />

support. She comes across as<br />

a can-do human.<br />

But when she contacted us<br />

back in June, she sounded<br />

pretty much at the end of<br />

her tether. She’d just spent<br />

a weekend surfing the<br />

perfect winter waves at South<br />

Narrabeen. But in this case,<br />

“surfing” had meant that every<br />

wave she caught, men would<br />

take it from her.<br />

They’d “look at me, make<br />

eye contact, then just drop in<br />

on me.” (For non-surfers, “drop<br />

in” means taking off on a wave<br />

despite someone else already<br />

being up and riding on it. Fullon<br />

no-no.)<br />

It kept happening, wave<br />

after wave, for over an hour<br />

till she went in. Biba says she’s<br />

grown used to being ignored<br />

in her years of surfing,<br />

but at Narrabeen that day,<br />

something snapped. “I just felt<br />

disgusted,” she said. “It makes<br />

me ashamed to be part of the<br />

surfing community.”<br />

Biba’s so not alone. A<br />

social media post she made<br />

following the incident was<br />

deluged with replies from<br />

other women surfers.<br />

They’d been told “F*&k you!”<br />

They’d been told women don’t<br />

belong in the water. They get<br />

what they call “free lessons all<br />

day” – men explaining to them<br />

what to do or how to behave,<br />

even if they’re better surfers<br />

than the men.<br />

One comment: “I’m sick of<br />

hearing, ‘Oh I thought you<br />

wouldn’t make it’.”<br />

Another: “He got so<br />

flustered, he spat in the water<br />

in front of my board.”<br />

Another: “And the older men<br />

54 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

Can I tell you, this summer is going to blow a gasket. It’s<br />

going to be as epic as last summer was traumatic. Instead of<br />

fire, we are going to experience water, in all its forms. Water<br />

will fall from the sky, it will come flooding out of the rivers,<br />

and it will come smashing down on all our heads thanks to<br />

gale force winds in the Tasman Sea and the south-west Pacific<br />

Ocean. As you may have noticed in the last week of October,<br />

it’s already begun, and thus it will continue. <strong>November</strong>, I feel,<br />

will run in and out on this score. There will be mad periods<br />

of wind and rain and swell, and quieter periods in which the<br />

wind will settle. Watch for a range of swells from every angle,<br />

sometimes hitting all at once, and a lot of sea life, including<br />

possibly quite fierce bluebottle onsets. Also look for rapidly<br />

warming surface waters, which are likely to peak later in the<br />

summer at levels we haven’t seen in Sydney for a lifetime.<br />

are the worst!”<br />

Another, quoting a man<br />

who’d dropped in on her and<br />

didn’t like being called out on<br />

it: “What’s wrong with you, you<br />

must be on your period.”<br />

Semi-rarely, they’d made a<br />

good place for themselves at<br />

a localised spot and surf on<br />

equal terms. But even then,<br />

they’ll pick up on differences<br />

in their treatment. “Been<br />

surfing a very busy and<br />

popular wave for 28 years,”<br />

said one. “The guys who I surf<br />

with regularly hoot me into<br />

waves. The random guys who<br />

show up just drop in blatantly.<br />

The random women who show<br />

up do not. I think that says it<br />

all.”<br />

But too often it seems<br />

nastier stuff happens, as<br />

it did recently to Georgia<br />

Matts. Georgia, 27, a lifelong<br />

surfer from Coledale near<br />

Wollongong, is a bit like Biba<br />

– she’s used to it. But not<br />

long ago, she was surfing her<br />

home beach when a teenage<br />

boy dropped in on her, fell<br />

off, then called her a “stupid<br />

c^@t.”<br />

The boy was with his father<br />

at the time, but instead of<br />

straightening him out, Dad<br />

told Georgia, “He’s just a local<br />

boy.”<br />

“I yelled at him, ‘So you<br />

think it’s OK for your son<br />

to speak to women that<br />

way?’” Georgia told her local<br />

newspaper. “He just shook his<br />

head and drove away.”<br />

Now, surfing’s always<br />

had a primitive edge. There<br />

will be many men who’ve<br />

experienced aggression and<br />

hostility in one line-up or<br />

other. Many of them, schooled<br />

from childhood in masculine<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

Nick Carroll<br />

etiquette, will have stayed<br />

quiet and moved on, or tried<br />

to. Many will read the above<br />

and think something like,<br />

“Well, so what? I’ve seen<br />

worse.”<br />

But it’s something to<br />

think about as we head<br />

into what surely will be the<br />

busiest surfing summer in<br />

generations.<br />

* * *<br />

On a totally different note!<br />

Evergreen surf film-maker<br />

Tim Bonython and his team<br />

have put together another<br />

Australian Surf Movie Festival<br />

for your mad entertainment.<br />

I’ve seen some of the footage<br />

and it’s classic Bonython<br />

– the craziest array of big<br />

wave daredevilry he’s been<br />

able to conjure up, with as<br />

little filter on it as possible.<br />

So worth seeing on the big<br />

screen. Here’s Tim’s local<br />

dates in <strong>November</strong>: Cremorne<br />

– Hayden Orpheum, 6.30pm<br />

Tuesday 10th; Randwick – The<br />

Ritz, 6.30pm Wednesday 11th;<br />

Cronulla – Hoyts 6.30pm<br />

Wednesday 25th. Tickets at<br />

asmf.net.au<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 55<br />

Surfing <strong>Life</strong>


Health & Wellbeing<br />

Health & Wellbeing<br />

Podcast<br />

discussion<br />

boost for<br />

mental<br />

health<br />

What are our young<br />

people thinking and<br />

feeling right now? If<br />

you are prepared to listen,<br />

you might just find some of<br />

the answers in a new podcast<br />

launched this month.<br />

Produced by a group of<br />

young people, for young<br />

people, The Avalon Youth<br />

Hub podcast will feature 10<br />

episodes with interviews and<br />

discussions addressing tough<br />

topics around mental health,<br />

COVID, anxiety and bullying<br />

to name a few.<br />

The content will also appeal<br />

to parents and carers by providing<br />

an insight into what’s<br />

important to our youth and<br />

how they are navigating the<br />

world around them.<br />

“The podcasts are unique in<br />

that they come entirely from a<br />

young person’s perspective,”<br />

Avalon Youth Hub project Coordinator<br />

Laura Hamilton said.<br />

“In the ‘Coming Out of<br />

COVID’ episode for example,<br />

the podcasters talk about how<br />

school closures and learning<br />

from home affected them<br />

and describe how not going<br />

to school every day changed<br />

school friendships and the<br />

impact that had on them.”<br />

Episodes also feature guest<br />

speakers and experts in their<br />

fields.<br />

In one episode we hear<br />

from radio commentator and<br />

mental health advocate Gus<br />

Worland talking about men’s<br />

mental health and the work<br />

of the Gotcha 4 <strong>Life</strong> Foundation<br />

(Gus also helped train the<br />

podcasters earlier this year).<br />

Another episode focussing<br />

on body image features<br />

input from an expert in cyber<br />

safety.<br />

Barrenjoey High School<br />

student Lily Davis, 17, became<br />

involved in creating the<br />

podcast to help reach more<br />

people in need by providing<br />

an opportunity for people to<br />

tap into discussions they may<br />

not feel comfortable having<br />

face to face.<br />

“Everyone has the right to<br />

know about mental health and<br />

how common it is and that it is<br />

OK to talk about it,” she said.<br />

Lily particularly hopes an<br />

episode about anxiety where<br />

she and others share their<br />

personal stories and trade tips<br />

will help spread knowledge<br />

and perspective that could<br />

change the way people think<br />

about anxiety and help others<br />

IN THE STUDIO: The crew at work.<br />

SUPPORT SERVICE: (Back l-r) Isabel Schilling, Ash Downey, David Singleton;<br />

(Front l-r) Rachael Geddes, Astrid Twibill Hall and Lilly Parker.<br />

understand what it is really<br />

like.<br />

“I think it’s also important<br />

for anyone, anywhere who<br />

might be struggling, to know<br />

that they aren’t the only one<br />

who may be feeling that way<br />

and also that it’s OK to open<br />

up about it.”<br />

Another host, 15-year-old<br />

Isabel Schilling added: “We<br />

all know about mental health<br />

but you may never know how<br />

much someone close to you<br />

could be suffering.<br />

“We hope by sharing our<br />

stories and opinions and what<br />

we have gone through or<br />

are going through and how<br />

we have dealt with it or are<br />

dealing with it will help more<br />

people understand.<br />

“I hope our voices can open<br />

up more conversations,” the St<br />

Luke’s Grammar student said.<br />

The podcast was made possible<br />

by a NSW Government’s<br />

Youth Opportunities Grant<br />

which provided $35,000 for<br />

training and equipment.<br />

The Avalon Youth Hub was<br />

established in 2018 to offer a<br />

safe space for young people<br />

to find confidential support<br />

and access a broad range of<br />

youth support services in one<br />

location.<br />

With a base in the Avalon<br />

Recreation Centre, the service<br />

focusses on emotional wellbeing<br />

and associated issues,<br />

offering free one-on-one<br />

counselling, mentoring and<br />

workshops to support young<br />

people aged from 12-25 and<br />

their families in the <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />

region.<br />

You can access the podcast<br />

by going to avalonyouthhub.<br />

org.au/podcast – Lisa Offord<br />

56 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

2021 ocean swims announced<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> surf clubs are offering a breath of<br />

fresh air for 2021, forging ahead with plans<br />

to host the annual series of ocean swims<br />

starting in January.<br />

If all goes well, the popular Newport Pool<br />

to Peak ocean swims will kick off at Newport<br />

Beach on Sunday 3 January.<br />

Chairman of the Pool to Peak organising<br />

committee John Guthrie said<br />

planning was well underway<br />

to have three swim courses –<br />

400m, 800m and 2km – under<br />

COVID-safe conditions that<br />

comply with health department<br />

guidelines.<br />

“We will have various<br />

protocols in place including a<br />

limit of 500 people involved<br />

on the beach at any one time<br />

with only online entries accepted,” John said.<br />

COVID safety marshals will ensure social<br />

distancing and the starts for each swim will<br />

be staggered to keep people separated.<br />

“These are different times but what a great<br />

way to start a new year, swimming in the<br />

ocean, at one with nature,” he said.<br />

At this stage, all the <strong>Pittwater</strong> ocean swims<br />

will be following the COVID-safe protocol<br />

involving the limit of 500 applicants.<br />

David Madew and Nicola Curtin, organisers<br />

of the Bilgola Ocean Swims, said plans were<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

well advanced for the two swims of 500m and<br />

1500m scheduled for Sunday 17 January.<br />

“Our aim is to be able to hold the two<br />

swims safely for both swimmers and volunteers”<br />

David said. “We are, however, mindful<br />

that we conform to local, state and national<br />

government regulations and advice – we will<br />

only be accepting entries before the day and<br />

then adapt the starting regimes<br />

to allow us to operate<br />

safely for both swimmers<br />

and volunteers,” he added.<br />

Mona Vale will hold their<br />

swims on Sunday 24 January,<br />

featuring 2km and 1km<br />

courses.<br />

Organisers of The Big<br />

Swim, Palm Beach to Whale<br />

Beach, are “fairly optimistic”<br />

that the event will take place on Sunday 31<br />

January with registrations now open.<br />

Avalon SLSC will hold their swims on<br />

Sunday 21 March 2021 with a 1.2km swim<br />

at Avalon as well as the Newport to Avalon<br />

Round the Bends 2.5km swim.<br />

The <strong>Pittwater</strong> ocean swims are critical<br />

fundraisers for the clubs involved, with funds<br />

going towards the purchase of essential lifesaving<br />

equipment and its maintenance.<br />

Entries for the <strong>Pittwater</strong> Ocean swims are<br />

available online at oceanswims.com – LO<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 57<br />

Health & Wellbeing


Health & Wellbeing<br />

Health & Wellbeing<br />

Dangers of over-exposure<br />

to the burning summer sun<br />

Despite widely publicised<br />

campaigns, people are<br />

still allowing themselves<br />

to get sunburnt.<br />

Sun damage is cumulative,<br />

therefore protecting the<br />

skin from sun damage is an<br />

important factor in preventing<br />

this damage. This is particularly<br />

important for childhood<br />

exposure – and for Australians,<br />

given sun exposure is higher at<br />

latitudes closer to the equator.<br />

The ‘slip, slop, slap, seek<br />

and slide’ guidelines apply to<br />

slipping on clothing, slopping<br />

on sunscreen, slapping on a<br />

hat, seeking shade and sliding<br />

on sunglasses.<br />

Closely woven clothing is<br />

one of the primary means of<br />

reducing ultra violet radiation<br />

(UVR). It is necessary to check<br />

the rating – most good quality<br />

garments carry a sun protection<br />

factor (SPF) rating of 50. A<br />

t-shirt, especially if wet, may<br />

have an equivalent SPF rating of<br />

only 10.<br />

Guidelines suggest avoiding<br />

sun exposure in the hottest time<br />

of the day – from 10am to 2pm,<br />

or 11am to 3pm with daylight<br />

saving. It is estimated that 60%<br />

of ultraviolet radiation (UVR)<br />

occurs during this time. Sun<br />

burn is noted to be faster during<br />

these times.<br />

Regular use of sunscreens<br />

is associated with an 80%<br />

reduction in UVR skin damage<br />

and is estimated to be similar for<br />

malignant change. Studies show<br />

a decreased rate in actinic or<br />

solar keratoses and associated<br />

squamous cell carcinomas<br />

with Dr John Kippen<br />

(SCCs). It is necessary to apply to<br />

all exposed skin remembering<br />

lips, ears, scalp and behind<br />

the knees. A broad spectrum<br />

sunscreen covers UVA and<br />

UVB. Recommendations are<br />

to apply the sunscreen 20<br />

minutes before sun exposure<br />

and reapply every two hours.<br />

Reapplication needs to be more<br />

frequent if swimming, sweating<br />

or towelling. Australia has high<br />

life expectancy rates, so the use<br />

of sunscreen is applicable to<br />

older people and adults. Living<br />

to 80 years old and only starting<br />

sunscreen use at 40 years<br />

old will still give 40 years of<br />

protection, half a lifespan.<br />

Sunscreens are either<br />

chemical or physical. Chemical<br />

sunscreens penetrate the<br />

upper skin levels and if broad<br />

spectrum, will absorb both<br />

UVA and UVB. Common agents<br />

include para-aminobenzoic acid,<br />

benzophenones and cinnamates.<br />

Physical sunscreens reflect UVR<br />

as a physical barrier. Common<br />

agents include titanium dioxide<br />

and zinc oxide.<br />

Wide-brimmed hats or<br />

legionnaire-style caps are<br />

recommended. They are best<br />

for direct sunlight but do<br />

not adequately protect from<br />

reflected light. Reflected light<br />

is particularly high on beaches,<br />

near water and even city<br />

pavements.<br />

Shade is very important.<br />

Actively avoid direct sun<br />

exposure. Roof cover, beach<br />

umbrellas (pictured) and shade<br />

tents all contribute to sun<br />

prevention. Thin clouds may<br />

only decrease sun exposure by<br />

20-40%.<br />

Sunglasses reduce sun glare,<br />

sun exposure and protect<br />

the eyes. They must be of<br />

good quality and most sold<br />

in Australia carry a standards<br />

rating.<br />

SPF stands for Sun Protection<br />

factor. It is a numerical scale<br />

for rating sunscreens. It is<br />

calculated by comparing the<br />

time needed to produce sunburn<br />

(redness) on protected and<br />

unprotected skin. If someone<br />

becomes red after 10 minutes<br />

of sun exposure this is their<br />

initial burning time. Using an SPF<br />

2-rated sunscreen, they should<br />

turn red after 20 minutes. A<br />

sunscreen rated SPF 15 will allow<br />

150 minutes (2½ hours) before<br />

redness occurs. The minimum<br />

recommended sunscreen is<br />

SPF 15. Higher SPF values have<br />

higher protective ratings. An<br />

SPF of 30 is 97% protective, but<br />

this still allows UVR through.<br />

Guidelines suggest a broad<br />

spectrum, SPF30+, waterresistant<br />

sunscreen, applied<br />

in adequate amounts, 20<br />

minutes before sun exposure<br />

and reapplied every two hours.<br />

Remember to also check the<br />

expiry date. For sensitive skin<br />

try non-fragranced toddler<br />

classified sunscreen.<br />

No single preventative<br />

modality is adequate. UVR<br />

damage can be reduced by<br />

using all modalities together.<br />

Our columnist<br />

Dr John Kippen is a<br />

qualified, fully certified<br />

consultant specialist in<br />

Cosmetic, Plastic and<br />

Reconstructive surgery.<br />

Australian trained, he<br />

also has additional<br />

Australian and<br />

International Fellowships.<br />

He welcomes enquiries;<br />

email<br />

doctor@johnkippen.com.au<br />

Health & Wellbeing<br />

58 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 59


Health & Wellbeing<br />

Move it, or lose it<br />

Health & Wellbeing<br />

Exercising might be the<br />

last thing you feel like<br />

doing when your joints<br />

are stiff and achy but if you<br />

are one of the 2.2 million<br />

Australians with osteoarthritis<br />

the message is clear: it’s time<br />

to move.<br />

Health experts say if you<br />

have osteoarthritis, the one<br />

thing you should do every<br />

day to reduce joint pain<br />

and improve strength and<br />

flexibility and your overall<br />

health, is exercise.<br />

An important first step<br />

however is to make sure you<br />

know exactly what you are<br />

dealing with.<br />

Although osteoarthritis<br />

was by far the most common<br />

cause of joint pain, there were<br />

many other conditions with<br />

similar symptoms said Mona<br />

Vale-based GP Ethel Gilbert.<br />

“Not all joint pain and<br />

stiffness is osteoarthritis and<br />

these symptoms should be<br />

assessed so you can better<br />

manage your condition.”<br />

There’s no cure for<br />

osteoarthritis but the good<br />

news is there is a lot you can<br />

do to reduce pain and improve<br />

function.<br />

“Treatments for<br />

osteoarthritis vary depending<br />

on which joints are affected<br />

and the severity of your<br />

condition but management<br />

commonly includes a weight<br />

loss program if you are<br />

overweight, and a tailored<br />

exercise program,” Dr Gilbert<br />

said.<br />

Pain management<br />

using medicines such as<br />

paracetamol or non-steroidal<br />

anti-inflammatory drugs may<br />

also be considered but check<br />

with your doctor first.<br />

And if these simple<br />

measures aren’t effective,<br />

your doctor may refer you<br />

to a specialist for further<br />

treatment which may include<br />

joint injections or surgery if<br />

required.<br />

Most people worry that<br />

exercising with osteoarthritis<br />

could harm their joints<br />

and cause more pain,<br />

physiotherapist and director<br />

of Epic <strong>Life</strong> Physio, Trish Orr,<br />

said.<br />

“However clinical research<br />

shows that people can and<br />

should exercise when they<br />

have osteoarthritis.<br />

“In fact, exercise is<br />

considered the most effective,<br />

non-drug treatment for<br />

reducing pain, stress and<br />

tension on joints, and<br />

improving movement,<br />

circulation and muscle<br />

strength in patients with<br />

osteoarthritis.”<br />

The aim of a tailored<br />

program was to avoid pain<br />

and it encourage exercises<br />

which lighten the load on<br />

painful joints.<br />

“Physiotherapists are in<br />

the best position to prescribe<br />

suitable exercises for patients<br />

with osteoarthritis as they<br />

understand the pathology<br />

of the condition and how to<br />

best advise their patients<br />

to exercise often using<br />

therabands and light weights<br />

and aquatic exercise,” Trish<br />

said.<br />

Trish added “major<br />

advances” had been made<br />

in treating osteoarthritis<br />

in hands and knees using<br />

shockwave therapy to<br />

improve function and exercise<br />

capability.<br />

Extracorporeal shock wave<br />

therapy (ESWT) involves<br />

delivery of shock waves to soft<br />

tissue.<br />

“ESWT is an exciting<br />

treatment as it is non-invasive<br />

and is achieving immediate<br />

and long-term results,<br />

particularly for patients with<br />

moderate to severe pain,” she<br />

said.<br />

Follow the advice from your<br />

doctor or physiotherapist.<br />

In general, range-of-motion<br />

exercises should be done<br />

every day.<br />

“Do not stop exercising<br />

when you have osteoarthritis<br />

as you will find that you will<br />

stiffen up, your pain will<br />

increase and your function will<br />

decrease rapidly,” Trish said.<br />

– Lisa Offord<br />

Health & Wellbeing<br />

60 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 61


Health & Wellbeing<br />

with Andrew Snow<br />

Hair & Beauty<br />

with Sue Carroll<br />

Prevention better than cure:<br />

ways to protect your skin<br />

Summer’s here – it’s time to<br />

get your beauty ‘glow’ on<br />

Health & Wellbeing<br />

Skin cancer occurs when<br />

skin cells are damaged,<br />

for example, by<br />

overexposure to ultraviolet<br />

(UV) radiation from the sun.<br />

There are three main types<br />

of skin cancer: Basal cell<br />

carcinoma; Squamous cell<br />

carcinoma; and Melanoma –<br />

the most dangerous form of<br />

skin cancer.<br />

In Australia, the incidence<br />

of skin cancer is one of<br />

the highest in the world. It<br />

accounts for around 80%<br />

of all our newly diagnosed<br />

cancers. Doctors tally<br />

more than 1 million patient<br />

consultations per year for skin<br />

cancer.<br />

Approximately two in every<br />

three Australians will be<br />

diagnosed with skin cancer<br />

by the time they are 70. Nonmelanoma<br />

skin cancer is<br />

almost twice as common in<br />

men and the risk increases as<br />

you get older.<br />

In 2018, a total of 2094<br />

people died from skin cancer<br />

in Australia – 1429 from<br />

melanoma and 665 from nonmelanoma<br />

skin cancers.<br />

It is important to check your<br />

skin regularly and check<br />

with your doctor if you<br />

notice any changes. Look<br />

for:<br />

■ Any crusty, non-healing<br />

sores;<br />

■ Small lumps that are red,<br />

pale or pearly in colour; and<br />

■ New spots, freckles or any<br />

moles changing in colour,<br />

thickness or shape over a<br />

period of weeks to months.<br />

The sooner a skin cancer<br />

is identified and treated, the<br />

better your chance of avoiding<br />

surgery or, in the case of a<br />

more serious cancer, potential<br />

disfigurement or even death.<br />

Your doctor may perform<br />

a biopsy for any spots that<br />

may look suspicious. In some<br />

cases, your doctor may refer<br />

you to a specialist such as a<br />

dermatologist if necessary.<br />

Skin cancers are almost<br />

always removed. In more<br />

advanced skin cancers, some<br />

of the surrounding tissue may<br />

also be removed to make sure<br />

that all the cancerous cells<br />

have been taken out.<br />

Some skin cancers can<br />

be treated with ointments<br />

or radiation therapy. Skin<br />

cancers can also be removed<br />

with cryotherapy (using liquid<br />

nitrogen to rapidly freeze<br />

the cancer off), curettage<br />

(scraping) or cautery<br />

(burning).<br />

For best protection, when<br />

the UV level is 3 or above,<br />

use a combination of sun<br />

protection measures such as:<br />

■ Wear sun protective<br />

clothing that covers as<br />

much skin as possible;<br />

■ Apply a broad spectrum,<br />

water resistant sunscreen<br />

that is at least SPF30. Put it<br />

on 20 minutes before you<br />

go outdoors and every two<br />

hours afterwards. Sunscreen<br />

should never be used to<br />

extend the time you spend<br />

in the sun;<br />

■ Wear a hat that protects<br />

your face, head, neck<br />

and ears;<br />

■ Stay in the shade when<br />

possible;<br />

■ Wear sunglasses that meet<br />

Australian standards; and<br />

■ Be extra cautious in the<br />

middle of the day when UV<br />

levels are most intense.<br />

Most non-melanoma skin<br />

cancers do not pose a serious<br />

risk to your health but a<br />

cancer diagnosis can be a<br />

shock. For more detailed<br />

information about skin<br />

cancer please phone Cancer<br />

Council 13 11 20 or talk to<br />

your preferred health care<br />

professional.<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> Pharmacy &<br />

Compounding Chemist<br />

at Mona Vale has operated<br />

as a family-run business<br />

since 1977. Open seven<br />

days; drop in and meet<br />

the highly qualified and<br />

experienced team of Len,<br />

Sam and Amy Papandrea<br />

and Andrew Snow. Find<br />

them at 1771 <strong>Pittwater</strong> Rd;<br />

call 9999 3398.<br />

62 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

Along with our great outdoor<br />

lifestyle comes the<br />

ravages of the Australian<br />

sun and hyperpigmentation<br />

in all its forms. With summer<br />

knocking at our door, there is<br />

still time to reduce last year’s<br />

brown spots before adding to<br />

those we will acquire this year.<br />

There are three main types<br />

of pigmentation: Epidermal,<br />

where the pigmentation is close<br />

to the surface of the skin and<br />

is light brown; Dermal, where<br />

the brown marks appear more<br />

solid, is usually deep brown<br />

and ashen grey; and a mixture,<br />

where both levels are usually<br />

dark brown.<br />

There are many causes of<br />

hyperpigmentation which may<br />

include: PIH (post-inflammatory<br />

hyperpigmentation; pregnancy<br />

(melasma); birth control pills;<br />

long-term sun exposure;<br />

estrogen (HRT); razor bumps;<br />

acne; severe sunburn; eczema;<br />

chemical irritations; rashes;<br />

abrasive scrubs; surgical<br />

procedures; perfume sprayed<br />

on sun-exposed skin; certain<br />

prescription medications; picking;<br />

insect bites; scratching;<br />

Chicken Pox; and trauma to the<br />

skin. They all lead to the same<br />

outcome where we have ageing<br />

brown marks on both our face<br />

and body.<br />

Melanocytes are cells in our<br />

skin that produce melanin, or<br />

pigment and these are located<br />

deep within the skin. It would<br />

be perfect if the colour or<br />

pigment was produced evenly<br />

across our skin but given the<br />

stimulants mentioned above<br />

aggravating our melanin, this is<br />

not usually the case.<br />

My philosophy for treating<br />

hyperpigmentation focuses on<br />

five main areas to help achieve<br />

a luminous, radiant glow for<br />

our skin. These are: Surface exfoliation;<br />

suppressing melanocyte<br />

activity; treatment; cellular<br />

repair and protection; and<br />

lightening and brightening.<br />

With the assistance of<br />

gauze, toning lotion and/or<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

surface exfoliation, skin cells<br />

are sloughed off, revealing a<br />

brighter complexion. Some of<br />

the key ingredients in these<br />

products are Retinaldehydes,<br />

Mandelic Acid, Flower Acids<br />

and AHAs and BHAs.<br />

To reduce existing hyperpigmentation,<br />

superior brightening<br />

agents in skin care products<br />

will include Daisy Flower<br />

Extract, Kojic Acid, L-Arbutin,<br />

Resveratrol and Niacinamide –<br />

all of which assist in reducing<br />

melanocyte activity. This in<br />

turn will improve skin clarity<br />

and even out the skin tone.<br />

Treatments to help reduce<br />

the appearance of hyperpigmentation<br />

may include progressive,<br />

mid-depth and deep<br />

peels; Intense Pulsed Light (IPL),<br />

Fractional Laser, Skin Classic<br />

Dyathermy, Nano Fractional<br />

Laser and Tixel, or a combination<br />

of these procedures.<br />

When our skin is under attack<br />

from any of the causes of<br />

hyperpigmentation, cellular<br />

breakdown occurs and cellular<br />

repair is needed. This can be in<br />

the form of internal nutritional<br />

food and supplements (including<br />

the antioxidants Vitamins<br />

A, B and C) and external product<br />

application (which include<br />

ingredients such as reparative<br />

stem cells like Gardenia, Swiss<br />

Apple, Edelweiss, Vitamin C<br />

and B). By incorporating a natural<br />

physical sunscreen – zinc<br />

and titanium dioxide – to our<br />

everyday skincare regime, the<br />

skin has a natural shield of protection<br />

against future attacks. It<br />

is important to note regular 3-4<br />

hourly application of sunscreen<br />

is required; and even then we<br />

can still obtain a tan.<br />

To assist with lightening and<br />

brightening our complexion,<br />

the skin may benefit from the<br />

infusion of Vitamin C, Mandelic<br />

and Phytic Acids, and Plantain<br />

Leaf extract. In-clinic skincare<br />

treatments are like the ‘boot<br />

camp’ for the infusion process –<br />

and it does not mean you have<br />

to suffer to be glowing. The<br />

treatments are performed regularly<br />

and provide radiant skin<br />

and you leaving more relaxed –<br />

a great prescription for healthy,<br />

radiant skin.<br />

We live in “a sunburnt country”,<br />

so we need to be vigilant<br />

year-round with our skin/sun<br />

protection. A healthy diet for<br />

internal support and sun protection<br />

(sunglasses, sunscreen,<br />

sun hat, long sleeves) and<br />

skincare supporting cellular<br />

repair and melanin suppression<br />

will all assist with the necessary<br />

external support. The result will<br />

allow us to ‘get our glow on’.<br />

Sue Carroll is at the forefront<br />

of the beauty, wellness<br />

and para-medical profession<br />

with 35 years’ experience on<br />

Sydney’s Northern Beaches.<br />

She leads an experienced,<br />

professional team who are<br />

passionate about results for<br />

men and women.<br />

info@skininspiration.com.au<br />

www.skininspiration.com.au<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 63<br />

Health Hair & Wellbeing Beauty


Business <strong>Life</strong>: Money<br />

with Brian Hrnjak<br />

Business <strong>Life</strong><br />

What happens when the<br />

Federal Budget goes viral<br />

This month we take a<br />

brief look at the recent<br />

Federal Budget from<br />

a business perspective; and<br />

wasn’t it a strange budget<br />

experience! A Federal<br />

Budget being handed down<br />

in October instead of May,<br />

well that’s odd in itself, but<br />

then with all of the spending<br />

coming from a Liberal<br />

treasurer it turned into a bit<br />

of a freak show. “A pretty<br />

good Labor budget” one<br />

writer in The Sydney Morning<br />

Herald commented. This may<br />

be true, but this year more<br />

than any other in a long time<br />

probably calls for a pragmatic<br />

approach.<br />

I have cherry picked some<br />

of the budget highlights that<br />

would be of benefit to most<br />

of the small and medium<br />

businesses operating in our<br />

area:<br />

Capital asset write-offs<br />

Prior to the budget, small<br />

businesses were able to<br />

expense capital assets costing<br />

up to $150,000 and installed<br />

for use before 31 December<br />

<strong>2020</strong>. In a nutshell, the Budget<br />

has uncapped this amount<br />

and extended the time limit<br />

through to 30 June 2022.<br />

As with most things the<br />

government “gives” you,<br />

there are conditions: first,<br />

the turnover of your business<br />

is relevant but I’m assuming<br />

a small business here is<br />

less than $50 million. Cars<br />

always come up as part of<br />

this discussion and you need<br />

TAX CUTS: On the agenda.<br />

to know that a depreciation<br />

threshold on motor vehicles<br />

of $59,136 applies – so don’t<br />

order a shiny new car over<br />

that amount assuming it can<br />

be deducted in one year, plus<br />

you have to allow for any<br />

private use component that<br />

will also limit your deduction.<br />

Be aware, however, that this<br />

depreciation threshold does<br />

not apply to vehicles that<br />

can carry a load over one<br />

tonne, or that can transport<br />

nine passengers. Another<br />

exclusion to be aware of<br />

applies to capital works –<br />

things such as buildings or<br />

alterations to a building,<br />

structural improvements,<br />

or earthworks. The point is,<br />

at the margin, accelerated<br />

depreciation can be<br />

complicated so if you are<br />

contemplating the purchase of<br />

a significant asset it would be<br />

wise to schedule a chat with<br />

your adviser.<br />

The last point to take notice<br />

of is the growth in both scale<br />

and reach of this concession<br />

over many years. The reason<br />

why it gets trotted out so<br />

often at budget time is simple:<br />

it costs the government very<br />

little and plays off the short<br />

time horizons of individual<br />

taxpayers versus the<br />

theoretically unlimited time<br />

horizon of the government.<br />

In accountant’s parlance, it’s<br />

just a timing difference – but<br />

don’t let that stop you buying<br />

a new asset, just don’t let it<br />

be the only reason why you<br />

bought it.<br />

Carry-back loss<br />

provisions for companies<br />

Unlike certain former<br />

ABC journalists, most<br />

businesspeople realise that if<br />

you incur a loss when running<br />

your business you need to<br />

make up that loss in the future<br />

before you become liable<br />

for further income tax on<br />

profits. This particular budget<br />

incentive works in reverse<br />

allowing companies (and only<br />

companies) that have made<br />

profits in the financial years<br />

64 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

between 1 July 2018 and 30<br />

June 2021 to obtain a refund<br />

against losses they have<br />

incurred between 1 July 2019<br />

and 30 June 2022.<br />

The reason why only<br />

companies are eligible is<br />

that this refund is generated<br />

against the company’s<br />

franking credit account and<br />

the scale of any refund is<br />

limited to the balance of the<br />

franking account and cannot<br />

create a deficit. Companies<br />

that clean out their franking<br />

accounts will need to make<br />

profits and pay company<br />

tax in the future before<br />

they can go onto to pay<br />

franked dividends to their<br />

shareholders.<br />

Personal Tax Cuts<br />

I won’t bore you with the<br />

rundown of the brackets but<br />

The Sydney Morning Herald<br />

quoted some post-budget<br />

analysis from the BankWest<br />

Curtin Economics Centre<br />

that around three quarters of<br />

Australians will be better off<br />

as a result of the combination<br />

of brought forward tax cuts,<br />

extension of low and middle<br />

income offsets, two $250<br />

payments to pensioners and<br />

the Corona Virus supplement<br />

paid to those on JobSeeker<br />

benefits.<br />

More importantly for<br />

business owners, in the week<br />

following the Budget the<br />

Herald went on to report a<br />

strong jump in the regular<br />

Westpac survey of consumer<br />

confidence to a two year high<br />

that economist Bill Evans<br />

described as “extraordinary”<br />

and attributed to the<br />

Budget as well as improving<br />

containment of the virus.<br />

When tax planning this<br />

financial year, it would pay to<br />

keep an eye on the thresholds<br />

of $45,000 and $120,000 as<br />

these are the points that mark<br />

the start of new tax brackets<br />

as well as the end point of tax<br />

offsets. For example, salary<br />

sacrificing superannuation on<br />

an income of $45,000 is no<br />

longer economic when you<br />

consider the average rate of<br />

income tax combined with tax<br />

offsets – you’d be better off<br />

taking the funds as wages.<br />

The tax cuts contained<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

in the budget have been<br />

backdated to 1 July and<br />

legislated so they will<br />

manifest themselves as lower<br />

PAYG withholding for most<br />

businesses when they prepare<br />

their BAS. The tax offsets<br />

should any apply will become<br />

available when an individual<br />

lodges their 2021 tax return.<br />

JobMaker Hiring Credit<br />

This is an age-based hiring<br />

credit for new employees<br />

engaged for 20 or more hours<br />

per week who were previously<br />

on JobSeeker, Youth Allowance<br />

or Parenting Payment. Paid at<br />

the rate of $200 per week for<br />

those aged 16 to 29 and $100<br />

per week for those aged 30<br />

to 35, the concession is for<br />

12 months from the date of<br />

employment.<br />

Apprenticeships<br />

wage subsidy<br />

From 5 October <strong>2020</strong> to 30<br />

September 2021, businesses of<br />

any size will be able to claim<br />

a Boosting Apprentices Wage<br />

Subsidy for new apprentices<br />

or trainees who commence<br />

during this period. Employers<br />

will be reimbursed up to 50%<br />

of an apprentice or trainee’s<br />

wages up to $7,000 per<br />

quarter subject to a national<br />

cap of 100,000 places.<br />

The government may have<br />

wanted to splash around<br />

the word ‘apprenticeship’<br />

in the budget papers but<br />

a quick look around at the<br />

traineeships on offer shows<br />

there is a strong diversity of<br />

training available in nontrades<br />

areas such as office<br />

work that should mean the<br />

scheme is well supported.<br />

Brian Hrnjak B Bus CPA (FPS) is<br />

a Director of GHR Accounting<br />

Group Pty Ltd, Certified<br />

Practising Accountants. Offices<br />

at: Suite 12, Ground Floor,<br />

20 Bungan Street Mona Vale<br />

NSW 2103 and Shop 8, 9 – 15<br />

Central Ave Manly NSW 2095,<br />

Telephone: 02 9979-4300,<br />

Webs: www.ghr.com.au and<br />

www.altre.com.au Email:<br />

brian@ghr.com.au<br />

These comments are of a<br />

general nature only and are<br />

not intended as a substitute<br />

for professional advice.<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 65<br />

Business <strong>Life</strong>


Business <strong>Life</strong>: Law<br />

with Jennifer Harris<br />

Business <strong>Life</strong><br />

Dispute resolution: sorting<br />

things out during COVID<br />

In July, this column addressed<br />

the issue of “surviving<br />

lockdown” and noted<br />

“... for Strata managers,<br />

several issues have arisen<br />

for example concerning<br />

meetings and processes,<br />

finance and maintenance and<br />

safety dispute resolution”. We<br />

observed that problems arose<br />

mainly about the conduct of<br />

people living under curfew<br />

during the virus pandemic<br />

period and further noted that<br />

“... perhaps an area giving rise<br />

to increased activity is dispute<br />

resolution”.<br />

In a recent discussion with<br />

a colleague who practises<br />

exclusively in Strata Law, it<br />

was illuminating to hear of the<br />

magnitude of matters requiring<br />

recent dispute resolution – considerably<br />

increased in recent<br />

months. These involved queries<br />

on adjoining property developments,<br />

dividing fences and retaining<br />

walls, trees and plants,<br />

destruction and damages and<br />

nuisances and negligence.<br />

Working at home has<br />

given rise to concentration<br />

on renovation, gardening<br />

and development – hardware<br />

outlets are booming. Adjoining<br />

property development disputes<br />

arise where access is sought<br />

to an adjoining property for<br />

construction works, or for a<br />

problem which may have arisen<br />

in relation to the use of land.<br />

BUILDING FENCES: Boundary<br />

issues can be the source of<br />

much aggravation between<br />

neighbours.<br />

The issue is: how can one<br />

access and neighbour’s land if<br />

agreement cannot be reached<br />

with the neighbour for access?<br />

In these circumstances the<br />

person requiring access to the<br />

adjoining property may make<br />

an application for an order in<br />

terms of the Access to Neighboring<br />

Land Act 2000.<br />

The Act provides that an<br />

access order may be made for<br />

one or more of the following<br />

purposes in connection with<br />

the land on which the work is<br />

to be carried out:<br />

■ carrying out work of constructions,<br />

repair, maintenance,<br />

improvement or<br />

demolition of building or<br />

other structures;<br />

■ carrying out inspections for<br />

the purpose of ascertaining<br />

whether such work is<br />

required;<br />

■ making plans in connection<br />

with such work;<br />

■ ascertaining<br />

the<br />

course of<br />

drains, sewers,<br />

pipes or<br />

cables and renewing, repairing<br />

or cleaning them; or<br />

■ ascertaining whether any<br />

hedge, tree or shrub is<br />

dangerous, dead, diseased,<br />

damaged or insecurely<br />

rooted.<br />

The Act sets up a regime<br />

to alter the balance of the<br />

interest of the owner requiring<br />

access and the dominant<br />

owner in the interests of the<br />

community generally. Judicial<br />

observations have noted that<br />

where it is in the public interest,<br />

particularly in situations<br />

where there is a closely settled<br />

area, buildings can be properly<br />

maintained and there can<br />

be appropriate urban renewal<br />

by sensible give and take<br />

between adjoining owners.<br />

Overall, the Act encourages<br />

people to negotiate in good<br />

faith and make reasonable efforts<br />

to reach agreement.<br />

In the event that litigation<br />

occurs, the Local Court may<br />

order that a person<br />

to whom an<br />

access order<br />

is granted pay<br />

compensation<br />

to the owner<br />

of the land to<br />

which access<br />

is granted for<br />

loss, damage or<br />

injury, including<br />

damage to personal property,<br />

or financial loss and personal<br />

injury arising from access.<br />

An issue where access is<br />

often sought to a neighbour’s<br />

property is over the subject of<br />

dividing fences and retaining<br />

walls – particularly the latter<br />

on the Northern Beaches<br />

peninsula where geotech<br />

engineers report on shifting<br />

ground and surfaces.<br />

Fences are important to<br />

most property owners. An<br />

adjoining owner is liable, in<br />

respect of adjoining lands<br />

where there is a no sufficient<br />

dividing fence, to contribute<br />

to the carrying out of fencing<br />

work that results or would<br />

result in the provision of a<br />

dividing fence of a standard<br />

not greater than the standard<br />

for a sufficient dividing fence<br />

66 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

– set out in Section 6 of the<br />

Dividing Fences Act 1991.<br />

It is essential in any negotiation<br />

over fences which may<br />

lead to the Local Court and<br />

indeed it is a requirement that<br />

if an adjoining owner wants<br />

the other adjoining owner to<br />

contribute to the construction<br />

of a fence, a notice in<br />

writing must be secured to<br />

the other owner. The notice is<br />

to specify the boundary line<br />

on which the fencing work is<br />

proposed to be carried out,<br />

or if it is impractical to carry<br />

out the fencing work on the<br />

boundary, the line on which it<br />

is proposed to carry out the<br />

work, the type of fencing work<br />

proposed to be carried out<br />

and the estimated cost of the<br />

fencing work. If the cost of the<br />

work is to be borne otherwise<br />

than in equal proportions, the<br />

actual proportion should be<br />

specified.<br />

If adjoining owners do not<br />

agree within one month after<br />

the service of notice as to the<br />

fencing work to be carried<br />

out, either owner may apply to<br />

the Local Court for determination.<br />

In 2014, a decision in Turner<br />

v Biggin [2014] NSW CATC 187<br />

demonstrated how critical the<br />

one-month time limit is in any<br />

application. In that case the<br />

applicant filed an application<br />

seeking orders in accordance<br />

with fencing work proposed<br />

in the notice. However, the<br />

application was served and<br />

filed 18 days after service of<br />

the notice. As a consequence<br />

the Tribunal failed to make<br />

the order on the basis that<br />

the legislative requirement in<br />

Section 12 of the Act had not<br />

been satisfied. Accordingly,<br />

the application for an order<br />

was dismissed.<br />

The issue of retaining walls<br />

is complex and usually very<br />

expensive. The law concerning<br />

retaining walls is found not in<br />

The Dividing Fences Act 1991<br />

but rather in the Conveyancing<br />

Act and deals with an owner’s<br />

duty of care in relation to support<br />

of the land and set out<br />

that “... a person has a duty of<br />

care not to do anything or in<br />

relation to land – supporting<br />

land, that removes the support<br />

provided by the supporting<br />

land and any other land<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

– supported land.”<br />

Another very common<br />

dispute between neighbours<br />

concerns trees and plants.<br />

In 2009 a Commissioner in<br />

the NSW Land & Environment<br />

Court observed: “Trees whether<br />

living or dead, are evolving,<br />

changing dynamic structures.<br />

Many trees may grow, flower,<br />

fruit or react to climatic<br />

changes such as drought.<br />

They are also susceptible to<br />

attack from a variety of organisms<br />

large and small – from<br />

micobial fungi through human<br />

beings to pachyderms.”<br />

The Trees Act does not<br />

apply to trees situated on any<br />

land that it is vested in, or<br />

managed by, a Council or any<br />

land of a kind prescribed by<br />

the regulations.<br />

As with the Fence Act an<br />

application for an order in the<br />

Land & Environment Court<br />

gives at least 21 days’ notice<br />

of intention to lodge an application<br />

and the term of the<br />

order sought to the owner of<br />

the land on which the tree is<br />

situated.<br />

A not uncommon occurrence<br />

of a large tree falling on<br />

a neighbour’s property in Gosford<br />

with resultant significant<br />

damage happened in 2008.<br />

It was found that the mere<br />

fact that a tree is situated on<br />

a person’s land is insufficient<br />

reason by itself to justify making<br />

that person the insurer of<br />

other persons for any harm<br />

the tree may cause to<br />

them or their property.<br />

This and other subjects are<br />

continually before The Land<br />

and Environment Court for adjudication<br />

and resolution and<br />

during this period of lockdown<br />

the volume of applications has<br />

increased.<br />

Overwhelmingly, one should<br />

be mindful that the Court<br />

looks at attempts between the<br />

parties to reasonably resolve<br />

these disputes before making<br />

application to the Court.<br />

Comment supplied by<br />

Jennifer Harris, of Jennifer<br />

Harris & Associates,<br />

Solicitors, 4/57 Avalon<br />

Parade, Avalon Beach.<br />

T: 9973 2011. F: 9918 3290.<br />

E: jennifer@jenniferharris.com.au<br />

W: www.jenniferharris.com.au<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 67<br />

Business <strong>Life</strong>


Trades & Services<br />

Trades & Services<br />

AIR CONDITIONING<br />

Alliance Climate Control<br />

Call 02 9186 4179<br />

Air Conditioning & Electrical<br />

Professionals. Specialists in Air<br />

Conditioning Installation, Service,<br />

Repair & Replacement.<br />

AUTO REPAIRS<br />

British & Swedish Motors<br />

Call 9970 6654<br />

Services Range Rover, Land Rover,<br />

Saab and Volvo with the latest in<br />

diagnostic equipment.<br />

Narrabeen Tyrepower<br />

Call 9970 6670<br />

Stocks all popular brands including<br />

Cooper 4WD. Plus they’ll do all<br />

mechanical repairs and rego inspections.<br />

AV INSTALLER<br />

Chase AV<br />

Call Erin 0429 336 606<br />

End your frustration with a suite of<br />

Savant products to bring you stressfree<br />

TV and music.<br />

BATTERIES<br />

Battery Business<br />

Call 9970 6999<br />

Batteries for all applications. Won’t<br />

be beaten on price or service. Free<br />

testing, 7 days.<br />

BOAT SERVICES<br />

Avalon Marine Upholstery<br />

Call Simon 9918 9803<br />

Makes cushions for boats, patio and<br />

pool furniture, window seats.<br />

BUILDING SERVICES<br />

Rob Burgers<br />

Call 0416 066 159<br />

Qualified builder provides all carpentry<br />

needs; decks, pergolas, carports, renos<br />

& repairs.<br />

CLEANING<br />

Amazing Clean<br />

Call Andrew 0412 475 2871<br />

Specialists in blinds, curtains and<br />

awnings. Clean, repair, supply new.<br />

The Aqua Clean Team<br />

Call Mark 0449 049 101<br />

Quality window washing, pressure cleaning,<br />

carpet washing, building soft wash.<br />

High Pressure<br />

House Cleaning<br />

Call Crispin 0416 215 095<br />

Houses, Roofs, Paths & Driveways;<br />

Domestic & Commercial.<br />

Northernbeaches.com.au<br />

Call Ben 0408 682 525<br />

Celebrating 21 years on <strong>Pittwater</strong>.<br />

Softwash experts, pressure cleaning,<br />

gutters & windows inside & outside.<br />

CONCRETING<br />

Pavecrete – All Concrete<br />

Services<br />

Call Phil 0418 772 799<br />

pavecrete@iinet.net.au<br />

Established locally 1995. Driveways<br />

plus – Council Accredited. Excavation<br />

service.<br />

FLOOR COVERINGS<br />

Blue Tongue Carpets<br />

Call Stephan 9979 7292<br />

Family owned and run. Carpet, rugs,<br />

runners, timber, bamboo, vinyl, tiles,<br />

laminates; open 6 days.<br />

FLOOR SANDING<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> Eco Floor Sanding<br />

Call 0425 376986<br />

Floor sanding & polishing; staining &<br />

lime washing; installation & repairs;<br />

rejuvenation; decking and outdoor<br />

timber. Call for your free quote.<br />

GARDENS<br />

!Abloom Ace Gardening<br />

Call 0415 817 880<br />

Full range of gardening services<br />

including landscaping, maintenance<br />

and rubbish removal.<br />

Melaleuca Landscapes<br />

Call Sandy 0416 276 066<br />

Professional design and construction<br />

for every garden situation. Sustainable<br />

vegetable gardens and waterfront<br />

specialist.<br />

Precision Tree Services<br />

Call Adam 0410 736 105<br />

Adam Bridger; professional tree<br />

care by qualified arborists and tree<br />

surgeons.<br />

Tree Force<br />

Call Guy 0411 730 239<br />

Professional, safe 7 cost-effective<br />

service. Specialising in all aspects<br />

of tree work. 30 years on Northern<br />

Beaches.<br />

GUTTERS & ROOFING<br />

Cloud9 G&R<br />

Call Tommy 0447 999 929<br />

Prompt and reliable service; gutter<br />

cleaning and installation, leak<br />

detection, roof installation and<br />

painting. Also roof repairs specialist.<br />

Ken Wilson Roofing<br />

Call 0419 466 783<br />

Leaking roofs, tile repairs, tiles<br />

replaced, metal roof repairs, gutter<br />

cleaning, valley irons replaced, whirly<br />

birds fitted. 30 years exp.<br />

HANDYMEN<br />

Onshore Handyman Services<br />

Call Mark 0415 525 484<br />

Tick off your wish list of repairs and<br />

improvements around your house and<br />

consider the job done!<br />

HANDYMEN Continued<br />

Palm Beach Handyman<br />

Call Nigel 0412 510 736<br />

Trusted local operator with 20 years’<br />

Trades & Services<br />

Antique<br />

General<br />

Store<br />

68 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 69


Trades & Services<br />

Times Past<br />

Trades & Services<br />

experience; quality service and all<br />

work guaranteed.<br />

KITCHENS<br />

Seabreeze Kitchens<br />

Call 9938 5477<br />

Specialists in all kitchen needs; design,<br />

fitting, consultation. Excellent trades.<br />

MASSAGE & FITNESS<br />

Avalon Physiotherapy<br />

Call 9918 3373<br />

Provide specialist treatment for neck &<br />

back pain, sports injuries, orthopaedic<br />

problems.<br />

PEST CONTROL<br />

Predator Pest Control<br />

Call 0417 276 962<br />

predatorpestcontrol.com.au<br />

Environmental services at their best.<br />

Comprehensive control. Eliminate all<br />

manner of pests.<br />

PLUMBING<br />

Brock’s Plumbing<br />

Call 1800 99 58 58<br />

General and emergency services. Hot<br />

water; CCTV sewer and stormwater<br />

inspections. Serving Northern Beaches<br />

for 30+ years.<br />

Rapid Jet Pipe Cleaning<br />

Call 1800 99 58 58<br />

Sewer & stormwater pipe rehabilitation;<br />

25-year warranty & annual CCTV<br />

inspection.<br />

RENOVATIONS<br />

BlindLight<br />

Call Dave 0403 466 350<br />

Specialists in window tintings and<br />

glass coatings. Act now for summer.<br />

RUBBISH REMOVAL<br />

Jack’s Rubbish Removals<br />

Call Jack 0403 385 312<br />

Up to 45% cheaper than skips. Latest<br />

health regulations. Old-fashioned<br />

honesty & reliability. Free quotes.<br />

One 2 Dump<br />

Call Josh 0450 712 779<br />

Seven-days-a-week pick-up service<br />

includes general household rubbish,<br />

construction, commercial plus<br />

vegetation. Also car removals.<br />

UPHOLSTERY<br />

Luxafoam North<br />

Call 0414 468 434<br />

Local specialists in all aspects of<br />

outdoor & indoor seating.<br />

Custom service, expert advice.<br />

DISCLAIMER: The editorial and advertising<br />

content in <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> has been provided<br />

by a number of sources. Any opinions<br />

expressed are not necessarily those of the<br />

Editor or Publisher of <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong> and no<br />

responsibility is taken for the accuracy of the<br />

information contained within. Readers should<br />

make their own enquiries directly to any<br />

organisations or businesses prior to making<br />

any plans or taking any action.<br />

‘Flint and Steel’ house<br />

out beyond West Head<br />

The McGaw house of<br />

Flint and Steel Beach<br />

was once described by<br />

the Royal Australian Institute<br />

of Architects as “one of the<br />

finest examples of Australian<br />

Vernacular Architecture”.<br />

The house was called ‘Flint<br />

and Steel’ after which the<br />

beach received its name –<br />

although these days somewhat<br />

strangely it also goes by the<br />

name White Horse Beach.<br />

New Zealand-born Eardley<br />

Henderson ‘Mac’ McGaw<br />

received the grant of a lot<br />

from a proposed subdivision<br />

of Ku-ring-gai Chase in 1924,<br />

previously called Commodore<br />

Heights. It was, in fact, a<br />

‘permissive occupancy’<br />

in that he was required to<br />

construct a house to the value<br />

of at least 160 pounds within<br />

four years, to encourage<br />

investors to purchase land.<br />

‘Mac’ was a builder and<br />

loved nature, especially the<br />

environment, and he thought<br />

nothing of walking to Pymble<br />

in five hours via a rough bush<br />

track. One report stated that<br />

he spent some time in a cave<br />

along the Hawkesbury River,<br />

including six months in a<br />

shelter made of palm tree bark.<br />

The shingles on the house,<br />

which are estimated to<br />

number 50,000, came from<br />

the casuarinas up on the<br />

ridge and the sandstone<br />

for the retaining walls and<br />

landscaping, from the site.<br />

The cement which was used<br />

for the walls and the floors<br />

was carried up the steep slope<br />

from the beach in kerosene<br />

tins. The rest of the materials<br />

came from Brooklyn via a<br />

rowboat, with McGaw on the<br />

oars. Water came from two<br />

springs above the site, used<br />

in the construction and, later,<br />

for the occupants of the house<br />

and still later the guesthouse.<br />

A feature of the house was<br />

the art nouveau stained glass<br />

windows on the ground floor,<br />

acquired from a demolition<br />

sale. “The fireplace is a<br />

masterpiece of graceful lines,<br />

with colourful concrete<br />

blocks to give a decorative<br />

appearance.” The ground floors<br />

are of green, red and ochrecoloured<br />

concrete blocks.<br />

In the upper floor there was<br />

no glass in the large window<br />

frames and ladders were<br />

needed to climb to access the<br />

bedrooms from which you<br />

could “gaze out beneath the<br />

overhanging eaves across a<br />

blue river to the golden sands<br />

of Patonga Beach”.<br />

During World War II,<br />

the Navy requisitioned the<br />

property and apparently<br />

built a jetty, although there<br />

are no remains visible these<br />

days. It would have been well<br />

concealed from the entrance<br />

to Broken Bay and the<br />

Hawkesbury River behind the<br />

FROM THE 1940s: McGaw House ‘Flint<br />

and Steel’ located behind White Horse<br />

Beach, also called Flint and Steel Beach<br />

after the house; and the coloured<br />

concrete blockwork fireplace (below).<br />

West Head fortifications.<br />

In 1968, the National Parks<br />

and Wildlife Society took over<br />

the management of the whole<br />

area and the McGaws were<br />

ordered to quit and demolish<br />

the buildings.<br />

‘Mac’ fought the decision<br />

and while spending some<br />

time at Narrabeen, ‘Flint<br />

and Steel’ was mysteriously<br />

destroyed by fire in 1971.<br />

All that remains today of<br />

‘Flint and Steel’ are remnants<br />

of the former garden,<br />

including some of the stone<br />

retaining walls. Ticks, snakes<br />

and goannas are the only<br />

residents these days.<br />

TIMES PAST is supplied by<br />

local historian and President<br />

of the Avalon Beach<br />

Historical Society GEOFF<br />

SEARL. Visit the Society’s<br />

showroom in Bowling Green<br />

Lane, Avalon Beach.<br />

Times Past<br />

70 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 71


Tasty Morsels<br />

Pearl's a cracker of a Thai<br />

on the Bayview waterfront<br />

Blue Pearl<br />

17/1714 <strong>Pittwater</strong> Rd, Bayview<br />

Open: Tues-Sun, lunch and<br />

dinner<br />

P: 9997 8918<br />

with Beverley Hudec<br />

Tiny Morsels…<br />

Curtain goes up on<br />

renovated Forest Hotel<br />

After 12 months of renovations, dated<br />

Parkway Hotel on Frenchs Forest Road<br />

East has been redeveloped as The Forest<br />

Hotel. The design brief for the venue<br />

includes an indoor-outdoors use of<br />

natural materials, greenery, light-filled<br />

interiors, a beer garden and dining<br />

terraces (below). The Forest is scheduled<br />

to open mid-<strong>November</strong>.<br />

Tasty Dining Morsels Guide<br />

Blue Pearl is one of those<br />

restaurants you’d blithely<br />

drive past if you didn’t<br />

know it was there. The<br />

location in Bayview Anchorage<br />

keeps it well hidden from the<br />

road, but from the water it’s a<br />

different story.<br />

Every table in this light and<br />

airy upstairs restaurant is<br />

blessed with a <strong>Pittwater</strong> view,<br />

whatever the weather. And, as<br />

you’d expect, the best ones<br />

straddle the floor-to-ceiling<br />

glass windows. For pure table<br />

envy, the ultimate dining<br />

experience is al fresco at one of<br />

the tables on the small balcony.<br />

Book a table and Blue Pearl<br />

still offers BYO wine – corkage<br />

is currently three bucks a<br />

head. And perchance the wine<br />

fridge happens to be empty<br />

when you order a Friday<br />

night takeaway, there’s home<br />

delivery too on a selection of<br />

beer, cider, wine and bubbles.<br />

The restaurant is quiet<br />

when we turn up, so any of<br />

the window tables are up for<br />

grabs. It’s a lovely day, so<br />

there’s plenty of weekend<br />

action in the marina below<br />

and out on the water.<br />

Service follows <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />

time and is unhurried and<br />

friendly. Staffer Phillip<br />

knowledgeably runs through<br />

the menu, picking out a<br />

few favourites. In true<br />

Thai restaurant style,<br />

it’s an extensive list<br />

covering off familiar<br />

stir fries and curries,<br />

as well as signature<br />

dishes. Every table<br />

picks at least one<br />

of these, we’re told. Chef<br />

specials include Dancing Go<br />

Go, a spiced wagyu beef and<br />

green bean dish, not a latenight<br />

table-top activity; Sailing<br />

on <strong>Pittwater</strong>, which is a deepfried<br />

whole<br />

fish served<br />

with a choice<br />

of one of three<br />

homemade<br />

sauces; and Ruby<br />

of Oriental, a<br />

deboned duck<br />

dish topped with<br />

red curry paste,<br />

pineapple and<br />

cherry tomatoes.<br />

While they sound<br />

delicious as part<br />

of a larger shared<br />

banquet, they’re<br />

perhaps a bit heavy<br />

for a light lunch.<br />

Instead, Thai-style<br />

nibbles, Nar-Tang (above),<br />

moves away from popular<br />

appetisers like money bags, fish<br />

cakes and satay sticks. Small<br />

pieces of chicken, prawn and<br />

crab meat in a coconut sauce<br />

turn it into a chip and dip with<br />

a Thai twist. Chilli provides<br />

a blip of heat and the puffed<br />

crackers are bitter, balancing<br />

the sweetness and the heat.<br />

The secret of any good Thai<br />

dish are those classic flavour<br />

balances – sweet, spicy, sour<br />

and salty.<br />

Blue Pearl’s sweet and<br />

creamy Penang vegetable curry<br />

is made with a homemade<br />

curry paste, cooked with<br />

coconut cream, roasted ground<br />

peanuts and Thai seasoning.<br />

It’s a mild curry with a thick,<br />

rich gravy. It is rather sweet;<br />

however it is a dish that sits<br />

nicely alongside another classic<br />

Thai salad – larb gai (left).<br />

Minced chicken breast is<br />

cooked with a lemon dressing,<br />

dried chilli, fish sauce, roasted<br />

rice for texture and served<br />

with a herb, lettuce and cherry<br />

tomato garnish. It’s light,<br />

fresh and tangy with a hint of<br />

sour and heat and perfect to<br />

offset a sweet, creamy curry.<br />

Blue Pearl has kept a<br />

generation of young Bayview<br />

sailors and their families<br />

happy with spring rolls and<br />

Pad Thai for 18 years. Here’s<br />

to another generation.<br />

72 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

Cultural melting pot<br />

is Three Doors Down<br />

One laneway Mona Vale cafe is a<br />

melting pot of Middle Eastern and<br />

Japanese flavours. Three Doors Down<br />

has goodies like shakshuka, or Isreali<br />

baked eggs, and Japanese pancakes<br />

– okonomiyaki – on the menu. These<br />

are topped with kale, poached<br />

eggs and served with house-made<br />

fermented chilli sauce (above). Three<br />

Doors Down is in Waratah St. Open<br />

from 7am. Closed Sunday.<br />

Three of a kind: local brews<br />

The beer week at Trust<br />

Tree Brewing Co<br />

begins on Monday and<br />

Tuesday with brewing.<br />

Wednesday is reserved<br />

for canning 100 cartons<br />

of lager and pale ale and<br />

Thursday is delivery day.<br />

You’ll find the Avalon<br />

micro brewery tucked<br />

behind the butcher on<br />

Avalon Pde. Doors open<br />

to the public on Friday<br />

from 4-9pm.<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

Modus Operandi has<br />

jumped on the nonboozy<br />

beer wagon with<br />

its own brew. Rather<br />

than producing a lager,<br />

the Mona Vale indie<br />

brewery is making<br />

a fruity golden pale<br />

ale called Nort. The<br />

Harkeith St venue also<br />

has 16 tap beers, a<br />

menu with Americanstyle<br />

eats and live music<br />

on Sundays.<br />

Newport is home to<br />

4 Pines’ aged-beer<br />

collection where beers<br />

are cellared and infused<br />

in barrels and foeders<br />

(large timber tanks) to<br />

develop their flavours.<br />

The Public House<br />

(right) currently has 12<br />

beers bubbling away.<br />

Squamish Sunset is a<br />

light-bodied, complex<br />

flavoured beer that is<br />

perfect for summer.<br />

New Coastal vibe<br />

for Palm Beach<br />

A new cafe has popped up in Palmy.<br />

Coast Palm Beach has moved into<br />

the spot vacated by the Greedy Goat<br />

on Barrenjoey Road. Just like sister<br />

cafe Coast 175 in Ettalong, the cafe<br />

channels a Mediterranean-meetscoastal<br />

vibe and a mod cafe menu<br />

with a Greek twist. Dishes include corn<br />

fritters (above), all-day breakfast and<br />

slow-cooked lamb gyros. Coast Palm<br />

Beach is closed on Tuesdays.<br />

What's brewing<br />

up at Avalon<br />

David Trevena is a man with<br />

a van. To be more precise,<br />

Classic Coffee is a 1958<br />

split-screen Kombi, which<br />

he’s painstakingly converted<br />

into a mobile coffee station.<br />

Popular choices to order<br />

alongside Single O coffee<br />

include breakfast burritos<br />

and vegan raspberry and<br />

almond slices. The van is<br />

parked bright and early on<br />

South Avalon headland from<br />

6am every day (left).<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 73<br />

Tasty Dining Morsels Guide


Food <strong>Life</strong><br />

with Janelle Bloom<br />

For more recipes go to janellebloom.com.au<br />

'Going Greek' gives plenty<br />

of small share plate options<br />

Food <strong>Life</strong><br />

Recipes: janellebloom.com.au; facebook.com/culinaryinbloom; instagram.com/janellegbloom/ Photos: Adobe<br />

Summer is the time for all of us who live<br />

on the northern beaches to make the<br />

most of our beautiful surroundings.<br />

That means plenty of warm, sunny days and<br />

nights on the deck outside, sharing a table of<br />

food packed with flavour – and for me that<br />

Greek Meze<br />

Serves 6<br />

Hummus, Baba Ghanoush,<br />

kalamata olives and charred<br />

Greek pitta, to serve<br />

Greek rissoles<br />

1kg lamb mince<br />

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs<br />

1 egg, lightly beaten<br />

2 tbs currants<br />

2 tbs pine nuts, toasted<br />

½ lemon, juiced, rind finely<br />

grated<br />

2 tsp dried oregano<br />

Greek salad<br />

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil<br />

2 tbs lemon juice<br />

1 tsp dried oregano<br />

250g cherry tomatoes, halved<br />

3 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced<br />

½ cup pitted kalamata olives<br />

½ red onion, thinly sliced<br />

100g fetta, cut into cubes<br />

1. For the Greek salad, whisk<br />

olive oil, lemon juice, oregano<br />

and pepper in a bowl. Add<br />

tomatoes, cucumber, olives,<br />

onion and fetta. Toss gently<br />

to combine. Refrigerate until<br />

ready to serve.<br />

2. For the rissoles, combine<br />

all the meatball ingredients<br />

in a bowl. Season with<br />

salt and pepper. Mix well.<br />

screams ‘Greek!’. This cuisine is great food to<br />

share and a perfect choice as you can make<br />

everything from scratch yourself or mix<br />

and match, making some things and buying<br />

others to complete your feast. At the end of<br />

the day the choice is yours!<br />

Shape mixture into 24 small<br />

rissoles. Press onto six<br />

bamboo skewers. Heat a<br />

greased barbecue plate on<br />

medium-high heat. Cook<br />

rissoles for 3-4 minutes each<br />

side or until cooked through.<br />

3. For the charred pitta, brush<br />

both sides of the pitta<br />

with olive oil. Barbecue<br />

1-2 minutes each side until<br />

starts to colour.<br />

4. Arrange rissole skewers,<br />

salad, dips, olives and<br />

charred pitta on the table.<br />

Janelle’s Tip #1: To flavourboost<br />

purchased hummus,<br />

spoon into a bowl. Warm a<br />

little extra virgin olive oil with<br />

smoked paprika and spoon<br />

over the hummus.<br />

Janelle’s Tip #2: To flavourboost<br />

purchased Baba<br />

Ghanoush, spoon into a<br />

bowl, top with finely chopped<br />

pickled jalapeno, red onion<br />

and parsley. Drizzle with extra<br />

virgin olive oil.<br />

Chicken &<br />

chips Gyros<br />

Makes 6<br />

750g oven fries<br />

1 tbs Greek seasoning<br />

1 tsp ground coriander<br />

¼ tsp sweet paprika<br />

2 garlic cloves, crushed<br />

3 tbs olive oil<br />

18 (about 1kg) chicken<br />

tenderloins, trimmed<br />

6 Greek pitta breads<br />

250g cherry tomatoes<br />

Tzatziki<br />

250g Greek yoghurt<br />

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil<br />

1 tbs lemon juice<br />

½ cup fresh mint leaves, finely<br />

chopped<br />

½ garlic clove, crushed<br />

1 Lebanese cucumber,<br />

coarsely grated<br />

1. To make tzatziki, combine<br />

all the ingredients in a<br />

bowl. Season with salt and<br />

pepper. Refrigerate until<br />

ready to serve.<br />

2. Preheat oven 180C fan<br />

forced. Cook the oven fries<br />

following packet directions.<br />

3. Meanwhile, combine the<br />

seasoning, coriander,<br />

paprika, garlic and 2<br />

tablespoons oil in a bowl.<br />

Add the chicken, turn to<br />

coat. Heat a large, non-stick<br />

frying pan over a medium<br />

heat. Cook the chicken in<br />

2-3 batches, for 3-5 minutes<br />

each side, or until cooked<br />

through. Remove to a plate,<br />

keep warm.<br />

4. Brush the pitta with<br />

remaining oil and pan fry<br />

1 minute each side until<br />

warm. Alternately, wrap<br />

together in a sheet of foil<br />

and warm in the oven under<br />

the fries for 8 minutes.<br />

5. Spread some tzatziki over<br />

warm pitta. Top with fries,<br />

chicken and tomatoes.<br />

Drizzle with more tzatziki.<br />

Roll up to enclose. Wrap in<br />

baking paper to secure. Serve<br />

with remaining tzatziki.<br />

Janelle’s Tip #1: Replace the<br />

cherry tomatoes with wedges<br />

of ripe summer tomatoes.<br />

Janelle’s Tip #2: If your<br />

yoghurt is a bit thin, before<br />

you make tzatziki, spoon the<br />

yoghurt into a sieve lined<br />

with muslin or unused Chux.<br />

Place over a bowl. Cover and<br />

refrigerate 1-2 hours. Discard<br />

the drained liquid.<br />

Greek silverbeet,<br />

ricotta and<br />

fetta pies<br />

Makes 24<br />

2 tbs olive oil<br />

1 brown onion, finely chopped<br />

1 garlic clove, crushed<br />

1 bunch silverbeet, leaves<br />

removed, shredded<br />

2 eggs, lightly beaten<br />

150g fresh ricotta, crumbled<br />

150g fetta, crumbled<br />

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves,<br />

finely chopped<br />

8 sheet frozen puff pastry,<br />

partially thawed<br />

Tzatziki or lemon wedges, to<br />

serve<br />

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan<br />

over medium heat. Add the<br />

onion and garlic and cook<br />

for 5 minutes or until onion<br />

softens. Add the silverbeet<br />

and cook, stirring, for<br />

1 minute. Transfer the<br />

mixture to a large bowl, add<br />

eggs to the warm silverbeet<br />

mixture and set aside to<br />

cool. Add ricotta, fetta and<br />

parsley. Season with salt<br />

and pepper. Set aside to<br />

cool.<br />

2. Preheat oven to 200°C.<br />

Cut out 12 x 12cm rounds<br />

from the pastry. Ease into<br />

12-hole ½-cup-capacity<br />

greased muffin tray. Cut 4<br />

x 2cm slits into each pastry<br />

round (see pic). Half-fill the<br />

pastry cases with spinach<br />

mixture. Brush the edges<br />

with a little water and fold<br />

over the filling. Press the<br />

edges together to seal. Bake<br />

for 18-20 minutes or until<br />

golden. Stand 5 minutes<br />

in pan then remove to wire<br />

rack. Repeat with remaining<br />

pastry and filling to make<br />

12 more. Serve warm or<br />

at room temperature with<br />

tzatziki or lemon wedges.<br />

Baklava panna cotta<br />

Makes 6<br />

300ml thickened cream<br />

2 tsp powdered gelatine<br />

½ cup caster sugar<br />

1 tsp vanilla bean paste<br />

1¼ cups (330g) Greek yoghurt<br />

1½ cup walnuts, toasted<br />

Baklava syrup<br />

1 cup caster sugar<br />

½ cup honey<br />

1 lemon, finely grated rind<br />

1 cinnamon quill<br />

1 cup water<br />

1 tsp lemon juice<br />

½ tsp rosewater, or to taste<br />

1. Pour 100ml of cream into a<br />

medium saucepan. Sprinkle<br />

over the gelatine. Whisk<br />

gently over low heat until the<br />

cream is warm and gelatine<br />

has dissolved (do not boil).<br />

Add the sugar and vanilla<br />

and remaining cream. Whisk<br />

gently over low until sugar<br />

has dissolved and mixture is<br />

warm, do not boil. Remove<br />

from heat and stand 5<br />

minutes. Whisk in yoghurt,<br />

then strain into a jug.<br />

2. Pour panna cotta evenly<br />

between 6 glasses. Cover<br />

and refrigerate 4 hours<br />

until set.<br />

3. Meanwhile, for honey syrup,<br />

combine sugar, honey,<br />

lemon rind, cinnamon and<br />

water in a saucepan over<br />

medium heat. Stir 3 minutes<br />

until sugar has dissolved.<br />

Reduce heat to low; simmer<br />

10 minutes. Remove from<br />

heat, strain through a<br />

fine sieve, stir through<br />

lemon juice and rosewater.<br />

Refrigerate until cold.<br />

4. Stir the walnuts into the<br />

baklava syrup and spoon<br />

over the panna cotta. Serve.<br />

Food <strong>Life</strong><br />

74 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 75


Food <strong>Life</strong><br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> Puzzler<br />

Compiled by David Stickley<br />

Pick of the Month:<br />

Watermelon<br />

1 ACROSS<br />

Food <strong>Life</strong><br />

After a day at the beach<br />

there is nothing better<br />

than coming home and<br />

gorging on a few icy cold<br />

pieces of watermelon.<br />

Watermelon contains only<br />

46 calories per cup and even<br />

though it is 92% water, it is<br />

high in vitamin C, vitamin<br />

A and many health plant<br />

compounds. Here are a few<br />

ways to enjoy <strong>November</strong>’s<br />

pick of the month.<br />

Watermelon, fetta<br />

& mint skewers<br />

Staying with the Greek<br />

theme, watermelon, fetta &<br />

mint skewers; cut watermelon<br />

and feta into cubes. Sandwich<br />

2 watermelon cubes with<br />

cube of fetta and fresh mint.<br />

Insert a skewer to secure.<br />

Serve icy cold (delicious<br />

with Mezze plate on<br />

previous page).<br />

Watermelon Pops<br />

Cut watermelon into wedges<br />

and insert a paddle pop stick.<br />

Freeze 2-3 hours, they make a<br />

great alternative to ice cream<br />

for a kids treat.<br />

Fruit salad<br />

with a twist<br />

Combine chopped<br />

watermelon, mango,<br />

strawberries, blackberries<br />

and lychee on a platter to<br />

form a yummy fruit salad.<br />

Process ¼ cup raw sugar with<br />

4 basil leaves and the grated<br />

rind (zest) of one lime to<br />

form a fine powder. Sprinkle<br />

the powder over the fruit<br />

salad and serve as a delicious<br />

refreshing dessert or snack.<br />

In Season<br />

<strong>November</strong><br />

Look out for a huge<br />

variety of tomatoes,<br />

Asian greens, Hass<br />

avocadoes, Broad<br />

beans, Baby carrots,<br />

Green beans, beetroot,<br />

capsicums, peas,<br />

green onions, Zucchini<br />

and Zucchini flowers;<br />

meanwhile the top fruit<br />

buys are: blueberries,<br />

blackberries, raspberries,<br />

mulberries, cherries and<br />

mangoes will come into<br />

their own – especially<br />

Calypso and Kensington<br />

Prides. Also look forward<br />

to seedless watermelon,<br />

grapes and pineapple.<br />

ACROSS<br />

1 A surfboard innovation that<br />

changed surfing (8)<br />

5 Black and white bird (6)<br />

10 Bowler’s approach (3-2)<br />

11 Watchful (9)<br />

12 Original name of Avalon’s<br />

Market Day (7,4)<br />

13 Black gold (3)<br />

14 Ideally perfect place (6)<br />

16 Enjoy oneself (4,3)<br />

18 The second hour after<br />

midnight or midday (3)<br />

19 Improve especially by<br />

replacing components (7)<br />

21 Yes indeed! (3,3)<br />

24 This can be preceded by<br />

afternoon, high and kitchen (3)<br />

25 Avalon surf movie maker,<br />

creator of Swell Chasers (3,8)<br />

28 Position held by Mark<br />

Robinson at Barrenjoey<br />

High (9)<br />

29 The border of the land near<br />

the sea (5)<br />

30 The way out (6)<br />

31 Commanded; prescribed (8)<br />

DOWN<br />

1 To grow healthily and<br />

vigorously (6)<br />

2 Long curl of hair (7)<br />

3 Cuttlefish ink (5)<br />

4 To free from the burden of<br />

blame or obligation (9)<br />

6 Flying generally (3,6)<br />

7 A game to decide a tie, a<br />

championship, promotion, etc<br />

(4-3)<br />

8 Home of Coast 175, Coast<br />

Palm Beach’s sister cafe (8)<br />

9 The largest of the world’s<br />

continents (4)<br />

15 The professional businesses<br />

of doctors, lawyers, etc. (9)<br />

16 The masses; the common<br />

people (3,6)<br />

17 Having several or many<br />

parts, elements, or individual<br />

components (8)<br />

20 A large-scale sheep farmer<br />

or cattle farmer (7)<br />

22 In reality (2,5)<br />

23 Singing from the same<br />

hymn sheet (6)<br />

26 The domain of a<br />

cartographer (4)<br />

27 Vessel often seen on<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> (5)<br />

[Solution page 80]<br />

<strong>Pittwater</strong> Puzzler<br />

76 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991 The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 77


Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />

Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />

Passionfruit & more: embrace<br />

the new trend to home-grown<br />

Since the dreaded C-virus<br />

has kept us under virtual<br />

‘house arrest’, it is amazing<br />

how the tide has turned<br />

from a focus on immaculate,<br />

trimmed gardens to interest<br />

in home-grown veggies, flowers<br />

and backyard farming.<br />

The sound of chickens and<br />

ducks would rarely have been<br />

heard on the Northern Beaches<br />

a couple of years ago.<br />

Raised veggie gardens<br />

are being built everywhere<br />

and garden centres are full<br />

of enticing veggie and herb<br />

seedlings. If you are running<br />

out of space, look to the side<br />

fence for increased production.<br />

Beans, cucumbers,<br />

sweet potatoes, zuchinnis,<br />

and peas can all be grown as<br />

climbers with lattice of mesh<br />

to climb on.<br />

Don’t forget the fruiting<br />

crops that will give a permanent<br />

cover for privacy and<br />

shade in summer.<br />

Passionfruit are a long-time<br />

favourite for Sydney gardens.<br />

All passionfruit need full sun,<br />

good drainage, regular water<br />

and plenty of fertiliser to crop<br />

well. There are many varieties<br />

to choose from. The Norfolk<br />

Island black passionfruit is<br />

the all-time favourite, either<br />

grown as a seedling that will<br />

need replacing every few years<br />

or as a grafted plant that will<br />

last longer. Panama red and<br />

Panama gold are larger, very<br />

delicious fruit that need a<br />

warmer, more sheltered spot.<br />

Not commonly grown are the<br />

banana passionfruit. These<br />

soft-skinned, yellow fruit are<br />

rarely seen in fruit shops but if<br />

you can find one you will realise<br />

that they are the best of all. The<br />

vine has a very pretty pale pink<br />

flower.<br />

Kiwi fruit and grapes are<br />

both deciduous vines. They’re<br />

perfect for summer shade<br />

over a pergola or verandah,<br />

letting sun through the cold<br />

winter days when they lose<br />

their leaves. Grapes are a<br />

delicate vine with tendrils<br />

that cling around lattice of<br />

timber frames; the flowers are<br />

insignificant but the clusters<br />

of pendulous, coloured or<br />

green grapes that ripen in<br />

autumn look wonderful before<br />

the leaves turn to russet of<br />

burgundy before they fall.<br />

Kiwi fruit are a much stronger<br />

vine that needs strong<br />

support, perfect for fences or<br />

grown over the garden shed.<br />

To produce fruit they need a<br />

male and female grafted plant.<br />

Make sure that you buy a pair,<br />

or one male and two female<br />

vines. One male will be sufficient<br />

to fertilise two female<br />

plants. Keep the labels until<br />

they flower, as sometimes<br />

the plants can be wrongly<br />

labelled.<br />

with Gabrielle Bryant<br />

Recycling ‘junk’ in the garden<br />

Gardening can be an expensive<br />

pastime but there are many ways<br />

you can reduce the cost while adding<br />

individuality to your plants. So many<br />

things can be recycled and reused.<br />

Potting mix and fertilisers are always<br />

needed for healthy plants. Keep<br />

all your vegetable scraps to add to<br />

the compost heap. Throw in any old<br />

potting mix, paper from the shredder,<br />

biodegradable kitty litter, even<br />

the dust from the vacuum cleaner,<br />

grass clippings, leaf litter from the<br />

gutters, and shredded pruned bits<br />

from the hedge.<br />

A shredder is a good investment.<br />

Home-made compost is better for<br />

the garden than any purchased product.<br />

It is better to make several small<br />

compost bins (small dustbins with<br />

drainage holes are perfect), otherwise<br />

if you keep adding new material<br />

it will never get used! Remember to<br />

turn the compost regularly to help it<br />

break down.<br />

Keep any suitable sticks or bamboo<br />

canes to use as garden stakes.<br />

Laddered panty hose and old t-shirts<br />

cut into strips make excellent garden<br />

ties.<br />

Pots and hanging baskets are back<br />

in fashion as designers revive the<br />

fashions of the ’70s and ’80s. New<br />

pots are expensive – but plants will<br />

grow in any container that has good<br />

drainage. Terracotta drainage pipes,<br />

old watering cans that have holes,<br />

wheelbarrows, broken or chipped<br />

pots can be turned on their sides,<br />

rubber tyres (not for veggies)... even<br />

old toy trucks make great pots.<br />

Old teacups are wonderful indoor<br />

table pots. Empty glass jars can be<br />

turned into miniature terrariums for<br />

succulents or tiny ferns. Save them<br />

up to make Christmas presents.<br />

Hanging baskets and macramé<br />

hangers look great inside or out.<br />

Cane baskets, easily found in charity<br />

shops, make great hangers. Just<br />

remember if you use them indoors<br />

to take them outside to water the<br />

plants! If you have an old fan, keep<br />

the metal frame that covers the<br />

blades and line it with a coconut<br />

liner; palm fibre that drops is perfect<br />

for lining baskets if you can find it,<br />

and you have the rice basket look<br />

that was so popular years ago. Outside,<br />

plant it up with annual flowering<br />

plants or, inside, it will look<br />

amazing with a hanging Boston fern.<br />

Time to replant the garden<br />

Late Spring is the perfect<br />

time to replant and make<br />

new gardens. Garden centres<br />

are full of ideas and landscape<br />

materials to get you<br />

going. Palms of the ’90s are<br />

now huge and overgrown<br />

– get the sunlight back into<br />

your garden now while there<br />

is still time<br />

to establish<br />

a new-look<br />

garden for<br />

summer.<br />

If the<br />

garden is<br />

choked with<br />

roots that<br />

are hard<br />

to remove,<br />

poison the<br />

trunks to<br />

stop any<br />

regrowth or<br />

suckering and raise the soil<br />

level with new garden edging.<br />

Over time the old roots<br />

will rot away. Palm trunks<br />

can be cut horizontally to<br />

make a flat surface that is<br />

perfect base for a large pot<br />

and new, raised edging can<br />

be easily installed. Rocks,<br />

cut sandstone, concrete<br />

blocks or timber sleepers all<br />

have their place.<br />

Backfill the beds with a<br />

good-quality garden soil<br />

(not potting mix) and plenty<br />

of compost before replanting.<br />

Choose some structural<br />

shrubs and<br />

fill in empty<br />

space with<br />

flowering<br />

annuals or<br />

cottage garden<br />

plants.<br />

Columbine is<br />

an old-fashioned<br />

flower<br />

that is back<br />

in vogue. It<br />

will flower<br />

for several<br />

months if<br />

the old flowers are cut<br />

back. Also, pentas, daisies,<br />

lavender and salvias will all<br />

fill in gaps very fast. Shady<br />

gardens can be filled with<br />

begonias and dwarf hydrangeas<br />

(for quick colour),<br />

cordylines and calatheas.<br />

Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />

78 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 79


Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />

Garden <strong>Life</strong><br />

Jobs this Month<br />

<strong>November</strong><br />

We have had rain<br />

but the ground<br />

remains hard and<br />

dry. Remember that water<br />

restrictions are still on. No<br />

sprinklers and hand-held<br />

hoses only before 10am and<br />

after 4pm. This is making<br />

life tough so before you<br />

finish watering, make sure<br />

that buckets and watering<br />

cans are full for daytime<br />

watering if it is very hot!<br />

Don’t wait, bait<br />

Protect your tomatoes, citrus<br />

and other fruit with fruit fly<br />

baits. One lure is enough<br />

for the average garden. It<br />

will attract the male fruit fly<br />

but it won’t stop the females<br />

from stinging the fruit. Spray<br />

at least every two weeks<br />

with Eco Oil which will help<br />

prevent all other insects,<br />

including thrips, aphids,<br />

scale and mites – but it won’t<br />

hurt the bees! Also, spray the<br />

garden with Bee Keeper – this<br />

is a lure that attracts the<br />

bees, which will pollinate your<br />

veggies and fruit.<br />

Prepare for Xmas<br />

Pull out spring annuals that<br />

may still have a few flowers<br />

left and plant up pots of<br />

petunias, snap dragons,<br />

verbena, lobelia, alyssum<br />

and daisies to brighten your<br />

garden. If you wait too long<br />

you will miss the summer<br />

colour. White flowers are<br />

great because they glow in the<br />

evening light.<br />

Replenish veggies<br />

Keep replanting lettuce,<br />

carrots, spring onions,<br />

spinach, bok choy, beans,<br />

zucchini and cucumbers at<br />

regular intervals to feed the<br />

family through until autumn.<br />

Lawn watch<br />

Patch up bald patches in<br />

the lawn. If suspicious<br />

brown patches appear spray<br />

immediately with Dipel to<br />

control army worm and curl<br />

grub before you lose your<br />

grassed area. Also watch<br />

out for white cabbage moth.<br />

Yates success will control<br />

caterpillars without harming<br />

you.<br />

Chores to do<br />

As the blue haze of the<br />

agapanthus fades remember<br />

to remove the seed heads.<br />

Agapanthus are brilliant in<br />

the garden but they are not<br />

welcome in the bush. Also,<br />

cut back the old tatty canes<br />

of ginger and new ones<br />

will soon grow back as the<br />

weather warms up.<br />

Possum house<br />

We have been lucky to have<br />

had the endangered Powerful<br />

Owl hunting in the bush on<br />

the upper Northern Beaches,<br />

but sadly he has almost<br />

demolished our population<br />

of Ring Tail possums and<br />

bandicoots. He has now<br />

moved away and the Boobook<br />

owl is back. Help the<br />

possums re-establish their<br />

home by erecting a possum<br />

house in your garden. If you<br />

feed them with fruit and<br />

bananas they won’t eat your<br />

plants.<br />

Control weeds<br />

Weeds are popping up<br />

everywhere. Spray them<br />

with slasher. Slasher should<br />

be applied when the sun is<br />

out and weeds will be dead<br />

by nightfall. It is an organic<br />

spray with no harmful<br />

Encourage kids<br />

Get the kids into the<br />

garden – dwarf sunflowers<br />

are perfect to entice any<br />

kid. They will grow in the<br />

ground or they are perfect<br />

for pots. Take off all the<br />

spent flowers to keep more<br />

of the huge yellow faces<br />

returning.<br />

chemicals. It will burn<br />

anything so take care not<br />

to use on a windy day when<br />

spray could drift into your<br />

garden bed.<br />

Crossword solution from page 77<br />

Mystery location: PALM BEACH<br />

Travel <strong>Life</strong><br />

Explore Australia’s<br />

greatest wilderness<br />

When thinking of visiting<br />

their own backyard,<br />

Australians may think<br />

of heading to the Great Barrier<br />

Reef, Kangaroo Island or Uluru.<br />

However, according to<br />

Travel View's Gail Kardash,<br />

few destinations<br />

can match the rugged<br />

beauty of Australia’s<br />

greatest wilderness,<br />

The Kimberley.<br />

Once described by<br />

Sir David Attenborough<br />

as one of the world’s “greatest<br />

natural wonders”, The Kimberley<br />

boasts a coastline covering<br />

12,000 kilometres between<br />

Broome and Darwin and is<br />

larger than 75% of the world’s<br />

countries.<br />

“You will feel like you are the<br />

only people on the planet – this<br />

is domestic travel at its finest,”<br />

said Gail.<br />

Home to some of the world’s<br />

oldest cultural landmarks, rich<br />

with biodiversity and geological<br />

EXPERIENCE: Gail<br />

wonder, many parts of the Kimberley<br />

are inaccessible by land.<br />

“The best way to access it is<br />

by sea, and what better way<br />

to explore this region than on<br />

a luxury small-ship<br />

expedition,” said Gail.<br />

“With Ponant’s smallship<br />

expeditions,<br />

you’ll sail alongside<br />

a team of experts on<br />

a small modern ship,<br />

giving you access to<br />

the best of what the<br />

Kimberley has to offer.<br />

“Just like Antarctica, you<br />

never know what you might<br />

come across from one day to<br />

the next. With an abundance<br />

of native wildlife, you can spot<br />

green sea turtles making their<br />

way past the Lacepede Islands,<br />

where huge flocks of sea birds<br />

swirl overhead; in the quieter<br />

waterways, it’s possible to spot<br />

short-ear rock wallabies and if<br />

you’re lucky you might find the<br />

true king of the Kimberley: the<br />

iconic estuarine crocodile.”<br />

She added that between July<br />

and September there was the<br />

opportunity to see humpback<br />

whales as they made their way<br />

up from the Southern Ocean.<br />

“Right from the comfort of<br />

your Zodiac (pictured), you<br />

have the opportunity to marvel<br />

at ancient rock formations,<br />

gorges and canyons, cliffs and<br />

boulders, sandstone that has<br />

been moulded by the Earth’s<br />

forces over millennia.<br />

“The rocks themselves are an<br />

attraction, a true highlight. And<br />

many of the gorges and cliffs<br />

are punctuated by spectacular<br />

waterfalls, torrents of water that<br />

crash into lagoons below.”<br />

With one of the largest tidal<br />

ranges on Earth, you can also<br />

witness the region’s spectacular<br />

Montgomery Reef where an<br />

amazing series of waterfalls<br />

empty out of the reef, and in<br />

Talbot Bay, get up close and<br />

personal with the powerful Horizontal<br />

Waterfalls.<br />

On Jar Island or in Swift Bay,<br />

accompanied by some of the<br />

best Kimberley experts in the<br />

industry, learn all about the<br />

region’s rich Indigenous history,<br />

with fascinating rock art galleries<br />

and rock paintings dating<br />

back as far as 30,000 years.<br />

“Embarking on a small-ship<br />

expedition with PONANT is<br />

a new kind of travel experience.<br />

With only 92 staterooms<br />

onboard, you will experience<br />

attentive service, enjoy Frenchinspired<br />

fine dining, and learn<br />

from an experienced and passionate<br />

expedition team.”<br />

* More info Travel View Avalon<br />

9918 4444.<br />

Travel <strong>Life</strong><br />

80 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

The Local Voice Since 1991<br />

NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong> 81


Travel <strong>Life</strong><br />

Travel <strong>Life</strong><br />

Partners in exceptional client experiences<br />

Travel View in Avalon Beach is a long<br />

way from Marseille in France, home<br />

port for small ship luxury Expedition<br />

cruise company PONANT. However, the two<br />

companies could not be closer – Travel View<br />

and PONANT forged a partnership seven<br />

years ago and continue to work closely on<br />

delivering exceptional client experiences.<br />

For over 30 years, PONANT has been<br />

pursuing their goal of taking guests where<br />

others do not venture. From secluded ports<br />

to secret seas, from forgotten beaches to<br />

remote lands, they choose itineraries that<br />

take you away from major tourist routes so<br />

you can enjoy unique cruises and shorelines<br />

that few have seen before.<br />

As the only cruise company sailing<br />

under the French flag, PONANT<br />

is a hallmark for the French way<br />

of life across every sea on the<br />

globe. From the moment you step<br />

on-board, guests experience the<br />

French touch through refined<br />

ambiance, discreet and intuitive<br />

service, and outstanding French inspired<br />

gastronomy all while sailing on the world’s<br />

youngest fleet of environmentally responsible<br />

small luxury expedition ships.<br />

Travel View’s Gail Kardash and Sharon<br />

Godden, along with many of their loyal<br />

clients, have been experiencing the French<br />

ADVISOR: Sharon<br />

touch first-hand for many years.<br />

“My love affair began the day I stepped<br />

on board L’Austral in Auckland back in<br />

2015,” explains Sharon. “As a well cruised<br />

travel manager, I realised this was something<br />

very special – since then I have cruised<br />

with PONANT in French Polynesia, through<br />

Alaska’s inside passage, along Australia’s<br />

iconic Kimberley coast and from Athens to<br />

Venice, ticking off a lifelong dream of sailing<br />

through the magical Corinth Canal.”<br />

Incredibly, it was along the coast of Far<br />

East Russia where Sharon got to witness a<br />

new island forming, right from the comfort<br />

of a Zodiac (pictured).<br />

PONANT Commodores and<br />

long-time clients of Travel View,<br />

Robbie and Robert, have cruised<br />

with PONANT over 20 times and<br />

are not slowing down any time<br />

soon. One of Robbie’s most<br />

memorable moments happened<br />

here in our backyard.<br />

“We visited The Kimberley during<br />

the Waterfall season and still cannot<br />

believe the grandeur of King George Falls,”<br />

she said. “We got as close to the falls as<br />

possible in our Zodiac and watched in awe<br />

the water soaking the ancient red sandstone<br />

cliffs.”<br />

Members of the PONANT Yacht Club<br />

receive special attention, exclusive services<br />

both on board and on land, and offers not<br />

available to other guests.<br />

Guests become a member of the<br />

PONANT Yacht Club once they have booked<br />

their second cruise aboard any of the<br />

PONANT ships including Le Paul Gauguin.<br />

With four tiers of membership that PONANT<br />

guests can achieve, depending on the<br />

number of cruises they have booked, the<br />

benefits enjoyed at each level increase.<br />

* Ready to start creating memories you<br />

will have for a lifetime? Call Travel View<br />

Avalon on 9918 4444.<br />

82 NOVEMBER <strong>2020</strong><br />

The Local Voice Since 1991

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