Pittwater Life October 2021 Issue

The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021
FREE
pittwaterlife
CALL TO ASSIST ‘DOUGIE’ DARKO
HOW COVID LOCKDOWN FLUSHED OUT A FUGITIVE IN OUR MIDST
BENDS LAND OWNER DEFENDS HOME PLAN / JASON PARTINGTON
WEST HEAD LOOKOUT UPGRADE / FOOD / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD

Editorial
Lobbying for land acquisition
Seems the DA for a proposed
home at 521 Barrenjoey
Road above the Bilgola Bends
(see p14) has plenty in the
community asking why the
parcels of land in the vicinity
which are defined as having
special environmental values
have not been acquired by
government.
It’s certainly got the attention
of Council – at its meeting in
August, following a motion by
Councillors Alex McTaggart
and Rory Amon, Council
resolved to undertake a
desktop assessment of zoning
and ownership of all land in
the Bilgola Bends precinct,
with staff to report back
within two months with a view
to requesting that the State
Government transfer suitable
parcels into Council ownership.
(That is, not the privately
owned blocks of land.)
That includes almost
20 blocks Pittwater Life’s
own desktop assessment
identified as being zoned ‘SP2
Infrastructure’ – a zoning that
allows for major overhaul of the
Bends as a commuter/transport
corridor. Let’s see what action is
pursued after the next Council
is voted in on December 4.
* * *
Plenty of feelgood stories this
month, highlighting selfless
individuals across Pittwater.
We chat to the new CEO of
Variety NSW/ACT, Scotland
Island resident Vanessa Barry
(p12); Council’s Senior Volunteer
of the Year Lyn Millett (p18);
and Newport’s Tony Loughran
who recently helped some
vulnerable folk escape Talibanoverrun
Afghanistan (p22).
Finally, congrats to everyone
who has rolled up their sleeve
and gotten the COVID jab; as of
September 27, 69.4% of people
across the Northern Beaches
LGA were fully vaccinated with
90.5% having had at least one
dose. Bring on a 70% doubledosed
NSW! – Nigel Wall
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 3

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Vol 31 No 3
Celebrating 30 years
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The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021
FREE
pittwaterlife
CALL TO ASSIST ‘DOUGIE’ DARKO
HOW COVID LOCKDOWN FLUSHED OUT A FUGITIVE IN OUR MIDST
BENDS LAND OWNER DEFENDS HOME PLAN / JASON PARTINGTON
WEST HEAD LOOKOUT UPGRADE / FOOD / SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD
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thislife
INSIDE: Hear the extraordinary tale of ‘Dougie’ Darko, the
fugitive who lived undetected in Avalon for nearly 30 years
(p6); meet new Variety NSW/ACT boss, Scotland Island’s
Vanessa Barry (p12); the land owner who wants to build on
his block above the Bilgola Bends hits back at the public
backlash (p14); read about Jason Partington’s quest to help
people meditate to improve their mental health (p32); and
our resident foodie Janelle Bloom has oodles of noodle
dishes to make this month (p66). Enjoy!
COVER: Spring at Palm Beach / Stuart Willo
also this month
Editorial 3
Pittwater Local News 6-31
Seen... Heard... Absurd 22
The Way We Were 26-27
Life Stories: Jason Partington 32-34
Author Q&A: Mick Le Moignan 36
Hot Property 38-46
Art 47
Surfing 48-49
Health & Wellbeing; Hair & Beauty 50-57
Money & Law 58-61
Trades & Services 62-65
Food 66-68
Gardening 70-72
the goodlife
Returning soon! Showtime, Pubs & Clubs and gigs!
Inside this month: our regular features on food, gardening,
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guide to trades and services... and our essential maps.
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* The complete Pittwater
Life archive can be found at
4
the State Library of NSW.
OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

News
FUGITIVE IN OUR MIDST: Darko Desic (pictured with his
local stone masonry work); his 1992 mug shot and young
portrait (centre); a message of support on Bilgola Bends.
‘Dig deep for Dougie Darko!’
As you approach
‘Kamikaze Corner’
roundabout at the
northern end of the Bilgola
Bends, you’ll spot a scruffily
hand-painted sign: ‘Free
Dougie!’
Chances are that whoever
erected the sign had never
heard of ‘Dougie’ – real name
Croatian-born Darko Desic, 64
– before his story went viral.
On Sunday September 12,
the man who fled from NSW’s
largest prison Grafton Gaol in
1992 – using a hacksaw blade
to free a bolt-cutter for one
of Australia’s most audacious
escapes – handed himself in
to Dee Why police after 29
years living under the radar.
For a brief period, ‘Dougie’
Darko’s prison photo appeared
on the TV program Australia’s
Most Wanted. Not that his
crime had been heinous.
Sentenced to a maximum
of three years and eight
months in 1991 after being
convicted on two counts of
cultivating cannabis – an
offence which would attract
a maximum sentence of 18
months today – Dougie Darko
held a secret that made him
fear deportation once he was
released.
Even the police who
accepted Dougie’s confession
were astounded by his tale,
noting in the three decades
since he’d escaped he’d been
an exemplary citizen (apart
from a missing tax return…
or 30).
On the other hand, he never
registered for Centrelink,
Medicare, a passport, a
driving licence – anything
that required proof of
identity.
Everyone loves a prison
escape story (think ‘The
Great Escape’, ‘Papillon’), and
everyone loves a story about
the unknown fugitive in their
midst. But what made Dougie
Darko’s saga strike a chord
around a pandemic-ridden
planet was his decision that
being locked up in a cell with
prison food was better than
sleeping on Avalon’s sand
dunes in lockdown, hungry
and homeless.
Dougie’s plight has divided
the Pittwater community.
Some don’t understand why
anyone would support a selfconfessed
criminal and drug
dealer who hasn’t paid tax for
29 years.
Others, like 25-year-old
Avalon psychotherapist
Belle Higgins, felt otherwise.
Like most of us, she only
heard about Dougie after his
extraordinary story became
public.
“Dad (multi-millionaire
Peter Higgins, co-founder
of Mortgage Choice) and I
thought, ‘This is someone
we can help. We have a
voice, he doesn’t. So let’s do
something.”
Daughter and father set up a
Go Fund Me account to resettle
Dougie back in Avalon when
he eventually emerges from
prison. (He will likely have to
serve the rest of his original
sentence, plus an extra
penalty for his prison escape.)
It was the locked-down
versus locked-up choice
Dougie faced that motivated
Belle.
“I see people every day
struggling with their mental
health during lockdown,” she
says. “To be locked up for this
many weeks is bad enough
when you’re in your own
home, your sanctuary.
“I can’t imagine what Dougie
must have been going through
before he decided that he’d be
better off back in prison than
out on the streets.
“Avalon has a reputation for
being one of the best places to
live in Australia. But not for
everyone.
“I thought $30,000 would
cover his legal costs and
get him rehabilitated into
the Avalon community.
Immediately though through
Dad’s business contacts we
managed to organise full
legal representation with
McGirr & Associates, at no
cost to Dougie.
“We thought we would raise
money to integrate him back
into society, for clothing,
transport and a roof over his
head.”
After a week, the fund had
reached $25,000. “So now I’ve
set a new target of $50,000.
“It must have been a really
hard place for him to be in
when he turned himself in.”
At the time of writing,
Dougie’s reasons for coming
to Australia, and then busting
out of prison, were still
conjecture. Friends believe
he’d dodged military service
during the Balkan Wars, and
feared the retribution he’d
suffer if he was deported
after his prison sentence.
Dougie now has a top
lawyer, Simon Long,
defending him. The fugitive
had no idea of the support
he’s received from his
adoptive community when
the two met for the first time.
“He was incredibly humble,
to the point of saying: ‘I
don’t deserve any of this
support’,” said Simon. “He
was still in isolation when I
met him, unable to interact
with guards or fellow
inmates, for fear of being
COVID-contaminated.”
His sentence is due after
Pittwater Life goes to press;
watch this space.
– Steve Meacham
* See gofundme.com/f/
rebuilding-a-life-for-darkodougie-desic
6 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

THEN & NOW?: The
unimposing low-profile
wall at West Head
Lookout (left) requires
a safety upgrade... but
is this style of balustrade
the answer?
Lookout! ‘Ugly’ West Head
safety upgrade hits pause
News
Residents dismayed
about proposed safety
upgrades to the West
Head Lookout that included an
“out-of-character” metal balustrade
barrier, have had their
concerns quelled following
swift intervention by local MP
Rob Stokes which has seen the
project paused for review.
A brouhaha was ignited
when the National Parks and
Wildlife Service (NPWS) tabled
artists impressions of its plan
to remediate the structural
stability of the lookout in the
Ku-ring-gai National Park and
improve visitor safety to meet
national standards.
The NPWS’s safety plan
involved strengthening the
existing iconic low-profile lookout
retaining wall, which was
designed by heritage architect
Bruce Mackenzie in 1964.
The project was triggered
by an engineering assessment
that found the perimeter wall
to be a significant risk: “… it
was not designed appropriately
as a load bearing structure,
meaning that it is not suitable
for sitting, leaning or standing
on, particularly considering the
overall age and condition of the
lookout,” the NPWS said.
But it was the plan to install
a barrier – comprising a
1.2-metre-high metal balustrade
independent of the existing
retaining wall to restrict
access to the lookout edge for
public safety – which drew
criticism from local groups
including Church Point Friends
and the Bayview-Church Point
Residents Association – as well
as a threatened sanction from
the National Trust of Australia
(NSW) which claimed the
proposal did not even meet the
NPWS’ Plan of Management.
The proposed new balustrade
is similar to the newly installed
balustrade at Georges Head in
Sydney Harbour National Park
adjoining Mosman.
In a letter to the NPWS in late
August, the National Trust requested
that the proposed West
Head works not proceed.
“A detailed heritage assessment
needs to be undertaken
to inform the design of more
appropriate and sympathetic
changes,” said National Trust
of Australia (NSW) Director,
Conservation David Burdon.
“Should these recommendations
not be implemented, the
Trust is willing to ask for an Interim
Heritage Order on the site
so that works cannot proceed
as proposed.”
When alerted, Pittwater MP
Rob Stokes raised the matter
with the NSW Minister for
Energy and the Environment,
Matt Kean, to ensure the National
Trust’s and community
concerns were communicated.
Mr Stokes then connected
the original architect Bruce
Mackenzie, now aged 89, with
the NPWS project team.
Mr Stokes said he was delighted
Mr Mackenzie was currently
developing possible options
to help address National
Parks’ safety concerns, whilst
maintaining the aesthetic and
appeasing critics.
“West Head Lookout is an
iconic visitor destination and
its connection to the natural
landscape is part of the experience
– it’s not just a ‘look out’,
it’s also a ‘look at’,” Mr Stokes
told Pittwater Life.
“The lookout requires essential
stabilisation work but I
have raised our community’s
concerns about proposed
changes to the design.
“I want to thank National
Parks for being so receptive
and for agreeing to pause the
repair works to enable further
assessment and consultation.”
A Government spokesperson
said a West Head Lookout
engineering inspection was
completed as part of NPWS’ Asset
Management Program.
The inspection revealed
concerns in the structural
stability of the lookout. Further
investigation led to temporary
fencing in May while a longterm
solution was developed.
It was acknowledged that
West Head Lookout’s architectural
form and character
contributed to its popularity
with visitors and this was one
of the key considerations in
the development of the NPWS
project.
“NPWS must consider
potential risks for harm in all
parks. Fatalities have occurred
in national parks due to falls
and NPWS has a responsibility
to manage this and reduce
this risk where possible,” the
spokesperson said.
“NPWS has paused this
project and is committed to undertaking
further analysis and
consultation.” – Nigel Wall
8 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Stars make a beat for Jazz
News
How Newport stand-up
comedian Jazz Twemlow
sat down and wrote an
internationally acclaimed, acerbic
sketch show is an entertaining
script in itself.
Writer and podcaster Jazz
is the co-writer of the six-part
comedy sketch series ‘The
Moth Effect’, which is streaming
on Amazon Prime Video,
and receiving great reviews. It
has variously been described
as “truly savage satire”, a
“gloriously edgy send-up of
humanity” and “sheer brilliant
comedic flair”.
‘The Moth Effect’ is a satirical
observation of all walks of life
and features a phenomenal
array of Australian talent,
including Bryan Brown, Vincent
D’Onofrio, David Wenham, Jack
Thompson and Miranda Otto.
So how did he manage to
procure such a star-studded
ensemble?
“It was entirely, down to the
good faith the industry has
in Bunya (Entertainment, the
STARTLING SUCCESS: Jazz Twemlow.
producer),” Jazz said.
“I think it’s safe to say Nick
(co-writer) and I were direct
beneficiaries of the goodwill
they command. From there,
you just hope the writing
doesn’t suck so much that the
big name doesn’t get put off
and change their number!
“Gracie Otto, one of our two
directors, was also a huge help.
She got a conversation started
with Miranda, and also Vincent
D’Onofrio: another surreal and
very lucky last-minute addition
to the show, which then snowballed
into us getting Bobby
Cannavale as well. We couldn’t
believe it.”
For a savage satirist, Jazz actually
seems quite a nice bloke.
“I’m not the young and angry
comedian I once was,” Jazz
shares. “I’m a bit older and
interested in things that are
deeper than just satire – spiritual
and philosophical issues.”
Jazz grew up in the English
city of Liverpool, known for
its wise-cracking locals and
old-school comedians such as
Jimmy Tarbuck. But it was the
’70s and ’80s tastes of his older
siblings that shaped Jazz’s
comedy from a young age – he
admits possibly too young.
“I remember watching ‘The
Young Ones’ at far too young
an age,” laughs Jazz. “Sticking
two fingers up to my mum as
a 6-year-old and saying ‘up
yours’ as I copied Rik Mayall.”
While fearless English comedians
such as Chris Morris
later became an influence, it
was a far more sedate passion
that got him up on stage.
“For whatever reason I became
concerned with environmental
issues at a young age,”
explains Jazz. “I was a birdwatcher
and very environmentally
minded. When I started
doing stand-up it was actually
to try to communicate an idea
and an important message, in a
way that was entertaining.”
While most comedians have
a reputation for being driven
by morbid, depressing innercity
angst, Jazz’s comedy has
instead blossomed in nature,
especially since relocating to
Pittwater.
“The Moth Effect is a weird
cerebral series, and nature
has really helped. We couldn’t
always meet face-to-face and so
my co-writer Nick and I would
often talk while on bushwalks
in places such as Angophora
10 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Reserve,” explains Jazz. “Natural
spaces seem to get me in a
creative space.
“We love it here on the Beaches
– what’s not to love,” adds
Jazz. “We were in lockdown in a
Sydney apartment with a threeyear-old
last year and needed
some green space. It costs $4
million to rent someone’s shoes
in Sydney, and we looked everywhere,
but luckily we ended
up here.”
While Brit funnyman Ricky
Gervais has been quoted as
saying no subject should be
off-limits for comedians, Jazz
adds the caveat: “You can go
anywhere, but you need a good
reason to go there. And you
should always punch up and
not down.”
Although, as he explains,
he was also happy to punch
himself for the series.
“We are all complicit and we
can all do better,” says Jazz. “A
lot of people will think this is
a series made by latte-sipping,
inner-city, man-hating progressives,
and we’ve been happy
to be critical of such online
progressives.
“Social media has created an
interesting digital pathology
where people feel they always
have to present the best version
of themselves,” Jazz continues,
“and the things they say they
care about, aren’t always what
they really give a care about.
“The reception to the
series so far has been entirely
positive, which is quite rare,”
he continues. “A cross between
Black Mirror and Saturday
Night Live. One website I went
to had 70% of people loving it
and 30% hating it and I like that
it has that distinct tone.”
After letting the dust settle
(“a show like that almost
kills you”), Jazz is ready to go
again if Amazon commission
a second series; but first he’s
looking forward to getting to
know his ’hood even better.
“There are some great cafes
in Newport such as Zubi and I
love scribbling in cafes,” says
Jazz. “We had a few writing sessions
in Nourished at Avalon
as well. I also want to take my
daughter to more playgrounds
and parks – she loves the Flying
Fox at Bayview, and I love it
there, too.” – Rob Pegley
* Visit amazon.com.au
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 11

News
Variety new spice of Vanessa’s life
Scotland Island mum Vanessa
Barry looks forward
to taking Violet, her fouryear-old
daughter, to kindy in
Mona Vale most mornings.
More importantly, Violet
enjoys it too.
“It’s a long journey, but she
loves going on our boat and
back again in the afternoons.”
Next year – “or perhaps
the year after” – Violet may
start going to Newport
Public School on the school
ferry which picks up primary
school children from every
Scotland Island wharf, plus
the surrounding wharves like
Lovett Bay, before a short uphill
teacher-guided walk from
Newport wharf to the school.
Vanessa, husband Dom,
and Violet have only lived on
Scotland Island since 2019:
“But Dom’s family have had a
holiday home here since the
1960s so we visited a lot before
we decided to move here
full time.”
Vanessa is the newly appointed
chief executive of Variety
NSW/ACT (the entertainment
industry-led children’s
charity). But because of lockdown
she hasn’t yet visited the
charity’s offices in Artarmon.
“That’s pretty unusual when
you’re starting a new job,” she
laughs.
After gaining two degrees –
a BA in public communication
at UTS and a BA in international
studies in Bordeaux –
Vanessa worked for corporate
STEERING THE VARIETY BOAT: Scotland Island’s Vanessa Barry.
entities in “comms, media and
PR”.
Then she had an epiphany.
“One day I thought, why am
I volunteering so much in my
spare time? If this is what I
love, why not make it my dayto-day
job?
“That’s when I started working
for not-for-profits, and I’ve
never looked back.”
Her charity CV includes
time spent at the Australian
Chamber Orchestra (she loves
the arts), director of philanthropy
for UNICEF Australia’s
children’s fund, and chief
executive of the charity run by
three banks (St George, Bank
of Melbourne and BanksSA).
So why move to Variety?
“Variety’s principles and
mine are completely aligned:
that children should reach
their potential regardless of
their background or ability.
Whatever is preventing them
reach their potential is something
Variety and I can do to
help them.
“Last year we helped 28,500
kids in need, granting $2.7m
with over 200 conditions.”
Variety was founded in
Pittsburg, in the US, in 1928
but came to Australia in 1975
(meaning its 50th anniversary
is in 2025).
Vanessa takes the helm at a
tough time.
The charity’s biggest fundraiser
every year is the annual
car “Bash” around Australia’s
regions known as the Variety
B to B, founded by entrepreneur/philanthropist
Dick
Smith in 1984.
Before COVID, the bash
raised around $1.7 million in
both 2018 and 2019.
Cancelled in 2020 for obvious
reasons, there’s only a
faint chance of it taking place
in 2021 given the uncertainty
about Sydneysiders being able
to travel.
“Like every other charity,
COVID means we have more
demand and less funding opportunities,”
Vanessa says.
“So we need to find other
ways to fill in the gaps to help
disadvantaged children who
need us even more now than
ever.”
Which leaves the current
Show Us Ya Heart challenge.
“This was developed in
response to the overwhelming
demand we received for
our ‘We Learn’ grant.” Vanessa
explains.
“The grant helps families
living in financial hardship to
purchase educational technology.
It was only launched
in July, but we received a
staggering 1435 applications.
A similar grant offered late
last year ‘only’ received 162
applications.
“So that proves the need is
out there.
“We’re asking people to
take up the Show Us Your
Heart challenge so we can
get laptops into the hands of
as many children as possible
who – especially at this time
– need them to keep up with
their classmates.”
– Steve Meacham
* More info showusyaheart.
com.au
12 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Food for thought over summer
The big news for local restaurants, cafes
and bars is an imminent return
to business after the latest COVID
lockdown. However, it could still be weeks
before venues can finally open their doors.
There’s no official directive from NSW
Health yet, however the anticipated date for
Sydney’s reopening could be mid-October
– possibly October 18 – once NSW reaches
the double-dose vaccination milestone of
70 per cent of the eligible population.
Three local lockdowns since March
2020, including the ‘Avalon Cluster’ over
Christmas 2020, have hit
hospitality hard. Venues
have shut temporarily or
closed permanently, while
others have kept going
through the Delta strain
COVID lockdown by being
inventive. There have been
takeaway gourmet meals
to finish off at home, DIY
cocktail kits and eat-on-thesofa
desserts.
Iconic Mona Vale pub
Park House called last
orders back in June.
When Park House gets the green light all
areas – three full-service bars, three large
outside areas and four dining spaces – will
be operational.
Current distancing requirements at the
beachy-feel pub restrict indoor numbers
to one person per 4sqm and outdoor
numbers to one person per 2sqm, allowing
a total capacity of 450 people.
Once the Sydney Collective venue reopens,
staff will only admit fully vaccinated
customers in accordance with public
health regulations, a company spokesperson
said.
Lockdown has also given the staff time
REDUCED CAPACITY:
Mona Vale venue Park
House won’t be able to
fit as many diners in as
previously (above).
GREEK FOCUS: Coast
cafe at Palm Beach.
to rework the pub’s menu. Burger fans are
in for a treat. Chefs have conducted blind
tastings on 18 burger patties, 26 types of
chips and nine different buns. The venue
will also introduce new summer cocktails
and a new wine list.
Palm Beach cafe owner Nicki Keogh
has contended with two lockdowns since
Coast opened last September.
“We’ve been in lockdown almost as
much as we’ve been open,” Ms Keogh said.
“But we’ve had incredible support and
such positive vibes from the local community.”
Over winter, the cafe has
focused on Greek-style food with takeaway
moussaka and spinach pies, alongside egg
and bacon rolls and vegan quesadillas.
This summer, the menu will continue that
Mediterranean theme with plenty of Greek
seafood options.
With restricted indoor and outdoor dining,
once the cafe reopens under new NSW
Health orders, Coast can accommodate
around 20 customers on bentwood chairs
under straw umbrellas.
“We don’t know what to expect, but
we’re going to take it as it comes,” she said.
After three months of reduced hours,
juggling bills and operating a limited
takeaway service, Newport restaurateur
Doug Fraser is optimistic about summer,
albeit with a raft of limitations.
“We’re excited but cautious about reopening.
We’ve already had bookings,” he
said. “There are no clear guidelines at the
moment, but whatever happens we’ll be
complying with whatever the Government
tells us to do.”
During lockdown, Lovat staff endeavoured
to bring a bit of life and colour to
Newport’s closed shopping strip with an
outdoor bar from Thursday to Sunday.
“It hasn’t made money, but it’s been one
way of engaging with
community,” Fraser said.
Behind the scenes,
Fraser and head chef
Dan Weier have been
collaborating on new
dishes such as fish curry
and slow-roasted lamb
shoulder for Lovat’s latest
takeaway menu. New
dishes for the in-house
menu include an ‘East
meets West’ slow-cooked
duck ragout with shiitake
mushrooms and a riff on a bakery classic,
the vanilla slice.
The new normal will be a very different
dining experience for the foreseeable
future with reduced seating, sanitising
stations, mask-wearing, QR codes and vaccination
checks.
– Bev Hudec
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 13

News
Owner’s say on Bends backlash
The landowner who wants to build a
five-bedroom home at 521 Barrenjoey
Road on the Bilgola Bends has responded
to public backlash to his proposal.
More than 250 submissions have been
lodged on Northern Beaches Council’s
website, including objections from community
groups, residents associations and
high-profile local identities.
Opponents of Peter Madew’s development
application are concerned about
his proposed home’s bulk, scale, height,
plus the loss of amenity for neighbours,
removal of trees and traffic issues on the
Bends.
Mr Madew told Pittwater Life he purchased
the land at 521 Barrenjoey Road
after visiting from Canberra in May last
year. He explained he saw a ‘For Sale’
sign on the roadside, made enquiries and
walked the site.
“I rang the Council and asked if I was
able to build a house there and they said
there was no reason why I couldn’t,” Mr
Madew said.
His land is zoned E4 – defined as ‘Environmental
Living’ for land “with special
environmental or scenic values where
residential development can be accommodated”,
according to the NSW State Environmental
Planning Policy (SEPP).
THE SITE: On the high side of Barrenjoey Road.
Mr Madew said he was encouraged by
the fact the previous owner of the land had
consent from the former Pittwater Council
in 2013 to build a driveway, garage and car
turntable.
An engineer and mathematician, Mr
Madew decided last year to move to Sydney.
Of the objections, he conceded “everyone
has their right to opinion” but he was
disappointed at some of the vitriol.
“There have been 260 submissions
lodged – there must be 15,000 houses on
that part of Pittwater which means less
than one per cent of households could be
bothered to put a comment in,” he said.
“It annoys me that there are some really
selfish people who don’t take any real
responsibility for effecting change… they
have known about these blocks of land for
years but no-one has lobbied the Council to
take them off the market.
“I’m in it for the long term,” he continued.
“I’ve fallen in love with it and I want to
make it our permanent place of residence,”
he said.
“I love the Bends, it’s a unique spot.
“It’s important to remember there are
very few things you are entitled to in this
world – but building a house is one of
them.”
Mr Madew assured locals there would
be no ongoing disruption to traffic on the
bends, beyond the initial works which
would see an excavator delivered to the
site, plus barriers installed to catch any
falling soil and rocks.
“It’s all in the traffic plan we’ve lodged.”
In his submission to Council, architect
Peter Stutchbury said the building proposed
was “not accurate to the land or the
place”.
“It is rather thoughtless,” he said.
He added: “It is time Council became deliberate
and firm with their vision for their
precincts. How does this proposal ever get
considered unless encouraged to do so?”
Council is reviewing Mr Madew’s DA,
which readers can view online. – Nigel Wall
14 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

News
All-star Isobel standing by to help
Like many others, Avalon
local Isobel Fraser is
getting ready to travel
the world when International
borders open – except she’ll be
part of a TV show raising thousands
of dollars for charity.
While acknowledging that we
are lucky to live on the Northern
Beaches when it comes to
lockdown, Isobel is quick to
point out that we are still not
immune from struggles.
“These things don’t discriminate,”
says Isobel. “Mental
health is everywhere and
potentially that can be due to
isolation. Nobody knows what
happens behind closed doors.”
So passionate is she about
the subject, she’s started a
mission to raise money for
the StandByU Foundation, an
organisation that gives hope
to people who are isolated, by
offering them connections
to a supportive network. In
particular it helps those who
have become disconnected
from society due to domestic
violence.
VOLUNTEER:
Isobel Fraser.
With a degree in Telecommunications
Engineering from
Macquarie University, technology
is something else close to
Isobel’s heart, and she is a fan
of the practical and technical
way that the charity can help
women who have suffered
domestic abuse.
“The charity offers people a
discreet device called a Shield,
which can be used when someone
is having problems and experiencing
isolation,” explains
Isobel, “it can connect them to
a supportive network.
“The device costs $1000 and
I’m hoping to raise $10,000
myself to help 10 women,”
Isobel continues. “Sometimes
technology and people coming
together can be so powerful.”
Raising $10,000 also excitingly
triggers a TV appearance.
The global TV travel series
‘Adventure All Stars’ is coming
to Channel 7 in 2022 and is being
made by Charity TV Global.
Shooting starts next February
and all money raised from the
TV show will also go to charities
such as StandByU.
“The show goes to 25 different
countries around the
world,” explains Isobel. “The
show have been checking in
with me and offering support.
I’ll hopefully be involved
around March.”
So far Isobel has raised
$2800 in lockdown, but is
brainstorming events for when
we open up again.
“I’ve been donated vouchers
by some companies, so I’m
learning how to put on raffles,”
shares Isobel. “I’ve also done
trivia events in the past and
will plan other events.”
“Up until now it’s just been
friends and family helping me,”
she continues. “Some donations
have been as small as $2, but
every little helps.”
Indeed, anything is standing
by and doing nothing, and as
Isobel points out, COVID has
meant the whole community
now understands isolation a bit
better.
“I just want to be able to help
in a small way,” says Isobel.
“Standing up against something
is a simple action and it
can be harmful to people to do
nothing.
“The impact of isolation can
have long term effects on selfesteem
– we need to support
each other and look after each
other.” – Rob Pegley
* More info: standbyufoundation.raisely.com/isobel-fraser
16 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

6THINGS
THIS MONTH
Manly Jazz Festival. The
digital version will again connect,
in spirit, and entertain the local
community across the long
weekend Saturday 2 – Monday
4, while COVID restrictions are in
place. The line-up is available on
the Northern Beaches Council
website.
More light. Time to change
wind-up clocks and watches!
Daylight Saving will begin at 2am
on Sunday 3 when clocks are
turned forward one hour and
ends at 3am on Sunday 3 April
2022.
Clear gutters. The NSW State
Emergency Service warns Storm
Season – which traditionally runs
from October to March – is likely
to bring similar conditions to what
we experienced last year, so be
prepared for severe weather,
including heavy rain and flash
flooding. Visit ses.nsw.gov.au
Eat cheap. Discover how to
feed a family of four nutritious
meals for under $10, learn ways
to extend your ingredients, save
time in the kitchen, and receive
some great recipes by tuning
into this free webinar hosted by
wholefood chef Suzanne Lambert
on Thursday 7 from 5.15-6.15pm.
Book through Council website.
Show you care. Running
from Sunday 10 – Saturday 16,
National Carers Week is a time to
recognise and celebrate the 2.65
million Australians who provide
unpaid care and support to family
members and friends who have a
disability, mental health condition,
chronic condition, terminal illness,
an alcohol, or other drug issue
or who are frail aged. Events
and activities and more info at
carersweek.com.au
Pink Ribbon Breakfast. Join
thousands of people across the
country raising funds to support
the 55 Australians diagnosed
with breast cancer every day by
picking a date during October
and organising a breakfast,
morning tea, brunch, or lunch
(restrictions permitting); or
jump online and host a virtual
event. Register at fundraise.nbcf.
org.au
New safety rules at NB Hospital
Northern
Beaches Hospital has tightened its
COVID screening and testing requirements
for patients and visitors.
Regardless of vaccination status, all patients
must have a COVID-19 test at least three days prior
to their appointment and complete a screening
questionnaire either online or on arrival.
The new rules apply to inpatients arriving for
surgery, a procedure, or overnight stay.
Patients attending private suites, imaging,
pathology or pharmacy will not need to test but
will still need to be screened.
Maternity, renal dialysis and cancer patients
are required to test weekly.
Meanwhile, the latest Healthcare Quarterly report
from the Bureau of Health Information (BHI)
shows NB Hospital continued its strong performance
during the April to June 2021 quarter.
Chief Executive Officer Andrew Newton said
the hospital continued its excellent results in
emergency department (ED) and elective surgery
performance measures despite increases in activity
and acuity.
The hospital saw 25.3 per cent increase or 925
more ambulance patients in the last quarter
compared with the same quarter in 2020.
“We also saw an increase both the total number
of emergency department patients and the
acuity of patients treated,” Mr Newton said.
Despite the increase in activity, more than 98
per cent of patients arriving by ambulance were
transferred to hospital care within 30 minutes.
“It is a great testament to our teams that we
were able to treat people efficiently despite significant
increases in demand.”
Mr Newton said the hospital performed 922
public elective surgery procedures during the
quarter, and 100 per cent were completed on
time; meanwhile the waiting list for urgent patients
was reduced by 13.3 per cent. – LO
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 17

News
Bilgola couple’s
high WIRES act
Lyn and Dave Millett have been up feeding
their rescued animals and birds since 7.30
this morning and will go to bed tonight
around 11.30pm after feeding the last of them.
Their house and garden in elevated Bilgola
Plateau is like no other you’ll find in Sydney.
“We have seven aviaries and around 20 possum
cages which Dave built, and a couple of
lizard enclosures,” Lyn explains on a guided
tour which includes more rescue retreats in their
garage and home office where it is warmer for
infant animals. “We also
have very understanding
neighbours.”
Both joined WIRES
(Wildlife Information,
Rescue and Education
Services) 27 years ago in
1994; last month (September)
Lyn was awarded the
senior award in the Northern
Beaches section of the
NSW Volunteer of the Year
event run by The Centre
for Volunteering.
Now her name and
achievements have been
forwarded to the state
final.
Today Lyn is halfway
through mid-morning
feeding.
A young corella was
brought to WIRES because
it was incapable of standing.
Subsequent X-rays
proved the paralysis didn’t have a physical cause.
“Now look at him, he can perch on a branch,” Lyn
points out.
In the next aviary, around 40 young rainbow
lorikeets hungrily await morning tea. Undernourished
as babies because of depleting nectar
sources, most are now ready to be released back
into the wild.
A third aviary reveals a particularly cantankerous
cockatoo. “A car was coming down the approach
to Spit Bridge when it hit this cockatoo,”
Lyn explains. “But it was raining, so the cockie’s
wing got trapped under the windscreen wiper.
“The driver couldn’t stop until he’d got to the
other side of Spit Bridge. The cockie is bruised,
though nothing is broken. But he’s a cranky old
thing. I would be too if I’d been trapped under a
windscreen wiper.”
This particular morning there are “only” 60
or 70 birds and animals being cared for at this
unassuming Bilgola Plateau home. However, the
Milletts have learned to read the WIRES ‘seasons’.
“Baby flying foxes will start coming in soon.
They’re like babies. We give them dummies and
nappies. We keep them for 10 weeks, then they
HELLO POSSUM: Lyn with a rescued brushtail.
go to ‘creche’ to learn how to become flying
foxes.”
The bandicoots the Milletts cared for in winter
have now all been released back into the wild,
but it’s too early for blue-tongued lizards and
other native reptiles.
Suddenly the interview is interrupted by a text
message.
Dave takes it.
A baby ring-tailed possum has been found in
Avalon’s Patrick Street.
Dave rushes off in his
ute to rescue it, but not
before he hears the next
question – what is the
most memorable rescue
you’ve ever done?
“Tell him the Paul the
pelican story,” Dave says.
‘Paul the pelican’ was
an adult bird spotted on
Narrabeen lagoon with
multiple fishing hooks
stuck in its side, creating
an infectious wound
that prevented him from
flying.
Dave raced down to
Narrabeen with just
a garbage bin for the
rescue. By the time he
arrived, Paul was on a
sandbar in the lagoon.
Dave commandeered a
kayak, but naturally the
pelican returned to the
water.
Two kids, Dave says, were innocently canoeing
by when he asked them to help corner the
injured pelican. The trio succeeded.
But with Dave trying to keep Paul in the garbage
bin, he couldn’t paddle to shore, so the two
kids had to tow him.
Lyn looked after Paul the pelican for six weeks,
feeding him fish three times a day in a purposebuilt
shaded confine Dave constructed in their
back garden.
When Paul’s wound was sufficiently healed,
Lyn took him back to Narrabeen lagoon with her
daughter and grandchildren.
“I opened the cage and Paul waddled out,” Lyn
recalls. “Immediately his female mate flew to
meet him and they went happily into the water
together.
“But as we were about to leave, Paul came and
stood right in front of me.
“I said to my daughter, ‘Isn’t that nice? He’s
saying, ‘Thanks for looking after me.’
“And my daughter said: ‘Don’t be so silly,
mum. He’s saying, ‘Feed me more free fish before
you go!”
– Steve Meacham
CAREFUL:
Nurse Zoe
and friend.
Vet warns about
masks and dogs
The COVID-19 pandemic has
brought many changes, including
the mandatory wearing
of face masks.
As our facial features and
reactions play an important
role in how we communicate,
having a face mask obscure
our face can impact how easily
we can read a person’s body
language or demeanour – such
as, is something being said with
a smile, or a frown?
Local vet Ben Brown is
reminding us to have a think
about how our mask-wearing is
affecting dogs, who also look to
our faces when interacting with
us or seeking direction from us.
“If we’re wearing a face mask,
dogs may be noticeably hesitant
or sometimes even potentially a
little aggressive,” Ben said.
“The face mask is affecting
the dog’s ability to read our expression,
so there’s a few things
we can do to familiarise dogs
with us, to make the dog more
comfortable.”
He advises owners to practice
slowly putting on their face
mask with their dog present,
rewarding the pet for staying
calm and relaxed, and only
progressing to putting on the
face mask completely when the
dog appears comfortable.
“Remember to keep these
sessions short and positive so
that the dog positively associates
with you wearing a mask,”
Ben said.
“Once you’re wearing a face
mask, don’t stare at your dog
or lean over them as that may
appear threatening to them.
“Speak to them in a reassuring
tone, and provide lots of
rewards such as gentle pats or
the occasional treat.”
Ben’s teams at Sydney Animal
Hospitals (Avalon and Newport)
are ready to give advice
about any behavioural changes
you may notice. – Nigel Wall
18 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

News
Weekends at ‘Bernie’s’:
Avalon SLSC new lead
New Avalon Beach SLSC President Bernadette
McKay has outlined her vision for
the club in these difficult COVID times.
‘Bernie’ took over recently from Ash Cardiff
who stepped down after three
years in the job.
She thanked and congratulated
Ash on behalf of members for
his leadership, particularly over
the past year navigating through
numerous COVID challenges for
patrols, competition and club
revenues for rescue equipment.
Most importantly no lives were
lost during patrol hours.
“This season gives us an opportunity
to reset our strategic
plan for the next five to 10 years
which will include our 100-year
club anniversary in 2025, reflecting
on what we have done well,
what our ambitions are, how we see ourselves
and where we want to be,” she said.
“We are very much a community club. I want
all members, past, present and future to be
proud and to have a place to belong.”
Bernie started with the club as a Nipper
parent, age manager and has been part of
the club’s Board of Management for the past
PRESIDENT: Bernadette McKay.
seven years as Director of Finance and Deputy
President.
She gained her Bronze medallion in 2009
and is a Patrolling Member, so she has an
excellent understanding of the
surf club’s role in the community.
“Our core service is to protect
our beach, keep people safe and
when called upon to save lives.
“Our spending initiatives
have always prioritised patrol
equipment and training over
all else and we will continue to
do so.”
Challenges thrown at the
club over the past year included
maintaining club spirit, retaining
and training patrolling
members, lost revenues from
hall hire, annual swims and
discounted membership fees.
“Despite all the challenges the club is in an
amazingly strong position, with patrolling
members and new trainees numbers up and
a financial surplus – primarily the result of
some generous donations, sponsorships, and
COVID-related government grants, and expenditure
control.”
– Roger Sayers
20 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

News
Local’s Afghan intervention
October marks seven
weeks since the shocking
scenes witnessed on
our TVs/phones when –after
20 years of war in which 41
Australian soldiers died –
Afghanistan fell back into the
middle ages.
The Taliban’s surrounding of
Kabul on August 14, 2021 will
go down in infamy – along with
the ignominious helicopter rescues
from the rooftop of their
South Vietnamese embassy in
Saigon – as one of the biggest
US military disasters.
So what’s this got to do with
life in Pittwater?
Amazingly during this
historical trauma, the rescue
of 20 Afghans from Kabul’s
international airport was organised
and coordinated from
a suburban family home in
Pittwater, via two resourceful
Afghani journalists, Ramiltullah
Ali Zadar and Ahmad Wall
Sarhadi.
“I’d pulled together a
substantial list of freelance Afghans
who would be targeted
by the Taliban,” says Tony
Loughran, founder and director
of Newport-based ZeroRisk
International.
“Some were journalists,
others had been interpreters
for Western media. And they
all had families who were in
hiding for fear of torture.
“I’ve been to Afghanistan
many times and when you
meet these people, they’re like
close family.
“I call them ‘the forgotten
heroes’, as they were left
behind when some of the big
media networks flew out of Kabul.
I felt honour-bound to help
them,” said the former British
commando.
Since 2003, ZeroRisk has
provided global security/risk
assessments/hostage rescues
for a suite of international
clients in some of the most
dangerous places on earth.
In particular, ZeroRisk
specialises in media organisations,
largely due to the 14
years Tony spent working for
the BBC, protecting film crews
in situations as diverse as the
Balkans war and David Attenborough’s
award-winning ‘Blue
Planet’ series.
Unlike previous rescues
Tony has organised, this
time he didn’t have the vast
resources and financial muscle
of major international media
operations behind him.
“So I called in lots of favours,”
Tony continues, knowing
he had four aces up his
sleeve: a worldwide network
of handpicked employees,
including security staff who
EXTRACTED:
Journalist Ahmad
with Sapna and her
son Mohammad on
Kabul airport
WORTH THE RISK:
Ex-Brit commando
Tony Loughran.
PHOTO: Steve Meacham
once protected the British royal
family and former members
of the US Secret Service; toplevel
access to US and Qatari
bodies organising the official
withdrawal; desperate Afghani
freelancers and close contacts
prepared to venture from their
hiding places to report on
where the Taliban had set up
their roadblocks.
Not to mention ZeroRisk
International’s Security app,
developed in Manly, which
allowed Tony’s team to track
where every consenting escapee
was in real time in Kabul.
Tony calls August 15, when
the Taliban occupied the city,
“the one golden moment”.
Several of the escapees
(including women like Sapna,
the 22-year-old wife of a US
interpreter, with their one-yearold
son) had repeatedly gone to
the airport’s perimeter fence
showing their US visas but had
been beaten and whipped by
Afghan Security Forces and the
PHOTO: Supplied
Taliban.
But Tony eventually got an
email from Qatar’s deputy
prime minister’s office confirming
all 20 had been added
to the official evacuation list.
“We managed to secure a
coach with blacked-out windows,”
Tony says. “Through
another contact I’d been told
the Qataris were organising
bus shuttles from the Serena
hotel. I Whatsapp-ed Ahmad,
my appointed team leader, and
instructed him to get our
group to the Serena as soon as
possible.”
As the escapees boarded
the coach there was one
last drama. Sapna and her
baby weren’t on the Qatari
list. Somehow Ahmad managed
to persuade the authorities
they were his wife and
child so they were allowed on
the coach.
The journey through the
three Taliban-guarded checkpoints
was anxious for all on
board. However, Tony and his
team were able to track their
progress live on the app which
was also mirrored on Ahmad
and Ramitullah’s phone.
Eventually they were safely
delivered to four waiting aircraft,
labelled A, B, C and D.
“They didn’t know their final
destinations, but they’re all
safe now,” Tony says.
ZeroRisk is still working
to rescue other freelance
journalists, interpreters and
the non-government organisation
personnel who are on the
Taliban’s target list because of
their previous work with the
Allies. – Steve Meacham
* Zeroriskinternational.com
22 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

News
SEEN…
The Judgment delivered by the NSW Land & Environment Court
on August 26 upholding the appeal by developer Armada Avalon
Pty Ltd following the refusal of the Northern Beaches Local
Planning Panel to grant consent, following amendment, for a DA
for the construction of a Seniors Living Complex at 27 and 29
North Avalon Road, North Avalon (above). The development scope
comprises 10 self-contained dwellings, basement parking for 22
cars and the removal of 45 trees. All lost for local residents who
objected to Council? Well… the Court proceedings concluded
before the NSW Government exhibited its new draft State Environmental
Planning Policy from July 31. The draft further defines
development standards for seniors housing in an R2 Zone, stating
“… for development on Land in R2 Zone Low Density Residential
– the development is carried out only for the purposes of a residential
care facility”. More, in developing a DA, it notes “… a consent
authority is to take into consideration… any proposed that is or has
been the subject of public consultation under this Act”. So, no to any
Seniors Housing in the future based on consultation issued July
31. However, the L&E Court decision granted consent and permitted
the applicant to amend its application with amended plans.
That was August 26. But interested observers argue the amended
plans will be submitted during a timeline that overlaps the provisions
of the new Act. Further, the appeal relied on on-demand
transport service Keoride being defined as “a form of public
transport”… but which is now defined as a “passenger service”.
Plenty of legal eagles are scratching their heads over this one. We
hear Council has conceded defeat, assessing it has no legal basis
to pursue. It looks like the development will scrape through by
just a matter of a couple of months. Confusing, hey?
HEARD…
The Newport Residents Association has reached out again on behalf
of the ‘Save Robertson Road’ campaign. Following what was
considered a productive Zoom meeting between all stakeholders
in late July, the owner proposing to develop 351 Barrenjoey Road,
on the north corner of Robertson Road, lodged a set of modified
plans (DA202/1756) on August 27. “Council at this stage has
deemed it not necessary to renotify the public, even though these
modified plans show a reduction in one complete level of parking
and 26 parking places,” Mr Butler told us. “Further these revised
plans still allow for vehicle entry from the centre of Robertson
Road into the proposed 351 Barrenjoey Rd. development.” Mr
Butler said he and the community were extremely concerned that
if this DA was approved in its current form, it would demonstrate
that the Newport Masterplan was not being adhered to by
Council. He urges interested locals to view the plans on Council’s
website.
ABSURD...
Keystone Cops scenes at usually serene Clareville in mid-September
when a Sydney Bus “ran aground” on a hairpin bend on
Delecta Avenue. Apparently approved emergency tree removal
works were being undertaken at a residence in Hudson Parade
which required traffic to be diverted. Unfortunately, no-one told
Sydney Buses. The poor bus driver, on the condition of anonymity,
told our man on the spot that the traffic management hadn’t
notified the bus depot about the road closure, and that Council
rangers who turned up told the lollypop sign turners they had
no authority to close the road. The driver said he had ignored the
first two division warnings because it was a bus route. But when
he reached the second entrance to Delecta, the traffic controller
told him he couldn’t go any further. “Where do I go then?”
he asked. “Turn left, then left again,” he was instructed. Left, as
into Delecta Avenue. Oops. Council told us: “Council’s rangers
attended the site and it appears the bus had been directed on an
alternative route to the one stipulated in the contractor’s traffic
management plan. We will look at how the incident occurred as
well as possible improvements in traffic control management
by contractors.” The bus was freed without hitch, leaving minor
cosmetic damage to gardens.
24 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

The Way We Were
The Way We Were
Every month this year we’re poring over 30 years of Pittwater Life providing a snapshot
of the area’s recent history – and confirming that quite often the more things change, the
more things stay the same! Compiled by Lisa Offord
25 Years Ago…
The main story covered Pittwater Council’s new tourism policy,
designed to produce “… orderly and strategic development
of tourism initiatives that benefit the ratepayers but which are
environmentally sensitive to our unique environment”. Tourism
spending was worth around $90m a year, according to the
local business chambers which said the policy should not allow
Pittwater to become another “Surfer’s Paradise, or even the
Manly, Dee Why and Brookvale areas”. It also urged the widening
of Mona Vale Road, and perhaps a light rail link to Pymble and
on to Homebush Bay. In other stories, the State Government
was asking Council to create opportunities in new land releases
such as the Ingleside/Warriewood area, “… for a group of
dwellings on separate small allotments of land to be planned as
a single development in an urban release area”; an anti-brothel
demonstration was planned at Council as councillors “… were
braced to debate not if, but where brothels will be allowed to go.”;
a new children’s playground in Berry Park was unveiled featuring
a series of colourful mosaics by artist Sallie Portnoy; and the
first stage of improvements at Warriewood Square had begun
with a refurbishment of the toilets and improved facilities for
mothers with babies and infants. New feature Ten Questions
was launched, with the first “guest” Mrs Bronwyn Bishop, MP for
Mackellar. Asked how she would like to
be remembered she answered. “Call me
in 30 years!”; The Australian Democrats
Mackellar and Warringah branches
announced they had joined together to
“… let local voters know that they have a
serious alternative” and holding a Spring
“Bar-b-Que” in Narrabeen to “hear your
concerns”; the October long weekend was
to see the “big event of the year,” the Golden
Bowl Mixed Fours Carnival being played
at the Avalon Bowling and Recreational
Club. Local State MP John Brogden asked
the new Police Commissioner Peter Ryan
to review Police resources in Pittwater,
pointing to increased crime on the Northern
Beaches. The Avalon Preservation Trust was
celebrating 30 years. When chair Garvan
Kable was asked what it had been trying to
preserve he said, “It is things like the simple cross formed by the
two main streets, the smallness of the commercial area which
makes it possible for people to walk around, to get to know each
other and enjoy a slower pace of life.” Mr Kable highlighted the
importance of the tree canopy “… so that when you look over
Avalon the adjacent areas are covered in trees that make it look
urban bushland concealing the houses.” Mr Kable announced he
was handing over the leadership to Marita Macrae
who shared his views about new development in
the area. “Change is constantly taking place, and
not all change is bad. We just have to make sure
that anything new, be it a house or commercial
development, fits in,” she said. A new book, Beach
Beyond. A History of the Palm Beach Surf Club
1921-96 by academic Sean Brawley was reviewed.
“For 75 years the Club has been a magnet for
young men and women from the area and
beyond, while its associated clubs, The Cabbage
Tree (for men) and the Pacific (for women) are
social magnets of the Northern Beaches. We
know of some who actually list their membership
of the Cabbage Tree in their Who’s Who listings.”
For those keeping an eye on the property
market the Absolute Deep Waterfront at 228
Hudson Parade Clareville fetched $840,000
while the Spectacular Modern Residence at 53
Plateau Road Avalon sold for $625,000.
26 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

5 Years Ago…
15 Years Ago…
The headline said it all:
‘Long delays for Ingleside
property owners’. The story
explained how new reports
and planning for the release of
land at Ingleside, requested by
Planning Minister Frank Sartor,
would be expensive for both
ratepayers and landowners.
Council’s
General
Manager Mark
Ferguson
estimated that
“… It could be
five years before
the reports are
completed and
‘anything starts
to happen’
and long-term
development
would require
another
decade… this
is not going
to happen
overnight… all the studies will
have to start from the ground
up,” he said. In other news,
after six years of planning,
community consultations
and public exhibitions, “…
the Pittwater 21 draft Local
Environment Plan will not be
gazetted.” Instead, readers
were told it would form the
basis of a new plan that
conformed to a standard LEP
template developed for the
whole of the State. Meanwhile,
The Bayfield family was still
interested in building a small
marina at the Newport Arms – a
proposal which emerged “some
10 years ago”; a new pool and
exercise centre in Dunbar Park
was unlikely
to become
a reality
following
“some”
opposition to
the proposed
site which
would take
in one of
the bowling
greens; The
Avalon Beach
Historical
Society was
set to stage its
sixth historical
photographic
exhibition; and Newport
Surf Club was holding an
anniversary dinner to celebrate
95 years. The colourful
magazine cover showed the
creative talent of local primary
school kids representing the
theme of the bi-annual Artfest
“I Wish” – a selection of winners
chosen out of 684 entries also
featured inside.
The Avalon Beach Cultural Mapping project team was
building an online inventory of the area’s cultural
assets in the hope it would be used “… to make Avalon
even more attractive for those who live and work here
and for visitors.” We spoke to actor Richard Roxburgh
about his first children’s
book Artie and the Grime
Wave; Northern Beaches
Council released results of
a survey which found that
more than half of all local
businesses “… would like
to stop the use of singleuse
plastic items such as
bags, straws and cutlery.”
With the start of the
party season near, our
popular columnist, local
foodie Janelle Bloom,
came up with a batch of
simple-to-make, yet tasty
dishes that were easily
transported as a ‘plate’
offering when catching
up with friends and we discovered Pittwater restaurants,
cafes and takeaways would soon be displaying the
results of hygiene and food safety inspections through
the ‘Scores on Doors’ program which “… rewards clean
eateries with stickers and stars and ‘names and shames’
those who don’t make the grade on an online register.”
And we ran a story which showed Warriewood was the
ranked the highest most-liveable suburb in Pittwater
while its near neighbour Ingleside the least liveable on
the upper northern beaches, according to real estate
website Domain which ranked 555 Sydney suburbs
taking into account (from most important) access and
exposure to train/light rail; bus; ferry; culture; main road
congestion; education; shopping; open space; tree cover;
topographic vegetation; cafes & restaurants; crime;
telecommunications; views; and lastly, beach access.
Local agent Stephanie Hammond summed up locals’
thoughts when she said Avalon, Bilgola and Newport’s
beauty transcended the usual buyer’s checklist.
“You may not be able to catch a train to any of these
suburbs… but the kids can walk to school and cycle to
several of Sydney’s most spectacular beaches… you can
eat organically, walk the dog, grow tomatoes, feed your
chooks, drink excellent coffee and enjoy community life
on so many levels… all up you’ll sleep easy every night.”
The Way We Were
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 27

News
Pittwater News
Ocean swims back in a splash
Pittwater surf clubs have begun planning for the 2022
Pittwater Ocean Swim Series, aiming to kick off in
January. Organising chairman David Madew said the
clubs involved – Newport, Bilgola, Mona Vale, Whale Beach
and Avalon – had all agreed to push ahead for 2022.
“The decision was made in expectation that COVID-19
restrictions would be eased in time for the swims in
January,” he said.
“We are fully aware that there will still be some
restrictions in place that will probably require mask
wearing, social distancing and sanitisation.”
In addition, the Newport, Bilgola, Mona Vale and the Big
Swims will require swimmers and volunteers working on
each swim to be fully vaccinated.
Newport will be the first of the Pittwater Series on
Sunday January 2 followed by Bilgola (Jan 16), Mona Vale
(Jan 23) and the Big Swim from Palm Beach to Whale
Beach (Jan 30).
The Avalon swims will be held on Sunday March 27;
organisers will advise what vaccination requirements will
apply.
“We are excited that the Pittwater Series will see the
reinvigoration of ocean swimming in Pittwater after these
tough times.”
Details of each swim in the series will be available on
oceanswims.com and on each club’s website.
New COVID plan
for public spaces
Northern Beaches Council has
released a plan to manage
crowds and maximise public
safety in public open places
now and as restrictions
ease in the coming months.
The COVID-19 Action Plan
for Outdoor Public Spaces is
adaptable and designed to
support NSW Public Health
Orders. It provides a framework
for how Council will work with
NSW Police, Surf Lifesaving
and other authorities as the
weather warms. Proactive
measures Council will
implement include establishing
a Beach Safety Working Group
with key stakeholders to
deliver a coordinated response;
activating additional flagged
areas to reduce crowd density
as required; increasing
cleansing of public places;
monitoring by rangers and
lifeguards with reminders of
social distancing and crowd
gathering restrictions; ongoing
review of parking restrictions;
and regular and consistent
communication through onsite
signage, website, lifeguard
announcements and other
digital and social channels.
“Our priority is to keep our
public places like beaches,
parks, playgrounds and pools
open. We know how critical
they are for the mental health
of our residents,” said Mayor
Michael Regan. You can view
the plan on Council’s website.
Local Probus news
The next meeting of Palm
Beach and Peninsula Probus
Club is scheduled for October
20; it will be held at Club Palm
Beach, starting 9.30am – subject
to restrictions easing and the
club re-opening. Guest speaker
is Maureen Brew whose talk,
‘Venture into the Hermit
Kingdom’, will detail her
personal experiences travelling
around North Korea. While
most travellers are corralled
within the capital, Pyongyang,
with perhaps a side trip to the
demilitarised zone, Maureen’s
travels by bus, train and plane
took her as far as the Chinese
and Russians borders. For more
info call Carmel (0414 978 465)
or Faye (0421 495 846). Also,
Pittwater Probus Club will push
ahead with a Zoom meeting
on October 12. Guest speaker
is Hetta Mollema who will
talk about the vision of John
Bradfield in response to the
need for transportation between
the Sydney CBD and the
connection to the North Shore
that had to include trams and
trains. It will follow the trail
of the harbour bridge design
and why the arch configuration
was chosen. Log in details in
the October Club Newsletter;
visitors welcome. More info
Terry Larke (0412 220 820).
Keep cats safe at home
The NSW Government and NB
Council are collaborating on a
new initiative to help curb the
toll on native wildlife caused
by domestic cats across the
state. The ‘Keeping Cats Safe
at Home’ program will help
protect wildlife, with domestic
cats estimated to kill around
67 million native mammals,
83 million native reptiles and
80 million native birds in
Australia each year. NB Council
28 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

CEO Ray Brownlee said: “This
is a very worthy initiative
to provide education and
advice to communities on the
importance of containing their
cats safely at home. Council will
work with local veterinarians,
companion animal groups, cat
owners, and wildlife groups
to change attitudes and
behaviours in the community
towards responsible cat
ownership. Additionally, school
curriculum-linked resources
will be developed.
HSC prospects
brighten
As end-of-year exams
approach, Council has
launched a new digital
program, HSC Bright, to help
students prepare and perform
their best. Until Friday 15
October, HSC Bright will offer
a free online support program
for HSC students in a series
of information sessions and
seminars. HSC Bright will
provide plenty of resources and
practical tips on everything
from managing health during
this important period to
specialist speakers on a variety
of HSC subjects. As well there
are trivia and pop quizzes for
that all-important down time.
Register via Council’s website.
Donation bin
volunteers wanted
Are you retired with a bit of
spare time on your hands?
Perhaps you’d like to volunteer
to help clear collection
bins of perishable food and
grocery donations in the
upper Northern Beaches,
which are then forwarded
to the Addi Road Food
Pantry at Marrickville. The
Pantry is part of the Addison
Road Community Centre
(which was awarded Best
Community Group 2021 by
City Hub Sydney Magazine).
Among other activities,
they provide food and other
groceries to more than 8,000
people each week who are
doing it tough, in the southern
Continued on page 30
Good deed rewarded
When Warriewood
schoolgirl
Evalani Pouli travelled
to Tonga in 2014, she
was shocked to see
the poor sanitation
the locals endured
as well as the lack of
access to essential
resources.
It inspired her to
do something for
their community –
resulting in Evalani
being one of only 10
award recipients in the
recent 2021 Edstart
Achievement Awards.
Now a Year 10
student at Stella
Maris College, Manly,
Evalani was proud to
receive a $1500 grant
towards her vision
of supplying packs
of sanitary products
to the community of
Talafo’ou in Tonga.
Evalani won her grant
in the Social Impact
category.
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 29

News
Pittwater News
Continued on page 30
and western areas of Sydney
and as far away as Wilcannia.
Organisers are seeking
volunteers to help boost
numbers in the Warriewood
and Mona Vale areas – the
more volunteers they get, the
more stores they can invite to
Sand excavations
until December
major excavation of sand from near
A the entrance of Narrabeen Lagoon
– part of the ongoing management of
the lagoon to reduce flooding risk – is
scheduled to be completed in time for
the December School Holidays, Council
has announced.
The last Narrabeen Lagoon entrance
clearance occurred in 2018 and the site
has had to undertake more frequent
mechanical openings in recent months
as the sand has built up.
“These major sand clearances are
conducted every 3-4 years as swell and
tides gradually push more and more
sand into the lagoon,” explained Mayor
Michael Regan.
“Since we completed the last major
be part of this project. More
info addiroad.org.au; or Rob
Hunt (0409 076 045) or email
robhunt97@gmail.com
Council audit of
Local sport fields
Council is auditing LGA
sport ground amenities, with
particular reference to the
condition of the facility, which
sporting groups use it, whether
it is adequate for future needs,
and whether provision needs to
be made for female changing
rooms. CEO Ray Brownlee
excavations, waves and ocean swells
have pushed sand back in and filled
the entrance… tens of thousands of
cubic metres of sand has returned to
the entrance on the eastern and western
sides of the Ocean Street bridge.”
Cr Regan said that once completed, the
lagoon was expected to remain open for
several years “… although as always, we
are at the mercy of mother nature as to
said Council was working
closely with sporting groups to
deliver modern, fit-for-purpose
amenities to ensure it kept up
with demand and supported
every sportsperson. “It’s
important we investigate which
amenities need upgrading,
how long.”
The lagoon clearance and bridge
works will take around 12 weeks to
complete (weather dependent) with the
lagoon reopened in mid-December in
time for the holiday period.
During the works there may be minor
traffic disruption in the vicinity of Ocean
Street Bridge and some periodic limits to
access to parts of the lagoon entrance.
30 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

so funds for upgrades are
allocated where they are most
needed,” he said.
Clubs NSW excited
about re-opening
Clubs have welcomed the NSW
Government’s unveiling of
the road map to reopening
hospitality venues and are
reiterating the call for all
club patrons, suppliers and
employees to get vaccinated
as soon as possible. ClubsNSW
CEO Josh Landis said his
industry had done everything
in its power to assist in the
fight against COVID-19,
with more than a dozen
clubs currently acting as
vaccination hubs and several
others transforming their
carparks and function spaces
into testing clinics. Locally,
Pittwater RSL continued to
prove its ‘community leader’
status and dedication to
the support of its team, its
members, and locals. Over
the past four months the
Club has donated over 1,900
free Pittwater RSL Chef-made
meals to the Link Community
Care programs that support
vulnerable members of the
community with a free meal
service; and made more than
1,596 phone calls to the Club’s
most vulnerable members
to check in to see how they
are going and to see if they
require any support.
Falinski calls for
teacher vax hub
Mackellar MP Jason Falinski is
pushing the NSW Government
to open a vaccination hub
on the Northern Beaches
that prioritises students and
teachers. Both Wakehurst
and Warringah Rugby Clubs
have offered up their fields,
clubhouses and amenities
at Belrose and Narrabeen;
these venues are now being
considered by NSW Health.
This follows the recent
communication from Dee
Why RSL who offered their
premises to trial drivethrough
vaccinations on the
Northern Beaches. Former
Wakehurst Rugby Club
President Gareth Blades says
the club wants to do its bit
in helping the community.
“Unfortunately, there has
been no rugby played on
our facilities for over three
months,” he said. “I drive past
our ground most days and
think it would be a perfect
location to set up a vaccination
hub.”
Calling budding
radio presenters
After a series of COVID
postponements, community
radio station Radio Northern
Beaches is planning to hold its
one-day Radio Skills Workshop
on Saturday October 16 at
the Station’s studios in Terrey
Hills. The Workshop runs from
9am to 4pm. It’s limited to 10
students and costs $140 for the
day. Email training@rnb.org.au
for more info or book through
Northern Beaches and Mosman
College at nbmc.nsw.edu.au/
course/Radio_Workshop.
Vet
on call
with Dr Brown
Hip dysplasia, a
degenerative joint disease
which affects the ball and
socket joint of the hip in the
hind legs of dogs, is one of
the most common inherited
orthopaedic diseases in dogs.
Larger breeds of dogs such
as Labradors and Golden
Retrievers are the most
commonly affected by hip
dysplasia, however it can
occur in any breed.
Hip radiographs or x-rays,
especially the PennHip x-ray
series – are the most reliable
means of diagnosing and
predicting which dogs will
develop hip dysplasia.
The PennHip x-ray series
can be performed on dogs
from 16 weeks of age, and is
performed under a general
anaesthetic. The resulting
x-ray series are then sent to
the University of Pennsylvania
for interpretation and a
ranking is provided according
to the dog’s specific breed
– for the potential of them
developing hip dysplasia.
If the PennHip x-ray
series if not required, the
veterinarian may recommend
that your dog has a standard
hip-extended x-ray taken to
assess for radiographic signs
of arthritis. This procedure
still requires a general
anaesthetic, and whilst it
does not provide the same
level of interpretation as the
PennHip x-ray series, it is still
commonly used to assess hip
health in dogs.
If a predisposition to hip
dysplasia is diagnosed for
your dog, the vet will discuss
management options aimed
towards delaying the onset
and severity of arthritis and
associated pain.
For more information about
hip dysplasia in pets, speak
to one of our friendly team
at Sydney Animal Hospitals
Avalon 9918 0833 or
Newport 9997 4609.
sydneyanimalhospitals.
com.au
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 31

Mind game
Life Stories
changer
Jason Partington’s focus on meditation
for mental health continues to benefit the
local and broader community.
Story by Rosamund Burton
October is National Mental Health
Month and Avalon resident Jason
Partington and his team at Making
Meditation Mainstream are running the 28
to TWENTY EIGHT initiative, challenging
Aussies to meditate for 10 minutes daily
for 28 days from 1st to 28th October and
raise money for Lifeline.
Jason who turned 50 at the beginning of
the year, has meditated for 22 years, but it
was an evening at Avalon SLSC in mid-
2018, which has driven him to encourage
members of the community to spend
time sitting in silence. In 2018 there were
30 suicides on the Northern Beaches, the
majority of which were males. Jason and
his two teenage sons attended a free event
at the surf club for men only called A Night
with the Blokes. It was hosted by radio
presenter and co-founder of Gotcha4Life,
Gus Worland, and Tomorrow Man founder,
Tom Harkin. It promised to be a casual
but honest conversation about the male
stereotype and what tomorrow’s man
could look like. Thirty men were expected
to turn up, but 300 fronted. Men who had
lost their sons to suicide spoke about the
moments before they died. Many men
talked about feeling depressed, anxious
and also lonely.
“I was sitting there thinking if only these
men meditated,” Jason recounts. “I felt so
grateful that I had this skill that I could
lean into when I was feeling sad, defeated
or lonely,” In that moment he decided that
he needed to share the knowledge he had
gained from his meditation journey to help
others.
“For me meditation is the answer,
especially for men’s problems, because
men often don’t have a relationship with
themselves. They seek outside. They are
trying to keep up with a stereotype which
creates a burden they can’t talk about.”
He came up with two initiatives Making
Meditation Mainstream, which offers
free meditation and is a charity, and a
Meditation For Men course.
He realised that a course for guys needed
direct, straightforward language, and an
emphasis that this meditation was easy,
accessible and practical. Also, he knew that
for men to open up and speak authentically
he must create a safe space, which meant
making it guys-only. The blokes needed
a challenge and strong guidelines for
them to commit to a regular meditation
practice. The other key was support
and accountability, so regular ongoing
meetings. With the structure in place he
held the first Meditation for Men course.
At 6.30 on a Saturday morning in
December 2018 he stuck a sign in the
sand inviting people to join him on Avalon
beach for a free 20-minute meditation, and
that was the start of Making Meditation
32 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Mainstream. He had invited participants
of the Meditation For Men course to also
sit with him, so there were a small group
of them, but within weeks numbers grew
to 10, then 20 and 30 people were sitting
in silence on the beach every Saturday
morning. Other groups were established on
the Northern Beaches at North Narrabeen,
Dee Why, Freshwater, North Steyne and
South Steyne (Manly) and further south
in Bondi and Cronulla. There are now 20
groups, included one in the UK and another
in Switzerland. Currently with the COVID
lockdown, sessions are being held online
but will hopefully return to the beaches in
the next few months.
Jason is originally from Adelaide. He
says he was sporty more than academic at
school. He studied physical education at
college in Adelaide, before working at Club
Med for five years as a tennis coach and
sports instructor. His parents were hardworking,
disciplined with strong values,
but despite their example from aged 18 to
28 Jason says he associated with sportsmen
whose off-field antics often involved getting
drunk and taking drugs. On the one hand
he was learning about leadership and had
met his now wife, Kendra, but also he was
struggling with a lack of purpose and
depression. He would escape by partying
and abusing alcohol and party drugs, then
fall into a black hole of shame and regret.
“When you don’t have any context of
who you are, or what you’re here to do in
the world, you don’t have anything to grab
onto, so you grab onto addiction to feed
that emptiness,” he reflects.
A friend, recognising that Jason was on a
Continued on page 34
Life Stories
CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE: Jason Partington at
Avalon Beach; back in the day with wife Kendra and
children Tom, Bronte and Sam; the drive to make
meditation mainstream; dawn at Avalon Beach; the
young tennis star in 1986; with his parents and
siblings in Adelaide in the 1990s; One of the early
groups meditating on Avalon Beach; his spiritual
journey of discovery to India around the turn of the
millenium, including intense yoga.
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 33

Life Stories
Continued from page 33
downward spiral, insisted he attend a fourweek
meditation course conducted by Gita
Bellin. Jason followed the strict guidelines
and meditated for 20 minutes twice a day.
“At the end of that course my
perspective on life had changed and there
was a spark that lit inside me. I know it
sounds crazy, but I literally changed as a
person in four weeks.”
Thirsty for knowledge he read books,
travelled to India where he visited ashrams
and Buddhist centres, practiced yoga
and attended silent retreats in order to
understand the many different types
of meditation and learn from different
masters.
“Before, my life was about ego –
about recognition, earning money and
accumulating assets – and suddenly it
shifted to something deeper. For me
meditation is the difference between fear
and love. When I meditate twice a day I
stay on the side of love, acceptance and
connection and I’m a much better version
of myself. When I don’t meditate I fall into
fear and ego.”
Jason and Kendra, who is a nurse and
originally from New Zealand, have three
kids. Nineteen-year-old Sam is currently
surfing in WA, Tom is in Year 12 at
Barrenjoey High and the drummer for The
Rions, who won Triple J’s Unearthed High
for 2021 with their song ‘Night Light’, and
youngest is keen surfer Bronte aged 13.
Having spent the early years of their
marriage in Adelaide and Sydney’s Eastern
Suburbs, Jason and Kendra moved the
family to Avalon 11 years ago. Jason
worked as a sales manager for a large
group of fitness clubs, which later became
Fitness First, before setting up his own
company to market and distribute an
education tool in Australia, Asia, the
Middle East and Africa. Then with a couple
of partners he established a property
investment company. Now his focus is on
performance coaching and meditation.
Currently, he is working three days a week
with the sales team of The Doers Way, the
international company founded by Aussie
Grace Lever to enable female entrepreneurs
to build profitable lifestyle businesses.
In 2018, several weeks after the evening
at the surf club, Jason met local resident
Mike Britton, who has done men’s circle
work for 20 years. He supported Jason
in establishing Making Meditation
Mainstream and Meditation For Men, and
says that more than a handful of men have
told him that they would not be here today
if it wasn’t for these programs.
From the beginning of 2021 Mike has
been Jason’s business partner for The Sit,
the umbrella organisation for the courses,
retreats and events, which also includes
a Meditation For Women course and
corporate programs.
“Jason is unstoppable,” says
Mike. “He doesn’t need validation or
acknowledgement. He recognises what
meditation has done for him and he wants
to give that to the world.”
Gus Worland admits that he would roll
his eyes when people suggested he should
learn to meditate, but having done the
course and experiencing the calming effect
of meditation he is a convert.
“Jason breaks it down for an Aussie male
to feel comfortable and safe... I just wish I’d
done it years earlier.”
Last year 28 for TWENTY EIGHT
attracted 4,500 people, raised $31,500 for
Lifeline, and was awarded 2020 Northern
Beaches Community Event of the Year.
Jason is hoping to get more people on
board this year and to raise more funds
for Lifeline, which is experiencing a record
number of crisis calls and a huge increase
for local counselling services due to the
impact of COVID-19.
“As well as raising money for suicide
prevention services, you could be
establishing a self-care practice that makes
a difference in your own life every day,”
Jason says.
This man is doing great work, and after
hearing what meditation has done for
him, his 28-day challenge should be on
everyone’s to-do list.
* Makingmeditationmainstream.com.au
or Facebook for more information.
34 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Books
Mick’s ‘exercise’ in vindication
Bilgola Plateau-based writer, editor, TV and radio producer and academic
fundraiser Mick Le Moignan has added another notch to his belt setting up a
local publishing company and writing and printing his first novel The English
Teacher. Interview by Lisa Offord
Books
Q: Tell us about yourself...
I first came here in my 20s,
when I was TV Critic for The
Australian and wrote TV and
radio scripts for the ABC. I
rented a holiday home at Whale
Beach out of season. Watching
surfers from the deck brought
back my childhood in Jersey.
I’ve travelled a lot, but Sydney
has been home ever since.
When my wife, Trish, and I
came back in 2009, we moved
to Bilgola Plateau.
Q: When and why did you
begin writing?
I wanted to be a writer from the
age of eight. I studied English
Literature at Cambridge and
worked as a TV newsreader
before starting to travel the
world. Sydney was halfway, so
I stayed here with friends to
earn some money and realised
this was the promised land!
I always intended to write
novels, but kept doing other
things. I reviewed theatre and
films for The Sydney Morning
Herald, made TV docos about
Indigenous life and culture,
started another film production
company in the UK and made
100+ programs for the BBC,
was Script Editor for British
TV series like Eastenders
and The Bill and ran a large,
provincial theatre for a while.
Then I became a fundraiser for
a Cambridge college and had
the privilege of working with
and getting to know Stephen
Hawking (pictured with Mick). I
came home to raise funds for
the Sydney Conservatorium of
Music. I didn’t finish my first
novel until last year.
Q: What inspired you to write
this book?
Someone gave me Remains of
the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro for
Christmas. I read it on Boxing
Day and started writing The
English Teacher the next day.
I realised that heroes don’t
have to be heroic, just real,
and if they’re flawed and
ordinary, so much the better.
The teacher in the novel,
Henry Barraclough, is loosely
based on a university friend
who worked at a British public
school and was falsely accused
of sexual impropriety. His story
was quite tragic, but he still
realised his dream of sharing
his passion for literature with
the next generation. Henry
is a very fussy, precise man,
who has seven exercise books
left over from his career. The
fiction is that when his whole
life crashes, he decides to use
those exercise books to tell the
truth about what happened –
before making his final exit.
Q: How did it come together?
At last, when it was finished,
I showed it to my friend,
Australian novelist Natalie
Scott, who gave me her brilliant
Wobbly Truths and Other
Stories to read. She was having
difficulties getting a publisher,
so I offered to publish it for
her. Natalie said ‘only if you
publish your book as well!’
So that was the deal. I set up
Bouley Bay Books with huge
help from Natalie’s son-in-law,
Roger Haubrich, who runs
the Warriewood printing
company, Image DTO, and
we’re launching both books
together. In future, we hope
to bring out 3-4 books a year
by local authors. We’re getting
them into our great local
bookshops as fast as we can
but they’re also available online
at Booktopia, Worldofbooks,
Amazon, etc. Readers can order
direct from Bouley Bay Books
with free delivery by emailing
MLM444@gmail.com or visit
the website bouleybaybooks.
com.
Q: Any interesting feedback?
The first four readers were
all ‘of a certain age’. They all
said they enjoyed the book but
found it ‘surprisingly spicy’!
So I added a sort of health
warning on the back cover,
saying ‘The Head of English at
a British public school writes a
brutally honest account of the
intensely sexual and secret love
affair that destroys his career
and potentially his life’. We
don’t want anyone getting overexcited,
do we?
Q: Anything else?
Henry is steeped in English
literature, he lives and breathes
it and quotes the most
wonderful words ever written,
all the time. It’s quite a British
book and Henry is a very
uptight person (not like me at
all!) but I think anyone who
loves books and poetry will
enjoy it. My next novel’s going
to be set here, with less sadness
and more sunshine. Maybe
even less sex...but I’m not sure!
36 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Hot Property
Hot Property
Schools catchments driving prices up
Parents are paying a
premium for homes in
the catchments of highly
regarded schools.
According to Domain’s
annual School Zones Report
of all the school zones across
NSW, the Barrenjoey High
School catchment recorded the
strongest growth with house
prices up $870,000 or 45
per cent in the past year to a
median of $2,802,500.
House prices in the Newport
Public School catchment also
lifted at least 40 per cent.
Domain’s chief of research
Nicola Powell said the pandemic
had helped “supercharge”
school catchment prices, with
flexible working allowing young
families to relocate to suburbs
with easy access to beaches,
parks and schools.
Off-market
September surge
Pittwater houses continue to be
snapped up by highly motivated
buyers at record prices, and
increasingly on the quiet.
For example, the landmark
Art Deco-style home on the
point of Palm Beach and Whale
Beach at 339 Whale Beach Road
sold in less than 12 days last
month to a client registered
on the LJ Hooker database for
the full asking price of $12m, a
new record for an oceanfront
EVEN DOZEN:
339 Whale Beach Road
sold for the asking
price of $12 million
in under 12 days.
property in the area.
Another impressive offmarket
result was achieved by
LJ Hooker’s Palm Beach office
when a house at 3 Canara
Place – a cul-de-sac off Pacific
Road – was traded quietly
for over $6m. Also, the team
at LJ Hooker’s Avalon office
achieved a remarkable result
for the vendors of 43 Trappers
Way who accepted an offer
of $4,625,000 a week after
the property was promoted
through the agency’s database.
Meanwhile their Newport
office sold 18 Palm Road within
eight days for a street record
$5,100,000 – almost $1m over
the guide!
By Lisa Offord
Avalon Beach boon
Avalon Beach has been singled
out by property expert and
founder of the McGrath brand,
John McGrath, as one of
Australia’s hot spots.
Each year the entrepreneur
pinpoints five suburbs in each
capital city expected to see
strong growth.
The McGrath Report 2022’s
top Sydney picks are Avalon
Beach, Camden, Homebush,
Booker Bay and Malabar.
Mr McGrath says proximity
to the city is becoming less
valuable for many over lifestyle.
“COVID-19 has sent
Sydneysiders running for the
best coastal lifestyle options.
“Plus the surf, sand and coffee
of Avalon Beach makes it front
and centre up there with the
best. Locals enjoy its charming
retail village. Prices are up and
they won’t stop any time soon
as seachanger telecommuters
vie or the best addresses.”
Buyers agent
observations
During the COVID lockdown
there have been some excellent
opportunities for buyers
to purchase property, even
though there has been a lack of
stock in the open market and a
high buyer demand.
Marika Martinez from Sydney
Northern Beaches Buyers
Agents says the reasons for
this are twofold.
“Firstly, many vendors
chose not to spend thousands
of dollars on auction
marketing campaigns with
Continued on page 40
38 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Hot Property
Hot Property
Continued from page 38
the uncertainty of how the
COVID lockdowns are affecting
the market and the ability of
buyers to inspect properties
and actively bid at auction.
“This is a very real concern
as it is difficult to inspect
properties when agents are
only allowed to conduct oneon-one
inspections with limited
time slots available for buyers
to do so, also many buyers are
not comfortable with Zoom or
telephone auctions.
“The second reason is the
inability of many out-of-area
buyers to inspect property,
thereby potentially reducing the
amount of buyer engagement.”
This is where Ms Martinez
has been able to assist her
clients to find and secure their
next home, working for both
local and out-of-area buyers.
“Having been a selling
agent on the Beaches for over
20 years I know how to get
the deal done quickly and
efficiently… while many other
buyers are still waiting and
wondering what the next move
should be, in the meantime I
have bought the home.”
ADVICE:
Martika Martinez.
CAN’T GET ENOUGH:
Belle Property Escapes
reports strong demand
for holiday homes.
Ms Martinez says she is
notified by agents on an
almost daily basis of upcoming
off-market opportunities as
well as being contacted by
sellers asking if she has a
buyer for their property.
Over the past 12 months she
has averaged two property
purchases per month for
clients, consisting of an
approximately equal amount
of off-market properties,
pre-auction negotiations and
successfully bidding at auction.
With the spring and summer
selling season coinciding with
lockdowns ending soon, Ms
Martinez forecasts we will be
back in a buying frenzy with
prices continuing to soar for
some time.
“While interest rates remain
low, affordability remains high
among many buyers. It is a
simple equation of supply and
demand.”
* More info snbba.com.au
Holiday homes
are in demand
Local property owners are
being urged to consider
letting out their holiday
homes to meet a surge in
high-end demand.
Belle Property Escapes
Northern Beaches is already
reporting strong demand
for holiday rental properties
across Pittwater.
Belle Property Escapes,
which works alongside Belle
Property Avalon, forecasts that
the end of 2021 and beginning
of 2022 will see enquiry at
unprecedented levels.
New manager Pip Curtin,
who recently joined the team
after 16 years’ experience
in the Tourism/Travel sector
managing travel agencies,
said Belle Property Escapes
were specialists at providing
a seamless and hassle-free
holiday letting experience.
Pip says she is excited
to combine her sales and
customer service skills with
a love of real estate and the
northern beaches.
“We’re experts in
providing premium holiday
and short-term property
experiences,” said Pip.
“We take care of
everything and we have a
dedicated holiday concierge
to greet guests at your home
on arrival to walk through
the details of your property.”
Also, Pip said many local
families might be looking
to put a tough year behind
them with a domestic
holiday in NSW or further
afield subject to state
borders opening.
“Opening your home for
others to enjoy while earning
additional income when you
are not using it is easy and
we can help make it happen.”
* More info 9918 9933 or
belleescapes.com.au
40 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Renovated with Pittwater views
Palm Beach
910 Barrenjoey Road
2 Bed/ 2 Bath/ 2 Car
In an elevated location on a huge block of land spanning over
1200sqm, with Pittwater views across to Stokes Point, this
property offers a renovated, very comfortable and easy beachside
lifestyle.
Its lower level has two bedrooms featuring leafy outlooks. Upstairs
is the open plan living/dining area, which is air conditioned,
has a stained glass dome skylight, slow combustion heater and
opens to a timber deck.
Adjoining McKay Reserve, the home is afforded sunlight, privacy
and an abundance of birdlife, whilst being located across the
road from the pathway to Thyra Reserve and just a mere walk to
the Pittwater foreshore.
* Contact the listing agents @LJ Hooker Avalon: Peter Robinson
(0401 21 90 77) or Dennis Kennelly on (0477 977 971).
Exclusive beachside bliss
Whale Beach
1 Malo Road
5 Bed / 5 Bath / 3 Car
Built over three exclusive levels to the highest standard with
luxurious liveability in mind, this stylish beach home is situated
in one of the most sought-after streets in Whale Beach.
Enjoying spectacular ocean views within a north-east aspect to
the beachfront, indulge in a short stroll to the golden sands and
glistening waters of Whale Beach.
This showcase home features five spacious bedrooms across
three varying levels, with bespoke chef’s kitchen, plus interconnecting
internal and external areas (with water views).
Ducted reverse-cycle air-conditioning, plus there’s convenient
internal lift access and a double lock-up garage beneath. This
magnificent residence is available to rent – in time for summer!
* Contact the leasing consultant @LJ Hooker Avalon Beach:
Liam Pickles (0499 005 479).
Hot Property
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 41

Art Life
Exploring the
ecologies of the sea
Northern Beaches contemporary
illustrator and painter
Arlia Patterson – the Spring
feature artist at Eye Doctors
Mona Vale – is inspired by the
ecologies of the sea, focusing
on the beauty hidden under
the ocean’s surface.
Expanding from her previous
exhibitions influenced by
the surrounding Ku-ring-gai
landscape, this collection of
works will feature the unique
characteristics of marine life
that can be found off the
shores of our beaches.
Intricately drawn animals
take centre stage, showcasing
the vibrant colours and distinctive
features of creatures that
can be hard to find.
“Exploring this hidden environment
brings attention to
not only the aesthetic beauty
of the sea but also its fragility,
susceptible to climate threats
brought in the 21st century,”
says Arlia.
“The exhibition’s aim is to
highlight the overwhelming
amount of beauty we are in
fear of losing from warming
sea temperatures.”
From the tiny plankton to
the momentous blue whale,
these animals are represented
through vigilant brushstrokes,
and stylised penwork in both
canvas and print.
Arlia is currently completing
her Honours Degree in Fine
Arts at the University of NSW
Art and Design.
Her exhibition at Eye Doctors
Mona Vale (within 20 Bungan
St Mona Vale) will feature
cards, prints, original paintings
and drawings for sale,
with 25% of the proceeds to be
donated to the Myanmar Eye
Care Program to support the
eye clinics in Myanmar through
Eye Doctors Mona Vale.
Visit her instagram @arlia_
patterson and her Etsy Page:
ArliaPatterson
– LO
Avalon icons in focus
To celebrate 100 years since the naming of Avalon Beach,
LJ Hooker Avalon Beach has sponsored local artist Adam
Parsell to present his ICONS series.
Principal Peter Robinson says they will be releasing 12 in
total, with a new one released on LJ Hooker Avalon Beach’s
Facebook and Instagram pages until Christmas.
Recognising
true Icons of the
Avalon area and
surfing community,
the ICONS series
explores the characters
that make up
this great seaside
village.
First up is local
surfing identity and
environmentalist
Nic Laidlaw, founder
of local business ‘Balanced Studio’, depicted with a typically
brilliant, raw and authentic portrait.
Others include Tina friend, local mum, business woman and
former pro surfer; Rod Willis, former manager for Cold Chisel
and a loved local, stylish surfer and father; and Adrian van
Derwallen, the endless and tireless surf club supporter, school
teacher and gutsy big wave rider.
“Adam Parsell is a master at capturing the person in front of
the camera and is a well-known identity within the local community,”
said Peter Robinson.
“We’re proud to help deliver a modern-times link to the heritage
of Avalon Beach and in this way celebrate our past, present
and future.”
– Nigel Wall
Art Life
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 47

Surfing Life
with Nick Carroll
Split a year on the coast into
four equal parts? Good luck!
Suspicion is ‘real’ seasons are five- or six-year El Nino / La Nina arcs...
Surfing Life
BIG & BEAUTIFUL: Narabeen in La Nina-activated 2020.
Spring is upon us! Or is it?
I kinda think the whole
idea of seasons in this part
of the world is a bit fraught,
really. Trying to split a year
on the Sydney coast into four
equal parts – it doesn’t work.
Since May, for instance, it
feels as if we’ve lived through
three of ’em. There was warm
ocean surface water, bursts of
rain, close-range storms and
erratic powerful surf. Then
there was a cooling ocean
surface, longer dry periods,
skittery wind shifts, and occasionally
really BIG surf. Most
recently, the water’s been
steady-cold, the air’s been
alternately freezing and almost
summery, and the surf’s
been flopping around like a
stranded stingray.
Things change here in ways
un-dreamed-of by the people
who named those four seasons
way off in the land-bound and
more predictable Northern
Hemisphere.
We have other things to
think about. Like La Niña.
La Niña is Spanish for “Little
Girl”, and according to the Bureau
of Meteorology, she is on
PHOTO: Ian Bird
BACK IN THE DAY: Bungan in 1968 – a historically active La Nina year.
the bounce-back right now.
But what is she, and what
does she even mean for us?
La Niña and her twin El Niño
(The Christ Child, or Little Boy)
are part of the El Niño Southern
Oscillation, a very long-lived,
regular cycle in which atmospheric
pressures over the
Pacific Ocean vary west to east
and vice versa, usually over a
period of five or so years.
The names arise from the
Peruvian fishermen who were
among the first to recognise
the cycle through its effects on
their daily lives. They noticed
that during some years, the
coastal waters off Peru – usually
bitterly cold thanks to
relentless upwelling – would
grow noticeably warmer,
destroying the catch. The fish
vanished offshore for months
at a time, and the fishing life
was a grim one.
In other years the water
temp would plummet, the fish
would return en masse, and
it was happy days all around
in those northern Peru fishing
villages.
Their cold-water years were
La Niña years. During that
PHOTO: Courtesy Croll family archive
48 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

NICK’S OCTOBER SURF FORECAST
Maybe ’22 will blow up La Niña style. We’ll see. Meantime,
look for an October that should be right on trend. The
big continental high-pressure ridge tracking north across
Australia is beginning to fracture and shift further south
with the sun, and the Southern Ocean is still very active,
sending bursts of chilly air north through the cracks in that
high. This’ll mean some rain, onshore winds broken by nice
but possibly rather breezy weather, and a wide variety of not
very high-quality surf. Water trying to warm up and failing.
First bluebottles for sure. Sorry.
Nick Carroll
phase of the cycle, there’s
an acceleration of the Pacific
tradewinds, pushing a lot of
warm surface water into the
western Pacific, raising sea
levels around western Pacific
atolls and island groups, and
also raising moisture content
in the atmosphere above those
warm, swollen seas.
Cue increased chance of
typhoons and tropical cyclones
off the Philippines and Australia,
generally more unstable
weather across northern and
eastern Australia, and as one
of those wacky side-effects, a
seriously increased chance of
surf for us.
Pretty much all the great
years for surf along the Australian
east coast for the past 50
years have been La Niña years.
In the El Niño phase of
the cycle, those powerful
tradewinds relax. If you’re a
weather watcher who takes
note of satellite surface wind
readings, this tradewind
switch-off can be really noticeable.
The subtropical wind
band just karks it, and warm
surface water floods back
across the Pacific toward the
Americas’ coasts, carrying the
atmospheric trigger with it.
El Niño helps to activate
the North Pacific storm track,
as cold cold storms drive
off Siberia and expand over
warmer waters toward Hawaii
and California, bringing snow,
rain, and massive surf with
them. Pretty much all the great
years for North America and
the tropical island chains have
been El Niño years.
I never knew any of this as
a kid, goggling over the surf
mag pictures of Pipeline and
Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay
one year, and standing there in
some Sydney autumn watching
the beaches wash away the
next.
The Local Voice Since 1991
Now I vaguely suspect these
are our real seasons – these
five or six year arcs. The Pacific
ENSO cycle, not summer
or winter, is the source of Australia’s
famous “droughts and
flooding rains”. It’s part of why
Indigenous people learned to
accommodate the land rather
than try to tame it, and why
European settlers and their
farming methods were forced
into boom-and-bust cycles we
still struggle with today. It’s
why the country burned in
2019 and the Menindee Lakes
are full today.
And there’s a good chance
it’ll be why 2022 is likely to be
another epic year of surf off
Sydney. Big! Scary! Wax up,
gang, it’s on.
* * *
If you’re a pro surfing fan –
and ha ha! who isn’t? – next
year looks like being a return
to full form on the World
Surf League tour. Actually
“tours”, that should read,
seeing as how the WSL has
introduced a whole extra
layer to its offering. 2022
will feature a thing called the
Challenger Series, designed
as a final step for world title
wannabes who’ve managed
to get themselves into the
top 100 or so (men) and 40 or
so (women) of the Qualifying
Series. Challenger events will
butt these qualifier hopefuls
up against the bottom layer of
the Championship Tour stars,
giving them a chance to make
it up to CT status in 2023.
You’ll probably* see this style
of event in action starting May
17 at Manly, when the first
Challenger event is scheduled
to begin – right in time for La
Niña to really start wreaking
havoc on the coast. This
COULD be epic.
*Covid-19 permitting of
course.
OCTOBER 2021 49
Surfing Life

Health & Wellbeing
Kids’
kindness
a lesson
to all
Health & Wellbeing
If there’s one thing learned
during these challenging
times it’s how simple,
random acts of kindness can
make a big difference… to
ourselves and to others.
In many cases, it’s the kids
who have been showing us
the way, sharing the best of
themselves to help make our
community happier and safer.
Oxford Falls Grammar School
Community Chaplain Simone
Bullen has been inspiring students
to spread kindness and
generosity across their local
communities in a campaign
called Random Acts of Covidsafe
Kindness (or RACKs).
Some of the ‘RACKs’ included
Year 8 student Liam,
who despite having a broken
arm, has been sweeping pine
needles off the paths in his
In addition to teaching over Zoom,
teachers at Mosman Prep have been
focused on connection,
wellbeing and engagement,
organising a number of initiatives
for students and the
parent community.
Director of Junior Primary
and Kindergarten teacher
Aerlie Vade said educators
refined the school’s model
of provision following
‘lessons learned’
during the previous
lockdown
period.
“The model
includes live
teaching of Maths
and English (via
Zoom) for 2 hours
each morning;
local park (right) to make the
surface safer for everyone,
and a generous family who
brought in morning tea to the
school to thank all the teachers
(pictured).
OFGS Year 7 students have
been creating cards with inspirational
words and images and
dropping them into letterboxes
to surprise their neighbours
and another group of students
worked on ‘Operation Candy
Drop’ which involved making
bespoke care packages filled
with words of encouragement,
stickers, photos and of course
some sweets.
Children and educators at
Brookvale Children’s Centre,
Dee Why Children’s Centre,
Harbour View Children’s Centre,
Roundhouse Children’s
Centre, Manly Community
Connecting during remote learning
classroom teachers then hold a ‘wellbeing
check-in’ at the end of each school
day via Zoom,” Mrs Vade
explained.
“Beyond the morning
Maths/English session,
the timetable is
flexible in order to fit
in with individual family
requirements.”
She said one of the
challenges in the remote
learning environment
was replicating the strong
sense of community that the
school prides itself on.
“In order to combat this,
we quickly pivoted to prioritise
the students’ wellbeing
alongside their learning and
provide the boys opportunities
to connect with each
other,” Mrs Vade said.
These included social opportunities
through social circles, lunchtime catchups,
including fun events across grades/
stages such as Zoom discos, virtual book
parades and class parties.
Children were also provided with carrot
seeds to grow at home (left) and will then
transplant the seedlings into the kitchen
garden at their Outdoor Education Centre
in Terrey Hills when they return to school.
Plus, the executive and counsellors
have contacted every family in the school
to conduct ‘wellbeing calls’ to check-in
on how each family is faring and what the
school can do to further support them.
Screen fatigue for both students and
teachers is combated by offline learning
opportunities delivered in ‘home learning
packs’ and low-tech days such as STEAM
day, where students were provided with
materials to work offline for the day. – LO
50 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Pre-School and North Harbour
Pre-School have also been
sharing their time and talent
with others (left).
“I hope this makes you feel
nice like the sunshine” was
the heart-warming message
four-year-old Jillian painted on
her artwork for clients using
Northern Beaches Council’s innovative
Home Library Service
during lockdown.
Her message was just one
of almost 200 works made
by children from Council
Children’s Services across the
Northern Beaches that have
been arriving in Home Library
Service deliveries.
The Home Library Service
supports people who are
elderly or live with a disability,
and it was hoped the children’s
artworks would help
brighten their day in lockdown,
a council spokesperson
said.
The initiative has also
taught the children an important
lesson about vulnerable
people living alone.
“The kids really loved
creating the artworks for the
Home Library Service clients,”
Natalie Hemingway, Director
of Harbour View Children’s
Centre, said.
“We explained to them
where their paintings were going
and had a really good conversation
about how there are
some people who live alone,
and that can be particularly
hard at the moment.
“The children were so excited
to make something for
them,” Ms Hemingway said.
Kindness has extended well
beyond the classroom too,
with the Acts Of Kindness
(AOK) Community Outreach
Pantry in Newport sharing
many stories of local youngsters
stopping by to learn
more, showing their appreciation
and donating non-perishable,
non-refrigerated, in date
pantry items.
AOK’s co-founder Sarah Morris
sums it up. “Our future is
in good hands with these gorgeous
humans.” – Lisa Offord
Health & Wellbeing
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 51

Health & Wellbeing
with Andrew Snow
Health & Wellbeing
Diet and lifestyle: important
in managing your diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in
which your blood glucose,
or blood sugar, levels are
too high. Glucose comes from
the foods you eat.
Insulin is a hormone that
helps the glucose get into your
cells to give them energy.
There are two main types of
diabetes. With type 1 diabetes,
your body does not make insulin.
With type 2 diabetes – the
more common type – your body
does not make or use insulin
well.
Without enough insulin, the
glucose stays in your blood. You
can also have prediabetes. This
means that your blood sugar is
higher than normal but not high
enough to be called diabetes.
Having prediabetes puts you at
a higher risk of getting type 2
diabetes.
Over time, having too much
glucose in your blood can
cause serious problems. It can
damage your eyes, kidneys,
nerves, gums, and teeth. Diabetes
can also cause heart disease,
stroke and even the need
to remove a limb. Pregnant
women can also get diabetes,
called gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes
With type 1 diabetes, your pancreas
does not make insulin.
Type 1 diabetes happens
most often in children and
young adults but can appear
at any age. Symptoms may
include:
n Being very thirsty;
n Urinating often;
n Feeling very hungry or tired;
n Losing weight without trying;
n Having sores that heal slowly;
n Having dry, itchy skin;
n Losing the feeling in your
feet or having tingling in your
feet; and
n Having blurry eyesight.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes usually starts
with insulin resistance. This
is a condition in which your
cells don’t respond normally to
insulin. As a result, your body
needs more insulin to help the
glucose enter your cells. At first,
your body makes more insulin
to try to get cells to respond.
But over time, your body can’t
make enough insulin, and your
blood glucose levels rise.
Type 2 diabetes may be
caused by a combination of
factors:
n Being overweight or having
obesity;
n Not being physically active;
and
n Genetics and family history.
You are at higher risk of developing
type 2 diabetes if you:
n Are over age 45;
n Have prediabetes;
n Had diabetes in pregnancy;
n Have other conditions such
as high blood pressure, heart
disease, stroke, polycystic
ovary syndrome, or depres-
52 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

sion; or
n Have low HDL (good) cholesterol
and high triglycerides.
Many people with type 2
diabetes have no symptoms
at all. If you do have them, the
symptoms develop slowly over
several years. This includes:
n Increased thirst and urination;
n Increased hunger;
n Feeling tired;
n Blurred vision;
n Numbness or tingling in the
feet or hands;
n Sores that do not heal; and
n Unexplained weight loss.
Treatment for type 2 diabetes
involves managing your blood
sugar levels. Many people
are able to do this by using a
healthy eating plan and getting
regular physical activity.
Some people may also need to
take medicine. It is also important
to keep your blood pressure
and cholesterol levels close
to the targets your doctor sets
for you.
A registered dietitian can
help make an eating plan just
for you. Healthy diabetic eating
includes:
n Limiting foods that are high
in sugar;
n Eating smaller portions,
spread out over the day;
n Being careful about when and
how many carbohydrates you
eat;
n Eating a variety of wholegrain
foods, fruits and vegetables
every day;
n Eating less fat;
n Limiting your use of alcohol;
n Using less salt.
You can take steps to
help prevent or delay type 2
diabetes by losing weight if you
are overweight, eating fewer
calories, and being more active.
If you have a condition which
raises your risk for type 2 diabetes,
managing that condition
may lower your risk. For further
information, speak to your
health care professional.
Pittwater Pharmacy &
Compounding Chemist
at Mona Vale has operated
as a family-run business
since 1977. Open seven
days; drop in and meet
the highly qualified and
experienced team of Len,
Sam and Amy Papandrea
and Andrew Snow. Find
them at 1771 Pittwater Rd;
call 9999 3398.
Health & Wellbeing
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 53

Health & Wellbeing
with Rowena Beckenham
Health & Wellbeing
Seasonal change: hay fever
and other issues for eyes
With many of us taking
the opportunity to
get out and exercise
in our area these past couple
of months, spending time
outdoors also brings the risk of
hay fever and sun damage. Applying
some tips and tricks to
promote eye health and safety,
including wearing sun protection
and using the appropriate
eye care solutions, can save
your eyes.
Suffering from hay fever?
While many of us welcome
Spring and the warm weather
that comes, others dread it.
That’s because they know they
are in for months of red, sore,
watery and itchy eyes.
Hay fever is an allergy caused
by pollen that affects many
people to varying degrees.
Its effect on the eyes gets
especially annoying for contact
and glasses wearers. Itchiness
gets in the way of corrective
eyewear and too much itching
leads to soreness and unattractive
red eyes. With an estimated
one in seven Australians affected
by hay fever each year,
we know that it is no fun at all!
n It’s difficult to avoid allergens
even if you stay indoors.
However, there are ways to
reduce your suffering:
n Clean the house: Vacuum,
dust, and change your sheets
and pillowcases on a regular
basis;
n Close your windows;
n Use an indoor air purifier;
n Cold packs are very useful for
symptoms;
n Get fit: Research shows it
reduces the symptoms of hay
fever;
n Wash your hair at night: Pollen
is nasty – it can stick to
your hair then rub off onto
your pillow;
n Avoid the peak hours for
pollen: Between 8-10 am
and 5-7 pm is when it’s at its
worst. If you’re a commuter,
wear sunglasses and consider
wearing a mask;
n Don’t rub your eyes – it
makes them puffier and
spreads the allergen which
increases the problem;
n Avoid putting water in your
eyes – that just spreads the
allergens around the eye;
n See your optometrist for advice
on prescription medication
to relieve the symptoms
and protect the eyes.
Is a bit of sun good for us?
While the sun is an excellent
source of vitamin D, too much
exposure to ultraviolent (UV)
radiation can contribute to eye
conditions and diseases including
cataracts, pterygium and
skin cancer around the eye.
Some 74% of Australians
haven’t heard of pterygia (pronounced
tuh-rij-ee-ah) yet we
have one of the highest rates in
the world.
A pterygium is a fleshy overgrowth
of tissue on the surface
of the eye caused by excessive
exposure to UV radiation
from sunlight and long-term
exposure to dry and windy
conditions.
Also known as a ‘surfer’s
eye’, pterygia usually develop
in people between 20 and 40
years but have been known to
occur in children. Pterygia can
cause red eyes, discomfort, and
blurred vision.
We can diagnose and
prescribe drops to relieve the
discomfort and minimise progression.
Beyond ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’
Understanding just how vulnerable
children and adults are
to UV exposure shows why
developing good habits with
eyewear protection needs to
start early. Even on cloudy days,
we encourage you to wear high
protection sunglasses to reduce
the UV radiation reaching your
eyes.
Children and young adults
are more vulnerable to suninduced
eye damage as we
receive 80% of our lifetime’s
exposure to UV before our 18th
birthday so make sure to SLIDE
a pair of sunglasses on your
kids.
For decades ‘being smart in
the sun’ campaigns have raised
awareness about the dangers
of sun exposure. But why don’t
we protect our eyes as much as
we protect our skin, particularly
when our eyes are 10 times
more sensitive?
We recommend a minimum
lens Category 3 for a high level
of sun glare and good UV protection
in addition to a specific
face sunscreen to areas of skin
surrounding the eye.
Comment supplied by
Rowena Beckenham, of
Beckenham Optometrist
in Avalon (9918 0616).
Rowena has been involved
in all facets of independent
private practice optometry
in Avalon for 20 years,
in addition to working
as a consultant to the
optometric and
pharmaceutical industry,
and regularly volunteering
in Aboriginal eyecare
programs in regional NSW.
54 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Health & Wellbeing
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 55

Health & Wellbeing
Health & Wellbeing
The treatment removing anxiety
from your dentist appointments
For some people, just the thought
of going to the dentist can be
anxiety-inducing, and cause them
to delay appointments – or avoid the
dentist altogether. However, oral health
plays an important role in your overall
health, so it’s important to have regular
appointments.
Maven Dental Avalon Beach has been
providing first-class dental care to the
local community for more than 25 years.
Dr Celso Cardona, Dr John Michael and
their experienced team understand a
trip to the dentist can be nerve-wracking
but are passionate about ensuring their
patients are comfortable and relaxed.
As well as offering affordable and highquality
dental treatment such as dental
implants, general dental treatments, and
cosmetic work, Maven Dental Avalon
offers IV Sedation – also known as Sleep
Dentistry. Using the latest in equipment
and technology, it involves pain-free
sedation for dental procedures, so it
will feel like you’ve slept through your
appointment.
“With sleep dentistry, you can put your
anxiety at bay and receive your dental
care in a relaxed state, whether you have
anxiety, a gag reflex, past traumatic
experience or any other fear,” said Dr
Kerryn Wilson, Maven Dental Avalon’s
specialist anaesthetist.
Available for general dental check-ups
or longer treatments, Sleep Dentistry
starts with a consultation with a specialist
anaesthetist who can answer your
questions. They then administer a small
injection of sedative into your arm, which
makes you feel drowsy and relaxed, and
they remain by your side during the whole
procedure until you are in recovery.
“You will not be aware of time. Instead,
you’ll blink twice and be in recovery, and
your dental treatment will be over,” said
Dr Wilson.
“And if you need multiple dental
procedures, they can be combined into
one long session instead of multiple
visits, so you can get it all over and
done with.”
*For more information or to make an
appointment online, visit mavendental.
com.au/avalonbeach or call 9918 2786.
56 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Hair & Beauty
with Sue Carroll
Bumpy arms, thighs, butts?
Countering Keratosis Pilaris
Do you have small white
or red, rough bumps on
your thighs, buttocks or
upper arms?
It might be a condition
called Keratosis Pilaris, or KP,
which is a benign genetic condition
that creates a build-up
of the protein called keratin in
the pores. The pores become
clogged creating the bumps
on the skin. KP can also be
associated with atopic dermatitis,
hay fever and eczema
and is predominant in women,
sometimes occurring during
pregnancy.
The skin is the largest and
most beneficial elimination
organ in the body and is
responsible for one-quarter of
the body’s detoxification each
day. It will eliminate about five
hundred grams of waste acid
each day in the average adult,
most of it through the sweat
glands. The skin is known as
our third kidney, it receives
one-third of all the blood
circulated in the body.
With all of this in mind, it is
the last to receive nutrients in
the body, yet it is our barometer
to show signs of imbalance
or deficiency such as KP.
Managing KP includes reviewing
the products you are
using both in the shower and
afterwards. Gentle exfoliation
daily with a body brush before
showering is an excellent
and inexpensive method of
exfoliation. Dry body brushing
will also stimulate the
natural oil production of the
skin along with the lymphatic
system which helps with the
detoxification process of the
body. Dry body brushing with
a natural bristle brush every
day will make your skin glow,
removing dry skin, alleviating
the appearance of KP and
cellulite and contributes to the
restoration of moist, supple
skin. Dry body brushing has
been used for years because
the health benefits are so
extensive, not only for our
The Local Voice Since 1991
skin which is our largest organ
but also for stimulation of our
internal organs and assistance
with the detoxification
process.
Other benefits of dry body
brushing are:
n assists with the reduction of
KP and cellulite
n cleanses the lymphatic
system
n removes dead skin layers
n strengthens the immune
system
n stimulates the hormones
and oil-producing glands
n tightens the skin preventing
premature ageing
n tones the muscles when
used in conjunction with
regular exercise
n stimulates the circulation
n improves the function of the
nervous system
n helps aid digestion
Follow dry body brushing in
the shower with BiON Naturally
Clean Body Wash which will
not dry the skin but will help
to slough off dry dead skin
cells and will leave the skin
clean without being stripped
of its natural moisturising factors.
The natural antioxidant
benefits of citrus peel and
green tea extract work with
Vitamin B5 to counteract surface
bacteria and help soothe
skin irritation. Naturally Clean
provides mild exfoliation,
sebum control and improved
skin tone. The addition of 8
essential oils moisturises the
skin while you cleanse. The
clean and refreshing citrus
aroma creates a pleasurable
shower experience. pH 4.5
An application of either
AHAVA Dermud (Relieves painfully
dry, itchy, bumpy, scaling
skin with a mineral-enriched
body cream made with Dead
Sea mud. Its powerful, natural
ingredients lock moisture in
so skin feels rejuvenated and
smooth again. Therapeutic
Dead Sea mud helps reduce
inflammation to soften and
soothe skin. Dermud is a longlasting
cream formula made
with jojoba seed oil sealing in
moisture while Vitamin E helps
protect skin cells to provide
lasting hydration) or BiON’s
Glycolic Cream. (The 20% glycolic
acid and the intense softening
agents help to exfoli-
ate, smooth and soften rough
skin. Thick, damaged and
unsightly bumps and callouses
on the arms, feet, elbows and
knees are transformed.)
Some of the no no’s to avoid
when trying to treat KP are
coconut-based ingredients,
hot showers and do not pick,
scratch or irritate the bumps!
Sue Carroll is at the forefront
of the beauty, wellness
and para-medical profession
with 35 years’ experience on
Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
She leads a dedicated team
of professionals who are
passionate about results for
men and women.
info@skininspiration.com.au
www.skininspiration.com.au
OCTOBER 2021 57
Hair & Beauty

Business Life: Money
with Brian Hrnjak
Business Life
Failed inaugural MySuper
performace test issues...
This month we look at
the issues around the
13 funds that failed the
inaugural MySuper performance
tests, including strange goings
on just beneath the surface.
Way back during the Gillard
Government days, there were
superannuation funds known
as default funds; these were
designated by employers or
unions and money flowed
into them when no-one made
a specific election for their
super. Because so many of us,
particularly the young, failed to
make an election these funds
were very lucrative sources
of new money. MySuper
accounts were introduced
as ‘catcher’ funds to replace
these unregulated default
funds. Typically, these are
balanced funds, low-frills and
low-cost with some common
standards around reporting
fees so that you could compare
MySuper products easily. There
are some 80 MySuper funds and
they can be offered by industry
funds, corporate funds or retail
fund managers.
Last year as part of what’s
known as Your Super Your
Future (YSYF) reforms, the
Government required that funds
be stapled to individuals. This
is not as painful as it sounds,
it simply means where an
employee made no election
regarding super, the employer
must check with the ATO if the
employee has an existing fund
and make further contributions
there. The aim was to stop
people ending up with a new
fund each time they started
a new job. This requirement
comes in from 1 November
and was accompanied by other
reforms from 1 July including
performance reporting and a
duty on fund trustees to act in
the ‘best financial interests’ of
members.
As a precursor to
performance reporting, fund
industry regulator APRA
published a colour-coded heat
map back in 2019 comparing
returns and costs across
MySuper products. In the first
year after the publication of the
heatmap, 11 of the funds that
underperformed the benchmark
left the industry. On the 31st
of August they published their
first performance review based
on at least five years of returns
against an objective benchmark.
Thirteen of the 76 MySuper
products tested were found
to be below the benchmark
and therefore ‘failed’ the
test. These funds included retail
providers such as Colonial First
State and BT, industry funds
LUCRF, Maritime Super and
EISS, Australian Catholic Super,
Christian Super and even a CBA
staff fund. There’s something
there for everybody, in fact
around 1.1 million members
and $56 billion in assets are
involved across these products.
The funds have until 27
September 2021 to notify their
members of this position and
according to reports in The
Sydney Morning Herald, ASIC
has warned each fund about
potentially ‘misrepresenting
their performance’ to members.
The funds are also obligated
to advise members of the
YourSuper comparison tool
so they can consider whether
another product would best
suit their needs. If the funds
fail a second test in 12 months’
time they will be closed to
new members until their
performance improves.
It was interesting to observe
the range of reactions that
some of the funds had over
their inclusion on the list.
The textbook reaction (to me)
came from Colonial First State
who promptly communicated
to the industry. They
acknowledged the matter,
explained why it had arisen – in
their case through benchmark
differences between their fund
and the regulator. They set out a
pathway to remediate including
realigning their benchmarks,
reducing management fees and
tendering their insurance within
super. While I’m surprised that
a manager with the scale and
resources of Colonial found
itself in this position, this is the
type of response the regulator
would be looking for; we’ll see
next year.
Contrast that above with
Maritime Union secretary and
Maritime Fund chair Paddy
Crumlin’s reaction as it was
reported in the SMH on 7
September: “In an attempt to
communicate with members
58 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

efore they receive the
mandatory letter later this
month, Mr Crumlin sent a
separate letter to the union’s
members on Monday urging
them not to quit the fund. ‘You
know what matters. Be proud,
stay strong. Stay Maritime
Super. MUA here to stay,’ wrote
Mr Crumlin. Mr Crumlin’s letter
also encourages recipients to
‘view the returns that Maritime
Super is delivering for members’
by visiting a website that
shows the fund’s returns over
the two-month period of the
financial year to date. While the
communication is on union letter
head, it is almost entirely about
Maritime Super and the new
performance test. Mr Crumlin,
who has been chairman of
Maritime Super since 2009, does
not disclose his role with the
super fund in the letter.”
Maritime Super has or is in
the process of outsourcing all
of its investment management
to Hostplus which begs the
question: why not merge
completely and save the costs
of the residual board and staff?
Also merging some or all of
their operations with TWUSUPER
is the Electrical Industries Super
Scheme or EISS. Apart from the
performance issues EISS has
been prominent in the media
for all the wrong reasons:
losing its CEO and chair over
corporate culture issues,
spending and sponsorship
deals which incredibly included
a $3 million-dollar NRL match
ball sponsorship contract. How
something like this could be
in the ‘best financial interests
of members’ or under the
previous test, for the ‘sole
purpose of providing benefits in
retirement’ is mind boggling.
The other notable mover
was LUCRF super – the Labour
Union Co-operative Retirement
Fund. If you follow racing
you’d recognise their logo
from the jockeys uniforms as
they seem to sponsor all the
major racecourses and riders.
LUCRF along with Maritime
super were both punted from
the Industry Funds Australia
website before lunchtime on
the day the performance results
emerged. LUCRF is apparently
in process of pursuing a merger
with AustralianSuper.
Whatever happens to these
13 funds over the next year, this
is now the new normal. Each
year at the end of August there
is going to be a media parade
of losers from the performance
tables. Hopefully the process
works as intended and the
funds are able to lift their
returns or reduce their costs in
the interests of members. The
main effect over time may be
to concentrate superannuation
into a few larger funds; this is
probably a win for governance
but a loss for competition.
Personally, I’ll stick with my
self-managed fund. I’ve always
said that an SMSF is the only
fund that is truly set up to profit
members.
Brian Hrnjak B Bus CPA (FPS) is
a Director of GHR Accounting
Group Pty Ltd, Certified
Practising Accountants. Offices
at: Suite 12, Ground Floor,
20 Bungan Street Mona Vale
NSW 2103 and Shop 8, 9 – 15
Central Ave Manly NSW 2095,
Telephone: 02 9979-4300,
Webs: www.ghr.com.au and
www.altre.com.au Email:
brian@ghr.com.au
These comments are of a
general nature only and are
not intended as a substitute
for professional advice.
Business Life
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 59

Business Life: Law
with Jennifer Harris
Business Life
How to ‘close the deal’ when
negotiating with a publisher
Last month we considered
and discussed terms in
publishing contracts,
prior to your negotiating with
a publisher. This month we
look at engaging an agent, or
alternatively self-publishing.
There are many agents in the
book world; some specialise
in educational and academic
publishing. In this regard
it should be noted that the
commercial norms in this type
of publishing are different.
Agents offer a variety of
representation: for example,
fiction and non-fiction,
children’s writers and
illustrators and playwrights, or
visual artists and composers,
directors, designers, and
creators in the entertainment
industry.
Most only accept unsolicited
manuscript submissions at
certain times of the year and
some not at all. So, it is not an
easy task to break through.
An agent generally charges
10-20% of sales they help to
negotiate.
If a publisher agrees to accept
your work, what are the issues
you need to understand in
considering the contract?
The most important is the
money you will earn. Authors
and artists can be extremely
poor at negotiation as they can
be so excited at the prospect
of having their work published,
they almost give it away.
The money to be earnt from
publication (reflected in your
contract) is derived from the
advance, royalties, and a share
of income from subsidiary
rights.
An advance is money up
front. It is not dependent on
sales advances and are usually
non-refundable. The only
caveats might be if you fail to
deliver the manuscript, or it is
so poor that it is unacceptable.
An advance can be regarded
as a sign of publisher
commitment to the author and
the work. However, if you are
new to the publishing world or
have only just been published
say once or twice previously
you may not want to begin by
seeking an advance.
If wanting to pursue an
advance you should ask what
is the recommended retail
price of the book? What is the
initial print run? But perhaps
most important, what are the
consequences of not earning
out the advance?
Royalties involve hard
bargaining. Industry standard
royalties for trade publishing
are generally as follows: Print
sales 10% of recommended
retail price (ex GST), eBook sales
25% of publisher’s net receipts,
Audiobook sales 10% or retail
price (ex GST) for physical CD
sales, and 25% of net receipts
for digital download sales.
60 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

It is wise to ask the publisher
if you are not being offered
standard industry rates, why
not?
If your print book sales
exceed agreed upon thresholds,
can you negotiate rising
royalties into the contract? A
publisher may well agree to the
inclusion of riser in the contract
as the increase will only operate
if the book sells very well after
the publisher has recovered its
initial cost.
Payment of royalties are
affected by a variety of actions,
for example discounting to
department stores known as
‘high discount sales’.
Royalties are at the heart
of the publishing contract;
they are complex and need
to be understood. You as the
author are the licensor and
the publisher is the exclusive
licensee of the subsidiary rights
in the copyright in your work.
The publisher may sub-license
third parties to exploit your
work and will then share the
income with you. For example,
the publisher might license an
overseas publisher to publish
your work in another territory
and maybe in another language.
For the sub-licence of
subsidiary rights, your publisher
acts as it were as your agent
acting on your behalf. The
agent will generally take 20%
commission on overseas rights
and sales. When negotiating
this aspect of the contract it
is important to make clear the
revenue share split between
author and publisher and
whether the publisher will
deduct any additional costs
from your share.
Or you may decide to explore
self-publishing instead.
With the development of
technology, publishing has
changed and due to the way
books are made and sold, new
opportunities have arisen (for
example, eBooks and print
on-demand services) with the
financial risks of large print
runs having diminished. And
new kinds of publishing have
emerged, with author-funded
publication a type which has
increased risk for an author.
A self-publishing service
provider makes money by being
paid by the author to produce
the book and does not bear
the risk of the book’s success
or failure. Here, the contract
between the author and service
provider must be clear as to
responsibilities.
There are two main options
for authors wishing to self-fund
their work.
First, the author undertakes
all responsibilities of a
traditional publisher including
engaging expert freelancers to
produce the book, sending the
file to retailer sites, contracting
a third-party distributor for
print distribution to bookshops,
and conducting all sales and
marketing for the work. A very
demanding task!
Second, the author can
engage a publisher or
publishing service to produce
and publish the author’s book
in return for a fee. There
are several types of Service
providers. They are as follows:
* Traditional publishers
offering custom publishing
services as part of their overall
publishing business;
* Traditional publishers who
seek partial funding from an
author, by commitment to
purchase an agreed number of
books;
* Publishing service
companies transparently
offering itemised services
in return for a fee in which a
services agreement is signed
rather than a contract; and
* A hybrid contribution or
partnership publishing, where
the publisher acts as a publisher
and is exclusively licensed to
publish the book and maintains
a high degree of control over
the editing and design but
charges costs to the author.
There are problems with the
hybrid model, such as a lack
of author ownership of the
intellectual property in the final
files and lack of itemised costs.
In self-publishing, it is
important that the author can
terminate the arrangement with
reasonable notice.
There is much more to be
mindful of if contemplating selfpublishing
and one in which it is
wise to seek advice.
Comment supplied by
Jennifer Harris, of Jennifer
Harris & Associates,
Solicitors, 4/57 Avalon
Parade, Avalon Beach.
T: 9973 2011. F: 9918 3290.
E: jennifer@jenniferharris.com.au
W: www.jenniferharris.com.au
Business Life
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 61

Trades & Services
Trades & Services
AIR CONDITIONING
Alliance Climate Control
Call 02 9186 4179
Air Conditioning & Electrical Professionals.
Specialists in Air Conditioning Installation,
Service, Repair & Replacement.
AUTO REPAIRS
British & Swedish Motors
Call 9970 6654
Services Range Rover, Land Rover, Saab and
Volvo with the latest in diagnostic equipment.
Narrabeen Tyrepower
Call 9970 6670
Stocks all popular brands including Cooper 4WD.
Plus they’ll do all mechanical repairs and rego
inspections.
BATTERIES
Battery Business
Call 9970 6999
Batteries for all applications. Won’t be beaten on
price or service. Free testing, 7 days.
BOAT SERVICES
Avalon Marine Upholstery
Call Simon 9918 9803
Makes cushions for boats, patio and pool
furniture, window seats.
BUILDING SERVICES
Rob Burgers
Call 0416 066 159
Qualified builder provides all carpentry needs;
decks, pergolas, carports, renos & repairs.
CLEANING
Amazing Clean
Call Andrew 0412 475 2871
Specialists in blinds, curtains and
awnings. Clean, repair, supply new.
Aussie Clean Team
Call John 0478 799 680
For a sparkling finish, inside and out. Also light
maintenance/repairs. Free quotes; fully insured.
Housewashingnorthernbeaches.com.au
Call Ben 0408 682 525
Celebrating 21 years on Pittwater. Established
locally 1995. Driveways plus – Council Accredited.
Also excavation service.
The Aqua Clean Team
Call Mark 0449 049 101
Quality window washing, pressure cleaning,
carpet washing, building soft wash.
CONCRETING
Pavecrete – All Concrete
Services
Call Phil 0418 772 799
pavecrete@iinet.net.au
Established locally 1995. Driveways plus –
Council Accredited. Excavation service.
DOOR REPAIRS
Beautiful Sliding Door Repairs
Call 0407 546 738
Fix anything that slides in your home; Door
specialists – wooden / aluminium. Free quote.
Same-day repair; 5-year warranty.
ELECTRICAL
Alliance Service Group
Call Adrian 9063 4658
All services & repairs, 24hr. Lighting installation,
switchboard upgrade. Seniors discount 5%.
62 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Eamon Dowling Electrical
Call Eamon 0410 457 373
For all electrical needs including phone, TV and
data. Pittwater-based. Reliable; quality service
guaranteed.
FLOOR COVERINGS
Blue Tongue Carpets
Call Stephan or Roslyn 9979 7292
Northern Beaches Flooring Centre has been
family owned & run for over 20 years. Carpets,
Tiles, Timber, Laminates, Hybrids & Vinyls. Open
6 days.
GARAGE DOORS
Mr Serviceman
Call Werner 0403 295 000
Supply and fit new garage doors and motors;
service & repairs, FREE quotes/7 days; no callout
fees, fully insured.
GARDENS
!Abloom Ace Gardening
Call 0415 817 880
Full range of gardening services including landscaping,
maintenance and rubbish removal.
Melaleuca Landscapes
Call Sandy 0416 276 066
Professional design and construction for every
garden situation. Sustainable vegetable gardens
and waterfront specialist.
Precision Tree Services
Call Adam 0410 736 105
Adam Bridger; professional tree care by qualified
arborists and tree surgeons.
Tree Force
Call Guy 0411 730 239
Professional, safe 7 cost-effective
service. Specialising in all aspects of tree work.
30 years on Northern Beaches.
GUTTERS & ROOFING
Cloud9 G&R
Call Tommy 0447 999 929
Prompt and reliable service; gutter cleaning and
installation, leak detection, roof installation and
painting. Also roof repairs specialist.
Ken Wilson Roofing
Call 0419 466 783
Leaking roofs, tile repairs, tiles replaced, metal
roof repairs, gutter cleaning, valley irons replaced.
HANDYMEN
Hire A Hubby
Call 1800 803 339
Extensive services including carpentry,
outdoor maintenance, painting and plastering
and more.
Onshore Handyman Services
Call Mark 0415 525 484
Tick off your wish list of repairs and improvements
around your house!
HOT WATER
Hot Water Maintenance NB
Call 9982 1265
Local emergency specialists, 7 days. Sales, service,
installation. Warranty agents, fully accredited.
KITCHENS
Collaroy Kitchen Centre
Call 9972 9300
Danish design excellence. Local beaches specialists
in kitchens, bathrooms and joinery. Visit the
showroom in Collaroy.
Seabreeze Kitchens
Call 9938 5477
Specialists in all kitchen needs; design, fitting,
consultation. Excellent trades.
LOCKSMITHS
Mosman Locksmiths
Call 9969 6333
40 years servicing the Beaches; specialists in
lock-outs including automotive, rekeying, smart
lock security; also door hardware and safe sales &
installation.
Trades & Services
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 63

Trades & Services
Trades & Services
MASSAGE & FITNESS
Avalon Physiotherapy
Call 9918 3373
Provide specialist treatment for neck & back
pain, sports injuries, orthopaedic problems.
PAINTING
Cloud9 Painting
Call 0447 999 929
Your one-stop shop for home or office painting;
interiors, exteriors and also roof painting. Call
for a quote.
Modern Colour
Call 0406 150 555
Simon Bergin offers quality painting and decorating;
clean, tidy, great detail you will notice.
Dependable and on time.
PEST CONTROL
Predator Pest Control
Call 0417 276 962
predatorpestcontrol.com.au
Environmental services at their best. Comprehensive
control. Eliminate all manner of pests.
PLUMBING
Mark Ellison Plumbing
Call 0431 000 400
Advanced solutions for sewer & stormwater pipe
relining: Upfront price, 25-year warranty.
Revolution Blocked Drains
Call Chris 0480 245 168
Clear Blocked Drain + CCTV Camera
Inspection to ensure job is done correctly for
$250 + GST when you mention this ad.
RENOVATIONS
BlindLight
Call Dave 0403 466 350
Specialists in window tintings and glass coatings.
Act now for summer.
RUBBISH REMOVAL
Jack’s Rubbish Removals
Call Jack 0403 385 312
Up to 45% cheaper than skips. Latest health
regulations. Old-fashioned honesty & reliability.
Free quotes.
One 2 Dump
Call Josh 0450 712 779
Seven-days-a-week pick-up service includes
general household rubbish, construction,
commercial plus vegetation. Also car removals.
TILING
Graeme’s Tiling
Call Graeme 0417 688 141
All forms of wall and floor tiling; specialist in fully
tiled pools. Professional, reliable service; call to
arrange a quote.
UPHOLSTERY
Luxafoam North
Call 0414 468 434
Local specialists in all aspects of outdoor & indoor
seating. Custom service, expert advice.
DISCLAIMER: The editorial and advertising content in
Pittwater Life has been provided by a number of sources.
Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the
Editor or Publisher of Pittwater Life and no responsibility
is taken for the accuracy of the information contained
within. Readers should make their own enquiries
directly to any organisations or businesses prior to
making any plans or taking any action.
64 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Trades & Services
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 65

Food Life
with Janelle Bloom
Oodles of healthy noodles
add spice to dinner options
With more than 30 varieties to
choose from is it any wonder
that noodles are one of the most
popular ingredients around the world! Pad
See Ew… Singapore noodles… Vietnamese
Bun Cha (caramelized pork and spring roll
salad) Pho… Dumplings… and the list goes
on. Noodles can be made from rice, eggs,
wheat, mung-bean starches, tapioca flour…
they can come gluten-free; they are cheap,
easy to prepare and appear in almost all
cuisines. So get the wok out and turn up the
heat, as I share some of the recipes I make
at home often…
Singapore noodles
Serves 4
Food Life
Recipes: janellebloom.com.au; facebook.com/culinaryinbloom; instagram.com/janellegbloom/ Photos: Adobe Stock
Vegetable
Chow Mein
Serves 4
350g fresh chow Mein noodles
¼ cup oyster sauce
½ tsp ground white pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornflour
½ cup vegetable or chicken
stock
1 tbs peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled,
finely grated
250g snow peas, shredded
1 large red capsicum,
quartered, sliced
1 large carrot, shredded
1 cup shredded cabbage,
optional
1 cup bean sprouts, trimmed
1. Place the noodles in a
heatproof bowl. Cover with
boiling water. Stand for
1-2 minutes until softened
slightly. Drain.
2. Combine oyster sauce, white
pepper and soy sauce in a
bowl.
3. Blend the cornflour and 2
tablespoons of the stock in a
bowl until smooth, then stir in
the remaining stock.
4. Heat a wok over mediumhigh
heat until hot. Add the
oil, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry
for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add all the vegetables, stir
fry 1-2 minutes until almost
tender.
5. Add the oyster sauce mixture
and stir to coat.
6. Add the noodles and cornflour
mixture. Stir-fry for 3 minutes
or until the sauce comes to the
boil and thickens and coats
the noodles. Remove from the
heat, stir through the bean
sprouts and serve.
Janelle’s Tip: Chow Mein was
created to use leftovers, so you
can use any vegetables you have
and add pork mince or chopped
chicken if you want extra
protein.
½ cup small dried Chinese
mushrooms
300g thin fresh Singapore or
egg noodles
2 tbs mild curry powder
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs shaoxing wine (Chinese
rice wine)
½ tsp white sugar
½ tsp white pepper
2 tbs peanut oil
1 small brown onion, halved,
thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 tsp grated ginger
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 green or red capsicum,
chopped
350g barbecue pork, thinly
sliced
4 green onions, trimmed, thinly
sliced
1 cup bean sprouts, trimmed
1. Place the mushrooms in a
heatproof bowl. Cover with
boiling water. Set aside for
10 minutes to soak. Drain
mushrooms well and squeeze
out any excess liquid. Thinly
slice.
2. Place noodles in a heatproof
bowl and cover with boiling
water. Use a fork to separate
the noodles. Stand for 4-5
minutes to soak. Drain well.
3. Combine the curry paste,
soy, cooking wine, sugar and
pepper together, mix well
4. Heat wok over medium high
heat until hot. Add the half
the oil, onion, garlic and
ginger and stir 1 minute until
soft. Add the eggs and stir
until scrambled. Push the
egg mixture to the side of
the wok.
5. Add the remaining oil,
capsicum, pork and
mushrooms, stir fry for
1 minute. Add the curry
powder mixture and half
the green onions. Stir fry 30
seconds.
6. Add the noodles and push
the egg mixture back down,
stir fry 2-3 minutes until well
combined.
7. Remove from the heat, stir
through the remaining green
onions and bean sprouts.
Serve immediately.
Chicken Pad Thai
Serves 4
200g packet dried pad Thai rice
noodles
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs grated palm sugar or
brown sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
3 tbs peanut butter
500g chicken breast fillets,
trimmed, thinly sliced
2 tbs peanut oil
2 onions, peeled, halved, thinly
sliced
2/3 cup pad Thai paste
1 large carrot, peeled, halved
lengthways, thinly sliced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup roasted salted peanuts,
chopped
Bean sprouts, thinly sliced
green onions, coriander leaves
and lime wedges, to serve
1. Place noodles in a large
heatproof bowl. Cover with
boiling water. Stand for 5
minutes, or until just tender.
Drain. Rinse under cold
water. Drain well. Combine
66 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

For more recipes go to janellebloom.com.au
fish sauce, sugar, lemon juice
and peanut butter. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, toss chicken with
half the oil. Heat a large wok
over a high heat. Add onethird
of the chicken. Stir-fry 2
minutes, or until just cooked.
Remove to a clean bowl.
Repeat in two batches with
remaining chicken.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add
onions and remaining oil.
Stir-fry for 3 minutes, or until
soft. Add 2 teaspoons water,
cover and cook 2 minutes.
Remove the lid, stir in the
pad thai paste. Stir-fry for 30
seconds. Add carrot. Stir-fry
for 1 minute.
4. Push to one side of the wok.
Add the eggs and allow to
cook until slightly set. Use a
wooden spoon to stir the egg
until scrambled.
5. Increase heat to high, add
the noodles, chicken and
peanut butter mixture.
Stir-fry 2 minutes until hot
and noodles are well coated.
Remove from heat. Sprinkle
with peanuts. Serve with
bean sprouts, green onions,
coriander and lime wedges.
Japanese Pork
Tonkatsu Ramen
Serves 4
2 green onions, halved
crossways
4cm piece ginger, peeled, sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 dried red chilli, roughly
chopped
1 brown onion, halved
750g piece boneless pork belly
4 cups chicken stock
5 cups water
6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup white miso paste
¼ cup mirin
2 tbs sake
2 tbs light soy sauce
4 eggs
270g pkt dried ramen noodles
Thinly sliced green onion,
Sesame oil, toasted sesame
The Local Voice Since 1991
seeds and Shichimi Togarashi,
to serve
Kimchi, to serve (optional)
1. Combine the green onions,
ginger, garlic and chilli in a
small food processor. Process
until finely chopped. Remove
to a bowl.
2. Heat a flameproof casserole
dish over high heat. Add the
brown onion, cut-side down,
and cook for 2 minutes or
until charred. Add the pork,
stock and water. Bring to the
boil. Skim the surface. Add
the green onion mixture.
Reduce heat to low. Press a
piece baking paper onto the
surface. Cover and simmer,
for 4 hours or until the pork
is very tender (alternately
place the casserole into the
oven and cook for 4 hours on
130°C.
3. Remove the pork from the
stock mixture and transfer
to a plate. Set aside to cool.
Cover with plastic wrap and
place in the fridge 3-4 hours
or until cold. Strain the stock,
discarding the solids. Cool,
cover and place in the fridge
for 3 hours.
4. Return the stock mixture to a
large saucepan and bring to a
gentle simmer over mediumhigh
heat. Add the shiitake
mushrooms. Combine the
miso, mirin, sake and soy
sauce and stir into the
simmering stock.
5. Place the eggs in a medium
saucepan. Cover with cold
water. Place over medium
heat. Stir the water to create
a whirlpool. Simmer for
4 minutes for soft-boiled
eggs. Use a slotted spoon
to transfer to a bowl of iced
water to cool.
6. Heat the noodles following
packet directions. Drain.
7. Remove the pork from the
fridge and thinly slice. Heat
a frying pan over high heat.
Cook the pork slices for 1-2
minutes each side or until
warmed through. Peel and
cut the eggs in half.
8. Divide the noodles among
serving bowls. Pour the stock
over the noodles. Top with
mushrooms, pork, green
onions, two egg halves.
9. Drizzle with sesame oil,
sprinkle with sesame seeds
and Shichimi Togarashi and
or Kimchi.
Vietnamese
noodle salad bowl
with sticky pork
Serves 4
1 tbs peanut oil
500g pork fillet, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled,
grated
2 tsp chilli paste (sambal oelek)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs lemongrass paste
200g rice stick noodles
2 Lebanese cucumbers,
chopped
1 large carrot, thinly shredded
2 green onions, thinly shredded
1 cup fresh herbs like perilla,
Vietnamese mint, coriander
4 tbs chopped roasted peanuts
Dipping sauce
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 small garlic clove, crushed
¼ cup fish sauce
1½ tbs apple cider vinegar or
lime juice
Chopped red chilli, to taste
1. For the dipping sauce, mix
the warm water and sugar
together. Stir until sugar is
almost dissolved. Add the
garlic, fish sauce, and vinegar
or lime and chilli. Taste the
sauce. If you want it sweeter
you can add some sugar or
more sour add more fresh
limes or vinegar or hotter
add more chilli.
2. Heat wok over a high heat.
Add 2 tsp oil and half the
pork, stir fry 1-2 minutes
until brown, remove to a
clean plate and repeat with
remaining pork.
3. Reduce the heat to medium,
add more oil and garlic,
ginger and chilli. Stir-fry for1
minute until aromatic. Return
all the pork.
4. Stir in brown sugar, fish
sauce, lemongrass, cook
until pork has caramelised.
Remove from the heat.
5. Prepare the noodles
following the packet
directions. Drain.
6. Divide pork, noodles,
cucumber, carrot, onions and
herbs among four bowls.
Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve
with dipping sauce, the sauce
is spooned over the plate at
the table.
OCTOBER 2021 67
Food Life

Food Life
Pick of the Month:
Food Life
Avocado
It may surprise you to learn
that Australians consume
almost 4kg of avocados per
person, per year!
By far the most popular
is the Hass, which has a
pebbly, purple-black skin
and creamy flesh perfect for
slicing, dicing and smashing
(guacamole, anyone?).
Avocados are rich in
healthy, good fats. In fact,
avocados are the only fruit,
apart from olives, to contain
monounsaturated fats.
Mother Nature protects
the fats in avocados from
going rancid too quickly
by packing the fruit full of
antioxidants. The gorgeous
green and yellow colours
of avocados come from
the natural antioxidant
pigments chlorophyll (green)
and carotenoids – beta
carotene (orange) and lutein
and zeaxanthin (yellows).
These orange and yellow
colours are fat soluble and
play important roles in
maintaining eye health.
Avocados are also a source
of vitamin E – the fatsoluble
antioxidant vitamin.
Vitamin E needs vitamin C
to work properly, so it’s no
surprise that avocados are
also rich in vitamin C.
* It’s ‘National Taco Day’ in
October – let’s all celebrate
with Taco Tuesday and
Avos each week this month!
Janelle’s Prawn
Tacos with
Mexican Mayo
Makes 12
1 cos lettuce, chopped
¼ cup finely chopped
coriander
3 vine-ripened tomatoes,
chopped
2 avocados, halved, stone
removed, peeled, chopped
1 lime, halved, juiced
12 flour tortillas
2 tbs olive oil
1 long red chilli (optional),
thinly sliced
1kg cooked prawns, peeled
leaving tails intact, deveined
Mexican Mayo
½ cup whole egg mayonnaise
1 tbs lime juice
3 tsp chipotle in adobe sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbs Mexican seasoning
1. For the Mexican
mayo, combine all the
ingredients in a bowl, mix
well.
2. In separate bowls, combine
the lettuce and half the
coriander, combine the
tomato and remaining
coriander and combine the
avocado and lime juice.
3. Separate the tortillas then
brush both sides with oil.
Barbecue, chargrill or pan
fry until light golden, keep
warm by placing them
on top of each other and
wrapping in foil or a clean
tea towel.
4. Divide tortillas among
serving plates. Spread
with Mexican mayo, top
with lettuce, chilli, tomato,
avocado and prawns. Fold
to enclose the filling. Serve
immediately.
Also In Season
October
Bananas, Blueberries,
Blackberries, Strawberries,
Grapefruit, Australian
Valencia Oranges; Mangoes,
Watermelon, Tangelos, Passionfruit
& Pineapples; also
Asparagus, Asian Greens,
Beans, Broccolini, Beetroot,
Cabbage, Chilli, Cucumber,
Australian Garlic, Fennel,
Zucchini, Peas – podded,
Sugar Snap & Snow.
68 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Pittwater Puzzler
Compiled by David Stickley
Headland area (7)
26 Book by local Mick Le
Moignan, The English _______
(7)
27 Position held by Bernadette
McKay in the Avalon Beach
SLSC (9)
28 Organisation that Lyn and
Dave Millett joined 27 years
ago to look after rescued
animals (5)
29 Popular BBQ fare (5)
30 Flags (8)
ACROSS
1 Tall shrubs bearing huge
crimson flower heads; NSW
rugby team (8)
5 Unaccompanied in music;
executed on dry plaster in
painting (5)
9 Retirement fund (5)
10 Faculty members (9)
11 Styling that’s been hard
to achieve for some during
lockdown (7)
12 Scotland and Sanctuary, for
example (7)
13 Elderly (4)
14 A substitute (5-2)
16 A young man generally (3)
18 Brief beachwear first
manufactured in Sydney by the
MacRae Knitting Mills in 1928 (7)
20 What you can get at Metro
Petroleum Avalon Beach (4)
25 Bumpers, Lagoon and
Sheepstation are examples of
this in the Narrabeen Beach and
DOWN
1 Ku-ring-gai National Park
landmark with a prominent
25-across (4,4)
2 A goanna, for example (7)
3 Three times (6)
4 Sound physical or mental
condition (6)
5 A young plant ready for
planting out (8)
6 Wine on the drinks menu
at Pizzeria E Cucina in
Newport (7)
7 To occupy the thoughts of
obstinately and persistently (6)
8 The entertainment industryled
children’s charity (7)
14 Call for help (1,1,1)
15 Newport-based
organisation that provides
global security/risk
assessments/hostage
rescues (8)
16 These crafty people like
messing about, apparently (7)
17 Flower sellers (8)
19 One guided by a patron (7)
21 Pave the way for (5,2)
22 Areas enjoyed by skiers,
but not of the water type (6)
23 Body-like sculpture (6)
24 The capital and port of the
Northern Territory (6)
[Solution page 72]
Pittwater Puzzler
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 69

Garden Life
with Gabrielle Bryant
Garden Life
‘Pink Champagne’ and other
bottlebrushes to drink in
Spring is here at last. The bush has
come alive with flowers but sadly
most will hide again once the summer
heat arrives. It is always a temptation
to fill the garden with flowering native
plants but so many in the garden centres
are grown in other parts of Australia and
will not thrive in our hot, humid climate.
For new gardeners there are always
bottlebrushes, banksias and grevilleas
that are reliable and most will flower
again in autumn. They all come in many
different shapes and sizes, groundcovers,
small shrubs, hedging varieties and trees.
Bottlebrushes are expected to have
scarlet brushes but you can look for
White Anzac or one of the many pink varieties.
One of the best is Pink Champagne.
The sugar pink bottles fade to the palest
pink giving this compact shrub a variety
of coloured brushes. Pink Champagne will
burst into flower in early spring but will
spot flower again through summer and
autumn.
The brushes grow from new shoots so
make sure to trim back the old flowers as
they finish. This will also keep the shrub
compact and dense.
If you are looking for a screen or a
hedge, the broad-leafed grevilleas are
hard to beat. They have been bred and
developed from the original grevillea
banksia. They flower almost nonstop
throughout the year.
The tall grevillea Moonlight can be
seen everywhere, covered in huge pale
cream spider flowers, as can be the
golden Honey Gem and the yellow Sandra
Gordon. The smaller-growing red Robyn
Gordon, orange Ned Kelly or pink Coconut
Ice are the perfect for low-growing
hedges or garden shrubs. Every year new
cultivars are produced from this amazing
family, check the labels to find the
fully grown heights as they can vary from
1-5m in height.
The great thing about these plants is
that they will flower from a very young
plant and you will be able to see the flowers
before you buy.
70 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

A guide to potting mixes
When buying bagged
soil it can be daunting
to choose from the
bewildering range that is
available. Which to choose,
from premium, general or
budget potting mix, can be
challenging.
Do you need water
saver, fertiliser or added
compost? A good allpurpose
mix is all you
need; you can adjust
the mix by adding the
appropriate fertiliser. (The
only exceptions are bark
for orchids and a succulent
mix for succulents and
cactus that is light and
sandy.)
Potting mix should pass
the squeeze test. Take a
handful and squeeze. It
should remain open and
light in your hand; if it
stays compacted it is no
good.
The quality of the mix
often has nothing to do
with the price; some of the
Aloe there!
Aloes are undemanding and
easy to grow; they’re ideal
plants for busy households.
They come in many shapes
and sizes, from tiny little
rosettes to the tall-growing
tree aloe, but regardless
of size they all need little
attention.
Aloes are desert plants.
They thrive in harsh
conditions by storing water
in their waxy leaves. Aloe
flowers are amazing. Tall
spikes of brilliant orange,
scarlet or yellow flowers
appear throughout the year.
They grow well in small
pots or large tubs, developing
into clusters of new growth.
With all the different
shapes and sizes of these
ornamental plants, Aloe
‘Vera’ must be the most
popular and the best one to
grow.
The thick fleshy leaves are
full of a jelly that will take all
the pain away from sunburn
after a day spent too long at
the beach, the stinging pain
from a bee sting, or the itch
from mozzie bites.
The Local Voice Since 1991
most expensive mixes are
no better than the more
moderately priced. Beware
of very cheap potting
mixes, most are full of
sticks and other organic
material that should have
been left to compost
further before being used
(I have even found plastic
and stones on occasions).
Compost that has not
completely broken down
will leach nitrogen from
the soil at the expense of
your plants.
You can grow it on the
kitchen window sill as a small
plant, or plant it into the
garden in the harshest hot
and dry spot where it will
soon multiply. The tall orange
spikes of flower are a bonus.
The only harm that you can
do to this plant is to overwater
it; it will be too greedy
and its leaves will burst!
Aloes must have perfect
drainage.
If you are buying garden
mix, do you need one for
tomatoes, one for herbs,
one for roses and one for
gardenias? No – garden
mix is designed to add
nutrient and bulk to
existing garden beds.
The fertiliser that you
use will convert it to the
appropriate use. Garden
mix is different to potting
mix, it is designed to be
added to existing soil. The
drainage will not be good
enough for using in pots.
Mexican Blueberry
– the edible fuchsia
little-known fact is that all
A fuchsias are edible, but not very
tasty. The flowers can be added to
salads for decoration.
Most fuchsias are grown for their
flowers alone, but not the Mexican
Blueberry –
sometimes
known as
the Tree
Fuchsia. It
is the tallest
growing of
the fuchsia
family,
reaching a
height of
2-3m. The
clusters of
pale mauve
flowers
produce
shiny blue berries. The shrub can have
flowers and berries at the same time.
These berries are sweet and juicy.
They can be eaten in all the ways that
we eat the blueberries, in yoghurt,
muffins, smoothies or jam. It loves
semi-shade or a position with morning
sun only, and regular water. It does not
want to dry out.
OCTOBER 2021 71
Garden Life

Garden Life
Jobs this Month
Garden Life
It is time to get the summer
veggies growing if you
have not already done so. It
is a bit late to sow seeds, so
seedlings are the way to go.
Sometimes sowing seeds can
produce too many plants, for
a family just 3 or 4 plants will
often do.
What to plant
Plant egg plants, capsicum,
tomatoes, cucumbers,
chillies and beans. If space
is really limited just plant
the veggies that your family
uses on a weekly basis. Pick
and pick again vegetables
are the most productive
such as tomatoes, beans,
cucumbers and zucchinis.
Re-plant seeds or seedlings
Crossword solution from page 69
Mystery location: SAND POINT
of carrots, lettuce, pak choi
and spring onions at twoweekly
intervals rather that
filling the veggie patch all in
one day!
Bindii watch
Watch out for bindies in
the grass. Spray them now
before the seeds ripen. It is
easier to spray now with a
selective weed killer than to
sit on a cushion with a trowel
and to dig them out one by
one once their spikey seeds
are ripe. If you have a buffalo
lawn, check with the garden
centre before buying a weed
control to make sure that the
chemical is suitable (Yates
Buffalo Pro hose-on is an
easy way to go).
Orchid care
Cymbidium orchids have
given months of pleasure,
flowering through the winter.
Time to give back now.
Remove any tired foliage, old
flower canes and damaged
roots. Repot them into
fresh orchid bark. Don’t
increase the pot size unless
necessary. Orchids like to be
tightly packed in. Feed them
this month with orchid food
to get them growing again.
October
Mulch well
After the winter rain, the soil
is well watered and damp
deep down. The surface dries
quickly in the sun so mulch
the garden well with sugar
cane or bark to keep the
benefit of the wet winter days.
Amazing daisies
Daisies are back. These oldfashioned
favourites are in
full flower. They are easy to
grow but can be attacked by
leaf miner, so spray with eco
oil as a control.
Hibiscus trim
This is your last chance to
shape and trim back hibiscus
before summer. Feed the
bushes now with a complete
fertiliser and apply a top
dressing of cow manure to
get the new growth that will
produce the flowers.
Palm seeds
Palm trees are flowering. If
you can reach them, it is wise
to remove the flowers as they
finish before they produce
seeds that fall. Palm seeds
are dangerous on paths and
walkways. They roll under foot
and cause some bad falls.
Pots & baskets
Pot up some pots and
baskets that will flower the
summer ahead. Spanish
Shawl is a low-growing,
trailing plant that is ideal
for rockeries, tubs or a
ground cover. It produces
bright magenta-coloured
flowers all summer that
complement the bronze
new leaves that cover the
dark green foliage.
72 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

Times Past
Page-turning Avalon Beach library
Avalon Beach has almost
always had a library.
The 1934 disused
NRMA patrol depot in Avalon
Parade operated as a library
for a few years; and there was
a small lending library as part
of a nursery on Old Barrenjoey
Road next to Stapleton’s early
real estate office in the 1950s.
In 1951, the official opening
year of Avalon Public
School, a library was begun in
a cupboard at the western end
of the verandah of the first
demountable school building.
My mum Gwen Searl and
Cassie Nelson were the first
librarians.
On 11 April 1983, a public
meeting of keen locals wishing
to establish a community
library in Avalon Beach was
held in St Marks Hall.
The new steering committee
headed by chairman Brenda
Kable, had their sights set on
a 25.5sqm room in the Avalon
Baby Health Centre in Old
Barrenjoey Road. (Brenda said
many older folk and mums
with young children found it
difficult to travel to the Council’s
library in Mona Vale.)
The cost of structural
alterations and furnishing
and fittings would only have
amounted to $5,000 but Warringah
Shire Council (WSC)
staff rejected the idea and suggested
a future redevelopment
of the Baby Health Centre site
should provide for a 250sqm
library.
A Riding Councillor Frank
Beckman thought the obvious
OPENING CREDITS: Brenda Kable poses with a well-earned bouquet for
her effort (top); celebrations were underway when the library moved
into the ‘Avalon Centre’ opposite the post office in May 1988 (above left);
the official opening of the library on 28 October 1983 – Brenda Kable
has just received a copy of Milton’s Prose (above right) from Morris
West (on the far right) along with a handsome cheque, while popular
councillor Frank Beckman looks on.
enthusiasm from these local
volunteers should be encouraged
and supported then, rather
than wait to see what funds
might be provided in the 1984
budget estimates. “We should
not stand in the way of people
who want to help themselves
– and the facility won’t cost
the Council anything in rent,”
he said.
Professional librarians offered
voluntarily to train and
assist volunteers to prepare
around 3,000 books to go onto
the shelves and also catalogue
the collection.
On Friday 28 October 1983
at 7.30pm, local author Morris
West officially opened the
library. Jenny Cole-Clarke
sculpted a fabulous celebration
cake in the shape of an
open book with pages and a
bookmark.
Staffing for the new library
was eagerly provided for by
50 keen locals. The library
opened for lending on Monday
31 October, from 2pm to 5pm.
It proved a great success,
even though it was operating
from within a room “no larger
than a broom closet” according
to honorary librarian
Craig Boaden. A temporary
‘demountable’ building was
provided to give more space.
In 1988, WSC purchased the
old Woolworths building opposite
the post office in Avalon
Parade and converted it into
an arcade. The library moved
into the rear section on the
ground floor, which gave them
lots more space.
In 2002, the library moved
into purpose-built premises
in the new Avalon Recreation
Centre (above what was their
original site from 1983). They
had in fact returned to their
birthplace in premises befitting
their fine achievement.
Helen Clarke was the first
paid librarian and Jane Park
took over as the co-ordinator
in September 2017.
In 2023, the library will celebrate
40 years of community
service.
TIMES PAST is supplied by
local historian and President
of the Avalon Beach
Historical Society GEOFF
SEARL. Visit the Society’s
showroom in Bowling Green
Lane, Avalon Beach.
Times Past
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 73

Travel Life
Travel Life
Creating your PONANT moment
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* More info call the TravelView team on 9918 4444.
DISCOVERY: A PONANT Zodiac landing at Collier Bay (above), on the Kimberley coast,
which is only accessible by sea. Bottom (left to right): EXHILARATING: Kayaking
adventures in Antarctica help to deliver a true polar experience. SPECTACULAR: Above
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CULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Welcome ceremony on Mount Yasur on Tanna Island, Vanuatu.
PHOTO: @Studio Ponant / Olivier Anrigo
PHOTO: @Studio Ponant/Nick Rains
74 OCTOBER 2021
The Local Voice Since 1991

This overwater
bungalow sails!
Paul Gauguin Cruises has been revealing the wonders
of French Polynesia and its South Pacific neighbours to
travellers for more than 20 years. Akin to the PONANT ships,
award-winning small luxury ship Le Paul Gauguin allows for
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sailing the idyllic South Pacific seascapes of Tahiti, the Society
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Also, amenities have been
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diving spots in the world, Le Paul Gauguin is your answer.”
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Travel Life
The Local Voice Since 1991
OCTOBER 2021 75