Canberra CityNews September 15-21, 2011

Why buy, says happy renter Sean?

By Freyla Ferguson

RENTING in Canberra remains as affordable as ever, according to the latest statistics from the Real Estate Institute of Australia.

The housing affordability report for the June quarter has shown the proportion of income required to meet rent payments is at 16.72 per cent, well below the national average of 24.8 per cent. And affordability hasn’t significantly changed in the past five years – in 2006 the proportion of rent to salary was 15.9 per cent.

Long-term renting to retain a better standard of living is proving to be a growing trend in Australia and it appears no different in Canberra.

Sean Patterson, 31, is a sales manager at Melrose Peugeot and has rented a four bedroom, three bathroom home in O’Connor for the past eight years and loves it.

“I’ve been there for a long time. It’s even more affordable because I’ve been able to negotiate my rent,” he said.

“If you spend $350,000 – you can’t get anything for that.

“And if I was to buy, it would be out in the sticks or a shoe box.

“Do I want to buy a house for half a million dollars out in the sticks or a two-bedroom apartment in the city?

“I’m happy to stay in a house in the city and rent.”

September 15-21, 2011

Since 1993: Volume 17, Number 35

Arts&Entertainment 23-25

Canberra Confidential 13

Cinema 24

Crossword 32

Dining 25

Garden 30

Home 31

Horoscope 32

Letters 10

News 5-11

Politics 8

Sport 7

Property 33-48

Social Scene 14-18

Sudoku 32

Sean says he does feel the pressure to enter the real estate market from family and friends, but finds renting suitable to his lifestyle without the “mortgage stress”.

“I like to travel a bit, go out in the city, while I save a huge percentage of my income,” he said.

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However REIA CEO Amanda Lynch urges first-home buyers not to follow the same path.

“We encourage all first-home buyers to get a foot in the door,” she said.

“It doesn’t have to be your dream property, because you can always work your way up.

“We have noticed people are finding it harder and harder to break into the market.”

Ms Lynch says that despite what is happening to economies overseas, in Australia, now is a good time to enter the market.

“There’s been 10 months straight of the cash rate staying the same,” she said.

“It’s a very positive climate. You can understand the hesitation, but Australia is in a different scenario.

“We have a strong population growth, a baby boom, financially we are strong and unemployment is low.

“It’s very positive.”

Ms Lynch said REIA is currently working on ways to help first-home buyers enter the market.

Most recently, the organisation asked the Government to boost the first-home buyers grant and release superannuation funds to help with home deposits.

REIA will also attend the Tax Forum in October, which it hopes to use as an opportunity to discuss the removal of stamp duty.

According to the housing affordability report, the ACT remains the most affordable State or Territory to live in Australia.

Proportion of income for home-loan repayments remains well below the national average of 34.6 per cent with the ACT recording 18.8 per cent. This is in comparison to 2006, when the percentage was 14.3 per cent.

The housing affordability report also shows that the ACT recorded the biggest increase in new loans to first-home buyers, increasing 25.6 per cent to 407 and the biggest increase in the total number of new loans, increasing 17.7 per cent to 2217 over the quarter.

cover story

Concert salutes family

By Freyla Ferguson

A MIX of Canberra art groups are banding together to support a concert dedicated to the Efkarpidis family, whose NewActon pavilion and Molonglo Group office was destroyed by fire in June.

The Playhouse concert “The Girl From Minas Gerais: Alda Rezende” on September 22 will not only include the talents of the classically trained Brazilian singer Alda Rezende, but presentations and performances from the Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s brass section, Canberra Glassworks, QL2 youth dance ensemble and Centenary of Canberra creative director Robyn Archer.

Promoter Frank Madrid said it was because of the Efkarpidis family’s (particularly brothers Nectar and Johnathan) tireless, “without-a-fuss” work for the arts that arts organisations jumped at the chance to be involved in the concert.

“We felt a concert was the best vehicle to dedicate to the Efkarpidis family,” he said.

“It is something uplifting, through music.”

Frank said singer Alda Rezende was eager to show her support to the family who had supported her last time she was in Canberra.

“When Alda first came to Australia as part of a showcase of Latin music at the Playhouse, the Efkarpidis family very kindly housed Alda and all the other performers in an apartment at the ApARTments in NewActon.

“[The Efkarpidis family] then hosted a function for all the artists in Parlour Wineroom.

“When I told her Parlour was burnt down, I explained to her it was the place where we all had a wonderful time.”

He said Alda was devastated by the news that Parlour had burnt down.

Nectar Efkarpidis told “CityNews” the family felt privileged and honoured that so many people were showing support.

The family supports arts

organisations including Canberra Symphony Orchestra, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Gallery of Australia plus community street and public art.

Their love for art is most visible in NewActon, through the luxury ApARTments; Diamant Hotel, which features an original piece of artwork in most rooms, and the soon-to-be Nishi apartment block.

Some of the art works Mr Efkarpidis had been collecting for the new development were lost in the NewActon fire.

The concert will be opened by Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s brass section, followed by an introduction from Robyn Archer who will present a work created at the Canberra Glassworks to the family.

And QL2 dancer Alison Plevey will perform a specially choreographed piece to the music of composer Jonathan Zwartz inspired by fire and the pavilion’s rebuild.

The staff from Molonglo Group and the other fellow fire-affected businesses Flint, Parlour Wine Room and Bicicletta will all attend as special guests.

The concert is part of the Pura Vida! In the City festival. Preview Page 23.

Shame of the forgotten heroes of local sport

AT the moment, our local history of sport is recognised at the ActewAGL ACT Sport Hall of Fame at Canberra Stadium, but if you are not a corporate ticket holder, you can’t wander in when the Brumbies or Raiders are playing.

Sure, you can make your way out to Canberra Stadium when there isn’t a game, but it’s not highly advertised and it remains close to a secret. If you asked 100 Canberrans in the street where the ACT Sport Hall of Fame was located, I reckon 99 wouldn’t have the faintest idea.

Names of people who have contributed to Canberra, not only through sport but also through other avenues of the ACT’s social history, need more exposure and recognition.

A “sporting walk of fame” was started in Civic many years ago, but I have lost track of where that is up to. There was also talk of a sport-based wall displaying the names of those who have made a significant contribution to Canberra. Alas, that appears to have disappeared, too.

Last week, the Canberra Ama -

Isn’t it about time we got serious about looking after our history of sport in Canberra, asks TIM GAVEL?

teur Swim Club handed back a trophy donated by the Canadian High Commission in 1949 in a bid to keep the iconic beaver trophy in a secure place. If it wasn’t given back to the High Commission, where it has some significance, it would have been locked in a cupboard because there was no room to display it at the Canberra Museum and Art Gallery.

If we had a museum dedicated to sport, these items would fit beautifully and add to the depth and breadth of our understanding of the ACT’s history of sport. Where to locate such a facility is the next question.

The Lyneham sporting precinct was one idea floated years ago, along with a permanent home for the ACT Academy of Sport, which has had a number of homes in its gypsy-style existence. Its gym is located at the Lyneham precinct, why not build

a permanent facility next door to cater for Canberra’s young upand-coming athletes and house the ACT Sport Hall of Fame and iconic sporting memorabilia before it is lost forever?

Canberra has a proud and interesting history of sport, ranging back to the start of the Canberra Yacht Club on Lake George, to the victory by the ACT Australian Rules team over the might of the AFL, to the numerous Olympic gold medallists and world champions who have come from this region.

Then there are the premierships won by the Raiders, the Brumbies, the Cannons and the Capitals.

Our history of sport is something we should be proud of and should be on display, not consigned to cupboards and back rooms where nobody sees it. Let’s at least start talking about it happening.

Malcolm in a muddle

MALCOLM Carlin at The Hermitage fine dining must feel he’s running the restaurant at the end of the universe.

His pitiful blackboard message appeals for customers as the boys dig up the footpath around him in London Circuit, cheerfully jackhammering through the lunch period and surrounding his dining establishment with safety railings and screening, giving the distinct impression the place is being demolished.

Despite the front door being inaccessible and the Department of Whatever’s Doing This providing reassuring signs that he’s open, he might as well as be closed.

Malcolm says he was told of the footpath refurbishment program by Kate Carnell, when she was Chief Minister more than 10 years ago, and nothing since, until the workers turned up without warning the other week and started digging and digging and digging.

People have been calling to ask where he’s moving to and when his renovations will be finished.

Any possible trade burst from Floriade looks lost to him, but the ever-affable restaurateur wants the world to know he is still open – and the door is around the side on Civic Square.

Turkeys or the right stuff?

Are all public servants turkeys? Or is it just the ones that Bob Brown disagrees with, asks political columnist MICHAEL MOORE?

GREENS leader Senator Bob Brown has lambasted all of Canberra’s Federal public servants out of frustration with the secretary of the Department of Immigration.

He effectively demanded the dismissal of senior Immigration Department bureaucrats after a briefing was provided for the Leader of the Opposition.

These senior bureaucrats are purported to have suggested onshore processing of asylum seekers will “lead to social unrest similar to those of Paris or London”. There has been further speculation that the briefing also suggested that should offshore processing be dumped, Australian detention centres would be quickly overwhelmed by a flood of people.

This is hardly news as the Coalition and Labor in government have followed almost identical policies on offshore processing. However, the final straw for Senator Brown seemed to be the warning that if asylum seekers were then placed in the community it would risk social disharmony.

Brown has been a Federal senator since 1996 and is not known for attacks on the public service. His frustration was palpable. The trouble with the senator’s comments is that they bring into question the “frank and fearless” advice that is the mark of an effective public service under the Westminster system of government.

When he argued that it was a major error “when some of them were kept on from the Howard era” he was making it very clear that he believed the public service has lost this basic tenet.

His comments were scathing: “As far as the bureaucrats, these turkeys, out of the bureaucracy in Canberra who are prognosticating somehow or other about Australia becoming Paris or London burning – they should be out on their ears. We believe their point of view is alien to the thinking of the majority of decent Austral-

ians. They should be removed from that position and put into something where they can twiddle their pencils without causing so much harm to the integrity and decency of Australia’s projection in dealing with asylum seekers.”

Ironically, the comments allowed a further demonstration of the stiffening spine of the Prime Minister.

Of recent times she has demonstrated just how tough she is at defending the underdog. First it was refusing to accept the Opposition attacks on her backbencher Craig Thompson regarding the prostitute credit card scandal.

It was a difficult stance to maintain.

However, Gillard has been somewhat vindicated in demanding respect for the two principles of “presumption of innocence” and “the separation of powers” when NSW police dropped the investigation for lack of evidence.

She could have ignored Bob Brown’s attack on public servants, or left it to Chris Bowen, her Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. Instead, she vigorously defended her public servants by attacking one of her key supporters – the leader with the balance of power in the Senate.

“Senator Brown’s completely wrong. It’s

the wrong thing to do to criticise officials,” Gillard said. “They are giving the best of their advice and experience and I ask them to give the best of their advice and experience to the Leader of the Opposition as well as me in circumstances where our nation needs to respond to last week’s High Court case.”

It is not quite clear what the secretary of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Andrew Metcalfe, actually said in the briefing.

The chances are very high that a public servant of his experience would have been much more circumspect and the furore has grown out of what he is purported to have said in a private briefing.

The difficulty with the situation is that it is in the community interest for public servants to be able to brief opposition members and cross-benchers so that debate on such topics can move beyond the 15-second grab and the assertion and counter-assertion. With the last, it is appropriate to ask who really is the turkey?

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and was an independent minister for health in the Carnell government.

Muffin takes a bite

RECENTLY, I flew to Brisbane for a reunion, returning the next day to find that overnight parking had cost me $42.50!

This is absolutely typical of prices you pay for almost anything at airports these days. For example, a blueberry muffin at Brisbane airport – a small confectionery made for about 20 cents – cost $5.25.

I needed the sustenance as the Qantas flight from Brisbane back to Canberra had been delayed because they had to change planes.

The pilot said the original one “broke” which, of course, filled us all with confidence for the substitute.

Naturally, they apologised for the delay (in a mechanical tone of voice that is no apology at all), but there was no suggestion that they might refund part of the fare for the “inconvenience” that probably added to my Canberra parking fee; or even for that wretched blueberry muffin.

But muffins are the tip of the exorbitant prices at airports. Everything you eat, drink or wear is vastly dearer than you’d find outside the airport bubble. They seem to feel that since you’re in holiday mode you won’t object. And after all, there’s really no choice; you’re hardly going to leave and head back through the traffic to find an alternative muffin shop.

And that’s another thing – since they’ve allowed office blocks and other commercial buildings in the airport area, traffic congestion has become horrendous, particularly at peak hour. Canberra is bad enough, but Brisbane is so dreadful you should probably start out the day before.

Then you have to go through all that security rigmarole and somehow, for reasons that quite

ROBERT MACKLIN thinks prices at Australia’s airports are a scandal

escape me, I seem to be singled out by the guy just beyond the security barrier to test whether I’m carrying previously undetected explosives in my small (but adequate) carry-on.

And how come these days they allow people – mostly women – to bring about six pieces of carry-on luggage aboard and take up all the space in the overhead locker and bang us more thoughtful folk in the ear while they’re stowing the massive things above us?

I mean, really!

I don’t object in principle to the security checks but here’s the really crazy thing. In country airports from Longreach to Emerald, they have an entirely different attitude to security. Out in the boondocks the checks are practically non-existent. Do they honestly think that terrorists or loonies travel exclusively from the capital cities?

I used to live in country Queensland and I’ve met more whackos out there than ever I’ve found in our fair city. Sure, Sydney and Melbourne might be different. In fact, there’s a lot to be said for levelling Sydney international airport which is a total embarrassment… though in a much more measured manner than a terrorist bomb.

Meantime, what to do? First, the various governments should step in and stop the rorts; and if that doesn’t work then the sooner they build the Very Fast Train the happier we’ll all be. robert@robertmacklin.com

Animals have rights, too letters

I WRITE in response to Michael Moore’s completely outrageous column about animal rights (“RSPCA has lost the plot over dog”, CN August 25).

In his words, “the RSPCA seems to be caught up in the growing movement around animal rights. Perhaps it is understandable why vegetarians may be committed to this movement, but for the vast majority of our community it makes no sense at all”.

He is clearly turning a blind eye to animal welfare and seems to choose to be oblivious to the fact that animals have any rights.

They are innocent beings who are mistreated due to the fact that western society appears to believe it is superior.

Michael Moore needs to wake up and step outside of his own ignorant bubble. Jennifer c hampness, via email

Courageous single mums

IN regard to Nick Jensen’s article “Dads, who needs them?” (CN September 1), my answer is “We do, of course!” As a single mother, I am only too aware of this fact.

My own daughter’s father defines himself as “a useless dad”, and is disturbingly at ease with his own definition. I desire a loving and responsible father for my daughter, but cannot force him to redefine himself. I know he is only too aware of the vital role he can play as a father, yet he chooses not to participate.

I thank God I have a loving extended family to support us. Reaffirming the value of fathers is not going to make those who choose to be absent any more enlightened.

Our community needs to address the “fatherless generation” by rallying around “courageous” and “hard-working” single mothers to provide the much-needed support that is otherwise missing from the absent fathers.

With plenty of love and support, children

Letters are invited from “CityNews” readers. Let loose to editor@citynews.com. au or write to the editor at GPO Box 2448, Canberra 2601. Letters of 200 words or less stand a better chance of publication.

from “fatherless families” can become positive contributors and members of society. s ingle mum, Jerrabomberra (name and email address withheld) Can

Rudd change spots?

ROBERT Macklin seems to be advocating the return of Kevin Rudd (“Kevin’s still loosely in the saddle” CN September 8).

Unfortunately, having secured government, Rudd didn’t really know what to do with it. He centralised power, antagonised his ministers, overworked the bureaucracy with schemes that were never carried to fruition, flitted from one poorly conceived project to another, giving up when opposition became tough, and squandered enormous public goodwill.

The apology was his greatest achievement. Had he risen to the requirements of office, we would not have had Gillard.

Has he learnt his lesson? It’s been a very expensive one for us all. Is he fit to lead? Can a leopard change its spots?

Patricia s aunders, c hapman

What’s with the water woes?

SO, ACTEW spends millions of dollars on repetitive TV and newspaper advertising to encourage ACT residents to save water, and then has the gall to complain that profits are down because we’re not using enough water.

Remember how often we were told, time and time again, how much extra water the new Cotter dam would provide? Remember the sight (several times a day) of all those people gathering to tip buckets of water into a dam to demonstrate how much money we could save?

Isn’t it just remotely possible that profits are down because of high (unnecessary) advertising expenditure? Given that ACTEW has an absolute monopoly on the supply of water in the ACT, why couldn’t they have considered saving all that money by passing such information to their users with their quarterly water-usage accounts?

M McGregor, curtin

[Editor’s note: Sadly, “CityNews” is largely untroubled by ACTEW’s advertising largess.]

The new world of news

No needles, no drugs in prison

Removing syringes is crucial to preventing disease, says JEREMY HANSON, in reply to last week’s article ‘The need for prison needles’

IN the best interests of Alexander Machonochie Centre prisoners, correctional staff and the wider community, the Canberra Liberals oppose the push by ACT Labor and the Greens to introduce a needle exchange at the prison.

This push does not seriously attempt to address the fundamental problem: drugs getting into the prison in the first place.

With three quarters of ACT prisoners attributing their crimes to drugs, the objective must be to prevent drugs entering the prison, and to provide effective treatment and rehabilitation programs that will reduce the chance of hepatitis C transmission and continued drug dependence.

The recent Burnet Institute report into the ACT prison has shown that the policies to prevent drugs entering the prison, and the drug treatment programs are in disarray. Concerns raised include the flow of drugs entering the prison, the drug testing regime, searching practices, rehabilitation programs, access to health care, and staff pushing methadone on prisoners.

A needle exchange would detract from the effective implementation of these strategies. Providing syringes to drug-addicted prisoners would sim-

ply encourage them to maintain their drug habit. You cannot implement an effective drug-rehabilitation program in prison while, at the same time, supplying prisoners with drug-injecting equipment.

In fact, expert opinion has found that a needle exchange would lead to the “quasi-legalisation” of drugs: “Stopping the spread of bloodborne disease would not, essentially, be difficult if it were not for the fact that it cannot happen without a quasilegalisation of drug use within the correctional centre environment...” (Hamburger Report, 12.1).

Therefore, it cannot be credibly argued that a needle exchange is a “health” measure that could somehow be separate from custodial operations at the prison. Removing syringes is crucial to preventing disease. It is a fact that, under the current no syringe regime, there has been no transfer of hepatitis C or HIV recorded at the prison to date, and academic research shows that transfer of blood-borne disease is actually much higher outside of prisons amongst similar populations.

Prison staff also strongly oppose the introduction of a needle exchange and the overwhelming majority of

corrections officers have signed a petition to that effect.

As well as concerns about the negative impact of a needle exchange on drug programs, prison staff have expressed safety concerns about prisoners being armed with needles, which can be used as weapons against themselves and other prisoners.

Their argument is legitimate.

A Canberra woman was jailed for nearly seven years recently for a series of robberies where she used blood filled syringes to threaten shop and security staff.

The Australian Nursing Federation has also stated publicly that the jail’s nurses do not support a needle exchange at the jail. Nurses who would be at the front line of administering such a program are justifiably worried about a range of issues associated with such a proposal.

Prisoners also oppose a needle exchange. A submission provided to Chief Minister Katy Gallagher’s inquiry into how to implement a needle exchange at the prison advised that 100 per cent of prisoners interviewed rejected plans for a needle exchange.

ACT Labor and the Greens are instead driven by an ideological agenda at the expense of good prison management, effective drug reduction and successful rehabilitation programs.

No other State or Territory has a needle exchange, and for good reasons.

The welfare, health, safety, and human rights of prisoners, staff and the broader community are best served by providing an environment with fewer drugs, and better access to effective rehabilitation programs at the ACT prison, not a needle exchange.

Jeremy Hanson is the Liberal spokesman for health and corrections.

Meeting on Kambah

THE Tuggeranong Community Council will host a public meeting on Monday, September 19 to discuss the Kambah Master Plan, 7.30pm, the Burns Club, Kett Street, Kambah. Officers from Environment and Sustainable Development will address the meeting. More information at www.tuggcc.com or call 0431 235970.

Cuppa with ministers

THE public is invited to morning tea to find out what’s happening locally and raise any matters with ACT Government ministers at the new Namadgi School, O’Halloran Circuit, Kambah, from 10.30am on Saturday, September 17. There will also be guided tours of the school at 10.30am, 11.15am and 11.30am. A free sausage sizzle will be available as part of morning tea. More information at 6205 0192 or email GovtSupport@act.gov.au

School’s big night

CANBERRA High School’s annual Arts and Technology Showcase evening will be opened by Hannah Semler, director of Belconnen Arts Centre, on Wednesday, September 28. There will be performances by the school bands, soloists and ensembles, dance, drama and vocal items, and a festival of short films and animations created by media students. A gallery of student work will be on display and visitors will be able to vote for a people’s-choice award. Doors open at 6 pm, with performances starting at 6.30 pm. Tickets are $5 each, with a family ticket at $15. More information from 6205 7000.

Beauty care with a touch of Brazil

THE Brazilian approach to skincare and hair removal is what inspires all the treatments at Brazilian Beauty.

The franchise, which started in Queensland, has come to the capital with a new store at West  eld Woden.

Franchisee Anna Cuschieri describes Brazilian Beauty as a beautiful, upmarket salon, which offers the full range of beauty therapy treatments.

“All the team at Brazilian Beauty are quali  ed therapists and we all really love beauty. We are passionate about what we do and that’s re  ected in our treatments,” Anna says.

Before opening, the team of therapists were busy getting to know the Brazilian Beauty style.

“We really invest in our team and we’ve spent a month working together and training to ensure we are all trained the same way,” Anna says.

Founder and franchisor Francesca Webster urges Canberrans to experience the Brazilian approach to stunning skin and smooth bodies with the latest signature hair removal techniques, skin re  ning facials and LED treatments, eye and lash treats and massage.

“In Brazil, beauty has been re  ned to an art form and Brazilian Beauty salons are happy to share their secrets with you,” Francesca says.

The concept of the franchise is inspired by the country that brought you the G-string, extreme beach volleyball and supermodel Giselle Bundchen.

“Brazilians know far more than you’ll ever need to about the  ne art of hair removal. Stripping those bushy Latinos of their offending fuzz required a scienti  c solution. So, with pure vanity as the main motivator, Brazilians also became the world experts in personal and very personal deforestation,” Francesca says.

Brazilian Beauty therapists use specialty Brazilian Beauty wax products and will educate clients on all aspects of pre-waxing and aftercare.

Francesca says that when it comes to waxing, the team at Brazilian Beauty know no boundaries.

“If you haven’t been waxed before, we suggest you start with a simple leg wax or one of our extra special signature treatments.”

When it comes to the pain of waxing, Francesca admits it “doesn’t tickle” but says clients soon get used

to the feeling and the results are well worth it.

“When body hair is removed, the true beauty, luminosity and unbelievable sensitivity of the skin is awakened.”

In addition to the specially formulated Brazilian Beauty wax, products stocked include the Dermalogica skincare range, the Pure Potent-C Range by The Australian Skin Institute and Youngblood mineral cosmetics.

“The Brazilian Beauty team of professional therapists take care of all your whims, wisps and beauty wishes from your top to your toes. All the effort you have to make is to glide into a Brazilian Beauty salon anytime.”

Shop G28A, Westeld Shopping Centre, 2 Keltie Street, Woden, call 6282 2111. More information at www.brazilianbeauty.com.au

Brazilian Beauty top tips for waxing

Between appointments, exfoliate your skin with the Ultimate Exfoliating Massage Mitt, available from the Brazilian Beauty salon. At night in bed wear cotton or no underwear to let your skin “breathe” (the Brazilian way!)

Pre-book your waxing to ensure correct hair-growth time between appointments. Don’t apply deodorant until 24 hours after waxing (it’s a sting thing).

Don’t swim in chlorine or saltwater for 24 hours after waxing as pores are open and

susceptible to infection. Don’t shave between visits as it distorts hair growth. Don’t pick in-grown hairs as scarring or infection could occur (get them professionally removed).

Avoid waxing two days before and after menstruation as the body is more sensitive to pain.

Avoid sun exposure for 24 hours after waxing as the body is more prone to burning.

Canberra Confidential With

Not-so-mini milestone

CONGRATULATIONS to Doug and Brenda Sarah, creators and owners of Cockington Green Gardens.

“Confidential” has heard the pair will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on September 30 – definitely a not-so-miniature milestone!

Spending half a century with someone is rare these days, but Doug says it’s easy when you’re right for each other.

“I could tell you it’s because I’m such an easy-going bloke, so easy to live with... they broke the mould when they made me,” he laughs. “But seriously, it just happens if you’re right for each other,” Doug says. “Sure we’ve had our disagreements, but we’ve never had to work at it, it’s easy when you find someone special.”

The couple were married in Ballarat on grand final day in 1961, but lucky for Doug, Collingwood weren’t playing. “I’m hoping the Pies make it this year; what a great weekend it would be – a golden anniversary and a back-to-back premiership,” he laughs.

“It’s going to be a special weekend. Friends are coming from all over and we just can’t believe it. We thought they’d all either be dead or too busy to come!”

Opened to the public in 1979, four generations have been involved in Cockington Green’s operation over the past 30 years, making it one of Canberra’s award-winning landmark attractions.

Alleyway whispers

IF you love Melbourne’s cafe culture, you may be excited to hear Canberra is following suit.

“Confidential’s” heard whispers the Melbourne Building’s alleyway, known as Odgers Lane, is about to get a facelift.

Apparently, the lane will be partially closed off to vehicles, giving cafes and restaurants front-of-house and backof-house access. The plan is to create an alfresco dining area in the alleyway where people can laze about in the sun and enjoy a coffee or meal. And word has it trials could start as early as November!

Are you on Alistair’s list?

THERE aren’t many people who own little black books containing postal addresses for friends and relatives

these days. Many of us have ditched snail-mail for e-mail. And if it weren’t for the daily Facebook reminder many of us would forget even our closest friends’ birthdays!

Not Liberal MLA Alistair Coe. “Confidential” has learnt the 27-year-old uses the electoral role to post 21st birthday cards to his constituents.

“It would be nice to send everyone in Ginninderra a card, but unfortunately I can’t send out 100,000 cards each year, so I chose 21 because it’s a significant milestone,” he says.

Coe turned 21 in January 2005 and while many of us barely remember our celebrations, he says he had a great night. “I celebrated my 21st with about 40 friends and family,” he says. “We had dinner and drinks in the city and I still catch up with the vast majority of the people who went.”

On average three to four people turn 21 in Coe’s electorate each day, all of whom receive a personally signed card.

Tradies up for auction!

CALLING all tradies! Are you a plumber, painter, electrician or mechanic? If you know a trade or know someone who does – Sids and Kids needs your help.

Just be willing to give yourself up for auction at the “Tradies Galore” night Friday, October 28. Party-goers will bid for your service with all proceeds helping families in the ACT and surrounding area. More information at 6287 4255 or email fundraising@sidsandkidsact.org

Tulips, tulips everywhere

MOST people can’t wait to retire. It’s the chance to kick back and relax, maybe even buy a caravan and travel around Oz. Not for Bill and Pat Rhodin. “Confidential” can reveal the Canberra couple has just finished hand-planting more than half a million tulip bulbs in preparation for Floriade.

But what makes this story even more amazing is that you won’t find the Rhodin’s garden anywhere near Commonwealth Park. The pair created Tulip Top Gardens on their own property 15 minutes from Canberra on the Federal Highway.

And Bill says he loves every minute of it. “I need the exercise, it keeps me fit,” he laughs.

“We do it because we love the result when we’re finished.”

The magnificent gardens are spread across four hectares and include tulips, daffodils, hundreds of blossom trees, waterways and pathways.

“In order to get this show ready, you’ve got to work into the night,” he says. “But we won’t talk about that... it’s a lot of work.”

The Rhodins have a history of prizewinning gardens including Canberra Garden of the Year 1978 and the ACT Bicentennial Garden Competition 1988.

The Tulip Top Gardens will be open from September 17 with proceeds going to Galilee Foster Care.

More information at www.tuliptopgardens.com.au

Man in the kitchen

NOT many chefs can lay claim to cooking dinner for the Governor General, but “Confidential” can reveal Andrew Haskins (pictured) and his wife Catherine can.

Add to the list High Court chief justices, celebrity chefs Pete Evans and Paul Mercurio and that’s one heck of a list.

The couple own and operate 3seeds Cooking School and Gourmet Store Cafe, but Catherine’s told “Confidential” it’s her husband who does all the work in the kitchen.

“Andrew’s been in fine dining for 30 years, he was trained in Melbourne, but he just loves teaching,” she says.

“We’ve been doing classes for 15 years now and they’re so popular.”

The dynamic duo has recently relocated the school and the cafe from Majura Park to the Fyshwick Markets.

“We really love being back in the inner south, it’s where all the foodies are and we just love being surrounded by like-minded people,” says Catherine.

More information at www.3seeds. com.au

At the ‘Meninga Medal Gala Ball’, Rydges Lakeside

At the Red Cross Gala Ball ‘Hollywood at the Hyatt’, Hyatt Hotel

At OzHarvest’s ‘Food for Thought’ dinner, Press Club At Craft ACT’s

At the launch of ‘The Hub’ at Canberra Centre, Civic

all about training

Why training matters in today’s workplace

TRAINING’S never been more important. More than ever before, workplaces expect that employees, whether junior or senior, have formal qualifications to back up their experience.

It’s also expected that workers continue to not only gain skills over their time in the workplace, but have those skills recognised by formal training.

There’s a wide range of further education available around the ACT, whether its focus is on communication, finance, language or dealing with difficult people. “CityNews” spoke to some training providers to find out what’s on offer...

Swap gold for platinum

WE need to forget the “Golden Rule” of “do unto others as we’d have them do unto us”, says Gavan Podbury, from Rapid Insights: at work and at home.

“It doesn’t work,” says Gavan, a personality profiler and qualified therapist who’s presenting his “Communication Matters” advanced workplace communication skills seminar in Canberra on Tuesday, November 8.

“This seminar gives people a new way of looking at the people they are having difficulty with. I teach people to speed read someone else’s personality, and when you have that information you are empowered to make some choices as to how you interact with that person.”

Instead of using the Golden Rule, Gavan says he prefers the Platinum Rule, “which says that if I can identify a core aspect of your personality, I am now in a position

to phrase my conversations with you in a way that you’ll be more open to hearing.”

This is a useful tool in business, but it’s just as helpful at home, he says.

“In relationships, opposites attract. For the first few years, everything’s fabulous, then the wheels fall off because when you were attracted to someone in the first place you were buying into behaviours and attributes you lacked yourself, that they’ve got. After a while those things become irritations, and we try and get people to change who they are, and that’s when you get a disaster on your hands.

“They say that in Australia three out of five marriages end in divorce; of the two that are left, one would like to be divorced! I’m into giving people a new way to preserve that relationship. That’s what I do.

“My gift is that I can give people a new way of looking at other people, and a new way to talk to them that’s guaranteed to work if they persevere.”

More information at www.rapidinsights.com.au

all about training advertising feature

Where workplace writing is a big strength

CLARITY is a key part of workplace written conversation, says John Dash of the Australian National University’s Centre of Continuing Education.

“The recent criticism by the ombudsman of poorly written and impossible to understand English is something the centre can help to change,” he says.

The CCE has for many years provided Canberra workplaces with courses to improve employees’ skills and efficiency, and its professional-development, short-course program range has been designed to improve employment and career prospects.

“Workplace writing is a CCE strength,” John says. “Since the ‘80s, many of the nation’s bureaucrats have benefited from attending one or more of the centre’s courses, such as ‘Correspondance and Report Writing’, ‘Writing in Good English’, or ‘Essential Grammar for Writers and Editors’.

“Maybe these courses are just what is needed, in the light of that criticism!”

Other professional communication skills can be learned in courses such as “Editing and Proofreading for the Workplace”.

“People can discover their public persona with ‘Public Speaking and Presentation Skills’ or impress their bosses after attending ‘Resilience at Work’.

“Other workplace skills courses the centre offers are a wide range of computing courses including the Microsoft Office suite and some Adobe programs. Between now and the end of the year, people can choose from many courses to help workplace skills.”

John says the centre also offers a program of liberal arts courses for those who wish to

pursue an interest or test academic waters.

“Languages form a large part of the liberal arts program, with 18 languages from Arabic to Vietnamese. More than 100 language classes are held each year, designed to be consecutive

so a student may follow a beginning course to higher levels.”

CCE courses are open to everyone, he says, whatever their goals or experience.

More information at www.anu.edu.au/cce

The power of effective learning

CIT Solutions, the commercial training arm of the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), is a dynamic and progressive training company, dedicated to providing high quality education, training and consultancy services, says Paul Ryan, CIT Solutions general manager. The company has more than 20 years’ experience successfully providing government and private-sector organisations with customised learning solutions to enhance the capability of their staff and meet strategic priorities, he says.

CIT Solutions’ services also extend to meet the learning needs of the individual, offering an extensive range of publicly accessible, nationally recognised qualifications and professional development workshops throughout the year.

CIT Solutions provides training to upgrade professional skills in the specialist areas of finance, procurement, policy development, contract management, management, leadership, human resources, project management, intelligence, risk, investigations, OH&S, training and assessment.

“Our nationally recognised government qualifications have been developed to support public servants in their career progression, with many of our graduates realising their promotional aspirations after completing training with us,” Paul says.

Training is delivered by highly experienced and motivated facilitators who share their knowledge in a fun, learning environment.

CIT Solutions prides itself on providing its clients with immediate results, motivating facilitators who model good practice, recognised qualifications, practical and relevant programming, ongoing feedback/support and value for money, he says.

More information at www.citsolutions.edu.au

all about training advertising feature

The leadership brain

THE Centre for Leadership Excellence and Impact Learning is offering the Transformational Leadership Program, designed to support participants in developing their academic and interpersonal skills to improve personal and professional outcomes and help them make a difference.

It’s now taking applications for its next program, says the centre’s executive director, Deborah Nanschild, to a maximum of 10 participants.

The program covers a range of questioning strategies that utilise different parts of the brain, providing a new way to approach challenges: traditional IQ measures have some limitations in assessing some of the cognitive skills needed for success. Instead, new methods such as multiple intelligence,

executive intelligence and emotional intelligence focus on other aspects of behaviour, such as accomplishing tasks, working with and through other people, and self-assessment and adaptation.

“Understanding the leadership brain, applying values for leadership excellence, utilising innovation for successful change, creating a compelling future and inspiring tribes through quality relationships will evolve participants’ leadership in real work action,” Deborah says.

The program offers insights into the brain and empowered thinking, helps participants scope their current organisational environments and offers individual coaching for excellence.

More information at www.leadershipexcellence.com.au

Language of finance

MANAGERS around the world are increasingly identifying that improving performance and making strategic decisions means that everyone in the organisation needs to understand the numbers, says Kevin Riley, director, Riley & Riley Strategic Advisers and Capital Training.

“We need to know about finance,” he says.

“Executives, managers, team leaders and team members all contribute to achieving the budget or delivering improved performance. This means executives, managers, team leaders and team members have to have a good understanding of planning, budgeting and financial performance. It is essential in today’s workplace.”

Kevin says the manager’s role today increasingly includes responsibility for planning and budgeting, managing budgets and understanding how financial resources can be used to deliver better operational performance.

With a background in coaching and training managers stretching back 15 years, Kevin says he’s now seeing a growing trend in proactive managers “facing

their financial demons” and “seeking out training in order to make sense of financial, budgeting and accounting concepts”.

PD Partners will run a Financial Literacy for Public Managers workshop in Canberra on Friday, November 11.

Kevin, who has more than 25 years’ financial management experience, says that while he’s a fellow with both the Institute of Chartered Accountants and

CPA Australia, his style of courses and seminars is not intended to turn attendees into accountants, but to “demystify the financial and business planning jargon to ensure participants gain an understanding of the key financial tools and performance measures that managers need to achieve better results”.

More information at www. pdpartners.com.au or via John Harmata on (02) 8006 0755.

Handling persistence

PRACTICAL skills are needed when dealing with persistent complainants, says the Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators’ Rosemary Dupont.

“IAMA is a national organisation that provides training and support to members involved in alternative dispute resolution and while traditionally that’s been focused on processes like mediation and arbitration, in recent years the institute’s been expanding training into other fields,” Rosemary explains.

“We see this as an associated area. The fact is that we deal with all sorts of people, and most of our disputes include people who are difficult or challenging, but then there’s also the issue of persistent complainants.”

IAMA is holding a workshop in Canberra on Thursday, November 3, which will be led by Dr Lisa Warren, a member of the Australian Psychological Society Colleges of Clinical Psychologists and Forensic Psychologists.

“Participants would be expected to get some very practical skills from the workshop,” Rosemary says. “There’ll be research to let people know how much persistent complainants cost the economy and workplace; there’ll be very practical skills to deal with them.”

More information at act.chapter@ iama.org.au or call 6260 7117.

all about the arts

Time for some Public Disorder, Civic!

Arts editor HELEN MUSA previews the new Pura Vida festival that’s destined to set the city swinging

WHEN you’re the lead vocalist and guitarist in a band called Desorden Publico (Public Disorder) whose most recent album is called “Los Contrarios” (The Contrary Ones) and whose favourite theme is “combate” (combat), your audiences should expect mayhem and excitement.

That’s exactly what Horacio Blanco has in mind for Canberra when he and his band of eight storm into the “Pura Vida! In the City” festival, running here until October 6, a celebration of the very coolest in urban Latin music.

Festival organiser Frank Madrid says it’s called “Pura Vida” (Pure Life) after the Costa Rican national slogan of the same name, but it’s understood as “she’ll be right, mate.”

I caught up with Horacio Blanco by phone in Caracas just as he was preparing to tour. This year Desorden Publico, one of Latin America’s top ska bands, has already been around Spain, Germany and Switzerland, but Australia will be a new experience.

Ska, he tells me, has fused 1960s Jamaican music, British punk beats, and Latin rhythms to make the sensational form known as Latin Ska.

“It’s very urban and a bit aggressive,” Blanco says. “It’s a mixture of two worlds. Back in 1985 they tried to simulate punk, but quickly realised they must adapt it to Venezuelan tastes.

“The result is a very Caracas sound – thank God, it didn’t sound like those bands from England.”

The band’s name was their youthful 1980s reaction to a repressive law-and-order movement, Orden Publico – “We decided we would be the opposite,” Blanco says.

Since then, they’ve been finding public disorder everywhere. “Our name fits the chaos in the world… we love to see the crowds getting crazy.”

Out of their minds, maybe, but not stupid.

“I try to tell the crowds what we’re singing about,” he says. “Our songs are a photograph of reality with a lot of social context and a lot of humour.”

The band will perform at the ANU Bar from 9pm, October 4, with D’Opus, Roshambo and Brazil’s Renegado. Bookings to www.ticketek. com.au

In “Los Contrarios”, they satirise current political intolerance, but they’re really asking the question: “Can we live together?”

“We plan to disorder Australia,” Blanco says.

He’s not the only one. The disorder continues through the festival with social dancing, classes and demos and dancing in Garema Place over more than two weeks.

As well, there will be what festival organiser Frank Madrid calls “ambassadors of urban music”, performers such as Uruguay’s Martin Buscaglia, Brazilian hip-hop artist Renegado, Victor Valdes and The Marin Brothers’ Andean rock, Australian salsa band Chukale, Buena Vista Social Club musician, Nu Samba Queen Aline Calixto and Venezuelan salsa DJ, Dwight “Chocolate” Escobar.

Brazilian chanteuse Alda Rezende and percussionist Esdra “Nenem” Ferreira will head up “The Girl from Minas Gerais”, a concert at The Playhouse on September 22 that also features Canberra Symphony musicians and a QL2 dancer.

The full Pura Vida program is at http://bit. ly/qyIW5q or as advertised in this edition of “CityNews”.

Merici College go through their paces at last year’s Youth Dance Festival. This month Ausdance ACT is hosting the “Tap Into Water Every Day” at the Canberra Theatre, September 14-16 with a festival that’s bigger than “Ben Hur”, with 30 secondary schools and colleges, 45 dance works and 1200 young hoofers exploring the theme “Messages”. Bookings to 6275 2700 or www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au

–Helen Musa

Peeling away guilt and blame

“FACE TO FACE” (M)

SCAFFOLDING contractor Greg (Vince Colosimo) has just got home when the ute, driven by employee Wayne (Luke Ford), rear-ends his Jag not once but four times.

This seemingly irrational violence provides the initial impulse for director Michael Rymer’s adaptation of David Williamson’s powerful, perceptive drama written in 2000.

A restorative conference, replacing the traditional punitive ethos of law courts with examining who has been harmed, what that person now needs and who is obliged to provide it, is about to begin. In a rented hall, mediator Jack (Matthew Newton) will examine Wayne’s criminal damage to Greg’s car.

Simple? No. Before the enquiry ends, Jack will scrutinise Greg and his wife (Sigrid Thornton), the office manager, the foreman whom Greg has seen Wayne beating up leading to Wayne’s instant dismissal, Wayne’s mother, Wayne’s mate, Theresa the firm’s shy accountant, and Hakim with an industrial relations axe to grind. The landscape of issues will broaden into unexpected places.

Overturning our assumptions and expectations about guilt and blame, Williamson’s probing dialogue uncovers relationships and shared histories.

Floating between strong tensions and sharp humour, it’s marvellous viewing that will please those who see Australia as a country making world-class films unblemished by the clichés of pop cinema. It’s

cinema

Dougal Macdonald

packed with surprises. Every performance is right on the mark. And despite its serious core, it sends us out with warm fuzzies.

At Greater Union

DESPITE three years living in London, I didn’t ever get to see “The Mousetrap”, the longest-running production of any kind in the history of British theatre.

Thankfully, Tempo Theatre has now presented an opportunity, so I joined an excited group of Year 11 Merici College English students and a near-capacity audience to be transported back to a time long gone when language was cultured and quaint, pace of life was slow and steady and social class status was painfully prominent.

A competent cast captured the seeming simplicity of this bygone era with clarity, poise and appropriate pomp.

Wilde gives a choice portrayal of Dave’s colleague Sabrina who falls for his body unaware of who is living in it.

Three teenagers at the end of the row laughed mightily throughout the film. The rest of the audience kept their opinions covered.

At Dendy, Hoyts and Limelight

“THE CHANGE UP” (MA) “SUBMARINE” (M)

FILMS exploring benign transmogrification – “Trading Places”, “Big” – achieved fame because writers and directors acknowledging the theme’s impossibility explored beyond its inherent comedy values.

Writers John Lucas and Scott Moore employ gutter vocabulary, pooing and peeing as major devices for comedy in “The Change Up”. Director David Dobkin has accepted what they have wrought. They may be facts of life, but without wit, they are not the stuff of comic merit.

Corporate lawyer Dave (Jason Bateman) has a handsome wife Jamie (Leslie Mann) and three small daughters. If he brings off a major deal, a partnership is in prospect. His best buddy Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) is an unmarried hedonist with aspirations as an actor and a calendar crammed with sexual contacts. They accidentally change bodies. Bateman and Reynolds give the dodgy material the best-possible shot. Leslie Mann in a bravura speech bemoaning Jamie’s injured self-respect delivers admirable pathos and her scenes feeding the twins and preparing for bed are visually delectable. Projecting a sedate corporate facade behind which lives a fun girl, Olivia

RICHARD Avoade’s adaptation of Joe Dunthorne’s novel of transition from childhood’s innocence to the confusion and turmoils of adolescence may resonate with film-goers.

Only child Oliver (Craig Roberts) is determined to cease being a virgin before he turns 16. At high school in a small English coastal town, he sets his heart on class-mate Jordana (Yasmin Paige). Their coupling is perfunctory.

Oliver is distressed by his belief that the sex life of his parents (Noah Taylor and Sally Hawkins) has petered out. And he believes that she may be having an affair with an old boyfriend (Paddy Considine). Jordana, too, has family concerns – her mother is about to undergo surgery for cancer.

The film gently observes the interactions between those principal characters and finds resolution in inevitability rather than cataclysm. The performances are restrained but effective. Above all, Avoade’s feature film debut understands how the relationship between humour and reality can work to good effect.

At Greater Union

THEATRE

“The Mousetrap” By Agatha Christie. Tempo Theatre, Belconnen Arts Centre until September 24. Reviewed by Ian McLean Soaring Sarah takes aria

Sarah McCarthy (despite an accent lapse or two) played the pivotal Mollie with sympathy and compassion, Ethan Gibson shone as the rascal youngster Christopher Wren and Garry Robinson was a convincing Mr Paravicini. John Lombard was a methodical policeman as he gently probed allowing suspicion to fall on all, but it was Cheryl Browne as Mrs Boyle

By c linton White

NZ claimed top honours in this year’s National Operatic Aria Final, held at Albert Hall, with the $,000 purse going to soprano Sarah Ann Walker.

Arias by Mozart and Wagner revealed her as a “clear winner” for the adjudicators, who described her voice as “warm, expressive and complete”. Walker now has her eye on more training and singing roles overseas.

Adjudicators Lisa Gasteen and Roger Howell gave second prize and $7000 to soprano Emma Moore, after gripping performances of a concert aria (K418) by Mozart and “Depuis le jour” from “Louise” by Charpentier. She’s now off to the

who stole the show with a wonderfully upper-class portrayal of that “perfectly horrible woman”.

Director Jon Elphick created just the right mix of tension, terror and anticipation and his brilliant set design with snow outside the window made it impossible not to feel in the depths of a bleak English winter storm – a perfect setting for murder!

In an apparent Agatha Christie tradition, the audience was asked after he bows not to reveal the identity of the murderer. I certainly won’t, but I do heartily recommend attending the Belconnen Theatre just to find out “whodunit”!

Universitat Der Kunste, Berlin, to study her Masters of Opera.

The lone male in the finals, Scottish-born tenor John Longmuir took away third prize and $4000 after audience-pleasers by Rossini and Gounod. Much sought after, Longmuir this year has performed roles in several operas, including “The Barber of Seville” and “The Merry Widow”. While the judges deliberated, final-year student at the ANU School of Music, pianist James Huntingford, gave a highly virtuosic performance of Liszt’s “Polonaise Mélancolique”. Non-placed finalists did not miss out. In addition to the main prizes, sponsors ActewAGL and Tulloch Management provided $1000 each for sopranos Erin Patrick, Phoebe Humphreys and Michelle der Kinderen for their performances in what was a most entertaining and high-quality concert recital.

When things can get busy… dining

IT was Father’s Day. My father’s in Canada, so I lunched with friends, raising a glass to him at Flint in the Vines, a pretty spot in Murrumbateman.

Special occasions can be tough on hospitality. We knew it would be hectic and so chose the last sitting knowing it would be a bit calmer.

Flint in the Vines calls itself the “sister restaurant” to the original Flint Dining Room at Acton, which sadly burnt down.

The Murrumbateman restaurant is on an historic property at Shaw Vineyard Estate and has a cosy fireplace, lots of books to read, lawn areas for kids to play on and, at this time of year, little lambs to say hello to. Inside, before you enter the restaurant, you wander through the selection of artistic ceramic specialty items sourced from Italy. A small but yummy selection of gourmet Australian food items is also for sale.

The Father’s Day three-course lunch ($65 each without wine) had an optional dish to start – thyme, rosemary and garlic-infused, French farmhouse, soft-ripened cheese baked in the woodfire oven ($22). If the description does it for you, so too would the dish.

Wendy Johnson

My roasted pumpkin and goat’s cheese rotolo was the choice of the day. Subtle but seductive. Much richer was the rabbit rillettes with drunken prunes and, get this, horseradish ice cream.

Things slid a bit from there. The confit ocean trout with red capsicum bouillabaisse and blue swimmer crab sounded decadent, but didn’t pass the grade. The complex taste of the bouillabaisse was

intriguing, but the crab meat was mushy, a bit watery and seemed overcooked.

We all took a nanosecond to order the Wagyu beef bourguignon braised in Shaw Vineyard Estate Shiraz. However, the meat was dry and a sawdust texture. On reflection, we wondered why one would braise such fabulous meat – perhaps Father’s Day dictated the need to prepare in advance. I am a big mash fan (more elegant to say pomme puree), which was golden (loads of butter) and I ate every bit (leaving my meat behind).

Some of us ended with the brioche bread-and-butter pudding, agreeing the gingerbread ice cream was the tastiest element. Some opted for the pear almond and leatherwood honey tart. Leatherwood honey can be strong, we realised, but we agreed there was too much in the tart for us humans. Pooh Bear would have been happy though.

Flint in the Vines has a changing calendar of events, including evenings with live music and wood fired pizza and, of course, fine local wines.

As I say, special occasions can be challenging for hospitality. We understand and so will be back for another go.

Flint in the Vines, breakfast Sunday, lunch Thursday to Sunday, dinner Thursday to Saturday. 34 Isabel Drive, Murrumbateman, call 6227 5144.

Birthdays worth singing about

HAPPY birthdays to Canberra Philharmonic Society, “Philo”, which celebrated its 60th at the Courtyard Studio on September 11 and to Canberra’s Austrian Choir, which marks its 30th with a celebratory concert, with Susan Ellis as guest singer, in the Austrian Australian Club, Mawson, 2pm, September 18. Bookings to 6288 7884.

THE inaugural Global Poetics Tour winds up in Canberra this weekend. On September 17 there’s a workshop at the Diamant Hotel with US slam poetry champions, Jive Poetic and Ken Arkind (1pm-4pm), who are joined from 7.30pm-midnight by our own slammers for “Urban Soul Food” at Urban food store/café, in NewActon East. The next day, the Poetry Summit runs from 1.30pm4.30pm, followed by a gallery slam session 6pm-9.30pm, both at Diamant.

“OH What A Night!” is a snazzy music-and-dance revue written by Motown producer George Solomon and producer/director Michael Chapman. It’s based on the songbook of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and we’ll see it at The Q on September 19-23. Bookings to 6285 6290.

CANBERRA Youth Theatre hosts NZ children’s book

arts in the city

author Nikki Slade-Robinson to the company’s world-premiere stage adaptation of her story “That’s Not Junk!” It will promenade through Floriade on September 17-18 and September 24-25 at 11am. Audiences should meet at the Carnival Stage.

WESLEY Music Centre’s “Lunchtime Live” on September 21 features the Combined Canberra Grammar Schools’ Wind Ensembles playing

works by Gershwin and Glenn Miller. The program runs from 12.40pm to 1.20pm. Entry is $2 or paper note.

THE Embroiderers’ Guild’s annual exhibition runs from September 23 to 25 at the Albert Hall (10am-4pm). Nearly 50 years old, the guild’s annual fundraiser has embroidery, demonstrations of different stitches, light meals and a produce table. It’s always fun.

CANBERRA Youth Music’s strings groups – Camerata Strings, Sinfonietta, String Ensemble and Peg Mantle Strings – perform music from

around the world at Daramalan College from 5pm on September 17. Tickets at the door.

PELLEGRINOS cafe, at 49 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick, has Antonio Iacovetta’s series of photographs “Taurasi, the Land of Wine” until September 24. Wang Xu’s fascinating exhibition, “Buddha”, finishes at Paintbox Gallery, 32 Lonsdale Street, Braddon, on September 18. And collector Bernie Ayers’ sale and show, including a gouache by Fred Williams, runs from September 17-18 from 10am to 4.30pm at 20 Brown Street, Yarralumla.

Win a DVD of ‘First of the Summer Wine’

“CityNews” has five copies of the newly released BBC DVD of “First of the Summer Wine”, valued at $34.95 each, to give away. All the details and entry form at citynews.com.au/win

No excuses for not ‘springing’ into shape

THERE are no excuses for failing to get in shape this spring, thanks to Anytime Fitness.

With a new health club now open in Civic, workers and residents alike are able to workout at any hour.

Civic Anytime Fitness owner Danny Sciberras says it’s the gym that never closes.

“At Anytime Fitness, all members get 24-hour access, 365 days a year,” Danny says.

“People enjoy the convenience and affordability of the Anytime Fitness concept. It’s a great model.

“Members have their own access cards and there is a high level of security with cameras and back-to-base monitoring.”

The gym is staffed from Monday to Thursday, 10.30am-7pm; Fridays, 7am-1pm and Saturdays, 9am-3pm.

Danny says that members get the bene  t of Anywhere Club Access, which means members can visit hundreds of clubs in Australia and thousands of clubs worldwide.

“We have new, state-of-the-art equipment and members get access to all Anytime Fitness health clubs as a part of their membership,” Danny says.

There are six franchises in the ACT with more coming, he says.

“The Civic club is the only location with the 24hour group exercise system, Fitness on Request, where you can come in and participate in a group exercise class at any time. There are over 50 classes to choose from.”

Danny says Anytime Fitness is an affordable alternative to other health clubs because it doesn’t have the same overheads as other gyms.

“At the same time, we are able to offer top-ofthe-line equipment and the same services that are offered in other health clubs, plus we offer 24-hour access,” he says.

“Anyone can go,” he says. “All members that get started receive a full induction and they can come during staffed hours to receive support.”

Danny says there is no better time to join Anytime Fitness.

“Coming into the warmer months, everyone is looking to get into  tness. As the number of daylight hours increases, people’s energy levels increase and so does motivation.”

Danny says Anytime Fitness is great for people who work long hours; in particular, working mums. There is a “girls club”, which Danny says is great for “ladies to get to know other members and make them feel more comfortable.”

“It’s a convenient, affordable health club that understands the time demands on people.”

Danny has some advice for people who are looking to shed those extra kilos that may have crept on over the cooler months.

“The best way to tackle it is with exercise. Find some way to keep moving,” he says.

“Increase activity through the day and focus on nutrition by preparing meal plans for the week.

Anytime Fitness Civic is offering a four-kilo-

grams-in-four-weeks challenge, where members work with a dietitian and exercise program to lose weight.

Anytime Fitness offers a wide variety of cardio, strength, and free weight equipment with private bathrooms with showers. Personal safety devices allow for one-touch access to emergency care at anytime.

Anytime Fitness, 219 London Circuit. Contact 6230 4555 or email civic@anytime tness.com.au

all about floriade

September 17-October 16

cedric Bryant

The springtime escape is waiting to be served

THIS year’s Floriade theme, “a feast for the senses”, will set the scene for spectacular entertainment, horticultural delights and a smorgasbord of activities for the whole family. This year, a range of new and exciting events and activities will make Floriade, at Commonwealth Park, an ideal springtime escape.

JOIN a Latino banquet of sounds, colours and flavours, when Commonwealth Park transforms into a weekend fiesta on October 2 and 3. “Carnival in the Park” will bring artists from across Latin America and local Latino talent together as part of the biggest showcase of Latin culture ever staged in Australia.

TAKE a culinary journey with 30 days of engaging activities at the “From the Pantry” marquee. This new program will bring a feast for the senses to life with demonstrations by well known chefs, local producers, Floriade performers and other experts. Learn about cuisine from around the world and discover the science behind much-loved ingredients such as honey, chocolate and truffles.

VISIT the award-winning “Lindeman’s Open Garden”, where experts will conduct garden cooking demonstrations and where celebrity chef Dominique Rizzo and renowned gardener Meredith Kirton will provide simple, seasonal and lighter-style recipes and tips on how and what to grow during spring.

HEAR Vince Jones, one of Australia’s most revered jazz musicians, kick off Floriade 2011 when he performs with his band and the ANU School of Music at the official opening concert on Saturday, September 17. On October 16, Floriade will close with the explosive energy of TaikOz performing a fusion of traditional Japanese music, symphonic music, jazz and pop.

LET this year’s horticulture program stimulate your senses with dozens of exciting demonstrations, activities, displays and events. Admire the endless possibilities of floral design and see the display of creativity and colour when fashion and flowers come together.

DISCOVER the history of war-time kitchens and gardens at the Australian War Memorial’s “Victory Garden”, featuring the plants and

vegetables grown by Australian families during the World War II.

THIS year’s Floriade NightFest will feature a spectacular new lighting installation “Storm of the Senses”, which will take visitors on a journey through digital rain falling between the sounds of a storm, with powerful thunder and gusts of wind. Visitors lucky enough to catch a break in the storm will see the whole installation spring to life in a series of vivid lighting displays accompanied by a dramatic musical soundtrack.

KIDS will love the chaotic and high-energy antics of circus troupe The Bally, meeting and patting their favourite baby farm animals at Matilda’s Farmyard and discovering the world of reptiles at the National Zoo & Aquarium’s “Riveting Reptiles” exhibition.

Illuminated wonderland amid the flowers

FROM Wednesday, September  to Sunday, October  , Commonwealth Park will again be transformed into the illuminated wonderland that is Floriade NightFest.

As the sun goes down, visitors will be able to warm up those crisp Canberra evenings with movies under the stars, cocktails, live entertainment, bustling night markets, food, wine and spectacular new lighting.

Feel like you’re in the eye of the storm when hundreds of LED-light tubes suspended from trees recreate the experience of a rain storm. The spectacular new “Storm of the Senses” installation will feature illuminated digital raindrops falling between the sounds of thunder and gusts of wind throughout the park.

The outdoor cinema in the park offers a diverse selection of films and special features that will be screened

nightly on a giant inflatable screen.

Take your Floriade NightFest experience to new heights by taking a ride on the giant 35-metre ferris wheel for breathtaking views of the illuminated park and surrounding cityscape. Chill out at the new Butterfly Lounge, sipping cocktails and grooving along to tunes by a great line-up of DJs, such as Jemist and D’Opus, and live performances by Pete Akhurst and Drumassault.

Visit the Carnival Stage & Bar where comedians will have you in stitches. Be inspired by the endless possibilities of floral design with exciting demonstrations, displays and workshops at the ActewAGL Look ‘n’ Learn Marquee.

“Storm of the Senses”

FEEL like you’re in the eye of the storm at the Rhododendron Gardens with the spectacular new “Storm of the Senses” lighting display that is set to a dramatic soundtrack. Creative designers Mandylights have recreated the experience of a rain storm using an installation featuring illuminated digital

raindrops falling between the sounds of thunder and gusts of wind.

Stage 88

SHORT films from 7.30pm, feature films from 7.45pm.

Before each main film, a selection of short films from the 2010 Canberra Short Film Festival will be screened.

“The Lost Thing”, the 2011 Academy Award winner for Best Short Film (Animated), will screen on Sunday night.

Carnival Stage

MC and circus artist Ell Bella will play host to a stage of juggling circus performers and comedians including Rod Quantock.

Horticultural delights

FROM 6.30pm, be transported to Morocco as floral designers Michael Woods and David Berger unite to turn the Exhibition Marquee into a vibrant Moroccan oasis.

The ActewAGL Look ‘n’ Learn Marquee will also host a range of

floral displays including Richard Go’s “Flavours of the World“ and “Sweet Treats” and CIT’s “Designs of Taste”, as well as floral art demonstrations with floral designers and the Horticultural Society of Canberra.

From the Pantry

FROM 7pm, food and beverage related demonstrations will fire up in the kitchen. There will be wine sensory experiences with Four Winds Vineyard (September 28-30), cocktail concoctions with Gema Catering (September 30-October 2) and cooking with Out in Canberra (September 28-October 2), Poachers Pantry and Wily Trout (September 28-29) and Garnier spokesmodel Natalie Gruzlewski (October 1).

Butterfly Lounge

FROM 6.45pm groove to a great line up of DJs and live music in the Butterfly Lounge. Enjoy a cocktail and a variety of music from funk, house and chill out tunes to reggae, live drumming and soul. Headline DJs include Jemist and D’Opus, as well as other live artists

including Dub Dub Goose and Drumassault.

Glow Bar

RELAX with a cocktail under the stars at the stylish Glow Bar (6.30pm-7.30pm and 9.30pm-10.20pm) and enjoy live music before and after the film screenings at Stage 88. See ICON and ICON Unplugged (September 28, 30 and October 2), Aaron & Jacinta (September 28-October 2) and Kiwi Gee (September 29 and October 1).

Around the park

SEE Floriade transform into an illuminated wonderland as the vibrant lighting bathes the garden beds and Commonwealth Park after dark. Wander the vibrant night markets or get a view of the specially lit garden beds and city surrounds from the 35mhigh Ferris wheel. There are amusement rides and plenty of entertainers roaming the park.

Book tickets at www.ticketek.com, call 132849 or any Ticketek outlet.

Month-long culinary marathon

FLORIADE’S theme this year promises “a feast for the senses”, and that’s what’s in store with a culinary journey of 0 days of fascinating food demonstrations by well known chefs, local producers and other experts at the new From the Pantry marquee. The highlights will be...

The Black Olive

October 15

MARK Olive, aka “The Black Olive”, will bring his signature infusions of contemporary outback flavours to Floriade. A well known Australian chef with his charismatic style and creative approach to food, he has starred in his own television series “The Outback Cafe” and a host of national and global cooking, lifestyle and travel shows, including Oprah’s “Ultimate Australian Adventure”.

The Clever Chefs

October 11-13

LEARN how to avoid wasting food when the Clever Chefs whip up tasty treats using leftovers. See head chefs Mike Scheumann, National Convention Centre Canberra and Paul Butler, National Press Club of Australia, as well as Anna Johnston, The Hospitality Guru chef and food writer, creating culinary delights.

Kitchen cutting edge

September 23

JOIN ABC Radio’s Genevieve Jacobs broadcasting from Floriade. More than a radio presenter, Genevieve’s a hands-on cook and loves to combine the two. What will she cook up? It’s a secret, so you’ll just have to be there!

Latin American feast

October 2-3

CELEBRATE Carnival in the Park with a Latin American feast of authentic cooking demonstrations from Canberra’s head embassy chefs and award-winning international Latin performers offering a taste of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and more.

Tasty science show

September 17-October 2

JOIN Questacon’s Excited Particles performers as they look into the science of taste. Are there more than five taste sensations? Do we all have a similar sense

of taste or are you a supertaster? These important life questions will be answered in this interactive show based on the technology of the tongue.

Wartime menus

September 19-21

JOIN the Australian War Memorial and Hyatt Hotel Canberra as chef Jiri Teringer presents dishes from Australia’s wartime dinner table. You’ll discover how vegetables reminiscent of a World War II suburban garden could feed a family today.

Culinary skills

September 22 and October 12-13

LET CIT’s acclaimed culinary chefs show you trade secrets and new cooking techniques. Plus, learn to transform common garden vegetables into centrepieces and garnishes, and design, mould and blow sugar and chocolate into sweet, delicate sculptures.

Centenary of Canberra Cake

September 27 and October 8, 15

JANET Jeffs, of Ginger Catering, will demonstrate how to cook Canberra’s 100th anniversary cake, made according to the 100-mile principle (all ingredients sourced from within a 100-mile/160km radius of Canberra).

3D citrus display

September 17-26

SEE the 3D works of citrus art by the Griffith Festival of Gardens including an enormous teapot and cup, plus exclusive carrot sculptures inspired by the famous Menton France sculptures.Diversity of food

DISCOVER the diversity of food, wine and produce in the Canberra region. Connect with the farmers and our land and the need to preserve food and food practices threatened with extinction.

* Owen Sandler, Dream Cuisine: Flour and pastry and Greg Stuart and Chris Hart, Minto: Cooking with beef. September 28.

* John Fairley, Country Valley Dairy: Panna cotta and yoghurt and Slow Food: Canberra’s culinary experience. September 29.

* Kim de Poorter: French crepes with two fillings and Shaggle Frock: Brewing beer. September 30.

* Sam Stratham, Rosnay BD Vineyard: Using biodynamic produce and The Bush Goddess: Cooking without flour and sugar. October 4.

* John Walker, Palerang Meat: Bombala beef and produce. October 5.

* Sue Anderson, Pantrydoor: Quick and easy meals. October 6.

* Sue Icemenes, Dish It Up: Making fresh pasta. October 11.

Truffles: What are they?

October 1 and 7

CAPITAL Country Truffle Festival experts demystify this highly prized, magical ingredient that can turn a simple egg into a gourmet dish.

Chocolate: Food of the gods

September 20, 27 and October 4, 11

ROBYN Rowe, the most successful chocolate exhibitor at the 2011 Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show, delves into how she creates her couverture chocolates. Cheese for cheese lovers

October 6-7

CHEESELINKS demonstrates how to make your own Feta, Romano, Parmesan or Camembert.

Two-course cooking class

September 18, 25

CHEF Andrew Haskins, of 3seeds, shows how to cook a two-course dinner in less than 60 minutes. Share in his innovative approach to food and philosophy – people eat with their eyes, so prepare every dish with height, texture and colour.

The perfect macaron

September 27, October 4 Owen from Dream Cuisine will demonstrate the art of making the perfect melt-in-themouth macaron.

Decorating cupcakes

September 18,25, October 4, 6-9, 11

INSIDE tips from Emma McMahan, of Sugar and Slice, for decorating the perfect cupcake and making sugar flowers.

Making gnocchi

September 17, October 1

Learn how to make a variety of homemade gnocchi with Diamant Hotel Canberra’s Bicicletta Restaurant.

Beechworth Honey

October 8-10

SEE the live display with bees producing honey, learn how apiarists care for bees and harvest honey, and sample Australian honey products.

Seafood smorgasbord

September 28-30, October 5, 9, 11

A DEMONSTRATION on how to prepare and cook a seafood smorgasbord delivered fresh from Blue Seas.

Fine feast from a garden

By cedric Bryant

FLORIADE, Canberra’s celebration of spring, is here with this year’s theme “A Feast for the Senses”.

In reality, the massed floral displays of annuals and bulbs have little to do with real gardening and the home gardener. And, indeed, it is not meant to be, as opposed to the Melbourne International Garden and Flower Show. No gardeners are going to have massed displays of just spring annuals, but like the Keukenhof Gardens in Holland, it is all about presenting a “wow” factor.

Folk come from far and wide to enjoy Floriade and it gives visitors the opportunity to explore other Canberra garden delights. I do hope that if you have visitors, particularly if they are from overseas, you take them to “our” National Botanic Gardens.

The talks and demonstrations at Floriade’s previously called Kitchen Garden, now renamed the Victory Garden, are always popular. This is presented by the Australian War Memorial and will feature the sorts of food-producing plants and veggies grown by families in their backyards during the war years.

It is interesting that many of the varieties growing in the Victory Garden are now making a comeback, combined also with the increasing popularity of community gardens and organically grown foods.

I will be giving talks on Mediterranean plants that have a direct connection with World War I and II. Many of our most

popular herbs come from these regions which featured some of the fiercest fighting in World War II.

The Cistus or rock rose was introduced into Australia after World War I. It covered the hills around Gallipoli and, when in flower, was said to give soldiers comfort and hope. They brought back seeds to Australia and scattered them in their home gardens.

The Yarralumla Nursery in conjunction with the Australian War Memorial has grown one in particular, the Cistus “Gallipoli Rose” with its pure white flowers to commemorate the spirit of Anzac. Growing to 1mx1m this is perfect for home gardens.

From Morocco comes Convolvulus mauritanicus “Moroccan Beauty”. I was recently reading an account of the desert campaign of World War II when, during a lull in bombarding Rommel’s forces, one soldier – obviously knowing his plants – spoke of the rich blue of this Convolvulus growing wild in the desert sand.

Rosemary is the most important commemorative plant in this country and it, along with many other Mediterranean plants, will be discussed in my talks and demonstrations at the Victory Garden. Please make yourselves known, as I always like to meet readers of this column. Check out the program for details of my talks.

ACTEW Corporation will have on display at

Floriade a 1:50 scale model of the new Cotter Dam that, when full, promises Canberra and Queanbeyan water security for many years to come.

The scale model will be located next to the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection of Australia building, which will feature many new bonsai “works of art” that have been brought to Canberra especially for Floriade.

THE Horticultural Society of Canberra’s “Spring Bulb and Camellia Show”, one of the Society’s great events, will be held in Lancaster Hall, at the Wesley Church Centre, National Circuit, Forrest, on Saturday, September 17, from noon (after judging) to 5pm and on Sunday from 11.30am to 4pm. It will feature a magnificent display of flowers and floral art, plus the ever-popular plant stall. Entry is free and refreshments are available.

GUEST speaker Paul Tyerman will talk on “Buried Treasures” at the Horticultural Society’s meeting at the Wesley Church Centre, from 7.30pm, Monday, September 19. Many readers will be familiar with Paul’s incredible collection of rare and unusual bulbs at Bunnings Belconnen Garden Centre. All welcome with supper at the end.

NO work hints in the garden this week as I assume everyone will be at Floriade!

Griffith gets in the swing of open

TEN gardens will be open to the public during the 21st Griffith Festival of Gardens, October 14-17.

The gardens range from a smaller cottage-style town garden within the city to larger farm gardens.

“There are iris of every colour, natives, exotics and stunning clematis to amaze you,” says a spokesperson for the organisers.

“The diversity of the open gardens and the warmth and hospitality of the garden

owners and the community is what sets us apart from other centres.”

Gardening writer Fiona Ogilvie is the festival’s special guest and other events include an informal pre-dinner launch at St Alban’s Cathedral on Friday, October 14 and the festival dinner dance at the Griffith Retirement Estate on Saturday, October 15.

ALSO on display in Griffith are the famous citrus sculptures. Based on the

gardens

original Sculptures of Menton in France, more than 100,000 oranges and grapefruit, provided by Riverina Citrus and local citrus growers, are used to create more than 50, larger-than-life, threedimensional works of art that include a giant guitar, piano, chickens, horses and carriage, fire truck and flower basket.

For a free program or bookings call the Griffith Visitors Information Centre on 1800 681141.

Turning the kitchen green

By Kathryn Vukovljak

Bamboo’s better

UNLIKE wooden utensils, bamboo has natural antibacterial properties, which means it’s food safe and won’t absorb odours or germs. Made from sustainable moso bamboo, a grass that naturally replenishes itself, bamboo is ideal for the eco-friendly kitchen.

Easy-grow vegies

QUITE possibly the easiest way to grow your own vegies, GreenSmart’s self-watering container pots guarantee a maximum bounty of vegies and herbs by providing the perfect conditions for growth. And they look cute on the kitchen windowsill!

The pots (large 29cm high, $59.95; small 23cm high, $49.95) are available in cream, black and green from www.greensmartpots.com.au

Healthy habits

MADE from a single piece of pure recyclable aluminium, SIGG bottles come with a chemical-free EcoCare liner making them resistant to fruit-juice acids, energy drinks and alcohol. The liner also ensures that drinks don’t taste plastic or metallic, and it reduces bacteria build-up.

Grass Green Traveller bottle (0.6L), $31.10, www.siggaustralia.com.au

Salad servers (set of two) $24.95; Petit spoon set (set of six) $29.95; kitchen utensils (set of three) $29.95, from www. dandi.com.au

Chemical-free cleaning

ENJO Kitchen Essentials pack, $199, call 1800 222 540 or visit www.enjo. com.au

AN environmentally friendly alternative to toxic chemicals and bleaches, ENJO products use fibre technology and cold water to dissolve dirt. They’ve put together a bargain pack containing a streak-free drying cloth, dish soap, hand wash, all-purpose cloth, a kitchen glove with a “grease” side and a “grime” side, and a mini scourer.

your week in the stars

With Joanne Madeline Moore September

19–25

ARIES (Mar  – Apr 0)

Rams are feeling restless, but don’t let unpredictable moods and bossy behaviour alienate you from others. With Venus and Saturn in your relationship zone, calm cooperation is the clever way to go. Attached Aries – sharing common interests with your partner is highlighted this weekend. Single Rams – keep looking for a lover who is responsible and mature.

TAURUS (Apr  – May 0)

Be on alert for a case of the ‘green-eyed monsters’ early in the week, as tricky Venus/Pluto aspects aggravate your jealous side. And are there any bad habits you should be giving up? With Saturn still moving through your wellbeing zone, it’s time to be more disciplined about your health and fitness. Out with the cream cakes and in with the carrot juice!

GEMINI (May  – June )

With mighty Mars moving into your communication zone, you’re motivated to mix and mingle; chat and circulate (even more than usual). Resist the urge to be the neighbourhood nosey-parker though. Garrulous gossip could get gregarious Geminis into gigantic trouble this week so be discreet, choose your words wisely – and don’t jump to hasty conclusions.

CANCER (June  – July )

Are you feeling insecure about a relationship? The more tightly you hold onto someone, the more they’ll try to escape. With gung-ho Mars in your $$$ zone (until November 11) aim to be financially proactive. Don’t sit around waiting for cash to magically fall into your lap. The weekend suits socialising at home, as the Sun and Venus boost your entertaining skills.

LEO (July  – Aug )

Are you a courageous Lion or a cautious Cub? With dynamic Mars marching through your sign (from September 19 until November 11) it’s time to sparkle and shine as you take on challenges, and your confidence and creativity soar. Be inspired by Christopher Reeve (born on September 25): “Either you stay in the shallow end of the pool, or you go out in the ocean.”

VIRGO (Aug  – Sept )

Saturn is demanding financial restraint from yours truly. Spending sprees are temporarily banned, as you concentrate on balancing your budget and paying off debt. With a disciplined approach (and a pinch of patience) you can turn things around. The Sun and Mercury are in your sign, so you’re in the mood to research a topic that has always fascinated you.

LIBRA (Sept  – Oct )

As Saturn moves through your sign (until October 2012) it exaggerates your perfectionist streak. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes! As birthday great Sophia Loren said: “It’s better to make mistakes than to play it safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.” It’s also time to update your appearance but remember that true beauty comes from within.

SCORPIO (Oct 4 – Nov )

Are you ready for a total spring-clean? Scorpios have a tendency to hold onto people, possessions, emotions and old habits. This week provides the perfect opportunity for a physical and emotional detox, as you purge your life of things that have passed their used-by date. On Sunday, use your powerful Pluto energy to influence people in positive ways.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov  – Dec )

With Mars charging through your adventure zone (until November 11) you’re in the mood to explore as you broaden your physical and mental horizons via travel, study or selfexamination. A dream may seem a long way off but hang in there. Saturn is testing your mettle. How badly do you want your dream – and are you willing to work hard to get it?

CAPRICORN (Dec  – Jan )

With Venus visiting your career zone, things are looking up at work. If you dress to impress (and maximise your people skills) you’ll make fabulous headway. Compromise is the key to peaceful professional partnerships, as you offer the olive branch of peace. For some singles, Cupid comes knocking at the office door. Who said work and romance don’t mix?

AQUARIUS (Jan 0 – Feb )

As assertive Mars moves into your love zone, your partner will demand more of your time and attention. Too much togetherness can drive individualistic Aquarians nuts! But too much independence can undermine your relationship too. It’s Equinox week, so try to walk the middle path. Singles – don’t be dazzled by appearances. Look for a lover who is also a friend.

PISCES (Feb  – Mar 0)

Are loved ones, friends or work colleagues placing unrealistic demands on you? Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated or cajoled into doing something you really don’t want to do. It’s time for fragile Fish to finally face up to bullying behaviour. You need to forge your own individual path, as you learn to say the hardest word of all (for a Pisces) – NO!

Across

4 Name the composer, remembered for oratorios, especially the Messiah.

7 What is a medicine for counteracting the effects of poison, etc?

8 Which musical direction dictates "in a leisurely manner"?

9 One who makes or sells candles is known as a what?

11 What is another term for an adhesive label?

13 Which other word describes an authorisation?

15 Name a univalve, marine mollusc.

17 What do we call one who engages in public discussion?

20 Which explosive did Alfred Nobel invent?

23 In golf, what is an angle in the fairway?

24 What are witty sayings, tersely expressed?

25 In Greek Legend, which warrior in the Trojan war was slain by? Down

1 What, in Scotland, is a small island?

2 One who transgresses is called a what?

3 Name a hooded garment worn by monks?

4 Which muscular organ keeps the blood in circulation throughout the body?

5 What is a shade of colour, expression, meaning, etc?

6 What describes someone banished from their native land?

9 Name the English author, actor and composer, Sir Noel ...

10 What is an arm or inlet of the sea?

12 What does the ebb tide do?

14 In which spectacular entertainment was Rudolf Nureyev engaged?

16 Which monkey-like creatures are found chiefly in Madagascar?

18 To run away to marry is to do what?

19 Which garden implement is used to manicure parts of the lawn?

21 What is a pointed, slender piece of metal, used for driving into wood?

22 What do we call a ponderous volume?

Retreat with a view to the Budawang Ranges

THE Mongarlowe home of the late, well-known weaver Solvig Baas Becking, set on a pristine hectares with views to the Budawang Ranges, is for sale for $4 0,000+.

“The property was developed using a sustainable, low-impact building philosophy, which is apparent when you see how well the house follows the flow of the land,” says selling agent Eve O’Brien.

“Simple in design and construction, the house is made from locally sourced building materials.”

Mongarlowe has a history as

The rural retreat at 164 Half Moon Road, inside the Half Moon Flat Wildlife Refuge, was designed by the prominent Canberra architect John Scollay.

a creative hub, contributing to a thriving local artistic community. It is a 1.5-hour drive from Canberra, 45 minutes to Batemans Bay, and 12 minutes from Braidwood. The road through Mongarlowe is tar and Half Moon Road is maintained and graded, and provides easy access to the property.

“Although hidden from the daily grind of suburbia, your creature comforts are well catered for with the large, openplan living space, country style kitchen with meals area, three bedrooms, bathroom, ensuite, ducted LPG gas throughout plus wood heater and an open fireplace,” says Eve.

“The use of exposed hardwood beams and rich wooden floors complement the natural environment outside.”

There is a separate bunkhouse close to the main house that sleeps two with plenty of storage space. There is a large double carport and extra caravan carport.

More information from Eve O’Brien, of Lutons, on 0411 861507.

Ray White Canberra 0414 622 926 3BR I

L.J. Hooker Tuggeranong 0438 627 772 4BR B

Luton Properties 0410 564 284 5BR E

Galbraith

Canberra Region Property Summary

BUNGENDORE

CHARNWOOD

Canberra Region Property Summary 100%

CHIFLEY

CHISHOLM

DEAKIN

FISHER

FLOREY

FLYNN

Canberra Region Property Summary

GOWRIE

Sat 1:30-2:30 42 Spica St PRD Nationwide Inner North 0412 370 759 3BR H

Agent (10/51) 65 Canopus Cr L.J. Hooker Kaleen 0418 242 743 1BR A

Sat 10:30-11:15 5 Lempriere Cr Independent Woden 0413 909 158 4BR A

Sat 11:00-11:40 26 Apperly Cl Peter Blackshaw Woden 0411 414 624 4BR D Sat 12:00-12:45 125 Mt Vernon Dr Luton Properties 0411 878 587 4BR A Call Agent 77 Ivo Whitton Cct Peter Blackshaw Woden 0411 414 624 4BR D GORDON

Thu 5:15-6:00 50 Charlton Cr Peter Blackshaw Tuggeranong 0406 866 007 4BR G

Thu 6:10-6:40 18 Van Praag Pl Peter Blackshaw Tuggeranong 0406 866 007 5BR E

Sat 9:30-10:00 60 Clare Dennis Av McGrath Belconnen/Gungahlin 0433 647 075 4BR A

Sat 10:00-10:45 34 Michael Holt Cr Luton Properties 0411 781 863 6BR A

Sat 10:30-11:15 13 Thomas Hales Pl Peter Blackshaw Belconnen 0422 201 027 4BR H

Sat 11:00-11:45 23 Fred Lane Cr Luton Properties 0428 139 969 3BR I

Sat 12:00-12:45 6 Bushby Cl McGrath Belconnen/Gungahlin 0413 503 312 3BR A

Sat 1:00-1:45 22 Harry Hopman Cct Ray White Canberra 0414 622 926 3BR J Sat 3:15-3:45 104 Knoke

Cerutty

Luton Properties 0416 017 072 4BR H

L.J. Hooker Tuggeranong 0438 627 772 4BR H

Luton Properties 0409 015 400 4BR G

GRIFFITH

HACKETT

Pl L.J. Hooker Tuggeranong 0412 281 735 3BR J Call Agent 1/10 Leibnitz Pl L.J. Hooker Tuggeranong 0402 225 405 4BR I Call Agent 12 Marengo Pl Hodgkinson Tuggeranong 0437 357 855 3BR J

Tumbleton Pl EthicsRealEstate.com.au 0403 246 800 4BR H

8 Yabtree Pl EthicsRealEstate.com.au 0405 610 912 4BR H JERRABOMBERRA

Sat 10:00-10:30 38 Carolyn Jackson Dr Go Gecko Queanbeyan 02 6299 4400 4BR E

Sat 11:15-12:00 94 Jacaranda Dr Peter Blackshaw Manuka 0407 099 175 4BR D

Sat 11:30-12:15 19/4 Redwood Av Ray White Queanbeyan 0412 000 841 3BR I

Sat 11:45-12:15 2/15 Darmody Pl Luton Properties 0411 861 507 3BR I

Sat 12:15-1:00 210 Halloran Dr Peter Blackshaw Manuka 0407 099 175 4BR A

Sat 12:30-1:00 54 Brudenell Dr Luton Properties 0411 861 507 3BR I

Sat 1:15-2:00 24 Dillwynia Cr Peter Blackshaw Manuka 0407 099 175 4BR G

Sat 1:30-2:00 83 Bicentennial Dr Peter Blackshaw Belconnen 0416 071 735 4BR A

Sat 1:30-2:30 18/27 Elm Wy PRDnationwide Canberra 0411 466 077 2BR J

Sat 2:00-2:30 5 Dixon Pl Luton Properties 0402 316 228 4BR G

Sat 2:00-2:45 5 Esmond Av McGrath Belconnen/Gungahlin 0418 624 913 3BR A

Sat 2:15-2:45 10 English Gr Go Gecko Queanbeyan 02 6299 4400 3BR H

830 598 4BR G

0418 633 806

KAMBAH

Thu 5:00-5:30 12 Corbin Pl Luton Properties 0478 143 293 3BR A

11:00-12:15 2 Boelke Pl First National Gungahlin 0408 413 405 4BR I

Sat 11:00-12:15 1 Ida Birchall Cr First National Gungahlin 0414 249 449 3BR I

Sat 11:00-12:15 24 Ida Birchall Cr First National Gungahlin 0417 687 379 4BR I

Sat 11:00-11:30 21 Macfarlane Burnet Av EthicsRealEstate.com.au 0409 006 365 5BR G

Sat 11:00-12:15 126 Macfarlane Burnet Av First National Gungahlin 0414 249 449 3BR I

Sat 11:00-12:15 130 Macfarlane Burnet Av First National Gungahlin 0408 413 405 4BR I

Sat 11:00-12:15 216 Macfarlane Burnet Av First National Gungahlin 0417 687 379 4BR I

Sat 11:00-12:15 17

Canberra Region Property Summary

NARRABUNDAH

MAWSON

MCKELLAR

NGUNNAWAL

MONASH

YOU

Elvire

4BR G

4BR A

L.J. Hooker Dickson 0422 927 671 2BR J

QUEANBEYAN

Canberra Region Property Summary

WATSON

STIRLING

STROMLO/URIARRA

SWINGER

THEODORE

TORRENS

TURNER