Pittwater Life March 2022 Issue

The Local Voice Since 1991 

MARCH 2022 

FREE 

pittwaterlife 

LOCAL MICROPLASTICS SHOCK 

THE MONA VALE GALLERY THAT’S LITERALLY A LOAD OF RUBBISH 

EQUINE THERAPIST ELLE LEVEY / FOOTY’S JAMES BRACEY 

SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD... / HOT PROPERTY / THE WAY WE WERE

Editorial 

Houses on Aboriginal land 

Three years ago the 

Metropolitan Local 

Aboriginal Land Council 

(MLALC) asked the State 

Government to draw up a 

Draft Delivery Plan and SEPP 

zoning approval that would 

allow most of its landholdings 

across the Northern Beaches 

to be developed. 

Consequently the Northern 

Beaches Aboriginal Land DDP 

is now on public exhibition. 

The DDP involves six sites 

across Belrose, Frenchs Forest 

and Oxford Falls, with the 

first site at ‘Lizard Rock’ at 

Belrose earmarked for up to 

450 low- to medium-density 

homes. If approved, the homes 

could be built within two 

years. 

The DPP was triggered by 

the MLALC to help it fulfill 

its objective of maximising 

potential economic benefits 

of its landholdings on the 

beaches, as envisaged by the 

Aboriginal Land Rights Act. 

But the proposal has 

received a cool reception from 

many locals on social media, 

plus community groups as 

well as Pittwater Ward Greens 

councillor Miranda Korzy, who 

demands to know why a land 

swap outside of the Northern 

Beaches, of equal economic 

value, cannot be negotiated, 

rather than bulldozing 

sensitive bushland. 

Council has no legislated 

role in assessing the proposal. 

Read our story on page 8. 

* * * 

Wayne Brown has been 

in the local waste 

management business for 

almost 40 years, with skip 

bins his focus the majority of 

that time. 

He says what people have 

thrown away in that time you 

have to see to believe – and 

you can, by visiting the unique 

‘gallery’ at his Brown Bros Skip 

Bins HQ in Mona Vale. Turn to 

page 10! 

– Nigel Wall 


MARCH 2022 3

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Publisher: Nigel Wall 

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Photography: Adobe / Staff 

Contributors: Rob Pegley, 

Rosamund Burton, Steve 

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Vol 31 No 8 

Celebrating 31 years 

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FREE 

pittwaterlife 

LOCAL MICROPLASTICS SHOCK 

THE MONA VALE GALLERY THAT’S LITERALLY A LOAD OF RUBBISH 

EQUINE THERAPIST ELLE LEVEY / FOOT Y’S JAMES BRACEY 

SEEN... HEARD... ABSURD... / HOT PROPERTY / THE WAY WE WERE 

PWL_MAR22_p001.indd 1 23/2/22 5:40 pm 

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thislife 

INSIDE: A draft delivery plan to allow the development 

of Aboriginal-owned land on the Northern Beaches is on 

exhibition (p8); check out the local ‘gallery’ displaying the 

valuable and interesting things people dump in skip bins 

(p10); why is Newport Beach a microplastics problem (p12); 

Avalon 100 celebrations in March (p13); take our quick bike 

safety quiz (p16); remember The Way We Were (p30); and 

read equine therapist Elle Levey’s touching life story (p50). 

COVER: Under Pittwater / Sharon Green 


also this month 

Editorial 3 

Pittwater Local News 8-39 

The Way We Were 30 

Seen... Heard... Absurd... 32 

Briefs & Community News 34-39 

Art 40-41 

Hot Property 42-49 

Life Stories: Elle Levey 50-52 

Surfing 54-55 

Health & Wellbeing; Hair & Beauty 56-63 

Money & Law 64-67 

Food & Tasty Morsels 72-76 

Crossword 77 

Gardening 78-80 

the goodlife 

Returning soon! Showtime, Pubs & Clubs and gigs! 

Inside this month: our regular features on food, gardening, 

beauty, health, surfing, art, local history, money, plus our 

guide to trades and services... and our essential maps. 

ATTENTION ADVERTISERS! 

Bookings & advertising material to set for 

our APRIL issue MUST be supplied by 

FRIDAY 11 MARCH 

Finished art & editorial submissions deadline: 

FRIDAY 18 MARCH 

The APRIL issue will be published 

on WEDNESDAY 30 MARCH 

COPYRIGHT 

All contents are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced except with the 

written consent of the copyright owner. All advertising rates are subject to GST. 

* The complete Pittwater 

Life archive can be found at 

6 

the State Library of NSW. 


The Local Voice Since 1991

News 

Govt, Aboriginal Land Council 

propose bushland development 

The State Government is calling for 

public comment on a proposal to 

develop six parcels of land owned 

by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal 

Land Council (MLALC) across the western 

fringes of the Northern Beaches. 

It could see 450 new homes built by 2024 

on one site alone – on 71 hectares of environmentally 

sensitive bushland known as 

Lizard Rock on the eastern edge of Belrose. 

The Government is currently exhibiting 

its draft Northern Beaches Aboriginal Land 

Development Delivery Plan (DDP), which 

aims to help Aboriginal people fulfill potential 

economic benefits of their landholdings 

within the local government area. 

The DPP was triggered by and has the 

support of the MLALC. It is on public exhibition 

until March 21. 

In 2019, the Government received a 

request from the MLALC for a DDP to be 

prepared and for the Aboriginal Land SEPP 

to include the majority of its Beaches landholdings, 

including the Lizard Rock site. 

The Lizard Rock site has been identified 

as suitable for development in 1-2 years; 

a planning proposal proposes around 450 

low- to medium-density homes there, plus 

a cultural community centre and protection 

of Aboriginal carvings and other 

heritage sites. 

Of the total nine sites (comprising 912 

hectares) owned by the MLALC in the 

Northern Beaches LGA, only Lizard Rock 

is currently endorsed by MLALC members 

and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council to be 

actively investigated for land dealing. 

However, the remaining five sites in the 

proposed DPP, comprising another plot in 

Belrose as well as others in Frenchs Forest 

and Oxford Falls, could have planning 

proposals or DAs submitted in the next 2-5 

years. 

The State Planning Department noted 

these sites required further investigation – 

but flagged future land uses could include 

SENSITIVE: The site at 

Lizard Rock, Belrose 

industrial, plus employment and environmental 

conservation as well as residential, 

depending on the site. 

Minister for Planning Anthony Roberts 

said the DPP would mean new homes and 

jobs for the area as well as strengthened 

self-determination for the First Nation 

community. 

“This proposal is about Aboriginal 

people taking charge of using their land 

in ways that best supports their communities 

and protects their heritage,” Mr 

Roberts said. 

“Helping Aboriginal land councils 

achieve better economic outcomes from 

their land has long been a priority and 

this project is a great first step forward for 

Aboriginal development in the Northern 

Beaches area.” 

MLALC chief executive Nathan Moran 

said: “This is an extremely positive step 

towards utilising our land to deliver 

economic outcomes for our community as 

envisaged by the Aboriginal Land Rights 

Act.” 

The Government has consulted with 

Northern Beaches Council during the 

preparation of the DDP. 

PHOTO: NSW Dept Planning 

Council CEO Ray Brownlee said Council 

had no legislated role in assessing the proposal 

but would prepare a submission. 

The draft DDP identified the Lizard 

Rock site as having the most potential for 

development for innovative, culturally and 

environmentally sensitive development. 

Also, it was the MLALC’s best opportunity 

to generate an economic return that 

would benefit members and the broader 

community. 

However, the DDP has met with fierce 

resistance from Pittwater Ward Greens 

councillor Miranda Korzy who accused 

the Government of “setting up conflict 

between Aboriginal people and the rest of 

the community”. 

“The government should simply buy the 

land from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal 

Land Council or carry out a land 

swap for one or more sites [outside of the 

Northern Beaches LGA] with development 

potential,” Ms Korzy told Pittwater Life. 

“In this way the MLALC could create an 

income stream for its people, which is the 

object of this proposal.” 

She added building even just a few 

houses at Lizard Rock would spoil the integrity 

of the site, which she said included 

core wildlife habitat. 

“Threatened species such as Glossy Black 

Cockatoos, Heath Monitors and Powerful 

Owls frequent the bushland and a breeding 

colony of swamp wallabies also lives 

there,” she said. 

“The bushland is in great condition with 

very few weeds away from the road. 

“Furthermore, building homes at Lizard 

Rock or the other proposed sites would 

expose residents to a high bushfire risk.” 

The Government said all feedback will 

be carefully considered to help determine 

finalisation later this year.. – Nigel Wall 

* View more at planning.nsw.gov.au 

8 MARCH 2022 


A fascinating 

load of ‘rubbish’ 

News 

In a nondescript industrial Jane, ironically, apologises 

Mona Vale street with a for the unmuseum-like mess 

fancy name (‘Polo Avenue’) in a waste management hub. 

lies one of the most unusual 

private “museums” in NSW, let 

alone the Northern Beaches. 

Ask to see ‘Gordon’s Gallery’ 

and even the front of 

house staff haven’t a clue 

what you’re talking about. 

(Though to be fair, they’re 

both preoccupied with booking 

skip bins.) 

We’re at the nerve centre of 

Brown Bros, whose green-andgold 

skip bin trucks you’ll 

have seen around Pittwater. 

Brothers Gary and Wayne 

founded their waste management 

business in 1982, taking 

a punt on skips in 1996. 

“It’s usually dusted and 

more orderly,” she says. “But 

our drivers find things in the 

skips and just dump things 

for me to sort out.” 

Everything in Gordon’s Gallery 

(a reference to their late 

golden retriever, now superseded 

by lookalike George) 

was once destined for the tip. 

That includes ‘The Brick’, 

Australia’s first hand-held 

mobile phone (officially Mitsubishi’s 

Walkabout launched 

by Kylie Minogue on the steps 

of the Sydney Opera House in 

the late ’80s). 

The strangest thing Wayne 

When Gary retired five has ever found in one of their TRASH IS TREASURE: Wayne Brown (with George) holding the Skase 

Trophy in Gordon’s Gallery; and in the cockpit of the jettisoned jet (below). 

years ago, Wayne’s wife – bins? 

former maths teacher, Jane 

– bought into the business, 

and ‘Gordon’s Gallery’ grew 

a life of its own: becoming 

an unlikely party venue and 

excursion destination for 

everyone from schoolkids to 

nursing home pensioners. 

Surprisingly for a waste 

removal company, their business 

is built on environmental 

foundations. 

The bulk of their skips contain 

construction waste and 

head straight to the Benedict 

Recycling Centre in Belrose. 

The rest goes straight into 

landfill. 

Unless, that is, Wayne and 

Jane (or their drivers) spot 

anything they think worth 

preserving as part of Australia’s 

fast-disappearing social 

history. 

“I’ve always sorted through 

the bins,” admits Wayne who 

met Jane when they were both 

studying pure and applied 

maths at Sydney University. 

“I’d pull out interesting stuff 

I didn’t think should end in 

landfill. 

“There were old cameras, 

old phones, old computers 

and calculating machines, old 

sewing machines…” 

Not the full-size metallic 

Palm Beach Wharf sign now 

hanging over Gordon’s Gallery. 

Nor the intricate minutes 

of the Eastern Suburbs rugby 

union club’s first AGM in 

1901: “The club threw part of 

its history out,” Wayne says, 

still incredulous. 

Not even the silver trophy 

which, once polished, revealed 

itself to be dedicated to one 

of Australia’s worst corporate 

crooks. The Christopher Skase 

Memorial Trophy, awarded in 

1992 “for services to International 

Sport… a Five Star 

Vessel parked permanently in 

the Mediterranean”. 

No, it’s hard to go past the 

cockpit of a private jet Wayne 

found in a bin. 

Temporarily it’s outside, but 

in times past the Browns have 

used it as a party prop, getting 

photos of family, friends and 

staff sitting inside while being 

served cocktails through the 

broken window. 

Naturally they also rescued 

a rowing boat from a skip, 

plus numerous vintage toys – 

and a cabinet of around $2000 

worth of Henri Wintermans 

cigars discarded when a Dee 

Why newsagency closed. 

“Remember that guy who 

came back to Sydney from 

Hong Kong?” Jane asks her 

husband. “He threw out 

unopened presents he’d been 

given for his 21st, all upmarket 

stuff from the likes of 

David Jones: boxes of cutlery 

and crockery sets. There were 

also beautiful suits. We let 

the drivers choose what they 

wanted to take home.” 

“All of this is just such a 

waste,” Wayne says, without 

a hint of irony. “But the 

throw-away culture is part of 

modern life now.” 

Before COVID, the Browns 

intended to open ‘Gordon’s 

Gallery’ to more groups. 

School kids now familiar 

with a quick trip to the local 

DIY store to pick up a “peel 

off paint paste” are amazed to 

see the old blow torches used 

to burn off the poisonous lead 

paint of yesteryear. 

Likewise, elder citizens like 

being reminded of things they 

haven’t seen for years. 

“Mark Edmondson, the last 

Australian male to win the 

Australian Open, is a regular 

client of ours because of his 

synthetic grass business,” 

Wayne says. “He was looking 

at our collection of old wooden 

racquets and said: ‘I used 

to play with one of these!’” 

If interested, drop Jane an 

email and organise an outing 

(COVID permitting). Check 

their website to see what 

charitable ventures Brown 

Bros are involved in. 

So what’s the future of Gordon’s 

Gallery? 

“Of course, when we’re gone, 

our kids will take it straight 

to the tip,” Wayne jokes. “But 

they’ll have a party first!” 

– Steve Meacham 

* Browse Gordon’s Gallery at 

brownbrosbins.com.au 



News 

WORRYING ISSUE: 

Microplastics on our 

beaches (photo not 

local); scientists 

sifting for fragments. 

‘Micro’ management scourge 

single Northern Beaches Beach, particularly Kiddies Corner at the the bottle or whatever the product is. 

resident will have microplastics south end, is protected by the prevailing “Some inevitably spill and end up being 

“Every 

in their body, unfortunately,” says currents and winds that head north to washed through gutters and storm drains 

Dr Scott Wilson. 

The Macquarie University academic is 

also the newly appointed chief scientist of 

the Melbourne-based Earthwatch Institute 

and research director of the Australian 

Microplastic Assessment Project (AUS- 

MAP) – an award-winning citizen science 

initiative charting which of Sydney’s 

beaches and waterways suffers the highest 

levels of microplastic pollution. 

The good news? None of Sydney’s beaches 

are as polluted as one of Adelaide’s 

beaches in the West Lakes (9500 pieces of 

microplastic per square metre), while the 

peninsula’s ocean beaches between Manly 

and Palm Beach generally rate either “low” 

or “very low”. 

The bad news? Harbourside Manly Cove, 

famous for its ferries and fairy penguins, 

is one of the most poorly rated beaches in 

NSW (4051microplastics per square metre) 

beaten only by Tower Beach at Botany Bay, 

(4312). 

Then there’s Dee Why Lagoon (high, 

936), much worse than Dee Why Beach 

(low, 20). 

Plus the big mystery Scott and his team 

of experts and volunteers is still trying 

to unravel: Why is Newport Beach (high, 

333) so much worse than Collaroy (low, 

12), Avalon Beach (very low, 6) and Palm 

Beach (very low, 2) when all four have been 

shaped by south-easterly winds which prevail 

for all but a few months in summer? 

Foam packaging is mainly to blame, 

Scott says. That white stuff that surrounds 

every washing machine or children’s toy 

quickly breaks down into pea-sized (and 

smaller) balls of polystyrene when mixed 

with water. 

Newport Beach – unlike Avalon Beach – 

Barrenjoey Headland. 

The bigger story, of course, is why 

microplastic pollution in our waterways 

should be a concern. 

“We know microplastics are affecting 

our marine and bird life,” Scott says. “The 

bigger species of marine life and birds 

digest microplastics accidentally though 

their prey. 

“How do microplastics affect humans? 

The truth is we don’t know. That’s where 

science is currently at. 

“All humans have microplastics in their 

bodies because of the way we live and 

how we eat. Most processed food contains 

microplastics. 

“Take that bag of rice in your cupboard. 

Next time you serve it, wash it through 

a strainer before cooking it because 

microplastics will have fallen into the rice 

during the packaging process. 

“It’s the same when you drink ‘pure 

water’ from a plastic bottle.” 

But what are microplastics? And how 

do they end up in our waterways and 

beaches, contaminating the fish we catch, 

the dolphins we adore and the birdlife we 

relish soaring above us. 

Contrary to belief, Scott explains, most 

microplastics on our beaches aren’t the 

result of decomposing “hard plastic” 

(anything from a discarded bottle to a 

plastic chair) that has broken down to 

smaller fragments after months in the 

ocean. 

Most – particularly in our water catchment 

areas – are virgin “nurdles”, the 

miniscule plastic pellets that are the 

Lego-like building bricks of every type of 

plastic manufacture. 

“Most plastic products are heat-moulded,” 

to our rivers, lagoons and beaches.” 

According to The Guardian, 230,000 

tonnes of nurdles end up in the world’s 

oceans every year. The beads, less than 

5mm wide, are “made of polyethylene, 

polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl 

chloride and other plastics” – also escape 

from container ships and float in the 

ocean, “often mistaken for food by seabirds, 

fish and other wildlife”. 

As mentioned, Dee Why Lagoon is one 

of the worst waterways for microplastic 

pollution, much higher than Narrabeen 

Lagoon (low, 46). 

“We studied the Dee Why Lagoon catchment 

area to see where most of the microplastic 

was coming from,” Scott explains. 

“We put nets over stormwater outlets and 

baskets under street level drains and were 

able to track the pollution back to the 

industrial estate in Cromer which contains 

several plastic factories. 

“Narrabeen Lagoon is not as polluted. 

But we find whenever a water source is 

close to major routes like Pittwater Road, 

the Wakehurst Parkway and Barrenjoey 

Road you get road debris washed from the 

roads into the water. 

“Most people don’t know a modern tyre 

is made of only 19 per cent rubber, with 

the rest made of synthetic rubber, plastic 

fabric and metal wiring.” 

The AUSMAP studies have involved 

many citizen scientists, including those 

provided by Living Ocean. 

“We have many exciting projects on 

the go,” says Living Ocean’s co-founder 

Robbi Newman (livingocean.org.au). He’s 

particularly keen to attract younger ocean 

warriors to the global challenge against 

plastics, in our water sources. micro or 

has a huge stormwater outflow, dumping 

Scott explains. “Pellets are poured into macro. 


debris from shops and households. Palm a mould, then subjected to heat to produce * Ausmap details: ausmap.org 



Avalon 100 celebrations apace 

Avalon Beach Centenary celebrations continue in March, 

to mark the 100-year anniversary of the naming of the 

suburb by AB Small in December 1921. 

Organisers of ‘Avalon 100’ the Avalon Beach Culture Collective 

will roll out activities throughout 2022 – but they are seeking 

further sponsorship opportunities as well as volunteers to assist 

with event management, graphics, social media advertising 

and merchandising. 

Centenary T-shirts, stickers and Limited 

Edition Giclee prints of Bruce Goold’s logo 

(pictured) are available from Avalon Art 

Gallery (Tues – Sat, 10-5pm). 

Events will collectively reflect on 

where Avalon Beach has come from, 

what’s made it the community it is today 

and how that has laid the foundation 

for its future. 

On March 19, Dunbar Park will host 

a special ‘Nature of Avalon and Our 

Indigenous Culture’ event (10am-2pm) 

sponsored by Johnson Bros Hardware. 

The day will open with a Welcome to 

Country from Neil Evers a local Garigal 

man, smoking ceremony, songs in Aboriginal 

language with didgeridoo players, clapping 

sticks, talks, and grass weaving with Karleen Green. 

There will also be an artifact display, boomerang painting 

for the kids plus giveaways and the opportunity to meet members 

of the Aboriginal Support Group. 

The first of the Centenary’s ‘100 Native Canopy Tree Memorials 

on Public Reserves’ will be planted by local school representatives 

among other community activities. 

Canopy Keepers will be handing out 100 tube stock for planting 

by residents and providing info on local flora. 

Sydney Wildlife will have demos on how to build a possum box. 

Avalon Art Gallery Exhibition will be showcasing artists celebrating 

the nature of Avalon and marking national Eucalypt Day 

on March 23 (see page 20). 

‘Shopfront histories’ is another project that will 

stretch throughout 2022. Spearheaded by Roger 

Treagus, participating retail businesses will 

display a poster on their shopfront that showcases 

the who, what and why of their Avalon 

business. 

Organiser Ros Marsh said: “We’re looking 

forward to bringing some positive community 

spirit back into Avalon Beach after 

everything we’ve been through. 

“By spreading the ongoing celebrations 

throughout the 2022 year, COVID considerations 

can be better managed and planned 

for,” she said. 

In April the Collective aims to deliver a 

flagship event: ‘Framing Avalon Beach – look, 

reflect, share’. Organised by Jayne Denshire, this 

public art exhibition will bring together the ‘then’ 

and ‘now’ of Avalon Beach with 16 sites forming a trail to 

follow that takes you back in time while being right in the heart 

of our special place, inviting you to look, reflect and share what 

makes Avalon Beach unique. 


* More info contact Ros on 0407 932 066, or email asmallbizminder@bigpond.com 

News 



A man 

for all 

seasons 

DOTING DAD: 

James Bracey 

at home in 

the kitchen 

with daughter 

Matilda. 

News 

Fresh from anchoring the 

Australian Open tennis 

for the Nine Network, 

James Bracey is ready for another 

season of his true love – 

the footy. Just don’t mention 

the Manly Sea Eagles… 

“I’m a born-and-bred North 

Sydney Bears tragic,” reveals 

James, as he juggles his baby 

daughter Abigail and some 

questions from Pittwater Life. 

“I was brought up to despise 

the Sea Eagles!” admits 

Channel 9’s main sports 

anchor, who has called the 

Northern Beaches home for 

the past 16 years. 

“I have to say they make it 

hard for me though, as I’m 

a real fan of what the team 

does,” says James. “They 

have some great players and 

are really good ambassadors 

for the club and the game. I 

might have softened a bit, but 

my Dad would never forgive 

me if I actually liked them. 

He’s a huge North Sydney 

Bears fan – they still play 

in the NSW Cup and maybe 

they’ll get back in the big 

league one day. 

“I was 14 or 15 when they 

got booted out and I was 

probably too old to adopt 

another side – but at least it 

makes me impartial!” 

It’s easy to see why Channel 

9 had faith that James could 

slip into the shoes of someone 

like Ken Sutcliffe and become 

the main man of Nine’s World 

of Sport. His enthusiasm, 

knowledge and passion for 

sport is very evident. He also 

has the perfect mix of downto-earth 

friendliness and 

authoritative delivery. 

In some ways it feels like 

James is still fresh to our 

screens, but this footy season 

marks his sixth in the role 

with Nine, following 13 years 

with Sky Sports. He’s done 

the hard yards. But back as a 

19-year-old journalism student 

at Newcastle Uni, he got 

some unexpected help from 

one of his current colleagues. 

“I emailed Peter Fitzsimons 

when I was at Uni as I wanted 

to do a project on him,” 

recalls James. “He responded 

straight away, I did the project 

and we actually stayed in 

touch. He gave me some work 

experience, and then at one 

point I found myself sat on 

the balcony of his home getting 

some career advice. 

“Now we work together, 

as he’s a panelist on Sports 

Sunday which I chair.” 

And the way their very polar 

roles gel together on that 

show is typical of how James 

sees his strengths. 

“My role is not about giving 

opinions, it’s more about 

getting the best answers out 

of others,” explains James. 

“I don’t write opinion pieces 

even though I’m a journalist, 

my forte is talking – I try to 

think like a viewer and get 

the answers to questions that 

people want to hear. 

“And with people like Gus 

[Gould], Brad [Fittler] and 

Fitzy, it makes my job easy. 

“In fact the last six years 

have flown by,” James continues. 

“Sometimes I feel I’ve 

been part of the Nine family 

forever, but then again it feels 

like I only started yesterday. 

I’ve never been bored though 

and I love sport, so often it 

doesn’t even feel like work. 

“I actually feel it’s a real 

privilege,” he adds. “Compa- 



nies spend millions to secure 

the rights to these sports and 

I get the chance to help make 

PHOTO: Family Project 

the coverage what it is.” 

James also felt it was a 

privilege to be on the Northern 

Beaches during COVID 

times. Having first moved to 

Dee Why in 2005 when working 

for Sky Sports at Frenchs 

Forest, he now lives with wife 

Margot and children Matilda, 

3 and Abigail, eight months, 

at North Curl Curl. With fellow 

presenter Brad Fittler not 

too far away. 

“We were so lucky to be here 

during lockdown. It feels like 

the biggest LGA in the state 

and we have that sense of freedom 

being close to the ocean. 

“Sometimes we’ll catch 

up with Brad,” says James. 

“He’ll drop the kids at netball 

nearby in Curly and maybe 

swing by afterwards. But I 

think we’re very careful to 

keep work time and family 

time separate.” 

With Autumn upon us, 

James and Brad will see plenty 

of each other in the coming 

months at work though. 

Not that James minds, as 

footy is his main love when 

it comes to sport (although 

his hosting skills have also 

seen him anchor proceedings 

including the prestigious 

President’s Cup golf event). 

“I can’t wait,” says James, 

who when prompted is happy 

to give his thoughts on the 

coming season. 

“I don’t see a huge amount 

of change from last season. 

I think if you follow the 

coaches, Craig Bellamy is 

legendary at how he can regenerate 

his teams, and Trent 

Robinson is a great coach 

who will have his players 

back fit. Those two will be 

hard to beat, although Penrith 

will obviously be there 

or thereabouts.” 

“Manly need their players 

to be fit; we’ll see how the 

Rabbitohs go without Wayne 

Bennett; and the Eels are a bit 

of an unknown quantity.” 

“I worry about the Cowboys 

and the Knights though,” 

James continues. “I hope the 

gap between the best and the 

rest isn’t too wide. I think 

Craig Fitzgibbon will do well 

at the Sharkies and I think 

it’s a good time to be a Bulldogs 

fan with the squad Gus 

is putting together.” 

As for James’ favourite 

sporting occasion of all, well, 

that also very much involves 

his Beaches neighbour Brad 

Fittler. 

“Nothing beats Origin!” 

says James passionately. “I 

really hope COVID doesn’t 

impact it this time, but 

NSW played three games in 

Queensland last year and 

won the series. I can’t wait to 

see what they do back in NSW 

under Brad with all of their 

stars on form.” 

Nor can most NSW fans, 

and James will be there to 

introduce it all for the sixth 

season running – maybe not 

quite as impartially as he 

does with the other games. 

– Rob Pegley 

The Bracey analysis 

Brad Fittler – “He’s completely 

his own man and very much does 

things his way.” 

Andrew Johns (left) – “There’s 

no greater mind in the game – he 

sees things nobody else sees. I love 

watching the game with him.” 

Gus Gould – “He’s loyal. He’s wise. 

And he always knows what he’s 

doing.” 

Peter Sterling – “He’s been my rock 

from the get-go and I’m going to 

miss him this year. He was the 

first hand I shook at Willoughby 

when I joined Nine. There’s nobody 

more professional and he understood 

what it took to be a host 

and always helped me out. He also 

lived across from my school when 

I grew up on the Central Coast, and 

we used to yell out ‘Sterlo!’ as we 

drove past on the bus.” 

Peter Fitzsimons – “A bit like Gus, 

love him or loathe him he knows 

he has a persona and knows exactly 

how to work that.” 

News 



Bike safety blitz launch 

News 

Nicky Ward is both a motorist and a cyclist. 

She got back into cycling “eight years ago 

to keep fit” and has since taken part in a 

couple of organised road cycling events. 

But the long-term Avalon resident avoids many 

roads in the Northern Beaches because she fears 

for her safety at the hands of fellow motorists. 

“I’ll never cycle round the Bilgola Bends to Newport,” 

the former orthopaedic nurse admits. 

“I like to swim at Palm Beach, but I never ride 

my bike on the main road. I always go the back 

way.” 

She’s recently bought an 

E-bike, and decided to ride 

it last month to her evening 

pilates class in Newport. 

“I went the back way (via 

Clareville and Bilgola Plateau) 

and was faced with a thunderstorm 

on the way home. 

“I had to push the E-bike 

up Loombah Street (one of 

the steepest inclines in the 

whole of Sydney). 

“It would have been much 

quicker just riding the Bilgola 

Bends home, but I felt safer 

taking the back roads – even 

in a thunderstorm.” 

Nicky’s not alone. A survey 

reveals only 22 per cent of 

cyclists in the Northern Beaches Council area feel 

“safe riding on the road”. 

Between 2016 and 2000 – according to Northern 

Beaches Council statistics – there were 194 

reported crashes involving cyclists and motor 

vehicles. 

Of those drivers involved in accidents, 20 per 

cent had not given way to a cyclist as they were 

pulling out of their driveway, while another 20 

per cent had not allowed a car to move into an 

outside lane to avoid a collision with cyclists. 

And Nicky – who now specialises in “medical 

records coding” – points out most accidents 

involving cyclists aren’t recorded, because the 

cyclist doesn’t end up in hospital and the driver 

admits responsibility, claiming off their insurance. 

That’s why Council has launched a ‘Bike Safety 

CONCERNED RIDER: Nicky Ward feels safest 

taking to the back roads instead of traffic. 

PHOTO: Steve Meacham 

Blitz’, with Mayor Michael Regan urging motorists 

to re-educate themselves about the road rules 

involving cyclists. 

This initiative follows the Council-commissioned 

online survey it conducted in 2021. 

More than 1500 people “who live, work, study, 

volunteer or play sport” in the Local Government 

Area completed the questionnaire – with some 

shocking results. 

Two of the key findings were: 

60 per cent of female cyclists between the ages 

of 18-49 ride “off road” compared 

to 40 per cent of men 

aged 30-49. Why? According 

to the people who took 

part in the survey, “because 

women don’t feel safe riding 

on our roads”. 

Cyclists begged for the 

following improvements: 

additional bike paths and 

dedicated lanes; improved 

road infrastructure (fixing 

potholes etc); further education 

of motorists to understand 

and anticipate cyclist 

behaviour; and added emphasis 

on the rules on the road 

that already exist between 

motorist and cyclist. 

Like Nicky, this correspondent 

is both a motorist and a cyclist and 

consider myself a patient driver when it comes to 

being stuck behind a shock squad of early morning 

cyclists who feel the open road only belongs 

to them and 30 of their lycra-clad best friends. 

(And don’t get me started about standing 

behind them in the cafe queue when they’re ordering 

their oat milk chai and lattes on a Sunday 

morning.) 

But even Nicky admits she’s not entirely au fait 

when it comes to some of the road rules concerning 

motorists and cyclists. 

So here’s a test based on the Council’s questionnaire. 

Neither Nicky nor I did well on the quiz (we 

both only scored 3/7), but see how you fare. Just 

answer True or False. 

There are no prizes; but it might help you save 

a cyclist’s life. 


Try This 

Quick 

Quiz… 

At a Stop sign, drivers 

do not need to come to a 

complete stop if they can 

see no traffic is coming? 

n True or n False 

Cars must slow down to 

40km/h if they pass a 

tow truck with flashing 

lights in a 60kph speed 

zone? 


Cars can make a U-turn 

across a single unbroken 

dividing line? 


Cycle riders are allowed 

to ride side by side on 

the road as long as they 

are no more than 1.5 

metres apart? 


Cars are allowed to 

overtake cyclists across 

double white lines if it is 

safe to do so? 


Cyclists shouldn’t use 

a road if there is an offroad 

bicycle path nearby? 


At a road intersection, 

drivers must ALWAYS 

give way to cyclists? 


* Details: northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/ 

services/roads-andpaths/road-safety. 

[Answers page 80] 



Nettie telling more ‘Tails’ 

News 

ISLAND LIFE: 

Nettie Lodge. 

The southerly wind gets 

up and water sprays 

over the bow, as Nettie 

Lodge steers her tinny across 

from Church Point to Carols 

Wharf. 

She has lived on Scotland 

Island for 25 years. In the 

mid-90s having never stepped 

foot on the island she rented 

a house here. 

“I got off the ferry and felt 

like I was home. I just fell in 

love with it.” 

Now she lives with her 

much-loved groodle, Elsie, in 

a little wooden house which 

she built in 2000. Above her 

bed hangs a painting of an albatross 

with its wings spread 

wide, which was inspired 

by her expedition in 2015 

to the Sub-Antarctic Islands 

of Enderby and Auckland 

to study the giant wandering 

albatross. In the main 

room is another mesmerising 

painting of the head and grey 

wing of an albatross as it flies 

above the ocean, and opposite, 

a painting of white whale 

swimming beneath a boat. 

Nettie was born in Nowra 

on the South Coast and moved 

with her family to Perth at 

the age of 13. She studied art 

at Curtin University, before 

being awarded a study grant 

to do postgraduate work for 

a year at the Banff Art Centre 

in Canada. Then she was commissioned 

to do a huge painting 

for the theatre, so stayed 

another six months. 

“That’s when I fell in love 

with story telling and my 

work started to become more 

intimate – about the experience 

and about travel.” 

From an early age she has 

been captivated by Coleridge’s 

poem, ‘The Rime of the 

Ancient Mariner’, and aged 10 

used to sit in front of the family 

record player listening to 

Richard Burton reciting it. 

“It’s so dark and yet it has 

such a wonderful sense of the 

sea and mythology about it. 

It’s got everything in it – adventure 

and redemption. Coleridge 

wrote it in the 1700s, 

but to me it’s never dated.” 

Over a seven-year period she 

painted over 50 illustrations 

for the poem, which were exhibited 

at Manly Art Gallery, 

alongside the text in 2018. 

“It was like a big walk-in 

book,” she says. 

Below the house is her 

studio and here she pulls 

out some of these exquisitely 

detailed illustrations including 

one of the ‘slimy things 

did crawl with legs upon the 

slimy sea’. 

“Many people think that 

Coleridge wrote the poem 

based on James Cook’s second 

voyage,” she explains, when 

the explorer travelled to the 

Antarctic Circle and around 

the Pacific. “Cook described 

the phosphorescence he saw 

sailing through Pacific waters 

as like live snakes in the sea.” 

Nettie admits she is fascinated 

by isolated places. 

“I would have loved to have 

lived in the 1700s and been on 

a ship swashbuckling around 

the world. I love the idea of 

the explorers and that period 

of discovery, but part of me 

is also conflicted about this, 

because of the Indigenous history. 

I look at Scotland Island – 

it was a sacred place and never 

lived on by the Aboriginals. I 

find it very confronting being 

a westerner, being someone 

who has reaped the benefits of 

taking this land.” 



BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED: Nettie’s latest work ‘Tell Tails’. 

In addition to her prodigious 

art career Nettie teaches design 

at Torrens University and runs 

art workshops at North Sydney 

Community Centre and Sydney 

Art Space at Mona Vale. Yoga 

teacher, Lyn Savage and she 

are currently planning a series 

of four one-day yoga and art 

retreats at Eramboo in Terrey 

Hills. 

With the start of the COVID 

pandemic in early 2020 Nettie 

decided to get stuck into 

another big project. 

“I started ‘Tell Tails’, as I 

love illustrating animals and I 

love writing. I thought I’d base 

it on the alphabet, so there 

are 26 different animal illustrations, 

and each one has its 

own funny little poem talking 

about where they come from 

and why they are so unique.” 

She has written and illustrated 

three other children’s 

books – Bird, Red Fred (about 

her previous dog) and Natemba 

about a baby blue vervet 

monkey, inspired by time she 

spent in a monkey orphanage 

on the border of Mozambique 

and South Africa. 

‘Tell Tails’ is published by 

Green Olive Press in April. 

– Rosamund Burton 

News 



News 

Avalon’s nature celebration 

The second in a series of five dedicated Avalon Beach Centenary 

Year Art Exhibitions – ‘The Nature Of Avalon’ – opens 

at the Avalon Art Gallery on Friday 18 March. 

Gallery convenor Jen Hill said: “So much of what we all love 

about Avalon Beach is the nature and plant life that surrounds us. 

“Families move here to raise their children in 

an ideal natural area, a village community where 

learning an appreciation and understanding of 

our natural surroundings is a part of growing up.” 

The Avalon Beach Culture Collective is thrilled 

to have Australian Geographic photographer Andrew 

Gregory showing some very special Powerful 

Owl photographs. 

“Andrew has been studying, photographing 

and filming the Powerful Owls for many years,” 

Jen said. “He wrote a feature on our local owls for 

Australian Geographic.” 

Unfortunately Andrew’s news is not all good – 

hence the focus in this exhibition. 

“There are only limited breeding pairs left in 

our area,” Jen continued. “This is due to a lack of 

old-growth canopy trees which are being felled 

for the re/building of homes on existing blocks; 

loss of habitat for prey species; interference by 

domestic animals, primarily dogs on and off-leash 

in reserves and wildlife protection areas; and multiple fatalities 

from domestic rat and mouse poisons which are taking a devastating 

toll on all our natural predators.” 

Part of Andrew’s mission is to work with Birdlife and Canopy- 

Keepers.org to inform and educate the public. He says to witness 

the Powerful Owl teaching their fledglings to fly and hunt is a 

EMOTIVE: Andrew’s photography. 

privilege, and he hopes the owls don’t end up like our locally 

extinct koala population. 

Andrew said: “We are hoping to have a unique exhibit at the 

gallery during this exhibition: an old growth tree hollow, from 

a locally felled tree being repurposed as a Powerful Owl Hollow 

thanks to Beaches Timber at Terrey Hills. 

“These hollows weigh a tonne and getting them 

back up into the high canopy safely is costly. It 

takes a crane to place them which is expensive. 

Sometimes that’s not possible, so I’m also building 

hollows out of timber milled from locally 

felled trees.” 

There will be the opportunity for the gallery, 

artists and the public to contribute to fundraising. 

It’s not all owls though… 

National Eucalyptus Day will be celebrated on 

Wednesday 23 March with a stunning floral arrangement 

from Haven and Sarah. 

“Plus, there will be beautiful artworks focusing 

on our plant life – and where would Avalon be 

without a cocky or two?” said Jen. 

Other artists exhibiting include ceramicist Blue 

Stuart; bronze sculptor Brenda Ingham; drawings 

from Owen Crick; repurposing genius Rob Cole; 

painter Nikki Quarry; innovative architects Mia and Simon Asker- 

Robertson; photographers Greg Barrett and Louise Whelan; and a 

special Owl painting from Tara Winona. 

The exhibition runs until April 19. 


* Opening night drinks and meet-the-artists on Friday 18 March 

at 6pm; gallery located United Cinema Arcade, Avalon Beach. 



Revisiting the Smoky Da 

News 

As kids born in World 

War II, both former 

prime minister Paul 

Keating and esteemed actor 

Jack Thompson proudly wore 

Smoky Dawson ‘Deputy Sheriff’ 

badges. 

Signifying membership of 

Smoky’s Wild West Club, the 

badges were earned by listening 

to “Australia’s favourite 

cowboy” on the radio and collecting 

coupons from Kellogg’s 

breakfast cereal. 

Herbert Henry ‘Smoky” 

Dawson was already an Australian 

superstar when he and 

wife Dot bought 26 acres in 

Ingleside, erecting Laramielike 

gates for his 45th birthday 

in 1957 to create the Smoky 

Dawson Ranch. 

Only Smoky’s good mate 

Slim Dusty was a bigger Australian 

country and western 

star then. But Smoky had 

other bullets in his holsters. 

“Smoky was a completely 

unique entertainer,” claims an 

unlikely admirer: multi-media 

performer, playwright and 

film maker Glenn T (a nickname 

from primary school). 

“He was a trailblazing singer, 

recording artist, songwriter, 

radio star, television performer 

and film actor,” says the devotee 

behind ‘Smoky Dawson, A 

Life’, a republished version of 

Smoky’s autobiography with 

adde photos and appraisals of 

PHOTO: Courtesy family collection 

his forgotten place in popular 

Australian culture. 

“Smoky was also an expert 

horseman, stunt rider, knife 

thrower and double-headed 

axe hurler,” Glenn continues. 

“As well as scriptwriter, poet, 

raconteur – and a pioneer 

whose adventure serials, comic 

books and songs created the 

indelible, magic persona of 

Australia’s very own singing 

cowboy.” 

Most of all, Smoky had 

‘Flash the Wonder Horse’, a 

palomino as famous to young 

Australian TV viewers as Roy 

Rodger’s Trigger, the Lone 

Ranger’s Silver – or even Skippy, 

the kangaroo detective. 

“I was too young to hear 

Smoky’s radio exploits in 

The Adventures of Smoky 

PHOTO: Glenn T 



wson legend 

Dawson. And I never was a 

Deputy Sheriff,” Glenn admits. 

“However, I grew up watching 

Smoky and Flash the Wonder 

Horse on Nine’s Super Flying 

Fun Show.” 

Glenn met Smoky and Dot 

many times, which explains 

why – since his 2015 play, An 

Audience with Smoky and 

Herb – he’s spent much of 

his time interviewing a who’s 

who of contemporary Australian 

country musicians who 

regarded Smoky as mentor 

and friend. 

The result is ‘The Final 

Round-Up’, a postscript to 

Smoky’s original autobiography 

published in 1985 when 

Smoky was already 74. 

Before Smoky went to that 

great Boot Hill in the Sky, 

he admitted that he and Dot 

meant their ranch to be: “A 

stable for Flash… and something 

to build against that day 

when the entertainment world 

turned its back on cowboys. 

“Our first rodeo with (legendary 

Australian actor) Chips 

Rafferty, (horseman and showman) 

Lance Skuthorp and Big 

Chief Little Wolf adding a lot 

of colour and character to an 

event in aid of Rotary.” 

‘Herb’ – to friends and family 

– was 94 when he died on 

Feb 13, 2008. Dot died two 

years later, aged 104. 

Before it was destroyed by 

horrendous bush fires in 1979, 

Smoky’s ranch became not just 

a magnet for children desperate 

to see their hero ride Flash, 

but also a location of Australia’s 

TV and film industries. 

“We had to install complex 

underground electrical and 

other facilities to make it easy 

for crews to operate at action 

sites,” Smoky wrote. “The 

Ranch was a venue for some of 

Australia’s greatest films and 

series.” 

Most children in 2022 are 

too absorbed in their mobile 

phones to notice the timebattered 

anachronistic gates 

north of the Mona Vale Road: 

all that remains of Smoky’s 

ranch. Yet 50 or 60 years ago, 

it provided a touch of the 

exotic and adventure to generations 

of Aussie kids barely 

able to afford the bus fare out 

of Sydney. 

“Smoky was a superstar 

long before the term came into 

vogue,” Glenn insists. “He used 

to fling meat cleavers at human 

FAR LEFT: Smoky and 

Flash the Wonder Horse 

during a film shoot on the 

back lot of the Smoky Dawson 

Ranch. LEFT: The ranch 

gates soon after Smoky 

died. THIS PAGE: Smoky 

riding Flash around the 

time the ranch opened. 

targets as part of his act. 

“You don’t see that today on 

Australia’s Got Talent.” 


* Smoky Dawson – A Life 

($49.95); from bookshops 

or inprint-inprint.com. All 

royalties to Smoky and Dottie’s 

favourite charities, Bear 

Cottage and Smoky Dawson 

Foundation. 

PHOTO: Courtesy family collection 

News 



The show must go on 

News 

Tracey Trinder was looking forward to 

seeing her first play, ‘Killing Katie’, 

have its premiere at Kirribilli’s Ensemble 

Theatre. 

The Avalon mother of three was a noted 

writer who excelled in writing scripts for 

TV series – including “four tours of duty 

with Home & Away”. 

But Killing Katie was her debut as a 

playwright. Sadly, due to the twin curses 

of our age – cancer and COVID – Tracey 

was absent at Killing Katie’s first night on 

January 18. She had died, of a rare form of 

cancer, on September 5 last year. 

Mark Kilmurry, Ensemble’s artistic 

director – a close friend of Tracey who had 

helped her shape the play – took to the 

stage on opening night to announce a new 

$7500 annual initiative. 

The Tracey Trinder Playwright Award is 

open to any woman (or “trans/gender-diverse”) 

playwright who submits a comedy 

or comedy drama. It includes a professional 

workshop to help bring it to the stage. 

“Tracey was a rarity nowadays – a woman 

who writes comedy,” Mark explains. 

“This award is a good way of not only 

recognising Tracey, but also encouraging 

other women writers who can write comedy. 

At the Ensemble, we like 

to champion women writers.” 

The artistic director and 

aspiring playwright had discussed 

Killing Katie whenever 

their families – friends from 

the 1990s – got together. 

“Tracey was a lovely writer, 

but she was struggling with 

this idea for a TV series about 

a book club,” Mark recalls. “I 

suggested, ‘Why not turn it 

into a play?’ So she did.” 

The genesis of the play was 

“a big drama” in Tracey’s own 

book club when one member said: ‘Either 

she goes, or I go!” – which seems to resonate 

with the many book club members 

in the audiences, helping to make Killing 

LEGACY: Tracey Trinder. 

FRUITION: Kate Raison and Chantelle Jamieson in ‘Killing Katie’ at the Ensemble Theatre. 

Katie an outstanding commercial success. 

It took a decade, many drafts and several 

workshops (during which the single male 

member of the book club was dumped). 

In August 2019, Tracey told me (for a 

story in the Sydney Morning Herald) that 

she’d been so “terrified” at the official onstage 

reading that “I hid out back in a tiny 

room, thinking, ‘What if no-one laughs?’” 

They did, and Tracey ventured 

unseen into the back 

row. “The laughter comes 

from people recognising 

themselves, their friends and 

their wives in the characters.” 

Killing Katie was postponed 

three times, due to COVID. 

In the meantime, cancer was 

killing Tracey. 

“Every time it had to be 

postponed, she must have 

been wondering if she’d ever 

see it,” Mark says. “But she did 

get to meet the five female actors 

and the director, Francesca Savige.” 

Understandably Tracey’s husband Christian 

and their three children – Billie, Griff 

and Tazy – asked not to contribute to this 

story. But Mark says, “Christian was moved 

to tears when I told him we were creating 

this award in her honour.” 

Nor did any of the fellow members of 

her book club (though they’ve all seen her 

play). 

“The third time Killing Katie was 

postponed was last August,” Mark says. “I 

didn’t realise it then, but Tracey probably 

knew she would never get to see it. 

“She said she was terribly disappointed, 

but added, ‘There’s nothing we can do. The 

world is just conspiring against us’.” 

Killing Katie – and it’s not giving anything 

away that someone dies, or their 

identity – received great reviews. The SMH’s 

John Shand gave it four (out of five) stars: 

“Dramatic irony drips from the walls and 

almost forms pools at the actors’ feet, so 

tin-eared are Trinder’s marvellous characters 

to their foibles.” 

It’s tragic Tracey never got to see her play 

performed or had a chance to read the reviews, 

but she’d have loved the laughter of 

the many members of the audiences who 

belong to book clubs. – Steve Meacham 

* More info ensemble.com.au/2022-tracey-trinder-award/ 

PHOTO: Lisa Tomasetti 



News 

Narrabeen RSL 

future in limbo 

Kids 

On Sunday Feb 6, when Narrabeen 

RSL Club (motto: formals and anniversary cel- 

“In NSW, RSL sub-Branches 

wedding receptions, school surrounding land. 

“the friendliest little club on 

the peninsula”) closed its 

doors – hopefully temporarily 

– after 65 years, hundreds 

ebrations. 

Undoubtedly, though, the 

Club will be mainly lamented 

in 2022 (if it does close permanently) 

and clubs are separate entities,” 

explained a spokesperson 

for RSL NSW, which has 

the ultimate say-so. 

as one of the most “As a charity, RSL NSW has a 

of supporters turned up for a 

wake, praying for a resurrection. 

of the harbour. Classic Aussie 

vibrant live music stages north duty of care to ensure optimal 

income is achieved from its 

“Rival” RSLs – like Dee Why bands like You Am I and the 

assets so it can continue to 

– sent solidarity in the form of Whitlams feature repeatedly in 

support and provide services 

beer kegs and support staff. the Club’s collection of posters. 

to veterans and current serving 

members of the ADF and 

Those who attended say it was International acts have used 

an extremely emotional day. the Club as a warm-up venue 

their families. 

Since it opened in 1956, the for tours in larger venues, usually 

introducing a local emerg- 

“The charity and landlord, 

Club had undergone many 

guises. 

ing band (like Lime Cordiale) 

Narrabeen RSL sub-Branch, 

Tucked away in bushland as support. 

met its obligation to the Narrabeen 

RSL Club.” 

away from the beaches, it 

The first three months of 

has long struggled to find an 2022 was supposed to revive A spokesperson for the Club 

income. 

Initially it boasted a limitedhole 

golf course, before becoming 

one of the largest women’s 

bowling greens in Australia 

– and the venue of many 

the Club’s financial fortunes. 

Then Omicron replaced Delta, 

leading to the Club’s closure. 

The Club is separate from 

the Narrabeen RSL sub-Branch, 

which owns the building and 

said the board of directors was 

“doing everything (it) can and 

will make a formal statement 

as soon as possible”. 


* Details: narrabeenrsl.com 

6THINGS 

THIS MONTH 

show. A brand-new 

stage adaptation of the beloved 

book Guess How Much I Love 

You with puppetry, music, and 

laughter is playing at Glen Street 

Theatre from Thur 3–Sat 5, 

shows at 10am and 12pm with 

an extra performance at 3pm on 

Sat; glenstreet.com.au. 

School Open Day. Meet the 

teachers and students and 

explore the co-educational 

Mater Maria Catholic College 

in its tranquil bush setting in 

Warriewood on Wed 9 from 4pm- 

7pm. Can’t make it on the day? 

Go to the website for a virtual 

tour at matermaria.nsw.edu.au 

Model Trains. The North 

Shore Railway Modellers 49th 

Exhibition will be a treat for all 

fans of model trains with displays 

for all ages, trade suppliers and 

an enormous ‘Bring and Buy’ 

stall, with a bargain selection of 

model trains and accessories 

(email bringandbuy@nsrma.com. 

au if you›ve got something to sell) 

on Sat 5 & Sun 6 from 9am-4pm 

at Forestville Memorial Hall. 

Adult $14, Conc $10, Child $7, 

Family $35. 

Hospital support. Mona Vale 

Hospital Auxiliary members are 

planning on holding stalls on 

the first Saturday of the month 

at Pittwater Place, Mona Vale 

from 9am-3pm selling knitted 

items for babies and children, 

craft and jams to raise funds for 

the hospital’s rehabilitation and 

palliative care units. 

Edible Garden trail. A selfguided 

event where growers 

large and small on the Northern 

Beaches and throughout 

Metropolitan Sydney are opening 

their gardens and giving advice 

on how to grow tasty food on 

Sat 26 & Sun 27 from 9am-4pm; 

sydneyediblegardentrail.com. 

Seniors Festival. Plenty of 

activities planned from March 

25-April 3 to encourage everyone 

over 60 years old to make 

new friends or get together 

with old ones at an array of 

local community programs, 

many which are free or heavily 

discounted. Check out the 

council website for local events. 



Dazzling Azure hits heights 

Northern Beaches-raised singer-songwriter 

Azure Ryder has raised the bar 

for music talent globally, scaling dizzying 

heights to become the first artist to film a 

music clip atop 

the Sydney Harbour 

Bridge. 

The dramatic 

and emotive 

video, which 

supports the 

musical release 

of Ryder’s beautiful 

rendition of 

Nina Simone’s 

1965 hit ‘Feeling 

Good’, from 

the NSW Government’s 

latest state 

tourism marketing 

campaign, 

was filmed over 

three days in Sydney and the Blue Mountains. 

“The experience you will see through my 

music video is one that I grew up my entire 

life believing in,” she said in a statement. 

“The importance of what our surroundings 

can teach us, show us how to feel, and 

ultimately teach us how to be human. 

“The soul that Nina Simone embodies and 

TOURISM PUSH: Local talent Azure Ryder. 

speaks of in Feeling Good is the soul that is 

all around us if we just step out, open our 

eyes, and look up to the beauty and the story 

written along mountain tops and city pavements. 

“I am grateful 

to have been a 

part of telling 

this narrative 

alongside the 

most incredibly 

talented humans 

that lifted 

me to literal 

heights of my 

dreams. 

“We know 

how to exist but 

along the way I 

think we have 

forgotten how to 

live, so to share 

this journey with you around the special 

places I grew up in in NSW was important to 

me. 

“We are so lucky to have such magic on 

our doorstep.” 

Azure Ryder burst onto the music scene in 

early 2020 and has already amassed over 32 

million global streams. 

Testing times 

for travellers 

Many countries and airlines 

are requesting that international 

travellers complete a 

COVID-19 PCR or Rapid Antigen 

Test (RAT) before boarding 

flights. 

If you are planning to travel 

overseas it is your responsibility 

to ensure you meet the 

requirements of the airline 

you are travelling with and any 

countries you transit through. 

Clinical Labs, with local 

collection centres in Newport, 

Mona Vale and Warriewood, 

now offer travellers the ability 

to purchase COVID-19 

Travel Tests (COVID-19 PCR 

Test, Same Day COVID-19 PCR 

Test and Rapid Antigen Test) 

through secure site covidtraveltest.com.au. 

After ordering online, travellers 

are emailed a referral form 

to print out and take with their 

passport to their nearest travel 

collection centre. 

Travellers receive a digital 

COVID-19 Travel Certificate 

containing a verifiable QR 

Code. – Lisa Offord 

News 



News 

Don’t sink, swim Lighthouse 

The Head Above Water 

24-hour swimathon, 

born of its founder 

Andrew ‘Wardy’ Ward’s own 

experiences with depression, 

has gone on to help 

thousands of men, women 

and children with mental 

health issues on the Northern 

Beaches. 

Having already raised 

$335,000 for mental fitness 

programs across the Northern 

Beaches, swimmers will 

take to the water for the 

fourth annual staging at Collaroy 

Rockpool from 9am on 

March 5. 

Wardy believes the event 

is more necessary than ever 

this year. 

“Talk to any mental health 

charity and the effects of 

COVID have been huge,” he 

said. “Lifeline have had more 

calls than ever, and the negative 

impacts for people have 

been devastating. 

“And that’s alongside the 

normal stresses of everyday 

life.” 

Those everyday stresses 

were something that father 

of three Wardy had always 

dealt with comfortably, until 

depression hit in 2018. 

“I was working for a business 

that wasn’t going that 

well and a few years earlier 

my wife has been diagnosed 

with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma 

– which she is still dealing 

with – and like a typical bloke, 

MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES: 

Andrew Ward and Gus Worland. 

I didn’t seek help. 

“I was offered counselling 

when my wife got sick, but I’d 

never had mental health issues 

and just thought I could 

hold it all together. 

“Then it all came crashing 

down.” 

Wardy believes he was one 

of the lucky ones as he had a 

great support network around 

him. As he emerged the other 

side he decided he wanted to 

put something back. 

“I had the support of 

non-judgmental friends, the 

Collaroy swimming club, my 

wife – despite what she was 

going through – and a great 

family doctor. But it can be a 

really hard space to navigate. 

“The tipping point for 

me was in June 2018; I was 

leaving a big Tomorrow Man 

event at Avalon, where there 

has been a fairly high suicide 

rate and I realised how lucky 

I’d been and wondered what I 

could do to help.” 

Born and bred on the 

Beaches, Wardy got a bunch of 

mates together, some of them 

old school friends, to start the 

sponsored swimming event 

– and they’ve certainly been 

able to deliver that help. Some 

270 programs have been 

funded helping almost 9,000 

people across the Beaches. 

All in a bid to arrest alarming 

statistics such as the fact 

eight people in Australia take 

their lives every day. 

Already helping charities 

such as Gus Worland’s Gotcha 

4 Life, Man Anchor and Meditation 

for Men, Wardy would 

welcome enquiries from other 

mental health initiatives who 

may need help with funding. 

If you want to get involved 

at a simpler level though, then 

just dive into one of the four 

lanes at Collaroy which cater 

for all abilities, and swim as 

little or as much as you like. 

For Wardy, he now actually 

feels lucky in some ways for 

the experiences he has suffered 

with. 

“Life can still be tough 

sometimes, but I’m really fortunate 

I’ve been able to help 

people. It took a long time to 

find my purpose and most 

people never do.” – Rob Pegley 

* Lifeline: 13 11 14 

walk a beacon 

of hope 

Just after this month’s edition 

of Pittwater Life hits the 

streets, almost 200 people will 

trek 110 kilometres from Bondi 

Beach to Barrenjoey Lighthouse 

to fundraise and raise 

awareness for mental health. 

Organiser Jake Cohen said 

the walk on February 26-27 

will raise funds for One Eighty, 

Gotcha4Life and community 

group Mongrels Men, with 

participants including local 

mental health advocates such as 

Gus Worland as well as sports 

stars, reality TV identities and 

politicians including Pittwater 

MP Rob Stokes and Northern 

Beaches Mayor Michael Regan. 

“The fact one in five 

Australian people suffer from 

a mental health illness or 

condition in any given year is 

alarming and we have to work 

together to get these numbers 

down to help those around us,” 

said Jake. 

“Furthermore, for suicide to 

be the leading cause of death for 

Australian people between the 

ages of 15 and 44 is horrifying. 

“We need to keep working 

hard to heavily reduce the 

stigma associated with speaking 

and opening up and putting 

further education pieces around 

how to help people in times of 

crisis.” 

More info mycause.com.au 



The Way We Were 

Every month we’ll continue to pore over more than three decades of Pittwater Life 

providing a snapshot of the area’s recent history – and confirming that quite often the 

more things change, the more things stay the same! Compiled by Lisa Offord 

The Way We Were 

25 Years Ago… 

Our cover showed salmon 

in a feeding frenzy over 

the whitebait at Palm Beach. 

In news, there was a plan 

before the government to 

have “… all aircraft from the 

north coming into Kingsford 

Smith use a new flightpath 

over Palm Beach, Whale 

Beach and Avalon Beach” 

and readers learned “… the 

face of Pittwater is about to 

change as developers move 

in”. The story outlined that 

Pittwater Council’s decision 

to seek an 8.5m limit on 

buildings in the heart of 

Mona Vale was “threatening 

a major investment”. For 

more than a year the Johnson 

family, owners of the site at 

the corner of Mona Vale and 

Pittwater Roads, had been 


working on proposals with 

council staff for an 11.5m 

high “… three storey structure 

with the top storey set back 

to be virtually not visible 

from street level. The plan 

could also include residential 

space which would satisfy 

the Council’s new desire to 

encourage shop top housing”. 

At Palm Beach, building had 

begun on a three-level block 

of luxury units and shops on 

the corner of Barrenjoey Road 

and Iluka Road and a plan 

had been submitted for a 

development in Iluka Road for 

nine apartments which would 

go through to Barrenjoey 

Road. In Avalon, construction 

was advancing on a block of 

21 apartments in Barrenjoey 

Road and in Newport “The 

Invergowrie property 

development on the 

south-western side 

of Barrenjoey Road 

has been completed 

and there is now a 

development to begin 

soon for three levels of 

apartments and shops 

on the eastern side, 

south of the Hong Kong 

Restaurant.” In other 

stories Ian and Julie 

Laidlaw opened a new 

salon in Avalon: “They 

moved into Avalon 16 

years ago – and there’s 

no way they’ll move 

out – particularly now that 

Ian has mastered the art of 

sailboarding.” And Avalon 

journalist Juanita Phillips was 

“spending her weekends at a 

hot typewriter” working on 

a series of children’s books 

‘The Newspaper Kids’ – about 

four friends who publish their 

own newspaper. 


The candidates for the 2007 State calling for a police investigation into what 

Election had their say. A story 

he called a ‘scam’…” 

observed the Liberals’ chances of 

There was approval in principal by 

regaining the Pittwater seat held by two state government authorities to 

Independent Alex McTaggart following use Station Beach as an unleashed 

a by-election in 2005, had been “… 

dog exercise and swimming area, “… 

enhanced by news that the Christian however there is mounting opposition 

Democrat candidate Patricia Giles is giving to the plan coming from nearby Palm 

her preferences to Liberal candidate Beach residents, even though many of 

Rob Stokes.” According to the story, 

them walk their own dogs, unleashed 

“Alex McTaggart is running a confident on the same beach. It is known locally 

campaign (as are other candidates), 

as ‘running the gauntlet’ with Rangers.” 

knowing that history shows Independents Events included Clean Up Pittwater; An 

are hard to remove once in power. It will International Women’s Day breakfast, 

be an interesting 

Seniors’ Week, the Bilarong 

day.” Other 

Cultural Festival, the Pittwater 

stories included 

Heritage Festival and The 

‘Paradise Lost’ 

Peninsula Music Club was 

which covered 

presenting its first concert 

Unions NSW’s sale 

for the year. Computer 

of Currawong 

expert David Hague wrote 

to developers 

about the launch of the We interviewed Rob Stokes on his 

for $15 million. 

Apple iPhone “… sure it’s 

10-year anniversary as the State 

“There remains 

a very sexy-looking gadget Member for Pittwater; Mr Stokes also 

however a large 

but that is its premier selling supplied a comment column along 

body of opposition 

point… Nokia, Sony Ericsson with other local leaders including Jason 

to the sale, with 

and Motorola all currently Falinski and Northern Beaches Council 

questions over the 

have phones on the market administrator Dick Persson. We featured 

propriety of the 

that are far ‘smarter’… but Scotland Island couple Cass and Bill 

deal being raised 

I suspect the iPhone will Gye; looked at the local activities for 

up to the level of 

sell its backside off just for Seniors’ Week, and Clean Up Australia 

Federal Parliament 

what it is rather than what Day; and explored plans to transform the 

with Tony Abbott 

it does.” 

“… tired looking” Palm Beach. 



News 

SEEN… 

Celebrity gardener Jamie Durie’s DA for a new home at 189 

Riverview Road, Avalon Beach, has attracted dozens of 

submissions of objection, questioning its scope and variance 

of LEP guidelines. Currently the DA is scheduled to return 

to the Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel for review. 

Council would not comment on the DA – but confirmed it 

will investigate new landscaping works at the property after 

viewing images, including the jackhammering of a rocky 

outcrop, sent to us by locals. Mr Durie admits to the works, 

writing in his own submission on February 1: “2 [sic] years 

ago ahead of our plans to build we decided to invest into a 

substantial terraced native garden on the lower portion of 

the sloped block that leads down to the Pittwater foreshore 

… to eradicate all of the noxious weeds, control erosion and 

re -establish native vegetation. We have now planted over 

2000 native plants on the site.” However, the DA’s amended 

landscape plan lodged on November 25 last year displays 

the wording ‘Retain Existing Garden’ and the aesthetic that 

existed before the terrace works. Council told us: “In April 

2020 we received a complaint for works out of hours at this 

location. A ranger attended the site, and the owner advised 

that works were exempt development under the SEPP 2008. 

As Council did not have evidence of the works the matter 

was finalised; however, upon review of these recent photos 

provided, the matter is to be further investigated to confirm 

whether any approvals are required.” 

HEARD… 

“Say goodbye to Robertson Road as you know it, or would 

like it to be…” That’s the message from community 

campaigner and Newport resident Simon Barlow following 

the Northern Beaches Planning Panel’s decision to approve 

the DA for 351 Barrenjoey Road despite the building design 

contravening height limits under the LEP. Mr Barlow was 

risible at the panel’s determination that “the proposed 

development will be in the public interest because it is 

consistent with the objectives of the standards and the 

objectives for development within the zone in which the 

development is proposed to be carried out”. He told us: 

“They have completely ignored the significance of the site, 

and the overwhelming opposition from the community. 

After a year of hard work by many people, hundreds of 

submissions, more than a thousand survey responses and 

signatures on a petition, what have we learnt? Ratepayers 

are being force-fed bad development, whether we like it or 

not. No matter how illogical, unsuitable or ugly, we’re getting 

it. No matter what we or our Ward councillors do or say, it 

won’t make a difference.” 

ABSURD... 

Here’s hoping Council can wangle a resolution of the 

bitter community divide following the forced closure of 

the popular Barrenjoey Swim School in North Avalon. The 

school operated for nearly 10 years before a Council review 

– prompted by neighbours’ complaints – found it was not 

meeting the definition of a ‘home business’ where use 

cannot interfere with the amenity of the neighbourhood. 

Council’s investigations found “adverse noise and traffic 

generation impacts”. The school is now required to shut 

within 90 days – unless a solution is brokered. CEO Ray 

Brownlee told Pittwater Life he has offered to meet with the 

owners. “While this outcome will no doubt be disappointing 

for patrons of the swim school, residents do need to operate 

within the law so as to not impact on neighbours,” he said. 

The school had been holding lessons from 7am to 7pm, 

Monday to Friday, for around 400 children a week. 



News 

Pittwater News 

Probus update 

Members of Palm Beach and 

Peninsula Probus Club will 

meet at Club Palm Beach, 

Barrenjoey Road (formerly the 

RSL) at 9.30am on Wednesday 

16 March for their AGM, with 

light refreshments afterwards. 

On Wednesday 23 March 

they will gather at Bilgola 

Beach at 10am to hear retired 

geologist member John Casey 

discuss the geology of the 

area. Membership is open 

to retired men and women; 

visitors also welcome. More 

info Carmel (0414 978 465) or 

Patricia (0481 395 624). 

Malu poison tragedy 

A thorough search of the 

Careel Bay dog park by 

Over the past 100 years 

Avalon Beach has given 

birth to scores of artists, musicians, 

architects, scientists, 

and businesspeople, as well 

as passionate community 

volunteers and activists. 

They all have stories to 

tell, and you can hear many 

of them in a new show, The 

Avalon Story, on Radio Northern 

Beaches (88.7/90.3 FM). 

The Avalon Story is being 

produced to mark the centenary 

of the naming of the 

concerned residents following 

the suspicious death of a local 

dog on February 7 has found 

no rat baits or poisons. 

Dozens of people rallied 

to sweep the park and 

undergrowth with garden 

rakes to ensure the park 

remained safe for dogs. 

It followed the heartbreaking 

sudden death of 8-year-old 

Labrador/Great Dane Cross 

Malu (pictured), who it’s 

suspected ingested poison 

while at the park on Sunday 

February 6; Malu became ill the 

next morning and died despite 

the best efforts of the team at 

Northside Emergency Vet at 

Terrey Hills. 

Toxicology and blood 

work on Malu revealed an 

anticoagulant commonly 

found in rat poison. 

Local stories hits airwaves 

suburb. 

Radio Northern Beaches 

presenters Wendy Frew and 

David Stewart-Hunter (left) 

chat to locals including 

publisher and historian, Jan 

Roberts, who remembers 

the Avalon of the 1940s and 

’50s as “a child’s adventure 

playground”. 

Environmentalist Marita 

Macrae explains how her 

passion for nature and her 

desire to protect Avalon’s 

native bush is a driving force 

in her life. 

And Professor of Indigenous 

Entrepreneurship at 

the University of Canberra 

Dennis Foley talks about 

the continuous Indigenous 

connection to Avalon and the 

Northern Beaches. 

Interviews will be broadcast 

on Saturdays at 9am 

commencing March 19; tune 

to 88.7/90.3 FM, stream from 

the RNB website – rnb.org. 

au – or listen via the Tune-In 

app. 



Northern Beaches Council 

subsequently patrolled the 

park but has not found any 

evidence of dog baiting 

activities. 

Cinema by Sea 

returns to Avalon 

Enjoy a night of magic under 

the stars as Cinema by the Sea 

presents Disney’s Encanto on 

Friday 1 April at Des Creagh 

Reserve, Avalon Beach. Hosted 

by Barrenjoey Montessori 

School for more than a decade, 

Cinema by the Sea is a muchloved 

fixture on the Avalon 

community calendar. Pack 

PHOTO: Supplied 

a picnic, grab some blankets 

and pillows, and savour the 

fresh sea air at this family 

friendly outdoor cinema 

event. Gates open at 6pm, film 

starts at 7pm. Tickets $30 

for two, $40 for three, or $50 

for four. Book now at bit.ly/ 

cinemabythesea2022, or by 

contacting the school on 9973 

1422 or info@bms.nsw.edu.au 

The latest buzz 

on pesky mozzies 

Council is reminding the 

community to remain 

vigilant following an increase 

in mosquito trappings as 

part of the NSW Arbovirus 

Surveillance and Mosquito 

Monitoring Program. Mayor 

Michael Regan said this is 

the third year Council had 

participated in the program. 

“While nothing sinister has 

been reported in the trappings 

in the last few months, the 

numbers are up on previous 

years due to increased rain 

this summer,” he said. 

Continued on page 36 

Junior AFL is back! 

Junior AFL Clubs across the peninsula are busy getting 

ready for their 2022 seasons. Like with all community 

sports, COVID restrictions and lockdowns significantly 

impacted on the past two AFL seasons but this year is 

looking good 

with a full season 

of footy planned. 

Junior AFL 

is the perfect 

environment for 

kids to have fun 

learning through 

play, make new 

friends and create 

memories that 

last a lifetime. 

The dedicated 

Auskick program 

is a great introduction to AFL for 5- to 8-year-olds and 

Juniors is for 9- to17-year-old boys and girls. 

And the girls love it! With the growth of professional 

AFLW there has been a surge in popularity among young 

girls across the northern beaches. As Junior AFL games 

are played on Sundays it’s perfect for those who play Netball 

on a Saturday. 

The Pittwater Tigers, based at North Narrabeen Reserve, 

is a family friendly club and registrations are now open for 

both boys and girls teams. But with the start of the season 

just around the corner you better get in quick. 

*More info, register at pittwatertigers.com.au 

News 



News 


Continued from page 35 

“Fortunately, while the counts 

have been high, these numbers 

have mostly been nuisance 

biters and not species that 

usually transmit viral 

infections.” He asked locals 

to remain vigilant in areas of 

concern around wetlands and 

bushland habitats, by wearing 

appropriate clothing to 

minimise skin exposure, using 

mosquito repellent and being 

aware that mosquito peak 

times were dawn and dusk. 

“Also be aware of removing 

optimal breeding areas in your 

backyard including waterholding 

items like containers, 

kids toys and even pot plant 

trays.” Through January 

weekly mosquito counts have 

been between medium (50- 

100) and high (101-1000 per 

trap) throughout the trapping 

season and it is expected to 

remain this way due to current 

weather patterns. Mosquito 

monitoring is currently being 

undertaken at Warriewood 

Wetlands and near Deep Creek 

near the Narrabeen Lagoon 

trail; weekly results on NSW 

Health website. 

March Ocean swims 

Bilgola Beach’s Ocean Swim 

Series major fundraising 

swims (500m and 1.5km) 

which were postponed due to 

Tsunami warnings in January 

will now be held on Sunday 

March 13. And on Sunday 

March 27 Avalon Beach SLSC 

will coordinate two ocean 

swims. The fifth annual 

‘Around The Bends’ swim 

starts from the northern end 

of Newport Beach, where the 

current takes participants 

around the headland. 

Surrounded by your fellow 

swimmers and plenty of 

water safety you will continue 

across the sandy bottom of 

Bilgola Beach until you reach 

Bilgola Headland. This pristine 

underwater world is home to 

giant schools of fish and it’s 

not unusual to spot a turtle or 

a very friendly cuttlefish along 

the 2.5 kilometres to Avalon 

Beach. The Club will also be 


Catchment beauty revealed 

At the next 

Zoom forum 

meeting of the 

Friends of Narrabeen 

Lagoon 

Catchment on 

February 28, 

ecologist and 

local resident 

Jayden Walsh will 

lead participants 

on a journey to 

some of the most 

interesting and 

varied places in 

the area. Jayden 

will show photos 

and talk about 

places, plants, 

animals and 

history rarely 

encountered 

by most due to 

their remoteness 

and difficult terrain. 

From Pan Gnammas of the ancient Sandstone escarpments 

to rainforests only several thousand years old, the diversity 

of the area’s landforms and soils dictates an ever-changing 

and rich diversity of life; bookings narrabeenlagoon.org.au 

PHOTO: Jayden Walsh 



News 



running (for the 28th time) the 

1.2km Avalon Swim in front 

of Avalon Beach. March 27 has 

been chosen as the water is 

expected to be a balmy 23C 

and the tides not extreme. 

This year the two swims are 

being offered for the price of 

one – $40 for one, or two! The 

2.5km swim starts at 8am and 

the 1.2km starts at 9.30am. 

Register at oceanswims.com 

Help clean up 

pandemic waste 

Council is encouraging the 

community to roll up their 

sleeves and volunteer for 

Clean Up Australia Day on 

Sunday March 6. Northern 

Beaches Mayor Michael Regan 

encouraged the community to 

build on last year’s inspiring 

efforts which saw community 

volunteers, Council staff, 

primary and secondary 

schools, pre-schools and 

businesses band together to 

clean up 92 sites. “Together we 

can undo the damage caused 

by littering and keep rubbish, 

including pandemic-related 

rubbish like discarded face 

masks, out of our waterways 

and ocean.” To register visit 

cleanup.org.au 

Join the ‘Sail 

of the Century’ 

Avalon Sailing Club is inviting 

readers for a ride on a Couta 

boat and to attend their ‘Sail 

of the Century’ function on 

Saturday March 26, as part of 

the Avalon Beach Centenary 

celebrations. 

Couta boats (above) were 

a key part of Melbourne’s 

early fish and chips trade; 

100 years ago they were used 

by fishermen who caught 

Barracouta off the Victorian 

coast. 

‘Coutas’ needed a good 

carrying capacity, hence their 

wide beam; but above all they 

needed to be fast as fishermen 

raced back to port to get the 

best price for their fish. 

The same qualities that 

made them good fishing 

boats make Couta boats a 

great recreational sailing 

boat. Pittwater is home to 

a fleet of them: Wattle, the 

oldest, was built over 90 years 

ago while the youngest has 

just turned 21. 

Dress for the 1920s; 

sausages and drinks available 

for purchase. The event is free 

– but booking is encouraged. 

* Info revolutionise.com.au/ 

avalonsailingclub 

New Narrabeen 

bridge update 

The new three-metre-wide 

pedestrian and cycle bridge 

being built alongside the 

Pittwater Road bridge at 

Narrabeen Lagoon is expected 

to be completed by the end 

of May, weather permitting. 

The bridge will be a welcome 

complement to the popular 

8.4km to the popular 

Narrabeen Lagoon Trail. Local 

MP Rob Stokes congratulated 

Council for commencing 

construction on the dedicated 

new active transport 

connection. “This new threemetre-wide 

bridge is the result 

of $3 million in funding from 

Transport for NSW as part of 

the B-Line project,” he said. “At 

the moment, a one-metre-wide 

section of the Pittwater Road 

bridge is shared by walkers, 

joggers and bike riders. It’s 

led to bottlenecks and become 

a bit of a safety hazard. This 

project will make it safer 

and more inviting for people 

to walk, jog or ride along 

what is one of Sydney’s great 

waterfront links.” 

Scamps slams Falinski 

Independent candidate for Mackellar Dr 

Sophie Scamps has fired a broadside at 

incumbent Federal Liberal MP Jason Falinski, 

accusing Mr Falinski of viewing the electorate 

as his “personal pathway to power”. 

Dr Scamps made the comment at a supporters 

rally which saw her join Warringah MP 

Zali Stegall at Dee Why, on the border of the 

two Northern Beaches electorates. 

“People in Mackellar have been jealously 

looking at Warringah for the past three years 

wishing we had a true community-focused 

representative like Zali,” said Dr Scamps. 

“We deserve an MP that will act on climate 

change, that will bring integrity back into 

politics, that will work with others to establish 

a Federal anti-corruption watchdog and 

that will fight every day to help local small 

businesses thrive and grow.” 



Vet 

on call 

with Dr Brown 

P 

et owners along the east 

coast of Australia are rightly 

concerned about the health and 

financial risks of paralysis ticks 

affecting their dogs, but canine 

heartworm is also deadly and 

has been called the ‘silent killer’ 

because of the tendency to 

overlook it until it is too late. 

It has also been referred to 

as “a preventable condition 

that starts with a mosquito 

bite and ends with a long 

treatment or death”. 

Deadly heartworm infects 

the heart and lungs of dogs 

and cats and is spread by 

mosquitoes. One study from 

America showed that 70% of 

the mosquitoes living in the 

kennel of a heartworm-infected 

dog had the ability to spread 

the heartworm to other dogs. 

As you might have 

gathered, at Sydney Animal 

Hospitals we want to prevent 

every nasty parasite that we 

can, and preferably do it from 

the time your puppy is born. 

We might not be able to stop 

mosquitoes biting your dog, 

but we sure can stop your 

puppy catching heartworm. 

We know that pet owners 

are busy people. Kids… 

work… shopping… pets… 

catching up with friends 

and family. Our preferred 

mode of prevention is a 

vet-administered long-acting 

product for the prevention of 

heartworm in dogs. One less 

thing for you to remember! 

The wonderful news is that 

we can administer a dose of 

this long-acting product when 

you come in for your puppy 

vaccinations and it will protect 

your puppy. 

Simplicity, convenience, 

and certainty against deadly 

heartworm infection. 

This March, we are offering 

a FREE first dose of year-round 

heartworm prevention at 

Sydney Animal Hospitals for 

12-week-old puppies. 

Contact us at Avalon on 

9918 0833 or Newport on 

9997 4609 to discuss your 

dog’s heartworm prevention 

to make sure they are 

adequately protected. 

sydneyanimalhospitals.com.au 

News 



Art Life 


Trail journey to enrichment 

Sarah and her husband 

came oh so close to making 

it out of last year’s Pittwater 

Artists Trail group exhibition 

with their wallets intact. 

Then, they saw it: a gorgeous 

piece by Ben Waters, a glorious 

interpretation of the sandstone 

buttresses ringing Broken Bay. 

The sandstone edited down to 

interlocked blocks, trees picking 

out the tops and crevasses, 

his pared back palette allowing 

them their own emotional and 

personal response. Add to this 

that the artist was local, and 

they could meet and talk right 

there and then? It was all over. 

Looking at an original work of 

art, holding a handmade bowl 

or wearing a handmade piece of 

jewellery can be a gift of daily 

inspiration. Most often, the 

choice to purchase an original 

piece is because it has some 

meaning to you. Such pieces 

bring richness and personality 

to you and your home. 

For more than a decade 

the Pittwater Artists Trail has 

allowed us a glimpse into the 

studios of our local artists and 

artisans. The annual group exhibition 

in Newport is like walking 

into a creative lolly shop. Take 

in the undulating blues and 

greys of Karen Hick’s abstract 

landscapes, or the immaculate 

monochrome headlands 

by Nikki Quarry. Perhaps you 

prefer the nostalgic “modernvintage” 

style of Laurie McKern 

(above right), or Lisa Brummer’s 

bold portraits. For the tactile, 

indulge yourself with exquisite 

handmade jewellery by the 

members of Silver Plus Studio 

(left) who work with precious 

metals and other materials; or 

hold one of Romanda Newman’s 

ceramic pieces with native flora 

pressed into its surface. 

* Exhibiting March 26-27; more 

info pittwaterartiststrail.com 

Stephen quick 

on the ‘draw’ 

Self-taught local outdoors 

artist Stephen Mann recently 

notched up a staggering 50 

years’ experience painting on 

location across the Northern 

Beaches and further afield. 

Stephen – the Autumn feature 

artist at Eye Doctors Mona Vale – 

specialises in capturing moments 

of tranquility along the coastline 

from Palm Beach to Manly, as 

well as Mosman and the sheer 

beauty of the Blue Mountains. 

“Each piece of my artwork 

composes life, movement, history, 

originality, atmosphere, 

balance and composition, all created 

in pallet knife or watercolour 

using a selection of complimentary 

colours,” Stephen said. 

Stephen is renowned for 

taking on challenging, largerthan-life-size 

artworks, which he 

always completes on location, 

rain, hail or shine (“I’m the 

fastest painter on the beaches,” 

he says) – and this makes his 

artwork extremely unique and 

collectable, as no two paintings 

are ever the same. 

Stephen is also in high demand 

for his entertaining art 

demonstrations. – NW 

* His exhibition at Eye Doctors 

Mona Vale (20 Bungan St) 

commences Monday February 

28; more info Instagram on 

Stephenmann14 or stephenmannart.com 



Coast Walk art 

taking shape 

Indigenous artworks and installations across the 35-kilometre 

Coast Walk from Palm Beach to Manly are beginning to take 

shape, with Northern Beaches Council releasing concept plans 

for a ‘beacon’ installation on the headland at McKillop Park, 

Freshwater. 

Council has also announced major commissions for artworks 

at Avalon and Narrabeen Lagoon while consultation continues 

about the positioning of indigenous art at south Mona Vale. 

The Freshwater artwork is titled Wuruna, inspired by the 

signal fires lit by Aboriginal people on headlands along the east 

coast as a system of communication, and by traditional Aboriginal 

structures called gunyas. 

The artwork – by Aboriginal-owned company mili mili which 

comprises a collective of artists, cultural consultants and professionals 

– also integrates seating which will provide a place for 

the public to engage, sit and rest on site, without obstructing 

the views of ocean and sky. 

Mayor Michael Regan said Wuruna would enhance the headland 

and provide wonderful connection for the Coast Walk. 

“The striking artwork reflects continuing custodian philosophies 

of storytelling, sustainability and interconnectedness 

through its design. 

“Seating has been integrated in the concept to provide a place 

for people to engage, sit and rest while taking in the incredible 

ocean views.” 

He said the artwork, anticipated to be delivered before early 

2023, would provide a place for ongoing community events, 

activities and programs. 

mili mili is guided by continuing custodian philosophies of 

storytelling, sustainability and interconnectedness; The Wuruna 

project is being led by Nicole Monks. 

Meanwhile proud Yaegl woman, Frances Belle Parker, has 

been commissioned to create public art at Narrabeen Lagoon 

and South Avalon Beach; the works are expected to be installed 

mid-2022. 

A meet-the-artist community consultation is scheduled for 

March 7 (5-7pm) at the Coastal Environment Centre. – NW 

* More info and to register go to Council website 


INSTALLATION: 

The proposed art 

at Freshwater. 


PHOTO: Courtesy mili mili 


Hot Property 

Hot Property 

Coastal charmers offensive 

Phillip Park on a 652sqm 

parcel, BJ said he had already 

had interest from people 

wanting to restore the cottage. 

However, without any heritage 

or conservation restrictions 

the property will also appeal 

to those who want to create 

their new dream home. 

Two very different 

coastal properties each 

retaining the character 

of bygone eras have hit the 

market. 

LJ Hooker’s Gordon 

Spring has listed ‘Magnolia 

Mansion’ (bottom photo), 

a sophisticated, stylish 

and immaculate Australian 

Colonial home set in an 

impressive 1277 sqm private 

compound of manicured 

grounds within short stroll 

of the beach and Newport 

village. 

Gordon said the fivebedroom 

property at 32a 

Nullaburra Road was customcrafted 

with a no-expense 

spared approach, executed with 

an exacting attention to detail. 

It goes under the hammer on 

March 9 with a guide of $6.9m. 

Also new this month is a 

classic Palm Beach cottage 

which LJ Hooker’s BJ Edwards 

says has “stood the test of 

time for nearly 100 years and 

is sure to win hearts”. 

Offered for the first 

time since the 1960s, the 

sandstone-and-timber 

1930s charmer at 6 Beach 

Road (above) is in original 

condition, retaining timeless 

details including panelled 

ceiling, hardwood floors and 

original hearth. 

Situated opposite Governor 

Warriewood 

grabs spotlight 

Warriewood has been crowned 

Sydney’s best performing 

suburb, posting the highest 

annual price rise of last year, 

according to the latest Domain 

House Price Report. 

The report, released last 

month, showed Sydney 

house prices rose by almost 

$400,000 over the 2021 

calendar year. 

The median house price 

in Sydney last year achieved 

the steepest annual rate of 

growth on record at 33.1 per 

cent, reaching a record level 

of $1.6 million. 

Warriewood was the 

standout postcode with 

its median house price 

skyrocketing 51.6 per cent 

– or $754,409 – to $2.19 

million in the 12 months to 

December. 

Pandemic-led lifestyle 

changes, low interest rates, 

a demand for homes and 

‘FOMO’ all contributed to 

buyers pushing prices across 

on the northern beaches 

through the roof. 

The report noted Sydney 

market conditions were now 

shifting, as more homes 

were being listed than being 

purchased, nudging some 

power back to buyers. 

“Sellers are being strategic 

with their market timing, listing 

homes for sale while selling 

conditions remain strong and 

the perception prices are at or 

close to a peak,” it said. 

“Some may also be timing a 

sale before interest rates rise 

or further macro-prudential 

measures are placed, which 

will take more wind out of 

demand. 

“This changing balance 

between supply and demand is 

slowly rippling across Sydney.” 

Gap between 

house and units 

While Sydney house and unit 

prices are at new recordbreaking 

highs, the Domain 

report noted house prices 

grew four times faster than 

units over the period, a 

divergence that has created a 





Hot Property 

Hot Property 

Avalon dream rental 

Avalon Beach 

5A Riviera Road 

2 Bed / 2 Bath / 1 Car 

Securing a bright and sunny east aspect within a tranquil and serene 

leafy outlook, this charming 2-bedroom-plus-study upper 

duplex features recent updates including freshly painted interiors. 

With an abundance of natural light throughout this wonderful 

rental home emits warmth and charm from the moment you step 

through the door. 

Located in a quiet, popular street amongst quality homes, it has 

a beautiful timber balcony overlooking Avalon Beach with a spacious 

lounge/dining area perfect for entertaining. 

The study could also act as a smaller bedroom while there’s also 

a separate laundry. Rents at $750 per week. 

* Contact the leasing agents @ LJ Hooker Avalon Beach: 

Sian Uther (0439 844 743) and Cathy O’Connell (0499 005 479). 


record price gap with houses 

now double the price of a unit. 

On a national level 

CoreLogic’s new monthly Unit 

Market Update shows units 

recorded annual growth of 

14.3 per cent in the 12 months 

to January while house values 

rose 24.8 per cent. When 

combined, it’s Australia’s 

highest annual dwelling 

growth rate since 1989. 

Report author CoreLogic 

Research Analyst Kaytlin 

Ezzy said although house 

growth had traditionally 

outpaced unit growth over the 

past decade, the performance 

gap had been notably higher 

than in previous cycles, due in 

part to COVID-related demand 

shocks disproportionately 

affecting unit demand. 

“It is likely affordability 

constraints will gradually 

pull some demand away 

from houses towards 

more affordable units and 

with international borders 

opening, Australia may 

gradually see a return to pre- 

COVID levels of migration.” 

Boat-studded views 

Clareville 

44 Wandeen Road 

2 Bed / 2 Bath / 2 Car 

Tightly held for 28 years, this original split-level home offers 

a rare opportunity to buy in one of the area’s most desirable 

settings. Situated on approximately 834sqm, this three-bedroom 

property is essentially a blank canvass waiting to become an 

architectural masterpiece. 

Its open-plan living/dining opens to an alfresco water view deck 

while its timber-finished kitchen comes with a stainless steel oven 

and meals bar. 

It enjoys sun-drenched north-facing gardens and intimate views 

that capture boat-studded Pittwater, all the way to the Central 

Coast. Auction March 8 @ 6pm; guide $2,500,000 

* Contact the listing agents at LJ Hooker Avalon Beach: 

Tom Mackay (0429 236 879) & Rana Robb (0499 029 085). 

Cannon-Brookes 

adds new retreat 

Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon- 

Brookes and wife Annie added 

another piece of stunning 

beaches real estate to their 

property portfolio in January, 

purchasing 1 Coasters Retreat 

(above) for $4.65 million. 

Marketed by LJ Hooker Palm 

Beach as a “arguably one 

of Coasters Retreat’s most 

significant properties” the 

north-east facing waterfront 

estate is set on 2425sqm 

boarded on three sides by Kuring-gai 

National Park. 

It boasts a sprawling 

three-storey five-bedroom 

home built in 1985 featuring 

sandstone quarried on site, a 

separate one-bedroom cottage 

“with fantastic potential”, 

established fruit trees not 

to mention numerous native 

animal visitors. – Lisa Offord 



Horse whispering 

Life Stories 

With the help of her four faithful ‘therapy’ 

horses, Avalon-raised Elle Levey is making 

great strides in trauma counselling. 

Elle Levey’s mental health clinic 

is like few others. Frankly, it’s 

just a paddock, albeit in the lush 

landscape of Terrey Hills. And her 

clinical “colleagues” (her word) are four 

geldings – Zeus, Felix, Spanner and the 

diminutive but full-grown Casper. 

Avalon-born and raised Elle has had 

several careers since she left Barrenjoey 

High School and travelled the world. 

Among other things, the mother of two 

school-age children – Keana, 14, and 

Jagger, 10 – has been a professional photographer 

and a surfboard maker. 

But now she runs a fully accredited 

mental health practice called Sure 

Footed which offers open air “equine assisted 

counselling” at an idyllic location 

on the edge of the National Park. 

She trained under psychotherapist 

Meggin Kirby, founder of Victoria’s 

Equine Psychotherapy Institute 

(equinepsychotherapy.net.au) while 

studying for her counselling degree 

from the Australian College of Applied 

Psychology. 

Now she’s halfway through a six-year 

psychotherapist degree and managing a 

full list of clients who come to her and 

her horses for treatment with a range 

of issues stretching from kindy school 

bullying to adult victims of sexual and 

physical violence. 

This story will likely divide readers, 

as Elle readily concedes. Some will dismiss 

it as New Age nonsense, preying on 

the susceptibilities of the vulnerable. 

“A lot of clients come in for the first 

time a little sceptical,” she admits. “But 

then they have these incredible light 

bulb moments with the horses. 

“In the paddock we can achieve in 

a couple of sessions what can take six 

months in a room. That’s why most of 

my clients come via word of mouth, 

recommended by people who have seen 

the results.” 

As soon as I arrive at the paddock, 

Story by Steve Meacham 

half an hour late because of the traffic 

and my own inability to follow GPS 

directions, Elle introduces me to “the 

herd”. 

Zeus, 9, “is head of the herd and very 

hyper-sensitive – particularly good with 

people suffering from anxiety”. 

Felix, at 24, is the wise head, who has 

a “beautiful relationship” with Spanner, 

7. “When we have people in the paddock 

who are having relationship or family 

issues, those two come up with interesting 

dynamics.” 

Then there’s Casper, 8, the miniature 

horse, who is “very good with children” 

but snorts loudly when I approach him. 

“Remember that sound,” Elle, 48, says. 

“It’s called ‘an outbreath’. I will refer to 

it later.” 

No, no, tell me now. 

“Casper can sense you are a little 

disregulated,” Elle explains. “You’ve 

probably rushed here and he can sense 

you’re stressed. His feedback tells me 



that you’re not grounded in present.” 

It’s hard being judged by a horse at 

the best of times, let alone a miniature 

one. 

What Elle preaches is grounded in scientific 

fact, she insists – urging sceptics 

to visit the website of the HeartMath 

Institute (heartmath.org). 

“Horses are herd animals and are 

hyper-sensitive,” she says. “They have to 

be to survive in the wild. 

“They experience all the emotions we 

humans feel: happiness, sadness, feeling 

angry or scared. But unlike humans, 

they live very much in the present. It is 

scientifically proven they can’t live in 

the past or the future. 

“That in itself is a beautiful lesson. 

So many humans are caught up worrying 

about what happened in the past, 

or scared of what might happen in the 

future.” 

Much of equine-assisted counselling 

is heart to heart, apparently. “Horses’ 

hearts are 10 times’ bigger than human 

hearts. Horses exude this energy from 

their hearts. We can be 10 metres away 

from them and they can still co-regulate 

our heart to theirs,” Elle says. 

“Felix is very good at that. He can 

sense if someone in the paddock is troubled 

and will stand by them until their 

hearts (are synchronised with his). 

No riding is involved. All of her work 

is ground-based, developing a relationship 

with the horses (and her two 

Kelpies – Ruby, 14 and Arla, Ruby’s fivemonth-old 

granddaughter, also members 

of Elle’s counselling team). 

Elle has loved horses for as long as 

she can remember. 

“My dad died when I was four so I had 

a lot of grief to live with when I was a 

kid. Mum couldn’t afford for me to have 

a horse, so I got into horses by working 

at a riding school in Terrey Hills that 

has long since closed. 

“Working with horses was my way of 

healing. I’d come up here, work with the 

horses and ride them whenever customers 

weren’t around.” 

As an Avalon kid, if she wasn’t at the 

stables she was at the beach. Is she a 

good surfer? “I was until I had kids, 

then I never had time. But I’m getting 

back into it now the kids are older.” 

She’s been with her partner, Mark 

Haynes, since she was 17. He surfed 

professionally in his late teens and early 

20s before opening his own Mona Vale 

surfboard glassing factory, The Laminator, 

almost 30 years ago. 

Elle got into equine-assisted counselling 

by accident. “A horse-riding friend 

of mine, Anna Cohen, who is a child 


PHOTO: Steve Meacham 


CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE: Elle in the paddock with Felix, Zeus and 

Spanner (obscured); Elle with her therapy Kelpies Ruby and Arla; riding 

with her Mum Robyn in the Snowy Mountains in the 1990s; Casper with 

son Jagger; with her sister in Bali in 1987; first time on a horse aged 5 

or 6; with partner Mark and their children Keana and Jagger; her equine 

psychotherapy accreditation; with friends at Barrenjoey High 1991; Year 12 

graduation with best friend Michelle Baudat; at a gymkhana in the mid-’80s. 





psychologist in Balmain, was having 

trouble with some kids she was treating 

in her room-based work. 

“She had heard of equine therapy and 

had a place where she keeps her horses 

in the Blue Mountains. 

“She asked if I could help by being her 

‘horse specialist’. Her idea was to have 

a trained psychologist working with the 

client, while a horse specialist read the 

reactions of the herd.” 

Elle was instantly lassoed. 

“Horses create this beautiful feedback 

to people in the paddock with them. If 

they sense anger, they’ll put their ears 

back, or bite or kick. So if the client sees 

that, we can have a conversation about 

what ‘angry’ means in the human world, 

and they start to understand that people 

send out signals too. 

“What’s great about horses is whenever 

they have expressed anger, they 

don’t hold onto that emotion. They just 

go back to grazing.” 

For understandable reasons, I can’t 

be in the paddock when a client is being 

treated, but Elle is able to describe some 

of her recent cases anonymously. 

“I work with lots of kids with attention 

deficit disorder where the horses 

can teach them self-regulation. Remember 

Casper’s outbreath? When horses 

need to self-regulate they push their 

hooves forward and deliver an outburst. 

“With young kids in particular I 

explain the horse is doing that to keep 

itself grounded, and that perhaps they 

can try the same thing. Look at their 

feet then make a big outburst that can 

go through their body. 

“They’ve seen the horse do it so they 

know it’s natural. It’s not like they’re 

sitting in a room being told how to 

breathe and relieve stress. They learn a 

technique they can use whenever they 

are feeling angry or suffering others 

extreme emotions. Horses are never 

judgmental.” 

She cites another recent case of a 

woman “… who was stuck in the past, 

with lots of trauma, unable to move 

forward because it was too scary”. 

“When she arrived, Felix and Zeus two 

of the horses walked straight into different 

stables and stuck their heads in 

the corner, not looking up.” 

“She said, ‘what are they doing?’ 

which prompted a conversation about 

how she’d spent the weekend. She 

hadn’t left her house or met anyone for 

the entire weekend. 

“I suggested maybe the horses were reflecting 

the isolation she was projecting. 

“She said, ‘I guess I need to change 

that, don’t I?’ As soon as she said it, 

Felix walked up to her as if to say, ‘You 

can do this now, not later!’. She started 

crying and said, ‘What have I been waiting 

for?’” 

Her best feedback is from parents. “I 

had a woman who came with her young 

son. He had been enrolled in Nippers 

but was scared of paddling out on a 

board. He has a big emotional range and 

many issues to deal with. 

“We had a session with the horses 

dealing with self-regulation. She told me 

he went to Nippers the following Sunday, 

did his ‘outbreath’ and went into 

the water. She said, ‘I just cried!’’’ 

There are two levels of accredited 

equine therapy, Elle explains. Some 

Equine Assisted Learning practitioners 

– like her friend, Elini Argy of Sheet 

Like The Wind in Belrose – deal with 

lifestyle issues such as boundaries, 

relationships, goal settings and problem 

solving. 

But only those with mental health 

training, like Elle, are allowed to treat 

trauma patients. 

“I had a lady in the paddock who suddenly 

had a flashback to a rape she had 

suppressed for years. She sat on a stool 

outside the stables and sobbed her heart 

out. 

“Felix and Spanner came and stood 

beside her for 10 minutes while she processed 

the pain, stroking their heads. 

They never normally do that. 

“Then she said, ‘… it was a profound 

moment for me’. Even I was touched.” 

*More info surefootedcounselling@ 

gmail.com 



Surfing Life 

with Nick Carroll 

Deep-seated fears rise to the 

surface after February attack 

Why our beaches have been an ‘altered’ version of Nature... 


March is the month 

where people begin to 

forget about the beach. 

Although I’m not sure it’ll 

happen quite that quick this 

year. The pandemic’s sudden 

passing as a governing factor 

in so many lives seems to have 

got people out and about in 

serious numbers. It’s like half 

Sydney has woken up, blinked 

in the sunlight, and thought: 

“Hang on I don’t have to stay at 

home! Let’s DO this!” 

Still, we’ll probably find that 

sometime this month, a burst 

of cooler rainy weather will 

come, and afterward, a lot of 

people will be thinking about 

the footy, or maybe Fiji or Bali 

or some other long delayed 

foreign venture. 

The beaches will come back 

to the people who never left: 

surfers, early morning swim 

groups, sneaky dog walkers, 

but mostly just us surfers. 

What I wonder is, will we 

forget what happened in 

February? 

On the afternoon of the 

16th, a man named Simon Nellist, 

a 35-year-old British-born 

diving instructor, was swimming 

across the mouth of Little 

Bay just south of Malabar in 

Sydney when he was attacked 

by a Great White Shark somewhere 

between three and three 

and a half metres in length. 

The shark executed a classic 

ambush predation, hitting 

Simon at speed from directly 

underneath and throwing his 

body into the air before returning 

to eat a fair bit of him – exactly 

the kind of attack young 

adult Whites use on seals and 

other larger prey. There was 

so little left of Simon that lifeguards 

and police continued 

the search for a day, trying to 

find more of him. (They didn’t. 

He was eventually identified by 

DNA testing.) 

The scene was filmed by 

a nearby fisherman and was 

broadcast across several media 

outlets within hours of the 

attack, long before Simon had 

been identified or his family 

informed. Despicable as this 

broadcasting was, the clip 

eventually allowed shark experts 

to pinpoint the size and 

type of shark involved. 

It also might have given 

some of us an idea of what 

happens in one of these attacks. 

In the past two years of 

weird Pandemic Time, there’s 

been eight fatal attacks featuring 

Whites and Tiger sharks in 

Australian waters. Six of them 

– all White shark attacks – have 

involved surfers. Two were so 

full-on, no trace of the person 

was found, even though in 

MAKES YOU THINK: Sydney’s shark fatality in February. 

one case (Andrew Sharpe in 

Esperance, WA) the surfer was 

attacked in full view of a bunch 

of other surfers. 

This means Australia, just 

by itself, has accounted for 

the previous global average 

of shark related deaths. (Until 

2012, that stood at four a year.) 

But – and it’s a big but – 

none had happened in Sydney 

metropolitan coastal waters. 

Simon’s death was the first of 

its kind in Sydney for nearly 90 

years. 

The last one was oddly 

enough at Maroubra, in 1935, 

last of four fatal attacks in 

the summer of ’34/’35. Those 

deaths led directly to the 

meshing program off Sydney 

beaches, which began in early 

1937. Just four nets were set – 

in the first season, they caught 

697 sharks of various types. 

Nets are crude instruments, 

possibly even stupid 

by modern standards, but 

they worked. Over a decade 

passed before a human and a 

shark physically encountered 

each other again off a Sydney 

beach: Mona Vale, 1948, where 

a small bronze whaler tried to 

bite a surf ski. 

Over time, the meshing 

seems to have grown less effective 

at catching dangerous 



NICK’S MARCH SURF FORECAST 

What can I say? As far as surf goes, it’s been happy days, and 

all indications are those happy days will continue. March in 

La Niña years is sometimes a slightly off month, when the SW 

Pacific takes a deep breath before smashing all known records 

through May and June, but the sea surface temperatures off 

NSW just seem too warm for any of that right now. Expect 

plenty of easterly tradewind type swells fanning down the coast, 

periods of wet onshore weather, and a few days of super clean 

conditions, maybe with a long-range early Autumn-style south 

groundswell thrown in. Have fun!! 

Nick Carroll 

shark species, but maybe that’s 

because the nets have changed 

the species’ behaviour. The 

meshing now covers 51 

beaches in Newcastle, Sydney 

and Wollongong, but recently 

only averaged six White sharks 

captured per year. 

But when the NSW Department 

of Primary Industries 

began dropping SMART drumlines 

off the NSW north coast in 

response to the terrible attack 

cluster of 2014-15, they ended 

up capturing over 500 White 

sharks in five seasons. 

That might tell you something 

about apex predators. 

They’re very good at protecting 

themselves. The drumlines surprised 

them, but White sharks 

learn fast. SMART drumline 

technology allows a contractor 

to collect the shark, tag it, and 

drop it offshore to get on with 

things. Very few of those 500- 

plus tagged animals ever hit a 

drumline again. 

How many are out there 

now? Nobody really knows. The 

CSIRO’s best guess four years 

ago, based on DNA tracing, 

was somewhere between 2909 

and 12,802. There’s a lot of air 

between those two numbers. 

The fact is that for a long 

time here in Sydney, we’ve 

been living in a fantasy world 

about big sharks. The meshing, 

by changing their behaviour 

and pushing them outside 

the headlands, has given us 

that luxury. The Sydney beaches 

– right up to February 16 – 

have been an altered version of 

Nature, one where three-metreplus 

young adult White sharks 

have been erased. 

Indeed, I’m not sure people 

really believe they exist. One 

weekend morning last winter, 

mid-pandemic, I was paddling 

a racing board inside Bilgola 

with a bunch of fellow trainers 

when I saw some splashing 

outside Avalon headland. 

Seemed like it was pretty much 

on top of the notorious Avericks 

reef. 

Turned out it was a group 

of super keen adult beginner 

ocean swimmers. They’d swum 

out to this spot, maybe 150 

metres straight out from the 

tip of the headland and not 

hugely far away from a little 

baitfish pile, and were wondering 

what to do next. 

Maybe whatever you do 

next, you might do it a bit 

closer to Bilgola Beach, I suggested. 

“Why?” one asked. 

Think about Little Bay, and 

Simon Nellist. Now you know 

why. 




Health & Wellbeing 

with Emma van Wanrooy 


How the pandemic has had 

effects on hearing-impaired 

Hearing Awareness Week 

(1-7 March) and World 

Hearing Day (3 March) 

are a great time to reflect 

on the impact of hearing 

loss, especially in relation 

to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

We have all experienced 

dramatic changes to our lives 

over the past two years, but 

what has been the impact of 

these for people with hearing 

impairment? What can we do 

to help minimise the impact of 

these changes? 

Face masks – ‘Lipreading’ 

is often regarded as a 

specialised skill that few 

people have. It is true that 

people born with hearing loss 

often do develop very good 

lipreading abilities. 

However, most of us to 

derive some information from 

watching mouth movements 

to determine what people are 

saying, especially in noisy 

environments. People with a 

loss of hearing (even a mild 

loss) rely more heavily on 

the visual cues they receive 

from watching people’s faces, 

so the use of face masks 

makes it much harder for 

them to follow conversation. 

So, it is really important to 

speak slowly and clearly 

when wearing a face mask 

(pictured). There are also 

free Apps for smartphones 

and Tablets that create 

captions (written text) for live 

conversations. 

We have all had to adapt 

to the feeling of wearing a 

face mask and get used to 

the discomfort they create at 

times. However, for people 

wearing hearing aids or 

Cochlear Implant Speech 

processors, there is another 

complication. If these devices 

sit behind the ear, as most 

devices do, the elastic of the 



face mask can get tangled up 

with the device. Some people 

have lost devices as a result of 

accidentally dislodging it when 

they removed the facemask 

elastic from behind their ear. 

There are a few strategies 

that can be implemented to 

reduce the tangling of hearing 

aids and face masks which an 

Audiologist can advise on. 

Social Distancing – Use of 

things such as telehealth and 

zoom meetings to reduce the 

need for face-to-face contact 

has been helpful to reduce 

the transmission of COVID-19. 

However, hearing on the phone 

or through a computer is not 

as easy as hearing face to 

face. This is because some 

frequencies in speech are not 

transmitted clearly through 

the speakers on these devices. 

A video call should be easier 

than a phone call as this allows 

the hearing-impaired person 

to watch the person’s face 

for cues. Use of Bluetooth 

streaming directly into their 

hearing aid or Cochlear 

Implant Speech Processor can 

also improve the sound quality 

for a hearing impaired person. 

Understanding how 

recent changes in our lives 

is impacting on the people 

around us living with a 

hearing loss can help us to 

prevent them feeling isolated 

or missing out as a result of 

their hearing loss. 

Emma van Wanrooy has more than 20 years’ experience 

as an Audiologist, having worked across Hearing Aids, 

Cochlear Implants, Paediatrics, TeleAudiology and Adult 

Rehabilitation. Before setting up Pittwater Hearing, she coauthored 

research papers and book chapters related to Cochlear 

Implants, Paediatric Amplification and TeleAudiology. Pittwater 

Hearing is a locally owned independent clinic providing 

assessments and hearing solutions to people of all ages in 

Avalon and Mona Vale. They are registered with the Hearing 

Services Program to provide subsidised services to Pensioner 

Concession Card and DVA gold card holders, and NDIS 

eligible recipients. Call 02 8919 0008. 





with Dr John Kippen 


Why all men should monitor 

for breast issue signs too 

Gynaecomastia is an 

excess of male breast 

tissue. Males have a 

very similar breast tissue to 

females, it is just this tissue 

does not develop to the same 

degree. Importantly males can 

also develop breast cancer. 

An excess of breast tissue 

can be physiological, that is 

normal, at different times of 

life. Most newborn boys and 

most men over 70 will have 

some excess breast tissue. 

Newborns have the influence 

of the mother’s hormones and 

older men have a change in 

the ratios of their hormones. 

Teenagers may develop hard 

lumpy changes in the breast 

buds as their hormone profiles 

change. 

There are numerous other 

causes of excess in breast 

tissue. In most no cause is 

found. A careful history, 

examination and testing may 

reveal some of these causes. 

Both therapeutic (medical) 

and recreational drugs can 

play a role. Weight changes 

also causes changes in the 

glandular and fatty tissue 

ratio in the breast. Alcohol 

and malignancy may influence 

breast tissue. Thyroid, liver 

and kidney disease may 

cause changes. Genetic 

conditions may influence the 

breast directly or indirectly 

via hormone profiles. 

Examination, blood tests and 

radiological investigations may 

help show a cause. 

Generally there are a 

few approaches to treating 

gynaecomastia. Liposuction 

can be used to remove the 

tissue. This is generally more 

appropriate to softer, more 

fatty tissue. Once the tissue 

is harder and firmer it may 

require open surgery to 

remove the tissue. Occasional 

these modalities may be 

combined. Liposuction to 

reduce the bulk and then a 

smaller incision to remove the 

remaining fibrous tissue, or 

surgery to remove the tissue 

and liposuction to blend the 

edges to a smooth profile. For 

surgery the incision is usually 

placed around half of the 

circumference of the nippleareolar 

complex. Through this 

the tissue is removed. Placing 

the scar at this anatomical 

junction often conceals the 

scar. 

Most surgeons will use some 

form of binder or padding to 

compress the residual cavity 

that remains after surgery. 

Occasional silicone drainage 

tubes may be required. Most 

stitches are dissolving. Careful 

scar management improves the 

resultant scar quality. 

Recovery is usually 

proportional to the amount 

of tissue removed and the 

procedure used. Generally the 

surgery is performed under 

general anaesthetic with local 

anaesthetic infiltration. An 

overnight stay may be required 

especially if drains are used. 

(There is a Medicare item 

number for both liposuction 

and surgical correction, which 

means some form of a rebate 

may be available.) 

A full and thorough 

explanation of the condition, 

risks, complications and 

its treatment will be done 

at the time of consultation. 

Examination will be performed 

and adjuvant tests will be 

arranged. Once any reversible 

causes are excluded, the 

surgery can be scheduled. 

Generally the procedure is 

well tolerated with favourable 

results. 

Our columnist 

Dr John Kippen is a 

qualified, fully certified 

consultant specialist in 

Cosmetic, Plastic and 

Reconstructive surgery. 

Australian trained, he 

also has additional 

Australian and 

International Fellowships. 

He welcomes enquiries; 

email 

doctor@johnkippen.com.au 



Latest COVID settings explained 

The NSW Government has implemented a 

further staged easing of restrictions as 

the State continues to navigate its response 

to managing COVID-19. 

Government adjustments to settings 

triggered on February 18 include no density 

limits (previously one person per 2sqm for 

hospitality venues), while QR check-ins will 

only be required for nightclubs, and for music 

festivals with more than 1,000 people. 

Hospitals, aged and disability facilities 

may use their existing systems for recording 

visitors. 

Singing and dancing are now permitted 

at all venues (from February 25). 

The recommendation to work from home 

has been returned to employer’s discretion. 

Further, from February 25, masks will 

only be mandated on public transport, 

planes, and indoors at airports, hospitals, 

aged and disability care facilities, corrections 

facilities and indoor music festivals 

with more than 1,000 people. 

However, masks are encouraged for indoor 

settings where you cannot maintain a 

safe distance from others and for customerfacing 

retail staff to protect vulnerable 

people. 

Each State Government agency will review 

where it may be appropriate for public-facing 

staff to wear masks and will implement 

NEW SPACE: The site of the former Mona Vale 

Hospital building is now a sea of green. 

as necessary. 

Hotel quarantine for unvaccinated returning 

travellers was reduced from 14 to 7 

days on February 21. 

With hospitalisation and ICU rates easing 

and booster uptake now above 50 per 

cent a staged return of non-urgent elective 

surgery across all NSW public hospitals has 

commenced and will be increased in March. 

Minister for Health Brad Hazzard urged 

locals to play their part as the pandemic 

continued to issue challenges. 

“As we are moving more into the endemic 

stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, these 

changes are giving us more of our old life 

back – but it still makes a lot of sense for us 

all to be cautious,” Mr Hazzard said. 

“The best outcome is still to avoid getting 

the virus by protecting yourself, your family 

and the broader community.” 

People aged 16 years and older can 

receive their booster dose at three months 

after receiving their second dose of any of 

the COVID-19 vaccines. 

Meanwhile, Pittwater MP Rob Stokes has 

welcomed the latest group of medical interns 

commencing clinical training at Mona 

Vale Hospital. 

Six new nurses and two doctors are joining 

the Hospital’s experienced team. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has delivered 

enormous challenges and it’s been our 

hospital staff who have gone above and 

beyond to help ensure continuity of care,” 

Mr Stokes said. 

“Mona Vale Hospital has an outstanding 

team of experienced medical staff – so we 

know these graduates will have a wealth of 

knowledge to draw from. 

“The ongoing introduction of modern 

hospital infrastructure and services at Mona 

Vale Hospital is providing real benefits to 

our community – but it’s the medical staff 

who are the real heroes.” 

More than 350 staff are employed at 

Mona Vale Hospital across its inpatient, 

community health, urgent care and diagnostic 

services. 

– NW 





with Andrew Snow 


Learn First Aid and always 

keep a stocked kit handy 

First aid is one of the most 

important skills anyone can 

learn. It may save a life or 

prevent lasting injury. 

Some of the important information 

to be aware of include 

using the DRSABCD Action Plan 

to help decide if an injured 

person has any lifethreatening 

conditions and what first aid is 

needed. 

A summary of the DRSABCD 

Action Plan is: 

D – Danger. Ensure the area 

is safe for yourself, others and 

the patient. 

R – Response. Check for a 

response and ask name and 

squeeze shoulders. 

S – Send for help. Phone 

triple zero (000) for an ambulance 

or ask another person to 

make the call. 

A – Airway. Open mouth and 

if any foreign material, place on 

side in recovery position and 

clear airway if necessary. 

B – Breathing. Check for 

breathing – look, listen, feel. 

C – Cardiopulmonary 

resuscitation (CPR). if 

necessary. 30 chest compressions 

then 2 breaths. Continue 

CPR until help arrives or patient 

recovers. 

D – Defibrillation. Apply defibrillator 

if available and follow 

the voice prompts. 

Minor cuts & grazes 

You should clean the wound 

well with clean water or saline 

solution, then apply a sterile 

dressing; put pressure on the 

wound to stop bleeding, and 

raise the area. 

Seek medical help if a cut 

is longer than 1 cm as it may 

need stitches; the wound is very 

dirty or something is trapped 

in the wound; or there is severe 

bleeding. 

Head injury 

It’s important to monitor the 

injured person’s breathing 

and pulse. Support the person’s 

head and neck during movement 

in case their spine is 

injured. 

Place a sterile dressing over 

the wound to control bleeding; 

and lie the person down 

with their head and shoulders 

slightly raised. 

Phone 000 for an ambulance. 

Burns & scalds 

You should remove clothing 

and jewellery from burnt 

area, unless stuck to the burn. 

Cool the burnt area with cool 

running water for 20 minutes. 

Cover the wound with a loose 

and light nonstick dressing. 

Things you must not do: apply 

ointments or oily dressings; 

apply ice; use towels, cotton 

wool or blankets directly on a 

burn; cool large burn wounds 

for prolonged periods of time; 

remove anything stuck to a 

burn; burst any blisters. 

Choking Adult/ 

child over 1 year 

First, encourage the person to 

relax and get them to try to 

cough to remove the object. (If 

unsuccessful – phone 000 for 

an ambulance.) 

Bend the person well forward 

and give up to five sharp back 

blows (with heel of hand) 

between their shoulder blades. 

Check if blockage has been 

cleared after each blow. 

If the person becomes blue, 

limp or unconscious, commence 

CPR. 

Infant under 1 year 

Immediately phone 000 for an 

ambulance. 

Place the infant on your forearm 

with head downwards, and 

support head and shoulders on 

your hand. 

Hold the infant’s mouth 

open with your fingers and 

give up to five sharp back 

blows between shoulders with 

heel of your hand. Check if 

obstruction has been cleared 

after each back blow. 

If the infant becomes uncon- 

scious, commence CPR. 

Poisoning 

If a poisoning is suspected or 

known, follow the DRSABCD Action 

Plan and phone 000 for an 

ambulance. 

Try to find out the type, 

amount and time of poisoning. 

Phone the Poisons Information 

Centre on 13 11 26. 

Importantly, do not induce 

vomiting or give any food or 

drink. 

First Aid Kit 

A basic first aid kit is a great 

idea to have handy and should 

contain: 

n sterile cotton gauze swabs; 

n assorted sterile adhesive 

dressing strips; 

n assorted non-stick wound/ 

island dressings; 

n stretch roller bandage; 

n crepe bandage; 

n triangular bandages; 

n safety pins or clips; 

n rust-resistant scissors; 

n rust-resistant tweezers; 

n sterile normal saline solution; 

n antiseptic; 

n isopropyl alcohol swabs; 

n sting neutralizer; 

n cold or ice pack; 

n disposable gloves. 

To learn more about first aid, 

enroll in a first aid course with a 

registered training organisation. 

For more info visit: St John Ambulance 

Australia (stjohn.org.au); 

Australian Red Cross (redcross. 

org.au); Healthdirect Australia 

(healthdirect.gov.au); NPS MedicineWise 

Medicines Line (nps. 

org.au); and the Poisons Information 

Centre (13 11 26). 

Pittwater Pharmacy & 

Compounding Chemist 

at Mona Vale has operated 

as a family-run business 

since 1977. Open seven 

days; drop in and meet 

the highly qualified and 

experienced team of Len, 

Sam and Amy Papandrea 

and Andrew Snow. Find 

them at 1771 Pittwater Rd; 

call 9999 3398. 








Lifeline fast-tracks text, chat services 

Lifeline Australia is fast-tracking the 

expansion of its crucial text and chat 

services to 24-hours-a-day, seven-daysa-week, 

to meet demand and increase 

accessibility for hard-to-reach groups. 

The expansion, made available by 

$1.5 million grant from the Australian 

Government, comes as research shows 

that Lifeline’s Crisis Text service is reaching 

entirely new groups of Australians in 

distress and at high risk of suicide. 

Since 2019, Lifeline has provided 

Australia’s only Crisis Text helpline, 

providing support to people in 

Well-known Elanora Heights GP 

Dr Philip Norrie is relocating 

to the recently opened Our 

Medical Dee Why centre. 

Dr Philip Norrie (right), who 

has practised in the local area 

for more than 40 years, said: 

“I have been passionate about 

providing high-quality care for 

families on the Northern Beaches 

for decades. I look forward 

to continuing this care in a 

psychological distress. 

Lifeline CEO Colin Seery said that rather 

than diverting phone calls from its 13 11 14 

service, the always-on digital platform had 

increased the range and total number of 

people contacting the organisation. 

“This is a landmark in suicide prevention 

in Australia and is all about bringing 

help to people who are in situations and 

environments where accessing support 

through digital communication is the only 

safe or viable option,” he said. 

“The service is unique in that it allows for 

genuine privacy during contact, so it is well 

Elanora Heights GP relocating 

contemporary centre, where all 

essential healthcare services are 

available under one roof.” 

Our Medical Dee Why is open 

until 10pm every day, providing 

greater access to primary 

healthcare for Beaches residents – 

particularly during afterhours and 

weekends. 

No appointment is required to 

see a bulk-billing GP. 

A co-located radiology clinic 

also offers bulk-billed x-ray, 

ultrasound, and CT. Our Medical 

Radiology will be open 7 days, 

and walk-in patients are welcome 

for most imaging services. 

The combination of bulk-billing 

GPs, with a radiology clinic and 

treatment room, means the 

centre is fully equipped to handle 

accidents and emergencies. 

* More info ourmedicalhome. 

com.au/deewhy 

suited to support cohorts at heightened 

vulnerability such as help seekers 

experiencing domestic and family violence 

or those living with a disability.” 

Lifeline Crisis Text is currently funded 

by the New South Wales State Government 

through a $6 million four-year grant 

agreement. 

You can phone Lifeline to speak to a 

Crisis Supporter on 13 11 14 (24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week), text 0477 131 114 (24 

hours/7days) or chat to Lifeline online at 

www.lifeline.org.au (24 hours/7 days). 

– Lisa Offord 



Hair & Beauty 

with Sue Carroll 

All you need to know about 

serums & layering techniques 

We all know that a 

cleanser cleanses. A 

toner tones the skin and 

removes traces of dry skin and 

cleanser residue. A moisturiser 

moisturises. These products 

and steps in our skincare 

routine are self-explanatory for 

what they actually do – but what 

is a serum, and when do you 

use them? 

There are so many different 

serums; some are oil-based 

while others are water-based. 

I believe they are the multitasking 

superstars both in 

the treatment room and in 

our everyday, home skincare 

regime. Active ingredients often 

come in a liquid form, making it 

easier for the formulator to add 

a higher percentage of actives 

to serum formulations allowing 

them to remain stable. By 

contrast, when these actives are 

added to a cream formulation, 

the viscosity of the cream is 

difficult to stabilise. 

Serums treat many skin 

conditions, providing a variety 

of benefits ranging from 

wrinkle reduction, hydration, 

brightening, fading brown 

spots, firming, plumping, 

reducing redness and acne, 

and accelerating skin renewal. 

They boost results in skincare 

routines and treatments, 

especially when layered 

together, or used underneath 

a moisturiser or mask. Serums 

are very potent as they contain 

a higher concentration of 

active ingredients compared 

to treatment creams. In short, 

serums can transform and alter 

skin when used alone or in 

conjunction with other serums 

and creams. 

Normally a single serum 

is applied after toning and 

before moisturising. When 

performing a layering technique 

with serums the order is 

important to make sure they 

are performing at their peak. 

The thinner, water-based 

serum is the first application, 

while the thick oil-based 


consistency is applied at the 

end of the layering, to avoid 

wasted product while achieving 

maximum benefits. 

More is not always better, 

especially with a cocktail 

of ingredients that may 

trigger skin sensitivity. When 

considering layering it is 

important to know your skin 

condition and the formulation 

being used. For example, an 

excess of specific actives might 

be too strong for sensitive or 

acne-prone skin, resulting in 

breakouts and skin irritation. 

Consideration must also be 

given where one ingredient 

may counteract another, and a 

professional recommendation 

is essential to receive value for 

money and healthy skin. 

Guidelines to consider 

Retinol – do not layer more than 

one serum containing vitamin 

A, retinol or retinol derivatives. 

This may also be the case when 

applying AHAs and BHAs. 

Increasing the percentage of 

retinol in multiple products is 

likely to create skin sensitivity, 

extreme dryness and flaking. 

Retinol serums layered with 

unstable forms of vitamin C may 

also result in red, irritated and 

peeling skin. 

Hyaluronic Acid – the molecular 

size of the hyaluronic acid will 

determine when and how to 

apply this serum. The lighter 

the weight of the hyaluronic 

will mean it is applied first. For 

example, when you read on the 

ingredient index list hydrolyzed 

sodium hyaluronate, this is 

of lightweight, while ascorbyl 

hyaluronate, and hydrolized 

hyaluronic acid are both of 

medium weight. Super HA or 

sodium acetylated hyaluronate 

is a high molecular weight and 

is used for long-lasting moisture 

and skin barrier protection. 

Vitamin C – layer this serum 

with other brightening actives 

and this will maximise the 

reduction of brown spots and 

suppress melanin activity. 

Vitamin C serums are used in 

the morning and sunscreen is 

still imperative. 

Technically speaking, not 

all serums are created equally. 

Being advised professionally on 

which serum to use and how 

to layer, will provide optimum 

results for your skin with your 

homecare routine. 

It is important to remember 

that all steps, starting with 

correct cleansing and toning, 

are imperative, so the skin is 

clean and free from dry skin 

cells allowing an easy path 

for the serums to penetrate. 

By doing this you will obtain 

maximum benefits from the 

serum cocktail – and you’ll also 

receive value for money from 

your products. 

Sue Carroll is at the forefront 

of the beauty, wellness 

and para-medical profession 

with 35 years’ experience on 

Sydney’s Northern Beaches. 

She leads a dedicated team 

of professionals who are 

passionate about results for 

men and women. 

info@skininspiration.com.au 

www.skininspiration.com.au 

MARCH 2022 63 

Hair & Beauty

Business Life: Money 

with Brian Hrnjak 

Planning your retirement? 

Invest a few minutes below... 

This month a look at some 

recently legislated superannuation 

changes that 

expand the range of planning 

opportunities for retirees… 

proving that some things can 

get through the Australian 

Senate, these changes first 

announced in the 2021 Budget 

have finally progressed from 

being press releases into legislation; 

note that the start date 

is 1 July 2022 unless otherwise 

mentioned. 

Business Life 

Changes to Work Tests 

For a person aged over 67 to 

make a non-tax-deductible 

contribution to super they generally 

needed to pass a work 

test (40 hours over 30 days) or 

they needed to meet a work 

test exemption (passing a work 

test in the prior financial year 

and having less than $300,000 

in total superannuation). This 

requirement is now removed 

for anyone over the age of 67 

and is only needed in the case 

of contributions where you 

wish to claim a tax deduction. 

This change applies to 

personal contributions, spouse 

contributions, small business 

CGT cap and transfers from 

foreign funds… but the contributions 

need to be received 

by the fund within 28 days 

after the month the contributor 

turns 75. 

Thankfully this removes a 

long-standing bugbear for 

retirees who prefer to make 

contributions later in life or 

after finishing their working 

careers. Treasury bureaucrats 

had always insisted on a nexus 

between superannuation and 

employment. This legislation 

removes some of the gaming 

that took place with people 

entering into part-time jobs 

and other arrangements that 

are often just as contrived as 

the situation they were meant 

to overcome in the first place. 

Personal contributions 

+ bring forward rules 

The big change here is that 

contributors aged up to 74 at 

the prior 1 July will be able to 

make bring forward contributions 

of up to $330,000 in a 

year subject to the balance 

eligibility criteria which are 

currently: 

n If you have less than $1.48 

million in total superannuation 

at 30 June of the prior 

financial year (in this case 

30 June 2022 remembering 

that this change only starts 

from on 1 July this year) you 

may be able to make nonconcessional 

contributions 

up to $330,000 under bringforward 

arrangements. 

n If you have between $1.48 

million to less than $1.59 

million, then you may be 

able to contribute up to 

$220,000 under bring-forward 

arrangements. 

n If your total superannuation 

balance is between $1.59 

million to below $1.7 million, 

you have no access to 

bring forward contributions 

and your non-concessional 

contributions cap limit is 

$110,000. If your total superannuation 

balance is greater 

than $1.7 million you cannot 

make further non-concessional 

contributions, but you 

can make tax deductible 

contributions subject to the 

eligibility rules. 

The opportunities here are 

numerous. Spouses can balance 

out their superannuation 

accounts if one of the pair is 

over the $1.7 million limit that 



can be transferred to pension 

phase. 

You can revisit the recontribution 

strategy to take funds 

out of super and recontribute 

them to manage future death 

benefit taxes. Australia still has 

one form of death duty remaining 

and it is a 17% charge on 

taxed super monies left to a 

non-dependant, usually a child 

over the age of 18. By recontributing 

withdrawn funds as a 

non-concessional contribution, 

they are tax free when paid out 

to a non-dependant. 

If you recall that superannuation 

does not form part of 

your estate, the proper use of 

recontribution can make superannuation 

death benefits more 

tax efficient than regular estate 

pathways where the cost base 

of an asset is transferred to the 

beneficiary; in other words the 

tax is merely deferred to some 

point in the future. 

People now have more time 

to wind down share or property 

holdings and top up their 

superannuation holdings. This 

is also a prime time of life for 

receiving inheritances and this 

legislative change removes several 

impediments to being able 

to place those funds into super. 

Changes to downsizer 

contribution age 

The age for making an eligible 

downsizer contribution from 

the sale of a principal dwelling 

reduces from 65 to 60 from 1 

July 2022. 

This change along with the 

changes to personal contributions 

opens several opportunities. 

People with two 

dwellings that have each been 

private residences can now 

contemplate non-concessional 

contributions following the sale 

of one property and downsizer 

contributions following the sale 

of the other. 

Unlike non-concessional 

contributions, downsizer 

contributions have no issues 

with the constraints of total 

superannuation balances or 

non-concessional contribution 

caps. There are separate rules 

for downsizer contributions 

relating to the nature of the 

property sold, the time it was 

held and making contributions 

to super within 90 days of settlement 

along with completing 

the appropriate documentation. 

A couple who turn 60 in the 

next financial year, assuming 

all of the eligibility criteria are 

satisfied, could achieve a combined 

balance over $1.5 million 

in superannuation by early next 

year: both contribute $110,000 

this financial year as non-concessional 

contributions; both 

contribute $330,000 next financial 

year as non-concessional 

contributions; both make downsizer 

contributions of $300,000 

in the next financial year, that 

adds up to $1,480,000 plus 

what’s available through the 

maximum deductible contributions 

of $27,500 each and plus 

their existing superannuation 

balances. 

In case you were wondering, 

the optimised amount would 

be to start with $1.479 million 

already in super at 30 June this 

year including the $110,000 and 

$27,500 contributions mentioned 

above. Add the $330,000 

non-concessional and $300,000 

downsizer amounts plus another 

$27,500 maximum deductible 

contribution during 2022/2023 

financial year and the balance 

is potentially $2,136,500 for an 

individual with some contributions 

tax to pay plus division 

293 tax if they happen to be a 

high-income earner. 



Brian Hrnjak B Bus CPA (FPS) is 

a Director of GHR Accounting 

Group Pty Ltd, Certified 

Practising Accountants. Offices 

at: Suite 12, Ground Floor, 

20 Bungan Street Mona Vale 

NSW 2103 and Shop 8, 9 – 15 

Central Ave Manly NSW 2095, 

Telephone: 02 9979-4300, 

Webs: www.ghr.com.au and 

www.altre.com.au Email: 

brian@ghr.com.au 

These comments are of a 

general nature only and are 

not intended as a substitute 

for professional advice. 


Business Life: Law 

with Jennifer Harris 

Sale contracts: like property, 

no two are ever the same... 


With interest rates at 

an all-time low and 

house prices often 

going well beyond reserve, 

vendors and purchasers are 

eagerly going to market. 

The vendors are in touch 

with their solicitors or 

conveyancers to obtain a 

contract to put in the hands 

of the real estate agent 

to enable the property to 

be shown to prospective 

purchasers; from there the 

process of buying and selling 

formally begins. 

The real estate agent’s 

task is to market and sell the 

property to a purchaser/s and 

that having been done the 

solicitor or conveyancer does 

the conveyancing. 

Given recent experiences 

with purchasers it seems 

timely to examine the 

question of – what is 

conveyancing? 

It is defined as “the 

science and art of validly 

creating, transferring and 

extinguishing rights in 

property particularly in 

or over land by written 

deeds of various kinds. It is 

accordingly a major branch 

of legal work and lawyers’ 

business.” – the Oxford 

Companion to Law. 

This article references NSW 

residential property. 

The contract provided to 

a prospective purchaser by 

either the real estate agent 

or the solicitor acting for 

the purchaser is in a form 

approved by the Law Society 

and the Real Estate Institute. 

The first 19 pages are 

those specifically approved 

by the Law Society and the 

Real Estate Institute (“formal 

terms and conditions”). The 

first page contains the details 

of the real estate agent, the 

vendors, the inclusions to be 

conveyed with the property, 

the purchasers’ details and 

the price specifically noting 

the deposit which is normally 

10% of the purchase price. 

Most solicitors and 

conveyancers add to the 

contract their own special 

conditions that complement, 

modify or are additional 

to the formal terms and 

conditions. No two contracts 

are ever the same. 

Within the contract and 

attached to the formal terms 

and conditions are found 

a search of the Title of the 

property which discloses the 

names of the persons who 

are conveying the title, any 

encumberance/s or registered 

dealings on the title and 

whether or not they have a 

mortgage to be discharged 

at settlement. This is an 

important document because 

it discloses whether there 

is a burden, obstruction or 

impediment on the property 

that may lessen its value 

or make it less marketable. 

Importantly, unless a 

mortgage is removed a clear 

title cannot be conveyed. 

There must be a copy of 

the deposited plan and if 

available a copy of a survey 

showing that the property 

and its improvements are 

within the land described 

on the Certificate of Title, 

a Zoning Certificate from 

Council and a Sewerage 

Service Diagram. 

If there has been any 

substantial work carried 

out on the property, a Final 

Occupation Certificate and 

Builders’ warranty insurance 

should also be found and if 

there is a pool a certificate 



of registration and either a 

certificate of compliance or 

non-compliance need to be 

included. 

Although a buyer often 

purchases on the spur of 

the moment by going to an 

auction or just a first sight of 

the property, it is unwise to 

proceed on this basis. 

We would recommend 

that a purchaser does his 

or her research. Look at the 

property in morning sunlight, 

noon and evening twilight. 

Look at the property in 

sunshine and in rain. Ask for 

a copy of the contract and 

obtain legal advice on its 

terms and conditions. Read 

the contract and if necessary 

instruct your solicitor to 

negotiate changes to the 

terms and conditions of the 

contract. 

Arrange and obtain certain 

pre-purchase reports such 

as Pest and Building Reports; 

often not all is as it may 

appear from the outside. Take 

time to explore all avenues of 

enquiry. 

Knowing your legal rights 

can have profound longterm 

consequences on your 

finances as well as your 

quality of life. 

You can buy by private 

treaty or by auction. Private 

treaty is where a vendor’s 

agent advertises the 

property, sometimes giving 

an indication as to the price 

they wish to achieve and then 

negotiates with prospective 

purchasers. 

On occasions while you 

are having a building and 

pest report you may have 

exchanged conditionally 

by utilising a “cooling off 

period”. During this period 

you have the right to 

change your mind if there is 

something in the reports that 

you have sought that causes 

you concern, for example 

extensive termite invasion 

which diminishes the value 

of the property and signals 

to a purchaser that they may 

have major future expense to 

rectify the problem. 

The downside of 

exchanging in this way is that 

a purchaser who rescinds a 

contract during a cooling off 

period forfeits to the vendor 

0.25% of the purchase price. 

On the other hand, 

the purchaser may have 

conducted and completed 

their pre-purchase inspections 

prior to exchange of contracts 

and will instruct their solicitor 

to exchange contracts and pay 

the 10% deposit. 

In these circumstances the 

purchaser’s solicitor may well 

sign on their client’s behalf 

a waiver of the cooling off 

period by the execution of a 

Section 66 Certificate. 

On the other hand, the 

property may be purchased 

at auction or on the same 

day as the auction. In these 

circumstances there is no 

cooling off period and once 

the auctioneer declares 

the property is sold to the 

highest bidder you are 

bound to go through with 

the purchase no matter how 

unfair the contract might be. 

To avoid this circumstance, 

prior to auction you should 

obtain a copy of the contract 

from the real estate agent and 

obtain your solicitors advice 

on the terms and conditions 

contained in it prior to 

attending the auction. 

As with the private treaty 

example, your solicitor can 

examine the contract and 

if terms and conditions are 

not to your satisfaction can 

seek to negotiate terms 

satisfactory to you prior to 

auction. 

On exchange of contracts, 

the contract signed by the 

purchaser is handed to the 

vendor’s solicitor and they 

are compared to ensure that 

they are in identical terms. 

The deposit must be paid or 

a Deposit Guarantee Bond 

handed over at that time and 

then the contracts are dated. 

Your solicitor will provide 

you with legal advice on all 

aspects of your acquisition of 

the property. 

* Next month: More details 

of the Conveyancing 

procedure to show why it is 

essential to obtain at each 

stage legal advice. 

Comment supplied by 

Jennifer Harris, of Jennifer 

Harris & Associates, 

Solicitors, 4/57 Avalon 

Parade, Avalon Beach. 

T: 9973 2011. F: 9918 3290. 

E: jennifer@jenniferharris.com.au 

W: www.jenniferharris.com.au 




Trades & Services 

Advertise your 

Business in Trades 

& Services section 

Ph: 0438 123 096 


AIR CONDITIONING 

Alliance Climate Control 

Call 02 9186 4179 

Air Conditioning & Electrical Professionals. 

Specialists in Air Conditioning Installation, 

Service, Repair & Replacement. 

AUTO REPAIRS 

British & Swedish Motors 

Call 9970 6654 

Services Range Rover, Land Rover, Saab and 

Volvo with the latest in diagnostic equipment. 

Narrabeen Tyrepower 

Call 9970 6670 

Stocks all popular brands including Cooper 4WD. 

Plus they’ll do all mechanical repairs and rego 

inspections. 

BATTERIES 

Battery Business 

Call 9970 6999 

Batteries for all applications. Won’t be beaten 

on price or service. Free testing, 7 days. 

BOAT SERVICES 

Avalon Marine Upholstery 

Call Simon 9918 9803 

Makes cushions for boats, patio and pool furniture, 

window seats. 

CLEANING 

All Northern Beaches 

Pressure Clean 

Call 0416 215 095 

Driveways, paths, garden walls, awnings, 

house wash. 

Amazing Clean 

Call Andrew 0412 475 2871 

Specialists in blinds, curtains and 

awnings. Clean, repair, supply new. 

Aussie Clean Team 

Call John 0478 799 680 

For a sparkling finish, inside and out. Also 

light maintenance/repairs. Free quotes; fully 

insured. 

Housewashingnorthernbeaches.com.au 

Call Ben 0408 682 525 

Established 1999 in Avalon & Collaroy. We 

specialise in soft and pressure washes, plus 

window and gutter cleaning, driveways and 

rooftops. 

The Aqua Clean Team 

Call Mark 0449 049 101 

Quality window washing, pressure cleaning, 

carpet washing, building soft wash. 

CONCRETING 

Pavecrete – All Concrete 

Services 

Call Phil 0418 772 799 

pavecrete@iinet.net.au 

Established locally 1995. Driveways plus – 

Council Accredited. Excavation service. 

ELECTRICAL 

Alliance Service Group 

Call Adrian 9063 4658 

All services & repairs, 24hr. Lighting installation, 

switchboard upgrade. Seniors discount 5%. 

Eamon Dowling Electrical 

Call Eamon 0410 457 373 

For all electrical needs including phone, TV and 



data. Pittwater-based. Reliable; quality service 

guaranteed. 

FLOOR COVERINGS 

Blue Tongue Carpets 

Call Stephan or Roslyn 9979 7292 

Northern Beaches Flooring Centre has been 

family owned & run for over 20 years. Carpets, 

Tiles, Timber, Laminates, Hybrids & Vinyls. 

Open 6 days. 

GARDENS 

!Abloom Ace Gardening 

Call 0415 817 880 

Full range of gardening services including landscaping, 

maintenance and rubbish removal. 

Melaleuca Landscapes 

Call Sandy 0416 276 066 

Professional design and construction for 

every garden situation. Sustainable vegetable 

gardens and waterfront specialist. 

Precision Tree Services 

Call Adam 0410 736 105 

Adam Bridger; professional tree care by qualified 

arborists and tree surgeons. 

GUTTERS & ROOFING 

Cloud9 G&R 

Call Tommy 0447 999 929 

Prompt and reliable service; gutter cleaning 

and installation, leak detection, roof installation 

and painting. Also roof repairs specialist. 

Ken Wilson Roofing 

Call 0419 466 783 

Leaking roofs, tile repairs, tiles replaced, metal 

roof repairs, gutter cleaning, valley irons replaced. 

HANDYMEN 

Hire A Hubby 

Call 1800 803 339 

Extensive services including carpentry, outdoor 

maintenance, painting and plastering and more. 

HOT WATER 

Hot Water Maintenance NB 

Call 9982 1265 

Local emergency specialists, 7 days. Sales, 

service, installation. Warranty agents, fully 

accredited. 

KITCHENS 

Collaroy Kitchen Centre 

Call 9972 9300 

Danish design excellence. Local beaches 

specialists in kitchens, bathrooms and joinery. 

Visit the showroom in Collaroy. 

Seabreeze Kitchens 

Call 9938 5477 

Specialists in all kitchen needs; design, fitting, 

consultation. Excellent trades. 






LOCKSMITHS 

Mosman Locksmiths 

Call 9969 6333 

40 years servicing the Beaches; specialists in 

lock-outs including automotive, rekeying, smart 

lock security; also door hardware and safe 

sales & installation. 

MASSAGE & FITNESS 

Avalon Physiotherapy 

Call 9918 3373 

Provide specialist treatment for neck & back 

pain, sports injuries, orthopaedic problems. 

PAINTING 

Cloud9 Painting 

Call 0447 999 929 

Your one-stop shop for home or office painting; 

interiors, exteriors and also roof painting. Call 

for a quote. 

Modern Colour 

Call 0406 150 555 

Simon Bergin offers quality painting and 

DISCLAIMER: The editorial and advertising 

content in Pittwater Life has been provided by a 

number of sources. Any opinions expressed are 

not necessarily those of the Editor or Publisher of 

Pittwater Life and no responsibility is taken for 

the accuracy of the information contained within. 

Readers should make their own enquiries directly 

to any organisations or businesses prior to making 

any plans or taking any action. 

decorating; clean, tidy, great detail you will 

notice. Dependable and on time. 

PEST CONTROL 

Predator Pest Control 

Call 0417 276 962 

predatorpestcontrol.com.au 

Environmental services at their best. 

Comprehensive control. Eliminate all manner 

of pests. 

PLUMBING 

Mark Ellison Plumbing 

Call 0431 000 400 

Advanced solutions for sewer & stormwater pipe 

relining: Upfront price, 25-year warranty. 

RENOVATIONS 

BlindLight 

Call Dave 0403 466 350 

Specialists in window tintings and glass 

coatings. Act now the weather is hot. 

RUBBISH REMOVAL 

Brown Bros Skip Bins 

Call 1300 879 688 

Local waste management & environmental 

services experts. Bins to suit, delivered 

between 2 & 24 hours. Green footprint. 



Jack’s Rubbish Removals 

Call Jack 0403 385 312 

Up to 45% cheaper than skips. Latest health 

regulations. Old-fashioned honesty & reliability. 

Free quotes. 

One 2 Dump 

Call Josh 0450 712 779 

Seven-days-a-week pick-up service includes 

general household rubbish, construction, 

commercial plus vegetation. Also car removals. 

UPHOLSTERY 

Luxafoam North 

Call 0414 468 434 

Local specialists in all aspects of outdoor & indoor 

seating. Custom service, expert advice. 




Tasty Morsels 

with Beverley Hudec 

Tasty Dining Morsels Guide 

Think 'progressive': support 

some Newport dining venues 

Progressive dinners, just 

like party vol-au-vents and 

fondues, sound stuck in the 

’70s. But they’re back. 

If you’re unfamiliar with the 

term, a progressive dinner 

starts at one 

place for drinks 

and an entree, 

before moving 

on to a second 

destination for the 

main course and 

finally ending up 

in a third venue for 

dessert. Each location 

must be close 

so they are easily 

walkable. 

If that sounds 

like fun, Susie Mills 

tapped into her 

corporate marketing expertise 

and introduced the concept to 

Newport last November. 

And of course it’s a sure-fire 

way of supporting three local 

businesses and bringing in 

customers midweek, especially 

as the COVID pandemic 

has smashed the hospitality 

industry. 

So far, Susie has collaborated 

with two very different Newport 

venues, Sahar Afghan Restaurant 

and Mrs Robertson, to share a 

different sort of 

night out. 

The first progressive 

dinner of 

2022 kicked off at 

Sundial Urban Cellar 

Door, a funky 

tapas and wine 

bar, tucked away in 

a courtyard on the 

main road. 

Sundial also just 

happens to be 

Susie’s own venue 

and she’s there to 

meet you, hand 

over a preloaded $15 wine card 

and explain how it works. 

One wall is taken up with 

glass-fronted argon gas wine 

dispensers lined with 30 Australian 

wines. White wines are on 

the right, roses and lighter reds 

are in the middle and the heavy 

MAIN: Fish korma 

and basmati rice 

at Sahar Afghan. 

LEFT: Cocktail at 

Mrs Robertson's. 

BELOW: Burrata 

with tomato and 

basil at Sundial. 

shirazes are on the left. 

meat-free options, dishes like 

Then the fun starts. Pick a kebobs and Kabul Pallow, the 

glass – chilled glasses for white aromatic slow cooked lamb and 

wine are in the fridge; glasses rice national dish, are sadly offlimits 

for red are in a basket – insert 

this time. 

your card in the slot, select a However, the fish korma and 

wine, hold your glass under the accompanying fluffy basmati 

nozzle and squeeze. So easy. rice is an inspired choice. It’s 

Forget the vol-au-vents, Sundial 

nothing like a sweet and creamy 

has two very contemporary Indian korma, this delicious 

entrees to match any one of her Afghani curry comes in a rich 

Australian chardies, semillon or tomato-based sauce flavoured 

roses. 

with garlic, ginger, onions, a hint 

Progressives can have either of chilli and sprigs of dill. 

two small Peking duck pancakes After dinner, it’s a short stroll 

or an oozy burrata, drizzled up the street to journey’s end 

with olive oil and balsamic and – cosy Mrs Robertson’s Lounge 

served with toasted french Bar. For progressive diners, any 

bread. The creamy burrata is the of the $18 cocktails are on offer. 

more substantial entree. Both There’s a cocktail for all palates. 

work nicely if you’re sharing, 

You can finish the night 

too. 

with a trendy espresso martini 

When it’s time to move on, Sahar 

or a sour and salty margarita. 

Afghan Restaurant, around Maybe that minty, sweet and 

the corner in Robertson Road, is wonderfully ’70s grasshopper is 

offering any of its main courses a drink for another occasion? 

as part of the $75-a-head deal. One dinner and three different 

There are familiar dishes 

experiences is a fun, local 

like kormas, koftas and dahls, Wednesday night out. 

but unlike Indian food, Afghan Keep an eye out for the next 

spices and flavours are more one. Avalon and Mona Vale, 

subtle and aromatic. 

what’s stopping you, too? 

As I’m sticking to midweek *Bookings eventbrite.com.au 



Tiny Morsels… 

Super sandwiches 

on offer at Sandy's 

Avalon’s Bar Elvina has tapped into 

the daytime market with a downstairs 

sandwich and salad bar. Sandy’s 

preps four salads and five sandwiches 

that can be mixed and matched. 

Classic chicken schnitzel and a king 

prawn hot dog roll are two of the five 

sandwich combos. For vegans, there’s 

a green tea soba noodle salad. 

Nothing old about 

Elanora's Deli 55 

Elanora Heights’ former Chinese 

restaurant is now a family-run deli. 

Deli 55 on Kalang St stocks cheeses, 

meats, Italian breads and its own 

blend of coffee. The homemade 

lasagnes and meatballs are popular 

takeaway meals. And, for something 

sweet, their homemade lime 

cheesecake also goes down a treat. 

Polo juggles 

duties with flair 

Polo Kitchen and Coffee wears 

two hats. During the working 

week, the Mona Vale venue is a 

coffee spot for tradies and local 

businesses. On Friday night it 

morphs into The Burger Kid, 

a takeaway American burger 

bar. Order meaty delights like 

slow-cooked pulled pork or a 

two-beef patty cheeseburger 

called American Gangster. 

Chillax! Moving but 

staying in Collaroy 

Bacon and egg rolls, protein shakes, 

Vegetarian Big Brekkys and smashed 

avo on toast and a plentiful supply of 

Campos Coffee are Chillax staples. 

However, change is coming. After 10 

years in a Collaroy sidestreet, the cafe is 

moving. There’s no word so far on the new 

location, except that it will stay in Collaroy. 

Tasty Dining Morsels Guide 


Three of a kind: Pancakes 

Head to Mona Vale for savoury 

pancakes with a difference. 

Cafe Monaka’s lunch menu 

features okonomiyaki, a popular 

Japanese street food, which 

packs an umami punch. This 

pancake (pictured) is stuffed 

with cabbage and shallots and 

drizzled with barbecue sauce 

and Kewpie mayo. The best bit 

is watching those bonito flakes 

curl with the heat! 

Girdler’s twist on pancakes 

is a selection of gluten-free 

organic buckwheat crepes. 

The wood-smoked salmon 

crepe comes with avocado, 

spinach and homemade 

cauliflower sauce. Sweet treats 

include a cacao split crepe 

with banana and coconut ice 

cream or one with banana 

slices and macadamia and 

maple crunch. 

There’s no doubt that 

American-style pancakes are 

weekend breakfast treats. 

Who doesn’t love fluffy, puffy 

batter that’s light and airy 

when it’s cooked? Narrabeen’s 

Tramshed Cafe cooks up 

buttermilk pancakes for both 

big and little kids. The grownup 

version includes bananas, 

strawberries, chantilly cream 

and maple syrup. 


Food Life 

with Janelle Bloom 

Aye, there's the rub! Adding 

spice to meat, fish and veg 


Recipes: janellebloom.com.au; facebook.com/culinaryinbloom; instagram.com/janellegbloom/ Photos: Adobe Stock 

Fresh spices and rubs will add vibrant 

colour, deep flavour and texture to so 

many dishes, from the humble potato 

to a beautiful beef brisket. Spices are a must 

in all kitchens. My #1 tip is that fresh spices 

are vital. If when you open the lid to the spice 

Tandoori spiced 

chicken wings 

Serves 6 

1 tsp ground fennel seeds 

1 tsp ground turmeric 

1 tbs ground coriander 

1 tsp garam masala 

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli 

powder (Indian chilli powder) 

3 tsp sweet paprika 

½ tsp ground cinnamon 

1 tsp ground ginger 

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp sea salt flakes, crushed 

1 tsp cracked black pepper 

2 tbs vegetable oil 

1/3 cup passata sauce 

2 tbs mango chutney 

18 chicken wings 

1 cup Greek yoghurt 

Pan fried naan, to serve 

1. Place the spices, garlic 

powder, salt and pepper 

in a large bowl, mix until 

well combined to make a 

tandoori spice rub. Add the 

vegetable oil, passata and 

chutney and mix well. 

2. Add the chicken wings, stir 

to coat. Cover and place in 

the fridge for 2 hours or 

overnight of you have time. 

3. Preheat the oven 200°C fan 

forced. Line a large baking 

tray with baking paper. 

4. Place the chicken wings 

onto the tray, spray both 

sides lightly with oil. Roast 

for 40-50 minutes, turning 

and basting the wings twice 

during cooking. 

5. Serve hot with yoghurt and 

naan bread. 

Texas Style 

barbecue beef 

brisket 

Serves 8 

2 tbs sweet paprika 

2 tbs smoked paprika 

2 tbs sea salt flakes, crushed 

2 tbs garlic powder 

2 tbs onion powder 

1 tbs black pepper 

1 tbs dried parsley 

2 tsp cayenne pepper 

2 tsp ground cumin 

1 tsp ground coriander 

1/4 tsp hot chilli powder 

jar it doesn’t hit you with an intense aroma, 

the spice is probably old – no aroma equals 

no flavour, so check the use-by dates on your 

spices, discard the old and grab some new 

ones. Then simply wait for the compliments 

when the next meal is served up! 

2 tsp dried oregano 

½ cup brown sugar 

2kg beef brisket, trimmed, 

optional 

Smokey barbecue sauce, to 

serve 

1. Combine the paprika, 

salt, garlic powder, onion 

powder, black pepper, dried 

parsley, cayenne pepper, 

cumin, coriander, hot chili 

powder, oregano, and if 

desired, the brown sugar 

until thoroughly mixed. 

2. Pat the brisket dry on all 

sides using paper towels. 

3. Using half the rub (reserve 

the rest for another use, it’s 

great on steak or chicken), 

sprinkle the rub all over 

the beef, while pressing 

it in and rub it with your 

fingertips until it adheres 

to the entire surface. Let 

the brisket sit for up to 

24 hours in the fridge if 

you have time, or cook 

immediately. 

4. Spread two large sheets of 

foil down on the counter, 

spray lightly with oil. Place 

the brisket (with the fat side 

up) on the foil and pull the 

edges of the foil up around 

the meat to seal it well. 

5. Preheat a hooded barbecue 

or the oven to 150°C fan 

forced. Place the brisket on 

a large oven tray (fat side 

up in the foil) and cook for 

about 4 hours or until meat 

is tender. Remove from the 

barbecue or oven. Open 

the foil and allow to cool 

slightly. 

6. Preheat the barbecue 

plate on high heat. Add 

the brisket and cook 4-5 

minutes on each side or until 

slightly charred. Allow to 

stand, then slice and serve 

with spicy barbecue sauce 

(plus jalapenos if you dare!). 

Lemon pepper 

crispy skin salmon 

Serves 4 

4 fresh lemons 

1 tbs coriander seeds 

1 tbs ground black pepper 

1 tbs sea salt flakes 

2 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp onion powder 

1 tbs thyme leaves 

4 x 150g pieces fresh salmon, 

skin on 

3 tbs olive oil 

Lemon wedges, to serve 



For more recipes go to janellebloom.com.au 

Italian-style spiced 

vegetable skewers 

Makes 12 

1. Preheat the oven to 230˚C. 

2. Finely grate the lemon rind. 

Spread the rind onto a tray 

lined with baking paper. 

Bake the rind for 10-12 

minutes, checking every few 

minutes until the zest feels 

dry. Set aside to cool. 

3. Place the coriander seeds 

in a small frying pan 

over medium heat. Cook, 

shaking the pan for 3 

minutes until aromatic. 

Set aside to cool. Pound 

the coriander seeds with a 

mortar and pestle to crush 

or place the seeds in a 

snap lock bag then clean 

tea towel and pound with a 

meat mallet. 

4. Place the dried lemon rind, 

crushed coriander, freshly 

ground black pepper, 

salt, garlic powder, onion 

powder, chilli flakes and 

thyme in a bowl. Stir to 

combine. 

5. Place the salmon onto a 

tray. Brush both sides with 

a little oil. Sprinkle the spice 

mixture over the flesh side, 

not the skin. Use your finger 

tips to press the mixture on. 

6. Heat a large frying pan on 

medium high until very 

hot. Add a little oil, add the 

salmon, skin side down, 

press the salmon with a 

spatula to hold it flat, cook 

for 3 minutes,pressing on 

the salmon until the skin is 

golden and crisp. Reduce 

the heat to medium, turn 

the salmon over and cook 

2 minutes for medium 

or until cooked to your 

liking. Remove to a plate, 

skin side up and stand 3 

minutes to rest. 

7. Serve, spice side up, with 

lemon. 


12 chat potatoes 

3 small red onions, peeled, 

halved 

1 large brown onion, peeled, 

cut into thick wedges 

1 garlic bulb, halved 

3 green zucchini, thinly sliced 

into rounds 

2 yellow zucchini, thinly sliced 

into rounds 

2 large red capsicum, cut into 

3-4cm pieces 

Chopped fresh herbs, to 

serve, like parsley or basil 

Spiced oil 

3 tbs olive oil 

1 tsp smoked paprika 

3 tsp Italian herb and spice 

blend 

1 tsp sea salt flakes, crushed 

1. Place the potatoes into a 

saucepan of cold water, 

bring to the boil over high 

heat. Cook 5-8 minutes or 

until almost (not completely, 

they should still be firm) 

tender, when tested with a 

skewer. Drain and set aside 

to cool for 10 minutes then 

thickly slice. 

2. Meanwhile, place the onions 

and garlic bulb, cut side 

up in a single layer on a 

microwave-safe pate. Cover 

with damp paper towel and 

microwave for 3 minutes on 

High/100% until hot. 

3. Skewer the potato slices, 

zucchini (a couple at a time) 

and capsicum alternately 

onto skewers. Place onto a 

large tray with the onions 

and garlic. 

4. Combine all the spiced oil 

ingredients together in a 

bowl. Spoon the oil mixture 

over the skewers, onions 

and garlic, turn to coat. 

5. Preheat a barbecue plate on 

medium-high heat until hot. 

Cook the skewers, onions 

and garlic for 6 minutes, 

turning occasionally until 

lightly charred. Serve. 

Janelle’s Tip: Other vegetables 

great on these skewers are 

button mushrooms, cherry 

tomatoes, brussels sprouts, 

and eggplant. 

Cinnamon spiced 

apple crumble sour 

cream slice 

Makes 18 pieces 

3 cups plain flour, sifted 

1 cup caster sugar 

250g unsalted butter, melted 

1 tsp each ground cinnamon, 

ginger and nutmeg 

400ml carton sour cream 

1 tbs caster sugar, extra 

400g can apple pie slices, 

drained 

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

1. Preheat oven to 170˚C fan 

forced. Grease an 18cm x 

28cm base slab pan and 

line the base and sides 

with baking paper, allowing 

sides to overhang. 

2. Place the flour, sugar and 

butter in a large bowl and 

mix well to combine. Press 

half the crumble mixture 

into the base of the lined 

slab pan. Refrigerate for 

10 minutes or until firm. 

Remove from the fridge 

and cook for 15 minutes or 

until a light golden. 

3. Meanwhile add the 

cinnamon, ginger and 

nutmeg to the remaining 

flour mixture and mix 

with your fingertips until 

the mixture starts to form 

clumps. 

4. Combine the sour cream 

and extra caster sugar in a 

bowl until well combined. 

Spoon the apple slices 

in a single layer over 

the cooked base. Spoon 

over sour cream mixture 

and smooth the surface. 

Crumble over the spice 

mixture to cover. Bake for 

20 minutes or until the 

sour cream is just set and 

the crumble is golden. Set 

aside at room temperature 

to cool. Place in the fridge 

for 6 hours or overnight 

to set. 


Food Life


Pick of the Month: 

Australian 

Pomegranates 


Pomegranates are 

wonderfully versatile. The 

red ‘jewels’ inside the fruit 

are called arils, and they’re 

full of delicious, nutritious 

sweet-tart juice surrounding 

a small white crunchy seed. 

You can eat the whole arils 

including the fibre-rich 

seeds, or spit out the seeds, 

it’s your choice! 

Buying 

A good, ripe pomegranate 

should feel heavy. The skin 

should be firm and glossy. 

The skin color varies from 

medium red to deep red 

with a fresh leather-like 

appearance. 

Storage 

Whole pomegranates keep 

well at room temperature 

out of sunlight for 3-4 days 

and up to 3 months when 

refrigerated in plastic bags. 

However, once I buy them I 

like to remove the seeds and 

freeze in ice cube trays. Once 

frozen turn out and store in 

airtight bag in the freezer for 

up to 6 months. Scatter frozen 

seeds over salads. 

Nutrition 

Branded a super food, 

pomegranates are high in 

vitamin C and potassium, 

a great source of fiber, 

and low in calories. Fresh 

pomegranate juice is high 

in three different types of 

polyphenols, a potent form of 

antioxidants. 

Pomegranate, 

cucumber and 

mint salad 

Serves 6 (as a side) 

1 pomegranate 

4 Lebanese cucumbers, 

chopped 

2 sticks celery, diced 

3 green onions, finely 

chopped 

200g soft creamy feta, cut 

into cubes 

1 lemon, rind finely grated 

Dressing 

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil 

2 tbs lemon juice 

1 tsp Dijon mustard 

1 tsp honey 

1. To remove the seeds from 

the pomegranate, roll the 

pomegranate on the bench 

to loosen the seeds. Score 

around the middle and tear 

open into two halves. Hold 

each pomegranate half over 

a bowl, seeds facing down 

and tap the skin with a 

wooden spoon, squeezing 

a little to release the seeds 

and juice. Remove and 

discard any white pith. 

2. Combine the cucumber, 

celery and onions in a 

serving bowl. Spoon over 

the pomegranate seeds and 

juice. Top with feta and 

lemon rind. 

3. Combine all the dressing 

ingredients together, 

season with pepper. Pour 

the dressing over the salad 

just before serving. 

In Season 

March 

Bananas; figs; grapes, 

Kiwifruit; limes; mangoes; 

Nashi pears; Valencia 

oranges; papaw; 

passionfruit; pomegranate; 

plums & quince; 

watermelon; also Asian 

greens; beetroot, Green 

beans; broccoli; broccolini; 

carrots; capsicums; 

cucumbers; eggplant; 

lettuce; spinach; sweetcorn 

and zucchini. 



Pittwater Puzzler 

Compiled by David Stickley 

24 Set off (5,3) 

26 A fortress, usually on 

high ground protecting or 

dominating a city (7) 

27 A passage taken from a 

book or writing (7) 

28 Community event held in 

Dunbar Park, Avalon, where 

unwanted items can be sold 

(3,4,4) 

ACROSS 

1 Channel 9’s main sports 

anchor who lives on the 

Northern Beaches (5,6) 

9 What can be found at 

Central Rd opposite Nandina 

Terrace in Avalon (3,4) 

10 A hardly perceptible 

quantity, a dash (7) 

11 Track that’s a testing trek 

from McCarrs Creek Road 

at Church Point over to 

Ingleside (8) 

12 Food holders for 

consumers (6) 

14 One may be spotted out 

to sea from the Northern 

Beaches (4) 

15 Land formation located at 

the mouth to the Hawkesbury 

River inside Broken Bay (4,6) 

18 Mental health practice 

in Terrey Hills which offers 

open-air “equine assisted 

counselling” (4,6) 

19 Old land measure (4) 

22 Writer of the play ‘Killing 

Katie’, ______ Trinder (6) 

DOWN 

1 A person who defends or 

vindicates (9) 

2 To change or alter from one 

appearance, kind or quality to 

another (6) 

3 (At some universities) a teacher 

who oversees the work of a 

student, especially a research 

student or one studying for a 

higher degree (10) 

4 Any of the various plant 

diseases caused by fungi in 

which the leaves and stems 

become spotted and acquire a 

red to brown colour (4) 

5 No Clue 

6 Vessel often seen on 

Pittwater (5) 

7 Ancient calculator (6) 

8 Left over; remaining (6) 

13 Any placing of money to 

secure income or profit (10) 

16 A safe place for vessels to 

moor (9) 

17 A criminal; law breaker (8) 

18 A theatrical routine, 

gimmick, etc. (6) 

20 A modern residential or 

industrial area with integrated 

design or purpose (6) 

21 Shrub native to South Africa, 

with conelike flower heads (6) 

23 That part of a building, 

especially a house, directly 

under a roof (5) 

25 The lowest female voice (4) 

[Solution page 80] 

Pittwater Puzzler 



Garden Life 

with Gabrielle Bryant 


You can’t go past a gorgeous 

‘bulb lasagne’ for Spring colour 

It is time to buy Spring-flowering bulbs this 

month, even though they don’t need to be 

planted until April or May. For if you wait 

too long, the best selections will be gone! 

To make a lasagne you would expect to go 

into the kitchen, but not to make one with 

Spring bulbs. A lasagne is a dish that is made 

up of many layers of mince and pasta and 

this is what is done with bulbs and potting 

mix. Bulb lasagnes (pictured) are an art that 

has been practised in Europe for many years. 

You will need a large, wide container and a 

top-quality potting mix. I use Yates dynamic 

lifter potting mix. It has the most reliable 

consistency. 

Choose your bulbs carefully – you can 

have just one colour or choose colours 

that complement each other. Read the flowering details carefully. 

Choose three varieties: one early flowering, one mid-Spring variety 

and one late-flowering variety. Mix varieties together – daffodils, 

grape hyacinths and tulips mix together in a wonderful show of 

Spring colour. 

Fill the bottom of the pot with potting mix to halfway up the 

side, making sure that there is a sufficient 

drainage hole; if it is too large, cover it with 

a layer of large pebbles. 

Next, plant the bulbs that will flower last. 

Bulbs have a small root system, so pack 

them in for a good display. Late-flowering 

tulips are a good first layer. (The Monet 

tulips have huge flowers and are available in 

a rainbow of colours.) 

Cover with another layer of soil and plant 

the mid-flowering bulbs. Hyacinths are always 

reliable, either all one colour or mixed. 

Again, add another layer of potting mix. 

Finally your last early-flowering bulbs: 

tiny Jet Star daffodils, bright blue grape 

hyacinths or sweet-smelling freesias. 

As you plant the bulbs, try to stagger 

them so that the ones that are planted underneath have room to 

reach the surface. (A tip: if you are impatient for colour, overplant 

the surface with winter pansies or violas.) 

Keep the pot in the full sun and water regularly. A fortnightly 

feed with Aquasol keeps the bulbs growing well. For added health 

and colour, add a slow-release fertiliser for flowering plants. 

Going nuts for Bunya Pines 

Bunya Pines are close 

cousins of the much-loved 

Norfolk Island Pines and 

the newly discovered Wollemi 

Pines. They have been a source 

of food for the indigenous 

population of Australia for centuries, 

but only recently have 

they become a new source of 

food for chefs and home cooks. 

Bunya pines were growing in 

the Jurassic times and were a 

source of food for the dinosaurs 

200 million years ago. 

They are the most majestic, 

grand trees. Once they were 

more widespread but now 

there are only a few places in 

Queensland where they grow 

naturally. Many were cut down 

by early settlers for timber, but 

in 1908 the Queensland Government 

declared the Bunya 

Mountains a national park. 

For centuries the aboriginal 

population made annual visits 

to the mountains to harvest and 

eat the nuts from these huge 

trees. Bunya pines can reach 

the height of 50 metres. These 

trees can live for more than 

800 years. Many of the older 

trees have footholds cut into 

the trunk for intrepid climbers 

to harvest the nuts hundreds of 

years ago. 

Bunya pines are not suitable 

for domestic gardens but 

can be found in parks across 



Clump Ligularia for 

great ground cover 

The Ligularia family of 

plants are shade-loving, 

clumping plants from 

Asia that can be divided 

easily in Spring to create a 

wonderfully coloured ground 

cover – some in full sun, 

some under trees in dappled 

shade, or some varieties 

in shaded corners of the 

garden. 

They will grow in moist 

soil and will tolerate wet, 

boggy feet, but are happier 

with good drainage. These 

fantastic plants adapt to so 

many different conditions. 

They can be hard to find 

in garden centres but are 

well worth the hunt. There 

are 150 different ones, but 

not many are commercially 

grown. They all have amazing 

foliage, and as members 

of the aster family they all 

have tall, yellow, daisy-like 

flowers (top right) that appear 

spasmodically through the 

Summer months. The brighter 

the light, the more flowers the 

plants will develop. 

Leopard plants come in 

varying sizes depending on 

variety. The largest growing 

is Ligularia reniforme 

gigantica – the huge kidneyshaped, 

leathery, bright 

green leaves are responsible 

for its common name, the 

‘Tractor Seat plant’ (below). 

It will grow in full sun or 

part shade but as with all 

the family it requires regular 

watering, and good drainage. 

It can grow to one metre tall 

and one metre wide. 

The Leopard plant is 

Ligularia tussilaginea; it gets 

its name from the exquisitely 

marked green and mottledgold 

leaves. It is a smallergrowing 

plant mounding, 

as it grows to 30cm tall and 

60cm wide. This one may be 

hard to find, but the bright 

splashes of gold bring a 

shady corner to life. 

In recent times there 

has been some interest 

from plant breeders who 

have developed new-name 

varieties with leaves from 

glossy green to dark purple, 

or from bronze to mottled 

silver. 

Ligularia Pandora is one 

of these, and perfect for a 

smaller space, growing just 

20cm tall and 30cm wide. 

The dark purple leaves 

contrast beautifully if grown 

together with the leopard 

plant. 


Sydney. But beware: in Autumn 

they drop their huge seed 

heads the size of a soccer ball 

and weighing up to 10kg without 

warning. Never park your 

car or sit underneath one! 

If you are lucky enough to 

find one of the cones that are 

falling now, enjoy the nuts. 


They can be eaten raw but are 

better cooked. Open the hard 

shell with a sharp pair of secateurs. 

The nut inside is the size 

of a large almond. Boil them, 

fry them in garlic butter, roast 

them under your Sunday roast 

or process them into a paste 

and make a Bunya nut pesto. 




March 

The rain has caused so 

many problems: root 

rot, powdery mildew 

and more. Let’s hope that 

the weather will dry out! This 

month, patch damaged areas 

of the lawn. If you are unsure 

of the lawn grass, take a 

sample to a turf supplier for 

identification. If the lawn has 

a fungal problem with spotted 

leaves, spray with mancozeb. 

Autumn is the perfect time to 

fill gaps and plant new shrubs 

and trees. The newly planted 

pots will have time to establish 

new root growth before 

Winter, and this will give them 

a head start in Spring. 

Cover fruit 

Cover fruiting trees such as guavas, 

peaches, plums, bananas, 

mangoes or paw paws with bird 

net to protect the developing 

fruits from possums, rats and 

birds. 

Rust watch 

Frangipani rust loves wet weather 

and high humidity! Frangipani 

rust is hard to control. The rusty 

spores are carried in the wind. 

Left out of control it will defoliate 

the tree. Remove all affected 

leaves and dispose of them in a 

plastic bag in the red bin – not 

the green bin, as the spores will 

carry over into landfill. Spray the 

tree with eco fungicide both on 

Jobs this Month 

the surface and the underside of 

the leaves. Remember to spray 

the soil and any foliage that is 

under the tree at the same time. 

The spores can lie dormant 

until next Spring, ready to cause 

trouble again. You may have to 

spray several times to beat this 

fungus. 

Sweet peas 

Plant sweet peas on St Patrick’s 

Day, March 17. There so many 

different varieties to choose 

from. Dwarf Bijou looks great 

in pots and baskets, and the 

old-fashioned colourcade is hard 

to beat. If you grow the taller 

varieties, construct their support 

before planting. They can grow 

two metres tall. A tripod of bamboo 

stakes, an arch or a trellis 

on a sunny wall will all look 

good. Make sure that you select 

a warm, sunny position to avoid 

powdery mildew on the leaves. 

Add some fertiliser and compost 

to the soil for a great result. 

Pull vegies 

If you haven’t already pulled out 

summer veggies and annuals, 

do it now. Plant Winter and 

Spring season seedlings. Silver 

beet, peas, carrots, broccolini, 

spring onions, lettuce and caulies 

can all go in now. It is time 

to plant pansies primula, viola, 

marigolds, allysum, lobelia, cineraria 

and snapdragons. Mulch 

Protect olives 

In recent years the azalea lace 

bug has found a new host. Olive 

trees are their new delicacy. Watch 

carefully for the first signs of this 

insect. The earliest sign will be 

strange yellow dots that appear 

when the female lace bug buries 

her eggs in the leaves. Keep your 

trees well pruned and open in the 

centre so that spray will reach all 

the affected areas. Spray with 

a pyrethrum spray and eco oil. 

Eco neem works well but is not yet registered in this country for 

Olives, although it has been in Europe. Feed olives well to keep 

them in good health; trees under stress are more vulnerable than 

healthy ones. Always spray in the cooler hours of the evening 

after the bees have gone to bed! 

well with sugar cane and protect 

your new seedlings from 

the snails that have multiplied 

in numbers since the rain. 

Final chores 

If you are looking for a fastgrowing, 

colourful Autumnflowering 

shrub seek out a 

justicia carnea Mardi Gras. In 

two seasons it will grow to the 

height of the side fence. Fully 

grown it will be 1.5m tall and 

1.5m wide. Also, move cymbidium 

orchids from the shade to 

a sunnier position to encourage 

the flower spikes that are 

beginning to form. 

Crossword solution from page 77 

Mystery location: LUCINDA PARK 

ANSWERS from page 28: 

1) False; 2) True; 3) False; 

4) True; 5) True; 6) False; 7) True. 



Times Past 

Pittwater’s 

anti-submarine 

boom net 

NET GAIN: Main image is a view from West Head 

showing the net and the ‘gate’ circled which 

permitted appropriate vessel passage; inset pic 

shows the view over Palm Beach golf course to the 

net with B. Houghton’s house in the foreground on 

the corner of Beach and Barrenjoey Roads; and the net 

under construction (below). 

War arrived in 

Australia in August 

1940 when a 

significant tonnage of eastcoast 

shipping was sunk, 

including the steam trawler 

‘Millimumul’ which hit a 

mine laid by the German 

Auxiliary Cruiser ‘Pinguin’ 

53 kilometres east of Broken 

Bay. Prior to this in the 1930s, 

Lion Island had been declared 

a bombing range. 

On 7 December 1941 

war was declared 

on Japan and the 

threat of war in 

Australia increased 

enormously, even 

locally. 

As a result, it was 

decided to build 

an anti-submarine 

boom net across 

the entrance to 

Pittwater, from 

Barrenjoey Headland 

to a point just north 

of Resolute Beach. 

It was in service 

by March 1942, 

around the same 

time the torpedotesting 

station 

at Taylor’s Point 

was operational. 

Besides protecting 

this station it also 


guarded against access by 

Japanese vessels, including 

submarines, and easy 

overland access to Sydney. 

The 1.3km cable was fixed 

to an eyebolt on a large 

rock near Resolute Beach 

after being encased within 

a large, cast concrete plinth 

1.5 metres long. The plinth 

had two large half-round 

‘beds’ cast to carry two large 

bearers to support a jetty 

which provided access for 

the soldiers to enjoy some 

R&R across the water at Palm 

Beach via ferry. The bearers 

were also fixed to a large 

rock down at water level. 

To install and secure the 

net, initially two ‘strainer’ 

posts were positioned 

at Resolute Beach and 

Barrenjoey Headland 1.35km 

apart. A wire was run from 

pole to pole and tensioned 

well above the water. 

From it, wire ‘tails’ or 

hangers were 

dropped down to 

support the top of 

the net. 

A strainer took 

the weight of the net 

during construction 

while it was being 

attached to the 

‘dolphins’ or pylons. 

Once fixed and 

the netting hung, 

the top wire of the 

net was tensioned 

and fixed to the 

end eyebolts. The 

strainer wire was 

then removed. 

The boom had 

a ‘gate’ which 

permitted access to 

appropriate vessels; 

it was adjacent to the 

3rd ‘pylon’ and was 

PHOTO: Naval Historical Society of Australia 

probably winch-operated. 

A small concrete bunker 

(still visible from the 

water) was built behind the 

Resolute Beach fixing site. 

It was just large enough 

for a detachment of three 

soldiers, some ammunition 

and a 3-pounder gun which 

could fire 47mm solid steel 

rounds to pierce light armour 

or steel hulls. Primarily this 

provided back-up defence of 

the net. 

The net remains on 

the bottom in its original 

position, severed at each 

end and now covered with 

sediment. 

Professional diver, Geoff 

Edwards, intersected it when 

excavating a trench for a 

north/south communication 

cable across Broken Bay. 

* Thanks to John 

Illingsworth for permission 

to use information provided 

in his excellent video ‘The 

Broken Section’ published by 

Pittwater Pathways. 

TIMES PAST is supplied by 

local historian and President 

of the Avalon Beach 

Historical Society GEOFF 

SEARL. Visit the Society’s 

showroom in Bowling Green 

Lane, Avalon Beach. 


Times Past

Travel Life 

Travel Life 

Chairman’s Cruise to French Polynesia 

Visionary businesswoman 

Sarina Bratton has drawn 

on her passion for discovery to 

redefine the concept of small 

ship luxury cruising. 

Australia’s ‘First Lady’ 

of cruising, Mrs Bratton – 

awarded an Order of Australia 

(AM) in the 2014 Australia Day 

Honours for her significant 

service to tourism, particularly 

the cruise ship industry 

– pioneered luxury expedition 

cruising in the Asia Pacific region 

when she founded Orion 

Expedition Cruises in 2004. 

Travel View Avalon’s Gail 

Kardash said Mrs Bratton was a 

highly successful entrepreneur 

with an outstanding ability 

to identify market opportunities 

ahead of the game, put 

together an effective strategy, 

and importantly, attract investors 

and lead a team of professionals 

through start-ups and/ 

or change management. 

“Sarina has a strong environmental 

conscience and 

under her guidance, Orion’s 

operations are rated as a world 

leader in sustainability,” Gail 

said. 

Mrs Bratton’s business acumen 

has led to several senior 

board directorships within 

Australian state and federal 

governments, and numerous 

awards including in 2006, 

the Veuve Clicquot Business 

Woman of the Year Award, and 

in 2008, the E&Y NSW Entrepreneur 

of the Year award in the 

Services category. 

“Sarina is also a former 

Director of Tourism Task Force, 

National Councillor for Tourism 

Council Australia, a member 

of Chief Executive Women Inc 

and a Fellow of the Australian 

Institute of Company Directors,” 

said Gail. 

“She now spearheads French 

luxury expedition cruise ship 

company PONANT’s international 

development, with a specific 

focus on the Asia Pacific 

region.” 

She explained that each 

year, Mrs Bratton selects a 

voyage from PONANT and Paul 

Gauguin Cruises’ extensive 

program to host as a special 

journey for their Australian and 

New Zealand PONANT Yacht 

Club Members. 

With the Paul Gauguin having 

had her interior freshly 

renovated in early 2021, under 

the direction of award-winning 

French designer and architect 

Jean-Philippe Nuel, the vessel 

now offers the perfect opportunity 

to host the Chairman’s 

Cruise for 2022 in French 

Polynesia for the first time. 

“Planned especially for 

guests from Australia and 

New Zealand, join PONANT 

for an authentically Polynesian 

11-night voyage discovering 

Tahiti, the Society Islands & the 

Tuamotus,” said Gail. 

“Travelling alongside Sarina 

and Expedition Manager Asia 

Pacific Mick Fogg, you’ll enjoy 

hand-crafted exceptional extras 

and surprises along the way, 

such as several shore excursions 

to showcase the spectacular 

lagoons, diverse marine 

environment, pristine beaches, 

and colourful Tahitian culture 

the region is renowned for. 

“All guests will have the 

opportunity to sail, swim, and 

snorkel in the pristine lagoons, 

discover the fascinating world 

of Tahitian pearl mariculture 

and sample local delicacies 

on picture postcard perfect 

islands.” 

– NW 

* Join Sarina Bratton for a 

special Ponant Ladies Luncheon 

(see below). Book your 

place now – call 9918 4444.

Pittwater Life March 2022 Issue

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