After a long hiatus, Bosveld Koos is finally back and ready to braai soos die biesies bewe!
IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championships is the highest profile IRONMAN triathlon event outside of the World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, and is in Melbourne for the second year running. Only 2200 competitors are able to take part in this gruelling event, which has already made history by selling out individual competitor places in a world record time of less than FOUR minutes.
Christmas is nearly upon us (in case you failed to notice all the signage and bling thats been adorning every retail outlet ever since Easter!) and as if you didnt have enough to worry about, spare a thought for your pets at this time. If youre anything like my mother, your pet probably gets its own Christmas present and individual plum pudding, but this can be a hazardous time for pets, so Ive put together a Christmas survival check list to ensure your pets get through this time smoothly.
Australian Wallaby and Western Force flanker, author and charity worker, David Pocock, 23 years old, has been honoured today with recognition on a special issue of stamps, Australian Legends, celebrating Australias greatest in the football codes. David has been recognized for both his performance over 40 tests and his tireless charity work.
Where am I? Cindy puzzled for a fleeting moment while drifting between an almost tangible dream and the reality of waking to a new morning. Everything around her was static nothing moved. No wizzing traffic around her, no scurry of last-minute packing nor frenzy of weighing suitcases tugging out that pair of shoes squashed in at the bottom and tipping the scales to a disadvantage - or lugging around of a laptop which belonged on top of which suitcase? Just static. Stillness. A real bed. No tight curled-up squeeze in the seat of a plane. But then that had been several days before and only now, her days seemed to be recognizable and strangely unchanged.
When we first arrived in Australia back in 1998 one of the first things that caught my attention was the high prices for jewellery. (I am actually a computer guy but used to make jewellery as a hobby in South Africa)
The plane droned on. Seat lights were dimmed and there was a subdued atmosphere on board. Was this due to the fact that many passengers were heading on home, leaving their loved-ones behind, as she was? Or perhaps this was just her imagination.
As the runaway winner of the 2010 John Eales Medal, the Australias Choice 2010 Qantas Wallaby of the Year and recipient of the Rugby Union Players Association Medal of Excellence, David Pocock is an outstanding rugby player and at only 23 years of age is the man the rugby world is watching. This spectacular rise, incredible talent and fierce determination to succeed is encapsulated in OPENSIDE - MY JOURNEY TO THE RUGBY WORLD CUP, Davids insight into the world of rugby union.
The consequences of modern agriculture practices are vast: soil degradation, water pollution, health problems and global changes are just some of the repercussions of todays agriculture system. Clean up agriculture and you have an immediate impact on all these issues.
Talking Bottle Shops I remember the days when buying alcoholwine had a real air of occasion! You only bought wines if you were having a dinner party! Maybe that was before I discovered quite how delightful a good glass of red can be!
Just 240 kilometres south of the Australian continent lies the beautiful little unspoilt gem of Tasmania. This island state has a population of around 500,000, most of whom reside around the capital Hobart. Whilst Hobart is a lively city, about 40% of Tasmania consists of largely undiscovered areas contained in protected reserves and natural heritage sites. Despite covering such a small area (just over 68,000 square kilometres), Tasmania is immensely diverse and offers some of the most breathtaking natural wonders of the world. Whether you like lounging in one of the many quaint coffee shops, dining in an excellent restaurant whilst watching the sunset, bushwalking across unspoilt nature, sailing or just enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon at the world famous Salamanca Market, Tasmania will delight you with a surprise around each and every corner.
Ive been in Australia for 20 years now! Yes I know, this is a ridiculously long time, but I do love this country. What I dont love, is that the general Australian public does not share my love of rugby! This past weekend we had the NRL and AFL grand finals, and as a result people every were skipping work on Monday, yet Sundays huge game between the Springboks and the Wallabies hardly get a mention.
If youre like many other fellow South Africans, you might be wondering what the outback in Australia is really like. There are a few stories about the outback doing the rounds which include things like there are no sealed roads, and the need to take spare containers of fuel.
Parents today are extremely conscious of doing things right. Paradoxically, parents report that they are more stressed, more tired and more angry than ever before. Different parents express their anger differently. Some parents are relaxed a lot of the time but, when they blow a fuse, it is very destructive and may take weeks to recover.
We started major renovations at our home, ripping down the old 3x3m Aussie shed to make way for a monster, which is almost big enough to park a small Cesna in it. Various flower beds have been upended and we have ordered a large sliding door that will open out onto a covered patio which is to be built by me, myself, I. Im hoping that years of Mecano and Lego will give me the grounding to tackle this engineering feat. My trusty handlanger Bianca was at my side carting away pavers and ensuring that there were at least four sugars in my coffee to wash down the thick apricot jam sandwich. Eish.
Im writing this on a laptop that has had the battery removed because it had become so useless that it barely lasted 10 minutes. It has struck me that there is an analogy between human life and appliances that use batteries.
I left home an Ekka Virgin, but by noon I felt as if Id been around the block quite a few times! After nearly three years living in Brisbane, I decided that this was the year to take on the Ekka, Queenslands premier agricultural show. In our first year, conversion from Rands to Aussie dollars was still too fresh in the memory banks, as wed only been earning dollars for a short while, and the costs after conversion just seemed exorbitant. Last years swine flu scare kept me as far away as possible, but this year I relented and took my 12 year old along.
Zimbabwean Belinda Tilley misses the memories of life on a misunderstood continent, according to an article by Anelia Blackie published in Mount Gambiers The Border Watch newspaper.
Its over, the mines closing were out of here! I experienced a heart-stopping moment as I heard my husband on the phone. Three months later, over 1,000 staff at the Ravensthorpe Nickel Operation were out of a job, including my husband.
New research has found that while Australians understand the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, they arent taking the correct dosage. Consumers recognise that omega-3s are the key active ingredients in fish oil, but may not be aware that 1000mg of fish oil does not contain 1000mg of omega-3s.
Must do, must see, must taste While in the Helderberg Early travellers to the Helderberg were glad of the landmark a stone peak rising above the low cloud and valley mist. They called the place clear mountain or Helderberg. Today the Helderberg is both a destination and a starting point.
What does it mean to you to be an expat? Discussing this question with a group of South Africans I was given a variety of responses, as well as some words of advice for others either recently arrived in Australia or those planning to make the jump soon.
All about fevers, improve happiness and Autism
This month sees the start of the first round of the South African Idols auditions, which are due to be broadcast in July. Its the first season that I wont be part of after having been on board as a judge from the very start in 2002.
Ive stood many times at airports watching people come and go. Some are arriving after travelling many hours to see loved ones; some are saying goodbye and wondering when they will ever see each other again; some are going home, some coming home; some are laughing, many are crying.
Melbournes laneways are her arteries, filled with people, who are the life-blood of the city. Home to coffee shops, art galleries and boutique shopping, they attract tourists and locals alike. And when the sun goes down, thats when they really come to life! Bars, nightclubs and al fresco restaurants appear out of the shadows to replace the daytime traffic.
Romantic Getaway I was thoroughly spoiled recently when my husband whisked me away for an overnight break, leaving the kids with my mom, who was visiting from South Africa. Our surprise destination was Witches Falls Cottages on Tamborine Mountain, Queensland where we found everything we needed for an awesome romantic getaway.
Must Do, Must See, Must Taste While in Paarl Paarl takes its name from the granite domes of the Paarl Mountains, which loom above the town paarl is Dutch for pearl. The first farmers settled there in 1687, two years after the founding of Stellenbosch.
The economic crisis resulted in tough times for many people. Not least, a number of people living in Australia who lost their jobs. For others it wasnt that critical, but financial difficulties did mean having to tighten the belt a little. By anyones standards the year 2009 was a tough one for the Richardson-Mills family after Tony was retrenched in November 2008. But talking to his wife Robyn, I am truly inspired by this family and the way that they came together to find innovative ways to increase their income even down to driving a taxi, in Robyns case and also to limit their spending.
I got the call a week before Christmas; the call that all expats with families overseas dread. My mother, aged 80, who lives in the United Kingdom, had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The doctors advised that the next six months would be grim as she went through chemo, but after that there should be another couple of good years. As a starting point I booked flights for late January and March, to offer support where I could.
Do you have a Lardy Larry or a Tubby Toby? Unfortunately obesity is all too common in pets these days. Sadly, the saying that were killing them with kindness is all too true. Overweight animals are prone to a multitude of illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, respiratory problems and liver failure. So if youre committed to helping your pet lose weight here are some tops tips to get you off to a good start.
In the corner of my Adelaide garden is a clump of agapanthus. Hurt my shoulder trying to lift and divide mine, complained my patient who came for a physiotherapy session. Do you know theyre actually from South Africa? So I googled agapanthus (or African lily) and discovered that they naturally occur nowhere else on earth. So the agapanthus and I are aliens from Africa in Adelaide! And so Ive decided that if it can survive in South Australia without watering, so can I.
Whats all the fuss about caffeine? One minute coffee is good for you and the next its not good for you. One thing we do know about caffeine is that heavy consumption of this chemical doubles your need for calcium because, as the body strains to eliminate what it perceives as poison, it flushes calcium from your body, via the kidneys.
Theres something about this time of the year that has me thinking about new life. Could it be the Easter eggs? Could it be that we select a day to celebrate our mothers, and their gift of life to us? And is that important, or just another commercial opportunity?
Ask any successful entrepreneur their secret to success and theyll tell you their secret lies in setting smart objectives and taking action. To get from where we are today to where we want to be in the future, we need a plan. Failing to plan is planning to fail. We all have more capacity than we believe we do. It doesnt matter what your objectives are, but rather your desire to reach it. Whether your smart goal is financial, personal or business, following these 10 steps will magnify your success.
Wow, how fast did 2009 fly by? Im not sure if it could be considered a full year! We should be in 2009 and a half, not 2010. I heard an interesting theory once. Actually it came from Shane Leites dad, Bill. He suggests that every year feels shorter because it actually IS shorter when compared to the rest of your life.
Must Do, Must See, Must Taste While in Stellenbosch Stellenbosch is a place of contradictions. It is a rowdy university town, crawling with barefoot students en route to a lecture hall or bar; a town of Mystic Boers, enlightened gypsies, hausfrau 4x4 owners and mentors; a town of conservative reformed churchgoers, liberal freethinkers, rugby players and poets.
Getting a new puppy is an exciting time. Here are some tips to help things go as smoothly as possible: 1. Start out right. Know what breed or type of dog you want. Many factors, including personal preferences, influence this. Consider what breed suits you best, for example. Match your ability to exercise them versus how much exercise they need, and consider your financial position.
Bake your cake and eat it Have a look at the ingredients in supermarket cakes and you might find the extensive list quite frightening. Some supermarket cakes contain more than 20 additives, which can be used to disguise many poor quality ingredients such as palm oil instead of butter and cheaper apples instead of raspberries in jam fillings, according to research by Choice, the consumer advocacy group.
All things pass. You can view it as death and mourn, or you can allow the winds of change to dance about your feet and celebrate How many of you have found your work environment has changed in some way in the last 12 months? Have you found it challenging? Have you noticed that others have found it challenging?
When I arrived in Melbourne seven years ago I immediately fell in love with the city. Like Cape Town, it is a delightful mix of old and new, has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and is very cosmopolitan well, not quite as cosmopolitan as Cape Town, but close! It is a city vibrant with art, music, drama and architecture, both old and new, and has the deserved title of the fashion capital of Australia. I have been exploring the alleys, streets and open spaces of Melbourne for seven years now, my camera always on hand, and I still find new sources of delight every time. This is one of my favourite cities right up there with Cape Town and Lisbon. It is a city of delights, cosy coffee shops, a vast variety of restaurants, pubs, plenty of parks and green open spaces; a city to enjoy living in.
The Mitsubishi Lancer has a well known and respected history of competing in the World Rally Championship and the Dakar Rally. These are arguably the two toughest races on the planet, yet Mitsubishi has always managed to stay in the upper echelons of the competitors. One of the primary benefits of being involved in competitive motorsport is that the use of cutting edge technology to keep you ahead of the pack on the race track will slowly migrate south into the road cars, benefiting the consumers.
When the Springboks or any other South African team touches down in Perth the West Australian Rugby Union know to call the Shamboks, a rugby team for the over 35s consisting mainly of ex-South African and ex-Zimbabwean members.
The recent formation of the Gold Coasts own A league football team, Gold Coast United, was the inspiration for a group of under-fit and overweight mainly ex-South African migrants to decide to get back on the soccer field.
When I arrived in Australia in August 2007, the first question everyone asked me was: Who do you support? Being a World Cup year, my reply was always the same: The Boks! I was usually given the evil eye and I just assumed it was because I hadnt picked the Wallabies. It soon became apparent I had no idea what they were on about.
South African military history has always held my interest. It comes as no surprise because four generations of my family served in the military and various wars and I have 22 sets of family medals in my collection. Even after spending over 30 years in Australia, I am as keen as ever on the subject, and have recently written three books, two of which are about the Boer War.
Must Do, Must See, Must TasteWhile in Franschhoek May and June are good months of the year to visit. Its off season, there are winter packages available with affordable stayovers, and visitors have the opportunity to do Franschhoek the way the locals do.
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