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1 - 7 October 2013 Issue: 483

SHEBU WALKIEA trip down memory lane

Aussie tourists in Thames boat fireAUSTRALIAN tourists were among passengers rescued from a London Duck Tours vessel on the River Thames after it burst into flames.

The amphibious vessel, which can travel on both land and water, was between Vauxhall and Lambeth Bridge in central London when the fire broke out.

Londoner Elissa Wood was on the tour with her parents, who were visiting from Australia.

Ms Wood spotted smoke coming from the boat as they passed Westminster.

“We saw the tour guide and the captain look at each other like ‘this is a real problem’ and then they encouraged us to put life jackets on and jump off,’’ she told Sky News Australia from the scene.

“It was really hot. The flames were really hot and it was confusing.

“We weren’t sure what was happening so it was scary.’’

Around 30 passengers were on the Duck Tours craft when the fire broke out shortly before midday.

Most were believed to be international tourists from Brazil, Sweden and The Netherlands.

Some were forced to jump into the river’s icy waters to escape the flames.

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END OF THE LINEThe city at its best

n Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he wants to get Australia’s relationship with Indonesia right, after the nation’s foreign minister warned strict asylum seeker policies could harm relations.

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PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has arrived in Jakarta, as the Australian government again defends its response to a distressed asylum seeker vessel that sank with the loss of up to 36 lives.

Mr Abbott landed in the Indonesian capital about 3pm (AEST) on Monday for his first foreign visit since his Liberal-Nationals coalition won power three weeks ago.

The asylum seekers issues threatens to dominate the trip, although Mr Abbott is keen to promote trade, education, defence and aid links to boost Australia’s relationship with the world’s fourth most populous country.

“It is in many respects our most important relationship,” he said before departing.

“It is important to get it right at the start of this new government.”

Travelling with Mr Abbott is his wife, Margie, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb and 20

mAN vErSUS

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1 - 7 October 20132 | News

Publisher: Bryce LowryEditor: Alex Ivett/Thomas JonesProduction/Design: Jackie LampardNews Editor: Paul BleakleyBusiness Editor: Sepi RoshanContributors: Georgia Dawes, Phillip Browne, Michael McCormick, Erin Somerville, George Katralis, Jacqui Moroney, Will Fitzgibbon, Kiel Egging, Daniel Shillito, Mat Lyons, Sandra Tahmasby, Tyson Yates,

Jennifer Perkin, Charlie Inglefield, Thomas Jones, Alistair Davis, Will Denton, Chloe Westley, Bonnie Gardiner, Michaela Gray, Marian Borges, Haylee Slater, Emma O'Neill, Ally Juchnevicius, Courtney Greatrex, Poppy Damon, Kris Griffiths, Lara Brunt, Nicole Hayes

Directors: P Atherton, J DurrantN Durrant, R Phillips and A Laird

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Who ArE WE?Australian Times is written and compiled by young Australian journalists living in the UK. Contributing on a volunteer basis, they are uniquely placed to reflect the interests, opinions and attitudes of our community. If you would like to join us, contact info@australiantimes.co.uk

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Share your comments on these and more stories online: AustralianTimes.co.uk

your say

What’s your view?

On: Matt Damon enters into Australian asylum seeker debateGreat movie, but (spoiler alert) the movie didn’t show what happened once all the inhabitants of earth suddenly became citizens of Elysium, and therefore able to go there. Eventually Elysium would become overpopulated, polluted and starved of resources. The funny thing is, in real life, Matt Damon is one of those people living on Elysium. How about letting a few refugees come stay at your place and enjoy your wealth, Matt. Then tell us we should open the floodgates!

Anthony

On: Australian Navy sends asylum seekers back to IndonesiaWell done! We need to send them all back to send a strong message to Indonesia that our doors are closed. We can’t look after our pensioners and homeless so why should we have to accept these people? The privileges and monies given to these people is disgraceful, free this, free that, whilst our own linger in poverty! Come on government, do you really think this is fair? Our own have paid taxes, contributed to the country and we give ALL the benefits to these boat people! It’s wrong! Stop the boats, and spend the monies on our own.

Graham

Well done! At last the Australian Navy are allowed to do their job and return those people to Indonesia

Phill

It is about time that we have a government with the balls to stand up to these illegal invaders and their Indonesian accomplices. Well done!

Richard

Australia has every right to turn back foreign vessels that do not have a ‘Port of Departure Clearance.’ I am a retired ship’s Captain who regularly sailed to foreign ports and prior to leaving Australia I had to obtain a ‘Ship Clearance’. Many times I sailed to Indonesia and without exemption I had to produce a clearance document from my port of departure. The Indonesian authority is disrespecting Australian sovereignty by allowing Indonesian flagged vessels with Indonesian crews to carry aliens into Australian waters. We have every right to protect our borders.

A. Dwer

Most Australians are strongly opposed to the current Government’s policy on asylum seekers and refugees coming by boat.

John

People smugglers have blood on their hands once again. The governments of both countries need to stop this illegal activity before any more die.

Victoria

Epic fail! So much for Abbott stopping the boats. Now they are using their own spurious argument. This government have blood on their hands.

Matt

Additional content:

On: Target Australia defends Gok Wan after anti-gay criticismSome audiences need to have a good look at their irrational behaviour and hurtful words.

Keli

On: Abbott orders ministers to seek approval for media appearancesThat's the new way of democracy, now Australia is on par with North Korea. The same argument was we will stop the refugee boats: we just wont report their arrivals to anyone then they think there are no boats.

Expat Tiger

Democratic government does the will of the people and can be trusted to account to them. This pack of charlatans couldn’t lie straight in bed (and hope you’re stupid enough to not realise it). Thanks to the distrustful xenophobes and shallow thinkers that voted in a team of their own kind for us all to suffer.

Donzal

On: Our London: Spotlight on Soho Thanks, haven’t been to some of these & now looking forward to a few weekends in Soho. Great work!

Barbie

FrOm the edItOr’s desk

> Alex iveTT

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TODAy is my final day at Australian Times as Editor, and this – my final edition.

It’s been an incredible year, with opportunities I could never have foreseen when I first turned up at the Aussie Times offices 12 months ago. What started with a baptism of fire with the 2012 AFL Grand Finals at the Temple Walkabout has been unfortunately bookended by the closing of the Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout one year on. Our story breaking the news to the devastated Aussie community is by far my most shared and liked story – 23,000 and counting.

I’ve worked hard to make this paper relevant and interesting to the established Australian community in the UK – introducing new columns, covering community events and ensuring the remarkable achievements and successes of Aussies in the UK are recognised and promoted. A new section – The Expat Factor – reflects this aim. Each week tells the story of one successful Australian in the UK, charting their journey from Down

Under to making their mark in our adopted home. I hope, in a way, this paper does the same thing – telling the story of all of us and of our experiences far from home as we try to work, establish ourselves and make a life here in the UK.

This mark is also reflected in one aspect particularly dear to my heart – coffee. From the minute I stepped off the plane seventeen months ago, it was a primary aim to discover the best coffee the city has to offer. What I realised, and have explored in a weekly review column – Coffee Cult – is that the best coffee is often made by Australians and New Zealanders, the brains and talent behind some of the best cafes this city has to offer. It has been a particular pleasure to bring this Antipodean exploration of London’s café culture to all our readers.

From interviews with hilarious Aussie comedians through to Julian Assange at the Ecuadorean embassy, from an orchestral concert in the marbled glory of Australia House to off-West End plays with Aussie stars, it has been a busy year of glitz through to grunge and everything in between. I’ve seen opera in the countryside, and witnessed the recreation of the Flemington Racecourse in our embassy. I’ve felt particular pride in

watching Australian women receive recognition at the Australian Woman of the year in the UK awards, and seen Aussie talent on show at stages across the city.

I couldn’t have done any of it however without a fantastic team of contributors, who take time and energy out of their busy lives to write for our paper. One contributor, to whom I am incredibly indebted for all his amazing work, Paul Bleakly, liked to call it ‘the plucky publication that could’. I couldn’t agree more – it relies on the unique, valued and distinctly Australian voices of the people who write for it. Not one of the opportunities I have been afforded matches being able to provide a voice and a space for new writers to demonstrate their talents and publish their work.

It only remains for me to say thank you to all the writers I have worked with during my year here, it’s been a pleasure working with you. All the best to the new editor, Thomas Jones, who I know is also passionate about providing a voice to the Australian community.

Goodbye, and thanks for reading Australian Times!

Follow Alex Ivett on Twitter @auslondonlife.

News | 3AustralianTimes.co.uk

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Abbott touches down in Jakartabusiness leaders.

The prime minister was due to hold official talks with President Susilo Bambang yudhoyono later on Monday ahead of an official dinner at which he will give a speech.

Back home, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison delivered a weekly update on asylum seeker boat arrivals and outlined the events surrounding the sinking of the vessel off the Java coast on Friday.

The coalition government was under fire for its alleged delayed response to the vessel after some survivors said the tragedy could have been prevented.

But acting head of Australia’s border protection operation defended the response, saying authorities had taken every step and rejected claims the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) knew about the boat 26 hours before it foundered.

Air Marshal Mark Binskin said the first time authorities were told of the vessel was at 7.57am (AEST) on Friday, when an Australian Federal Police officer on Christmas Island received a call from a Melbourne-based friend of people on the boat.

“I will say, from what I’ve got speaking to AMSA about their co-

ordination with those that were on the vessel, there was a large level of confusion, disorientation,” he said.

“There is no record of any contact before then.”

Air Marshal Binskin said 31 people died and 22 survived but Indonesian authorities say the death toll has risen to 36 and it’s unlikely anyone else will be found alive.

Mr Morrison also rejected claims by some of the survivors that Indonesian soldiers had driven them to drop off points to get on the boat for Christmas Island.

“I’m not about to give any substance to a claim that at this stage is speculative,” he said.

Interim Labor leader Chris Bowen believes the boats issue will overshadow trade and business talks during Mr Abbott’s visit.

“All the focus will be on this very big problem in our bilateral relationship, which is all of the new government’s making,” he said.

The centrepiece of the government’s asylum seeker policy is its plan to turn back boats to Indonesia, where it’s safe to do.

But Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa last week warned this could violate his country’s sovereignty and damage relations.

Mr Abbott will return to Australian on Tuesday afternoon. – AAP

Passengers rescued from River Thames boat fire

Photos from the scene show passengers in the water and clinging to the side of the boat, before they were rescued by passing tour barges.

A woman and a child were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, and a man with a minor head injury.

Further tourists were treated for smoke inhalation at the riverside.

London Fire Brigade group manager Neil Withers said: “A number of people jumped into the water but they were soon rescued, and fortunately at this stage it doesn’t look like anyone’s been seriously

injured.”The London Duck Tours

amphibious vessel was badly damaged by the fire. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The company has suspended its river tours until the cause can be determined.

“London Duck Tours operates to the highest safety standards, and at this early stage it is not possible to speculate on the reason for the incident,” the firm said on its website.

“Until the cause is established, the company will not be operating on the river and should technical or safety modifications be required to our fleet, these will be introduced prior to the service recommencing.

(Picture: Phil Beasley-Harling on Twitter – @pbeasleyharling)

THE corporate watchdog rejects suggestions it failed to investigate senior public servants over an alleged corrupt deal linking the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to the regime of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) boss Greg Tanzer said charges had already been laid over allegations that representatives from the RBA’s Note Printing Australia (NPA) subsidiary attended business meetings in Iraq at the height of UN sanctions with the Middle East country.

“It’s important to note that the Australian Federal Police has

already charged people involved in this matter and those cases are currently before the courts,” the ASIC commissioner said in a video statement released on Monday.

Mr Tanzer said the regulator worked with the AFP to determine whether company directors had breached the Corporations Act by trying to set up a deal to upgrade Iraqi currency by supplying polymer bank notes.

“Let me be absolutely crystal clear: ASIC looked at this matter very closely but based on the facts and evidence available, decided not to take the matter further,” he said.

ASIC was accused of being “asleep at the wheel” on the matter

by Australian Greens Deputy Leader Adam Bandt.

“There is a serious question now for ASIC to answer as to whether it is turning a blind eye to what is happening in the Reserve Bank,” Mr Bandt told reporters in Hobart on Monday.

Mr Tanzer said ASIC’s investigations had been thorough and included reviewing more than 10,000 pages of documents including police witness statements.

After learning of the secret meetings in Iraq, Australian diplomats intervened, scuppering the plan, the ABC and Fairfax Media report. - AAP

ASIC denies failing to take action on RBA

1 - 7 October 20134 | UK Life

at Upton Park. “My god that was a big night!” he writes.

It is an iconic pub, and whether for better or worse, an important part of the Australian presence in the UK. So, to honour the role of SheBu Walkie has played in all our lives, we’re searching for your memories of the Walkabout – a moment that captures what the Walkie means to you and your London experience, whether as a traveller or expat.

Share them with us below, on Facebook or Twitter (#shebumemories) and we’ll collect them all in a SheBu Walkie tribute to be shared on the weekend of their closing.

Like the beer and the snakies, let the memories flow!

By Alex Ivett

WITH the shock news that the infamous Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout is closing down for good on 6 October, it’s time to pay tribute to the iconic London Aussie watering hole.

Every Australian who has passed through the UK has one; a Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout memory. A blurred experience of beer, sweat and Jimmy Barnes – the snow falling outside as your arms are wrapped around newly made friends at the end of a long night spent bonding over the curiosities of this foreign land you now call home.

My own first Walkabout memory unfortunately was not so successful. It was 2003, and I was a green 18-year-old backpacker passing through town on my rite-of-passage European adventure. The eve of the Rugby World Cup Final – England vs Australia – and what better place to watch it than with fellow Aussies in the famed SheBu Walkie.

What my friend and I didn’t realise was that every other Australian in London was to have the same idea, swarming off the Shepherd’s Bush tube in their green & gold and literally running for the pub doors.

We didn’t make it in, and were

Share your SheBu memoriesn Every Australian in the UK has a Walkabout memory. In tribute to the important role this iconic pub has played in our lives, share your memories and help us create a SheBu Walkie memory bank.

relegated to a dark corner of some nearby bar reeling in the overflow of SheBu patron wannabes. Jonny Wilkinson kicked a dropped goal in the final minute to seal England’s win, and the gasps from SheBu Walkie peeled out across the Green. All I knew of the Walkabout then was it was the place to be, and we weren’t there.

Ten years on it is still the place to be for backpackers searching for a welcoming crowd and expats desperate for a slice of home. Even if that slice of home is the Disneyland version – complete with boomerang adornments and jugs of snakebite. Though my SheBu Walkie memory bank remains incomplete, there must be a collective wealth out there of friendships formed, loves found and lost, and happy memories from within this green and yellow icon of Australian life in London.

One we’ve already come across is the story of Jack Vernon and Megan Sandiford, who met at SheBu Walkie on 28 February 2004 and married six years later, complete with a tribute to the pub in which they met in the form of a wedding cake.

Others have been shared with us on Facebook. “A coin dropped in your beer means down it in one”, writes Shane Westmore.

Scott Ferguson remembers being there the night Australia beat England

HAMMErSMITH is a mecca for antipodeans, if all roads lead to Rome then all Tube lines will deliver you to Hammersmith – well, four at least, and a whole lot of buses.

After a month of calling this my neighbourhood, I’ve found there is more to be found here than a vast array of cafe chains and budget shopping outlets. Hammersmith is home to everything London does best; international food, cosy bars, river views and lazy ways to spend your Sunday.

1 World food on your doorstepEvery Friday, Lyric Square is jammed with stalls for its World Food Market. The smell

of curry simmering in enormous pots, marinated meat grilling on the barbecue, freshly baked bread and roasting coffee fill the town and lure workers, shoppers and out of work travellers hungry for a meal and a shot of culture.

A staple on the Hammersmith events calendar, this market offers excellent chow at great prices.

2 A walk with a viewThe River Thames skirts Hammersmith’s south western edge and the locals make the

most of the wide path running its length. From morning to evening, joggers and cyclists weave in and out of sightseers as they all enjoy the view of swans preening on the bank and rowing teams at practice. Beholding the sights also makes for

n If all roads lead to Rome, then all Tube lines deliver you to Hammersmith. This week MICHAELA GRAY shows you what’s out there once you leave the Underground.

a good excuse while recovering from a stitch or strained hammy suffered trying to keep up with the better athletes on the route.

If you need a little longer to stop and breathe, the path from Hammersmith Bridge to Putney Bridge passes through several parks, full of sunbathers on a warm day.

Meander along at your own pace or choose from several free guided walks (Hammersmithlondon.co.uk).

3 Riverside watering holesWhile you’re out for a riverside stroll, why not detour into one of a handful

of pubs dotted along the bank and nearby streets. They’re at their best in summertime when crowds over flow from beer gardens to lap up the sunshine and breeze off the river.

A local favourite since 17th century, The Dove offers top-notch beer and food with a 180 degree view of the Thames from the deck, or if you’re lucky; the mezzanine.

The Dove also boasts Britain’s smallest bar in a pub, so there’s no confusion over who is next.

A pub crawl through Hammersmith

should also take in The Hop Poles and Swan on King Street for classic charm, nearby Belushi’s to mix with backpackers, the Old Suffolk Punch on Fulham Place Road to mingle with the locals, while further down the road is the ever popular Crabtree.

4 Art fartyBetween the Lyric (Lyric.co.uk), Apollo (Hammersmithapollo.com) and

Riverside theatres (Riversidestudios.co.uk), Hammersmith attracts more than its fair share of world-class

entertainment.Cheap or even free tickets are

regularly on offer for early bird buyers or local residents.

5 Lazy Sunday brunchCheap, cheerful and with a seat always available, Cozco Latte on the corner of Fulham

Place Road and Biscay Road is my perfect hideaway. Typical café fare is served with a smile and the staff don’t seem to mind how long you stay to enjoy the free Wi-Fi. You’ll need little more than spare change

for a filling meal, making Cozco a never-fail choice for catching up or dining solo.

Next week Cohen Brown guides us through Camden.

our London

spotlight on Hammersmith

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1 - 7 October 20136 | Food & Wine

Coffee Cult visits Kopapa in Covent GardenBy Alex Ivett

THE first recorded mention of the term brunch is alleged to be from an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, in which it is described as a Sunday meal for “Saturday-night carousers”.

“Cheerful, sociable and inciting, it is talk-compelling,” writes author Guy Beringer. “It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.”

Aptly titled ‘Brunch: A Plea’, the article sets down the fundamentals of brunch – friends, family and sharing stories. Food – important. Company? Essential. Good coffee, well, that just goes without saying.

For the Australian in London, a weekend brunch forms an important part of your UK experience. It will be where you form new friendships, share morning-after laughs with old friends, and even where you start to feel the city is more than just a transitory location when you find yourself a regular haunt and a barista who can predict your order.

It is also where you’ll go to catch up with old friends and family as they pass through town, leading them through the streets like a seasoned old-timer before arriving at your chosen venue designed to perfectly reflect your new, shiny, London life. A great cup of coffee ‘sweeps away the worries’, and a buzzy, friendly atmosphere compels the talk. The cappuccinos keep coming, the stories are shared, and for a few hours at least the thousands of kilometres between you melt away.

A cross-continental catch-up usually demands a central location. After travelling 26 hours in a steel-encased tube, friends and family are hesitant to be immediately lurched into the hidden alleys of East London, or subject themselves to a multi-line Tube story to the far-flung suburb you inevitably live.

Seven Dials in Covent Garden is almost as central as you can get. All roads lead to Rome, but all seven sides of the city converge on this hub of shops, theatres and restaurants. At its heart is Kopapa, a bustling and stylish café and restaurant. With slick wooden tables, long benches lining the walls, and a subtle, soothing green, cream and brown colour scheme, it is a relaxed venue which eases you and your jetlagged guest into your Sunday morning.

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With a specialty ‘weekend brunch’ menu packed full of creative and innovative options, you know Kopapa means business. No doubt if Beringer was around to sample their ‘Turkish eggs’ – poached eggs in a bath of hot chilli butter, thick toast and whipped yogurt, he’d say, now that’s what I mean by brunch.

However, it’s the fry-ups which really hit the spot – big plates of creamy scrambled eggs with sautéed buttered field mushrooms, slow-roasted tomatoes, and bacon for the carnivores. Accompanied with two creamy lattes complete with coffee art, and a lovely morning of catching up is perfectly completed.

Why is Kopapa so pitch-perfect? It doesn’t hurt that co-owners Peter Gordon and Michael McGrath

have done it all before, and just as successfully, with Providores and Tapa room in Marylebone. They’re joined by Adam Wills and Brandon Allen in this venture, and proudly proclaim their New Zealand association on the website. Both Peter and Brandon have Maori heritage and along with Adam and Michael are New Zealand raised. Kopapa is actually Maori for a gathering, to be crowded, a building to store food.

Whether you’re looking to gather and reconnect with old friends, or “sweep away the cobwebs of the week”, Kopapa is the perfect place. Innovative and hearty breakfasts, delicious and energising coffee, and a central yet cosy location.

Kopapa Café and Restaurant 32-34 Monmouth Street Seven Dials, Covent Garden

Images Courtesy of Kopapa Facebook

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Entertainment | 7AustralianTimes.co.uk

His debut UK show at Osborne Samuel will be opened by legendary Australian comedian Barry Humphries, and coincides with the Royal Academy’s Australia exhibition, which will be the first major survey of Australian art to take place in Britain for over 50 years (21 September - 8 December 2013).

The John Olsen exhibition will be hosted at the Osborne Samuel gallery from 3 – 26 October 2013. See osbornesamuel.com for more information.

Follow us on Twitter @AustralianTimes

see what we are following this week on

for full details...

...and more Aussie gigs go to: AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

What’s onFilmFest AustraliaOctober 2013@Barbican Centre

Barry gibb3 October@O2 Arena

Tim minchin in JesusChrist Superstar13 October@02 Arena

ruthless Jabiru:maralinga Lament14 October@Union Chapel

Jimeoin17 October@Fairfield Hall

Cloud Control17 October@O2 Academy Brixton

The Cat Empire20 October@O2 Academy

Ball Park music23 October@The Water Rats

No one does comedy like Claudia o’Doherty

By Gareth Mohen

START watching Aussie stand-up comedian Claudia O’Doherty’s show Pioneer and you can’t help but think maybe it is not comedy but a high-energy motivational speech.

There’s flashing lights, hand free microphones, powerful slogans and direct messages plastered onto the projector screen; you wouldn’t be wrong to think O’Doherty is the female version of Tom Cruise in Magnolia.

Part of you wants to believe there is a serious self-help message behind the humour, simply because there’s so much robust energy pumped into the narcissistic facade presented.

Alas, it is most likely all smoke and mirrors.

The charm of the act is watching the absurdism – very awkward audience participation, acute observations, and general high impact nonsense intertwined to create a marvellous performance.

O’Doherty touches on subjects from pregnancy to Carnaby Street – albeit the ring of the word ‘Carnaby’ seems to interest her, rather than any particulate insightfulness.

She incorporates technically brilliant video projection in a dazzling combination of pre-recorded footage, which she interacts with throughout.

This is also where the title of the show Pioneer comes into play. O’Doherty claims the digital entertainment corporation have funded the whole production, and provided all the necessary projection equipment.

This tale of Pioneer’s involvement is presented as ambiguously as the

n Claudia O’Doherty gives a highly energetic stand-up performance, full of inspirational messages in her new comedy show Pioneer at the Soho Theatre.

ambiguous touching O’Doherty, at one point, claims to have had with ex-boyfriends.

Perhaps the greatest appeal – icing the cake of this wondrous piece – is the ease at which O’Doherty embraces her relatively new British surroundings.

While making the odd references to the differences between Australian and English eccentricities, the show is mostly free of any stark Australianness.

She is not a ‘blow in’ left behind after Edinburgh Fringe. She has been living among us ex-pats for around a year, so you know she’s legit.

In this regard Claudia O’Doherty’s comedy holds its own on the world stage of surrealist comedy.

Claudia O’Doherty: Pioneer is on at Soho Theatre until Sat 5 October. Soho Theatre is offering a steal of a deal on Claudia’s Tuesday show for Aussie Times readers. Use the code Pioneer5 when booking online at sohotheatre.com/whats-on/claudia-odoherty-pioneer for £5 tickets.

ONE of Australia’s greatest living painters, John Olsen, is set to present his first ever exhibition of works in the UK at the Osborne Samuel gallery in Mayfair.

Acknowledged as the elder statesman of Australian contemporary art, Olsen (b. 1928) was prominent among the second wave of Australian painters who put their nation’s art on the international map after World War 2. He has been described by the former head curator of Australian Art at the NSW Art Gallery as “the king, the one who has defined the continent of his generation better than anyone else”.

Perhaps best known for his monumental mural Salute To Five Bells which hangs in the foyer of the Sydney Opera House, Olsen’s work is marked by a deep engagement with the landscape and wildlife of the Australian interior. Whilst he acknowledges the important contribution that his artistic

First UK exhibition for Australian artist John Olsenforerunners such as Sidney Nolan and Fred Williams made to Australian landscape painting, he observes, “the Australian landscape hasn’t been artistically defined... we are a very young civilisation... in a very, very old landscape”.

Whereas the Australian outback is usually noted for its austerity and inhospitality, in Olsen’s vibrant paintings it pulsates with colour and teems with life; he observes, “I am an explorer, the outback is my studio... to me the landscape has a soul and is alive. rivers are like veins, the plains skin, the mountains muscle and sinew”. His characteristically quizzical lines and irregular whirls and dots deftly render countless organisms, large and minute, and his open spaces are often as full of living things as an outback dry lake after the rains.

Frequently combining an implied aerial view with an ambiguous and seemingly unpremeditated figuration, Olsen’s environment is conjured through loosely brushed and stained expanses of colour that are keyed with natural light. In his work there is no foreground / middle ground / background schema, nor any sign of European landscape’s concern with human scale; instead he employs simultaneously the vantages of naturalist and geographer, observing “in my paintings the landscape almost writes itself”.

John Olsen’s work is represented in

all Australian state gallery collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales and National Museum of Australia, as well as many public and private collections around the world. He has won numerous awards including the Archibald Prize (2005) and the Centenary Medal (2001). In 1977 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and in 2001 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Coopers Creek © John Olsen, courtesy Osborne Samuel

Squid In Its Own Ink © John Olsen, courtesy Osborne Samuel.

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1 - 7 October 20138 | Travel

By Craig Lewis

A hush of anticipation descends as the radio crackles to life, quickly giving way to a flurry of animated and excited chatter. Then Elvis whispers the magic words: “I’ve located the leopard.”

Elvis’ voice doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as the King of Rock n’ Roll, but nevertheless, his words are music to the ears of those on a game drive in Ngala Private Game reserve.

The voice I speak of belongs to intrepid tracker Elvis Kubai, who had ventured off into the bush on foot some 15 minutes earlier, armed with nothing but a hand-held radio and two decades of experience in tracking wildlife.

After making our way to his location, the sight of a young male leopard lurking in the undergrowth greets us upon arrival. We watch as the regal predator strides out into the setting sunset and surveys the landscape.

Let the game viewing beginSuch a rare sighting sets the tone for my unforgettable three-day stay at Ngala, which is situated within the western boundary of the world-renowned Kruger National Park, adjacent to the Timbavati Game reserve.

Traversing an area of 14,000 hectares it is one of the richest wildlife regions on the continent.

Travel Writer Winner

n CRAIG LEWIS’ wish list has a few more ticks after a three-day safari trip in the Ngala Private Game Reserve, one of Africa’s richest wildlife regions.

Travel | 9AustralianTimes.co.uk

Tourists travel to Ngala to experience the game viewing drives in open vehicles.

Before heading out on our first drive, we were warmly welcomed by affable field ranger Pieter van der Merwe, who provided us with a brief but thorough orientation of Ngala, and noted each guest’s animal viewing wish list.

Leopards were at the top of mine, and with the help of Elvis, the ever-smiling ranger, my request was fulfilled on our first outing.

In conversation later on, Pieter explained the importance of this working relationship.

“We have to work as a team and have a good understanding. I’ve learnt so much from Elvis; he’s a legend and knows the reserve like the back of his hand.”

Feeding timeOnce back at Safari Lodge, which serves as the main camp at Ngala, we were soon lured to supper by the twinkling candle-lit lanterns and crackling wood fires, which provided an idyllic setting for our first boma dinner.

The staff at Ngala aim to keep you guessing by setting a new venue for supper each night – including a spine-tingling set-up in the bush, where you dine under a canopy of stars, with the sounds of nature providing the background music.

All three meals per day are extremely well prepared, ensuring there is no chance of going hungry, although it was the array of buffet options at dinnertime that kept me going back for more.

Every second night the guests are joined at dinner by their respective field rangers, and Pieter, who was never short of a story, kept us thoroughly entertained with tales of various African adventures, from being charged by elephants to nearly washing down a flooded river.

After an early morning wake-up call the next day, it’s off on another game drive. This time it was the powerful grace of a herd of elephants that left me in awe, while the likes of zebras and wildebeests could be regularly spotted cantering across the bush savanna dominating the reserve’s flat terrain.

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The circle of life It quickly became apparent there was far more to Ngala than just the game viewing or big five experience.

Ngala is run by leading travel company &Beyond, which owns and operates over 30 lodges throughout Africa, and has a keen focus on three core values: care of the land, care of the wildlife and care of the people.

Conservation is seen as a top priority, and various steps are taken to minimise environmental impacts and maximise sensitivity towards wildlife and habitats at the various lodges.

In partnership with social development partner Africa Foundation, the &Beyond Foundation also aims to empower the local communities through conservation and tourism.

As Safari Lodge manager Stephen Smith explained, Ngala enjoys regular interaction with the local Welverdiend Community, where they have “worked with, not for” the community in order to help foster positive healthcare, education, employment and skills development.

Ngala also puts into action various eco-sensitive practices, such as recycling initiatives, reducing energy consumption, efficient water usage, and making use of local produce as well as biodegradable products.

Clearly, &Beyond has recognised ensuring the satisfaction of their guests is paramount to sustaining their business, and consequently the wilderness areas they protect.

Creature comfortsThe Tented Camp, which overlooks the seasonal Timbavati river, and was recently rebuilt after being washed away during floods last year, accommodates 18 couples in nine luxurious air-conditioned safari tents, providing the sort of privacy which makes this the lodge of choice for many honeymooners.

At Ngala’s Safari Lodge, 20 quaint one-room cottages and the luxurious two-bedroom Safari Suite

1 - 7 October 201310 | Travel

*

*Trips for 18yo and over

Be the next great travel writerAs the winner of our Great Travel Writer competition for the submissions we received in September, we'll be sending Craig Lewis a £250 travel voucher from our good friends at Topdeck.

If you have a great travel yarn to spin, go to www.australiantimes.co.uk/travel to find out how to submit your story for publication. Enter now for a chance to be our October winner!

cater for no more than 45 guests. With over 100 staff employed at the camp I came to feel very much a part of the Ngala family.

Various activities are always on offer, and one must-do is the guided bush walk, which provided a wonderful way to appreciate the often-overlooked aspects of the reserve, including butterflies, birds or trees.

Interestingly, Ngala was the first private game reserve to be incorporated into the greater Kruger National Park, and in true form, a percentage of the profits from the Safari Lodge and Tented Camp flows into the National Parks Trust to further conservation projects.

Kings and queensNgala is in fact the Shangaan name for lion, yet as I entered the final day of my stay, it was the one “big five” animals which managed to

elude detection.However, a majestic pair of young

male lions basking in the early morning sunlight would provide the perfect start to our final game drive. Although nothing could beat the send-off delivered a couple of hours later by a pride of insatiable lionesses feasting on a kill.

But perhaps Pieter summed it all up best when he suggested: “Ngala really is a hidden gem”.

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Travel | 11AustralianTimes.co.uk

By Haylee Slater

BROOME gave us our first glimpse of the west coast of Australia, and I have never been more grateful to see the ocean again. After an arduous drive from Katherine in the Northern Territory to the Kimberley we have now officially visited each of the four main coasts of Australia.

Our experience of Western Australia so far has been confronting. This is truly a region of mining, painted desert, mining and red soil. Did I mention the mining?

Still, there is a raw beauty. Today our route takes us from

commercial Broome to industrial Port Hedland. For the first time since we left Adelaide we are facing back towards home. I am a little too

excited about his fact. The entire township of Port

Hedland seems to be under construction. road works delay an influx of traffic that appears to have snaked in from nowhere. The ocean is a fierce blue, contrasted against the rusty soil.

Freight trains with hundreds of containers on board chug iron ore out to the shipping yard.

The land is naked out here, having been stripped of all vegetation. One could be forgiven for thinking they were looking at a clean-up operation after a nuclear disaster. The natural state of this place is long hidden beneath a cage of steel industry, but almost poetically, the scale of the damage is art-like. The construction appears a sculpture of twisted metal in the sand.

Be our next great travel writerGet your travel story published with Australian Times and WIN a £250 travel voucher from our friends at Topdeck.

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Do you harbour dreams of being the next Bill Bryson?Submit your original travel articles for publication on the Australian Times website. The editor will then select the best story each month to be published in the Travel section of the Australian Times newspaper with the writer winning the £250 voucher to any topdeck tour of their choice!Embrace your own writing style and make those dreams of being a published travel writer a reality.

POSTCArDS from Australia

n Haylee and her husband are currently driving around Down Under. Follow along with their highlights from the road in this series of Postcards From Australia.

1 - 7 October 201312 | Professional Life

Dollar review

Note: The above exchange rates are based on “interbank” rates. If you want to transfer money to or from Australia then please register/login on our website, or call us on 0808 141 2335 for a live dealing rate. Make use of a Rate Notifier to send you alert when the Australian exchange rate reaches levels you are looking for.

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Exchange rates

OFFSET accounts are an established and attractive feature of many home loans today – but are they really worth having and will you actually benefit?

The answer depends on your actual money habits and what happens once you buy the property and settle into your new budget. You might find it either works well or is a waste of time and money.

If you want to pay off your home loan or mortgage sooner, or accumulate funds ready for investment separate to the home loan balance, a home loan with an offset facility could be a useful tool for achieving these goals.

How it worksA mortgage offset account is simply a transaction account (or savings account) linked to your home loan account. It works just like a regular savings account. The big difference

Mortgage offset accounts, are they worth it?is the balance in the savings account is ‘offset’ against the amount owing on the home loan before your home loan interest is calculated. Hence you pay less interest over the course of the loan, provided you keep a healthy balance in the offset account. And of course, it’s a much better return on your money than the interest rate a bank would otherwise offer you on your savings.

In addition, the saved interest is not taxable income at all in Australia (unlike regular interest in a savings account or term deposit). You can still use the funds in your offset account for any purpose, and there are generally no restrictions on deposits and withdrawals.

Offset accounts enable you to make the most of your income and other funds to reduce the interest payable on your home loan, thereby reducing your loan term. You could even pay your salary or other income (like rental income) straight into the offset account at some banks. This would suggest anyone with a home loan should seriously consider putting their extra cash flow or ongoing

savings into an offset account attached to their loan.

What are the downsides or potential pitfalls?Every mortgage and every investment has a downside or a pitfall. Don’t fall for advice telling you there aren’t any with whatever you are being offered.

Well the first warning is this: if you do not maintain a reasonable ongoing balance in the offset account, then the interest savings will be negligible or irrelevant. This will apply if you consistently spend as much, or more than you earn monthly. So dipping into the account regularly and keeping low balances in there, will not use the feature at all, and will make you wonder why you are paying annual fees (see below).

An offset account is not the only way to reduce interest and pay off your loan sooner. In fact simply paying off more than your monthly minimum direct into the mortgage (and having a redraw facility if one day you need to take that extra payment back) will achieve the same result, in terms of saving interest monthly and reducing the loan term, rather than paying into an offset account.

Home loan ‘packages’Offset accounts typically come within a home loan ‘package’ (whether you buy a home or an investment property in Australia). As soon as a bank makes available a second product or offers something ‘different’ like an offset feature, they will call your mortgage a ‘package’. Home loans wrapped within a package usually include a discounted home loan variable rate, an offset account, possibly a separate savings account and the offer of a credit card with nil

your money> Daniel shillito

or reduced annual fee (other benefits may include a discount on home and contents insurance and/or a free financial planning interview). Aside from a select few lenders, you will pay an annual fee charged to your mortgage or credit card of between $350 to $500 depending on which bank and product you choose, to be in a home loan package. Therefore it pays to understand the package costs, and which of the benefits, including offset, you will really use.

The annual package fee could cause the overall cost of the loan to be greater than a different lender showing a higher headline interest rate.

These days alternative ‘basic’ style mortgages (without offset accounts) often have discounted interest rates similar or lower than ‘package loan’ interest rates – without the extras like offset accounts and credit cards, but also without the fees.

Speak and you shall findNinety-nine percent of home loans

sold by lenders coming with an offset account are linked to variable interest rate loans (not fixed loans). Lenders typically will not allow a fixed rate loan together with the offset feature, although over recent years a few lenders have emerged offering offset loans linked together with fixed rate loans as well. You need to speak with a mortgage broker to understand the various offers and which lenders suit your particular needs, and your own financial management when it comes to your monthly budget and mortgage payments.

For all home loans, the terms and conditions vary, and fees and charges and lending criteria apply. This is general information only and has been prepared without considering your personal situation or needs.

Daniel Shillito is a Financial Adviser, CPA and Expat specialist at Aussie Finance and Property Group, qualified both within Australia and throughout Europe. Daniel can be contacted on Ph. 020 3239 0479 or visit www.aussiefpgroup.com

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By Anton van TeylingenTHE Australian dollar ended September weaker than anticipated as hopes of a comeback were short lived thanks to positive news out of the UK. Speculation about future rBA interest rate decision matching has left the Aussie in a vulnerable space with investors confused about where the Aussie will find a stable trading band.

Many analysts expected the RBA will keep the interest rate constant at its 2.5% when they meet this week (Tuesday) even though they are still under the opinion that the Aussie is overvalued and believe that it still has a long way to fall before reaching fair value.

Most of the international trading market will be focused on the fallout of US budget negotiations in Washington this week. Failure to reach an agreement could force parts of the US government to be shut down and will have severe impacts on the US and so the global economy.

Looking ahead, an enormous amount of data is set to be released this week that would drive most of

Aussie dollar weakens ahead of rBA meeting

the Aussies price movement. Notable announcements include the RBA interest rate decision and statement, the European Central Bank monetary policy statement and the Chinese Price Manufacturing index. Australia has been assisted by optimistic Chinese data recently and will be relying on a continued positive data trend to boost the future economic outlook between these trading partners.

Professional Life | 13AustralianTimes.co.uk

Extraordinary Aussies in the UKthe expat factor

JErEmy gASKRacehorse Trainer

Jeremy Gask is an Australian Racehorse Trainer from South Australia, now based in England with Horses First Racing. Jeremy was a semi-professional footballer and junior state cricketer before embarking on a horse training career. Having trained over 250 winners in Australia, Jeremy has helped create a top training facility in Wiltshire at Horses First Racing, with 35 horses currently in training.

I arrived in the UK in August 2007. I had lost some of the passion I once had for horseracing, and had become slightly disillusioned as a trainer in South Australia. I came across an advert from Eamonn Wilmott (the Managing Director of Horses First racing) seeking a trainer for his facility. The requirement was for someone with an interest in technology and sport science to help develop the yard in the direction Eamonn wanted to go.

I flew straight in and began work. Racehorse training is very much performance based, and we had no plans nor contract. We did put a five year plan in place and intended to see how things went. We are beyond that now and loving it. As the trainer I am responsible for all work of the horses, staff and keeping clients informed as to their horse’s progress and future programmes. It requires a huge amount of travelling to the races, both domestically and abroad. The challenge is to increase our owner base in a very competitive environment where performance and form is there for all to see. The pressure to perform consistently is always a consideration.

A highlight has been taking a horse to win at the Dubai World Cup Carnival at the Meydan Racecourse. This carnival runs from late January over 11 fixtures with US$37million up for grabs and culminates with World Cup

Night, an invitation only race meeting with nine races featuring the world’s richest race in the Dubai World Cup – worth US$10million. We were fortunate enough to be one of only three British Trainers to win at the carnival which includes horses from Australia, Japan, United States, South Africa, France, Germany, among a host of other countries. We’ve also had winners at events such as Glorious Goodwood this year for a great group of UK clients who enjoyed the win until the early hours of the following morning.

I’ve had some runners run very well at Royal Ascot recently, though unfortunately we haven’t been invited to the Royal Box – much to my 11-year-old daughter’s disappointment. However, one highlight of our time in the UK has been receiving an invitation to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace as part of the lead up to the Royal Visit to Australia. Her Majesty is, as we all know, a huge racing fan – though unfortunately we are yet to have any Royal Silks hanging in the racing tack room!

It’s been a challenge adapting to the huge variety of idiosyncratic tracks here in the UK where they race both right and left handed, combined with far greater undulations and surfaces than I would have been accustomed to in Australia. In Australia we are often within the cities of our home state, but here we travel throughout the country to find the most suitable races, and as a consequence there is a lot more travel involved. I hope to be here in the UK for a while longer yet, competing at the big meetings both here and abroad. We have a very interesting and exciting bit of technology we are about to release which will increase owner interactivity with their horse by way of webcams, live heart rate and GPS data, which can be viewed by owners wherever they are in the world in real time.

My wife Kerrie and I actually spent a couple of years working in the industry in the UK ten years ago, so we had some idea of what to expect. However I would say that living here has exceeded our expectations from a lifestyle point of view. We have loved every minute, and have had opportunities to travel we would never have had if we had stayed in Adelaide. The vibrancy of living in the UK has been wonderful for the three young children we have. There’s such a rich history too, and I have developed a passion for history which I lacked in Australia from school years onwards. The village we live in, Sutton Veny, is home to the largest number of Anzac war graves in the UK and has a rich Anzac history which is still very significant today.

A typical weekend usually involves racing, but if it doesn’t my kids often have some sort of sport on a Saturday or Sunday morning which I love watching. We try to take a Sunday trip to sites as Warwick Castle or London and are members of the National Trust. If we have visitors from Australia a classic English pub lunch a must. Cornwall and South Devon are great, and have had several great stays in St Ives with friends since being here. Personally I love the north of Scotland, the rugged beauty is stunning.

When we leave the UK, travel to anywhere the kids can get into the water and I can have a fish is a priority. My wife and I try and turn a working trip to Dubai for the World Cup Carnival into a short getaway. It gets us set for a tough year of domestic racing here in the UK.

For more information on Horses First Racing see Horsesfirstracing.com.

Interview by Alex Ivett

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Afl grand final party londonThe mighty fighting Hawks claimed victory over the Fremantle Dockers in the 2013 AFL Grand Final. Australian Times were at one of the many venues across London screening all the live action from the MCG. Check out our photos from the party at the Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes.

By Anthony Micallef in Malta

LONDON based Tumeke were undefeated in winning the third edition of the Malta International Tag rugby Festival.

Teams descended on the Qormi pitch and after leading 2-1 at the break, first time visitors to the Maltese tournament, Tumeke, took out the final 4-2 over the Try Tag Rugby All Stars.

For the back-to-back reigning champions, player of the final Mike Berry did all he could to bridge the gap, including the play of the match, an effort that saw him beat everybody but the try line.

Captain Lee Parkinson and Mark Lee were strong throughout hot conditions in leading Tumeke to their maiden Maltese title, doing so by winning their six preliminary matches before winning the final.

The festival kicked off with a high intensity workout exhibition carried out by THE PIT, a sponsor of the festival along with The Nordic Bar.

Gozo RL finished as best local team, with Nordic Alligators in fourth place.

Maltese women’s player Dorianne Attard, taking the field for Gozo RL, earned player of the tournament in a festival that featured players from a

multitude of backgrounds including Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland and Zimbabwe, as well as teams from Malta and Gozo.

Try Tag Rugby Managing Director Alistair Davis was delighted with what is quickly becoming known as the hottest tag rugby festival in Europe.

“It’s been a great weekend with a good standard of tag rugby on display and a tournament played in extremely good spirits completing what has been a very successful festival,” said Davis.

The majority of visiting players are enjoying a week-long stay taking in Malta and Gozo and a host of off-field activities that included a Three Cities tour and a boat trip to the Blue Lagoon.

Festival co-hosts Try Tag Rugby and Malta Tag Rugby closed in thanking sponsors The Nordic Bar and The Pit for their support in a successful 2013 festival.• 2013 Malta International Tag

Rugby Festival winners: Tumeke• 2013 Malta International Tag

Rugby Festival best local team: Gozo rL.

If you would like to get involved in a Try Tag Rugby competition or event before the big cold comes back to London, go to www.trytagrugby.com or email info@trytagrugby.com for more

Tumeke take the title at malta international Tag rugby festival

Winners of the Malta International Tag Rugby Festival Tumeke. Photo by Matthew Scerri

Sport | 15AustralianTimes.co.uk

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By Will Denton

THE rUBDOWN

The jaws of victoryTHErE’S an old saying when it comes to grand finals that goes along the lines of ‘sometimes you have to lose one, to win one’.

Exactly 12 months ago, the Hawks snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, as the Swans went on to experience ultimate glory. The Hawks were left shattered and broken, but vowed to go one better next year. Fast-forward to now and Hawthorn are Premiers for 2013.

This wasn’t as easy as it sounds for they had to overcome some serious hurdles in the process. First, they had to still be the best team in the comp. They finished top, mission accomplished.

Secondly, they needed someone to plug up their sieve-like defence. Enter Brian Lake, a full back they poached from the Bulldogs, who loves punching Sherrins and drinking VB in his Moccasins. Considering he took out the Norm Smith Medal, job done there.

Thirdly, the ‘Kennett Curse’ had to be disposed of. In danger of developing long-term psychological trauma in their inability to defeat the Cats, Hawthorn actually did spectacularly in the Prelim. With demons done and dusted, the

road to redemption was almost complete.

Just one thing stood in the way. Something never before seen at an AFL grand final. The Purple Tsunami. It started off innocently enough. A few grainy sightings of Freo fans on the outskirts of Melbourne, nothing to worry the authorities about.

Come Thursday arvo, the CBD was forced to board up and seek higher ground as the rising tide of Purple cladded minions overtook, overawed and overdrunk everything in its path. By Friday, for the grand final parade, the Purple Tsunami had encroached every thing that had once held oxygen within a 10km radius.

The next day, the sea of purple then formed a human river from Fed Square to the MCG, swallowing up anything that got too close. If you listened closely to the white noise coming from it, you could make out the zombie-like mantras ‘anywhere, anytime’ and ‘ross is Boss’. Once inside the ground, and the G pulsating with a noxious combination of yellow, Brown, White and Purple, it had all come down to this very moment for the Hawks.

In the next two and a bit hours, two significant things happened. The Hawks took their chances and Freo didn’t take theirs. At half time the Dockers had kicked one goal.

The much-fabled pressure cooker of Freo had self-imploded whilst Hawthorn marched on to take their rightful position of vindicated Premiers. Oh yeah, they’re a happy team at Hawthorn all right.

games throughout the Shoot Out League, one of the favourites for the competition missed out on a final position. The Invisible Man and Mythical Mooses (yes that’s their team name) proved to themselves and many others that it's all about team work and wanting it more that will lead you to the grand final! Galaxy USA, who are heading to the World Club Champs on 4 October 2013 in the US, won the final 6-1.

The O2Touch Autumn League starts soon on 6 October 2013 at Clapham Common, and runs every Sunday for eight weeks starting from 12pm with a Mixed, Mens and Ladies division. After the game most teams head to the pub to warm up and socialise on a Sunday afternoon. To join as a team or an individual please contact Tracy on tracy@in2touch.com and she will help you get into this great league.

With 16 venues around England from Clapham Common and Regents Park to St Albans and Manchester, with over 600 teams playing in the London leagues alone and over 1,000 teams playing country wide, touch rugby is taking the nation by storm.

For more information or if you would like to register for an O2 Touch league or competition, go to www.in2touch.com/uk or e-mail info@in2touch.com or call the London office on 020 85420827.

By Tracey Andrew of In2Touch

LAST week saw teams playing the finals for The O2Touch September Shoot Out at Clapham Common, with the popular 2 x 20 minute games a hit with players. O2 Touch leagues were also running on a Monday and a Wednesday evening for four weeks.

On Monday evenings we had a variety of teams taking part. There were some very closely contested matches with the top spots going back and forth between a few teams, The Misfits, Nuts and Bolts and The Stones. It was a battle between these teams each week to see who would rise to the top. The final between The Stones and The Misfits was a pulsating battle, which could have gone either way. However it was The Stones who came out victorious, defeating The Misfits by 5 - 3.

The Wednesday night League had two divisions of Mixed teams. Both divisions had many close games with some upsets and some teams coming together to win their first games of the year. The final in the second division between The Baa Baas and Touchy Feelies ended with Touchy Feelies running out winners.

Division 1 consisted of a mix of established teams, new teams and a team that was preparing to play in the World Club Champs in Orlando, Florida. With many tight

In2Touch September Shootout and Autumn Leagues

hawks captain wants star forward to stay

of retaining the two-time Coleman medallist, while Hawks legend Leigh Matthews was already looking to life after Franklin.

Hodge, though, said nothing had been confirmed.

“you can’t really assume anything at this stage,” he told reporters at a Hobart premiership fan day.

“It’s a big call for him, he’ll make his decision in the next day or two, he’ll inform the club.

“We’re still hoping that he stays.”But Hodge said Franklin would be

mindful of life after football when the 26-year-old considers a massive offer likely to be topped up by an AFL ambassadorial role.

“He’s got to look at his interests probably post-football as well,” Hodge said.

“No doubt it’s going to be a lot of money that’s getting offered to him.”

Adams’ manager Winston Rous told the AFL website that his client is more likely to leave the Giants and return to Victoria.

But he confirmed Franklin’s decision is a factor.

“I would think if maybe Lance didn’t go, then their environment changes and the dominoes might fall in a different direction,” rous said.

“It’s more likely than not now that he’ll be making his way back to Victoria.”

Franklin would leave with his teammates’ blessing and the Hawks showed throughout 2013 they are well-placed to defend their premiership without him.

Club president Andrew Newbold said he was proud the team had not let Franklin’s future become a distraction during the season.

The Hawks only lost three times this year and capped an outstanding season on Saturday when they beat Fremantle in the grand final by 15 points.

Newbold sounded on Monday like a president who was resigned to losing the club’s top player.

“I’m just trying to prepare myself and I think we’ve done that for the year,” Newbold told 3AW.

“The other thing we’re really proud of is the fact that we remained focused as an organisation on what we wanted to achieve despite some people saying that was going to be a distraction for us.

“The players and coaches handled that magnificently.”

Franklin announced in February he was putting off his contract negotiations until the end of the season and that immediately led to talk that it would complicate Hawthorn’s premiership campaign.

By David Beniuk and Roger Vaughan

He didn’t want to use excuses about a new coach or injured players to explain their dip in form.

“We can’t keep using excuses. We’ve run out of excuses as a team in terms of how we go about each week.

“We’ve just got to put it down to hard work, sticking together as a team, backing our coach, backing our players and we’ve got to strive for more success.”

Cooper said there was a challenge issued to each player to improve on one thing each heading into the Argentine game, which they hoped would collectively make a

difference.“you have to look at yourself and

find one thing in your game that you can work on, that you can contribute to the team, that will speed up the process of us improving as a team.

“We’ll get there. It’s all in due time but I urge everyone, it’s not going to happen overnight.

“It’s something that we’ve got to continue to be upbeat about but we’ve got to know that it’s a tough process and it’s something that will come but, right now, it’s just not happening.”

Cooper used Queensland’s Super Rugby revival under McKenzie as proof that the coach was the right man for the job.

“He’s got the (Australian) team with two weeks’ preparation and he’s got to try his best to mould us all together into a team that people want to watch and want to support.

“We’ve got to stick with him as players and, like I said, it’s not going to happen overnight but I’ve got full confidence that we have the playing group and the coaching staff to turn things around.”

Australia held on for a one-point win over the Pumas in Perth earlier this month and Cooper said it would be a real battle for his team.

“We know it’s going to be tough.“They’re a good side. They have

improved heaps being in the Rugby Championship.

“We’re not going to go there thinking we’re going to roll them.

“We cannot afford to think like that, especially with the way they’re playing football.”

By Melissa Woods

more pain before any real gain says Cooper

Leigh Matthews, image by AAP

Backs get Roosters on a roll: Watmough

away from his game.”Waerea-Hargreaves will be

desperate to make amends after being forced to watch on from the stands as he served a suspension when the two teams played out their epic encounter in the opening week of the finals, when the roosters prevailed 4-0.

But it is Williams who looms as the man Watmough will be called on to stop - the Manly back-rower ready for the challenge.

“I’m not going to go hiding if that’s what you’re asking,” Watmough said.

“I put my body on the line every time, especially in these grand finals.

“You can’t hide out there.“you’ve just got to give it your all,

you’re 80 minutes away from the ultimate prize.

“He’s a big part of their team, if he runs at me I’ll be throwing myself in front of him as hard as I can.”

Watmough admitted it was a relief to have only one game left to play on his ailing knee, an injury which surely must have him in doubt for the end-of-season World Cup.

He said his knee needed rest

rather than surgery but that he was desperate to play in the World Cup.

As for the fatigue which had seemingly been plaguing the Sea Eagles in the early weeks of the finals, Watmough said the Sea Eagles squad would be up for another

physical battle.“We keep turning up, we’ve got that

ability at this club to take it to another level when we need to,” he said.

“If we’re that little bit down someone will pick us up and we’ll all go with him.”

AAP Image/Action Photographics, Colin Whelan

P15The jAws of vicTory

hodge hopes franklin stays with hawks

...continued on p15

HAWTHOrN captain Luke Hodge is holding onto a slim hope that star forward Lance Franklin will stay with the AFL premiers.

The future of highly-rated youngster Taylor Adams is linked to Franklin’s decision, which is expected this week.

Adams’ manager said the midfielder might not leave Greater Western Sydney if Franklin rejects their massive offer and stays at Hawthorn.

Adams wants to return to Victoria and he has spoken to five clubs about his future.

Franklin might have performed his last official Hawthorn function on Monday when he visited Tasmania as part of their premiership celebrations.

Club great Dermott Brereton said on Monday he had given up hope

THE rUBDOWN

No quick fix for Wallabies

...continued on p15...continued on p15

WALLABIES five-eighth Quade Cooper is warning there’s no quick fix for his team’s troubling form under new coach Ewen McKenzie.

Ahead of their final rugby Championship clash with Argentina in Rosario on Saturday, Cooper predicted there could be more pain before any real gain.

The Australians suffered a disappointing 28-8 loss to South Africa, let down by turnovers and missed tackles at crucial times.

It will be no easy task to beat the Pumas on home turf after they pushed the world champion All Blacks for almost 60 minutes - leading early in the second half before a late 33-15 blowout.

Cooper was voted the Wallabies’ players’ player and worked hard in defence to stop the Springboks’ onslaught.

He looked more at home in the second half with fellow Reds campaigner, halfback Will Genia, replacing Nic White.

mIgHTy FIgHTINg

HAWKS Photos from London's AFL

grand Final Party | P14

By Steve Jancetic

FORGET man-mountain Jared Waerea-Hargreaves or Sonny Bill Williams, Manly back-rower Anthony Watmough has pin-pointed winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck as a key to taming the Sydney Roosters pack in Sunday’s grand final.

In an intriguing twist to the mouth-watering clash between some of the best big men in the business, Watmough said the Sea Eagles’ ability to limit the damage caused by 93kg Tuivasa-Sheck, fellow winger Daniel Tupou and fullback Anthony Minichiello would go a long way to slowing down Waerea-Hargreaves and Williams.

“We’ve got to shut down their whole team - Sonny is a big part of their team but he runs off a lot of their outside backs and that’s how they get on the front foot,” Watmough said.

“We stop them, we stop Sonny, we stop Jared.

“He’s (Waerea-Hargreaves) their leader, if he gets them on the front foot they’re going to do some damage.

“But if we can nullify their back five then he’ll have to work a bit harder and hopefully that will take

PLAYING WITH THE BIG BOYSn Manly back-rower Anthony Watmough believes that taming the Sydney Roosters outside backs will be the key to stopping their big men in Sunday’s grand final.