On Sunday 22nd September the Bribie Island Orchestra is giving a concert of popular music from Verdi to Joplin – from Dvorak to Offenbach with guest artists the Dexterous Digits Duo.
Featured Image(above): Cassandra D’Arcy and James Lloyd
The Spring Concert will be held at the Bribie Island Retirement Village Hall, Foley Street and will commence at 6:30 pm. Special guest artists Dexterous Digits Duo comprises the talents of Cassandra D’Arcy on mandolin and violin and James Lloyd on classical guitar. The pair met while playing in the Brisbane City Pops Orchestra where Cassandra plays the cello and James plays guitar and percussion instruments.
Both artists are teachers – Cassandra at her Dexterous Digits Music School, teaching all the stringed instruments, whereas James has directed the Brisbane Spanish Guitar Centre since 1976. Casandra also plays in the Indooroopilly Chamber Orchestra and with the Bribie Island Orchestra, founded and conducted by her father, Martin White.
James has an interest in arranging music for guitar groups and ensembles and this has led to the formation of the Dexterous Digits Duo as a vehicle for exploring music of all styles and periods. We will be welcoming back our two expert trumpeters Ruth and Jennifer Grant for this concert and they will ensure that you toe-tap along and if you don’t feel like getting up to do the Can-Can it will be because you can’t.
Convenor of the concert Heather White said supper will be provided and tickets are modestly priced at $15 for adults and $5 for children. For more information contact Heather on 5497 5818.
Get all your community news and information. Bribie Islands only community gloss magazine NOW EVERY TWO WEEKS! – Articles on boating, camping, fishing, life, drama, travel destinations, sports and what to see and do on Bribie Island. Covering charities, organisations, places, children’s activities, arts and crafts, tourist destinations, heritage parks, technology, science, music, gardening, and much more.
Noisy Friarbirds are one of the two very common honeyeaters found on Bribie Island and surrounds. Little Friarbirds are also found here but are in smaller numbers. Noisy Friarbirds are large passerines 30-35 cm in length and weigh about 85-130g. Their heads and part of their necks are completely naked of feathers and covered with black skin. Because of this, they are often referred to as “Leatherheads”.
Featured Image(above): Noisy Friarbird on Calistemon bush
They have the barest head of any of the four Australian species of Friarbirds. Another of their prominent features is a knob on the top of their beak. Upper feathers are a dark brownish colour while the underparts are light grey with a tuft of whitish feathers under the chin. Eyes are red.
Their calls are harsh and loud with “Tobacco” and “Four O’clock” being two of their many sounds. Their name implies their noisiness. Most of Queensland, NSW, Victoria and the Murray River region in SA are where they are most likely to be seen in woodlands, swampy forests, heathlands and parks and gardens in suburban areas. They are also found in PNG. Nectar, pollen, insects, and fruit such as berries are their favoured foods.
Not the most comfortable way to take a meal.
Noisy Friarbird – Note tuft of white feathers on breast and naked head.
Friarbird dismantling its nest.
Their behaviour becomes quite aggressive and noisy when feeding, often fighting among themselves and harassing other bird species and chasing them away. In our area, the Friarbirds are locally nomadic following the flowering trees for their nectar. In southern areas, they are mostly migratory flying north in the winter months. In some areas where farmers grow grapes and berries, they are considered a pest as they can be very destructive to crops.
July to February is their favoured time for breeding. Females build open cup-like nests of bark and woven with cobwebs between thin branches and up to 17 m above ground. Nests are lined with soft grass and wool if available. Clutches of 2-4 pinkish, mottled eggs are laid and incubated by females. Both parents defend the nests and feed the chicks for up to 21 days after fledging. Noisy Friarbirds were first recorded in 1790 by John Latham. They were called Friarbirds because their heads resembled the shaven heads Friars. Common Koels are parasitic cuckoos which favour Friarbird nests.
They push the existing eggs from the nest and lay their own which when hatched are parented by the Friarbirds causing the loss of a seasons breeding for them. Their conservation status is secure for now. Feral cats are always a worry. Land clearing decreases habitat but they have adapted well to suburbia and do well on the planted native trees in towns and cities.
I always start off the weekend having a look at Des Houghton’s Quaff column in the Courier Mail and his recommendations which often would require something of a bank loan to try, however this week he showcased a couple of reasonably priced award winners from the recent Royal Queensland Wine Show. If you missed the article it mentioned the Jacobs Creek Le Petit Rose 2018 vintage made from Pinot Noir, Grenache and Mataro grapes and sells for around $15, A Wolf Blass Yellow Label 2017 Chardonnay selling for around $14 and A Windance Estate 2018 Margaret River Shiraz at $26
With a couple of friends arriving on Bribie for a few days from Perth via Cairns, we knew it was going to be a fairly damp weekend eating hearty homemade food and drinking plenty of outstanding wines. On Thursday we started the evening with pea and ham soup with which we served a Rapaura Springs 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, this was followed by spaghetti bolognese and served with a Joel Gott 2017 Californian Zinfandel and a Sister’s Run 2017 McLaren Vale Shiraz.
The Rapaura Springs Sauvignon Blanc and The Sister’s Run both were bought at Liquorland and both wines were very good, as I have commented on before I believe when the Rapaura Springs, which has heaps of grassy overtones and finishes fresh and crisp, is on special it is one of the best buys around, I paid $10 for the wine. I have bought The Sister’s Run before and again when on special for $12 which is around $8 off the normal price it represents very good value, being from McLaren Vale the wine has plenty of spicy aromas, it is a full-bodied style and fully recommended when the price is right again.
When you take friends around you realise what jewels we have around us within a very short drive and Friday involved a trip up to Mooloolaba with a visit for lunch to the surf club and fish and chips with which we enjoyed a very acceptable Angove Long Row Riesling. Friday night began with some more pea and ham soup followed by a butter curry and this time one of the big guns I have been saving for a rainy day came out of the wine fridge. To begin with, we started with an Angove Alternatus Small Batch Rose 2018 McLaren Vale Grenache, Tempranillo, Vermentino and Carignan which was crisp, pale pink, with dry light berry fruit and made a refreshing change from Sauvignon Blanc.
This was a very well made wine with interesting grape components but McLaren Vale Grenache makes for some outstanding wines. This was followed by the wine of the week-end a Penfold’s 2012 Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz which I bought from Dan Murphy’s vintage wine section several years ago, the wine had spicy peppery aromas and was probably wasted alongside the curry but sometimes you just have to indulge! On Saturday after a mornings visit to The Eumundi market we had lunch at The Noosa Surf Club where garlic prawns was washed down with a Jim Barrie ‘W’ Riesling which is a fantastic bone dry white with lovely citrus aromas and is available from BWS for $20 then back home to try a couple of interesting fruit wines from our far north.
Our visitors had brought with them a bottle of Golden Drop Sparkling Mango from Mareeba North Queensland and a bottle of Jaboticaba Tropical Dry Red from the Shannonvale tropical fruit winery which was a Brazilian Tree Grape which was said to be medium-bodied with plum-like aromas. The sparkling Mango lived up to its title and was served with a cheese platter including a very pleasant Stilton and the wine went surprisingly well with this selection.
However the second wine had aromas more in keeping with cough medicine and was quite disappointing, but the overall experience was very interesting as a change from everyday grape wines. Sunday evening was relatively light as the weekend came to a close and platters of assorted meat, cheese and olives were enjoyed with Taylor’s 2017 Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which had aromas of black currents and an Angove Long Row 2018 Pinot Grigio which has aromas of apples and pears with a crisp and a fresh clean finish, a great weekend enjoyed by all.
If you are interested in matching food with wine take a close look at the back label and consider what the winemaker explains about the wine and what the characteristics of the wine are. For instance, if the wine has aromas of apples it almost certainly suits pork, look for a Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris, an unwooded Chardonnay or even a Viognier from Yalumba. Wines such as Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc with citrus characters will suit prawns, lobster and light seafood especially with a squeeze of lemon.
Steak with a pepper sauce would suit a full-bodied Shiraz and if winter has brought out the lamb shanks or Osso Bucco enjoy with a cabernet sauvignon but use the wine as part of the gravy as well and never skimp on the quality used in the cooking serve the same wine with the finished course. The friends have continued on their journey and everything is back to normal, Liquorland has Vin Vale Shiraz from Shingleback on special this week, everything that comes from this winery is always top draw including the Red Knot range from BWS or Dan Murphy’s.
In a marathon race, many competitors say the last part of the run is always the most difficult and many a runner has ‘Hit the Wall’ in the final stages. So it is with Polio eradication. Michael Zaffran, Head of Polio eradication at the World Health Organisation, expressed it well when he said ‘The last mile has proven to be the toughest phase of the polio eradication.’ On Saturday 13 July 2019, the Courier-Mail ran a front-page article titled ‘Polio Peril.’
The article talked about the plunging vaccination rates across southeast Queensland. It also gave statistics showing areas where vaccination rates had fallen and informed readers of the fact that Polio is just a plane ride away from Australia. It is hard to believe that, in Australia today, we still have people who decry vaccination and claim it is harmful. However, the reality is that vaccinations save many millions of lives – and lifestyles – every year. We, therefore, must educate people to realise the benefits of vaccination – especially against polio.
It was Nelson Mandela who said ‘education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It mainly affects children under 5. The World Health Organisation says that the ‘virus invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. The virus is transmitted by person to person spread mainly through the fecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (for example, contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine.
A young boy wearing callipers on his legs
Rotarians giving Polio vaccinations in Lahore Pakistan
Polio victims in the 1950’s
Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness of the neck and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralysed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilised.’ There is no cure for polio! However, it can be prevented by vaccination. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life. Over the last 30 years, Rotary has made the eradication of Polio it’s Number One Priority.
By the end of 2018 over 99.9% of cases had been eradicated with only 33 cases reported that year. We were on a count down to complete eradication and a Polio free world. Unfortunately, the latest figures show that the wild poliovirus remains entrenched in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and in Africa, the vaccine itself is generating virulent strains (see ‘vaccine derived Polio’ below).
In Pakistan, polio health workers are often met with hostility and violence. In April 2019, fuelled by rumours on social media that children were being poisoned by the polio vaccinations, people rioted killing one polio worker and the two police officers guarding her. Likewise, the eradication program in Afghanistan is complicated due to the violence across much of the country and by the refusal of some communities to accept the vaccination programs. Last year’s vaccine-derived polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea is now under control following a massive vaccination program.
Vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a mutated version of the weaker polio virus used in vaccinations. VDPVs are rare and happen in populations with very low vaccination rates. They develop when children who have not been vaccinated come into contact with the feces of vaccinated children. A massive vaccination program is the only way to stop VDPVs. Africa can bring this outbreak under control and thus finally realise Nelson Mandala’s edict of ‘kicking Polio out of Africa.’
So reports that polio is just a plane flight away from Australia, and indeed, Bribie, are not scaremongering. The reality is that low immunisation rates are a recipe for an outbreak and no place on earth is safe from polio until the disease is eradicated everywhere. Bill Gates (who contributes US$2 for every $1 Rotary raises to End Polio) puts it this way – ‘As long as polio threatens even one child anywhere in the world, all children — wherever they live — remain at risk. The stakes are that high.’
What can you do to help?
1. If you know an anti-vaxxer, show them photos of children with polio and urge them to have their children vaccinated immediately. Just because you live in Australia does not mean you are immune or that Polio won’t affect your loved ones.
One crucial step in this quest is the need to Stop Complacency! Even some Rotarians are saying they have grown tired of the Polio campaign and are considering sending their funds elsewhere. Many have become desensitised to the campaign. We are so close to a Polio free world now is not the time to be complacent. So I encourage everyone to increase their efforts to End Polio.
Smallpox is the only disease that has been eradicated from the world. Let’s help Rotary and our partners to go down in history and make poliomyelitis the second. In June 2019 Rotary announced that it is giving US$100 million in grants to support the global effort to end polio. Of this Afghanistan will receive $16.3 million, Nigeria $10.2 million and Pakistan $25.2million. Additional funding will support efforts to keep vulnerable countries polio-free.
Michael McGovern, chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee, said that he was ‘optimistic that the end of polio is within our grasp, but we must remain vigilant in rallying global political and financial support as we push towards a poliofree world.’ We clearly have it in our hands to finish this marathon – and not “hit the wall”.
We can ensure that no child will ever be paralysed by any form of poliovirus – be it wild or vaccine-derived. If readers like me remember children from their childhood who had this horrid disease, or who have friends suffering post-polio syndrome, they will understand why we must ensure it never returns. Robert de Castella – the great marathon runner – perhaps said it best, ‘There are no shortcuts!’ We must vaccinate every child.
How well do I remember that November evening when I first stepped out of the plane that had brought me and my Australian husband to Brisbane International airport, only to be met by a blast of oven-hot air. It was 1969, I was about three months pregnant, and it was just beginning to dawn on me the enormity of the step I had taken in leaving family and friends behind in England.
We were to begin our Australian life living with my mother-in-law whose last words to my husband Don had been, “Have a good time in the UK but for goodness sake do not come home with a Pommie wife.” I was understandably nervous, but Elvie turned out to be kind and understanding of the delicate flower that her son had transplanted to such foreign climes. The house at Windsor was an old-style Queenslander with a central living-room and bedrooms leading off the living room on to a closed-in veranda. There were no doors but that made it cool if somewhat lacking in privacy I thought.
There was a bathroom upstairs, but downstairs, the wonder of wonders, was a giant shower and an automatic washing machine, something I had never seen before in my entire life. I was still suffering from morning sickness but could enjoy pineapples and strawberries, on which I lived until my nausea abated. There was one fan which lived on the floor, but this did not do much to keep me from suffering from the heat, so I took to the bath where I lay in cold water. “Where is Don’s new wife?” I would hear people ask. “Having a cold bath” would come the reply.
I was hardly fit for visitors, so I would dive deeper into my aqueous refuge. I soon learned about mosquitoes. Why would they bother biting anyone else when they had delicious fresh flesh to feast upon? Those enormous Scotch Greys made straight for any part of my anatomy that was exposed. After a few weeks, Don decided to introduce me to Bribie, tales of which he had used to encourage me to accompany him to his homeland. We traveled by bus as we had not yet acquired a car. Dwelpine, the beach house I was to learn to love so much, was, at first sight, a bit of a shock.
Yes, it did have electricity, and water from a rainwater tank. I turned the tap and water gushed forth, but what were all those wrigglers in the glass? Don gently explained that for a while, at least, we would need to boil the water before drinking it! A further horror was to follow almost immediately. My legs began to itch. I looked down and found them covered in fleas. This did not seem to worry my husband who quickly grabbed a kind of pump which contained some form of insecticide, and pumped away until the floor was covered with tiny corpses.
Since the house had not been used for some time, flea eggs had lain dormant until our footsteps had woken them from their slumber and convinced them it was time for breakfast. We were staying the night and so two beds were pushed together. Don found a large mosquito net and a sheet and we settled down for the night, waking to a glorious sunny morning.
We put on our bathers and rushed down to the beach where we found an old wooden boat, not in the best condition, but it stayed afloat as long as I bailed and Don rowed. We were at some distance from the shore when I heard a strange blowing sound and a head appeared beside us. It was a large turtle. I was beside myself with excitement but my husband had decided it was time for my next lesson.
We headed for the beach and Don decided that if we were to eat that night, we had better catch some fish. He rigged up the rods and demonstrated how to cast using an Alvey reel, always my favourite, and being an amazingly quick learner, I followed suit. Imagine my joy, and perhaps amazement, when I felt a tug on the line and following instructions, hauled in a sizable fish which I took off the line feeling very pleased with myself. Husband, not so impressed, could not stop laughing and said I had a lot to learn.
Apparently, one does not catch mullet with a hook and sinker. All was not lost and later that day I was showing him that my zoology degree was not in vain, and I was catching winter whiting like a professional. I might also add that I learned how to catch, scale and fillet as well as any man, plus packet fish ready for freezing. And I could cook the fish in a delicious beer batter, not such a useless Pom after all! I gave up attempts at baking bread when I discovered Kling’s Bakery, which did the job more efficiently and with less effort on my part. Tomatoes came from Sister Ursula at St Michael’s.
They were five cents a pound if I remember correctly. Meanwhile, Don kept missing out on better and better employment, but I look back on those days together as pure bliss. Even the rat that landed on my face in the middle of the night had its humour. My “Hero” grabbed a broom and chased the rodent into what was laughingly called the washroom, one cold tap and an enamel basin, from whence I heard thumps and bangs until there was silence.
The victorious hero entered the bedroom holding the bloodied rodent by the tail. It was a wonder that the daughter did not arrive before the expected date, but again, my previous experience in handling rats, came in useful, and we were able to see the funny side of the experience. Eventually, Don did obtain a job, and I did my bit by giving birth to a baby girl and so the next episode will be called Post-Partum.
Get all your community news and information. Bribie Islands only community gloss magazine NOW EVERY TWO WEEKS! – Articles on boating, camping, fishing, life, drama, travel destinations, sports and what to see and do on Bribie Island. Covering charities, organisations, places, children’s activities, arts and crafts, tourist destinations, heritage parks, technology, science, music, gardening, and much more.
SPRING IS COMING AND THE WILDFLOWERS ARE BLOOMING ON BRIBIE
BIEPA’s “Wonders of the Wallum” Spring Wildflower Walk on Sunday 1st September, meeting at 8:00 am at Cnr of Cotterill Ave and Protea Dve, Bongaree. BIEPA members and Allan Carr from Native Plants Queensland (Caboolture Branch) are excited to welcome and assist you through this delightful walk in Bribie’s Wonderful Wallum.
Once the low plains and sandy seaside hills and dunes of South East Queensland were alive with the noise of frogs, insects and chattering birds and were covered with Wallum – a mosaic of low shrubbery woodlands and heath. Now, relatively small remnants of Wallum heath remain in mainland South East Queensland.
Fortunately, some areas are preserved in National Parks and Conservation Parks, but the Wallum heaths are battling to survive intact. Recreation, development, waste dumps, weeds and drainage water from surrounding suburbia threaten the fragile plant species and dogs, cats and toads harass the ground-dwelling wildlife.
Please dress for the weather. Hat, sturdy shoes, long sleeves, long trousers recommended. If you are a bird enthusiast bring binoculars. For more information, contact Jenny: 0447 350 702. Bribie Island Environmental Protection Association Annual WONDERS OF THE WALLUM Spring Wildflower Walk. Sunday, September 1st, 8 am – 11 am.
Recycling is certainly not a new term in today’s “throwaway” world. Many everyday items end up as landfill when much more can be done to use them in future production. As a society we have become used to separating our household rubbish in different coloured bins, hoping that the recyclable rubbish can find a new life, sometimes as an entirely different product.
Featured Image(above):(F to B) Amelia Hamilton from Ningi, Jules Williams from Bribie, Elisa Munro from Bribie and Paul Mullen the General Manager at Express Recycling.
The Bribie Islander offers a big welcome to the general manager Paul Mullen and his team at the recently opened Express Recycling at 21 Armitage Street, Bongaree (opposite the Bus Depot). Paul explained to our reporter that the company has had many years of experience in this industry in other states.
The staff are all locals and they aim to give top customer service and assistance with advice for future collections and to make the experience a pleasure to return again and recycle the next batch of containers. Every “single-use” beverage container from aluminium cans, beer bottles to flavoured milk and drink bottles (up to 3-litre size) attracts a 10c refund but wine bottles, straight spirit bottles and plain milk containers are not acceptable as yet.
Paul Mullen the General Manager at Express Recycling
Bottle caps will need to be removed but Express Recycling are happy to take them as they will be recycled too. Local businesses are also encouraged to bring their containers to support this locally owned and operated business. What a great way to earn some extra cash or top up the family budget.
Only 10 eligible items bring a $1 refund so start collecting them rather than throwing them away, $2.40 for every slab of empty beer bottles! Besides offering a cash refund for collecting, Express Recycling is playing a major part in helping our environment. So many bottles, cans and poppers are dumped by the roadside or left in our parks and on our beaches –help keep Australia cleaner and safer by recycling.
As we now have our recycling plant on Bribie Island it will service all nearby areas so begin collecting your single-use cans and bottles now and get paid for them on the spot in cash or into your bank account and support one of our local businesses.
2019 marks 22 years in business for Sunshine Coast favourite, Beefy’s. The family-owned bakery couldn’t be more grateful for the customer support they’ve received during that time. That’s why they are celebrating their 22nd birthday with 22 days of presents for customers.
They’re kicking the party off on Thursday 22nd August by giving away 5000 pies across their nine stores!
“To claim their free Signature Steak Pie or Gluten-Free Signature Steak Pie, customers simply need to like Beefy’s on Facebook or Instagram to find out more, or be Beefy’s Rewards Club members,” says Beefy’s Mark Hobbs.
“The free pies will be available while stocks last or until 2:22 pm, whichever comes first.” Thursday will also mark the start of Beefy’s Scratch and Win. Every customer who visits and makes a
purchase during the 22 days of celebrations will receive a Scratch and Win card, and every card wins a prize to be redeemed with the next purchase.
“Beefy’s Scratch and Win is giving away free Family Pies, 5-Packs of Pies, Barista-Made Coffee, Lunch-Size Pies, Large Hot Chips, Loaded Pies, Sweets and more,” says Mark. “There’ll also be some surprise in-store deals offered too during our 22 days of celebrations.”
The first 100 Beefy’s Home Delivery customers to order during the celebrations will also receive a Beefy’s Scratch and Win with their order. Again, every Home Delivery Scratch and Win card wins, with the prizes including $10 and $20 off home delivery or a FREE 12-Pack of Pies.
“At the end of the 22 days, one lucky customer will walk away with the biggest present of all, 22 Weeks of Pies,” says Mark.
“To enter, customers simply need to sign up for free to Beefy’s Rewards Club. Current Beefy’s Rewards Club members are automatically entered.”
“The winner will receive a 5-Pack of Beefy’s Lunch-Size Pies, any flavour including Gluten-Free, every week for 22 weeks. That’s $874 value free!”
Now with nine locations in South East Queensland and employing 150 local people, the entire Beefy’s team couldn’t be prouder to be celebrating their 22nd birthday.
While a lot has changed since day one, one thing that’s remained is Beefy’s commitment to giving customers what they love.
“In the very early days, customers let us know they wanted bigger, beefier pies so that’s what we gave them,” says Mark, “and we haven’t stopped since!”
Beefy’s Pies aren’t just bigger and beefier, they are award-winning.
“We’ve been lucky enough to win some awards for our pies over the years – in fact, our awards tally is sitting at 87 and still counting and includes Australia’s Best Gluten-Free Pie.”
Beefy’s also received the honour recently of being awarded Best Meat Pie on the Sunshine Coast as voted by Sunshine Coast locals.
“We’re very grateful for all the awards, but it’s the ones where customers have voted that mean the most to us, as do the daily rewards and thanks we receive when customers visit our stores,” adds
Mark.
Customers were certainly very thankful when Beefy’s introduced Gluten Free Signature Steak Pies to their range in 2013. It was something Mark decided to do in response to his son Michael being diagnosed with Coeliac Disease and the growing requests that were being received from customers for pies that suited a gluten-free diet.
Sunshine Coast locals not only embraced the Beefy’s gluten free-range, as word got out pie lovers from around Australia wanted them too. In 2017, Beefy’s introduced Beefy’s Gluten-Free Home
Delivery, and now delivers their gluten-free range of pies and sausage rolls Australia wide.
So, as the extended Hobbs and Beefy’s families pause to celebrate Beefy’s 22nd birthday, they do it with great anticipation for what the future holds.
Tags: Arnold Schwartzenegger. Famous people. Actors. Celebrities.
Boy Arnie’s Vision:
Stay Hungry ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
Who would have ever thought that an unhappy little boy, born in 1947 in Thal, the tiniest of villages in the Austrian Steiermark, would become an international icon with a life more interesting than even he himself could have dreamt of? But that is Arnie Schwarzenegger all the way!
And why unhappy? Well, his father, a policeman, noncommissioned army officer and member of the Nazi Party, (unlike Arnie, a lifelong member of “Friends of Israel”) displays a strong and blatant favouritism for Arnie’s older brother Meinhard, because of an unfounded suspicion that Arnie is not his biological child. But Arnie loves Meinhard and looks up to him for everything, yet does not attend his funeral, when Meinhard is killed in a car accident in 1971, as he cannot bear to see his father.
1950’S at school in Thal, Austria
1950’S Arnie’s childhood bed
The father would never listen to or understand young Arnie, lavishing him with corporal punishment for the slightest thing. But at 14 Arnie wins the battle with his father of taking up bodybuilding instead of soccer. Besides, I so sympathize with Arnie’s regimented parental upbringing, as I too, also Austrian born and close to Arnie’s age, suffered the identical problems, all of which makes you strive for the impossible and by persisting you do achieve it.
My favorite song ‘CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN’ beautifully portrayed in ‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC,’ summarizes it perfectly and has been my life-long motto. Arnie is already a savvy, self-made millionaire before even starting his first major movie to be released in 1982, ‘CONAN THE BARBARIAN.’ But the name of his first film ‘STAY HUNGRY’ last year (1976), means more than just a movie title to Arnie. Stay hungry is his motto for the rest of his life, hungry to achieve, hungry to be the best at everything he touches, hungry to win, hungry for accolade, fame and fortune and accomplished friends in every walk of life. It is something very Austrian.
Arnold Schwartzenegger in the movie “Conan”
My father too always encouraged me to find friends who were smarter and more intelligent than I, so I would learn from them. But with his innate ability to succeed, Arnie does not have to learn too much. From his bodybuilding career and winning the Mr. Universe, Mr. World, Mr. International, and Mr. Olympia contests many times and, having been the youngest man ever at 20 to do so, he never spends his winnings. Instead, he invests them in an apartment building, world-wide real estate, privately controlled companies, stocks, bonds, sporting events, business ventures and even achieves a business degree from the Los Angeles U.C.L.A.
Kya and Baby
1970’s
I first meet the 30-year-old prolific goal setter for a most unusual luncheon in the most exclusive French restaurant in London’s Piccadilly. After my urgent veterinary consultation at Regents Park Zoo that morning, there is no time to take my tiny Squirrel Monkey, Kya, and her baby back home to Middlesex. I can’t leave her in my soft-top 280SL Mercedes, as the risk of someone stealing this precious little creature with even just a pocket knife through the roof is far too great.
I feel embarrassed, but turn up with Kya on my arm, asking the maitre d’ of the restaurant, if they might have a storage room where she could stay while Schwarzenegger and I have lunch. But instead, Kya is served delicious food on a silver platter under our table. “I didn’t get any more satisfaction out of competing and winning by 1975,” Arnie’s gruff voice is quite distinctive as he explains. “Bodybuilding was a stepping stone, a means to an end, and as I finished my competitive years, I was using it more and more as a vehicle. It helped me a lot in business and in other areas, because if you have a ‘name,’ you do much better.
You can get loans from the bank for business. Subconsciously people are just impressed with size and winners.” At this point, Arnie forgets his food in his earnestness to touch on a subject very interesting to him. “Through all the different civilizations it’s been proved that the presentation of the body is always very important. Whatever it was, Hercules, the Greek statues or the Roman soldiers, they were all muscular. Look at the way Michelangelo painted his male figures and the way Rodin sculpted muscular ones. It was always a presentation of power.”
1960’s
1960’s
You don’t necessarily agree with every word Arnie says, to appreciate that he has studied his subject and thought about it at length. And you’d be made of asbestos not to succumb to the boyish charm that robs the words of pomposity and keeps them just the right side of the comic. Looking across the restaurant table I find Arnie slimmer and slighter than expected, and apart from the biceps that thrust outwards against his sleeves, he is not bulging in any unusual places. Only the excessive ratio of his shoulders to his waist, two to one, gives away that this man does not make his living sitting behind an office desk.
“I have been really fascinated by the people I have met in the last few years,” he continues in a wondering tone, “people I would otherwise have had no chance to meet, like political leaders, Presidents, Prime Ministers, the Kennedy’s. The Kennedy family invited me to Hyannisport and Rose Kennedy gave me two copies of her book, inscribed in German, one for me and one for my mother.”
If occasionally Arnie gives the impression of having approached his dream-come-true position with just a shade of too much calculation he will mitigate it by revealing the side of himself that is still as breathless and starstruck as a school-boy, his nose pressed against the windowpane.
This was a very well made wine with interesting grape components but McLaren Vale Grenache makes for some outstanding wines. This was followed by the wine of the week-end a Penfold’s 2012 Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz which I bought from Dan Murphy’s vintage wine section several years ago, the wine had spicy peppery aromas and was probably wasted alongside the curry but sometimes you just have to indulge! On Saturday after a mornings visit to The Eumundi market we had lunch at The Noosa Surf Club where garlic prawns was washed down with a Jim Barrie ‘W’ Riesling which is a fantastic bone dry white with lovely citrus aromas and is available from BWS for $20 then back home to try a couple of interesting fruit wines from our far north.
