veranto news and muse spring 2013 issue 30 web

Spring 2013 Issue 30

A Heat Wave Swim

On a very hot afternoon in March, Alicia Road residents Hartmuth Pallavicini, Kayleen Harwood, Robert Helps and Maxine Flakemore (accompanied by Peppa the pet dog) headed to the beach at Kingston for a cooling swim.

Kayleen paddled whilst Robert enjoyed watching the other people on the beach and later went for a walk to organise the dinner whilst Hartmuth enjoyed his swim. After dinner, the all walked down to purchase an ice-cream.

Everyone had enjoyed the cooling activities on that hot afternoon and Maxine recorded some of the activity on her camera.

Begonia Morning Tea

Rodney Howe, Julie Reeves, Janine Smith, Robin Green, David Gigney, Rohan Naughton, Mary Holowenko, Stanley Henry, Patty Fall, Sandra Palmer, Tim Brickhill and Janelle Triffet were all very excited at the prospect of another annual morning tea at Begonia Gardens, Richmond, on March 8th.

Rohan decided to take a more scenic route and under his direction the whole crew ended up just outside Colebrook! After turning around and driving back the way they had come, they eventually arrived at the Begonia Gardens in Richmond…. only 40 minutes late!

Dennis and Von were very pleased to see everyone once again and after a look at all the wonderful bright flowers they settled down for a cuppa and some morning tea which was of the usual high standard.

All too soon it was time to say goodbye for another year, and after a big group photo with their wide grins they all climbed back into the van for the drive home.

Begonia Morning Tea party

Paddling at Kingston Beach

Veranto news & muse Spring 2013 Issue 302

In this issueA Melbourne Visit

On March 12th, Julie Reeves and Elizabeth Gabriel set off for Melbourne for a four night holiday, where they stayed at the Novotel on Collins. After checking in, they had a short rest before some shopping at the Australia on Collins Centre. They enjoyed a lunch at the food court and combined some window shopping

with some purchasing of various items, before having tea in the park that evening.

Next day, Julie went shopping again and purchased a new pair of shoes, before she and Elizabeth went to Her Majesty’s Theatre on Exhibition Street to enjoy a performance of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Thursday morning found both visitors ready to visit the Direct Factory Outlet on the South Bank, where they wandered around the myriad of shops and scored some great shopping bargains.

On Friday, after a leisurely start, they visited the Aquarium where Elizabeth particularly enjoyed the penguins and the large fish and Julie concentrated on watching the penguins and their baby chicks. Fortunately they were lucky enough to be at the Aquarium at feeding time and enjoyed watching the large fish being fed. The Aquarium shop was then inspected and some purchases were made before heading back to the hotel to rest before packing ready for the journey home on Saturday.

A Heat Wave Swim 1

Begonia Morning Tea 1

A Melbourne Visit 2

Launceston Trip and Visits 3

Maritime Museum Visit 3

Celebrating Lindsay’s Birthday 4

CEO Report 4

Gary’s Laneways – Acts of Kindness 5

River Murray Cruise 5

May Footy trip 7

Peter Steen’s Melbourne trip 7

Aurora’s 25th anniversary 8

The Sound of Music 9

Bruny Island trip 9

James Dixon inspires New Norfolk to Dance 9

A day at Zoo Doo 10

Robert Helps’ Sydney holiday 10

Anniversary lunch 10

Sandra Palmer’s Launceston adventure 10

Port Douglas holiday 11

Planet Ark National Tree Day 11

Leo Joseph’s notable birthday 12

Winter Gardening at Nolan 12

Body Biz 12

Community Garden, New Norfolk 13

Third anniversary celebration 13

Ian’s NRL trip to Sydney 13

Graeme Cross at the Cat’s Home 14

Board Report 14

Carbeen Street Garden 15

Footy Tipping 2013 15

VSLO visit to Hamilton 15

Welcome Ray Miller Design 16

Airport visit 16

Julie in Melbourne

Elizabeth and Julie see a show


Launceston trip and visits

On Monday 18 March Laura Judd and Graeme Rycroft, accompanied by support staff Fiona and Tina, set off for their long planned trip to Launceston. After a delayed start due to decisions about what music to play when the radio was out of range, they set off up the Midland Highway with both Graeme and Laura excited and happy at the prospect of the visit.

The trip was delayed in places due to the inevitable road works at various points along the highway but eventually they reached Campbell Town where they paused for a refreshment stop.

Tamar River Villas had been selected for their accommodation and on arrival; the luggage was unloaded into the comfortable wheelchair accessible rooms. They were soon back on the bus however, in search of somewhere suitable for lunch.

Their next stop was at Beauty Point for a visit to the Platypus House and Seahorse World. Platypus House guide Judy greeted them and introduced them to a short film about the platypus. Laura was amused at being able to pat a platypus that had been through the taxidermy process and she enjoyed the feel of the pelt and the roughness of the tail. They also saw three echidnas in the special garden and watched them feed on the food which guide Judy provided.

Graeme made sounds which attracted one of the echidnas, and it wandered over to him and seemed to join in with his vocalisations, much to the amusement of everyone else.

Soon it was time to move on to Seahorse World where they saw various tanks of seahorses. Graeme then enjoyed seeing various other tanks and aquariums and especially liked the touch tank where he was able to have some hands-on experience of various sea creatures. Laura was less interested in the sea horses and took the opportunity for a nap.

Dinner was taken at the restaurant attached to the accommodation and

after evening routines it was off to have a well earned sleep ready for their trip to Tasmania Zoo the next day.

After breakfast, the van was packed and they set off on a seemingly long trip to Tasmania Zoo. They were greeted by the friendly staff on arrival and issued with instructions on how best to move about the zoo complex. There were many animal species to see including meerkats, various types of monkey and Tasmanian devils too. Of particular interest were the wedge tailed eagles which flew over the viewing platform where Graeme and Laura were situated. A cheeky goat even attempted to eat Laura’s book!

Lunch was eaten at the zoo whilst they watched the meerkats and it was soon time to head back to Hobart. To create some variety they took a route which avoided having to return to Launceston. Graeme, who had not slept well on Saturday night, caught up somewhat on the journey home and Laura later received a lovely massage to relieve her travel aches and pains..

Maritime Museum visit

The Maritime Museum proved to be an interesting and educational field trip for Peter John Butler, Stephen Wooldridge, Ray Miller and Norman Pinkerton. As they walked around, they viewed many different sailing ships, lighthouses and some original deep sea diving apparatus. A highlight was ringing the large ship bell at which everybody had a turn.

Everyone is now confident that they can be in charge of the wheelhouse to steer the ships coming in to shore!

Laura and Graeme at Platypus World

Graeme admiring the seahorses

At the wheelhouse


Celebrating Lindsay’s birthday

Lindsay Appledorf was planning to celebrate his birthday on March 20th, and after much anticipation the day finally arrived. Helping him to celebrate his big day were Janelle Triffet, Rodney Howe, David Gigney, Julie Reeves, Peter Dunkley, Janine Smith and Sandra Palmer.

Once everyone was up and ready for the day, there were plenty of hugs and kisses for Lindsay from all his friends at the Lodge. Janelle brought in a special birthday gift just for Lindsay, and it was impossible to wipe the smile off Lindsay’s face all day!

After the morning celebration, they headed off to the restaurant at the Botanical Gardens, for Lindsay’s birthday lunch, where he ordered his all time favourite of fish and chips. After Lunch they all headed back to the Lodge where they sang Happy Birthday and Lindsay finally cut his long awaited puppy dog cake which he had specially requested. No sooner had he had finished his slice of cake than he asked “can I please have another one next year?”

Lindsay was very eager to tell everyone about his special day and what a wonderful time he’d had.

Everyone wonders what the birthday celebrations will be next year...

CEO Report

Some huge changes have come into effect for Veranto recently as a result of the recent introduction of DisabilityCare Australia. The changes are undoubtedly positive, allowing those living with a disability, their families and carers to have much greater control over their futures. We’ve been working hard to ensure Veranto is ready to meet the expectations of the people we support and we feel that we’re in a very strong position to deliver under the new operating model.

To allow us to continue to deliver the best possible service we’ve been recruiting new Board members. In June the Board appointed Liz Brown to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of long-term director Geoff Harper. Liz brings experience from the acute health sector including senior management and training expertise. Liz is also a recent graduate with the Australian Institute of Company Directors. We welcome Liz to Veranto and over the coming months we’ll introduce her to the people we support.

Brian Brain has been a member of the Policy Committee on Individual Support for several years and has recently tendered his resignation to spend more time planning his retirement travels. My thanks to Brian for his commitment and the insight he brought to the work of the committee over many years.

I also welcome Simone Hart to the accounting department. Organisational growth has necessitated the expansion of our accounting department and with Simone joining Sue O’Brien our accounting capacity is now in line with the scale of our business. More recently, Nicole Cumine joined the senior management team when she was appointed as the Deputy Operations Manager to work with Roy Archer. Nicole’s experience in business administration and project management will be invaluable. Roy and Nicole will be busy over coming weeks ensuring Nicole is introduced across the organisation.

Veranto has sponsored the placement of numerous students over many years. Kate Madden a final year Social Work student will be working with us on a range of projects over a fourteen-week placement. Melissa Moore and Natalie Rose, both social work graduates are supporting and supervising Kate during her time at Veranto. Luci Folder is a final year law student who is also on placement with Veranto. Luci is undertaking a project to review the Board Governance policies by researching best practice governance models and benchmarking our system. The Board will use the project outcomes reported by Luci to inform and strengthen governance processes.

The Acorn Branch recently held its 31st Annual General Meeting. The energy and imagination the ladies (and a few fellas) bring to their fundraising events continues to generate considerable funds that benefit the people we support. Congratulations ladies for yet another successful year and I look forward to working with you all to identify projects on which we can spend that hard earned money.

Birthday celebrations


Finally, I wish to acknowledge the very kind comments and good wishes that I received for my 25th anniversary at Veranto. The celebratory event together with the many cards, gifts and mementos of the day made it particularly special for me.

Paul Byrne CEO

Gary’s Laneways – Acts of Kindness

Continuing Oakdale Lodge’s commitment of honouring Gary Lane, throughout April the residents and staff collected donations of cat food, cat toys & blankets.

On the 2nd of May a small group comprising Janine Smith, Mary Holowenko, Robyn Green, Peter Dunkley, Cleve Mitchell and Sandra Palmer enthusiastically visited the Cat’s Home in Cornelian Bay to hand over the donations they had put together.

The kittens were a favourite with everyone and all were tempted to rescue one for return to the Lodge!! One kitten attempted a daring escape during the visit, but Robyn was quick to retrieve him.

The donations were accepted gratefully by the staff at the Cat’s Home and it had been a great effort by everyone in supporting the community of “furry friends” .

River Murray cruise

The time for the eagerly awaited River Murray holiday arrived on March 17th. Timothy Brickhill, Stanley Henry, Cleve Mitchell, Peter Harvey, Mary Holowenko, Robyn Green, Patricia Henry and Maree Watt, accompanied by Michelle O’Sullivan and Simone Horsey-Izbicki set off from Hobart to Adelaide for their planned River Murray cruise. The day seemed long, with much time spent queuing at airports awaiting flights and formalities, but eventually they arrived at the Grand Mecure Grosvenor in time for an evening pizza and an early night.

Day one found the travellers ready for some sight-seeing and shopping in Adelaide after a MacDonald’s breakfast, and it was soon time to return to the hotel ready for the bus to the Murray Princess. They departed from Mannum Wharf at 4.30pm, having all found their cabins, and ready to listen to the safety instructions from the captain.

A relaxing session in the lounge was soon followed by the beautifully presented three course evening meal and live guitar music for entertainment.

Patricia and Michelle rejoined the group at 8.30, having had a brief session at the Adelaide Hospital as a result of an accident during their earlier shopping trip in the city. Happily both were unharmed apart from a few bumps and bruises.

The boat stopped at Caurnamont for an overnight stay and the following morning everyone was delighted to view the spectacular sunrise and river reflections before enjoying a comprehensive selection of breakfast food offered to the group.

The day was spent in luxury, with decisions to be made on which lounges to view the spectacular wild life and scenery and how else to spend their time. Cleve was eager to check out the souvenir shop whilst Maree and Robyn tried their luck at the onboard bingo. The wine tasting with Robyn Day was a highlight, involving history details and tasting of celebrated South Australian wines. The evening had everyone enjoying the River Murray Cup race, with Timothy and Mary taking the role of jockeys, and some small wins for some.

The next day was spent enjoying the facilities of the boat, playing games like solitaire and deck shuffle, and relaxing in the lounges and bars. In the evening they boarded a bus (i.e. outback truck) for a destination where they enjoyed seeing some sheep shearing and viewed various examples of wildlife.

Later they enjoyed a lavish BBQ in a decorated farm shed with various examples of outback equipment and then enjoyed a dance (including a hokey pokey) and live presentations from the crew.

The next day was set aside to visit Ngaut Ngaut Aboriginal Conservation Park, where they viewed ancient rock carvings and saw remnants of ancient habitation and various artefacts. Tribal elders have returned to this Park and provided some information about its recent development and organisation to the visitors.


After lunch they continued cruising on the river and Maree volunteered for the speedboat ride. An inspection of the wheelhouse was also available and photos were taken of passengers “driving” the paddleboat.

That evening it was the “captain’s dinner” in the form of a seafood buffet, and everyone enjoyed the food and the decorations which were then followed by dancing to live music. Maree enjoyed the first dance with Captain Knappstein.

Next day it was time to return to Mannum for a tour of two selected wineries. The bad weather didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for the sightseeing and the pleasures of the wineries which were recorded on photographs. On re-boarding the boat, it was time to greet the new passengers and set off again. All too soon it was time for the cocktail hour with the “procrastinating penguin” being the drink of the day! after which they enjoyed another delightful evening meal and entertainment.

Next stop was the township of Murray Bridge where everyone enjoyed the sightseeing, shopping and entertainment on offer. Various treasures were purchased and a farmer’s market greatly enjoyed. A pleasant afternoon on board then followed with various activities enjoyed before dinner and the entertainment provided by the crew.

After breakfast the following day they joined the first officer for a guided walk at Saltbush Flat where they learnt about the aboriginal ancestors and their working tools. After re-boarding they moved on to River View Lodge where the option of joining the smaller boat for the Dragonfly Cruise for a nature view, was taken up by everyone and suitably recorded on various cameras. A later fishing challenge on Captain Number three

Captain Number one Captain Number two


the Murray Princess proved very entertaining and afterwards everyone enjoyed the pre-dinner drinks, a last evening meal and entertainment.

Departure day and the return journey to Hobart seemed something of an anticlimax, but despite some seemingly endless waiting at airports, all arrived safely after their exciting adventure.

May Footy Trip

On Friday the 17th of May, Ian Rayner, Rodney Howe, Neville Fitzmaurice, Peter Harvey and Peter Stephenson left Hobart Airport to begin their boys’ footy weekend.

As they didn’t have a game to attend on the first night, it was decided that the afternoon would be spent shopping- mainly for footy gear of course- and in the evening they headed to the Crown Casino for a buffet dinner and few drinks which everyone enjoyed. Peter H and Ian opted for an quiet night and watched the footy in the hotel room while the others decided to stay at the casino to watch the live footy panel and a game on the big screen.

On Saturday, Ian, Neville and Peter S went to see the Brisbane vs. Essendon game (which Brisbane won) whilst Rodney and Peter H spent the time in the luxury of gold class cinema watching Iron man3.

Afterwards they re-grouped to decide on plans for the night. Everyone wanted Chinese for dinner as it was different from the usual meals back home, so they headed to China Town which was only a short stroll from their hotel room. After checking out numerous restaurants they agreed on one which had a full banquette from entrée to dessert. All the various courses were delicious, including the duck which no-one had previously eaten.

The Saturday night game, between Collingwood and Geelong, was a fantastic game of football which Collingwood won by a goal at the final siren. This was definitely the highlight of Ian’s weekend, and he joined in waving his scarf and singing the Collingwood club song after the final siren.

Sunday, the last day of the trip, was spent buying a few last items before setting off to the Carlton vs. Port Adelaide game which, much to Rodney and Peter Stephenson’s delight, was won by Carlton.

The team supporters left Melbourne for Hobart on an evening flight, all happy with their team’s successes.

Peter Steen’s Melbourne trip

On 31st May, Peter Steen flew to Melbourne for a three day holiday and football event. His first impression was of marshmallow like clouds and he shared this insight with the flight crew. On arrival at Melbourne Airport, Peter was lucky enough to meet, and be photographed with, the GWS team.

The Mantra Hotel, where Peter was staying, was soon given the thumbs up as the accommodation unit had two televisions and a lift. Victoria Market was his next destination and Peter was lucky enough to see the market preparations and the forklift trucks in action, before having dinner at the hotel restaurant and experiencing the unusual winter thunderstorm thereafter.

Football visitors


Saturday was “game day” and Peter set off to Harbour Town for some sightseeing before heading to Etihad Stadium for the GWS v Carlton match. The GWS defeat at the hands of Carlton did nothing to dampen Peter’s enthusiastic support for GWS.

After the game, it was time for some serious Melbourne exploration time, with the railway station and local trams being of particular interest. Peter then returned to the hotel for a brief rest before setting off again into the night time city for dinner at a Japanese Pizza restaurant.

Peter’s last day found him visiting the Melbourne Aquarium where he saw various marine creatures, including his favourites, the saw shark and the stingrays, before heading back to the airport for the trip back to a cooler Hobart.

Aurora’s 25th Anniversary

May 30th 2013 marked a very special day for Aurora Disability services as it was their 25th Anniversary.

To celebrate, there was a special luncheon held at the Wrest Point casino, with 170 guests including Peter Dunkley, Tim Brickhill and Sandra Palmer who attended and enjoyed the festivities very much.

They were served a delicious lunch and shared in the huge cake that was filled with candles.

Joy Cairns of course was the guest of honour and spoke for nearly ½ an hour. She is the most wonderful advocate for those with disabilities and many recalled her tireless work since she first began in the 1970s.

Flyers were available on each table and it is hoped to provide the information they contained to each of the Veranto houses.

Once the guests had shared the enormous cake, the real party began with a house band which so often plays at the Aurora dances. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Birthday celebrants

Peter with GWS players


The Sound of Music

On the 1st day of June Sandra Palmer, Mary Holowenko, David Gigney, Rohan Naughton, Stanley Henry and Maree Watt attended a musical play at the Southern Christian School at Kingston.

The amusing and comical show, which had everyone laughing, was performed by teachers and students of the school. After the show popcorn, and other treats made by the students, were available for purchase. The popcorn proved irresistible and was enjoyed by everyone.

Bruny Island trip

It was a bright and sunny, if somewhat windy, day on Bruny Island when Ray Miller, Harold Dimmack, Peter John Butler, and Stephen Wooldridge made the ferry crossing from Kettering.

Their first port of call was for morning tea at the cheese factory where they were provided with extra cheese samples by the kind owner. They enjoyed viewing the baking kiln and the preparation of bread.

The subsequent journey to Adventure Bay allowed them to purchase souvenirs before they drove to the pontoon at Alonnah for some fishing before lunch. Then the ladder at the Penguin Walk provided a backdrop for some photos before they headed back to the ferry for the return journey. The use of the tug boat to assist the ferry was greatly enjoyed, not least because it only happens about once a year.

The drive back allowed the travellers a chance to listen to some country music and have a snooze. They all agreed that a return visit would be nice, but perhaps without the accompanying wind next time!

James Dixon inspires New Norfolk to dance

A ground-breaking event, the James B. Dixon Inaugural Dance, took place on June 18, 2013 at Community House, New Norfolk. A fantastic Rock & Roll afternoon was spent by the Veranto Seniors Lifestyle Options group, local residents and many friends from various groups in the community.

For many, the dance brought back fond memories of the Willow Court Dance. As a result, works are now in progress to make the James B. Dixon Dance a monthly event in New Norfolk.

In the meantime, we hope to see you all at the next James B. Dixon Dance on Thursday, December 5, 2013 – with live band performing!

Thank you James for reminding us of the NEED for Music and Dance!

New Norfolk dancers


A day at Zoo Doo

Leo Joseph, Norman Pinkerton and Bruce Ledger enjoyed a fabulous visit to Zoo Doo on Thursday 27th June. The bright sunny day had a pleasant effect on the visitors as well as creating a hive of activity amongst the animals.

Whilst there Bruce was brave enough to feed the lions, Leo preferred the wild and bumpy bus tour. Norman found great comfort in a cup of tea and chocolate cake!

Robert Helps’ Sydney holiday

On 17th June, Robert Helps, accompanied by Michael Lonergan, settled at the York Hotel in Sydney for a five day stay. There were city views from each room of his 26th floor unit, which also had its own kitchen and laundry. Robert chose to sleep in the spacious master bedroom with its large queen size bed, own television and en-suite bathroom. The spa bath was an instant draw-card.

A visit on day one to the Sydney Tower to enjoy the panoramic views at sunset, set the tone for the holiday and after purchasing some postcards they enjoyed a meal at a Rocks pub before taking a stroll down George Street.

The weather was sunny most days, so they were able to walk all around central Sydney. On day two, they caught a Ferry to the Zoo where they went on a chairlift over the top of the elephants. On other days they caught a double decker bus all around greater Sydney, went for a walk on Bondi Beach and the surrounding headland, caught lots of suburban trains all over Sydney, and caught ferries across the harbour, including one which went right underneath the Harbour Bridge!

Robert especially enjoyed the short train rides and went on a “farewell Sydney ride” on the monorail (which has since closed down) and having a daily spa bath to relax each afternoon. One night they went to the Star Casino for a meal and watched, on a large TV screen, Australia win the soccer and qualify for the World Cup.

Later in the week they went to the Sydney Aquarium where they saw a giant spider crab and a huge manta stingray. They also visited Madame Tussauds’ Wax Museum where they saw likenesses of many famous people including then Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

On the last day they enjoyed a long walk in the Botanic Gardens and visited Mrs Macquarie’s chair, before walking back along the foreshore to the Opera House, the interior of which they then inspected. All too soon it was time to return to the York Hotel to pack ready for an airport lunch and their return flight.

All in all, a very exciting week!

Anniversary lunch

Stuart Maughan and Scott Percival hosted a lunch for Paul and Deborah Byrne, -and dog Samuel. Stuart slaved over a hot grill and pizza oven to provide a gourmet meal of scallop kebabs and scallop with chilli jam pizza.

The purpose of the lunch was the launch of the framed t-shirt, given to Paul by the guys for his 25th anniversary with Veranto. The theme of the t-shirt, was “always the gentleman”, with step by step instructions for Paul on how to tie a bow tie.

Sandra Palmer’s Launceston adventure

An excited Sandra Palmer, accompanied by Simone Horsey-Izbicki, left Hobart on the morning of June 19th for an overnight stay in Launceston. A superior bedroom at the Grand Chancellor had been chosen for her accommodation. Among the highlights of the trip north enjoyed by Sandra were the castle- like house at Bagdad with its knights guarding the entrance, and the Ross Bridge. Lunch was enjoyed at Ross and a visit to the local antique shop to check out the fur coats, jewellery and coin collections.

Paul with T shirt


The rest of the journey to Launceston was punctuated with music from selected CDs which Simone had provided and they arrived at 1:00pm in time to visit the park where Sandra was able to see the monkeys and enjoy the beautiful scenery, flowers and ponds at the park. There were about twenty monkeys in the enclosure and Sandra enjoyed watching their grooming activities.

The room at the hotel was a superior twin with a modern look, air conditioning and a luxury bath. After settling in Sandra wanted to make a choice of a place for dinner and decided on Franco’s Italian restaurant, which was only a couple of blocks away. After a relaxing bubble bath, Sandra and Simone left for the restaurant where they enjoyed a three course meal. After dinner Simone drove Sandra around Launceston to see the local sights before retiring to the hotel to do some puzzles before retiring for the night.

A cooler Launceston greeted them next morning, and after a challenging “all-you-can-eat” Grand Chancellor breakfast Sandra wanted to do some shopping. They found a car park close to the central shopping mall from which they could explore the various arcades and hidden boutiques nearby. Luckily a number of shops were having sales and Sandra was able to make several purchases of clothes and jewellery for herself and her family.

The pleasure of spending had made Sandra quite hungry and they enjoyed lunch before heading off back to Hobart. An exhausted Sandra snoozed for some of the journey south but happily showed her treasures off on arrival home.

Port Douglas holiday

Julie Reeves, Patsy Henry and Mary Holowenko set off to the airport early on June 17th, for their long day of travel to Port Douglas. The journey took them via Sydney, where they had lunch, and then to Cairns where they hired a Commodore wagon for the hour long drive to Port Douglas.

Their accommodation at Oaks Lagoons was upgraded from a two bedroom to a three bedroom apartment and included a private plunge pool.

The next day they spent time on the edge of the continental shelf on the Great Barrier Reef. They were able to view introductory and informative videos about the reef and the things they would be seeing. After arriving at the floating pontoon by boat, they enjoyed a pleasant lunch whilst watching other visitors doing some snorkelling. It was soon time to board the glass bottomed boat for a three hour investigation of reef coral and marine life. The journey back to their resort presented a few shopping opportunities before they relaxed over a barramundi dinner.

Day three, after some more shopping! they visited Four Mile Beach for lunch under the palm trees, before travelling on to spectacular Mossman Gorge. On the journey back they purchased some fresh fish for a BBQ.

Relaxation was on the cards for the fourth day, mostly sitting by the pool enjoying fruit platters. The evening meal was enjoyed in the Tree Tops restaurant at the neighbouring resort of Ramada, where trees are actually growing through the building.

Their last day in the warmth of far north Queensland arrived all too soon and it was time for the picturesque drive back to Cairns during which they saw some hang gliders, and on to the airport for the journey home. They arrived in Hobart at 9.15pm and the change from 25 degrees in Cairns down to 3 in Hobart was the rude awakening which ended their enjoyable, and warm, Queensland holiday..

Planet Ark National Tree Day

On Sunday June 28th, Laura Judd and Graeme Rycroft, with support staff Lauren and Matt, volunteered their time for Planet Ark’s national tree day at the local Kingston wetlands near their home.

They joined hundreds of thousands of Australians across 3,300 different sites around the country in a bid to plant over one million native trees, shrubs and grasses. Thus they were able to reconnect with nature whilst doing something positive for the local environment.

Paul with T shirt

Tree planters


They joined with community groups, locals and the Kingborough Council to plant natives in the local wetlands. They had a close look at the different trees and seedlings and, with the help of their support staff, planted a variety of trees. They hope the trees survive and that they will be able to return one day to see their names on the trees that they helped plant.

The day was pleasantly mild and sunny with lots of friendly people to chat with. They enjoyed the free barbeque supplied by the local Lions club and were later thanked by the Kingborough Council staff for attending the event and showing both support and interest. The Council staff commented that it was the first time they had ever seen people come along to this event in wheelchairs.

The day concluded with a lovely walk around the wetlands with Laura deciding to ‘out-cycle’ the local ducks, before returning home with a sense of achievement at having assisted the local community and the environment.

Leo Joseph’s notable birthday

On 22nd July, Leo Joseph celebrated his 87th birthday by having a Mad Hatters party, with everyone involved in making their own crazy and far-out hats.

It was a fun and fantastic day and a happy birthday for Leo.

Body Biz

Recently, a small group from the Veranto Lifestyle Options (VLO) program decided to try out a new activity. It is an exercise group called Body Biz which is held four days each week at various locations.

Tim Brickhill, Robyn Green, Janelle Triffit, Mary Holowenko and Janine Smith went along to the Howrah Recreation Centre class where they enjoyed following the Fitness Instructor’s exercise program which left them feeling quite energised and very keen to go along for another session.

Winter Gardening at Nolan

The sunny days of June found Nolan residents outside in the garden to prepare the beds for some raspberries, and also to plant garlic.

Peter Steen and David Chandler enjoyed soaking up some sunshine, throwing the ball to their dog Bonnie, planting some silver beet seeds, and watering them.

They finished their hard work with some homemade chocolate fudge and a hot cup of milo.

Happy birthday Leo

Checking seedlings


Community Garden, New Norfolk

Ray Miller and Harold Dimmack have been working hard in the “Dirt to Plate to Job” project in the Community Garden in New Norfolk. As well as perfecting their gardening skills, they have been getting creative in garden-art; making signs and scarecrows. All of the food grown in the Community Garden is given to people-in-need in the community. Ray and Harold’s work and friendship are very much appreciated and, as a result, they were photographed by the Gazette on Wednesday, July 10, 2013. Keep up the hard work guys!

Third anniversary celebration

Simon Kerslake and Anne Glover celebrated their third wedding anniversary on Saturday, 20th July.

They went to the Beltana Hotel in Lindisfarne for a celebratory meal which they thoroughly enjoyed. They were much impressed by the friendly and helpful staff who looked after them for the occasion.

Ian’s NRL trip to Sydney

One late Friday in July, Ian Rayner set off to the Airport to catch the 10am flight to Sydney.

Ian wanted to go to ANZ stadium (home of his team the Canterbury Bulldogs) and watch them play the Dragons.

After arriving in Sydney, Ian first went to the Ibis Hotel to check- in and enjoy the very nice view of ANZ stadium from his room.

Then Ian decided he wanted to get some lunch and go to Paddy’s market. He spent a couple of hours at the market before returning by train to his hotel room in order to relax and watch some wrestling on the TV before his late night NRL game. An hour before the game Ian requested dinner at McDonalds which was located in the same building as the hotel.

After dinner it was a very short stroll across the road to the ANZ stadium where there was plenty of pre-game entertainment. The game itself was very close and had Ian and other Bulldogs fans were out of their seats for the last 10 minutes. With a score of 16 for the Bulldogs and 14 for the Dragons, Ian left the stadium feeling very happy.

Saturday was a quiet day and Ian purchased all his last minute NRL items including a watch. He then decided to go to the movies and chose a horror film which he enjoyed. After the movie he went back to collect his luggage and head to the airport by train for his flight home to Hobart. Ian in Sydney

New Norfolk Community Gardeners

Simon and Anne


Graeme Cross at the cat’s home

Once a fortnight Graeme Cross goes to the cat’s home and spends some time cuddling and playing with the adult cats, who love to check out his wheelchair. Once a month he also purchases some food and takes it with him to donate to the home.

Earlier this year Graeme placed a money tin both at Veranto and Eskleigh to help raise some money to purchase the food. Both Graeme (and the cats) are grateful of your support to be able to do this.

Graeme is also looking into the possibility of becoming a sponsor of a cat at the home, but has, in the meantime, recently acquired a new house pet of his own, a girl kitten named Turbo. Graeme enjoys Turbo’s company and the feeling is clearly mutual , with Turbo following Graeme around, even lapping up the cold winters nights at the foot of Graeme’s bed all snugly and warm.

Graeme maintains the up- keep of Turbo and is always keen to go out and purchase new and exciting things for her to play with.

Board Report

As we approach this year’s Annual General Meeting, it is hard to believe 12 months have already passed since the last AGM. The year has gone by very quickly but it has been another busy one for all of us at Veranto.

At the Board level, we have welcomed two new Directors this year, Liz Brown and Todd Hitchins, who both bring valuable skills, expertise and networks to the organisation. We have also developed a short term, highly focused, strategic plan to guide us through a time of significant change in the disability sector and enable us to prepare for the full implementation of Disability Care Australia (DCA). It is a challenging time for many organisations in the disability sector, as we try to anticipate how the new DCA regime will work and what it will mean for the people we support and the way we deliver services.

We know there will be both challenges and opportunities arising from DCA, and both our senior managers and the Board are working to identify opportunities and maximise them while also addressing the risks and challenges.

Another key event in recent months was the celebration of CEO Paul Byrne’s 25 years of service to the organisation. This event brought together almost 150 people who have interacted with Veranto and Paul in a range of capacities, and a number of speakers paid tribute to Paul’s contribution and achievements. The evening demonstrated all that is positive about Veranto, focussing on the people we support and highlighting the passion and commitment of our staff - which begins at the highest level with Paul himself.

As the AGM approaches, it is likely there will be some changes within the Board and its office bearers. At the same time, there is also recognition amongst Directors that there is plenty of work to be done in the coming months and so the new Board will be ready to hit the ground running and embrace the challenges and opportunities that await them.

On behalf of all Board members, I would like to thank each of our stakeholders for their continued support of Veranto. We are each grateful and humbled by the faith that you have placed in us to oversee the work of Veranto. We take this responsibility very seriously and remain committed to building upon the work that many people have done in the past to build the organisation and culture. I am confident that after the AGM the new Board will continue to work tirelessly to position Veranto for a strong future, focussing on quality, leadership and personalised support.

Graeme and Turbo


Carbeen Street Garden

On a Thursday 25th of July, both Graeme Cross and Reid Free set out to visit some of their local gardening centres. Here they are seen at Harmony Garden Centre in Lauderdale, where they spent time looking at and pricing plants and garden ornaments such as water features for the up keep of their back yard at Carbeen Street.

Thanks to the generosity of Eskleigh, who donated $500 to Veranto for the veggie garden at Carbeen Street, Graeme and Reid were able to purchase four half wine barrels in which to grow veggies for the house.

Following some discussion, Reid went to Bunnings to purchase some seedlings. Graeme and Reid are hoping to grow enough veggies to supply the house and, hopefully, have some surplus to sell and then finance the purchase of more seeds.

It sounds like the seeds of a nice little enterprise!

Footy tipping 2013

The 2013 Veranto AFL footy tipping competition is completed for another season and only 1 point separated Graeme English in 1st place and Rodney Howe in 2nd place. Congratulations to everyone who entered and made this year our biggest, with 26 people from 8 different Veranto services competing to be the best tipper of 2013. A big thank-you again to David Layton from Footy Tipping Software Pty. Ltd. for offering a generous discount on the cost of the software which enables the smooth running of the completion.

VSLO visit to Hamilton

Leo Joseph and Bruce Ledger recently visited Booth’s farm at Hamilton in the Derwent Valley. They had great fun feeding various representatives of the farm livestock such as geese, emus, sheep and “chooks”.

Mr Booth was thanked for his hospitality and a lovely morning tea.

Carbeen Street Garden

Bruce and Leo at Hamilton

Tipsters Rodney and Graeme

Newsletter of Veranto A.C.N. 055 028 562 | A.B.N. 72 867 597 283

PO Box 3130 Rosny Park Tasmania 7018 Phone: (03) 6244 8846 | Fax: (03) 6244 8024

Website: http://www.veranto.org

Editor: Graeme Rayner | Email: [email protected]

Graphics: Sahara Design

Any opinions expressed herein are not necessarily

those of the management or Board of Veranto.

Sahara Design 0175

Welcome Ray Miller Design, New Norfolk… August 2013

Ray Miller, in an effort to provide for his daughter, has decided to set up his own card-making business. Ray is in the design-phase at the moment. He will be producing a whole range of cards including Birthday, Christmas and special occasions. Ray’s cards will be able to be viewed then purchased on Veranto Intranet ...so watch this space.

(Thank you in advance for making an effort to buy Ray’s cards rather than from the supermarket).

Airport visit

On Tuesday 27th August, Leo Joseph, Stephen Wooldridge and Bruce Ledger who are a part of the VSLO group, went to have lunch at the airport, they decided to make a short detour over to the aerodrome to see the small planes first.

Bruce is a huge aeroplane fan, so after talking to the operator of one of the charter services, he was given entry into the airfield to go and have a closer look at the planes.

He had a great time observing all the features on the outside of the plane and was delighted when the operator opened the plane for him to inspect the gadgets inside.

Bruce was delighted and the excited and smiling group left the airport with lots of pamphlets.

Ready for flight?

veranto news and muse spring 2013 issue 30 web

Documents

annual morning tea

begonia gardens

begonia morning tearodney

julie reeves

cooling swim

window shopping

peter steens melbourne

footy trip