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Deborra-Lee Furness' friend makes bombshell claim

A friend of Hugh Jackman’s ex-wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, has claimed that rumours of the actor's affair with co-star Sutton Foster are true. British actress and photographer Amanda de Cadenet hinted that the rumours were true in the comments section of an Instagram video that alleged Hugh Jackman left his wife for Foster, after the two fell in love while starring together in The Music Man on Broadway. “You are on point with this one,” de Cadenet claimed in response. “My beloved friend Deb is about to have her glow up any moment FYI !” Page Six reportedly reached out to reps for Jackman, Foster and Furness for comment. Jackman and Furness announced their separation after 27 years of marriage in September 2023. They share two adopted children together. At the time, a source told the publication that the Wolverine actor was "devastated" by the split. In October, another source told Page Six that Foster and Jackman are "in love" but keeping their romance under wraps. Another source previously told news.co,.au they are “100 percent together and are in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together.” Image: Instagram

Relationships

Deborra-Lee Furness breaks silence on life post-divorce

Deborra-Lee Furness has broken her silence on what life has looked like since her high profile split from Hugh Jackman. The Aussie actress has hit the press circuit promoting Force of Nature: The Dry 2, the sequel to the hit 2020 film, in which she’ll star alongside Eric Bana. Facing questions about her divorce, the 68-year-old finally broke her silence on how she has been dealing with life as a single woman. “It is kind of exciting,” she told <a href="https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/hook-ups-break-ups/deborralee-furness-on-life-without-hugh-jackman-frightening/news-story/dc4fa3f9e19c80ea9dada89a852e67c0">The Advertiser.</a> “You know what, change, transition, evolution is a little frightening, and we are all a bit scared of it, but I think it is probably our greatest gift.” Deborra-Lee Furness and Hugh Jackman shocked the world in September last year when they announced they would be separating after 27 years of marriage. The couple released a joint statement at the time announcing they were going their separate ways and had decided to split to pursue “individual growth”. “We have been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,” they said. “Our journey now is shifting, and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.” They added that their family is their highest priority and that they will undertake “this next chapter with gratitude, love and kindness”. The couple met in 1995 on the set of an Australian television show they both starred in, and married just one year later. Together they share two children, Oscar and Ava. Image credits: Getty Images

Relationships

Inside Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness' $290 million divorce

While Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness announced their split on Saturday after 27 years of marriage, official paperwork has not yet been filed to cement their divorce. However, a new report suggests the couple are "amicably" trying to figure out how to divide their lucrative assets and abundant finances before they file the necessary paperwork. The Aussie actor, 54, and his wife, 67, are rumoured to be worth around $290 million, with the couple owning multiple homes in both Australia and the US, which they’re reportedly planning to split equally. “Their lives were so interwoven, so it’s an extremely tricky and gut-wrenching process dividing everything up and figuring out who gets what in terms of assets and finances,” a source told <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/inside-hugh-jackman-and-deborra-lee-furness-gut-wrenching-divorce/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Weekly</a>. “The [divorce] filing will be formalised in due course, but before that happens, their aim is to come to an agreement. They’re determined to [do this] as amicably as possible.” In 2019, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a29110657/hugh-jackman-net-worth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Men's Health</a> magazine estimated that Jackman's net worth was sitting at around $257 million [adjusted for inflation], with a massive portion of his income stemming from his portrayal of Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films over several years. On top of his on-screen achievements, Jackman has a hefty property portfolio, which includes a North Bondi penthouse the couple bought for $5.925m in 2015, which is estimated to have doubled in value since. In August last year, the couple dropped $30m on a New York penthouse, which came after they listed their triplex in Manhattan’s West Village for $56m, having lived in the property for a decade. They also own a sprawling getaway home in East Hamptons, which they purchased in 2015 for $5.440m. The Hollywood couple shocked the world on Saturday when they released a statement confirming their separation after being married for 27 years. “We have been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,” Jackman and Furness told <a href="https://people.com/hugh-jackman-and-deborra-lee-jackman-separate-exclusive-7970286" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">People</a>. “Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth." Image credits: Getty Images

Legal

New theory in Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness split

News of <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/hugh-jackman-devastated-after-marriage-split" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hugh Jackman and Deborah-Lee Furness’ split</a> after 27 years of marriage shocked the world, and now celebrity experts are sharing their theories. US broadcaster Cooper Lawrence shared her theory in an interview with Sunrise hosts Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington on Monday morning. Lawrence claimed that the couple were waiting for their two adopted children Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18, to grow old enough before they had an amicable split. “I think [Jackman and Furness] were waiting until the kids were old enough that they could have an amicable split and not worry about child custody or how much everybody is going to pay each other,” she told the Sunrise hosts. She added that child custody battles are what make high-profile divorces “messy”, which could explain the timing of the divorce. “They don’t have to worry about that because the kids are older, so now they can just split their multi-millions and all their properties, which is a lot.” The couple have properties in New York, Sydney and The Hamptons. Lawrence added that the rumour mill began spinning on “the Broadway scene” sometime last year after the couple sold their <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/property/real-estate/hugh-jackman-s-nyc-triplex-attracts-big-looks-and-bigger-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three-storey New York apartment</a>. “For a while on the Broadway scene there was a rumour there might be something going on in that marriage and people were like, ‘This is kind of odd,’ but as soon as they sold their three-floor apartment... and downsized and then shipped a bunch of furniture home to Sydney, it was like ‘What’s really going on here?’” she said. She added that while celebrity splits are nothing new, some fans have taken it harder than others because some celebrities make them believe in true love. “Every time there was a think piece about Hollywood couples that made us believe in love, (Jackman and Furness) were always at the top of the list,” Lawrence explained. “They are always talking about each other and they were the ‘it couple’ for anybody that’s a little older than their younger spouse. “They were role models for everything in relationships.” Fans aren't the only ones devastated by the divorce. The Wolverine actor <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/hugh-jackman-devastated-after-marriage-split" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke his silence</a> the day after their separation statement went public, and shared that it was "a difficult time.' Image: Getty/Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Family & Pets

How one brave mum is shedding light on postnatal depression through the healing power of music

Warning: This article contains sensitive content which some readers may find distressing. It’s no secret that having a baby changes your life in every way. From sleepless nights and feeding routines, to nappy changes and seemingly endless crying, starting a family is, put simply, a life-altering experience. And while the early days of having a newborn can bring love and chaos in equal parts, for some, the days, weeks and months after giving birth can welcome a whole new set of challenges. While most parents are privy to the “baby blues” and a rough day here and there, those struggling with postnatal depression can often be overlooked. Postnatal depression is common, with one in five mums, and one in 10 dads, experiencing postnatal depression symptoms after their baby is born. For Lija (pronounced Le-ah), postnatal depression completely changed her life. Lija, a music teacher from the Central Coast of New South Wales, welcomed her first child, a beautiful daughter named Harper, into the world at the end of 2017. When Lija discovered she was going to become a mum, she was overcome with fear. Lija spoke exclusively with OverSixty about her journey with postnatal depression, and how her feelings of anxiety began as soon as she fell pregnant. “There was this lie in my head that I could not give birth… That I would die. You feel like you can’t make a way through it and you’re predicting all these complications. [Lija’s friends’ traumatic birth experience] confirmed all these feelings and i just thought ‘Maybe you die from this’.” As soon as Lija and her husband began to celebrate the news of their growing family, she quickly began to “spiral” into self-doubt and depressive episodes. “When I found out I was pregnant, it was a spiral. I didn’t think I was good enough, I was crying so much… I didn’t feel like I could tell anyone because I was so gripped in fear.” “It took me about seven months to accept that I was having a kid.” Over the course of her pregnancy, Lija’s mental health continued to plummet with her feelings of fear and self-doubt, which led her down an even darker path. “The worst part was I was suicidal. There were moments where I wanted to end my life because I just felt like my time was up.” These feelings of helplessness led Lija to reach out to a counsellor, who helped manage her mental health symptoms for the rest of her pregnancy and introduced her to hypnobirthing. Her sessions with a hypnobirthing specialist gave Lija the boost she needed to be in tune with her body, and get her through to Harper’s birth with a sense of confidence. “If I’ve grown a baby, I can give birth to a baby. It was all just focus.” When Harper was born, Lija remembers healthcare professionals warning her husband that her mental health could decline, but she was never spoken to directly. “Apparently nurses were talking to my husband after the birth saying ‘She’s going to be prone to postnatal depression, you need to watch her’, but no one told me I was going to be so lonely.” “I was so focused on the birth going well that I hadn’t thought about what happens after, and I didn’t know what postnatal depression was.” When Lija and her husband brought baby Harper home, as they encountered perfectly common issues around sleep and breastfeeding, Lija thought she had failed as a first-time mum. “I felt like I failed as a mum because I couldn't give Harper everything she needed. And that started all these terrible thoughts and I just started to mentally spiral down again. But I didn’t know for about six months that I had postnatal depression.” During the first few months of Harper’s life, Lija began to find simple day-to-day tasks very difficult. “My poor husband… I was a psycho. It began when I said no one was allowed to come over because I was constantly in my pyjamas and I felt ashamed that my house wasn’t clean.” Lija shared that as she began to settle into the reality of being a mum, Harper’s needs always came first. “I was just in such a routine. I needed to have my baby follow a good structure, which meant my mental health took a backseat. So I just kept spiralling and spiralling.” As Lija tried to better herself, she quickly found out that comparing yourself to other new parents is a slippery slope that welcomes thoughts of self-doubt. “I tried to go to a mum’s club and they all seemed so perfect. I feel like they weren’t real. It was like Instagram mums. So to try and look good, I was spending all this money to try and keep up appearances.” As Lija’s mental health continued to suffer, she said it wasn’t until a difficult conversation with her husband that she realised she needed professional help. “I wasn’t being the normal me. There was no joy, there was no laughter, and I felt like I failed as a mother and as a wife. So my husband said ‘I’ve booked you in for a therapy session’, and that was the start of it.” “I wanted to be better for Harper. I wanted to be a good mum for her. So I had to start working on myself.” Now, five years on, Lija is reflecting on her experience with postnatal depression in the best way she knows how: through her music. Lija’s debut single Save Me details her journey of becoming a mum and bettering herself, while painting an honest portrait of the first months of motherhood. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tmHTlybb-rM" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> After being a musician for most of her life, Lija’s passion took a backseat when she became a mother. “I started to miss my music, because I've done music my whole life. It was so hard to walk past my studio and see the guitar going to waste. I started to miss the other half of me as a musician.” After working on Save Me for several years, Lija believes it is the right time to put her story out there in order to help and inspire other parents struggling with postnatal depression. “It’s okay to be vulnerable. Be real, because you can help others with your honesty.” “It’s also important to remember that babies aren’t going to remember the best outfits they were in, or if they had the best pram. They're going to remember if they were loved or not.” Lija has long been a champion of music and its healing power, which became a saviour in her darkest times through her postnatal depression journey. “I went back to teaching music three months after having Harper. I worked one day a week and these kids and teenagers that were singing to me were actually healing me with their music and their talent.” “Music is something I have always turned to. It has always spoken to me, and I thought if I write a song about my journey, that could heal me too. I thought ‘It’s time to kick fear in the butt and write about life’.” Musical talent is something that runs in the family, with Harper’s singing talents already at “the next level”. “I swear she came out singing! Her ability to hear pitch is insane. In lockdown, she would be singing scales while I was teaching music classes over Zoom. She is just so joyous, and she is like my healing.” Lija’s debut single Save Me is out on now. Don't go it alone. Please reach out for help. Lifeline: 13 11 14 or <a href="http://lifeline.org.au/">lifeline.org.au</a> Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or <a href="http://beyondblue.org.au/">beyondblue.org.au</a> Headspace: 1800 650 890 or <a href="http://headspace.org.au/">headspace.org.au</a> PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia): 1300 726 306 or <a href="https://panda.org.au/">panda.org.au</a> Image credits: Instagram

Music

Obese yet malnourished toddler mummy sheds light on life in 17th century aristocratic Austria

In a creepy discovery published, a collaboration of German scientists have performed a ‘virtual autopsy’ on a mummified toddler’s body, found in a 17th century Austrian crypt. Buried in a wooden coffin that was slightly too small and deformed the skull, the young child’s body appeared to be both obese and malnourished. Researchers say the findings might provide a rare insight into historical Austrian aristocratic society. By using CT scanning, scientists were able to perform a ‘virtual autopsy’ on the mummy which was naturally mummified in the conditions of the crypt. Well-preserved soft tissue showed the child was a boy, overweight for his age, and radiocarbon dating suggests a date of death between 1550 and 1635 CE. By examining the formation and length of the body’s bones, plus evidence of tooth eruption, the researchers were able to estimate that the child was about one year old when he died. The bones also showed that despite being well-fed, the boy was malnourished, with his malformed ribs displaying signs of rachitic rosary. This condition presents in a pattern of prominent bony knobs at points where the rib joins cartilage and results from diseases associated with specific vitamin deficiencies such as rickets (vitamin D) and scurvy (vitamin C). Vitamin D is found in foods like salmon, tuna, mackerel and beef liver and egg yolks, but we typically only get around 10% of our required Vitamin D from our diets – the rest is made by our bodies when exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) from the sun. “The combination of obesity along with a severe vitamin-deficiency can only be explained by a generally ‘good’ nutritional status along with an almost complete lack of sunlight exposure,” said Dr Andreas Nerlich of the Academic Clinic Munich-Bogenhausen and lead researcher. The child appears to have died from pneumonia, judging by the evidence of inflammation in the lungs. Rickets is known to make children more vulnerable to pneumonia, suggesting that, sadly, not only was the child malnourished, but that this condition may have also led to his untimely demise. “We have to reconsider the living conditions of high aristocratic infants of previous populations,” said Nerlich. Relatively little is known about aristocratic childhood in the late Renaissance period, so these mummified remains give key insights into life in Europe of a period generally known for its fervent creativity and intellectual development. “This is only one case,” said Nerlich, “but as we know that the early infant death rates generally were very high at that time, our observations may have considerable impact in the over-all life reconstruction of infants even in higher social classes.” To understand more about this period, researchers scoured historical records of the crypt and the family to whom the crypt belonged. Curiously, the child was buried in a simple, unmarked, wooden coffin, although he was dressed in an expensive silk hooded coat. The unmarked coffin appeared to have been slightly too small for the body such that the skull became deformed and was the only infant buried amongst the identifiable adult metal coffins in the crypt. Historical records of renovations on the crypt confirmed the radiocarbon dating, indicating the child was likely buried sometime after 1600 CE. The crypt belonged to the Counts of Starhemberg and traditionally was kept exclusively for the burial of heirs to their titles, and their wives, making the body likely to be that of the first-born (and only) son, Reichard Wilhelm, of Count Starhemberg. “We have no data on the fate of other infants of the family,” Nerlich said, regarding the unique burial. “According to our data, the infant was most probably [the count’s] first-born son after erection of the family crypt, so special care may have been applied.” This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/toddler-mummy-17thcentury-austria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Clare Kenyon. Image: Andreas et al. (2022)

Travel Trouble

“He’d be dating Brad Pitt!” Deborra-Lee Furness addresses Hugh Jackman rumours

During a hilarious and at times touching and revealing podcast with Gus Worland recently, Hugh Jackman's wife Deborra-Lee Furness addressed the longheld rumours surrounding her husband’s sexuality – before opening up on how she and the children cope whenever Hugh has a sex scene in one of his films. When asked by Worland on his Not an Overnight Success podcast about the rumours that Hugh is “gay”, Furness simply mocked the idea as baseless and “so silly” – and that it’s just one of many rumours that have circulated about Jackman over the years. “I mean HELLO, guys,” said Furness, “if he was gay, he could be gay! 'He didn't have to hide in the closet anymore, and he'd be dating Brad Pitt, or whatever. Not that Brad's gay, but you know what I'm saying!' She continued: 'It's so silly, and then people perpetuate silly things and it's boring.' Later on in the podcast, Worland then questioned Furness about how she and the kids handle it when Jackman is asked to get hot and heavy with an on-screen love interest – as well as how HE copes when she is required to do the same. “What's it like when you're doing a love scene in the movie, and Jacko's watching and vice-versa?' posed Worland. “It's so weird,” replied Furness. “I suppose because I've done it so many times before, it's not really romantic. You've got the light in your face, you've got to hit a mark and so it's not really sexy.” But when it comes to watching Jackman perform in romantic scenes, it’s a little different. “When I'm sitting in the theatre watching – especially if I'm with the kids – I feel a little uncomfortable,” she said. “But also a lot of the times I'm very good friends with the actress he's making out with as we're making a film, we all get to know each other. “Sometimes it’s weird seeing it, and I think the kids are like, "Ahh!" [Oscar] doesn't want to watch. “When you're in a relationship, that's just all fluff, you know? It's all fluff.” <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Image: Instagram

Relationships

How an unsolved murder could shed light on an infamous art heist

In the early hours of March 18th 1990, 13 artworks by renowned artists such as Vermeer and Rembrandt were stolen from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Collectively valued at $500 million, the artworks were never recovered as investigators failed to pin down one key suspect after the theft. But now, over 30 years on, an unsolved murder of a man in 1991 has given police a new angle on what happened to the art. Jimmy Marks was shot twice on February 20th, the year after the heist, outside his apartment in Massachusetts: 25 minutes northeast of Boston. Jimmy’s murder remains unsolved, and there has not been an arrest made in connection with the high-profile case. Marks was a convicted bank robber and an associate of Robert Guarente, who has long been a person of interest in the case, and who died in 2004. Guarente had been with Marks earlier in the day of his death and is suspected of having been the one to pull the trigger on Marks. “[Marks] had connections to subjects suspected of being involved in the Gardner museum heist,” deputy police chief Mark O’Toole of the city of Lynn, Massachusetts, <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/02/27/metro/investigators-suspect-link-between-gardner-museum-heist-an-execution-style-murder-lynn/">told</a> the Boston Globe. “We don’t know what, if any, role he had. But very likely it was related [to his death].” Investigators believe that Guarente was once in possession of two of the stolen works, which he then handed over to another accomplice named Robert Gentile, who died in 2001. A recent tip to investigators said that prior to his death, Marks “was bragging that he was not only in possession of some of the stolen Gardner artwork, he bragged that he had hidden it,” according to Boston 25. Police recently searched the Lynn apartment where Marks once lived, but did not recover anything. Gardner Museum Security Chief Anthony Amore said that the new evidence “needs to be investigated more thoroughly”, as investigators continue their efforts to recover the paintings. Shortly after Marks’ death, investigators first were able to place Guarente and Gentile in the same place. Amore told Boston 25, “The fact that these people converge here around the time of the Marks homicide certainly makes a person hunting for the Gardner paintings sit up and pay attention.” Image credits: Getty Images

Art

COVID chaos has shed light on many issues in the Australian childcare sector. Here are 4 of them

Thousands of families are without childcare as <a href="https://www.acecqa.gov.au/resources/national-registers/service-temp-closure-info">hundreds of services</a> have had to close due to a surge in COVID cases, while many more are running at reduced capacity. Many parents dread another <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-covid-control-to-chaos-what-now-for-australia-two-pathways-lie-before-us-174325">chaotic year</a> that may have them jugging <a href="https://thesector.com.au/2022/01/06/executive-functioning-is-much-harder-for-children-from-chaotic-households/">childcare and work</a> at home. The government <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-has-again-rescued-the-childcare-sector-from-collapse-but-short-term-fixes-still-leave-it-at-risk-166568">rescued the childcare sector</a> several times over the past two years – making services eligible for a portion of their pre-pandemic payments as families pulled their children out. But these measures were only temporary. The childcare system was already busting at the seams before COVID. I led an <a href="https://uneprofessions.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_38j3CdPsHnM8l81">international survey</a> in 2021, during the pandemic, in which early childhood educators’ gave ideas on how their government could support their work. In Australia, 51 educators participated. Here are four preexisting the issues that have <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/early-childhood-directors-are-carrying-an-exhausting-load-during-covid-19-even-beyond-major-outbreaks-research/">increased during the pandemic</a>. <h2>1. Staff shortages</h2> Currently, many childcare services are closed and others are operating at reduced capacity because staff are either sick with COVID or close contacts that need to isolate. But staffing problems plagued the sector well before the pandemic, with <a href="https://theconversation.com/early-childhood-educators-are-leaving-in-droves-here-are-3-ways-to-keep-them-and-attract-more-153187">more than a 30% staff turnover</a>. The agency responsible for early childhood education and care, the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), released its <a href="https://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-workforce-strategy">National Workforce Strategy</a> in 2021. It revealed 25% of educators have been at their service for less than a year. This high turnover harms relationships with children who need continuity. In a 2021 <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/73-of-early-educators-plan-to-leave-the-sector-within-three-years/">survey of almost 4,000 Australian educators</a>, 73% said they planned to leave their job within three years. The <a href="https://bigsteps.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Exhausted-undervalued-and-leaving.pdf">reasons</a> included low pay, overwork and being undervalued. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440392/original/file-20220112-23-1qok3m4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440392/original/file-20220112-23-1qok3m4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Child pouring out sand." /></a> 73% of early childhood educators plan to leave the profession. <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/z02yFSgVRbA" class="source">Markus Spiske/Unsplash</a> Women make up <a href="https://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-workforce-strategy">91% the early childhood education and care workforce</a>. Pay is low in traditionally female occupations, and many educators leave simply because they <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022185618800351">cannot afford to stay</a>. ACECQA has fast tracked <a href="https://www.acecqa.gov.au/qualifications/requirements/children-preschool-age-or-under/recognition-as-an-equivalent-early-childhood-teacher">quick conversions</a> for primary and secondary school teachers into early childhood education, despite large and important differences in teaching philosophies. But there is unlikely to be a stampede to become one of Australia’s <a href="https://au.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/lowest-paid-jobs-in-australia">13th lowest paid workers</a>, just above a housekeeper. The national average salary for a childcare worker is A$29.63 per hour, but many earn as little as <a href="https://www.payscale.com/research/AU/Job=Childcare_Worker/Hourly_Rate">A$23.50</a>. This is in comparison to an average school teacher who earns <a href="https://www.payscale.com/research/AU/Job=Primary_School_Teacher/Salary">A$33.65</a> per hour. One educator in our study called for <blockquote> recognition of the equal value of early childhood educators with primary school teachers, especially for university-trained teachers, who experience a huge pay gap. </blockquote> Casualisation in the sector is another issue leading to high turnover. As part of government COVID rescue packages, permanent staff could receive JobKeeper payments, but casual staff at childcare services were not eligible. Many <a href="https://thesector.com.au/2021/08/05/hypervigilance-is-wearing-ecec-educators-down-as-the-pandemic-continues/">casual staff left</a> the sector. Government oversight is needed but there is always confusion about which government is responsible. Then there are also differences between community based and private services. <h2>2. Nobody is responsible for the sector</h2> Australia has one of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/quality-childcare-has-become-a-necessity-for-australian-families-and-for-society-its-time-the-government-paid-up-131748">highest levels</a> of privatisation in early childhood education in the world. This makes it harder for governments to control casualisation. However, the government sets the award wages. In a recent speech to the National Press Club, New South Wales Premier, Dominic Perrottet, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-08/perrottet-bid-to-take-over-childcare-from-commonwealth/100681344">said</a> he wanted states and territories to be able to take over responsibility for childcare from the federal government. This was part of his plan for “reform for a postpandemic world” which he said should be “state led, not Commonwealth led”. The federal government funds childcare, through subsidies, but providers are largely private and set their own fees. The state and territory governments fund community preschools. The federal government is responsible for the sector’s standards, frameworks and curricula, but the state and territory governments regulate them. This messy web makes it more difficult to reform the sector and manage costs for families. One level of government taking responsibility for childcare and preschool services will go some way to fixing the problems. <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FIef0mCk7Ao?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet wants the states to take over responsibility for childcare. <h2>3. Too much paperwork</h2> In <a href="https://thesector.com.au/2021/07/26/acecqa-shares-findings-from-national-workforce-strategy-as-recruiting-challenges-persist/">ACECQA’s survey</a>, educators blamed <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2043610615597154">administrative overload</a> as one of the <a href="https://thesector.com.au/2021/07/26/acecqa-shares-findings-from-national-workforce-strategy-as-recruiting-challenges-persist/">three main reasons</a> they wanted to leave the profession. The increasing paperwork came as governments created <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi86rWw4Jv1AhUTS2wGHSpPD7MQFnoECCYQAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aasw.asn.au%2Fdocument%2Fitem%2F936&usg=AOvVaw0tkTyvOjf6LvcG5WzaJeYG">managerial systems</a> disguised as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02680939.2017.1352032">quality assurance</a>, to try to regulate the sector. Now, educators must <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02680939.2014.924561">collect big data</a> every day, including <a href="https://bigsteps.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Exhausted-undervalued-and-leaving.pdf">mountains of checklists</a> for regulation and to document children’s learning. This extra workload <a href="https://educationhq.com/news/managerialism-has-taken-over-in-early-childhood-education-109737/">reduces time</a> spent on quality interactions. It also makes <a href="https://thesector.com.au/2021/10/25/bound-for-burnout-early-childhood-educators-are-swimming-against-a-gendered-micromanaged-tide/">educators feel micromanaged</a>, affecting their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2020.1836583">identity and confidence</a>. Echoing the <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/childcare/report/childcare-overview.pdf">Productivity Commission’s findings</a> in 2014, educators in our study said governments must “reduce paperwork”, which they described as “ridiculous”, “complex”, “indecipherable”, “frustrating” and “random”. As one educator said: “we need some paperwork, but we also need to be there for the children”. Over 60% felt frustrated three or more times a week. Nearly 40% of educators said the paperwork required for accreditation compliance (assessment and rating) <a href="https://educationhq.com/news/managerialism-has-taken-over-in-early-childhood-education-109737/">decreased the time</a> they spent with children. <h2>4. High burnout, low morale</h2> Despite being an essential worker, <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/early-childhood-directors-are-carrying-an-exhausting-load-during-covid-19-even-beyond-major-outbreaks-research/">educators are undervalued</a>, struggling for <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/18369391211050165">recognition</a>. Their strengths <a href="https://www.iejee.com/index.php/IEJEE/article/view/1447/532">are not mentioned</a> in <a href="https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf">curriculum</a> documents. Overwork is the <a href="https://thesector.com.au/2021/07/26/acecqa-shares-findings-from-national-workforce-strategy-as-recruiting-challenges-persist/">second reason</a> educators want to leave. Our study showed that during the accreditation period, when they need to fill out regulation requirement documents, 50% of staff reported working unpaid hours. <a href="https://thesector.com.au/2021/09/14/accreditation-effects-on-early-childhood-educator-morale/">Staff morale</a> also suffers during accreditation. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440556/original/file-20220112-21-1sgijcd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440556/original/file-20220112-21-1sgijcd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Childcare worker talking to kids." /></a> Despite doing essential work, childcare workers are burnt out and suffer from low morale. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/preschool-teacher-talking-group-children-sitting-1214667421" class="source">Shutterstock</a> During the pandemic, educators reported an <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/18369391211040940">increased burden</a> with extra time needed for cleaning, health requirements, communicating with parents, rearranging work plans and spaces, caring for staff, and constant <a href="https://thesector.com.au/2021/08/05/hypervigilance-is-wearing-ecec-educators-down-as-the-pandemic-continues/">hypervigilance</a>. One said, “I would prefer to work somewhere for the same or similar wage with less stress and take-home work”. Burnout is the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13158-020-00264-6">third reason</a> educators want to leave. “The demand on educators is too high. The pressure is intense”, one told us. The National Workforce Strategy recommends directors give educators links to well-being services and strategies. While this is well-meaning, it is simplistic given the level of crisis. For example, we found 70% of educators felt overtired and 60% felt overwhelmed three or more times in the last week. Recognition of childcare as an <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/18369391211040940">essential service</a> – with assured funding provision and a more streamlined level of government regulation – is key to reforming the sector’s status, and educators’ pay. The sector is in crisis, so we need to stop talking about ideas to change it and take action towards <a href="https://thrivebyfive.org.au/">total reform</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174404/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marg-rogers-867368">Marg Rogers</a>, Senior Lecturer, Early Childhood Education, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-new-england-919">University of New England</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-chaos-has-shed-light-on-many-issues-in-the-australian-childcare-sector-here-are-4-of-them-174404">original article</a>. Image: Pixabay

Family & Pets

Deborra-Lee Furness opens up about parenting with Hugh Jackman

Deborra-Lee Furness and husband Hugh Jackman have long been advocates for adoption, but have largely kept their two children away from the spotlight. We often don't hear from the 64-year-old about her own two kids, 20-year-old Oscar and 15-year-old Ava, whom she adopted with Hugh. In a rare interview with People, Deborra has spoken about parenting their two kids and maintaining a dynamic that explores their diversity. "It's so interesting being a parent, and they've both made me smarter than I think I ever could have been on my own," Deborra revealed. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838963/hugh-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/03bfbd9cfd1d43f2af9f0c55d46c7355" /> "But when you're a parent, you can't lie to them or yourself. They will shine a light on every one of your flaws, your Achilles heel, whatever. You've got to look at yourself." Oscar has Bosnian heritage and Ava has Mexican lineage, so Deborra says she has taken a special interest in "epigenetics" - the study of how your behaviours and environment can impact the way your genes work. "What I'm very interested in is epigenetics, and it's even more so when you have adopted children because I'm coming from my lineage of my mother, how she parented me, how her mother parented her, and I'm translating that to my children." "But my children also have a separate lineage. So it's almost like we have more players at the table." The mother-of-two says she has made a conscious effort to open both Oscar and Ava up to their cultural traits. "When my son was younger, he found out he was part Bosnian, so we went and got this Croatian/Bosnian cookbook and he was very proud to carry that around when he was 7 years old." <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838964/hugh.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4bdf004262284206813b3a5470ec7a15" /> "My daughter has a Mexican lineage, so we've been to Mexico." She then went on to say: "We completely embrace the ancestors and the extended family; they're family to us. And it's in there, even though it's generational. It may be subtle, but it's in there." In a recent interview with the Herald Sun, Hugh spoke of his unwavering love for his children. "I don't think of them as adopted – they're our children. We feel things happened the way they are meant to. Obviously, biologically wasn't the way we were meant to have children." "Now, as we go through life together, sure there are challenges, but everyone's in the right place with the right people. It sounds airy-fairy, but it's something we feel very deeply."

Family & Pets

“It’s just wrong”: The comment about Hugh Jackman Deborra-Lee Furness hates

Deborra-Lee Furness is used to unwanted attention as her husband Hugh Jackman is known for his iconic role as Wolverine. She opened up on Anh's Brush With Fame about the one comment that bothers her in their 24-year-long marriage. The 64-year-old was candid and said that she finds it "rude" when people tell her she's "lucky" to be married to Jackman after he was voted People's 'Sexiest Man Alive' back in 2008. “Luck! Like I won a chook raffle,” she joked, “People don’t realise that it’s actually rude to say that,” she said, adding: “Lucky because he’s a stud muffin and all that … but that’s showbiz and Hollywood and the brand of Hugh Jackman.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCI4uImjw8N/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCI4uImjw8N/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">❤️2002</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/thehughjackman/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Hugh Jackman</a> (@thehughjackman) on Jul 2, 2020 at 4:57am PDT </div> </blockquote> She also mentioned the gay rumours that have followed the pair of them for the duration of their relationship. “I see these magazines and they’re so mean spirited … I hope people realise it’s all made up. Nicole and Keith get divorced every week and I sit here and I’m like … they’re perfectly happy. They just make up lies and they get away with it,” she said. She added with a laugh: “(Hugh’s) been gay for so many years, I was gay too when I did (1988 film) Shame. They were shocked when I got married. “It’s just wrong. It’s like someone saying to Elton John, ‘Oh he’s straight’. I’m sure he’d be pissed! “And so what! What are we discussing here … Is he a vegetarian … Is he gay?” she added of the obsession. The couple first fell for each other on the set of TV show Correlli in 1995. “(Hugh) said he knew two weeks in,” Furness said of how quickly their feelings grew. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFt6EhUnYCF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFt6EhUnYCF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Deborra-lee Furness sure is a Hollywood showstopper. #ABWF SWIPE TO REVEAL. #AnhDo #DeborraleeFurness #portraitpainting</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/abctv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> ABC TV + iview</a> (@abctv) on Sep 29, 2020 at 3:35am PDT </div> </blockquote> “I remember I was sitting in his kitchen and he was cooking for a dinner party and I said, ‘You haven’t been coming into my trailer lately, we always used to hang out’, and he goes ‘Yeah yeah I know, I haven’t, I’ve got a crush on you, then I said ‘I’ve got a crush on you too’ and that was it, we admitted it, and I don’t think we ever spent a day apart.” “We just had this amazing connection and I feel blessed that I experienced it, I feel like I met my soulmate.” She continued: “When you find a partner and you find that you share and grow together … and we know, life is tough, it’s not all good, but when you have someone there who is so supportive and you can really stand there buck naked and be yourself. Authentic, warts and all this is who you are … There’s nothing better.”

News

Hugh Jackman reveals the secret behind his 24-year marriage to Deborra-lee Furness

They’re known to be one of Hollywood’s most enduring couples. And as Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness prepare to celebrate their 24-year anniversary, the X-Men star revealed the secret behind their happy marriage. Speaking to PEOPLE on Wednesday, the 51-year-old said that he and his wife “make time for each other” and are “always learning” from one another. He said they consciously “reset” their marriage every once in a while, which results in the couple not growing apart like other people do. “We’re always learning and humans change so you have to, even though we’ve been together 25 years, you gotta reset all the time,” he said. “I’m always reeling in how funny she is and how amazing she is and how smart she is. The longer it goes on the better it gets.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Xtk9Rn35-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Xtk9Rn35-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">November is Adoption Awareness Month. Say YES to a #homeforeverychild #grow #learn #play #thrive</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/thehughjackman/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Hugh Jackman</a> (@thehughjackman) on Nov 2, 2019 at 9:55am PDT </div> </blockquote> Last year, the Oscar nominated star spoke about the “simple but powerful choice” he made as a young man that safeguarded his marriage. Quoted in the book Father Hood: Inspiration for the New Dad Generation, he said: “Before we had kids, Deb and I made a pretty simple but powerful choice to look each other in the eye at every crossroads in life. “Those crossroads are sometimes big, sometimes they’re small, sometimes you don’t even realise they’re crossroads until you look back. “But at those moments, we said we’d ask each other, ‘Is this good or bad for our marriage?’ Or, now that we’ve got kids, ‘Is this good or bad for our family?’ “And as often as possible, we do the thing that is good for our family.”

Family & Pets

Riding on the kangaroo’s back: Animal skin fashion, exports and ethical trade

The Versace fashion house recently <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/15/versace-bans-kangaroo-skin-after-pressure-from-animal-activists">announced</a> it had stopped using kangaroo skins in its fashion collections after coming under pressure from animal rights group <a href="https://www.lav.it/en">LAV</a>. Kangaroo meat and skin has an annual production <a href="http://www.kangarooindustry.com/industry/economic/">value</a> of around A$174 million, with skins used in the fashion and shoe manufacturing industries. There are legitimate questions regarding the ethical manner in which kangaroos are killed. But Indigenous people have long utilised the skins of kangaroos and possums. Versace’s concerns may have been allayed by understanding more about our traditions and practices. Reviving skills There has always been concern around how native animals are treated while alive and how they are killed to cause as little distress, pain and suffering as possible. Campaigners say <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australia-versace-kangaroos">2.3 million</a> kangaroos in Australia are hunted each year. Official <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/natives/wild-harvest/kangaroo-wallaby-statistics/kangaroo-2000">sources</a> cite this figure as the national quota, but put the number actually killed at around 1.7 million. Australian Aboriginal people have for many thousands of years utilised native animals, predominantly kangaroos and possums. Consciously and sustainably, every part of the animal was used. The kangaroo meat was eaten, the skins used to make cloaks for wearing, teeth used to make needles, sinew from the tail used as thread. The cloaks were incised with designs on the skin side significant to the wearer representing their totems, status and kinship. Cloaks were made for babies and added to as the child grew into adulthood, and people were buried in their <a href="https://www.nationalquiltregister.org.au/aboriginal-skin-cloaks/">cloaks</a>when they died. Aboriginal women from New South Wales and Victoria have begun <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/museums/images/content/exhibitions-events/where-we-all-meet/djon-mundine-essay-sectioned.pdf">reviving</a> the tradition of kangaroo and possum skin cloak-making to pass down knowledge of this important practice to future generations. Interestingly, possum skins can only be purchased from New Zealand for these crafts. As an introduced species, they have wreaked havoc on NZ animal populations and the environment, but are a protected species in Australia. Culls and trade In Australia, kangaroos are not farmed but are harvested for meat and fur in the wild under a voluntary <a href="https://www.viva.org.uk/under-fire/cruelty-kangaroos">code of conduct</a>. The code is difficult to monitor and enforcement is <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/thinkk_production/resources/29/Kangaroo_Court_Enforcement_of_the_law_governing_commercial_kangaroo_killing_.pdf">complicated</a> by federal and state sharing of responsibility. This code is currently under <a href="https://www.agrifutures.com.au/kangaroo-commercial-code-review/">review</a>. The export and import of wildlife is <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/natives">regulated</a> under Australia’s national environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Act. In practice, kangaroos are shot in the wild by professional licensed shooters with an intended single shot to the head to kill them quickly. There are <a href="http://thinkkangaroos.uts.edu.au/issues/welfare-and-enforcement.html">concerns</a> over whether shooters should be trained better and whether nighttime shoots with poor visibility result in the killing of alpha males or mothers with joeys in their pouches. If mothers are accidentally shot, the code dictates the joey should be shot too. Sometimes the shot does not kill them instantly and they are then clubbed over the head. Traditionally, Aboriginal people speared kangaroos. This was unlikely to kill them instantly, so they were swiftly killed with a blow to the head by a boondi(wooden club). Why kangaroo? Kangaroo skin is extremely strong and more flexible than other leathers, including cow hide. It is routinely used in the production of soccer boots as they mould to the feet extremely well and don’t need to be worn in like harder leathers. This has led to an <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-07-12/kangaroo-skin-hits-fashion-capitals/1799602">increase</a> in the use of kangaroo. LAV <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australian-fire-our-actions-to-save-animals">reports</a> Italy is the biggest importer of kangaroo leather in Europe, where it is used to produce soccer shoes and motorbike suits. They are <a href="https://www.lav.it/en/news/australian-fire-our-actions-to-save-animals">lobbying</a> brands Lotto and Dainese to stop using kangaroo, arguing that shooting animals is not sustainable given the estimated <a href="https://theconversation.com/bushfires-left-millions-of-animals-dead-we-should-use-them-not-just-bury-them-129787">1 billion</a> creatures killed in bushfires this season. In terms of environmental sustainability, kangaroos cause less damage to the environment than cattle. Cows contribute methane gas, their hard hooves destroy the earth, they eat the grass to a point that it does not regenerate. Kangaroos eat the grass leaving a small portion to re-flourish, they bounce across the land without causing damage to it, and don’t produce methane gases. The use of kangaroo skins in fashion can be done ethically if the code is reviewed in consultation with Aboriginal people and enforced properly. The industry has the <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA03248">potential</a> to produce and support sustainable business opportunities for Aboriginal communities. While celebrities are <a href="https://www.idausa.org/campaign/wild-animals-and-habitats/fur/latest-news/kardashians-shamed-among-10-worst-celebrities-fur-animals/">shamed</a> for wearing fur fashion, this relates to the unregulated and inhumane treatment of coyotes, chinchillas, foxes, mink, rabbits, and other fur-bearing animals. In contrast, scientists <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA03248">consider</a> kangaroo harvest as “one of the few rural industry development options with potential to provide economic return with minimal environmental impact”. Only natural Versace, along with most fashion retailers across the high-end to ready-to-wear spectrum, use synthetic fibres in their fashion products. Such materials eventually <a href="https://theconversation.com/time-to-make-fast-fashion-a-problem-for-its-makers-not-charities-117977">cause more damage</a> to the environment than natural fibres and skins. They don’t biodegrade and many of these fibres end up in landfill, our oceans or in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749119348808">stomachs of fish</a>. Animal skins will always be used in fashion and other products because of the unique properties the skins bring to design and function. While the bushfires have killed millions of Australian native animals, kangaroo culls are managed to have limited impact on the population. We should focus our energy on saving Australian native animals that are <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-bushfires-could-drive-more-than-700-animal-species-to-extinction-check-the-numbers-for-yourself-129773">close to extinction</a> and lobbying for a stricter ethical code for shooters that can be legally enforced to ensure kangaroos are killed humanely. Written by Dr Fabri Blacklock. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/riding-on-the-kangaroos-back-animal-skin-fashion-exports-and-ethical-trade-130207">The Conversation.</a>

Beauty & Style

Damning evidence sheds awful new light on cruise line toddler death

A man who dropped his young granddaughter on a cruise ship “unquestionably” knew the window was open, the cruise operator alleges in a court filing. Royal Caribbean Cruises filed a motion this month asking the federal court in the Southern District of Florida asking to dismiss a lawsuit by the family of Chloe Wiegand, who fell to her death from an 11th floor window on the Freedom of the Seas ship in Puerto Rico in July 2019. The toddler’s parents have accused the cruise liner of negligence in her death by allowing the window in the children’s play area to be open. In the new filing, Royal Caribbean alleged the blame falls on Wiegand’s 51-year-old grandfather Salvatore Anello, who was charged in Puerto Rico with negligent homicide. The company said surveillance video shows Anello leaning out the open window before lifting Wiegand up to it. <img style="width: 500px; height: 291.941px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7834041/court-document-pic-5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/95e2e7fdf05b45f390375a75efd666ee" /> Source: United States District Court of Southern Florida “Because Mr Anello had himself leaned out the window, he was well aware that the window is open,” the court motion said. “This is a case about an adult man, who, as surveillance footage unquestionably confirms: (1) walked up to a window he was aware was open; (2) leaned his upper body out the window for several seconds; (3) reached down and picked up Chloe; and (4) then held her by and out of the open window for 34 seconds before he lost his grip and dropped Chloe out of the window. “His actions, which no reasonable person could have foreseen, were reckless and irresponsible and the sole reason why Chloe is no longer with her parents.” The family’s attorney Michael Winkleman said the cruise company’s motion is “baseless and deceptive”, The Indianapolis Star reported. Anello told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/salvatore-anello-grandfather-charged-in-cruise-ship-death-speaks-out-2019-11-25/">CBS This Morning</a> in November that he is colourblind and did not realise the tinted window was open. “I thought there was glass,” he said then. “I still say it to myself, it's just, I kind of relive it all the time and I just thought there was glass there.”

Cruising

Keep your home free of animal hair

A common problem with pet owners is the stray hairs their dogs and cats leave around the house on floors, furniture and clothes. As our pets have become important family members, they’ve moved out of the backyard and into the house. This means hair shedding and cleanliness have become more of a concern. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the impact, explains veterinarian Dr Katrina Warren. <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/pets/keep-your-home-free-of-animal-hair">Look at low-shedding breeds</div> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/pets/keep-your-home-free-of-animal-hair"> All dogs and cats shed hair – some more than others. Choosing a low-shedding breed can make a huge difference. Remember that low-shedding dog breeds require regular clipping, an additional expense to consider. Choosing a smooth or short-coated breed may also reduce the overall volume of shedding. Groom your pet regularly It may sound obvious, but brushing pets regularly will remove loose fur that will otherwise be shed and dropped around the house. Long-haired pets especially should be groomed regularly to keep their coats trim. There are some great de-shedding tools and brushes available that make grooming more effective by reaching through the topcoat to remove loose undercoat hair. Pay attention to couch fabrics Pet hair attaches more to certain furniture fabrics such as wool, velvet and tweed than ones like Ultrasuede and microfibre. Coverings should be selected for their ease of cleaning. Owners of light-coloured pets often choose cream or white slipcovers because they don’t show the hair. Leather or faux leather can also be a good furniture option as it doesn’t hold hair and wipes clean. What flooring is best? Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting as it can quickly entrap pet hair. Tiles and floorboards are more manageable but choose the right colour flooring – dark floorboards will show up light pet hair more than light floorboards. Remove the hair Vacuum regularly to remove hair from your living space and use a sticky roller to remove fur from clothing. If you allow your pets on the furniture, washable slipcovers or throw-rugs can be used to protect furniture and keep it fresh. Pet management Keeping pets off your furniture is the best way to prevent you, your family and visitors being covered in hair. If you’ve got a new puppy or kitten, it’s a good idea to train them to stay off the furniture from the start. Also, consider restricting pets to areas with hard surface flooring. Dr Katrina's tips for the best low-shedding pets These are great choices if you’re looking for a new four-legged friend. Low-shedding Dog Breeds: Bedlington terriers, bichon frise, Maltese dogs, poodles and schnauzers. These breeds all need regular clipping and grooming. Minimal Grooming Dog Breeds: Chinese crested dogs, chihuahuas, whippets, greyhounds and Italian greyhounds. These breeds all shed hair but their fine coats mean less hair and little grooming. Low-shedding Cat Breeds: Devon rex, Cornish rex, Bengal, Russian blue and Siamese. Written by Dr Katrina Warren. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/pets/keep-your-home-free-of-animal-hair">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V" target="_blank">here’s our best subscription offer</a>. </div>

Family & Pets

How to relieve lower back pain without the need for painkillers

If you’re suffering from lower back pain that just won’t go away and have tried everything to get rid of it, don’t despair – we may have the perfect answer. At the turn of the 21st century, semi-retired Wanganui farmer Colin Cox learned from his friend and fellow farmer, the late Sir Peter Elworthy, a remarkable fact: possum fur is hollow. The only other animals with hollow fur are the Polar bear and the Arctic fox. Being hollow, Colin reasoned that possum fur, when worn directly against the skin, would trap heat and keep the wearer warm. It is this warmth that helps relieve back pain. Soon enough, the idea for the Painaway Possum Fur Pain Relief Belt was born. After a lifetime in farming, Colin’s back was suffering badly so, alerted by Sir Peter’s information, he made a possum fur pad that he could rest against when sitting down. To his surprise he found that when he got up, rather than the pain being more intense (as was usually the case), much of it had disappeared. Colin then made some rudimentary belts from treated possum fur, which he gave to friends with back pain to try. Invariably the feedback was that much of their pain was taken away when the belt was worn, fur against the skin. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7829757/colin-cox.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3a7c2771b77347bba39867481c14e09b" /> Colin Cox, inventor of the Possum Belt The science behind Colin’s discovery is simple. Because it’s hollow, possum fur ‘breathes’. This is the main reason it provides pain relief when worn against the skin – when other fibres do not. Possum fur provides thermal stability to the area of the body where it’s positioned (eg, lower back). This helps to maintain a stable temperature about two degrees warmer than the skin surface. Possum fur also prevents perspiration, condensation and stickiness building up on the skin, as its hollow fibres assist evaporation of surface moisture. If other fibres (such as wool) are worn directly against the skin, there is initial warmth – but before long, with heat build-up, the skin perspires and the wearer’s back becomes sticky and clammy. Now that he was finding success with his discovery, Colin needed to spread the word. Ideally he wanted a prominent person, a celebrity, known to have a back problem. While out bowling one afternoon a friend came to the rescue with just two words: ‘Mahe Drysdale’. The Mahe Drysdale story In 2010, up-and-coming Olympic rower Mahe Drysdale was laid low with osteoarthritis. There were days when his back pain was so intense that he could not train. He’d tried everything for relief but nothing worked and his rowing future looked very bleak. In 2011 Mahe learned about the possum belt from Colin, was sceptical, but agreed to trial it. To his amazement (and obvious delight) much of his pain went away. Wearing the belt, Mahe was able to resume training and just 12 months later he astonished the world by winning gold at the 2012 Olympics. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.452px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7829759/mahe-drysdale-showing-off-gold-medal-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e4d52fee2d76498b9a52739095e0b91d" /> Then, four years later, in 2016 he repeated the win by gaining gold for the second time. Mahe admitted that without the Painaway belt he could not have trained, let alone entered and won the Olympics. He has now worn the belt virtually 24 hours a day for the past eight years. He was wearing it when he won in 2012, 2016 and will undoubtedly be wearing it again for 2020’s big race. Other success stories Besides Mahe, Painaway has many other success stories of people who have suffered chronic back pain for many years (in some cases over 60 years) and who are also obtaining varying degrees of relief. A lady in Rotorua was on 2000mg of pain-killers a day and was about to undergo back surgery. She was given the Painaway belt by her partner and two days later was off painkillers and free of pain. She then cancelled her back surgery and dropped her highly addictive medication. Fraser Gordon is a 67-year-old working farmer from Taihape. More than 30 years ago he wrecked his back lifting sheep. During many years of intense pain he tried various remedies but nothing seemed to work. Some years ago he came across the Possum belt and decided to give it a try. In his own words ‘the results were incredible’. When he wears the belt he has virtually no pain and when he doesn’t the pain returns. Since first getting the belt Fraser has bought another 20 or so to give to friends and relatives with back pain. An Auckland lady, Isapeli Aholelei, suffered for years from severe osteoarthritis, which caused her considerable pain in her lower back and also affected her sleep. She recently purchased a Possum Fur Pain Relief Belt. Very quickly her pain started to go away. She now wears the belt both during the day and also to bed. When asked to say how much relief she got, she replied that her arthritis back pain had dropped by about 40% since wearing the belt and that she was also able to sleep much better at night. A “good night’s sleep” is something that many users report. Take the case of former soldier Don Merito. As a Vietnam veteran there were many occasions during training and active service where Don and his comrades jumped from helicopters and moving vehicles, carrying heavy packs. This resulted in severe, long-term, chronic back pain. Despite years of acupuncture, osteopathy, massage and chiropractic treatments to relieve the pain, nothing ever really worked and results were always only temporary. With his belt, Don says he has finally found something that, combined with exercise, enables him to live for the first time in many years without pain. He now enjoys working in the garden (which he could never do before for more than a few minutes), doing household chores and, for the first time in years, having a good night’s sleep – all painfree and “absolutely wonderful”. Clinical studies and the belt Clinical studies carried out in 2014 show an average pain relief of 25%, with many people reporting up to 60% or more. Some even say they achieve 100% relief! <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7829758/possumbelt-infographic.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/cbe7e622b50941f294c687502f8982ec" /> The belt consists of a rectangular piece of quality fur (each possum yields enough fur for one belt), sewn to a black, 18cm-wide wrap-around stretch Neoprene belt. This is then held together with a Velcro fastener. The Painaway belt costs just $285 which, for those with severe chronic back pain, is a bargain. On the other hand, if you are a SuperGold card holder then Painaway offers a 10% discount – which reduces the price to $256.50. Use the coupon code SUPERG (when ordering online) to get the discount. If you need a little extra time to pay, the company also offers an instalment plan of just $67.50 month over four months for over 65s, or $75 month to all others. To find out more about this life-changing product, go to <a href="http://www.Painaway.org.nz">www.Painaway.org.nz</a> or call 0800 115 241 or 027 471 2242 for a free brochure or to order over the phone.

Body

Sick of your dog shedding? This leotard stops exactly that

If you’re tired of vacuuming your dog’s fur, the guys at Shed Defender have a solution for you, although your dog is likely to be less than impressed with the outcome. It’s a leotard that’s designed to keep your dog from shedding its fur all over the house and you can see it below. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0bAtoklZHT/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0bAtoklZHT/" target="_blank">@meka_the_shepherd is ready to play #sheddefender . . . . . . . . #gsd #germanshepherd #germanshepherdforever #germanshepherd_corner #gsdforever #gsdfamily #gsdlover #gsdfeature #gsdworld #gsddaily #gsdforlife #gsdcorner</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/sheddefender/" target="_blank"> ShedDefender</a> (@sheddefender) on Jul 27, 2019 at 6:34am PDT </div> </blockquote> The Shed Defender has a range of purposes that come with also looking slightly dorky, which include acting as a barrier from mud and dirt if your dog decides to roll around in the backyard as well as protecting your pup from fleas. The leotard can also be used to replace cones around the head if your dog has recently had surgery as they will be unable to lick or bite their new wound. As the leotard is nice and snug against the dog, it’s said to calm down dogs with anxiety and provide them with an easing effect. If you’re worried that the leotards might be cruel for your dog, it’s made out of breathable, four way stretch eco-friendly mesh fabric and has been approved by vets. The Shed Defender first made its appearance on Shark Tank back in 2018 and since then, the company has seen a 65 per cent growth in revenue. The idea first came about in 2011 after the founder, Tyson Walters, struggled to find a solution to the shedding of his St. Bernard Harley. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzYKTbCFuOH/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzYKTbCFuOH/" target="_blank">Real Dogs Wear Pink @my_bark_is_bigger_than_yours #sheddefender . . . . . . . . #bigdogs #bigdogsofinstagram #stbernards #bigdog #bigdogclothes</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/sheddefender/" target="_blank"> ShedDefender</a> (@sheddefender) on Jul 1, 2019 at 7:29am PDT </div> </blockquote> There is a varied range of sizing starting from “mini” all the way up to “giant” with prices ranging from $72 up to $112. They ship to Australia too all the way from the US. Hero image credit: www.instagram.com/sheddefender/

Family & Pets

The secret behind Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness' 22-year marriage

Hollywood is notorious for short-lived marriages, but one celebrity couple seem to be pulling all the right strings after remaining committed for the last 22 years. Being a part of the minority of long-lasting marriages in Hollywood, Hugh Jackman recently shared the secret behind his 22-year union with his wife Deborra-lee Furness. The actor opened up about an agreement he and Deb, 62, made when they tied the knot back in 1996 in Toorak, Victoria. “When Deb and I got married, we made a pact that we would look at each other at every turning point in our lives and would ask ourselves if this is good or bad for our family,” the 49-year-old told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.who.com.au/" target="_blank">Who</a>. The Oscar-nominated actor also praised his wife for her selflessness towards him and their two children, Oscar, 18, and 13-year-old Ava. So much so, that Deb put her dream of accepting a place at her dream directing school to put Hugh’s career first. “There’s a time no-one knows about when I was offered Oklahoma in London and she was offered a spot at the prestigious directing school at the Victorian College of Arts – and that’s impossible to get into,” he explained. Despite Hugh insisting the pair stay in Australia, Deb was the one that made the push to go to London. “I never forgot her selflessness in saying that because I know she always wanted to direct, and that was a big moment for her,” he added. The couple celebrated their 22-year wedding anniversary earlier this year, with Hugh posting a touching tribute about Deb on his Twitter account, saying their connection “only gets deeper.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I believe in life we need to see and truly be seen by the most important people in our lives. Deb, from day one, we had that. 22 years later ... it only gets deeper. You and the kids are the greatest gift I will ever receive. I love you a gazillion times around the world. <a href="https://t.co/VsoDq4HxDw">pic.twitter.com/VsoDq4HxDw</a> — Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealHughJackman/status/984032979411505153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">11 April 2018</a></blockquote>

Movies

Inside the farm shed converted into a luxury rural retreat

At a glance this farm machinery shed might not look like the most comfortable type of accommodation for a holiday in the Kangaroo Valley in NSW, Australia. But a glance at the interior in the gallery above will show you otherwise. Set in a picturesque region, this <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/2479538/?af=61160407&c=apac_au_over60_shed" target="_blank">beautiful, eco-accredited property</a> is the perfect venue for a getaway with family and friends, or even larger celebrations. Using recycled and reclaimed materials, this farm machinery shed has been creatively transformed into the perfect B&B with three luxurious bedrooms. The owners have also installed a wood fire, dining space, fully equipped kitchen, outdoor entertaining/dining space, pizza oven and BBQ to cater for all your entertaining needs. Set amongst permaculture gardens, this <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/2479538/?af=61160407&c=apac_au_over60_shed" target="_blank">farm shed offers seclusion and privacy</a> in the Kangaroo Valley, but it’s just 10 minutes from the town centre so you won’t feel isolated. Kangaroo Valley is one of the most picturesque regions of Australia and you will love exploring the area for accommodation that is truly unique. To find out more or book the converted shed, <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/2479538/?af=61160407&c=apac_au_over60_shed" target="_blank">click here</a>. Even if you’re not headed to the Kangaroo Valley any time soon, make sure you scroll through the gallery above to see just how incredible these properties are. Have you ever visited the Kangaroo Valley before? Do you have a holiday on the cards, and if so where are you planning to go? Please share your story in the comments. <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/?af=61160407&c=apac_au_over60" target="_blank">Whether you want to make money by renting your place or to find affordable accommodation options and stretch your travel budget further, head over to Airbnb now and have a look around.</a> Related links: <a href="/travel/accommodation/2016/07/cosiest-winter-retreats-in-the-blue-mountains/">Cosiest winter retreats in the Blue Mountains</a> <a href="/travel/accommodation/2016/07/converted-bakery-in-kangaroo-valley/">Stay in a converted bakery in the heart of Kangaroo Valley</a> <a href="/travel/accommodation/2016/06/french-gypsy-wagon-transformed-into-luxury-cottage/">French gypsy wagon transformed into luxury cottage</a>

International Travel

The $2 Kmart hack pet owners can’t live without

Aussie cat owner Danica Penton has discovered one hack to cleaning up after her cats that has changed her life. Danica found that her couch was constantly covered in hairs because of her pets and grew frustrated with having to use rubber gloves to scrape away their fur. Recently, when Danica was walking through Kmart, she saw a rubber squeegee and had an idea of how to solve her daily cleaning problem. <img width="499" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7817270/1_499x375.jpg" alt="1 (112)"/> “I honestly had little hope when I picked it up off the shelf, but I thought that it was only $2 and I could use it elsewhere if it didn’t work, so I had nothing to lose,” she said. “I am definitely loving the results and it’s so easy! “I have another window washer from Kmart that I actually use for windows — this one is purely for the couch.” The squeegee only needs to be run along the couch or carpet, for all the hair to come out. Some prefer wetting the squeegee before use. After sharing her pet-hack on social media, Danica received a flood of comments from fellow frustrated pet lovers. “I was very surprised by the feedback I received, especially since I thought about not posting it because I thought it was just lame — I’m hoping the hack will benefit other pet owners,” she said. “I have three cats — a tortoiseshell called Milo, ginger called Ronnie and a black and white cat called Max. “I was originally using rubber gloves, but was having a slight reaction, because I was having to use them every day. “I purchased the squeegee just for the couch, because I saw it and thought it may work because of the rubber bottom.” Some pet owners use masking tape, lint or wet brooms to remove pet hair, but Danica says this cheap product is a great remedy. “I feel it’s quicker with the squeegee and also better for my back, as I don’t have to bend as much,” Danica told <a href="http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/home/pets/the-2-item-pet-owners-cant-live-without/news-story/09e097b5a6fa9c7b215001f439cdeb5a" target="_blank">news.com.au.</a> <img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7817275/image__498x245.jpg" alt="Image_ (60)"/> “With the rubber gloves it was hard to do the softer parts like the headrest and arms and also getting into the grooves and tight stops — the squeegee does all that with ease.” Danica uses the squeegee and pushes all the hair on to the floor before vacuuming it up. “The squeegee creates a thin line of hair, whereas using a rubber glove made a wider pile,” she said. “The hair would constantly stick to the glove, but doesn’t stick to the squeegee — it’s perfect.” How do you clean up after your pets inside?

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The $2 Kmart hack pet owners can’t live without