Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2025 i The Australian Women's Weekly

Everyone reckons they know the story of Belle Gibson. Here it is in a sentence: “Wellness influencer fakes cancer for money and fame”. That certainly seems to be the premise of the Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar, which is a fictional drama based on her rise and fall. Indeed, almost 10 years after the scandal broke, Belle’s false narrative of healing terminal brain cancer with wholefoods and alternative therapies is still getting global attention. It’s certainly the story I get asked about the most. But it has also been frustratingly over-simplified. Don’t get me wrong: What Belle did was 100 per cent wrong and she absolutely deserved to be held to account for her actions. I spent a significant proportion of my 25-year career in journalism calling out wellness fraud…

“The resilience these girls build will take them a long way in life.” The parched air of the Kimberley is full of red dust as a horse bucks furiously, trying to throw off the cowgirl in the station buckjump. The rider grips the rope with one calloused hand, desperate to hold on for eight seconds. The air rips as she cracks her stock whip, traditionally used to make a noise that moves on cattle. For this event, she must crack it three times while staying on her tempestuous steed to score in the event and have a shot at taking home a trophy buckle. The whip is not used on animals, its purpose is a test of skill and a nod to tradition. “The girls up here are gutsy, there’s…

Alison Whyte For Alison Whyte, who plays Lord Leonard Aster, it was a reinvigorating joy to step into a role that was about comedy, fun, and play. The actress – whose illustrious credits include The Dressmaker, Fisk, Jack Irish and The Kettering Incident – had just come off a critically acclaimed turn in Death of a Salesman with Anthony LaPaglia. Amidst the Melbourne run of the emotionally demanding, Pulitzer Prizewinning play she told The Age that afterwards, she would need “a little holiday in the sunshine”. Peter and the Starcatcher has proved to be just that. “It’s a very different style,” she says. “With Lord Aster, you just take off your hat and you’re fine. A role like Linda Loman [Death of a Salesman] you have to be a little…

There’s a moment seared into Viva Bianca’s mind, a precious sliver of time just before Christmas 2023 when the actress was in the car with her husband, Tony Beliveau, celebrating having just conquered the Christmas shopping. It was four days before Santa’s arrival and they could now relax and look forward to the inevitable squeals of delight from Vienna, then seven years old, and River, then five, when they unwrapped the couple’s handiwork on Christmas morning. But, that moment of festive bliss very quickly turned to despair, when the Neighbours’ actor took a call from her doctor who was delivering the shock news – that she had breast cancer. “I will never forget that day, it was the worst day of my life. She told me a biopsy had detected…

It was love at first sight. “I met Bob Dylan on a hot day at the end of July 1961 at a marathon folk concert at Riverside Church in upper Manhattan,” Suze Itwas Rotolo wrote in her memoir, A Freewheelin’ Time. “I thought he was old-time looking, charming in a scraggly way. His jeans were as rumpled as his shirt and even in the hot weather he had on the black corduroy cap he always wore. He made me think of Harpo Marx, impish and approachable, but there was something about him that broadcast an intensity that was not to be taken lightly. “As inexperienced as I was in the ways of love, I felt a strong attraction to this character. It was as if we knew each other already;…

When sculptor Henry Moore said “a sculptor is a person obsessed with the form and shape of things”, he couldn’t possibly have imagined a sculptor in the age of the internet: Make-up devotees carving out cheekbones and cutting jawlines with bronzer and highlighter, reel after mesmerising reel, on socials. But there is an art to it. “Contouring, when done correctly, can subtly or dramatically sculpt, lift and refine your features,” says celebrity make-up artist Rae Morris, who created her own uber-soft Japanese make-up brushes to help amateurs shade like a pro. “Contouring can make a big difference without being too obvious. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a total game changer.” Don’t be afraid to give it a try – with the right tools, textures and tones, and…

It was a routine scan for recurring sciatica pain that would upend the life of West Australian hairdresser Kate Wylie. In late 2023, the 33-year-old noticed a niggling pain in the back of her leg. Having been treated for sciatica five years earlier, she assumed it had returned. But upon receiving her scan results, the doctor mentioned a mass. “The tumours were visible from the scan,” Kate says of the appointment that quickly pivoted from sciatica treatment to a referral to a gynaeoncologist, where she would soon be diagnosed with low-grade serous ovarian cancer. “It was a roller-coaster, because they didn’t say, ‘You’ve got cancer’, they just mentioned that there were tumours – I was thinking maybe it’s just endo [endometriosis] or polycystic ovarian syndrome [PCOS].” But further scans soon…

Eggplant filled with spiced lamb and yoghurt SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 4 medium (1kg) eggplants ½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil 2 small (240g) brown onions, chopped finely 1 teaspoon ground allspice 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground cumin 500g lean lamb mince ¼ cup chopped parsley, plus extra for serving ¼ cup chopped mint, plus extra for serving ½ cup (80g) toasted pine nuts 1 cup (280g) Greek yoghurt lemon wedges and rocket, for serving 1 Preheat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan-forced). Line an oven tray with baking paper. 2 Cut the eggplants in half from top to bottom. Score the flesh gently, season with salt and ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil on both sides. Place onto the tray cut-side…

It’s long past Sophie’s bedtime and she’s told herself this will be the last chapter she’ll read for the night. She’s said that six times already. Sophie is completely absorbed in the story of two high school friends who fall in love. It’s a classic trope and this is a classic Young Adult (YA) read. Here’s the thing, Sophie isn’t a teenage girl. She’s a grown-up professional, a couple of decades older than the target market for YA. And she’s one of an increasing number of older adults enjoying the genre generally aimed at those aged 12-18. A 2024 annual review of children’s reading for pleasure found that the number of adult readers has been growing in the past five years, and today 28 per cent of YA readers are…

The Intrepid List – 100 Uncommon Experiences to Change The Way You Travel (Hardie Grant Explore, RRP $45) aims to be the opposite of a bucket list. The book goes beyond the tourist traps, opting instead for places that offer more than Instagrammable-moments. Its “enthralling experiences that will stay with you forever” will intrigue even the most seasoned travellers … Hands up who’s been to the forest of future books near Oslo, Norway, for example, or indulged in a Moroccan tea ritual? More at publishing.hardiegrant.com…

February 8, 1936 In this issue ... A poem by regular Weekly contributor Phyllis Duncan-Brown was the intro for this summer cover, while page 2 opened with a serious story on changes in the English divorce courts before delving into what was happening for the Royal family following the recent passing of King George V. A photo of the future Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, Princess Margaret, declared them to be “unspoiled” while royal reporter Mary St. Claire noted how their lives would change in the coming days. Ads for celebrity-endorsed beauty products sat alongside an abundance of Hollywood news straight from our on-the-ground Tinseltown reporters. “Joan Crawford No Snob” stated page 36, with a charming anecdote of the actress treating starstruck young fans with ice-cream during a personal…

Letter of the month The January edition was full of interesting stories, especially Birth crisis in the bush, which revealed how many rural hospitals can no longer offer birthing services. Yvette Bracefield had to make a nerve-wracking dash to a hospital an hour away, and she gave birth to daughter Beatrix standing beside the Warrego Highway. It’s amazing that her husband, Michael, was able to find a safe place to pull off the road. Thank you for sharing Yvette’s great story, and the other stories in the article. Let’s look after bush kids and their mothers better. Mount Gravatt, Qld. Fashion boundaries Hearty congratulations to Amanda Blair for her column, Always in fashion (AWW, January). I’ve worn glasses for 51 years and always chose styles that blended in so I…

In February 2024, a sobering report was released by the Productivity Commission. It showed that school attendance and retention rates in high schools were in steady decline, along with a drop-off in further education. One in five students attending government schools were not completing their full 13 years of education. That figure plummets even further for students in remote regions or from low socio-economic backgrounds. Palvisha Farooq could have become one of the statistics. But thanks to The Smith Family, she and her family received support to enable her to not only go on to university but hopefully help another generation of kids achieve their own educational dreams. Her parents arrived in Australia from Pakistan when she was just six months old and in later years, Palvisha and her three…

One of the most delightful events that came out of last year was the world’s introduction to our home-grown dancing hero, the brilliant Rachael Gunn. Very quickly the name “Raygun” – the name she used when she wowed us all with her unique moves and sassy self-confidence in the inaugural breakdancing competition at the Paris Olympics – went viral. My sister and I couldn’t get enough of her, and communicated almost exclusively for at least a week with just links and screenshots of our favourite moments. She took the new event and made it her own, one kangaroo move at a time. A few new categories have been introduced at the Olympics in recent times, from skateboarding to karate and kite sailing to sport climbing. But none has entered our…

I arrived late to my friend-of-afriend’s soiree, but not too late to miss the tour of the fancy prewar, beautifully renovated brownstone in Midtown. The owner was a newly divorced man with two children. The house included a walk-through wine cellar, complete with corking station. My husband, Chris Henchy, loves red wine, and because I could see some amazing vintage bottles with labels I knew my husband would swoon over, I sought out the owner to ask about his wine. I figured that anybody with a collection as extensive as this one would surely have reason to be proud, and would probably enjoy discussing it. As he displayed the different vintages, I asked a couple of questions about which years he likes to buy and why, and we ended up…

For Australian kids, it was the first taste of independence, Eamon Donnelly says. You’d get your pocket money or a few coins from your grandmother on your birthday, “you run down there on your own and you could get whatever you want”. Clinkers, freckles, Jersey caramels, jaffas, snakes and teeth – a couple of cents bought you free rein. “You took your time and you umm-ed and ahh-ed. It felt so incredible walking out with this bag full of lollies that you hand-picked and you’d paid for.” Eamon, a graphic designer and author, rediscovered his love of milk bars in the early 2000s when he returned to his home city of Geelong and discovered his old neighbourhood shop, the Hawking Corner Store (known in the Donnelly household as “Dave and…

This story was written in the stars. Not literally, of course, but astrologically. Last year on November 19, Pluto – the planet of transformation and renewal – moved into Aquarius for the first time in 200 years. “This is a major transition. Pluto is the planet of generational change and Aquarius is associated with astrology, New Age thinking and the cosmos,” says author and astrologer Jane Gleeson-White, inferring that the change will see a shift in the popularity of astrology. Do you know what else happened on November 19? I was commissioned to write this article about the popularity of astrology. “The timing couldn’t be better,” beams Jane, a former economist who began studying astrology in 1992, but only started calling herself an astrologer a few years ago. “Astrologers have…

All prices are approximate. HAIR AND MAKE-UP BY KRISTYAN LOW. STYLING ASSISTANT: LILLY VEITCH. MODEL: COURTNEY ALLEN @ SCOOP MANAGEMENT.…

PLUMP UP LIPS “I love using contouring to make the lips look fuller, but never contour the outer corners because you want to keep those lifted,” says Rae. “Focus on shading the cupid’s bow and just below the centre of the bottom lip with a matte lip or eye pencil that matches your skin tone for a soft, blurred effect. Avoid shades that are too dark, or it might look like you’ve just sipped a chocolate milkshake and have forgotten to wipe!” Brow pencils tend to be less pigmented than lip liner so they are easier to use for this technique. Revlon ColorStay Brow Pencil in Soft Brown, $23.95. 1. Sculpt Rae’s trick is to imagine a line from the corner of your mouth to the top of your ear.…

If you’ve tried a greens powder in the past and swore off after gulping down what feels like a glass of sludge, rest assured: The latest crop is much easier to swallow. No longer relegated to the back shelf of health food stores, greens powders are gaining popularity as more of us fall short of the daily recommended intake of vitamins and minerals. Useful for those with busy lifestyles and specific dietary needs or while travelling, they can help fill nutritional gaps. “Powders are made from dried and powdered green vegetables, fruits and other plant-based ingredients.” “Greens powders are dietary supplements made from dried and powdered green vegetables, fruits and other plant-based ingredients,” explains Accredited Practising Dietitian Alice Bleathman. Their purpose? To provide a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals and…

Grilled chicken with tomato salsa SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 40 MINUTES 4 (800g) chicken breast fillets 1 lemon, sliced thinly 16 whole sage leaves, plus 2 tablespoons shredded finely 4 slices prosciutto ⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted 4 cloves garlic, bruised 2 tablespoons baby capers 1 cup (160g) mixed olives 450g multicoloured cherry tomatoes ¼ cup (60ml) sherry vinegar 1 tablespoon caster sugar 1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). 2 Place chicken on a chopping board; top each fillet with 2 lemon slices and 2 sage leaves. Wrap prosciutto around chicken, securing with a toothpick if required. Wash board with hot soapy water. 3 Heat a medium ovenproof frying pan over medium high heat; add 1 tablespoon of the oil,…

Gluten-free chicken nuggets SERVES 4 PREP + COOK TIME 35 MINUTES 2 x 300g chicken breast fillets 2 cups (80g) gluten-free cornflakes ⅔ cup (105g) gluten-free plain flour 2 teaspoons ground paprika 1 teaspoon onion salt ⅓ cup (25g) finely grated parmesan 2 eggs olive oil cooking spray 2 teaspoons sriracha chilli sauce ⅔ cup (150g) aïoli basil leaves and lemon wedges, to serve 1 Preheat a 5.3-litre air fryer to 180°C for 3 minutes, if advised by manufacturer. 2 Cut chicken into nugget-sized pieces. Crush the cornflakes by hand in a medium bowl until coarsely crushed. Add ⅓ cup (50g) of the flour, the paprika, onion salt and parmesan; season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lightly beat eggs in another medium bowl. Place remaining flour in a…

Peach & yoghurt upside-down cake SERVES 9-1 2 PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES (+ COOLING TIME) GLUTEN FREE 2 cups (440g) caster sugar 165g unsalted butter, chopped, softened ¼ cup (60ml) bourbon or orange juice 3 eggs 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind ¾ cup (165g) caster sugar, extra 1 cup (170g) fine polenta 1 cup (280g) Greek yoghurt 1½ cups (180g) almond meal  1½ teaspoons baking powder  4 medium peaches (600g), halved, stones removed, sliced thinly 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 20cm square cake pan; line base and sides with baking paper.  2 Stir sugar and 1 cup (250ml) water in a medium saucepan over low heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil; boil without stirring for 10…

Tense TRIUMPH Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell, Simon & Schuster It’s hard to describe: The weight of the silence, the sharpness of the insults, the constant level of fear. The signs of intimate partner violence can be translucent. They’re not deep purple like a bruise, they’re clear like a length of fishing line. It’s hard to describe the hidden reality of coercive control, but Roisín O’Donnell finds the words. The Irish writer’s debut novel, Nesting, is a devastatingly real portrait of emotional abuse. The book opens with a scene of a seemingly happy family at the beach on a spring day in Ireland. A father takes his young daughters – aged two and four – into the sea. It’s too cold. The waves are too strong, the water too deep. The…

Flower power is back. The popularity of Japan’s cherry blossoms has inspired travellers to seek out nature’s most colourful beauties in other parts of the world. And pop-up flower festivals offer much more than newly planted fields of colour. These days they’re big days out – floral, food, wine and entertainment festivals all in one. A prime example is Canberra’s Floriade. Almost half a million people visited it last spring and one of them, after a long absence, was me. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve vowed to return this year – it runs from September 13 to October 12 – especially for NightFest over October 2-5when Commonwealth Park (pictured below) will be lit up in vibrant colours, there’ll be live music on two stages, cabaret in the Kazador…

Golden GLOBES Wonderful Wicked Wicked’s soaring success continued, with the film picking up a Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. On stage, director Jon M. Chu acknowledged the hundreds of craftspeople who brought Oz to life. “So deeply proud and grateful,” Ariana Grande wrote. Women we love A bump & a book Narelda Jacobs and Karina Natt will welcome two new arrivals this year: A book, If Queers Weren’t Meant to Have Kids in October, and a baby, due in March. Vale Tomiko The world’s oldest person, Tomiko Itooka, has died, aged 116. Ms Itooka, who loved bananas and a yoghurt-flavoured Japanese drink called Calpis, was born in 1908 in Osaka. Thanks, pet Brenda Blethyn, who played DCI Vera Stanhope in the hit series Vera, has closed her…

Kath Koschel NSW Australian of the Year Regular readers of The Weekly will be familiar with Kath Koschel and her inspiring Kindness Factory, and as delighted as we are that she is the NSW Australian of the Year. “It came as a big shock to hear my name read out,” she says. “I’m very proud, but I think the most pleasing part is that kindness is being recognised – it’s being taken a little bit more seriously.” A former professional cricketer and Ironman competitor, Kath’s very active life hit some devastating roadblocks when she suffered a broken back – not one, but twice – and lost her much-loved partner, Jim Punter, a 25-yearold rugby player, to suicide. Where others might have buckled, Kath, however, found an extraordinary source of strength…

In a simple white shirt and khaki skirt she may be the Queen of Denmark but Mary looks very much like our adventure-loving girl from Tassie. The Weekly’s cover shot was taken in Brazil on a thrilling solo trip in October last year. The aim of the tour was to strengthen the bond between Denmark and Brazil, especially in areas of sustainability, biodiversity, climate change and the fight against violence against women. Mary was in her element as she headed into the Amazon rainforest, sampled ants in a local restaurant dish and petted a rescued manatee calf while visiting the National Institute of Amazonian Research in Manaus. This is the sort of travel Mary loves, surrounded by the natural world, learning about the pressures on the environment and advocating for…

When I was pregnant in the ’70s I couldn’t justify asking family members to look after my children while I went to work, so my husband and I made the decision we would live on one wage so I could be involved with my children and their activities. All through kindergarten, primary school, high school, Guides and Scouts, I was on committees. I was happy, and I was busy. But when my daughter finished high school, my commitments halved and I found myself at a loose end. I did not enjoy Mondays – the thought of the week ahead with not enough to do. Then in 1992 I saw an advertisement in the local paper: The Mater Hospital in Brisbane was looking for “100 helping hands”. I thought, “Oh, that…

Can you remember the last time you did something out of the ordinary? Maybe it was trying a different cuisine or exploring an unfamiliar area; it could even have been reading a book you usually wouldn’t. While most of us don’t do it often, getting out of our comfort zones has several proven benefits. Learning a new language, musical instrument, or skill, for example, can create new neural pathways and strengthen existing ones, essentially rewiring the brain. Although, as humans, we’re creatures of habit, preferring to choose the familiar option. “The behaviours we do, day in and day out, become strong neural connections in our brain, so trying new things can feel strange because those neural connections are often not there yet, hence why we often stick to what we…

The busy nature of modern life means that we are often eating on autocue rather than because we are truly hungry. Eating can also be a welcome relief from the mundane nature of daily life, but constant snacking and grazing throughout the day can mean we never have the three to four hours in between meals without food to fully digest all the food in the stomach and subsequently experience natural hunger come mealtime. And if you are someone who has a history of yo-yo dieting, it may be possible that over the years, you have learnt to ignore the hunger signals your body sends out. To help tune back in, pay attention to your appetite at a mealtime and give it a rating out of 10 to help quantify…

1 Be clear about your intentions Switch your thinking from “what can I get?” to “how can I give back?” “True manifestations begin with a desire that is rooted in inspiration and service to others, not ego or fear. When your desire both brings you joy and serves others it becomes a powerful force for change,” explains Gabby. “For example, if you’re looking for love it may mean that the more love and romance you have in your life, the more you can spread. If you have abundance, that can be a gift that you give back to those around you.” 2 Believe you’re being supported Belief is the fuel that powers your goals. When your desire is clear and inspired it’s easier to trust that the universe is working…

Mini potato bakes MAKES 12 While doing the research for this book, I spent a lot of time in the freezer aisle at the supermarket. And that’s where mini potato bakes caught my eye – such a clever idea to have small individual portions for when you want a creamy, decadent potato side. Of course, homemade will always taste better, so give my version a go – they’re delightful. I love to serve these with steak. butter, for greasing 600ml thickened cream 400ml full-cream milk 5 thyme sprigs, leaves picked 1.4 kg desiree potatoes (about 8), peeled and cut into 2mm thick slices 75g (¾ cup) freshly grated Parmesan 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced. Generously grease two 6-hole Texas muffin tins (¾ cup capacity) with butter. 2 Pour…

“Different forms, organic and angular shapes, add interest and energy.” When it came time to renovate a Melbourne townhouse for recent retiree Robin, interior designer Jacque Yates of Three Little Pigs Colour & Design wanted to create a luxe and modern look which would stand the test of time. And playing with warm neutral palettes was a wonderful way to achieve that. “When someone says to you they want neutral, it doesn’t have to be white and beige,” Jacque tells The Weekly. “I do really like working with colour, but neutral is a great place to start – especially with big-ticket items like floors and sofas because that’s where your budget really goes. For a neutral palette, it’s about layering and introducing texture and shapes to add interest.” With a…

Romantic comedy The Bad Bridesmaid by Rachael Johns, Penguin There’s something soothing about a predictable plot, an island setting and a chaotic-yetcharming protagonist. A good rom-com is a balm for the harshness of the outside world, and no one does romance and comedy better than Rachael Johns. The titular character of The Bad Bridesmaid is Winifred – Fred – Darling, who reluctantly agrees to be the maid of honour at her mother’s sixth wedding. When Fred lands on Norfolk Island for the “happy” occasion, she meets her soon-to-be stepbrother and forms an alliance with the good-looking, ukulele-playing, Hunger Games-reading teacher. The plan: Stop the wedding. The result: You’ll have to read to find out. An oh-so entertaining frolic from the author of The Other Bridget. Twisty thriller One Dark Night…

It’s day one of our trip and we are en route from Siem Reap airport to join a four-night Aqua Mekong cruise. Local guide Vuhty welcomes us to his country, which is as famous for the ancient wonder of Angkor Wat as it is for the atrocities of Khmer Rouge. As our van rumbles through the crowded streets of the city where roads become dirt paths lined with bustling stalls, wandering white cattle and dogs, Vuhty tells us about his education. It’s a point of pride in a place where schooling is a hard-won but important journey. And soon it becomes clear, as we prepare to sail down the Tonlé Sap lake towards the famous Mekong river, that it’s our turn to be the students. Now Cambodia and its welcoming…

Aquarius Jan 21 -Feb 19 Water pourers’ happy birthday month kicks off in vivid style at a cracking pace as your planet ruler, Uranus, emerges from its fivemonth hibernation with a feeling of release and freedom. Your astrological birthday present is celestial messenger Mercury joining the Sun in Aquarius for the first half of February. So, put that evolutionary Aquarian mind to tweaking the quantum stream of possibilities while the force is with you. Whether you’re writing, speaking face-to-face, communicating to small groups or larger organisations, share the inspirational downloads you’re likely to receive wisely. Pisces Feb 20 -Mar 20 When Mercury flows midmonth into your lyrical, fluid sign and February’s communications segue from intellectual to intuitive, the life of Pisceans moves into increasingly upbeat rhythms. And as the Sun…