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What is negative gearing and what is it doing to housing affordability?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-cull-340911">Michelle Cull</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> Australia’s housing crisis is putting the <a href="https://www.mortgagechoice.com.au/guides/what-is-the-great-australian-dream/">Australian dream</a> to own one’s home out of reach for many. But it’s not just <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/home-ownership-and-housing-tenure">home ownership</a> that has been affected. Rental affordability has also become a serious issue. This has reignited the debate about negative gearing; whether or not it is fair and whether it holds the key to fixing the housing crisis. <h2>What is negative gearing?</h2> <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/review/tax-white-paper/negative-gearing">Negative gearing</a> refers to using borrowed money to invest in an asset so it results in a loss which can be claimed as a tax deduction against other income. For example, a property investment is negatively geared if the net rental income received is lower than the mortgage interest. The loss is then offset against other income, such as wages and salaries, which reduces the amount of income tax payable. Negative gearing is commonly used for property investments but also applies to other investments (such as shares). Investments can also be positively geared when net income from the investment is more than the interest on borrowings. The attractiveness of negative gearing in Australia is mainly due to its ability to reduce the amount of income tax. For this reason, it can be more beneficial to individuals who are on higher marginal tax rates. However, capital gains tax must be paid on any gain when the asset is sold. <h2>How does negative gearing work?</h2> Let’s look at a simple example of negative gearing. Say an investment property was rented to tenants at A$500 a week ($26,000 a year), and associated expenses (such as agent fees, rates, mortgage interest, maintenance) were $40,000 for the year. This leaves a shortfall of $14,000. The property owner can deduct the $14,000 from their taxable income to reduce their liability. For example if they received $100,000 from wages, they would pay tax on only $86,000 (saving $4,550 in income tax). Individuals on higher incomes and therefore higher marginal tax rates would receive larger tax deductions (for example, someone earning over $180,001 would pay $6,300 less tax). While negative gearing an investment property can reduce tax while it is being rented, it can also result in a large <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/investments-and-assets/capital-gains-tax/what-is-capital-gains-tax">capital gains tax</a> bill once the property is sold (even though capital gains tax is halved for assets held for more than 12 months). For example, if the cost base for a property purchased ten years ago was $400,000 and it sells for $900,000 today, capital gains tax would be calculated on half of the $500,000 difference. At a marginal rate of 45%, the tax bill would be $112,500. <h2>How widespread is it in Australia?</h2> According to the <a href="https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/taxation-statistics-2020-21">Australian Taxation Office</a>, about 2.25 million individual tax payers (21% of all individual tax payers) claimed deductions against rental income for a total 3.25 million properties in 2020-21 financial year. Of these, 47% negatively geared their properties, claiming a net rental loss. This is equivalent to just less than 10% of all taxpayers. Investors with fewer properties were more likely to be using negative gearing with over 71% of property investors having only one investment property. <hr /> <iframe id="Wv9lV" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Wv9lV/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> The largest group of property investors (524,220) had one investment property and a total annual taxable income between $50,001 and $100,000. The chart above shows the proportion of property investors by age group. From 2016-2017 to 2020-2021, the total net rental income on property investments in Australia went from a loss of $3.3 billion to a gain of $3.1 billion (as you can see from the chart below). For the same period, the proportion of investors negatively gearing their properties dropped from 58% to 47%, as lower interest rates reduced losses. <hr /> <iframe id="fXnoe" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/fXnoe/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> Negative gearing is also becoming less attractive with the government’s recent changes to <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/tax-cuts">tax brackets and marginal tax rates</a>. According to a study conducted by <a href="https://www.pexa.com.au/staticly-media/2023/03/Whitepaper-2-Private-renting-in-Australia-a-broken-system_compressed-sm-1679450145.pdf">LongView and PEXA</a>, 60% of property investors would be financially better off if they instead put their money into a superannuation fund. <h2>When was it introduced?</h2> Negative gearing has been allowed under tax laws since 1936. It was thought it would encourage investment in housing and increase supply. However, debate around its impact on housing affordability led the government to partially abolish it in 1985 by not allowing rental property losses to reduce tax on other sources of income. There was a shortage of housing and rents rose during the two years it was abolished. As a result, in 1987, negative gearing was reinstated and capital gains tax legislation was introduced. <h2>Is it used in other countries?</h2> Canada, Germany, Japan and Norway use negative gearing. In Finland, France and the United States, rental losses can offset future rental income only. In the US, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p936#en_US_2023_publink1000229891">home owners are entitled</a> to claim a tax deduction for mortgage interest on their own home. The use and benefit of negative gearing depends upon all aspects of a country’s tax system. So although it may be attractive in countries with high marginal tax rates, other taxes such as capital gains tax, land tax and stamp duties may reduce its appeal. <h2>Negative gearing’s impact on housing affordability</h2> Many factors affect the cost of housing, including interest rates, inflation, employment, the overall taxation system and population growth, making housing affordability a complex issue. <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/nz-kills-tax-loophole-on-property-to-slow-soaring-house-prices-20210323-p57d9s.html">In New Zealand, negative gearing is being phased out</a> due to its impact on housing prices. However, unlike Australia, New Zealand does not have capital gains tax, making negative gearing more popular and more likely to impact housing prices. In addition to phasing out negative gearing, the New Zealand government <a href="https://www.hud.govt.nz/our-work/public-housing-plan/">increased the supply of public housing</a> and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-25/nz-auckland-house-supply-experiment-results-in-dramatic-change/102846126">relaxed zoning regulations</a> to provide more affordable housing. In Australia, however, there are concerns abolishing negative gearing will cause rents to rise, as they did in the 1980s. More innovative approaches to housing affordability are needed to ensure ample supply of property for first home buyers and tenants. Some consideration could be given to allowing first home buyers to claim a tax deduction for mortgage interest, increasing capital gains tax, limiting the number or type of investment properties held, capping rent increases, or more infrastructure investment from the government for first home buyers and social housing. One or more of these measures would be a step in the right direction. Negative gearing on its own is not the answer to housing affordability. The whole system needs an overhaul, with a combination of measures needed to adequately address affordability, for now and for future generations. Taking no action will put home ownership out of reach for even more Australians.<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;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223823/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-cull-340911">Michelle Cull</a>, Associate professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/what-is-negative-gearing-and-what-is-it-doing-to-housing-affordability-223823">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

“Bloody ripper of a meteor” lights up Perth skies

A few lucky Western Australians have witnessed the moment a bright green meteor flashed brightly across the state's South West. The meteor was the size of a cricket ball and had a 200-kilometre-long tail, which was first spotted at around 8.50pm on Wednesday after entering the atmosphere over Pemberton. The rare spectacle, which only happens around three times a year, lasted about five seconds and travelled at a speed of 30 km/h before the mix of iron, rock and ice dissolved over the Southern Ocean. “Iron meteors give off that beautiful green glow,” Perth Observatory spokesperson Matt Woods told 7NEWS. Experts also said that this was triggered by the outer layer of the meteor melting because of intense friction. The observatory said that the meteor had set off a flood of messages, emails and calls from the people that witnessed the natural phenomenon. “That was a bloody ripper of a meteor tonight,” they posted on their Facebook page. One witness said that you had to see it with your own eyes to fully appreciate its beauty. “I will say it was way better in person. It looked almost rainbow-coloured. Just spectacular,” commented one person. “Did anyone just see a bright streak of light shooting from the sky? It was too bright to be a shooting star,” another person shared on social media. “It was massive and extremely bright.” Image: 7NEWS

Domestic Travel

Olympian tragically killed at just 24

Olympic ski jumper Patrick Gasienica, who only just competed for the United States in the 2022 Beijing Games has tragically passed away at the age of 24. Gasienica died as a result of a motorcycle accident in the village of Bull Valley, located in Chicago’s northwestern suburbs, according to the Bull Valley Police Department. USA Nordic took to Twitter to share tribute for the late ski champ. “USA Nordic and the Ski Jumping community are saddened to hear about the passing of Patrick Gasienica,” they began their post. “A 2022 Beijing Winter Olympian, Patrick was an incredible competitor, teammate and friend. He will be dearly missed. “Rest in peace, Patrick <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SkiJumpingFamily?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1668759332882874369%7Ctwgr%5E2dbdd92adb6e1717c97229e8bdab0462ef277ab4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwwos.nine.com.au%2Folympics%2Famerican-ski-jumper-patrick-gasienica-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-at-24%2F754748db-be62-498b-8866-c499a8753072&src=hashtag_click" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#SkiJumpingFamily</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamUSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1668759332882874369%7Ctwgr%5E2dbdd92adb6e1717c97229e8bdab0462ef277ab4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwwos.nine.com.au%2Folympics%2Famerican-ski-jumper-patrick-gasienica-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-at-24%2F754748db-be62-498b-8866-c499a8753072&src=hashtag_click" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#TeamUSA</a>." The U.S Ski & Snowboard Team also posted on Twitter about his tragic death. “We are deeply saddened by the passing [of] Patrick Gasienica, an incredible athlete, teammate and person. "Sending love to his family, friends and the entire ski jumping community." Gasienica finished 49th and 53rd in individual events at the Beijing Olympics and secured 10th place in a team competition with Casey Larson, Kevin Bickner and Decker Dean. “We don’t really have a lot of jumpers, but it’s getting better,” Gasienica said in 2022 in China. “Especially since the pandemic, a lot of different kids are joining the different clubs around America. Hopefully in a couple of years — five, 10, maybe — we’ll have a really, really great team.” Image credit: Twitter

News

"Just one snowfall away": Aussie ski resorts dismiss doom and gloom warnings

Australian ski resorts have dismissed warnings about the possibility of a below-average snowfall this season as they prepare for opening weekend. Meteorologists have warned that if a number of climate factors combine this winter, the 2023 snow season could be one of the worst in decades. Although images have shown poor snow coverage at NSW and Victoria’s biggest ski resorts, staff have rejected concerns the season won’t pick up. Michael Fearnside, operations director at Perisher Ski Resort, the largest in the southern hemisphere, told news.com.au it is “certainly not doom and gloom” for the industry. According to Fearnside, only time will tell. “This is my 38th winter working in the snow industry and some of our best seasons have begun with low snowfall at the start,” Fearnside said. “Our business is weather dependent but we’re always just one snowfall away, it’s no different to a farmer waiting for the weather to break.” Similar to other resorts, Fearnside added Perisher had made significant investments in snow-making and as a result, they haven’t had to rely on snowfall, with snow guns ready to be deployed “as soon as the conditions are right”. “Our snow-making covers 53.4 hectares across the resort and sets us apart for having the most reliable ski and board experience all season long,” “It’s certainly not doom and gloom, we’ve seen this before and we’re just waiting for the weather pattern to settle down.” Snowy Mountains ski resort Thredbo will need to rely on its own snow-making, despite it and Perisher being the first to see snow in April. Meanwhile, in Victoria’s Alps, the Mount Buller Alpine Resort has been steadily producing a mass amount of snow since the beginning of May and has a network of 341 snow-making guns ready to “kick into action” when necessary. Resort spokeswoman Rhylla Morgan said it is “all hands on deck” to finalise preparations. “In recent seasons there have been bumper early snowfalls and we’ve been spoiled with plenty of natural snow from the beginning,” she said. “And as much as we love to see snowfall at any time, we are taking comfort in the fact that early snow doesn’t translate to a better snow season.” Morgan noted two of the best snow seasons on record at Mt Buller, 1956 and 1958, “had no snow for the season start in June”. “But we’ll leave the forecasting to the professionals and, like all snow enthusiasts, we’ll be watching the forecast closely and hoping for the best.” Victorian resorts, Mt Buller, Mt Hotham and Falls Creek are hoping to repeat the record-breaking 2022 snow season, the first full return after the Covid lockdowns. Mt Hotham’s general manager of operations Len Dobell said the mountaintop resort had its “best season on record” in 2022. Falls Creek Alpine Resort head of marketing Andrew Eckersley said the resort had “more than 500,000 visitation days” in 2022, and was already expecting similar numbers of bookings in 2023. “Last year there was massive pent-up demand from people not being able to ski as much as they want over the last few years in,” Eckersley said. “The fact there’s not a huge amount of difference shows there’s still the appetite to visit the snow.” Although those numbers could be attributed to earlier snowfalls leading to an earlier season opening, Eckersley said he was hopeful the cold front ahead would bring some snow. Sky News Australia meteorologist Alison Osbourne confirmed that despite there being a cold front shifting across the alpine regions, it is not guaranteed to bring snow. “The best weather systems for good snowfall have the most precipitation after a cool change, so it's cold enough for heavy snow,” she said. “This is the opposite, heavy rain is coming before the cold weather does. The freezing level is far too high. “This rain is very likely to wash away the existing cover and while it remains warm, windy, and wet, conditions for snow-making are unfavourable.” Cooler westerly winds are expected to push over the Alps on June 16, lowering the freezing level in time for the June 10 snow season opening, but not enough for significant snowfall. “The silver lining is that snow-making conditions improve for the rest of the weekend.” Image credit: Getty

Travel Trouble

"It was a pretty nasty bang": Freddie Flintoff airlifted to hospital

Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff is recovering from a "nasty" accident while filming for Top Gear, according to his friend Piers Morgan. The former English cricketer, 45, was airlifted to hospital on Tuesday after receiving medical care at the scene, following a crash at an aerodrome in Surrey. Piers said he had spoken to Freddie's family, and said the TV host is remaining in good spirits. “I’m told it was a pretty serious crash and that Freddie’s going to be OK, but it might be a little bit more serious than first appreciated,” he told talkSPORT. “I’m told he’s going to be OK, which is great news, but I’m also told it was a pretty nasty bang and that he’s had surgery and is recovering now and we’ll have to wait and see." “I’ve been in contact with them privately but I just want to wish him and his family – Rachael, his wife – all the very best and I think we’re all just keeping our fingers crossed that the big man comes through all right.” It is understood that the crash did not happen at high speed, with all health and safety precautions said to have been in place. The health and safety watchdog said it was “aware and making inquiries” after the BBC reported the incident, as was standard procedure. A BBC spokesperson said at the time, “Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track this morning, with crew medics attending the scene immediately. He has been taken to hospital for further treatment and we will confirm more details in due course.” Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

740,000km of fishing line and 14 billion hooks: we reveal just how much fishing gear is lost at sea each year

Two per cent of all fishing gear used worldwide ends up polluting the oceans, our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abq0135" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new research</a> finds. To put that into perspective, the amount of longline fishing gear littering the ocean each year can circle the Earth more than 18 times. We interviewed 450 fishers from seven of the world’s biggest fishing countries including Peru, Indonesia, Morocco and the United States, to find out just how much gear enters the global ocean. We found at current loss rates, in 65 years there would be enough fishing nets littering the sea to cover the entire planet. This lost fishing equipment, known as ghost gear, can cause heavy social, economic and environmental damage. Hundreds of thousands of animals <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11160-018-9520-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are estimated to die</a> each year from unintentional capture in fishing nets. Derelict nets can continue to fish indiscriminately for decades. Our research findings help highlight where to focus efforts to stem the tide of fishing pollution. It can also help inform fisheries management and policy interventions from local to global scales. <h2>14 billion longline hooks litter the sea each year</h2> The data we collected came directly from fishers themselves. They experience this issue firsthand and are best poised to inform our understanding of fishing gear losses. We surveyed fishers using five major gear types: gillnets, longlines, purse seine nets, trawl nets, and pots and traps. We asked how much fishing gear they used and lost annually, and what gear and vessel characteristics could be making the problem worse. This included vessel and gear size, whether the gear contacts the seafloor, and the total amount of gear used by the vessel. We coupled these surveys with information on global fishing effort data from commercial fisheries. Fishers use different types of nets to catch different types of fish. Our research found the amount of nets littering the ocean each year include: <ul> <li>740,000 kilometres of longline mainlines</li> <li>nearly 3,000 square kilometres of gill nets</li> <li>218 square kilometres of trawl nets</li> <li>75,000 square kilometres of purse seine nets</li> </ul> In addition, fishers lose over 25 million pots and traps and nearly 14 billion longline hooks each year. These estimates cover only commercial fisheries, and don’t include <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-97758-4_15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the amount</a> of fishing line and other gear lost by recreational fishers. We also estimate that between 1.7% and 4.6% of all land-based plastic waste travels into the sea. This amount likely exceeds lost fishing gear. However, fishing gear is designed to catch animals and so is generally understood as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X15002985" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the most environmentally damaging</a> type of plastic pollution in research to date. <h2>Harming fishers and marine life</h2> Nearly 700 species of marine life <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X14008571?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are known to</a> interact with marine debris, many of which are near threatened. Australian and US <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X15002985#bib6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research in 2016</a> found fishing gear poses the biggest entanglement threats to marine fauna such as sea turtles, marine mammals, seabirds and whales. Other marine wildlife including sawfish, dugong, hammerhead sharks and crocodiles are also known to get <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2010.00525.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entangled in fishing gear</a>. Other <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl.12781" target="_blank" rel="noopener">key problematic items</a> include balloons and plastic bags. Lost fishing gear is not only an environmental risk, but it also has an economic impact for the fishers themselves. Every metre of lost net or line is a cost to the fisher – not only to replace the gear but also in its potential catch. Additionally, many fisheries have already gone through significant reforms to reduce their environmental impact and improve the sustainability of their operations. Some losses are attributable to how gear is operated. For instance, bottom trawl nets – which can get caught on reefs – are lost more often that nets that don’t make contact with the sea floor. The conditions of the ocean can also make a significant difference. For example, fishers commonly reported that bad weather and overcrowding contributes to gear losses. Conflicts between gears coming into contact can also result in gear losses, such as when towed nets cross drifting longlines or gillnets. Where fish are depleted, fishers must expend more effort, operate in worse conditions or locations, and are more likely to come in contact with others’ gear. All these features increase losses. <h2>What do we do about it?</h2> We actually found lower levels of fishing gear losses in our current study than in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/faf.12407" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a previous review</a> of the historical literature on the topic. Technological improvements, such as better weather forecasts and improved marking and tracking of fishing gear may be reducing loss rates. Incentives can further reduce losses resulting in ghost gear. This could include buyback programs for end-of-life fishing gear, reduced cost loans for net replacement, and waste receptacles in ports to encourage fishers to return used fishing gear. Technological improvements and management interventions could also make a difference, such as requirements to mark and track gear, as well as regular gear maintenance and repairs. Developing effective fishing management systems can improve food security, leave us with a healthier environment, and create more profitable businesses for the fishers who operate in it. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/740-000km-of-fishing-line-and-14-billion-hooks-we-reveal-just-how-much-fishing-gear-is-lost-at-sea-each-year-192024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: CSIRO

Travel Trouble

"She's really left us": Stunning double rainbow graces the skies

As news of Queen Elizabeth's passing broke, people in the UK took to the gates of both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle to pay their respects to the monarch. As mourners gathered arm-in-arm to remember their Queen, they were graced with an emotional and magical sight. A spectacular double rainbow appeared over the dreary skies of London, with devastated Brits saying the Queen "sent us a sign" and that she has "really left us". The double rainbow even appeared over the Victoria memorial, prompting some to say it is "Queen Elizabeth with Prince Phillip". One twitter user said, "The rainbow at Windsor Castle made me cry. The rainbow Queen sent us a sign." Another said, "A rainbow breaks out, as the Union Jack is lowered to half-mast at Windsor tonight. A remarkable image. Farewell, Ma'am." The monarch was under medical supervision due to her deteriorating health but unfortunately died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8th at 8:30pm local time (3:30am AEDT). “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” The Royal Family tweeted. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.” The public was notified of her death through the traditional form of a formal message placed on an easel on the railings outside the Palace. Image credits: Getty Images / BBC News

Caring

Diana dubbed an “icon” of this winter fashion trend

Those hitting the slopes this winter have been inspired by a surprising fashion icon, with Princess Diana’s iconic ‘après-ski’ style being adopted on the snow and runway. Though many of us might turn to snow jackets and pants, insulating thermals, and helmets for a trip to the snow, the trend of ‘après-ski’ - meaning the ‘after ski’ socialising Diana is considered an icon of - has even made an appearance in Balenciaga’s latest runway show, starring Bella Hadid in a faux snow field. <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbXoLJ9g93L/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <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 style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbXoLJ9g93L/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bella 🦋 (@bellahadid)</a> </div> </blockquote> Leather pants, chunky knits, faux fur headbands and stirrup leggings are mainstays of this trend, with celebrity stylist Elliot Garnaut noting that it is all “about transitioning” from the slopes to socialising. “The key to a chic après look is incorporating your pieces from the slopes: your ski jacket becomes your going-out jacket,” Mr Garnaut told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/fashion-trends/bye-bye-helmet-apresski-style-you-need-to-know-this-snow-season/news-story/1d581d07e6e1aa3ec2d6689632e3c8ab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “Ditch the thermals and skivvys from day, replace with an oversized knitted turtle neck for evening. “Bye bye helmet, woollen hat or beanie, replace your face covering with your favourite scarf. It’s as simple as replacing your technical elements with those of fashion items.” LA-based Australian luxury fashion expert Gab Waller said her clients have requested “unique pieces” to dress up their post-skiing outfits, adding that ski capsules are a feature across the major fashion houses each year. “As always, whatever the celebs wear on their ski holidays tends to influence the slope style for the season,” Ms Waller explained. “So when Kendall Jenner wore New Zealand brand, Entire Studio, snowboarding we got several requests for their oversized puffers.” She pointed to Diana - known for styling thick headbands and red snowsuits - as an icon of this trend. “I am a huge fan of the iconic looks by Princess Diana from the 90s,” she said. “My tip for great après-ski style is definitely to stay warm but play with colour and accessories to accentuate your look. “A bold ski goggle or helmet goes a long way to making a look pop.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/diana-apres-ski.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Princess Diana’s bold snow-suits and ski attire have made her an icon of the après-ski style. Image: Getty Images Unsurprisingly, this trend isn’t a new one, with Vogue Australia fashion features director Alice Birrell noting that après-ski was at the fore in the 1960s. “From cocktails on the slopes at ice bars, to stand-up picnics and drinks by the (heated) pool, there was an occasion to dress for and, continuing through to today, it demanded comfort as much as style,” Ms Birrell said. “Après-ski means high-winter style cues like faux fur-accents, luxurious soft knits, with an undercurrent of sportswear; think athleisure with the glamour factor dialled up. “More than anything, it’s an attitude. In a throwback to those salad days of the jet-set, it’s about luxuriating in the post-ski glow of knowing you’ve put in a decent session on the slopes and rewarding yourself with a hot buttered rum (the drink de jour back then) in an outfit that signals elevated ease.” For those looking to adopt this attitude in their own outfits, Ms Birrell suggested trying a matching knit set in a monochrome or matching print. “Those who prefer the sportier side of ski are leaning into second-skin jumpsuits – think a modern catsuit worn under boots- or leggings,” she continued. “Look for accents that nod to performance wear like contrast colour details, or high-vis colours. For accessories it’s oversized sunglasses – to block out the glare – and the return of the moon boot.” Images: Getty Images / @bellahadid (Instagram)

Beauty & Style

Devastating reason ski-resort won’t reopen

A ski-resort in NSW won’t be able to open up this winter due to the early snowfall which has now delayed a rebuild that was destroyed in the 2020 bushfires. Selwyn Snow Resort shared the devastating news on Facebook explaining the hurdles they keep overcoming and will come out stronger after this one. The family friendly ski-resort was completely destroyed during the horrific bushfires that blanketed the state in 2020. “We’re deeply saddened that we find ourselves in this situation,” the post read. “Due to unprecedented early snowfalls the Selwyn re-build will not be complete by 2nd July.” Despite occurring during off-season, five of their employees had to be evacuated but with high hopes of reopening. The past seven days has seen some record snowfall and the resort was upset after the builder explained that it would be difficult to complete the renovations and rebuilding on time. “It’s difficult to be here after the hurdles we have faced over the last few years, and we want to thank our guests and the public for your ongoing support. “We know that this is devastating news for our guests, employees and local communities, and want you to know that we share this sadness with you and look forward to a fresh start in 2023.” Guests who purchased products from Selwyn Snow Resort will be refunded in full. Image: Facebook

Travel Trouble

Kyle Sandilands' lavish baby gear

Kyle Sandilands has been surprised with lavish baby products, arriving not long after the announcement of his expected son. "I've never seen anything like this" Kyle said, after being presented with a gold cot, the same high-chair as the Kardashians', a baby basket, and a pram among the many gifts given to prepare him for the birth of his son. As <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/kyle-sandilands-reveals-big-news-on-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced in February,</a> Kyle and fiancee Tegan Kynaston are expecting a baby boy together in August. This will be the 50-year-old's first baby. The other gifts include a hand-knitted baby blanket, the same one that is presented to The Royal Family and a stylish baby bag for mum-to-be Tegan. Kyle is half-way to fatherhood and seems to be very excited for the arrival of his first child. Images: Facebook

Family & Pets

‘Pink’ supermoon will light up our skies tonight

Looking up at the sky tonight, you can expect to see a full moon making its closest approach to Earth this month in a phenomenon described as a supermoon. In North America, the April full moon is also known as a “pink” moon. Despite the name it actually isn’t pink in colour. According to folklore, the moon is named for the first pink flower of the season. While the Moon will look full for the whole of tonight, the full moon happens at a specific point in time in astronomy, when the Moon is directly opposite the Sun (syzygy). This year, the full moon occurs just after midday on April 26th in every state except Western Australia, where it falls at 11am. 12 hours later, perigee happens, where the Moon comes within 357,378 kilometres from Earth. Because perigee happens within 24 hours of a full moon, it’s also called a “supermoon”. But astronomers prefer to call this kind of “supermoon” a perigee-syzygy moon. Whatever name you choose to call it, you can see the Moon in all its glory from the moment it rises. <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/COIxVNDhuTb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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> <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 style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/COIxVNDhuTb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Maus Taus Trading Co. (@maus_taus)</a> </div> </blockquote> “The astronomical full moon is 12 hours away from perigee, but to the casual observer it makes no difference,” says casual astronomer Ian Musgrave. When can I see the supermoon? Though the Moon will look huge as it rises just above the horizon, the time to see the Moon at its closest point will be just before or after midnight, depending on your time zone. For those in AEST time, the Moon will be its largest at 1.22am on April 28, while those in ACST and AWST can catch the phenomenon at 12.52am and 11.22pm respectively. In reality, it can be hard to tell the difference between a supermoon, normal full moon, and mini moon with the naked eye. “But if you are measuring the Moon in a telescope, you’ll see it get bigger as it gets higher in the sky [and] as it gets closer to actual perigee,” Dr Musgrave says. How common are supermoons? Surprisingly, supermoons occur pretty frequently. Last year, there were three supermoons, including a pink one. But, the actual number of supermoons depends on how you define the term, according to astronomer Andrew Jacob of Sydney Observatory. The term was originally coined in 1979 to describe full moons and new moons that occur when the Moon is within 90 per cent of perigee. Some define supermoons by the 24-hour rule, while others believe a supermoon occurs when the Moon is less than 360,000 kilometres from Earth. Under the first rule, there are two super full moons this year. Using the second rule, there are three super full moons and two super new moons occurring this year. The next super full moon will fall in May. Not only will it be slightly closer than the April full moon, it will also be a total lunar eclipse across Australia. This means the Moon will actually change colour as it passes through Earth’s shadow and will be red. Known as a “blood moon”, the colour is caused by sunlight that is filtered and refracted as it passes through the atmosphere.

News

Come ski with us

‘Haere mai - welcome to all our Aussie friends and rellies,’ says Justine Tyerman as the first snows of 2021 dust mountain tops around Wanaka in New Zealand’s South Island. ‘Now the trans-Tasman bubble is open, come ski with us!’ Crack open the bubbly . . . or the beer! This coming winter season, with the long-awaited trans-Tasman bubble now open, we are welcoming our Aussie rellies and mates back to our ski resorts. It will be a time of great celebration! Our Sydney-based family will finally be able to join us so we’re planning a family reunion at beautiful<a href="https://www.buchananlodge.co.nz/"> Buchanan Lodge</a> on the shores of Lake Wanaka. We’re all keen skiers so depending on the weather and snow conditions, we’ll head for either Cardrona or Treble Cone which are both now covered by a single lift pass. <img style="width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840885/2-justine-on-cardronas-southern-boundary-with-willows-basin-in-the-background.gif" alt="Justine on Cardrona's southern boundary with Willow’s Basin in the background. Picture by Chris Tyerman" data-udi="umb://media/d371d59177fa4fd7aaaf7c2429fc5425" /> Justine on Cardrona's southern boundary with Willow’s Basin in the background. Picture by Chris Tyerman Cardrona purchased Treble Cone Ski Area in January, 2020, so the winter of 2021 marks the second season that Treble Cone has operated under the banner of Cardrona Alpine Resorts. Prior to this, Cardrona, 34 kilometres south-west of Wanaka up the Cardrona Valley, and Treble Cone, 23 kilometres north-west of Wanaka on the Mt Aspiring Road, had been arch rivals. Cardrona marketed itself as a friendly, fun field accessible to all levels of skiers and snowboarders while Treble Cone was largely the exclusive domain of experts. Cardrona’s 400 hectares are characterised by cruisy, open, undulating, perfectly-groomed pistes, gentle basins and world-class terrain parks. The field is classified as 25 percent beginner, 25 percent intermediate, 30 percent advanced and 20 percent expert. Treble Cone’s 550-hectare field is famous for its long, steep, uncrowded runs, natural half pipes and chutes, legendary off-piste terrain and spectacular panoramas over Lake Wanaka and the Southern Alps. The resort is classified as 10 percent beginner, 45 percent intermediate and 45 percent advanced. In the words of Cardrona Alpine Resorts’ General Manager, Bridget Legnavsky, the pair are a perfect match. ‘Cardrona and Treble Cone are the yin to each other's yang . . .’ Cardrona is my preferred mountain. It’s more mellow than Treble Cone - I’ve skied at ‘Cardy’ for 40 years and know it so well, I can find my way down in a complete whiteout. I’ll leave Treble Cone’s steep, challenging pistes to my daredevil sons-in-law. Besides, the winter of 2021 brings a real game-changer at Cardrona – there’s thrilling new terrain to explore this season thanks to the installation of the Willow’s Basin chairlift, the first of the Soho Basin developments on Cardrona’s southern boundary. <img style="width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840886/3-soho-basin-and-the-southern-alps-from-the-top-of-cardrona.gif" alt="Soho Basin and the Southern Alps from the top of Cardrona. Picture by Justine Tyerman" data-udi="umb://media/abe0fdfc561045b283a96a1dc9bdb329" /> Soho Basin and the Southern Alps from the top of Cardrona. Picture by Justine Tyerman Real Journeys, who own Cardrona Alpine Resorts, bought the ski field rights to the privately-owned Soho Basin in July 2018. When development is complete, the resort will effectively more than double in size to over 900 hectares of skiable terrain, creating New Zealand’s largest alpine resort. I’ve long drooled over Soho’s wide, pristine slopes which overlook the Wakatipu Basin and the Southern Alps - itching to plunge off the edge of the Skyline cat track and carve lines in the virgin snow. The high altitude, southerly-facing aspect of the Soho field means it receives and retains a great cover of early and late snow. So this winter, skiers and snowboarders will be able to blast their way into virgin territory hitherto accessible only by snowcat. <img style="width: 500px; height: 374.609375px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840884/1-from-this-winter-skiers-and-snowboarders-will-have-access-to-the-wide-open-slopes-and-valleys-of-willows-basin-on-cardronas-southern-boundary.gif" alt="From this winter, skiers and snowboarders will have access to the wide open slopes and valleys of Willow’s Basin on Cardrona's southern boundary. Picture supplied" data-udi="umb://media/3099cca6422345f0ae3aeda77e527a2a" /> From this winter, skiers and snowboarders will have access to the wide open slopes and valleys of Willow’s Basin on Cardrona's southern boundary. Picture supplied Ironically, the Willow’s chairlift – the upcycled, refurbished former McDougall’s Quad that was replaced by the McDougall’s Chondola in 2017 – was originally destined for the Pringles area below Captains Café but the discovery of rare and endangered lizards in the construction zone in 2019 necessitated a radical rethink. I for one, was ecstatic with the news. While the Pringles lift would have undoubtedly unlocked some seriously-challenging terrain for advanced skiers and snowboarders, for people like me who only get to ski a week a year if I’m lucky, the cruisy, sunny slopes of Willow’s Basin will be absolute perfection. After all, the experts have a whole mountain to themselves at Treble Cone. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.5px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840883/new-zealand-skiing.gif" alt="Treble Cone is known for its long, steep, uncrowded runs. Treble Cone photo" data-udi="umb://media/81e2e453e61645c5b2c523cd6109c431" /> Treble Cone is known for its long, steep, uncrowded runs. Treble Cone photo Looking down into Willow’s, there’s no sign of the eponymous trees which grow so prolifically alongside Lake Wanaka and the Clutha River. Turns out the basin and the new lift were named after the cult classic film, Willow, scenes of which were filmed at Cardrona in the 1980s. Further lifts are planned for Soho in the future, including a main express chairlift which will link the area to the top of Captain’s Basin. But thanks to the lizards, the Willow’s lift is under construction right now! And there’s more good news — the Valley View Quad will be back in operation for the 2021 season after being out of action last year due to Covid-19 severely restricting Cardrona’s operational capacity. This lift, combined with the new Willow’s Quad, will increase the resort’s uphill lift capacity by 44 percent compared with last season. We’re now on the countdown to Cardrona’s opening day sometime in June. The first snow of the season has dusted the mountain tops and Central Otago’s spectacular autumn colours are a riot of scarlet, gold and amber. <img style="width: 500px; height: 333.3333333333333px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840887/4-cardrona-has-cruisy-open-undulating-perfectly-groomed-pistes-mellow-basins-and-world-class-terrain-parks.gif" alt="Cardrona has cruisy, open, undulating, perfectly-groomed pistes, mellow basins and world-class terrain parks. Cardrona Alpine Resorts photo" data-udi="umb://media/525c3f9f49b248fb9dafe6dbfcefa702" /> Cardrona has cruisy, open, undulating, perfectly-groomed pistes, mellow basins and world-class terrain parks. Cardrona Alpine Resorts photo So make sure to get your Earlybird multi-day pass before April 30 when the sale ends. Apart from saving money, having a multi-day pass (or even better, a season pass) allows you to avoid ticket office queues at Cardrona’s base facilities because you can park further down the road in the Valley View Quad car park or sneak into a small park just above the bottom of the Whitestar lift. It also shaves valuable minutes off the drive up the mountain . . . so you can beat the Aussies to the powder! * For more information go to:<a href="https://www.cardrona.com/winter/"> Cardrona Alpine Resorts</a> * Stay at<a href="https://www.buchananlodge.co.nz/"> Buchanan Lodge</a> overlooking Lake Wanaka * Hire a<a href="https://www.jucy.com/nz/en/"> JUCY</a> Rental vehicle from the depot near Queenstown Airport.

International Travel

ALDI shoppers furious after retailer cancels its annual snow gear sale

It’s an event that shoppers look forward to each year, as they rush to their nearest ALDI for the annual Snow Gear Special Buys sale. The highly anticipated sale has people “working in teams” as they attempt to score a bargain. But unfortunately, the German retailer has had to cancel the snow sale for 2020, forcing shoppers to put that excitement on hold till 2021. Once a year, the supermarket releases items such as jackets, goggles, boots and thermal wear, helping Aussies stay warm as they hit the slopes. But with the coronavirus pandemic stopping people from travelling, the retailer found that it was inappropriate to continue with the sale. Taking to Facebook, ALDI revealed they are shifting their priorities to the grocery sector, forcing them to make the difficult decision of withdrawing its 2020 Snow Gear Special Buys event. “We’ll be back with our best-ever collection next year,” the post read. “We’re looking forward to sharing our best-ever collection with you in 2021. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.” The post garnered over 1000 comments and shares, but people were torn over the decision. Majority of comments came from those who live in colder areas, saying they rely on the sale to stock up on winter clothing. “Pity about the people who live in the colder areas. I was waiting for this to stock up on clothes to work in the paddocks etc. Typical that they only think people who will go on holidays buy this stuff,” one person commented. “Considering not everyone travels to snowy regions; there are thousands of people who actually live in these areas,” added another. “Winter is still coming – would be great if they still brought out the thermals, boots, gloves, & beanies.” In normal circumstances, the sale occurs each year in May and attracts thousands of shoppers around the country as they hope to snap up a cool saving on snow gear.

Domestic Travel

Bunnings to the rescue!

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> An emergency doctor has said that a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) has led to senior doctors sourcing supplies from hardware store Bunnings. Dr Stephen Parnis said that the lack of PPE is the “number one concern” for Australian healthcare workers on Q&A on Monday night. Dr Parnis is an emergency doctor and former Vice President of the Australian Medical Association and is aware of “department directors” going to Bunnings to get PPE for their staff. He said that others are trying to source the vital equipment from overseas contacts. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> What is the government doing to supply health workers with ample hand sanitizer and PPE? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QandA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QandA</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ykx91yOg0E">pic.twitter.com/Ykx91yOg0E</a> — QandA (@QandA) <a href="https://twitter.com/QandA/status/1247130244361777152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2020</a></blockquote> “It's probably the number one concern for health workers around the country at the moment,” Dr Parnis said. Q&A host Hamish MacDonald was shocked and asked Dr Parnis to clarify what he meant. “Can I clarify? Department heads are going to Bunnings to try and find personal protective equipment,” MacDonald asked. “I've seen examples of that. Yes,” Dr Parnis said. General practitioner Dr Vyom Sharma said that the lack of PPE is “affecting the nature and care” being given to patients. “It’s correct what Steven said, we're very worried about the lack of personal protective equipment and it's been affecting the care we've been offering patients throughout,” Dr Sharma said. “When the criteria for COVID-19 had been changing gradually through February and March, a huge percentage of my (patients) were overseas students and travellers and tourists. “And you're rationing masks even then. And there are people coughing and sneezing one day who come from South Korea or Italy and a few day later the criteria changes and it says these people are high risk and you wonder should I have used a mask on them and I would have if I had enough.” Dr Sharma said that in his own practice, they were rationing out PPE and the number of masks has dwindled to about ten. “We are trying to save them for when we really need them.” The stress of the pandemic has resulted in doctors not being able to sleep. “It's a stressful time for us all … because we're making enormous numbers of changes in our hospitals, but also we've seen what's happened overseas,” he said. “And that's the sort of scenario that really worries us, the risk of being overwhelmed.” </div> </div> </div>

Home & Garden

Grace on the mountain: Crown Princess Mary's adorable ski-holiday snaps

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has given royal fans a glimpse of the family’s latest skiing holiday via the Danish Royal Family Instagram account. Princess Mary, 48, relaxed against the mountains of Switzerland with her beloved dog Grace, who has been with the family since 2017. Her son, Vincent, 9, was also shown in another photo relaxing in the snow next to Grace. Princess Mary and her four children Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine began a 12-week spring term last month at the Lemania-Verbier International School in Switzerland. It’s clear that the family are enjoying their time in Switzerland, as the Danish Royal Family Instagram account captioned the snaps “A greeting from Switzerland where Grace enjoys life in the mountains and snow.” The snaps quickly racked up 28,000 likes from royal fans who were excited to see the family relaxing with their dog. Scroll through the gallery to see the snaps.

International Travel

Reese Witherspoon could be her daughter’s twin in stunning ski selfie

Reese Witherspoon’s 20-year-old daughter, Ava Phillippe is growing up to look exactly like her after her mother took to Instagram to share a sweet snap of the duo on a skiing trip. Looking more like sisters rather than mother-daughter, Witherspoon captioned the selfie “Weekend ski bunnies” as the photograph overlooked the mountains. Ava showed her appreciation in the comments, writing, “I love youuuu”. The pair are known to have a close relationship with the actress regularly sharing snaps of the two on her Instagram page. <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/B8orIcvAzGT/?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/B8orIcvAzGT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Weekend ski bunnies 🎿</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/reesewitherspoon/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Reese Witherspoon</a> (@reesewitherspoon) on Feb 16, 2020 at 9:06am PST </div> </blockquote> Ava, who is currently in her second year of college at the University of California, Berkeley, also shared a photo of her mum while she was visiting her on campus. Phillippe is also her mother’s biggest supporter. In December last year she posted a congratulatory caption on Instagram after Witherspoon was honoured with the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Women in Entertainment gala. <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/B5HYpgFn6kt/?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/B5HYpgFn6kt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">quick visit from my cute mama ❤️</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/avaphillippe/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Ava</a> (@avaphillippe) on Nov 20, 2019 at 9:15pm PST </div> </blockquote> “Major congratulations to my mama, who received an award today for her leadership in the industry that she cares so deeply about improving. I’m so grateful to have a mom this thoughtful, passionate, and courageous, and I’m glad other people can recognise how special she is!” she wrote. <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/B58gwMDJcKT/?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/B58gwMDJcKT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Major congratulations to my mama, who received an award today for her leadership in the industry that she cares so deeply about improving. I’m so grateful to have a mom this thoughtful, passionate, and courageous, and I’m glad other people can recognize how special she is! 💐</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/avaphillippe/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Ava</a> (@avaphillippe) on Dec 11, 2019 at 12:26pm PST </div> </blockquote> Phillippe’s dad, actor Ryan Phillippe, told Entertainment Tonight in 2017 that he finds it strange to be constantly told how his kids, Ava and Deacon, look exactly like their parents. "I mean, it's weird, because isn't that obvious?" he joked. "Who else are they going to look like, you know? I always find that such a weird thing, like, [Ava] looks exactly like her mother, who else is she going to look like? It's an odd thing that people fixate on that."

Beauty & Style

Jetstar pilots forgot to lower landing gear on approach

Pilots of a Jetstar flight forgot to lower the plane’s landing gear on approach to a NSW airport due to “a series of distractions”, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has found. The pilots of a Jetstar A320 aircraft were approaching Ballina-Byron Gateway Airport on May 18, 2018 when they were forced to abort two landings due to the oversight, a report by the bureau found. It was found that on the first attempt, the flight crew “<a href="https://7news.com.au/travel/air-aviation/pilot-of-jetstar-flight-forgot-to-lower-landing-gear-on-approach-to-ballina-airport-report-c-599719">conducted a go-around</a>” because the captain found the plane’s airspeed and altitude were higher than normal for an approach. The crew realised the landing gear was not down on the second attempt, and the flight landed safely on its third attempt. The ATSB found the crew did not follow Jetstar’s standard procedures during the first go-around, resulting in distractions that contributed to the landing gear oversight. “During the downwind leg following the first go-around, the flight crew did not select the landing gear down as they had commenced the configuration sequence for landing at the Flaps 3 setting,” the report said. “Furthermore the flight crew incorrectly actioned the landing checklist, which prevented the incorrect configuration for landing being identified and corrected.” Dr Stuart Godley, ATSB Director Transport Safety Director, said the incident showed how “<a href="https://10daily.com.au/news/australia/a191210fmrex/distracted-jetstar-pilots-forgot-to-lower-landing-gear-20191211">unexpected events during approach and landing</a>” can “substantially” increase the flight crew’s workload. “Following standard procedures mitigates the risk of the selection of inappropriate auto-flight modes, unexpected developments, or confusion about roles or procedures that can contribute to decisions and actions that increase the safety risk to the aircraft and its passengers,” Godley said. Following the incident, Jetstar Airways said the flight crew members involved attended debriefings with flight operations management and were provided with related simulator and line flying training.

Travel Trouble

Lowest act: Thieves steal gear to pose as firefighters and beg for fake donations

A NSW fire station has warned residents to keep an eye out as thieves stole firefighter gear from the station and could be posing as fireys to get donations from unaware locals. Wyong Fire Station, on the Central Coast of NSW, was broken into on Saturday night and alerted locals to what had been stolen in a Facebook post. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ffrnsw505%2Fposts%2F1990863537726068&width=500" width="500" height="745" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> Yellow fire helmets, bushfire jackets and gloves, ID cards, goggles, shirts and trousers as well as white flash hoods resembling balaclavas were stolen. “All of these items are clearly marked or branded with FRNSW logos and some of these will have firefighters names on them,” the post read. The post ended by saying that FRNSW “do not door knock or go around asking for monetary donations or discounts”. Hundreds have since commented on the post, condemning the thieves’ actions. “What is wrong with these people?” one woman said. “This is just the lowest act,” another person said. “This is horrible, hard to believe that someone could be this low or do something like this. Hope they find the grub!” another wrote. A man commented saying that they saw a ‘solo door knocker’ when driving. “Saw a ‘solo door knocker’ in Gorokan, Dudley St about an hour ago when driving. Was a man, dressed in RFS and holding a bucket. “I have notified the station, maybe keep an eye out if in Gorokan.”

Travel Trouble

High-tech fishing gear could help save endangered right whales

Many fish, marine mammals and seabirds that inhabit the world’s oceans are critically endangered, but few are as close to the brink as the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). <a href="https://www.narwc.org/uploads/1/1/6/6/116623219/2018report_cardfinal.pdf">Only about 411 of these whales exist today</a>, and at their current rate of decline, they could become extinct within our lifetimes. From 1980 through about 2010, conservation efforts focused mainly on protecting whales from being struck by ships. Federal regulations helped <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/reducing-ship-strikes-north-atlantic-right-whales">reduce vessel collisions</a> and supported a slight rebound in right whale numbers. But at the same time, growing numbers of right whales died after becoming entangled in lobster and crab fishing gear, and the population has taken a significant downward turn. This may have happened because fishing ropes became stronger, and both whales and fishermen shifted their ranges so that areas of overlap increased. In research that is <a href="https://www.int-res.com/prepress/d03376.html">currently in press</a>, we show that 72% of diagnosed mortalities between 2010-2018 occurred due to entanglements. This comes after a millennium of whaling that decimated the right whale population, reducing it from perhaps between <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12664">10,000 to 20,000</a> to a few hundred animals today. And entanglement deaths are <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/230653">much more inhumane</a> than harpoons. A whaler’s explosive harpoon kills quickly, compared to months of drawn-out pain and debilitation caused by seemingly harmless fishing lines. We believe these deaths can be prevented by working with the trap fishing industries to adopt <a href="https://ropeless.org/">ropeless fishing gear</a> – but North Atlantic right whales are running out of time. Deadly encounters Whalers pursued right whales for centuries because this species swam relatively slowly and floated when dead, so it was easier to kill and retrieve than other whales. By the mid-20th century, scientists assumed they had been hunted to extinction. But in 1980, researchers from the New England Aquarium who were studying marine mammal distribution in the Bay of Fundy off eastern Canada were stunned when they <a href="https://www.canadianwhaleinstitute.ca/habitats">sighted 26 right whales</a>. Conservation efforts led to the enactment of regulations that required commercial ships to <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/reducing-ship-strikes-north-atlantic-right-whales">slow down</a> in zones along the U.S. Atlantic coast where they were highly likely to encounter whales, reducing boat strikes. But this victory has been offset by rising numbers of entanglements. Adult right whales can produce up to an estimated <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12230">8,000 pounds of force</a> with a single stroke of their flukes. When they become tangled in fishing gear, they often break it and swim off trailing ropes and sometimes crab or lobster traps. Lines and gear can wrap around a whale’s body, flukes, flippers and mouth. They impede swimming and feeding, and cause chronic infection, emaciation and damage to blubber, muscle and bone. Ultimately these injuries weaken the animal until it dies, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsu008">which can take months to years</a>. One of us, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=DQ-fD1QAAAAJ">Michael Moore</a>, is trained as a veterinarian and has examined many entangled dead whales. Moore has seen fishing rope embedded inches deep into a whale’s lip, and a juvenile whale whose spine had been deformed by the strain of dragging fishing gear. Other animals had flippers nearly severed by swimming wrapped in inexorably constricting ropes. Entanglement injuries to right whales are the worst animal trauma Moore has seen in his career. Even if whales are able to wriggle free and live, the extreme stress and energy demands of entanglement, along with inadequate nutrition, are thought to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2615">preventing females from getting pregnant</a> and contributing to record low calving rates in recent years. Solutions for whales and fishermen The greatest entanglement risk is from ropes that lobster and crab fishermen use to attach buoys to traps they set on the ocean floor. Humpback and minke whales and leatherback sea turtles, all of which are federally protected, also become entangled. Conservationists are looking for ways to modify or eliminate these ropes. Rock lobster fishermen in Australia already use <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeeieRr7sTw">pop-up buoys</a> that ascend when they receive sound signals from fishing boats. The buoys trail out ropes as they rise, which fishermen retrieve and use to pull up their traps. Other technologies are <a href="https://www.wnpr.org/post/innovations-fishing-gear-could-change-lobster-industry-help-endangered-right-whale">in development</a>, including systems that <a href="https://ropeless.org/november-6th-2018-presentations/">acoustically identify traps on the seafloor</a> and mark them with “virtual buoys” on fishermen’s chart plotters, eliminating the need for surface buoys. Fishermen also routinely use a customized hook on the end of a rope to catch the line between traps and haul them to the surface when the buoy line goes missing. Transitioning to ropeless technology will require a sea change in some of North America’s most valuable fisheries. The 2016 U.S. lobster catch was worth <a href="https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/commercial-landings/annual-landings/index">US$670 million</a>. Canadian fishermen landed <a href="http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/commercial/land-debarq/sea-maritimes/s2016av-eng.htm">CA$1.3 billion</a> worth of lobster and <a href="http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/commercial/land-debarq/sea-maritimes/s2016av-eng.htm">CA$590 million</a> worth of snow crab. Just as no fisherman wants to catch a whale, researchers and conservationists don’t want to put fishermen out of business. In our view, ropeless technologies offer a genuine opportunity for whales and the fishing industry to co-exist if they can be made functional, affordable and safe to use. Switching to ropeless gear is <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/lobster-trap-aims-protect-endangered-whalesand-fishers-livelihoods-180971208/">unlikely to be cheap</a>. But as systems evolve and simplify, and production scales up, they will become more affordable. And government support could help fishermen make the shift. In Canada, the federal and New Brunswick provincial governments recently awarded CA$2 million to Canadian snow crab fishermen to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/snow-crab-right-whale-fishing-gear-research-1.5143321">test two ropeless trap designs</a>. Converting could save fishermen money in the long run. For example, California Dungeness crab fishermen closed their 2019 season three months ahead of schedule on April 15 to settle a lawsuit over whale entanglements, leaving crab they could have caught still in the water. Under the agreement, fishermen using ropeless gear will be <a href="https://www.nationalfisherman.com/west-coast-pacific/dungeness-drag/">exempt from future early closures</a>. A rebound is possible The <a href="https://www.fws.gov/endangered/laws-policies/">Endangered Species Act</a> and <a href="https://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/marine-mammal-protection-act.html">Marine Mammal Protection Act</a> require the U.S. government to conserve endangered species. In Congress, the pending <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1568/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.+3729%22%5D%7D">SAVE Right Whales Act of 2019</a> would provide $5 million annually for collaborative research into preventing mortalities caused by the fishing and shipping industries. And an advisory committee to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently recommended <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/team-reaches-nearly-unanimous-consensus-right-whale-survival-measures">significant fishing protections</a>, focused primarily on reducing the number of ropes in the water column and the strength of the remaining lines. Consumers can also help. Public outcry over dolphin bycatch in tuna fisheries spurred passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and led to <a href="https://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?Division=PRD&ParentMenuId=228&id=1408">dolphin-safe tuna labeling</a>, which ultimately reduced dolphin mortalities from half a million to about 1,000 animals annually. Choosing lobster and crab products <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsy194">caught without endangering whales</a> could accelerate a similar transition. North Atlantic right whales can still thrive if humans make it possible. The closely related southern right whale (Eubalaena australis), which has faced few human threats since the end of commercial whaling, has rebounded from just 300 animals in the early 20th century to an <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/southern-right-whale-eubalaena-australis-5-year-review-summary-and-evaluation">estimated 15,000 in 2010</a>. There are real ways to save North Atlantic right whales. If they go extinct, it will be on this generation’s watch. Editor’s note: This article was updated on May 28, 2019 to correct the number of North Atlantic right whale deaths in recent years that were caused by entanglements.<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/115974/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-moore-652534">Michael Moore</a>, Senior Scientist, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/woods-hole-oceanographic-institution-954">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-myers-726400">Hannah Myers</a>, Guest Investigator, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/woods-hole-oceanographic-institution-954">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/high-tech-fishing-gear-could-help-save-critically-endangered-right-whales-115974">original article</a>.

Family & Pets

Prince Charles gears up for showdown with Prince Andrew

Prince Charles is reportedly furious with his brother Prince Andrew as the scandals surrounding the Duke of York continue to grow. As the Prince of Wales is flying back to the United Kingdom after his tour of New Zealand and the Solomon Islands, he is reportedly furious about his brother’s disastrous BBC interview. According to insiders, the Prince of Wales is furious that the BBC interview overshadowed his royal tour and is planning to speak to the Duke of York when he returns on Tuesday. This comes after Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Andrew would be “standing back” from all his patronages as well as his royal duties. “The Duke has over 230 patronages. He will be stepping back from public duty and temporarily standing back from all his patronages,” a spokeswoman told the PA news agency. However, Prince Andrew will continue to work on his Pitch@Palace program, which is a program designed to help young entrepreneurs. The program was dropped by several Australian universities last week after the interview. “(The Duke) will look at how he takes this forward outside of his public duties, and outside of Buckingham Palace. We recognise there will be a period of time while this transition takes place,” the spokeswoman said. A royal insider told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/prince-andrew-election-fears-made-charles-call-for-duke-to-be-removed-39xfn0ntn" target="_blank">The Times</a> that questioning whether or not Prince Andrew was “fit for purpose” on IITV was the final straw for Prince Charles. The questions were posed to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn during their first election debate. “Prince Charles and his private secretary were determined that this should not be allowed to drag on and on. The question of the election was critical,” they said. Former BBC correspondent Peter Hunt says that the Queen had no choice but to make her son step down after the scandal. “After her error of judgment when she let Andrew do the interview, the palace are keen to show a decisive Queen,” former BBC correspondent Peter Hunt said on Twitter. “But it’s Charles and his people who are increasingly pulling the strings.”

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