Search

How 8-year-old Ruby McLellan became Australia's youngest home owner

Move over, monopoly tycoons and pretend princes of pretend kingdoms – meet Ruby McLellan, the pint-sized powerhouse who's rewriting the rules of real estate and giving the term "property ladder" a literal twist. That's right: Ruby is just eight years old and already owns a four-bedroom house. Meanwhile, most of us can barely find matching socks in the morning. Now, before you start picturing a tiny landlord with a playhouse adorned with "No Girls Allowed" signs, let's delve into Ruby's remarkable tale of fiscal responsibility and pocket money prowess. While most kids her age were still trying to figure out if they preferred chocolate or strawberry milk, Ruby was busy checking out property market trends and crunching numbers like a seasoned Wall Street mogul. With the help of her siblings, Angus (14) and Lucy (13), Ruby pooled their collective pocket money - a grand total of $6000 - to secure a deposit for their first property. Their weapon of choice? Not lemonade stands or tooth fairy funds, but good old-fashioned hard work and frugality. The result? A four-bedroom home in Clyde, southeast of Melbourne, bought by the McLellan kids for $671,000. Their dad, Cam McLellan, CEO of a property investment company, guided them through the labyrinth of real estate jargon, teaching them about positive gearing and growth corridors. While other kids were learning their times tables, Ruby was calculating potential rental yields. Talk about a head start in life! And while their friends were blowing their allowances on the latest toys and gadgets, these pint-sized property moguls were saying no to impulse buys and yes to long-term investments. It's like they were born with calculators instead of rattles. Now, you might be wondering, what's next for these mini-magnates? Well, they plan to hold onto their property until Lucy and Angus hit their early 20s, ensuring they've waited through one full "growth property cycle". After that, it's off to the races, with hopes that their humble abode will fetch a cool million bucks. But Ruby's not stopping there. She's already asking about tax implications and property sales, proving that she's got the brains to match her business acumen. Who needs a lemonade stand when you can have a diversified investment portfolio? So, while most kids are busy mastering Fortnite dances or perfecting their TikTok routines, Ruby McLellan is out here making moves in the property market. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll all be renting from her property empire. But just remember, when you're paying rent to an eight-year-old landlord, be sure to pay on time. Late fees might include extra homework assignments or a mandatory bedtime story session. Hey, it's all in the lease agreement... Image: The Today Show

Money & Banking

Elevating tradition: La Traviata at the Sydney Opera House

Opera Australia is set to enchant audiences as it opens its highly anticipated 2024 season with the Sydney premiere of Sarah Giles’ acclaimed production of Verdi’s timeless masterpiece, La Traviata. The curtains will rise on January 2nd at the iconic Joan Sutherland Theatre in the Sydney Opera House, promising an unforgettable journey into the world of love, sacrifice and redemption. Hailed as "an absolute triumph" by The AU Review and described as "audaciously new" by InReview, this co-production by Opera Queensland, State Opera South Australia and West Australian Opera promises to deliver the quintessential glamour of La Traviata while offering a fresh, female perspective. Director Sarah Giles skilfully brings the inner turmoil of Violetta to the forefront, shedding light on the harsh realities and heartaches of her life as a courtesan. Enhancing the narrative, Charles Davis' masterful set design delves into Violetta's public and private spheres, while his costumes brilliantly capture the opulent world of lavish parties and extravagance synonymous with La Traviata. For the first time, the award-winning conductor Jessica Cottis will take the baton, leading the Opera Australia Orchestra and the celebrated Opera Australia Chorus through Verdi's emotionally stirring score. Audiences can anticipate spine-tingling renditions of iconic pieces such as the lively "Brindisi" and the achingly beautiful "Sempre libera". Taking centre stage as Violetta, Australian soprano Samantha Clarke, fresh from a string of successful debuts in prestigious venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, is set to mesmerise audiences with her poignant portrayal. Joining her are the talented Australian-Chinese tenor Kang Wang, reprising the role of Alfredo, and New Zealand baritone Phillip Rhodes, making his Opera Australia debut as Giorgio Germont. As the season progresses, rising Australian soprano Sophie Salvesani will step into the shoes of Violetta, a role she previously captivated audiences with in 2022. Alongside her, Australian tenor Tomas Dalton returns as Alfredo, while baritone Luke Gabbedy, fresh from his acclaimed performance in OA's five-star production of the Ring Cycle in Brisbane, graces the stage as Giorgio Germont. Prepare to be swept away by the passion, drama, and timeless melodies of La Traviata, as Opera Australia invites you to experience this unforgettable journey of love and sacrifice, reimagined for a new era. Don't miss your chance to witness this exquisite production at the Sydney Opera House, from January 2nd to March 16th, 2024. For more information, <a href="https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/opera-australia/2024-season/la-traviata" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.

Art

Paul Hogan calls Margot Robbie's Oscars snub a "dull tradition"

Paul Hogan has called out The Academy for their "dull tradition” after Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig were snubbed for an Oscar nomination in February. Despite being the only film directed by a woman to earn more than $1 billion at the box office, Robbie and Gerwig were both <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/margot-robbie-snubbed-as-oscar-nominations-announced" target="_blank" rel="noopener">snubbed </a>in their respective categories of leading actress and best director during the 96th Academy Awards, which sparked outrage online. Speaking to Sunrise on Friday, the Crocodile Dundee actor revealed his thoughts on why he thinks both the Aussie actor and Barbie director missed out on a nomination. “To see them not nominated, that’s a sort of like ... a dull tradition of ‘if it’s not about pain and suffering, it can’t be very good’. It’s not fair,” Hogan said. He then praised Robbie, saying: “She’s great — not only is she beautiful and smart, she’s a nice kid, too.” During the interview on Sunrise, Hogan also reflected on the time he hosted the Oscars in 1987, and said that it was good fun. “It was fabulous because I was probably the first person ever allowed on live television to do the Oscars without presenting a script or having anything written on the auto-cue,” he said. “They were very nervous but Samuel Goldwyn, who was the producer, said, ‘I’ve seen him on television. He’s Hoges … let’s just let him go and it’ll be fun for all of us’.” The actor added that while he rarely felt "intimidated", there were a few times in his career where he was starstruck — most notably when he met the Queen, Princess Diana, and Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor. Hogan's first public appearance was in 1971 at Nine's amateur talent programme New Faces. He rose to international fame after his role as Mick "Crocodile" Dundee in the 1986 film Crocodile Dundee, which won him the 1987 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and a few other nominations at the BAFTAs. Images: Seven/ Getty

Movies

Virgin Australia announces big news for pet owners

Virgin Australia has made a major announcement for pet owners who worried about leaving their furry friends at home when they travel. Outgoing Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka announced on Thursday that they will be the first Australian airline to let small animals travel in the cabin. The revolutionary move is subject to regulatory approval, but if it gets through, Virgin will launch the pet flights on specific domestic routes within the next 12 months. Only small animals will be allowed to travel under the new rules, with specific rows on pet flights reserved for those travelling with their small dogs and cats. They will also be required to be held in a pet carrier under the seat in front of the owner for the duration of the flight, and will not be able to roam around freely or sit on people’s laps for the entirety of the journey. “Overwhelmingly, our guests tell us they want to travel with their pets, and we are now on a journey to make that a reality. It’s something that commonly happens overseas and is proven to work well,” Hrdlicka said. “Almost 70 per cent of Australian households have a pet, so this announcement is really significant for a large proportion of the country." “It’s also a great thing for pet-friendly accommodation providers who will benefit greatly from increased connectivity and the ease for travellers to fly with their pets. It really will be a whole new economy for pet travel in Australia.” This change will not affect existing arrangements for approved service animals, and passengers travelling with larger pets could still pay for them to be transported as cargo. Image credits: Virgin Australia

Domestic Travel

"Other cities will follow": Big trouble ahead for SUV owners

Paris residents have voted to charge SUVs triple the cost of parking compared to standard sized cars in a bid to tackle air pollution and improve safety. 54.6 per cent of residents voted to pass the plan, with the new parking tariffs expected to start in September. The price increase will apply to on-street parking for vehicles with combustion or hybrid engines weighing more than 1.6 tonnes and electric vehicles weighing over two tonnes. The change means that the vehicles will pay €18 (A$29.69) an hour for parking in the centre of Paris, up from €6 (A$9.90), and €12 (A$19.79) an hour in the rest of the city, up from €4 (A$6.60). "Parisians have made a clear choice … other cities will follow,” Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said. Experts are onboard with the move and believe the Australia should do the same thing. Urban access consultant and author of the book Rethinking Parking David Mepham said that the move could help improve safety as: “SUVs are actually some of the most unsafe vehicles on the road for pedestrians with a fatality rate that is significantly higher than other vehicles.” “The injury and fatality rate should be a concern in highly pedestrianised areas such as city centres.” In 2022 alone, SUV and light commercial vehicles made up 76.8 per cent of car sales, coming in eighth on the top 10 vehicle sales according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. With spaces in the cities limited, Mepham added: “If you’ve got a larger car you should expect to pay more for that, you should pay for what you use.” Standards Australia has recently proposed to increase the size of off-street parking spaces by 20 centimetres in Australia, from 5.4 metres to 5.6 metres, which would make it easier for larger vehicles to park, but would limit car spaces. Executive director of the Australia Institute, Richard Dennis also said that SUV owners need to face the consequences of owning a larger vehicle. “If we want to drive much bigger cars, are we going to widen all of our city streets, are we going to have less car parking spaces?” he said. “Because if we want to drive these cars we need to own the consequences.” Marion Terrill, an independent transport expert, also agreed that higher parking fees for large vehicles are “absolutely reasonable.” “If you want more of it you can pay more, it’s the same principle as paying for parking at all," she said. Image: Getty

Travel Trouble

Our dogs can terrify (and even kill) wildlife. Here’s how to be a responsible owner this summer

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melissa-starling-461103">Melissa Starling</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> In Australia, dog ownership often goes hand-in-hand with a love for the great outdoors. Whether it’s walking on the beach, going camping, or having a barbecue in the park, we tend to keep our canine companions close as we soak up the sun. But many of us forget a key fact about our dogs: they are predators. Even the fluffy little 5kg ball that spends most of its time in your lap derives from an apex predator – and its predatory instincts can kick in at any time. And while many of our dogs don’t have the same hunting skills as their distant ancestors (who had to hunt for a living), wildlife doesn’t know that. The impacts of domestic dogs on wildlife aren’t well studied, and likely vary depending on the environment. Nonetheless, there’s good evidence domestic dogs, when left unobserved, can have detrimental effects in the places they visit. With that in mind, here are some things to consider next time you take your pup out for a bushwalk. <h2>How dogs impact ecosystems</h2> There are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320717305967">five main ways</a> domestic dogs can negatively impact the natural environments they visit. These are: <ol> <li>direct physical harm through predatory behaviour</li> <li>disturbance through chasing and harassment</li> <li>increased exposure to diseases</li> <li>interbreeding, which can alter the gene pool of wild canid populations</li> <li>increased competition for resources.</li> </ol> The good news is the last three points aren’t particularly relevant in Australia. For one thing, there’s little overlap between diseases common in domestic dogs and Australian wildlife. There’s also little resource overlap, except perhaps in some areas where feral or semi-feral dogs live alongside dingoes. And regarding potential interbreeding, while it was once thought this could threaten the dingo gene pool, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mec.16998">recent research</a> suggests it’s not nearly as common as we thought. As such, the main harms Aussie dog owners should focus on are physical harms through predatory behaviour and disturbance to ecosystems. <h2>Dogs can kill</h2> We know dogs are capable of injuring and killing wildlife, but it’s difficult to determine how common this is, because many events go unreported. While smaller animals such as lizards, gliders and possums are at higher risk, larger species such as koalas can also fall prey to dogs. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0206958">One study</a> that looked at wildlife coming into care at Queensland rehabilitation centres reported dog attacks as the cause in about 9% of cases. These cases often resulted in severe injury or death. Dog owners should be especially wary of small, localised populations of vulnerable species. A <a href="https://ri.conicet.gov.ar/bitstream/handle/11336/202640/CONICET_Digital_Nro.29048152-7a5c-4ea2-8068-e73d42cba01d_B.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y">study</a> in Argentina’s Patagonia region details several cases of dogs decimating local penguin populations after gaining access to protected island areas during low tide. Not to mention, dog attacks on wildlife can bring risk to dogs as well. Kangaroos can defend themselves with <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-16/mildura-man-fights-kangaroo-to-protect-dog/102983926">their powerful limbs</a>, monitor lizards are equipped with sharp claws and teeth, and many snake species <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/dogs-twice-as-likely-to-die-from-snake-bite-as-cats-research-finds-20200519-p54ufd.html">are highly venomous</a>. <h2>The impact of harassment</h2> You might think it’s harmless for your dog to chase wildlife if it never manages to catch the animals it chases, but that isn’t true. Wild animals optimise their behaviours to meet their needs for foraging, breeding and resting, and being chased by a dog can disrupt this. For example, certain threatened bird species will nest on the beach and find foraging opportunities based on the tides. One dog forcing one bird to abandon this important activity may have a small impact. But if it happens repeatedly throughout the day, it can become a <a href="https://wilderness-society.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Dogs-as-agents-of-disturbance-Michael-A.-Weston-and-Theodore-Stankowich.pdf">much bigger problem</a>. It may even drive animals out of the area. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2391219/">Research</a> conducted in Sydney has shown the mere presence of a leashed dog is enough to temporarily, yet dramatically, reduce the number of bird species detected. <h2>Keep an eye on your furry pal</h2> Responsible dog ownership involves making sure our dogs have a minimal impact on others, including wildlife. How can we achieve this when our dogs are simply engaging in behaviours that come naturally to them, and may even be rewarding for them? Training your dog to have general obedience – especially to come when called – is worth sinking considerable time and effort into. This can save both your dog and any wildlife they may be after. For instance, calling a dog away from a snake is one of the most effective ways of managing snake bite risk. One <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333344634_Applying_Social_Marketing_to_Koala_Conservation_The_Leave_It_Pilot_Program">pilot study</a> in Victoria found positive outcomes from a program that helped owners train their dogs to be more obedient around wildlife. That said, recall training is an art form, and recalling a dog that likes to run off and chase animals can be a huge challenge. Another solution is to rely on leashes when passing sensitive areas, or where there’s a risk of wildlife harassment. In Australia, many beaches that allow dogs have signs with information about vulnerable birds in the area and how to protect them from your dog. This could mean keeping your dog off rock platforms, leashing them when you see birds foraging on the beach, or keeping them out of fenced areas. Some areas are simply too vulnerable for dogs to run amok, so always look for signs and read them carefully. If you’re hiking, use a long line (a leash that’s more than five metres long) and look for signs of your dog detecting something of interest. Often their ears will come up high and forward, and they will freeze and stare intently. At this point, it doesn’t matter what they’re excited about: take the opportunity to leash them or shorten their leash, and get their attention before they can take off. Investing in a long leash will allow your dog more freedom without putting wildlife at risk. If your dog does injure an animal, you should quickly contact a wildlife rescue organisation or take the animal to a veterinary practice or sanctuary. For small animals, even minor injuries from a dog will usually require veterinary attention. It’s our responsibility to be respectful visitors when we’re out in nature, and to make sure our dogs are too. <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/214722/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/melissa-starling-461103">Melissa Starling</a>, Postdoctoral Researcher in Veterinary Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</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/our-dogs-can-terrify-and-even-kill-wildlife-heres-how-to-be-a-responsible-owner-this-summer-214722">original article</a>.

Family & Pets

Aussies lament the end of ancient "Beers for Garbos" tradition

Here in Australia, where rubbish collectors are celebrated annually with a frosty brew (or six), a cherished tradition is facing its untimely demise. Yes, you guessed it right – the legendary "Beers for Garbos" tradition, where grateful locals adorn their wheelie bins with a six-pack of beer as a token of appreciation, is disappearing faster than a cold beer on a scorching summer day. For generations, Aussies have upheld this festive practice, a heartwarming exchange between citizens and their garbage collectors during the most wonderful time of the year. But alas, the tides are turning, and it seems the days of beer-topped bins are numbered. The alarm was sounded when a concerned citizen took to the virtual streets of Reddit to lament the decline of this time-honoured tradition. "I've been doing this for 20 years, only the last two years they don't seem interested. Is this a tradition we are losing?" cried out the desperate Redditor, faced with the heartbreaking prospect of having their VB left unwanted and unclaimed. Speculations ran wild in the digital realm, with theories ranging from light-fingered neighbours to the outrageous notion that beer might not be as popular as it once was. However, Veolia, the giant among waste management companies in Australia, quickly extinguished the fiery speculations. Veolia's chief operating officer of environment, Tony Roderick, delivered the crushing blow, confirming that the "Beers for Garbos" tradition had taken its last bow. The culprit? Health and safety concerns, the perennial party poopers of workplace festivities. Roderick explained, "Packages of beer become missiles in the cabin of the truck under emergency braking." Picture this: a garbage truck hurtling down the suburban streets, emergency brakes screeching, and inside, a symphony of exploding beer bottles. It's a hazardous scenario that even the most seasoned garbage collector might find hard to navigate. Moreover, Veolia has a company-wide dry workplace policy, dashing hopes of a beer-fuelled trash pickup. But fear not, for Roderick is not entirely Ebenezer Scrooge. He encourages alternative forms of gift-giving. "Should people want to leave a small gift for their local driver, it is possible to leave it at the local depot where the driver can collect it at the end of the shift." So, instead of a six-pack perched on the bin, envision a quaint scene of a garbage collector picking up a thoughtful gift basket at the depot – the stuff of modern Aussie holiday magic. As we bid adieu to the "Beers for Garbos" era, let's raise a glass in fond remembrance. May your wheelie bins be forever adorned with the spirit of giving, even if the contents are now strictly non-alcoholic. Cheers to a new era of sober, yet equally heartfelt, expressions of gratitude for our unsung garbage heroes! Images: Facebook

Home & Garden

New fines of over $100k for owners of dogs that attack a person

Queensland is taking a strong stance on dog attacks with the introduction of new legislation aimed at holding owners accountable for the actions of their pets. The proposed laws, set to be introduced into the state parliament, come as a response to the increasing incidents of serious harm caused by dangerous dogs. If passed, the legislation will not only significantly increase fines for irresponsible dog owners but will also enforce a ban on five specific breeds deemed as posing a higher risk. The breeds targeted by the legislation include Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, American Pit Bull Terrier or Pit Bull Terrier, and Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario. These breeds have been singled out due to their perceived potential for aggression and the severity of harm they can inflict. The legislation aims to mitigate the risks associated with these breeds by implementing strict measures. Under the proposed legislation, owners whose dogs cause death or grievous bodily harm and have not taken "reasonable steps" to prevent such incidents could face fines of up to $108,000. This marks a significant increase from the current fines outlined in the Animal Management Act. Additionally, the legislation introduces the possibility of a maximum three-year jail term for owners found guilty of negligence in preventing their dogs from causing harm. The laws assure that dogs of the prohibited breeds won't be euthanised. Instead, they will be "grandfathered out", meaning they will not be allowed to have puppies. Furthermore, the legislation puts a halt to the importation of these breeds into Queensland, aiming to curb the growth of the population of potentially dangerous dogs. Mark Furner, Queensland's agriculture minister, emphasised that these laws are designed to put dog owners on notice to be responsible. He pointed out that over the last decade, there has been a 64% increase in emergency department presentations due to attacks by dangerous dogs. Furner stated, "On average each year, councils in Queensland declare 500 dogs as dangerous," highlighting the need for a legislative framework that addresses irresponsible ownership. The new legislation is geared towards making the community safer by placing a heightened focus on the owners of dogs deemed irresponsible. Furner shared a harrowing incident involving a toddler girl who suffered severe wounds from a dog attack, underlining the urgency of such laws to prevent similar tragedies. Notably, 81% of dog attacks in Queensland on average are reported to involve children. In addition to the penalties for serious incidents, the legislation grants local council officers the authority to issue fines to owners who exhibit a "lack of control" over their dogs at off-leash parks. This provision aims to ensure that owners maintain control over their pets, even in public spaces where they may interact with other dogs and people. Queensland's proposed legislation marks a significant step towards promoting responsible dog ownership and safeguarding the community from the risks associated with dangerous breeds. If successfully passed, these laws could serve as a model for other regions grappling with similar issues related to dog attacks and irresponsible ownership. Image: Britannica

Family & Pets

"Cutest thing ever": Bride and groom praised for breaking wedding tradition

A bride and groom have been praised online for deviating from the traditional wedding party to include their siblings in an adorable way. Carla Wehbe took to TikTok to share a video from her cousin Raymond's nuptials to his partner Bella, in which both the bride and groom wanted their siblings standing next to them on their big day. Raymond had his sister wear a black dress, to match his groomsmen in their black tuxedos, and be given the title best woman. In contrast, Bella’s brother was given a pink suit to match the pink dresses of the other bridesmaids and was given the title man of honour. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7286234571937484034&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40carlawehbe%2Fvideo%2F7286234571937484034%3Flang%3Den&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2F153b8be3937b45a99bf0be11c35a53f4_1696458709%3Fx-expires%3D1697590800%26x-signature%3D04xfM01KhIsZZkTHQoqTUi%252BiU70%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> “The reason they did it was because their siblings were their best friends and they wanted them to stand by their side on their special day,” Wehbe said in an interview with <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/bride-groom-best-woman-man-honor-wedding-1833939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsweek</a>. “I loved the idea and thought it made the day really special.” The video has racked up over 65 million views, with thousands of people flocking to the comments to congratulate the newlywed couple, while praising their decision to break with tradition. “This needs to be done more often,” one comment read. However, not all of the commenters were on board with the idea, while many traditionalists slammed the act. Despite the critcs, Wehbe said most of the comments were positive, and that she wanted to use the video to let people know that they can have any kind of wedding they want, whether it breaks tradition or not. “It will definitely inspire people who may have wanted to but were not sure if it was acceptable,” she said. “People should just do what makes them happy on their special day!” Image credits: TikTok

Relationships

Matt Damon’s new Australian family tradition

Matt Damon and his family are settling into life Down Under, as they have been spotted at the Royal Queensland Show, also known as Ekka, at the Brisbane Showground. The Hollywood A-lister spoke to organisers at the event, saying it was their second time attending the annual event. After spending more and more time in Australia, the 52-year-old said the annual agriculture show is quickly becoming a “family tradition”. "I love it here, this is our second year in a row coming," he told staff at the show in a clip posted to social media. "It's turned into a family tradition, so thanks for having us back." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Superstar Matt Damon has returned to the Ekka for another year of fun, saying that the Ekka has now become a family tradition 💚 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ekka?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ekka</a> <a href="https://t.co/GENBbKiCoC">pic.twitter.com/GENBbKiCoC</a> — Ekka (@TheEkka) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEkka/status/1691342360381407232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2023</a></blockquote> The actor added words of praise for those working at the event, which includes rides, showbags, food stalls, live farming displays and the famous strawberry sundaes. "Shout out to everyone at the Ekka, you guys do a great job," he said before signing off. Damon, who is currently making the most of his time off work due to the writers’ strike in Hollywood, attended the Queensland Show with his wife Luciana Barroso, 47, and three of their daughters Isabella, 17, Gia, 14, and Stella, 12. The family are no strangers to Australia, after spending plenty of time in Byron Bay with fellow actor Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky. The actor and his family also spent some time living in Sydney during the pandemic, while Damon filmed Thor: Love & Thunder with Hemsworth. Image credits: Twitter

Domestic Travel

Is traditional heterosexual romance sexist?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/beatrice-alba-126402">Beatrice Alba</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> Despite progress towards greater gender equality, many people remain stubbornly attached to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0891243218809604">old-fashioned</a> gender roles in romantic relationships between women and men. Conventions around heterosexual romance dictate that men should <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-019-00298-7">approach</a> women to initiate romantic interactions, ask women out on <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-019-01056-6">dates</a>, pay on <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00332941211057144">dates</a>, make marriage <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0743558412447871">proposals</a>, and that women should take their husband’s <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-016-0628-8?fd=5847139347577468%7C5071078435750678&lp=/dating-women">surname</a> after marriage. While some might view these conventions as sexist and anachronistic, others find them captivating and romantic. They reflect differentiated gender roles in which men take the lead and women follow. Feminist <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/if-you-want-marriage-equals-then-date-equals/606568/">critiques</a> of such practices argue that they reinforce male <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0192513x10391045">dominance</a> over women in intimate relationships. So we set out to find out why women might still be attracted to these conventions in the modern world. We <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-023-01405-6">surveyed</a> 458 single women in Australia on their preference for these conventions, as well as a range of other attitudes and desires. The study examined whether these conventions might simply be a benign reflection of women’s personal preferences for partners and relationships. But we also considered the possibility that they might be underpinned by sexist attitudes. <h2>What do women want from men?</h2> One possible reason women prefer these romance conventions is simply because they are traditional, and people like traditions. However, many of these conventions only really took hold in the <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Labor_of_Love/nqTPCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0">20th century</a>. Some provide a handy script that we can follow in romantic interactions. They help us to navigate the uncertainty of the situation by removing some of the guess work about who should do what. Another possibility is that men’s enactment of these romance conventions indicates their likelihood of being a committed and invested <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0891243213503899">partner</a>. It may also <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-women-including-feminists-are-still-attracted-to-benevolently-sexist-men-101067">signal</a> he has resources available to invest in a relationship (and family), which research shows women find <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797620904154">appealing</a> in a partner. <h2>Women like ‘nice’ men</h2> We <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-023-01405-6">considered</a> whether women’s endorsement of these romance conventions might be explained by their personal preferences for partners and relationships. Specifically, we predicted that the preference for these conventions would be greater among women with a stronger desire to find a committed and invested partner. We found women’s desire for an invested partner was indeed correlated with a greater preference for these conventions. This preference was also stronger among those who favoured a long-term committed relationship and disfavoured short-term casual sexual relationships. We also investigated women’s attraction to dominant men, since these conventions require men to take the lead and play a more active role in romantic encounters. As predicted, women’s attraction to more dominant characteristics in a partner – such as being assertive and powerful – was also correlated with a greater preference for these conventions. <h2>But is it sexist?</h2> <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-016-0628-8?fd=5847139347577468%7C5071078435750678&lp=/dating-women">Previous research</a> has found that sexist attitudes and feminist identity are also relevant. We found women who preferred these romance conventions were less likely to identify as a feminist. They were also higher on <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-00159-001">benevolent sexism</a>, which is a chivalrous form of sexism that idealises women, but also views them as less competent and needing men’s protection. We even found that they were higher on hostile sexism, which is a more overt form of sexism towards women. Importantly, we analysed all these variables together to reveal the strongest predictor of the preference for these romance conventions. We found women’s desire for an invested partner and a long-term relationship no longer accounted for women’s preference for these conventions. However, women who were less inclined to short-term casual sexual relationships were still more likely to prefer these conventions. The strongest predictor of the preference for these conventions was benevolent sexism. This is somewhat unsurprising, since these conventions look very much like expressions of benevolent sexism in a romantic context. Most strikingly, overt or hostile sexism still predicted women’s preference for these conventions. In short, sexism stood out beyond women’s personal preferences for partners and relationships. This ultimately supports this idea that these conventions may be underpinned by sexist attitudes. <h2>Is romance incompatible with gender equality?</h2> Old-fashioned romance might seem benign and even enchanting. But some might find it problematic if it reinforces inequality between women and men in romantic <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0963721416686213">relationships</a>. We know that even subtle forms of <a href="https://theconversation.com/still-serving-guests-while-your-male-relatives-relax-everyday-sexism-like-this-hurts-womens-mental-health-116728">everyday sexism</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-chivalry-is-not-dead-but-its-about-time-it-was-174197">benevolent sexism</a> are harmful to women’s wellbeing and success. As society moves towards greater gender equality, we may become increasingly aware of how rigid and restrictive gender roles play out in the context of private relationships. Some might fear that increasing gender equality means the death of romance. But romance among those with diverse genders and sexualities should reassure us that it doesn’t require a universal and pre-determined script. Perhaps a more critical understanding of ourselves might help us relinquish our attachment to following a simplistic formula set by others. Embracing individual differences over inflexible conventions may also allow us the freedom to explore alternatives. We might start to see more egalitarian, or even female-led, romance.<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/210546/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/beatrice-alba-126402">Beatrice Alba</a>, Lecturer, School of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin 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/is-traditional-heterosexual-romance-sexist-210546">original article</a>.

Relationships

The 15 dog breeds perfect for first-time owners

First-time pup parent Becoming a first-time dog owner is a truly rewarding experience. You’re gaining a new loyal best friend and have a wonderful adventure before you. That said, we’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that the process also comes with some little curveballs as you learn the ropes of pup parenthood. In addition to the dog’s size – be it a toy breed, medium breed, or giant breed – it’s also important to consider the dog’s personality. For example, do you want a <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/the-best-low-maintenance-dogs-for-busy-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener">low-maintenance dog</a> or a <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/11-dog-breeds-that-can-be-left-alone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dog breed that does well when left alone</a>? Or are you perhaps seeking the <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/the-best-dog-breeds-for-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best dog breeds for kids</a>? “When you are thinking about getting a dog for the first time, the first thing to ask yourself is what you envision your life with a dog looking like,” says Marissa Sunny, a canine behaviour specialist. “If you want a dog to get you out of the house and go running with, then a high-energy working breed may be for you! If you are looking for a Netflix buddy, then an adult or senior dog may be for you.” And while purebreds are wonderful, there are many mixed breeds available for adoption in your local shelters that make wonderful pets, even for first-time dog owners. To help you determine the best first dog for new owners – and avoid some of the worst dogs for first-time owners – we’re showcasing some of the most popular dog breeds that are easy to train, groom and bond with. Bichon Frise Known for its loving and playful personality, the Bichon Frise is an intelligent and charming lapdog who befriends just about everyone they meet. They are one of the best dogs for beginners since they’re typically easy to train and are great with kids. Another perk is that their fluffy white coat is hypoallergenic, making them ideal for those concerned about dog allergies. They do need to be bathed about once a month and benefit from a good brushing several times a week. A visit to the groomer every four to six weeks can also help keep them looking tip-top. Ease of care: 4/5 Golden retrievers Arguably one of the easiest dog breeds for first-time owners, the golden retriever is one of the most beloved canines for good reason. This lovable pup is exceptionally friendly and devoted to its owners. They are also known for being obedient and easy to train, so teaching them to fetch, sit and stay is likely to be a breeze, which is one of the reasons many service dogs are golden retrievers. Perhaps most important, though, is their gregarious and outgoing personalities, which make them fantastic as first-time family dogs, as well. They benefit from a good brushing once a week and perhaps more during their twice-annual shedding spree. Ease of care: 5/5 Papillon The papillon – which means butterfly in French – is another wee-sized pup weighing in at only 4.5kg tops. They are an affectionate dog breed and they also get along well with children. Though very small, this toy breed is surprisingly athletic and spritely and benefits greatly from playtime. One potential drawback is that they’re not too keen on hanging out with other animals. However, they are surprisingly easy to groom thanks to their lack of an undercoat. A good bath every few months and a once-monthly grooming session are all they need. Ease of care: 4/5 Labrador retriever The Labrador retriever is another popular dog breed. They are most noted for their outgoing personality and friendly demeanour, and they are also one of the best-behaved dog breeds. These playful, easy-going pups – which come in chocolate, black, and yellow – are very sociable. This allows not only for easy bonding with the entire family but with other animals, too. Because they love to make their owners happy, labs are also one of the easiest dog breeds to train. Occasional baths and brushing are all this dog needs to keep it looking its best. Ease of care: 5/5 Cavalier King Charles spaniel A sweet combination of a small toy breed and spaniel, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel is a gentle, graceful, athletic and high-spirited little pup. They make our list of the best first dogs for new owners because of their adaptability and smarts, which make them both easy to get along with and train. These unfailingly sweet pups are also keen on pleasing their humans, making them excellent for a broad ranch of owners, including couples, families, seniors, and individuals. They are also known for being effective therapy dogs, too. They do require a little more grooming than other pups on our list and need daily brushing, weekly ear-checks, and monthly nail trims. Ease of care: 4/5 German shepherd The noble German shepherd is an excellent dog for first-time owners for many reasons. For starters, they are exceptionally smart pups that are easy to train, which is one reason why they are utilised in K-9 units. Second, they are gentle with their owners and unfailingly loyal – to the end that they make great watchdogs. Finally, German shepherds are easy to groom. The AKC says they benefit from brushing a few times a week to remove loose hairs and that they only need occasional baths. Ease of care: 5/5 Standard poodle Recognised for their fluffy, pillow-like hypoallergenic coats, the poodle is a notably smart and athletic family companion. Because of these positive qualities, poodles have been bred with many other breeds to get designer breeds including the labradoodle, groodle, spoodle, and cavoodle. Do note that as puppies, poodles can be high-energy, so they’ll need to be able to run off that steam. They also should be brushed daily and professionally groomed about once every month or two to combat matting and keep their coats lustrous. Ease of care: 4/5 Basenji You might not be too familiar with the Basenji, but this smart and adaptable quiet dog breed makes our list because of how easy-going and low-key it is. Some even describe this dog as “cat-like” in its independence and quiet demeanour. While it’s not overtly lovey-dovey like some breeds, the Basenji is perfect for first-time owners who tend to be gone often and prefer a pup that’s not always at their ankles. The AKC says their short coat is also simple to care for. Just give them a once-over every week or two – and no bathing required unless they get into something. Ease of care: 4/5 Yorkshire terrier A truly petite-sized pup, the adorable Yorkie is a tiny terrier that weighs in at only seven pounds. Though tiny, they do have major personalities! This breed has a reputation for being brave, tenacious and sprightly. They are also exceptionally friendly. The breed’s long, low-allergen coat mimics human hair more than dog fur, making them one of the more popular dogs for those who deal with pet allergies. The trade-off is that their long hair does require daily brushing, weekly bathing and regular professional groomings. Ease of care: 3/5 Pugs Survey any pug owner and they’ll likely be quick to tell you that this breed is one of the best family companions out there. The adaptable pug gets along with basically everyone – including kids, seniors and other animals – and thrives in both the city and country. Pugs also enjoy making their owners happy, which helps make training them a breeze. Another bonus: their coat is considered low maintenance and only needs weekly brushing to control light shedding. Ease of care: 5/5 Whippet Don’t confuse the whippet for a greyhound! Though they do look similar, the whippet is its own breed (and actually quite a bit smaller). This lean and elegant pup is a lightning-quick runner that enjoys having a good chase in the backyard. As long as it’s getting plenty of exercise, this breed can fare well in an apartment or a house with a yard. Another perk is that these guys barely bark. Also, their short coat is very easy to care for and only requires weekly brushing and occasional baths. While smart, the whippet has a bit more of a mischievous personality that can be a little tricky to reign in when training. Ease of care: 4/5 Great Dane Don’t be intimidated by the Great Dane’s mighty stature; this pup is a true gentle giant. This sweet-natured, patient, ultra-friendly pup bonds with its family owners quickly and remains loyal through and through – they’re even great with children. However gentle, the Great Dane also makes for a courageous and vigilant watchdog as well. Regarding training, this breed does benefit from professional obedience training in order to harness its full potential. They also should be brushed weekly, bathed occasionally, and have their nails trimmed monthly. Ease of care: 3/5 Irish setter If you’re in the market for a lovable, friendly pup that’s perhaps not quite as well-known as other breeds, the Irish setter might just be your match. These sweet dogs get along with, and bond quickly, with everyone they meet – including kids, adults, seniors, and other animals. They do tend to be a bit on the rambunctious side, so a playful and active setting is ideal. They are also eager to please and respond well to patient training, notes the AKC. Moderate grooming is required, including twice-weekly brushing, monthly nail trims, and occasional baths. Ease of care: 4/5 Bernese mountain dog The powerful and sweet-natured Bernese mountain dog is a family companion that will bring joy to any home. They’re on our list of the best dogs for beginners because they are easy to train, exceptionally patient with everyone (including kiddos), and get along easily with many personalities and even other animals. Their big size can be intimidating, but they’re big softies who love to stick close to their humans. In fact, they can be a little shy! Frequent shedding is more of an issue with this breed, and they require a good brushing two to three times a week. Ease of care: 4/5 Mixed breeds We’ve included many purebreds on this list, but we don’t want to leave out mixed breeds and “mutts.” Though adoptable animals from the shelter can come with some specific needs, many will be forever grateful to have you as their owner. When seeking a pup to adopt, we recommend looking to their personalities – versus specific breed – to determine if they’re a fit for your lifestyle. “Your local shelter or rescue can help you find the perfect match for your family,” says Sunny. Ease of care: varies Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/pets/15-best-dogs-for-first-time-owners?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Family & Pets

Brave dog owner speaks out after harrowing ordeal

Eleanor Booth has spoken out after she was forced to defend her Jack Russell terrier from a vicious attack by two Irish wolfhounds. The 34-year-old was walking her dog Indi on the popular walking track in south Sydney when they were set upon by the two dogs being walked by a man whose identity remains a mystery. Eleanor ran into a muddy creek to seek shelter, where they stayed for 30 minutes as they tried to fend off the animals until eventually being rescued by police armed with pepper spray. After suffering from critical injuries sustained during the ordeal, Indi <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/tragic-end-for-indi-the-jack-russell-after-he-and-owner-mauled-in-vicious-attack">tragically died</a> on Monday evening after being rushed into veterinary intensive care. “It was heartbreaking, she was killed in my arms ... I am genuinely lucky to be alive if they had decided to attack me I could have died,” Ms Booth told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/dog-attack/pet-dies-after-being-critically-injured-alongside-owner-in-terrifying-sydney-dog-attack-c-11242022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a>. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TkRfrDQ4gNE" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Ms Booth said she saw the owner of the vicious dogs run off and initially believed he had gone to get help, but it was the last she saw of him. “I hope he takes responsibility for what has happened to my dog and to me,” Ms Booth said. Police are continuing to investigate the identity of the man and urge anyone with information to come forward. Following the terrifying ordeal, Elle’s husband Tom Dale told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12286887/Lugarno-dog-attack-Woman-pet-killed-Irish-Wolfhounds-breaks-silence.html">Daily Mail Australia</a> that his wife was “brave as hell” and he was “so proud of her”. 'He [the man] was yelling at Elle to get Indigo to stop running away, as it was exciting his dogs. He was trying to stop them but they were out of control,' Mr Dale said. After Indi was taken to veterinary intensive care, Ms Booth was rushed to St George Hospital after suffering injuries to her face, neck, arms, hands and legs and underwent surgery on her hands and forearm on Monday. Family friend Tess Hutchison said the event had changed the couple's lives “forever” and has filled them with “sorrow, heartache, and unspeakable pain”, prompting her to set up a GoFundMe page for the couple. A GoFundMe page set up for the brave pet owner surpassed its $25,000 goal - the cost of Indi's vet bills - within hours. Ms Hutchinson shared her appreciation for everyone who had rallied to support the couple. “We want to say a huge thank you to each and every one of you who have donated, sent kind words and had both Elle and Indi in their thoughts over the last couple of days,” she said. Image credits: 7News

Family & Pets

Tragic end for Indi the Jack Russell after he and owner mauled in vicious attack

In a heartbreaking turn of events, a NSW woman by the name of Eleanor Booth faced a horrifying ordeal while trying to defend her Jack Russell terrier from a vicious dog attack along a well-known walking track in southern Sydney. Unfortunately, her courageous efforts were in vain, as her beloved pet, Indi, succumbed to the injuries inflicted during the brutal attack. The incident unfolded on Sunday near the Georges River in Lugarno and concluded with both Booth and her pet being rescued by emergency services after she waded into neck-deep mud to escape from two dogs that had escaped from their home. Booth, who confided in her friends that she feared she would meet her end alone while clutching her lifeless dog, underwent surgery on Monday to treat wounds to both her hands. She also suffered bites to her mouth, throat, and cheek, in addition to a broken arm. Tragically, little Indi passed away at the Sydney Animal Hospital on Monday afternoon, having reportedly experienced several heart attacks. The community rallied behind Booth, and a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-indi-and-elle-after-vicious-dog-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> campaign had already raised nearly $25,000 at the time of writing to aid her recovery from this shocking incident – with the funds now being used "to pay the outstanding bills, and any amount raised over and above will be donated to Veterinary Specialists of Sydney (VSOS)". The harrowing ordeal began when Booth took Indi for a routine walk on Sunday morning and unexpectedly encountered two dogs, believed to be Irish Wolfhounds, who launched a ferocious assault on Indi. Booth recounted witnessing a man with the two dogs instructing them to cease the attack. However, when the dogs showed no signs of relenting, the man abandoned the scene. Fuelled by sheer determination, Booth fought desperately to free Indi from the clutches of the aggressors and sought refuge by plunging into the muddy waters of the river. Witnesses attest that the dogs relentlessly pursued Booth into the treacherous terrain. Amidst the chaos, Fire and Rescue NSW personnel came to the aid of Booth and Indi, utilising pepper spray to deter the attacking dogs. In an effort to extricate Booth from the mud, rescuers instructed her to remove her trousers and shoes, facilitating her escape from the perilous predicament. Astonishingly, even two police officers who arrived on the scene found themselves trapped in the thick mud for a daunting 15 minutes. Eventually, thanks to the concerted efforts of firefighters from Fire and Rescue NSW, the woman, her dog, and the two officers were successfully liberated from their muddy entrapment and promptly received medical attention. As investigations into the incident continue, NSW Police representative Paul Callaghan emphasised that the owner would likely bear liability, particularly in cases involving dogs attacking one another. The circumstances surrounding the attack and subsequent events will undoubtedly form a crucial part of the ongoing inquiry. Images: Nine News / Gofundme

Family & Pets

Why we should take our pets more seriously

Janette Young, Lecturer in health policy, politics and promotion, University of South Australia, and Lisel O'Dwyer, Senior Researcher, Social and Policy Studies, Flinders University, explain why we should take our pets more seriously. Pets are a powerful positive influence in many people’s lives. No doubt many people reading this article are part of the estimated <a href="http://animalmedicinesaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Pet-Ownership-in-Australia-2013-Summary-ONLINE-VER.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5 million of 7.5 million</a> Australian households with a pet. Although the evidence body is small, pets have been shown to have positive effects for physical health for some time. <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2015/15_0204.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A new study</a> found children with a pet dog were less likely to suffer from anxiety than those without. In the early 1990s researchers showed that pet owners had significantly lower levels of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1435469" target="_blank" rel="noopener">risk factors</a> for cardiovascular disease like blood pressure. Research has also found <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1295517/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">general health improves</a> after getting a pet and is maintained in the long term, in comparison with a matched control group without pets. However, we are still not encouraging and funding research into how health systems, services and public policy can tap into this resource, especially in mental health. Getting this topic taken seriously in academia is also difficult. It is seen as frivolous and light-hearted, and not part of legitimate health sciences. Consequently, there is only a piecemeal body of academic literature on the role of pets in mental health. Across various fields such as <a href="http://anj.sagepub.com/content/35/3/363.abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criminology</a> and <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103111002411" target="_blank" rel="noopener">psychology</a>, we can find ad hoc pieces of research linking human mental health to human-animal relationships with positive benefits. The lack of a coherent body of evidence means it is difficult to show that pets are important in any one population group or field, even after piecing the existing research together. Few health science fields consider there is enough evidence to support publishing new papers, often on the grounds that “evidence is lacking”. We also found animal fields were reluctant to publish articles that suggested animals could be a resource for human wellness. This was seen as devaluing animals. This conundrum of responses results in a lack of published research, leading to a perception that it is unimportant. This perception shapes the views of funding bodies, so researchers have difficulty in obtaining funding. In turn, there is a dearth of research and a fragmented undeveloped field of understanding. Are pets good for us? Scanning the fragmented body of literature that does exist suggests that pets are highly significant in the mental wellbeing of many people. The field of domestic violence is the most advanced in considering the role of pets in health and wellbeing. Some women will stay in a violent relationship because of threats to their pets by an abuser. If services assisting women to escape domestic violence don’t allow pets, they will <a href="http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_strand/5/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stay with the pet</a>. Some services have been implementing <a href="http://alliephillips.com/saf-tprogram/saf-t-shelters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pet-friendly approaches</a> in response to this evidence. This level of attachment between women and their pets suggests that pets may also act as a coping or support mechanism, whether they stay or leave. Young homeless people <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24728815" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have reported pets</a> as providing unconditional love, reducing loneliness and improving quality of life and wellbeing. Pets may provide helpful structure in the lives of people experiencing mental illness: addressing a pet’s needs <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Krupa+and+Zimolag+2009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provides a reason</a> for depressed pet owners to get up in the morning. Pets also add to older people’s <a href="https://animalsandsociety.org/assets/library/774_s5.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quality of life</a> by providing social support and companionship and reducing loneliness, fear and <a href="https://www.animalsandsociety.org/assets/library/638_morethanafurrycompanion.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social isolation</a>. Some of the most recent research in this area is returning to <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9566.12176/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">old data</a> and discovering that pets have been overlooked and even removed from older people’s stories of what adds to their quality of life. Recent yet-to-be-published research undertaken with colleagues found some older people are giving up pets early on in their ageing because they are afraid of not being able to take them into care, or because they are concerned for their pet if something happens to them. Not taking pets seriously in how we consider and support ageing means we may be condemning some older people to <a href="http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5493/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">isolation and loneliness</a>. We should develop ways to support older pet owners and ensure pets do not have to be relinquished when people go into full-time care. At present this process is ad hoc and informal. Just because people want their pets with them does not necessarily mean that pets help with health outcomes and wellbeing. But the evidence that does exist shows that they do help. For example, PET (positron emission tomography) scans show that <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2752/175303712X13240472427311" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pets reduce stress</a>, and most <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20180089" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cancer patients with pets</a> claimed their pets helped them during their treatment. By not treating pets as a serious part of human wellbeing, we are overlooking a powerful health-promoting resource. Exploring and supporting the role of pets in human lives and health may be far cheaper, with fewer side effects and greater unanticipated positives than the continual search for new drugs and technological solutions to human wellness. Image credit: Shutterstock Written by Janette Young and Lisel O'Dwyer. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/47774/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />

Family & Pets

Charles revives royal tradition at Trooping the Colour

King Charles III revived a royal tradition by riding horseback in the first Trooping the Colour since he was crowned, marking the British sovereign’s official birthday. Although the King’s birthday is officially in November and typically celebrated privately, the ceremonial event on June 18 showcased all the pomp and pageantry expected of royal celebrations, drawing massive crowds to central London. Accompanying 1,500 soldiers, 300 horses and hundreds of musicians, Charles filed the short distance from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in St James’ Park for the ceremony viewed by members of the royal family. It was a sight not seen for nearly 40 years, with Queen Elizabeth II being the last reigning monarch to ride in the procession in 1986. Dressed for the occasion, King Charles was wearing a Welsh Guard uniform, with a leek emblem on the collar and green and white plum on his bearskin. He was followed on horseback by various royal colonels including Prime William, also donning a uniform of the Welsh Guard, the regiment he inherited from his father in December 2022. He rode alongside Princess Anne Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of the Blues and Royals and Prince Edward, who is Colonel of the London Guards. Behind them was a horse-drawn carriage carrying the Queen, Catherine, Princess of Wales and her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The royal party was joined by a Sovereign’s Mounted Escort of soldiers from the Household Calary’s Life Guards and Blues and Royals. The traditional military spectacle was flooded with well-wishers dressed in fascinators and draped in Union flags ahead of the parade to claim their prime position along the Mall outside the royal residence. Speaking to CNN, broadcaster and royal watcher Bidisha Mamata, said there was “a real sense of celebration”. "The coronation was very serious … there was a lot of medieval pageantry. This is much more military focused. This is so much more about connecting King Charles with his own history in the Marines, the RAF - he has a strong connection to the military," she said. The ceremony saw Queen Camilla join her husband to watch the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards troop their colour in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers. The regiment carried out complex battlefield drill manoeuvres to music, with Kensington Palace previously describing the 2022 musical program as having “a distinctly Welsh theme”, with new compositions from the band written accordingly. After the parade, the royal party returned to Buckingham Palace following the same route. They there made a balcony appearance to watch an extended military flypast and greet a sea of royal supporters. Image credit: Getty

International Travel

How traditional Indigenous education helped four lost children survive 40 days in the Amazon jungle

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eliran-arazi-1447346">Eliran Arazi</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hebrew-university-of-jerusalem-855">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a> The discovery and rescue of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/four-missing-colombian-children-found-alive-jungle-sources-2023-06-10/">four young Indigenous children</a>, 40 days after the aircraft they were travelling in crashed in the remote Colombian rainforest, was hailed in the international press as a “<a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/06/11/miracle-in-the-jungle-colombia-celebrates-rescue-of-children-lost-in-amazon-rainforest_6030840_4.html">miracle in the jungle</a>”. But as an anthropologist who has spent more than a year living among the Andoque people in the region, <a href="https://www.academia.edu/100474974/Amazonian_visions_of_Visi%C3%B3n_Amazon%C3%ADa_Indigenous_Peoples_perspectives_on_a_forest_conservation_and_climate_programme_in_the_Colombian_Amazon">conducting ethnographic fieldwork</a>, I cannot simply label this as a miraculous event. At least, not a miracle in the conventional sense of the word. Rather, the survival and discovery of these children can be attributed to the profound knowledge of the intricate forest and the adaptive skills passed down through generations by Indigenous people. During the search for the children, I was in contact with Raquel Andoque, an elder maloquera (owner of a ceremonial longhouse), the sister of the children’s great-grandmother. She repeatedly expressed her unwavering belief the children would be found alive, citing the autonomy, astuteness and physical resilience of children in the region. Even before starting elementary school, children in this area accompany their parents and elder relatives in various activities such as gardening, fishing, navigating rivers, hunting and gathering honey and wild fruits. In this way the children acquire practical skills and knowledge, such as those demonstrated by Lesly, Soleiny, Tien and Cristin during their 40-day ordeal. Indigenous children typically learn from an early age how to open paths through dense vegetation, how to tell edible from non-edible fruits. They know how to find potable water, build rain shelters and set animal traps. They can identify animal footprints and scents – and avoid predators such as jaguars and snakes lurking in the woods. Amazonian children typically lack access to the sort of commercialised toys and games that children in the cities grow up with. So they become adept tree climbers and engage in play that teaches them about adult tools made from natural materials, such as oars or axes. This nurtures their understanding of physical activities and helps them learn which plants serve specific purposes. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A youg girl holding up an insect as her family works alongside" /><figcaption>A local Indigenous girl on an excursion to gather edible larvae. Image courtesy of Eliran Arazi, Author provided</figcaption></figure> Activities that most western children would be shielded from – handling, skinning and butchering game animals, for example – provide invaluable zoology lessons and arguably foster emotional resilience. <h2>Survival skills</h2> When they accompany their parents and relatives on excursions in the jungle, Indigenous children learn how to navigate a forest’s dense vegetation by following the location of the sun in the sky. <figure class="align-left zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=692&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=692&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=692&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Map of the Middle Caqueta region of Colombia." /></a><figcaption>Map showing where in Colombia the four lost children are from. Gadiel Levi, Author provided</figcaption></figure> Since the large rivers in most parts of the Amazon flow in a direction opposite to that of the sun, people can orient themselves towards those main rivers. The trail of footprints and objects left by the four children revealed their general progression towards the Apaporis River, where they may have hoped to be spotted. The children would also have learned from their parents and elders about edible plans and flowers – where they can be found. And also the interrelationship between plants, so that where a certain tree is, you can find mushrooms, or small animals that can be trapped and eaten. <h2>Stories, songs and myths</h2> Knowledge embedded in mythic stories passed down by parents and grandparents is another invaluable resource for navigating the forest. These stories depict animals as fully sentient beings, engaging in seduction, mischief, providing sustenance, or even saving each other’s lives. While these episodes may seem incomprehensible to non-Indigenous audiences, they actually encapsulate the intricate interrelations among the forest’s countless non-human inhabitants. Indigenous knowledge focuses on the interrelationships between humans, plants and animals and how they can come together to preserve the environment and prevent irreversible ecological harm. This sophisticated knowledge has been developed over millennia during which Indigenous people not only adapted to their forest territories but actively shaped them. It is deeply ingrained knowledge that local indigenous people are taught from early childhood so that it becomes second nature to them. It has become part of the culture of cultivating and harvesting crops, something infants and children are introduced to, as well as knowledge of all sort of different food sources and types of bush meat. <h2>Looking after each other</h2> One of the aspects of this “miraculous” story that people in the west have marvelled over is how, after the death of the children’s mother, the 13-year-old Lesly managed to take care of her younger siblings, including Cristin, who was only 11 months old at the time the aircraft went down. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Three Indigenous people in western clothes stood under trees in front of a wide building." /><figcaption>Iris Andoque Macuna with her brother Nestor Andoque and brother-in-law Faustino Fiagama after the two men returned from the search team. Iris Andoque Macuna., Author provided</figcaption></figure> But in Indigenous families, elder sisters are expected to act as surrogate mothers to their younger relatives from an early age. Iris Andoke Macuna, a distant relative of the family, told me: <blockquote> To some whites [non-Indigenous people], it seems like a bad thing that we take our children to work in the garden, and that we let girls carry their brothers and take care of them. But for us, it’s a good thing, our children are independent, this is why Lesly could take care of her brothers during all this time. It toughened her, and she learned what her brothers need. </blockquote> <h2>The spiritual side</h2> For 40 days and nights, while the four children were lost, elders and shamans performed rituals based on traditional beliefs that involve human relationships with entities known as dueños (owners) in Spanish and by various names in native languages (such as i'bo ño̰e, meaning “persons of there” in Andoque). These owners are believed to be the protective spirits of the plants and animals that live in the forests. Children are introduced to these powerful owners in name-giving ceremonies, which ensure that these spirits recognise and acknowledge relationship to the territory and their entitlement to prosper on it. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Woman in pink t-shirt sat on chair inside." /><figcaption>Raquel Andoke, a relative of the missing children and friend of the author. Image courtesy of Eliran Arazi, Author provided</figcaption></figure> During the search for the missing children, elders conducted dialogues and negotiations with these entities in their ceremonial houses (malocas) throughout the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Middle-and-Lower-Caqueta-River-region-State-of-Amazonas-Colombia-Map-from_fig1_255580310">Middle Caquetá</a> and in other Indigenous communities that consider the crash site part of their ancestral territory. Raquel explained to me: <blockquote> The shamans communicate with the sacred sites. They offer coca and tobacco to the spirits and say: “Take this and give me my grandchildren back. They are mine, not yours.” </blockquote> These beliefs and practices hold significant meaning for my friends in the Middle Caquetá, who firmly attribute the children’s survival to these spiritual processes rather than the technological means employed by the Colombian army rescue teams. It may be challenging for non-Indigenous people to embrace these traditional ideas. But these beliefs would have instilled in the children the faith and emotional fortitude crucial for persevering in the struggle for survival. And it would have encouraged the Indigenous people searching for them not to give up hope. The children knew that their fate did not lie in dying in the forest, and that their grandparents and shamans would move heaven and earth to bring them back home alive. Regrettably, this traditional knowledge that has enabled Indigenous people to not only survive but thrive in the Amazon for millennia is under threat. Increasing land encroachment for agribusiness, mining, and illicit activities as well as state neglect and interventions without Indigenous consent have left these peoples vulnerable. It is jeopardising the very foundations of life where this knowledge is embedded, the territories that serve as its bedrock, and the people themselves who preserve, develop, and transmit this knowledge. Preserving this invaluable knowledge and the skills that bring miracles to life is imperative. We must not allow them to wither away.<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/207762/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eliran-arazi-1447346">Eliran Arazi</a>, PhD researcher in Anthropology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (Paris)., <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hebrew-university-of-jerusalem-855">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-traditional-indigenous-education-helped-four-lost-children-survive-40-days-in-the-amazon-jungle-207762">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Caring

Cafe owner responds to extortionate avocado drama

A Sydney cafe has responded after being slammed for their $10.90 side of avocado. Little Jack Horner, situated right in front of Coogee Beach, also charges $11.90 for halloumi and $9.90 for a side of bacon, all of which are meant to be shared. Cafe owner BJ McHatton spoke to 9Honey about the avocado side dish that made waves. "The smashed avocado is portioned at almost one and a half avocados, as well as containing other ingredients to make it a dish, not just an avocado in a bowl," he said of the dish. "The price of avocados does fluctuate, two months ago we were paying double what we are today," he said, adding that the venue works with local providers who go to the market daily to provide them with quality produce. "Of course, this comes at a higher cost that allows us to have a quality offering for our customers.” He pointed out that this is the first price increase in 10 years, with "the hospitality industry as a whole all the way from the suppliers to the actual venues himself have seen prices explode over the last 12 months.” McHatton added that the cafe is in a prime location, with live music five nights a week, 160 indoor plants that are professionally cared for, and their efforts to support local teams, clubs, schools and charities all contribute to their prices. "Obviously, running a business of this size, and in this destination has a lot of associated expenses. All of this has to be taken into account when we set prices for our products.” Despite increased media coverage, McHatton says they haven’t received any backlash. "Obviously being on a few radio stations and covered by a few news stations it has generated some interest on those stories. However, after reading the comments, most of them are supportive. Most people genuinely seem to understand how hard running a business is the associated cost to come with running a business," he told 9Honey. However, he expressed disappointment at the Google reviews that were allegedly left overnight by people who had never been to the cafe. "[It's] disappointing that people will go to the trouble of leaving a review having never actually experienced the venue. If anyone has ever been to our place, they know it's a lot more about an experience, which includes the food than just the food and the price," McHatton said. Other reviewers have dubbed the food “grossly overpriced”, with one reviewer revealing their Easter lunch of two breakfasts and fruit juice was almost $100. Another added that the prices were "pushing close to that of what you would expect for dinner," though they did say the food "was great". Image credit: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Destructive dog ruins owner’s cherished Monstera

All pet owners know their furry friends can get up to mischief, and there’s nothing quite like coming home to discover half your lounge has been eaten and that book you love so much has been torn to shreds. One dog owner fell victim to her dog's destruction and headed to Reddit to share the story. "My dog ripped basically all the leaves off my husband's monstera and he's devastated," she wrote. "He's been growing this thing for years." The woman called for gardeners and plant enthusiasts alike to find out whether the plant would survive such a devastating blow. "The base and roots are still intact," she wrote. "Will new stems/leaves grow from the base? Is there any hope of salvaging it?” Some saw the funny side of her most, making jokes the dog must have been jealous of the attention the plant was getting. "This is some plant gore right here," one person teased in response. Aside from making light of her post, one plant fiend was able to tell her that her husband’s beloved monstera is in no danger. "You're in luck – monstera deliciosa is an incredibly hardy plant," the person advised. "It'll likely regrow multiple leaves from the broken stem! I would cut off the broken leaves personally, as they're probably not much use. "Water a little less than usual as it doesn't need as much water without all the leaves." Image credit: Reddit

Family & Pets

Bride and groom follow hilarious family tradition by swapping wedding outfits

A newly married bride has decided to follow in her parents' hilarious footsteps by swapping her wedding day outfit with her new husband. Rosie Joyce, a fashion and lifestyle influencer, documented her special day online, with her picturesque wedding drawing in thousands of views. However, the picture perfect wedding took a jovial turn when Rosie and her husband Justin emerged in each others' wedding attire. Rosie drew inspiration from her parents, who started the tradition on their wedding recovery day, with Rosie's dad coming out in her mother's white wedding dress, while her mum donned Rosie's father's tux. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 610px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7234723167137205522&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40rosiewheeler92%2Fvideo%2F7234723167137205522%3Fembed_source%3D71223855%252C121331973%252C120811592%252C120810756%253Bnull%253Bembed_masking%26refer%3Dembed%26referer_url%3Ddk79lclgtez2i.cloudfront.net%252FGVtpj6u%253Fapp%253D1%26referer_video_id%3D7234723167137205522&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2FoAoQgDkDRYdIkAzbNowZzuM8FpKnEB8VQTfBsf%3Fx-expires%3D1684998000%26x-signature%3DwPzyFwqR8d1f6xQ5i%252F8OdYfm2f4%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> “I grew up obsessed with these photos! How did we do?” Rosie wrote in her video. “We wanted to recreate the photos and surprise everyone on our recovery day.” In their recreation, Justin wore Rosie's white strapless gown and Rosie dressed in Justin's wedding day suit as they snapped some adorable photos. The big reveal went viral online, with Rosie documenting their story in a TikTok which has over 10 million views. One viewer said they were "Obsessed!" with the photos, while another praised Rosie's new look, saying “You absolutely ate it up in that suit, my god.” And while many commenters pointed out that as darling as Rosie and her hubby looked, the real stars of this TikTok show were her parents. “Your parents hair?? The drinks?? The cig?? Perfection” wrote one. “Your Dad looks like Neil Diamond in his early years,” pointed out another, while another viewer thought "it was a deleted scene from Parent Trap,” noting her father's resemblance to Dennis Quaid. Other viewers were quick to comment on how reflective and sweet the recreation photos were, with one person writing, "This is such a cool tradition to carry on!! Absolutely love this." Another viewer summed up Rosie and Justin's adorable relationship, writing, "The fact that your new hubby loved the idea shows you found the one." Image credits: TikTok

Relationships

Our Partners

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Newspaper

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Compare

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

How 8-year-old Ruby McLellan became Australia's youngest home owner

Elevating tradition: La Traviata at the Sydney Opera House

Paul Hogan calls Margot Robbie's Oscars snub a "dull tradition"

Virgin Australia announces big news for pet owners

"Other cities will follow": Big trouble ahead for SUV owners

Our dogs can terrify (and even kill) wildlife. Here’s how to be a responsible owner this summer

Aussies lament the end of ancient "Beers for Garbos" tradition

New fines of over $100k for owners of dogs that attack a person

"Cutest thing ever": Bride and groom praised for breaking wedding tradition

Matt Damon’s new Australian family tradition

Is traditional heterosexual romance sexist?

The 15 dog breeds perfect for first-time owners

Brave dog owner speaks out after harrowing ordeal

Tragic end for Indi the Jack Russell after he and owner mauled in vicious attack

Why we should take our pets more seriously

Charles revives royal tradition at Trooping the Colour

How traditional Indigenous education helped four lost children survive 40 days in the Amazon jungle

Cafe owner responds to extortionate avocado drama

Destructive dog ruins owner’s cherished Monstera

Bride and groom follow hilarious family tradition by swapping wedding outfits

Our Partners

News

Shop

Catalogues

Newspaper

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Compare

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

How 8-year-old Ruby McLellan became Australia's youngest home owner

Elevating tradition: La Traviata at the Sydney Opera House

Paul Hogan calls Margot Robbie's Oscars snub a "dull tradition"

Virgin Australia announces big news for pet owners

"Other cities will follow": Big trouble ahead for SUV owners

Our dogs can terrify (and even kill) wildlife. Here’s how to be a responsible owner this summer

Aussies lament the end of ancient "Beers for Garbos" tradition

New fines of over $100k for owners of dogs that attack a person

"Cutest thing ever": Bride and groom praised for breaking wedding tradition

Matt Damon’s new Australian family tradition

Is traditional heterosexual romance sexist?

The 15 dog breeds perfect for first-time owners

Brave dog owner speaks out after harrowing ordeal

Tragic end for Indi the Jack Russell after he and owner mauled in vicious attack

Why we should take our pets more seriously

Charles revives royal tradition at Trooping the Colour

How traditional Indigenous education helped four lost children survive 40 days in the Amazon jungle

Cafe owner responds to extortionate avocado drama

Destructive dog ruins owner’s cherished Monstera

Bride and groom follow hilarious family tradition by swapping wedding outfits

Our Partners

Join Over60