Skip to content

Category: Good To Be Aussies

Published on Leave a comment on How To Do Companion Planting With A Handy List For Beginners

by Green Life Soil in WA

Companion planting is the careful placement of plants (especially vegetables and herbs) which have been shown to have beneficial effects on one another. Sometimes, this comes down to simple physical reasons – taller plants provide shelter from sun and wind for plants that need protection. Climbing plants can be trained up over taller plants to maximise production in small spaces. Some plants make good companions because their roots grow to different depths, so simply do not compete with each other for water and nutrients.

Plants in the legume family (eg. Peas and beans) promote growth in nearby plants with their nitrogen fixing ability – nodules on the roots enable plants to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form used by plants. Also they tend to be deep rooted, which promotes aeration of the soil, thus benefiting their neighbours.

The shape of some plants and their flowers can visually confuse insect pests.…

3

Published on 3 Comments on Good Healthy Wholesome Oats OR Cheapskate Rip-Off Cereals? What’s Your Choice?

By Janet Vargas - Independent Natural Health Research 30+ Yrs

Like someone so rightly said: Oats are Naturally Processed, Oats are OATS. 100% No Preservatives, No Additives, No Colourings. They are Uncomplicated REAL Food that Nourishes with “NO Extras” Frugal Food, Cheap to Buy!

And you can add whatever you like – you know what’s in there.

So if you’re going to “Cut things on the Budget” don’t downsize on Healthy Nutritious Meals, cut out those Sugar Laden and Artificially Coloured Ultra-Processed devitalised “Cereals” those Con Artists charge you the Earth for instead.

What an Absolute RIP-OFF and you’re taking them home, one after the other, Friends? And half the time, it’s because you weren’t brought up with OATS wonderful Oats OR your Kids have been Targeted by the Cunning guise of those Shrewd Manufacturers. Yes, they deliberately target your Kids with those endless Ads (so many rounds a day/evening) because they Know they will “Nag You” until they get what they want!…

Published on Leave a comment on Australian Magpies So Clever – Scientists Experiment Makes The New York Times

The Americans just love our Kookaburras - they're simply wrapped in them. This time it's our Maggies! Our Scientists carried out a well thought-out plan because they know the Maggies are such a Smart Intelligent Bird. Yes, they put a lot of thought into it and the Maggies still Won!!!

Australia’s Clever Birds Did Not Consent to This Science Experiment
Yes, Maggies Outsmart Scientists - They Win Again!

By Anthony Ham - New York Times

The magpies showed their smarts by helping one another remove tracking harnesses that scientists carefully placed on them.

The Australian magpie is one of the cleverest birds on earth. It has a beautiful song of extraordinary complexity. It can recognize and remember up to 30 different human faces.

But Australians know magpies best for their penchant for mischief. An enduring rite of passage of an Australian childhood is dodging the birds every spring as they swoop down to attack those they view as a threat.…

Published on Leave a comment on Caregiving Can Be Stressful, But It Could Also Lower Risk of Depression

By University of Texas at Austin

Becoming a Caregiver to an Aging Parent or Spouse can be stressful, but a new study from a Researcher at The University of Texas at Austin is questioning the idea that Family Caregiving is a risk factor for Depression.

The study, published in the journal Advances in Life Course Research, found that depression in adult Caregivers is mostly driven by having a Loved One experiencing serious health problems, while becoming a Caregiver is associated with fewer symptoms of Depression.

"Decades of Research on this topic indicate that there are positive and negative aspects to being a caregiver," said Sae Hwang Han, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences who is the author of the paper. "It's widely assumed the negatives far outweigh the positives, that Caregiving is a chronic stressor and that it contributes to worse health and well-being.…

Published on Leave a comment on Tired Of Commercialism And Unnecessary Waste? Have You Heard Of Repair Cafes?

Have you ever been concerned about the Amount of Household Items that make it to the Bin or Tip through the Years or even Weeks or Months after purchase? There are plenty of People who think the Same Way. And there are Groups of People who get together at different Locations across Australia and run REPAIR CAFES. Possibilities are they can help You with that/those Item/Items you don't want to dispense of - it's worth a try - they Fix such a Variety of Things!

I have seen one of these Cafes myself - they are Good People!

Repair Café Inspires The World

“In Europe, we throw out so many things,” says Martine Postma, long frustrated by our throwaway culture. “I wanted to do something about it.”

What she did was to open the first Repair Café in Amsterdam, a social space where people could learn to fix anything from vacuum cleaners and toys to jewellery and clothes—rather than throw them in the trash.…

Published on Leave a comment on Retired Dentist’s Bird’s-Eye View Of Australia From His Homemade Jet Aircraft

By James Tugwell ABC

Look up on any sunny weekend on the NSW south coast and you may just see a 5-metre-long bright red jet zooming along the coastline.

What you might not notice, as it zooms past at nearly 500 kilometres per hour, is that the jet is homemade — the first of its model to be flown outside of America.

Andre Viljoen Flies His Homemade Jet
(Supplied: Marg Craig Photography)

It took retired dentist Andre Viljoen more than 3,000 hours in his small hangar in Moruya to build the plane from a kit he ordered online.

But when he is gliding 500 feet above the coastline, it is worth it.

"It's probably like being in a very, very fast racing car," Dr Viljoen says.

The Subsonnex jet is the latest addition to Dr Viljoen's aviation collection: he built his previous four aircraft in his garage.

Building homemade planes
From as young as four years old, Dr Viljoen dreamt about soaring through the clouds and he has never outgrown his aeronautical fascination.…

Published on Leave a comment on Thomas Created A Social Group For People With Autism. Community Circles Spread The Word!

ABC Illawarra / By Brooke Chandler Jun 2023

After struggling to make friends, Thomas Walters Whyte made the life-changing decision to create a social group for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Driven by the desire to meet people who understood him, the 22-year-old has created a little community in Bowral in the NSW Southern Highlands.

Thomas Walters Creates A Group For Young People With Autism

"I felt alone," Thomas said.

"I was trying to connect with the members of my local horse riding club but because I was the only ASD person, I struggled. I couldn't relate to what they are saying."

With encouragement from his mother Jessica Whyte, Thomas posted the idea about a social group tailored specifically for young adults with mild ASD to Facebook.

The concept reached a greater audience when Rose Shaw from Community Circles offered her networking skills.

"There are large organisations trying to help people like me, but I just fell into the gaps," Thomas said.…

Published on Leave a comment on Bartering Successfully Brings Ancient Grain Seeds To Riverina Farm Beralla NSW

ABC Rural / By Cara Jeffery and David Claughton 2021

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ARTICLE FROM THE ABC 2 YRS AGO PRESERVED HERE ON OURS AUSTRALIA BECAUSE I DISCOVERED THIS COUPLE'S STORY ON THEIR WEBSITE A YEAR AGO AND BELIEVE IN WHAT THEY ARE DOING - GROWING THE ANCIENT GRAINS SPELT and KHORASAN, THAT ARE MUCH HEALTHIER THAN MODERN WHEAT, AND TASTY TOO. VERY NUTRITIOUS.

Riverina organic grain-grower Bettina Walker has gone back in time to secure the future of an ancient grain variety.

The southern New South Wales grower bartered her rye grain for some hard-to-come-by Khorasan wheat seed to grow on her farm at Barellan in Southern NSW.

Ancient grains are a rarity on Riverina farms, where modern varieties of wheat, canola and barley dominate paddocks.

This season Mrs Walker and her husband, Robert, were growing two ancient grain varieties — Khorasan wheat and spelt — alongside a mix of traditional rye, oats and modern wheat.…

Published on Leave a comment on ‘Payday Super’ Changes Tipped To Add Thousands To Retirement Incomes, Catch More Unpaid Superannuation

By political reporter Jake Evans and business reporter Nassim Khadem

Posted Tuesday 2nd May 2023

Millions of Australian workers are set to retire with thousands more in their superannuation accounts after changes from the federal government requiring all businesses to pay their employees' superannuation on payday.

From July 1, 2026, employers will need to pay super on payday, rather than quarterly, making it easier for workers to track when their super is not being paid.

The change also reduces the risk of unpaid superannuation debts when a company collapses into bankruptcy.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the more frequent super payments would increase retirement incomes.

"It's just common sense to pay it with wages," Mr Chalmers said.

"It's a simple change, it will strengthen the system and it will boost retirement incomes — and the main reason for that is that it will make it less likely that people will miss out on the super they have earned and that they are entitled to."…

Published on Leave a comment on Mood-Boosting and Over-all Benefits of Having Pets

WE BENEFIT FROM THE COMPANY OF AND INTERACTION WITH PETS AND ANIMALS. GUESS WHAT BENEIFITS HAVING A PET AT HOME AFFORDS? PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY. AND THE BETTER WE LOOK AFTER THEM, THE HAPPIER THEY ARE. HAVING A WELL CARED FOR PET/PETS IS A RELATIONSHIP OF RECIPROCATION. PEOPLE DERIVE A SENSE OF COMFORT, CONTENTMENT OR HAPPINESS INTERACTING WITH THEIR PETS. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE BENEFIT PHYSICALLY AS WELL? IT'S AMAZING WHAT SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THESE THINGS NOW. LET'S HAVE A PEAK AND SEE:)

Pets are Cute and Pets are Cuddly - Pets are Great!

Pets come with some powerful health benefits. Here’s how caring for a dog, cat, or other animal can help relieve depression and anxiety, lower stress, and improve your heart health.

The benefits of pets
Most pet owners are clear about the immediate joys that come with sharing their lives with companion animals.…