Annual Management Meeting

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

BBARV's Annual Management Meeting went off without a hitch, and it was a great opportunity for residents to get together and put questions to Sam, Aaron and Anna. Aaron began the meeting with a breakdown of the financials for the year, and then we discussed possible projects in the pipeline for the future. Penny and Sam explained a bit about the differences between Strata and the Retirement Village, as ours is a complicated situation. We ended with a lovely morning tea of cakes and fruit, and plenty of people stayed around to chat afterwards. Thanks to everyone who came.

Puzzle Day Puzzling

/ Bondi Beach Astra Foyer and Lounge/

It was a successful event last year, so we decided to put on some Puzzle Day activities again this year. The foyer and lounge became home to jigsaws, word and number puzzles, dot-the-dots and a number of other tactile puzzle sets. We hope you enjoyed your puzzling!

Australia Day BBQ

/ Bondi Beach Astra Courtyard/

It was a beautiful warm day on Sunday 26th, and a large group of 25 or so residents gathered in the lounge and courtyard to celebrate Australia Day! The food was expertly cooked and enjoyed by all who came - thanks to everyone who was involved in that process. The wine was freely flowing and a good number stayed up having a laugh in the courtyard until quite late. All in all, it was a great turnout and a great fun event. We had ordered some flags from the different countries represented at the Astra, but unfortunately they didn't arrive in time. Ah well, there’s always next year!

Hat Day Morning Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Well I think Hat Day was a roaring success - any opportunity to gather for a coffee and a biscuit…and of course wear a silly hat. We hat big hats and small hats, floppy sunhats and traditional Aussie hats, well-travelled hats and hats with interesting stories! It’s amazing how much more special the event felt, just wearing a hat and doing something a bit out of the ordinary.

Trivia Day Morning Tea with Trivia

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We had a lovely morning tea for Trivia Day last week. It was a great opportunity for us to get together and have a chat over a cuppa and some trivia questions. We started with a set of questions and picture clues that Aaron and I had put together, but when the residents smashed through those rounds only getting one question wrong, we knew we had to do something more difficult! Thanks to Margaret who went to get her iPad; we spent a happy hour puzzling over the SMH questions, as well as some rounds from the Trivial Pursuit app. It’s always good to start the day (and the year!) with some brain-taxing activities, and we all had a great time.

New Year's Eve Bring and Share Dinner

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Who would have thought that a casual conversation at afternoon tea a few weeks ago would have resulted in a wonderful NewYear’s Eve celebration here at the Astra! Informal! Impromptu, no cooking, no fuss, with the deployment of the old tried and trusted catering method of ‘bring a plate and BYO drinks’. The office posted a notice and about ten residents registered their interest.

As time moved on through Christmas, another quick decision fixed a starting time, and another notice was posted with suggestions of food items that might be suitable. In the end it wasn’t ten, but almost twenty happy, enthusiastic revellers who rolled up for the Astra NYE celebrations, mostly residents, but some friends, or perhaps we should say ‘Friends of the Astra.’

There was food aplenty, a banquet surpassing all expectations. There was music; thank you to Cecilia who played piano, and Lore for her Spotify tablet. And to the rousing chorus of voices joining in the singing. There was dancing, with George and Mary leading the charge. There was jovial conversation and the atmosphere throbbed with conviviality and good will.

The 9pm fireworks lit up on the TV, but as everyone was having such a good time, no one was in a hurry to leave, with some stalwarts hanging in to watch the midnight show. It was, we all agreed, an extraordinary night, and a wonderful start to 2020.

Many thanks to everyone for making this an occasion to remember. And thank you to Aaron and Anna who interacted with residents on arrangements and posted our notices. And Anna, the reorganised kitchen cupboards were a real bonus. I hope we left them in good order. May 2020 be a year free of dissension for that grand old lady, The Astra, and its residents.

Written by Cleo Lynch

Christmas Party

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

It is the highlight of our social calendar, and this year we kicked off our festivities at 5pm with drinks in the lounge. Our new lounge furniture had just arrived in time for us to enjoy the comfy chairs and sofas throughout the evening. There was much chatting and catching up over drinks, and then we headed next door to the Tratt for a Christmas meal. We had prawns and salad to start, followed by turkey and ham and all the trimmings. It was a lovely meal and the staff made us feel welcome (as they always do).

When we returned to the Astra, John, our music maestro for the evening, was getting ready to serenade us to dessert. John has played for us before, and always delights with his guitar and trumpet playing skills. There was a wide selection of desserts on offer for us, as well as plenty of alcohol and soft drinks to keep us going into the night. The Christmas decorations sparkled as we danced and sang and ate. At the mid-point we drew the raffle to see who would be going away with a prize this year. There were food hampers, gift cards, candles and all sorts for people to choose from. Congratulations to Mary, who won the big hamper that had gifts donated by the residents, and to everyone else whose ticket was drawn. We couldn’t have done it without you all!

After the raffle we had some speeches and a short summary of the year’s events. Then it was back to dancing and chatting and drinking, and having a great festive time. I think it’s fair to say we all had a lovely evening - many residents came by the office over the next few days to say what a nice time they had. Thanks to John for the music, Chris and Patricia for getting the desserts, and to everyone who came and contributed to the party atmosphere.

Make a Gift Day Craft Workshop

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

It was ‘Make a Gift Day’, so appropriately we thought it would be good to have a gift making workshop just in time for Christmas. There was a large variety of craft tools available to residents including paper, textas, paints, glue, ribbon, buttons, beads and glitter! We also had mini terracotta pots, photo frames and little cork bottles to use as a base for creating our gifts. Several people painted on the pots and frames, while a few others made gift tags and put confetti and glitter in the bottles. It was a very enjoyable morning of crafting and chatting, and everyone made something lovely (regardless of how talented or otherwise they claimed to be at the start!) Thanks to everyone who came.

Bake a Cake Day Cake Baking Day!

/ Bondi Beach Astra Kitchen/

A bunch of budding Astra bakers celebrated ‘Bake a Cake Day’ by, you guessed it, baking a cake! It was a group effort with input and ideas from those residents that came. Fun was had by all, and the end result was a vanilla and chocolate layered sponge with fresh cream and strawberries topped with a dusting of icing sugar. Yum! The cake was served at afternoon tea and was so enjoyed that there was none left by the end of the day.

Prestige Home Care Afternoon Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Amanda from Prestige Home Care brought a lovely tea for us one afternoon and gave a presentation about home care options for the future. We had pastries and scones, biscuits, tea and coffee as we listened to the different choices that people have for staying in their own homes with care from Prestige and other providers.

Prestige provides care for Government-funded home care packages, as well as private care. Amanda spoke about how the company used to be called 'Dutiful Daughters', and has been operating in the Eastern suburbs for decades. Their care packages range from 2 hours a week to 24 hours a day, and they will help with almost anything from cooking and shopping to changing dressings on wounds. Their staff are all trained in aged care, and they have registered nurses also.

It was an interesting talk and the residents that came got a lot out of chatting with Amanda and asking questions. If you would like to find out more you can pop in to the office or call Prestige on 1300 10 30 10.

Roses and History: Our Trip to Parramatta Park

/ Rumsey Rose Garden/

What a delightful day some Astra residents spent at Parramatta Park, admiring the roses of Rumsey Gardens and touring Old Government House. The sun shone and the mood was relaxed and happy.

With the closure of the Rumsey specialist rose nursery at Dural in the late 1980s, two of each variety were gifted to Heritage Roses. The Rumsey Rose Garden, featuring some of the oldest roses in the colony, was opened in 1995. Although not all roses were in full bloom, we were amazed at the age and the international origins of this collection.

Some of us took the opportunity to visit Old Government House, built by convicts, and the country residence of the first ten governors of the colony. Restoration and refurbishment with antique furnishings briefly transported us to that colonial era. All the soft furnishings have been handmade and stitched by a group of volunteers, some of whom we met in their workroom.

While a few availed themselves of lunch at the nearby RSL Club, the remainder opted to dine at the restaurant attached to the Gatekeeper’s Cottage. And what a spread it was! Tables covered with snow white tablecloths were set up in an intimate little room. Tea cups and saucers were laid out for English (or Irish, in deference to the minority among us) tea. The service was impeccable, and the cost modest. Thank you, Ann, for booking our table.

We arrived home safe and sound, with numbers intact, a feat attributable to Kirsty’s organisation and aptitude with numbers.

Thank you to Aaron and Anna, for organising the bus, and to Sam for footing the bill for the transport.

Written by Cleo Lynch

Melbourne Cup Extravaganza

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

What a beautiful day it was for the race that stops the nation. And here at the Astra we gathered in the lounge amongst the racing-themed decorations for a high tea-style lunch while we waited for the main event to begin. There were hats and fascinators, dresses and suits galore in a variety of fresh spring colours. Aaron made a large variety of sandwiches, Anna took care of the cakes and all the food was arranged to give the feel of a sumptuous high tea.

As the race drew closer, we collected money for sweeps and everyone waited keenly to see which horses they had drawn. And what a race it was! There was only a nose between them at the finishing line, and it had been too close to call right until the end. The winners of the $2 and $5 sweeps were Lillian and Eva, and second and third place got a share of the prize money too. Congratulations to everyone who came away a winner, and thanks to everyone else who came along for the fun and food. “One of the best ever” was the verdict of one resident!

World Food Day

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Well, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go all in for ‘World Food Day’…so we celebrated in style with a veritable feast for the residents! There were cheeses from a variety of different countries, Italian pizza, Japanese sushi and sashimi, and Vietnamese rolls. We also had foods from Mexico, the US, India, Brazil, Spain, Greece, Thailand, as well as the quintessential Aussie meat pie and lamingtons. A great world food day was had by all the residents, with lots of chatting in between mouthfuls of amazing food. Yum!

Retirement Village Ambassador Visit

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We were very honoured to welcome Retirement Village Ambassador, Kathryn Greiner, to the Astra in October. She spoke to us in depth about the Retirement Village Inquiry that she had headed, and what outcomes and new legislation had come from her recommendations. Ms Greiner is an extremely eloquent speaker, and she obviously had a great deal of experience and knowledge to share with us. It was a pleasure to hear her views on the current shape of the industry, and to have her available for a detailed Q&A session after her presentation. Following on from the Q&A session, those of us who were able to stayed for a cuppa and a biscuit and a chat.

Thanks to everyone from the Astra who came to show their support for this event, and in particular to Cleo who was instrumental in helping to bring it about.

'Get Online Week' Technology Workshop and BBQ Lunch

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

It was ‘Get Online Week’ from 14th to 20th October and, as we are in partnership with the government’s Be Connected programme we held an extended technology workshop this month. Our theme was ‘The Wonders of the World Wide Web’, which varied topic covered all sorts of issues ranging from cyber safety to technical jargon to online shopping and banking. The presentation went for longer than usual, as Aaron allowed extra time for discussion and Q&A, and then we shared a BBQ lunch together afterwards. We had sausages, salads, fruit and cheeses, and it was a lovely end to an information-packed morning.

At this workshop we also announced our recent acquisition of three new iPads and an iMac for use by the residents. These are exciting times as we upgrade our facilities and help everyone who wants to to get online.

Train Your Brain Day

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

To celebrate 'Train Your Brain Day', and to highlight some of the ways we can all keep our brains active, we held an afternoon tea with games and puzzles galore. It was a good turn out, and much fun was had by everyone undertaking a variety of stimulating activities. We had crosswords and sudokus, brainteasers and jigsaws, as well as doodling pads for the freestylers among us. Aaron ran us through a few of the main ways the professionals suggest we should keep our brains healthy and active, and this gave us plenty of food for thought for the rest of the afternoon.

If you are interested in the ways in which you can keep your brain active, ask at the office and we will be happy to print you a copy of our handy tips and tricks sheet. It’s never too early to train your brain!

Photography Day

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

It was a nice change of pace for us to have Guy Wilkinson, professional photographer, come to talk to us about his work last week. He showed us some of his most recent photos in a presentation, and told us about how he got into the profession. Guy mainly focuses on photographing buildings, but his enthusiasm for anything photographic was evident as he spoke. He spoke about how taking a photo of someone can show you their soul and be a very intimate experience. We discussed the interest and challenge of wedding photography, of school portrait photography, and of wildlife photography. Guy explained his editing process, and surprised us all with the length of time it takes him to edit one photograph.

Guy had his Canon camera with him and he talked about the benefits of different lenses and filters. He also had his new iPhone (with three cameras!) that he is still enjoying playing with. He showed us some tricks to focusing and changing the light levels when you take a photo on a phone. Guy’s final key message to all of us was “keep taking photos”, whether it’s with a camera or a phone, and enjoy yourself with photography. Next time we’ll plan for a practical photography workshop, where we go outside and take photos of things…

Oktoberfest Bonanza

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Last week we celebrated Oktoberfest in style at the Astra, with food, beer tasting, costumes, decorations and traditional music. It was a really fun, well-attended event. Aaron did a sterling job as ever on the BBQ, cooking sausages, onions and chicken schnitzel. In addition, we had bread rolls, salad, cheeses, and plenty of fruit. For dessert, we enjoyed a sumptuous black forest gateau with lashings of cream and chocolate.

The decorations were Bavarian-themed, and provided a nice back drop to the crucial part of the proceedings; beer tasting! We had a variety of German and Bavarian-style beers, each with their own flavours and stories. And after the beer, with a contentedly full stomach, it seemed appropriate for us to finish with a few sips of butterscotch schnapps. Whether drinking or not, it was great to be able to relax and chat over lunch with the strains of waltzes in our ears. A few of us even managed to dress up for the occasion, with traditional(ish) clothes and scarves…and pinnies galore! Lots of fun and laughter was had by all, and our thanks go to everyone who came and made it such a lovely occasion. Prost!!

Talk Like a Pirate Party

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Arrrrr me hearties!! In recognition of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, we had a pirate-themed party with afternoon tea, plenty of decorations and a colourful array of costumes. It was a lot of fun to gather together and share some food with the skull and crossbones in the background and the sound of pirate patter in the air! The conversation wound its way round to real life pirates and their bad behaviour, and even to the question “where’s me rum?”! Much enjoyment was had by all and we all felt uplifted by the opportunity to have a chat with friends and neighbours.

Proud Mary Murray River Cruise Presentation

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Yesterday afternoon we were pleased to welcome Lisa, a representative of Proud Mary, to the Astra to give a presentation on their luxury Murray River and Barossa Valley experience. Lisa talked us through the itinerary, and then showed us a short video of testimonials from previous participants. The scenery there is stunning and the food and accommodation on the ships looks lovely. I think there were more than a few interested parties at the end of it, and Lisa stayed for a while to answer questions and help people to fill in forms.

Along with the presentation, we were treated to wine and nibbles in the form of cheese and biscuits, dips and fruit. It was a nice way to spend an hour at the end of the day, and thanks to Lisa and to all those that came along to hear. I look forward to seeing photos and hearing stories of any residents from the Astra going to that area. It’s certainly on my bucket list now!