World Book Day Afternoon Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Unit 2/

A few literature lovers gathered for a World Book Day afternoon tea, and we had a great time discussing our favourite books. Some residents had brought the books they are currently with them to show and talk a bit about, and there was a lively conversation about our favourite authors. We also took part in a literary-themed quiz, which provided a good amount of thought and fun. All in all it was an enjoyable afternoon tea, and the book theme encouraged lots of chat and interesting suggestions for future reads.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Breakfast

/ Bondi Beach Astra Unit 2/

We had a beautiful sunny day for our beginning-of-Lent pancake morning, and everyone came up to unit 2 in high spirits (the lounge being out of action this week). The water sparkled as we sat down to a sumptuous breakfast of pancakes, fresh fruit, cream, jam, maple syrup, nutella, lemon and sugar! Aaron and Alana provided traditional Aussie thick pancakes, and Anna made European-style crepes. There was plenty of choice for everyone who came, and teas, coffees and soft drinks all round. It was a happy and colourful affair, and being able to see the beautiful beach definitely added to the atmosphere. Thanks to all those who came, and to those who lent a hand, for a fun and enjoyable community get-together.

World Radio Day

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

A blast from our yesteryears got us all excited thinking of the glory days of radio in Australia. From the early AM-only days through to the multitude of channels that we have today, our ears rang with delight at the sounds long gone. We began with a small explanation of World Radio Day, how different radio waves work and the history of commercial radio in Australia. We listened to excerpts from programs like 'Dad and Dave', 'Blue Hills', and sporting events and commercials. Ahh, the memories came flooding back! We exchanged a variety of stories of favourite programs and programs from other countries, and looked at pictures of old radio episodes and the big units of days gone by that we grew up with. The halcyon days of radio may now be long gone, but they will never be forgotten.

Written by Aaron Ross

Yum Cha Lunch for Chinese New Year

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Ni hao. We celebrated the Chinese year of the rat with a fantastic yum cha lunch. Aaron and Kirsty were slaving away in the kitchen with Darryl as server of the food. We feasted on traditional Chinese delicacies such as BBQ pork buns, dumplings and dim sims. This was supplemented with gyoza, spring rolls, samosa and money bags. Delicious foods were washed down with jelly drinks for the adventurous. The dishes were cooked and delivered on small plates yum cha style with labels advising what they were. The food just kept on coming, plate after plate, until we were nearly full. Then we had crackers and traditional Chinese lollies for dessert, which made us full to bursting. A full dining room provided plenty of atmosphere and the day was a joyous event, universally liked.

Written by Aaron Ross

2020 Bondi Beach Astra Retirement Village Launch

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We got up bright and early on Saturday 1st February to greet the new month and the year 2020 with a re-cap of 2019 at the Astra and a look forward to the year to come. Sam, Aaron and Anna each gave a short presentation on a relevant topic - the legislative changes for Retirement Villages that have come into effect, the social events we took part in last year and what we have to look forward to this year, the changes we have been seeing around the Astra, and what we can aspire to for the future. And finally, we unveiled our new village logo, which we are excited to start using this year. It was a great event and lots of residents came to hear what we had to say. Some brought friends and relatives, and it was an excellent opportunity for us to get together and chat about this beautiful building and the community that we call home. After the presentations we had a Q&A time, and then a lovely morning tea with fresh fruit, nuts, homemade cakes and plenty of drinks. Cheers! Here’s to a fabulous 2020!

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.