Earlier this year, I responded to a request for stories for NEVE, a website where women and girls with disability can tell their stories. I applied because I wanted to tell my story about ‘Birding Read More
Sunday 17 November 2024, marked the day my daughter Sarah, and I tackled the legendary Point to Pinnacle in Hobart, Tasmania. This year happened to be the 30th anniversary of the P2P, a gruelling event Read More
Did you see that? Or would you have missed it, like my youngest brother did for the first 11 years of his life? Glasses for Kids, is a program currently being tested in schools, to Read More
I tried to come up with a clever title for this post but couldn’t. I’m just going to say it as it is, because this isn’t some rare occurrence—it happens most days whenever VIPs (Vision Read More
They might look innocent. But don’t be fooled. Trust me, I’m not going to draw on the mat. And I’m so good. I use my easel. You’re not in trouble because you told the truth. Read More
Trekking for Vision: Join Me in Empowering Lives with Every Step! ???? In March 2025, I’ll be taking on the beautiful Abel Tasman hike in New Zealand, but this journey isn’t just about the trek. Read More
‘Well sir, we’ve got seven hopefuls lined up for the position.’ ‘They’re a motley looking lot,’ notes the boss. He scans the applicants seated on white plastic chairs from left to right. They stare straight Read More
Focal Point on Vision Australia Radio. Listen from 11:47 a.m. by Radio, Digital and online@radio.org. Annette Leishman, Ambassador for Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria, and Rachel McDonald, a physiotherapy student at the University of Melbourne, are encouraging all to take part in the enormous amount of opportunities Read More
‘Where do you want to sit?’ ‘Dunno – probably just comes down to colour, doesn’t it? Orange or that nice blue?’ ‘Let’s go for the orange seats. They’re more accessible – easier to get in Read More
No wonder everyone thought I was bad at sport when I was at primary school. In those days, basketball was the sport of (no) choice for primary school girls, while the boys got to play Read More
I was asked this question a few days ago, and my initial response was, ‘Well, it all depends on what you’re talking about.’ Of course, I was just joking. I knew exactly what the lady Read More
‘Ouch’. That’s usually my first reaction. Others might opt for a more colourful ‘f*&#king hell!’ as they wipe the blood streaming out of their nostrils. Luckily, I haven’t had a nosebleed thanks to out-of-control directionals Read More
As a member of the low and no vision community, I’m definitely not the only one giving a cheer to the City of Melbourne Council for finally pulling the plug on those e-scooter contracts with Read More
One hot Saturday afternoon in a late October, Dad wanted to go to Bunnings to buy a protea. He loved those plants, and I wanted to do everything I could to give him some joy Read More
One of my favourite podcasts is the Blindboy Podcast. The episode titled ‘Crying and Shame and Underpants’, 23rd November, 2022 brought back painful memories that I had buried decades ago. When Blindboy shared the story Read More
On a brisk Monday morning in August, a group of would-be ice- skaters gathered at Flinders Street Station for an icy adventure. Joined by Miriam, the organiser, from Blind Sports and Recreation Victoria (BSRV), we kick Read More
The restaurant was dimly lit. The sound of voices and clinking glasses filled the air. I stood near the entrance, frozen, clutching my white cane feeling the stares of the people seated around the table. Read More
Temu – you’re cancelled. By me anyway. I’d heard about you and checked you out online. It wasn’t long before I started buying heaps of your plastic snap-together puzzles, a tiny plastic farmyard set and Read More
A letter to my grandchildren. Dear Kieran, Alana, Patrick, Angus, and Luna, This is June 2024, and the world has gone completely mad. Over in America, two old men are vying for the for the Read More
There’s something truly special about stripping down to your bare skin, wearing nothing but a bright red bathing cap, and wrapping yourself in a big white towel. Your skin might be a bit different to Read More
There were three little kids in the tub: Kieran,7, Alana,5, and Patrick 15 months, aka Paddy. Their mother, my daughter Hannah, was giving them a bath. My only job was to pass the towels. As Read More
Recently, I was interviewed by Peter Greco of Vision Australia Radio, South Australia. We talked about the “Birding by Ear” sensory walk at Westgate Park, Victoria. The walk is unique compared to other park walks Read More
It was a beautiful sunny morning, the first Friday in May, when Sarah and I set off for our weekend getaway. She had come over from Tasmania and hired a Tea Rock City Life especially Read More
As kids, my brothers and I usually spent part of the school holidays with our cousins at Old Greenhills, Triabunna. The property was nestled along the rugged east coast of Tasmania, where our grandparents lived Read More
The library used to be a serene sanctuary for studious souls like myself. But that was in pre- pandemic times. It was a place where I could write assignments, or apply for jobs, or channel Read More
At a time in my life when my kids should have been a constant source of teenage angst, they defied the norm. Rather than loitering around shopping malls after or during school hours and being Read More
There once was a school groundsman whose hobby was fixing cars. Let’s call him Steve (not his real name). I thought he was a nice dude, but he wasn’t. Then there was Murray (not his Read More
How many people have had the chance to discover Herring Island? Not many it seems. But a few more of us have now. On a fresh morning in late February, a group of enthusiastic adventure Read More
We’ve all done it. But we didn’t know we were doing it. Twalking, the timeless art of merging talk and walk, has been a cherished pastime since time immemorial. But who knew we were twalking? Read More
As a farmer's daughter living in country Tasmania in the 1960s, there were limited opportunities for learning to play music. But all that changed when we moved to the city.
Recently an exciting opportunity landed in my lap – an invitation to lead a park sensory walk. As someone who cherishes the tranquillity of park strolls and embraces every chance that comes my way (well, Read More
‘Fàilte agus madainn mhath’. That means ‘Welcome everyone and good morning’ in Scottish Gaelic. Now, I must admit, not many people these days would understand that Gaelic phrase. It’s the latest language I have been Read More
A few months ago, as I was catching up on my emails from Blind Sports and Recreation Victoria (BSRV), an unexpected invitation to go kayaking popped into my inbox. The prospect of kayaking initially seemed Read More
‘We are going to vote for the Aboriginals’. That was my grandson’s response in his sweet little 6-year-old voice, when I asked him what he was going to do today. Today happened to be Saturday Read More
The grandchildren are developing their culinary skills and becoming quite useful – in the kitchen. They are not only whipping up delicious meals but also mastering the art of baking. To top it off, they Read More
We weren’t political protesters, or petty thieves who had to steal a loaf of bread to survive. Or steal clothes from washing lines. We didn’t even steal a sheep or steal from a dwelling. These Read More
Ron Hooper isn’t your average Aussie bloke. He’s an extraordinary individual who has faced many challenges but has managed to transform adversity into a rich and fulfilling life. For one thing, he did not allow Read More
Kieran was so proud of the gap in his mouth. Being the youngest in the class, he was surrounded by a whole bunch of gappy toothed kids. After weeks of obsessively wiggling his first loose Read More
You don’t have to go far out of Melbourne to experience the great outdoors and immerse yourself in nature. Once again, I was grateful to have the opportunity to do just that, thanks to Blind Read More
When words aren’t necessary.
As a 60 and a bit year old single woman with a vision impairment (nothing that a pair of glasses was ever going to fix – but thanks to the folks who suggested it), I Read More
The formal gardens surrounding the Werribee Park mansion are stunning to say the least. Trees and shrubs from all over the world set in well maintained lawns are a prominent feature of the gardens. In Read More
Once upon a time in a distant land, there lived an aging Prince who was finally crowned King Charles, the third of England. The prince had waited patiently for 70 long years, yearning for the Read More
On a beautiful day in late April, I seized the opportunity to explore Yarra Bend Park. This was another amazing park walk that was organised by Rachel from Blind Sports and Recreation (BSRV) and Parks Read More
Recently the Blindboy Podcast caught my attention. At first, I found the host really disturbing. I thought I was listening to a computer-generated voice – a spooky one. It could’ve been Siri or Alexa’s aging Read More
In November 2022, my friend Heather introduced me to the joys of cruising holidays. We went on a short cruise two-night cruise from Sydney and disembarked at our home port, Melbourne. Recently, Heather invited me Read More
Recently Rachel from Blind Sports and Recreation Victoria (BSRV) invited me to accompany her on a trip to Coolart Wetlands. The purpose of the trip was to check out the accessibility of the park trails Read More
Recently I completed the Audio Ability course:, one of the many courses designed and delivered by the Community Media Training Organisation (CMTO). What is it? It’s a 16-week blended learning course comprising virtual workshops, face Read More
I was fourteen when I put away the tools. The year was 1969 when I slammed the hammer down on that last nail head to secure the final floorboard. The shack was built. Two bedrooms Read More
On Tuesday, 24th of January 2023, I had the opportunity to go to the Australian Open (AO) to see some of the players participating in All Abilities Day matches. This was a true celebration of Read More
“I bet you can’t do that Mum”. Those words ring in my ears as I multi-task at the local pool. I’m wondering what happened to the three-meter diving board as I’m about to jump in Read More
‘So you went to hospital for back pain’, he said in a condescending voice. Sentence. Not question. I knew he was annoyed as soon as he opened his mouth because he hadn’t fixed my damn Read More
My daughter got a call from her son’s teacher. Nothing unusual about that because she’d had quite a few since her first-born Kieran started school this year. However, she was expecting it a few days Read More
Archie Roach (8 January 1956 – 30 July 2022) Archie Roach was so much more than a musician, singer, author and activist. He was a Gunditjmara and Bundjalung elder who fought hard for the rights Read More
It was mid-afternoon on Tuesday, 16 August 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis Presley was at home in his mansion at Graceland. He was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. But sleep didn’t come easily to Read More
The day my father discovered a parking spot that had always been ‘reserved for him’ was actually reserved for a tourist bus was a memorable day indeed. My father was a quiet man most of Read More
For my whole life, I’ve wanted to be a playing member of a sports team. Anything would have done, particularly anything to do with balls. But I was shunned for perfectly good reasons. I could Read More
It seemed like a perfect day. I was soaking up some rays on the beach. My youngest brother Sam was inside the caravan playing games with his teacher. It was clear I wasn’t welcome because Read More
Hannah was foraging as usual. She had always been adventurous when it came to her taste buds. Bland baby foods didn’t interest her. She liked variety in her diet and was prepared to give anything Read More
Good Friday was something that always confused me as a child. Why wasn’t Good Friday known as Bad Friday? Good Friday commemorates the date when Jesus Christ was crucified on 3 April AD. Isn’t that Read More
Meet my sunflowers, my new friends. They have grown tall, strong and healthy from tiny seeds planted against my side fence. Everyone loves them. People passing by stop to admire them. A neighbour asked me Read More
On Thursday 24 February 2022, people suddenly stopped talking about the pandemic. Even the media has been silenced. But it’s not over. It may never be over. The world has entered its third year of Read More
The big Chevrolet. How could I forget it? Dad painted it canary yellow with a big paint brush. We were told the paint had fallen off the back of his Hammond’s truck when we were Read More
I have just experienced one of the saddest days of my life. The 22 January 2022 was the day my beautiful friend Mary passed away in Perth, WA. Without a doubt, she was the bravest Read More
It was on the evening of 5 January 1975 when Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania was suddenly split in two. Not by an earthquake but by human error. A cargo ship, the Lake Illawarra Read More
This December I gave my vocal cords a real workout. Not by talking about ‘the virus COVID 19, 20 and currently 21’ nonstop but by singing Christmas carols. As Ed Ayers from ABC Classic radio Read More
Today I took my harp Brandden, named after his maker, to a party. It was his first outing in over five years. I had been asked to play at a Christmas function at a palliative Read More
It all started with the Christmas Tree biscuits. I was admiring them when the lady at my local bakery asked me, “How much can you see”? As I had a pair of Vision Australia (VA) Read More
What do Viking boats, Chinese junks and Spanish galleons have in common? They are all propelled by wind power. Marine vessels propelled by the power of wind are nothing new. Humans have known about this Read More
I’ve got four little grandchildren (grandies) but as a grandparent I’m not really your Ms Average. I’ve got a toddler car seat but no car. I’ve got eyes that are not much more than just Read More
First let me recap. For four consecutive years, Melbourne has been ranked the most liveable city in the world. But now we have a world record of a different kind. We have achieved the world’s Read More
Today is the seventh day of THE Melbourne protests that began on 20 September outside the CFMEU office. The protests were instigated by mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for construction workers. The government took this approach because Read More
The music had stopped. The silence was broken by the sound of an elderly woman’s voice coming from the back of the room. “That was really beautiful,” she said. She had waited for her moment Read More
It was Wednesday about 9:20 in the morning of the 22nd of September, 2021. I was making a coffee. Suddenly the windows started clanging. The front screen door was banging as it was opening and Read More
How often have you lost a job or not got a job? You know it’s because of your visual impairment. But how can you prove it? Employers are not going to admit to it. In Read More
In Victoria we are now well into Week 4 of our one-week lockdown. It started on 5 August after a mystery infection of the Delta strain of COVID-19 was detected. Now it’s raging across the Read More
Dear Protesters, You are not alone. We all want freedom. But your actions are delaying freedom indefinitely and endangering the lives of the rest of the population. If you have children think about them. I’m Read More
I’ve been limiting my holidays to within five kilometres of my home during 2020/21. And I must say it’s been amazingly stress free. There’s no need to waste hours making online bookings or pack heavy Read More
My interest in toilet training wee ones has resurged since the arrival of four little grandies with a couple of two-year-olds in the mix. It’s mostly called potty training these days but as I’m not Read More
There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around (Henry Lawson, 1895). No seriously. It was at Flinders Street Station. Hundreds had gathered after text messages had been sent around. People were Read More
Everything remained on hold. That was back in the day when there was nothing better than sitting up all night glued to the telly watching the Olympic Games. It was cause for a big celebration, Read More
Does it seem insane to anyone else that a trio of billionaires are flying off into space in their giant phalluses during a pandemic? A time when most Australian citizens can’t travel interstate to visit Read More
The whole of Victoria is now in Lockdown #5. Yes, we’ve already had four, one of which included the world’s longest lockdown. Lockdown #5 is courtesy of New South Wales. Thanks a lot NSW. Our Read More
Today I was walking down the street with my best friend, my mobility cane. Suddenly a male voice shouted out ‘faking it’. I looked around. I could only see one man sitting on a park Read More
Albert raced into the kitchen after hearing a succession of small explosions. His eyes immediately turned up towards the high cupboards. What could it be? The popping sound continued as he watched the foamy bubbles Read More
Unfortunately, not the one that’s on everyone’s lips and in the upper arm of a few others. I had the jab for osteoporosis, aka The Big O. I say unfortunately because I never thought I’d Read More
I think we can safely say that hotel quarantine doesn’t work in stopping the spread of Covid-19. In my adopted state of Victoria, it was responsible for the ‘longest lockdown in the world’. And now, Read More
Part two of ‘How much more can India take?‘ Photo taken by Sarah Purton in Pushkar, India. Of the 1.4 billion people living in India at the moment, about 9,000 of them are Australian citizens Read More
Up until a couple of months ago, India was praised for being the world’s largest producer of Covid -19 vaccinations. Not only that, India seemed to have the pandemic under control. Unfortunately while Prime Minister Read More
I’m sure my life would have been different if I hadn’t won that damn scholarship. To start with I would have gone off to the local public high school for Grade 7 along with my Read More
‘My friend Annette used to work for you. She left because you didn’t pay her enough’. Clive Simpleton was taken aback when my friend Mary sprung that comment on him at the annual Christmas party. Read More
Everyone’s carrying on about the Covid-19 vaccine roll out being delayed. Only because the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison promised that four million Australians would be vaccinated by the end of this month (March 2021). And Read More
I’ve dabbled in writing from a tender age. The first story I had published was entitled ‘nurses are important’. A catholic newspaper was seeking contributions from children ten years and under. As a Catholic farmer’s Read More
An average person said to me last week For f…. sake, watch where you’re going. I’ll never forget it. it’s been added to my bank of other comments of the same ilk. I’ll never forget Read More
Three more hours to go. Albert Castle felt he could barely last three more minutes let alone three hours. Today’s lesson was about magnetic fields. The teacher, Mr Basset continued in his usual monotone using Read More
Picture a dying cockroach. Lying on its back with limbs up in the air. That’s how my daughter described me when I was playing the role of someone who needed rescuing. The reason for my Read More
I did a bit of bike riding prior to the Lycra Boy episode. One particularly joyous time I recall was on Rottnest Island. Rottnest Island is a picturesque island 18 kilometres off the coast of Read More
It was sunrise when I arrived at the Bike Hire shop. There was no one else in sight at that time of day which was exactly what I wanted. I waited for a few minutes Read More
For many years I kept a secret. The ‘thing’ that led to the secret started in my childhood. My parents brushed it off as clumsiness. I bumped into walls, doors, furniture ,,. Outside it was Read More
‘Are you right?’ he asked from afar. ‘No’ I replied. I was looking for an email on my phone. ‘Ahh, a problem with your phone?’ ‘No’. The assumption there was something wrong with my phone Read More
The deep croak preceded the raspy old voice. “Would you like to have sexual intercourse with me?” Peering into the bushes I caught a glimpse of the practically bald head of Frank, the frail old Read More
When my son was four years old I taught him to play Snakes and Ladders. He loved playing the game with his little sisters and me. He understood that winning was good and wanted to Read More
Image: dreamstime.com/stock-image-whitehouse Once in a faraway land called the Jumbled States of Aciremia there lived an old buffoon called Ronnie Rump. He had a dream that he was the mighty leader of this not so Read More
Doughnut Day happened about once a month at my place when I was a kid. Dad made the doughnuts when he was in a good mood. There was a lot of work in Dad’s doughnuts. Read More
As a parent of children with eczema it’s heartbreaking watching them scratch themselves until their skin bleeds. You’ve done everything you can but you can’t make it go away. On top of that you’ve got Read More
Image: https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/57daab Moisturisers, medicated ointments, bandages and tears. This is often the bedtime ritual for a child with eczema (also known as atopic dermatitis). The daytime ritual includes more of the same but with a Read More
Image by Kelsey Wilkie, Daily Mail, Australia Some media reports are telling us that Melbourne is in the midst of the world’s longest and strictest lockdown. Social restrictions were first imposed on 16 March. These Read More
Shona. ‘She’s a real showpiece ‘, declared my brother, Skipper Bruce. Forty thousand people lining the Hobart harbour and foreshore couldn’t be wrong. The enormous crowd cheered her on as she chugged towards the dock. Read More
During the pandemic, life has been especially hard for people living alone. With only three weeks between harsh lockdowns, less in some suburbs, many singles did not get the opportunity to reconnect with a real Read More
It was that tiny fishbone that did it. After all the pre-preparation, then the preparation, surely nothing could go wrong. I pored over recipes online for hours hoping to get some inspiration. Finally, I found Read More
Spiderman wears one. He is a great role model to aspire to especially during a pandemic. Lately Spiderman (aka Stuart Tyson) has been seen running around St Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne for his daily Read More
Unemployed cruise ships? They are also victims of this global pandemic. They are berthed indefinitely in ports all around the world. Some are even anchored at sea because many ports are unable to accommodate cruise Read More
Dim and I used to play at weddings and funerals. By play, I mean I played the harp; Dim played the recorder. Together we were ‘Black Velvet’. Our music was often described as heavenly. I Read More
People with low vision or no vision have challenges in life that impact on everything they do every day of their lives. I know because I have low vision, specifically Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a disease Read More
We only had three weeks between lockdowns. The Government began easing restrictions as the COVID-19 cases were declining. On June 6, Victoria recorded no new cases of the virus. But three weeks later it came Read More
I love all things French. The food, the music, the culture, the language …… But most of all I love Holly and Wilson, my little grand doggies of the French Bulldog ilk. When Holly was Read More
The first thing I heard on ABC Classic radio this morning was that Nelson Mandela was born on this day, 18th July 1918 in South Africa. It made me think how it often it has Read More
I stand with Dan. That was a hashtag I saw on Twitter a couple of days ago. As a newbie to Twitter, it prompted my first Tweet because ‘I stand with Dan’. My reply was Read More
It was zero degrees when my daughter Hannah picked me up early on that Friday morning. First we headed straight to the coffee shop for a last hooray – and a coffee. Next stop was Read More
For most of us we turn to the arts in its various forms; music, literature, dance, digital media, the ABC … what’s left of it. In Australia, the Arts industry contributes more than $111 billion Read More
Many years ago it was common practice to bad mouth Arts Degrees. Not so much the recipient of one, but rather the degree itself. There was some graffiti in the Uni Bar toilets above the Read More
In the 1960s, the cure for eczema was goat’s milk. One of my brothers had really bad eczema so we got a milking goat. This was in addition to hundreds of pigs, sheep, ducks, chooks, Read More
What do Beethoven and Coronavirus have in common? Well it’s not popularity or birth year. It’s isolation. People all over the world have been forced into social isolation for their own good due to Coronavirus. Read More
Angus was only 17 months old when we went into lockdown. He was 19 months old when I was able to pick him up and give him a cuddle and a kiss again. Sadly, Angus Read More
I’m sure most of us will associate the words ‘I can’t breathe’ with the murder of George Floyd for many, many years to come. Probably forever. The latest protests in the United States that were Read More
Family visiting rights for prisoners and custodial parents …. But family visiting rights during a pandemic? Whoever thought we’d be in the midst of a pandemic in 2020 and not have visiting rights to family Read More
Chrysanthemums for Mum I woke up the sound of my mobile phone alerting me to a message. “I know it’s early but do you want a lift to see Mum”. Shortly after, my youngest brother Read More
Where are you from? is a fairly standard question when meeting someone for the first time. I’m sure we all get asked that now and again. Perfectly normal. If you come from Australia, no problem. Read More
Australia is known as the ‘land down under’ unless you happen to be Australian then it’s ‘Straya’. Australia consists of six states (South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania) and two territories: Read More
I have this ‘thing’ called Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). It’s a genetic disease that causes irreversible vision loss (low vision) and can lead to complete blindness. I have downplayed this for most of my life because it’s too Read More
Are you going to clean up that mess? I liked cooking. Well I did when I was young, pre-kids kind of young. I had a go at all sorts of fancy things; beef wellington, lemon Read More
The bad ‘C’ germs visit Planet Earth How do you explain to a three year old what is going on in the world at the moment? My eldest grandchild Kieran is now just 3 years Read More
Lockdown – The Challenges Life in lockdown is not easy for anyone. But for some it is even more challenging than for others. · Victims of domestic violence. So the situation now is that the victim Read More
Where we’re at …. It’s been more than two months now since the Coronavirus made its way to Australia. Since that time I’m very proud to say Australia has moved into a virtual lockdown to Read More
What does he crochet? He crochets beanie hats for his fundraising project aptly called ‘Tip my Hat’. The money raised goes to Beyond Blue which is an Australian independent non-profit organisation working to address issues related Read More
She’ll be right mate. Well no………. Coronavirus can cause a respiratory illness that has resulted in thousands of deaths around the world. Infections and deaths are still increasing globally at an exponential rate. As the Read More
What would you take? On Tuesday 7 February 1967, southern Tasmania was devastated by fires. Sixty-two people died, 900 were injured and 7,000 people were left homeless in just one day. In February 2017, the Read More
Having a smashing time ‘How are your eyes going?’ I often get asked that question. It usually pops out of someone’s head as a precursor to a conversation about their own eye sight. Some time ago Read More
How amazing was Valerie Hunter Gordon? When my young ones were babies, toddlers and then small kids I used to write a lot of stuff about them. These musings started in the 1980s. Over the Read More
