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After a long, hot summer in Karratha, the kids and I were ready to head south and explore somewhere different. We have done Karijini, Coral Bay and Broome, so these school holidays we decided to head further afield and check out Kalbarri. Everyone I’ve asked who has visited Kalbarri has said it was beautiful and definitely worth a visit, and they weren’t wrong! We broke the drive up from Karratha to Kalbarri with a one-night stop in Carnarvon. We embarked on our trip not l

From kidney failure to athletic victory. Former Squadron Leader and Air Traffic Controller Mark Oksanen’s Defence career spanned 28 years before he retired in 2023. Overcoming many health challenges and a kidney transplant, Mark has made the most of it, securing three gold medals and a record javelin throw at the World Transplant Games in 2023. Despite a healthy lifestyle, in 2021 he was diagnosed with stage 5 kidney failure due to Iga Nephropathy. Mark describes feeling ver

INTERVIEWED BY JANE FRYAR Jill Margetts has been part of the Legacy NT community since 1990 (36 years ago!). I’ve been lucky enough to meet Jill on a few occasions, but chatting with her at our Lawn Sale, it made me realise that we have so many wonderful people in our community who have amazing life stories to tell. It’s important to listen to our older generations for their stories, so that we can keep them going – that’s what life is all about! It was a privilege to sit a

INTERVIEWED BY: Viv Kleemann & Hannah McFarlane Meet Charlotte Webb... DFA Advocate, Army veteran, single mother of three daughters and co-parenting with a serving member for the last three years, after ten years of being a defence spouse! Charlotte has experienced every aspect of the ADF lifestyle and wholeheartedly understands the unique challenges that impact various demographics within the Defence community. Being the National DFA Advocate for nearly 2 years has been Cha

Former Soldier Returns to Timor-Leste with Darwin Comedy Tour A recent comedy trip to Timor-Leste has combined humour, service history and community support, highlighting the enduring connections between the Northern Territory and its close neighbour. Australian comedian Jarryd Goundrey and Darwin comedian Briant Clark travelled to Dili earlier this year, joined by Monica Bugno. Clark and Bugno are co-owners of The Last Supper Darwin and Top Floor Comedy Darwin, where they ru

INTERVIEWED BY: VIV KLEEMANN Recently I was fortunate enough to catch up with local Veteran and photographer, Matt Campbell. We met on a dirt track not too far from Fogg Dam where he showed me a magical little-known place called Harrison Dam. Matt tells me that you’ll find a croc, evidence of water buffalo, Magpie Geese, Jabiru and many other birds and wildlife. Today we took particular notice of the Jabiru. As we wandered along the track and across the almost empty dam, he s

Vision is the most important component of riding a motorcycle. Learner motorcycle riders soon learn through licensing training that ‘vision’ for riding a motorcycle, is completely different to the ‘vision’ required when operating a car. Car drivers tend to look for spaces, then steer their vehicles into spaces with the comfort of knowing that their vehicle will provide them with traction, stability and all-round protection. Modern vehicle sensors are also designed to inform d

Welcome to homeschooling in the Dry Season! Something that was raised with us recently was the thought that we would be limiting our children’s opportunities in life by continuing homeschooling beyond primary school. What I have learnt since we began this lifestyle is that there are many ways to achieve what you want to achieve in life. You can still go to university, you can still pursue any career you like, and still learn at home before doing so. There are Distance Edu

MakerSpace is an Army innovation initiative designed to strengthen the cognitive capability of Defence personnel through creativity, hands-on learning, and nontraditional problem solving. Delivered on base and free to attend for all members, MakerSpace empowers members to think differently, prototype rapidly, and develop practical solutions to real operational challenges. Located across nine sites nationally, MakerSpace provides a safe, welcoming, and member focused environme

Trigger Warning - This article discusses grief after death When someone dies suddenly, the shock can ripple through units, workplaces, families, and friendship circles, particularly when many of us are far from extended family supports, especially in the NT. As we sit with grief, the conversations we have with ourselves and with others is important. There is no “normal” way to grieve except the way each of us does it. Grief is universal, yet completely personal. You can los

In the lead up to the Darwin Fringe Festival, our very own Viv was lucky to meet up with Julia Wilson to talk about her journey into comedy and travelling the world doing what she loves. In 2010, Julia travelled to the Solomon Islands with the ADF to perform for our troops - we’re excited to share Julia’s story! How did you get into comedy? I was a bouncer and bodyguard for ten years - we’d all tell stories at staffies in the pub after the punters had left, about what had h

A Guide for Defence Families and Veterans Dr Lise Legault, MD, FRACGP If you've been feeling unlike yourself lately, you're not alone. In Australia, around 1.5 million women are navigating perimenopause or menopause at any given time. For defence families and veterans, where the demands of service, frequent relocations, deployments, and the transition to civilian life already take a toll, understanding this change can make a real difference. What is perimenopause and menopaus