Denise Richards (left) is being accused of abuse by Brooke Mueller (right).
Denise Richards is set to meet with social workers in LA after Charlie Sheen’s ex-wife Brooke Mueller alleged that she abused her four-year-old twin sons Max and Bob while they were in her care.
Brooke is also claiming that Denise abused her own daughters Sam, 9, and Lola, 8, whom she shares with Charlie and her two-year-old adopted daughter, Eloise. “It has been alleged that Denise not only physically abused the children, but neglected them as well,” a source close to the situation told Radar Online.
The claims, however, are so far unsubstantiated, but must be investigated under the law.
“This is being taken very seriously by Denise. To say she is upset and disgusted by Brooke’s actions are an understatement.”
“Social workers might want to interview Denise’s daughters and Denise will fight that. Her daughters don’t need to be dragged into this drama. They are children who are very well cared for and loved,” the source said.
The claims from Brooke come after Denise recently refused to care for Brooke and Charlie’s sons any longer after claiming they were violent towards her daughters.
Denise penned a letter to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services stating she no longer wished to care for the boys, blaming Brooke for their troublesome behaviour.
The source said the timing of the claims were questionable with Denise not having any contact with Brooke’s twins in the past two weeks and Brooke having no contact with Denise’s daughters either.
“Denise now knows definitively that she made the best decision for her family by giving up being the temporary guardian for Bob and Max,” the source said.
“The chaos and never-ending drama that follows their lives — because of their mother — just made it impossible for Denise’s own family to exist like a normal one.”
The 30-year-old supermodel has reportedly been busy working on her singing career.
Miranda, who has made no secret of her love for music, is set to feature in a duet on singer Bobby Fox’s new album.
“I love to sing,” she told Harper’s Bazaar in June last year. “I’ve recorded a few covers and originals with friends but I haven’t written any songs.”
Miranda’s new love and career aspirations come at the end of her year of heartbreaks.
In October, after months of speculation, she split with husband Orlando Bloom.
Meanwhile, her modelling career’s also been in a slump, with her being stood down as the David Jones ambassador, losing a modeling contract with clothing brand Mango and being ditched from this year’s Victoria’s Secret show.
Miranda first showed off her singing talents back in March last year when she starred in a Japanese iced tea commercial .
Check out her singing talents as she sings with Bruno Mars in the video above.
Billionaire James has fallen in love with supermodel Miranda and the couple have been secretly dating!
With his business booming and in the best shape of his life, casino mogul James Packer may have found love again.
Friends say the world’s most eligible bachelor has been quietly seeing Miranda Kerr, falling for her after her shock marriage break-up. Very few people are aware of the liaison but James recently told mates, “I’m seeing Miranda Kerr,” and friends of the supermodel say it was no huge shock to them.
“Miranda may come across as an Earth Mother but she loves the high life and James can provide the sort of lifestyle and security very few could give her,” says one friend.
“I couldn’t be happier for her – this year’s been pretty difficult for Miranda. Her career seems to have hit a slump and she was totally devastated by the split.”
Both Miranda and James have refused to confirm or deny they are an item.
The casino mogul split from his model wife and mother of his three children Erica Packer after six years in September.
Just 45 days later, Miranda and Orlando Bloom, who have a 2-year-old son, Flynn, announced their separation following three years of marriage.
The two families holidayed together recently at a luxury resort in Tahiti, just months before their marriages broke up.
Miranda and James met through their respective ex-partners and James is believed to have given Miranda business advice when she started her beauty line KORA Organics.
In an unusual coincidence, Miranda hails from the same country town as James’ ex-wife, Gunnedah.
Miranda spent the weekend with her ex-husband taking the pair’s two-year-old son to watch him perform in his Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet.
“Flynn having such a great time watching Daddy on stage,” she wrote alongside a red love heart and a picture of her son on the balcony of a Broadway theatre.
Read all the exclusive details of Miranda and James’ hook-up in this week’s issue of Woman’s Day, on sale Monday, December 2, 2013.
Mission Australia’s annual youth report found approximately a third of more than 1400 participants had serious body image concerns, making it one of the top three personal concerns among men and women aged 15-19 for the fourth year in a row.
Butterfly Foundation CEO Christine Morgan has called on government portfolios to work together and make sure body image issues – a pre-cursor to eating disorders – are taken seriously.
“This is the fourth year in a row the survey has identified strong evidence of a serious public issue for young Australians,” Ms Morgan said.
“A national evidence-based prevention initiative is required to elevate the community’s understanding of the underlying causes of negative body image.
“Negative body image is not a youth pop-culture issue, it must be addressed as a serious population and mental health issue and can only be fixed when the health, youth and social services portfolios work together.”
The report found body image to be a major concern for young people across cultural groups, with a large number of indigenous women (46.8 per cent) of young indigenous women identifying it as their highest concern.
Ms Morgan said it was necessary to talk to young indigenous Australians to understand what issues negative body image is raising for them, and also highlighted that the issue didn’t exclude young men.
For the fourth year in a row young men (14.4 per cent) identified body image as an issue of concern.
When you ask Australian TV presenter Tracey Spicer who her role model is, it doesn’t take her long to answer.
“My dear mum… beautiful, bold and bolshie. I miss her every day,” she says.
Tracey’s mum Marcia died of pancreatic cancer in 1999; a devoted wife, loving mother, a feminist before her time and someone who gave Tracey the greatest mentoring advice.
Taking that advice on board, Tracey has signed up as an ambassador for Step Up For Sisterhood Day this Friday, December 6, which raises money towards a 12-month mentoring program, the SISTER2sister program, that helps vulnerable teenage girls feel empowered and make their own positive life choices.
Like Tracey, 28 per cent of the young people who come through the doors of the program have a family with a terminal illness, while 42 per cent have suffered a major loss.
Apart from offering mentors, the program aims to recognise neglect and child abuse as a growing concern in Australia, with more than 30,000 Australian children abused or neglected last year alone.
While Tracey grew up in a loving family, she has witnessed the hardship some young women go through firsthand.
The 46-year-old grew up in Redcliffe, Queensland, which is now a “lovely, gentrified village” but was once a very low socio-economic area Tracey describes as “quite rough.”
“Mum and Dad were always trying to help others, especially young people who’d ‘gone off the rails’. They took in several of our schoolmates when they fell on hard times,” Tracey says.
Her parents regularly took in teens, including some that would self-harm, which is a continuing issue among young women today, with 41 per cent of SISTER2sister participants currently inflicting harm onto themselves.
“I remember one friend of my sister’s was self-harming, scarring herself on the chest with a broken clothes hanger. It was terribly sad,” she said.
“But it was wonderful to see the transformation in the lives of these young teenagers after staying in a stable family home for a period of time.”
It was Tracey’s experience in her own home with the love and support of her incredible parents that inspired her to get involved in mentoring young women.
“That’s one of the reasons why I’m a big fan of mentoring, in particular, Step Up For Sisterhood Day. Sometimes kids just need a different role model. It’s the same for adults!” she says.
When Tracey began working in the Australian media as a journalist, she felt that her need for a strong female mentor grew even more.
She believes mentors are of the utmost importance for young women and was inspired to start her own mentoring business.
“I started Women in Media – a mentoring and networking group – in conjunction with the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance and the Walkley Foundation,” she explains.
“We have the perfect patron in the ABC’s Caroline Jones, and a tremendous, hard-working committee from across all mediums. We aim to help young and mid-career women to reach the next level in their careers.
“Too many women drop out of the media, because of structural discrimination. Giving these women a mentor who has faced similar challenges will be immensely powerful.”
This Friday, December 6, marks Step Up For Sisterhood Day and all women are being asked to kick off their casual work shoes and wear their favourite stilettos to work in exchange for a gold coin donation.
To get involved in #stepupforsisterhoodday visit their www.stepupforsisterhood.org.au and wear your favourite heels to work on Friday!
Trish and her husband Glenn first looked into adoption nearly 30 years ago after discovering they wouldn’t be able to conceive children themselves.
Desperate for a family of their own, the Canberra couple took in any kids who needed a loving home, adopting a daughter with cerebral palsy and three sons with Down syndrome over the next five years.
This year, Trish has received an OAM for her services to people with a disability, and is a finalist in the Australian of the Year, Local Hero category, for the ACT.
“I worked as a special needs teacher, and had seen children left to languish in homes first hand,” Trish says.
“I knew I could give those kids a better life, and happily my husband agreed after visiting an institution with me.”
Describing adoption as a gruelling process for anyone, Trish will always be thankful for the women who gave up their children.
“Their courage and selflessness meant my husband and I could have a family, and I am forever grateful for them,” she says.
Trish’s children; Luke (27), Peter (26), Emmalee (24) and Paul (22), are all still living at home, with a young grandson also joining the mix.
“Our daughter’s health issues have resolved, and now she’s a single mum to her beautiful son, Noah,” Trish says, adding: “It’s a bit of a squeeze, but we love having everyone at home.”
Trish’s work for people living with a disability extends beyond her family, and she works both in a paid and volunteer capacity for the Catholic Church.
“I want to show people how much my sons can do, despite their disabilities, so I organised a group called the Shamrocks,” she says.
“The boys do a range of jobs – making packages for the needy, photocopying – tasks that are useful and make them feel valued.
“They get to hang out with their peers, and I spend time with other parents who have children with disabilities – it’s lovely watching the boys at work.”
As well as her voluntary work, Trish works as the church’s National Disability Projects Officer. It’s a full schedule by anyone’s standards but Trish doesn’t think she’s anything special.
“I just do it,” she says. “I’m fairly structured, and home life has truly been a joy … I feel blessed.”
Trish is uncomfortable with her recent accolades, insisting she has no idea who nominated her for the awards, but admits she has enjoyed the process of meeting other nominees.
“It was lovely to meet all the ACT finalists, and it will be very special to be part of the Australia Day celebrations next year,” she says.
Trish adds that she wishes other people could see the potential she does in people living with a disability.
“Each of our children has been a gift,” she says. “I see what they can do, not what they can’t do, and it frustrates me that others can’t see what they add to society.
“My eldest son is profoundly deaf and suffers from severe autism as well as Down syndrome.
“Last week I saw him sitting on the couch with Noah, our grandson, teaching him the alphabet on his iPad. It brought tears to my eyes.
“They’re like hidden treasures to me: revealing incredible moments when I least expect it. Watching someone reach their full potential is a gift, and I feel so lucky to be with my children on their journey.”
The country’s largest teen survey, Mission Australia’s youth report, highlighted the top three personal concerns for young people aged 15-19.
Surveying more than 14,000 young Australians, the report found that both males and females listed stress, study and body image as their greatest concerns.
Both genders cited the Internet as where they were most comfortable going for information and young women’s second port of call was magazines, with 53.6 per cent seeking information from the medium and 27.4 per cent going to mags for advice.
Young men ranked magazines sixth in terms of where they were most comfortable going to for information after the internet, parents, friends, relatives and teachers.
Former Dolly magazine editor Tiffany Dunk said that teen magazines were keenly aware of the responsibility they had in distributing information to young women, particularly in fostering positive body image.
“It’s definitely something I was aware of as an editor,” she tellsThe Weekly.
“There is such an appetite for that information from young girls, they wanted more knowledge about how to think, act and be healthy, so for us it was something that we just kept getting asked for more and more.”
While teen magazines were changing positively in the way body image and other youth issues were being handled, the Government’s inaugural positive body image award recipient said there were other places in the media “that could pull their socks up”.
“Celebrities are still being shown in unrealistic ways and young girls are aware,” Dunk said.
“It’s really important that all shapes and sizes are represented in magazines and that girls see themselves reflected back at them.”
Dunk says that magazines were also aware of the role the medium played in helping teens cope with other major youth concerns like schoolyard problems, sexual health, and stress, and that they used a combination of peer recommendation and expert advice to express such information.
While telephone counselling, online counselling websites and community agencies are readily available, these three sources of information, advice and support were found to be the least trusted among young men and women.
When we took our daughter Maddy to the hospital after a minor trampoline accident we just thought it was a normal part of childhood. A bump, a bruise and band-aid then we’d be on our way home in no time.
Unfortunately that bump led to a blood test, which in turn led doctors to discover that our daughter had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
It’s a day we will never forget. We felt sick. We were devastated. It was like a nightmare that I desperately wished I would wake up from and it not be true. Not our baby girl.
From that moment on our life changed so much. We were in and out of hospital. Some visits were for a few hours for clinic or treatment. Others were for a few days or weeks on end. We relied on our family a lot as we also had a two and a half year old and an eight week old baby boy.
Days in hospital were endlessly boring and of course painful for Maddy, while extremely stressful for us. The only thing that brightened her day was a visit from Captain Starlight, who put a big smile on her face, held her hand and distracted her while she was having procedures.
Towards the end of her treatment Maddy discovered she could have a Starlight Wish – she was ecstatic, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do: meet her hero Bindi Irwin at Australia Zoo.
The wish gave us all something to look forward to. It was an unforgettable day for Maddy and she couldn’t contain her excitement. She had so much fun, seeing so many animals. She even got to pat and feed a rhino.
Maddy with her mum, dad and brothers at Australia Zoo.
Maddy with her mum, dad and brothers at Australia Zoo.
Maddy with her mum, dad and brothers at Australia Zoo.
She was beside herself when she met Bindi, giving her a big hug and having a photo with her. She even got her autograph, and met Terry and Bob too.
I missed the boys so much when we were in hospital with my little princess Maddy so the holiday meant a lot to us all as a family just to be together. My son Cooper especially loved meeting Bob!
Maddy’s Starlight Wish was like a reward for going through what no child should ever have to endure. She talks about the zoo and meeting Bindi every day.
Hospital visits are now something that she looks forward to because she knows that we will go to the Starlight Express Room. The problem is getting her out to go home. She thinks she’s one of the Captains and I am sure she will be when she grows up!
To see the smile that Maddy gets on her face when she spots her favourite Captain across the room is just priceless and for that split second you forget why it is you are there. Starlight has played a big part in helping our family get through what we did.
Thankfully Maddy is in remission now, but my husband and I will never forget her Starlight Wish. It’s hard to put into words the amazing things the special people at Starlight do for families of seriously ill children and their families across Australia.
Seeing our baby smile despite everything meant so much to us and still does.
The Starlight Children’s Foundation is facing a huge challenge this Christmas with $1.2 million needed to grant 185 wishes for seriously ill and hospitalised children and their families around Australia. Each Starlight Wish requires approximately $6,500 in funding and this Christmas Starlight is asking Australians to ‘Join the Mission’ by rallying friends, family, colleagues and staff to donate to the cause.
Giving birth to a defenceless three kilogram fawn a footie field away from a pride of 19 lions could be considered risky. And yet, that’s exactly what a Grant’s gazelle did as we drove through the golden grasses of Tanzania’s Serengeti.
The lions were half asleep in a nearby creek after feasting on wildebeest and as they dozed in the shade of a thorn tree, clumsily swatting flies from their faces with their paws, a gazelle spent five seconds self-delivering her newborn.
Not even a tasty morsel such as a fawn could stir the well-fed lions. Even so, the mother’s sense of urgency, as she licked her fawn clean, was obvious. If any fawn is to survive, it must stand and take its first feed within an hour. A dozen other predators could easily discover its nursery in the grass.
A Grant’s gazelle and her newborn.
As the mother focused on our approaching vehicle, the rhythmic call of the “Go away” bird appeared to be ordering us to move on. “Go away … Go away … Go away,” it repeated petulantly.
After several nudges from Mum, the calf stood, wobbling as it did, before it fell headfirst, somersaulting onto its back, legs akimbo. Time and time again, the fawn attempted to stand and then another bird, the Cape turtle dove, joined in with its soft, insistent song that sounded exactly as if it was saying, “Work harder … work harder … work harder.”
It took 19 minutes for this fawn to stand and feed.
Ten more attempts and 19 minutes later, the fawn took its first step. A minute later, it was suckling, tail wagging. Then, several “aunties” from the nearby herd joined Mum to greet the newborn in what looked like a “gazelle shower”. As our safari vehicle left the scene, the newborn was running circles around its “aunts”. The lions were still asleep without a care in the world.
Watching a birth is fascinating, but a safari is not for the faint-hearted: birth and death are close companions on the African savannah. A few months before our arrival, a cameraman witnessed a newborn gazelle being eaten alive by a male baboon, as its mother stood hopelessly by.
Of all the safari destinations in Africa, northern Tanzania offers prolific game and incredible scenery. The African Rift Valley, a 6000-kilometre long fault in the Earth’s crust, has created one of the most spectacular landscapes the continent has to offer. At the heart of the Serengeti is the Ngorongoro Crater, an old volcano that towers 2400 metres above the surrounding savannah.
The Ngorongoro crater floor.
The Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo) are found here, as are the Ugly Five (warthog, wildebeest, vulture, marabou stork and hyena). South of Ngorongoro is Lake Manyara, home to a million-plus flamingos. The day before our arrival, the flock decided to relocate from the bay next to our lodge to the other side of the lake – creating a thick pink line in the distance.
Sometimes your luck runs out, as it did for a flamingo when a tawny eagle dropped out of the sky. Talons outstretched, it grasped the flamingo’s back in a vice-like grip. “The corpse crumpled as the eagle lifted it into the sky,” said the father of the family, who witnessed the scene. “In the distance, you could make out the rest of the flock, strutting forward in formation, perfectly in time, like a corps de ballet in pink tutus.”
The next morning as the family was having breakfast on the deck of the lodge, a vervet monkey swung onto their table from a nearby tree and stole a croissant. In a second, the cheeky ash blond primate was back on a bough clutching its prize. This harmless foray initially startled everyone, but soon we were laughing, scanning the tree for more interlopers with our breakfast plates held close.
On safari, the day starts at dawn as you set out in the morning chill to explore the local terrain. Wild animals don’t identify vehicles with humans and, as long you’re down wind, you get very close.
“A truck must look a little like an elephant to most wild animals,” our guide told us. Unless you’re an elephant, I thought. It seems elephants are seldom disturbed by a truck, except if it’s a bull “in musth”, pronounced must. “In musth” is a polite way of saying a bull is looking for a mate, a preoccupation that makes them extremely irritable and intolerant. On the few occasions safari vehicles have been charged, a bull in musth has been responsible.
A troop of baboons and safari vehicle at Lake Manyara.
As it happened, it was an elephant day. On our return to the lodge for lunch, we passed a breeding herd of 120 mothers and calves, most of which preferred the road to the forest. There’s no argument about right of way and needless to say we were late for lunch.
Lake Manyara is one of the few places on this continent where lions, like leopards, take to the trees. Big cats are often seen draped like lotharios on the boughs of the most comfortable trees. These trees are part of a lush forest that thrives between the lakeshore and the Rift Valley escarpment, thanks to a series of fresh-water springs. It would be difficult to beat the game viewing here. It’s ringside seats for everyone with a magnificent scenic backdrop of mountains and the shimmering soda lake.
There is, however, only one place to stay in the national park and that’s the AndBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, where each bedroom suite is built in a towering tree. Imagine a timber platform with king-size bed, claw-foot bath and porcelain loo half way up a 30-metre mahogany tree, all elegantly wrapped in a secure shell of mosquito wire-netting and banana leaves. Forget the Tarzan vine, entry is by a sweeping wooden staircase.
A mother giraffe and her foal on the Serengeti.
As it’s an open camp, there’s one strict rule: every guest needs an armed escort before dawn and after dusk when walking between their tree house and the main lodge. A Maasai tribesmen, armed with a spear, is provided for each guest. And he is not for show; your Maasai guide knows exactly what to do if you meet a lion. Rule number one is: don’t turn and run – by doing so you appear as prey. Rule number two is: don’t panic. Rule number three is: listen to his instructions. Follow the rules and you’re unlikely to miss dinner … or be dinner.
Maasai tribesman; Ngorongoro crater floor; and a vulture.
The Serengeti is an hour’s bumpy flight in an eight-seater Cesna Caravan over the Ngorongoro Crater towards the Maasai Mara on the Kenyan border. On arrival at the dirt airstrip, a pick-up truck was waiting. “You’ve missed the Great Migration,” said the driver so nonchalantly he could have been talking about the departure of the number 93 bus. “It took off days ago …”
The Great Migration is an annual event that sees two million wildebeest and other grazing animals go “walk-about”. Bizarrely, 10 minutes into our drive, we came across a herd of some 600 wildebeest. “Are these conscientious objectors?” I asked. The driver shrugged. Apparently, not all wildebeest enjoy the ultra-marathon.
A cheetah mother (sitting) greets its sub-adult cub.
The Serengeti in northern Tanzania has rolling hills topped with smooth rounded boulders, some the size of houses. It was in the shadow of such a boulder, we spotted a cheetah family – a mother and her two sub-adult cubs, resting after the heat of the day. The mother was calling her cubs from their separate day beds, meowing softly like a domestic cat. As each cub arrived, it was greeted with numerous licks and nuzzles. In the distance, a large herd of giraffes looked a little like high-rise cranes.
Home on the Serengeti is usually under canvas – a temporary camp of well-appointed tents. The tents at our camp, AndBeyond Serengeti Under Canvas, had mini-chandeliers, on-suite bathrooms with a bucket shower, filled every evening with hot water on our return from the game drive. Dinner was either under the stars or in an open tent, while breakfast was served at a table dressed with linen in the shade of a tree.
A deluxe tent at the AndBeyond Serengeti Under Canvas camp.
It was on the Serengeti, we witnessed a David and Goliath confrontation, when two female ostriches, standing at six foot, six inches, came under attack from two tiny lapwings. The ostriches had strayed too close to the birds’ ground nest and were in danger of crushing the eggs. Fearlessly, the lapwings dive-bombed their puzzled opponents, both of which finally got the message.
It’s important to remember that a safari is like a tapestry, made up of multiple sightings, big and small. Ignore the small ones at your peril – they add so much charm to the overall experience.
“Pick on someone your own size.” A female ostrich sizes up a lapwing.
Australia is famous for its large salties, but the Serengeti’s River Mara has equally impressive freshwater crocodiles, which feast on wildebeest as they cross the river during the Great Migration. We may have missed the Migration, but we witnessed its aftermath: islands of wildebeest corpses in the river, snagged on boulders and sandbanks.
A trio of cranes dance on the Ngorongoro crater floor.
The highlight for many visitors to Tanzania is the old volcano in the Ngorongoro Conservation area. Here, you’ll find the densest concentration of wildlife anywhere on the planet, some 30,000 animals in what amounts to a “lost world”, hovering just under the clouds. On the vast crater floor are several small forests, a soda lake and a vast expanse of savanah, all surrounded by precipitous hills 610 metres high.
Zebras on the lawn at the AndBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge.
On the crater rim, out of sight, are some of Tanzania’s most exclusive lodges, including the AndBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, where zebras graze on the lawn. It’s a 20-30 minute drive to the crater floor and from the moment you leave the lodge, the views almost make you light-headed with delight.
“Move over, junior,” a female hippo appears to intimidate a youngster at a wallow.
It’s an ancient landscape, almost biblical, one in which you expect to see Noah’s Ark resting on the lake. Instead, a flock of cranes were dancing – the filaments of their golden crests radiating sunlight like haloes. In the distance were herds of buffalo and several bull elephants, a solitary black rhino and, close to a mud wallow full of hippos, a large male lion with a fine mane was quenching his thirst. A quintessential African scene – one that for me will last a lifetime.
**USEFUL INFORMATION
**
AndBeyond has 33 high-end lodges in seven African and South Asian countries and are known for pioneering a sustainable approach to safaris and supporting local communities close to its lodges.
AndBeyond’s Ngorongoro Crater Lodge: The lodge; a bathroom; al fresco breakfast.
Clothes: Wear khaki, beige and white. These colours are least conspicuous to animals. Long sleeves and long trousers give maximum protection against mozzies and other biting insects. Take comfortable light boots. A fleece, sweater or jacket are needed at altitude ie the Ngorongoro Crater.
Equipment: A telephoto lens will deliver the best photos. Binoculars bring the animals to you.
Currency: US dollars are best – small to medium denominations. Tanzanian shillings can only be exchanged on arrival – US$1 = 1600 shillings; AUD$1 =1460 shillings.
Insect repellent: The best is Mosi-Guard. This deters tsetse flies and mozzies. Deet products attract tsetse flies.
Vaccination: Check with a medical specialist. Remember, if you are travelling to Kenya or certain countries in tropical Africa on your way to Tanzania, you will need a yellow fever vaccination. Yellow fever is not mandatory for Tanzania.
Visa: Australians can get visas on arrival for US$50.
Take: Pack on the lighter side if you are flying in small planes between camps.
**BEST TIME TO GO
**
Tanzania offers astonishing diversity – from beach holidays on tropical islands to safaris on the Serengeti, Ngoronogoro crater and at many other national parks, plus adventure challenges, such as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. For further information and advice, contact African Travel Specialists (1300 761 980), the largest Australian tour operator into East Africa with nearly 50 years’ experience. African Travel Specialists can tailor a safari to suit your needs and budget. They recommend visits:
Can I scratch my head with my toes? A baby baboon stretching.
December to January: The southern part of Serengeti is pumping with millions of wildebeest (as well as predators) – it is when they drop their calves.
July – end of August: The northern part of Serengeti, where the Migration of wildebeest and zebra is crossing the rivers.
Late October to mid-December: Great time to visit the Ngorongoro Crater, but it’s warming up on the Serengeti and at Lake Manyara.
June to late October: The dry season with cool nights, warm to hot days, but take a fleece to the Ngorongoro Crater – you’ll need it after sundown.
Serial yo-yo dieter Kirstie Alley stepped out in Los Angeles yesterday looking trim, toned and terrific once again.
Kirstie’s weight has fluctuated wildly over the years but she finally appears to have beaten her body demons for good at the age of 62.
Kirstie isn’t the only star who has dramatically slimmed down in recent months – these famous men and women have all lost weight and found a new lease on life.
Kirstie Alley in 2010 and looking super-svelte this week.
Christina Aguilera in November 2012 and November 2013.
Nigella Lawson in 2006, and 2013.
Ricki-Lee Coulter in 2004 and November 2012.
Jennifer Hudson in January 2007, and looking super-svelte in September 2011 year.
Dawn French in 2007, 2011, and 2013.
Magda Szubanski has dropped several dress sizes recently. Here she is in 2002 and 2011.
Mariah in February 2010 and August 2013.
Nicole Richie in 2003 and last month.
Funnyman Mikey Robbins in 2003 and again in 2007.
Janet Jackson is another yo-yo dieter. Here she is in 2005 and 2007.
Kelly Osbourne in 2005 and November 2011.
Lily Allen has also struggled with her weight. Here she is in 2007 and again in 2009.
Jessica Simpson had lost most of her baby weight in just four months this year.
Britney Spears in 2001, looking larger in 2007 and great again this year.
Oprah Winfrey has also struggled with her weight. Here she is in 2008, and 2010.
Funnyman Drew Carey in September 1995 and October 2013.
Sarah Ferguson was dubbed ‘The Duchess of Pork’. Here she is in 2007 and now.
Queen Latifah in 2004 and in October 2013.
Director Peter Jackson in 2002, and almost unrecognisable in 2009.
Talk show queen Ricki Lake in 2002 and 2013.
John Goodman lost a huge amount of weight from 2003 to 2013.
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