Home Page 5631

The 80th Academy Awards

‘Our Cate’, who’s seven months pregnant, was nominated for two Academy Awards — Best Actress for her role in Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and Best Supporting Actress for her role in I’m Not There. Cate’s dress designed by Dries Van Noten, jewellery by Lorainne Swartz.

Nominated for Best Actress for her role in The Savages. This is Laura’s third Oscar nomination. Dress designed by Michael Kors, jewellery by Cathy Waterman.

21-year-old Ellen was nominated for Best Actress for her role in the teen comedy Juno. Dress designed by Jean Louis Scherrer, jewellery by Fred Leighton.

Nominee, Best Actress — Away From Her. This veteran actor won the Best Actress award back in 1966 for Darling.

French actress Marion Cotillard won the Best Actress award for her role in La Vie en Rose. Marion’s dress designed by Jean Paul Gautier, jewellery by Chopard.

A true ‘fish-tail’ frock — scales and all!

Nominee, Best Supporting Actress — Gone Baby Gone. Dress by Calvin Klein, jewellery by Chopard (braclet) and H.Stern (earrings).

Nominee, Best Supporting Actress — American Gangster

13-year-old Irish actress Saoirse was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Atonement. Dress designed by Alberta Ferretti.

Tilda turned heads with this ‘no-frills’ dress designed by Lanvin. We’re not too sure who supplied her jewellery, but it looks like the bandage around her wrist may have been a ring-in from the local chemist.

The Grey’s Anatomy star appears ‘at one’ with the carpet in this dress by Escada. Accessories by Ryan Ryan.

Looking very statesque in a black Versace gown and Chopard accessories.

Cam shows off her tan lines and tousled bed hair with a Christian Dior dress that’s reminiscent of a wrap-around bed sheet — not that we’re saying it isn’t fabulous! Although there’s no sign of any accessories, she says they’re by Bulgari.

Heidi steals the show in her silk bustier gown by John Galliano Haute Couture.

Penelope is not looking too pleased — perhaps she’s just spotted Hilary Swank’s frock? Pene wears Chanel Haute Couture with Chopard accessories.

Looking super-bejewelled, Nic arrived fashionably late with hubby Keith Urban. Dress by Balenciaga, mega-jewels by L’wren Scott.

Classic black gowns certainly made a comeback at this year’s Oscars. Jen wears a strapless Oscar de la Renta gown, with Van Cleef and Arpel jewellery.

Calista broke away from this year’s black or red trend, opting for a simple vintage ice-blue goddess gown from Rare Vintage.

There’s always at least one girl who comes off looking like a Valentine’s Day gift. Gown by Marchesa, jewellery by Harry Winston.

We don’t want to start any rumours, but why is John touching his wife’s belly like that?

She may be tiny, but she knows how to stand out in a crowd.

Renee wears Carolina Herrera, with Cartier accessories.

Related stories


Home Page 5631

The 79th Academy Awards

Helen Mirren

Winner, Best Actress — The Queen

Penelope Cruz

Nominee, Best Actress — Volver

Kate Winslet

Nominee, Best Actress — Little Children

Meryl Streep

Nominee, Best Actress — The Devil Wears Prada

(with Nicole Kidman)

Cate Blanchett

Nominee, Best Supporting Actress — Notes on a Scadal

Jennifer Hudson

Winner, Best Supporting Actress — Dreamgirls

Abigail Breslin

Nominee, Best Supporting Actress — Little Miss Sunshine

Adriana Barraza

Nominee, Best Supporting Actress — Babel

Rinko Kikuchi

Nominee, Best Supporting Actress — Babel

Jennifer Lopez

She’s wasn’t nominated, but we just love her frock!

Cameron Diaz

…looking all wrapped up.

Anne Hathaway

Maybe Anne should lend Cam her bow?

Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyn’s come a long way since her Shakespeare in Love days

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Looking gorgeous as always…

Danya Devon

We’ve never heard of her, but we thought her outfit deserved some attention!

Vote for the best and worst dressed: Best Oscar frock!

Worst Oscar frock!

The 80th Academy Awards Hollywood is abuzz with preparations for this year’s Oscars — watch our video of the most notable past and present winners and of course check out the most memorable frocks.

Oscar quiz See how you score in our Oscar quiz by guessing which celebrity belongs to the dress pictured.

Related stories


Home Page 5631

Keeping your pet cool

With hot days upon us, our four-legged friends need all the help they can get in keeping their cool.

Pets require many of the same conditions that humans need: a shady spot to spend the day, access to cool water and plenty of rest. They also require gentle exercise in the coolest parts of the day and a dab of pet-friendly sunscreen on pink noses if they are out in the sun.

Whether your pets are spending time indoors or outdoors this summer, remember that they need special care at this time of year.

“Apart from the obvious like ensuring our spoodle has shade and plenty of drinking water, we have Parry’s hair clipped short in summer. With his woolly coat he really feels the heat. We also keep a close eye on the rabbit. There’s no doubt he is less active during the heat of the day and also needs a lot more water in summer,” said Amanda Jones, owner of five-year-old Parry and two-year-old rabbit Pewter.

The Petcare Information and Advisory Service (PIAS) recommends the following to help you and your pet enjoy the long hot summer.

One of the best activities for your dog in summertime is a walk in the cooler evening, so find out from your local council where the best parks and open spaces are for dogs during summer. There can be restrictions during this period that don’t apply during the rest of the year, so it is worth checking for the latest information.

Most dogs love water but with restrictions in force in many parts of Australia, you will have to be careful about splashing the wet stuff around. Many dogs love ice cubes and this is a water-efficient way of keeping them cool.

If you are away from home during the day and can’t leave your pet indoors, ensure they have a shady spot outside with plenty of fresh water.

Some dogs just don’t know when to say no, so if you have an active dog it may be necessary to discourage high energy play on hot days.

Keeping your dog’s coat short and well-groomed during summer will help it stay cool.

Summer thunderstorms can be a terrifying experience for both dogs and cats. Ideally, your dog and cat should be kept inside with human company if there is a summer storm. Some dogs are very fearful in storms and may try to escape from the yard, so take time to ensure your yard is secure and your dog is identified with a collar and tag. In severe cases of storm phobia, a veterinarian should be consulted.

We all know not to leave a dog in a car on a hot day — even with a window down, cars get very hot. Garden sheds and other small spaces also heat up quickly and can be dangerous if a dog is confined to that area.

We may not all know that swimming pools can be as dangerous for dogs as they can be for small children. Make sure the gate is closed at all times. Better still, take your four-legged friend to a dog-friendly beach, river or lake and teach it to swim!

Many people take advantage of school holidays and warm weather to get away and there are an increasing number of holiday destinations that welcome pets. There are a number of guides available, try www.drkatrina.com for a state-by-state guide to pet-friendly accommodation with tried and tested recommendations.

If travelling with your pet, consult a vet about any special requirements. Ticks are found in many of the popular coastal holiday spots and can be dangerous to dogs. Make sure all vaccinations are up to date and your pet’s ID tags are securely fastened to their collar.

For more information about pet care, visit www.petnet.com.au

Related stories


Home Page 5631

Fighting fit

By Annette Campbell

Around the world, thousands of different martial arts are practised every day. And while they all have different origins, techniques, benefits and theories, there is one thing they all have in common … timelessness.

“Martial arts are the best form of exercise and fitness,” says Master Phil Monaghan, a black belt multi-discipline practitioner (tae kwon do and hapkido) with 22 years experience, based in Coffs Harbour, NSW.

“For children, it’s great for character and physical development; for teens, it’s great for competition fitness and discipline; and as we get older, it helps maintain health, vitality, fitness and that all-important stress relief. So it’s an activity you can continue your entire life.

“This is more than a sport — it is a fitness regime, a philosophy, a character development program, a system of self defence, a cultural study, a history lesson. And it can be all of these things or just the part you want. That’s why it continues to grow as a popular pastime and lifestyle.”

Here’s a sample of a few of the most popular martial arts practiced in Australia.

This is a Korean martial art and also an Olympic sport. Who can forget Australian Lauren Burns winning gold at the 2000 Olympics? This sport has a very strong competition aspect — although if you choose you can go right through to black belt, without having done any competition. It consists of about 70 percent kicks and 30 percent hand strikes. It also includes forms (called “poomse”) that teach discipline, as well as the strength, flexibility, cardiovascular and other benefits of tae kwon do.

Visit www.taekwondoaustralia.org.au for more information.

This Olympic sport has Japanese origins. Judo is predominantly a grappling art — lots of grabbing your opponent and throwing to the ground. From there you continue with ground movements. The theory is that you’re using your opponent’s own balance and power against them. The primary benefits are strength and balance and there is a strong focus on competition as well … great if you have a competitive streak or just want to get hands on!

Visit www.judoaustralia.com.au for more information.

Karate is traditionally a Japanese striking art — you use your hands for striking about 70 percent of the time and your legs for kicking about 30 percent. It’s great for building your strength base and has great benefits for fitness as well as spirituality, as some schools incorporate a degree of meditation. Karate includes “kumite” (sparring) and “kata” (pre-arranged forms).

Visit www.akf.com.au for more information.

Kung fu originated in China and consists of hard and soft styles. Hard styles include wing chung and jeet kune Do — invented by the legendary Bruce Lee. Tai chi is an example of a soft style. Kung fu has fighting systems as well as very acrobatic forms and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Visit www.akwf.com for more information.

Related stories


Home Page 5631

Travel to the Temples of Angkor, Cambodia

The temple complex of Angkor in Cambodia has been called one of the wonders of the world. Here, Mike Dolan points out some of the site's highlights.
Stone carving at Angkor

Swallowed up by the jungles of northern Cambodia, the temples of Angkor were lost for hundreds of years after the fall of the great Khmer empire that held sway over most of Indochina from the ninth to the 14th centuries. Occasionally, wandering Buddhist monks would stumble on some of the huge stone complexes, stopping to rest and pray, but for the rest of the world, this architectural wonder was merely a legend.

When French botanist Henri Mouhot stumbled on Angkor in 1861, its re-discovery caused a sensation in Europe. With the publication of Mouhot’s illustrated bookVoyage a Siam et dans le Cambodge, an intriguing fable became fact — a spectacular city, for so long only believed to exist in the imagination, rose out of the misty jungles of the Orient.

Almost 150 years later, Angkor has become one of the most visited architectural sites in the world, and today more than 100 temples cover an area of 320 square kilometres, standing testament to a civilisation that once held sway from the tip of southern Vietnam to Yunnan in China and from Vietnam west to the Bay of Bengal.

It’s easy to spend a week or more based at Siem Reap on the doorstep of Angkor, seeing the temples at a leisurely pace, returning to the main attractions through the day to catch them in different light conditions. Most people spend between two to five days. Two days gives you enough time to visit the main sites once — as long as you rise early and spend most of the day in the field — but five days ensures a more leisurely visit with breaks in the afternoon when temperatures and humidity levels rise.

The temples

Angkor Wat

The largest and most breathtaking of all the monuments, this funerary temple for a great king was built to honour the Indian Hindu deity Vishnu. Surrounded by a 190-metre-wide moat, this three-storey building is adorned with galleries, cupolas and a 55-metre-high central tower shaped like a lotus bud. The structure measures 1.5km long and 1.3km wide and is famous for its exquisite bas-reliefs — a gallery of 800 metres with carved stone panels depicting people, scenes of 12th century life, wars and the gods.

Go before daybreak to take beautiful photographs of the sunrise with gorgeous reflections in the lily ponds in front of the main edifice. Later in the morning, this temple gets very crowded, so it’s worth returning for quieter moments in the early evening.

Temples in Cambodia

Angkor Thom

This is a city within a city (10sq km) surrounded by a stone wall and several impressive stone gateways with gargantuan faces. Inside the city are some important monuments, including the Bayon, the Baphuon, the Royal Enclosure and the Terrace of Elephants.

Temples in Cambodia

+ The Bayon is the second most visited complex at Angkor. It consists of 54 towers decorated with more than 200 smiling giant faces and corridors that contain 1200 metres of bas-relief incorporating 11,000 figures. Climb the steep stairs to the uppermost platform where you’ll be surrounded by the giant enigmatic stone faces.

+ Baphuon is built like an intricately decorated pyramid and is said to be a representation of mythical Mt Meru from the Hindu creation story.

+ The Royal Enclosure is a 350-metre-long terrace that once served as the king’s area for grand audiences. Nearby is the Terrace of Elephants, so called because of the stone elephants that line it.

Phnom Bakheng

About 400 metres south of Angkor Thom, this temple on a hill overlooking Angkor Wat is where many visitors come to take a sunset photo of the great monument. It’ll be crowded with other visitors and pesky boys selling cold drinks. To take a good photo, you’ll need a 300mm telephoto lens and a tripod. The temple of Phnom Bakheng is a five-tiered man-made mountain with seven levels and 44 towers at the base.

Banteay Kdei

A massive 12th century Buddhist temple surrounded by four concentric walls and four stone entrances decorated with garudas (mythical birds).

Ta Prohm

This temple is as popular as Angkor Wat and the Bayon mainly because it’s still covered in jungle and looks like the monuments did when European explorers first visited. Cloaked in dappled shadows from the rainforest canopy, the temple appears to be held up by the giant roots and trunks of massive fig trees. It’s an atmospheric temple with towers, close courtyards and narrow corridors forever tinged in green.

Preah Khan

Preah Khan

This is a good counterpoint to the similar structure of Ta Prohm. Preah Khan is one of Angkor’s largest structures, has been cleared of jungle and has been mostly restored. It may be less popular than Ta Prohm, but it’s in a better state of preservation, especially the long vaulted internal galleries. Four processional walkways approach the gates of the temple and these are bordered by gods carrying serpents. A quiet backwater, this less-frequented site is often silent but for the chatter of tiny squirrels.

Preah Neak Pean

A temple of pools, the largest one surrounding a circular “island” encircled by two massive nagas (serpent dragons), whose intertwined tails give the temple its name.

Preah Ko

This is a smaller temple from the late ninth century. Its six brick towers contain carved sandstone and plaster reliefs and there are three sacred oxen statues at the front of the temple.

Bakong

The largest and most interesting of the Rolous group of temples is this five-tiered pyramid built from sandstone, 60 metres at the base, with eight towers, 12 stupas and a Buddhist monastery in the south-east corner.

Banteay Srei

Off the beaten track, this pink sandstone jewel of a temple, Banteay Srei, is a 10th-century Hindu sanctuary known as the Citadel of Women because of its exquisite filigree carvings of women and female divinities. Surrounded by pools, it has two entrances and three towers also covered in fine carvings. A must for those taking the trouble to see some of the outer temples.

Stone carving in Cambodia

Travel essentials

Creative Holidays (www.creativeholidays.com.au) has a four-night/five-day Cambodia In Depth tour, which visits the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, and then Udong and the infamous Killing Fields, Siem Reap, Angkor Wat and the other temples of Angkor (from $774 per person, airfares not included). Its Fly & Tour Cambodia in Depth package includes the above and economy class airfare from Australia to Phnom Penh, returning from Siem Reap to Australia on Vietnam Airlines (from $2047 per person, twin-share; April 1 to August 31, 2007). For bookings, contact your travel agent.

Related stories


Home Page 5631

*Shearwater*

Shearwater

Exclusive extract fromShearwater(Viking) by Andrea Mayes.

In that place, the birds come and go in great clouds, and the season turns at the rush of grey wings. Through spring and summer dusk falls to their rhythm, and in the winter, the land is bereft, hushed and waiting for their return. These are the shearwaters, mutton-birds, of which the early settlers were so fond. Drab little birds, with sprits of tenacity and endurance, and other characteristics that some have found endearing.

They fly halfway round the earth to reach their coastal breeding grounds, returning to the same burrow every year. They mate at sea, mate for life, and lay only one precious egg each season. They cover hundreds of kilometres each day searching for fish. In sight of land they call loudly and frequently but at sea they are silent. Why? The human mind hungers for explanations even as the stomach yearns for diversity. Shearwaters were once hunted to the point of extinction when settlers discovered that the meat, arriving so promptly each September, was a pleasant change from their staple diet of mutton. Being an object of endearment isn’t always what it’s cut out to be.

She packs. Emptying drawers, stuffing clothes into bags, loading up the car. A part of her mind thinking of these things. A sharp little voice. She listens. It seems to know what it’s doing. Take this, for comfort. And this. Better grab those too; you don’t know how long it will take. She checks the credit cards in her wallet, stuffs the chequebook into her pocket, finds her passport. Identity. You might need to prove who you are. What a strange and skittering through that is. She looks inside at the photograph. Cassandra Callinan. Yes.

I’m 54 years old. Where can I go? What am I good for? I am expert at dinners that keep without spoiling.Sorry, Cassie, it’s this damned Oreka business. Don’t wait up for me.Or it was the South Australian deal, or the Minnie Brothers, or Cassek, Reicher and Hardy versus … Sometimes he didn’t come home at all.

I am addicted to crime shows and the solace of a scotch, or two, but I still draw the line at reality TV. You have to have standards. How else to define yourself?

Did they go to a hotel, or to her place? Is their bed anonymous, or familiar and warm, retaining the scent of their bodies between meetings? How often do they …? She closes her eyes. I’m in the wrong story. I have been so careful. This was never, ever meant to happen to me.

She remembers to fill the petrol tank and stocks up on cash. Then she’s heading south on the highway. Driving fast. Anywhere. Away. Soon the city looms on her right and she’s soaring up over the docks on the wide span of the bridge, driving, driving, and nothing makes sense. Flying along a curving cliff-top road, unmoved by immaculate vistas of sun-flecked waves, she is provoked by yellow warning signs of a 25km/h speed limit. Feels the engine roar in her blood, sees the car shoot across the road, dissolving barriers, soaring silver into wide blue sky.

“It wouldn’t be like that,” she mutters desperately. Wonders how much blood and spattered gore, how prolonged the pain, and what certainty of death?

“One potato, two potato, three potato, four,” she chants, and bites her lip to stop it. Fear keeps her in the lane, as it always has. She drives for hours, the world a blur until by chance she sees the sign for Shearwater. Flickers of childhood. Summers long ago, travelling this south-west coast road on camping holidays with her parents and younger brother, Stuart. Damp canvas and spitting bacon, salt winds and seaweed and sunburn lotion. She swings the wheel at the last minute, earning a blast of disapproval from a huge Mack truck, and takes the turn-off. She’s taken Richard’s Mercedes-Benz too, gathering up, more from habit than from any hope of a future, whatever scraps of solace come her way. She cruises down the main street, looking for signs of anything familiar. I don’t remember this. It’s all so different. My hands are trembling. I ought to find something to eat. When did I last eat? Was it lunch at school, before … before.

She parks. Walks over to the Post Office & General Store and sees a card taped to the glass. ‘Peaceful, secluded furnished cottage for rent.’ It might as well have her name on it. She catches sight of herself in the shop window. A plump, motherly woman with a frizzy halo and a worried face. A well-cut brown jacket. Expensive leather bag hanging from one shoulder, the strap too long, the bag too full and bulging.

A bell rings as she pushes open the door and a voice descends from the ceiling.

“Hello? Won’t be a tick. Martin! Martin! Can you mind the shop? I’m up the stepladder. Martin? Oh! He’s never around when you need him, that man.”

A short round woman negotiates the rungs of a ladder with tiny slippered feet. Safe on the ground, she gazes upwards, one hand on her chest as though to calm the effects of altitude.

“Is it straight, do you think?” Her face is flushed. Little black eyes framed in a triangle of nose, pouched brow and cheek, like a melancholy puffin.

Together they stare at a pyramid of baked beans on a high shelf. Cassie makes a mental note not to slam the door on her way out.

“It will have to do,” the woman says. “You only just caught us. We’re finishing up for the day. But here I am, keeping you waiting. Pity the weather’s turned poor, isn’t it? Never known such a wind, not even here, and we’re used to gales. What can I help you with?”

“The cottage. I’d like to rent the cottage, please.”

Book Group questions

  • Should Cassie have been more assertive and stayed and fought for her marriage and fair share of their belongings? 

  • Has Richard made a giant mistake that he will live to regret? 

  • After the first few strange incidents at the cottage, why doesn’t Cassie flee? 

  • Is Cassie a much different person by the end of the book and will she find happiness? 

  • Was Kit’s acceptance of a fee from Richard to keep an eye on Cassie unethical or understandable given his age and situation?

Related stories


Home Page 5631

March on the Road Train

The Road Train launch in Tamworth with Today

The Australian Women’s Weekly and Commonwealth Bank On the Road with Today Road Train got off to an exciting start at The Tamworth Country Music Festival, with a live broadcast on the Today show. Guests included country stars James Blundell, Melinda Schneider and Anne Kirkpatrick, as well as the team from The Weekly and Dr Helen Zorbas from NBCC.

Video highlights from the past two months:

  • The Weekly’s editor-in-chiefDeborah Thomastalks to Today’s Karl Stefanovic at the Road Train launch in Tamworth.

  • Lyndey Milan and James Blundellmake the best-ever steak sandwich.

  • The Today show’s Mike Dalton talks to local winemaker David Lowe and country duoThe Sunny Cowgirlsperform in Mudgee.

  • Lucy White from Mudgee Regional Tourism talks about the Road Train andScott Cam from Backyard Blitzchecks in.

  • Teenage whip-cracking champion Adam Manwaringshows off his whip skills at the Road Train stop in Young.

  • Country singerDianna Corcoran performsand Barbara Nuttall from Young’s oncology unit talks about the importance of access to breast cancer units in country Australia.

What’s on this month

Canberra festival

Visit the Road Train at the Celebrate Canberra Festival on Sunday, March 11. On the stage from 2pm-9pm will be Rogue Traders, Thirsty Merc, Choirboys and a great line-up of local bands, singers and DJs. An ABC Kids concert from 2pm-6pm will feature Bananas in Pyjamas, Postman Pat, Angelina Ballerina and Bob the Builder.

What’s your money IQ?

Test your financial knowledge and understanding with the Commonwealth Bank’s financial IQ quiz, and bring yourself up to speed with key finance and money issues at the interactive finance sessions.

Welcome aboard!

This month, join the Road Train as we bring the pages of The Weekly to life in the following towns:

Wagga Wagga, Sunday, March 4: From 11am-3pm at Wagga Beach, with Clean Up Australia Day volunteers.

Tumut, Wednesday, March 7: From 11am-2pm at Pioneer Park, with roving entertainment and Batlow’s “Pink Ladies” handing out fresh Batlow apples.

Canberra, Sunday, March 11: From 2pm-9.30pm at Commonwealth Park, with The Australian Women’s Weekly team of Deborah Thomas, Lyndey Milan, Jane de Teliga and Kate Mahon, live entertainment by Cirque du Soleil and more.

Goulburn, Wednesday, March 14: Join us at Goulburn’s 14th annual City of Roses festival, 10am-2pm, and celebrate the city’s birthday with a cup cake and morning tea at the Cathedral Common where you’ll meet The Weekly’s gardening expert Jackie French and Food Director Lyndey Milan. Guest speaker will be local mayor Paul Stephenson.

Moss Vale, Saturday, March 17: The Moss Vale Agricultural Show is being held from 10.30am-9pm at the Moss Vale Showgrounds. Meet our Test Kitchen manager Kellie-Marie Thomas, as she cooks with a Dairy Farmers’ dairy farmer.

Wollongong, Sunday, March 18: From 11am-3pm at Stewart Park with Dr Helen Zorbas, Director of the National Breast Cancer Centre (NBCC), The Weekly’s Test Kitchen Director Pamela Clark and live entertainment from young country music star Victoria Baillie.

Ulladulla, Thursday, March 22

Nowra, Saturday, March 24

Albury-Wodonga, Saturday, March 31

For more details on locations and times, visit our website at www.aww.com.au/roadtrain or email [email protected]

Related stories


Home Page 5631

Road Train video journal

On the Road with The Weekly

Haven’t been able to catch the Road Train passing through your town? Watch all the highlights in our video journal.

Victor Harbor tea party

Shepparton shenanigans

Shepparton comes out to sing

Having fun in Ulladulla

An Elvis impersonator and a jazz family stop by the truck in Wagga Wagga

Ian Kiernan launches Clean Up Australia Day in Wagga Wagga

Dianna Corcoran performs in Young

Teenage whip-cracking champion in Young

Mudgee comes together for the AWW Road Train

The Sunny Cowgirls perform in Mudgee

Lyndey Milan makes a steak sandwich with James Blundell in Tamworth

Deb Thomas talks to Karl Stefanovic at the Road Train launch in Tamworth

Country singers Beccy Cole and Felicity Urquhart in Tamworth

Related stories


Home Page 5631

Jane McGrath, survivor

Glenn and Jane McGrath with their kids

Jane McGrath, wife of Aussie cricket star Glenn McGrath, has fought and beaten cancer twice. Yet nothing prepared her for the discovery that the cancer had returned — this time, as a brain tumour. The couple tell Michael Sheather of the love that has sustained them and how Jane dreams of growing old and watching her children grow up.

“I turned 40 last year and I thought that perhaps it was because I needed glasses, so I went along to get myself tested,” recalls Jane. “I was supposed to press a button when I saw a dot cross the screen and, when we finished, the optometrist said, ‘This is strange. There’s one area where you were completely blank, where you didn’t record anything at all. I think you should see a specialist’.

“It was the way she said it. I’d heard it before. Suddenly, I had a flashback to 1997, when I had my first mammogram and they found the breast cancer. I could see the envelope with my breast X-rays inside it on the desk and on the outside was a luminous note with a specialist’s appointment scribbled on it. I just thought, ‘Oh, no. This is it, all over again’.”

Read the whole story, only in the March 2007 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

Watch Deb Thomas talk to the Today show about Jane McGrath’s fight with cancer.

Glenn McGrath talks to the Today show about Jane’s new Breast Friends campaign.

Learn more about cancer, what you can do to reduce your cancer risk, and find out how you can help.

Related stories


Home Page 5631

Tom Williams’ big secret

Tom Williams

Losing his father to cancer when he was still a teen was a painful blow for rising TV star Tom Williams, yet he retains a touching bond with his dad, writes Leigh Reinhold.

“I speak to him all the time,” says The Great Outdoors presenter, “but especially out in the surf when the waves are non-existent. Then I’ll really speak to him. ‘Hey! Give us a hand’, I’ll say. ‘Send us a wave, will you? I want to go in. I’m getting cold! And make it a big one, too, will you, please?’ And sometimes he does,” Tom says with a smile.

Tom, 36, was just a teenager when his father, David Williams, a Sydney lawyer and life-long smoker, succumbed to cancer. David’s illness and fight for life had an enormous effect on Tom and rarely a day goes by that he doesn’t think of David or talk to him. He misses his father and, as a Catholic, firmly believes that, one day, they will meet again.

It’s this private and spiritual side to the cheeky sometime-chippie that the public never sees. His smile, welcoming blue eyes and indisputable sex appeal on-screen show nothing of the personal heartache he has been through — or the faith that has sustained him in difficult times.

Read the whole story, only in the March 2007 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

Tom Williams ranked number three in our Australia’s Sexiest Man online poll, see who else made the top of the list you helped put together.

Related stories