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Diving deeper into generosity: Cave diver's charitable gift shines a light on giving back

<p>Josh lives in Adelaide and is an avid cave diver, loves writing funny books about science, and spends a lot of time reading and studying online. He recently chose to include a gift to Lifeline Australia when writing his Will online with Safewill.</p> <p>“It was an incredibly easy decision to make,” says Josh. “As soon as I saw it was possible to allocate a portion of my estate as a charitable donation, I thought it was a perfect idea, and when Lifeline popped up as a recommended charity, I remembered the times when friends and family had so desperately needed their support - it was as easy as clicking the Lifeline logo.”</p> <p>For a lot of people, writing a Will can feel confronting and daunting. Josh explains how he approached it.</p> <p>“I had been putting off doing my Will for a while now and had brought home Will packs previously thinking I'd get to it eventually. COVID-19 triggered fear in many people around me, and I've had several close calls with diving accidents over the last few years, so I figured it was long overdue. It turned out to be much easier than expected - I already had a sense of what I wanted to happen when I pass away, so filling it out online concisely made the whole process remarkably quick and painless.</p> <p>“For me, a Will is less about enforcing my wishes and more about making things easier for the folks I leave behind. Instead of having loved ones wonder or argue over what I would have wanted, I've laid it all down in clear terms. They might still disagree with different elements of my Will when it's executed, but the important thing is that I don't cause additional grief by leaving ambiguous directions.”</p> <p>Josh was previously unaware that he could leave gifts to charity in his Will. “I certainly didn't think it was an option,” he says. “Until Safewill asked if I wanted to allocate a portion of my estate to charity, I'd never really given it much thought and figured I'd never have enough to make it worth mentioning. I knew how much donations are appreciated, I'd just never connected the dots to realise that what I leave behind could also go towards helping organisations I value.”</p> <p>Josh shares what he’d say if someone was considering leaving a gift to Lifeline in their Will.</p> <p>“They’ll be helping a much wider range of people than if they simply gave everything to their partner or family. As important as our loved ones are, we're ultimately all on the same team when it comes to humanity, so why not support those in need regardless of if you know them or not?”</p> <p>By leaving a gift in his Will to Lifeline, Josh wants to help create a world for people who might be struggling where they can get the support they need when they need it. “We all struggle in different ways, but for many just getting up and surviving the day can be the hardest part. We're incredibly lucky to have an organisation like Lifeline that is there for anyone to reach out to and get support whenever they need it.”</p> <p>Lifeline Australia is a national charity providing people in Australia experiencing emotional distress with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Lifeline exists to ensure that no person in Australia has to face their darkest moments alone.</p> <p>Lifeline has partnered with Safewill to offer you the opportunity to <strong><a href="https://safewill.com//lifelineaus?utm_content=ptnr&amp;utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=enewsletter&amp;utm_campaign=lifelineaus_sep_2023_iac_week_over60_newsletter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">write your Will online for free this Include a Charity Week</a></strong>, which runs from the 4th – 10th September and is dedicated to raising awareness of how anyone can make a lasting impact to causes that they care about through a gift in their Will. Your Will will be reviewed by their affiliate law firm, Safewill Legal, to ensure it has been filled out correctly, and comes with a year of free and unlimited updates.</p> <p>While making a Will online may not be for everyone, particularly those with complex estates, thousands more Australians have been able to write a Will within the comfort of their own home in just 20 minutes.</p> <p>Safewill's online Will-writing service allows you to appoint guardians for your children, set out how you want to divide your estate and leave gifts to charities that mean the most to you - like Lifeline.</p> <p>After you've provided for those closest to you, leaving a gift to Lifeline is a lasting and meaningful way that you can have an impact for years to come. Even 1% of your estate can help save lives and prevent suicides in future generations.</p> <p>If you would like to learn more, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Lifeline Australia’s Gifts in Wills Specialist Abi Steiner via email at <a href="mailto:GiftsInWills@lifeline.org.au">GiftsInWills@lifeline.org.au</a> or phone on 1800 800 768.</p> <p><em>Images: Supplied. </em></p> <p><em>This is a sponsored article written in partnership with Lifeline Australia.</em></p>

Caring

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"Take what you need": Man's selfless act despite threat of hefty fine

<p dir="ltr">A man from Sydney - who goes by Michael - has been hard at work helping his community as Australians all over struggle through the nation’s ongoing cost of living crisis. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 46-year-old hotel worker has been saving discarded food from the bins outside of his local supermarkets in the inner west, and offering the produce to people to come and pick up as much as they’re in need of. </p> <p dir="ltr">To Facebook, he shares pictures of his collection, as well as captions like his most recent, in which he wrote, “good morning neighbours, I put these out this morning before I left for work.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The photo showed a pile of bread, vegetables, and other party staples sorted in crates on his porch, ready to head home with those in need. And for his selfless deed, Michael only asked one thing, that people “please only take what you need and consider others who come after you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As Michael told <em>Sky News</em>, he first came up with the idea for the venture after he was introduced to ‘dumpster diving’ in July 2022, and couldn’t believe the quantity of produce and waste that was going into the supermarket bins. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I knew about dumpster diving but I had never done it," he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Then one day I met a guy who showed me the supermarket bins and I went, 'oh wow'."</p> <p dir="ltr">It was only a matter of time before Michael caught the attention of a fruit and vegetable vendor, who chose to offer Michael his leftover produce. </p> <p dir="ltr">“That was when I started helping out the community,” Michael explained, “because I was then given so much."</p> <p dir="ltr">And since October of the same year, Michael has been able to provide dozens of boxes worth of fruit, vegetables, and bread to others.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The reception has been amazing,” he added. "I feel good that I can help in any way I can to reduce their grocery budget and help move short dated or excess stock, the food gets taken pretty quickly."</p> <p dir="ltr">However, while the community have heaped praise upon him for his kind ways, his local shopping centre had more in the way of threats in store rather than thanks. </p> <p dir="ltr">Instead, the security have threatened him with a “$1,000 fine and a 12-month ban” if he is caught rummaging through their bins again. </p> <p dir="ltr">As he explained it, “I and many others have now been slapped with a ban from shopping malls because management do not like the public going through their bins.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Legal

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Dumpster diver shows off controversial food haul

<p dir="ltr">A popular Australian TikToker has shown off the crazy amount of fruit and vegetables they have salvaged after going dumpster diving behind a supermarket.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luca Corby filmed a dumpster diving expedition in Canberra to prove just how much fresh produce gets thrown out each day, captioning the video: “Anywaysss f**k big corporations.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Corby and two friends donned head torches before heading to a nearby store and taking a look in the bins.</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@weinerfingerss/video/7126803839470112001" data-video-id="7126803839470112001"> <section><a title="@weinerfingerss" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@weinerfingerss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@weinerfingerss</a> Reply to @charliemaycraft anywaysss f*ck big corporations <a title="costoflivingcrisis" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/costoflivingcrisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#costoflivingcrisis</a> <a title="foodwaste" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foodwaste" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#foodwaste</a> <a title="♬ original sound - Luca Corby" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7126803845816781569" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound - Luca Corby</a></section> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Food is expensive at the moment, so let’s go dumpster diving” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">First off, the group managed to salvage a number of potatoes, carrots, leeks and a huge knob of ginger, which Corby estimated to be worth about $20.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Look at this lettuce, it is literally fresh. There is a couple of dead leaves on the outside but the inside is all fresh,” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The group also found rhubarb, mandarins, capsicums, oranges, grapes and asparagus.</p> <p dir="ltr">Corby filmed a follow-up the following day explaining once they came home, they washed all the fruit and vegetables and put them in the fridge.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our fridge is stocked for the next week. Our groceries for this week were essentially free,” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s crazy because we just went to a small supermarket, but you can imagine Coles and Woolworths would be throwing out so much stuff while families are struggling to buy fresh vegetables.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A few weeks earlier, Corby shared a picture of the huge amount of fresh produce their friend sourced after it was thrown out at a local IGA. </p> <p dir="ltr">The first video has clocked up more than 70,000 views, with many people shocked at how much fresh produce had been thrown away.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is so heartbreaking to see. The food looks so fresh. People are struggling right now,” one person said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another added: “Well done! It’s an absolute crime that those perfectly good foods can be thrown in the trash.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Both Woolworths and Coles have initiatives in place to reduce food waste in their stores. Woolies have implemented a Food Rescue and Recycling Program to help stores identify and divert surplus fresh food away from landfill. The discarded produce is instead used for things like hunger relief, animal stock feed at local farms and zoos, or for commercial composting.</p> <p dir="ltr">The supermarket giant works with OzHarvest, Foodbank and FareShare to make leftover edible food available to local hunger relief agencies.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-683be0c0-7fff-d166-eddc-fb93bd4590bd"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Coles has also introduced its Together to Zero Waste initiative to help reduce food waste across its stores.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

Food & Wine

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British’s woman’s wedding dress saved from dumpster 84 years later

<p dir="ltr">A British woman’s wedding gown <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-60124679" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has been saved</a> from a dumpster in Perth, over 14,000 kilometres away from where she tied the knot 84 years ago</p><p dir="ltr">After Gertrude Bloye married Fred McDonald in Plymouth in 1938, she boxed up her gown in a cardboard box from local department store Dingles.</p><p dir="ltr">As the couple didn’t have any children, their wedding treasures were passed down the family before being sent to a relative in Australia.</p><p dir="ltr">After all those years, it was discovered and rescued from a dumpster by a woman from Perth.</p><p dir="ltr">She then listed the box containing the gown and Gertude’s treasured heirlooms for sale online, for it to be quickly snapped up by Melbourne bride-to-be Claire Ransome.</p><p dir="ltr">Ms Ransome said she was looking for a vintage wedding dress when she came across the box for sale online, finding it contained the gown, flowers, and decorations from Gertrude and Fred’s wedding.</p><p dir="ltr">“It was like a vintage wedding showbag,” Ms Ransome said. “The gloves that her husband wore, dried roses, waxed buds from the wedding cake and then from the very bottom out came this beautiful wedding dress, like liquid silk.”</p><p dir="ltr">She then turned to Josephine Cafagna, a connoisseur of vintage clothes, for help.</p><p dir="ltr">After realising the value of the dress and the collection of treasures, Ms Cafagna decided to share it.</p><p dir="ltr">“What I normally do is restore them and sell them on to people who love vintage, but in this case, while people wanted to buy the wedding dress, I really didn’t want to separate these pieces,” she told the <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-16/melbourne-bride-vintage-wedding-dress-1930s/100736700" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a></em>.</p><p dir="ltr">“If they’ve been together for nearly a century, who am I to tear them apart and sell them off.</p><p dir="ltr">“It’s of historical value. It needs to go to a museum.”</p><p dir="ltr">So Ms Cafagna reached out to Peter Bottomley, who runs a cafe that also hosts his extensive collection of vintage wedding dresses in Castlemaine, Victoria.</p><p dir="ltr">“This lady preserved it for all those years,” Mr Bottomley said. “Seeing it back out of the dumpster and looking beautiful is a great end to the story.”</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e35dfd92-7fff-a88e-4b4d-aa91a21aeb06"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: BBC</em></p>

Caring

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Amateur diver uncovers 900-year-old treasure

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An amateur diver has found a sword believed to have belonged to a crusader knight from about 900 years ago off Israel’s northern coast.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shlomi Katzin made the discovery while scuba diving off the Carmel coast, as well as finding ancient stone anchors, metal anchors, and pottery fragments.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The sword, which has a one-metre-long blade and a 30-centimetre hilt, was found encrusted with marine organisms and is thought to have emerged after the sands shifted.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844945/sword1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/565203079d5d45c78dd0063de5299054" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The hilt of the sword found by Mr Katzin. Image Shlomi Katzin / IAA</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Katzin took his find ashore after fearing it would be stolen or buried once again in the sands.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After reporting the find to the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Robbery Prevention Unit, Mr Katzin was awarded a certificate for good citizenship.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said the sword would be put on public display once it had been cleaned and analysed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The sword, which has been preserved in perfect condition, is a beautiful and rare find and evidently belonged to a crusader knight,” </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/israelexperience/history/pages/diver-finds-900-year-old-crusader-sword-on-seabed-18-october-2021.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said Nir Distelfeld</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, IAA’s Robbery Prevention Unit Inspector.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was found encrusted with marine organisms but is apparently made of iron. It is exciting to encounter such a personal object, taking you 900 years back in time to a different era, with knights, armour and swords.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVLK-IToofQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVLK-IToofQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Israel Antiquities Authority (@antiquities_en)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kobi Sharvit, the head of IAA’s Marine Archaeology Unit, said the Carmel coast had provided shelter for ships during storms over the centuries of shipping activity, making it a hotspot for treasured finds.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These conditions have attracted merchant ships down the ages, leaving behind rich archaeological finds,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The recently recovered sword is just one such find.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eli Escosido, the IAA’s general director, praised Mr Katzin for coming forward with the discovery.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Crusaders fought in a series of religious wars during the medieval period, with the most commonly known campaigns occurring in the eastern Mediterranean region.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Shlomi Katzin / IAA</span></em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"I am not buying things": Why some people opt for 'dumpster diving'

<p>Each year, Australian households throw out some <a href="http://www.foodwise.com.au/foodwaste/food-waste-fast-facts/">A$8 billion worth of edible food</a>, with those aged 18 to 24 reported as the biggest wasters.</p> <p>However, this household figure is likely far outweighed by the value of food waste generated by commercial retailers. In truth, our youth are but one contributor to what could be deemed a massive market failure.</p> <p>But some people are looking for different ways to approach food and waste. Over three months I interviewed 21 young environmentalists from Melbourne, exploring how and why they began “dumpster diving”: searching waste bins for food.</p> <p>While there are many reasons why someone might choose – or be forced by economic circumstances – to investigate trash, the young people I spoke to cited a range of motivations: to reduce waste; to create a sense of community; and because they did not want to support unsustainable food markets.</p> <p><strong>Understanding dumpster diving</strong></p> <p>Food waste is estimated to cost the Australian economy <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/protection/national-waste-policy/publications/food-waste-factsheet">A$20 billion a year</a> (this includes commercial and industrial sector waste, as well as waste disposal charges).</p> <p>The Australian government is <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/protection/national-waste-policy/food-waste">developing legislation</a> with the aim of halving food wastage by 50%. Effective solutions could result in tremendous savings and considerable environmental benefit.</p> <p>While dumpster diving is obviously not a wholesale solution to the problem of food waste, young consumers’ changing attitudes are an important part of our national conversation.</p> <p>My findings show that Melbourne’s young environmentalists regularly visit dumpsters at vegetable markets, supermarkets and bakeries.</p> <p>My interviewees were motivated to dumpster dive by a range of factors besides the obvious gain of free food and goods. Framing the deed as economic necessity fails to capture a variety of incentives.</p> <p>It’s worth noting that the limited demographic I studied means these results cannot be associated with those who dumpster-dive out of genuine need. Rather, those I interviewed wanted to reduce food waste and avoid supporting the “mainstream” food economy. One young environmentalist told me:</p> <blockquote> <p>I never in my childhood and afterwards had a shortage of food in my life. I think the reason that I started [dumpster diving] and one of the main reasons that I continue it is because I think it’s environmentally a good thing to do […] I am not buying things. I am not contributing to unsustainable food production.</p> </blockquote> <p>Several participants said they refused to buy from companies with unacceptable environmental credentials. For them, dumpster diving is not an occasional activity but a planned and ongoing way of life. They attempt to create an alternative “free” food economy based on minimising waste and sharing resources.</p> <p>However, members of the group are aware of opposition to the practice. Several had experiencd confrontations with retail staff, security guards and members of the public. One interviewee said:</p> <blockquote> <p>I think they [supermarket authorities] worry about losing business [as] people get food from their bins, not from the supermarket; it’s a part of their worry as well. They ask me to leave. I ask, ‘Why?’ It’s ridiculous. Why can’t they let me have this food that will probably end up in landfill?</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Feel-good and fun</strong></p> <p>Dumpster divers are also motivated by the emotional bonds they form as a group. They’re part of a broader subculture of “alternative” consumers, who commonly share food; they describe themselves as “a community of free food people”.</p> <p>Several expressed a “feel good” and “fun” dimension to the activity. Acquiring unpredictable “finds” created a sense of novelty and surprise, and a feeling that the rewards were “worked for”. They mirror more traditional shopping habits like “treasure-hunting”, or the thrill of finding a bargain.</p> <p><strong>Retailers’ perspective</strong></p> <p>From a retailer’s perspective, dumpster diving presents a different face. Although one interviewee accused retailers of protecting their profits, there’s also the risk of a dumpster diver being injured, or getting sick from unsafe food.</p> <p>While some companies actively support or are empathetic towards dumpster divers, others call for the prosecution of divers whom they believe to be stealing. Diving is illegal in many developed countries such as Germany and New Zealand (although prosecutions are rare).</p> <p>Everybody involved in the food chain has a role to play in reducing food waste. Retailers can work to optimise their supply chain, reduce the amount of produce on display or accept less-than-perfect produce from farmers. Products approaching expiring should be heavily discounted, or donated to charities (although <a href="https://theconversation.com/successful-failures-the-problem-with-food-banks-86546">food banks aren’t a panacea</a>).</p> <p>We as consumers should also be willing to adjust our expectations of perfect produce, something explored in the ABC program <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/ourfocus/waronwaste/"><em>War on Waste</em></a> and campaigns like the United States’ <a href="http://www.endfoodwaste.org/ugly-fruit---veg.html">Ugly Fruit and Veg</a>.</p> <p>More fundamentally, we need to change our attitude to food. Thinking about why and how we create waste and exploring different perspectives – like dumpster diving – are all part of this process.</p> <p>Ultimately, the purpose of dumpster diving is to highlight and provide an alternative to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/why-grocery-stores-throw-out-so-much-food-2014-10?r=US&amp;IR=T">food waste embedded in everyday business models</a>. At the end of the day, the way forward is for each of us to consider and reflect on our own habits of consumption.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86536/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Written by <span>Chamila Perera, Lecturer, Swinburne University of Technology</span>. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/i-am-not-buying-things-why-some-people-see-dumpster-diving-as-the-ethical-way-to-eat-86536"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>. </em></p>

Retirement Income

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Thredbo survivor Stuart Diver opens up about losing both his wives

<p>His life has been marred by tragedy but the sole survivor of the 1997 Thredbo disaster Stuart Diver has opened up about learning to stay positive in the face of enormous grief after losing both his wives in separate tragedies.</p> <p class="canvas-atom">Stuart lost his first wife, Sally, in the landslide which killed 18, before his second wife, Rosanna, died from breast cancer in 2015 after three years of marriage.</p> <p class="canvas-atom"><img width="453" height="311" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/03/23/06/26E9764600000578-3007169-image-a-2_1427091930937.jpg" alt="Stuart Diver with his first wife, Sally (pictured) who died in the landslide " class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-41e9de45588ee90"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="canvas-atom"><em>Stuart Diver with his first wife Sally. </em></p> <p class="canvas-atom">Despite losing two loves of his life, Stuart says his life has been overwhelmingly positive.</p> <p class="canvas-atom">“Both Sally and Rosanna added such an enormous amount to my life that it would be sad for me to live as positively as I can in their memory,” he writes in the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar/stuart-diver-tragedy-stays-with-you-forever/news-story/16b4af92862ade59bb55f0c1833e8db1" target="_blank">Sunday Telegraph</a>.</strong></em></span></p> <p class="canvas-atom">“I hope people see me as someone who has been through a couple of big tragedies now, and yet I can still get on with life and live it to the fullest," he said.</p> <p class="canvas-atom">"Overwhelmingly, my life is hugely positive. I know some people may find that strange, as both my wives have died, but it’s true."</p> <p class="canvas-atom"><img width="465" height="251" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/04/22/02/4B6984CE00000578-5642993-Diver_with_his_daughter_Alessia_who_he_had_with_his_second_wife_-a-2_1524359609763.jpg" alt="Diver with his daughter Alessia who he had with his second wife Rosanna " class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-ee80e24b2079b9ab"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="canvas-atom"><em>Stuart with his daughter Alessia who he had with his second wife Rosanna. </em><span><br /><br /></span></p> <p class="canvas-atom">Stuart said that he owes it to his young daughter Alessia, whom he had with Rossanna, to make sure her mother is not forgotten and that the pair live a normal life.</p> <p class="canvas-atom">“My daughter Alessia calls me both her mum and her dad. She's seven now, but she lost her mum when she was four and a half, so I spend a lot of time making sure that Rosanna never gets forgotten,” he said.</p> <p class="canvas-atom">His greatest success he says was not his miraculous survival in the landslide but bringing up his daughter.</p> <p class="canvas-atom"><img width="426" height="235" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/qsSWCOpaxR.38DQ0UFl_rQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9MTI4MDtoPTk2MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en-AU/homerun/y7.yahoo7/b492b52eb919bddb48df464b87a47add" class="slideshow-image Maw(100%) Mah(100%) M(a) W(a) StretchedBox" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p class="canvas-atom">Stuart, a ski instructor, was the sole survivor when 100 tonnes of earth crushed the popular NSW resort, flattening two ski lodges in July 1997.</p> <p class="canvas-atom">He was pulled from the rubble after 68 gruelling hours trapped inside. His wife, as well as 17 others, died trapped inside.</p>

Caring

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Shark breaks into diver’s cage

<p>A diver was filming a great white shark off the coast of Mexico from inside a supposedly “shark-proof” cage, when disaster struck.</p> <p>As the mammoth sea dweller dived for a piece of tuna, he somehow found himself inside the enclosure. The terrifying footage shows the stunned beast thrashing around, trying to free itself, before swimming away.</p> <p>The footage was posted to the “Gabe and Garrett” YouTube channel, which father of two, Brian, usually uses to post videos of his boys doing fun activities. “This is not our normal type of video,” he wrote on Facebook on Thursday.</p> <p>Brian also explained that despite how it may look, the shark was not trying to attack the diver. “They are temporarily blinded when they open their mouths, so when the shark went for the tuna bait on the rope it accidentally slammed into the cage,” continuing, “They can’t swim backwards so it thrust forward through the cage with a diver inside.”</p> <p>Have you had any scary animal encounters? Share your stories with us in the comments below. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/04/10-aussie-wildlife-parks-you-have-to-visit/">10 Aussie wildlife parks you have to visit</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/09/hawk-drops-snake-on-family-picnic-in-melbourne/">Hawk drops snake on family picnic in Melbourne</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/09/15-photos-of-animals-eating/">15 photos of animals eating that will make your day</a></strong></em></span></p>

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Shark slams into cage full of divers

<p>The terrifying moment a shark slammed into a cage full of divers in South Africa has been captured on camera.</p> <p>American tourist Spencer Reilly, who was diving at Gabsbaai while on his honeymoon, caught the moment the shark torpedoed into the small gap of the shark cage.</p> <p>“That should not have happened really, they don't like the shark to get too close to the cage but there was low visibility and the shark came at the bait extremely fast,” Mr Reilly told 9news.com.au.</p> <p>“It was not too scary because it happened so fast, and then it was pretty exhilarating.”</p> <p>Some online commentators believe the footage has been sped up, Mr Reilly assures them that the clip is 100 per cent real. </p>

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Diver has VERY close encounter with shark

<p>Amazing Go-Pro footage has emerged this week capturing the moment a diver has a close encounter with a Great White shark in what was a seriously close call!</p> <p>Attached to the diver’s head, the camera captured footage of the diver floating unawares through murky water when suddenly out of nowhere a Great White shark glides into his field of video. The diver quickly makes his way to the surface, calling for people on a nearby boat to help. He checks the water but the shark is nowhere to be seen and eventually makes his way back into the boat.</p> <p><em>Video credit: YouTube</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2015/08/deep-blue-biggest-shark-footage/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>This is the biggest great white ever seen</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2015/09/great-white-leaps-out-of-water-video/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Great white shark leaps out of water, leaving fishermen stunned</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2015/09/great-white-leaps-out-of-water-video/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Massive 6-metre shark caught off 7 Mile Beach is unbelievable</strong></em></span></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

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Meet the freegans and dumpster divers. They turn (your) trash into treasure

<p>Our culture today of disposable goods, wanton food wastage and intolerance for repairs is spawning a new generation of unlikely entrepreneurs and environmental evangelists.</p><p>Known as dumpster divers, this is a community of people who literally rifle through rubbish to dig up an abundance of food, clothing, electrical items and other unwanted goods. They are the people finding the treasure in your trash and often making a fortune from your unwanted goods and food.</p><p>They can rake in thousands a year just from people’s unwanted goods and selling them on. Items even include vacuum cleaners, power tools, furniture, carpeting, industrial machinery and other electronics.</p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/finance/money/2015/03/things-moneywise-people-do/">Related link: 5 things money-wise people never do</a></span></strong></em></p><p>If you think it’s a bunch of homeless people or freeloaders scabbing through bins for a free meal then think again. Many dumpster divers have jobs and do it for the extra cash or simply to save some money and waste.</p><p>Related to the dumpster divers are the freegans in Australia. The word freegan is a combination of “free” – as in it’s free because you found it in a dumpster – and “vegan,” a&nbsp;vegetarian&nbsp;who abstains from all animal products. Not all freegans are strict vegetarians, however. Some would rather eat found meat, dairy and eggs than let food go to waste.</p><p>Freegans are dumpster divers&nbsp;who rescue furniture, clothes, household items and even&nbsp;food&nbsp;cast off by others. They aren't homeless; in fact, most could easily afford to buy their own food and furniture. They’ve instead chosen to live what they believe is an ethical, unadulterated lifestyle and disassociate themselves from capitalism and consumerism.</p><p>This group of people say they not only save on groceries and other products but reduce landfill waste as well. According to figures obtained by lobby group&nbsp;Do Something!&nbsp;Australians discard four million tons of food annually worth around $8 billion.</p><p>While steering clear of food which is obviously off or inedible, people salvage whole cases of beer, bread, fruit and vegetables and meat which is still OK to eat.</p><p>In places like Sydney there’s even a dedicated community group set up to share tips, stories and experiences. Dish &amp; Dirt, a&nbsp;blog for Sydney’s dumpster divers, reveal how dumpster diving is viewed as an effective urban foraging technique, founded by freegans all over the world who believe the world’s current wastage is unnecessary.</p><p>According to them, Australians throw away up to 20 per cent of all the food they purchase, a huge waste in anyone’s book, which equates to more than a $1000 for each household in an average year.</p><p>While dumpster diving on private property is technically illegal, they often get around it by either going late at night or even having a word with security guards, if any are around, and letting them know they are just trying to reduce waste.</p><p>Many freegans extend their beliefs beyond the food they eat. In addition to dumpster diving, some freegans squat on abandoned property or grow gardens on empty lots. Some choose not to hold jobs and instead volunteer or teach repair workshops for other freegans.</p><p><strong>Related links:</strong></p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/finance/money/2015/02/spending-habits-of-the-rich/">The surprisingly frugal spending habits of the rich</a></span></strong></em></p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/finance/money/2015/02/how-to-get-things-for-free/">Clever ways to get things for free</a></span></strong></em></p><p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/finance/money/2014/11/great-money-saving-hacks/">Great money saving hacks</a></span></strong></em></p>

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