Innehållsförteckning för TAK2405 från Take 5

My daughter and I trekked the length of New Zealand so I could heal Victoria Bruce, 38, Greymouth, NZ. There was a knock on the door, and I opened it to reveal a tall, bearded man. “Any bunks left for the night?” he asked in a thick French accent. My daughter Emilie, six, and I had been spending her April 2020 school holidays on a 66km multiday walk in Canterbury’s Lewis Pass. We were settling in for the night in a little hut when the stranger knocked. “What’s your name? Where’ve you walked from? Where are you going?” Emilie asked him. Pierre had been walking for months on a path called Te Araroa, a 3000km hiking trail that spans the length of New Zealand’s North and South Islands, from Cape…

With rising temperatures, it’s natural to sweat a bit more – which means our deodorant has to work overtime. But have you ever wondered what the best time is to apply it? “When it comes to deodorants, the best time to apply is at night before you go to bed,” Dove expert Kirti Sharma advises. “Your body temperature is lower, and your underarms tend to be dryer during this time.” While some deodorants, such as Dove Advanced Care Deodorant, work for 48 hours, there are times when you may feel like you need to apply a little bit more. “When reapplying to freshen up, I’d suggest using a cleaning cloth to get rid of sweat and then dry your underarms before reapplying your deodorant,” Kirti says. If you’ve ever wondered…

$12,000 GIVEAWAY DANIELLE BRAMS, Eaton, WA This Christmas may be our last with our granddaughter. Abby is six and has two rare genetic diseases. Not knowing how long we have left with her is heartbreaking. Christmas Day, our family will get together and celebrate as best we can. Her sister also has one of the diseases, so every celebration with our girls is a bonus. We have a Facebook page, Abby and Leah’s Journey with Battens Disease, and our followers have made Christmas 2023 a year to remember. ANONYMOUS, SA I got paid Friday. It is Saturday and I have $0.30 left in my account. This is me most fortnights. I am the sole provider. I have one pay before Christmas – I’d love some help to pop presents under…

Jade Strang, 30, Ormeau, Qld. Sitting with my cuppa, I was biting my nails before the chaos of the day began. “What are you guys planning to do later?” my fiancé, Joel, 31, asked. It was a Saturday in July and we loved spending time with our kids, Lacey, 10, and Nixon, six. But Joel had some errands to run so I was taking the kids to the neighbourhood pop-up petting zoo. A few hours later, Lacey was busy giving the pigs a cuddle and Nixon was enjoying feeding the ducks, while I gave the goats and calves a pat. “That was such a fun day,” Lacey said, wondering when we could go again. As we left, we all used the hand sanitiser provided. Four weeks later, I was working…

Dear Take 5ers, My brother Ben* and his partner Katey* are hosting my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary in their new home next month. Since my husband Johnny* and I rescued our dogs, Max and Ruby, they’ve attended every family event. As we decided not to have kids, our fur babies are like children to us. They are anxious and can’t be left alone. My family adores Max and Ruby, and until now no-one’s had a problem with them attending family events. Ben asked me last night not to bring the dogs as Katey doesn’t want pets in their new house. I can’t go without them, but don’t want to cause a rift by not going, what should I do? Poppy*, 36 It’s their home, their rules. Just get a dog…

We pay $100 for each letter printed Disconnect Day When we lost our mobile phone and internet connection for a day, my family of five were bereft. The 13- and nine-year-old moped for the first two hours and the five-yearold cried genuine tears because she couldn’t watch her Bluey episodes. We all realised what a huge part of our lives being connected is. Seeing everyone’s distress, I suggested we go for a walk. We chatted and laughed the whole way, and when we got home, we dragged out some old board games. We were having such a great time we didn’t even notice when the internet started working again. We really enjoyed our ‘Disconnect Day’ and have decided to do it once a month from now on. Ruby Lemersen, Young,…

Our miracle twins have the same birthday, but one is 18 days older! Sandra Searle, 37, Perth, WA. Watching our babies sleeping, I couldn’t believe how lucky we’d been. Seven years earlier, my husband, David, had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. He’d needed chemo and surgery, so doctors had frozen his sperm. He’d got the all-clear and we’d started trying for a family, but then discovered I had a low egg count and were told we wouldn’t be able to conceive naturally. Following IVF, we’d been blessed with Georgia, four, and Fred, two. It felt like we’d won the lottery twice. And now, we had just implanted our last frozen embryo. “We already have enough but if it happens again, I would be so happy,” David said, and I agreed.…

We were going to miss our nuptials, so the cabin crew sprang into action Pam Salda, 53. Getting home in the early hours, I messaged my friend. I don’t know what you were moaning about, I wrote. Online dating is brilliant! I’d decided to try it after the pandemic, as there’d been no opportunity to meet anyone, and Jeremy was my first ever online date. We’d met in a bar and hit it off straightaway. He told me about his two kids, 16 and 13, while mine were older at 30 and 22. And before I knew it, it was 2am. After a few more dates with Jeremy, I didn’t know if I wanted to commit, so we decided to stay friends. For months, we got to know each other…

Tell us why you need cash and your dreams could come true! What do you wish for? An amazing holiday, family reunion, money for a medical procedure? Or perhaps the peace of mind of paying off a bill or debt that’s haunting you? One of our most-loved competitions is back – Wishing Well. Each month we have $5000 to give away to the most deserving request. Simply fill in the coupon below, tell us why you should win and post it off. The prize could be for you, or someone close to you. If there’s more you want to say, you can attach a letter up to 300 words. TIP: YOU CAN ENTER AS OFTEN AS YOU’D LIKE, BUT EACH ENTRY MUST BE FOR DIFFERENT WISHES.…

A silly party trick became my life’s work Evan Ferrante, 44. My classmate Alex had recently discovered that not only do I look and sound like Tom Cruise, I did a decent impression of him, too. “This will be a great way to meet girls,” he grinned. So, the two of us set off down the hallway of our university accommodation and Alex knocked on one of the rooms. Then I whipped on a pair of aviator sunglasses as the door opened to two girls. “Help me, help you!” I pleaded, mimicking an iconic scene from the movie Jerry Maguire. The girls laughed before closing the door in my face. Fortunately, most of the other students appreciated my impersonation and I was soon known around campus as ‘Tom’ or ‘the…

While you might think you’re prepared to handle the summer heat, it actually takes more thought and planning than you realise. Dr Magdalena Simonis from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners says, “Spending too much time in the sun not only increases your chance of sunburn but also your risk of heat-related illnesses, dehydration and exposure to biting insects.” Happily, you can still enjoy summer to the fullest – just take precautions. PROBLEM MOSQUITO BITES Mosquito bites are the unavoidable downside of an Aussie summer. And there’s always one person in the crowd who these little bloodsuckers seem to target more than the others! The reason for the insatiable itch lies in the mosquito’s saliva, which causes an allergic reaction, resulting in the telltale irritated bump. Aside from being…

I try to spend 10 minutes cleaning on weekdays when I get home from work, so it’s not as much of a big job on the weekends. Mel Khan, Wellington, NZ. You can wrap the cut halves of a lemon together with a rubber band and put them in the fridge, so they last longer. Jane Devi, Ipswich, Qld. Nail polish remover is great for removing the sticky residue left on glass after stickers have been removed. Marie King, Palmerston North, NZ. Throwing baking soda on oily carpet stains, then vacuuming it up later, works like magic. Anne Kennedy, Shepparton, Vic. I was told that splashing ice-cold water on your face every morning and night will make your skin smoother. I tried this and it works! Michelle Horvat, Castle Hill,…

Carol Taylor, Gold Coast, Qld. As my husband, Rob, opened the front door to our home and light flooded into the hallway, I noticed small dents in the wooden floorboards and started to cry. “I’m sorry,” I said, wiping my eyes. I would never walk again… It was always the little things that got me. The marks had been made by the high-heeled stilettos I’d loved to wear every day. Now, I’d never wear them again. A year earlier, in 2001, Rob and I were driving home from a weekend away when our car hit black ice, rolling over, the roof caving in. I couldn’t feel anything from the neck down and knew immediately what it meant. At hospital, I was placed into an induced coma and put on life…

Your ultimate guide to exploring New Zealand’s stunning North Island Auckland is the perfect steppingoff point for a road trip around New Zealand’s magnificent Central North Island. While movie buffs can see the world famous Hobbiton movie set (which is a two and a half hour drive away), this remarkable region also proves to be a naturelover’s paradise. WAITOMO AND RUAKURI CAVES Descending into the Waitomo and Ruakuri Caves to see glowworms is awe-inspiring. The Ruakuri cave’s amazing spiral entrance is wheelchair friendly and like something out of a movie set. Enjoy the starry wonderland on foot or glide through by boat. The guides are full of facts about the tiny, bioluminescent glowworms. WAIMARINO GLOWWORM KAYAK TOUR This kayak tour with a difference starts at dusk. Follow your experienced guides…