Trekking past expectations: 80-year-old Berry local breaking world record at Everest

Carolyn Robinson is not like most 80-year-olds. She’s currently halfway across the world, on a 17-day, 130km trek to Everest Base Camp, and loving every altitude-challenged minute of it.

“It was never on my bucket list,” says the Berry local. “But when this came up, I thought, why not? I love adventure, and I couldn’t pass this up.”

At 5,364 metres above sea level, Everest’s South Base Camp is no walk in the park. Carolyn is one of 13 Australians making the journey, alongside her neighbour and hiking buddy Laurelle Price, 74. With an average age of 67, this Rotary crew is proving that adventure has no age limit, just bring sturdy boots and a good sense of humour.

Carolyn proudly calls herself an “OBE - Over Bloody Eighty” and could become the oldest woman to ever reach base camp. The current record-holder is a 78-year-old Japanese woman who attempted the summit four times. If Carolyn makes it, she’ll walk straight into the record books.

But it’s not just about bragging rights. The group has raised $50,000 to support polio eradication, a cause close to Carolyn’s heart. “I wouldn’t be doing this without the fundraising, it gives the journey real purpose,” she says.

Training included high-altitude sessions in Sydney and plenty of sweaty climbs up Woodhill Mountain near her home. “It’s not about fitness,” Carolyn adds. “It’s about how your body copes when there’s only half the oxygen.”

Her strategy? Slow, steady, and always smiling.

As Carolyn puts it: “Sometimes the biggest adventures aren’t planned. They just find you.”

For more information and photo credit, see: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-04/octogenarian-embarks-on-trek-to-mount-everest-base-camp/105182422

Fast fashions paper cut: How ancient traditions are challenging fast fashions waste problem

Aussies toss out an average of 11kg of clothing every single year. Fast fashion is cheap, easy—and totally unsustainable. But what if your next outfit could be composted?

Yep, it sounds wild. But this isn’t your school notebook. Aussie designer Anzara Clark is flipping the script with durable, wearable, and washable garments made from traditional Japanese washi paper, crafted from mulberry bark, and processed by hand over four to six days.

Forget fragile. "I’ve worn one of my paper vests 60 times, and it’s still going strong,” Anzara says. Paper armour existed in ancient Japan. This stuff is tougher than it looks.

Anzara's creations turned heads at Eco Fashion Week and are now catching international attention, from Italy to Canada. She's even fundraising for a shot at London Fashion Week.

She’s not alone. Designer and academic Jake Nakashima-Edwards is also reviving centuries-old Asian paper clothing traditions. Is paper fashion the answer to fast fashion’s waste crisis? Not entirely. It's labour-intensive, pricey, and not mass-produced. But it’s a step toward slower, more mindful fashion.

“It makes you think - should I keep buying junk I’ll throw out in six months?” Jake asks.

Model-turned-intern Rose Kudlicki was sceptical. Then she wore it. “It was so comfy, and surprisingly strong.”

Paper fashion isn’t the future for everyone. But it is a powerful reminder: maybe fashion doesn't have to cost the Earth.

For more information and photo credit, see: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-24/australian-designer-takes-paper-clothing-to-catwalk/105319424

No Match Needed: Japan’s Artificial Blood Could Transform Medicine

In a world where blood donations don’t always flow fast enough, Japan is diving headfirst into a bold new frontier: artificial lab-grown blood.

This year, researchers at Nara Medical University launched clinical trials that could change the face of emergency medicine forever. Their secret weapon? Tiny lab-made cells called haemoglobin vesicles - synthetic versions of red blood cells which are designed to carry oxygen just like real blood.

The early trials in 2022 were a success, showing the cells were safe and oxygen friendly. Now, with 100 to 400 millilitres being administered to test subjects, researchers are pushing forward and hoping that by 2030, hospitals could be stocked with artificial blood ready to save lives.

Why the rush? It’s not just about innovation, it’s about survival. While richer countries struggle to find enough rare-type donors, poorer nations face an even graver issue: simply getting enough blood, period. Over 100 countries rely entirely on imported blood products like plasma and clotting factors. This can be a real logistical nightmare when factors such as short shelf life are taken into account.

Japan’s blood crisis has a whole other level, an aging population, a plummeting birth rate, and fewer young donors every year. Their solution? Turn expired blood into artificial supplies, stripped of blood types and ready for anyone.

Nara University and Chuo University are now under the microscope with two competing methods. They both can stabilise blood pressure, treat strokes and stop haemorrhages.

If Japan gets this right, artificial blood won’t just be a scientific curiosity, it’ll be a global game-changer.

For more information and photo credit, see: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/japan-to-begin-clinical-trials-for-artificial-blood-this-year/