Susan Hely

One in seven Australian students now receives tutoring as families spend thousands seeking an academic edge. I met someone recently at a party who told me that his daughter had scored an ATAR of 97.8 in Year 12. I congratulated him and asked what she was studying. He told me she didn't get into medicine, but was studying medical sciences, with the aim of transferring into medicine.

School holidays sound dreamy until you are a few days in and the kids are bored, restless, and asking for screens before breakfast. The break can stretch finances and patience. But keeping kids busy does not have to mean expensive outings or constant entertainment. With a bit of creativity, you can plan a break full of outdoor adventures, simple crafts, learning moments and proper downtime, all without blowing the budget.

Before you buy a new phone, check out the latest lineup of four styles of phones from Motorola priced from $1,699 for the ultra-premium signature range at $1,699 down to $499 for the Motorola g67. What jumps out is the wide range of on-trend Pantone colours, the elegant thin, lightweight design of the phones with a linen-like, textured back. The range has impressive cameras with the top-of-the-line DXOMARK camera system as well as long battery life.